[PP-F1] The Shining Cross [ Kiluia Seiko ] {COMPLETED}

[Natalia 0]

The air was unusually cold within the Town of Beginnings, or so Natalia thought as a slight breeze shifted her dark bangs to the other side of her gentle face. Having spent most of the first week of SAO wandering through the streets of the town, she had grown accustomed to the maze-like area, as well as its typical temperature. Yet, tonight seemed to differentiate from the typical weather subroutine; a welcome change to this teenager. After all, what was life, even in the virtual world, without a bit of variety?

As she walked down the moonlit street, a thought crossed her mind: where was she going to rest for the night? Her feet came to a stop as she reached one of the fountains within the town, and a frustrated sigh escaped her lips. Paying for another inn wasn't exactly a welcome idea. Her hair fell back as she raised her gaze to a nearby hill. Atop the hill stood a building. A church, Natalia assumed, based on the glimmering cross built into it. Without a second thought, she entered motion, making her way to the church.

It wasn't long before she arrived at the door, where she was once again met a cross. This one was engraved into the double doors, perfectly halved at the opening. "Well, here goes nothing." she muttered to herself, her voice beginning to fade as she grew more tired by the second. With one hand, she pushed open the door on her right and stepped within the dimly lit building. "Hello?" she called out, announcing her presence.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

The rush of the cold air made those flames dance on the candles. The door opening and the voice calling out grabbed the attention of a few of the older children who were still awake. He had just gotten into the main building of the church itself with freshly brewed tea hoping to serve it to the children to aid their sleep. It wasn't long before the young lady at the door was greeted and welcomed by the nun, who was a npc.

His azure eyes stared at the door gazing upon the figure of the girl who had just made her debut here for the first time in the church. Platinum hair swept across those eyes hiding them slightly from view of others. His pale features seemed to glow in the dimly lit main hall. Several of the children made way and one in particular named Yumi spoke. "Awfully late for someone to be out. Welcome though."

A sigh escaped his lips as he placed the tea set down on a nearby round table near the entrance of where everyone stood. He muttered as he swatted Yumi away." Stop with the attitude little girl. I've told you plenty before that it is none of your business of what other people do with their time. Now go drink your tea." The little girl muttered some sort of insult to him as she moved away.

He stood there now as the other children dispersed per told by their oldest in the building. He was dressed in his night time clothing which consisted of a white undershirt and cloth pants. Eyes gazed at the girl giving her a once look over before speaking again. " Hello. Is there something I can do for you?" He spoke casually to her.

[Natalia 0]

Not long after Natalia's entrance, she was greeted by three different people; not the sort of welcome she'd have expected this late into the night. Of course, one was a nun, judging by the lack of cursor. As for the other two.. her dark eyes shot from the nun to them. The girl had greeted her, but had almost immediately been shot down by the man, no, teenager that stood before her. He must have been the leader. After all, he was the first to ask what he could do for her.

"I'm just looking for a place to stay tonight. Inns aren't exactly a bargain for one trying to save their virtual money." she said with a playful smirk. "I'm still level one, if that might affect your answer. Judging by your apparent leadership, I'd assume you're probably higher than that. It would take you little effort to restrain me, should the need rise." she shrugged. "To be fair, I'd understand if it's not something you'd do."

The candle-lit church gave Natalia a bit of the creeps. She hadn't been particularly religious, but whenever she had attended a church, it had taken place in the morning. They gave off completely different vibes at different times of the day. What was supposed to be a place of peace and tranquility seemed slightly off. Had she been alone within the building, she might have left in fear relatively quickly.

Her eyes glanced over the teen once again. The boy stood an inch or so shorter than her, yet he clearly had authority in this church. A second glance told her that he couldn't have been much older than her, if not younger; she could see the youth within his eyes. His manner of speaking also gave hint towards adolescence. Intriguing, aren't we? she released a light chuckle, as she raised her gaze back to eye contact.

"So," she began, "What'll it be?"

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He leaned over beside the girl and turned a knob that seemed to light up the chandelier that hung low over the main hall. A few groans and moans were heard as the ghost stories were now over. His calm deep azure eyes could particularly be seen from this close of range. He spoke and nodded in agreement." Usually people don't think of churches to go to but in this case you are welcome to join us. " He offered a smile.

Her astute judgment on his player level was quite accurate. He wasn't the top but here he was. Her judgment call drew him into curiosity about this girl. " The church welcomes all people into their religion. But they enjoy helping others who are down on their feet. Please stay. " He moved aside to allow her to come in.

He gazed at her momentarily trying to analyze her age and what not. He was rather bad at guessing but he assumed they could of been the same age. His footsteps did lead passed her though as he spoke. " Your right. I am higher than you. Its my duty as a magical element to dispatch mavericks. "He looked over his shoulder and spoke gently. "I doubt it that you have any ill intentions. Your eyes tell it. "

[Natalia 0]

"To be fair, I'm not your usual person." she arrogantly said. "I'd like to think I'm something of a gift from God himself." she laughed for a second, before feeling a bit awkward due to their setting. Stop talking before they kick you out, Natalia, you idiot. she awkwardly crossed her right leg in front of her left as she stood, also biting the her bottom lip in attempt to restrain herself from saying anything that might be considered rude. Restraint wasn't her strong suite; anyone who had known her for more than five minutes would agree.

Having been allowed sanctuary within the confides of the chapel, she followed closely as the man began to walk further into the church. "You know, that was a relatively cheesy line. Seeing my morality within the reaches of my almost flawlessly reproduced virtual eyes." a playful sarcastic tone echoed off the church's walls. "You must be a real ladies man." Sarcasm, unlike restraint, was one of her stronger suites. She hoped he took it the right way, however, as some wouldn't.

After a few steps, Natalia found her way to a cushioned pew. She took her blade's sheath and dropped it upon the floor in front of the pew and sat down, leaving room for... "Hey, what's your name?" she asked upon realization that he hadn't given it to her earlier. "I'm Natalia, the self-proclaimed Lion-Hearted."

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

The initial joke of her being chosen by God made him and only him chuckle a bit at the notion. Good way to break the ice. As for the comment about being a ladies man stung a bit due to his own flaw of something private. He quieted down and regained his composure. " Just meant you'd have a hard time getting by being a low level if you planned on killing others." " He shrugged as they continued onward.

They finally reached the corridor to where people were staying inside the vicinity and he spoke on a soft tone. " Kiluia. That's my name. " He didn't have a self proclaimed title or any of the sort really. "The left side is where we sleep. And the right side.. those are for players who went unconscious. " He said pointing down the doors.

[Heading into work. Sorry for the short post]

[Natalia 0]

[OOC ~ I don't mind.]

"What do you mean.. unconscious?" she asked, though the pause between his words signified that she might already have the right idea.

With such a large group of children, Natalia found the apparent organization orchestrated by this one person to be a tremendous feat. Both due to the fact that as children, they could be hard to control, and by the fact that it was just this one man. Or was it? "So, mister Kiluia, are you the only one taking care of these children?" she curiously asked. "If so, it must be a pretty big burden. I mean, I know that when I was a kid, I'd be a pain in the ass to deal with, but an abundance of kids trapped in a virtual death game.. that's a little more complicated. How do you provide for all of them?"

Her eyes moved towards the group of children in the room with them. Akihiko Kayaba.. Did you intend on keeping these children in here as well? Her fists tightened. How could you allow these children to live in fear, you bastard? The thought of Kayaba living without fear in the real world as he kept them as pawns in his own game infuriated her. Once this was all over, she hoped he would suffer a miserable fate, as cruel as it was.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He gazed at her with a sigh. The story itself was just a mere theory but it did have a plausible hypothesis. He spoke quietly as to not disturb any of the people. " I think that people's bodies are simply giving out due to the prolonged exposure of the game. No nutrition or fluids basically. So their body in turn just gives out." He stretched slightly and looked at her. "At least that's what I believe .."

Her next question threw him for a loop as it was followed by a blank gaze. No one ever actually asked him about the children . " Yes. I am the one who helps these children out. Once and awhile though, I get a few players who come by and hang out with the kids. But I've taught them to fish and some know how to cook now. Providing them with stuff was a pain in the beginning but teaching them was a better solution." He took them on fishing trips and such at times.

He leaned back against the wall and stared upwards. " I've been training to go to the front lines. I can't be here forever stagnant and unused. " He stated." I want to live. " He gazed at her now and smiled. " We all do. And we all manage."

[Natalia 0]

The description of Kiluia's theory sent yet another chill traveling the course of her virtual spine. "That's horrific." She couldn't help but mutter, with any remaining emotional strength she had left slowly draining away. Natalia remained silent for quite a bit of time. Her fingers were laced between each other and clenched, struggling to remain still. I don't care if I'm trapped in here. My life has become so much more exciting. By now, all of her willpower was poured into holding herself from bursting with fury. But these children.. they have so much more to live for. Damn you, Kayaba. Damn this hell you've put them through.

There was more silence for a while, but after about five minutes had passed, the tension coursing throughout Natalia's body eased as Kilua explained his role with the kids. "Ah," She began, genuinely impressed, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." As a proverb she learned in school, she wasn't particularly fond of it, but the concept was powerful, nonetheless. Something about this man, this boy brought her a great deal of envy. Perhaps it was his apparent selflessness. "I'm sure you hear it a lot, but you're doing something great here. I know I couldn't." She gave him a weak smile, but a smile, nonetheless.

Natalia couldn't help but smile as Kilua spoke of his desire to fight on the front-lines. It was a desire she shared, but due to her taking most of the beginning off so she could search the town, wasn't one she felt completely ready to go through with yet. For someone who was typically reckless, she managed to restrain herself from attempting to aid in the front-lines. However, she did feel as if Kilua was a little off in the way he thought. "I know this isn't the popular opinion, but you're still living right now, even if it is within the realms of a game." She stopped, took a deep breath, and then continued. "I imagine you were a good person in the real world; you're also a good person here. Fighting on the front-lines will help escape sooner, but you're doing work that'll make the number of people who escape with us higher than it would be without you. There's no telling if anyone would have taken these kids in had you not. They might have died without you. Don't feel like you're stagnant and unused." She probably could have gone on much longer, but she stopped there, and once again gave him a faint smile.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Her responses resulted with a genuine smile on his face. She caught on to one of his goals in the game which was to finally be of use to someone else without being paid to do so. Her final response wasn't wrong either. He was living as well but she was right in the sense that it wasn't a popular response. Only two people in the game thus far knew what he did in the real world but it was only half the truth.

His eyes disappeared behind his platinum bangs as he spoke to her in a gentle tone." In the real world, my name is Kiluia Seiko. I'm the son of Fijimoto Seiko. We...they..are hired bodyguards to protect celebrities, political figures, and other assorted. " He touched the surface of his family's business." Or that's what it looks like on paper. They are hired by many underground syndicates to perform less than savory work." He admitted. A feeling of guilt washed over him as he continued to speak to this stranger. "I think you can guess what we do." He finished up.

He had only ever once ended someone's life. The wretched feeling was so incredibly horrible, he had run away several times to rid of his family to no avail. His brother, the oldest, always winded up finding him at the most inopportune times when he was trying to start his life over. " I don't know why I told you. I can't even tell my best friend...maybe it's because I don't know you. Maybe I won't see you again. But I am living here. I'm trying to be the good person I wasn't before." He was trying to repent for all his own sins he had done. Ironically, he was in a church no less.

[Natalia 0]

Though she wanted to interrupt Kiluia as he spoke of the 'real world,' Natalia bit her tongue and listened. More than once, her head and eyes shifted, as if searching for his eyes, but the two orbs were hidden behind a wall of hair. Her hands at this point were open on both sides of her, and she shifted her weight onto them, pushing herself up ever so slightly. Every now and then, she released a prolonged, yet soft exhale as he continued telling his story. The further he progressed in his tale, the more delayed these releases became. He's the second person to open up to me within this world. Wonder if I just have a knack for learning all there secrets.

Once more, there was silence. Kilua had stopped talking at this point. Time, for her at least, felt as if it had slowed down. Seconds felt like minutes. Her foot slightly tapped the ground, simulating almost seamlessly that of the second-hand of a grandfather clock. All of what Kilua had said was still processing in her mind. The tapping continued for at least another hundred seconds, judging by the number of times she tapped the floor with the bottom heel of her rugged brown boots, before abruptly stopping. "Stop giving yourself such crap." It was relatively clear that if she was holding back earlier, she wasn't anymore. Her choice of words to break the ice weren't glamorous in the slightest.

Sometime during those words, Natalia had somehow ended up on her feet, facing Kilua. There was a small gap of space between her and the next pew in the row, but she was small enough to fit between while fully turned towards him. It was her intention to make her point as direct and blunt as she could, and proper body language only made it all the more intense. "You talk in a way that reveals such regret over your past, yet you also claim you're trying to be the 'good person' you weren't before. Well, you're wrong." Her voice was slightly raised, though she did her best to hold back enough of her emotional reaction to prevent herself from shouting at him.

"If you were a genuinely evil person, you would have enjoyed what you did. It's relatively clear that you didn't, so I feel it's safe to assume you were forced to do such." She could have been completely wrong, but at this point, stopping her from speaking would take a lot. "So don't hide that fact from yourself. You were good enough to begin helping those in need within these walls, and I believe it's also safe to assume that if you enjoyed murder, you would have found yourself to be a member of the Laughing Coffin relatively quickly. So, once again, stop giving yourself such crap." Those last words had left the realm of whispers, and were said at a volume just short of shouting.

With her point being made, she sat back down into the pew, her head tilted back enough for her hair to begin hanging behind the seat. Her heart was pounding against her chest in a fit of rage, though it wasn't directed towards Kilua himself. It was more towards the toxic thought that had occupied his mind. She took a few deep breaths, and before long, her heart rate decreased to a normal pace. Her usually pale cheeks, however, still maintained a bit of red. "I'm sure you think I'm an ass after that, and it may be well-deserved, but in all honesty, it was worth it."

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He listened to her thoughts without interruption. Genuine thoughts of someone he met and didn't have a single clue about. He had been struggling alone for so long, he had forgotten what it felt like to be without burden. His gaze was now seen with a lighter hue in those eyes. " No. I believe what you say is true. I feel better talking about it. It's not everyday you can say, hey... I kill for a living... but now that I've said it, I feel lighter. "

Her words made sense to him in every aspect. Indeed, he was a good person. It was irrelevant of the sin he committed which was forced upon him. That night played vividly everyday for his dreams for what seemed to be an eternity. A simple laugh was given as he pushed his hair away from his face. " I'll be damned. It took a complete stranger to make things see me better..." He wouldn't tell Kana or Rin.. but this would be their secret.

His hand scrolled through the menu and he began selecting a friend option to her. She was something he thought. " The church has three square meals a day. You can stay as long as you like of course. I go on hunts daily to help provide the others and they go gather wild vegetables. " He looked at her. " That okay with you?"

[Natalia 0]

Natalia's head raised from its position, this time a full-on teeth smile occupying her face. "Like I said earlier, I'm not just your average, everyday person or stranger. I'm a gift from God himself." She felt silly chuckling at her own joke, but she couldn't refrain from it. She watched as her newly found friend began to send her a friend request, something she'd most definitely accept. When the window popped up in front of her, notifying of his request, her finger found itself tapping the circle. With that, they would now be aware of each other's location at the touch of a few buttons. It was something she'd most definitely take advantage of.

Kilua's offer for her to stay as long as she'd like was rather generous. Her fingers drifted towards her chin, as if she was pondering over the proposal. "To be honest, as much as I'd love to stay here, I'm also not really the type of girl who hangs around for too long. Just a bit too adventurous for that." She said, and shook her head, her smile reforming into a sincere grin. Her gaze was no longer directed towards him, instead simply down to her legs, which were both crossed and extended. She twirled her hair with her right index finger.

"However," she spoke, still no longer making eye contact, "I would like to help this little church out. It's a noble cause, and I'll be damned if I don't do anything to support it." Her voice had grown somewhat weary as exhaustion began to make its way throughout her body. Those big brown eyes of hers were beginning to hide behind her heavy eyelids. "Whenever I have a little bit of extra money, I'll donate some to this church. Maybe to help improve the decor, or, if food is scarce, provide more of that." That last bit was a little harder to make out, as she had said it while yawning.

"How does that sound?"

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He looked at her yawn and tilted his head. The evening was young in his eyes. In fact, he was going to leave and go hunt when people were sleeping. It was safe that way when he was by himself in the field. " Adventurous huh ? Well then, tomorrow we go to floor 4. We're going to train. " He was going to train his new friend and get them started in surviving. In her case, it was to live.

Her offer to help was great. He offered a lighthearted smile to her and nodded. " That would be great. You'll have an open cot and room when you decide to stay or not." She was doing things and saying things no one else did or would do. He felt happy that someone else's convictions could be in the game be as strong as his. He stretched but wasn't exactly tired as he stood there.

His hand switched to his menu again and he started scrolling through his gear. First it was his black vest that absorbed all light. Second, it was his shield with what seemed to be invisible razors cutting the air. And finally, his dagger that pulsed in the moon light." Since you seem tired, I'll leave and go beat some monsters up. " Hunting at night seemed safer to him since people needed sleep.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He looked at her yawn and tilted his head. The evening was young in his eyes. In fact, he was going to leave and go hunt when people were sleeping. It was safe that way when he was by himself in the field. " Adventurous huh ? Well then, tomorrow we go to floor 4. We're going to train. " He was going to train his new friend and get them started in surviving. In her case, it was to live.

Her offer to help was great. He offered a lighthearted smile to her and nodded. " That would be great. You'll have an open cot and room when you decide to stay or not." She was doing things and saying things no one else did or would do. He felt happy that someone else's convictions could be in the game be as strong as his. He stretched but wasn't exactly tired as he stood there.

His hand switched to his menu again and he started scrolling through his gear. First it was his black vest that absorbed all light. Second, it was his shield with what seemed to be invisible razors cutting the air. And finally, his dagger that pulsed in the moon light." Since you seem tired, I'll leave and go beat some monsters up. " Hunting at night seemed safer to him since people needed sleep.

[Natalia 0]

[OOC ~ Sorry if this post's pacing is WAYYYY off. You did say you wanted to get towards the action relatively quickly, so here we are. xD]

As though his words spoke life into her, Natalia immediately sprang up from her chair. Her eyelids still felt heavy, but after remaining awake for the past eighteen hours, that was bound to happen. Regardless, she remained standing, and held her eyes wide. "Don't think you're escaping from me just yet." Her voice began to regain its normal tone once again. "I may be exhausted, but if we're going to head to the fourth floor to train tomorrow.." She paused for a moment.

Natalia gestured the HUD open to glance at the clock. Just as she had predicted; it was now a few minutes after midnight. They had been talking for at least a few hours. "If we're going to head back to the fourth floor today for some training, I might as well come with you now. All the more experience to be gained." She knelt down for a moment to pick up the sheath she had dropped earlier. It took her a second, but having not undressed, she was already prepared to go. Not soon after, the two were on their way to some moonlit grinding.

A few minutes after walking out of the church, Natalia spoke again. "So, I know quite a bit about you already. I even know your real name, Mr. Kilua Seiko." She said. "But you know next to nothing about me." She shot him a playful wink, jokingly taunting him. "Well, that's about to change. My name outside of SAO is Natalie Mikazuki." She refrained from saying, 'in the real world.' "Not really much special about my. My American mother decided on the first name, and I, naturally, inherited my Japanese father's surname." She couldn't remember the last time she had told anyone her real name. It felt odd.

"There's not really all that much special about me." She said, as blunt as she usually was."I'm an honors student. Had SAO not launched, I'd be third in my class, but hey, what happens, happens." It was hard to tell if Natalia simply didn't mind being SAO, or masked it really well. "And, that's about it." There wasn't really much of a story to tell with her, something she didn't really mind all that much. It prevented from long, depressing tales.

And with that, the two were now in the fields outside of the Town. "Care to find us a target?"

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

[it's all good.]

Her enthusiasm was to be admired. A smile would cross his face slightly as she wished to tag along. He was sort of glad that their encounter would last a bit longer. Before he could say anything to her, they were headed to the edge of town. As their footsteps halted, he gazed at her while listening to her story.

Her playfulness gave his cheeks a slight rosy color on his pale skin. Her real name was spoken and would be engraved into his memory. Her heritage, her lifestyle, her school life, and then her end statement bothered him a little." There is something special. You are kind and adventurous. You also happen to be very blunt with your feelings, which in this case, Is a good thing." He stated.

As they reached the outside of the town, he continued "You're tale in SAO will just awaken more good things for you. I hope to see you at the front lines as well." Gaze was in the distance as he located three silhouettes of wolves. His dagger was released from its sheath and the gleaming moonlight responded well to its known presence. " Let's get started shall we?"

He raced forward with his dagger gripped in one hand and shield embraced in the other. He came at them with no warning. Too bad though, when he lunged forward, his presence was seen by one of them and they all scattered but one managed to claw him. " Tsk... I hate wolves." He sighed wiping away at his arm.

Wolf 1 5/5

Wolf 2 5/5

Wolf 3 5/5

Kiluia 18/19

Natalia 11/11

[Natalia 0]

[OOC ~ Ohhhh, boy. This is going to be a painful battle. xD]

"Let's be honest here, kind and blunt are rather contradictory in that statement." Natalia gave him a sarcastic thumbs up with a cheesy smile. That smile, however, was wiped from her face as Kilua was swiped successfully by one of the wolves. "Yo, let's do our best not to take any hits." Her voice was serious, yet maintained that hint of youthful energy she had throughout the night.

In a motion that had become almost instinctive, Natalia slung her right arm behind her back and drew her simple blade. She couldn't help but enjoy the moon's shimmering off its metal for a moment, before moving into position. Her left arm was held a few inches in front of her chest. Her right-hand, which was gripping the blade, was almost completely extended, her sword relatively close to the ground. She took one step back with her right foot, before charging at the wolf that had clawed Kilua. "Take this, you hound!" Her battle cry traveled through the air.

Her vertical slash from the top, however, completely missed, and she found herself tripping. She tumbled forward once, and, almost fluidly, rose back upon her feet. She spun around, keeping her blade at the ready, but it was too late. A wolf had entered a pounce towards her before she had turned, and by the time she did, its claws scratched her left arm. "Damn it." She cursed under her breath.

BD: 4

DMG: 0 (Miss)

Kilua: 18/19

Natalia: 10/11

Wolf 1: 5/5

Wolf 2: 5/5

Wolf 3: 5/5

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

[ lol]

His gaze was given to her and he spoke. " I already know both of them are considered contradictory but I did explain which and why. " He gave her a thumbs up as she landed gracefully on her rear. But the wolf seemed to swipe her and a frown formed on his face.

" Stay close and we can keep switching in and out of battle before they attack, all right?" He would narrow his eyes as he leaned forward into a lower position. Right hand gripped tightly at his dagger as he dashed forward with his right leg first to the wolf who had attacked her as it was the closest.

The dagger glowed momentarily as he did a forward thrust on the wolf who had just attacked her. It found home into the side of wolf's rib cage. The thrust was so forceful, he sent the wolf spiraling towards the rest of its small pack. " Switch." He said calmly. His hand extended to her and a slight grin formed on his face." You okay?"

BD 8 1 dmg. + 2 dmg

Kiluia 18/19

Natalia 10/11

Wolf 1 2/5

Wolf 2 5/5

Wolf 3 5/5

[Natalia 0]

[OOC ~ THESE BATTLE ROLLS ARE KILLING ME. This system is making me write so many embarrassing miss motions. x.x]

"I'll be fine." She said, maintaining her zest. Instead of making hand-contact, she raced right past the extended hand and slashed at the wolf Kilua had struck. As if karma was against her, the wolf had slid beneath the blade and ended up biting her leg, tugging at it for a second, before releasing and running away. It turned back towards her, however, with burning red-eyes. Eyes that most creatures would have, she imagined.

"Uh, switch!"

Natalia: 10/11

Kilua: 18/19

Wolf #1: 2/5

Wolf #2: 5/5

Wolf #3: 5/5

BD: 3

DMG: 0 (MISS)