[SP-F6] Soothing the Tiger - Soothing the Soul

[Tyger 0]

Amazon.

 

She'd avoid this floor after her bout with the Gemini. The thought of the stupid NPC Quest made her stomach clench and tighten up like the pit of a peach. But, there was no one on the outskirts of the city, waiting for weary adventurers to take up his offer for treasure if you win a duel. It turned out to be a duel to the death, and she had to defeat him in order to keep her life. She was afraid she'd gone orange, but it turned out to be a quest she'd accidentally accepted. 

 

So, she disliked this floor.

 

However, it was a good floor to train on, or at least get some nice scenery in. Baldur was off doing his own thing, and she'd decided to pack up the forge and do her best to get something productive done. With her shield at her side (Or on her back, technically) she wandered into the thick jungle forest she'd been itching to explore.

[Tyger 0]

The jungle's air hung heavy, and reminded her of home during the summer. The humidity would skyrocket, and if you weren't dying and drowning on your sweat, you weren't doing Summer right. The trees were pretty, of course, and the vinery and greenery was quite the sight to be seen. Of course, when the vines start moving…

 

The snake raised it's head, and hissed loudly while it's tongue flicked in and out as it uncoiled to attack the traveler. Immediately, Tyger unsheathed her sword and glared at the snake.

 

"Alright Kaa, let's dance then."

 

The snake hissed and lashed forward, head jerking forward to try and bite Tyger. Instead, it was met with Tyger's shield and sword. The head hit the shield, and Tyger's sword would have sliced the snake open in the real world. Instead, it left an orange streak across the full diameter of the creature's body. It hissed violently, and jerked itself backwards, up into the foliage to try and surprise strike.

 

ID 7735, CD 7, MD 4, CD 1

 

Tyger - Hits for 5 DMG

Snake - Misses

 

Tyger- 22/22

Snake-  6/11

[Tyger 0]

The jungle didn't betray the location of the serpent, so Tyger closed her eyes and breathed in the scents of the jungle. She wished this were real, and that she could touch the leaves and feel the humidity on her real skin. She focused on everything in the forest, and fell into a slight meditation as she prepared for the attack.

 

An image flashed in her eyes. A dark haired girl standing in front of a waterfall. The roar of the stream and fall masked her words as her mouth moved. She couldn't read the lips, but she almost could make out the word 'here.'

 

Her eyes shot open immediately, and she saw the snake biting towards her. The reflex of her sword arm kicked in, and her sword sliced yet another orange line into the snake. It's eyes narrowed angrily as it missed it's bite, and it fell to the ground, coiling it's large body into one pile, head bobbing from side to side as it tried to find an opening with what little HP it had left.

 

 

ID 7735, CD 8, MD 3, CD 3

 

Tyger - Hits for 5 DMG

Snake - Misses

 

Tyger- 22/22

Snake-  1/11

[Tyger 0]

What was that vision she'd seen? The woman was standing on a rock, in the middle of the stream. The waterfall pounded the water and rocks behind her, and she seemed to be speaking. Tyger couldn't understand her, but maybe this was some sort of quest? Was she reaching out to try and get help? She didn't look like she was in danger. The rock wasn't far into the middle of the stream, and there were other rocks to get back to the shore…

 

The snake bobbed it's head side to side and hissed slowly, as if trying to scare off Tyger and survive.

 

"I've gotta go, sorry Kaa."

 

When she turned her back, the snake jumped forward, mouth open to swallow Tyger up, or at least give her a nice bite. The girl swung around, smirking, Tiberius Surge extended in front of her and sliced the snake once more. She watched the snake's mouth approach her face, but before it reached it exploded.

 

 

ID 7735, CD 7, MD 1, CD 8, LD 8

 

Tyger - Hits for 5 DMG

Snake - Dead, Drops 1 Mat

 

Tyger- 22/22

Snake-  0/11

[Tyger 0]

The vision had been in this floor. That she was sure off. Midst the roar of the jungle, wind and rustling leaves, you could almost make out the sound of the water crashing in a waterfall. Would she have seen the black haired girl and her speaking if not for a reason? At this point, she didn't have a plan of action for this particular floor, so trying to find the waterfall and girl seemed like the best course of action.

 

Is that really a good idea? What if it's another ambush, like the Gemini? You're on the same floor, it could be a follow up unlocked after you finished it...

 

The small voice in her head warned her about the idea, and she had half a mind to just turn around and look for more mobs and what-not. Instead, she sighed to herself and trekked deeper into the forest, determined to find out who was trying to communicate to her, and why. The waterfall had the answers. 

[Tyger 0]

The jungle was full of foliage, but what else could it be full of? Monster, yes, including snakes and whatever else. But could she find some materials? As she crouched down, she tested the dirt with her fingers, and rubbed it between her thumb and index finger. It smeared, which meant it was wet. Humidity? Or rain? She'd heard something about testing dirt, but it didn't do her any good right now. However, there were a few holes around this area. Wet dirt wouldn't do anything for her, unless it was easy to dig in! Someone had been here before, and probably found materials. When she dug with her hands down into the soft earth, she found a little piece of ore. She would've missed it had she not double checked.

 

ID 7740, LD 15

 

+1 Material

[Tyger 0]

The luck wouldn't last though. She tried another hole midst the others, but there wasn't anything that she found. Another hole had been dug even further, so it probably had lots of materials. Maybe they'd respawn? How did that stuff work, anyways? Either way, someone had hit the jackpot before her. The detour from the waterfall wasn't too long, but she hoped she could find a few things in the few minutes she'd dedicated to crawling around on her hands and knees, digging for materials. 

 

"Well, at least it's not raining."

 

Would rain make it easier? Probably not. All the shiny water would just get her hopes up if the light caught it the wrong way. The soil was already easily moved. But, no luck. Oh well.

 

ID 7741, LD 1

 

No material found.

[Tyger 0]

While on her hands and knees digging, slit eyes peered at her from a hidden position in the undergrowth. Claws flexed into the ground, and the giant leopard's shoulders wavered as it prepared to pounce upon the easy prey. Large felines, especially tigers, enjoyed attacking when their prey wasn't looking. That's why many people around tiger country wore masks on the back of their head. Tyger had no mask though, and this was no tiger. The leopard let out a throaty growl as it jumped from the undergrowth, landing on Tyger with a sudden haste. 

 

Tyger fell forward, shocked by the surprise. The Leopard had landed a critical hit, but her armor had saved her. Her HP only went down by one point, so she had quite a bit of strength left. Using her shield to push the creature off of her back, Tyger stood up and swung around, Tiberius Surge ready to bite back. 

 

"Kinda wish you were a tiger. This would be so much more symbolic. The game really missed an opportunity here."

 

The pain subsided as her battle healing compensated for the missing HP she'd lost seconds ago.

 

 

ID 7742, BD 1, CD 10, MD 10

 

Tyger - Mitigates 2 Damage, +1 HP BH

Leopard - Pounces for 3 Damage

 

Tyger - 22/22

Leopard - 11/11

[Tyger 0]

"All that work, and for what? You hit me, but i'm back to full now. Why don't you just scamper off? Or be my pet or something? I give super good ear scratches."

 

Pet leopards would be awesome. But, as mentioned, should've been a tiger. There really was a missed opportunity. The Leopard must've picked up on Tyger's distaste of it's species. She liked leopards, but tigers were her favorite. The sheer feeling of favoritism fed the leopard's rage, and it slashed out at her, dealing the same bit of damage as before. Tyger couldn't mitigate it completely away, unfortunately. 

 

"Okay, I probably deserved that. Offer still stands though. I could name you something badass, like Commander or Colonel."

 

She slashed forward in the same fashion of the leopard, but missed her mark. The eyes of the leopard were almost mocking her.

 

 

ID 7743, BD 1, CD 7, MD 7

 

Tyger - Misses

Leopard - Deals 1 Damage

 

Tyger - 21/22

Leopard - 11/11

[Tyger 0]

Tyger circled with the leopard, not giving it a chance to flank her or get her from behind once more. If the Leopard wanted to attack, it would need to do it head on. And Tyger was armored, strong, and armed with something that would cause quite a bit of pain. Her lips rose into a snarl to match the leopard, taunting it. Hey, eventually something would run away and she wouldn't have to fight. 

 

Instead, the Leopard took it as a challenge and jumped forward with it's powerful back legs. It pinned Tyger to the ground, paws at her shoulders while it's jaws wrapped around her neck for the typical leopard damage. They drug their prey up into trees to eat safely. Tyger wouldn't be any prey though. She slapped at the leopard with her sword, but she flat-ended the side of the feline, causing no damage this time.

 

 

ID 7744, BD 3, CD 4, MD 9

 

Tyger - Misses, Mitigates 1 Damage

Leopard - Deals 2 Damage

 

Tyger - 20/22

Leopard - 11/11

[Tyger 0]

The heavy feline kept Tyger pinned down, although the leopard itself had problems staying on top of Tyger. Her armor was smooth, and caused issues when the leopard attempted to sink it's claws into her body for grip. That, and Tyger was writhing back and forth. Okay, this sidetrack is taking longer than normal... She hissed in her mind. Her feeble attempts to slice at the leopard had failed. The leopard was learning. The sword sliced at it, but the Leopard merely stepped to the side, away from her right hand. After Tyger had missed, the Leopard's back legs stepped back onto it's prey's legs. The leopard bit down once more, thankfully not doing too much damage this go around. It would still be one HP lost.

 

ID 7745, BD 2, CD 3, MD 8

 

Tyger - Misses, Mitigates 1 Damage

Leopard - Deals 2 Damage

 

Tyger - 20/22

Leopard - 11/11

[Tyger 0]

The leopard looked terrifying this close up. She loved big cats, but that love would need to be from afar in this game. Unless it was a familiar, or a pet of some sort. When the leopard stepped off of her to dodge her previous swing, Tyger tucked her legs under the stomach and chest of the Leopard, preparing to push off when she had a moment. The felines weakest moment was when it was attempting to bite at Tyger. In that moment, even though the leopard bit her for another HP point, Tyger pushed off with her legs and jumped to her feet, rushing the leopard before it could get it's footing. Her sword left her signature orange streak. The leopard seemed shocked, and Tyger liked that.

 

ID 7746, BD 10, CD 3, MD 7

 

Tyger - Deals 7 Damage

Leopard - Deals 1 Damage

 

Tyger - 21/22

Leopard - 4/11

[Tyger 0]

Now that the fight was on square ground again, the leopard seemed less hesitant to attack. 

 

"Only like attacking a player when they're down, eh? Lost your courage?"

 

She taunted, rushing the leopard quickly before it knocked her over once more. Tiberius Surge made quick work of the feline, and she managed to gain back the missing HP she'd lost too. The leopard was dispatched, and she was back to full health. Time to find that waterfall before she lost track of where she was again, or what she was doing.

 

"Tigers are better."

 

ID 7748, BD 7, CD 12, MD 5, LD 3

 

Tyger - Deals 5 Damage, +1 HP BH

Leopard - Dead, Drops 1 mat

 

Tyger - 22/22

Leopard - 0/11

[Tyger 0]

With no further interruptions, Tyger trekked her way through the forest until she reached an area where she could hear the waterfall clearly. Following the sound led her to the grotto, with the stones and the waterfall. The mist that rose up from the waterfall reflected with the sunlight, creating small rainbows as the sunlight passed through. It was a pretty place, and she could feel the tension melting off of her shoulders. 

 

"Man, I want a house here!"

 

She spoke aloud, grinning. However, after a few moments, she looked around. There was no black haired girl to be found. She didn't know what her face looked like, so it could have just been a random player running around. But why would Tyger see her? ... The center of the stream held a large stone, where she'd seen the girl standing. Maybe there'd be a clue. So, she jumped the slippery stones until she got to the main stone. It was a nice view, and the cool mist blew in her face, along with a few water droplets, but no girl. 

[Tyger 0]

Tyger sat on the stone, soaking in the serene atmosphere. She was so comfortable, and all the tension she'd been feeling had melted away. The leopard, the snake, the Gemini was almost out of her mind entirely. 

 

Meditate...

 

The voice spoke in her mind, and Tyger looked around. There was no one here, was there? The black haired girl was no where in sight, and her goose chase had ended here. The voice didn't have a bad idea; this place was serene enough to meditate at. She could clear her head and leave it at the waterfall. 

 

"I do what I want, but since the idea is a good one, I'll choose to do it of my own free will."

 

She told no one in particular. Her eyes closed and her head bowed, and more flashes of the black haired girl came. 

[Tyger 0]

Breathe in...

 

Breathe out...

 

In...

 

Out...

 

The roar of the waterfall filled her mind, and drowned out the voice that had been trying to speak to her. As Tyger meditated, she imagined the black haired girl coming out of the waterfall. Her eyes were closed, so it couldn't actually happen. However, her eyes opened curiously to face the black haired girl in her face, waiting for Tyger to open her eyes. The shock of staring at the wild red eyes wasn't as electric as the realization that it was her face staring back at her. 

 

"The Gemini?!"

 

She gasped, not willing to jump off the rock into the stream. The shadow laughed and shook it's head. Her black hair was just like Tyger's, only a different color. 

 

"Not hardly. I'm you, simply stated. Everything negative you think, every aggressive thought you have, every insecurity you feel... I'm the you that you don't want to face."

[Tyger 0]

I'm the depression you try so hard to fight. I'm the aggression you feel when you cannot release your stress. I'm your frustration of all types, here and in the real world. I'm everything about you that people try and hide away. But, i'm always here. You'll never stop feeling frustrated with yourself, the world, Baldur, and you'll never stop being depressed. You're in a hard spot, and it's only going to get harder. The Gemini had a few good points. How can you make it here, anyways? I know everything about you. Dark secrets, and those little things even you can't speak aloud to anyone. Your probability of surviving plummets daily. Hell, you were going to run to the aid of a girl you'd never met before. Your own actions will kill you before any monster."

 

The girl faded into the waterfall, and then appeared on the shoreline, leaving Tyger on the rock by herself to soak in everything that happened. She was... a dark Tyger, perhaps? She'd imagined her dark side to be a bit angrier and blood thirsty. Tyger didn't really know herself, she guessed. 

 

"I... Am I supposed to fight you or something?"

[Tyger 0]

Dark Tyger smirked, mouth opening to release a large, hearty laugh.

 

"Fight me? How will you do that? I'm part of your brain. I'm part of you. Without me, you'd be nothing. A boring girl still living in America with no future and no happiness. You can't have happiness without a little pain. Besides, your tactic to fight me is medication. And you don't have any of that, do you? A pill cannot smite me, Tyger. I will never go away."

 

Dark Tyger materialized on a few of the stepping stones leading to the rock. 

 

"Besides, your insecurities and hate still flows here. I have plenty of strength to take you out. Bring Baldur here was the worst mistake you could have made for your mental health. It feeds me. Gives me strength."

 

Baldur.

 

She could see him now, fighting on a floor. Being ambushed by a PK'er. Losing his life to the sword.

She could see him now, fighting alongside her on the front lines. Her shield failing to save the blow the enemy tossed after Baldur. His HP bar falls to 0.

She could see him now, laughing with another girl, leaving Tyger alone. The girl turned to face Tyger in her vision. Red eyes and black hair.

 

"Your insecurities make you weak, especially where Baldur is concerned. You have your own problems yes, but he will be your downfall emotionally."

 

Dark Tyger hissed, smirk plastered onto her face. Tyger could only listen as Dark Tyger exposed her darkest secrets and internal issues.

[Tyger 0]

Tyger bit the inside of her cheek in contemplation. She hadn't moved from her rock, and instead, kept her position until the last possible moment. 

 

"This may be true, but why tell me something I already know?"

 

She rose slowly, to not loose her balance as she walked to meet Dark Tyger on the slippery rocks leading to the shore.

 

"You're not telling me anything new. Yeah, i'm depressed. Yeah? I love Baldur a bit too much and sometimes that can cloud my judgement."

 

She remembered fighting a Minotaur angrily, after it had taken a decent chunk of life from her boyfriend.

 

"But I can also draw strength from that. And, considering i've gotten this far even with all these weaknesses... I think that makes me a bit stronger than you might think."

 

Dark Tyger narrowed her eyes in a mocking manner, a sword materializing into her hand. 

 

"Let's see about that."

 

Dark Tyger lunged forward, slicing at Tyger's legs to drop her balance. Tyger's shield met her blow, and knocked it to the side. The sword fell from Dark Tyger's hands, and into the water below where it disappeared. 

 

"It's never been about the sword."

 

7775 BD 6 CD 3 LD 12 MD 3

[Tyger 0]

Another sword materialized into Dark Tyger's hand, and she attempted to attack Tyger once more. But, each attack was met with a shield or a deflect, each sword falling into the water. On the third try, Dark Tyger managed to cut Tyger's face, but even then, it wasn't enough to bring her down.

 

"Don't you get it?"

 

AFter a few moments of silence, when Dark Tyger didn't answer, Tyger continued.

 

"You can attack me as much as you want. You can hurt me, yell at me, stab me, but you're still just me. I deal with you every day. Do you think that now that I can see you you'd have some sort of hold on me? Yeah, the Gemini got a hold of me pretty good. Made me doubt myself. But, you, the manifestation of my doubt, are here. And I can defeat you easily. But, even defeating this shadow wouldn't get me anywhere."

 

Dark Tyger was losing her ground. Angrily, she began to toss out insecurities.

 

"What about Baldur? He could grow apart from you and never want to see you again. And your pet! One day your pet will die. Do you like living so far away from your American family, hmm? You have no friends in Japan. What would you do right now if Baldur died because you were off by yourself?"

 

Accusations and worries were thrown out in droves. Tyger sighed, putting up her shield.

 

"That's always a possibility. I love Baldur with all my heart, but he's his own person. If we grow apart, you'll grow pretty strong for a while, probably. But i'll eventually move on, although I don't know how soon. And yeah, Icarus is gonna die one day. That one's kinda low, even for you. Living away from my family is hard, but you can't expect me to stay with my family forever. And, honestly, because of this game, I'll have a few friends I can connect with afterwards, if they survived with me. And Baldur's still alive, I've no worries of that. He's a fighter, just like me. Your words won't bring me down, shade. I don't need to lift a blade at you to realize my potential and strength. Without me, you're nothing, and vice versa. We all have a little shadow in us, but we lose ourselves the moment it grows. You're a manageable parasite."

 

 

ID's for the 3 Attacks Posted

 

ID 7778, MD 2

ID 7779, MD 1

ID 7780, MD 7

 

Tyger - 21/22