Valther gazed across the grassy plains, his palm over the pommel of his blade, stuck point-first into the earth below him. This was new to him, and it seemed much more sparse than the forest he'd spawned in... let alone the thicket that was his exact spawn point. Sighing at the memory, Val tore the blade from the earth and strode down the hills in the golden evening sun. He swung the weapon back and forth in front of him, practicing the proper form of his wrist so as not to injure it. At the same time, he focused on his left palm, eyes locked on the center of it as sparks rapidly erupted from his flesh, but fizzled out soon after. He still couldn't control the flames as he wanted to, and don't even get him started on hydromancy. With a sigh, he lowered his hand and sheathed the sword at his waist, before dropping to the grass lazily, beginning to tumble towards the bottom like a child. He laid out like a starfish, staring at the pink sky above as the sun began disappearing behind the hills. He felt so powerless, starting out with so little. He was used to MMOs where you could shoot fireballs from your palms at level one, or wield giant axes with ease. Here, his swordplay was sub-par, and he couldn't summon more than a harmless flare. He wiped an arm across his eyes tiredly and sighed. "This is tough..." he groaned and sat up. He had to wonder, did everyone have the same struggle... or was it just him? Was he just so terribly hopeless at what he did? He figured the only way to find out would be to ask. Valther stood, although clumsily due to his still unfamiliar height, and waddled along the plains, keeping an eye out for any other players that might happen to be wandering at this time of night. He still had to figure out what areas were most popular and at what time.... mainly since he planned to stay away from them and find his own hunting grounds. @Alia
Alia had been extremely busy. When she signed into Terrasphere she looked to see if Seto was on or anyone else she might have met and found that indeed no one was actually on. That made her a little sad but that also meant that she could gain her own reputation as well outside of her friends and she wondered if she should message Seto and ask him how not to pull her hair out. Her siblings were driving her mad at the moment and so were her parents. but thankfully a busy schedule and all that was keeping her just as busy as she wanted to stay. Still she was responsible for doing so many things. She took a moment to clear her head once she spawned into the game. She looked around her as she spawned just at the beginning of the grassy plains it looked like. She shrugged it off into the plain. It didn't take her long to realize another playing seeming to waddle his way through the area. She blinked looking up at the sky and the setting sun. This might not be a good time to be alone out here. She headed over towards him and cleared her throat. "Are you okay?" she questioned loud enough for him to hear and concern shinning in her voice. She looked around them and made sure that her sword was close to her so that she could pull it if something happened to happen at the moment. "you might not want to be out here after the sun goes down. To many things could happen. specifically bad things." She was warning him but she wasn't going to hurt him or anything like that. As a matter of fact being who she was she was going to help him. And by the waddling it looked like he might need some. A few moments later she turned drawing her katana seemlessly and cutting down a knoll that had appeared out of no where. "Come on we need to get towards a town." She needed to think of a strategy to get them out of the trouble with the knolls that might still be lurking out to come and get them. The coming darkness brought a few things out just to see if they could catch something before there was no light and then you had the night animals as well. She didn't want to be caught unaware of what her partner can do. If he could do anything. He had to know something if he was out here right? @Valther
Valther raised his head and stood tall when he heard a female voice nearby, asking if he was okay. "Huh?" he asked lazily and turned his head to gaze at the girl who had addressed him. "Yeah, I'm fine... just getting used to my avatar's height is all," he explained and rubbed the back of his neck shamefully. "Let's just say... he's a lot taller than I should be," he added and folded his arms defensively. Val nodded when the girl warned him about the dangers of the night. "Yeah, I'm aware of that. I was hoping to test myself... but now that I think about it, not exactly confident that I can do anything," he explained and sighed, looking off into the shadows. "I've had a rough start in this game, I can't swing a sword properly or even create a decently-sized fireball," he explained and looked down at the ground in disappointment. Valther nodded towards the girl as she cut down one of the monsters of the night with ease. "Alright, I'm not familiar with the map, so please lead the way," he responded and began to follow her through the shadows, a glimmer of light off in the distance. Val could hear the grumbles and growls of the monsters of the night as they spawned into existence in the shadows, out of sight. The air rippled as a large limb tore through the darkness, and Val swung around with his blade in hand, cleaving through the clawed arm at the elbow, and he skipped back, keeping an eye on the hulking figure that had manifested in his vision. "We need to hurry, I don't think I can fight a dozen of these things," he growled and grabbed at his wrist, which now felt swollen as he'd swung at the arm from a rather unfavorable wrist position. The two hurried along, towards the blazing beacon of warmth and protection in the darkness, and Valther opted to using his blade as a shield rather than a weapon, switching it over to his left hand and holding it in a reverse grip to deflect any incoming attacks from the beasts. They grew closer and closer to the village, until finally the beasts seemed to leave them alone, repelled by some invisible force enforced by the system. Breathing out slowly and sheathing his blade, he held his hand out to the girl before him. "Thanks for getting me out of dodge. Name's Valther, but just call me Val," he introduced himself with a half-smile. @Alia
Alia was glad he was okay and she could understand wanting to get used to an avatars height and what not if you made them taller than you really were. She made herself well most like herself with a few features that were not. She looked him over and thought as he spoke. Someone who'd had a rougher start in this game then she had. But she also had the real world knowledge of how to adapt with a blade in her hand and in this game it hadn't actually taken her long to get used to it and the manner in which she needed to use here. She smiled at him gently a bit. "it take times." It was all she could say before she started to lead the way to the village that was near by. Her ears keen to the noises that the night made and when the creatures started to attack she seamlessly moved in fluid motions cutting down what she could and evading some that she could not. She got hit a few times. She looked over and dispatched the one that val had cut its arm. As soon as they made it into the village she sheathed her sword and smiled at a few of the npc's that walked by and then looked back at Val. She could tell he was hurting while they were out in the field and she also know that the way he held his sword was wrong as well. "Pleasure Val, I'm alia and how's your wrists. It looks like you need to adjust your grip on your blade. Have you ever used a sword in real life?" She questioned him. she knew there were other vrmmo's and what not but it was easier for her to use certain real world things to show people how to hold their swords or at least give them the theory behind it. She moved over to a spot that they would be safe for now. After all they were in a safe zone. @Valther
Val smiled down at the girl, before half-pouting and holding his wrist tenderly. "Bit sore, but I'll live, thanks for asking, Alia," he smiled wide again and let his hand drop to his side. His eyes widened and he rubbed his neck shyly, averting his gaze with a slight blush dancing across his cheeks. "N-no... unless you count a kitchen knife as a sword," Val admitted shamefully, turning his head. "All the VR games I played were all gun games and car games... this is my first game with blades and magic and whatnot," he explained with a sigh and looked at the ground. "I'm not very good at what I do... thought things would be a little more system-assisted, but I've been proven dead wrong," Val couldn't help but chuckle at his own demise. Val turned and beckoned Alia into the town. "Come on, let's find somewhere to settle down, chat over a meal or something," he suggested and moved on, waiting for Alia to catch up to him. He peered down the roads, looking for where the food 'district' might have been. Finally the smells of various meals and dishes caught his nose and he turned on his heels quickly, following the scent like a bloodhound, gesturing for Alia to follow him. Finally he turned towards one of the buildings and swung open the door, ushering Alia in to be surrounded by the powerful aromas of all the dishes. Valther took a deep breath; he enjoyed cooking back in the real world, having to cook for his wheelchair-ridden mother ever since the accident. The restaurant was somewhat nostalgic. Val took a seat at a table nearby, gesturing for her to sit opposite him. "How's this for a place for a chit-chat?" he asked with a smile and leaned back in his seat. @Alia
Alia thought for a moment. So he'd used a knife before. A kitchen knife and that was really all she needed to know. She walked with him through the village to the food. She didn't mind but she was thinking of a strategy for him. She could train him easy. at least the basics in grip but it was the rest of the art of the sword that she wasn't so sure he'd understand. She didn't say much she never actually did when she was trying to find the right things to say when teaching someone. Something about conversation around passions that seemed to miss with her sometimes. But she'd get better. Or maybe is was because she was still figuring this world out. She smiled at him. "it is a good place. And if you've used a knife before i want to see how you hold it. A lot of what you do is in the way you grip it. For instance let's say you are using your fork perhaps or a pencil. each thing has a way you hold it to make it feel more comfortable in your hands." She thought for a moment as they found a place to sit. She really needed to lighten up. Alia come on you can do this. how do you teach the little ones at the center. you know how to do this. Just breath and go. Stop second guessing yourself." She practically berated herself. She was actually happy that the first person she met her was Seto. She took a breath and sat down. "i can teach you some basics if you want. make it so that it doesn't hurt when you hold it. alot is also in the weight of the weapon." She looked at the waiter asking for their version of a cider. @Valther
Val called over one of the waiters to the table and ordered a cider like Alia had, as well as a stew that was on special for the day. As he waited for their orders, he got around to answering the girl's questions she had asked. Val made a rather confused expression before placing his hand on the table and showing her. "I hold it just like anyone should went cutting vegetables with a knife, with my hand like this and my finger against the spine of the blade," he explained, before reaching behind him and sliding his sword from its sheath, holding it out at an angle towards the ground. "But with a sword with such a large guard like this, not to mention two edges, I can't exactly hold it the same way I would a knife, right?" He explained and sighed, sliding the weapon back into its sheath. Their orders arrived and Valther laid them out before the respective customer, taking a sip from his cider and beginning to dig into the stew, before looking up at Alia. "It would be great if you could teach me though. I need a mentor to teach me the way of the sword," he explained with a smile, before reaching down to pat the hilt of his weapon. "My sword's actually really light... it feels flimsy, like it should snap just from waving it through the air," he explained with a sigh and continued to eat the stew slowly. "It sucks though... I've come here with no prior experience at all, and no manual to say 'hi, this is how things work'," he grumbled over his meal, taking sips of cider in between. "I don't even frickin' know how to throw a simple fireball," he added grumpily and pushed his now empty bowl away, sipping on the rest of his beverage quietly.
"Well yes and no." She thought only for a moment as she got her cider and sipped it. Talking only after he was done talking. "When it comes to holding a knife for cutting vegetables you hold it one way. But when you cut meat you might not hold it the same way. They guards do change the way you hold it but only if you need it to change the way you hold it. Because its more comfortable." She watched him take out his sword and hold it at an angle towards the ground. Even in that movement he wasn't holding it right. She wanted him sheath it again. "The lighter the sword the lighter you can actually hold it. Depending on your experience with swords. If its light you want to make more slashing movements with it then grand movements with it. its meant to be quick and speedy like a rapier. The fact that you can grip it reverse means that you want to have strength behind it when its in the reverse position. But you still want to move quick with it to make up for the fact that it doesn't have the weight behind it." She smiled and took another sip of her drink. "I can't help you with the magic but i can help with the sword and holding it properly. We can do that after we eat and drink. She thought for a moment. "Also, i do believe magic uses incantation and mana but i can't be certain. I read it on one of the forums. I don't use magic myself but if its like sword fighting you need to put some of yourself behind it. Like if you are angry it might become out of control. But if you arecalm and you pour you mana into it you might be able to get it to go off properly. But don't take my word on it. You might want to find an magic user to teach you that stuff. But swordfighting is also about passion and calmness and not just about strength and slashing." @Valther
Valther hummed and nodded. "I guess you're right... when I hold a knife when cutting meat, I wrap my whole hand around it. But it's not like you swing a knife around either, you place it against the meat and run it back and forth, not like with a sword," he added and sighed and slumped against the table, looking up at Alia from behind his folded arms. "I know the lighter it is, the lighter I can hold it and the less effort it takes... but there comes a point when it's too light to even chip into a tree trunk, and feels like it's break against it instead," he groaned and looked down at the table under his arms. "I only hold it like that to block stuff because I dunno how to use it any other way..." he sighed and looked away out the window beside them. "But I mean I guess I could practice it..." he muttered half to himself instead of Alia. "Yeah, that would be great. I'll just have to find another mentor for my magic, I guess." Val pushed himself up and sat straight in his seat, smiling at the red haired girl. "Incantation...?" he asked and swore under his breath. "That may be the reason why I can't do crap with my magic..." he groaned and his shoulders slumped forward in defeat. "Yeah, I guess you can teach me to have that kind of passion with swordplay. I mean, I plan to use my magic a fair bit more than my blade, but I still need to be able to kill things without my magic, right?" he asked and chuckled lightly. A ringing sound chimed in his ears suddenly and he shot up straight in his seat, raising his palm up to face him. There was a red alert icon on his inventory tab and with a wary finger, he prodded the button, extending his inventory. The item named 'Mystery Egg' was highlighted, and Val tilted his head, before gasping; he'd chosen it at a menu upon character creation from a list of various items, and the memory had slipped from his mind like water down a drain. Tapping the Mystery Egg in the inventory, he felt something round and soft grow in his coat pocket and he blinked, startled by this strange sensation. Reaching into his pocket he retrieved the object with a gentle, claw-like grip. It was a large egg, its shell soft and spotted. Holding it in two hands, he felt it begin to rock and shake in his palms, and a crackling sound like crumpling aluminium foil echoed from within. The shell began to fracture, from the back and all the way around to the front, and the top of the egg fell to the ground and shattered, its pieces scattering across the floorboards. What now sat in Valther's grasp was a tiny warthog, with a pink snout, puny little tusks and a hide the color of dust. Letting the rest of the egg drop to the floor and crumble to dust, Valther held the hog under its forelegs and faced it, eye to eye. With an affectionate snort, it leaned forward and bumped its wet snout against Valther's nose and he couldn't help giggling like a child, turning the hog around and holding it tight. "Isn't the little guy adorable?!" he asked Alia and grinned brightly, as if she had just appeared out of thin air. "Hmm... what to name him..." @Alia
Alia listened to what he had to say. "Well no you don't use it like you would a sword but think of it like wielding a kitchen knife. A kitchen knife is just slightly smaller than a dagger. If you know how to use a pocket knife or a knife properly without cutting yourself you are one step closer to being to to so that with a sword." She was trying to find a way to tell him that holding a sword wasn't really all that hard. the hard part was actually fighting with it no matter the weight. He might have been better off starting with daggers. She had started with daggers herself but she had graduated up to using a katana and a great sword at home if she needed too. She shook that off in her mind as she listened to what he had to say. He mumbled but he did need a little more practice and she was certain he would get it. She smiled when he said that her tutoring would be great and then she shrugged at his question about incantations. But it was true someone else would have to teach him magic. She just knew that it was possible in this world but she didn't use it herself so she had no clue how it actually worked. "It doesn't hurt to have more than one way to deal damage and get out of a sticky spot." She said just as he shot up out of his seat. She looked on a little at a loss for words as to what was going on and with the hog appeared out of an egg that had appeared from nothing she just sat there blinking. Alright thatw as odd but at least the hog seemed friendly. "Well how about Fred?" She said looked at the hog trying to think of a name herself. @Valther
Valther sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Again, I haven't had any experience with weapons except preparing food with a kitchen knife... haven't ever tried swinging one around," he added and grumbled, placing his palm against his forehead. "But I guess the caution that goes into using it would help with not stabbing myself with a sword, right?" he continued on and folded his arms, shrugging slightly. "My problem is that the uses are so different. You're not supposed to stab someone with a kitchen knife, and you don't use a sword for cutting vegetables," he mumbled to himself and shook his head, looking back up to Alia. He was so busy providing for himself and his mother he never had the time to take up hobbies such as swordfighting, LARPing or anything like that. He'd never had siblings to 'play fight' with either, so this entire game and the requirements of the players were so new to him. Valther nodded and couldn't help chuckling as he thought of the various situations in which one or more of his 'weapons' would be unavailable. "I might have my hands sliced off or something and have to rely on magic, or be in, I dunno, an anti-magic zone or whatever and have to cut everything to pieces. Who knows," Val listed the possibilities off and smiled. Valther listened to Alia's suggestion for a moment. He held the hog up and stared it in the eyes once more as it sniffled curiously, and Val grinned from ear to ear. "I reckon Fred sounds like a fitting name," he agreed and pulled the hog close to his chest. "Fred it is," he stated and stood up, lifting Fred and plopping him on his shoulder. "Well, shall we go start my training?" he asked with a wide smile and held a hand out to Alia to help her from her seat. @Alia
Alia smiled a bit getting a little more amused by the hog that had literally just been born infront of her eyes. That was actually kinda interesting. She wondered how many others might be getting such interesting gifts. She shrugged that off for the moment and listened to Valther's words about the fact that you weren't supposed to stab someone with a kitchen knife and that you couldn't cut vegetables with a sword. While that was likely true you could do all of the above with each it was just not a good idea too. She would chuckle at her own thoughts. "Fred is cute" She took his hand and got up. "Well theory is always hard for people to get their heads around so showing is always so much better." It was true actually. She took a breath and they headed outside as she pet Fred on the head giving him an affectionate little smile. Then she turned towards a place that was grassy enough and that they wouldn't be bothered all that much.."Alright, show me how you unsheath your sword." After all a lot of what happened was in the technique of actually pulling the blade. "observe" She kneeled down and slowly unsheathed her sword in slow motion but fluid and at the end she was standing with it at the ready. @Valther
Valther shrugged, careful not to throw the hog off of his shoulder. "I'm more of a practical guy anyway, I'd rather see than listen, and do than say, if you get what I mean," Valther explained with a light chuckle. Valther couldn't help but smile softly as Alia pet Fred; she was already in love with the little tyke Val retrieved from the egg. "Hmm? How I... unsheathe it?" he asked and tilted his head. "Okay then..." he murmured and reached behind him to grab the hilt of his blade in a reverse grip, sliding it out from its sheath and swinging it in a wide arc to hold it in front of him defensively. "Just like that... now that I think about it, having my sheath at the back of my waist seems cool to imagine but it feels so impractical," he groaned and pressed his palm against his face. Looking up to his right, he smiled at Fred. He raised his free left hand to slip it under Fred's belly and hoist him from his shoulder, the hog snorting happily as Val lowered him to the grass to have a little run around and exercise those newborn legs. Val stood back and began to swing the blade back and forth between a normal grip and a reverse grip. "I don't know which way feels more comfortable to me... I think if I want to be quick with my sword I need to learn how to hold it properly and get out of this habit of holding it in reverse..." he grumbled to himself and continued to swing it back and forth a little more. "And... for what I have planned in this game... holding it right may be more healthy for my arm..." he muttered to himself and flipped it back up into a normal position. @Alia
Alia watched him pull it. "Well first off you would be right it is impractical. Especially since you are so new. I could pull my from a sheath on my back if i wanted too but the angle of doing that isn't always the best. so i wear mine on either side of my body. A blade is the extention of your arm. of yourself." She took a moment sheathing hers to come up to him and look at the way he was holding it. "Move your hand down the hilt a little and don't hold it so tightly. holding it lightly. have your index and thumb placed lightly and then the rest of your fingers holding firm. To loose and you won't have enough control to be defensive and hold to tightly and all you can do is defense. relax the upper part of your arm and yet tense the lower part. and be careful no to bend your wrist." She pulled out her sword again and demenstrated. Her hand close to the guard of her katana and her thumb actually lightly resting just under the guard itself. She placed her other hand same as the other and lowered herself into a sort of stance that allowed her to hold the sword up centering herself. "Do you know how to center?" She questioned him. @Valther (yes i'm looking things up so its going to be just as accurate as i can find. i myself know how to use daggers so explaining swords is a little different lol)
Valther nodded and gently sunk the tip of his blade into the earth, before reaching down to undo the knot of his sheath. He fumbled with it and turned it around, placing it at his left hip and doing the knot back up, before retrieving his sword and sliding the blade into the housing, the guard clinking against the locket of the sheath in a cold and dainty manner. Gripping the sheath with one hand and the hilt with the other, he drew the blade out smoothly, the blade hissing against the leather satisfyingly, and held it in front of himself carefully. "Much more comfortable and natural... I like it," he muttered and tested his grip a few more times on the hilt. Val listened to what Alia was saying and watched her demonstrate with her own weapon. Val's weapon being a shortsword, he couldn't completely replicate the girl, but he could imitate her top hand. Using his free hand, he gently pulled on the pommel to draw the handle through his sword hand, pushing the guard against his skin. He let his thumb and index finger relax enough that he could almost wiggle them freely while his other three fingers gripped the handle firmly but freely. He gave one quick swing from his left shoulder to his right hip, careful not to bend his wrist and smiled. "Already getting better," he grinned smugly and tilted his head at Alia. "Center...? I mean, not officially, no, but I can guess what that means..." he murmured and raised his blade up, the tip of it sitting in the center of his vision, careful not to be distracted by the hog wildly running around in the corner of his field of view. @Alia
