[Closed] Sheltered Shadows

[Rose]

"If I must, I will stand alone for eternity." ☒ Keith Scheherazade ✐ 504 words ✉ Notes: This is her introductory phase, so she may change later. Trying to get a feel for her. Rose Lv1

White hair turned silver with the morning light, Rose lifted scarlet eyes to a blue sky. It was ironic that this place seemed so peaceful on surface, when there was such turbulence ongoing in various areas of the game. Her clothing was all black, with the exception of the red belt and scabbard that held her rapier in place. She sighed and turned her gaze to the grassland before her, noting that there were a few ponds which would probably be a good place for relaxing if this wasn't a game where your very existence was at stake. She had finally emerged from her sheltered shadows into this world of blood, hoping to move forward. It looked like early morning, but Rose had lost all sense of time except the number of months it had been in game. It was her fifth month here, and no one had noticed her except the NPCs. They had tried, and tried again to get her to do some quests for them. Usually she said no, but when she had heard about the second floor opening she had decided it was time to take action. She looked around, trying to get an idea of where she would do best. She saw a group of boars and considered, and smiled when she saw a single boar close by. None of the monsters so much as noticed her, and she wondered if it was because she had no real presence. She drew her rapier, and than rushed forth to attack the boar she had singled out. The boar squealed as her blade briefly sank into it's hindquarters, and Rose flinched at the sound. She had always hated hurting others, but it was the main way to gain experience in the game. It was her first quest; she had been hired to kill the two 'rogue' boars that had been supposedly ruining an NPC's garden. She had accepted it because it had sounded fairly easy, but now a second boar had noticed her and was charging forward as she struggled with the first boar, which had turned to fight her. She was managing to dodge most of the blows because she was faster, but the first blow it hit took a chunk from her HP. She hadn't left the Town of Beginnings until today, so she still had all her starter gear. She waited for the first boar to charge again, and just barely managed to avoid a blow from the second boar. Just as the first boar closed in, her rapier slid into it's chest area and the beast vanished. The second boar took advantage of her momentary distraction and managed to land another blow; her HP was now very low and she was sure she wouldn't be able to take another hit. She looked around for somewhere to hide and recover, but there wasn't anything close enough to risk it. She would just have to dodge all of it's attacks and hope for help, or manage to kill it.

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

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[Keith]

Under the shady trees, Keith rested his exhausted body with his back against the tree. He had been adventuring the first floor ever since the game was announced as a death game. The snowy-haired boy never took the time to admire much of the scenery of the floor and since the announcement about the first floor boss being beaten, he felt like he did not have to do much training since a lot of the front liners have been carrying the weight of the players here. Keith began eyeballing a couple of players slaying nearby boars, “Man… People should rest easy, we already have a couple of players heading towards the second floor already.” He would announce to himself, as he slowly shut his eyes.

The snowy-haired boy suddenly heard a squeal of a boar and slowly opened one of his eyes. “Hm..? Another player trying to make their way to the second floor, or maybe she is just training.” He would then keep watch of how she would handle herself in combat, but at the same time, he was not much of a fighter. His attention was only focused on the way she attacks the boar, which had him confused for a second. Keith would scroll down the menu with his index and middle finger, looking at his inventory and looking over at his stats. His agility was his second highest stat, but the player who is taking on the boar, has faster attack time then he does. The snowy-haired boy then snapped his finger and pointed at her rapier, “Rapiers are a lot lighter than long swords, so that could be a reason why she attacks so much faster than I do.”

As Keith continues to watch the battle between the player and a boar, another boar came out and charge straight at her. He slowly stood up and unsheathes his long sword, but held back. I can not steal someone else’s kill, but if I stand by, she could possibly die. He shook his head in disagreement and took off straight towards the player. His eyes focused on the player, watching as she takes out one of the boars. Before he could defend the attack from the boar, she took heavy damage, causing her to fall at a very low health point. Keith took a offensive position and took action as soon as he could.

The snowy-haired boy charged straight for the boar, as the boar began charging straight at him. With his quick agility, he was able to move to the side and slashed the side of the boar. The boar let out a squeal, as Keith rushed towards the boar once again. Unfortunately, the boar got the advantage and struck him straight in the chest, but he was able to strike the boar once again. Man… I didn’t think I would be taking damage from boars again… You just can’t get used to this feeling ever. He stood back a bit and began changing to a defensive position, waiting to counter the moment it charged at him. His snowy white hair began flowing with the wind, as the breeze blew by The Great Plains. The amber in his eyes lit up like a candle in a dark room, his body felt light, as the boar charged straight towards Keith. Before the boar could land a shot, he was able to evade the head-butt and kicked the boar on its side. He placed the tip of his blade against the body of the boar and shoved it straight through. The boar bursts into thousands of polygons, showering the ground beneath it.

Keith looked over to the pinkette and sheathed his long sword, before taking a look at his health bar. Looks like I haven’t lost more of my health since last time. I guess I am getting the hang of the combat system already. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the pinkette, “Are you okay? You took a pretty good beating before I got here.” He would ask, showing a curious expression.

[Scheherazade]

"My faith is seared into my skin; burned into my worldly flesh with ink as a reminder that I can never give it up. It is a burden that is worth nothing and everything. It is my pain." ☒ Rose Keith ✐ 000 ✉ A girl with a very very pointy weapon, a boy with a slashy slashy sword, and a woman with a huge axe. Sounds safe. :P Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade cut her opponent open, making them disappear in a shower of pixels. She quietly set down her axe in the earth for a moment, taking a quick break while she surveyed the players on here. She breathed out through her mouth quietly, sighing, and then was attracted by a flash of red. Red? She narrowed her eyes, and then noticed a girl being talked to by a white-haired boy. Her health bar was dangerously red, but she seemed fine, and all players started out with three health potions anyways. Scheherazade sighed and pried her axe out of the ground, her hair delicately put in a side fishtail braid. It wasn't her business, anyways. Her eyes alighted upon a singular boar, and the edges of her eyes sharpened, showing her focus and interest. Her shield appeared in her arms again. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. And then she charged, legs bringing her to the program as she dodged a sudden charge narrowly, the bristles of the boar's hide brushing against her leg. She hissed at the sensation, but then the blonde sighed and placed one leg delicately behind her, and then leaned on it, watching the boar charge at her again. Just a little closer...She thought, narrowing her eyes slightly. When it came an acceptable distance away, she performed a quick, graceful half-spin before a ring of light exploded around her, the golden flames fanning her hair before going out in a circle, the boar in its range. The monster didn't seem to notice, instead pawing the ground and charging blindly, making her wince. It made a rather large indent on her side, but the same circular attack was mirrored on the AI, a handy part of her sword art. ""Surah 1. Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem.Al hamdu lillaahi rabbil ‘alameen. Ar-Rahman ar-Raheem Maaliki yaumid Deen. Iyyaaka na’abudu wa iyyaaka nasta’een. Ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem." She murmured quietly, letting her thoughts and emotions take over. The boar seemed to have fear in its eyes, making her interested. Why fear? It was only a program, after all, and could respawn. Her tattoo seemed to burn into her skin, reminding her yet again of her permanent faith, the promises she had made to Allah and the thanks she had heaped upon him. She closed her eyes for a second. The flowers that trailed up her spine, blooming, beautiful, from stems the color of ash. Beauty from pain. Perhaps that could be the tale of her life. She opened her eyes again and lunged, utilizing her Acrobatics skill. She launched herself over the boar, her axe adjusted so it could cut across the boar's top, making it squeal. "Siraatal ladheena an ‘amta’ alaihim. Ghairil maghduubi’ alaihim waladaaleen." Her eyes were dark and stony, and for a moment, she felt herself wishing she could dance again, her legs itching for just a single ballet performance. Scheherazade willed it down, focusing on her enemy. It had run towards the two, and her eyes widened in alarm before she pushed herself and vaulted over the creature, slicing it into two with a quick slash and glint of her axe. Only when she had relaxed minutely she noticed that her surroundings were comprised of tall grass, the girl from earlier, and the boy. She paused before murmuring an apology smoothly in her low, feminine voice, and then paused minutely before taking her weapons and doing a quick motion that suggest her leaving.

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

[Rose]

"If I must, I will stand alone for eternity." ☒ Keith Scheherazade ✐ 320 words ✉ Notes: She's not acting as reserved as I want her to; this will probably change in later threads. [td] Rose Lv1

Rose blinked as a flash of white came between her and the boar, than realized a boy had just slain the boar she had been fighting. With a sigh of relief, Rose sheathed her rapier. "Thanks. I've never fought before so I guess I need to work on my reflexes." She said, a bit shy. She hadn't actually interacted with another player for months, though she knew most of the first level NPCs. She felt a little unnerved that once she had gotten the idea of how to handle her weapon, her body had moved almost on it's own. She didn't think she liked it much. "My name is Rose, how about -" Just as she was about to ask the boy his name, another boar came charging towards them; interrupting herself, Rose went behind the nearest tree for cover. She saw a feisty blonde girl charge after the boar to slay it with a hefty blow from her axe. As the girl turned to leave, Rose suddenly craved the company of another female. Before she could think twice about it, she darted forward and gently grabbed hold of the other girl's sleeve. Than froze, not knowing what to do or say. In her head, she called herself an idiot for not thinking. What if they took it the wrong way? Confrontation with another player was the last thing Rose needed. This is why you avoid others... Her mind whispered to her, and she quickly let go of the sleeve. She almost hoped she hadn't been noticed, but a small part of her wished to be the center of attention. After managing five whole months without talking to anyone, even to say a passing word, even a loner like Rose broke her silence. If she could have just one meaningful conversation with someone, she could probably go into another five months silence if it meant she had something to think about.

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

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[Keith]

Keith shook his head in disagreement, “No need to thank me. There was no way I was going to idle by and watch another person die.” He would say to Rose, before looking down at his hands. “I never really fought anything with a sword myself, but I guess I start picking up things once times go by.” He would add, as he put his hands into his pockets. He took a look around The Great Plains to see more boars spawning onto the field and more players began gathering around the field to grind their levels. Keith had his eye on a blond, who seem to be wielding an axe for a weapon, which he took an interest to.

The snowy-haired boy shook his head and turned his attention back to the pinkette. Just as she introduced herself to him, another boar came straight towards the two and the pinkette quickly took cover behind a tree. The snowy-haired boy attempted to unsheathe his long sword, but the distance between him and the boar was a disadvantage. Suddenly the blonde came and struck the boar with a hard swing from her axe. His amber eyes began sparkling as the polygons began to glimmer away from the boar. The snowy-haired boy then suddenly shifted his attention back to the pinkette who seem to have ran towards the blonde player. He stood back up, wiping off the dirt that covered him when he fell on his bum.

An axe wielder. That is something I have not seen these past five months. Perhaps she is some sort of warrior IRL. Thoughts began running through Keith’s head, as he slowly followed up towards Rose. He would watch her let go of the blonde’s sleeve, before looking at her from the back. Hm..? She must not be the social type as well. It has been five months since the announcement, she must have kept to herself for a long time. Keith would end up besides Rose and looked over at the blonde, “Thank you for saving us back there. I didn’t think a boar would turn aggressive all of a sudden.” He would thank the blonde, before turning back towards Rose.

The snowy-haired boy let out a grin, “Hey Rose, are you okay? You seem… quiet.” He would ask her, before giving her more space. He knew what kind of situation the pinkette was in, but through the five months, he was able to make friends with other players. The snowy-haired boy broke his social awkwardness and made contact with others he would not have made in real life.

[Scheherazade]

"My faith is seared into my skin; burned into my worldly flesh with ink as a reminder that I can never give it up. It is a burden that is worth nothing and everything. It is my pain." ☒ Rose Keith ✐ 000 ✉ Boars.  Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade froze at the girl's sudden touch. Her sleeve was let go of, and she relaxed at the loosened grip, her frame loosing the tenseness that it had possessed earlier. Her eyes showed no trace of her earlier ire, and her face was mostly expressionless, warm but slightly distant. But inside? Her fingers tightened around her axe, and her eyes darkened slightly. Don't touch me when I don't even know you. But she easily smoothed that anger behind a warm veneer of gentility and elegance, and she politely inclined her head at the maiden beside her, giving her a moment to collect her thoughts with a small smile before turning to the white-haired player who had thanked her for "saving them". The thought brought a much more honest, amused smile to her face, and she turned around, a touch of serenity in her tone now. "Not quite. You fought valiantly when you two were alone, and so I doubt it would have been a challenge. But thank you for your kind words." Her voice is low, obviously, as she's a contralto, but her tone is warm and gentle, so it should be all right, really. She brings up her axe to rest it on her shoulder before keeping a warm gaze on both of them. Her confidence is ebbing, already, and so she merely nods to Rose and inquires whether the pink-haired girl needed something or not, her eyes scanning the horizon before her gaze stops on blue. A lot of blue, honestly. It looks like five or so boars, and coming...coming in their direction. Her axe catches the light as she hefts it into place, and her shield moves in a defensive position. She quietly relays the information to the three. Obviously, they could move out of the way, but if they stay together, they can probably defeat them easily.  And besides...her eyes gleam with amusement as she locks her body in an offensive position, easily tracking the spot of blue as it grows bigger and bigger. She undid her hair before deftly tying it into a long, trailing ponytail, and she tilts her head before waiting for the first strike. If all goes well, she wants to take three on. The blonde tells the others as much, her voice low and a deep murmur, telling the others to flee if they'd like, her already distancing herself a little bit from the place the boars will hit, not fond of being smack dab in the spot that they're going to run over. And besides...she's looking for a good fight today.

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

[Rose]

"If I must, I will stand alone for eternity." ☒ Keith Scheherazade ✐ 435 words ✉ Notes: I'm liking how this is going so far Sorry it took me so long to reply though. [td] Rose Lv1

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just that, I've only started learning how to fight today. I don't know if I'm any good or not; I was hoping you would both give me some tips before you left." She explained, than looked at the other girl, who had yet to tell them her name. "I apologize about invading your space; I just wanted to know a little more about the game. I respect that both you and Keith have more experience than me, and I would consider it an honor if you would share some of your wisdom of the game." She felt kind of embarrassed as she realized she was doing it again. Whenever she became nervous, she would become overly formal. It was the only way she could come out of her shell long enough to make meaningful conversation, and she hated herself for that. The good thing was, usually no one got angry at her for it. At the point she had finished speaking, Rose had taken one of her health potions and was about to offer one to Keith when the boars distracted her before she could so much as touch the second potion. Frowning, Rose turned to face the approaching enemy. She felt a shimmer of energy run through her, and was mildly confused when she realized she was actually excited to anticipate the moves of her new enemies. Her rapier felt perfectly ready, and now that she had battled them before, it felt almost natural to be fighting them again. Perhaps, it was just because she still had her previous fight fresh in her mind. She had always been known for her obscure observations of things. She blinked at the other girl, who had claimed she wished to take on three of the approaching enemies. It seemed like she took joy in fighting, and Rose saw a bold warrior reflected in the strength of the golden girl and admired it. Maybe one day, someone will admire me for something in this game... Her thought made her sad; she had the sudden need to touch her violin, and play it. Ave Maria, one of her favorite pieces, burst to mind. Her fingers twitched on her rapier, well remembered patterns of song flowing through her mind. After the battle, she would summon the item from her inventory and play a bit. It would probably help dispel the tension that would surely be in the atmosphere when their battle was done, and it was a beautiful peace. Suddenly, a snort broke her contemplation, and she turned to face the boar which was her opponent.

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

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[Keith]

Keith would look at Rose and realized she was embarrassed, “Rose, I am not a good fighter myself, I think you fought valiantly just now. Not sure if that was the right word to use, but you did great out there.” He would compliment her, but as he finished his compliment, Keith began to feel like the blonde player was of something else. She wields an axe, I guess she is more stronger than half the guys I have met so far. I would actually like to ask why she would use an axe. He shook his head and made eye contact with the golden player. His sapphire eyes met with her unique eye color and he tilted his head to the side. He tried to figure out what type of person she was, ethnicity wise, but her appearance threw him off. Keith broke his concentration, as he slowly began to go off of track and needed to keep his mind on topic.


The blonde wanted to initiate combat against three enemies and Keith was up for it. His right hand took a grip of the hilt of his long sword, as he removes his sword from its holster. Keith eye balled his health and it was not as bad as he thought it would be. He shifted into an offensive stance and looked over at Rose, “Hey, don’t worry about anything. I won’t let anything happen here.” Keith would attempt to boost Rose’s confidence, as he turns back to face his enemy. He took off straight towards the Frenzy Boar and grazed his blade across the side of the flesh of the boar. It would let out a squeal, but he would ignore the pain he is causing to an animal and kicked it further away from his position.


Keith immediately took his long sword and took a defensive stance, as the Frenzy Boar charged straight at him. He would then parry its attack and kick it back. His blade began to glow as he struck the Frenzy Boar across its face, taking away a chunk of its health. He began to feel the mental stress building up, as he attempts to activate his Sword Art again. The first hit of his Sword Art is a diagonal slash from the top-left to the bottom middle. As his long sword approaches the floor, Keith quickly readjusts his wrist and performs another diagonal slash from the bottom-middle to the top-right. The combined trajectory of the two hits look like the Latin letter “V”. He would let out a sigh, before his expression changes to more of an exhausted look. The Frenzy Boar would burst into thousands of polygons, fluttering all around Keith, as he sheathes his long sword.

[Scheherazade]

"My faith is seared into my skin; burned into my worldly flesh with ink as a reminder that I can never give it up. It is a burden that is worth nothing and everything. It is my pain." ☒ Rose Keith ✐ 000 ✉ Boars.  Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade smiled at the other girl graciously, even as her eyes raked the horizon. "I would be honored to help you in any way I could, though I am not well versed in the art of fighting with a rapier." The white-haired boy interjected then, making a pleased expression reflect on her eyes with his words, and she hummed in agreement. Scheherazade caught his eyes, or rather, he caught her gaze, making her raise a quizzical brow in slight confusion before he looked away. Alright then, she supposed. The two turned to face their respective opponents, and Scheherazade let out a small smile of agreement and approval before her features swept into stark seriousness, her features casting a shadow over her face as she lifted her axe and readied her shield, viewing her opponents seriously. Three was an astronomical amount of monsters, and the young knight-like woman's eyes darkened at the thought. Allah, please grant me strength. But she could do this. She let her axe catch the morning light, eyes fiery with the strength of her determination. She had faith that she could do this. She was absolutely, positively sure. The first boar charged. Her eyes closed briefly as she took refuge behind her shield, assessing and reevaluating her movements. There was no need to be hasty. Her lilac eyes shot open, eyelashes tangling up as she moved rapidly around the boar, making her first attack, a huge, gaping...space in the boar as she cleaved it cleanly in half, her eyes narrowed. The boar was still not completely dead, after all, and so she huffed quietly before slashing it again and again, narrowly evading the other boar's attacks. Her ax slid against the boar's tough hide, the imperfect beginning material unable to pierce the skin at times, making her wince. And this was just one...it lunged at her, making her eyes widen. She got hit, but barely, and the blonde's eyes suddenly became cool, detached, even, noticing everything around her in a monotone sort of monologue. Her ax flashed silver. The first boar out of the three dissipated into nothingness except for raining blue and white. The green player didn't stop in her assault, raising her axe yet again for the second one. But the first kill had taken its toll on her. The dancer found her limbs to be a little bit heavier, her strikes a little bit rougher. The blonde merely gritted her teeth, blowing a stray strand of her hair out of her face as she lifted her axe to attack the second boar. The monster immediately charged at her, forcing her to retreat behind her shield and/or leap over it and flip, the girl caught off guard as she was gored with one tusk in her thigh. She couldn't allow that to happen again. She tugged the tusk and the boar out of her thigh as carefully as she could, since there was an absence of pain from the game, and then then the boar, once it was out, rushed at her again, and she barely managed to throw one leg back and do a sweeping arc with her arm, murmuring Arabic prayers under her breath silently, before a golden, fire-like arc erupted around her, the boar stabbing her with its tusks before she had time to defend, and then the same marks were mirrored on the boar. Her lilac eyes fluttered shut for a single second. The blonde raised her ax with one hand, being a one-handed axe wielder, and then brought it down with a sickening crunch, the skull of the animal giving way beneath her brute strength. The young knight-like woman then pulled her axe and gutted the animal, blood flying onto her cheek before she wiped it off carelessly. The corpse left on the ground twitched before dissipating into pixels. Scheherazade was so caught up in her fight that she didn't notice the third boar charging at the others until she caught a flash of blue, the shock jolting her out of her reverie as she shouted a warning to them, since they were distracted elsewhere.

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

[Rose]

"If I must, I will stand alone for eternity." ☒ Keith Scheherazade ✐ 226 words ✉ Notes: Epic fighting, three vs. five; bonding, and lots of detail. Two thumbs up. Rose Lv1

Rose had been quick enough in drawing her rapier, and managed to land a hit upon encountering the boar. The strike was shallow however, barely effecting her opponents health. Cold determination flared as she attempted to dodge an attack from the boar and was sharply nicked. She focused her full attention on the boar as they fought, and waited for it to charge toward her; she figured that if she managed to strike while it was charging, she could do more damage because the boar didn't seem to have as much flexibility as she did. The boar pawed the ground with it's hoof, squealed loudly, and than charged at her again. She was able to trust her blade into it's chest, but briefly got gored in her thigh area. Just as she thought the battle was over, a boar strayed out of Golden Girl's reach and came charging towards her and Keith. She felt like adrenaline was running through her as she reminded herself this game was life or death; she rushed forward to inflict a blow, but barely managed to pierce it's skin this time. She watched in horror as the charging boar suddenly changed direction and went towards Keith, her red eyes widening as she realized it was now enraged. "Watch out Keith!" She shouted, hoping he would be able to retaliate in time.

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

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[Keith]

Keith’s ears perked up, as Rose shouted towards his direction. Before he could react, The Frenzy Boar charged straight towards him, sending him flying back further away from his allies. His health dropped towards the low yellow and he quickly pulled his long sword out from its holster, as the Frenzy Boar’s ruby eyes started straight at Keith. Keith took a moment to catch his breath before taking a offensive stance and the Frenzy Boar began charging straight at Keith once again.


His long sword began to radiate a light blue color, signaling his next attack will deal double its original damage. The Frenzy Boar would leap up, attempting to charge at Keith, but he was able to parry the attack and slash the boar across the stomach. It would fall onto its stomach, slowly getting back on its four.


Keith dug his sword into the ground, attempting to catch his breath. The Frenzy Boar began to charge once again, fortunately for Keith, he managed to evade its attack. Fatigued from the countless burst damage he would use, Keith fell onto his back and slowly made his back onto his legs. Okay… This is pretty tiring. Why am I getting so tired from just using these skills. Okay… Okay… I got this… One more time… Keith would slowly get back to his offensive position, as the Frenzy Boar let out a snort. He would let out a grin, before dashing straight towards the boar, piercing the body of the boar with his blade.


The Frenzy Boar blew up into many polygons, as Keith would fall onto his knees. His eyes would glimmer, as the polygons began to fade away from sight. His body began to feel tiresome, as he would lie down on the grassy floor.


WC: 296

[[GM] John]

Keith will be on leave of absence and in all of his threads you have full permission to skip him, or play him off if you would still like full credit, or permission to close the thread as 'incomplete' to accept partial credit for the thread. A suggestion to playing him off would be for him to received a private message and have to leave in emergency, using a escape stone to leave wherever he may be. You have permissions to act on his part temporarily, but keep in mind how his character would act. (no use of his items other than the escape stone method.)

[Scheherazade]

"My faith is seared into my skin; burned into my worldly flesh with ink as a reminder that I can never give it up. It is a burden that is worth nothing and everything. It is my pain." ☒ Rose Keith ✐ 000 ✉ Ah, I'm going to play him off, alright? Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade saw Keith lie down on the ground, and the blonde axe-wielder smiled gently before kneeling by his side. She gently slid a hand under his back and then lifted him delicately up. "If you're tired, you should rest," She gently instructed, dematerializing her axe and shield in order to carry the green player. Her hair swished on her back as she stood, and she offered an apologetic smile to Rose. "If you still wish to learn anything from me, I would be honored to help, as little as it may be. But I need to tend to your friend first, if you don't mind." She ineffectually carried the younger player in her arms, walking through the plains. The tall grasses scratched at her ankles, but she ignored the situation, falling in step with Rose as she stared straight ahead, avoiding the paths of any boars in order to get to the edges of the town peacefully. Once they walked into the safe zone of the Town of Beginnings, she walked up to one of the many inns and rapped on the door lightly before entering. The woman who worked at the front desk seemed a little unnerved, but smiled brightly nonetheless. She gently deposited Keith on a spare chair in the waiting room, and bowed her head to the woman in thanks before turning on her heel, and walking with Rose back to the Plains. While the seconds ticked by, she turned curiously to the other player, offering a light smile as she walked with her. They found themselves in the Great Plains again, and Scheherazade felt the hot, arid wind brush against her skin and part her hair in shimmering curtains, and it was almost a relief, really. She turned to Rose. "Oh, my apologies. I haven't introduced myself yet, correct? My name is Scheherazade." She offered an apologetic smile to the other, a little embarrassed. Her cheeks dusted pale pink when she came to the conclusion that she hadn't introduced herself, and the girl felt herself blush.

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

[Rose]

"If I must, I will stand alone for eternity." ☒ Keith Scheherazade ✐ 442 words ✉ Notes: Okay. Rose Lv1

Rose was quick to offer help carrying Keith, though she doubted a person as strong as Golden Girl needed her help. Still, she liked Keith and wanted to be of whatever assistance she could. Rose just starred shyly at the ground as they handed him over to an innkeeper, not really able to say anything and finding it strange she was tongue tied again. She murmured a quiet thanks along with Golden Girl, not really knowing what else she should say. When Golden Girl smiled at her, Rose beamed back. As they walked back to the plains, Rose summoned her violin from her inventory; she couldn't bear another second without it. She ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the wood, taking comfort in it presence. "Hi Scheherazade. I guess there's no need for me to introduce myself by now, but my name is Rose. It's nice to meet you now that we've had a proper introduction to each other." Rose said, shaking her head at the apology in her voice. "We haven't had a chance to talk that much with all these boars around, and I'm glad you were there when they charged me and Keith. Though, I haven't known him very long either; a lot has happened for me today, as I only just started coming out of the town. I- I never really tried to until now because I was afraid, a coward..." She gazed at their surroundings, a sadness entering her expression before quickly flitting away. She didn't like showing emotion; what was the point of it? She had always told herself that showing any form of emotion to others was a weakness, as many would only take advantage of it. She had always hated herself for thinking this way, but after being bullied in the real world, she decided she would rather be alone than hurt. You could never tell what a person was going to do until they did it, she had decided. It had worked, she wasn't hurt; or at least she wasn't physically hurt. This still didn't stop her from sometimes craving the company of others, despite herself. Today, she had given into the craving; she knew a small part of her screamed at being kept in solitude, even though she resolved being alone was easier. As all of this raced through her mind, she realized she was letting the silence hang in the air and tried to correct herself. "So what about you? Would you say this was an eventful day?" She asked, her face being back to shy but friendly. She had to remind herself that Scheherazade's name wasn't 'Golden Girl'.

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

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[Scheherazade]

"My faith is seared into my skin; burned into my worldly flesh with ink as a reminder that I can never give it up. It is a burden that is worth nothing and everything. It is my pain." ☒ Rose Keith ✐ 000 ✉ *points everyone to Sche's profile and to the "Biography" button* >.> They both have such sad pasts. D: Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade raised her eyebrows at the violin. A violin? Honestly. Her eyes internally narrowed, but she kept her expression gentle and friendly, a mask that no one could pierce. It wasn't much different from faking happiness, really. And faking happiness was a skill she had perfected from her own past. Her past. Her eyes closed slightly as she thought back to her history, the life she had led before all of this. Had it really been a life? perhaps. She smiled wistfully, her lilac eyes fluttering open to glance at the other girl's scarlet colored eyes, the girl a little shorter than her. How odd. She could have sworn she was in high school again, wearing her uniform dress slacks and blazer as she walked through the halls, hearing whispers thrown at her back and to her face Slurs at her religion, insults of her faith like icy daggers in her back. Spray-painted words, torn clothing by her side, missing textbooks that she knew that she would have to earn an astronomical sum to pay back the schoolteachers with. Her limbs being harshly grabbed and then hit, herself refusing to take back her faith while sobbing. Standing up and eyeing a bruise ineffectually, and then opening a makeup kit to cover it up with a dusky-toned makeup palette. Blood. Torn flesh. Screaming. And then what had happened? She pressed a gentle hand to her cheek, the light pressure grounding her from falling too deeply into her memories. The burn of alcohol on one of her wounds, her weeping because this was self-inflicted torture. Staring in the mirror and hating what she saw. Not having the willpower to close her eyes at night. Neglecting meals for empty promises. Shards of mirror in her skin. Crimson. Teachers and so-called guardians turning a blind eye. Her weeping over the imperfection that was her blind belief. Feeling numb. Crying out prayers to a god that never responded. Her father's yell. Her mother's shuddering lament. A crumbling household. The ties of blood being shattered. Fear. Constant fear. And then...the burn of alcohol. Words branded into her skin. Crying. Shouting. Her voice giving out on her. Collapsing. Empty promises. Cries. Pleas. Her mother weeping. Her father breaking down. Her own world collapsing. Apologizing for an event that was created by no fault of her own. She clenched her hand and stared at her palm. Yes. This is my life. I have no right to feel pity for myself. How could I, when I have suffered so little in comparison to others? She raised an eyebrow at Rose's violin, this time externally, and then gave a hesitant little note of advice. "Excuse me, Rose, but while we're in the Plains, I don't think getting out your violin is a good idea. It can get hurt, and the wood can get damaged by the conditions here, as we don't know the limits of Kayaba's world. Also, you can't wield more than one item at once for combat, so if we get targeted, you're still going to have to put your violin away." She flushed pink again. "I'm sorry for being so presumptuous."

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