Six's Journal

[Six 0]

NAME Joel Bennett AGE 32 GENDER Male HEIGHT 5'9" WEIGHT 160 lbs. BIRTHDAY June 21st ORIGIN Raleigh, N.C. MISC. INFO [Tracker.] [Theme.] [Three.]   S I X   “After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished?” -- The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro  Six was 32 years old when he first entered Sword Art Online. Around the safe zones, he’s known as steady company: easy to talk to and quietly funny, but not much for small talk. He listens more than he speaks, and when he does, it’s usually to ask a thoughtfully chosen question. Six hears people, but offers them very little about himself in return.  Day-to-day, he makes a modest living transcribing novels from memory, preserving stories that would otherwise be slowly forgotten. Most of what he earns goes elsewhere: inn fees for struggling players, ingredients for the local food kitchen, and keeping various supply boxes around the castle stocked for unprepared adventurers. The rest keeps a small garden growing in a quiet corner at the edge of town. HISTORY Spoiler Before SAO, he was Joel Bennett—a writer who once showed promise early on in his career. He published his first novel at eighteen: a modest debut that earned him praise and a small but steady audience. Not long after its release, he lost someone close to him, and the years that followed were spent trying to write his way out of his grief. The result was his second novel: raw, honest, and noticeably stronger than the first. Enough to make people start using words like “potential”. Grad school came next and, for a while, he excelled at it. But, to the shock of his advisor, Joel dropped out just weeks before graduation. Here, his room is sparse and undecorated. His meals? Predictable. His routines? Deliberate. In his free time, he mostly keeps to himself: tending to his garden or fixing up old furniture that’s been discarded. On occasion, he can be spotted lending an ear to people who seem like they need it. He rarely mentions his past, and most know him only as “Six”—a name he jokes was just the sixth one he tried entering that day. One day, a customer asked Six to reproduce a novel he hadn’t thought about in years. It was one of his own. The man recognized him from the author’s photo on the back and said he’d always hoped to read something new from him. Six smiled faintly and changed the subject, but the man’s words stuck with him. As he worked, he caught himself adjusting lines no one had asked him to fix. By the time he finished, something had shifted. He knew there was still more to say—and he’d find the words right here. VIRTUES & FLAWS Spoiler    Virtues       Compassionate.    Although Six himself would downplay or deny it, his heart is that of a deeply compassionate individual. It isn’t always obvious these days, especially if taking his words at face value, but he’s keenly aware of the needs of those around him. Despite his background, Six prefers quiet action over comforting words. When he helps others, he has a habit of minimizing either the act itself or his role in completing it. He’ll show up the exact item someone needed, but claim he was just cleaning out his apartment. Six’s compassion is a more understated sort—a holdover from better times.    Self-controlled.     Most people read Six as just being naturally calm and composed. He’s unhurried, rarely gives in to impulse, and prefers to use the least amount of words needed to get his point across. His remarks can sometimes come off as dry or needlessly curt, but he’s not the sort to raise his voice or lash out when upset. In reality, self-control is a skill he had to learn, and he lived it until it became almost as natural as breathing. Six’s feelings never left, he just actively continues to choose restraint. But even his discipline can still be tested.     Perceptive.     Reading subtext comes naturally to Six, whether it’s literature, situations, or people. He takes in the whole scene and reads between the lines, letting him zero in on small details that others might overlook. He also tends to listen more than he speaks. Combined with his perceptiveness, this leads others to observe his company as being rather insightful, if reserved. Six isn’t the type to offer confidants long-winded advice, but a single thoughtful question is often just as appreciated. Sometimes he overreads, and his refusal to just ask people how they feel ends up making things harder for him.      Flaws       Guarded.    Although Six himself would downplay or deny it, his heart is that of a deeply compassionate individual. It isn’t always obvious these days, especially if taking his words at face value, but he’s keenly aware of the needs of those around him. Despite his background, Six prefers quiet action over comforting words. When he helps others, he has a habit of minimizing either the act itself or his role in completing it. He’ll show up the exact item someone needed, but claim he was just cleaning out his apartment. Six’s compassion is a more understated sort—a holdover from better times.    Self-denying.    Six’s world is sparse by his own design. He eats the same cheap staples every day, drinks the cheapest coffee purely for the caffeine, and wears a single set of clothes. His apartment is a single small room that looks neat, but half-moved-into, and he refuses to take credit for his own kindness. When something really matters, he doesn’t hesitate to take a hacksaw to his own sleep schedule, so he’s often running a little short. Six views self-denial as his own form of penance.    Perfectionist.    In Six’s eyes, a thing is either worth doing or not at all. So if he decides to do it, he makes sure it’s handled with care. He’s always preferred exactness, but the real fixation didn’t fully take hold until after he published his first novel. His work, literary and otherwise, is treated as a reflection of who he is as a person. The most inconsequential notes will be crossed out and rewritten, regardless of whether anyone else will ever see them. Garden trellises will be nudged back and forth millimeters at a time, until they sit just right. On some level, it’s a matter of pride and high standards, but Six would tell you it’s a matter of authenticity. If it doesn’t match what’s in his head, it isn’t honest. He would rather offer nothing than share something that feels untrue. NOTES Spoiler No notes.   WIP

Edited 3 minutes ago by Six