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larren IS
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Post by icarus on Nov 28, 2016 16:33:43 GMT -6
| | Clouds rolled lazily through the sapphire sky, the sort of cotton candy shapes that wouldn’t look out of place in a fairytale. A creek burbled happily nearby, winding its way up towards the town, though the cold weather had killed off the wildflowers that were normally scattered round the clearing. It was a nice day, if a bit chill, and so Icarus was quite content to laze around, propped up against one of the tree trunks.
He fingered the lyre, still amazed that that he was capable of making any sort of harmonious noise at all. He’d never been particularly musical in the real world, taking piano lessons under suffering until he turned twelve, but he’d never so much as touched a stringed instrument before. Now, with the first rank of the music skill under his belt, he was suddenly capable of playing actual music. It was like his hands remembered what his mind had forgotten.
He could see the animals in the game reacting to it. Birds crept closer to him, hopping along until he could almost reach out and touch them. While it would currently do nothing for hostile mobs, he was counting on most players not knowing that, allowing him to sweet talk his way into parties. Easy life. Who needed to waste money buying a better sword?
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Last Edit: Nov 28, 2016 16:33:59 GMT -6 by icarus
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LV 1
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HP: 100
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ham IS
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Post by Theta on Nov 29, 2016 7:04:18 GMT -6
we have the force to fight! we have the blinding light!
we have the will to win! forever, we'll defend -
Theta was loathe to leave the confines of the town. No, not Theta - Theta wasn't afraid of anything, and Theta knew that best serving her liege meant not being shy about finding places where her Princess could rest easy. It was more that Reveka was nervous. She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, because the safe-seeming grasslands turned to slightly-less-safe-seeming forest, and Reveka had to admit she was growing a tad bit uncomfortable, even though Theta had a steely wit and was absolutely not the type to be concerned. Thankfully... or thankfully enough, Reveka was not left alone to the sounds of the forest for very long - or, at least not long enough to begin panicking. Theta tensed as the sound of music reached her ears, and then paused, frowning. Surely, she could just ignore this, and be on her way - a knight had better things to do than to seek out every curiosity. But then, she could probably assess the source, see if they were useful at all, ask them for directions. And while Theta was not a social sort, she found reason enough to approach just with that, parting branches and casting a somewhat dismissive glance to the birds and other small animals as they hopped closer to him. "A fair sound," Theta commented, almost bored in her assessment - but the sudden break of her voice served to disturb the birds, causing them to stir and flap away. Well, knowing how attractive the music sounded, they'd be back soon enough. "And what, by chance, is a minstrel such as yourself doing in this forest?" Theta asked. Minstrels were always tricky sorts; she understood their worth in measures of keeping old tales alive, but not so much in company. However, Theta tried to keep an open mind towards this man. After all, birds (that weren't ravens) generally hated Theta. "The birds may not criticize your work, but surely you would be happier playing for some tavern, yes?" she questioned, caring little for how rude that might seem. After all, he was the weird one, playing music in the middle of nowhere like this. icarus
Last Edit: Nov 29, 2016 7:06:59 GMT -6 by Theta
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LV 3
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HP: 495
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Post by august on Nov 29, 2016 9:20:04 GMT -6
She was sitting alone on a large rock, attempting to coax a bird into sitting on her hand with bread crumbs. August had been rather unsuccessful so far; they always flew away when she twitched her hand ever so slightly out of excitement. She was never going to be able to hold one at this rate. It was such a sad thought; the poor girl missed her pet bird terribly.
Something caught the bird’s eye and in turn, her own ear. It was strings, the instrument itself was difficult for August to identify given that she hadn’t really had much exposure to instruments being played in person around her. The little bird she had been attempting to coax flew away towards the sound and August followed suit.
It didn’t really dawn on her that it could have been an enemy until she saw a few birds fly away from the spot where two other players sat. They were in hostile territory, weren’t they? She could have been more careful, but the sound of what appeared to be a conversation eased her nerves.
She hadn’t been close enough to hear what Theta had said, but August was making slow progress in walking towards the pair. She tugged on her scarf a little as she decided what to do. The instrument the boy was carrying was something she had never seen before, but it made a pretty noise and it attracted the birds, maybe he would be willing to teach it to her? Or at the very least, play it so that one of the birds might be enticed to sit in her hand.
August wasn’t exactly hiding her presence. She was sure the two could spot her walking towards them, but she did her best to show that she wasn’t hostile. Her weapon wasn’t out and she was walking slow; ambush attacks required her to do the opposite in both aspects.
“That’s a pretty sound,” she remarked as she got closer, “what kind of instrument is it?”
icarus Theta
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HP: 155
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Post by icarus on Nov 30, 2016 13:25:15 GMT -6
| | He glanced up as the sound of the stranger’s voice broke the peace and sent the birds fluttering in panic. His fingers slowed on the strings but did not stop, picking out easier notes in absent fashion. Unlikely the birds would come back while they were still both here, but he could live with that.
And what was she? Icarus had been told about roleplayers, and she seemed to fit the bill. Odd speech, odd mannerisms, and a pretense that the world was real and not just a game. A minstrel just because he’d taken the music skill? It sounded embarrassing. “A tavern? I’m hoping to use it on mobs, not players.”
Anything else he might have to say was swallowed down as they were interrupted by another person. Seemed the lyre was just as good at attracting pretty girls as small animals; pity he hadn’t known that in the real world. He watched her walk up to them, slightly suspicious by the slow, meandering path she was taking, but he didn’t bother to stand up or put the instrument away.
“It’s a lyre, I think,” he answered to August, not really that knowledgeable about musical instruments himself. “I needed something to play after I picked up the music skill, and it was the first one I found.” He winked at the two girls, in a good enough mood to tolerate their intrusion without irritation, and strummed a chord. “Hey, I’m Icarus.”
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Last Edit: Nov 30, 2016 13:25:31 GMT -6 by icarus
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Post by Theta on Dec 1, 2016 1:36:19 GMT -6
we have the force to fight! we have the blinding light!
we have the will to win! forever, we'll defend -
Theta was not the only one attracted by the sound, it seemed. Reveka actually had to stifle a snort at the thought that the man had attracted a bunch of birds in more than one sense of the word, shifting instead to set her gaze upon the newcomer. They telegraphed their approach, and then addressed the man with a question, one that he seemed marginally more willing to answer. A lyre, then? Theta... held absolutely no personal feelings towards a lyre, but the man was skilled enough with it, and so she decided it must be a perfectly acceptable instrument, provided it was in the correct hands. However, to use his skill on monsters... "Do forgive my ignorance, Icarus," The knight said, placing a hand on her cheek and flicking her gaze between the man in question and the woman who had just joined them, "Yet, I was not aware that music could be used as a weapon. Surely... She said - "In the case of monsters, you would like to play terribly and drive them off, not draw them closer with lovely playing, like all of those birds," It was an innocent enough question - (and Reveka always thought the bard class was total bullshit.) - but Theta didn't give much time for the others to answer before she remembered herself. "Ah, and my name is Theta," she said, punctuating her words with a bow, then standing back to her full height. "A pleasure to meet you both," 'Pleasure' may have been overstating it, but perhaps Theta was just in a personable mood - though true to form, there wasn't much of a smile on her face. Instead, she waited patiently - gaze more upon the third member of their group than Icarus, expecting her to introduce herself as well. icarus august |
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Post by august on Dec 1, 2016 13:47:02 GMT -6
“A lyre,” August repeated with bright eyes, “a lyre attracts birds. Good to know. I’ve been trying to get them to approach me with crumbs. You appear to be having much more luck than me.” She scrunched up her face a little with that last sentence but the tension in her face eased up completely as she offered up a smile and reply to the greeting. “What a lovely name, I’m August,” she replied before turning her attention to the trees in an attempt to spot any birds that were brave enough to still hang around.
She scanned her eyes across the trees in silence for what probably appeared too long to be socially acceptable before turning back to Theta. “You have such an interesting speech pattern,” she complimented, “where are you from?” The fact that she could possibly be acting went completely over August’s head. It didn’t sound like any kind of dialect she was familiar with, but then again August was not very well traveled to begin with. She hoped that her comment wasn’t taken as an insult. It wasn’t as if Theta spoke badly, it was just different.
“Do you think if we sat still enough, the birds might come back? I want one to rest on my finger,” she asked as she looked over at the lyre. If they continued talking they probably wouldn’t, but it was worth a shot to ask. While she did not want to converse with these newly acquainted players, she also really wanted to interact with the wild birds.
August really missed her bird at home, but the ones here were significant less friendly and trusting of humans. It probably seemed like such a silly request, but she really did enjoy the company of birds. They made such lovely noises and August loved how different breeds could sound so different from one another. icarus Theta
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HP: 155
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Post by icarus on Dec 2, 2016 17:54:22 GMT -6
| | For all of Theta’s peculiarities, she seemed nice enough and entirely friendly, so Icarus didn’t bother to worry about her. He was far too content to move away, and he’d always been a social person.
“The way the skill was explained to me, I think it works more by calming the monsters.” The soft sounds he was picking out on the strings were a far cry from the discord that might send monsters fleeing, though perhaps when he levelled it up a little it would become a possibility. The idea intrigued him.
“The birds might return, though I’ve not seen them get close enough to touch.” August, was it? The girl rambled on about birds while Icarus half ignored her, fingers still occupied with the instrument. “Sorry,” he told her, grin tipping rueful in mock condolence. “You probably will have better luck with seeds. Or maybe a combination of bird seed and music?”
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Post by Theta on Dec 2, 2016 21:06:52 GMT -6
we have the force to fight! we have the blinding light!
we have the will to win! forever, we'll defend -
So it worked by calming monsters, then... it was a strange skillset to have, considering the monsters were still, say, in the way or dangerous - but maybe that sort of thing appealed to some. Those that didn't enjoy fighting directly, perhaps - though Theta couldn't imagine a world in which she avoided a fight. (Reveka could. She liked roleplaying more than she liked playing the goddamn game; but that wasn't something she wanted to be apparent, considering it was out of character for Theta.) August, as the woman introduced herself, was very interested in the topic of birds - which, while Theta didn't really care, she noted it with a slight amount of amusement, perhaps the tiniest bit regretful that she had scared them off with her own approach. But perhaps they would be back - not likely, if they kept on nattering on like this, but perhaps. Icarus didn't seem too bothered, so perhaps it was just August who really wanted the birds back. "August, Icarus," Theta said, politely nodding her head in both greeting, and understanding of both of their names. She was actually taken by surprise by August's question, turning and blinking - though Theta had her own, sort of 'knightly' way of speaking, was August referring to that, or... possibly... referring to the damned accent Reveka tried her best to mitigate, one of the few many tells that she wasn't exactly 'from' Japan, though she'd lived there for six years now. It was just a moment's hesitation, a break of character, and then Reveka swallowed her worries, trying her best to bring that mask back up. "I hail from lands far west of here," She said, unable to keep herself from glancing away from August as she spoke. "A fair kingdom. I do hope you will visit sometime," And unable to keep herself from continuing, Theta said - "Our princess is here as well. Perhaps you may meet her," But she's said too much, and so Theta falls silent, instead considering the possibilities of attracting birds. "Hmm... mayhaps, the both of you could work together to attract those birds once more," Theta offered, though after a moment, her expression darkened slightly. "Though. Being the one that originally scared them off... perhaps my presence is a detriment rather than a boon," she admitted - animals generally hated Theta, anyway. It wasn't so much a programmed thing about this game as it was a fact of life. As much as she would love to hear more music, she wasn't about to risk upsetting both people by being where she wasn't wanted; and this forest made her uncomfortable, besides. "If so, then I may take my leave... though... I suppose I must ask..." A wince. "...Which way is the exit?" icarus august
Last Edit: Dec 2, 2016 21:42:36 GMT -6 by Theta
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LV 3
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HP: 495
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CON: 5 (+74)
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RADIO IS
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Post by august on Dec 5, 2016 8:47:18 GMT -6
Seeds... He was right, maybe seeds would have worked better than the crumbs she was currently using. Although, August was unsure of where to even buy birdseeds in the town. Maybe she could find some herself in the forest by looking for plants that contained seeds, but she was put off by just how long it probably would have taken her to collect a sizable amount. She mistook the condolences are genuine and nodded solemnly in understanding, “it’s okay. It was worth a shot.”
Helping calm monsters wasn’t a bad trade-off for the lyre. It might not call wildlife but allowing the user to walk without causing a disturbance against things that could possibly kill them was also extremely useful. Her attention was quickly turned back to Theta once she told August she was from a land in the far west. Did she mean the west of Japan? Or somewhere in Europe maybe? It was possible she even meant America, but it was hard to tell with just being given a cardinal direction and the world being round.
The next part confused her even more, but the expression August wore on her face was curiosity. She was from a kingdom with a princess? And the princess was stuck in SAO alongside everyone else? “Wow,” August said in awe, “a princess. I’ve never met one before. What’s she like?” She had read about princesses and royalty in books, but monarchies were rare nowadays. She couldn’t imagine there would be many real princesses left.
“Oh,” August realized with concerned gaze, “you don’t have to go. Icarus said they probably wouldn’t come back anyways.” As for her second question, August had no idea. It was so easy to get lost in the woods; she typically just wandered herself until she came upon a path that would lead her back out of the area.
icarus Theta((when is gullible too gullible? xD))
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