[PP-F1] Is That Music I Hear? ( Chuggs & Pyro )

[Pyro 0]

Pyro sat on her knees on a booth inside an inn. Her shoulder-length purple hair was down and hung to the sides for she was looking down at a small object in her hands. It was a ring to be precise, a ring she'd found in a fountain after a conversation with her friend Sousuke. A purple gem sat in the middle of the silver item, a gem the same color as Pyro's hair, and she loved it instantly. When she equipped it in the inventory the description only had three question marks. Pyro used one hand to support her head on and stared at it in fascination. The ring glimmered even when there was no nearby light source in the darkened inn. It reminded Pyro of her mother and father; always smiling even when it seemed no hope was left.

 

Memories of her parents flooded her mind, but as usual, Pyro kept a nonchalant expression on her face. She never cried, never felt the emotion one could call sadness. Sure she wished she could see her parents again and thinking about them made tears threaten to flood her eyes but her heart never actually felt sadness. Or love; but she could feel embarrassment, happiness, friendship and anger so easily that she always reacted instantly. 'I'm so weird...' Pyro thought and shifted her position so she was sitting normally in the booth, her legs swinging and feet kicking at the cold ground. Pyro began humming a song, one she couldn't quite recall but for some reason she could tell it was important to her. Nobody else in the inn cared, not that they were paying attention anyway. Everyone else seemed focused on their own conversations but all Pyro could hear was the sound of her voice as she zoned out everyone else and closed her crimson eyes.

[Chuggs 0]

Chugg's had been wandering about the town as of late. A habit he had gotten used to. Something he just couldn't stop doing now that he was stuck in this virtual world. He sighed as he wandered, wondering where he was going to stay for the night, being as broke as he was at the moment. He thought he might as well have gone to the inn, do something there that might be thought of as crazy and get kicked out. Or just....Get off the streets for now. He needed to make friends, sooner rather than later. He had turned around and made his way to the inn, which wasn't that far from where he was now. Hopefully he wouldn't encounter any problems on his way.

 

Fortunately for Chuggs, He didn't. No one tried to force him into a duel, no one tried to force him into anything. He opened the door to the inn and no one stared at him, it was much too noisy for the door to be heard anyways. He would have continued on his way, going to bother someone to listen to any song he would perform, when he heard a slight humming. He stopped and perked up instantly at the sound of it, half-way through walking to his desired location. The sound was coming from right next to him, the song was familiar. So so familiar. He had heard it a few times before, hell he had even sung it while he was alone. He turned his attention to the booth next to him, his eyes locking on a girl who seemed distracted to say the least. He opted to speak up. "Hey, where did you learn that song?" He asked curiously, the words coming out before he could think of anything better to say. He didn't even introduce himself.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro opened one eye, her head perked up, as she glanced at the male standing near the edge of the table she was sitting at. He looked about the same age as herself, or at least near it. Nonetheless she was a bit annoyed he'd interrupted her pleasant daydream but she was never one to be rude to another person for simply asking her a question. She opened the other eye and turned her head towards him but kept her body in the same position. "I'm not to sure. It's been in my head... and my heart but I can't remember what it's called or why it's so important." Pyro shrugged and shook her head. "Sorry." She whispered not knowing exactly why she had whispered in the first place or why it broke her heart that she couldn't tell this boy what the song was. Her expression remained the same though this time she flashed a smile so fake that it was obvious and made sure to make her words clear this time. "Sorry." Pyro said much louder this time and looked back down to her ring. 'I should ask him to sit with me, or why he wants to know, or what his name is... but I can't for some strange reason.' Pyro told herself as she twiddled her thumbs hoping the mystery player would speak once more; she was sure to start speaking if he did.

[Chuggs 0]

Chugg's was surprised by her answer, expecting something...More to say the least. He was more than expecting her to know exactly where it was from. Silly of him to think that way. He simply sighed. He hadn't sung that song in ages. How long had they been in SAO? He was having a hard time remembering. Then the girl apologized. He thought at least, he could barely hear it. More of a whisper than anything. He looked at the girl curiously as she seemed to flash an obviously fake smile in his direction and say it even louder. He wasn't really certain why she was apologizing in the first place. "Erm...Why are you apologizing? It's not like you did something wrong." He stated, clearly confused. He was waiting for a response when a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, maybe I could tell you the name of that song if it's bothering you so much. Mind if I sit here?" He asked, a new purpose for coming to the inn inside his head. 'She seem's nice enough, hopefully she's as nice as she seems. It would be better to make friends then enemies.' He thought with a smile as he waited.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro looked up once again as the boy started speaking, much to her relief. She wiped the fake smile off of her face and nodded for him to sit down as he had asked. "I-I'm not sure. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time." She answered referring to his question. Pyro stared at Chuggs as he sat across from her. She sat up straight and put her hands in her lap. "Could you really tell me?" A spark of excitement and interest trailed in her voice as her heart pounded a bit faster than usual. It had been bugging Pyro forever, all she wanted to know was the name of that one song, the song that made her emotions whirl. She played with her purple ring once again but kept her eyes on Chugg's. 'An odd name... but I like it.' Pyro thought when she noticed his name above him.

[Chuggs 0]

Chuggs took the seat across from her, looking for her username. He found it in a matter of seconds. 'Pyro, huh? Does she like fire? Is she a...Never mind. I'm getting too distracted here. She want's me to tell her what song that was.' He shook his head, thinking for a moment. That song was special enough to him that he found it odd someone else was humming it. He didn't imagine many people here remembered the joys of music. "That song is called...Erm...What was the name of it again...?" He just forgot. The name was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't seem to get it out. He struggled on a bit for a few minutes being lost in his thoughts, thinking of the name. "Could you hum it again please? It might help me remember myself. It seemed to slip my mind almost as soon as I tried to recall it. It happens a lot now. Distinguishing the real world from the virtual one...It's quite hard to remember the difference." He said his thought's aloud for once, looking down at the table in front of him, thinking even harder then before.

[Pyro 0]

"I agree." Pyro replied, referring to his comment about the real world. "Kayaba did so well... He put so much work into it. I wonder what his goal was to trap us..." Pyro shook her head, forgetting about her words in an instant, remembering Chuggs had asked her to do something. Pyro shyly nodded her head, starting to hum the familiar tune again. It was stuck in her mind, it always had been, it was something she could never forget. The sounds of her humming were soft and light. Pyro closed her eyes while she 'performed' the request for Chuggs. When she was done, she opened her crimson eyes, and they showed signs of hope. 'Oh I hope he knows what it's called.' She kept her body from shaking with excitement and crossed her hands on the table. "Don't hurt yourself by thinking so hard, I honestly won't mind if you have forgotten for good." Pyro's curls up the end of her lips, showing a very small grin, but this time it was real. Completely real. She was glad to have company to talk to even if he didn't know.

[Chuggs 0]

Chuggs waited for a few moments after she stopped humming the tune. What was the name of it? He knew it. Right on the tip of his tongue. Then it clicked, fitting into place like a puzzle piece. "Calls me Home....It's called Calls me Home." He started, a proud look crossing his face as he finally came up with the name. Of course he didn't finish there, he hadn't even told her who sung the song! "A female artist sings it...Erm....Not that I sing in a feminine voice....I mean...I add a more...Masculine spin to the song? Don't judge me. Her name is Shannon Labrie. A fairly good singer." He stated turning away from the girl with a slight blush. He should have thought more before saying that out loud. Now he was completely embarrassed. "Earlier, I had honestly stopped thinking about the name of the song. I was thinking more about Kayaba's motives...And what he's doing right now." He stated honestly, looking back down at the table, the embarrassment seemingly disappearing from his face.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro jumped with excitement when he said the name. 'Ah, yes!' She smiled. "Thank you." Pyro said softly, returning her face to a casual expression. She was very grateful and perhaps the lyrics would come back to her at some time during the day. She watched as Chuggs blushed, and it made her laugh, the way he got embarrassed at what he had said. 'That must be what I look like when I get embarrassed easily.' Pyro told herself. "I do wonder about that too." She started speaking. "Why would he create such a beautiful game, not play it and not earn credit and money from it? Instead he chooses to become a murderer of thousands of lives.. I-I don't understand. There must be something deeper, something that means more to him, something only he would understand." Pyro spoke, not clearly thinking, deep in thought; thinking of all the possibilities there was. But alas she could think of nothing, for she was not Kayaba and would have to realize that. "I wonder where he is now, also. Is he in hiding? What's going on in the real world I wish I knew."

[Chuggs 0]

Chuggs smiled a bit when she jumped. He was glad to make someones day at least. "No problem." Was all he said in response. He continued to think about Kayaba's motives. What drove the man to do this? It should have been so simple, yet Chuggs was blind to it. Why would someone do this? Then something that Pyro said clicked in his mind. "Your right....Why would he make a game so beautiful and not want to play it? I know I'd still want to play it if I made it myself." He stated, seemingly attempting to put together something out of nothing. "Of course I don't know Kayaba all that well either, so it can only go so far what I think, right?" He asked curiously, seeing if Pyro would draw a similar conclusion to his. 

[Pyro 0]

Pyro nodded at what Chuggs said. "Yes, this game is so amazing, who wouldn't want to play it? Maybe Kayaba is watching us right now and we don't know it." Pyro said, shivering at the thought of Kayaba sitting behind a computer somewhere watching them. "We can only guess until we reach level 100." Pyro sighed. "Sorry for bringing up such a depressing topic. I just can't help but think about it, really." She frowned and played with her ring. "I'm truly glad you sat with me." She muttered, a bit embarrassed for bringing something like that up, but she couldn't help. If Chuggs hadn't sat down with her she would be as lonely as ever, but now she had someone to talk to.

[Chuggs 0]

Chuggs shook his head when Pyro apologized again. She had a knack for doing that it seemed. "I needed to get the topic out of my head. It gets tiring carrying around thought's like that on your own for such a long time." He stated, although the thought of Kayaba watching them did indeed cause a shiver to go up the boys spine. Then she muttered something that he barely caught. "Did you say something Pyro?" He asked curiously. He wasn't certain he heard her correctly at all. Did she say she was glad he sat down with her? That would be a first.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro blushed even heavier. She'd have to repeat that cursed sentence again. "I-I... said I was glad you sat down with me." She lifted her head up but avoided eye contact. "I'm constantly happy around my friends but only because I don't want to bring their mood down!" Pyro clutched her fists. "I can never tell them, I can't. But then you came and knew the song. I've never even sung that song before in front of people I've met. You came and now I can release my feelings." Pyro shook her head and leaned back in her seat. Her fists had turned purple because she clenched them so tightly. She relaxed and looked back at Chuggs hoping he wouldn't leave because of her silly outburst.

[Chuggs 0]

Chuggs was....Surprised to say the least. First when she blushed so heavily, again during her little outburst. He was at a loss for words for a few moments. When she turned back to him he quickly thought about what to say. Never being in a situation like this before came with many cons, not many pros. "I...I'm glad then!" He stated, a little louder then he should have. Quickly lowering his voice as a few people had directed their attention in his direction. "I'm glad that I helped you along a path to where you can finally set your emotions free, Pyro." He stated in a more softer tone, simply glancing in the direction of the other people. Hopefully they weren't too curious.

[Pyro 0]

"~Ehh..." Pyro stuttered. "Sorry for the third time. I get a little carried away at times." She felt bad for attracting attention in the first place. "I didn't mean to put you in this situation, honest." She smiled at Chuggs and swung her legs. "So how did you know that song anyways? I know you mentioned adding a masculine spin to it, were you a singer of some sorts?" Pyro felt better getting things off of her mind and it was like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

[Chuggs 0]

Chugg's thought about what to say at first. He wasn't sure how much about his life to actually reveal. Even though Pyro was nice, he did just meet her. He decided he wouldn't give out his name, but nearly everything else was fair game right now. "I was a street performer. I used to do covers for songs a lot to attract attention and earn money. It...Worked I guess. I was able to save enough to buy myself a nerve gear and here I am today. Of course that didn't really answer your question, did it? I listened to music a lot when playing games. That was one of my more favored songs when playing. It was fun to add my own spin to different songs." He said with a smile. Pleasant memories indeed. "It wasn't your fault anyways, I got a little bit louder then I should have. I wonder what they actually think." He stated wonderingly. He wanted more peoples opinions, but he didn't have a nice tract with getting along with them. This was a start, he guessed.

[Pyro 0]

"They probably think it's a childish fight." She replied. "It's cool that you were a performer, I'd be terrified to do something like that. You know there is a Performer profession on here?" She asked, knowing her friend Arekkusu who had told her once about the profession. "You play instruments and sing along I think, I'm not to sure." Pyro slipped into deep thought before shaking her head, not was not the best time to daydream. "I only started playing games a year before SAO, but I think I've gotten the hang of it. It's crazy how fast I went from a console and controller to some headgear and my brain."

[Chuggs 0]

Chuggs smiled as she brought up the performer profession. He was dying to unlock it's true potential. "Better then. They wont be curious on finding out." He muttered aloud. He had no real reason for saying it, simply just voicing his thought's aloud. He thought a little bit more on the words she said before deciding to continue the conversation. So far Pyro didn't seem to troubled to be having a conversation with him, so why leave when he could make a new friend? "What was the first game you ever played? Or better yet, the first MMO you ever played? Er....If you don't mind me asking, Pyro." He said, realizing how comfortable he felt asking those questions. He realized how rude it was to ask players about their lives before SAO, topic's that certainly weren't touched upon often.

[Pyro 0]

Pyro tapped her chin in thought, trying to find an answer for Chugg's question. "The Elder Scrolls Online, it wasn't the best MMO, but I remember watching my father play Skyrim and liking it so when that new game came out I decided to give it a go. Well if you count a MMORPG as a correct answer." She replied, smiling at the memories. "My dad was a huge gamer. I really like RPG games it's like you can create a whole new world for yourself and not care about what other people think while character developing." Pyro stopped talking, realizing she had probably been ranting this whole time.

 

"Excuse me." She returned the question. "What was your first MMO?"

[Chuggs 0]

Chuggs smiled heavily as Skyrim was mentioned. He couldn't think of a better game to bring into the topic, or to start with. Although Elder Scrolls Online may have not been the best MMO. He didn't care, he met someone who enjoyed RPG's almost as much as he did when he played them. "Now there's a series of game's I like. Although Dragon Age was more of my favorite RPG of all time." He stated as he put his more serious face on at her question. First one? He'd have to remember....

 

"League of Legends. It was the first MMO I ever played. I had a fun time playing it before moving on to other games." Chuggs stated with a smile, thinking back on his days playing League and getting destroyed as a newbie. It then brought a terrible realization. He was still considered a newbie on SAO, luckily he hadn't been destroyed. But that wouldn't last forever. He looked back up at Pyro with a smile, clearing his thought's of any of that mumbo jumbo inside of his head. "May I ask what brought you to this place? It doesn't seem like the best place to sit and think." He stated as his eyes glanced over the room. He wondered if anyone here was violent. He hoped they weren't.