Monarch

An empty field, wild hare running amuck in the grass. The sun was rising, and yet Yasuhiro hadn’t slept. A light rustle would escape as the boy emerged from the shadows. The rabbits wouldn’t even turn their gaze as a sword as black as the night sliced through them. Picking up the meat Yasu would turn towards the town so far from where he was. A little light gathering was all he needed, as his wealth grew he stepped ever closer to his goal. Checking his inventory, the boy would write in his journal everything he had acquired that night before closing the book and hooking it to his belt. Th

Yasu hadn’t been sitting long before a player approached him, asking if he would like anything. He didn’t like the taste of alcohol, and from what he had heard, the taste was just an unfortunate part of getting the effects of it, which also were not in the game. If he had to guess, the only reason one would use alcohol in this game was to simply hold onto a world they can’t get back to on their own. A remnant of a past better off let go of. ”I’ll have a coffee, black please.” Despite not talking to many people, Yasu had a generally good demeanor, and his voice was gentle. Quiet, sure, but

Monarch’s plan had gone to crap pretty quickly. After being scooped up and carried away, he’d thought his teammates would follow suit as these creatures forgot to do the most important thing when capturing somebody. Why didn’t they come with me? Perhaps they hadn’t thought of this. Yasu had come up with a semi decent plan, though he probably should’ve run it past the team before getting himself into danger. From where he could tell, the guards carrying him had no great features. They both looked the same as far as equipment goes, and neither had a unique weapon. Guess they’re just grunts.

Yasuhiro’s eyes opened from his little makeshift bed of a bench. The air around him was thick, and the ground beneath him wet. A rare sight for the boy, but as far as anyone else was concerned it was simple. Morning dew. Hiro would stand up, grabbing his journal he had used as a makeshift pillow and placing it in a holster he kept on his side. The usually unmotivated kid had finally made a goal for himself, and now he was back to his old ways. Months had gone by and all he had to show for it was a packed sleep schedule and a huge pile of filled out journals for people watching sitting in

The young boy, unfazed by the outlandish settlement placed in a tree, would step right inside and examine the path onward, noticing the hexagonal symbol and pulling out his journal and sketching it on a new page. ”Perhaps it’s the name of their settlement…” He would explain quietly to himself. His eyes would then float up to the dim light sources, he had to figure out what they were made of so he drew them as well. ”As much as I know about Fae, I can’t guarantee I’ll see through the lies. I won’t talk unless I can be sure no one will be captured.” Yasu wasn’t lying, his extent of know

Yasuhiro was a tired and lazy child, this game being about the most intense thing he’s ever done. ”I just know things.” He would explain, pulling his scarf over his mouth as he stood up and followed the pair. It appears the Fae had similar styles in folklore as they do in this game, which means Kayaba took this world seriously. Every ounce of detail poured into this world had its own complicated backstory based somewhat in reality. The Fae were never expert craftsmen but making do in the forests is an art in of itself. The boy wasn’t so worried about their combat prowess. If they were any

Monarch hated the idea of someone dying because he was saved. He had made no contribution to either world, and despite not caring too much about that, He thought someone who had actual value outside of information stored in a book that can be passed to anyone should deserve to live more than he does. That’s when Morningstar mentioned being the reason they’re here, and that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if someone died for him. ”I agreed to help.” The kid’s eyes would burn with an intensity as if he was trying to stare a hole through the back of Morningstar’s head. ”I never said I wo

Yasu generally only helped people when they asked him personally. And it was never out of the kindness of his heart, it was always to avoid having to deal with someone trying to convince him to help. This time was different, he had put himself in this position of his own free will, and as such he would have to go through with it. You see, while this kid was lazy, he would always keep a promise, so he rarely ever made them. ”I’m sorry.” The kid would remark, his voice much quieter than usual. As Nari stood, Monarch would finish his drink and stand as well, although it would look like he was alr

Yasu couldn't help but feel like he was missing some important information, which coupled with Nari's question, gave him more information than he truly wanted. In fact, Yasu wanted to walk away as is. He had a feeling Nari was capable of helping, and Morningstar didn't look like he was altogether helpless. In truth, the only reason he had stepped up was simply because of Iris. In the off chance he ever saw her again, he wanted to be better than he was before. If for no other reason than to help those around him when they needed it. He didn't really care what most people thought of him, in fact

Yasu would fall back to his prone position on the bench, but the noise of the players right beside him would not allow the kid to rest. He just wanted some sleep, and as the nightmare had interrupted his wish, the kid would fiddle with his hair, listening to the players speak. "Likewise." The kid would say, regarding Morningstar's comment. Oh well. I guess sleep is out of the question for now. He would sit up once more, standing and stretching with a remarkably low range of motion. "The fae are kidnapping players and keeping them in the Cavern of Faeries." He would say, before fiddling with th

Yasu sat at the table with these strangers, if for no other reason than to be off of his feet. He had agreed to help, but he had no idea what he would be doing or why, so he needed to save his energy or create a surplus. ”No thanks.” He would say, as a black coffee materialized in his hand and he would take a sip. His journal would slide off of his hip as it opened to a page with a sketch of Astreya on it. An almost perfect rendering at that. On that same page, Yasu would sketch the two players he sat with but would not write a description next to them. ”I’m not a good fighter.” Monarch w

Monarch had found his bench. It was perfect, long enough to lay on and empty enough to not be bothered. There weren’t many shops on this street, just a nearby request board and the boy knew just how rarely those were actually used, so right here would be perfect. As he lay down, a gust of wind picks up, blowing his hair in a soothing dance across his head. A small smirk would appear as he drifted off into the darkness. Through the darkness, a flame was lit. Footsteps fast approaching behind him, and yet the person before him remained still and undefined. An uneasy feeling rose to Yasu’s t

Yasu had found his way into a bar on the seventh floor, yet somehow he couldn't afford anything. All this time doing nothing and watching players really should've gone towards setting up a business that could run itself. A drawing of the tavern would be placed on the page of the journal the boy was always carrying on his hip. His button up short sleeve shirt and black pants with comfy sneakers would pull the eyes of people not invested in their own situation. Whatever, let them stare, he was comfortable. The boy's ears would be pulled away towards a pair of players speaking of a guild, Ya

The boy watched for a moment, the wolf taking his paw up slightly higher than usual. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for. Yasu's sword would glow, his eyes fixed on the enemy before him as it charged forward once more. A snarl from the dog would throw slobber at kid and his blade would start to fall. Not quite quick enough however, as the yellow wolf's teeth would plant themselves firmly into the boy's leg. Holding it in place, Monarch's sword would fall on the monster's head, causing it to break its grip and pull back once more. The first exchange had gone swimmingly, and Monarch

Once the distance had closed, Monarch's blade would glow yellow. The wolf's legs would leave the ground and the flat of the kid's blade would redirect the force of the beast's attack. "Caught me off guard." Both the wolf and the player would stand, locked in a waiting game. It would seem they both knew how to wait for an opening, and that if you move first, chances are you'll lose the exchange. Hearing a ruckus forming behind him as other dogs charged in, Monarch would grit his teeth. He had no experience fighting this many enemies, so he would have to find a way to kill them one at a time.

Monarch awoke on a bench, just outside of town. The field around him was unfamiliar, as blurry and misshapen it was. How did he end up here? Who knows? The kid's hand would fall to his side, pulling his weight forward and off of the bench. "I guess I need more stuff." He would say to himself, pulling himself up to a standing position. If I want to survive, I need gear to help me. A good sword, maybe some armor, whatever it takes to reach the top. If nothing else, I need col. His hand would hold his wrist and his eyes would scan the fields. Maybe there's something around here I can kill to get

After the boy sat down, he pulled out his journal and opened to a fresh page. He wanted to know why that woman held his attention for so long, despite every sign pointing to her being nothing but a pain to talk to. His finger would spin his pencil as he leaned in really close to the page and started outlining the drawing. Silhouettes of players walking through a blank town, just the outlines of buildings. In the dead center, the woman was placed, carefully drawn in full detail, looking like she was searching for something important up in the sky. As the drawing took its form, Monarch couldn’t

After Monarch had left that cave, he spent days walking through the fields. He had tried sleeping but couldn’t quite settle his thoughts. ”Such a drag.” He would say to himself, stepping back into the town and looking around. Maybe he needed some coffee, that always helped. Walking through the streets, the kid’s tired eyes swayed from sign to sign. All of his usual spots were packed to the brim, so he would continue on. The other players around him would spend their time socializing with those they cared about, but Monarch didn’t really have anybody. Whatever, he preferred to have time to

Yasu had fallen back into his low energy self once again. The conversation had all but died out as they crossed through the gates and reunited the lost child with her mother. A small grin would form on the boy’s face, seeing them hold hands and walk away after the woman had thanked the pair. The sun was falling behind them, and it made for a beautiful sight. Their silhouettes blocking out the brightest point, with a small beam shining between them. It was enough to blind the tired boy. Yet still he couldn’t pull his eyes away. Was that something he would ever experience again? Seeing his famil

Iris’s words, though not explicitly aimed at him, pulled tight at Monarch’s chest. His throat felt constricted, as his already blurry vision cleared for a moment, the tears dripping down his face. The streaks on his cheeks would glimmer in the light of the small stone he carried. His strained voice would escape as he looked through the opening of the cave. ”See Koko? Like I said, someone is always here to help.” The young lazy boy hated that feeling, like he had someone waiting on him. It was his own special hell. In this world he cared about very little. His family was really the only th

House Name: Spectator’s Rest Location: Floor 3 Description: A small hut in the deepest reaches of the forest. Very little natural light reaches this house, to make it easier to fall asleep any time of day. Plot Size: Estate Room(s): Attic (Bedroom) (monarch), Herbalist Hut (monarch), Basement (monarch), Guest Room, Living Room (monarch), Storage Closet (monarch) Room Upgrade(s): none Total Cost: Donor [$25+]

The praise from the girl pulled Yasu’s eyes from the fight, with a surprised look on his face and a hint of blush. Immediately the boy would pick Koko back up and start walking towards Astreya as she killed the bat. His hands felt cold, his eyelids were getting heavy, and he was practically half gone. But his cheeks felt warm, warmer than they usually were. He didn’t even try to hide his pink cheeks as he hardly knew they were there. Right now he just wanted to get Koko to her mother. ”You know Koko, you’re doing better than I did.” he would say, his sword disappearing from his hand. ”We

Yasu stopped dead in his tracks, noticing Astreya get ready for the fight. Something in his gut twisted, his eyes dance around the cave. Setting down Koko, Monarch would draw his sword from across his waist behind his back, holding it in his standard reverse grip. "Stay behind us. Iris won't let anything hurt you." He would say, patting the girl on the head. Her tears hadn't even dried and now she was crying again. So that's what that feeling was. The boy's eyes would narrow as he turned his head and spotted the bat. Astreya had drawn its attention, so while Koko should be safe, Monarch would

As the girl spoke, the edge of the light touched a small footprint, too small to be Yasu’s or Astreya’s. After the girl finished her explanation, saying she wants to protect the boy, Monarch would blush and look away, noticing the footprints leading up to a scared young girl. The boy’s blush would immediately disappear as his feet started moving and he popped the glowstone into his mouth. The boy was actually running, although he wasn’t very good at it. Sliding to a kneeling position by the child, Yasu would wrap her in his scarf. Giving her a gentle hug. Even without emoting, it was obvious Y

It wouldn't take long for Monarch's item to be made, in fact, it would be before he made it back to the safe zone. An exasperated sigh would escape as the boy sighs and drops his shoulders. I'm over half way back, by now it would be easier to come back tomorrow. Of course, I don't know this merchant, so there's no guarantee she would hold onto it. The child would turn on his heel and walk back to the small building, closing the distance in record time for him. Mainly because he didn't stop for a nap on the way back. Walking through the door, Yasu would walk to the counter and his name wou