Starrine

Starrine returned with multiple objects in her arms, pleased to see that he'd finished the snow part of the snowman while she was gone. "It looks perfect!" She said with a grin, gently setting the things on the ground. "Well.. almost." With her breath leaving puffs of moisture in the air, she picked up two large branches, and gently nudged them into the torso, making sure not to crack and demolish the packed snow. Afterwards, she picked up little black rocks, pushing them into the snowman's chest for little buttons.

She stood on her tiptoes trying to push a carrot into the head for a nose, and black rocks for eyes, but wasn't tall enough to do so. "Ah.. Would you mind?" She asked, holding the objects towards Koumori with a smile. Her hands were freezing, and it was quite clear that she'd been digging around the teleporter for the little rocks. She'd found the branches below a pine tree near it, as well.

Starrine turned around, and looked a bit shocked at the size of his snowball. ".. Woah." She exhaled, eyes wide as she put a hand on her own snowball. Her's was still a little bit too small to be a torso, and so she turned around, beginning to push it around more. "It's gotta be bigger, then," she laughed, obviously entertained with the fact that his snow ball was ginormous. Shivering a bit as she worked on her piece for a little longer, Starrine finally stood, pleased with the size. Picking up the rather large ball of snow with quite a bit of effort, she gently set it on top of the huge work that was Koumori's. Exhaling a relieved sigh and rolling her shoulders, she spluttered in laughter. "I thought I was going to drop it."

Starrine pulled up her menu, and after a moment of scrolling, she pulled out two bottles of water. Handing one to Koumori, she finished off her own. "Much better," she giggled. Stepping back and examining the 2/3 done snowman, she bit her lip in thought. "Hmm.. You finish up the head, I'll be right back!" She said with a grin, having come up with an idea. Starrine dashed off in the direction of the teleporter, holding her dress as she ran so that it wouldn't fly upwards in the breeze.

Starrine watched as Koumori walked out in a much more calm manner, pausing as she spoke. As he rolled up his sleeves and walked towards her, she grinned along with him, nodding once. "Big snowman, it is!" She agreed with a giggle, getting on her knees and patting some snow into a ball. Making sure to pack it tight, she repeated the process, packing snow around the little ball until it was too big to continue. She then began rolling it in the snow, making layers around it, then patting them down, and then did it again. Sure enough, she soon had a large ball of snow. Although, it had been quite the strenuous, long activity. Wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, she pushed the bottom of the snowman into a good spot. "Look good?" She asked, hands on her hips as she examined her work; a nice, sphere shaped ball of snow.

Watching as he seemed aggravated for a moment, Starrine tilted her head. She tensed up a tiny bit, barely visible as he walked over to her. Seemingly already bored with the conversation, he sighed, and spoke again. "I see.." She mumbled, eyes scanning his strange get-up. Her face faded from a happy, sincere smile, to a cautious one within only a few moments. As he reached one hand out for a handshake, the other moving for his sword, she smirked a little bit.

Grabbing his left hand instead of the obvious right one, she shook it, once more pushing a bright smile onto her face; amusement shone through in her amber eyes, however, and it was obvious she didn't really care that he was a higher leveled player. "You're right, my apologies! I hadn't thought about it. I'm Starrine, and you are..?" The girl asked, innocently cocking her head and fluttering her eyelashes.

[[ Sassy Starrine, pffhaha. ]]

Starrine turned to her new friend with expectant eyes, only to be distracted by the now-heavily falling snow outside the window. She walked up to it, and peered outside, itching to go out and enjoy the snow. She glanced back at him, wondering what he was thinking as he appeared to stand there for a few moments longer. Lifting her brows as a sly grin grew on his face, she practically glowed with eagerness. "A snowman.." she breathed, nodding her head in agreement.

The girl smiled, and opened the door once more, waiting for Koumori until she stepped out. Exhaling a sigh of relief as her feet hit the crunching snow, she stretched her arms up into the cold air, pleased with the falling snow that hit her hands. "What kind of snowman should we build? A big one, or a little one?" Starrine asked, innocently rocking on her heels as she turned to look up at him. She was, essentially, easy to please, but when it came to snow, it was like she was in immediate paradise.

Starrine stared at the food before her, eyes wide. ".. T-thank you for the food!" She said to Iggy quickly, eager to eat the first spoonful. She ate it quickly, [but neatly, gotta remember manners!] and finished just a little after Hirru did. "Wow, that was delicious!" She breathed, wishing she hadn't eaten it so fast. Starrine held her hand over her mouth, laughing as the two fought, Iggy being the winner. It was oddly peaceful here, despite them fighting; it felt like everything was okay, like this wasn't a game out to kill all of it's players.

She looked up in surprise as a friend request popped up on her screen, Iggy saying something about girls sticking together. "I suppose we do!" The long-haired girl giggled, tapping the blue O to accept her friend request. Stifling a giggle once more as Iggy continued to make Hirru pay for the broken pan and meals, she felt a bit guilty. "N-next time I'll pay for mine, so.. We all have to stay alive until then, okay?" She managed to stutter out, watching as another prompt showed up in front of her. Once more hitting the blue O to accept it, she felt a sincere smile grow on her lips, eyes becoming a bit shiny.

"T-thank you both so much! Let's meet up again, soon!" She said with a clap of her hands, very happy that she'd finally made her first two friends.

[[ I really owe you; can't thank you enough for explaining everything to me so well! ;v; If I see any new players that need help, I'll be sure to link them this thread! Thank you so so much! <3 ]]

Completed

Hirru 200 Col + 1 SP

Starrine 200 Col + 1 SP

Wringing her hands together and exhaling a puff of breath into the cold air, Starrine looked over at him, moving one foot in front of the other. The crunching of the snow set her at ease for some strange reason, and with every tread she felt more calm. Colder, of course, but at peace. It was strange how one could feel so calm, even in a game set out to kill people. She blinked in surprise as he offered to get her something. "It's enough just to have you by my side," Starrine laughed, not realizing how cheesey she sounded until she actually thought about what she'd said. With her cheeks slightly pink, she turned her brightly colored gaze to him. "Wow, level 10 already? I'm only 4," she said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with a giggle.

"Thank you," she murmured towards him as he held the door open for her. Slipping inside the little shop with ease, she allowed herself to look around, expression a bit surprised at she looked around. Along the walls laid weapons of all kinds; swords, axes, spears, rapiers, etc, etc. Her eyes glimmered with amazement, and she ran her fingers along the blade of a sharp-looking sword. "Wow, the blacksmith must be amazing! I've never seen so many beautiful weapons in one place." Her hand rested on the sheathe of her curved sword, still a beginning level; she planned on having Mack make her a new weapon sometime soon. Turning to Koumori, she spoke with a thoughtful grin, "Anywhere you want to go after this?"

[[ I did! Thank you! >u< ]]

Starrine shivered, and brought her hands to her mouth to blow warm air on them. Aftewards, she rubbed her arms, giggling a bit. "Hmm.. I guess it would've been better if we'd brought some warm clothes, huh?" She laughed, pushing away any bad thoughts. Today was her birthday; she was going to do whatever she could to enjoy it, even if it meant killing her. Well, not really. Dying on your birthday probably wasn't fun. With her laughter trailing off, she followed him as he walked. "I don't have any col, but I think it'd be fun to look around!" She admitted, eyes brightening. She wondered what she would have done if Koumori hadn't approached her. Would she have continued to sit in that spot the whole day? Or gone out to grind some levels? Speaking of which.. "Hey, Koumori? You don't have to answer if you don't want, but.. Would it be alright if I asked what level you are?" She asked, a curious look on her face. Starrine assumed he wasn't too high a level, since they'd met on the first floor, but then again, it wasn't super uncommon to find higher leveled players scattered around here and there.

As they walked, many little buildings caught her eye, but none of them looked like shops.The first actual shop that caught her eye was a blacksmith's shop, a small building at the end of the road they were walking down. She pointed it out with a finger pointed towards it, and glanced at her new friend. "Wanna check it out?" She asked, smiling softly.

[[ Haha, I don't mind. Take your time. c: ]]

Starrine was already staring in awe, eyes wide as she stared around. She lifted a hand, catching a few snowflakes as they fell gently to the ground. She turned to look at Koumori, who had just arrived in a flash of light, the remains of an entertained expression fading from his face. She didn't even bother thinking about what he had been thinking about, but squatted down to the ground, a shiver making its way up her spine as she dug a gloved hand into the snow. Throwing the snow up into the air, she allowed a carefree, honestly happy laugh to escape her jaws and echo around the nearly empty streets. As Koumori stopped midsentence, seemingly awestruck by the winter wonderland.

The girl turned around, her shy smile widening a bit as she giggled. "Ah, sorry about that.. I get really excited about snow; where I live, it doesn't snow much in real life." She paused, looked at her feet for a moment, and as the cold air chilled her skin, she glanced back up, her face suddenly very calm. The edges of her lips moved upwards, and she tilted her head, exhaling a soft, visible breath. "Thank you so much for staying with me and taking me here, Koumori. I wasn't sure if I could have a normal birthday, but.. I'm really, really happy," she said, her voice practically liquid hope.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her air, she cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and tucked her hands behind her back. "Where should we go?" Starrine asked him, twirling in the snow-filled air with a carefree expression; even if it was only a game, this was beautiful. But.. was this virtual world real at all? What would happen to all of the people she met when she woke up, if she ever even did?

The black-haired girl held her breath, wondering what lied in wait for them on the floors above. It was strange to be that excited over going up a floor in a video game, but to Starrine, this was her reality. For now, at least. She was scared of this game, and she did want to go back to the real world. But.. If she was going to be here for a while, she might as well make it last. And making it last meant exploring to her heart's content and doing her best to survive. Coming back to reality as Koumori spoke again, she lifted her brows, the excitement firing up in her eyes once more; she was like a child being offered a bag of candy. When she was curious, nothing would stop her until it was quenched. "Snow.." She breathed in awe. "Let's go!" Starrine said happily, her eyes two sparkling amber orbs. Snow was one of her favorite things; everything about it she loved. Well, except for when it turned into slush. Then, not so much.

She looked quickly in her menus for something, and after finding it, she closed it out, and turned to Koumori. "Alright, found it!" Starrine stepped onto the nearby teleporter, gesturing for him to come to the spot next to her. "Uh.. T-teleport, Snowfrost Town!" And then, with a flash, she disappeared.

Starrine watched him carefully, waiting for a response. He also seemed to think about this for a moment, and scratched his head in thought. If he couldn't come up with anything, she would try to herself, but just being with someone on her birthday in this death game was more than enough. Watching him, he looked like he had an idea, and then continued to speak it. A higher floor? "That sounds fun! What floor should we go to, then?" She asked, gesturing to the nearby teleporter. She'd only been to the second floor before, because of her lower level, but she was itching to go practically anywhere but the first floor. What did they all look like? Her eyes glimmered with an incurable curiosity, and she stood with an excited stance, obviously happy with his suggestion.

A girl with long, black hair sat in a tall, withered-looking oak tree, which sat at the top of said mountain. Somehow, she'd managed to doze off while watching the monsters trek around; she'd been fighting wasps for awhile, and when her HP got low, she'd decided to climb up into a 'safe' place. With a leg dangling from the tree, she exhaled a soft sigh. Hearing something moving along the mountain top, she froze, eyes widening from their sleepy state. Another monster? Her hand instinctively moved towards her curved sword. However, seeing the blonde-headed boy, her hand retreated, and she simply watched him. Curious.

After a few moments of him sitting in long silence, she decided to approach him. Moving her other leg off of the branch, she jumped down, landing with a soft thump on the grassy ground. "H-hi, there!" The girl called out softly, slowly advancing towards him as not to set him off. Starrine sank onto a flat rock a few feet away from the man, making sure to tuck her dress underneath her as she sat down. "Sorry for approaching you like that," she said with a slight laugh, turning to look at him with a smile. She wasn't sure if he was friendly or not, but she decided to take the chance. "You just seemed so approachable."

Starrine blinked, looking up at Koumori with a puzzled expression; he took a couple moments to respond, and she wondered if she'd said something wrong. Perhaps she had been a bit too rude? Hoping she hadn't been, she shuffled her feet awkwardly, relieved when he spoke again. She glanced upwards, laughing a bit. ".. I suppose so, huh? I guess my mind is set in SAO mode right now, haha," she joked, and thought for a moment. "Well.. Hmm.." Starrine thought, her voice a mumble again at this point. With one hand on her chin, she continued thinking. Well, exploring.. maybe; eating something sounded good, but she didn't have any col.. What else was there besides monster hunting?

"Any suggestions?" She asked after a few minutes, her voice hopeful as she stared up at him, smiling brightly.

Starrine laughed sheepishly, shaking his hand, then removing it and tucking both hands behind her dress. "Koumori.. Nice name," she said with a genuine smile, looking up politely. Now examining him a bit closer, she came to the conclusion that he was probably younger than her. He had strange colored eyes, too. "Oh, uh.. I suppose not. I don't really have many.. friends to spend it with, heh." It was true, though; the closest person she'd been to so far was Hirru, who showed her how to fight, but.. She wasn't sure if he even considered her a friend. "Ah, um.. I hope I don't sound rude, but would you mind, maybe.. U-um, maybe going monster hunting or something..? Ah, I'm sorry, I should just keep to myself, shouldn't I? I just met you, and.." She rambled on, blushing a bit in embarrassment at herself.

[[ Actually, if you guys want, after a few posts, maybe we could just use this thread for material gathering? ^.^ ]]

Starrine watched as the blacksmith regarded the newcomer, spoke about the same words as he'd spoken earlier to her, and continued on. He seemed like a very modest man, as well; a good trait. She already knew that he was a good guy; just.. huge, and intimidating. As he turned once more to Starrine, and spoke his name, she blinked. "Mack," she repeated, a gentle smile growing on her face as she reached out and gripped his enormous hand to shake. A bit awkward, but.. Whatever.~

Early in the morning. Six? Worked for her; Starrine was an early bird, and rather enjoyed collecting various materials. "Sounds good!" She said, her smile becoming brighter as she stepped away, as to not overcrowd the large blacksmith. "Hmm, maybe we could all go and eat together! And discuss where we'll be going, and the plan for battling, if we come across any monsters?" She suggested a bit shyly, glancing up at the two.

As Rainia introduced herself, Starrine straightened up, looking over at the sandy-haired girl. "Pleased to meet you, Rainia! You can call me Starrine," she said, waving her hand at the fellow girl, giggling a bit. She hoped niether of them minded her suggestion. It would be nice to get to know each other a bit more before they went out getting materials, though.

Starrine blinked, watching the hazy pink clouds shift over the sun, chewing a mouthful of bread that tasted like nothing. She wondered quietly what she should do for her birthday, and after a couple of minutes, decided she might go out and try to earn some col, or maybe go material hunting.. Both sounded like tedious tasks, but when you're broke, there's not much you can do. Taking the last bite of her bread, she chewed, and swallowed. This was a death game, and a cruel one at that.

Of course, when it's completely silent and you're sitting on a hill alone, you don't expect there to be any noises but nature. However, when a voice sounded quietly behind her, she jumped, practically falling forward in surprise. Had someone heard her? She immediately pushed herself back up, and turned around, still on the ground. Starrine's amber eyes looked upwards, scanning the fellow before her with surprise, but slight curiosity. "Uh.. Thank you," she laughed a bit, rubbing her head and awkwardly pushing herself off of the ground, standing on two legs once more. He was taller than her, but definitely somewhere around her age. "You scared me a bit.. O-oh, uh," she looked down, and lifted her hand in greeting. It would be weird not to offer her name after she'd just been given a happy birthday, "Hi! I'm Starrine."

Starrine sat in the grass, gaze fixated on the sunrise in the distance. Bu-bump. Bu-bump. Her heart sounded loud and clear in her ears, and she gripped the brim of her dress, breath in her throat. "How did this happen..?" She wondered quietly to herself. She'd been asking herself the same question for the past few days. How? A plain old girl slipping on NerveGear, expecting a brand new, exciting experience. It was that. But it was also terrifying. What was happening to her body every day she sat in this death game? Was she rotting away in a hospital someday? What would her brother and mother think? What if she.. No, push it away. Her face stung with the awful realization of the toll that this would take on her family. All because of her simple mistake of slipping on the NerveGear that day. Why this game in particular? Her early birthday gift.. How ironic, when any day could be the opposite of her birthday.

When did she start thinking such thoughts? "I need to focus.." She mumbled to herself, shaking her head of any thoughts that still lingered in her head. Starrine stood up, dusted herself off, and took a deep breath, looking around. Breakfast? No col. Well, time for the same old, then. Pulling up her menu, she scrolled through her inventory for a moment, before pulling out a pale, stale-looking piece of bread. "I can't wait until I can make my own food.." She chuckled to no one in particular, taking an exaggerated first bite of bread. As she thought about the professions quest, she blinked her eyes open wide, realizing what day it was.

"Ahh, that's right.. Today's my birthday, isn't it?"

Starrine watched in amazement as all the ingredients were put together quickly; very quickly, it was obvious SAO's cooking was quite different from the real world's. She loved the thought of being able to cook her own food for her and her friends, however. She watched as all of the ingredients were either poured into the simmering pot, or into a bowl to mix. It was over simplified, really, but it still looked like a lot of fun. The thought of going out and gathering materials for cooking was also appealing to her mind.

"I see! Maybe, but.. It still looks pretty fun!" Starrine said with a smile, and glanced over as Hirru spoke. Giggling a bit at his comment, she quietly wondered if they weren't able to imitate some flavors properly in this world. "Dangerous, huh?" She said rather thoughtfully to herself, smile wavering for only a moment. She pushed away thoughts that interrupted her happy place, and looked up, a bit surprised when she'd realized Iggy had leaned in to speak to her. Starrine's eyes immediately flashed with a clear sense of hopefulness, and she clapped her hands together in surprise. "I can really become a cook? I'd really, really like to!"

Starrine's eyes sparkled as she stared up at Iggy, admiration obvious in her features. She'd always wanted to be a cook, and while she loved cooking in the real world, it still intrigued her on how it worked in SAO. She had some stale-looking bread and water, but.. Real food? Her gaze glimmered, and she glanced at Hirru. After a few moments of no words from him, she giggled and nodded to Iggy as she turned to her, instead. "Just a normal curry rice, please!" Starrine said politely, finding it rather hard to keep her head up. However, she was very excited at the thought of actual [not technically] real food. "This is kind of fun, don't you think?" She asked Hirru with a happy, closed-eyes grin. She never really went out to eat in the real world; usually her mother brought leftovers home, or Starrine ended up making dinner herself. In the meantime, however, her thoughts were fixated mostly on the two people near her, interest completely piqued by them.

Watching in confusion as the man walked away, she jumped in embarrassment. An NPC? Blushing a bit as she glanced over, she took a step over into the little shop. Her eyes moved around the.. well, rather empty tent, and then once more focused on the man who'd spoken to her. Wow.. Intimidating. She pretended to cough, and scratched her head, lips moving upwards in a sheepish, embarrassed smile. "Ahh.. I see," she laughed, glancing upwards. Really tall, too. And scary eyes, but.. She giggled a bit, wondering if he was just like a manga character; tough on the outside, but sweet once you get to know him. Well, that would be the best scenario.

Oh.. What should she say? "Well, I was looking for a restaurant, but.. A new weapon would be great, too," she said, pulling out her beginner's curved sword and showing him it's dull blade. Ah, but.. Did she really want to go alone with him? He seemed like he had good intentions, but.. Hmm.. "If you're up for it, I'd love to go material hunting with you tomorrow!" She said quickly, forcing a fast decision out of her mouth. "I'm Starrine." She bowed in respect, hoping her first impression was good. Well, she had just asked an NPC for help. As another voice sounded in the tent, she looked up, eyes wide. A girl. She glanced at the blacksmith whom she still didn't know the name of, lifting her body back up to its normal stance.

"I see," Starrine replied with a smile, rubbing an eye in a tired manner. "Ahh, thank you! Yes, I think I'll get better at it if I try harder!" She said brightly, happy that he'd approved of her first battle.. well, mostly. Watching as the chef made her way out, she tilted her head. They knew eachother? Well, it was obvious when he'd said her name earlier, and him speaking about old memories. She wondered how they knew each other. "I'm Starrine! Pleased to make your acquaintance!" The girl laughed, rather carefree for her low health. Making new friends was almost always one of Starrine's first priorities, however, making it quite easy to take advantage of her with just the word "friend."

Starrine followed him after he made a gesture, making sure to keep her head tall as she glanced around. Quietly wondering where they were going, she allowed her thoughts to wander. She wondered how Hirru had gotten trapped in this death game; ah, but then again, it was probably rude to ask about the outside world. She pushed the thought into the back of her mind, and tilted her head as he slowed in his step, looking a bit confused as he looked at their supposed destination. "Ehh?" She asked, wondering what was different about it. Listening as someone peeked their head out and said they'd be a moment, she sank into one of the stools, glancing over at Hirru with curiosity. Curry.. She hadn't had it in awhile; it sounded good, though.

(( Alright! c: Once I get another SP, what do you suggest I spend it on? Another rank for my weapon? ))

Starrine stood in the midst of a small crowd, which was quickly fading off as it became evening; mind you, the place was still a bit bright out, and it would be another hour or two before it was completely dark. The girl looked rather confused as she looked around, a map displayed in front of her character. Uh.. She'd thought that the restaurant had been here, before, though.. "Was I always this bad with directions..?" She mumbled to herself in a mockingly exasperated voice. Straightening herself to look for someone to ask for help, her eyes scanned the crowd. Mostly everyone looked busy or unapproachable. It wasn't like she was the social butterfly, either, but.. With a small cough, she reached out and tapped someone's shoulder, hoping they'd turn around and perhaps help her out. "Ahh, hello.. Sorry for the burden, would you mind helping me out a bit?" Starrine asked in a sheepish voice, hoping it was someone at least semi-friendly.

(( Either of you can jump in here, maybe one of you can also hear the conversation and offer to help as well? Feel free to find any other way to jump in, though! Maybe you're also looking for some place! ))

Starrine grinned as he obliged, high-fiving her, and shrugged. "Well, I'm sure I'll have plenty of chances for loot in the future. Right now, that's the least of my concerns. Only two out of seven HP," she laughed slightly, still wobbling a bit as she stood. Of course, she said that, but.. She wondered how long it'd take to regain her HP. And the fact that she'd gotten so close to dying in her first battle, against the lowest possible monster? Ehh.. Didn't feel so good. She wondered if she was cut out for this. But fighting was her only chance at getting back to the real world..

Nodding in agreement, she smiled. "Lead the way," she said quickly, happy that she'd made her first companion. "Oh, and, uh.. Thank you," she said with a purely honest, grateful smile.

(( Sounds good! I owe you for helping me out, haha. c: ))

Starrine grimaced once more as she glanced over, embarrassed at her lack of skills. Of course, it was her first time playing a full dive game, but.. She'd played MMOs before; why was this so much harder? She blinked in surprise as a message popped up on her screen, and quickly backed away from the boar to read it. Party invite. She glanced over at him, still embarrassed to take his help, but she wasn't in a hurry to die, so she selected yes. Once more readying herself, she took a deep breath. "One more chance," she spoke to her new party member, and made a last dash at the boar, practically willing it to die with her mind. Her prayers were answered as her blade connected with flesh, and the creature exploded into pixels, of course, not without one last hit to Starrine's leg. Exhaling an exhausted sigh, she sheathed her curved sword, looking at her acquaintance with a triumphant hand raised for a high-five. Of course, she was swaying on her feet from lack of HP. Not a good place to be in, so to speak.
 

[ID = 26845] [BD = 9] [MD = 6]

[Starrine HP = 2/7]

[Boar HP = 0/3]