Kura

Closing his eyes, he tried to recreate what he had done earlier. He immersed himself in that beautiful song once more in his mind, and when he felt like enough time had passed, he ended the recording and played it back to himself.

Yet there was only silence.

Against his wishes, that miracle was probably just a one time thing. There was the temptation to try again, with the reasoning being if he could just figure out how to replicate what he had done it would lead to the same result, allowing him to sing it every single time perfectly. But as he was slowly learning with singing, it wasn't something that just bashing your head against would make you better at. Idly he wondered if there was a way to practice scales or something where his strong suit, tenacity, would actually serve him. He dismissed the thought soon enough, wishing for something he couldn't obtain right now wouldn't do him any favors. 

Instead, he pressed the activation button once more.

Taking in a deep breath, he began to sing to the little recording device in his hand. Putting aside the strangeness of how a guy with a war hammer singing alone in a hotel room looks, his newest attempt was actually fairly decent. There was no monotone in his voice, the beat was followed and it was nice a-capella overall. It was absolutely a step up from his first few attempts

Yet Kura knew that this sudden boost of ability was not due to any revelation nor even him just simply being more relaxed. It was because he knew the song by heart, so he understood the general flow of it. But that was it. And while decent it came no where near close to the masterpiece recording he had at Landon's shop.

He held back his instinctual desire to simply try to sing harder, as he finally realized that this wasn't a problem he can use his normal methods with, namely bashing his head harder against it.

It was another vanity item. Not his recording, no it was something else. Taking it out, it looked like the same object Landon held while recording him, but slightly different. Mainly, it had the words "reusable" in the item description. Acting on a hunch, Kura activated it and spoke a short phrase. He then tapped the activation button once more, and a window popped up.

"Do you wish to save this recording?"

Landon had gifted him a recording device as well. Playing around with it, he realized he worked out the basic functions of it. Those being recording audio, playing it back and saving voice clips that he liked. He quietly wondered about the potential for ASMR recordings to be sold around Aincrad, but quickly pushed that thought aside as he stood up and turned the recording function on.

Before he would sleep tonight, he's going to try his damnedest to replicate what he had on that other recording.

While he mused over becoming a performer, his stomach loudly protested the lack of porridge consumption. Pushing those thoughts aside, he focused on finishing his meal, though the drink took a moment longer to put down. Once he was done, he waved to the barkeep once more. This watering hole also was a hotel, a function Kura made constant use of. After paying for his room, he moved up the stairs and entered his place.

Closing the door behind, he sat on his cheap bed and held the recording up to his eyes. Curiosity had returned in his eyes, and he activated in the privacy room.

It was beautiful.

The song was normally sung in a higher key, and it was rather quiet. But it enraptured him so much that he wondered if Landon somehow modified the recording. He got over himself rather quickly however, remembering all the failures leading up to it. Placing the recording back into his inventory, as he scrolled through the menu something else caught his eye.

It wasn't very lively as Kura entered, though that was less due to the time of the day and more of a lack of patronage in general. A few npc's nursing drinks were spread around his little watering hole to make it feel a little less lonely, which was perfect to Kura in his opinion. Taking a seat at the bar, he waved the barman over and ordered a neat whiskey. 

The price was cheap and so was the taste. He also ordered a porridge along with his drink. An odd pairing to be sure, but it grew on him after all these years trapped inside this game. Sipping his drink, he let the familiar taste roll over his tongue while he looked over the item he got from his most recent quest, specifically the recording of his cover. It was surreal to him that he would be interested in something aside from video games. He had no other hobbies in the real world, and that was fine there.

However, all he did nowadays were murder monsters in cold blood everyday, then retire to a seedy bar at night talking to no one. For his psyche sake, it was good for Kura to pick up something new. All Kura did however, was contemplate what to do now with his new found profession.

It was dark when he exited the little hole in the wall music shop. And suddenly his stomach rumbled. His original desire suddenly came back with a vengeance, and Kura found himself very hungry and in the dark. Luckily, he was in the seedy part of town, which meant he was close to his favorite bar. Carousing around under the moonlit night sky sounded a lot more romantic than it actually was. Especially considering he was trying to stuff himself with unhealthy bar food and alcohol that couldn't make you drunk.

Idly, his fingers roamed over the vanity recording of his song as he walked through the dim streets. He was happy that he accomplished his goal, but he wondered if he could've done it without that little trick if he just tried a little harder. 

He pushed away those thoughts as his destination came into view. The warm glow of the light from the tavern caught his eye, mostly from how it stood out from the surroundings. Not the quality of the building, no it as rundown as the surroundings. Just how it was the only lit building in the general area.

Understanding finally dawned on Kura as he filtered through the information. While not exactly understanding all of the mechanics of the situation, he was able to grasp that what he did led to him singing. Then, curiosity took hold.

"Mind playing it?"

"Hmm, I can't play this specific item without it being used. I can however give you a vanity version of the same recording that you had. Sounds good?"

Kura agreed without a second thought as per normal, and alongside the normal quest rewards, a vanity version of the song he sang.  After giving the normal spiel at the end, Landon yawned.

"It's already dark, I should probably close up shop and finish those orders. Stay safe, it was a pleasure. And thanks for the materials hammer guy."

"Thanks for the lessons in return lute guy, take care as well."

He walked the door, holding the vanity version of the song he just sang in hand and a contemplating look on his face.

QUEST COMPLETE

Kura was a little uncertain on what Landon meant by beautiful, and randomly thought whether or not NPC's could fall in love. Seeing the lack of understanding on Kura's face, Landon laughed and gestured to the recording crystal.

"Your singing. So good in fact that it came out to be a masterpiece no less. Colored me impressed."

Raising an eyebrow, Kura's confusion turned into full blown bewilderment.

"I don't believe that the voice in my head counts as a physical one."

Landon shook his head and tapped his own head.

"You know whenever you think or listen to a song, you may want to hum along? Thats what you did unconsciously with this piece. Combined with your frankly terrifying drive allowing you to block out everything else, you began to softly sing that melody. Now admittedly there are a few issues with the volume, namely it being far too quiet. Which is probably why it only ended up as a rare. But that is the only issue that this piece has, and I cannot emphasize that part enough. You did well."

Once again, Kura wasn't exactly musically inclined. Even the pop song that he was singing was only remembered due to it being the last song he listened to before being trapped inside Sword Art Online. So when confronted with the question of what his favorite song was, nothing came to mind immediately.

But like with every problem Kura had in life, he brute forced it.

And for once his method work. Slowly, an old song slowly raised appeared in his mind. It was the login theme of the first MMO he's ever played. He remembered being greeted by that beautiful piece of music ever single time he sat down to play. There was for a moment where he thought a shocked gasp and a fumble with something.

Whatever it was, Kura ignored it to a point where it was nonexistent to him. The odd sensation of his throat like he was speaking was also cast out. It was just him, and the game he loved. Then he heard the loud clapping from next to, and as much as he tried, he couldn't ignore it.

Opening his eyes, he saw Landon with a recording device in hand, and a proud smile on his face.

"Beautiful."

(Crafting Success | Rare [Masterpiece] )

(Item Created)

Kura was already putting his 100% into this, and he truly believed that it was just a matter of effort in order for him to get this. And so he ramped it up, trying his hardest to ease up, straining every fiber in his body in order to achieve peak relaxation. Obviously the end result was his worst performance yet. Landon was quiet for a few moments, mulling over his options. Then he spoke.

"Lets take a different approach. Please close your eyes."

Without hesitation Kura did as Landon asked. A little baffled that Kura complied his strange request without hesitation, he shook it off and continued.

"Now think of a song that you truly love, something that you could never get sick of hearing. And just keep thinking of it, without anything else clouding your mind. Don't even let a single stray thought come through. All of your body and soul into that one piece of music."

(Crafting Fail)

Now while Landon advised to gently coax his voice out, Kura simply believed that he just wasn't giving enough effort. And so, he reached down deep inside himself, grabbed what he believed was his singing ability by the throat, and tried to rip it out of himself. And judging from the pained expression on Landon, the end result wasn't exactly what Kura had intended.

"Ok. You tried way too hard on that attempt. Even the good parts of your previous performances, the beat as well as the flow are no where to be found from your hyper focus on only trying to sound good. Look, I can tell that you have a lot of the groundwork to be a good singer, it's just that you're so tense that it spills into your voice. I hate to sound like a broken record over here, but relaxing even the slightest amount would work wonders. Trust me."

(Crafting Fail)

Taking Landon's advice to heart, he nodded and put his best effort into relaxing, attempting to push his body to relax after the encounter he had earlier. Forcing yourself to relax however has mixed results at best, and with Kura it was practically in vain. The man was always high strung when trying to accomplish something, and this was no special exception. 

Hence, what came out of his mouth was honestly more of the same. It wasn't bad, just not good. Once more the recording device was put away when he was half way through the pop song.

"Ok ok, alright. That was a little better, it wasn't exactly monotone that time but it feels like your trying to strangle the words out of you mouth. Singing, at least good singing, can't be dragged out kicking and screaming. Lets try an instrument-"

"No. I'm learning how to sing."

Landon was ready to hand over his lute, but looking at Kura's determined eyes, he sighed.

"Alright, let's continue."

(Crafting Fail)

After Kura handed over his materials, Landon Axel would pull out a recording device with an exaggerated flourish. With a smile, he beckoned Kura closer. "Alright, let's see what I'm working with. Give me your best shot hammer guy."

And so Kura went for it. Distantly remembering some pop song from the real world, he took his best crack at it. And for the most part it wasn't terrible. For the most part he followed the beat, but it was painfully monotone. Halfway through the song, Landon Axel shook his head.

"Alright, you don't stutter so that's a plus, you can also keep up a consistent beat. Everything else however, well we can work on it."

Putting away the first recording device, Landon Axel pulled out another with an encouraging grin. 

"For now, untense those shoulders. I can tell that these materials came from a mob, and you still got a bit of adrenaline in you. Just relax, and it'll come naturally."

(Crafting Fail)

Kura looked around to ensure there were no other mobs in the area. As soon as he verified it was clear, he flipped through the notifications to see what they dropped. Seeing 8 materials in the loot pile had him close out the rest of the window. He got what he came here for, and started to trek back towards the town of beginnings.

Feeling the warmth of the setting on his back, Kura sighed in contentment. He pushed down the adrenaline from combat, trying to simply enjoy the day for what it was. Cool winds tousled his hair like the grasses beneath his feet, and he felt good. While it was weather he was used to from living here so long, it was no less pleasant to be out and about.

Eventually he reached the walls of the "Town of Beginnings", and soon he made his way back to Landon Axel. He reached for the door, ready to try to learn and sing.

(Loot)

For all the pain and suffering Sword Art Online has caused its players, no one could deny the beauty of the game. The soft glow of the setting sun gently enveloped the land surrounding Kura as he pushed onwards. He hurriedly moved across the plains of the first floor, rushing to complete the objective set out by Landon Axel.

Logically he could have taken his time and gathered the materials tomorrow morning. It would have been a lot safer, rather than chancing it with night about to fall. Kura set out regardless, not due to impatience but because he admittedly hadn't thought of that. He was completely focused on completing the objective, with little regard to his own personal safety.

The four boars surrounding him cared about Kura's wellbeing even less, as they rushed in to gore the player. Hefting his hammer up, he sprinted forward and matched their charge. When they were in range, he swung.

And they shattered like glass.

(Combat)

It was quite the performance, evident on how Kura was basically charmed by the music for the whole entire duration. Now Kura wasn't exactly musically inclined, however with the lack of radios nor speakers playing cheesy songs in stores, it was pretty quiet around Aincrad. Hence it was understandable for him to be completely enraptured in the musicians performance. And once it was over, he unconsciously began to applaud, to which the musician bowed.

Afterwards, Landon Axel, the musician, asked for any requests. Kura had an outlet for his energy, which was farming mobs all day. However, when the sun sets its too risky for any sort of farming. And after dinner, he had nothing to do except lay about. He hated to be so idle, so without much thought and believing to be denied on the basis that they didn't code a response, Kura asked if he could be taught.

A few moments later he found himself accepting a quest and rushing to farm a few more mobs before darkness settled across the plains of Aincrad.

QUEST ACCEPTED
 

Kura narrowed his eyes as he heard music coming from the door. He didn't believe that there were any bands performing today. Thinking even further, he didn't believe that any players visited the tavern he frequented, much less play what he could only describe as a guitar solo. Though he soon shrugged it off, believing it to be some sort of NPC event perhaps. Besides, the place he normally ate at was so run down it could use the life of a bard to brighten things up.

Gently opening the door as to avoid disturbing the performance, Kura soon realized that he was not in his local watering hole. The lack of multiple grungy old men drinking was his first clue, the second was that the only old man in the room was completely and utterly sober. A thought of how NPC's could get drunk but players couldn't flashed through his mind for a moment, but it was quickly dismissed to focus on the musician absolutely tearing it up with a lute of all things.
 

Before Kura began exploring the world of Aincrad with a hammer in hand, he lived day to day in the "Town of Beginnings". He would go out, hit some mobs in the face with his hammer, then sell the materials gained to the local smiths and artisans. It wasn't exactly the most profitable of lifestyles, enough to pay for the inn he stays at as well as the drinks at the local bar. The main selling point was that it was a reliable source of income, and more importantly, safe. 

Making his way back from another successful hunt, Kura felt refreshingly exhausted. He farmed up enough to last him for a decent while, and though he wasn't rolling in the Col by any means, he had scrounged up an amount that should last him for a few days. Pleased with himself, Kura made his way to what he thought was his hole in the wall restaurant of choice.
 

(Player Stats)

Another day of farming on the first floor for a living. Kura wandered casually through the forests of Aincrad. While farming may be tedious to most, it was something he took pleasure. He admittedly disliked the lack of food in his stomach however. Forgetting to pack lunch wasn’t exactly planned, but like the other times he did so he would power through it. 

At least until he stumbled into a campsite where a cook had set up.

Kura did not question why there was a chef randomly set up in this area, nor the logistics of both protecting the camp site from wild mobs while cooking. Holding no suspicion whatsoever, he began talking to Damein, and eventually leading him to purchase a few of his foods. Unless Damein wanted to continue the conversation, he would thank him, and leave, happy that his plans for lunch had been settled.

And later on, when he bit into the mild and bland food, Kura still thought it to be delicious.

Quote

 

Crème Brûlée | ACCURACY II 
Lightly heated custard coated with crystalized sugar coating its surface. Mild.

[18/04/20] | TIER 1 

Purchasing 1x

Mousse | PROSPERITY III 
A glass cup filled to the brim with soft, creamy paste. Comes in various flavours and topped with tiny treats. Mild.

[20/04/20] | TIER 1

Purchasing 1x

Yaki Hatahata | MITIGATION III |
Sandfish, salted and grilled over an open fire. It lacks of scales and is filled with roe. If this had taste, it would be a meal to savour for the ages.

[24/10/20] | TIER 1

Purchasing 2x

Purchasing 1x "Crème Brûlée", 1x "Mousse" and 2x "Yaki Hatahata" from @Daemien for 1800 Col

One wrong turn and a shady alleyway later, Kura was lost. He was attempting to go to his favorite restaurant, a seedy place that few players (and by few he meant himself) frequented, and found himself on a row of shops hidden from the main street. Initially he tried going to the “Oscar’s Hotdog Stand”, but as it was temporarily closed, his eyes drifted towards “The Evening Star”.

The door opened as Kura stepped inside, hunger forgotten as curiosity settled in. If NIGHT would curtly greet him, he would give a "Hello" back. By all accounts her sharp expression should have unsettled Kura, but that would imply that he had a sense of self preservation. Kura did not, so instead of worrying about the lack of witnesses, he focused on two things that caught his eye while entering, the “Small Peppermint Sack” as well as the “Gold Rings”.

Kura would then go on with the process of buying the trinkets, and unless NIGHT would like to continue interacting, he would thank her and leave, still on the hunt for some food.

Items Purchased:
 

Quote

Small Peppermint Sack | TIER 1 PERFECT TRINKET | ACCURACY III
A small transparent sack of Peppermint; albeit, the candy inside isn't actually edible.

[25/2/21] | #183854
 

Gold Rings | TIER 1 PERFECT TRINKET | EVASION III
A set of donut-shaped rings, too thick to be worn on someone's fingers. They're golden and shiny, but plain. Fits well into one's pocket. Try not to drop them.

[] | #150581

Purchasing 1x "Small Peppermint Sack" and 1x "Gold Rings" from@NIGHT for 500 Col and 3 Materials respectively.

Profile
Username: Kura
Real name: Fuji Kuramoto
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Height: 5’10”

Background

Born in the United States, Fuji was never the subtlest nor smartest of people. However he made up for his lack of intelligence with his dogged determination in getting things done. Brute force was always his preferred method in life, and for the most part it worked. He pushed through elementary and middle school with admittedly mediocre grades but he and his family were happy.

Then he moved to Japan just before entering highschool, with his parents missing their homeland.

Those weren’t the best of times for him. Losing his friends in the United States, he attempted to interact with his new classmates. However, the culture differences between the United States and Japan led to many stumbles in social interaction, leading him to be ostracized by his peers. Pushing harder like he normally does just added to fire to flame, and soon he was alone. While his determination remained intact, he became more taciturn. And very lonely.

Stumbling onto MMO’s was a godsend to him. They weren’t exactly the most complicated of things, and the main barrier of entry, grinding, was easily overcome by his effort. And it felt good to level up, to see instant results for his effort. It became an outlet for his spare energy, and he became addicted to them. His family was admittedly a bit concerned about how many hours he put into them, but in the end decided to wave it off, simply happy that his eyes finally had light in them again.

He cruised along in life, eventually landing a job. And he was happy. With a steady income, a fulfilling past time, and with tentative steps back into the social arena, he felt optimistic about his future. So optimistic, he saved up for this new VRMMO thing. Looking forward to viewing the world he loved without looking through a screen.

Then, Kayaba.

Fuji loved MMO’s, however being trapped within them, separated from his family and uncertain what's happening with his real body didn’t sit well with him. Going out starving however didn’t either. He lived day to day, gathering and selling enough materials to make ends meet. And after a long while, he felt like he had enough saved up. With a stash of Col and Materials, Fuji felt ready to take on this death game. And with no doubt in his mind, he takes his first step towards the future.

Virtues

Do Not Falter
Hesitation is a foreign concept to Fuji. Believing that thinking over things just made everything more complicated, he will rush forward without a second thought. While normally a flaw, being decisive in a game fighting monsters is not a trait that should be condemned. And so Fuji believes that this is one of his more positive traits about him, although it has led to some troubles in the past.

Never Say Die
To give up is to spit on all the work he’s done up to this point. That was the case with everythings he’s faced so far, and he won’t stop now. Even when he’s facing down certain death, he'll keep moving forward. It's something that he's always done for his whole life, and what he plans to do so for the rest of it. And for the most part, this tenacity has served him well.

Hit it Harder
While Fuji by no means can ever work smarter, he can absolutely work harder. And for those situations that call for it, he excels. Even faced with the boring jobs of grinding or other tedious things, he finds pleasure in them. Whether this is from a sense of satisfaction he derives from completing those tasks, or finding enjoyment in the most mundane of chores, it helps a lot in MMO's, where majority of your time is simply grinding for better stuff.

Flaws

Alone
Unless absolutely necessary, Fuji prefers to strike out alone. Mostly born from his prior experiences, he's always been a more secluded type of guy. MMO’s however tend to emphasize teamwork, and while he’s played plenty of those, he rarely engaged in group content. And if he had to for progression, he never stuck around, avoiding guild invites like the plague. That is not to say he has a fear of communication, he can talk to others just fine. Yet he will try to avoid it as much as possible.

The Bluntest Tool in the Shed
A thinker or planner Fuji has never been. Hittings things and making sure things hit him is about as complicated a strategy he’s ever made. Sometimes he spices it up by drinking a potion when the bar thingy turns red. This trait is further expanded in a game, as he's of the belief that games should be for fun and not to think. So thinking he does not.

Meat Shield
Fuji reflexively tries to defend his allies without a second thought. While normally good, this combined with a lack of thought leads to suicidal charges. It's a play style born from his days of MMO's, where this mindset is rewarded and even celebrated.  However it has the caveat that Fuji tends to die during these heroics. Internally, he knows that if he continues doing this, his name will end up being crossed out from the monument of life. But whether due to a sense of pride or general recklessness, he refuses to change.

Skills:

• | “War Hammer“ | Rank 1 | Weapon Skill | Passive | 

Inventory

New Character Bundle:  DPS Package

Equipment

• | "Betsy” | Warhammer | 2 Handed Weapon | Damage/Damage |

Consumables

• | 3x “Starter Healing Potions” | Potion | - | Heals 50 HP |

Current Resources

• 1x Unspent SP
• 2500x Col
• 10x Materials

Transactional History

Roleplay Log

N/A