A soft quiet hangs over the forest as you run through the underbrush. Compared to the lobby, it felt like a heavy blanket was draped over the arena and muffled everything outside. You do your best to not break the silence with your movement as you hurry through the forest. Spawns in an arena match are static but there were a few different locations where one could be spawned in. The limited amount of spawn points meant that anyone could narrow down the location of their opponent by heading over to them and seeing if they were there. That was, of course, assuming that their opponent hadn't moved in the interim. With how defenseless you were right now, you were sure that one or two direct hits from a simple spell would be disastrous. Not to mention her aim was far better than any newbie you ever saw. It would be best not to underestimate her, especially now that she had practice. You slide behind a fallen log and go prone. You strain your ears for any sound of your opponent but the silence persists. You needed to formulate a strategy. The set up of your fight was quite simple, each of you had 3 healing potions and 3 mana potions. Not too egregious but enough to give each other a pick me up in case of a bad hit. You're not sure how well you'd be able to utilize the mana potions at the moment but the healing potions could come in handy in a pinch. You also had your ability to cheat death once per real world day. It was an ability that Serena didn't know about and you weren't really sure you wanted to use for a simple spar. Lifting up your coat, you make sure that your canister of fuel on your hip was locked in and ready to use. A quick adjustment of the wrist and the nozzle for your igniter, a miniaturized flamethrower, pops up and ready to use. You only had about 5 shots with a single can unless you decided to empty it completely for a large wall of fire. Finally, you reach down and pop off the small buckle on your belt. You flick the small lid off of the fake lighter and see the tiny grapple hook pop out, ready to fire and zip you towards your target or pull something towards you if it was light enough. These were just two of the gadgets you had built in what you hoped would be a small arsenal of tricks you could use. Even so, you weren't sure how well they could carry you now that you were playing a class without features.
You quickly slot your grapple hook back into your belt and begin to think quickly. You had offered to fight Serena in order to give her some more experience in PvP. The question was, what did you want to teach her?Regal_20 (John Doe)vsSerena_StarlightParty:Regal_20 (John Doe)HP: FullMP: Full>What do you do?>Sneak around the woods and try to find your opponent first. Launch a surprise attack.>Run through the forest to rush your opponent. Serena is a mage so melee puts her at a disadvantage. >Stand in the clearing at the center of the stage. Have Serena come to you and proceed to dodge everything she throws at you.>Write in.
>>6357962>Sneak through the woodsViet cong up in this shit
>>6357962>Sneak around the woods and try to find your opponent first. Launch a surprise attack.
>>6358001SupportBe the man in the black pyjamas
>>6358001>>6358003>>6358027>>6358107>>6358210>>6358331We're gonna be sneaky. Writing
Silence continues to permeate the forest as you continue to listen for any sign of Serena. While stealth still relied more on an individual’s skill rather than the physical boost the game compensated with, there were still a variety of items and abilities players could use to augment their ability to sneak up on their opponent. Rangers and Thieves were known for having the most prominent abilities in that regard. Although you would not be surprised if things had changed in your hiatus. Regardless, you couldn’t underestimate your opponent.You roll on your belly and slowly crawl forward. If Serena was dealing with surprise attacks in her zone then it would be a good idea to see what weaknesses and strengths she had and work on those. Even if she moved zones, casters were prime fodder for sneak attacks in PvP so acclimating her to them would be a good lesson. You pull yourself to the nearest tree and stand up. Most players in the lower levels would simply rush their target the moment the found them and while you were no stealth main it was time to show her what fighting someone on the upper levels would feel like. You dash between the trees, breaking line of sight and keeping your profile as low as you can. Every so often you stop to listen then move on. You make a quick pass and skirt the edges of the clearing. You were glad that you didn’t see Serena standing out in the open. At the very least she had the basics of staying out of sight. You slip back deeper into the woods and hear something snap nearby. You quickly circle around keeping close to the noise but staying far enough away to not accidentally run into Serena. Patience was a big aspect of fighting against an unseen opponent and whoever broke first mentally would usually be the first to go down. You see a flash of color break through the green and brown out of the corner of your eyes and dash towards it. Serena is lightly jogging through the woods, eyes alert and staff at the ready. You study her movements for a moment through the underbrush. She kept her limbs loose, ready to turn and move at a moment’s notice. Her eyes scan her surroundings and she turns to keep a tree to her back at all times. She was doing her best to keep her defenses up with what little information she had. But her vision was limited, her gaze never strayed from shoulder height. She never looked above or below her. It made sense, very few players took the time to dig a hole or climb on trees and wait near the starter zones. There was too much traffic. But traps existed and as you were about to prove, not looking up would be a very costly mistake.
You scramble up the tree next to you, making sure to make as much noise as possible. You nestle in some branches and pull them close to hide you. Sure enough, Serena comes rushing over as you planned. She searches around for any sign of you, her habits betraying her as she never takes the time to look up. You wait patiently, heart pounding regardless of your calm. You almost felt bad for this but experience taught you that if you held back she’d never learn or worse, she’d learn the wrong thing. You wait a moment longer, until her back is turned to your tree and you pounce. Skill: Grab activated. You leap down, grabbing her staff wrist in your unbreakable grip and controlling her casting. You hear her breath hitch as her eyes widen in surprise. She pulls away out of instinct but your skill keeps her locked in place. It only lasts for 10 seconds but you only need five before your attacks whittle her HP down to nothing and you’re both walking back into the lobby as if nothing happened. The servants, your staff, politely clap in congratulations. A pair of them come forward to offer both of you drinks though neither of you have so much as broken a sweat. Serena on the other hand has a look like she hasn’t quite registered that she lost. Only when she politely takes the cup does she snap out of it and look at you with confusion. “What…what happened?” She asks. The tone wasn’t one of shock or surprise nor was it of denial but rather genuine confusion and curiosity. A good sign for someone who wanted to learn.>What do you say?>Tell her that while she was aware and keeping an eye out, she neglected all her blind spots especially above or below her. She’ll need to learn to incorporate it into her awareness without constantly looking around at it.>Tell her to explain to you what happened. A powerful tool of pvp is being able to piece together a battle after its over. Being able to learn from a loss or a win by knowing what happened in the heat of the moment can mean the difference between a win or a loss in the next fight. Sometimes her opponents won’t be so keen on explaining. >Ask for a map of the stage. Give her a detailed explanation of what happened and coordinate with her own view and movements. Then ask her what she thinks she did wrong. >Write in.
>>6358716>Tell her to explain to you what happened. A powerful tool of pvp is being able to piece together a battle after its over. Being able to learn from a loss or a win by knowing what happened in the heat of the moment can mean the difference between a win or a loss in the next fight. Sometimes her opponents won’t be so keen on explaining.
>>6358716>>Tell her to explain to you what happened. A powerful tool of pvp is being able to piece together a battle after its over. Being able to learn from a loss or a win by knowing what happened in the heat of the moment can mean the difference between a win or a loss in the next fight. Sometimes her opponents won’t be so keen on explaining.explaining it to her won't help when people use actual stealth skills
>>6358716>tell her to explain to you
>>6358716>Tell her to explain to you what happened.Maybe give her a hint so it's not frustrating her, if it takes her a while or she seems to be on the wrong track. "Think of it like real life, rather than a game. How would a person or an animal, stage an ambush in the woods?"
>>6358728>>6358729>>6358758>>6358796>>6358807Self reflection is an important skill. Writing.
"Well..." You say slowly. "What do you think happened?" You ask. Serena gives you a look of confusion but she says nothing and you get the feeling she's expecting you to say something else. You clear your throat in an attempt to hide the awkwardness. "What I mean is, being able to tell what happened after a fight not matter how quick it was is a vital skill for a person who's into pvp to have. Most people are willing to throw themselves at a problem and keep doing it until things work out but at higher level play it's vital to be able to know what went wrong or right without being told. It can mean the difference between winning or losing in the next fight." You think for a moment and motion for Serena to follow you to the seats. The sandwiches and fruit have been cleaned out and replace with a set of muffins and cookies. A crystal jug of milk and a nice pot of tea are set on two stands to keep the table clean. "So, imagine if you're up against another opponent in this exact scenario. Do you know what to do if they pull the same stunt?"Serena thinks for a moment. "I...I don't know." She admits. You nod patiently. "So, you'd agree that if you knew what you did wrong and you found yourself in the same fight, you'd be able to react, right?" You ask. Serena nods and you grab a cup of tea. "So, what do you think happened?" You ask again as you sip, trying to seem cool and collected. "Take your time and retrace your steps. I find that it helps if you work backwards from the last fight and go through the basic questions. 'What was the end result?' 'What could have caused that result?' and 'What did I do and what did my opponent do that would align with that cause?'" Serene grabs a cookie and takes a bite, her face one of concentration and introspection. She chews slowly as she thinks and pours herself a glass of milk. "If I may be so bold, young master. Perhaps a hint would be helpful?" The elder butler suggests in his usual polite yet professional manner. He pours you another cup of tea. You shake your head. "Give her a little bit more time." You say gently. "I'm sure she can do it." The butler nods. "As you wish, young master." He says without a change in tone. Serena starts to dunk her cookies in the milk absentmindedly. There was something innocent about that. Like a habit she wasn't aware of. Eventually she makes a humming noise. "Well...you appeared out of nowhere." She starts, a bit of cookie stuck to the corner of her mouth. "So that means you came out of a place I couldn't see...I made sure that there was always something behind me when I turned around so that means it wasn't behind me." She eats another cookie. "So you could only have come from above." She surmises."What makes you think that?" You ask, trying to hide your smiling in your cup as you drink. "The ground is a valid target too." Serena thinks about it for a moment longer before shaking her head.
"No. I didn't see you come up from under me." She says. "And I don't think I saw any dirt around that was dug up. So you had to have come from above." You give her a nod. "Excellent deductive reasoning, Miss Serena." The elder butler says. "I dare say that you might be correct in that assumption.""It's a good guess and a correct one too but only half correct." You reply. "I was up in a tree when you came around. I waited until you turned to leave before I jumped down.""Then you grabbed me and I lost." Serena concludes but you shake your head."No. I grabbed your wrist to stop you from using your staff. I then used your surprise and hesitation to get in as many attacks as I could before you readjusted yourself." You correct. "You can't just skip to the very end. You have to make a habit of going through every part of the fight, even if you had no direct part in it. Especially in a team fight where there are more people, more variables. You're not looking to cast blame, though, you're looking for what you can do better." Serene pauses for a moment and seems to digest what you're saying. "But how do I do that? I can't see everything at once." She asks. "That's true. Professionals and most tournaments have the advantage of the matches being recorded. You can go back and study those. But for open world you don't get that...unless someone was streaming I guess or you're recording 24/7. So your best bet is to absorb as much of the fight as you can." You explain. "Your class is actually quite good at doing that. As an Elementalist, you tend to hang back so most people are infront of you or at least within line of sight. Not to mention, you're already alert for people coming after you."Serena seems to consider this for a moment before asking, "So if the reason I lost was because you snuck up on me from above. What do I do? Most people would just run toward us? What about traps and stuff?" She pauses for another moment. "Do I just always look up and around?">What do you say?>Tell her that all comes with experience. Being able to notice something is off, remembering to cover your own blind spots. It comes with learning the game. >Say that why Nevermore is a team game. You don't have to do all that alone. You just do your part and trust your team to do theirs. That's why you practice and that's why you play with people you enjoy hanging around. You can only do so much on your own.>Say that's why you two are sparring. To learn all this so you don't get caught unawares in the open world. Better to learn it in a safer enviroment than out there where losing comes with a heafty cost.>Write in.
>>6359445>Say that's why you two are sparring. To learn all this so you don't get caught unawares in the open world. Better to learn it in a safer enviroment than out there where losing comes with a heafty cost.
>>6359445>Say that's why you two are sparring. To learn all this so you don't get caught unawares in the open world. Better to learn it in a safer enviroment than out there where losing comes with a heafty cost.>Some of it will come from experience, but with how vast and old the game is, it's just not practical to know every skill and build someone can pull out unless you're dedicated to that specialty.>You can instead rely on your abilities as an Elementalist, and what you can do as a team. Change the environment into one where stealth isn't practical, or lead the opponent to walk into your preferred battlefield. Especially in long battles, time spent at max MP is MP wasted anyway.>Usually it's MP inefficient, but sometimes there are cheap ways to make big changes, like setting off an avalanche, or burning down a house.
>>6359445>Say that's why you two are sparring. To learn all this so you don't get caught unawares in the open world. Better to learn it in a safer enviroment than out there where losing comes with a heafty cost.+1 to >>6359454 using the environment and also bring up the point about patience being a big aspect of fighting against an unseen opponent
>>6359445>Say that why Nevermore is a team game. You don't have to do all that alone. You just do your part and trust your team to do theirs. That's why you practice and that's why you play with people you enjoy hanging around. You can only do so much on your own.It is the way we like to play, usually.
>>6359445>>6359454+1
>>6359454>Support
>>6359532>>6359528>>6359462>>6359454>>6359452>>6359448Teaching Serena the ways of arson. Writing.
"You learn." You say a bit too simply. "That's why we're sparring. To learn what to do in a safer environment. Next time you lose, it might cost you even more than just some lower tier gear." You quickly add. "Some things will come with experience. You'll see a friend or an opponent pull off some trick you scrape by. It's another thing you keep in mind in another fight. Other things might just pop up spontaneously and you'll have to draw upon similar experiences to get around it. That's why pro players spend so much time doing practice matches or skirmishes with other players. They watch old videos or brainstorm strategies offline. However, this game is old and vast. Not to mention it's changing even now. It's impractical to learn everything this game has available unless you are going to dedicate everything specifically to that and even then you'll be sacrificing your abilities in other area. Rather than focusing on doing everything, play to the strengths of your class. Choose to maximize what you can do to assist your team. Time spent at max MP is MP wasted. Your magic doesn't help anyone if you don't unleash it. So think outside the box. Use your magic to change the environment to your favor. Make it so stealth isn't practical or force them to confront them on your terms. Set off an avalanche or, I dunno, burn a house down." You say. "Learning when and if an inefficient use of mana is worth doing during a fight, especially in the open world, is a powerful skill to have. You have access to wind, fire, electricity, and ice. Heck, you might even find a super secret quest that could give you access other powers. But it all comes down to knowing your class and your abilities first. What to do with your tools for a given situation."Serena listens without a word seemingly intent on absorbing every bit of information you had to offer. Her snacks lay on the table forgotten as she politely nods to everything you say. "What about if I'm alone? I won't have team mates to help me. Am I just supposed to travel with someone else?" The question wasn't accusatory or sarcastic and it was quite a relief that you had someone who was willing to listen and learn from you. It took quite a bit of humbling for most new players before they were willing to put in some work for pvp. They usually just wanted to jump in and replicate what they saw in highlights. You think for a moment.
"That is one solution, yes, but it's not the fun one or particularly viable. Your priority as a caster is to keep your distance and take down anyone trying to get close. Prioritize high mobility targets, usually Swordsman, brawler, and thieves. They can close the gaps quicker than other classes and their armors are light enough that it won't encumber them. Ranged classes should be kept in eyesight or break line of sight with them so they can't line up a shot. Heavier armor classes should be on your lower priority but not forgotten. What they make up in frailty and lack of mobility they compensate in damage. Finally, healers are everyone's #1 priority. The longer either side can fight, the stronger they are. Once you lose one member, it's an uphill battle. A whole player gone is a ton of resources and abilities lost." You explain, getting slightly animated. "But you're aim is great, probably one of the best I've ever seen. So use that to your advantage. Run and shoot between trees to hit your targets, thread the needle and make it a pain to reach you. The bigger the hassle, the less inclined most players are to continue chasing you. I used to play with this one gunner, who-..." The words die in your throat as you remember one of your old teammates. It feels like your whole body was dipped in ice. "Yes?" Serena asks, bringing your attention back. You clear your throat. "Oh..n-nevermind." You say, your voice drained of energy. "A-anyways, if you plan to travel alone make sure you have an exit strategy. Sometimes the best thing to do is to avoid a fight outright. Don't do anything fancy or try to get those cool moments you see on youtube. That'll get you killed. Build up experience, learn how to fight and they'll come naturally. Plus, they're a lot cooler if they're not forced." Serena nods. "There's so much to this game." She says, slight awe in her voice. "I can see why you and everyone else likes it." She turns around to examine the room you're in. "It's like a whole other world and we can explore it all and do whatever we want." You grin. "Right? The world is our oyster and all we have to do is grab it. Even I don't know all the secrets and the fact I'm coming back to it after a while just means theres even more for me to find out." You say,eagerly. "I don't have to wish I could experience everything again because there's still so much to do. It's the ultimate hangout place.""Yeah..." Serena agrees, her voice now distant like yours. "It's a great place for friends...">What do you say?>Ask Serena if something is on her mind. Seems like you're not the only one with a history. >Offer to go another round with Serena. (What strategy do you use this time?)>Invite Serena over to Valford. Introduce her to Roland and Irene.>Ask why Serena is playing. Everyone has a reason, you're curious as to what hers is.>Write in.
Sorry about the wait. A couple things compounded on my end and I had to take care of them.
>>6360257>offer to go another round.I think we can use our flamethrower as a shock and awe weapon.
>>6360257Support >>6360294I think MC has had too many emotional ringers for one day
>>6360257>>6360294 +1
>>6360257>Ask Serena if something is on her mind. Seems like you're not the only one with a history.
>>6360257>Offer to go another round with Serena. (What strategy do you use this time?)This time let's try to move fast and bumrush her
>>6360294+1. She inherited that super-staff. Methinks she lost a friend.>>6360257After the match, we should invite her to hang with our other pals sometime, though.
>>6360556>>6360480>>6360351>>6360331>>6360294Going for another round. Writing. >>6360556A possible theory. I do love when people theorize.
"Do you want to go another round?" You ask gently. It was clear there was something else on Serena's mind but you didn't think it was right to push for more information. Despite playing for a while, she was still a stranger to you. It didn't seem right to pry into her private life especially since you weren't so open with yours even to your friends. If she felt comfortable enough to speak on it, you'd be there to listen but right now didn't seem like the time or place. Serena seems to come back from her thoughts and nods. "Yes, please. I'd like to put into practice what you told me." She says as she gets up and downs the rest of her drink. The elder butler motions for the doors once again without a word and the table is quickly cleaned. Serene seems to run through a mental checklist as you two open your doors. You turn to face the elder butler. "Can we have some soup when we come back?" You ask him. He nods politely. "As your wish, young master. Best of luck to the both of you in your training." He replies and you step through the door into the forest once more. ----The moment you appear, you start running. This time you wanted to see how Serena would react when you simply rushed at her. A more simple set up but not one without it's own variables. With stealth out the window, the two of you manage to find one another quickly. Regal_20 (John Doe)vsSerena_StarlightParty:Regal_20 (John Doe)HP: FullMP: FullWithout skipping a beat, you rush directly at her. To Serena's credit, she doesn't freeze up like last time and instead swings her staff around and hurls a small mote of fire directly at your face. You twist around and let the spell rocket by missing you by a few inches. You're forced to throw yourself to the grown as another mote flies towards you as you're still recovering from your first dodge. Despite turning and having a thinner profile, Serena's shot would have been right on the money had you not anticipated a follow up. You land on your back and roll sideways allowing a bolt electricity to miss you and make your hair stand on end from the ambient static. You pop back up on your feet and continue to move but Serena has already internalized some of your teachings. She's backed up and tried to put some trees between the two of you. She fires another firebolt at you and it slips easily between the gap in the trees.
You jump, kick off the nearest tree trunk and unclip the grapple gun from your belt. There's a small 'click' then a small bang as the hook is fired. There's a tiny 'whirr' as the wire uncoils itself from within the device and the sound of the projectile cutting through the air. It strikes a tree next to Serena's head and embeds itself before the small motor kicks in. The wire goes taut and the tiny gadget immediately pulls you towards your target with a surprising amount of power. You fly through the air trying to twist out of the way so you don't slam into the trees between you and your destination. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as elegant as Serena threading a shot. Fortunately, the sudden movement throws your opponent off and she doesn't fire another shot and you manage to kick away from the trees before taking any real damage. You land in front of Serena and she shifts away, twirling her staff getting ready to enage. >What do you do?>Use your igniter and blast her with fire. Hammer in the point that a class someone plays doesn't fully dictate what they can do.>Fight Serena in close quarters but pull your punches. Teach her how to use her staff as a weapon not just a magic focus. Show her how to block and defend with it.>Go for her wrist again. See if she lets you pull a repeat of the last time. >Hand back slightly and let get gain some distance. See what she does next.>Write in.
>>6360598>Fight Serena in close quarters but pull your punches. Teach her how to use her staff as a weapon not just a magic focus. Show her how to block and defend with it.We're both learning here, but even if we take it easy, our weakened state means we have to learn to make every hit count.
>>6360598>Fight Serena in close quarters but pull your punches. Teach her how to use her staff as a weapon not just a magic focus. Show her how to block and defend with it.
>>6360598>Fight in close quarters.
>>6360598>Use your igniter and blast her with fire. Hammer in the point that a class someone plays doesn't fully dictate what they can do.expect the unexpected
>>6360598>Use your igniter and blast her with fire. Hammer in the point that a class someone plays doesn't fully dictate what they can do.
>>6360598>Go for her wrist again. See if she lets you pull a repeat of the last time. Let's see what she's learned.
>>6360708>>6360630>>6360601>>6360621Fighting Serena close up. Writing.
"You have a staff, use it!" You shout as you side flip over a fire bolt. You start throwing out jabs, simple to see but painful if not avoided. Serena sidesteps and back pedals to get away but you keep on the pressure. "That's a weapon in your hands, Serena. Not a just a focus like a crystal or a book. Defend yourself with it. Block attacks, swing back. Sometimes you won't have the space or time to sling a spell." Serena ducks away and tries to side step but you shift to the side to cut her off. You throw a hook right at her face and she swings her staff wildly at you, forcing you to raise your other arm up to block it. It hits with a solid 'thwack' and you feel your arm ache but Serena swung it like it weighed a ton, awkward and unwieldy. Even so, you stumble a bit. If you were fighting a pro this would have been a perfect opening for follow up strikes. No attacks come, however, as Serena's mind hitches for a moment. You had expected it. Her inexperience, both with the game and a new sudden weapon, had flooded her thoughts with what seemed like an infinite amount of new options mixed with doubt and uncertainty. Though only for a second, the hesitation was enough for you to regain your composure and rush her down again just as she throws another spell at the location you were a moment ago. "Right now, you're probably wondering what to do. Your brain is struggling with too many options, too many choices. Block them out. Use what you know, apply it to your knew situation. Moves from movies, attacks from video games or comics. It doesn't matter, but you can't stop and wonder. In a fight, even a second of hesitating is enough to give your opponent a chance to strike." You throwing a light snap kick to Serena's body and connecting. Even with you holding back and without your Driver the blow sends her falling to her side. She quickly recovers and as she rolls to her feet she drags her staff on the ground. Flames burst forth from the ground and a wall of flames roars to life and expands. There's a crackle that's a pitch higher than the flames themselves and a spark of electricity surges through fire nearly striking you in the chest. "That's good! Improvise, buy yourself time, regroup and make the fight yours!" You shout over the sounds of fire. You draw your grapple gun and fire it over the flames. The gadget whirs to life once more and it pulls you upward just barely clearing the fire wall. You feel the device become warm in your hand as a warning of you starting to over use the device.
Your flight is cut short soon after. The moment you clear the wall of fire, your vision is filled by the fireball Serena hurled to intercept your predictable path and though you disengage the motor on your gadget, the crackling of both spells was enough to mask the real attack. Serena stands right below you, the thin phial of mana potion clenched in her teeth as she fires off another spark of electricity, not aimed at you but a the fireball that just missed you. A feint. "Huh..." You manage to get out with a smile and half chuckle before the fireball is detonated prematurely. The explosion blinds and deafens you as your engulfed in fire and send flying backwards right through the wall of fire. Ability: Indomitable Will activated.Indomitable Will: You have chosen to fight a never ending war against evil. Steeling yourself for the long fight ahead, your will is unbreakable. Enemies have a harder time inflicting statuses upon you and you can prevent your HP from hitting 0 and instead stopping at 10%. This preservation effect can only happen once per 24 real world hours.You crash into the ground and instinctively roll with the momentum until you slam into a tree. Pain flares up all over your body but you grit your teeth and will your protesting muscles to move. You only just get behind the tree before it detonates sending you flying again. Serena must have predicted where you would have ended up from your trajectory or at the least had a rough estimate of where you might be and banked on the spell's aoe to finish you off. But was the attack out of instinct or did she somehow deduce you had the ability to cheat death? Of that you weren't sure. The wall of fire parts slightly and Serena slowly steps through, staff aflame and ready to hurl another fire spell. Party:Regal_20 (John Doe)HP: 7%MP: Full>What do you do?>Use your grapple gun to make some distance, use another tree for cover. >Pull out another one of your tricks. Use your igniter and empty it completely to make your own wall of fire. >Try and get Serena to come closer within the range of your igniter's basic blast. Use it throw her off guard and rush in to finish her off. >Concede the fight. Serena has the upper hand here. Your defenses are too low, your mobility is too predictable for her talent at sniping with her spells. You had your fun either way and this was a learning experience for the two of you.>Rush Serena down. It's probably the last thing she expects you to do. Don't hold back this time and use everything you got to avoid her attacks.>Write in.
>>6361450>Try and get serena to come closer within range of the igniters basic
>>6361450>Try and get Serena to come closer within the range of your igniter's basic blast. Use it throw her off guard and rush in to finish her off.
>>6361450>Pull out another one of your tricks. Use your igniter and empty it completely to make your own wall of fire. Then circle round and grab.This is for us to practice, too!
>>6361450>Pull out another one of your tricks. Use your igniter and empty it completely to make your own wall of fire.
>>6361698>>6361813>>6361814Alright, tomorrow we return fire with...fire. Making a wall and circling around.
>>6362995Looking forward to it!
You shove off the remains of the tree that had fallen on you from the last explosion and point your arm at Serena. The faux bracer on your arm splits in two and the igniter's nozzle rises into position. The moment you hear the soft 'click' of the pilot light turning on you squeeze your hand and a torrent of fire bursts forth. Serena flinches and steps back as she expects the fire to be directed towards her. Instead, you aim at the ground and spray it back and forth to create a fake wall of fire. The flames rise high breaking line of sight. You aim the grapple gun once more and fire it into the lower end of a tree off in the distance. It pulls you free from the remaining debris growing painfully and whirring loudly before that's a pop, the faint recoil of something snapping from within the casing, and a thin line of smoke seeps out as the motor dies from over use. The momentum carries you a bit farther before you land and roll behind another tree. Off in the distance, you can see the orange glow of fire, both yours and Serena's, burning and threatening to set the forest on fire. Part of you hoped that a wild fire would finish her off but you know she had ice magic from your time together and wouldn't put it past her to use it to put some of the flames out to escape. You dig into your burned coat and pull out your potions. Pull the corks out of the vials, you quickly down all three. Party:Regal_20 (John Doe)HP: 22%MP: FullYou feel your muscles relax slightly as healing flows through your body. You lower yourself to the ground even more to hide your profile. You need some time to plan and think. In terms of power, you were severely out gunned. While your attacks were still decent, it was getting close that would be an issue. At your health, you suspect it would take one good hit to take you down. If Serena was also using up her resources, she'd have a decent chunk of mana and no doubt she would have taken the mana cost reduction passive by now. That meant she still had a decent amount of spells to throw. You reach down and disconnect the canister on your hip from the igniter. It was much lighter now that it had been emptied. You look at your other hand at the dead grapple gun. You click the side trigger and it resists for a moment before there's a crunch and it slides in then gets stuck in place. You had no weapons, no armor, no tools, and certainly no transformation...but you did have experience and experience was a much deadlier force when leveraged properly.
You quickly start to unspool the wire from the container then throw the small hook over a branch above you. It swings over and you pull your ruined coat off. You hang the coat off grapple hook then slowly lower the coat so that it was half dangling, half resting on the ground. Pulling the igniter system off of your arm and hip you feed it through the coat's sleeve and set it within the coat's waist line before pulling the wire taut and setting it in place. You back up and begin to make distance. You think that it might look like someone sitting behind a tree from a certain angle. Hopefully the glint of the canister and the shadows gave off enough of an impression that Serena would fire at it and give her position away. At the very least, it would give her enough pause for you to remain hidden. Even so, you need a way to close the gap. She already knows how to deal with someone rushing right at her. Doing so would probably have her firing at you and forcing your movement into an advantageous position for her. You look out at the distance as you watch the glow get brighter and the forest fire slowly ramping up. All you had now was a few mana potions and a few dozen feet of wire. >What do you do?>Head towards the center of the stage. The clearing had plenty of room to dodge around and it'd be the least likely place you could be penned in by spells. But you also had no cover there either. >Hide in the trees and wait for Serena to find your setup then ambush her. That might be the only chance you get pull another sneak attack since she's aware of that strategy. >Try and set up some kind of trip wire trap. It'd have to be something simple and fast. You don't have the time nor class skills for something elaborate. >Try and wait for the forest fire to spread then in the chaos strike. Given the nature of a forest fire, it's more than likely to consume both of you than help you. >Write in.
>>6363386>Hide in the trees and wait for Serena to find your setup then ambush her. That might be the only chance you get pull another sneak attack since she's aware of that strategy.>If getting close is the issue, you still have the wire. Get a lot of slack on the ground and be ready for the ambush. Even if she hears you running around her, she won't hear the wire sweeping her legs.
>>6363386>Hide in the trees and wait for Serena to find your setup then ambush her. That might be the only chance you get pull another sneak attack since she's aware of that strategy. >>6363392That plan B is good, too.
>>6363386>Hide in the trees and wait for Serena to find your setup then ambush her. That might be the only chance you get pull another sneak attack since she's aware of that strategy.
>>6363386>Try and set up some kind of trip wire trap. It'd have to be something simple and fast. You don't have the time nor class skills for something elaborate.
>>6363392>>If getting close is the issue, you still have the wire. Get a lot of slack on the ground and be ready for the ambush. Even if she hears you running around her, she won't hear the wire sweeping her legs.I like this. Good idea. >>6363392>>6363396>>6363492We're hiding in the trees. Writing.
As you back pedal you grab one end of the wire and start to rapidly unspool it as you move. The wire whistles quietly as you quickly pull it free from the ruined device while you clamber up a tree once more. You hold the loop of wire in one hand while tying the rest to a sturdy branch. There's a snap in the distance. You freeze and quickly glance in the direction of the noise. You see nothing but that was expected. There wasn't much that would move because of someone running around. Any foliage was short enough that you'd be able to see someone standing in them. You stay hunched over in the densest part of the tree branches. It was hard to see through them but that also meant that it would be hard to see you. A few minutes pass and the fire was now not so far away. You can faintly hear the snapping and crackling of the forest fire and you know that Serena would have to wind up nearby lest she get consumed by the fire itself. Sure enough, you see her burst out from behind a tree. Her eyes were scanning the area with a bit of desperation as she tries to look for you. She twists and turns trying to watch her blind sides including looking up into the trees. She comes to a halt a few feet away from your decoy before hastily looking around. For a moment you think she might have fell for the crude ruse before she spins her staff and hurls a fireball directly into the center of the tree branches above your distraction. The explosion prompts you to leap into action, it's sound masking the noise of you jumping through the leaves. Skill: Grab activated.You land behind her but before you can reach you to grab her she's already spinning and swinging her staff right at your head. You duck and roll only just realizing that she had cast the spell not only as an attempt to hit you but also to draw you out. But you had surprises of your own as well. As you move around you quickly let the loop of wire uncoil. You lean away to dodge a thrust, roll again to avoid the follow up swing, and shift around to try and get behind her. Slowly but surely, you unwind and drop the thin wire all around her before you step forward and throw a feint. Serena tries to step away but you pull back as hard as you can. The wire rises and comes forward before going taut as it bites into the back of her legs. With a yelp, she falls backwards, her legs getting tangled in the mess of wire you left around her. You rush forward, pulling more wire free and, as politely as one person could in a fight to the "death", tie her arms behind her and her legs together leveraging the remaining time on your skill. "H-hey! What are you doing?!" She shouts in confusion as she struggles to get free. "There's more than one way to win a fight." You say as you step back and wipe your brow. "You don't always have to kill your opponent. Do you give up?" Serena struggles against the wires. She wriggles a bit before going limp and frowning.
"Yeah...I can't really do anything." She says and with that, the game recognized a forfeit placing the two of you back into the lobby. "I'm not sure that...was good." She says unsure of how to put her feelings into words as she nursed her wrists. You grin. "A win is a win." You tease lightly. "But more importantly, is that you learned." You add. "You didn't fall for the same trick twice...in essence at least. Not to mention, you're getting better at thinking on your feet. At the very least, you're learning how to leverage your spells to maximum effect." You adjust your coat, now back to the condition it was prior to the match. "Hopefully, you also learned the consequences of starting fires in forests. But most importantly, you're learning not to take your opponents at face value. Even if you know what a class can do, it won't account for any trickery or tools they can have on them. Not to mention the danger a wounded opponent can pose if you let them out of your sight." You say as you sit on a couch. "A well placed spell would have killed me at any time after our first engagement. But you let me slip away, recollect myself, and think of a plan.""I didn't know you could cast a spell like Wall of Fire." Serena admits as the servants appear to serve you both a drink. "Or you could fly through the air.""Exactly. If I could do all that, was chasing me down worth it?" You ask. "Of course, I had to beat you to win the match." Serena replies without hesitation."That's partially true. But what if I had something else? What if I was buying some time to use a more powerful item or ability? In the open world, it's not always a matter of winning or losing. A lot of people into pvp are all about the kill count. But kill counts aren't the only thing that win fights. Routing an enemy, knowing when to stop a chase, and killing priority targets are better than your K/D/A. What's your goal in a fight? What do you want the result to be and what is the most effective way of achieving that goal? If an opponent starts to run away in the middle of a fight, is it worth risking your gear and team chasing after that person? Especially if all you wanted to do was get them to stop attacking you?" You take a drink of the warm tea. "Of course, Arena fights are a bit more straight forward. Kill the other team or get them to forfeit. It's harder to get a bit more nuance there but the principle is the same. Don't let the idea of winning get to your head. Play it smart, play it slow if you have to but don't rush in without a plan."
"So what should I have done then?" She asks, hanging on to every word. "Well that's a good question." You say and think for a moment. "You could have let the fire grow and forced me to come to you but that would have been a risk for you as well. You actually did good by getting me to jump out in the end. I hadn't realized that you weren't just assuming I was in that one tree and you did try to hit me with your staff. But you could have also snap shot a spell in my direction as I was landing. Or you could have just thrown another fireball at our feet. You were at max HP, you might have survived that...or it could have ended with a draw. You could also retreated a bit and kept firing to keep me at bay."Serena crosses her arms and seems to think for a moment. "It seems like my options are really limited in Arena fights. How come they're so popular then? Open world fights seem so much more complex.""Arenas are quicker than open world fights. They're also considered more 'fair' than fights in the open world. No one likes getting the upper hand only to have a buddy rush in and take you by surprise. By limiting the stages and random elements that a person can find in the open world, you have a fight that has pretty well defined limits and rules but with enough variability to allow for surprise strategies or player expression. It makes a great spectator sport when your favorite team comes on top because of a surprise strategy or combo but it never feels like it wasn't earned...at least if you're on the winning side. Some would argue that the limitations also encourage creativity. Knowing how to work with what you got and pushing the class to its very limits is what so many people love to see. Because they play those classes and it's possible for them to try it out. For professionals, having these limits means they can focus more on their skill as a fighter than having to worry about a random event popping up or the opponents calling in their guild to come save them. But like I said before, and what you saw, knowing the rules and limits doesn't mean you're prepared for every situation.""So no one ever hosts large open world fights? Wouldn't people love to watch big guilds fight like real armies?" Serena asks. You rub the back of your neck.
"Well...I guess they would but logistically it wouldn't really work. It's hard enough to get a group going for a raid or world boss. Trying to get hundreds of players synchronized for a single match of that kind would be nearly impossible. Not to mention the cost of getting even half that many people in competitive gear, having to screen them to see if they're skilled enough for such a competition." You shake your head. "It's just too much work in game. In the first years of the game, I think there might have been a group or two who tried it back when gear was not as common and people didn't know the game well enough. But as guilds grew, and more and more people played it just didn't become viable." You think for a moment. "But speaking of big groups, I remember hearing of a few guilds on another server trying to make their own town. They were making buildings for everyone to live in and the like out somewhere away from the main cities. I never checked it out myself and I don't know what became of it. Maybe they got hit by another guild or they turned on one another...""Wow, did you play back when the game first came out?" Serena says in awe. "How come you stopped playing?" You frown. You weren't sure if wanted to answer that question just yet.>What do you say?>Tell Serena the truth. About what you used to do for a living. About what happened to your dad.>Lie about it. Say you just lost interest for a while. Other things came up and only recently did you decide to try again.>Say that you don't really want to talk about that. You just don't feel comfortable. >Write in.
>>6364248>Tell Serena the truth. About what you used to do for a living. About what happened to your dad.
>>6364248>Tell Serena SOME of the truth. You were in the first batch of players and really got into it, but family emergencies and work pulled you away.
>>6364248>Some of the truth
>>6364274+1
>>6364274+1>>6364248
>>6364274>>6364284>>6364428>>6364455John has opened up...but not completely. Writing.
You stay quiet. You should have expected someone would eventually ask about why you left the game. It's usually one of the first questions you'd ask as well. Of course, Serena meant well. There was nothing accusatory or demanding about her question. It was just an online friend trying to learn more about the person they hung out with. A friend...you suppose you could consider her a friend by now. You wouldn't really take this much time to spar and teach just any random player. Give hints and tips, yes, but this was more than just that. You were mentoring her. The thought gave you a small flicker of pride. The idea that you were helping along the the next generation of players was felt nice, even if it was a bit hyperbolic."Regal? Are you ok?" Serena asks. "Oh. Yeah...just thinking." You say quickly. "Yeah I was one of the first people to play the game. Got kind of lucky I guess in that regard. I not just saw the game grow, I was a part of it." You can't help but laugh slightly at that realization. "Man that makes me feel old. Like I was part of some kind of historical event. I played for years. I got real into it if you didn't notice..." You shake your head. "But life stuff came up. Had to put the game away and help my family with stuff. Then work got in the way and I just never felt I had the time until recently.""Is that what the test was for?" Serena asks but her tone shifts slightly. As if she was holding back from saying, or perhaps asking, something else."No. That was just coincidental. Well...life's got a funny way of making things work I guess. My boss basically kept asking me to take it. Encouraging me is the better word. Honestly, if I think about it...if it wasn't for this game I'd probably never met him. In more ways than one, this game defined me and set me up for where I am today." You pause for a moment again. "But I'm running the risk of rambling again. I'm sure you get the idea though."This time Serena goes quiet and she stares at the mug in her hands. It turns back and forth as she idly shifts it while thinking. There was no denying something heavy was on her mind but you didn't feel the need to ask. "I think it's nice." She says eventually. "That you have something that important to you. I don't think I ever hand something like that myself." She admits, looking at you. "It always feels like everyone has something like that..."
"You probably have something like that too. Maybe you just don't notice it like that yet. I didn't until recently." You assure her. Serena gives you a half hearted shrug and a small smile, clearly not convinced. "Well...I guess I can't really judge or speak for you. I wouldn't worry about it though. You'll find something, I'm sure of it. It might be Nevermore, or it might be something else. I think it's more important that you're actually looking for it rather than just sitting around moping." You give her a grin. "But since you are giving the game a go. Why don't you join me and my friends? It's just us three right now so we always have a slot open for another party member. No strings attached. We just want to have fun and see what trouble we can get into.""I don't know..." Serena says, unsure. "Hey. Goofing off and making friends is also part of the game. It's not just numbers and strategy. It's an mmoRPG. You still got the roleplaying to try out." You joke. "I promise, they're good people. Maybe a bit loud sometimes, but good nonetheless." You say, feeling a bit of deja vu."Ok. I guess it couldn't hurt!" Serena says with a smile and growing more eager. "Where do we meet?" You open your mouth to reply but are cut off when the door is suddenly flung open. Your brain short circuits as it struggled to comprehend the information presented to you. Someone opened your lobby's door and that was impossible unless they knew your lobby info and password. You never gave anyone that information other than Serena and you knew for a fact she didn't share it. You knew this because you recognized the person at the door. The visor sitting atop white hair that allowed for seeing in the dark and through basic cloaking. The soundless steps from the enchanted boots you remember spending nights to farm materials for. The worn cloak that was enchanted to take on the texture and color of it's surroundings which perfectly complimented the heavily customized precision sniper slung on the person's back.
Before you stood someone who was known by many names. 蝉鸣 (Chirping Cicadas), one of the Gods of Nevermore: The White Wraith, Co-Founder of Eclipse, Evolution's top Gunner. To you, however, she was only Ming Chan the only other person you considered a best friend next to Lance. She takes a few soundless steps towards you, her eyes wide. She opens her mouth to speak and you can feel your heart seize slightly when you register the crack in her voice as she speaks,"J-John? Is...is that really you?" >What do you do?>Nod and say it is. If there was ever someone you could never lie to, it was Ming. It's why you never told her about your dad. It's why you never actually said goodbye to her. >Try and lie. Maybe it's been long enough that she won't recognize your voice or maybe you can shift it enough to throw her off. >Politely ask Ming to leave. You're not ready to talk to her but promise that you'll reach out to her in real life to finally settle things.>Panic and just log off. You never expected something like this to happen and you don't know what else to do. You can apologize to Serena later.>Write in.
>>6364615>Well, I wasn't emotionally ready to process this just yet, but here we are. I can't believe you remember my lobby password.>Alright Serena, I'll catch up with you later, just keep the tips I gave you in mind.this is some real k drama stuff, where's the camera zoom and sudden sfx
>>6364615>Can you give us the room Serena.>Panic. PANICK. PANICK LOUDER>Nod and say it is.
>>6364652Supporting
>>6364615>Nod and say it is. If there was ever someone you could never lie to, it was Ming. It's why you never told her about your dad. It's why you never actually said goodbye to her.
>>6364652+1>>6364615I'm >>6363396 on mobile. Did we seriously use our old password or... Wait, has she been using out old lobby all yhis time?
>>6364804You did indeed use your old password. In John's defense, he had no reason to suspect anyone else to use the exact date of his old team's founding as a password and he basically did it out of habit. Not to mention, professional teams generally have their own private lobbies to practice in so they wouldn't have a reason to use the public lobby system.But yes, Ming has also been doing the same thing for years. >>6364647>>6364652>>6364704>>6364794>>6364804We're gonna panic but not run away. Writing.
Serena looks at the two of you confused and unsure of how to proceed. "Is...is she one of your friends?" She asks hesitantly. You nod, but you're not sure who you're answering. You're too busy trying to get your voice to work again and stopping your heart from exploding. Even the servants, despite their consummate professionalism, seemed to keep to themselves more out of awkwardness than anything else."Can you...can you give us the room Serena? I'll message you later." You ask, your voice tighter than you intended. Serena casts a glance at each of you one more time before she nods and hurries out. The door closes behind her leaving you and Ming alone. "Hey...long time no see, huh?" You say trying to sound casual but your voice comes out strained. Ming covers her mouth with her hands and tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes. She takes another step and reaches out before pulling back as if she was afraid that touching you would somehow make you vanish before breaking into a run and wrapping her arms around you in a tight hug. You stiffen and feel your breath catch. You don't really know what to do or what to say. It felt so strange to see her character cry. You remember that she would always speak with a detached monotone during matches. It was her way of coping with the stress of competitive play. She simply tuned her emotions out and focused on the mission. But stranger still was simply having her standing before you. A living reminder of your past in every regard. The good and the bad. Panic starts to well up even more and you find it hard to breathe as questions begin to drown your mind. She was happy to see you for now but would she remember how you abandoned everyone? How many years of pent up anger could she have? What if she told Lance she found you? What if she asked what happened? "I...can't believe you remembered my lobby password." You hear yourself say, your voice quiet. Ming pulls back, her face a mixture of confusion, tears, and what you hope is amusement. She steps back and wipes her eyes. "Of course I remembered it. It was my idea first." She says with a small smile. "You were just always the first person to wake up and set up the lobby.""Yeah..." You say as the memories flood back. You would always liked to wake up early and get your chores done so you could dedicate the rest of the day to training. You'd always be the first to the office, a cheap place you all had poured some savings into rent out for the team to gather and practice. At least you would be if Lance hadn't spent the night before watching matches and planning for the next one. Ming would always arrive second almost always with an armful of snacks she'd burn through before the day was over and yet still have enough room for meals.
She's always complain about Lance's complicated passwords and Lance would always counter that he was always the first to arrive and set up the training lobby so he got to choose. Eventually you all compromised by having a variable lobby name and the same password. That alone would be enough to prevent randoms from getting into your practice matches. You can feel the shame and guilt taint the memories and your stomach aches just thinking about it. You can't help but look away, unable to face Ming directly. "I didn't think...thought you would be using your team's training areas." You manage to mumble out. Ming shifts uncomfortably. "I do but sometimes I like to come here to get away from things. I like doing target practice alone...just like we used to. It just feels right." She unslings her gun and starts fidgeting it, pulling the bolt back and catching the bullet. "Guess I never could learn a new password." She says with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. You can only nod, not sure of how to reply to that. The two of you stand there awkwardly before you hear a soft cough. "Perhaps, if I may be so bold once more, a nice drink and a meal would be appropriate." The elder butler speaks up. "It seems like the young madam has journeyed for quite a while and it would be rather rude to not offer a guest some refreshments, young master. We can prepare some snacks right away.""Snacks?" Ming says, her eyes lighting up. As far as you knew, she was the only person who actually didn't mind the artificial taste of npc made food. A small part of you felt relieved that part of her hasn't changed. "What kind?" She asks. "Of whatever sort you'd like, young madam." The head butler replies. "Can you bring some cookies out? Maybe some muffins and some chocolates. Oh, and a bit of juice to drink please." Ming requests as she hurries over to the sofa, causing the head butler to give you a raised eyebrow. "Oh and can you make some lasagna for John? It's his favor-...oh, s-sorry." She apologies as she catches herself. For a moment even you felt like you were a few years younger. Back when you and Ming would travel around for materials and stop by a town for a meal. She'd always end up ordering for you and Lance if the two of you managed to drag him along. "It's fine." You say, doing your best to keep your tone even. You move to sit across from her in the comfy chair. "Just bring it all please." You tell the butler. He nods and several servants leave to prepare the food. You and Ming sit in silence again.
"So...you got the loyalty reward. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You do have one of the first accounts in the game. Guess I thought it was only for active players." She says trying to make small talk before catching herself again. "I mean...I didn't mean..." She trails off and looks away for a moment before forcing herself to look at you. "John, I-" She starts again before she falters. >What do you do?>Try and make some more small talk and ease into things. Ask her about her time at Evolution and how she's doing as a professional.>Ask Ming about how she feels about you and what you did. You want to gauge her opinion of you before you decide to tell her what happened.>Ask Ming if she's going to tell Lance about this. (Do you want her to keep quiet about this?)>Write in.
>>6364934>Ask Ming about how she feels about you and what you did. You want to gauge her opinion of you before you decide to tell her what happened.>Ask Ming if she's going to tell Lance about this. (Do you want her to keep quiet about this?)Feels right that John would still be afraid of talking to Lance again, so I feel like he would want her to stay quiet.
>>6364934>Ask Ming if she's going to tell Lance about this. (Do you want her to keep quiet about this?)Yeah we are trying (and failing) to keep a low profile
>>6364934>Ask Ming about how she feels about you and what you did. You want to gauge her opinion of you before you decide to tell her what happened.>Ask Ming if she's going to tell Lance about this. (Do you want her to keep quiet about this?)Tell her that MC isn't ready to explain everything yet, but also he won't stop her if either she or Lance insists.
>>6364934I support>>6364938
>>6364938+1
>>6364934>Ask Ming about how she feels about you and what you did. You want to gauge her opinion of you before you decide to tell her what happened.
>>6364997+1>>6364934
>>6365153>>6365023>>6365011>>6365004>>6364997>>6364963>>6364938No small talk. Writing.
You fidget, heart pounding in your chest. You faintly recall something from your studies. Something about VR having to emulate the body's natural process like breathing and pulse or else the mind starts to realize it's in a fake body. Fake or not, it felt quite real to you. Your palms feel clammy and your throat feels tight. Your food is brought to you and is gingerly placed in between the two of you. Ming grabs a few cookies and uncharacteristically nibbles on them. You pour yourself a drink but find your hand trembling somewhat. They feel clumsier and as a result you knock over your cup, spilling juice everywhere. You watch the liquid slowly spread across the table for a moment until a servant hurries over to clean it up. "Sorry..." You mumble. "It's alright." Ming says quietly. "Hey..." You start knowing that if you didn't say anything now, you probably wouldn't say anything at all. You intertwine your fingers and squeeze to keep them from trembling. "Do...you hate me? For what I did?" You ask. The question felt incredibly childish but you didn't know how else to phrase it. You can't face Ming due to how worried you were about her response. Deep down, you'd understand if she said yes and you'd understand if she started yelling but you really had to know. In the months following your father's passing, it was a question that haunted you. There's an uncomfortable period of silence but you can feel Ming's gaze on you and only after what feels like an eternity you can barely register her taking a soft breath. "I don't know." She says softly. "You left us John. You just vanished when we needed you the most and you didn't even tell us anything. Lance was the last person to ever see you and whenever anyone asked where you'd gone he'd just tell us that he didn't care so long as he never saw you again. You didn't write, you didn't call, you never left a message. Some of us went to your apartment only to find out that you'd had moved out long ago." She continues, her voice rising. "The team was fractured. We tried to keep playing, got a replacement, but it wasn't the same. We missed our first big match. Our first big match of an actual big tournament! If it wasn't because of the name we made for ourselves then I don't think we'd have been scouted by other teams. From there it was like starting from scratch. We were only hired because of our names and had to show that we weren't a fluke, more than just a name for PR." She says and you hear her stand up.
"But I can't hate you. I know you'd never do something like that to us for no reason John. You loved the game more than any of us. You put in more hours into the game than all of us. So I can't believe you just walked away to hurt us. Something happened that made you quit. Something big. The worst part is that you didn't even talk to me or said goodbye. That's what hurts the most! We were best friends John. Not just that, I thought we were-" She catches and corrects herself. "We were your friends. You could have talked to us. We could have helped. We would have helped." You bury your face in your hands as Ming talks and you can feel the familiar weight of guilty bearing down on your shoulders. This wasn't what you wanted. You didn't want to drag everyone else down because of what was happening to you. You just wanted them to be happy and successful. If it meant that you were alone and struggling with your personal life then it was a trade you were willing to make. Your happiness for their success. You feel a soft pair of hands hold yours and you flinch as Ming gently pulls them off your face. "John. Please." She pleads. "Please tell me what happened. I want to know.">What do you say?>Tell Ming what happened. Finally open up to at least one of the people who felt the consequences of your decision.>Tell Ming you will but you want to do it in person. Telling her in game still feels like hiding from it all. She deserves to hear it from you face to face.>Apologize and say you can't. You've only just started to come to terms with it yourself. Finally started being happy again.>Write in.
>>6365476>Tell Ming you will but you want to do it in person. Telling her in game still feels like hiding from it all. She deserves to hear it from you face to face.
>>6365476>Tell her you want to do it in person.>Give her the address of our work, so we can't bail out.
>>6365476>Tell Ming what happened. Finally open up to at least one of the people who felt the consequences of your decision.I don't think MC's mom is ready for that many hotshots in the area. Doing it for Ming will mean doing it for at least Lance as well.
>>6365508+1
>>6365508+1>>6365476
Telling her we want to talk to her in person. I'll get to writing tomorrow. Had a long day. Anyone got a particular location in mind?
Wait just noticed, three votes for doing it a work. We'll go for that if no one else objects. Roland will be thrilled if he catches wind of this.
>>6366373rest up Luo.And yeah, Roland is a. . . ""risk""
>>6366382Is Ming's real face famous, or just her avatar?
>>6366470Implying Roland isn't at good odds to know both
>>6366470Both. For the bigger teams, (Rising Dragon, Crimson Glory, Evolution, ect) the players have some celebrity status. They're on Ads (TV and Internet), some TV appearances for interviews with niche channels akin to sports channels today, and various other merchandise (team jackets, poster, the works). So they're kind of like professional football/basketball/baseball players of today. Of course not every player on a team has ads or TV spots. Agencies only really pick the players who seem marketable just like anything else. The Gods of Nevermore have the best chance given their status in the player base's hivemind. So most pro players have fame around the level of a big twitch streamer to a major pop idol in japan depending on how much they're marketed by sponsors. But most pro players are living quite comfortably nowadays if they make it to a professional team. Ming on a 1 to 10 scale in terms of fame is probably around a 6 or 7. She's got status as a God of the Game, is quite marketable being a girl (and cute last John remembered her), and her character has a mysterious quality to it due to how she mutes her personality during matches (some people think she's doing an RP/vtuber character thing which adds to the appeal). Working against her is the fact she's old school. Being from the start of the Nevermore boom, she's not as big into self promotion and ads. She only really appears in public for full team interviews, her solo interviews with other streamers/shows are usually to meet a quota by her agency, and she generally turns down most ads (unless they're for snacks she likes). Being trained by John, she cares more about the game than the fame and thats reflected by the fact she likes her privacy and freedom. On the contracts side, being trained by Lance, she knows how to read contracts and it's how she manages to slip through any sketchy legalese. It her double edged sword. Some people like that about her and find it refreshing, others think she's slowly becoming a relic of her time but none can deny she's earned her title and fame the players give her. If she was willing to give up that freedom, like most newer players would be, her popularity would probably shoot up to a 8 or 9. Tl;dr Ming's face and the character are basically tied together due to advertising of the game. She's definitely on the higher scale of famous but not as high as she can be due to her old team's influence and how she likes her privacy and freedom. She'd definitely be recognized by her fans on the street but she can get around without being noticed too much if layers up or travels during the late or early parts of the day where there's less traffic. Which works for her since that was usually when she had free time back in the day. I...started to ramble again didn't I?
>>6366524You did.But that's fine, because we like to know things.
>>6366524So both her face and avatar are pretty well known. And we invited her to our place of work which will be full of people that will recognize her to talk... Hopefully she wears a hoodie or something and we can just bring her to the staff area.
Alright. Getting to writing.>>6366539>>6366718Despite voting to invite Ming to work so he doesn't bail, John is smart enough to know inviting one of the Gods of Nevermore, and a co founder of Roland's favorite OG team, is probably not the best idea. Thankfully, John also works the late shift so he can mention for her to come over during the later parts of the night. Plus the staff area idea also helps.
"I...I can't." You start, your hands shaking so much that you squeeze them hard enough to worry you'd dislocate some fingers if they were real. Ming's face falls. She pulls back, a look of hurt in her eyes. "I mean...not here." You quickly add, heart thumping loudly in your ears. "I'll tell you outside the game. Irl." You motion for one of the servants. "Get me something to write on." You say and you're handed a pen and note pad. You quickly scrawl the address of The Oasis on it and hand it to Ming. "This is where I work. I do the afternoon and part of the night shift. If you come over around midnight, I should be free and there shouldn't be too many people there either. I'll tell you everything then." You explain. "I think you deserve to hear it in person...not with me hiding behind a fake character." You add with a mumble. Ming reads the note and clutches it close to her like a fragile treasure. She gives you a small nod. "Ok..." She says with a whisper. "I have a scrim coming up so I'll be busy with practice until next week but after that I'll come find you." She pauses for a moment and with a bit more bravery adds, "I didn't know you lived nearby. We all thought you lived out of state.""Really?""Yeah. You never really spoke about home and always stayed during holidays and stuff. We all just thought it was because it was too expensive to go back home." Ming admits. "You really kept your personal life to yourself.""Oh...well you'll know why when we talk." You say, a bit more blunt than you intended. The two of you remain quiet not really sure what to say. It was miserable. You want to do something, anything, than just sit here and let things just be this unbearable. You take a deep breath before standing up so suddenly that it knocks over the chair. "Get me a paper back." You say before you can let yourself think again. "And prepare the bridge stage with a training chest." The servants seem to hesitate with confusion but they do as they're told. "Young master, you...wish to have a match with the young lady?" The head butler asks, his tone polite but slightly wary. "Something like that." You say before turning to Ming. "Come on." You motion for her to follow you as you stuff as many snacks into the paper bag. "John...I don't...I'm not really in the mood." She protests quietly.
"I don't want to fight. You came for target practice, right? Let's go practice. Just for a bit." You say and hold out your hand. It was still shaking slightly but you remember how many hours the two of you used to just hang out on the bridge stage and just...do nothing. You'd talk or do dumb tricks on the edges of the bridge. If it wasn't climbing buildings and hanging out in the open world, it was probably just goofing around in an arena. Sometimes you'd drag Lance along and try to shove him off. It never really worked, but it was just dumb fun you used to have to blow off steam. You could never go back to those days, part of you knew it. Just like you'd never see your dad again. But part of you just wanted to experience a facsimile of those days even if for just a moment. Part of you hoped that Ming did too and maybe, just maybe, the two of you could just hang out like you used to. Ming hesitates for a moment before she takes your hand. "Alright." She says her voice a mix of emotions as she takes your hand. "Just cuz it's you." She tries to joke but it felt a bit hollow. Still, you appreciated the attempt. The two of you walk through the door and step into the darkness of the loading area. ---Hundreds of stars litter the night sky above the bridge. Growing up in the city, you came to appreciate how beautiful the night sky looked without all the light pollution. It made the nights in game even more special to you. You spend a moment staring at it, trying to calm down a bit, before looking at Ming. Both sides of the bridge had torches lining them to provide just enough light for players to be able to fight without accidentally throwing themselves off the stage. In that light, Ming seemed smaller than usual, more vulnerable, as she also looked up at the night sky. You leave her be for the moment and make your way to the chest in the center of the bridge. The training chest contained a multitude of items that players could spawn from the menu it opened that players could use to practice. From basic target dummies and weapons to various materials and traps for construction such as the disk throwers that Ming used to practice her aim. "Do you still use the same size targets?" You ask, breaking the silence. Ming unslings her rifle. "No. I use smaller ones now." She says, politely. "Smaller? What are you shooting quarters now?" You say, trying for a light-hearted joke. It falls flat but like Ming's joke, she seems to appreciate the attempt. "No. More like dimes." She shoots back. "But we can just use the usual clay disks. I just like shooting them and still call it practice." She admits as she walks over. You nod and load in a generic clay pigeon into the disk thrower. "How long have been using this lobby?" You ask.
"I never stopped." Ming admits as she raises her rifle and her visor lowers on it's own. It reminds you of how your helm would automatically cover your head when you transformed. You pull the rope and the clay disk soars through the night for a moment before there's a loud crack from the rifle and it explodes. "At first, I would just go like always to work off stress." She continues her hand drawing back the rifle's bolt in one fluid motion. You load another disk and fire the machine. There's another bang of the rifle followed by the sound of the bolt being drawn again and the empty bullet casing falling to the ground. "But then...I started hoping I'd see you again. Maybe you just needed a break. Maybe something important happened but you'd come back." Another shot, another case hitting the ground. You quietly set up another thrower and pull both ropes. There's barely any time between both shots as Ming blasts them out of the air without hesitation. "Mostly...I was just hoping that at the very least we would hang out again. That you'd spawn into the arena and maybe try to shove me off or scare me." You send off another two into the air. You knew that feeling all to well. The hope that you'd see your dad walk out of the doors of his hospital room. That the doctors said there was a miraculous remission. Or that he'd just waltz in through the front door during those long stressful nights that the staff had forced you to go home. But just like he never did, you never logged back on. "Eventually, it just became a habit. Eventually, I stopped hoping and moved on. I stopped thinking about you and this place just became somewhere I'd go to get away from it all. My own little hidey hole." She says, putting down the next set of disks, but there's something in her voice that tells you she's lying. "That's not true...is it?" You ask, already knowing the answer. Ming looks at you, her mouth in a tight smile. "No." She admits lowering her rifle. "I never did stop hoping that someday, you'd show up. Sometimes I wouldn't think it but it'd always be in the back of my mind. It looks like my patience finally paid off though. You're here...and we're shooting just like old times."You look away for a moment, guilt eating at you again. "Hey...are you gonna tell Lance about this?" You ask, forcing yourself to look at her. "If anyone else deserves to know what's going on..." You swallow with difficulty. "I mean if he wants to know...I guess I'd tell him too." Ming gives you a sad look. "I...haven't talked to Lance in years, John. He was the one who talked to Evolution to help me get on their team but ever since then he went radio silent. Any interviews people tried to get with the two of us, he'd decline. Any calls or texts eventually ended up going to a disconnected number." She says.
"W-what? Why? What about matches? You could at least talk to him then." You ask, all guilt burned away from confusion. Lance wasn't the kind of person to simply cut someone off like that. Not without a good reason like in your case. It didn't make sense that he'd help someone only to immediately cut then out of his life. "He's...distant. Polite but he always answers the question before excusing himself. I tried talking to his team but even they don't know. From what they told me, he's like that to everyone outside his company." Ming says and you feel your thoughts skip a beat. "Company? Like the people he hangs out with?" Once again Ming shakes her head."John, Lance isn't just the captain of Rising Dragon. He owns the team and everything about it." You balk at that. "He...he owns it? But...how?""I don't know. He just suddenly reappeared in the competitive scene with a new team and you know how he is. With his strategies, they got a foothold and worked their way to the top. He's always been good with contracts and stuff. I think his dad was a lawyer." Ming explains. "He never talked about his personal life much either but I don't think his dad was behind it.""No. I don't think so either." You agree. Lance was a great team player. Never hogging the spot light, never demanding that everyone elevate him. His plans were meticulous and took advantage of everyone's strength. But outside the game, hated being a mooch or a dependent for anyone else. If he could do it himself, then he would learn to do it. If he couldn't afford something, he'd rather go without it than ask to borrow money. The idea of him relying on his father's connections or skills in his career was just not possible. You set up a third disk thrower. "I'm glad he's doing well." You finally say. "I'm glad you're all doing well." You fire them all three throwers and each disk is easily shot down. "You know, it was hard working at The Oasis. The boss is a big fan of Nevermore. Tried to get me to play alot. Not to mention the customers. It seemed like every day there was an argument I had to tune out about the game." You say with a small smile. "But...looking back, it's kind of heart warming knowing my favorite game was doing well.""Why did you play again?" Ming asks. "Are you gonna come back? To the pro scene?" This time it's your turn to shake your head.
"No. Sorry." You say. "I think my time has come and gone. I only started to play...I don't know why to be honest. Maybe I missed the game. Maybe things just got so hard that I wanted to get away. What ended up happening is I started to remember what I loved about the game outside the competitive scene. The teamwork, the exploration, the discovery. I'm having fun just teaching newbies and killing bosses. I don't need fame to enjoy the game I love." You say looking out at the night sky. "Remember those days? When we'd wander the world and get into trouble? Remember when you shot me in the rear when were backtracking and tripped over that root? I get to live that all over again.""Hey I apologized for that..." Ming says with a nostalgic smile."It the only time the White Wraith missed." You tease."Don't even start. I hate that name." She says as leans against her gun. "And that's not as bad as the one time you tried to punch The Great Toad and just leapt into it's mouth." She shoots back. "You smelled like spit and stomach acid until we got to the next town over.""Sorry, I'm having a hard time remembering that. All I recall is you crying and emptying your gun into boss trying to get me out. Something about being scared of frogs." You counter with a genuine grin."I'm not scared of frogs. I'm scared of toads. There's a difference!" Ming shouts, pouting. "Frogs are cute little jumpy boys. Toads are bumpy and gross and help witches cast evil spells.""It's the same thing." You laugh. "They both croak and jump everywhere." Ming gasps."You take that back Johnathan!" She warns."Whoa! Full name! You're not supposed to use that!" You chuckle as you hold up your hands in a sign of peace. Ming picks up her gun. "No, you deserved it. If you want me to apologize then you have to beat me in a shooting contest. Whoever gets the best trick shot wins. If you win, which will never happen, you have to admit that frogs are better than toads." She says laughing."Do you even know what class I'm playing?" You ask with amusement."Not a gunner, that's for sure. So I guess you should be preparing to admit that there is a difference." She say with a mischievous glint in her eye.>What do you say?>Agree. Ming doesn't know you get one attack with proficiency and you have a few gadgets you can use for some extra flair.>Agree but let Ming win. You're sure neither of you actual care about this. You're just happy that she's happy. >Decline and admit frogs are the best. But secretly you will endeavor to remain ignorant of the difference just to tease her.>Decline and suggest a different contest. (How will you compete with one of the best snipers in the game?)>Write in.
>>6366860>AgreeDo a classic 360 noscope, from a backflip.We will need some elevation though.
>>6366860>Agree. Ming doesn't know you get one attack with proficiency and you have a few gadgets you can use for some extra flair.
