[CLOSED] Moonchaser

[Janeiro]

Availability (formerly): Janeiro, SouthernCross, Inugami
Location: Deep inside the Black Forest

A while ago Janeiro had thought that following the path through the woods would not be difficult. It had been broad and barely covered in grass anymore from the heavy use it saw in the artificial history of this place. But the deeper she wandered into the woods, the less discernable it became. Now she was mostly guessing whether a blank spot on the forest floor was random or part of the route she was supposed to take. Her detection skill didn't help much either, probably because there was nothing to interact with. She frequently had to change her direction, climb over little hills and fallen trees or try to maneuver past proliferating briers while making sure not to walk into a spider's web. The canopy of leaves was so thick that it was impossible to see the sky, but Janeiro noticed how the light slowly faded, and the trees, which stood denser the more she walked, became black pillars which seemed to always stand right in one's way. Some of the forest's animals ended their day and others took their place, chirruping, grunting and croaking.
She had not planned to stay in here for so long. In the darkness she wouldn't be able to find her way back, so Janeiro would have to make camp here. The darkness swallowed all of the ground's features, making it easier to use one's hands and feel the dry sticks, cool moss and rough stones than trying to find a place to sleep by looking. Even after searching for a while no satisfying spot had been found, and Janeiro felt that she would not be able to stay awake for much longer, when a dim glow in the distance caught her attention. Carefully she sneaked closer. The guide booklet had mentioned nothing about will-o'-the-wisps but who knew what the Cardinal system was able to create on a whim.
„Hello? Don't be afraid. You shouldn't be alone in the woods at night, y'know.“ The man looked at Janeiro, who stood up and looked back at the NPC. Around 50 years old, with unkempt long brown hair and a short full beard, his back slightly hunched. The glow Janeiro saw earlier came from the golden exclamation point over his head. How he had known that she was there she did not know.
„Come follow me to my hut. At least you'll have a roof over your head tonight.“

[SouthernCross]

Forests where an alien thing to most Australians. Sure, there where some, such as those in the top end of Queensland or the Southern Wheat Belt of the Western Australia, but they where small and their canopies fairly open.

The Black Forest was an entirely different beast. Hours of walking without encountering a single monster had Cross wondering why he had even bothered wandering so far. The fact he had needed to draw his weapon to use as a makeshift machete also wore on the giant man's nerves.

Still, spotting the glowing pot among the trees had given him a destination.

A moment later he emerged from the woods onto a small trail.

In the dark of the woods and night he loomed over the figures of an old man and a young woman with a green crystal floating over her head. Another player obviously.

It didn't occur to him for a moment what he may look like to the two. To suddenly have a giant of a man burst out of the woods in front of them armed with a two handed sword with his face completely hidden among the shadows. Who could know what they where thinking?

[Janeiro]

The rustling of the bushes made Janeiro ready her weapon. Something was coming. Something big. Was this a scripted event that was triggered because she had agreed to come with the man or just a random monster? She felt her heart pound in her chest as the creature came closer, bigger than anything she had fought so far... only to discover that it was supposedly another player. But he was huge! Janeiro had never seen a man this big, for a moment it was hard to believe. Maybe for some reason he was able to avoid the system reverting each character to their player's appearance and had kept his avatar where all the scales had been turned to maximum. It made the most sense to her.
She glanced at the crystal above the hulk's head. Green. Good. And another foreigner, but it was nothing too surprising. When she had bought the game she was expecting a much less diverse demographic than it turned out to have.
Janeiro slowly sheathed her sword again. "I did not expect to meet another player here. I am Janeiro."
The old NPC raised his brow as the bearded man crashed through the shrubbery. "Well, you better come with me unless you want to sleep outside, lad. In fact, you two might be able to help me with something."

[SouthernCross]

Cross sheathed his own weapon as the girl sheathed hers. Now that he was out of the brush, and not in any immediate danger, he had no more need for it. Once it was secured and comfortable he nodded to the younger girl and replied, “G'day, the name's SoutherCross.”

He nodded to the old man and stepped in behind the NPC, letting him guide the way while he remained near to the girl to tend the flickers of conversation, “I was worried I was gonna to get lost in all this bloody greenery. Glad I stumbled on ya, Jazza.”

His eye took in her form even in the failing light even though his face remained professionally neutral, something he had learned over his time as a politician. Compared to him she was tiny, though about average for a woman, but surprisingly stacked. She was also clearly asian, most likely Japanese. A minor detail in his mind, something that didn't matter in the long run, but a detail to remember to ensure he remembered her properly.

...It was something he had decided on the day this started. He would remember the names and faces of everyone he met in SAO and track them down when this was all over… or make contact with the families of the ones who didn't make it.

[Janeiro]

What a weird accent. One really did meet all kinds of people in this world. The two walked mostly side by side, as much as the thick forest allowed it. She raised her brow a little and looked up to her new companion. "Jazza?" She questioned the nickname, but did not complain. If he wanted to call her that way it was fine. Maybe it was like one of her old friends giving everyone a nickname ending in -cchi. "I was almost lost myself. I think I was following the path, but I'm not even sure if I was still following it. Maybe it has happened to others before and that's why the system created that guy." She spoke quietly and nodded towards the man in front of them. It was a bit awkward speaking about the game in front of NPCs, some had responses triggered by certain phrases and butt in at the worst moments.
Just when she almost felt like she would have to reach out with her hands not to run against anything in the growing darkness, they reached the little house of the hermit. There was only dim light inside from a fire in the hearth that the mysterious man had left unattended. There probably was no danger coming from whatever program ran the hearth, Janeiro figured. On the front door there was a wreath of wolfsbane featured prominently on eye level, or chest level in the case of Cross.

[SouthernCross]

“It's how we nickname our mates in Australia. All nicknames take the person's name then shorten it to end with 'a' or 'o.'” He explained as they walked, “I don't even remember how I got here. I was just going walkabout and the next I knew I was up to my eye balls in tree.” He chuckled, “At least there aren't any flies buzzing about.”

“Hate the black bastards.” He muttered under his breath.

After a moment he added, “Could be. Or he could be a monster in disguise like in one of them old Brother's Grimm books. Or a Sage with Ancient Knowledge he's willing to impart.”

He glanced at her again and smirked, “Or he could be an old perv looking to take a gander at a young shiela.”

[Janeiro]

Janeiro did not understand every single word he was saying, but in the context it became clear so there was no need to inquire further. "Let's hope the game is not so unfair to include such an NPC on the first floor already. Though you are right that we should stay vigilant." She frowned a little as she listened to his last sentence. "You know the game is recommended for 14 year olds, right?" In the back of her mind she knew that the game was not exactly how it had been advertised, but she seriously hoped that those responsible were satisfied with trapping the players in a game of life and death and had no desire to make them feel threatened in additional ways.

The interior of the hut did not hold many surprises. There were two doors which must have led to smaller rooms, the rest of the space was occupied by one large "living" room. They sat down on self-made wooden furniture which appeared to be walnut. There were several furs spread out on the floor and walls, proud antler racks on both sides of a single window and herbs and sausages hanging from the ceiling. The old man sat down in his own chair and leaned back while closing his eyes, only now showing his own exhaustion by breathing heavily.
"I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Skoll and would be very grateful if you could lend me your ear for just a bit before going to sleep."

[SouthernCross]

“Sounds about right.” Cross admitted even as he scratched his beard in thought, “I doubt the game itself will throw any such enemies at us.” He chuckled and thought back over the last few days, “But some of the limiters where disabled. Some folks back in the Town of Beginnings found it's perfectly possible for two consenting players to have a good shag.”

He decided it was best to leave out the part where some of the female non-combat players where considering opening some houses of ill repute both to make some money for themselves and keep moral of the clearing teams up. It was probably inevitable that he would have to step in and negotiate regulations keep things fair and protect those who where still too innocent to understand the services offered.

As they entered the hut he glanced around and took in the décor. The only hunting he had ever approved of before being trapped in the game had been of rabbits, one of the two animals considered 'kill on sight' in Australia.

Considering the other was the Cane Toad which the national animal rights groups encouraged people to kill by putting them in freezers…

But these furs and animals where nothing but code on a server somewhere. His prejudices had no place here.

As Skoll asked them to listen to his tale Cross simply nodded, not seeing a point in using words.

[Inugami]

Inugami leaned his shoulder to rest against one of the thick trees, cursing his bad luck. No at this time he was not lost like many of the the people who set foot in the forest alone, but instead he cried out against his poor fortune. While he had decided to come here in search of materials he could use to partake of his crafting, not a single enemy with the drops that he would need were to be found. Actually he had not seen hide nor tail of any creature in the past couple hours. The young adult checked the clock in his item menu, deciding that he would only give the search ninety more minutes before fleeing the cramped confines of wood and dirt.

It was in that short amount of time that Soma could hear movement far off in the distance that shuffled over the constant chattering of bugs and leaves in the wind. He stilled himself expecting a monster to attack from the foliage nearby, but the sounds moved in a direction away from him. The player knew he would not be able to stealth and get the jump on whatever it was, but the chance that it was one of the monsters that held the drops he needed to craft something to sell forced him to trudge along slowly after it. Soma was quietly thankful for the skill he had chosen to start with, and as he caught up slowly all he could see was a cabin tucked away in a small clearing. Spear held in his left hand, the young adult walked calmly up to the door and rapped four times upon the aging wooden door. "Anyone there?" Inugami spoke at the structure.

[Janeiro]

Janeiro glared at Cross. For her there was a limit to how blunt a person should be, and he was rather close to the limit. Those topics were none to casually talk about in public! She did not notice that the embarrassment of just hearing what some players had done brought a light pink shade to her cheeks. She wondered if all Australians were like that or if that was a quirk of his own.
Just as Skoll wanted to start with his story, there was a knock on the door and Janeiro twitched, her fingers reflexively closing around her sword's hilt before realizing what had happened. Skoll stood up, took his hatchet with a worried frown and opened the door.
"Yes? Oh, another visitor. Three at the same time, what a lucky old man I am. Come in, boy."
At first glance it seemed like just another random player, the weird clothes and distant memory tricking her, but then she recognized the new arrival. Her eyes widened. "Sugiyama-senpai!?", she exclaimed. Her eyes went back to Cross for a short moment. "We went to the same middle school..."

Skoll cleared his throat. He had enough of being interruped all the time. After pointing at a chair for Inugami to sit on he started his speech.
"For many years now I have been living in the forest and from the forest. I am part of it and it is part of me, yet I have not forgotten that I am a man and it is my duty to protect those who roam these woods. But there is only so much I can do and as I grow older I also feel that I grow weaker. There lives a wolf by the name of Hati nearby who attacks everyone, man, woman or child, who set a foot in what he claims to be his territory, tearing them to pieces mercilessly and even rejecting the meat, killing only for his own ego and amusement." His voice trembled with hate. "I have lost a lot to him, but if I were to face Hati, he would most certainly kill me. Please, rid the land of this monster!"

[SouthernCross]

Little did Janeiro know that Cross was a product of his nation's culture. Such topics where treated fairly casual so long as one wasn't on a crowded street. He could still recall how a traditionalist christian friend of his would avoid all talk of such things to the best of her abilities… then she got married and spent an entire night tell naughty jokes and making pervy puns.

A year later and she hadn't slowed down.

At the sound of a knock at the door he immediately went on guard and stood to his full height, a feet since his head was almost hitting the ceiling, and placed a hand on the grip of his sword. The light of the hearth enshrouded his face in shadows making his expression unreadable.

He didn't move a millimeter as Janeiro reacted to who was at the door except for one sentence, “So, not your boyfriend then?”

As Skoll finished his tale Cross nodded, "I will deal with this bugger for you Skoll."

[Inugami]

Inugami let his guard down quickly as the door opened to reveal an older man. He almost wanted to give a laugh as his white knuckled grip upon the starting spear loosened. With quick chuckle the young adult set the spear back into it's holder, unwary of the forest hermit. He was fine with going along with whatever he heard here for the time being, welcome to be out of the darkening forest as he doubted he would have been able to leave in a timely manner. However as he entered and saw the two other people in the room his leftover worry dispersed as shadow does when the sun arrives. His first sight fell upon the giant of a man in the room and would have probably thought that he was an NPC due to his size except for the small glowing green marker above his head. Internally he shrugged off his surprise with a kind look, only to hear someone say his real name.

Soma's attention now turned towards the other player, and though his memory took a minute to update itself after the passing of years. An ear to ear toothy smile and laugh announced how good of a mood it made him feel. He wanted to run up and give his younger school mate a hug, almost deciding too anyways despite the other person here, eventually finding it difficult due to a small piece of furniture that he found entangled in front of his feet. "Well little Rio-chan isn't so small anymore." Soma laughed as he moved a little closer and gave a gentle grasp upon her shoulder. "And no, not dating." He answered flatly. He was bothered by the giant man's question, but not of the subject. What bothered him was that it was none of his business even if they had been.

When it came to the old man's request, Inugami announced. "Not going to lie, sounds scary. But, I shall throw my decision in with my old schoolmate, wherever she goes at the moment I will follow." He did not mean the words to sound like he was just a loyal dog to follow it's master despite the name he had chosen for the character, but now that he had found someone from the real world that he knew, Soma would lose his mind if he lost track of her at this point.

[Janeiro]

There was a lot to handle for Janeiro right now, but first she wanted to finish what the game wanted from them. "We accept," she said and opened the user interface to invite both of them to form a party. Skoll gave them a satisfied nod. "Go north until you find a clearing with a menhir standing right in the center. If you get near it, Hati will definitely attack you." With these words he stood up and walked up to one of the doors. "You will find beds in the next room. Have a good night."

"Of course he's not my boyfriend!" Janeiro blurted out immediately. "We did not even see each other for almost three years." Had it been that long? Apparently. "He's not my type and I definitely would not date anyone with grades as bad as his. I hope you finished high school at least." She was overly harsh when it came to academics. If she ranked outside the top 10 of a class she considered it a failure on her part. Janeiro noticed Sugiyama... no, she should call him Inugami now, had grown to be quite tall, although the presence of Cross dwarfed everything else anyway. Her eyes showed that she was still mad at the bearded Australian.

[SouthernCross]

Cross was many things. Tall, a pervert, strong, a politician. But one thing he wasn't was dense. After Janiero's outburst his face broke out in the shit-eatiest of shit-eating grins the world of SAO might ever witness and began to walk forwards, “Meow!” He teased as he walked past the girl, “Feisty!” As he walked past Inugami he just patted him on the shoulder and said, “Good luck~” before heading out of the room towards the beds Skoll had pointed out.

Without hesitation he ignored the beds and sat down on a chair near a window and gazed out. Without looking at the other two he explained, “This isn't a Safe Zone. I'll take first watch.”

[Inugami]

"" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Inugami Lv1

So he was going off to fight a named wolf. Wonderful. Well at least whatever they run into there were three of them so unless an entire pack of wolves were set upon them, everything should turn out alright. Inugami knew that he did still have his starter potions, and they were set as favorites so he would not have to sort through his inventory for too long to pull them out. As the giant man over stepped his boundries, Soma shrugged off his hand and cut him a look that could only be read to have the most vile thoughts. What was said was not appreciated, but the ill look went away as soon has the large man left the room. "Try not to get too worked up about it." He said with his hands raised in a calming posture, putting himself in between the girl and the bedroom just in case she wanted to try anything dangerous. "By the way, I did end up gradutating school." Soma said trying to change the subject. "Was supposed to start a work study doing localizations for a publishing company after a few months. So what, you still queen of the test scores then?" Soma smiled hoping that his little joke title for his friend would be remembered. He wanted to avoid going into that bedroom for as long as possible, but after calming down a bit he would go at sit on one of the beds with his back against the wall. "Wake me next." He told Cross, and though he did not lay down he nodded his head to rest upon his hands. While he was willing to give Janeiro the benefit of the doubt that she had not begun to lose her mind, Inugami would stay awake as best as he could while the other man was on watch. This was not a safe zone, as he had already said.

MADE BY ★MEULK

OF GS