Bahr

Wait, Bahr had forgotten to stick his hand in the hole of that tree from earlier! He had considered going back for it, but after looking over his shoulder, he wasn't so sure that it would be worth it. After so many times out in the field, he had developed a route of sorts that took him past some popular spots for materials or good hunting grounds in a loop that led back to town around the time the sun started setting. Although, why was it that Bahr always went home when the sun set? The only difference was a slight accuracy deterioration, but if he was just training Swine Bajesus or gathering materials, why did that matter to him? These were the sorts of mundane questions Bahr asked himself while trying to fill the word quota, tirelessly continuing on despite whatever boredom he felt. He knew that the true prize was the light at the end of the tunnel and the interactions he had with those along the way.
 

Bahr was much happier with the boar's most recent performance. It looked like it was starting to take the training seriously. Had it perhaps sensed that he was considering finding a new partner if it kept being lazy? If that were the case, Bahr only hoped that it hadn't taken offense to it. After all, the boar had access to some pretty sensitive areas, if it felt like doing some damage to its owner. Then again, even if it did try anything, it's not like players could really feel any pain in here. 

Down the path, Bahr spotted another stick that looked like a suitable crafting ingredient. But as he picked it up, it unexpectedly combusted into a cloud of blue pixels. It seemed that not all sticks were suitable for crafting, which made sense, because Bahr wasn't even sure how a stick was supposed to help in the creation of armor anyways.
 

It wasn't long before Bahr had stumbled upon yet another tree. And this one even had a hole he could shove his arm into. Marvelous. But first, he had more important matters to attend to. He poked his inner coat pocket again, and as though waiting for its cue, Swine Bajesus leapt from its well-tailored dwelling and stood defiantly in front of the tree.

"Woah, looks like you have a lot more pep in your step this time than last time.You ready to do this?"

Swine Bajesus looked back and Bahr and seemed to nod, however that was possible for a tiny boar. Without skipping a beat, it jumped as high into the air as it possibly could, karate chopping one of the leaves and causing it to bust into a small cloud of pixels in the middle of the air. Seemed it had been waiting to prove itself after its lackluster performance from earlier.

"Nice job! Get back here and take a quick rest. If you do well on the next one, I think we'll be done for the day."

Swine Bajesus was all too excited to reclaim its cloth throne, leaping straight back into Bahr's jacket without so much as a second thought.
 

What was a man? Was it his attitude who made him what he was? Or his actions? Was a mixture of the two?

What was it that made Bahr who he was? Was it his stubbornness, a seemingly inability to adjust to the viewpoint of others unless he was proved wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt? Was it the fact that he had flippantly killed his friend, unable to comprehend the consequences of his action? Or was it, perhaps, that time he managed to eat a five pound steak within an hour and get his picture on the wall of that restaurant he never visited again?

How was Bahr to determine which of these attitudes or action defined him? Did he get to pick and choose the ones he liked, so he could create the best image of himself in his head possible? Or was he supposed to focus on the negative, and either wallow in the despair it produced or strive to overcome his shortcomings?

Did you notice that every sentence in this post was a question?

As his little adventure continued, Bahr started to dread the thought of his little companion not taking the training seriously. What if it continued to ignore his commands? Would he need to ditch it and find a new familiar? But he didn't want to do that. Indeed, he had grown attached to the little bugger in a way he had never imagined possible before. Having it in his pocket had filled him with a determination to protect it. He wasn't just looking out for himself anymore, now he had a pet to look after as well. And he was better for it. If he did need to look for a new familiar, what would he even look for? He couldn't see himself with anything else, given his history. Except, perhaps, a baby dragon. That would be freaking cool. Breathing fire and whatnot. But still... it wouldn't be the almighty Swine Bajesus.
 

Bahr had had exceptional luck throughout the day in regards to material gathering. It was almost akin to the time he had spent in the garden with Kit. His face turned pale at the memory of it, and he adorned a mask of disgust as he remembered the kiss they had shared. How foolish that entire endeavor had been! It was weird to even think about it now, considering how obvious the discomfort they shared had been. Bahr shook his head, trying to relinquish his memory of the event and shake the red off of his face.

Once he had regained his composure, he noticed an all too familiar breed of butterfly wafting through. He snatched the creature out of the sky and promptly grabbed both wings, ripping it in two. This time, only one butterfly wing remained in his grasp, but it was still a usable crafting material. He stuffed it into his inventory and continued along.
 

Bahr couldn't help but grin as she described her crush, and even laughed when she mentioned that she wished he had been her first kiss.

"Dude, you've gotta tell him how you feel. It doesn't have to be right now, but like I said, you'll feel relieved once its all out in the open. Even if he doesn't feel the same way." He paused for a moment. "Something tells me he will, though. Feelings like that aren't something you just have, it's something you share. I wouldn't be surprised if he sees something similar when he thinks about you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Bahr saw a butterfly flittering about. There was something peculiar about it, though Bahr wouldn't exactly put his finger on it. It was almost as though it was... shining. In a display of Obama-esque ninja swatting at surprised even Bahr, he snatched the critter right out of the sky by one of its wings. Not even really sure why he was doing it, he grabbed the tiny creature's other wing and split it in two. The central body of the butterfly dematerialized, but the wings remained in his hands as usable crafting materials. "That's... new."
 

Bahr hadn't exactly been paying attention to where he was going. He was still a little miffed by Swine Bajesus's most recent display of accuracy ineptitude. He supposed it wasn't exactly the swine's fault - it's not like it asked to go out for a day of training. It probably just wanted to chill in Bahr's coat pocket all day, where it was nice and warm and it didn't have to worry about doing work. 

Unfortunately for Bahr, being lost in thought and not paying attention to where he was going had never been a good combo. He tripped out of a tree root that had been sticking out of the ground, face planting into the dirt below. He grumbled as he stood up, looking at the root and then around for whatever tree it was attached to. But there was no tree! Angry at the poor map design, Bahr pulled and ripped at the root until he had successfully yanked it out of the ground. To his pleasant surprise, it turned out to be a useable crafting item, so he stuffed it away in his inventory.
 

On the move again, it wasn't long before Bahr came upon another tree. He once again tapped his pocket, causing the creature inside to stir reluctantly. Without much protest, it leaped from his pocket on its own and sprawled out lazily in the grass.

"Alright, Swine Bajesus. You know the drill. Time to cut a leaf."

Swine Bajesus didn't so much as move.

"Hey! Are you listening to me!?"

Again, no movement. It seemed lethargic, having obviously been woken up from a nap much too short. It peeked its head up at once point, lazily swiping at a leaf and missing completely. It burst into pixels right in front of the slothish hog.

"Alright, fine. We'll try again at the next tree."

With that, Bahr picked up the tiny creature and stuffed it back into his inner coat pocket before continuing along down the path.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow. Down." Bahr grabbed both of Kit's shoulders, one in each hand, and grasped them firmly. "You're starting to freak out. Take a deep breath." He went through the motions of taking a deep breath, hoping she would mimic him and manage to calm herself down at least a little bit. 

"First things first, if you're this flustered about it, you obviously like the guy. That much is certain. The thing is, you yourself are the only one who can determine what sorts of feelings these are. Are they emotional? Physical? Both? I can't answer those questions for you. The answers are going to come from within yourself." He released her and poked her chest right below the collarbone as he finalized the statement. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a couple more flowers that looked promising, moving to pick them up before continuing.

"Maybe this will help. When you visualize him, how do you visualize him? What do you see?"
 

Bahr shook his head, trying not to think about it any longer than he had to. It was good to keep these sorts of things in mind, that way you had at least some sort of mental preparation if things did happen to play out that way. But dwelling on them - no good could ever come of it. Bahr had watched the psyche of more than just a few players fall into ruin after getting stuck on trivial things like that. Who cared what you looked like after the game was cleared? The important thing would be the fact that you made it.

Bahr couldn't wait to see his parents again, regardless of what they looked like now. He couldn't wait to see himself, either - even if he was pale, sickly and scruffy when he got out. Oh god, the beard! After two years it had to be down to his nipples by now! Oh man! Anyone who was visiting him was seeing him looking like a hobo! No, no, Bahr, play it cool. Don't get stuck on it. Don't fall into that trap.
 

Bahr's lips curled into a coy grin as he listened to her embarrassing banter, nudging her with his elbow as he began teasing. "Really, Kit, you're not that naive, are you? 'I get all weird and warm when I'm around him!'" he taunted, "C'mon, man, you know exactly what that means. You're totally into him!" Bahr stopped for a moment, as though suddenly having a realization. "Err, or her. You know. Whichever your preference is."

He averted his eyes nervously after the last bit, two more flowers that looked like suitable materials catching his eye. He picked them both up and stuffed them in his inventory, silently remarking to himself about how fruitful this search had been for them so far. He wouldn't have to restock on materials for weeks! Or so he hoped.

"Look, eventually you're going to have to tell him how you're feeling, because it isn't exactly fair for only one of the two of you to have that info. I know you're probably all scared about what will happen if he doesn't feel the same way, but trust me. You'll feel relieved no matter which way it goes for just finally having it out there instead of bottling it up."
 

Yeah. Now that he was thinking about it, a lot of his memories were starting to go fuzzy. He had a general idea of what his mother's and father's faces looked like, but he was beginning to doubt the images of them that flashed through his mind when he thought about them. And what if their features had changed by now? No doubt they had aged at least a little bit during his time trapped in the game. Now that Bahr thought about it, his features may have changed a bit as well. Besides the obvious, y'know, malnutrition thing he was bound to have going on, he had reached his mid-twenties in the real world while he had been stuck in here. His facial features and bone structure had developed quite early, so it was possible that things hadn't changed much, but... what if he returned to the real world and didn't recognize who he saw in the mirror?
 

Continuing along down one of his usual paths, Bahr noticed that he hadn't seen any useful materials in quite some time. Odd. Perhaps now would be a good time to sit down, take a rest, and commit to a flashback as an excuse to put some words out there to fill the quota. What do I mean by that, you ask? Don't worry, it's something only a narrator could understand.

Days like this reminded him of similar days he had experienced as a child with his friends. When the sky was clear, the atmosphere warm, and the breeze cool, Bahr and his friends would be outside nonstop. It was kind of weird to think about how all of that had changed as they got older. They got into MMOs and spent more and more time inside as opposed to outside. He couldn't even remember the last time they had all gone to explore a forrest or wander aimlessly downtown or at the mall. Then again, it was getting hard to remember details about much of anything beyond the confines of the game.
 

Bahr didn't want to count his chickens before they hatched, but given his tiny comrade's display of superior accuracy just a moment before filled Bahr with confidence that he had made the right choice in selecting his partner. Whether the rest of the day went as well, Bahr didn't care. Swine Bajesus had already proven that it had the tenacity and skill to fulfill the role Bahr wanted for it. Even if they had to train from sun up to sun down, Bahr would stick by the little guy until he made it. He was proud of it.

Wow, imagine that. Proud of a bundle of pixels. Bahr had no idea he was capable of such emotions for inanimate objects. Perhaps it was an effect being stuck in the game for two years had had on him. He tried to keep the real world and this one differentiated, but after spending so long in one, does it not begin to become your "real world?"
 

Bahr's ears perked as Kit mentioned she had a couple of questions for him. He dreaded answering anything too intimate, but if his friend needed him, he had to be there for her. Doing his best to compose himself after his most recent outburst, Bahr cleared his throat before responding.

"Alright, yeah. What kind of questions do you have?" he asked, plucking two more flowers from the garden and sticking them, into his inventory.

All of this was reminding him of a certain somebody that he had grown up with. She had always been less experienced than Bahr - for better or for worse. It actually made the dynamic of their relationship tense at times, but that couldn't really be helped. After all, you can't undo the past, no matter how much you wanted to. Bahr wondered how she or Zayne would have reacted to the spectacle in the garden today. Zayne, at the least, would have been infinitely amused by the embarrassing material he could use to blackmail Bahr.
 

As he approached the tree, Bahr nudged his coat's inner pocket. After much provoking, the creature within finally stirred and poked its head out. Swine Bajesus had finally joined the party, and looked none too happy about it. As it attempted to bury itself back into its pocket, Bahr grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and plopped it onto the ground. Swine Bajesus looked dizzy, as well as furious.

"Don't give me that look. We need to do some training. You see those leaves that keep falling?"

Bahr gestured toward the leaves. Every now and then, one would detach itself from the tree and flutter gracefully to the ground, where it would pixelate and disappear on contact.

"Your job is to attack one of the leaves after it falls and make it pixelate before it hits the ground. This will be to improve your accuracy. You following me?"

The tiny boar blinked blankly at its owner before leaping into the air and roundhouse kicking one of the leaves that had fallen. When it landed, it patted its hooves together, satisfied with the outcome. Afterward, it promptly jumped back into his coat pocket.

"Well done! Go ahead and rest up. We'll do more training in a little bit."
 

Up ahead, bahr thought that he caught a glimpse of something. Inexplicably, he lost it. Then it appeared again. Then he lost it again. Ah, it was because it was just over that hill! The bobbing of his head had made his field of view shift ever so slightly, in a way that made it come into and out of sight. For most people, this would have been a no brainer. But this is Bahr we're talking about here. The dude once got upset because he wasn't getting any milk with his Fruit Loops, no matter how many times he tried or how much effort he put in. The issue was that he had been using a fork, and it took him five minutes to realize the solution to his quandary.

Oh, what was the thing he saw? Just another stick. He hastily scooped it up and stashed it into his inventory the second it was reachable, continuing along until he came across a nice clearing with a single, solitary tree.
 

Moseying along to one of his favorite material gathering spots, Bahr came across a stick that looked peculiar. There wasn't anything particularly remarkable about the stick, but it stuck out to Bahr nontheless. As he picked it up and examined it, he came to find that it was actually a rather common T1 Material. To think! He had been surrounded by these things since day one, and never once thought to pick on up. If he had, he would have had far more materials by now and would have stuck his arm through fewer holes. Not that he minded shoving his arms into holes, though. In fact, it was still one of his favorite activities. He looked around for a brief moment, but didn't see anymore sticks. Shrugging, he stuffed what he had found into his inventory and continued along. He still had plenty of ground to cover, and he would most certainly find more materials along the way.
 

As Bahr meandered through the fields on Floor One, he couldn't help but notice how absolutely unchallenged he felt by everything around him. The mobs here used to look at him as though he were fresh meat, a target they could abuse and slay with ease. Now, they either didn't take notice of him or scurried away hastily when he approached. He didn't want to overestimate his own strength, but it felt nice to finally walk around the first floor completely unhindered. He guessed that was just one of the perks of getting off of his butt and actually fighting stuff for a change. He wondered how he would fair on the higher floors, given his current level? Would he go to Floor Two and find himself gobsmacked at how powerful the mobs there were, just as he had when he first tried fighting mobs on this floor? He would have to venture out eventually and find out.
 

Today was the day they were going to do it. Having a familiar was cool and all, but they turned out to be pretty useless without the proper training. That was changing today.

Swine Bajesus had turned out to be the most enigmatic of companions. It was sassy, timid, and loving all wrapped up into one. Bahr hated to admit it, but he'd found himself growing quite attached to the bundle of pixels. He just hoped that his efforts to tame it wouldn't be in vain, and that it would turn out to be a worthwhile companion on the battlefield. Considering its origins, Bahr had no doubt this would turn out to be true.

First things first, they were going to start out the day just as Bahr had started out so many others - with some basic material gathering. Bahr had other interests to keep up with besides his little boar, and one of those interests was his new shop, which had taken off rather nicely.
 

Name: Elusive Boots
Your Profession: Tailor
Your Rank: 4
ID: 119231
Roll: CD8 / LD12
Item Type: Light Armor
Tier: 1
Quality: Uncommon
Enhancements: +1 EVA
Description: "Speed in battle is an important asset. Those who are fast enough need not mitigate the pain of battle, as they can avoid it."
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/17882-f1-r4-tailor-the-crusty-bahrnacle/?do=findComment&comment=576455

Name: Savvy Belt
Your Profession: Tailor
Your Rank: 4
ID: 119235
Roll: CD8 / LD11
Item Type: Light Armor
Tier: 1
Quality: Uncommon
Enhancements: Savvy 1
Description: "Let your opponent's blunders empower you. Feel no pity for the damned."
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/17882-f1-r4-tailor-the-crusty-bahrnacle/?do=findComment&comment=576455

"Hey, you're not a bad kisser yourself. A little stiff, though," he said before chuckling again. He reached out with one arm and took the small female under his wing, moseying along through the garden and scooping up another couple flowers. "Yeah, I guess you're like a little sis to me, too. Except..." Suddenly, it dawned on him that they had actually kissed. Without warning, he released his grip on her and started spitting randomly, as though that would somehow reverse the situation they had landed themselves in.

"Gross! I kissed my sister!" He extended his tongue, wiping it rapidly with both hands, doing everything he could to remove any trace of her from his mouth. "Never again! Never!" he exclaimed helplessly as he gave up on his endeavors, succumbing to the disgusting reality of what had happened. It wasn't that she wasn't attractive, and it wasn't that it had been bad or that he was repulsed by her in any way. It was just so... weird. So completely weird.
 

Bahr sat in silence for a moment, just staring at Kit after her rejection. He appeared dumbfounded for a moment, but slowly the edges of his lips curled into the goofiest grin he had ever had. Without meaning to, he burst out into a fit of laughter, reeling back and bracing his failing muscles with both hands against the ground behind him. Just when it seemed like he was done, he grabbed his abdomen as another fit of laughter erupted forth, tears welling up in his eyes as he gasped for air. Finally, he managed to settle down, only occasional, lighter bursts of laughter bubbling up as he wiped the tear from his eye.

"You have no idea how much of a relief that is," he bellowed as one of his hands reached forward and rustled her hair. "You bonehead, I thought you thought it was a date. I was just playing along so I didn't hurt your feelings. Man, it was weird!"
 

QUEST COMPLETED

Thread net gains:

3 SP

(1) Fish with +1 Vitality snack (+2 Energy regenerated in combat for one thread)

400 col