[Floor 22/PP] A mentor and a friend

[Hestia 0]

I look towards the girl and can't help but notice the extremely strange parts about her from the fact that she has snow white hair which isn't the weirdest part since i have had a guild mate that went pink for a little bit in terms of her hair color. Though the strange part that definitely makes this girl stand out is the eye patch thing as i can't help but wonder what that is about as i than glance towards Stryder with a confused look on my face. 'Didn't slip into another language?' Uhm..you do know there is a auto-translate feature for this game right? I question the martial artist with a confused look towards the man as i than glance towards the girl that gave out her real name as i smile ever so slightly at that chuckling slightly. Also to you Jinx since you gave out your name it is only fair i do the same. Ember Nite at your service. Feel free to call me either Hestia, or Ember your choice really, but to focus on the reason why i am here. Yeah Stryder did invite me over to this place to teach you how to tank apparently. I say with a small chuckle as i rub the back of my neck my familiar glances up from his spot by my feet to look towards the new person that entered the room the lion glancing up to only see the face before resting his head once more by my feet keeping an eye on the girl.

So than why don't you find a seat nearby and we can talk a lil bit about how i can get to teaching you if that is something you want of course. I say towards the woman with a polite smile as i look around after saying that to see if there is even such a chair nearby.

[Jinx 0]

The girl smiled at both Stryder and Hestia? As they looked at her, and internally, she was pleased. Or at least, was, until Stryder pointed out that she hadn’t used the right name. A flash of hurt passed over the face of the girl who had been rewarding herself until that moment.

The girl started to speak, however, the girls dulled mind failed to catch all of the words that were being thrown at her. The girl who Stryder had called Hestia was…really called Ember? That piece of information captivated what little of her mind she let be active and caused her to miss most of what was said by the front line player.

“I might…try with Hestia” she said to what she had heard “It’s the name I first heard and…I can get confused quickly with names” There was a lot more to it than just names…but this girl didn’t have to know at how useless her mind worked…right?

Alisea walked forwards and, despite Hestia looking for a seat, say herself down on the ground. On the carpet, and leaned forwards as she had, finally noticed the cute animal that was there! She slowly reached out with a hand to stroke Kuro, the rest of what they had just been talking about taking a backseat in her dulled mind.  

“Pretty kitty” She said, mostly to herself as she attempted to stroke the head of Hestia’s familiar.

[Stryder 0]

He didn't say much, though he was honestly suprised that Hestia gave them her real name... He would still call her Hestia though. He had only given one other person his real name, Katherine. He simply stayed quiet through this... Well, he had one thing to say first. 

"I don't really want to use that feature... If someone wants to say something to someone with some privacy, not right for me to know what it is" He said to her, before looking over at Jinx. Hestia seemed to be treating his home like her own, inviting her invite to sit down. He moved over, letting her sit down on the couch next to him, thankfully there were a fewo ther chairs in case she didn't want to. He smiled at Alisea, who had decided to call her Hestia. He wasn't suprised, it had been the first name she had heard, as she said. She then got completely distracted by Hestias familiar, the lion. He couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief, glad that she was happy. It made him honestly really glad. He called his own familiar, who was shy upon seeing the lion, but came and jumped onto her masters lap.

 

 

[Hestia 0]

I chuckle softly at watching the girl walk over and begin to pet my familiar as the lion in question looks up towards the girl tolerating the petting but gaining a slightly sour look at being called a kitty. The lion's pride being ever so slightly wounded by such a comment. His name is Kuro. I tell Jinx with a slight smile on my face as i nod my head keeping in mind to present the most important information that i can give right away towards the girl as i glance towards Stryder with a look of curiosity as my mind quickly tries to piece together information about this girl and what i could be dealing with for the foreseeable future to help out another player's survival. I just use the feature cause i don't speak other people's languages i just know my english and as far as i could know Stryder everyone here is speaking Japanese, German, or some other language that i wouldn't know at all. I say towards the martial artist with a slight smile as i than glance back towards Jinx. So than Jinx for yourself how are you able to best learn? I ask the girl curiously not taking notice of the new familiar entering the room and area, but Kuro noticing and just glancing towards the new creature before focusing back on the girl that is petting him.

[Jinx 0]

The girl was entirely captivated by the creature in front of her. It looked like a large cat…but it had wings! She couldn’t not pet it for that reason alone, even if she had no idea that lions were prideful animals. She heard a name..Kuro…She smiled, finally a name for the cute kitty.

“Kuro is cute” She says softly to herself as she eventually stops petting the lion, and sits back up right as she heard Hestia ask her how she learns. She let out a sigh as her mind started to sharpen up, and her right eye seemed to be more focused on the girl.

“I just do” She said as if that could explain everything “I don’t know, then I do…” She grasped for the words to explain, but they were just out of reach, leaving Jinx sitting there with a confused look on her face trying to gather what few thoughts she could “When I learnt my languages, at first I didn’t understand…then I sharpened, and I just…knew them”

She pouted a little, annoyed at how useless she was at explaining. She knew everything, and yet, the words were water, going through her fingers any time she wanted to use them.  

[Stryder 0]

To be fair Hestia had a point, but still. He had no real.... reason to want to know what they were saying. Besides, he just... didn't really care. Then, the question came out. How did Jinx learn. He thought on it himself, wondering how to really handle it. She said she just learnt, from just sharpening herself up. He had a nidea... though he didn't know how well it might work.

"Hey Jinx, if you learn better from watching, me and Hestia could fight something, you watch what she does, then try and implement it yourself... Thats if you learn through observation. If you learn through doing... I don't really have an idea for that cu-... Jinx" He says, stopping himself from saying something that felt natural, but not realizing why he wanted to call her cute outloud. He looked at both of them, wondering if the idea was going to work well. He doubted it would... But it was the only idea that had been popping onto his head.

 

[Hestia 0]

I just nod my head towards Jinx not mentioning anything at all being patient with the girl that seems to have something up with her in the mental department to some kind of degree seemingly as i glance towards Stryder as he begins to speak and gives him a slightly grateful look for helping me out with this. I grin from ear to ear having caught Stryder's slip up as i look towards him wondering if i should bring that up to tease the martial artist or a bit later. 'Maybe later during the fight if Jinx is a observational learner. If it is more hands on than i could just have her fight me.' I think to myself as i lean back into my chair as Kuro stretches out after the petting, but remains where he is since the lion can't find a spot that is immediately right next to him that is comfortable. The lion with wings rests his head upon his paws and waits patiently his wings covering his body. I just look towards Jinx and waits to hear an answer knowing this could be helpful no matter the end since i could talk to Stryder while teaching the girl.

[Jinx 0]

Learn by watching…or learn by doing…? The girl was trying to think, they were waiting on her…So much so that she completely missed Stryder’s verbal misstep as she buried through her mind, hunting for answers. Answers she maybe, maybe, would have known, when she was sharpened. However, her currently dulled mind…had nothing but a dripping tap of useless information.

“I…I learnt…when I did it?” She says softly, trying hard to find the words she wanted. “I didn’t know English…then I spoke it…then I knew it” She looked at the pair of them hoping they understood what she was trying to say. She felt like screaming, except she couldn’t.

“I heard someone speak the language, explain why it worked…then I just, could” she knew the comparison. Her ability to master a language had been a lot more than that, but the girl couldn’t ever remember having learnt them. The rush of being sharp for hours on end, made her unable to remember it, however, she always obtained the information…

“It’s my curse…” She mutters “My IQ was…188 so learning…was easy” She smiled softly, a little embarrassed as she stood up from the ground, standing at only 5’5, looking back and forth between Hestia and Stryder “Does that…help?”

[Stryder 0]

Wow. That was.... is, a high bloody IQ. He had no idea how to help her, really not knowing. She just said that she learnt from someone explaining it, and then she knew it. He had no idea how to actually teach her, but from the sound of it, it would be for her to watch a fight, and then them actually fighting as a squad. She needed it to be explained, so if they fought, and explained why it worked... Maybe that would work. It was his only idea.

"So... if we fought, and then Hestia explained what she was doing, and how it was helping and working, then you could pick it up and comprehend it? If we do it like this, you need to be careful not to keep yourself to sharp for too long... I don't want to see you get hurt" He replies to her, looking over at Hestia, wondering if that was a good idea. 

"If theres a quest nearby we can go on, or a creature spawn zone in which we can fight something... Well, strong enough to survive a hit or two from me, and strong enough to show how tanking works... It might be an idea" He says as he looks over to the god girl. He was a little.... worried, about trying to fight creatures that were his level. If he tried to, and she got caught up in it... He might lose her. Honestly, that was his biggest fear right now. Losing a second person... he wasn't going to allow it to happen.

[Hestia 0]

I look towards Stryder and grins ever so slightly at the prospect of a duel with the man as i nod my head towards him and gets up from my spot on the chair and smiles rather happily towards the man. Well than Stryder lets do a duel it can't hurt even than to show her some combat between yourself and i, and if anything it would also help demonstrate the kinda big difference between tier three and tier two. I say towards the DPS player with a grin on my face as i flip through my inventory and equips my frontline armor that i wear when i am actually serious as i look towards Stryder expectingly. Having my shield in one hand and the sword in the other already as i look towards Stryder. besides while we could find a mob a duel is more fun than anything else. Plus she'll get to see what i can do and i can explain things in detail since she could apply the same tactics seen in PvP combat towards something like PvE. I say towards the guild leader as i walk over towards him and says in a soft tone of voice that is only just a whisper. Plus we both know that killers could be more active sooner than later to know how to fight other players is important.

[Jinx 0]

The girl listened the the two of them talk, but with her mind dulled down. There was only a few things that made it past her hidden earmuffs, and even less that made meaningful sense of the girl. She heard that Stryder didn’t want her hurt, which caused a large smile on her face. Maybe, just maybe, he didn’t see her as a burden. Maybe he brought Hestia down, not because she was hopeless…But because he wanted to help her, wanted to teach her the only way he knew how to…Was that the reality of the situation?

She felt a strange urge in her chest to…hug him? Why…Why! She didn’t fully understand, was that gratefulness? Surely it had to be, otherwise…what else could it be when someone no longer sees you as the burden you are, but rather, someone they want to help?

The girl’s dulled mind was so captivated on this thought process that everything else passed her by, that Stryder and Hestia would fight, and even Hestia putting on her armour. The girl was distracted internally, focused on the strange feeling inside of her chest that bubbled her with excitement, and yet, made her nervous.

[Stryder 0]

This had just taken a dark turn. He looked over to her, very... shocked. She wanted... to DUEL HIM!? He just looked at her, dumbfounded. He really had no idea how this would help her, though he listened. There were a few good things in it though. She wasn't wrong, she could see the outright differences in there strength... He knew he couldn't hurt Hestia, and that she couldn't hurt him enough to really.... make him worry. Besides, he had a few potions remaining he could use to keep himself alive. After that, they could fight a mob so she could compare the two ideas. It wasn't bad...

"Huh... My only requirement if we do this, is no thorns... I would rather not be prickled down by those while showing Jinx how much a tank can withstand" He says to Hestia, before looking over at the girl, hearing what Hestia whispered. He turned back to the tank, a pain in his chest hitting home as he remembered Fae attacking Embers... "Don't worry.... if it ever comes to that... you have my support..." He said to her, softly. He didn;t know if Alisea could hear it, but he didn't want her to. His attention was now focused on Jinx, she looked so.... well, distracted. It was really, for soem rreason, causing him t ofeel drawn to her. She looked so confused, helpless, but also... so kind and strong. He didn't know what to do with these emotions... The last time he had felt these, someone had died...

He turned, back to everyone as he walked into his room. He needed to grab his gear.... He grabbed a fresh pair of trackies, putting them on. They were made out of a more firm material, though it wasn't wool, so it didn't overheat him. He grabbed a hoodie, putting it on, blue and white mixed. Then, grabbing his jacket, well.... Looked at two jackets. He had Eatos jacket in his room, hanging up. He hadn't left it at the grave, he didn't.... didn't want someone to steal it. It had protected her, it was the only thing he had ever done right... He grabbed his, the shield on the shoulder shimmering. Then, he grabbed his gauntlets, and gloves. The gloves were eerie, cursed. He couldn't help but feel like they were growing, becoming more powerful...

Walking back out, he looked at Hestia, a more.... worried, and conflicted look about him.

 

[Hestia 0]

I listen towards Stryder and chuckles softly at that as i unequip my shield as the metal rounded object that serves as my defense disperses in a flare of blue light as per the game does as i look towards the martial artist with a smile on my face as i look towards the man still holding onto my curved sword as i equip a different shield this one having the head of the medusa upon it for its design. I just smile as i look towards Stryder getting into a combat ready fighting style my shield raised upwards and my sword at my side a thin layer of red energy covering the blade. Now than! Rule 1 of being a tank! When facing other players you are never the one who makes the first strike, or never really have to strike in general. You'd have your thorns widdle down your opponents health if they wouldn't have battle healing on them, and secondarily in the end when it comes to a fight! A tank always wins since it becomes a war of attrition if it is a 1v1. This duel is meant to demonstrate the gap in strength between tier three and tier two while also showing how i a tank fights. However, do keep in mind i have also become sort of a DPS user and healer all the while so that means my options are more varied than others. I say loudly as i keep my eyes on Stryder knowing he could attack at any moment during my speech if he felt like it as i secretly hopes he does so since it would help also maybe get in the girl's mind. No enemy will wait for the other and thus it is important to be prepared always.

Equipped:

Spoiler

 

Name: Harpe
Your Profession: Blacksmith
Your Rank: 8
ID: 98813
Roll: 11
Item Type: Weapon (1H Curved Sword)
Quality: perfect
Tier: 3
Enhancements: +3 Damage
Description: A sword made of adamantium with the sword being imbued with the strength of Perseus.

Name: Prometheus' Blessing
Your Profession: Blacksmith
Your Rank: 8
ID: 98815
Roll: 11
Item Type: Heavy Armor
Quality: perfect
Tier: 3
Enhancements: +1 Recovery, +2 Heavy momentum
Description: A full body armor with the design of flames running along it. With the area near the liver being extra protected. The armor near the chest area having clouds with lightning striking near the stomach area. The armor having a bronze like color to it.

Name: Gorgon's Stare +2
Your Profession: Blacksmith
Your Rank: 8
ID: 96802
Roll: 12
Item Type: Shield
Quality: Perfect
Tier: 3
Enhancements: +2 Paralyze, +1 Recovery
Description: A shield modeled after the Aegis shield of Athena when she had added the head of Medusa onto it.

 

 

[Jinx 0]

The girl was still deep within her dulled mind, excited that Stryder really did care. He didn’t see her as a burden…right? She found herself hesitating on that, and the hesitation allowed more fear and doubt to ride in, right before slipping away into nothingness that was her dulled state-of-mind. In fact, the first her dulled mind was forced back to notice was Hestia started speaking, but it was loud!

So loud that, even dulled and with her ear muffs, Jinx flinched rather visibly. She stumbled backwards a step, and put one of her hands up to her head out of nothing more than instinct. Even with her ear muffs on and distorting incoming sound, Jinx knew the sharper her mind was, the more loud noises crippled her.

Despite the pain in her head however, she had sharpened enough to hear what the girl was saying. She mentioned Thorns, which Alisea knew her own shield had. The ability to return damage…and that was the main way to fight?! Alisea always thought you needed to swing your blade at the enemy also, otherwise…what was the point of having it?

The girl opened her mouth to ask a question, but stopped herself. Maybe, upon watching the fight…her question would be answered, assuming she could remember it.

[Stryder 0]

Sky led the group outside, not wanting to duel in his living room. He led them just out back, right next to the lake. They were still in the safezone, so if some other player came to PK them, he wouldn't be able to. Sky was very.... confused. He hadn't meant to duel anyone! He wasn't even in the right mindset to do that... He simply groaned, sighing as i look at the opponent i had to duel. He knew he was going regret this. This was his... second time going against another player, properly. Though the first time, it hadn't even ended up happening. He took a deep breath, preparing himself.

Then, she started to explain tanking to Jinx. He waited, letting her tell Jinx a little... Before something in him clicked. His mind changing into a battle frenzy, ready to fight. Due to the issues that Sky is putting on himself, and the fact that he fully blames himself, and his own hatred... He noticed himself slipping. 

Right when she said - Difference -, he launched in, his fist glowing a sparkling red as he leaped at her, his fist smashing into her shield, hard, causing a harsh clash as an satisfying 'ding' sounded out around them. He noticed hestias health go down a small amount, though not as much as if she hadn't had the shield... or her armor, which basically let her not move.

"As a martial arts user, i have one of the highest potential damage outputs among anyone, even a tank like Hestia, who fights on the frontlines, will still take some damage from me. If she didn't have some healing aspects... Well, she might lose the war of attrition" He said, before planting his foot on her shield, pushing off it.

[Hestia 0]

I look towards Stryder as he approaches me at some unsung call for the fight as i raise my shield upwards taking the hit with my shield as i grin slightly as i look towards the DPS user with a confident gaze within my blue eyes as i feel the need to move in and fight him now with my blade. However, even with such a slight call to battle i withhold it since this is meant to be a battle to show off the capabilities of a tank at my levels not the full on fledge of my build that has had to much time to grow into a massive web of other things that this girl shouldn't try to attain all at once. yeah i can say for certain that the tank's capabilities to handle the damage they take is in equal parts how much they can heal away the damage that they take. Which is why i gotta admit that Shield got lucky finding a healing familiar, but even than i wouldn't trade Kuro for a single thing since he has made my entire build possible of being a little bit of everything. Healing familiar would be pretty good if you went pure tank, mit familiar if you wanted to branch out into something that can do damage. I say over towards Jinx giving her a small nod of my head as i stop speaking loudly having caught on rather quickly to the look of what can be called discomfort at the least by the raised volume of my voice. 'Though i don't think i was being that loud....was i? I mean i guess this is a household and thus contains sound better than a battlefield at least?' I question myself in confusion before i focus back upon the fight as i adjust my stance my shield moved forward with my blade outstretched ready to counter as well as i look towards Stryder challenging.

Also when it comes to being a tank you are not just in charge of keeping yourself alive. You are in charge obviously of every single living soul around you that you can protect by using the Tank's most iconic skills called howl. However, since this is a duel between me and Stryder i'll show off the more secondary skill which is vengeful riposte a parrying skill. I say towards Jinx with a grin as i look towards Stryder and gesture with my shield to try and get a shot on me while i am in the activated skill's stance.

[Jinx 0]

The girl watched as Stryder…attacked Hestia?! Her dulled mind took many moments to remember that they pair of them were going to fight it out for her to watch…But even still, watching two people throw themselves at each other, to cause pain to the other…It bothered her internally. She tried to place it to the side of her mind, but it was there, eating away like a mite on her conscious.

Hestia’s words…to her now sharpening mind, started to make some level of sense. But watching it from someone else…Explaining it, saying it to her while fighting. In her mind, something clicked.

‘It’s all about the build. If I go for a full tank variation, then I need to find a healing ability to fight. A war of attrition, and to avoid dying. But what kind of tank is best…and more importantly, what will keep me safer’

The selfish question was one she couldn’t ever not think about, after all, it was why she had Heavy Armour and Block skills. She didn’t want to die, and put herself in the best position to survive. She let out a low hum to herself as, internally, she started to ‘sort’ the data she’d received. Each word being translated through several languages before ‘placed’ within a mental folder. Her internal library, which when the girls mind was sharp, was the best place for knowledge. An Iq of 188 allowed the girl to store excessive amounts of information.

However, the girls internal processing did cause her to miss out on what Hestia was speaking about when it came to a Riposte and the Howl ability. She was staring right at Hestia with single, dulled ruby-red eye. Completely unaware of her surroundings.

[Stryder 0]

He had fully expected the block, she was a well trained tank afterall. He listened to what she had to say, though he had noticed the twitch of her sword. If she swung that at him, he knew he would have to act quick. Luckily, his guantlets could most likely catch or deflect the blade, assuming he grabbed it at the right moment. She was talking about how healing familiars helped out, and the different kinds that allowed her to fight how she does, and be a little of everything. He looked over at Jinx, noticing a small amount of wincing from her. He looked at Hestia, who had adjusted herself... a parry. The next part of her actual explanation, telling her that was what she was doing. 

"Alright, Jinx if you ever see someone looking like Hestia is now, riposting, don't strike into it! It will hurt" He says before leaping in, using his leg to send a kick her way, bracing himself for the imapact to come from the parry. His chest hurt again, wondering how Katherine would respond to this...

 

 

[Hestia 0]

I smile slightly at seeing Stryder move into the attack as i give him a rather thankful look within my eyes as i prep myself streghtening the hold onto my sword and shield to preapre for the amount of strength i am going to need to actually pull this off. 'Though the system would just push me through it anyhow.' the idle thought flows through my mind as the system does just that as i move into action my shield quickly raising upwards slamming the leg upwards towards the sky to knock Stryder off his attack path and to knock the man off balance quite literally. I side step and swings out with my blade to slice along the back of the martial artist to do the damaging part of riposte as i say quietly underneath my breathe as i do so to keep it between myself and Stryder. btw you know as much as i the frontlines are in need of a conversation after the Dark elves. I'm going to hold a meeting are you going to come if i do so? I ask as i than take a few steps back away from him afterwards getting back into a defensive stance. My shield close to my body to keep it firm and to make it a bit more difficult if somebody would try to remove the shield from my grasp. I glance towards Jinx who is still watching as i nod over towards her. As you can see the riposte is a good way to inflict damage back at the opponent and considering how most DPS don't have much MIT if you did this to them on their opening move they would just be stuck unable to do anything and thus wait. Allowing you to get some allies if it was out in the open and out of the blue.

[Jinx 0]

‘How does the healing work though? I remember someone saying it doesn’t combo up, meaning I can…only have a single source of self-healing right? I’ll need to check that, I know my shield does it but...maybe there are other combos?’

The girl let out a low hum as she slowly focused on the battle that was taking place in front of her. Stryder was throwing himself at Hestia, and the first word that came to Alisea’s mind was Reckless. Why would he throw himself into a bad position…? The answer only proved more confusing, unaware Stryder was doing it to show her what a tank was capable off, when Hestia countered him with her riposte.

But so far, everything was making sense to the girl. Her mind, now sharpened, was absorbing and assimilating everything that her single eye could grasp. Information being translated and filed away inside her brain.

“So the purpose of that ability is a counter while not having to put a focus on your own offensive capacity” The girl states simply in Japanese as she took a step forwards, before frowning. While her mind was sharp and active, there were a few more questions she needed to ask.

“What about swapping? Stryder mentioned it yesterday…but I wasn’t sharp enough to remember what he said”