[PP|F22] <<Night about the Galactic Lake>> Stars and Wishes

[ChaseR 0]

Everything about this felt really out of place to Chase. Other than the fact the event was being held at a floor this high up, which did somewhat make him nervous about the monsters they could run into, it was an event with seemingly enough lots of Japanese traditions, meaning this was completely uncharted territory for the bluehead. They hadn't even gone to the main festival with @Shay yet and instead got approached by an NPC, to be asked to collect some Golden Stars for a project they were working on- something around those lines. Feeling as jumpy as he currently did, his hands were ready to jolt to his back and draw his blade out at the slightest approach of a monster or even player, while he looked at the side to the rogue.

"I know I agreed, but... We're very high up. Nothing bad will happen, right?", he asked her, seeking some form of reassurance from her even if he was the tank. He might have unlocked some skills that would help him tank, but this was definitely not building his confidence up any when it came to numbers as high as this. The strongest monsters he'd fought were still on the eleventh floor after all. Many other duos or big friend groups appeared to be wandering around the floors in kimonos, catching Chase's attention and managing to get him to settle down a bit even. "... Everybody seems to just have fun, they don't care at all...", the boy thought to himself, feeling much more eased up now.

Spoiler

Name: ChaseR
Level: 25
HP: 500/500
EN: 50/50

Stats:
Damage: 12
Mitigation: 5
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 3
REC:2
PARA:1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: <<Sky Slasher>> (T1/Perfect/2HSS): DMG II; PAR I
Armor: <<Sky Blue Apparel>> (T1/Perfect/Light Armor): EVA I; REC II
Misc: <<Warm Earmuffs>> (T1/Perfect/Trinket): ACC III

Skills:
Two-Handed Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 1]
Battle Healing [Rank 1]

Extra Skills:
Familiar Mastery: Fighter

Mods:
2HSS Finesse [R3]

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions(heal 50HP)*3
T1 Mochi (LD +3)*1
T1 Rare Health Potions (heal 40HP)*2
Spyglass (2/3)*1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 1
Requires Extended Weight Limit 2
Requires Extended Weight Limit 3
Obtained via Item Stash (Housing)
Obtained via Dimensional Backpack

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

@Krysta @Astralin

[Astralin 0]

Astralin looked up to the sky, enjoying the incredible view. She didn't exactly need to worry about being attacked when she had her potential friend, Krysta, beside her, having the same task at hand for the current time being. Seeing the celestial wonders in the virtual sky above, Astralin remembered the times when her mother would also gaze at the night sky... Honestly, if it wasn't for her mother's love of the stars, she might have not been given the first name she had! Seeing that she was kind of attached to it, she couldn't imagine what it would be like, or what else she could have been named. "Don't you think this is amazing? This view of the stars, it's just beautiful..." She remarked. As the two players walked along, She remembered why she was out here in the first place. "These gold stars...what do you think they look like? How did they end up on the ground, I wonder? I think it's like some kind of stellar meteor shower, but instead of rocks from space, it was these gold stars? Whatever the case, it kinda sounds like it would be a bit of a fun activity...or, at least, I know I think so..." She noted. She remembered that there was this child who was in need of the players' help, asking if they could find someone out in the lake...

Astralin soon looked and spotted someone on the horizon...two players, actually. Maybe this could be a chance to find more potential friends along the trip. She quickened her pace as to walk over to them. "Heeeeeey! Wanna join forces? In a higher floor like this one, it could be safer to travel as a full party!" She called out to them with a smile.

@ChaseR @Shay

 

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level: 10

Max HP: 200

Max EN: 20

Base DMG: 5(Martial Arts Rank 2[+4])

 

Equipment:

[T1]Gloves of the Astral Storm(1 Bleed, 1 Paralyze)[Equipped]

[T1]Sticky Ricky(3 DMG)

[T1]Alkarina's Resolve(2 EVA, 1 REC)[Equipped]

[T1]Amulet of Aknossoth(2 ACC, 1 REC)[Equipped]

 

 

Skills:

First Aid Rank 1

Martial Arts Rank 2

 

[Krysta 0]

Krysta walked alongside her new friend, Astralin, as they were moving on towards the lake. They were out to find two things: gold stars, and evidence of a missing person. Astralin would comment on the view of the starlight. "It is indeed a beautiful sight...perhaps I will be able to share a moment with Vigilon under these stars later tonight..." Krysta responded. Astralin would speak of the gold stars, and question how exactly they ended up in the area. "Hmm...that is actually quite a puzzling question...perhaps there is an NPC or two who might know of their origins." Krysta answered. "Gathering gold stars, a fun activity? If it was a point of time where no monsters would spawn, it would indeed seem like a pleasant pastime... Then again, I have heard that monster spawning in this floor are rarer than the usual, you have to walk quite a distance to find one, a group is far more uncommon..."

Krysta would decide to ask Astralin a question. "You seem to be fairly fond of the stars...may I ask why?" After she asked her question, it wasn't long before Astralin began walking faster as to try and invite them on the search. The speed-walking was not even necessary, as the players would clearly be able to hear Krysta and Astralin from there... "Astralin, don't you believe that is rather reckless?" She asked the other blonde. She then looked to the other two players as she caught up with Astralin, thus coming a little closer to them. "Greetings, I am Krysta." She began. "I actually do agree, we do have better chances out here if we travel in greater numbers, but I shall leave that up to you both." She noted to them.

@Shay @ChaseR

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level:  31
HP:  620
EN:  62
DMG:  12(OHR Rank 5[+5], Yolviinsil[+6])

ACC: 1(Nightshade)

Paralysis: Activates on natural BD rolls of 9-10(Nightshade)

T2 Bleed: Activates on natural BD rolls of 9-10(Nightshade)

Mitigation: 54(Lumino Regalia, Lux Regalia)

Thorns: 36 Damage on successful enemy attack rolls of 6-8(Lux Regalia)

Recovery: Recovers an additional 2 EN on Natural CD rolls of 6-12(Lumino Regalia)

Battle Healing: Recovers 6 HP per turn

 

Equipment:

[T2]Nightshade(Rapier: ACC, PAR, BLD)[Equipped]

[T2]Lumino Regalia(Light Armor: 2 MIT, 1 REC)[Equipped]

[T2]Lux Regalia(Shield: 1 MIT, 2 Thorns)[Equipped]

 

 

Skills:

One handed Rapier Rank 5

First Aid Rank 3

Battle Healing Rank 1

Meditation[Unskilled]

Familiar Mastery: Fighter rank 3

 

Mods:  None

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by Krysta

[Shay 0]

Easily said, this was Shay's first time on a floor higher than ten herself, so she was just as paranoid as he was. However, missing events in an MMO was a sin to a seasoned player, and she was willing to take the risk to make her way up here. Besides, if there's one holiday she always loved as a kid, it was Tanabata. Making wishes and just relaxing a beautiful night with the stars probably didn't seem like her style. There were worse things on the world.

"We'll be alright. Monsters only aggro to people if you get to close or attack them. I'm also sure that monster spawns were reduced for the duration of the event since it seems to be non-combat related." Shay had come in an elegant kimono, even for this quest. If they were avoiding combat, she wouldn't really need her armor anyways. That being said, she did keep her katana slipped into the sash of her obi behind her back. If she needed to fight, it would be ready at least.

That's when they were approached by two blondes. Shay usually abhorred interaction with too many people at once, but she was in a relatively good mood. She'll humor them for now. "Join us if you like," Her callous, but calm tone was still apparent, even on a night like this. "We're out looking for stars."

Spoiler

Name: Shay
Level: 21
HP: 420/420
EN: 42/42

Stats:
Damage: 9
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 1
BLD: 12
REC: 2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: (Katana)Murasame α: BLD 2; DMG 1
Armor: Leather Overcoat: EVA 3
Misc: Deep Red Tie: Recovery 2; ACC 1

Skills:
Curved Sword [Rank 1]
Katana [Rank 5]

Extra Skills:
Survival

Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleportation Crystal*1
T1 Mass HP Rec. II*1
T1 HP Rec. I*2
T1 Instant HP Rec. I*2
Incarceration*2

 

[ChaseR 0]

Chase almost got sucked into his own head and fazed out while staring over to the main attraction over the lake, snapping out of it when he heard an unfamiliar voice. He turned to see two blonde players approaching, flinching slightly at the sight. "More players I can accept... G-Girls again though... Am I the only guy alongside Kiluia or what?", he finished his inner monologue before trying to mask his slight surprise with a forced smile. "Of course! Join ah-", he almost choked on his words, sighing and realising he didn't exactly help with how forced every word came out.

The boy decided to drop the act, shrugging and opening his menu. "Normally I'd be against a party. But it's a high floor. Better safe than sorry.", he mumbled as he looked for the two, reading their names to make sure it was them before sending a party request. Not that anybody else was nearby, but... "So... Astaralin and Crystal-... Krysta?". A hint of confusion took over his voice, as he couldn't easily pronounce one's name and the other he just misread. "Holy shit I should get better at this.", Chase practically groaned in the back of his mind, beginning to grow pissed at himself more than anything.

[Astralin 0]

Krysta would ask Astralin why she was fond of the stars. "Well... It all began when I was fascinated with the sights, then I started learning more about them, and...I kind of learned why my Mother adored them too. Honestly, if my Mother had no love for the stars, constellations and galaxies, I wouldn't have been named after a constellation! ...I guess it kind of grew on me, naturally...like Mother, like Daughter, I suppose." Astralin explained. "It's...not like I can find any other reason off the top of my head..."

 

The player wearing an obi spoke with a calm yet callous tone, but the words spoken seemed to suggest acceptance of Astralin's suggestion. She then noted that they were out looking for the gold stars. "The Gold Stars? What a coincidence, we're looking for them, too!" Astralin remarked. The blue haired player would try to act super positive, but he completely choked. He then admitted that normally he'd be against a party, but it was better to be safe than sorry on a floor this high. It would seem that the presence of Astralin and Krysta was more tolerated than accepted, which kind of made Astralin feel down inside. However, her smile remained unaltered on the outside. The blue haired player would then guess the names of the players as he tried to send party invites using names in the current vicinity. Astralin never knew that could be done to learn someone's username, but, well, live and learn! "That's me, Astralin." She noted after he struggled to pronounce her username. "Astra-lin." She said, hoping to help the boy out with the pronunciation. She genuinely meant well with this, but she could only hope the player figured that out. she then noticed something sparkling that didn't seem to be light from the sky, or starlight reflected off of the lake. She would walk over to investigate, and spot a cluster of sparkling golden objects on the lakeshore. "Hey, I think I found some gold stars!" She called out before collecting them, which the game confirmed to be gold stars as she moved them into her inventory.

ID# 162286 LD: 11(found 11 gold stars)

Edited July 31, 2020 by Astralin

[Krysta 0]

Astralin would give her answer, and, as it turns out, Astralin was named after a constellation. "You...were named after a constellation? That sounds...rather unique, and I am certain it fits you well." Krysta remarked with a reassuring smile.

 

The two players Astralin sought to team up with did not seem very willing to combine the two parties, but they accepted the offer anyway. The one with the blue hair seemed to have some trouble pronouncing the usernames of Astralin and Krysta, but managed to get the latter correct at his latest attempt. With a chuckle, she would confirm, "Yes, Krysta."

Once the party had been formed, Astralin would call out to the party that she had found what may have been some gold stars, over at the lakeshore. Krysta would decide to investigate as well, and would come across a cluster of objects that appeared to be golden in color. When Krysta gathered them, she would find that they were indeed Gold Stars. "What Astralin says is true, there seems to be quite a lot of them, too!" Krysta called out to the other two players.

@Shay @ChaseR

ID# 162302 LD: 12(found 12 Sold Stars)

Edited July 31, 2020 by Krysta

[Shay 0]

The two women didn't seem that bad. They were a bit too spunky for Shay's style, but at least they weren't annoying by any means. So, they were looking for some golden starts for the event specific quest. It seemed that as long as you participate then you get some of the experience, and she wouldn't miss out on that chance. Especially when the quest was so simple as 'look for event specific items around the area.' They hadn't even been to the proper event yet, but that didn't matter. The quest was in their books and needed to be done for the experience.

Heading along the lake shoreline a little further, the rogue finds a cluster of starts lumped together next to a rock. She crouches down and scoops them up into hand. This seemed much easier than the regular material gathering at least. "I found some over here."

Stars: 10

[ChaseR 0]

The boy gave a nod at Astralin, trying to mumble her name in order to pronounce it properly or once. "Ast... ralin. Ast-ralin.", he nodded to himself before giving her a thumbs up. He had to make a small pause in between the syllables to make sure his tongue didn't roll too much and he'd mess it up, but the main idea was there anyways. Hearing how they had already found so many golden stars, he cocked an eyebrow up and decided to begin looking around himself. Chase glanced by the side at Shay who was near the coastline to get a quick glimpse of their size, and once he'd noted it mentally, he took a deep breath and got to searching himself.

"You said some, but I found a lot... Lot though.", the bluehead commented, beginning to carefully pick them up one by one until he tallied a total of twenty all in all. With a low whistle and a mental pat on his own back, he decided it'd be easy to collect as many as they had to at least to have contributed a fair bit to the event in just a few minutes. Maybe even more than they had or needed to, if they got lucky.

Loot: 20 Golden Stars

Edited August 3, 2020 by ChaseR

[Astralin 0]

It wouldn't be long before all four of the players involved would find clusters of Gold Stars. Krysta had found a cluster, The black haired player had found a cluster, and the blue haired player had found a large cluster. She looked to the names within the formed Party, seeing two names that belonged to Astralin's new allies in the party. ChaseR and Shay. Interesting names. Astralin had a slight smile on her face, despite that she could only guess which name belonged to who, unless she asked. "Um, Excuse me," She began, looking towards the blue haired player. "Am I guessing correctly that your Username is Chaser? Um, Chase-R? Hmm..." She chuckled upon the realization. "Guess I'm having a little trouble with username pronunciation, too." She remarked with a smile. She then looked back to the lakeshore, and spotted something glistening in the distance. She would walk over, and find seven gold stars. She was really happy with her find. It might not have been the amount that the blue haired player had come across, but it was better than six, and far better than none!

ID# 162731 LD: 7(Found 7 Gold Stars)

Astralin's Current Total: 18

Edited August 3, 2020 by Astralin

[Krysta 0]

The players would quickly proceed to focus on the search for the golden stars that were scattered within the area. Each player seemed to find a cluster of them, and there were far, far more of them than there were materials to find, by comparison. Astralin would attempt to pronounce one of the other players' Usernames, and she seemed to have trouble at the end. Then again, the R at the end of it was a Capital R, so, understandably, it could be interpreted in more than one way. Krysta would notice a cluster of gold stars even closer to the lakeshore. She walked over, saw, and gathered nineteen of them. "It would seem they become more frequent the closer we are to the lake..." Krysta thought aloud over her observation. Did the stars come from the lake, or did they fall to the lake and end up on the shores? It was quite a puzzling mystery...

ID# 162759 LD: 19(found 19 Gold Stars)

Krysta's Current Total: 31

Edited August 3, 2020 by Krysta

[Shay 0]

"It's easier if you just call him Chase." Shay said, offering her own opinion. She knew that it was spelled with a capital 'R' like that, but it seemed like just an aesthetic choice. Chase was just easier.

Looking around the shore a little more yielded even more spoils. She found another cluster stars, which was a subpar find, but digging a little into the sand revealed even more stars hidden underneath. She dug them up and soon she had gotten nearly more than double the last gain she had gotten. She pocketed them for now and looked back to Chaser, who had also found a ton of the stars himself.

"Nice job, I found quite a few as well." She showed him how she had 29 of them now. "Man it feels good to relax a little after all the questing we've been doing." The girl put her hand on his shoulder standing next to him. She whispered quietly to him and showed him a smile. "You really needed it."

---

Stars: 10+19=29

[ChaseR 0]

Chase heard what Shay suggested to the rest, laughing awkwardly and looking down at the ground as he explained. "It's my first game and... I didn't have a persona in mind. Went in as me. Chase is fine.", he almost got a bit melancholic with remembering how they got trapped, quickly shooing the thoughts away and getting his head back in the game. When Shay leaned in and spoke, his heart kind of warmed up. It was a side of her he hadn't gotten to see much, and it finally felt slightly less lonely around, knowing that she understood and found a way to express it, too.

"... Thanks. I won't push myself, promise.", he replied in a low tone, giving a bright smile that she'd barely gotten to see herself before turning back to the shoreside and scanning it momentarily for golden stars. The bluehead could see a stack further ahead, walking over and picking them up to amount to a total of twelve. Not bad at all. Less than before, but he had gotten incredibly lucky to find that big a cluster as was.

Loot: 31 Golden Stars

Edited August 3, 2020 by ChaseR

[Astralin 0]

So the Blue haired player's identity had been guessed correctly. Turns out, he had nothing in mind and he went as himself, and he was fine with just being called Chase, which must have been his real name... It wouldn't be likely for anyone to guess that her username was her real name if she had done the same, it wasn't every day that a girl would be named after a constellation... "That's completely understandable, Chase. I know that when I was starting out, before I heard the truth about this game, I wanted to go mostly as myself, just a little different, possibly develop a character over time, but I'm pretty sure most of us chose to be ourselves once the truth came out... I've had my share of gameplay, but nothing like this...it's just so lifelike, I admit, it was actually a bit difficult to keep introducing myself by my Username during the beginning..." She remarked. "Well, since I can only assume I now know your real name, are you alright with knowing mine?" Astralin asked ChaseR after collecting another cluster of gold stars.

ID# 162834 LD: 9(found 9 gold Stars)

Astralin's Current Total: 27

Edited August 3, 2020 by Astralin

[Krysta 0]

Astralin had correctly guessed which Username belonged to the blue haired player, meaning the black haired one was Shay. The two said that it was easier to call him by what Krysta supposed was his real name, based on the revelation that he had gone as himself entirely, along with the Username, it seemed. It was also his first game...oh, how terrible... "I truly am sorry that this game had to be your first, Chase. Granted, none of us could have easily anticipated Kayaba's wicked deeds of trapping us all in here." Astralin seemed to be willing to reveal her own real name, as long as the others were willing to hear it. Krysta didn't know how they would respond, but if Astralin was to reveal her real name, she could only hope the two were understanding and appreciative. After all, it would seem abnormal to have a child named after a constellation, due to Astralin's hint on her real name... Krysta would spot another cluster of golden stars, resulting in her having a total of forty seven of them thus far.

ID# 162835 LD: 16(found 16 Gold Stars)

Krysta's Current Total: 47

Edited August 3, 2020 by Krysta

[Shay 0]

Seeing Chase finally relax was good on her. She hadn't realized just how traumatic it had been for him when started leveling up. She felt so bad for pushing him hard as she had to get stronger, hopefully he would be able to forgive her for that. 

They started to talk about the pressures of being trapped in the game. And yes, while they're situation was unfortunate, Shay couldn't help but speak up on this topic. It was something that needed to be said.

"I want to be a voice of sensibility. You only have one life in this game: That is true. You also only have one life in the real world: How you chose to use your life is entirely up to you people. This game is hard to compare to the real world, but they share common forms. Take that with a grain of salt." Shay said, scooping up a few more stars at her feet.

---

Stars: 29+2=31

[ChaseR 0]

Anything being said right now, the bluehead could agree with. Nobody knew what Kayaba had in mind, and no matter the situation right now, this was their new life. He'd have to ease himself up to forgetting all he knew about the real world and adapting to Aincrad's needs sooner or later, otherwise he wouldn't make it too far. "You're right. All I know is that we must clear the game without dying.", he said, being honest in full with a small frown on his face- this genuinely had him with mixed feelings through and through. "Let's not dwell on it.", he tried to shy away from that topic, knowing that if they kept at it for much longer, he'd start feeling down again.

To take himself away from the whole conversation, he looked over to Astralin and furrowed his eyebrows once he'd picked another small cluster of stars, asking away. "If you want to share, sure. I'm used to being called Chase even here by now.", the boy admitted, and it was true. It didn't take more than a few seconds of thinking about his name to realise his true identity.

Loot: 42 Golden Stars

Edited August 4, 2020 by ChaseR

[Astralin 0]

Krysta was sorry for ChaseR, and the position he was in. Shay would try to give her opinion on the issue that everyone in Aincrad was dealing with. "It's true. This game, real life...they have their differences, but they also have their similarities. I was really bummed out when I realized this game wouldn't let me have magic." She remarked, crossing her arms as her expression turned to one of frustration and disappointment. She took a deep breath, and her expression returned to normal. "That didn't stop me, though. I'm currently trying to find as many loopholes as I can. I took up some training in the Martial Arts skill because I'm not very blade-savvy, and I'm not one for those bulky bludgeons either. I also seek to become an alchemist, and explore vanity effects as I brew my potions." She explained. ChaseR said it was fine for Astralin to reveal her real name. "My real name is Libra." She admitted. "My mother had a great love for the stars, so she saw fit to name me after a constellation... Unfortunately, it did draw the attention of bullies. It really hurt, I had gotten attached to my name, what's to hate about it?" She noted as she found another cluster of seven gold stars.

ID# 163116 LD: 7(found 7 Gold Stars)

Astralin's Current Total: 34

Edited August 4, 2020 by Astralin

[Krysta 0]

Shay spoke up, saying she wanted to be a voice of sensibility. She stated how in both this world and the real world, there is only one life, and how that life is chosen to be used is entirely up to the person. "...Some of us choose to protect, while others choose to harm. I have seen both good and evil among the players in Aincrad, and I must do what I can to protect the innocent, and thwart the desires of those who care not for others. I shan't fall to the darkness very easily." Krysta noted. "This game has already taken its toll on the masses, and we must fight our way out before more players succumb to the shadows, or the acts of those who have become no different than the monsters we fight..." She was coming close to tears as she remembered the death of her cousin... She clearly remembered seeing on the monument, that he had been killed by another player. ChaseR suggested that the players not dwell on it, and Krysta had to agree. ChaseR had given his approval, so Astralin chose to reveal her real name. "Oh, Goodness...! I had been told her real name was after a constellation, but a name like that...I truly never anticipated a name like that..." Krysta thought. Astralin also noted how the name had drawn the attention of mockers. Krysta was not surprised, given what the name was. "I do not see anything worth hating about your name." Krysta reassured Astralin. "I believe it is a lovely name, and I am certain your mother had her reasons for giving it to you." She added as she collected another cluster of gold stars.

ID# 163210 LD: 11(found 11 gold stars)

Krysta's Current Total: 58

Edited August 4, 2020 by Krysta

[Shay 0]

Shay reached down and picked up another cluster of stars. The group was talking about real name stuff and she wanted nothing to do with it. With the weight that her name carried, anyone could know who she is. Well, they could know her if they were Japanese. The other three didn't seem like they were of Japanese ethnicity based on their names, but she didn't want to share it anyway.

She silently walked down the lake shore a little further ahead of the group and kept an eye out for any more of the stars they needed. She already had a decent amount of them and she was thankful that it wasn't as difficult to find them as it was to find materials regularly.

Her mind was off in another world right now. She didn't really know what she wanted out of this world, nor did she really care if she got nothing out of it. If she died right now. She would be content in life.

---

Stars: 31+10=41