[PP - F02] «Feeding the Enemy»

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis raised a brow then smiled apologetically. "My bad. You've got stronger convictions then I gave you credit for," he admitted as he watched her pull another cattail from the lakeside. "Most people, myself included, would use and abuse the living hell out of what SAO had to offer, deathgame or not. If was in your shoes, I'd be throwing a hoot and a holler." He folded his arms and addressed her fully. "Sorry. I won't poke at your pride again. We all live and die by what we believe in. And if silence is your way of throwing [censored] into Kayaba Akihiko's face, then more power to you." He grinned viciously. "The guy's a prick of the highest caliber, anyway." Tyonis added with a shrug. Rather then start to try and harvest another plant, he looked around, keeping both eyes on the skies and the treeline in case a Blood Hawk were to spawn soon.

Word Count: 154

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo stood up from gathering cattails, wanting to take a break for a bit. There weren't that many left in the area anyways. Best to leave it as is in case more players came by and wanted the resources. Or if Ty just wanted some more practice. Either way, Neo was content to bask in the mild silence interrupted by Ty's grunts of effort. It was a bit peaceful, and Neo could offer help if it was needed from her.

Once we find this hawk of his, I might go find a familiar of my own. I hear that they are very useful, and I could use the extra buff and companion. I'll need to remember that for later, for now I should focus on making sure Ty can safely get his bird. That's the goal I need to focus on first. After all, if I help others, hopefully they'll be able to help me back. Lower level players do take a bit of an investment though.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102483

LD: 13 - No Mats found

 

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis meandered through the lake's shallows for a bit, still off-put by how every single time he lifted his foot out of the water, the sense of wet and cold would instantly stop to be replaced by a feeling of total normality. He reached down to another batch of cattails and pulled. He half-expected to fail only to be surprised by a success prompt. Huh, go figure, technique may actually play a part in how successful you are at gathering. He looked back at the time he spent trying to collect ore to unlock his Blacksmithing Profession. Kicking rocks was probably not the most efficient way of completing that quest, he thought with a grimace as he walked up to Neo and opened up the trade window.

"Look what I found! Not bad, eh?" Tyonis smirked, holding out a perfect cattail only to watch in horror as it shattered and reformed into a glowing orb labeled «Tier 1 Crafting Material».

Word Count: 163

ID: 102487

LD: 20 (LOL)
 

Edited July 9, 2018 by Tyonis

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo did her silent laughing motion once again as Ty was in shock about the material morphing. It seemed that her theory was right and that the materials would change. She hadn't noticed it ever happening so quickly, but it was good to know it wasn't just her imagination. Getting up, Neo began to walk around, hoping to find some more cattails. They seemed to be plentiful, but none were actually able to be harvested. It was a shame really, Neo seemed to be on such a roll for gathering these materials, and it was finally broken. She gave a quick stretch in anticipation for the wait being over. She wanted Ty to find his hawk soon, but knew that there may not be one for quite some time. After stretching, Neo sat back down, preferring to gaze around to see if there were any more materials to be had.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102488

LD: 9 - No Mats found

 

[Tyonis 0]

When Neo went to sit down by the lakeside, Tyonis did likewise, perching himself on a rock with his legs kneedeep underwater. Even if he knew it was all fake, he did enjoy the sensation of the water against his legs. The fact he'd be entirely clean and dry the moment he stepped out of the water only encouraged him to, for lack of a better phrase, frolic in the shallows. He kicked some of the water up and skipped some rocks across the surface. His superhuman strength and speed allowed him to skip from one end of the lake to the other side if he managed to do it correctly.

"Huh. Skipping rocks has never been more fun," he grinned as he threw three in rapid succession, watching them all skim over the lake's surface. He looked up, spotting another large bird in the treeline. It tilted his head at him before flying off. As he watched, Tyonis realized it wasn't a hawk and shook his head. The wait continued.

Word Count: 168

ID: 102489
LD: 7 (Fail)

Edited July 9, 2018 by Tyonis

[Neopolitan 0]

As Neo watched Ty skip some rocks, she thought she'd give it a try. She grabbed a couple rocks and thought about throwing them one at a time, but eventually decided against it thinking that it would be more fun to try something strange while she had the enhanced physical abilities of the game. She stacked two of the rocks on top of each other and threw them, both with a little different angle. It was timed well enough that the higher rock skipped off of the lower one. It didn't go that far before falling apart, but Neo was still amazed at her own skill. There were certainly some strange things you could abuse in this game if you looked at it from the right angle. Of course, Neo was hesitant to use such exploits, she didn't want to beat this game the unintended way as that may make the entrapment permanent. A little fun with the physics engine couldn't hurt though.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102517

LD: 13 - No mats found

 

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis watched Neo come up and skip two rocks at the same time. He raised a brow and whistled appreciatively at her little display. He attempted likewise but threw one of the rocks at a sharper angle. When they hit each other and the water at the same time, they split off in a Y shape. The subsequent ripples looked beautiful. "Huh. The things you can do in this game are pretty awesome." He commented while leaning back and chewing on another piece of jerky. Truth be told, this jerky was the same one he was going to use to try and tame a Blood Hawk. He only had a few strips left, so once he ran out, they'd have to go back. 

"This whole thing seems like a wash, anyway. I need to prepare better. We'll give this another few minutes or so." He said out loud, giving voice to his thoughts. But he turned to Neo and grinned, the jerky strip sticking out the corner of his mouth. "At least I met someone interesting out of it. Not a rare spawn familiar, but a very close second." 

Word Count: 184

[Neopolitan 0]

As Neo watched Ty skip more rocks, she couldn't help but think about getting herself a familiar. It certainly seemed useful to have, but she didn't know what she wanted. There was a lot of possible options and Neo couldn't even start to think of where she might start.

I would want something to help with my attacking, as I'm planning on becoming a DPS. Though, I could try and get a more utilitarian pet. That would probably mean I would have to be a support if I joined in on the raids. So attacking it is, though what animal do I want. There is a huge variety and I'm not sure what I should go for.

At Ty's mention of finding someone interesting, Neo blushed a little. She didn't think she was that interesting of a person. If anything she was a candidate for a freak show. She didn't offer much of anything to people, but didn't take. Maybe that's why people liked her so much, she only took when it was offered.

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis grinned victoriously at making the normally composed woman blush. It was honestly cute. If he ever had a little sister, he wouldn't have minded if it were someone like Neo - even if she were mute. He mentally added. But he noticed her contemplative gaze while they skipped rocks in various fashions. He also did his best Captain Jack Sparrow impression but taking out a Col coin, acting drunk, and doing tricks with it in between his fingers. Eventually, he just had to ask, so he opened up his menu and began to type out another message

Quote

Ice-Cream Girl,
A Col for your thoughts? 
Your drunken friend,
Captain Jack Sparrow

He continued playing with his coin and posed with one foot mounted on a rock like Captain Morgan would on a barrel of his rum. He was hoping to elicit some kind of response just as she would read the message, hopefully a positive one that would break her out of her rumination.

Word Count: 165

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo looked at Ty with confusion as he twirled a coin around his knuckles. She figured he was trying to make some kind of reference by the way he changed his acting, but she couldn't be sure. After receiving the message, Neo just gave a shrug. She saw no reason to pretend like she knew what he was talking about.

If he is referencing something, I might have to check it out when I get back to the real world. If I get back to the real world. No! I need to make it back. That's what I need to do. I won't stay here forever, that's what I should do.

Neo tried to keep a straight face as she thought about these things, but wasn't able to do the best job of it. She just hoped that Ty wouldn't be able to pick up on it and cause her more embarrassment.

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis sported a look of victory when Neo didn't get his reference. "I guess I win at this game of charades, then, Miss Champion? By the way, it's Captain Jack Sparrow, of the Black Pearl," he clarified, trying to mimic the accent but failing miserably. "It's a really famous movie in America. When we get out," he added with a knowing grin, "I'll mail you a copy when I get back to the States." He promised both to himself and her. They'd both escape from this game and return to their lives. For better or worse. "Want to try and learn how to do it?" Tyonis asked as he did another, slower coin knuckle turn. "A friend of mine taught me in Afghanistan. You run out of things to do pretty quickly when you're trapped in a desert for a year or so." He explained as he flipped the Col coin up into the air with his thumb.

Word Count: 155

[Neopolitan 0]

Though technically she did lose a charade like game, it wasn't quite the same. She let Ty have his fantasy though. After all, this was a fantasy world. Upon Ty's offer, Neo just shrugged and pulled out a coin of her own. Much like the time in Afghanistan that he described, the two of them were just sitting there with nothing better to do than wait for a bird to spawn.

What would be a good animal for me? Something fierce, but kind. Something with an unspoken grace perhaps, or maybe a powerful presence. No, I don't want to be flashy, let's go for much more subtle. So that means I'm looking for a subtle hunter that isn't flashy. A stealth hunter or speed hunter would be best for that. If this were the real world, I would probably go for a peregrine falcon. Those are really fast and can strike hard. Don't know what kind of equivalent I could find in here though. I'll have to see what I can find on various floors before I get committed to a decision.

[Tyonis 0]

Tyonis could tell Neo was thinking long and hard about something. But since it didn't seem like she wanted to talk about it, Tyonis let it pass, basking in their mutual silence. He continued to skip rocks, trying to see how he could manipulate the trajectory of his throws in ways only possible within a video game. He briefly wondered what other glitches Players had found in their time here. Tyonis was no game tester, but he was sure someone had found some loopholes to exploit. That was always the way of things: humans would always find ways around their current situation - intentional or not. He just hoped Kayaba had a decent sense of humor. On the other hand, the man would probably just smite those exploiting Players with microwave-induced death. 

The thought of it made Tyonis scowl dangerously. Once he got out of this, he'd do everything in his power to ensure Kayaba Akihiko paid for his crimes. There could be no other alternative.

Word Count: 168

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo thought about getting up to find more ingredients, but decided against it. She had plenty for the time being and there was no need for more. Of course, a surplus would always be nice. If they did end up finding the hawk soon, Neo might want to do some searching on the way back. That was all up to Ty though. He may want to rush all the way back and continue growing or find a use for his new familiar. In the end, Neo was fine with doing whatever. She was here to help Ty out, not herself. It was one of the fewer times that she was being selfless. Mostly because she didn't really have the opportunity to help others yet at her level, though she also wasn't the most social of people.

Oh well, guess I'll need to get better at making friends then, I guess.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102558

LD: 10 - No Mats

 

[Tyonis 0]

"You know Neo, even if I come out of this empty handed, I'll still be more than happy to help you out." Tyonis said out of the blue. He tried for a multi-rock throw this time and tossed out 5 rocks at the same time just to see if he could skip them all across the entirety of the lake. Only one made it. "It must be difficult for you, since you can't easily communicate," he continued. "But don't worry. I can handle difficult. So don't ever be afraid to reach out and ask me for something." He said, turning to face her fully. "No one should have to face this," he motioned to the world around them, "deathgame alone." He paused and leaned forward, hands on his hips.

"Besides," he grinned. "I can't say I'm being entirely selfless. After all, you're going to give me discounts at your restaurant, right? We call those friend-freebies over in America."

Word Count: 161

[Neopolitan 0]

As Ty continued the conversation, Neo came in with her replies. It was kind of him to offer his own help, even when he was a few levels behind her. At least at this low of a level, Neo was much stronger in only a couple of levels. She expected it to slow down once she reached higher levels though. Neo gave a shrug to Ty as he exclaimed about difficulty. She didn't find it particularly difficult, she had dealt with it her whole life. And once again, Neo was happy to be given such a generous offer and accepted it with a smile. As Ty asked about discounts, Neo just gave him an incredulous look as if to say, "Maybe". She hadn't had any customers yet, so how was he to know what the regular prices were anyways. For all he would be able to tell, he would see the same price he got and she could claim she just decided to lower the price in general.

[Tyonis 0]

"Er. Neo. Neopolitan. Miss Neo. Lady Neopolitan. About those discounts..?" Tyonis hedged when she gave him a very vague reply that could only be construed as a half-hearted 'maybe.' He wore a smile as he did so, though, glad to break through the girl's thoughts and elicit a smile. Hopefully, one day, he'd get to hear her speak. It'd be nice to hear her voice, if just once. Tyonis finished skipping the last handful of lake rocks then dragged himself out of the water and over to a bundle of cattails. Trying his luck, Tyonis grabbed the lot by the stems and yanked as hard as he could. He couldn't help but grin as he held up a handful of cattails only to have them shatter into polygons and be replaced by the all-to-familiar failure to gather message.

"Damn you Kayaba," Tyonis muttered under his breath and stocked out of the water. He feigned irritation, but it was only because he needed to get a better view of the land.

Word Count: 173
ID: 102564
LD: 1 (Fail)

Edited July 10, 2018 by Tyonis

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo couldn't help but do her laugh gesture once again as she watched Ty lose his triumphant moment to randomness. She knew that there was still some randomness from it, but she had begun to learn some of the signs. She quickly brought out her messaging board once again to give Ty some of the details she couldn't convey in gestures.

Quote

Soldier Boy,

    Not all plants can be gathered. You gain a knack for it as you harvest more. Though there is still some skill involved in it, not all plants are actually allowed to be gathered. It can honestly be quite frustrating when you're trying to harvest something and realize it's not actually a harvestable patch.

After sending the message off once again. Neo stood up and looked around for some materials as well. She couldn't seem to find any harvestable cattails around. Maybe she should try and start looking for some other things to harvest, though she hadn't the foggiest idea what else around here might be viable.

[Tyonis 0]

"Is that right?" Tyonis said as he read over Neo's message. "That's obnoxious as hell. I was hoping we could just chop down every single tree in this god damn forest and build a staircase to Floor 100." Tyonis joked. Then out of sheer curiosity threw a rock as hard as he could at the nearest tree. the «Immortal Object» prompt popped up almost immediately. "Well, that really sucks." He shook his head and jumped on top of a large boulder, doing his best to peer out into the sky and forest canopy. He'd give this little outing a few more minutes before calling it. Maybe his luck would turn around.

"So Neo, do you actually want a familiar too? I could help you get one later," Tyonis offered. He wouldn't just take a familiar and leave her with nothing, after all. Next time, he could come better prepared for both of them. As it was now, he had little hope of any success.

Word Count: 165

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo gave one last look around for materials. It seemed that the two of them were in the last stretch of their searching. It would honestly be a relief, no longer sitting here and waiting. Though she had done plenty of waiting before and felt fine. There just wasn't much here for her to do besides looking for materials. She didn't really need to worry about wasting time though, she was still able to find materials. And she was sure that she would get something for the other creatures that she has killed. Maybe not, but it was worth a shot.

I guess I didn't really need to guard him after all. He seems to be able to hold himself pretty well in a fight.

Neo did nod, she did want a familiar now, but she shook her head at the offer for help. He needed to get stronger on his own and she didn't want to hinder that. Though if she did wait some time before getting her own familiar she would probably take up his offer for help.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #102583

LD: 1 + 2 = 3 -No Mats found