[SP-F2] Solitude <<Breaking the Unbreakable>>

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 80849
  • BD: 8 + (2 ACC) = 10 - Success!
    • Boulder: 34/50 HP

"I'm just as much to blame." Teion mumbled under her breath. She couldn't help wondering if the Endilix brothers resented her, if they had changed as drastically as she had over the past year. The woman let out a heavy sigh. Was she really all that different, deep down? Even she was aware of how her outgoing personality had faded away. She regarded the players in Aincrad more cautiously, and a friendly smile on her face was a rare occurrence. Still, it felt as though her inner feelings, her thought processes, and even her sense of humor had remained roughly the same. Everything just dulled itself as it made its way from her brain to the world around her. Smiles didn't shine as brightly, her words came out more monotonous, and the creations in her shop became uninspired, devoid of the soul she used to pour into her crafts.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81539
  • BD: 2 + (2 ACC) = 4 - Fail!
    • Boulder: 34/50 HP

Picking herself back up, Teion gave a firm shake of her head. 'No, that doesn't matter.' She told herself, turning her body around to face her 'opponent' once more. A quick glance to the boulder's health had her letting out a small groan. The object wasn't even down to half health and it had already been an hour, maybe two, since she'd started the quest. She couldn't afford any more distactions if she wanted to get through this. Her stubbornness wasn't going to let her walk away from this one. 'It doesn't matter how I act. All that matters is being strong enough to survive.' Her thoughts were firm now, as if dismissing the topic.

She continued her task in silence for a while. Every time a new thought entered her mind she quickly willed herself to ignore it and stay focused. More time passed, and she continued gauging the boulder's health bar to determine her pace of unarmed damage was slow no matter what.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81540
  • BD: 7 + (2 ACC) = 9 - Success!
    • Boulder: 33/50 HP

If she did her math right, she'd probably be able to finish around sundown. 'I suppose it's fitting that a martial arts quest has such a strong focus on patience and discipline.' She told herself with a mental sigh. At least she had blocked off the day for herself, though she wasn't looking forward to the walk back to Urbus, followed by another walk from Armadillo to Fortaleza which would most likely be after dark. Nights in the middle of the desert were almost as cold as the fourth floor during the day, and Teion hated it. If it weren't for the Survival skill the woman would have a stash of teleportation crystals on her at all times.

Another thirty minutes passed just as uneventfully as the last, the black markings on her cheeks still prominently displayed. Part of her was impatient to be done with the task and get back to her shop, but another part felt this was necessary.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81541
  • BD: 4 + (2 ACC) = 6 - Success!
    • Boulder: 32/50 HP

She needed some time to cool down from recent events and clear her head, so why not spend a day punching a rock to do so? At least she could pick up a new skill while she was at it, so the time didn't feel like a waste to her productivity-focused mind. 'Besides, I've spent enough time doing nothing at the shop.' She sighed after the thought crossed her mind. Things had been slow, and she wanted to save the few materials she had left for custom orders rather than tinkering around with new designs, as tempting as that sounded.

Another punch. Her fist collided with the hard surface of the boulder and she drew it back to her chest before repeating the same motion with her other arm. She had almost expected to see bright red hash marks across her knuckles. In the real world she would have seen bloodstains on the rock's surface by this point.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81542
  • BD: 4 + (2 ACC) = 6 - Success!
    • Boulder: 31/50 HP

Of course, since the boulder didn't deal her any damage, her skin was left perfectly clear. Teion had accepted the fact that she was a melee fighter with her axe, but the thought of being in combat without a weapon in her hands just made her uncomfortable. She had grown too attached to the massive weapons that the idea of becoming a martial artist left her with a feeling of disappointment. No, she probably wouldn't be investing skill points into Martial Arts, not unless it would benefit her without forcing her to sacrifice her normal weapon.

"Speaking of which, I guess I need to design a new axe." She mumbled as she continued to repeat the same motion. Her level had been increasing lately, slowly but surely. She was nearly at a point to use the next tier of equipment, so the damage from her Lucent Reaver wasn't going to cut it anymore.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81543
  • BD: 6 + (2 ACC) = 8 - Success!
    • Boulder: 30/50 HP

"Hmm..." The woman mumbled as she abesnt-mindedly continued to chip away at the boulder's health bar. As much as she loved it, she would admit that she was growing bored of her ivory battle axe. Not a few minutes later, inspiration was striking the blacksmith at the worst time. A sigh escaped her lips as she glanced up to the rectangular bar hovering beside the boulder. The slow-moving bar was colored yellow, but still not quite at half. While she continued the repetition, Teion thought over what kind of weapon she would start designing and crafting once she got back to her shop. She was suddenly feeling eager to craft, which was almost a nostalgic feeling after so long had passed since her passion had faded. Perhaps taking some time to craft gear for herself would give her the spark she needed to get back into the swing of things.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81627
  • BD: 8 + (2 ACC) = 10 - Success!
    • Boulder: 29/50 HP

Her blacksmithing experience had been sitting dormant for some time now, and she could only imagine the feeling of accomplishment from maxing out her blacksmithing. If there was anything she wanted to do while she was still in Aincrad, she was going to be sure to meet that goal.

The woman took a moment for a couple of deep breaths, bringing her hand back and tapping her chin lightly with the knuckle of her index finger. She wanted a drastic change, but nothing extreme in itself. Definitely not something too over-the-top. "I wonder..." Teion mumbled to herself once more. She had an idea, but wasn't sure whether or not it would work. It seemed to be pushing the limits of the game, but there was no way to be sure without sitting down and playing with her crafting interface. Keeping her thoughts hopeful, she began coming up with vague design ideas on the spot while she called herself back from her break and continued throwing more punches at the boulder.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81628
  • BD: 2 + (2 ACC) = 4 - Fail!
    • Boulder: 29/50 HP

"Maybe black...but I have to keep the blue accents. And silver trim would be good." She went on, developing the color scheme as the weapon started to take vague shape in her mind's eye. "Augh, I'll just work on it when I get back." Teion gave a small shake of her head, realizing the unlikelihood of her doing any work once she finally got back to her shop. 'If I even have the energy.' A quick follow-up thought caused a small groan to escape her. Living in a video game really was both a blessing and a curse to her. Sometimes Teion really liked it here--the freedom, the adventure, the wonder of a complete virtual reality fantasy world. At the same time, suriving was a struggle. In the real world, she got through her work week with as much effort as was needed. She paid her bills, played with her cat, and every other week or so she might go out for a drink.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81629
  • BD: 9 - Critical Success!
    • Boulder: 27/50 HP

Life in the real world was simple, albeit boring. Still, at least she could be lazy when she wanted to. She could stay in a whole weekend, watch movies and eat ice cream if she so desired. In Aincrad, she didn't have time to relax. She needed to gain experience, raise her level, and obtain more skills if she wanted to survive. Even if she wasn't fighting on the front lines, she couldn't allow herself to fall behind.

'Not to mention my lifeless body.' Teion suppressed a shudder at the thought. It was hard to believe that everything around her--even looking down at her own body and hands hovering in front of her face--was just a projection in her mind. She only assumed it was her parents that found Thea's body and got her to a hospital or some other medical attention to keep her alive. 'I hope Chii is okay.'

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81630
  • BD: 4 + (2 ACC) = 6 - Success!
    • Boulder: 26/50 HP

The memory of the snowy-white cat ran through her mind, causing a pang of sadness to hit her. Teion shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thought before she dwelled on it too long. If there was anything she missed, it was spending nights at home with Chii. Another sigh left Teion's lips, this time more unsteady as her chest had begun to feel a familiar tightness. "C'mon, Thea..." She scolded herself in a mumble. "After everything so far, you're going to get upset over your cat?"

The woman took a moment to regain her composure before she would go back to throwing punches at the boulder. Her mood was certainly gloomier now, but she no longer had tears threatening to spill over at the corners of her eyes. They were still a long way off of clearing the game--no sense dwelling on the real world now, not when they had such an intimidating mountain of uncleared floors ahead of them.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81631
  • BD: 5 + (2 ACC) = 7 - Success!
    • Boulder: 25/50 HP

'And I'm not even on one of the assault teams. Teion supposed she couldn't complain--she wasn't one of the players putting their lives on the line searching for and fighting floor bosses. A lot of players seemed to settle into their niches after a while, hers obviously being blacksmithing for the longest time. Was it time to change focus? She thought about the other players she had encountered and where their priorities lie. She wondered if Beatbox took part in floor boss battles. His level was high enough that it only made sense that he would, but for some reason the thought of it left her with a knot in her stomach. She didn't have any reservations about joining the frontlines herself, if she was strong enough. She was just as afraid to die in Aincrad as she would be to die in the real world, but here things were different.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 81632
  • BD: 9 - Critical Success!
    • Boulder: 23/50 HP

She wasn't afraid of fighting monsters, because she was strong. When she held her axe in her hands she knew she wasn't defenseless. The only thing she had to worry about was level; numbers would dictate whether or not she stood a chance, so as long as she continued training she could continue to be strong.

'That's all that matters here, in the long run.' The bitter thought ran through her mind as her jaw clenched slightly. Perhaps she should strive to be a frontline fighter. Her forge would still be open, of course, but despite that being the case now the woman still found herself growing restless as the days dragged on. She was no longer satisfied with spending all day in her shop. Traveling through the desert, as familiar as the sandy landscape had become over the many months, was now dull and boring. Teion frowned as her arms continued to extend out in front of her one after the other in a rhythmic pattern.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 82152
  • BD: 9 - Critical Success!
    • Boulder: 21/50 HP

She thought back to the events of the past week once more. Had she lost sight of what she wanted to accomplish so long ago? Teion wasn't weak, but she wasn't as strong as she needed to be. She was lacking in more ways than one, and the woman suddenly felt waves of anger and regret wash over her.

She had spent so much time hiding away from the world and fussing over old relationships. Time that could have been spent doing her part to clear this death game. Time that was now wasted. The axe-wielder let out a heavy breath through her nose, eyebrows furrowed as she stared at her target. 'I can't afford any more of that.' She thought definitively. Another sharp inhale filled her lungs with air, and after holding her breath for a few moments she let it escape from her mouth, a bit steadier this time.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 82153
  • BD: 1 - Critical Fail!
    • Boulder: 21/50 HP

The intensity of her emotions scaled down a bit as she quickly calmed herself. The last thing she needed right now was an angry outburst affecting her hit rate. "Alright Thea, be logical about this." She mumbled to herself before one crucial question ran through her mind. 'What should I do now?'

She felt as though she had already taken steps of some sort over the past month. She'd left the seclusion of her shop, taken part in more than one dungeon party, participated in an event boss, and cleared out some quests on the lower floors. After reminding herself that the boulder resting on the ground in front of her was, in fact, another quest objective, Teion took on a thoughtful frown. Her eyebrows still came together while she mulled over her options. She had heard that once the twenty-first floor was opened players would have access to higher-leveled materials and crafts.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 82154
  • BD: 8 + (2 ACC) = 10 - Success!
    • Boulder: 20/50 HP

Considering the jump up from Tier 1 to Tier 2 items, she had no reason to not believe it to be true. All she would be capable of on that level, however, would be cautious material gathering--she was still too weak to easily farm monsters on that high of a floor. If she invested in some loot stat bonuses and invested some skill points into the Gatherer skill, she could get a decent amount of Tier 3 materials quickly. Otherwise, completing more quests was a given--whether she took on the remaining low-level quests available to her solo or if she burned through them with one of the few questing partners she had found herself working with lately. But how strong did she need to be in order to join the frontlines? Was it a matter of level, damage output, experience, or both? Her abundance of questions and lack of answers frustrated her, but she took a few minutes to think things over.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 82155
  • BD: 8 + (2 ACC) = 10 - Success!
    • Boulder: 19/50 HP

'Alright, this week I'll focus on burning through what quests I can. My build shouldn't be a problem for those, so once that's done I'll evaluate my stats and see if I need to switch up any pieces of gear.' Her train of thought finally led her to a detailed conclusion. 'I should also keep a reserve of consumables. I wonder if there's an alchemist or cook on the fifth floor?' She frowned again with curiosity, keeping a decent amount of skepticism with her last thought. She didn't see a whole lot of player shops on the fifth floor, so she'd probably need to look to other floors to find one that was taking orders.

Teion gave herself a small nod of approval at her own game plan. After a few more minutes of rhythmic strikes, the woman pulled her arms back and gave her hands a light shake in the space in front of her.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 86611
  • BD: 5 + (2 ACC) = 7 - Success!
    • Boulder: 18/50 HP

"This is rough." Teion mumbled. The blacksmith bounced lightly on the balls of her feet a couple of times as if to loosen herself up. 'I wonder what Sophie's doing...what she has been doing this whole time.' Teion frowned in thought. Just as she was putting the past behind her and focusing on moving forward, the brunette alchemist had reappeared in her life. It was odd, to say the least, and Teion wasn't sure if the knowledge of her existence was causing her more anxiety or peace of mind. Of course she was worried about her friend--her only tie to the real world save for the Endilix twins. The violet-haired woman was both ecstatic and troubled by Piera's existence in Aincrad. Should she continue to keep in touch? Should she keep her distance? She wasn't sure what the 'right' thing to do was, both morally and for the sake of her own sanity.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 86612
  • BD: 8 + (2 ACC) = 10 - Success!
    • Boulder: 17/50 HP

The thought of losing Sophie, either literally or in the way of drifting apart from her friend, caused a lump to form in her throat. She didn't know how she would hold up if something happened to the woman, but did that mean she should be more involved in her safety? She didn't mind keeping an eye on the healer or accompanying her on quests and the like, but where was the line that separated caring and overbearing? She was desperate, that much was certain. Desperate for some kind of tether to the real world, so much so that she felt like she was obsessing over a woman whom she never really knew too well in the first place. "Ugh, I don't want to be creepy, I just..." The blacksmith moaned her frustration, unable to find the words to finished her sentence. It really wasn't her place to insert herself in Piera's life here, but the thought of just shrugging things off and leaving them be quickly had her feeling anxious.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 86613
  • BD: 9 + (2 ACC) = 11 - Critical Success!
    • Boulder: 15/50 HP

Teion tried to let out her jumbled emotions in a heavy exhale. "Besides, she has Lee." She mumbled out with a small shake of her head. "I would just be stepping on toes if I tried to get involved. It's already been this long, what would I be doing by getting involved?" The woman ran a hand through her bangs and pulled down through the rest of her long hair. She repeated the process for the lower half of her hair with the other hand, slowly beginning to pull it to the right side and gather it into sections. Her fingers began moving absentmindedly, weaving the three sections of her hair into a braid. Thea had long hair ever since she could remember. Her mother would sometimes braid it or tie it up for her when she wasn't quite capable of doing it herself. While she did not enjoy the thought of cutting it--even in a virtual reality--coloring her hair such a vibrant shade of purple immediately made it one of her defining features in SAO.

[Teion 0]

• ID#: 86614
  • BD: 9 + (2 ACC) = 11 - Critical Success!
    • Boulder: 13/50 HP

A defeated frown took over her expression as her thoughts continued twisting around in her mind. 'No, it's not right to bother her. I'm worrying too much. I just need to focus on being okay on my own.' The topic was nothing new to her. Ever since adolescence, Thea thrived on taking charge of herself and making her own decisions. Her parents typically approved, giving her more and more freedom over the years. Going from an only child to living alone left plenty of room for feeling lonely, but Thea did her best to ignore those times when they inevitably took hold of her. Typically grabbing a drink or bothering her cat on those nights eased her mood. The past few months of Aincrad had been similar, so it was nothing she wasn't used to dealing with. That is, until recently. Finding out Sophie was here with her, not to mention, 'I have a boyfriend now.