Meeting a Stranger [PRIVATE]

[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." ☒ Pureblade ✐ 000 ✉ Here we go! ^-^ -10 Col for the tea Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade sipped at her tea, humming in quiet contentment. It was Darjeeling, and the warm taste made her smile lightly, a faint reminder of her real life. The blonde knight-like woman set the cup down, toying with her currently pinned up hair, where it led into a delicately made bun with a braid wrapped around the base. The waitress nearby spotted her and sent her a quiet smile, and Scheherazade returned the gesture. It was shaping up to be a good day, after all. She lightly brushed back her hair, a her empty teacup clinking against the plate it was set on. The blonde sent a quiet, polite smile to the waitress and then left, the door chiming merrily behind her. She crossed the road easily, accidentally bumping into another player, who chuckled at her and waved her away, a charming blonde who had a serious demeanor and elegant clothing, with his hair pulled into a gray-streaked ponytail and his arms full of books, a lapis lazuli pin fixed at the beginning of his cravat. It was odd, to find the morning so peaceful for her. There was a sense of delightful anticipation behind her good mood, and she had always trusted her feelings, even though she didn't have detection. The blonde made her way to one of the many fountains in the Town of Beginnings, and in doing so, she bumped into another person, causing them to fall down onto the warm cobblestone, much to her distress. Scheherazade thought she had been a relatively graceful person, but it seemed not. Covering up her anxiety with a polite, smooth smile, she offered them a hand. "My apologies. Are you alright?"

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[Pureblade]

"Friends are the family you choose" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Pureblade Lv1

Dan was walking through the Town of Beginings. He'd decided that today was such a nice day that he should just enjoy it rather than work. Lazy days he called them. He was walking through the town just enjoying the sights and the feeling of the bright sun on his skin. He stopped for a while to stare at the fountains. Watching the water stream down the stone, hearing the splash of the water against the pool, it relaxed him so much. He closed his eyes and just breathed deeply, intent on enjoying this moment as long as he could. Once he'd had his fill of the fountains he began walking aimlessly again, letting his thoughts wander, this of course caused Dan to bump into someone, land flat on his bottom. He heard the woman apologize and he simply smiled kindly and took her hand, pulling himself up and then dusting himself off of imaginary dust. "Nah don't worry about it. I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going anyways. If it weren't you I bumped into I'm sure it would have been someone else." He held out his hand for her to shake. "Hi there, my IGN's Pureblade, but you can call me Pure if you like. What's your name?"

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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." ☒ Pureblade ✐ 000 ✉ *blink* Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade nodded, a little startled, but her gaze was warm nonetheless as she touches hand, shaking it firmly. "Scheherazade. It is an honor to meet you, Pure." She smiled back, a little taken aback at his direct kindness. She hadn't met a lot of people like this in the town, so agreeable and cheerful, always with an attitude sweet enough to make sugar out of. "Would you like to accompany me to the plaza nearby? There's a traveling band, and I've heard they play well." Like minstrels or bards, she thought wryly in her head, each word laced with her amusement. The blonde nodded to herself a stood, her axe slung neatly over her shoulder, as it always was. She stepped neatly, her movements fluid and brisk, and sent the other a hesitant glance, unsure if she was overstepping her bounds, but then sighed and threw her doubts away, at least for a little bit. There was no point in worrying herself so much-today was a day for enjoyment. She had been working when she could on odd solo quests here and there, and now, Scheherazade had forced herself to take a break. She frowned internally. It didn't sound very relaxing when she said it that way. "Pureblade," She turned to her companion as they fell in step, her eyes light and curious, "Would you tell spare a moment to tell me about yourself, if you do not mind me asking? It is a bit unnerving to talk to you when I do not know you intimately." She smiled wryly, her hand coming up to brush a lock of her hair away. "To be true, though, that is most likely my fault, is it not?"

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[Pureblade]

"Friends are the family you choose" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Pureblade Lv1

Dan smiled as the young lady invited him to the nearby plaza to see the band. "Ooo music! Yes, please!" He fell in step next to her. Dan was actually very excited to meet Scheherazade. She seem nice enough, and was one of the few nice people he'd met since entering the death game, and she had invited hit go see a traveling band! A performance he surely would have missed had it not been for her, and he did so love music, especially since there were not many chances to hear it in Sword Art Online. Dan looked over at her as she asked him to tell about himself. He smiled and shook his head. "No I don't mind at all. Well, for starters I was just your average teen, finishing up my second to last year of high school when all this started." He gestured to the space around them indicating the virtual world around him. "I haven't gotten very far level wise." He admitted sheepishly, "But I'm working. If there's anything else you want to know feel free to ask, mk?"

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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." ☒ Pureblade ✐ 000 ✉ *blink* Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade tilted her head slightly, intrigued. "Oh, high school? I myself was in university by then. It's interesting. And thank you. That's very kind of you." She nodded slightly in thanks and respect, and the heel of her shoes was silent against the stone. It was a lovely day, actually, just a little on the cool side, sun warm and welcoming and a slight breeze running behind her neck and on her skin. Unlike rainy England, she thought lightly, the words in her head warming her to the core. After leaving Sweden, England had been like a second home to her, welcoming her in with open arms. Well, mostly open, anyways. She chuckled a little internally at the thought. They arrived at the plaza, and bright, lively music rang in the air, a hastily assembled "stage" of sorts, which was actually just a series of wooden planks that were polished until they shone and put together in a circular shape, featured one main band, while other musicians had their own little areas in an outer ring of sorts, musicians teasing each other and laughing as they swapped tips and stories. Scheherazade glimpsed a set of players, twins, apparently, with dusky skin and a gold ring on opposite ears, arms linked and a string of bells on each of their ankles, dip in and out of the crowd, while a serious-eyed brunette cellist with a sharp black bob polished her instrument. It seemed when the band had come, they made it into a whole festival-everyone and everything was bustling with activity and words and laughter, speech curling in fine accents to reach up to the sky. Scheherazade couldn't help but smile a little at the sight, sending a glance towards her companion.

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[Pureblade]

"Friends are the family you choose" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Pureblade Lv1

Dan hummed as the sun shone down on them. He was quickly reminded of home when he go out and play ball with his friends, or when he went on picnics with his parents. The memories were bitter sweet, though more bitter than sweet at this moment. He couldn't wait until he was free, until they were all free, so they could all get back to their normal lives. That is the thought that drove him to fight. But for now he put it away. For now it was time to enjoy life, good music, and good company. When they arrived at the plaza he was surprised to see the amount of people there, the way Scheherazade had said it made it sound like this was an impromptu performance but from the crow that had gathered it might as well have been a full out festival, and Dan was loving every minute of it. He was grinning from ear to ear, all the energy and excitement in the air was contagious it would seem. The music was beautiful, he found himself getting lost in the notes. They were playing a fast and energetic song. Some of the other players were dancing while others elected to just standby and watch, but all had smiles on their faces. He noticed that his companion was looking at him so he turned to her and smiled. "This is so much fun!" He called above the music. "Thanks for bringing me!" He paused for a moment before he asked. "Hey do you dance?" He gestured to a nearby group of players who were dancing nearby.

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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." ☒ Pureblade ✐ 000 ✉ Asking her for a dance already? Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade turned in surprise, and her eyes widened in slight surprise. "Dance...? Yes, I do." She glanced self-consciously to her wide skirt, dark leggings and thin flats, wondering if it was really okay to dance in this. Her teachers would have killed her for this, and yet, she found she didn't mind, not really. And so she smiled and inclined her head at the other in a reply, agreeing lightly. It wasn't like she could dance or anything, after all, so she indulged in this small pleasure, stepping lightly towards the group of dancing players. "Not well enough, though, I suppose." She ended her line with a teasing smile, letting on that perhaps she was more skilled than she cared to admit. Scheherazade's fingers worked over her bun, finally unclipping the braid that wound around in her hair, instead letting her hair unfurl over her back for a minute, before she placed her ribbon in between her teeth and her fingers ran over her golden hair, dividing it neatly before she pulled it into a high ponytail that fell to her knees. She walked over to the group, earning a teasing nudge from a sashaying brunette who was already doing some type of electronic hip-hop mixed with modern tap, and a giggle from her friend. If she closed her eyes, she could almost forget that she was in a crowd like this. She tilted her head, listening intently to the beat. Just then, the song changed, making her eye twitch slightly out of annoyance, having just pegged the rhythm, but it shifted to something more suited to ballet than the other genre she thought she would have to perform. Interesting. The blonde let out a long exhale, and then brought herself up, form nearly perfect as she waited for it to begin, and then started with a pirouette that changed into a fouette, and then a series of fouettes, testing the newfound world that she found herself in. Even if her body didn't quite remember the movements as it did in the real world...her mind did, at least, and that was a comfort.

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[Pureblade]

"Friends are the family you choose" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Pureblade Lv1

Dan hummed as he simply watched the young lady dance. He was about to join her when the music had changed to ballet. He had nothing against the genre, but he knew no moves at all, he was more of a free-form dancer, so he'd opted to just sit back and watch. Her movements were elegant though she seemed slightly out of practice. He could tell that she'd been dancing for a long time, maybe all her life. That would certainly explain the fluidity of her movements. As he watched his new friend move he wondered if perhaps she would teach him to dance one day. Dan was always open to learn new skills and it was another thing to keep himself sane in this crazy mixed up world. But for now, he would simply watch, as she flowed from one move to the next.

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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." ☒ Pureblade ✐ 000 ✉ Flamenco now! Scheherazade Lv1

Fouetté, fouetté, fouetté, pirouette, pirouette, triple pirouette, and then back to a grand jeté, repeat, arabesque-her body remembered each of the moves and she executed each near-flawlessly, her lithe form bending and moving as she performed each move. A nearby girl with mussed blonde locks grinned and took the place of a male ballerina, lifting her with ease in a dance move before setting her down gently, leaving her to execute another triple pirouette. The soles of her shoes rubbed against the smooth cobblestone, and then the beat changed yet again, this time a different band taking over. She blinked, noting that a lot more groups were dancing now, perhaps brought out by the others' boldness. Scheherazade smiled brightly at the thought and then listened to the new beat, following up her arabesque with a high grand jete, then used that momentum to propel herself into a double pirouette, and then learned that this song was now a quick-paced flamenco-type song, making her eyebrow raise in interest. Around her, people were pairing up, and she paused before tugging Pure with her after a quick invitation, her hand wrapping around his wrist with a gentle grip. She assumed a male-female part, switching back and forth when necessary, guiding Pure's hands and enjoying the warm, bouncy beat of Flamenco, going off her meager knowledge. She had studied more contemporary ballet and the raqs sharqi in England, so she only knew the bare basics, but that would be far more than enough. Her eyes glittered with a challenge, and then she switched partners with the song's beat, leaving Pure to his own devices as she found herself in another player's arms, her chin lifted challengingly.

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[Pureblade]

"Friends are the family you choose" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Pureblade Lv1

Dan continued to watch as Scheherazade as she danced. At one point a female player lifted her above the crowd before putting her down once more. Dan laughed and clapped at the move. He was glad that his friend was having fun. Then the music changed once more, this time though he couldn't tell what genre it fell under. He was not very culturally adept when it came to... pretty much anything. Dan saw Scheherazade coming towards him and figured that she had decided to stop for the moments as it seemed that the dance was meant for pairs. He smiled and clapped as she drew closer. "Those were some impressi-." Before he was able to finish she invited him to come dance and before he was able to reply he was already being dragged out by his wrist to dance. Scheherazade began leading though she switched roles as necessary. He smiled as he danced with his new friend. He was enjoying himself despite the fact that he didn't know what he was doing and she only slightly more than him, but still it was enjoyable. At one point however they switched partners, Scheherazde ended up with some other player that Dan couldn't see and he ended up switching to a shorter player with rose red hair. Dan smiled as his face glowed a shade of red and she seemed to smile back, a slight blush dusting her cheeks too. Dan began to lead, using what little he'd learned from dancing with Scheherazade, and he tried not to step on her toes, being mostly successful.

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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." ☒ Pureblade ✐ 000 ✉ Onto the waltz! Aren't you excited? Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow... Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade found herself in the arms of another girl, this time taller than her, with a muscular physique. Her hair was blonde, reaching the edges of her shoulders when pulled up in a high messy ponytail with a bright-pink red ribbon, and the green player across from her had lovely light-green eyes and tanned skin, and a mischievous smirk while she tap-tap-tapped her heels against the stone, making the blonde respond in kind, a vivid current of challenge running in-between them in a silent agreement. The girl twisted and turned in Scheherazade's arms, and Scheherazade rolled her hips and sashayed while she walked, in her natural element. And then the band switched yet again. The blonde loved this element of surprise, keeping her on her toes as she fluidly changed from one genre to another, never knowing what was coming next. And her partner seemed to agree, too. The other player, Laura, apparently, or so she had told her, sent her a smug smirk before sweeping her into a waltz position, the other girl taking the position of the male lead while she was swept along with her. Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow. Her partner hummed under her breath, and Scheherazade recognized the song as Edelweiss, and then hummed along as well. Step, step, step, step...she fell into an easy rhythm, stance light and relaxed even as she checked on Dan, who seemed happy enough with a pretty redhead, the girl with Dan being shorter than him. They made a cute enough pair when dancing, she supposed, and then the young woman shrugged it off easily, watching the others dance inside of their own little duos, couples giggling and touching noses while little children ran crazily around. A festival, hmm? She closed her eyes for a second. It was extraordinarily pretty.

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[Pureblade]

"Friends are the family you choose" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Pureblade Lv1

Dan and his dance partner traded IGNs her's was Ilieathe. They continued to talk as they danced. They talked about the game, what they thought about life in the death game, theories about where the second floor dungeon was and even some minute topics like their favorite colors, food, and their favorite non-death game. They were so wrapped up in conversation that they almost missed the change of the song. It seemed to be a waltz he noticed as he looked around. It was actually a dance he knew a bit of. He'd been practicing for his junior prom before he had been sucked into this world. It was nice to know that the practice he put in wouldn't be put to waste. He only knew basics and waltz squares, but it was enough to get him through it. Dan smiled as him and Ilieathe danced, it felt, if only for a moment, that everything was normal once more. and he tried to stay in this moment for as long as he could.

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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." ☒ Pureblade ✐ 000 ✉ Freestyle~ Scheherazade Lv1

Thump, thump, thump, thump, click, click, click, click, click, click, click. The song had changed to a simple beat. Many people around them were taking this as a chance to do freestyle, and the blonde had been dancing step-by-step with her gave her an apologetic grin and began throwing herself into an inspired tap routine, the short heels of her shoes clicking against the cobblestone. Scheherazade watched in light admiration before listening to the song more closely, feeling the rhythm echo inside of her. She closed her eyes and inclined her head, trying to listen closer, to hear more, to finally get the song inside of her head and know what she was going to do next. Right-she tapped her head to remind herself. She could do freestyle dance and do as she wished, with a beat like this, couldn't she? She narrowed her eyes and glanced at her attire, a simple skirt and top in the same light gray, and then sighed. It seemed like her attire could work as well. The blonde listened before throwing herself into the center of the dancers, dancing to her heart's content. She did a light step before bending over backwards almost completely, and then throwing herself into a front flip, her hair gleaming as she did so in the light. She then threw her leg out, sliding it into a smooth half-circle shape before pirouetting along that line in a smooth set of movements, her eyes alight as she did so. Throw your head back when stepping, keep your movements light, arms in a smooth arc, keep your movements fluid, move, move, move, but don't hurry your movements or make them too hurried, keep your head up, watch what's in front of you, weave in and out and over and under...

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[Pureblade]

"Friends are the family you choose" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Pureblade Lv1

Dan smiled as the music changed to a more simple beat, not attached to any specific dance style, meaning it was a freestyle. He simply allowed the beat to flow through him, controling his movements. Though his movements weren't very stylish and he probably looked very embarressing, but his partner didn't seem to mind as she just giggled and followed a much more stylized dance routine. Dan paused for moment to look over at Scheherazde just in time to see her do a frontflip. He clapped and laughed as he saw this and continued to dan. He was glad that she had brought him here. He was also glad she had asked if she danced. If not this evening probably would have been much more dull. But he disregarded his thoughts and foucused on Ilieathe, trying to copy he movements. She noticed and tried to guide his movements and slow down showing him step by step how to do the dance. He seemed like he was getting the hang of it and he grinned.

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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." ☒ Pureblade ✐ 000 ✉ There's a change, a flitting thing- Scheherazade Lv1

Scheherazade noticed with a slightly impressed note that Pure seemed to have improved. That was good. A small, pleased smile blossomed on her lips, as she shifted in time to bend her body in a flip over another player who was performing a split, and her legs unfurled in time to hit the ground, the cold feeling of stone absorbed into her body. She wove in and out of other players, but kept the brunet boy in sight, her gaze fleeting but cautious, not wanting to leave the boy somewhere he could be in potential danger. Her expression seemed unconcerned enough, the very picture of calm contentment. She paused mid-leap into a stilling motion, her pirouette finishing off the momentum before she tilted her head. Yet another music change? The man in front of Pureblade shifted, and as a result, his back hit Pureblade's side, sending the youth in a spiraling direction to the ground. Scheherazade cursed and slid easily to the green player, hands automatically flying between the ground and his back, her hair settling behind her as she steadied him with both hands, looking down on him as she gently pulled him to her feet, lilac eyes scanning the vicinity before landing on a redheaded girl who she had spotted before. Her green crystal floated over her russet locks, and Scheherazade quietly viewed the other in interest before returning to Pure and warning him to be careful. The redheaded girl coughed awkwardly, obviously feeling a tension that the blonde herself was not aware of. "Excuse me for that," Scheherazade politely murmurs. "It was most likely impolite. But are you alright?" The girl herself is very pretty, and the blonde inclines her head as a gesture of respect. There's a pause before Scheherazade internally cringes but puts her composed mask on, an unbreakable veneer that she's perfected over the course of countless years. It would seem perfect to an outsider. Ballroom dancing. Honestly, she wasn't bad, and the repetitive, smooth movements were undoubtedly pretty, but she simply just disliked it.

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