Girl in a tree (Invite!)

[Mab]

The girl had no plan when she decided to climb this tree. Just that it looked like a very climbable tree and that it seemed like the thing to do. Especially since she wanted to escape from the angry fellow with the large ears. Once high enough the girl just sat there looking out over the city that was Londinium. Not that the view was great, as most of the buildings where much higher, but she did have a decent view of the street below. It was a busy street, many people making their way either strolling along and some seemed to be rushing elsewhere. It did not matter to Mab, she just enjoyed watching the crowds go by and staying relatively unnoticed by the passersby.

This high up the tree, being unnoticed while, lets face it spying on others, gave the girl a sense of freedom. She did not have to speak to anyone at this time. People mostly left her alone anyways as they thought she was a weirdo but if anyone would approach to speak to her, she would feel obliged to respond in kind. “The trick was,” she thought to herself, “to try not to say the first thing that comes to mind.” However this trick never really worked for her before. She would try, but well.... Things happened.

She sighed, the last encounter with one of the adventures ended up in being challenged to come and play outside the city walls.... and something about needing to be sent to the cathedral for a few times. The girl had no clue why he got so angry.



Reminiscing about the last encounter she had with a fellow adventurer desperately trying to reflect on what went wrong Mab sighed again. She was minding her own business just happily trailing along town when a rude fellow just walked straight in to her and did not even offer so much as an apology. Mab was not a person to hold grudges but even so it did seem very much like the idiot had done so on purpose looking for trouble.

“Watch where you are going!” The youth had told her in very unfriendly tones. Blaming her for the incident. Mab not really sure how to respond looked at the strong looking fighter for a few moments before even thinking about it she responded not to his comment but to what she saw instead. The taller elf had huge ears, “Oh my god..... these ears..... So big....” The girl coughed out while still hiccupping in laughter. Well one led to another, and the scene got very ugly very quickly. Not sure why the tall elf seemed so angry.... The elf really had big ears. However since violence was forbidden in the city the elf started to scream profanities at her. The girl shocked at the words just stared in unbelief for a moment before she turned around and started to walk away. Things never really went that easy. It seemed the guy wasn’t finished and started following her.

The curse words that seemed to follow her through the streets became increasingly threatening. Raised quite sheltered she could not counter the words hurtled towards her. Though if she ever wanted to become a hooligan learning these profane words would definitely help. Her face had turned red and she felt flustered. Why was this guy so angry and why did he keep following her? Not sure if she wanted to find out, or get into a confrontation with the dude, the next best option was to run and hide. But before she did so Mab turned around on her heels, put her arms to the side inhaled deeply and stuck out her tongue. As fast as she could turned around again and ran as fast as she could. It was after a few minutes of running where she found the tree that looked interesting. Unable to stop herself and climbed as best she could. In no time at all she spotted her pursuer. However he ran straight past the tree, never noticing she had managed to climb in. So where had she gone wrong? Mab wondered, still not able to find the answer, after carefully considering her actions. Mab felt sure the guy was looking for trouble, she was just the one that got in the way. Was there any way she could have avoided the problem all together? Probably not she concluded. “Best to write it off as an unfortunate accident.” She decided firmly with a short nod of her head.

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word count: 758

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

: Words :
1197

: Equipment :
Starter Katana

: Skills :
N/A

“Bah buh duh… Dah buh bah…” Ryker chanted awkwardly to himself, kicking out his left foot until his leg locked before hopping forward onto it. He did the same with his right, and then again back to his left, hobbling along in a slow and steady pace as he considered what he should do for the day. For the most part, Ryker had been lazy. He didn’t exactly do much aside from walk around and check out some of the shops in the city. He had done so multiple times before but he always took a day to see if anything had really changed. To his dismay, not much had. However there was one new shop which appeared and the owner was just a bubbly person. It was good seeing a new face in the area. Though, Ryker wouldn’t make himself known to any of the shopkeepers yet. Unlike them, he had nothing to offer for their items or services.

Due to his relative laziness and inability to remain focused without his fishing, Ryker’s mind fell off the wayside. He never went out to fight to level, he never tried to better himself, and the only thing he really did was wander the forest and pick up pieces of wood. That was all fine and dandy but if he never actually used any of the material, than what was the point? To others, Ryker probably looked like he had a fascination with wood and long sticks. While that was true in the sense that he needed wood for his subclass, it was untrue that he just liked the wood. Ryker had a use for it but he just had no mental push to work with any of it. Maybe he would sit down one way, take all of the wood out, and do something with his life, even if he had to sell it for one gold a piece. At least his load would become lighter if other people took some of it.

“You little ---Insert Profanity Here---“ Whoa. What?

The violent words which echoed through the streets drew in nearly everyone’s attention in the area, Ryker’s included. The culprit behind the vicious shouting was an Elf, a tall one at that, and one who didn’t look to be a very kind person. The person he was shouting at was the complete opposite. Oh my... She… She was pretty. A pretty blonde. One who was just looking at the guy dumbfounded. That was… that was strange. Maybe she wasn’t affected by other people? That would be nice. People worried about other people too much these days. Yet her face showed something different. It was almost innocent, as if she didn’t understand the man yelling at her. Ryker questioned that as she started to walk away, but maybe she was just bored? The Elf on the other hand didn’t turn away; he began to follow the woman. As the two walked down the street and the attention on them increased, the Elf continued to shout and chase the woman, and the woman continued to ignore him. Sort of. Intrigued, Ryker made his way after them, slipping through the crowd relatively easily because of his funsize.

However, Ryker questioned why he was following them. The Elf looked tough and seemed like the time to not care about what happened to other people. If Ryker got into a tussle with such a person, there was no doubt in his mind that he would surely die no matter how hard he tried to fight. Even as a Cleric with a healing spell, Ryker was still a level-one-squish; he had crappy plate mail which he never wore and a rusty sword that couldn’t even be called a sword. He had trouble fighting the weakest monsters in the zone so there was no way he could win against a player. But he could still try, no?

In his internal conflict, Ryker had almost lost the pair but after a lucky turn, he was blasted in the face by a violent yell. His fox ears twitched on his head and Ryker quickly ran towards the direction of the vulgarity. Upon catching sight of the male Elf, he say that the man was running towards the gates. Ryker rumbled at the sight and bolted after him, clearing a path through the on looking Adventurers as he did so. The Elf was much quicker and more nimble, but Ryker’s ears helped him pick up the sounds of the player’s feet. His tail wiggled beneath his robe, hidden by the clothing he wore, as the man’s excitement increased. Chasing people was fun! The circumstances were petty, but it was like hide-and-seek. Ryker liked hide-and-seek. It made him smile, but there was a time when hide-and-seek became no longer fun. That time was now.

Just as Ryker escaped the city and made his way into the forest, the footsteps began to fade and Ryker lost track of the other player very steadily. Due to his level and lack of physical endurance, Ryker was unable to keep up and he began to heave for oxygen. Dying in pursuit of a bad man was not on the list of things to do for the day. Death wasn’t on the list in general so he decided that it was in his best interest to stop. If the other woman was smart, she would find a way to escape the idiot. If not, than she would probably end up testing the death mechanics of the game. Ryker hated to admit it, but being useless was something he was beginning to accept. Damn.

“Well…” Ryker gasped for air and bent over a little, trying not to fall over on his face.
“…that didn’t help.” He chuckled lightly to himself and continued to breathe, sucking oxygen into his burning lungs. The game seemed more and more like reality every day because of how it affected the man’s body, and that was scary.

“I give. Uncle.” The foxtail raised his hand in defeat, waving slightly at the other male player who was long gone. Then, as if his attempts failed, he collapsed onto his stomach. He lay like that for a moment before rolling over onto his back, choosing to flail and spread out on the ground because of how good it felt. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily as he let his body recover after the sudden burst of activity. It was nice while it lasted. When he opened his eyes after a few moments, Ryker looked up towards the green canopy. It was a beautiful sight with the green, the brown, and the pretty blonde, and the sound of the chirping bi---
“Oh. That’s nice.”

The pair of scanning eyes snapped onto the body of the female which he had been fearing for; she was up in a tree. Sitting there. Doing nothing, but at least she was safe. That meant that the other guy probably was going to be a frustrated wreck in a few minutes. Good. Ryker sighed and closed his eyes again. He wanted to rest a little more. He was a fisherman, not a track star.

Mab - Level 1- Druid

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

Given the vantage point the girl had up in the tree it was not very difficult for Mab to notice that besides the angry elf there was a second person also tagging along. The first thing she noticed was his size, or his lack there off. The boy was tiny, she wondered if she could fit him in her pocket, but decided that it would probably not work as he was not that small. When playing games with her girlfriends back at school she once heard a Japanese word to describe people his size. “Chibi!” the words inadvertently passed her lips, not so loud that she screamed it out but loud enough to be overheard by the boy that was closer then she expected.

Mab just hoped that this boy was no friend of the big eared elf. That could be bad. Mab was not very sure if the boy had noticed her. However his laying down, staring up the same tree she made her temporary hiding place sure did seem to indicate such. For a few seconds she pondered deeply what her next cause of action should be. Either engage the youth in conversation or haughtily ignore him hoping he would go away. It is very likely that there were more options but hey.... Mab only thought about it for a few seconds. She decided it would probably be best to try and initiate friendly conversation first. If all else failed running would be an option too... She hoped.

Not sure how to initiate contact some further thought was needed. “Hello is probably a good way to start?” Mab decided silently. There was however the chance the boy had not noticed her, and a wicked grin paired with eyes that clearly spoke of mischief Mab had decided a plan of action. Indeed her wired brain had decided to see if she could surprise the boy so in order to do so Mab who already sat on a branch allowed herself to slide backwards, holding on to the branch with her knees. If the boy had not seen her already her head should pop out of the tree leaves instantly surprising him, however if he had noticed her, he would probably think she was about to fall head first from the tree. This was in no shape or form going to happen. At this time she was hanging upside down bracing herself by using a close branch to brace her legs in order to not plummet to the ground.

“Hi there!”

She called out to the boy still hanging upside down. Her face a little above the boys face. Mostly because he was so small. If he had been well a more general sized person, and standing he would probably be standing face to face. Therefore it was not Mabs fault if he needed to look up to her for a while. Mab at this time was unwilling to leave the relative safety the tree provided, however this was a good way to start a conversation or so the girl felt.

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Post count: 508

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

: Words :
542

: Equipment :
Starter Katana

: Skills :
Healing Light

After lying around like a lazy fatty for long enough, Ryker yawned and decided that his body was good to go, maybe, sort of. His knees hurt, his lungs still burned. There was a bad taste in his mouth, he needed water. And he complained a lot. Maybe that was why he didn’t do much physical activity… He hated it. He always got sweaty, hurt himself, or felt like dying. Dying wasn’t good for the soul, and neither was getting hurt. Even the slightest pains and aches would threaten his ability to fish. That was a no-go. A fisherman being unable to fish was like a sin, annnnnd he was sinning right now by not even having a fishing pole…. He really needed to make one. With the girl safe and the angry person gone, it was time to do that. If he didn’t, he would probably forget again.

“Bah…” Ryker spat, verbally showing his annoyance with his lack of mental direction, and sat up straight. At that same moment, Ryker opened his eyes just to find himself staring very closely to the woman in the tree. Instantly, Ryker froze. His stomach clenched and his eyes shot open wide, frightened by the sudden closeness. He was okay and his mind was catching up, but then she spoke.
“AHHH!!” He shouted in fright and mental overload. Quickly, he began to claw at the ground, springing backwards across the forest floor for only a few feet before slamming his back into the same tree the girl was fallin—hanging—from. Upon impact, his neck whipped back and his head slammed against it as well. Pain rushed through his body and the fox curled up for a moment, grasping the point of contact on his head. Not only did that not help, it increased the amount of pain because of the tenderness of the spot. Ryker whimpered for a moment and shivered as the spot on his head stung. It wasn’t bleeding so that was good. Though, he still trembled from the fright. Man, this was not going well.

“He… Hello.” Ryker grumbled, responding to the innocent greeting which came from the woman. It was a little strange to respond like that after his body’s initial reaction, but hopefully he didn’t scare her or anything like she had done to him. He couldn’t tell though, as the foxtail sat with his eyes squeezed shut as he rumbled to himself while dealing with the pain. Wanting to move himself along, the man opened one eye and quickly cast Healing Light on his shivering body. The warm, tender, hug which followed the casting of the spell embraced Ryker, soothing the pain on his head, and allowed him to reopen his eyes and sit upright again.

“Why was that guy chasing you?” As he rubbed the back of his head, testing to make sure his spell had done its job, Ryker looked up towards the hanging lady. He attempted to keep his eyes on hers, but he couldn’t help but look at the rest of her body. The clothes she wore were mismatched and it was a strange sight to see such a thing. Didn’t women care about what they wore…? Man, shows what Ryker knew about the opposite sex…

Mab - Level 1- Druid

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

Mab watched as the person beneath her became aware of her presence. His facial feathers made very amusing movements. From Surprise to shock to what seemed full out panic as he backed away from Mabs presence. “Really interesting...” She softly muttered. However her look became one of concern as he backed himself into a tree and hit his head rather painfully. A look of imagined pain visited the girls face. And though she was hanging upside down it made her face look all scrunched. The feeling that her joke might have gone a little too far permeated from the girl.

“I am sorry.... I might have meant to startle you a little.... But not to hurt you.” She offered as well meant apology while witnessing his healing magic. Mab gazed at the magic with amazement. The pretty spell that seemed to envelop the short boy whose name she still did not know. Healing him gently and quite efficiently.

Hanging upside down for a prolonged time seemed to ensure blood rushing towards her head. It became a uniquely unpleasant feeling. Not really wanting to endure the discomfort much longer Mab decided it was time for a change of position. It also gave a little time to consider how to respond to the boy’s question. “Gimme a second and I’ll be right down.” Mab stated her intent to climb down the tree first.

Firstly that meant sitting upright first. This was not so hard because she had used a nearby branch to brace her legs. Using this she could force her upper body to return to a sitting position. From this point she latched on to the branch next to her and from a hanging position dropped herself down to the ground without much difficulty. Much like a pro-gymnast she landed with slightly bent knees and her arms stretched outward.

“Tadaa!”

Mab proclaimed happily. Mab had to think about what the boy had asked him. She forgot about it while climbing down. So Mab turned around and faced him. With big eyes she started explaining. “Ooh yeah... Not really sure....” She started. “I was just minding my own business, when mister big ears walked into me and started shouting at me. When I grew tired of his rude behaviour I turned around and walked away.” The girl shrugged her shoulders. “He followed me around for a while spewing words better left unsaid, and thats why I ran away from him and hid in this lovely looking tree right here.” Mab concluded while patting the tree while smiling.

Believing that she had adequately purveyed the situation and given ample explanation it was time to turn the tables around. “What about you? What brought you here?” The girl asked in friendly tones. She while explaining to him had flopped herself on the ground, in a very un-lady like fashion, at this time she sat across from him. Looking curiously at the boy in front of her. “Ow.... I am Mab” The girl stated as introduction.

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Post count: 501

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 98%

: Words :
720

: Equipment :
Starter Katana

: Skills :
N/A

Even though the phantom feeling of pain remained, the spell had indeed done its job and cured him of agony. It was a weak little thing, Healing Light, but Ryker was learning that it came in handy for minor injuries and wounds. Now, it wouldn’t heal a severed limb or a gash, but things like cuts and scrapes were very easily healed. Bumps and bruises were just as easy to tend to with it as well, but that was probably the extent of what he could do with it, which was expected of a level one skill. If he wanted to be even close to the definition of useful in combat, he would need a lot more than just the tickle-heal. That would come with time, and Ryker had plenty of it. Like now, he was just sitting around watching a strange woman hang upside down.

However just after he had finished taking care of himself, Ryker thought he was going to have to cast his spell on the woman as well. While he was rumbling and grumbling like an old man, she was making her way down to him it seemed. A little frightful for her life, Ryker eyed her closely. Her swinging and bending put him on edge and the potential for her to fall made him uneasy. But as she hopped down to the ground, Ryker was reminded of how much of a worrywart he could be at times. The woman dropped down from the tree without much difficulty and landed splendidly on the ground. In response of her feat, Ryker smiled and clapped. It was almost perfect form, but it was better than he would have done; Ryker probably would’ve landed on his face with his luck.

“Well done.” He teased while nestling in against the tree which had attacked him. The woman had a bubbly personality of sorts, or one of an air head it seemed. Though he would not slap a label on her yet; their conversation had just begun, but as she began to answer his question Ryker’s face slowly grew flat. He sat upright and stared at the girl as she explained herself, wary that she was probably ignorant to whatever she had actually done to make a man that angry. It must have been nice to be so innocent…

“Me?” Cutting his mind off, the woman pegged Ryker with a question; why he was there. At first Ryker wanted to hold his tongue or come up with some sort of redirect but he wasn’t so mean to lie. He couldn’t exactly keep up with such things. Even as the woman flopped on the ground in front of him in a strange manner, Ryker wouldn’t just push a new face away. She was different, just like everyone else he had come across and he didn’t mind it.

“I am Ryker. Pleasure to meet you miss.” Grinning as he followed the woman’s introduction with his own, Ryker bowed his head a little before sitting back up. He leaned against the tree and nestled against it comfortably as he prepared to explain himself.

“I was nearby in the town when I heard the Elf shouting. Like many of the others in the place, I got curious, maybe a little too curious as I followed you both out here. You run really fast by the way. And so does that Elf. I could barely keep up, if my pathetic excuse for a chase could even be called keeping up.” Ryker laughed a little uneasily as he was reminded that the two players had essentially dusted him and the only reason he could track them at all was because of his ears. Without those he would have had no chance to even come close to getting to where he was now.

“No idea why I followed either. That Elf would have probably killed me if for whatever reason he turned on me…” Leaning forward as he pushed the unpleasant thought from his mind, Ryker plucked a long piece of grass out of the ground and wiggled it in the direction of the blonde whom had introduced herself as Mab.

“You should be a little more careful. Not everyone likes dandelions.” He chuckled to himself at his quick joke, eyeing the woman’s blonde hair as he spoke.

Mab - Level 1- Druid

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

As Mab was no longer in a tree the girl decided to make herself a little more comfortable. She removed her backpack which was empty save for some foodstuffs. Put her staff on the ground as well and quietly listen to the boy speak. The young female did not really have any experience dealing with boys. Her somewhat sheltered life as a boarding school kid never really prepared her for such encounters. To avoid confusion Mab basically treated everyone the same. That did mean she treated every one as a girl most of the time. To avoid confusing herself she would do the same here.

While listening to Ryker’s side of things there was something that struck Mab as curious. This because Mab did not really consider herself as someone who ran particularly fast. Just normal running. It was true that she might have ran somewhat faster than usual. That was because she was chased but still.... She felt the elf would have caught up with her eventually, hence the climbing of the tree. Could it be that the reason the boy could not keep up have something to do with his rather petite stature? That would be ridiculous Mab decided.

Mab nodded her head in agreement. “The guy was angry and volatile. It just seemed to me like he was picking a fight, and anyone would do...” It was just that the guy decided on the wrong victim. This because Mab decided to avoid the fight rather than face him head on.

Curiosity drove Mab to ask her next question, her eyes firmly gazed towards his, noticing that every now and then he seemed to be staring just next to her face as if Ryker was avoiding her eyes. It appeared that he just seemed to like her hair, little did she know.

“How old are you?”

She asked this because she felt that Ryker seemed rather shy, combined with his size made him seem rather young. If she had to guess she would have said that he was younger than she was. But something seemed off. So she decided to ask instead of just assume.
Mab felt elated, she finally seemed to hold a conversation. Something that she had not really been able to do since she was trapped in this strange new world. At first people were too depressed to talk normally and later because everything she said seemed to come out wrong and people mostly avoided her. But now she finally had a chance to redeem herself and maybe even make a friend. The thought of this made her very happy. This was something she could not really hide well. Nor would she if she knew how. A bright and happy smile shone on her face, her sparking eyes seemed to follow suit. Maybe this time she did not end up having to run away because she made a silly or weird remark. Maybe this person in front of her could become a person she could get along with.

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Word count 503

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

: Words :
541

: Equipment :
Starter Katana

: Skills :
N/A

That question. That horrible, horrendous question which plagued him returned, and Ryker stiffened at the hearing of it; How old are you? How old was he? I don’t know, forty! He was sixty-three and losing his damn hair! No, he was seventy three, short, needed a cane, and wanted to murder the world! Maybe he was twelve, he was short enough wasn’t he?! Yea, had to be younger then seven! GOD. WHY?! That question lingered around Ryker constantly, daily almost, because of how many new faces he would sometimes meet during his traveling in the real world. Upon entering the game, he had been asked the question multiple times already by People of the Land and Adventurers alike, all of whom he had learned to ignore at those times. However, it was better than the second question which also followed him around like a hungry pest… Why… are you… so short?

I DON’T KNOW, BECAUSE THAT’S HOW HE WAS MADE. WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN PERSISTANT? WHY ARE YOU BLONDE? WHY IS YOUR SKIN PALE? WHY ARE YOU AN IDIOT WHO CAN’T UNDERSTAND EVOLUTION?! I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE BECAUSE YOU WERE MADE THAT WAY. WHY DON’T YOU JUST GO FU—

“Twenty.” Ryker said with a steady tone, his left eyebrow twitching slightly as he calmed his internal tornado which had suddenly erupted. He pushed it all away, stuff it into a corner, and burned it. He burned it all with the hell fires directly from the abyss itself. And then, he left it. He left the inferno to rage in the distant, unseen corners of his mind where it would stay for all eternity. Or until someone asked one of those freaking questions again.

“I am twenty years young, miss. I apologize for my deceiving height, but it’s not all that bad to be short. I like it.” Not really, Ryker hates it at times. He has trouble reaching what are meant to be easily accessible shelves. Ryker also has trouble getting over certain fences, hedges, can’t see through crowds, and sometimes gets towered over by excessive plant-life. Ryker has also begun to learn that even the smallest of creatures dwarf him. It’s obnoxious, unsettling, humiliating, and annoying. He absolutely hated being so short at times. Did he mention how it was obnoxious?

“Not really. Being short has just as many disadvantages as it has positives. I can’t reach the top shelf.” Ryker rumbled and reached his hands up into the air. Upon doing so, he began to flail his arms slightly, mimicking the motion he usually did when attempting to grab something that was usually always out of reach.

“But you learn to deal with it. Makes you a smarter person when going about your day.” He chuckled at the thought of how he had come up with a few tricks of survival and brought his hands back down to his sides. Looking back towards the blonde, Ryker leaned against the tree again. As he stared at her, he couldn’t help but notice her hairstyle…

“Your hair makes it look like you have donuts on the side of your head, and it makes me hungry.” That’s right, it was almost lunch time wasn’t it? Ryker needed food at some point.

Mab - Level 1- Druid

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

“Heh.... then you are older than me.”

Mab said, sounding impressed. She fell silent because the question initially seemed to upset Ryker, his rampant emotions briefly seemed to have flashed over his visage. However when he answered he seemed perfectly calm so Mab decided that maybe she was making things up. Why would a mundane question about age be something to get worked up about. She flushed an instant deep red feeling foolish for asking the wrong question. To her it had meant nothing really, it was just an ice breaker to get to know someone a little better. In the end Mab could not really hide the unease she felt at the time when Ryker seemed agitated. Maybe it was something else. Maybe Mab was just thinking this over too much. She did not know and forgot to ask because the to her seemingly innocent question led to a discussion about height. She shook her head slightly to get rid of the burning sensation that emanated from her face.

Once she felt that the moment passed she looked up again. She was listening to Ryker detailing his vertical challenge issues. As to that, Mab had her own, just on the opposite side of the scale. Mab never liked being the tallest in her class. She had been teased about that quite often, so she could understand some of what Ryker was talking about. “I don’t really care if you are short.” She rebutted, “If you need something from a higher shelf, I can get it for you or get a chair.” She stated quite simply. The girl thought it was crazy to judge people on size or age and her face seemed to show that as a look of disbelief was very visible.

“Hmh hmh!” The girl emotionally agreed. If she were closer to Ryker she would have probably grabbed his hands, instead she nodded her head profusely when he stated that it would make someone a smarter person to deal with their deficiencies. The times she was asked if it was freezing up there, due to her height was so often it was getting annoying. There had been days she had been asked that numerous times. Just because she was taller than others. “There were times I hated being the tallest in class.” The girl shyly omitted. “Now I don’t really care anymore.” It wasn’t as if this was a huge issue for her. Like most things in life she took it in stride. People would always find a reason to try and belittle others. No pun intended. Wether it being too tall or too short. It mattered not.

Shocked the girl’s hands went to her buns. “What do you mean? Donuts?” She cried indignant. “They are pretty buns!” She corrected Ryker. “Hmm.” She huffed. Grabbing her backpack she grabbed some of the foodstuffs that where in there. The first thing she managed to grab was an apple. Not really angry any more she smiled as she threw the apple towards Ryker. “Catch.” She ordered as the apple sailed in his general direction. She immediately took out a second apple and took a firm bite out of that one.

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Post count: 530

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

: Words :
806

: Equipment :
Starter Katana

: Skills :
N/A

Listening to the female speak made Ryker chuckle but he kept his mouth shut and let her speak. It was as if he had given her the talking stick. It was a useful tool when dealing with children, so Ryker used the same attitude towards normal conversation. As he patiently listened and waited, he plucked another blade of grass out of the ground, having lost the other mysteriously. With the new object in his hand, Ryker closed one of his eyes and held the blade in the air between himself and Mab, twisting and twirling the little object. It seemed she was willing to assist the little man with getting items and objects, but Ryker was not one to ask openly for such assistance. Still, he appreciated the gesture just as much as he appreciated the woman being friendly. Knowing that there was someone he could ask for help was a nice thing to have in his pocket. The business-side of Ryker came out in his mind as he tucked that little bit of information away, but he continued to twist and play with the little grass blade.

Reaching out as Mab begin to speak about her own height, Ryker placed the blade of grass on the top of her head, as if disposing of the object once he was done with it. Ryker had not noticed it initially, as he was used to being shorter than others, but Mab was indeed much taller than the usual person. If Ryker was older than her, than for her age she must have been taller than the others she was with in school. A potential for an outcast it seemed, but at least she dealt with them just as Ryker did. Though, Mab probably had it harder than he; Ryker never went to school.

Unlike his friends and the other children he lived near, Ryker learned everything from his father, his friends, and his cousin. Not once did he attend that school in the middle of the town he lived in… Not once did he wake up early in the morning, dress up in a uniform, and stuff breakfast down because he was late for class… Not once did he get yelled at by a teacher because of a mistake when reading… No, Ryker always sat beside his father in those early sun rises. He sat there, nestled right in beside the older Fisherman, watching, learning, living, and every day his father would sigh as the school bell rang. It was as if he always wanted to send Ryker there but never could. And yet, Ryker did not hate his father for it. A soft smile crossed Ryker’s face as he remembered the smile on his father’s face. Oh how he missed it…

Catching the apple as the slightly disturbed Mab reacted to his comment about her buns, Ryker shut his eyes and took in a breath. Sitting up, the man pushed up to his feet and took a bite out of the delicious fruit. It was a tasty thing, and he was thankful for it as he was for everything which was given to him.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Ryker said just before nabbing another bite. He took a small nibble from the fruit so it wouldn’t take as long to chew and quickly freed up his mouth so he could speak again. Though, he was forced to wipe off a bit of saliva and fruit juice before he could do so.

“Come on. Let’s leave before the Elf-Guy comes back. If he doesn’t know how to navigate, he’ll come right back this way.” After he was comfortable, Ryker leaned forward and extended his hand to help the blonde up to her feet, if she wanted the help. If she didn’t, that was up to her. Ryker wasn’t going to simply hop up and leave, that wasn’t nice, but once Mab was on her feet Ryker began to move his own. He looked towards the direction of Londinium for a moment, bit into the apple, and then spun randomly to his left.

“Dish wah!” He mumbled, talking with the apple against his lips as he chose whatever direction to walk in. He didn’t really care, so he started to walk. With that taken care of, he munched into the apple and took a medium sized bite.

“So, Miss Mab, what brings you to the world of Elder Tale?” After swallowing the demolished apple bits he had chewed on, the fox glanced up towards the blonde.

“Was it the Adventure? The monsters? Or maybe curiousity?” As he asked, Ryker twirled the apple he held in a circular motion, but then he spun it and took another bite once he was finished speaking. Mab had given him food just in time; his stomach was starting to get a little empty.

Mab - Level 1- Druid

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

Quietly taking bites of her own apple Mab was not in a hurry to say much more at this time. She nodded in agreement when Ryker mentioned bear ear elf. It would be best no to run into him too soon again. Though it would probably be amusing even if she did, Mab doubted that the elf would feel the same way. Slowly the girl got up from the ground and brushed the sand and leaves from her clothes that had inadvertently stuck to her during her climbing expedition and while sitting on the ground. Once satisfied most of the grime and dirt had been brushed away Mab picked up her scarce belongings.

What had brought Mab to the world of Elder tale. The girl had no straightforward answer. The reasons where not really thought out much. She had never really spent time thinking about it. One of the reasons surely was because she was curious, drawn to adventures and well defeating monsters came with the game, and so she never really minded that. Where those the real reasons, or the only reasons? Mab could not say for sure. Mab had more reasons to try it out but had she known she would be stuck here would she still have gone? There was just no way of telling for sure. The boredom she felt from being stuck in boarding school was one reason to start playing, as the game offered an escape from the repetitive, boring life she led. But the change from her ordinary school life to that of an “Adventurer” was a rather profound one, or so Mab felt. From a very controlled and restricted life to that of total freedom was mind boggling.

In the beginning she had no clue what to do with her new found freedom. Especially after being stuck here without being able to leave. At first it did not feel like freedom at all, but as a new prison where the rules were just unknown. This changed as time went on to a feeling of I never want to leave this place ever again. Answering the boy’s question was not very easy at all. There were just too many answers that could be considered correct. Just as she was about to mention this Mab was saved by a second question that followed the “What brings you to the world of Elder Tale?”

“Yes!”

Was her very simple answer to the follow-up question. She was here for the adventure, the monsters and off course because she was very curious. Her eyes sparkled as her face came alive with a huge smile while she said it. “What about you.... Why did you decide to play?” Mab countered Ryker with his own question. To say that the girl was curious would be an understatement. Curiosity oozed from this girl in almost visible snowflakes of purple fluffiness. She moved a little closer to the boy and stared at him intently, curious as to what his answer could be. Mab took another bite from her apple.

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Word count: 508

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

: Words :
517

: Equipment :
Starter Katana

: Skills :
N/A

A hard cough escaped Ryker’s lips as the woman answered him in a very blatant and confusing manner. Rather than give him some elaborate explanation, she smacked him with a single word in an attempt to answer everything in one breath. What a crude, but smart, way to answer such a thing! It almost made Ryker choke from how blunt it was, and the Cleric was a little disturbed by it. Sadly, he was beginning to realize that he should not expect normal things from this woman. She climbed a tree and hung upside down from it, flopped down onto her stomach, and popped up just as ungracefully. Now she was answering multiple questions with singular words while her face was exploding with ecstatic emotions. Ryker could almost see rainbows around her head. Sweet Jesus he was not prepared for this.

But, he had an apple. In his state of minor confusion, he used the fruit as an anchor and bit into it. As he chewed and munched away, he pushed his attempts to talk or question the lady into his stomach along with the bits of juicy nature he was stuffing into his mouth. It didn’t take long for him to get control of himself though, so he didn’t have to worry too much about it. But that didn’t last long. Ryker was drilled in his eardrum with the same question he had asked, but his reaction was much different than his bubbly friend’s. Rather than smile or puke up sparkles, he stopped in his tracks. He held the apple against his lips and lowered his sightline, tilting his head with it until he was staring at the ground just in front of his feet.

Why did he decide to play…? That… That was a question Ryker was tormented with on a nightly basis. He knew damn well why he had been essentially forced to play the game, and the reasons made his chest contract. There was a squeezing feeling on his heart which caused his lungs to almost freeze up. The hairs on his neck stood up and Ryker found himself wanting to curl up into a ball. He would have too if it wasn’t for the fact that he wasn’t alone or anywhere safe. To Ryker, Elder Tale was more than just a virtual reality… It was more than a place to have fun, to play, or to adventure… To him it was his therapy. Just before he entered Elder Tale, he was nothing but a man who fished his heart out. He had no reason to do anything else… Now he was given an opportunity… Yes, that was it…

“I actually didn’t even know about this game until the day I started to play it.” Ryker nipped at his apple, barely getting any of the half-eaten fruit. He missed.
“My cousin kind of made me play it against my will, but she had her reasons. I’m happy she did.” A light chuckle escaped Ryker’s throat, but it lasted only a few seconds as he stuffed another chunk of the apple into his mouth.

Mab - Level 1- Druid

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

Waiting for Ryker to answer her question she kept her gaze and attention firmly on the healer. Her curiosity was curbed when his honest answer took her aback somewhat. Forcing herself to think about his answer she reflected on it somewhat.

“He was forced to play by his cousin” the girl thought. "Why would anyone be forced to play a game?" The girl did not really understand. “But he is happy that she did?” Mab tilted her head slightly sideways considering his answer. “Did this mean that he was unhappy about something before? Did something happen? Your cousin, she plays too?” The questions she wanted to ask stayed in her mind, as thoughts only. Something that never happened to Mab before, she did not ask what came up in her mind. Mab felt that she should not be wanting to pry to deeply into matters that did not concern her. Mab decided not to ask much more about this particular subject, because she felt she would be intruding too much, especially because she just met Ryker.

Any observant person one could read her face easily, the curiosity that remained on her face, the thoughts she had were ill concealed. Mab would probably make a very lousy poker player. Concealing herself or her thoughts was something that never really crossed the girls mind.

If Ryker wanted to share what happened to him in the past. Well that would be alright. But Mab would not go asking for answers at this time Not sure why she decided this, the girl felt somewhat confused. Normally she would just blunder right through, rather insensitive. This time however, she really did not want to alienate the boy. Mab really wanted to make some friends and since she just met Ryker she felt it was better to get to know him at an slow pace. She had already learned quite a bit from the boy.

Her next question would probably come out of the blue. The girl did find weird to ask at this time. But she felt she needed to ask and well it just did not seem as if an opportunity came up before. As she thought about it the question might as well be asked now.

“Hey can I add you to my friend list?”

Mab asked instead, deciding to change the subject. Quietly awaiting Rykers answer she nibbled on her apple. The apple was sweet and very tasty. She allowed herself to fully enjoy the savoury sweetness of the apple. Her heart beat a little faster not sure what she would say next if Ryker responded negative. Her face turned slightly red when she asked. She felt nervous all off a sudden and decided to give all her attention to the half eaten apple instead. She took a bite and decided she had enough to eat but hiding her nerves she kept on nibbling the apple until a response came. Not sure what attitude to give herself she almost chocked on a larger piece of the apple.

Mab broke out in a coughing fit. Turning herself away from Ryker as she did not want him to witness this display of idiocy she spat out the treacherous piece of apple that had betrayed her so. Hacking and wheezing for a little while she fumbled through her backpack to find a bottle of water. After taking a sip she felt a little better and the hacking and wheezing stopped. Due to the lack of air for the time she was coughing her face had turned a lovely colour red. Hiding her embarrassment she crouched down and hid her face by allowing her hair to fall over it. and threw her apple away. She watched it sail into the shrubbery.

“Sorry about that.”

Mab said in a very small voice. Partially because her throat still hurt, but also because she could not speak up much because she felt foolish. If Ryker had answered her during her coughing fit Mab had not heard it. So while she did not change her position she quietly asked again. Thinking about it was stupid of her. Either Ryker would say alright, or he would not.... No reason to get so worked up about it. Mab chided herself sternly. Slowly the girl rose to her feet and turned around. She took a few deep breaths to show that she was alright and no harm was done.

“So can I......  add you to my friend list?”

The girl asked referring to her earlier question.
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Post count 753

Ryker

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

The silence was weird. Very weird, and Ryker felt extremely uncomfortable as he nibbled at the nearly completed apple in his hand. His lips were getting a little sticky because of its juices and it made him even more wary of the situation; Mab, whom he had suspected to be a talkative airhead, had become quiet enough that Ryker was beginning to realize other things aside from her questions and talking. He could still hear her footsteps beside him so he knew she hadn’t run off, been kidnapped, and she had not fallen over dead. That was all he knew though, but when he finally looked over his shoulder up at her he learned why. Her face was not sparkling anymore, she wasn’t throwing up rainbows, and she seemed oddly worried. At the same time, it looked as if her mouth might pop open at any moment. There were words there, but no sounds willing to carry them. Strange…

“I think of it this way; she cared enough to stick me in here. If it wasn’t for her dragging me to England, I probably would be sitting on a pier back at my house fishing… Kind of miss that though.” The fact that he missed fishing was something he was on the verge of dying from. It was the one thing he truly regretted about jumping into the game, Elder Tale; he didn’t have a damned fishing rod! He had the materials and still hadn’t made the stupid thing. Talk about lazy.

Don’t you even dare… Too late, you lazy fox.
You’re not a nice person. Who said I was?

A bothered sigh escaped Ryker’s throat and he slouched forward slightly as he heaved the air out of his lungs. He paused in his tracks for a moment, letting his body refill itself as he sucked in a deep breath of the fresh air around him. Soon, he would have a fishing rod. Soon he would be back beside his true element; the water. For now, he just had to keep on truckin’ and give the land some lovin’. He was no landlubber, but he wasn’t a fish even though he wished he was. It wouldn’t be long though. Ryker was getting tired of the world around him fast and he was starting to get more ancy to fish. There was blood in the water, and he was about to take the bait. The man would just have to give his mind a little more time, then he would be all over Londinium in a little boat with no ties to the land except to trade and to eat. Yet, he would rather eat fish raw than eat the tasteless crap he had to feed off now. The stuff he had been eating so far were all pathetic excuses for food. Yuck.

“Huh?” In the middle of his thought, Mab had perked up once again and asked a question. Ryker only caught the tail end of it and completely missed every sense of what she had said. However before he could ask her to repeat herself, all of a sudden she began to choke. Sadly enough, Ryker’s first reaction was to stand and stare rather than act to help her. The woman was choking on an apple, right in front of him, in the middle of a conversation of sorts if it could be called one, and he was looking at her as if she was an actor in a movie. Even as the woman turned away, Ryker continued to stare at her, leaning slightly to his right as he watched.

“Uh… you okay?” The Cleric didn’t exactly know what to do in the situation. He didn’t know CPR or whatever it was called and his healing spell was for wounds, not eating hazards. What a useless healer, Ryker was. He was no doctor though so he didn’t have the answer to everything. Cleric just gave him an excuse to play as one, sort of, even though he was obviously doing a bad job at it seeing as someone was practically dying right in front of him because of an apple. The true monsters always seemed to be the unexpected ones…

Thankfully, Ryker didn’t have to do anything. After almost dying in front of him for a bit, the female Adventurer finally found a water bottle and drank some of it down, freeing her windpipe. She crouched down, possibly to get some air while not risking falling over, and threw her apple away. The dispatchal of the apple made Ryker whine lightly; he could’ve finished that… Man, Ryker was falling short this time around, how depressing.

A few moments later, the woman popped up to her feet, spun around, and faced him. Ryker was caught a little off guard by the sudden burst of energy and stared up at the other player. He examined her face, her neck, and her chest for any signs of issues and then looked back up at her face. She was okay and would survive. The damage the apple had done was gone and there was nothing protruding from her neck that was apple-shaped in nature. With that in mind, Ryker could focus on her question, which she most likely was repeating because of him not paying attention and that was becoming normal it seemed. However, he was surprised to be asked to be added to someone’s friend’s list. The only other person was Carebear, and she didn’t exactly ask…

“Uh… Sure?” Ryker was still a little confused at the question but he had no reason to deny the woman in front of him. She was a strange soul, but he was no better. The man was practically a fish without gils.

“I’m sorry but I have no idea how to handle such things so you’ll have to do it.” A nervous laugh came out of Ryker’s mouth after he finished speaking and he began to paw at the air, attempting to open the menu. That wasn’t going well.

: Equipment :
Apple

: Skills :
N/A

: Words:
1004

: Tags :
Mab

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

The smile that broke free on Mab’s face was stunning. A sincere smile of happiness and pure enjoyment broke through. She had someone she could add to her otherwise empty friend list. The trouble came when she was told that Ryker had no clue how to do this. The truth was neither did Mab. She had issues even opening the menu. This did not deter her, Mab loved a challenge. Mab felt responsible and wanted to solve the issue, she was determined to clear this hurdle. This because she was the one who asked to be friends in the first place. Heavily concentrating Mab focussed on the task at hand. Mab was fumbling about for a few minutes before she managed to open the menu screen.

“Found it!”

Mab exclaimed sounding proud of her finding. After that it became easier. All she really had to do was find Ryker’s name on the players list and add it to her friend list. With an easy swipe this was completed. All Ryker had to do now was press the “OK” button and the issue would be solved.

“Yay!”

Mab called out. Happy that she not only managed to make a friend but also that she completed a challenge. Mab felt sure she would be able to open the menu screen a lot easier next time she had to use it. With this task complete and off her mind Mab went back to something the boy had mentioned earlier.

“So you like fishing.... then.... let's go fishing!”

The girl decided. Mab felt sure that this was a possibility. They might need to gather the parts first but that seemed like something fun to do. “What would be needed for fishing?” The girl wondered aloud? “Aaah a fishing rod!” Was Mabs obvious conclusion. “What would be needed to create a fishing rod? A stick, a fishing line and a fish hook?” She mused while looking at Ryker. Mab nodded her head in determination. “Yush! Time to find some stuff!” She sounded all exited again. Not realizing that Ryker already had the parts he needed to create a fishing rod. But even if she did, she would not care because in that case Mab could also have a fishing rod. Looking around for a stick that could serve as a suitable rod she noticed that this area did not have the required sticks she needed.

“Maybe there are some at the market?”

Mab muttered, realising she forgot to even ask if the boy was up for fishing.

“Want to go and take a look?”

She asked Ryker. Mab had never been fishing before in her life and she was curious what it would be like. It could be fun she figured. Never did it cross her mind that it could be boring and that she would have to sit still and not speak at all. If she had thought about this her enthusiasm would probably cool down quite severely. This because sitting still and being quiet where not qualities she possessed in abundance. Not to say that she couldn’t but it was a rather large challenge for this girl. Still her curiosity was awoken and now she had to try this at least once.

-----------------------------------------

Word count: 525

Tags: Ryker

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

It took at least ten to twelve paws at the air before Ryker finally was able to get his menu open, but he was in no rush. Mab seemed to be on the hunt herself for the Friend button so Ryker took his time as he tapped through the screens in front of him. He had not actually looked at the things before. He more or less just tapped away and hoped he got lucky. With some time to spare, as Mab looked to be fumbling around, Ryker wiggled his nose and searched the array of pretty buttons and glowing screens. After a handful of little presses, he had found the map, the player list, his inventory (twice), an overview of his own character and statistics of it, the skill list as well as which skills he had available and which ones he would soon unlock, and he also found the friend list where only one name was nestled in, making it not empty. Ryker chuckled hesitantly at the sight and then began to close his menu, pausing only to accept the friend request he had been sent for a moment. With that done, he finished closing everything up and took another bite from his apple.

With that done, maybe it was time to go back to the town? Well, that’s what Ryker planned to do, but Mab had other plans. It seemed that she was more of the action-oriented type as after only mentioning Fishing a time or two, she was ready to go into it head first. She actually suggested going fishing, which made Ryker swallow the massive chunk of apple. Ryker’s eyes inflated like balloon and he stared at the woman in front of him; it snagged in his throat. However, unlike Mab, Ryker turned his head, coughed extremely hard, and spit the chunk out to the ground where it disappeared into a bush.

“Whoa there.” Ryker said aloud as the woman began to talk a mile a minute about what they were going to need. He was a slower person, both physically and mentally so it took time for him to process things. Yet this girl was going sixty miles per hour in a thirty zone. That was no surprise to Ryker though, but he did stand up straight and freeze while he listened to her. What do they need for a rod? A stick, a line, and a hook were the basics, all of which she had stated. At least she knew those.

However they also need a line brace to ensure the line stuck to the rod. That didn’t bother Ryker, but getting it did. All of that would be a pain to get and Ryker wasn’t exactly rich. He had the stick, but no line, hook, or any kind of line-hooks. He also didn’t have any blacksmith or tailor friends who could make such things. Though, going to the market as Mab very quickly suggested would probably be smart. It also meant spending money, which would most likely burn a hole in Ryker’s pocket. He had seen the stuff players and people of the land were selling and had also seen the prices. It would not be easy getting what they needed, and that made Ryker uneasy. Great, he had to be a businessman again. Why couldn’t things be easy?

“Might as well. I have seen the materials during my wanderings so I know where to go for some decent quality.” The only problem was that he was still poor.

“I have the rods already, but we need the lines, hooks, and line-braces.” The tone in the Cleric’s voice quickly changed from happy-go-lucky to something a little more focused. He tossed the nearly completely eaten apple away and tucked his hands into his robe. The man pulled the cloth tight around himself and started to make his way back towards the city. His eyes were stuck forward as he rumbled a little.

“Don’t be surprised if we can’t get everything we need though. Merchants aren’t always the kindest bunch and I don’t exactly have a pouch full of gold.” Yet, that wouldn’t stop him from getting what he needed. Ryker knew how to… persuade… some people into getting what he needed. He didn’t like doing it but sometimes, like now, it was necessary. It would still be a serious pain in his backside though. That wouldn’t change no matter how good he was.

: Equipment :
N/A

: Skills :
N/A

: Words:
740

: Tags :
Mab

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

Whether or not Mab and Ryker ended up fishing was not really that important, having something to do however was. As the cleric was not opposed to the plan Mab was happy to try and execute the idea. Ryker had some idea’s where to buy the equipment needed so that already took care of one problem. The other was funding, but until the druid knew what the actual prices were she had no clue if she could afford them. The girl had some money in the bank so if needed she would use that money. It was not like the girl was saving money to buy a house or something like that. Mab figured what use was money if you did not spend it. True she preferred to spend her money on clothes, accessories and the like. That did not matter she could always try and obtain more money it wasn’t that hard at all. Just defeat a few monsters and money came rolling in. As far as the girl was concerned as long as she could buy her daily foodstuffs and find a place to sleep all was right with the world.

“Lead the way.”

Mab said to Ryker as he knew the places where to by the items needed to create a fishing rod. Maybe it was impossible to get enough equipment for two fishing rods, but if they could get one working that should be just fine too, right? It was not as if Mab really wanted to go fishing that often, and it seemed an important hobby to Ryker. So if it turned out they could only buy materials for one working fishing rod Mab would felt like they accomplished an important mission.

“Don’t worry about the money....  I will pay my fair share.”

The girl admitted happily. It was not as if she was expecting Ryker to pay for her way too. Not at all even. Mab had not even considered it for a second. She wasn’t some pretty girl who expected guys to open doors, pay for tabs and such nonsense. Mab would surely make it on her own way. That was one thing she had learned from her mother. A normal kid would probably feel pangs of homesickness when thinking about their parents, however Mab only briefly met her parents during holidays. The rest of the year she was studying in a boarding school. It was not as if she really felt that much of a difference. Though the thought that she might never meet them again did frighten her a little. Mab knew that there was little she could do right now. The situation would not change by moping around about it. That is why instead she perked up and decided to stay positive.

“What store are we headed to?”

The druid asked, yes she was curious, and she wanted to know because if it was one of the more high end stores she would definitely need to swing by the bank first to withdraw some of her hard earned income.

------------------------------------------------------

Post count: 509

Tags: Ryker 

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

Something which Ryker had both patiently and impatiently avoided doing up until now was suddenly staring him in the face, and he didn’t just know it; he felt it. It was as if he was just beginning again and going through the same trial his father had put him through as a child. That time he was immature, innocent, and couldn’t talk himself out of a cardboard box. Merchants took him for a fool and they would have made off with everything he had if it wasn’t for his father taking over after Ryker’s mistakes. That first fishing rod Ryker had handmade would have been far more expensive than anything he had ever received afterwards if it wasn’t for his father and it was pitiful. Due to the master fisherman’s presence though, it hardly cost anything at all. However, this time Ryker did not have the benefit of such a powerful man placing a hand on his shoulder. This time, Ryker was back in his child’s shoes. The only difference was that this time Ryker had the knowledge of what he needed as well as how much it would ultimately cost. Without that, he might as well have kept wandering the forest for scrap.

That would not be an option with Mab waltzing beside him though. Looking for the proper materials was already taking a ton of time and he didn’t plan on wasting any more if he didn’t need to. So he closed his eyes, placed his hands on the back of his neck to cradle his head, and let his mind go to work. The first stop would not be anything that they needed. Instead, Ryker needed a few things he could use to exchange for. For many it would seem foolish and it hardly worked during modern times because of how powerful money was. However, in less developed areas the way of trading was still going strong. Ryker called it “Merchanting”, but it was more along the lines of skewed bartering.

“If all goes well…” As he thought of where the store he needed was, Ryker didn’t plan to leave Mab in the dark so he addressed her quickly about what he did not want; her to spend money. Money was a thing, a necessary thing for living and survival. If he could keep them from spending a lot of it, that would be the best way to go about the collections.
“…I will only have to spend about fifty gold.” A smirk crossed his face and Ryker chuckled softly to himself. Fifty was a stretch, as the materials would cost well over three hundred gold, five hundred if he wanted extremely good quality equipment. Yet he also had to factor in that he would be getting stuff for two rods; one for himself, and one for Mab. A fishing rod had its uses and there were fish in nearly every body of water. The ability to catch them meant the ability to survive, and that was invaluable.

“Store?” At the question the curious Blonde asked, Ryker shook his head and dropped his hands. He opened his eyes again and walked through the massive gates of Londinium, entering the safe haven once more. A few players were mingling about the area, some glancing over at the pairing in remembrance. Ryker paid them no mind. His eyes were on something else; a wooden sign which dangled over a door with people standing around it.

“We aren’t going to a store. We’re going to a bakery.” The Cleric flicked a finger towards the building and towards the sign. It read “Papa Vernin’s Bakery”. After a few moments of directing, Ryker began to make his way towards the building. If all went well, he would have plenty of materials for fishing after today and maybe then he could finally go out to the nearby rivers and lakes which he hoped were still around. If this world was anything like the real world, there was plenty of places to fish nearby on the rock known as the British Mainland.

: Equipment :
N/A

: Skills :
N/A

: Words:
678

: Tags :
Mab

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M

[Mab]

Mab followed the cleric to their respective destinations. Having no clue what the shrewd Ryker was planning she decided to trust him and let him perform his magic. Mab had no clue as to why they were headed to the bakery. Maybe for bait? Maybe for some other less obvious reason. The girl could honestly not say for sure. But instead of just asking for clarification the girls curiosity was more devious. Mab honestly wanted to be surprised by Rykers antics. As a happy person she just wanted to watch the show.

So Mab stayed silent. She did not utter a word, fearing that if she did open her mouth, a barrage of questions followed. Not wanting to spoil her own fun she kept very quiet indeed. She smiled happily and looked around her to see what streets they where navigating. It could be great if she could find her way back here one day. It surely was one of the more lively neighbourhoods. This district was not a district Mab had frequented often. She did feel a little out of place somehow, but could not really tell why that was. The chances where it had something to do with her very colourful outfit, that stood out like a rainbow on a cloudless day. Unwittingly she drew stares from the more conservatively dressed townsfolk, especially the landers. They had rarely seen such a barrage of colors on a single person.

Allowing her mind to wander she thought about how it would be like to actually start fishing. An activity the druid had never done before. What do you do with the fish after it was caught? What if instead of catching a fish she caught a boot, or worse a monster? Mab smiled at her own worries, they seemed very insignificant. The girl was happy about that as there was so much more to be scared about. This strange and complicated world was just so new to her. Forcefully the girl changed her thoughts back to the original topic. In order for Mab to keep her good mood, she needed to forget her worries for a day. The fishing trip, and the preparations needed seemed an effective distraction.

Without even noticing the time passing the girl found herself standing in front of a bakery. “Isn’t a bakery a store too?” Mab asked Ryker sounding somewhat confused, while she followed him inside the bread store. Not sure what to expect from this building she waited with further remarks until she had seen the interior. No use in jumping to conclusions. If it really was a bakery they would sell bread. If it wasn’t.... well Mab would then like to know why it was called a bakery, and what kind of stuff they did make? Mab closed her eyes for a second allowing her other senses to tell a tale for her. Using her nose to smell, her ears for different noises that could be heard. Mab felt a great deal of anticipation when she entered the shop, right behind Ryker.

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Word count: 509

Ryker 

[Ryker]

Ryker - Level 1 - Cleric

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

Upon reaching the bakery, Ryker had formed a sort of basic plan of attack in his mind, a very basic plan. It was a petty one but it didn’t have to be anything more really because the outcome wasn’t an extreme thing. His goal was probably quite obvious too seeing as he and Mab were going to be getting other stuff. If it wasn’t, as I also have an issue figuring some obvious things out, then this is what Ryker was planning; acquire pastries. The bakery in front of him had dozens of various kinds of pastries and desserts inside and Ryker had visited it multiple times. So many times that the woman who owned the store knew him by his hair and the drooling smile he usually had when navigating the windows and shelves inside. That could work to his advantage now; familiarity helped with comfortability.

“I guess it is?” Ryker said in response to Mab’s question. The Bakery was a store for pastries so yea, she was right. Ryker had always seen it just as a bakery and not really a shop, even though it was. It was probably one of those strange perspective things he never really understood or really cared to.

“Come on.” Walking ahead, Ryker made his way up to the door and twisted the knob to open it. The instant the door cracked, a smile shot across his face and his wary expression turned into ecstasy. He loved this place.

The first thing one would notice upon opening the door would not be the interior, but the air. It was light, inviting, and filled with hundreds of mixed scents that lifted off the dozens of sweets and desserts in the bakery. There was a very gentle, home-like warmth to the air which made even the angry feel a little happier, safer, and patient. It was as if a player was returning home after a long day and was immediately given a hug by their loved one. Beyond the initial blast of hugs and love from the air was the actual bakery. Immediately to the left of the entrance, a long windowed counter stretched from one side of the building to the other. Inside the glass were three rows of various cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pies, cheesecakes, and jellos. Behind that on the shelved walls were various glass bottles filled with a huge assortment of candies. To the right and in the middle of the bakery were three rows of heated, glass cases. The insides were filled to the brim with the wide assortment of home cooked delicious desserts. And the best part? No two pastries were the same. Each little one had its own flare, its own color, its own look, and its own taste. Handmade with pure love, every object was carefully created by the single occupant of the building; a young looking woman in a bright spring dress with a pink apron.

“Welcome to my bakery!” A lovely bell on the door chimed upon the door’s motion, alerting the woman of the presence of the two new building occupants. She perked up from what she was doing and looked over the glass case she was reaching into to look towards Ryker and Mab. She had to speak loudly, as she was across the store and leaning into the furthest case, but she didn’t raise her voice too much. It carried very easily in the quiet room.

“Oh, Ryker! Good to see you again. Are you here to buy something or just drool on my glass again?” The instant stab at his poorness made Ryker cringe, and his happy smile turned a little crooked.

“It’s good to see you too, Ezri.” The Cleric walked inside to clear the door for Mab and made his way over to the second row of pastries. This one was filled with more chocolate types of desserts, and it was a little cooler than the others.

“Finally got the cases to be heated properly?” A gentle touch on the glass made the warmth inside more prominent, and it was quite a feat to say the least. Especially since what was making the cases warm was such a simple way of doing it.

“Yup! The men working to help me finished it all up this morning just in time for me to put everything away. I thought my bread was going to go bad.” Ezri giggled to herself and set the pie she was holding into the case before her before sliding the glass door closed. She brushed her hands off on her apron and made her way over to the white-haired Cleric, but she kept her distance. Ryker paid her no mind and began to pace the aisles, searching for something… perfect.

“I still think you should keep it all cold, but that’s just me.” Ryker was a fisherman, so he believed that things kept cool would preserve them more. However, Ezri just smiled and made her way to the counter.

“And that is another reason you are not a baker.” Stab. Ryker’s left eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Damn woman.

“You got a new friend I see. I thought you were more of the wandering type?” Ezri picked a few candies out of the containers in the back behind the counter as she spoke. Once she had a few, she carried them over to Mab and offered them to her.
“Here you are, deary.”

“Met her this morning. She was being chased by some angry Elf. Thought she was going to be killed so I ran after her.” Ryker paused as he came across a well-made chocolate cake. It had a mix of caramel and fudge icing on the top from the look of it.

“Oh? Ryker the pacifist chasing down an enraged Elf? What were you going to do, heal him to death?” Ezri shot Ryker a sharp smile, but the Cleric was to engrossed in the cake before him to see it.

“I think your humor is why you don’t get many customers. Maybe it gets in your food to—“ Ryker stopped as a sudden ice-cold breeze trickled down his back. He felt something more frightening than the Devil himself looking at him.

“…Nevermind.” Ryker shivered and looked away from the cake to Mab.

“Mab, see anything you like?” The air around Ryker had become chilly. He hoped he wasn’t just cursed.

: Equipment :
N/A

: Skills :
N/A

: Words:
1066

: Tags :
Mab

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M