Vayrin

Vayrin leaned back in her chair. She stood corrected.

"Of course that's not what I thought..." She lied. 

"We just need to stay focused...All the 'little things' are just there to distract us." She looked angry as she stared at the table in front of them. Even if Koumori didn't want to live in this death game, he still took it a lot better then most. That's what bothered her. She didn't even know if it was a bad thing, but some people didn't really seem to take this as seriously as she thought they should. The last thing she wanted was to keep her family waiting so long because she was "Enjoying the little things" She was not here for entertainment.

She was here to get out.

Koumori wanted to live here is what it sounded like to her. Although, that was not as hard to believe as it sounds. Many people had rough lives, and SAO was like a second chance to them. A clean slate. That's why returning to the real world was not always what they were trying to do. Maybe Koumori had something in the real world he tried to forget. Vayrin didn't. She knew she needed to get back. To make sure Jack didn't blame himself for her putting on the Nervgear. Vayrin had clenched her hand into a fist as she thought about it.

"I doubt there is anything here meant for us..."   Kayaba was just a mad man who wanted power. And what better way to achieve it then create a world he had complete control over, with thousands of people to participate. Whether they like it or not. 

"He's just a mad man.." Vayrin said again, she sounded slightly angry now, and her eyes only confirmed her feelings.
 

Vayrin gave off a small smile as Koumori responded to her. As she had thought, his response was weird considering he just suggested they go outside and roll around in the snow. She stared at the window, watching the blizzard go by. She was indeed thankful there was still some luxuries in Aincrad. Then Koumori asked a question she was not prepared for. He had asked what she thought their purpose was. Her smile faded, and her normal serious look took its place when she saw Koumori's. She had not really thought about it before. If she had to give an answer on the spot, she'd probably just say he was crazy. Although, something about the look Koumori gave her told her he thought otherwise. He was in fact a mysterious person. She couldn't help but feel curious about what was going on in his head.

"Maybe nothing really..." She said. "Maybe he just wanted to make himself a god. And now he is. He can do anything he wants in this world, and we can't do anything about it."

Vayrin lay against the clock tower with her eyes closed for a few moments, collecting her thoughts. Suddenly an unfamiliar voice broke through them and she opened her eyes to find the source of the commotion. She looked above her to see a tall player looking at her. She quickly realized the boy was speaking to her. Her eyebrow swiveled up at his first comment. Was she new around here? She stayed silent as she observed him. He clearly figured out that was a stupid question based on the look his face had right after he asked it. He was taller than her, even as she was sitting down she could tell. He had green eyes and wore green clothing. She had never seen him before, though. She quickly shook the thought as he asked her name. 

"Oh..Uhh..." The one thing she didn't expect was a random player to start talking to her, so she wasn't really prepared for this kind of situation.

"Vayrin." She said, not knowing where to go from there.

"It was never really exciting. It's cool to look at. But being in it was never fun." Vayrin said staring into the fire. "If you know what I mean. It adds a nice look the surroundings." She then looked back at Koumori. Seeing is intent stare she only guessed he was thinking of his home as well. Not uncommon. She would often think of her home, but it was not something she felt ashamed for doing. Why try and forget the reason you're fighting to get out of this game? She took it as motivation. In her mind at least. She still felt uncomfortable talking about it to others, though. 

"This is what I always preferred."  She gestured the cafe around them.  "It doesn't feel the same without a cold blizzard blowing right outside the window. Even though I'm not a fan of it, I still think life is better with the cold." 

Vayrin swiveled her eyebrow up when she saw his grin. He clearly knew something she obviously didn't. Koumori then went on to explain a list of the things he qualified as "fun." They all seemed to be your average child activities. He then went ask if there was snow where she had come from. A rather strange question, considering most people wouldn't ask. Vayrin looked back into the fire after that question, expecting an awkward silence to follow. Although Koumori piped up again, realizing what he said was unusual. She looked back at him.

"Lots of it."  She said. "All the time."  

Vayrin listened closely to his response. Just walking around, looking for fun times. That was funny she thought. She didn't see many people just wandering around looking for fun. Although this floor was a weird place to do it. Aside from the normal "chilling" out (whichever kind you prefer)  there was not much "Fun" to be had on this floor. Whatever he was talking about slightly intrigued her. "What could you possibly do for fun on this floor?" 

She didn't know what to expect for a response. Koumori seemingly was a mysterious character to her.

Vayrin continued to stare into the fire for another minute as Koumori spoke. Listening the entire time. According to Koumori, this place had more than what she was giving it credit for. He could have been right. The only thing she really knew about this floor was that it's really cold. No surprise there. The entire floor was covered in snow and ice. Even so, many liked to come here. So did she. It gave her a familiar feeling. Her home country had been covered in snow for half the year as well, and she had a cottage she used to go to with her family every winter. In a town just like Snowfrost. Only the streets were made of pavement. Other then that Snowfrost was pretty much the same. In a way, she was already familiar with this place, even though she rarely came here. 

Vayrin shook the thought of the outside world and looked back to Koumori. "So what brings you down here?"  Aside the fact he was probably looking for excitement she was still curious.

She had followed Koumori inside the cafe. The air temperature was felt at an alarming rate. The rush of warm air blew on her face as they stepped inside. They had sat at a table beside the artificial fire, but she couldn't notice the difference. She slowly took her hood off, and her violet hair fell over her shoulders as she did so. She looked back at Koumori. "Fancy seeing you here." That was really the only thing she could come up with at the moment. She didn't really know what else to say. Should she thank him? She could, but that may feel awkward since she was perfectly capable of coming into the cafe herself.

"Town of beginnings is boring as always. Thought I'd take a vacation. Though I guess Snowfrost isn't the ideal vacation spot." She said chuckling a bit. She then continued to stare into the fire. 

"Thanks again."  She said, hoping that was enough to satisfy them. She didn't really have anything else to offer. "If I need any potions, I'll be sure to drop by."  She said to Mant smiling. Things to have seemed well for today. It was actually the most productive day for Vayrin in a while. She managed to slay a mob which was a huge stepping stone for her. Honestly, how hard could it be to slay more? 

"Hopefully we cross paths again."  She said to them. She was feeling more confident now. She knew what she was going to do in this game now.

Yes, it was Koumori. A rather odd coincidence she thought. Last time she saw him was he and his friend Manta were helping her on the first floor. Definitely something she wouldn't have forgotten easily. Mostly though it was his purple eyes which brought her memory up to speed on who she was talking to. 

"I was j-"  Before she could finish Koumori had cut her off, explaining her current state. She was honestly surprised he had remembered her, although she couldn't really figure out why. She remembered he had sent her a friend request after all. Koumori was pointing to a cafe they had been standing beside. "Right." She responded to his action. The cold was irritating enough to justify his suggestion so she agreed with it. She began to follow him inside.

"Why is it so cold...." 

Vayrin had been speed walking through the streets of Snowfrost looking for an inn. She was wearing minor winter gear, mostly just a pair of boots with a jacket. Visiting Snowfrost today may have not been the best idea, but she wanted to familiarize herself with the town. So in hopes she could use it as a staging ground when she became strong enough to hunt mobs on this floor. She slowly lifted her hand in front of her to open her menu. Her hand shook and was bright red from the blistering cold of the evening's wind. She flipped it open and pressed multiple buttons to bring up her map. Ah, right. The Inn is over a couple streets. She gave a frustrated sigh and closed her menu again. She pulled over her hood which completely cover her head, only small strands of her violet hair were seen hanging from it.  She walked down the street, looking mostly at the ground to shield her face from the unforgiving wind. In turn she managed to bump into something. It felt like another player. Vayrin looked up to apologize.  "Oh sor-...Koumori?"

Vayrin had half expected their response. By now she had gotten to know both of them a little better, so as per usual, they continued to act humble towards her thanks. It was nice to know players like this were still alive. Not like the meat-heads who were only in it for themselves, trying to leave everyone else behind. Vayrin's attention was taken from Koumori and Manta for a moment, when she got a notification on her menu. It was a friend request from Koumori...

She hadn't gotten one of these before. She had been a loner since the start of SAO mostly. She stared at it for a moment, her eyes reflecting it's glow. She slowly lifted her hand to press the circle icon. She hesitated for a moment, then she slowly pressed down on it. The request disappeared and she looked back up at Koumori. "I'll be sure to do that then."  She said smiling.

Perhaps she had been too suspicious. After Nirvana's last comment, she slowly shook her head and began following the girl through the streets of the sandstone town. Vayrin swished her hand in the air in front of her, and her menu came up. After quickly scrolling through it, and tapping a button, her map appeared as well. Her eyes flashed across it, looking for their destination.

"I just hope your right. Not really in the mood to be jumped by PKers today..."  Vayrin said with a slight smile, not taking her eyes off the map floating in front of her.

Vayrin leant back as she watched the battle play out. Although she didn't wait very long. It seemed Manta had the winning blow, and the first one. She smiled as Koumori slid across the grass towards her. She glanced down at him. According to Koumori's predictable response, Manta only got lucky.

"Right." Vayrin said in a sarcastic tone to him "I'm sure that was was it." She gave off a slight smile as she stood up and brushed grass off her.

"Well, that was pretty entertaining." Vayrin gazed upwards into the sky. The sun was just about to set on the other side of the floor. "I guess we should head back. Or I should at least." She returned a glance to the two, and slowly bowed "I cannot thank you guys enough for helping me." She looked back up at them. She smiled again and held out her hand for a handshake. 

Vayrin sat at the edge of the enormous clock tower situated in the center plaza. She had been swishing through her menu, trying to recall the day's events. For the most part today she had done nothing but explore the towns on the unlocked floors. She was not a high enough level to venture out on her own out of the safe zones yet, but she still tried to familiarize herself with the other towns. Since SAO started she had spent the majority of her time in the Town of Beginnings. Wandering the streets, looking at the shops. Some of which she couldn't tell if they were run by NPC's or not. She knew the town pretty well by now, so she tried to increase her knowledge of SAO by exploring the other floors. Vayrin gave a quick sigh as she closed her menu and leaned against the enormous tower, gazing at the Black Iron Palace. Her eyes slowly closed as the sun's glare slowly fainted behind the palace.

"Well. This should be fun."  Vayrin said with a grin. They wanted duel each other, seeing as she had nothing better to do she decided to watch. Vayrin nodded at both of them, then stepped back a few feet and flopped on the ground with her legs out, waiting to see the duel. "Good Luck!"  She called out to both of them, and watched for their reaction.

(If your still dueling, you can skip my turn. Vayrin will just be watching so I don't have much to say until the duel is over.)

Vayrin smiled as she accepted her handshake. She was definitely peculiar compared to everyone else she had met so far. Well, almost everyone. She listened carefully as Nirvana tried to pronounce the name of the waterhole, and her suspicion grew. "El Paso del Diablo" Was what it was apparently called, although the final word in its name slightly troubled her. 

"You know 'Diablo' means Devil in Spanish?" She said after thinking about it for a minute. Judging by Nirvana's words, it sounded like it was her first time venturing to this place as well. "You sure this place is a safe zone? It sounds like a quest location." She said, giving a slight suspicious look. This was mostly due to her trust issues though.

She observed Manta as she gracefully killed the four Boars in one quick sword art. That's how good she wanted to be Vayrin thought as she carefully assessed her movements. After this  Koumori had playfully hit Manta on the shoulder exclaiming she just wanted to show off. Even if that was true she didn't mind at all. It was entertaining to see good sword wielders in their arts.

"Practice makes perfect right?" Vayrin grinned at them as she pulled her sword out again. "I want to slay one more, just get a better feel for it."  She said as she gave it a few swings in the air. She then looked back at them with a concerned look. "Unless you guys have somewhere to be. I don't mind."

Vayrin's eyes flickered up at Manta's response. Her serious looked was washed away by a surprised one. How could she had possibly known that's what Vayrin was thinking. She was literally thinking the exact same thing Manta just said. 

She continued to stay quiet as Manta spoke. She was right, her words sounded true. "Trusting yourself so you can trust others..."  Vayrin whispered under her breath as she thought about the words. Her attention then turned to Koumori. She smiled slightly again after witnessing his reaction to Manta's statement. Then Koumori said his own words on the same subject. She slowly nodded. These two obviously knew how to survive in this game, and if she wanted to become a strong player, it was only logical to follow their example.

She glanced up at Koumori after he finished. "No, I understand what you're saying..." 

Vayrin: 5/8 HP

Vayrin nodded as they spoke to her. Perhaps they were right. Vayrin always had trust issues though, so willingly putting her life into someone else's hands sounded like an obstacle she had to overcome. 

"That sounds smart." She quickly replied. Having someone to watch your back would be helpful, but she couldn't think of anyone she trusted enough to be with her all the time. Vayrin's eyes quickly glanced upwards. To Manta and Koumori, she was looking at nothing, but Vayrin was actually staring at her HP gauge. She frowned when she was reminded of how low her health was. "That battle was close. I'll need to work on this." She said confidently, swinging her sword around. She quickly shot a glance at Koumori and Manta. Perhaps it wasn't so hard to trust people? They obviously trusted eachother, and they apparently only met not long ago. Vayrin quickly shook the thought.

Vayrin: 4/8 HP

Vayrin silently walked through the streets at her normal brisk pace. As they day grew older, the normal nighttime routine set itself in motion, and the sun's glare slowly disappeared over the horizon. She stopped for a moment and noticed how many players filled the cobblestone path. She observed as dozens of battle-weary players lingered into the town. Most had been out all day, fighting to improve their skills. This time of day was always one of the busiest, despite it being late. Taking her attention off the crowd around her she swished open her menu. Vayrin quickly pressed multiple options that displayed, here eyes reflecting the virtual screen's glow. She opened her map and spun through it. satisfied with the nearest inn, she made it her destination. She closed her menu and began walking through the giant plaza situated in the center of the town.

Vayrin grunted in approval as she watched Manta and Koumori distract the creature. She held out her blade as it began to glow, she backed up and prepared a sword art. 

ID# 36260

Sword Art: Vertical 1x1-(Energy cost:1) 

BD: 5+1 (Accuracy)= 6 [Hit!]

Vayrin DMG: 2

Vayrin 3/8 HP

Boar 0/4 HP

Enemy Defeated

Vayrin used their distraction to her advantage almost immediately. She rushed forward, and slashed the Boar with a savage Vertical sword art! Her sword sliced through the pig's back and hit the grass below. The monster stood stationary for a moment, then exploded into an array of blue shards. She stood there still holding her sword as it was lodged into the ground. She gave a quick sigh of relief and pulled it out. She looked over to the two and walked towards them."Thanks for the distraction." She said to Manta and Koumori. "Not sure how things would have ended if you hadn't got that pig's attention off me." She gave off a smile. "Thanks."

Vayrin watched intently as Koumori pulled out his sword and began to glow. "Activation...Huh."  She tried to replicate his movements by pulling out her blade. As he predicted, her sword began to glow. Vayrin stared at it for a moment, then looked at the Boar. She then moved into attack!

ID# 36245

BD: 9 [Critical Hit!] 

MD: 10 [Critical Hit!]

 Vayrin's DMG: 2+Crit/9+1=3

Boar's DMG: 3+Crit/10+2=5

Vayrin 3/8 HP

Boar 1/4 HP

Vayrin rushed towards the Boar with her glowing sword in her left hand. She yelled as she sprinted past the pig and dragged her sword across its side. She stopped once her blade had reached the end of the creature's body and spun around. She had almost killed it. One more point of health. She got her sword ready, preparing for the creature's retaliation, her determined face signified she was ready.

The Boar furiously charged at Vayrin, the one thing she was not expecting was its speed. She tried to roll  out of the way, but the Boar had hit her square in the stomach before she had the chance. She rolled backwards and fell on her back. She nervously glanced at her HP...3. One more hit from that Boar and she was done. She got up steadily and readied her next move...

I thought he was selling them for 400 Col?