[OP-F26] A Night Amongst the Stars [Event]

[Morningstar 0]

Somewhere off towards the stern of the airship was Morningstar. He had stepped away from the bar since his brief interaction with Yona, intent on getting some fresh air. It was a simple task, considering they were flying.

He had ensured his drink was topped up before leaving so he could nurse it conservatively for a little while longer. He leaned against the ship's railing. It was strange, being at a party like this. It was so similar to the parties he had attended years ago, in the real world. Of course, they had not been in the sky so they were ultimately less interesting. 

Morningstar's celebrity life—the thought of the word made him cringe a bit—involved countless events that he could never avoid. He had been away from that lifestyle for so long that he had almost forgotten how exhausting they could be. He reached his arm out as they passed over a cloud, his fingertips barely grazing it. He thought it should have been fluffier.

A crash on the opposite end of the ship startled him and seemingly everyone else nearby. He glanced around, making nervous eye contact with a few other attendees. His hands were now covered in the remainder of his whisky. He tossed the empty glass over the edge of the ship in annoyance. Whatever the crash was could not have been so serious that he had no time to rinse his hands. He strode towards the nearest bathroom, a little bit sticky and uncomfortable.

At least his suit was okay though. He pushed the tap, drowning his hands in warm water while he stared himself down in the mirror. Things were quiet again. He dried off his hands, curious about the cause of his drink malfunction. He thought that if something serious had happened, somebody would have made an announcement. He was sure he had seen a captain when he arrived and there was plenty of staff on deck.

Two men entered the bathroom just as Morningstar turned from the mirror. They were dressed, stereotypically, like pirates, each with a cutlass in hand. He stared at them, weaponless. They seemed just as shocked to see him as he was to see them.

"Gents," Morningstar greeted, slowly raising his hands.

One of the pirates pointed his cutlass at the blonde. "Bring 'im to the cap'n!"

Things were beginning to make sense. The pirate who had not spoken was the one to approach first. His blade was raised, its tip aimed straight at Morningstar. Instinctively, through the discomfort of his suit jacket, Morningstar let loose a single punch to the pirate's face. He stumbled back, stunned from the impact, allowing the dapper swordsman to step to his weakside and disarm him.

The other pirate followed with a swing of his blade. It met the cutlass that Morningstar now held with a painful-sounding clash. The duel was interrupted rather suddenly by the tilting of the ship. Morningstar slid alongside both of the pirates, one of which was now on the floor with the other soon to follow.

"Man, what the f-," Morningstar shrieked as he tried to regain balance.

Aincrad parties were not what he was used to.

[Plot Master 0]

The slowly fading screams of a man’s voice as they were tossed over the edge of the ship caught Captain Loughran’s attention. While most of the players saw the threat that the Captain and his crew posed to them and the crew of the Duchess, one female player decided they wanted to continue playing the hero. His features twisted into a face of rage, the sound of each pounding step with his heavy boots bringing with it a fear that he would step right through the deck of the ship. “I guess someone didn’t learn their lesson the first time.” The large Captain would allow the tip of his axe to drag along the ground as he stormed towards Yona, who had just finished dealing with a second of the pirates. “You! Girl! You’re going to pay for –“

Within a moment’s notice, everything shifted. Crates, tables, and chairs not secured toppled and slid across the wooden planks of the deck, some careening over the edge of the ship and falling to the city below. Everyone above deck seemed surprised, both NPC and players alike. Loughran stumbled, trying to regain his footing. “Who the hell is piloting this thing?!” he would shout at the top of his lungs, looking around at the others before turning his attention back to Yona. “Since you don’t like listening to instructions..” he would address her first before shouting over his shoulder to his crew below deck, “Kill three of the hostages!”

There was a silence that followed.

“I said – Kill three of the hostages!” he repeated.

“Adam!” a voice shouted from behind Loughran, causing him to take his attention off of Yona for a moment. Daemon Xandis, now free from their bindings thanks to the joint effort of two of the players, was walking towards the pirate, their retrieved sword at the ready. “Let’s dance, like we used to” they would say with a smirk before rushing at Loughran. The two began trading blows in the center of the deck, while the other pirates shifted their focus between their boss, and the players. "Don't just stand there, take them out! Take them all out!!" Brandishing their weapons, the pirates wore faces similar to kids being let loose in a toy store. Finally, it was play time.

[Jomei 0]

Rapiers weren't meant to cut through ropes, especially not ones this thick. Even with his expertise in the weapon, this would take a bit longer than he had anticipated.. and his efforts were not going unnoticed. A few of the pirates, who had turned to watch Loughran approach Yona, had turned back after the ship began to tilt, noticing the ginger was trying to free the captain of the Duchess. "Hey you!" they shouted as they began to approach. 

Jomei needed to think fast. He needed to hold off the pirates and free Xandis quickly enough so that they could maybe catch Loughran's attention. The rest of them could potentially take down Loughran's crew, if Xandis took Loughran head on. With their shared past, they should be able to deal with the pirate captain. Back to the situation at hand however, Jomei needed to pull his attention to freeing Xandis to take down the foes moving to stop him. That was until Astralin moved to intercept, covering Jomei as he continued to free Daemon. "Got it!" Jomei called back, without wasting too much time with talking. A few more cuts with his rapier, and the ropes would come undone. "Thanks" Xandis would quickly say, looking to Jomei as they rubbed their arms, "I'll distract Adam. You all find us a way out of this mess." 

Once the Captain of the Duchess was freed, and moving to take on Loughran, Jomei would quickly move to Astralin's side to help her take down the few pirates that she decided to take on single handedly. "Thanks for the assist, I owe you one." he'd say with a smile as he thrust his rapier forth, piercing through the shoulder of one of the pirates. 

@Astralin

[Corvo 0]

Some time before...

"Black Tie."

Corvo leered down at the message with a curt shake of his head. "Thanks for doing literally what the game forced you to do, lets celebrate." What a concept! It was like the AI wanted to give them the realest experience possible, throwing them into the fire and then treating them as heroes, creating the ideal setting to exacerbate the already rampant Stockholm Syndrome. And now, the machine brain wanted to treat them like VIPs in the real world.

"Ties are for old guys," he announced to no one in particular as he made a snap decision about what to wear. If the game wanted to throw them a party, then he was going to fuckin' PARTY. But not because the game wanted them to. 

It was because no parties were about to happen without the King's Consent.

 

Present

Let's be honest, did you think that this guy of all people was going to do anything less than ostentatious?

The exquisitely woven silks and lavish gilded embroidery drew more eyes than some of the women's clothing, but it didn't seem to make Corvo any more modest. He snatched up a goblet filled with wine and sampled the flavor, eyeing it with skepticism for a moment before swigging it a second time just to be sure. "At least the server has decent wine varietals uploaded," he muttered, clearly not enthusiastic about the revelation. The fact that it was a Valentine's Day party made his stunning display of arrogance even more gaudy.

Corvo was alone and he was more than happy about it. In fact, Corvo had always been alone. Now he was just doing it better than everyone else.

If a perfect view of Ladonia below existed, it was from this vantage. Perched along the rails of the main deck, Corvo leaned with his back to the sky, one elbow draped over while the other hand lazily cupped his drink. His ruby gaze skimmed the masses, less interested than amused. How many of them had come together, looking to abscond from the dangers of Aincrad and indulge in their hopes for love and camaraderie?

His smile all but evaporated with that thought. "It's making the wine taste foul," he sneered, looking for someone to antagonize. 

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"One of you, bring me damn Xandis.. and no one gets hurt.."

Well, that was easy. Sometimes people just painted targets on themselves.

"Unless, of course.. you don't care for their lives. I'll go through each one of them until I get what I want... then I'll go through all of you."

Before Corvo had the opportunity to stand up properly, however, another man decided to do it. The King's gaze moved to the staunch would-be defender and he listened to the man's words. "I don't know what you want with the Captain.. but this is a peaceful occasion. We won't let you hurt these people just so you can get what you want."

"Captain? Them? Psh, don't make me laugh... But you wanna be a tough guy eh? Alright.. I'll give you one free shot." 

 

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Jomei would respond without allowing more than a second to pass. He would quickly close the distance on the large pirate, thrusting forward with his rapier. With speed unexpected for a man of his size, the pirate would parry Jomei's rapier out of the way with his axe before shoving the blunt tip into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Jomei stumbled backwards towards the railing, readying his weapon again. However, before he could act, a swing from the pirate would knock the sword out of his hand, sending it skittering across the deck. Planting a heavy boot against Jomei's chest, they would pin the ginger against the wooden railing, the only thing keeping him from falling to his death.

So, there were people with convictions in this world. The fact that their best efforts were made in vain neither surprised him nor disgusted him. Instead, Corvo had to offer silent respect. That was a trait he thought was left behind. 

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No," Lessa cried, but her pathetic protest came out more like a helpless kitten's mewl. The sheer sound of it disgusted her, and that red-hot emotion seemed to melt her frozen limbs. With the sharp click of heels, the blonde approached. Not far away, another woman appeared to have the same idea, taunting the pirate captain with a smug smile before summoning a sword art. As the colors burst into existence, so too did Lessa's enormous sword. She gripped it tightly, prepared to swing, then watched the enemy easily side-step the brunette's attack. Lessa faltered.

"I wouldn't." The captain's voice, once loud and commanding, dropped to a low snarl. That, Lessa found, was far scarier. "Your boyfriend here might stand a chance against me." Feigning repulsion, he added, "Maybe. But them?" He motioned over his shoulder, to where one of his men pressed a blade to the neck of a young, terrified serving girl. She winced, and a line of crimson slipped down to pool at the base of her throat, uncomfortably reminiscent of the rubies worn by the partygoers. "If I were you, I'd drop that sword of yours."

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And there were more than one of them! Corvo vaguely seemed to remember the face of this one, and the massive sword she conjured, but from where he couldn't seem to recall. More important was the valor on display.

Round them up and take them below deck. If they resist, cut a throat or two." His dark eyes danced as he scanned the gathered Players. "That should get our message across."

 

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"Well then, what did Daemon, or any of us ever do to you?"

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The Pirate master scoffed at the petite, blonde girl's question. "What did Daemon do to me, she asks.." he says to himself before ejecting his arms outwards to either side.  "THIS is what Daemon TOOK from me."  The pirate continues to scan his surroundings, not looking at the players, or the staff, but the ship itself with a disgusted scowl locked on his face. 

"They stole my ship, right out of the dock, and turned it into this.. This prudish cruise for the wealthy upper class." that disdain still ringing in their voice, he would spit upon the wooden floorboards at his feet. "Abandoned my crew in the middle of the night, abandoned ME.."  his expression would soften from anger, to contemplation.. confusion. The face of someone who has had this conversation with himself multiple times, and still cannot find the answer. "So now, I'm taking it back. And getting some revenge in the process." 

 

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That would be unwise.."

A voice from below the deck would call up the stairs, as the figure came into view with slow steps. Captain Xandis would finally step forth to face this pirate, their long braided hair and coat gently picking up in the wind as they emerged into the open air. The gold embroidered, white jacket was slightly undone, and they now wore a longsword on their hip. "Adam. It's been awhile.. I would suggest not causing a scene upon the deck of my ship. My guests here are renowned adventurers and warriors, they could deal with you and your crew with ease. So lets keep this civil, no?"

"That's Captain Loughran to you...And that's up to them."  The pirate would glare at the players, "If they want a fight.. I'll give them a fight. But it'll be your people that end up dead if they try it. So here's my offer to you. I take back my ship, I take these servants as.. lets call it payment for emotional damages." he would say sarcastically with a low rumble of a chuckle. "In return, I let your friends here go. You, on the other hand.. You'll be coming back with me."  Loughran had closed the distance between himself, resting a large knuckle under Daemon's chin and lifting their face to meet his.

"You're a terrible man, and an even worse lover." they would respond before smacking his hand away from their face. Loughran's expression quickly changes from a cocky smirk, to one of rage. "Tie them to the mast.." Loughran would shout to his nearby crew. "You'll regret your decision to oppose me. I'll give you some time to rethink your decision.. before I start tossing your crew overboard. Their blood will be on your hands." 

 

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As Daemon Xandis is grabbed and dragged towards the a mast in the center of the ship, they would whisper to any players nearby, "We need a plan.. quickly."

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Jomei would run his hands through his hair, and paced once forward and then back towards a grouping of other players. "Any ideas?" he would speak softly, so only they could hear.

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"No," came her knee-jerk answer, grief-stricken expression never wavering as she watched the bound captain. Half a dozen armed men surrounded the man, and though Daemon Xandis wore a brave face, Lessa could see his jaw clenching and unclenching anxiously. The NPC, who had never been anything but kind to her, was in genuine trouble. His people, the innocent Ladonians, were likely in a similar predicament below decks. They don't deserve this.

"I'm not sure if this is some sort of messed up event or what," Lessa muttered, words spouting from her lips like water from a faucet, "but it's honestly horrible. I'm so sick of these events causing the deaths of NPCs. Its cruel, and I swear, this floor has so many of them that I-"

Her head snapped up suddenly, blue eyes blazing as she met Jomei's gaze. "Wait, yes, I do. I do have an idea." With one hand, she motioned toward the stairs that led downward. "We can't do anything until the NPCs are safe. They're the bargaining chip here - we can't make a move while their lives are on the line." The lines of her round face hardened as she amended, "At least, most of us won't. We aren't willing to play hard and fast with them. But, if their safety is guaranteed, we could potentially plan a combined attack." Pausing, Lessa surveyed the handful of Players surrounding her, then gave a short nod. "We could take him, I think, if we worked together. But not until the NPCs are safe."

With a swoosh of cobalt fabric, she turned toward the staircase. "I'm going down to check on the NPCs. If I can incapacitate those guards, we'll at least open the doors to future attacks, right? And if I draw this Loughran guy down, then you can grab Captain Xandis." 

A sudden need for physical touch had her reaching for Jomei's forearm, and as she gave it a small squeeze, Lessa flashed him a grin. "I'll see about hijacking one of those smaller ships and loading the NPCs while I'm down there." She was only half-kidding.

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The slowly fading screams of a man’s voice as they were tossed over the edge of the ship caught Captain Loughran’s attention. While most of the players saw the threat that the Captain and his crew posed to them and the crew of the Duchess, one female player decided they wanted to continue playing the hero. His features twisted into a face of rage, the sound of each pounding step with his heavy boots bringing with it a fear that he would step right through the deck of the ship. “I guess someone didn’t learn their lesson the first time.” The large Captain would allow the tip of his axe to drag along the ground as he stormed towards Yona, who had just finished dealing with a second of the pirates. “You! Girl! You’re going to pay for –“

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Within a moment’s notice, everything shifted. Crates, tables, and chairs not secured toppled and slid across the wooden planks of the deck, some careening over the edge of the ship and falling to the city below. Everyone above deck seemed surprised, both NPC and players alike. Loughran stumbled, trying to regain his footing. “Who the hell is piloting this thing?!” he would shout at the top of his lungs, looking around at the others before turning his attention back to Yona. “Since you don’t like listening to instructions..” he would address her first before shouting over his shoulder to his crew below deck, “Kill three of the hostages!”

There was a silence that followed.

“I said – Kill three of the hostages!” he repeated.

“Adam!” a voice shouted from behind Loughran, causing him to take his attention off of Yona for a moment. Daemon Xandis, now free from their bindings thanks to the joint effort of two of the players, was walking towards the pirate, their retrieved sword at the ready. “Let’s dance, like we used to” they would say with a smirk before rushing at Loughran. The two began trading blows in the center of the deck, while the other pirates shifted their focus between their boss, and the players. "Don't just stand there, take them out! Take them all out!!" Brandishing their weapons, the pirates wore faces similar to kids being let loose in a toy store. Finally, it was play time.

 

It all happened as his mood deteriorated, more quickly as each moment passed. He took another sip of his wine, barely containing his outrage as the bitter liquid lost all appeal. Throwing the drink aside, splashing the deck with a rich and deep purple color, Corvo stretched out his hand. "Kill the hostages?" the blonde haired man uttered in a quiet voice, all the choler amassed beneath the surface like a volcano just before eruption. "You would make demand after demand of a King?" he asked, a sudden wave of irritation causing his voice to break slightly. His gaze fell on Loughran with unveiled contempt searing through them. "Fall on your knees and beg forgiveness, cur," the King seethed as the giant axe Reaver's Edge materialized in his hand, almost easily as though it were meant to be wielded that way.

"Mourn your indiscretion and repent, and I may find you fit to kiss my feet before I take your life."

The very thought that he could fall so deeply into the delusion served only to feed his rage.  Other Players had begun to lend their aid, distracting and hindering the pirates, taking the fight to them- but Corvo was not so tactful in his haze of brutal anger. Hostages were surging out, onto the deck. The throes of panic added a disharmonious chaos that made the hot breath streaming from the youth's nostrils turn to steam.

He hefted the great axe in both hands as he surged forward, and he brought the head swinging down to the deck with furor. Wood and metal shrapnel exploded up around him as the boards gave, sending an alarming amount of sharp and thick debris scattering in every direction. The weakened floorboards found difficulty supporting the weight of several nearby pirates, who lost their balance as the deck lost its structural integrity and gave beneath them. Corvo remained low and slowly hefted the axe again, warily looking for a victim.

They had disrupted order- and more importantly, his drink- and they would pay for it.

 

[Hirru 0]

Everything seemed to be quite different to when the event first started.  First of all, there were screams and a commotion that seemed to be coming from all around.  Voices that were unfamiliar to the hunter, as they were not ones of his familiar friends and acquaintances.  Nor were they of anyone else in the party that he knew of.  More importantly, why was his vision so blurry?

Rubbing the back of his head, Hirru found that he was lying on the ground, for some reason.  The sounds around him seemed to alert the hunter to something going on, as this was not where he last remember himself to be.  He was surrounded by curtains, except for something wooden that was slightly covering him.  Looking at it all, the color reminded him of the cloth that covered the tables, even more so the shape wood seemed to be those of steps, like the stairs l.  How did he end up here?

* * *

He remembered that he waved back to Jevi, as she passed by.  What else was there?  There was something violet blocking that memory.  He was probably thinking to follow Jevi, as the mystery girl seemed to be associated with someone that knew the others.  He really thought that person looked like NIGHT, but that didn't matter now.  He wanted to hang out with someone, as this event was for those to be with someone and have a good time.  He didn't want to be found to be snooping into something that he really didn't need to be involved in.  These thoughts about sabotages and such could be left for another day.  They could go find Galbrandr some other day.

It was around then that the ship started to move, and suddenly the guy wasn't feeling too good.  Something in his gut reminded him of Baldur's sailing during the warship event, and he wanted to be nowhere near the outside.  Moving inside, there was a sight that the hunter did not think he would see in a long time.  The look of wonder upon a face that would have loved to see the place during the starting days of the raid.  She would definitely have been on his side through it all.  All the conflict that came about.. Though, really he was a problem for everyone of them from the start, and this woman knew why.  She knew everything, because he told her..

"Hes.."

Before he could get the name out, there was a sudden lurching of the ship, which sent the hunter back.  Smashing his head against the stairs, he fell underneath the stairs where a curtain hid him from the events unfolding around him.

* * *

"So.. that's how I got here, but what's happening out there?"

He pushed the curtain aside slightly to see better when he was sent flying out of the crawlspace, tumbling out to the other wall.  It was as if Baldur himself had taken control of the airship and Hirru was reliving the chase again.  Instead of cannonballs flying at them at high speeds, he instead found tables and chairs coming to crush him.  Getting out of the way in time was only helped by the sudden second lurch that would come, forcing him to be in view of several people below deck.  It was around then that he could see the people that were being forced to stay down here, and the two women that would come down to lay the beat down on the weirdly dressed individuals here.

"What is.."

"Take them all out!"

He could hear an unfamiliar voice call out from above deck, to which he could hear another scuffle nearby.  Were they being boarded?  It seemed that the women that had come to take out the trash, Lessa and Jevi, were having an easy enough time.  Though the others that were here, the NPCs, were cowering in fear.  This was probably a ploy to use the people around here as scapegoats, or something.  Hirru felt self assured.  He figured a sabotage was gonna happen, but not in this way.

"Jevi!  Lessa!  Can you keep them at bay while I set a barrier and start triage on anyone that's hurt!"

He would say before rushing to the stairs, summoning his shield, Light's Embrace, to his side before smashing it in-between some of the steps.  The blue light of the  barrier would then form behind the shield, covering a light area around the steps, doors and several feet in front of the steps

"Anyone that can, get inside the barrier!  Bring in those that physically can't!  I'll tend to the wounded!"

[Jevi 0]

The wooden planks of the stairs leading down to the lower decks creaked with each heavy footfall, as what sounded like another figure - or two - descended the stairs. Jevi felt her shoulders tense up as she hesitated to look over her shoulder, a foreboding feeling that it wasn't one of their comrades coming to help them secure the innocent crewmates. Finally, she found it in herself to peek behind her, making extra sure to not let her guard down at her front - though, she knew Lessa had her covered in case the first pirate decided to strike.

As she expected, it wasn't another player, it was two more of those dirty pirates. Though, from the looks on their faces, their wits didn't seem nearly as sharp as the weapons they wore on their hips.. and one of them had a blunt club. A real tweedle-dum and tweedle-dumber. Though, she was sure that the pirate captain didn't hire members of his crew based on looks or smarts.. just pure brawn. 

This time, thankfully, a familiar voice spoke up, calling for the two women to take care of the pirates while he made sure the hostages stayed safe. Turning most of her body to look in his direction, she was relieved to see Hirru had popped up from seemingly nowhere - very in character for the green haired gent. With a genuine smile, she nodded at him, "We've got this. You keep them safe." She knew that with Hirru's barrier protecting the crew, she and Lessa could let a bit loose and take down these three without needing to worry about the innocents being caught in the crossfire. 

Stepping forward and hopping into the air, Jevi pivoted her hips like a piston, delivering a superman punch straight into the chest of the first pirate, knocking them onto their ass. The one that stood at their side growled and drew their club, taking three strikes at Jevi. The first two, she was able to bob and weave out of the way. The third, she needed to block with her forearms brought up into an x formation in front of her face. Without her armor, though, she didn't have much in terms of defense, so it was now her that was knocked onto her back. 

She was stronger than she used to be, but still nothing compared to some of the other frontliners who were here at this party. Their presence made her feel a bit overconfident.. which was quickly fading as the two strode up to her. Suddenly, because the surprises just kept coming, the thick head of an axe crashed through the planks just above them, catching all of their attention. "What the fuck is going on up there.." Jevi said, before taking the opportunity kick out, sweeping the legs of both of the pirates and knocking them into each other as they crashed into the ground.

@Hirru @Lessa

[Yona 0]

     Yona's expression was simply a smug smile when the pirates' Captain began storming towards her. She wasn't afraid to throw hands with the big guy, and she would prove to him that no one threatens her or what she cares about and gets away with it. If she's affected by one's fatal mistake, she would become the consequence.

   When everything shifted, Yona had a feeling this wasn't an NPC's doing. On the assumption that it was indeed a player's action, she would act like this was all planned. The enemy captain called out for his underlings to kill three hostages, but there would be silence instead. Yona kept up her smug smile. She would keep up the ruse that there was nothing odd about this...for if there's one thing actual humans are good at, for better or for worse, it was their innate ability to bullshit their way through almost any situation. This pirate was merely the construct of an AI, so how could this false human possibly understand what real ones were capable of? Yona would simply keep up the smug expression, while just casually sticking out her tongue in complete nonchalance, just to spite him.

 

 

      Cutting these ropes with Sword Arts might be more difficult than expected. This one was already taking longer to destroy than expected. Yona started to worry that she might run low on energy before she can get all the ropes cut, not that she'd show it...but hopefully she wouldn't be the only one cutting ropes. "Stupid rope! Just, snap already!" She growled as the rope finally cut below half its Durability/HP. "Behind you." Shaxus warned. Yona would turn around, grab the approaching pirate's wrist with her free hand, disrupting the attack he was preparing, and, continuing the turn for momentum's sake, proceeding to throw him overboard. "YEET!"

     The fading scream of her enemy meant nothing to Yona. She just needed to finish this rope and move on to the next unless there was something more important to handle. "Just a little more..." Yona said to herself, trying to be optimistic.

[Astralin 0]

        Astralin was hoping to take on these pirates on her own, since she was capable of avoiding attacks and dealing pretty good damage, despite her handwraps ailments still being tier three. However, Jomei would jump in to thank her, and begin assisting her with these pirates she'd began fighting.

       "No problem!" Astralin responded to Jomei's thanks, with a bright smile as she did so. Hopefully, this smile might be able to hide the fact that she was internally screaming, quite intensely, one might add. This was a completely normal interaction, there shouldn't be anything abnormal about it, and yet, there was. Jomei, a ginger who Astralin had yet to properly meet, simply smiling at her as he thanked her for the help she gave earlier. That shouldn't be causing anything. The fact that he had some similarities to Leo, however, despite some of the obvious differences, wasn't doing Astralin any favors.

   And then of course, there was where the trouble really began.
That smile. That damned smile.

          Astralin shifted her attention to the pirates as fast as she could, her heart was beating fast and it wasn't just the adrenaline from the fact that Astralin was in the middle of a battle. She needed to get her act together. "Stop thinking about Leo, stop thinking about Leo, stop thinking about Leo, stop thinking about Leo...." She thought to herself on repeat. "Come on, Libra, you're in battle, get it together!" Astralin shook her head and clapped her hands on her cheeks twice in attempt to get her head back in the game.

      One of the pirates chuckled, noticing something was off with Astralin, based on the latest action she took. He chuckled, before remarking, "What's wrong, suddenly ye can't keep focused?" and chuckling once more, in which two others joined in on the chuckling, for the third other was dealing with Jomei, not very well, however, due to the shoulder connected to their main hand being damaged, forcing them to use the other hand. Astralin had something to focus on now that there was something going on and not an awkward standoff. 

           Astralin began readying her sword art. "E-e-errasifr!" She called out as she unleashed her sword art on the three pirates, finishing off one, knocking another down on his back, and encasing the third in a layer of ice, as freezing energies surged through Astralin's Zero Degree Chill when striking them. The pirate that was knocked down got up with all due haste, just to notice that the ally that survived was frozen solid. "Ice??" 

      Astralin got into defensive position, ready to try countering an attack if this pirate decided to retaliate. "Yeah," Astralin remarked. "You want some of that, too?"
      Hopefully Astralin could stay focused from here on out.

 @Jomei

 

 

       Meanwhile, to say that Davy and Jones were probably in for a bad time would have been an understatement. The brunette would deliver a powerful punch to Davy, knocking him down on his rear and almost completely knocking the wind out of him too. "I, Ack, I suppose that's a no, then..." He uttered weakly. Jones growled and pulled up the club. "I always gotta do everything myself..." While he wasn't very successful, his last attempt was able to at least get the brunette martial artist down on the ground. He held his club towards her, ready to strike again if something went wrong. 
              "You're getting better with that club, Jones!" Davy remarked as he began to get back up. "I'd still prefer my cutlass, this ol' thing is pathetic. I shouldn't have played cards with that fool Barbos." Jones growled in response, still keeping his gaze towards the brunette in case she made any sudden moves. "Well, ye might've had better luck if you saw him pull that ace out of his boot." Davy added. It was then that Jones's gaze left the brunette, despite his arm not moving position. "And ye didn't think to tell me??" Davy shrugged. "Ye told me to keep quiet so you could focus. I pointed, but ye didn't look."
      Jones rolled his eyes with a loud groan, before turning his eyes back to the brunette. Davy got a little closer. "So what do ye think we should do about her-"

     *CRAAAACKKK!!!!*

    An axe broke in from above, catching the attention of everyone present. "That the capn's?" Davy asked. Jones looked at the peeking blade of the great axe warily. "No, that's not Loughran's...must belong to an adve-"
       Before either of the two could realize what was happening, their legs would be toppled with a low sweep and their heads knocked together before the crashed onto the ground. This was the second time they were both bested easily by a strong martial arts user in this one night. Jones's eyes darted around, realizing that this brunette wasn't the only adventurer in the room. His cursor reverted to yellow as he facepalmed. There were not one, not two, but at least three adventurers in this room. A handful of them scattered throughout the ship might have been difficult but possible, but no, there were just too many of them. The two should have retreated when they had the first chance.
                          As he attempted to get up, he'd completely leave the club on the floor as he grabbed Davy and prioritized getting himself and his ally out of harm's way. "Come on, Davy, we're getting the blazes out of here."
         The pirate who was completely ignored by the players and had witnessed all of this, growled before calling out, "Cowards!" as Jones tried to drag Davy with him as he attempted to retreat, most likely towards somewhere else within the decks, due to a green haired man interfering with the steps they came in from. Jones could only hope that the individuals around him knew mercy, for he couldn't move very fast as long as he was dragging along his half-conscious idiot of an ally.

Edited July 9, 2023 by Astralin

[Morningstar 0]

Blades met once more as the two pirates stumbled onto their feet. Morningstar dodged a slash that was too close for comfort, destroying a sink in the process. Water erupted from the pipes, spraying both of the men. The pirate that Morningstar had stolen the cutlass from rejoined the fight as well, brandishing a silver dagger in his off-hand. They took turns weaving in attacks, striking and slicing at the blonde. The curved sword felt off in his hands, a poor replacement for his preferred weapon, the two-handed straight sword. It was almost weightless and forced him into a style of combat he was unaccustomed to. He blocked a dozen hits before finally being grazed across the chest. His suit was ripped open in a straight line.

"Not cool," Morningstar frowned, feeling the ruined part of the jacket and shirt beneath.

He kicked the cutlass-wielder back, knocking him to the ground. He slid backwards, through the water, and slammed into the furthest wall. His partner, still using the small dagger, disadvantageously moved around Morningstar's flurry of slashes until eventually, he was cut through the middle. The dagger flew out of his grip and into Morningstar's. He flipped it and, now holding it by the blade, threw it at the floor ridden pirate. It embedded itself into his rather thick skull. They both shattered, returning to Cardinal.

Tired and wet, Morningstar glanced around the bathroom. He leaned over, his hands on his knees, and groaned. In the wake of the two-on-one duel was a room that he would describe as "beyond damaged".

(He had no intention on paying for the repairs.)

He tried to step over the water but flooding had begun and it had spread evenly over the tiled floor. His dress shoes were soaked, and probably ruined. Grumbling, he waded through the ankle high pool and exited the bathroom.

Beyond it, there was chaos.

Tables and chairs had toppled over due to the sudden rotation of the ship. The bar was a mess; food and drink no longer sat where they were meant to, now painted across the floor. The few people he saw nearby were NPCs and looked terrified. He twirled his cutlass. It had served him, despite its glaring weakness, and sentimentality prompted him to keep it.

He rushed towards the heart of the commotion, blade in hand and clothes wet and tattered. Pirates and players clashed, a rainbow of sword arts dancing along the deck. He spotted @Yona, chopping away at a thick rope. He watched as she stopped, casually disposed of an enemy, and started working again. From her flank, another pirate snuck up to her. He felt a surge of adrenaline course through him as Charge activated. Closing the gap between them, he backed her up, slashing through the pirate.

"Mind if I give you a hand?" Morningstar smiled, joining her in the cutting of the rope.

[Jomei 0]

The pirates were formidable, but not invincible as opposed to their fearless leader who was now going toe to toe with the new captain of the Duchess Sincere. Jomei traded a couple of blows with the single pirate in front of him, the one thing in his way from helping figure out a way to free themselves from the grip of these pirates. He kept checking over his shoulder to make sure Astralin was holding her own against three of them, to which she seemed to be without issue. 

Before he knew it, she had unleashed a Sword Art that made the air around them a bit colder. A huff of air that escaped Jomei's lungs expelled as a small fog cloud that dissipated shortly after as the air warmed once again. Looking back towards Astralin once more, he noticed the frost clinging to the wraps she wore on her fists, and one of the pirates completely encased in a thick layer of ice. Jomei's opponent seemed just as shocked at the sudden turn of events. 

Using the distraction to his advantage, he would bring the pommel of his blade above his shoulder, driving it into the temple of the dumbstruck pirate to knock him out cold. 

"Nice one." he'd say with a chuckle gently tapping the blonde's shoulder with the bottom of his fist. "I think you've got this, I'm gonna see how else I can help."  and with that, he was off. Having noticed Yona before, Jomei realized that maybe it was a good idea to cut themselves loose. Not only would it stop any further pirates from climbing down the ropes from their vessels, but they could also fly the ship back into Landonia proper. If the pirates even dared to follow them, they'd be faced with opposition from the local guards and military. 

Running to the opposite side of the ship, diagonally across from where Yona, and now Morningstar, fought to cut down the first of the ropes, the ginger made his way to another of the four anchors. He began to cut away at the rope that tethered them to the manta shaped skyship above them, but is he learned anything earlier, how much could a rapier really cut through rope.

"Hey! Cut that out!" he heard a shout from above him, as another pirate quickly dropped from the rope to intercept the player. Jomei spun around to the opposite end of the anchor to avoid the heavy boots from stomping on his head like a certain Italian plumber with a vendetta against turtles. Dodging to either side, he avoided the wild strikes of the pirate, as they also made sure not to accidentally cut the rope. As a bit of genius struck, Jomei quickly placed himself between the rope and the pirate, egging them on the take a shot at him. Just as he anticipated, the pirate went for a strike at the ginger's neck, and he knew that if the pirate had every intention to cut clean through his throat, then they could easily cut through some taught rope. 

Immediately dropping down to a three point stance right before the blade would make contact with his throat left the pirate unable to stop his swing before slicing right through the rope. The entire ship lurched once again as it was free of one of the anchors. Taking down the pirate shortly after, Jomei rose to his feet. "Someone take care of those other ropes!"

@Astralin

[Jevi 0]

"Yeah you better run." Jevi called out after the two pirates she had knocked over, who decided saving their skin was a better option than trying to fight her. The corner of her lips turned upwards into a cocky smirk, no denying that NPCs deciding she was a threat was a huge confidence boost. That left a single pirate on the opposite room, Lessa, and Hirru defending the innocents. 

"You've got this, right?" Jevi said over her shoulder to the blonde, who was facing off with the scallywag trapped in the room with them, "I'm gonna go see what the hells going on up there?" she pointed with her chin upwards at the splintered mess of a crack in the ships deck. Taking to the stairs with a quick stride, she halted about half way up and looked over the railing at where Hirru stood, the lives of the NPC crew at his back. Her features softened a bit as she smiled with a nod, "Thank you." she simply said, before heading back to the upper deck.

All hell had broken loose. The others weren't standing around, trying to formulate plans. They had gone on the offensive, taking Loughran's crew head on. Unlike when they tried taking on the pirate captain directly, they were actually holding their ground. Maybe this was how they were supposed to go about saving the ship, definitely more exciting than talking it out.

Looking over to the side, she saw the source of the axe crashing through the ceiling - now the floor - a shaggy head of blonde hair wearing vibrant, ostentatious robes. "Really?" she said under her breath, "Hey, man, if you're done fighting the ship.. there's some pirates over there that could use your attention." 

@Lessa @Hirru @Corvo

[Corvo 0]

Panic. Discord. Terror. 

The mighty advantage of mass confusion was a powerful tool when in the hands of a strategist. Unfortunately, the line between tactical genius and psychopath blurred in Corvo, who's sheer and blinding rage caused him to lash out and maim the ship itself.

Whether or not it had done a fine job of breaking the enemy ranks up or sowing confusion was irrelevant. What mattered was that someone was going to fucking pay for spoiling his wine. He fell unceremoniously through the floor that buckled beneath the force and weight of his strike, spinning through and landing with a thud on his back.

He bounced once, seemingly unphased by any fall damage that might have incurred, quickly recovering and brandishing the weapon once more, menacingly. Where was the bastard? Where was he?

The King's Crimson gaze scoured the room, finding first @Hirruand then @Jevi, both Player Characters, obviously neither the object of his ire. He looked then to the others below deck, the many pirates who scurried about like rats dancing to their Captains fife. These were the enemy.

His knuckles whitened as he gripped the are tighter, readying the weapon to sunder the wretches.

"Rrrrrrr..." the growl, low and guttural, was the only warning he gave. Instead of waiting and communicating with the others, he lunged forward. With his heavy weapon and his own body weight, he shot like a missile toward the unfortunate pirates, with little regard for health or safety.

"RAAAAGH!"

[NIGHT 0]

if only this ship's panel was more modern, reflective of those in fictional sci-fi stories. unfortunately, peering through a less technical window meant she wasn't exactly sure about what was going on deck. all she got was an intermittent update from the figure in her mail box, sending her images of the fighting. two anchors down, and she decided to right the ship. quietly, one of the other tethers to the boat was snapped, too, although she would wonder if any player would notice the strange glitch in the system.

night decided she would play just a little more.

it was a silly, stupid move, but with the lack of reinforcements from the side-ships that kept theirs on lock, it was possible to force them to retreat, if she'd turn the ship diagonally towards the only tether. just like how she wasn't desiring their vessel to go down after bumping into a larger body, neither would the auxiliary others on the side. so she spun the wheel, after discussing the plan with her secondary (note: one way communication is not discussion).

day: are you insane?
day: i suppose no one can blame you for not trying.

[Plot Master 0]

Steel clashed against steel as Aincrad's finest pushed back the opposing pirate forces. Reinforcements from the invading party continued to file from their smaller vessels that kept the Duchess Sincere locked within the air. Even though the lowly pirates were no match for the combined strength of the players, it was obvious that this was becoming a war of attrition. The player's strength was waning, their energy levels quickly depleting, and the pirates seemed never ending. A constant foe that needed to be dealt with.

That was the case, until..

SNAP

One of the tethers that anchored one of the manta-shaped air ships split, due to the combined efforts of the players. The pirate's vessel struggled to gain control, when suddenly a second rope snapped, sending a secondary manta ship up into the air after it. The two collided in the air, the resulting fireball sending a rain of fire and debris down to the surface of Landonia. A third tether was severed, as most of the airship regained control. However, even though only one, smaller ship kept its grip upon the Duchess, they were still kept from making a full escape. 

The two captains continued to duel; the grace of Daemon Xandis against the brute strength of Adam Loughran. One side not able to gain a winning advantage over the other, even though the pirate's forces were clearly being diminished by the second at this point. 

"Give it up, Adam. You know you've lost." 

The hulking pirate only responded with a growl, before planting a heavy foot into Xandis' chest.

"Fine! You want to be a captain? You can have the ship.. and go down with it." 

Swinging his axe wildly, Loughran would sever the last of the anchors that kept the Duchess at bay. With his free hand, he would grab onto the rope to make his retreat. "Ready the cannons! I want to see you and this ship go down in flames.. You had your chance to come back to me. Now you'll die with everyone else."  The cannons on the ship above would rotate into position, readying themselves for Loughran's order to obliterate the Duchess and everyone aboard. 

"Full speed ahead! Get everyone out of here! I'm not letting him get away this time.." Xandis would shout as they turned towards Loughran, who readied themselves on the handing rope. Knowing their options were limited, Xandis quickly rushed after the retreating form of Loughran, leaping at the hanging pirate just before they were out of reach. Grabbing onto the pirate captain and the rope he was suspended from. "You wanted me so bad.." Xandis would say, "..Then let me be the last lips you taste." Pressing their lips forcefully into his was just enough of a distraction so they could get away with cutting the rope just above Loughran's hand. 

The shouts of the pirate captain faded, as the two plummeted towards the ground below at a quickly increasing pace. With no captain to give the order, a moment of tension would pass before the single, manta-ray shaped pirate vessel turned and retreated into the night sky. 

As the crew of the Duchess rushed back to the control room, with the help of the player who - somehow - took control during the invasion, they were able to return to port safely. As the players who attended the event made their way across the bridge connecting the heavily damaged Duchess and the Landonian tower, they were left with a single question;

Was the pirate attack scripted? Or was this some random encounter that they were not meant to take part in?

Event Complete
Thank you all for participating
74 Posts - 39,948 Words
Credit to Jomei for Plot Master Posts
6 Total split between Jomei + Jevi

Player	Tier	Posts	EXP	Col
@Nari-Lanreth	8	7	10653	1597
@Morningstar	3	4	1997	400
@NIGHT	14	8	18642	2796
@Jomei	11	11(+3)	21971	3295
@Astralin	5	7	6658	998
@Hirru	10	4	6658	998
@Lessa	9	7	11984	1797
@Yona	2	5	1332	400
@Jevi	4	8(+3)	7990	400
@Crozeph	6	3	3995	599
@Hestia		1	0
@Alkor		1	0
@Corvo		2	0

 

Alkor, Corvo, and Hestia did not hit post minimum. No EXP rewarded.
Please update first post with Stats if you would like to receive Col rewards.