Shi

ID: 88990
LD: 10

"I see. So is it safe to assume you'll be joining the frontlines and taking down bosses?" Shi asked, examining the girl once again. What sort of person would she become. The way she acted made him feel like she'd take the healer's route, but it was up to her.

Hestia was strong, he could tell by simply looking at her.

"It's hard to say what drove me out here. Maybe I was just tired of staying inside where it's safe." The noirette told the woman, although he did have a bit of an idea of what he wanted to get out of Sword Art Online. He thought about the incident with his mother and father, then shook the feeling off and continued his search for materials. There didn't seem to be any more around him at the moment, so he hoped his partner would be in more luck with finding loot.

The quest definitely did not have a very interesting goal. Obtain five or so materials and then return to Zackariah. Maybe they become more challenging on the later floors. Shi hoped.

(Mats: 2/5)

@Hestia

The snow of the fourth floor was, to put it short, beautiful.

How a mere man was able to create something as perfect as this, Shi did not know. However, he had nothing but respect for it's creator, despite the fact that they had locked so many players inside of the land known as Aincrad.

If there was ever a man who wanted to play God, it was the one who went by the name Kayaba. Was it wrong? Perhaps, but the noirette could not deny that the man had done a good job at it. Shi's dark brown orbs shifted to glance up towards the sky. Everything was so detailed. It made him want to stay. It wasn't like anyone was waiting back home anyway.

He continued on his path through the moonlit forest, admiring the scenery around him. It didn't take long for him to notice the figure in the distance. Blonde hair and an umbrella. Another player? Shi darted for cover behind a tree and swiftly revealed his dagger from it's sheath, in case he'd be forced into battle. The man was walking towards the position the noirette was located at. Not a good sign, as he was not suited for combat quite yet, only carrying a basic dagger and such. For now, Shi would have to wait, in order to get a more detailed take on the situation he had unintentionally put himself in.

@Spencer

"Thanks. I'm still not really accustom to going out alone yet. Good to have someone around in case something goes south." Shi responded. The man ran his hand through his dark hair once more, adjusting his tie into a more comfortable position before eyeing the outside world of the second floor.

It was an odd sort of apparel that he chose. A casual, black suit with a white undershirt and a dark tie. Not something most would consider good for combat, but he didn't have any armor like most players did. He was unfit for any sort of fighting at that moment.

Thankfully, the girl didn't plan on battle. Only material gathering, which worked out well for Shi, due to his lack of crafting materials. If he were to take on a profession, he wouldn't have much to make anything with what he carried on him (which, in fact, was nothing). Realizing he hadn't introduced himself, he spoke again. "I'm Shi."

Shi thought for a moment before answering the girl's question. He didn't have anyone inside or outside of the game anymore. "No, I've been alone in here this entire time. Didn't really have anyone to join the game with." He responded.

He wished it hadn't been that way. It had been a lonely few months, despite the Town of Beginnings being constantly packed and noisy.

ID: 88986
LD: 12

Looking down at the ground once more, he realized there was another material beneath his feet. "Guess we're lucky, huh." He stated aloud, before turning to ask the woman another question. "Mind if I ask what you're goals for this world are?" Shi new that most people had some sort of reason for leaving the first safezone of Aincrad. For some, it was to help defeat bosses on the frontlines. Others just wanted to enjoy their time doing quests and such while they could. There were also those with darker intentions; Player Killers.

What did she want to get out of it all?

(Mats: 2/5)
@Hestia

The dragon seemed to excite Hestia quite a bit. Shi was surprised the woman was still able to breathe after finishing her long, seemingly neverending flow of words. He let out a slight chuckle as she finished.

As the girl nudged him, Shi was able to come to the conclusion that she was a little flirty. "I try my best." The lad responded, his lips forming into a grin. In attempt to continue the conversation, he spoke again. "You have anyone else in here with you? Family, a boyfriend, friends?" His eyes searched Aincrad's surface in attempt to find a possible material or two, however he was still a little unsure of what he was looking for.

ID: 88979
LD: 18

Eventually, he came across something that he believed was a material. He bent over for a moment in order to pick it up and then placed it in his inventory for later. "One down, four to go."

@Hestia

Shi gave the girl a slight smile. Surprisingly, he didn't even need to force it. It was a genuine look of happiness that had appeared on his face. Something he hadn't felt in some time. His attention was suddenly shifted to the old man. He spoke in a deep, cliche wizard's voice and explained what the party was to accomplish during their mission. The lad accepted as quickly as his partner did.

The old alchemist sent the duo away in order to collect the materials he had asked for. "Let's get going." He gave a quick hand gesture as he opened the shop door for the woman to exit.

He lead the group of two to the exit of the Town of Beginnings, where they'd be able to find the materials they needed. "This is my first time leaving the safezone. How about you?" He inquired, wondering if the girl had ever left the town.

@Hestia

Shi moved his hand gently through his charcoal hair. Urbus was as busy as usual. Not uncommon for the main settlement of a floor, but a little bit annoying. Crowds as big as this were definitely not his style. His hands glided into the pockets of his well-tailored, however unenhanced black suit. A dagger sat resting at his hip, as if it were waiting to be pulled. He was slightly eager to begin combat, although it was likely he wouldn't be strong enough to fight even the weakest boar.

A black-haired woman had caught his eye multiple times within the past few minutes. What is it about her that is making me look towards her? Who is she? He wondered, stepping forwards into the girls direction.

She seemed to be readying herself to leave the safezone. Maybe this person'll let me tag along and gain some experience. It would definitely be useful for him. She seemed at least a little bit more knowledgeable of what was in the outskirts of the town. Anything she could teach would be useful.

"Hey, 'scuse me. If you're going out there, would you mind if I came along?"

The sound of a player's voice echoed in Shi's ear. She introduced herself as Hestia. It must have been a coincidence that as soon as he began to reminisce of his days in Greece, a girl sharing the name of an ancient deity appears. He couldn't help but smirk. "I'm Shi." The raven-haired individual reached out to meet his new acquaintance's hand. Soft hands for a virtual woman. This world never ceases to amaze me. Shi thought, although he wasn't sure what he had expected to feel. Her appearance told him that she was as new to leaving the safezone as he was. Hestia's name intrigued him, to the point where he decided he'd keep the conversation going.

"You're also doing this quest, right? Care to join me?" Shi offered, knowing that he'd be entertained a lot more by bringing along another player. However, there were risks involved as well. It was a possibility she'd lure him into some sort of trap. On the other hand, she seemed innocent enough.

What's the worst that could happen.

In the beginning there was only chaos.

That's how Shi remembered it anyway. Those words were straight from the ancient Greek books he would read back home; in the real world. Not a day went by without him wondering if any of what the literature said was true. Highly unlikely, for the most part. However, the noirette was religious enough to believe in a "Mount Olympus" and Gods and other mythological things of the sort.

With a quick stride, the lad was inside of the shop listed in the quest's details. What am I here for again? Shi asked himself in his mind, swiping his hand to open the menu where his quests were listed. Five materials was all he was asked to collect. Then he'd return to turn them into potions. Simple enough, right?

There was a problem though. "What do materials even look like..." he mumbled, eyeing the various potions and alchemical contraptions around the structure. In no time at all, he'd be using some of the equipment owned by the Alchemist, Zackariah. Shi examined the fictional wizard-like character. Although he was an NPC, he looked just the same as a real human would have, although he was older than anyone else the man had seen in the game thus far.

"Zackariah," Shi spoke to the bearded-man, "I'm here for the quest."

@Hestia

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Nico di Angelo, Heroes of Olympus

Shi ・ Solo Player ・Level 1
Name: Leo Santana
Gender: Male
Age: 19>21
Height: 5'11"

History

How do I even start this story?

Leo Santana was a son, a dreamer, and a fierce friend. Jeez, I'm making it sound like he's dead. I guess, in a sense, he is though.

Leo was born in a small town on the west coast of Canada. It was so small, in fact, that the movie theater only played one movie a month. Sad, right? He was an only child who lived with his loving parents and he was considered to be one of the "popular kids," whatever that meant. He hated the term. Leo didn't like the idea of cliques or groups and although being popular may have been a good thing, he really wasn't a huge fan of most of his colleagues.

A vast majority of them were stuck-up, rich, and for lack of a better word, fake; three traits he disliked greatly. He was different, or at least not as similar. Leo enjoyed the idea that he was liked due to his kindness and such, and in most cases, he was. However, it was also possible that it was just his charming appearance and charisma.

It was outside of school that Leo really shined, however. While he did party ocassionaly, he wasn't all about that life. Instead, he was focused on his passion: music. Although his parents were traditional and wanted him to attend a post-secondary school to become a doctor or lawyer, his only real dream was to play music on a real stage. By no means was Leo a master guitarist, but he did play it well and he was getting better each day.

It was unfortunate, but only a handful of close friends truly believed in him.

Time flew by as he attended high school for his final year, prepared to graduate and be done with the hell that it was. Though he had always been excited about this day, it ended up being the worst of his life.

Leo was surprised to be getting a call from his aunt--whom he was not close with whatsoever--at 3 o'clock in the morning, while he was at a graduation party. He picked up the phone and as she spoke, he froze. What she had said could not be true, right? It was some kind of cruel joke, he was sure of it.

But no. It saddens me to say that it was no prank.

Leo's mother and father had been killed in a brutal car crash a few hours prior to the call. They had both been rushed to the nearby hospital, where both of them had unfortunately passed away.

This crushed Leo. They were all that he had, other than his music. He spiralled into a strong depression for some time while he attempted to cope with the loss. Family and friends offered support and a place to stay incredibly often, and while he appreciated it, he wasn't interested. It took him an unimaginable amount of willpower and time, but he was able to continue through life eventually.

--------------

By the time Leo had turned nineteen, he and three of his friends were living in an appartment in Kyoto, a city in Japan. It was the last place he had visited with his family, as well as his idea of a fresh start. Here, he had begun his musical career and was working towards getting through his great loss. Coincidentally, on the same day Leo arrived in Japan, the NerveGear along with Sword Art Online was released to the public. He was never one for video games, except for the few times he had played Madden in his best friends basement when they were young, so he wasn't sure if he was interested in SAO. However, it was the only thing in the news at that point. Virtual reality. It was finally possible and he was being given the chance to actually play inside of it. After coming to the decision that he would order the game, he picked up a headset from the nearest store and waited for his copy of Sword Art to arrive. 

As much as I'd like to say "the end," this is not even close to finished. If only Leo had known what he wad getting into beforehand, perhaps the rest of this story could have been avoided.

Virtues

Empathetic: Throughout his life, Leo was a kindhearted individual, causing him to be liked by co-workers, school mates, as well as other people he encountered regularly. Going through the traumatic experience of losing his parents only enhanced this by causing him to be much more understanding with those around him. Putting himself into the positions of others has made him into a less judgmental and all around better person.

Loyal Friend: Leo disliked people who weren't honest about themselves and their opinions of others. Due to him only having a handful of friends he could truly call close, he made sure he was real with them at all times. He was an incredibly loyal, honest, and overall caring friend.

Dreamer: Leo is what you could call and idealist. From a young age, his dream was to play music professionally and despite the wishes of his parents, he went on with that. He was the kind of man who worked day and night to perfect himself and his craft in order to succeed in the long run. He was a hustler.

Flaws

Withdrawn: After the untimely death of his mother and father, Shi became withdrawn from the rest of his relatives and old high school acquaintances. This was the main factor of his journey to Japan, where he had hoped to gain closure. Upon entering Sword Art Online, this did not change. He made no effort to find friends and was uninterested in joining a guild or teaming up for quests. It was a journey he had planned on taking alone.

Angry: Leo's parents had been victims of an unexpected car accident resulting in their deaths. Now, they would never see climb to the top of the music industry. They would never attend his wedding or meet their grandchildren. They would never even have him over for Christmas dinner again. It made him unspeakably angry and he was left with no way to release his hatred, causing him to bottle it up instead.  On top of all of that, he was now separated from his dearest friends and left to figure everything out by himself inside of a virtual world.

Survivor's Guilt: Despite not even being at the scene of the unfortunate deaths of his mother and father, he still felt as though part of it was his own fault. Maybe if he had done something different, his parents would have stayed home that night or they would have taken another route to their destination. He constantly beat himself up for something that he had no control over whatsoever.

Story Thus Far

WIP. (Will be about relationship with his mentor and closest friend, Cain. will include pre-death of cain as well as post-death of cain.)

(parts will probably undergo edits and rewrites. ily all)