[PP-01] The First few lessons are free! Really? Lessons? (Ft. Kali)

[Sphix 0]

Click clack. Click clack. Dexter's footsteps struck the cobblestone lightly producing that sound. It almost seemed unnerving.  Sunglasses were perched upon the bridge of his nose as those oceanic eyes peered behind them quickly absorbing the scenery at a rapid pace to analyze. People who were not people but digitized data and then people who were people who could die or kill in this world. Everything seemed real and then fake at the same time. Poor Dexter. Not having immersed in such matters before, the idea of mingling and socializing was a fast no. 

Snow white hair seemed to whirl upwards and in every direction that the wind would see fit. With one hand stuffed in his pocket, the other held his hair back pressing the hair to stay away from his field of vision. The sensations, the textures, and everything felt like he was actually walking in a town designed to house this game. Game?, he thought. He was briefly explained that he would be hooked up to a machine that would help him merge into society by helping him socialize with a vast number of players before heading into the real world. He knew that this was firing electrons into his brain and would help stimulate the creation of novelty memories that would allow him interaction and behavioral therapy to release him.

While he was thinking, his body actively moved away from people wary of bumping into them. It was auto pilot. He had a touch sensory overload issue when someone unknown would touch him physically. Lithe figure moved effortlessly throughout the crowd and gained momentum as he had just gotten free information from a broker since he was still new that there would be a place in town where he could find some sort of board that would allow him to take newbie lessons, as the broker referred. Figure bobbed back and forth as the rumored message board would be found.

"So, this is the place. Huh." It was underwhelming as he stared at the board. Then again, it was welcomed information as he noticed the difference between players and NPC's. Blue orbs stared at the board a moment. Then he felt this unwarranted gaze fall upon him and he turned around quickly with his fist balled up ready. He met Dorian. The first quest had been triggered immediately upon the man walking up to him. His head fell to the side as he listened to the man and then raised his hands. "Okay! Okay. I'll do it. Didn't think it would be this pushy." He took one big step back to produce space between the man who simply moved forward to continue the conversation as to where to start. He mentally gathered the issue and then sighed nodding. The man would just continue talking even if he moved around. After he finished, he accepted his fate and moved on to the next target. 

Off to Zackariah's place.

Sphix | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 4 | MIT:18 | ACC:3                  

Spoiler

"Name: Sphix
True Tier: 1
Level: 1
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 20/20
EN: 20/20

Stats:
Damage: 4
Mitigation: 18
Accuracy: 3

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Force Dagger Whip | T1 Perfect Weapon (Whip) | DMG III
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Coat of Endurance | T1 Perfect Armor (Heavy) | MIT III
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Purchase of Wolf Pendant (220941-4)

Combat Mastery:
  - 

Combat Shift:
  - 

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:

Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                         

 

 

[Pollux 0]

Old Dorian and his money troubles. Name a better pair for Aincrad's clueless newbies.

No sooner had the mayor finished making his appeal than he zeroed in on the second player in the vicinity with an empty quest log. He marched up to her with single-minded purpose. "Hello, Mayor. I heard." Yue Hua raised a hand, cutting off his pre-quest spiel. She had just been passing by. "I can help. Let me at 'em."

Old Dorian kindly advised her not to beat them up. They were sitting on town money but they were still human in the end. "Oh, don't worry."

With her progress window tracking a new quest, Yue Hua walked a few steps in the direction pointed out to her, craning her neck to try and spot Dorian's other errand-runner among the crowd. They were tall, so they should have been easy to find. But they were remarkably quick on their feet, it seemed, and left alone, she was briefly stuck wondering if she should simply shadow Player One's steps for the entirety of the quest. Like some kind of creep.

The tromp of her farming boots took her past a deserted side street. Then she wheeled back, iridescent eyes fixated on a bunch of crates stacked against a wall.

Oh, perfect.

Yue Hua set off in a brisk jog. Two quick hops, and she was at the top of the pile. Yue Hua braced herself, and with a stronger jump, she managed to catch herself with her fingertips on the edge of a roof. She swung sideways, grasping farther up the ledge with her other arm, and she scrambled the rest of the way up, tail thrashing behind her. Alone on the rooftops, unimpeded by the crowds, the half-dragon leaped from one roof to the next, the patter of her feet alerting the buildings' inhabitants to her passing. By the time they went to investigate, she was already gone. The journey was an almost straight shot from Point A to Point B. She kept low and to the center to avoid being seen and she dropped off right in front of the alchemist's door.

No one was here. Player One was nowhere to be found (and perhaps oblivious to the fact that there was even a race).

All too pleased with the outcome, Yue Hua picked herself up and entered Zackariah's abode.

 

 

The door swung open a second time.

Sitting cross-legged before a small circular table at the corner of Zackariah's shop, Yue Hua looked up. A pot of chocolate fondue bubbled in front of her with an array of treats for dipping. She had bundled up her long hair and was manually holding it back so that none of the loose strands spilled into the concoction, and in her free hand, she had a fork. Distractedly, she swirled a strawberry into the pool and took a bite.

Wow. He's pretty.

"Hello. Come here and take a few." She flicked the end of her tail, 'waving' Sphix over once he had finished speaking to the alchemist. It settled back down in a loose swirl after the gesture, and Yue Hua drew the bulk of it into her lap to allow the man the space to step past her. "Fork's beside the marshmallows. Try it; it tastes great."

 

厌倦你浪潮般涨落地爱我 当作莫名靠岸惶惑地来过 再说了从未幻想过你爱我 天马行空都埋没

Spoiler LEVEL 2: HP: 40/40 | EN: 22/22 | DMG: 7 SKILLS: Spoiler  | skills mod count: 0/5 STRAIGHT SWORD | RANK 2/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +4 DMG | expenditure Spoiler Total SP: 10 | Spent: 8 | Unspent: 2 SKILL: Straight Sword (8)   EQUIPMENT: Spoiler Dull Blade DAMAGE II TIER 1 RARE STRAIGHT SWORD it's worn from use. but the swordswoman favors it anyway. it was her first blade. INVENTORY: Spoiler (2) Teleport Crystal Use a post action to activate a teleport crystal. Teleports the player to the town or designated teleportation area they specify.

Edited September 26 by kali

[Sphix 0]

Hip hop. Hip hop? He was slightly skipping to a melodic tune in his head pushing all unnecessary noise from the people speaking along the streets. This time though, both hands were stuffed in his pockets as he still made evasive maneuvers against the advertising folks and their wares. All he had to focus on was that little marker ahead to where he would find out his next target would be. 

The faces of those that seemed to be unimportant to him seemed blurred. They were unimportant. They need not have a face, he thought. This was what it was like in reality to him. There were few people who had no impact on him, minus the nurses, that he even interacted in real life. 

The cursor loomed in front of him as he stood beyond the door. He was already mentally drained.

Ignoring the shouting vendors, he was already on his last social battery and wanted to get this part done and over. 

Taking a deep breath, he would push open the door finally and head inside. There laid the cursor overhead of the person he needed to speak with. His face was visibly blurred to him. Gaze followed the bobbles and do dads that laid neatly in a strange assortment of size. Adorned with various colors, they piqued his curiosity allowing him some quiet time in his head to recharge a bit. If one would follow on the other side of the layout, they would see his face on the other side distorted with small ones and big ones peering at bottle after bottle. 

He was too busy absorbing the scene before the sweet smell invaded his nostrils. Whoa.

What was that smell? He wanted to immediately know what was that smell that had made him jolt slightly. He walked up to the NPC and the conversation was initiated. "I'm here for Dor.." He was cut off by the conversation of the NPC saying how he was swamped. Rude? He thought as he listened to the NPC drone on about how he was busy. Instructions were given as he was trying to obtain information from him but was initially cut off. It looked like he would have to do this favor before executing the rest of the plan.

He turned but only to hear a voice. A woman's voice caught him off guard as he was too enthralled with the shop's lay out. Her words felt like a trap. A honey as if you would. The hairs on his neck stood up as those ocean hues stared at her. For the first time, a face. A normal face. She held no history with him, none. So why...

He looked toward her and listened to her instructions. He picked up the fork and looked at the marshmallow and fondue. Not knowing what the items were, he would simply partake in gesture of what she was doing and placed the sweet snack into his mouth. Sweet! Overwhelmed, he took another and ate it as well, enjoying it. Of course, now, he seemed gluttonous in front of her.

With an apologetic look, he spoke. "I am so sorry. My name is Dexter." He sat down across from her. "And you are?" Mouth covered and eyes dazzled at the woman before him. He had to know. 

[Consuming Fondue +3 LD]

Edited September 24 by Sphix

[Pollux 0]

He faced faintly ruddy cheeks and a pair of equally mystified eyes.

One bite and he was hooked. He finished a second, apparently before he even knew what he was doing. It was more amusing to her than offensive and she rather liked the brightness that took ahold of him as he enjoyed the sweet. Joy was her favorite emotion to witness in others. ...And that's the LD buff I missed before. Four small square platters were laid out between them: strawberries, slices of oranges, dry biscuits, and marshmallows, divided by the aforementioned set of forks. They were filled for just as much as Zackariah was willing to let players sample, a generous amount, considering, and Yue Hua had already gone through half of each.

Were she the more expressive type, she would have let out a soft laugh. As things stood, Yue Hua simply made a fluttering, dismissive gesture with the hand still holding the empty fork. From fingertips to the middle of her forearm, the flesh was an unnatural yellow-green, traced with thick red lines. As though she had dipped it in paint and it never came off.

"Don't be. A fan of sweets, are you?" She reached forward and poked her fork into a marshmallow, popping it into her mouth in solidarity. When she was done chewing, she also introduced herself. "I'm Yue Hua, player name 'kali'. Call me whichever you like, but I prefer going by my real name. I'm here to take the quest but this isn't my first time. Is it for you?"

 

-> consuming: Zackariah's Fondue [+3 LD]

Spoiler

kali | HP: 40/40 | EN: 22/22 | DMG: 7 | LD: 3

 

Edited September 26 by kali

[Sphix 0]

Variety? What were these other items that seemed foreign to him? While most common items such as strawberries and oranges were recognized, they were alien to him. He pulled his sunglasses off and examined the fruit product trying to see if he could interest himself in trying it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, he thought. 

Fork was raised and soon plunged into the orange. The citrus smell invaded his nose, and he was excited as it triggered the saliva glands. He dipped and placed it into his mouth to start chewing. To his delight, it was tasty.

Her honeyed words again caught him off guard as he placed his hand over his mouth to avoid exposing any unsavory sight or behavior. Now with hues exposed to her, she could see the vibrant crystalized eyes. “I love sweets. I rarely ever got them…” He paused after that word to make sure he would not over share about where he lived. That would bring more questions than answers he could provide. 

Her name was exotic. He had barely stepped into the world and was now meeting someone of a different origin. His voice seemed to catch as the brain was processing the way she enunciated her name. He had to mimic it like he had been for the past 17 years. “Yue Hua?” He questioned trying to ensure no offense was given. He said it several more times before he figured it out. “ A very pretty name. Dexter is my name. Or Sphix. But Dex is also fine.” He stated as he placed a handout to her. After he introduced and gently shook her hand, he thought about the quest.

“Never done it. First time quest ever.” He spoke with a calm demeanor. 

His brain analyzed and processed her answer. She had done this before. Was this something someone wanted to repeat? Was she trying to be helpful or… sinister.

Reality came back as he spun the fork to try the strawberry, “Do you like sweets too? And have we… met before?” He asked in curiosity. 

 

Edited September 23 by Sphix

[Pollux 0]

The trials and tribulations of having a mortal body: one had to maintain a healthy diet lest they die young. Such concerns were beyond them in this world. Yue Hua nodded solemnly, unaware of the surrounding context. He was, too. He had taken off his glasses to reveal the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen and the full intensity of them turned onto her when he caught her name.

“Yue Hua?”

Yes.
“Your eyes are jewels.”

Wait, no.

“Yes.”

“Yue Hua,” he said, thoughtful. “Yue Hua… Yue Hua…”

Thump. Thump. Thump. Went the woman’s feathered tail against the floor of the alchemist’s shop. After a few more repetitions, she realized what the man was doing. “Yü-Hwä,” she repeated. He was approaching it but of course every student needed a bit of guidance. Mispronunciations of her real name were common here, where her mother tongue was more foreign than not. She couldn’t expect everyone to pronounce it with the right accent and it was always touching when someone put in the extra effort to try. “Like letting out a breath at the end. Yü. Hwä.”

“A very pretty name.”

“Thank you,” Yue Hua squeaked behind the cover of her hand. Then she cleared her throat and shook his hand over the pot of fondue. So Dexter’s the real name? She hoped there wasn’t someone out there who would name their kid Sphix. She continued to speak in a more level tone. “I like sweets. It’s nice to feast on them here without having to worry about all the sugar.

“And no.”

She very gladly took advantage of the opportunity to obviously look Dexter up and down. “I’m pretty sure this is our first meeting. Well, now that we’ve been acquainted, Dex, what do you say to going at this quest together?” It was the appropriate time to ask anyway, they were running out of fruits and biscuits to eat. Pretty soon they’ll be overstaying their welcome. “Teamwork makes the dream work, or so they say.”

[Sphix 0]

Jewels? He heard the words but continued to work on his way of speaking. When he mastered it, he noticed the changes in her demeanor. Was it him? Was it her? With no experience, the feeling was strange with nothing to resonate to.  He flashed a radiant smile and spoke. “Thank you for the help!” It reminded him of a nurse who taught him English. She still took care of him with his medication.

Her squeak caught him off guard after the compliment. He had experience in that due to the social work he had to experiment on with others. He knew that it was a positive outcome and he was happy she didn't shy away from the introduction. When she told him about them knowing each other, the mystery of the mysterious girl continued. “Oh.” Good thing he didn't forget a girl like this. Would have been a shame. 

They had to go? Damn. He could do this all day. Perhaps he would be with her. Or… Vile thoughts were shaken off as he took her hand and escorted her off the premises.

“Let's be off then, Yue Hua.” 

He held her hand taking her along keeping pace with her side by side. Glasses were shifted back on their perch and soon headed to the gates. Was he excited? Yes. Was he curious about this girl? Absolutely. For various reasons like the obvious of her culture. 

What do you say? He thought. Wait. How do you talk to a girl? Whoa there, boss. He chided himself. He had always been surrounded by older men and women that he was unaware of how to interact with people his age. It was almost childish. 

“So what have…” Words were hard. “Um. What do you like…?” He asked as they slowed and breached the front gate with no one caring. First time for him as he stopped and gazed upon the rolling hills of green grass and the wind that touched his skin. He took a deep breath and spoke. “I wonder… if this is really what it's like.”
 

Edited September 24 by Sphix

[Pollux 0]

He seemed inclined to agree. Yue Hua rose first, stretching her arms over her head. “Thanks for the free food, Zackariah,” the woman passed on as she ambled over to the door. “‘Twas good. Five out of five stars. Perfect for that seniors’ potluck.” Since no one here, not even the NPCs, minded their health, apparently. She wasn’t about to rain on their fun by testing it.

Then she felt a hand take hers and her head snapped in her new friend’s direction. “Whoa. Hey.” Her eyes were wide and she was momentarily torn between ripping her hand out of the completely uncalled for contact and fixating on how Dexter towered over her at full height. Teamwork makes the dream work or something (she was eating her words), but she’d never heard of an exercise that involved holding a stranger’s hand. Forget the fondue; Forget the incomparable matter with the name -- she was half-certain that it was questionable in any place.

But the man seemed harmless so far. Almost childish? He wasn’t holding on too insistently; her hand remained loose in his grip but she didn’t pull away. They made it past the walls without further incident, save for the lamentable return of Dexter’s glasses.

Watching the wind roll through the fields, Yue Hua blinked slowly at his question. “I like healing,” she said, equally clueless. There were simply too many ways to answer. “And making potions. Collecting them, also… and fighting with swords. I used to sign up for duels sometimes just to test my strength against other people. Right now, though, hm--”

She paused to consider, her eyes drawn upwards.

“I like seeing the sky unobstructed, I suppose.”

Then Yue Hua found herself firmly back on earth. She turned her head his way, curious. “What’s ‘what’ like?”

He still hadn’t let go.

She snuck her tail behind their joined hands and gave them a light -- smack.

“Do you do this with everyone you meet or did you just want me to stay close outside of the safe zone?” Yue Hua asked. Once she had drawn out of the hold, the end of her tail wrapped around Dexter’s wrist in replacement. It was loose enough for him to shake out of but she could also tug his trapped hand around. Experimentally, she waved it up and down. “Here, then.

"I’m guessing this is your first time out here, too. It’s safe even if we walk a bit farther, but we don’t really have to. This part is a breeze. Look, I think I just found one.”

With both hands unoccupied and the extra give granted to her by the sheer length of her tail, Yue Hua was free to wander ahead of her companion to peer down at a glowing item in the grass. She gently pulled the herb free of its roots and pocketed it.

 

-> Gathering [1/3]: 233618: LD 14 + 3 = 17 [+1 Mat]

Spoiler

Total Loot: 1 Mat

 

Edited September 26 by kali

[Sphix 0]

How? What? He was looking at how this tail reacted. It had its own will and he was simply in amusement and wonder now. Hand didn't move away as he let her tail guide him.  It was fascinating to him how the mechanic of this was working.

He reflected on her tone and realized that had done something terrible. He bowed his head slightly and spoke.”I'm sorry, Yue Hua. I got a bit excited.” He had realized long ago that his personality may clash with others with his strange upbringing. He lifted his head up and listened to her answers. Too broad, he thought. His blue hues scanned the perimeter to see the people fighting in the distance and it triggered something.

It felt hot. It felt like his blood was on fire as he wanted to experience this but far it be for him to do such things. He was weaker than most and hearing her sign up for duels sparked more interest. 

“Are you good? Like skilled and such. I always wanted to try my hand at it but not yet.” 

Her other words brought him to reality. What was what like and if he did this with everyone new. Could he trust her? No! Yes. Stop being so reclusive. Those words echoed in his head at the nurse trying to provide him with courage. She'll betray you. They all do. His heart rate spiked and slowed as he felt the medication go inside him. 

Taking a deep breath, he spoke. “I'm not used to this. I'm pretty sheltered. I don't even know what.. the forest is like or… anything really.” His heart calmed as he spoke to her. His eye glanced at the ground searching but to no avail. He wasn't done but he wanted to give her a reasonable explanation.

“And, you would be the first. My only friend. I don't talk to people. It's hard for me. But not with you.”  He still sifted through the dirt a bit to ensure he didn't miss the material. After that, he flicked his hand to clean the dirt off and looked back at her. He had hoped that these were reliable answers. She could ask more if she wanted to.

“Wanna tell me more about you?” He held onto her tail loosely.

Spoiler

Action: Gathering Materials

 

ID: 233628 Roll: 10+3 = 14. Fail

 

Edited September 26 by Sphix
Adding roll

[Pollux 0]

"Heh. I can see that."

Yue Hua wasn't going to rag on him any further. As it was, quarreling with an unusually limited range of movement thanks to her tail, Dexter had less success looking for Zackariah's materials. An apt consequence, she had decided.

"At fighting? I won a solid half of the duels I attended back then," she shared proudly. "So if one considers that a decent sample size, I could say I am better than about fifty percent of the player base. Though right now -- I am suffering a bit of a setback... so it may be a while before I step back into the ring.

"Don't worry. Once you get the beginner quests under your belt, you'll likely get the hang of it. It's what they're made for."

Yue Hua stooped down and pocketed another material, accidentally dragging Dexter forward. Whoops. Yue Hua spun around, consciously to apologize and unconsciously in mild surprise at his sharing, and the 'leash' shortened again, bringing her face to face with her poor, likely stumbling, captive. Double whoops.

"I see." Yue Hua was certain that pretty men essentially telling her she was nice to get along with was doing damage to her somewhere. She tried to formulate an equally earnest response. "Well, this quest wouldn't take us anywhere near a forest. And I wouldn't advise it with your current level. As your first friend, however, I shall take you there when we're much stronger numerically and also ensure your absolute safety during your sightseeing trip."

She had loved simply going places as a starry-eyed newbie.

"I'm not sure what to say, really," she continued in earnest. "I guess I didn't get out much either, but I don't have any trouble talking to people at all. I had lots of experience with games before this. MMOs, primarily. Some MOBAs, FPS, those, uh, multiplayer match games streamers like to play on collabs. Lots of social interactions without having to leave the house. I found them quite fun and handy."

Yue Hua stepped back, this time remembering to slow her movements enough for Dexter to comfortably follow along. She returned to her search for materials.

“Here's one for you. Did you play anything before all this -- before SAO?"

 

-> Gathering [2/3]: 238013: LD 16 + 3 = 19 [+1 Mat]

Edited November 27 by kali

[Sphix 0]

Bad luck. No material was discovered. Not like he had any real idea what he was looking for, but nothing sparkled, glimmered, or alerted would pop up. This was bad. Very bad. If this were how most quests were to go around getting levels and strengthening, he was going to truly have a difficult time obtaining anything unless he was able to befriend someone with spectacular luck. 

Eyes glimmered slightly behind his framed lenses watching the woman before him, strike another material. Luck played a lot here. He was tainted to begin with anyway with a stain. Jealousy crept up but soon dissipated as he learned the journey she had gone through. He listened to every word intently not wanting to interrupt her words while living vicariously through her in his mind. 

Her allure intensified as she spoke about her fights, but also equally sharing her doubts about her set back. With a grin on his face and head tilted to the right, he spoke to her. "You're pretty." Unprovoked and unfiltered was the mouth of Dexter. Man was only acting on pure thoughts as he wasn't exactly trained in the verse of having a conversation, albeit he knew when not to be rude. This all happened with just a slight twist and a pull, and their faces were close. He had no shame or was he unable to blush? 

While their adventure still started off on this first experience, he slightly looked at her as they traversed. "I hope you keep that promise. I prefer the company of the people I know." 

Thoughts and words were interrupted as the flow of the conversation changed to the focus on him on whether or not he had experience about other games. With the world the way it was now, he wasn't exposed to anything of the sort besides chess, checkers, brain teasers, and exercises that would allow him to fulfill his time at the hospital center. How would she react if he told her. 

Be honest like the head nurse said. Believe in others, he thought. He kept his hand loosely around her tail but if she were to ever take it away, he wouldn't try to snatch it up again. "Games like this? No... I've only ever played chess and did quizzes to test my brain." His personal IQ of 228 was never actually given to him as he solved those damn puzzles.

"They told me that this was to get me back into meeting people and interacting with people. It was a good idea. Bad timing though." He couldn't help but laugh at the situation of being stuck there while trying to integrate back into society again. He had to play well with others.  He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed. In fact, he had no feeling about this at all. No trace of animosity or worry. It was all foreign and new.

"Wanna tell me what a MOBA and FPS are?" He was going to drain her of her knowledge with plenty of questions.

Spoiler

Material Search

ID: 238020 Dice: 9 +3 Failure
0/3 materials

Attempt 2.

 

Edited November 28 by Sphix

[Pollux 0]

She was starting to suspect that she was snatching materials from right under this boy's nose. But she had checked every time, just to uphold ordinary player etiquette, and they seemed to be looking in different directions.

Yue Hua thought for a second. "Have you ever strained your eyes trying to read something from a considerable distance? Let's say a sign from across a street. Try applying that to yourself right now. Try not to squint -- it narrows your peripheries; for a <<Search>>, that's counterproductive, and you don't want to get into the habit of crippling your sight out here in the combat zones." Yue Hua held up a finger, then slowly moved her hand from one direction to the other, tracing an invisible horizontal in the air. "Then try looking around while holding it. Is anything glowing?"

She triggered her own <<Search>> to demonstrate. Nacreous eyes lit a solid yellow. She unearthed another material, bringing her score to a flawless '3'.

"You're pretty," Dexter suddenly said.

Yue Hua's stare would have been unreadable, if not for the faint heat coloring the tips of her ears.

"What, while I was talking about beating people up? I did not look any different while I was on that, did I? I hope I don't end up being perceived as that kind of person in public."

Yue Hua kept staring.

"But, th-thank you." (It merely cost a dozen painstakingly crafted vanity potions.) "Your hair is nice." Said, quite anticlimactically for the verses she would have written for how snowy and fluffy it looked. Behind the cover of her hand, Yue Hua quietly cleared her throat. "The color is unique. It suits you. Is it natural?"

They lingered at a spot a little longer. The Town of Beginnings' gates were well within view. "Well, they're normally PC or console games where you team up with other players and try and beat the other team at an objective. MOBAs give each team a base that they have to defend whilst taking their opponent's. FPS games..." She paused, defining the genre by objective was not as much of a catch-all as she had thought. "In complete terms, are first person shooters. As the name suggests, every player has a gun."

A recluse(?) yet completely unfamiliar with games -- if she had to explain all that. Two things that did not often go together in a sentence.

Yue Hua, at this point, was committed to her (informal) role as a guide. Her new friend was going to step out of this quest armed with the minimum knowledge he needed to survive long enough to learn on his own. "It's been a while since this all started, but I have to make sure. You do know the basics, yes? Such as key terminologies... HP, EN, DMG, ACC, things like that? Then maybe status bars, skills, and inventories. The beginner quests cover a lot of mechanics, but I wonder if it's enough for a complete newcomer to the genre. Sword Art Online wasn't meant to be entry level, if I recall..."

 

-> Gathering [3/3]: 238028: LD 18 + 3 = 21 [+1 Mat]

Edited November 29 by kali

[Sphix 0]

Confusion. His mind was being fed new information that he had learned on whim by reading the games tutorial manual and also from learning the tutorial of the game. This game was definitely not for the feign of heart. HP, EVA, ACC, and all the other terminology was refreshened in his thoughts as he listened to her sweet honeylike voice. This was all happening while he was squinting like she had. He could mimic a variety of movements but this time, no material was still found. Perhaps the man just didn't have the luck to do so. Perhaps he could just skate by with 0 luck or could something increase his luck in the game. 

Frustrated? Not in the slightest. In fact, he counted himself as lucky in terms of meeting her. His squinted eyes looked up at her as if examining her as a material item. Eyes, hair, slightly red ear tips, and... Wait. Her ears were slightly red, he thought as he was crouched down looking up. 

He stood up slowly and looked down at the cat-like woman. He shook his head slightly at her and leaned in close to her. His sapphire like orbs were piercing through to her own beautiful eyes. "No. I mean you are pretty right this moment. Never met someone as pretty." It was an honest opinion. It wasn't to be a pickup line or the sort. Just the truth.

He held her hand and placed it on his head so she could feel his hair a moment. "Yep. Natural. Though both my parents had dark hair. Or so I was told." He had the tendency to block that part of the memory away as he finetuned the rest of his memories to override that night. He turned slightly then faced her again after creating a space between them. He felt a familiar sensation as he seemed calm. It must have been his medication being placed in him as he felt a calm serenity to quell any negativity. "Looks like you'll be my friend and teacher for the most of this duration. Promise I won't be a burden."

He glanced over at the path and looked at her. "I think we head back now?"

 

Spoiler

Action: Material Search

ID: 238417 Roll: 9+3 Fail
0/3 Materials

 

Edited December 1 by Sphix

[Pollux 0]

"Oh," Yue Hua said softly.

He was proving to be quite the attentive student. Picked up the technique with ease, even if through sheer bad luck the game refused to give him his material yield, and held the skill long enough to turn it on her. She blinked owlishly back at that bright blue gaze, and for a moment appeared at a loss for what to say and what to do in return. She let Dexter bring her hand up to his head and she very gently ruffled his hair, her fingertips brushing above the curve of his brow. Such earnest words for someone he just met. She found this amount of naivete quite adorable. Her hand would stay on his hair even if he dropped his.

Then Yue Hua smoothed down his bangs, nearly laying her palm flat on his forehead. Flattened them, so that the tips fell over his eyes behind his sunglasses and the small obscurity cut off his <<Search>> skill, if he still had it active. "At our surroundings, Dex," Yue Hua lightly teased. She pulled away hardly a moment after and his hair sprung back up to its original state. "You did well. Your failures this time are most likely attributed to the game rolling you a bad couple of numbers or your lack of numerical experience. All problems that can be solved with time.

"...And as pretty as you find me, I can't change your material progress. Or can I?"

When they returned to the old alchemist, Dexter's hand freed of her tail the moment they passed through the gates, Yue Hua had nonchalantly deposited one of the bundles she had gathered into Dexter's inventory.

Zackariah was none the wiser as he praised them both for returning with his requested supplies.

 

 

It didn't change anything in the long run but she thought the poor man had already received enough scoldings from her. The only help Zackariah could provide them in return was to point them in another direction, and as Yue Hua bade the NPC farewell, she guided her and her quest partner onto the road leading to a Lyle Tealeaf's forge with a flick of her tail.

"You seemed interested in combat earlier," she chatted as they walked. A few minutes of browsing through her cluttered inventory revealed that she had an extra of an essential item. Yue Hua fished out the [Teleport Crystal] and poked it at Dexter's arm until he accepted it. (Huh? He was quite toned for a supposed recluse.) "Keep this, it is a necessary precaution. One advice most common among players is to never wander too far out of a safe zone without having a teleport in your battle-ready inventory. We are approaching the fun part of the quest. Now let's talk to the blacksmith."

 

-> Trading to Sphix: Teleport Crystal x1

Edited December 15 by Pollux

[Sphix 0]

Disappointment. That was what was filled in Dexter's heart at the moment as they reached Zachariah. Though, with the fresh memory of the woman playing with his hair, he was happy to at least know the fact that he had felt her gentle touch. It was quite an offset tilting his disappointment into minimal effect about not returning with much. When she began handing her supplies, he noticed only two. A perked brow was given as he had searched his inventory and handed over the crystal to him. So, it's like that huh, he thought looking at the woman who was slick and quick. 

He was enamored by this behavior. 

Their movements would go toward the second marker. Still effected by that touch, he would become a little reddened in the face trying to see if he could at least get her to pet his head or play with his hair again. It was nice and he was off in la la land in his own mind. His mind jumped back to reality as he looked at her speaking. "You could be lady luck you know...I think there was a skill somewhere named like that or something to that extent. So maybe prettiness does play a huge factor." 

He gleamed a smile at her before rushing ahead slightly to turn around to speak to her as they moved to their next destination. "So, Hua...Did you have any plans on what you were planning on doing if you got out? I think if we do, I'm going to see if I can't find a good place to eat for dessert. I want to try everything and anything really." He tucked his glasses into his inventory and just left the sun sparkle over his features. He was a pretty boy. A pretty unstable boy but nonetheless, a pretty one. He smiled at her as he walked with her still. "Thanks for the item. I appreciate the gesture... Made me smile." 

He coughed slightly and looked down. For the first time, he wasn't able to really speak upon anything because he felt a different type of way. He was feeling a variety of emotions that he hadn't experienced, and the confusion was beginning to set in. 

Edited Friday at 02:42 AM by Sphix

[Pollux 0]

Was he blushing?

They continued to walk, the spare teleport changing hands, and Yue Hua was ready to prod back with the same lightness she had maintained so far when her companion, whom in her eyes was now carried away by the excitement of the next task, began to race ahead, metaphorically.

"So, Hua... Did you have any plans on what you were planning on doing if you got out?"

Yue Hua didn't.

"I think if we do..."

Dexter, like everyone else who looked to the future, had his own wish. There was a commonality between beginners at any pursuit envisioning themselves at the goalpost and her new friend at the present moment, and far be it from Yue Hua to suddenly yank him down with her for choosing to impart a slice of that fantasy. She listened, a painted hand curled above her lips, and a gentle laugh spilled out of her unbidden at the simplicity of it. They had just partaken of a chocolate fountain. "You'd be hard-pressed to find affordable desserts that good in real life. But who knows? Maybe life will balance out and it will be particularly good to everyone once this has all ended."

She was, also, used to these questions.

"And no. Not really."

 

 

Lyle Tealeaf was not of the same friendly personality as Zackariah. He wanted them out of his forge and collecting tusks/boars before they could even tell him what they were in for. And were this not a tutorial quest, Yue Hua inferred, he would not have even lent them equipment. She was quick to obey, marching back out as soon as the task was given, and she dismissed the dull sword at her hip. The new weapon replaced it in its emptied sheath but Yue Hua still held onto the bag of truffles.

She explained herself, "I don't need the training. Sometimes quests also offer non-violent options. I like to take them whenever possible."

 

-> Equipping: T1 Perfect Straight Sword | ACC 2 | DMG 1

Spoiler

Pollux | HP: 40/40 | EN: 22/22 | DMG: 6 | ACC: 2

 

[Sphix 0]

Wishful. He was a wishful thinking man as he heard the response to the mysterious woman. The demeanor she put on made her more enticing to him as he was wondering if they ever met... How would he actually react. The virtual reality aspect of the place made a huge difference. He had nothing to compare reality to. He had to go with staring at the grass that felt real. He felt the cobblestone that touched the heels of his shoe... and then a gruff voice filled his ears disturbing the thought process.

Gaze shifted toward the man's voice that brought him back to the current time. He was trying to daydream about what it would actually be like to eat a dessert with her. However, the disruption of what was happening caused him to shift his attitude slightly staring at the man now who was giving them crap about whatever was going on. He listened to Kali and pulled his glasses down before equipping his own weapon of a chained whip. A slight smile on his face was there as he tilted his head slightly as it wound up around his shoulder.

As the duo left, he didn't say a single word except for a middle finger shown to the man. Didn't matter to him if the person was real or not, he did not particularly like to be addressed that way. 

His thoughts rambled again as he thought about meeting up with her if it ever happened or perhaps focus on making memories now and see if it would be even a thing. He was always jumping the gun. Big dreams and aspirations. Those were what the nurses filled his head with. He figured the current would be more likely the correct answer. 

"Non-violent, huh?" He had seen violence. Enough to scar him into eternity. But the thought of choosing never crossed his mind. He wanted to pick her brain now in terms of why she chose the non-violent option. It seemed to short circuit something inside him as he wanted to make sure that he heard that right. "If I may ask, why? Isn't this world designed to kill us?" 

His voice softened at this question. They taught him how to read, write, socialize to an extent, take personal assessments, but yet never stated that it was a choice for violence. Perhaps they did and he wasn't in his right mind.