Airi

Airi sat on a bench at the end of a street and nibbled on some bread as she rested. Physically, she wasn't really tired. It was mostly due to the game giving players a lot more stamina since they weren't really moving their muscles and if players had as much stamina as they did in real life, a lot of people would start switching back to less exhausting computer games. Why did they even care though, she wondered as she lazily swung her legs. It wasn't like they would have any other choice but to play it, since the log-out button was gone. Or something.

The red headed girl looked up at the sky and continued swinging her legs. She really hated thinking about how the basic stuff works in this game. Like about how they really didn't need to breathe since it was all in their heads, but they could die if they suffocated or drowned anyway. Or about how they couldn't die from starvation, but the hunger pangs still remained. It was all weird and complicated. Airi finished the last bit of her bland-tasting bread, drank a bit of water, and stood up. She had almost finished a whole line of NPC merchants and the stall she still hadn't tried was now available.

For the last NPC merchant, she decided to try something different after hearing that they weren't selling any notebooks. "Do you know any place that sells notebooks, then?" Airi asked, as she closed the store pop-up with all of the merchants items. Normally, when asked something that they didn't have a programmed response to, they would just give players a confused stare and say that they didn't understand. But this time, the merchant shook its head and said: "I don't know any specific places, but you might want to check with the merchants who sell beginner guide books. They're located in a street two lefts and a right from here." 

Airi almost smirked. Success! Quickly, she thanked the merchant and turned around, typing a short PM to Hei. 

"Hellooooo!" The cheerful girl had apparently sensed their approach and was now waving at them, a natural (and a very unsettling) excitement glinting in her round eyes. Airi remembered the manic laughter she had heard just a few seconds ago, when the girl had addressed the man who had said something that seemed displeasing to her, and fell behind the floofy-haired boy in hesitation. She had definitely snapped under the weight of the game maker's announcement. She slowed her pace a little more and heard the boy call out his name, like he wasn't bothered by the girl's obvious insanity.

The man with brown hair then waved at the both of them in a friendly manner. He looked normal enough and he was comforting another player, but Airi found herself doubting his sanity as well. They did say that birds of the same feather flocked together. Would she want to be around them? Tick tock, the time for your thinking is up; she thought to herself like she always did when she felt like she had been taking no action for too long. She walked towards them, her posture slightly tensed, and raised her hand to give a shy wave. She spoke as she neared the small group. "Hello," she greeted, dropping her hand as she came to a stop. The girl dressed in red and black then dropped into a small ladylike curtsy. "My name's Airi. Pleased to meet you all."

I don’t wanna die. From a short distance, a girl cried out. Clearly, the man had said the wrong thing. Or something. She didn’t hear the first part of the conversation, so she didn’t know. The red-haired girl leaned on a wall a little ways from them and listened (with slight amusement) to the man giving the sobbing girl comforting words and encouragements which sounded like lines you would typically hear in a movie.

She turned her head away, her hood shadowing her eyes, and opened her menu once again, stopping with her finger hovering over the log-out button. A light tap and the lack of response confirmed all her raging doubts and suspicions. It wasn’t a sadistic game developer’s prank. It was all real. Every bit of HP lost is one step closer to death. Every step outside the safe zone, there’s something waiting to attack you. Airi had to cover her mouth with both hands to suppress a weird, high-pitched, fearful sound that came from her. She felt claustrophobic, like she wasn’t standing in the middle of an open, noisy plaza, but in a small glass box where the air around her was limited and she could barely breathe. It was all in her mind though. There were no walls around her and the air was completely clean and breathable (if they even needed to breathe in-game).

She clutched at her chest, pulling her hood off as if it would help with her problem, and reminded herself of those facts. It was all in her head. Her real body was completely unconscious, hooked to machines that would keep her alive. She wouldn’t die from anything, not if she stayed in the safe zone. And you wouldn’t want to look weak in front of others, right? A voice in her head chided.

Pitiful thing, let me take over.

A boy, a bit older than her, with weird floofy blue-grey hair (that was honestly the only thing she could come up with when it came to his hair) approached her and gestured to the group she had been unconsciously looking at, asking her what he missed. There were three now, joined by a girl with a sugary smile who talked in a voice all too happy for the current situation. Airi looked up at him, a pleasant expression already smoothened out on her face and shook her head in slight confusion. “I wasn’t really listening, but it seems the pink-haired one just arrived,” she informed him. She felt the only man from the group notice her and the stranger’s presence and she turned around, starting to walk towards them in the most non-threatening way possible. Airi looked over her shoulder long enough to tell the boy: “Might as well talk, since we were spotted watching.”

Airi tilted her head in thought. It was a question she had never really thought about, since she hadn’t really cared about the weapon skills before she decided to help the clearers. “Well, I didn’t really take the curved sword skill with the knowledge that it had an extra skill. And I’ve heard from other people that katanas were way too mainstream? Like everyone who’s ever had the curved sword skill switched to it. So, no. I don’t think so. But hey, we can have both, right? Like can I have both the one-handed curved sword and the katana skill? I’ve heard of a few players who have two weapon skills.”

They were nearing the town exit. Airi couldn’t deny that she felt nervous. Really nervous. This was going to be her first time out of the safe zone and she was still in Level 1. It would be easy for the mobs to pick her off. Or heck, maybe even the person walking beside her could make her a one-hit kill. Crap. She was getting that weird feeling of anxiety in her stomach now. And she could feel the change in the expression of her face, her mask falling apart. Airi slowed her pace significantly and inhaled deeply. I am an innocent little girl who doubts no one and who doesn’t shy away from leaving the safe zone. Make it look like that. She felt the mask returning and sped up so she was walking beside Aoda once again, and gestured to the curved sword at his back. “What about you? Curved sword or katana?”

Airi nodded in agreement and readied herself for combat. A few moments worth of waiting made her realize that since she was the one who suggested to engage, she should be the one to land the first hit. She looked around her surroundings first and waited for another boar to move away before she took action. The red-haired girl focused on the <<Boar>>. It was one of the weaker mobs: 5 HP, probably deals as much damage. She had 20 HP, and can take 3 hits. Airi took a deep breath, forced her hand to stop shaking, buried the fear that was rising inside her, and charged forward, activating the <<Rage Blow>> sword art. It would eat up all of her energy, but she wanted to deal as much damage to it before it attacks her. And hopefully, let Sakoda land the killing blow.

She stopped, just a few inches away from the boar, enough distance for her curved sword to reach it and slashed horizontally. The boar gave out its usual death cry once she had withdrawn her blade and pixelated. It didn't even get a chance to deal damage to her. Did she just land a critical hit? She almost grinned. Maybe she shouldn't have been so nervous after all. She quickly remembered her companion's presence behind her and turned around quickly, keeping the other girl in her vision. Airi gave the other girl an apologetic glance. "Next one's yours?" she suggested.

(OOC: @Floofy Alright then~ Just a side note, I'll be following the floor standard parameters in spawning the mobs. Also, do you think I did the combat thing right?)

The dark-haired man quickly agreed to what she said and began making his way outside, looking back at her to see if she would follow. Hei seemed to have most of his attention on her, and the others not so much. Airi was tempted to follow him and see how many hypothetical strings of trust she could latch onto him but then she turned back, her dreamy violet gaze resting on the group. Everyone must love me. She buried the sentence and the memories it brought deep into her mind and gestured for the group to follow and then strode outside.

The red-haired girl stood by the entrance of the Black Iron Palace as she waited for the others to come outside as well. “So, how have you been? Which quests have you taken already?” Airi asked, making eye contact. She knew all about the names of the quests in Floor 1 and the locations of their quest givers, but knew nothing more than that. Usually, the types of information she sought would be provided by overly-friendly players or a few NPC information brokers. Expensive and hard to find. So if he had already taken one, and responds with an affirmative, then he would usually tell a little story about what happened and how strong the mobs were as part of the friendly conversation. Free and easy information. She started off by offering her (vague, but conversational) information first. “I haven’t actually gotten stronger since we last met, but I’m planning to take some of the beginner quests soon.”

Deep, frantic violet eyes stared intently at the faded log-out button. Tap. Nothing happened. Another soft tap. Nothing else happened. In the middle of the plaza where the cloaked figure had appeared, a small girl of only fifteen stood, the main menu open before her, displaying the account settings tab. She closed the main menu, waited for a few seconds and opened it again, giving the log-out button a hard press. Still, she remained in the game world. She gritted her teeth and repeated the process once again. Still no response. Fear began to rise up in her throat, demanding her to scream and cry and let it all out.

Beside her, a player finally realized the gravity of their situation and started screaming: “This isn’t a prank! We’re going to die! We’re all going to die!” The player beside her then proceeded to break down, curling up in a fetal position with shivers racking their body and tears running down their face. The red-haired girl pulled up her hood and stared at them, disgusted at the blatant show of weakness. She gave the log-out button another tap before closing the main menu and swallowing down the bile that had risen up her throat. Then she swiftly turned around and began walking away from the center of the plaza.

Another player, one she didn’t recognize blocked her way and grabbed her shoulders. “You have to help me!” He was calling out to her, but judging from his distant eyes, he weren’t really seeing her. He had probably tricked himself into thinking she were someone else, someone he recognized and wanted to be with. “Please! I want to see my-” The player didn’t get to finish his statement as the girl shoved past him. She turned back long enough to witness him talking to air, and then made her way to the darker corners of the plaza where a large man was attempting to comfort a pretty, shell-shocked girl.

(OOC: Will approach after the next post)

The girl she had asked was willing enough, so Airi extended her hand and shook Sakoda’s firmly with a smile. “My name is Airi, and it’s nice to meet you too. Shall we proceed then?” She turned around and began leading the older girl to one of the town exits, brushing past other players on the way. The red-haired girl didn't attempt to start any form of conversation. She needed to get stronger, and fast. They could just talk while staying still in one spot and gathering the materials. The two players stopped just a few paces away from the town exit. Already, a few boars were milling about and sniffing at the grass from time to time. They looked like they only followed a specific code. Walk forward, check for players, turn a random direction, check for players, and walk forward again. She spied a few juniper bushes a few ways from their current location.

Airi looked at Sakoda, gesturing toward two boars that stood in between them and the materials. She hoped the other player would understand. “We’ll have to cut through them since we’ll be stepping into their aggro circles anyway. They’re pretty far apart, so attacking one won’t bring the other along. I think. Are you up for a fight?” The red-haired girl unsheathed her basic starter blade and waited for her companion’s ready signal.

(OOC: @FloofyJust a reminder, we have to accomplish the task lists individually. Which means that Sakoda has to gather 5 berries, and Airi has to gather another 5. Same thing goes for the rest of the tasks. Also, I don’t think we’re allowed to play as players who’ve been beta testers, unless you got approval or something.)

Airi opened the quest menu and quickly reviewed the tasks listed. Collect 5 juniper berries from the grasslands, was the first item in the task list. It was simple and easy, aside from the fact that she would have to go to the areas outside the safe zone to do so. The specified locations were fairly close to the town which means she could run straight back if she ever got into trouble, but what would happen if she couldn't? She had heard news of a Level 1 player being killed by a boar in the starting areas. A new player, who probably had the same goal as her. She didn't want it to end up with the same fate as him. 

She needed company, someone who would watch her back while she was gathering the materials. She flipped over to her friends list in the menu and gave a quick goodbye to the NPC which caused it to disappear into its house and close the door. She turned around, and a girl with hair as red as Airi's appeared and almost crashed into her while frantically asking if she had already accepted the quest. The taller girl stepped back and asked her the same question again, with a bit of explanation added at the end. "I already accepted the quest. Why, are you going to take the quest too?" Airi asked. The answer seemed pretty obvious, since the player wouldn't have approached her if she weren't. "If so, do you want to do it together then? I think it would be safer if we do."

(OOC: @Floofy)

It was early in the morning and many players were already up and about. Reasonable, considering the fact that many players in SAO were always on a tight, busy schedule. They couldn’t stay here for too long, or their physical bodies would give out due to the lack of activity which would eventually lead up to them dying without seeing the light of the real world again. At least that’s what a small girl who still wore the starting armor thought while rushing through the streets with a small box displaying a map of the Town of Beginnings floating beside her.

The red-haired girl pushed through a group of players who were blocking her way, muttering a quick “sorry, excuse me” before continuing. She was already far enough behind as it is, but right now, according to one of the conversations she had heard last night, the frontliners were already starting to look for the boss room of Floor 20. With her sluggish progression and low level and the speed of the frontliners’ progression combined, she would never reach them. It might even take her a year. She can’t waste a year. So the early morning found Airi knocking on the door of an NPC named Zackariah.

The NPC, white-haired old man, opened the door and gave her the generic “good morning, how may I help” greeting which she hardly listened to. Once the NPC stopped talking, she quickly tackled the main point of her visit. “Hello, I actually wanted to ask if there was anything I could help you with?” she asked, hoping that her statement would bring the NPC straight to his quest dialogue.

And it did. “Yes, I do need help. You see, I am an alchemist, one who makes potions for a living, and recently, a valuable customer of mine put forward an order for a few Healing Potions which he needs today. Unfortunately, I am currently out of stock of juniper berries, a valuable ingredient in crafting Health Potions, and I don’t have the time to collect some more. However, if you accept, you would have to go to the plains outside the Town of Beginnings. Would you be willing to do so?”

A pop-out menu materialized in front of Airi and without hesitation, she tapped the ‘accept’ button. The NPC spoke again after: “Thank you for offering your help. I would need you to collect five juniper berries, you can find them in bushes scattered around the plains. Afterwards, I would also need your assistance in making the Healing Potions and after all the potions have been crafted, I would need you to deliver them to a local blacksmith.”

(OOC: @Floofy)

The player she had approached gave her a friendly reply. Airi almost let out an audible sigh of relief, but quickly composed herself. The red-haired girl walked toward him, until they were standing side to side, leaving a few inches between them. The man she had approached was, without a doubt, good-looking. He had long black hair, loosely tied back to keep the longer strands off his face, was a bit taller than her, and had the attractive face to match. Definitely the type her female classmates would squeal and drool over. Bringing that thought up to her mind almost made her smile fall. Her rich, naive, beautiful friends who all loved her. Have they forgotten her? Or do they go to where her physical body rested every month and shower her with a love that wouldn’t reach her?

Airi realized that she must have been staring for too long and looked in another direction, steadily inspecting the goods an NPC merchant was arranging in his stall. At the same time, she forced the thoughts out of her head. She was here now, and there was no going back to reality unless she moved from her current spot. “It’s nice to meet you too, Aoda. What’s the outside like?” she said in a cheerful but somewhat controlled voice, simply assuming that he had been there before since he sounded like he was used to heading out.

Airi nodded at Mist's reply and Hei took out a notebook - or some sort of journal? - and showed it to her. She stared at him blankly. Was he telling her to read it? Then the man spoke: “We met at the first day of the game, do you remember?” Airi looked to the side, trying to remember that particular day. Most of the events had slipped from her memory now, and only that moment where the game developer announced the reason behind the missing log-out button stayed clear. No one would ever forget that. Then the memory of the blue-haired man who couldn’t remember himself and the average-looking man attempting to help him resurfaced. “Yeah. I think I remember,” Airi told him. The notebook…what was the significance of that notebook again? “Have you seen him, by the way? The man whose named started with ‘Sol’?”

She took a break from the conversation long enough to look around and notice a few other players staring at the monument intently, hoping to check if their friends were still alive. One was staring at a name that was crossed out with a blank expression on his face. The others wore solemn expressions and avoided her gaze. “Hey, should we move outside?” Airi suddenly suggested to the group. She felt the attention of the group on her. “I mean…some players are mourning, and I think we should give them the peace and quiet.”

Another person joined into the conversation. Idly, Airi wondered if it was the two higher-leveled players socializing among them that were attracting all these people. The new player introduced himself as Hei with a quick bow, and a small smile in her direction. Three-letter name and an average appearance. Why did she feel like she’d seen him before? “Airi,” she offered with a friendly smile, opening the main menu and scrolling through her friends list. Sure enough, the name Hei was there. “You’re in my friends list. Have we met?”

Airi turned around to face Dominion, and he replied to her question after a small delay, stating his level. Maybe asking for other players’ levels wasn’t the best conversation starter? She bit her bottom lip in thought. Then what else could she ask a person she just met? That was something she would have to think about in another time, however. She refocused her attention on Dominion and watched a monkey approach him and climb up to his shoulder. His familiar, judging from the big grin that appeared on his face. “I’m still at level 1, but I’m trying to work my way up,” Airi told him. Then she gave him a small, thankful smile. “And thanks for the offer. I’ll keep you in mind if I need help in a quest.”

The woman that acted a bit like a cat appeared next to her and Mist and said: “Martial Arts is a skill, my dear, and it’s so satisfying when you get used to it.” Airi opened the skills tab of her interface once again and skimmed through the skills listed in it. Not there. Was it something that only appears after reaching a certain level? “Then how come it’s not in listed in my locked skills?” she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. “Also, it’s nice meeting you…Vale.”

Airi nodded at Hei’s request and turned to leave. But at that exact moment, the blue-haired stranger finally pressed the ‘accept’ button and his name appeared below Hei’s. So-lo-mon. It was an unusual fantasy name, something she wouldn’t expect to see in a VRMMO. She turned around and gave the stranger she can now identify as Solomon a small smile. “Solomon,” she pronounced slowly, then told him her honest opinion. “Unusual name, in a good way.” Then she turned around and went back the way she came.

The NPC stalls were everywhere. There was a stall on both sides of the street and an NPC merchant even walked around with a cart, selling fruits. There were more players here than before and most of them were buying equipment and supplies. Planning to brave the areas outside the safe zone, maybe. Airi turned away from them and approached an NPC merchant that currently wasn’t doing anything. “Are you selling any notebooks?” she asked the merchant. Ordinarily, she would at least say hello first, but it was just an NPC, anyway. An A.I. with no feelings. There really was no need to be very polite.

“I’m not selling any notebooks. But you might be interested in my other-” Airi turned around, automatically closing the small box which listed the NPC’s wares and their prices. Another player stepped towards the NPC she had talked to and began talking, with all the niceties, as if the NPC was also a person, not just lines of well-written code. She didn’t like how it sounded. Airi walked toward another merchant’s stall and asked for the price.

The girl with fox ears identified herself as Mist after a few apologetic bows. Then stepped back and asked if any of them had any food. Airi tilted her head to the side slightly in interest. Like most low-levels, she had been eating plain bread and water for months (it was the only free food item NPCs sold, and while no one could die from hunger, it felt very unnatural to go about without food and water for days), aside from the occasional meal she would share with some of the people she met in the town. So, of course, she didn’t have anything that wasn’t bread. Nor the money to buy some. “I don’t have anything that isn’t bread,” she stated. “Hmm, but now that you mentioned it, I’m starting to crave some food as well.”

Then someone new joined in the conversation. Another woman, with purple hair and dark skin and whoa, was she wearing spandex? It clung to the woman’s skin, like, too much. Airi looked away, wondering if it was rude to stare too long. First, the girl beside her wore animal ears; second, she knew a man who wore armor that bared his chest; and third, the purple-haired woman with the spandex. Is it normal for players to go around looking a bit strange? “There’s a Martial Arts skill here? I thought the combat skills were all about weapons.” Airi said, addressing the spandex-wearing woman.

(OOC: Did I get the descriptions right? I mostly just referred to the pictures and the journals)

For the second time in two days, Airi found herself in front of the Black Iron Palace. The only difference from the last time was that she had actually been doing something significant to her progress. From early morning to noon, she had been collecting information on all the beginner quests in Floor 1 and placing the quests in an order that she would take. Most of them seemed easy, and even players who were still level 1 had taken them by themselves. She still couldn’t help feeling a bit afraid of leaving the safe zone to do the quests by herself and with limited knowledge of the game, though. The fact that she could die out there stood strong against her.

So she made a plan. She’d go out of the safe zone with another player, someone whose level is a bit higher than hers (but not too high) and she’d learn and practice some of the basics while grinding for experience, money, and loot at the same time. Repeat until she’s fully confident in her knowledge of the game. She wouldn't worry about player-killers yet. The zones outside the Town of Beginnings were populated with enough low-leveled players hoping to get some loot from the mobs so there was never an area that was fully devoid of other people.

The plan sounded nice and perfect, until she realized something. She didn’t know who to ask. She had checked the locations of all the people in her friends list and they were all in higher floors. And going up to floor 2 at level 1 and attempting to farm there sounded a bit to dangerous, even with other players there to assist her. Airi inwardly cursed herself from not getting enough contacts earlier. She wasn’t used to approaching strangers to ask for help. They might be doing something, and they might even say no. She hated getting rejected, especially by people she didn’t know. So she had wandered around town for a while, until stopped in front of the Black Iron Palace.

Maybe she should step inside to regain that initial determination she had yesterday? No, there were currently too much players inside since it was still early in the day. So instead, she remained standing outside the palace and inhaled deeply. Alright. She'll just ask the first person who passes by. A few players with fancy equipment passed by her, all of them talking and laughing, and she exhaled. No, she can't do it. Maybe she'll just PM all her friends and see who would want to go all the way back to floor 1 for her? But then how long would she wait?

A dark-haired player walked past her, almost brushing elbows as he stepped out of someone's way, and she stiffened. If she couldn't even ask one person, she wouldn't be able to ask anyone. And she didn't want to wait for her friends. She'd just lose all the courage she'd gathered up at this point. So Airi whirled around, jogged forward, and tapped the player on his shoulder softly. Asking someone she didn't know for help and approaching someone from behind. How is it that she sucked at both of those things? As he turned around, she blurted: "Um...hey, a-are you busy right now? My name's Airi and I want to go out of the Town of Beginnings and learn some of the basics of the game even though it looks a little too late for me to start leveling up, but I don't want to go out alone so a-are you available or are you heading out as well?" She used up almost all of her breath, so she stopped to take in some air while inwardly cringing at what she just said.

The strange man on the ground explained his confusing answer…with another confusing answer. Amazing. I totally didn’t even expect that! The sarcastic part of her mind snarked. But to be fair, the tree he drew was pretty. Maybe that meant that he was an artist before? Or he was some sort of woodcutter? Either way, the blue-haired man obviously had some type of amnesia. And she didn’t know how to deal with people who were clearly mental. Airi looked at Hei with an expression that said: “You talked to him first. You handle it.” She wondered if he noticed it.

The party request appeared in front of her and she tapped the ‘accept button’. So it was what they called a team after all. Their names (her name above Hei’s) appeared at the upper-left corner of her vision, along with their levels, health points and energy. It felt weird, how no matter where she looked, the names would stay in the same part of her vision and she could always see and read them clearly, even though she was looking to the right. Then a party request appeared in front of the blue-haired man, and he looked like he didn’t know what to do with it. Inwardly, she sighed. I definitely did not sign up for this. Outwardly, she said: “Hey, if you want to know your in-game name, tap the box with the check mark.”

I’m a journalist for a games magazine. I’m here to write an article, which is why I’m looking for a notebook. I use a spear, but I don’t have it equipped right now. Airi summarized in her mind and mentally stored it away. He seemed like a nice person so far, but it still unnerved her, how calm (and even intrigued) he was about the whole death game situation. Then she realized that it would be rude if she didn’t give away as much information about herself as he just did. “I’m a curved sword user, but I don’t think I’m actually going to engage in combat during my stay here.” Truth. She can’t lie about that part, no matter how much it gave her weaknesses away. Besides, it gave a flaw that made personality believable to everyone.

What is someone as beautiful as you doing inside this game? Aren’t there better things to do? So THAT was why he had blushed. But wasn’t he too old to be interested in...her age? From her viewpoint, he looked to be around his mid-20s. Either she looked older than her current age or he just liked younger girls. Oh well, if it makes things easier for her. Now, how was her personality supposed to act again? She let in a deep inhale and brought up a specific memory in her mind. She avoided eye contact, shifted her feet nervously, and hopefully by now her cheeks were a bit pink. “S-Same as everyone. I just wanted to play since the premise sounded good and the VRMMO thing was really new.”

Party request. Her thought process slowed for a few seconds. What was a party in game terminology again? Was it like a temporary team or something? She hoped her guess was right. “Um…sure. But what about him? He sounded a bit out of it awhile ago, so I don't think we should leave him alone.” She gestured to the blue-haired stranger, looking concerned.

(OOC: @Solomon. Saw you weren't following the thread, so I just tagged you in case you just forgot. Are you still in or no?)

Airi noticed the man she had addressed blush, before looking to the ground, his hair shadowing his face so she couldn’t see if he was simply embarrassed or blushing more. She quickly reviewed the words she had said earlier. Good morning. Normal, average greeting. I heard you were asking about a notebook? Showed interest since she mentioned that she was listening to him talk, but the place was deserted and his voice was the only sound she heard so it was only natural that she would hear the whole sentence. …but I can help you look around if you want. It’s not like I have anything else to do today, anyway. In the real world, those two sentences showed A LOT of interest towards a person, but in the game world, offering help is considered as some sort of common courtesy.

So why did he blush? Eh, whatever, men are weird. It’s tiring to think too much about them sometimes. Airi then looked at the man sitting on the ground. Long blue hair, blue eyes, and wearing weird clothing someone from the desert countries would have worn. Easier to remember since he looked a bit unusual. And looked a bit dizzy and confused. “Do…you want to come with us?” she asked a bit hesitantly. He could (probably) be of some help once he recovered from his initial confusion. Then, turning to the black-haired adult in front of her: “I’m Airi.” She didn't offer any other information, and simply waited for the man to ask for it. This was a game, after all. She didn’t know their backgrounds, had no friend to recommend them to her, and no friend to protect her if things went wrong.

The stadium-like place where the hooded man had gathered the players was too crowded. Apparently, most players were still stunned in fear. So Airi left the area and wandered into one of the streets that were currently devoid of players. A few NPCs called out the prices of their wares as she passed by, but she quickly tuned them out and walked past them. What was the use of responding to them? They weren’t people, they were lines of code in a human form. And they were a part of this damned game.

She came to a stop at a place that wasn’t occupied by any NPCs. A male player was standing some distance away from her, muttering something to himself. He looked like a pretty average man: dark hair, black eyes, and taller than her. She didn’t want to start a conversation with him yet. No one wanted to talk to strangers right now. Not when the fact that they could die here was made clear to them. Everyone, in her eyes, was a potential killer.

Bile rose up in her throat. She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She turned away from the player, hiding the side of her face that was visible to him with her red hair, and let the tears fall. She counted them and heard their reasons as they dropped.

One, him. Him, him, him. Where was he? She hadn’t gotten his player name because she stupidly forgot to bring that up in every conversation they’ve had after he gave her the NerveGear. She didn’t know who he was, where he was. That one person in this game that she could have probably trusted to keep her safe. Two, that girl. His girlfriend. If she weren’t foolish enough to have cheated, she would have been stuck here instead of Airi. That was a thousand times better than this situation she was in. Heck, if they hadn’t even been lovers in the first place, he wouldn’t have bought the NerveGear. He would have bought another girl another present and both of them wouldn’t have ended up here. Three, this game. Unfair, unfair game. And that crazy developer. Why make a technological innovation just to kill people with it? Why trap innocent people? Why not the people rotting in prisons, give them some of that needed thrill in their life and effectively kill off the worst criminals by way of in-game death. Why her?

Airi let out a soft hiccup, decided that was enough (weak) tears for now, and listened to the player near her ask a question to another player that happened to pass by. Stuck in a death game and still concerned about his gaming blog. Was he insane? But then again, it might be his form of escape, like thinking was for her. The player he had asked responded in a completely broken way. It was clear that people still weren’t functioning very well after that announcement. It wouldn’t hurt to help someone at this time, right? And it would also be good if people start recognizing her as a nice person this early. It would make it a lot easier to earn people’s trust, if she ever needed it.

Airi wiped at her face with her sleeve and straightened. She assumed her normal, pleasant demeanor like she always did whenever she was outside and stepped out of the shadows, looking like she was just walking by and overheard the man’s question. “Good morning. I heard you were asking about a notebook?” she began. “Well, I don’t really know any of the items the NPCs are selling, but I can help you look around if you want. It’s not like I want to do anything else today anyway.”

(OOC: Hope you don't mind me barging in~ Info about 'him' and 'that girl' in her journal. And also, the reason why she goes on long thought rants a lot is cause she's generally the type of person who thinks too much.)

Airi closed her eyes and loosened her grip on her curved sword. Breathed in, breathed out. She had a pretty, pleasant, totally sane reputation to maintain and she didn't want to break it by looking like some sort of psycho (what she thought she looked like right now) in public. She ran her fingers through her short, red hair and clasped her hands behind her back. Then she added a hint of a smile, a facial expression she had taken months to perfect during her stay here in SAO.

She felt exhausted and wanted to return to the inn and lie down for the rest of tomorrow, like that one decision alone took all her energy out. Her hands shook, but she didn't want to let go of it, that resolve she had gotten. She didn't want to live a safely in the Town of Beginnings anymore. Not in this situation anyway.

A question that was obviously directed to her penetrated her thoughts. Airi turned around and let her vision clear for a bit (it always turns blurry when she thinks hard, for some reason). She realized that three other people had arrived and caught the only female's gaze. Airi quickly studied the woman standing a few feet from her. She had reddish-brown hair, a fox ear headband resting atop her head, and looked like she was a bit interested in talking.

Airi decided to respond to the man who had asked her a question first. The question was directed to her and Fox Ears, since he was turning in their general direction and looked at them in turn. The man was big, well-muscled, had blond hair, and most importantly, had a green cursor floating atop his head. A bit safer than the red ones and he looked easy enough to outrun in case of a dangerous situation. Normally, she would have just given him her name and excused herself, but she needed players to help her on her mission to catch up to/help the clearers now. It couldn’t hurt to be safe.

She replied in the generic, polite way: "My name's Airi. It's nice to meet you." She thought about extending her hand to shake his, but then remembered that women weren't supposed to do that (even in business meetings, according to her teacher), so she simply added a question she had heard many players ask each other: "What level are you, by the way?"

Another empty day spent meandering about in the Town of Beginnings with her head in the clouds and the sounds of her surroundings tuned out. Another long day spent doing nothing. Was this what she was supposed to do until the day the game was cleared? She didn't know. It didn't really matter to her.

As the virtual sun began its descent towards the false horizon, Airi found herself standing in front of the Black Iron Palace once again. It was a place she had always avoided in her day-to-day wanderings, simply because the Monument of Life lied within. She couldn't stand seeing players who've been tracking the status of people they know turn away from the monument with a devastated expression. It tugs at the part of her that's sympathetic and craves justice and she didn't like how it felt. So normally, whenever she finds herself standing in front of that place, she would force her feet to keep walking in the direction of the inn she was staying in. But today, she found her feet glued to the spot and the only way to move was forward, into the palace.

Just this once, she promised herself. Just this once, she would look through the names on the Monument of Life and attempt to figure out the status of the person who was the very reason why she was here in the first place. So she took a deep, deep breath and walked forward. 

The inside of the Black Iron Palace, as its name suggests, is dark-colored. It had windows in every direction, which allowed the light of an artificial sun into the building. Very few players were inside, most of them leaving already. She kept her eyes away from them and instead focused on the direction her feet were heading. It was pretty simple to get to the Monument. She remembered the directions, since it was where everyone spawned, one at a time, on the day the servers opened. From the entrance, go straight until you see two black knight statues and turn right.

The Monument of Life was around three meters tall, and extended ten meters sideways. The names written on it were small, had even spaces between them (maybe the big spaces were where the causes of death would be listed if the owner of that name died), and placed in an alphabetical order. Already, many had a line striking through them and a cause of death listed. She refrained from looking at them and looked at the names that were at her eye-level. A few minutes later, she backed away with a sigh. None of them looked like a name he would use. And she had only studied a small portion of it. And heck, there were even names that were so far above her head that she couldn't read them anymore. Why did she even bother? It wasn't like she had gotten his player name before the game started. Why did she agree with her instincts to even come here in the first place?

The reason why made itself clear within a few seconds. A line slowly crossed over a name she had been unconsciously staring at and she froze, feeling chills run down her spine. At that very moment, as she was looking at their name, that someone just died. The words 'Killed in a floor boss battle' slowly appeared afterwards. She could barely breathe as the letters finished writing themselves and that uncomfortable feeling of guilt and the need for justice appeared once again.

Someone died while trying to liberate all the other players from this death game. The rest were currently risking their lives to do the same. They may be high-leveled, but that didn't mean they were immortal. How many others have died while trying to clear the game? How many more will? How many deaths could she have prevented if she was fighting with them? And what was she doing? She was staying in the Town of Beginnings, completely safe and sound, and doing nothing to help them.

What of hi--Airi slowly breathed in and forced the feelings down. No. She would stay here. The high-leveled players have small chances of dying. Sacrifices always had to be made to achieve a certain goal. It would be hard to catch up to them. She might die without achieving anything. She might never wake up from this death game and continue her past life. But the emotional part of her didn't want to give up, just yet. But don't the other players have lives too? Don't they wake up on the day of a dangerous mission and think, maybe this would be their last day here? 

You know, me, you aren't the only person in the universe.

She normally didn't feel for such things. She even squashed those feelings if they ever surfaced and told herself she was the only one who mattered to her. But at that moment, she couldn't deny that she was being completely unfair. It wasn't just about her. It was about all the living players in this death game that everyone escape from. Who was she to say that she didn't want to die? And who was she to leave the others do the rest for her? With that question, she slowly wrapped her right hand around the curved sword that rested at her hip but was never used and made the decision to fight.

 

(OOC: I know, long post. I think this will probably be the longest I'll ever make. The last part was pretty rushed though. So basically, this just serves as some sort of introduction. Anyways, if you want to know about the "he" person she keeps talking about, just check Airi's journal in the signature. That'll clear things up.)

Airi

Level 6 (1/2 SP to Level 7)

Solo Player

HP: 120 | EN: 12 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 0

R2 One-Handed Curved Sword

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Basic Information

Real name: Elizabeth Gray
Age: 15
Gender: Female

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About

History

Elizabeth Gray, also known as Airi in-game, is the perfect example of someone who suffered the severe (movie-cliché) consequences of just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Before SAO, her life was going in the right direction. She was a part of the high class in society and could buy anything her parents allowed her to, studied in an expensive school and maintained average grades, and had just the right amount of friends. The only problems she'd ever had with her life was her lack of romantic relationships and excitement. But like everything else, her life had to go wrong at one point or another.

It began when her only male friend bought two NerveGears, along with two copies of SAO. Originally, he had planned on keeping one set and giving the other one to his girlfriend as a very expensive birthday plus one-year anniversary present. (Contrary to popular belief, this doesn't happen often in her school, no matter how much money the students' families have. They usually just buy each other an expensive bouquet of flowers and such). However, just a few days before that date, someone gave him a tip and he investigated until he discovered that his girlfriend was cheating on him and broke up with her after a fight that apparently lasted for hours.

Here's the part where everything went wrong in her life. The day after said breakup, he walked past Elizabeth in the hallways without saying hello and she couldn't find it in herself to ignore him even though he had a really scary face that day. So she walked home with him in an attempt to comfort him. It was mostly just him being bitter and angry about the whole situation and saying that he really thought they would last forever and her murmuring a few comforting words and all the advice she could think of. But once they reached her house, he took out a medium-sized box containing the gift meant for his girlfriend and handed it to her a bit forcefully. "Here. Keep it. Do anything you want with it, but just don't return it to me. Don't give it to...her, either. I don't want to see it again, but I don't want to see something so expensive in the trash either. And it's my thanks to you as well. For, you know, talking." Then he walked away, leaving her dazed and with the box in hand.

She didn't really play games. In fact, she thought of it as a major waste of time. But here was a copy of the first VRMMO in the whole world, something that most people are pushing each other in line at the game store to have by now. It was, as they call it, the gadget that could start a new technological era. And it was given to her, specifically. At that moment, Elizabeth Gray couldn't say that she would give it to someone else who would want it more. So she made the fatal decision to keep it and start playing on the day the servers open.

Personality

Virtues

Polite - She talks in a respectful and well-behaved manner. Additionally, she makes sure that she never makes any rude gestures in public and carefully thinks of what she would say before actually saying it. In a way, it makes her leave a good first impression and gain people's trust easily (since all they would see is a girl who's nice to everyone and wouldn't think of doing anything that's not morally correct).

Cautious - It's almost self-explanatory. Unlike other low-leveled players who normally get themselves killed off due to pure recklessness and overconfidence, she shows a level of caution and decisiveness in a battle. She's not afraid to run away if a situation goes completely out of control since it's what people do so they could live to fight another day. She wouldn't trust other players easily, even though she shows off an innocent and naive personality, because she thinks that trusting too much (or being gullible, in a better word) is what makes a perfect victim for player killers.

Observant (surroundings) - This one only applies while outside the safe zone or in a duel, since she thinks that nothing bad could ever happen inside a place where you can't take any form of damage. Hardly anything can sneak past her, unless its stealthed. It could make her difficult to corner and ambush. Usually, she could tell with a few second's worth of staying still and observing if something is amiss and react accordingly. She can't observe people and her surroundings at the same time.

Observant (people) - She knows how to read people and she does it well. She knows that people can say one thing; but the tone of their voice, their gestures, their eyes, and their facial expressions can say a different thing. She can tell what topics they don't like talking about, what types of people make them uncomfortable, and whether they're lying or telling the truth. And best of all, she can remember them well (while the other things which she cannot remember are written in a notebook). So whenever she holds a conversation with other players, she observes their actions in a conversation and analyzes them, all while keeping a pleasant, unsuspecting appearance. 

Wordsmith - She knows how to string her words together. She's not necessarily a sweet-talker, like most people who call themselves wordsmiths are, but she knows how to talk. She can comfort any player with any problem, using her sweet comforting words. She can inspire groups of people to fight, as well (something she learned in real life, while attending a public speaking course). With the right words, she can even convince a player who trusts her well enough that dying for her is a completely heroic act. (She also knows how to talk in a poetic manner, but finds it not very appropriate to use in public. People like hearing sentences they can understand, after all).

Neutral

Manipulative - Listed as a neutral, because even though it's useful for her, it's a bad thing in the moral sense. She's not a sweet-talker, nor is she the type that manipulates others by way of threats, showing dominance, and blackmail. In fact, she thinks of those two methods as cheap and artless. Rather, she does it slowly. She acts like she genuinely trusts them and only wants to be their friend, worms her way into their hearts by being with them in their difficult times, and slowly builds their trust in her. Once they have enough trust in her, she then starts poisoning their thoughts with her words, pushing them like chess pieces into a role she wants them to play. All the while, most of them would never realize what she's actually doing to them.

Obsessive - Even though it is stated in her flaws that she's distrustful and even selfish, Airi can be insanely loyal to somebody once she gets very close. She would never think of betraying them, not even once, and would put anything and everything at risk just so they would be safe. She would even turn very possessive when it comes to them, would get jealous of other people who have seemingly better relationships with them, and would never leave their side if circumstances allow it. It can be a good thing for her since first, they would be her pillar of support, someone she could lean on and ask for advice if she ever has problems; and second, her overprotective tendencies might just save their life. But for obvious reasons, her loyalty can also be bad for her. If they die or leave her, her love for them would stay and she would blame herself for their leaving often, turning self-destructive in the process. 

Flaws

Coward - Airi's cowardice is the root of all her flaws and the big reason why she stayed in the Town of Beginnings for months. But even after she made the decision to help the other players clear the rest of the floors, the fact that flaws are hard to get rid of remains. In fact, around half of it still remains within her. She hates taking big risks and avoids them as much as possible. She would take only the safest option in battle, even though it would yield the least benefits. She would refuse to leave the safe zone by herself if PKs begin to increase. She would, at times, hesitate whenever she gets in close to a mob to attack and spend more time defending than attacking. Oftentimes, her cowardice greatly affects her attitude in a battle and her decision making. 

Selfish - Airi prioritizes her own safety over the well-being of others. She's the center of her own universe, the only important thing in her world, and nothing can change that. The others be damned. Her choices revolve around either her safety or her reputation. There's never is and never would be third choice.

Distrustful - She may like having the other players' trust, but that doesn't mean that she would trust them to watch her back as well. This is a death game, after all. You can't just let someone walk behind your back while they have a weapon equipped. Players who team up with her would notice how she either walks beside or behind them (it's not a sign of equality or submissiveness, it's a sign that she doesn't want to entrust them with her safety), how she's always at battle-ready outside the safe zone even though there aren't any mobs in sight, and how she would occasionally be caught watching them while they're fighting and silently assessing their battle skills. She would also refuse to disclose personal information with other people, opting to lie about it instead. Fortunately for her, she's a smooth liar.

Liar - She wears a facade, the personality of a sweet, pure, and innocent 15-year-old who is definitely not memorizing every single piece of useful information a player says and wouldn't harm anyone. It hides the less attractive, less approachable parts of her and lets her tie her hypothetical strings of trust around other players easily. At times, her thoughts would say one thing, and her facade would say another. However, the more perceptive players of SAO might be able to notice that her appearance was a little too pleasant and inviting, her voice a little too soft, and her words a little too pleasing. None of her actions are genuine, but everyone believes the opposite.

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Skills

Available SP: 1
Used SP: 13
Skill Slots: 1 | 3

Utility and Mobility
» Rank 0 Search and Detect (0/5 to Rank 1)

Combat
» Rank 0 First Aid (0/5 to Rank 1)

Weapon
» Rank 2 One-Handed Curved Sword (0/10 to Rank 3)

Armor
»

Extra
»

Skill Mods

Profession

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Inventory
Col: 1090 | T1 Mats: 2

Equipped:

Weapons:

Armour:

Consumables:

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Completed Threads

Friends List

• Hei
• Mist
• Dominion
• Floofy

Thank you for all the replies! And to answer Baldur's question, my primary language is Filipino. It's the language of a country named the Philippines.

Just after signing up, I saw this board and decided to post an introduction here as well. So, hey. I'm Airi. I'm female (both in RP and in real life) and I'm 15. I like books, anime, and games. I came here to improve my writing skills and have some fun after a long school day.  English is my second language, and I would really appreciate it if you could call out my grammar errors while RPing.