[PP-F24] Learning from each other

[Azhoda 0]

"Teleport, Paraneze!" Those were my exact words. With a flash of blue colours, I was teleported to the man-made island and also the main settlement of floor twenty-four. This place really became a new hotspot over time and more and more people came here to gather up and travel from here. It was very logical for sure and to be honest in my experience one of the calmer and quieter floors on the high side of the floating fortress. I had my new armour with a right arm in full-plate as well as my right shoulder. While also wearing a chest guard to protect my stomach from any damage. While walking the armour itself was quiet apart from the arm if you moved it a bit faster. Today I had a plan, I got back from getting some information from Yuuma. For the first time, he said it was free, because ... because I was being nice, at least that's what he said. To be honest, Normally Yuuma wanted col for his information, but of late he seemed to be more helpful and didn't ask much col at all saying it was a 'friends' bargain. Don't really understand how it helps him to make me pay less col if I still could ask the full price. But enough about that I was back here because Yuuma told about a rare loot drop that would spawn from some of the enemies and I was really interested because it was a Spear, one that could help me in battle quite well. And with the information, I was off heading to the location.

After a bit of travel past flying islands and even my own house, I came across the island Yuuma told me about. It was an island close to the ground as even the water was touching the sea banks here. Yuuma told about a monster that would spawn around here and his tail looked like a spear of some sort. He also told that if I ever kill it I should check out for its crafting materials and see if I could make a spear from them. But as soon as I set to step on the island the blue familiar particles appeared and there it was. A lizard-like monster with blue scales and fins, almost like the log ness monster, as yep his tail looked like a spear. "ALRIGHT HERE WE GO!" I said in a voice of power and rage with full of determination as my fire in my eyes just like the flames that were made on my silver armour. Taking my spear I was ready to deal with this monster myself. "You will do just fine," I said beneath my breath and charged at the creature. The battle took a bit and my spear and I seemed to be one as I made trust after trust into the creature and from time to time guarding myself with the arm that has the armour. Halfway during the battle, the monster changed its fighting style and got more aggressive and attacked more as My health dropped a bit faster now. And then I knew it was time for my new trick. With one more Charge from a distance, My spear went deep into the monster before I pulled out my spear and it disappeared and I had a shield and sword in my hand as I did a small jump backwards. The monster now was attacking my shield more and I kept my defence up and kept up my attack as well. 

The battle went on and both his and my HP started to get low and then it happened, a miss. I felt the momentum fell upon me and I smiled happily. I took my shield and sword and ran headfirst at the monster. From a distance it looked for sure it was going to be my death. And it was clearly I was going to end up as this monsters meal. But I got closer and closer feeling the moment fall closer and closer, I moved faster and faster. I grinned and my feet felt like the wind as I changed right at it. With my speed, I ran up to it and with that momentum, my spear appeared just as fast as it disappeared before and both my shield and blade were gone as I planted my spearhead into the ground and with the momentum went up into the air and wait skywards up and away. I went high and the look of the monster was so good to see from up here. I was nearly 30 feet above the monster and with my spear, I smiled and the flames in my eyes sparked as I came rocking down. My spear started to glow purple and my body was guided into a spin. as I spun around spear in hand and aimed at the monster I felt all the momentum and all the charge build-up and went for it. I landed and not a moment too soon. My sword art went right into the face of the monster and the pixels of the monster got thorn into pieces. With that amount of speed and damage, I went through the monster and as I landed in the middle of it, it exploded into pieces and dissolved. But not all was ended good because as soon as I landed I took fall damage and my HP got brought down to red. stood with my spear in the ground leaning against it and exhausted. Pixels of my own body where thorn a bit and before I knew it I felt backwards and flat on my back with my spear still standing in the ground.

Action: Uses Yui's grace (+1 SP end thread)

@Baldur

Edited April 17, 2020 by Azhoda

[Baldur 0]

Baldur clapped slowly as he emerged from the edge of the floating island, having witnessed the climactic end to Shion's struggle against the lizard creature. It had been quite the intense battle the two had had, but other than the falling damage, Shion had come out on top quite handily.

"You seem to have improved quite a bit since we last fought together on the castle ramparts."

The gaijin samurai gave Shion a friendly smile, and then a tug on his blue and white haori to free it from where it had gotten caught on some of the underbrush he had emerged from. He took a moment to readjust his appearance so it maintained his perfectly composed, stylized appearance. On his hips rested the two customary katana, one light, and one dark, that he always wore. The inescapable blue hoari with the white flames hung about Baldur's shoulder now, after so many years, as if that's where it was meant to be. In spite of his body being digital, and not real, there was something about the gaijin samurai that said he just fit the look he wore, and the body he inhabited. Perhaps being on the frontlines so much and for so long gave him a comfort with his skills and abilities that only came with time an mastery. There was not an ounce of awkwardness in his body... except for when he had to tug on the haori to free it form the brambles.

He gave a slight, embarrassed smile, then returned to his typical friendly impassiveness.

"What brings you to floor 24? I was just exploring a few of these islands that dot the floor. I've always loved them. Something about their beauty due to their impossibility, and their inability to exist in the real world. I just find them fascinating and beautiful."

[Azhoda 0]

I was tired already and my body was worn out, I don't know how long it took to defeat this monster but it felt like hours. My chest going up and down as I was breathing and clearly out of breath. I looked as my EXP bar went up a bit and the menu from the items updated on with items I got. Water Scales, Nope not the item I needed, Fresh Water, also not what I need, Lizard Dragon Teeth, yet again not what I wanted. Then the last item popped up, Bladed Tail, Bingo. I gave a weak smile out as I laid flat on my back. However, that turned into a curious look as my body got ready for anything as I lay on the ground still breathing heavy. After I started hearing clapping coming from the edge of the island I was fighting on. I turned my face just so slightly so I could see who appeared to spectate my battle and applauded for me. The faint colours of blue as well as the voice that came from the clapping made me calmer again. As I know this voice my body came to a rest breathing heavily from the battle and it seemed to relax again.

"Elegant as ever, I see. Don't stumble over those rocks," I said a bit harsh to the voice who I better knew as Baldur, one of the few people who knew about me or even spoke to me. Back then in the first meeting, he saw me do some of my skills but I have changed up my tactic quite a bit from the last time he met me. I still remember it last time, I even wore light armour back then, compared to my new armour it was clearly I had Heavy armour on right now. I turned my face a bit more to see Baldurs own face, it was a bit hard as he came at an angle that most would see as a blind spot and plus that I was on the ground, but I tried as my red hair got a bit in my face and messed up a bit. As he smiled I could not help but return a smile of my own but a short one, As he then began to speak asking why I was here and explaining why he was here. "Nothing is impossible until you try, just like flying was before. But I am here because I live here, You seen my house you even walked passed it a few times while I was training." I said this a bit cold and emotionless but I meant it right, I guess. "But no I am on this particular island because my contact told me a rare monster spawned here with a drop that could serve me good in battle, and now I got that item and time to see if I can make it into a weapon of my liking," I said pointing to my spear who on closer inspection was a Naginata.

I let out a sigh as I forced myself to sit up and cross my legs, It was clear now that this battle took a lot of my energy and I was quite a bit out of breath for using all of my attacks and energy. And apart from my heavy breathing, my avatar's body was under the scares and holes from the battle to where even someone like me could be a one-shot by a basic attack. "But I appreciate you not jumping into battle like most other players would do. That would be quite annoying, to be honest, And I don't need someone to play a hero in my life," Saying this I looked a bit down and then back up to Baldur. "I can handle myself, to be clear on that. I just don't need help getting stronger! They get in the way if someone did help me," I said to him sounding quite a bit angry and all the while my eyes said gave away a completely different feeling than anger, a more caring and nice feeling. Not that I would have ever noticed that I did this. "But enough about my problems, how are you holding up?" I asked the wannabe samurai as I was honestly quite interested how someone on the front lines was having to shush a calm stroll and not out training Like I have been doing for the last few days, months, years... I don't know as long as I been in this game I guess.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Azhoda

[Baldur 0]

Baldur held up his hands in a placating gesture when she seemed to double down on the fact that she didn't want any help fighting, and didn't need any help from anyone. It was a shaper response than he had expected, especially when you consider that he hadn't actually done it. After a moment, the fire died down and he lowered his hands.

"Woah, it's okay. I wouldn't have hopped in unless I had asked or you were about to die. I've played a fair share of MMO's before this one, and there's a certain etiquette to be followed, unless you're actually trying to kill steal, or ambush a player. As I want to do neither, I follow etiquette."

When she mentioned her home on the floor, Baldur's memory flashed back to her fancy house warming party. With the events of the frontline, it really did seem like it was a long time ago. How much time has passed? Did it really fly away from me so quickly? 

"I was exploring the floor a bit more. After seeing what you did with your house, and the view from up here, I've been trying to see if I'd like to put my own house up here. There's a lot to work with, and there's something about this islands that draws me, and the view simply can't be beat." He walked across the clearing where Shion had done her battle and moved near the end, but still a safe distance away. The view that stretched before him was otherworldly. Not simply because there was the bottom of the 25th floor visible instead of a sky, or because the land stretched out between the disks, but because it was impossible and unearthly. This was a scene that could never be replicated in the real world, and yet the familiar biome of islands, water, and a Colosseum in the distance grounded it in earth's mythology. 

"If  you couldn't already tell, I'm someone who loves a good juxtaposition. The impossible vista, the unearthly quality, and yet remnants of the familiar. Out of all 25 floors, and I have explored them all in depth, this is perhaps my favorite. It calls to me in a way others haven't. I look forward to seeing what lays on the other floors, but it's past time I held out for just the right one. There happens to be a perfectly good one right here."

[Azhoda 0]

Listening to Baldur seemed almost like listening to an old man going on about how he loves to see the world more and see his last dream come true, Not to be mean but that is how I saw it. But I was told to never abandon the wise and their stories. It was clear here that the samurai was interested in setting up something for him to stay at. But The story got up and I lost a bit of interest in it as I took out a healing pot and gulped It down in one go, as Then my scares and battle wounds started to heal from my battle. I looked at him as he finished talking and sighed, "Can't say I feel your sympathy for this floor, and I don't really know why or whatever is really needed to have a view on the landscape. For all I did was just look for any place that sold a plot of land that would give me some peace and quiet to work on my own work and get stronger. And Floor 24 seemed to be a quiet floor with also being a good place to train skills and the benefit that is close to the frontlines." I said to him still sitting on the ground trying to get my energy back as I kind of wasted quite a bit and it was clear that my fighting style asked a lot of energy from me as I was still breathing heavily as I spoke.

"Not to sound disrespectful or anything, But I don't know you. Not that I don't know you, But I mean I know nothing about you past your name and your task as frontliners." I said sounding my voice letting out a tone of respect as well as the clear one tone of a calm but careful out thought sentence. I have done this with anyone I know, let's just say a background check. It's always important to have that out of the way and make sure the one you are speaking to is not some sort of infiltrator. I did this with Yuuma, and he just told me that I was being nice and wanting to know the people more that I kept close, but I just see this as checking out who they really are so I could see if I can trust them, so they don't mess up. "I'll start us off if you don't mind," I said pointing at the floor to make clear to Baldur that he could sit across from me.

I cleared my throat and sighed "Okay as you know, I'm the player called Azhoda. Also known as Shion Kikenna. Master of  Two-handed Assult spears, and favourite weapon, you can guess from here," I said pointing at the Naginata that was planted into the ground still. I looked at him for a second and gave a nod, "Any questions about those part of the information? If not I would love you to say something now as well, Like what I just did. No need to go full personal right away just go slow, and don't share think you wish not to talk about," I said to him calm and careful thinking of my words as I pleased them in front of him.

@Baldur

[Baldur 0]

Baldur smiled dotingly at Shion. Ah, the impatience of youth. Baldur was not particularly old, at least he wouldn't be outside of Aincrad, but in here he seemed almost venerable. He wondered if he should see about adding some grey at the temples to match the age he felt around all these youngsters. But that was why he was here, to look out for them, to watch over them, and to help them learn what they needed to stay alive. Baldur wasn't just old in year though, he had grown up playing MMO's, and while he had played games with permadeath before, none had ever been quite so... perma. It lended Baldur a bit of age in that respect as well. There was little other than the immersion that Baldur had not experienced before in other forms, and because of that, he felt almost an air of being a veteran of prior wars. It just added further to his feeling of being so much older than everyone else.

"Well, with teleporters, there's really no floor that is closer or further from the frontline. And I think you can agree that a house on this floor would be much more preferable to a house on, say, the 21st floor, even though that would probably be the most advantageous floor, given the Nature's Treasure quest takes place there."

He smiled again as she indicated he should sit with her, and he did, arranging his two katana to lay down on the ground beside him in a very specific way. She then began to tell her some very slight, but personal facts about herself. He seemed to recall her introducing herself in a very similar way. How odd, that she feels the need to give her true name out to others so easily.

He supposed she may wish people to call her by her name and not by her handle but it was still uncommon.

"As you know, I am Baldur." He gestured at his side, "And as you also know, I am a katana wielder." He gave her a slight smile, "and perhaps I shall soon be a neighbor, though I fear I shall have to go a bit further afield to build my house. Unfortunately I have made friends with several orange players, though I myself would never raise my blade to a living person."

[Azhoda 0]

Good a nice conversation with someone reasonable for a time. To be honest it has been so long that I had a normal conversation for a long time and I could really use one to keep my sanity in check because I have made some stupid and dumb actions over time and maybe a good normal conversation can fix some of my problems. Oh yeah, the teleporters were a thing. But I already had a house now and I don't feel like selling it or moving it. Still, maybe something else got me to the floor but I didn't know that yet.

But as I suggested it was Baldur's turn to talk and give a bit of information about himself. It was a bit of information that I kind of already knew what took me more by surprise was that he had friends who were killers. Killers... WHY... I wanted to yell at him but I could not do it and just flop backwards with a sigh, "Uugh! I hope you know what you're doing. really Baldur, Orange players are not the kind of people you want to be friends with. and... well ... ugh, Ignore me. Next Thing" I said out of frustration a laid on my back not trying to think about the only time I have met an orange player, that didn't end all too well at all. Trying not to think about it too much and wanting to get those thoughts away as fast as I could I came up with something new to tell.

I was thinking of what to tell and though for a bit until I nodded my head getting a few my old memories out and about, "I'm a Solo Player, altho I seem to have a new run-in with people when I am training, Like now. But they always seem so worried because I 'destroy' my own body. I'm just going this all by my self for as long as I remember up till level 36, that I am now at." I said to him putting my hands behind my head as I laid on the ground. Maybe it was not much and for some reason, I wanted to drop something more on him for my own reason. "To think about it, I have done things alone my whole life, my school of engineering, Growing up, My own apartment, even when I got to be project manager at the age of 25... Yeah, I'm getting old but I'm 27 or at least I was."  I said to him wondering if I said too much now.

@Baldur

[Baldur 0]

Baldur laid back on the grass with Shion when she did, and he stared up through the sky. The wind blew through the limbs of the trees, filling the air with a soothing rustle, and birds chirped cheerily in the background. This is such a nicer floor than 21. He smiled up at the blue-ish 'sky' of the bottom of the 25th floor. Atmospheric occlusion meant that the bottom of the floor, while gray, was a more bluish color, much like his steel blue eyes. It helped fight off the feeling of claustrophobia that might otherwise feel oppressive when you looked out at somet of the otherwise truly stunning vistas.

I hope you know what you're doing Shion counseled him about dealing with orange players, before going on to explain her somewhat suicidal playstyle.

"Tell me, Shion-chan, have you seen anyone die in here? Has anyone you known died, to orange players or otherwise?"

Baldur paused, to let her answer before he continued.

"I've seen them all. Philosophy aside, players are a non-renewable resource. There are only so many of us, and there are only so many of us who will become a level that is useful to the frontline, and of those, there are only a few that of the correct disposition to be able to work well on the frontline. Of those, a subsection are orange. It is, perhaps no difficult, but not uncommon in all of that traveling to come across situations which test you. Some people become orange for the 'right'" Baldur made air quotes up at the sky, "reasons, and some become orange for the wrong reason. And some people with the highest body count are green."

Baldur rolled his head to the side so he could look at Shion laying in the grass a few feet away from him.

"Redemption doesn't come from a quest. It comes from actions which have no hope of a good reward, simply because it is the right thing to do. I work with people who seek real redemption, people who are willing to risk their life, to try and make up for the actions they have taken. While it's simple to just ignore orange players, or turn them away, the Frontline can't afford to do that. As far as I'm concerned, in the world of Aincrad, everyone deserves a second chance. And if they can be put to use fighting to save 7,000 lives to make up for the one or two they took, then I am going to wield that tool to save as many lives as I can. The ones that have been lost already are lost, the best we can do is try to save the rest."

[Azhoda 0]

Listening to Baldur as I looked up into the sky as he spoke, he had this sort of effect on me to start thinking a bit. But I stopped right away with everything as soon as Baldur asked me the question nobody ever asked me before. Both my mind and eyes froze, I straight felt the fear that I felt twice before. Death the concept I was not scared for at all, never have I feared it at all, but this game changed me a bit. I did not fear my own death, no I feared something else. Never in my whole life have I felt fear and those two times that I did were both in this game. I was quiet and didn't really answer Baldur straight away, you could even say that I looked a bit down.

When he was done speaking with his whole speech about redemption were I caught just half of the story because my mind itself was racing with memories I wish I could forget forever. "I... um," Those two things came out of me when I wanted to say something, I could not really say it but I wanted to say it. "I have seen people die," I said quiet and the mood I had before was completely gone as my voice was low, quiet and soft. "Four times," I said as I looked up at the sky before turning my face to Baldur. "Can I be honest," I said to him as my voice was still quiet. I paused a bit before gathering my own strength to speak up again, "I don't know the concept of fear, I never felt scared of something even if I did a something other people would feel scared about. But the game has changed it, I fear death. Not my own, but the death of others." I went quiet again and it was clear that I was not all too happy saying this. Compared to the fighting and burning passion I normally have was this a completely different look on how and who I was. "Those four deaths are all thanks to me... all because I was either weak, useless or stupid." I can remember them all and I didn't like it.

I took a deep breath and at the same moment I blew all the air out again. "The first time was when I was a bit lower level ... say about level 15, I was helping four players gain levels. I went with them because they asked me to join because I was a higher level than them. And I wanted to protect them," I said as my voice went lower. "But as we travelled one of the players asked if they could go into a dungeon, and so we did. We had a hard time getting passed some of the guys but we slowly worked our way through it. But the guy that wanted to go into the dungeon tricked us to go into a trap and he teleported out saying something about the lines of 'I wish you luck in dying' before teleporting out," My voice was really going quiet and I went back looking up at the sky. "The three that were still with me died by the trap as it spawned monsters. I did not die and killed every monster in there gaining at least 4 levels." I sighed and took my hand up to my chest and looked at it. "The other death I have seen was ... quite fresh. A great guy, a Tank who I believe was one of the first players to do the new quest on this floor. I believe he was the strongest Tier 2 Tank. But I dumped into him as he was travelling... He wanted to be alone for a moment saying something about losing his love Neo, so I left him alone. But right after he did a player with an orange cursor jumped out. I just tried to protect myself as he attacked me and I think he heard the battle and came back, He jumped in and it seemed this orange player knew the tank and laughed at him. He overpowered the guy and killed him. I was saved by someone else but he died trying to protect me from being killed." I paused and my hand that I have been looking at became a fist. "And No one will ever die because of me, even if I have to be a jerk to lower level players," I said and it was clear that my fiery spirit came back.

@Baldur

[Baldur 0]

"There's a difference between courage and recklessness, and between self-sufficient and disregard." Baldur had listened to the girls story about losing several people. He couldn't quite follow along due to the lack of names and familiarity with the story, but he understood the crux of the matter. She felt that if she relied on other people, they were going to get killed. It was a feeling many people felt. They didn't want to be a burden on others. Baldur had seen it before. Baldur had been there before. However, Shion seemed to have taken the wrong lesson away from these encounters, and had become stubbornly, almost fiercely, independent.

"Being a jerk to low level players isn't going to keep them safe. It's going to make it more likely that they go out and try to prove themselves on their own, without asking for help, and more likely that they'll end up dead."

Baldur frowned. He wasn't trying to be so hard on Shion, but she almost seemed to demand it with the way that she was acting. Like there was something about the way she fought to take pride in.

"Not asking for help isn't strength, it's fear. Pushing away others, and the help of others, isn't making anyone stronger, it's letting fear control us."

Baldur sighed softly and put his hands behind his head as he looked up into the sky.

"Right now the frontlines are fractured. Everyone thinks they know what is the best. There are dozens of little factions, and no one wants to listen to what other people have to say. Hopefully this lapse in time will change, but it's all because everyone wants to be strong on their own, and they don't realize that the important strength is what we are together." He turned to look at Shion, his blue eyes evaluating her, "If I was the highest level player in the game, and had the best gear in the game, and didn't need anyone. That doesn't help us get out of here any faster. But if I am the best team player, I watch out for not just my raid team mates, but help others who are trying to contribute, or maybe need that extra factor of safety in order to consider joining the frontline, or contributing to it. Then I become the MVP. I would rather have a team a weak players who know how to work together, and help each other, and be vulnerable to one another, than have a team of the 6 strongest players in Aincrad."

Baldur blew out his breath as he looked back up into the sky.

"That's what I think a lot of people don't understand. When we have teamwork, real teamwork, then we become more than the sum of our parts."

[Azhoda 0]

Teamwork, that was a word I did understand. "Teamwork, the basic to a project going smoothly. Teamwork is the dream work. Listening, Question, Explain, Respect, Share, Help, Advance and celebrate. It sounds like a collection of words but that is correctly what teamwork is. But I guess fear is a bigger enemy of us all. Even if I never felt fear in my whole life, not even when I piloted a glider. but yeah I see what you are saying and I think I understand. However, I have not seen it and as long as I don't see a change I'm not convinced by it. Just like people saying they care and every time again proving to me they don't care one bit about me," I said raising my voice a bit. But I gave a light chuckle after that. "You got my attention by the last few words Baldur. Teamwork. I know I know, I don't sound like someone who likes to have teamwork or work with people, but the only way I know something doesn't end in chaos and these little factions in the frontlines as you told me is by gaining trust, getting to know the people you fight with. What they like and what they don't like." I paused and sat up and let out a small breeze of air from my chest.

"In the animal kingdom, how a plover bird cleans the jaws and teeth of a crocodile. While the crocodile sits entirely still. That is a good view on teamwork, but just as my father always said, Humans are a sort species that have evolved to be selfies and work alone thanks to guideless examples of mistrust. We can't work with each other proven by not one, but two world wars. But we can't also work without each other proven by the fact that humans need each other in time of need. I am a project manager for my team, and but I'm just the face of the project, the one you go to if something is wrong. Say your tank in some sort. But my boss kind of ordered me and my team to talk, like a little questioning game." I thought for a moment and nodded.

I made a fast jump onto my feet and started walking back and forward almost looking impassioned as I did my story. "For example, I would introduce myself with my name and family name. Being Shion Kikenna, After that, I would tell a little about myself like my age, job and or if I'm married. 27 years old and I am an engineer for a project working on a glider, also not married or in love with anyone.  Next, I would explain where I'm from and how I been the day so far. I'm from Tokyo in the Chofu district, and so far I would normally get the train and walk to my work. But now I guess I can say I'm from floor 24 and been easy going so far." I seemed to have 'fun' as I was explaining this to Baldur seeing as my vision of teamwork was based on knowing the people you work with. "After that, if I remember correctly was what you like and what you don't like, soooo... Guess I like designing new ideas for a glider and what I don't like is being unable to speak and go where I want without people telling me what I cant do and can do and keeping me in one place. I like to be on the move and move past things I did! advice better than you did before. After that, people were open to question about anything they wished, most common thing was what you like to see from others or say how looks do your normal day look like. the most reappearing question to me are, did you eat or how long have you slept. And to those two I will say... I have not eaten today and I slept um... maybe four hours, BUT BEFORE THAT I DID EAT BECAUSE I GOT HUNGRY! AND IT WAS JUST 11 PM YESTERDAY!" I said sounding on the end a bit more childish and unresponsible compared to my age. to be honest it almost felt like I was explaining this to my co-workers again who always knew that I didn't take the best care of my body as I worked tiredly on the glider I mentioned in this conversation a few times now.

@Baldur

[Baldur 0]

Baldur had a hard time following along what Shion was saying. She seemed to take a direction and just shoot off in it, much as she had in the fight. She was certainly quick to action. She began working through a straight out of the box team building exercise all by herself, prompting him with the canned question, and then answering it herself. It was an almost bizarre show, but she did have a point.

"Yea, we always called those ice breakers any time corporate decided to mandate a team building exercise. I usually found them to be more awkward and off-putting for more people than they were helpful for, but knowing how you like to be interacted with, and interact with others is a good thing to know. A lot of personalities tests try to suss that out, and it helps both the test taker, and their team, figure out how to work with one another."

He propped himself up on his elbows, since she was standing and pacing now.

"It's a decent enough ice breaker, but I think most people here would just risk their lives right off the bat and go fight something, maybe hold hands and close a few demon portals." Baldur gave a smirk at the thought that it was easier to fight kobolds than talk about oneself.

"I subscribe to the idea that there is a personality type that is the ideal team player. They are humble, because if they're not, they won't adapt to the team and learn how to work together. They're hungry, in that they're driven to improve themselves, press on, and get better. And they're emotionally smart, meaning that they know how to interact with others, to fit in, and yet have enough self awareness that they can be in control of their emotions. These people need to work on a team after all."

Baldur let out a breath, blowing some of his bangs out of the way.

"Give me someone with those three traits, and I can make a good team."

[Azhoda 0]

Thinking of what Baldur said seemed to set myself on the spot a bit. I mostly took inisative in these kinds of things mostly to just move on and get back to my job. Sure I maybe lightly over worked myself from day to day, but that was just my own problem I guess. But teamwork, that is something one must always seek out for. I may have never really played with teams or did any team sports. And right now I only seemed to be really focused on my self being 'harsh' to players who went to fast for their own paste.

"Guess you can say people who work together should fill each others skills. And a Leader type is always the one who can bring a team together even if they are all negetive. It is worth to try putting people together who dont know each other and seemed to be completely diffrent from one another." I said thinking about it. As I did I sighed and sat down again looking out over the waters of the floor. Thinking about it, I have done nothing but playing solo so far. Getting out and about trying to get as far as I could without anyones help. "I guess, I have avoided people for the longest part of this game, so I have not really done any kind of team work," I said to him, maybe I could try it. But I didn't want anyone to get in trouble because I wanted to do some testing with teamwork. 

"By the way Baldur, I may need some help trying to inprove my communication with people, like... um I think most people hate me, Or at least dont like me." I have never asked this to someone as I didn't need to improve myself on my job, I just did what I did. "Like people avoid me or something, Like I am to harsh to people telling them the truth that they will die if you not gonna be more careful. I dont understand that why people dont like thinks like that, Why lie when you can speak the truth," I said to him really looking like I was questioning my own method of working with people, it worked so far.

@Baldur