[Closed] Party? With me?

[Lax]

Thread Type: General
Characters: Lax, Nikky
Status: Closed



Lax the Samurai had been unsuccessful so far in establishing either fighting skills nor a reputation around the city. He'd barely been able to take down a few level 1 Monsters, and he was feeling pretty annoyed with himself for not being able to pick up how to fight here in Elder Tale. It was just his second "day" in this new world, and he was already depressed. Maybe his life wouldn't change at all... Maybe he'd still be invisible, unknown, uncared for. At least in the real Britain he had his adopted Granny. Here he had... nothing. Nothing but the armor on his back and the weapons in his hands. Nobody cared for him, since they were too busy trying to eke out an existence in this Unfounded Kingdom. Picking himself up off the corner of the street he had slept in the night before, the Samurai decided that today was not a day for fighting, but rather a day for Smithing. Maybe if he improved his skills as a Blacksmith, he could be famous enough to be noticed or remembered.

Dragging his messy appearance to a fountain, he scrubbed his head in water before heading to the Smithy. It had to be somewhere in Londinium, and while it took Lax awhile to find a suitable location, he did end up somewhere. The heat of the forge was pleasant, though it would probably be stifling if it weren't for this passive skill called "Heatsink" he found on his Abilities list on the interface. Getting to work, Lax tried to familiarize himself with the forging interface, but with a serious lack of materials and tools, he was at a loss. He was dirt poor too, so getting them was going to be a challenge. He decided to just pick up a rock off the side of the road and use it as a hammer to try to improve his level, hitting a hot piece of metal over and over again until it was "passable" for experience. It would probably be a long and arduous process, but maybe, just maybe, it would be worth it.

[Nicky]

Nicky wandered around the city. She had absolutely no clue where she was, nor had any clue where she was going. The money she had started with was keeping her fed and with a place to stay at night but she was as lost as could be. Not only could she not find her way out of the town she also got wrapped around and would end up back at the cathedral constantly.

On yet another one of her aimless walks she stumbles upon Lax at work. Obviously using inadequate tools she walks in behind him. "Um... What're you trying to do?" Truthfully she had no clue how to work the forge menu but she knew using a rock was probably not the way to go about it. "Shouldn't you... y'know use a hammer?"

[Lax]

Lax felt really stupid that someone was questioning his use of a rock, but still, he had to keep up an image. "Nah, I don't need one. Are you incapable of Rock Forging? It's the only cool way to do things. If you're not rock forging, you're not cool." Who knew what was cool in Elder Tale and what wasn't? Lax didn't know, so he decided that he'd create what was cool. He had to create an image after all. Who was this purple haired girl anyways? Lax hadn't asked her to approach him, nor had he decided that she was allowed in his space. Especially behind him. Not cool to sneak up on people. Brushing his long black hair out of his face, he turned around to face her and look down on her.

The man was tall, imposingly so. He looked down on her as he wiped his hands off on his cloak, giving off an air of superiority. He thought that he was stronger than her because he was taller. He thought that he was better than her because he was a man. He thought that he was superior because he was forging with Rocks rather than with hammers. All of these were vibes that he was trying very hard to impose. He was soft on the inside, but needed to back up his tough guy image. He was a Samurai, and a Hitman. He had to be tough, mean, angry. "Is there something you needed, squirt?" Rough words and diminutive nicknames/insults. That was the way to appear mean and nasty. Lax hoped.

[Nicky]

Nicky giggled softly, "You're kinda weird, y'know that? What's with the macho act any way? Sure you're tall and all but that doesn't mean you're better than every one. Beside... "she tugs at a strand of his hair," What tought guy has hair as long as this?" Sure she thought he was cool and all, and honestly he did seem tough. But keeping an attitude like he had wasn't good for any one. He needed to lighten up a bit and learn to enjoy life some. He seemed like he could hold his own yet... he was using a rock to try and smith something. This told her he hadn't been playing for much longer than she had, mainly because the rock he was using wasn't even flat. She'd looked into smithing in the real world, if the hammer wasn't flat the blade or what ever they were trying to make would end up wonky and unevenly balanced, and to some one who thought it was better to use two swords, balance was key.

[Lax]

Turning away from the short girl with a huff, Lax pretended that he didn't hear that. The words stung, a lot, because it was something he had heard plenty in the "real world" That world was gone, but still he was branded weird. Strange. Inferior. All of these adjectives had been used to describe him in his old life, as Edward. But Edward was dead. Lax was alive. "If you've nothing important to say, don't say anything at all, shorty." More insults, more rough words. Lax would show this girl that it was not a "macho act". It was who he was. He was a gruff, angry, nasty fellow that you didn't want to deal with. He went back to forging with his rock, bashing it against the anvil repeatedly. He too started to realize that the rock wasn't working too well, so he opened his interface instead and went to the forge menu. There really wasn't anything for him to do without materials, so he'd need to get some cash first. He really really wanted to ignore this girl who was next to him, but she commented on his hair. He liked his character's hair long. It was cooler that way. "All of the Cool Anime Characters have long hair. Your hair just looks stupid with its odd gradient thing going on. My hair at least looks natural."

Yes, more insults. He was a nasty guy who hated people. That was who Lax was. Edward Paral had died to let Lax be born, and this was no Character. It was real life now. Elder Tale had become life, and there had to be more than one person here who had hated their old life. Hated being invisible, unnoticed. Lax was going to be so notoriously evil and such a jerk that people had to know his name. He'd be the bad guy no one forgot because he forced them to remember. He'd take hits, complete them, and be famous for doing so... That was his goal for his life in this Unfounded Kingdom. It had to come true. This... chick, was getting in his way. She was saying that he looked fake, looked feminine, looked stupid. He couldn't take that and just let it be. He had to assert himself. "Why are you still here?"

[Nicky]

"Because I've got no where better to be. And honestly you're kinda fun to hang around. Though kinda a meany-butt." She fiddles with her inventory a bit. She knew this guy was trying to get under her skin but that took a lot more effort than most people wanted to put forth. She'd laugh off insults because they were normally hollow words and when they weren't, that's why she took Kendo. She didn't like hurting people, but she'd hurt those who hurt her friends, and in this world so far she had none so she really had no reason to get angry at this guy. "True your hair looks natural, and kinda cool, but that doesn't mean you can be mean to some one you just met mister. Lighten up a bit, this is a new world, a new start! Don't be mean just to be mean... That's just mean."

[Lax]

Turning around to face her again, Lax needed to show that he was unfazed by her "happy attitude". "Well then maybe I'm just a mean person. Ever think of that, numb skull? This may be a new world, but it doesn't change who I am. And who I am is mean." He knew that he couldn't attack her here... but he wasn't sure that he wanted to. She said he was... fun to hang around. That was something that he'd never heard before. He'd always been Edward the unwanted, Edward the abandoned. But Lax was different. The big, confident, nasty person who was Lax could be as rude as possible and still have people interested in being around him. Maybe that had been Edward's problem all along. He was too silent. Well Lax was around to be heard, be seen, and be known. So he had to have more than a few people who were interested in being around him, right? His heralds, or at least his groupies. "If you're going to stick around and follow me, or even just keep talk to me, then you've gotta get one thing through your thick head. I'm not nice. I won't be nice to you, even if you stick around." Maybe that was a thinly veiled request for her to stay, maybe it was a blunt insult, it all depended on how Nikky interpreted the words. With her positive outlook on everything so far, it was probable that she got some sort of good vibes from it, even if Lax meant it to be belittling.

[Nicky]

A childish smile crawled it's way across her face, though she said nothing. Hefting herself onto the now barren anvil, using it as a seat she smiled up at him. Something was off about his attitude, short pauses before what he said, maybe she was just imagining it but something seemed different about him than about other people she'd met. As she sat there she tried to figure out why he acted as he did, maybe he had changed, being a nice person before and a mean one now? Or maybe he was in a tight spot and was just letting out his anger on her? Or he could have had a crappy child hood. She didn't really mind all that much but she knew people just weren't mean, most of the time they were taught better, and if they were mean they had a god complex, but his words weren't lined with anger, not that she could tell at least.

[Lax]

"Well, I guess that is that, then. I'm stuck with a shorty. And she's sitting on my anvil. The name's Lax, but the interface would have told you that. Yours? You're not worth the effort of opening up the menu to check your name." With his anvil now blocked from use, Lax crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall of the smithy they were in. This girl was something else. A strange, patient shorty who smiled when he told her he was going to be mean to her. Were all gamers like this? He never really had any interactions with other human beings, much less human beings of any specific group. Looking at her, she also looked human in Race, which made things easier for Lax. He'd have a hard time accepting a shadow if it was some talking cat-person or something. He'd seen those wandering around, and they were odd. While waiting for her answer, he thought up things that he had to do. He had to practice combat some more, and he needed to get to work on smithing, but he doubted she could help there. She didn't look like she had any cash on her either for materials. Though maybe they could practice combat together if she felt like it. He'd wait for her to give her name and say anything else on her mind before talking any further.

[Nicky]

She giggles and holds out a hand, "I'm Nicky, it's nice to meet you Lax..." She giggles at the word but keeps it to herself. "Since we're both noobs why not go hang around outside the town... if we can find our way there... I'm not the best with directions but you'll be able to see over everyone!" She bounced slightly at the thought, "Oh and we could get money and materials and stuff, and maybe even smith some stuffs!" She seemed at this point extremely hyper, though the reason why was beyond recognition.

[Lax]

So she was a blacksmith too... Lax stayed against the wall with his arms crossed, leaving her hanging. He didn't shake her hand, no matter how long she held it out there. He didn't take very well to his name being laughed at, but it was all that could be done. His childhood nickname that was given to him based on his mother and father abandoning him did make for a pretty lame username. Standing back upright, he turned to leave the building. "Yeah, I've already been out of the town. I'll lead you up into the forest since you can't find your own way, apparently. We could beat up low level Monsters for the cash, probably. I'm a Samurai. What class are you, shrimp?" He was going to make her rethink the "nice to meet you" comment... maybe.

[Nicky]

"I'm a swash buckler, arg" She giggles and hops to her feet, "I'm really good with swords so I thought it'd fit me. But it's a good thing you're a tanky thing, that'll help us both out in the end. Hey maybe after we work together a bit think we could be on each other's friends lists? It'd make getting in touch with each other much much easier!" She walked beside him, smiling and rambling on, mostly about things that resembled plans but would probably fall through in the end, the main theme of course being he got the monster's attention and she ran in hacking and slashing like a maniac.

[Lax]

Friends list... yeah, that was going to take a bit more time. Lax had no real desire to have someone able to find or reach him whenever they felt like it. Especially when they talked as much as this girl did. She just kept rambling on and on and on and on and it was really getting on Lax's nerve. He couldn't help but imagine her throat ripped out by boars so she couldn't talk any more. She'd be struggling to breathe, struggling to talk, and only ending up wheezing and coughing. But at least it'd be quieter. As they walked through the city of Londinium, Lax took the time not looking at Nikky to look at the surroundings. The ruined cars and ruined buildings were definitely strange given the more archaic setting of the game, er, world, but Lax couldn't even pretend to understand. He was a Samurai and a Hitman, not a scholar. It was his job to kill things and to make better tools of killing things, not think about the nature of reality. That was just a waste of time. When the two Adventurers got to the edge of the city and entered into the Greatwood, they'd obviously see a lot of monsters around, but they were all really low level. "Have you even been in a fight yet, dwarf?" True, he had only been in a fight with a few level 1s, but he still had been in fights with Monsters. That made him better, or so he thought.

[Nicky]

"not yet here, but in the old world I took kendo, so I know my way around a sword. Besides I've got you here mister Samurai Grumpy Pants. Now c'mon let's go kill some stuff!" No matter the subject she still seemed far too cheery, though for a girl like her taking kendo classes seemed odd, off set, like she had something to prove to some one, or maybe even herself. Her attitude didn't really fit kendo, not from what you've seen at least.

[Lax]

"The old world is dead." That was an interesting word choice. It wasn't "The old world is gone" or "This is the world now" it was specifically "The old world is dead". To Lax, that meant a death of his old, invisible self and the birth of this new self who was going to make a difference. It didn't matter what kind of difference, it just mattered that Lax was going to actually be something more than that kid in the corner with no parents and no "hip" and "cool" things. But now... now was different. Lax had the potential to have anything he wanted in his hands, as long as he had the skill or the money to get it. And there was no doubt that he was going to have the skill and the money. Drawing his Katana from his side, he seemed as ready to fight as she did. "So, do you want to have a plan or just chop them up? There's no real harm in fighting them alone, and we're one person and a shorty. They won't be much of a challenge even for someone of your stature."

[Nicky]

Nicky shrugs, "Honestly we should be fine just fighting them for now, but when the enemies get stronger you better take your role as a tank seriously mister." It was an odd transition, from that of a hyper active little girl to that of a straight, clean cut, almost woman. Sure she still spoke childishly but her mannerisms changed drastically. With her long swords in hand she seemed poised and almost proper in the way she held herself, it seemed those years of kendo never really fade away.

[Lax]

Lax just shrugged. "Samurai's not that tanky. You're thinking of Guardian, little miss. My role is all about chains. It's a bit more damage oriented. Or did you not read the manual correctly..." The way she dual wielded her long swords was very interesting. The Swashbuckler was definitely a more damage oriented Class than Samurai, it being a Weapon Specialization class and all, but Lax was pretty confident in his ability to be a tank if need be. He had his parry skill, and while he hadn't yet been able to activate it efficiently, he'd get it when he needed to. Now that there was an audience, he couldn't lose his cool in the middle of battle like he had done the day before. No, he had to stand up tall and be the big tough fighter man that he hadn't yet internally become. Picking out a straggling boar from the older, tusked parents, Lax simply charged and slashed downwards, drawing the beasts attention and pulling the aggro onto himself. It would only take a couple more hits to take down the Monster, so Nicky was welcome to take it down, or she could pick her own target and Lax would finish this one up.

[Nicky]

Nicky raced forwards, shifting her stance as she ran she decided within a split second the best course of action to show the Samurai she was stronger than she looked, she slid her foot whipping around and getting a few good slashes in on the boar before recovering her stance and jumping back, stumbling on the landing she went to one knee none the less ready to get back to her feet and race forwards once again. She watched Lax's movements, to her he seemed like he was show boating, overly confident seeming in all honesty.

[Lax]

Nicky was a lot better than she looked, that much was clear. She didn't even bother with the Auto Attack function that Lax had relied so heavily on the day before, and moved like she knew what she was doing. This irked Lax more than anything, because he wanted to be better. He wanted to be good at something, to be better at something, to be the best. He was tired of being second fiddle to the whole world, and was now being shown up by a little girl. Her influence over him decreased as he grew more annoyed. If she was trying to become his friend, she wasn't being very successful right now. She was a mere shadow, an annoyance, a pest. The way she said nothing was the worst. She just looked at him with those judgmental eyes that he was so used to. People always thought that they understood him, thought that they knew what he was thinking. But they never knew the imaginations he had inside his daydreams. Of them violently dying over and over again. They were being subjected to pain in his little world that revolved around only him. And they were none the wiser.

The two quickly dispatched the boar without any real trouble. They hadn't even taken a single hit as their three combined weapons took it down in one run. "That was just a level 1. I can handle bigger. Let's go for a 3 or a 4." Maybe they were way out of their league trying to take something like that down, maybe they weren't. But Lax wasn't about to be shown up when it came to courage and reckless behavior. He was a man, and he was going to act like one. Or, at least how he thought a man should act.

[Nicky]

"A-are you sure? Most MMO's are really biased when it comes to higher levels and..." She sighed, the man she was talking to had barely listened to a word out of her mouth the entire time they'd known each other. She gripped the hilts of her swords a bit tighter and stood, "Let's get going then, Samurai Grumpy Pants."