Shi

"Sorry!" came the voice of a woman, who had accidentally bumped into Shi. Before he could even say that it was no big deal, she was already rushing through the bustling crowds that covered the streets of the Town of Beginnings. Then another player, a young man who looked to be about the same age as he was, walked straight into him. After collecting himself, he too apologized. This was generally how maneuvering through the town went. It was packed with both low and high level players looking to enjoy the safety that was offered.

His eyes wandered through the horde, looking for anyone he may recognize. But there was nobody. A few feet away, he noticed a tall man with short, golden hair and mistook him for someone he had met just a few days prior. However, it was just another stranger. Shi's pace slowed as he began to search for an exit. He needed somewhere quiet where he could recollect himself. The packed roads were just not cutting it for him. An empty side alley was more his type, as odd as that may seem.

Quickly, he snuck out of the wave of people and entered a dimly lit alleyway. He stared in to get a better look at the few people that he could see. It was peaceful inside, as if all of the commotion outside couldn't enter. Shi appreciated it. He sat down against the stone wall to the right of him, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Finally, he could think straight.

@Ragdoll

wip

wip

The location was exactly as Cain had described it: Dark, dreary, and dying.

It was some sort of graveyard (if my alliteration was not enough context for you). There were no tombstones, which was odd. Instead, it was lined with statues of Greek or Roman soldiers; Shi couldn't tell due to most of them being half destroyed already. Other than decaying oak trees, there was no plant-life around them. Even just staring inside made the noirette uncomfortable.

He reached up to his forehead and adjusted his metal headband. "Cain-" He started, but was interrupted by his partner, who had already begun moving into the graveyard.

"We need to move in. Be careful." Cain told Shi, his hand gripped around the hilt of his blade. While the dark-haired man followed his ally, he stared carefully at his surroundings.

One of Shi's uncles had been in the military. The most important lesson, according to the ex-soldier, was to always scan the environment around you in order to prepare yourself. It was a way of always knowing exactly where things are and what you can do to play a situation to the best of your ability. Unfortunately for Shi, it was really dark—and I mean it was REALLY DARK.

While they were able to see, it was hard to make out specific details, which only made the ancient-looking statues even more creepy. Thankfully, none of them had orange cursors above them.

Shi stepped up to one of the stone structures and pressed his hand against it. It was cold, being stone and all. They made him extremely uncomfortable, as though they were watching his every move. However, it was not the statues that were doing the watching.

From somewhere behind him, he heard the rustling of leaves.

In seconds his curved blade was drawn from it's sheath. Cain had the same idea, holding Victory, a silver long-sword that emitted a faint, golden glow. It had, supposedly, been powerful enough to cut through lightning. It seemed to catch the attention of somebody, as figures began appearing left, right, and center. Shi counted 6, although it was hard to say who was a player and who was a rock.

"There are 6," Cain confirmed, "but stay alert. There could be more."

NOTE: This entire thread is a flashback.

Shi's gaze moved from the map laid out in front of him to Cain's eyes. "Are you sure we're ready for this?"

"It doesn't matter whether or not we are ready. This may be our only chance to find a lead on the Black Knights. We need to take it." Cain spoke, fixated on a specific point on the map. The blonde hovered his hand over a dark spot and tapped it with his finger, creating a sort of waypoint or marker. "This is where we're hitting."

Shi sighed. His stomach shifted uneasily and he felt as though his legs were noodles. Not a single part of the man wanted to go through with the plan, but he knew the two had no other choice. Suddenly, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump a bit. "We're going to be okay. I guarantee you, I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not ready for this. My level is far too low."

"Listen," Cain started, "Your stats may be low, but that's not the only factor you need to take into consideration. I taught you how to use your sword to the best of your ability. As long as you aren't hit by their sword, you can't take any damage. So fight smartly."

Cain stepped towards the door of the inn and opened it gently. After peaking out to make sure nobody was listening in on their conversation, he gestured to Shi. "Ready to go?"

For a moment, Shi said nothing. He was almost certain he would not be coming out of this alive. The two of them against who knows how many player killers; it was suicide. So why am I standing now. Why am I moving towards the door with a curved-sword at my waste. The noirette thought.

"It's like you said: we have no other choice but to fight."

ID: 94925 CD: 1(RIP)

The back room of the alchemist's shop wasn't big, to say the least. It was able to fit the three of them all together, however it was quite cramped. The walls were lined with wooden shelves which carried various different types of concoctions. The air gave off a scent that Shi believed he knew, but couldn't think of what it was for the life of him. Against the wall was a large, black cauldron, the kind you'd imagine a witch in a fairy tale to use.

Suddenly, the old man began to speak. "Let's begin. The two of you are going to create a Healing Potion. Start by dropping all of these materials inside of the cauldron." Shi's gaze moved towards his own. Hesitantly, he let go of the materials. One by one, they fell into the charcoal coloured pot. The liquid inside, which originally looked like water, changed shades until it stopped for a moment at a dark-purplish colour, before exploding with a large grey cloud of smoke.

"Oops."

@Hestia

Shi took a moment to think. What did he want in a familiar?

There were so many possibilities, it became hard to choose. It made the most sense to go with his favourite species of animal. However, this still made it tough, due to him having two; snakes and owls. He agreed with the woman's philosophy. Dragons were so commonly chosen and it made him want to be a bit more creative. Snakes, being similar to a dragon, were likely in the same position. Unfortunately, from what he had seen, birds were also a popular choice. It just so happened that owls were birds. So what would he do?

"Stats and all that don't really matter to me, familiar wise. I honestly have no idea what i'd choose. I'll probably just wait and see what I come across." Shi explained, moving his hand through his messy hair.

They hadn't walked too far from the Town of Beginnings, thankfully. As they reached the gate, Shi spoke once more. "Looks like the quest's almost finished. Just gotta give these to Zackariah and make the potions or whatever."

you make it hard for us to roast you buddy.

Shi was surprised as he turned around to meet the gaze of another stranger. A fairly short woman (shorter than he was, at least) with long and, dare I say it, beautiful blonde hair. Her level was similar to the three teenagers he'd met earlier, however the girl didn't seem to be a member of their "organization," if that'd what you'd call it. Although she had only said a single sentence, the noirette could tell she was different.

"I guess you could say that they did give me a bit of trouble. I don't doubt they'll come back eventually. They tried recruiting me for their guild, but I don't think I trust them." Shi replied, however he wasn't sure why exactly he was explaining himself. It all just came out. Like his previous observation, he decided to simply shrug it off and continue on with his life, focusing on remembering the name of the so called "guild" that the party from earlier had supposedly come from. "Guess I should thank you for checking on me. I'm Shi, nice to meet you."

Though he didn't believe his new acquaintance was an enemy, Shi was still interested in her reason for being on the first floor. She was much, much stronger than any of the monsters in the area, so grinding was likely not the cause. What could it be?

Halloween had always been Shi's least favorite "holiday," if it could even be considered one. Something about sitting at home and handing out chocolate bars and candy to children just didn't perk his interest. However, the noirette was not the type to miss a party, especially not one as spooky as this.

Thinking back to his highschool years, he remembered so many of his previous costume ideas, seemingly endless hangovers, and some friendships that didn't last longer than a couple of days. The good ol' days. The costume was always, with no exceptions, the hardest part to come up with. It was very rare for him to think of something he deemed "wearable" in a matter of hours, days even. Shi was the type to plan his outfit ahead of time.

However, this year he wasn't aware a party would be happening. He hadn't even considered a costume this time around, due to everyone being trapped inside of a video game and all. "What am I gonna wear for Halloween" wasn't exactly his first thought.

His first idea was Rohk, the floor boss, but he decided he shouldn't go with it. It did kill a few players, of course. Despite him wanting something "different," he didn't think that would be the right option to pick. In the end, he decided to dress as Aincrad's deceased hero, Zelrius Blackfyre. Honestly, this was likely the worst choice he could have made, but it was also the easiest to come up with. Although he didn't know the man personally, Shi was aware that all he needed was blonde hair, blue eyes, and a couple of swords. Easy enough, right?

Some quick potions would easily cover his hair and eye colour problems, however nothing in existence would allow him to equip two swords, except of course the Dual Blades skill. It was unfortunate, but one golden cutlass would have to do. His usual black dress suit would suffice, as it was sort of similar to the tux Zelrius once wore.

In his opinion, his costume was perfect, despite being put together last minute. Shi ran a hand through his artificial, bright blonde hair and stepped towards the mansion wear the event was being held. His eyes directed themselves upwards, meeting with the dark, jack-o-lantern gaze of the host, Jack.

Creative name. Shi thought.

"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 pumpkin-headed man said to Shi, who wasn't quite sure if he even knew what it was he was wearing. "Thank you sir, I worked hard on this one." He responded with a chuckle, before entering the manor. Whoever the decorator was, Shi was positive he needed to get a hold of him. The building was well set up and quite halloween-esque, as it was obviously meant to be. The only part he was surprised about was the pumpkin that was locked away in a cage, but he became disinterested rather quickly.

"Let's find out if anyone else is here."

+1 Candy-Guard

Rolling

Gonna see IT tonight, so i'll try to edit it soon. No promises tho my guy.

"You'll come up with something when you find one." Shi chuckled, his ice cold hands entering the pockets of his suit. The noirette was surprised to hear that Spencer wanted to explore with him. I guess he's not so awkward after all. Looks like I'm going to hell for judging this guy. The lad thought before he responded.

"Sure. I've also got nothing to do, I've just been walking for the last little while. Wouldn't hurt to have some company." Shi told the tall blonde.

Spencer was only a few levels higher than the raven-haired player was, however he'd still be a useful ally to have. It didn't hurt to make friends, right? "So," He began, continuing to walk forward down the path, protected from the snow by the leaves and branches of the trees that surrounded the party, "What do you think of the fourth floor? It's cold, but beautiful. Never really seen anything like it before."

Everyone in here's lost somebody, whether they were taken by the game or before it. 

"It didn't happen long ago, so I guess l was lucky enough to have grown up with them both. But I didn't take it well after it happened, to say the least." Shi told Hestia, surprisingly coming across the the final material whilst speaking. "That'd be the last one. Want to head back now?"

Part of him was thankful that the woman had changed the subject, however he did wish he was able to get it out of him and speak his mind. What'll they think of me when this is all over? I'm sorry in advance. He thought, glancing towards the sky.

They still going to be looking down on me after this is over?

"So," Shi began, "Thought about picking up a familiar?" Snapping out of the daydream was a challenge, but he managed, hoping he'd be able to continue the conversation without it becoming awkward between them.

ID: 89150
LD: 16
5/5 Mats

@Hestia

Spencer, huh? Shi thought, once again looking over the man's apparel. Taller than the noirette. Much taller. He had blonde hair, opposite of Shi's, as well as a pair of amber eyes. Although they hadn't been talking for long, he could already tell Spencer wasn't used to speaking to strangers. This'll be a little awkward I guess. Whatever, no worries.

"I'm here to explore. It's my first time going beyond the second floor, thought it might be interesting. So far I think it is. Been a while since I've seen snow." He chuckled, extending his hand forward to grasp the falling snowflakes.

"Penguins, hey? Haven't seen any, sorry. I guess you're looking for a familiar then?" The lad continued as a response to the blonde's comment. A penguin was likely the most uncommon pet idea Shi had ever heard of, but he didn't complain. Nothing wrong with them, in fact he thought it would be a perfect choice.

ID: 89143
LD: 11

He didn't respond to her answer at first, thinking it over carefully. Shi knew what the girl was saying was completely true. However, it didn't make him stray from what he thought he needed to do. If I have to kill a murderer to save an innocent person... even just one, I think it's worth it. The noirette thought, but didn't speak his mind, knowing he'd be judged harshly for it.

"I'm sorry about your dad." He told the girl, before telling his own history. The death of her father didn't seem to keep her down. She was still obviously determined to make her way to the frontlines and fight along Aincrad's strongest, in order to help defeat the system and go back to her old life.

"My father was also killed. Mom too, actually. I don't know why or how it happened. All I know is if I hadn't been on a trip, I'd also be dead. I guess I'm telling you this  because I know how you feel." Shi explained.

@Hestia

ID: 89141
LD: 7

What would you think if I were to become a killer, even if it were only bad people I killed? Shi stared forward, remembering his parent's faces. He knew it wasn't what they had wanted for him, but what else could he do. How many innocent lives would be lost if he didn't do something about it?

"Not even for someone you love, hey? I see." He mumbled, searching the ground for any materials he might come across. Still none, which was quite unfortunate. Hestia had already managed to collect all five of her own items, yet he was still looking for his fourth. Not to his surprise, he found nothing once again. It was getting a little tiring, but he'd last.

Shi looked at Hestia. "I see what you mean," He started, "Maybe I don't have the right to ask, but is there someone you've lost?" The man thought for a moment. Everyone's lost someone, or will eventually by joining in on this death game. That is, so to speak, what we signed up for by turning it on.

@Hestia

Shi scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Great, now I sound like a creep. He thought, making sure his dagger was back in it's sheath as he continued forward. "Sorry if I scared you. Wasn't sure if you'd end up killing me, so I hid up there." He made a motion to the tree that had previously given him a safe place to hide behind.

Snow fell slowly onto the man's clothes and raven-like hair. His hiding spot had sheltered him not only from sight, but from the weather as well. Despite him only just exiting, it had gotten to be a bit chilly, more than he liked anyway. His outfit was definitely not made for the snow; a black, well-tailored suit. It was rare for him to come to the fourth floor, however, so he was unprepared.

This'll have to do for now. He told himself, attention back on the blonde.

"I'm Shi. Once again, sorry for the scare."

Shi's mind wandered, his own ideals passing by Hestia's. He wanted to know if his plan's were justified, but didn't want to share them aloud. "Tell me something. If someone you loved was killed by a PKer, what would you do." A question he had asked himself so many times before, always ending on the same answer. 

Was it revenge that he wanted, or something else entirely? Would slaying Player Killers all around Aincrad be the right thing to do, or would it make him as bad as the rest? So many questions without any answers. Shi refused to reveal his goals, in fear the girl may not react well to it. She might not think the same way as I do. I need to be careful who I tell, if anyone at all.

Snapping back into reality, the noirette realized that he had, in fact, not been searching for any materials whatsoever. It was a possibility he had skipped over a bunch in the process of strolling through the depths of his mind. Like I thought, this girl's gonna beat me to finishing this quest.

ID: 89121
LD: 10

@Hestia

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Floor 1
7:13 AM

Crowds bustled in the gigantic Town of Beginnings, increasing the volume of the noise every second as more and more players flowed in. Despite the time of the year, the heat was intense. Any hotter and Shi might have began to sweat. He ran his hand through his charcoal hair, giving a slight sigh as it fell back to his side.

"C'mon man, don't be like that." A blonde kid snickered, a very obviously fake smile plastered onto his face. A small party of three stood behind him. Previously they had announced themselves as Aincrad's "Black Knights", a guild searching for new members for upcoming boss fights and other battles. Each of the group was many levels above him, their leader being the highest at a whopping Level Thirty. Despite this, they were young, ignorant, and unable to take no for an answer.

"Like I said before, I don't roll that way."

"A couple fights won't hurt. Besides, we'll powerlevel you a bit and get you stronger. Whaddaya say? You in?" The blonde man asked again.

What was it he didn't understand? Once again, Shi gave the boy and his group the same answer. "No means no, kid. Go play in the park or something." He responded, feeling a bit of satisfaction from his comeback. Striding away, he gave the boys a wave, the blonde's expression becoming annoyed. He muttered to his "guild", although the lad was audible enough to be heard from Shi's distance, before leaving in the opposite direction. 

There was no reason for the guild to search for a Level One player like himself, especially as an addition to their ranks. It was too good to be true and the noirette wasn't stupid enough to accept the offer. He had heard of unequipped and weak people being brought out of safezones by robin-hood types, only to be slain by hidden PKers in the area.

Shi chuckled. "Black Knights of Aincrad my ass."

My guy welcome to SAO-RPG.

Good luck Appstoring.

The blonde stopped suddenly, surprising Shi. The noirette froze in his spot, watching and waiting for the stranger to make a move. The man didn't look threatening at all. He was seemingly around Shi's own level. It wasn't likely he'd be able to challenge him, however. 

Does he know I'm here? He isn't looking anywhere near me...

Shi made the bold move and decided to show himself. It was quite possible the player meant no harm and was a simple traveler out to explore the forests of the fourth floor. It was a stupid decision to make, but the raven-haired individual took the risk anyway. "Right here." He waved, making sure his dagger was out of sight. He wasn't interested in the man getting the wrong idea. A fight was the last thing Shi wanted to take part in at that moment. He didn't have the strength nor equipment for it, so it was a definite lose for him.

I may have just made a huge mistake if he's a Player Killer.

ID: 89000
LD: 9

Shi still wasn't sure what he'd decide to choose. There weren't many options he was interested in. It was likely he'd go either blacksmith or alchemist, however. He had time to choose. "I've heard there's more quests to this line. Four in total, I think. Interested in finishing the rest of them with me?" He inquired, hoping for a partner to help him get through the boring parts of the assignments. He had to admit, it would have been a struggle for him to do this alone. Not because it was challenging, it really wasn't. Simply because he wouldn't have had the attention span to walk around alone looking for crafting materials in a field.

Shi wasn't a gamer, thus being why he wasn't accustom to the "grinding" aspect of the RPG. "So," the lad started, "What do you think of this world?" A very subjective question, yet something most would respond to quite easily. Normally, you have to choices. Either you like Aincrad, or you do not. He was interested in how she'd answer.

@Hestia

ID: 88997
LD: 16

"Maybe I should pick up a profession then. I could be a blacksmith or alchemist or something like that." Shi wasn't sure what his options were other than that. He had heard of others, such as the artisans and tailors of Aincrad, but he wasn't sure if those were roles he was interested in. Becoming a blacksmith sounded the most interesting, however he'd see how he took to alchemy quite soon, after talking to Zackariah and bringing back the materials needed.

Shi smiled warmly. "If traveling alone is an issue for you, I wouldn't mind accompanying you. As soon as I up my damage I should be able to protect you as much as you'll need. As for your other problem, I don't think any guilds can have enough healers, especially during boss fights where they are needed most."

Finally, Shi came across a material. The noirette picked it up and placed it in his inventory with the other two previous items. "Getting close to finishing the quest." He stated, reading the amount of loot needed in the quest's description.

(Mats: 3/5)
@Hestia

ID: 88995
LD: 5

Shi accepts the invite quickly, before closing his menu once again. "Don't get me wrong, I think I could get there. Anyone can, if it's what they want. I'm just not sure if it's the life for me. But maybe I'll change my mind, who knows." He explains. Perhaps it was selfish of him to not assist in the clearing of floors, but he knew there must have been some other possible route for him to take; some way he'd be able to help without becoming a frontliner.

"A free agent, hey? I've never thought about that before, but it's not a bad idea. I guess I'm sorta the same way. I don't think I'll be a part of any guilds either, not anytime soon anyway." Shi responded, still scanning the ground for anything he could take back to the old alchemist. Nothing again, what a surprise.

He was running out of time to decide what he wanted to do with his time in Sword Art Online. Aincrad would only last so long and he needed to be a part of it's completion some how. He needed to feel like he was useful. What'll I do, I wonder.

@Hestia

ID: 88994
LD: 10

Shi needed to take a moment to think over what the woman had said. He hadn't thought about teaming up with anybody in the past. It was new to him, but like she said, it couldn't hurt to try.

But would it be a mistake? Would he lose her like he lost his family?

"Sure. Teaming up sounds fine. As for what I hope to achieve..." He trailed off, as if choosing his words carefully. "All I know is that I likely won't be on the frontlines much."

Her next question was, thankfully, easier for him to answer. "I'll probably end up with the cliche DPS build, but I guess we'll see as time goes by what I choose. Healers are probably needed a lot more, so you'll probably be wanted by guilds and such for boss raids." Shi said, playing with the dagger at his waist. Around him, there didn't seem to be many materials. Unlike Hestia, he wasn't finding a single one. At this rate she'll be finished before me. I need to pick up the pace.

@Hestia