[IC] SAO - How will you survive? - Anniversary

[KabenSaal]

A loud clanking sound rang out as one of the players moved forward wordlessly. the armour covering every part -aside from a few chinks and chips where battle damage had knocked off - of the player's body, as if it was created for that exact reason. The player in question, a 'SkullCrusher' seemed to almost hide from the world, with the masssive blade on the player's back. It crushed minor monsters, but like the armour, had more look than ability with stats only slightly above the average of the players level. However, at the end of the boss battle, the user wasn't dead so obviously they did something good.

Once the stone doors opened to reveal the way to the enxt level, the large armour-clad giant moved on without a word for the deceased. There would not be anyone in the second floor yet, so the first to arrive would get prime positions for smithies and such. The clanking made with every food step followed Skuillcrusher's movement towards the second floor, with silent intent.

[rusty4297]

Floor 2 was a large mountainous area, with grass covering almost every bit that wasn't too steep for it. Ryan had been killing ox-like creatures to farm EXP somewhere near the door he had entered through. As one or two of the members of the same party as him walked through, he glanced over, calling over to them. "Cash is at the inn, we have a room, first door on the left up the stairs." He spoke this before killing one more creature and walking over to his friend(s) that had come through. "Bachus messed up... I don't know if any of his guild members will realize, but I hope they do... And I hope they realize that having a group of party members... Ones you can trust... Will get you much farther than that entire guild ever will..." He looked in the direction of the inn. "I'm thinking over that making our own guild idea again... Maybe if we make a guild, and we do well enough, people will come to us, and we can one by one create full parties of people that truly trust each other... Then maybe we won't lose any lives..." (open to any and all people that Ryan's in a party with, even Cash, you can say that you've healed and come out to find the others or something if you wish to)

[Zarkun]

Raven listens to Ryan as he looks around the second floor, debating on where they should start farming and ultimately deciding that where Ryan had just come from would be the best place to do it. As Ryan discloses his thoughts on the parties, he sighs. "Ryan, this game is designed to find some way to secure casualties amongst the players. Even if they trusted each other like we trust each other, there would still be losses, still be deaths." Deaths like Karen's. Nice job, idiot, letting her go with that over confident, suspicious know it all. Raven pushed the depression induced thought away, forcing himself to stay as positive as possible and stay strong for his friends, for his teammates. He couldn't let the depression kick in now.

"But you're right, we can try to teach them that not everyone is out to kill them the moment they're out in the field, that if you trust each other and watch each others back, you can survive and help each other reach the end." He forces a smile, despite the rising depression. "I vote we start that guild."

[KabenSaal]

Skullcrusher had been engaged by one of the Ox-things as soon as she had come out of the Floor 1 boss room, which was pretty cheeky way to get more dead players, but she had to expect this game was going to try to kill all of them, and wasn't above cheep tricks to do it. With her armour, chipped as it was, and her large blade, she managed to utilize several sword skills along with her own swinging and the 'yay it's dead' screen popped up rather quickly.

And then, one of the other people who where fighting Ox-things with what strength remained after the Boss Battle so as to protect the people caught unaware - or so she thought - exclaimed his desire to make a guild, so Skullcrusher opened her menu, and started to type out a message, looking pretty strange to outsiders, since she was just poking the air a lot. However, she managed to finally finish it up, and hit send, before waiting for a reply. The message she had sent read: "Guilds are pretty expensive, in most games, and we would currently be best off spending money on better equipment. Can you warrant getting a guild so early?"

[Kaithas]

IC: Something interesting about creatures that charged to attack, like oxen. They have this unerring tendency to spit themselves on pikes or spears, and while it would normally be difficult to pull a weapon out that had been stuck that far in... The vaporization of any killed enemy made it very easy. The numbers, however...

Why did he not think of herds?

A slight sprint and two parries, sidestep the beast, nail the last ox with another Push, knock it over, stab it through. "And... There we are." He turned back to the group he'd come through with, walking toward them again.

[Undying Curiosity]

"I second that!" Cash yelled at Ryan and Raven from thee window of the inn they were renting. The Inn was quite different from the one on the first floor. This was more like a classic stone cottage sitting at the foot of a rather large mountain. "I second we make a guild!" He yelled out to the two of them, more specifically Raven. Cash had only woken a few minutes ago, and even during his sleep, his leg has regenerated yet.

Cash looked around not really sure where he was, having passed out from the excruciating pain of having a leg ripped off by a chain. The wound didn't really look like much, just a bunch of red pixelated data floating around. There was no blood or blood stains, and there wasn't any smell to it, just the sight of pixels where bone and muscle should be. Cash inched his way across the bed to the window where he could hear muffled yet recognizable voices coming from the playerless roads out front of the inn. A few were scooting around when Cash managed to stand on one leg and look out, but not many. But Cash was looking for the population count, he was looking to see Ryan and Raven talking. Cash opened the window and added his two cents. "Looks like you're all doing good!" Cash shouted to the small group in the middle of the road.

[rusty4297]

Ryan nodded to Raven. "I know... People will die... But maybe this idea will at least help a little..." He looked down, then nodded as Raven eventually agreed to the idea. He was about to say something more when suddenly a message appeared in front of him. He got a slightly confused face as he looked at the message, reading it. He tapped the 'reply' button, sending back a message for whoever this 'skullcrusher' was.

PM to Skullcrusher

"As far as I know, the only real cost to having a guild is having a guildhouse, at least in this game... But that would be worth paying for if it meant saving other people's lives... I'm willing to die for lack of equipment if it means that I can get as many people into a trusting group for them as I can..."

He then pushed the 'send' button and looked back up to Raven. "We need to get the other party members' opinions... If we go through with the idea, the entire party needs to agree to it... Otherwise we might lose some of the people we trust when trying to do this..."

[CoyoteKisses]

Faeron sighed, running a hand through her hair as she followed the group into Floor 2. "Sure, sure," she said, somewhat agreeing to the making of a new guild. "As long no one dies a pitiful death like Karen," she thought to herself. She then heard Cash's voice, from up in the inn. She looked up and waved at him, a huge smile on her face. It looked like he was still alive and kicking. Good. "You look well!" she said, a dry laugh escaping her lips. "How's your leg?"

[Zarkun]

Raven looked up towards Cash with a smile, waving at him and laughing. "We might look alright, but we're beat to hell. Be up here soon!" Turning back to the others, he looks at Mina and offers her a hand. "I don't know if you're the type, but if you'll join us, we'd appreciate having a beast master in our group. Ryan likes taking being the tank to a whole new level, won't even let us take hits if he can help it." He chuckles at himself. "Plus we all can be a bit reckless at times, like me and cash back in the boss fight."

[Undying Curiosity]

Cash raised his hand and gave Faeron a charming little wave. Her smile seemed to be contagious, when cash saw her all happy and what not, he couldn't help but to smile himself. Cash cupped his hands around his mouth, making a make-shift megaphone, "I can't look too well, I just woke up!" Cash joked as he shouted back to her. Cash added, "It's okay, It hasn't regenerated yet, but I'm confident it will." Cash smile at her and the group. After such a battle it was nice to see his group still in tact. Ryan with his massive axe, Raven with his welcoming disposition, and Faeron with her eccentric purple hair. They all seemed like themselves, like before the game developer trapped them. Cash's smile subsided as his mind jumped back to that day, making images in his mind flash back to the chaos that erupted that day.

[Cryptik Wisdom]

ReivaX walked out on to floor 2 panting, clearly out of breath, he'd bend forward to place his hands on his knees. After catching his breath He stood up straight once again, "Oh my god... I am so glad thats over, that was the most terrifying moment of my life. I don't think I can do another Boss Fight like that." He paused to take another breath before heading down the road, continuing his rant. ''I don't think I'm cut out for this game at all, I mean like I didn't even want to play this game at first. Stupid GM making me get stuck in this stupid game, walking down this stupid road, with that stupid light-" He got cut by the sound of two people, who seem to know each, yelling. One of the two was yelling from the window of the Inn, the other from the street below. Due to being distracted by the two people yelling, he had walked right into the light post. The loud bang of his head hitting the metal light post resonated through the air. As he began to fall backwards he saw a small purple message reading "Immortal Object."

[CoyoteKisses]

"Mmk!" Faeron was honestly glad to know that Cash hadn't lost his humor or happiness, especially since he lost a leg. Hopefully, it would regenerate soon so the whole group could start leveling up again. Raven then asked Mina to joined the group. Faeron smiled, also adding in. "It'll be loads of fun!" she said, trying to push away the images of Karen dying from her mind. With a more stable group, that would never happen again. Not with her around, at least. Suddenly, she heard a rather loud bang; almost as if someone had...She looked around, and there, a guy was falling to the ground.

"E-Eh?!"

She ran up to the fallen person, staring at him before poking him with her foot. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, concern laced in her voice.

[rusty4297]

Ryan nodded to Mina as she was offered an invitation to the group. "As long as we can trust you, and so long as you want in, welcome to our group." He glanced up to Cash as he shouted from the window at Faeron before turning his eyes to Mina once again, "We're like a family, I'd say... We look out for each other as best we can... Try to keep each other from dying and expect the same from the others." He then looked in the direction of a sound that had rang through the area, seeing someone on the ground, and Faeron running to check on them. He sighed before sending a message to everyone currently in his party, as well as adding Mina and this 'skullcrusher' to the list of people he was sending the message to.

PM from Ryan to the rest of the party and some

"Most of you were in the group the entire time... So you remember our talk about making a guild. I think we should talk that over again tonight. To join the conversation, and possibly join the guild if one is created, meet in the main room of the inn that Cash was just shouting out of"

(and so that those in the Legion of Light don't feel left out)
Though Bachus was sad about the loss of Karen, a few of his guild members convinced him to throw a party for any and all members who had been at the fight. They would feast in the town square that night, all of them.

[Undying Curiosity]

Cash let out a deep sigh, still feeling thankful that the people closest to him were still safe. Cash was about to walk away from the window where he shouted out of, he turned about half way around before hearing the sound of metal banging. Cash turned his head, to see a boy who lied on the ground. Just in front of the fallen player was a Victorian light post, he must have ran into it. The thought brought a slight smirk to Cash's face, the smirk turned into a light chuckle as he watched Faeron come to his aid. Cash's laughter subsided when a message from Ryan had appeared as a notification in front of him. Cash, having no objections, dismissed the message and resumed walking hopping out of the room. Cash wasn't sure if there were any crutches or anything of that nature in SAO. In most RPG's crippled limbs would be a negative status effect that would get better over time or with a potion, Cash didn't hesitate to apply a potion right after he lost his leg from the boss, so he ruled that solution right out of question. I guess it's a waiting game...This hopping thing is a pain... Cash thought as he finally made it to the door.

Cash twisted the doorknob and took a peek out of the door, directly in ahead of the door was a flight of stairs. Cash's hopes of making it all the way outside of the inn and talking to the others in his group face-to-face, were shattered when he'd seen the staircase. An expression on annoyance was stapled on his face as he briskly turned around and hopped back over to the beds. He flopped down onto the bed after doing a slight twirl. He landed on his back with his arms spread out across thee wool blanket. Cash starred up at the ceiling with boredom as he waited for something to happen.

[Cryptik Wisdom]

With his hands over his face ReivaX groaned and rocked slightly from side to side while he was on the ground. He began to stand up and brush himself off "Oh this? I was just..." He paused as he looked up to see the girl with purple hair standing before him. Think Xavier, think... you got this... He looked around with a look of surprise on his face before sending his left hand to the back of his head. "Oh well, you see... I was, uh... just... uhm... then the light post... yeah" ReivaX would scratch the back of his head as he rambled. Great, thats was just... great. Should we give ourselves points for trying? His hand would fall from his head and back to his side as he dropped his head forward. Letting off a light chuckle, he would shake his head ever so slightly. ''Uhm.. yeah. I'm alright." He'd say with a look of what seemed to be embarrassment on his face as he looked back up to the girl with the purple hair and spear.

[CoyoteKisses]

A chuckle escaped her lips as the male stood up. He seemed quite embarrassed after slamming into a light post, so Faeron took note to not tease the guy. As she took a closer look at the guy, she realized she had never seen him before. Well, probably because she stayed within her own circle since being locked in this game. She supposed this was a great chance to befriend other people and possibly build up that new guild the rest were discussing about. She stuck out her hand for a handshake, grinning. "That's good. I'm Faeron, you?"

[Illusion]

Valkyrie was already on Floor 2, farming for EXP around the mountainous area when a large group arrived from the previous floor. She watched as they made their way, some to the Inn and some other places. Valk decided she had enough training for now and followed the group to the inn. While trailing behind them, she noticed one of the members was missing a leg. That was the first time she'd seen someone who'd lost a body part.

"That can actually happen?" She muttered to herself. Valkyrie still felt the whole "trapped" thing was a lie, and that when you die in-game, you just wake up. However she wasn't brave enough to try it out, considering the amount of people who believe it. Her playing methods have been reckless so far despite her caution. After they arrived at the inn, Valkyrie used this as an opportunity to introduce herself to complete strangers. However it appeared only the one-legged boy stayed in the inn while everyone else left. She suddenly heard a noise. Ahead of her, it appeared someone had walked straight into a light post. Valk chuckled and went to see if he was okay.

"Hello," she greeted with a smile and looked at both of the people who were there.

[Zarkun]

Raven had been on his way to the inn to give Cash some company, after reading and dismissing Ryan's message, he already agreed with it, when he heard the loud clang of metal hitting metal. Turning around, he saw the boy sitting on the ground and laughed, shaking his head as Faeron ran up to the boy to see if he was alright. Guess we were being a tad bit distracting. Shouldn't surprise me all that much someone finally watch us more than where they were going. Still, the sight was comical and he needed a good laugh. Even as he stood there with a smile on his face, he could feel the depression roiling around underneath the good feelings. I miss mom...and dad...and my siblings...

Pushing those thoughts away, he watched the girl approach the group from the direction of the fields and say hello, trying to get someone's attention. Raven waved at her to let her know he'd seen and heard her, but then he entered the inn and went upstairs to their room, opening the door and pulling out a healing crystal and using it on Cash. "Hope that helps some."

[rusty4297]

Ryan looked around at a few of the people that got his message, before getting ready to head back inside. He figured Cash would want to talk to at least one of them, but then he saw Raven wave to someone that seemed new, and walk up before he did. Seeing a friend with two people he'd never met before... That made him think back to when the group had first really started. When he had gone over to talk to Karen to find out that she had no use of her legs in the real world, only to end up grouping up with some of the others there. Is that what's happening this time? We're getting more allies that might die...? I hope they don't end up like Karen... He decided the small group would do fine without him, and he simply headed up to the room where they were all meant to sleep that night. "Hey Raven, hey Cash... We should eat after having taken down that boss... It wasn't an easy feat... I already have some ox meat, and since it's higher level, I'd bet it tastes great." He spoke with an almost false happiness. He was slightly happy right now, but the sorrow from Karen's death still loomed over him.

[Undying Curiosity]

Cash sat up right as the sound of Raven coming through the door startled him slightly. Raven walked over to cash, and applied a healing crystal. "I hope so too. I don't know what going on with this whole regeneration thing, but crystal only seem to numb the pain." Cash said with a pondering tone. "Hopefully when I sleep, the limb will just magically regenerate..." Cash said through a slight chuckle,like he was trying to make everything less daunting. Just shortly after the application of the healing crystal, another friendly face came walking through the door. It was Ryan. "You got Ox meat? But when did-" Cash cut himself off, remembering just who he was talking to. Ryan was always the kind of person to take initiative, but for a minute there Cash almost forgot about that. "True, true..." Cash said while nodding his head. "Well, my cooking skill is still rather low. Plus I got the whole 'I'm an amputee' thing going on, soooo." Cash said, implying he wasn't going to cook it. Cash turned his head towards Ryan.

Cash didn't have to say a word, both him and Ryan knew exactly what Cash was thinking. You're going to cook it...right? Cash chuckled again, as he bowed his head. It almost seemed like Cash was trying to force the tension in the air to thin buy laughing and making jokes. But still on his mind, Cash couldn't shake the thought of the stress and misfortune this game had bestowed upon them. After a nice, maybe noticeable, fake laugh, Cash leaned back with a sigh. "I should probably, start mixing the rest of my ingredients into potions and poisons." Cash said before adding, "It's weird I have this strange feeling, that someone in our group is going to go and binge grind..." Cash said this last part with sarcasm staining his words, obviously referring to their excessive amount of training.