Soren Rider 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #21 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 (edited) It was kinda weird, Soren had felt the need to apologize to his new party for his outburst. His apology seemed to be taken well by Teddy. Although Levi had suspicions about his ol' man's motives, never once did his ol' man attack or lay a hand on him with malice in the real world. To that, Levi was especially grateful, though didn't intend on vocalizing it. Soren also suspected that Zenshu probably would roll with the punches, so long as the party wasn't involved in player-killing or worse. Hearing his interest in swords was different but cool. There was probably alot Soren could learn from his new friend, especially with regard to sword combat. As for Syra, the response was astounding. "Syra was weak, was limited? She had lost all hope? Honestly, she sounds like me. So she really was just saying..." And then Syra stepped in front of him and thanked him for his honesty. "Wow, what the fuc*... that's bold" Although she turned to follow Zenshu, Soren listened intently to her continue speaking, explaining that people should be real and essentially forthcoming with themselves. "Yeah, wish my other foster parents were "real" and not fake-ass posers. But she... Syra wants to reimagine life... Maybe I should strive to make this game something like a second chance too..." "Amazing Syra, you are pretty damn bold." Soren continued to follow the group in silence, contemplating. Soon, Soren would find himself looking out toward the grasslands. It moved with a gentle breeze, it was peaceful. Zenshu suddenly moved to strike a boar, one slash, and it exploded in pixels. "Slutty pancakes!" Goddamn, Zenshu, give me warning next time. It would have been especially astounding to Soren, had he been paying attention from the beginning. However, there was something in Soren's mind telling him to avoid fighting until a later point... It wouldn't do him any good to put his life at risk while so low level. "Hey, I think I will try my hand at finding materials. I might try my hand at combat another time..." Soren looks over and sees his ol' man staring at the grass. Then he asks what he is looking for, which Soren similarly was curious about. "Zenshu said it looked like a white or clear crystal, though it may depend on your attributes or personality. Who knows, that sh*t may even look like a crossword puzzle." Soren looked at the grass and then realized that he might need to inspect the dirt. Soren lifted his hand, equipped his short sword, and stuck it in the ground like the sword from King Arthur. Quickly, Soren gripped the handle with both hands and heaved with a great deal of might. Needless to say, the sword came out of the ground, unscathed... but no metal materials were stuck to the sword. ID:209434 Loot 1, Mat not found ------- Word Count: 475 ------- Edited June 8, 2022 by Soren Rider Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Zenshu 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #22 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Zenshu watched as the pair went to their searching in the fields – the father and…son?...duo quickly beginning their search, although their efforts appeared to provide no immediate results. Zenshu wasn’t surprised, remembering how long it had taken him to find even a single piece. The memory brought a slight smile to his face, and he quickly called out to the two in an attempt to bolster their spirits – knowing how defeating it could feel to find naught, even when you put in the work and effort. “Gathering is definitely a refined art, on which I would say takes a lot of time and patience – but can provide some great rewards. Or so I’ve been told, being entirely honest I’ve had limited success with it myself – but perhaps I just don’t have the patience to remain vigilant.” A beaming smile, before he turned to Syra, listening to her request for more combat training. “Well, I could certainly keep an eye and give you pointers – but the materials are only dropped for the one who kills the boar. Which means you’re likely best off to face it by yourself – but I can keep an eye and jump in should there be any dangers!” Waving a hand towards a boar, he’ll point out one of the weaker ones that were close by – dangerous enough to provide something possibly beneficial towards Syra’s quest, but not so dangerous that he felt she would be in immediate danger. Giving another smile, he’ll glance back at Syra before continuing. “The key with combat is readying the sword art. Essentially…pulling back into your readying stance – which is different for everyone, but you’ll feel it the moment you begin activating it – and waiting for the right moment…some people say it feels like it clicks into place. Once it feels right, you just release the art, and the system does most of the work for you. A properly placed sword art is unlikely to miss, unless something happens – such as a creature’s defensive measures kicking in. These boars shouldn’t have anything like that though, that’s more of a later on thing…” He held his sheathed ninjato up before him, smiling again. “You give it a try, and I’ll keep an eye out. If it looks like you’re having any trouble, I’ll jump in immediately, okay?” ------ Word Count: 385 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Theodore Bell 0 Posted June 8, 2022 Author #23 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 (edited) Teddy had spent some time as he searched for those elusive things. It took some time, whistling a small tune to himself as he searched but furthermore he was thinking about what was said, even if not directed at himself. He looked back at the group, long past the statements of life on this place but felt he should say his peace regardless. "Ah don't mean to reverse the conversation, but Ah can't help but feel that you youngins are lookin at this the wrong way" he grimaced slightly, realizing how forward he was being himself, Well in for a penny he gathered his speach anf thoughts for a moment "Ah don't think that y'all should be thinking of this as a separate reality. Of course in its base it is, but what is reality if not what you are experiencing. Focus not the change y'all experienced or the difference between this and the world we left. This place *is* our real lahfe. Think about it, the difference between this place and our home is vast but we are here not there. This, for us now, *is* reality. A distinction need not be made between the two places. After all, worst case scenario you fall here just as fast or slow as you would there. The circumstances might be different but the ending is the same. And when Valhala calls you, you will be no more unworthy for being here than you would in your life. But it weell call and you weell be accepted regardless. So live not in the worries of this place, not in the fears of what whas left behahnd, but in the joy of the opportunity and adventures now unlocked by this new experience. Adventure *is* out there, so go grasp that bull by the horns with a smahle on your face and show them… show them what it means to be ahlive." The smile that beamed on Teddy's face could put the sun to same, "Or perhaps Ah am just an old man with old thinking. Either could be true" he shrugged turning back to the earth, but only after looking to Levi and with that same smile "Do ya really think they have crosswords here? Ah would reckon those would be mighty strange with the new words that this world has. Makes you wonder…" None the less the search for the strange things that would, in theory, help him progress. The earth was no different than the gardening dirt from the old house. It amazed him how realistic it was, how far the world had come. After all he remembered when you had to punch holes in a piece of paper to tell the machines how to work. Now you gave it some numbers and they did the rest. It was a wonderful thing. Now is not the time for reminiscence he thought, searching deeper. A softer man might be afraid of what could be found in the soil, but Teddy was not soft, at least not in his mind. He would stop and watch the fighting as it began, taking the time to take in the scenery a bit more. He enjoyed the visage of the flowers and grassland. Leaning over to pick a lily, which promptly disintegrated into motes of light when plucked. "Awe shucks, can't even get something nahce to put in a vase. It really is a shame" and at that time a spark caught his eye. "Whell would you look at that, sometime when you stop searching what you need finds its way to you, as they say" he bent down and grabbed the Emerald colored gem shard. It gave him pause, he knew that such things were shown to someone based on yourself but this was interesting. A wave of familiarity, remembering and mournful forgiveness washed over him though he did his best to put those away so he could focus on the task and not bring the mood of the group down. Wouldn't want to be a sour-puss after all, mama would have your hide he thought, lightening his mood. Not to mention they are focused on the combat and their own tasks. I doubt they even noticed. ___________________________ 209436 | LD: 13 (1/5 Mats found for Theodore) ----- Word count: 702 ----- Edited June 8, 2022 by Theodore Bell Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Syra 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #24 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Syra listen intently to Teddy, The gleam in his eyes, the hope in his voice, He was right! That was the thought process that caused her to fight, to cease this moment, whether it was in a game or not. Her experience was real, and the people she was meeting were also real. She let the conversation sit there. It truly was good food for thought, and she didn't want to ruin the moment. When Zenshu took her aside, and talked her through the steps of combat, her heart jumped a little, "This was all so exciting!" She couldn't wait to use her sword skills for the first time. Sh followed suit as they located an equal opponent for her to square off against. Though the boar still seemed very large the closer up you were. She took out her sword, and held her stance, trying to figure out how to activate her sword skill. The whole world seemed to pause, She could hear every blade of grass as they brushed together in the breeze. The wolfs snapping off the far left of her. Her breath was calm and poised. She could feel it, the skill, the energy building inside of her. Closing her eyes she waiting, channeling this new sensation inside of her. How long was she standing like this? It could have been a second, could have been 10 mins, but she was lost in the moment, this moment. She opened her eyes and focused on her target, not by 5 feet from her, With a slight bend of her knee, she released the strike, what a rush! She could feel the system engage, and take over the rest of the hit, it was unlike anything she had ever experienced. However it would appear her calculations with the strike was off, and she didn't quite hold herself up when it came to the follow-through. In the same moment she let go of her stance, she found herself tripping and plunging her sword into the ground, just next to the boar. The animal reared up, clearly startled by a blade lunging towards it, with a welder on the end. With no time to react, it twisted around and kicked Syra hard in the face, knocking her flat. Her vision turned into a blur, at the top of her view she saw her HP bar rapidly diving into yellow, "That is not good" Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20-2= 18/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG: 8 Round one Syra ID209435 | BD: 4+0=4 | << ST-1 vs. Boar >> Miss [-2 EN] Boar | MOB: 10-1=9 | DMG: 8+2=10 | Critical Hit Word count:403 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Zenshu 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #25 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Zenshu patiently watched as Syra sized up the target, before pulling herself into the ready stance. The tip of her blade quivered on the air – likely the excitement, the thrill of combat rushing through the wielder’s arm and to the sword itself. He smiled, remembering his very first time in an actual tournament – the nerves he’d felt. Suddenly she lunged forward, the momentum and excitement carrying her towards the target. The sword slashed through the air, racing for the boar before it. Zenshu watched, his own excitement controlled and his outwardly appearance one of calmness. His eyes followed as the sword plunged downwards, suddenly driven point-to-ground as Syra tripped over her own feet, causing her attack to falter, and fail. Zenshu’s hand had risen, his mouth opening to call out, just as the boar lashed out with its hooves. Syra was sent tumbling backwards, a sharp imprint left where the boar had connected, and her health bar severely depleted. Almost without consideration his blade was drawn, flipped and turned into his reverse grip. “I’m going to try weakening it, and drawing its attention to me – if you can, you attack it on your next turn. If not, just sit back and I’ll finish it off, okay?” The few spoken words directed at Syra as Zenshu locked eyes with the boar, watching for the opening to present itself. As the creature seemed ready to step towards Syra, Zenshu launched himself forward, slashing along the flank in an attempt to draw the attention towards himself, and away from his downed party member. ----- [0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 26/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] [0] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 10/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG: 8 Round Two ID209439 | BD: 2+3=5 | Miss [-2 EN; Light Momentum] Word Count: 260 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Soren Rider 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #26 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Soren had pulled up the sword and it was clean, as though it had never entered the ground. He stood still with the short sword back in his right hand, the breeze again blowing the tall grass in waves. This place, it is so peaceful... maybe the danger Soren had thought would present itself upon leaving the safe zone was just a rumor spread by higher level adventurers to scare those new to the game. Regardless, Soren knew he needed to stay vigilant while outside the town, he couldn't quite put his entire trust in his party just yet. Teddy had begun to ramble about something... probably something about mythology, but whatever it was it wasn't important. Suddenly, a noise came from before him. Soren looked up to see a Boar stood several feet away, and Syra was on the ground, her health bar dropping from Green to Yellow. "Oh Fuc*, thats not great..." Following up, Zenshu moved to action and spoke to her, clearly he thought or suspected that this situation could turn for the worst. He seemed to have missed his strike, though it could have been intentional had Soren not suspected the urgency Zenshu expressed. Soren thought for a split second, his instincts getting the best of him this time. He shifted his stance to begin a dead sprint and charged from a distance away "Get the Fuc* away from my friend, boar!" Soren hadn't quite realized how far he actually was from the scene, the grassland was quite an expansive place. He charged for a good second to get into range of actual combat. He swung his short sword, realizing how short his range really was, the boar seemingly unimpressed by his charge. "Sh*t, I don't think I could take this thing on my own, but three of us could be much better than one." Soren turned his head, though keeping an eye on the boar in his peripherals, and spoke to his party members "Honestly, I don't regret running over to join you all. Gotta learn how to fight sometime, why not learn it when things go sour?" Soren actually smirked as he realized he couldn't decide between gathering and fighting, he wanted to do both at the same time. [0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 26/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] [0] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 10/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Soren | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20-2=18/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 6 | BLD (12 DMG) Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG: 8 Round Three Two ID209440 | BD: 2+0=2 | Miss [-2 EN] ------- Word Count:376 ------- Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Syra 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #27 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Syra looked up, She was still a bit dizzy from the hit and the fall, She hear Zenshu rushing in, "Did he say something? Try again?" She shook her head, and soon enough her focus returned, and she saw Zeshu standing over the boar, Sword drawn. Off to the right aways she could hear Soren rushing over... "Did he just call me his friend? Guess he really doesn't hate me after all." She sat up, encouraged by these 2 strangers, who rushed to her side when she needed them. Teddy was right, this life in here wasn't a waste, And it wasn't loosing time IRL, but gaining the time you have here. She rose to her feet, "one more chance, I can do this!" She lifted her sword, again posed for the attack. "I'm coming in Hot!" She shouted out, wanting to make sure her party members were clear, if her sword took on a mind of it's own again. Taking a moment to ready her strike, She held her breath, aimed AND... Just missed, gazing the side of the animal. "Closer, but still no dice." At least this time she was well out of harms way for the boar to get a second hit in. "One more chance, I just need one more chance!" The adrenaline was coursing through her body, she had never felt so alive then she did in this very moment. She re-adjusted her stance, joining her companions in a kill circle around the beast, "Thanks for stepping in guys, guess I still have a ways to go" [0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 26/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] [0] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 10/20 | EN: 18+1-2=17/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Soren | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 6 | BLD (12 DMG) Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | ENG: 26/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 10/20 | ENG: 4 | DMG: 7 | ACC: | MIT: | Light Momentum Soren | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | ENG: 4 | DMG: 7 | ACC: | MIT: | Light Momentum Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG:8 Round Four Three Syra ID209441 | BD: 5+0=5 | <<ST-1 vs. Boar>> Miss [-2 EN] word count: 262 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Theodore Bell 0 Posted June 8, 2022 Author #28 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 (edited) Teddy was planning on sitting back and watching, not much he could do anyways. And with that new material in his possession things were looking up. Or at least that is what eh though. Then he watched the boar kick, as though in slow motion. He was sure she would be spitting blood if this game had such things Well… that just won't do he though as he jogged the short distance his heavy armor clinking loudly as he ran. In a motion not caused by thinking or muscle memory or anything other than what could only be described as pure adrenaline he pulls a potion from his battle ready inventory. He runs between Syra and the boar. The armor, as though in response, grows from the rose embedded on his chest long vines looking less so like a divine warrior as his armor generally look, the bright silvery steel becoming as one might expect a building to look once it is reclaimed by nature. The shine gone, now looking mat and old, but covered in the green vines with large emerald thorns. He shoves his hand out speaking a command phrase, but alas nothing happened. He wanted to give it more thought but things were moving too quickly to pay much attention to it. He gives a reassuring smile "Try again, Ah'm sure you will hit it next time!" He then turns to the boar, holding his arms out wide and speaks in a voice of a younger man. Loud and booming, though not without the cadence and tennor of age. "Ah do reckon that this day we win. And bah they power invested in me, bah Valhala, mah home Ah charge the to hit me. Oh Foul Beast. BEGON!" With that he looked ahead, with only one though on his mind, I will be their wall ---------------------- [0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 26/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] [0] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 4 | DMG:7 | ACC: | MIT: | Light Momentum [0] Soren | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 4 | DMG:1 | ACC: | MIT: 6 | [0] Theodore | Lv. 1 |HP: 20/20 | EN: 4 | MIT 8 | THRNS 18 Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG: 8 --- Used 1 healing potion --- [0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 27/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] [0] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 10/20 | EN: 17/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Soren | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 6 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Theodore | Lv. 1 |HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | MIT 8 | THRNS 18 ----- Word Count: 294 ----- Edited June 9, 2022 by Theodore Bell Fixing spelling Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Zenshu 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #29 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 His surprise at the boar’s sudden dodge of his attack had Zenshu holding his pose a split second longer than the system required, and as he turned to face the creature again – it had already moved on, relatively ignoring him, moving on to dodge another target as Zenshu tried to right himself. He watched as the elderly man stepped forward, providing Syra with a healing potion before setting himself before the boar and calling out to it – likely in an attempt to draw its attention towards himself. Realising that the situation was being handled, Zenshu stepped back, sheathing his sword and letting the trio take hold of the situation. He knew that his intervention shouldn’t be required if they worked together, which would more likely provide them with the rewards they needed in order to complete the quest. Smiling, he called out to them even as he stepped away from the fight itself. “It looks like you three have this under control! I’ll let you handle the boar, but I’ll be here if anything turns bad again, okay? This way – if I’m not involved – it’s more likely that you’ll get the material rewards from killing the boar, rather than if I accidentally got the last hit on it and it went to me…then we’d simply be back to starting over all over again!” He gave an eye around the area, just making sure that no further creatures had started moving towards them, and keeping an eye on the two wolves that seemed to be watching the players – keeping their distance for now, but Zenshu made a move towards them in order to try and drive them off. ----- [0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 27/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] [0] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 10/20 | EN: 17/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Soren | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 6 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Theodore | Lv. 1 |HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | MIT 8 | THRNS 18 Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG: 8 Round Three ID209442 | MOB: 2 | Miss ------- Word Count: 277 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Soren Rider 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #30 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Soren stands ready with his short sword in his right hand, preparing for a regular slash. Theodore had entered combat seeing the situation, which Soren was glad. Although his ol' man could be conceivably useless, he could also be a great asset if the boar were to attack him. However, there was little chance that Theodore could aggro the beast at such an early level, Theodore's speech certainly did the trick. "Ah see this Ol' man still has Umph 'n him 'nough to take owt the Likes of this minor beast." Soren proceeded to mock his father in his head, managing to amuse himself enough to smile. He took a step back with his left foot and recoiled his sword to potentially thrust his bald down, this time he couldn't possibly miss. However, Valhalla had other plans for this young man. Hearing Teddy command this boar like a paladin from D&D, Soren couldn't help but be distracted. He felt his balance shaking as he essentially stood on one leg, unable to plant the other down. In this way, Soren fell prone on his face, his sword still somehow gripped tightly in his hand. "Ope, this sh*t is not what I had planned" was muffled through the ground before his head. "Go get 'em Syra, we got your back... kinda" [0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 27/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] [0] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 10/20 | EN: 17/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Soren | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 18+1-2= 17/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 6 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Theodore | Lv. 1 |HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | MIT 8 | THRNS 18 Boar | HP: 30/30 | DMG: 8 Round Two Three ID209443 | BD: 1+0 (critical fail) | Critical Miss [-2 EN] ------- Word Count: 221 ------- Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Syra 0 Posted June 8, 2022 #31 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Syra stood, ready for another go, luckily she avoided a second hit from the beast. Before anything else could happen, Teddy come barreling in front of her, putting himself between her and the boar. His armour covered in magnificent vines, as he spoke words that syra didn't quite catch, but then she saw the vile in his hands, disappeared. And her health had been restored. Looking over to Teddy, as his armour returned to is previous state, She smiled and gave him a thankful nod. "Alright you got this! Max health, Back up around you, You can do this!" She began coaching herself in her head. When she looked over to see Zenshu disengage, but hearing his reasoning she prepared herself for her next strike. "Come on, You are a worrier, You are a fighter, And you can do this!" She engaged into the sword art, and finally felt it. The buzz, the control. It felt natural, like she had been doing it her whole life. Her sword reflecting an extension of her arm, and her legs moving in unity, and perfect strides. She aimed at her target and lunged forward! Feeling the blade run alongside the beast, she managed to finally hit the darn thing. A scream of agony, and the boar shot its leg out, nailing Syra in the calf. But not nearly as bad as getting it in the face. "Did you see that guys! I Got Him!" [0] Zenshu | Lv. 5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 27/28 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 13 | Light Momentum [+1 BD] [1] Syra | Lv. 1 | HP: 10/20 | EN: 17+1-8= 10/20 | DMG: 4 | EVA: 1 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Soren | Lv. 1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 6 | BLD (12 DMG) [0] Theodore | Lv. 1 |HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | MIT 8 | THRNS 18 Boar | HP: 0/30 | DMG:8 Round Five Four Syra ID209444 | BD: 9+1=10 | <<ST-1 vs. Boar>> Minor Crit. Hit: (4+1)x8 = 40 DMG | Boar is defeated! Boar | MOB: 6 | DMG: 8+0=8 | Hit word count: 241 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Theodore Bell 0 Posted June 9, 2022 Author #32 Report Share Posted June 9, 2022 (edited) "Whell, would you look at that. Well fought and well done, Syra!" He smiled at the group feeling his boiling blood calming down. He took a deep breath before looking around. "Ah think maybe we should stick to gathering the materials for nahw. Wouldn't want to loose anyone so early. He Zenshu, you know more about these things than Ah do. Know of anything Ah can do in the future to make things more lahkly to come mah way?" The thought of taking the hit for others was one of interest. How wonderful would it be if they never had to worry about their health vetting low? And if I get stronger I can protect them better. Blast this game and it's convoluted nature. After taking a moment to catch his breath he stretched. Even if it didn't really matter going through the motions were always very refreshing. Another though came to mind as well, "Hey Zenshu, y'all across the pond there have a special mornin' stretch on the TV rahght? What was that called again? Ah think doin' some of those mahght do the soul good!" He gave Zenshu a smile, clearly unaware of any offense that could have been caused by that question. He then turned around and kept his search going. Bending over as another shimmer caught his eye. "That's two! Only fahve left, Ah'm getting lucky Ah guess!" ____________________________ 209455 | LD: 16 (+1 mat | 2/5 found) ----- Word Count: 232 ----- Edited June 9, 2022 by Theodore Bell Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Soren Rider 0 Posted June 10, 2022 #33 Report Share Posted June 10, 2022 (edited) Soren raised his head slightly from the dark black dirt to get a glimpse of the combat scene as it resounded nearby. Soren's head wasn't quite high enough to surpass the tall grass, as he could only see tall grass blades swaying to the side with the gentle breeze. "Fuck, what am I doing staying on the ground like this? Syra cou..." What he heard, however, was a buzz. A buzzing sound, similar to the sound of a swarm of bugs, and a flash of blue reflected from the grass blades as Syra moved to slash the boar. Although Soren could not see the scene, he could picture it in his mind as clear as watching a movie. "B*tchin, Syra is activating a sword art... really should get me one of those..." Once the combat has had ended and the boar pixelated in a single blast, Syra was able to move and spoke, the excitement from combat very much present in her voice. Soren responded as he stood up, wiping dirt pixels that would likely dissipate anyway. He replied to her vibrant words with genuine excitement "Regrettably no, I was honestly quite busy watching the dark soil and grass blades swaying to see your badass sword art. Wish I could have seen it though, the flash was reflected like a lake reflecting the moon. It appeared to me as a vibrant blue blast, and it definitely buzzed with energy! Soren moved his hand forward to unequip his short sword as he heard his ol' man speak wise ol' words of wisdom, though he didn't do the same for his armor in case of another surprise combat initiative. His ol' man was right, combat shouldn't be the first means of getting mats, but it was quite thrilling. With that, Soren then walked to Syra to give her a high five. "Shit, this is worth celebrating but how am I supposed to react? Maybe with a high five? Do it, worst she could do is look at you pathetically and walk on... He wasn't completely sure she would know what he was doing, as the demographic was primarily Japanese. Regardless, he expected her to raise her hand questioningly or follow through with a solid high five. He speaks as he approaches her, saying "Dadgummit that was your first kill, which deserves some celebration! Slip me five!" Soren surprised himself by copying his ol' man's vocabulary. He shook his head, trying to lose his ol' man's southern accent. After the celebratory high five, then looked over toward Theodore. Theodore asked Zenshu how he could essentially aggro these mobs. Soren knew, though it was somewhat vague, that players could get a skill to attract a mob's attention, but he wasn't sure what it was or exactly how it worked. "There has gotta be some fucking way through skills or something for you to aggro a mob, essentially attracting its aggressive attention toward yourself, right Zenshu? Have you experienced anyone using something like that in your earlier adventures?" Not long after this dialogue, apparently, Soren's ol' man had not only found a Mat, but two. Clearly, his ol' man was besting him in the searching game, which shouldn't even be possible... yet, here in SAO it was happening. The reflection of the slash on the tall grass and referencing the moon had begun to remind Soren of a song he had heard in college... and it got stuck... so he began humming "Moon Dance by Van Morrison" as he began to wander around. For the first few seconds of looking around, he began to doubt his luck at finding something, anything, useful for this quest. Something, a glimmer, which caught his eye in the tall grass. A few strides, maybe a few dozen feet away. Soren walked over, but didn't keep his eyes on the material and lost sight of it at the last second. "Fuc... wait" and lost his initial target in the sway of the breeze. In the next second, he spotted the material again, and moved forward reaching for the glimmer. Soren picked up a piece of white chalk, about an inch or two in size. "Fuck, is that chalk... I hate that." "Damnit, of course my Mat is a piece of chalk. This game really has a sick sense of humor... but that makes for my first Mat! Only 4 more to go!" 209456 | LD:14 (1 Mat | 1/5 Found) ------- Word Count: 733 ------- Edited June 10, 2022 by Soren Rider Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Zenshu 0 Posted June 10, 2022 #34 Report Share Posted June 10, 2022 Zenshu watched for a while as the fight came towards its finale. He gave a sigh of relief as the boar eventually exploded into a shower of shards, Syra’s first and only strike depleting the creature of its entire health bar in one go. He leaned back, letting his tension release as he realised that the group was – for the time being – out of danger. He considered the fact that the boar had posed such a risk, and wondered if they should maybe avoid combat for a little while – the party was well settled, but the boar had proven to be more than Zenshu had expected. His attention was pulled from the fight as the elderly man began speaking, asking about ways to get the system to work for him, to better his chances with what Zenshu assumed was the ability to find materials. He gave a quick nod, before smiling broadly at the elderly man, leaping into a detailed explanation that he hoped would provide some insight to the elderly man. “Well, there are many different ways that you can better your chances to find materials and other things. Depending on how you want to handle it, you can of course focus on skills as you level up in the system – things like searching, that will help you better locate materials, or treasure chests, or even loot monsters with better success! Or, you can go the faster and easier route – which can sometimes be easier at lower levels – which is to upgrade your equipment with enhancements that are specifically designed to increase your looting capabilities. There’s many different things you can get – even some armour pieces can be used to increase those odds, but things like trinkets, such as necklaces can as well!” He paused, giving the elderly man a beaming smile as he waited to see how the older man would take the information. He knew that he had unloaded a lot – some of which he felt might be a bit over the man’s understanding. He hadn’t meant to get too technical – although he wasn’t sure it was technical so to speak, so much as just an information overload, but Zenshu figured he could cover the topic again at a later time if the older man required a refresher. “There’s definitely a lot of information there, but I can go over it again later if you want, once we’re back in the Town of Beginnings? There’s a lot to the game, and it can sometimes can be a bit overwhelming – but that’s what we’re here for, is to support one another!” He beamed yet another smile as he finished talking, before realising the elderly man had already moved on to another topic. As the question regarding morning stretches was poised, Zenshu found himself speechless for a second, trying to determine exactly what was being asked. “Do you mean…Yoga? It’s, well, not something that I’m familiar with myself…although I have heard that it can be beneficial… I personally haven’t tried it myself – and with how the game works, I don’t think it’ll actually be overly beneficial anyways…the game keeps you in a suspended state – so technically speaking, your form will never change. Which means that…I guess things like yoga and stretching and all that really aren’t that beneficial – other than maybe the mental assistance it provides if it calms you and things like that?” Zenshu suddenly stopped as he considered what he had been saying, realising that once again he had begun rambling without any real purpose or answer. His grin slipped slightly as he considered what he had said, before deciding that he needed to clarify what he had attempted to say, broadening his grin in the hopes of clearing the air a bit. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you think it’ll help then it can’t hurt to do it? It may not have any sort of real physical benefit…but maybe it’ll help clear the mind and bring about some peace for you? Which, well, that’ll be good too, I think?” As he turned back to the others, he caught the tail end of Soren’s curse – declaring the sick humour of the game, and drawing Zenshu’s attention in even more. Striding the few steps towards the younger man, Zenshu smiled down, trying to glance down at the piece of material that the man had collected. “Did you say it’s a piece of chalk? That definitely sounds original! I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone else having something like that, usually it’s things like crystals or metal bricks or such…although I guess I can understand why that might be underwhelming – but at least it’s unique? You could be the only one in the game that has chalk as your material! Although maybe the dust would be a bit of a negative…” He beamed a diminishing smile as he glanced at Soren’s face, trying to read the emotions of the man. Zenshu was well aware that the man was prone to angry outbursts, and he didn’t want to cause any himself – but he also wanted to make some sort of connection, and this seemed like a good start to the situation. “Plus, if you don’t like it I’m sure the system will eventually change it. I’ve heard that if you pick up a profession, the material’s shape and form can sometimes shift, depending on the work you’re doing. So, if you become something like a blacksmith, maybe it’ll change from the chalk to metal bricks and such – you know, to be more fitting with the profession itself? Would be kind of interesting to see chalk become armour and weapons though…although definitely a bit illogical as well.” As the trio continued their search, Zenshu found himself in a lull. He hadn’t considered what he would do as the others made their attempts to find the materials they needed – he had known that he wouldn’t be able to get directly involved in many ways, truly only there to assist in situations like the fight that had occurred, where he’d had to step in to try and save one of them. Yet, beyond that, he had little to do other than to watch the trio move about and consider his own actions off to the side. Settling himself in a typical seiza position, his legs tucked back underneath in a comfortable way, he laid his hands on his lap and close his eyes for a brief respite. The wind tickled away at his hair, causing the tunic’s hood to shift and crinkle slightly, before letting it all settle into place. It had been some time since he’d been this close to a group of other players, and Zenshu wondered if he was doing anything that would drive them away. ‘Not like the others, hopefully…I just need to…well, to be a bit calmer. To let them settle in – and only provide help and guidance when they ask for it. If I do that…well, then I shouldn’t have to worry. Besides, this group seems very welcoming and friendly! Maybe we’ll all continue together for a bit, or at least stay in touch!’ He felt himself smile in response to the thought, the idea bringing true joy to him for the first time in quite a while. The loneliness that he had been feeling recently had begun to ebb, and a part of him was worried about what would happen if he failed to hold on to the trio here. Pushing aside the concern, he reminded himself that there was little he could do – if they did decide to leave, that was their choice. He glanced over at Syra, sizing up the girl. She had been fiery in the fight – putting her all into it, even when things hadn’t gone entirely the way she wanted. Deciding that he could at least give some pointers, he lifted himself from his position and made his way across to her, giving a wave and a bow as he reached her position. “I just wanted to say that you did tremendously well in that fight! The system seemed to want to really test you, but you put up a good return, and because of that even managed to end the boar in a single hit! It was really awesome to watch. With a bit more practice, I’m sure you’ll be taking on some of the more dangerous stuff around here in no time!” He waved his hand towards the open grasslands, as if to signal all the creatures that roamed around them, before pulling it back to his side. “The system can sometimes be a bit harsh. Just when you think you’re going to land a perfect strike, the target can jump aside, or you can fumble, or something happens – but just keep trying and in time it’ll become natural. I mean, even I had some trouble there, and I used to do this in real life as well! But, they always taught us – ‘practice, practice, and more practice, because even a true sensei can falter if they fail to continue honing their skills.’ I’m sure that it was just meant as a bit of encouragement, but I think it also makes a good point that we can take away for real life. Nothing comes easy, everything takes effort – but from that effort we can have success that we can be proud of…at least, that’s what I think.” He offered another smile towards Syra, hoping that his words reached her – and hoping that they provided some sort of boost in courage, or guidance. He wasn’t entirely sure that she would take it to heart, or that it would help in any real way, but it was given truthfully and with good intention, so he figured that meant something. Eyes passing over the field, he confirmed that the older man and his son were still not in harm’s way, before turning his attention back to the fields in the distance. He could see other players out further from the town – some fighting the minor creatures that spawned in the fields themselves, a few challenging what looked like a mid-level boss of some sort. Zenshu felt a sudden pull, wanting to go join those fighting the higher level creatures, before he remembered his purpose here. ‘I can’t be just abandoning my new friends because I want to help clear the level. That wouldn’t be right, nor would it do any good – what if they got hurt while I was away? No, I need to stay here, to focus on the present. Eventually I’ll be on the frontlines. Maybe I’ll even be in a party with these three on the lines, fighting to clear the next floor!’ The idea brought a sudden surge of excitement to Zenshu as he considered it, and he found himself bouncing on his toes slightly in response. Trying to hide the action – mostly out of embarrassment than anything else – he raised his arms above his head, pretending to stretch as he let the energy out. ‘That would be nice, to have these three join me on the frontlines. But I can’t say for sure that they’d even want that. Maybe they just want to stay on the lower levels and provide rear support? Or maybe their goal is to open up shops to help provide equipment and goods to those on the higher floors? There’s nothing wrong with that at all…either way, whatever they choose to do I hope I can keep in contact with them and continue to support them right up until the end!’ He gave a quick nod to himself, as if affirming the idea, before turning his attention back. It would still be some time before they could even consider moving on to the higher level floors – they still had to clear this quest, and the ones that came after it, before they could even consider some of the stronger levelled areas. But Zenshu knew that they’d eventually get there – all of them, together. ----- Word Count: 2,004 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Syra 0 Posted June 11, 2022 #35 Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 What a rush, Syra's eyes grew, her hands shook, she nearly toppled over. She did it! Her first hit, and she took the beast down! She could help but leap in the air, giving a victory yell. Quickly realizing there were others around, she ended her celebration early. feeling slightly embarrassed, but then soren came over and offered a high five, which she gladly accepted. Taking a moment to look at each of the party members, Syra couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Here they all were, a bunch of strangers, from different parts of the world, trapped together in this game, and yet choosing to connect and look after each other. "Thanks for the help guys, really, but yeah I think it might be wiser to search for the materials instead." She watched as Teddy headed of in search of materials, take note of what he was doing, and started to copy, all while listening to the wisdom of Zenshu. How grateful she was that he was there, helping and teaching them how to progress in the game. No not just progress, but thrive. The topic shifted to stretching and yoga. Syra of course knew what it was, but never herself got into it. Unfortunately it wasn't possible to engage in the real world since the accident. But in here! She scooted closer to Teddy, " I have never done Yoga myself, my body irl isn't able to do activities like that, but I would love to give it a try, I have watched videos of people running classes, and I think I remember a few." She proceeded to stand tall, head reaching up towards the sky. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth. She peeked one eye open to see if she was the only one trying it out. Well didn't matter if she was or wasn't, she was going to give it a go any how. She then bend over, leading with her hands, until they touched the ground. Not much feeling of a stretch, but the idea of it was indeed relaxing. She then proceeded to hold her weight on her hands, letting her legs extend backwards until she was in a plank. She could remember the downward dog, and the cobra. She was even able to get herself into a perfect split. Amazing, not even a bit of discomfort. But Teddy was right, it sure was relaxing. After realizing she had taking too much time doing yoga, she proceeded to some grass area to look for some Materials. After some time she was successful! She had finally found what looked to be a crystal type material. She smiled holding it up to Zenshu, who was off talking with Soren and Teddy. "Wow that is a lot easier than fighting a boar, ah well live and learn" As she continued her search, she saw Zenshu approaching her. "Wow! Thank you so much! That is all I want really, to be a strong fighter, and to be able to help clear the game." She took a moment, "He did step in to save her, and has been nothing but kind this entire time..." She glanced around at Teddy and Soren, both occupied with finding their own materials. She looked down at her feet, watching the grass as it bumped against them in the breeze. "In the real world I'm an amputee." Was she really laying her life out to these people, on the first day of meeting? "There was an accident when I was a child, so I normally need assistance to do anything on my own. That's why I am here, as a way to live life outside of my wheelchair, to be able to run again, be independence. But the more i think about it, the more that I realize it isn't independence I want, but it's the chance to help other, and support them. Most of my life I have felt like a burden, and I for a change, want to be someone that can carry others." There it was, a small piece of herself. She could feel emotion welling up inside of her, She looked down at her crystal she was still holding, following her thumb along every edge, praying that after hearing about her life irl, they wouldn't abandon her because she shared too much, or was weaker because of her condition, what ever dumb reasoning she was thinking up in her head. She did want to stay in contact with all of them, continue to build a relationship, maybe even form a real party, so if this was a group that was going to be around, they would have found out sooner or later. ID209484 | LD: 13 | 1 Mat (1/5 found) Word count: 793 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Theodore Bell 0 Posted June 11, 2022 Author #36 Report Share Posted June 11, 2022 (edited) Teddy gave a hearty smile and did his best to join in with the yoga. “Yah know, Ah thing that doing something lahke this in the morning mahght could just give me enough regularity to keep sane. What do y’all say? Perhaps we can get a little group together. Ah think ah can still remember some of the stuff Rita used to do, but she had a whole class for it an’ Ah never had time outside of work to trah it out with her. But she did a pretty good job o’ explainin’ everything to me. Perhaps we could get a full group together and do some daily stuff. Ah think you are right about it being a good way to generate a better mindset, an’ am sure many people could use one of those. This places seems to take a lot out of people that could use a bit of lahght in their life.” He gave a smile that gave way to the many wrinkles in his face. His dark blue eyes, almost unseen due to the squint in his eyes. He listened as Zenshu told him all about all the fancy ways to make yourself better at gathering materials. “Whell, Ah think somethin’ got lost in translation a bit, but Ah am not entirely upset with the current line of info, we can get back to that later. Ah will definitely need to do things that’ll get me better at finding materials. Ah don't think going skills would work as Ah am looking to go prahmarilly frontlines. Ah don't think that sacrificing mah resources on searching would be wahse in that regard. However, Ah would be willin’ to buy something. How does all that work? Ah very much need some things Ah don’t have. Ah know Ah need a shield and a weapon… Ah think ah’ll grab a hammer, give me the flavor text Ah am more or less going for. Though you had said somethin’ about peripherals, the necklaces and sutch. Whereabouts would Ah go fahnd some of those? Ah could really go for a fahne hat to help keep the sun off mah head, an’ if the thing would help with the whole searching for things thing Ah’d say Ah would be a mahghty tickled!” He was happy to listen to what all Zenshu had to say, a thought about asking how it kept someone's voice intact when they were translated crossed his mind, as surely it would be something that would be very hard to do. Though that was a thought that was for another time, and something that would be best to push away for the time. “The other thing Ah had meant to ask you about was what Ah could do to be a better tank. Ain’t nothing going to be of true assistance without the ability to draw the ior of one of them rather intensive beasts that so often frequent these lands.” He motions to the boars that the group had been skillfully avoiding with the help of Soren and Zenshu’s knowledge, of which Teddy felt was to somewhat of an extreme degree. It is an amazing thought that someone could be so invested in the topic of games that the parallels to others can be easily found and the systems can be predicted. It is amazing how far such things have come that even the most basic knowledge of these things is all you need to get started. Now if only they could make these this friendly for the old and untrained, if that were possible I think these things would be unstoppable He looked around as Zenshu meditated, Ah.. that must be nice. I don't think I could do that without falling asleep, and I think that might get rid of the purpose for doing that in the first place. Not that I have ever tried before, though I don't quite like the thought of being alone with my thoughts. I wonder if this system has a way to play some music that would give some good entertainment while you were alone. And besides, it can't be more repetitive than the pop music of today. He looked to Zenshu who was still meditating and then looked to Levi. “Hey do you think… Oh, actually nevermind, it's not important. Did Ah hear you found a material though? What did it look lahke for you? Ah imagine it was rather brilliant to accompany that brilliant mind of yours!” He gave Levi a smile as the part of him who was a father in the core of his being came through. I remember when I was talking to Doug about your escapades and exploits. The things you could accomplish! Poor Doug though, uncared for and unloved his whole life, and the man could eat corn through a picket fence the poor bastard… still he was a good friend and I always enjoyed the discussion, even if they did tend towards the conspiratorial and supernatural “Did ya hear about the Aliens that landed off the coast of Main?” Freya’s grace I can still hear his voice in my head. Is that why so many people are so averse to this game? Because of what they left behind? What a strange thought. I guess I wasn't too tied down before I left. Not but a house and a store to my name. And what's the worst that happens? Everything is set to autopay, including my property taxes. I mean I don't have any alarms or anything so maybe someone breaks in and steals something but If they need it that bad then I guess it is not really a loss. I can hear the voice of my mother telling me that I am too generous and that I should bring back my care. But if I did that, I could help people smile. That is what truly matters in this world. So many people out here are interested in money and status but if you can't help a little kid smile then what is the true point of life? Sometimes all they need is for someone to listen to them, be they kid or adult, and it is sad how few people are willing to speak to be an ear and a voice of reason. But that is what I am here for I guess. Teddy looked at Syra as she discussed her experiences and how she was an amputee. “Ah’d say mah heart goes out to you but Ah doubt you want mah pity, Ah am very sure you get enough people looking at you with those eyes of sorrow that are so common in our world. Ah have the benefit of age to disguise my health problems. Ah will say that if you want to help others then perhaps our objectives alahgn. Ah know there is nothing better then seeing the light in someone’s eyes as though they had never seen happiness. Knowing that they have been irrevocably touched bah your lahght is a thought beyond any satisfaction Ah have found in mah long lahfe, Ah can say that for sure. An’ while Ah am sure the circumstances o’ this world is nothing that the mahnd could have planned for, or even previously comprehend, these are the cards we have been dealt. An’ Ah aint folding yet.” Teddy beamed a smile at the young girl, not but joy in his eyes. He did to some extent truly feel sorry for the lady, but he did not allow such things to overshadow the pride he was feeling. The pride in his face at this young girls perseverance, it was that, which should be celebrated. Celebrating the plights of someone had no reason in the face of accomplishments “So, what do ya’ think you will do first with your new chance to make a name and cause waves? Ah, am generally curious what would be best for doing such things in this culture. The people in this place are far an’ removed from the people back home, if Ah do say mahself.” The thought of how to proceed in the strange local was a common one and one he had not cracked yet. Though it wasn't long after this that the man figured it was time to take some amount of a break from all this walkin’ around. He sat down, the grass parting beneath the heft of his platemail. It was a wonder that people used to walk around in these things on a regular basis. Surly they would be something only reserved for specific occasions, as the heat was enough to cause some real problems. He laid back in the arms of nature, as discreetly as he could he attempted to open his menu to remove his armor but such things were outside of his abilities at the moment. He quickly stopped trying and laid back, looking up at the sky. How curious it is that there are 100 floors above us. Yet all you see when you look up is a sky that is wholly separate from any other things. It is no floor to another level, it is merely blue skies clouds and a sun. It is almost as if each floor is its own universe. What a troubling notion. “What do you think would happen if ya build a big tower up? Do ya think you could reach the next floor that way? Something akin to the tower of babble in the bib-le. Perhaps the developer would strike me down where I stand for such things, they are lahke a deity here rahght. Perhaps not in worship or followers but in power. Lahke they could just kill you if they so choose, and there is nothing Ah could do about it. What a strange thought, something existing with that much control over another. Though perhaps that could be said about the establis-.... Ahh, perhaps the purview of politics is best left in the world it came from, eh?” He gave the party a sympathetic smile as he continued to stare into the sky. Watching the clouds as they pass. It truly was a beautiful day. Though, at least on this floor the day was perpetually beautiful isn't it? He rested there, lying in a bed of grass and flowers, if this was a different world he might be worried about crushing the flowers, but here he had no reason to worry. They would simply come back, or so he thought. He looked over and casually picked an easter lily that was growing nearby. He put the white flower in his silvered hair. Look at the friends I have made. I don't think today could get much better than this, perhaps with a tune but I don't think I can just summon a fiddle from the depths of the magical heart of the world. Maybe I should look into that in the future, or perhaps I will be too distracted by the pride of the frontlines to even realize such things would be nice to have. I am no fortune teller afterall…. I should probably go back to focusing on the objective, Huh? Would be a shame if I were to spend all day enjoying the weather and not enjoying the new life I have been given. Teddy stood up and began to look around. He was glad that everyone else were having good times finding materials as well. It would be a shame if they were stuck here all day regardless as to the weather, the local bistro had a daily question that Teddy was quite invested in answering every day without fail. Not that he ever got the question right, it was always about things like “How many battle ready slots do you have in your inventory?” or “How long can you run until your stamina runs out?” but none the less he made it his goal to answer those questions anyways. Worst case scenario he would fail to answer the question and learn a valuable piece of information… then again he never did get on question right, couldn't be a worse case scenario if it was every scenario. He looked around, once more on the trail of one of those elusive crystals. “Hey Zenshu or Soren, both of you seem to know quite a bit about all this. How is it that the system determines when and where you find these fancy crystals? Surely there is some sophisticated way that it works, and Ah am sure it’ll go rahght over mah head but Ah am curious and will do mah best to wrap mah head around it!” He said this while looking at the ground so whether or not they would hear him was anyones guess. Still once more he saw a glimmer of something on the ground. A green light shown, the reflection of the sun overpowering the color but once in his hand he watched as the popup came and went telling him he had found another quest item. “Whell would you look at that? Only two left for me, once Ah am done can Ah help mah friends find more to help them along or am Ah just up the creek without a paddle?” He asked looking back to Zenshu, a genuine curiosity in his expression. It would be rather unfortunate if he would have to do not but wait, then again that is what Zenshu was doing wasn’t it. Perhaps a good rest was what he needed, he struggled to think of when the last time he had a full sleep cycle was, though that was more due to old age than the stress of life. Have you ever tried to sleep when your bones are creaking? Its not fun. Even here he could feel the phantom pains of his joints, something now long forgotten in the brilliant new body he had from this place but still present, he may no longer need a cane but by god his body felt as though he did. It was noting that wouldn’t be fixed over time but that would take years more than likely. He wondered if Syra felt phantom pains but realized how rude such a question would be and elected not to ask such a thing. “Looks lahke Ah am three for fahve! Here soon Ah’ll be able to take a seat and truly relax while y’all keep up the search, that is if Ah didn’t jinx mahself here.” Teddy shruggs “Whell who is to know until it happens Ah guess” He smiled at the group and got himself prepared for a further round of searching in these strange lands. “Will these always look this way?” He asked Zenshu holding up a material “They do kahnda bring up some memories Ah would rather not face as it stands, will they all be this way or will Ah get to experience new things? These emeralds are so reminiscent of the real world… Ah am sure you understand what Ah mean.” __________ 209485 | LD: 18 (+1 Mat) (3/5 Mats Found) ----- Word Count: 2507 ----- Edited June 12, 2022 by Theodore Bell Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Soren Rider 0 Posted June 12, 2022 #37 Report Share Posted June 12, 2022 (edited) They had only been out in the plains for a couple hours tops, possibly less, looking for materials. Although time had felt rushed, most likely from the adrenaline of meeting new people and beginning combat out of the blue, time after the combat seemed to slow down. Soren had found one material in all this time searching, which turned out to be a piece of chalk hidden in the tall grass. It was as though the game was flipping him the bird. Now Zenshu was telling him how unique the material was, that its outward appearance was not of the likes Zenshu had ever seen before. His comparison of chalk to blacksmithing seemed almost unreasonable. Chalk being used as a material for blacksmithing was completely insane. Chalk wasn't sturdy enough a material for any weapon or armor, it would certainly break before it got use in combat. Even a computer geek like Soren couldn't fathom a blacksmith needing chalk to make weapons or armor, unless it was for creating an outline of something. Zenshu is too kind to tell it to you straight, that chalk is a fucking pointless piece of shit. It couldn't have been a computer chip or a usb, or anything that resembles the thing you literally spent so much of your life researching and putting together? No, it had to be a piece of that vile material they made you write with. Regardless of the material's impracticality, and its relevance to Soren, he would still need to find another four materials to complete the quest that they had begun. He was sure he wouldn't be the one holding back his party. He gazed to his left before turning his head around and gazing the other direction for a while, listening to idle chat from the others in his party in the meantime. There wasn't a glimmer of anything, it was just the tall grass swaying with the breeze. Soren had chosen, almost as if he was back in his apartment from college, to go silent. He listened to his fellow party members and friends, as well as continued surveillance of the grass for boars, wolves, or heaven forbid another piece of white chalk, the occasional thoughts being rejected from his mind. When Soren concentrates on something by itself, he is usually quick to finish. This is because his mind can process the goal without any interference from outside issues. He can concentrate and get things done efficiently, that and multitasking he prided himself on. Yet in the moments to come, that concentration would pause, slow down, and cease to function. Zenshu, Syra, and Teddy all spoke of Yoga, as if they should start doing that regularly in the game. Soren used this time to contemplate its usefulness and whether he would actually be up for trying something like it. Yup, my friends and the ol' man are batshit crazy. Why the fuck would we do yoga, what use is it to someone's avatar in a game? We stretch our muscles which we don't actually have in the game, to prevent an injury we aren't going to get. Plus, how could my ol' man know anything about Yoga? Wait, did Rita know how to do Yoga? That would explain where she would go on Tuesdays and Thursdays... Doing Yoga in this game seems pointless to me, but honestly, why not? Maybe a yoga session could somehow bring us together better as a party... not sure how that would work, but if the ol' man remembers what Rita explained to him or Zenshu remembers something, its worth a try... Soren thought about these things and then he glanced over to see Syra doing the downward dog in the tall grass. Oh damn... Soren lifted his hand to cover his mouth. He felt awkward just staring at her while she attempted yoga. Ummm His mind seemed to move him into action, lowering his hand to his side. She means she wants to try yoga now... Go out there and stretch or something, you may not know anything about yoga, but don't fucking make her do it alone! Soren moved over to join her but he knew literally nothing about yoga besides it's name and that it involved "stretching". Then Syra did the splits. Oh shit, oh fuck, no, I ain't doing that, nope. Soren could hear his muscles in his groin tearing even if he wasn't actually doing it. His facial expression was that of pain as he watched. He decided to sit on the ground next to Syra, placing both feet together making a diamond and leaning forward. That shit ain't for me, the butterfly stretch is the best I got, even if I am in a game. That shit looks WAY too painful for me. Soren said this out loud to Syra, clearly incapable of doing what she just did. The others in the party began walking around the tall grass in search of another material. Syra quickly found a material, and in the meantime Soren's ol' man asked Soren and Zenshu if there was a means in the game of making the materials become more prevalent, which Soren wasn't certain of. He knew about aggro from other online games he had experimented with, and he knew about the healing mechanics in this game to a similar extent, but that was the limit to the specific knowledge regarding those features in this game. Its about as likely as a rare magical item being found by a group of low level adventurers in your D&D campaigns, but a consumable or a more rare item in this game could make the likelihood of finding materials in this game more frequent I'd presume. Its a fucking good question though. I would compare this feature to games of a similar genre to make an educated guess since this isn't a life or death question. Zenshu, which smart-ass on the first floor might we go to for more info on this? Certainly a powerful item capable of enhancing your search ability like that wouldn't be found on the first floor. Soren went back, for the moment, in search of another material. So far, his search for materials had been unlucky, and possibly even a slap to the face. Syra has two materials now, and so does his ol' man. Soren was falling behind quick, which wasn't characteristic of him. He was the kind of player to get things done quickly and efficiently, but something was setting him back. Soren glanced over the grass, again and again hoping that a glimmer might come his way... but at the same time, he wasn't eager for it. Too many bad memories from the chalk. He would rather try his hand at doing the splits with Syra again than be reminded of the chalk. Soon, Soren found himself glancing over at Teddy, Zenshu, and Syra, expectantly waiting for something, anything, to take his mind away from itself. He heard Syra say something about being an amputee, which was just enough to distract his mind. Holy sh*t, does that mean that Syra is a limbless person in the real world? Its no wonder she wanted to do yoga here! She couldn't have experienced it in her previous life, this literally is a chance to do something brand new... A fucking accident as a child making her an amputee for life? That probably means she didn't get a disease that caused her to lose a limb, maybe a machine malfunctioned? Maybe she was shot? The culture in the real world was and is dangerous, its completely possible she was attacked by some aggressive son of a bitch. But she said accident, which makes it seem like something happened that wasn't intended. Regardless, that don't mean shit here. She is living her new life, she is the person I see before me NOW. Thats all I care about... Thats all WE care about. Soren nodded his head, and then he decided to speak following Teddy. His ol' man was clearly giving the "its all good, we won't show you pity or abandon you" speech. Although Teddy was heartfelt saying it, the speech itself wasn't to Soren's liking. So, once his ol' man had finished his thought, Soren spoke up... at first he was somewhat quiet, but almost as though he was reminded of something, his voice quickly rose as he stood up, passion filling his words. You could probably give us more details if you are comfortable doing so. Nobody, not my ol' man, not Zenshu, nor I, would judge you outright for being forthcoming with us. We are a party now and hopefully we will be a party in the future. I personally would love to hear your story. Who knows, we all might have a story like this and maybe there is a better place to tell those stories... but just to be clear... FUCK THAT SHIT, You may have been an amputee and maybe it sucked but I don't give a FLYING RATS ASS if you were an amputee in the real world. You just fucking killed a boar, A BOAR! Next thing you know, you will be slinging through dungeons slicing monsters to PIECES! Our opinion of your past doesn't mean jack shit. Only are success and function as a party matters. That much I am sure of. The past, in this case, doesn't define our future. The last comment about the past not defining the future was not something Soren was so certain of. He remembered his past, being taken by parents that didn't want him, often abused him, sent him back into foster care, to which the process repeated a few times. They were not fond memories outright, but he could remember many kids his age in the foster program that he envied, even one he could almost call a friend, one who left his side and never wrote or made contact again. If his past did define his future, his new friends would be dead within the year, just like his friend and roommate from college. He wouldn't be able to explain how he met Zenshu and Syra, two kind and compassionate individuals. And for the father most deserving of the title, Theodore Bell, Levi had never given him proper, outright thanks. Soren knew that would need to change, he would need to confront that part of himself while he was in this game, the sooner the better. In fact, he thought for a second and an idea crossed his mind. He spoke to Teddy, who had just found himself a seat in the tall grass. Ol' man, shit, you know, a sizable thought just crossed my mind. If you want to learn how to attract mobs in this game, we could do something once we attain the materials for this quest. I was thinking about taking a profession, maybe a performer, like becoming a fucking poet and shit. What 'cha think? Plus, I need to make money and I would rather not spend all day going out of my way to kill boars at a low level by myself. Think maybe we could take a day and figure out what we want to do here? Soren spoke to his father, but he seemed to be thinking about something else. He had been standing a moment before, but now he was sitting and closing his eyes... Did my ol' man... no, his health bar is still full in the party icon, he can't die of old age in the game unless it happened in the outside world, right... right? Yeah, he can't fucking croak on me now. Maybe I should ask him again once he wakes back up? Soren continued his search for the material in the tall grass, his passion and eagerness to find a material was non-existent. About another minute passed before Soren decided to lay down on the grass facing up to the sky. He needed a break even though he wasn't doing anything exhausting. Almost like a distant memory coming back, Soren heard his inner voice speaking to him, the chalk material being the trigger. Do you remember your first foster parent, the teacher? She would come home and have you write. When you messed up, you were hit. You were not good enough to be successful. When you lashed out at her, you were beat. Don't forget it. Learn from it. Learn faster. Be better. Be smarter. Accomplish more... Soren rolled over to his side to see what the others were doing, clearly his mind was tormenting him. He didn't want to remember, he wanted to forget. Normally he would tinker with computer pieces but those were not going to be something he could easily acquire and put together while in a game like this. He had to distract himself by other means, especially while out on a quest looking for chalk of all things. From turning to look at his fellow party members, Soren could see that Syra had continued her search after finding her second material. Goddamn, she is determined to find those materials. How can she keep her mind focused on something like that for so long out here? I am struggling to keep my focus for more than a minute, which isn't like me at all! Fuck'n hell! Clearly her determination had no bounds. Zenshu was seen by Soren bouncing on his feet, though he stopped almost as though he saw Soren looking over. Ope, shit, I might have startled him... I hope I didn't... Then Zenshu nodded to himself, as if confirming something unspoken. Okay, he must have thought of something and confirmed it there, hope it was something more interesting than deciding whether or not to stay with us. I know it must be a fucking drag to come out with newer players and collect mats without getting the quest for yourself... When Soren turned his head slightly to look over at Teddy, he found that Teddy was holding up his third material. It was almost as if Teddy was taunting Soren's inability to find materials for this quest. It couldn't be an easier task, finding five simple materials in the tall grass. Somehow, for Soren, this just wasn't the case. Alright chalk, I have fuckin had it with you! You mock me and my inability to be a perfect person. I don't give a shit anymore, I am going to make you into something amazing! Show yourself to me, God Dammit! I don't care what you meant to me in the past, I am about to use you to write the best fuckin poetry that anyone locked in this game has had the liberty to witness live. Soren was no longer smiling, he had a genuinely angry facial expression as he stood and walked away from the group a few paces. There he sat and closed his eyes trying to meditate like his ol' man had just done. Yet still those horrible thoughts flooded his mind _______ 209500| LD:5(+0 Mats) (1/5 Found) ------- Word Count: 2,508 ------- Edited June 12, 2022 by Soren Rider Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Zenshu 0 Posted June 12, 2022 #38 Report Share Posted June 12, 2022 Zenshu listened patiently as the elderly man explained his connections with yoga – what limited those were. Zenshu waited politely as the elderly man bespoke about what Zenshu understood as a wife – from the sounds of it, spoken in the past as if no longer a part of the present life of the man, and not just because they were all trapped in a game that cut them off from the real world. Zenshu couldn’t help but assume that the wife had passed away, and from the actions and mannerisms of the man, he assumed some time ago – enough that Teddy seemed to have come to terms with it, accepting it. As the man paused, Zenshu gave a slight smile before speaking the only thing that came to mind in response to the idea of everyone getting together for yoga. “Well, I can’t speak for everyone of course, but I don’t know how much I myself would benefit from yoga – I’m sure it has some excellent properties and can be superb for certain individuals, but I’ve always found my calming methods in other ways. That, and I participated in enough extracurriculars that focus on well balanced physical conditions, that I never needed yoga myself. But of course, I think coming together and doing something is definitely an excellent idea! If not yoga, then perhaps we can find something else? It doesn’t necessarily need to be about clearing the game either, I’ve heard there’s a lot of extracurricular based things that you can do here! For example, did you know that you can do things like fishing? I’m sure it won’t entice everyone, but if you’ve ever enjoyed it…well, it won’t be exactly the same as fishing in real life, but it’s likely to be a good comparison! Beyond that, there’s a ton of other activities you can look in to – and constant events and opportunities to celebrate together…and of course, food! You can eat as much as you want, and never have to worry about gaining weight, or regretting the intake! The system will always keep you exactly as you are – which I guess for some people isn’t necessarily a good thing…but at least you don’t need to worry about changing from current? We’re all relatively healthy and capable right now, and should remain as such!” His broad smile passed over each of them – the other two, Soren and Syra, busy with their searching. Zenshu wasn’t sure if they were listening or not, but he treated them as part of the conversation regardless. He figured that the inclusiveness may cause them to join through proxy, even if they hadn’t intended to do so originally. His commentary was truthful, from the heart, but he was always concerned… The commentary from the elderly man caught Zenshu – he’d been so focused on their task at hand, that he’d simply assumed that they had been looking into material searching. It hadn’t even crossed his mind that the others may be thinking further ahead, already. Especially not towards the idea of standing in the frontlines – not that he was against it in any way. ‘It’s only logical though. If you make any progress here, you focus on heading towards the front. Which is what these three – and myself – are likely aiming to do…because that’s how we’ll escape, eventually. We may not all have the greatest life to return to – well, some of us may not – but we all want to escape this…there’s no doubt about that. But in order to do so, we need to take the fight to the front – to get to the hundredth floor, and eventually beat the final boss to end this madness.’ He nodded his head as Teddy finished his commentary, realising that the older man – and Soren in turn – were both interested in gearing up for a future fight. Zenshu crossed his hand in front of himself, bowing his head slightly as he spoke in order to give his apology, before standing up straight again. “My sincerest apologies – I do not think it was a mistranslation with the system, so much as a misunderstanding on my part. I was assuming, and thinking entirely, on material gathering due to the quest at hand. I realise now that you were asking about items beyond that – about items that would eventually assist with fighting, and being on the frontlines themselves! I can commend that, and I hope I gave no insult by providing incorrect, or irrelevant information.” Standing straight again, he glanced between the two before launching into his monologue again. He had gained a lot of information in the recent days as he had begun his own journey upwards, and was overjoyed that he could share it with someone else. ‘Like a true senpai, I can help guide these three safely. Eventually, perhaps, they’ll surprise me – but that is the way of the senpai and kouhai. I should take pride in the fact that I can help them now, so that later on they can maybe help me, if it ever comes to that!’ “As to being able to obtain items that would allow you to better operate in a fight – absolutely. This system has three main sets that are important; your armour – which can include cloth armour like I wear, or light armour like Soren – or even the heavy armour like you yourself wear. Each comes with advantages and disadvantages, depending on what type of build you are going for. You had mentioned being a…paladin?...I believe that would be like a tank? With the idea of keeping the attention on yourself and taking all the damage, so that others can focus on taking down the targets. There’s many ways that can be done! To begin with, you’ll need to look at both your skills and enhancements. Enhancements are parts of the equipment – on armour, on weapons and on accessories like trinkets – which allow you to add special features. Depending on the quality of the item, you can have between one and three upgrades – for example, my weapon…” He summoned forth his ninjato, drawing it from the sheath and laying the blade across both palms, allowing it to be fully visible. The sun seemed to be drawn into the dark black metal, with no reflective light bouncing off it. “…contains a single level of rarity – known as uncommon – meaning that it has only one enhancement. I chose to go with damage on this one, simply because I wanted to be a DPS focus – that’s Damage per Second – meaning that I focus on hard hitting strikes. Some enhancements are specific to the pieces of equipment – like damage being specific to weapons, or mitigation being specific to armour. But some can go across numerous different types of equipment, for example the Taunt enhancement can be placed on armour or a trinket…” He took a second to allow the information to sink in, before continuing – his own enthusiasm causing him to speak with a slight tinge of excitement. “Now, sometimes you can combine skills and enhancements in order to better yourself. For example, if you specialise in a weapon, you automatically do more damage with the weapon depending on your skill level with it. Add on a damage enhancement, and that only continues to grow! I’ve heard that tanks use the Taunt enhancement, alongside things like Howl or Fighting Spirit to increase the ability to aggro – or pull attention to themselves – by causing more hate with each strike, or by using taunts with the howl ability. So, if you’re looking at tanking, that may be something to consider – because you’ll be more effective if all the hate is on you. Oh, I should say, hate is how monsters determine whom they will attack. The more hate you cause, the more likely it is to focus on you. Attacking and hitting a monster will of course cause hate, but like I said – there’s other ways to increase it, which is important for a tank.” Zenshu seemed to pause to consider something for a moment, before his words flowed out again. “Now, sometimes skills will cancel out the use of enhancements…one such example is combat masteries. Once you hit level eleven, you automatically get to choose what’s call a combat mastery. These are focused on either Damage, Accuracy, Evasion or Mitigation – each giving you specific benefits in one area of expertise. The downside is that you cannot boost these using enhancements. So, if you decide that as a tank you want to mastery mitigation, you can choose the combat mastery for mitigation – but any mitigation enhancements on your armour will become void, as they can’t stack together. The good news, is that would allow you to take other, beneficial enhancements – freeing you up to take fun things, like Thorns in this instance.” Glancing between the two, he knew that he’d just unloaded a lot of information on them – which he figured the younger man could handle, but the father may have some difficulty digesting. The last thing Zenshu wanted to do, was provide more than could be consumed and maintained, so he figured he had better leave the remainder for the time being. “There’s a lot to it, but if you want we can sit down and plan your build one day, and come up with a good combination for you! That way you we can help you obtain the best possible build for you!” He was just about to turn away from the conversation, when a sudden final though popped into his head. One that he felt would be important to point out – just from what he’d seen of how familiar the elderly man was with the system itself. “Oh, I should say…when it comes to items and equipment – there are a limit to enhanced items that you can wear. As you may have figured out, you can basically wear as much clothing and….decorative items as you can manage to stuff on yourself, logically. Enhanced equipment though, has its limitations. The system won’t allow you to equip more than three pieces that you would benefit from – but it can be almost any logical amount. So, you could technically walk around with three weapons – although you would only be able to wield one at a time, or you could wear two pieces of armour and a weapon, or three trinkets! You can of course switch them out as well, so sometimes it’s worth having numerous different options – different weapons, or armour, or trinkets – in your inventory that you can switch out to as the need arises!” Content with that final piece, he gave a nod before heading off to leave the pair to think it over, and speak to one another with a mediocre amount of private space. He had just been settled after his few moments of peaceful meditation, when Syra had dropped her own information upon Zenshu. At first, he had been stunned – not disturbed, or disgusted, but simply shocked with the personal information that had been shared. Not knowing what else to do, he bowed deeply, saying the first thing that came to mind for him. “I thank you for your honesty, and for trusting us enough to share such a personal anecdote with us…it truly means a lot. I hope that you know – as Soren has stated – we do not judge you on it. You are truly a wonderful person, and I wish that we can continue to enjoy your presence and spark, and that we can come to be closer friends with our time here…” His voice faltered for a moment as he realised what it would mean for Syra to eventually clear this game – to have to return to her life in the real world, and the feelings that she had left behind. He realised again, that some people here had escaped from harsh realities, and found a measure of solace, or comfort, in this game. Even if it came with such a dangerous edge, it still gave some people more than they had in the real world. He felt his heart tighten, and his resolve questioned – how could he focus so heavily on trying to clear them from this place, when individuals like this would only suffer in return. ‘It’s not fair, either way. We can either stay here – trapped forever, and those who have a good life to return to, or at least a modicum of something worth returning to – lose what they left behind. Or those who have nothing to return to, who are better off here in some ways, suffer because some of us want back to our lives…I wish…I wish there was some way…’ He cut the thought off before it could take root, knowing that it wouldn’t help in any way. The last wish had only caused trauma and grief, and hardship for everyone. He wouldn’t make that mistake again – not here, not where it could very well come to fruition. “I do not know what hardships there were for you in the real world, and my heart aches wishing that I could do something about it…but I hope that you can find some sort of solace in this place. It may not be perfect – in fact, it may be worse than what you had before, I do not know – but if it gives you even a single spark of life back, then I wi- I hope that you can grasp on to that, if only for a time….” He’d caught himself midway through the word, before changing his sentence. His head bowed, he waited for a time to hear Syra’s response, before straightening. He’d entirely lost track of how far they’d managed with the quest. Forcing a smile upon his face again, he tried to turn the conversation and air away from the negativity of the real world they’d left behind, focusing instead on the moment at hand. “So, how are we coming along with our searching? I know it can take some time, but this is only the first step in the quest! We still need to return to Zachariah in order to finish the final moments, and depending on how well that goes it could also take some time!” He turned his gaze back to the open plains as he waited for the answer from the others. He knew that it would still likely take them some time to complete the quest – and a part of him hoped that it would take all day. He’d come to enjoy the time together with these three, even if it hadn’t all gone perfectly. Even if they were, in many ways, so different from himself. They each had their own reasons, their own histories – but they were friendly, and welcoming, and relatively good people. People that Zenshu could say, with certainty, that he was enjoying being with. “With any luck, we can stay together for a long time…” The words were whispered, barely audible against the soft breeze that had begun to blow across the plains, encompassing the area around them. He felt no shame in them being heard, nor the emotion behind them – he was happy to have met such wonderful people, and he wished he could tell them that. He’d one day, maybe, get the courage to do so – but for now he’d be content with just finishing the quest with them. Perhaps they’d even bring him along for the next one, assuming they wished to continue it. His eyes lingered on the few players further out in the fields – some he recognised as individuals he’d had encounters with previously, who had turned him away. He felt his fists tighten for a brief moment, before relaxing. He couldn’t blame them – not everyone would get along, and he understood, now, that his personality could sometimes push many gamers away. He hoped that wasn’t the case with these three – he hoped that perhaps, for once, he’d managed to find a group that he could stay with, rely upon. He was sure that given time, perhaps they’d have their fights as all groups did – but perhaps their times together, their future endeavours, would allow all of that to be nothing more than hiccups. Smiling to himself, he settled in again in his seiza position, placing his hands on his lap as he let his eyes sweep across the immediate area. Either through luck, or simply the system knowing it wasn’t worth it right now, the few creatures near them had left them alone. He wasn’t sure how long that would last, but if need be, he’d intervene. He’d do anything to ensure that his party was safe, no matter what it took – that was a promise he intended to keep, one that he wouldn’t let falter in any way. He owed them at least that much. ------ Word Count: 2,800 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Syra 0 Posted June 13, 2022 #39 Report Share Posted June 13, 2022 It was weird, but it felt amazing to do Yoga. Of course her avatar didn't feel any of the stretch, but it felt good to use the body she was giving in this game. To have the ability to stretch, was the mental boast she needed. Nearly shouting out at the idea of forming a group, she held in her joy and attempted to calmly replay, "That would be amazing if we got a group to do this! Would be a fun way to just relax a bit, and let the pressure of the game be put on hold. Plus it would just be fun to meet new people as well, it could become a large gathering, complete with stories around a roaring fire, and a well cooked meal for everyone to share in!" The idea spun in her mind, it would be a joy to maybe buy a property on one of the higher levels, and host a weekly Yoga gathering for all who cared to join. If she wanted to do that, she would need way more funds, and would also like to hone her cooking skill, so she could make a glorious meal for all attending. Her thought bubble was popped when Sorean joined next to her in the stretching. She had not expected that. And what's more, it seemed like he also was enjoying himself. She transferred into the splits, only to start laughing at Soren who resided to a butterfly claiming, "This shits way to painful for me." Syra supposed she had read him all wrong, the fact that he joined in the yoga, regardless of the usefulness, just meant a lot to her. "Hey no pain no gain, It could be a cool move in combat, you could trip two enemies at once!" Of course that idea was ridiculous, so she laughed at her own suggestion of fighting in the splits. After the group had finished their mini Yoga session, the conversation moved to items to help you fight better in the game. It was encouraging that both Teddy and sorean also dreamed of joining the front lines. Of course though that would make sense, seeing as how they both charged into save Syra's life with the boar. Perhaps they all could fight together? Watch each others backs. What if the 4 of them all completed the game together? The thought of taking on the boss alongside the players before her set a fire in the pit of her stomach. "If we all got strong enough, we could finish the game together, than maybe we could meet up one day in the real world." Coming back to the conversation, Syra listened intently to Zenshu's explanation of upgrading, it was a lot of information to take in, Syra started wishing she was taking notes. Not everything he said made a whole lot of sense, but maybe it would in the future. Relieved to hear Zenshu's offer to discuss it more later if there was ever a need. I would be very helpful to have some one talk out stats with her, and picking out armor and weapons that would help her fight better, and stay well protected. She continued her search through the billowing grass, all while keeping an ear in the group conversation. At some point while Teddy was talking, she realized she wasn't understanding a word he was saying, but she enjoyed the rambling anyways, it felt good, real, like it was listening to others conversation in the real world. She started to wonder what Teddy and Sorean's relationship was, Teddy did mention he was Sorean' father, but it felt like sorean at times was distant, or avoiding teddy, or just straight up angry. Though what business did Syra have in other people's life in the real world? If that was something they ever felt like explaining, than that was there choice, but no reason to go about being noisy for the sake of it. She found herself loosing her thoughts in memories, of her relationship with her father. the kind man he was, how he always would say good night to her, even if he was out all day due to work inquiries. How he cared for her and her mother if they were ever sick. And how he tried his best to protect his family during the break in... BANG The sound of a gunshot rang through Syra's head. She could hear her mother wailing, she could hear the roof breaking, the feeling of her legs being crushed under the debris.... She shook herself out of it, looking around, she was in the field, Teddy and Sorean were over lying in the grass, Zenshu was keeping a watch over to himself. No, She can't let herself loose her mind, she had to focus on the here and now, finding these materials, and finishing the quest. After taking the time to share with Zenshu, and realizing that in fact Teddy and Sorean were also listen, Syra at first felt embarrass, but then cared for. It was incredible, all of these players saw her for who she was. Appreciated her, regardless about her life in the real world. Teddy with his kind words, and not giving into the trap of pity, which wasn't what she wanted. And Sorean of all people, understanding that it doesn't matter who you were, but who you are. It for sure wasn't what she had expected from any of them, but she was grateful to not only have their support, but their assurance that they wouldn't abandon her. This was it, this is what she wanted, to discover herself, to work through her trauma, and to finally connect with other people, it had been a long time since Syra had someone to call a friend, and here they were, on the first day she decided to fight back against the game, 3 people she could truly say she trusted. Amazing how fast it all came about, how this morning she was sitting alone in a cafe, wondering if she would ever stick around till tomorrow. "Thank you, all of you! I can't even begin to explain what it means to me to have you guys here, and to be able to get to know you. I don't know if I am the type of person that believes in fate, and in my opinion you would have to be twisted to see this game, and situation as fated to happen, but if one good thing does come out of all of this, it is that I got the chance to meet all of you, and that I was able to share a little my story with you." She paused for a moment, fighting back the tears that were welling up. "Please know though, that I would also love to hear your stories too, who you were or are, but I understand if it is a niche thing to talk about. But if you all were willing, I would love to meet at a cafe after this, and maybe we could take the time to get to know each other a little bit more." Her eyes beamed at the idea! Forming a formal party, having weekly hang outs, leveling up, sharing stories, going on adventures! It sounded like the perfect way to live life in this world, and if she was honest with herself, there wasn't another group of people she would be more happy to spend that time with. A tear came to Syra's eye when Zenshu shared his deepest sympathy for her situation. She knew from the first moment of meeting him, that he had a kind heart, that he cared for people, and just wanted to help. He was who Syra wanted to be. "Thank you! yeah that is true, this was not the experience I was imagining when I joined the game. But I have come to terms with that. It's funny that a life in here actually offers me more life, then my life in the real world." She took a moment pondering over that thought. This world offered her all that the real world took away. "That being said though, I am not the type to wish this world to never end, I know that so many are trapped from their friends and family. Some might have children, or grandparents, responsibilities. And the devastation of being trapped here is unimaginable. Though it benefits myself more in this game, I still want to fight to end it. For all of those who have a life worth fighting for in the real world." She looked over to Teddy and Sorean, still laying about in the grass. "I think I want to join the frontlines as well. I know it will take a lot of work, and I have such a long way to go before I am ready, but I want to be apart of helping to free everyone from this nightmare. To inspire, and encourage those who might be losing hope. To reconnect families, and destroy whatever fantasy the developer had when designing this circumstance." She had never felt so powerful before. It was like a match had be lit inside her, and she was catching on fire. Her words being precise and pointed, and for the first time since being trapped, filled with hope. She exchanged a smile to Zenshu, then resigned to go back to searching. For how easy it was to find her first material, it was that much harder to find her next one. She couldn't believe it, scanning back and forth. Picking up sticks, and looking under, and around rocks. Why was this so hard? She started wishing she could take on another boar, sure it was a high risk, low reward method, but it beats crawling about on your hands and knees for hours at a time. Luckily she wasn't the only one who was struggling to find any more materials, looking over at Sorean, it seemed as though this seemed just as difficult for him as it was for her. It brought some peace to her mind. "At least I won't be the only one keeping the group here longer than needed." She started too long for the end of the quest, to be able to go to a cafe with these guys, to share in drinks and maybe play some games. This whole thing was tedious and boring. One could only look so long at identical blades of grass, and rocks before going insane. Teddy had found another one, oh the guilt of him and Zenshu waiting for hours while she still struggled to find her second material. Understanding now why she had seen Teddy and Sorean resting in the grass, this was tiring, even if it wasn't physical, but it was mentally tiring. She was fighting the urge to allow herself to rest for a moment, "If I sit down, there is no telling if I would get up. If I keep searching at least that is still a chance of finding more materials. The only way to ensure not finding anything, is by not looking." She continued on her search, though the patch of grass did look inviting, as it tossed and twisted in the breeze. The sun resting high above the plains, shining through the trees, and offering a warmth and comfort that is just inviting you to rest your head. What is the harm if she allowed herself a small break? Besides the other two certainly did. Perhaps it would strengthen her next push of searching, recharging her mind, and giving her the boost to move forward to find more materials. She unequipped her sword, and stood over a perfectly looking patch of grass, just begging her to lay down. "No I just have to give it five more minutes of searching. I can not just allow the need for rest stop me. In this game physical limitation don't exists, I could go for hours and hours and not break a sweat! Why am I wanting to give in to an idol break, when there are people counting on me to push through, to find all of the materials, and to finish the quest that they all started. If I rest now, I could block the flow that I have had in searching, and that could stall us, not a few hours, but maybe days!" She allowed her thoughts to spin back and forth. To rest or not to rest, that was the question. But the answer was not a clear cut and dry one. Embarrassed, she was pondering on this far longer than she had wished. Looking up at the sky, she tried to determine what time of day it was. Not that she really could tell, she had no knowledge in the real world what time it was purely based on the placement of the sun. "Hey guys, what time do you think it is? I am finding myself loosing steam, probably from lack of actually locating any materials for the last little bit." She gave out a slight chuckle. then turned to Zenshu. "When you did this quest, how long did it take you to find all the materials? It is normal that it is taking this long? Am I doing something wrong with searching?" Syra noticed there were other players beginning to fill out some of the empty plain area, not that it bothered her, but she wondered if they were doing the same quest, and if so, were they far more successful with their searching than she was? Putting the thought to the side, she took a moment to herself, observing the surrounding area. Almost like taking a moment to connect with nature. Noting every tree in her sight, every rock along every hill, every animal going about it's own business. Well on the bright side, it was a rather perfect day to be out in the fields, searching for hours. How awful would it be if it were raining.... or would that make it easier? Then the thought came to her, maybe she wasn't finding anything because she had the wrong perspective? This whole time she had been above the line of the tallest grass, looking down, moving around blade after blade hoping to find something. So what if she was instead looking from higher up, like from the hight of a tree, she would be able to see way more from that distance! Without giving it a second thought, Syra made her way to the closest, yet strongest looking tree. She managed to find one, not that far off from the rest of the group. Making it to the base of the tree, she looked up. Analyzing the branches for the perfect path to the top. After mapping it out, she reached up to take hold of the lowest hanging branch, hoisting herself up, surprisingly easy. She remembered climbing trees as a kid, but she remembered it taking a lot of effort, but her, hardly any at all needed to be taken. After securing her position on the first branch, she reach out for the next one, then the next, and the next. Quickly she was making distance up the tree, like climbing a ladder, it was super simple, and fun. As she climbed higher and higher, she found her smile growing, and without realizing it, she was laughing to herself! Higher and higher she climbed, and eventually she had stopped climbing and was leaping from branch to branch, just like a lemur, or a monkey from the amazon. "What fun! Maybe instead of fighting, this is how I will spend the rest of my days in this game!" Finally she reached the top, she could see the whole plain from up here. Down below she saw her party members all looking like tiny ants. "Hey guys! Look at how high I came! I can see the whole floor from up here!" Of course she couldn't actually see the whole floor, but it sure as heck felt like it. The breeze pushed her about as she balanced in the branches, one with the leaves. This was it, what she had been missing out on, what she was truly looking for! Freedom! To go where she wanted, when she wanted. To not have to wait for the go ahead from others, maybe that is why she went head first in against the boar, maybe that is why she said yes to this VR gaming nightmare. Most of her life had been being told what to do, where to go, how to go about doing it. And she was tired of it. Tired of feeling like a burden. Tired of relying on others in order to move ahead. Now she could make her own calls! And within that, she decided right then and there, overlooking the entirety of the first floor, she was going to see this game to the end, Get back to the real world, and take a hold of her own life! The only thing that had been standing in her way, was the lie she was believing, that she was no longer capable to live her own life. It took getting stuck in a video game to realize it was never too late to reclaim the life she had lost, and re-invent it. After her moment in the tree tops, she came to the conclusion that it didn't actually help in locating any more materials, So she started to make her way back down to the ground. She went slower down, than she did going up, the thought of falling at this point, and hitting every branch on the way down, risking the remaining life she had left, was enough to submit her to a slow decent. Finally close enough to be able to leap down, she held on to the branch she was resting on, let her feet sway beneath her, and flipped backward landing flawlessly on the ground. "Back to regular searching I guess." |Word Count: 3,012 | ID209504 | LD: 9 (+0 MAT) | 1/5 MAT Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Theodore Bell 0 Posted June 13, 2022 Author #40 Report Share Posted June 13, 2022 (edited) Teddy listened as intensely as he could to Zenshu, his hand unconsciously reaching to the left breast of his armor, only to find that there was in fact no pocket there, no pen, no notepad. Things started going over his head and fast. He perked up a bit when Zenshu offered to help him make a plan. “Ah would greatly appreciate the help in planning, An’ perhaps Ah could figure out haw to rahght some o’ this down. Ah must say the ol’ noggin aint what it used to be” Teddy said giving a meek smile and tapping his head. “But, nothin’ some repetition wont fix Ah’m sure.” After the rest, Levi said something that made Teddy’s face light up. “Whell Ah think spendin’ some time doin’ some father-son bondin’ would be a mahgty fahne idea. Though Ah think the lassies as bingo would give me hell if they heard Ah was bondin’ with mah son through killin’ He He” He gave a hearty chuckle as a thought crossed his mind, “Oh, Ah guess it wouldn’t be too unlahke huntin’... Not that Ah ever did that Ah could never bring mahself to kill the cute little deer runnin’ about, runnin’ their errands, mahndin’ their business. Here they just come back rahght? So Ah dont have to feel bad about endin’ their lahves prema-prematurly.” He looked to the group, realizing just how vast his lack of knowledge was. It was a bit embarrassing, but he didnt need the others to know that. I don’t want to worry them none, everyone starts somewhere right? Though it is hard to believe that someone could keep track of all this. He looked over at Syra as she finished speaking her piece, he was sure that it was probably a lot to handle coming forward about all that. “Whell Ah think that settin’ down at a dahnner would be a mahghty fahne idea. Ah tell ya’ Ah can spin tales lahke the best… they would probably put ya to sleep though. He He, Ah’d love to hear more about all y’alls stories though, Ah am sure that y’all have some interesting stories to tell.” He gave a glance to Levi, knowing to some extent what all he went through. The memory of being sat down by the social worker. A young girl, never seen hardship in her life… or at least that is what Teddy made of her at the time. “Look, I know you two are looking for someone older, but are you sure you want him?” She said, before handing over the mountain of paperwork dealing with Levi’s case. “He has been, brought back many times by families saying he is a handful, and he doesn't have the best reputation in the adoption centers.” Teddy looked at the woman with a level of seriousity, disdain and anger that never had a shadow on his face nowadays. “Nahw you listen hera’ If you think AH, let alone Rita, am goin’ turn mah back on Levi, you can walk out that door and send in your superior. Ah have read those documents thoroughly, Ah know who this kid is. Ah know the trouble he has gotten into. So you can kahndly take that opinion of yours and SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS” The room fell silent, he could feel the rather hard hit from Rita on his thigh for losing his temper like that, it definitely wouldn't be helping their case for adopting a kid. The room settled. “Look,” Rita said, “You can help us process this, or you can hear from our lawyer. Ah am sure that your management would love to hear about all the falsifications on our accommodations and livelihoods. An’ Ah am going to make this easy for you. Help us here, and you will never hear from Levi again.” The soft voice of his wife echoed in his mind as he came out of the brief dissociation. Realizing that he had been staring at his son he gave a small smile and did his best to play it off, turning back to the ground to look for materials. But, needless to say his mind now a flood, the focus he had exhibited was just not as present as he searched. In accordance with, and likely because of this, nothing showed up. He shrugged. Another memory tugged at his mind as well though, the wooden box he kept in the back of his mind bulged again, the things inside begging to get out. The wood rotten and bug eaten, the hinges rusty, the lock tarnished, but it still held. And it would continue to hold. Teddy had always seen himself as bigger than the issues at hand…. Or at least he learned to think that way. Taught himself the skill over many years. He was no carpenter though, no blacksmith, but the box would hold… it had to… he just needed something else to focus on for a while. ________________ 209524 | LD: 3 (No mat found) (3/5 Mats) ----- Word Count:828 ----- Edited June 15, 2022 by Theodore Bell Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
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