[PP-F2] <<Let There Be Light>>

[Snow 0]

The town of Urbus paled in comparison to the Town of Beginnings but held a similar, circular layout. The innermost rings contained the most traffic and the outermost rings contained residences, dark alleys, and obscure shops. Compared to the Town of Begginings, Urbus excelled in one area- mineral selection. Thanks to the topography of the floor, the mountainous expanse became home to hundreds of small mines. Caves were commonplace and many adventurers sought treasure in their dark expanses. One needed to be careful, for many of the caves became home to hoards of monsters.

Snow found herself on the second floor on a journey for enjoyment. She loved to shop the stands of various minerals and crystals. While she did not work as an artificer, Snow felt that something about raw crystals were just mesmerizing. Of all the ones she saw, the blonde preferred translucent ones with a blue color. They reminded her of sapphire or aquamarine. As she perused the wares of various merchants, she dreamed about owning one of the stones as a necklace or ring -- something subtle but enough to catch the eye. As a self proclaimed protector, maybe she'd have it enhanced to help her heal? She heard that such rare pieces of equipment did exist, but only at the cost of extreme peril.

As the thought of peril lingered in her mind, Snow overheard a panicked cry of a woman. Something about the voice seemed familiar.

 "Pl-please," Snow overheard, "I've been trying to find someone to help me all day. My child--"

A pause cut her off as one player ignored her as they walked by. The woman turned her attention to another player, and pressed her hands together in front of them.

"She-- she was playing in one of the caverns in the mountains with her friend. I-I told her not to go but she didn't listen to me!" The woman began to cry. "Her friend came back to me just this moment a-and said that they were attacked by monsters! T-the beast is still in there with her, please, I don't know how long my Koko can last in a place like that!"

Snow inhaled sharply when her memory jogged. A long while ago she helped a small girl ironically named Assassin complete that quest. The experience weighed heavily on Assassin and Snow learned much about her fellow player. To see players ignore the woman seemed so sad, but Snow understood. Many of the others already completed the quest and not many new players branched out from the Town of Beginnings. Snow would be shocked to see someone accept the quest, but a part of her would also be a little relieved. NPC or not, it pained her to see others suffer.

@Xena

Spoiler

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Snow

[Xena 0]

Xena had sighed to herself, she had been walking through second floor holding a book in her hand, it was a small blue one, inside she had been jotting down lyrics the entire day. Taking floors, preferably low ones for inspiration she found herself on the second one, ironically it was the floor that put her in a depressed spiral the past 1 or 2 years. She wondered how her real body was doing, how her cat was doing, hopefully both were well, she imagined that she couldn't be here in the game if her real body wasn't alive. It wasn't until that thought crossed her mind that a NPC walked up to her, she looked like the kind of NPC to be a mother. And said about as much too Xena, she hadn't done the quest before but she knew of it. Mostly due to basic knowledge of most quests on this floor, she hadn't planned to participate in them until she was of a decent level but, the enemies of this quest supposedly had low HP.

"Is that right? Alright then I'll see what I can do." Saying so she sighed and pulled her hood down two cat ears coming out of it, she scratched them, the hood had been making them or at least the hair around them itch a bit, It was strange. With a loud snap of the blue book being shut it shattered into particles returning to her inventory. Xena looked towards the cave before, feeling like she was being watched. Looking to her right she noticed a player. They were tall, a female, blonde and had blue eyes, that's the main properties she noticed. With a somewhat concerned face she turned towards them a tail swishing to her side holding the cloak up a bit behind her as she placed her clawed gauntleted hands against her hips. "Ya got a problem?" She had simply asked scanning over the player more, at any rate she knew she wouldn't be able to fight them if it came to that. She'd need to rely on a warp crystal to get out of this, which she had none currently, having ran out of stock during her last quest. That was a bad thing too Xena's mind, she was certainly about ready to make a mad sprint away if the player showed any threatening movement, she wasn't sure of what weapon they used. But if it was any kind of mobile weapon like a one handed sword, or hell any type of dagger she'd have a real problem avoiding it. "Or, are you just staring for the sake of staring?" Xena's tone wasn't exactly aggressive, though it was confrontational, like a cornered cat would be. Xena knew she hadn't done anything wrong and seeing how this player was a green cursor she'd likely be fine, but she didn't exactly wanna take a risk. Looking around the trees for any possible hiding folk that would take a shot at Xena the moment she moved she couldn't find any, so that was a somewhat nice thing to look towards.


Xena | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 6 | LD: 3 | BLD: 12 | REC: 2

Edited February 12, 2022 by Xena

[Snow 0]

A small figure spent some time by the woman and the expression of worry transfigured into gratefulness. Snow smiled. Perhaps people still took the quest after all. Smile quickly turned to confusion as the figure shed its hood to reveal a pair of cat ears. That same pair of ears turned tail and marched on up to Snow. Now, the blonde stood eye to eye with the other player and at the end of some crass words. Snow held her hands up innocently.

"No, no!" Snow waived her armored hands peacefully and defensively. "I'm just grateful is all."

Snow's soft Czech accent hung on her words.

"I didn't mean to stare, it's just I didn't expect anyone to accept the poor woman's quest. I did it a long time ago, but it's still so sad to see her beg. I also can't help but worry for the little girl either. Even if they're NPCs, they still feel like people, don't you think so?"

Snow lowered her hands to her side and took a step back from the girl who now stood much closer than the blonde expected. She then slightly bowed her head.

"I'm sorry." Lifting her head, Snow smiled. "I'm Snow, by the way. You are?"

@Xena

[Xena 0]

Xena certainly didn't seem amused, she had never seen this girl before and here they were apologizing to her like she had just done something wrong. Xena was a provocative type but she wasn't that harsh, she rather bluntly said. "No worries, just don't tend to like being stared at by strangers, then again the whole Neko thing kind of forces that, Is why I usually keep my hood up." She shrugged one of the two ears twitching before she pulled up the hood, no need to have them just out and about. Someone might grab at them, it's happened before and it caused her to be an orange player for about a week, maybe it wasn't entirely worth the scratch but it sure felt really good. And it didn't really effect her that much, as it was only a scratch at the arm that grabbed at them. She looked over the girl curiously, they appeared unarmed. "You not got a weapon? Or is it one of those 2 handed ones that just kind of appears?" She says that as she's seen 3 great swords appear out of thin air when their users needed them. Too be honest, she wasn't even usually this chatty it was odd for her to be so openly talking to someone, maybe she just didn't want them to feel bad about the misunderstanding. The person identified themselves and Xena shrugged, she didn't typically give her name out willy nilly. "Ehhhh, you can just call me Tigress, no offense i just kind of don't give my name out like that, players with a high search skill only need that to find ya you know." She shrugged as she said that her cloak blowing a bit in the wind that brushed through the valley like terrain. Her tail quickly hid behind a leg as the cold air seemed to bother it.

[Snow 0]

Snow felt curious about the girl’s choice to mention the cat like characteristics she chose to wear. When she returned to the shadows of her hood, Snow recalled the visage of Assassin. When they first met, it went just like this. The smaller of the two held such intensity and determination to be taken seriously. Assassin also preferred the confined of her hood to hide how young she was. Perhaps Tigress also had a reason for her behavior. Maybe she just liked cats. Who was Snow to judge?

”Ah, well I didn’t want to mention it, but I’ve met other players who have their own unique traits they’d prefer not to talk about all the time— someone you remind me a little of actually met me during that quest you just took.” Snow admitted. 

As the girl looked her over in search of a weapon, Snow held out her palms. It was true she preferred not to travel in the safe zones armed, but the length of her spear proved a bit tricky to carry all the time. 

“I use spears, but they’re a bit cumbersome to always walk around with.” Snow opened her menus and navigated to the weapons tab where she selected and equipped Sif’s Needle. The spear’s polished white shaft materialized in her hand and the golden, ornately designed blade shone brightly at its tip. Snow lifted it up a bit and rotated its length enough for the sunlight to catch the mini serrations along the head’s edge. While somewhat plain, the blade’s design ripped and tore away at targets so the wounds would bleed heavily.

Snow set her weapon down beside her and leaned onto it slightly as she cocked her hips. 

“Nice to meet you, Tigress. Say, I know this is sudden, but if you’d like some help on your quest, I could tag along. I remember the layout and I’m built for support. I know you might not trust me, and we don’t even need to formally party. I can just pull the aggrieved for you.”

Snow didn’t expect a positive response given the rest of their current conversation, but the short redhead reminded her so much of assassin. Snow always wanted to help others and be of use to someone, why not a stranger? Judging by her stature and green cursor, Tigress seemed unlikely to be one of those killers. Even then, Snow’s closest friends are and were known PKers. Not all orange cursors are bad people.

@Xena 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Snow

[Xena 0]

Xena had kept her line of thought together as she had listened too the girl, supposedly she reminded this lady of something, could just be a mistake who knows. She shouldn't press for details though, with a shrug she nodded. "Can't say i've met anyone lookin like me."  She turned her sight for a moment hearing the grass around them moving, it was a lovely sound. Turning back to find snow in her menu a spear had appeared next to her, it was rather ornate and flashy, not the kind of thing you'd find Xena dead with. "Bit of a eye dragger ain't it?" She commented not meaning any harm simply asking a point, the spear would draw the eye of lots of money grubbing orange players. As they commented how they rarely had it out and about Xena shrugged, that was a incredibly dangerous choice but, she supposed if the area's friendly like this place is it was fine. "I can see how that would be a issue, i wouldn't even be able to hold that thing steady." In all likely hood if she tried it would cause more issues then anything possible. Certain weapons just aren't meant for certain people, and people of Xena's stature would better rely on Knives or in Xena's preference claws. Then the most peculiar request came about, she wanted to help. "You wanna help eh, didn't ya say you already did this quest? What's innit for you?"  She asked rather innocently, it was often that a player would help if there was something in it for them, so the question in Xena's mind was what did snow get out of this besides a chance at death if things went bad. She was a great deal higher leveled then Xena but. She simply shrugged and replied with. "I mean, I won't deny help, just I can't really do anything for ya in return for it." Xena held her hands on her hip looking over the player, they were a healer huh, as well as a aggro drawer, two rolls that are incredibly important in floor boss clearing. Though not usually seen in the same person ever, it was a interesting conundrum. "Then again, not every treasure is silver and gold is it?" Her tone when she said that was somewhat mischievous though in a general sense not specified towards anyone. Xena had her own stock pile of goods, not a large one but it was enough to keep her going, and not even a portion of it was silver or gold. Though she was more then aware that the two commodities existed in this game, rare as they be they were occasionally used to make weapons much like snows spear here. A golden accent and a silver looking pole, it was pretty, and that's what would draw thieves or orange players eyes towards it.

[Snow 0]

"Eye dragger?"

Snow looked at her weapon with a squint in her eyes. To her, the polearm seemed simple. Compared to some of the oversized, ornate, and impractical weapons wielded on the front-lines, this was a toothpick by comparison. She shrugged at the notion. It's beauty resided in the fine details one could only see up close. That either meant someone was close enough to inspect it or found themselves at its business end. Tigress continued and admittedly, the girl would look silly if she tried to use a weapon so much longer than she was tall. Snow stifled a smile.

"For me?" responded the blonde. The answer was easy. "I made a promise..."

Snow's words lingered and a weight settled into her chest. As much as she grieved, Snow still felt pained from the memories. She let the weight sink deep beneath, lifted her shoulders, and took a breath.

"I promised a close friend I would help others. This fight is not one we can win alone. So if I can ease someone's burden, I will try."

A glint of determination shone in the light of her blue eyes. It spoke of her honesty but her lack of belief in herself. Her strength was borrowed and her facade an armor to her fear. Still, she had a life to live for two. Three if you count Opal.

"And it's okay if you can't pay me or return the favor. As long as I am useful, that's all that matters to me. Maybe you'll remember me when you get stronger? Maybe you'll ask me to help you out another time? Who knows."

Snow recalled the twisted face of the NPC mother back in the town of Urbus. She recalled the players that brushed past her, Snow included.

"And I just hate the look of that worried mother. So it'll be nice to ease her mind if only for a while." The blonde's fingers rose and summoned her HUD. Her fingers danced across the translucent menus until a small blinking icon flashed on a topographical map of the area. The cave they were looking for was only a few paces out of the way.

"Shall we?" Snow gestured with her spear in the rough direction. Tall trees loomed overhead and a worn path led into the shadows of their canopy. "I'll lead."

The self proclaimed Valkyrie started toward their objective and walked past Tigress, presenting her armored back to the stranger. The disregard for safety spoke to a degree of trust or a degree of ignorant bliss. Either way, the thought of the Tigress as a threat never neared Snow's mind.

@Xena

Edited February 13, 2022 by Snow

[Xena 0]

Xena shrugged, her opinion was her own, and so was there's, there was a respect in that. "Can't say i understand your connection too NPC's, a few of my acquaintances feel the same towards them, pitying them and all that. But, you can't feel bad for someone in a preprogrammed loop, that kind of worry will melt at your mind." It was a bit of free advice from her, she wasn't that high of a level but she had a decent idea of what happened to the mind under amounts of stress, some turn to insanity, like quite a few players in this game. "Promised a friend huh? Heh, something about that's familiar." She said as she thought about one of her guy friends, she only had one really but they were her best friend at this point. Her only friend effectively, but she didn't really need any more, no need to drag them down with her after all. "Well... Your too kind snow, honestly." Xena shrugged basically saying yeah sure they can do the quest together. "If there was more people like you in this world maybe we'd be out of this by now." Xena said this knowing she herself was no sheep, but she wasn't a wolf either, a nice in between, where morality is greyed out. And the stress isn't as bad as it normally would be. "Just, try not to die, I'm sure it won't be a problem for you though." Stating that the lady had opened her menu activating a way point, seems that would be where they were going, Xena nodded following behind the lady. She was either so strong she didn't need to worry or she was just that innocent, either way Xena didn't want to fight her at all so she was fine either way. 

[Snow 0]

As Snow lead the way closer to the cave and their fist opponent, she thought about Tigress’s words. They held truth in that NPCs were just programming intended to be used by the players, but in a world where they looked no different than the players, the line of real and fake blurred. The expression of pain, the screams, the begging, all sounded just like a person’s. How could someone turn a blind eye to that kind of suffering? How could one witness the slaughter and not see the random programs as one of their friends, family, or loved one? If anything, NPCs could still return to life, but that luxury did not extend to the 10,000 players originally trapped in SAO. Some of the first had no warming. At least players like Snow and Tigress knew that their number of lives in this digital world remained at a cold, hard one.

Tigress continued to warn her about Snow’s mannerisms and she too heard similar from Mari, the well known orange player. As the cave approached her view, Snow breathed a sigh of defeat. She knew her kindness was a weakness to be exploited. She knew that it could one day be the reason her heart ceased to beat. But just as Tigress stated, if more people were like her, the world wouldn’t be so unforgiving. Perhaps that sole reason drove Snow to continue her selfless actions. One day, just maybe, others might see the warmth and positivity and be moved to imitate it. 

“We’re here,” Snow commented. She abruptly stopped and gripped her spear at the ready. “Don’t attack until I have it’s aggro.”

The words from Snow’s lips lacked kindness. It almost seemed as though a new soul piloted her body. Although the blonde was still herself, a ferocity born of loss filled her actions and her words. She committed to help and at no cost would she let herself or her new acquaintance stare the fear of death in the eye.

Spoiler

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3 Terrrible formatitign to be resolved later. MD 3 MISS. Snow 2 Hate 440/400 HP 60/62 EN

[-2 EN] Howl <+2 Hate>

Hate: <2> Snow: 440/400HP 60/62EN
Hate: <0> Tigress: 120/120HP 30/30EN

Giant Bat: 75/75HP 35DMG
[MD 3] <Miss>

From the cave, sounds of wild fluttering resounded. Snow lowered the tip of her spear and with a deep breath, pursed her lips and loosed a shill whistle. The <Giant Bat> emerged and flew straight at Snow. With its clawed feet, it swept for the blonde to which Snow deftly jerked out of its way. It flew past and swiftly maneuvered for a second pass, oblivious of the Tigress among them.

Edited February 14, 2022 by Snow

[Xena 0]

Xena had heard the bat before they even entered, it wasn't exactly quiet. Hopping backwards with a bit of a flip as it went for its dive attack on snow she didn't attack, snow wanted to draw aggro first and who was Xena to not let her. "I hope you know what your doing..." She simply commented quickly looking around the cave for the child with no sign of them they'd have to kill this bat first before they could actually scout the area. The bat seemed content moving around the area and attacking snow so Xena stood at the cave entrance, maybe she could get them to fly into the light. Would help  them see as currently the only light they had was thankfully the light shining into the cave. "Is it just me or do they really like you?" She joked seeing how the bat was preoccupied by the blonde. "If possible trying hitting it in the wing, i'm not sure if this creature works like the real one but if you know out even one of its wings it shouldn't be able to fly right?" She asked with sound logic, except for the fact this was a video game not real life, but there was always the chance a real world thing would of made it into SAO, so many other things had so why not that.

[Snow 0]

“I’ve got this,” Snow replied as encouragement to Tigress just as much as herself. She remembered how much she and Assassin struggled against these bats the first time. Being unable to see in the dark proved slightly difficult. With Snow’s thorns, she felt it easier to let them harm themselves on her armor and let her regen keep her topped up.

Spoiler

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Snow

Howl vs Giant Bat

Low Visibility Field <-1 ACC> to all Players
[+1 EN]
[-2 EN] Howl <+2 Hate>

Hate: <4> Snow: 440/440HP 59/62 EN
Hate: <0> Tigress: 120/120HP 30/30EN

Giant Bat: 75/75 DMG: 35
[MD 2] <Miss>

As the bat made for a second pass, Snow ducked low and let it pass overhead. As it tried to recover in the air, Snow pressed her fingers to her lips and let loose another shrill whistle to draw the monster’s attention to her.

”Sounds like a plan.” Snow kept her eyes fixed on the giant critter as she spoke to Tigress. “I have a good hold on his attention. Now is your chance to bring him down.”

Snow’s spear readied in anticipation of intercepting the beast for the third time or if Tigress put herself in peril. Last time, Snow lacked the ability to howl and pull aggro, this time, she felt more like a protector. Perhaps this time, only Snow would get hurt. 

@Xena

Edited February 14, 2022 by Snow