Pinball

Pinball took a deep breath, and looked around. He was on Floor 7, one of the many levels of Aincrad he had explored before he had decided to join the fight. He had enjoyed taking walks, but now, leveling up took up most of his time. His days were mostly spent level grinding, as he had hopes of making to the frontlines in the near future. He hadn't taken any quests on this particular floor; in fact, Pinball didn't know if there even were quests on this floor. But, he had come here to scope the place out, and see if there was anything he could take advantage of. He started walking along the path he normally took on his walks, and he saw her. It was Krysta, one of the players he had taken Worn Out Welcome with. She was just closing her messenger when he spotted her, and Pinball froze, unsure as to whether or not it would be weird to walk up and say hello. He twisted, taking a few steps back, his head looking up at the sky, trying his best to think quickly. 

Player Stats: 

Pinball rushed forward, waving to Mars as he charged the Warg. "I've finished up my part of the quest! How come you're not finished? You tiring out on me?" Pinball launched Revolve Arts, the only Sword Art he was able to use what with the modicum of energy he had left. Pinball's spear struck hard, and the already stunned monster froze, a thin layer of ice covering the monster from head to toe. He took a step back, resting his spear on his shoulder. "Won't be nearly as slippery now, will it?" Pinball nodded at Mars. "You can finish it, yea?" He wasn't quite sure how much energy the man had left, but he knew about Mars's strength, and coupled with his freeze effect, he was certain the Warg wouldn't be able to stand up to many attacks for much longer. "Well," the boy yawned, taking a few steps back, "I'm off to recover some energy. I'll be watching over there. Don't hurt yourself, buddy."

Combat: 

Every time he heard a ribbit, his grip on his spear tightened. He had never met another actual person with a quirk like this, but he'd have to fight his way through it. He counted the croaks. That's two. He shuddered again, then responded, "Yeah, not a problem. Valentine stuff, I think it was?" It only just now occured to him that it wasn't anywhere near February. "Wait... It's January?" Pinball looked at her strangely, but decided not to push her further. It was her business.What with the croaks and the valentine's chocolate, Tsu was turning out to be quite the character. Pinball clucked his tongue anxiously, unsure of what to do in this kind of situation. Social interaction wasn't exactly his forte. His gaze dropped to the ground, and he scanned the floor in front of him as they walked forward. Nothing. He needed the materials, but he didn't want to risk fishing, especially not with somebody he barely knew. He would have to gather the old fashioned way. He shrugged, and instead tried to focus on the sky in front of them. Anything but frogs.

Gathering: 

@Froppy

Pinball heard Mars yell, and his head automatically jerked to his direction. The Venom Snapper had bitten him, and Mars had angrily punched it... and proceeded to beat it within an inch of its life. "Jesus," he murmured, then turned to meet the eyes of the monsters he was fighting. "Well, guess I ought to wrap things up," he said aloud, launching Trip Expand once more. He leapt from wolf to wolf, and every time he hit one of the monsters, they shattered into crystals with the sound of glass breaking. It was over. Pinball let out a sharp exhale, slamming the butt of his spear into the ground. "That's that." He turned to look at Mars, who seemed to be holding up fine on his own. Even so... Pinball lifted his spear off the ground, and started to walk over to Mars. His energy was low, but he wanted to help out in case Mars didn't kill it with his next attack. 

Combat: 

Pinball unsheathed his dagger at Stryder's call, ready to rush in... but was shocked to see Fae beat him to it. The little girl ran in, hit it, and ran straight back, without any trouble at all. "Well then," Pinball muttered, returning his attention to the dragon hatchling. "Guess it's my turn." Pinball jogged up, dagger in hand, and swiftly executed Round Accel, one of his few Sword Arts. The damage he dealt once again reminded him how much he hated daggers. Pinball sighed, jumping backwards to put some distance between the two. The dragon looked cute, but it was still a deadly monster. As bad of a person as it made him feel, Pinball was going to have to assist in the killing of it. "Alright, you're up," Pinball called to the third man in his party that he still didn't quite know the name of. 

Combat:

@Crozeph

Pinball nodded. Usually, he wouldn't be nearly as social. But, he was in a bad spot, having nearly died to a giant frog. He had been so very close to death, and to be frank, he was quite scared of ever being on that edge again. This floor was the 6th level, and the monsters here were much stronger than the ones he had fought on lower floors. Much stronger than King Croaksworth, the giant monster that had nearly taken his life. Company would be appreciated. Fighting through anxiousness and a bright red face, Pinball nodded. "Y-yea, sure, you can join." Pinball looked away, and then he heard it. Ribbit. Pinball shivered, and stared off into space. "Let's... let's go," he said slowly, unsure of whether or not what he had just heard was his imagination. He started walking off, looking behind him to make sure the girl was following. Trying to think of polite conversation, he turned, walking backwards. "What's your name?''

"Alright," Pinball said with a grin. He activated Trip Expand, his newest AOE Sword Art. It came incredibly in handy with situations like this, and the spear hasn't failed him yet. He rushed forward, the tip of his spear glowing white hot with the activation of a Sword Art. Pinball let the move carry him through the motions, leaping from Wolf to Wolf, his spear twirling and stabbing, ever increasing in speed. During this fight, one of the Wolves latched on to Pinball's legs, causing a sharp drop in his health. He continued the Sword Art anyways, and when all was said and done, that was the only lucky mob that had managed to hit him. Pinball took a wary step back, admiring his handywork. At least twice, Pinball had felt the rush of cold air that came with the activation of Freeze. Looking at the wolves now, he saw who the enhancement had effected. Two of the wolves were frozen in place, a thin layer of ice covering the monsters, preventing them from moving. "Ah, man," Pinball laughed, leveling his spear, "that bonus damage is gonna be nice." 

Combat: 

Pinball ignored the increasing complexity of the guppy conversation, and instead addressed Mars's thoughts concerning battle strategy. It was pretty much what he had thought the wisest course of action in the first place, since he assumed Mars had a higher damage output than himself. He nodded. "Sounds good," was all he said. Pinball got slowed to a stop, just now hearing the scraping in the distance. "We're close, I think." Pinball swung his spear into his hands, the wood landing on his palm with a satisfying thwap. "Lead the way." It was now or never, and Pinball would either live or die. His damage wasn't the best, but it was much better than it was. He hadn't told Mars about the enhancements on his spear, but he'd figure he'd keep it quiet. Pinball grinned. It'll be a pleasant little surprise when the wolves suddenly start freezing in place. And with Mars here, he wouldn't have to worry much about ultimately dying... hopefully. He let out a breath, and started walking again, this time slowly.

Pinball's eyebrows furrowed when Mars referred to him as "guppy". He had originally taken it as a passing, sly remark, but now it would seem as though it was a name that would stick. Trying to not let himself get annoyed by it, he replied flatly, "Same old Mars, huh? Never change, man. Never change." He pat Mars on the shoulder, and then sped up past him, eager to get the fighting started. "So -  where does this quest start? Some type of road, I guess?" Pinball hadn't a slight idea of where the quest actually took place, and he didn't bother opening his map. He figured Mars would have read up on it by now. "I guess you can lead the way. Do we have any... have any like, battle strategy? Or are we just going to - just gonna rush in." Pinball swiped opened his menu, materializing the antidote he had recieved from the NPC. He took a long, hearty chug of the stuff, then gagged. The taste made him want to spit it out. He dropped the bottle without a second thought; the item's use was recognized by the system and shattered before it hit the ground. "Jesus, that's strong," the teen coughed, wiping his mouth out of habit.

- Consumed <<Antidote>> - 

Pinball immediately followed up with the same AOE he had used just before. It was his job to take out as many as possible so that Benjamin was able to pick them off. However, just like last time, he only hit one of the Nepents. This time, he was able to rush back before any of the remainin nepents managed to get a hit on him. "I'm gonna cool it with the AOE," he called to Benjamin, readying his spear for another attack, "If you miss, I'll use another. If not, we'll just pick them off individually." Pinball wanted to get this quest finished as quickly as possible, so he had to conserve some modicum of energy for the fight with the Variant. Pinball prayed that this upcoming fight with the Variant would be their last. He was beginning to hate this quest just a bit more than he already did. 

Combat:

Pinball rushed in, activating his Sword Art... to little effect. He hit and killed one of the nepents, but in doing so, he was left vulnerable. And so, two of the Nepents managed to hit him. It wasn't very damaging, mind you, but it did annoy Pinball. What use was an AOE if it only hit one enemy? Pinball jumped back, twirling his spear. "Damn," he muttered, looking to Benjamin. "I'll try again in a second. Looks like I'm a bit out of practice." It was the first time he was using this spear in actual combat. It made Pinball worry. He was going to need something that helped his accuracy, it would seem. He put that on his To-Do List, which was ever expanding. "See if you can take one out, I guess. Let's hope this next boss drops our item, so we can get the hell out of here." 

-Combat-

"Not an electric? Oh," he said, scratching his cheek. Pinball didn't know how accurate Stryder had been during their briefing, and he didn't want to seem rude. So he kept his mouth shut, though he had sworn he had been told something about a stun attack. He shrugged. "Either way, we should drink our antidotes before the fight. Better safe than dead." Pinball yawned, laying his spear against his shoulder as he walked. He wasn't used to carrying a weapon that didn't have a sheathe, and so he couldn't find a good way to carry it. As of now, he usually either used it as a walking stick, carried it horizontally in his hands in front of him, or across his shoulder. But holding it on his shoulder made it difficult to pass through doors and smacking the spearhead against small trees' branches was getting annoying. He had seen people using something to sling it across their backs, but Pinball hadn't put any effort into finding out what the item was or what it was called; whether it was purely for cosmetic purposes or if it took up an equipment slot. He made a mental note to look into it. "So, what have you been up to since we last split?"

Pinball stood at the gates of Krycim, preparing himself for the expedition he was about to undertake. He was a cook, and a cook needed materials to craft. Pinball had received plenty of orders during his career, and he had found out the hard way that running low on materials while crafting someone's order wasn't the best thing in the world. Both Stryder and Kaya could attest to that. Hefting his spear over his shoulder, Pinball was off, walking through what path was laid out for players. Soon, the city would be left behind, and all he'll see will be jungle. Pinball usually took walks during the early stages of the game, back when he had hid instead of fighting. But times had changed. 

After walking a good distance, Pinball stopped, slamming the end of his spear onto the ground. Alright! Time to get to work... hopefully I'm not stuck with my usual crap luck. 

@Froppy

Player Stats:

Pinball nodded. "I'll have to take you with me when I go back, in that case. I've been planning to have a barbeque. You like frog legs?" 

Pinball hefted his spear, swapped it from hand to hand anxiously. "I heard this was one of the harder quests available to beginners. A bit scary, isn't it?" Pinball recalled his near death experience once again. It was strange, wasn't it? He cheated death, and now he's coming back for another game. But. He couldn't let Mars see he was afraid. Couldn't let him pass him up. "Well," he winked, twirling his spear above his head with both hands, "I have a couple of decent AOEs on this thing. Stryder told me there would be two wolves per player." Pinball finished the twirling by slamming the end of it onto the ground. "I figure I'll take the little guys, and you focus on the Warg? I should be able to keep their attention until you're able to help me out." Pinball nodded. "I think I'll be able to handle myself for that long." Pinball kept walking, lost in thought for a bit. "The Warg is poisonous, isn't it? We should probably drink the antidotes before we start fighting. Also - if you're immobilized, I'll attack it once to try and help you out." 

Pinball listened to Benjamin, nodding as he did. Ben seemed dedicated to being a support player; something Pinball respected, by all means. In all of his time in Aincrad (so far), he had only heard about two support players. Had only seen one with his own eyes. "We have a support in our guild, too. She's the guild's blacksmith - Eatos. I haven't talked to her much, but she seems really professional about stuff." Pinball chuckled when asked about his duel. "Nah, we didn't get into a fight. Though it came close, if I'm being honest. We're on pretty friendly terms right now, though. We've got a bit of an arrangement going on. Once we both reach Level 20, we're gonna duel. Just a friendly competition to see who's stronger." He didn't mention how uncomfrotable he was with admitting someone else was stronger than him, of course. It was something Pinball didn't like when meeting people when they were relatively close in terms of power. But, it was, in all honesty, something that couldn't be helped sometimes. 

EN Recovery: 3/3

HP recovered.

Pinball followed Mars out of the pub, staying by his side for the most part. His voice got serious. "Daggers are for the stealthy. I had originally wanted to play the thief or rogue when this game came out, but... the announcement changed that. I'm not playing a character anymore, I'm playing with death. It's best I have something that'll keep me alive." He noticed as they left Mars pulling his hood up. With a small smile, his tone suddenly shifted. Pinball sarcastically commented, "Ooo, sneaky sneaky. What'd ya steal?" He laughed, and followed Mars as the two walked through the sheets. Pinball heard him bring up the fish again. "Who... Who told you?" Pinball hadn't told anyone about his near-death encounter with King Croaksworth, "the Lord of Amphibians". It was definitely something he wasn't planning on talking about, especially not with Mars. "If you must know," Pinball stated, "yes, yes I did. And you'd best show some respect for royalty, bub. This was no fish thing. I fought the esteemed King Croaksworth." He laughed, then, the name's humor coming to him. Pinball always seemed to get into deadly fights against monsters with the most rediculous names.  After he recovered from his fit of laughter, he continued. "Almost died, actually. It got to the point where I didn't think I would make it. But - It would have been really embarrasing if I was killed by a frog. Imagine that on the Monument of Life. Pinball - Killed by a Frog." He was making light of the situation, but he had truly been scared in that moment. He was helpless. He had watched his life chip away in front of his very eyes, and when he was sure he wouldn't make it - the monster stopped. It watched him as he desperately chugged health potions. It watched a non-believer pray. It watched him cry, cry for the life he hadn't wanted to lose. It was as if the monster had been playing with him, enjoying his suffering, his fear... but that wasn't realistic. It was a program. 

Pinball shrugged. "I've never heard of any crafting guild before. In my guild, we just have our members fill in the roles of our crafters... though the only active ones are Hei and I." He took a minute to think. "You said you were going to be an alchemist? I don't know much about what they do, but potions seem very handy. Health potions are always nice, though, then again, they're the only ones I know about." Pinball made a mental note to pay a visit to Benjamin's shop once he made some money. He was going to need the potions for questing, if he wanted to keep up with Mars. "I'm... I'm not really saving up for anything. I don't have that big of a goal, really. The only thing I've planned ahead is challenging this other guy to a duel." Pinball laughed. "In fact, that's most of the reason I'm doing this quest now. Besides the fact that the compleshionist in me won't let me rest until I pass through all the quests on this floor before moving on too much." 

EN Recovery: 2/3 

+10 HP 

"Damn," Pinball stomped when Benjamin told him they had gotten nothing. He then shrugged. "Well, I'm nearly out of energy. We should rest a bit before moving on, and then rush through it like we did this last group." Pinball took a seat by a tree, using the trunk for support. "I know it sucks, and it's gonna be boring. But - the longer we're here, the more experienced we get." Pinball mimicking a wise old man, wheezed, "and experience - that's the most valuable thing of all." He laughed, and got comfortable. "Plus," he added, "once we finish, we never have to fight nepents again."  They would need to rest a while, if they were to get back into the fight effectively. He didn't want to take a risk by rushing into another fight, only to end up having Benjamin getting hurt. Being the higher levelled player, Pinball felt it was his responsibility to keep his party member safe. "Well, you got any interesting conversation topics?"

EN Recovery:  1/3

+10 HP 

Pinball laughed again. "Ohhhh, boy," he breathed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He didn't change much, did he? "Well," Pinball started, nodding, "we should get to it, then." Pinball initiated a conversation with the man. He explained everything that was going on, though most of it was just filler. Games like this often had to put stories behind their quests to keep them interesting. It would be pretty boring if a quest got straight to the point, and just told you to "go fetch this" or "go kill this many of that". Even so, Pinball couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. There was something about the way how he had explained that he was only just making enough to support his family that Pinball had a soft spot for. He quickly hid those emotions, though. Mars wouldn't approve, and Pinball didn't want to start a fight early. He was looking forward to their duel, and Pinball didn't want it to be on anything else but friendly terms. After Pinball had accepted the quest, he stood aside, asking Mars, "You ready to head out?"

Pinball looked up from his seat when he heard the door open. "!!" It was Mars. Now he had to do it. Pinball rushed from his seat, grabbing his spear as he jogged over to the man. He placed his spear gently against Mars's chest, using the momentum to spin around to face him. "Greetings, adventurer," he wheezed, putting on his most obnoxious voice possible. Then, with much more confidence than he really had, "fancy seeing you here, Marsie-boy. You came for the wolf - quest - thing too?" Pinball jumped back, taking his spear and leaping backwards, in front of the NPC.Smiling, the boy swayed forward, relying on his spear to keep him standing upright. He leaned in real close to Mars's face. With a few smacks of the lips, he said, "Well. Can't have you getting ahead of me, can we now? I'm gonna take this quest, too." He laughed, then, standing normally and offering Mars a high five. "Wolfpack boys?"

Name: Organic Cupcake
Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 5
Roll ID: 93735
Roll Result: 11
Item Type: Dessert
Tier: 1
Quality: Rare 
Enhancements: +18 MIT {2 Slots} 
Description: A healthy alternative to your stereotypical cupcake. 
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15508-f8-r5-cook-~-open/?do=findComment&comment=535215

Name: Carrot Cake
Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 5
Roll ID: 94313
Roll Result: 12
Item Type: Dessert 
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: +3 LD {3 Slots} 
Description: A simple carrot cake with vanilla frosting and a picture of a cute carrot on top.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15508-f8-r5-cook-~-open/?do=findComment&comment=536484

Name: Strawberry Tea
Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 5
Roll ID: 94419
Roll Result: 11
Item Type: Snack
Tier: 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: +2 LD {2 Slots}
Description: Cold, refreshing strawberry tea.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15508-f8-r5-cook-~-open/?do=findComment&comment=536726

Name: Valentine's Chocolate Box
Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 5
Roll ID: 94421
Roll Result: 11
Item Type: Dessert 
Tier: 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: +18 MIT {2 Slots} 
Description: A pink box of assorted chocolates in the shape of a heart with a green ribbon.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15508-f8-r5-cook-~-open/?do=findComment&comment=536726

Name: Hot Dragon Snack 
Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 5
Roll ID:  94418
Roll Result: 11
Item Type: Snack
Tier: T1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: LD +2
Description: A small pack of hot and spicy meat balls formed like little dragons.
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15508-f8-r5-cook-~-open/?do=findComment&comment=536726

Pinball took a step forward, levelling his shield for another charge. "One Sword Art, coming right up!" Pinball charged the Nepent Variant once more, his spear taking on the same bright glow... and he tripped. Pinball stumbled and nearly fell flat, but he managed to recover by slamming the end of his spear in the dirt, pushing himself off the ground. He was on his knees now, his spear the only thing having saved him from completely losing his balance. For a moment, he struggled to process what had just happened. "Jesus," he mumbled, just in time to see the Variant reering back for an attack. "Jesus!" Pinball pushed himself backwards, and the Nepent flinched. "Damn it," he said, marching back to Benjamin, his face bright red. One Sword Art coming right up... Yeah the hell right. "Sorry," he murmured, refusing to make eye contact with the other player. The Nepent Variant stood its ground, and Pinball had the odd, albeit aggravating feeling that the monster would laugh if it was capable. 

Combat: 

Pinball nodded. The sooner they got this done, the better. If Benjamin decided he wanted to keep going, Pinball wouldn't argue against it. Especially since he had enough energy for a few more good hits. "Alright then," Pinball smiled, leaning against his spear a bit, "let's get to it." 

Pinball rushed at the Nepent Variant, the spear in his hands glowing brightly with the activation of a Sword Art. Pinball jabbed the creature, landing a solid hit against its chest. It knocked out a good chunk of its health, but unfortunately, none of his affects were activated. And so the Nepent Variant, in response, struck Pinball across the shoulder with a thin, vine-like tendril. It barely took a notch out of Pinball's HP, and truth be told, the boy was certain there was no way a monster of this calibur would be able to defeat him. He jumped back besides Benjamin. "Your turn! I'll try to follow up if you can't take it out." 

Combat: 

Pinball pulled up his messenger, sendind out three notifications. He had finished Kaya's order (finally), and Froppy's as well. Along with Froppy's item, he had made Hei's final item as well. That means all that's left is Fae. She's been waiting pretty long, too. Pinball shrugged, leaning against a chair he had set out. He would wait and see if they picked up their items immediatly. If not, he would come back tomorrow and do the same. It wasn't as if he had anything to do, anyways, and he was fresh out of materials to work on any items. At least getting away with a full day of crafting, that is. He shrugged again, this time letting out a long sigh. He'd do what he wanted today. 

@Kaya: 

@Hei:

@Froppy:

-CRAFTING- 

Attempt 1: 

Attempt 2: 

Attempt 3: 

Attempt 4: 

Attempt 5: 

Attempt 6: 

Results: 

• 2 T1 Rare Snacks Crafted. 
• 1 T1 Rare Dessert Crafted. 
• Gained 21 EXP 

Started day with 8 T1 Mats, ended with 3.

EXP: 197/319

Pinball watched as Benjamin took a swing, and miss. Luckily though, the monsters did not take it upon themselves to attack Ben, probably because they had already attacked Pinball not too long ago. Pinball shrugged, and told the other player as he stepped up for his turn, "Don't worry about it - I'll take a few of 'em out now." It was time to go back to his stronger sword arts. Truth be told, he didn't have the patience to unnecissarily prolong this fight any longer. He let loose his Hellish Twice, striking down two of the nepents, and jumping out of the way of the third. Maybe if Benjamin got a good hit on this last one, they could move on to the boss. If not, he would try to finish it off. Hopefull their next defeated boss would let them finish the quest. 

Combat: