Astraeus

Long locks of his platinum hair sprawled out in the grass in the safe zone as he looked up at the night sky, he ran one long leg over the other and placed his hands behind his head as he looked up. Each star seemed to twinkle as brightly as the next as if to outshine the other, Astra laughed to himself, but it was a different laugh...it was a stranger sort of laugh, one that was almost forced at first. But, then it turned into a weird sort of Mad Scientist kinda laugh, enough to which it made him roll over on his sides. Those walking by paid no attention to his dramatics as he giggled and bounced around in the grass laughing his pretty little head off.

"Pffftt Wuuhahaha!! Try as you might...AAAH AHAHAHA!! Little stars... HAHHAHAHA!! No one can steal my show!" his voice changed suddenly, a raspy dark tone as he clenched his fist and shook it at the moon, "And you!" he stood up pointing his finger at it.

"You! Will always pale in comparison to my beauty!" He continued his laughter through his monologue, clenching his sides and face as he doubled over with spinning laughter. The mad cackle drew a slight crowd, "Mr. Astra, sir. Are you ok?"

He stopped, his blue eyes peering through his fingers as his palm fell from his face to get a look at the person who was disturbing him. He gave a look to the individual, but a smile shown on his face, "Quite. I was merely telling myself a joke...Would you like to hear it? I am by no means a comedian...But this one is rather funny..."

The Performing Artist was now once more alone as the crowd dispersed around him. He waved to the those who waved good-bye at him and he did so with as smile on his face. Turning on the ball of his feet, he looked back towards the inn, the night was still young. Perhaps he could venture out for a late night stroll just to see more of the Starting City. Pale blue eyes in the darkness drank in the world before him. He was examining everything from the little's detail until he made his way out to the front gates.

He peered outwardly and whistled to himself. He was out there not too long ago fighting off boars, and that is exactly what he was seeing now. People actually ventured out late in the night to fight spawns of monsters? Peculiar, Astra sat in the grass watching a battle take place. Their might swords lopping the air and targeting their easy prey. They ganged up on one and their swords thrust into the carcass until it was no more...It was somewhat sad actually, to see it happen to that poor boar.

"The weak lose their freedom to the strong..." he mouthed quietly to himself.

She came up with a light bounce from her foot, the Peforming Artist known as Astraeus,greeted her with a simple closed eye smile as her hand brushed away from his. With a flamboyant and exaggerated bow, he swept his hand underneath him and lowered half his body, "I shall Promise you more than just that! And yes! I shall sing to you! Who can go a day without a song in their heart, yes? I know I can't. It would be blasphemous against my nature, and why not share something special like that with a new friend?"

He looked over to her, that same smile never fading from his thin lips. His eyes glowed distantly in those blue spheres of his. There was a curiousness to his grin though as he started to walk towards her, as if he was stalking some prey animal. One foot over the over in a zig zag fashion as he glided over to her, the softness of his body cascaded over her as he walked closely to her personal bubble, his hands danced around her body but never touched her as if he was mystically enchanting her with his gestures. His lips curled as he got to her ear, "Sweet little Glory, ready for our adventure to begin...I shall follow you~"

His sleeve was given a slight tug after he stood there before her, their eyes met a flash of honey and sapphire. With the slight tug came the following foot steps of the Traveling Performer, and his lips curled and his eyes smiled, "And another caught in the embrace of my charismatic charm. How these fools just follow like moths to a flame..."

Astraeus held up his hands and froze in place as she wanted the aforementioned accident to be dropped and thus he spoke no more of the subject. His eyes darted from the low lit levels of cavern, the spiraling rock and debris gave the exit a nice round about welcoming as they could see the mouth just shortly up ahead. His blue eyes flickered, it was a shame that the adventure ended so...abruptly as it did, he was enjoying her company, more or less in other words besides the entire 'accident' which he still mused over in his head and slight chuckles could be heard from his lips when he stopped to think about it occasionally.

"And a ah!ha!ha!" he said as he pointed to the exit, warm light casting down and trickling into the cave as the exit was in sight. Astraeus walked gingerly with a pip in his step as he flung the over flowing platinum hair off his shoulder as it normally would do when he was being bouncy with his steps. The Performer followed quickly as she shouted back to him to see if he was keeping up, "All is quiet on the southern front..." he said his eyes leering down to her buttocks, "Indeed..." The sharpness of his eyes narrowed with thirst and that warm light started to trickle into the cave more, finally, they were out of that dank cave. Following behind Aramail, Astra burst out into the open with his arms into the air and spun on his feet in one complete circle, "Freedom!! Fresh air!" he said after one spin and his eyes fixed on the woman in front of him, "Good show back there giving that NPC a good fisticuffs! Well, from what I saw at least. Hmm, in fact, I didn't see very much of anything. But I heard the skirmish and the dialogue, so it seems you were able to acquire whatever it was you were looking for..."

He brought in the fresh air into his lungs and exhaled slowly, over dramatically of course before his eyes fully developed into a wide appearance, "Alas, what are we to do now? I'd hate for our little adventure to be over so soon~" he said in and facialized in a mock sad expression. 

"A pub? Hrm, Yes! A gathering of the commoners, surely this place will have a good deal of people. I wonder if they have a ...." Flashing a smile with curved lips, the jovial looking character sporting a feather in his hair strolled to the door and made his entrance. As soon as he entered there was a refreshing cool breeze gifted to him from the otherwise sunny exposure of the outside world. He looked to his left, then to his right studying meticulously with his bright blue eyes. A low squint when he saw a performer's stage directly in front, his lips curled, "Perfect..."

With stride and confidence, he flipped long tendrils of his platinum colored hair from off his shoulder and sallied forth towards the quaint little stage. An 'open mic' it seemed and Astraeus would razzle dazzle these people with one of his tunes.  As he walked through the crowd, people were catching a glimpse of this Pretty Boy as he was walking to the front where in fluid movement, he hopped onto the stage so that everyone may look upon him. He stood there with a smile, his looks were confusing to the eye, male or female? Clearly it was a male avatar, the lack of a specific female roundness clearly showed that, and in fact a quite impressive figure. But it was his face that caught the interest of some people with a splash of some make up, it was still recognizable fact that he was male despite the flirtatious or otherworldly appearance of his dressed up avatar.

He tapped on the mic to see if it was in working order. Using hand gestures, he activated the device from the mic's menu and his breathing had become more visible over the talking and robust conversations being held. With a twinkle in his eyes, the music started to play from a list of background songs he could implement into his ditty. First came the sounds of an electric guitar, then a hot bass line rolled in followed with a mellow drum beat.

Astra began to sway to the beat of the song, his hips bouncing left and right slowly, hypnotically as he placed a dainty hand on the shaft of the mic and brought his lips to the mic. He blinked once and started to sing showing those pure blue irises. 

"In the violent silence
Of a dream within a dream
You fill my soul with beauty
You're my shiny man machine
I'm sinking in the roses
Falling down to fade away
The velvet blade of apathy
Makes the crush so bittersweet!"

....

"And I!!, I could have died last night
But I heard the voice of a smaller god~~
And I!!, I could have died last night
But I heard the voice of a smaller god~~"

When the lights came on, Astra has unknowingly groped the woman. In his mind it all made sense then, and then he quickly retracted his hand from her bosom and was knocked over by her might fist to the back of the head. Sliding a bit on the ground, he laughed a and got himself up and dusted his attire off. "A lesson learned," he said holding a finger up and waving it back and forth at himself. Blue eyes scanned the area, "Since we have light now, I suppose we can make our way back. Actually, just as I was ugh...feeling around, I was able to come to the conclusion that the exit was just over here..."

Astra mused to himself, "It was an accident! If I really wanted to feel you up, I would have done something a bit more romantic...I'm not one of those playboys that just goes around chasing skirts around town or something. I completely apologize for that!" he swept his hand over his waist and bowed to her apologetically and erect his form once more, "I believe the exit is over here. See!? I was somewhat helpful!" he said laughing to himself, giving a good chuckle.

As they were walking through the cave once more towards the exit, Astra looked back with his hands behind his back, "So, you got what you were looking for, yes? All in all, it was quite the adventure we had. I know I wasn't much use there, I should have paid more attention to my surroundings. Alas! It was a lesson learned, you can bet your bottom dollar...Or, however that saying goes, that things will be different next time!"

They were swallowed up by the unknown darkness, a seemingly disembodied voice spoke to them in that dark cavern as Astra placed a hand on the wall to keep himself still. His eyes could not see through the pitch blackness that enveloped them, he cursed lightly under his breath, was this a trap? He stood still listening to the two of them chatter back and forth about the next challenge. "Oh fun, a fight!" he said in a dry, sarcastic voice. Hands still on the walls, Aramail seemed to want to take this challenge alone, which Astra did not mind at all. He remembered the boar and how he was almost defeated by it. He shook his head and stepped to the right, keeping his hand on the wall for support.

As Aramail got into her fighting stance, or at least, that is what Astraeus assumed she'd be in when the challenge was called for, she called out to him to look for a way out. Well, that was an easy task, "All we have to do is go back the same way we...Ugh...Oh, my. I seem to have lost my sense of direction when the lights went out. No worries though, I should be able to handle this task...Hopefully! Look on the bright side! Should we fail, no one will see us die! Hahahaha!!!" he laughed and clapped in place letting his hand slip off the wall and then bouncing off another.

"I'm ok!" he said getting up and dusting himself off. "Now let's see..." Astra placed his hands out in front of him to feel around for the wall to the sides. The darkness was all around, surrounding and devouring. It was hard to see except for the faint skirmish up ahead. He heard rustling, "Oh! I hope your giving that NPC one crazy wallop!" He said in an enthused voice as he continued to back track through the cave until he went head first into a rock and knocked him off balance. He twisted and spun on his foot to stay in place, yet, once again, he lost his sense of direction.

"Well, don't that just beat all?" he laughed to himself, he once more heard the clash of fists and some panting, his hands outstretched and felt something...odd.. His fingers dug into the material and it almost felt...squishy.

"My dear...I think I found something!" Something indeed! Astra was groping the woman's breast!

It had been a long and tiring day for the ever growing in popularity performer and sometimes, you just needed to get away from all the public. Astraeus found himself upon a quaint little place, a bar? A pub? He questioned such a place to be in an online game with children in it. But that was besides the point, and he wondered...if he should even step inside. For a brief moment, there was a hint of his past crawling around on his skin. Alcohol had been his friend for many years and he drank himself into a stupor so many times. Perhaps it was best to just--

"One drink! What can be the harm in that?" Astraeus nodded to himself and opened the doors of the would be bar and restaurant. His eyes flashed with blue as he looked around the crowded establishment. There was perhaps a seat or two not taken by the other residents, and he sighed once more. He was surrounded by people all day long and this facade of his was growing weary and wearing him thin. Alas, he could not escape the nature that he wrought upon himself. He soldiers on into the bar and took a seat by a fellow who was indulging in some tasty looking food. The NPC Owner looked him up and down, "What can I get you friend?"

"A glass of red wine, Monsieur!" he smiled as he tapped his manicured nails against the bar table. The fellow next to him caught a gaze of the mystery person next to him, more than likely perplexed by the look of this strange individual. Yes, he has grown accustomed to the odd look or two, so this...other player was no different than the rest. He noticed eyes on him as well when he walked in, wearing those thigh high boots, and showing so much skin around the hips, it was almost like he was a cross dresser. Though he retrofitted his avatar's face with a more feminine look, Astra's real world appearance could be likened to what some of these anime hyped people would call a bishonen, or simply put: Pretty Boy. And this was the look he was given now thanks to what he calls the Mirror Prank in Starting City when the GM announced their christening into this Death Game.

The barkeeper didn't take too long to make this wine appear before him, Astra had to examine the glass with his dainty fingers over the crystalline figure, and taking a whiff of the contents inside. It smelled like alcohol, it looked like red wine...but the taste? Did it taste like it? Astra gave a look, as he promised himself...One drink, one drink only, do it fast and get out!

Swish, gulp, slam!

"Another!" he shouted. "Maybe...just one more..."

They had only begun getting their feet dirty as they entered into the maw of unknown. Astra, who was still deep in thought, was shaken when the female in front of him had discovered an immovable wall, he thought... "Why don't you just punch it a few times? That'll solve everything..." he said to inwardly and in a sarcastic tone. But he sighed and shook his head, flipping the long platinum locks of hair from off his shoulder. He stepped closer to the wall and reexamined the riddle, and he pondered once more. 

"Hrm...hrmm..." is all he said scratching his chin, "Well, I am smart, but you hardly need to be smart to solve a riddle. Let's break it down shall we? The first insert 'I tolerate the moon and stars...' That can mean many things, but what comes to mind right now is 'night'. Since the moon and stars come out at night, BUT moon and stars can also be seen in daylight, so I don't think the word 'night,' will be used to solve this. Then we have, 'I can't abide the sun.' Simply meaning that it won't obey its rules. 'Banish me with torch light, and you'll see me turn and run..."

Astraeus went silent; he turned his back on the riddle and thought for a few moments. His dainty fingers scratching his head, his right foot tapping the ground as he seemed to ponder on the riddle. More 'hmms' can from his unopened mouth and he folded his arms and scrunched his noes in frustration, "Think Astraeus...it is not that...hard even a fool can see--!"

He turned on his heels and blurted out "Eureka!" planting a fist in an open palm, "Yes! What a marvelous riddle! You understand, yes? Sight! What do you see, what can't you see? 'Banish me with torch light and you'll see me run and hide! That's so simple! The answer is Darkness!" He was excited, like a child. But his excited smile turned into a Cheshire grin, "Unfortunately the riddle maker has never met someone like me...True Darkness can never fade from the light no matter how bright it may be..." 

Astraeus gave a warm smile to Aramail, "Oh I do hope there are some more of them!"

"Glory!" Astra blurted out as his arms swung open into the air, "That is a b.e.a.utiful name, my dear. Did you know there is a species of flower named Morning Glorys? Yes. Indeed. And they are just as beautiful as you are, little one. And Horunka Village, that sounds like an interesting place..."

His voice trailed off as he sat up and got up on his two feet. With a hand over his eyes, he peered through the bright sun and looked in different directions, "Well, my schedule is clear and I think I needed just the adventure to kick off my day! So how about we go there together? It shall be worlds of fun! I can tell you about myself, you can tell me a little about your self...and if you pull on my arm just a wee bit, I might even sing for you~. I am getting ahead of myself here though, first we must stand up. Come, come! Stand up! Let's us show Aincrad that we are ready for his challenges!"

Whipping around he started laughing and clapping his hands like...well, like a lunatic, let's be real here. Astra can sometimes be a weird nut. Thus, he stood in front of the huddled girl, his bright blue eyes flashing a serene look, his thin lips curving into a smile. A hand so delicate came fluttering down like a falling feather and the digits unraveled from his palm as he lowered it to her, "Take my hand, Glory. And I shall give you a day you will never forget..." 

“He is right…he is…right. I could be the very one to lead us all to our doom in the coming age for however long we are stuck here. I can make empty promises of a better tomorrow, I can falsify my truths with twisted lies, I can have you all fall victims to my twisted schemes! But what is there for me to gain by that?  Dishonor and distrust, why would anyone with half a mind listen to a modicum of self-indulgent lunacy such as myself?  Every person here has a mind of their own that they can make up whether they wish to listen to me or not. I only seek what everyone here seeks, a comfortable life while we are stuck in this game. Some place to call home, to be comforted! Why should we be driven away by this? I shall say this now…Yes. I am looking to be a Support Leader in the coming times. Who knows what will happen to us when things begin to fall apart, those who fight in the frontline might fall and our war vets might die. And then, what to do when all hope seems to fade away? Who do we look to in that dire hour? I am not saying it will be me, but it might be someone here. Any one of us has the ability to make a difference. What happens later is unknown, so we should prepare ourselves for a dark age that could or could not come.”

People did not seem to understand what he meant by that, even the man in the back seemed lost with Astra’s speech. There were hushed tones; people began to deliberate between themselves of what would happen if there was a wipe during a floor boss? All those people would die and then…then who would rescue them from this game? Would there be no going back to the real world? They looked to Astra for answers.

“Now, now. Settle down. I know what you are all thinking, and that sort of thinking will get us into trouble. We have strong warriors fighting the good fight every day, I doubt any of them would foolishly toss away their life. Should that dark hour appear before us…I will still be here and I will still be doing what I can to help everyone through the dark times. Each of us will need to lend each other strength, we all must bond with one another so that our spirits are twisted into knots that cannot be broken…”

As Astra was talking, he stepped down from his little stone stage and talked to the people, looking into their eyes during his speech. He placed a shoulder over the man who seemed to have a grudge against him, “And it is people like this man…that will keep people like me in check, so that I will understand the reality of the situation. People are not tools, we are not fodder. We are living, breathing entities. And each one of us deserves a chance….”

There was more talk amongst the citizens of Starting City as the night was still new and fresh. Low spoken words of Astra becoming a Figure or Chairman of the people seemed to light a passion in their hearts, a man who can put words into action. This was the start of something grand, this was the beginning of the end.

The crowd of people could not stop touching his arm or shaking his hand. He felt a bit overwhelmed by the situation, but he figured this would happen. They were so easily fooled by his façade they could not see the devious grin he wore underneath his shimmering, genuine smile.

“Thank you! Thank you! It pleases my heart that so many of you have enjoyed my late night song. I am but a humble player in this world, striving like much of you to do what is necessary to stay alive. Not all of us can pick up a sword and march to our deaths in this game. It is frightening, unknown to what may happen if we do so. But we should honor those who do so for us, for they are the true Champions in our hearts. If my voice could cast the weight off their shoulders then I’d gladly step up to be there and sing so that they shall be embraced and felt through the heart that their morale would soar and give them strength to fight!”

“BA~ LOGNE!!” the audience that surrounded Astraeus parted to a single man in the crowd who’s arms were folded into his chest. His eyes were dark brown set in deep socketed eyes. He wore a frontiersman sort of outfit, but he seemed edgy.

“You think you have everyone here fooled! But I have seen your type before, masquerading as a sheep! But dressed in that wool, you are nothing more than a wolf praying on the naïve hearts of this community! You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“What is this? What do you mean?” Astra asked.

“Don’t play stupid with me you farce! I’ve seen your type, you selfishly scheme and plot in your head at all hours of the night seeking to gain the trust of so many…and when you do, this place, falls into ruins because of some fool who can sing and dance and talk in such a pretty little tone will walk all over us! I say we give this fool no more reason to listen to him! He will end up backstabbing every one of us, should we allow him to continue this stupid and lame distraction!”

Astra was appalled and severely agitated by this brute. How dare he question his noble actions to this crowd? Thin eyes narrowed more so than he could ever produce and his brows scowled the man for a brief moment, then…

Bedazzled by her barbaric might, Astra peered through the empty darkness before them, "Oh yes! Ladies first!" he said bowing his head and gesturing to go first...He would not risk his life falling into a deep and dark pit for someone as archaic as this woman. But he wore his smile as vibrant as the sun as the moment they met and he pondered her father's words. There was wisdom in there...somewhere. But...

"He broke your nose?" Astra gasped attempting to relive what she experienced, why would a father do such a thing to their offspring? Perhaps that was just the way things were done in her house, the Curious Performer would not question or judge someone based off of that. But perhaps this father of hers molded this girl into who she is now. Astra wondered and pondered, lightly tapping his finger to his chin, as he would normally do when he was in deep thought. Perhaps he can...change her somehow, mold her into something he could use. Of course, everyone is a tool for him. He would sculpt his future with those tools if need be and when they were dull--

"Oh yes! I'm coming! I was just thinking of what lovely song to sing to you when the time was right. But the moment of truth! We are now on an adventure deep into the unknown darkness! Who knows what monsters or creatures are lurking in the shadows...Yes! There are things that go bump in the night!" he said as he gestured with his hands a sort of groping the air.

"Alright?" Astra was tickled with curiosity by this young budding flower. She was so shy and he could barely make out what she was saying. Perhaps his performance was a little bit over the top for such a shy girl. He worked with children in the city and they were pretty accepting of his quirky behavior, but this girl was a bit more shy than what he was used to. Alas, it was nothing more than shyness and with open conversation perhaps he could ease her mind and put her at peace.

"I am quite well, thank you for asking. I just have a quirky sense of humor and being, but I am just fine. But what are you scared of exactly? Perhaps if we can find the root of the problem, we can fix this illusion of dread that you have...Oh! And thank you for the nice comment, this hair...it just does what it wants!" he said flipping it over his shoulder once more, the wind having a habit of rustling the tips of those platinum strewn in different directions. Patting his head to keep his feather in place, he looked back at the young girl who was bundled up with her arms over her knees hugging her chest.

"Oh! Where are my manners? I am so sorry! My name is Astraeus, you may call me Astra for short if that suits you. I was so caught up in the moment, I nearly forgot to give you my name. Perhaps that is good place to start, yes? Introductions. And you are...?"

'What??" he asked back as a matter of shock. He then chuckled, hiding his big grin behind his hands, "I was just day dreaming, my dear. I was thinking...what it would actually be like if there WAS a Princess in Aincrad. I think...No! No, I don't think! I KNOW people would flock to the idea of YOU being their Princess, and how do I know this? Well...Because I, Astraeus de Vylyn, will make sure of it. I shall make it my sworn duty to do so! Though..I may need to bend a few truths here and there..."

He sat back in his seat and pondered tapping his finger against his chin. His blue shimmering eyes danced back to the female and he smiled, "Alas, for this to work...We would have to slightly alter your image a wee bit. We can't have a Princess running around in such attire. No! We need to dress you up in something extravagant so that there would be no unequivocal question to your Royalty...So what do you say, Princess? Would you like to have all of Aincrad at your finger tips? I shall be your homely adviser and tutor, if we are to be stuck in Aincrad for awhile, should you not live in luxury and be the center of attention? BUT! This is not for mere selfish desires, we must give the people hope, a dream that this nightmare shall soon come to an end. You could walk the streets, escorted of course with your Royal Guard, and greet the people, find out their woes and try to help fix their problems. For a Princess is not just symbol! She is a verb! One that will take action for her people and then all of Aincrad will shout your name, Noble Shaya! The Princess of Aincrad!" 

Astraeus whipped his hands apart nearly knocking his glass over in the process, he wore a giant grin as he stood there smiling at her allowing her to soak up the moment.Could he indeed coax her into doing this? Or did he need to pull at the strings harder?

The Performer was a bit taken back by her reply about the children. While he would divulge to her his plans of the future, right now would probably make a mess of things for himself. He sighed and shook his head, flipping the platinum strews of hair from his face and from the sun and back over his shoulder, "Surely, everyone needs a little guidance now and then. It is true, they should be fending for themselves, but it is not their fault they are stuck here and that they are scared. Not everyone has the concrete foundation of sturdiness of others. Even you...Did you not rely on your mother and father when you were a child or even a baby perhaps? Were you not taken care of? It is one thing to walk alone, but not everyone needs to walk that path alone. I highly doubt you could take a floor boss alone, you need people in this death game. Alas..."

He watched with anticipation as she struck another hard blow to the victorious boulder, it seems it was cracking a bit from the sheer force of her blows. It was only a matter of time before it crumbled before her defiant punches, perhaps she was not striking the boulder...but visually seeking it as someone from her past? Was she trying to make a point here?

"Precisely, my dear. I think we can help each other a good deal. As far as what I can do..." he stopped to think of the skills he has in his repertoire and honestly, he was little more than a guy with good looks, this was a troublesome question indeed, "Well, I don't have much in ways of combat at the moment. However, I rely more on less than savage ways. As I said, I am quite good with information gathering and I will eventually have the skills that will lend me to this purpose, but as of right now...I have a mere dagger to defend myself, as all you have are your fists. Everyone needs to start somewhere..."

A less than satisfactory answer for her, he was sure of it. She was probably expecting more from his after his bravado of being a witty thinker. A dagger? It was just a tool at this point, a blade no more impressive than he.His eyes searched for a more competent answer as he looked at her back, she barely gave him any glances. 

"Do you like music? I could sing...you a little tune. It might not do any good now, but I have a fairly good voice, and eventually I will have the tools necessary that will help in battle should you be in need of such devices. But for now, I am a just a commoner with means as much as your own...." Astra was trying to stay collected, he was giving it all he had...this troglodyte was more abrasive than he thought and probably just as dense as the boulder as well.

The rock was jostled by her mighty punch! The stance she used, the thrust of her arm all seemed to come into perfect unison as it made the rock quiver before her, Astra clapped his hands when there was a show of improvement in the attack but to forgo an easier method to just prove a point; "Hrm, all brawn and no brains. This one might be easy to sculpt like wet clay, on the other hand...if she becomes dry and brittle; she'll be useless to me...I must find out more about her..."

"Fantastic work, there! I had no idea that this thing could be hammered down with a hard hitting punch like that. You must be talented...or the game felt sorry for you... Alas, it seems it will be only a matter of time before this thing is taken down. Perhaps brute strength is all that is necessary to break it down to rubble. But pardon me for retrieving a piece of conversation from earlier. I would have liked to explain a bit more on the matter of allies. You see, I have been gathering some information on the player base and finding out who is who. I help run a shelter in town for the small children that have been lost and confused within the game; it seems like a burden to care for them, but I find it to be rewarding in itself. But I am always on the look out for partners. I am by means no fighter, I rather use my brain rather than my fist...!!"

Astra stopped himself, "Well, I mean...I'm not good with weaponry, and I am not good with fighting beasts and monsters to say in the least. I am what you would call a support role, my virtues lie elsewhere. So you see, we could compliment one another, yes? You have the tendency to dish out the damage, and I am more of a buffing player. So...you scratch my back...and I'll scratch yours?"

The Performer was using simple words now for the player character. She obviously knew of some things, and she seemed more like a brute than a thinker of sorts. He could not make that judgement alone however from watching and hearing her responses, he decided that she was more 'hands on.' Yes, that would probably be the best way to put it.

Astraeus clapped his hands and laughed from her questions, the twinkle in his blue eyes never fading as a swift wind blew gently over them. His long platinum hair once more giving way off his shoulder and billowing to the right. The wind died for a moment, his long cloak skirt around his waist coming to a full halt as it settled and only slightly moved with the breeze. It was then she caught a glimpse of her body and face, those eyes were very strong. He could sense that if only momentarily, yes; indeed. She was special. And he noticed this when she decided to give the rock a good punch but fell short of doing any real damage. At this time Astra leaned on his right foot as his hip jutted to the opposite side. 

"Quite...So you need to break this rock, yes? And I get the feeling your trying to feel around for a weakness. Good show. But do you think your fists alone will do any real damage to it? I mean, the rock looks pretty formidable, perhaps another way of thinking will help. Rocks corrode with time and are strained by the weather, yes? Perhaps if we looked for a crack...or a hairline fracture in the mass, then perhaps we can chip it away from there? Or..."

Astraeus looked around and thought about the players in town, "Do you think if we used some sort of chemical on it to weaken the structure, that will be enough to crack this one open?"

His blue eyes squinted, "Touche..." he said internally. His focus was back on this woman. His eyes sharp and narrow as he examined her; nothing special, but there was a tone in her voice, serious and quick to the meat of the bone. He studied her for a moment, and received her name; Aramail, he would burn it into his mind to remember that name.

He laughed and clapped his hands wildly with gusto and replied to her question, "I was merely passing by, that is all. I have not seen you around before and I try to make it a habit to learn who people are. Yes, there a probably thousands of people on this little love boat of ours, but there are a few certain people that stand out above the rest. And for that, I make it an extra special effort to know who they are. You never know when you will need some...close allies."

Astra gleamed with a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at the boulder in front of her, she seemed to be examining it with much thought and desire, perhaps there was something inside of it that she needed? "Is there something special about this hunk of rock?" he inquired.

Astraeus was passing by, just passing by when he looked out of the corner of his striking blue eyes, "How peculiar..." he thought to himself. As he walked along the dotted path, she probably didn't hear him walk up behind her. Astra was silent, examining the same large rock that seemed to block an impressive opening only to be unannounced as he stood there with his finger tapping his chin.

"You know, I don't think its the Seventh Day yet, I think he is still sleeping..." Astra chuckled, referring to Jesus returning from the dead on the seventh day. "Alas, I'm sorry if I offended you, I find religion to be...comical at times, especially stuffing people inside of old caves and immovable rocks to block the entrance." Astra flipped the long locks of platinum hair from his shoulder as woman would do, his graceful fingers sweeping through the long locks until he folded his arms.

"My name is Astraeus, it is a pleasure to meet you and your friend there..." he said pointing to the massive rock.

Confirming to assist Aramail with her Quest.

Sleep? How could he sleep now of all times. His urges could not be pinned down by this sleepiness of the night. But, he looked outside his window...It was magnificent. The dark hues stretching over the world, clouds swirling in place with specks of magenta, blue and black and the mingling and twinkling of tiny bright stars just hoping to be sought out after by some willing eyes. Frantic, and passionate about dusk, the self-named God of Dusk strolled out of his room and he would take a walk this night in the very open world before him.

With a cheery smile, he turned towards the door and opened it. His long legs lead him down the stairs of the inn, where he waved to the NPC Keeper of the Inn. A smile and nod from his head as he ventured out door. It was beautiful indeed, he couldn't help himself from smiling so wide, "Yes! Yes! Look at all this...these colors, these shades, these hues! How night time is resplendent! I feel a song coming on~"

He twisted on his toes and hopped into the epic center of the town. People knew of this character with the bizarre costume he wore for clothing, but all the same, despite his peacock like attire, he was a man of many words and these words cut into people quickly oozing out comfort and happiness. As he stood, he smiled and people were walking by him and he just smiled, "Let the show...begin..."

Clearing his throat, the Performer opened his mouth. People stopped dead in their tracks when they heard such a soft angelic song being sung by this player of many talents. In real life, Kordello could hold a tune and with the ambient effect of the night time, it made his little ditty that much more provocative to the ears around him.

"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."

A crowd of people sat down and watched as he sung, he went quiet for a moment, a light hue of red gathering on his cheek. Little kids seemed to be enjoying his song as well as they sat with the older players and watched him move about fluidly as he sang. Clearing his throat once more, he opened up and sung his heart out to them. For those who knew the Dark Romantic Script of The Phantom of the Opera, would know the difficulty of the song sung in such a way in game. However, his voice thrilled them and being naturally charismatic, the plight was that much sweeter to enjoy.

"Slowly, gently night unfurls it's splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night..."

The simple gestures he used for each hand emphasized the syllables of each note that was carried by his voice. He would smile and tap his finger to the air as to wave to the children listening; they would giggle and watch his performance without blinking. They were all captivated by his presence, they wanted to know more about this fellow, who he was, where he came from...Anything and everything, he was building a fandom here and now, and this was the perfect opportunity for everyone to see who he was.

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar~~~~
And you'll live as you've never lived before..."

The lines of the last verse seemed to stimulate thought in people's minds. They were trapped in a virtual game with no way out but defeating the floor bosses and to do that, they would be spending much time together in this world. Perhaps it was time to leave their old selves behind and embrace what they have now. Astra knew of this and he was embracing the moment here and now. Once more he opened his mouth, and sung the next few lines, he would pull them into his bosom and they will adore him.

"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
hear it, feel it, secretly possess you,
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night..."

They were charmed, captivated and enthralled by his voice, now was the time to catch them off guard. The softness of his voice changed when his vocals and mouth and the notes unfurled with such passion in his voice as he sang louder and with more presence.

"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be!

...
Only then can you belong to me~~"

...

"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night~~~"

He stepped down from his little stage as he was singing the last few lines of his song, grasping hands with those who were willing to touch him as the song intended to feel his emotions in his hands. They shook his hand, touched his arm as he passed by, anything they could do to get a feel of Astra's words and his thoughts. He was unquestionably becoming one of those most popular and unsung heroes of the age as he stood still to finish his song. He looked at the crowd and held his hands to his heart in a mock fashion, his eyes soft with the color of blue as the wind carried the notes of his tune.

"You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night~~~~~~"

"Bravo!" Shouted one man at the end as Astra gave a sweeping bow.

"Splendid!"

"Wonderful!”

“Enchanting!!”

The cheers and claps came along with a shower of flowers onto the stone street. Astraeus was humbled by their words as he bowed once more, a grin on his face as he smiled but in that mind of his…he was plotting…and these people…These people were all part of his show.

He grimaced slightly from the response he received from the brunette about her ex-boyfriend perhaps that was one skeleton best left in the closet for now. He noticed the change in her tone when she talked about him and the way she was gripping her cup, she had strong feelings about the situation...and yet, she did not talk about it; just allowed it to bottle up.

“Ahh, I’m quite sorry to hear about that, Miss Shaya. I must beg and plead for forgiveness about opening up such a wound. I was once married myself, you see. I understand the loss due to…” Astra searched for the answer in his head, it took a split moment for the answer but the hesitation was clear and concise, “unfortunate…circumstances. Haha…If you could call it that. You see, she worked long hours into the day, had very little time for me it seemed. Or rather, not me…but much more time for someone else. I found her with another man, we had an argument…then the next thing you know…”

He looked down at his ring finger, what would be an object of Forever gone in the wind as he twisted nothing but flesh from his digit, “So cheers to us, yes? For surviving such vial and detest people! For we are much stronger now as we stand here now in the present in the form of brilliance and clarity!” A chug from his drink and he placed the glass back down on the table with a clank.

He looked back up to the woman and her eyes continuing the conversation, “I see. A Princess, huh? I suppose that would be an equally compelling Title, Princess of Aincrad…” he flashed with his hands curving the words in the air as he gestured, “Has a nice ring to it, don’t it?” he laughed to himself and continued. “I think we all have goals, we just don’t know it yet. All of us are here for a reason, Shaya. I mean, there is a whole world outside these walls for us to build, to venture, to see! We are not slaved to one place here. It just takes a little time and effort. You’ll see, you may be just a woman going with the flow now…But you will find something so desirable that you will want it to be yours and you will eventually set out and get it.”

His manicured nails sketched circles into the table lightly as he was talking to her, but his eyes never left hers. It was important to look into her eyes, see deep within her very essence and to know who she was. If he could play her into his spell, the transition in this world would be brimming with fervor for him as King. And there, the mere thought caused a curious grin to find its way to his face.

”Hrm, what is this? A wilting flower by the gate obstructed by the sun? I shall help you, little one…” His smile curved into a grin, she noticed his smile from the distance and perhaps his ostentatious attire as well, it was hard for people NOT to look at Astra. Continuing with a smile, the future Performing Artist found bound in each step until he was face to face with the young woman who sat down in the lonesome looking grass. He skipped, hopped and sprang down beside her. His knees bending and he sat on the toes of his boots as he finished his extravagant entrance. He cocked one head to the side, “Hello there Little Bird. I couldn’t help notice that you were looking at me, or in fact many people. You seem to be troubled with such a sad, and dreary expression…”

Astra made a mock of a sad face to her but smiled quickly once more. He spun on his toes, picked a flower and planted it in hair before returning his gaze to her eyes. And their like a hawk to its prey, he talked to her once more, never losing sight of those big brown eyes of hers.

“There, Little Buttercup, don’t you look ravishing with such a pretty little flower over your ear? Now why don’t you smile for me and tell me your story. Why such a little gloomy potato today?” Astra seemed to suck air through his nose as the wind bristled against his face, his long platinum hair dishelmed from his shoulder and blew to the right, revealing the gorgeous locks of his hair where he took a stumble and butt planted himself on the ground in front of her.

“Well then, I suppose this will do just fine. Thank you, Mr. Wind for taking my seat. Hmph!” he threw his arms over his chest and folded them, turned his head to the right and stuck up his nose into the air with his eyes closed. Before the girl was able to reply to his question and a very serious looking on Astra’s face, he cocked his head slowly opening one eye to see if she was about to burst into laughter or not from his little display…then he burst into laughter and started clapping his hands for no apparent reason.

The charming fellow smiled and nodded when she mentioned she was a high school dropout. That wasn’t too obscene this day and age, he assumed.  It was rather common back when he was in school, and that was a very long time ago. She must be in her early twenties, perhaps…Astra’s eyes fell on her body examining her unintentionally, “Oh! I’m sorry. Forgive me. I did not mean to ‘scope’ you out. I was merely wondering why you wouldn’t induct yourself in such a career as a model or actress. “

“Order’s up! One citrus beverage for the gentlemen--”  Astra was irritated, she didn’t have to fix her previous mistake as if correcting the problem now would do her any good. There was a slight twitch in his brow before he put on his ‘happy face.’ “—And a coffee beverage for girlfriend…You two enjoy…” the waitress walked off with a wink after saying that last line. “I’m terribly sorry, some people can just blow things out of proportion. I mean…You are an enticing young woman, I have no doubt and you carry yourself well…But hardly, you and I…Well…maybe it is not too far now…?” he joked and clapped his hands for a moment or two before settling down.

“Mmm, seems a bit fizzy…” he mentioned about his orange drink. “I was a lawyer before I came to this world. I was actually on vacation but I was helping a local firm with a case. And then somehow…” he gestured and shrugged, “I was stuck…here…inside a game. Hahaha! Isn’t that ironic?” he laughed and clapped his hands a few more times, there was odd looks coming from other sides of the room as Astra gave a smiling glare at them.

“But that is mostly my past; I have been atoning for some serious crimes against humanity for some time now. Perhaps this world is my punishment for such crimes. You mentioned a boyfriend, did you not? Was he not good to you…or just ended on bad terms? I don’t mean to pry; I think it’s good for all of us to remember what was in our true world. Home. Well, for some of us at least…I honestly don’t mind this place. Its far more exciting than that office, I can tell you. And because of how the game is set up…we can be anyone we want to be. A Queen…?” His sipped his drink and his eye brow raised at the woman.

“Oh come now, don’t look startled. Do you not think you have what it takes to be the Queen of Aincrad? All you have to do is look beautiful and have an unselfish love for the people here. Once you gain their trust, they will surely name you Queen! Hahaha! Perhaps I am being a bit verbose, just going on and on. But I believe anyone can be anyone if they set their minds to it. Tell me, Shaya. What goals do you have here?”