The dealio [Mari, Alkor F4]

[Zelrius 0]

[Mkay, So we'll do Timeline after Planning. In other words assume planning is all well and over with and this is development stage. That way it explains how I know the both of you already]

 

Zelrius waltzed about a snow covered town he had no idea of the god damn name. It was the time of Development for the Attack on the Floor 9 Boss, a Fight that from a previous raid had proven difficult and even the Mythology behind said Hydra made the fight sound like it could get out of hand with all the heads and what not. Despite that Zelrius's ego was not willing to let him not take this challenge. So here he was, Having invited two people along, Mari and Alkor, the Names, and he was going to start his first plan of development.

 

Fiddling with his bowtie and straightening the frills on his Dress shirt, Zelrius's suit was in nice clean order once more, as it usually was. Zelrius's cockiness ebbed around him, almost emititing it to those around him. The arrogant smile just a curve of his lips, His blonde hair nicely waved back todau and his gear newly repaired. So he sat at the inn, waiting for those who were coming.

 

[i'd also like to point out that between the three of us, We'd easily manage killing the boss in under 10 posts. So I say we fight it about 3 times to get the item drop, 3 times, one for each of us Deal?]

[Mari 1]

[No worries sounds good to me, Avalanche quest a go!]

 

Mari had taken up Zelrius' offer to help her gain equipment and level up; because lets face it; at her current equipment level, and skill set. She may as well season herself with spices and crawl into one of the many Hydra's mouths. Mari hadn't really gotten the chance to talk To Zelrius, the meeting was all about formalities; leaving little time for social banter. From her first impressions of the man, she noted that he was self-absorbed. It'd be interesting to see how she'd manage to interact, and if the two would butt heads or not. 

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear; as Mari had entered the inn, her eyes were directed toward him - not that you could miss someone so fancily dressed amongst those clad in dirtied armour. 

Mari noticed the blonde, fixing his tie; and smoothing down his suit. She couldn't blame him. The woman had a bad habit of doing that exact same thing. STill, Mari being Mari, just had to have her say, and add some sort of quip. "Puttin' yourself on display there?" Mari chided, "Is that how you are going to push yourself forward on this trip? By pattin' yourself on the back?"

The other, who hadn't arrived yet; was Alkor. Someone she had met a few times, and new to be close friend with Life. "I'd rather get this started sooner than later." She muttered.

[Guest]

Alkor had a habit of showing up when he felt like it. The jumbled sound of his loose fitting armor and the rattle of Nightbringer at his hip heralded his approach, the swagger in his gait alluding to several hours of getting acquainted with the drink.

When he stopped in the inn, not so far from where the others had gathered themselves, the grimly clad swordsman probed through his menu, just to be sure he wasn't missing anything. In reality, he was far from inebriated; sweat lined his scalp beneath his hair, and his hands were still trembling from the adrenaline rush.

He was late for all the usual reasons. Killing mobs to grind out experience, collecting materials, and being alone with his thoughts. He was an enigma among players, much the same as Zelrius. Unlike the Blood Buccaneer, however, Alkor had no love for parading himself around. He let his sword speak for him.

Instead of formally apologizing for being late, Alkor's gaze swept over the other two. They seemed ready, but only one of them seemed remotely impatient. The blonde haired boy was, instead, fixing his bow tie. Alkor blinked slowly, but said nothing of the accessory. He knew full well how capable Zelrius was. The Twinfire Phoenix fight had displayed his abilities in a light that might have made the narcissist swoon.

Mari, however, was a new player to him. He had interacted with her- if one could call it that- only twice. Both times, she seemed to have a sharp tongue, but a soft heart. He wondered what she would be like in a fight.

"Ready," he said.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius noted the two that had just arrived. Zelrius, in his ego, was feeling like there was time to waste. And of course at this moment there wasn't, However any time they lost Zelrius knew they could speed along a bit of the further processes in order to regain that time. So, with the mindset of having no where to be at the moment, Zelrius pointed to the seats in front of them and called over a barmaid to take Drink Orders. Then he adressed the two, This of course in his swaggering Arrogant voice that had just a hint of something that sounded like that of someone trying to woo a crowd.

 

"Parade my self around, She says. No, Infact I am not trying to prove or compensate for something. This is in fact just the way I dress. Armor is annoying and gets in the way more then it helps. and well with my dislike in armor I am also not into the whole Leather Trench coat or anything of the sort. So I only wear my Boots, My Azure Blazer and my Bowtie. "

 

"Now, Have a seat. Drink a little and let us just talk. Because lucky you, I am interested in people. More interested in myself more then others, But I know everything about me, So Now on to others. Talk."

[Mari 1]

Mari couldn't help but snort, as she held in some laughter - amused at how the two seemed to be polar opposites. This would be an interesting trek to say the least. "Someone seems well and truly hammered." Mari mused as she watched Alkor approach, his stance and walk hinted that he had been hitting the drink, and hard. Which Mari found slightly odd, she didn't pin Alkor as the drinking type, unless fighting some monster required you to be drunk. Mari glanced down at his hands, noting that he was shaking. "Got the jitters there Alkor?" She asked - moving toward him and giving his arm a small prod.

Zelrius motioned toward the seats before Mari and Alkor, prompting them to take a seat. Mari did so, she was in somewhat of a rush to get this quest finished; but if Zelrius felt it was fine for them to dawdle then who was she to question him? He was levels beyond her, and both he and Alkor were decked out to the nines in compared to her. Mari only had a pair of cotton shoes...good for evasion and that was it. A Barmaid placed a tankard in front of her; Mari wasn't sure what the contents were -but she could smell something similar to beer.

She rested her elbow on the table, then her chin in the palm of her hand. "So a showboater eh?" Mari commented, "You were quite the daper young man during the meeting too- not that you seem to need the compliment. If I was so lucky...I personally hate armour."  

Grabbing the drink before her Mari leaned back on the back two legs of the chair, taking a sip - her nose wrinkled. Whatever it was, it was too bitter for her sweet tastes. "Whatever happened to the mad flurry to complete quests before we hit the boss?" Mari asked, "Not that I mind a drink and a chit-chat; it just seems sort of counter intuitive, but hey." She shrugged. "What do I know."

 

[Guest]

At the slightest brush of contact, Alkor visibly flinched. His head darted up and his eyes moved over the woman, intense golden pupils assessing her, scouring for intent. In a sense, her own assessment had hit some kind of mark. The young swordsman was drunk with violence- as if that were a thing- and a desire to create some more. He rarely had much to say beyond a grunt or a short statement, to anyone. "Been a long night," he remarked at last, not really answering the question, yet giving sufficient answer in the same breath.

In truth, Alkor had become all the more obsessed with defeating the boss when the planning stage had been announced. The actual meeting had seen him less and less around his guild members, and far more off on his own demolishing mobs. It was a call from Zelrius that had given him pause.

The notorious, if former player killer wasn't the type who went out of their way to contact someone that he didn't consider a friend. Registering on his radar meant that Alkor was either in some major kind of trouble, or the man had taken some vested interest in him. It was enough to spark the stoic guardian's interest, and to bring get him to this place.

Now, Zelrius was probably just as interested in seeing what Mari had to bring to the table as Alkor was. Bringing up the menu for his tailoring sub-skills, Alkor looked the woman over and made a few mental notes. If she was interested, later, he'd offer to upgrade her a bit. Of course, he did this with enough decorum that she'd have to look very much over his shoulder to see what he was doing- Alkor never did broadcast anything.

With a wave, he hailed the bartender. Several moments from then, there would be drinks. "It's more important to relax before a fight than worry yourself to the point where you can't think straight or sleep well. If you're not all there in a fight, you're dead." Alkor knew that well enough without leaving it to Zelrius to explain. "And it's also important to know who you're fighting next to, and if they'll have your back."

He held out a hand to accept a flagon of ale.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius began to laugh after Alkor finished. It had taken Zelrius a second to register whether or not what the player had to say was directed at Zelrius or at Mari, and after that another second to register if it was important or not. Turns out Alkor was clearly either more attentive or more intelligent then Some of those Zelrius had met in the past of this world. When he finished his lenghty laughed Zelrius decided to explain himself

 

"Yes it is good to relax so you can think straight and sleep well. However as of late I seem to being doing neither of the two. That being because if I fa-"

 

He stopped, Noticing that about mid way through Zelrius had dropped almost all arrogance and almost seemed like he cared. Simply grunting, Zelrius regrouped his ego and stood up looking around

 

"Drink quick, Let's hurry, I have more important things to do."

 

Zelrius continued to stand after his words urging the two further to hurry along

 

(One of you feel free tp lead us out and to the wilderness if you so please)

[Mari 1]

((quick post before I start cooking dinner – transported them to the brink of the wilderness and that jazz to get the ball rolling.))

“I suppose you are right Alkor – you just didn’t pick me as the…relaxing type – your mannerisms suggest that you’re always on edge.” Mari commented toward Alkor – her voice thoughtful. She tapped the table just in front of his resting hand. “Point proven with your reaction earlier.”

Mari turned to Zelrius, her gaze intent as she watched him talk, falter and shift his body to take on a more aggressive stance. Mari could have said something, a snide remark, a joke – but she chose to keep silent for now, instead pushing her drink away. She wasn’t planning on finishing it. It tasted foul to her. “I’m sure you can get back to your mirror soon.” Mari finally said as she stood up, dusting off her hands.

The three left the Tavern; silently making their way toward the wilderness. Feet crunching in the thick snow. They were nearing the outskirts of the forest now, and the wind had picked up – sending a deathly chill hurtling toward the air. Mari breathed deep and slow. “I LOVE this weather, makes you feel alive.”

[Guest]

"Well, one of us does," Alkor offered, unhelpfully. He had always hated snow, even before SAO, mostly due to the inconvenience it caused. He didn't have anything rude to say about her preference, though. Steam billowed out from his lips as his body shook reflexively. He didn't tend to wear a whole lot of armor, and so, he didn't stay wholly warm.

His breathing was ragged and his fingers were numb. They were always numb on the fourth floor. Despite the warmth of the gloves that adorned his hands, he had memories here that went beyond battle.

"Really the opposite of the ninth floor," Alkor spoke, thinking aloud. "The burn salve ought to come in handy."

They had broken free of the safe zone, and Alkor slipped Nightbringer into his hand. Bloody crimson with black accents, the blade had a subtle glow that went wild when the weapon struck. It was easy to tell, just by looking, the quality of its craft.

"There'll probably be trash mobs between here and the boss," he said finally.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius thought about what Alkor had just said. Yes, everytime he had come to kill the avalanche or any of the many Field Bosses about. Speaking of Bosses, Zelrius ended up pulling up the panel and all the recorded information during the meeting. He began to read it to himself quitely, He shivered a little, His tuxedo clearly not staying up with the increasing cold as they got further and further from town. Zelrius didn't like this floor at one bit, Mainly because when you're face turns red from the Cold, It took away from his consistently arrogant look.

 

"If we do come across any fod Monsters along the way, You guys take care of them. Everything on this Floor I can kill in one hit and I am not into going through the effort of pulling out my sword in order to have the thing piss itself."

[Mari 1]

Mari grinned, nudging Alkor with her elbow. "Guess your personality is cold enough for you eh?"  She gave a nod in agreement, "Considering I don't have any armour that salve would probably be perfect. I've managed to acquire a decent weapon, now I just need that last push." Mari added thoughtfully, more so speaking to herself than the others in the group. 

The two were talking about trash mobs, Mari assumed they meant mobs that simply weren't the boss; just crap that gets in the way. Mari guessed as much, but couldn't help but feel disappointed - she wanted to get this over and done with.

Just as she was thinking they were going to get off lucky, she heard a growl from in front of them, and then the glinting eyes of a wolf, 

she sighed. "Well - so much for that thought..." she muttered to herself. Mari, being the lowest level of the three - seemed to be the target of the creature, it gave a snarl and snapped as it padded toward her. Mari equipped her dagger; an intricate little number crafted specially for her by Moartea. This would be the first time she had used it in battle; and the first time she wasn't using beginner equipment.

Mari crouched down, flipping the dagger in her hand so the blade faced away from the beast, she waited a brief moment for the wolf to get close enough for her to attack;

 

Rolled a 3 on the d10 (mob) dice.

 

Mari kicked up off the snow, she had planned to lunge at it, but the snow had melted; becoming a mushy mess beneath her. Her feet sank in too far and instead of gracefully kicking off and attacking, she not so gracefully fell face first into the snow.

Good thing too; for her face was red with embarrassment. 

So much for proving herself...fighting in the snow, was not ideal.

Perma roll ID: 965
 

[Guest]

"It's hard ground to fight on," Alkor commented offhand as Mari fell over gracelessly. He glanced up at her intended target, a gray white wolf prowling just outside aggressive range. It had taken notice when she went closer, and now, it was bounding toward them with purpose.

The powder crunched beneath his feet as he walked forward, and as he stepped ahead of Mari- putting his cloaked back to her and held his blade level. When the wolf lunged at him, he hefted the weapon and drove the brunt of the strike back, but his health still dipped a fraction. The beast had scored a critical hit.

His reprisal was swift, before the beast even recovered. Nightbringer bit deep into the wolf's pelt, giving off a vicious red glow as it struck.

[iD: 1010, BD: 6, Mob: 9]

Alkor deals 8 damage.

Wolf deals 2 damage (-1 from Damage Mitigation, 3 actual/critical)

Alkor: 24/26

Zelrius: 72/72

Mari: 19/19

Wolf: 8/16

[Mari 1]

(shizz I  have bad luck with these dice rolls)

 

Mari had to appreciate Alkors' comment, admitting it was hard to fight on the snow. If the situation were reversed Mari would have a side comment for Alkor - a rude quip, and she probably - no - definitely would have laughed at him. Not only did he brush off her failure, he stepped in front of her - blocking the path of the wolf. Mari pushed herself up to her knees, shaking the snow off her arms as she looked up at the darkly cloaked man before her. Alkor was focused completely on the battle; and Mari knew if she said anything it'd go in one ear and out the other with him. So, instead of showing her appreciation with words, Mari wanted to show it by fighting. Mari stood up now, the last of the snow falling from her skirt. Mari wanted to strike again, but perhaps - it would have been a good idea to remember to concentrate on her footing.

Rolled a 3 on the d10 (battle) dice.
FAIL

Mari was barely even standing straight before she slipped and fell, a second time - Mari was a tad more graceful this time around - managing to brace her fall with her hands. Mari was beyond flustered, she didn't want to say anything - or look at anyone. She was questing with what she assumed was  two of the strongest players and here she was unable to land a simple hit on a mangled wolf.

 

 

Perma Dice Roll ID: 1023

[Guest]

Mari rushed for the wolf again, unable to land a hit. When she hobbled back, Alkor seized the opportunity to lunge forward, feet planting firmly on the ground to balance his landing in the snow. His malefic blade ripped through the wolf and sent it's fragmented data scattering on the wind. When he completed the motion, the swordsman slowly rose and sheathed his sword.

[iD: 1155, BD: 9] (Critical Hit)

Wolf- Dead

"That's taken care of," he said offhand, glancing over at Zelrius, who had gone as far as to say he didn't intend to lift a finger against anything except the boss. It made Alkor silently vow never to be that cocky.

He turned and looked at Mari, visibly conflicted. He walked slowly over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Keep your eyes ahead," he told her, "you'll never move forward while looking back."

Alkor turned back toward the path they had chosen and struck off ahead. "We're almost there," he said to neither of the others in particular.

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius simply watched as the whole battle under went. Wasn't a long battle, Just a bit over lengthened by the snow. Zelrius wasn't going to complain about their speed in doing so, He honestly would be doing nothing else at the moment. In fact it was rather interesting to see how those who would be fighting next to him reacted to their situations. Looks like they react good enough in battle, but the look Alkor gave the arrogant boy was definetly not anything new to Zelrius. He breathed out a comment, always being as snob as possible

 

"Feel free to hurry up withthis. Not like its cold or anything."

[Mari 1]

Mari appreciated the sentiment Alkor showed her- in an attempt to console her. "Oh I know, no point in whining over something like a little snow...or cold eh Zelrius?" Mari asked, turning over her shoulder to look at the arrogrant looking man. Who was clearly put off by the environment. She sheathed her dagger and brushed off her hands, then sifted the snow out of her hair with her fingers. Without checking with the others Mari pressed on forward, making casual conversation with Alkor. "I'm hoping luck is on my side; and I can score some decent armour."

((Not sure what the boss area is supposed to look like so I'll leave that to one of you two))

[Guest]

It was a wide open field, and for miles there was nothing but snow. The trees that flanked them seemed to disappear beneath a biting gale as the world turned gray and white. "Here it comes," he spoke above the wind.

And as he uttered those words, the floor began to shiver.

((Someone else open the fight. I'm about to pass out.))

[Zelrius 0]

Zelrius looked up and slightly grunted at Mari's comment about the weather. Zelrius was certainly disliking the cold weather. Not because it wasn't like he couldn't tolerate it, Or rather normally he could tolerate cold, But after his long time on Floor 9 and the heat there makes the cold here unbearable. Finally Zelrius closed out his Messages and Group Panels for the Floor nine Boss fight. Then he looked up. This was the open area where Avalanche Spawned.

 

And Loe and Behold speak of the devil and the Devil shall come. Or rather, Avalanche had Rumbled up from the side of a nearby cliff and walked down to the open area where the three stood. Zelrius grinned, Now was his time to shine. Gripping his sword, Zelrius drew the Helix of Blue and Red flames from the small golden sheath at his side and held it in his left hand. Then, pressing down on the earth, Zelrius lept forth, Making first strike on Avalanche without any real hesitation.

 

• Rolled a 9 on the d10 (battle) dice
• Rolled a 1 on the d10 (mob) dice

Zelrius 77/77

Mari 19/19

Alkor 26/26

Avalanche 40/50 (Two BD/T (Brun Damage per Turn) Two Turns)

[Mari 1]

Mari felt she was getting a better handle on the whole 'fighting on snow' situation; and with a loud rumble she saw it; a large creature made entirely of Ice. Mari arched her head up, taking in its full body - it's eyes glowed a ghastly blue, and it gave a guttoral roar as Zelrius dashed in and struck it - his hit leaving an odd glowing burning mark on the golems body. 

"Eh?" 

Mari had to assume it was burn Damage, she grinned. "Nifty..." There was no time like the present, so Mari followed suit - quickly dashing behind Zelrius - she tried to strike the ice golem but her dagger bounced off it's surface. The golem bought its arm down over Mari, but Mari deftly grabbed onto an icicle jutting out from it's wrist- she flipped herself up and over the appendage, landing gracefully back in front of the golem - a proud smile fell across her face. She may have missed the strike but she had been able to successfully dodge it. Next time, she would land a hit for sure. 

 

 

Rolled a 5 on the d10 (battle) dice

Rolled a 5 on the d10 (mob) dice
-2 Eva

 

 

Zelrius 77/77

Mari 21/21

Alkor 26/26

Avalanche 38/50 (Two BD/T (Brun Damage per Turn) One Turn Left)

Perma Roller ID #1304

[Guest]

In a blur of motion, both Zelrius and Alkor made their vicious marks. Mari seemed to stumble a bit and had trouble dealing her damage, but the nasty burn Zelrius' blade had inflicted poured salt over the gaping wound both the other two had inflicted. In the span of a single round of combat, the boss was already almost at half health. "If this is any indicator," Alkor laughed, "we're doing fine on damage, as far as boss fights go."

Not one to get too cocky, Alkor quickly tempered his jest with a glance of concern in Mari's direction. "Keep at it," he called out to her, "every little bit you can manage helps. Don't let a miss or two get to you."

His focus returned to Avalanche just as quickly. Though they had met before and been evenly matched, this was almost like the boss had been set to easy mode. In the blink of an eye, that had staggered a boss level enemy. While it was probable that this would never happen against a floor boss, it was still a good sign, and it lent to their morale.

The Front Liners were on the rise once more.

[iD: 1352, BD: 7, Mob: 1]

Zelrius: 77/77

Mari: 21/21

Alkor: 26/26

Avalanche: 29/50