Lore Online [IC/Accepting]

[Mr. Hyde]

The swaying motion of the boat ride had relaxing, as well as talking with his friends Matti and Tadashi.  They were a lively trio, and Finn was glad to be a part of it.  As the boat touched land, Finn stretched his arms above his head in a figure four.  "Nothing like a sandy beach to make you forget about the sandy wasteland all those kids almost died in!"  Dark humor, would the others see it fit?  He almost wished he hadn't had said it as a look of uncertainty washed onto his face, covering his cool smile.  

 

As soon as his big toe hit the sand, a message appeared on his HUD

 

< WELCOME TO THREE SAINTS BEACH. AS THIS AREA IS AQUATIC AND YOU WILL BE IN AN UNDERWATER MISSION, PLEASE ACCEPT OUR GIFT OF A « SWIMSUIT ARMOR » IN YOUR CHOICE OF CUT AND COLOR. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL NEED TO WEAR THIS ARMOR FOR THE DURATION OF THE MISSION. >

 

He grinned as he swiped through all the choices.  "Speedo?  How about speedno..." He passed through the entire speedo section trying to find something loose.  He loved feeling free in his clothing.  So anything tight was off the list.  He found the perfect pair of trunks and chose it,  heading behind a pile of rocks along with the other men.  Tadashi had chosen a pair that he would've been uncomfortable with, it looked like actual athletic gear.  Matti had put on a plain pair of short trunks.  Finn undressed himself to reveal his slender body.  He put on [spoiler=his pair] [/spoiler] rather quickly, as not to be seen by his female comrades, or any other person that wasn't a male guild mate.  

 

"Lets get this son of a beach started!!!"  He yelled after getting properly dressed

[Astolfo]

Waving to Yohta cheerfully when he woke up, Haruka giggled slightly when he almost fell off his bench when the ship ground into the docks. "Wood'ya know, we're here~!" Remembering her entrance style though, after watching the crowds rush off the boat in large swarms and deciding that would take too long, Haruka ran off the edge of the boat, jumping off the rim with a powerful leap... Before promptly crashlanding into a nearby rope pole used to anchor boats to the harbor.

Rubbing her nose which had turned slightly red, Haruka skipped back over to the rest of the group, following them along to Three Saints' Beach. Arriving there soon enough, Haruka's eyes sparkled, her mouth opening wide. "Woooahhh! It's so big!" Indeed, the beach sands and the waters were vibrant colors, with a perfect sunny day to top it off, no less. When the ringing of the HUD brought Haruka back to her senses, she read through the information given quickly.

Upon the discovery that everyone would get to wear swimsuits, Haruka's earlier disappointment from having her girls' day out party with Inali crashed by the sudden desert mission completely vanished. Scanning wide-eyed through the dozens of options and colors available, Haruka couldn't pick which one she had liked the most. "Ooh, this looks nice.... But I like this one too... Oh, that one looks pretty too!" Struggling over what to decide even after poring through the menu, Haruka was suddenly struck with a memory from what seemed like such a long time ago, before they had both gotten stuck in Lore.

[hr]

A few days before the trip was to be done, Haruka and Akane had went out together to a summer store to pick out swimsuits. Although Akane who was more of a passive type of person in various aspects tried to go with a simple black one-piece, Haruka wasn't about to have any of that. This trip was going to be super fun, and Haruka insisted that her friend choose something more exciting, to go along with that mood.

They both quibbled back and forth over tiny things on what swimsuits would be good, but all in good nature. As they both looked through the store for various outfits that appealed to them, Haruka's eyes lit up on a frilly white bikini. Instantly feeling that it would look good on Akane, she dragged her friend over to it, insisting that she picked that one. After much ado over little things like price tags and skimpiness and appeal, Akane finally relented, much to Haruka's joy. Picking out the matching pink checkerboard-pattern bikini located next to it, the two of them made their purchase and headed out.

[divider1]

It was a sunny day, perfect for a high school class trip to Okinawa. Cicadas were buzzing, the heat was sweltering, and the sun was beating down, but none of them minded, since they had all soon got to go to the beach. Haruka and everyone else had tons of fun, and the whole class spent the day away splashing each other with water, building sand castles, trying to surf, and more.

Dawn eventually came though, and as the day began to draw to a close and everyone started to pack up and head back to the hotels, Akane and Haruka had stayed behind slightly, before walking together back to their room, chatting along the way about all sorts of things, most of which were meaningless, but fun nonetheless.

[hr]

"Haruka, Inali, let's go find somewhere to change," said Akane. She called out loudly to the guys behind the rocks. "We'll be back in a bit."

Akane's voice snapped Haruka out of her daydream. Apologizing with an abashed grin on her face, Haruka called out, "It's fine, I'll be coming in just a moment!" Scrolling through the menu, a warm feeling made its way across her face when she found what she was looking for.

"Coming~~!"

[hr]

Catching up to the other two quickly, Haruka nodded appreciatively when her friend pointed out a place the girls could change in privacy. Changing within a few minutes and coming back out, Haruka barreled into her friend with a tackle-like hug. Holding her hand out to Akane to help her back up with an apologetic expression on her face, Haruka saw the outfit her friend had chosen.

"Man, this sure brings back memories, doesn't it?" Unable to stop herself, Haruka's face broke out in a wide grin as she remembered days long past.

[A Generic Person]

"Yeah! Tha--!...Eehhh... my mistake... that's not them..."

 

Aeritz blinked and turned back to his new acquaintance, tilting his head curiously over her minor hiccup. Then back over to the group that came over to the beach, squinting his eyes. A good number of them - the girls, it seemed like (...And a bit attractive, but, then again, who'd deliberately make a bad looking character?... Then again, there were some gonk people, weren't there...? I'll never understand them...) - were headed into a changing room in one of the few cabins in the area, and the other half of the group were headed behind some rocks... He couldn't exactly figure why they didn't find a changing room, too, but that wasn't his business...

 

...This was all a virtual reality, but it was a MMO, too... The armor was easily put on, but the swimwear... He didn't really think about it until now, but exactly how accurate were the... more [acronym=No, seriously, this is a legitimate question that I just thought up]explicit parts[/acronym], anyways? Were they... all there?... How would players who chose the other gender work? Would they have to get used to their new body parts...? And... was it possible to... to...

 

"BuuuUUUuuut, if they're lookin' for two more, I don't see the harm in jumpin' ship for a group that isn't late! Whaddya say, Aeritz-san?"

 

"E-eh?" Aeritz blurted, whipping back to Aria in surprise. Never mind what was on his mind, the suggestion to force themselves onto another group (and myself with someone I barely know...), the girl's sudden politeness threw him off-guard, if only because he was getting used to (yet another) ru... crude speech she was already using. "U-uh, well, I-I mean, I should probably wait for my fr- I mean, my group, since I, uh, I already... rendezvoused with them here beforehand... A-and I don't want to intrude, or impose, or... push myself onto some strangers... And... And..."

 

Ugh, I'm as smooth as the water crashing onto the beach right now...

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

[hr]

To say Inali was disappointed when everyone ran off to the harbor without trying her cooking is a severe understatement... Of course, she was somewhat amused at first when she walked back to a guildhouse full of half-unconscious boys laying on the ground with blood flowing out of their noses, her mood dropped off when Yohta walked downstairs and got everyone to get ready and depart, leaving behind perfectly edible, hot, fresh curry. After begrudgingly changing her outfit from something that revealed 70% of her skin to one that revealed 65% of it, she followed the rest of the guild to the harbor, with two neatly arranged boxed lunches in tow. One for the chef herself, and the other... Well, let's say it's not for those who didn't took the offer the first time.

 

[hr]

 

"Over here, Ruby Lord~" Aboard the boat, Inali elected to go to the top floor, on a relatively flat area free of other people. Normally she'd stay down with the others and chat it up a bit, but for today, that can wait. Pets have to be groomed too, after all. With a picnic mat and everything, the master and pet duo looked less like a fierce combatant and more like an ordinary girl and her not-so ordinary treasured pet.

 

Ruby Lord Dragon, an ultra-rare dragon class pet found only in limited-time event of which Inali was lucky enough to obtain. Up to that point, Inali never stayed with one pet for too long, immediately swapping her current one for a better, higher-leveled one whenever she gets any. However, there's something about Ruby Lord that makes Inali want to hold onto him for so long. He has been her pet for well almost a month in-game times, which is quite a long time for someone as ADD with items as Inali. This dragon of crimson scales look perfectly happy and content being fed to by his master, and even reacted nicely to being petted and groomed. The two spent most of the relaxing boat ride in the comfort of each other, with Ruby Lord sleeping on his master's lap for a good half of the trip.

 

"Today too, please try your best for me." She said softly, petting his head as he drifts off to sleep.

 

[divider1]

 

"The beach!" Inali immediately jumped in excitement upon seeing the vast expanse of white sand in front of her. In Japan, beaches as beautiful as this is hard to come by, especially any within the vicinity of her hometown in Kyoto. Even though she's appeared in a swimsuit ad and had pictures of herself in a bikini at a beach taken, it's her first time visiting a place like that for non-work related purposes. The virtual beach here, too, is just as pretty as the ones in real life with pristine, untainted white sand, clear, almost transparent blue water, and not to mention, an equally beautiful skyline untarnished by pollution of any sort. She dropped her usual sense of composure and reverted to her true self, that of a 15 year old girl, and rushed along the coast with her arms outstretched as if she's an airplane.

 

< WELCOME TO THREE SAINTS BEACH. AS THIS AREA IS AQUATIC AND YOU WILL BE IN AN UNDERWATER MISSION, PLEASE ACCEPT OUR GIFT OF A « SWIMSUIT ARMOR » IN YOUR CHOICE OF CUT AND COLOR. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL NEED TO WEAR THIS ARMOR FOR THE DURATION OF THE MISSION. >

 

And she would have continued doing it too, if it weren't for the suddenly ringing HUD. Inali paused at the shore, waves rushing past her feet as she flicked through the available designs, eventually settling on an [url=http://i.imgur.com/WOd1P82.jpg]O-Ring Bikini[/url] not unlike the one she wore at her first swimsuit photoshoot. She giggled goodbye at the boys before leaving with Haruka and Akane to change in the empty cabin.

 

After Haruka changed to her admittedly startlingly cute checkered pair, she followed and changed to her pair.

 

"I-Isn't this a bit too revealing for a mission?"

 

She got out of the cabin full of a confidence, her swimsuit of choice complimented her figure nicely, and the blue color makes for a nice contrast on her lightly tanned skin. Her question is just a tiny bit of rhetoric, her attempt to make sure the other girls are perfectly happy with the attire they've chosen. As for her, these bikini only showed off an extra 20% of skin than her usual clothing, so she didn't really mind it.

[VCR_CAT]

Aeritz began to just stutter more, saying that he should probably just wait for the group he had already met with. Jeeze, does this guy have a backbone? They probably ditched him too! Whatever, I'll do the talking. 

 

"I'll take that as a yes, then!" Aria replied, ignoring most of what Aeritz was going to say. "'Sides, they wanted to meet you when? You prolly got ditched, dude! C'mon!" Aria grabbed Aeritz's arm and dragged him in the direction of the new guild; practically running herself. Once she got closer, she got a better look at who she was running into; a bunch of dudes, and then a bunch of girls in... very... revealing swimsuits. Compared to what Aria had chosen to equip, which was a blue half-tankini with gray board-shorts, Aria felt positively overdressed. Great. Either a bunch of creepy guys, or a bunch of prissy cheerleaders who looooooovvvee that attention. Better not make fun of my swimsuit... last thing I need is a bunch o' cheerleaders actin' like the size o' their busts are the same as their egos...

"YO NERDS!" Aria called over to grab their attention. "You guys doin' that quest?! My friend 'n I are lookin' to jump in! Got room for two more?!" Turning to Aeritz, Aria whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "Don't worry, dude. I got this; I gotta way with words! Just leave it to me!" Of course, if Aeritz had half a brain, he would probably guess that this wasn't this best of ideas.

[Aix]

"Man, this sure brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Turning over to Haruka, Akane couldn't help but mirror Haruka's smile as she noted her friend's choice as well. "It seems we were thinking the same thing." There was an undeniable tone of happiness in her voice.

Coming out of the cabin, Akane, however, did feel a little exposed. Her mind uncomfortably recalled the looks the boys gave her back during that Okinawa trip, the effect of which was only magnified by her own self-consciousness. She did not think that the other Ospreys would look at her that way, though. Hopefully.

"I-Isn't this a bit too revealing for a mission?"

Inali brought Akane out of her reverie. "I hardly thought you would speak about revealing," Akane commented. She then awkwardly realized that sounded like a barb and changed the conversation. "Let's head back, the others must be waiting for us."

As they walked, Akane continued to have some difficulty maintaining her straight-backed posture. Her arms were crossed awkwardly below her top, covering what she could of her skin, and her gait was light and tentative. It had been too long since she had been dressed this way.

Then, just as they got back, they were met with commotion. Two white-haired people were rushing over. A guy and a girl, a couple perhaps. The girl of the duo called out to them, rather rudely, asking to join them. Akane supposed that was just her way of speech, and decided not to be bothered by it.

"I'm sure we can accommodate two more, right Yohta?" Akane said after a moment of consideration. She glanced at their greedy guildmaster. More people would mean the profit would be split. "We have no real idea how dangerous this mission can get."

[bury the year]

The sun felt good for once, tempered by the sea breeze as it was. It seemed like the group was in high spirits, going on a mission that was ostensibly an excuse to frolic about. The one obstacle, however, was the whole ordeal with swimwear. The girls unanimously elected to go to a little shack that was set aside to change, something which he hadn’t noticed before. Yohta had no such dignity, however. After a bit of consideration, he selected the “Swim Team Captain” model - jacket included! - and went to change behind a rock like the rest of the guys were doing. It was a quick ordeal, but it seems like the others were quicker still, as the guild’s leader was the last to rejoin the newly-suited up group without fanfare (or shame, for that matter).

The other six members of Osprey ran the full gamut of confidence. Inali looked positively thrilled with the fact that she was able to get away with wearing even less clothing than normal. Matti, on the other hand… Yohta sighed. He knew the cleric was eighteen in “the real world,” but in Lore he acted more like he was ten. What sort of emotional baggage did the kid have that caused him to be so timid? Whatever. He joined the small now-circle of players near the center of the beach, about to announce their plan of attack when-

“Hey, nerds!”

A sharp shout broke the huddled group apart, though, and Yohta looked up to see where the source of the shout was. It was a white-haired in a pair of boardshorts and a tank top, dragging her similarly-coiffed male friend with her. The disarming tone in the voice took him off guard, a sentiment with which Akane seemed to agree. "I'm sure we can accommodate two more, right Yohta?” Her tone stated the obvious: the more they had on their side, the better the chance they had of completing the mission.

[b]"If they can take back the ‘nerd’ jab, then sure.”[/b] Yohta shrugged, and he waved back at the pair for them to join. [b]"We’re Osprey, and we’re here for that Celacea mission too.”[/b]

[b]”…speaking of which, do either of you know how to start the mission?”[/b] He looked around the beach, a tint of confusion coloring his eyes. There was no obvious indicators, no NPCs to offer advice. The nine of them were the only players on Three Saints, which was pleasantly deserted. Waves lapped at the shore, inviting passersby to take a dip, but Yohta’s attention was elsewhere.

Something in the near distance caught his attention. It was a small wooden dock, bobbing on the water. Without a word, he broke off from the group, lost in his thoughts as he started to stroll over to the dock. Was this the key they were looking for? Odd that the two white-haired players hadn’t noticed it before.
 

Tengutake sighed as he scanned the room, all generals now in place. Zaifer, Gorrok, Iashi… They were all what he would politely call “a bag of mixed nuts.” And then there was Ko, the one player who despite not being a general had proved to be more of a headache than the other nine combined. His patience for the shenanigans was slipping day after day.

The question bounced around the room a few times before Zaifer fessed up. Of course it was him. Tengu liked the samurai, but he got tired of the antics. Gorrok spoke up saying as much, but Ko immediately talked him down and offered his own (albeit smarmily worded) suggestion to send Zaifer and his team out to Mizar. A bit heavy-handed, no?

[b]“Thank you, Ko, your suggestion has been noted,”[/b] he stated with the disinterested air of a man who forgot the words as soon as they entered his ears. [b]“And Zaifer, I’m glad you can accept culpability for your mistakes. I’m also glad you’ve taken the liberty to come up with your punishment, because frankly I didn’t think that far in advance. You and your entire squad will be on main rotation guard duty for the next two weeks.”[/b] Special emphasis was placed on the number: evidently Tengutake didn’t believe just a week was enough.

[b]“That said, any more concerns?”[/b] The only sound came from Iashi, who wished to transfer into Zaifer’s branch. Tengutake nodded silently in reply - she was the least skilled of the Generals and Zaifer could show her the ropes once or twice. [b]“With that, meeting dismissed. Tea’s waiting outside.”[/b]

As the players stood and began to filter out, Tengutake followed them with a last command. [b]“Except for you, Ko. We’ve business to attend.”[/b]

[b][spoiler=WHERE TO GO][b]Iashi, Zaifer:[/b] Head out, socialize, and get ready for that oh-so-fun guard duty.[/spoiler]

[A Generic Person]

"...and they don't have a reason tooooooaaaaargh!"

 

One moment, Aeritz found himself closing his eyes and figuring out as many excuses as he could, the next, he found himself staring upwards and off balance, being pulled by the arm and dragged across the beach in surprise. "Wa-wa-wai-wait, I can walk by myself! Don't... ugh..." He didn't quite expect the shorter girl to be able to drag him, feet sliding in the sand, all the way over there, but he made no effort to resist. Didn't want to do something unexpected, right?... This is like one of those bad anime scenes, isn't it...? If I had a collar instead, it'd be pretty much spot-on.

 

He righted himself up as soon as Aria pulled him over to the group, sighing exasperatedly and giving his new companion a very distrusting look in response, before turning over to the guild... Four men and three women, but, from their attire, he couldn't exactly grasp what their jobs were. The two that did give a response seemed to be some of the more serious members... And the others, sans one or two of them, seemed to be a lot... less serious. This is probably their more... elite members, I guess? I haven't heard of Osprey, but I doubt they're this small of a guild... Probably not as big as Joshua Tree, but which guild even is?

 

 

"Um," said Aeritz, awkwardly, resting his forearm on his waist. He turned towards the shore again and gestured to the dock with his head, "We haven't... exactly looked for the starting point, but it's probably... yeah, there." Aeritz interrupted himself when he saw the presumed Osprey leader - Yohta, that lady said? - was already staring and starting that way. Aeritz watched him briefly, before turning to the other one that spoke up, the lady with white hair, and, stepping up to stand by Aria, said, "...Er, where are m... our manners? Eheh... I'm... I am Aeritz, of the Paladin class, and this is, er, Aria. Thank you for allowing us to join, and, please, take care of us." He bowed to compliment his greeting out of habit, then added, "And I... apologize for the insult, we meant no offense."

 

...Wasn't even me that said it, but if I'm wrapped in on this already, may as well make the most of it...

[Ren✧]

Tadashi tried to keep his composure when Yohta came out from behind the rocks in his swimwear, a speedo no less. Fortunately, his attention was quickly drawn away from the guild leader's extremely revealing outfit when a pair of ivory haired players interjected, asking to tag along on their mission. Tadashi couldn't help but feel a little nervous with the two new additions to their party. Undoubtedly they would be uneasy around him, due to his red status. It would take time for them to be comfortable around him, which could mean a fatal error in battle if things came to that. He would have to especially watch them to make sure they weren't killed in whatever this mission was. Tadashi kept quiet about his doubts, simply nodding at the two newcomers. 

 

”…speaking of which, do either of you know how to start the mission?” 

 

Tadashi was about to suggest that they try actually wading into the water, perhaps the mission would make itself evident if they did that. However, before he could, Yohta broke away from the group, not waiting for an answer. Such a thing was typical of the rogue. Looking to where Yohta was heading, Tadashi noted the lonesome dock. He supposed that was as good a place as any to start. 

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Ko never knew what to think of Iashi, the single lowest leveled player among the generals of Joshua Tree.  She was, at least as far as he could see, a good person, but not the sort that he would have expected Tengutake to give such a position of leadership.  Not that any of it bothered her, in fact he felt that it was a fair move to give the lower-level players a representative in the group, but he could not shake the feeling that there was more to her appointment to that office than he knew.  The reasons he could come up with were all reasons that made sense.  Putting someone lower-leveled in the Generals would make the other low-level players in the guild feel that they had a say, and appointing someone of her disposition would make it appear that the generals had a sort of moral compass to them.  Still... none of that quite fit with the man that Tengutake had become as the guild grew larger.
 
"You and your entire squad will be on main rotation guard duty for the next two weeks."  Well, that was essentially the guild master disregarding his suggestion entirely.  Not that he was surprised by it, for all Tengu said about being able to bring him in to offer counsel he was rarely listened to.  Though if he was honest with himself, he was rarely patient with the man who had once held his loyalty much more strongly.  In any case, the meeting came to an end and the guild master decided that he had business which needed to be discussed in private with the monk.  For once they were thinking the same thing, though Ko felt that this was going to be little more than an opportunity to keep him from getting some much needed sleep.

 

"So," the monk began as the last of the generals exited the meeting room and the door was shut behind them, "What was really so important that you had to send a messenger out reach me when you knew that I was already on the road to Merak?  I hardly expect that what happened with... what was the guild's name... Osprey?... I doubt you thought that was important enough on its own to call me back."  He knew Tengutake about as well as anyone could, at least he had once, and this wasn't adding up to him for the moment.  As far as he was concerned, there had to be some other reason.

[VCR_CAT]

"Hey, whatever ya say pa--" Aria started, stumbling on her speech when she noticed what their guild leader was wearing. Really? REALLY?! WHO CONSCIOUSLY CHOOSES TO WEAR A SPEEDO?! Aria cleared her throat. "I mean you can count on us!" The group looked like a good group; at the very least (despite their choices in swimwear), none of them looked like they were really any kind of jerks. Maybe this was the group Aria was looking to fit in after so long?

 

"Also hey," Aria said to Aeritz aside as the rest discussed how they would get the quest started. Hell if Aria knew. "Just send your buds a quick PM or something; tell 'em you had a change of plans. I'm sure they'd understand or somethin'." Aria slapped Aeritz on the back with a loud "Smack!" "Good talk!"

 

"I have an idea!" Aria announced, planting one foot on a nearby rock and hefting her Haymaker's Day-Maker. "Where did that come from?" Someone else spoke out from the group. "They say it's a water mission, right? Then we head out to the water! C'mon let's do this!"

[Aix]

Akane noticed the wooden dock at about the same time Yohta did, but she glanced around for any other clues before following behind the leader. It was a rather empty, pastoral beach, and, beyond the massive rocky landmarks signature to Megrez, there were few conspicuous articles in the area. Approaching the water, she couldn't help but divert her course slightly dip her feet in. She stood there enjoying the feeling of the seawater lapping at her ankles for a moment before turning back to the others.
 
"You guys come over here," called Akane, raising an arm in a wave. She glanced over at Yohta. "I don't think you would be mistaken to think this is the start of the mission." There was nothing else here, after all. She hesitated for a moment before arming herself with her sword and taking the initiative to step on it.

[Yosuke-kun]

Two extra weeks of guard duty for a problem that his subordinates intentionally caused for him. Perfect. This was the true gaming experience after all, not fighting monsters on perilous quests or working hard to build up EXP and max out your characters stats. Zaifer couldn't help but sigh as he nodded to Tengutake as his punishment was given. As the Generals of Joshua Tree were dismissed however, Tengutake asked to speak privately with Ko. For a moment Zaifer paused and looked at the monk, worried Ko might be reprimanded for something as well, but his thoughts were altered as Gorrok slammed hard into his shoulder.

 

"Better not screw up again kid." Gorrok taunted. But Zaifer ignored him. With himself personally on guard duty there wouldn't be any chance to screw up on anything. All he had to do was make patrols, tell people not to break curfew, and warn the people if there was a raid incoming. It really wasn't difficult work in the slightest, but that's why it was so frustrating that his subordinates were refusing his commands anyways.

 

As he walked the halls, Zaifer felt acutely aware that someone had been following him, and hiding it rather clumsily. At first Zaifer just ignored it, but after a few moments of hearing trips and poorly silenced foot steps, he was beginning to feel sorry for the person. Zaifer also had a pretty good idea of who it was too, so finally he stopped and spun around to see Iashi attempting to conceal herself behind on of the pillars in the guild hall.

 

"Mind if I ask how long you're going to be following me and why?" he called out. They'd never really talked before sure, but that wasn't really a reason for the Cleric girl to hide like that. It kind of bugged Zaifer that she wasn't just direct about talking anyways, unless she was just stalking him for whatever reason. That was likely not it however. The more he thought about why she was following him, the more he wanted to ask another question too.

 

"Why'd you offer to help me back there anyways?"

[iashiaya]

After the meeting had concluded Iashi did not want to go and talk and out of the corner of her eye saw Zaifer walking away after Gorrok talked to him. Worried, she followed him so she could ask him a few questions but each time got to scared and hid behind something. Why am i hiding? She would ask herself as she continued to follow Zaifer around the hallway, constantly tripping and running into things.

She saw Zaifer stop walking and she instantly hid behind a pillar in the guild hall. She heard him call out "Mind if i ask how long you're going to be following me and why?"  He heard me? Iashi thought and she felt embarrassed about being noticed realizing she wasn't hiding herself very well and stepped out from behind the pillar. She took a breath and was about to answer when Zaifer asked another question "Why'd you offer to help me back there anyways?"

Iashi walked closer to him and responded to the first question "I-I wanted to ask you a few questions because you are also a new leader i thought it would be best to try to get to know each other." She said twiddling her thumbs a bit looking away from Zaifer slightly. "Also I offered to help because your team does not have a cleric so i thought you might need one for help... I-I mean if you die here you die forever a-and um we wouldn't want that to happen in our guild."

Iashi held out her hand for Zaifer and took his hand "I'm Iashi it is very nice to meet you." She said deciding it was best to introduce herself so he wouldn't know her as just the cleric.

[Sethera]

Matthias had hung at the back while the conversation was going on, nervous and awkward. Despite finally feeling comfortable to an extent, he couldn't muster up the same feelings for strangers. Instead, he gave a shaky bob of his head to both the white-haired people, and trailed after his leader, making sure to watch where his feet went this time. No way was he having a second incident. Once was bad enough!

 

The blond couldn't resist when he spotted a piece of seaweed strewn on the banks, however. Picking it up, he turned it over in his hands. No matter how much he tried, he could never quite get over how much Lore Online's plants resembled real-life flora. They must have had a botanist on the development team or something similar.

 

Lost in thought, he couldn't help but stumble over a shell. Curious, he picked it up, marveling at seeing a small crab inside. "Wow! Is this a hermit crab?!" he exclaimed, forgetting the company and his worries. Setting the crab and its shell down gently, the boy glanced around for more shells and plants he could find.

 

Matthias found a spiny shell that looked a little like a comb. Another that looked like a fan. A third that looked like a spiraled unicorn horn. And one rather interesting one that opened out like a splayed petal on one side, the inside bright pink. Best of all, though, was a rather flat, disc-shaped shell with a few notches and a design shaped like a flower in the center. Though the others went into the pouch, that one he kept out, holding it in front of his face and studying the design with fascination.

 

With a flinch, Matthias realized that he was lagging behind the others, and jogged to catch up. But still...he couldn't help his nervousness. What will the others say when they find out I can't swim? the boy thought. "S-sorry." the blond mumbled once he caught up with them on the dock, not daring to meet the eyes of any of his guildmates. It wasn't like he thought they'd be mad, but the guilt of what he was hiding from them was enough to make him more timid that usual.

 

I have to tell them...but I...I'm scared to, he admitted to himself. But he was even more scared of them finding out from him starting to drown. I...I have to tell them! He clenched his fists, puffing himself up before wilting. But...they'll be so disappointed. Once again, I'll be the one holding them back... Still, he had to face up to his own failings.

 

"Um...I have to...tell you guys...something," Matthias trailed off, before mustering his courage. "I...I can't...swim." There. He said it. Everything out in the open. Shutting his eyes, the boy hung his head, not wanting to see the condemnation he was afraid he would find if he looked. But...they're not like the people in the real world. The boy thought hopefully. Maybe...they won't make fun of me. But they might be disappointed... Which, to be frank, was even worse. He'd already disappointed the group yesterday when he hid the cactus flower, and now this. "I'm...um...sorry for keeping it from you guys."

[Astolfo]

When Haruka heard Inali's remark about the skimpiness of theire outfits, Haruka snorted with laughter when Akane was quick to make a witty reply. As they walked back to rejoin the rest of their guild members, two white-haired people rushed over asking to join, and Haruka nodded eagerly, since she was happy to see new faces.

Yohta and Akane went off first, investigating what seemed to be a wooden dock or something of the sort. Looking around for something to do, Haruka's eyes lit up on Matthias.

"Matthias, oh my god you look adorable!" Running at the cleric before full-off practically crushing him with a bear-hug against her somewhat well-endowed chest, Haruka only caught the last few sentences that the little kid had mentioned.

"Don't worry about it, Matty! We're not upset. I can teach you how to swim, if you want~" Finally letting go of him, Haruka cocked her head and smiled brightly, offering her hand out to him.

[Mr. Hyde]

It seemed as though everyone had gotten there swim suits in order.  The girls looking as exposed as ever, like that was something new.  The guys on the other hand had all sorts of different tastes in suits.  The oddest one being Yohta's, his swim gear came included with a sports jacket.  Finn tried to hold back his laughter.

 

"What is this mission called again??  Battle of the Bulge?!!"  He lost it and fell back in the sand, still heckling his leader.  It was about that time that two white haired players had approached them.  The one named Aria was quite rude with just meeting new people, but it wasn't something he would hold against her.  She was probably just a kid.  Aeritz on the other hand was collected and had introduced them properly as a group.  Sitting up in the sand, he scratched his head.  "Ahhh i didn't know we were tagging up with a smaller group on this mission!  We'll be sure to take good care of you kids today, just be careful and let you're big ol' nii-chan save the day like he always does!"  He had turned around to make sure he was prepared for the rebuttal against him, but with Yohta and Akane both headed towards a wooden dock, that was not the case.  

 

A mumble was heard from Matti, as Haruka groped and grabbed to poor boy.  Something about not being able to swim, if he heard correctly.  He patted Matti on the head.  "No worries Matti my boy!  We'll get you splashing and kicking in no time!  Im sure Tadashi can help too!  Just as long as the girls aren't molesting you in the water that is..." he sighed.  Why couldn't he get molested in the water.  "I guess i'll go follow our glorious leaders to the docks!  Last one there's a salty sea snail!"  He darted towards the dock as fast as his nonathletic build would carry him.  The sea breeze in his face had kicked up some sand and blown it into his eyes, past his glasses.  With no sense of sight, he had passed up Yohta, Tadashi, and Akane who were standing on the tip of the dock, and had tripped and fell into the water.  "Much better..." he thought to himself as the sand left his eyes.  He then surfaced and rubbed his eyes to be sure.  

 

"Well...water you guys waiting for???"  Wait...hadn't somebody else used that joke already....NO MATTER!  It was timeless!  

[bury the year]

Yohta could only sigh in response to Matti’s statement. He couldn’t swim? Really? The cleric was becoming more and more childlike with each passing day. First the whole plant daydreaming thing, now this… He swore more and more that Matti was a 5 year old stuck in an 18 year old’s body.

He only gave Finn a look of dismay, partly for his comment about his swimwear choice and partly for skidding right off the dock and into the ocean below. (The former was attracting a few other stares as well, judging by Aria’s expression.) “I was the captain of my university swimming team, Finn,” he said patiently. “Do not deny a man his habits. Plus, I assume we’re going to be diving and doing a lot of vertical movement in this mission. Nothing sucks more than being dragged down by 10 kilos of waterlogged boardshorts.” He noticed Matti’s cringe as he heard the words 'dragged down.’ “Er, why don’t I reconsider my word choice there.”

The dock rocked back and forth smoothly on the waves as the assembled group stood in silence. Yohta frowned. All members registered for the mission were present and accounted for - why wasn’t the mission beginning already?

What Yohta didn’t notice was the faint tracery of yellow lines that started to glow on the wooden surface, and the dark shadow that grew larger and larger behind Finn. The mage seemed blisfully unaware of what appeared to be his imminent doom rapidly approaching. ”Finn, get out the way!”

It was too late, but thankfully whatever beast had breached from the depths had only meant to intimidate the team. It was massive, resembling a white whale with a fur cowl and horns. It - or she - was Celacea. And by the look on her inscrutable face, she wasn’t too pleased by Osprey trespassing atop her altar.

With an impressive splash, the boss dove back below the surface as an alert flickered onto everyone’s HUD, letting them know that yes, this was their target. Yohta studied the display and internally groaned. How much HP was that again? This was going to take forever. Oh, well. He threw his jacket aside, and in a single movement dove into the refreshingly-cool water. “C’mon, y’all! We’re not going to make any progress by standing up here.”

[Ren✧]

Tadashi had spotted the dark shape approaching Finn's location a fraction of a second before Yohta and had actually moved to dive into the water to try and save the mage that seemed to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, before he could, the gigantic sea creature breached the surface and cast a disapproving, to put it mildly, stare in the direction of Osprey. Fortunately, it didn't seem at all interested in attacking them just yet, and aside from splashing them all with a wave of salt water, returned to the ocean in peace. 

 

The archer looked out to Finn, making sure that the mage hadn't been injured in Celacea's entrance and departure. Seeing that he was alright, if not a bit surprised by the monster's appearance, he turned his attention to Matthias and Haruka. "Be careful." He cautioned. He didn't want the cleric to get in over his head and end up drowning out of some need to prove himself and he didn't want Haruka to place herself, unnecessarily, in danger so that she could instruct the plant-lover in the art of swimming. 

 

With that, Tadashi followed Yohta into the water, hoping that they hadn't bit off more than they could chew with this mission. 

[Sethera]

"Matthias, oh my god you look adorable!"

 

White Spider Lily's shout had startled the boy momentarily, but what caught him by surprise even more was the bear hug she swept him up into. The blond's surprised noises were blocked by the...by the...

 

"Don't worry about it, Matty! We're not upset. I can teach you how to swim, if you want~" The words came slightly muffled, but the acceptance behind them rang clear.

 

Relief flooded the boy at that. He had been expecting resentment, disappointment, or annoyance. He should've realized...this was Osprey. They were the exceptions to the rule everywhere. Equal parts warmth and annoyance both sprouted in his chest when Pansy patted him on the head, and tears pricked at his eyes when the brown-haired male chimed in with his own words of acceptance. My guild...my place, my home... Home? Where had that thought sprang up from? Hadn't he always thought of his home as his small house in Hakone, with the slanted roof and the white picket fence? A pair of sunflowers stood at the gate like smiling sentinels, and he knew, once he passed them, that he was in his sanctuary.

 

But now, he had found somewhere else to call home. What was even more surprising was that it wasn't limited to a plot of land, but a group of people. They were home as well.

 

When the brunette girl let go of him, Matthias couldn't help the smile that split his face, "Thank you," he said to both of them, the words coming out surprisingly clear. He bowed, saying the traditional entreaty phrase: "Please be kind to me," a show of respect and gratitude. He couldn't be more grateful that he had these people in his life.

 

And then they were hurrying the rest of the way to the docks, and then Pansy fell into the water, his glasses miraculously still on his face. "Well...water you guys waiting for???" That...was a pun right? Matthias hadn't really known about them before meeting the happy-go-lucky guy, but he had gotten all-too-familiar with them since.

 

Tiger Lily replied to Pansy's comments with a look of dismay, “I was the captain of my university swimming team, Finn,” he said patiently. “Do not deny a man his habits. Plus, I assume we’re going to be diving and doing a lot of vertical movement in this mission. Nothing sucks more than being dragged down by 10 kilos of waterlogged boardshorts." Matthias couldn't help shrinking in on himself at the thought of being dragged down. Glancing down at his outfit, he felt a jolt of panic. He wasn't wearing boardshorts right? No...just regular swim trunks...but...maybe they'd still drag him down. Tiger Lily seemed to wince for a second. “Er, why don’t I reconsider my word choice there.”

 

Still consumed in his worries about being drowned by his own swimming trunks, it took Matthias a second to realize that nothing was happening, and he didn't see the shadow rapidly forming behind Pansy's still-swimming figure. He did see the maned white whale with two gigantic bull horns, however, and screamed despite himself, "Pansy!" But no, he was safe. He was safe. And he had called him Pansy, not Tadashi. Awkward...

 

The flicker of an alert on his HUD distracted him from his embarrassment. Boss Celacea. This was...what they had to fight. This giant thing. Matthias' legs started shaking from fear automatically. Ugh. How unmanly. He had to be brave.

 

Tiger Lily dove into the water right afterward, shouting words of encouragement aka telling them to get a move on: “C’mon, y’all! We’re not going to make any progress by standing up here.”

 

Matthias glanced briefly at the two newcomers, a bit worried about them despite his fear of strangers. He turned back to the sea and gulped, steeling himself to jump in. It was just water. He sprayed it on the plants all the time. Rice loved to drown in it. There wasn't anything dangerous...it wasn't dangerous... He lingered on the dock, relishing the feel of its solid, wooden surface. Solid ground, which he wouldn't be standing on once he jumped in...this was too much. No. He would be brave, he would be like...Tidus from Final Fantasy. That boy loved water.

 

"Be careful," Iris warned from his position nearby, and then copied Tiger Lily in a picture-perfect diving form, slipping into the water with barely a splash. Matthias felt a throb of jealousy for a second before putting that aside. Where had they learned to swim so well? Well, apparently Tiger Lily was captain of his university swim team, but Iris was also very good. Swimming wasn't something that everybody learned, and quite a few people his age didn't know how, but apparently he was the exception in this group.

 

Then I'll just have to learn how, Matthias thought determinedly. Iris had warned him to be careful, but he needed to learn as soon as possible to deal with the boss down below. Thankfully, he wasn't a front-line fighter, but White Spider Lily was, and he was taking her away from that. A flash of guilt shot through him before the blond shook his head determinedly. I'll just have to learn right away then! "Here I go!" Before he could think about it too much, he dove into the water himself, closing his eyes, flailing his limbs...

 

And bounced on the sandy bottom. Oh. He dove in from the shallow side. Oops. Matthias started running for the deeper end, ignoring the fact that his heart seemed to get heavier and heavier the darker the water got.

[A Generic Person]

"...but the Lockdown disabled PMs..."

 

Aeritz coughed slightly to interrupt himself and followed the rest to the dock, eavesdropping on his new... allies, trying to get their names. There was a Matthias (Or Matty? Might be a pet name) who didn't know how to swim, and...a short snort of laughter, when he heard that brown-haired guy's joke (Was he serious about being a... big bro? He was really casual for someone he just met...) and addressed someone named Tadashi (No clues on who that was, but it sounded like he was talking about either the guy that was probably the leader or the only other male member in that group...)

 

...Was that it? They weren't going to introduce themselves or their roles...? Aeritz sighed, rubbing his hair slightly when he stepped onto the boards of the dock. Sounded like the laughing guy was... "Fin." "The weird names people come up with..." Aeritz thought, idly, looking around. "...Then again, Aeritz is pretty unique too, isn't it?" He found himself hanging back - more out of habit than anything - next to the blond boy (Matthias, if the girls were right) and looking at everything but the other people around... before a shout and roar made him snap his attention forwards to...

 

to...

 

What in the everloving **** is that thing?!

 

His HUD acted independently of Aeritz's shock, targeting the sea serpent - Celacea? THAT was supposed to be the initiation into that guild...? That HP's ridiculous though... He glanced over to the blond nearby when he shouted... Pansy?... His line of sight was towards... the male member that he didn't have a name for yet. "So it's... Tadashi the Guild Leader, Fin, Matthias, and Pansy. And the other girls haven't said their names yet... I... better just ask them later. Might be rude, though..."

 

Without a second, third, or forth thought, Aeritz ran towards the front of the group and dove in, calling, "Let me take the front!" He pulled out his hammer, Amaryllis from... his... inventory as soon as he was underwater, and looked for the boss, only realizing now that, no, there probably wouldn't be an opportunity to hear anything under the water, of all places... "Guess all I can do right now is just take the hits and worry about everything later. They probably have their damage, right?" Without pause, he swam deeper and readied a Concussive Blow with his hammer against the serpent's slippery body. He decided against using his shield underwater, for now.

[Aix]

Akane suddenly woke up. As it turns out, they had all somehow logged out. Lore was actually just a social experiment and the researchers got the data they wanted. Everyone got money for participating and lived happily ever after.