Chapter 7: Idle Animations Are Important Too

Village Boy B has invited me to his house to train in combat. This is a perfect opportunity for me to test my skills against someone who will not violently scratch my face and peck at my shins. I wasn't aware that Dadirdtoun had NPCs who could initiate combat like this, but Village Boy B is proving himself as a constantly growing enigma.

Ah wait, I gave him a new nickname, didn't I? The name in his text box should be renamed to Reuby now.

Apparently, he works in a field, and is the first son of five in his generation of the family. His father, Village Man C, is so perfectly reminiscent of what I imagined someone like him to be that I couldn't help but nod to myself.

A somewhat husky build, a dark beard, a boisterous laugh, with definite signs of years of hard work and a tendency to like ale. Yep. That's the essence of a background NPC worthy of the title Village Man C. I would've thought his son would follow in his footsteps, but the only thing that matches is the well-built body.

Maybe Reuby just hasn't gotten there quite yet. Right now both of them are talking a fair distance away from me, but it looks like the son is annoyed at the father. I can hear murmurs of “wife” and “don't waste this chance”, but I can't really put together whatever conversation they might be having.

Ah, well, it's not really my business anyways. I've got too much in my mind to worry about the fleeting conversations of NPCs.

“Talon! I'm sorry about the wait. My father's a real pain in the neck when he misunderstands things. I hope he didn't bother you with anything.”

“Hm? What would he even be bothering me with? If anything, he was great! He perfectly fulfilled the expectations I had for a Village Man C!”

“Is… Is that so? Um. Ok. And what about me? Do I meet the expectations of what Village Boy B should be?”

“Well, the design could use some work I think, but besides that you're remarkably advanced for an NPC! At least from first impressions!”

“To be frank, I'm not sure how I should take that.”

“Are you confused? Reuby, you were the one who asked.”

“Talon, everything you say is confusing.”

“Is that so? Well, it makes sense to me, so that's what really matters in the end, right?”

“...Sure. I guess.”

Reuby sighs. Every time I've seen him, he does that. It seems like he's been going through a lot of stress. From what I've gathered, Reuby needs to work for both his father and the Village Elder. I know the pain of having multiple jobs. Somehow, Reuby spared time to spar with me even after working for two other people. He truly is a commendable NPC.

But all that stress could affect how he trains me. I can't have that. Is there any way I can help…? What would a young man his age want?

Ah, I know. He needs reassurance and comfort! Maybe I'll try another one of my secret techniques. I softly place my hand on Reuby's head, ignoring the fact that I need to stand on my toes to even reach up there.

“Talon?”

“It's alright, Reuby, do you need some rest? It'll be fine. You've been working hard, haven't you?”

“Wha-?!”

“Once we're done here, we can just rest and chat. You'd like that, wouldn't you?”

“T-Talon?!”

I remove my hand and step in front of him, leaning forward slightly and crafting a smile.

“We don't always have to work so hard, okay?”

Haha! Take this Reuby! My special combo technique! I call it the “Trying to act cute based on what I've seen in anime attack!” This will surely boost your motivation to the highest levels!

“E-Enough! I'm fine! Just- Are you ready?!”

“More than ready!”

“Good. I'll be swinging at you with my quarterstaff, so for now, all you need to do is dodge my attacks. I'm not a professional or anything, but this should at least get you aware of your surroundings a little more.”

Well, that’s simple enough. Maybe movement in a more dangerous situation can help me understand this body a bit better.

I shift into something vaguely reminiscent of a battle stance, taking inspiration from various RPG idle animations I’ve seen throughout my old life. This may sound a bit silly, but I probably care about how I look here more than any other time. After all, idle animations convey a bunch of things about a character! The small things are important too! Even the first four members of the Hero’s party are conveyed really well.

The Hero stands resolute and firm with his sword drawn. Garst, the spearman, is cocky and holds his spear at a low angle as he crouches slightly. The bratty saintess Serabelle twirls her short staff in her hands as she sways her hips, and the energetic but stoic fighter Maya bounces around with short hops as she raises her fists.

When considering how I look and my current status as “Village Girl A”, it’s best to go with something peppy, but not too active. I don’t have the stamina to hop up and down like Maya, but my current appearance isn’t suited for a calm and cool type like the Hero either. If I just shift my angle against the light wind slightly like this, and put my hand on my hip like this…

Bam! That should work! A playful and powerful idle animation such as this can certainly become iconic! With the wind rustling my dress and hair, and the gleam of the sun making my green eyes shine, I think there’s a certain charm to my stance. I don’t really have any weapons to play with, so I add a touch of mysterious flair by shifting my weight forward while angling my other arm near my torso. I can't help but smile at my own genius.

Now, to analyze Reuben! How does he stand in battle?

Ehhh….

How boring! He’s got his quarterstaff in his hand, with the butt of the staff resting on the ground. Besides that, this guy’s just facing forward without any creativity. A standard expression, a stiff posture, and the only movement is just a slight twitch of his free hand. He’s not even playing with the wind or anything! Was I expecting too much from an NPC? Maybe I was.

“Talon, why’d you give me a look of disappointment? We haven’t even started yet.”

“Reuby, sometime soon, I’m going to teach you the importance of a cool idle animation. That’ll definitely upgrade you to a master class NPC.”

“I’m going to politely decline, because I have no idea what that means. Instead, I’m going to start attacking now. Prepare yourself!”

And just like that he launches from his position in a pretty quick motion and nearly catches me off guard. Unfortunately for him, the young cockerel pulled something similar, so I quickly step back from his initial swing. Reuben goes for a lower swipe as a follow up, but I use my heel to spin around and start running away towards the other side of the playing field. Running away is a perfectly fine strategy! In fact, since my current goal is simply to not get hit, this is one of my stronger moves.

“Too slow!”

I feel the quarterstaff touch my back. Ah.

“Talon, showing your back in a fight is almost always something you should never do. Unless you have some sort of surprise trick, moves like that will leave you vulnerable.”

“I didn’t realize you were that fast, Reuby. But that’s fine! Let’s go again!”

“As you wish.”

He launches at me again, but I’m able to avoid his staff longer this time by backing up strategically and throwing myself to the side during more desperate situations. I never attack him, because I’m not keen enough on any openings yet, but the rhythm of our confrontation is enjoyable.

Throughout the whole time, Reuby is giving me tips.

“Talon, don’t jump back far enough to where you lose your balance!”

“When you need to read the moves of someone, always try to match their gaze!

“Don’t forget Talon, never show your back!”

It’s strange getting coached like this, but I’m having fun! I never thought I would say that about physical activity. Is it because I have a training partner? Reuben truly is a remarkable NPC! What a discovery this is!

Our training goes until sunset. And by then, even though my joints ache and I can barely catch my breath, I already feel my improvement. I wonder, do I have stats? Maybe I just can’t see them, and for someone like me, my growth is based on feeling. I should look into that.

We’re in the middle of our longest string yet until Reuben finally gets me with a slight bonk on my head.

“Most of all Talon, be sure not to space off into your own world in the middle of battle.”

Oops. Guilty as charged.