pt-op-f24 Crab Boil for the Homies

[Shayla 0]

Walks through what little tree lines there was on this floor. She was running a bit late today. Everyday since she has been in this game she would come to beach front with the giant crab, wait for a group to destroy the enemy and train in to water. Even though she was stuck here, she would not let it stop her from keeping up with the daily regiment that she had going on in the real world. Readjusting the arms from her bathing suit as she feels the soft sand between her toes. Hearing some people talking in the distance, her first thought was they maybe that group wasn't done killing the grab yet but then she started hearing an amplified voice that wasn't familiar. Glancing up being curious she see a crap ton of people with tables and stalls littered across the beach front. "Oh, ah okay this wasn't here yesterday."

Walking further into the area, she shrugs and pulls a drink from a cooler sitting on the ground. A whole splatter of men and woman, different designs of swim wear. It seemed to be a beach party of some sort. By the announcement and the display of hot fresh crab pot luck, it smelt amazing. Glancing around with a tsss of the soda opening, root beer, it was her favorite. A few people sitting at tables in the short distance, some walking around seeming like they were having a good time. Some dude pushing around a cart of drinks, this idea was well though out. She wasn't even going to mention the large ship overhead. The next thing that she saw was a woman blonde, standing next to the drink table shaking. Moving to her, slowly coming into her eye sight. Seeing her face it was flustered, didn't look like she was the crowd type. 

"Are you okay?" The blond shakes her head and Shayla just smiles. Taking the cup from the girls hand, setting in on the table. "Lets go to the water away from the crowd if only for a minute so you can breath again." The blond nods her head as Shay links arms with the girl to guide her through the groups of people. Feet hit the shore line, water lightly splashing against their ankles. "Look out into the ocean, find one thing to focus on and inhale from your nose and out through your mouth." There was still people around this specific area, like the man with glasses sitting on the ground. Or the pink haired girl trying to play lifeguard to a person relaxing in the water. Regardless it was calmer. "I'm Shayla, whats yours?" @Eruda

---

<<Assist System Engaged: Assisting Warren>>
Level: 22
Paragon: 0
Tier: 3
True Tier: 9

Final EXP reward: +140% Final EXP reward

---

Shayla | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 3

[Griswold 0]

The column of man wanders in from the brush looking forward to todays encounter. But what the guy is greeted with isn't a huge battlefield with crab genocide, but instead a potluck where a huge swath of players are gathered around a big cooking pot. A tilt of the mans head as he removes the plate helmet from his shoulders, allowing the air to hit his face and quench the slightly boiled skin beneath it. Removing the rest of his plating the man transitions into a pair of longer shorts, accepting the welcome change of pace from all the constant combat.

Scanning the beach, Griswold manages to spot not only his kin but the very woman that they'd been hurriedly following for quite some time. It would appear that the sentiment is shared, choosing relaxation over the prior. Wandering into the thicker mass of players, he'd find the little cart and take a single helping of a soda. Strange that it wasn't a very common place drink, mainly because most hadn't cracked the code on carbonation. All the conversation build up into an uproar that didn't encourage the man to cut into any of the many topics, instead holding up the cold drink to his chest and just existing with a welcome chill. Like a Saturday afternoon barbeque allowing the trials of a busy week to just escape with a thousand yard stare.

---

<<Assist System Engaged: Assisting Warren>>
Level: 22
Paragon: 0
Tier: 3
True Tier: 9

Final EXP reward: +145% Final EXP reward

---

Griswold | HP: 485/485 | EN: 62/62 | DMG: 18 | MIT:134 | ACC:2 | AA  | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | FL.THORNS: 12/24 | THORNS:54 | BH:19

Spoiler

Name: Griswold, The Forgemaster
True Tier: 9
Level: 22
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 485/485
EN: 62/62

Stats:
Damage: 18
Mitigation: 134
Accuracy: 2
Battle Healing: 19
Stealth Rating: -5
AA TAUNT FL.THORNS: 12/24
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Fist of Gaia - Incline [T4/Demonic/Warhammer] Taunt, Accuracy 2, AA
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Forgemaster's Rattlecage - Juggernaut [T4/Perfect/Heavy Armor] (Mitigation 3 [+72 Mitigation])
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Titanic Wall - Foundation [T4/Demonic/Shield] Thorns 2 (72), Flame Thorns 2

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R4
  - Charge
  - Fighting Spirit
  - Hammer R5
  - Heavy Armor R5
  - Howl

Extra Skills:
  - Leadership R2
  - 
Block R5
Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Iron Skin
  - Rampart
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Elusive
  - Impetus
  - Rally
  - Shield Bash
  - Steadfast

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Crystal of Divine Light | [232246c] x1
  - Teleport Crystal x1

Housing Buffs:
  - Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
  - Storage Closet: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
  - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
  - Attic (Storage): +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
  - Guest Room: Players can have one «Amenity» in a «Guest Room» and the «Amenity» cannot be recovered. Players are allowed to change which «Amenity» is in the «Guest Room». Multiple instances of the same «Amenity» do not stack. This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.
  - Master Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
  - Master Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Greenhouse: +2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering attempts.
  - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.
  - Mega Slime Farm: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

Guild Hall Buffs:
  - Trading Hall: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters and Rank 4 merchants/performers receive +1 crafting/identification attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters and Rank 5 merchants/performers receive +2 crafting/identification attempts per day.
  - Treasury: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:

 

[Pollux 0]

Of course, as soon as Yue Hua had transferred her things over to the Trackers’ table, Wulfrin appeared carrying a mountain of seafood. “...Wulfrin! Hello,” Yue Hua said, surprised. She glanced back the way he came and noticed that more people were starting to follow his example, and Warren, busy at the beverage wagon again, looked more proud for it than anything. The gigantic feast was only the appetizer. “I have never played golf but I’d like to learn sometime, if you’re willing to teach. How big is it? I’ve seen videos back in reality where the courses were so long that people had to use carts to navigate them.”

Two new faces appeared. Astra, and a cute girl with pointed ears named Bliss. They had Wulfrin and Ciela and each other to cling to, but Yue Hua wanted them to feel comfortable with the larger group as well. Her hands were occupied with the drink, so it was her tail that lifted, returning Bliss’ shy wave. “I’m Yue Hua, player name Pollux. Welcome to the guild. Are you both settling in OK?

“That’s alright, and it’s good that you brought it up now,” Yue Hua switched to talking to Firefly and Wulfrin. “You never know what you might run into in the combat zones, so survival skills are preferable. Since we’re just having fun today, we can stick to the shallow parts first and worry about teaching you the advanced stuff later.” A mischievous glint to her eye, she turned her full attention to her vice leader. “Have you ever considered adding a pool to our headquarters?”

While everyone was talking, Morningstar wandered off. He floated in the water, serene and unbothered.

“Oh hey, it’s Yee Haw.”

Yue Hua considered herself the opposite. Only one person could butcher her name so spectacularly. 

“Hello to you too, cowboy.” Corvo liked wearing his shirts with the front open, or not at all. His body was a familiar sight. His face was pretty, but Yue Hua was considering how much further his scowl would dip if she reached up with her tail and twisted his ear. She was sure he wouldn’t like that. She was also sure that was the point. “I didn’t know you liked parties. Seat’s free at our guild’s table, if you want. I could tell them you’re my plus one,” she suggested, but it soon became clear that he didn’t need her help in that regard.

Yue Hua eyed the new girl neutrally, then she turned back to her guild and chatted with the newly arrived Ciela. “You made all of that? Any recommendations?”

“WHAT IS UP PARTY PEOPLE!”

Indeed, she could not have mistaken the party’s host for anybody else. A veritable giant of a man stood on a raised platform, using a performer crystal as an amplifier. He directed everyone’s eyes to a slowly descending pot. The pot cracked open and a house-sized crab perfectly crowned a mountain of seafood and vegetables. The steam wafted over to the crowd and Yue Hua took a sip from her iced drink. It was a feast fit for gods. 

(In the distance, the living Sand Claw watched itself in horror.)

Oscar came over to greet the Trackers, and though her pain was dampened, Yue Hua imagined her neck ached from how far she had to crane it so that she wasn’t addressing the man’s impressively toned chest. “It’s wonderful. Thank you for hosting.” She slung an arm over Firefly’s shoulders, urging the girl closer to herself. Displays of physicality were rare for Yue Hua, so she kept the contact light, anticipating surprise. “We’re going to try the crab!”

Yue Hua was far from timid, but being a lone traveler for ? years had not equipped her to deal with large social gatherings. She needed a break. She steered herself and her friend away from the Trackers’ table, out of any ongoing conversations. Her arm slid off Firefly’s shoulders once they had gone far enough and she shot her friend a bashful smile. “Sorry. It was just a lot.”

They joined the players lining up for the crab.

She felt her throat close up at the sheer amount of choice presented to her. How could she possibly try them all? No, she couldn’t — how could she pick? She let Firefly go first, then once the line pushed her forward, she took a huge helping of the Sand Claw’s meat and two ramekins of the spiciest sauces she could find. No rice. It was filler, even if it was good quality. Small sampling portions of seafood, vegetables, and meat, still smoking hot from the grills, next filled her plate, squared off into neat little sections by her chopsticks. She carefully laid a hamburger on top of the ensemble, refreshed her drink, and carried everything back to the Trackers’ table.

Her seat was next to Firefly’s. Her feathered tail coiled above the back of the other chair next to her, clearly reserved. 

Breaking open her chopsticks, Yue Hua glanced at Firefly’s plate. “What did you get?”

Edited yesterday at 06:53 AM by Pollux

[Scarlet Firefly 0]

Soon, the duo went to a trio into an even bigger group until it felt like every single member of the Tracker's Alliance was at the beach! Samantha wasn't lucky enough to meet friends so organically in the real world due to being home schooled...

Wulfrin would snap her back into the reality of the beach assuring her that he was very well trained to keeping people in the water alive. He recommended that she learn how to float first which made sense: You had to learn to crawl before you can walk, and to walk before you could run. Yue Hua would even reinforce that training, after all if she ever fell from a boat, by chance, she wouldn't last very long in the water. "I will keep that in mind. My confidence is a bit low though." The girl would admit. Morningstar on the other hand was much more ready for it. He immediately went for the water and made the floating look as natural as standing.

She was about to follow behind him before an unfamiliar masculine voice erupted from behind her. In fact, she jumped so hard that her hat fell off her head into the sand and a soft yelp escaped her. "Ah, so loud..." The girl mumbled as she picked her hat back up and fixed her hair once she put it back on. It was Oscar, someone she was sure that she hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet. He was the host of the event. "H-Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Firefly but you can call me Samantha or Sam."

She didn't get much time to talk with him though, having just noticed that another man had joined them. "Nice to meet you, Sam." The girl repeated just as a nicety in case he'd missed her introduce herself to Oscar.

Quote

“We’re going to try the crab!”

Yue Hua's arm fell over Firefly's shoulder and dragged her off towards the food. The sand caught her foot and she nearly tripped when suddenly pulled along but she quickly adjusted herself. "O-Oh right. We might as well. I've never had crab before!" Once the two were out of earshot of the rest of the group, Firefly would let out a soft sigh. Overload was starting to set in for the both of them it seemed.

"Thank you," She said while she tried to clear her thoughts. "Crowds are difficult to navigate some times. The conversations make it difficult to parse what is around me. Kinda like being blinded by several bright lights at once." Once the two were at the table, Yue Hua released her but kept pushing her along. The spread of the variety her immediately filled her with immense analysis paralysis. There were plenty of things that she couldn't identify at a glance. Thankfully their tags helped... she just wished they could be switched to Braille, which was still easier to identify visually compared to the Latin characters. It was weird to explain how she could visualize the feeling while watching herself move her hand over it.

In fear of falling behind, Firefly loaded her plate and followed Yue Hua once she noticed her friend moving back to the table. Her seat was still free directly next to the dragon girl, though, she noticed that she was saving the other, guarding it with her tail. She would turn to inspect what Firefly had selected. "Oh... Honestly, I just grabbed things that I don't know much about. I wanna see what they're like. We'll have to see though! What about you?" Her eyes moved to the Hua's plate.

Another question would pop in her mind though, just a genuine question. "Hey, Yue Hua, if I was to call you by Yue or Hua, which do you think sounds more natural... If you're comfortable with a little nickname of course! I ask because you kind of feel like a best friend to me right now, and I think it's cute when best friends have nicknames for each other." The girl chuckled a little nervously, awkwardly fiddling with her shawl in fear that it may have been an odd question.

Edited 20 hours ago by Scarlet Firefly

[Lysette 0]

putting a marker down just to rustle ara's jimmies

[Lessa 1]

His voice came from behind her, and her food-induced excitement was fully eclipsed by her joy at his presence. The contented smile she wore split to bursting, and she tilted her head back to grin up at him. "Merciful and generous!" Parroting his earlier words back at him, she let her eyes drift closed as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Seriously, was there anything better than forehead smooches?

Eyes still closed, she turned in her chair to face him. "So you're just-" Her eyes opened, and when they focused on Jomei's shirtless torso, they nearly fell out of her head. Her brain short-circuited. Her face flushed. Sweat beaded across her forehead. Her mouth opened and closed dumbly. 

Incidentally, there was something better than forehead smooches.

When Lessa was finally granted the power of speech, she could manage only a high-pitched little giggle.

Slowly, and with much regret, she peeled her gaze away to watch him drop the drink in front of her. She popped the tab, chugged, then pressed the cool can to her temple. I will not ogle this man. I will not shamelessly strip him (more) naked with my eyes. I will not publicly lust after my boyfriend. I will not degrade him that way. He's not a piece of meat. Just because he has - oh, he's talking to me, and I’d better say something quick.

"Abs." Lessa blurted, then immediately rushed to remedy the situation. "You have them," she explained, talking over a nervous cough that came out of nowhere. "I can tell, because your shirt isn't buttoned. So I can see them. It's a nice shirt. Is it new?" The words ran together, falling from her mouth like water from a sprung leak, and she could only plug it by finally downing the rest of her pop.

Over the rim of her can, she spotted Oscar crossing the sand toward them. Saved by the Beast, she thought, relieved, as she leapt to her feet. Oscar tucked her under one arm, and Jomei under the other, and all she could do was laugh. "Of course we still need the glue," she corrected, turning into him to give the massive man a hug. "You never really need the glue until something needs fixing, so you'd better hang around, just in case. Got it?"

When Oscar drew back to study Jomei, Lessa couldn't help the wave of pride that washed over her. Her two best friends in all of Aincrad, and she loved them both in ways she had trouble putting into words.

She'd taken Oscar's advice, even though it had terrified her.

And her reward?

Moving up alongside Jomei, she slipped her hand into his, their fingers intertwining.

Free license to do that whenever she damn well pleased.

[Astra 0]

Taking up Wulfrin's offer to sit at the table and join the group, Astra pulled up a chair and made himself comfortable. "Thanks! I haven't been up to much the last few days, so it's nice to get out and hang at the beach." It didn't take long for more players to show up to the event, including more familiar faces. Astra greeted them as they joined in, offering a smile and a wave. He would occasionally chime in on conversation, but for the most part he was simply listening to the conversations others were having around him, smiling and offering a nod in acknowledgement. He was still fairly unfamiliar with most people here, so there was a bit of worry that he wouldn't have much to offer in way of conversation - however, he was pretty content just listening and sipping his drink. 

The aroma of the food displayed began to wear down Astra's resilience. Boiled crab, assorted meats, vegetables and more adorned the spread, and if he didn't get some of it soon, he'd probably end up drooling on the table. I should probably wait for Bliss though...I'll tough it out! Those who knew Astra knew that he was almost always ravenous, and was capable of stuffing himself. It was a miracle he managed to keep his frame with the amount of food he ate. Trying to refrain from grabbing food before Bliss got there, he tried forcing himself to look away from it, but anyone who could see him could tell it was a losing battle. Can't...Give in. He began to sweat, his leg was shaking, and he was holding his left arm to keep himself for reaching for the food. It just seemed so damn good...One step closer to the food, and Astra was about to break. 

“H-Hey all! How’s i-it hanging?”

At the sound of Bliss' voice, Astra immediately turned to look, whipping around at mach speed. 

"Oh Bliss! Thank god you're here. Are you hungry? I'm starving. We should get some food!" 

When she leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek, it was almost as if his hunger disappeared. Settling down a bit, he smiled at his partner. "I'm happy you're here. You'll have to tell me about the new book while we eat!" He grabbed himself a plate and began stacking every type of food he could find on the plate. The proportions in front of him were gargantuan for someone his size, but he was determined to eat every last bit. Wasting no time, he began stuffing his face. 

“WHAT IS UP PARTY PEOPLE!”

With his cheeks stuffed with food, Astra briefly paused as the host of the party began to address the crowd. Though they hadn't met yet, Astra had no doubt in his mind that that was Oscar. His appearance was striking, and he certainly stood out in a crowd. 

"That is the biggest man I've ever seen in my life," Astra whispered as he leaned in close to Bliss. 

“Second, I know we’ve got some uh… citrus colored cursors attending today. They’re cool. We’re all here to enjoy the party, so let’s keep it clean. Keep the weapons in the scabbards.”

There were so many players at the gathering, that Astra hadn't even noticed that a few of them had orange cursors. Does that mean they've...They've PK'd someone? His stomach churned slightly, and a small wave of uneasiness came over him. However, Oscar trusted them and vouched for them, so Astra would take his word. There could be plenty of reasons why their cursors were orange, and it wasn't his place to judge. Deciding not to harp too much on it, he returned to eating and chatting. 

Eventually Oscar, the gracious host, made his way over to where some of the Tracker's Alliance had conglomerated. By now Astra's plate was completely cleared, and his stomach was finally content. 

“How’s this for a first meet and greet? You guys enjoying the food?”

Immediately, Astra responded with an emphatic "YES". 

"Oh, uh, thanks for having us by the way!" 

 

[Jomei 0]

 "Abs. You have them-"

His chin would press into his collarbone as he looked down at his torso with a tiny gasp.

"I do? When did those get there?" he teased, before rolling his eyes upward to peek at Lessa - who still seemed a bit glued in place. For a moment he considered tossing the typical 'my eyes are up here' comment at her.. but there was certainly some enjoyment watching her gawk. It wasn't until he sat down did she finally look him in the eyes, and his smile widened even more. 

The confidence boost was nice, but getting the feeling her got when they locked eyes was always the best. 

"It is a beach party after all, figured I'd dress for the occasion. Not that you don't look amazing, you always do." 

Oscar had finally showed up after the big reveal. A giant, boiled crab over a bed of rice, corn, potatoes, and prawns that looked like fire ants in comparison to the larger crustacean. All the other meat and fish that had been grilling and filling the air with a rich menagerie of aromas didn't matter at that moment. His stomach rumbled, definitely loud enough for the blonde beside him to hear. What did he say about this being a boss again? Didn't matter, it looked absolutely delicious. 

But first, of course, it would be rude of them to not greet the host of the event as he approached them. Jomei would pat the large man on the back as Oscar draped an arm over his and Lessa's shoulders. "Well, if I knew we had someone rooting for us, maybe I would have made my move sooner." he would laugh through his joke, looking across Oscar's chest towards Lessa. 

"Glue?" Jomei questioned with a quiet voice, not entirely sure what the two were talking about. Oscar gave the two a once over - or maybe it was just him - after Lessa rejoined him at his side. With his own piece of advice for the new couple, he walked off to continue greeting his guests. 

“Do the opposite of what I would do.”

"Wh-What do you mean?" Jomei wasn't too familiar with Oscar.. so he wasn't even sure what the man would do.

"What does he mean?" he would ask again, this time directing his question towards Lessa. 

Despite how she answered, he would gently tug on her hand, leading her towards the gathering of grills and the monstrosity of a seafood boil. "Let's go get some food. I'm starving." 

[Jevi 0]

Cook a boss? Don't monsters disappear after they're defeated, how could Oscar even-

The pot shattered, in the way she would have expected, and a massive crab dropped atop the rest of the boil.

"Holy shit that's a big crab" Jevi nearly choked on her drink as the crustacean hit the earth. It looked like a typical crab, boiled the same way a crab would, the shell an inviting, bright red housing soft meat inside ready to be slathered in butter.

Too bad she was allergic.

In the real world she was at least, so it probably didn't carry over to the digital world.. right? What was the worst that could happen? She was asking herself a lot of questions today rather than just living life. So she was just going to take that chance and live. 

Before she could go dig in, a familiar face stepped up to her, an unexpected excitement in his voice to see her. Jevi returned the small smile, placing her drink down on a nearby table as she took a few steps to close the distance between herself and Oscar. "It's good to se-EEK" before she realized it, she was hoisted into the air, his arms wrapped around her waist. 

Did she just squeal? Did that really just come out of her? 

She didn't know whether she was going to blush or punch him, but as her feet finally found the sand again, she avoided both. "Can't complain. It really has been a long time. After the last time I tried your food, I knew I couldn't miss this." Jevi fought ever urge to look down at his chest, open shirt with pecs on display for all to see. "So I appreciate the invite." she added, "But let me not keep you. Looks like you've got a ton of greeting to do. Make sure to take some time for yourself to eat, got it? I'll be around when you want to chat." 

She watched as he walked past her, fluttering off like the social butterfly he was. Once he was out of earshot, she exhaled a heavy breath through parted lips.

Food, that was what she needed. Yes, of course. Food. Nothing else. Reaching down to grab her drink so she could quench her thirst, she would find herself swiping at air. The drink was gone.. Oscar hadn't taken it. It didn't spill into the sand. "What the hell, who took my.." she asked herself, looking around for a moment before surrendering the search. 

"Guess I'll just.. grab another one." 

 

Edited 18 hours ago by Jevi

[Acanthus 0]

There were times that Acanthus wished for the power to move heaven and earth. But there were times she was content with the latter.

Her shovel bit into the ground with every thrust and stomp. Sand crackled as clumps burst apart in the wake of her weapon. When she could not see the blade any longer, Acanthus wrenched it from the ground in a fluid motion, hurling sand behind her without regard to who might be in the splash zone. It was not the most efficient way to dig a hole; but it was, without a doubt, the best.

Quote

“How’s this for a first meet and greet? You guys enjoying the food?”

A party? And a familiar voice…

Her reverie broken, Acanthus looked up to confirm the source of the noise. Oscar, part-cryptid and (apparently) part-social butterfly, had the rest of the beach locked down. A massive spread of food marked the center of the party, and a magnificent crabpot crowned the affair. The only thing bigger than the party was its host’s personality.

Then again, how tall was the man? Even from this distance, he appeared lanky—unnaturally so. Odd, considering they had quested together multiple times and Acanthus had never noticed. But from this distance, he appeared to tower over all the guests, even doubling the height of the smaller ones. Acanthus rubbed her eyes. The heat was getting to her—perhaps a little bit of water wouldn’t hurt.

* * *

The quality of the food was more than just show. Every plate had been prepared thoughtfully: piles of seared snappers from the Rainbow Isles glistened with a lemon zest, rows of lobsters and crawdads and other fictional crustaceans lazed about, waiting to be dipped into a host of unrecognizable (but tantalizing) sauces. There were no less than three kinds of salads, all different in substance and presentation but each carefully picked to highlight the summer theme.

Acanthus took a sip of water from one of the beverage tables and blinked with surprise. Someone had muddled basil and ginger before adding the ice, elevating the water without overwhelming it. He’s got to farm out this labor. Why would someone that can do this keep his shop stocked with cheap fast food?

Quote

"Don't know who hosted this event, but...free food. Is good. Free drinks....Is also good."

A young girl ( @Ceres) had approached and was talking to her. Acanthus responded in-between long sips of water. “That would be Oscar. He’s strange, but a good person. I haven’t talked with him too much, but I’d recommend introducing yourself at some point. I don’t think I’d be able to accurately describe him.”

She turned and finished talking, and her face burned red. The girl had not been talking with her at all. She was talking to a tall blonde man, and the girl’s body language suggested interest in him. Which meant Acanthus had inserted herself thoughtlessly into whatever love was blossoming. She topped off her water before fumbling for an excuse to leave. “I just remembered. I left my shovel over on the other side of the beach. It’s definitely not in my inventory. I will have to go get it. What a shame.” She started to move one direction before remembering she had come from the other. She walked for a moment, paused, and then walked past the lovely pair once again. “So sorry.”

---

<<Assist System Engaged: Assisting Warren>>
Level: 22
Paragon: 0
Tier: 3
True Tier: 10

Final EXP reward: +150% Final EXP reward

---

[Ceres 0]

Ceres removed a wet palm from the stranger's  ( @Corvo) chest. "Hang on..." That same half asleepy doe-eyed voice spoke as she stepped away from him. "There is a hair in this drink." She dunk her hand into her glass and fished out a long black hair, she pressed it to the blonde man's arm so it got stuck to him then continued her drink.

That's what happens sometimes, when you pick up abandoned drinks. Ceres wasn't bothered by it.

 “That would be Oscar. He’s strange, but a good person. I haven’t talked with him too much, but I’d recommend introducing yourself at some point. I don’t think I’d be able to accurately describe him.”

"Os...car..." Ceres shifted her attention away from the blonde man and gave it fully to the brunette in front of her. "Oh...yes...I met him a few times before. Very long time ago." Blue eyes shifted to the sky, focusing on a cloud just behind the woman. "A bunny." They then shifted back to her. Ceres gave the woman a smile.

She wasn't quite dressed for the festivities - and seemed a little frazzled. Ceres offered the woman a sip of her drink, the straw swinging round to face her. As though she totally didn't just shove her hand in there to pull out a strangers hair. "Did you want...a sip?" She asked. 

"You seem....frazzled."

 

The woman continued to talk, hastily mentioning a shovel, and walking away. Ceres simply followed. She seemed nice enough. "My name is Ceres....and yours?"


@Acanthus

 

[Alinta 0]

Cracking open another beer Alinta watched the odd exchange beside her. She assumed the little airhead was hooking up with the blonde or something. Considering she was all touchy-feely over his chest. "Wow." Alinta said as she drank from her can. She watched as another woman had tried to approach him but backed off - "Don't think I've ever seen an actual cock-blocking in real time."  Alinta made a note of the scenario - it'd be a good thing to write about later in one of her fan fiction books.

Oscar then approached her, quickly calling her babe - then - being the absolute social butterfly that he was, he disappeared into the crowd again. Babe...He says. If looks could kill...Alinta burned a hole into Oscars back with a scowl. What kind of man flirts with a woman then leaves her on read for months? She guessed he must do that a lot. With all the people here - she wondered if half the women were ones he had flirted with. Or more?

Stupid. 

It was stupid of Alinta to get wrapped up in it. Even if he was nice.

"If only this could actually get me drunk..." She mumbled.

@Corvo @Oscar

[Corvo 0]

He was initially looking for Mari, but that ended all too quickly. 

There was enough going on without the redhead to exacerbate anything. Yue Hua did not seem particularly thrilled with his greeting, and took to calling him Cowboy- a strange stylistic decision, but likely attributed to his Southern drawl. 

I didn’t know you liked parties.

"Yeah, nah, unsurprisingly- not my thing."

 Seat’s free at our guild’s table, if you want.

"Well, that'd be the first time I ever got asked to join a party rather than leave one."

 I could tell them you’re my plus one.

Oh, I'm so in.

Before he could open his mouth to affect some form of rizz, a different redhead seemed to materialize and waltzed right up to him, assuming a level of familiarity that simply did not exist between them. "Eh?" he glowered down at the woman who had invaded his personal space as quickly as she'd come into view, both eyes fixating on her hand. Which was on his chest. 

You just got here too?

This bitch must be crazy. Corvo slowly brought his eyes up to look at the woman, who continued to speak as if she had not transgressed in the slightest.

Don't know who hosted this event, but...free food. Is good. Free drinks....Is also good.

He frowned. In as quickly as he'd made great strides in almost getting invited to the table at the cookout, Yue Hua had backed off and left him at the mercy of this uncultured woman, who had less sense of propriety than he did. And that was saying something. 

Don’t look so sour, big pimpin’.

The behemoth of a man who suddenly interjected grabbed Corvo's attention just before he hit critical mass. And it was a good thing, too.

The food’s free. And there’s plenty of pretty women to look at. Maybe don’t scare them off by looking so murderous, yeah?

Usually that wasn't particularly a problem. Corvo was either indulging his bad habits or lounging around, too carefree to wear the expression he did now. It was kind of a big ask, now. 

Scaring the hoes is a cardinal party sin, my dude.

"Even when the hoes are scary?" he snorted, indignant. "Yeah, I get it- not my party," he let a heavy sigh. "I'll try to be on my best behavior."

Hang on...

Just as he finished speaking, the woman- who hadn't quite removed her hand as quickly as Corvo would have liked (he would have liked it if she'd not put it there at all, but honestly, they were already past that point)- had something more to contribute. 

There is a hair in this drink.

"Now I know you're fuckin' with me."

 

Spoiler

Some folks are born made to wave the flag Hoo, they're red, white and blue And when the band plays "Hail to the chief" Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord

It wasn't the fact that she put her fingers into his drink, even though that was pretty weird and unwanted. It wasn't the way she had been talking, touching him without asking, it wasn't even her overall demeanor being so laid back about all of it that pushed Corvo over the edge. It was the way she seemed to have absolutely no respect, in a way that jarred his upbringing so much that the guy couldn't ignore it. 

"Hey asshat," he grit his teeth as she pressed the hair against his body and promptly went on to the next conversation. "This is yours now."

Corvo promptly slung his drink toward Ceres, sending the liquid inside sloshing in a wide wave. "Don't you go walkin' away on me now," he huffed, tossing the cup aside. 

Don't think I've ever seen an actual cock-blocking in real time.

It had felt more like skipping over the whole ordeal and getting dicked in real time than a cock-block, but it could easily have been taken that way. Corvo heard the comment in passing, and didn't deign to respond to it because he was already charging up to Ceres to get in her face. As friendly as one does when they're livid. "I don't know you from Adam," he hissed, jabbing a finger into her face. "You can't just going walking around, talking to people without introducing yourself, and then touching them and their food or drinks."

He jabbed his finger forth a second time to drive the point home. 

"And don't bother introducing yourself now, I don't care to know you, either," he spat. "Learn some fuckin' manners, and then go bother someone else."  

Corvo took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and backed up several steps. He'd already made a scene, right after saying he wouldn't. He threw his hands up in front of himself in warding.

"I'm chill," he said in a measured voice. "I'm chill."

Corvo flipped Ceres the bird one last time for good measure. After that display, he wasn't sure anyone was going to want him to take a seat at their table.

Ah well, nothing out of the ordinary there.