[PP:F11: Taft] Every moment counts [Teselmar]-Complete

[Opal 0]

It was a new and exciting day. The clouds over Taft were light and fluffy, the sting of the high sunlight caused a radiant glow of red and orange over the building of the town as Opal walked out into its jubilant atmosphere. The city seemed to be rather packed, but it was a high traffic time considering the bustling of Merchant carts and players going up and down the streets. Honey eyes danced freely from side to side as she marched across a busy intersection. 

Prior to the events of this happening, the woman had decided to help Teselmar, a player she was becoming increasingly fond with over the course of the week, with some combat exercises. The player, nay the man Martin, had stated he wanted to protect and help people. And that was an admirable trait in someone these days. Many players wanted perhaps fame and infamy, others sought to just live out their life. Some were made for the front lines, others were not. However, joining the Knights of the Blood was not just another guild you can wave your finger at. No, it was a hard working and dedicated guild to becoming the best front line advancement team the whole of Aincrad would ever see. Sure there was the Azure Brigade, but rarely did anyone talk about that group anymore, not to mention the rumors of internal affairs sprouting up. 

Sending the message off to her friend, she would give Teselmar the opportunity to grow stronger. She would help him achieve his desires if she could, not only as his Vice Commander, but as a friend as well. With that, the woman stood at the directed coordinates she had sent him via a message. In Taft, there was a small unoccupied arena. It is said that there are times when a person changes in the midst of combat, their personality changes, their movements change... What sort of change, if any, would this man go through if provoked? Opal's red lips turned into a smile as she folded her arms, the Masamune X leaning into her as she looked ahead and waited. 

Edited January 21, 2016 by Opal

[Teselmar 0]

Taft was a beautiful city, comparable to the first floor's Starting City in its scope. Teselmar had received the invitation from the lovely Opal, aka Vivian, to come and train on this floor. The streets were bustling, and the weather heralded a beautiful spring day up above. Ducking a passing group of players who were loudly discussing a rumor about some monster or another, and he rolled his eyes. Before becoming trapped in the game, he had never been very into the whole fantasy RPG scene. A small part of Teselmar wished that Kayaba had been into Sci-Fi instead. 

He had been getting close with Opal over the last month or so, and it had culminated a few days ago when they'd shared a lovely evening under the stars. She had confided in him, letting him get close in ways that he knew were frightening to her. Teselmar had resolved to not let her faith in him be misplaced. With her help and the help of the guild, he'd be in a better position to help the rest of the players get home. At the coordinates that she'd provided, he stepped into a small, gladiator style training arena. The lovely woman was standing in the center of the battle square, and he gave her a smile and a small wave as he entered the area. "Hello beautiful." He drawled, resting his hand on the ornate rapier at his hip. "We keep running into each other like this, and people are gonna get ideas about us." He said the last part playfully, the light streaming down to highlight his saffron hair. 

[Opal 0]

"Mmm? You'll address me as Vice Commander, Teselmar...." the woman could not bat away from the compliment he had given her though, and she tried her best to keep the straightest face possible without cracking a wide smile. Clearing her throat, the woman didn't make a move, instead she withdrew the steel blade from the ornate saya and allowed the blade to fall easily enough upon her shoulder. 

"So, you wish to become stronger? You realize, strength doesn't mean everything here. I have seen the brave shaken from their resolve as I have spent more and more time here. So, that is what we will do today. We shall test your resolve and how badly you want to get stronger and if you are mentally prepared to take on that burden!" The woman's feet slid through the sand as her blade was now held with both her hands. He had seen her wield this blade before at mobs and the like, but never at the receiving end of one of her blows. Fighting player's was different than fighting mobs, you can figure out their attack patterns in this game, but for a player vs player match up. There was always the unknown element of who you are fighting. 

With the sun casting golden rays on the sand covered arena floor, the woman's hot gaze pierced his own as she slid into position, "I shall give you the opening move, Teselmar...let me hear the strength you desire with your blade." 

--

OOC: Equipment set 1

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar knew... He just knew that he wouldn't even be able to touch the woman with his blade. Even if he'd wanted to strike her down, she was too quick, too fluid with all of her enhanced gear on. But from what he could infer by her tone, the point of this exercise wasn't to see if he could beat her. That was a bit out of the question in this world. The point was to see if he could maintain his resolve in the face of overwhelming odds.

"Of course. My apologies, Vice Commander." He kept his tone light, but respectful. When they were on duty, she was one of his guild leaders, and he would show the proper deference. Teselmar drew his rapier, the mottled blade dispersing sunlight as it was drawn. Bringing it up in a salute, he strode forward, keeping it level.

ID# 459565: Battle: 5 (miss)

Moving his thin blade as fast as he could, the thrill-seeker leapt forward, driving the point of his rapier at her heart. A moment's hesitation, and his blade was easily turned aside by the woman. It'd be an uphill battle landing any sort of hit on her, without these newfound feelings in the way.

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11

Opal: HP: 128 | Energy: 32

 

 

Edited January 17, 2016 by Teselmar

[Opal 0]

He did not waste his time as he prepared blade. A salute and a rush; Opal's keen amber eyes watched his body language as he came for a leaping strike, the pointed blade aimed for her heart. Opal's long blade slid across the rapier, the sound of metal against metal rang out in the little arena as her feet shifted through the sand. With both hands, the woman leveraged his weapon skywards knocking him back with the force of her swing. Her blade was now singing with a pulsating ivory aura. She swept the blade across his chest twice in succession, the speed was quick and precise and the full length of the blade tore him like a hot knife through butter. As her follow through ended, the woman slammed around and turned her blade outwards once more, her amber eyes on the dust and visage of the player in front of her. 

"Listen Teselmar...if you are holding back because of us, you need to get in correct mindset. I'm a demon, a horrifying monster that thinking nothing but death and despair on all that you love and wish to protect. I have only one thing on my mind right now! And that is to kill you! These are the things a Floor Boss will think of and do, it will stop you every chance it has. It will fight hard and it will continue fighting until it has nothing left! Come! Again!!" 

<<Battle Engaged>>

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11

Opal: HP: 128/128
EN: 30/32
Sword Art: Han' ei, 2 Energy, 0 Dmg [Inside a Safe Zone]

ID: 45957
BD: 6+2 = Hit
Notes: Opponent misses, Savvy Activated [+2 BD]

Edited January 17, 2016 by Opal

[Teselmar 0]

So this is what getting hit with a high level sword art feels like... It wasn't a pleasant experience. An uncomfortable buzz and a terrible impact jarred his sword hand, as the System pushed Opal's blade faster than he could defend against. He waited until the red lines on his torso faded, his HP bar refusing to move in spite of the horrific blow. Teselmar took a deep breath. She was right, of course. Of course she was right. This wasn't a person in front of him: It was the enemy. He gripped the hilt of his rapier tighter, then went for his menu. Un-equipping <<Crucible>>, he re-equipped his more accurate blade, <<Pinprick>>. Damage wouldn't help him here at all. The gold cup guard of his sword glinted in the light, and he raised his blade again for another pass.

ID# 45978 results: Battle: 8+2=10 -3= 7 (hit)

Determined to ply some of his real world experience, this time he didn't even bother with going for her heart. She'd be expecting that. Running straight at her once more, he feigned as if he was going for the exact same spot, then anticipated the incoming block. Shifting his blade's angle, Teselmar let the guard of his hilt protect his forearm from reprisal, as the tip of his blade drew a crimson line of pixels across her exposed stomach with a -SNNK-. He followed this up with a roll to his right side, smoothly tucking and coming up ready to continue their dance. He was about to say something sarcastic, but the words died on his lips. It wasn't the time.

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11 

Opal: HP: 128/128
Energy: 30/32
 

Edited January 17, 2016 by Teselmar

[Opal 0]

Opal watched as the blade changed direction. Where she had thought he would aim for her heart again, her stance broken by the new trajectory of his Rapier. It was smart for him to change his weapons, he was learning on the move which meant he was adapting to his surroundings. There was a thin red smile developing under her tutelage expression she wore. As the rapier came across, she felt the blow to her belly. A hot orange gash on her person as she took minor damage. But damage was not the victory he was going for, but making a solid attack and switching up his attack pattern.

Altogether, people get comfortable with the system allowing their bodies to be taken control of as the assist protocols kicked in. If you have seen the  attack before, it can be seen coming. He had proven that he was a flexible thinker and was not relying on the system to help him through this battle. The woman slid her foot back, getting back into stance and her blade shot forward towards his chest. The long blade could skewer anything from this range, it will be interesting how he would respond. Deflect or evade? 

<<Battle Engaged>>

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11

Opal: HP: 128/128
EN: 29/32
Sword Art: 

ID: 46025
BD: 3 [Miss]
Notes: --

Edited January 18, 2016 by Opal

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar barely had any time to think before she was upon him again, her ludicrously long blade thrusting out at him in an attempt to stick him like a shishkebab. He relied on the training that he'd gone through for years, shifting his weight to the side and raising his blade parallel to her own. The nodachi slid across the flat of his rapier with a harsh noise, enough to cause a few sparks to fly off the blades. Moving in on her guard, Teselmar activated a sword art that he'd recently learned, in an attempt to inflict some sort of damage. <<Crucifixion>> would land six times if he could just get inside the arc of that long blade.

ID# 46076 results: Battle: 10 (Crit)

He was in the zone, the thin blade of his dueling sword whipping back and forth like a blade of grass in a hurricane. Carving a crimson sigil across her torso, he finished with a final thrust that would have pierced deep, if not for the safe zone. He took a breath, waiting to see Opal's reaction, and what her next move would be.

Teselmar: HP: 48/48 | Energy: 5/12

Opal: HP: 128/128 ~ EN: 29/32
 

Edited January 18, 2016 by Teselmar

[Opal 0]

Opal was dotted with piercing strikes from Teselmar's rapier. her body was blasted back by the unique sword art as her feet skid back with a plume of smoke kicking up into the air. The woman leaned forward and slid a foot across the dusty arena floor as she stopped the backwards momentum. Dusty particles were now sent into the atmosphere as Opal attempted to regain her composure. She had to admit, for a novice player, he was holding up well against the Vice Commander, however, he had to punctuate on his attack and continue the drive. She would force him under the pressure. Shifting once more, the woman dashed forward. A small war cry boiling within her throat as both hands tightened on her katana's hilt. With a sweeping blade motion that sent a flurry of dust and wind into Teselmar's general direction, the slash was an attempt to not strike but throw him off his game. He had to strike while the iron was still hot. 

<<Battle Engaged>>

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11

Opal: HP: 128/128
EN: 28/32
Sword Art: 

ID: 46106
BD: 3+1 [Lt Mom] = Miss
Notes: Lt. Mom still activated till Hit.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Opal

[Teselmar 0]

He had forced her onto her back foot, the sword art branding a cross-shaped pattern across Opal's flesh. She looked like she was about to spring back at any moment. The light streamed down from the ceiling, highlighting the fighters' forms as dust and sand floated through the air around them. Teselmar breathed deeply, controlling his virtual body's stamina by breathing deeply; this was the same technique that a seasoned martial artist or long distance runner would use to keep themselves in the game. This fight would force him to constantly adapt to whatever his Vice Commander was planning to throw at him. The buxom woman came at him once more, sweeping her blade through the air with a sharp cry. A surge of air and grit threatened to confound him, but Teselmar's tactical eye saw through to the heart of the gambit: She wanted to make him hesitate, force him to back up in fear of that massive curved blade. Counter-intuitively, Teselmar's best option was to forge ahead. Letting the wave of wind wash over him unflinchingly, he waited until her dash had brought her within range of striking him with her blade. 

ID# 46171 results:Battle: 8+2-3=7 (hit)

Teselmar broke the momentum of Opal's strike, closing the gap between the two of them with surprising speed. His blade did not glow, as that would have given away what he was doing. Stabbing at an angle, Teselmar threaded the blade of his rapier between Opal's raised right bicep, and her breast. He ducked her nodachi's edge as he stepped forward, leveraging his blade into a law enforcement style arm bar and pinning Opal's arm behind her. His thin sword made a shallow cut against her arm as he turned it, though his real point was to stop her momentum and get behind her. Her sword could still be wielded with her left hand, so he knew that she'd either be able to strike at him or break free with a move, but keeping her restrained was never the plan. The plan had been to get close enough that the enormous advantage of her blade's length would be minimized, and show Opal that he was more than just a mindless brute.

Teselmar: HP: 48/48 | Energy: 5/12

Opal: HP: 128/128 ~ EN: 28/32

Edited January 20, 2016 by Teselmar

[Opal 0]

The player had got in close to Opal, taking away the advantage of her lengthy blade from her. Honey eyes were pleased at how well he was adapting to their spar and the situations she was putting him, "Good..." she said under her breath, feeling her arm poised back as to inhibit her movement. But she would not allow him to go unpunished for this. With her head following forward, the woman shot her head back into Teselmar, her skull colliding with blunt force trauma to possibly his nose to get her arm free. Sweeping her leg off to the side, she twisted around inverting her blade in the process and slammed the pommel into his diaphragm knocking the air out of his lungs. 

The woman did a backdash, causing more of the sand to mix with the air giving it a dusty field of vision. Within the dust as it settled, the woman's body phased into something displeasing to his eyes as she <<Disguised>> herself within the smokescreen. When her body erupted from the dusty atmosphere, her Masamune X was once more within the saya. Her feet slid apart and she got into a low stance, with a flick of her finger against the guard of her blade, it was as if a flash of light had occurred. There was no sound, no indication that she attacked. But upon Teselmar's body was a long orange scar dressed over his body where he had been cut. The only sound that came afterwards was the click of her katana escaping back into the ornate sheath. It was the first time she had ever used <<Iai>>. 

<<Battle Engaged>>

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11

Opal: HP: 128/128
EN: 16/32
Sword Art: Iai, 13 En, No Dmg [Safe Zone]

ID: 46191
BD: 4+1 [Lt Mom] = 5 + 1 [Disguise] = 6
Notes: -1BD on Teselmar's next Roll

Edited January 20, 2016 by Opal

[Teselmar 0]

Well... $#!%. While pain was dialed back to an acceptable level in Sword Art Online, impact was still perceivable on a scale that was mighty uncomfortable. His vision blurred as Opal's head slammed into his nose. The force of such a blow might have broken his nose out in the real world; inside the game it only forced his head backward sharply. Where his nose might have bled, an angry red burst of pixels appeared across his field of view instead. He struggled to hold on to the woman's arm as she turned, the hilt of her blade colliding with his gut. Breathing became something of a chore as he involuntarily let go of her, reeling backwards while trying to maintain his composure. Glancing up as he raised his blade to defend himself, he did a double take. Standing in the smoke was a tall, lithe man, a cigarette in one hand and a rapier in the other. He was seeing a vision of himself, poised with rapier at the ready. Unnerved, he blinked and wiped the red from his eyes. Unfortunately, this was the exact moment that Opal dropped the Disguise, and he heard the click of her katana leaving its sheath. A gentle breeze stirred, and Teselmar did not even see the blade flash outwards, only feeling the line of force it drew across his torso. Knocked backwards once more, he attempted to center himself; it was harder than he'd anticipated, as he was still bothered by the memory of the Gemini he'd killed that wore a similar face.

ID# 46221 results:Battle: 5+2=7-4=3 (miss)

His counter attack was shaky, and he wasn't really trying to hit her. Moreso, Teselmar was attempting to make her back up, thrusting at the air in front of her legs in an effort to force her into putting distance between them. The more time he had to mentally re-align, the better.

Teselmar: HP: 48/48 | Energy: 5/12

Opal: HP: 128/128 ~ EN: 16/32

Edited January 20, 2016 by Teselmar

[Opal 0]

"I wonder if I pushed him hard enough?" Opal's honey eyes turned to the Rapier Wielder, he wanted to gain some ground and distance from the two it seemed. That is good for Opal, giving her the advantage but not so much for Teselmar and his shorter blade. The woman slid from an attack position into a more defensive one. She had him rattled no doubt by something, perhaps from the <<Disguise>> skill? She wondered what player's saw that frightened them so much, in any case it looked like whatever he saw was something off putting. However, she couldn't apologize. He needed to be strong like steel, and his mind needed to be keen and open to everything around him. She would do something else now to throw him off his balance. 

"You are fighting well, Teselmar..." the woman looked at the ground and she moved her foot over the sandy arena floor, "but you should take a look at where you are at right now. We are in an arena and the sun above is slowly letting up as this drags on, giving me the ultimate advantage over you...because in the darkness I feel more comfortable in the fight. I'll show you a bit of something else that I learned in my training...You've seen the Samurai in action, now you will see me as the Assassin!" as she had spoken her words, she whipped her blade around and began to spin around, her blade crashing through the sandy terra ferma as more and more sand and debris clouded within the arena. As the dust became more compact and harder to see, soon her body fled into the sandy mist and became completely transparent as if she had disappeared but what she left behind was a voice that seemed to call surrounding him.

"How do you fight what you can not see?" she asked, hiding within the shadows of arena where the dust of the atmosphere was helping her hide her figure. It had been awhile, be she used her <<Sneak and Hide>> Skill to achieve this, although a low ranking skill, she would eventually have this mastered. 

--
Notes: Sneak and Hide Engaged: +14 Stealth Rating, LD: +15 to find. 

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar cracked his neck, letting the sensation loosen him up a bit. He was actually enjoying the fight now, the sliver of fear he'd felt staring at himself fueling his adrenaline addiction. Opal had put some distance between the two of them, and was utilizing some new type of skill that he'd never seen before. Shadow shrouded her as dust and grit filled the air; her form disappeared as she made a statement about how she was an assassin as well as a samurai. Teselmar smirked, trying a bit of light banter in order to get her to reveal herself. "So, you're a samurai/assassin/alchemist/vice commander. Well, I'll be a pirate/ninja/robot/cowboy, if we're playing that kinda game!" He paced casually into the portion of the arena where a thin ray of sunlight still glimmered out of the shade. He continued to joke, buying himself time as he stepped into the light. "So, you like it in the dark, eh? I'm more of a daylight kinda guy myself."

ID# 46228 results: Loot: 16 (Success!)

Teselmar let the sunlight play off his blade, reflecting it into the swirling cloud before him. Angling it like a spotlight, his natural powers of observation made him look again when the reflection passed over an area of distortion... It was like a patch of air that moved incorrectly, looking just a touch out of place. That's her... He tilted his blade again, letting the sun shine into where her eyes would be. "Peek a boo." He grinned, ready to face another onslaught now that he had discerned her location.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Teselmar

[Opal 0]

Opal had been standing still as the dust settled, she listened to the man speak. Was he buying time for the dust to settle? It didn't take long for him to find her however, the drawback of using such a low rank, not easily camouflaged in the uniform as pristine as her own and as white as snow. 

"You may have found me, but you should have taken charge and attacked when you did!" The woman burst out of her shadows as her long blade came towards him. Both hands on the hilt, the woman slammed a foot into the ground and twisted her body around swinging her blade upwards to start her combo. A long orange gash ensued over the player, "Always take a shot when you have one!" She swept around once more, this time the blade coming down along his head to his chest with a powerful chopping strike, "Hesitating will only get yourself killed!" And finally, the long blade shining with dusted sunlight vaulted through the smokescreen as it was thrust into the player's chest. The long blade penetrating his defense and shooting him back several feet.  

"Never let me get the upper hand." She said with a smirk, her blade and body now once more reflecting a defensive stance now that he was down. 

<<Battle Engaged>>

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11

Opal: HP: 128/128
EN: 14/32
Sword Art: Hi Ougi, 3 Energy, 0 Dmg

ID: 46235
BD: 6
Notes: 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Opal

[Teselmar 0]

ID# 46249 results: Battle: 2+2=4-3=1 (miss)

Teselmar had to remind himself that this wasn't a battle that he could count on winning. In fact, there was no win condition set for this fight. The only goal here was to learn how to stay determined, even when the odds were against him. Clever tactics and real-world situational awareness could only get him so far against levels and equipment like Opal's. Compared to her, he might as well have been an old man hobbling around, with how many times she hit him. No matter his best efforts to evade, her oriental blade got through his defenses. The woman was a grandmaster with the katana, and it showed in just how swift her strikes were.

Feeling the last blow pierce his chest, he flew backwards with the momentum. Instead of landing flat on his back, Teselmar rolled with the blow. Tucking and coming back up to his feet, he dashed at Opal again, attempting to get within her guard. Stay focused, strike whenever you can. An actual attack at this range was pointless, so instead he feinted, then scooped up a handful of sand, flinging it at her. It wouldn't have a lot of impact, but perhaps it would make her pause enough for him to strike again. 

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11

Opal: HP: 128/128
EN: 14/32

Edited January 20, 2016 by Teselmar

[Opal 0]

Sand was caught in the wind, a dirty trick by the Rapier Wielder, but a solid plan of action to throw an opponent off their mark. The sand caught in her eyes, causing a mild irritation at best. The hilt in her hands lightly loosened from the hold she bore down on it as she let one hand go and backed away from her intended target while shaking the sand from her face. There was no displeasure in her face against her opponent, Teselmar. Everything was acceptable to use in the world to crush your opponent, though this would not matter against a mob. Sweeping her blade to the left and right, the woman activated a sword art from her list. One deserving trick for another. The blade had been sheathed once more as the saya materialized in her hand. She equipped it off to her side and got into stance, much like <<Iai>> this technique required the drawing of the blade from the sheath. 

With the length of the blade being drawn from the black and white saya, the pulsating energy around it escaped as the blade flashed across the player, not only striking him, but stunning him as well. The man would find no riposte here as the woman smiled as his body could not move. 

"I have to be honest, I hate using stunning arts on other players...it's not an honorable technique, however, if there comes a day when you are faced against an Orange Player wanting to destroy you...Your honor will not be on the line, it will be your life. And you should not hold back, even if it means playing dirty. Teselmar, my final lesson to you...No matter how much will power and spirit you might have...." The woman looked to her blade and sighed, "None if it will matter if your stats are not high enough to do anything. A downfall of the game...but a game it is none the less. Get stronger." 

<<Battle Engaged>>

Teselmar: HP: 48 | Energy: 11 [Stunned]

Opal: HP: 128/128
EN: 8/32
Sword Art: Tsuji Kaze. 7 EN, 0 Dmg

ID: 46251
BD: 8+2 = Hit
Notes: Player Misses, Savvy Activated: +2BD on roll 

Edited January 21, 2016 by Opal

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar flinched as the long sword blazed outwards, a stream of energy knocking him down. Skidding to a halt, he attempted to vault to his feet, but found that he couldn't move. "Nngh... Grr..." He struggled, attempting to make his arms and legs work. The icon to the right of his health bar helpfully informed him that he'd been stunned. If this had been a real battle with an orange player out to kill him, Teselmar would have been dead. True, he didn't run around picking fights with people like that, but he had to prepare for the eventuality that some day, he would have to fight for his life against another human who wanted to kill him. Opal's words of wisdom met his ears as he continued to fight the paralysis effect, and his cheeks burned. Every moment that I spend thinking about why I'm not where I want to be, is a moment that I'm not out training to achieve it. 

He could do nothing against the power that held his virtual body tight, and he took the opportunity to look at Opal. His feelings in this moment were conflicted; on the one hand, training sessions like this made him see just how far he had to go to be as strong as the front liners. On the other hand, he had gotten a few good licks in, and was encouraged to know that when he finally did achieve the level that the front line players were, he would be different. Most front line fighters relied on their superior numbers to keep themselves safe. But if Teselmar could combine a high level with real world combative applications, he would be a force to be reckoned with.

He looked Opal in the eye, nodding as he started to regain some feeling in his hands and feet. "Get stronger... that's the plan, Opal." He didn't say her true name. Not here, not while he was on the ground like this. Teselmar could handle losing to Opal, and find strength in humility. Opal was Teselmar's commanding officer, expected to be stronger than him. So he would save her true name for times when they were on equal ground, like that night in Starglade. Then, she could be Vivian, and he could be Martin. But, today it was Teselmar on his back in the sand. Maybe not tomorrow, though. Who knows what the future holds? He struggled to one knee as the stun effect wore off. "Yikes, cramps much? Gonna need to find a masseuse after this." He joked, as his muscles began to loosen. 

[Opal 0]

With saya in tow, the woman sheathed her Katana as it materialized out of sight. She went to Teselmar and loaned him a hand to get up, dusting off his leather jacket in the process. Her honey eyes sat down cast afterwards, placing both hands behind her back and then looking back up to him, "To be powerless, it can be truefuly frightening. I've been there against my will before. It is not something I would place onto another person, no one deserves that." The woman released the bind of her wrist allowing her hand to travel to her forehead and sweeping away the curtain of black from her eyes. 

"I wasn't doing this to show off or to display my dominance over you, or to lord you over my stats like an elitist. A lot of people think just because they have an iron clad will that they will get far here. Each person has their own way of getting stronger, fear was the answer for me. Fear drove me to be more powerful than I ever was, and I continue to fear not for myself but for others. I am scared I will lose my friends, the want and desire to protect...can really push a person to do some crazy things. I will do all I can to protect you, and I am sure one day...you will do all you can to protect me and those who need it the most." The woman shook her head, red lips smiling as she once again smoothed the bangs from her eyes.

"A masseuse, huh? Well, perhaps later I can give you a rub down or something...It's the least I can do..." the woman swept her fingers through her hair, giving a cocky grin while looking back at him, "...for kicking your ass..." 

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar exhaled smoothly as his muscles relaxed. Accepting Opal's hand, he let her pull him up. Despite their disparate heights and weights, she was able to get him on his feet with no problem.  Didn't even need the System; she's strong alright. He sheathed his rapier, looking her in the eye as she spoke to him. "Don't worry about my pride, Vice Commander. I'm a big guy, I can handle it." The fencer softened his professional tone a bit, letting a soft smile stray into his voice. "I'm getting stronger by the day, I can feel it. Pretty sure I'll be leveling up again real soon, too. You're my... what's the Japanese word for it? Senpai? You're my senpai, and I'm counting on you to help me get even better with my blade."

He let his smile grow sad for a moment. "If we don't pick up the pace," he said soberly, glancing around at the dusty arena, "We're all gonna be here for a long, long time. So I'll hit it with everything I've got!" Teselmar regained his cheery tone, popping his shoulder back into place with a -Clllkkk-; he'd hurt it while falling. "You keep pushing me to be better, and I'll keep rising to meet you. 'Til we get everybody home, okay?" His sea green eyes met her honey ones. "And we'll watch each other's backs."

Teselmar stretched as she made a comment about giving him a rub down, and smiled knowingly. "Truly? I didn't know you were a massage therapist, Opal. I guess you're just full of surprises. Not what I meant about watching my back, but I certainly will take you up on that." One eye closed in a subtle wink as he offered her his hand to hold. "If you're keen on the idea, then at least let me buy you that dinner I owe you."