I got my first tardy the next day. My new kid status had officially worn off. I’d be on time from now on. Argo leaned over conspiratorially. “How’d you do that?”
“I showed up to class late.” I said. “It’s not hard.”
“No, the chokehold. Where’d that come from?”
“I have as much of a clue as you do.” I said, facing forward. “I just hope it doesn’t repeat.”
“C’mon, you could be good!” She exclaimed, loud enough for the next three rows to hear. I was glad we were in the back. A few people glared back at us.
I grabbed my notebook, and studiously wrote down “shut up,” and showed it to her. She frowned. I proceeded to ignore her, and took notes. Not on class, of course, but on the beginnings of a plan I was forming. I still hadn’t committed, this was still totally not going to happen. But hypothetically…I’d do it this way.
Argo leaned over my shoulder. “That’s really good. We should use that next match!”
I glanced at her, wondering just what the bricks she was thinking. Oh. The Echelon. I glanced at my sheet again. It could almost be mistaken for an advance plan.
“There’s only four of us, though.” She pointed out.
“I know.” I added another person dot just to spite her, and continued my rough sketching.
~<>~
I used up one of my weekly practice absences that afternoon, electing to instead read ebooks on medieval war strategy. I somehow ended up watching “Lord of the Rings” an hour later. Still, it was more productive then getting pummeled in the arena again. And I really didn’t want to see the beast inside me rear up again. What had that been? I hated violence.
And yet here I was planning a mining raid that was guaranteed to leave a few bloody carcasses behind. I was so hypocritical. And also unprepared. Years of playing the game non-violently hadn’t exactly enhanced my moves.
I still had a couple days. I started taking notes on Aragorn’s moves.
Hmm I recognise that thought process
Everyone always ends up at LotR eventually. :3
Ah Nate...rather hard to fight an instinct isn't it.
Yes Aragorn is the best to learn moves from (for men, the race)
Argo leaned over my shoulder. “That’s really good. We should use that next match!”
I glanced at her, wondering just what the bricks she was thinking. Oh. The Echelon. I glanced at my sheet again. It could almost be mistaken for an advance plan.
“There’s only four of us, though.” She pointed out.
“I know.” I added another person dot just to spite her, and continued my rough sketching.
~<>~
I used up one of my weekly practice absences that afternoon, electing to instead read ebooks on medieval war strategy. I somehow ended up watching “Lord of the Rings” an hour later. Still, it was more productive then getting pummeled in the arena again. And I really didn’t want to see the beast inside me rear up again. What had that been? I hated violence.
And yet here I was planning a mining raid that was guaranteed to leave a few bloody carcasses behind. I was so hypocritical. And also unprepared. Years of playing the game non-violently hadn’t exactly enhanced my moves.
I still had a couple days. I started taking notes on Aragorn’s moves.
I'm starting to think there's more fighting potential to Nate than he dare realizes.
Aragorn's Guide to Awesome Battle Techniques: Chapter One - Grow awesome hair.
*buys all the copies* I need awesome hair like his. :3
Argo leaned over my shoulder. “That’s really good. We should use that next match!”
I glanced at her, wondering just what the bricks she was thinking. Oh. The Echelon. I glanced at my sheet again. It could almost be mistaken for an advance plan.
“There’s only four of us, though.” She pointed out.
“I know.” I added another person dot just to spite her, and continued my rough sketching.
~<>~
I used up one of my weekly practice absences that afternoon, electing to instead read ebooks on medieval war strategy. I somehow ended up watching “Lord of the Rings” an hour later. Still, it was more productive then getting pummeled in the arena again. And I really didn’t want to see the beast inside me rear up again. What had that been? I hated violence.
And yet here I was planning a mining raid that was guaranteed to leave a few bloody carcasses behind. I was so hypocritical. And also unprepared. Years of playing the game non-violently hadn’t exactly enhanced my moves.
I still had a couple days. I started taking notes on Aragorn’s moves.
I'm starting to think there's more fighting potential to Nate than he dare realizes.
Aragorn's Guide to Awesome Battle Techniques: Chapter One - Grow awesome hair.
Oh no you're figuring it out.
I've been working on that chapter for quite a while now, then.
My head was not in the game tomorrow. I was just kind of sitting there, getting pummeled by Tacks in practice, floating around with my head in another dimension. My brain was elsewhere. I’d need supplies. I had weapons stored up, I could distribute those. That might attract a few more people to the quest.
Tacks whacked me in the side of the head. I barely bobbed.
Would anybody answer the call? I’d never asked anybody for anything before. I wasn’t sure if some of them would even remember me. I wasn’t a very memorable person. If I died on this mission, nobody would mourn me. Nobody would miss me. I’d be just another name on the kill count, closer to the bottom than the top. You don’t pick up much XP just forging weapons.
Tacks whacked me in the side. Without thinking, I whipped around, and slammed my elbow into the small of her back. As she collapsed I wrapped my arm around her throat, and just like that I had her in a chokehold, and I didn’t even know how I’d done it. She gurgled a bit. DeadBeat and Argo stared at me like they’d never seen me before. I dropped my arms to my side, and Tacks slowly stood up, gasping for air. She turned to face me. I cringed.
“That was better.” She said. “Again.”
It didn’t happen again. I didn’t even try. What was that? I’d never fought in my life. I didn’t like the rush it’d given me. It was unsettling. This sport was unsettling. We were training to kill. The violence disgusted me.
I just walked off a while later, muttering something about meditation. I needed to think. And I didn’t want to think about what had just happened.
IIIIIIII KNEW IT!!!! But this took another interesting twist in his character arc....I like it....ANOTHER! *throws computer against the wall*
You did call it. Yeah, not sure where I'm going with it. I think we need to screw your computer down next time.
It was time to see who would answer the call. I messaged LegoAgentFigure first. He was the best warrior I knew, and he owed me one.
Ninjagofanmam was a samurai of great repute, who happened to be wielding a blade I made as a primary. Anyways, she was a package deal. If I got her, Tigress and Neko would be along for the ride, her two silent sidekicks.
Darkclaw and MissKuku were next. I only hoped they’d see it, they had disappeared months ago. They knew Boomer well.
I messaged Tad and his apprentice Eli, because why not? They were literally down for anything subversive and dangerous. Risking life and limb needlessly was a hobby for them.
As a final shot in the dark, I shot Ojo the call. I got the feeling he’d answer.
With that out of the way, I turned to my weapon rack. It was time to pick one. And man, what a selection!
See, I made a lot of weapons for orders. But occasionally, I wanted to make something that nobody ever wanted. They always looked nice hanging on my wall.
My eyes rested on a huge scythe blade attached to a link chain. Massively destructive, and a level five tier. It would do quite nicely. I pulled it down, wrapping the chain around my hand. I felt the weight in my hands, incredibly heavy, but balanced. Luckily I wasn’t in an immersion suit or I’d never be able to pick this baby up. I might need to tone up regardless, my gloves were still registering a lot of drag.
A knock. I walked over to the door, and ripped it open.
Boomer was on my doorstep. His skull face broke into a huge, creepy grin. “It’s on, then?”
“This better be some kick-butt lore ore.” I growled.
![[derp]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/YqNTPqyQUocVMYXZgUAI.png)
![[lenny]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/7elNEqtPK2hcSAiIMFNh.png)
But this took another interesting twist in his character arc....I like it....ANOTHER! *throws computer against the wall*
