[OP-F20] <<21st Floor Boss Meeting>>

[Hikoru 0]

Time: 13:21
Location: Floor 20, Celestial Ascendants Guild Hall

Hikoru opened up the doors to the Guild Hall and prepared for the enslaught of players. He had never hosted something like this at the guild hall before. In fact, he had never hosted anything in this game before. He had his hood down, and had it draped over his shoulders, almost like a cape. The Guild Hall had been cleaned by him just a few hours prior, as he wanted to give a good impression to the other guilds that they weren't slobs. His guild had come a long way in the past few months, and most of them were ready for the frontlines at this point. Two tanks, Three DPS, a scout, and a balanced build. That should hopefully help to keep all of the players alive.

He entered the meeting hall and sat down at the large table. It had their guild logo in the middle of it, and it made sure to remind the players of where they were. He sat at one end of the table, keeping a few chairs specified for the players who had found the map fragments. They had the information, and they would be the ones to share it. He did his best to stay comfty and waited for others to arrive so that they could get this meeting started. (@Sey @Shield @Beat @Seul)

(Note: If you are curious as to how the Guild Hall looks, you can take a look here)

[Sey 0]

Sey would walk into the guild hall, one of the few members to obtain a higher spot for the meeting. To be honest, be was not expecting to actually find the boss room, just a few pieces of that map. But like his usual businesses, he just ended up getting lucky. He would move to one of the chairs specifically designed for him and the few others that went. The meeting was today, and it was time to give the information to the people. So he would sit back, leaned against the the seat and his right leg crossed over his left, hands flat on his stomach. His lips were up in a smile, calm and collected. Kyu would be right beside him, the alert white wolf prepared for anything to happen, her stance firm and ready to pounce. His own seat was right next to Hikoru, on one end of the table while the other two should be on the other. It was an important build factor for the guild hall to show who has the floor. And so the wait begins.

[Morgenstern 1]

Jonathan smiled as he watched Hikoru walk through the doors. He had received a message that they had found the floor boss room, and not having assisted with the process, he was eager to find out. He had already discussed privately with Itzal, that the next floor boss would be found quicker, as they together would be hunting for it. They would clear it quickly, as Itzal would have his things ready, and he would have more AoE damage to help. He wore more of a casual wear, his White cloak draped across his shoulders. His sword rested at his side as he stood next to the meeting table. The tank paladin was a bit excited, he would finally get another challenge, one that he would have to buff up for. He nodded to Hikoru as he passed by him. He was half-tempted to add a few snacks for everyone, but he figured it would be serious, no a ton of people eating a bunch of food. 

"My second floor boss raid. I bet it will be quite a bit harder than before. I am a little nervous, but I really have gotten better since then. I should start making some buffs at my shop. I do have like ten materials so, I should be fine." He looked down at the table, and and admired the sun in the center of it as he waited for others to arrive. 

@Itzal

 

[Itzal 0]

Itzal walked into the guild hall with a smile as he stretched his arms.  The last meeting was at the kob which was far far too flashy for his taste.  They did all they could to make the hall's appearance scream it's importance.  Itzal liked how quaint and modest the Celestial Ascendant's guild hall was.  Not only that but there was a beauty in it as well.  He walked past the living room and into the Meeting room where he saw Hikoru waiting.  "Hey Hikoru!  How've you been lately?"  While waiting for an answer he sat down in one of the seats on the side of the table.  "Hey Sey, Jonathan.  And you think you're nervous?  If that boss's mitigation is any higher than ninety I might as well be dealing one point of damage.  And unfortunately I don't have enough sp to get stronger skills or mods.  Regardless I might be able to use a stun art or use debuffs on the boss, assuming I'm able to".  Itzal didn't like sitting at the ends as he didn't like to draw much attention to himself.  It was true he wanted his opinion to be heard, but at the same time he didn't want to be seen as above everyone else.  To him the Celestial ascendants wasn't just a guild.  They were a family.  Not a military organization.  Everyone was equal and had the right to speak their mind.  No one person was in charge.  If a paladin was out of line the rest of the guild could vote them out and replace them with someone who would keep the guild on it's proper course.  At any rate he was happy with where the guild stood.

Image of the meeting room

Spoiler

 

[Macradon 0]

Walking up through the floors, Macradon would have to go all the way up to the 20th floor to get to the Guild Hall of the Celestial Ascendants, which was fine, but it was just so far up. He didn't really think most of it, but would still don his helmet as he would venture up the way so he wouldn't be stopped by any unnecessary hindrance. The light menacing look of Macradon's eyes through the eye slits of his sallet helmet would pierce straight through the darkness of the shadowed insides of the helmet, making his red eyes strike right through, coming together with all the other red and white armor of the KoB. Not too sure whomever would come from the guild as well, so he would write a short message to both the Commander and the Vice Commander, just so he would be sure he wasn't alone on this one, at least he hoped.

Quote

Dear Commander @Heathcliff & Vice Commander @Mack.

I send this letter upon you to ask if you were to show up at the Floor Boss meeting.
If not I shall try to portray and give what the Knights of Blood have to offer at the table of negotiation.

Kind regards, 
Macradon,
Vanguard Commander.

Looking over at the guild hall of the 20th floor, Macradon would not hesitate much and would straight out just go right into it. Opening up the doors to get inside, Macradon would let go with one of his hands and proceed to doff his helmet off of his head. His bright alabaster hair would swivel out as freed by the restrictions of the helmet. His armor, worn on the outside of his tabbard, all coming together in a red and white color scheme with light grey shadows to tie it all together in a blend instead of a cold white. On his back was the Scarecrow's Sickle, as that was the sword he had been using for quite a while now. Though the Sword of the Ancients was quite powerful, the strength it could muster was not great enough to satisfy Macradon, therefore he went with the Bleeding Sickle.

Lifting his hand covered in braces and gloves, Macradon would greet everyone who were seemingly present. " @Hikoru, @Sey, @Morgenstern, @Itzal, well met today and quite a good job searching through the pesky labyrinth." he said with a wink in his eyes. Macradon was quite aware of the hatred and anger aimed at the Commander, though he wasn't too aware of to why it had happened or how it just appeared, but nevertheless, Macradon would try not to build walls and try to ensure bridges to be made, at least try to. A small screech would be heard a small creature who had been following Macradon would stop up by the side of the Knight. "Whaddup, Bal?" Macradon asked his small companion. The owlbear would look up at him with the pearly eagle eyes and beak as it wanted ... something. Staring down at the owlbear, it took Macradon a few seconds before he would get what Balthazar wanted. "Oh yeah, right" he muttered to the owlbear "I guess you haven't met him yet, but this is Balthazar, my familiar" Macradon would say with a smile as he used both his hands to lift the owlbear, feathered and furry, with sharp beaks, big claws and a hefty bear cub body.

[Seul 1]

“Guess it's time to go.”

Finally the remaining fragments had been found and along with it the whereabouts of the boss room. This marked the start of the next raid, or rather preparing for it. After so much down time it was probably a surprise to hear that a meeting was being held out of the blue to discuss their tactics for the battle. While it was true he had played played a part in getting to this point he wasn't about to let it all go to his head. Still, since the CA’s invited him to help conduct the meeting it would have been rude to decline. Now he just needed to find the guild hall…

---

Following the coordinates proved to be the easiest method and with heavy steps Seul made his way toward the entrance of the building. He had forgotten about his orange status and wondered if that would hinder any of the planning considering the incident was kept a secret to most of the frontliners. He'd just have to deal with any backlash if it came.

"Hello?” He called after stepping inside and by following the sound of people already chatting he managed to reach the meeting hall without much of a hassle.

“Good afternoon everyone. I have to say; this place is pretty nice.” It was larger than the KoB guild hall at least and as far as he knew it must have been pretty expensive given how high this floor was. The guild was far more capable than he initially assumed them to be. Those thoughts aside though, he noticed a seat with his name on it and decided it'd be best to sit too as they all waited for things to get started.

[Itzal 0]

Itzal watched as Macradon walked into the guild hall and approached the table.  At the sight of the player Itzal smiled.  Macradon was really the only member of the knights of the blood oath Itzal actually liked.  He had no qualms about Hirru of course, but he hadn't got to know him well enough either.  Macradon and he had made a few encounters though.  When he thought of the player mack however his thoughts would always darken.  Mack seemed to be even worse, far worse than Heathcliff.  While the commander was proud and acted like he was higher than others, Mack seemed to have no trouble insulting everyone and anyone.  The biggest evidence of this was during the Rovian wars quest.  Players found they were unprepared and Mack had sent insults towards players who wanted to stay alive.  The kob was losing it's respect and reputation fast.  However Itzal chose not to dwell on this.  "Hey Macradon!  And hi Balthazar!"  Velnia, his purple dragon, woke up and crawled out of Itzal's trench coat.  He looked at the familiar with a grin.  "About time you woke up."  Velnia spotted Balthazar and blinked for a moment before flying over to the familiar at lightning speed, stopping a foot away from it and grinned.  She loved making new friends.  The next player to walk in was one Itzal hadn't met yet.  Itzal nodded his greeting.  "Thanks!  Hey take a seat wherever you like man.  Everyone's welcome here." 

@Macradon @Seul

[Zandra 0]

Lately, I felt like I have been slacking off when it comes to beeing active about the advancement thru clearing the floors. Even since I was one of the more experienced frontliners, I have been taking a lot of time all on my own. Either adventuring thru the floors or just chilling at home. But that is one the ways it is to be a solo player. Im not as involved in things about other players. But this was going to change. I warped up to the highest floor and headed out the gate towards the hosting guild’s hall. A few dozens of meters from it I stopped. Ive actually been here several times before. But every time Ive turned around and decided to do it another day. But today was something I couldn’t do another day. So I continued forward and entered the special looking house.

It didn’t took long to find the meeting room, I just followed the sound of voices. I entered the room and took a few seconds to take it in since its my first time being here. To not insult the hosts, I did unequip my armor just before I entered the meeting room. Instead I was clad in my casual town clothing that have been with me for over a year now. Maybe time to change to something else. ‘’Hello there Hik. I heard its time to take down next floor boss. It wasn’t yesterday we did the last one.’’ I took a look around. ‘’Is it okay if I sit down? Or is the seats reserved for special players? As you know Im still solo.’’ I saw most of the players present was guild members to different guilds. And the other solo player is one of the map fragment founders. Did solo players had a seat at their table?

[Beat 0]

"First floor boss...should be awesome and horrifying at the same time. I just hope we don't lose anybody..." Beat said more to himself that anyone in particular, his mood resembling his normally upbeat demeanor, but with a noticeable subdued overtone. 

Beat opened the front door of the guild hall and followed the sound of people until he reached the meeting room. Walking through the doorway, his eyes panned to everyone there, giving people a polite nod, but remaining silent as the energy of the room practically demanded reverence for what they were about to discuss.

I just hope it goes better than our sea battle. We're three floors higher and this is much more than a simple event boss. Some of these people may die....all I can do is make sure the boss drops quickly. I think some specific cooking is in order. A feast or two to prepare perhaps...

[Shield 0]

Shield stepped into the meeting hall behind Beat, the cape from the last boss event, though now only a vanity item, draped across his shoulders as a sign of solidarity towards the guild whose emblem was stamped across the back. While he and Beat and been pushing for the front lines for a long time, and despite having pushed the front all the way to the boss room, this was the first moment when it had really sunk in that they had made it.

With three of the five reserved seats already taken, Hikoru in the center, and Sey and Seul off to his left, Shield took the next available seat on his right. Beat had always accused him of looking surly, but the look on his face was a matter of the sobering importance of the tasks that were always in front of him. Today, that was more true than it had been in the past. He nodded his greeting to the gathered paladins and then to Seul who he had occasionally adventured with. The other two he recognized from previous bosses as well as from their shops.

"Big day, right Norbert?" he said, glancing over his shoulder at the large snapping turtle that hung upon and took up his entire back.

[Domarus 0]

He still wasn't ready to participate a floor boss just yet.  He knew this extremely well.  Only level twenty nine with poor damage against the event bosses as of now.  However going to the meeting would be vital for him.  He needed to not only keep an eye on the higher players and keep track of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as get a feel for how they think, he also needed to establish the foundations for himself so that when he joined their ranks they would have some respect for him rather than ignoring him.  Whether he spoke or not would depend on how smart or stupid the players were.  Domarus might have a low level but he did have the ability to conjure up the aura of authority when needed.  However even if things got out of hand he'd do nothing to see how the higher levels handled it.  If it was poorly he'd let the carnage last.  It wasn't time yet to establish his natural authority to these players.  Not yet.  Domarus had ordered Keres to handle the shop and the two familiars while he went to the meeting.  So here he was, on the twentieth floor in his dragon bone armor.  He followed the coordinates to the letter until he saw the guild hall.  He grunted when he saw the building and walked inside, trading his bored and unimpressed feelings and expressions for a masterfully crafted mask of interest and an eagerness to hear the plans.  He entered the room and saw the players who were already here, looking at the guild marks as well.  Five from the CA.  Two solo's.  Domarus approached the table and took a random seat.  
     "I hope I'm not late to the meeting.  I'm curious as to how this will turn out."  Seeing as how it wasn't yet time to establish his authority he'd let the other players decide whether or not he should fight.  Domarus had decent damage though it wasn't nearly high enough.  He needed to increase his power substantially.

[Beatbox 0]

Well... its not too late, and it had been about time for the next boss to come before us, we had spent a little too much time if you asked Beatbox upon the situation to come before a meeting or two, However... he had already taken a seat and listened upon the concerns and questions by many, first he looked upon @Zandra and spoke out to her "The seat's aren't really reserved upon to anyone, as long as you don't try to take control of the project you shall be fine." then he had looked upon @Beat and spoke out to him "Good evening, I know I haven't met you before today. And hopefully I'll get to know better, however... I cannot guarantee that someone will live through this boss, but on a brighter note... no one has died in a floor boss in a while... I cannot remember the last time a player had died." then his eyes shifted to @Seul, and boy oh boy was he not expecting this, Beatbox had chuckled as he stood up from his seat and walked towards the player "I could have sworn this situation was the other way around my friend, what have you done to bestow that curse upon you?" he said without question without a second thought.

[Calrex 0]

"Guess it was about time for this to happen."

Hearing about the meeting for the next floor boss raid Calrex made his way over to the meeting hall, which this time was the guild hall for the Celestial Ascendants. He wasn't sure if the rest of the Spectrum Coalition had gotten notification of the meeting's time and place, but even if no one else showed up he would be there as a representative for the guild.

Of course they had yet to go and get themselves a guild hall, but from what he had remembered, that was something they were holding off on in the meantime, as they were looking for a more desirable floor to set up shop. Nonetheless, the ideas that each guild presented with their architecture was certainly something to behold, at least from a system perspective. They were using any form of builder or architecture program to set it up, so a lot was taken care of by SAO's software. A lot went into this game, something that the bluenette was constantly being reminded of. It made for a really good simulation of reality, although other parts he would mark for being closer to "1/10 IGN", namely being trapped with no means of escape except clearing the game, something he couldn't recall any MMO ever having.

As he entered there were already a bunch of familiar faces moving left and right inside the meeting room, as was to be expected. It seemed like the actual discussions had not yet started, luckily enough. Sliding his hands into his jacket pockets the Ultramarine Knight gave a small sigh as he made his way over to one side of the table, nodding to those present in greeting.

"Let's see what you've decided to throw at us next Kayaba..."

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

"...no one has died in a floor boss in a while... I cannot remember the last time a player had died." Those words were the first that the blonde would her upon entering the main guild hall of the CA. It had a modest design that the blonde found somehow appealing, herself being fond of more... spartan-like chambers.

"That just shows you're still wet behind the ears, superstar! (@Beatbox) Let me refresh some people's memories and remind others of the dangers on the front lines. *Ahem* Floor 15, two prominent members of a now extinct guild were PKed before the actual boss fight started." she said with no trace of sadness or regret, in a cold tone. To those that were intently watching her, she revealed a small wicked smile as her lips curved into a lopsided grin. She then continued as she leaned against the nearest pilar close to the table, her arms crossed below her 'assets'. Right above the crimson cape that she wrapped it around her waist.

"Most important, during the Floor 14 boss raid. One of the most respected front liners and former leader of the Square One guild, for whoever that name doesn't rings a bell, it was a guild that along the ones... if not the first successful one to gather and train noobs to be later sent to the front lines. The guy fell victim to one of the most dangerous floor bosses I've seen." this time sadness could clearly be seen on her expression as Azide was someone she considered a dear friend and one of the most valuable assets for the front lines.

"Granted that me and the Cal-kun over there..." she removed one of her hands from below her ample bosom and nonchalantly pointed her slender index finger towards the guy in question(@Calrex) " ...have joined the front lines when they were barely at floor 11." Memories of a certain event that denied her entry at the 10th floor raid made Ariel cast her gaze to the side and show a bitter smile followed by a 'tsk', for just a brief moment. 

She then let out a small sigh escape through her nostrils and regained some of the earlier mood: "I think in a more recent one some low level died in the first round to the boss' AoE. And by low level I think the player was below 10 or something. So there's that..." she said indifferently. Her eyebrows slightly raise as she just figured out something and said in a happier tone. "After this one we will reach the 10th floor anniversary! Congrats on surviving so far Cal. Told ya you could make it far... hehe." she said in a friendly tone with a small giggle and a genuine smile, her behavior glimpsing to more... optimistic long past times.

Having got that out of her system she spotted @Zandra and the blonde's mood improved visibly as she drew closer to her. "Hey Z-chan!" she said with a partially seductive smile and proceeded to materialize a small badge marked with a pair of wings. one of the few 'rewards' after the failed rovian wars event. She shows a sly smile as she brings it to Zandra's attention without actually giving it to her. She'll do that later, most likely, but for now she'll tease her. "Look what I found!"

[Domarus 0]

Domarus listened as the blonde haired boy talked to the black haired woman.  What were their names again?  He had to think for a moment before they rose back up.  Beatbox and...  Zandra he believed.  Beatbox's words to her explained that she could sit anywhere she wanted so long as she didn't try to take over.  He mentally grinned at the words.  Anyone could easily take over.  The difference was the way one did so.  Some players used attitude and stubbornness.  Some used force.  Domarus was a man of words.  And words combined with skills of deception were the best way to steal the authority and control.  If you did it right, only the most keen of people would recognize what you were doing.  Which is why Domarus wouldn't be stealing command any time soon.  He'd wait until it was clear that the leaders were unfit for duty.  Next another player walked in.  Blue haired man wearing a jacket.  He was silent as he sat down and said nothing.  So he'd be playing the strong and silent type eh?  No doubt if things started going south he'd speak up to silence everyone and put them back on track.  From the info another player had shared with him during his time at the lake, that man was Calrex.  Strongest player alive...  Or at least he would be.  Domarus had no doubt that someone would surpass him eventually.  Then another player entered and her first words were designed to draw all attention to her.  Domarus listened and when she spoke again, along with her actions was confusing Domarus as to what her goal was.  She went through dark thoughts, memories that seemed to pain her though other than that someone had died Domarus had no clue what was going through her mind.  She addressed Calrex and congratulated him on surviving this long.  Finally she walked over to the player Zandra and talked to her the way a teenager would talk with her friend.  Chaos.  Disorder.  Twisted, confused, and ultimately pathetic.  She acted like she could do whatever she wanted, which told him she must be strong.  And it seemed she knew Calrex way back which meant that she'd been active for a long time.  Someone with so much strength, yet so very very little control whatsoever.  Domarus labeled her in his mind as dangerous, unpredictable, disappointing

 

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru watched with his fingers interlocked in front of his face for people to appear. Faces appeared, both from his guild and others. He gave a small nod to Macradon and Calrex, not feeling like saying anything until the boss. It was nice to see them here to represent their guilds, and he was thankful that they came to learn what they could. He turned to Seul and gave him a nod and a smile, motioning him to a seat, then focusing back on the people coming in. A small, read-headed player came in, and judging by his health bar he wouldn't be joining them at the boss. He listened in as Beatbox joined and said a few words, until he was somewhat interrupted by Ariel. His eyes instantly went hard, not caring for her words. He stood and turned to her, coming over and whispering in her ear

"Shut your mouth, right now. I don't want to hear a word for you or you will be asked to leave. Any kind of tone with me and i'll take you out of here by force, and im sure Kimba won't try to stop me. Your first, and final warning." He said, then turned back to notice the red-headed player who was staring at his ex-fiancee, and squinted his eyes a bit. "And you, either you say whats on your mind or you stop staring, that can be taken as quite rude." He turned and sat back down. Seeing that this was a good enough group, he cleared his throat and did his best to gain attention.

"Alright, listen well. We have some info on the boss that could be very useful for this fight." He said, and he opened up his HUD to reveal a small piece of paper with notes. "These gentlemen next to me were able to get a peek into the boss room, and we were able to make some speculations." He said, then went to the first bullet. "First thing is that the room is covered in webbing. The walls, the floor, everything. The room by the way is quite an open area, but it's completely airtight, the only way out is the entrance to the room, and the roof is a canopy that, as far as we could tell, had any light coming through. We believe that this webbing could be a ploy to slow players down. In this case I advise everyone to bring any items that could raise your evasion stat, as it may help in the future. Except tanks of course, as it is their job to be hit." He said with a small chuckle, hoping that the joke would come across.

"Next is the boss itself. It's a large moth, named Mothra, the Magnificent. We know that it has three health bars, the highest we've seen so far, as to be expected. This thing is very fast as far as we could tell, and the wind given off its beating wings are very large, and quite dangerous. We are wondering if there will be any debris thrown from it that could slowly damage us, so be cautious of anything falling or hitting you from the side." He said, and scrolled down to the last bullet

"And finally, this is just a speculation that we've had. But there is the possibility that burn damage could cause some serious damage. The Webbing could be lit on fire, and it could either cause damage to us or to the boss, we are not sure if this is even possible, or this is just an idea that could be used." He said, finishing and closing his HUD. "Any questions or ideas bubbling from the information that you have been given so far?" He asked openly, seeing if players had any ideas for how to fight this boss.

[Soredell 0]

Soredell had heard reports that the boss for the next floor had already been found in the area. It was good, at least they were all making progress through this death game, and get a step closer to freedom.

Soredell knew for a fact that despite his wishes to make it to the front lines, he was nowhere close to being ready. Not yet at least. He still had low tier gear compared to many others, his ability in combat still needed major improvements, and he needed to level up significantly before he could even consider actively fighting on the front lines.

Regardless, even if he wasn't going to be actively participating and fighting in this boss fight, the least he could do was attend a meeting he heard about, and learn a thing or two about how the floor boss combat worked. If nothing else, it would prove to be helpful information down the line when the day finally came that he was fighting along the others.

Soredell had arrived at the meeting a little late, around the same time as another player (@Ariel - The Crowned Lion) Soredell made his way to as close to the front of the meeting, wherever that was.

Soredell listened intently to what the girl had to say, which was nothing but doom and gloom, as she spoke of previous floor boss encounters, how deadly they were and how player death was no stranger to these boss fights. These bosses were much harder than Freylise, Nato, and all the other event bosses he had faced before, and each of them were already a challenge on their own. Thank god he wasn't fighting today otherwise he'd just be adding himself to the casualty rate.

Soredell widened his eyes at @Hikoru's apparent response to the girl, but said nothing. As for how to fight the boss, Soredell started to speak. "Like you said, fire could burn that bug and it's webbing. Any weapons or armor that can deal burn damage should be more effective against this boss. That's all I got so far." He says, arms crossed, deep in thought as to how he could contribute further.

[Eira 0]

Young ears, and an avatar far too weak to participate in any sort of combat, had not received wind of the meeting that was to take place at the Celestial Ascendants guildhall. To her, the day was like any average day in the video game. She had been fortunate enough to find this place as a safe-zone, an area where no monsters could show up, and no overly-mean people had power to hurt others.

The last thing the youthful blonde expected was to walk into the main room with the largest table to see so many people. Usually it was rather quiet around there, and the table was the perfect place to sit down and color when she had nothing better to do, or was too tired to go outside. Fortunately, it seemed that most of the strangers were using their inside voices, and not speaking in loud tones that would easily overwhelm the child. Also, there were seats still open around the table. Still clutching her cheap sketchbook and box of crayons, Eira decided that she still wished to draw and color, while also being included with the grown-ups and big kids.

Not only that, but she was slightly protective of her now-favorite table for coloring, as well. As she approached, the first thing to catch her attention was the man introducing his ‘familiar’, Balthazar. What kind of creature was that? It was very big and bulky, like some kind of muscular dog, badger, or bear. Yet it had a beak and bird-like face that resembled an owl. She instantly loved the fuzzy animal, and began to plan out her course of action for meeting it.

With a neutral expression, Eira casually sauntered towards the table as a black-haired lady inquired about the seating. Seeing as this table was now her favorite, she saw no reason to check first about the seating arrangements, or ask for permission. Walking over towards Itzal, an extremely familiar face, she placed her sketchbook on the table, marking her spot, and the box of crayons on the actual seat. She would attempt to shoot the dark-haired young man a glance to see if he could ‘save her seat’ for her, and prevent anyone else from taking that. Nonverbal communication… would it actually work? She did not see Velnia around, so she could not ask the small, purple dragon to guard the seat for her.

However, she wasted no time in following through with what she wanted to do. Leaving the art supplies under the assumed watchful gaze of Itzal, Eira would make her way over to a rather menacing-looking man- the one who gave the announcement of his new companion, which he called a ‘familiar’. Had he not been in the guildhall, and not surrounded by people who seemed fairly trustworthy in her eyes, she likely would have been scared. Surely though, with the guild around, they would protect her if he really was a scary or mean sort. Blue eyes focused on the owlbear, Eira would reach up her hand to try to stroke the creature. Hopefully it was friendly, or else it would not be allowed indoors, right? Logic in a nutshell, for the young girl. “Hi Balthazar,” she said, mouthing the long name under her breath a second time, after saying it once. It was a strange word, and had an interesting feel when said.

Regardless of any reaction from the owlbear and the scary, armored man, Eira finally noticed something equally fluffy sitting on the ground. It was perched near the snowy-haired man she had met once before, who had inquired about food on the first floor many weeks ago. Unfortunately, she had sped on ahead, and lost herself in the crowd, never to see him again until recently. Last time she had spoken with him, however, he did  not have the fluffy wolf at his side. Moving at a casually fast pace, the blonde-haired child moved towards the white-furred canine, smiling happily as she attempted to pet the wolf between the ears. Without permission, once more, but again she assumed that if it were mean or aggressive towards people, it would have been put outside like any other not-so-nice animal.

As Eira enjoyed her petting of the white wolf, her attention snapped back up towards the strange lady to enter the room. She had platinum blonde hair, from the looks of it, and a rather flamboyant personality and manner of speech. Of course, she had to use a lot of big words and meanings that Eira was not familiar with, but her demeanor was enough to hold the child’s attention for at least a little while. Seeing as more people were gathering, she decided to take her seat again, and made her way around the table to find her art supplies and thankfully untaken seat. Unfortunately, she had been forced to miss the turtle hanging on the back of Shield, who would have been fun to interact with.
Lifting the box of crayons from her chair, Eira placed them on the table and opened them as she seated herself. She took out her favorite colors to use- blue, red, green, black, and orange crayons, but left the yellow, white, and other colors in the box for the time being.

Blue eyes gazed down to focus on her sketchbook, as she tried to think of what to draw. She could attempt to draw the wolf, as she had drawn canines before, but the thought of using the white crayon did not please Eira. After all, it was so difficult to see on paper, no matter what lighting one used. She could use a black crayon to outline the wolf, but what was the point in that if she was unable to color it? The owlbear would be fun to draw, but Eira did not feel confident yet in drawing something so bulky, that was also birdlike. What if her drawing was not exactly accurate, and it made the scary, armored man mad? The thought was terrifying.

Before Eira could continue to muse on what to draw, Hikoru began to speak. Her head snapped up to stare at him as he spoke about some confusing subject that she hardly understood. “What is a tank and why do 'they' have to be hit?” she whispered to Itzal, genuinely confused and curious. Why was it a job to be hit? That did not seem like much fun. 

Regardless of if she received an answer, Eira continued to listen to Hikoru’s monologue. He spoke of the ‘boss’, which was a moth named Mothra the Magnificent. It sounded like something out of a fairy tale, really. Her father back at home was a boss, so was this moth sort of like her father? Hikoru spoke of it being dangerous, though Eira was already zoning out at that time as she attempted to brainstorm the moth. 

A boss moth… a moth was a little like a butterfly, right? That was it! She would draw Mothra, the Magnificent Boss. Picking up her black crayon, Eira first doodled a small circle, no more than an inch in diameter, to serve as the head. Underneath that, she drew a thin oval to be the body, that was roughly three inches long. After she filled in the body with the black crayon, she picked up the red crayon and drew two misshapen circles to be the wings on one side, and mirrored them to the best of her ability for the other side. 

Picking up the blue crayon, she lightly shaded a glaze of blue over the wings, and added red stripes on the right side, and red polkadots on the left. This was supposed to be a Magnificent Moth, so it had to be unique; the same pattern on both sides would not do. Because it was a Boss, she decided to give it orange antennae, to be blonde like her dad. Yellow was too light of a shade, thus was the reason she settled for orange. Finally, she used the purple crayon to give it a smile and dot-eyes. Once she was almost done, she finally pulled out the yellow crayon to draw a circle with spikes coming out all sides to be the sun off to the upper right corner. Finally, a signature- her real name, ‘Lily Geisel’, was printed in her ‘best’ nine year old handwriting below the moth, along with ‘Mr. Mothra’ above the antenna. 

Another person had arrived at the meeting, a bit late, and gave his input when Hikoru asked for questions or ideas from the information he had given. Now was the perfect time for her to show off what she had drawn. It was the Boss of the moths, so knowing what it probably looked like could help them!

“Everyone look!” Eira blurted out with a wide smile, sitting up on her knees in her chair, so she was tall enough for everybody to see clearly. Picking up her sketchbook, she turned it towards the others, so they could bestow their attention on her latest masterpiece. “It’s Mr. Mothra the Magnificent Boss!” 
 

@Itzal @Sey @Macradon  

Edited April 7, 2017 by Eira

[Shield 0]

Although Shield had known that there were children stuck in the world of Sword Art Online, he had spent most of his time since joining the Celestial Ascendants out adventuring, leveling as quickly as he could. He had never spent any time in the same room as Eira before. In all reality, whether knowingly or not, he had avoided her. He wished that he still had that luxury now.

She looked nothing like his own daughters, and yet the little reminders of childlike ways transported him to memories of a home he no longer knew and people too important for him to ever stop fighting to see. The way she toddled around from animal to animal, the way that the seat she occupied was far too big for her, even down to the way she asked questions, boldly and with a certain lack of volume control in an otherwise serious setting, was all too familiar.

As she spoke out proudly to the assembly of her artistic accomplishments, Shield was grateful that she had drawn the attention, because he had to clap his hand over his mouth to keep from letting an involuntary and powerful pang of grief in his chest become an audible keen. He choked back the lump in his throat as much as he could, but his impassivity was broken. His countenance was now an open book. The best he could do was shrink back a little ways from the table and sink down into his chair to allow those who were leaning forward and actively listening to serve as a visual barrier between himself and those gathered.

Now more than ever, his feelings were betraying him. There were vastly important matters to discuss, but they were lost to Shield at the moment, who was spending every ounce of effort he possessed to collect himself.

[Hikoru 0]

Hikrou waited for responces quietly, when a player joined and said something about the burn damage, and gave a nod. He had to agree it seemed very logical. It would be like the Malethis fight, where the torches could get rid of the pools of acid around them. He nodded and made sure to mentally note it if he was able to, but at the moment he wasn't worried about that. His attention was brought to a young girl who had snuck in while he wasn't looking, as she held up a picture of what seemed to be Mothra. He gave a small smile and came over, ruffling her hair and holding up the drawing to the light.

"Yes! This looks just about the same as Mothra does my dear. Wonderful job." He said, adding a white lie in the midst to make her feel like she had done a good job. He held it up for the others to see, giving them all a look to go along with what he was doing. "Everyone, this is actually a very nice representation of Mothra, It's a big bug, multicolored on its wings and body." He said, and gave a warm smile to a girl. He felt something ruffle in his jacket and soon Sutetchi, his familiar appeared, crawling down his arm and meeting Eira, sniffing her out of curiosity. The small ferret took a moment, then nudged his face against her cheek. He heard something and saw that Shield had lowered himself out of sight. He had no idea what was going on, but he would definitely have to talk to the older player about this, and he made a mental note. He did his best to keep the attention on him so he could get some privacy to do whatever he was doing.