Ayumu

"I-I'm fine..." she gritted her teeth as she slowly rose to her feet, "just a little banged up, that's all." she did her best to smile, wincing a little as she straightened her back. "It happens. I've just got to be careful until I can heal up. How about you? You've taken some hits yourself." Ayumu asked, clutching her back as stabbing pains engulfed her senses, causing her to cringe. It was funny just how much a floor one creature could do. She knew she wasn't going to be that strong at only level one, but she hadn't expected to be this weak. With only one HP left, her life was hanging in the balance. Ayumu didn't think that she would experience a situation like this until later on, such as while fighting a boss.

She snickered with good humor, not thinking any less of him but still finding it funny. As she started her next attack, she wasn't really focusing on it...

ID# 37410

BD: 2

The sword slipped out of her hand, sinking into the soft grass with a dull thud. Ayumu huffed, slumping her shoulders with discouragement. Miserably disappointed with her failure, she completely forgot about the boar that was coming right for her.

Looks like I still have a lot to work on...geez, that was pathetic. I still have a lot to work on...like actually being able to hold my sword when I attack. That's a start.

MD: 7 (Dang!)

The boar slammed it's head right into her back, interrupting her thoughts and sending her flying forward. She landed flat onto the ground with a groan, her face buried into the earth. Arching her back a little, she could just feel her health decreasing. Her head started to throb as the pain rushed in. Who knew that a person now composed of code could actually feel pain? Shaking a little, she started the process of getting back up.

Ryuma: 9/16 HP, EN 0/2

Ayumu: 1/4, EN 0/1

Boar: 2/4

“When you’re a kid, they tell you it’s all…

Grow up, get a job, get married, get a house, have a kid, and that’s it.

But the truth is, the world is so much stranger than that.

It’s so much darker. And so much madder. And so much better.”
— Doctor Who.

Ayumu didn't want to be here. It was not too long ago that SAO seemed like an exciting, new world full of promise to enter. Now, it was a literal perma-death game that she was trapped in. Everything in the real world was meaningless until the game was cleared. Her family, friends, pursuits...all gone. She sighed heavily, kicking a small rock as she walked. Ayumu was just pacing around in one of Floor 1's many fields, deep in thought. Her heart was heavy, and her stomach still churned with that nervousness from the first day she arrived here. Taking a deep breath, she looked up from her feet, taking in the digital world around her. Aincrad...it seemed so real. As she breathed in the sweet-smelling air, lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard a noise that startled her. Shaken out of her lull, Ayumu jumped a little, looking around. Frowning deeply, she opened her menu, and out of her inventory took her sword.

"Who's there?" she narrowed her eyes, scanning the view in front of her for someone.

Ayumu cringed a little as she watched him fall. It would have been a comical sight, falling right on his butt, but he took some damage...and while it wasn't much, losing health in SAO was a little more serious than in other games. With a look of determination, she decided to re-try the attack she was previously planning on excuting: attacking the boar with a Slant Sword Art

ID# 37407

BD: 7 (Yaaas)

Thankfully, she delivered an effective, slanted swipe to the boar. It snorted in surprise and agitation, with what seemed like an angry look in it's beady eyes. The thing then sprung at her, attacking back like any opponent would. Putting all of it's might into it's attack...

MD: 3

the boar missed missed, plopping to the right of her with a muffled thud. The creature flailed comically as it had landed on it's back, desperately trying to get back up on it's feet. She couldn't help but snort a little with amusement as the boar gave frustrated squeals, and thrashing about until the fat thing was able to stand.

Ayumu nodded, and they both approached the boars. Ayumu deciding to take the first turn, and readied her sword. Looking at the weapon in her hand, she mentally went over the how-to on the combat for this game. Cautiously and rather awkwardly, she approached the boar. It was just standing there, doing boar-stuff. Taking a deep breath, she decided to try a simple Slant Sword Art. She had enough to energy to use it, and it wasn't that hard to execute.

ID# 37403

Battle: 3 (Oh...okay then. :< )

As she was about to swing, she paused, stopping herself. This was her first combat experience...and she wasn't really ready enough. She hadn't really put enough "umph" into this swing she was about to take. A sloppy attack could cost her life if her opponent was able to inflict a good amount of damage. Maybe, she thought, it was best that she watched Ryuma and take example from him. With a small sigh, she stepped back, frowning a little with disappointment.

"Nah, it doesn't really matter to me. I'm happy as long as I get some training in and SP. Then again, I'm not really well acquainted with all of the best places to hunt around here. There's fields and fields of foliage and simple beasts. Where do you suggest Ryuma?" Ayumu asked curiously, "and there's mostly boars on this floor, right? I mean, I'm sure there are a few other creatures, like wolves, bears, or something else. For some reason, all I've seen walking around here on this floor is boars. This game sure does like dangerous pigs...they're everywhere!" She couldn't help but laugh a little. For a while she had found it hard to be lighthearted in this place, since the fact that she was being trapped in this game against her will kind of dampened it. Now, she felt like she was starting to recover, and get at least somewhat back to her normal self.

"Well, safer is better, so that's good enough for me!" Ayumu beamed, then with a swipe of her hand, she opened the menu. As she began to browse and scroll through, she muttered to herself "now, let's see...ah! Here it is!" she found the party option, and sent him the invite. A small screen appeared in front of him. 

Invite

Do you wish to join this party?

O                              X

"Now if you would be so kind..." she smirked, waiting for him to accept.

Finally! She happily thought to herself. Finally I can get started with this whole process. Its about time I do some training and start moving up in levels. Hopefully I can get strong enough soon to finish this game and get back to the real world. I'm ready to do this! I'm sure this will turn out well, and I can get to level 2.

"Well, that's more fights than I've experienced - which would be zero," Ayumu shrugged, "and sure, that sounds good. I was planning on fighting boars or whatever I came across anyways today, since I need to get some experience and skill points. I'm trying to level-up as quickly as I can." she explained, watching his dagger twirl. "I'm sure I can take care of myself...but company sounds nice. Even if you are only at level 3, you're bound to help me with something. Its time I start advancing through the floors, and I need to start by training a little down here," she paused for a moment, thinking, "would it be necessary to create a party, or just go?"

(OOC: I know it says level 4 under my name, but I think I'm only level 1. This is my first time doing combat...so unless I can gain levels just by posting, I think I'm still at the bottom. Please correct me if I'm wrong!)

Ayumu wasn't as eager as the others. She winced as the monsters approached them, and stood there rather awkwardly as Zelrius and Greg attacked. With a small, nervous laugh, she unsheathed her one-handed straight sword. Exhaling sharply, she unsheathed her sword...

ID# 37395

BD: 8 (well then...not bad for my first roll. XD)

...and took her swing using a simple slant Sword Art. Surprising herself, she actually was right on her mark, and her sword cut into the boar. It gave an obnoxious squeal, and decided to charge at her.

MD: 3

Putting all of it's might into a plunge...it missed, falling snout first into the ground, it's legs twitching as it gave a displeased snort.

Zelrius: 148/148 HP, 34/35 EN.

Calrex: 189/189 HP, 46/46 EN.

Greg: 32/32 HP, 6/8 EN.

Ayumu: (not sure what to put here, since I don't know what level 1 HP is) HP, 0/1 EN.

Wolf: DEAD

Boar A: 6/10 HP.

Boar B: 1/10 HP

Boars C through D: 10/10 HP.

(OOC: If I did anything wrong here, please let me know. I think the sword art I used would only end up dealing 1 damage, but I'm not positive)

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable," she nodded again, "I'm sure some more people interested in joining a party will come through here." Then, carefully eyeing the strange guy with the hood, "what do you think, mister...uh..." Ayumu frowned, realizing there was no name to fill the blank, "who are you exactly?" she asked rather bluntly.

I wonder where he got that hood and mask from... She mused. I didn't know one could get such customized clothing in SAO. Perhaps there's some more detailed shops on higher floors. Sounds about right, if this is like any classic game.

(OOC: So...I was looking at my username to the left of my posts, and I see it says that I'm level four. Um...I haven't done any combat yet or something like that, just making posts. How did this happen? XD Not that I mind or anything, I'm just confused.)

She gave a small nod of affirmation, touching the blue circle to accept the party invitation.

"Nice to meet you Shizua. So, where do you think we should plan on going to 'grind?' I suppose we could wait for more party members...we might do better if there were more than just us three. Not saying that we couldn't handle the monsters on this floor, but still. How big of a party were you thinking of forming?

Ayumu jumped a bit, rather startled by the decent of the strange player. She narrowed her eyes scrutinizingly, unsure if she deemed him trustworthy or not. Keeping him in the corner of her eye, she said to the girl,

"I see. Well, I'm Ayumu. As of right now, I'm a low level player, and I don't really have anything better to do today..." she pondered on the subject for a moment, then with a friendly smile, "I could join you, if you like. I mean, we just met, so I can understand if you wouldn't want me to. In fact, I don't even know your name yet. May I have the pleasure of learning it?" she laughed a little. Ayumu had a good feeling about this girl...while from first impressions she seemed quiet, she was likeable.

Ayumu yawned as she laid sprawled out on the grass. Today was a lazy day. Sure, since she was a low level beginner, she could be trying to gain some experience. There was a difference between should and could, and Ayumu planned on taking complete advantage of that today. Lazily, she rose to her feet, shaking the fog out of her brain. She decided to go back to the Town of Beginnings, maybe to visit one of the shops, or just chill out and eat some lunch. Ayumu took a rejuvenating breath, and made her way over to the little town, she spotted a girl just casually standing at one of the exits. It seemed like she was looking for someone, but Ayumu wasn't sure. With a shrug, she decided to approach her.

"Hey," she greeted as she approached the girl, "you looking for someone?"

She blinked, rather surprised as she hadn't expected him to be so polite. Her smile grew a little, and she gave a small chuckle. 

"Its fine, you didn't scare me. It was getting kind of lonely out here anyways," then sighing a little, "yeah, same here. Usually its pretty relaxing to just chill out here, but I feel kind of restless today. I was thinking of finding some boars or something and doing a little training...since I pretty much have no combat experience. I'm a low level player as of right now, unfortunately." Ayumu pondered a bit, "say...what level are you? Do you have much combat experience. If so, I could use a few tips."

She stopped walking in surprise, turning to the stranger that approached her. Ayumu hadn't seen much around outside of the Town of Beginnings today, so she was rather caught off guard. As she processed what she was going to say, she examined. him from head to toe. Her mouth twitched a little, trying to evaluate what kind of person he was. Then, breaking the rather awkward silence, she greeted him with a smile, 

"Hi...nice to meet you. I'm Ayumu," she slid her sword back into her sheath, "where are you headed to?" She asked with curiosity 

I wonder how experienced he is. She thought to herself. Maybe I could pick up a thing or two from him...

If you can look into the seeds of time,
And say which grain will grow and which will not,
Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear
Your favours nor your hate.

- Shakespeare's Macbeth

Ayumu looked out at the landscape before her. Floor 1 of Aincrad: an ocean of grassy fields, valleys, and other breathtaking foliage. Normally, one would find it a comforting, beautiful sight. When the situation involves being stuck in a game where your life hangs in the balance daily, not so much. She slowly stood, still as deep in thought as she was a moment ago. Ayumu was thinking about the future. How long would she stay here? What kind of role would she take here in SAO? Was she making the right actions and choices to affect her future positively? Shaking her head, she finally decided to leave her spot. She was still a level one player, so she reckoned it was time she changed that. With a slow, rather mopey gait, she set her destination to wherever some boars or other creatures were so she could get some combat practice. Drawing her sword from it's sheath, she examined it. When she first created her avatar and logged on, she had no conflict in deciding her weapon. Now it was time to put it to the test.

(OOC: Wowzie! Much realistic, very years. XD)

"Right," Ayumu sighed, rather relieved that the reciprocation to what she said wasn't too severe, "to the Teleportation Gate." she started walking back towards the Town of Beginnings. Staring at her feet, her mind began to wander. What was happening in the real world right now? Was she still laying on the bed in that hotel room? Did she get moved to a hospital? Had her Coach already recruited someone to fill her now empty spot on the collegiate team? And Alexa...how was she faring? Their friendship was so tight, they were like sisters. Ayumu shut her eyes tight for a brief moment, then looked up ahead of her again, so she could actually see where she was walking.

So it begins...the struggle to stay alive and get out of here. She mused. Let's see how this goes...

"No offense taken," she said to Greg with a shrug, "yeah, I actually haven't gained any levels so far, but whatevs. Standing here and talking about how terrible that is won't change anything. And sure, boars can be taken on by one player probably. I figured that already, if SAO is patterned after any classic game. So with that," she smiled a little, "let's go. I need to clear this game as soon as possible.Thank you guys for your help, but once I get the basics down and get to the next floor, I should be fine on my own. If I can get my levels up, then maybe I can beat this in a month." Ayumu paused after that last part, wincing a little. Now, saying it out loud, it didn't sound like it did in her head. Yep, that was stupid. Two of these players were at dauntingly high levels, and they're still here...they haven't been able to clear it yet.

Great. Now they're going to really think I'm an idiot, as if my general inexperience wasn't bad enough. Brace yourself, here it comes...

(Lolz don't worry, I didn't make her so mary sue that she would be actually able to do that. I'm just finding an outlet for the stubborn part of her personality)

(OOC: Have to go for now. Might be on later tonight or tomorrow. Allons-y!)

"Okay, I suppose its set then," with a swipe of her hand, she opened her menu, "I at least know how to do this." she chuckled a little, opening the party option. A small screen appeared in front of the three guys.

Invite

Do you wish to join this party?

O                              X

 "There," she smiled a little, "now we can go and get started!"

Ayumu blinked again, a little lost. She was talking to three people at a time, with what seemed like three different conversations. Then, shaking the fog out of her brain, said to Zelrius and Calrex,

"Uh, sure...I guess," she hesitated, still a bit skeptical of the two, "besides, maybe I could pick up a thing or two from you guys." Ayumu then turned to Greg,

"Nice of you to finally speak," she lifted an eyebrow, "So...Naruto's weird cousin...you want to tag along as well?" after a pause, "sorry, I couldn't help myself. A bit salty, I know. Don't mind me." She smirked

"Nice to meet you," she nodded at Calrex, then to Zelrius, "yes, but this is my first virtual reality game, so I'm rather unacquainted with the works and all." Then after a pause, "well, before you two plan on doing...'gardening duty,' or whatever, can you tell me how to get to the next floor?" she asked both of them, "I...kind of need to get out of here as soon as possible. Back in the real world, I have...things that could determine if my life will be lame forever or not, so hanging around in SAO isn't exactly my goals."

There, maybe they'll be courteous enough to at least tell me that. She thought. I still need to learn about combat and stuff, but that I should be able to figure out on my own. Outdoor Nationals, here I come.
 

Ayumu blinked in surprise, turning to the random player. She scanned him from head to toe, and while his greeting seemed normal enough, he seemed like a rather arrogant person. He was definitely a high leveled player as well. Even if he did turn out to be a jerk like she suspected, a lot could be learned from him, no doubt. Any help was needed if she was going to get out of here and back to normal life.

"Well...hey," she said awkwardly, giving him a slightly judgmental look, "That's...impressive. I'm Ayumu, and I guess I'm what you what call a noob, at least at this game anyways. Who is someone as great as yourself doing here on floor 1?" 

As she walked along, someone caught her eye. From the looks of it, he seemed to have more experience. Ayumu squinted, trying evaluate what kind of person he was, but he was too far away. With a sigh, she decided to approach him. She might as well...maybe he could tell her how to get to the next floor. Ayumu began walking towards him.

When you're rife with devastation

There's a simple explanation

You're a toymaker's creation, trapped inside a crystal ball.

And whichever way he tilts it, know that we must be resilient.

We won't let them break our spirits

As we sing our silly song.

- Gypsy Bard

The plaza was mostly empty now. Most everyone had either gone to another part of the town, gone and joined a party, or went off to start clearing the floor. Ayumu couldn't make her legs move...her heart heavy and her head spinning. She hadn't wanted this, but of course, no one had. Shutting her eyes tight, she exhaled sharply, trying to release the tension. Then, with determination, she made her way out of the plaza. Ayumu didn't know what to expect next...was she going to join someone's party? Was she going to go solo? Was she going to go anywhere at all?

Look at me, I'm falling apart. She thought to herself. This is pathetic. I need to suck it up and just get out of this place! Outdoor Nationals is in a month!!!

Ayumu, or rather Tiffany, her name in real life, was a varsity athlete on her university's archery team. One of the biggest tournaments of the year, Outdoor Nationals, was just around the corner! Going to that tournament would be a way to finally make a name for herself. Archers from all over the nation were going to compete, even archers on the Olympic team. To get a gold medal and have all of the Olympians watch...

Its crazy...but I'm going to try. I have to try! I'm going to do my best to clear this game in a month. Of course...that's probably impossible though. Dang it! What do I do?

With a deep sigh, she exited the city and out into the grassy abyss of land, about to take on SAO.

Ayumu

Profile
Username: Ayumu
Real name: Tiffany (Satomi) Kyo Kato
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 4"

About: History/personality

Sword Art Online…how could an avid gamer like Satomi not be attracted to something like this? Well, besides being trapped in a literal perma-death game, Satomi has led a rather normal life. Her dad died when she was small, so she was raised by her mom. Satomi barely even remembers him, but she’s still saddened that she wasn’t able to really meet him and have a relationship. She was born in Japan, and lived there until she was six, until her mother made a bold move and decided to move to America for a job opportunity! Specifically, Redmond, Washington. This was a seriously hard transition! Learning English, making new friends…the challenge was daunting. One thing that made it a little easier to handle is that her mom had the coolest job in the world – working for Nintendo’s HQ in America!

As time went on, Satomi eventually adjusted to this new world. Her English became fluent, and unfortunately her Japanese rather rusty. She made new friends, and would go every weekend to the 7-11 to get slurpies with them! It was one of the highlights of her week! In no time she behaved like a normal kid living in Redmond, with barely any factors that distinguished her from the other kids at school. Also, sometimes she would take a bus to her mom’s job, and was allowed to watch her work! It was super fun! As she watched the games anticipated by many get developed, it sparked an interest in her for gaming.

From then on, Satomi was in awe of games. That wasn’t her only hobby though. One of her best friends, Alexa introduced her to archery. One night during a sleepover at this friend’s house, they went to the backyard and shot small recurve bows in their pajamas! From then on, Satomi got her own bow, and competed at various tournaments, local and out of state. She’s always had a hard time finding a balance between these two, archery and gaming. Some days, she would practically live at the shooting range, and others would sprawl on her floor with her eyes locked onto the screen in front of her…but never giving an equal time to both.

Fast forward to the present. Now, she’s in college, and becoming a varsity athlete has turned her world topsy-turvy! She has to practice archery more than ever, yet she’s made countless gamer friends to play with! It’s a daily struggle, and her tendency to procrastinate doesn’t make doing all of that and completing her coursework any easier. Her major is Kinesiology, and she plans on becoming a physical therapist someday. She also recently changed her first name to Tiffany, but kept her middle and last name. She liked it better, and she also didn’t want to be branded as originally Japanese. From here on out in this journal, I will refer to her as such.

Some of Tiffany’s interests besides archery and gaming include science, Doctor Who, comic books, reading fantasy novels, and digital art. She absolutely hates dresses and anything girly, soap operas, celebrities (unless they’re athletes), and math. As for some personality traits, she’s an extrovert, energetic, over exaggerates her feelings, loyal, and honest (most of the time). She tends to procrastinate, as mentioned before, and also judges people too quickly, along with being too critical of herself. Her all-time favorite food is pizza, and eats way too much of it. Tiffany also likes staying up late, even if it takes a toll on her performance in her morning classes. She’s currently attending a university in South Carolina, away from her home, but she made sure to be in Japan during the release of SAO. If anyone would be one of the first to get their hands on the game and nerve gear, it would be her!

Virtues:

Loyal: When Tiffany makes a friend, she’ll be there through thick and thin for them, no matter the cost! Do her friends need help with a task while she’s currently working on a pursuit of her own? Her schedule is rearranged, because she’s stepping in! Does her party member need to be saved from death by a boss? Low health or not, she’s taking her weapon out. Loyalty is her most prominent trait, but not to a mary-sue level of course.

Honest: Tiffany isn’t likely to lie about her mistakes. While she’ll keep secrets when interrogated, she’s truthful to those she trusts. She’ll be open and communicate without her story being peppered with falsehoods. If she unknowingly lies to a friend (i.e, passing on information she didn’t know was false), she feels like she let them down, and worries if they’ll trust her again.

Intuitive: Usually, Tiffany can read people like a book, with the exception of them being overly mysterious. She carefully watches body language and listens to their voice, picking up on small things. The reason she’s so attentive is because she can’t stand it if someone is hiding something. If something is wrong, Tiffany will probably know…unless she’s currently distracted with something else.

Flaws:
Reference: http://www.darkworldrpg.com/lore/flaws.html
Judgmental: Sometimes, Tiffany can take her intuitiveness too far and be judgmental, even if her impressions of that person are true. By first glance, she subconsciously decides whether or not said person is someone she wants to invest her time in. Unfortunately, she’ll falsely judge people most of the time. Her false assumptions can cost her to lose a possible friendship.

Stubborn: Tiffany is relentlessly stubborn! At times, so much so that others may find her annoying. If there’s a will, there’s a way, and boy does she have a will! If she has her heart set on something, she’s going to get it, no matter how crazy it may be to achieve that.

Self-critical: She sets the bar high for herself, and when she doesn’t achieve her goals, Tiffany will loathe and criticize herself to death. Sometimes, this will be so bad, that she can’t do anything else but sit still be self-critical. In her eyes, flaws in herself are not acceptable. When others try to step in and encourage her, she won’t listen, and this will sometimes push people away.

Profession:

Skills and Mods [Total Points: 11]

Used: 9             

Not used: 2          

Total: 11        

Non-combat:
»

Passive:
»

Combat:
»

Weapon skills:

» One handed-straight sword: Rank 1: Novice (0/6)

Armor skills:          

» Light Armor: Rank 1: Novice (0/6) 

 Utility Mods:         

Sword Art Mods:  

Rank 1 Ferocity          
Armor Mods: 

Combat Mods:          
Utility and Mobility skills:
» 

Inventory
Weapons/Tools:
» Beginners Pack: 10 bread, 15 water
» One handed Straight Sword

» Anneal Blade            

» Lightweight armor (Leather Coat)    

                                                                                                                               » 0 Material (previously 9 material before disappearance)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        » 0 Col (previously 9,000 col before disappearance)                                                                                                                                       

         Roleplays (finished and unfinished. Either threads started by me or threads I'm involved in).

[PP-F1] Seeds of Time (Ryuma & Ayumu) COMPLETE!

[OP-F1] Let's Go Hunting!

[PP-F1] A Mad World (Ayumu, Koumori, Ace 9)

[PP-F1] Earning a Living Quest (Zelrius) COMPLETE!

[PP-F1] <<Secret Medicine of the Forest>> (Ryuma, Ayumu) COMPLETE!

[PP-F3] <<Worn Out Welcome>> (Zelrius) COMPLETE!

[SP-F9] Wait, is this Pokémon or SAO? <<Feeding the Enemy>> COMPLETE!

Relationships (optional)



Story Thus Far (optional)