[Private] To mystery unbounded

[Starlight]

[OOC: here is a map


We started at location 1, and we are aiming to go to the stairs, either one will do. Without lock picking skill we can only go through the door by breaking it, which will attract enemies. No character have this map, everything outside the visual field should be darken by shadow for the characters. All dead ends have traps, that includes room 8.]


-Mission-Start-Now-

Starlight looks down and quickly checked her gears, all equipment are up-kept in a ready to go condition, nothing is damaged and not fixed. Her own health is good, having now regenerated fully back to its original green full health state, and she is not tired, not hungry or sleepy. Her inventory is kind of messed up for a bit, overrun by random items, but is still ready to go. Starlight is currently very close to level three but not quite there yet. That means she is still under-leved and should play this very carefully. She closed her eyes and internally tells herself to get ready for anything, but as long as they work as a team, that they should be fine.

Having just returned from her own solo mission a few days ago, at night fall she returns to Tolbana, where she had submitted her mission to the NPC Flora in the Town of Tolbana. At that time, she had a chance encounter with a blonde player and took the time in between mission to relax and rest for a bit. But now that all of her schedules have been cleaned up, she can't help but wanted to do something big before she explored the second floor again. And there is only one place that is so dangerous on the first floor, such that she would need to team to even considered going in, and that is the first floor dungeon. Currently, the only dungeon discovered in the game.

I would actually need teammate for this one...I would likely...need a team of four....

Thinking to herself, she quickly goes over on the people she had met in the game, and to wonders if anyone would be willing and able to go. She had just said goodbye to Kitferge a few days ago, it could be that he is still in the area tending to his business with the local NPCs, if he have not left yet, she could definitely ask. However, in a dungeon, she would feel safer with a shield. Thinking about that, she quickly send Sche an in game letter, asking her of whether she wants to go explore the first floor dungeon with her. 

Starlight stared at the name of Tesh on her friend list, Tesh was previously part of a dungeon exploring team with her. Back then, he was level one, edging towards level two, and that means he might have been level three around now. Back when they first explored the dungeon, he was a very good and reliable teammate, he was silent but efficient. He played support when he needed to support, and attack when the team needed the damage output, he had done what exactly needed to be done with minimal to no complaints. And he was in the dungeon at least once before... we could use some experience on the team. Alright....thinking of that, Starlight quickly sent an in game message to him as well, asking him to come over to the dungeon if he is nearby and helped out with exploration once again.

That is solid in terms of level, attack and defense, but we could use one more for range and for support....just to stay on the safe side...

This time, Starlight actually needs to go on her HUD manual and started to manually search for players, she is still not used to this whole HUD business thingy and fuddles around her HUD screen until she finally found the name that she was looking for. Red long hair, and a spear, a weapon rarely seen in this game, the image is still fresh in her mind. She met him not too long ago in the great plains so he should still be around on the first floor. Even back then, at first glance she had thought that that weapon could come in handy someday, perhaps some day soon. 

Alright then...let's see....


TO: dear all

If you are nearby the first floor dungeon, and have some time to spend, and also have some courage for the monsters and for exploring. Please come down here to the firs floor dungeon and meet me by the gate. I would really need some help with going through the dungeon. See you then, hopefully. 

Starlight out.

[Dieter]

" There is only alone thing that makes a dream impossible; a fear of failure"" ☒ @open ✐ 600+ ✉ Dieter Lv1

A cascade of vibrant, fiery crimson locks tricked down Dieter’s back as he groggily propped himself up on his right elbow, ignoring the protesting creaks from the rickety inn bed as he positioned himself to read the notification sent to him by a fellow player, Starlight ; a whimsical two-handed sword wielding berserker. A muted groan escaped from between Dieter’s coral-hued lips as he arched his back, leisurely rubbing his muted-jade eyes in an attempt to further wake himself up. Even in Dieter’s sleep-addled state, he began to subconsciously navigate through his HUD, idly sifting through the options until he reached his inbox; it was an invite to assist in a dungeon run. Dieter’s lips curved upwards, transforming into a Cheshire Cat-like grin. Dieter casually threw aside the scratchy wool blanket, sifting through his inventory and re-equipping his beginner set of gear. An idle twist of Dieter’s practiced fingers caused the tip of his spear to dance just a few centimeters above the ground. Dieter wordlessly descended the winding spiral staircase, waving happily to the local NPC, Emilia, the praetor of this particular inn. Despite him knowing subconsciously that it was a pre-programmed wave, it oddly brought back memories of home. Dieter chuckled to himself, recalling the countless times that he’d slept through his numerous alarms and was forced to rush out the door in a last-ditch effort to make it to early morning track practice. It always played out the same way with him hastily stuffing his face with a half-burnt blueberry bagel, stumbling through the door almost spilling his peach mango smoothie. Now those memories felt distant, almost alien to Dieter as he walked into the market square. Dieter subconsciously hugged his spear to his body, letting the tip rest just a few inches above his clavicle as he waltzed through the crowd; not an ounce of movement wasted as he danced through the crowd of people. Dieter’s feet never seemed to linger on the ground for more than a split second as he shifted his weight to and fro, alternating it between his heel and the balls of his feet. Dieter’s leg muscle tensed as he pushed off the ground, propelling himself just high enough for his right foot to connect with the polished granite of the water fountain. One would have expected Dieter to extend his arms to either side of himself in an effort to correct his equilibrium Instead, Dieter smiled to himself as he felt a familiar warmth radiating deep within his chest, a sensation that he only felt when he performed at his completion. Dieter’s foot arched, pivoting on the balls of his feet just as he was about to step off, temporarily dismissing his spear as he pushed off the fountain. A brief sensation of being weightless overcame him before he arched his back. He felt the sensation of his momentum shifting as his world inverted, the cobble stone of the market square had become his sky. Dieter’s hands instinctively shot out, stabilizing Dieter in a hand-stand before he slowly shifted his leg forward, folding his body almost entirely in half before he unfurled himself. A few murmurs echoed through the crowd as Dieter exited into the Great Plains. Dieter didn’t re-summon his weapon as he broke into a sprint. The corners of his vision blurred as he felt into a steady rhythm, inhaling deeply through his nostrils and exhaling slowly through his mouth; a technique that had been drilled into him over the years. Before Dieter realized it, he found himself standing just a few feet away from Starlight, leaning forward to brace his knees as he caught his breathe. A few beads of sweat trickled down the side of his face, while others slid down the small of his back. “ I’m not too late am I?…” Dieter’s voice resonating through the space, filling it to the brim with gentleness akin to a mother after her child scraped their knee. Dieter casually approached the massive towering gate that lead further into the dungeon, tracing the decorative wood with the tips of his fingers. It still felt hard to believe that what was in front of him was composed of nothing more than 0’s and 1’s. Despite that, the worn wood smelt vaguely of smoke, most likely from the countless torches that lined the walls of the dungeon and illuminated possible dangers.

[Tesh]

"There Is More Than One Way Forward" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Tesh Lv3

Dibs on Second

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS - EDITS BY ANGELO OF SAO-RPG

[Tesh]

"There Is More Than One Way Forward" ☒ Starlight Kitferge Dieter ✐ 1157 ✉ notes Tesh Lv3

Sitting on the dock in Port Noir, at a rather popular location during morning and even hours for fishermen, Tesh sat at the end with his legs hanging over the side, slightly swinging them back and forth, taking in the fresh air and environment. He had none of his gear on at this moment, all that he would wear during times like this, when he was just relaxing, was his black overcoat, one that covered his entire body and was made out of a lighter weighted cloth, a black t-shirt underneath, along with dark pants; in addition, the only color that he was wearing was his bright teal cloth that would match his eyes. A strong wind would come about, it was pleasant though, and it felt like it was refilling his spirit with every inhalation. Having days like this was good for him, he would be constantly stressing his mind and body most of the days going out on the second floor, with or without Rue, to farm for items and experience, after all his main goal was to one day, hopefully sooner rather than later, take part in fighting on the front lines. As the wind would continue to blow, sending his scarf in a flowing wave motion behind his neck, making his hair ruffle, and his braid swing back and forth, Tesh was taken away from the serenity of the environment when he heard a ping noise emit and his HUD open up in front of his face. A message? From who might this be by? He thought to himself, as he pressed the ‘open’ button on the menu. Tesh never received too many messages and this caught him off-guard slightly. Narrowing his eyes, being rather upset that the tranquility of the atmosphere was ruined abruptly before he was able to finish taking it all in, or rather meditating, he stopped swinging his feet back and forth and laid back on the dock as he began to read the message that was sent to him. It read, “TO: dear all If you are nearby the first floor dungeon, and have some time to spend, and also have some courage for the monsters and for exploring. Please come down here to the first floor dungeon and meet me by the gate. I would really need some help with going through the dungeon. See you then, hopefully. Starlight out.” Oh! It’s Starlight, this is quite a surprise, back in the dungeon, the first time that we met, she didn’t seem to be one to like socializing much. I would never see her wanting to create a party, but I guess maybe she changed too, just like me. Tesh thought to himself as his eyes went back to being normal, no longer narrowed and no longer annoyed from being interrupted. The feelings actually completely changed into something more happy…happy to see that she was breaking out of her shell, at least somewhat, it takes time and a lot of baby steps after all. Tesh would be taken back to the times when he was probably the most nervous and shy player in all of Aincrad…it was quite embarrassing after all, but after making more and more baby steps, he was able to break free, mostly, from the awkwardness that he would feel when socializing with other people and partying up with them. Luckily it would take no time for him to get there, but it was one of his relaxing days, so he had to think for a moment if he really wanted to take part in this adventure. I wonder who else might be a part of this excursion. If nobody shows up will she actually go in by herself? I can’t let that happen. Tesh thought to himself for a moment as he continued to lay on the dock, swinging his feet back and forth. Without knowing if she was going to be alone, he decided that he needed to go and help her out, after all, she was the only other two-hander that he has come across, so it was fun to fight alongside with her, as he knew most of her move set. Tesh quickly pressed the ‘reply’ button and sent a message off back to her saying, To: Starlight Hey! Nice to hear from you, and thanks for the invite. I’ll be arriving in Tolbana shortly, and will make my way to the gate. Please do not enter before I get there, especially if you are alone. ~ Tesh ~ As Tesh finished sending the message to the young woman he arose from the dock and made his way over to the teleportation circle by the entrance of the Port. Walking over to the circle with his eyes closed, only opening them every so often to make sure that he wouldn’t trip or run into someone, he made it to the circle, stood in the center, and recited the words Tolbana. As all of the world around him faded away into lines of code, after a couple moments he arrived in the middle of Tolbana, and began to head towards the gate, walking down the main street of the town…it was just like that time when he ran into Angelo and Kitferge, the second time he went into the dungeon, hopefully it turns out as well as it did the last time, after all Tesh had just reached level three and was wielding his new Calcum Great Sword, as well as, wearing his new leather armor that Rue gave to him as a gift. As he approached the final steps towards the gate to the dungeon he noticed in the upper corner in his eye the figure of Starlight and someone who he had never met before. He was happy to see that it wouldn’t be only the two of them at least. The man that was standing next to her had fiery red hair that stood out probably just as much as his scarf did, and he was using a weapon that he hadn’t seen anyone else use before, it was a polearm, which slightly fascinated the young man. He continued walking up, still not wearing his gear, or his weapon, until he got close to the two that were waiting at the front of the gate conversing. Taking one hand out of his pocket, he waved to the two until he got close enough and spoke to the two of them. Looking over at Starlight, “Hey Starlight, how are you? I take it you got my message since you still haven’t entered, thank you for waiting.” Looking now over at the young redheaded boy, putting out his hand, he said, “Tesh, nice to meet you.” He said with the same face that he gave to starlight, slightly smiling and peaceful. “So anyways, are we expecting any more players to show up? Or is it just the three of us today?”

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS - EDITS BY ANGELO OF SAO-RPG

[Scheherazade]

Tesh Starlight Dieter My faith is seared into my skin; burned into my worldly flesh with ink as a reminder that I can never give it up. It is a burden that is worth nothing and everything. It is my pain.

Scheherazade blinked slowly, feeling a note of exasperation well up in her as she simply stared at her friend, Aurelius, in slight annoyance and endearment. The brunette across from her ducked her head in embarrassment, making the blonde sigh quietly. Her curls, which were chocolate-colored and shiny, bounced around her elbows as she downed her mug of ale, the dainty-looking brunette wiping her mouth off with her hand. Her green eyes darted to Scheherazade before she stared determinedly down at her alcohol, and then her gaze flickered back. "You're angry." "No," Scheherazade sighed, sipping her own water, reminding herself that the woman across from her was paying for all this, "I'm a little...surprised. You-apparently-were on a date with another player. You didn't know that it was a date. You then thanked him and called him a good "friend". Honestly, Aurelius. I thought you would know better. Did he not bring you flowers or some sort of gift?" Her fingers rapped gently against the wooden table that separated the two, and her gaze flickered to the people that surrounded them. There was a shy-looking brunet boy, fidgeting nervously. Bar uniform, but young, green player. Alright, so a newcomer. He was standing in the corner of the room, looking uncomfortably out of sorts before another employee came and ushered him to the back, no doubt spinning up some lie about needing help in the back. The poor boy needed it, though, and Scheherazade snapped back to reality when her friend called her name out again, plunking her head onto the rough wooden table as she muttered random words about her previous suitors. Scheherazade merely rolled her eyes fondly and flicked her on the forehead. She wouldn't be so familiar with a stranger, which was why she had a reason for acting this way. Aurelius was actually one of the members of her old guild, Angel's Requiem. The brunette looked startlingly like her own avatar in the game, making the blonde step back when she had first saw her. Aurelius had saw her and tilted her head before the blonde explained who she was, and then the brunette had cheered vivaciously. Aurelius, the Queen to their little kingdom inside of the guild. Her nickname among the beta-testers was literally "Queen", a little detail that she teased her guild mates about relentlessly. It wasn't just for show, though. She was, at the time, dating their guild master in real life, and also, she was startlingly intense when she wished to be. Like now. It was a first time in a long while, really, since they had last met up. So Scheherazade had offered to meet her in a bar, where the blonde was drinking a cup of water. "So," Aurelius finally gave, her cheerful, voracious personality giving way to a fiery, quietly intense personality that could still a man in his tracks, eyes burning holes into Scheherazade, lips in a thin line, "What have you been up to? I heard there's a lot of dangerous stuff going on, Knight. PKers, monsters, people in general...have you seen the business around the first floor? Idiotic, it is. People seem to have abandoned everything but the places with monsters and places to rest. Player merchants are lost in this whole mess." "Mhm," Scheherazade gave softly in reply, her fingers curling around the glass cup while she brushed a lock of her blonde hair back. She had pinned her hair up in a stylish braided bun before she came here, but stray locks came down sometimes, framing her face. "I heard. I'm a potential recruit in a guild, since I haven't heard back from them yet, not really. Elysian. A front-line and defense guild created by a player named Athena, with her two comrades, Rue and Elpharae. Haven't met Athena or Elpharae, really..." "Interesting," Aurelius spoke, her eyes narrowing from the rim of her wooden mug as she sipped from it, the frothy liquid bubbling. "I think I heard something about that. Word gets around and all. Elpharae...? Funny name. You know, I think I heard that girl Iris in the merchant district mention something...Isis? Isla? It has an "i", an "s", and another "i", I know that much. But Rue? Infamous. Court trial for murder, Knight Errant, worked for Argus, apparently, and some sort of Alpha-tester, super high leveled..." She was cut off by a chirping beep on someone's HUD, and the two players automatically swiped down midair with their free hand, and when Aurelius came up with nothing, the brunette turned to Scheherazade, and then saw her reading a set of script. The blonde's lilac eyes skimmed over the text, which was one simple paragraph. "I'm invited to join a dungeon party. We haven't met in a while, though, Aur-" "Get up, Knight, and show some of that valor you were so famous for." Aurelius spoke lightly, but her eyes showed challenge. "Besides, I need someone to go on a dungeon run...god knows how many people need feeding around this place and clothing. Meaning to go up to Floor 2 and start a charity or something. Sounded like that Ellie Sin ("Elysian.") Elysian did that already, to be honest, but hey, silver's prettier than gold. The color of platinum." TO: dear all If you are nearby the first floor dungeon, and have some time to spend, and also have some courage for the monsters and for exploring. Please come down here to the first floor dungeon and meet me by the gate. I would really need some help with going through the dungeon. See you then, hopefully. Starlight out. Scheherazade sent a glance at the other before picking up her cloak and nodding a thanks, the woman shouting out a plan to meet up some other time to her back as she exited the bar, fingers flying over her keyboard as she skillfully maneuvered over other players, managing not to bump into anyone. Her reply was sent out within seconds, and she walked with purpose to the dungeon, hoping that she wouldn't be late. She glanced at the time on her HUD as she walked, and then found herself at the opening of the dungeon. Dear Starlight, I am interested in joining such an endeavor and journey into the dungeons of floor one. If possible, meaning that if you have not started on your journey yet, I will meet you by the opening in a handful of minutes, since I need to travel from Tolbana. I would be flattered to meet you once again and fight with you. -Scheherazade Her lilac eyes blinked in quiet surprise as she noticed a handful of familiar faces-Tesh and Starlight, of course. And a red haired boy, though he was a little androgynous. He seemed attractive enough; aesthetically pleasing, one of the seemingly common traits within the game. Scheherazade hummed in quiet thought before joining them, inclining her head in a smooth gesture. The others seemed to be asking whether they were too late or not. She coughed near-silently and delicately into her hand, clearing her throat. "Excuse me," Her smooth contralto broke in, warm and full of soft-self assurance as she stepped forward slightly, her weapons equipped on her person, mouth letting greetings slip out of her parted lips, "Am I too late as well?" Her lilac eyes focused on each person in turn, but she merely inclined her head to Dieter in particular, a subtle tilt that would fit for her first meeting with him without breaking in too rudely, a warm, if a touch reserved out of her shyness, smile playing on her lips. She then returned her gaze to Starlight, lilac eyes blinking at their supposed "team leader".

ψ

[Starlight]

Starlight waited patiently beside the gate of the first floor dungeon, arms held across her center as she leans on the walls with her eyes close for a little nap. There was not much she could do at the moment but wait to see if any one of people whom she send a message to actually returned her message or not. 

The sunlight felt warm against her skin, and she was almost napping out for a few seconds there until a beep from her HUD awake her from her lazy state. She opened her eyes and checked her message inbox, she got a message back from Tesh, telling her to not go into the dungeon alone and that he is also coming to the dungeon.

That is some great news! At least now I have one dungeon team member. 

Just as Starlight was about to send a reply message back, she noticed someone approaching this way from a distant. Crossing the sea of people, someone was running towards this way. Starlight's eyes widen as she saw long firery red hair waving in the wind, catching sunlight as they twirl around behind him, emerald color eyes sparkles with some kind of renounced focus as he speed his way towards her. 

Starlight gasped in surprise "Dieter...?"

She had met him once before in the great plains, and for some reasons that she could not quite yet explain, sent him an invite and secretly hoped that he would accept and join the team, but was not hoping as in she was not sure if he would agree or not. Starlight quietly swallowed whatever surprises she has....and now that he was here, and stopping in front of me, I guess I can take that as a yes?

Dieter slows down from his sprint and stopped in front of her, seemingly just now realized that he was running and is now catching up with his breath.

“ I’m not too late am I?…”

"Pfttttt...."

Starlight can't help but chuckles to herself. "Dieter...you didn't have to run, I wasn't going anywhere. I was just going to wait here until I have enough team members to go in. Gosh, how fast were you running..." Starlight looks down and pull up her inventory, she grabbed a flowery handkerchief, and without giving him any time to complaint, push the silk to his arms. "I guess this means that you are ready for a dungeon run now!" She frowns a bit, remembering the last time she saw him, he was running fast for his life, with only 15 HP left, away from the little neps of all things. It was a moment of bravery that shocked her, aggroing all of the little neps attention to himself...and if only he could have done some damage too...from the last time, his attack stats really was nothing to brag about. "Diet...You did add more to your strength stat from your level up did you...?" Starlight asked nervously with a frown and sweat, unsure of herself. 

She would praise him more of his bravery, but she kind of also really really wanted to stretch out the point of the best defense is offense, but before she could say anymore, another figure approaches. Starlight quickly turns towards whoever was approaching them, short silver hair waving around in the air as the young adventure walked with confidence towards them. 

Starlight was just about to break out with a smile upon seeing a familiar yet, long time no see face, but turns that into a frown instead when she noted that the young adventure was not wearing his gears, or was carrying any weapon. I know that the leather armors kind of look dumb, but it did something for defense, and also weapons...?

“Hey Starlight, how are you? I take it you got my message since you still haven’t entered, thank you for waiting.”

“Tesh, nice to meet you.”

“So anyways, are we expecting any more players to show up? Or is it just the three of us today?”

Starlight sighed in relief at that. This is probably the first time that Tesh and Dieter meet each other, so she did not have to do the full introduction as Tesh's sort of friendly or shall I say, mature approach solved the issue for her. 

"Tesh, it is good to see you again. You changed...for the better. This is Dieter" She used a head gesture towards Dieter before continuing. "We met on the great plains for a hunting quest, he is a spear user so he will be pretty good with range attack from behind Sche's shield. And Dieter, this is Tesh, I once went on a dungeon run with him before and along with some high level players, Tesh is a very reliable teammate, good with reacting according to situations and had some pretty decent offense. I hope we could all get along and work as a team on this one."

Before she could say anymore, her HUD flashes up with a beep once again, she quickly checked. Starlight had just received another message, reading over the short message carefully. This time, the message came from Sche, confirming that she agrees to join in on the dungeon run too. Now really let out a sighed of relief, she had a full party! Well no, a full party is a group of six but that was over kill, almost for mini bosses in this game, a party of four is very standard these days. 

"I just got a reply from Sche, she said that she was coming over. Oh I'm not sure if you guys met her or not, Sche is this very lady knight like player, uses shield and axe, we known each other for a while now, and..." but before she could brief them more about Sche, a lady player with golden hair approaches them. 

"Am I too late as well?"

Starlight curves up with a smile. "Obviously not." She turns to look over her group, four of them now standing around the gate. "Well...this is the whole team. Tesh, Dieter, and Sche. Two hand great sword, spear and shield and axe respectively. And yours truly, Starlight, I uses long sword and two hand great sword inter-changeably, depending on the situation." She chuckles "Oh well! I can't believe that I get to get you all! This is gonna be so much fun, let's have a good adventure together!"

"Alright! Let's not waste any more time standing by the gate! That is enough waiting, let's get this show on the road!" Starlight chirped in excitement, turns and says over her shoulder. "Shall we?"


She puts her hands on the great irony gate of the first floor dungeon, and pushed it open, the heavily double door of the gate opened from the center, breaking in sunlight into the otherwise darkly lit room, the four stepped in.

Once the last of them stepped into the empty large room, the heavy door slammed shut with a loud bam sound. There was no going back now. Starlight narrowed her eyes as she adjusted to the new lighting of the room, carefully, she gaze around the room. There was no decoration of any kind, only a few candles hanging on the walls, few in between, candle light shifting around the room not doing much for lighting, but is not un-visible either. As far as she could see, there are no furniture or other exits in this room, there is no potential hiding spot in this rectangle space, only one door on the one side of the walls.

...I can't believe this...first step into the dungeon, and already hit a road block...

She turns around to look around her teammates uneasily. "...so, anyone has a lock picking skill equipped?"

[Dieter]

"Never mistake a gentle soul as a weak one; it takes more strength to smile in the face of adversity than it does to make a fist ☒ @open ✐ 1082 ✉ Starlight WC: 2008 Dieter WC: 1813 Tesh WC: 1157 Sche WC:  1286 Total WC: 6,264 Dieter Lv1

Dieter’s lips curled up in response to Starlight’s startled gasp, shaping into a mischievous, knowing grin. Evidently, his prompt arrival had caught the two-handed sword wielding berserker off guard, a feat not easily managed. In a way, this was Dieter’s way of returning the favor as he thought back to his first encounter with the obsidian-haired Valkyrie. In spite of Starlight’s lithe build, she possessed monstrous strength, which she coupled with her praiseworthy swordsmanship to effortlessly decimate any creature that dared cross her path; god blesses those poor unfortunate souls. Strangely enough, Starlight’s personal sword art reminded him vaguely of a Dark Knight from the Final Fantasy franchise, this connection was attributed to the dark sanguine-tinged aura that crept along the length of her cumbersome blade; creating an illusion that her blade needed to sate its’ thirst for blood. Dieter doubted he’d ever quite understand the enigma that was Starlight, her ruthlessness in the face of adversity was kept in balance by moments like this, when she laughed at other player’s shenanigans as if she didn’t possess a care in the world. Dieter’s pride would never allow him to openly admit it, but in a way he envied her. Starlight’s chuckle prompted Dieter to chuckle back, albeit his wasn’t in amusement rather embarrassment; his cheeks turning a rosy shade of red affirmed this. Dieter regressed into his nervous quirks and habits, pressing his alabaster index fingers together until they arched and strained in a borderline painful fashion. Starlight chided Dieter for his haste, exclaiming that he could have taken his time as she had no intention of leaving him behind. When Starlight inquired about how fast Dieter had been running, he merely shrugged his shoulders in response; a clear indication that he wasn’t quite sure himself. Dieter didn’t put much thought into it, mostly due to the fact that aside from being an accomplished gymnast, he was also a member of his school’s track and field team and did cross-country running. Dieter continued to inhale deeply through his nostrils, holding the air in his lungs until it grew stagnant before exhaling slowly through his mouth; a trick that both of his coaches had drilled into him. Dieter felt his hearts quicken pace gradually begin to slow as he watched Starlight sift through her inventory. Before he could ask her what she was doing, he felt something soft and silky being thrusted into his arms. Dieter glanced down at the silky, floral pattern handkerchief that had been forced upon him. Dieter offered Starlight a brief smile as his form of thanks, shamelessly using the handkerchief to wipe away the sweat that clung to his brow and the few stray beads that trickled down his neck. Dieter’s dusky jade eyes lingered on Starlight, noting the frown that crept across her face. Dieter wordlessly ponders what could have caused that, not dwelling on it for more than a few seconds before Starlight asked a question. While the question in itself was seemingly harmless, her inquisition blatantly revealed her concerns to him. Starlight focus was on his wellbeing and stat distribution, which had changed slightly since their last meeting. Dieter’s experience with the Little Neph and Boars forced him to realize that his build wasn’t ideal, true he was nimble, graceful and sturdy; the tradeoff for this was his lack of strength. Indeed it was true that Dieter could endure the Little Neph’s onslaught, his high endurance, dex and agility had saved his skin; the little Neph’s either needed a critical hit or needed to catch him to deal damage. But what would have happened if Dieter had been alone? Dieter inwardly cringed at the mere thought; he’d narrowed escaped with his life with a party of four? “ Did you want this back??” Dieter open-endedly inquired in an effort to rid the duo of the awkward silence after Starlight’s question. Fortunately, Tesh’s opportune arrival helped break up the tension between the two. Dieter gingerly grasped Tesh’s hand, offering a quick shake before retracting his own hand; evidently Dieter’s reluctance to engage in contact with others remained even in a virtual world. Starlight briefly touched upon each of the party member’s combat specialties, their current party make up was indeed well-rounded. Dieter’s role most likely would never change, acting as a rear-guard and ensuring that no one ever got overwhelmed or drawing the agro to give someone a chance to catch their breathe. He wasn’t alone in that endeavor as Sche was designated to be his proverbial knight in shining armor, acting as a buffer between him and the Kobolds said to lurk within the dungeon. Dieter appreciated this fact, choosing to trust in those that Starlight associated with since she appeared to keep good company. Lastly, Tesh and Starlight’s role was to serve as their vanguard. Dieter followed Starlight as she proceed between the towering double doors, ignoring the initial wave of panic that swept over him as the doors slammed shout with a deafening roar. Dieter’s dusky jade eyes drifted between each of his new teammates, his lips moving in silence as he mouthed out both Sche and Tesh’s names to himself in an effort to commit them to memory. The fact this room was almost completely devoid of furniture aside from the wall-mounted candles, which served as the only source of light in the room struck him as peculiar. Dieter’s alabaster fingers curved apprehensively around the shaft of his polearm, each step that Dieter took forward was cautious and wary; unsure of what surprise could be waiting for them. Dieter masked his true emotions with a koi smile, hiding the encroaching fear of what lay beyond the door ahead of them. Dieter’s hair stood on end as Starlight began to fumble with the next door, each pin drop of the locking mechanism clinking in protest as she attempted to open the door sounded akin to gunshot in Dieter’s mind. Starlight’s question subtly reminder Dieter to activate his Detection ( Perception ) talent. Dieter’s eyes flittered shut as he activated, his emerald eyes turning ruby-red for a split second as it activated. Suddenly, Dieter’s perception of the world around him changed, each of his senses augmented by unexplained means. Dieter closer to the door, pressing his ear to it as he listened for what might be beyond. However, it appeared his sense might not of been high enough as he couldn’t hear much of anything. He wordlessly shook his head and took a few steps back.

[Tesh]

Nothing left to say

What's standing in your way?

You had the chance to never walk alone

WORDS: 826 || TAGS: Starlight Dieter Scheherazade

Shaking Dieter’s hand quickly, Starlight went on to introduce the two to one another. It was a kind gesture of the girl because even Tesh picked up quickly on the nerves of the young man…he obviously wasn’t one for social happenings, something all too familiar for many of the players that were trapped inside of this death game. More often than not, the majority of the people that he had encountered, throughout his time in Aincrad, had been a lot more like him, in his previous, early months, in this game, than he had realized. Opening up his inventory HUD, as she finished up each of their introductions, Tesh clicked on all of the slots for his gear and equipped all that he had, turning from his overcoat to his new upgraded leather armor, and his Calcum Two Hander appearing strapped onto his body, on his back, he was now ready to enter the dungeon at any moment.

As he prepared himself to enter the dungeon, Starlight’s HUD flickered, receiving a message. As she let out a sigh of relief, Tesh heard the name of the last member to be joining their party into the depths of the dungeon. The name was all too familiar to him, taken back in an instant to that day in his early months of living in this world, that day when it was the two of them and Kaito out in the Great Plains where they had almost lost their lives to that ‘War Hog’ brute of a creature. Memories left again quickly but he remembered the pain from being trampled that day, as he grabbed onto his side for a moment before the blonde would arrive. It was different this time, it was going to be different this time, he was level three now, and a trained fighter no less, he wasn’t going to let this dungeon excursion turn into anything like that terrifying day in the Plains. As she would approach the group Tesh would respectfully acknowledge the girl, seeing that she wasn’t giving him much thought, he feared that there still may be emotions and tension between the two from that day, after all it was been quite some time now since that day and the two haven’t even spoken a single word to each other or have seen each other…this would worry Tesh, hoping for it not to be this way.

Upon Starlight opening up the dungeon’s main gate, the door would open, allowing the musty and stale air to waft out and hit him in the face yet another time. The smell and atmosphere of this place was never a pleasant one for Tesh, he could never get used to the way the air felt. Looking down the familiar corridor, or what maybe have at least appeared familiar, knowing that this dungeon was notorious for confusing him, Tesh grabbed onto the hilt of his blade with his dominant right hand and unsheathed it, the flickering glare from the candles, that were placed along the side of the walls, reflected off of his blade. A the door came to a crashing thud behind them, something he was also familiar with, he prepared himself for the quick actions that he would most likely have to take in the near impending future. As the door came to a close, Tesh was finally able to try out his new detection talent, the one that he just got from his level up, that he had been wanting to test out for some time now. As he closed his eyes for a brief moment, activating the new skill, he felt his senses become whole, as they seemed to have been enhanced to stretch out further than what was humanly possible, it was as if he had total awareness of his immediate surroundings, and it was a comfortable feeling for him to know now that he was able to have such a thing in this dungeon, where it would have been so much helpful to have had all of the previous times coming here.

Looking over to the group Tesh calmly spoke, “Nothing in here, from what it seems.” As starlight seemed to have already discovered the secret to the first corridor. They needed someone with the talent of lock picking to get through the next door, a talent that Tesh would never dare dip his hands into, as it was something that would not prove beneficial in combat. Tesh didn’t believe that ether Starlight or Scheherazade had such a talent either, and the only other person to hopefully have had it was Dieter, but from how he reacted, it seemed that he didn’t either. As Dieter took a few steps back, shaking his head, Tesh would look over to Scheherazade and asked, “What do you think we should do without having lock picking?” Without making full eye contact, still nervous about how she thought about him and felt from that day.

Hey sorry for the late response, won't happen like this again!

BOBBI

[Scheherazade]

Tesh Starlight Dieter My faith is seared into my skin; burned into my worldly flesh with ink as a reminder that I can never give it up. It is a burden that is worth nothing and everything. It is my pain.

After the introductions finish, the blonde nods to each member in turn, rewarding Tesh in particular with a quiet, contemplative look, before she turns and follows the others in between the huge doors of the dungeon. They're bigger than she thought. It's her first time in the dungeon, and the green player feels a little nervous, but shakes it off internally. There's no need to unsettle the others. Instead, she rests her eyes on the place before her, and then watches the others step in, allowing them to go first. The door closes behind her, and she can feel the breeze brush against the nape of her neck, making her pause to shiver briefly. The dungeon's setting her on edge. She's tenser than normal, but there's nothing too odd. She exhales slowly, letting calm filter through her mind. There's no need to be so on edge. It's okay, she repeats to herself, staying calm, cool, collected. It's okay. They walk another handful of paces. Absently, she observes the way Dieter's hair hangs and the brisk pace of Starlight's steps. It's eerily silent. She can tell the others are concentrating, and she herself falls into a subdued state of observation. Her pale purple eyes, mingled with periwinkle, flutter shut. Her eyelashes brush against her cheeks as she thinks to herself. It's not just the dungeon. It's also Tesh. The last time they had met, she almost died, so that was a tricky can of worms to open. How did you address such matters, anyways? The air around them was doubtless uncomfortable, so she despaired, keeping her thoughts to herself. However, whenever she felt his gaze on hers, or anyone's gaze, really, she automatically tensed internally. Her fingers wrap around her weapons tightly, and her gaze flickers, either with intensity, or renewed wariness. It varies with the amount of seconds that pass, and then, after only a few steps, they stop. It's a door, the only exit out of the room. It's odd, really. There's a shocked, sudden pause, and then Starlight, sounding the least bit sheepish, or perhaps it's stumped, turns to them and asks after the lock picking talent. The baffled blonde blinks back blankly. She doubts it. The most likely candidate is Dieter, but then he steps up and finds himself at a loss. She stares more closely at it, observing quietly, gaze sharp and intense. It's wooden, for one, and Scheherazade contemplates setting fire to it with the candles provided. A messy job, though, since there's a chance that they would be burned instead. Could you die by fire in Sword Art Online? She wasn't risking herself or her current party on the idea, though she noted it for later reference if needed. Fire...the door could be seen as an Immortal Object as well, and perhaps heat had damage on it as well if caused by something other than the weather? She blinked, revealing nothing of her thoughts, even though her eyes flickered to the door again, and then to the candles. For a second, while there's a brief lull, she watches the dancing flames cast shadows on the walls of the room. It's beautiful, in a simple way. She relishes it before turning, and then Tesh speaks. Scheherazade felt herself be addressed, and then blinked slowly, unsure of how to proceed before she breathed in, letting herself calm. She stepped forward after sending a look to the others for permission, understanding their roles. The door stares back at her, impassive, and she blinks in quiet understanding. She has no lock-picking, nor does she have detection. But that doesn't stop her from trying, however, pulling on her experience and skills, which, honestly, are quite meager. The others don't seem to mind. Logic guides her, and her fingers close around her palm, nails digging into her skin. The pain helps her think. The blonde steps closer to the door, allows her breath to ghost over it. She brings her hands up, her weapons falling back into her inventory, and then she smooths the pads of her fingers over the walls. Her slender fingers press against the material, and then she blinks slowly, rapping her nails over the material. Her hearing isn't as polished as the others', since she's sorely lacking with detection, but she hears enough. The wall's thin, much thinner than she had originally thought. She eyes the crack between the door and the wall, and then, with a quiet, polite command to the others to stand back, she hefts her axe up, materializing it from the depths of her inventory. The familiar weight gives her a rush. One of her hands closes around it, the weapon. She sends a glance around her. Dieter wields a polearm, but that's not an appropriate weapon for the task. Starlight and Tesh both have two-handed swords, but the edge of their blades is not thin enough. They're blunter, aiming for more damage. Her axe is different. It's thick near the handle and thins out, built for a clean incision and then breaking through an opponent. Clean cut, and then damage. It should be fine for this task. She sucks in a quiet breath, attempting to calm herself. There's not much otherwise to do. She's actually almost nervous. She lifts her weapon and then does a clean, powerful strike, even though Tesh or Starlight must have been able to put more power into it. She frowns at herself before lifting her weapon again and aiming for the crack of light between the door and the wall. She makes it, thankfully, and the door swings open. She breathes hard, forcing herself to take deep breaths. Her legs are slightly shaky, and so she pauses for a second, waiting for herself to calm. The girl hums, unsure of what to do now. The door's open, and they should move forward, so. She gives a glance to Starlight and is one of the next to follow the brunette in. Sche blinked ineffectually and stepped in. She remembers her role clearly. She's a defense and offense-built player, with a slightly longer reach due to her axe. Her shield provides her protection, her metal axe ensures that she has some form of offense. They walk into the corridor, and her eyes automatically scan over the area provided, and she can already tell that it doesn't go far. But something feels off. Her sense of unease is heightened. It's not Detection-worthy, but it's odd. Like some bug is caught in her hair. She runs a hand through it absentmindedly, patting her braided bun. Then her fingers fall to her side and close around her axe and shield. Monsters. She can hear them, loud and unsettling, steps echoing in the corridor. They step into her vision, and Scheherazade belatedly realizes they must have been attracted by the loud chopping noise she provided with the axe. Perhaps they should go with the fire plan instead, next time. If she was able to break it down, the door must not be an Immortal Object, she muses, filing it in her mind for later use before focusing on her current opponents. She sends a glance to those she knows she's going to at least brush elbows with, and then lets a quiet smile pass by her lips. She hasn't been this excited for a fight in a long time. Her mind is already spinning with ideas. Tesh would be the logical choice if she needed someone to cover her back. He's fought with her the most often and already knows her fighting style. Starlight's good as well, but a fighter like her is better off solo in Scheherazade's mind. Perhaps surrounded by players, but she can guard her own back now, if her gear and her newfound aura are any inclination. Dieter would also be a good choice. His build seems completely different from hers, though she can glimpse his agile build. Like a gymnast's. She's not that much different. She has a ballerina's build, a dancer's. She can do some gymnastics, come to think of it, but nothing difficult. The blonde will have to rely on the others if she wants to do well. Scheherazade's the type of fighter who can charge in and launch an offensive first strike, and then go back to protect the others. Defense-offense. She's not stellar in anything, but she's not bad either, and the fact makes the green player smile internally in satisfaction as she finally realizes that their opponents are in their eyesight. She blinks at the sight of them and then exhales slowly. Right. She needs to focus on the battle.

ψ

[[GM] John]

Thread closed due to spring cleaning. This is a flat reward, no bonuses will be added. I apologize in advance for the cut taken to your hard work of the past, however full credit cannot be issued due to the nature the thread ended in. You will be rewarded similarly to how solo threads do just without the cap, enjoy the xp from dead threads

The following players were credited for their posting: Tesh, Sche

Tesh word count: 1983
Flat XP rate: 198

Sche word count: 2720
Flat XP rate: 272