[OP, NK, F1] Link Start!

[Harry Otai 0]

It was yet another beautiful day in Aincrad with the sun having just set in the distance. There was a gentle breeze blowing through the grasslands, so much like the real world would be like. This was far from the real world though, which Harry was constantly reminded of. This was a place where it was kill or be killed. It was a place where people were killing each other even, whether out of fear or out of just some sick sadistic thought that happened to come into someone's mind.

That was why Harry was training now, his longsword out as he'd run through some common motions he had been learning. A diagonal slash, followed by a parry, then a thrust. Repeat. It was a way for him to take his mind of things, but to also keep himself on his toes. He was stuck in this game, there was no escape except to beat it, which was his plan either way. He was alone and he preferred to stay that way, yet his heart ached for at least some companionship. The young man had noticed some people crossing by and talking with each other, seemingly oblivious to the dangers that were all around, and it reminded him of his sister in the real world.

Diagonal Slash, parry, thrust. Repeat. Harry continued to run through these motions for a couple more hours until finally he felt exhausted and laid down in the grass, hands behind his head and blade on his left side. The man was still looking for the first floor boss that he had heard about, but had no luck thus far, so he was sticking around the grasslands for the time being. It was better than venturing headfirst into the world and ending up dead. After all, death was not an option for him.

Edited November 18, 2016 by Harry Otai

[Lessa 1]

Is he dead?

The notion was a ridiculous one, of course. There were no bodies in Aincrad, as anyone who was killed simply burst into pixels. The woman had been unfortunate enough to witness death before, so she knew it to be fact. Yet there he was, simply lying in the middle of the grasslands, unmoving. The field bowed gently around him, a graceful, tranquil sight. The boy looked a bit like something from a scene in a movie.

This thought inspired another, and she suddenly found herself wondering if this was an opening for a quest. It made little sense, as she had trekked this same path for years, and never seen it. But she would put nothing past the creator of the stupid game, and so she crept a few steps closer. Her gaze remained on the figure, but she prepared herself for the quest prompt to appear. It never did.

Instead, the swordswoman found herself standing only a few paces away from the prone form. Closer now, she could make out the details that signified he was another player. Green icon, she mused, with some relief. But she remain unsettled, as his gear spoke of a low level. It was dangerous for anyone to simply lie about outside the danger zone, but especially a newbie. Her lips drew into a tight, concerned line. When she spoke, the same concern was evident. "Hey," she began simply, attempting not to startle the boy. "You probably shouldn't lay down out here."

[Row 0]

After studying the boars on the first floor, she was becoming bored. While she wanted to go engage the boars for their treasure, she was feeling very lazy. Although there was always time for treasure, there was not always time for deadly combat. She ended up just walking along the edge of the boar's hostel zone. She has been practicing this for a while and could avoid these threat like a fly could avoid your hand. 

While walking, she noticed a guy practicing his swords skills. She never saw the purpose in doing that but who was she to judge another persons use of time. She watched him from the distance, happy to see something else besides a boar. After a few more strikes he lied down on the grass and started resting. Shortly after that a blond girl appeared and started speaking to him. With nothing else to do, she decided to stop by and say hi. Maybe she could even question why he was doing such a thing.

"Hi everyone, what ya doing?"

[Harry Otai 0]

The man was entirely prepared to start to doze off, but it seemed he wouldn't have the luck to get some relaxation on his own. The moment Harry closed his eyes, he could already hear soft footsteps approach, so he would do his best to not make a movement. Maybe if he ignored their approach then they would just go away. Sadly, it seemed that this would not be the case as the footsteps came closer before stopping only a few paces away. ~Good, now just go away.~ Harry would think to himself, not moving a muscle.

That was when he heard the woman's voice, stating that Harry probably shouldn't lay down out here. With a sigh, Harry would open his eyes and turn his head, "It's just a quick rest, most of the threats around here are low level anyways." The man would state calmly before closing his eyes again, having seen the concerned look on the woman's face, "I appreciate the concern, but I can handle myself, miss." No sooner had the words escaped his mouth, he would hear the sound of footsteps again before a voice would speak, asking what everyone was doing.

Harry would then open his eyes with another sigh and stand up, "Well, I was going to get some rest, but it looks like that won't happen." The man would shrug and pick up his blade, sheathing it on his left hip. Harry would then turn to the young women before him, taking in more details this time. The elder woman looked as though she was definitely a strong player, it was strange to see them on such a low level, while the younger teen looked to be around the same level as himself. He figured he might as well break the ice with the two, "I figure this is as good a time for an introduction as there will be. My name is Harry, nice to meet you." The man would then force a smile, trying to make a friendly tone as he'd stretch a bit, still sore from his earlier training.

[Lessa 1]

At the boy's easy dismissal, Lessa's lips pursed in disapproval. "Low level, they may be," she countered hotly, "but you don't look much higher." The annoyance was clear from her expression, and her tone did little to hide it either. So often, she had stretched her neck out for equally ungrateful players. The blonde did not expect a shower of praise and eternal graciousness for whatever advice she provided. On the contrary, she was normally made uncomfortable by flashy shows of appreciation. What mattered to her was that players took the world, and the risks, seriously. She had seen many players slain by low-level beasts, and those individuals had been prepared to fight. This player, who merely passed his time sprawled out in the field, had the audacity to cop an attitude?

She loosed a heavy sigh, shoulders rising and falling in mixed parts frustration and surrender. Fine, she mused. She had vowed to dedicate less of her valuable time and emotional capacity to such obstinate individuals. How many afternoons had she wasted trying to teach pupils who thought they knew it all? How many nights of rest had she wasted, fretting over their safety? No, this man was either a high-level player parading as a newcomer, or a newcomer without any concern as to his well-being. And neither needed to be her priority. Not my monkey, not my circus.

When the snowy-haired stranger introduced himself, Lessa offered no more than a nod. The same was offered to the other player, who had arrived during their exchange. "I'm Lessa," came her simple reply.

[Row 0]

First the guy introduced himself as Harry after brushing off the woman's statement about sleeping in a low level zone. Then the woman gave one last sign of protest before giving up. Row herself was not worried about the mobs, but then again, she could take them unlike a lot of the lower levels. She giggled after everyone finished speaking as now it was her turn to talk. "Ok ok, my Name is Omi Rei World, but you can call me R.O.W." Another giggle followed as she tilted her head and closed her eyes. Had this been an one on one meeting, she would have does something a little more fun, but she did not know this high level and the girl appeared to be a little strict if not scary. She was not scared but she knew to respect the people who had the power. She also wished that they answered her question, or at least Harry did since it was the sole reason for her walking over.

 

[Harry Otai 0]

It seemed the woman had been more than a little frustrated by Harry's reaction to her, but the man honestly didn't care. Sure, she meant well, but the man could easily take care of himself. He couldn't help but feel a bit bad for his response to her concern though. The introduction was brief with the woman introducing herself as Lessa and that being all she did. Then the younger woman giggled, much like a child, softening Harry into a bit of a smile, as she introduced herself as Omi Rei World, but stated that the pair could call her R.O.W.

"A pleasure to meet both of you." Harry would state, his smile staying briefly before fading. "Now that that's out of the way, I might as well apologize for my attitude towards you, Lessa." He'd turn to her more now and smile. "Sorry, for my reaction to your concern coming off as curt, I'm not used to having anyone really approach me here, especially while laying down." Harry would come off as genuine as he could and then turn his attention back to R.O.W. and chuckle. "You seem to be a rather cheery girl, Miss R.O.W. You remind me of my sister IRL. I hope the game doesn't change you."

It would be a brief mentioning of his life, a bit of a way of showing the real him, and the only mention they'd get for now. "So, if you don't mind me asking. Where are you two heading to?" Harry would ask, trying to stay social to the two, but not letting his guard down. After all, this game was still kill or be killed. Although, both players were green so he shouldn't have to worry about them attacking him or trying anything. That and they could also just be trying to live out their lives normally in the game. Harry had seen a few people doing that before, but never really considered doing such. After all, he was only here for answers.

[Bhairyuu 0]

[OOC: @Harry Otai, I hope you don't mine me barging in unannounced, but if I am interrupting, my apologies in advance]

Bhairyuu was once again doing some more exploration of the <<Town of Beginnings>>, this time choosing to wander through the outskirts of the safezone near the grasslands outside. Just then, he noticed a trio of players, a male and two females gathered there and so, since he was curious as to what the trio was up to, he decided on a whim that he would go and greet them, and maybe introduce himself if they proved friendly enough. So with that in mind, he headed over to their location, calling out in a semi-loud voice while taking off the medium-sized black Chinese hat that he had on his head at the moment so they could see his face

"Hey you guys, what's going on? Anything interesting happening there?"

He asked, keeping his voice polite in tone and a matching polite smile on his thin lips as he strode over to them and finally once he was within a few feet, he stopped and waited to see what they would say and do in response. In the meantime, he enjoyed the feel of the breeze blowing through his jet black hair tied into a high spiky ponytail and the sensation of the wind causing his outfit to gently rustle against his dark complexioned, leanly muscular body while regarding the trio with a curious expression in his narrow jade green eyes.

Edited November 20, 2016 by Bhairyuu

[Lessa 1]

You really shouldn't be lying down in a field filled with monsters. But the retort died on her tongue, as she bit back the impulse to scold the man. Try as she may, she could not fathom why someone would find pleasure in putting their life at risk this way, and take a stance of nonchalance when confronted. The best she could figure, this Harry individual simply did not understand the gravity of his actions. She had stated her case, and he had chosen to shrug it off, despite his polite, practiced apology. He gave no indication that he would alter his behavior in the future, and the blonde determined it was no longer her place to convince him. If she made it her place, she would face the same obstacles that had driven her nearly mad not too far prior. "Oh well," she replied simply, unable to find much else to say.

When another dark-haired man approached, Lessa wondered how her simple words to a young man had resulted in a small gathering. For a fleeting moment, the swordswoman regretted stopping in the first place. But quickly recognizing how unfair she was being to the newcomer, she painted a smile across her tired features; it was not his fault that he had caught her in a bad mood. "Nothing interesting," she countered. "Sorry."

 

Edited November 21, 2016 by Lessa

[Row 0]

The only interesting thing happening here was the number of players that gathered around a newbie player like Harry. Row just wanted to know if attacking a tree or practicing sword attacks on thin air really improved your skill at this game when the game was suppose to automatically guide your attacks. It was a little funny to see the blond hair girl question his decision to sleep in a danger zone and she could not help but smile when the other player just entered. Still, the last time she was in a crowd, someone jumped off a roof. 

"Yeah, nothing interesting is happening here and I hope it stays that way. I don't know how I will feel if a body suddenly fell out of the tree dead." She shivered at the thought. "I am Row by the way stranger." She bowed at the new player to give a proper greeting before turning to the group and more specifically Harry. "I honestly just wanted to know if swing your sword around at thin air improved your sword skill. If it didn't that was alright but it would be really cool if I could level up in my own shop!"

[Bhairyuu 0]

Bhairyuu had given a polite smile to @Lessa and responded to her

"Ah well, that's alright then. Anyway, you guys looked intriguing so I thought I would come and see if I could hang out with you three...if that's okay with all of you, I mean..."

He then turned to the younger girl named @Row who had addressed him as well, trying to call her attention back for a few moments

"Nice to meet you, Row. My name is Bhairyuu, but you can call me Ryuu for short if you prefer. I look forward to gettng to know you three."

After that, he sat down on the ground and leaned back a little, using his arms for support and as he waited for the girls to reply, he enjoyed the nice view he had of the scenery  from that vantage point and silently studied the three new people who were now keeping him company. As he did, he wondered if he should address the only other male in the group or whether he should wait for the male to address him first.

[Dominion 0]

Dominion had just been out with Sey seeking Col when Sey and him had parted ways. As Dominion roamed the grassland of the first floor, Dominion took notice to a small group of people. Well, all he could really make from the distance was three or four figures communicating. One figure sat down, and Dominion decided to go and meet them. He began his walk over to the group with the utmost speed. When he neared the group, he noticed two girls and two guys. He waved his hand in a way that he believed to be a greeting, or at least in a Semi-American sort of way. He didn't know anybody in the group by name, but he did recognize one if not both of the girls in the area. One had been in a smaller group conversing with, or possibly just being next to his, soon to be brother/father, Wolfie. "Hello fellow players, what leads you to be on this floor at a time such as now?" Dominion tried to make a more formal introduction, to the best of his ability.

[Bhairyuu 0]

While Bhairyuu was waiting to see if the other male in the group would address him, he noticed another male player coming towards them and gave him a polite nod and a smile in response to his query and then replied

"I was just roaming about when I saw this group and since they looked fairly intriguing, I thought I would come over and introduce myself to them. My name is Bhairyuu, by the way. You can call me Ryuu if you prefer the short version. Now, who might you be, sir?"

Bhairyuu spoke in this polite manner because he could not yet say whether the newcomer was a hostile or not, and so did not want to cause any unnecessary headaches for himself by being rude to the man. After that, Bhairyuu fell silent, waiting for the man to reply back if he chose to do so. While he waited, he chose to quickly scan the rest of the players gathered in the group to see if he could glean anything intriguing about them as well, but tried to make it as surreptitious as he could so as to not evoke their ire.

[Dominion 0]

Dominion finally made it to where they stood. He heard the man say that his name was Bhairyuu. He, surprisingly, had no idea how to pronounce the name. He didn't make this obvious, as he did not try to pronounce the name in front of the man. Dominion bowed his head, putting one hand inside the other and extended his arms outward toward the man slightly, he bowed his head and stated, "My name is Dominion the monk". Dominion was wondering what these guys did for a living. "Do you already have a profession? I am still waiting on taking the quest. Hopefully I will get to it sometime soon" Dominion was getting tired from all the walking which he had done, going with Sey and returning, only to go out again and find this group of people. "mind if I sit down?" he asked Bhairyuu. He began to sit down.

[Row 0]

Though it was not that long ago, Row could not say she remembered the golden hair man. However something about him was familiar. She closed her eyes, forgetting to introduce herself while she tried to recall who this man was. Then a cold chill ran down her back as she pulled out a picture of a man jumping from a building. She opened her eyes and turned to the man who was now conversing with Bhairyuu. He was still alive? She saw him jump but left the area after with Wolfie. So it wasn't a suicide attempt. Well, it was bad business to bring up negative experience. "Oh sorry about that, uhh... Dominion was it? I am Row... its my uhh... pleasure to see you again... heh... heh..." Another cold sweat started up. There was no way that wasn't awkward. Well at least it was over with. However something he said would change everything she thought before. "Wait did you say you where going on a quest? What kind of quest. Oh I love quest!"

[Dominion 0]

Dominion was now sitting on the ground, but did turn his head to listen to the girl. "Well, I am intending to do two quests soon. One of which is <<earning a living>>, the silly basic quest that I haven't done quite yet. The other is <<secret medicine of the forest>>. I hear that it doesn't reset for players who have already done it, so I need someone who hasn't done it before." Dominion yawned. "My biggest problem is that I don't do hardly anything for damage, so going solo would be a terrible idea. I was debating about asking the Vanishing Dragon, but there is almost no way he did not do this quest before. Therefore, I am out of ideas." Dominion slowly reclined his upper body so that he was now laying on the ground, his eyes gazing up at the sky. It has been quite the day, especially after being out with Sey not so long ago.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Dominion

[Row 0]

This was it, her time for redemption. Who cares if the guy was a little weird and possible crazy in the head. He had a quest and needed help. There was one problem though. He complained about not having damage. To be honest, she did not have much in damage unless she landed a crit but her shield was great at returning damage whenever she was hit so there was a shot. Also she had her new battle healing skill which was nice. All in all, why would Dominion not accept help from her. Row walked closer to the blonde without a second thought. "Oh, let me quest with you please. I have not done the quest and I a lot of status effects inside of my gear. Also I have a lot of armor so I am super tanky. Let me help please, please, please." Her eyes sparkled with hope and determination. Her skin itched with the hope of getting treasure from a quest boss.There was not one shroud of doubt in her mind that the man would not accept her offer to join him in such a quest.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Row

[Dominion 0]

Dominion was looking at the sky when the girl seemed to come closer, looking down with gleaming eyes. Her words and expression seemed to be that of courage, hope and determination. As soon as she told him she hadn't done the quest before, his eyes became more alert. If she hasn't done the quest before, I could definitely use the help. She says she has status affects inside her gear... even that is better than myself with only an evasion light armor set. I guess I will be up for quest with this person. Dominion lay quietly with his head turned slightly, looking into her eyes. Finally he turned back to look up at the sky, "By all means, you are probably better than me if you have that much determination. I need to get some items from some blacksmiths and tailors that I bought from recently, but then I will be ready. I guess I will PM you then?" Dominion glanced back at her as he asked the last question, showing a sign of hesitation. "Or I could just meet you here on the first floor?", he said questioningly.

[Row 0]

Row cheered when Dominion accepted her offer to let her join the quest. Finally she had a chance to prove her worth and protect someone while not getting them killed by her lack of ability to hold aggro. No she should not let the memory come up. She had to stay positive. She had to stay focus. She had to laugh because Dominion's last comment reminded her of something funny. "Hey, I am not always by this fountain!" Despite how serious she wanted to sound, laughter found its way between her words. "I much prefer a PM so we can meet up much faster. Sooner we quest, the sooner we get to find treasure!" Her eyes glowed as she inched toward Dominion with each point she made. "On another note, since you are a monk, does that mean you have the unarmed fighting skill? Fist or what you call it... Martial artist skill? I forget what it was called." Her hand rubbed her forehead as if it was stimulation for her brain.

[Dominion 0]

Dominion could tell that Row was happy by his acceptance, but when she replied to his question, he realized just how stupid his last question was. Dominion raised his hand and placed it on his forehead, hoping it would somehow hide his embarrassment. Not a couple seconds later, he lowered his arm to his side again. He totally agreed with Row, the sooner they did the quest, the sooner they would be able to get treasure. Dominion didn't realize that Row had gotten closer to him. Then, Row asked a question that made him realize something. she asked, "Since you are a monk, does that mean you have the unarmed fighting skill." Dominion had heard rumors of this skill being a quest, but he had no idea where to go in order to claim it. He answered with as much energy he could muster, "No, currently I use just my hands, but I do not have that skill. I wish to get help from the Vanishing Dragon, due to the fact that he told me he grand-mastered the skill." Dominion was partially ashamed to say that he did not have any enhancements with his hands. He did his best not to express that and looked up at Row and took notice to her earings. "What are those?", Dominion looked almost directly at the dragonite earings, a puzzled expression on his face. "Are they hurting your ears?" Dominion had never seen anything like it before.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Dominion