[F4-PP] Do you believe in coincidences?

[Kataware 0]

Kataware sat inside of a tavern of the fourth floor, her still-frosty breath contrasting against the steam generated by the tea in front of her. She grabbed the mug with both of her gloved hands and brought it to her lips and sipped at the hot liquid carefully. She put down the mug, and removed the parka hood from her head and let the chestnut brown hair she usually wore in a ponytail reach just below her shoulder-blades. Kataware would quickly regret this decision as someone opened the door to the tavern and the icy wind blew her hair in her face. And this is why I usually wear it in a ponytail.

After straightening her hair, Kataware noticed a roughed-up piece of paper settle down next to her drink. It was terribly beaten and shredded, as if it was extremely old. Kataware picked it up and the paper tore itself in another part. “Just how old is this thing anyways?” The paper had some writing on it, but most of it had already faded away. Kataware was only able to make out a couple of words, “meet at Frostbite Lake.” Other than that, the text was either gone completely or undecipherable. Kataware carefully pocketed the paper in hopes of not ruining it even more, before she stepped outside of the tavern.

It took her about eight minutes to arrive at Frostbite Lake, which was just barely visible from Snowfrost as the snow fell from the sky. The mountains sure was a sight to see, as they towered above her and she wondered if there happened to be any glacial icecaps being fed from the top of the mountain. She scoffed as that thought popped into her head. “That’d be some insane detail to this death game.” Kataware started to take in the picturesque sights of the lake, mountains, and the numerous pine and spruce trees that littered the area. While doing so, a fleeting moment popped into her mind. How insane would it be if the person that wrote that note actually showed up here? I mean, that paper was so old that whatever they came here for must’ve been so long ago.

@Eatos @Stryder

Edited August 6, 2018 by Kataware
Adding Eatos

[Eatos 0]

Frostbite Lake. It was, without a doubt, the most therapudic place within Sword Art Online, in Eatos’ honest opinion. Although, she was more than aware that she also loved the cold, the chilly breeze through her hair as it lightly kisses your face. And the silence, where it was only the wind that greeted your ears.

A loud bark interrupted the girls thoughts, and her soft amber eyes zeroed in on the break in the silence. A large blue-eyes Husky. Angel. Eatos smiled as the familiar barked, wagging her tail and hinting at the item that was at the girls feet. A green ball she’d had commissioned. Almost identicle to a tennis ball. Leaning down, she scooped it up and, without saying a word, threw it. It landed on the ground, mere feet away from Kataware, who was within eye-sight of Eatos if she had been looking properly.

The husky shot off like a lightning bolt after the ball. Eatos smiled, the smile eating at her face despite the memory that echoed within her mind. “Adam…maybe one day, I’ll find it in myself to forgive you” she muttered softly as she felt a cold shiver race through her entire body, one that brought both comfort and worry.

Angel shot after the ball, her tail wagging madly as she found the ball and…a person? Angels protective instinct kicked in as the familiar tried to assess if the player was a threat. Her ice-blue eyes scanned over the player, and occasionally looked at the ball she had been hunting to get. A single bark, most curious than a command, was issues by Angel towards Kataware.

[Kataware 0]

Kataware jumped as the sound of crunching snow snapped her out of her train of thought. Looking towards the source of the sound, she saw a green ball quickly roll to a stop. However, something else caught the corner of her eye. A huge, blue-eyed husky came hurtling towards at her and she reflexively took a step back and lost her balance. Her green parka’s backside was now covered in snow. When the husky reached the ball’s location, it looked up to find Kataware.

The husky barked once towards Kataware as she started to get up and brush the snow from her parka. She then realized a possibly fatal mistake when it came to this location. This isn’t a safe zone. Kataware was about ready to run, thinking that the husky was a mob, but then later realized that the husky had a yellow cursor above its head indicating that it was either a non-aggressive mob or a familiar. It was then that she deduced that this must be a player’s familiar, mainly because of the green ball that the husky was probably chasing after. Kataware looked around her surroundings trying to find the husky’s owner and it didn’t take her long to find the telltale green cursor indicating the location of another player. “Excuse me,” Kataware yelled out. “Is this your familiar?”

[Eatos 0]

Eatos took a deep breath, the cold air that entered her lungs bringings a sense of comfort to her. It was the feeling of home in winter when she went out to play fetch with her real world pet. It had always been a comforting time, and when she picked up a familiar in this game, well…It was too hard not to fall for this habit.

Eatos heard a bark and looked up. Only to spot Angel had found…a player? What was another player doing here? Eatos came here daily, and often times, was always alone. She hadn’t run into another player here, in well, forever. The girl walked forwards to Angel and the other player, and that’s when she could be properly seen.

Soft amber eyes and pale skin, the oddest thing about her was perhaps her clothes. A black suit, despite playing fetch with a dog and being in a video game. Her blue hair was shortish, lazily kissing her shoulders.

At the arrival of the girl, Angel’s barks evolved into defensive growls. Eatos shook her head a little.

“Angel, down girl” She said calmly as the Familiar acted, grabbing its ball and running back to Eatos, wagging her tail a ton. Eatos knelt down and petted the pet, looking at the other girl. Curiousity ate at her. What was she doing here?

“Her name is Angel, and she can get…territorial” Eatos explained “But she is indeed my familiar. What’s your name?” She asked. She didn’t recognise this girl, and a small fear at her. Was this one of those player-killer scouts?

[Kataware 0]

Kataware watched the familiar’s owner walk towards them and told Angel to calm down. Afterwards, Angel started acting like a puppy and appeared to be happy to be with its owner, even wagging its tail a ton. Kataware’s lip turned upwards into a small smile. Of course. Some people would enjoy having something like a pet.

Soon afterwards, the player inquired about Kataware’s name. She cleared her throat (a gesture that seemed to only have a social purpose as none of them in this virtual world really had a throat that could have something lodged within it) and responded. “My name’s Kataware.” Kataware took off the hood of her parka letting her straight, chestnut-brown hair fall below her shoulders and extended her hand out to offer a handshake. “Thanks for that, I wasn’t sure what to do in that type of situation. I wasn’t prepared to meet someone here. I usually hear that no one is here in the first place.”

@Eatos

[Eatos 0]

Eatos stroked the familiars head as she took the ball, but held it. While she would show Kataware some respect before throwing the ball again, although Angels blue eyes stared at her owner with anticipation.  The name, well, it was odd. Most players went for a distinct word as a name, and yet it was not a word she could play a translation to, despite knowing an excess number of languages.

Stepping forwards, she shook the other girls hand, and a soft smile came out onto her face. “Pleasure Kataware. Don’t worry much about Angel here, she’s just too protective of me when it comes to strangers” The girl glanced down at the Husky, who was staring at her. She rolled her arm back, before throwing the green ball as far as she could. It wasn’t far, but the Husky shot off like a bullet.

“There usually aren’t people here. I come here most days to play with Angel, but outside of a few people bypassing for quests, it’s just me and her” The bluenetter said as her eyes peeled away from the running Husky to the other girl “Names Eatos. So, I gotta ask, what are you doin’ out here? No one usually comes out in this sort of weather”

[Kataware 0]

“Well, Eatos, I suppose it isn’t at all bad having a companion watch over you. After all, everyone needs someone to watch their back,” Kataware said as she watched Angel run after the ball. I could use someone to watch my back, too. Kataware struggled to not say that aloud because she was afraid of the implications it might give Eatos. Kataware didn’t desire to be pitied or given ultimate protection like all players still stuck inside the Town of Beginnings have been receiving from the frontliners, she cared about being seen as a person with potential worth. After all, networking would probably be an important part if she really wanted to be successful and if she was seen as weak, what purpose would she have on the frontline in the first place?

“Well, the reason I’m here is… Ah, better for me to show you.” Kataware gingerly pulled out the flyer from within her parka with the words ‘meet at Frostbite Lake’ inscribed onto it. “I saw this and decided on a whim and seeing as how I hear that the sights are beautiful why not come here?”

[Eatos 0]

 Needing someone to watch your back? Eatos didn’t react at all, but internally, she was amused.  No man was an island, and even in a place like this, that was forever true. Angel had been by her side for, it felt like forever if she was honest, even if the reality wasn’t nearly that. Pile that with the reality that when they escaped, Angel was be trapped here…alone, forever.

“No man is an Island” the girl said as Angel came sprinting back, dropping the ball at the Bluenettes feet and sitting attentively. Eatos smiled. It seemed that Angel’s training was paying off indeed. The husky was still barking at everyone who she perceived a threat, but at least she was obeying silent commands.

The girls attention was caught by the flyer being shown to her. Even with it being in tatters, she recognised it instantly. After all, she was the one who made it. Back when Guardians of the New Dawn were trying to pull in members to start off, she had made several flyers and had Stryder distribute them around Sword Art Online. If she was honest, she’d forgotten that they’d never taken them all down.

“It’s a beautiful sight, honestly it’s a shame not many people enjoy this weather. But, well, that in of itself has its own benefits” She said calmly “How did you know that wasn’t from a player killer guild? Setting up a trap to catch players?”

 

[Kataware 0]

“Well, none that stay sane or alive long enough at least,” Kataware responded to Eatos’ comment about no man being an island in a matter-of-fact tone. “We’re typically programmed to be sociable creatures. After all, we need someone to take care of us for the first few months of our lives. Imagine how much isolation can harm someone’s mind.” She paused for a second, took off her gloves, and scooped a ball of snow into her hands. The cold was numbing, but not unpleasant. The cold, brisk air felt refreshing and helped clear her mind. “The weather could be a lot worse. At least it feels nice.”

Eatos then asked how she knew it wasn’t from a player killer guild or a trap. However, truth be told, Kataware didn’t have much thought behind it. “I saw the paper was tattered, torn, and old. Either someone was really deliberate, or this was a relic from a while ago.” Kataware chose not to mention the fact that she also forgot that this area was not a safe zone. That type of mistake seemed critical to her, now, and could have possibly been fatal. I’ll have to keep a comprehensive list of each floor and the safe zones now to prevent the possibility.

[Eatos 0]

Eatos should have been reflective enough to know that, even if the other girl had no idea, she was talking about herself. For weeks, she'd had little, to no, human contact. Just her Angel to keep her company, and while normally that was enough, recently she just felt empty, cold. Dead almost. She opened her mouth to reply 'I know all too well the damage it does', before opted away. Now wasn't the time to ruin life with a pitty party, even more so that it was her own. 

The Husky came running back, dropping the ball at the girls feet and demanding another throw. Smiling, the girl leans down and scoops up the ball as she heard Kata explain herself. 'She had no idea, and didn't even consider it. Reckless, the girl could be dead already if i was anything like him' she thought to herself as she threw the ball hard, and the Husky, as they do, threw itself after it.

"I think i recognize it, the more i look at it. It looks sorta like the flier for a guild that went up months back. They met out here to rally members" She says, keeping the reality that she herself was one of the guild leaders hidden "Why would you be looking for them anyway?"

[Kataware 0]

“Hm?” Kataware didn’t understand Eatos’ question at first, probably because she had made the reason she came to Frostbite Lake a bit more ambiguous than she thought it by only showing the flyer. “Ah, the flyer?” However, as Kataware thought of a response, she realized that she didn’t have a good reason to be looking for anyone, especially because the reason for her presence wasn’t even a good reason to begin with. This was something that was out of the ordinary for her, to be doing things on a whim without double-checking everything.

Kataware breathed in the brisk air and sadly noticed that the same feeling of fresh air entering her lungs wasn’t exactly replicated within the game. “Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here. I came here on a whim seeing that flyer. Could it have been a deliberate trap? Possibly. Am I looking for a guild?” Kataware paused, leaving that last thought unfinished. She couldn’t say that the thought never crossed her mind seeing as the copius amount of benefits that being a part of a guild could provide to her, but at the same time, she was never much of a sociable person. Kataware gave a soft smile and turned to Eatos. “Well, not any guild in particular nor in this specific location, at least. I’m still surprised I met you.” The sound of her laughter was muffled by the snow.

[Eatos 0]

She was, completely, lost. Kataware had no idea what she was doing. While this was standard for a lot of people, in a world like this, it could be the last mistake you make. With that knowledge, which should always be in the back of your mind, why would you do something so stupid?

The girl opted to silence to answer Kataware. If she was honest with herself, there was something so ignorant. So foolish about her, it annoyed her. And yet, she found herself in a little piece of awe at it. At that moment, Angel ran back and, instead of setting the ball down, leaped into Eatos, taking the girl down into the snow with loud barks. The girl let out a yell in shock as she is almost buried in the snow, and while the Husky leapt out, the girl remained in the snow.

“Angel…” Eatos signed. She knew it was pointless to ‘punish’ her pup, partly because she loved it too much and also because it was just a habit she hadn’t bothered to properly discipline her. She just sighed, and couldn’t be bothered getting out of the cold snow “Trust me, no one is more surprised you’re here than I am…Or Angel for that matter…”

[Kataware 0]

Kataware’s soft smile grew as she saw Eatos get pushed down by Angel. “Well, that’s what I hope to do. Surprise people.” The silence was accentuated by the sound of the sighing wind cutting through the area. Kataware dropped her smile, taking on a more serious tone. Her voice and her expression grew more cold as she sighed as well. “Well, hoping isn’t the correct word.” Kataware knelt down to Angel and pet the husky, feeling its warm, double-fur coat.

“Hoping would mean I’m wishing for something to happen, but that’s almost as foolish as expecting for Aincrad to be cleared tomorrow.” Kataware turned towards Eatos and stared into her eyes blankly. “Planning. I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone here. Plus, it’s a lot like the First Floor in my opinion. A bright red cursor would be easy to see in this white winter wonderland. Though, the green matches the spruce and pine trees much more closely.” She did have to admit, that this wasn’t her first thought when she exited the inn, the realization came to her now. A bright red cursor against the snow, it’s like a sore thumb sticking out.

[Eatos 0]

Surprise people? Well, she indeed surprised her. Eatos had been expecting another day of trying to pull herself out of the rabbit hole she often found herself in by playing with Angel. It didn’t work, but it was the only therapy she had to the whispering voices that ate away at her sanity on a daily basis.

Hearing about the red marks, she was mostly correct. Although, Eatos knew that just because you didn’t have a marker, didn’t mean you weren’t dangerous.  Both of them could be willing to kill, and just haven’t taken the last step. They could be scouts, ensuring their victim is alone and easy prey before sending in the killers. Theories she’d come up with, to ensure she was safe from such parties. This girl seemed innocent, although, that could be a front. But Eatos was confident she’d be able to survive any assassination attempt against her life.

“It would be telegraphed” The girl said as she pulled herself out of the snow and glared at the Husky, who only barked back happily as they were pet by Kataware. “So what are your intentions then Kata? Where do you think you’ll end up in life, or at least, in this game?”

[Kataware 0]

That was a question she never understood. She always believed that she would be ultimately forgotten in the test of time, almost all people were. However, her philosophy was always to impact people’s lives as much as they can. A ripple effect means a strong beginning impact can mean big waves in the long run. Kataware scratched the back of Angel’s ears, her expression still icy.

“What I intend to do is to help clear this game. Paradise or not, we can’t live in here forever. The longer we stay, the more our real bodies deteriorate. The less we move within Aincrad, the more the clock does. It’s a race against time to return back to our real lives.” Kataware didn’t want to mention her plans of becoming a frontliner, very few people had what it takes, and even fewer people survived. “So, I see myself helping people, one way or another.”

[Eatos 0]

So she was aware of the timer on them? The reality that Eatos had come to her days into her new life. Every single person trapped in this game only had so long to live. Even with the best medical equipment being used, their bodies needed activity. Their bones and muscles would become almost mush, and that was just the ones she could list off in her head. Without much medical knowledge, she couldn’t know all the problems their bodies would have when they came back.

“A race we seem to be losing” The girl said absently as she brushed off the snow from her suit “We’re barely a quarter of the way in….” She shook her head. She needed to avoid the black holes in her mind like that. She looked at Angel, who barked once. The girl shrugged in response, as if she was having a conversation with the Husky.

“Helping people…? So you’re aiming for the front lines, and as a solo player…Don’t you feel that’s a tad…risky?” The girl asked. There was no marker signalling them as a member of a guild, meaning they were more than likely a solo player. Attach that to that she was annoyingly like Stryder, the aim to help everyone, and the best way to do that was get to the front lines…  

[Kataware 0]

Kataware looked over to Eatos with a concerned look. She hadn’t even bothered to ask how strong Eatos was, but obviously the slow progression of the frontlines was getting to her. To be fair, it’s been getting to a lot of people. Kataware scooped up a ball of snow and proceeded to throw it as far as she could. “You’re included in that you know,” Kataware muttered underneath her breath, the words seemingly crystallizing and turning into frost.

The next words she spoke were more clear and defined as she raised the volume of her voice.  “More than just one way to help everyone, not just fighting the floor bosses.” Kataware ran through her mind, remembering all of the plans she had laid out in the time she had spent actively gathering information. Hopefully these two years weren’t a mistake. “I know of a few ways to help everyone, and I mean everyone, as I am right now. A profession for equipment, both people seeking to start and the veterans. A scout for the frontlines, but I don’t have to necessarily fight.” Kataware flipped through the pages of her mental notebook, making sure she had some feasible ideas in her mind. Otherwise, she ignored the theorized ideas, understanding that putting them in practice was much easier said than done.

“Also, never said I’d always be a solo player. Just, haven’t bothered actively looking for a guild. Either you gotta know someone in there, or you gotta get recruited some other way.” Kataware held up the tattered flyer. “Who knows? I might’ve joined these guys if they were fine.”

Edited August 20, 2018 by Kataware

[Eatos 0]

While she heard what the other girl said under her breath, Eatos opted to simply say nothing. While she was indeed included, she didn’t want to think about it. So much, recently, she had found herself mentally distancing herself from others more and more, sometimes she found it hard to see herself as ‘one of them’.

Hearing the other girl talk, Eatos found herself amused and depressed. She could see herself in this other girl. Helping others with a store. But Kataware taking a step forwards, scouting for the front lines. It was rather interesting. Hopefully she made it there. “Well, you have a clear plan it sounds like. Hopefully you can commit to it” She didn’t finish her sentence like she had intented to do, much like her life it seemed. Ironic, in a way.

A loud bark forced the girl to throw the ball, Angel abandoning the girls and running after the ball to fetch it.

“Point taken about the guilds. They’re the best way to get to the front line” She went silent for a bit, before looking the other girl in the eyes “You still could join a guild. I know a few people who are in one…”

[Kataware 0]

“If the only thing needed to succeed was commitment, I doubt anyone would have died on the First Floor,” Kataware remarked absentmindedly as she rubbed her hands together in a futile attempt to warm them up. The air was refreshing, but the cold was biting. If it wasn’t for the former, she would have already put her gloves back on her hands.

“Which guild?”, Kataware asked almost instantaneously as Eatos mentioned that she knew of a few people in a guild. It was an interesting prospect, something that could benefit her progression, but she was still wary about joining any random guild. Although she was not adverse to Eatos’ personality, and aside from the usual conversation that they’ve had, Kataware didn’t completely trust the blunette or her judgement. She knew she had to take her steps carefully, or else she might just end up in a minefield. “And may I ask who?”

[Eatos 0]

Commitment? Kataware made it sound so easy. As if all it took was will power. While will power was hugely important, there was much more to it than all of that. It was the irony of people. They wanted so much, and yet, lacked the convinction to take it…Mostly. There were always exceptions to the rules…Like Adam.

The quest ask about the name of the guild was not lost on Eatos. Kataware was seemingly very interested by this knowledge, more so than she wanted to let on. But for what purpose? That was the next question.

“It’s called Guardians of the New Dawn. Slow pacing levelling guild” she said, still actively not mentioning her relationship with them “A lot of the more powerful guilds don’t accept players that aren’t proven. And to be proven, you need to be well known” Eatos let out a soft smile “I mean well when I say this. You’re clearly unproven, so starting with one of these smaller guilds will help you build a reputation”