Kasier

Kasier watched as the old lady got closer and closer until she was within talking distance of the two players. She had a frown, and it was obvious that although her eyes were filled with experience, it had also recently seen tears and sorrow. She had shrunk from the prime ages of her life and now she walked with a slightly bent-over form as if recent life experiences has beaten her down. Her golden hair pin which stood out from the rest of her dull body was obviously a gift from another individual, probably one that deeply cared for her. The old lady stopped, her left hand holding a leather bag, and she was looking straight at Kasier, as if it was known that she was the quest taker. Kasier stared back at the old lady, knowing that it was not suitable for her to speak first. Indeed, in situations like this, the old lady would have to begin. It was then that Kasier heard Jonathan mutter something next to her, suggesting that he could end the quest right now, and Kasier was about to question what he meant when the old lady finally began.

"Hello players," She began weakly, her lips as dry as her aged hands, "You are the only hope I have left. You see... recently, my loving husband has been killed by something called the Banshee. It is a figure that represents the a female, but do not be tricked. She... no, it is heartless, and will kill everyone who steps into her trap. Please, I have nothing to live for now that my husband is dead, here, I have 10,000 Col in this bag," Opening the bag and showing it to the two players, she closed it and continued with the quest process, "Defeat the Banshee, and it will be yours. Rumors say that you must find the <<Banshee Lair>> on this floor and then proceed to defeat the monster. Do you accept?"

Kasier watched as the pop-up screen for the quest appeared directly in front of her, at which she clicked accept immediately. It was the obvious thing for her to do. She knew what it was to love someone, and she couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose someone so precious. To her, this was just a desperate woman seeking for revenge... exactly what she would do if the people she loved were killed by the hands of a monster. Kasier nodded, looked at Jonathan, "Let's go," Kasier casually commanded, "I suppose we should find this lair. Oh also, what were you saying about being able to end this quest right now?"

@Morgenstern

Kasier wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. For some reason, there was disturbance in the atmosphere - probably just her instincts, but she wanted out anyways. However, before she stood up to leave with the black-haired woman, she heard that Itzal had already been acquainted with the woman, and that was the instant that Kasier realized that she had seen her that way, in Itzal's shop that she had gone to occasionally when she wanted to listen to some music or play an instrument herself. Kasier nodded, "Let's talk on the way to the quest location. Being level thirty, you've probably already done the quest "Avalanche", so I'm going to have to ask you to waste some of your time helping me with this if you can." Kasier said hastily, standing up and opening the glass door that she had entered to leave the same place that appeared to be so jolly.

Soon enough, the two were on the road (sorry, a bit of time skip, hope that's fine. It's the way that I thought would be the best way to continue lol). Kasier had put on her gloves and her scarf once more to protect herself somewhat from the snow that was coming down faster than when she first stepped into the floor that morning. Kasier sighed, watching the white mist that came from her mouth disappear as she did so. "Itzal, huh? The way you described him seems just like him. Yeah, he's the type of person who would die to save a random person from death. Which is why I'm so worried about him sometimes." Kasier smiled gently as she mentioned his name. It hasn't been that long since she last saw Itzal cry. He's been taking on too much responsibility, too much stress and responsibility for everyone around him. In fact, it seems that Itzal has some sort of new-found sadness as a result of that certain event... a fateful event that might change the guild the two were in completely. But that was his business, and while she would try her best to get through to him, the ultimate decision of what to do must be decided by himself, even if it is against what she thinks.

"Level 30, huh? Not going to lie, you are stronger than you look. I thought you were just an average low-leveled player, but I guess I was wrong. First impressions were practically always wrong anyways. Well, thanks for doing this with me, I wasn't sure who else to go to for help with this quest." Kasier exclaimed, strolling along slowly with an emotionless face that she practically always kept in public. It was basically her trademark at this point, a mask that she had forced onto her face. Kasier opened her menu and pressed a few buttons, sending a friend request and a party invite to Hestia. 

@Hestia

Kasier redirected her attention to the black-haired girl when she once again began to speak. For some strange reason, Kasier could not shake off the feeling that the two had met before. Although even if they had, it would've probably only been for a few moments of time. The girl said something, but Kasier failed to focus enough to listen to what she said exactly... something about deaths and smiles. It wasn't that important. However, she did catch the fact that the lion named Kuro is a he. Might be good to know, you never know when random information could come into play. Kasier thought, taking another sip of the coffee, but keeping her eyes on the girl in front of her. Oolong. Chinese. Mhm. Kasier thought, being a cafe shop owner herself, she was sure to know exactly what that was. In fact, she was sure that she had made one for herself at one point in game. Wonder if she has an Asian background. She thought, involving herself in the stray thoughts that she liked to dive into.

"Coming up right away." Kasier heard from the waitress that had returned to the table. She sneaked a look at her, realizing that the waitress had sneaked a peak at her at the exact time. The result was the two looking away immediately, with Kasier looking back at the black-haired girl and the waitress returning to the kitchen. Kasier had a strange feeling... that the waitress was not who she appeared to be. Perhaps she wasn't even an NPC. There was something resembling life about her, but Kasier couldn't place her fingers on it. Whatever it was, Kasier didn't feel safe in this shop, even though it was in the safe zone.

Suddenly, the black-haired girl asked Kasier if her name was "Kaiser" and at that, she quickly burst into a laugh, almost dropping the paper cup in front of her onto the ground. After a while, Kasier calmed down and began to speak, "Yeah, I guess at one point some people called me Kaiser, but no that was a while ago. The name is Kasier, with the s and i switched. A common mistake though, since I got my username from the word "Kaiser". Anyways, I thought I had seen you before, so I guess we have met. But I can't recall where we've met from... You are? Also, I was wondering, would you mind doing a quest with me? You can bring the drink with you." Kasier exclaimed, sneaking one more peek at the kitchen window and grabbing onto the cup and tossing it into the bin closest to her seat.

@Hestia 

ID: 93129 CD: 7 (Good)
ID: 93130 CD: 4 (Bad) LD: 9
ID: 93131 CD: 8 (Good)
ID: 93132 CD: 8 (Good)
ID: 93133 CD: 8 (Good)
ID: 93134 CD: 6 (Good)

Kasier stopped staring at the wall and decided that it would be a great day to carry on with her crafting. She sighed, standing up from her chair and walking into the kitchen. She had expected that from twelve crafts, she would be able to craft one perfect item at least. It was shame that she found out from the recent six crafts, she was only able to craft five good items and one bad item. The bad item, like always, she threw in the trash immediately. She was a cook of high-quality items, or at least, she was striving to become a cook of high-quality items. She sighed, obviously not pleased with the items that she had crafted, but there was nothing she could do with what she thought were wasted materials. At least they were all tier one... If Kasier managed to craft good tier two items, she would not have been happy with that. In the end, Kasier convinced herself that she would just try harder later to craft better items.

-6 Tier 1 materials
+17 EXP

Kasier opened her eyes slightly to what seemed like a female speaking to her. She rubbed her eyes, and studied her. Black-hair, black eyes. Nothing seemed really peculiar about the girl. She seemed like a normal, every day girl. It was these types of players that she found no significant features in that she immediately concluded to be low-leveled players. She didn't mind though, as she wouldn't mind company so early in the morning, as long as they weren't too annoying. She stared at the other girl for a while, and finally, she nodded, looking at the empty seat in front of her. Kasier had also noticed a lion on the side. Although the common feeling that a mammal as fierce as a lion gave out was fear, Kasier recognized its condition as a familiar, and determined that he or she would no doubt be no harm. Kasier sat up straighter, now that she was in company of another person and tapped her second finger on the wooden table. Then, with her free hand, she grabbed onto a menu that she had and flipped it on the table so the girl could read it on her own.

"Lovely place this is, too bad doesn't get as much customers in the morning." Kasier remarked with a lazy smile. There was something familiar about the girl, she remembered seeing her somewhere but she couldn't place her hands on where exactly she had seen the face from. Perhaps it was just such a generic face that she thought that she knew her, but she soon eliminated that as the case - there was no way that she would meet someone without remembering who they were. "Hey, have I -" Kasier began to ask, but was immediately cut off by the waitress that had hurriedly come back to her table with the warm coffee that she had ordered.

It was in a paper cup, kind of like the cups used by Starbucks in real life. Kasier smiled, sitting back a bit as the waitress placed the cup on her table. "Thank you." She said, without making eye contact with the NPC, again, mainly out of routine. Cupping her hands around the cup, Kasier could feel the cold warmth from the coffee that found its way past the cup. It was not hot, but not cold, the perfect temperature for Kasier's tastes. "Mhm, not bad. So, uh, what's his name?" Kasier asked, nodding her head towards the lion, "or her." She added, just in case.

@Hestia

Kasier coughed, reinforcing the scarf that hung around her neck loosely as she walked a couple of steps into the fourth floor. The last time that she had been here was with a player who she hadn't seen for a long time. That time, she had attempted this quest as well, but for some reason, she and the other player couldn't complete it. This time, however, she was determined to finally get this low-leveled quest completed so she can progress with her recently found inspiration to grind levels. It had been a while since she last did anything in this game, and the guilt had been building up that she wasn't helping the front lines at all. She was not high-leveled enough to actually participate in the front-lines, but she definitely would've been there by now if she continued at the rhythm that she had far before she had gone completely inactive from anything. Kasier looked up, her eyes reflecting the white snow that was gently pouring upon the fourth floor like always. This was both the reason that she loved this floor... and hated it. It was cold, way too cold for her to be able to actually live on this floor, but the scenery here was beyond describable, far superior compared to the rest of the floors that she had been to. The white sheet that covered everything seemed to not only hide the ugliness of the wooden buildings and cabins, but also the fact that it was all a prison. If Kasier's hand didn't turn blue from an extended period of standing there, Kasier would've still stood there, staring into the horizon - into the blue sky that cried white tears. Kasier ripped her eyes from the distance and blew on her hands, although it wouldn't do anything... Not even the red wool gloves could protect her from the temperature that haunted this floor.

Kasier took a step, then another, and finally, she found her way to the cafe that she had come to when she first came here. Kasier walked up the three stone steps and took off her gloves, putting them back into her inventory before pushing open the glass doors and sitting in the corner of the cafe. The place was rather empty, and a lot had changed since she last came to the place. Lights were hung everywhere - blue, red, yellow, all sorts of colors, mainly Christmas colors, blinded Kasier, causing her to look down on the wooden table in front of her instead.

"Welcome to Winter Wonderland, what can I get you, today?" Came a voice from her right. "Special day today, isn't it? Holidays and everything. Would you like to try our new Christmas special?" 

Kasier looked up at the brown-haired NPC. Her eyes were huge, and tireless. It was big and excited for another day, although it has been doing the same thing since the beginning of the game. Makes Kasier think that if the players were like that as well, this game would go by a lot faster. Nevertheless, she smiled, as a routine, before answering, "Sure. I wouldn't mind." Kasier responded, sitting back on the soft sofa chair and bending her head so she was looking at the ceiling, except she closed her eyes. Another day. Wonder how I am going to find someone to do this quest with me this time.

@Hestia

Kasier watched quietly as it seemed that her words managed to find its way into Itzal's ears and into his brain. She realized that this was the first time in forever that not only was Itzal having such emotions, but she was having emotions as well. For the first time, she wanted to tear off her mask, not for herself, but for the one that she loved most... The mask that had hidden away who she was from the beginning, but also the mask which had taken her thus far. Her seriousness in public, her lack of affection for others, her attempts to teach lower-leveled players through unusual ways... All of those from the mask that she had covered herself with from the death of Helios, who killed himself despite how happy he was, and how happy she was around him at that moment.

No, she would not let another incident like that happen. She was determined not to have that happen. It was the first time in what seemed like forever that she wanted to tear the invisible mask from her face, but even so, she could not tear it from her face completely. It would remain... traces of the mask that had stayed with her all this time. She wouldn't want it to go completely. After all, it was the mask that she had stayed with all this time, and it was the mask that had kept her alive through tough times and through difficulties. "Alright," Kasier exclaimed, "Do you need help getting up?" She asked, not knowing whether Itzal wanted to be seen being supported in public. Her thoughts would be for another time. Her mask would continue to slowly disappear, and during the mean time, she would  just letit happen, knowing that whatever happens, it would not disappear forever.

Soon, she found herself sitting next to Itzal on the flower fields of the first floor. Like usual, it was beautiful, but anything is only as beautiful as one made it out to be. Kasier remembered all the times before she had met Itzal when he had made her beautiful, and now it was time for Kasier to repay him. "So, are you feeling better now?" Kasier asked without the serious deeper voice that she used in public, but one of true caring.

@Itzal

Kasier smiled. "Well, no one really changes how they look in this game do they? You can't really grow in this game." Kasier replied, justifying her reasoning behind her pointing out that the blonde man had yet to change. "It's really just a formality of mine... Or a habit at this point for anyone that I haven't seen in a long time."

"And I really haven't been up to anything lately. Just the same old boredom... Nothing new is really happening in this game, you know? It's just grinding, grinding, boss fighting, death, and then the same pattern. How about you? Up to anything lately?" Kasier asked, looking behind him to see a black-haired man that was quite familiar. Stryder. She soon realized, like always, it seemed to her that he had yet to change either. Of course, no one really changes appearance in this game. "And what makes you think I'm the best option in our guild?" Kasier redirected her attention to Jonathan, "You're probably right though. I'm probably the least busy out of all our members. Tell you what, if we are going to complete this quest. We're going to need a damage dealer. Hey Stryder." Kasier called out, a bit louder than her normal, quiet yet stern speaking voice, motioning him over with a quick gesture.

"You up for a quick quest?" She asked.

@Stryder

Name: Carrot Flavor Coffee
Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 4
ID: 93044
Roll: 10
Item Type: Snacks
Tier: Tier 1
Quality: Uncommon
Enhancements: 1X Vitamins (+1 LD For Entire Thread)
Description: An orange colored cup of coffee. The coffee gives an extraordinary amount of vitamins so that the drinker can stay alive without eating anything healthy for two weeks.

Name: Coffee of Absolute Accuracy
Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 4
ID: 93041
Roll: 11
Item Type: Snacks
Tier: Tier 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: 1x Accuracy (+1 BD when attacking)
Description: This coffee will jerk anyone who feels lazy or tired awake and give them immediate attention boost, giving them extra attention for small details and patterns

Name: Coffee of Absolute Accuracy
Your Profession: Cook
Your Rank: 4
ID: 93043
Roll: 11
Item Type: Snacks
Tier: Tier 1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: 1x Accuracy (+1 BD when attacking)
Description: This coffee will jerk anyone who feels lazy or tired awake and give them immediate attention boost, giving them extra attention for small details and patterns

ID: 93040 CD: 1 (Fail)
ID: 93041 CD: 11 (Rare)
ID: 93042 CD: 7 (Good)
ID: 93043 CD: 11 (Rare)
ID: 93044 CD: 10 (Uncommon)
ID: 93045 CD: 1 (Fail)

(Read Stryder's post wrong, oops)

Kasier really hasn't been that involved with this world at all. Lately, she's been kind of just waiting around, doing nothing. She felt no inspiration for grinding in fear that her death might cause a ripple to those around her. As a result, she really didn't feel the inspiration to progress at all. The result was her failing to craft anything of particular significance that might help her increase her ranks as a cook. Fortunately for her, Stryder had come along to give her something to craft for the first time in a while. Even so, she felt no inspiration to complete the order as fast as she can. It took her about two months for her to finally get to it. Today is the day. She told herself, finding her way to the bottom of the shop and turning on the kitchen lights. She had done a bit of cooking for herself but not for anyone else or for any enhanced items. It was a good time for her to warm up for further cooking and she finally started the cooking machine for the first time in what seemed like forever. The result... was decent. It was not the best result, but it got the job done.

+6 Tier 1 materials
-6 Tier 1 materials
+23 EXP

Poor healer here needs some life mending if you know what I'm saying

Christmas is over. Guess happy New Years lol

(>.> you make it sound as if I just suddenly changed her out of the blue. It was actually the death of her dearest friend at the time and the recognition of her weakness that changed... Just putting that out there ^-^)

Kasier accepted the party request and did as Jonathan instructed. She was supposed to follow the map to an NPC, who was supposed to give her the quest. It was then that she noticed a post hanging on the board near by outside a tavern. There were quite the number of players grouped around the poster as well, obviously riled up by some sort of controversy. Kasier shot Jonathan a motion and walked over to check out the commotion, just in case it has something to do with the quest. Even if it doesn't, it might be something else that require the assistance of high-leveled players. 

"So, the rumors really are true..." Kasier heard once she got close enough to the crowd of players and NPCs. And finally, after squishing past the crowd, she got right below the poster and read it, recognizing immediately that this had to do with the quest that she had heard of and wanted to complete. Without thinking, Kasier grabbed onto the poster paper and yanked it off the board, to the dismay of several players before walking over to Jonathan and showing it to him.

"Not really a hard quest to find, I suppose. Let's see here," Kasier exclaimed, turning the front of the paper back to herself to read it. It appeared that the poster was made by an old lady whose husband had been killed by a creature of the night. "Kill the creature, and 10,000 Col? Geez, the game moderators have never been this generous before. I wonder what happened to them. Well, I guess we really don't have to find her ourself." She looked up, looking at a shadow that was getting bigger and bigger as the sun shielded her back, blackening her front. 

"Because, she found us."

@Morgenstern

A step onto the snow was all that should've been needed to redirect Kasier from the place that she was going. Christmas had been one of those holidays that she had spent with her family in real life but thought useless since the beginning of this game. It was really a family holiday, not one spent with friends or acquaintances necessarily. It was meant to be a jolly time, but Kasier felt somewhat empty. It had been a large gap of time since she had last spent any time with her beloved, but it wasn't because of that that she was feeling an emptiness, it was the memories of her family that she should be spending the holidays with. She could imagine her home being lit up with bright, yellow lights, and red, blue, green lights decorating the outside of the humble house, with her extended family eating the same turkey and dishes prepared like any other year. It would be the same as any other year, but it was simply not the same without her. Her parents could only hope and pray for Kasier to finally wake up one day and spend a Christmas with them. Indeed, it had been far too long since she had spent one with them - and it was for that reason that she felt empty. And it was for that reason that her parents would feel empty even though everything was the same, everyone was the same, but Kasier was not the same.

Nevertheless, it was Christmas season, and naturally, Christmas was to be spent with others. With her guild being practically dead from the terrible year they were having, she figured that it would be useless going to any of them for companionship. Instead, she would head out and see if she could find anything interesting that was going on. Naturally, a Christmas party was best held on the fourth floor, where snow would be falling lightly from the sky and the towns would be clothed with holiday lights and Christmas trees. And a party she did find, although she figured she'd rather stand on top of a hill and look down upon it before actually going to it. She was curious. How could players continue to be this festive even though this game was death itself? How can happiness be felt from a holiday that should be celebrated in real life, not in a video game. After staring and thinking about it, Kasier shook her head at her naiveness. Perhaps it was she, not them, that was wrong here. Perhaps Christmas was not a holiday, but rather a feeling that there are others with you no matter how bad things seem.

And thus, she found herself walking into the party silently, keeping an eye out for anyone that was remotely familiar to her eyes. Luckily, she found Stryder, someone that she had completed several quests with, but had not acquainted herself with personally. A shrug followed and she walked over to him, "Nice party." Kasier exclaimed simply.

@Stryder

Kasier sighed. Indeed, she had gotten so used to the comfort of her home that she had forgotten all about the level-grinding and quest rushing that she had planned to go on a long time ago. As a result, she has yet to really progress... Not even a level. It was a shame, considering that she had desperately wanted to go to the front lines but now, the front lines was just something that she considered a place that she would eventually reach, but didn't care about. She could care less about joining those boss fights unless she was really needed - it was that battle field that costs the lives of so many, and she would not dare to join those players on the list of deaths. She had far more to consider... She was not living for herself now, so she needs to calculate everything that she does precisely to avoid all chances of death. Even so, she convinced herself that she needed to continue to actively gain experience as experience would be a factor to her livelihood. After so many days of not coming out of her home, she opened the door and walked out for the first time in what seemed like forever. Out of that dark room of the dark house, she found herself protecting her eyes against the majestic rays of light that attacked her face.

Itzal would no doubt be out in the fields at this time of the day to do his daily level-grind, so she checked out her friend's list to see if there were anyone available for her to contact and reach to complete a quest with her. And indeed, she had noticed the name Morgenstern, also more commonly known as Jonathan by those familiar with him. Without expression, she clicked on his name and sent him a message, making arrangements to meet up on the tenth floor to complete a quest that she had yet to initiate.

Soon enough, she found her way to the tenth floor, one of the highest that she had gone on so far, to see Jonathan already there, waiting for her arrival. "Morning. Haven't seen you for a while. Let's get on our way, then. Do you know how to accept the quest?" She asked the blonde man, who had obviously advanced far ahead of her in terms of gear and level. And it seemed that his power level had reached over 9000.

@Morgenstern

(Welp, I just realized I forgot to post here... Uh. My bad?)

The Guardian of the New Dawn. Kasier repeated in her mind. No, it wasn't familiar. She had never heard of the guild before, but it seemed like it was started with good intentions according to the way that the man had described it. Although, it seemed like the remainder of the guild was unlike him. He seemed uninspired for some strange reason, as if he didn't want to do anything and didn't want to talk to anyone. She noticed several small actions such as looking at the ceiling or rubbing his eyes that was a sign of such. Nevertheless, Kasier continued to carry the conversation. Scooting away from the table, she watched as the waitress who had came out a few seconds ago place the tea that she had ordered in front of her. Kasier nodded to her, signalling that she may retreat before cupping her hands around the elegant, white cup to absorb the heat passing from the tea through the glass. "Stryder is a name that I have heard before. He's a good man, kind of reminds me of Itzal, if I don't say so myself." Kasier paused, shaking the cup a bit and taking a slow sip to ensure that she does not get burned from consuming it too fast.

It was then that she suddenly realized that there was nothing left for her to say. It was the same old awkwardness that she often had when talking to other people - not knowing what to say and how to say things. During her time in SAO, she had experienced a lot of changes, and while she had definitely improved on her communication skills, she was definitely not the best. Luckily for her, she heard another unfamiliar voice introducing herself. Kasier looked up at about the same time as the man and immediately noticed quite the fire-like hair color. It was radiant, and almost impossible to miss. 

"I'm Kasier." Kasier looked at the man, realizing that he had yet to reveal his name to her. Safe. It's a good choice, actually. Not to give away one's name in a death game. "Site for sore eyes huh? Well, the front lines really has't been progressing recently. It's sure to cause a bit of stress on everyone. At the rate that we're going, this game will never be beat." Kasier exclaimed and paused, "So, uh, what's up with you recently?" She finished with her go-to line if she didn't have anything else to say, and motioned for Illia to have a seat. 

@Illia @Pinball

Kasier watched as Itzal cried, and cried, releasing his tears and bringing upon a flood of emotions that washed over his face. He was shaking, a clear human response to shock and disbelief, and Kasier could see exactly why he was feeling this way. Humans are amongst all the mammals of the earth, the most brilliant, complex, and intelligent creatures. We have the capability of memorizing billions of facts, create formulas, and communicate with one another to survive. In ancient times, we were able to use our minds and teamwork to hunt down creatures faster and stronger than us. Our minds are complex beings, a figure that is not to be reckoned with - a figure that still remains to be discovered for each individual. It is, after all, the source of who we are. However, such intelligence comes with a cost - emotions. We feel more emotions than other creatures, at times, this might become an obstacle. Stupidity and unreasonable thinking is a result of such emotions. With the amygdala fully at work, emotions might block out reasonable thinking, leading to unfortunate events that might be caused at the spur of a moment. That is why it is essential for Itzal to calm down, and that is what Kasier will try to do.

However, it was quite awkward for her. She wanted to comfort him, but she had no idea what she should do to do so due to her occasional social awkwardness. She had never felt what she was feeling before, as if a weight of pressure was pressed upon her back, waiting to be released, but blocking her range of movement. So she simply sat there for a while, hoping that Itzal would stop crying and think over it. It was then that he repeated "he's dead" several times, at which Kasier was finally driven to do something. Sitting next to him, she wrapped her right arm around him, gently placing it on his right shoulder while positioning her face so it was next to Itzal's. "Itzal..." Kasier began before stopping and taking a deep breath. "I know that Beatbox was one of your best friends, if not your best friend, but death like this will happen, and there's nothing we can do about it. He made a choice without going to anyone else and asking for advice, which is why he passed away, unfortunately." Kasier paused, "Itzal. No one wants to see you like this. I feel as if my heart was smashed by a hammer when I saw you shed tears like this. You are a strong man, Itzal... And there are people out there who needs you. Please don't let this impact you that much. Is there anyway I can help? Do you want to go somewhere?"

@Itzal

Kasier looked over and found the white-haired girl suggesting that she had just joined the game. As far as Kasier was concerned, it was actually impossible to join the game after it had already started. Perhaps she had managed to lose her memory, somehow, and hence thought she was only just starting? It didn't matter, and that was what Kasier assumed had happened. "I've been here for quite a while, now. Since the beginning of the game. We all have. It's just that I slacked off for a year or so in the beginning, and now I am beneath the level curve drastically." Kasier explained, looking back at the scenery that had introduced her to the beauty of this advanced game. "Oh, Zachariah, the NPC. He's quite a popular character among low-leveled player. I assume that you're lower than level fifteen, then." Kasier replied, when the girl mentioned the name that she was quite familiar to. He was the first NPC that any low-leveled player is introduced to, and he is quite adept at making players feel at home with his friendly gestures and language. "Yeah, I would be fine with that. It's not like I have anything to do... Oh, and I am Kasier, of the Celestial Ascendants. I'm pleased to meet you, Etherial." She introduced herself in response to the Etherial who had introduced herself first. It was then that Kasier caught a small patch of redness on the girl's pale face. A blush. Definitely a shy type I would guess. Kasier thought. "Well, I'm ready to go talk to him, when you are. You know how to find him?" Kasier asked.

@Etherial

Kasier yawned, stretching her right arm high above her head as she sat up on her bed. It was another calm night with no dreams or nightmares to occupy her through it; it was quite a shame, really, as dreams were the entertainment of the night, and back in the start of the game, she really enjoyed the nightmares that tormented her from her subconsciousness. She shrugged, pulling the covers off her as she stood up and got ready to start off the day with another material gathering session. Something that she had been doing quite a lot although she really hadn't been enjoying it. There was just nothing else to do for her - Itzal was probably grinding like usual, and they had to live separately since the housing update was released. She sighed, dreading the day's boredom when she suddenly heard a notification that would save her from this utmost boredom. When she looked at the message, she was quite shocked. The sender was Morgenstern, or Jonathan as most people called him. It had been a while since she last talked to him, but it had not been a while since she last saw him. The last time... was the guild hall? The guild meeting... That's what it was.

She was quite hesitant to join him on the quest, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to catch up on a few things going on with him and his reaction to Beatbox's death, and the whole situation with the guild at the moment. Plus, things might happen that would quench her of her thirst for events of interest in this game - that would be the perfect scenerio. She typed up a message back to Jonathan, and soon enough, found herself on the eighth floor - the floor of mass forestation. 

Quote

Sending to: <<Morgenstern>>
Subject: RE: Questing?

Sure, I'm on my way.

Upon arrival, she used the GPS system to track Jonathan who was on her friend's list, and soon found herself looking through the windows of a small cafe to see Jonathan sitting in a small cafe. She walked in and took the seat across from Jonathan, looked at him for a few seconds, and opened her mouth to break the silence. "Long time no see. You haven't changed at all." Kasier smiled, "Oh, and coffee, please." She waved at the waitress nearby. 

@Stryder @Morgenstern

Kasier shrugged, "I just haven't been doing much lately. Guild activity is quite low. Besides, I'm not as busy as the other players out there. I'm basically finished with everything that I need to finish. At this point, I'm just trying to have fun in this game... Something that I found to be very difficult due to the circumstances." Kasier explained. There really isn't much to do with her guild. Despite the fact that she was a paladin, she really didn't have that many things to do. In fact, she's not even sure who exactly is in her guild. It's just that her guild has recently fallen short of significant activities due to the latest being quite an emotional guild meeting. She still remembers that, and it was only natural that the guild would remain like this until everyone can forgive each other and everyone can forget the past. If there wasn't nearly as much drama in this game, then the players would be way higher in floors than they are now. However, it is also the drama that makes this game so interesting. Without it, it would just be another boring game without human interaction. 

"Anyways, why are you here? Are you perhaps in a guild as well?" She asked. She had never really wondered about other guilds. At the moment, she has knowledge of three different guilds: Celestial Ascendants, Knight of Blood Oath, and Black Coffin. Black Coffin was a myth, technically, since she had only heard about them from other players, never experiencing their powers herself. There were surely other guilds though, perhaps even some newer ones will be working hard to get themselves on the front lines. If so, she might as well get associated with potential front line members. "I've never seen you before. Have you ever been to the front lines?" Kasier asked, watching as the waitress once again walked out with the tea that she had ordered.

@Illia @Pinball

Kasier glanced up, her eyes twitched and her mind tired of the same things over and over again. It was the same - same leaves that flew by her shop, same people walking through the streets, same excitement and boredom on the faces of these people. It is always the same, isn't it? The same sun burned her face as she looked up slightly. The same breeze picked up her skirt slightly as the gentle wind carried her mind far away from this virtual prison that Kayaba had called life. When one is stubbornly refused to subject to the boredom of this game, his or her mind often wonders away into depths not known to man - boredom causes people to dig deep into their conscious or subconscious to attempt to obtain something that can quench their thirst, and Kasier had been one of these people... along with many others within the game. Endless days of grinding and socializing with similar types of people has brought her to a state in which she'd rather sit down and think about things rather than go on and actually talk to people - and when she does talk to people, it often ended up in a philosophical debate regarding anything that she can find - all to fulfill her desire for entertainment and her hope for this boredom to eventually leave her physical body. 

Recently, she had only been talking to a selective group of people that she trusts to the uttermost, but it seemed that all of them were already occupied according to her friend's list. With a sigh, she closed the front door of her shop, locked it up, and turned around to head to the outskirts of the first floor where she would gather materials and grind to become a better player like usual. Like usual. The simple thought of doing something exactly the same as something that she had done just yesterday caused her sighs. Soon enough, she found a white-haired girl standing just within the safe zone, staring into the fields that Kasier had admired when she had first come to the location. 

"Beautiful, isn't it? I could stare out here all day if I wanted to." Kasier suddenly stood right besides the girl, her light blue dress dancing with the wind as she stared into the distance - the fields of flowers, the birds flying in the sky. It was beautiful, but it wasn't enough for Kasier. No, she wanted more... Just a simple scenery was not enough to satisfy her boredom.

@Etherial

It had been a dreadful guild meeting, a meeting that had struck a spot in everyone who had attended it. The death of one of the most well-known players on this game had brought everyone's head and spirit down in unison. It was almost as if everyone had lost some bit of hope within them the moment that the truth had come flooding out of the gates like water pouring out after being restrained for a long time. While Kasier had not been as affected, it was obvious that Itzal had been affected most by the passing of his blonde guild mate and comrade, Beatbox, who had been a personal friend that meant a lot to him. It was a shame that Kasier had not been able to take Itzal to a private room for him to calm down and clear his mind as he was needed in the actual meeting, but there was no way she would let Itzal go off on his own without talking to him about recent events first. Also, she wanted to make sure that Itzal doesn't do anything stupid out of anger and without logic. Indeed, the responsibility of this would fall on her, the most insignificant player in the entire guild - yet, she would prove to be one of the most significant characters in Itzal's life.

Kasier tugged Itzal's shirt, getting his attention before whispering to him that they should leave as soon as the guild meeting had come to a conclusion. She allowed him to get up on his own and walk without assistance for him to keep his dignity before she finally held onto him once they were far away from the guild hall that held so many bad memories that had been created by the meeting. "Alright, let's go to my shop on the first floor. We should talk about some things." Kasier exclaimed, walking close to Itzal in case he passed out or anything of the sort. If Kasier was not sure of Itzal's willpower and strength, Kasier would've definitely helped him the whole way, but she knew that Itzal would be able to walk on his own despite the news of tragedy that he had just received. 

Soon enough, Kasier opened the door to her dusty shop before walking upstairs into the single room that she had in her shop with a basic bed and nothing else. It was a basic room with pretty much no furniture, but it would definitely do for a good conversation on the bed. Kasier motioned for Itzal to sit down before sitting down next to him, remaining silent and preparing herself for anything that Itzal might say or pour out. "Alright. We're alone."

@Itzal

Kasier took a glance behind her to see a red-haired woman walking into the shop. She didn't look significant - just the generic skinny girl who looked like she had yet to enter combat due to her outward appearance. It was simply a first impression, but a first impression is correct most of the time.

She nodded to a nearby server before taking a menu and sitting herself down in an isolated area. The group of players that seemed to enjoy themselves were way too loud for her likings. Instead, she would sit near a window facing the grand clock tower placed in the center of the beginning town, so she could enjoy the view while enjoying the quick snack that she had decided to treat herself. Looking back, she motioned for a waitress, already knowing what she wanted to order: a cup of warm, green tea. As she glanced back, she noticed that yet another male had entered the shop by himself, and sat down near the windows in a corner by the wall. He looked as if there was something on his mind, and he put on a mask of an emotion filled with nothingness. Kasier sighed, checking the time as she waited for her tea to arrive. It shouldn't take that long, considering it was just a cup of tea. However, she decided that she would go have a conversation with the man who seemed quite isolated from the lively players in the center of the tavern.

Kasier stood up and walked over to the black-haired man before sitting down across from him, unsure of what to say. She'd never really been the active type... In fact, Kasier had found herself being more and more serious and mature as time went on. She had come a long way since the beginning of this game, and the types of things that she had been involved with were not things that could be taken lightly. Death of comrades... Depression... they were serious topics, and had affected Kasier greatly. "Good night to be out." Kasier exclaimed, looking at him, keeping the same emotionless face that he kept on his face. "My name is Kasier, of the Celestial Ascendants." She mustered out, smiling a bit finally, before she heard a loud shattering of glass. She turned her head to find a puddle of warm liquid spread out across the surface of the wooden tavern ground and a very shocked NPC waitress looking stunned at the mistake that had been caused by her. The loudness of the sound was enough to quiet the entire tavern, and some players actually stood up to leave as their conversational rhythm had been cut out entirely by the sound of the glass. The waitress, finally regaining conscious, immediately began to apologize to Kasier as Kasier insisted that it was all good. Soon, the woman walked back to the kitchen to fetch Kasier a new cup of tea.

"A cup broken just like that. Kind of reminds of me of life. Don't you think so?" 

@Illia @Pinball

Kasier glanced down real quick when she noticed an unopened message in her menus. She had not checked it for a long time as she did not expect anyone to actually send her anything. It was very fortunate that she was able to notice the notification randomly and read the message that promised a very... unusual event. It was not everyday that a special event was hosted to keep the players entertained in this game, and this was one of those rare cases where the game does something to celebrate something in real life. It was only a token of remembrance though, as it would only remind the players of what Halloween was in real life, and in turn taunt them with whatever memory they had left with the events of real life. This was possibly the only reason that Kayaba would put into place such a "fun" event for the players. Nevertheless, prizes might be given to the players in this event... prizes that would be good for a player like her to possess - especially if there were support gear involved. She glanced at the message really quick, wondering if Itzal would be there before closing the message and looking up. The event would be on the tenth floor, a floor that she had not been to for a while, and before she went, she would go get herself a Halloween costume.

In the end, there really wasn't anything that perked her interests that much in the costume shops of the first floor. Eventually, she gave up on finding something that was particularly fun, and instead picked up a Squirtle costume, that was simple and did not attract too much attention as she was sure that there would be many other Pokemon costumes in addition to hers. Without another minute wasted, she walked and teleported to the tenth floor, where creepiness would surely prevail over other moods and tones of the floor. Kasier smiled as she was soon greeted by a someone that popped out of nowhere. 

"What a nice costume! It is great to see you here at this event. Here's your item for showing and I hope you enjoy yourself." The man said, making Kasier jump a little bit as she was already on edge regarding what she will see in this Halloween event. Without saying anything, Kasier nodded to acknowledge the man's existence and eagerly accepted the item that he handed out to her. Walking in, she immediately felt a chill of uncertainty and unfamiliarity as she realized that the entire room was filled with people that she does not recognize. Uh oh... Kasier thought, mistakes were made? 

+1 Candy-guard

Night time had finally bestowed itself upon the world of Aincrad, and along with it came the moon and the great multitude of stars that dominated the dark sky, shining its hopeful rays upon the world that is much less hopeful. Progress on the front lines have been slowing down, and nothing was being done to rush the pace at which floors are being cleared. However, Kasier had no right to judge what the front liners are doing; no matter how confident she acted, she feared the possibility of death. She didn't fear whatever would come after it, as that would surely be heaven, but she feared the effect on a certain individual on this earth if she was to die in this game. She lived not for herself, but for another person, and to her, that is also the best way to live in this world. A world that is simply a reflection of the real world, yet it is not real, not even close to it. It's a broken reflection as one would say... a broken mirror.

These thoughts constantly taunted her mind as she found herself becoming more quiet after a particularly dramatic guild meeting that involved tears and physical attacks. Not only was this a broken recreation of the real world, but the players within it have been broken, and will continue to break as time continues. Kasier sighed, opening the door to her isolated house and walking out into the darkness that seemed so inviting. Itzal was out again, probably still leveling as high as he can to get to a level that he can obtain revenge on someone who killed his best friend. It was good to have a goal, but Kasier feared that he would consume himself with revenge. It didn't help that she was seeing him less and less after the guild meeting. Putting her hands in her pocket, Kasier strolled out to the active part of the town, where certain shops were being closed yet some remained for any players desiring a midnight snack. Bubble tea... Kasier read, walking into a shop and looking at the menu, looking around to see several players already seated and enjoying themselves. 

@Illia @Pinball

Thread Complete

Kasier:
+1 SP
+200 Col

Itzal:
+1 SP
+200 Col