Caliburn

Encouraging words, a guarantee did not make. Whilst Caliburn might've cheered Kana on, the slightest shift in movement lead to the unexpected, and undesirable, outcome of her blade barely slipping past the Queen. A hair's breadth away, but the skip in contact made Kana stumble backwards as she retreated.

What else was Caliburn going to do but rush up beside her and raise his armored arm as a shield in case it chose to turn on her. "Don't worry," Cal said back, when it became clear that the monster's focus remained on Ciela for the moment. "We did our part."

Indeed they had, as no sooner had the words been spoken, did the Queen disintegrate into ash and blue pixels.

[Insert Final Fantasy level up music]

The party gathered together again, all smiles and encouragement (and pretty, white envelopes). At Ciela's praise, Caliburn felt his cheeks heat up, and he felt the strong urge to bow, which he did, deeply. "Thank you for your support!" he said with earnest, before looking over at Nymoria as well. "And for yours as well! Thank you for looking out for us!"

@Kana @KnightessCiela @Nymoria

"Fast, got it,"

Thank the Buddha that Kana understood whatever it was that Nymoria was trying to tell them. Was there a setting somewhere he needed to turn on to understand hand signs? That was a problem for another day. For now, the self-proclaimed Evergreen Knight watched as Kana rushed in. "Get her good!" Caliburn shouted encouragement, while Ciela did something a bit more productive and defended against the Queen's attack, her stinger glancing off her shield.

Damn, that was one sturdy piece of metal.

The red gash drawing across the Queen's side indicated that Kana had indeed hit her mark. And with Ciela's rousing words, and Nymoria's barely interpreted hand signs as guidance, Caliburn took his turn next, following in just behind Nymoria. Caliburn was no expert fighter by any means, but at the very least he had the sense to stay far enough away from Nymoria for her to move freely. A wise choice, as the wide arcs of her blade might've struck Caliburn as he passed by to deliver a withering blow of his own.

And the Queen's HP bar dropped to the red.

"We got her on the ropes!" Caliburn shouted excitedly, backing away enough to give the next person the space they needed to attack. "C'mon Kana, you got this! Finish her!"

@Kana | @KnightessCiela | @Nymoria

It was the snickering the had first caused Caliburn to lift a brow in curiosity, the infectious giggling dragging his shoulders in their own subtle jaunt until Kana began to explain, and then Caliburn too burst into full blown laughter. Useless was putting it mildly. If they could hardly manage the day to day functions, Caliburn couldn't imagine what it would be like when they finally started to play the game.

The green-haired man was about to say as much when Kana lifted a hand and asked a passing player how they might get a couple pints of whatever it was he was holding. His response...left much to be desired. Caliburn frowned deeply. He looked a bit older in this avatar. A bit fiercer, and his gold-orange eyes fixed themselves on what could only be described as a complete and utter asshole. Caliburn was just opening his mouth to tell the man that he should mind his manners when Kana did something so much better.

She left the man seething.

It was surprise first, that Caliburn felt. He probably shouldn't have been, it was just like Kana (or at least the Kana he knew) to not back down from anyone or anything, but he was nonetheless. And then he was...he wasn't sure how to describe it, but a slow grin spread across his face, and that grin became a smirk as his gaze flicked back towards the man, white-knuckled, shaking.

But utterly incapable of doing anything.

Caliburn couldn't help but chuckle again as Kana dismissed the man and turned back towards him. "Wow, Kana," Caliburn said, still grinning at her, "I knew you had a sharp tongue, but watching you in action." Caliburn shook his head, "Remind me not to make you mad ever."

The green-haired man leaned back in his seat then and looked around the room, watched for a moment as players walked in or got up from tables and went up to the counter...just like they would in real life. Huh, could it really be that simple?

Caliburn lifted an eye brow as he looked over at Kana again and tilted his head towards the bar. "Should we try?"

@Kana

Kana followed close behind Cal, bursting past the insectile creature, her blade doing little more than graze its wing with a shouted apology. Cal helped her come to a skidding stop, which was followed by an encouraging pat on the back. Despite Kanna having missed her strike, they were making some progress. Half way through the HP bar already! Hey, they were actually pretty good at this!

Cal's eyes searched around the field to witness their comrades and ensure he wasn't going to get in anyone's way. What he got was a silently screaming Ciela and Nymoria apparently trying to invent a new sign language?

"Uh...?" Cal's eyes flicked between the two and then to Kana, then back to the other two before he shrugged. They had a big bug to hit. So Cal went to hit it, and succeeded! Whatever joy Cal felt at that achievement though quickly dissipated as he realized how little damage he was capable of when compared to their seniors.

Chip damage...

@Kana | @KnightessCiela | @Nymoria

The two made their way out on the floor with all due haste they could afford. The main settlement was, as always, crowded though, and so it had taken Cal and Kana a little while to actually make their way out to where they'd heard that the other players were gathering to start farming. "I hope we're not too late," Caliburn frowned with some anxiety.

No sooner had they stepped into view though had two more experienced looking players approached them. One was heavily armored, and the other, simpy excitable, as she bade them join their hunt. "Yup! Ready to serve!" Cal confirmed for the other two with an exaggerated salute.

The woman who'd greeted them initially, the excitable one, seemed to remember something not long after they'd begun to head out, introducing herself as Nymoria, and the more heavily armored woman as Ciela. Ciela, the Pink Knightess. "Oh, right, I'm Caliburn!" the green haired man introduced himself. "The- uh...the Evergreen Knight!" The broad grin did little to downplay how cheesy the title had come out. "And this is Kana," Cal went on without missing a beat, gesturing towards her, though allowing her to choose her own epitaph if she took one at all.

Their lack of experience didn't seem lost on Nymoria though, who seemed to be the party leader. Instructions were swift, and surprisingly thought out given how scatterbrained the girl came off. "Can do, will do," Caliburn nodded at his orders. Stun the boss. Don't get hit. How hard could it be?

And then they were off. Caliburn wasn't exactly sure what he should have expected as he charged the literal giant wasp (seriously, did it have to be a giant insect?), but he felt clumsy and uncoordinated as he ran at the thing full speed. It didn't matter too much though. Thankfully, Nymoria running ahead had drawn the boss' attention away from the others, and so Caliburn just swung. The meat of his blade struck the insect, his angle not quite right for it to do more than chip at the chitin that shielded the boss, but with enough force to send a clang up both his arms, as well as along the giant wasps entire body. A little emblem appeared beneath the creature's health bar.

"I-Its stunned! I think!?"
'HOLY SHIT I DID IT!'

@Nymoria @KnightessCiela @Kana

Kana was practically bouncing up and down with excitement, eager to venture out into Aincrad and actually do something. Caliburn certainly understood, and although he was a bit more subdued in his excitement, his broad grin revealed how he truly felt. "Same!" the evergreen haired man agreed, sliding the his shiny new sword into it's scabbard, before turning to his girlfriend. "I'm just glad we can finally help out, you know?" They'd spent so much of their time just enjoying the time they never really were sure they'd have together, Cal had begun to feel guilty, but now they had a real opportunity to contribute. "Its not much, but the Frontliners need all the help they can get. And then one day, maybe we can join them." With the ease with which it was said, the statement was an almost naive, of course. But we'll allow the sweet couple their innocent desire to help free their comrades to continue for a while longer. Summer-minds are rare these days.

"Don't apologize though," Cal amended, grabbing Kana's shoulders, his gloved thumbs rubbing gentle circles over the exposed skin. "I'm just as ecstatic. More so that I get to do it with you," the knight said before pressing his lips gently to the girl's forehead.

Caliburn stepped away a moment, diving into the chest at the foot of the bed to retrieve something of incredible importance. When he turned around, Kana was shoving some food into his arms, already laden with arms and armor, before saluting him with a hot dog, and taking a hearty bite of it. Caliburn couldn't help but laugh. "Hey after this, we'll be able to afford real meals," he said with a smile, "and all the consumables we'll need! And I'll be able to pay back the guy who gave me these." Caliburn presented the cloth armor and dagger the strange, dark-haired man had practically thrown at him  the day before to Kana. "We gotta look the part, don't we?" the man said as he began to eat his own hot dog and chocolate.

...weird combo...

Caliburn consumes:

• x1 | [+2 ACC] Focused Dog
• x1 | [+2 EVA] Evasion Dog
• x1 | [MIT 3] T1 Artisan Chocolate Bar

>> Caliburn, Lvl 1 | HP: 20 | EN: 20 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 | DMG: 7 | MIT: 28 | TAUNT

Caliburn gives Kana:

• A Really Sharp Knife
• Barely Qualifies As Armor

@Nymoria @KnightessCiela @Kana

Caliburn had heard good things about this shop and it's owner. Aside from its rather inconsistent and erratic open hours, the quality of the crafts were good, and apparently the owner had a bit of a soft spot for players new and old. He had never met the man, but charity and generosity were traits to be admired, Cal thought, especially when their lives were on the line.

And it was time for the green-haired youth to finally step up and start helping out too. Admittedly, there was precious little Caliburn could do in his current state, but every little bit counted right? And farming up the consumables the Frontliners needed to survive seemed as worthwhile an effort as any effort. Before he could do that though, he needed gear. Real gear, and not the poor excuses for armor and weapons he carried now. Might as well pick up something for Kana too while he was here.

No sooner had Caliburn stepped into the shop did a dark haired man step up to him, and ask if he was looking for...exactly what he was looking for. Including Kana's gear. "Uh...yes?"
"Perfect."
The man shoved some items into Caliburns arms before promptly shoving him out the door. "Good luck, come back if you survive!" he said before slamming the door shut. Caliburn could hear the lock click. "Huh...strange man..."

Caliburn receives the following:

• A Really Sharp Knife
• Barely Qualifies As Armor
• Stick 'Em With The Pointy End
• This Is Just Arm(or)

Kana's eyes were locked on him when he'd finally turned his attention back to the girl. Some sort of firm, piercing gaze that seemed to take him in, made it hard to breathe. Like she was absorbing him. Or at least his avatar. The sharp feature's he'd chosen to worn, the crisp, all too clear to be real amber eyes, his tall and lanky form, perhaps a bit more firm than it's real life counterpart. Though modeled on his appearance in the real world, down to the obnoxiously colored green hair, it was all too ideal, the pen of an artist's tablet too exact.

All in the same vein, Kana sitting across from him, idle fingers slowly moving along the table's edge, the cascading blue locks the same color as seafoam, and, though he was loathe to admit it, a figure that drew the eye. All of it too perfectly put together. He wondered what she looked like in person, and not through the rosy lens of virtual reality.

He bet she was beautiful.

"Oh, right! I watch playthroughs all the time! I hadn't seen any for Sword Art, though," Caliburn replied. "I guess they were really strict about making sure nothing got leaked." He'd looked up the game as soon as Kana had mentioned it to him, his curiosity getting the better of him as always. The idea of getting to meet the person who he'd argue was his best friend for the first time, even if it was through the wired connection of a NerveGear, had been something he absolutely could not ignore for any period of time. "Would be nice if someone had gotten something through though...maybe one of them told us how to order some bread," he added before looking around. Maybe there was a server like in real life?

The soft touch of Kana's hand against his. It was unlike anything Caliburn had ever felt before. How did people usually describe it? 'Like sparks flying', that was it. Like a jolt of electricity running through his fingertips and spreading through his entire body, he almost swore he was physically shaking from...excitement? Happiness? Some mix in-between certainly. Even if this was all virtual, and none of it was real, it felt like so much more.

"C'mon, let's go," he said, quickly brushing past Kana and almost dragging her along with him towards the first food-like establishment he could set his eyes on. He hoped to god she couldn't see that all the confidence, chivalry and bravado were just an act, that right now, he was trying to keep it all together and not just melt into a puddle on the floor.

Caliburn opened the door for his friend, gesturing for her to enter first, "M'lady," and then followed her in towards the table she'd indicated. A part of him was a little disappointed she'd managed to seat herself before he'd even had the chance of so very gallantly pulling her chair out for her, but he'd make do. Besides, if he actually had done that, maybe the people around them would've assumed they're dating. Which they weren't. So why let people think that? And why was Caliburn thinking about this so much?

"Uh, yeah, breadsticks!" Caliburn suddenly piped up, realizing he'd gotten lost in thought. "Yeah, we can do that," he chuckled, before looking around and actually taking in the inn for the first time. It was everything he'd expected from a fantasy setting. Bustling, loud, full of drunk people, or at least people pretending to be drunk, and a lot of laughter. The green-haired man smiled as he watched so many happy people.

"So what should we do first?" Caliburn then asked Kana as he turned his gaze back to hers. "Oh! You mentioned we were short on money, how do we get more? Do we have to go find a job or something?"

Caliburn's avatar made a show of trying to think of what he'd be doing right now, were it not for the oh-so-unpleasant distraction that was Kana. With eyes fixed on the ceiling, and a fist beneath his chin, the man appeared to settle on an answer. "Probably sleeping. Yeah, definitely sleeping," he flashed her a quick smile before she moved to his side, but as soon as she was standing next to him, gently jostling him, shoulder to shoulder, the man felt a heat begin to rise in his face. 

'W-that- am I blushing!?'

Hikaru tried to shake his head clear of whatever had just overcome him, and focus on Kana teaching him how to open the menu. Unfortunately, he hadn't paid enough attention to get it the first time. The man mimicked the gesture as best he could, but nothing happened the first time. Nor the second, or the third. "Uh...Kana, am I doing this ri- Oh! Nevermind, I got it now!" The man grinned, ecstatic at his progress within the game. Sure, most players probably knew how to do all this within the first, like, five seconds of getting in-game, but Caliburn was not like most players!

"Aw, wait, really?" the man said, disappointed as soon as he heard that Kana might not be able hang out as much as he'd been hoping. Well, he supposed there was something to be said there about blind optimism. "Well, I'll take whatever I can get then."

"What do you say we go grab a table at an inn somewhere? See how the game managed to recreate food and drinks? A good plan for a first date, right?"

"Ohhhh, a date, is it?" Caliburn replied with the absolute biggest shit-eating grin on his face imaginable, all the while he wiggled his eyebrows in a manner that was both highly obnoxious, and also made one wonder if his eyebrows were actually just living caterpillars. "Well then, my fair lady," Caliburn made an exaggerated bow, stepping back with his right foot, his left hand kept behind his back and he made a flourish with his right. The hand then slowly arced from the man's side to his front, stopping just before Kana. The man turned his head to look up at the girl with one eye open from his bent over position. "Might you grace me with your hand this evening?"

Caliburn was just glad that Kana could hardly see the fire hydrant red color that his face had become. Steam was practically coming out of his ears, this was so dang embarrassing, what was he doing!?

Glad that his exuberance was not taken the wrong way, Caliburn broke into a wide, toothy grin once more. He watched as she span in a circle with outstretched arms, exclamations of fascinations. Like an announcer or something, with all the captivating presence. Or maybe that was just to him.

"Kana, I can't even figure out how to open the menus," he replied to the girl, crossing his arms and cocking a brow at her. "If I went anywhere without you right now, I'd be lost. And then you'd kick my ass for making you come find me." Caliburn really was useless when it came to these sorts of things. He'd never been much of a computer person, aside from Word documents. He had a hard time figuring out what all the options in the settings menus even meant.

"But, that means we can go explore together! I've got the whole day cleared for this! We can do whatever you want, and I'll just follow along!" Hikaru had gone out of his way to make sure his fridge was stocked full of drinks and microwave meals, and cups of instant ramen were ready to be made at a moment's notice, that way he wouldn't have to leave for more than a few minutes for anything today. After trying to meet each other for so long, he wasn't about to waste a single second on something as menial as walking for food.

Although there were no choirs of angels or silly 'time stands still' moment as their eyes met for the first time, the sound of Kana's voice chastising him was like music to the man's ears, a sweet melody that filled every part of his being.

A broad grin spread across his face as he turned to look at the source of the voice. "Kana!" he practically shouted with almost childlike excitement as he rushed towards her. Without warning, the man pulled the other woman into a tight hug.

There were no words to accurately describe the whirlwind of emotions that rushed through Hikaru as soon as he pulled, or rather dragged, Kana into his embrace. A tightness in his chest. Not the 'about to burst' kind that everyone always associated with feelings of...what was it again...It was more like he couldn't breath, couldn't draw air into his lungs. At at the same time, it had never been easier. Every single lungful of air was extraordinary and wonderful, like it was the first breath of fresh air he'd ever experienced in his entire life.

Whatever this indescribable emotion was, Hikaru wanted it to last.

But he stole only a single moment more of it for himself. They weren't his moments to steal anyways. Caliburn separated from Kana, grabbing her shoulders, practically shaking her. "I can't believe it! It's so good to actually get to meet you - well, ya know..." Oh no. He was rambling.

Caliburn let go of Kana's shoulders finally and laughed nervously, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "S-sorry," he apologized, before balling his hand into a fist and coughing into it. "I'm glad we're finally able to meet like this."

c a l i b u rn the kingmaker Spoiler notes: none   Caliburn Lvl 1 | HP: 20/20 // EN: 20/20 // DMG: 4 // MIT: 12 equipped battle-ready inventory Vanity Straight Sword [ EQUIPPED ] T1 Rare Heavy Armor [ MIT II ] [ EQUIPPED ] none skills Spoiler | UTILITY None | COMBAT None | WEAPON Straight Sword I | +3 DMG when equipped with a Straight Sword | 4 SP | ARMOR None | EXTRAS None buffs Spoiler | PARAGON REWARDS None | BUFFS None

???, Nov. 6, 2022

The world began awash with colors. Too many, in fact. Everything was white. The only thing to accompany him on the brief journey from the real world to the virtual world of Aincrad was the chime of the NerveGear, presumably connecting to the game's servers. Nothing to feel, to taste or smell. Nothing but that singular chime and a rush of colors blurring together into an all encompassing white.

And all at once it was gone, replaced with rolling fields, the sounds of chatter. He could feel it, smell it. The ground beneath his feet, the impossibly clean, crisp air of a world that had never known carbon pollution. Caliburn looked around in awe, a smile quickly growing on his face. But the novelty of this new technology was not the reason for the broad grin the man wore on his face. No, it was the fact that he would finally be able to meet the girl he thought of as his closest friend for the first time, face to face.

'Well, avatar to avatar,' Caliburn thought humorously to himself as he jauntily made his way towards the giant walled city the game had decided to drop him before. Presumably, all new players would start somewhere around here, right? Caliburn didn't really have any experience with MMOs until now, but that seemed the most reasonable assumption. Just didn't make much sense to get thrown elsewhere.

'Hmm, I should probably wait around here for her,' the man thought as he approached the grand entrance, a couple of guards outside it standing dutifully, guarding against whatever threats may lie outside the walls. Caliburn leaned back against the wall of the arch, hands lazily shoved in his pockets as his eyes examined the faces of each player that came and went. He wondered what she would look like in this game.

He also wished he had some way to message her and let her know he was here...Actually, how did he access the menus? Everything so far in the game had felt so...natural, walking, breathing, it was all there. He had completely forgotten for a moment that none of this was real, that it was all a game.

Caliburn made a face as he tried to figure it all out, his lips pursed and his brows furrowed as his eyes drifted to the side. Maybe...? Nope...thinking about it apparently didn't work.

"Ugh, Kanaaaaa, where are you, help me out here!"