Stoic

Anyone could have guessed what would occur after the announcement was made. Anger, sadness, fear, and confusion; a whirlwind of emotions echoed throughout the crowded streets of the Starting City. Regardless of who they happened to be, most players felt some way about their predicament. Cecil wasn't one of them.

As usual he remained mute through this hectic time; avoiding contact with his fellow players while sorting the countless thoughts in his head. The possibility of dying didn’t bother him. Rather, the heaviest weight of all on his mind was in regards to his family and how his absence would affect them now. He wanted to see them and someday he would. Surviving this hell just had to come first.

---

To still be alive and kicking after three days must have been a good sign. Truth be told he wasn't interested in leaving town anytime soon. There was still too much uncharted territory outside the walls and without nearly enough courage (or foolishness) he could not justify exploring without a party of capable players at his side.

Instead he spent his newfound free time people watching. While leaning against the bricks in a side alley he stared as players of all shapes and sizes passed by. It was likely it’d be the last time for many of them… He couldn't understand what drove those around him to do the things they did, but that didn't make them any less interesting to observe.

One in particular stood out among the crowd. A guy across the road, curled up on the curb as if he was trying to do his best hedgehog impression. Was he of a similar mind set and just biding his time for now? It was a smart strategy after all, so if that was the case he'd probably go far in this world.

Of course Cecil wasn't going to approach him though. He didn't want to talk to anyone. Watching, listening, and gathering information was the top priority currently, so for now staring was the best he could manage to do.

Enough time had been wasted and running away wasn't solving his problems anymore. Although Cecil wasn't thrilled to finally start his journey, at the same time it wasn't something he was completely opposed to either. Becoming more well-rounded was just another necessity in order to survive and survival was what he needed most right now.

Combat was still out of the question. Setting foot outside the Town of Beginnings would mean his end as he was now, he at least knew that much. Without equipment he wouldn't last a minute against monsters. Not without some help anyway. He didn't want that.

***

“Hey! Care to view some of my wares?”

The voice came from a woman leaning against a cart on the side of the road. After turning to address her she followed up with an inviting smile, although the gesture was of course lost on him. It seemed strange she’d reach out like that, but then again this was the marketplace of one of the largest cities available in the Aincrad. It only made sense from a business standpoint that many players would set up shops around here to garner the highest amount of traffic. Cecil only shrugged in response before moving a bit closer to glance over the items on display. A few weapons, armor pieces, and various other items. Nothing looked particularly useful though and even they did, his wallet was feeling a bit too light lately.

“All this stuff looks like junk though...” He stated in his usual flat tone and to the dismay of the now upset vendor. Her once cheerful expression twisted as she tried to restrain herself and ultimately she just waved off the critic before folding her arms.

“Yeah? Well being a merchant isn't easy. If you aren't interested in this then I can also appraise anything you already have for a small fee. Maybe you'll get lucky and get a unique enhancement. How's that sound?”

“Unique enhancement.” A hand rose to hold his chin in thought while mumbling the words beneath his breath. He had heard about there being special pieces of equipment, but only that they were most common as drops from floor raid level battles. If what she was saying turned out to be true their meeting might have been more advantageous than he originally hoped. By becoming a merchant he'd be able to discover special equipment and earn a decent living too.

“You're a merchant, right? What do I need to do to become one?”

She blinked rapidly as the question caught her off guard then started to examine him from head to toe with her eyes. it must have been hard to believe he never sought a profession till now. Cecil didn't think so though; they were trapped in virtual world so not much would surprise him anymore.

“If you keep going down this street you'll find a two story building with a sign on the door that says ‘Untold Truth’. That's the name of the shop ran by an NPC merchant. He'll give you a quest to do if you talk to him and afterward you can open your own shop.”

It all sounded perfect. He would need to start looking for the shop at once, so a nod was all he could provide as a form of thanks. Things were never resolved so easily though. As he turned to leave the woman spoke again.

“Next time you come here you'd better buy something or I might not be as nice.”

What could she have meant by that? He wouldn't dwell on it for too long. The odds of them ever meeting again were slim at best, especially if he was going down the same career path. Now he just needed to focus on the quest and not the idle threats of strangers.

Profile
Username: Stoic
Real name: Cecil Stone
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Height: 5’9”

About:

Cecil was born as the youngest of two children to a successful business family in New York City. He's reliable, honest, determined and perhaps a little too reserved. But most of those traits exist only to serve as a mechanism to deal with his position. He lived without worry until he was about 9 years old, but at that point life changed. He gained responsibilities and was growing up fast; often having to fulfill different tasks and watch over his family’s home alongside his older sister while their parents were away for work overseas.

Once he was in middle school his family decided to move to Tokyo so that they would be able to spend more time together. Adjusting to life in Japan was of course difficult at first, but once they had settled in he didn't feel too out of place and was happy to have his parents be around for fora change. Everything was fine until… The Incident.

It was his final year in high school. When he returned home on that particular day the door had been unlocked; an occurrence that nearly never happened. His parents were out that day, but his sister was supposed to be home as far as he knew. Inside things were strewn about in every room and scratches marked some of the walls. Droplets of blood led into the kitchen and that's where he found her. On the floor laid his sister, covered in multiple stab wounds, but miraculously still alive. After calling an ambulance and rushing her to the hospital her condition managed to stabilize but she fell into a coma in the process. It was uncertain if she'd actually recover as only time would be able to tell. Then there was the matter of finding the person responsible.

The “loss” of his sister left Cecil devastated. Slowly but surely he began to withdraw from the real world and everyone in it. The lingering thought of “if only I had gotten home sooner” mocked him every night in his dreams. He needed an escape.

That's when Sword Art Online was announced only shortly after. Although he wasn't much of a gamer he did enjoy the occasional gaming session. It seemed like just the thing he needed to clear his mind so once he managed to get his hands on one of the few copies of SAO he didn't waste any time getting plugged in. A choice he would come to regret.

Trapped. Everyone who logged on for launch day was now forced into a cruel game of life and death while trying to ascend the tower. His real body would remain as motionless as that of someone in a coma and he could only imagine how the news would affect his parents. Rather than help this world only wanted to bring him down more.

So he hid. For months he stayed in the Town of Beginnings, living in back alleys and out of inn rooms when he actually had col to spare. He wanted to be a shut in, at least until he was ready to leave on his own accord. For now survival will take top priority, but the sooner they clear the game  the sooner he gets to go back and discover the fate of his family. With that in mind he will do what he needs to do be free.

Virtues:
Mature - Despite his age Cecil is very mature. He needed to be in order to take care of himself so he always tends to behave a little older than he actually is. He tends to get along with most people because of this.

Honorable - Cecil acts with a strong sense of honor. He has his own moral code he adheres to and tries not to stray from it whenever possible. In his mind acting without it would make him no better than the monster who attacked his sister.

Patient - They say patience is a virtue and Cecil has loads of it. It's only natural that this is the case since he has trouble expressing himself. Trying to understand others also takes effort on his part so he's learned to not get so frustrated with his interactions.

Flaws:
Lack of Empathy - Perhaps Cecil’s biggest flaw is that he doesn't have the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. He didn't use to be like this. But now this attitude is a barrier to protect himself from getting attached to those who'll just disappear in the end.

Innocently Insensitive -  Due to his own naivety and reserved nature when dealing with others Cecil tends to be unknowingly offensive at times to those around him, even if that wasn't his original intent. When he does happen to speak it is with little regard for how his words may be perceived, so as one might expect he's often the center of otherwise avoidable  misunderstandings.

No Sense of Humor: Cecil doesn't get jokes. He takes just about everything that’s said at face value or instead chooses to ignore anyone who's trying to be funny. It’s possible this trait is a result of his upbringing. With the his sister’s condition  still a recent memory in his mind he doesn't have much to laugh about anymore.

Profession: N/A

Skills (Available SP: 0 / Spent SP: 5)
Non-combat:
»

Passive:
»

Combat:
»

Weapon Skills:
» Rapier (Rank 1 / 5 SP / +1 Damage)

Inventory
Weapons/Tools:
» Iron Starter Rapier

» Cloth Starter Coat

Roleplays
» None yet.

Relationships (optional)
» None yet.

Story Thus Far (optional)

» Working on it.