[PP - F16] Flounder

[Lessa 1]

“It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his
intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming.”
-John Steinbeck

"[censored] [censored] [censored] [censored] [censored] [censored]."

The words flowed like water through rapids, crashing and tumbling against rocks as her body did the same. The woman was sent sprawling, the enormous gorilla's arm smacking her about about like a child's plaything. For such a massive creature, the damn thing could scoot. If she weren't too busy fearing for her life, Lessa might have been offended that an ape was out-hustling her.

Her butt crashed down first, then the rest of her, her head bouncing against the hard earth. Groaning, the swordswoman saw stars. It was sheer luck that she was able to roll away from the fist as it battered the space where her chest had been. Once more, she found her feet. Once more, the beast knocked her off them.

Lessa sucked in a breath, propping herself up on her hands and knees in some bastardized yoga pose. Akin to a dog with something in its ear, the blonde shook her head furiously. What was that beeping sound? God, it was awful. 

Blinking back the creeping crimson that clung to the corners of her vision, Lessa finally glanced at her health bar. Everything fell away as she saw the single sliver that remained.

"[censored]."

Spoiler

Level: 44 | HP: 910 | Energy: 88 | Base DMG: 16 | Base MIT: 89 | Acc: 4 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1
2HSS [5] | Heavy Armor [5] | Protector Familiar [3] | Survival | Howl | Precision | Ferocity | Athletics
Scarecrow Sickle [+3 DMG/+1 BLD] | Rose Gauntlets [+2 Thorns/+1 HM] | Rosebud Charm [+3 ACC]

Housing
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down).
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests.
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

 

[Pinball 1]

A new questline with a silly name: Scents of the Wild.

The rewards of which quests, however, if the rumors were to be believed, were anything but. Gifting players with a hefty amount of experience and a unique reward for your typical fetch-and-kill type mission, the Skill Points themselves would prove an enticing enough prize for someone like him. But there was another quest reward. For each Scents of the Wild monster you killed, you'd also be rewarded a special stone. If you were to gather all six of these stones - er, well, something special would happen. Allegedly. Pinball hadn't heard of anyone actually gathering all six yet. 

But it was that mystery and the promise of digital strength that brough him to the 16th Floor. A prime vacation spot for players, apparently. There were a lot of beach parties held here. Pinball could see the appeal. It had a volcanic, tropical sort of theme to it, and the many islands dotting the watery haven didn't have bridges connecting them to one another like on the verdant 24th Floor. There was that sort of melancholy, castaway feeling in the air; when you were alone on an island, the only sounds to be heard the singing of birds and the crashing of waves, you could almost convince yourself that you were the last person alive.  

There was a monster to be hunted, though, so Pinball didn't give himself the luxury of relaxation. He headed straight to the Forest of Haunting Echoes. He figured that if he had to hunt a boss, that the infamous forest was probably the best place to start. But something drew him further inland, compelling him to leave his little rowboat behind and travel further into the depths of the woods. They say that it was one of the more dangerous parts of Aincrad, but Pinball's level would protect him. There wasn't anything on this floor that would prove dangerous to the teenage swordsman. 

He walked, switching his brain to auto pilot. And he walked. And he walked some more, until he lost track of time and came to rest against the trunk of a tree, gazing wistfully up at the cracks of the sunlit canopy. After a few moments, his eyes slowly closed, and he drifted off into what would probably have been a peaceful sleep. But the roars in the distance wouldn't stop. The gorillas were loud, and the Forest of Haunting Echoes was not, apparantly, the best place to take a nap.

It was also, he found, aptly named. 

What felt like every other second there was a noise - the scream of a bird, the roar of a gorilla, the crack of some tree branch he couldn't see. But the most prominent out of all of them were the gorillas. And it was the call of those gorillas that caused him to stand up, calmly draw his sword, and head towards the one that sounded closest to him. 

As he neared, he heard other things. The soft brushing of plants against his trousers as he walked through the brush, the swing of something heavy, and the not-so-quiet cursing of a person. Pinball frowned. That wasn't right. He quickened his pace and then moved without thinking. 

Four slashes at his torso, quicker than the eye could follow. Then, seemingly hanging in the air, the boy swung the flat of his weapon like a baseball bat across the already weakened monster's face, sending him flying into the ground. From there, landing like a feather, Pinball swiftly strode forward, bringing his sword back in a practiced arc, and dispatched the creature. It shattered to the sound of breaking glass. 

"You almost had it," Pinball remarked, his voice soft and low. 

The young man turned to face her, taking in her features. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a green cursor, a nearly depleted health bar. Pinball considered handing her a potion but thought better of it. He figured a green player on the brink of death would be understandably wary of an orange player suddenly appearing from nothing. He resolved to instead sheathe his sword, stowing the fiery colored blade on his hip. 

Edited February 2, 2020 by Pinball

[Lessa 1]

Through the scarlet haze and the incessant beeping of impending death, Lessa made out the shape of another player. Though she tried, it was impossible to focus on his features. His? She assumed it was male as her eyelids grew impossibly heavy. She fought steady her breathing, toppling off of her hands and knees as sheer weariness took hold. Like a lead weight, it pressed on her heavily armored body, and made even turning her head incredibly difficult. When she finally found him again, her eyes lazily tracking the vibrant red of his sword, she drew a ragged breath. That long, lean body, cutting an imposing figure against the backdrop of an approaching foe. It had all played out before, a scene just like this. She even knew how it ended.

"Bahr?"

The words were lost to the cacophony of nature sounds, which was a small miracle, as she realized her mistake the moment he turned around. He had hair of tar black instead of pure white, and blue eyes rather than the mismatched pair she'd so frequently fallen into. This wasn't her Bahr. Then who was it?

It was only then that the player's orange cursor burned into her vision, as vibrant and damning as a crimson letter. Player killer. Though fear flared faintly in the pit of her stomach, she simply did not have the energy to experience true terror. Instead, she momentarily closed her eyes, painfully aware of his own gaze on her. Well, she had been about to die anyway; 'player killed' would probably be less embarrassing than 'mauled by a gorilla' when her friends finally found her on the Monument. But when she was met with his words instead of his blade, Lessa opened her eyes.

"You almost had it." 

She snorted. "Did not." Slowly, carefully, she pulled herself into a sitting position. Her head throbbed with the motion, and the continual blaring of the alarm reminded her that she wasn't out of the figurative woods quite yet. Both hands lifted to scrub at her flushed, sweaty face. "Hey," she said suddenly, head turning quickly as she surveyed their surroundings. "The gorilla knocked my wolf out. My familiar. His name is Riker." Lessa winced at the movement, but she continued to look as she asked, "Do you see him?"

[Pinball 1]

“Bahr?”

The name echoed in his mind and burned what felt like a hole in his stomach. He knew Bahr. Bahr was on his list, and was probably the most dangerous person on it. He’d fought him before. Bahr knew him. And he was sure that Bahr hated him with a fury unimaginable. 

So if this chick was somehow related to the snow-haired swordsman, it would probably do him good to steer clear of her completely. But he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Not yet, at least. For now, Pinball would simply go on as if he hadn’t heard her. 

He tried to steady his own, racing heartbeat and studied the woman’s face, doing his best to maintain a neutral expression. “I think so,” Pinball said, though he didn’t push it any further than that. 

It was when she mentioned her familiar that Pinball came to life. He hadn’t planned on sticking around any longer than it took for her to regenerate her health, but he was eager to latch onto the momentary distraction regardless. 

“Wolf?” Pinball started, casting his gaze around the clearing. “No, uh - oh.” 

Pinball’s eyes locked onto a particularly thorny looking thicket a few feet away from them. A fuzzy lump of fur, lying on its side, pressed the bushes firmly into the dirt. It looked about as damaged as Lessa herself - almost as if they shared a health bar. Pinball wondered, for a moment, how the two had gotten themselves into that situation - tossed around by one of the screaming gorillas like a man swatted at flies. 

“Over there,” he said, pointing in the direction of the seemingly unconscious lupine follower. How had it been flung that far away? It probably didn’t matter. At least they were safe.

Yes, at least they’re safe, Pinball thought mockingly, and all thanks to you. Since when have you gotten it into your head to play hero? 

He couldn't help but grimace. 

[Lessa 1]

While her dark-haired savior glanced about, Lessa slowly found her feet. The beeping had subsided, thank god, and her vision was clearing, but her heart still pistoned like an overexerted engine. As such, her breaths remained shallow, and her body trembled beneath her heavy armor as she quickly joined in the search. Only seconds passed, however, before he spoke.

“Over there."

She followed his finger, and her frazzled brain hardly registered the lifeless form before her body burst into action. "Hey, hey, there you are." The breathless murmurs spilled from her lips even before she reached him. Once she did, Lessa collapsed back to her knees with a muffled thud. Desperate hands reached for her companion, and shaking fingers plunged themselves into his heavy coat. Red gashes gleamed all over, a sharp contrast to the rich mocha of his thick fur. Deep down, Lessa knew that Riker was alive. If he weren't, he would burst into fragments like everything else, right? But relief swamped her with the force of a tidal wave when she felt his side rise, then fall, with a long breath. She exhaled pent-up air of her own, suddenly realizing she had been holding her breath.

"He's fine," she informed the other player, gaze never leaving her friend's still body. "I think his health is just too low, or he's stunned." Her face remained a soft neutral, but anxiety lingered in her blue eyes as she again swept Riker for any tell-tale signs. When she found none, she gave an awkward, humorless laugh. "I guess this has never happened before, so I don't know what to do. I'll just wait until he comes around."

Finally, she looked up at the man standing above her. "Thank you, for finding him," she began, offering something of a smile. "And, for saving us too, I mean. If you hadn't shown up when you did-" The smile dropped away as quickly as it had come, and she clenched her jaw, unable to finish the sentence. Eventually, she concluded with, "Yeah, would have been bad. So thanks. My name is Lessa, by the way."

[Pinball 1]

The familiar seemed unresponsive. Which was, like Lessa said, something Pinball had never seen before. Maybe some sort of powerful paralytic? But why the hell would gorillas have something like a paralysis effect? It was understandably perplexing, but he didn't want to seem rude. The teen tore his gaze away from the apparently unconscious familiar. 

In acknowledgement of her plan, Pinball simply nodded. 

"Of course," he replied, closely followign her health's regeneration. It was slow. Too slow. It felt like it was barely moving at all - or maybe he was just willing time to move faster than it wanted to. Pinball shook his head. "I think you would have been fine." But that was probably just a polite lie. 

He tilted his jaw, half-closing his eyes. Lessa, Lessa... the name sounded familiar, but at the same time it was anything but. She had a connection with Bahr, though, so that made her dangerous. Didn't it? Through this loopy sort of daze his mind seemed perpetually caught in, Pinball connected the dots and finally came up with an appropriate response. 

"Kobold," he said, "it's nice to meet you." 

[Lessa 1]

Lessa snorted. It was likely an unappreciative response, and she was probably being exceptionally rude. But if teaching had taught her anything, it was how to spot bullshit. She would have been fine? Come on, she wasn't just knocking on Death's door, she was halfway inside. He could paint it up nice, but bullshit was still bullshit. Might as well tell him as much.

"Thanks," she told him, shaking her blonde head slowly, "but no. I'd one hundred percent be dead if it weren't for you." Well, if she wasn't going to allow him to sugar coat it, she wouldn't either. "I owe you my life." But something in his body language suggested the player was already uncomfortable, which wasn't entirely unsurprising. How would Lessa handle being told she'd saved a life? The weight of the what-ifs would crush her. So she'd let the matter rest for now.

"Kobold," she repeated. "That's a neat name. I'll remember it."

Her hand continued to stroke down Riker's thick fur, the steady breathing a reminder that he lived. For now, that was enough. "We were actually out here for a quest," she stated suddenly, eyes shifting from her familiar to her new companion. Twisted amusement ghosted across her flushed face as she added, "Fishing. I figured it would be relaxing. The irony of that is not lost on me."

[Pinball 1]

Her insistence wasn't lost on him. Begrudgingly, he decided to let it go for now. Pinball wasn't exactly comfortable with anyone telling him that they owed him their life -- especially considering the circumstances. For the time being, he'd set the thought aside and remind himself that it was just a saying. A saying that hit way too close to home. 

"Thanks," came Pinball's eloquent response. He almost felt bad for giving her a fake name. Worse, considering she had no reason to question it. But honestly, it was probably for the best. Besides her possible connection to Bahr, his name was notorious nowadays, and for a reason much darker than his childish username would imply. He kept his mouth shut. 

"A fishing quest," Pinball echoed, "for the Scents of the Wild line?" Because if that was the case, Pinball would be more than happy to change the subject. It was the same formula he'd employed with every other interaction since the incident: stumble across a player, reluctantly carry them through a quest, and then go their separate ways. It worked great. He rolled his shoulders a bit. His suggestion sounded weak, but he suggested it nonetheless. "Maybe we could party up, then? Er, not that I'm not totally confident in your ability to not get killed or anything." 

"I'm on the same quest," he explained, "and it might be easier to get it over with together." 

His heart was racing. An unreasonable paranoia gripped him like a vice, and all he wanted was to put as much distance between this place and him as he possibly could. The longer he talked with her, the more he risked getting found out, whether it be by her or by Bahr making a sudden appearance. It was stupid. He was being stupid. But at the same time, he actually was worried about her taking it on her own, even though he'd tried making light of it. Lessa hadn't exactly made the best first impression when it came to demonstrating her own survivability, unfortunately, though Pinball knew he wasn't much better off when it came to being a tank. 

And maybe he cared because she had a connection to Bahr, and he was scared of him. Or maybe he genuinely cared.

[Lessa 1]

"Uhh, Scents of the Wild," her voice trailed as she turned away from him, pulled up the quest stats. Then she nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. Nothing like a near death experience to make you forget absolutely everything, am I right?" When she turned back to him, her smile was just a tad forced around the edges. Why? What was it about the man that made her feel like she had to be a little... extra? Was it because he was so withdrawn, and she was naturally compelled to compensate? Was she trying to bring him out of his shell? Is this going to be Alkor all over again? Hell no.

So the shrug she answered him with was as careless as she could make it, a quick, one-shouldered ordeal. "Yeah, sure, if you're up for it. I definitely don't want to inconvenience you, but if you're doing the same one, we might as well team up." His comment about her ability not to get killed left the door wide open for a witty (or nasty) retort, but she chose to ignore it. She hardly knew this player, making it difficult to judge exactly how he had intended for the statement to come across. Besides, she was already having a difficult enough time getting a read on him, and frankly, her own emotions were all over the place. The easy explanation was that she had almost been gorilla chow. The truth, however, was likely a bit more complex.

As her menu was still up, nimble fingers conjured a party invite. After she shot it his way, she said, "I don't think I've seen you around, Kobold." The Guardian held out her hands, smiled a bit sheepishly, and said, "I know there's like thousands and thousands of us here, but I feel like I run into the same handful over and over. I guess we just run in different circles?" Conversationally, she added, "Do you run a shop or anything like that?"

[Pinball 1]

"Uh, yeah. Right." Pinball grimaced. She didn't seem against the idea of taking up the quest with him, though, so all was well. 

All. Was. Well. 

Seriously though. How long would that last, he wondered? And when would his pessimism stop seeping its way into interactions like this? "Well," he sighed, watching Lessa thumb up a party invite. "We should get going." The faster they got the thing over with, the better, he figured. He started to turn away, but snapped back to attention when she said she hadn't seen him around. It was a good point. Once upon a time, Pinball would have felt the same - it felt like he ran with the same people, more often than not. Almost like he lived in his own little world. 

"Used to," Pinball said. "I don't do much crafting or anything anymore, though. Closed up shop awhile ago. You?" With that, he'd finally start walking. What was the goal of this one? Were they going fishing? God, he hoped not. 

[Lessa 1]

Blinking deep amber eyes up at her, Riker slowly climbed to his feet. The wolf wobbled, more newborn foal than sturdy defense familiar. Scrambling to stand herself, Lessa bent at the waist and helped to sturdy her companion. "There you go," she murmured, voice soft and gentle, like a mother helping her baby take his first steps. "You've got it." Only once the familiar had taken a few stable steps himself, his tail swishing with renewed energy and confidence, did Lessa straighten. Planting her hands on her hips, she leaned back, stretched her muscles. "Yeah, sounds good," she stated, finally turning to Kobold. With a twinkle of bells, the blonde called up her HUD, swiped over to the quest details. "Fish up a big fish," she read, then scoffed. "Tch, that's really helpful. Why are some of these quests so vague?" She fell into step beside the man, glancing over to ensure Riker was following. "I guess we head toward the coast and see what we find."

When he spoke of his shop, Lessa nodded. "Mhm, I'm kind of in the same boat. I stopped crafting regularly ages ago, though I still go in the shop from time to time. Mostly to tinker around." Hand reaching back to rub at the base of her neck, Lessa smiled sheepishly. "I've kind of been living the hermit life for the past few years."

[Pinball 1]

Fish up a big fish. Pinball winced. Lazy writing was one thing. Fishing was something else entirely. 

"Not sure," came the quiet response, "but I've been starting to wonder that myself." 

His eyes were on the path and nothing but the path. The thought of looking at the woman beside him made him super uncomfortable - hell, so did talking to her - so he was inclined to keep his neck stiff and his mouth shut. Unluckily for Mr. Doom and Gloom, it was already too late. He'd made his bed by opting to continue that conversation and now he had to lie in it. Begrudgingly, he formed some sort of passable reply. "Yeah. Me too." 

And then silence. Sweet and beautiful silence. 

But he wouldn't get to enjoy it for long. Not five seconds after he'd finished speaking, the trees began to rapidly thin into an abrupt stop, leaving nothing but sand and ocean waters in front of them. Once he'd left the forest's protection, multiple sensations hit him all at once. The smell of the ocean, the sound of its waves crashing against the shore, the borderline unpleasant tingle of the virtual sun against his unguarded skin. A weaker part of him almost wanted to slink back into the shade and make himself sparse in the shadows, but Pinball knew all too well that he wouldn't have been able to do it without a guilty conscience -- and an even guiltier conscience was something he most definitely did not care for. 

He didn't say anything else, but instead stepped out into the sand, looking both ways for the dock. His gaze locked onto a shabby looking pier with an even shabbier looking dinghy tied to it. Nestled inside the boat were likely the fishing rods they needed for the quest, but looking at it, Pinball was not too confident on the thing's ability to stay afloat for much longer. Driftwood looked sturdier. 

"Right... there it is." 

                                                                                                               

Player Stats: 

Spoiler

Level: 62
Health: 1240 | Energy: 124
DMG: 15 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 62
 
Skills:
 
Combat skills:
►<<Battle Healing>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
 
Weapon skills:
►<<2H Assault Spear>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
►<<1H Straight Sword>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
 
Armor skills:
►N/A
 
Extra skills:
►<<Familiar Mastery: Fighter>> [18/18]: Rank 3 - Grandmaster
►<<Martial Arts>> [0/50]: N/A
►<<Survival>> ~ Active
 
Utility Skills:
►<<Hiding>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
►<<Extended Mod Limit>> [2/10]: Rank 1 - Novice 
 
Modifiers:
►[Active] <<2H Assault Spear: Ferocity>>: +1 Base DMG
►[Active] <<2H Assault Spear: Finesse>> ~ Rank 3 
►[Active] <<Sneak Attack: Trickster>>
►[Active] <<Hiding: Vanish>> 
►[Active] <<Hiding: Untraceable>> 
►[Active] <<Hiding: Blindside>>
 
Inventory
»[Equipped] [Demonic] Jack’s Hellfire: Burn, Blight, Bleed, Cursed 
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Dragon’s Skin: +3 EVA
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Warrior’s Focus: +3 ACC

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Pinball

[Lessa 1]

"Yup," Lessa agreed, her voice bereft of any enthusiasm. "There it is."

The boat, if it could even be called that anymore, listed slightly to the right. An inch of standing water already graced the bottom, and she shuddered to think of exactly where it had entered from. Likely not a recent rainfall, so unless someone was sneaking around dumping water into boats, this one had a leak. Of course it had a leak. 

"Full disclosure," the woman began, reaching back to rub at the base of her neck, "I cheated on my boater's safety test. It was a requirement for gym class, but the test was online at home, so what was I supposed to do?" She winced as she studied their vessel once more. Did it only have one oar? "So I looked up all the answers. It's not like I was going to be operating a boat anytime soon anyway." The dock's ancient wood groaned in protest as she hesitantly shifted her weight onto it. "All this to say, I will be no help if this goes south."

She chanced a forced smile, but it did little to improve the situation. So Lessa carefully picked her way toward the boat, then eased into it as delicately as possible. Water sloshed on both sides, and she might have sworn more accumulated around her boots. Even Riker, who daintily stepped in behind her, seemed more apprehensive than usual. Finally, she turned to face her companion. "Alright, Kobold, whenever you're ready. I guess we'll just paddle canoe-style with this one oar."

[Pinball 1]

Quite literally, this was the worst. 

"Okay," he replied, "that's fine." 

If Lessa at any point felt as though she were talking to a brick wall, she wouldn't be too far off the mark. Even beyond the discomfort he felt in her general vicinity, Pinball was about as unsociable as they came. Right now, his one and only goal was to get the quest finished, fulfill the obligation he'd let himself slide into, and then get the absolute hell out of dodge. There was no fun to be had with the uncomfortable fear that he'd have Bahr breathing down his neck the second he let his guard down around her. 

He settled into the boat, all too aware of the puddles at his feet, and would take up the oar should Lessa leave it up to him. 

"Let's just hope it doesn't sink on us halfway there," he sighed. 

Once the painstaking process of rowing out into deep water was finished, Pinball would set his oar back down in the boat and lean down to retrieve the equally as flimsy fishing rod from the bottom of the boat. Luckily, there were two, and so he'd slide the other towards Lessa with the flat of his boot. 

"Alright then." He looked down and grimaced, muttering mostly to himself. "I really don't want to stand in this thing." 

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by Pinball

[Lessa 1]

"No, I don't want to stand up either," Lessa agreed, wincing as water splashed over the rowboat's edge. "I really don't think we're supposed to be sitting this low in the water." Slowly, delicately, she leaned to the side. The caution with which she studied the water was akin to a woman looking over a ledge into a canyon. "Sinking may actually be a real concern." She grit her teeth as the boat shifted beneath her when she settled back onto the bench. "I really hate this."

Drawn as tight as a taut bowstring, Lessa eased the second fishing pole up off the wet floor. Muscles tight, she did her best to cast without making any unnecessary movements. The result was a sort of awkward spasm, and the hook splashed down only a foot away. "That was awful," she observed. Then, with a quick sigh, she added, "I actually have the fishing skill, though you wouldn't know it from this whole situation. I just can't really do anything without feeling like I'll flip us over."

Frowning, she stared at her bobber. It rose and fell with the ripples their rickety boat continued to  make, but showed no indication of being yanked downward. "I'm going to assume this one is a dud."

Attempts to fish up «Mōretsuna». [188073] CD: 6 +2 (fishing skill) = 8. < 9 Fail.

[Pinball 1]

"Hm... Jesus." 

He listened to Lessa echo his complaints and took some small comfort in knowing that his concerns hadn't been unwarranted. At least if he drowned and died here, he'd drown and die knowing that other people also thought the boat the quest provided was a piece of shit. Loathe as he'd been to leave the shore in the first place, he hadn't had the idea to point out the possibility of fishing for the creature on the shore until they'd started paddling away from it. 

So, unfortunately, he was stuck there. 

Casting his line, Pinball resisted succumbing to the wave of memories that rushed through his mind as his hook pierced the water's surface. 

And he waited. And waited. But nothing bit.

Cursing under his breath, Pinball reeled the line back in. He would find then that Lessa had had similar luck with her attempt. 

"Yeah, I've got nothing."

                                                                                                 

Fishing for Moretsuna: 
ID#188075 CD: 7 (Naw) 

Edited April 12, 2021 by Pinball

[Lessa 1]

Lips drawn in a paper-thin line, Lessa carefully reeled her hook back in. "I normally try not to complain about this stuff too much," she began absently, easing her rig back over the edge of the rickety boat. "The quests, I mean. We're stuck here, and we can actually die, so there's already enough to be upset about. Why gripe about other stuff?" Even as she spoke the words, the blonde scowled at the damp line now draped across her lap. "But I'm going to complain about this one. This is ridiculous. They give us a boat that will probably kill us before some mob ever does. And speaking of the mob, how are we meant to fight something we can't even catch first?"

Annoyance flashed in those lake-blue eyes as she carelessly flicked the apparatus back into the water, shattering the mirror-like surface. "It wouldn't surprise me if this thing has a hidden time limit or something. 'Better catch the fish before the boat fills with water and you sink,' or something like that. Well I hope it hurries, because-"

One moment, Lessa was sitting on the bench in the slowly-sinking rowboat. The next, she was gone, yanked sharply by the fishing line, and sent sailing into the water. 

Attempts to fish up «Mōretsuna». [188076] CD: 8 +2 (fishing skill) = 8. > 9 Success!

[Pinball 1]

"Right, I get you." 

Pinball did not get her. He had plenty of things to gripe about, to be completely honest, though he wasn't about to admit as much out loud. 

For starters, I'm pretty sure your friend wants to kill me, he thought, but I don't think I can name a person who doesn't nowadays. 

She looked out at the water, talking about how she wouldn't be surprised if the quest boss had some sort of timer. He wouldn't be surprised, but with each passing moment and each centimeter the flimsy boat beneath them sunk, Pinball grew more and more convinced that they could have - and probably should have - stayed firmly ashore while they fished. Surely, the boat wasn't necessary for something like this. At least not when it was of such poor quality. Pinball had reset his line, briefly making sure his hook was still attached to the rod, before he looked up and realized that Lessa wasn't there anymore. 

"Huh?" 

Lessa was being dragged underwater. Just beneath the waves he could make out the colossal shape of a fat fucking fish he already despised with every fiber of his being. 

"Hey!" He angrily barked, as though that were going to do absolutely anything to stop it. Drawing his sword and diving from the boat in one swift motion, Pinball unleashed a Sword Art and tore into the skin of the giant fish with a level of ease where it seemed as though he weren't cutting through water at all, stunning it, and leaving it floating aimlessly through the water. Figuring that was enough for now to grab its attention, and knowing that the stun wouldn't last forever, he'd pull Lessa to the surface if she wasn't already afloat. 

"Back to the boat," he grumbled, doing exactly as he'd said. Pulling himself back onto the dingy raft they'd been afloat on, Pinball leveled himself, dripping wet, and waited for the creature to hopefully turn around and start attacking them. It'd make it much easier to kill it that way. 

                                                                                                                

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Nova Ascension] [-11 EN] {Well Rested} 
Moretsuna: ID#188544 BD: 7+3-1= 9 (Hit) MD: 8-3= 5 (Miss) ~ 15*9= 110 DMG + STUN 

[H:1] Pinball: 1240/1240 HP | 113/124 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | BRN/BLD/BLIT | 62 BH 
[H:0] Lessa: 

Moretsuna: 390/500 HP | 100 DMG | 25 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA {STUNNED} 
 Abilities:
Drown: On a CD of 10+, «Mōretsuna» will attempt to drag down the player instead of attack. The player, on their next turn, will need to make a separate LD roll (as a free action) of 10+ to resist this move. If the player fails, they will lose their current turn and be brought into the water, where they will take 50 unmitigatable damage every turn until they return to the dock or boat. Returning to dock/boat will take up another turn.
Splash: On an attack roll of a natural 9-10, along with their basic attack, «Mōretsuna» will splash water onto the player, bringing them to their knees and paralyzing them their next turn.
Struggle: On an attack roll of natural 1, the creature will flail and hit each player for 50 unmitigable damage, but also deal 50 unmitigatable damage to himself.

Edited April 15, 2021 by Pinball

[Lessa 1]

Upon later reflection, Lessa deduced that "blow out air through your nose, or plug it" was one of the first rules of swim lessons. Of course, she forgot all about that the moment her line snapped taut, and yanked her clear off her bench seat. A strangled, yet appropriately pirate-y "arg" left her as she plunged into the water, still clinging to the fishing pole for dear life. The moment the cold water slapped her face, she instinctively sucked in, and felt herself go lightheaded. By the time the woman began piecing together the odd situation she found herself in, Kobold had grabbed the back of her breastplate and dragged her to the surface.

The first thing out of her mouth was about a cup of lake water. Then, a few spluttered curse words, before she finally turned red-rimmed eyes on her savior. That makes twice in the same day, like a damn damsel in distress. "Thanks," she managed, "again." Then she threw back her shoulders, hefted her blade, and turned on the massive fish. She expected it to charge the boat, or splash around, or do something. Instead, it simply bobbed on the water's surface. It wasn't until Lessa read the status effect that she fully understood.

"Nice stun," she commented, before leaning as far over the boat's edge as she deemed safe. Her attack was far from perfect, and likely would have missed were it not for the fish playing dead, but it still carved a chunk off the health bar.

Spoiler

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Galaxy Destroyer] [-12 EN] {Well Rested} 
Moretsuna: ID#189190 BD: 2+4-0(stunned)= 6 (Hit) MD: stunned ~ 16*13= 183 DMG

[H:1] Pinball: 1240/1240 HP | 113/124 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | BRN/BLD/BLIT | 62 BH 
[H:1] Lessa: 910/910 | 76/88 EN | 16 DMG | 89 MIT | 4 ACC | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1

Moretsuna: 207/500 HP | 100 DMG | 25 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA {STUNNED} 
 Abilities:
Drown: On a CD of 10+, «Mōretsuna» will attempt to drag down the player instead of attack. The player, on their next turn, will need to make a separate LD roll (as a free action) of 10+ to resist this move. If the player fails, they will lose their current turn and be brought into the water, where they will take 50 unmitigatable damage every turn until they return to the dock or boat. Returning to dock/boat will take up another turn.
Splash: On an attack roll of a natural 9-10, along with their basic attack, «Mōretsuna» will splash water onto the player, bringing them to their knees and paralyzing them their next turn.
Struggle: On an attack roll of natural 1, the creature will flail and hit each player for 50 unmitigable damage, but also deal 50 unmitigatable damage to himself.

 

[Pinball 1]

"No problem," he managed to reply, dripping wet and considerably grumpier than he had been a few seconds ago. 

He watched warily as Lessa leaned as far over the edge of the boat as she was willing to to throw out her attack. ready to reach out and grab her by the back of her armor should she lose her footing or start to teeter on the edge. It was during this vigilant watch that Pinball failed to notice Moretsuna swim rapidly into the water, out of view, only to launch itself completely out of the water, getting impossible air for its size, soaring over the boat, and smacking Pinball ass over tea kettle, the boat rocking dangerously from the force of it. 

But Pinball was quick to stand and salvage his dignity, brushing himself off despite his rapidly reddening features. With a swift arc through the air, Pinball released a crimson blast of energy that pierced the giant fish's side and dropped it into perilous levels of HP. He didn't say anything else. 

                                                                                                                                                              

Action Taken: Sword Art - [Shadow Explosion] [-10 EN/+1 EN] 
Moretsuna: ID#196726 BD: 3+3= 6 (Hit!) ~ 15*9= 135 DMG 
Moretsuna vs Pinball: BD: 8-3+2= 7 (Hit!) ~ 100 DMG to Pinball

[H:2] Pinball: 1140/1240 HP | 113/124 EN | 15 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA | BRN/BLD/BLIT | 62 BH 
[H:1] Lessa: 910/910 | 76/88 EN | 16 DMG | 89 MIT | 4 ACC | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1

Moretsuna: 72/500 HP | 100 DMG | 25 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA 
 Abilities:
Drown: On a CD of 10+, «Mōretsuna» will attempt to drag down the player instead of attack. The player, on their next turn, will need to make a separate LD roll (as a free action) of 10+ to resist this move. If the player fails, they will lose their current turn and be brought into the water, where they will take 50 unmitigatable damage every turn until they return to the dock or boat. Returning to dock/boat will take up another turn.
Splash: On an attack roll of a natural 9-10, along with their basic attack, «Mōretsuna» will splash water onto the player, bringing them to their knees and paralyzing them their next turn.
Struggle: On an attack roll of natural 1, the creature will flail and hit each player for 50 unmitigable damage, but also deal 50 unmitigatable damage to himself.