Macaroon

Macaroon made her way back to the bank of the stream, taking a few moments to enjoy the water as she did, and reequipped her boots before beginning to follow the stream again. She walked for a few minutes, keeping her head about her to avoid more mobs, but didn't see any materials she might make use of. She did, however, notice the sound of the stream growing increasingly louder. As she followed the sound, the stream widened a bit, and the trees parted more than they had before, revealing small rapids bubbling and boiling along the water's surface.

Mack noticed a few red bellied frogs hopping along the other bank, noting how they would do nicely, but also realizing they would flee before she was able to ford the stream. 'That's unfortunate, I should've crossed earlier instead of coming back to this bank,' she thought to herself. She pushed the idea out of her mind, though, it didn't matter now, and she continued to follow the stream.

Macaroon watched Krysta as she spoke and searched, and folded her arms behind her back, taking another moment to enjoy the nice weather. "That's an interesting approach to choosing a profession, basing it on your real world skills like that," she responded. "My mother is a talented cook, she owns her own bakery, so I've been considering cooking myself, so I could make some things that remind me of her. Well, that, and I really miss French cuisine," she giggled and let her mind wander to macarons, escargot, beef bourguignon, creme brulee, and gourere. She hadn't had anything remotely French since being trapped in the game.

"Yay!" she squealed as Krysta found the first material she needed. "Now we've got some momentum!" Macaroon began to search for some more materials herself, poking through thick patches of grass, but she didn't see anything in the immediate area that would be of much use.

@Krysta

Macaroon followed Krysta on their way out of the safe zone and into a field outside of town along the main path. She stretched her arms up and turned her head towards the sky, enjoying the blue sky and the fluffy white clouds drifting across it.  "So, what made you choose Tailoring for your profession?" she asked as Krysta began to search for materials. She considered her options for a moment before looking for materials herself. She rustled around in some tall grass speckled with wildflowers, when one of the wildflowers prompted a loot window. Mack quietly stowed the flower away, not wanted to boast about her find while Krysta was still searching. She stood and suggested they perhaps continue their search a little further from the safe zone as a cool breeze passed over. "Perhaps you'll have some more luck a little further on." She smiled, it really was a nice day here on the first floor.

@Krysta

Macaroon slowly followed the path of the small stream, enjoying the sights and sounds as she went. It took long, but sharp, curve and she warily followed it around the bend, keeping an eye out for both potential mobs and potential usable materials. As the full brook came back into sight, something in the middle of it, about 30 feet away or so, caught her eye. Small white flowers and leafy greens protruded ever so slightly from the surface of the water. 'Is that... watercress?' she thought, somewhat incredulously.

Mack removed her boots and began to wade out into the water, making certain to choose her steps carefully. The cool water felt nice on her feet and calves as she moved further out into the stream. When she reached the aquatic plant, the water had come up to her knees, a little deeper than she expected, and she was thankful for the slow current the stream possessed. 'This is watercress!' she thought excitedly as she harvested and stored the ingredient in her inventory.

Macaroon followed the sound of the stream for a couple of minutes before stumbling onto, and almost into, it's source. Clear water cascaded and bubbled around rocks and the roots of trees as it cut a clear path through the forest. Small fish could be seen swimming serenely downstream, and small water insects buzzed or floated this way and that. "How peaceful," she said to herself before taking a knee at the edge of the stream and using it's cool water to clean the dirt from her hands. Once they were clean she also washed her face, enjoying the feeling a few moments before drying herself on her top and taking a good look around. She didn't see much of use in the immediate area, but she began to follow the direction of the stream, hoping to find some aquatic herbs or a frog or something she might be able to grab.

Macaroon audibly gasped as she heard a loud piercing squawk, and she turned, tense and ready to face some surprise opponent. It didn't even occur to her how useless she might be without her weapon or armor. She watched as a crow, someone's familiar she now assumed, flew up to a large chandelier and perched there, feathers bristled. She giggled at her own aggressive reaction, noting how very silly it was to get so worked up in the safe zone, and turned back to her tea, taking another long sip as @Reinholt returned her greeting.

Mack thought he had seemed a little intense at first, but he sounded friendly enough now. She set her cup down and held out a hand towards the man as if expecting a handshake, "It's nice to meet you, you can call me Macaroon!" She gave him another friendly smile and awaited his own introduction.

Macaroon took another moment to breathe and steady herself before an idea occurred to her. 'Maybe the boar was onto something,' she thought. She hurriedly moved to the spot where she had originally seen the boar, using the purple fruit she had thrown as a marker. She was considering what he might have been rooting for in the dirt. She found the spot where it's snout and small tusks had been digging, hoping to maybe find some truffles or something, that made the most sense. She sifted through the soil it had loosed, finding little. She then took to the immediate area, thinking that maybe it had been on the search and had not found it's quarry. Her search bore little fruit, though, and she soon found herself wandering further into the woodlands, keeping a sharp eye out for anything she might be able to use. Before long, she began to hear the bubbling of a small brook or stream and she perked up. There had to be something around that.

Macaroon steadied her breathing and braced herself a final time as the boar charged yet again. Her spear pierced it dead on, but the boar continued forward slamming into her and knocking her to the dirt. As the both fell, the boar disappeared into a cloud of pixels as her armor finished the job her spear had started. She sat up, sighing, and pulled herself to her feet. Then, she leaned over the spot the boar and fallen and looted it. "Damn," she whispered to herself as the small window showed EXP earned but no items of note. She had hoped that, by chance, the boar might drop some usable materials.

Mack stretched her tense muscles and took a moment to breathe and relax. She had defeated the her opponent and should be able to loosen up now. 'I'll have to keep a closer eye out to avoid another close call like that,' she thought.

Macaroon braced herself for a second time when the boar hunched and charged at her. He tense muscles reacted rather quickly, albeit poorly. She made a side swipe at the boar, but the blow brushed along it's side harmlessly. It did however coerce the creature to the side ever so slightly, causing it's charge to miss as well. 'At least it can't hit anything either,' she thought, not considering that her Thorns enchantment would actually help her quite a bit.

Mack grunted in frustration, flared her nostrils and snorted, an attempt to mock the boar. Not that it cared, it simply snorted in reply, squealed, and began to kick up dust. She squared up again, slid her feet through the dusty forest floor and took on a new battle stance. Her off hand held out in front of her, she held the spear above her head, aimed at the boar, in her main hand. She hoped this might be a more advantageous position to attack from

Macaroon readied herself to attack as the boar snorted, dragged it's feet and charged. She timed her thrust incorrectly and buried the tip in the dirt. As soon as she saw the strike wouldn't connect, she spun around the outside of the spear's haft. The boar ran by her harmlessly. They were both unharmed for now, but Mack was out of energy. 'I guess basic attacks will have to do,' she thought, gritting her teeth and readying herself again. She squared her feet and her shoulders, aiming herself at the porcine creature.

Mack hefted the end of her spear upward, showering the spot between herself and her opponent with dirt. She berated herself for not having been more careful and getting into this mess. She quickly set that aside, though. Now she just needed to end it. "Come on, then!" she called out to the beast, taunting it and preparing her next attack to strike home.

Macaroon sat back carefully and looked around this part of the canopy. Many of the branches and spring time foliage obscured her view, but she did have a better vantage point of what she could see. She eyed a few strange fruits and scooted along the branch she was on to get a better look at them. She plucked one from it's spot and squeezed it a little. It reminded her of an apple or pear, but it was purple in color. She gave it a little sniff, and nothing. So she took a small bite from it and immediately spat it out. Whatever it was, it wasn't ripe.

Mack tossed the odd thing over her shoulder, she heard it hit a branch as it fell. But it bounced off some that sounded softer than earth, and she heart a snort. She looked down and saw that she had thrown the fruit right onto a boar below her. She hadn't even noticed it, but now that she had pegged it with the purple thing, it was more than aware of her. "Oh great," she said, whipping out her spear and leaping down to the ground to deal with the beast.

Frenzy Boar spawned!

HP 10/10

DMG 3

Grunting as she worked, Macaroon continued to harass the branches for several long moments before spotting it. A small nest a few branches up, nestled against the trunk. She stowed her spear as she made her way to the tree. The lowest branches were a little high, and she had to jump to gain any real grip on a branch. She swung her legs to the trunk and planted her feet against the tree. She blushed lightly and was glad she was alone, if she had brought someone, they'd surely be getting an eyeful from up her skirt. She pushed the silly thought out of her head and pulled herself up onto the branch, walking her feet up the trunk as she did so.

The climbing wasn't particularly hard work, and Mack handled it with little time passing. She eyed the little nest and glanced around for a few moments, making sure the owner wouldn't return particularly soon. Inside she found a few small eggs. "These should do nicely," she said to herself and pocketed them.

Macaroon quietly watched the new guests arrive, she usually wasn't very shy, but she also wasn't sure how to start a conversation in a situation like this. She hadn't been to a party since being stuck in the game, and that had been awhile. Mack watched as a man walked up to the bar and ordered himself a drink. 'Not a bad idea,' she thought to herself and made her way there as well. On her way over, she heard a girl, presumably the host mention something about karaoke. That made her wince, she had a terrible singing voice and didn't relish the thought of embarrassing herself.

"Just a black tea, please," she said sweetly to the bartender and waited patiently for her drink to arrive. It didn't take long, and she took a sip from the steaming cup after it arrived. She looked over at @Reinholt and smiled. "Hello there," she said softly and took another sip.

"Well, at any rate, she is certainly a cutie!" Macaroon hummed, smiling, and scratched the little dragon on the head. "And that's good to know about the quest, I hadn't heard about that yet. I'm very excited to earn a companion of my own, once I am able."

Mack retracted her arm from the little red familiar and looked to the other girl, folding her hands in front of her as she listened to her new acquaintance introduce herself. "Oh! I completely forgot to introduce myself! The bump must have knocked my brain loose! It's a pleasure to meet you, Krysta! I go by Macaroon, but you are welcome to call me Mack if that is easier." She closed her eyes and smiled again, hand outstretched in a greeting.

"I'm glad to hear you'd like the company, I would enjoy it myself. Lead the way!"

@Krysta

Macaroon hunched back over and set to work again, digging through the dirt. She didn't find much other than little worms and insects that just wouldn't do. So she stood and made her way to another area, continuing her dirty search. 

Mack took to digging out some small plants, examining their roots and tossing them aside. 'Soon enough,' she thought to herself seeking to quell the frustration that would inevitably rear it's ugly head. She harrumphed, stood, and brushed her hands off on her skirt. "Enough of that," she said aloud to no one in particular and she began to look up into the tall deciduous trees around her. Maybe she could spot some fruit or a nest in some of the lower hanging branches. She didn't spot anything immediately, so she reached up with her spear and began poking, prodding, and shifting branches to the side to get a better view.

Macaroon made her way out of the safe zone and headed for the forested area to the north of town. She enjoyed the walk, watching the clouds drift by in the blue sky and taking in the light breeze. Mack took a deep breath and enjoyed the peace for a moment. As the vegetation began to close in around her, though, she set her mind to work. She began to scour the area for anything she might be able to use for ingredients. Herbs, mushrooms, roots, flowers, anything. She rooted around in the soil for awhile, dirtying her hands and trying to find a root or a mushroom suitable to make something with.

Mack sat back on her haunches and sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow with her arm. She hadn't found anything usable just yet, but her spirits were still high. She'd find something before too very long.

Macaroon had been wandering the first floor considering her options for the day. She was bored and looking for something to do. She had also been considering what profession she might take up; there were many options and each had their benefits. She hadn't fully decided on one or another when she came upon a cute little bistro on a side street while perusing shops in the Town of Beginnings. The storefront was adorable and the food looked, and smelled, amazing. It reminded her of her mother, and that, more than anything, drew her inside.

'Kismet!' she thought to herself as she exited the shop. 'I was deciding on a profession, and a profession quest picked me.' She giggled and started towards the exit from the safe zone. She allowed her mind to wander over what sort of foods she would be able to make once the skill was hers. She was most exited about macarons, of course.

Macaroon had been putzing about the first floor when she noticed something new on the bulletin board. 'Oooh, a party,' she thought. 'Sounds like it could be fun.' It was a welcome break from the monotony of questing. She didn't really have any special outfits to wear, but she figured her normal clothes would do. She fussed with the menu for a few moments while she unequipped her armor and weapon. 'It wouldn't do to show up to a party armed,' she mused to herself and set off towards the destination.

Mack gasped when she saw the outside of the venue, impressed at it's size and demeanor. She followed the directions of the house servants, NPCs presumably, and made her way to the ballroom. If the outside was impressive, the inside was even more so, and it took her a moment to absorb her surroundings. She was definitely underdressed. "At least I'm not the first one here," she whispered under her breath and she waved shyly to those who had already gathered.

"My, that sounds like fun," Macaroon crooned when Krysta explained her business. "You wouldn't happen to need company, or a hand or anything, would you? I don't really have much going on at the moment. I haven't really decided on my own profession yet." Mack had been looking for something to do, and something just happened to run smack dab into her; what luck!

"Oh, hey, little guy," she purred sweetly as Yolviinsil made herself known. Mack nodded as Krysta explained his shyness, and she slowly and gingerly extended her hand towards the small red dragon. "I absolutely cannot wait to get a familiar of my own. Where in the world did you find him.. er.. her?" She looked at Krysta and inquired before turning towards Yolviinsil. "Don't be shy, I am nice!" She closed her eyes and smiled at the familiar, waiting ever so patiently, arm out-stretched, for it to warm to her.

@Krysta

Battle Stats

Macaroon was roaming the Town of Beginnings, she was looking for something to get into but, being level one, she didn’t have many options. She was sure she’d find something though, even if that meant farming materials or low level mobs alone for a bit. She was just bored and tired of being idle.

Mack yawned, stretching her arms above her head and closing her eyes. Then, suddenly, wham! Someone slammed into her, or maybe she slammed into them, either way she ended up on the ground. She grunted with the impact, it didn’t hurt, of course, it simply caught her off guard. She stood and brushed the dust off of herself to find a young woman standing there, apologizing.

”Oh, I’m fine!” Mack said and giggled, looking the other girl up and down. “Are you alright, dear? And don’t be sorry, I should have been watching what I was doing!”

@Krysta

Macaroon took the lead this time, walking through the crowded streets next to Ruby, the two girls headed towards the gate. Mack thought about what Ruby had been saying, how she was on the run from something, but the other girl didn’t seem to want to share and she thought better of asking. So she let her mind wander a moment, and it soon turned back to the real world. She didn’t think about it much at this point. She didn’t like the stress it brought, and there wasn’t much she could do to change what was happening, but she was wondering about school, how far behind she was, and how much physical therapy she might need before being able to paint seriously again.

“Ruby,” she started, nervous about asking and choosing her words carefully, “I hope it’s not rude to ask, but what did you do before this? Before SAO?”

@Ruby

Macaroon was still considering the state of her body when Ruby told her they had arrived. Her eyes widened and she blushed when Ruby patted her butt. "Alright, I'll do my best to stay out of trouble if you do the same!" she called and giggled as she walked through the doorway.

"Come in!" the old shop keep called to Mack as she approached his counter. The little shopfront was filled with bubbling concoctions, mortar and pestles, and all manner of alchemic devices. They were odd and fascinating to her, but she was here on a mission, not to ogle the technical bits. After a short conversation and bit of fussing with the menu interface, Mack had accepted the quest. Zackariah, the old man's name apparently, had requested that she gather some Starflower for him. It was some sort of ingredient for alchemy he needed to brew potions. He had informed her she'd be rewarded for her trouble, which she was happy to see. She needed the EXP and the items she would receive would be sure to help her in her coming quests.

She waltzed back out of the shop towards Ruby. "So, I need to go pick some Starflower, I suppose. He said it should be in the fields and forest not far outside of town." She shrugged and started heading toward one of the main gates. "I guess this way should be fine, unless you know of a better area to gather in." She smiled and waited for Ruby to follow or protest.

@Ruby

Macaroon nodded silently while Ruby explained the work it had taken to get to where she was. It was kind of a somber moment, and her thoughts turned to the road ahead for her, she knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was done being idle. When Ruby mentioned her hair, Mack gasped. "Oh my, I haven't even considered what my body might look like in the real world at this point! I imagine I look rough!" She laughed at that, she didn't think about the real world much, and for a silent moment her thoughts turned to her parents. She hoped they were doing alright.

Mack snapped out of that when Ruby told her to be careful. "I will be. I've taken too long, and I've had plenty of time to think about it. It's not something I'm taking lightly, that's for sure." She took another look around, wondering if they'd be at their destination soon.

@Ruby

Macaroon giggled when it was finally Ruby's turn to blush. "I'll take it as a compliment that I made you blush, then," she said, still smiling. When Ruby gave her an uncomfortable look, though, Mack's expression changed to one of concern. "I can only imagine what it's been like, how hard it's been." Mack sympathized with Ruby, she'd heard stories of the front lines, the losses they sometimes took. She wasn't sure she could fully comprehend it without having lived it. "I'm excited to contribute if I can, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about finally getting out there. But with friends like you, I'm sure I don't have much to worry about!" She closed her eyes and smiled, happy to have met Ruby.

Mack took a look around the street they were on now, trying to take note of where they were heading, in case they got separated or she needed to return at a later point. She had already lost an idea of where they were, though. 'Oh well,' she thought and shrugged to herself.

@Ruby