A Wave of Shock

[Keiko]

Keiko joined the amazing animated world of Sword Art Online. She looked as other people were walking down streets as she stood in the middle of the Town of Beginnings. She looked at the sky, and she mumbled, "I hope it's everything that you hoped it would be brother..." She looked straight ahead at the crowded streets as she began to walk towards one. She kept walking as she looked around at all of the shops. They seemed to be busy in the weapons shop, so she would visit another time. She began to watch a few people introduce themselves. She had no intention of meeting anyone new.

Suddenly, she was teleported back to the middle of the town. Everyone seemed to be here... what could the meaning of this be. No introduction or congratulation ceremony on the first day was mentioned on the case of the game. She watched as a red cloak appeared in the sky. She listened as other people were telling others to look. She narrowed her eyes just a bit. "A red cloak? something tells me this isn't a welcoming ceremony." She listened to the voice talk for a while before the devastating news was delivered. They were trapped inside the game till the 100th floor was cleared, and if you die in the game you die in real life. Everyone took the mirror out of their inventory as their appearances changed. Keiko sighed as she took the mirror out. Her black long hair turned to a bright blood red, and her tanish skin turned to a pale.

Everyone started panicking as the cloak left, and they tried to log out, but couldn't. Keiko looked around, and decided to explore the town for a bit longer. She needed to visit a few shops for essential needs if she was going to be stuck in the game for a while. She heard in the streets that some people were traveling to the second floor. While others said they were heading to the shops to upgrade their armor, and weapons. She didn't know what she wanted to do yet. She sighed as she decided to walk around a bit more to fully understand what was happening.

[Keiko]

I forgot to mention that this is open to anyone who would like to join.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv 1

Rue wiped her eyes and flexed her right arm. Her eyes were still irritated and her arm still hurt from her forcing herself to, not cry or be afraid. Looking around the town with her piercing amber eyes, most of the players still in shock or denial would hover around the town square lying to themselves or just simply standing there like invalents. Others seemed to be running around pushing and shoving each other to get ahead, the ones that could not keep up were trampled underneath the stampeding player base. They were like cattle charging blindly ahead to their destruction Rue knew the town like the back of her hand from when she tested the game. Moving through alleyways and backyards she would move ahead of the herd of new players. For now all she needed was heath potions, entering the general store she hastily move through the store and take a decent amount of health potions. Moving to the counter the owner of the store would greet her. She was middle age and was rather plumb. " Hell...", Rue would look at the woman with burning eyes she had no time to role play with the body of code. She would speak in a curt tone, "skip". The woman would end her conversation and tell her the cost of the items. Rue would pay and begin to leave. She has to stay ahead of the player mob, letting them catch up to her would only slow her down. Rue would move to the door and turn the knob.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Keiko]

Keiko headed towards the store to see about food, and water. On her way she saw some people entering a bar. She tilted her head confused on why someone would go to a bar in the game if it didn't do anything to you in real life. She shrugged as she walked past, and into the store. She looked at how much she had to spend, and thought of what she needed to get. Keiko then went towards the food trying not to get her mind wrapped around some trinket that she didn't need. She may be fighting for her life, but a 14 year old still is a kid, and any kid likes to spend their money on useless things time, and time again.

Keiko looked at the different foods, and what would be best for her health. She grabbed a few bottles of water, and a few loafs of bread. She looked around for anything else useful to her. She eventually found a few healing potions. She headed to the front to pay for her stuff. "Please let me survive this..." She whispered a small pray. She looked around for people who might have watched her as she rang he bell on the desk. Soon an old man came to help her check out. She looked at the man who commented on how young she was. She just rolled her eyes, "I didn't expect a man of your age to be playing this game honestly." She snapped back. She had quite a short temper at the time, and didn't need to be bothered about how young she was.

[Elpharae]

Elpharae's hands shook with anger and frustration after what just happened. Around him, players were slowly beginning to trickle in to the town, murmuring things under their breath. The atmosphere was strangely subdued in stark contrast to the previous bustling ambience. It wasn't a good idea to head in to the plains, since he had an emotion-fueled mind. It was never good to fight when you were unfocused and your vision was cloudy. On that note, he locked his emotions away firmly, a cold mask settling on his features. It felt alien, really, but he pushed away the odd sensation, instead opting to walk through the streets. There was a handful of concerned glances, but he ignored them, the strange weight of his rapier glacial against his hand. A handful of minutes. That was all it took to change the course of his mindset and to change his life.

He walked through the streets, catching a glimpse of oddly-colored hair once in a while. Did people really have pink, blue, or green hair? Shaking the strange colors off, he noticed a flash of bright red hair here and there. He had been planning on checking out the shops to see what was useful, but it seemed that others had the same idea, and so he tried to veer away from the crowd, walking in to a small, mostly empty shop, pushing the door open and gently brushing past a . There was a sharp, youthful voice suddenly heard. Irrational anger built in him from the vestiges of what remained from Kayaba's announcement. Honestly, how old was that girl? Did she have to be so rude? She was so arrogant, too! He had done nothing but make a small remark, and she retorted at him, that impudent girl. He knew that he was being petty as her, but he had been taught to respect his elders, and that was definitely disrespect.

He itched to slap her, to let out some of his anger, but he restrained the urge, instead keeping his face in a blank mask. He merely moved by them, accidentally knocking her-the redhead-over. Startled, he leaned down, offering her a hand. "I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Elpharae kept himself stoic, merely making sure she was fine, his voice gentle. Honestly, she kind of deserved it, but he wasn't that rude. Unlike her, he thought vindictively.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv 1

Exiting the store Rue could see the mob of players on the horizon. Their foot steps made the ground shake under the combine force of most of the player base run for the stores. Rue let out a tsk as she began moving quickly to the town exit, hopefully she would have enough time to kill some boars before the collective masses overfilled the plains making it impossible to grind. Rue sprinted through the cobblestone roads her small feet tapped on the stone as she shot passed the other stores that were useless to a level one or had no function, but to be a distraction. Breaking away from the noise and panic of the town, the bright colours welcomed the single girl as she did not stop to take in the scenery. Rue's eyes scanned the tall grass for boar, her burning amber eyes would lock their sights on a boar near by. Rue slid into her fighting stance, her left foot back and her right foot forward with her left swordhand drawn and held up be her side pointing up on an angle. Her right hand in front with her shield out to meet the boar. Rue bent her knees down and pushed off moving towards the boar at a quick, but controlled pace. As she moved closer to the boar, it's aggro range would pop, turning around t would snort and kick up dirt with it's hind legs. Bringing it's head down, it would charge at the small girl. Rue would continue to charge, and as the were about to meet she would, lean to her left and dodge to the boars right side. As she flanked the boar she slammed the shield against the boar's side causing it to lose it's balance and roll on it's side. Rue would step on it's neck with her right foot, the boar struggled and squealed as she forced it down. She thrusted down into the boar's exposed bottom around it's chest, the boar twitched with pain as is squealed.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Keiko]

Keiko fell to the ground and looked at the guy. She shook her head, "its fine." She didn't take his hand, but got up. She wouldn't like any help from anyone. She looked at him with a straight face before turning back to the man as she paid. She put her things in her inventory. She looked at the guy, "thanks for trying o help me up, but I don't really need it." She didn't ever truly intend to be rude, but she didn't want to meet new people, and she didn't want to get close to people either.

She turned towards the door, an she opened it. She stopped in her tracks taking a deep breath before continuing out the door. She kept walking out into the street, "sorry, but I can't afford to be nice to people..." she muttered as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. She looked back towards the store before heading towards the center of the town. She wanted to survey out who was left in the town, and who was working their way towards the other floors. She looked around the streets as it didn't seem as busy as the earlier, but pretty close.

[Elpharae]

Elpharae suppressed a wave of anger as he heard her mutter her words and he stood, brushing off his clothes coldly. "I see. My apologies, then, for trying to help a fellow player. I wasn't aware that some players were so...above me, though none of us are quite above level one yet. I suppose I should never try to help people who are better than me, should I?" Arrogant, rude, and utterly useless at being polite, he thought darkly, his mood souring with every word she said. Could I hate her more?

He let her go, and followed, his destination near where she was headed. Letting his feet slide smoothly against the stones of the road, Elpharae’s grip tightened on his rapier’s hilt, unsure but dependent on this weapon. Did he even know how to fight with this thing? Not well, that was for sure. While she headed into the narrower streets, the brunette paused, conflicted. Something told him to go after the girl, but that would be just odd, and he didn’t want to spend more time with the unpleasant player than he had already done.

Trust your instincts, he reminded himself dryly. Sighing, he followed the redhead. They-or, rather, he-passed the plains, and he turned, jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of a sword. He caught a flash of light-colored hair, and surprised, he headed toward the sound, curious at what he would find.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv 1

Rue pulled her blade out of the boar it dissipated into blue sparks. Looking around she would see another boar nearby, pushing off with her legs she would bring the tip of the blade down across the boar's neck. It would shriek in surprise as it swung it's head towards the Rue's side. Putting her shield in between the boar and herself and thunk and splintering sound echoed through the immediate area. Backing away from the boar, Rue moves back into her stance. The boar snort and stomps at the small light haired girl. Leaning forward the boars shoots forward at the girl, it's eyes red with rage directed towards ending the small girl's life. The boar snorted rapidly as it approached the girl, quickly stepping to her left and stepping to her right the sword impale the boar. The momentum of the boar's charge pulled the blade along the boar's side, the sharp cry of death pierced the air as the boar disappeared. Rue silently looked for another target she was on a deadline and had to get the drops she needed before the masses flooded the plains. Rue paused for a moment and looked behind her. There was a small boy or girl they where to far away to correctly say. Rue looked behind the player, there did not seem to be any others behind them. They must of been a beta player to be able to beat the hordes of players to the plains. "Get your kills why you can, soon this place will be filled with players fighting over kills and maybe killing each other. As soon as I see the masses come i'm leaving". Rue spoke with apathy as she turned away from the player and went to kill another boar.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Keiko]

Keiko looked around at the people still trying to decide what to do next. She shook her head, "don't spend your time worrying. Although you might live longer that way." She mumbled. She started to think, do I really act without thinking? She thought back to the boy in the store, and she remembered how he had just tried to help her up. She let out a huge sigh. "I guess I need to think things out more." She shrugged as she began walking toward the store to attempt to apologize to the guy.

She kept walking until she got to the store. She didn't see the guy inside, so she wondered where he could have gone. He couldn't have gone far, but she might not see him again. She just hoped that before she or him died that she would get to apologize to him. It wouldn't mean they were friends, but she wouldn't be rude. She walked by the Great Plains to see if he tried to leave. She didn't see him by the gate, but she kept walking along the side until she saw him a little ways ahead. Now she couldn't decide weather to speak to him or not. She stood their seeing him stare at the field. She followed his gaze to see a girl in the field.

[Elpharae]

Elpharae, jolted out of his reverie, nodded his thanks at her message and unsheathed his rapier. It felt odd in his hands, which were much more suited to other activities. The cold, smooth blade caught the moonlight, and he ran a delicate finger over the smooth, almost round base, which was drawn to a sharp point at the very tip. A boar caught sight of him and charged, its blue hide almost blending in with the dark night. The brunette instinctively sidestepped as it barreled past him, and so the fight began.

The brunette continuously dodged and evaded its attacks, landing glancing blows that shaved off its health points one by one. His frustration built up as the seconds ticked by and he wasn't able to kill it (even though the boar was at two health points), finally reaching to the point where he just acted on impulse and twisted one hand up in the air. His sword glowed, and Elpharae was left in utter shock, staring at the weapon before realizing where he was and charged at the boar instead of the other way around, making a cut along its ribs, knocking it down to one side and making it dissipate into a shower of pixels.

Once he was done, the boy blinked incredulously at his sword. Was that his sword art? He had heard that it gave players a certain skill...but this one was absolutely useless. Wow. Instead of making his weapon stronger or his attack stronger, it seemed to have no effect or even lowered his attack. Maybe if he tried it again? Elpharae took his rapier and walked off to find another foe, curiosity and annoyance gnawing at his mind.

[Rue]

"Never Falter Never Look Back!" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Rue Lv1

Rue watched for the corner of her eye at the person fighting the boar as she finished of one of her own. They did not seem to be completely used to their weapon. Rue watched as she dodged the boars attack and landed small, but damaging blows. As the boar made a last stich effort to bring the person down, their weapon glowed with a gold light and struck at the boars ribs knocking it down and finishing it. It was not very powerful but It was fast, it's low damage must mean it carries an effect. They seem to stand still staring at their weapon. " Even as soft as water can be it erodes the strongest of stone giving enough time. Don't worry so much on how much damage you can do, you use a rapier. You have speed and deftness, if they can't hit you and you can hit them you've already won. Also the fact the you cutting with a weapon designed for piercing could also be a factor. Don't get flustered about damage, your art most likely carries a status effect. Remember it's about staying alive". Rue looked to the person she was giving pointers to and saw another player move towards them. This person was very clearly a girl, she was roughly the same height as herself, but she had cherry red hair. Rue looked to the town entrance to see on the horizon, a army of players that looked like a bunch of tiny blobs running toward the field. Rue scoffed as she sheathed her sword, turning her back to the two players she would begin to walk away.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Keiko]

Keiko looked at the girl who stared at her. She looked back at the people running then to the girl who was leaving. She looked at the guy who she was talking to before slowly walking over. She just stared at him before taking a deep breath. "I... I'm-" She looked at him not knowing why she couldn't say one simple word. She looked at her feet, "S-S-sorry." She finally said. She looked back at him before walking away. That's all she had to do to let herself relax. She hoped he would either forgive her, or at least acknowledge that she said something. She felt kind of awkward standing there in silence.

[Elpharae]

A...status affect? Like stunning, or paralyzation? How interesting. He surveyed the girl in intrigue, wondering who she was to know so much. The most likely outcome was that she was a beta player, and the tips she gave were certainly helpful...though she was leaving. Elpharae murmured a quick word of thanks, trusting that she could hear him, before turning to the redhead from earlier. His eyes widened slightly when she let out an apology, and a rueful smile played on his lips. She may have been unpleasant, but she was learning. No one would want to work with a rude player.

"It's fine," He waved it off gently, most of his emotions calming with the cold night. Her arrogance and ignorance, both of which he abhorred, to be honest, seemed small now. Somehow, he felt more tranquil. Clearing his throat lightly, knowing that it had been a minute or two since he last spoke, the brunette slid his rapier back into its sheath, raising a curious brow. "But I doubt you should followed me all the way here to just give me an apology. I'm not that incredibly important."

His eyes scanned the horizon, spotting the groups of players, and he bit back a sigh. The girl was right-he had no chance of getting any more kills tonight alone. Running a hand through his hair, the boy began to head deeper into the plains, still full of energy and having no intent of stopping tonight. While those players seemed to be set on attacking from the edges of the plains, he would head into the center or the other edge, where there would be more boars...hopefully. He sent one last curious glance to the girl who brushed past him and a lingering look at the bright-haired girl, slipping into the taller grasses.

[Keiko]

Keiko listened to him, "but I did because my conscious often fills me with guilt, and now that the game has one into sudden death I don't want to leave things off on a bad note. Not that I would ever become friends with anyone." She said catching up with him. She was curious about where he was going. "So where are you headed off too?" She found herself actually talking to the guy. She looked around the world amazed at how nice the game was.

She looked back to the Town of Beginnings the people were all heading towards the front of The Plains. She looked back to the boy she was trying to keep up with, "you're a fast walker..." She said trying to break the silence. She shook her head thinking about she needed to talk to people more often. She could tell she was lacking a lot, but she hadn't realized that communication was something that someone can lose the skill of.