Sarial Hawke

((OOC: Sarial is leaving the scene of the thread. I'll not close the thread until I see some form of closure from those involved. I know everyone wants their SP. Feel free to message me or indicate in your post when your character has left or is finished.))

The location had become more and more crowded as the night grew on, and Sarial had already picked up some valuable tips. Safe zones exist, places where no harm could come to a player, be it by an NPC or another player. Usage of the maps and menus, interacting with other player characters, and the faces she should make a note to avoid in the future, (Thomas) and those she'd be open to further interactions with. (Everyone else)

A shake of her head was offered at the priest who seemed to get his rocks off by toying with people. She'd not allow him to pull her strings further. Once attention was diverted towards M.M's antics she moved backwards, one step at a time. The darkness and nearby alleyway made for an easy escape, one she took when she was certain all attention had fluctuated. Once the redhead had cleared the corner she took some haste to putting distance between her and the others, curious which ones she would see later on and what sort of paths they would take all while trying to consider her own. Would she be one of those who attempted to escape this virtual world? Risking her life to push floors and eventually clear the game? Would she attempt to settle into and accept her new life? Not even she was certain at this point in time.

Sarial could only chuckle as M.M dashed between players and npcs. All of them did their best to steer clear less they be pounced or ran over. A nod was given when she mentioned being kept safe, and a smile soon followed at M.M being her best. What was better? The threat of a lick was stifled, permission. Yes~! Progress was being made. For once, Sari didn't seem to mind the touch- perhaps because it didn't have an ulterior motive. Even the holding of hands seemed comfortable, allowing her hand to swing with each step made. The kitten was right, they were indeed drawing closer to their destination and without inciden--- Hah. Sarial should've known better, this was her fault for not keeping a hold of the woman. Eh.. as if anyone COULD keep her under control. A quick facepalm followed as the man was knocked down and molested. She figured there were worse fates, and the blush across his face WAS comical.

"And you were doing SO good. Guess he was too tempting to pass up, hmm? He your type?"

Sarial teased further before grabbing M.M by the wrist and stealing her along before she got any idea of chasing her victim. Onward they went, that grip -somewhat- tight as to dissuade further assaults. Upon arrival Sarial offered a thumbs up, releasing her wrist and giving her head a pat. 

"Just where you said! Well done. NOW, no pouncing the NPC here, yes? He may -refuse- to give us the quest at all. Promise?"

Sarial narrowed her eyes a bit, giving her such a stare. Though in the back of her mind she knew that M.M wouldn't -really- do anything to mess this up, the both of them wanted to get stronger, or so Sari imagined. The potions would help with survival and leveling up was perhaps the best option here. The further she could get her hitpoints from zero, the further she was from ceasing to be!

Sarial's anger was stemmed as a distraction made itself known. Her cheeks blushed as she was made aware of how aggressive she was there. She cleared her throat as blue eyes settled on the younger boy. She tapped her chin as she gave him a once over, seemingly unsurprised by another player showing up on the scene. That same hand moved to brush through her hair as she cooled off, an eventual smile was given to the teen.

"Ah.. A misunderstanding I think. No trouble.."

 She glared daggers back at the man in the window before looking back at Shepard. Her head gave a small tilt. She motioned to herself and then eventually to each of those she knew who were present.

"Sarial Hawke, Miss Mestophales, Dominion, and.. Not quite sure about this one. You look about as lost as I was earlier. Did you need a hand?"

Once the introductions she knew were out of the way she moved to stand beside Miss Mestophales, her entire demeanor seemingly calmer than it had been. The distractions helped to keep her mind from darker thoughts, even if some of them were quite rude. 

Sarial smiled in return, opening up her map as Miss Mestophales spoke, navigating mentally with the information that had been gathered from the broker. Once the kitten was done with her jacket she took it back, reequipping it at this point. As Miss Mestophales took the chance to really look her she'd see that she was a relatively average, if not fit woman. Her eyes were probably her best feature- a stunningly deep sapphire blue. They were made especially noticeable by the contrast of her ruby red hair. While it wasn't exactly styled in any specific way it was clear that she had taken good care of it. This combined with the light sheen of perspiration perhaps gave Miss Mestophales something of a show.

That smile she'd given remained as Sarial committed the best route to memory with a nod of her head. 

"You and your pouncing. You know, if you go pouncing everyone you see I might get jealous."

Oho whats this? The redhead can tease too? She grinned, eyes widening a bit as she saw M.M so captivated by the gleam from her sword. She maneuvered it slowly, watching the woman chase it this way and that as she walked towards the Workshop. Anything to keep her companion distracted from the possible pounce victim was a plus. Some players didn't take so kindly to being ambushed. As they walked Sarial couldn't help but think about how grateful she was to have someone friendly around. It kept her mind off the gloomy reality of being stuck away from her friends and her family. She'd thought of herself as rather selfless, but the longer she spent here the more she realized that perhaps she'd taken some things for granted. Hell, she even missed her boss and her boyfriend. As silly as this kitten might be, chasing about a bit of reflected sunlight, it was certainly better than facing this world alone.

"Hey.. Mm. Thanks for being around. I'll keep you safe."

These were perhaps hollow words coming from a novice such as herself, but hey. Its the thought that counts.

Sarial kept her gaze on Miss Mestophales, giving her such a glare for her tail's transgressions, though this was snagged away as Dominion questioned her. A small shake of her head was given in response to the question, a hand reaching to lightly touch the hilt of the sword. 

"Honestly? I've never even held a sword before. I am sure Miss Mestophales here will make GREAT practice though, especially if she doesn't keep her paws to herself."

She heard the sound of the dagger hitting a moment before the Kitten reacted. Her eyes narrowed a bit, smile all but gone as she watched it disintegrate into pixels. It took her a moment to find it's source, but then the man eventually spoke up. For the first time that night Sarial had drawn her sword entirely. It was a safe zone, sure- though she wasn't keen on taking any chances and hadn't quite learned all the game mechanics. Despite admitting to being a novice with it, it didn't look out of place in her hands, gleaming in the moonlight as she turned the blade.

"Disturbing the day!? Hey asshole, I don't know who you are but I don't appreciate you whirling around pointy objects. We're all stuck in the same game here you know. What, are you going to miss your virtual beauty sleep? Sod off!"

The girl who had remained mostly calm throughout the startling day seemed to snap briefly, her tone -anything- but friendly in that moment. Her grip tightened on her blade as she pointed it at him. 

"Prey? Aren't you just sick in the head. I believe her definition and your own may be quite different."

Sarial replaced the blade she'd drawn instinctively, still glaring at the man in the window. A hand went up to push her headband back into place before being drawn down over her face in a mock face palm. A sigh passed her pursed lips, too much to think about and already she had met quite the individuals. A cat, someone who didn't even understand the game, and this guy whirling blades at people for fun. 

Sarial's smirk faded quickly, feeling bad that she had pranked her friend, doubly so when thinking of how cold it really was. She was pleased to see that the woman wasn't ready to strangle her, cats didn't really like water after all. Eventually Sarial worked her way out of her jacket, she was overheated and Miss Mestophales seemed to be freezing now. Once she had dripped dry at least  a bit Sari walked over and wrapped the jacket about her shoulders, an apologetic smile given. Perhaps a lesson had been taught both ways? A small hug followed the gesture.

"Metal thing? My sword? Yes! It is the only tool I have, I'd like to know how to use it when the time comes. All this practice is great but, until I have experience it means little!" 

Sarial perks up at the mention of information. She watched as Miss Mestophales showed off in her usual manner. A degree of jealousy was building in Sarial. Each player's body was more or less representative of their real life form, and this woman clearly had her beat in all of those asspects. This was a brief feeling as the mention of a quest came about. A chance to get some experience under her belt? Very easy? This sounded like a perfect chance to become more powerful. Useful even. She tapped her lips in thought as Miss Mestophales went on. 

"That sounds like a great idea, honestly! Time spent much better than standing here practicing this Sword Art. I am fairly certain I have it down at this point. An alchemist, huh? Well, I don't know if any combat is involved, but if it is you have to promise to stay safe. I have enough on my mind, can't go losing my only friend." 

With that Sarial seemed ready and willing to undertake this task. She swapped through her menus and invited Miss Mestophales to a group. 

Sarial had been waking earlier and earlier each day, always attempting to better herself. Ever since she'd accepted the idea that she was stuck she'd been working to better herself, specifically practicing her Sword Arts. Repeatedly triggering those abilities so that when the time came to use them she would be ready. Over and over she repeated the motions while her mind wandered. She worried about her friends, her family, what they must be thinking and doing. Her initial fear that they would simply try to remove her from the game had subsided in the weeks she'd been here. She wondered if her body was being taken care of. Fed? Hydrated? 

With some effort she forced all those what ifs from her mind. Her training would do no good if she couldn't focus. Right foot forward, ready the blade... now! She stepped forward, her Art activating with a lunging slash. Sweat gathered on her brow despite the relatively cool nature of the morning, she'd even put on an extra layer for warmth, one she was growing to regret as she heated up. Her practice continued on for some time before she heard the pattering of feet, someone was running towards her. It had nearly become routine, she didn't even need to look to confirm who it was. Her feline friend was well on her way to pouncing, oh.. but today.. Today would be different! The redhead got a devious grin on her face, bringing both hands up to clasp them with excitement. Oh, Sarial was.. excited to see Miss Mestophales? Something was.. off. 

Sarial held her ground until the very last moment, sidestepping the pounce with some degree of agility. Miss Mestophales soared and... into the fountain. The grin Sarial gave her once she emerged from the cool water was one of triumph and victory. 

"Mornin' kitty cat. Hows the water?"

 Sari dashed away from any retaliation via splashing, that smirk fading to a more friendly smile. All in good fun after all. Her sword had since been returned to the scabbard across her back. 

"I trust you slept well?"

Sari was glad to have the attention off her, at least for the moment. She seemed surprised that the player had so little idea of what he'd gotten himself into. Deep down it made her sad, she imagined he wouldn't live very long in this environment. She nodded along as Miss Mestophales went over the directions and explanations. Seeing her slip her arms around him and continue her flirting was also a relief, a note that it was simply how the woman was- and despite her ways here she was making her best efforts to help someone else. It was endearing.

"Everything she is saying is correct, Dominion. You're inside a video game. One that, as far as I can tell. We're not able to leave... Ah, here. You can perhaps make more use of this than I can. Yeh? I can simply get another."

The redhead ran through her menus, pulling up the starter guide she'd gotten from a player earlier in the day. She stepped over and offered it to him before she unequipped her jacket, storing it in her inventory. A small smile graced her lips.

"If you give that a good read it is about as close to a tutorial as you'll find here. It should help you stay alive, or progress towards whatever goal you have here. Miss Mestophales was kind enough to offer me her assistance, so I think it only proper I pay it forward on to you."

No sooner has she lavished praise upon the kitten did Miss Mestophales make her regret it. That wandering tail made the hairs on the back of Sari's neck stand on end. An alarmed look washed over her face, followed by crimson blush. She jumped a good meter away from the both of them, narrowing her eyes.

"I am going to poke you with my sword the next time you do that!"

Sarial blinked her eyes, before Miss Mestophales could steal her away another player appeared before her. Instinctively she reached for her sword, a habit she'd attempt to do away with quickly, but in a world where your HP was more than just a number she couldn't be too careful. Sarial stepped back to put some distance between her and the inquisitive stranger, eyebrow lofted as she watched him. These sudden introductions seemed to wear on her nerves as she narrowed her eyes, though her tone was not harsh when she finally went about answering his question. She brought a hand to touch her chest. 

"My name is Sarial, and -she- is Miss Mestophales. All players and all in the same stunned boat I do believe. Stuck inside a video game- though some seem to be taking it better than others."

She glanced to her Catty-companion when she said this. Her weight shifting from one foot to another. This wasn't her first time in an online game, though the more she thought on it the more she realized how "serious" this game really was. Assuming all that she had been told was true, her real life had effectively ended. Would she really die if she died in the game? Could she really not log out? She wasn't going to test it, that much was certain. Her stern gaze returned to the man that'd approached, waiting for his own introduction, hopefully involved less flips and more name trading.

"Can we help you?"

Sarial thought for a long moment, bringing a finger up to tap at her chin. Mestophales may have been an odd one, but her words made sense. The large man in the sky condemning them all to being jailed inside a virtual world was certainly more strange than a woman into cosplay. This train of thought was interrupted by a sudden, surprisingly long lick to her cheek. Her eyes opened wide in disbelief, shaking and kicking beneath the woman atop her as she struggled to get up now. She didn't seem keen on being licked, even less so on being told she tasted like chicken.

"B-bored, right. Do you often greet people like this? I am certain that is going to land you in some trouble you can't.."

She stood there without words as Miss Mestophales vaulted through the air, showing off both agility and skill. The redhead left scratching her head once again. Strange yes, but there was something endearing about the older woman. Flirty, lively? But most importantly, friendly. She seemed to want to help, socialize, meet new people. All things Sarial too wanted to do, and before she'd -really- thought this through she gave a nod of her head. 

"Partner up, yes. I think that would be a good idea for the time being, though i'll ask that you refrain from further licking without at least asking first?" 

That settled it, at least now Sarial had some form of direction, she took Mestophales at her word about not being lost. Her smile eventually returned as she walked over and gave the catgirl a friendly pat on the head. Sari stretched for a moment then motioned to the way forward with some degree of uncertainty.

"Lead on?"

Sarial heard the footsteps before she saw the woman approaching. She'd begun to daydream and had more or less giving up on seeing anyone tonight. The sight of this... woman coming at her in full sprint, covered in body paint, and looking about as close to a cat as one could manage. To say that Sarial was surprised would've been an understatement. She reached back in an attempt to grab her sword but was simply caught far too off-guard. Sari's eyes widened as the cat-girl took pseudo flight, soaring through the air into a pouncing tackle.

"W-what are you doing!? Get off me!"

Sarial was laid out, prone on her back, blinking up at Mestophales with a dazed and confused look and a slight mix of anger. Those feelings subsided slowly as she realized the woman didn't mean her any harm, well. None that was readily apparent. Sarial's eyes closed briefly, a sigh of relief before they opened. Yup, Mestophales was still there. With a clearing of her throat the redhead spoke up, her voice a bit more gentle this time around as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. It wasn't exactly the person Sarial had in mind for help, but given her situation she'd take any she could get.

"Nice outfit?" She chuckled lightly, rubbing at where she'd bumped her head in the tumble.  "I suppose I've seen and heard stranger things.. Are you as lost as I am?---Sarial, by the way." She gave her in-game name by default. 

(THIS RP TAKES PLACE DAY 1)

Sarial shook her head, still in disbelief at what she'd gotten herself into. She'd attempted more than a couple hundred times to log out of the game. Surely this was some joke? Could she pinch herself and wake up? As far as she could tell this wasn't the case. This.. was her new reality. A part of her was terrified at the prospect of being trapped here and yet, she found herself with some degree of excitement. Wasn't this what she'd wanted? Something new? A change of pace? This may have been more than she'd ever bargained for but she wouldn't let that stop her. She squeezed her hand into a fist, standing up from the bench with steeled resolve. Her azure gaze was cast skyward, admiring the realism of this "game". 

"Damn good graphics.." 

A soft chuckle passed her lips before she eventually did give herself a pinch, a pinch that felt entirely real. The pain, the sensation? This felt as real as it could get, and it surprised her. This didn't feel like VR, no. It was something more, it felt like pure realism. Her eyes closed now, a deep breath inhaled. Cool, crisp, and refreshing. She didn't stay in that spot any longer. Most of the other players had long since moved on to explore and she'd wasted her entire day trying to find some escape. Here she was, lost and alone in a new city, and a new world. She'd need some form of direction. She'd ask the first person she came across. With a nod the scarlet headed woman strode off in a.. random direction, winding through the streets and the back alleyways looking for signs of life. At this time of night she didn't expect she'd have too much luck, yet she continued her search to the brink of giving up entirely until... 

(OOC: So I am entirely new here. Feel free to jump in and RP with me. PM me advice or just introduce yourself. The old intro thread seems to have been archived so. Anyway!)

(PS: Would like to use a Yui's Grace for this, though am not certain if that needs an IC action, or just OOC confirmation.)

Username: Sarial Hawke

Real name: Sarah Crowe

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Height: 5'8"

Virtues

• Open-minded: Sarah found herself open to trying new things when they were presented to her. She wasn't one to shy away from a challenge for fear of the unknown, and had no desire to judge people based on their own decisions in life. 

• Caring: While Sarah has often found herself stressed out and tired, she would never turn away a person in need. She tried to better her community and the lives of those around her, from volunteering to donations to charity. Her boyfriend considered this to be a waste of time as it "makes no difference".

• Forgiving: Sarah had done her fair share of forgiving. When someone wronged her it hurt, but she found that she couldn't hold a grudge. An apology wasn't even required, as it seemed that time healed most of her wounds, obvious that she didn't allow many of them to become scars.

• Loyal: Sarah is devoted to the people she cares for. Once you've gained her friendship she will do her absolute best to be there for you and has a degree of trouble breaking off from people even if they are harmful to her. This applies to her work as well, she has been at the same job for years now, despite seeing little in return in the way of a raise or promotion.

• Brave: Sarah is hard to frighten and is rarely one to back down from a tough situation. She is usually the last to panic and can count her few fears on one hand. Fight or flight? She'll usually choose the former. 

Flaws

• Caring: This virtue is also considered as a flaw for Sarah. She has sometimes given to the detriment of herself, donating money she couldn't afford to donate, or allowing a relationship to stagnate because of her volunteering. She has trouble saying no.

• Forgiving: Another virtue turned flaw. Sarah is perhaps too forgiving and has had people take advantage of this fact. It is easy to wrong someone when you know they'll forgive you for it. Sometimes a grudge is necessary. Sometimes you should cut someone out of your life. 

• Naive: Sarah strives to see the good in people. She wants to believe that everyone is good, and this leads her to believe most everyone is being honest with her. The harsh reality of the world is that there are people who simply do not care who they hurt.

• Self-Destructive: Sarah is her own worst enemy. At this rate Sarah will never reach her full potential, nor will her dreams be realized. The girl holds herself back, she is both overly critical and can be downright pessimistic when it comes to herself.