Samriel

Listening to the many propositions caused Samriel's expression to vary, but not settle until it arrived at a thoughtful frown. But she couldn't think with him standing so close! With his arm around her and everything. Shrugging it off in what she hoped was a casual gesture, walking in a circle so that the sun wasn't shining in her eyes as harshly as she considered her options, arms crossed and finger tapping. "I think...." The blonde hesitated before nodding in decision. "Let's check out those caves. I'm sure your guildmates are great people, but I'd rather save up what col I have for now." She raised her head to meet the redhead's eyes, arching an eyebrow as she questioned, "And what makes you think taking me on a quest that's on the ninth floor could possibly be a good idea? Here I thought you liked me Mack. Guess I was wrong." She sighed semi-despondently with an accepting shrug. "As awesome as I'm sure whatever item it is you're talking about is, it's not worth me dying. And I definitely would if I went there. I'm kinda like three levels under the minimum requirement if you hadn't noticed. As soon as I step onto the floor, poof! No more Sam."

Groaning once more at Mack's terrible puns, Samriel brandished Dawnbreaker at him and threatened halfheartedly, "I'm gonna bust yer nut with my hammer if you don't quit it with the puns." Unsteadily getting to her feet as he admonished his twin for faceplanting. "Don't listen to him Mags, the ground's just really unsteady." Which wasn't really true (at least she wasn't positive) but she was trying to save face and act like she wasn't getting inwardly increasingly annoyed at her lack of balance.

While she was gathering her thoughts, their opponent seemed to think it was a great idea to bull rush the most menacing person in the room...and then get stuck in his head and beard hair. It almost would've been funny if she wasn't being annoyed on behalf of the man. She couldn't really recall his earlier warning to the bat, but certainly wasn't protesting the help...out loud at least. Literally leaping at the opportunity presented, Samriel brandished her hammer high above her head to swing down at the flying rodent. And of freaking course she missed, not even coming close as the bat even managed to dodge her attack with a bum wing. Letting out a yell of utter frustration and anger before giving a swift kick to nothing...which turned out to be a wall. A very solid one at that. Releasing a stream of curses in Spanish and English, the blonde tried sucking in a deep breath and holding it, a murderous glare on her expression as she stared at the bane of her current existence.

Samriel (ID# 79540)
BD: 2+1-1=2 (miss)
HP: 15/16  EP: 4/4   Mit: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 7, Dmg: 2, Acc: 1, Eva: 0, Para: 0, Hate: 0

Bat
HP: 3/50

{OOC: A whole year and she still can't hit the bat xD Poor Sam}

Wandering the Town of Beginnings, Samriel stopped into a few shops to pick up things for the orphanage. One of the players running it had mentioned they'd heard something about an easy quest for low level players and asked her to check it out. If it did turn out to be a good one, they might take the kids out to do it. She was fairly sure it was somewhere around...here...

Just as she turned a corner, she saw a wizened man with an exclamation mark floating above his head sitting in a chair as he spoke to a man in black. She stepped close just in time to hear him tell the other man to go retrieve some mats from a field or something before they got started. She was about to introduce herself to the NPC....when he promptly fell back asleep. Eyebrows raising in surprise at the quickness in which that happened, a small noise of disbelief sounded in the back of her throat, no doubt catching the attention of the other player. Awkwardly raising her hand in greeting, the blonde cleared her throat before speaking, "Uh so, would you mind if I tag along?" Now that she was looking the guy over he seemed...weird. In the sense that he just didn't really look the type to play games like Sword Art Online. Perhaps that was just his face. Some people just had 'those faces'.

Shaking her head in amusement as the bat tried to attack the biggest threat in the room to absolutely no avail, Samriel wondered if it would literally kill itself trying to attack Mack. But the man flicked it away, seemingly more interested in poking fun at her than helping finish the monster. Sighing with exasperation at his statement and then gaping as Magda only got behind him, the blonde pointed at the two with her hammer, "No fair ganging up on me! And we are squirrels, not chipmunks. And we are not nature's cute and cuddly mascot! We are fierce warriors of the forest!" When her Shield Sister made the fatal statement though, Sam's mouth opened in shocked disgust before groaning and hiding her head behind her shield. "I think I just took damage from that pun."

Peeking out from behind her shield when she saw light filling up the cave briefly, the hammer wielder just barely caught Magda's last hit with a slight smile as she fist pumped into the air in achievement. "Nearly there." Sam declared as she rushed the bat, pulling her hammer back for a blow before tripping once more with a muffled curse, this time managing to catch herself into a kneel instead of sprawled out on the floor.

Samriel (ID# 56621)
BD: 3+1-1=3 (miss)
HP: 16/16  EP: 4/4   Mit: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 7, Dmg: 2, Acc: 1, Eva: 0, Para: 0, Hate: 0

Bat
HP: 16/50

{OOC: so...my internet messed up and I accidentally rolled like four different times for this post...but I didn't notice until after I put down this one...so I'm gonna go with this one since I missed anyways... ._.; sorry}

"You should've ran while you still had the chance." Gemini mocked as she readied her weapon and shield. Samriel grimaced and did the same, Dawnbreaker and Twilight glistening in the light streaming from betwixt the jungle's canopy. The blonde glanced warily at her doppelganger's equipment, wondering if it was exactly the same as hers in every way. If so, that would definitely be a problem. They would either be here for a very long time, or a very short time. Sam wasn't exactly confident in her battle abilities just yet, still relying on the strength of her gear to get her by and not bothering to take on anything too close or higher to her own level. But an exact copy of herself? If it was as clumsy as her, then perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, but since it was an NPC, she doubted that she'd be that lucky. Still, computers were still fallible. This was a game after all. It was made to be beat. Holding up her shield and raising her war hammer, Samriel forced a smile as she goaded to build up some confidence, "You're the one that should've run." And with that, the countdown reached zero and the battle began.

Mouth still full of bread, Samriel could only look questioningly at Magda when her twin suggested she tell her about 'Strognir', who apparently made the amazonian woman look normal. The blonde literally couldn't comprehend a person that huge. That was real at least. Starting to get up from her fall, the healer then pressed back down when she heard Mack running up behind her. Glaring heavily at what he said, she swallowed thickly with a gasp before protesting as she awkwardly got to her feet, "Oy, we have numbers on our side! We'll overrun you giants!" She pointed to the twins both as Mack knocked the bat to the ground with a powerful downward swing of his axe. Looking back to Magda as she called for her Shield Sister's attention before boasting that she would finish their enemy off...and promptly falling right on her face.

A laugh crept up her throat but before more than a cough could escape, Sam clamped her mouth shut and rushed to the other woman's side. She stood in front of her, ensuring that the bat would have to go through her to get to the red head behind her as she urged encouragingly over her shoulder, "I've got your back, figuratively. C'mon, back on your feet. Can't lay about all day." Bracing herself as the bat flapped over towards them, the healer decided that offense was the best defense and tried to copy what she had seen her friend do before.

Dawnbreaker glimmered from the dim light of Mack's gauntlets that refracted on the gemstones inlaid into the bevel as she pulled the hammer back before swinging it upwards at the approaching bat, right into its' face and knocking it away. "You won't get past me!!" Samriel declared forcefully, her expression the picture of determination that was a bit much considering their opponent.

Samriel (ID# 55929)
BD: 7+1-1=7 (2 DMG)
HP: 16/16  EP: 4/4   Mit: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 7, Dmg: 2, Acc: 1, Eva: 0, Para: 0, Hate: 0

Bat
HP: 26/50-2=24/50  Damage: 12

{OOC: I fricked up...again... Forgot for the second time that Sam can't use Sword Arts since she doesn't have any points in her weapon yet xD; Edited to fix the damage}

The man's smile became wider at her agreement and he stepped back just as a duel request popped up on her heads up display. But as she raised her hand to accept the duel, she found that it had already been accepted. And that it the parameters were set til one player's health reached zero. Expression becoming deadly serious, Samriel glanced up and demanded indignantly, "What the [censored] is this [censored]?" The menu disappeared from in front of her to give way to a count down. The smile on the man grew as a name appeared on him finally, stating that he was 'Gemini'. "Mierda..." She had heard of this before, in rumor only. The NPC's, for that was what he was, form shimmered and transformed into a darker mirror form of Samriel, smile wide and sinister.

Samriel's posture didn't change as she considered his leading question. "Possibly. I'm not much for the high risk high reward bit though. No offense. What kind of magnificent rewards are we talking about?" The man's hands splayed in a sign of peace as he continued, "Rare items, unique potions and a hefty amount of col." Her skepticism giving way to curiosity, the blonde then countered, "And what would you be asking for said magnificence?"  The possible NPC straightened his humble posture as he proposed, "Nothing more than a friendly duel! Should you win, the rewards shall be yours."

"And if I lose?" Sam's eyebrow raised pointedly, wondering what was in it for him. But the man only shrugged, "I'll have gotten some entertainment and keep the rewards for myself." The young woman hummed thoughtfully before he stepped forward and extended her hand. "Do we have a deal?"  Deciding that an NPC couldn't possibly be much trouble, Samriel nodded, taking his hand in hers and giving it a firm shake. "We have a deal."

Hm, if she was out hunting then that might mean she wouldn't be too receptive of some 'foreigner' or whatever they considered her just coming up and asking her questions. But it couldn't hurt too much to try. She could always run after all. The blonde first re-equipped her weapon and shield, slinging the shield over her back like a turtle and slipping the handle of her war hammer into her belt's loop. Both would be easy to reach should she catch the attention of a mob or two. Or perhaps an angry mob of amazonian women. Exiting Amazon and heading East, Sam followed the slightly worn path through the jungle. It didn't take her long before she tripped on the numerous roots and vines. Finally she stopped for a break when she came across a small clearing. Hearing the sound of something or one else crashing through the brush, the healer's hand dropped to her weapon before she saw that it was a person. A man in fact, though his form was slight.

"Hey." She greeted neutrally, her right hand casually resting on her belt close to where her weapon was hanging. Just because he wasn't a monster didn't mean he was friendly. However when she looked to see his cursor she found that he didn't have one. That would by definition make him an NPC, but he didn't have a name either. Slightly disarmed by this quandary, Samriel stared at him in bewilderment until he stated with an easy smile, "Hello there." The possible NPC walked slowly closer to her, but didn't seem to have any weapons on him. Which wasn't to say that her wariness decreased. But she was intrigued when he asked, "You seem like an adventurous person. One interested in magnificent rewards?"

Glancing up at Mack as he stated that he knew people that could help, she paused upon his polite act, smiling to herself for a moment at a joke only known to her before shaking her head slightly and walking out the door he was holding for her. Squinting at the brighter light as they walked back onto the cobblestone street, the young woman peered up at the towering man before conveniently stepping to one side so that she was standing in his shadow, her eyes spared from the harsh light. Beaming up at the redhead, she considered his proposal with a thoughtfully impressed expression. "I've only met one real player that was a performer and you know not just one, but two? Maybe there is something to being in a guild..."

Linking her hands behind her and fiddling with the end of her braid, the blonde tilted her head as he brought up the drink from before they had entered the shop. Perking up at mention of good deals, Sam replied, "I can definitely get behind better everything as long as there's not too bad of a catch. Sounds like a plan. After we get this taken care of?" She gestured to the shop with her hand to signify that she was speaking of her becoming a performer. Squinting again when Mack moved beside her to hang his arm on her shoulders once more, Sam didn't otherwise comment on his move.

At his question, she nodded once. "Yeah, shoot 'em a message. Or should we just go to one of their shops? I have about four hundred col. You think that'll be enough for at least one?" Sam had never bought materials before, usually when the Crusaders had gathered them they had just donated them to the players that needed them or traded them with professionals for items.

In between bites, the blonde turned and wondered who she should talk to if she wanted to learn more about the village. Sometimes there would be quests that would only be triggered if a player asked the right questions, or any questions at all. Eyeing the cook she considered for a moment before asking, "So why are there no men in your village?" She lucked out though, apparently the cook had a very grumpy AI program that refused to answer any questions not relating to food or pricing. Huffing, Samriel deliberately turned away from the gruff woman and went back to trying to decide who else to ask. There was probably a shaman or leader that she could speak to, but it was difficult to tell which were the important ones. It made sense that it would be the women that had the most ornamentation. Finishing her meal, Sam wiped her hands on her armor's trousers and stood to go approach a nearby hunter that seemed to be sharpening her spear. "Excuse me, I was wondering if I could speak to your leader?"  Yes the old, 'take me to your leader' trick always worked, right? Apparently in games it still did. "She is out leading a hunting party to the East." An active leader then.

{OOC: started this thread on 27th of March when Samriel was still only level 2 with 8 health and 2 energy, but the same equipment she still has on now as listed in signature, which was received on 22nd of March. }

Samriel wandered around the village, observing the locals and taking time to buy some late lunch. Their food seemed Indian in origin, using giant leaves as plates and having no utensils for eating other than their hands. An interesting experience that she embraced whole heartedly. "Mn...can I get...whatever your most popular dish is that's not above twenty col?" The NPC cook grunted in acknowledgement and began to gather the ingredients, cooking the meal right in front of her eyes. Having never seen the cooking process as she didn't have any way to cook for herself, the blonde watched with open curiosity. It didn't take very long, which shouldn't have surprised her given that this was a game and all. During the short wait time, she entertained herself by people watching some more. There were a few other players passing through, buying wares or simply walking through on their way to grind or do quests. The only males in the village were the players, all NPCs were women. Turning as the cook announced that her meal was ready, she paid for it and began to dig in to the rice and meat dish, a bit daintily as she was unused to not having any sort of utensil to eat with.

An amused yet skeptical expression passed over Samriel's expression at Magda's farfetched statement before she bit her bottom lip, a chuckle escaping regardless. "I'm gonna take that with a grain of salt otherwise I'll have to reignite the war between our two peoples." She left just who 'her people' were to her Shield Sister's imagination.  Blinking blankly at Mack's suggestion that she finish the bread he'd given her before another bat tried to steal it, she tried to remember what had happened to it! He'd thrown it back to her after grabbing it back from the bat...and she caught it in her mouth. Then she attacked the bat... And then Mack had nearly made them die from laughter. It'd fallen out somewhere... Patting her form, Samriel glanced around and saw that it had wedged itself into a nook of her shield. "Aha." Retrieving the morsel with minor triumph, the blonde took two large bites, finishing it off with enlarged cheeks as she chewed.

The dim light from Mack's gauntlets showed that the somewhat narrow tunnel's walls fell away to reveal that they had entered a larger part of 'cave'. Craning her neck back as she squinted up at the cavern's ceiling, she saw telltale flapping motions and readied her hammer while she brought her shield higher before banging gem against gem to further catch the flying rodent's attention as Magda yelled at it. Swallowing her mouthful of dry bread, Samriel watched with increased excitement as the woman's sword art lit up her features. It was quite the scene.

Coming back to life at the call of her name, the blonde nodded, "You got it!" Grip on her war hammer tightening, the young woman turned to follow the somewhat dazed bat. "Heeeere battah battah battah," She cajoled before her expression turned aggressive as she lurched forward, "Swi-Frick!" Just as she was about to rush it and swing, Sam tripped over her own feet and ended up on her side, wincing in instinct though it didn't hurt obviously.

Samriel (ID# 55562)
BD:  2 (miss)
HP: 16/16  EP: 4/4   Mit: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 7, Dmg: 2, Acc: 1, Eva: 0, Para: 0, Hate: 0

Bat
HP: 42/50  Damage: 12

The suggestions that the others called out were certainly intriguing, though of course Samriel focused on the last one that the brunette scout had brought up with utter serious expression. Raising a singular eyebrow and glancing at Mack curiously, she would have to ask him about that later if he refused to tell the story. But the archness of her stare was lost when he whispered into her ear, causing her feline ears to flick and her tail to bush up as it flicked back and forth. As the burly man began his tale of when his health reached the lowest without dying, the blonde was surprised and relieved that it wasn't as morbid story as she had originally thought. A small chuckle worked its way around her full mouth at the part where he had been tricked into bull rushing an immortal object. Cutting another piece of ham and scooping up some veggies with it, Sam listened with interest as he described Cerberus and she wondered how big the boss was. It had to be massive to actually pick the blacksmith up and toss him between its heads. Now that was a dog she could invest in. Though she wasn't sure if you could actually tame a boss.

Looking up at Mack again when he declared that he would need a refill before he told the next story. She still had an entire plate to get through and hadn't even reached half way through her mug, so she stayed seated. Though her gaze did wander over the other players, namely Magda who was now sitting with her Vice Commander. Sam's expression softened in a content smile seeing her Shield Sister's spirits lifted now that the girl with glasses had left her. Though she was fairly sure that her spirits were being lifted by...well spirits. Chuckling to herself, Sam raised her mug towards the red haired woman before glancing at Mack as he settled down once more, this time a bit closer to her, to which she only smiled slightly behind her drink. Nodding at his rhetorical question, the healer prompted, "So who or what is 'Tagas'?"

Her mouth twisting thoughtfully, Samriel eventually nodded in grudged acknowledgement at his point concerning her role and gear before it twisted into a slight smile. "Please don't." Referring to his offer of being a creepy douche. "Just...be you. Whoever that is." The blonde shrugged, her long braid fluttering with the motion before she tilted her head to considered his better offer. She was quiet for a long moment before replying with reserve, "I wouldn't mind having a drink with a friend. Maybe you could tell me more about your guild?" The healer may have been blonde, but she knew where this was likely leading, especially given the women she had seen around him before, but wasn't interested in such a big step yet.

When Mack had piped up to inform the NPC she had been speaking to that he could dance even though she couldn't, the blonde had shot him a 'look', half skeptical and a quarter amused and the last quarter annoyed. But had otherwise ignored his comment while she finished her conversation. Sighing as she walked towards the door of the shop, Samriel glanced over at her companion as he suggested that she could be a dancer instead. Chuffing a laugh and shaking her head she replied verbally, "I haven't danced in years. I don't remember enough to perform, that's for sure, not that I would anyways." She fussed with her bangs, looking away from his appraising eyes.

But at his suggestion of artisanry and fishing, the healer hummed thoughtfully. "I've never fished before. Aaand never made any jewelry. Though I can china paint, not sure if that'd be useful." Shrugging, Sam glanced back at the towering redhead as he suggested something that she hadn't thought of, causing her to pause mid step, frozen. Looking at the shelves he was speaking of. A shocked and exasperated expression passed over her as she turned on her heel and walked back up to the NPC. "Oy, you said you couldn't give me a recording crystal." Her tone was slightly accusatory, but didn't give him chance to react before she posed the question, "But can I buy one from you?" She didn't have a lot of col, but how expensive could they be? The point was moot however at his reply. "Oh no, that wouldn't do. I'm afraid I don't have any to sell." Brow furrowing in confusion, Samriel gestured to the shelves and asked, "What about all those?"

"Ah, those have already been recorded on. Those songs are for sale, but you won't be able to record over them. Once you record something onto a crystal, it's set on there until it's used up." Sighing, the healer hung her head before nodding, "I get it. Could I buy them from somewhere else though?" The man seemed to look a little indignant and stated, "A performer must rely on themselves. Think of it as a test." Giving Mack a wry look, she stated, "Now that I can believe. Guess it's off to dig up a recording crystal. Because that's a thing apparently." The idea was odd to her, but what was she to say when they were in a game?

At Magda's comment about their father, Samriel's eyes grew wide and round as she surveyed her twin's back as he walked. "I...I literally can't even." She replied quietly back, wondering what their mother looked like, or rather what size she was. All that was coming to mind was a rather incredible faceless figure of a female wrestler. ...Or simply an older version of Magda herself. Even with her face aching from their persistent laughter, the blonde still couldn't help but smile at his puns, shaking her head without comment as her arm swung slightly with heavy hammer in hand. She kept her left arm crooked, not wanting to let her guard completely down since they still expected a second bat.

But when Mack multi-tasked, walking backwards and answering her question, the healer couldn't help but feel genuinely relieved though she replied casually, "Cool. Just for the record, I totally would be able to heal him if he could take damage. Everybody always loves a support during escort quests." Coughing slight at the hearty clap on the back that Magda gave her, Sam smiled at the return of her exuberance before nearly tripping on a rock she hadn't seen due to the dim lighting. "Sounds-whoa. Sounds like a plan. I wonder if the kid is going to turn into a mini boss? Vampire kids are a popular motif. And effectively creepy." Now that she had been reassured that the kid was only an NPC, she was back to being a curious gamer and thinking like one as well.

Blinking as she heard a 'crack' just before something fell into Mack's hands, she laughed lightly as she realized what happens. "Damn tall people always get the good stuff..." When his twin suggested jokingly that he needed healing, she simply retorted to the woman in similar jesting manner, "Psssshh, like he wouldn't just regen it on his own in like two seconds anyways. I'll heal him if he gives me that mat that just literally fell into his lap. Wai-D'you guys hear that?"

As the burly man tried his best to be as angsty as possible, Samriel's hand covered her mouth as she attempted to stifle her laughter. Though it grew harder and harder to do with each burst of angst. Finally she lost it at the last one, coughing and laughing roughly before immediately backing away when he tried to drape his arm over her again. "Whoa whoa whoa there cowboy. You can't just give me as news big as that and act like nothing! I want a maternity test." The blonde crossed her arms.

When Mack explained about the armor, her right hand raised to her neck, rubbing it slightly in a sign of awkwardness. "Well I mean if I'd noticed that I probably would've given one or two back... I didn't really need all that. Coulda gone to other players." She could still give one of the items to someone who needed it more, but now it seemed a bit rude to do. It wasn't like she was unappreciative of them after all. At the redhead's statement of what he hadn't done was enough to declare his intentions, the healer rolled her eyes mightily. "Your restraint is legendary I'm sure." Though her ears were a little warm at that last part. "You get a gold star for not being a creepy douche." Chewing on the inside of her cheek when he made the astute observation on what she liked, Sam simply shrugged and said mysteriously, "Maybe. Guess we'll have to find out." Please let her find out. She had to play it cool though. Didn't want the guy to think she was just using him for his food gathering abilities, contrary to historical and scientific belief.

Nodding in acknowledgement as he answered her question about the performer they were about to meet, Samriel craned her neck to look over the front of the shop they had stopped in front of. It was simple looking place. The window panes showed a few instruments that the blonde didn't think existed in Aincrad, not that she knew how to play them anyways. As soon as she entered the building, soft melodic music washed over them. There were numerous instruments laid out meticulously in the room and not for show either. It seemed one could go right up and play them if they were inclined. Sheets of music were framed on the wall and in between there were shelves where recording crystals floated atop of. But the music playing wasn't coming from any of them. An instrumental piece with no lyrics, though it sounded as if there should be. In fact it very nearly sounded familiar.

But before she could think more on it, a joy filled male voice called out to them right before the music ceased. "A customer! How can I help you?" Looking around to see where the NPC was hiding, Sam blinked as a rather plain yet somehow kind looking man stepped out from a wall that she hadn't realized lead to a back room. "Oh, um, I'm not a customer." This didn't seem to dissuade him however as he pressed again, "How can I help you then?" Realizing she needed to properly trigger the right conversation topic to lead to the quest, the blonde scratched at her head behind her ear as she explained, "I'm interested in becoming a performer." Her answer provoked an immediate response, the dark haired man seemed to swell and glow with exuberance as he replied, "That's magnificent! The world could always use more talent! What are your talents? Singing? Dancing? What instruments can you play?"

Samriel blanched before quickly replying, "No dancing. I can sing. I know how to play piano and a little bit of guitar." Nodding, the NPC sighed, "Not many choose to dance. Quite an art form though. But if you can play your own music and sing along, then you have the makings of a performer!" Nodding in relief, the healer asked pointedly, "So how do I get started?" The NPC seemed to survey her closely before answering more seriously, "You'll need to get a recording crystal and, well, perform." His exuberance was starting to return as he insisted, "Really pour your soul into it! Use your heartstrings as your instrument and let me hear your emotions!"

Lavender eyes widening and looking at Mack with some concern, she hesitantly interrupted, "U-Um-" But the performer didn't allow her to as he stated, "Only when I hear your composition and gauge your passion will I sign off on you becoming a part of our exclusive ranks!"  'Not like many people are signing up to join buddy...' Sam couldn't help but think wryly. Or perhaps NPCs like this were the reason more players hadn't tried this profession. Shaking her head she simply sighed and asked, "I'll give it my best go then. Can you give me a recording crystal?" When he shook her head, her eyes widened, "Why not?! Where am I supposed to get one?" The healer wasn't exactly rolling in col. "You can find them if you look hard enough. Even in the most unlikeliest of places. I warn you though, if your heart isn't into it, the crystal will be able to tell and break. It won't just record any old noise."

Giving the NPC a wry look, the blonde smiled tightly, holding back any further comments, sighs or eye rolling. Damn life like games making her want to argue with a computer. "Fine. I'll be back when I figure out how not to make an inanimate object break at the sound of my voice." Turning, her long braid whipped slightly behind her as she exited the shop. Glancing at Mack a little disgruntled she asked, "Is it too late to back out?"

"O-Oy, quit!" Samriel's ears were warm as her Shield Sister specifically walked over just to ruffle her hair and thus newly sensitive feline ears. Flattening the hair that had been messed and feeling awkward at the sensation of the extra ears. Humphing as she looked up at the towering woman, the blonde still smiled past the slight pout she had. It was hard to stay even a little bit mad at the high spirited woman. She watched as the redhead drew the attention of the woman with glasses and they went to speak alone across the room. Tilting her head in curiosity, her attention was then taken by Mack as he continued his boasting over his bravery...against bats. Pointing her finger at him warningly she stated with arched eyebrow, "Just because you don't burn in sunlight doesn't mean you survived vampirism. I won't feel safe until I go through holy water, crosses, garlic and mirrors." She was a stickler for old school vampires, but couldn't help but chuckle at his crack concerning his 'parrot' and his revenge. The image of how his 'parrot' met its end was still emblazoned in her memory.

When the blacksmith mentioned an epic dungeon crawl with the man that was currently collapsed, Sam's eyebrows rose into her hairline at the amount of dungeons they covered as well as the amount they had leveled up. "Fifteen dungeons?! Ten levels?!" The healer's tone was coated in awe and disbelief. She knew from other games that the higher ones level was, the harder it was to gain experience to level up more. So that they had leveled up by ten more times was quite telling. Shaking her head in amazement, the blonde glanced over at the burly man's drink as he settled his arm over her shoulder. Glancing around, she saw that there was food laid out now and that others seemed to have partaken so she was taking that as her cue that it was officially okay to begin digging in. Standing and letting his arm slide from her shoulders, Samriel padded over to the nearest table that had food on it and began making herself a plate.

Glancing over to where Magda was at, she wondered what they were discussing. Did she know this Piera chick? Whatever they were talking about, she didn't like the expression on her Shield Sister's face. Once she had towered it to an appropriate height, the blonde turned around at the sound of her friend's rumbling voice call out to the room at large. Apparently it was story time. Guests gathered around the fire and Sam sat back down next to Mack, though a little bit farther away and turned to face him so she could better see and hear him as he spoke. She chuckled slightly as his persistence about someone saying the odd sentence to his napping friend and wondered if anyone was going to do it.

Munching happily on a piece of meat that tasted deliciously like ham, the healer's chewing slowed at the first suggestion for a story. Staring at the brunette woman, Samriel was starting to like her less. Not that she particularly liked her before, since she had only just met her and all, but who wanted to talk about a likely depressing or dire situation at a party? At least she thought this was a party. Swallowing as the woman in the shorts and tank top called out another suggestion, the blonde then threw in one of her own, "Don't forget what you did to Polly!" It was a short and humorous story, but one she was sure not many could fail to enjoy. Content that this night should prove to be interesting, Sam took a long sip of the sweet ale she had poured.

Samriel's head tilted in vague surprise at Mack's explanation of what was traded to this 'Takao' who was supplying 'free' food. She was about to inquire as to why he would agree to such terms (even though she herself would do it in a heartbeat), but as he continued to speak, a wide grin spread across her face once more before letting out a delighted laugh as he held up his hands which were sorely lacking for any sort of ring. Her laughter died down to chuckles as she smiled a bit warmer towards the blacksmith as she replied with a wink, "Definitely things to keep in mind~"

Standing back as she watched Mack help his vampiric brother with a hug oddly enough, the blonde's lavender eyes bulged at the display of musculature Mack gave as he literally hugged the bag to death. A sharp laugh of pure disbelief escaped Samriel as a hand hovered over her mouth, eyes still wide in incredulity. "Mierda, that....that just happened." She felt like she should have been at least a little annoyed about the 'KS', but considering how hard they were laughing and how much it was causing them to miss, accompanied with the fact that Mack seemed to want them to speed through quests today...she let the matter go easily.

Shaking her head, the healer glanced sideways at Magda as she made a wise crack that caused Sam to chuckle again before becoming a little solemn along with her Shield Sister's expression as she explained that this was why they don't have brothers. "He's big enough for three at least, so at least there's that." Gesturing to her twin with her hammer before grinning along with the redhead. Smiling at the twins as they lead the way further into the cave, the healer followed closely behind them.

A moment later a somewhat disturbing thought occurred to the blonde, causing her to frown as she asked with concern, "Hey, it's just an NPC kid that we're saving...right?" She'd like to think that if something happened at the 'orphanage' (she really needed to have them give it a better name), that someone would message her about it.

Samriel smiled over at Magda who was once again cracking up at her twin's antics, though all he was doing was sitting there...flicking his tiger tail... Chuckling lightly, the blonde turned to look up at the red haired woman as she focused on her and blinked for a moment, observing the ears and tail that appeared on her Shield Sister's form before flinching when she very much felt her newly acquired feline ears being touched. "Gah!" Sam's face warmed slightly in embarrassment and her ears swiveled back, pressing down against her head. "Th-Thanks, heh. You look pretty cute yourself. Kind of like a red maine coon." If the long haired player hadn't been blushing before, the wink that Magda gave her after Mack put his arm around her shoulders definitely did, not to mention accompanied by his insistence that she always looked adorable. The blonde ducked her head and fussed with her braid, muttering something about 'insufferable twins' to herself even as she followed Mack over to the fire, sitting next to him since she doubted she knew anyone that would be coming here besides him and his sister. She didn't sit too close, though their knees brushed slightly due to her positioning.

When the blacksmith attempted to say that she had stories to tell as well, like the first two quests he had helped her and Magda complete, Sam rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, such great tales of heroism." Sarcasm bled from her tone before her gaze was drawn to a brown haired man that came in and immediately sat down and faceplanted the table he sat down at. Raising an eyebrow as her ears swiveled forward and tail twitched, the healer glanced sidelong at Mack. "Is he gonna be okay?" She considered going over and just asking the man herself, but a shapely woman entered and immediately her eyes couldn't really go anywhere else.

Everything about the woman was eye catching, from her platinum blonde hair and crimson streak, heavy makeup, skimpy clothing to her full length body tattoo. The first thing that popped into Sam's mind was, 'so even women like that play games like this'. The second thing was her wondering if this woman tried to play as a man in the beginning like she had before rudely getting cheated out of her choice by their evil overlord. Though she was familiar...wasn't this one of the woman she had seen Mack with at his party at the hot springs? And then suddenly there was another woman wearing glasses that had appeared from under the first, though really she had simply been standing behind her. Samriel realized that they were both the women she had seen Mack with and noticed his wariness at their appearance. Hadn't he invited them though? Was he expecting a fight? So many questions...

Watching the exchange and congratulations being given, the blonde then blinked as the women introduced themselves to herself and Magda. Nodding at the taller woman, she then shook hands with the one with the glasses and took note of Mack's use of the title 'Vice Commander'. So the tattooed woman was his superior in his guild? That was curiosity piquing. The focus seemed to be on Magda now though as both women were very interested in her, apparently they hadn't really met her officially before, which Sam thought odd. The twins seemed inseparable from what she had seen. Had that not always been the case?

But the blacksmith seemed to be determined to drag her into the limelight, introducing her to his two friends, to which she gave a somewhat shy but friendly wave before her ears flattened slightly at his boasting. "I've still got a waaaays to go though, so... Who knows how long it'll take before I reach your guys' level. It's, uh, nice to meet you both though." Glancing over at Takao's crumpled form as Opal drew attention to the matter, questioning his drink choices, the blonde was a little concerned considering she drank the punch as well, but Mack steadfastly denied 'poisoning' them. Giving the blacksmith a dry look at his suggestion to his superior concerning the 'best dungeon sniffing scout in all of Aincrad' (which was quite a title) she commented, "It's a wonder you have any friends to invite to these parties."

Samriel's eyebrows raised as she nodded along with his statement that he would likely have a shop up and running by the end of the day. "Impressive, you sure do work quick. Wish ya luck." Drifting towards the door, she held it open for him to exit if he wished and smiled when she saw that he accepted her friend request. She wouldn't mind getting to know the reserved man a little better. The blonde beamed as he agreed to message her when he had his shop officially established and even told her to message him if anything came up. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Leaning forward, Sam took his hand in hers and gave him a warm and firm shake before chuckling at his well wishes. Turning away, she raised her hand over her shoulder for a wave as she called, "Not a date~ Later Kranzer, take care."

Samriel clapped her hands together over her head before spreading them out to her sides with a wide grin as she said, "The more ya knoooow~" Letting out a small chuckle, she could hardly blame him for not thinking of such a thing. It was an odd thing to incorporate in a game, virtual or not. But Sword Art Online wasn't like most other games. Tilting her head thoughtfully at Kranzer's offer, she chewed on her cheek for a moment before nodding. "Y'know, I think I might take you up on that offer. Here, shoot me a message whenever you decide where to set up shop." Pulling up her menu, the blonde selected a few options before a friend request was sent to the other long haired player. Slipping her hands into her trouser pockets, Sam shook her head. "Nah, they're fine. I spent most of the day with those moscos." Glancing at her HUD, the blonde stated, "Actually I got a hot date. And by hot date I mean dinner with a friend. I like to keep up with my former guild members just to see that they're doing alright." Smiling somewhat apologetically and hopefully she asked, "Rain check?"

"Please no." Samriel stated, her expression blank and utterly void of any humor, though did hold signs of some mock trepidation. When he made the vampire joke again though, she couldn't help but roll her eyes, an exasperated yet amused smile gracing her face as she replied with sarcasm, "Oh obviously. The sparkles immediately negate all creepiness. That and the angst of course." Peering up at the redhead she commented, "Definitely need to work on your angsty face. Must be hard when you're a seven foot tall statue of pure masculine musculature." It was a ridiculous guess, but to the much shorter woman, it certainly seemed accurate, though the flattery was real.

Eyebrows raised at his leading statement, her mouth opened slightly when he mentioned the 'queen's ransom worth of jewels' that he had given her. "You-! That-! That did not count." The blonde insisted with a finger pointed at him insistently. "You were handing out free stuff left and right to every player that walked in, men and women, I wasn't any different." Slowly beginning to connect the dots that he had otherwise laid out, Sam was quiet for a moment. "So you think this is blindingly obvious, hm?" She gestured between them before continuing with a singularly arched eyebrow, "How is a lady to gauge your intentions though sir?" The woman's tone was coy and her smile matched it.

They were wandering into the less crowded and thus quieter part of town and she recognized the edge of the mountainous crater that housed Urbus not too far off. Nodding in understanding she replied, "I'm fairly sure I could walk around the Town of Beginnings blind if I really needed to. I haven't visited Urbus much though. Just passed through." Glancing up curiously at the blacksmith she inquired, "Is it this performer friend of yours that we're visiting or an NPC?"

Nodding at Magda's reasoning, the shorter woman replied after jumping back to give her room to strike, "If this was a harmless game, it'd be boring as mess, but as it stands, I'm content with this." Grinning at her Shield Sister's praise, Samriel beamed, starting to not feel so useless. At Mack's bored tone as the bat tried to attack him once more rather than the two women that were actively trying to kill it, the blonde couldn't help but snicker. But when he started acting like it had 'turned' him, the woman simply lost it along with her companion, leaning against the redhead for support as she tried to catch her breath. "Ohhhh...ohh dios mio...heheha." 

Mack's statement concerning food immediately caught her attention and sobered her a little, eyes and hopeful smile wide, completely missing the part about Magda going to another floor while it would just be the two of them. "No way. For free?! That sounds like too good of a deal. Jeez what did you do, sell your virtual soul? Or...other virtual virtues?" Her expression made it clear that she was merely joking though. "I can't even imagine how much food your dog would imagine. I'm pretty sure it's part black hole."

When Mack did a double take at the bat now perched on his shoulder, seemingly needing to take a rest after the strain it took to attack the man, the laughter began to return, "PFfffffffffhaha! B-Because pirates! A-And ninjas! Hehehaha...f-frick..." She only laughed harder watching Magda's wide swing and tried to make one of her one, barely clipping the creature's wings to her own frank surprise.

Samriel (ID# 54585)
BD: 5+1=6 (hit)
HP: 16/16  EP: 4/4   Mit: 18, Regen: 9, Thorns: 7, Dmg: 2, Acc: 1, Eva: 0, Para: 0, Hate: 3

Bat
HP: 11/50-2= 9/50  Damage: 12

Samriel thought that 'oh' was a rather lackluster response to her statement, obvious or not. Did he not think that she would notice or something? Or did he simply not know how to reply? But reply he eventually did, which caused her to narrow her eyes shrewdly as she craned her neck to look sidelong and upwards at the man. Just before she burst into chuckles, her face lit up from the laughter as her shoulders bounced under his arm. "Yet." She corrected with a teasing grin. "But you're right. I suppose I'm just not used to men being so forward. Or at least not used to them being forward and not sleazy." Their walk along the road was a leisurely one, though slightly forced on Mack's part most likely since Sam could only walk so fast to keep up with his longer stride. "How do you know about this place anyway? Do you know many performers?"