Icarus

"Ic.  Icarus.  Hey!"

The quietest of voices strained against the vacuum of silence subjugating him but his spoken name was lost against the dull roar of the usual tavern sounds he had put out of his mind.  His lack of focus was still hazily drifting over the fireplace while every bit of him sought numbness in response to the pain of living in a digitalized prison.  Still, like a gnat, the voice persisted, incessantly driving at his defenses until a single call fell upon his ears.

"Soren!" the voice named.

And just like that, with the swiftness of a slow, fumbling snap, Icarus' mind opened the gates at the sound of his birth name and let the world of Sword Art Online flood back in.  The first thing he noticed was the figure of a tall, armored woman standing at his right with her plated hands fixed on her hips.  The usually smooth features of her face absolutely rife with annoyance, twisted in a way he had been growing more accustomed to in the past couple of months.  She was Gloryana, or Glory for short, one of the few young adventurers he had helped adjust to life in Aincrad after being paralyzed by the initial shock of their predicament.  She was one of the two people in this artificial world that kept tabs on him, likely out of some sort of misguided sense of owing debt for all that he had done for her years ago.  Icarus would much rather have her forget about him entirely and worry more about taking care of herself.

"Hey Glory," he said, shifting his body out of a slouch and into a more upright position within his chair.  His eyes looked to the mug that had been long held by his hand and slowly loosened his grip on it before pushing it into the center of the table.  "Sorry, I'm a little out of it today."

Gloryana was already pulling out a chair and moving to take a seat before Icarus could find the faculties to offer it to her.  She was seated by the time he gestured to it with his hand, his mouth opened to speak but slowly shut instead of making a fool of himself with further words.  Judging by her insistence and the way she was carrying about her weight, he was in for an earful.

"Today?  Out of it today?  Icarus, you've been out of it for weeks, hun, and we're starting to get worried.  I can't get Honorable to shut up about how much he misses seeing you around.  You don't know how frustrating it is hearing your spouse talk nonstop about another man."  Gloryana was a woman who didn't pull her punches but alleviated the sting of them with humor when she could.  She talked to the point and while she might have sounded crass, she did so with the best of intentions.  She didn't like seeing Icarus in this manner and it would eat at her if she didn't think she was doing everything in her power to rectify the situation.

Icarus just sighed.

Icarus' eyes fixated on the slow wave of the fire undulating in the hearth.  Minutes, or maybe even hours, had passed and yet his will to pry his gaze away from the lively flames couldn't be found.  A tankard of drink was held loosely in one hand while the other lifelessly hung at his side at the pull of Aincrad's artificial gravity.  The contents of his mug were alcoholic and probably warm but after the fifth one, he found that it didn't matter much.  Not that it exactly mattered in the first place, as he was forbidden from achieving inebriation due to the governing laws set in stone by the Cardinal system.  The raucous noises filling the tavern around him were a dull disturbance in the distance, drowned out by his droning focus on the fireplace and a sheer lack of regard for the world around him.  His mind was blank; he had forced his thoughts out and made sure nothing haunting filled the void left in their abandonment.  He didn't want to think or feel anything.  This wasn't the Icarus that few knew but this was the one that he had become; even the patina of the brightest metal dulls given enough time.

The thing about depression is it never just "sneaks" up on you.  No, you know long before it takes a hold of you that it's there, lurking in the shadows of your mind while it slowly creeps into every part of you.  You do what you can to keep it at bay but just as iron turns to rust, it corrodes your thoughts and feelings into things you hardly recognize anymore.  Two years of his life were lost to this damned game and the end was nowhere in sight.  While others struggled and progressed, Icarus lamented.  By his own decision, he had stayed back in the Town of Beginnings to help those less able and while that brought him joy in the beginning, they eventually progressed while he stagnated.  They moved on while he stayed, far too weak to join his comrades at the front or make himself of use to others.  Icarus had devoted so much time to others that he didn't save enough for himself, eventually finding himself in a cyclic trench he couldn't climb out of.  After enough time, he resigned to the apathy that had a stranglehold on him.  The lights that had once guided his way had become nothing more than faded wisps against the darkness of perpetual night.

Hey there.  New/old player here.  The "Lessons" quests didn't exist back when I was an active player.  I'm looking to do them now if there are any out there that could benefit from them.  Icarus is level 8, so still within noob territory.  Let me know!

The eighth floor.  Icarus wasn't entirely sure that he belonged here.  It was only recently that he abandoned his position at the Church located on the first floor and started adventuring out in the world.  With the sudden deaths or disappearance of some of the highest ranking frontliners, it seemed like he had no choice.  Despite the close calls and the various mishaps that had happened along the way, he had met a few like minded players that he would consider friends.  Unfortunately, none of them were with him at the moment he phased into the foreign floor, leaving him feeling very much like a stranger in a strange land.  No matter - Icarus knew he had breach the walls of his comfort zone if he was going to stake his claim in the castle of Aincrad.

He was no more than a couple of steps off of the teleporter when he caught sight of a brilliant blue falcon swooping and swirling in the computer-generated sky above.  That momentary distraction was all it took for him to invade the conversation of two other players and nearly bowl them right over.  Just before he crashed into the well-armored man with similar blue hair, Icarus caught himself and jerked to a stop.  The look of surprise on his face that had manifested as a result of his quick, spontaneous actions, soon faded into a light smile that masked his apprehension.

"Guten morgen, gentlemen," he said, though the system within Sword Art Online quickly translated to "good morning" in each players respective language.  "I should pay more attention to where I'm walking, it seems."

His gaze swept from the blue-haired knight to the other man with longer, more naturally colored hair.  He immediately looked familiar to Icarus.

"Sorry for interrupting but you - I've seen you somewhere before.  It was - hmm."  Icarus hummed in thought and placed a single finger to his lips as he mulled over his memories.

"I've seen you with Lessa.  That's where it was!"

Icarus clapped his hands together when he remembered; his gauntlets clanged together upon impact.

"Forgive me.  Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Icarus."

His head shook faintly in response to Lawfer's nickname inquiry.  Icarus already had a name he was used to being called by the orphans on Floor One.  Whatever it was Lawfer wanted to call the blue-haired fighter, he was sure it wasn't anything worse than Icky.  "I should be able to provide some assistance.  I'm fairly new to adventuring but depending on the Minotaur's stats, I don't think hitting them will be a problem."  Icarus nodded to affirm his statement.

As the trio of them came to the border of the forest, the tall swordsman gave pause for only a moment before responding to Ethereal.  "I'm as ready as I'll ever be.  I, also, do not know the way, so Lawfer, if you would be so kind, could you be our guiding star?"

Taking a stroll around the lake seemed to be a good idea when he woke up that morning but now Icarus was thinking the opposite.  Luckily for him, he was far enough removed from the water's edge that he was in no danger of being splashed by the rambunctious kids enjoying the cool lake.  He wasn't annoyed - how could he be?  They were merely kids enjoying the day.  With as much as they had to deal with in regards to the pressures of being trapped in Sword Art Online, being able to goof off with each other must have been a godsend.

The blue haired man, who was generally one of few words in large groups, simply sat back against the bark of a nearby tree while observing the ongoing activities of those around him.  Most notably, there was a man known as Ethereal playing a game of chess, as well as the girl with the awkward smile telling the same bad jokes she was used to.  He couldn't quite figure out how he consistently ran into her more than any other player.  Icarus obviously wasn't going far enough away to escape her.

It was uncommon for such a commotion to occur on the First Floor, which explained why so many people had gathered in such a short amount of time.  The outcry of support for the girl, who named herself as Hunie, was something to marvel at.  Icarus turned as a man clad completely in white armor approached in his periphery.  While the armor was familiar to him, it wasn't until the man removed his helmet that he recognized him; he never forgot a face.  Come to badger another young girl, hm?  He mused inwardly.

Icarus offered a light smile to Hunie as she was helped up and smothered with questions, as well as bad jokes.  Rather than add to the confusion and risk having his words interrupted, he slipped away from the group and headed in the direction of the alleyway the blonde girl had indicated earlier.  His armored feet pounded against the cobblestone with a sense of authority as he moved through the bustling crowd, making his way quickly to the mouth of the obscured alley.  Clouded green eyes searched high and low into the depths of the space between two buildings, seeking out any of the assailants that might have remained after their little exploitation of scare tactics.

Nothing.  Icarus found nothing that might have suggested that someone was there moments earlier.  A perplexed look crooked the corner of his mouth as he mulled over the absence of information.  If there were indeed some perpetrators, they couldn't have gone far.  Hmmm.  Where did you run off to?

"Now, remember, you're the oldest one here so you have to look out for the rest of the orphans, okay?  Be mindful of what the Sisters tell you - they are the ones looking out for you."  Icarus' finger pointedly poked the boy standing before him in the chest to emphasize his point.  The tall, blue haired man currently resided on one knee in order to speak face to face with the half pint child, preferring to look upon him with that emerald green gaze from a level of mutual respect.  His voice was low but not menacing; his words came out with the fluidity of a slow moving river as he playfully lectured the boy.  "Just because I'm not hanging around here as much any more doesn't mean you get to act out.  We all have our part to play in this world and at the moment, your job happens to be watching over the others.  Understand?"

The boy nodded softly.  Immediately, a light smile broke on Icarus' features and he moved to re-assume his full standing height before his large hand ruffled the boy's already messy brown hair.  "Good," he said cheerfully.  "Run along and play before the Sisters call you back for lunch.  It'll be ready sooner than you think."

Now that his chat with one of the orphans had concluded, it was time for Icarus to be on his way.  He no longer served as the guardian for the kids but still felt this sense of responsibility toward them that kept bringing him back to the First Floor to check on them.  How could he say no to a request from one of the Sisters when they had done what they could to feed and clothe him when Kayaba had first sealed him, and the rest of Aincrad, away from the real world?  Icarus waved to the kids standing outside of the Church as he backpedaled away and made his way onto the main street heading away.

He was no more than a minute's walk away from the Church when he witnessed a blonde girl frantically running into the plaza from some unseen assailant.  Icarus looked over the crowded area as quickly as he could but did not see anything trailing her - he only managed to watch as a spectator as she ran headlong directly into a brown haired man only a few feet from him.  Casually, he approached the two while still idly watching the surrounding area for any followers in pursuit.  "What's going on here?  Is everything okay?"

He nodded as she correctly recognized his description of Ender's Game.  There was a part of him that was glad she was familiar with the book, he didn't want to outright seem like a complete nerd.  "It was the Zero G fighting that really captivated me as a child. How exhilarating would it be to freely launch yourself about an arena without the restriction of gravity? Ah, that would be brilliant."

Icarus listened to Lessa intently as she moved through her love of historical fiction.  As she spoke of her love of ordinary life, he couldn't help but reflect upon the mundanity of his own personal world outside of Aincrad.  Each day was the same, no purpose, no direction - just breathing and wandering the halls of the manor.  While he remained interested in her story simply because she spoke of it with such a sense of adoration, his interest didn't truly spike again until the blonde talked of horseback riding.  Immediately, his intrigue was written on the youthful curves of his face; a deep blue eyebrow perked and a foolish grin blossomed crookedly on his mouth.  "Oh?"

"Your family has horses, as well?  The stables - ah, I loved it there.  That was the one place I could sneak away to late at night when I wanted some privacy.  I can't even begin to count how many hours Roma and I spent there alone, just enjoying one another's company by moonlight."  His words came without thinking.  After a moment, he reflected upon what had actually came out of his mouth; a light red immediately flushed the apples of his cheeks.  "Roma - she was my horse.  A Holsteiner, white as a fresh snowfall."

Beautiful.  Absolutely beautiful.  Icarus regarded the booths and decorations of the Spring Festival with the unabashed amazement of a child.  It wasn't just the bright, colorful displays flanking him from all sides that drew his admiration but the people as well; they were all dressed so nicely and getting along so easily that he couldn't help but let the lightening of his heart bolster his uplifted mood.  The typical dress among the women were ceremonial kimonos that were often associated with this sort of festival within Japan - each and everyone as gorgeous and intricate as the next one.

Such stylized attire really made the blue haired spectator look out of place as he perused the various stands, dressed in a simple, form-fitting black turtleneck and matching pair of pants.  Icarus was about as nondescript as could be.  Such trivial things didn't mean much to the reserved young man considering his personal wealth was measured by the quality of his friendships and vested emotions rather than material things like clothes or trinkets.  In life, he was provided everything he could have ever wanted for with the exception of those things which money had no say in.  Still - as a human male with functioning eyes and a beating heart, he could appreciate a pretty woman in a fancy dress as well as the next man.

The urge to participate in the games surrounding him hadn't taken control yet but he did enjoy watching as others tried and failed while he meandered up and down the streets of Taft.  A soft smile contoured the curves of his lips as his lively green gaze swept from one festival goer to the next, searching over the range of their facial expressions as they were triumphant over - or succumbed to - the stubborn nature of Aincrad's difficulty.  It seemed to him, as an observer, that happiness was infectious and he would be foolish not to revel in the joy that highlighted the festival.

A warm feeling of relief ran course through him as he witnessed Lessa decompress.  What good were his words if all they did was rile up anyone he spoke to?  He lifted the base of his mug from the top of the table and swirled it around, watching as the reddened amber ale washed around the sides of the vessel that contained it before bringing it to his lips for another open throat swallow.  The remaining liquid was downed completely before he replaced the mug on the table before him.

"You have too much fire in you to call that an assumption."  An assertive statement simply put before silence descended upon them.  Icarus observed the calamitous environment around them.  He spent so much time around the Sisters and children that even being in the chaotic midst of this place was like a welcomed reprieve for him.  It may not have been the remote retreat that was he was used to but it was something different and that change of pace was all he needed.  After some time, when Lessa's voice spontaneously arose above the commotion and questioned about his choice in books, he returned his green-eyed gaze to her.

"Oh, all sorts but mainly science fiction and fantasy.  You know, something that really takes you away from the reality of an ordinary life.  What would it be like to walk without rhythm in fear of Shai'Hulud?  What kind of emotions would unknowingly wiping out an entire alien race invoke within me, when I thought I was only taking a test?  Sword Art Online seemed like a step in the right direction toward living out those thoughts."  He paused for a moment to dwell on that last remark, though chose to choke down the feelings that threatened to rise.  "How about you, Lessa?  Do you have any favorite pastimes?"

"Don't worry about it.  I wouldn't be any better than Kayaba if I simply stood idle while others put themselves in harm's way when I knew I could help by some means."  Icarus nodded in response to Kyr's enthusiasm.  He meant what he said; it was a very small thing for him to do.  Soon after the trade took place, Icarus turned on heel and followed his companion as he headed out into the boar populated field.  The fluidity of his stroll was disturbed only when he reached over his shoulder and took a hold of Alondite.  The heavy sword was pulled free with a jerk and swung around to the front of him, where he held it outward with its pointed blade aimed toward the first boar that caught his eye.

"I'll take the first round and try to keep the beast's hate.  Regardless of the outcome, I think it's safe for you to follow after - the boar shouldn't pose much of a threat to you with that armor equipped.  Let's have at it, then!"  The speed of his footsteps quickened the closer the boar wandered toward them.  Soon, Icarus was in a full sprint forward with his weapon raised over the edge of his shoulder in preparation of an attack.  As easily as he had raised the sword, he brought it down into the tusked mob as the distance between them disappeared.  An orange, luminescent gash remained where his blade had carved a path, leaving the animal already wounded when it struck at him with a retaliatory charge.

The mob connected with his armor and the enchantment of his thorns enhancement triggered.  The boar was finished off before Kyr even had the chance to take a swing at it.  A frown was present on his lips when he turned to his dark haired companion.  "I apologize.  I didn't think it would topple so soon."

OOC: Sorry for the incredible delay, work has been brutal.

The field of dandelions was as vast as it was colorful.  Yellow reigned as far as the eye could see and while it may not have been Icarus' favorite color, it was beautiful none the less.  While his other comrades went to work searching for materials for their profession, the tall, blue haired pacifist was content with simply brushing his armored glove across the tops of the stretched out flowers.  He knew a time for fighting would come but until then, relaxing and enjoying the scenery was enough to keep him sustained.

"I don't know much about this Hoya quest.  I don't suppose one of you could fill me in on what I should expect?"

Lessa's words came at him with the hot fury of spewed fire.  Her anger was not directed toward him but because it was his words that spurred her, he felt responsible for the unbridled rage that was rising quickly to the surface.  "Hey," he said quietly, though it was likely it went unheard over the bustle of the other raucous conversations about them.  "Lessa, it's all right," Icarus' words were louder now and accompanied by the gentle touch of the back of his fingers pressing to the back of her own, which had grown pale from the intensity she wrenched upon her mug.  He did not grip or hold, he simply let the warmth of his hand grace her own - knuckle to knuckle.  If she recoiled, it would not affect him; he was malleable and used to bending to suit he situation.  He simply wanted to let her know that she was not alone, in her anger or in presence.

"It's okay to be angry.  There is nothing wrong with a little fire in our stomachs.  Kayaba... stole lives, that's a fact.  There is no justification for what he has done but..."  Icarus inhaled a slow, languid breath through his nose, unsure of how he wanted to press forward with the conversation.  "I'm not going to let what he has done define me.  I'm many things; a son, a brother, a musician, a lover of books, a fool - the list goes on and on.  One thing I am not, however, is a victim.  I won't allow him to make that of me."  Slowly, he pulled back his outstretched hand and returned it to the curve of the mug in front of him.  "I don't think you will either, Lessa.  He'll get what's coming to him."

The mood had quickly darkened over the past couple of moments, like a storm front had spontaneously arisen and coated the sky with its blackened clouds.  Icarus' eyes even seemed to be a little darker than before but slowly, their brilliance returned, as if he simply chose to let go of the ire that was swelling up within him.  It was either that or he was unexpectedly good at masking the troubles that plagued him.  In the end, his gaze still fixated upon Lessa, that same easy smile faintly tugged on the corners of his mouth.

Icarus laughed in response to Kyr's comment.

"You can't blame a guy for not wanting to die," he said in response.  Eventually, their walking brought them to the edge of the safe zone just outside of the North Gate, which bordered the grasslands that were home to countless low level boars.  Plain and simple, it was a hunting ground; however, when you considered the number of newbie deaths that had occurred here, you had to wonder who the true hunters were.  Icarus stopped and turned to face Kyr; his feet were just short of stepping off the cobblestone path and onto the dirt road leading into the fields beyond.

"Here," he said while his hand flicked through his menus.  A moment later, a trade prompt appeared before Kyr.  "This is an old piece of gear I keep on hand.  It's not fancy or good looking but it is practical and it'll keep you safe until you can find something that suits your tastes better."

[Breastplate of Protection]
Rare quality Heavy armor
+18 MIT

"It's heavy and it'll make you look as big as a house but it's sturdy.  You won't have to worry about getting one shot by these foul beasts out here." A light smile wrangled its way onto his lips.  Even though it was a small thing, Icarus felt good about being able to help someone less fortunate than him out in the same way he was helped along when he decided to hit the open road.  "I only ask that you give it back once you've had a chance to upgrade.  There is always someone new out there that could use a helping hand in the beginning.  Does that sound acceptable?"

"Level five, hm?"  Icarus contemplated the quest for the future.  It might not have been as beneficial to him due to the fact that he was already well-equipped with a strong weapon but it would definitely be good for Kyr to upgrade his gear.  In the long run, based on the assumption that they might be joining forces for the long haul, it would take a lot of worry off his shoulders if he knew his companion wasn't risking death every time they entered combat.   "Make note of the quest.  I'm sure we'll come back to it."

"Boars?  Certainly.  That's pretty much all I've been doing since I decided to venture out in the world.  It's time consuming and not very rewarding but in the beginning, it's a perfectly good route to take."  Icarus nodded before gesturing with his hand in the direction of the North Gate.  "Shall we, then?"

I guess I had better suit up, then.  His bare hand lifted into the air and then, quickly, swiped down to open up his personal menus.  Within the menus, by use of just his outstretched index finger, he navigated to his inventory where he promptly swapped out his plain stater clothing with his battle gear.  Around his body, from shoulders to feet, a full set of plated red armor formed around Icarus; its golden accents shining in the sunlight pouring upon it.  Along with the armor, an enormous sword to fit his gargantuan stature materialized upon his back; its long handle extending over the top of his right shoulder for easy access when he need to draw it.

By the look of his armor, he was much more than just a boarslayer - unfortunately, that wasn't true.

A look of realization appeared on Icarus' face as the one introduced to him was none other than the Boar Whisperer he had seen in the grasslands no more than a few days earlier.  His gentle, friendly smile still remained on the features of his face as he nodded greetings toward the player known as Ethereal.  "Yeah.  It was a peculiar sight and given that we were on the First Floor, I didn't know if it was a new adventurer who had bitten off more than he could chew or - I guess, a high level player farming materials.  It's a pleasure to meet you, as well, Ethereal."

"I've only recently started adventuring but given what I've heard about Hoya, I should be able to hold my own.  I don't know a great deal about the mechanics of combat with the exception of swinging my sword and the basic Sword Arts, so I hope you don't have any issues with taking the lead, Lawfer.  Either way, I'm prepared to head out whenever you two gentlemen are.  I don't have much so I travel light."

"Of course.  Let's meet back here in a couple of minutes and share what we've found."  Icarus nodded and then promptly pivoted upon his leather soled heel to face the opposite direction.  He set off toward the nearest of the NPCs from where he was standing and in only a few of those long legged strides, came to stand in front of him.  While many of the players in the world of Aincrad held little love for the Cardinal controlled characters, Icarus treated them with the same civility he would anyone else.  He would smile and wave, strike up a conversation if the options allowed him to, or even laugh with them - not for their benefit but for his own.  It did wonders for him to try and keep Sword Art Online as real in his mind as possible and force out the detrimental thoughts of how his life was being controlled by a video game.

After talking briefly with the first NPC, Icarus moved down the outer circle of plaza, engaging each possible quest giver he came across in conversation in order to find out more details about the quest they were offering.  A good number of minutes passed by before Icarus, whose hair was as blue as the ocean deep, returned to the designated meeting spot he had set up with Kyr.  There was a soft frown already curving his mouth as he stepped forward.

"I hope you had better luck than I did.  Not many of the NPCs offered quests and what ones they did, were a little out of our level range.  Why would we want to go berry picking in the underground cavern on the Tenth Floor?  We're just starting out!"  Icarus shook his head, mildly upset with the lack of logic behind that last notion.

An unexpected laugh croaked out of Icarus after Kyr's comment of being unable to afford a coffin.  Even though it was a joke, it was also the truth for both of them.  He shook his head as he tried to get rid of the inappropriate laughter that trailed, pushing his forehead into the palm of his bare hand as he did so.  After a moment, he composed himself, although there was a smile on his mouth that he couldn't seem to put away.  "That's the truth, isn't it?  A sad, sad truth."

"We're both going to need to raise our level if we plan to get out of here someday.  Sure, we could wait and let the rest of the frontliners do all the work but where would be the fun in that?  The most important thing is safety, so we'll take things slow until we get more familiar with the workings of Aincrad.  I've heard some terrible stories and I would really prefer we didn't end up as the title characters in one of them."  Icarus nodded then looked in the direction of the town center where the initial announcement from Kayaba had been presented.

"You're probably right.  Let's head over and see if we can't find something befitting players of our level.  I don't know if I've heard of any low level quest that provide gear for beginners but that would be our ideal route - to get you some gear.  An alternative would be to gather materials in the grasslands outside of the Town of Beginnings.  Crafters are always looking for raw material and are often willing to exchange gear, or even craft fresh pieces, for materials."

Icarus bobbed his head in direction of the town center; a gesture indicating his desire to head that way.  He followed up his nod with actual movement, though he kept his pace aligned with Kyr so he didn't leave him behind from the get go.

Delilah Village was pleasant as all the towns in Aincrad seemed to be.  Icarus had no real purpose for being on the Third Floor this morning but that didn't stop purpose from finding him.  As he was venturing through the town, he heard an unfamiliar voice calling out in his direction: "Hey Mr. Two-Handed Swordsman!"  The blue haired man stopped and surveyed the area around him for any other players who might have fit a description similar to him and when he found no one else, he turned to focus his green gaze upon the one yelling at him; the spear-wielder was already waving at him.

Icarus walked toward the man as he approached and together, they closed the distance separating them in moments.  Immediately, after the man introduced himself, he shoved his own arm out to cordially accept the handshake prompting him.  His grip was firm and lasting.  After a moment, he released Lawfer's hand and offered a light smile instead. "Hoya?  That's an invitation I won't pass up.  My name is Icarus.  I've met other members belonging to the Knights of the Blood Oath - you guys are a real respectable outfit, it'd be a pleasure to accompany you on this quest."

Have the captains formed their teams?

Thunk.  The door to Icarus' studio seated firmly within its jamb after he gave it a full-bodied pull; the force of which caused a tattering heap of snow to fall from the building's roof and narrowly miss landing on the blue haired man just beneath it.  Turning away from the building, he let his emerald gaze fall upon the town of Snowfrost, regarding the settlement from his vantage point in quiet contemplation. It was still too early for him to retire to bed for the evening and the town was showing all sorts of signs of life - businesses lit up with glowing windows, people walking the snow-covered streets, and adventurers battling wolves in the valley just beyond, to name a few.  Yet, no task of necessary importance willed him to stop procrastinating.

What's the weather setting at?  It's terrible out here tonight.  His dawdling left him susceptible to the cold winter chill hanging in the winds, which attacked him through the thin material of his starting clothes and rattled his spine with a shiver from head to tailbone.  If he was going to be spending the most of his free time on such a cold floor, it would be smart of him to see a tailor and acquire a new set of clothing that would be more protective against the elements.  It was either that, or level up and become to the harshness of the cold entirely.  That didn't sound nearly as appealing to him as a fancy pair of winter clothing - heck, he might even get something he'd look good in.

Regardless, there was always a place he could go where Jack Frost couldn't nip at his uncovered nose: the Inn.  Shoveling his hands deep into the pockets of his canvas pants like his survival depended on it, Icarus started to make his way down the long, laid brick stairway that led down the hill from his studio to the back of town.  Sometimes, he wished he didn't set up shop so far off the beaten path but the benefits of seclusion outweighed the desire to be closer to town.  His large body naturally tried to huddle in on itself for warmth as he made his way onto the street and in the direction of the inn.

"Kyr," he said solemnly, committing the man's name to memory as he shook his hand with a firm shake.  While he had to physically look down upon his new acquaintance, he didn't look down upon him in the slightest.  Whatever the reason, the man had strayed away from fighting from the beginning much like Icarus had and he couldn't fault him for that.  The truth was, they were trying to make a difference now and that is what mattered.  "It's good to meet you, as well."

"Think too much?  No, not at all.  You are thinking logically and that's the important part.  I've yet to actually take up a quest myself with the exception of the Earning a Living profession quest - I'm not sure that one can really be counted, though.  I've just been grinding away on the swine found just outside of the safe zone.  It isn't nearly as lucrative as one would think but it's a start."  Icarus shrugged at his last statement.  There really wasn't much of a choice for him.  It was either farm on the boars for experience or risk soloing a quest at a low level.  He chose the safer of the two options.

"I'm a two-handed straight sword user, also.  I heard they were good for clearing out groups of mobs but it's way too early for me to tell.  To be honest, I don't have a clue what I'm doing.  I've never held a sword in my life so when I'm out there, I'm just swinging wildly and hoping to catch something on the other end of it."  He shook his head at his admission, unable to help himself from cracking a light smile.

"I'll get better, though - I hope, anyway.  As far as questing, I'm sure there are some low ones on the First Floor we could look into.  Before that, though, we might want to try and get your level up a little bit so you don't get taken out in one hit.  That would be... bad, you know?"

"Practice made perfect" is was everyone says.  As deterred from progressing in his Performer profession as Icarus was, he still managed to fight the cold of the early morning to make his way to the studio.  After spending all of a couple of moments to get a fire started in the hearth, he settled in at the piano bench and started idly plucking at the keys as he contemplated what he would like to take a failing stab at today. Bach?  Brahms?  Beethoven?  Nothing was really striking a chord within him.

Icarus found he didn't want to play anything serious.  He just wanted to goof around jam in the ways he used to with his brother and sisters - so he did.  What came out was actually pretty good sounding.  It wasn't classical in the slightest, sounding more upbeat and poppy than intended but it didn't immediately instill in him the desire to rip his own ears off.  Well, until he let the composition go on longer than necessary, then it devolved into something he wouldn't put his name next to.

In the end, the recording stone he always had situated on the top board of his piano illuminated with a new, successful recording.  Hey, progress today.  Not bad... I guess.

Icarus nodded in response to the bearded man - he seemed to have everything under control.  He heaved the weight of Alondite from where its blade was stuck in the ground, pulling it free from the earth and spinning it around in a single revolution before replacing it at his back.  As soon as it was set, the weapon dematerialized back into its permanent spot in his inventory.  He looked about the area and despite how many people were about, it was relatively quiet.  People seemed to be having a good time for the most part.  As long as they were comfortable and felt safe with their surroundings, Icarus was content.

On his armored heel, he made an about-face and headed into the direction of the Town of Beginnings.  Far ahead, at the very edge of his vision, he saw a blonde haired girl departing into the town.  From his position and the great distance, he couldn't clearly make out who it was but the shape of their figure was familiar.  Judging by the new look of the hooded sweatshirt-like piece of gear clothing her upper torso, though, he could assume it was the young lady known as Snow.  It certainly wasn't a look he could imagine on Lessa.  Regardless, his feet started hitting the ground and taking him onto the path that would lead him back to the safe zone.