Solei

"I'm glad that you find my pain and suffering funny," he said sarcastically as he rolled his his head before he spat out another mouthful of dirt. The man had barely began to smile before a heavy amount of force impacted his back. 

"Oof."

Solei gave the man a thumbs up as he stuck out his tongue. "That's a solid plan. Man, you're already better at this than I am," he sighed, his shoulders drooping for a second. "I can't plan ahead for the life of me," he mumbled, intertwining his hands together behind his back. 

The bluenette cocked his head before giving him a reassuring grin. "You're not going to need my help, but I'll definitely watch it!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, watching the blond race off into combat. He wondered if he was ever going to get a rush of adrenaline like that, but his mind was probably going to combust before he were to hit anything-- both figuratively and literally. 

"Maybe you will, but I still have a dozen kids," he snickered.

Solei shot up, spitting our the remnants of dirt and grass in his mouth before he flashed Titan a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I rushed here when I got the message. I didn't trust myself to message back and still be on time," he mumbled, sighing to himself with amusement. 

"Oh, that quest, huh?" He hummed, scratching his chin. "I-I'll try my best. Though, I doubt that they're even going to scratch you anyway, you're a tank after all." He sighed. Being a healer was tougher than he thought it would be, and honestly, it was because of other people's levels. It wasn't a bad thing that people were low-leveled, no, no, but his heals are based off the amount of health said person has. . . and, well, if they have only have a hundred and he only heals a measly percentage, how was he going to be a good healer?

"I dunno. They should be coming soon, I think."

Solei rubbed his eyes tiredly just as a yawn escaped his mouth. "Alright, kiddos. Time for breakfast-- no, I'm not going to carry you on my back today Emi. No, Eito, get off the chandelier. . !" 

The boy grumbled under his breath as he slapped a hand over his face, slowly dragging it down as he let out a tired sigh. "It's too early for this. I'm too young to for this," he whispered, blinking his eyes rapidly as he walked into the central room of the church. 

The bluenette sniffed, yawning again just as a dull ring rang through the air. Who in their right mind would message him now. He squinted, opening his menu groggily. It honestly took him a few tries to comprehend the words laid out in front of him. 

Forest? Level? Five minutes?

Solei spewed out his metaphorical water. Five minutes? Five minutes? The man nervously starting jogging in place nervously. If he woke everyone up and made sure they all ate and then made sure they were all there and then made sure. . . that would take. . . He counted his fingers. Five hours?! How does that even make sense?! 

"U-uh, hold down the fort for me Andromeda! I'll be back real quick!" He exclaimed abruptly, dashing out the doors of the church with his pajamas still on. Oh, fuuu-- I was always bad at sprinting. Come on, long legs! What are you even good for?! 

Like a hamster on crack, the exhausted, overworked, lamppost of a player rounded the corner like a total badass, only to face plant right at the feet of his friend's shoes-- but hey, at least he rushed to put on his gear while he was making his totally badass Olympic sprint. "I-I am here!" He wheezed, only to inhale a mouthful of dirt and grass.

"It's a final boss fight at the end of each floor that determines whether we go up a floor or not. If I recall, the frontliners should just be finishing the labyrinth boss, and in a few months, they should be ready for floor raid boss," he shrugged, the corner of his lips twitching up into a crooked smile. "Of course, that was all just stuff I heard on the streets. I haven't left floor one in a while, so I'm not sure if any of my information is up to date."

"Woah, really?" Solei asked, a small twinkle in his eyes as he nearly lost his grip on Eito. "That's super awesome. I can do much, but I've got some unique gear that can boost some of my healing. . . so I'll try my best!"

"Oh, no I'm a performer. I figured since I already knew how to play guitar before this, it would be a better fit. . . plus, performers have better support items. . . I think." Solei hummed in thought. Of course, a cook might've been the better option for a tank, but he had recently found out that the there were almost too many cooks now. With Oscar and Cordelia dishing out consumables, it might've been a better idea to go alchemist. "Maybe alchemist? There's honestly too many cooks at the moment, if I were to recall, but you should do whatever you want to do."

"Oh wow, you sound way higher up from where I was," he exclaimed, laughing nervously as he scratched the back of his head again. "Ah. . . yeah," he mumbled, his voice trailing off. How long had it been since the game had started? It had to be years and years. He wondered how his siblings looked now. . . they must be so old now! Gah! His old heart couldn't take it.

"Yeah, they certainly are in demand at the moment. . . especially on the frontlines," he sighed, rubbing his temples with his forefinger and thumb with a heavy sigh. "I really wanted to try to be at the next boss raid-- in fact, I've been planning to level up months before this but other things have been keeping me down. It's honestly fine, though. I'm sure the frontlines can make do without someone like me," he chuckled, sporting a toothy grin. 

"Yeah. A pure healer like me can't go off soloing quests and all of that jazz, so it's already a challenge. I do have a couple of friends on the frontlines, but I wouldn't like to bother them with trying to help a low-level like me when they should be preparing for more important stuff," he mumbled childishly before he shook his head quickly. "It's fine, though! That's why I opened a shop. I wanted to help them out by supplying healing supplies and debuffs."

A blush found its way to the bluenette's cheeks as he waved it off. "Aha-- it's really nothing. I've never really been a fighter, and I dealt with kids outside of SAO, so I figured that it would a job that would suit me, y'know?"

"Hitler didn't look so evil and look what he did--"

"Eito!"

"Fine, fine, dad," the young boy drawled, turning his eyes back to the prankster. "Oh, what kind of pranks? It would be super-duper awesome because I could totally use them on Solei and Hyd--" 

"We're going back to the church if you continue talking, Eito." Solei let out an exhausted sigh. Kids, am I right? He's dealt with them before SAO but God damn, none of them were like Eito. Not even his siblings could match to the chaos this tiny gremlin can cause. The boy merely huffed at the bluenette's threat, but didn't say anything else-- much to Solei's relief. "Sorry again. He's a little demon sometimes," Solei muttered, exhaling a sigh of relief at the somewhat peace and silence.

"Ah, me? Probably floor twenty-one. Don't get the wrong idea, though," he said, his face heating up a tad bit as a nervous laugh escaped him. "It was really just for gathering materials for my shop and all, I don't think I've ever even attacked anything since I've been here. I'm more of a. . . backline healer. I know those kind of people are very, uh-- rare nowadays. Healers usually tend to go split healer and damage dealer or healer and tank, but I've prefered to just be a simple. . . healer, however inefficient that would be," he mused, shaking his head as he laughed.

"We'll save that answer for later," Solei mused, extending his hand out to grab the man's own. 

Eito nearly toppled over Solei as he leaned forward excitedly, which nearly gave the poor guy a heart attack as he scrambled to rebalance himself. "Woah, really? Nice to meet cha', mister! What kind of trouble did you get into?" He asked, a jubilant grin blooming on his face as he reached up to give Titan a high five. "Did you pull pranks or were you really bad?" He asked, his eyes widening as he leaned forward again. "Like, illegal stuff--"

"Alright, kiddo. Lay off the poor guy," Solei sniffed, his face deadpanning as he patted the kids leg. "No need to go interrogating him just yet."

He looked over to Titan with a sheepish expression. "Sorry about that. He isn't usually like this when other kids are around," the bluenette explained, letting out a tired sigh before he cracked a small smile. 

"Ah. . ." he murmured, his voice trailing off as he looked towards the gate. "I get that. There's really nothing to be worried about, though. Even if you do go, you're perfectly fine as long as you're in the safe zone. Plus, there's always a bunch of helpful players out and about if you ever do find yourself in a pickle."

Solei nearly tripped over his own feet again as he took a second to turn to his side. "The only payment I can accept is one's dignity, but I don't think kids have any," he said jokingly as he shifted Eito's weight on his shoulders. 

"Ah, right. Nice to meet you, the name's Solei. Like the French word for sun but without the 'l' and stuff," he beamed, releasing one hand from Eito's ankles to give the man a handshake. "And this here. . ." He huffed, adjusting the boy on his shoulders again. "Is Eito. He's a real troublemaker," he chuckled, wincing again as the boy pulled on his blue hair. "I haven't seen you around here before. Do you live around here?" He asked quizzically, tilting his head. He had practically spend his whole entire three years here, but he doesn't think he has ever seen this guy before. Or maybe he was just forgetful. . ?

He cocked his head to the side as he flashed the man a grin. "Were you about to head to another floor?" He asked, gesturing his head over to the teleport gate. 

"My hair does not grow on a tree, Eito! Ow!" Solei winced, nearly losing balance on his feet before he propped himself upright again. "You're going to make me go bald!" He cried out, hugging the small boy's legs closer to his chest as the boy tugged on his hair again. 

He shouldn't have agreed to this, but how was he supposed to say no to a child's face? It was simple, right? It was supposed to be simple. The bluenette sighed. He supposed this was the only way he was going to get out without bringing the whole orphanage with him

"Awe, why? You can be the chef guy from that movie, and I'll be the rat!" Eito exclaimed, tugging on his hair again. "Now, forward, my valiant cook!" He cheered, yanking Solei's hair forward as he used his other hand to point onwards as he kicked his heel into Solei's chest, making him let out an audible wheeze.

@Titan

Solei pursed his lips. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea for him to bring the kids. "Probably not," he sighed, ruggling the two of their heads again before he let out a small laugh. "I have no combat capability, I don't trust myself to keep them safe just yet."

He knelt down in front of Eito and Emi and clasped his hands in front of him. "I'm going to need you two to head back to the church, alright? I'm sure Hydravion will have something whipped up, just for you two, okay?" He asked, giving the two children a closed eyed smile. "Keep an eye on Eito, Emi," he chuckled, pushing himself up.

"H-hey! Wait a minute, shouldn't I be protecting her--"

"Oh, be quiet, Eito, you heard him!" 

The bluenette offered the kids a parting wave as they disappeared behind a corner, their bickering still bouncing off of the walls. They'll be fine. Caretakers and helpers of the orphanage were everywhere around this town. He looked back at Yuki and grinned sheepishly. "So, should we start heading out now?"

thanks fren

Blackbirds: [Familiar's Sight] to @Cordelia

Used (+1) CD Consumable

Day 12:

gloves of caerus: 3 LD to @Cordelia

Solei barely registered Eito falling to his buttox before an unfamiliar player introduced herself. "Oh, it's quite alright. I suppose I should've been watching our surroundings more," he chuckled. 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Solei," he beamed, before gesturing to the two kids beside him. "This little guy is Eito and this is Emi," he said before ruffling both of their heads.

"What quest are you doing?" He asked curiously, tilting his head. There weren't many quests on Floor One an experienced player should be doing, so he would just assume it was possibly one of the lessons quest. . . man, he wished he could finish those. Apparently they give off a lot more experience than he thought. . . well, it was too late to change his build now.

The bluentte sniffed. "Do you want help with whatever you're doing?" He asked. "I-I know I don't look like much but I can heal. . ! At least a bit, I'm not sure how much HP you have," he murmured. 

Day 11:

Day 10:

"Holy sh-- crap--" Solei sputtered as he felt two children tug at his arms. How Hydravion manages to keep these two in line when she goes out was beyond him. He had never taken the kids out before, but ever since all of the caretakers at the orphanage have been going MIA, he decided he was going to have to replace Hydravion. . . for now, anyway. 

"Er, why don't you two slow down just a bit. . ! We're in no hurry!" He exclaimed, trying to reclaim control back in his limbs. 

"But it's been forever since we've gone out!" Eito exclaimed, stopping abruptly, which nearly sent Solei flying into the ground. 

The man dizzily sighed and blinked. "I guess it has been a while, huh," he mumbled, tiredly exhaling. He's been too preoccupied with trying to do both quests and taking care of kids. . . maybe he should just take a break from levelling up for a bit. . . at least until he was able to get more help back at the church. God, he needed help. He rubbed his forehead. "Do you two even know where you're going?" He asked, a small smile blooming on his face as he looked down at the two literal kids.

"That's a very straight up question," he mused, flashing the boy a small grin before he crossed her arms over one another. "I'm twenty-four at the moment, soon to be twenty-five in a few months," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I suppose some people already have kids at my age. . . but I have too many people in the real world who are like kids to me already, so I don't know if I'll be planning to have kids once I get back to the real world," he mumbled, scratching his chin with a sigh.

"What about you?" He asked, tilting his head at Tanoshi. He didn't look older than Solei himself, but maybe enough to be in his twenties by now? Age was one of the thing he was horrible at guessing, after all.

Solei sniffed before unequipping his jacket. It felt too warm to be wearing that, plus it wasn't like he was going into battle anytime soon, right? 

"So," he paused, trying to start up a conversation. "What kinda of build are you planning to do?"

Solei blinked at Tanoshi before spitting out his water-- metaphorically, of course.

"Gah!" He wheezed, pounding at his chest before giving the player a weak smile. "N-no! That's not what I meant," he said quickly, holding up his hands with a nervous expression. "Sorry if that caught you by surprise," he laughed, sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at his feet. 

"You remember how I told you about the orphanage and such? I sometimes just call the kids I take care of my kids, it's something I used to do with my brothers and sisters back in the real world since I was the oldest," he sighed, feeling another pang of homesickness before he smiled sheepishly at Tanoshi.

"I'm way too young to be having kids anytime soon, plus I've never been a relationship before, so it's not like I have a solid chance of having any, either," he said with a blank face before sighing.

God damn, he was lonely.

"Yeah, he is pretty great," Solei murmured as he turned his head to the sky again. It's actually been a while since he had seen Bahr. No doubt he was probably on the frontlines now. He was a strong player. He knew how to get things done and how to do it fast. It was really quite incredible.

"That would be great," he exclaimed, turning his attention back to the player with an excited grin. "I don't have much at the moment, I'm always busy with my kids and stuff so I barely have enough time to craft anything," the bluenette gave a short sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Right. Things have been busier since Athena had gone missing and Hydravion constantly gone. Andromeda was here but it still wasn't enough. He scratched his chin. Perhaps he should go find an older player to help now? The thought alone scared him, though. The caretakers had all been there since day one, and now he had to find someone after more than two years? The thought didn't really sit too well with him. Of course, the best candidates were probably on the front lines or on their way there, and he wouldn't want to possibly halt the progress of the completion of floors just because he didn't have enough hands at the church. . . yet he wasn't sure if he could really recruit anyone on the lower floors. . . if they hadn't gained enough strength to be on the intermediate floors after two years, could he really trust them with handling children?

"See, you're getting the hang of it," Solei complimented with a grin. "As for where I got them. . . I bought them at an old pal's shop. He's actually located somewhere in the Town of Beginnings I think. Yeah, he used to deliver supplies to the orphanage I helped run, so we went a while back I suppose. I can help you find it once we're done with this quest if you want?" He offered, tilting his head at the player with a childish smile.

"He's a real nice guy. He helped me even open my own shop. . !" He exclaimed, smiling to himself as he remembered the countless holes Bahr and him and stuck their hands down in search for materials for him to craft. "And if you're in any need for some support or debuff crystals, I totally recommend going to my shop!" He chimed, giving the player a thumbs up. "Prices are cheap but I can't assure that I'll have my shelves stocked anytime soon."

ID: 135583 LD: 2+3=5, Fail

"Yeah, my pops always loved blasting The Beatles from the speaker late in the afternoon," Solei said a slight smile, though faltering when he felt a pang of homesickness in his heart.

He sighed as he tilted his chin up to look at the sky. "I guess I should really start explaining, huh?" He murmured, chuckling briefly before he tilted his head slightly to give Tanoshi a small wink. "Well, for starters, yes, there are items that enhance our luck. Luck can factor in a bunch of things, from some battle mechanics to gathering," he explained, abruptly stopping for a second as he opened his HUD menu, revealing his inventory. He gave Tanoshi a quick smile before he selected an item he had gotten a while back, but still used today.

A pair of gray fingerless gloves materialized in his hands as he pulled them on. "Like, these," he exclaimed, holding up his now gloved hands. "I use these to help me gather for my shop," he said, his voice trailing off as a glimmer of light caught his eye from under his feet.

"Ah, here's one!" He said cheerfully, bending down to grasp the blueish crystal in his hand before showing it to Tanoshi. "Course, you can just have good luck in general, but luck items tend to typically improve it."

ID: 135580 LD: 19, +1 Material

Solei smiled along with a sweat drop. He couldn’t really blame him.

”Well, I’m a performer, so I make support and rebuff songs. I perform songs and I’m able to record them into these little crystals,” he explained, juggling his blue crystal between his hands a few times before he held it up to him.

”This particular crystal has a guitar reconstruction of a song from the Beatles, Blackbirds,” he said excitedly, remembering how his father had taught him that song a few years into him learning it. “Course, I hope I never am going to have to use it, but if I do, I hope it sounds good.”

Solei gave him a reassuring smile before he nodded her over towards the town exit. “You have much to learn, young grasshopper,” he chuckled, his hands dipping into his pockets. “I’ll explain it to you on the way. Let’s go get you some materials first,” he said, gesturing for the player to follow him.