Up and down, round and round [Open]

[Deleted]

half-alv, sorcerer.

❛NO!❜ Wide-eyed, heavy breathing and cold sweat trickling down her spine, Vrayne woke up in the cathedral with a start, her last memory before wounding up there being her surrounded with level three Boars, ready to attack her, a measly level one Sorcerer with the number of her health points slowly draining away until everything faded into black. And she’s left screaming only to find out that she had been revived in the cathedral. It was rather empty, much to her surprise, eyes scanning the vicinity as she quietly pulled her hood up once she had wiped most of her sweat away, taking deep breaths in and out to calm herself down.

She could still feel the way her heart pounded heavily and quickly against her chest, could hear it in her ears and whatever was left of the adrenaline rush that came in hopes of helping her survive – to no success, obviously, as she was back in Londinium District with her health barely there and still regenerating – running through her veins.

Death had never been a sweet experience even for the green-haired, even when it is a given that you would revive not long after. The sight of an aggressive monster, a sword or whatever coming to her in a sure death still brought fear and Vrayne just couldn't ever bring herself to get used to it no matter how many times she’s died trying to level alone. And perhaps she was just too weak or didn't know how to utilize her skills well enough, but one can't possibly blame her right? Vrayne—or rather, Reim, only played first-person shooters her whole life and much to her "delight" the moment she gave a MMORPG a try... well, this happened.

The world transforming into the game itself, or her being sucked inside along with many other players.

Whichever theory was correct, she was now reborn as Vrayne, the character she made that one night after giving in to her friend’s endless urging. At first she thought it was but a dream and really, who wouldn’t? To suddenly live as though you were a game character… It sounded ridiculous. Preposterous. But this was her reality now, and being a complete newbie to MMORPGs, it wasn't a surprise anymore that she died a lot.

She needed to find people she could level with soon. Or someone who could teach her how to be better as a solo sorcerer. Maybe even a party or a guild or anything, knowing sure and well enough that she won't be able to survive battles for a long time if she continued like this.

Still, the green-haired took slow, heavy steps to the large doors of the cathedral with a sigh bitterly leaving from her lips, disappointed that she already got her second death of the day when she only woke up from her sleep four or five hours ago, preparing herself to visit the fields once again the moment her health is completely full. Perhaps Vrayne was being too much of a fool for heading head straight to enemies again and again when she can’t even defeat most of them, but she had successfully defeated level one monsters and winning felt great! Not to mention her main skill, Serpent Bolt, proved to be useful once in a while. 

Once in a while.

❛Terrible,❜ Vrayne thought to herself, pushing the cathedral doors open with her left hand while her right is left buried into the pockets of her hoodie, ❛I need to do better at this game. If only it had a gunner class, this would have been easier! Or perhaps I should try using a bow, though I doubt a sorcerer wielding bows and arrows is considered normal… Argh, this game is nothing but bad news to me.❜

tagged: x || word count: 631 || A/N: Vrayne the noob.

xxx

[Hadrian]

This was all like a dream come true and a terrible nightmare that no one could escape from. Before the British server and expansion Elder Tales had been a part of his life for years. Friends who had journeyed through perilous dungeons were most likely stuck on the American server. It was never part of the dream to be trapped in Elder Tales alone. Those true few who understood him more than anyone in reality were now gone forever. No logical explanation could be given as to why his consciousness was now virtual. Only a few hours in none of the questions Alex had would be answered through simple contemplation.

That wish recited multiple times from players around the world, if only the game was real, had finally come true. It was far from what at least he desired. The freedom to enter and exit at will removed the shackles of despair which now kept in the souls of so many. He walked through the streets of Londinium aimlessly not really sure how to proceed. Part of Alex couldn’t help but be in awe of what it felt like to be in the game. To feel the slight breeze run through his fingers. Every footstep heavy with the weight of equipment never before carried. Even the one attempt at combat felt even more dangerous than any fight he had been through in reality.

It was a bad habit of his to get lost in thought while at motion. So much so Alex often ignored surroundings that others would have realized. Much like the door of Westminster Abbey that gave his right shoulder a good thwack. Ah pain… something he really would have been happy not to experience in the game. Especially since it had become known, all be it through second hand accounts, that death simply resulted in being revived in the cathedral.

Once the rapid shock of a door being shoved into his shoulder wore off the green haird half-alv came into view. “Did she just…” he wondered silently rather curious more than annoyed. Based on the look she carried out of the cathedral Alex turned slightly and smiled at the stranger “You ok?” he asked politely in a tone of voice that seemed genuinely concerned. A gift of his, natural charisma that consistently hid any true feelings. “First time reviving?”

Unlike most sorcerer’s Alex had experimented rather foolishly with his character. The wolf-hair stood before the hald-alv a rough 6’0” tall, black scruffy hair, clad in a grey short sleeved jacket, purple over shirt that hide beneath a chain mail shirt, black pants, and a claymore larger than some players. “The name’s Marcellus Hadrianus, but feel free to call me Marc or Hadrian.”

• WC: 455
  

[Deleted]

half-alv, sorcerer.

The timing was a tad bit too coincidental, or so the female sorcerer thought, for just as when she thought about how unlikely it is for a magic-based character to use bows and arrows, one appears before her, though he held instead a claymore rather than a bow but it was still nothing of the sort a sorcerer would normally use. And without even the need of having a closer inspection of the male, Vrayne could already guess that his… Everything was all over the place. His armour, his weapon, his race… Vrayne was a newbie of roleplaying games, yes, but she had at least made sure to have all of her character’s appearance and traits lined up upon creating her character. This man, on the other hand, seemed like he had his eyes closed as he created his.

❝Third or fourth, actually, so I’m somewhat fine.❞ As if anyone would actually be fine of being killed in the field. Her eyes continued to roam from the male’s head to his toes in utter disbelief, still a tad bit surprised of the character though she hid it with a purse of her lips into a thin line. Being one who doesn’t exactly interact much with other characters, Vrayne wasn’t quite fond of speaking to strangers. She wouldn’t suddenly hate them for approaching her and striking a conversation, of course, but she would make sure to keep her answers short, as though a silent hint for them to leave her alone.

The stranger was no different. He has charisma in him, yes, but so would have the green-haired if only she would try. She was a courtesan, a subclass that oozes of nothing but charisma yet here she was hiding it all under her purple hoodie with a red jacket underneath to boot – not to mention an ultimately unattractive cargo pants and with her hands shoved within the pockets of her hoodie, there was barely any skin for anyone to see aside from her face and her left leg.

Still, with their level of charisma quite in par, the male’s smiles and tone of voice were easily brushed off by the scribe, eyes slightly squinting instead, as though suspicious, as she held her right hand out to the male. ❝Vrayne. Spelled with a V, a Y, and a letter E at the end even though it is pronounced as Rain. A pleasure to meet you, fellow sorcerer.❞ Marc. Vrayne thought to herself. She’ll call him Marc, as it was two syllables shorter than Hadrian. ❝I see we’re of the same level, though I have to say… Your character’s quite… Peculiar.❞

tagged: Hadrian || word count: 439 || notes: thanks for replying!

xxx

[Hadrian]

It was easy to notice that her eyes had looked him over more than once. The intent behind the looks easily found by simply looking at her eyes. Those eyes had the look of someone that was thrown off by his appearance rather than the look of infatuation. Easily recognized due to all the adventurers he had come across that had given him the same look. The green haired woman however was exactly the race many would expect when a sorcerer was created. If only somewhat covered up for a courtesan.

“Third or fourth? That’s unfortunate.” She had been the first person he met that had actually died. To have died that many times was all the more of interest to him. “Mind if I ask… what it felt like? Did you at least drop any good items at the bank first?” What was difficult to know was the level of experience any adventurer had in Elder Tales. With the start of the British server everyone had to start over again. It was easy when he had been level 90 on the American server and he saw someone who struggled with low level quests. Now it was impossible to tell without either asking or adventuring.

In game menu’s still worked just like they used to but doing so took time to get used to. Before the image displayed on a screen a few inches from your face. Now it was right there, as if a separate reality all unto itself. This was the simplest way to see an adventures basic information like class, race, and subclasses. Which wasn’t normally a bad thing when this was just a game. But was it rude to gleam this information without the permission of the person before you? The fact was Alex had no clue so at least always tried to remember to introduce himself.

“Nice to meet a fellow sorcerer. Even better someone who hasn’t completely flipped a lid about being trapped.” To date… all few hours… everyone Alex had met failed to keep it together. Granted I’m stuck in a video game was easily something the human condition had yet to experience. Really if they had a subclass for medical insurer the head shrinks would make a killing. “Funny story Vrayne” he smirked as his left hand scratched the back of his scruffy hair “I thought I’d try out something different. If it didn’t work out then at least I could log back to the character creation screen and start again. Guess the joke was on me. Elder Tales one, me zip.”

The basics of social interaction and obtaining someone’s trust was to tell as much of the truth at any point in time as possible. So there was little reason to hold back on something so unimportant. “Can’t always go by what the book says. If I just followed player manuals back on my old server I would have never maxed out my classes.” His smile was always one to turn heads and drops peoples defenses. Even more dangerous had been the genetic abnormality, central heterochromia, which caused his eyes to be two different colors.

Something he replicated in character creation, with orange as the central ring color and Blue as the out color. Causally his eyes glazed over Vrayne’s appearance one more time before he offered a playful tease. “I’d have to say you’re the first courtesan I’ve seen be so… modest.” Alex had a feeling that the half-alv understood what true seduction meant, not the blatant push of appeal, but to create a mystery behind it. On the other hand she could just like to wear a hoodie and baggy clothes. Sometimes it was best not to over think things.

• Tag @vrayne
• 620
• Go team sorcerer!

[Deleted]

half-alv sorcerer.

❝Ah, well, it was my own choice to run deep within the fields until the levels are far too high for me to par up with anymore, so it isn’t really that unfortunate and plus – I was able to learn a lot of things during my deaths. And no worries, I don't have anything valuable with me, though the huge amount of gold I won by chance is in the bank.❞ Taking a few steps forward, Vrayne didn’t bother taking a glance behind her to see if the male followed, seeing as the conversation was still on-going. Anyway, she was tired and she needed a few minute’s break if not an hour or two, so she supposed talking with him wouldn’t be a bad idea. Besides, she needed more acquaintances within the game, and he was a fellow sorcerer though with odd equipment and class.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, she sat down on the steps in front of the cathedral. ❝Death… Well, you don’t exactly feel much pain, but there’s still fear that comes to you when you know that the next attack will be your last. Like unconsciously, you start thinking “I want to live” even though you won’t really die from the attack. It’s silly, but the tiny sense of reality that overcomes you at that moment is, at the same time, comforting.❞ Comforting simply because she knew she would wake up inside the cathedral afterward. And because after each death, she begins to appreciate living more and more. It could just be her though, so she keeps the words to herself.

She couldn’t help but hum at Marc’s story as to how he wounded up with such an appearance, a small smile hidden beneath the zipped-up collar of her red jacket. How silly, she thought. For luck to hate him so much to the point where he wounded up being trapped within the game just as when he created such a random character. ❝I’m sure you can put your uniqueness into use in one way or another. It isn’t the class or equipment that you wear and use that defines how great you are, after all, but rather, your skill.❞ She shouldn’t be one to talk, however, the green-haired still having so many other things to learn about the game.

And then a chuckle thrummed against her throat, her head turning down as though to give herself a look right after the male’s comment. ❝Modest, you say?❞ Was she really being modest? Sure, she hid as much skin as she could with her clothes, but by doing so, she had also upped her price by making a few people curious about her. She was a courtesan, yes, but unlike most courtesans who showed themselves to everyone, she was like a sore thumb, sticking out oozing with mystery and thanks to that, she ends up successfully attracting people more easily. Not to mention, ❝Don’t you think it would make more sense like this? I don’t show my skin to any people so easily, but perhaps with a price, one could see the skin underneath all the layers of this clothes. “Curiosity kills the cat”, and it’s also curiosity that increases your value.❞

t: Hadrian   || wc: 511 || n: potential buddy found!

xxx

[Hadrian]

To be so humble after so many deaths was a unique trait. She didn’t blame anyone else but herself for the shortcomings that lead to death. It was a rare trait to see in any game, let alone one where they were trapped. Even the courage to head so deep into the forest to fight high level mobs was something to be respected. “This one is impressive” he thought as Alex continued to listen to Vrayne’s story. To confuse what Vrayne spoke of as foolishness was in itself a mistake. From what he could gauge so far her actions had calculation behind them. Not the imprudent bravado that led to death after death when impatience abounded. So it seemed that Vrayne had some experience with the games mechanics, as he continued to listen rather curious about how death change perspective now that they were in the game.

Alex took a seat on one of the steps just below and to the left of Vrayne. His claymore was tilted to the side so that it ran parallel with the step. Not to deal with pain from death was a relief but the rest of what she said seemed almost natural. Part of him couldn’t help but wonder if the developers had programmed things that way. If the thought of not wanting to die and comfort of knowing that the thought meant you were still human was actually theirs. Or was it the way they were programmed to think. A rather impossible question to answer and one that seemed to matter less since Vrayne’s sincerity convinced him it was the former. With or without proof it was better to think that way. “Sounds like we are still human then” his tone still relaxed and friendly, elbows caressed the step behind his back as Alex leaned against the steps.

Vrayne seemed to pick up on his thought process when Marcellus Hadrianus was created in the first place. Of course now such experimentation seemed silly. His magic might never be as strong as other magic based races. His melee combat may be on par but without class melee skills even that was in question. From a sheer paper point of view it would take a good deal of work to be anything more than a neutral character. Even then some luck was still on his side. Elder Tale was no longer just about gear, race, and class. A person’s skill could be a greater equalizer than any legendary item from a dungeon drop in the game. “What server did you play on before the British one?” he asked rather curious as to whether Vrayne had previous experience the way she made it sound like she did.

“I wonder” he casually responded not really in the position to say whether Vrayne was right or wrong. There was logical to be had on both sides of the spectrum. Though Alex certainly did prefer the thought process that Vrayne had just explained. “Suppose it just depends on the player. What they hope to accomplish or strive for. Of course you are the first courtesan I’ve meet face to face.” Alex tiled his head back somewhat so that Vrayne’s face could come into view. “Maybe others will follow your lead now that they aren’t just animations on a screen. Ya know when the British colonized parts of the middle east, many soldiers wrote back of the mysterious and exotic courtesans that graced a sultans palace.” Being in a game would certainly change how many people would act. Some would try to remain themselves, others embrace the god-hood of their current predicament.

“It’s a shame really” one hand began to motion through screens only he could see. “If I had stayed on my old server the players I used to quest with could have helped us level easily.” Every time he checked the same result, he couldn’t message anyone on his old server. “Soon guilds will begin to form, a rush to explore or make money, when you enter a world with endless potential it would have been nice to do so with friends.” It wasn’t hard to guess that Vrayne had entered the game alone just like he did. To die that many times meant she went solo out of necessity. Or so Alex had deduced based on the conversation so far.

• @vrayne
• wc: 724
  
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