Episode 71 - 1+1=W - Part 1
Floor 35
June 21 - Year 2
Bladescape was avoiding Geigi Clan. She had sent Kiefer to greet them and bring them to their Headquarters. He had taken half and was giving them a quick tour of the first and second floor as she watched from her room. Lessa had taken the other half on a tour in the opposite direction so they were not on each other's way.
Bladescape was aware of the troubles some of the others were having at the idea of expanding the Wondercolts. Today was to gather both guilds together and talk about concerns and considerations of the merger, most of which she expected to happen after a shared lunch. Nothing was finalized yet and it might not even be finalized today.
Diemond was against losing their symbol and colors, but she was otherwise fine with the merger. She knew how much extra work it would be for her, on top of what it would require to get a new Headquarters set up. That workload concerned Bladescape, but Diemond was confident she could handle it.
Thunderborne was a team player, but she didn't want to expand their team. She wanted to fight by her friend's sides every day. Adding new players to the team would disrupt that.
Over the five days, Thunderborne had also started two arguments about needing to get Knightstar back. She didn’t want to expand without Knightstar. Doombunny had a plan, and it was being executed, but she wasn't sharing it. The Council backed her for the time being, but that only made Thunderborne angrier. She wanted direct action, but everyone else agreed that they didn't need to go that far. Knightstar was in too delicate of a situation. Pressure would just drive her further away. They all wanted her back. Not knowing what the plan was, was getting irritating, but Bladescape was always calmed by Doombunny’s kind firmness about her secret plan. Bladescape was afraid Thunderborne was going to do something stupid behind their backs.
Doombunny also believed they needed to merge. Knightstar was a concern for her, but after working with Geigi Clan, she wanted to help them in any way possible. She thought merging would be the safest way to make that happen. At one point she defied Thunderborne, pressing that she believed their friendship was stronger than not fighting beside each other every day for their freedom, and that what mattered was getting free as fast and as safely as possible. The implication that Thunderborne couldn’t handle it was a deep jab, but it shut her up, and it ended a very long argument.
Joltron was against the merger, but he didn't have a valid argument or reason. He just didn't want to expand.
Kiefer and Lessa were for it, but had no argument for their agreement. They were wrapped up in each other though, which wasn't a bad thing on the whole. They would do what needed to be done, no matter what choice was made.
AFCK either had no opinion on the matter, or if she did, she hadn't voiced it. That concerned Bladescape, but she could do nothing about it. AFCK was enthusiastic about all the cooking she had to do for lunch and there was a good chance dinner would be for all of them as well. That would be the trickier meal, but Bladescape had a feeling that several of Geigi Clan's cooks would join her in the kitchen for making dinner.
What mattered in the end though, was that the Wondercolts' Council was unanimously in favor of the merger. Astro believed it was a good evolution that would help them stay relevant as they climbed into the 70s and particularly Floor 80 and above. The sooner they expanded the better they could set themselves up for success in the higher Floors. That was something they had to be doing now, or it would be too late when they hit 75.
Backbreaker was vocal only once, giving wisdom from the farm. She stated the fact that a farm could always produce more and lighten its load on each person with more hands on deck, and that was why many farmers had larger families. A bigger family meant less work per person. Expanding their farm family was a wise idea which would make it easier and safer to do the work required to free them from SAO.
Bladescape mostly saw the detriment of what would happen if they lost Geigi Clan from the front lines. She wasn't going to let that happen. The Wondercolts were about helping and being friends to all players. The most logical thing to stop Geigi Clan from folding and breaking off the front lines was to control the fold by merging them into the Wondercolts.
The Council had never before had to make an executive decision that was against what some members wanted. They had almost been a democracy. Despite the months and all they did, the most forceful thing they had ever done was giving out the training regimen and deciding who was going to go with who for the day. Even then, the others understood and fundamentally agreed with the orders. Even the orders to protect Doombunny had been agreed upon by all at the beginning.
Bladescape knew Lobelia deserved her presence, but she was avoiding it as long as she could. She was trying to prepare herself for their decision and the potential fallout between her own guild members. There was a good chance that someone was going to get hurt, and it was Bladescape's job to deliver that pain.
A message popped up. AFCK needed her in the kitchen. Bladescape sighed and left the safety of her room. She was in a dress that was a mix between a cocktail dress and an evening gown. Diemond had made it a while back, but for formal occasions. It was more than appropriate for the lunch they were having. All of the Wondercolts would be dressed at least semi-formally.
Geigi Clan was on the second floor of their headquarters. They were hanging out on what little they had up there. Every table and chair, and some of the couches, had been brought to the guild hall where they were set up to create a giant H-shaped table to seat everyone. Even then, the entire arrangement barely fit in the room.
"There you are," Kiefer said when he noticed her.
"I was doing some last minute preparations," Bladescape replied as she stopped. She remembered to bow to them all. "It is wonderful to have you all joining us today. AFCK declared a kitchen emergency that I need to check up on."
"That could be nothing overblow, or a real problem," Kiefer said. "She didn't seem to be having any trouble when we poked our heads in."
"Either way, I have to check it out," Bladescape replied with a shrug. "If you will excuse me."
Bladescape didn't see Lobelia, Kamishi, or Shikiku. They were not with the others. That could be nothing, or it could be a problem. It was probably nothing. They were most likely chatting with Astro or Backbreaker. Bladescape wasn't sure where either of them were.
Bladescape had to chuckle at how ridiculous the setup in the guild hall was for their meal. Diemond had made tablecloths to unify everything, but the tables were not even the same height, let alone size, and cushy high-backed chairs were mixed with basic uncushioned chairs, with two couches thrown in the mix to round off seating 50 players.
In the kitchen, AFCK was skipping about with purpose, not fun. Joltron was in a corner, trying to stay out of her way as he focused on his task while she balanced multiple things at once.
"What is the problem?" Bladescape asked.
A spoon was shoved in her mouth by AFCK in passing. "Did I put in too much salt?" Her words were slow, but her tone was worried. "They say you can never have too much salt until you have too much, but I forgot how much salt is too much!"
"It tasted fine," Bladescape said. "Does that dish even have salt?"
AFCK stopped in the middle of the kitchen. She thought for a moment. She zipped over to where the bread was and then gave Bladescape a small slice. "That is what I needed taste tested."
Bladescape complied. She didn't taste any salt in the bread. "AFCK, I don't taste any salt."
"WHAT DISH IS MISSING SALT!" AFCK exclaimed in frustration.
"Blade," Joltron coughed. "I tried telling her, but maybe you will get through. SAO doesn't have salt. At least not salt proper."
Bladescape groaned. "Does she need that other item for any of the dishes she is making?"
"No, but I did and the dish is perfect. Are you sure no one tried to remove her NerveGear? Or that it was on properly?"
"I am sure," Bladescape said with a sigh. "You haven't ever seen her bake I.R.L. This is not unexpected."
Bladescape turned her attention to AFCK who didn't appear to have heard any of their conversation. "AFCK, you used the right amount of salt for everything."
"I did?" AFCK asked. "Cool! But, aren't you supposed to be hiding out in your room?"
"Sort of," Bladescape replied. She was glad the emergency was over. "I just came by to check on things. Are you on schedule?"
"Nope!" AFCK chuckled. "About 36.2 minutes behind."
"Noted," Bladescape said with a nod. "Joltron, is it okay if I leave?"
"That's safest," Joltron grinned. "She is in one of those moods. I'd run, but I signed up to be in here, trying to keep her sane."
Bladescape chuckled with Joltron and slipped out. She heard Diemond talking in her crafting room and then she heard Shikiku ask a question. Bladescape stepped into the room and found Lobelia, Kamishi, and Astro were also inside. Diemond had multiple outfits out on the single table. They had purloined the others for their grand table in the guild hall, but she needed one and there was no way around it.
“There you are,” Diemond said with a smile. “I was getting concerned. You were up in your room all morning.”
“I had a few things to work out,” Bladescape replied. “And then AFCK had a salt emergency.”
“SAO doesn’t have salt,” Shikiku said, confused.
“That was one part of the problem,” Bladescape replied, resisting a chuckle. She lost and two slipped out. “Lunch is a little behind schedule, and not because of the salt. And I really should have said this earlier, but Lobelia, Kamishi, and Shikiku, it is a pleasure to have the three of you here once again, as well as all of Geigi Clan.”
“It is a pleasure to be here once again,” Lobelia replied.
“So, what is going on in here?” Bladescape asked. She was afraid that Diemond was discussing the uniforms she had made. She didn’t want Diemond to talk about the merger. None of them were supposed to talk about it until the appropriate time after lunch, and only within the prearranged structure. They had to be smart and constructive.
“Oh, just showing them what I have been making for my next sale,” Diemond said, waiving it off as nothing. “I am almost ready to set a date.”
“Her skill is impressive,” Shikiku said.
“I.R.L. that is her job,” Bladescape replied. “She is breaking into the field and she isn’t out of highschool yet.”
“What is this?” Kamishi asked, picking up a Hakama with plate armor attached.
“Hmm?” Diemond asked as she turned around. “Oh that. It’s an early design for eastern style male armor. That is why it is plain black. Klein specifically got my mind working in that direction with his samurai ways. I’m still trying to make him a battle set I can be proud of, but he is a complicated personality to pin down. I’m getting closer, but Fuurinkazan as a guild is… scattered. I mean, they’re four things. Wind, Wood slash Forest, Fire, and Mountain slash Rock. And their colors are not standardized. I am not trying to be critical, but it is a pain from a designer’s standpoint.”
“This looks good,” Kamishi said. “It’s got good armor and stats."
“But not enough,” Diemond sighed. “Like I said, that is an early design. I didn’t even realize that it was on the table. I thought it was in my reference wardrobe where it belongs. It certainly shouldn’t be on my only table.”
Bladescape rolled her eyes, ignoring the remark about their use of her tables.
“Which wardrobe is that?” Kamishi asked, glancing at the four in the room.
“That one,” Diemond pointed. “But don’t worry about putting it away. I have a system. I don’t know why it is out, but it is and it will stay out until I can get it put away properly. Which will probably happen once I get my tables back.”
Kamishi set it back down where it had been. “Yeah, you mentioned the use of the tables a few times. I can only imagine how frustrating that is, but it is appreciated. In our home, we usually are shoving stuff off whatever surface we can to eat. We don’t have a lot of room. It is a bit chaotic at times.”
“You should have seen what she had to do to clean off the other tables,” Astro jabbed.
Diemond shrugged, conceding the point. It had been a mess. She had been in the middle of several projects. They gave her the time to sort it all and move it to one table, and she didn’t fuss over the use of them for the day. It certainly had interrupted her flow though.
“We should start to gather in the guild hall,” Astro said. “As the leaders, we should be the first to the table. And you are in for a treat. AFCK is freaking Joltron out, which means she is pulling out all the stops to impress everyone. She loves cooking for the guild and other players. And we love playing hosts to our friends.”
Bladescape chuckled. “She is absolutely loving it. We don’t host like we want to. Our focus is...” Bladescape stopped, not sure she wanted to finish the sentence. She wasn’t sure where Geigi Clan was standing with the merger.
“Our focus has been where it needs to be,” Shikiku finished. “On clearing the game. 10,000 players had lives to live outside of Aincrad. Almost 4,000 have died and most of the surviving 6,000 can’t fight for their lives.”
“That’s always a sobering thought,” Bladescape replied. “We just experience that to the max. We… well let’s sit down and I will tell you what the Wondercolts did the two days before we teamed up with you.”
“Your eyes and smile have a twinkle in them telling me it will be a good story,” Lobelia replied, smiling back.
They sat down at the "head" of the H. They were the only ones who needed assigned seating. The others could sit anywhere, beside whoever they wanted too. Backbreaker came into the guild hall from outside.
“Where did you come from?” Bladescape asked.
“Fishin' to clear my mind,” Backbreaker shrugged. “I slipped away last night. It might have been bad form, but…”
“Nah,” Bladescape shrugged. “A note would have been nice, but I was in my room all morning., thinking. Everything went smoothly. I was just about to tell them what we did last week, with Sasha.”
“Ah,” Backbreaker said, taking her seat. “That is a good one. Well, good except that one thing, but still good.”
Joltron began to put food out on the table as Bladescape told the story. The others came down towards the end and began to fill the seats. AFCK was done soon after.
Bladescape stood up to start the meal. “It is a pleasure to have you here. We always enjoy playing host to our friends. Enjoy the best the Wondercolts could put together, which I hear is legendary.”
That got a round of applause and cheers. Lunch was started on a good note. It was relaxed and that meant Bladescape could relax some.
That relaxation didn’t last very long. The actual lunch sped by quickly and the conversations were lacking as everyone in the room was waiting for the unspoken topic to begin.
Bladescape took a drink of water before standing up and starting. “It has been a pleasure having all of you here today. It has been fun, but we all are aware of the other reason why we have gathered here. I wish we had a better place to do this, but we are short on furniture and room for a group this size. We are going to start with an open forum, for us to hear you. Both your concerns, questions, objections, and your approval. Let’s remember to be courteous and respectful. We each have had different experiences and we each see things from a different perspective.”
Bladescape sat down. No one opened their mouths to speak. She wasn’t surprised. To open up in such a large group, with strangers, was not an easy thing.
“What do you think?” A member of Geigi Clan asked her. “You guys are the ones who decided we would entertain the idea.”
“And that is why I don’t want to speak,” Bladescape calmly explained. “We see things from the perspective or leadership. However, I will tell you my ideological position. As a member of the Assault Team, I have watched our numbers dwindle, and most are not from player deaths. Players are giving up, either because they are used to living in Aincrad, or because they have lost hope they can ever get out.
“I understand how tough things are. I might be at the top, but I too get tired. I too see myself not killing the monsters at the same speed as I was the Floor before. As we climb to Floor 100, the Floor number gets closer to our Level. What we once had outpaced by double or triple, we are now barely above.
“The point is that losing Geigi Clan as clearers is like having an entire boss raid party wiped out. 48 players go into the boss chamber and there are 40 of you. Yes, I know you are not boss fighters, but number and stats wise, it is a big blow. We need you. I’ll do whatever I can to keep as many of you clearing this game as possible. And yes, I know that some of you are no longer going to be fighting.”
Bladescape paused, and then decided to be unfair and push it. “And for those who don’t want to fight, there is so much that can be done to support the rest of the guild. Important things.”
Bladescape caught the glance Lobelia gave her. It wasn’t a bad glance though. Bladescape wasn’t familiar with Lobelia’s different looks yet, but it seemed like she approved of the play.
“But I spoke,” Bladescape said. “Now you. Wondercolts, I know you have some concerns. And I know Geigi is holding back.”
No one spoke or moved.
Diemond finally stood up. “Lessa, Kiefer, with me please.”
They both stood up and the three of them went to Diemond’s crafting room. That wasn’t what Bladescape had expected when Diemond stood up. It could only mean she was preparing for an actual display.
One of the boys stood up. It was Tariq, the Tank who Bladescape had worked with the other day. “Leaders, the men have been talking over the past few days. Delton is on the fence, but hearing there is a support place, well that is good news. The boys don’t want to drop off the front line. We joined Geigi because we wanted to be on the front lines and they inspired us to be better than we could be on our own; to have a standard. To stay on the front, we are going to need training support and to level grind, hard. Still, you Wondercolts did it. The men of Geigi Clan love our guild and what we represent, but we think a merger is the best move.
“We also agree that, as tired as we are, we can’t afford to stop our crusade. If we do, that leaves thousands of defenseless players with even less of a chance getting free. We can’t afford that because we are capable of fighting for our freedom. It is a blessing and a curse. At the very least, we can be supporting the Assault Team by helping clear everything but the boss room. It is exhausting, but it has to be worse for the Assault Team. They fight through the Floor and then face a boss, only to turn around the next day to do it again. And for months now. Whatever we can do to alleviate that pressure on the Floor, we need to do so that the Assault Team is rested and sharp.”
“Thank you for your insight,” Bladescape said with a nod as Tariq sat down.
Thunderborne snorted. “You make me feel selfish. I don’t want to expand. It’s nothing personal, but I like our size. Plus, I like our headquarters.”
Astro groaned. She realized she had to break the news to her friend. “Thunder, this headquarters isn’t going to be ours much longer.” Thunderborne’s glare was cold. She wasn’t aware they had been talking about moving. It wasn’t a secret and they knew when they bought it that they would need a new one eventually. Astro fought back against the cold stare as she explained things. “It wasn’t a secret. We knew when we got this place that we would need another one for the higher Floors. Mishe isn’t impressive anymore and it is a long way down from the 60s. Teleport Plazas are fine, but there is a status to the higher Floors that we need to keep. I’m not going to apologize for your forgetfulness. Now it certainly sounds like you are being lazy and losing your edge. Are you up to the challenge of the game or not?”
It was a low cut. Bladescape almost yelled at Astro but she held her tongue. Maybe Thunderborne was losing her edge. Astro knew her really well at this point, probably the best out of them all when it came to her mental state. Bladescape had been more focused on leading the Wondercolts as a whole.
Thunderborne opened her mouth to speak and then shut it. She crossed her arms and sunk into the chair, sulking. It was not a response Bladescape was expecting. Astro had hit the nail on the head.
"Eh," AFCK shrugged. "More friends equals more fun. Right?"
"Good," one of the girls said with a relieved sigh. "I am not the only one thinking the same thing. The guys have always talked among themselves, which was fine, but us girls were a little quieter as we thought about what was best for us, individually and as a whole."
"Are you a fellow cook?" AFCK asked.
"Yep," she replied with a little laugh. "I'm Koroua.”
“So we have a few who are enthusiastic about the idea of a merger,” Lobelia said with a smile. “And we have the boys who think it's the logical action. Then we have a vocal non-supporter. That doesn’t even account for half of you though. Speak up! This is your time to speak and be heard.”
“Fine,” Joltron said. “I am against it but I have no argument for why I am. There. I said my piece.”
“Thank you,” Backbreaker said. “Anyone else?”
“I’m for it,” Doombunny said. “I want to help you guys as much as we can. I think the best way to help you is for us to merge.”
Doombunny was the last to speak. No one else wanted to. It got uncomfortably quiet and Bladescape finally looked at Lobelia. She just shrugged, unsure what else to do.
Bladescape (SS): Lvl 83 – Two-Handed Sword – Search – Weapon Defense – Leather Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Sprint – Acrobatics – Blade Throwing – Extended Weight Carry - Greatsword
Thunderborne (RBD): Lvl 75 – Rapier – Sprint – Acrobatics – Armor Pierce – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Leather Armor – Weapon Defense – Extended Weight Carry – Search
Backbreaker (AJ): Lvl 78 – Heavy Shield – One-Handed War Hammer – Extended Weight Carry – Heavy Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Fishing – Search – Martial Arts – Acrobatics
AFCK(PP): Lvl 75 – Two-Handed Axe – Parry – Cooking – Weapon Defense – Martial Arts – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Thrown Weapon – Musical Instrument
Diemond (R): Lvl 75 – Heavy Shield – Mace – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Heavy Metal Armor – Tailoring – Light Metal Armor Forging – Heavy Metal Armor Forging – Jewelry Making – Extended Weight Carry
Doombunny (FS): Lvl 78 – One-Handed Dagger – First Aid – Hide – Search – Listening – Battle Regeneration – Fighting Spirit – Familiar Communication (Colorra) – Drug Mixing – Reveal -- Fencing
Astro (PS): Lvl 75 – Two-Handed Spear - Purchase Negotiation – Armor Pierce – Acrobatics – First Aid – Light Metal Armor – Battle Regeneration – Weapon Defense – Parry – Extended Wight Carry
Kiefer: Lvl 73 – One-Handed Curved Blade – Parry – Weapon Defense – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Slash Weapon Forging – Katana – Martial Arts - Search - Armor Pierce
Lessa: Lvl 72 – One-Handed Sword – Shield – Light Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Equipment Repair – Metal Equipment Repairing – Armor Pierce – Search - Acrobatics
Joltron: Lvl 75 – One handed Axe – Heavy Shield – Heavy Metal Armor – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Metal Refining – Cooking – One Handed Weapon Creation – Two Handed Weapon Creation – Extended Weight Carry
Stats
Page generated in 0.03 seconds
Total duration
869 users online
1,330,029 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Gah, I swore I clicked on this chapter, stupid missclicks.
They're new friends that they havent met yet. I can understand how she feels but with the guild growing it'll be easier to lessen the strain on her friends
At least he and keifler wont be the only guys anymore
We have a couple more months till the game is cleared
You need nailed pinkie here.
10449941
*bows* Thank you.
At this point, I think the merger won't be a good idea in the end.
high school*
morning thinking.*