Rushdown
-
Content Count
11 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Calendar
Blogs
Posts posted by Rushdown
-
-
The whole cowboy 'thing' had Hyousuke taken aback a little, but he decided not to comment on it - for the time being, anyway. He couldn't tell if the player really was American, or if this was an act - everything seemed to be hitting all the marks for someone out of a Clint Eastwood movie. He walked the walk, talked the talk... While not concerning, it was still rather strange to see in action. Nevertheless, he followed along, still glancing around for a spot that looked like it had materials worth taking. "Rush is fine. Full name's a mouthful, so I don't blame you."
The comment about player killers did have him on edge, however, and his hand instinctively twitched towards his blade. He didn't draw it, or even touch it, but the man was a stranger - and, the more the thought about it, the odder it seemed that he was being led away from what seemed to be a perfectly adequate spot for gathering. "I'm not that worried about them." He said, like a liar. "Not like I've got any loot that'd make it worth the mark."
-
Hyousuke's rummaging through rocky patch was interrupted by the presence of a stranger - one he couldn't help but be a little wary of, once he remembered that PKers existed, but turned to face nonetheless. If the accent was anything to go by, he wasn't Japanese, but that was all Hyousuke could discern about the man, save for whatever information was displayed on the UI. He responded to Clyde's greeting with a calm smile and a nod towards him in acknowledgement, and took his hand to shake it firmly. "Rushdown. Pleased to meet you."
Releasing Clyde's hand, he paused for a moment, not entirely sure of how to continue the conversation, until he thought to ask a question. One that likely had an obvious answer, given the area that they were in, but he thought it better than just standing by and letting the awkward silence keep going. "So what're you doing out here? You looking for materials too?"
-
Spending his time scavenging through the starting area and jabbing at boars with what amounted to a fancy-looking fireplace poker was not what Hyousuke had been looking forward to that day. He’d accepted that it’d be a part of an MMO, but had hoped he’d at least be able to spend some time experiencing what advanced VR was like. Unfortunately, being trapped in what had quickly been revealed as a game with literal lives on the line had put a damper on such plans. Rather than spending his time exploring and experiencing the world that’d been so meticulously crafted, he found himself having to prepare as best he could for the road ahead. And that meant grinding for gear.
He’d decided that it would be best to start out with getting himself kitted out. Some basic armour, a shield, maybe an upgrade to his starter sword. Some potions too, and if he could afford it, some accessories. He didn’t want people to find his name etched onto a stone slab because he’d misjudged how powerful an enemy just outside of the starting area was. To that end, he’d have to scavenge for materials, and slay some enemies to fund his exploits. Boring work, but necessary too.
He started by foraging around in a conspicuous-looking patch of rocks a fair distance from the gate. Some boars pottered around some feet away from him, but it didn’t seem like they’d care much about him unless he came closer, or started hurling things at them.
ROLL RESULT: 16
ROLL ID: 117821
He held up some nondescript material - basic and low-quality, but it was a start. He stowed it, and went back to his search, sifting through the stones and various bits of flora to see if there was anything else worth picking up.
-
“You can save the sales pitch.” Hyousuke said back, half jokingly, and half serious. She really didn’t need to sell her services at him - he didn’t know any other artisans around, and he figured that buying gear from a player would probably be a more efficient use of his money than buying the basic gear that NPC vendors tended to peddle. “I’m already going to buy something off you, I just need to know what.” He turned his attention back to the greenery briefly, poking through it to see if there was anything else that was of interest to him.
ROLL FOR MATERIAL GATHERING: 11
ID: 117800
“Another one!” He said, holding up the quest item like it was some kind of trophy, worthy of flaunting around like some kind of legendary item. “Man, I’m on a roll today. Maybe I should fight some mobs, see if I can get some decent loot out of them.” He didn’t intend to, mind - not unless he had to. With the gear he was wielding, he wasn’t sure if fighting even basic enemies was a good idea. “But yeah, I’ll keep what you said in mind. Gotta try and get a feel for the game first before I decide exactly what I need from you though. I’m thinking evasion might be best if I’m going for a more aggressive playstyle, right?”
-
Hyousuke felt sorry for her - she seemed nice enough, and it was a shame that she wasn’t getting much business. It didn’t occur to him to question why she wasn’t getting any customers - his focus was just on grabbing whatever he could out of the greenery, and getting the quest finished as soon as he could. “So what’re you selling?” He asked, still sifting through the various of flora, dirt, and stones that littered the area, trying to find something that even vaguely resembled what he needed for the quest. “I’m thinking I should probably invest in damage at first. Make grinding low-level enemies easier, then put points into defence when they start getting tougher. Got anything that’d help with that?”
ROLL FOR MATERIAL GATHERING: 5
ID: 117681
“Ah, here we go.” He held up another piece, before stowing it in his inventory. It was dull work, but he supposed it’d be worth it. He needed the points, given that his stats were lacking when compared to what everyone else was sporting. He had to do everything he could to catch up with them. “Just need three more of the things.”
-
She had an accent, but he couldn’t quite tell from where. British, maybe? Though that begged the question of where exactly in Britain she was from. Even with the translator doing its job properly (as far as he could tell), he had trouble telling exactly which country it was she was from. He supposed it probably didn’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things, though. She wasn’t trying to kill him (despite the brief thought that she was when she joked about it), and he supposed that he should probably just be grateful for that.
“A shop, huh? I’ll have to check it out when I get the chance.” Quite when that chance would be was anyone’s guess. He was still doing the tutorial questline, after all, and had what was essentially a pigsticker and some leather scraps to his name. Outside of a boar - or, heaven forbid, two boars - he probably wouldn’t last that long. “I gotta look for plants first, though. Fetch quests aren’t that exciting, I know, but it’s basically free XP.”
-
Hyousuke heard rustling - but not from his poking through the foliage. Quickly, he turned towards the source of the sound, ready to run rather than fight. At level one with what was essentially scratch damage on his gear, was there really any other option? Despite the stern look on his face fading as she began to introduce herself, Hyousuke couldn’t help but be a little curious about her, wondering what someone like her was doing wandering around in what was essentially the tutorial area. While his face seemed to be placid and virtually unshaken, his eyes scanned over her to see if there was anything that’d indicate what exactly she was looking for from him.
Nonetheless, he reached back out to grab her hand, shaking it firmly before casting his gaze over to her familiar. “Rushdown. It’s good to meet you too.” He said, pulling back his hand after that brief shake. “And you, Scarfy.” Not that he expected it to react much to him - if at all - but he felt it appropriate. “So what’re you doing all the way out in the tutorial area? I thought you’d have finished that by now.”
-
It occurred to Hyousuke that he wasn’t actually entirely sure what he was looking for. He assumed that, since he was being asked to gather materials for a potion, it was going to be plants. Probably herbs, maybe foods growing around the forest. Anything more than that, however, and he was at a loss. “What do herbs even look like…” He mumbled to himself, sifting through various bits of greenery to try and find something that looked even vaguely different from the nameless trees, bushes, and shrubs that littered the landscape.
It didn’t even occur to him that there was someone watching him. He was so used to playing MMOs where PKing wasn’t an option unless someone agreed to it - or was in the right area for it - that he failed to even consider it a possibility. His focus seemed to be solely on gathering whatever materials he could, and hoping that whatever he brought back to the NPC was enough. The last thing he wanted to do was bring back an armful of assorted ingredients, then find out that he’d not even gathered enough of them to move the quest on to the next stage.
ROLL FOR MATERIAL GATHERING: LD15
ID: 117521
A notification flashed into Hyousuke’s vision - he’d managed to find what he was looking for. He wasn’t sure what he’d picked up until he looked into his inventory to check it out, but he’d managed to find one of what he was looking for, and that was enough for him. Emboldened by his success, he decided to keep rooting around in the greenery for something else.
-
“Huh… I guess even SAO’s got fetch quests.”
Hyousuke wasn’t especially fond of quests that had him traipsing around the countryside, looking for whatever it was that some NPC needed, but couldn’t get for some convoluted and/or contrived reason. He only tended to tolerate tutorial quests for the promise of what was essentially free experience and starter items. But that was when the only thing that he stood to lose was his time. Now that his life was quite literally on the line, and every bit of information he could scrounge together could make the difference between making it out the other end and becoming a struck-through name on a stone slab, learning the basics virtually risk-free sounded pretty appealing.
He looked around at the open field, hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun. He had his objective, he didn’t need any tools, and he was sure that any enemies that he came across probably wouldn’t be anything to worry about - even with his gear being about as basic as it could get. Eager to get things over and done with, he strode towards the forest, sword at his side and a slight smile on his face. Hopefully he could get the jump on a few weak enemies on the way, and get some loot worth wearing - or, at the very least, the Col to buy it.
-
Profile
Username: Rushdown
Real Name: Hyousuke Suzuki
Age: 18 (20)
Gender: Male
Height: 5'10"Stats
LEVEL 1 PROFESSION N/A HIT POINTS 20 ENERGY 2 DAMAGE 2 MITIGATION 1 ACCURACY 0 EVASION 0
HistorySpoilerHyousuke’s parents had wanted a child from the moment they’d married - but they’d not prepared for the chance that their beautiful baby boy would turn out to be a problem child. At first, his behaviour was chalked up to typical childlike behaviour, and not being in control of his emotions. It was a little more extreme for him than it was for most others, but for the most part, he seemed to be fairly normal. He’d play with the other kids as much as could be expected, he’d nap whenever and wherever he felt like… for the first few years, he was what they’d wanted.
But as time wore on, it became more and more evident that Hyousuke wasn’t growing out of it. He’d pick fights with people he thought were asking for it, and ended up getting punished for it more than once. He’d refuse to do homework or schoolwork, not stating any reason other than that he just “didn’t want to do it.” It was far from the ideal, wonderful child they’d hoped for, but he was still their child, and they wanted to help him. He saw therapists, and he spoke to counsellors. He was rewarded, and he was disciplined. But no matter what, he’d always turn right back around and cause more problems.
It was his grandfather that eventually got him to see some sense. The man was a traditional, no-nonsense kind of person - and a black belt in kickboxing to boot. He somehow convinced Hyousuke to take it up as well, likely through promising him that he’d get a chance to hit something or someone if he performed well enough. It was tough at first, and Hyousuke didn’t seem like he’d make any kind of progress. But eventually, his demeanor began to change and settle, morphing into something more socially acceptable.
Perhaps it was the discipline that his grandfather enforced, his firm but fair personality unwavering in the face of whatever Hysousuke said or did. Perhaps it was the punishments - very rarely excessive, but still physically demanding, and unpleasant enough to go through that he grew ever more determined not to have to go through it again. Or maybe it was his grandfather just treating him like an equal, and making sure - from the outset - that he never demanded respect, like other authority figures in his life, instead making sure that they earnt each other’s. Whatever the case, there were marked improvements across the board.
As a reward for his progress - both in his personality and in his grades - his parents decided to shell out for his eighteenth birthday. The NerveGear was a heft investment, but they believed that their son had earned it. He’d fought hard to get to where he was, and they thought he could use a way to unwind.
How ironic it was, then, that the first day ended up being the most stressful he'd ever been forced to go through. He couldn't deny that he panicked - who wouldn't, knowing that they were trapped in a death game where one's fate was left up to a collection of arbitrary numbers? He couldn't do anything but wander aimlessly the first few days, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do. He was supposed to have a future - he'd worked himself to the bone for it. Had it just been taken from him, as some cruel joke, by the universe or by the game's creator?
Rather than give up in the face of this thought, however, he gripped his sword and turned his gaze outside of the safe zone. He'd run himself ragged to forge a decent future for himself. He wasn't going to let some smug nerd with a god complex get the better of him. Fuelled by a spite and anger he'd thought he'd suppressed, Hyousuke set out to take Aincrad by storm.
Virtues:SpoilerCONFIDENCE
Virtually unshakeable, even in high-pressure situations, Hyousuke will face down whatever challenges come his way with a grin and some kind of cheesy one-liner. It’s almost worrying how flippantly he seems to treat some situations, but what can’t be denied is his ability to maintain an eager, never-say-die attitude no matter the odds. In short, his nerves are like his sword - they're both steel.
DRIVEN
There exists within Hyousuke a burning, insatiable desire to get stronger. To push past his limits, and make himself better than he was before. No matter what it takes - come hell or high water - he’ll claw his way up to the top, and reach even further still. Woe betide those that decide to try and get in his way, as he'll keep pushing forward to sweep them aside. Hell, discouraging him is more likely to make him work harder out of spite.
SOCIABLE
Always there with a smile on his face and something to talk about, Hyousuke is nothing if not friendly. He’ll hold up a conversation with just about anyone, so long as they don’t make it clear that they’d rather he didn’t. Whether it makes him any friends, however, depends on the person. And on how well they can manage to tolerate his myriad of flaws.
Flaws:SpoilerPRIDE
If there was one sin that could describe Hyousuke to a T, it’d be pride. His confidence can sometimes manifest itself as him thinking far more highly of himself than is warranted, or in being incredibly touchy whenever someone says something that he perceives as slighting his abilities.
STUBBORNNESS
Stubborn to a fault, Hyousuke has been known to dig his heels in and defend something or someone until he’s blue in the face - even if he’s patently clear that he’s in the wrong. Sometimes, he simply can’t accept that he’s wrong, and admitting that he is seems like it’d be the worst wound he’d ever sustained. While inconvenient in real life, it’s anyone’s guess as to how it’ll affect him in a life-or-death situation.
BLUNTNESS
Hyousuke doesn’t mince words. If he wants to say something, he’ll be direct about it. This, however, can be quite unfortunate if it means he has to deal with a situation that requires tact rather than brute strength and a bright, bold outlook. He’s gotten better over the years, but it’s not unheard of for him to say something without thinking, and not fully understand what he did wrong until it’s explained to him.
PROFESSION: (Leave blank until the Earning a Living quest has been completed.)
Skills
SP AVAILABLE: 0SP SPENT: 5
SpoilerNon-combat:
Spoiler»
Passive:Spoiler»
Combat:Spoiler» [RANK 1] ONE-HANDED STRAIGHT SWORDS: Gain +1 base damage per rank
Weapon skills:Spoiler»
Inventory
STARTER PACKAGE: BasicCOL: 2,500
SpoilerWEAPONS/TOOLS
Spoiler» [UNC] [DAMAGE +1] BASIC IRON XIPHOS: A simple, one-handed blade, modelled after a weapon from a bygone era and forged from iron. Not particularly powerful, but it's better than nothing.
ARMOUR
Spoiler» [UNC] [MITIGATION +1] BASIC LEATHER CUIRASS: A cuirass made of tanned, light brown leather. Covers the torso and the shoulders. Not particularly durable, but it's better than nothing.
CLOTHING
Spoiler» BASIC LINEN UNDERSHIRT: A long-sleeve, off-white undershirt. Worn under armour, and provides no protection.
» BASIC LINEN TROUSERS: A pair of dark brown, linen trousers. Worn under armour, and provides no protection.
» BASIC HIDE BOOTS: A pair of dark brown shoes, made from animal hide. Worn under armour, and provides no protection.
CONSUMABLES
Spoiler» STARTER HEALING POTIONS (x5): Heals 50HP
MATERIALS
Spoiler» TIER 1 CRAFT MATERIALS: Gained from Basic Package
RoleplaysSpoiler» [solo/private/open] LinkedTitle
» [solo/private/open] LinkedTitle - in progress
(no "in progress" means its complete; "incomplete" can mean one or the other person stopped replying for a long time)
Relationships (optional)
Story Thus Far (optional)
[F1-OP] A Boaring Encounter
in Beginner Floors
Posted · Edited by Rushdown
Boars. The staple of many a fantasy game - and, invariably, a low-level enemy that got players used to aggressive entities, without putting them in much danger. Sure, some got exotic variants later in the game, but by and large, the digital porcine tended to be little more than fodder for people and their experience bar. Even with their status ranking them just a hair above slimes in terms of how dangerous they were, however, Hyousuke was still a little cautious as he took his starter sword out into the open field. He could still die to them - quite literally - and being done in by a starter enemy was never good look for anyone.
That aside, he needed some money and some coin for a shield. He wasn't picky - this early in the game, he'd have taken a square of bark broken off a dead log if it meant he'd be provided some modicum of protection. While he hoped that one of the mobs he'd be slaying would drop something he could work with, he was more than prepared for the possibility that he would probably have to find an NPC shop that sold something affordable, or that he'd have to get in touch with a player he didn't think was ripping a newbie off.
He trudged through the grass, eyes scanning the distance for anything that seemed remotely pig-shaped. And there, poking around the ground (and not detecting Hyousuke) was a boar. A remarkably unremarkable thing, but worth slaying all the same.
NOW PLAYING
[1] Encountered Boar (HP 17, DMG 8)