Wandering on the Outskirts [PRIVATE]

[Elpharae]

Setting: The edges of the Black Forest, where danger is much less pronounced, but plants are aplenty.

Availability: Open for 1 Slots, Sora(Banned),Athena (On Hiatus [?]), Elpharae, Relsaille (Absent), KyleMartin (On Hiatus [?])

Notes: More world-building and socialization, as well as testing things out. Learning how to swing a sword around and thinking.

CURRENT LINEUP: RUE, ELPHARAE, CRIMSON, STARLIGHT

Elpharae walked idly against the plants, finally selecting a patch of empty grass, closing his eyes as he breathed in deeply. The clean, sweet air of SAO, so sharp and clear that he could almost taste it, the sweet-nothing taste of fresh spring water, flowed against his cheeks, which made his curtain of dark hair flow behind him. He kept his eyes closed, the feeling of soft fabric against skin and the rustling of grass and birds much more acute now that his vision was taken away. Opening his eyes slowly, almost regretfully, he opened his menu and selected Beginner's Armor and Beginner's Rapier, reminding himself that though it seemed peaceful and much farther away from the heart of the forest than other areas, it could still be filled with attackers. That said, he rubbed his wrists absently, the familiar gentle weight of his sleeves gone, replaced with a different long-sleeved shirt. The rapier, which he picked up, felt somehow alien and familiar at the same time, and he picked it up and swung it experimentally.

It cut through the air cleanly, only wavering once or twice almost imperceptibly. It was light, or at least, it seemed that way, and the blade was relatively sharp. Aside from that, though, Elpharae felt that in this world, it would be just as useful as a stick unless he learned how to use it. Standing up a little clumsily-the armor was new, and it was a little heavier than his usual attire-he tried to get used to this sort of thing. After the weight against his skin felt normal-at least, as normal as it could be-he tried swinging his sword to aim for something-an imaginary opponent, that was. As soon as he raised his sword, swinging it, he blinked as it swished down sharply-and completely missed the spot he was aiming for. It seemed the weight of this rapier was a deterrent-it was easy to cut through the air and carry, but its weight meant that it would be hard to slice down on opponents with thick skin or even with a strong wind blowing.

Well, darn. He briefly wondered if he was better off with an ax or something, before coming to the inevitable conclusion that it would probably crush him, and that would be his cause of death instead of a fairly normal reason. So the only option was to learn how to use this lightweight rapier. He studied the blade critically, thinking. If the problem was that it couldn't pierce certain objects because of its weight, then he would need to use more force behind his blows and try to aim more accurately at the same time, no vague strikes. Elpharae breathed in and out, calming himself. Relax. He shifted into what felt like a normal stance-he was sure that if a professional saw him right now, they would wince, but it seemed better than standing rigidly upright-shifting his weight on one foot and testing the earth on another, vaguely similar to a running stance, which he hoped would help him land a glancing blow on the opponent quickly and be out of range. If he wanted to brave dungeons and kill bosses, he was ninety-percent sure it was a terrible idea, but seeing as it was he was perfectly content just staying wherever, it could pass. For now.

He lunged forward, remembering to strike accurately and bring his sword down with more power, but as he landed on the other side of the meadow, he became rather self-conscious. Instead of blindly lunging, perhaps it would be more prudent to analyze things some more. Elpharae closed his eyes again. The step to activating your Sword Art-doing what felt natural. After a long beat of silence, he extended his hand in front of his chest and bent his elbow in front of him, twisting his wrist. The rapier glowed lightly, emitting a golden-white aura that shocked him. He hadn't expected it to be so easy.

A little stunned and surprised, the brunette stared at the weapon. It would probably wear off if he didn't use it in the next couple of minutes, but he had absolutely no targets. He looked over absently to the trees that surrounded him, and a plan began to form in his mind. He looked at his rapier thoughtfully, and a small smirk began to spread across his face. The beginnings of a plan began to hatch in his head. This could be a very interesting development, especially if it turned out to work. SAO probably had training dummies somewhere, but he wasn't quite in the sort of mood-ever-to search for that and possibly interact with players who might look down on him because of his feminine looks. No, thank you.

Moments later, he was viciously attacking the trunk of a tree. When he charged, it seemed to affect the tree nearby, too, so a two-person attack? It seemed rather underpowered considering all the moves he heard from others who appeared, but maybe it had a faster...recovery time, he thought it was called? It didn't really matter to him personally, but if someone asked him, he wasn't so fond of appearing like a fool. But in his head, he could call it the Howsermiser Ten Ton 284 Wait Attack or something equally as ridiculous, and as long as he understood, it would be fine. At least, he thought so.

He shook his head lightly to clear his thoughts. Tired, the player rested for a minute. He glanced up at the reddening sky and decided to head back soon, since he wasn't so sure he could continue on like this. Elpharae was quite pleased with his work, though, and requipped into his normal attire. The grass was soft and still warm and cool, and his clothes felt delightfully light, his hair still adorned with a pretty flower accessory. He wondered, idly, whether he should have tied his hair back and decided to do that the next time he trained. After three to five more attempts like this, he could probably head to the Great Plains and kill off boars until he was confident enough to continue on.

He listened to the peaceful chirping of birds, regaining his energy, before noticing that something was off. The birds had begun to scatter. A feature of SAO, maybe, signaling that the day was over? He didn't think so-on the edges of the town square, pigeons would gobble up dropped food and scraps like beggars. So it had to be something else. It could be anything, really. From a bear to a PKer to Kayaba himself. This was unsettling to him-the beautiful scenery began to look hauntingly eerie, and he blinked slowly before it reverted to its old landscape, lush, green, and flowering brightly.

He reequipped his armor, shifting into a defensive-ish stance (he still wasn't sure) and listening for any noise, his rapier fit comfortably into his hand. Elpharae had selected detection as a skill, so if he tried, maybe he could hear something? He cocked his head, listening intently, but only heard the utter silence. Maybe it was a monster, and he doubted he could deal with that, as new with this thing as he was, even if it was a low-level. And if it wasn't...he repressed a shiver, which trickled coldly down his spine. Fear was a powerful thing, but he wasn't going to let something in his mind rule him...no matter how ironic it was, since SAO was in his mind and was currently ruling him.

In any rate, he shifted into a more agile stance, depending on his speed. If it really was a monster or PKer, he would stand no chance, as weak as he was. His best bet was flight, but he wanted to see who it was. Slipping behind a tree, armor blending in to the best of his ability, he waited to see who/what was there. The quiet rustle of grass underneath his bare feet was muffled. Everything seemed to be silent, and the only sound he could hear was his steady heartbeat and the rustle of wind covering his breath.

[Athena]

     Athena loved looking at the edges of the Black Forest. They were always so beautiful, despite their dark and sinister nature. It takes a couple minutes of walking to even reach monsters within the forest, so fighting monsters wasn't usually a problem at the edges of the forest. There will be your occasional scuffle with the monsters there, but those rarely happened. Athena didn't have a particular spot that she liked to go, but she could appreciate nature in full. The swaying of grass in the wind, the fragrances of the various trees and flowers, and her favorite aspect of nature, the sounds of running water. Athena loved to listen to the sounds of running water. Athena wondered if it was just a coincidence that she had named herself after the goddess of wisdom, strength, courage, and inspiration. It was such an old name, which was barely ever used, much less mentioned by people. Athena started to think back to when she first joined the game, and the reason for the name. Did I ever really think of the name? I remember having a sudden word come to mind, and then I typed it. I didn't realize until after I had finished that I was typing the name of a goddess. I mean... I think of myself as superior to other people, but was that really what drove me to pick the name? Not that it matters... I need to focus on something else. I'm getting too distracted. After Athena commanded herself to find someone else to focus on, she just started to walk to see if there were any stray enemies on the edge of the Black Forest. Athena knew there wouldn't be, but the walk would probably do her some good and clear her head of questions for herself.

     Athena walked for a while, but stopped when she saw another person a pretty large distance away. She didn't want to disturb them because it was strangely beautiful to see someone out by themselves. It looked like they were practicing their swordsmanship. Athena got close enough to the person that she could see that they were using a rapier. Another rapier user... Athena observed their swordsmanship, and winced as they made some questionable stances and weak slices. Even though Athena hadn't been using a rapier for very long, she still knew how she needed to hold herself when she used it. The rapier wasn't a particularly sharp weapon, it was still capable of doing as much damage as the next weapon. That was definitely proved when the rapier user practiced their Sword Art. They were just using it on a tree... Or two. Athena couldn't tell from all the distance whether the rapier damaged two trees or one. She wasn't at the correct angle to see everything the rapier using was doing regarding their Sword Art. Athena thought the Sword Art they had would be very useful if they had created a party together. A strong hit like that to an enemy could do a significant amount of damage. If that enemy was blinded, the enemy wouldn't even have a chance to put any kind of defense against the attack. It might as well be a one-hit kill. Or maybe a two hit kill if the hit wasn't as powerful as Athena thought. The piercing effects of the rapier in that Sword Art would be useful, especially since all of the monsters on the first floor were flesh-based. That's why Athena thought that rapiers were actually better when facing monsters along the first floor. They could all be impaled by a rapier, which made for good practice and usually increased accuracy if you're always aiming for a particular spot. Athena's rapier was the only reason why she could be where she is now. She could only have gotten the experience she had with her weapon, so Athena felt a strange need to go help that person. Athena knew better than to interrupt someone while they were training though. Athena hated to be interrupted while she was executing her different poses and stances. It definitely looks like that person was definitely made to use a rapier. Any other weapon would probably be rendered useless because they'd be too heavy. That's kind of like me, but if I chose to, I could probably wield a longsword or someone else just fine. The rapier is just a lot faster, so I prefer using it since I rely heavily on Agility currently. I bet it's the same for them. 

     Athena watched the person finish their training and leave. The clothes they wore were exotic by her means. She'd never seen any clothes like them before, which intrigued her. Athena thought it was probably some kind of exotic robe or something. She suddenly realized that someone would probably pin her as a 'stalker', even though, she definitely was not. She wasn't stalking this person, she was simply observing them. Observing them... For sport. Observing someone for sport is a thing, right? Of course it is. I don't know why it wouldn't be. Athena shook her head and then found herself continuing to follow the rapier user. The rapier user took a short break, which Athena then battling internally with herself about the actual logic behind these actions. They don't make sense. Why am I following someone I don't know? Maybe because they're a fellow rapier user? Maybe... But something just feels off. I want to help them. But why? It doesn't make sense. There's nothing in it for me. But despite that, I don't care. Why don't I care? I need something out of every situation, otherwise, I probably won't live to see tomorrow. Athena looked at the rapier user, trying to scrounge more details about them from a distance. The only thing she could notice was that they had long hair. Is it because they're a girl? No. I've never cared much for helping people out because of gender... Athena scratched her head because she simply didn't know where the motivation to help them came from. Athena wasn't usually the type to help others unless something was in it for her, but there was definitely something different. Athena got so frustrated with her own thoughts that she became bright red as she tugged on her long grey-blonde hair. What is it?! Honestly. This is making me so mad! Why can't I figure this out? It's my motivation, so I should know exactly why I'm feeling motivated to help them! By the time this internal battle was over, the person she was following was long gone. Wait. Where did they go? ATHENA. HOW COULD YOU LOSE THEM?! WAIT. WHY AM I FREAKING OUT ABOUT THAT? As Athena just about pulled her hair out, she decide to start walking back to town because she probably wouldn't even see the rapier user again.

     To Athena's surprise though, she found the person sitting behind a tree not far from where they originally were. Athena observed the look of sheer horror on the person's face. Now that she could see them up close, she realized that the person was definitely a girl. The girl looked like she was about to be murdered, which scared Athena... A lot. What was so scary that could be not far away from here? Athena took a quick peek around the tree and didn't see anything. It was oddly quiet, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Athena actually appreciated her surroundings much more when things were dead silent. No birds chirping, no trees swaying in the wind. It just made everything look picturesque. And this picture of a girl standing in fear for her life against a tree was awful. Athena now understood why so many people began to heat the game with a passion like no other. It makes people fear for their lives every moment of every day. It makes them so paranoid about the lack of sound that they won't move. They can't function because they think they're going to be killed every second of every day. Plus, it doesn't help that some stupid humans are killing other members of this game. Sadism at it's worst right there. And to see an innocent girl like this fearing for her life despite her pleasant demeanor and hard work, it could make any feeling human cry. Of course, I'm not a normal feeling human. Athena silently laughed at herself out of pity. She looked over at the girl and came up to her slowly. She could imagine that the girl wouldn't accept her offer to help, but she offered to do it anyway. "Hey... Are you okay? You seem scared by something, but there isn't anything I see to be scared of." Athena tried to look caring, though she probably just looked awkward since Athena had just beaten herself up about not knowing the reason for wanting to help this random girl.

[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ ✐ 1673 Words ✉ I win! ^_^ Relsialle Lv4 The edge of the Black Forest afforded a bit of calm in a chaotic realm, especially in cool mid-day. The fog of the inner recesses of the woods was well known to Relsialle along with the monsters that lay hidden within the numerous hidden clearings and pathways. The deep forest was largely unexplored for the most part, the information sellers of Tolbana and Beginnings making a healthy living distributing map updates of the region supplied by the more enterprising players of the server. However this danger afforded a bit of calm, especially in the outskirts, with people avoiding the uneasy sight of the wood even in the small pockets of safety that existed near civilization. At any rate it seemed that more and more players were finding their way out of the Town of Beginnings as the weeks past, the confidence growing in the player-base as the dungeon grew to be challenged by the front-line clearers. Thoughts that the game could be beaten were taking hold in even the most cowardly of SAO’s hostages. This was good at any rate, the more souls that risked their lives made for an easier time for all. However, frustration now set in more frequently in the more adventurous players as solitude became more and more of a rare commodity. Relsialle found herself snoozing in the upper branches of the tree, the mid-day sun warming her lightly tanned skin as the green leaves caressed her as she lay comfortably in her chosen perch. The branches swayed lightly as the wind took them, moving to and fro like a swinging hammock built into the leaves like a small gift from mother-nature. A deep breath exited her small sharp nose, her crystalline-blue eyes gently closed as the world passed her by. Rest these days was difficult to find these now as the dungeon finally lay wide open to those that would challenge its depths, the memories of the grime and cold darkness from her own delves still giving the Irishwoman a slight shiver as she retreated further into the hidden dreams that lay in her subconscious. An innocence seemingly hung on her as she slept, the violence and attitude that she famously exuded with every waking hour now had grown silent in her restful calm. An electric buzz of the amplifiers feedback echoed through the crowded Dublin nightclub, a pink Gibson clenched in a familiar pink-haired girl’s hand as she swayed back and forth…shifting her weight to warmup just as the blond drummer rapidly tapped a few hashed bars on her snare drum to stretch her fingers. A wicked grin was on the guitarist’s lips as the cheers from drunken patrons began to pipe-up as the band was introduced…”Everyone, welcome to the Garage Bar Dublin…First up tonight is our favorite local girls from just down the road…0-3!” Anna couldn’t help but blush as the adrenaline pushed through her, the same introduction heard so many times that many would have thought that it would fall on deaf ears, but no, she couldn’t help but feel elated every time…The thick strumming of the raven haired bass player started to push through the dive’s PA system, a deep rattle heard as each glass in the club shook with the soundwaves that could only get more intense as the song went on…the drummer finally kicking up in a steady rhythm to join her partner churning through the heavy bassline. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ON5dXChIbk) Anna stood in the dark, lingering like a ghost as her smile softened, her fingers finally moving to play along…her light steps dragging duct-taped her guitar cord to the well-lit microphone stand, her fingers playing out the slow song…The lights grew dark, switching to a deep blue to match the sad and loenly mood of the song. Anna’s anger slowly disappeared, her attitude faded, this was where she was meant to be…just on this stage letting all of her stress and angst fade away into nothingness. Anna’s angelic voice finally grew present in the lyrics, her tone and inflection rising and falling with each note she strummed… The tempo rose for the big guitar solo…and... CRASH! The tree shook with a violent force, jolting the rogue out of her dream in an instant, air entering her lungs as the dream faded away into nothing…the Irishwoman’s features fading as the realization of the reality that she was still trapped in came back like a slap to the face, the memory the only thing left to give her comfort. A second crash ripped through the tree, the vibration pushing its way up the trunk of the tall chestnut with enough force to stir the ambient birds nesting in the branches above her, their chirps fading away as they flew away quickly to escape whatever or whoever saw fit to disturb them out of their nests. “Son of a bitch!” Relsialle yelled loudly…finally kicking her foot out from her safe (for now) perch, her leather boot lashing out fiercely at the imaginary opponent that served as a stand-in for whoever dared to stir her from her dreamy bliss. Her words were flavored with her thick Irish accent, the curse leaving her perfect lips with the pure force of her frustration as her sharpened features illustrated her anger at being woken from her slumber. Her slender fingertips dug into the wood for better grip as she attempted to steady herself, the branch swaying a bit more than what was comfortable from the chaos below as well as her surprised reaction. The bark crumbled slightly from her abuse, the older patches falling away to land on the forest floor below, exposing a few ambient insects that dwelled within…“Can’t get a moment of peace in this fucking place, I swear…” The girl swore to herself, her accented spite-filled words firing out rapidly as she held on, waiting for the movement to cease before she would climb down. Her knuckles grew white as she clung to her branch for dear life…the wood splintering slightly from her fingertips as a soft growl emanated from her vocal cords. The swaying had begun to cease gradually, allowing her to finally loosen her grip, a soft sigh leaving her as quiet once more set in. The rogue exhaled softly in relief, slowly leaning her head over the side to catch a glimpse of the person responsible…unsure if a unaware NPC had just chose her tree for removal and perhaps processing into some unknown item to continue the ambient trade that seemed to give SAO its background flavor and spirit…the life of the world that was put forward for the sake of appearance and realism… The sunlight faded gently away as Relsialle peered over the side of her safe haven, a thin girl in beginner’s armor now catching her attention enough to force her to lift a dyed eyebrow in confusion. Why was she here of all places instead of the plains with the other low-levels? The question running through the musician’s mind in a blink, she pondered the question a moment as the dark haired teen switched back into social clothing, the thief’s crystalline gaze still on her for the time being. The Irishwoman blinked as she observed, the younger girl’s momentary lull disappearing as she almost instantly dawned her armor and faded from view behind a nearby tree, her body language clearly showing an almost extreme fear…Had a monster appeared this far out of the forest? Relsialle doubted it, since she had faced the threats of forest nearly from day-one of their confinement, and the wolves and Nepents rarely ventured this far from the cover of the mysterious fog…but what was it? Relsialle leaned over a bit more to catch sight of what exactly spooked the young girl…The musician hated the empathy she was displaying more and more these days, a seemingly new quality that the game had forced upon her, leaving her unsure if the game itself had given her these feelings of responsibility or the numerous acquaintances that she had forged with the new faces that she had come across in her wanderings and adventures. The pink-haired rocker shook her head free of the thoughts, straining slightly as her placement became unsteady…a young blond girl coming into view just as her fingers slipped free sending her tumbling over… The young-woman’s body thrashed through a trio of branches as her body sailed through the air like a cinderblock…the punk-rocker obviously lacking any form of acrobatics talent, an easy assumption made for her painful lack of grace. The branches tore at her as she fell, the leafy sticks becoming blades as she flew past them before hitting the ground with a sickening thud…laying just yards away from the pair. Her icon was green at least, not a PK’er in the obvious sense…a hefty drop in her HP diminishing her as a threat for the time being. The dazed pile of flesh stirred as a soft groan escaped her, her head turning slightly to lay her bright hair off to the side… She was dressed well, her lithe form covered in a thin cotton sleeveless yukata (See profile picture) a black obi tied tightly around her waist. Her primary weapon was tucked in the back of the belt, a steel beginner’s dagger…the pommel barely visible in the folds of the fabric but still placed easily for a quick and efficient draw. Her boots were covered in a thin sheen of mud and leaves from her impact, but clearly not the footwear of a beginning player, laced well despite her fall. Further signs of her clandestine nature could be found in the small pouch that was wrapped around her bare thigh, sitting high but only could only guess what it would contain…too small to carry any major function item but too small to carry a standard weapon. The Irishwoman tensed her muscles slightly as she shifted her hands to her sides, pushing off of the ground with a slight hiss of pain…feeling and life slowly coming back to her despite her sudden and sleepy enterance.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Elpharae]

Elpharae rubbed the rough, aged bark underneath his fingers, quiet and unassuming. His eyes were closed, and he was listening intently for any sign of life. Nothing. Not even a chirp from any random bird, much less the sound of any other living animal. It was unsettling. He turned, suddenly, listening to footsteps that approached him. He swore lowly in French- had he been too unobservant?- under his breath and at the sound of the voice, which came from a girl. Green. A little relieved, but still on his guard, he analyzed her as well as he could. Blonde, seemed to be confident, and was comfortable in her surroundings-probably someone more experienced than him. At her question, he cocked his head and opened his mouth before closing it again, hands not loosing their grip on his rapier. Green or not, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that she knew him a little too well by her gaze, and she seemed to think he was harmless- a perfect opportunity to strike. And she could have a party with her, but he doubted it- so he faced her, taking a deep breath as he gnawed on his lower lip, dark eyes black in the dimming light.

“The birds are silent,” He tried to explain, his free hand clenching around his skirt. His soft voice seemed much louder, somehow, in the stillness, and he flushed a little, surprised somehow. The pink sky had a group of yellow-tinged clouds gliding by, and the sky had a couple of birds flying in a large flock, but different kinds. He narrowed his eyes, taking a careful step away from the direction the birds came from, making sure he wouldn’t make any noise from breaking any twigs or anything. He breathed in, noticing that the sweet scent of flowers and the clean, dry- grass smell still lingered on his skin. “That’s incredibly unusual. SAO has no function that I can think of that makes birds or any other audible animal disappear. In Tolbana, birds linger unless a player steps too close, an event is happening, or a monster is unleashed. Like canaries in coal mines, I depend on that sometimes. Or at least now. I know I’m too weak to confront anyone head-on, so I try to listen. But there’s no sound. This is a forest. Countless living things are here. So why won’t they make any noise? Unless it was you, I suppose. But…you didn’t come from the direction of the forest.”

He closed his eyes again, listening for any other noise. He scanned the area again, making a clear train of thought. Birds were in trees, and in SAO, you had to be very close to birds before they flew away, so simply being under the trees wouldn’t be enough to spook them like that. So that meant…an attacker from the trees, perhaps? The brunette’s grip on his sword tightened, before he forced himself to relax. Analyze everything, he told himself, counting to fifty in his head. You won’t stand a chance angry, so keep calm. Don’t let your emotions rule you. Once tranquil, he tried using his Detection skill again, tilting his head and breathing in and out slowly. Patience. Then, he heard a clear thump, like a hit against something you knew you couldn’t pierce. Like a fist to a steel wall…or a tree trunk. His eyes shot open, wide-eyed and surprised. Elpharae had assumed he was just being paranoid, but the understanding that there was someone out there hit him hard, and fear began to filter into his mind, much to his chargin. His hands shook the slightest bit, and his breaths were unsteady, despite his attempts to keep his wits about him.

All he could hear was his heartbeat, fast and quick-paced. His walk was unsteady. He had felt quite emotionally detached before to the game of SAO, but the fear had triggered the realization in him that this was his life. If he died…what would happen to him? Elpharae’s rapier dangled from his fingers loosely, and he leaned against the tree, trying not to show how hard the impact of those thoughts had hit him. The fear, the anger, the utter shock that made him paralyzed- was this what people suffered through every day in here? This constant worrying, the fear, the thoughts that were dark as oil against white sheets…he thought that those were silly earlier, believing that there was always going to be someone who could truly defeat the game, but what if Akihiko was lying, and there was no way out?

“There’s nothing else that can be taken from me,” He had heard a player say drunkenly at a bar, somehow straight-faced and serious as he spoke. The scent of strong ale, mingled with ale, had pierced the air as effectively as a knife through butter. Elpharae, lingering on the outskirts, unsure of how to respond and listened anyways. Was there information to be gleaned from this man, who seemed to have good gear and was with a party of his own? “Sword Art Online’s taken it all. Do you really think that someone will beat this game? That psycho, Kayaba, trapped us in here. What’s to say it’s not for as long as this game exists? There’s a life out there, but even if I went back…I don’t think I could recognize myself. Neither could my loved ones.”

He had shrugged it off back then, but now, he realized the true gravity of the situation. It had to be addressed at one point or another. Elpharae paused, thinking back on the older man’s words. His mouth was drawn into a thin line, and he pushed himself off the tree a little more forcefully than intended, fueled by his anger and fear. The brunette's eyes furrowed. The other player was wrong, he thought darkly. There’s always something else to loose, no matter how small or big. Until there’s just your life, and by then, you couldn’t even call it a life; not really and truly.

He calmed himself to the best of his ability just as another sound, this time much louder, was heard. He turned quickly, brought out of his reverie sharply. He assessed the blonde girl quickly, hoping she could help him figure out what that was, his eyes darker and colder now. His fear had steeled into resolve. He was not letting someone take more from him, no matter what it took. That didn’t mean he had to foolishly risk his life, though. The fair-skinned player made a “come over here” gesture with his hand unsurely, before striding quietly over to where he heard the noise. What he saw was not what he expected. At all. Instead of a monster, it was a player, for one, and she seemed plenty dangerous, but her diamond / identifier thing was green, like the blonde’s. Elpharae placed a hand on his rapier, still defensive. Her HP bar was low, though, and he hesitated.

Well, there was no time like the present. If she had wanted to hurt him, the dangerous aura around her aside, he bet that she could probably do it better, more efficiently, and much more stealthily than now. So he knelt down, switching his armor for his social outfit with his other hand, but kept his rapier on him. He offered her his hand silently, and whether she would take it or not, that would be up to her. Pulling her up- or not, he wasn’t really checking if she took his hand, and was a little too distracted to pay attention to any shifting weight- he turned to the blonde girl from earlier, who had showed concern, inclining his head a little as he thanked her for following him, most likely to help or protect him, his anger and coldness ebbing away quickly, much to his sudden relief. There was no point in trying to help or defeat others if he couldn’t control himself-and if he couldn’t do that, he would be much less likely to control others, which most players would probably do in order to survive. His blood cooled, and his heartbeat steadied, though his grip was still firm around his rapier’s curved handle, eyes coolly appraising the newest arrival. The two girls who were in the clearing certainly had an eye for style- both were wearing fashionable enough clothes to make him feel at home, at least sort of.

Bright hair, though she seemed to have a talent for stealth, birds aside. Interesting. Stealth- what could be useful with a skill like that? Thieves, maybe. PKers, definitely, but he doubted she was one- green marker and all that. Definitely talented, though, since that fall only took a portion of her HP, while it might have taken much more for a player of a lower caliber. He looked up again at the swaying branch above him and down to the ground again, his long sleeves loose and brushed by the wind. His eyes leaped from the blonde to the other, thinking deeply. Then he bowed slightly, eyes curious and much gentler as he addressed the blonde from earlier, mostly, but also the mysterious person who appeared so suddenly. “Apologies. I had brought you so suddenly to here, and yet I haven’t even introduced myself. Elpharae, level one player.”

Then he focused in on a section of the area, and stood there after a couple of steps, where it was easier to see the two girls and converse with them. It didn’t escape his mind that he was in a corner, either, so if they came at him, they would have to go one at a time. His hands suddenly flew to his mouth, a little surprised and shocked at himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a bird circling the sky and landing on a branch nearby, chirping quietly and musically. He smiled internally, glad the danger had passed. It was most likely this new arrival, though. On the outside, though, his mouth formed a small “o” and his eyes widened by a fair amount. “Oh, I’m sorry- I forgot to ask whether you were okay, miss. That was quite a long fall you took, and it damaged your HP by a fair amount, so are you sure you’re okay?” He awaited a response anxiously, leaning on one leg as he stood, a little sheepish at not remembering to ask after her well- being.

He turned his divided attention onto his surroundings, thinking. Some of birds were circling, but not landing, which was strange. Did that mean that there was another person or a rogue monster out here? The hilt of his rapier felt much cooler on his skin for some reason, and he thought a little to himself before turning to the others. "There might be another person or a rogue monster out here, since the birds aren't landing back in their trees. I'm not too fond of taking any chances, but it doesn't seem to be too dire and a bird is nearby us, a warning might suffice. I...apologize if I offended you by implying that you were weak or in any other way. That wasn't my intention."

He ducked his head, blushing profusely, and the anger, guilt, and sadness from earlier dissipated completely. The brunette brought his salmon-colored sleeves to his mouth, trying to hide a little from any other impending stares that might pierce him or make him a little more uncomfortable than he'd like to be. But out of the corner of his eye, he watched a bird circle the sky, skimming the edge of the trees but not coming close enough to touch. What could you be sensing, little bird? Or is it just a false alarm? He asked quietly inside his mind, dark eyes intense and focused before he dropped his gaze and looked over at the two, a bit of shyness coloring his gaze. Next to two most likely more experienced players, he felt a little self-conscious and outclassed.

[Athena]

"INSERT CHARACTER QUOTE HERE" ☒ Elpharae relsialle ✐ --- ✉ I SHALL WIN THIS. 2316 words!!!

Athena watched as the girl still positioned herself against the tree, an obvious sense of fear looming over her. I really hope she's okay... Athena knew what fear could do to a person, especially inside this game. It caused people that may have had latent talent to be killed. Death was not something that was unfamiliar to anyone in SAO. Being trapped in this game was frightening to some people, and plenty of people died every day. The fact that people died aggravated her, but she also understood that natural selection was something she couldn’t stop. In the game, it was kill or be killed, whether that be by a player killer or by one of the enemies that resided in the game. This game… It was a game of survival. A game that Athena had never played before, but since she was putting her life on the line for this, she wasn’t going to allow herself to lose. Too many things would happen if she died. She couldn’t tell her family that she had the time of her life while inside of the game. She couldn’t tell her friends who thrilling it was to be playing a game with the largest bet you could ever make, your life. She couldn’t do so many things if she died. She couldn’t continue enjoying the game, even though it did cause her to be distressed at times. Having these thoughts put Athena in the sudden mindset of the idea of her dying. Would Death be cruel here? Would I mind it? Would it be greeting me like an old friend? Would I feel cold? Would I feel warm? Would someone cry over my death? Would someone ask why I had to die? Would someone curse God and Kayaba Akihiko for her death? Was it really true that you could even die in the outside world if you died here? I have no way of knowing that for sure, and I'm not going to test out the hypothesis myself. I don't think a warning that large provided by the creator of the game would be fake. It would be taking a huge risk, but if it wasn't real, it would get your game a lot of publicity. If it was real, you'd be outcasted and thrown in jail. Athena was about to start thinking about Kayaba's motive for making the game, but she suddenly realized what the situation she was dealing with right now was.      Athena heard what the girl had said back to her, but the response, at first, didn't make sense. The girl looked shocked by her own voice at first, which made Athena a bit uneasy. Why was she shocked by her own voice? She'd heard it before probably and didn't seem to be the type to refuse to talk just because she was around others. Athena pulled her thoughts back to the girl's words. 'The birds are silent' The birds are silent? What does that exactly mean? I mean... Besides the obvious. The birds are silent, but what does that have to do with her fear? What's the correlation? As soon as Athena had finished that question in her mind, the girl conveniently answered it for her without even knowing she had. Athena was confused by the rest of the girl's explanation, but it appeared that the girl had used birds as a form of telling when there was danger nearby. This thought impressed Athena, but the reason as to why she always had to listen for the birds alluded her. Hearing was only one of the five senses. Also, hearing is one of the most subjective senses. People can always claim to 'hear' things, when there was really nothing there. Athena supposed to herself that it was the same with sight, but most things related to sight had some form of realism in it. People might see shadows, but think it's a monster. Either way, they see an object. With hearing, sound is not always definite. Sound is normally heard for a few seconds, and then it dissipates. Because of this, that means that most people have a hard time proving things that have to do with sound because it doesn't last more than a few seconds. Athena started to question her own logic because she started to come up with differing situations where all senses are subjective. Soon enough, Athena came to the conclusion that sound was the most frequently subjective sense. Athena breathed a sigh of relief at herself because she had finally organized her own thoughts again. She soon found that her mind had wandered for some odd reason again, not allowing herself to focus on the situation at hand. Why is it that my mind is always drifting from the situation at hand recently? Is it because I'm tired? I'm sure that's it. I'm sure it's because I'm tired. There couldn't be any other explanation... Right? There couldn't be anything other than my own being tired. But what if that's not it? What if it's about this girl? What if she is somehow finding ways to distract me? But how could she do that? She barely says anything. Hell, she says nothing and she distracts me. I wonder why that is... Wait! I'm drifting off again. What is wrong with me?!      Athena shook her head lightly, trying to focus on the situation at hand. It appeared that she hadn't missed much. The girl was still against the tree, but she didn't seem like she feared anything. It almost seemed like she was trying to focus really intensely. What could she possibly be focusing on? Was she trying to find something? From what I can see, there isn't anything around. It is oddly silent, but it usually is oddly silent anywhere I go... Maybe I should ask her what she's focusing on. Before Athena could approach the girl with her question, she heard a large 'thump'. So the girl wasn't crazy. The girl, as well as Athena, had definitely heard something and Athena now knew that this girl was a lot more observant than she was. Someone more observant than I am... How interesting. It's not impossible for someone to be better at detecting things than I am, especially since I don't have the detection skill. If I had that, I wonder what I would notice more... Would I notice more birds and such like this girl? Or maybe I would notice more things about enemies? That makes me wonder what, specifically, the detection skills gives you bonuses to. I realize it enhances all of your senses, but what would that be like? Athena started to try and understand what it would be like to have enhanced senses. No matter how hard she tried though, she couldn't do it. Something she couldn't understand was trying to exceed her own capabilities. That was something she simply couldn't imagine, and she thought that this was probably the case with a lot of other people. What would she feel when she could smell things at an extreme level, higher than anyone else? What kinds of sensations would she experience by feeling objects? Would she feel extreme pain when she would touch something sharp or when she'd get hurt by something? Would she be able to smell her own blood when she got a small cut? Would she be able to see a field mouse in a large field like an eagle? Would she be able to hear a piece of gravel being dropped in a room that was decently quiet? Athena wondered many of these things as her attention was drawn back to the girl because she was waving her over. It seemed like the girl was going to check out the sound. Athena really didn't think it could be anything serious, especially not this far out from the forest. Athena reiterated to herself the idea that monsters rarely ever appeared at the edge of the Black Forest. Plus, a monster couldn't have made a 'thunk' like earlier. It was something that had to be a bit larger than most monsters.      Athena skeptically looked around the tree, finding a girl who had bright pink hair. How awfully odd... Pink hair? I mean... This is a video game and all, so it's probably not uncommon. Athena analyzed the girl that was lying on the ground. She definitely wasn't a player killer since she had a green marker above her head. Though, just because she had a green marker didn't mean that she wasn't still capable to severely injuring them. From the look of the pink haired girl, she seemed quite harmless, especially since her health bar was low. Even after dropping out of a tree, Athena was impressed that she hadn't taken even more damage than she had. Each branch that she hit on the way down probably would've inflicted about 3 damage, unless she was wearing some pretty sturdy armor. Unfortunately, she wasn't. Athena looked up at the path that the pink haired girl had fallen down. Some of the branches were destroyed, while others were completely intact. Though, the majority of them seemed to be alright. Athena, unfortunately, knew that the branches that had cracked a little bit probably wouldn't grow anymore. That would probably stunt growth in that part of the tree, making it lopsided later when it grew a lot more. Athena looked at the tree and noticed that the tree was a dark color, like the hair of the girl she had followed. As she looked at the tree and the girl she followed, she suddenly noticed that she was wearing some kind of floral ornament in her hair. She wasn't sure where it could've come from, but it was beautiful. Maybe I need to get one of those for my hair. Though, it probably won't suit my hair as well because my hair is light. Her hair complements the ornament well because she has dark hair and the ornament is gold. The light gold color against her dark hair helps to accentuate the intricate floral colors of the flower. Athena looked closer at the ornament, then realized that it would probably look weird for her to be staring at it so intently, so she looked away and went back to the original place she was standing before examining the pink haired girl.      Athena observed the girl she had followed as she had gone to a spot where it was obvious that she could see both of the girls she was introducing herself to. The girl had introduced herself as Elpharae. What an odd name... I've never heard anything like it before... I wish we had books containing common knowledge in the world so that I could do some research on it. Oh! Maybe I could just ask her what her name means. That'd be a good question to ask her, especially since I'm curious about it. Or... Maybe I can try to guess what it means beforehand. Athena thought up all of the languages that she possibly could, but she never found any common words that would combine to make the word Elpharae. She checked the Latin language, which she thought came up with exactly no matches in either words or mixtures of spellings of words. Athena huffed at herself for being unable to figure it out, but she did not linger on it for very long. Suddenly, she realized that she forgot to introduce herself as well. She kept a composed facial expression as she quickly bowed. "Athena. Fellow level one player." Athena wished that she wouldn't have had to say that she was a level one, but that's what she was. She didn't understand why she wasn't making progress as fast as any of the front running players, but she never dwelt on the thoughts concerning the front runners for very long. Especially since they were normally people who devoted all of their time to fighting. Athena didn't have the energy, nor the will to fight all day long. She needed to take breaks, she needed to make sure that her health was well taken care of. She would always take time to practice her intellectual skills by giving herself puzzles to solve or trying to solve a new riddle from time to time.      Athena caught herself getting distracted... Again. What was it about herself that was making her mind wander so much? She had absolutely no idea, and whenever she thought of something that might be making her mind wander, she realized that her mind would wander off again... And again... And again. Athena never thought of herself as absent minded, but this situation definitely made her rethink her own view of herself. Was she a sporadic, absent minded, and unintelligent bimbo? She wasn't sure. Was that how other people viewed her? Well... For the time being, it didn't really matter. She made a mental note to herself to come back to that topic after she was done talking to everyone, and had gone to sleep. Athena then noticed that Elpharae was blushing profusely and being very shy. Wait... Wasn't she just being courageous a second ago?! If she was, why is she blushing and being all shy now?! Is this how she normally is? I wouldn't think so, especially after seeing her in the state that she was just in. But... People are confusing. Elpharae definitely makes me confused and disoriented for some reason beyond my comprehension. Athena looked at the pink haired girl. She was definitely a more experienced player than herself. Elpharae, on the other hand, seemed to be a beginner. Yet, she had the courage to go out toward the edge of the Black Forest. Maybe Elpharae was courageous? "Oh! By the way, what does your name mean Elpharae? And what language does it originate from? I've never heard anything like it."

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Sora]

Ooc: sorry for needing to do this but I'm just dropping this here to let you know I'll be joining just right now it's 11:30 pm for me so I'm too tired to attempt to try and keep up with your 2k posts. And also, I apologize that by my joining you all lose out on some XP as I can't just drop 1k posts whenever, but I'll try. I'll try my best to do what I can to keep up with you guys. So when I'm ready to post I'll delete this. I'll post as soon as I can though.

[Sora]

It was a beautiful day here on floor one. The sun was up and shining, the birds were frolicking and singing, the sky was blue, and the trees were dancing in the gentle breeze. Sora was taking a stroll through the forest. It wasn't his first time, as he actually had a hobby for just going on walks. Besides, he had just done a quest earlier and thought he should have a bit of a break. What better place to go to than the forest for a little change in scenery. With a hot day like this one, it'd be great to cool off in the shade of all the trees in this forest.

Sora didn't only come out here for sight seeing though. He had a lot on his mind. One of the main topics was getting new gear. This beginners gear was fine but, he could do so much more. A new sword could do a lot more damage, and the next best thing that was within reach was calcum. Though he only knew of two ways to get. Calcum ore, which he had, and money, to get somebody to craft it. Or, go down into the dungeon and risk his life fighting mobs of kobold Troopers. Though another thing, leather armor, was a bit trickier. There were calcum parts and wolf pelts he needed for crafting. Yet he also found out a Kobold Patrol Man drops leather armor as well, though sadly they were uncommon.

His next thoughts were towards leveling. He was currently Level 2 and had stats pretty evenly divided out. Which was still a bad idea as many people focused on one thing mainly. Sora on the other hand, he just kept getting upset at one star being higher than another. So, that left him with being very flexible and can go to any position in a group. But that meant he had a lot of weaknesses too, and wasn't a master at any job. Seems he was a Jack of All Trades, Master of None. That didn't bother him though. Besides, if he just got to a high enough level, everything would eventually play out fine. It was just a waiting game. A matter of time.

Sora's thoughts were interrupted by a loud sound. Seemed as if somebody or something fell out of a tree. He wasn't sure, but it had to be something. He might as well go check it out though while he's here. He followed what he thought was where the sound came from, and in the distance were three people.. One was taller, and older with lighter colored hair. Looking at the way she held herself, she seemed to be a bit... Cocky.. No. More like she felt as if she was better than everybody. Or perhaps he was wrong and she was just some girl who was a coward. The other, seemed frail, and also looked to be a girl. She seemed inexperienced and rather afraid.. Timid. The third, that being a girl with pink hair and was injured. Her health bar was a lot lower from the other two. He assumed she was the one who fell out of the tree.

All three were green so he didn't expect any to just randomly attack him, but who knows, anything can happen here in the world of SAO. As Sora got near, he could see they didn't really know each other well. Hearing how they only just gave each other names and were asking about them and such. That made him think about his name. Sora, what kind of name was that anyway. This cause him to look up and see the sky. Yep.. That was him alright, all big and blue. Oh well, who cares if he had a simple name. Didn't mean he was gonna put his tail between his legs and run away from a bunch of girls. He was a man! A manly man! A man with a burning passion in his heart! And then in Sora's mind, the song started playing. Hearts on Fire~ Strong Desire~ Raging deep within! Da! Da! Dum! Hearts on Fire~... Yes.. He truly was a man.

And so, here our hero Sora, after 42 filler episodes finally arrived at the group of the treacherous girls! Though it wasn't really like that. Sora was still within his beginners armor as he didn't bother to change out from after his last quest, and nonchalantly strode up near the group. His big blue eyes, which seemed to nearly glow, kept darting around from looking at the three girls. Alternating between the three before he was only a few feet away. " Hey, seems somebody is hurt here. I have a healing potion if needed. I was just walking by when I saw you guys. "

[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Relsialle Lv4 Relsialle groaned, the ache from her fall shooting through her like a bullet that ran along each of her nerve endings…each one screaming for dear life. The pain would be worse if it wasn’t for her dazed state, the stars almost visible around her head like an old cartoon. The sticks and moist earth that rested below the trees clung to the strands of her hair like an affliction, tainting her otherwise breathtaking features if this were another time. A soft strain was visible in her jawline as she pushed herself up enough to take a seat, her eyes looking vacant for a moment as she came to…her yellow health bar staring her in the face as it silently waited for the action cooldown before the tick of natural regeneration slowly took over. Her bare thighs caressed the ground, the earth staining her skin as she long dispensed with the attempt to be presentable…funny how injury had backtracked one’s sensibilities enough to reset to natural priorities. Her hair was bright, the thick strands catching the sunlight mirror, tied up high in a samurai pony tail, striking if it weren’t for the debris that had scattered in it. Her sleepy gaze trained on the duo, shifting silently to the sudden appearance of the male. Blinking several times was all it took to at least get her to focus on her surroundings and the people that now surrounded her, their voices sounding distant as the colors brightened as her consciousness reset and mental processes gradually came online once again. “Ugh…” Was what she managed to get out before shaking her head one quickly to bring herself back once more into reality (well the reality they now inhabited). An eyebrow lifted as she heard introductions, her HP bar slowly ticking upwards now that she had finally come back to life. She looked over the first girl, the soft tinge of a British accent crossing her ear, a familiar one to the Irishwoman for sure, long knowing the sound from her homeland as well as the British punk scene that had flourished in the underground establishments that she frequented. Her words had an innate poshness to them that set them apart from the standard working class areas…putting her from London proper, unlike the working class cockney that was well known to her especially in the clubs where guitar feedback and the rumble of a bass line were the norm. They were obviously discussing her little accident no doubt, her quiet gaze shifting between them as she struggled to make sense of their words…this girl seeming more focused on the damage she had created instead of her injuries, despite their natural regeneration, benefits of being in game rather than reality. The second girl was the focus of her attentions earlier, dark hair and mannerisms marking her as Japanese but something was odd a sort of feminine grace that seemed all the more out of place and was throttled up like she was overcompensating for something. The thief swallowed hard before letting out a soft breath, her body seeming to return to normal as her health returned and the pain slowly dulled…the last remains of the slightly yellow tinted leaves falling from the sky from her graceless disturbance and entry. The male seemed new to the group, another younger face to match the perceptible innocence from the Japanese girl, the pair slightly younger than the British presence that quietly reminded her of Rue in her speech patterns. He seemed a loss for words for a moment, the rarity of females in the player base, more so considering the small gathering that they had here. The girl nodded still quite dazed, the unknown teenage male offering a helping hand right after Elpharae asked about her condition. Relsialle moved to stand, taking care to pull down the short skirt of her yukata, the dress marking her as an archetypal kunoichi, the outfit seeming almost scandalous in its revealing nature…but altogether stylish and well made for her particular play style especially considering her stealth skill that was already guessed. Her foot stepping back slightly to steady herself as she scooted slightly to lean against a nearby tree to observe them further, her mind back enough to finally offer some snippet of conversation so as not to worry them. “Oh no little sister, just resting a bit…I’ll be fine once this bloody HP tick starts hitting…” Relsialle answered Elpha lazily, bringing her hand to her forehead to massage her temples, “I’ve been hit worse…still hurts like hell regardless” She continued, her speech rather rough from her upbringing as a thick Irish accent added its music to each phrase like a deranged leprechaun. She was the eldest of the group, one could see quite quickly, her bright pink hair still doing well to cloak the precise number of years. She waved Sora off politely as he offered the services of a potion, the item much too valuable to waste on something as simple as environmental damage…not when the simple passage of time could do the trick with much less fuss. A slightly annoyed tone came from her as everyone began to look to her, yet another one of her favored napping spots taken over by the incessant grind that had become daily life on the first floor…her heart yearning for the exploration of newer and more untouched spots for relaxation. The Japanese politeness was still something she had yet to get used to, her encounters with Rue, Janeiro, and Kaito snapping front and center as the simply shy politeness seemed to seep out of Elpha every pore. Something didn’t seem right about her, her hand covering her mouth as if to hide something, the thief’s eyes searched the girl for a moment but the conclusion she desired was seemingly lost in the haze of blunt force trauma. Relsialle offered a knowing nod to the young Brit who seemed a slight bit older than the two, a silent acknowledgement that only came with encountering someone from the same region of the world in game. The proper teen seemed more intent on the damage that the fall had incurred on the environment than rather the person that was alive to tell the tale. The kunoichi’s awareness kept climbing until she finally glanced up at what was drawing all of the attention…a sudden sorrow flooding over her as her favorite resting place now appeared to be destroyed…”Fucking hell!” The older girl exclaimed, her full senses bursting to life as the shattered remains of the tree were presented to her…expletives bursting from her soft lips as soon as they appeared in her mind without filter…Her shoulders slumped over comically as a darkened haze came over her sharpened features, the lithe body losing its posture in the sudden disappointment…”That was my favorite camping spot…” A soft growl exited her as she stood beaten down like a stray cat, a loud sigh exiting her as her lively personality burst to life with the young trip as her witnesses. The fit came and went like the wind, her lithe form leaning finally to stand her own two feet…her HP gauge finally reaching the boarder of green. The pink-haired rocker looked at the trio, the girls seemingly concerned at this near edge of the forest as the male seemed almost beside himself on what to say, the concern for favored location suddenly fading away into the curiosity of those that now found her in their company…

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Elpharae]

(OOC: Heheheh...sorry for the late post. Had a longer reply but it went poof. A little more than Athena's.)

Elpharae relaxed minutely at the pink haired girl's reassurance that she would be fine, and lowered his salmon-colored sleeves from his face, sending an interested glance at Athena and the newcomer. Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, inventor and creator of the olive tree, the Trojan Horse, and weaving. How interesting. Sora. It was a very airy sort of name, smooth as lemon chiffon. Another boy, then? He half-bowed respectfully, not sure if that was the norm for all the players. Still, he furrowed his brow, thinking curiously about Athena's questions. Was she just naturally curious, or was she interested in etymology? The brunette paused, thinking it over. There was so much that could have influenced his name, consciously or not.

"Ano..." He started off a little shyly, tucking a dark strand of hair behind his ear as he tapped his finger against his cheek. "It derived heavily from the word hiraeth, which is...Welsh, I think? It has no direct English translation, and can be a little hard to explain. Elpharae also was from the word liber, which produced the "r" sound, meaning freedom in Latin, which you might have known, and the word étoile, or star, in French. There's another two-eccedentesiast, one who faked a smile, and Anri, a Japanese name of someone that I knew. But it doesn't mean very much besides that- but I'm content with that. There must have been very strong influences that I didn't consciously notice, but that's what I think most affected my player username."

During his little speech, his eyes flickered to Sora, taking in his lean, agile build and slight tan, focusing more clearly onto his glowing, almost, blue eyes. His gaze shifted to the pink-haired woman who didn't seem like she was going to introduce herself soon, recapping on her thick accent, melodic and yet rough. Irish, while the boy was most likely Japanese, though his boldness wasn't quite what he was used to. And the blonde? His eyes narrowed in on her pale skin and hair analytically. Maybe European, something like Russian or Nordic mixed with the English accent she seemed to have. Her words lilted and were bright, somehow, and they tapped against his ears as a sound rather nicely. He ducked his head when he finished his small monologue, turning the slightest bit pink. His dark irises looked up again, but they widened and flinched away as soon as the unknown player burst into swears.

Well. He blinked in surprise when the unnamed person stood up, her salacious, sleeveless yukata sliding up one thigh, making him blush a little profusely, but was fine otherwise, and watched her survey them curiously, reminded a little of a cat. The quiet, yet dramatic way they carried themselves, to the sleek, fine (fur) clothing that they wore. Clearing his head, he coughed politely into his sleeve, eyes scanning the branches, ignoring the stubs that were where the long, graceful branches once were. The flowering vegetation was pretty, actually, with tiger lilies and roses, which was a little odd, but he figured that it was a game and that flowers would most likely grow where they wished or where it looked nice.

His fingers smoothed out his dress, fingers working absentmindedly over the folds and wrinkles where twists had emerged. How was it that leaves and the such disappeared when falling on the floor unless for decorative purposes, but dirt and the like damaged player clothing? That was idiotic at best. A huff escaped his lips, and his fingers brushed off a speck of dirt before returning to his hair, smoothing out the knots while he looked over their group, a little curious. Athena seemed proud, somehow, like the goddess of old, her eyes piercing and clever, stance relaxed and straight. Sora, however, seemed kind but radiated a sort of quiet strength, or one that perchance would be easily coaxed out with a little flattering. And the unknown player? She could maybe be a Circe to their crew, if Circe was kind enough and loyal enough, perhaps. He couldn't be too sure about the "hero" bit in the Argo, since this female was as sly-looking as a fox, but more lewd, if her state of dress was anything to go by.

When Elpharae finished, his eyes looked over the area as he shifted in his spot, dark irises scanning around the meadow. His gaze fell onto the trees, and locked onto the branch where the small bird from earlier had perched, but found the spot empty. How odd. In this game, birds tended to stay chirping on one branch, not really hopping from one to another in real life...which meant...perhaps he was just being paranoid, but in Sword Art Online, being paranoid was how you stayed alive. So he turned, one hand on his rapier, and prepared himself for a strike. This was unprecedented. An attack, in this shallow grove? Seeing nothing, he peered delicately over a fern, making sure there were no predators, paused, and leaned back. Absolutely nothing. He sighed in relief.

And noticed his cheek was dripping with blood. Raising a hand, he pulled it off only to see dark crimson staining his skin and dripping onto the grass. Stunned, his sword lay limply at his side until he shifted into a battle stance, sword running neatly across his torso. The scratches disappeared soon, a perk of the game, of course, but the strange pulling sensation remained. His eyes narrowed. “A group of Dire Wolves, I believe, since they’re the only ones with claws. I got hit, and am five points down. Unknown number. Anybody know what to do now? We’re liable to be attacked, and I think that I’m easily the weakest here, though that doesn’t quite mean that I’m going down without a fight. Most likely, they’re surrounding us, waiting for an opening. Basic information, but that’s all I have-”

His words were sudden, but unexpected and expected, an oxymoron by itself. Not having time to make sure his newfound group caught his words, Elpharae turned again, switching into his armor with a flick of his wrist. The orange and white option turned gray with a press of his finger, and the blue and bronze outfit settled comfortably on his slim figure. His ears twitched the tiniest bit, waiting for any sound. He could hear the brush of wind against clothing, near-silent, and then-

Thump. It was much lighter than the sound the pink-haired rogue made, but it was definitely more menacing-the sound of a monster getting ready to pounce. Just one? How odd-unless…there were more, and he just couldn’t hear them. Lost in his thoughts, the level one player was totally unprepared for the sudden attack, but managed to fend the gray-black wolf off with a quick stab that glanced it, but but sent the wolf on defense, the beast staying back, growling. As if on cue, four more wolves emerged. Five wolves for four players, each at varying levels. This wouldn’t be too hard…probably. Unless it was for him. With each player in a different spot, they split up, with one Dire Wolf staying and snapping at every person in the clearing. Elpharae swore lowly.

The silvery-gray wolf in front of him attacked, grazing his shoulder. Ten points from him. Anger rushed into his body, clearing and muddying his thoughts. How dare this program, lesser than him, or any other player, attack him? He was a person, goddamnit, and he wasn’t going to let a Dire Wolf devour him like some kind of worthless peasant. Fueled by his anger, he made a sharp thrust towards the wolf’s eye, smiling in grim satisfaction as a red cut appeared, the wolf enraged at the wound and trying to recover its sight. It was beautiful, in a harsh, savage fashion. Not very gentlemanly of him, but neither was this creature.

“Now you know how it feels,” Elpharae murmured, not loud enough for the others around him to hear, pushing the wolf back and glaring when its sharp teeth grazed his leg, kicking it back before the monster sprung to him once again. He leaned closer, making a thrust that hit the wolf around its stomach. “To have something supposedly lower than you fight back...and fight back well enough.”

The wolf howled, a testament to its anger and hate, and lunged for him again, making a gaping wound that set his health to thirty-eight. Elpharae hissed, rather like one of of a cat, and made a loud strike against the gray animal’s skull, something dark in his eyes. “You live because someone else says so. So you will die,” He took his rapier, making sure to fend off each of the monster’s swipes, now a little fiercer and faster, coming with a desire and will to live. “Because I say so.”

He took the blade and hit the animal’s skull, nodding in contentment of a sort when there was a sickening crunch from the bone that echoed in his head, sending a cacophony of horrified and delighted whispers. Was this the effect of the game that the engineering genius, Akihiko Kayaba, created, brought out by sheer human nature? He took a deep breath, steadying himself. What was that-the sheer bloodlust that he felt, that delight when faced with a new foe that could be on equal terms with him. The disgust he felt when the animal showed no mercy, the only thought on the beast’s mind being to kill, kill, kill...and the slight admiration and the drawn feeling to the animal for his ruthlessness. Very impressive, he wanted to say, the words being on the tip of his tongue.

But the monster wasn’t done yet. It roused itself, the skull still looking as if it were perfectly intact, sound effects aside, and glared at him-or as much as it could. The glowing, red eyes seated on its face vaguely unsettled Elpharae, and the sixteen-year old boy paused, thinking. The monster was strong, to be sure, and far from defenseless. Much of that power came from its legs, which were used to propel it forward and unto its prey. It was fighting to kill. So if he just could get one leg or two…

Elpharae took a step forward, barely able to block the swing the spiteful animal gave him, a small scratch appearing on the blade of his weapon. Darn. His hands shook from exertion and only sheer force of will kept them up, his legs swinging around to kick the animal in the side, in which it replied to with a deep gash in his forele, his health dropping even more. With a last-ditch attempt thrust to the hindquarters, activating Jyun, Elpharae breathed a sigh of relief as it turned into a burst of pixelated squares and hexagons, thinking dryly that he could come to like the colors blue and white.

He glanced at his health, unsure of whether he could be of any help to the others, but deduced that he probably wouldn’t help and would be ailing their efforts instead, and endangering his life in this wounded state. Sinking to his knees, the sixteen year old boy sat on the grass unsteadily, health bar red and proclaiming his 27/65 status for all to see, if they were paying attention. He doubted that they were. Shifting to lean more weight on his other side, Elpharae looked up, making sure everything else was fine with everyone-and paused when he was met with the eyes of another Dire Wolf, cursing mentally. Why was everything going wrong today?

Fear grew in him, feeding a small, intense anger that he put aside, hitting the monster back and keeping it away. It was a terrible time, actually-his health was dipping dangerously, lowered by two points. If it kept this up...Elpharae cursed, and finding Sora to be the closest and mostly free, kicked the wolf in a risky move, his attack coming from the direction of the other boy. Hopefully, the animal would divert his attention to the lighter-haired brunette...though there was no telling what would happen. Elpharae sighed, and leaned against a tree, a little farther away from the fight, though by no means safe. There was a dull pounding in his head, making each throb of his heartbeat sound ten times louder.

In his opinion, fighting with monsters was always so much more intense. That animalistic power. The sheer knowledge that these were living creatures and yet not, the absence of familiar ethics, of morals...he smirked. Ethics. Morals. Did those things, so common and meaningless in the world he used to occupy, truly exist anymore? In Sword Art Online, each price was heavier, each death toll more sobering. Everything was so similar and yet not, players constantly running the risk of getting to psychologically attached to the game and losing their sense of self while doing so.

His headache intensified, but he shrugged it off, ignoring the resentful fact that while Kayaba seemed to be kind enough to lower the pain to almost nothing, the “genius” was in no way interested in helping him solve his internal struggles or headaches. He smirked inwardly, too focused on his pain externally to do anything else. That was no way to think in a fight, though, so he turned his attention to the others, reviewing their fighting styles. Athena went with her legs, kicking and blocking, the toned, strong muscle pulsing under a layer of skin. The bright-haired woman from earlier seemed to be more stealthy, and Sora...well, he just fought, the way that Elpharae thought that one might have thought fighting in general must have looked at. Fiercely, stubbornly-those were apt words, he supposed.

Leaning back against a tree, watching his health stay depressingly red, he groaned lightly, letting out a shuddering sigh. Why were Dire Wolves, relatively similar to Wild Boars, so much harder to defeat? He wondered. His eyes narrowed, focusing on a point in the distance as battle waged on around him, the brunette absolutely exhausted. He didn’t remember being this tired since...well, his memory wasn’t helping him any, so he decided to drop it, turning his tired gaze to the rest of the group, sluggishly absorbing information and filtering it into the two groups of “important-ish” and “too tired to function”. His eyes closed and opened erratically, and he thought, dryly, that it had certainly been a tiring fight...ish. Elpharae stayed awake, though, to the best of his ability.

[Athena]

"Do you have a problem for me to solve?" ☒ Elpharae relsialle @sora ✐ --- ✉ Yeah... I can't do more than 2300 words... And even then, I was scraping the bottom of my creative barrel for that, soo... Elpha I think you're going to win this time.

Athena heard someone approaching, which made her be a little on edge. Athena was ready to battle an enemy at this point. Elpharae apparently was much more keen with her senses than Athena was. Athena didn't become battle ready, but she was aware that if she had to become that way, she would. She watched out of the corner of her eye, before a person came strolling towards the three girls. He spoke to them quite calmly and he looked to be a pretty strong male. He was thin, but his body was sneakily toned. Athena surveyed his whole body, but it didn't appear that he could've been as fast as she was because his legs were definitely not in as good of shape as her legs were. She tried to take in every detail of the boy, trying to figure out what kind of fighter he was and what kinds of positions he would be put in. It was definitely apparent that he wasn't significantly strong, but she thought that he was stronger than she was, so she gave him credit for that. Athena didn't know about his defense, but he seemed to be quite capable as a fighter. All of the credit she gave him for being a capable fighter was due to his sneakily toned body. It's not that it wasn't noticeable, but she was sure that you wouldn't notice it unless you were looking for that feature on the boy. Athena wasn't sure about what his health could be, since that was a stat that she couldn't openly figure out by analyzing someone and reading their physical features. Athena was sure that he had a good amount of health for the position that he was in, despite her being unable to figure it out from his physical attributes. Athena was one to use intuition with this stat and she usually was pretty accurate at guessing it, but there are always people that could hide how good they actually were through their physical body. Athena realized that she could be wrong about every one of his stats, which made her uneasy. Athena didn't enjoy being wrong, and it wasn't a good feeling when she was actually wrong. She looked over the boy, who introduced himself as Sora, again. She knew that he carried a longsword, which was one of the most versatile weapons in all of the game. It was definitely the most generic as well. Longswords tended to be faster than the average attack speed and they had a good amount of damage for how fast they were. Athena looked at her rapier quickly. Rapiers weren't the most damaging weapons, but she thought that they catered to people that wanted to make hits count. Athena definitely fell into the category of wanting to make her hits count. Athena was calculating, analytical, spiteful, and most of all, competitive. Her rapier allowed her to strike accurately and allowed her to kill anything that stood in her way. It allowed her to kill any enemy in a way that she deemed fit for them. She didn't have to just slash and slash and slash and be done with it after slashing it a million and one times. Her rapier allowed to strike different spots. Her enemy's eye, their heart, the tendon in their leg that allowed them to stand, their fingers which held their sword or their weapon, the possibilities for her attack strategies were endless with her rapier. That was why she loved it so much. It gave Athena an infinite amount of battle tactics. Athena looked back at Sora's longsword, which reminded her of her earlier thought of slashing and slashing and slashing. Sora seemed to be the type to fit that weapon, and Athena fit her own weapon. Athena realized that a weapon wasn't just for show. It showed a person's personality. It showed whether they were graceful, calculating, brave, reverent, patient, or many other things. Athena knew that a weapon was something that defined you at that moment. The weapon you used wasn't just a tool. Athena quickly touched the guard of her rapier and she smiled at it. Athena shook her head a tiny bit so that she could engage herself in the situation that was happening in front of her once more. At this point, Athena realized that she had wondered off in her thoughts again, but this time she wasn't angry with herself. She was glad that she had allowed herself the pleasure of realizing that a weapon was a part of herself.      Athena looked at the situation that was happening. From what she could tell, the pink haired girl was throwing her many profanities out into the open. Athena quietly whispered to herself, "Is this what all of the Irish are like? I mean... I met a few in England, but I never imagined that they'd be swearing up a storm and throwing grace to the wind." Athena knew that the Irish were usually a very hearty, cheery people, but for some reason, Athena didn't get the whole vibe of that from this girl. She didn't seem cheery, though she was definitely hearty. Athena then thought about the meaning of the word hearty. Was it really the word that she wanted to associate this woman with? Maybe she should've picked a different word... Maybe... Confident? No... That wasn't exactly what she was looking for. High spirited? No... Not those words either... Maybe...      Athena stopped herself from thinking about this as Elpharae seemed to be surprised by something. Athena quickly looked at the girl and realized that her cheek had let out a small amount of blood. Hold on. That means that there are enemies here, but why? They don't usually come into this neck of the forest. And they don't usually stray from their inner sanctums in the forest. Athena only knew this because she had a scarring encounter with a Dire Wolf when she went a little bit too far into the Black Forest without realizing it. Athena knew that Little Nepenthes went out, but a cut like that wouldn't be inflicted by a Little Nepenthes unless it decided to cut instead of whip its victim. Athena knew that this probably wasn't the case because she had never met a Little Nepenthes that didn't try to whip her and cause her intense pain. You never know if a new enemy could be emerging, but I'm not banking on that idea. Soon enough, Athena's suspicions were confirmed when a Dire Wolf attacked Elpharae. Suddenly, four more Dire Wolves appeared in front of the four of them. Athena quietly cursed herself for being unable to notice the small pack of Dire Wolves. How did I not notice them? I realize that I don't have the Detection skill, but I should be able to notice when more than a few enemies are approaching. And why did they leave the part of the forest they're usually in? Unless the game's trying to test us, which wouldn't surprise me. Athena watched each one of the Dire Wolves was targeting each one of the members of their small group. There was an extra Dire Wolf, which Athena bet would try to take out the person that could take out their Dire Wolf the fastest. Or... Maybe they would try to strike the weakest player. Athena thought it would probably attack whichever option came first.      Athena analyzed the Dire Wolf that was heading for her. She watched as it tensed up its back legs and tried to pounce on her, but the Dire Wolf was a little too slow for Athena. She quickly dodged out of the way, but kicked the Dire Wolf in the stomach as a means of hurling herself further away from the Dire Wolf. The Dire Wolf snarled its fangs at her as a red '4' appeared above the place where she had kicked the wolf. The wolf appeared to have realized that it couldn't defeat Athena by trying to pounce on her, so it just ran straight at her, which was not a good idea in her opinion. The wolf had ran at her, then put both of its paws out to try and scratch the majority of her torso. Athena knew this was coming, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to land a good hit unless she took a little damage from the wolf. Athena partially side-stepped the wolf, only allowed one of the paws to scratch her arm, inflicting '7' damage to her. Athena quickly stabbed her rapier through the middle of the wolf, directly where its heart would be resting in its body. The wolf cried out in pain as she pulled her rapier out and kicked the wolf away from her so that she could maintain distance with the wolf again. I have to make sure that I don't take much damage. I need to go take out that other Dire Wolf. I need the experience and Elpharae is just a beginner in this game, and it appears that she has a lot of talent. Especially when it comes to her rapier. Athena watched as the wolf got up and was even angrier than before. Athena looked at the wolf's health bar and it was lower than half, but it would probably take two more serious hits to kill it. The wolf threw caution to the wind as it tried a different tactic this time. The wolf ran up to Athena, but then jumped to try and bite her arm. Silly puppy... Athena quickly side-stepped the bite. How did that wolf simply think it was going to hurt her if it wasn't going to aim for the majority of her body? Athena was about to strike when she quickly felt pain shoot through her torso. Three large reds streaks ran across her stomach, lowering her health bar a good portion.      Athena was now angry with the wolf. How dare this... This fucking wolf touch me without my planning! Ugh! I'm going to beat the holy shit out of this fucking thing and then I'm going to dance over its fucking grave while I fucking beat the living shit out of its friends. There was a rage that burned in Athena's golden amber eyes. There was a fire that wouldn't be put out until her rage had been subsided through killing this wolf. Athena didn't care at this point how she was going to kill the wolf, she was just going to use her instincts and kill the fucking bastard. As the wolf was getting ready for another attack, Athena decided to go on the offensive this time. Athena surprised the wolf by sprinting towards it so quickly. The wolf tried to bite her arm, but this was what she was hoping for. Athena shoved the rapier through the wolf's mouth quickly without giving it the chance to bite down on her arm or her weapon. Athena continued to run past the beast as she cleanly cut the tendon on the wolf's back leg, rendering that leg useless. "Damn you," Athena quietly cursed. Athena quickly ran towards the wolf again, not giving it a chance for breathing room. The wolf tried to turn to face her, but since the leg that it had to use to turn was rendered useless, the beast couldn't move to fight her. Athena tried to stab her rapier through the wolf's body, but it jumped out of the way. Unfortunately for the wolf, it couldn't maintain its balance after it had jumped and fell onto the ground. Athena quickly ran over to the now defenseless wolf. It was still snarling and trying to snap at her with its mouth, but Athena quickly shoved her rapier in its torso and the wolf disintegrated into small blue and white diamonds, triangles, and a manner of other shapes. Athena had gotten used to seeing monsters disappear into those colors. Blue and white was the color of victory in this game, those were colors that Athena hoped that she would get well acquainted with in the future.      Athena slightly praised herself a little after her fight was over. Athena breathed a quick sigh of relief before she remembered that she needed to take care of the other wolf that was attacking them. Athena looked to see where it was after she had finished her battle. It looked like... Elpharae was already done defeating her wolf?! Athena was impressed by this girl. Athena knew that the girl had a talent with her rapier, but it seemed like that was her first battle. But... She defeated a Dire Wolf on her first try. Athena quickly shook off how impressed she was to find the other wolf. It looked like it was attacking Sora, which made her uneasy. Two Dire Wolves at the same time was nearly impossible for one person. Athena quickly moved over to Sora. "Sora! You take care of the wolf you were already attacking, then come help me with this one once you're finished!" Athena quickly faced the wolf and made a quick movement to try and inflict some kind of handicap to it. Athena quickly stabbed at the eye of the wolf, and luckily, her rapier had found its mark. She readied herself for another battle as she quickly realized that she couldn't see Elpharae. Where was the girl? Was she okay?

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Kyle]

"I will not allow anyone to die." ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Kyle Lv1

Kyle marched across the endless sea of grasses more commonly known as the Great Plains. This vast landscape covered the majority of Aincrad's first floor and after finally mustering up the courage to leave his apartment after his friend's death, he knew that he probably should stop here and kill a few of the easier boars to gain some experience quickly, but he had only one objective on his mind. True, he had no experience whatsoever, but killing a few boars wouldn't teach him anything. The spoils from his current mission would prove more valuable in the end. He searched for a player, a player by the name of Relsialle. Relsialle had already made a name for herself in Sword Art Online. With her pink hair, sexy attire, and her peculiar "03" tattoo on the upper part of her peach-colored left arm, she was conspicuous wherever she went. But her appearance wasn't what earned her such favor among the other players; it was her skill with a dagger. Striking with unmatched speed and precision, she was regarded as a deadly force to monsters and red players alike. Being a dagger user himself, Kyle knew that he could learn a thing or two from her. Some of his regular customers told him that Relsialle's been seen frequently hanging around the Black Forest. The mere mention of that place sent shivers down Kyle's spine and it continued bothering him throughout the several hour journey from the Town of Beginnings. It made sense to Kyle though. A player with high skill would only hang out in the most dangerous of places. A thin smirk graced Kyle's face as he listened to the constant, soothing crunch of the grass against his shoes. The Black Forest, he thought to himself. Maybe I could convince her to take on a few Dire Wolves with me. I’d love to see her in action. Kyle lifted his head and stared at the calm, blue sky, its surface nearly undisturbed by clouds. His chocolate eyes shimmered through the glare of his black, rectangular glasses. He inhaled deeply, taking in the unadulterated beauty of Aincrad. It was hard for him to believe that something so pure in appearance turned out to be so sinister. He daydreamed about getting the chance to show off to Relsialle in hopes of impressing her, getting a compliment, or maybe even a subtle blush indicating an attraction. Kyle’s eyes widened and he shook his head wildly in an attempt to get his mind out of the gutter. One thing at a time, Kyle, he chastised himself. You first need to work on getting her to agree to take you on as a mentee. The crushing thought of rejection entered his mind. She could say “no.” It’d be a wasted trip, but that’s the worst she could do. Suddenly, Kyle imagined Relsialle going red and slicing at his body until he lay as dead as an armadillo on a Texas interstate. A cold sweat snuck up on the nape of his neck. No Kyle. She could do worse. Much, much worse. Kyle redirected his attention to the rolling hills and mountains in the distance. A gentle breeze tickled his face and ruffled his hair. It would’ve done the same thing to his arms and legs had they not been shielded by the standard blue sleeves with two sets of faded stripes that comes with all beginner leather armor. Kyle always enjoyed the crisp bite of wind, whether it was gentle or fierce. It made him feel alive, yet calm at the same time, a feeling quite difficult to explain to anyone that doesn’t experience it firsthand. Kyle heard the lulling sound of rustling grass and smelled the scent of springtime. It’s almost real, but it isn’t. This is fake. This is all fake. Still strolling toward his destination, he scowled. Sometimes Aincrad’s earthly splendor brought peace to Kyle, while other times it brought him only heartache. It had gotten worse sense his friends’ deaths. Their deaths reminded him of the severity of the situation. To Kyle, none of this was real. Aincrad was a gorgeous prison concocted by the lunatic Akihiko Kayaba and nothing more. While Sword Art Online gave everyone certain fantastical freedoms that were impossible in the real world, its permanency made it terrible compared to the love of family and friends that most people had back home. His friends’ deaths were still fresh on his mind, for they happened a mere four days ago; however, Kyle was finally starting to exhibit a stronger emotion than the sorrow that had plagued him. He finally had hope. He knew that the frontlines would defeat the boss on floor 100 and free the survivors from their confusing prison and Kyle wanted to be a part of it. He wanted to play a serious role in clearing this twisted game. One simple phrase rang in his head for the past three days. It was the last words of his best friend. “Kyle, you have to get stronger.” That was one of his goals and those last words were the reason why Kyle sought after Relsialle in the first place, but it sparked within him a greater goal that he vowed to live the rest of his days in Sword Art Online by. He vowed that he would never let anyone die again. Returning from his thoughts, Kyle noticed a stretch of trees poking above the horizon. There it is, he thought. It’s the edge of the Black Forest. A sinking awareness entered Kyle’s mind. How am I going to find Relsialle in a forest this size without getting killed by wolves? He sighed. At least I know she hangs out somewhere on the outskirts. With a triumphant grin he finished his thought with, Maybe this won’t be so hard after all. The long shadows from the mountains and hills began spreading across the plains, gobbling up the landscape like an overindulged child after a successful Halloween night. The sun began setting along the horizon, getting ready to go to sleep after a long day’s work of traveling through the infinite, blue sky. It’s evening time. I’d better hurry because I’m sure the forest is more dangerous at night. Kyle picked up his pace, the rhythm of his footfalls speeding up. He was jogging, almost sprinting now, something Kyle rarely did in the real world. His heart began beating faster, pumping more blood and oxygen through his veins to fuel the increased level of physical activity. As he continued maintaining this pace, the forest’s edge grew larger and larger, indicating that he was getting closer. He breathed a little harder and Kyle frowned, frustrated with himself. Come on, Kyle! You’ve got to get used to this. You have to get stronger if you hope to survive this world. Most of the trees were sparse, the brush not as thick and impenetrable as he expected, but beyond the outskirts, he observed how maze-like the deeper parts of the forest actually were. The trees towered to heights that allowed them to kiss the sky affectionately and some were as wide as a department store. Kyle grimaced at the thought of getting lost in there. He knew it took only one wrong step to never see the light of day again. He wondered if the canopy blocked all sunlight. It would be midnight at midday in the inner parts of the forest if that were the case. Hopefully I won’t have to go that far. As Kyle approached, he noticed that several people congregated around the forest’s edge all looking down at something with concerned expressions on their faces. One was a girl that looked like she had come out of a manga. She donned a gorgeous frilly dress that swayed gracefully with the slightest movement. The dress’s torso was dyed in a dark peach and the skirt in a light burgundy. The white frills stretched along her neck and shoulders and sat like a bow over her chest, trying desperately to highlight breasts that obviously weren’t there. The same material danced along the end of her longer skirt in an upper and lower layer ending just below her dainty knees. Finally, a white sash bound her dress and her sleeves hung low at her sides. She had long, dark hair that shimmered against the orange, blinking sun with bangs and a longer lock that rested at her chest. She wore an apricot colored flower on the left side of her head laced with red-orange beads. Peculiarly, she didn't wear any shoes or socks. She was barefoot, yet her legs and feet appeared to be clean and well kept. The second young woman dressed with elegance that rivaled that of queens. Her attire reminded Kyle of the Twilight Princess's version of Zelda. In fact, her hairstyle and even her figure were similar as well. She was tall and slender with long hair that extended almost to her rump. Thick, intricate braids rested on the top of her head and a red ribbon bound by a gold ring tied it together. She wore a long-sleeved black and white blouse, skirt, and jacket complete with a small Victorian styled cloth brooch, a red necklace and two silver rings on her middle fingers that held the sleeves in place. She had four black buttons on her white and gray stripped blouse and hints of red outlining her more prominent charcoal jacket. She wore a short, frilly skirt and a metallic colored waistband with a chain that hung over the front of her body. Kyle noticed she carried a rapier. As she glanced in Kyle's general direction, she saw that she possessed an odd honey-like hue to her eyes. To Kyle's surprise, a third person popped up as if out of nowhere, smoothing out a black ninja-like skirt that was evidently too small for her. Her striking pink hair, topaz eyes, and her violet "03" tattoo gave her away immediately. Kyle's eyes widened in joy. Oh my gosh! That's her. As sexy as the customers built her up to be, Relsialle wore a black garb with a tan "Y" shaped stripe along her bust and center. Not meaning to, Kyle's eyes immediately drew to her rather large breast and he embarrassingly shook his head. Don't go there Kyle! You were raised better. Treat her with respect. Relsialle seemed upset over something on the ground, but the player's bodies blocked it from Kyle's view. Her black scarf with a little bit of tatter at its ends hung lower on her neck than usual because she slumped down as if she were depressed. Kyle furrowed his dark eyebrows and frowned. I hope everything's okay. When Kyle was about 20 yards out, he noticed a large amount of rustling from the nearby bush. Knowing the danger that the slightest disturbance provided, Kyle thought, Oh no, this isn't good. With the swiftness and ferocity of lightning, a group of five Dire Wolves leaped out of the trees and surrounded the girls in a semicircle formation. Their dark-gray fur and their red eyes gave them a sinister appearance similar to an evil demon, while their muzzle, mask, and underside shimmered in a beautiful silver. Their intimidating snarls exhibited sharp teeth that made level one weapons look like a child's toy. These beasts were dangerous and Kyle immediately became worried for the girl's safety. The ladies noticed the Dire Wolves instantly, but just for good measure, Kyle shouted, "Look out!" Two out of the five Dire Wolves lunged at the two strangers. The rapier wielders fended them off as best as they could, but one was having more success than the other one. The blonde haired individual kicked the Dire Wolf and danced around its attacks, toying with like how a matador would with a bull; however, the barefooted one was taking greater amounts of damage. The Dire Wolf injured her shoulder and one of her legs, but she returned a flurry of attacks to its eye, stomach, and ultimately, its skull. The Dire Wolf vanished in scattering shapes of blue and white. The blonde rapier user wasn't too far behind. She slashed at the Dire Wolf's legs and thrust her rapier straight through its mouth, ending its virtual life. The blue and white remnants of data fluttered around her extended arm like a kaleidoscope of butterflies. It was a remarkable sight. With vigor and confidence, the blonde sprang into action, targeting two Dire Wolves at once. The other rapier user kicked one of the Dire Wolves to her. Kyle was worried for a moment, but after seeing her skill, he had a feeling that she could handle herself, even against two enemies at the same time. He was more concerned for the other rapier user. She had crawled over to a nearby tree and looked as if she was about to pass out. Kyle finally made it to the battlefield, his footsteps frantically thumping against the hard soil. He leaped over a massive surfaced tree root and dashed to the weakened player. His lungs were burning as if they've been touched by dry ice. He was gasping for air, but still managed to open the menu and call up a health potion. Between breaths he offered the health potion to the girl and spoke in a gentle tone, "Here, take this."

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS - EDITS BY ANGELO OF SAO-RPG

[Relsialle]

" Sometimes things are more fun with your life on the line…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 1709 ✉ notes Relsialle Lv4 Relsialle lifted an eyebrow at the sudden intellectual turn that the conversation took after her assurances that the natural health regeneration would aid in her recovery…well, as long as no threats presented themselves. The mention of Welsh took her attention for the moment as Elpharae discussed her own username choice and the seemingly detailed way she came upon it. The Irishwoman chuckled at her own name, a random amalgamation of words and syllables that were pleasing to the eye and the ear, the moniker suited her knowing the plain and common nature of her real name…however she could never answer if this new alias was truly random or perhaps something that had always existed somewhere deeper than her conscious thoughts could reach. A wicked grin appeared on her features as she noticed the girl’s reaction to her language, her sea-blue eyes rolling slightly in response. The conservative nature of the player-base got to her at times, and honestly was it like any of these teens had heard language before…it wasn’t like there was any shortage of it in the movies at least, not that she made any illusion as to being perfectly lady-like herself. The girl stuck out here tongue at the thought, only imagining someone parents sending her a player-message to watch her language…or worse…Kayaba himself to warn her about her language. A soft snicker came from her lips as she stretched her arms back slightly, the damaged joints popping slightly as her avatar healed further…her bright eyes and Irish good humor returning with each tick of her health bar. Her attention focused on the quiet Brit with a slight confusion, what she uptight or just quiet? “Oi…Londoner, you speak much?” The sharp kunoichi said with a twist of her neck, feeling Athena’s eyes on her…a quick questioning blink leaving her directed solely at Athena, as if by their very closeness in regional distance assume that they would have more in common than the rest of their unusual and sudden group… The rogues nimble fingers reached down to pluck a stray twig that remained to mar the deep black of her outfit, her hand finally serving to flatten out the striking garment, the Irish-rocker’s chin shifting slightly at Elpha’s odd reaction. It was if she had never seen a grown woman before…She reached up to bundle her copious amount of hair to tie it up, her chest rising slightly as she did so, the bright locks fighting the new found restraint as she saw fit to put the voluminous bright mane into a high samurai-style tail, draping over her upper back…the innumerable strands finally tied back with the appearance of a thin leather cord placed in a quick square knot. Relsialle’s eyes narrowed as she glanced into the upper right hand corner of her GUI…her regeneration stopping suddenly just as her HP was timed for another jump…A soft ‘hmm’ came from her lips as she considered the vexing situation before her attention turned back to Elpha for the moment, the unusual girl seeming to be preoccupied with something. “Shit!” The girl exclaimed suddenly, her bluntness visible for the world to see right when the teen had just begun to explain the situation, the realization hitting her just as the first bit of health was drawn from the attacking beasts. Her soft gaze seemed to grow hardened as the situation was explained in the most verbose and unconcise way possible…”You going to give a speech or fight back!” The musician yelled sharply, her hand shooting to the copper dagger at her back…the blade pulling free with the sharp sound of metal on metal as it pulled free from its slender scabbard. The comment was sudden, the stress of the almost serendipitous appearance of the pack forcing her to throw any form of eloquence of politeness to the wind…well, whatever limited form of either positive quality that she possessed. Unlike Elpharae the pink-haired thief did not change out of her social clothing due to time, a much more striking decision given the fact that she was already injured…no matter how minor it was after such a long delay. As gruff and unrefined as she appeared to be, the girl could feel some measure of responsibility give the presence of so many young players…The thought made her sharpened features tense as she dropped her foot back to build a solid stance as her body weight dropped slightly…her avatar fading from view as her stealth mode engaged. Kyle’s admiring eye would only catch her figure for a short moment until she shifted out of visibility in a blink as if she were never there to begin with. It seemed almost in poor form to use the pair of female rapier users like bait given the circumstances, but her lack of armor would force her into her standard tactics no matter how much of a small sliver of a sense of honor she may have formed over the course of the early game. While others seem to have become more sociopathic it seems that Relsialle has become more empathetic…strange given her origins of dodging police and living the pursuits of good times and diversion. Despite their appearances, both light-swordswomen were holding up the combat well…the pack of wolves diving on them as Relsialle chose her target…using the distraction of the agile females to the best of her ability. The thought of the wolves irked her the most, one of the only creatures known so far that could sniff a player out of stealth if given the chance, luckily in the chaos of so many people it presented little chance for those sharp senses of smell to start working to find her. Kyle’s warning was lost on her as her eyes attempted to lock on her first target…a wolf creeping over with its nose to the ground… The wolf that had reserved itself for her was rather large…its black and grey fur bristling with the excitement of battle and yet another meal, its fanged mouth open revealing a set of pearl-white razors that were calling the stealthier-rogue’s name. As the chaos of battle unfolded around them the creature seemed unnaturally focused on her invisible avatar…slowly creeping forward with its sharp senses attempting to pry her out of the shadowy realm that she transversed. The creature leaped forward in an effort to force her to reappear…its sharpened jagged claws extended to attempt to sate its curiosity about the shadowy Irishwoman. The pink-haired kunoichi shifted left, rolling her lithe body to the side in the effort to let the attack sail by her by a faction of an inch…the wind of the monster moving past her causing the strands of hair on her head to shift in the breeze. A wicked grin appeared on her face as she brought the dagger down on its spine…her avatar reappearing in a snap from its stealth-mode…the curved copper weapon stained with bright crimson blood as the unholy aura of her sword art flashed in the group’s vision. She stooped down slightly as the wolf attempted to turn back around to meet her once again, a large red mark on its back as its HP fell by a small fraction, barely injured…until a tell-tale effect appeared that proved that she was the person that Kyle had so vividly heard about. The wolves’ muscles seized as it opened its mouth once more to attack, the icon of major-paralysis appearing next its name. The creature looked pitiful as a gurgled whine was heard from its frozen mouth…it falling to the soft earth with a thud as it appeared helpless next to her. Relsialle lifted her dagger once more to finish the creature that dared to face her as she noticed the forth wolf with its back turned…the rapier of Athena dancing to and fro in an effort to hold the beast back. “Lucky day pup…” The girl teased, giving a quick wink to the statuesque wolf that lay frozen on the soft earth as she shifted her dagger to stretch along her forearm, her hands lifting to guard her cheeks like a kickboxer, the soft smile creeping across her features in a show of elation. Unlike the stern faces and intense focus of those around her, Relsialle seemed almost in her element…the grin and dazzling way the combat had flashed across her adrenaline fueled features seemed to prove that in the life-and-death gamble that they were all now engaged in was truly fun for her…a momentously different outlook that most others that any of them would encounter. ‘Flash…Flash, Flash…’ The rapid-fire showers of blue pixels signifying the rapidly changing odds forced her to change her targets…Athena’s second wolf moving back slightly from a sudden engagement with the girl. The Irishwoman nodded as she shifted her hand to the small pouch on her bare thigh, pulling out a pair of thin calcum needles, caring not to even move to join the dwindling remains of combat that was slowly growing to be within their control. Lifting the small weapons, her the fingers of her throwing hand snapped…the wicked shards flying forward like a gunshot to embed themselves in the back of the British girl’s wolf, a significant drop its health giving the older teen a much more manageable fight as a gift from the rare ranged attack, stepping in to fill the role that was requested of Sora from several yards away… Relsialle’s wolf groaned as the paralysis status held, the creature gurgling as the cruel attack left it unable to do much of anything…the realization that it would be finished off at the leisure of the higher-level combatant…the pink-haired woman revealing her nature as a utility fighter (a battle controller) than a common damage dealer. Her shifting form looked almost like a dancer as she looked around to find the rest of their impromptu party…the confusion of the encounter not entirely lost on her. How did they attack this far out and was this the sign of something more sinister occurring in the forest? Within quick succession, three wolves had fallen and a forth had laid paralyzed…its pitiful form might as well being counted for dead given its status. The fifth seemed close to death as well, the monster destined for a date with Athena’s rapier, two of Relsialle’s sharpened blade embedded in its back…

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Elpharae]

Elpharae couldn't lie. He was actually quite surprised at the random player who just ran in.

He had been observing the others fight. Athena found weaknesses in a single glance, spotting her prey, and sporting an aura of concentration so intense he couldn’t help but be absorbed into the fight, too, caught by the way that she fought-no, it was more like a dance, spinning back and leaping forward. Her rapier flashed, a sign of a punishing blow, and Elpharae watched for that gleam of silver, watching it burn into his eyesight when the sun shone off of it. At one point, the wolf got a scratch on her, but she didn’t falter. Instead, her anger and fury grew, heightening and heightening to such great amounts that he could almost feel it seeping out of her frame and into the air, flowing into him, incensing him. The brunette was suddenly reminded of her namesake, the prideful Pallas Athene, who was just and fair and noble, and yet her fury was never to be toyed with. When her prey had disappeared, Elpharae took a moment to compose himself, and turned to the pink-haired woman who had caught their attention.

Relsaille also toyed with her prey, but in a completely different way. Athena let her presence be known, let herself be feared, and in return, expected fear and desperation, relished in it. The woman toyed with her prey skillfully, teasing, letting herself almost, almost get hit, and then pulled back. When she did get hurt, it wasn’t a deterrent-instead, she incorporated it into her movements somehow, as if it were planned. Embellishing her weaknesses, she made them her strengths. The wolf had no chance...and so she fought like that. Definitely not a front-liner in the sort of blunt way. Instead, Elpharae had a funny feeling that this woman, bright and so out of place, was more at home in the shadows than any of them could ever be, and that her uniqueness only helped her in being undetectable.

The random brunette was rather unexpected, though. His glasses and his dark brown hair, as well as that demeanor, seemed just as out of place as Relsaille, but even more so. He was loud, from what he had heard from those thundering footsteps, and was panting hard, though Elpharae doubted he had been running for a long time. When he spoke, Elpharae managed a small smile, and his cheeks flushed a delicate parasol-pink. Did he really seem injured enough to warrant that kind of desperate, last straw behavior? He hoped not. Elpharae may have been weak, but he wasn’t so weak to take help from a player who seemed just as new to this as he was.

After closing his eyes for a minute or two, he pushed the other brunette's hand away, a little of his energy replenished. Pulling himself up to a sitting position, thanking the gods that in Sword Art Online, there were no insects, he gently gave the other male his potion back, clearing his throat a little. "I'm not near death yet. Save your potion..." He glanced toward the other's health bar, taking in his name and coughed delicately. Hiding his shakiness, or at least, the remains of it-he thought he did it rather well, actually, since he was confident there was almost no sign of his earlier weaknesses-the boy stood, testing out his limbs again. He felt like sleeping a little, honestly, but the fight was still ongoing, and his energy was much more than its earlier weakness...though his health was still rather low. Thankfully, his voice was steady. Kayaba's programming, he guessed, and thank heaven for that. "KyleMartin. Anyways, aren't you supposed to ask for my name before you give me a drink?" He tried to tease, unsure of how affective it would be.

Letting out a smile that hid most of his tiredness, he leaned against the tree, his fingers sliding against the rough bark as he took in a ragged breath, unsure of how to respond. His rapier was still clutched in his hand, and his eyes, which he struggled to keep from closing periodically out of exhaustion, tracked the monsters’ movements. Three out of five, and the fourth seemed like it would disappear anyways, after being paralyzed. But the fifth...his eyes ran over the meadow. It had been fighting Relsaille, with a severe injury, but now, he didn't spot it anywhere. Not at all...which was odd, wasn’t it? His rapier was shifted immediately to a defensive stance, the metal gleaming in the bright light, even though his arms and legs protested. When an enemy was missing, and there was no signature blue and white, that was undoubtedly a bad thing. "Don't keep your back to the enemy," He said automatically to the other male, pulling him quickly to make the other's back slam into the bark of the tree, instead of having his back to the enemy. "There's no telling whether a wolf could change course and attack you or not. Keep your weapon ready."

He spoke as steadily as he could, but really, was unsure of how much more strength he could summon. But it was highly likely that he could finish this monster, since it looked like a sure blow or two would definitely kill it. His eyes caught a flash of grey heading towards the two, and he acted on instinct, his reaction a little slower than it would be otherwise, sending the wolf flying back to the group of other players with a hit to its jaws, his rapier sliding through the two sets of teeth and hitting the back of it’s jaw, making it gag when it was thrown back. The lash from that counterattack made him shudder uneasily against the oak, eyes darting to Kyle now and then to make sure the other player was okay. Obviously, the green male was kind, but by the way he acted, impulsive, and if Elpharae was blunt, by the way that he was reacting after that run, weak. What type of player didn't know not to turn his back on much more powerful animals like this? Elpharae doubted he had ever left the towns and safe zones. The wolf was thrown back, and while it was still reactive to that throw, the brunette stepped over and stabbed it through the eye with a single thrust. He glanced through the meadow to see Athena, his mind racing when he remembered the blonde’s fight, having been too tired to realize what was really going on.

The player had known that Athena would be a devastatingly powerful player, even for a level one player, but that rage and anger, that pride that rushed through her during her fight..But this...his blood ran cold. Iit was too much like his own. Bloodlust, that was. Sheer bloodlust. That urge to fight back, to hurt back, to destroy...it was utterly unlike the girl he had met. She had been distant, correct, but approachable-warm and kind as the honey of her eyes. But seeing her transform into a cruel, cold-blooded killer? He didn't know how to react to that. She had been toying with her prey, playing with it, enjoying the wolf's desperation, the anger that she had sown. That ire churning inside of her, that darkness...it repulsed Elpharae and pulled him to her, so much like his own. But hers...hers was made out of sheer arrogance and pride, while he wanted that violence, relished in it for the bloody sport itself.

Which was worse? He thought darkly. I liked that control, loved it, actually. I wanted to hurt and destroy and watch as those monsters, those programs, those creations of Kayaba’s writhed in agony, howling, sides ripped with red. I wanted them to fear, to feel absolute terror as I killed them, impervious to my own hurt, my own health, my own wellbeing. But did I love it because it was so much like my revenge for that simple cut, or did I love it because it was simple savagery? As he thought, he sent glances over to the other brunette player. KyleMartin. He was just going to call him Kyle. Sighing and leaning back against the tree, all pretenses of strength leaving his body, the crossdresser felt a prominent ache inside of his body, somewhat physical and emotional. It didn’t hurt...it just sort of thrummed inside of him. How odd. The long-haired youth snorted inwardly.

Odd was the norm here in Aincrad, though, wasn’t it? He was going to have to try a lot harder than that.

His headache had disappeared, leaving only a handful of whispers in his head telling him to hurt, to kill...and that was never good, was it? To have voices in your head? Elpharae sighed, instead opting to sit down again, this time crossing his legs primly and his back leaning against the tree, his head inclined to one side as he made his eyes shut, concentrating in order to clear his head. The grass was warm and oddly soft, a gentle feeling seeping from it, like a lover’s caress. The earth smelled like petrichor but was dry, able to support his weight. Even the wind was pleasant-it was cool and welcoming, touching his skin and rustling his clothes, sleeves rubbing his wrists and petticoat rustling against his knees. The air was silent, lacking the twittering and chittering noise of the birds, but he did his best to ignore it. Instead, there was the ever-present rustle of leaves against each other, the buttery warmth of the sun, the thump of his own heartbeat to listen to, to try to understand. His eyes opened again, much clearer and focused.

“I’m sorry for slamming you against a tree,” He started out awkwardly, shyness permeating his voice as soon as he regained his senses, his adrenaline fading and blood quieting to silence instead of a roar in his ears. “I was just acting on instinct, because you could have been in danger, and one wolf was nowhere to be seen...but if I may be so bold, why are you out here? It seems that you are no more suited to this landscape than I, so there must have been a reason for your appearance. Unless...were you trying to meet someone? Perhaps one of us?” His mind raced to find a conclusion. It couldn’t have been Sora, or Athena, or himself, because all of them showed up here only because of...the pink-haired woman! “You wanted to meet her?” He asked lightly, motioning to the bright-haired rogue.

But his eyes narrowed calculatingly. What had been a mere spark of curiousity now roared into a flame, and thoughts came and went, him analyzing each one to the fullest before dismissing it. What he had seen from the woman, no matter how little, was though she seemed to be social enough, her casual, easygoing deameanor proof of that alone, she obviously also loved secrecy, shadows, and definitely solitude. What else would she like, sleeping in one of the highest trees in the forest? Heights, maybe, but she was definitely a capable fighter, and from what he knew, people who fought well liked surrounding themselves with people who worked just as well. So maybe Kyle was her apprentice...but that was unlikely, seeing as his reaction after a run. Even if they weren’t together for long, anyone capable like her wouldn’t leave their student so...unaware. Like him, sort of.

He turned his attention to the rest of the fighters, noting that they were finished with the wolves, and began to walk over, his gait now much more steady and graceful. Sending a questioning look over to Kyle, obviously inviting him to come over, Elpharae rejoined the group, taking note of everyone’s HP and standing, his sheathed rapier in his hand. The brunette sent a cursory glance over them, and lingered the tiniest bit on Relsaille and Athena, before brushing stray locks of hair out of his face with a long, salmon colored sleeve. His focus returrned to Kyle. The green player seemed to recognize the bright-haired woman, so that was certainly interesting, but did the woman recognize him? Elpharae sent another light, casual look at Relsaille and didn’t see a lot of recognition, if any at all. So why was Kyle looking for this woman?

His dark eyes blinked. There was no use on dwelling for that answer, since it would probably come to him. Athena seemed plenty normal now, shaken out of her bloodlust...or, perhaps it was still dwelling in her, waiting to be unleashed. How droll and grosteque, he thought dryly, before pulling his hands up, undoing his hair before letting it down again, his black hair falling down to his shoulder blades. With quick movements, his hands worked around his dark locks, and he pretended to be mostly absorbed in pulling his hair into a bun, but was much more interested in what could happen here. When he was finished, lowering his hands to his sides, he felt almost renewed with strength, somehow, the short period of time helping him regain his energy but not his health.

It was nice, almost, being surrounded by these people...and he sent a glance at the health bar above the pink-haired woman’s head, just remembering that he did not know her name. Relsaille, he thought, sounding the word out in his mind. It was undoubtedly pretty, but fierce, somehow, like metal slicing through silk. Relsaille. They made an odd sort of group, didn’t they? A dagger-wielder, two rapier-users, a boy with a longsword, and an unknown. Five of them in total. There was some sort of joke that he was sure lingered around this situation, but it seemed out of his grasp, so he didn’t try to think about it too much. Maybe it was their clashing sort of aura-Athena was regal, Relsaille salacious, Kyle kind, Sora tenacious, and himself, whom he supposed seemed rather shy and innocent, though he doubted it.

Would someone so shy and innocent be so unphased by gore? Actually, he wasn’t unphased-he wanted more of it. So he supposed not, but that didn’t seem like a good point to make right now. His fingers itched for his rapier, the cold metal not alien but more of a reassurance now, a reassurance that he could fight, that he had worth, that he was powerful...but the weapon was unnecessary now, unless one of them was revealed to be a PKer, and he doubted it. The birds had begun to twitter again, and the familiar sound reminded Elpharae that yes, they were out of danger, and the relief that ran through him was very much real.

He brought his rapier to his other side, the realization that they were out of danger needing to be continuously vertified before he began to calm, which could also be classified as paranoia, but he much prefered to let it be called being cautious. There was no more ominous sounds of unsheathed claws and swords clashing, no snarls that could be heard, but something set him on edge. This group of people had fought together, but they knew virtually nothing about each other, and that made him uneasy. What if one of them was a possible PKer, and observing them, picked up on their fighting styles and-

Elpharae frowned. Where was all this paranoia coming from? He had suddenly become wary and untrusting, but that was rather off for him, wasn’t it? He tried to not let any thoughts invade his mind, but an aura of overwhelming confusion and bewilderment seemed to be locked up inside of him, cleverly hidden by his shyly curious exterior that the others saw. What was this? How odd...was it an affect of the game, the forest, or was it just him? He doubted the game had been able to tap into their minds any more than it already had, so it must have been him.

But what was this all coming from? He racked his head for any traces of this newfound trait of his personality, but came up with nothing. What he had felt seemed to have disappeared somehow, a distressing find. Questions littered his mind, but few answers. Frustrated, he returned his focus to his newfound group of a sorts, wondering what possibly could be the connection between these players. Relsaille and Kyle were a definite sort of mystery, while Athena and Sora might have had a connection, from what he saw. What secrets were this group hiding, if any at all? What hid behind that demeanor of theirs, just waiting to be discovered? Curiousity seemed to be at large today, and Elpharae revealed little, instead waiting for the others to react before he did. The forest seemed still for now, and so he lost most of his tension, but still remained wary.

There was just something about this group that drew him to them, and such a thing could be from one extreme to another. Elpharae sighed, knowing that he was probably overdramatizing the situation, but he couldn’t help it. Everything in Sword Art Online seemed undoubtedly overdone, and this was no exception. His life could be a play, so why not make everything such a big deal? Honestly, he didn't know how to react to this, and so he turned his attention to the group, watching them inquisitively. What would come out of this encounter, when all he had been doing was wandering the outskirts of the Black Forest to do nothing at all?

[Athena]

"Do you have a problem for me to solve?" ☒ Elpharae relsialle Kyle ✐ --- ✉ I'M SO SORRY THAT I TOOK SO LONG TO REPLY TO THIS THREAD, BUT I'M TRYING TO GET THE MOST RECENT THREADS OUT OF THE WAY FIRST. SORRY~ Athena Lv1

The wolf that faced Athena was missing an eye, which seemed to make it behave erratically because of the damage that was inflicted to it. Athena was about to strike at the wolf again, when suddenly, there were two shards of some kind of material that came flying through the air, landing in the back of Athena's opponent. Athena looked around for a moment, trying to fixate her gaze on whoever had thrown them to help her out. Athena's best guess was the pink haired girl, whose display name was Relsialle. This woman... She had learned how to throw shards of materials? Athena had never seen anything like it. From the look of the damage it inflicted, it was a very useful skill for the woman. Athena observed Relsialle as she ran around the battlefield noticing how much she was controlling the battle situation. The wolf that she had encountered was lying on the ground, seeming to have a status effect of paralyzation. Athena looked at the pink haired girl with a careful eye. She was formidable, but she didn't seem to be any danger to Athena for some reason. Relsialle seemed to be looking around for the rest of the party, which Athena thought was definitely a good idea for the woman. She had dealt with all of the other wolves, with the exception of one, but Athena was sure that that wolf would die quite soon. Relsialle... An intriguing woman indeed. But I'll save my observations about her for later, right now, I need to kill the wolf that's in front of me.      Athena returned her gaze to her target who was still in sharp pain because of the blades that had been embedded into its back. It seemed to be trying to get them out, so Athena took advantage of this situation. The wolf was distracted and probably wasn't going to pay attention to its surroundings, with the exception of any enemy that came within its line of sight. If the wolf doesn't see me and is distracted, then I have a sure chance of hitting the wolf. This will be a good chance to use my stealth skill as well. I need to start using tactics like this more often than not. Athena made herself disappear in the middle of the field for only a few seconds, which was more than enough time to inflict a strike on the wolf. Athena aimed for the most vital parts of the wolf's torso and she lunged... Then got knocked over by the wolf because it swung its head to hit Athena. Athena flew back a few yards and cursed as she laid on the ground. "Bastard!" Athena verbally yelled at the wolf, which made her earlier rage build up again. These fucking wolves. Why won't they just die at my hand?! I've got a good sword for my level and why can't they just die like boars?! Why can't they just be obedient and die?! I want to gain some experience and items from them so I can level up and become even better than I am now! What the hell?! THIS GAME CAN BE SO FRUSTRATING SOMETIMES. Athena got up, but found herself back on the ground again as the wolf pinned her down. Athena could feel the hot, vile breath on her face and it nearly made her vomit. The wolf was probably going to try and bite her on the torso. Athena tried to think of ways to escape the predicament that she was in. She had her rapier in her hand, but both were pinned down by the wolf's front paws. DAMN. DAMN. DAMN. DAMN IT. DAMN IT ALL! HOW COULD I GET TACKLED BY THIS WEAK FUCKING WOLF?! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. HOW COULD I LET MYSELF DO THIS? Athena made eye contact with the wolf's single eye. "DIE DAMMIT!" Athena's rage welled up inside of her, the strong energy resonating in her chest. She moved that energy from her chest to the arm with her rapier. Her arm felt powerful at that moment, causing her to be able to shift the wolf's leg enough for her to send the rapier through the wolf's skull. Athena held her rapier where it was as the pixels of victory dissipated.      Athena laid where she was for a while, letting herself relax. She didn't have to kill anymore wolves for right now. She didn't have to stress about losing to a weak opponent. Athena didn't have to worry about being killed. She could rest for a little bit and think about everything that had happened. I assumed too much. I always assume too much in battle. I underestimate my opponents and think they willingly leave their weaknesses open. I think they willingly flaunt them for me to take advantage of. Unfortunately, the enemies don't work like that. They're wired for survival and killing. That's all they know. Kill the players. Stay alive. Athena laughed quietly to herself. These monsters are just like us. They're living day by day and they think exactly like us. Well... They don't think at all, but the ideas behind their brain functions are the same. Kill the players... Kill the monsters... It's all the same. Either way, you'll be killing something. Athena realized, at this very moment, the sinister nature of humanity and it's activities. Humanity always claims to have so many things done solely for their survival, but isn't that the way that other beings co-exist with us? They kill humans because they are a threat to their kind. They kill humans because we use them as food, as materials. They kill humans because they have to to survive. Humanity simply kills things for sport. They never actually need to kill other living beings. Animals in the real world don't need to be murdered, but we produce new living organisms for the sole use of humanity. Humanity is a selfish race, who finds their motivation for things as an act of 'survival'. Kill other people? Survival. Kill other animals? Survival. Kill imaginary enemies? A thrill of survival. Humanity's drive is caused by the fear of not being able to survive, when, in reality, humanity is probably sure to be fine as long as they don't kill living organisms. Athena thought of the food chain. Sure, humans had reached the top, but they were not always on the top of the food chain. It made her wonder why humanity decided to be so vengeful against the food chain. Athena laughed again. The answer was in what she was just talking about. Survival.      Athena got up, releasing herself from her small revelation about humanity. Athena stretched her arms out a little bit before she casually walked over toward Elpharae and a new player, who seemed to be watching them fight. Athena quickly looked the boy up and down, not very impressed with him. He didn't seem to be extraordinary in any way and it seemed that he was not athletic in any way. Not that that served to be a problem since that could be easily fixed with some daily training. Athena simply looked herself up and down, examining the clothing she was wearing. It was exceedingly dirty, which made her slightly embarrassed. Dirty clothes were not a good first impression for a possible ally. Athena quickly ran her hands over the clothing, trying to knock off any dirt that was lying in the fabric. When she was done, the fabric was still a little dirty, but that couldn't be helped since she had just fought two Dire Wolves. Athena looked at the player and observed his name. KyleMartin. How odd. I've never seen anyone use a possible real name for their username. Though, I suppose it wouldn't be uncommon for someone unintelligent. Athena looked the player, KyleMartin, over again. He's not unintelligent. Did he pick his name to try and become closer to others? To make people trust him more because it had the possibility of being his real name? Athena smirked. If that was the idea behind his name, she enjoyed his intelligent choice in name.      Shifting her gaze from Kyle to Elpharae, she noticed that Elpharae seemed to be a little timid. Athena examined the actions of the girl closer. No. It wasn't being timid, but something more complex. Athena tried to assess what was going through Elpharae's mind, but her face seemed to hold no help in Athena's search for Elpharae's emotion. Athena tried watching the girl's hands, again, nothing. Her legs. Nothing. Elpharae's feet. Nothing. Athena quickly second guessed herself. Maybe she was wrong in assuming that Elpharae was being something more than timid. Suddenly, Athena realized that Elpharae was looking around the group that had gathered near her quickly. Her eyes flitting from person to person, examining, reading, and analyzing. Athena focused more on Elpharae's eyes. There was an analysis of each person, but it was more than an analysis. It was almost alarm, from what Athena could tell. Why would Elpharae be alarmed? Athena looked around at the group before realizing that most of them were strangers to each other until just recently. In fact, the person who was standing closest to Elpharae was the most estranged of them all. Athena quickly moved from where she was, to in between Kyle and Elpharae. If anyone was going to have to fight Kyle, she was going to do it. Athena looked around at the group once more. She was sure she would get backup against him in case he was dangerous. Though, from his looks, she guessed not. You could never be too careful in a world full of manipulation and survival. Athena casually put her rapier back in the holster, but didn't take her hand off of it. She tried to make it look like she was just holding the rapier for no reason, but she was really holding it in case they got in an infraction again. Athena really needed to be ready for anything at this point.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS - EDITS BY ANGELO OF SAO-RPG

[Kyle]

	A big thanks to Angelo for letting me use his template. 2,546 words. Yay! I busted through 2,500!
	Kyle Martin Lv1 | | I will not allow anyone to die.

As Kyle held out the health potion, his lungs huffed and puffed and his diaphragm moved in and outward like an accordion being played at an abnormally fast tempo. Oh, this is so embarrassing, he mentally whined. How is anyone going to take me seriously if I get winded after such a short sprint?



As Kyle waited for the injured girl to take his health potion, he glanced over his left shoulder and noticed one of the wolves curiously encroaching on a single spot on the forest floor, his nose flaring at a rapid pace in a desperate search for something unseen. Huh, that's odd, Kyle thought. There's nothing there. This dire wolf seemed larger and more ferocious than the others. It snarled and possessed a determined look in his eyes akin to a human hunter pursuing a deer in the woods. I'll have to keep an eye on that one. It's dangerous. Suddenly, the oversized dire wolf lunged at what appeared to be nothing and for a tiny second, Kyle was perplexed, but his heart soon leaped out of his chest when he witnessed Relsialle appear out of nowhere with a swift roll to the side. As she avoided the attack, Kyle noticed that the dire wolf’s claw attack was so close that it looked as if it had seized a few strands of Relsialle's cotton candy-colored hair, but he couldn't be sure. With a determined glitter in her eyes, a dark purple aura similar to a flame engulfed Relsialle's copper dagger. Even from where Kyle was standing, he felt the dagger emit a bone-chilling presence that made his entire body want to stop functioning. This was her sword art and Kyle was certain it was some type of poison attack. It reminded him of Cobra from one of his favorite animes that he watched prior to becoming trapped in Sword Art Online, Fairy Tail. He grinned with even more confidence in his ally's strength. Knowing her skill, I bet her sense of hearing is as keen as Cobra's. He paused his thoughts for a moment and gulped. Let's just hope she isn't as sinister. With a decisive stab to the dire wolf’s spinal cord, all of its muscles seemed to go numb and it collapsed to the forest floor. Although it hadn't taken much damage, a yellow icon with a black lightning bolt in the center appeared next to its health bar. Kyle eagerly awaited Relsialle to finish the dire wolf off, jumping up and down slightly, starry-eyed like a five-year-old child; however, to Kyle's disappointment, she detected trouble with Athena's fight with another dire wolf and she scurried away to assist. She winked at the dire wolf playfully as she departed and said, "Lucky day pup..."



As Relsialle departed, Kyle returned his attention to the exhausted girl and noticed that she was finally regaining the energy she so desperately needed. She rejected the Kyle's gift, cleared her throat, and muttered, "I'm not near death yet. Save your potion..." Kyle breathed a sigh of relief. Good. She's fine after all. I was worried.



The girl still looked tired, but she was coming out of the danger zone of passing out. In a surprisingly deep, masculine voice, she said, "KyleMartin. Anyways, aren't you supposed to ask for my name before you give me a drink?"



A theory popped in Kyle's head and his eyes scanned her neck in search of what he predicted would be there. Sure enough, there was a small, but distinct bulge that could only belong to an Adam's apple. Oh my goodness! he mentally exclaimed. She's a he. I'm still going to refer to her as 'her' though. I should know more than anyone that it's rude not to otherwise. Realizing that he had focused on that particular spot on her neck for a little too long, he darted his eyes back up to hers and stuttered rather foolishly, "Uhh, umm, well, well."



A blush blossomed across his cheeks as he frantically tried forgetting that she is biologically male. Despite his own personal struggles with gender identity, he had only met a handful of transgender individuals and on occasion, he would make the first meeting with one awkward, especially if he failed to realize what they were hiding right away. In terms of this girl, she hid her biological sex rather well, perhaps too well. Even Kyle, who normally spots the slightest clues of a transgender immediately, had to observe her more closely before discovering the truth. Perhaps it's SAO, he thought. I bet that since this is a game, you can make your avatar seem more feminine in ways that you can't in the real world, even though they're supposed to resemble, or be exactly what you look like in real life. But it was her voice that gave her away. Perhaps I can give her some tips on how to change her voice later when we're in private. I'd have to tell her my secret first though.



As Kyle became lost in his thoughts, the girl's face slowly contorted into a displeased scowl. She gripped her rapier rather tightly and said in a firm tone, "Don't keep your back to the enemy."



The girl grabbed Kyle and slammed his back against the tree. "Ah!" he called out quietly. Kyle's eyes shifted from left to right as he thought briefly, Oh no! She's mad that I found out her secret. Oh, I have to apologize. I hope she doesn't hurt me, or worse. I hope she doesn't go red and kill me.



"There's no telling whether a dire wolf could change course and attack you or not. Keep your weapon ready."



Still slouching against the tree, Kyle snapped to his feet and immediately drew his dagger, holding it in front of him in line with his stomach with both hands. "Y-Yes ma'am!" he exclaimed, a twinge of nervousness still clinging to his voice like a baby holding onto the tips of his or her blanket. Kyle shook his head in frustration with his quick-to-judge thoughts. You idiot Kyle. She's not going to kill you. She's just worried about the wolves. Maybe she didn't even notice that you found out that she was a guy. I hope not at least. It's possible since she seems to be the type to be constantly scanning the battlefield. With a newfound, determined glint in his eyes, he released his right hand's grip of the dagger and let it rest at his side. Tightening his left hand's grip, he turned his body to where his left side pointed out and he slowly raised and extended his arm so that his dagger hung about four and a half feet out from his chest. Like the girl, his eyes zipped around the forest investigating for threats. This action felt foreign to him, as he wasn't the neurotic type. Not only did he never worry, he despised worrying and worriers. His mother worried so much that it drove her to near suicide. He often wondered if the Sword Art Online incident threw her over the edge, but he couldn't fret over it because it's something he couldn't change. Kyle could only hope that his years of encouragement and reassurance that she was beautiful in God's sight built her self-esteem enough to live with her son being trapped in a death game. If only I could tell you that I'm having fun, Mom. If only I could tell you that I have a purpose here and that's to keep other people alive.

Despite his carefree attitude, Kyle knew that he had to channel some sense of worry from his mother. It would creep up on him every now and then, such as a moment ago when he feared for his life when the girl slammed him against the tree, but he couldn't despise neuroticism any longer. In the world of Sword Art Online, fear for his life and for the lives of others would not only keep him alive, but it would keep others alive as well. Once I'm back in the Town of Beginnings, I can relax, but not here. Even the slightest misstep could get me killed in the Black Forest. As Kyle's eyes continually scanned the surrounding area, he would glance over at the dead weight dire wolf in case Relsialle's paralysis wore off and it decided to attack again. Suddenly, a sinking thought entered Kyle's mind. Wait, this girl and I are so focused on what's in front of us that neither of us have checked what's behind us.

Kyle looked over his shoulder and just as he had feared, the fifth dire wolf that had vanished either appeared behind the tree where the two players were standing in front of. Kyle spread his legs farther apart and placed his dagger in his right hand, beginning the initial steps of triggering his sword art; however, the girl sensed the dire wolf’s presence a second before Kyle had and as the dire wolf circled around, growling in front of them, it lunged. Before Kyle had a chance to react, the girl lodged her rapier into the dire wolf's mouth, sending it flying back. The dire wolf made a gagging sound.

The girl was exhausted because after she launched that quick attack, she fell back against the tree. That didn't stop her though because after a nearly instant recovery, she dashed forward and trust her rapier into one of the dire wolf's eyes. After that, the other blonde rapier user began fighting the dire wolf.

“I’m sorry for slamming you against a tree,” the long, black-haired girl apologized. “I was just acting on instinct, because you could have been in danger, and one wolf was nowhere to be seen," she continued, but if I may be so bold, why are you out here? It seems that you are no more suited to this landscape than I, so there must have been a reason for your appearance. Unless...were you trying to meet someone? Perhaps one of us?”

Kyle grinned. "You're a quick one, aren't you?

The girl looked about the landscape once more, this time with less of an expression of concern and one more of curiosity. She was obviously looking for whoever Kyle came here to meet with and after Kyle had witnessed how observant she is, he knew that she would find her in no time. She ignored Kyle's compliment, focused on quenching her inquisitive thirst, so Kyle took this time to glance at her name, which was something he should've done minutes ago; however, discovering that she was a man and being attacked by a wolf was distracting to him. He read the floating name above her yellow health bar that still sat at a little less than half health. Elpharae, that's an interesting name, he thought. With a warm smile, he mentally continued with, It sounds like Elphaba from Wicked! Being a Broadway nut, Kyle knew that he'd have to restrain himself from calling her Elphaba in the future, or even stop from bursting into random song at the mere mention of her name.

“You wanted to meet her?” Elpharae finally said, interrupting his thoughts. She motioned to Relsialle.

"Yep!" he exclaimed happily. "She's actually fairly famous among my customers in the Town of Beginnings. I'm a provisioner and a merchant. Long story short, my friends recently passed away in the game and without their help, I recognized that I needed to get stronger. So since she's a dagger user as well, I was hoping she could teach me a thing or two."

As Kyle finished his explanation, he saw the dire wolf from earlier pin the blonde rapier user against the forest floor. Oh no! he thought. Kyle prepared to rush over to help her, but she rammed her rapier into its skull exclaiming, "DIE DAMMIT!"

The wolf expanded and popped like a balloon filled with blue and white pieces of confetti and Kyle chuckled, "Wow! Impressive! Remind me not to get on her bad side."

The triumphant rapier user sat up and started laughing. Hmm, she must get a thrill out of this too just like Tim, David, and Lane did. He frowned for a moment. I just hope that she can keep it up all the way to floor 100 and not suffer the same fate as they did. His somber mood was short-lived though as his default grin took hold of his face yet again. He thought hopefully, As long as we stick together and pace ourselves, we should be fine.

The blonde rapier user stood up and walked toward Kyle and Elpharae. She seemed guarded. Kyle glanced at her name. Athena. I like that. It's the same as the Greek goddess of wisdom. I wonder if she's smart. Once Athena reached the pair, she inserted herself between them with her hand on her rapier. Kyle frowned sadly. Oh dang. She must not trust me. I can't blame her though. With PKers out, you can't be too careful I suppose. I know I need to be more careful around others, but I live by the mantra of, 'I'll trust you unless you prove that I can't.' Kyle stood there awkwardly for a moment, shifting his eyes and he decided to say something to break the ice. With a smile, he praised, "Good job over there. That was impressive."

Kyle glanced back over at the dire wolf that still lay on the forest floor. He furrowed his eyebrows and his face adopted a confident expression. He armed his copper training dagger in his right hand, positioned himself so that the left side of his body faced the dire wolf, spread his feet about three feet apart, and raised his dagger to that its point lined up perfectly with the helpless enemy. A blue aura lit up around his feet and the sound of bells dinged. Kyle focused on the wolf's expression. He was in pain, much like a real animal. Kyle hated violence. He hated killing, but he knew that he had to in order to gain experience and get stronger.

He shook his head, ridding the sentimental thoughts out of his mind, but then, he detected Relsialle out of the corner of his eye. I can't kill this dire wolf, he thought. She worked hard, so this kill belongs to her.

There was a small part of him that wanted to cancel his sword art and back down in order to gain Relsialle's trust so that he had a better chance of receiving some training from her; however, there was a much stronger motivation that drove him than that. It was a much more selfless one. Stealing was wrong and kills in Sword Art Online were no exception. He lowered his dagger and the lights and sounds emanating from his feet died down. "Relsialle, he called out, "this kill is yours. You earned it. Finish it off before it gets back up."