[PP-F1] A Change in Pace (Mack)

[ErinVyce 0]

It had been nearly a weak since she last spoke to anyone she personally knew in this world and they all seemed to be avoiding her. She blasted a cool stream of air from her pursed lips up past her glasses lenses and up to the bangs that had been drooping down. "Well there is no point in sulking any more, the world is filled with disappointments right pa?" Her neck craned backwards as she lied under the shade of a nearby tree. It had been a few days since she managed to compose herself to this point. No tear stains stretched down her face and her once blond hair has now been trimmed and dyed to a dirty blonde. "I suppose I ought to start off once more, never thought I was ever going to be able to say that again while still in this world." In all honesty, Vyce had believed that her time in Aincrad was a limited one at best as she always expected to find herself tripping in the middle of a battle or being skewered by a higher level pker. Casting herself back down to a view that was more suiting of herself Vyce now looked to the grass a hand gently gliding along it as she remembered how it would have felt in the real world. She hated the feel a grass upon her skin, it always felt like hundreds of tiny blades gently slicing against the soles of her feet.

[Mack 0]

"Yes, you really should get moving with leveling up," a gruff voice called out, his storm grey eyes taking in the prone form of the woman laying in the grass. In truth, the colossal axe man couldn't help overhearing the woman with the dirty blonde hair speaking to herself as he walked past. As he was, occasionally, wont to do, the red-headed man was scouring the first floor of the Aincrad tower in search of players that might be in need of certain upgrades to their gear that he could provide. Additionally, given the recent changes in the hierarchy of the Knights of the Blood Oath, Mack was conducting something of a recruiting trip to the lower levels in an attempt to bolster the ranks of the guild. "If you're worried about the spate of PK lately, I can help there," he continued, drawing back the now crimson trimmed white hood of his guild cloak.

[ErinVyce 0]

The voice boomed like that of a Norse God compared to her own, but stained with an oddly grumffy sound to it. She couldn't place her mind on one particular word and assigned both grumpy and gruff together. It fit quite well in her opinion, "Hello?" She state now pulling away from the tree from her once reclined position to spot a giant before her now. Her eyes glistening a bit startled as she wasn't expecting someone of his stature and bulk to suddenly sneak up on her. The cloak he wore an elegant one as she now blinked her eyes and looked up feeling like an infant next to him now. He then spoke further upon the subject of Pker's Her eyes lit up, anger, fear and sorrow all mixed through her expression as she now cringed and looked down. "S-so there were murders recently?" Her suspicions of two friends on her list confirmed once again. "Do you know who fell victims and to whom?" She queried interested in knowing how much this behemoth of a man knew.

 

[Mack 0]

"I'm surprised you haven't heard about the deaths of Ssendom and Zelrius," Mack replied as the woman peeled herself away from the tree she had taken refuge beneath. "Both of them were prominent front line players with unique skills, Berserker and Dual Wield," the axe man continued, crossing his bulging arms over his chest. "Zelrius was killed by Oikawa, another front liner and Oikawa's motives aren't really clear. Up until a few weeks ago both of them were in the Azure Brigade guild. Opal's the one that PK'd Ssendom, and she claims to have been working on her initiation into a PK-based guild called Laughing Coffin. There had been rumors of that guild of course, but nothing solid until Opal PK'd Ssendom just before the beginning of the Boss Raid on the fifteenth floor."

[ErinVyce 0]

Erin gritted her teeth as she heard that Zelrius had died they had their own issues, but she still saw him as the man who introduced her to this world. Even bought her the armor, as provocative as it could be. "Oikawa and Opal," she said her face turned down to her feet as she memorized these names. "But wait?" her head now shooting up as she grabbed a hold of shirt, "W-what about casualties in the boss fight?" She cringed now looking up with a few tears wondering if the disappearance from her friend request was do to combat with the boss fight. "Did anyone else die in that battle please, I-I loss someone dear to me and I have to know." Her eyes now cast down again toward both their shoes as she started off two possible paths for herself now, either a front liner taking off where Manta left off or seeking out those who wish to ruin the lives of other peaceful players.

[Mack 0]

OOC: Since that Boss Fight hasn't happened yet... I have to get a bit creative with the answer to your question :)

"Opal will pay for her crimes, if I ever find her," Mack rumbled in a low tone as Erin grabbed the front of his cloak. "As for anyone else that died in that fight... I can't honestly answer. I don't recall losing anyone else, but the battle was fairly hairy. The boss was a giant spider named Limbo and he spawned a lot more minions than what we've seen before," Mack continued, not bothering to disengage the woman's hands from the front of his snow white cloak. "I was on minion detail with Heathcliff, Tristan, and Calrex and there were so many of them that we had to deal with that I had my hands full just taking care of small spiders to keep the true tanks from being completely swarmed."

[ErinVyce 0]

The dirty blond haired girl let her head hang again before releasing him and lingering backward as she realized her actions were a bit rude if not intense for someone who didn't know her past. "I'm sorry about ... grabbing your cloak like that I just am a bit high strung after hearing remarks upon pkers and the possible death of my girlfriend is still on the mind." Her hands rose up, the sleeves of her new shirt now wiping her cheeks and her hands her eyes as she looked back up to Mack. "May I make request for aid sir." She said solemnly now hoping that he would assist her in her future endeavors. "Will you help me get justice for those whom have fallen." Her entire body now bowing down to him as to show him and his ranking respect.

[Mack 0]

"Get up, and don't sir me," the soldier said in a tone that was a bit more harsh than he intended. "No one in this game deserves that kind of kowtowing respect," he continued, stooping for a moment to wrap a hand around one of Erin's wrists before pulling her to her feet once again. The action had the effect of placing them, temporarily, quite close to one another though the ginger headed man quickly took a step back to respect the woman's personal space. He was pursuing someone else, for the time being, and he had gathered from Erin's comments that she wasn't all that interested in men. "I'm higher leveled, I have better equipment. That doesn't make me a better or more worthy person." Mack's storm grey eyes softened for just a moment.

"And I intend to track down those responsible and bring them to justice, you are welcome to help though you will need to get stronger, I think," the mountain of a man said, eyeing Erin and her gear in a clearly appraising, though not lecherous, manner. "I'm Mack, I'm temporarily the Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, a position that was held by Opal until recently."

[ErinVyce 0]

Erin blinked a bit startled from his harsh tone and wincing from the way he spoke, "Umm sorry I just thought." She had to admit, she didn't expect to meet anyone who didn't enjoy being addressed highly this was all a good sign of leadership who knew how to treat his men. "Sorry I just thought most people felt entitled." A smile that was long overdue resurfaced upon her face, "I didn't realize there still were people who were unaffected by their pride and level in this game." They were closer then she expected but she wasn't overly phased despite his well bit figure. "I know I need to get stronger, but I will pursue them to every inch of the law that we can muster in this world." She sighed and casting her gaze upward now to the giant as she tried to pull herself up a bit as he gripped her wrist. "I never have affiliated with a guild, I-I don't think I really ever intended to but I need training ... and closure." She whispered softly.

 

[Mack 0]

"Don't misunderstand, I expect orders to be followed by those who are subordinate to me within the Knights of the Blood Oath or during Boss Raids," Mack rumbled. "Outside of that, though, I don't expect anything more or less from anyone else... plus, that sort of attitude coming from a woman dressed like you could be pretty badly misinterpreted by people passing by. The last thing I want is for people to think I'm trying to start a fad in turning low-level players into pets," the bearded man continued, pulling up his inventory and scrolling through his items. A moment later one of the old scarlet cloaks of the Crimson Blades appeared in his hands. Mack had, long ago, purchased an enormous number of the cloaks and, now that the Blades were no longer a guild, they were just taking up space. "Here, put this on please," he said, holding out the cloak to Erin.

[ErinVyce 0]

She looked at his cloak and took it a bit grateful, "I have have no need for this, I-I will just change into something else." A blush apparent on his face as she was flustered. That outfit had gotten quite comfortable despite it's looks but she had to admit it did look bad. Looking down to her armor Erin could only nod as she now activated her menu and traversed it with her fingers till she had replaced the once crude lamb armor with humble brown cloth that appeared much more befitting her intent. "S-sorry about that, I don't have much armor to choose from sadly that isn't ... that." She sighed looking down embarrassed now as she wrapped her arms around her body a bit ashamed to have not changed to something more dignified while talking to him. "Sorry I sometimes forget I'm wearing that stuff."

[Mack 0]

Mack waved away the apology with one of his large hands. "No need to apologize. It's easy enough to do. Who made that armor for you anyway? I might need to go and have a chat with the blacksmith or tailor in question about making something like that and passing it off as armor." Mack rapped his knuckles on his own armor for added emphasis. "If you need something different or better, I can help you out and if you're serious about wanting to take down those responsible for Zelrius' and Ssendom's PK's then the Knights of the Blood Oath are more than willing to bring you aboard. You'll work hard, but you won't be just a low-level player farming for the heavy hitters. That's not the way we operate. We'll teach you to be a productive member of the group and to, eventually, take your place on the front lines."

[ErinVyce 0]

She watched his hand now flying through the air as he proved that he didn't mind all that much about her mistakes. "N-no it really isn't the fault of the tailor. Besides, the person who ordered it is indisposed at the moment." She sighed now peering over toward the giant. "I don't wish to disclose that information as I appreciate their friendship and business." She looked back to him before shaking her head, "I don't know if I should join a guild or not is the issue. I am still new about all of this, but I don't think I am capable of a commitment such as this?"

[Mack 0]

"You don't have to tell me who made the armor if you don't want to," Mack rumbled, shrugging his broad shoulders. If she wanted to let someone continue victimizing and objectifying female players in Aincrad, at least in Mack's opinion, then that was this woman's business. Still, those kinds of fashion statements were not the ones that were made when people were wearing gear that Mack had fashioned on his forge on the fourth floor. "Beyond that, you're capable of accomplishing, or failing, at anything you set your mind to. But, if you plan to hunt down either Oikawa or Opal then you are going to need better gear, better weapons, and better stats then what you currently have. At least, in my estimation of what you have since I don't honestly know your stats."

[ErinVyce 0]

She winced hearing this realizing he knew she was by far weaker then she ever intended to admit, "I-I'm still level 9 and I'm trying to become as tanky as possible." She frowned and peered down to her feet. As she felt like Mack was rather upset about the armor still she sighed, "I don't wish to speak ill of the dead but this was a gift from Zelrius. Something I intend to hold onto even in his death. That's the least I can do for everything he did for me." Her voice growing stronger as she looked back up and nodded her head. "I do intend to hunt them down even if it ends up being by myself. I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can accept that offer quite yet." Vyce didn't enjoy the thought of guilds, they tied you down when it came to the orders you had to follow and she had a job still with Ariel and training she could take up with her as an apprentice. "Can I have a rain check on that offer, till after I have mulled it over completely?"

[Mack 0]

"I can understand wanting to hold on to something for sentimental reasons," Mack rumbled. Erin's desire to hold on to the so-called armor was not all that dissimilar from the way soldiers sometimes held on to the dog tags of deceased comrades in arms. "The offer is, of course, an open one," the red-headed man continued, his eyes narrowing momentarily. "But, if it is revenge and justice that you're after you should do nothing for the time being. At your level you lack the equipment and skills necessary to last for any kind of length of time in a fight between yourself and either one of the assassins. If you fight them now, you will die and that will do nothing to accomplish your goals."

[ErinVyce 0]

As he spoke her grimace grew more unpleasant like one jabbed their elbow into her side and wrenched it back and forth as the obvious weakness she associated with. "I-I know I'm probably and idiot and if I ever saw them I wouldn't hesitate to do something stupid. But I don't intend to die till the day I can face them as equals on the battle field." She frowned and peered back up to the behemoth of a man. "You are certain they would kill me right? Probably out leveled and skilled by four times? Either way it is my mistake to make ... at least I could die trying." She gloomily spoke and hung her head half wanting to run into them before her training regime could take place. 

[Mack 0]

"Yes, they're considerably higher leveled, higher skilled, and better equipped. All the more reason to work hard. Throwing your life away in an attempt to get justice is a pointless endeavor," Mack rumbled, recrossing his arms over his chest. "Dedicating yourself to reaching the necessary point to be able to go after those who are responsible for the PK deaths, that is a noble pursuit. There is no point in trying anything that you know, beyond doubt, you will fail at. Case in point, I will never attempt to sing opera or perform a ballet. I lack the necessary skills. But, if you train yourself up and work with a team, then the chances of your success increase greatly."

[ErinVyce 0]

"I understand," she sighed rather exasperated by this news the hunt begun regardless of time and place. Subconsciously she would always be on the look out now for orange players whom no doubt did wrong to others whom were victims of these acts. "I promise you that much." As he continued his retort she couldn't help but smirk and let out a soft chuckle as she now began to picture him prancing about on his tippy toes while in a tutu. "Sorry, that image is just two amusing. I agree completely that you shouldn't ever try to perform ballet but you would be surprised how you can train your voice for singing."

[Mack 0]

"You should also be careful that you don't take on the task of being the police force of Aincrad all by yourself. There are still thousands of players living in the world of Sword Art Online, it is a practical impossibility for one person to police them all," Mack said, mulling over the options. "And I might be able to train my voice so I didn't sound as bad when I sing as I do now, but I doubt that would mean that I'd ever be what someone might call a talented singer. Now then, if your plan is to hunt down Opal and Oikawa how exactly are you going about getting that done? How are you planning to train yourself up? What's your brilliant master plan?"