[PP-F1] The Shadowed Woods (Takao) (Complete)

[Evander 0]

Evander could feel the rage attempting to build up in him again, but he tamped it down. He needed to be in control. He needed to focus. The enemy was in front of him. Evander got to his feet and took a deep breath. The wolf began to growl. Evander held his sword out in front of him. Death loomed ahead, inevitably drawing closer every passing second. He could probably take about two more hits before going down, whereas this wolf needed 8 normal hits from him. This wasn't going to go well. Yeah, he had psyched himself up for death and all, but there was some part of him, some subconscious, primal part, that still feared, that was still afraid of the great unknown beyond death. He may bluster about, and say he would die for his ideals and all, but when it came down to it, he probably couldn't. He was no saint. He simply wasn't good enough. That was somewhat depressing. Fear made running sound like a really good idea right now, though he probably wouldn't make it. Well, there was no harm in trying, right? Man, he really needed to get some armor so that this kind of stuff didn't happen so often. If he survived, of course. Perhaps he could employ the same strategy he had done earlier? A feint, then run? It may not work again a second time, but may as well give it a shot. The wolf then suddenly lashed out at him, knocking him back to the ground. That had hurt quite a bit. And, now, he was on the ground, and the wolf was going to kill him, its claws around his throat. Welp, this was probably it.

Combat

Evander: HP: 4/20 Energy: 1/5 MIT: 0 Base DMG: 2

White Wolf: HP: 8/10 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 57668 results:

 MOB: 9 (Critical +1)

Mob DMG: 3+1= 4 DMG done

Edited April 26, 2016 by Evander

[Takao 0]

ID: 57707
BD: 5 + 3(ACC)

Takao: 225/225 (54/55) (-1)
Sword Art: «Slant» (13(Base) + 5(Charge) = 18 * 1(SA) = 18 DMG)

Strolls across the first floor were rarely eventful occasions. If there were any players out in the fields at all, they were most often left to their own devices, striking down the four-legged scourges that plagued their pleasant countryside-esque view. But, every once in a while, there was an anomaly. An interesting happening that made the walk from the Town of Beginnings to Horunka worthwhile... at least, in some sense of the word. This particular occasion had lead Takao, equipped in his typical hunting gear, to the sounds of a snarling wolf at the throat of another player. Jade eyes wandered from the wolf's ravenous figure to the player's health gauge, which was being depleted quickly. Wordlessly, he drew the sword from his back and closed the short distance between the two with the «Charge» skill. His right foot slammed into the wolf's side and threw it from Evander. It hadn't even a second to recover before Takao's sword pierced its skull, pinning it to the ground until its digital form was reduced to colourful, pixelated polygons. Yanking his blade free of the soil, the brunet turned and glanced over his shoulder. "You alright?"

White Wolf: 0/10 (Mit. 3) [18-3=15 DMG]

Edited April 26, 2016 by Takao

[Evander 0]

Evander closed his eyes. Here was death, looking him in the eyes, and he lay there, ready to die. Memories began flashing through his mind- mainly joyful ones, ones with his family, one last comfort before the cold embrace of death enveloped him. He tensed, ready for the killing blow. It never came. Evander opened his eyes, a bit confused. Another player had killed the wolf. Well, that was surprising. Wasn't everyday that you cheated death. Evander inwardly grimaced. He would have to make sure this never happened again. He would probably need to get some armor. Oh, right, the guy that saved him. "Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit shaken from how close that was. Thank you for saving my life. I didn't really want to die without accomplishing much." Evander began to try to control his breathing. Wouldn't do any good to be panting heavily while trying to hold a cordial conversation with the person that had saved his life. The guy seemed a lot higher leveled than him, seeing as how he had killed the wolf so quickly. Evander held out his hand for a handshake. "Thank you, again. My name is Evander. What's yours?"

[Takao 0]

Takao glanced over Evander for a moment, then switched his attention back to the pixelated remains of the wolf. He swung his blade up and shouldered the flat, sliding the sword down into the scabbard on his back. Shifting his posture by pivoting on his right heel, Takao turned to face Evander, his gloved hands finding their way into his trouser pockets. "Don't worry 'bout it." He said simply in response, emerald gaze set on the depleted health gauge hovering by Evander's head. Takao removed one hand from his pocket and slid it across the air, delving into his inventory. He procured a single shimmering crystal, and muttered the words "Heal". As a result, Evander's health quickly returned to full. "I'm Takao," He said. While his inventory was still open, Takao also offered a trade: three uncommon recovery crystals. "Here, y'can have these. Use 'em if you get in a pinch like that again."

- -

Used x1 "Tier 1 Rare Recovery Crystal" on Evander.

Traded x3 "Tier 1 Uncommon Recovery Crystals" to Evander.

[Evander 0]

No handshake? Alright. Evander's hand came back down. His health began to rise as the player used a healing crystal on him, topping off at full. This guy was obviously very well supplied, if he could use crystals on any old player. Or, Evander supposed, he could just be being nice. So, the player's name was Takao. Interesting name. A trade menu popped up in front of Evander. Takao was offering him three crystals. Wow, he was being given three recovery crystals for free! Evander almost instantaneously touched the accept button, but stopped himself just in the nick of time. What was he doing? Why was he accepting free gifts from the person who had saved his life as if he were some random old needy beggar? If anything, he should be giving stuff to Takao for saving his life. This temptation had almost overruled his morals, and- yeah, he was probably overdramatizing this issue, but still, he couldn't just take free stuff. Well, actually, he did need these crystals to stay alive, so why not actually trade with the trade window? Wow! What a great idea! Yeah, yeah, sarcasm aside, he didn't really have anything of worth, so he might as well pay in col. "Thank you for your kindness, but I simply cannot accept such a gift without reciprocating in kind." Wow, what was with the snobbish tone? He really needed to tone down his vocabulary- it wasn't as if he were at some elaborate banquet or something. Just a random place in the woods. "Here, to make it fair, how about I give, say 800 col in return? If their actual value is more, I have more col, and if that is insufficient, I can get more col and pay you back later." Man, he didn't know what these things were worth. He hoped they weren't too expensive, or that Takao would make him pay interest.

Current Trade- x3 "Tier 1 Uncommon Recovery Crystals" to Evander, 800 col to Takao

[Takao 0]

Takao's gaze fell to the trade menu as an offer of currency was suggested in exchange for the crystals, and he nodded slowly. His intention hadn't been to patronize his fellow player by boasting wealth in some capacity, yet he was well aware of how easily it could've come across as such. "This is fine," Takao responded, his gloved thumb used to approve his side of the trade following Evander's contribution. "It'll be enough to replace 'em." He finished the thought and dropped his hands, each finding their way to his pockets. He let his glance linger on Evander for a minute as he mulled. Just starting out, he thought to himself. The first steps a person took outside of the Town of Beginnings were often the most harrowing and dangerous. It took time to become accustomed to the combat mechanics, and even more time to understand what risks were worth taking. He had seen his fair share of names crossed off the memorial stone as a result those who hadn't been capable of passing through that threshold. "Hey, uh... Since you have my username, don't feel afraid to call me if y'need help again, alright? Like on quests or somethin', I won't mind helping out. I know it can be kinda tough at the beginning."

- -

Traded Completed

Evander
x3 "Tier 1 Uncommon Recovery Crystals"

Takao
800col

[Evander 0]

Oh, thank goodness 800 col was enough to replace the crystals. Evander didn't really want to end up in a pit of debt, but honor dictated that the price be paid in full. Or, it could just be that the other player was being kind again, but whatever. No need to get to worked up about it. Just accept the gift. Alright, cool. Three shiny new recovery crystals for him. Perhaps later, whenever he was higher leveled, assuming he didn't use them, he would gift these crystals to another player. Ah, that would be a good nostalgia trip. Oh! Takao was offering to help him out for whatever he needed, whenever he needed it. That was pretty kind. Who was he kidding, that was very kind- a (likely) front-liner helping out random players from the beginning. Wow. The first impression one got of Takao could be that he was rather distant, but he was a good person at heart. He was certainly one that it must be pretty great to be friends with- he would be loyal with you till the end, if he was willing to save random low-leveled players. Evander kind of wanted to be like that- ha, that was kind of funny, he was looking up to a person probably about, say, no more than a year older than him, chronologically-wise. However, Takao had lived the worth of fifty of his own lives. This person was far more experienced than him- had seen so many more things, experienced so many more experiences. Evander looked forward to the future ahead, and making his own path, and becoming wiser. "Alright. Thank you for the offer of aid, and thank you yet again for saving me. I am grateful for your kindness. If I need help, I'll keep you in mind. Oh, also, thank you for accepting the money. I know you probably intended the crystals as a gift, but I have some strange sense of honor or something, so I thank you for complying with my whims. 800 col is most likely a drop in the bucket for you anyway." Evander sheathed his sword at the hilt by his side. Ah, his basic sword. He had a feeling that he would be looking back with fondness on these days. Evander held up his right hand for one last attempt at a handshake. "So, anyway, you probably have things to be doing and stuff, so I don't want to take too much of your time. Probably busy scouting out a boss or something. So, I suppose I will see you around. I look forward to meeting again. Maybe then, I won't be so pathetically weak." Evander chuckled a bit. "Perhaps I can even help you out."

[Takao 0]

"It's fine," Takao responded, jade eyes idly wandering across the rolling fields and expansive forests of the first floor. They had a sense of familiarity despite not being a location he oft visited. "I didn't want to make you feel like a charity case 'er patronize you 'er anything either. I just wasn't using those 'n figured that it'd be better for somebody to get some use out of them." He admitted. Had it been a wise choice to do so, or did the more socially acceptable route imply that keeping his intentions unspoken was correct? For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to care. Takao had always been honest, both with himself and with others, although he seldom used the prefix "brutally" when describing that particular trait. Mulling over the thought seemed pointless now, for he'd already spoken. If Takao had indeed experienced much more than Evander himself, then it showed on his face. Distant eyes and a dull expression weren't particularly good indicators of such, yet they implied some degree of exposure to the unpleasant. Death in Sword Art Online was something that he had been unable to take seriously for the longest time; seeing a body explode into colourful fragments reminiscent of confetti was practically a celebration of their demise. The only thing it was missing was balloons and party horns to complete the meta.

"Hah, sounds like you already know me pretty well." He responded, an unintentionally dry tone to his voice carrying the words along. "I'm lookin' forward to it too. Good luck with your huntin', dude." Takao said, his offhand raised in a wave as he started off in the direction he'd originally been heading.

Thread exited.

[Evander 0]

Evander raised his hand in farewell. That was an enlightening experience. Evander sighed. That whole almost-dying thing took a lot out of you, mainly mentally. Evander watched his fellow player leave. He was grateful for being allowed to live. He couldn't waste this second chance. His hand fell back to his side. He needed to go get a glass of grape juice. His throat was parched. He was tired. He needed to train more. He needed to buy himself some armor. There were so many things he needed to attend to right now. Evander just stood there, in the forest, alone amongst the trees, the wind blowing through and rustling his hair. Evander felt, for some inexplicable reason, a bit of nostalgia. He looked back on his life at home. He looked back at his normal life, in which he did normal things. And he looked ahead, to the future. Many, many hardships lay ahead, that was for certain. He would be a changed man, and nothing would ever be the same, and he wouldn't be able to return to his comfortable lifestyle without feeling that there was something more that he could be doing, something more that was out there. He would grow up- actually grow up, actually mature. He would become better. Experiences lay in front of him, his comfortable past behind. The boy sat down, back against a tree, and began to look up at the sky. The sky was azure, with clouds lazily moving with the wind, high up in the air. The blue above seemed almost endless.

[Evander 0]

Summary

Evander: 200 col + 1 SP

Takao: 200 col + 1 SP

Trade conducted:

Takao: +800 col, -3 "Tier 1 Uncommon Recovery Crystals"

Evander: +3 "Tier 1 Uncommon Recovery Crystals", -800 col

 

Thread Complete!