Artificial Surprise [Fernweh]

[Blue]

HEY HEARTBREAK come on in...

FERNHUE 311 0/6 SLIMES

"Once more unto the breach my friends, once more." That's a quote from somebody. Yeah. Blue found herself thinking of such random snippets from classical writing in her downtime, applying it to the situations around her. Shakespeare was always quotable. His complete works covered just about every situation one could be in... abstractly anyway. The bard doubted that the great play write had ever conceived of being locked in a video game, or of video games at all. Then again, he was a very sharp individual, and one can never account for the thoughts of others. All of that said, Henry V did fit Blue's current situation. Someone had posted a request for a partner in their sojourn into the surrounding forests. Blue didn't mind helping out others from time to time, it gave her the experience she needed to contend with the other big players out there. So going out to the forest to kill random monster mob A-Z was fine by her. Not to say killing monsters was her only motivation. It was nice to meet new people, some of them being potential clients and others possible friends. The designate meeting spot wasn't too far out of place for Blue, though she did feel uncomfortable traveling to a place with no up to date map info. Still, one needed to take risks from time to time, and she certainly wasn't going alone. The description of the other player was fairly simple. A low-level Foxtail Summoner. His magic would be enough to handle a few slimes, and if necessary, Blue could serve as a dodge tank if things became rough. Always go in with a plan, a rule of competitive MMO playing. An hour or so of walking and Blue found herself seated on a dead stump, legs crossed and leaning back as she waited for her partner in crime.

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[Fernweh]

-Damn it, damn it, damn it! How did I lose track of time?!- Fernweh mentally berated himself as he tore down the road towards the predetermined meeting place. In all honesty, he knew exactly how he had come to find himself in this situation. Today, like any day to come or already pass, he had been wandering around town looking for something, anything, which seemed interesting. It had become habit at this point since he knew so little about the world yet was familiar with it at the same time. Certain buildings stood where they always had yet appeared decrepit and abandoned, yet perhaps that was what was catching Fernweh’s attention about it all. Familiar sights no longer familiar, a world that once was now a thin period of forgotten history here. It wasn’t completely sating his desire to see more of the world but it was certainly making a solid go at it.

Shaking his head for a moment, Fernweh threw the images from his mind in an attempt to focus on the sole activity of placing one foot after another in order to further increase his speed. –Please don’t be angry, I really don’t need to be yelled at…- he moped as his feet left small trails in the worn path. Fernweh had no idea what type of person he’d end up being with this time around, as he really made no requirements. Pretty much it read “Let’s go slaughter Slimes!” with the requirement of “You must be breathing! Or not! If you fall under the former, I will probably be waiting at this checkpoint for a while wondering how a corpse accepted!” It was a horrible joke, but a joke none the less. He just hoped it had attracted someone of use since Slimes had a natural resistance to magic. –Not to mention they converge on people who cast spells if they sense any mana…- he added grimly. Slimes were one of the few creatures that were the bane of low level mages, especially Summoners. Not only did he have to be aware of his surroundings but also his summoned Follower’s as the engaged in combat. Adding the possibility of a horde of Slimes that are resistant to his main method of attack, well, it wouldn’t end well. Oh, and he had almost forgotten the lovely fact he lacked in the health category.

Coming up to the meeting location, Fernweh slowed his pace till he stopped and tried to catch his breath. “Hey sorry I'm late, I’m Fernweh, were you the one who accepted my posting back in town?” he panted, both his ears and tail sitting lower than normal. It appeared that his companion was a young girl, human at that. –Or perhaps Half-Alv or even Race of Ritual...- he noted, remembering each seemed quite similar if their signs were covered. Reaching out his hand, Fernweh offered the girl a handshake. “You probably guessed this already but I’m a Foxtail. Main class Summoner, secondary Courier, and crafting as Scribe. And you’re…?” he finished with a blatant hint at desiring to know something about the person he was pairing up with. With any luck she’d have a strong physical attack that would help offset the Slime’s magic resistance.

[Blue]

HEY HEARTBREAK come on in...

FERNHUE 780 0/6 SLIMES

The breeze was always so extraordinarily pleasant within the  verdant depths of the Windsor Great Wood. The surrounding emerald hues of the giant forest canopy were a sight to see all on their own, creating a comforting blanket of light and shadow, filtering the sun rays beaming down upon the unfounded kingdom. glittering green orbs beheld the forest within their vision, admiring the meld of colors which could only be produced through the natural process of life. But was that really the truth of the matter? Were the thirty-thousand adventurers not trapped in what had been previously known as a digital world? If that were truly the case, what was Blue looking at that so closely imitated the beauty of the real world? "Am I... really here after all...?" Blue, an honest look of befuddlement clearly etched upon her face, questioned her debatable existence quietly. What honest confirmation did anyone in this world have that they were really alive? Everyone talked like living people, breathed like living people, but were those actions the real thing, or an illusion to fool themselves into believing they were really there in the unfounded kingdom? A cold shiver of discomfort tugged at the existential bard, evoking feelings of distress and self-doubt that she had so rarely experienced herself. The woman silently swallowed her fears, daring not break the facade she so carefully built in all her years of living. Time ticked on by, ever pressing forward to the inevitable end of all things. But Blue remained, sitting quietly on her little stump in the middle of the giant Londonian woods which she described as her back yard. Her partner, the fox-tail summoner, was late or so it would seem. What an unfortunate turn of events, and here Blue thought she would wait just a little bit longer before playing a few old tunes on her Irish flute. Surprise be that her considerations would be interrupted by the sudden rustling of nearby brush. A quick hand fell to draw steel, ready to defend its owner. Wasted energy, considering what came fumbling out so hurriedly. “Hey sorry I'm late, I’m Fernweh, were you the one who accepted my posting back in town?” Blue gave a silent nod, her defensive posture relaxing somewhat in the presence of her supposed companion. The pinkette bard calmly replaced her rapier back within its sheath and gave a small wave, offering a gentle smile to the fox-tail summoner. He appeared most distressed about the situation, perhaps perturbed by his own lateness, or keeping a lady waiting, maybe both? Blue paid the idea no mind though, dismissing it as the past and looking towards the present situation before her. “You probably guessed this already but I’m a Foxtail. Main class Summoner, secondary Courier, and crafting as Scribe. And you’re…?” The fox-tail extended his hand, offering it out of courtesy and good will. Blue extended hers in return, gripping the fatigued summoners hand and shaking it vertically for but a brief moment. "My name is Blue, I am a human bard, artisan, and dancer. I may appear low level but I am actually a veteran player of Elder Tale, so if you have any concerns, please ask me and I will be more than happy to assist you."

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[Fernweh]

Fernweh gave off one of his usual senseless grins upon shaking hands with the girl. It had been a rough ride since he had found himself in this world, something he was proud to say he was suffering through quite well. He decided he’d chalk it up to the beauty of this world, something that had continually captivated him and eased some of the stress of finding himself here. Not to mention the fact that the world resembled something he had seen on a documentary, something like ‘A World without Man.’ It had been interesting for the fact it had centered around man vanishing right off the face of the planet and how the world would react with their disappearance. It gave a haunting portrayal of humanity’s greatest feats crumbling to dust in a decade, forever lost by the second. Perhaps it was the very thought of destruction that pleased the Fox Tail in a sick subconscious way, though in truth it bothered him very little.

-What’s the term for it…- he found himself wondering, raking his mind for the concept he had read about. It had involved a study showing every generation had an apocalypse moment, some having several. In the end it was determined that all of humanity had a sick obsession with being there when the world comes crumbling down around them. -Was that what my interests have been...?- Fernweh couldn’t help but question. Had his real reason for wanting to see the world was in hopes that at some point he would see it burning, crumbling, and falling down around his head? It was a depressing thought, one that had a distinct chance of being the root of his desires yet still one that would remain unproven, a simple facet of what could be the true focus.

Perhaps it was due to this that his ears and tail slacked and his grin lost its livelihood for a moment before the train of thought was derailed and removed from his mind. Only the strong have the luxury of being able to debate in this world, which was why he was here at this moment Fernweh realized with a renewal of his smile. –The young gal here doesn’t deserve to have her mood darkened by my overthinking. Especially after she came to help me out.-

Following the brief handshake, Fernweh added, “A human bard? I happen to be good friends with a Fox Tail bard, though I can’t say she’s particularly strong. Then again, none of us are eh?” Bards were an interesting choice, something he thought he would be seeing less of than he currently had. Perhaps it was enjoyable to play music, though it was something Fernweh would have never have been able to do. To be completely frank, he had the musical talent of a boulder or some equally dull thing. He had even tried on numerous occasions to learn. First guitar, then harmonica, eventually even just recorder. In the end, whistling was about the best he could do. It was a sad fact, but a fact none the less.

Turning to look into the forest and get a grasp on their surroundings Fernweh asked, “So are you ready to go? It shouldn’t take long to find these little buggers.”

[Blue]

HEY HEARTBREAK come on in...

FERNHUE 1011 1/6 SLIMES

The concept of hunting had been the solid foundation of most ancient cultures back in the ancient days of stone spears and mud huts. It was the prime law of nature being applied to the fledgling human equation, giving fuel to the machine that was human progress. The difference between the intelligent humans and savage animals was the humans ability to make use of every part of their preys carcass. Meat, bone, pelt, fluids, all of it could be used to serve a greater purpose, and that was what drove human society to grow beyond that of any other species with the ability to cooperate. Hunting was the foundation of trade, luxury, sport, and craft, all the things which are now key to life as we know it. If this was the case, then why did the hunting of these  unruly creatures within the Windsor Great Wood feel so... so empty in its design? Blue felt no satisfaction in the destruction of her quarry, on the contrary, she felt a dissatisfaction in her whenever she struck down the monsters within these dark woods. Could it have been that she wasn't getting the whole of the spoils for her successful kill? The fallen beasts dropped rewards and experience in their death throes, that was certainly true, but it's not like you took them back home to eat or sell the carcass. it felt very... wasteful, to tell the truth. Maybe that needed fixing. "So are you ready to go? It shouldn't take long to find these little buggers." With but two short sentences, the silent reverie shattered into countless little pieces, laying in a metaphorical pile within the confines of Blue's labyrinthine mind. The young bard did this often, daydreaming in the middle of a conversation as if she were in her own little world. The young lass couldn't help herself in that respect. When something entered her thought process, she just could not for the life of her let it go until someone called her out of the trance. Who would notice it though with Blue's perpetual head in the clouds stare? If the girl wanted to keep some degree of respect to the one she was conversing with, she had to pray they didn't notice that quality of hers midst conversation. Luckily, the pinkette had caught herself in the act before her partner did. "Ah. Aye, let us be off then, shall we?" Blue swallowed the past concerns which had so quickly consumed her thought process and released her partners hand. No matter how the bard felt about the current situation, it needed to be done. That was right, they now lived in a world where results were procured by doing, not thinking. With that resolution surfaced, the girl put on her best expression of determination and beckoned for her Fox-Tail partner to follow them further into the zone. She pivoted on her heel, turning towards the heavy dark of the wood and stepped onward to the future conflict. It did not take long for an encounter of the violent kind to come nipping at their heels. Monsters were near and far throughout these expansive woods, and it just so happened that those beasts of the slimy variety were skulking, or rather crawling about the party's general location. The squelching sound of slime globs pushing through the surrounding greenery was easy to detect. After all, the sound of artificial life was always displaced amongst the symphony of nature. Blue's hand wrapped around her rapier with a serious expression on her face. A flash of silver struck out across the party's vision, followed by a streak of red running towards a complacent globe of green. "Elegant Act." A dance of blades. That was the legendary specialty of  the famous Bard of Swords, Blue. Even at a lower level, Blue cut a beautiful swathe through her enemies with elegant simplicity and experience. The combination of knowledge from playing Elder Tale pre-Catastrophe, along with her own ability as a Dancer in real life made her a force to be reckoned with. Elegant Act was perfect for Blue as an offensive skill. It exemplified all that the pinkette was as a warrior and was her favorite low tier skill to use out of all that were available to her at the start.. "Behold, and fall into ruin..." The starter rapier flashed in all directions, cutting and slashing, rending the slimy skin from her target as if it was a dull knife cutting through warm butter. All the while, Blue's movements were untraceable by the untrained eye of an outside observer.  Cut after cut made their way across the surface of the unprepared Slime, which struck out blindly at it's attacker in a vain attempt to stop the assault. Blue's emerald eyes looked down at the quivering beast with unfiltered pity, but her blade never stopped cutting. It didn't take very long for the targeted slime to make one last quiver before losing it's ability to hold together and melt into a puddle. That was one beast freed from the mortal coil it was once bound to. Of the number Blue and company were tasked to eradicate, five of the artificial life forms remained. It would be troublesome if they had to push further into the jungle in order to complete their objective. Perhaps a better course of action was necessary to avoid needless risk. Blue turned to her partner, the Fox Tail still standing where she left him and smiled. He was a magic user, something that the bard lacked in her repertoire of skills. Since they were hunting beasts attracted to the use of magic, he was... well, he would make an interesting lure. Blue's smile was kind, but there was a touch of sadism which the pinkette hid very well behind her gentle mask. "You're a summoner, correct? Would you perhaps mind summoning one of your beasts to assist us? I have an idea that may require some magical assistance..." Blue felt bad for what she was doing but... she was sure her partner would forgive her when it was all well and done.

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