Magpie

Magpie didn't get an answer, and after a moment leaned on her spear, following their conversation with idle interest. Her query didn't matter nearly as much as how this young man apparently knew this stranger's name. Or indeed, how the other was going to react... it would be entertaining if nothing else. She could let go of the rudeness for that much. 

While they had their little discussion, she continued periodically scanning their surroundings. This was Aincrad, and even if it was only the first and least of the floors it was a good idea to keep an eye out for danger. Monsters weren't the only perils, after all. 

Magpie flinched and whirled, spear coming up - then she caught herself, instead shooting Koumori a withering glare. She forced the tip of her spear to drop, her eyes dropping at the same moment, as if setting aside both weapons. 

"I'm fine, truly. I was merely... collecting my nerve. It has been a while since I did battle." If the words felt as stilted as they sounded, she gave no indication. "I'm afraid my skills have gone to rust, such as they are."

Her eyes slid to Sousuke only briefly before returning to the first speaker, choosing to ignore the comment. It wasn't the first or last time someone implied she wasn't all there.

"Is this yours?" She gestured at the clearing and the wolf with her spear. "I didn't intend to intrude on another's territory."

This will hopefully be a training thread, so as soon as someone shows up we can fight the wolf! I'm hoping for at least one or two people on this one.

Magpie's hands tightened around the haft of her spear to still her shaking, and she nearly cursed aloud. This was ridiculous and she knew it, but she couldn't - she still couldn't move. Several yards away a wolf lazed in the tall grass, black fur gleaming in the sunlight. As she watched it lifted its snout to scent the cool morning air. Fortunately, she had chosen a place where the wind almost always blew in her direction. There was little chance of it catching her scent. She ran an unsteady hand through her dark hair, scanning the horizon. 

She was in one of the fields a short distance from the city gates, and but for a few out of the way places like this one, most of the monsters were destroyed as they appeared. Yet there were some like her who hadn't stepped foot outside the city in months. Magpie had heard the stories - everyone had - of great warriors who left with their party and came back alone. So many of them traded their armor for aprons. She didn't want to do that. Neither she nor Nightflower had wanted to sit in that city like a living tomb. Her eyes slid back to the wolf, and her heart stumbled in her chest. 

The warrior had been coming here for weeks only to sit and watch, unable to find the strength to move forward. It was stupid to be afraid of something she had been killing so easily only months before. And yet... if she set her feet on this path again, there would be no turning back. 

Thanks for the welcome! I'm almost done with my profile, so it shouldn't be long. 

Is there much difference between a two-handed or one-handed spear? Which would be better for a heavy-armor character?

Profile
Username: Magpie
Real name: Margaret Stone
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5"

About: History/personality

Maggie grew up on the border where a small city and a farming town met. As the eldest of three siblings she was instilled with a sense of responsibility from a young age, serving almost as a third parent when her mother and father were busy at work. She cleaned snotty noses and did laundry and any number of other things. She was an average student in a dead-end town, feeling like she could look forward to working as a cashier at the local grocery store her whole life. 

Her escape was the MMORPGs she loved so dearly, she spent her few spare hours poring over the lore, leveling her characters, crafting elaborite stories for each one. It was there that she met her closest friend, a player called dawnofthenightflower. Nightflower was the one who told her about SAO, and the mere thought lit a fire in Maggie's imagination: there was the escape she craved. For a few hours, she could be anyone but Maggie Stone. She could be far away from everything that reminded her of home. She could finally see Nightflower face-to-face, or as close as they were going to get. 

"I'll meet you," Nightflower promised, "I'll meet you in Aincrad."

After months of saving and scraping, watching the unfolding creation with glee, the day finally came. The multi-national server was online - it was time. "Link start."

It was in a word, perfect. It was as if everything was real, the blood, the sweat, the anticipation of battle. They fought together,as they had always hoped, and to Maggie even the cannon-fodder boars seemed thrilling in this new world. 

Then they tried to log out. 

The next part was the same as so many other stories. The madman in the sky, and the sudden shock of being caught in a deathtrap. The five stages of grief and then hollow acceptance. In time, Magpie and Nightflower returned to questing, of only for something to do other than pace the streets like zombies, as if they were already dead. Until one day they took a quest a few levels too high, and they were a few potions short. Nightflower shattered and melted away, leaving Maggie alone. 

All of us have a breaking point, and that was Maggie's. She made it back to Starting City, spending weeks caught in a stupor. She did odd jobs for coin and food, mechanically as she once ground quests in lesser games. Until she did the only thing she could, the thing so many would do in this death game - she chose to forget about her friends, about going home. And then she took it a step further, immersing herself into the role she had chosen for herself. Magpie, the reluctant warrior. Any attempt to discuss the outside world is calmly ignored or shut down in favor of literally anything else. 

Virtues:

• Compassion - Whether she wants to or not, Magpie is effected by her life before Aincrad. She's soft at heart, and empathizes with the suffering of others. This is a two-edged sword, as she has a hard time turning away from the pain and grief experienced by her fellow players. She harbors a deep hatred for orange players and their guilds, disgusted that they would be willing to turn on their fellows with so much at stake. 
• Strength - Magpie is physically strong, but slow. She was not an athlete in the real world, meaning she lacks the agility of some of the more adept players. As she did plenty of physical labor and is naturally stout, she is still quite sturdy. This physical strength makes her decent at tanking, especially if she has a quicker partner. 
• Ferocity/Determination: Magpie is resolute. She won't give up. Oh yes she may retreat, but the battle isn't over until she sees victory, if it takes a day or a year. She is a person of strong will and emotions, and this can make her relationships as stormy as they are strong. 

Flaws:
Reference: http://www.darkworldrpg.com/lore/flaws.html

• Ruthless - This may seem at odds with her compassion, but in truth they are two sides of the same coin. She is ruthless, not cruel, and when it comes down to it she will make the hard choices. If there were a player running for her kiting a string of monsters, she would shut the gates in his face with her own hands and let him die of his own foolishness. It would break her heart, but sacrifices must be made. 
• Stubborn - It was this strength that allowed her to survive the first days of SAO, but it also makes her a difficult person to deal with at times. She has difficulty admitting when she's wrong, and once she's set on a goal she is hard to dissuade. This doesn't always turn just on others, at times her stubborness can hurt her as well, as she has trouble forgiving herself when she in fact can't do something despite her best efforts. 
• Cautious - As much a virtue as a flaw, but she can be slow to act if she's not certain of a situation. Meaning that she can fall prey to acting too late when the cards are down and her back is to the wall. She hates going into battle unprepared, and can cause delays until she has things to her exact liking. Even with monsters that she's fought before, and often, she has a habit of dropping back into old habits when she's working in unfamiliar territory.

Profession: (Leave blank until the Earning a Living quest has been completed.)

Skills
Non-combat:
»

Passive:
»

Combat:
»

Weapon skills:

►One-Handed Assault Spear:

Rank 1

Passive

The effectiveness with which a player can use one-handed piercing Spear type weapons. (Example: Javelin, Iklwa)

Skill Points: 5

Skill Points Available: 0

Inventory
Weapons/Tools:

• One Handed Assault Spear
• 10 bread
• 15 water
• Basic Clothing

Roleplays
» [solo/private/open] LinkedTitle
» [solo/private/open] LinkedTitle - in progress
(no "in progress" means its complete; "incomplete" can mean one or the other person stopped replying for a long time)


Relationships (optional)



Story Thus Far (optional)

Hey, most people call me Laika! I've never played a game with the whole dice-rolling thing, but we'll see if I can't give it a go! Pretty much as soon as a saw SAO I thought it would be an awesome setting for roleplays, so I'm pretty excited to see what looks like an active forum. Looking forward to threading with you!