"In short, yes. There's a lot of bad going around lately. I'm not sure if it's just pessimism or if people are just getting a bit too used to life here," Titus explained. "The frontlines isn't generally a good place for them to... erm... hunt, I don't imagine. Considering that would endanger their own lives as well," He mused, waving his hand dismissively. "I'd like to see if you wanted to co-found some form of group with me... We don't have to be a guild, but I think it would be good to be a force that keeps these kinds of people out of the way of those on lower floors. Every now and then, get some information on whoever is doing the most damage, then do a bit of cleaning up. Raise the quality of life here for those who are just trying to get by. It'll also help us by getting more manufacturing and gathering classes going. Those players don't like to leave the safe zones and one can hardly master a trade without leaving to collect. Sometimes they employ guard, sometimes they think they can fend for themselves... However, guards or not, skilled or not, they're still in danger. If they're not clearers, then they don't expect to be facing that difficult level of combat. They don't always have a teleport crystal ready, they aren't always prepared."

Taking a breath Titus shrugged his shoulders, "Of course, I don't suggest we escort every person in the castle from one place to another. I'm simply stating we could help to increase awareness of the problem and the activities of these people. Maybe do a bit of investigating ourselves. We have more than enough resources and players who would be willing to stand up for the cause whenever we needed it. Maybe we'll only have to do it once, even. Scare some of them into realizing the consequences of what they're doing, y'know? Whether or not people are dying when they die here isn't the question - it's whether they're willing to risk it just to have their way... What am I suggesting? I'm suggesting we make an effort to let them know that this is behavior that we won't tolerate."

The man sneered and stared at the glass on the table beside him. He'd placed the order right when they sat down and it had just been set there. As the explanation had gone on, he gradually grew more heated until finally driving the final words through by hitting the table with his fist, taking his glass, and drinking from it. There was no alcohol in it; Titus wasn't one to partake.

-----

As the small group sauntered off, Minerva waved with an uneasy smile, "O-okay, then. Seeya around, Suuuutooo," she called after him, enunciating his name the way he had for Yari. Her hands patted her sides awkwardly as she was left behind. She grinned and stepped back on stage, a large group of players turning their attention back and crying out in excitement. The microphone and their attention were hers once again as the music went from ambient to the focus of the party.

"Shuuuro," Yari repeated tauntingly, getting it wrong only partially by accident. "But I want... Uhmm... Crème brulée!" She exclaimed, picking the most random, ridiculous food she could think of. Naturally, she could nail the pronunciation of that word, but not Suto's name. It made her laugh as she looked around curiously, taking her drink back and giving herself an innocent sip on the straw. "I dun care, le's just have fun! You want a taste, Shuuuro?" SHe asked, holding the drink out to him before pulling it back, "Too bad! Get your own!" This, to her, was hysterical.

Nero fell like a fish out of water through the whole thing, rubbing the back of his neck or biting the inside of his cheek. No, these were definitely things he wasn't good at. At the back of his mind, however, he had to wonder what it was that Titus and Yato had to go talk about. If this was a party, they couldn't really be conducting business, right? After all, Titus was the one who wanted to liven up the party. Not that it was any of Nero's business to be involved as he'd only just met both of them, but still, it left the mind to wonder...

Yato didn't need to hear from Titus to know the situation was dire, he'd seen plenty himself. Stories of PKers were running rampant in the further recesses of society now, and some players were making a living off of it. Hell, he and his friends had crossed paths with one or two of them, only to beat them in duels and leave them on their own to fend. "One can only prepare so much, there's always the chance of an unknown," he observed, nodding somberly, "At best we can surround ourselves with enough people so sheer numbers wins out, but then we can't expect that to be practical. There has to be a means in which people can defend themselves, one more practical than an entourage of armed players..." But what? It was a question he had mused over innumerable times as of late and yet each time he'd not gotten an answer. Perhaps the easiest method was to fight fire with fire as it were, fight the PKers and intimidate them into dropping their malicious trade. It wasn't ideal as people were bound to die, but if it cut down on the cases then maybe it was the best, and only route.

"So you're proposing we form a group solely to inhibit the actions of the PKers, is that it?" Yato asked rhetorically, frowning as he glanced down at the table before them, "And admirable goal, but a hefty one. Aincrad is massive, we're few in number. At best we may be able to spread the word through one city, but do you honestly believe that we've the capability to achieve such a thing?" Glancing over at Titus when he slammed his glass he frowned, not having noticed how passionate his friend was about this before. He could sympathize, as it was a deplorable act and one that deserved punishment, but the proposal being made was not only massive but dangerous. "I can't speak for Cress or Asari, their decision is their own to make. However..." Yato continued, sitting upright and smiling slightly, "If your conviction is this strong then I can appreciate what you wish to accomplish, and I for one would love to make this world a little safer, even if only slightly. If you're truly serious about starting such a group then you can count me in, you've got my sword." This could well be signing his death warrant, but then it wasn't much of a life here if he just sat by and watched others suffer anyways.

---

Suto's ears reddened hearing Minerva calling after him, a sheepish smile crossing his lips as he glanced back. "Heh... Uh, bye Minerva!" he shouted back, giving a wave before having to look away shyly. She was awfully pretty, it made even just talking to her kind of awkward. Here he was, a dorky kid from a nowhere town chatting up some famous singer, how was he supposed to handle that? She was nice, thank goodness, otherwise he'd probably made more of a fool of himself than he'd already done. Letting out a sigh he rubbed his head in exasperation, kind of glad to be out of that situation and onto... Well, onto trying to control the drunken girl at his side.

Yari was most certainly drunk, or if not then terribly close to it. Almost cringing when he heard her butcher his name he glanced over at her, smiling slightly as he began hoping Fitch wouldn't come out and see her like this; Yari had been almost depressed earlier, the fact she was so carefree now was the liquor, he was certain of it. How would that make their friend feel, knowing that she was okay only when drunk? "Yari... You really should slow down on the drinking, please? It's not good for you," Suto said, smiling as he tried to snatch away her drink when offered only to miss it. Hanging his head dismally for a moment he shuffled into line at one of the concession stands, hoping now that perhaps a bit of food might help straighten his friend out. Whilst staring down at the ground he noticed someone cut in front of them in line, glancing up and staring at the back of someone in a long black coat. Blinking confused he frowned, reaching up and prodding the other boy square between the shoulders. "Hey, you can't cut us, we were here first!"

Huh? What was that just now, it felt like a fly had landed on him. Shrugging his shoulders dismissively the brown-haired boy tried to focus on waiting for the line to move, frowning when he felt that annoying prodding again. Letting out a sigh he finally turned around, looking at Suto unamused as he met the boy's gaze indifferently. "I can cut you, I just did, deal with it," Doku retorted, smirking slightly as he folded his arms, "Besides, looks like you've got your hands busy with your girlfriend, so I'm sure you don't mind waiting an extra minute or two."

"S-She's not my girlfriend!" Suto responded hastily, his face becoming a deep red as he pointed in Doku's face, "She's just a friend, and I'm just getting her food! Don't go assuming things!" Fitch really couldn't hear that, and what if word started to get around? Oh no...

"Hey, easy there kid, I was only joking," Doku responded, closing his eyes as he put his hands up defensively, "No reason to get bent out of shape." Lowering his hands again he looked over at Yari, scrutinizing her for every inch of her body. She was pretty damn cute he'd have to say, and while he could do without the drunkness it could make things a little fun. "She's really beautiful, you should be dating her. Shame you're not, someone else might come along and scoop her up," he teased, reaching out and taking Yari's free hand in his own, "Pleasure to meet you, miss. My name is Doku," he added, leaning down and lightly kissing her hand.

"If we were to start large, the organization would be incredibly difficult. I think establishing ourselves before expanding would be the most practical option here, anyway," The man agreed, calming once more as his fingers drummed on the table. "Whether we have the capability is not the question, Yato. Successful or not, I want to do something good for the kids here. If we fail, then it won't matter anyway - we'll die on one frontline or the other," he explained thoughtfully. "Both are good causes, so I would understand any inhibition you might have. The way I look at it, I've acknowledged the likelihood of my death by joining the clearers in the first place." In fairness, however, the notion of sacrificing himself came rather easy to the American. "I would appreciate you talking to the others, I'm sure we could have something great here with their help," Titus finally stated, rising and offering Yato a hand to shake.

-----

"Heeeey," She slurred, gazing at Suto for a moment, the gears turning slowly in her head. "Are you trying to make me eat so I stop being like this?" She asked, finally putting the puzzle piece into place after having already been in line. She completely ignored the tall brunette the moment he reached for her hand. Her mind was on a different subject before even realizing the one in front of her. The girl's eyes narrowed as she stared her pugilist friend down, the intimidation rendered moot by her slightly slouched shoulders and sluggish, slurred speech. "Pfft... I-I don't think that eating is going to change anything," her observation was met with a small hiccup as the line slowly advanced.

"I-I'm no expert, but I think the food absorbs drink in real life... in a place like this..." Yari gasped, taking a deep breath, "Inside a video game. Oh my gosh, Shuro, we're in a video game!" She exclaimed, looking around with wide eyes, "Can you believe it?!" Shaking her head, she continued, "B-but here, it won't absorb anything... Ssssoooo..." She furrowed her brow, "I forgot."

Only now did she realize that she had completely ignored the exchange with the brunette in front of them, her mind finally processing what it was that he said. "G-girlfriend? Nuh-uh, I'm nobody's girlfriend," She explained matter-of-factly. "But beautiful I certainly am," The girl teased, looking at Suto with a laugh. Finally, they received her dinner and she excitedly began to eat it, though a few bits of it would fall to the floor and really, it had very little effect. She was right, the science didn't work out and apparently no algorithm had been placed in the game for sobering somebody up when they ate solid foods. Even when drunk she managed to outsmart Suto... The poor guy.

"It's an admirable cause Titus, I'm not questioning that, it's more of whether it's practical. I'll be blunt... I want to do good here, but I'm not ready to so blindly throw my life away. I've got something outside of this game as well as within it, and while I'm willing to try and better the situation don't think I'll so casually put my own life aside." Death was of course ever looming, their status as Clearers basically came with that stipulation. It wasn't that Yato so much feared death, as he'd become desensitized to a degree since this all started, but he still wasn't quite embracing it with open arms. Mayhaps he was questioning whether he truly wanted to fight other players or not; they had run into PKers and the like before, but it had always been their policy to, in essence, intimidate and move on, not really fight. Asking Cress and Asari to change that mindset and actually, potentially, take the life of another player could be difficult.

Glancing at Titus' hand he smiled slightly, forgetting that his friend was an American. His mannerisms were... Unique, in a way, as handshaking wasn't something Yato so regularly did. Nonetheless he took his friend's hand, giving it a shake and bowing slightly in the process. "At the very least you'll have our support, but for now just be patient and give us time to discuss this. We'll be quick as we can in regards to reaching a decision," he explained, standing upright before giving a roll of his eyes, "Of course... Considering Cress' current state it might be a while yet until I can really ask him anything." Trying to speak to Cress now would be just about comparable to trying to have a conversation with a toddler... Scratch that, the toddler would at least be lucid.

---

Suto didn't have the faintest clue of how alcohol worked in Sword Art Online, he could only venture a guess. In reality if someone was drunk it was a good idea to make them eat something, help absorb the liquor, so shouldn't the same hold true here? It made sense to him, but who would have thought his theory would be debunked by a drunken Yari. Feeling his cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment he looked at his friend, folding his arms and letting out a sigh. "Well... Okay, but you should slow down on drinking then, at the very least. What am I going to tell the others when we get back?" Fitch would probably be livid he'd allowed Yari to get drunk, albeit she was sort of that way when she'd come stumbling over to join them already. Hearing his friend make a very delayed, and very drunk realization Suto couldn't contain himself, letting out a slight groan as he smacked his own face with the palm of his hand in disbelief; he needed to get Yari back before long, otherwise things were going to become a real handful. As if things weren't troublesome enough now some jerk was flirting with her too, hooray!

"No one's girlfriend, hm? Well then that means you're still available," Doku replied, smirking as he kissed Yari's hand. She was quite clearly drunk, in an amusing way too, which served only to make her easier to get at. Ignoring the glare that Suto was sending his way the older boy let Yari dig into her meal for a moment, getting his own a moment later and taking his place at her side. "So... Yari, was it? Would you be kind enough to grace me with your beauty? I'd love to have someone to eat my meal with." Something about that must have offended the other boy because he now stood before the pair of them, looking rather bothered and being slightly red in the face. Smiling amused Doku raised an eyebrow, placing an arm around Yari's shoulders. "What is it? I'm simply asking your endearing friend here if she'd join me for lunch, nothing more."

Suto really did not like this guy already, which was a feat considering he was normally a friendly guy. If someone was willing to hit on your friend when she was drunk though there was no way he could be a good person, it was just too sleazy. Narrowing his eyes as Doku put his arm around Yari's shoulders he gritted his teeth, annoyed that he couldn't exactly sock the guy in the jaw for what he was doing. "You can ask without kissing her and touching her, creep. Besides, we've got places to go anyways after this, she can't be running around with someone, so let's go Yari." Reaching out he tried to take her free hand, hoping to pull her away from Doku. Even if she and Fitch weren't technically a thing at the moment they needed to make sure nothing weird happened; if Yari got her memory back and was with someone else then things were going to be grossly complicated. "Come on Yari, we need to go."

Alphard smiled softly as she walked slowly down Tarbinal’s main street, hand-in-hand with her lover, Kenshin. These last couple of weeks had been filled with utter bliss. First, the bond between Kenshin and Alphard had deepened greatly, finally leading up to Kenshin nervously officially asking her out just before the boss fight on the last floor. She had said yes, of course, and they had spent the next couple of hours talking, during which time she confessed exactly how long she had been in love with him. They had laughed over how they both had the same feelings but had been too scared to admit them.

Then had come the boss fight. Yes, people had died. More than in any one fight to date, in fact, but both Kenshin and Alphard had survived, as had all of their friends. Yari might be a bit confused right now, but it was surely temporary. Right? Yeah, had to be. In any event, working as a pair, Alphard and Kenshin had attained the highest number of mob kills against the skeletons and had received a small reward called <Material Bone> and a nearly insignificant cash increase. It was a semi-common item used in crafting armor and weapons and differed from normal <Monster Bone> only in a slightly higher durability. The material was put to good use, though, as Kenshin had suggested a peaceful day of shopping. First, they had visited a favorite PC smith who had made them each a pretty good weapon Alphard’s was the and Kenshin received the . They had to go test the new weapons, of course, so the couple hopped on the teleporter in Tarbinal’s main square and farmed at a favorite spot over on Floor 22.

Finally, to finish the day, Kenshin took Alphard to a fancy restaurant back on 26 and treated her to a romantic dinner. The soft candlelight and NPC-played music were absolutely enchanting; the perfect ending to a perfect day. They then left the restaurant and walked hand-in-hand towards Tarbinal’s housing district in the hope that they would be able to find Yari, Fitch, and Suto and ask them if there was to be any group training on the morrow. As they walked, Kenshin reached into his pocket and fingered the ring he kept there. He’d bought the slim silver band while they were out shopping that day. He knew that they hadn’t been dating for very long, but he intended on asking Alphard to marry him as soon as he could work up the courage. She looked at him curiously, sensing that something was wrong, but he just shook his head, smiled, and squeezed her hand tighter. She smiled back, which made his heart glow with happiness after seeing all the emotional tribulations she had been through in the past, and pulled him closer. As he wrapped his arm around her, he overheard two Players chatting about the extraordinary circumstances of the 25th floor boss. One of the two, a burly mace user, was commenting on how ‘pissed off’ he was that someone had a revival item and never told anyone. Alphard suddenly tensed, and her hand strayed to the straps of her shield. “I oughta tell them where they can shove their ‘pissed off’. Nero saved somebody, our friend, I don’t care whether or not he hid the item until it became necessary.”

“Now Honey, I don’t think that we need to get involved. People are entitled to their opinion. No need to start a fight if it’s not really needed.”

Just then, the man’s compatriot, a lean spearman, laughed and said “Yeah, and what a waste of a revival item. Why use it on that bitch Yari. He could do so much better.”

Kenshin removed his hand from Alphard’s shoulder and nodded once. “Never mind, we can deal with them now.” Alphard smiled again, this time a sickly grin, far removed from the smile that she had given him moments ago. Unlimbering her shield, Alphard charged forward and pinned the maceman between it and the wall. Growling, she explained her feelings regarding his comments and pressed harder, until the wall behind him emitted the Immortal Object warning. When the spearman leapt to his friend’s defense, Kenshin stepped forward and blocked the man’s path. A small tussle ensued, ending with a formal 2-v-2 duel.

It was over in seconds. Neither man anticipated Alphard’s ferocity or Kenshin’s superb eye for timing. Once their health bars had dropped into the yellow, the duel was declared over, and Kenshin and Alphard walked away 1000 Cor richer. Which took them to the present moment, walking hand-in-hand towards the tavern where the two troublemakers had last seen Yari.

Titus mirrored Yato's bow and thanked him. "I hope to hear from you soon, Yato. Should you decide it better not to join me, I will completely understand," He said sincerely. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind that at least one of the three would accept.

Shortly after Yato left to find his friends and assist Cress with that tricky art of walking, a fight broke out somewhere near the square. Titus ran a hand through his hair for a brief moment, sighing, if Nero was in that tussle, he was going to have to do something. Thankfully, upon reaching the scene, he found a 2v2 duel between two new faces, certainly clearers, and two of the partygoers who had clearly imbibed far too much drink. Titus shook his head, what a pain... He was a good head taller than most other players, causing him to stand out in a crowd, but he managed to fit in well. The best part? It made it easy to find Suto and Nero again once he was ready to rejoin them.

He placed a hand on his hilt non-menacingly and strode through the throngs of people after seeing them at one of the nearby food stands. Once he got there, he noticed... quite a seen. Suto, a drunk girl, some flirty brown-haired guy, and an awkwardly silent Nero all sat at a table either eating, drinking, or shouting. Titus pulled up a chair of his own and watched for a moment before cutting in.

"Hey, hey... Calm down," He instructed, "Everybody keep their hands to themselves. Suto, where are you going? You should let the young lady decide how she spends her evening. You wouldn't want me telling Minerva you're not a gentleman, would you?" He asked teasingly, a cheeky grin on his face. He looked at Doku, a little bit of the jovial attitude draining from his face as he addressed the cocky flirt. "And I think that, for now, maybe hitting on a drunk girl isn't in your best interest, hmm? Try again later - your insecurity isn't needed here. Seems like at least three of the four of us at this table don't care for you - don't even know you - and the fourth is drunk. She doesn't get counted."

Yari looked at Titus and nodded, "Yeah, I gesh I am a li'l..." Her brow furrowed, looking at Doku, "Hey! You sheemed nice... B-but... are you trying to dake annanage of me?" Wow, she butchered the word 'advantage' beyond all repair. Who could even decipher that..? "Pig." Odds were, she wouldn't even remember his face or mannerisms the next day.

Titus glanced back to Suto, "Hey, you know that food doesn't really... combat drunkenness here, right..?" Just then, a rather intimidating girl whose appearance screamed warrior stepped into the area holding the hand of a lightly armoured boy and seemed to recognize at least some of the group members. Titus quirked an eyebrow, "Doesn't anybody dress up when they go out anymore..? Like, in clothes?" He asked.

Nero's hands were suddenly thrown up, "Thank you! Somebody gets it..." He muttered, realizing how stupid his outburst must have seemed as he sunk back into his chair with a red face. "What?"

Titus laughed, "Whatever floats your boat I guess... You guys know them?" He asked as they approached.

Suto had really wanted to avoid the jerk that was flirting with Yari, but he seemed to stick to them like flies to honey and not give up. Honestly, it was like he was trying to be a pest simply for the sake of it now, and so far it was working. All he wanted was to come out and party, that was it. Instead of having a good time he was now playing keeper to his drunken friend, trying to keep some seedy jerk from getting his filthy hands on her. Having sorted to go off to a table away from the excitement, and from the noise of the duel breaking out, Suto had hoped by finding an isolated spot Doku would leave. Much to his chagrin when he and his friends sat down the brunette was still very much with them, wearing an aggravating smirk as he stood there. Seeing no chance of dumping the guy he let out a sigh, moving his chair close to Yari possessively as Doku sat across from them. "Just can it and eat buddy, got it?" the martial artist said firmly, narrowing his eyes before beginning to dig into his own meal.

"So rude... All I do is compliment your friend here and you treat me like I'm scum," Doku teased, feigning being offended as he placed a hand on his chest, "I assure you, my flirting is completely innocent." As if, he was having fun and most certainly looking to provoke Suto. The other boy was rather quiet in regards to what all was going on, almost seeming like he didn't even want to be here. Fine by him, though soon as the brunette found out what made the white-haired boy tick he'd be prodding at him as well. Though the meal had begun in silence, drama quickly began to unfold again once Doku began speaking with Yari. As fully expected Suto took exception to it, particularly when some more personal comments were made considering his friend's appearance. By the time Titus had come around to join them, Suto was looking rather annoyed and ready to start swinging. Hoping to avoid causing a scene Suto started to get up from the table, trying to take Yari with him only to stop when their new acquaintance came over.

"Huh...? She and I are leaving, that's where we're going," Suto responded, reaching out and grabbing Yari's hand. Hearing Titus tell him it should be her choice he narrowed his eyes, hardly in the mood for someone to be preaching to him; Yari was drunk, leaving any decision up to her right now was hardly the best idea. So far she'd been either ignoring or putting down Doku's advances, but part of him worried if she'd keep it up forever. His face flushed in embarrassment when Minerva was brought into the conversation, loathing that his infatuation with the woman had been so obvious. Giving Titus a dirty look, Suto finally sat back down with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from the group childishly as he resigned himself to remain.

Doku only vaguely recognized the newcomer, having seen him here and there on occasion. Titus, was it? One of the Clearers as he recalled, and evidently a party lover as well. Smirking when the redhead began to preach to him he simply sat through it all, and once it was aid and done he gave Titus a slow, patronizing clap. "Well done, well done. I see you remembered your shining armor today!" he taunted, grinning as he leaned back in his seat, draping one arm over the back of it, "Insecurity, hm? An insecure man doesn't stride up to every beautiful woman he sees and try to flirt with her, an insecure man watches from the sidelines, and becomes a bumbling mess whenever a focus of his affection comes near," Doku retorted, his gaze shifting temporarily to Suto before glancing back at Titus, "And for someone who just said that the lady should make her decision, funny how you say now she doesn't count. So which is it, is she allowed to have a voice and decide, or does she not?" He had nothing to gain or lose here, it was more simply having fun provoking others and seeing how far he could get with it. Not expecting Yari to speak up, the brunette glanced over and raised an eyebrow when she spoke, having to suppress a snicker as she butchered the Japanese language in one fell swoop. "Of course not my dear, if I was I'd have simply taken you away. All I'm trying to do is chat with you, that's all my intentions have been. It wounds me to hear you think that though."

Suto was really not wanting to hear a single word come out of Doku's mouth at this point, and hearing him refer to Yari as 'my dear' was pushing it too far. Standing up and knocking his chair back he frowned at the other boy, clenching his hands into fists angrily at his sides. "Hey, how about you shut it with flirting, alright? She's not interested, even when she's drunk, so give it up creep! Otherwise I'll beat you senseless," he threatened, really wanting to just strike out and give the guy a good whack, even if it wouldn't work. Seeing someone coming up behind Titus and Doku he shifted his gaze, blushing awkwardly seeing Alphard and Kenshin coming to join them. It had been a long while, that was for sure, and they had just seen one of his very rare angry outbursts. Smiling awkwardly he sat back down, standing up a second later as he wasn't sure what to do with himself, waving to the pair, "Yeah we know them, they're friends of ours. Uh... Hey guys!"

Alphard and Kenshin weren't the only ones out looking for friends in the crowd. A brunette girl was cutting through the swathes of partygoers, donning a brown leather vest with the zipper partway down, a knee length skirt of matching color, black sandals and a red band tied around her left arm. A scowl of pure annoyance sat upon her face as she pushed people aside, grumbling beneath her breath as she moved along. "Leave me all alone will you... Think I won't notice..." She had wanted to go to the party as well, but the others had all vanished and gone without her. At least she assumed they had, no one was around when she got back earlier. It didn't take her terribly long to come across everyone either, spotting Suto from a fair distance and Yari at his side, then Nero, Kenshin and Alphard quickly after. Storming over to the table where they were gathered she glared at everyone, placing her hands on her hips as she cleared her throat loudly. "So... Was anyone going to tell me we were going out to party?"

Kenshin glanced around the tavern as he and Alphard walked in. He immediately spotted Suto standing up at a table with two strangers and an apparently drunk Yari. “Uh… Hey guys,” Suto called, waving the pair of fighters. Kenshin nodded and waved back before nudging Alphard and heading in the direction of their friends’ table. As they got closer, Kenshin could tell that something was wrong here. Suto wore an expression that appeared to be a strange mix of pained, disgusted, angry, and unimaginably tired. Yari, for her part, was even more intoxicated than previously thought. She was swaying slightly in her seat and leaning heavily on the table. Her eyes were glazed and unfocused, her head was canted at a slight angle, and she gripped an empty mug tightly. Kenshin could only assume that she had grabbed a drink here to help cope with the loss of her memory. Suto had probably shown up after that and tried to be all friendly towards her, forgetting that he’s a stranger to her now. This most likely just drove her to distraction and back into the demon drink.

Kenshin shared a glance with Alphard, silently coming to the agreement that the pair personally needed to rescue Yari from this situation. So, as the two reached the table, Alphard moved over behind Yari’s chair and carefully helped her to her feet, saying “This girl clearly needs to get home and sleep off the alcohol in her system.” She levelled a glare at Titus and Doku, “I’m the only other girl here, so it’s least likely that I’m here to try to get into her pants once she gets home. Kenshin, why don’t you keep these guys company while I get Yari into bed? Suto, you and I will talk later about all this.” Then, over Yari’s drunken protests, Alphard gently steered her out the door.

Which left Kenshin standing next to the table with three men who were most likely all upset with him for some reason or another. Kenshin calmly walked around the table to where he could keep his back to a wall and his eyes to the door, snagging a chair on his way. The lanky swordsman sat down, steadying his sword’s sheath with his left hand so it wouldn’t bang against his leg as he sat. When he sat, however, he didn’t remove his hind from the blade; instead using his thumb to clear a couple of inches of bone from his scabbard out of sight from his fellows. He studied each of them in turn: Doku, dark haired and wiry, he leaned forward with an almost predatory intensity; Titus, clearly an American, was attempting to hide his emotions but Kenshin thought he could detect a brief flash of anger; and Suto, a friend, who seemed simultaneously relieved and upset with Alphard and Kenshin for taking Yari away. Doku was clearly the biggest threat here, but something told Kenshin to watch out for Titus. Without taking his eyes off the two, Kenshin set a small pile of small-denomination coins on the table (part of his winnings from the 2-v-2) waved over a server. “How about a drink for each of my friends here, ma’am? This should cover a couple of rounds,” he said, gesturing to the coins.

He was saved from further awkwardness by the arrival of a shorter brunette girl, who slammed her hands down on the oaken table and testily said, “So… was anyone going to tell me we were going out to a party?” Kenshin hid a grin behind his foaming mug and thought Now these tense bastards are your problem, girl!

Alphard was just pulling Yari off-scene when a fist came in from the side and landed square into Doku's chin. "Back the fuck off, cretin!" The blond-haired boy shouted, fists trembling now at his sides. Fitch stood in the middle of the tavern fuming, the scene garnering attention now as the door was open and other patrons began clambering around them. The table of adventurers was given a wide berth, but the throngs of people made any kind of attempt to get away more difficult. The sword & shield user looked around to all of his "friends" and his lip curled back with a little bit of contempt.

Luna had only just arrived, but he hadn't seen her in days, come to think of it. His eyes fixed on Titus, a new face, for only a moment. They then rested on Suto, "What are you doing out here? Why's she with you and, Suto I swear, you'd better tell me she's not drunk." His palm slammed into the table, making a loud clatter as a mug or two fell off, hit the floor, and shattered before dissipating. Every part of his body was visibly trembling, feelings of betrayal clear on his face.

-----

Everything was kind of blurry around her, but there was mention of getting into pants and other antics... Yari looked around in confusion with a scowl. "H-hey, where do you think you're taking me?" She asked, wrenching her hand clumsily from Alphard's grip and stumbling back toward the table, her momentum carrying her until she fell into it. The girl had to brace herself on the edge to remain standing as she shook her head, "Stop! All of you, stop telling me what to do!" The fresh rounds on the table weren't long for this world as she reached for one, lifted it a bit too quickly, and ended up just dropping it before she could take a sip. She wanted to forget this stupid day - why couldn't she remember anything that they said?

"S-shtop following me... everywhere!" She said as Fitch dramatically came on scene.

-----

Titus rose from his seat and took a few steps back as the scene grew a bit more intense and, honestly, intimate for his tastes. Everything happened so quickly that when Fitch stepped into the picture, he was just about ready to leave. This didn't involve him, but the groups of people were so thick... He turned and cleared his throat, "'Scuse me," He said a bit autoritatively. A couple of players moved and Titus gave Suto and Nero a wave, "I'll see you guys around, alright? I don't wanna get too involved, but let me know if you need anything..." Thank God, he thought to himself, finally getting out of the tavern himself.

-----

The hair on the back Nero's neck stood up. Something was coming... something bad... Just then, after Kenshin and Alphard appeared and tried to wrangle the situation themselves, Luna smacked the table indignantly. He cringed. Oh god, oh god, oh god... Get him out of here... Too many people, too many feelings from all of them, he didn't know exactly how to deal with it. When Doku reeled from Fitch's strike, Nero looked over and scooted his chair back, pulling his own non-alcoholic drink off the table to prevent it from falling off. He leaned the chair back and threw his feet up on the table, watching over the brim of the glass apprehensively. Don't notice me, don't notice me, don't notice me... His mantra repeated over and over again as he watched Luna and Fitch for their next moves, hoping to god that Kenshin didn't overreact and get involved like Fitch already was.

Luna was NOT amused by being ditched by her friends. The last few days she had spent with some other players, perfecting her skills and trying to expand her social circle. Sure, she wasn't with them when the accident happened, but she thought herself one of them, so why hadn't she been invited to come by? Some friends, she was pretty pissed to say the least now that she'd stumbled upon them. Joining the gathering crowd at the table she interrupted the conversation at hand, sternly questioning everyone present before looking at the brunette boy curiously. "And just who are you? Did they exclude me but invite some stranger?" she asked testily, having half a mind to hit someone for this. Well she'd get her wish, sort of, albeit vicariously courtesy of Fitch. Waiting for a reply from the stranger she waited impatiently for a response, eyebrows arching in surprise when Fitch came rushing in, simply smashing the other boy in the jaw with his fist. Well that was unexpected, and somewhat hilarious. Just what in the world was going on here?

Doku had gotten perhaps a bit too lax in the tavern, not even having seen Fitch come up to hit him. While players couldn't really kill one another in safe zones that didn't mean they didn't try, or at the very least try hurting one another. The instant he felt a fist connect with his jaw his eyes shifted, catching a brief glimpse of Fitch before he stumbled to the side, the blow nearly knocking him over. Catching himself on an abandoned chair he chuckled in amusement, reaching up and rubbing where he was struck before grinning. Cretin, eh? That's one he didn't hear too often, it was kind of lackluster really. Might this be Yari's true boyfriend, hm? Given his righteous rage one would assume so, which meant Suto was just a friend. Honestly, she was dating one of these idiots? Even drunk he hoped she was intelligent enough to realize there was a real man amongst them, or at the very least be wise enough to not bother with either of these weaklings.

"Fitch! W-we were celebrating, that's all. I mean... Me and Nero were celebrating, and we were watching the music performance and chatting with people and then Yari showed up, and she had a drink in her hand! And I didn't think it was alcoholic at first but then she started acting all funny so I tried taking it from her and she wouldn't give it to me and I tried to give her food to help but food does nothing and then she got another drink and now I don't know..." Boy, that was a proverbial mouthful, and he'd said it all in one breath too. Letting out a sigh, Suto hung his head for a moment before glancing back at his friend, retracting slightly at the glare he was getting. He was doing his best to keep Yari safe and out of trouble, honest, it just wasn't easy. "She's drunk, but we're keeping her safe. It's this creep Doku that won't leave her alone," he explained, shooting the other boy an annoyed glance. Cringing when Yari shouted at Fitch he looked back to his friends, his heart sinking at her words. Things had just started to go well again too, now they were fighting...

"You mean this seedy pervert is trying to weasel his way in on my friend?" Luna asked, frowning as she glanced over at Doku. She was drunk too, what kind of scumbag tried to get with a girl who was drunk? Sheesh, leave for a few days and things go to hell, this was just absurd. She would never be caught dead in a state Yari was in, refusing to partake in drinking herself lest she lose her self respect. She might not know the entire story here nor where this Doku guy came from, but all she had to know was he was a problem and he was upsetting her friends; in SAO she had managed to make quite a few friends, more than in the real world, and she was fiercely protective of them. Cracking her knuckles in preparation she narrowed her eyes at Doku, nodding her head towards the door of the tavern. "Come on, you and me, outside. If you want a girl so bad then I'll oblige you, I hope you don't mind getting your ass kicked though."

Aha, now here was an interesting girl, so feisty and full of fire. Was she really this confrontational though, or was she trying to prove something? Doku looked at Luna for a silent moment before smiling, shaking his head and placing one hand on his hip. "I'll pass, I've nothing to gain from humiliating a woman," he retorted, waving a hand dismissively at Luna before he looked over at Fitch, "You, however... You I want to fight. I don't take being suckerpunched kindly, and it looks like you need to defend your turf, little man. Tell you what, let's you and I step outside and duel, hm? Win or lose I'll leave your girl alone, I just want to see if you can hold up in a real fight, got me?" Assuming Fitch took the bait, Doku went ahead and left the tavern, going out to the road beyond the doors and standing amongst the crowd. Word of his challenge must be spreading as they began to edge away from the entrance, murmurs of a fight breaking out quickly taking hold. "Come on then Fitch! Show your girlfriend what a man you are, defend her honor or whatever the hell it is you're doing! Fight me!"

When Yari jerked her arm out of Alphard’s grasp and spun away, Alphard realized that this probably wouldn’t work out as planned. She tried to explain her motives, that she was trying to help, but she couldn’t seem to pierce Yari’s drunken fog of anger. Finally, the taller girl sighed and stopped trying to drag Yari out the door. She sighed and said “Look Yari, I know you don’t remember me, but you’re one of my best – one of my only friends – and I’m just trying to help you. I get it, you don’t want any help right now so … be safe. I guess.”

With that Alphard began to turn away, expecting that her scrappy friend could take care of herself for the night. She didn’t, however, expect that Fitch would barge in and make everything worse. Kenshin had just barely caught him entering out of the corner of his eye before he had reached Doku and struck him across the face. Kenshin spun neatly out of his chair, simultaneously drawing his blade and dropping into a fighting crouch. At Fitch’s outburst and Suto’s stammered explanation, he resheathed it and sighed. It looked like this one would actually be able to be solved with just words for once.

Then Luna came in and things just got crazier. Insults were thrown, accusations made, and everyone just got more and more pissed off. Kenshin quietly made his way over to Alphard’s side in case all hell broke loose. The other PCs in the room were quickly clearing out due to the impending violence when Doku called Fitch out. As Fitch sat and steamed over the challenge, Kenshin made his way over to his friend and simply said “you need me in the fight with you?”

Fitch barely had time to react to the explanations and things of his friends when Doku issued his request. "You're on," He said venomously. For a moment, he glanced to the drunken Yari, then back to Doku as he navigated a menu to equip his armour, staring the man down as he did so. "And she's my wife," The boy corrected Doku harshly.

Yari hiccuped from across the table and stared blankly out, not exactly hearing what Fitch had to say as Luna stormed to the table. "Hey! You're new," She observed obviously, "Calm down, c-calm... shh... Nobody has to fight," she said, waving her hands at everybody, "P-please... N-not over... over me," She said, hiccuping again and covering her mouth. "I dun even know you people... S-so stop it," she pleaded again. Nobody was listening as they all filed out of the bar to the fighting circle. She groaned and hobbled through the people. However, she didn't stick around for the argument - this was her chance to get out and find somewhere else to enjoy her night. She had to find an inn for herself. Keep it away from the others. So that's what she did - she hunted down an inn for herself and managed to find a way to get to the room and crash. At least it was quiet and nobody could hunt her down here...

-----

Nero rose, resting a hand on the hilt of his own sword as the group moved outside. He didn't speak - this was Fitch and Doku's beef. That Doku character was familiar, but Nero spent very little time in the "dueling game." Now and then he'd have a good gamble at a fight and sometimes he'd win. It was no question of strength in these fights though. It was all skill. Sword skills became moot after a bit and it would just turn into exchanging blows manually. Sword skills were predictable, even if they did more damage. He looked to Kenshin and nodded.

"Let 'em go at it on their own, man. You know how he is... He needs this," the boy said stoically. It wasn't until he heard one of the bystanders mention Doku's moniker in passing and he shook his head. "Great... I hope Fitch knows what he's doing - this guy's a pretty big deal.



Fitch swiped through the window of the duel request, looking over the conditions before agreeing. A 50/50 duel - fight to yellow, first one to reach half health lost the duel. The sixty second countdown began and he and Doku started several paces away from one another. Fitch pulled a blade from his back. It drew from a navy blue sheath, the blade emitting a soft glow while it released a faint heat to the touch. It was nothing significant, but it was odd that the blade was not cool.

"I've been waiting to test this out anyway," He snarled, brandishing the sword in front of him. On his off-hand, a shield the size of his torso flashed as he held it close to his body, ready for combat. "Let's dance, pretty boy."

Fitch was in such a blind rage right now he could potentially get away with any conditions he wanted. Should they fight to the death? Forfeit? It might be fun to kill the boy, but then why ruin any potential fun in the future? If all it took to rile up the kid was simply flirting with this Yari girl then he'd gladly hang around and do it, whatever necessary to instigate a brawl. Grinning as he watched Fitch accept the conditions without hesitation, the brunette let out a chuckle and clapped his hands mockingly, tilting his head slightly as he looked across at Fitch.

"I appreciate the compliment, but I'm not into other men, sorry to burst your bubble," Doku retorted, placing a hand on his own weapon and slowly drawing it from its sheath; a dark, leather bound grip led to a cross-guard crafted from a piece of Brimstone, a material found in a small dungeon on floor 20. As the blade itself was removed it was revealed to be as black as Doku's coat, cut from Obsidian with jagged teeth along the edges of the topmost edge, the fuller a red mineral contrasting against the Obsidian blade. When he turned the blade in his stance to get ready it seemed to glisten red, the swordsman holding it at his hip, down at a 45 degree angle as he waited for the timer to count down.

3... 2... 1... Begin!

As soon as the timer had gone off Doku was moving in, wasting no time to close the gap between them. With an excited grin plastered on his face he dragged the sword up at an angle in his first skill, creating a massive arc which had a red effects trail after it.

Fitch ignored the comment, his hands stopped shaking the moment they had something to grip. This sword and shield grounded him, but they didn't control his temper. As the countdown reached the lower numbers, he readied his shield in front of him, planted his feet, and held his sword overhead in a fencing stance. It was an odd combo, but it was how he liked to start fights - it gave him more versatility, personally. Doku's rush was expected and Fitch pivoted, catching the other swordsman's blade hard against his shield. Just as the blade stopped, Fitch stepped back and deflected it the rest of the way into the air, his own blade flashing a brilliant green as it carried him into the full three-hundred sixty degrees to make a swipe at Doku in return.

Doku knew full well what a careless attack this was to open with, yet he couldn't find it within himself to care. He was excited to fight, eager to see what Fitch could do with all that anger of his. People were so much more fun when they were furious, their blows became stronger and their ferocity in battling grew, it was pure delight. Meeting steel with steel as his strike was blocked, Doku smirked and lowered his own sword again, twisting his arm to aim the blade downwards as he intercepted Fitch's strike. Following up immediately with an attack of his own he cocked back his arm, pivoting his body as his rear-leg swung around and he crouched down, driving his sword forward swiftly in a thrusting motion, aiming directly for Fitch's chest.

The shield-user focused hard, trying to backstep, but only shifting enough to be caught in the shoulder. Doku's blade pierced clean through the joint and Fitch watched his health begin to drain. There was no pain, but he ground his teeth anyway. This guy was fast... Fitch had to react, so he lifted his blade and locked crossguards, starting to lean back before aiming a kick directly at Doku's chest. He was hoping to break the other guy's grip, but at the very least he could get the blade out of his arm.

Several bystanders in front of the tavern had made the viewing circle even thicker, mutters running throughout with every exchanged blow. A few might stick out in particular, "Isn't that the Sanguine Blade..?" They would ask, "He's one of the best duelists around, who does this other guy think he is? Clearers and duelists can't compete with each other," one of them said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. A duelist wouldn't have a fighting style developed for high level mobs outside the safe zones, and dueling earned them plenty of experience to avoid having to do so. However, a clearer wouldn't be adapted to fighting another person - there's no algorithm or formula to follow there.

It was all just numbers, pixels, no flesh or blood. But damn if it wasn't satisfying to feel one's blade tear into your opponent! Doku's eyes gleamed with almost a sick joy as he managed to injure Fitch, missing his target but still inflicting a decent blow. Chuckling excitedly, the brunette glanced over as he heard metal clanging together, immediately noting how his and Fitch's swords had become interlocked. How amusing, what was he trying to do by this? Seeing Fitch then reel back he picked up on his movements, lifting his free hand and blocking the kick, grabbing his foot in the process and letting out a smug laugh. "Come on kid, you can do better!" he taunted, and with a grunt of effort Doku leaned back this time, trying to pull Fitch and spin him slightly before throwing him off, attempting to free his sword in the process.

Fitch stared in contempt as his foot was caught. Rather than letting Doku pull him, Fitch pulled into his knee and bent his planted leg. "No. You. Don't!" He snarled, shifting his weight and strength upward as he leapt a few inches off the ground. It was all he needed as he let Doku continue to pull and Fitch put his shield between the two of them, aiming to let Doku's attempted grapple to work against his opponent.

Doku had every intent to throw Fitch aside like a toy, but it seemed he wasn't going to go so easily. Despite giving the limb a solid yank he couldn't force the other boy to move, and found himself shifting instead. Grunting as he was thrown off balance he fought to stay upright, a difficult task when one arm was occupied and the other trying to fend off the incoming shield. With no recourse he fell backwards, slamming into the stone ground and taking a shield bash in the process, losing a moderate bit of health from the blow. Despite being injured Doku didn't falter, seeing opportunity even in his precarious position. Spinning his blade around so he held it upside down, he grinned at Fitch and tried to make a driving motion downwards, aiming to stab the boy without activating any kind of skill.

The fight was getting more demented as each attack came and went. Neither of the boys had stuck to sword skills for very long, striking at each other bare-blade whenever they could. Fitch's eyes were hungry - he had to vent and Doku provided the perfect outlet. The obsidian blade pierced straight through his back before he could pin the other man's arms down. Fitch glanced to his health... That was two attacks without a sword skill - why was his health dropping so fast? He then noticed the little green droplet icon beside the bar with a '2' in the corner. His brow furrowed and he stared daggers at Doku, his battle regen just barely combatting the stab wound, but not overpowering the poison as it gradually ebbed away his health.

"You bastard," He muttered quietly, "That's a real shitty tactic." His voice was low, so nobody around them heard as he rose, letting the blade sink more deeply into his back. The boy reached back and locked Doku's arm against his armor, ensuring the blade remained as he drove his body downward again, his shoulder moving out of the way. Several of the players surrounding them let out disgusted groans and looked away. It was far from a bloody affair, but the tactics were getting to be a bit tense.

One of the bystanders fake-dry heaved and shook his head, "Oh god, he's using the blade through himself... That's disgusting..."

Poisoning someone was always a tricky business. If an individual noticed too soon then they might try to counteract the poison, albeit that left them open to attack. If they knew they were in imminent danger they may attack with more vigor as well, and there was nothing more dangerous than cornered prey. Which might Fitch be, he wondered? Grinning sadistically as his opponent finally came to the realization, Doku let out a throaty chuckle, driving his blade further into Fitch's back.

"Welcome to dueling kid, nothing is off limits." Poison was underhanded, sure, but then like hell he cared. Whatever it took to win a fight, that was all Doku was concerned about. He could very likely have beaten Fitch without using the poison, but it was just so tantalizing to crush someone so bent on beating you like this. However, it didn't appear as though his quarry was just going to roll over and die, there was still some fight left in him. Doku should be worried seeing what he was doing, he should panic at the fact his own poisoned blade was now sliding into his gut, but damn if he wasn't excited!

"Hah... That's it! That's what I like to see!" Doku shouted, a wide grin spreading across his face as he saw a familiar green mark appearing by his health bar, "Now it becomes a waiting game, who dies first and who outlasts who? This is grand!" It was a bit of a lackluster way to end a duel admittedly, yet there was something he wanted to get out of this. Firming up his grip on the sword, the brunette made sure he and Fitch weren't going anywhere, lifting his head to whisper in the other boy's ear. "Listen... I'm going to chase you and your little friends around, for fun. It's been too long since I met anyone like you, and I want to see if they have half the tenacity that you've got."

Not wholly content to end their duel in such a deplorable manner, Doku lifted his head again abruptly and smashed his forehead into Fitch's nose, managing to free his blade in the brief confusion that followed. Pushing the other boy off of himself he then got to his feet, one hand over the wound on his chest as he held the blade at his side. "You've not got much health left... It's kind of disappointing, really. Meanwhile the poison isn't doing much for me," he remarked almost boredly, glancing up as his health seemed to simply quiver in place, going down albeit in small margins. "Tell you what... See if you can kill me before the poison gets you. Let's make these last few moments something to remember, shall we?"

Fitch grunted as he was thrown up off of Doku, stumbling back. Doku was trying to run out the clock. Once the brown-haired was figured out, he wasn't a hard brain to pick at all. At least not for this duel, there could be more than met the eye, however. The words were disturbing, but it could have just been another distraction. The shield-user nodded, "Oh, we will."

He grinned and opened his hand, letting the shield fall before catching it at the rim. His hand whipped over head before he released the piece of equipment, sending it hurtling at Doku's torso, edge-first. It didn't take long for Fitch to kick off the ground after it, his health getting dangerously close to yellow, ensuring the duel would end more quickly than he'd like. With a cry of fury, his blade shimmered and began to glow vibrantly, activating a simple, single-hit swing attack. A stab could be dodged too easily - this might just work.

Their duel, sadly, was almost at an end. It hadn't been quite as thrilling as Doku had hoped, yet it hadn't exactly been a complete letdown either. Fitch had potential to be a great fighter, he just needed a driving force to get him there; the duelist would gladly play that part, especially if it meant he got enjoyment in the process. After sharing some 'gentle' parting words he broke the hold he was in, rising to his feet promptly and sending Fitch a grin. "I like that, still ready to fight even though you've nearly lost, good! I hate when people just give up."

Watching curiously as Fitch dropped his shield Doku recognized what he was trying to do, the cogs turning in his head as he swiftly prepared to react. Deflect the shield, that was all there was to it. Raising his blade he smirked as the shield came hurtling his way, having to put his weight behind it to knock away the weapon and send it tumbling to the side. He had easily avoided the shield, but now he was in a precarious position. Spotting Fitch closing in on him rapidly he scoffed to himself, knowing he was caught out like an idiot. He could still finish off Fitch, but it likely meant also taking a huge hit.

"So be it..." Making no effort to dodge the incoming swing, Doku reared back again and sheathed his sword, a red light pulsing out of the sheath for a second before he stepped forward, making a wide, horizontal cut as he felt Fitch's own blade slice into him. With a reflexive grunt it cleaved him deep, from his right hip to his left shoulder, leaving him with a massive slice on his torso. Fitch didn't get out free however, taking a deep cut of his own across his torso from side to side. Just like that too both of them had taken a big hit, and both their health bars dropped to the halfway point. In a rare turn of events the duel would end in a draw it seemed, much to both the dismay and delight of Doku. Yes... He was a unique one, this boy, he couldn't wait to play more.

With an audible ding the duel came to an end, both of the duelists had lost. Cheers erupted in the crowd around them, no doubt the idiots reveling in getting to enjoy such a fight; Doku felt it was lacking, but evidently these simpletons found no problem with it. "I wonder... Might you have killed me if you had the chance?" he asked whimsically, smiling as he stood upright and chuckled, laying his blade over one shoulder, "Such tenacity... And all over someone flirting with your friend. You're a loose cannon, I like that." Ah, and now their fun was coming to an end too, wasn't it? Not long thereafter both Suto and Luna came up to their friend, glowering up at Doku. "Come now, it was a friendly duel! No reason to look so sour."

"You cheated, you jerk! Of course we're going to be mad about that!" Suto retorted sharply with a glare, pointing over at Doku, "If that was a real fight then Fitch would have kicked your butt, bet on it!" Ugh, he HATED that smug look that the creep was wearing, he wanted to knock it right off of his face. Watching him casually look away and sheath his sword made it even worse, and he very nearly tried striking out until Luna grabbed his shoulder and held him back, turning to look at her confused.

"Don't bother, he's done here anyways and he's not worth our time," Luna mumbled, frowning as she met Doku's gaze steadily, "But if he thinks he can come around here again and cause problems then we'll make time for him, won't we?" The fun must have ended for Doku there because he simply turned and walked away, though she swore he was laughing as he went. What an infuriating man he was, next time she'd be the one to duel him. Waiting until Doku was gone and the crowd had begun to disperse, Luna finally released Suto's shoulder only to push him towards Fitch, placing both hands on her hips as she stared down the two boys. "So... Either of you want to fill me in? Or am I being kept in the dark now?"

Fitch made no response, sheathing his blade and letting his shield return to his unseen equipment list. He crossed his arms - that fight was thanks to a last-hit weapon from a twenty-fifth level boss. That's why his power was on par - Doku had the strategy and the cunning to win that fight. This one was all luck on that last strike and getting the other guy poisoned.

"He didn't cheat. If using stackable poison were cheating, the game would strip status effects from the duel. It's my fault for not making that a condition. Oversight, that's all," He said roughly, shrugging everything off as he swiped his menu open. The boy stripped off his armor and replaced it with a plain, forest green jacket, white shirt, and black pants. He put his hands on his head and looked at Luna, "He can. I'm outta here." He turned slightly and walked past the two of them, in the opposite direction of Doku. He needed to train some more - boost those stats, work on his blocking reflex. "Later, Luna."

So there was to be a duel then, was there? Kenshin thought to himself. And Fitch won’t take any help. This wasn’t going to end well. Fitch was clearly not in his right mind at the moment, making him liable to make mistakes. Doku, on the other hand, was pretty calm for someone about to fight another human here in this world. The crowd began filtering out to watch the fight, Kenshin overheard a passerby noting that Doku had made a name for himself here as a duelist of some renown. “Great. This keeps getting better and better by the minute,” he muttered.

Alphard pressed up against his side, fitting her body neatly against his and rested her head on his shoulder. Kenshin reflexively put his arm around her and held her against him, but was slightly surprised. They were close, and this was completely natural for them when they were out hunting or just spending time together in the wilds, but she never showed this kind of intimacy in public before. Kenshin leaned his head down and landed a soft kiss on Alphard’s cheek. Quick as a flash, she caught his face in her hands and brought his ear down to her lips, whispering softly, “How’s your Tracking Skill?”

A slow grin filled the blonde boy’s face and he nodded. “It’s pretty good by now. Got something you wanna track down hon?” He slid his hand down to the small of her back and guided her gently out the door. “I was thinking that that ogre we saw over in the field outside Tarbinal’s ‘Haunted Forest’ might be worth our time. If it turns out to be a miniboss, a Field Boss, or Event Quest, we can at least log it in the Atlas before gathering the rest of the team and taking it out. If you want, we can head out right after this duel. I’m kinda worried about Fitch. He’s not thinking straight and he might get into some trouble here.”

His lover returned his grin and nodded. “Yeah, I was considering the ogre myself, but I really wanted to keep track of Yari. If she’s still on our friend list, then we can find her at any time if your Tracking Skill is high enough. I just want to make sure she’s OK every now and again. As long as she doesn’t remove us from her friend list, we’re all good.” Kenshin reluctantly agreed to Track Yari at a later date and the pair settled in to watch the duel.

Redbank Beach… Nero took a deep breath in and looked around. The air on Floor 26 was amazing. It had a lot of nighttime themes, too. The day was split into three parts, despite its somewhat ambiguous science. There was an eight hour sunrise, eight hour sunset, and an eight hour night. Ne’er a day passed with a sun directly overhead. A lot of the cities already displayed what one would think were common of the night elves often found in fantasies. These floors were his favorites – the ones that had particularly special attributes. The sand here changed colours with the time of day too – in the morning, it was a soft, golden yellow. When the sun moved to the other side of the floor, it shifted into a warm orange. At night, when the sky was dark, it was hard to tell which colour the ground turned, but the sand of Redbank still glimmered beautifully.

Nero wore a pair of green and black swimming trunks with a towel draped over his shoulders. Right now, the sun was setting. Of course, there were still several hours of daylight left before darkness fell and the real party would begin. He and Suto had planned this over a week ago – they all needed it. The twenty-sixth floor was impossible to enjoy… Even though they were all alive, there was still plenty of drama. By now, many of their friends had learned to cope with Yari’s memory loss and they were getting to know her new self. Nero had to admit, he was really impressed by Suto’s support for Yari; he couldn’t imagine the kind of hell it had to be to see this girl, with the same face, who said she wasn’t the same girl he’d apparently known for years.

This place was actually considered a safe zone, so it was a popular spot for those who could fight their way through the floor to the beach. While there were no stores or buildings, one could see players up and down the entire shore of the lake. Their group found a small spot for themselves and were setting up their place on the edge. Yuna offered to do it for him, completely convinced that he lacked the organization to set up an umbrella and some towels. Whatever, she just liked things her way and to be honest? She always set them up so perfectly, anyway…

Yuna wore a pure white tankini with a skirted pair of bottoms. As she swept the hair from her face and placed her hands on her hips, she surveyed their location. “I’m not sure if this is quite right…” She mused before furrowing her brow and looking around. Nero’s jaw dropped.

“You’re kidding! We spent like… fifteen minutes looking for this spot! And you picked it out!” He exclaimed, his face falling into his palm.

She sighed, “Fine, I guess it’ll do…” With a wave of her hand, she opened her menu and started to set up the things that she and Nero brought with them.

Nero looked to Suto, “Hey, she said she’s not sure if she’s coming, but I invited Makoto too. You two seemed to hit it off, I thought she’d have a good time, anyway…”

-----

Yari was dressed in a purple one-piece with white highlighting. When Nero and Suto had first brought this idea to her, she was a bit… apprehensive. She still felt a bit awkward around the others, like they were all trying to see the “her” that rested behind those golden eyes. But she wasn’t there, not the Yari that they knew, though she tried very hard to meet their expectations on that front. Still, there were things she couldn’t remember and now and then, many of them slipped with a ‘remember that time…’ and she couldn’t help but fidget. The only thing that got her here was that today was supposed to be about relaxing and to mark their official moving forward as a group. The thought alone brought a smile to her face.

She ran up behind Yuna as Nero just about broke under the pressure of her perfectionism. “Yuna, dear, this is fine, isn’t it?”

“I guess so… I’m sure there’s somewhere better…”

“No, no, look… We can get the fire pit ready over there… And oh! Look at the way the water rolls in right there… Here’s how you gotta look at it…” Yari haphazardly tossed her towel out and sat on it, looking at the water, “See? You can’t get the right impression of the view from way up there. But trust me, it’s perfect down here!” She beamed, much to the relief of Nero, who was glad that Yari was able to calm down his OCD girlfriend so easily.

“Suto!” Yari called out, straightening her towel, “You and Fitch set up over here too, alright? Don’t go wandering off!”

-----

Fitch sighed as they finally found a spot to slow down. He didn’t really want to be here anyway. Yari and he had decided a few weeks ago to divvy up their inventory and break the marriage, at least until her memory came back. It wasn’t fair and the number of slots he had available for loot seemed painfully small. Besides, he only came because Suto pretty much forced him. That wasn’t Yari, but she tried ot be their friend anyway. Why didn’t she just go and find her own friends? Wasn’t this weird for everybody else? Why didn’t they seem to even care? Yari, his Yari, was dead.

He crossed his arms, looking out across the beach. SAO did not have a lot of pretty women, this was true… But they were all over this beach. He missed Yari.

When the girl called for Suto at first, he had to physically restrain himself to keep from rolling his eyes. Sure, because he’s such a good friend… And the boss of me, so just have him move me around, don’t just ask me to do something… Whatever…

To go from a near death experience to a party at a beach, one might almost think they were insane. And hey, perhaps they were, running around trying to beat a game that could cost you your life. Maybe they were all a bit wacky for the way they were acting, but damn if it wasn't fun! Suto would have it no other way, and frankly the attitude as of recent was very much needed; since Yari's accident the mood of the group had been glum for a while, so a trip like this was a very welcome change of pace. More or less a party, it was their own little way to celebrate reaching the 27th floor and to blow off some stress. Their small group of friends weren't the only ones to come here this evening, but then that made it even more enjoyable. Overall the mood was a jovial one, and things would only get better as the evening wore on.

Donning a simple set of white swim trunks with a single black streak down either side, Suto was having plenty of fun for the moment watching others run about and swim in the water. There was something nice about watching other people be happy, it made him feel all warm inside for some odd reason. He'd be joining the other players as soon as the rest of their group arrived, as they were still waiting on one or two people. When Nero and Yuna had shown up he followed after them, curious to see where it was the group would be setting up; had he known their search would last for nearly twenty minutes he might well as just waited back where he'd been. The spot she had ultimately settled on however was nice, right along one of the many palm trees dotting the beach. Not like they needed the shade of the tree this time of day, but it added to the atmosphere and just looked nice. Watching amused as Nero and Yuna discussed the latter's uncertainty he let out a small laugh, stifling it with a hand as not to seem rude.

Suto looked to Nero curiously when his friend came on over, his face immediately taking on a deep red hue at the mention of Minerva. "W-What...? You invited her too...?" the martial artist stammered, blinking as he clenched his towel nervously, "B-B-But... I mean if she comes she's gonna be in a swimsuit, a-and..." As if his face couldn't get any redder, it looked like he was about to pass out with all the blood rushing to his head. Not realizing Yari had come to join them he near jumped out of his skin when called to, yelping and spinning around to look at his friend, smiling sheepishly. "Oh! Yari! Yeah, no worries, I'm not going anywhere!" Suto replied, beaming as he hurried over to his friend, laying out his towel a few feet from hers and giving his hands a dusting once done, "I'll go find Fitch, then we can get this party going for real!"

Their friend wasn't too far off luckily, though he did seem to be a bit detached from the rest of the group. Spotting Fitch off on his own Suto frowned, rubbing at his chin as he wondered how to make his friend to loosen up. Getting an idea after a moment an impish grin spread across his face, and with a chuckle he ran over to where the other boy was, jumping slightly once he got there and trying to land on Fitch's back. "Hi ho horsey, awaaaay!" he laughed, giving yet another yelp when he inadvertently slid off and landed on his rear, laughing nonetheless. "Dang it! Come on Fitch, let's get settled in so we can start! I want to go swimming, don't you?"

Luna was still with the group, just a ways behind the others. She couldn't be getting covered in sand as that would mean being messy, and being messy meant having to clean and take time out of her schedule. Much as she tried to deviate from having such a thing she found herself slowly slipping back into the habit, albeit her schedules were far more lenient than those her parents would create. It didn't help either that she had perhaps a bit too much in the way of items for the beach: a towel and a simple, purple one piece suit were a given, the latter she was already wearing: an umbrella laid slung over her right shoulder: a cooler with food in it dragged behind her in her free hand: and a bag of assorted necessities, as a girl could never be too prepared. Upon finally reaching everyone else she frowned from behind her items, placing them down and looking between Fitch and Suto. "You know... If one of you two were a gentleman then you'd offer to help me carry these. It's a pain to do it all myself!"

Suto looked past Fitch to see Luna just in time to get snapped at, smiling apologetically and immediately rising to his feet. "S-Sorry, I'll get it all moved for you right away!" he said quickly, hurrying over and scooping up everything he could grab. In his haste of doing so he was left stumbling off with the items precariously perched, having to sway and grasp at things every step to keep it from falling off. Using his feet to feel around for an empty spot he finally found place to set them, smiling as he simply dropped everything in place. "There we go, you're all set Luna," Suto declared, turning around as he grinned, closing his eyes and gave her a thumbs up, "If you need anything else feel free to ask!" Catching wind of a familiar, annoyed growl he opened his eyes just in time to see Luna charging at him, gasping and holding his hands up defensively before he was punched, getting knocked off of his feet and flipping through the air comically before landing face first in the sand, his rear sticking up until he sat on it and began spitting out sand.

"I have important things in there you brute, don't just go dropping it on the ground!" Luna shouted, holding a fist up threateningly as she shouted over Suto's string of apologies, "And don't apologize so much! Clean that sand off of yourself too, you're going to track it everywhere!" Hmph, what was she, his mother? Seeing as he was still apologizing she softened up after, giving a roll of her eyes before looking away and waving her hand in his direction. "Okay, okay, apology accepted, just cut that out, it's weird. Don't do it again and we won't have any problems." Hmph, now then she could perhaps get settled down and relax for a change. Digging her towel out of the pile at her feet she gave it a thorough shaking, laying it out a little closer to the water by Suto and Yari, smiling at the latter as she sat down. "You look nice by the way Yari, I've never seen that suit before."

Kenshin grinned as he walked out onto the beach, his towel thrown over one shoulder and carrying a small tackle box in his right hand. He wore black swimming trunks and a skintight red shirt that clearly outlined his wiry muscles. Though he couldn’t feel the warm evening sun on his face or the cool sand between his toes, Kenshin was overjoyed at finally getting the chance to visit another sea. He missed the long days out on his rowboat in Niigata that inevitably became long nights on the beach beneath the stars. He sighed; nothing could could’ve made those days better. “Kenshin, wait up. You’re walking too fast.” Well, almost nothing.

Kenshin stopped and turned to see Alphard, the most beautiful woman in the world, in his eyes at least. She wore long linen pants and a grey bikini top, her silver hair left to fall loose over her shoulders. She carried a long fishing pole with which she playfully slapped Kenshin on the rear. “What’re you in such a hurry for lover? The others can wait another couple of minutes while we can take our time.” Alphard slipped her free hand into Kenshin’s and smiled lovingly at him. The young man blushed, suddenly feeling the weight of the small cloth bag about his neck. The bag was a minor item, with only a couple of equipment slots, only two of which were currently filled. The first slot contained a thin, unadorned iron band. The second held a ring of silver set with a miniscule topaz. Neither ring had any armor properties, contained magic, or really did anything at all. They had only one use, to complete a short ceremony binding the lives of two individuals forevermore.

Kenshin had planned on taking Alphard aside after meeting up with the others. They would fish for a while and Kenshin would slyly slip her ring on his hook. Oh, look at what I found. You know the fisher’s saying, ‘A gift of the sea is never to be wasted’ I guess we have to use it now… Then he’d drop smoothly to one knee and propose there in the surf surrounded by golden twilight.

Kenshin was still caught up in his fantasy when he and his bride-to-be came upon their friends. And what a sight they were… Yari stood talking to Luna, who reclined on a towel and looked on smugly. The object of her attention was none other than Suto, grumbling away while washing sand from himself in the waves. Fitch stood slightly apart from the others, watching Yari with a strange expression. Kenshin and Alphard set their loads down nearby and spread out Kenshin’s towel before addressing Luna and Yari.

“So ladies,” Alphard asked, “do I want to know what’s going on, or should Kenshin and I go ahead and catch dinner for us first?”

Who ever even claimed to be a gentleman? Fitch silently asked himself, resisting the urge to sneer at Luna. If she wanted to bring extra shit, she needed to have a game plan - like, oh what could they possibly do? Maybe use an inventory. Suto's excitement rolled off his back as easily as the boy himself had. Motivation wasn't this swordsman's strong suit as of late and he to be honest? He'd rather be out slaughtering artificial intelligence. Instead, he decided to humour his friend. With a sigh, he reminded himself that that was an important word here: friend.

Swiping his hand through the air, he swapped out his gear for actual swim trunks which appeared to match Suto save for being color-inverted; they were black with white a white streak on either side. The boy looked himself over - his body type hadn't changed in the slightest since he got here... and why would it? For some reason, it still felt like all the "exercise" and "diet" here would affect it. Certainly some of the heavier-set players wished it would, if only cosmetically. He had to at least pretend he was happy, for the sake of the others. The last thing he needed was pity. While Suto was panicking over the possibility of Minerva's arrival and groveling for Luna's forgiveness, Fitch took a moment to sink into his own head.

One by one, he isolated every negative feeling he had... Jealousy was first. Jealousy of Suto, for somehow finding the strength to step to the plate first and be a better friend. He stuck it in a bottle and corked it before hiding it as deeply as he could. Then bitterness which stemmed from all the other emotions... Regret... and finally, guilt. It only took a moment and the thoughts were far from gone - he simply decided that he would deal with them when he wasn't around the others. They'd be a bit stronger, but at least nobody would see them or think he couldn't handle this life anymore. The final piece was a small smile - a smile he used to be sporting nearly all the time was now one he would just put on for his friends.

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together for a moment as Kenshin and Alphard finally arrived. "Nice of you guys to come!" He shouted brightly, "Are you coming or not?" The message was mostly for Suto and Kenshin, but obviously open to all as he pointed toward the water. "You can catch dinner later, let's swim before the sun actually sets!"

-----

Yari watched the scene with curiosity, as Fitch gradually lost a scowl which had been etched into his face since the day she woke up. Did he have a side that wasn't abrasive or bitter all the time..? For a few moments, he seemed to just be breathing, collecting himself. Hmph, maybe he was just finally deciding to enjoy a day. Then, he actually smiled. She couldn't help but do the same when she noticed it; Yari was always observational, so seeing things like this intrigued her. She was glad he could let himself have a good day. Rather than let him know that she noticed, she turned her head to see Luna sitting beside her.

"Oh, hey, Luna... This? Yeah... Most of my clothes are new, actually... I... er... Just thought it might be good, y'know?" She pointed out, watching her feet as she let the thought trail off. To be honest, she didn't want to say that she was avoiding wearing a dead girl's clothes. That's how all of this seemed to her, anyway. The clothes in the storage didn't belong to her, nor did that ring she was wearing when she woke up. Of course, she saved all of it and made sure not to mix anything with it, but it was a reminder that this body was either stolen or, at the very least, borrowed. "Thank you, though. I like yours too," She said, quickly dropping the subject with a beaming smile.

-----

"Step out and stop following me!!" Makoto yelled into the trees. God damn, this place was disgusting. She didn't mean Floor 26 - the floor was awe-inspiring. No, she was talking about the two males in average-level gear who stepped out of the trees.

One scowled at the other, "This is your fault! You said your Hide skill was more than high enough to not be detected! She definitely caught you first!!" He was on the thicker side and was wearing camouflage armour - light steel painted in forest tones with decorative leaves and moss designs hanging from it. It was pretty interesting... and more than a little bit creepy, considering what he used it for.

The other male was dotted with small, red bumps that didn't hurt but had been there since the game began. Aesthetic acne - it humiliated the hell out of him, but what was he to do? His armour was actually just dark, shadowy leather and a dagger. The monsters here weren't too dangerous, but they had crystals ready too. However, the question was how Minerva was managing to walk fearlessly out here; they were both 'dedicated fans' who knew that she didn't have the level to defend herself solo out here.

"Shut up, geeze!" He barked at his friend before looking to the musician, "I'm sorry for his rudeness, ma'am... We were just out here making sure you didn't get hurt while trying to take a walk. So you could enjoy it, we stayed hidden and just made sure that no monsters attacked you, that's all."

Minerva stared at them with her arms crossed, a pained look on her face as she snapped her fingers. There was a high-pitched whistle and a throwing pick stuck itself deep into a tree directly beside one of their heads.

"Hey! What gives?!" The larger boy shouted. It wouldn't have done much damage, but it meant somebody else was out here and he hadn't detected them.

"Oh, way to go, chubs! You can't even keep track of how many people there are out here?!" The acne-dotted male asked accusingly. Were they PK'ers? Had Minerva actually called the attack? Both boys drew their weapons as a small blur of crimson burst through the trees directly between the two boys, holding a rapier poised perfectly toward his heart, no more than an inch away. It was glowing a brilliant red to match her armour, but only for a moment before dying down. This in itself was incredible feat - either she timed a sword skill to stop exactly before hitting him, she actually misjudged the distance, or she was able to stop it in the middle of the attack without having any force but her own will. The truth was the first option, though the latter would have been incredible.

He calmed down upon seeing her green indicator, but still started to back up. With every step he took, her response was synchronized with an advance to match his pace. He pressed against a tree as his larger friend laughed. "Oh my god, really? Look at how small she is! You're really scared that shitless? Sad, man... sad..."

The small, cloaked figure turned a pair of green eyes, sharp as daggers on him. "I'm not going to hurt either of you if you just walk away now." She threatened. Minerva was actually trying to stifle a giggle in the background.

"Who the hell do you think you are?! There's no real threat there anyway!"

"Here's how I look at it... If you attack me now, I can fight back with no threat of a changed indicator." She smirked, as this was common knowledge and neither seemed too surprised by it. "But if you don't leave, I can challenge you both to a two-versus-one duel and humiliate you in front of your idol. If you get me below yellow before I can get both of you down, then you can continue to follow Miss Minerva wherever you so please. You could probably find out where she lives, if you wanted to. But if you lost... well, you'd walk away with less hit points than you probably need to continue pursuing her here, thus forcing you to run away with a crystal... Wouldn't it be easier to walk away?"

It would. But men were stupid. And Makoto found the humour in Kimi's logic as the small redhead accepted what would have been an unfair dueling challenge had her level not easily trumped the boys'. The musician wished she could let the others know she was on the way, but this certainly wouldn't take long at all.

-----

"Know what's going on? It's not time to eat yet! We're not even starting the fire until it's dark! Do you wanna sit out here in the sun or go swimming first, Alphard?" Yari asked with the same chipper attitude she'd upheld since they unlocked the new floor. She'd not been doing much combat training, so she spent a lot of time with Yuna more than anybody. She had no idea what she should do, to be honest, but Yuna was nice company. Luna was a mystery though - she had no idea what that girl did. It wasn't that Yari didn't like her, she just still had no idea who she was.

He was just trying to be helpful, what'd he have to go and get covered in sand for? Maybe he ought not to have dropped Luna's thing like that, but still! "Jeez... Now my skin feels all gross and dirty," the pugilist whined, leaning over and using the surf to wash himself clean. Once he was properly cleansed he gave himself a shaking off, taking his time crossing the sand as not to kick any up and soil himself all over again. It looked like everyone had finally arrived, save for a certain girl whom he was secretly hoping wouldn't show. It wasn't that he didn't dislike Minerva, quite the opposite in fact, he was certain he couldn't handle himself around her. "Heh... Maybe she'll be busy with some fans," Suto mumbled, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed at his neck. Just as he was reaching the group again Fitch signaled for everyone to go swimming, causing him to stop in mid-step, spin on his heel and begin back towards the water. "Way ahead of you guys! I'm all for it!" he shouted in delight, grinning as he dove headfirst into the water, disappearing beneath the waves.

"It looks nice, you did a good job picking it," Luna said with a smile and nod, feeling a bit odd speaking to Yari like this. It was so strange, she was speaking to someone she knew and yet she wasn't at the same time; they hadn't been terribly close before the incident, and now it felt like that gap had extended tenfold. In some ways though this turnaround was a blessing, it gave her a chance to try being a better friend and support Yari in these troubling times. Suto was Fitch's back up, but Yari couldn't rely on that knucklehead for help all of the time too. She needed someone a bit more level headed and reliable, someone who would be around when needed. "Thank you. It's not exactly what I would normally wear, but the selection at the shop was pitiful at best," Luna replied, frowning as she glanced down and adjusted one of the shoulder straps, "The fact that this cost 400 Col too is absurd, don't you think? The material isn't even that good." It had supposedly been designed by some great NPC weaver, yet if this was the work of a renowned craftsman then she feared for the future of Aincrad's work force.

Realizing she was into her habit of complaining again she dropped the subject, not wanting to come across as someone who always was on about problems. Instead Luna rose to her feet slowly and placed her hands on the small of her back, leaning backwards to pop it before letting out a contented sigh. "We should go swimming, otherwise we got these suits of ours for nothing," Luna spoke with a smile, winking before reaching out and snatching up Yari's hand, "Come on! I'm sure the water's fine!" None of the boys were whining about it being cold, and if nothing else she trusted them to tell her something was wrong. "You too Alphard, and you as well Yuna! We came here to enjoy ourselves didn't we?" Pulling Yari along she hurried down to the water, not even bothering to test it as she barreled in, releasing Yari's hand to dive in and swim out before surfacing a few yards away. Beaming happily she shook her head to get her hair from her eyes, standing up in the chest-deep water and waving the other girls over. "Well come on, what are you waiting for? Get out here!"

Suto was elated to be swimming, to finally be doing something enjoyable and to get their minds off of things after so long. With how much drama had been going on lately this was a much needed reprieve, one that everyone seemed to be enjoying. Well, almost everyone, Fitch was still having trouble really feeling up to it; that smile he put on seemed genuine, but he knew his friend well enough to call the bluff. False happiness wasn't any good, yet he supposed it was nice Fitch was at least making an effort to be content. Swimming over to the aforementioned boy he grinned eagerly, pushing his arms forward and splashing him with a loud laugh. "Nice trunks! Way to copy me!" Suto teased, sticking out his tongue before laying backwards to float on top of the water, "Hehe, thanks for coming though Fitch, seriously. You're gonna have a blast tonight I just know it!"

Others were having a good time as well, if not in the water. Others were for instance content to remain on dry land, lounging in a folding chair surrounded by girls and friends. Doku had considered swimming once or twice, yet every time he went to go in another beauty caught his eye, so here he was. Smirking at the little brunette on his arm he reached over and snatched up another grape from a small bunch, offering it to her and watching as she opened her mouth, playfully hitting her nose before popping it in.

"Doku! Stop it!" the girl giggled, reaching up and slapping the boy's chest lightheartedly.

"Stop what? I didn't do anything!" Doku retorted lamely, laughing as his chest was smacked again. "Alright, alright, I'll quit it. I was just showing you the new fruit-based Sword Art I had been practicing. Fearsome isn't it?" This girl was just too easy, near everything he said either got her to laugh or break into a smile, the simpleton. She was cute though, and she certainly had a nice chest, so he'd abide by her idiocy for the time being. Besides, if he got tired of her there were a handful of others nearby, one of which he was sure wouldn't mind being with him. Enjoyable as it was to surround himself with women however he wasn't here for just that, but rather to look for someone; that boy he had fought the day before, Fitch if he recalled, he wanted to see him. Or more importantly he wanted to extend an offer again, see if the kid might take him up on it. He'd heard in passing their little entourage might come here, and while he'd not seen anyone just yet he'd wait it out a bit longer, just in case.