[PP-F1] An Old Friend. (Calrex,Takneil)

[Takneil 0]

(OOC: As far as I'm concerned you're Takneil's teacher so it's kind of perfect :P, plus I originally had him like this)

 

"Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong I don't know at this point..." he leaves off with a sigh, Takneil hated feeling that coldness but it had allowed him survive numerous encounters with what could have been his death. "It seems to come out whenever I try and concentrate on the fight, shutting out everything but the combat itself." he states looking away from his soon to be teacher. "and...I can understand what you mean by those words but...I can't willingly turn on or turn off the 'cold'." he explains. "It's feels like I'm not even myself when I'm fighting, as if another person was controlling me while I was forced to stand and watch"

[Calrex 0]

"Hm...I can definitely see why you would be concerned about it then. I wish I could tell you how it would progress and how to be prepared for it, but with changes in the mind unfortunately everyone is different. If anything all I can do is tell you what happened with me, and what I know of what I went through."

 

"I should probably address this now before we decide to engage in any combat."

 

"Here, grab a seat."

 

They had arrived at the fountain just inside the gate where Calrex had met Takneil for the first time. Calrex took the same spot he was sitting before as he directed Takneil to sit.

 

"From what I know of my cold persona, think of it as a manifestation of the purely logical side of the brain, devoid of any emotional input. If a human were a computer, it would be like that. It originally only manifested when I fell into mortal danger, with the very first time being when I was fighting a golem with my bare hands during the Breaking the Unbreakable quest. I originally just let it lie, but a part of me...became curious, maybe even interested in the supposed strength that the side of me provided. For a while I even felt it was the better side of me. That is..."

 

He gave a small breath before continuing, "...before I decided to revisit the Waterfall of the Sage. After some events that I was a part of, I became afraid that everything I've built up so far, including my fiancee, would easily slip through my fingers because of my lack of strength. There I came face to face with the dark side of me once again, who somehow convinced me that the cold persona was my strength, but it was incomplete...that in order to give it its full strength I needed to remove the only restriction it had: not killing other people."

 

With another breath he continued, "For a while it felt like I did lose that limit, however I did not kill anyone, but I quickly regretted it when the cold persona turned its blade on Teayre. If she hadn't brought me back, I think I might have become permanently left like that. Now..."

 

He looked down at the Grand Blade, as he gave a small smile to himself, "I understand that even though it's not the way I am, that side of me is still a part of me. Because of that I'm not afraid on calling upon its power, but not enough that I lose myself."

 

With that he looked over at Takneil, "Sorry for the long story, but I hope that it proves useful in whatever you're going through as well."

[Takneil 0]

Takneil nodded. "Thank you..." was the only thing he could say as they sat at the fountain, he had taken his usual seat on the ground using the fountain as a rest. Listening to the man the boy etched each word into his mind so he would remember in the future, it was ironic to think that they had met and both managed to have similar conditions...Takneil was just glad he had someone that knew the feeling. 

 

Calrex's 'Cold Persona' seemed very close to the way Takneil had felt when in battle but unless the man had skipped a few details there was a few major symptoms he had no experience with...as far as Takneil knew that is. The boy could feel some sadness build for his friend but not from pity, of understanding. Granted Takneil hadn't been told anything by the 'Numbness' but he always sensed it's intentions. 

 

After Calrex had finished the boy sat in silence for a few moments staring into the fountain. From what he could feel, is that he would soon be experiencing things like this in the near future...knowing full well that the guilt of nearly killing or killing a person would drive him insane Takneil sighed. "So...there is a quest that allows me to face my darker self?" the boy asked.

[Calrex 0]

As Takenil asked him about the possibility of a quest existing that would allow him to encounter his dark side Calrex gave a nod, "There are two that you could take that could serve that purpose. The first is the Gemini quest, where the game actually creates a duplicate of yourself that you must fight at the risk of death. The second is Calming the Soul, which can be found at the same waterfall where I encountered my dark side before, the Waterfall of the Sage. That one personifies the demons you have inside."

 

As he looked at Takneil he nodded as he placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him as he spoke, "However I would be careful Tak. Don't go thinking that this 'numbness' of yours is bad. I for a while thought the same thing of the cold persona, but that was before I understood better. No matter how much we wish that this part of us didn't exist, its not going anywhere anytime soon. There is a reason they exist, manifested within our minds. They're there because at some point in our past, that kind of person was needed in order for us to survive."

 

With that he released Takneil's shoulder as he leaned back, "In any case I hope that you will be able to eventually either conquer or bring that part of you under control. I hop that in the end, whatever result helps you for the better, and makes you a better person."

[Takneil 0]

Listening to Calrex, the boy thought which one would help him most. "I'll go to the Calming of the soul quest first and if it doesn't help I'll take the Gemini quest then." he states aloud.

 

Sighing Takneil nodded. "Yeah I know...but it's unpredictable, what if in a fight it sought to kill you or Hikoru? I don't want to ever hurt anybody let alone kill someone" he sad honestly. The boy almost felt as if Calrex had said a useless statement until it snapped. "Wait...you mean to be in harmony with the 'Numbness'?" the boy corrected himself. "I'm...I'm" letting out a tired sigh he offered a confident smile. "I'm sure I can do it"

[Calrex 0]

"Of course, I was afraid of that happening too..."

 

He gave a small sigh as he quickly reminded Takneil of something he might have not recognized in his earlier story, "Remember that the cold persona...turned its blade on Teayre, my fiancee. I attacked her Tak, with techniques that I usually refrain from using because in the real world, they're fatal skills, ones that it applied correctly could kill a person in one strike. If we were not in SAO, where that kind of thing is impossible it's likely I might have put her at mortal risk."

 

With that he continued, "After that event was when I decided to bring it under control, to understand why it is in my mind in the first place, and to use the strength it brings to make me a better player, and a better person. As you said, in harmony with it."

 

With that he nodded as Takneil resolved that he would give it a try, "That's good to hear. Don't lose that resolve. If you want to bring this part of you back under your control you will need it. I'll try to help you with the times when you can't, but of course I won't always be around. You said right now it only comes out in combat, and that's good for now. But as I said before, and I hope I'm not sounding like a broken record, but be wary."

[Takneil 0]

Nodding the boy let out a sigh. "I hope never end up doing something like that to anyone, and if it does I hope I have someone that can bring me back" he explained a bit. Takneil so far had yet to find anybody he thought could really pull him from that 'Numb' but there was no sense in worrying about what has yet to happen.

 

"I understand your concern because I feel the same but hopefully I won't need to feel like this for to much longer" he says in response. yawning the boy stood and stretched. "Well, I'm confident it won't be happening today so lets just try and make the most of the grind" he offers with a smile, it was true that he was eager to grind with his friend but he also wanted the conversation to cease...it felt as though any further discussion it might draw out the 'Numbness'. "So, we going out far today or just close bye?" he asked waiting for the man.

[Calrex 0]

As Calrex noted Takneil deciding to redirect the conversation he nodded, deciding to focus again on the grind that they had planned, "Well, let's not head out much farther than last time. With our higher levels it's more likely the respective monsters will come to us rather than the other way around."

 

With that he got to his feet, giving a nod to his teammate as he directed them towards the gate, "Alright then, let's see what you've learned since the last time I saw you."

 

He drew his Grand Blade, giving it a quick twirl before looking around, "The stronger boars should be coming towards us soon. All we need to do is spot them and attack them first. If we act fast enough we should be able to get a shot in before they have a chance to react."

[Takneil 0]

"Alright, makes sense. plus I prefer staying within a decent distance from the gates just in case."  walking with the man, the boy smiles, it felt nice being able to hang with his friend despite the fact they were literally causing aggro with their presence but that's what they were seeking. drawing his sword Takneil let it rest on his shoulder as the two walked. 

 

"So...are you attacking first or am I?, I just want to have this down so we don't mess each other up" he asked.

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a nod at Takneil's inquiry of who to strike first, crossing his arms as he gave a nod, "Hm...how about this time you go ahead and take the first strike this time? I've developed some skills that will help to keep the monsters attention off of other players, so don't worry about getting targeted."

 

With that he gave a calming breath as he let his <<Reveal>> skill activate, scanning the immediate area. As he did his eyes picked up on a single large boar beginning to make its way towards the two players. He nodded in that direction, "Looks like it's trying to get the jump on us, but it's pretty clear who the target is. Go for it Tak."

 

Calrex held the Grand Blade in a reverse grip as the light blue aura chains surrounded his limbs, beginning to spiral rapidly as he prepared his <<Howl>> skill.

[Takneil 0]

Nodding The boy allowed the blade to slide off his shoulder as he kicked off of the ground breaking into a full run as he approached the Boar, this was just a simple grinding session no need to lose control. reassuring himself as he shifted his weight Takneil brought the sword above his head grasping the hilt with his other hand he spun in circle as he attacked only hoping that it would succeed.

 

ID:21144

Battle Die:4 (Fail!)

Craft Die:1

Loot Die:11

MOB Die:10 (Critical Success!)

 

Feeling something drive hard into his side Takneil exhaled sharply in an attempt to yell out in pain only to have a hoarse wheeze take it's place. sending a sharp glare to boar as he stood up the boy backed away holding the giant glowing gash it left in his side. "Cal! this ones a bit feisty. think you could do something about it?" he called out to his ally as he fell into his normal battle stance. 

 

COMBAT REPORT!

~Takneil failed to deal damage to MOB 1-Enraged Boar.

 

~MOB 1-Enraged Boar dealt 3+2=5 DMG to Takneil.

 

HP List

 

Takneil: 18/23

 

Calrex: 87/87

 

MOB 1-Enraged Boar: 35/35

[Calrex 0]

ID: 21146

Battle Dice: 10 (+2 Damage)

 

As Takenil took the first attack attempt and was slammed into by the boar Calrex gave a calming breath as he let his <<Howl>> ability dissipate. "Right now it'd be better if I focus on striking. If I manage to get a strong hit in I'll still keep the creature's attention on me. I can always use Howl when needed."

 

He sheathed the Grand Blade as he used his <<Sprint>> ability to quickly close the distance between him and the creature. Drawing it from its sheath the sword alight with a light blue hue as Calrex became a blur of movement, unleashing a barrage of slashes, each strike leaving a light blue slash aftereffect, which quickly flashed a light blue aura chain afterimage. With the completion of his attack it appeared like Calrex had chained up the boar for a second before the afterimages burst, sending the boar onto its back. He flicked his sword into a reverse grip before nodding to Takneil, "Let's see if that took it down a peg. Go for it Tak, I should have its attention at the moment."

 

 

HP List

Takneil: 18/23 (Hate: 0)

Calrex: 87/87 (Hate: 2)

 

Enemies:

Enraged Boar: 24/35

[Takneil 0]

Biting through the pain Takneil offered his usual smirk. "I think you took it down by five" he joked. "now to show that I've learned" rolling the blade in his hand the boy kicked off the ground once more aiming to slice across the Boar's stomach. 

 

ID:21171 

Battle Die:5 (Fail)

Craft Die:1

Loot Die:10

MOB Die:4 (Fail)

 

rolling over from being flipped by one of the players The Boar snorted angrily, digging into the ground it charged forward seeking revenge.

 

'That Boar is quick!, I'll have to settle for a weaker attack' he thought to himself. changing direction Takneil lunges forward sliding his blade in between the tusks to prevent it from moving further. "Cal! get it now while I have it!"

 

COMBAT REPORT!

 

~Takneil failed to deal DMG to MOB 1-Enraged Boar.

 

~Mob 1-Enraged Boar failed to deal DMG to Calrex.

 

HP List

Takneil: 18/23 (Hate: 0)

Calrex: 87/87 (Hate: 2)

 

Enemies:

Enraged Boar: 24/35

[Calrex 0]

ID: 21173

Battle Dice: 7

 

Calrex kept watch as Takneil locked his blade into the boar's tusks to keep it still, giving a nod as he acknowledged his opening to attack. He gave a calming breath before activating his <<Sprint>> ability once again. In a near instant he was upon the boar, doing a quick 360 as he pierced the monster in the side before delivering a fierce kick to knock the boar away, "Heh, thanks for the opening. Let's keep this up!"

 

He twirled the Grand Blade before giving it a quick toss, catching it in a reverse grip as he readied for the next attack.

 

HP List

Takneil: 18/23 (Hate: 0)

Calrex: 87/87 (Hate: 3)

 

Enemies:

Enraged Boar: 15/35

[Takneil 0]

Locking his grip on the sword the boy swiftly pulled away as Calrex kicked the Boar, unable to contain a smile he gave a quick glance to his friend. "Wow, even in the difference in levels we make a pretty good team. Ought to work together more often" he stated as he returned to his battle stance. noticing the Boar's fatigue from the more experienced player's strike Takneil charged.

 

ID:21494

Battle Die:7 (Success!)

Craft Die:1

Loot Die:12

MOB Die:6-1=5 (Failure!)

 

shaking away it's pain the Boar stood but it was far too late, one of the players was already on it...

 

The boy unleashed a speedy strike as he ran past the MOB, pivoting his foot he lunged forward slicing off one of the Boar's tusks. recovering from his lunge Takneil quickly backed away in fear of a counter attack.

 

COMBAT REPORT!

 

~Takneil Dealt 3 DMG to MOB 1-Enraged Boar.

 

~MOB 1-Enraged Boar failed to deal DMG to Calrex.

 

HP List

 

Takneil: 18/23 

Calrex: 87/87

 

Enemies:

Enraged Boar: 12/35

[Calrex 0]

ID: 21520

Battle Dice: 1 

 

Calrex gave a nod as Takneil acknowledged the successful team dynamic the two had going, even with the large different in strength between the two of them, "Heh, of course. As long as we keep focusing on our objective, things seem to work out. At least that's what I've gathered so far."

 

Using his <<Sprint>> ability once again Calrex quickly rushed in behind Takneil after the boy finished his strike. As he readied his blade he looked as the creature quickly recovered and tried to strike him. He was able to quickly weave out of the way, but the charge threw him off balance as he stumbled a few paces before recovering, "Well, that was a close one. Go for it Tak!"

 

 

HP List

Takneil: 18/23 

Calrex: 87/87

 

Enemies:

Enraged Boar: 12/35

[Takneil 0]

Having his blade ready Takneil wasted no time in following his ally, appreciating the distance he slid to a stop as Calrex swerved away from the Boar's attack. 'Damn!, I hadn't expected it to recover so soon...' though it seemed he was distressed improv was something he did best, a confident smirk taking place of the frown Takneil pushed off of the ground flipping his blade so that it was held reversed. 

 

ID:21840

Battle Die:7 (Success!)

Craft Die:3

Loot Die:14

MOB Die:8-1=7(Success!)

 

The Boar ignored the other player as he dodged it's attack it's main focus was on the one who removed it's tusk, snorting loudly it kicked off of the ground rushing forward.

 

The boy's smile only increased as the pig came at him...this meant that his attack would be easier to pull off, bracing himself he winced as the pig once again struck him. Withholding the pain Takneil swiftly grabbed the Boar by it's remaining tusk and kicked off of the ground, pulling himself forward he let go of the tusk as he slashed across his enemy's back leaving a red crescent mark lingering. Landing roughly Takneil groaned as he fell to one knee catching his breath.

 

COMBAT REPORT!

~Takneil Dealt 3 DMG to MOB 1-Enraged Boar.

 

~MOB 1-Enraged Boar Dealt 3 DMG to Takneil.

 

HP

Takneil: 15/23 

Calrex: 87/87

 

Enemies:

Enraged Boar: 9/35

[Calrex 0]

ID: 21873

Battle Dice: 9 (+1 Damage)

Loot Dice: 13 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 16

 

Calrex kept his eyes focused on Takenil as he saw the boy endure a hit and give one of his own back to the boar. He gave a smirk, hidden by the Grand Chariot's stoic appearance as he rushed forward, twirling the Grand Blade into a hammer grip. In an instant he used his <<Sprint>> ability to close the distance to the boar as he pierced it in the side. Immediately after he extracted his sword and slashed upwards, knocking the boar into a spin as he slashed rapidly before kicking it away. The barrage of attacks knocked its HP bar down past zero as it burst into crystals.

 

Calrex gave a calming breath as he saw the loot list, twirling his sword into its sheath as he turned back to Takneil, "Well, that was certainly much quicker than before, nice work!"

 

He passed the col over to Takneil, but decided to hold onto the materials, since he would probably be needing them in the future. "Alright, how're you feeling so far?"

 

Loot List

1 Material

Bonus Loot: 175 col (Mob Health 35 * 5 col)

 

 

HP List

Takneil: 15/23 

Calrex: 87/87

 

Enemies:

Enraged Boar: -1/35

[Takneil 0]

Shaking his head to clear it of the pain he produced a thumbs up as he stood. "I'm fine, though that Boar did a considerable amount to Damage I'm set for another." sheathing his sword Takneil nodded as a thanks for the Col and turned. "Whelp, time to look for some bacon to cook, also you're charging the next little piggy we come across cause I almost got brought to town when I did...if you know what I mean" the boy joked as he waled in a large circle searching for the duo's next victim.

 

~Gained 1 HP

 

Takneil:16/23

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a nod as Takneil suggested that he take the next boar, "Well, let's play it safe and give you some time to heal up. How about this? We look around for some materials outside of combat in the meantime while you recover. It's kind of a little side-job I've been doing since before I even met you as a way to help the player-run shops here in Aincrad."

 

ID: 21880

Loot Dice: 13 (Search and Detect +2 / Item +1) = 16

 

Almost immediately after speaking Calrex looked down and saw a herb that would be useful for materials, plucking it and adding the items to his inventory.

 

Total: 1

 

Calrex: 1

Takneil: 0