Posts made by Chardes

Dullahan, still slightly shaken from the unexpected dive, spoke silent prayers to the now-expired Guard. "That was a rather elegant fall, given the circumstances," Birkenhead spoke, unable to wipe the look of pure glee from his face. Well, at leastsomeone was thoroughly entertained.

Dullahan turned to Alex's window, adjusting his bandanna as he addressed his partner's Operator. "I am well; and you are welcome," he replied curtly in return, shifting his gaze to ResQ. A window prompt notified Dullahan of his new loot; and he promptly materialised the data into a simple box in his hand.

He trudged over to ResQ. "As promised," Dullahan said, handing over the Pulsar1. He had no need for additional battlechips at this juncture; might as well give it to the more arsenal-deprived Navigator between them.

After all... It not as if I'm comfortable with fighting viruses in the first place. Dullahan clicked his tongue annoyedly.

He waited for ResQ to plunder the GMD silly, himself confused by the contraption. "Was this a thing? I do not seem to recall," Dullahan said aloud, but Birkenhead just shrugged. "You're asking the wrong person," his Operator provided helpfully. Dullahan scratched at his head.

Or... well... it would seem that the GMD was waiting for him, for one reason or another, long after ResQ had gotten her share of... more chips? Sigh.

Raising an index finger, Dullahan gently tapped it on the green object, not entirely enthusiastic about whatever that might drop out of it.

"Wait!" Dullahan called out, but to no avail; the enigmatic potassium-based Navigator was long gone, his voice trailing off into the ethereal void of... wherever his headquarters were within this absurd architecture.

Earlier, he spotted that his partner had taken up his offered arms, and looked rather eager to put them to good use. Birkenhead was rather unamused, the incessant sound of scritch-scratch echoing the Operator's confusion. Don't worry, I, too, am confused by this ridiculous rule, Dullahan cursed inwardly.

At this rate, he was going to pull the collaborative effort down, making it unsightly and too inefficient for his personal tastes. Hah! As if you and your programming is not the same person. Surely you jest, silly knight, the Navigator mentally chided some more.

It didn't take him long to spot the PulseBat fluttering about, looking eager to draw blood. ... Metaphorically speaking. Dullahan raised his shield against the mammalian adversary, ready to brace for any oncoming impact.

The Lock-On unit, however, was not as passive; and proceeded to shoot a bolt at its master's opponent.

Summary of actions:
1) Raise Guard1 and brace for impact
-. Activated Chip: Lock-On1 - 10 Null + Lock On; A Accuracy - PulseBatB
2-4) Autododge

Dullahan winced visibly from the commotion, not favoring the angry strobelight and its associated sound effects at all.

He, however, did not expect what happened next.

The flooring on the second level creaked, the platform groaning before collapsing down to earth within the tower. Dullahan stood, stunned briefly, before heading to the edge of his own platform to ensure his partner was unhurt. The Lock-On next to him remained entirely vigilant, and amidst the chaos and collapsing floor, took the opportunity to thunder down another strike at a Banana Swordy. Meanwhile, it took Dullahan a few moments to realise that ResQ's status could be made out in their shared interface. "... We're backing her up, Birkenhead."

"Right. Hold on, I'll send something over," his Operator replied. Dullahan loaded the first chip almost immediately: materialising a kite shield in his right hand, capable of withholding... well, probably only one hit, Dullahan mused inwardly. He held his breath at the edge of his platform, and eyed for a straight line of sight with ResQ. It would appear that ResQ was managing well, despite being significantly outnumbered.

"Catch!" Dullahan called out, loosening the two rounded arrows he had nocked. Without checking whether his ally would appreciate his gift or not, the Navigator turned and went for the last plunger.

"You know... Your reluctance to kill is absolutely puzzling," Birkenhead noted, shrugging. Dullahan did not bother to respond in kind.

Summary of actions:
-. Activated Chip: Lock-On1 - 10 Null + Lock On; A Accuracy - Banana Swordy C
1. Battlechip: Guard1 - REFLECT 60 once, breakable
-. Passive: Focus - Take Aim
2. Battlechip: DrillArm1 - Pass to ResQ
3. Battlechip: Curseshield1 - Pass to ResQ
4. Activate Plantain Plunger

"Holy moly, Dullahan, it's a giant piece of potassium!" Birkenhead joked, no longer taking the net world seriously at the advent of a giant banana tower. His Navigator visibly frowned; the network was wackier than he last remembered. Regardless, with BananaMan introducing himself as a humorous threat, Dullahan caught on ResQ's animosity and readied himself for battle...

... Until they were both caught unawares by the vortex sucking them into the tower, of course.

For the sole reason he was caught unawares, Dullahan landed within the tiered banana structure face-first; luckily for him, the flooring was not composed of banana. Quickly brushing himself and getting on his feet, he took a headcount on the number of targets.

"Eight, Dullahan, look, it's written here on the screen, even," Birkenhead quipped helpfully. Right, Dullahan didn't need to actually count to know. What gave him that habit?

Regardless, Dullahan regarded ResQ's suggestion to reach for higher grounds as sound, and with no hesitation, tumbled towards the updraft generated by his partner.

His goal, however, was much higher.

Thankfully for him, Birkenhead echoed his sentiments; DoubleJump flowed into Dullahan's programming, allowing him to take advantage of his descent from the updraft to boost himself further onto the next level, letting loose a somersault as he did so. As soon as he landed, he turned his attention to their assailant Navigator.

"I wish to avoid combat if at all possible," Dullahan called out, sidestepping towards the nearest Plantain Plunger (What sort of a name is that?) on the floor. Without leaving his gaze from BananaMan, Dullahan let his leg and his weight lean down on the handle, even as he mentally flipped through his arsenal for his next best option.

Distraction. A distraction, Dullahan repeated in text to his Operator. Birkenhead frowned, thoroughly confused, and threw a MetalGear1 at his PET. The sheer firepower of the battlechip did not impress Dullahan. "No... Give me another one. Give me Lock-On," Dullahan concluded simply, motioning for Birkenhead to hurry.

As soon as it was made possible, Dullahan dragged a finger towards the flooring a few paces away from him from the sky, firing a bolt of thunder from the sky. In its place, a default Lock-On unit appeared, making Dullahan blink slightly. Guess my programming doesn't account for everything to be thematically consistent, he mused.

Summary of actions:
1. Tactical Movement - Towards the updraft, up to second floor
2. Battlechip: Double Jump [6/6] - Jump off to the third floor
3. Activate Plantain Plunger
4. Battlechip: Lock-On1 - 10 Null + Lock On x 6 shots; A Accuracy until destroyed (80HP)

Dullahan smiled, allowing his partner to take the lead.

((Ready for Battle #2))

"You seem to socialise well enough, Dullahan," Richard reflected Alexander's statement, and the Operator couldn't help but smile. Dullahan scratched at his head uneasily, as if considering whether to take it as a compliment or as an insult. He shrugged.

There was an oddly endearing trait about how ResQ was denying her need for 'his help', but Dullahan decided to keep that part under the covers. "Yes... I have no need for excessive firepower," Dullahan stated, as if needing to explain himself. Without a doubt, his actions did seem slightly suspicious if seen from ResQ's perspective. Or perhaps now he's coming off as too snobbish?

He wasn't a bad socialiser, but on the other hand, Dullahan feared that his strategies may be dated.

Dullahan raised an eyebrow at ResQ; he guessed that in his personal pursuit for his own identity, he got a bit overly hasty with asking such questions. She's right, Dullahan smiled bitterly, she doesn't know me.

Dullahan quietly assessed ResQ's offered theory nonetheless, mulling on the possibility of him being a scout. "That sounds about right," Dullahan said. He eyed a small window that popped up next to him; a private message from is Operator.

"You do know that historically, knights do everything under the sun, right? Not just wildly flailing a sword around on oaths of chivalry or whatnot," the message read. Dullahan raised an eyebrow.

"... Really?" the Navigator huffed, but not as audible to let ResQ hear it. He shrugged. He had assumed otherwise, given the number of Wookiepedia articles that Dullahan read. In all honesty, given the crowd-sourced nature of Wookiepedia's writing, Dullahan trusted the historian-turned-lecturer much more than the website.

Dullahan turned his head slightly to face ResQ. "Well, I suppose I should help you get a head start in plenishing your tools of trade," Dullahan offered. "If we find any battlechips in the next battle, I believe it is more ideal for you to keep them."

Dullahan gave a reassuring smile to ResQ's feistyness in her reply, but his features took an immediate turn for the worse upon her rebuttal. Wrenching his attention from the negativity urging to surface, his head turned to the higher positioned Navigator. "That is a good question. For what purpose did I come into existence?" he shrugged. "... Hopefully, I'm no result of some imbecilic musings of a programmer." Birkenhead snorted, obviously bemused by Dullahan's unexpected snark.

The pseudo-medieval themed Navigator did not ease his pace. "Any one of your guesses would be as good as mine. Have any ideas to share?"

Dullahan folded his arms, brows furrowing slightly. "Makes sense? Though that explains not her design, nor personality," he noted, shrugging slightly. "Surely, Dullahan, you're not one to talk," Birkenhead chipped in, followed by a boastful laughter. The Navigator shrugged.

Dullahan decided not to interrupt "I guess we both just have to learn to play our roles better," he addressed ResQ, with a small smile. Though he felt no inclination to be overly nice to his temporary partner, Dullahan had decided to make the best out of it. After all, chances are that she's been more active in recent years than I was, he mused inwardly.

"So ideally, you would have a more 'complicated' loadout? I'm supposing that is your purpose for venturing into the Network," Dullahan inquired, even as he began walking towards a random direction. No point staying in one place.

Dullahan bent over to the ground, a hand reaching for his fallen cloak-- and his share of the loot. I'll need more work on this, he mused, dusting digital dust off the fabric. Making a light sprint towards his ally, he quietly observed ResQ as she made her way down from her jammed exoskeleton. He moved forward slightly when he caught sight of ResQ wobbling from her landing, but progressed no further as the latter straightened herself, her eyes on the loot.

"... The lady is not exactly... ResQ-y, no?" Dullahan addressed Alex, draping the cloak over himself once more. "Mind me not if I am wrong, but aside from the grappler, I see no other traces of her being an immensely helpful Navigator."

Dullahan visibly cringed as he saw the crumpled form of the well-expired Bunny at his partner's feet, even as he quickly re-shoved his expression down his programming. He eyed ResQ's expression; granted, knowing how most Navigators were made for the purpose of basic antivirus capabilities, she was probably okay with it.

Judging from Birkenhead's appreciative whistle, Dullahan doubted he could find solace in his Operator, as well.

"This one will probably be handy," he heard his Operator say, and true enough, Dullahan eyed that an additional arrow had found its' way into his quiver.

Judging from arrow's make, it was something that the Navigator rarely used, even in his older days.

"... Catch this, lady ResQ," Dullahan called to his partner, removing the cloth tinder wrapped around the arrowtip. If anything, the joy of the digital realms was that the users could just manipulate the appearance of data, making things amazingly cross-cultural. Nocking it, he fired it at ResQ's direction, slightly away from her to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"How noble of you to just lend something like that to a stranger, even if it is a lady," Birkenhead chided. "Chivalric code of some sort, eh?" "... I doubt that, honestly," Dullahan admitted, finding his own sequence of actions irrational. Insane or not, he was programmed to be bound by the train of thought of the author of his source material.

Turning his attention to the healthier Bunnies, Dullahan bursted into a quick sprint, closing their distance. Attempting to make his way around the closest Bunny, he extended his gauntleted hand and attempted shoved it forwards-- hoping to knock it back and disable its' electrical rings... ears... thing.

Almost immediately after, he tumbled out, attempting to get out of the Bunnies' range.


Summary of actions:
1. Battlechip: PhoenixShot1 - Pass over to ResQ
2. Tactical Movement - Towards BunnyA
3. Signature: Disarm - Feint (behind BunnyA) Then Disarm + 20DMG + Knockback - BunnyA
4. Dodge

Passives in action:
1. Recover - Passive 15HP Heal

Actives in action:
1. [Signature: Decoy Activate - Trap(Projectile Attack): (2-hit Shield) then (Confusion + 20 Strengthen)]

Cooldowns:
1. Cover - 2TCD

Dullahan would be lying if he were to say he wasn't surprised when a flock of virii suddenly appeared and was charging head-first at ResQ and himself.
"Move away," Dullahan called to his partner, his hands already moving to meet the threat. Drawing an arrow and scratching the tip across the network floor quickly, much like lighting a match, the smoke-driven arrow was nocked and released almost immediately -- the Navigator's first bow fire in ages.

Even as the weak incendiary travelled towards the stampeding bunnies, the large volume of smoking emanating from it beginning to prove its' worth-- Dullahan quickly decided to move out of their path, following his own advice given to his partner earlier. He tumbled rightwards from the Bunnies' path. "You already have a strategy, I'm assuming?" he asked his Operator. Sure, he had his own ideas, but Dullahan was pretty sure that he held no liberty over what data would be given to him-- as such, he had to ride it out based on Birkenhead's judgement.

"Not really, no, but I'm up for some experimentation," the Operator replied, finding the slot for the chips and did just that. Thankfully for the both of them, the chip of choice was a sound one-- because it had the word 'bomb' in it. And there were many bunnies.

Dullahan, drawing a different-colored arrow from his quiver, watched as the data materialised itself on the tip, forming a rounded object that exploded upon impact. Drawing a deep breath and holding it, Dullahan steadied his arms as he pulled at the bowstring, shifting his focus to aiming, and letting loose the electrified projectile to a landing point slightly in front of the charging bunnies.

If anything, Dullahan prayed that this was sufficient to deter the bunnies and escape-- murdering was not exactly on his list of exploration activities. His eyes shifted to his partner for a brief moment, wondering how well she will hold up against a stampede. ... Not that he would have to worry much, he assumed, considering she did have a size advantage over himself. ... Also, not that it meant anything in the digital realms.

Even as he watched the crowd of bunnies closely, he loosened his cloak slightly, readying for any retaliation that may come at his way.


Summary of actions:
1. Signature: Cover - Blast 2, Blind - Center of Bunny stampede
2. Dodge
-. Passive: Focus - Take Aim for next attack
3. Battlechip: MagBomb1 - 30DMG, Blast 2 (+1 from subtype), Stun - Accuracy D - Towards the Bunny stampede
4. Signature: Decoy Activate - Trap(Projectile Attack): (2-hit Shield) then (Confusion + 20 Strengthen)

Passives in action:
1. Recover - Passive 15HP Heal

Dullahan raised an eyebrow at ResQ, but did not question her seething sarcasm-- after all, there was no need for them to get along too well to function sensibly as a team. Thankfully, however, his 'partner' did not choose to speed off on her mechanised monstrosity, and allowed him to keep a steady pace behind her without being left behind.

[[Ready for Battle #1]]

A brief spark and a spray of black, powdery mist found its' way around an immaterial, humanoid form, revealing the not-exactly-veteran veteran Navigator, Dullahan. Dusting off his mantle, he gave a brief nod to ResQ, deciding that it was a better choice to have her take the lead.

"Just to be safe, Birkenhead-- learn your tools well," the Navigator started, bringing up a shared window with his Operator on his arsenal. The lucky thing was that Birkenhead managed to obtain these many chips and upgrades at a steal-- whoever who sold them off must have been very desperate for money. "Already ahead of you... I think. Not that I know what any of these jargon mean."

A pause. "Also, uh, the network looks surprisingly grounded on physics? Like somewhere that can exist in real life," Birkenhead added, now aloud. Dullahan just quietly allowed the lecturer to explore the world alien from his, even as he eyed his surroundings-- much like ResQ was doing-- for any immediate threats.

"Do you have a clue where to go, lady?" Dullahan addressed his partner.

Dullahan trailed the lady and mech towards the portal, running a palm across his nose as he anticipated for some excitement in a long while. Given how the NetSquare had changed significantly since his last visit, he was pretty sure that the viruses plaguing the unsecured networks would also have vastly different.

"Let our adventure begin," the Navigator said aloud, before stepping into the portal.

[[To ACDC Net]]

Dullahan nodded along the large mechanical arm's actions even as his gaze followed it, making a face mixed with curiosity and mild anxiety. Regardless, the handshake was done, and Dullahan hadn't needed to introduce himself to the floor yet.

His gaze returning to ResQ as she finally gave her name, he was amused at the sight of the other's attempts to contain her unexcitement. "Might as well make the best out of this, Lady ResQ."

"Oooh, I see, Res-Q! I see what you've done there, lovely," Birkenhead remarked, thoroughly enjoying the idea of a puntastic name. "Maybe I should rename Dullahan to something more witty, as well," the Operator teased.

"... Uh... No, I like my name just fine," Dullahan quickly interjected, making sure Birkenhead was no longer following that train of thought.

Birkenhead coughed, making a gesture towards the portal. "Well, I'm assuming we are ready to go? Do I have to prepare anything from my end?"

"Not exactly welcoming response," Dullahan mused at the mech-girl's anti-social tendencies, turning and ready to head off into the network. He paused, however, when he heard someone else addressing him. Dullahan eyed the window, raising a hand to scratch at his head. "Greetings, sir Alex." Much to his surprise, a window popped up next to him, taking the need of an introduction out of the Navigator's hands. "Alex, eh? Pleased to meet you --I'm Richard Birkenhead, and this here is Dullahan."

Much to Dullahan's amusement, the other Navigator seemed not to revel too much in her Operator's decision to interact.

"If I'm not asking for too much, Alex, it's my first time heading out into the network with Dullahan. It'll be great help if you could accompany us with your.. er... trusty... lady," Birkenhead began, but eventually became slightly unsure of whether the other Navigator will be co-operative. Dullahan's eyebrow raised, but decided to close the distance slightly and raised his hand for a handshake; even if it looked slightly out of reach between the lady, her exoskeletal machinery, and himself. "Pleasure to meet you, lady of metal," he offered, but looked ready to be turned down-- or worse-- get smacked. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Dullahan already intended to head to ACDC Net, being the area he was most familiar with. So it was merely coincidence when he realised that he could've been interpreted as following the mech-girl as she approached towards the portal.

"Oh, hello, guess they're heading over to ACDC as well," Birkenhead remarked. "So does this mean that from here on out, it'll be something akin to a video game? Guns blazing, fireworks, dramatic camera angles and whatnot? That'll be interesting." Dullahan shrugged. "That really depends on the Operator's tastes. It's technically possible, though I really do not want to entertain your curiosity by trying it out," the Navigator started, but paused right next to the mech-girl, immediately before the portal. He noticed how the girl was busy doing some read-ups, despite not having seen her doing intense reading on her way here. Is this her first time heading into an unsecured network?

Taking care not to sound like a stalker, Dullahan picked the safest conversation option to go with: "Is this your first time venturing into ACDC? Do you need any help?"

The Navigator can barely hear Birkenhead commenting on his attempts at being smooth.

[[From Dentech]]

Dullahan made sure to make his first entry into Netsquare as uneventful as possible. Making minor adjustments to the position of his slung bow, he trudged past the horde of programmes littering the packed square. "There's quite a crowd isn't there? And behind each of these are human operators, just like myself? It's a difficult imagery to summon," the Navigator heard Birkenhead speak, his tone a mix of childish wonder and academically-trained curiosity. "I don't think any of the tiny progs are manned," he remarked, instinctively looking for road signs to lead him towards a map or a directory.

Dullahan paused. He was a program; he didn't need directions if he has a built-in map.

Meekly scratching his head, he waved an arm in front of him, bringing up the Netsquare map-- a default feature in every modern Navigator. Several refreshes later, the map appeared. ... There was a ridiculously huge update on the layout since he was last here.

When did he last come here, anyway?

"... Well, Netsquare is sort of like the interchange for connecting between different networks. We came from Dentech Net, and from here, we can access to any other network in public domain," Dullahan quickly continued, not wanting his uncertainty to be filtered to Birkenhead.

Audio feed transmitting scribbling of a pencil on paper confirmed that his diligent Operator was taking down notes. The Navigator visibly relaxed and put a satisfied smirk on his face. The calm, however, did not last long before he realised there was some sort of commotion beyond, near one of the other Network portals. A quick check with the updated map told Dullahan that it was the portal for ACDC Net. Eyes rising from the map, even though not within close proximity-- he could tell what was the problem.

Someone placed too much affection into their creation, and gave a girl model Navigator a huge mechanised suit to play with.

"Oh, that design looks pretty neat, actually-- something mechanised, with a touch of sensuality. The mark of any boy's dreams, really," he heard Birkenhead sigh in satisfaction. "Do you think we can take a closer look?" Oddly enough, despite how Dullahan wanted to empathise with his ideas, the Navigator could not seem to grasp as to what he meant by 'every little boy's dream'. Dullahan shrugged; sure, why not?

As the Navigator closed the gap between himself and the mech-girl (as how Birkenhead had named it), it became increasingly apparent that the lady was not walking in a quick pace, and was basically being an attention magnet to all the other programs. ... And she does not seem to care. Dullahan folded his arms, slightly perplexed as to what was the other's intention.

An eyebrow raised both within the Network and behind the monitor in the Birkenhead residence, they silently admired and assessed the trudging mech-girl, albeit with a different perspective that was not shared between Dullahan and Birkenhead.

Some time later, Dullahan proposed for a trip down to the Netsquare.

Thus far, Richard encountered no problems trying to get himself used to all the technojargons of localised networks, file names, and how to operate his PET in general... Well, the basics, at least. His new Navigator was helpful enough to do a step-by-step tutorial to make the functions accessible from his cellphone, too-- thankfully. The last thing he needed was to look childish in public.

"Granted, the Netsquare is not exactly a physical location that you can walk into," the Navigator provided helpfully, as if catching Richard's train of thoughts before they left his lips. The man frowned. Was the technology so advanced as to being able to mind read? He sincerely hoped not. But he still caught me good there.

Richard sighed in resignation, asking Dullahan to lead the way as they began their first venture into the worldwide network.

[[To NetSquare]]