Calypso

Drawing closer to the water's edge, it was becoming apparent that they shared the same destination as the black-haired boy walking ahead of them. Callie frowned, wondering just how awkward an exchange might get if there was any conflict in completing the objectives at the same time.

As the unlikely duo would reach the bank shortly after the boy, Callie could spot a single rowboat above the water's surface, the captain of which appeared to be working to make his way over to them. Determining that must be the NPC that Hannah sent them to seek out, and seeing as how it would obviously take a minute or two for them to even be able to interact with the quest-giver, the woman with cerulean hair was only able to focus on the thick, awkward air hanging between the three players now in a bit closer company. 'Come on, don't be rude.' She mentally urged herself before taking on her usual polite smile.

She turned her head to address the boy standing a short distance to her right. "I take it you're here for the same quest?" She prompted, holding up the parcel that Hannah had entrusted to them.

"Finally!" Her voice carried more excitement than she had anticipated when the sharpened edge of her claymore sliced into the fish's flank. Though it hardly took anything away from the colored health bar that floated in the air alongside it, it was a small personal victory.

Damage would come more naturally with levels and the skills that she invested into. But apparently some monsters would prove more difficult to even land a hit on without going out of her way to pick up extra accuracy wherever she could manage it. "Yep, just like anything else, hit cap is the first priority." She muttered, the words more meant for herself as she thought aloud.

She pulled back after the successful swipe, holding the two-handed blade centered in front of her with elbows locked. 'Hopefully a bit more of his damage is enough to kill it off,' She thought, no longer surprising herself with the thought of wanting someone to get hit by a monster. 'But then this isn't even the important one... Ugh.'

ID#: 95838 | BD: 7(+1)(-2)=6 - Hit!

[H:6] Shield - HP: 1329/1330 | EP: 114/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:0] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 15/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: 75/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100

"I can fight if I need to." She responded, holding her tongue before she admitted that she could easily take his sudden request as a nuisance. Callie shifted her weight, hearing out his further explanation while she tried to keep her head from spinning as it tried to wrap around his reasoning.

"So, you want me--a stranger you've only just met--to guide you through a fight with a cave bat by calling out instruction?" She placed a hand on her hip as she tried to reiterate what she understood as his revised request. The woman sighed, picking up her free hand to tuck her cerulean locks behind her ear. She didn't have a reason to agree, but it was almost becoming troublesome--not to mention rude--to continue responding so negatively. "Sure, why not, I guess?" She shrugged off the voice in the back of her head that told her she should just try to excuse herself and head back to Nimbus.

Golden eyes continued to scan the crowd as she enjoyed Spencer's company. Having a kind conversation partner was actually much more enjoyable than people-watching alone. She found it hard to shake a nagging recent memory, however, and as she moved her curious gaze from one player to another she found herself searching with a hint of purpose.

She had just thought she caught a glimpse of an oddly-familiar-looking mask by the table that was set up with drinks when Spencer took a step forward and directed her attention to a woman with darker skin and eyes of a golden hue to rival her own. Though she couldn't help the flicker of irritation at the bad timing from her earlier task, she was quick to take on another polite smile as greetings were exchanged. She took the brunette's hand in a light shake and withdrew. "Nice to meet you both." She nodded in kind to the woman sporting loud pink hair at jevi's side.

And then her curiosity was overwhelming. Callie turned back to Spencer, "I'm not usually one for keeping in touch," She reiterated before getting to the point. "but send me a friend request if you'd like. I think I just saw the very rare sight of a familiar face, and it's going to drive me crazy if I don't go and get nosy." She chuckled, leaving the invitation in his court to see if the man had any interest in keeping in contact.

With that, Callie gave a nod to excuse herself, turning her attention back to the other side of the room. She moved through the loose crowd, frowning when she could no longer spot the silver horn of the manticore she had caught sight of by the table of refreshments. A few more seconds of searching rewarded her, however, as it seemed the mask's owner had not gone far. Her lips curled into a curious and satisfied smile. Callie approached the small group of players, now certain that she recognized the tank player. "Sorry to intrude," She quite honestly did hate the idea of interrupting anything, but she took advantage of a lull in conversation to offer a smile, one moreso directed at the only person she'd met before out of the group. She faltered for a moment before forcing the next words out from her. "Thought I would stop being a wallflower for a second. Didn't think I would be seeing you here, Shield." She offered a bit weakly. Why had she bothered approaching the man, especially when he was far from alone? Was it just because she wanted to take advantage of finally spotting him in the crowd?

@Spencer@Jevi@Ruby > @Shield@Beat@Piera@Lee

'Well that cleared things up quickly.' Callie thought as her conversation partner revealed a bit more about himself. While the woman was still unsure of her personal goals for the evening, at least she had a better sense of where this interaction with Spencer might lead. Or at least, where it would not.

"Love isn't easy." She agreed, smiling over the crowd. "Events, and times like these," She continued in reference to the lovers' holiday as a whole, "I think it's the trickiest time of year for us singles." She laughed softly before she turned her face back to the taller man for a few words of encouragement. "But in the five minutes I've known you, Spencer, I'm sure you'll find a guy who's just as kind as you are. And as handsome, if you're lucky." She almost hesitated to throw in the compliment, but now that flirting was off the table between them, she didn't feel as awkward offering it.

Callie's smile held strong, grateful for her relatable company. "Trust me, I understand. Even in SAO, it's hard for me to talk to people someti--" Though she hadn't thought about the hidden weight of her sentence, she hadn't the chance to finish it when a rather obnoxious chorus reached her ears from the entryway. The music, if it could be called as such, had caused her to flinch, and she was just about to try tuning the sounds out when a familiar word--or in this case, name--caught her attention. Perhaps she had just misunderstood the band of screeching NPCs. But as the woman turned to face the front of the ballroom, she managed to catch sight of what she thought was the back of a familiar head. Before she could stare for too long to prove or debunk her assumptions, the well-dressed figure vanished among the crowd in exactly the opposite direction from her.

@Spencer

The corners of her mouth pulled into a more genuine smile at the positive response she received, taking a bit of the tension from her shoulders. The sudden offer of his name finally caused Callie to turn her golden eyes back on him and she blinked in mild surprise before a chuckle bubbled up from her chest at his sudden remembrance. She brought up a curled hand to her lips before giving the man a small shake of her head. "No no, I hardly gave you a proper introduction myself." Her hand naturally drifted to her collarbone to take hold of a piece of cerulean hair, the ends falling shorter than she had first expected due to the braid they were woven into behind her head.

"Calypso." She gave her name in return, though for a moment she wondered if Spencer was actually the man's real name, or an incredibly simple username. His compliment shortly thereafter was unexpected, and caused the woman to falter a moment while the faintest pink hue touched what was visible of her cheekbones. She echoed his laughter with another small chuckle of her own, "Why, thank you. You look quite nice yourself, Spencer." Callie turned her face back to the crowd, still wearing a smile as she finally dropped her hand and laced it with the other in front of her dress.

"I suppose being a wallflower is more natural for me." She admitted, turning back to a previous point of conversation as her eyes ran over the many unfamiliar faces filling the ballroom. "Meeting people isn't really my strong suit, but staying home or standing in the corner all night sounded like a drag." She spoke to fill the silence at this point, unsure what it was she wanted to get out of the conversation at this point. In a matter of seconds, she started questioning why she had come to the party in the first place. Was is to meet people? Find a date? Just to go somewhere all dressed up?

@Spencer

'Too much? For something I'm only going to wear once...probably, yeah.' Callie forced herself to shrug off the thought, not wanting to spoil her good mood. Long seafoam hair was braided along the back of her head with a pair of small flowers, the leftover locks falling over her exposed shoulder. The hem of her cream-colored ball gown hovered just above the smooth tile floor of the massive room, and she found herself reaching up to adjust the white-and-gold half-mask on her face for the hundreth time.

At the sight of the busy room filled with formally-dressed players and NPCs alike, Callie felt the hint of hesitation she knew she would. "Even in a fantasy world, social gatherings really aren't my thing." The words left her in a low voice just after a light sigh. "But when was the last time I got to dress up like this?" She was talking to herself now, reasoning with a small chuckle. The woman naturally gravitated to the edge of the room, walking with her hands folded in front of her as her golden eyes scanned the large room. There weren't many people that she'd come to know, and so as she expected her gaze didn't fall upon anyone she recognized. Not that the masks and fancy clothes would have made that any easier. Her shoulders dropped a bit, and she considered going for a drink when her wandering eyes landed on a taller man just as separated from the crowd. Callie's mouth twisted into a pursed half-smile, hesitating again before she gave up on a fleeting internal debate. 'Come on girl, might as well use this voice of yours.' She urged herself before approaching the sandy-haired player.

She walked up to stand beside him, looking out over the crowd for a moment before she found a few words to offer. "It's surprising to see so many people in one place." She kept her eyes forward while she spoke, though it was clear that her attempt at conversation was directed to the man aside her. The corner of her mouth pulled up into a forced smile with her attempt at conversation, "Events like this really take the edge off all the fighting and danger though, huh?"

@Spencer

Callie repositioned her blade with a small turn of her wrists, gripping it a bit more tightly as she did so. Sure, the damage she could provide was basically negligible, but that didn't make it any less annoying when each of her attempts fell short. 'Maybe I won't be holding on to that Essence item for very long. If there isn't even anything like partial damage in this game, accuracy bonuses are going to be way more important than I thought.' The words passed begrudgingly through her mind.

At mention of the eleventh floor, Callie was promptly reminded of the cloaked player that had helped her retrieve the item in the first place. The performer's workshop in Taft quickly came to mind, and their brief conversation shortly after. She'd hadn't explored much of the main settlement, and certainly hadn't left the city to see what else the floor had to offer, but she could at least claim she'd visited the floor.

As the narrowed tip of her blade failed to clip the side of the fish, Callie began to wonder if she was doing something wrong. She gave up on dragging out conversation, instead crossing her right foot behind her left in a slow sidestep to reposition herself behind their target.

ID#: 94998 | BD: 6(-1)=5 - Miss!

[H:0] Shield - HP: 1329/1330 | EP: 114/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:0] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 7/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: 76/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100

"So you don't do much questing?"

Callie raised a brow as the girl beside her seemed to be full of questions. She couldn't tell if she was just trying to keep up idle conversation, or if the nudges were an attempt at being friendly with her. Regardless, and despite her personal disinterest, she continued with another polite response. "No, not really. Work has been slow, even on a few of the higher floors. I guess I just started doing this chain out of boredom." She admitted with a shrug. The answer allowed Kirana's violet eyes to turn back forward, and the noirette had to stop herself from visibly scowling. How long had they been trailing behind this person?

Callie hadn't made comment, and was trying not to pay any mind to the dark-haired boy in the distance. Curiosity had led her to wonder if they might have the same destination, but she already had one person tagging along with her. She wasn't the type to go out of her way to make something into a group activity.

@Pinball

"Oh... Right." It often slipped Callie's mind that she was in this game with people from all over the world. Perhaps it wasn't so strange that someone didn't know what a ferret was. "Uh, yes. Larger than mice. Danesh here is a bit bigger than a standard ferret, I think. But the body and face structure is very similar." She paired her explanation with a small nod to herself. She couldn't help cocking another brow at Crozeph's words, but before her discomfort lingered too long, her attention was drawn back to the giant bat that seemed to make its way back to the mouth of the cave a short distance away, as if its programming had been reset to place it back where it came from.

"What? Why?" Callie couldn't stop herself from sounding a bit more annoyed than she intended. Was it rude of her to respond so uncooperatively? Or was it rude of this person to suddenly ask her to take on a monster because it wasn't 'efficient' for him? She frowned, turning her narrowed gaze from the bat hanging at the cave's entrance, to the familiar over her shoulder, and back to Crozeph standing across from her.

"Ah, thanks." Callie nodded as the swirling light made contact with her avatar. The orb of light splashed against her shoulder like a water balloon, quickly dissipating into the air as it served its purpose. Her energy shot back up to full, and although she wasn't planning on trying to use any more empowered attacks for the time being, Shield's taking the time to bother using the support skill on her was still appreciated.

While the sharpened edge of her broadsword sliced through the air rather than the fish that bounced around in it, Callie thought. She took a step back and watched the creature continue throwing itself at the tank, managing to avoid a second punishment from his defenses. "Oh, so before we were so rudely interrupted," She started, recalling the earlier question that had been left unanswered when the first of their fishy friends had been reeled in. "You mentioned having a shop, but I don't think I ever found out what your profession is." She prompted curiously.

ID#: 94287 | BD: 4(-1)=3 - Miss!

[H:0] Shield - HP: 1329/1330 | EP: 114/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:0] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 8/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: 163/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100

"Pfft!" Air spilled from Callie's lungs in a stifled laugh as the Fossil Fish scrambled to attack the player that had pulled it from the swampy lake. As expected, the strike only resulted in considerable damage to itself. The woman once again considered sticking to the sidelines, but in the end she decided to be a better sport than that. She drew her weapon once more, hefting the heavy blade in preparation for a simple attack.

"No complaints here." She commented as the tip of her claymore sunk into the pier with a dull 'thunk', revealing a shallow gash that was left in the wood when she lifted it back up in front of her. Her mouth stretched into a momentary frown that substituted for a muttered "oops", at the swing that likely would have missed the monster even if its thrashing had been milder. Despite the repetition and her either negligible or non-existent contribution to the battles thus far, Callie was growing to shrug it off.

ID#: 93823 | BD: 3-1=2 - Miss!

[H:0] Shield - HP: 1329/1330 | EP: 124/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:0] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 9/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: 163/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100

"Oh, right. Calypso." Her guard finally seemed to lower a bit as she accepted the hand that he offered to her in a quick shake. Though it was still strange to address herself by her username, she hadn't made it a habit to offer others the nickname that she would normally go by. In fact, Shield was the only person whom she had prompted to use her shortened name. Still, Callie wasn't so formal that she would shrug off a casual name someone else gave to her.

"Manticore?" She echoed, having to catch herself before a hint of incredulity could work its way into her voice. She also had to stop herself from snickering. Perhaps Danesh's paws and long tail might somehow come close to resembling a manticore, but otherwise the term was way off. Callie worked to compose herself before answering, not really wanting to put the other player off with her reaction. "The game has him registered as an Ermine Sky Dragon. So, basically half-ferret, half-eastern style dragon, it seems." She turned her attention to the creature, bringing a hand up to run her fingers over his head and circle around the small horns that protruded from his skull.

"I won't lie, the quest part would probably be a lot more satisfying if I was about ten levels higher," Callie chuckled, her eyes focused on the farthest details of the landscape she could make out on the horizon. "but if this was on your to-do list, I really don't think I'd want to come back here down the line to try to get through it on my own." She added on with a wry smile.

Her finger circled around the stubby ivory horns poking out from Danesh's skull while she continued to stroke his head. The familiar opened his mouth, revealing a set of tiny but very sharp-looking teeth, and his jaw stretched wide with a silent yawn. She lowered the beginning of her finger's repeated trail, starting right above Danesh's small snout and gliding up the center of his fur-covered face.

She opted to sit out for now, the previous conversation of surviving a hit from the big fish draining her motivation to take an active role in fishing. Instead, she continued leaning against the wooden support and taking in all that her golden eyes could see of the marshlands that stretched into the distance. "Besides, I'm not having a bad time, otherwise." She admitted with a soft smile.

"It's not bad." She said, still strangely skeptical of the player across from her. He made mention of the dangers of relaxation, causing Callie to raise another brow. He spoke about it like enjoying the scenery wasn't something he did anymore--like it was a luxury reserved for the ignorant and underleveled. He went so far as to mention player killers, and she held in a small snicker when he brought up the concept of level gaps. In terms of level, Callie probably shouldn't be on this floor at all. She certainly shouldn't have been venturing outside of Nimbus when she only had a couple of levels under her belt, yet that hadn't stopped her from leaving the city walls and finding Danesh. Granted, she had only left the safe zone because she had the accompaniment of a rather sweet girl who now held one of the few populated spots on her friends list, but that didn't much change the fact that she hadn't been the most mindful person when it came to her own safety.

"Umm, yeah. Thanks for the advice." She tried to retain her normal sense of politeness, but perhaps her mood was just a touch less patient than she would have been on any other day. She wasn't sure what this stranger wanted, whether it was just to chat or offer her some unsolicited guidance.

Just as expected, the fish didn't survive another instance of damage from Shield's defenses. Seconds after its spiny fins came into contact with the heavy metal of his armor, its flat body was riddled with even more bright red gashes and its health bar drained. Its color shifted to red, and the gauge emptied without stopping. After the creature glowed with and shattered into data fragments just the same as the last, Callie sighed through her nose and dropped her claymore into the sheath at her back.

"If I didn't feel like I needed the practice," Callie brought up a hand to hover in front of her mouth as a yawn worked its way up through her chest. "I'd be tempted to just sit these out." Her fingers then shifted towards the pair of familiars still resting on her shoulders, running over the top of Danesh's head while she turned back to the edge of the pier. She rested an arm against a wooden post that stood up on the corner, leaning her weight against the structure and looking out over the lake yet again.

@Shield

ID#: 93254 | BD: 7-1=6 - Hit! Back Rush (x5) Active
(9 base) x (5 sword art) = (45 DMG) - (50 MIT) = 1 DMG minimum

[H:6] Shield - HP: 1330/1330 | EP: 122/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:3] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 5/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: -16/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100 [MD 9:+25, MD 10: +50] - ID# 93254 results: MOB: 6 [+1+1=8 - Hit! 100-169=1 dmg - THN: 87 dmg]

Callie almost hurried to soften her expression, bringing a curled hand up to clear her throat after Jomei's explanation and apology. She hesitantly deposited the item into her inventory, having to actively ignore a lingering feeling that she shouldn't be allowed to accept it. "No no, I'm sorry." She pulled her right hand up to the side of her head and tucked a few loose strands of cerulean-tinted hair behind her ear. "I'm the opposite, in some ways. I'm used to doing everything on my own, so even asking for help is something I don't jump at the chance to do." She let out a nervous chuckle at the admittance. "I would never want to think of it as taking advantage, but," She struggled a bit to come up with the words that would pull the man from his disheartened state. Golden eyes pulled to the side while her first two fingers and thumb idly rolled the end of a lock of hair between them in front of her chest. "perhaps I should focus more on being grateful before prideful. Thank you."

Thread Summary:

Calypso: +2 SP, +200 col, +<<Essence of Steel>>

Jomei: +1 SP, +200 col

(ooc: very sorry for the wait! I should be back in the swing of things now)

Callie cocked a cerulean brow at the stranger's words, but her shoulders dropped slightly as he picked himself up, seemingly unharmed. Her confused expression wasn't as quick to disappear as the tension she had felt, however, as he continued to address her with a voiced observation and a couple of questions. "A hero? Hardly." She mumbled, curious as to what having a familiar had to do with such a concept. Perhaps they were somewhat of a rarity. After all, the other players she'd encountered who had familiars of their own far out-leveled her. She had only been lucky enough to find and befriend Danesh because of the help that Hestia insisted on giving her after they had met.

She frowned at his mention of player killers--a concept she was lucky to have only heard rumors and stories about with a thankful lack of first-hand experience. She took no offense to his caution, but shifted her weight while both her and her familiar's eyes were trained on the katana-wielder. "Entering a cave? Not likely, I've had my fill of those lately." The unsavory memory of cave exploration on the fourth floor with Shield once again resurfaced, and she did her best not to dwell on the thought. "This is where I tamed my familiar, and he seems to like the area. We come up here every so often just to relax." She explained.

"Yeah, I don't know if I like those odds." Callie grumbled, bringing her right foot back in a crescent motion while her eyes continued to follow the fish's wild movement. After a few seconds she stepped forward again, the edge of her blade slicing through its tailfin as it came down. The monster didn't give her strikes a moment's attention, simply throwing itself against Shield's armor with the repetitive attacks it was programmed with. While it was technically successful, the single point of damage it inflicted against the tank with each rake of its spiny fins came nowhere near outweighing the damage it took in return.

Finally, it felt as if they were making some progress on the monster, and Callie would have felt a small sense of accomplishment until she quickly remembered that it wouldn't mean much until they managed to find the big bad hiding in the murky waters.

@Shield

ID#: 93192 | BD: 8-1=7 - Hit! Back Rush (x5) Active
(9 base) x (5 sword art) = (45 DMG) - (50 MIT) = 1 DMG minimum

[H:6] Shield - HP: 1329/1330 | EP: 123/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:2] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 9/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: 72/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100 [MD 9:+25, MD 10: +50] - ID# 93192 results: MOB: 5 [+1+1=7 - Hit! 100-169=1 dmg - THN: 87 dmg]

While the term 'Snow Beast' was both just vague and just descriptive enough for her to get a general idea of what the creature might look like, she still took a couple of hesitant steps backwards when it emerged from its cavern. The monster stared her down, and the woman then reached to draw the broadsword from its sheathe at her back and instinctively stand her ground. Before she had done so, Jomei's stern instruction caused her to falter. After a moment's hesitation, she took another half-step back. At this point, the beast had rushed forward, bringing its heavy fists into the air and throwing them down. Callie turned, the sole of her boot skidding over the slick, frozen floor before it caught the friction needed to push her forward and away from the skull before it was shattered into jagged fragments.

She stopped running once she was closer to her original position beside Jomei, just as the man shot forward to engage the beast. Turning back to their opponent, Callie finally reached to the hilt of her sword and drew her weapon, taking hold of it in both hands in front of her avatar. She watched Jomei's initial attack patiently, waiting for an opening that would allow her to follow-up without putting herself in unmanageable danger. What had her blinking in disbelief, however, was the Snow Beast's health bar draining rapidly with each strike of the man's rapier. Its color shifted twice before disappearing completely, the monster promptly shattering into lighted polygons. Callie's shoulders fell, and her golden eyes fell to the dialogue that appeared in front of her to inform her of the quest's completion.

Her pride was wounded, the tip of her blade meeting the piled snow when Jomei approached her and offered the item drop. She simply stared at the item in his hand with a furrowed brow, her body working on auto-pilot as she picked her stance up and dropped her claymore back into the sheathe that she shouldn't have bothered removing it from. Finally pulling her gaze up to the Irishman's face, his expression told her that he hadn't meant to disparage her. Even so, his good intentions didn't stop her from wondering exactly how hard that field boss hit. Through her discomfort, she finally reached out to accept the item, giving him a small, "Thanks."

Callie generally didn't dislike the cold. It was sometimes fun to bundle up in warm clothing and take a stroll in the crisp winter air. But as the snow packed under every step of her boots and the wind whipped around their avatars to pelt them with flakes of snow that clung to their hair and clothing, the woman scowled. Her arms were folded over her chest, shoulders taut even after they arrived at the den of the Snow Beast. Callie's frown deepened at the pitch-black mouth of the cave in the distance, her eyes then dropping to trail over the variety of skeletal remains that littered the ground. She cast a sidelong glance towards the ginger-haired man beside her as he drew his weapon and readied himself for combat. Her golden orbs then shifted to focus on the largest of the skulls half-covered in snow that he pointed out, studying it for a moment before giving a nod. "Got it." She acknowledged simply.

She walked forward, unfolding her arms. She was just about to reach for the hilt of the claymore standing over her shoulder, but she hesitated before her fingers made contact with the leather bindings. Rather than dwindle the durability of her weapon, Callie spotted one of many bones sitting around her feet. She took the item in her hand like a basic mace, then closing the rest of the distance between herself and the impressive skull. With one swift motion she wound her arm back and then swung it forward. The rounded edge of the bone collided with the thick surface, shaking some of the piled snow free as a solid thud sounded out and rang in the air.

Callie grimaced with his summary of the quest, "Wonder how hard these guys actually hit." She mumbled the thought aloud, beginning to question if it was wise for her to try her hand at fishing up the monsters after all. Their opponent continued to thrash against the dock, swiping through the air persistently at the tank all the while. Finally, its attacks weren't so lucky to bypass the defensive damage the duo were forced to rely on, and it recoiled when its successful attack was met with a sizeable chunk of damage to its own health bar.

Its movements were less sporadic for a few precious moments, as if the fact that it had taken noticeable punishment had caused it to doubt its previously relentless assault. Just as it faltered, Callie's broadsword sliced through it with another downward slash. She only scowled as the attack was barely registered, leaving her tempted to sheathe her blade and take a seat at the edge of the pier once again. She took a half-step back, shifting her weight to her back leg while her weapon was lowered in front of her. "If only. I guess Cardinal was grumpy with players actually working the system to their benefit." She snickered lightly at the thought of the all-powerful network behaving like a child when things didn't go its way.

ID#: 92840 | BD: 9 - Critical Hit! Back Rush (x5) Active
(9 base) + (1 crit) = (10 DMG) x (5 sword art) = (50 DMG) - (50 MIT) = 1 DMG minimum

[H:6] Shield - HP: 1329/1330 | EP: 117/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:1] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 13/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: 160/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100 [MD 9:+25, MD 10: +50] - ID# 92840 results: MOB: 6 [+1+1=8 - Hit! 100-169=1 dmg - THN: 87 dmg]

"Fine by me." The corner of her mouth pulled up into a smirk at his offer for her to choose the next quest they might take on together. The fish continued to throw its rotting body towards Shield, its critical strikes mirroring the effectiveness of Callie's earlier attack against it. She pulled her blade to the side, but despite the attempt to time her swing with the monster's movements it proved elusive enough to flip its flat body out of the way of the sharpened edge of her sword.

Pulling back with a light sigh, she tried to divert her attention away from its still practically-full health bar. "So, I don't think I got the full details on this quest. Something about a... 'big fish'?" She echoed the fisherman's descriptive choice of words. "Do we just keep hacking through these until it shows up?" She questioned, golden eyes travelling up and down as she continued to track the Fossil Fish's irregular movements.

ID#: 92819 | BD: 4 (-1 EVA) = 3 - Miss!

[H:6] Shield - HP: 1329/1330 | EP: 116/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:1] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 17/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: 249/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100 [MD 9:+25, MD 10: +50] - ID# 92819 results: MOB: 10 - Critical Hit! (1 DMG minimum)

Callie let out a tiny breath of relief when Shield stepped in. On the eighteenth floor she hadn't the slightest idea what the average damage output on a monster looked like, and she still had very little invested in her own defenses.

With the heat no longer focused on her, she was free to pull her claymore from its sheathe amd take careful sidesteps to give herself a straight path to the monster. When she was sure it was no longer paying her movements any mind, Callie pushed off of the wooden planks to bring her avatar forward. Her blade fell onto the monster that flailed just as wildly as its predecessor, but unlike the critical result of her foremost attack of the day, the blow barely made a difference in its floating health bar. Not even the empowered damage from an activated sword art seemed to make any difference. Callie met the sight with a small, dissatisfied scowl. "Alright, looks like this is all you and that armor of yours."

ID#: 92787 | BD: 7 - Hit! Back Rush (x5) Active
(9 base) x (5 sword art) = (45 DMG) - (50 MIT) = 1 DMG minimum

[H:6] Shield - HP: 1329/1330 | EP: 116/124 | Dmg: 2 | Acc: 0 | Eva: -1 | Mit: 169 | BH: 66 | THN: 87 | REC: 6 | LD: 7
[H:1] Calypso - HP: 200/200 | EP: 20/20 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 9 | ACC: 1

<Fossil Fish> HP: 249/250 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 1 | Eva: 2 | DMG: 100 [MD 9:+25, MD 10: +50] - ID# 92787 results: MOB: 10 - Critical Hit! (1 DMG minimum)