Midnight_Lace

Dallas approached the bush again. It was funny how inviting it looked from a distance. But this time she knew the truth. Waiting for her and anyone else careless enough to just reach in, were hundreds of long thorns. She assumed that pricking herself hard enough on them might actually result in damage, and of course, that assumption led to the question, "Had anybody died while picking berries?" Of course, she wasn't worried, after all, she had, not long ago, managed to gather a berry with no damage, so it could be done. She knelt down beside the bush and began looking for an opening to reach into.

Success. Dallas found a break in the thorns and nestled neatly within reach was a single berry. She smiled to herself as she reached in and picked the berry with ease. Once collected she recoiled her hand with the berry and placed it into her inventory. She had completed the first part of her quest, collecting five materials to be used for crafting. Her excitement was tangible now as she jumped up with excitement.

"YES, YES, YES... I DID IT" 

She shrieked with excitement as she began running full tilt back towards the city gate. 

Quest Material +1

Dallas was not one to be easily deterred however and she quickly found herself crouched on her knees in front of another hole, reaching eagerly into it in hopes of finding another mushroom to pick. At this point, she would only need one. One anything. It didn't have to be a mushroom. It could be collectible slime, roots, even bugs. anything that could be used in a potion would work. She even leaned in, pressing her shoulder against the rocks to reach further in if need be, but still, there would be nothing to be found. Perhaps there was more to this item respawn theory than she had originally given thought to.

Another sigh escaped her lips, this one had a slight tone of frustration as she scanned around for another place to search. Perhaps returning to the berry bush was a better idea. Dallas made the call and stood up and walked back over to the thorn bushes. There appeared to be many berries still left, she would just need to be careful in collecting them. 

Dallas sighed again as she sat on her knees for a few moments. She wasn't second-guessing herself, or her desire to be out here. She was just trying to figure out a better way to do this. so far she had been moderately successful, and it had been ok. But there was more to this, and if she did this right she could better help herself and others. Farming materials had to have a more efficient method. Perhaps she would return to this idea later, for now, she had a rock crevice in front of her, whos amphibious defender had left leaving it wide open for her, and she was not going to waste the opportunity to shove her hand blindly into some hole like that.

She smiled at the way she had mentally described the situation, before leaning forward and reaching her hand back into the crevasse. Inside it felt damp, and slimy like it had before, with a distinct lack of moving things, which was comforting in a small way.  Sadly this would not prove much of a help as, despite her best efforts, Dallas was unable to find anything of any value in this particular spot. Maybe she had cleaned it out earlier, and the items took time to respawn. If that were the case she would not find anything else here for an undetermined amount of time.

Dallas cast her gaze upwards, raising a hand to cover her eyes from the sun that now blinded her. As nice as it was to see these things again, she had become so accustomed to a world without sight, that now she wished she could turn it off. Her eyes could be so distracting, every bright light, every movement, everything new did well to distract her, steal her focus, and make things more difficult. On top of that, she found that the sight of things could be discouraging to her if something simply looked too intimidating she might not proceed. It was strange that now after all this time she viewed sight as a handicap in its own way.

After a moment she lowered her eyes and hand, before proceeding tp the rocks. If she were lucky she might find another mushroom.

Upon arriving back at the rocks she dropped to her hands and knees and began to feel around with her fingers, under the rocks again. She knew what she was looking for, that soft round mushroom shape. She even expected to find one right away. Seconds later her fingers touched something wet and slippery. Strangely though it felt like whatever it was actually moving. She hesitated a moment before reaching deeper and making a grab at the mystery object, pulling her hand back with a shriek as it moved and exited the rocks on its own. A frog had been seeking refuge from the early morning sun and had been disturbed by her sudden grabbing. It had emerged so quickly that it had startled her, causing her to fall back, while it stared with bug-eyed displeasure from the rock that it had landed on, before hopping off to find a new hiding spot. Dallas could feel her cheeks turning red, and she hoped no one had seen her be frightened by the frog.

Dallas stood up smiling triumphantly. She was so close now before too long she would be able to head back to Zachariah and move onto the next phase of this quest. All she had to do was find one more ingredient. This was great. She looked around again, looking for any sign of other butterflies or anything else for that matter she might be able to use. All she needed was something, anything to finish this phase. There was no reason why she wouldn't be able to complete this now. She had had doubters in the real world, and for a while, she thought they were right, but if only they could see her now.

Unlike last time, however, nothing seemed to be immediately present. There were no new outcroppings nearby, no shrubberies, and no signs of insects she might collect. It was just her and the things she had already found. Perhaps she would do well to go back and continue farming the spots she had discovered. Given that she was so close to finishing, Dallas made a choice to turn back and search through the first rock outcropping again.

It wouldn't be long now. Soon Dallas would complete this quest. It was her first quest, and her first steps into a bigger world. She smiled wider with each success, three of them now. With the berry deposited she stood up to look around. While it had been her most recent acquisition, the berry had proven troublesome due to the large thorns that protected them. She considered a different alternative, something unique and a little easier. From somewhere in her memory a conversation surfaced. She had overheard an adventurer mentioning something about... Butterfly wings. He had said that they could be used for potions. She wasn't sure why, or how but something about the dust on their wings was potent in basic potion-making. She would try catching a few of those, and if that  failed she would return to the berries and mushrooms

Not too far off Dallas spotted a butterfly near a patch of flowers. It floated delicately between the flowers without much concern for the girl now sprinting towards it. She moved as quickly as she could, closing the gap between her and the insect before pouncing on it. It must have looked rather silly to see a grown woman pounce on a butterfly, but she was not concerned with appearances now, not when she was getting closer to completion. 

When she finally landed on the ground with her hands tightly clenched together. Inside was the butterfly she had actually managed to capture. She could feel it squirming in her grip for a moment before an option to store it in her inventory appeared. Dallas grinned as she did just that bringing herself to four materials harvested. 

"Right, one left now."

Quest Material +1

Dallas Circled the brush looking for a weakness in its thorny defense. She even prodded the branches with her sword attempting to cut a patch clear. It was then she noticed that several berries had fallen to the ground and now rested just under the brush. The thorns were still there, but maybe if she were careful, she could reach under and retrieve some of them for herself. At the very least it wouldn't hurt to try. With that thought, she got down onto her hands and knees again and began to stretch out her arm to try and retrieve some of the crimson berries she sought.

Carefully she stretched out her fingers, trying carefully not to touch the thorns that sat so dangerously close to her arm and hand. Luckily her careful approach would yield results, and she managed to retrieve one of the berries from underneath. It was no bigger than a golf ball and firm in her grasp. In many ways, it felt like it could be used to throw at someone if she were so inclined. She would not be doing that however as she needed this to finish her quest. Perhaps another time. She quickly deposited the berry into her inventory and continued to try and find another berry.

Quest Material +1

Once her hand had dried off, Dallas took another look around. One of the advantages of being finally able to see was that she could spot places of interest from a distance. It definitely made things easier than trying to tap her way along until she found something. Not far off, a small patch of shrubbery was growing. Its dark green leaves stood out against the light green grass of the field. It even looked as though there were berries growing from the brush. This would no doubt prove to be another great place to continue her search. The only downside was that she was now venturing further away from the safety of the town, and stood a better chance at being attacked. So long as she was careful though, it wouldn't be a problem.

Dallas didn't waste any time before heading over to the brush to try her luck. As she approached she did notice that there were indeed berries growing from it. They were various shades of red, ranging from dark almost blood red to bright neon red. She wondered if they were beneficial or toxic, and made a note to ask when she was done with the quest. 

Despite her best attempts to reach the berries, Dallas would soon find herself thwarted by several large thorns she had failed to notice upon her initial arrival. While they did not deplete herself, they did prevent her from being able to retrieve any of the berries that sat deceptively out of reach. She chuckled gently as she reassessed how best to acquire her prize.

Two down. At this rate, Dallas would be done before lunch. She smiled as she continued to crawl around the patch of rocks. So far the mushrooms had been found under the larger rocks that stuck up at strange angles, so that would be how she would continue her search. Her fingers seemed to move expertly over the stones as she felt around for anything else that could be harvested. Dallas even floated the idea that maybe she would harvest materials like this as a means to make col after the quest was done. It seemed easy enough, and good crafting regents always seemed to be in demand.

Dallas carefully slipped her hand under another rock and quickly recoiled it. Something under the rock had felt cold, wet and slippery. It was for lack of a better word, slimy and gross. She frowned in disgust and stood up, shaking the excess moisture from her hand. Perhaps the slimy gunk was harvestable, but it was not something she had any interest in touching again, so for now, she would find nothing and move on to a different spot. It wasn't at all discouraging for her, in fact, she still felt excited. The idea that she had cleaned out this spot, for now, was rather exhilarating.

Finding those mushrooms was certainly great for her confidence. If anything it pointed her in the right direction and gave her a good idea of what this quest entailed. With renewed vigor, she deposited the mushrooms into her inventory and dropped back to her knees to keep looking for more materials. It seemed the trick was to get right down into it, and really look for things. This didn't bother her at all. In truth she preferred this method, using her hands, and actually feeling around to find things. Somehow it felt more natural for her. She hoped to find more, continue this lucky streak. She even grinned at the idea of finding something else so quickly. 

A few moments passed before her fingers felt the familiar sensation of mushroom caps. She had done it again, found a few more. These ones looked similar to the ones she had found, but retained a slight blue color, while the others had been more of a maroon. Again she excitedly grabbed the small caps and placed them into her inventory. She was enjoying this, the search, and the feeling of success when she found what she was looking for. She even felt a little upset that she had waited so long to start this. Had she done this from the beginning she might have actually been somewhere by now. She might have even saved a life or two.

Dallas was even more determined to get through this. 

Quest Material +1

All she had to do was find five materials. Not too hard a task. Not by any standard. Especially when some quests required the death of boss tier characters. She could do this. Dallas lowered herself to all fours as she began to search around the rocks for anything of any use. The idea that she might look silly crawling around these rocks hadn't occurred to her, instead, she was determined to finish this quest as quick as possible regardless of what it took. 

Perhaps she needed a little more research before starting this. After all, there were so many variables that she hadn't accounted for. She even considered for a brief moment, heading back and flagging down another player for help. That was until her hand touched something. There at the tips of her fingers sat a small patch of mushrooms. In an instant, she grabbed the mushrooms and jumped up. 

"YES... YES... FRONTLINES HERE I COME." SHe shrieked excitedly as she jumped up and down. This was it. The crucial first step in her quest to get out of this game.

Quest Materials +1

Dallas took her time walking along the wall at first. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but suspected an option to harvest materials would appear when she found something, that was how it worked in other games right? No one had ever actually explained to her how this worked, not that she had ever actually asked. But since literally, everyone had managed it, it couldn't be that hard. Not far off she noticed several rocks sticking out of the ground at an odd angle. That would be where she would start.

Dallas proceeded to investigate the rocks but found nothing of interest. It was then she realized that she actually had no real idea what she was looking for. Would it be just a notification pop up saying something was there? Would she actually see something to pick up and interact with? And if so what would it be? Mushrooms? Berries? A stick? Suddenly this seemed like a larger task than it actually needed to be. To complicate matters further Dallas suddenly realized that she might not even be able to identify something since she had little idea what things would look like. This would prove to be more frustrating than she had anticipated.

It didn't take Dallas long to reach the wall. It never did. In the years she had spent here, she had learned her way around, including NPC schedules and shortcuts. Not that she was in that much of a hurry, She just happened to be eager to start. To simplify things, this first part of the quest was not going to require combat. Instead, she simply had to search for things. Mushrooms, berries, roots, or anything that would appear as a material would suffice in this instance. 

Near the exit to the town stood a lone guard. She had seen him many times, and without fail he would warn her of the dangers of the outside if she ventured too close. Once she had even sat and listened to what he had said, but now his words seemed to fall on deaf ears as she swept passed him. She didn't need to be told about the boars or the wasps that prowled the fields and forests of the first floor. They wouldn't be much trouble, not yet anyway. Besides, if she stayed close to the town she would be fine. For some reason, Dallas waved lazily over her shoulder as she left, knowing full well that the gesture meant nothing to the programmed NPC that had no doubt returned to his post. 

She sighed again once outside the town and took a quick look around. Both to the left and to the right were open fields. After a brief deliberation, she decided to head to the right which in this case meant she was going south.

Some would call it a late start. In truth that was an understatement. Two years and some odd months had passed since the game had started. In that time almost a quarter of the floors had been cleared and hundreds if not thousands of players had died. So many people had taken to fighting, arming themselves and charging forward to face new enemies and new challenges. Still many more had stayed put, waiting for others to clear the game for them. It was safer in the town of beginnings. Everything one would need could be found here, so there was no real need to advance. It was, at best, a place to survive. But what kind of life was that? Dallas had finally had enough. Sure she had said that before and attempted to venture out, only to be scared back, but this time was different. Now she wanted to see new things, achieve new goals, and actually be more than a beggar on the street waiting for daily rations. That's why she had taken this quest, wasn't it? It would give her a little experience in the world, and was supposed to yield a few things to aid her during her start-up. Hundreds of people had completed it, which was reassuring, to say the least. If anything it meant that she should be able to accomplish her tasks and get started. 

She had been referred to this quest by a friend who had long since advanced and been defeated many floors up. He had insisted that if she were serious about leaving the first floor, she complete all the starter quests first. The added XP was worth it. He had given her lots of good advice. Find a familiar, watch out for orange players, be aware of Mobs, among other lessons. For the while that she had known him, he had shared stories of other floors, and his adventures. To this day they had stayed with her. 

She sighed as she entered the little house where "Zachariah" resided. He could sometimes be found in other parts of the town, but she had been told he was consistently found here. It helped knowing where he was, no point in wasting any more time in a fruitless search. 

"Ah, A visitor. I wonder if perhaps you could help me with a little task. I'd be willing to reward you for your time."

An elderly fellow spoke from behind a table littered with vials, potions, and ingredients. He looked kindly if not a little absent-minded as he peered over his glasses at her. She had seen him before, his daily routines had crossed her path several times over the years. She knew his character background placed him as the town's alchemist. He had spent years working for the people creating potions and tonics to aid the people here but had grown feeble in his advanced years. He often spoke of how hard it was to acquire materials in his old age. She also knew the first bit of his quest was nothing more than to venture outside of the town and collect materials. Easy.

"Uh sure. Yeah. I'd love to help." She said taking a deep breath and stepping forward. 

Zachariah smiled and nodded "Right, well I need materials to make potions for the blacksmith. Would you be a dear and venture out past the edge of town and find some for me? I would myself but my old bones won't carry me that far. I need 5 Materials." 

Dallas nodded affirmatively before speaking. "Right. Just 5? No problem. I will be back soon." As she finished speaking a notification popped up stating that she had accepted the quest. Zachariah had started to speak again, but she was not interested in hearing what he had to say, she had things to do and little time to do them. Instead, she turned briskly and left the house, while his words trailed off behind her. Odds are she would be back before he finished speaking.

"Right so the edge of town is that way. That's where I'll go." She said out loud to no one in particular before heading off.

Dallas Frowned as he mentioned that he hated the floor. However, when he explained it had been his brother's favorite floor she deduced that he had lost someone dear to him. It made sense in its own way. He was here as a tribute. Paying respects to someone close to him. She had wanted to say something to this, respond in some way to show empathy, but she had not been close to anyone here who had passed. In fact, she hadn't experienced death in any sort of way. Instead, she turned her head to the floor, shivering in silence for a few moments before Dustin stood up and placed his cloak over her shoulders. 

Dallas looked up at him, as best as she could with her blindfold on, and smiled. "Thank you... I... But won't you be cold?" It was an exceptionally kind gesture, to her it was more than the drink he had ordered for her. It was like something she would have heard about in one of those sappy romantic movies, the kind where the guy offers his jacket to the girl. It was sweet and compassionate, and very much appreciated. She offered a quick smile and pulled it tightly around herself, hiding her body from view and trapping her warmth underneath it. 

When he mentioned her hair she smiled and raised her hand to it, as if she were brushing it into place better than it already was. "Thank you... It's silly. Before I put on the nerve gear I had finished bleaching it. I was going to add a color to it in the real world. Blue or pink or something. I'm actually naturally a strawberry blond. As she spoke the drinks arrived and he was quick to hand her a hot coco with a gentle warning to be careful. She smiled and response and took a sip, enjoying the warm flavor that to her tasted identical to its real-world counterpart.

"I actually have three brothers. They are all older than me by several years though. They are pretty protective of me, and I'm sure they would be looking out for me if they were here. But I'm the only one in SAO. They are back home in Boston I imagine." She had often thought of her family, but up until now she hadn't actually thought about where they were. Had they even come to Japan to see her? Was she still in Japan even? There was no way to know. Dallas took another sip of her drink. "Your brother... He was here?" She asked as her tone lowered.

@Dustin 

It was always amazing how fast things could change. The seasons could change in a matter of weeks, the weather could change in minutes, and her time alone could change in seconds. It was one of those moments that you needed to be there to really understand. As if out of nowhere someone fell into the water not far off, and off to the other side, someone was fishing. How had she not noticed these people? She sighed in an almost frustrated way as she stood up. The girl who had fallen in the water was swimming towards her, following the soft apology she had offered. 

Dallas had meant to reach down and help the girl out, and maybe even tease her a little for falling in the water, but her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of conflict. it seemed the fisherman had bit off more than he could chew as a shark looking fish man monster thing emerged from the water. Dallas's instincts took over as she dropped to the water's edge to help the girl out as quickly as she could. If there was one of those monsters, there would be more, and she didn't want to see this girl get hurt. 

Once the girl was safely out of the water, Dallas drew her saber and stood to face the monster who was now Heavily Agroed on the fisherman. She was ready to help if she needed to but wasn't about to interfere if he could handle it.

@Pinball @Rithe

It was a nice day. Most days here on the first floor were. It was programmed to be agreeable. Warm sunny days, not too hot, mild cool nights but not too cold, with the favorable weather most of the time. That was why so many people had settled here in the beginning. It was just easy. That's why Dallas was exploring now. There were few mobs of any major value here, which meant most players were hunting elsewhere. The mobs that did exist were weak, and she could either flee or fight if she needed. Just like the weather, this was all just easy.

The sound of water had drawn her to a spot not far from the town. She had followed a brook to wear it emptied off into a larger body of water. Through her blindfold, she could see the toned down view of the world. The lake itself looked as though it stretched on for miles, and not a ripple broke the surface, aside from the odd fish here and there. She smiled as she sat at the edge of the water, pulling her knees up into her chest while she enjoyed the feel of the sun on her face. This was one of those nice moments that people talked about, the kind of thing that made the game worth living. That was something though wasn't it? The game worth living? For so long people treated this place as if it were just a game, a virtual prison that they could not escape. Much like World of Warcraft. But lately, this world was starting to feel real. Sure the mind knew it was all a construct of digital data, but if you closed your eyes, and let go of your thoughts, it was as real as anything else. 

Dallas sighed quietly as she picked up a pebble from behind her and tossed it into the water, causing it to skip several times before sinking. "This is nice"

@Pinball @Rithe

Dallas slipped into the shop in near silence. She had come in search of some new armor. More than ever she needed something to help her since she had started to venture out of town more and more. In her mind, she pictured light armor, a petticoat similar to the one she wore, but now she needed a boost to her stats. Evasion was a good stat for her, and one that she imagined would help her greatly. 

Inside the shop were plenty of finished products. All manner of armors and clothing, many of which looked far too expensive But she was in luck. She had seen a sign outside that said players under level 15 were eligible for a free rare item. That on its own was a great start for her, and mainly why she was here. There was more to it though. She was going to become a light armor wearer, and as such, she would need a skilled tailor to make her armor as she leveled up. In all reality, this item that she would request now was going to be an interview. If it was good then she knew where to come to spend her money later. 

"Hi there. I saw your sign and would like to apply for a rare item. I need a Petticoat like what I am wearing now. But I need stats in Evasion." As she spoke she slid the slip of paper that had her order on it towards the Shop Owner."

Quote

Name: Silk and Shadows

Your Profession: Tailor

Your Rank: Rank 7

ID: 

Roll: 

Item Type: Light Armor Petticoat 
Tier: 1

Quality: Rare

Enhancements: +2 Evasion

Description: A rather elegant black petticoat. It has a look of regality to it that suggests it would have belonged to someone of prestige. Its fabric flows smoothly, revealing hints of skin in a flirty way, distracting on lookers while allowing the wearer freedom to move in ways one might not expect. 

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She chuckled gently as he probed into her name. "Sorry, I should be more clear. Midnight Lace is my name. But most call me Lace to save time." That statement was partly true. Most people would call her Lace if most people knew who she was. The double-edged sword of her existence here. She had stayed alone for most of the time. As a means of survival, it seemed like a bold decision to avoid making friends, but it had its uses. No one was leading her on quests and getting her killed. So there was that. But the other side of it was that she was now driven from her own safety by the loneliness she had strived for. 

Next, the obvious question of her blindfold came up. He had assumed her to be a gifted fighter, like the blind Samurai perhaps. In truth, nothing could be further from the truth. She was still a novice, barely managing to score a few kills on her own. "Err. Not quite. It's sort of a long story, but I'm much more comfortable with my vision obscured." She wasn't sure how much info to share with her new acquaintance. After all, he could be a PKer looking to score an easy kill. But then again... Somehow she doubted it. While her vision was obscured, she could see enough through the fabric to determine that Dustin was not an orange player, which did put her a little at ease.

She looked down for a moment before Dustin removed his cloak. As her shrouded gaze lifted back to look at him she could tell he was much more casually dressed than she was. He certainly seemed to be warmer dressed, to say the least. At that moment she was suddenly reminded of the chill outside and instinctively inched further from the door and closer to the fire, which brought her closer to Dustin, if only slightly.

She smiled as he offered to get her a drink. It was a nice gesture and just a little flirty. Not a bad thing though, such interactions were nice, and something she had not had in a while. "If you're sure. I don't want to impose. But if it's not too much trouble I would love something warm. It seems I did not prepare properly for this floor, and I may have a little bit of a chill." She crossed her arms in front of her to hold in the precious little warmth she had left as it threatened to leave her entirely. Perhaps she was being a little overdramatic now, but the cold was not her most favorite thing. Not when she wasn't dressed for it at least.

"So Dustin, Wielder of Dawnbringer. What brings you to a frosty place like this?" She asked with a smile.

@Dustin

Dallas raised an eye as the young man spoke. He seemed flustered, confused even. Was it the result of his drink? She didn't think beverages could actually get a player drunk, at least she had heard many others complain that they "couldn't even get a buzz" as they had put it. She remembered that topics similar to that had been the source of many frustrated rants. So many people had wanted nothing more than to drown their despair at the bottom of a brew. 

The young man had introduced himself as Dawnbringer, and mentioned that his sword was named Dustin. That was Odd. Not so much his name, after all, she had seen all manner of screen names in two years, and Dawnbringer was tame in comparison to some of the others. But the fact that he had named his sword Dustin. Before she could say anything he corrected himself, His name was Dustin and his sword was Dawnbringer. That made more sense, if not at the least being a little anticlimactic. Now as she looked at him through the fabric of her blindfold she was suddenly made aware of something. His sword was broken. What was that about? Why carry around a damaged item? How did it get damaged? Was it a quest item?

Her mind began to race with questions as she imagined this man Dustin. A noble warrior on a quest to restore the broken fragments of a weapon long since lost to the ebb of time. Nothing would sway him from his quest until he had reforged the broken blade, making him king of some long forgotten kingdom. Dallas paused a moment now, a small smile on her lips. That was just silly. Clearly she had read the lord of the rings one too many times. 

"Dustin. It's a pleasure." She held out her dainty gloved hand to him as she spoke. "Call me Lace." She spoke thoughtfully with a sweet undertone, much like someone who was entirely too innocent. "Today is my first time here..." She stopped a moment before correcting herself. "First time anywhere actually."

@Dustin

Fourth Floor - Starting Town - 1:35pm

Dallas shivered as she stepped out of the portal and into the frozen town. This was not what she had been expecting, Not like this anyways. Someone had mentioned the floor was cold, no, chilly was the word they had used, but not this. Her breath hung in the air as she looked about, shielding her already shrouded eyes from the glare of light reflected by the pristine snow. She let out a low sigh as she scurried along, her feet crunching beneath the whiteness, as she looked for the local tavern. Taverns were her first stop. Always the first. From there she could get herself oriented, and figure out what she could do here. 

People moved around her as she slipped along the roads of the town. All were dressed much warmer than herself, and many cast her off glances as she passed, no doubt wondering why she would come here dressed so lightly. Perhaps a cloak was needed, nothing fancy, just something to fight the cold. She made a mental note to ask about clothing once she got to the tavern and warmed up. Aside from the stares, she noticed that this floor seemed much more populated than the first floor had been. It was no secret that people were moving up to higher floors as they become unlocked and more money became available, and it seemed that in spite of the cold, this floor was no exception.

Perhaps in its own way, it was nice, its frosted windows, and snow-covered trees had a charm to them. Like the old swiss villa's she had read about in school. While she had never seen anything like them before, she imagined this is what she had read about. 

It didn't take long for Dallas to find the tavern and she slipped in without a wasted moment. Instantly she was bombarded with a warmth that seemed to comfort her as she stood in the doorway still shivering off the effects of the cold. The tavern wasn't overly busy at the moment, and it even appeared that a few of the patrons were NPC's programmed to be here for the atmosphere. But there were still a few real people, some eating, some sharing drinks, and even a couple sitting by a cozy looking fire. Maybe she would introduce herself. That was something players did right? But there was a way to do it, she couldn't just announce herself, that wouldn't do her any good.

She decided it would be easier to start with one person, a young man sitting alone. He would be perfect. She moved quickly, seating herself beside him. Dallas opened her mouth and closed it quickly realized that she didn't know what to say. 

How long had it been now? Years since all of this had started. It had literally been years since Dallas had put on her nerve gear for the first time. It was baffling to think about, almost painful, and yet it was all she could think about lately. In that time the front lines had not managed to push to the thirtieth floor, and she had personally achieved very little. In two years she had not left the safety of the first town. It was safer here, behind these walls. Here no one could hurt her, she could exist as she needed to and wait for things to get better. But it had been two years. That was long enough.

Dallas moved swiftly along the streets of the familiar starting city. There was comfort in these streets, one that came with walking them over and over. She knew them by heart now. Every pebble, every vendor, every turn and corridor. Maybe that's why she hated them. In two years they had become too familiar to her. She had deciphered all of their secrets and was now left wanting more. Even the people that once crowded these streets had moved on to higher floors. The only people around here now were people like her, those waiting to finish the game, and people who came back for whatever reason.

Dallas sighed as she slipped down a narrow alley, moving swiftly, and hugging close to the wall. She had a plan today, to try something new, to take a chance. She hadn't given it much thought, just enough to know that she simply needed to get out of here. And for that to happen she needed supplies and couple levels. As luck would have it, there did happen to be a tutorial quest set that started on this floor, in this very town. Countless players had taken it, and all of them had benefitted, so there was no doubt in her mind that it wouldn't benefit her too.

Dallas rounded another corner and slipped out into an open plaza. She was almost there now. She hadn't given it much thought, but now as she neared the workshop where she would get the quest, she wondered if it wouldn't be beneficial to snag a stronger player to assist her, just in case. A small frown crossed her lips, finding players here was tough, but if someone came by she would ask. 

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Profile
Username: Midnight_Lace
Real name: Dallas Biggins
Age: 19 > 21
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6"

About: History/personality

It's hard to sum up, Dallas's personality. Most who have known her for any period of time, are still often surprised by her mood swings. She can spend most of the day as calm as anyone might expect, and at the drop of a hat, ready for a fight, with a sword in someone's face. Alternatively, she settles just as quick, going from a rage to super calm without warning as well. Despite her moods, she is usually straight-faced, making it that much harder for anyone to actually be able to read her.

There are a few things that really make Dallas happy. For the most part, her enjoyment comes from music. Given that she was blinded so early in her life she developed an appreciation for music in her youth. There are a few types of music she doesn't enjoy, but her favorite genres are pop, rock, and country. If not music she gets great enjoyment from simply relaxing in a quiet place. Often times she will seek out quiet places when she has nothing else to do. She loves all forms of retro tech. This does include things from the 80's and early 90's. Be it old game systems, walkmans, even clamshell cell phones, she loves it all. To her retro tech is a reminder of how good things used to be before the world became complicated. 

The idea of friendships for her is a new idea. In most cases, she was discouraged from making friends by her disability. Distancing herself from other meant that she was less likely to be hurt. Love is a brand new concept altogether and she has no idea how any of that works. Despite her lack of experience, she does greatly desire a romantic relationship that doesn't end in tragedy. 

As a conflicting personality type, Dallas is both lazy and laid back, while also being OCD with an addictive personality. These things go hand in hand with her ability to change moods on the fly and often lend to interesting scenarios.

-Dallas grew up in Boston with her mother and father and 3 older brothers. Money was tight so both her parents worked, often leaving her in the care of her older brothers. 

-When Dallas was 7 she was involved in a pepper spray incident that left her blind. One of her brothers had had a can hidden in his room, and while roughhousing the can had been ruptured dousing everyone in chemical irritant. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Dallas would not be treated soon enough to prevent irreparable damage.

-Dallas would spend the rest of her life in darkness, that is until SAO. The way the game functioned, and connected right to one's mind, meant that while in the game she would be blessed with her sight again. Naturally, she jumped at the opportunity and secured herself a copy.

-This meant that in order to take advantage of this new technology and experience Dallas would need to move to Japan. It took her and her family several months to save up enough money to send her overseas but were eventually able to do so. The Change in cultures was hard for her at first, but she took to it with zeal.

-After a few days of being trapped in the game, Dallas began to realize what a liability her sight was, and how uncomfortable it was to actually use it. for the remainder of her time in SAO she would remain in darkness.

Virtues:

Kind-hearted: Dallas is a sweetheart through and through. Despite her often cold projection, she is very thoughtful, and very rarely manages to put herself above others. Somehow, helping others, regardless of who they might be, feels better for her than collecting rewards, or being famous. she is not quick to let people know this, and often will hide her actions and kindness from others for fear of being taken advantage of.

Fearless: In life Dallas is blind. That kind of life has taught her to be fearless. She doesn't sit and dwell with fears of what could happen, instead she simply ventures out to learn what will happen. in many ways, her disability has been a blessing for her as she needed to learn confidence and sureness that most people never learn.

Loyalty: This is something that Dallas believes in very much. She had always been taught the value of loyalty by her parents. Because of her upbringing, she knows the value of staying true and honest in any type of relationship. This has allowed her to develop some lifelong friendships.

Flaws:

Foul-Mouthed: Dallas grew up with three older brothers. As a result, she has developed quite a nasty bit of language. While in most cases she doesn't mean any harm, it still remains easy for others to be offended by her word use.

Aggressive: Simply put, Dallas is aggressive. Her lack of fear, and desire to prove herself have come together into one negative trait that has both hindered and helped her. Naturally, though, her aggression can be off-putting, and people can feel uncomfortable by her. She can be very direct in her approaches both combatively and socially, 

Short-sighted: In many cases, Dallas lacks the ability to see the bigger picture. She is impulsive by nature and not being able to see the bigger picture often lands her in trouble. Often times she will fail to plan out or prepare for long-term consequences of her actions if a fight breaks out she might jump in to help without thinking about the end result. Be it that she is not powerful enough to make a difference, or even ending up at risk herself, she can at times end up in peril because of this.

Profession: N/A

Skills
Non-combat:
»

Passive:
»

Combat:
»

Weapon skills:
» Rank 1 Curved Sword (5 SP)


Inventory

Quote

 

Set B "DPS Package"

• Weapon of choice, of Rare or lower quality
• Vanity Armor of choice
• (3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)
• 2,500 Col and (10) Tier 1 materials

 

 

Weapons/Tools:
» Officer's Sabre (Rare Weapon)
+1 ACC
+1 DAM
A well-balanced weapon with a sharp edge.

» Black Lace Petticoat (Vanity Item)


Roleplays
» [solo/private/open] LinkedTitle
» [solo/private/open] LinkedTitle - in progress
(no "in progress" means its complete; "incomplete" can mean one or the other person stopped replying for a long time)


Relationships (optional)



Story Thus Far (optional)