[PP/F2] Punching a Rock «Breaking the Unbreakable»

[Vesper 0]

The ragged steps of a charcoal-cloaked traveler could be heard echoing and traversing across the mountain's steps as she wandered into sight of a humble hut. Smoke from a chimney was the sign that finally gave it away, and as she approached the hut, the reluctant player known as Vesper had underestimated the physical labor involved with merely finding the quest's location. She had been inactive for a long time; she didn't even know how many days - and unless one were to count the occasional brief bar argument or verbal lashing as exercise, her physical state was down and out. There was something to be said about the technology required to make a virtual avatar feel tired or hungry. Something seeded deeply in sadism and cruelty, perhaps, rather than innovation. She would have no choice but to allow herself to become somewhat more cruel in kind, and this quest would be the first big step to securing her survival in this world. As these thoughts buzzed around her, Vesper finally let out a lengthy sigh and made the last few steps to be on even ground with the hut. 

Before engaging with the NPC to take up the quest, Vesper took a seat on a nearby rock and admired the view. She took it all in to relax herself, knowing according to the rumors she heard that what the quest entails would be grueling to say the least. As new to the exploration gig as she was, she even forgot to stock up on any buffs or food. The situation was feeling more and more hopeless by the second for her, but she wouldn't allow it to show on the exterior. And so there she was, gazing ahead, knowing that she would need to get up and push herself eventually...

@Pinball

Edited June 24, 2019 by Vesper

[Pinball 1]

And slumped against the side of the hut sleeping was a teenager in a black Dragonskin coat. He wore a belt weighed down by all sorts of things: a cracked glass jar filled with some sort of black mist, small corked vials, and pouches. Over the shirt he wore under his coat was some form holster that held two leather journals on each side. There were no noticeable pieces of armor on this person; there were no metal plates or leather pads to cushion a blow. But clutched tightly in his right hand was a long, two-handed spear that laid across his lap. 

The spear's shaft was pitch black, and it was bound in a red leather grip. Its spearhead was a chunk of rough blue ice. The air around him (or the spear, presumably) was freezing cold, and the strange drop of temperature would be all too noticeable for anyone who got too close. 

Over his head hovered an orange crystal. 

[Vesper 0]

That's..

Vesper jumped into a defensive stance, gritting her teeth and sharpening her ruby gaze. She looked the man over, noting the various inventory that was openly displayed. It was at that moment as she motioned closer that the air grew to a chill and eventually to freezing temperature. Realizing this, she stepped backwards by a pace while maintaining her stance. Her 'weapon', if it could be called that, was now in clear view: bandages tightly bound around her hands and up her wrists. The stance she took was definitely clumsy to a trained eye, as if she had very little expertise in martial arts outside of movies. Despite this she faked toughness to the best of her ability and spoke up in her usual voice, surprisingly gravel in tone for a woman her age. She'd heard tales on the first floor of orange players doing despicable things all across Aincrad. Some were even so cruel as to crush low level players for amusement, and for others it was alleged 'misunderstandings' or poorly timed emotional outbursts that resulted in their status. Regardless, the raven-haired amateur would not take any chances, knowing that it was certain to result in a loss if she fought anybody at all. If this person had killed any player at all, he was more than capable of taking her level one self out. Her best bet was to appear to be a threat of some sort.

"Oi. Orange. You here for any reason in particular, or just on your weekly run from the next batch of people you've pissed off?", she would blurt out plainly as if it were as simple as breathing.

She placed a hand on her hip, her eyes shifting between the man's own face and the weapon that he could likely spring into action with at a moment's notice. Or at least, Vesper's own paranoia led her to believe orange players were capable of all kinds of insanity to survive as they have. 

[Pinball 1]

They laid in a moonlit field of flowers, taking in nothing but the starlight above until the world around them dissolved like an uncoated pill in water. 
"Do you think we'll actually make it out of here? Like, alive?" 
"Sure we will. What's the matter?" 
There was a pause. 
"I've been wanting to tell you something. In case we, uh. We don't." 

"Oi. Orange. You here for any reason in particular, or just on your weekly run from the next batch of people you've pissed off?"

Tired blue eyes finally opened to take in his surroundings. Pinball didn't even remember collapsing. But these days, that was normal. He walked until he found himself on the ground. He walked, and walked, and walked, until he couldn't walk anymore. Sometimes he found a place to set up a camp, though most of the time he couldn't be bothered. He used to talk to his familiar, Zomekko - but that habit was snuffed out as casually as the lives he took. 

The image of the ginger's partially severed neck was still fresh in his mind. 

It took him a moment to shake off the groginess, and then he turned his attention to the woman standing in front of him - albeit with a safe amount of distance between. Pinball frowned. He didn't even know how he'd gotten here, let alone who this was. Pinball used his spear to push himself to his feet. 

Slowly, very slowly. 

"Sorry," came the hoarse reply, "I didn't catch that. What'd you say?" 

As if the girl was no more of a threat to him then the boulder behind them, Pinball opened his inventory and stowed his spear, the weapon and subsequent drop in temperature disappearing in an instant. He was going to equip his sword, but then he figured that that would probably be taken as an act of aggression. 

Or something. He stifled a yawn and shoved his hands in his pockets. Pinball wasn't in the mood. 

Edited June 24, 2019 by Pinball

[Vesper 0]

"I... I'll be honest, this was the part where I was expecting a fight.", she grunted out and ended with a sigh.

In truth there was still suspicion lingering - healthy suspicion, it could be said. Regardless, she lowered her stance and moved a few steps closer, replacing the distance she made from the freezing cold air that was now lacking. Her eyes remained vigilant on the man, and briefly scanned over her surroundings to ensure this wasn't a trap and he had friends waiting. Then again, what would a group of players gain from killing a level one on the second floor? There was nothing much of value to her. For all she was worth in Col it'd very likely buy somebody a hot meal at a tavern; not usually the kind of thing worth killing for. 

Finally, she spoke once more.

"What are you doing up here, huh? This is a pretty obscure location to be relaxing by, unless you have some sort of reason."

The raven crossed her arms and then looked further on towards the NPC who could give her the quest she needed, and then at the ground near the orange player, debating what to do in this situation. 

[Pinball 1]

"Doing here?" 

Pinball glanced left and right like he didn't quite know where he was. 

Because he didn't. 

He recognized where they were almost immediately, though. He had been here plenty of times before, but he was surprised to find himself here now. It meant in his trance-like, never ending walk, he had hiked up a mountain. And then, after that, passed the hell out on top of it - with little to no recollection of it at all. 

Wasn't that cool? 

"Punching rocks," he said evenly. As he woke up, Pinball started to get on guard. He had done well to avoid PK Hunters so far, but it had been getting harder recently for, well, obvious reasons. It was to be expected. He couldn't run forever, either. 

He almost followed up, and asked her what she was doing, but he turned his head and acted like he saw something interesting in the trees somewhere in the distance. It was probably for the best if they didn't keep talking. 

[Vesper 0]

Vesper's gaze found itself wandering back to the odd player, raising a brow in question. After a moment, she nodded in acknowledgment before skipping through the dialogue of the NPC to obtain the quest of her desire. With that, she moved back towards him and crouched near him while looking at the details of the quest in her menu. With a sigh, she brushed hair out of her face and turned to face him.

"Funny story, I'm also here to punch rocks. Unfortunately, the way it's going it'll take a while..."

Fiddling with the bandages around her hands, she tightened them once more and stood up. Looking out with dull eyes towards the boulder further down, she turned back to him and sent him a party invite.

"If you help me with this quest and break this rock with me I won't tell anybody I saw you. I'm sure that's in your best interest, right? I have nothing personal against orange players, but I'd personally prefer to survive a little longer and this quest would help me do so.", the raven spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone, laying out a proposition and knowing fully well that without help she could be here all day with her lackluster damage.

Scarlet spheres stared towards him, awaiting his response. It could in all likelihood be a gamble that could kill her, but there was very little left for her to care about in the first place. All-or-nothing was the way she preferred to do things now, and this was merely one more roll of the dice.

[Pinball 1]

So now she was threatening him? 

Wasn't that just the funniest thing? 

"Oh yes," he said strangely, "in my best interest, sure."

Hey, what's with the sudden shift in behavior? 

Pinball pulled his hands out of his pocket and sauntered over to the boulder, holding his hands out at either side. From the cracked jar on his waist, that black fog drifted out and reformed into what vaguely resembled a ghostly cat - with pure white eyes that cut through Vesper for just a moment... before splitting into two clouds of shadowy flame and igniting his fists and forearms in darkness. 

He held his hand forward and then brought a closed fist across the boulder, audibly and visibly cracking the giant stone. 

"Your turn." 

And if it wasn't obvious to the girl by now, his mood had soured in what felt like a split second. Something wasn't right with the tired looking teenager, and while at times he might seem aloof and harmless, there was something darker dwelling below the surface. 

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Action Taken: Basic Attack [-1 EN] 
Boulder: ID#118262 BD: 3+5= 8 (Hit!) ~ 10 DMG 

Pinball: 1040/1040 HP | 104/104 EN | 10 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA

The Boulder: 40/50 HP | -2 EVA 

Edited June 25, 2019 by Pinball

[Vesper 0]

While Vesper's expression on the outside didn't change, she had to admit that she was nervous on the inside. There was something about the way the man was now conducting himself that made this whole situation feel... wrong. Despite this, she was at the same time grateful that the man had accepted her threat, as much as she didn't want to make it. Thus was the place she now found herself, nodding in response to the man and stepping towards the boulder.

"Alright."

With that, Vesper let loose a powerful jab towards the boulder's body - or rather, what she was hoping would be powerful. In truth she realized that on instinct she had flinched before actually making contact with the rock. If it wasn't evident before, that strike had revealed her true level of competence as a fighter in the game: hesitant to commit to violence. It flashed in her mind that even attempting combat made her think of the last time she fought, and how it ended up. While it was nothing like fighting an inanimate object unable to counterattack, it still felt so real.

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Action Taken: Basic Attack [Miss][-2 EN] 
Boulder: ID# 118263 BD: 2+3=5 (Miss) 

Vesper: 20/20 HP | 1/2 EN | 1 DMG | 1 ACC, 1 DMG

The Boulder: 40/50 HP | -2 EVA 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Vesper

[Pinball 1]

So she really was a beginner. If she was missing the boulder, then it wasn't too hard to believe she was one of the many who joined the fight maybe a bit too late. But was it ever too late to join the frontlines? 

The answer was yes. The frontlines were full of the corrupt and ignorant, and it was Pinball's goal to ensure that it wasn't. A series of images flashed through his mind. He had met a fresh player like her, not too long ago. He hadn't caught a name, but the man had caught a sword to the chest. 

Not a really fun time, all in all. This one, at least, seemed like she wasn't going to be all that bad. Pinball watched her throw a punch and compared it in his mind to Mars' old style. He stifled a sigh. He couldn't very well have her dying on him before she got strong enough to show him what type of person she was, could he? 

"You haven't fought very much, have you?" 

And then, with that out of the way, he continued. 

"You can't just swing wildly like that - but mimicking fighting styles from the real world is for roleplayers who can't accept their new reality. Watch me." Pinball turned to face the boulder she was struggling with. He slid his left foot just a few inches back, and held his arm out like he was about to throw the most straight and square punch ever. "There's a difference between running around thinking using Jiu Jitsu helps them and the system's actual input.

"It doesn't matter how fancy you get with it as long as you realize there's a set paramater that needs to be met before an attack can even be registered as an attack. You swing like a drunk guy at 12 A.M in the Wendy's parking lot, and you're not helping anything. Same goes for the people running around acting like they're the new Jackie Chan or some [censored]. For unarmed, it's like this: you bring your fist back nice and straight-" 

CRACK! Globules of evanescent shadow exploded against the surface of the boulder. 

"-and throw it."

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Action Taken: Basic Attack [-1 EN/+1 EN]
Boulder: ID#118269 BD: 2+5= 7 (Hit!) ~ 10 DMG

Vesper: 20/20 HP | 1/2 EN | 1 DMG | 1 ACC, 1 DMG
Pinball: 1040/1040 HP | 103/104 EN | 10 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA

The Boulder: 30/50 HP | -2 EVA 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Pinball

[Vesper 0]

"H-Hey, watch it. Don't compare me to those other idiots out there.", Vesper blurted out at the man's criticism, a slight flush in her cheeks.

She acknowledged her form was poor, however, and decided it would be best to take up this person's advice to a degree. In truth, there wasn't even an iota of real world combat experience for her to draw upon, thus her only real idea of fist fighting was the martial arts movies she cherished so dearly. What was wrong with Jackie Chan, anyway? His movies were funny! And his fights were iconic. Surely it would be something that had even a little substance, right? 

Yet as she observed the man throw a second punch, the raven realized there was truth in what he was saying. I'm not the first to think like this, she realized, and probably not the last.

Seeing his firm stance, she nodded and stepped up to the boulder copying it to the best of her ability. She let out air to calm her nerves, looked dead ahead at the obstacle before her, and punched it with the best jab she could. It barely scratched it, but she felt the game acknowledge the impact of her attack - and as a result, saw the boulder's HP go down the slightest tick to indicate her punch. She let out a small, self-satisfied smirk. 

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Action Taken: Basic Attack [-1 EN] 
Boulder: ID# 118271 BD: 5+3=8 (Hit) ~ 1 DMG

Vesper: 20/20 HP | 1/2 EN | 1 DMG | 1 ACC, 1 DMG

The Boulder: 29/50 HP | -2 EVA 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Vesper

[Pinball 1]

"Mhm." 

She didn't react much after that, and again, it was probably for the best. What brief burst of helpfullness that may have come over him was gone now, replaced by his usual icy exterior. He sighed inwardly. He was bored, now. And tired. He had to walk but he didn't really want to. But he knew he was going to, and soon. Right after this was finished, actually. Pinball considered something. 

He brought his fist back and brought it across the rock one more time, dropping its health into the red. 

Pinball took a step back and away, paused, and then hopped onto the rock in an impressive display of acrobatics. He sat down, crossing his legs and looking down at Vesper. 

Maybe he was actually still a bit woozy from his god-knows-how-long nap. 

"Keep it up," Pinball yawned. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Action Taken: Basic Attack [-1 EN/+1 EN]
Boulder: ID#118275 BD: 3+5= 8 (Hit!) ~ 10 DMG 

Vesper: 20/20 HP | 1/2 EN | 1 DMG | 1 ACC, 1 DMG
Pinball: 1040/1040 HP | 103/104 EN | 10 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA

The Boulder: 19/50 HP | -2 EVA 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Pinball