F2 PP) Turning The Foe (Feeding the Enemy)

[Stryder 0]

Sky caught the necklace, equipping it after holding it in his hand for a moment. She wasn't wrong about it being more 'girly' then being something a typical guy would wear, but it was important to him... It was a gift he had gotten someone he cared about in his real life, the one item he was keeping on him to remember his old life. He shook it off, the little critter in his pocket stiring, Sky grabbing some food from his pocket and giving it to him, it started munching on it before going back to sleep in his pocket.

"It looks like it does for the memroies it brings back. I gave this to a friend in real life, its just something to remember them by" He says to her, smiling as he tells her that. He didn't know how well she could be trusted.... buit it was worth trying.

[Embers 0]

Someone from the real world? There were a few guesses Embers could crack at, but, for some reason, she felt herself backing away. Was it sympathy? Na, she hadn't felt that in years. Yet something abou...Innocence! That's the damn word she was looking for. The kid, when he looked at that pendant, looked way too innocent. Innocent enough to avoid the flames at least. 

So instead of laying into him about what, or who as she was going to state,  the 'crush' of his is doing while he is trapped in a game, she simply huffed. Stryder was worth keeping around, and she didn't want to completely crush the kids will. He seemed like the type that would crumble if you told him the wrong thing. Something she knew she'd do, her filter was weak at best. 

"Suppose i can relate" She muttered eventually, still leaning on her tree "If i had anything of my dads in the real world, i'd of kept it close..." Despite the sadness that started to cloud her eyes, she still was grinning "but the old bastard always was trying to one-up me, so he was cremated with all his prized possessions that weren't living..."

[Stryder 0]

Sky was glad that she could at least relate to this, simple emotion... longing, at least he thought she could relate to it, it seemed like it with how she had said something about she wanted to keep soemthing of her dads, but then of course came the coment he should have expected..... About cremated with all his possessions, and how he was a bastard, so he just sighed, shaking his head.

 "If he's dead, i don't think thats really one uping ya" He said, putting the necklace in his shirt. The background audio was still echoing out, the crystal playing from his pocket. He wasn't suprised, it was meant to go on for hours. The night sky was still shimmering, the moon going higher and higher in the sky, nearing midnight. He loved the night... 

"So Fire, since your helping me out, anything i can do in return?" He asked, smiling. He felt like he had to repay a favor to her.... and he did like her.

[Embers 0]

The girl laughed, hard at Stryders comment about her dad. It was loud laughter, too loud almost. She let out a sigh, and raised an eyebrow at the Kid "You didn't know him, he was like me, never satisfied doin' nothing ya know? He was the one person who understood me, knew what made me burn..." A wave of sadness washed over her, and the fire in her eyes, it flickered "Second to None, that was his motto...i think, he said it a ton" She looked straight at Stryder, and maybe, through the fire, he'd see what happened behind it. The break that had driven the girl to madness, if he could see through the storm of emotion.

She looked, somwhat surprised, at the offer. She shrugged, she really had nothing to do. Her 'stalking' was over, and as of now, she could only think of her father... the wave of sadness never left her face, even as she grinned "I got nothin' kid, it was your idea to find that pet remember? If you owe me though, well, i'll hold you to it eh?" She looked at him, trying to see that little creatin he'd been babying "Oi, wheres that little monster thingy?"

[Stryder 0]

Spoiler

ID# 88448 results:

 Loot: 15+3-18

He couldn't place it, but somehting about her dad made him a little, worried. He didn't sound like the kind of dad who was insanely nice, sort of like an ass, but it seemed like she had gotten through alright... And once again he saw her shield drop, seeing the inner girl again who was just a normal girl. He didn't know why, but he liked that scared girl. As she mentioned the little creature, it poked its head out of his pocket, rubbing its head against Sky's neck, licking his neck a little. Sky pulled out a little food, putting it next to his little friend, who grabbed it and started nibling on it, and although Sky felt close to it, he didn't feel close enough. Within a minute it popped back into his pocket, the sound of muching audiable.

"Your dad sounds like someone i might have gotten along with, maybe. Who knows, as for owing you, lets go with i do, your out here making sure i'm not goin insane" He says, smiling at her with a warm face.

[Embers 0]

The girl shrugged, but the sadness lingered there. "He is...was, my best friend. He...." She shook her head. She knew what would happened if she kept going down that road, and even now, she could feel the wetness dwelling in her eyes. She forced her mind elsewhere. She'd made a promise dammit! Never again, would she cry over father. No longer would she be upset about him. He lived how he wanted, and that's what he wanted of her. Second to None, and Burn as Bright as you can. 

She looked up at Stryder, and the girl she could have been, if she were normal, was gone, burnt away in the fire from Embers veins. "Damn right you ow' me Kid. I'm lookin after' ya with that damn little critter" She pointed at the monster he'd picked up. She did pause, and stared at the pocket. Familiars, seemed strong. She looked out on the forest, and smirked. Ohh, yes. "These Familiars, they're trainable monsters....They can be anything, real or fantasy right...?" She asked, a smirk eating the right side of her mouth. If she was right, she knew the one for her. The only 'animal' that could keep up with her...in theory. 

[Stryder 0]

He couldn't believe she still had a sad look on her face,  the firey brave psycho had a sad side on her.... He had no idea about it, but... He decided against saying anything about it, and his choice was found correct the moment she looked back at him, her eyes flashing with the fire she always had. She then asked about the familiars, and he did laugh at her reaction about her looking after him and this little critter.. Though it had scratched him pretty bad across the cheek once or twice tonight.

"If your lucky enough to find anything, i believe so. The biggest one i have ever seen is a dog sized Familiar, i don't think you can get any bigger then that" He told her, scratching his head. He wanted to find better words, but... .Eh, good enough for this little friendship. He wanted to see where this was going to go, he had no idea, but he was glad to find out.

[Embers 0]

The familiar could be anything huh? Well, it was limited by size, which sucked! But riding in on a dragon would probably be a little strong, and the psycho that locked her in their game didn't want her to be having any fun it seemed. Still, a familiar would be...well, useful. Once she knew what the hell it did to help. She knew what she wanted, a bird of some kind. An eagle, or perhaps a phoenix. Or perhaps a hawk....Birds of prey, something fierce, mighty that would ride with her into battle. Ohhh yes. She grinned darkly, oh a familiar like that, she could really get into. 

"Good, then a bird of prey will join me...one day" She knew there were, mechanics, that would get in the way of what she wanted. They were but minor roadblocks in her task to burn her way through this game, it would suck for now. But when she ruled, Scythe in hand, Bird on shoulder. Ohhh it would be worth it, when she, and she alone, got herself where she rightfully deserved. Respected by all, and feared by all. The fire-breathing girl who all bowed a leg too, because in a world like this, there was no one, No One, that would deny her what she wanted. Not the designers of this game, nor the players within it. They would bend a knee, or be consumed by fire. 

[Stryder 0]

Sky guesed she wanted something that could fly, and bird of pray told him that she wanted something vicious, and mighty... Though he had no idea. His raven hair was flowing in the wind, the night sky echoing. He had the music still playing in the background of the forest, the crystal hanging over the forest and playing the soothing nature music down throughout it. He wanted to see how to do this.... It was getting late, the moon looking to be around mightnight. He wanted to tame this little guy before he went home.... Though he might be lucky, he didn't know.

"Birds huh, i would have thought you would want a dragon or a tiger" He said laughing. He had thought he had figured this crazy psycho out, but she had suprised him with that last statement. He had zero idea about her, other then she did have an anger problem and she had a soft side if certain subjects got brought up. She was a very firey slate other then that.

[Embers 0]

Well, he wasn't entirely wrong. But, if she was getting a dragon, it would be a massive beast which, well...Familiar's couldn't be that large. As for a tiger, felines and her just didn't mash together at all. "Well, surprise. Birds are great, gotta be majestic as hell though. Eagles, Phoenixs. Something proud that'll rip through whatever Dares stand against me in my conquest" She declared boldly. She looked up at the trees. She'd catch herself a familiar, and it would outshine every other one there was. Of course, that was a battle for another day, as she knew she'd need to go over some numbers before even attempting to find a familiar. One of those music things perhaps. 

"Unlike you, Kid, my Familiar will look down at others. A bird of prey does that, a hawk hunts its prey unrelentingly. Assuming our familiars are anything like their real life versions, well, a hawk is just the bird i get along with" There was a story, one she wouldn't tell Stryder. When she used to hike, she had a pet. It hadn't been a majestic bird of prey, but a bird non-the-less. That had scaled cliffs, conquered mountains, right along side her. To have an Avian in the air with her again...it was just right, what her bones begged for. 

[Stryder 0]

Prey.... He had hunted a lot of prey in this game, and she seemed like someone would hunt a lot too, with something fierce, just like she was saying. He wondered though, what would she be hunting. Would she be hunting to help others, clear the game or would she get mad at somoene and try to kill them.... The second option was very likely, but he was going to stop it as best he could, he was not going to tolerate player killers. He really hoped that he could stop her from taking that route.... He had already hit one player in this game, he didn't want to hit another... Speaking of which, he had hit her too.

"As long as you bond with it, you could probably have a fire bird, and from what iv seen they are very similar to the real world versions. My friend Eatos has a dog, it aacts EXACTLY like a dog would in the real world, its kinda scary actually"

[Embers 0]

Embers allowed herself to revel in the memories. The hikes she used to go on, a bird on her shoulder, or just circling above her, and her dad somewhere in front. He'd always been the better adventurer, she was too impatient and often went the harder route because of it, although she always found it ways more fun. Going over mountains, throught streams, all to find a place of solitude to fight it out until they were utter exhausted. That was the life she was missing out on, the life she was born to explore and burn through.

She smiled hearing that the familiar acted similar to its real life counterpart. While a phoenix would be hard to predict, a Hawk on the otherhand. A majestic bird of prey that would bow only to her, that sounded perfect. 

"Then i'll find myself Rowan, once again..." She declared simply. Rowan was the name she picked for her bird, Rowan the Majestic Hawk. The predator of the sky "I'll get myself a familiar, and it'll be just like the good old days back home. Just me and my bird..."

 

[Stryder 0]

Sky didn't really respond to her, she started talking to herself more or less, about her bird in real life. He didn't really know what to say about it, and just decided to shrug it off, and feed the little critter in his pocket. He wanted to do something else, but he didn't know what....

Spoiler

Stryder 328/360 HP, 36/36 ENG, 3 ACC, 1 EVA, 18MIT. Hate: 2 - Concentration 5/5 - Hate 0

Embers 20/20 HP 0/2 ENG Hate: 0 

Dire Wolf: 180/180 HP 50 DMG

ID# 89025 results: Stryders Attack

 Battle: 1 - Miss (-2 Energy)

ID# 89026 results: Dire Wolf Attack

 MOB: 8-1= 7 - Hit. DMG - 50-18=32

Sky heard it, just out of the nick of time, trying to leap attack the massive wolf that leapt out at Embers. He tackled it, impalling himself on its claw as he did so, giving a yelp of pain as he felt it pierce him, not having been prepared to numb out the pain. He ushed himself off it, grunting as he ladned, rolling over and watching the oversized dog. He now had somehting to do!!! Which, he was VERY glad about, he had something to do, and he could spark interest in this talk, which was going very... Sad and slowly leading to insanity.

@Eatos

 

[Embers 0]

For one of the few times, Ember allowed herself to think about the past. To remember all those wonderful years with her dad, hiking and exploring, purely for the hell of it. Those were the years of her life she was truly alive, where nothing would ever stand in her way of living. Just a bird, her father, and whatever the hell they wanted to do. She let out a almost peaceful sigh as she recalled a certain hike, in Amercia? She honestly couldn't remember. 

Mountain, harsh and unforgiving was all she could see. She looked at her shoulder, a Hawk sat there staring at her with brown eyes. She smiled at it, and it just stared back silently as always. She nodded her head, and the bird flew up into the air, and after a minute, starting circling up ahead. Bingo. Hiking forwards, she soon found what she had been looking for. The remains of a campsight, a firepit that had been harshly covered up. Dad has always been lazy with his tracks.....

So distracted by her memroeis, Embers completely FAILED to notice the Wolf and was just leaning against a tree, reliving fond memories. 

[Stryder 0]

Spoiler

Stryder 328/360 HP, 25/36 ENG, 3 ACC, 1 EVA, 18MIT. Hate: 2 - Concentration 0/5 - Hate 1

Embers 20/20 HP 0/2 ENG Hate: 0 

Dire Wolf: 90/180 HP 50 DMG

ID# 89202 results: Stryder - Acupuncture(-10ENG) 3x3*10-90

 Battle: 2+3(Necklace)+1(Concentration) - Hit

ID# 89203 results: Wolf Attack

 MOB: 4-1=Miss

Sky notices that Fire doesn't even try and join the fight, though doesn't wonder why. He would honestly rather her NOT join the fight, with how much damage it did against him in a single hit, he knew it would kill her outright if it hit her... That was NOT something he wanted on his concience... The death of a girl, caused by his own mishap. He quickly tackles the Wolf, slamming it into a tree, negating any attack it could try and do before he pummelled it, using his Acupuncture Sword art to deal massive damage, taking out half the wolfs health in less then a second, before delivering one kick to the side of its head, knocked it away from Fire a bit further, keeping her out of the combat. His eyes lit up, the spark returning. He grinned, glearing at the wolf with a look so nasty the wolf whined a tiny bit, still growling and trying to hold strong!

[Embers 0]

Dad had always been lazy covering his tracks, then again. Ember was not one to talk. Often times she made just as much a mess, so covering it up was a struggle. The Hawk came back down onto her arm, and she offered it a piece of meat, which he took in a single swipe of its beak. She grinned. So he had been here recently. It was a common 'game' between them. One would hide, the other had to hunt them down before they reached civilisation. It could take days, or even weeks to end. But it was their game. 

'It was our thing. Damn i wish we could do that again....' Her mind begged it, just another hunt. Something that would never happened again, yet she wanted it badly. She let out a sigh. She knew she had broken when he passed away, but she shouldn't lose herself that wholely, not that quickly. She looked up and....Where the hell was Stryder?! He was in front of her a moment ago!

That being said, it wasn't hard to SPOT the kid. Fighting a wolf. Again! 

"Do i honestly wanna know the story this time?" She asks lazily, not even bothering to grab her battle axe, not even more from the tree "Every time, its wolf this or wolf that..."

[Stryder 0]

Spoiler

Stryder 328/360 HP, 25/36 ENG, 3 ACC, 1 EVA, 18MIT. Hate: 2 - Concentration 1/5 - Hate 0

ID# 89205 results: Stryder - Acupuncture(-10ENG) 3x3*10-90

 Battle: 8+3-Hit

 Loot

ID# 89208 results:

 Craft: 1 - *2 Onto col bonus

 Loot: 10

Col - 180*5 - 900 Col

Dire Wolf: 0/180 HP 50 DMG

 ID# 89207 results:

 MOB: 5-1=Miss

Sky shrugged as she asked if she would want to know. She wouldn't, it was just a casual case of wolf attacked him, he fought back, he killed wolf, he got money... WEll at least that was what was going to happen. The wolf leaped back at him, and with a simple and quick movement, Sky attacked, using his Acupuncture sword art again, dealing fatal damage and killing the wolf, it exploded into thosuands of rainbow shards, and he got nine hundred Col from it, showing him he got SERIOUSLY lucky. He wiped his forehead, the night slowly getting hotter.

"I can't help it if wolves seem to like attacking me... Its better then being Boar bait" He says, laughing a bit, refering to someone he knew who he actually called by that name. The little guy in his pocket didn't seem to care about what was happening to much. Sky shrugged, climbing up th tree to sit near Fire.

+900 Col

[Embers 0]

Well, despite the fact the wolves always seemed to want a piece of his ass, Stryder took in in Stride. Embers leaned back against the trunk of the tree, and let out a sigh. She was, well and truly, offically, bored. She had missed the fight and now, well, she partly wanted to sleep. It was late and she was getting tireder as it went on. What was meant to be a night of stalking, had turned interesting, into what was now boring. 

"Even still, you're getting money and experence from them so i highly doubt you care too much am i right?" She asked, partly curious. She knew, the basics, of monster hunting. But that was about it, so she was still somewhat curious, BUT she could learn on the job no? "Anyway, hows that little monster timing thing going huh? It warming up, because imma be honest. If it ain't warming up to you at this point Stryder, you're basically buggered" 

It wasn't kind, but she wasn't here to lie to him. In all her experiences with animals, if they didn't warm up to you by now...well, they just didn't care. 

[Stryder 0]

She wasn't wrong, he was slowly going up levels, becoming stronger, and was getting enough money to buy new gear as time went on. It was good, and every monster killed was more confidence he could gather, in both his own abilities and in his own mental state. He looked over, wondering what to say about the familiar.... He had no idea if it was warming up to him.... He didn't know, but he was going to see soon. He poked his finger into the pocket, feeling the sleepy critter claw his hand softely. He didn't know what it was about this thing but.... He liked it, he really did. It was cute! And had such a weird personality...

"I think it is, but iv run out of food for it.... Its getting late, want to head back to my shop?" He said, looking at  the moon which was slowly moving past midnight. He knew that he was going to need sleep.... It was getting late.

As he thought that, he wondered if Fire had somewhere to stay, or if she just went around inn to inn.... 

"Also, if you don't have a place to stay for the night your more then welcome to bunk in my shop somewhere, it would save you some col you might need to spend on an inn, and its a safezone, so no one could come PK you" He offers.

[Embers 0]

On the offer, Embers simply nodded her head. It was about time she got going. Placing her large weapon on her back, she started following the Kid through the forest wordlessly. He was putting so much effort for that little mongrel. In her eyes, was it worth it? No. But then again, she honestly didn't care about the little pest. Had it been her, her Hawk would see her strength and serve her. That's how a familiar should be. Not some, little crittle like that. 

Embers raised an eyebrow at him for his offer. He wasn't wrong, it would make things a hella lot easier for her., and save her money. 

"You got yourself a bargain Kid" She said agreeing to it almost instantly "Although, you try anything to me and i'll cut off your privates and feed them to the wolves that pester you..." Despite the amused look on her face, her eyes told a VERY different story. A promise of a slow, painful agonising fate should Stryder try anything she doesn't like.