[F22 - PP] Reunion ≪F26 Boss Raid Meeting≫

[Koga 0]

Koga remained silent through the talking, quietly sipping his tea and listening. Every once in a while, when another straggler would walk in the room, he would briefly look at them, and then return his gaze to whomever was speaking. The tea was good. The wagashi, well, Koga wasn't all that much for sweets.

The man was glad to see more than a few faces he recognized as the discussion continued. Between NIGHT, Lessa, Freyd and Cro, at the very least he felt less alone. But still, it didn't really seem quite his place to speak, given that he was most certainly the only new blood here. However, when Lessa spoke up, he nodded. Someone else had been having a similar thought, so Koga set down his cup and took a chance. "I know I'm the new guy here," he started, "so anything I say should be taken with a healthy helping of salt, but from what I've heard, it sounds like we're making an assumption that the cannons, if they even are cannons, are going to be a help to us. But what if they're not? What if they're for the boss to use. It's not like that hasn't been done in other games. At the very least, it's a possibility that should be considered."

'And I hope I didn't just make myself sound like an idiot...'

[Calrex 0]

"So it looks like we're locked on environment objects that might assist in the boss fight, similar to how it was before. I guess since it was introduced somewhat in the past, that would be a thing to consider. However, their importance in the battle is something to be questioned."

Concerns were already being raised about this point, since they were moving towards a lot of speculation based on an observation Ariel was able to make out. To a degree, it was trying to devise a strategy on a vague and unstable assumption. More than enough people were reflecting this point, but there was one more thing the Ultramarine Knight felt compelled to point out before things went any further. Pushing his back off of the wall he was leaning against he moved closer to the discussion circle, crossed arms returning back to his pockets.

"Hey everyone, apologies for being late. I'd like to also express concerns about these cannons. We should really approach this carefully. If there was no indicator in the labyrinth exploration that these things can even be used, such as having someone utilize them beforehand, I have reason to doubt they'll be in play. Even if they are, it'd hard to say how vital they will be in the upcoming fight. They may prove useful, but we should be careful about forming any tactics involving them. Second..."

Before he continued the bluenette glanced across the room, specifically at the people he had fought alongside in the past, the fellow frontliners and veterans of the boss raids. They would be the ones that would be most acquainted with Calrex's abilities and his role as a tank in the past.

"Before we go any further I'd like to give a forewarning, especially when it comes to our team formations. @Hirru, I appreciate you setting me as a tank, but right now I think it may be better to have someone else be set for now. As you are all aware, the combat arts and skills for SAO have changed yet again...and frankly I'm not quite sure if my build and abilities are going to cut it at this point, especially when it comes to my unique skill. When I view it in my menu, the description and stats are messy and garbled, almost like the code itself is corrupted, and everyday more and more of it vanishes..."

He gave a small sigh, as if resigning himself to accept what he was about to say.

"If I had to be honest...I don't think the unique skill, Achilles, is useable anymore..."

"So, in light of that I'm most likely going to be revisiting my build, and it's highly possible I might switch to a different role."

[NIGHT 0]

She wasn't paying enough attention to discern if the 'we' in Freyd's words had been about the front-liners... or Firm Anima themselves.

Instead, her attention switched back towards the other attendees who'd begun to speak up. There was doubt placed on the cannons, and certainly it was worth taking caution against the machinations within the boss room. But a furrowed brow and a pause later, NIGHT still found herself hesitant to imagine otherwise.

"Then, disassembling it would be a better option...?" Arms in a tighter fold, and a disgruntled expression as she fought to recall if her informant might have intel on the blueprints to facilitate such a task. "Using is already a challenge, isn't it...?"

Before she could continue further, a different player mentioned about switching roles. And she'd heard about Achilles before, though her memory of the name of the player who owned the skill was lost to time. Down a tank? Though it didn't bother her what the others were planning, it did strike her someone that would fit as his replacement wasn't present, despite her enthusiasm for being at the forefront of action.

The woman turned to her friend in that moment, once she'd savoured the sweet, the flat of her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "@Crozeph, is Yuki not feeling well these days?" Having her fiancée attend the meeting for intel on her behalf was one thing, but the best rationale she could form for avoiding confrontation now was due to the debacle with Shield last discussion.

... And neither was that stalwart soldier present, either.

[Baldur 0]

Baldur was annoyed that conversation still lingered on the canons, but he was also unsurprised. They were an intriguing discussion point, but they had no actual information to base that conjecture. Were they actually canons? Were they for the players to use, or the boss? Maybe they were the bosses themselves.  Maybe they would shoot the ceiling down. None of that was anything they could develop a plan around. They just had to be ready for anything.

What Baldur wasn't expecting, was Cal-kun's revelation that <<Achilles>> was no longer functional. The Gaijin Samurai knew of Cal's love-hate relationship with the Unique Skill. It both opened up and narrowed down his options. With this, Cal was mortal, but it also meant he was free to pursue whatever combat role he wanted... which was the bruiser, based on their conversations before Tristan transferred the unique skill to him. His eyebrows raised in shock when Calrex revealed that, the man turning to face his kouhai, before he stopped himself mid turn and schooled his expression back to the normal, jovial indifference. 

Then Baldur began to digest that Firm Anima would field a full team. He had to admit a bit of envy to that. Baldur had always planned to do that, though last time he made the declaration, it broke the front line because of Hestia's arrogance and greed. Traits he had never associated with the woman, one of his closests friends, before that day. Instead, here, it brought a bit of reassurance.

"While we may be losing Calrex as a tank, I do believe I can bring Shield to the raid. He is...  uncertain because of all of the mechanical changes since the floor 25 clear, but those of you that know him, know he is analytical and overly cautious. If he can work out a build he feels will do what he needs, he'll be there. And knowing my Kouhai as I do, I'll accept both of them into my team to try and coordinate. Either Cal or myself can operate as DPS and Offtank for our party if need be. Include Crow and " Baldur turned a sheepish smile to Hirru, "Sorry Hirru, I'm claiming you temporarily, that means we'll be 5."

Party Comp

Role	Team 1	Team 2	Team 3
Tank	Shield	Firm Anima	Ariel
OT/DPS	Baldur	Firm Anima	Zandra
DPS	Calrex	Freyd	Mac
DPS	Crozeph	Firm Anima	Lessa
DPS	Koga?	Firm Anima	Night
Suppt/DPS	Hirru	Firm Anima	Koga?

"So really, we're only 1 person short of a full 3 teams. Granted, we have no dedicated healers for 2 of the parties, but I think with sufficient teamwork and coordination, we can heal enough with crystals. The teams will just need to remember to heal often."

[Freyd 0]

Grateful that the conversation had moved away from singular focus on the presence of his guild, Freyd gradually eased into his role as their spokesperson.  Tactics were a more natural fit for him anyway.  He'd been on Calrex's team during the last raid, and knew well how proficient the man was as a fighter.  He could fit any role to which he set his mind.  The same was also true for the rest.  Glancing around at the other players from concealment, behind his tea cup, Freyd could see a pattern emerging.

"None of us are confident in the present state of affairs.  There's been a lot of change in the world, our skills and ourselves.  It's shaken us up."  The words carried both a ring of truth and unexpected sympathy from a man reputed to be hard-nosed and practical about everything.  "Regardless, we need to deal with it if we're to have any chance of moving ahead.  Stagnation isn't an option." 

Attracted by the chatter, a small cat-like creature composed of inky shadow slunk out from Freyd's sleeve, shake-shivering as a pet might, from head to toe, as it congealed into something more tangible at its master's side.  Freyd gently placed a hand upon its nape in another unusual sign of affection, soothing it as it struggled to rouse itself from oblivion's grasp.  It was a mongoose, revealed only when a pair of deep blue slotted eyes opened upon its otherwise tenebrous form, and the expected ears remained as nubby little things on its head.

Above it, steely blue eyes glanced in the direction of the previous speaker, followed with a short nod: an offer of support to be reinforced with words.

"Baldur has it right.  This meeting needs to focus on preparing ourselves, setting our order of battle and keeping our options open.  Plan to bring everything you have.  Hold nothing back.  You can't use it if you're dead."  Perhaps a little harsher than it needed to be, but he was still relatively new at this whole 'talking to people' thing.

"Firm Anima will bring what supplies we can to assist, but everyone should look first to their own needs as best they can."  Persi dipped her nose into his cup, sneaking the final dregs out for herself, devouring whatever fortunes and secrets might have been revealed by the leftover leaves. 

"Raidou will be our tank, with Eruda at his side.  Shiina and Simmone will focus on support while Freya and I smash anything that needs smashing."  A pause as he ponders how best to avoid tweaking any particular noses.  "There's little point in speculating about what we will find in there.  We just don't know enough.  What might also be helpful is any experience or anecdotes from those who have participated in other previous boss fights.  What worked?  What didn't?  How could we do better?"

Freyd frowned, grimacing and looking down.  Persi had chosen to busy herself by gnawing on his hand,  apparently bored by all the words.  She was a creature of action, after all.  Maybe they all were?

[Macradon 0]

More people were slowly beginning to gather at the designated meeting spot, which was nice. The small ensemble that had appeared before Macradon wasn’t a huge crowd, not even enough to properly set up a single raid part, but with the new additions to the fray, a party or two could probably be stacked up for a proper vanguard. Macradon waved at Baldur as he entered the dojo. He didn’t say much, he kept silent, waiting for the meeting to get going instead of falling into “meaningless” chit chat. They needed to get right into the thick of it and keep pushing through, they couldn’t just laze around and do nothing, they had to act.

Macradon didn’t have much to add to the conversation overall since everyone pretty much just said what he was thinking, there was nothing to go against, nothing to interject with, nothing to be able to correct, the meeting was very streamlined in itself, which was great. The parties listed were fine as well, so nothing to really discuss from the knight’s perspective, the only thing he could add was his aide to whomever would need it “I know we’re all pretty well decked out, but I’m willing to donate whatever materials or col is needed to get everyone prepped and ready for the raid. The less cumbersome we can get to the raid the better.” he added, sitting up straight and just following along the meeting.

[Hidden 1]

Floor 22 was very pretty but after seeing it so many times, the happiness it carried had now become dull. That, or it was the near-death experience from drowning when the Sundered Spire attacked. Or finally, it was the weight of doubt that she carried on her shoulders. 

The place of her destination was equally disappointing and dojo styled. However, this time Hidden knew who owned it. It was the woman who Ayame seemed to cling to that one day. Having not had returned to her own home in some time, she wasn't even sure if Ayame still stayed there herself. Perhaps she was around this very location. 

Black clothes contrasted Hidden's silvery-white hair and violet eyes. A amethyst dagger remained strapped to the underside of her arm. Her combat gear was typically all she wore, though recently she had acquired a new cloak that she would only wear during actual fights. Stepping into the meeting room, a glassy gaze passed over the room. Unfocused eyes moved onto every player. It was worrisome to realize how very few of them got along with her. Many of them she found annoying even. 

She seemed to enter at an opportune moment to give out her own opinions.  "What might also be helpful is any experience or anecdotes from those who have participated in other previous boss fights.  What worked?  What didn't?  How could we do better?"

Clearing her throat, the girl spoke in a voice that barely cast itself across to the other side of the meeting. The voice was monotone and without feeling. "What works well is everyone remembering what our job here is. To clear a floor. Remembering that we're up against a computer instead of creature's with real feelings is important. Floor twenty-three boss fight tore the frontlines apart." Her eyes flashed as she finished her statement. "They still haven't really come back together completely. There is a lot of new players, but only about half here have been here long." Herself included in that statement. 

Her eyes finally turned to Freyd who had asked the question. Raidou's right hand man, wasn't he? Hidden wondered if he had anything to do with Setsuna following her around. He probably knew that she had been hanging around Shiina by now. 

[Hirru 0]

Hirru was quite astonished by the sudden turn of events.  With all of the information and gossip floating around, the hunter had still not entered into any of the conversation, and yet it seemed like everyone had heard him out while creating the teams in his head!  How?  He looked upon his hands as he sat, only now noticing the tea and the sweets upon the little table in front of him.  How long had they been there?, he wondered.  He was starting to get anxious when Calrex pointed out what he was thinking, and then Freyd fronting an entire team through his guild.  Hirru had completely forgotten about that.  How many guilds were out there now that could send out an entire army?  Most were only small groups of people, that he could remember.

The newest one had something right.  The cannons were not there for them.  This was something else, however, that would be a moot point.  They had no information about anything on this floor, except what NIGHT speculated.  Technology that is advanced enough to have flying ships, and highly irregular floor format.  Advanced..

There was too much information to not go on.  NIGHT had another idea that piqued the hunter's interests.  A scouting raid.  A group of players that could work out the kinks of the boss before the actual raid team would fight it.  It kind of made sense, but if the team could work out the kinks, wouldn't they just kill the boss instead of wasting all our time?  The hunter seemed to be muddling with that much while Baldur was pulling him into his team.  It snapped the hunter out of his thinking bubble as the intelligence was no longer an issue at this point.  Intelligence..

'I guess I don't have much of a choice, huh.', he thought

It was then that someone that he knew would pop up, but really hoped they wouldn't have showed up.  How many times has this happened to the hunter?  So many times has an orange player came up during a meeting or the actual raid meet up, and caused Hirru problems.  He could remember that one of them was the proctor and founder of this meeting, Ariel.  He could remember quite well how she talked Teayre into punishing Hirru for his insolence.  It only lead to Hirru leading his first raid, but that was only a fluke.  Everyone knew what to do, and they survived because he shut the fuck up and only worked within his team to squelch those acid pools.  However, that fluke had long gone, and he did have to answer for his actions on the twenty third floor.

He sighed heavily before continuing with the thought that Hidden had presented, and speaking properly for the first time throughout this meeting.

"Which is why we're all here now discussing the information given and formulating teams to combat it, instead of coming in late and worrying about problems of the past; we are working towards our future."

Hirru would continue.  His eyes were falling upon not just Hidden, but everyone in the room.

"Yes, I freely admit that the 23rd floor boss fight was a disaster, and I was the reason why.  I let my head get in the way, and it caused multiple issues throughout the front.  I would apologize, but that doesn't help peoples concerns anymore.  Results are the proper way now, and that is why I'm here.  To atone for my mistakes and work towards that future."

The hunter would talk with slight anger filling his voice as he continued.  He would remember Baldur's breathing technique that he taught him to calm himself.  It seemed to slightly work.

"My apologies for going off.  It's a touchy subject on all parties, including me.  Let's learn from it, and continue on.  Anyone that wishes to talk to me about the issue, can meet me once the meeting is done."

With that, the hunter was quiet once more.

Edited October 29, 2021 by Hirru

[NIGHT 0]

In one moment, she'd remembered the dream on the borders of her mind, the one she swore she couldn't recall -- the party, the palace, the stars. All it took was Hidden's voice to light that subconscious memory tucked away. And in the next--

"Remembering that we're up against a computer instead of creature's with real feelings is important."

--she remembered the image of something more than heaven, and the weight of her reverie long forgotten finally compounded. It left the player voiceless, stunned, and without objection.

Hopefully none would've been paying the silent woman attention, all focus instead on the newcomer to the meeting, because NIGHT found herself unable to turn to face the assassin, staring down at the floor panels with an expression void of concrete emotion. Blank.

She would need more than a few seconds to calm herself.

Though she'd lowered her cup only but recently, restless fingers already pinpricking with anxiety were found at the ready, prepared to reach out for the beverage. NIGHT shot the attendant busy refilling her tea a glance. They had been perceptive, realizing she had exhausted her refreshment from earlier -- and the close contact wore on her, despite how negligible Ariel's helpers were supposed to be. She tried to pay them no mind, though her gaze couldn't help but dart in a panic -- her drink was only half-filled when she'd checked the server's pour.

All she could afford for the time being was a deep sigh to help her concentrate better on the rousing news.

(What boss fight? Whose feelings were real?)

Never mind how scalding the tea was when her cup was filled. The player hardly maintained attention to the next speaker, barely gathering the gist of discussions -- something about a boss fight that went wrong and Hirru was behind it, somehow. To continue speaking about the issue would be an error, it seemed, that they should continue their work on future plans in the present instead.

"--!"

And a hiss filled up the void that Hirru left behind, NIGHT having burnt her mouth, thirst unquenched. She set the tea down, feeling more than foolish with a scowl and a shake of her head, before finally gracing the woman at the door with a gathered and calculated stern look.

No leaving yet to escape the scene.

"Nice of you to finally show up, late," the woman echoed, and if only the jest and venom seemed hollow. "I don't suppose you'll need someone to run you through previous discussions, then, seeing how you clearly know what your duties in the fight to come are?"

Biting back the urge to pause and soothe her tongue, she turned to face Baldur, considering his plans from earlier. "One person short of three full teams -- I'm supposing Hidden's appearance here satisfies things, doesn't it?" A reckless impatience bordered on NIGHT's frame rather than her voice, and her arms tucked in once more seemed to prove it. "If we're done discussing composition, we can move onto speculation, or end the meeting here, since you had been against it before."

[Zandra 0]

Zandra stood quiet, her eyes and focus turning to each person that spoke up. One by one one they talked, and one by one they seemed to ignore her question? Well, there was to many players present to not avoid chaos to be honest. As noone was looking at her, she let out a quiet sigh. There was people present she didnt knew, some she knew and some she knew very well. When Calrex spoke up, everyone seemed to be chocked about he not having access to Achilles anymore. It wasnt quite a surprise to Zandra, after all, she had seen Itzal losing his dual skill as well. And damn, his mood when he realised the truth. she could barely stand watching it. She shaked her head, stop thinking about Itzal okay she told herself.

With her focus back to the subject at hand, she thougth that noone here had probably been leading a raid of 200 people before as she had. Everyone had different backgrounds after all, other people was far superior then her on other stuff. Zandra scratched her chin as she thougth. She wasnt that used to the current meta just yet, but as a veteran support she had looked deep into the support role. Finally it was actually possible to roll that way and be useful. Baldur just said they lacked support for 2 parties. He also showed a table with a suggestion on how their parties would look. Zandra took a quick look at the table before she decided to speak up. First she glanced at her familiar that sat on her shoulder. ‘’Zita.’’ she said quietly. The kingseagle on her shoulder flapped her wings and let out a loud cry.

‘’How about we get some order in here.’’ Zandra started. ‘’Some are talking about who will be here, some about present boss fights, some about tactics. Sounds more like a hangout party then a proper meeting. What we plan for can be deifference between life and death, literally. So can we please focus on one thing at a time. HOW are we going to kill this enemy?’’ she took a paus before contiuing. ‘’If the canons are to help us, who shall use them? If we need to destroy them, which one first? Even details like that can matter, since it gives us valuable time to carry out the actions instead of deciding it in the fight. We can plan for several senarios, so we can avoid beeing surprised.’’ from her experience, beeing surprised had mostly been the reason she and her friends had wiped in her countless guildraids back from her time as commander.

Edited October 29, 2021 by Zandra

[Freyd 0]

Freyd's eyes rolled silently in their orbits before settling on NIGHT and narrowing at her reactions.  First the hooded figure in the boat, and now this?  His curiosity was piqued, which usually meant a lot of very uncomfortable scrutiny for those who preferred their privacy, and few didn't.  

"Still picking fights upon entry, Purple?"  A jab at Hidden's sensitivities over her hair colour, discovered during past encounters, and an open reminder that the Whisper rarely forgot the little details.  "Priorities.  I understand.  But you're not wrong that we need to work together, and that we're fighting a system instead of people."  Steely eyes released their lock on NIGHT to swivel back to the bitter new arrival.  They flicked upward at the orange cursor over her head.  There was no accusation, but he was sure that she would infer one.  She always did.  Hate was its own source of fuel.  Hidden also worked best when angry, and he meant to keep her that way, not that this was especially difficult to achieve.  

"Old grievances are not worth pursuing here, unless people are prepared to bury their hatchets."  He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the dojo behind him.  "Facilities are provided, courtesy of our generous host."  The comment was directed at Hirru and any who still had issues with him.  Freyd did not, and was making that plainly clear.  

"As to speculation, our time may be better spent on other tasks rather than guessing at what might or might not happen, what may or may not be cannons, and whether the kaboom will come from gunpowder or good old-fashioned womping physics.  It'll hurt the same, either way, and we'll all find out soon enough."  Bowing low, Freyd gave due respect to Ariel's duties as host and the rest of the assembled guests.  Regardless of varying viewpoints, they'd all shown up, and that earned them all some credit, in his books.  Excusing himself, he rose and headed for the exit.

"See you all in the bowels of Ladonia.  Good fortune be with us all."

@NIGHT @Hidden @Hirru @Macradon  @Zandra @Ariel - The Crowned Lion

[Hidden 1]

To no surprise, The self proclaimed "Jade Hunter" spoke up in defense of himself. He apparently was still upset over the whole matter, but to Hidden's pleasant surprise admitted to his mistakes. Maybe the frontliners weren't just filled with those that are full of themselves. Even offered a talk if any of them felt like they needed it. No reaction came from the silver-haired girl, just that glassy stare. As if she weren't really present in the meeting. At Hirru's words, no doubt crept forward to fill her thoughts. She instead accepted them at face value. If he pulled a stunt like it again, it would go poorly from him and she doubted that she would be at the head of that line. 

Protecting their jailers hardly had any providable excuse. She was willing to bet that the act twice in a row would lose all trust from the rest of the frontlines. 

As Hirru finished, a chide voice spoke up directed at her. Looking in the direction of the voice, her gaze met NIGHT's. Uneasy emotions rested in Hidden, being the first time in the meeting she had shown any emotion. A small uneasy shift in Hidden as the whisper in her ear reminded her exactly who NIGHT was. How NIGHT had treated her. However, NIGHT's voice remained at the center of these whispers. 

"You think I'm pretty?"

Taking reign over herself once more, Hidden found her voice to retaliate to the snide comment. "Sorry, took me a bit to realize it was an actual invitation to the meeting. Last time I don't even recall ever getting one." Hidden shook her head at the offer of being caught up with information. She was here simply for the date and time. She didn't find herself fitting into the majority of plans anyway. She always kind of just her own thing. 

Freyd's voice came to light, a slew of nasty thoughts rang in her head as she turned her head towards him. 'Enemy. Traitor. He's probably part of the bunch stalking you with Setsuna.'  Ignoring the whispers, Hidden remained faceless. Even at a poorly made nickname awarded by her eyes revealed no information to what she was feeling. Why? It didn't even seem to reach her. She heard the words, but it was as if she didn't notice them at all. They held no weight to her. The words weren't powerful enough to create a reaction in her state. 

Stripping her glassy-violet eyes from Freyd she listened to the information over the cannons. 'Cannons? I don't need cannons to fight. We are strong enough without it.'  Ignoring the thought, she stepped forward closer to the meeting and source of light itself. If one paid enough attention to her, they would notice that her figure appeared not to cast any shadow on the wall behind her. "I don't think its out of the question where we could take the cannons. If not, we could destroy them. Though, if there are multiple cannons: is it out of the question there are multiple bosses?" 

[Baldur 0]

A thousand vile curses flashed across Baldur's mine when @Hidden walked into the room, and as per usual, bile and chaos came in her wake. He schooled his face immediately, letting out a controlled breath meant to help him find the controlled balance of emotionlessness he sought in battle. His hands, resting comfortably in his lap tightened just barely, his shoulders moved back into better posture just so slightly, but the blue of his eyes, oceanic when @Lessa sat beside him, grew to steel when Hidden entered the room. The image of her attacking @Hirru in the raid replayed in his mind. There was no one in the room who was more betrayed by Hirru's actions on the 23rd floor than @Macradon, but Baldur was a close second. Still, he had sought the veridian haired scout out and discussed what had happened. They had made amends, and Baldur welcomed the merchant back into his heart and his home. Baldur would, once again, trust Hirru with not just his own life, but with the lives of everyone on Aincrad.

But then something struck him, even in the depths of his battle mind. The normally invisible woman, @NIGHT, seemed to feel the same about Hidden. He wasn't sure why that surprised him, given Hidden's predilection to make every gathering as unpleasant as possible. Then he saw the man called Freyd respond in kind. His respect for both of them adjusted upward, and immediately he felt a small amount of kinship with the two of them.

When he spoke, his voice was terse, and uncommon trait for older man. He knew he shouldn't let her get the better of him this way, but she was nails on the chalkboard.

"Here's how this will go, because this how its gone every time before this."

Then he felt a touch on his hand. She didn't hold it, she just rested her hand on his for a moment, a breath, and then withdrew it, but it was enough.

Baldur took another deep breath, and let it out.

"We've had these exact same discussions before. Freyd asked how we could do better, learn from the past, and this how." He looked over at Night, and gave her a bit of an embarrassed smile, "I am not opposed to people who want to conjecture, as long as the important parts are taken care of first. People need to show up equipped to take on anything. That means full kits of buffs. If you're unsure of what to take or not, err on the side of caution and don't take buffs that debuff your mitigation. It's better to deal less damage and live, or not require as much healing, than it is to get just a little more damage out, or make the boss take one less hit.

"That's because, as dysfunctional as we are, this is a team. Teamwork doesn't just mean holding up your part of the larger group, it also means trusting others to do their part. It is a sacred bond of trust between all of us, that we're going to do our part, and that we can all watch each others backs."

Baldur adjusted his haori, trying not to fidget with the himo.

"This situation has come up before. Where we don't know if its one or many enemies. We don't know what different environmental effects are. This is one of the more blind fights we've been on, and I won't begrudge anyone for their conjecture. Several of you have raised good points, but ultimately it falls down to this - we won't have any good information to act on until we get into the boss room and trigger it. For all we know, the boss will be on an airship throwing bob-ombs down on us, and someone will have to shoot the players out of the canon in order to board the air ships. We just don't know. And in cases like this, the plans can sometimes cause more confusion. So if people wish to discuss every possible way that we can interpret four cannon like shapes in a dark room with poor footing, I will sit here and listen and try to be constructive out of respect for the risk you and I am putting our lives in."

He looked around the room, meeting the eyes of everyone there except Hidden.

"But know this, these plans will not survive contact with the enemy. We won't know until we're in there, but when we do see what we have to face, we must act as one. Unfortunately, even following an order you feel is bad, or wrong, is better than acting independently in contradiction." Baldur suddenly let out an exasperated sigh.

"I hate the word order, we're not soldiers. Many of us in the this room as kids, or little older. You're not soldiers in an army, but we do need order."

He spun the little cup of tea in his hand, as visions of so many fights flashed through his memory. Some going well, many going terribly.

"I only, as a veteran of many floor boss fights, though far fewer than others in this room, ask all of you this: Act as one as a party. I know Firm Anima will do this. I trust my friends and those I've forged the bond of combat with will do the same, but choose a party leader. And then, as a raid, let the leaders cooperate and form a chain of command, whether we have one raid leader, or each acts independently, as long as you're looking out for the party you're in, we'll succeed."

Finally, his shoulders slumped back down to rest.

"That's all that I have to say. Come prepared with every buff you can, I will provide and share what I am able, but plan as a party to make sure everyone is covered. And don't be a hero. Teleport out if you're scared or close to death. It is better we retreat and regroup, than lose someone."

The memory of Azide flashed across the gaijin samurai's mind. So many others as well.

Finally, he raised the cup of tea to his lips, to hide the ghosts at the edges of his eyes.

[Crozeph 0]

The atmosphere got a little heavy with how some had talked about a raid, he had a slight of idea of what blunders took in there, after all... his former guild leader probably died in one of those. His thoughts were stuck on Night's question about Yuki, a name of a person he wants to see but can't seem to find. He always thought that Yuki might have appeared somewhere else like him who got Amazon Prime dropped in Tartarus and that gave a gloom expression on his face "I would like to know if she's feeling well too, if only I could find her" he told Night and then his face returned to that of a guy who seemed like he knew nothing.

Crozeph was still lying on the floor as they talked and he slowly crawled towards the table as if he was some kind of patient who fell off wheelchair, no one has been noticing him eating all the snacks he can reach, the team compositions Baldur talked was enough, he trusts in current guild leader's judgment of putting who together. 

and then she appeared....

Hidden's presence was starting to grow on him, less fear inside Ariel's house but somehow he can notice Night's dislike of her and Baldur seems to have joined the "I am not liking her" server. He who was stealing snacks slowly then grabbed the pot from the server and filled Night's cup. Almost close to the brim, he wanted to just mess around to cut that not so good words starting to spill "don't spill it @NIGHT" he told her.

He lied down on his back eating as they continued to talk, somehow the cannons were the least of his worries "cannons fire off in a single direction, highly evasive players can dodge its ball. We should be thinking about the enemy who made that, it could be a mad alchemist the nobles employed or rather a noble who wanted to achieve something and the same person who also made that mutated Stuart we fought in the sewers.

"The enemies we have here might be programmed but-" Crozeph pulled out his new katana "this is a fragment of Shadow, the last guy we mugged and he wasn't as computer-ish as we imagined."

He then proceeded to eat all the snacks he took one go and then grabbed 3 more, tossing one to @Hidden "if we're gonna talk about tactics, let me handle the extras, you all can go whack the main guy in this raid, I'll try to catch up. Unless someone in my team or other team wants to join me and I'm hoping @Baldur-shisou is fine with that."

[NIGHT 0]

She didn't need the sudden attention -- and yet she felt it all the same. NIGHT had imagined the cold stare coming from Crow's grimdark look, the moment he spilled of Yuki's disappearance, but that feeling of being watched still lingered.

The player turned just as Freyd stood to take his leave -- his direction? She felt a chill down her back, the only sign of discomfort revealed was a tucking of her lower lip inwards. Then her sights went back to Baldur and Crow -- a speech, speculation...

... Her missing friend would've been first priority, above all else. And as her gaze wandered towards Hirru, the man Baldur had pinpointed out to front on his squadron, she gave that decision extra weight. 'A sacred bond of trust'.

"Yes, I freely admit that the 23rd floor boss fight was a disaster, and I was the reason why. ... Results are the proper way now, and that is why I'm here. To atone for my mistakes and work towards that future."

If there was more to this story, she would need to hear it first before calling a bluff.

NIGHT picked up her cup, freshly refilled from the courtesy of her companion, carefully taking a sip after letting it cool adequately. The offering was in jest, and she would take it in stride, rising to her feet as Crow rattled off about Shadow.

Enough about Cardinal for now.

"Likewise." Her acknowledgement was to the older man, and had she been unrestrained in her speech, perhaps a tad youthful slight might've woven its way into her tone. It was reeled in, the woman taking another swig from her drink. "Would it be that we couldn't trust each other. I believe each of us has made an attendance here, today, to prove true to our faith in one another. That we can get through the castle together."

"--So you'll understand," the player continued, gesturing her teacup in a circular manner, pointedly referring to the other individuals present in the room. "If I trust the discussion just as much to take my leave early." She swallowed down any additional rationale that might've given away her emotional state, taking one last gulp of her beverage, before handing it off to an attendant.

"You can have the rest of my treats, Crow. Thank you for the meeting."

NIGHT made eye contact with Hidden on her way out; still musing, with an expression softer than her words issued when the woman first entered the room, on if that dream had been accurate to a tee, a well-made prediction, or if it had simply been a fragment of her subconscious.

With a look away, she shook off the thought.

The player closed the door behind her, though shuffled down the corridor methodically. Taking her leave as soon as possible was one thing. Understanding the outcome of their meeting was another.

(And Hirru's offer--)

A window was beckoned open with a shift of her fingers. NIGHT typed rapidly, sending a missive before leaning against one of the dojo's pillars. Had any of Ariel's students, passersby's, looked at her with understandable confusion, the woman was quicker to shake her head, eyes closed, before returning to gaze up at the ceiling.

Purple eyes transfixed on fresh wooden scaffolding. A perplexed mind lost in thought.

 

To: @Hirru

NIGHT: hey
NIGHT: after the meeting, right?
NIGHT: lmk when you're heading out. i'm still within the dojo.
NIGHT: i need you and hidden to talk.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

@personal rant intro
One by one, more players arrived at the designated location. Ariel would do her best to welcome them with a smile and direct them towards the interior, making a conscious effort to ignoring the fact that the majority didn't take their shoes off at the entrance. She blamed herself for not instructing her students to remind their guests of this specific custom beforehand. She eyed Maugre from the 'welcoming committee', who looked at her with a worried expression as if he read her mind. He experience first hand the blonde's wrath when he first entered the dojo with his muddy boots. She offered him a smile and raised her index at her lips. They had more important matters to discuss.

@Baldur
While she offered to host the 'event' she didn't mean to directly take lead of it. The conversation, spearheaded by NIGHT, started on the subject of the cannons followed by Balsur's concern on the raid attendance. Followed by the topic of team formations and pooling resources to prepare all participants to the fight. While not the topics she wanted to linger on too much, the blonde listened to everyone's words and took mental notes on how she could contribute. She moved close to Baldur and pointed next to the role in his list, talking in a low tone with the fellow samurai just enough so he could hear her but not disturb the rest. "I'm afraid I can't tank anymore, following the update I decided to return to my roots and min-max my dps. I wield a katana now, so I'll have to ask you back for the weapon I gave you for safekeeping." She said with a smile, as she continued to listen to the conversation.
 

As Freyd presented Firm Anima's roster for the raid, she instinctively let out a surprised "Oh!" and slowly clapped, as she heard the names, personally knowing only two of them. A gesture that mostly didn't get noticed by the rest.

The arrival of a certain white haired latecomer seemed to affect a number of the players present. The point she made was meet with a nod from the blonde, despite not liking the accusatory feeling she perceived from her tone. While acquainted with her, Ariel was oblivious with the reason people reacted that way. Seems something happened with the 23rd raid, one she didn't participate in. From this point on things slightly degenerated onto worse.

@Zandra
Ariel wanted to intervene and meditate what she felt to be an impending argument to the one on the last meeting but didn't manage to react in time as Zandra used her familiar to try to get everyone's attention. While her concerns were valid and her heart in the right place, the blonde didn't like with how this meeting was evolving. Accusations started being thrown and voices raised, disturbing the amiable atmosphere they started in. As Baldur spoke, she took opportunity to get close to the dragoness and gently put her hand on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze as she spoke: " Please have a sit, I appreciate the intention to re-center the discussion but I'm afraid that with this many people, this type of action will only serve as fuel for more unrest. "

@Freyd

She watched Freyd walk away and made a few hurried steps towards him in an attempt to catch up. "Please stay until the end, I'm not sure what got you riled up like this but you are the the only representative from Firm Anima. I would like to ask you to stay even if it's only to observe and take notes, then pass on whatever you deem relevant to Raidou. If he isn't here, so I'm sure that whatever info you can give him from this meeting will help him better organize your group." she spoke softly, so that only he could hear; almost pleading as she tried to switch his focus from his heart to reason. 

@ALL
Then she would turn back at the current topic. She would step forward and clap a few times. " Can I get everyone's attention for a second! " she claimed, cutting off any that wanted to interject after NIGHT.
She retrieved her cup of tea, took a sip of the delicious green tea prepared and set it back down, before continuing: " Baldur is on the right track, I believe we need a well-defined structure to these meetings and the time leading up to the raid itself. Instead of inviting a bunch of people that collectively throw in their two cents, potentially starting an unrelated argument like last meeting or wasting time coming up with an infinite amount of possibilities.
I kept quiet so far because I wanted to see if we learned something but I'm afraid that If I stayed quiet a little longer, either the meeting would've come to an abrupt end with little results for the raid party or it would've degenerated into an argument and speculations that would also not serve the raid."

Then a visible change came across her face as she seemed to have realized something. This was the topic she should've started this meeting with. Biting her lower lip, Ariel then bowed deeply before everyone present with her eyes closed, as she continued her voice softened: " I apologize for failing as a host and not clearly stating my intentions from the start. I know many would like to end the meeting here but If everyone is okay with it, I would like to start over. I want to construct on Baldur's words and propose a different way to conduct these gatherings and possibly the floor boss fight." She cleared her throat and straightened up, waiting for a a bit to see their response.

---

(much to write so I'll make another post with the rest in 24h-ish)

Edited October 30, 2021 by Ariel - The Crowned Lion

[Freyd 0]

Looking genuinely puzzled at Ariel's request, Freyd halted his withdrawal.

"Riled?  Oh, this isn't riled, it's 'business concluded' with a sprinkle of 'disinterested'.  We know who's coming and have generally sorted out who will be working with whom.  There intel on the boss room is too sparse to be of much use, and guessing is more likely to lead us to the wrong assumptions than the right ones.  I favour the effective use of my time, Ariel.  There are no small number of other duties still requiring attention."  He glanced back towards the ongoing discussion. 

"These meetings need to be short and to the point.  It's too easy to get lost in the weeds of old grudges and what-if-isms."  He clearly considered both to be wastes of valuable time.  Clenching his jaw, with lips pursed into a firm grimace, he pondered her request for a moment.  "If the host requests that I remain, it would be disrespectful of me to depart in haste.  I will linger a while longer, just in case, but if things progress as suspect I must take my leave.  There are too many things left to be done, and lives may depend upon their completion."

Offering her a conciliatory nod, he took his place among the wallflowers, some of the literal variety, and faded into the background.  Most would likely consider him to have already left, and if he did so from here, no one was likely to notice anyway.

[Zandra 0]

It didnt seemed like telling Zita to cry out would get much attention, did noone bothered about it? Noone cares what she had to say? Is it because she had been gone from the front for so long? Had she done something to make them angry or dislike her? Yes, the death of Lowe was partly her fault, but they couldnt still feel hate towards her for that? And noone seemed to be angry at Ari for it. A glance around and she saw that most of the players present she guessed dont even know who Lowenthal is. And the chaos contiued. A shadow of crimson appeared on her cheeks as she was on way to get angry for real.

 @Ariel - The Crowned Lion

She opened her inventory to take out her axe and slam in the middle of the area. That must get their attention. But just as she was gonna press equip she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Her finger was hovering a centimeter from the equip button as she herd Ariels voice. Her crimson eyes looked at her over her shoulder. She gulped as she listened to the lioness. When she was done Zandras finger closed the screen infront of her and her cheeks got a bit redder. But now it was of embarresment and her anger had been flushed away. She gave Ariel a small nod. ‘’I… I am sorry Ari. You right, not sure what I was thinking. This just, we wont.... nevermind, we can take it after.’’ Zandra answered quietly. Without further words she sat down in respect of one of her oldest friends.

 @Baldur

She took a look on Baldur. ‘’Baldur, you can change me on that, Im support now.’’ she said calmly and friendly. And with that, she went into her own thougths, keeping one ear listening to Ariel as she spoke up to get some order. Hopefully she would have better luck. She was the host after all thou.

Edited October 31, 2021 by Zandra

[Hirru 0]

It seemed that Hirru wasn't the only one that seemed to have an issue with someone crashing a party, though this came from the one that Hirru didn't know much about.  He was reminded that there was much more activity around the other players than he would ever know.  He kept breathing slowly and deeply to alleviate any more of his anger that he wanted to subside.

Suddenly, Zandra's bird squaked and it threw his concentration off.  She was right, but they still didn't have everything together.  He was getting calmer, but there was still much in his mind.  All of it getting worse as Freyd and Baldur took the stand.  Freyd didn't much care for all of this gossip and seemed to already have what he needed.  Hirru would have followed suit, if he had not suggested that the hunter take his considerations of issues within the dojo itself. 

It dawned on Hirru then.  Something he long forgotten, but he was sure one other person in this room would remember.  A certain boisterous fellow with burning red hair and beard that loved to get into fights, but was always there to pick you back up after beating the shit out of you.  Hirru remembered that was the way he would settle disputes.  Let ones fists talk, and afterwards talks things out like proper people should, as aggressions are mostly taken care of.

Hirru didn't think that would work too well for him, as one of them would just murder him.

He sighed as Baldur went on a speech about the current situations they were having, as the situation between having very little information to go on except will the cannons be friend or foe, seemed to be the only thing people could talk about.  Both of them were right, and Hirru was wasting his time too.  There was much to do and grind out for everyone to get the proper buffs.

Hirru was instantly reminded of something.  He had prepared before hand, as the one that asked for the scouting party to assemble, so he had a few feasts prepared.  One such feast was combined into something that he had noticed Freyd using quite a bit.  A Gungnir shard, an item that could replicate any consumable placed into it near infinitely.  He had recently got his own and found that it has a recharge time, but does still replicate the consumable placed within after the timeframe.  A remarkable thing.

"I can field the damage potions and accuracy, mitigation and luck for my team, through feasts I acquisitioned before I called the scouting party.  Mind you, they're not the greatest tasting.  I'm not resourceful enough to get everyone a feast, as I am not that kind of crafter.  However, there is something that can help us."

Hirru pulled out his gungnir shard, which he immediately tapped.  It would unfurl, like a flower's petals opening for the first time, to reveal a platter of cooked fish.  It would look quite salty.

"There is this item called a Gungnir shard, that can replicate any consumable fused within itself near infinitely.  It seems to have a limit though.  It can't be used in combat, and can't be used consecutively, meaning it takes time to recharge itself.  My mitigation feast is currently housed within, so I can call upon its usage as a feast for a whole team, before it must recharge itself.  It would be prevalent to use feasts, but anyone can put whatever they prefer."

After a bit of talking, the platter would begin to deteriorate, as if its durability was heavily burning out, before the shard folded itself back together, and a little timer would appear on it. 

"I speak of this, so that everyone knows about them, can be on the look out for them, and have the possibility to have entire teams already buffed, without having to wait too long for crafters to keep up with us."

He nodded the last part to Zandra, whom he remembered had to work around the clock some times, to get potions out for entire raid teams.  Thankfully, the hunter had seen some promising players that out there that could help with consumable creations in both potions and food/feasts.  They would need quite a few to get this ball rolling, but if every person in a team could field one gungnir of every cook buff, they would be able to rush bosses in no time.

A message would come to him shortly after.  It was from NIGHT.  It was something about talking to Hidden.  Hirru sighed.  He was going to do that anyway, if she had an issue with him, that was.  What Hidden did was all due to Hirru being the dumbest person alive.  He didn't know that the child was not real, nor did he care at the time.  Though now, the hunter could tell after talking about the situation with Baldur, Shield, Beat, Hestia, and Freyd was that:  Hidden's actions were justifiable.  Hirru was essentially a small fence that needed to be pushed out of the way; Hidden just decided to cut the fence instead.  Hirru was fine with that.  What he wasn't fine with was sudden interruptions that were always cause by orange players.  Dear god, why did Opal do that so much!?

He would try to get Ariel's attention a bit.  Although, they seemed to be having issues of her own.  He had watched NIGHT with the attendant that refilled their cup a couple times, and figured that he would try the tea.  By this time, it was already cold, so the taste wasn't too great to the hunter, especially since he didn't have tea too often.  Preferred the darker stuff.  However, he would drink it all, and as he sat it back down, the attendant would be by his side.  Without motioning much, he would hold his hand over his cup.

"Please let our host know that I wish to use this dojo for a bit after the meeting, for the 'talk' I expressed earlier."

[Lessa 1]

Lessa had never feared taking charge. Even before Ainrad, Alyssa had been willing to step up whenever the situation called for it. Sometimes, this manifested as playing mediator for her brothers, parents, or school friends. Other times, it meant taking the bulk of the work in a group project. And, of course, she shined on the stage while in high school.

But in the Floor 26 boss meeting, Lessa found herself shrinking back into her seat. She knew it was wrong, but she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole, rescuing her from the oppressive weight in the air. When had she last felt this anxious? This is awful, Lessa thought to herself, the heel of her right hand massaging the space above her heart. Had the previous meeting been this bad? She figured it had, but between Oscar’s tacos and Bahr’s banter, the tension just hadn’t gotten to her. This time was different. Everything was different.

Even Baldur appeared ill at ease, his words clipped, his usually smiling lips drawn in a paper-thin line. His speeches usually invigorated her, lighting that fire in her core, and moving her to action. But after the man finished, concluding his soliloquy with a sip of his tea, Lessa found she felt less inspired than before. He wouldn’t look at her, but as she leaned forward to scan his face, she noted the shadows lurking where laughter lines used to reside. How long had those been there?

A powerful urge to curl up into a ball overcame Lessa, but her large frame and small chair simply did not allow it. Instead, she crossed her arms tightly across her chest. Was this why so few Players joined the Frontlines, or made the decision to leave again? Freyd had announced his departure, and with a pang of panic, Lessa watched NIGHT slip from the room. As her guild leader, she supposed it was her responsibility to check on the woman. Moreso, Lessa worried for the woman she both admired and respected. With a few quick movements, she composed and sent a short message.

To NIGHT: You good?

Then, turning back to the meeting, she caught Hirru’s words. Herre, at least, was something she could respond to without fear of accidentally fanning flames. Why was it that these meetings felt like walking on eggshells? “I have a Gungnir Shard,” she stated. “I haven’t applied anything to it yet. I can put in whatever will be the most helpful for my party.”

@NIGHT