Frozen Ambitions [Mentor/Ares]

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

Tempered by the bitter chilling wind, Saskia endured the icy tempest that blew through the snowy fields of the Windsor Greatwoods. Her steel greaves cracked through the mold of the freshly fallen snow as she marched through the wilderness. Her sapphire eyes peered through the openings between trees and branches as she warily kept a keen eye out, watching for whatever perilous monsters loomed in the forest. She kept herself towards the western side of the forest, knowing that the nastier creatures of the forest lied towards the north and the north east.



Her mind began to reflect on the time when she and her company of Vylbrand soldiers stormed the fields of the Windsor greatwoods in the harshness of the snow to be ambushed by Nepent Snatchers that spat out corrosive emerald bolts of acidic spit at them. Which each step she took, she could feel the tremor of the shockwave that was produced when the Forest Treants from that battle thundered through the forest towering over her and her squad.



She remember how her and the others were making their way to rescue a guild mate whom had been kidnapped by heretics and how the heretics also spread their corruption among the villagers, sating ill misfortune upon the town’s residents. This left a bitter singe of disgust in her throat as she tugged her cowl over her face and pressed valiantly onward. It had been many weeks since she had traveled through this forsaken forest and she thought to herself that she would never find herself in these murky woods again, but here she was.



This time however, she was all alone, though she could fend for herself. Still, she felt the presence of a bad omen. It was a tough feeling to shake as her eyes glanced up at the fading sunlight that was consistently blocked out by the bushy clouds that loomed overhead. The sounds of the departure of the birds rustled through the forest as she continued walking at a brisk pace.



She had came out here purely for the sake of hunting pittered boar, as she needed a fresh supply of meat to provide a layer of subsistence for her longer journeys as she delved into the more treacherous lands in Elder Tale. She was adorned in steel armor and carried a shield that was draped across her back. At her side, was a royal blue scabbard that was embroidered with gold lacing upon the outer edges. An Iron gauntlet raised up to shift the pink rose petals of her bang out from in front of her eyes as she continued her pace.



She saw a bunch of boar tracks that lied upon the ground, which made her strum her fingers along the edge of her sword. She slowed down her walk in an effort to reduce her noise output, though by no means was she stealthy in any way. Nor was it exactly warranted, as the mobs didn’t aggro or run away if they would have seen her. It might have been merely out of a force of habit that she would do such a thing.



“Alright, so about seven slabs of meat and I’ll be all good here.” Saskia muttered as an exhalation of a white cloud escaped her lips. “Time to slice up some bacon!”

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED:
Words: 554
Post Theme Song:Revolutions



TAGS: Ares

template by caesar

[Ares]

     Ares couldn't say that she liked the cold - that was something that had remained constant even after being brought here. Though her appearance was nothing like that of the body she'd had before, her psychological self had remained quite intact, and being stuck here had done absolutely nothing to change her opinion on low temperatures. Honestly, had she been back home, Ares probably would've been hiding in her bedroom with a mug of hot chocolate while one of her younger siblings whined at her for attention.

     What she wouldn't have given to be there right now.

     As it was, she was regretting having come out here. She was grateful for the fact that the forest wasn't known for having high-leveled monsters in this area at least, so long as she was careful - Ares still found everything to be nerve-wracking though. Before, when everything had been an online experience, the samurai had never worried too much about running into monsters or enemies during gameplay. It had all been part of the fun, part of the experience, and she'd quite honestly enjoyed every minute of it. Now, however, things were far more... intimate than she would've liked when it came to her encounters. Ares had always been anxious, and that hadn't changed from the time between being brought here and being back home. If anything, the redheaded young woman felt as though she might've gotten worse about it.

     It was fine though, Ares tried to tell herself. It wasn't as if dying meant actual death here - she'd just appear back at the cathedral. Ares knew that, everyone knew that, and yet she still worried. It was stupid and she knew it, and yet the samurai was anxious nonetheless.

     No amount of anxiety was going to keep her from finding Natalie though. There was a high probability that her best friend had ended up being pulled in too on the day of the Catastrophe, and if that was the case, then Ares wanted to meet up with her. If Nat was stuck somewhere then they'd have to run into each other at some point, right... ?

     She could only hope that would be the case.

     It had taken her long enough to start actually looking for Nat, a fact that she was quite ashamed of. Her anxiety had gotten the better of her, she'd panicked, and suddenly nothing had been a game anymore, and it had taken Ares this long to come to terms with that. It was pathetic, quite honestly, and the samurai wished that she could've been as brave now as she'd been when this had all been a leisurely activity. Ares was out now though, and she was determined to find Natalie no matter what it took. She'd been hiding for long enough.

     She just wished that determination would get rid of her fear.

     Natalie was the reason she was out here in the cold though. Staying in one place to wait hadn't worked out so well for her, and that left actually searching for her friend as her only option. Silently, Ares cursed herself for the fact that she was still adorned in the most basic gear, and made a note to work on rectifying that issue as soon as she could. Honestly, she had a lot of things that she needed to catch up on - Ares had spent so long hiding away when she should've been out learning about this place that they'd all been thrust into.

     Ares needed to do some serious leveling, and anxiety or no, she needed to do it sooner rather than later.

     She was far from graceful as she moved, and was definitely not the quietest adventurer. More than one frustrated cuss slid past her lips as Ares stumbled through the forested area, wishing that she could've possessed some form of poise. By some miracle, however, Ares managed to hear something else over the sound of her own stumbling - there was something up ahead. Nervously, she reached back for the Nodachi that was sheathed on her back, still surprised by the ease at which she was able to lift her weapon. Her real self surely would have never been able to lift it even an inch, and Ares was thankful for whatever mechanics made the feat possible for her here.

     The redhead stopped, however, as she thought that she heard a voice - it was quiet, and she'd barely been able to catch it, but Ares was quite certain that it had been there. Glancing about from ride to side, the samurai tried to find a trace of whoever had spoken. Perhaps she'd been been mistaken? Then again, it was entirely possible for another adventurer to be out stalking game as well...

     One way to find out. With one hand still at her weapon (just in case), Ares moved towards the sound of the murmur, pushing a bunch of bushes aside that stood between her and the source. As she did, the timid samurai managed to force one stammering word from her tongue, despite the fact that it seemed to want to stick on the end on her tongue.

     "H... H-Hello... ?"

Saskia

EDIT: Word Count: 864

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

Mmmm... Bacon.


The thought crossed her mind as she delved back into the days of old while she relaxed in her villa on the shores of Gloucestorshire, living lavish and dodging taxes like it was a game of dodgeball. Such was the way of living in the lap of luxury. Saskia began to reflect on the kosher life of high class society as she remembered watching many concerts and traveling to America to watch the basketball and football games in the VIP section on the very front row. She remembered the lovely ambiance she adored as she ate fancy dinners upon the rooftop of an exquisite restaurant. It was crazy how far the girl came from riding in a pink Lamborghini and being welcomed home by her prized shitzu, the maid Isabella, and her butler Jeffrey. Despite her current circumstances, back then, the girl had it made. She missed the comfort of her lovely satin sheets and all her hair products and makeup kits. She missed the days she would wake up and sing her day away without a care in the world.



In the real world, Saskia was a pop star that made music that a lot of the people in the world could relate to. She enjoyed warm songs that uplifted and empowered people and spoe about fun times. Though the compensation was nice and greatly appreciated. Saskia was in it for the music and bringing it to the people. She had a passion for music and playing the instruments, and would have a personaility that was held in much contrast to the shy caterpillar, Ares. Saskia was like the other side of the coin, a bit more outspoken and a social butterfly. At first her ego was something that was a bit out of hand, but over time she gradually became more humble and enjoyed the simplicities of life. All it took was a gentle trot with her trusty steed now to keep a smile pressed upon her lips.



She enjoyed the winter and loved to watch the snow descend in an angelic manner from the heavens as it glistened on her skin. She watched as Icarus, began make his nose flare up. It was a familiar signal Saskia recognized that he would do whenever foreign presences were nearby. Saskia squinted warily as her face scrunched up peering between the thickness of the forest. She remained vigilant and her hand rested firmly on the hilt of her sword. She tugged at the reigns, beckoning Icarus a few steps back as she heard the rustling of a bush and a feminine voice echoed throughout the forest.



The voice held a wary and cautious tone. It even seemed a if the person were frightened. By the tone of the voice, it was apparent that whoever it was, she was traveling alone. Saskia inferred this because typically, people sound a bit more bolder when in a group. It also didn’t sound exactly intimidating for that matter either.



Saskia tilted her head to the right in slight curiousity as she took notice of the phoenix haired Samurai who emerged from the brush. Her heartbeat began to slow down and she enetered a more relaxed state an withdrew her hand from her sword. She wasn’t trying to intimidate anyone or cause a scene, and the Samurai seemed rather docile, though she branded a rather large Nodachi with her.



Saskia thought it’d help break the ice if she at least introduced herself and say hello. Anything to put the girl at ease. She chuckled and tugged on the reigns of her horse as he neighed loudly and shook his head.



“Hey, you doing alright? You aren’t lost are you?” Saskia inquired as she leaned her head closer inspecting the girl. She took note of the girls level and class and smiled warmly. “Oh, you fresh in the field, eh? Haha, that’s pretty cool. My name’s Saskia. I’m just out here hunting boars for a fresh supply of meat. “



“ I know a couple of good samurai. It’s a really cool class. So you do a lot of tanking in other MMOs or is this like a first for you?”



Saskia tried to make friendly casual conversation, hopefully, she didn’t overdo it and startle the girl or make her feel uncomfortable. Saskia enjoyed meeting new faces and taking the time to get to know people on her journey. Plus, it was nice to have someone who could actually talk back instead of neigh and lick her face all the time.

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED:
Words: 755
Post Theme Song: Sublimination



TAGS: Ares

template by caesar

[Ares]

     Ares wasn't entirely sure of what she'd been expecting. Unsurprisingly, the low-level samurai was already nervous about the encounter. She figured that someone else must've been out here, but whether or not they would appreciate her presence remained to be seen. While Ares had never had issue with approaching other players before the game had become so real, now her interactions were akin to how she approached strangers in the real world. The red-haired samurai was timid and constantly worried about saying something that might offend someone, or make an idiot out of herself - the girl honestly didn't imagine that the latter would be difficult, all things considered. This had all been so much easier when she'd been able to fake her confidence from the other side of a computer screen.

     As the avatar of the other player entered her sights, Ares couldn't help but feel intimidated - not that this was strange for her. Most new faces brought that reaction from her, truthfully, and this encounter was no exception. Ares found herself in awe of the grace that the other player that she'd come across though, and something about her just seemed to exude elegance - Ares was quite aware of the fact that this most likely wasn't what the other player's real body looked like (who had pink hair unless it was dyed, after all?), but she still had to wonder if the woman in front of her shared some of that poise with the person who had designed her.

     For a few moments, Ares could only stare, her face slowly growing more flushed as she found herself unable to muster anything more than the initial greeting that she'd forced out. The samurai cursed her own inability to interact with others without coming off as ridiculously awkward. As she realized that there was most likely no danger, however, the redhead allowed her hand to fall away from her weapon, not wanting to seem as though she might be distrustful - Ares had never been one to take part in player vs. player fights, and she certainly didn't want to make the other think that was her intention.

     As it turned out, it was the other player who spoke first. The other player's tone was friendly, much to Ares' relief, and she heard herself letting out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. Ares' shoulders remained rather hunched, however, and she couldn't quite seem to get them to relax.

     "Um, n-no, no, I'm, um..." Damn her inability to keep her voice from shaking. It wasn't as if the other player had done anything, and Ares could only imagine how off-putting it was to listen to someone stammer like did. "I'm j-just... out t-trying to do some l-leveling. I have... s-some c-catching up to d-do."

     Upon looking at the other character's stats, Ares realized just how much higher their level was. Obviously, they were an experienced player by this point - and a guardian as well. She hadn't relly gotten the chance to talk with any other players prior to this point - Ares had been a little... preoccupied with other difficulties. Saskia, as she'd introduced herself, seemed nice though - her friendly demeanor did help the samurai to feel a little more at ease, though she wasn't sure if it was obvious to the other player. She always came off as awkward, no matter how hard she tried to be otherwise. "I'm A-Ares - and y-yeah, I actually p-prefer to play c-classes like that. I... p-played other MMOs b-before this one, this was... j-just a new character. I d-didn't, um... d-disturb you, d-did I?"

     The redhead hoped not - she didn't want to be a nuisance to another player. Saskia was quite friendly, but it seemed as though she'd been in the middle of something, and Ares didn't want to bother her if she was busy.

Saskia

Word count: 642

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

Saskia blinked as the girl seemed to just stare at her. An impulse made her want to bring out a mirror and see if she had something on her face, or if maybe she had some lettuce stuck on her teeth from the lunch she ate this morning. Saskia cringed at the thought, finding it to be utterly embarassing. Despite her elegance, Saskia was a bit self-concious and cared about her appearance in front of others. She knew as of late, sometimes during the perilous journeys out on the battlefield, she would let herself go sometimes and look more like a rugged battle aged valkyrie. However, times like this, where she remained so close to the city, she did have time to indulge in the fancies of keeping herself up. She enjoyed treating herself like a lady and considered herself to be a blooming flower encased in a shell of heavy armor. A very contrasting spectrum, but it suited her rather well and brought out her more noble characteristics.



She remembered when wearing the armor proved to be a severe pain as the weight it brought down on her shoulders was seemingly unbearable. It tore her apart and left many bruises as she didn’t exactly wear it too properly in the beginning. However, as her levels increased and she picked up a few skills to augment her endurance, the armor felt a lot more comfortable than it did before and wasn’t so cumbersome.



Her greatest fortune however, was not having to journey for miles in it on foot, as such a thing would be simply unbearable. She on the otherhand got to drift with ease upon her gallant steed. She barely went anywhere on foot these days and considered the mount to be a true luxury. Though, at times she was envious of the animal trainers who would ride their tamed beasts and even recalled a time when one rode a Wyvern. It was a remarkable sight indeed. It would be even more remarkable if somehow Icarus was able to mock Pegasus by having wings.



Saskia’s eyes glinted over the Samurai as her hand moved away from her blade. Saskia smiled humbly at the thought. At least neither of them had to worry much about the others intentions now and they had disarmed each other.



Saskia patiently waited with a smile as the girl stammered about her words. She wasn’t sure if the reason why she spoke was due to the fierceness of the cold weather or if she were nervous about encounters.



Her reasons for being out in the winter wonderland seemed rather feasible as many adventurers had to go out to level and this beginner area was an excellent location for farming mobs so that they can build their strength and pay for their stay at the local inns. Unlike most MMOs, where one could just skip sleeping, that wasn’t a luxury that players had. Of course they wouldn’t die, but they certainly would feel the suffering if they ignored their bodies long enough. It was common for a lot of players to sleep outside on the streets of the St. Pancreas substation, due to not being able to afford a night at the inn for whatever reason.



Saskia nodded in approval as the girl finished her statements and uttered a reply of her own.



“No, I was just out hunting boars. Well, if you’re planning to catch up. You know the best way is generally power leveling. Always better to wok with a team. Can get a lot more acomplished. You can come hunt boars with me if you want. A little extra company would be nice. ”



Saskia pulsed out her palm and a luminescent white light spun out in a display of data and statistics as she lowered her level down to four.



She then sent out a party invite to the Red headed girl and gave her the oppurtunity to accept or decline at her own will.



“I’m not a damage dealer or anything, so I can’t say we’ll be taking out mobs fast. But I can show you a thing or two about tanking. Not to say you aren’t familiar with it in other MMOs, but things here are a bit different, since it’s not exactly point and click anymore.”

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Stratford Arms Platemail (Level. 30), Stratford Arms Great Shield (level. 30) , Stratford Arms Long Spear (Level. 30)
ABILITIES USED:
Words: 716
Post Theme Song: Taboo





TAGS: @ares

template by caesar

[Ares]

     Admittedly, Ares hadn't been expecting for someone to offer their assistance to her - as Saskia extended her invitation, however, the redheaded samurai was quickly reminded of how helpful players tended to be with one another, especially when newbies were involved. Heck, even Ares could remember offering aid to new players in other MMOs that she'd played, and Ares had certainly received help from more experienced players when she'd first gotten started playing online. Experiences with others online had always been far easier for her, and she'd rarely felt nervous when interacting with someone from the safety of her computer.

     Despite her anxiety, the samurai couldn't help but feel grateful. This was definitely an entirely different experience now that she was taking part in it herself, and Ares was quite certain that she would have to get used to combat in this new environment. Guidance would be appreciated, and nervous or not, the redhead knew better than to turn down such a generous offer.

     A small 'ding' resounded as Saskia's invitation was received, and the samurai fumbled to pull up her own menu so that she could accept it. It was so strange, doing this at will rather than using the buttons of a keyboard to pull of her displays instead. Thus far, it was one of the only things that Ares had managed to get a hang of, but the girl was glad to be able to make that work at the very least. Now came the harder part - actually participating in combat so that she could gain some experience that was actually useful.

     Hopefully, she'd be able to keep from getting in the way.

     "N-No, anything you s-show me w-would be... r-really h-helpful." Ares assured her companion, trying to give the other woman an appreciative smile. A mob of boars couldn't give the two of them that much trouble, right? The samurai didn't imagine that there would be an issue if her companion wasn't too worried about it - Saskia obviously knew what she was doing if her full level had been anything to go by. Having a more experienced player around to show her the ropes would be helpful, and it helped to ease Ares' nervousness a little. The redhead was certain that her pink-haired companion would be able to correct her if Ares made any mistakes while the two of them were taking care of the mob. "I h-haven't... r-really gotten around to t-trying out in a-anything in the field, and I'm s-sure you've... p-probably gotten the h-hang of how e-everything works n-now. I'll... I'll do my b-best to k-keep up with you."

     Reaching back with one hand, Ares pulled the large blade out from its sheath on her back, her second one coming around to accompany the first on her weapon's grip. She was still amazed by her ability to hold it up - the samurai doubted that she would've been able to do so with such ease in the real world. That being said, seeing such a timid figure wielding such a large weapon was probably at least a little amusing. In any case, she was as ready as she'd ever be.

     "I'm... I'm r-ready when y-you are."

Tagged: Saskia
Word Count: 531

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

Saskia smiled gracefully in the elegant manner that she always had when handling people. After all, she was a people person and understood that though Ares lived in a shell that she was a bud that could soon blossom into a wonderful rose if nurtured the right way. Saskia wanted her to feel welcomed to this new world as she sprout her wings to fly.


A confident smirk adorned her lips as she watched the girl stumble about her menu to accept the friend request.



“Yes, it takes some getting used to. Feels kinda like a virtual reality game. Pretty cool, I think...you can do a lot of things here you wouldn’t be able to even fathom in the real world.” She smiled as she twisted the pink strands of her hair and gazed at the girls eyes. She reminded Saskia of Cadaroc the red headed shaman who shared the same bashfully personality, though Ares was at least a bit more verbal.



“Well, I’ll definitely try to do my best. I got to honor by reputation as the Academy Headmistress for the Vylbrand Academy of Tactics, Mystics, and Trade after all. Got to keep the guildies in tip top shape. Though really, they teach me a lot too, and I’m still learning.” Saskia said as she tilted her head as wore a beautiful and enchanting pearly white grin.



“Everybody started out right where you are, we’re all like buds in a garden, just waiting for our chance to bloom into something wonderful. Waiting for than chance at this second life, to shape our own worlds as we see fit.” Saskia stated as he nuzzled a hand over Icarus’s blonde mane in an affectionate manner.



“You see that Nodachi that you wield. One of these days, you are going to take that sword, and cut yourself open a path to open your own dreams and ambitions. Those burning desires that you hold in your heart. You’ll get a chance to adventure to whole new uncharted lands and experience the rich captivation of the scenery. “ Saskia whispered tenderly.



Saskia began to stoke the side of her beast, admiring his ivory coat.



“Icarus and I started our own journey out in the woods longe ago. We traversed many lands, fields, caverns, and even temples across the many isles. This is like an enchanting world I’ve never known...it’s all so mystical, really...” She added with an enthusiastic tone.



“I know that you’re probably eager to move on, but first I just want to make sure you are aware of how all the skills work in this new virtual environment. It’s not like what you are used to. There are three different ways to activate skills. ”



“The first, is a common form of which you might be used to. It’s manually clicking the skill from the menu. Basically it’s the point and click method. Also known as the Interface Style. Generally more of the spell characters do this, while melee fighters just go with the flow and their own primal instincts.”





“Thus leading us to the second form. Which is basically using hotkeys, which is very efficient. All you have to do is assume or pose or shout a command and the skill gets activated. Also known as the Hotkey style. It’s good for combat on the go. Especially when up close and personal!”







“Lastly, we have a unique style. It’s a bit more fluid in nature and it’s basically like using a skill as if it were second nature, without the need for hotkeys or a skill menu. It’s something you get down with practice as you become more familiar with your skills.”







“Speaking of skills, here’s a bit of a demonstration of the first. ”





Saskia summoned her skills menu and clicked on Ares as a target. She then waved her hand over the [Heal] skill and cast it on her, engulfing her in a soothing bluish green aura.



After the twenty second cooldown she, shouted “Heal!” and aimed her hand at the girl, demonstrating how she could activate the skill through poses and vocal commands.



Saskia then brought her to a field of pittered boar. There were three of them in sight. All of which were level two, and thus, were no threat.



“Alright, so here we are. Go ahead and have a go. It shoud give you a bit of practice. If things start to get hairy, I’ll jump in if needed to give you the occasional heal." She smiled.

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Stratford Arms Platemail (Level. 30), Stratford Arms Great Shield (level. 30) , Stratford Arms Long Spear (Level. 30)
ABILITIES USED:
Words: 750 
Post Theme Song: Freedom





TAGS: Ares

template by caesar