Tryst 0 Posted July 1, 2015 #1 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 “Any daaaaaay now,†Nena complained a she stood in the doorway of the hut waiting for her turn to accept a quest. Sienna Boucher, also known as Tryst had been a beast when it had come to completing missions on SAO. Granted she’d only managed to get to level five, but she really only had started getting into thing in the past few weeks. After having found herself in danger on the fourth floor with a quest boss, Tryst had decided to put some serious work into leveling so she could keep being a badass and killing all the censored. There was just one problem with this: Dorks. There were dorks, dorks everywhere. They were the general population of said game and it was a little bit unnerving for the pretty redhead. Many of them were totally into playing a character, but not Tryst, no, Nena just wanted to hack censored up, kick censored, and get the censored home. Not ever having played a role playing game in her life, she did not understand the painstaking efforts the creators of Sword Art Online went through to make such a rich and elaborate storyline. Had she realized any of it, she might have understood what all the dorks were so hot about; but she’d didn’t so instead she would watch each of them with a scowl and impatient tap of her foot while he played along with the NPC’s quest story. Fifteen minutes she waited before the tall man finally finished with the NPC and pushed past the small woman before heading out. It was Tryst’s turn. The girl skipped over to the NPC who immeditat3ly began his song and dance again. She clicked her tongue and stamped her foot. “Why isn’t there an option to fast forward speech like in other games,†she complained a loud. She gave replies when appropriate so the old man would continue to talk and after about another ten minutes of nonsense she finally came to the last prompt before quest acceptance. “Of course I’ll take your damn quest…that’s why I came here GAH!†she huffed as a screen finally appeared and she hit the accept button. “FINALLY!†she sighed as she burst from the house and back into the daylight she was losing. The young woman spotted the man before her walking down the path and she jogged after him. “Hey!†she called out to him as she caught up and walked beside him. “Umm… back there… do you actually think you’re playing some kind of character or something? I saw you playing along with the NPC… do you always do that?†She asked him curiously. He was obviously one of “the dorksâ€â€¦ so he ought to have some answers for her. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Ashrah 0 Posted July 1, 2015 #2 Report Share Posted July 1, 2015 "...huh?" Arc turned at the muffled sound of a feminine voice, and he looked down to see a girl addressing him informally. "What are you talking about?" he asked with a look of genuine annoyance plastered on his face. "This is a 'role playing game,'" he told her, "and it's a full dive on top of that. You literally are your character until you log out. It's an existential crisis you just haven't had, yet." He shrugged, because it was possible that if she didn't understand what he was telling her, she might never truly grasp the full scope of what everyone else on Aincrad was going through. Torn between two realities with their identity rapidly deteriorating, people would lose themselves to their characters, and some would forget the lives they had before completely. "Might not have it, either," he muttered, and part of him envied her in that. Still, he turned from her and toggled the active quests menu to track <<Secret Medicine of the Forest>>. The Nepents technically did not fall far from town, the real problem was getting into and out of the forest without getting overrun by them. The Ovule would be easy to find, killing mob after mob until the drop got automated by the Cardinal system. It was a good chance to grind through some monsters for much needed experience. "They're programmed that way," he told her when he realized that she wasn't going away," and short of other players with baggage involving being trapped inside a video game, those NPCs are all the social interaction you're going to get inside SAO. You might as well learn to enjoy it." The edge of town wasn't a long walk. They got there and stood in silence as Arc checked through his inventory to be sure it wouldn't get too hairy. "Just one item," he brooded. "Normally, that wouldn't seem incredibly difficult." Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Tryst 0 Posted July 3, 2015 Author #3 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 “No… I’m like… still me… but like in Wonderland or something. How the hell do you just forget you’re you?†She stared at the man rather puzzled by his words. “I don’t have existential crises; I always know exactly who I am all the time… only weak minds would find this difficult to deal with.†She said with a smirk. Just because she was a drunken party girl did not make Sienna Boucher stupid, she was far from it. He shrugged and her brows knitted together rather annoyed by his stupidity or indifference, she could not yet tell which he suffered from as she’d only been speaking to him for a moment. This was a game. While she was connected to it, there were many things that she knew that made it Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. She was here in Aincrad and yet, and seeing the shadows. Reality did not have status bars and character menus. The man rambled and driveled upon her but Nena was having none of what he was serving. “So you’re telling me I’m trapped in the land of jackass with nothing but a bunch of preprogrammed ‘people’ “ Nena air quoted at her last word, “ for company? What kind of censored up koolaid have you been drinking, sir?†Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Ashrah 0 Posted July 3, 2015 #4 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 "Same stuff as you when you jacked the NerveGear in," he responded blandly. "Virtual reality and nerve synthesis, primarily." It was a smartass answer, but also completely true. The game was meant as an opiate for people who lacked the same social graces as their more outgoing peers. It was like Prom for nerds, essentially. Only year round, and they could come and go as they pleased. Well, it was supposed to be that way. "People lose themselves to this game every day, partially or wholly. Accepting it for what it is helps to alleviate some of the mental duress. People who can compartmentalize the trauma tend to last longer than people who drown in it." It was only one possible way to deal with things, but it was the best Arc had learned thus far. Every attempt he made at simply being himself reminded him that Aincrad was not the world he grew up in. "Society built this utopian concept of a world away from the world," he chuckled, "it's no wonder Akihiko decided to fashion himself a god. We were all so willing to be his devout." His bitter commentary bled away as he turned his gaze toward the forest. "Anyway, there's a Nepent waiting for me to kill it, and I'm running low on daylight. Nice talking to you," he said. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Tryst 0 Posted July 3, 2015 Author #5 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 “Nuuhhh,†Nena shook her head,†Yeah… I’m jacked in… but that didn’t jack me up. Just because you can’t handle the reality of being here, doesn’t excuse you to losing yourself to a game. Grow a pair and be a real man,†she said wickedly, teasing the dork. He continued to explain why others would follow the rabbit down the whole and why they all started nibbling on treats that said “eat me†but that didn’t excuse anything as far as the young woman was concerned. “What the censored is so traumatic about this? You losers are living your wet hot fantasy of playing hero all day, every day until we get the censored out of here! I would think you all would find this paradise.†She paused reflecting her words,†Oh… it’s the death game thing right? We’re all going to censored die… it is inevitable. If my headstone says I did it while censored some dragon’s censored then why the censored not? It’s better than dying in my sleep with I’m a saggy tired old censored.†He spoke his vile words and once more she grimaced. “Society was built upon a lie. I don’t know who this Akihiko is but I’ve made no agreement to bow my knee to him or any self proclaim deity.†The man tried to excuse himself from her but Nena would have none of that. “I’m sorry. I’m about to go censored that Nepent’s censored upso you can just censored wait your censored turn. I’m all out of patience for you, nerd.†Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Ashrah 0 Posted July 3, 2015 #6 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Arc watched her rant through his HUD, inwardly begging for the moment it ended. The foul words hardly bothered him- his father hurled them at his mother often, when he was younger- so they were nothing he hadn't heard. What particularly annoyed him was how she categorized him with every other person trapped in Sword Art Online in the desire to pretend that he was excited to be in this alternate reality. All he said to her was "get used to this, because you're stuck." He doubted seriously that this girl cared. Rather than argue a moot point with someone, Arc waited patiently and placed silent bets on how blue her face would be if this were the real world. Seriously! She kept going, and going, and going like a damn pink rabbit with a drum, and he could count on one hand how many breaths she'd taken. "Do you have an off button?" he finally muttered somewhere in the middle of her verbal vomit, though her words easily drowned his. That was just as well; Arc dreaded the idea of fueling another tangent. When she mentioned that she was going to kill the Nepent first, his face lit up. Finally, a moment of vindication! "Good luck getting there first," he called back already running as quickly as he could away from her. "Maybe you can bore it to death with conversation!" He threw a wink backward at the girl before turning to focus on his destination. This quest promised a better weapon, and he sorely needed one. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Tryst 0 Posted July 4, 2015 Author #7 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 "Do you have an off button?" Tryst blinked. Did the man really just tell her to shut up? Nena was a tad caught off guard by his comment; she bit her bottom lip and continued to walk along quietly, until he opened his big fat mouth and told her he was going to get to the Nepant first. “At least I’d actually kill it…†she snipped at his final remark. Tryst was dead set against letting this guy get what he wanted and so the small woman began to sprint down the path past the man and started her search for what she was looking for. She would kill the Nepant first over and over again making sure he never got what he was looking for. It was just her way of paying him back for all the things he said. Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Ashrah 0 Posted July 5, 2015 #8 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 "Not so fast," Arc called out as she raced ahead of him and surveyed the area. His eyes settled on the first leaf-like creature that entered his field of vision, a Nepent, but clearly not the one he was looking for. Still, the mob would yield experience, as well as the chance to prove his worth. "This one's mine," he yelled. His voice rose to its tantamount as the blade strapped to his back screamed its freedom cry. The bastard sword sliced angrily across the form of the Nepent and the pitiful creature let out a frail screech. A deep gash of crimson remained in the wake of Arc's monstrous blow. The blade spun round as he turned his full body to face the creature again, legs evenly distanced to disperse the weight of his weapon. His breaths were even in spite of his movements, showing that his athleticism was slowly improving. He placed necessary points into it when they became available. That was the price of a heavier weapon, a greater tax on the body. Beginnings of a sweat glistened across his forehead as the light kissed his face, a determined expression ingrained in his features. The Nepent slowly rose from the powerful strike, still reeling in agony. "First blood to me," he jeered. [iD: 22509, BD: 10, Mob: 4] [Nepent: 4/8] [Arc: 17/17] Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
Tryst 0 Posted July 21, 2015 Author #9 Report Share Posted July 21, 2015 “HEY!†Tryst yelled after the man as she sprinted past her. She was only a couple steps behind, but she was absolutely flustered over him getting the jump on her. The woman followed along as she caught the same sight as he: a small nepent. He pulled his blade and claimed that the kill was his, but Nena wouldn’t let him get away with that. The man attacked and knocked its health down a bit, but she was right behind him and she attacked as well. 25328 BD: 7 Tryst hits Nepent for 3 DMG She pulled Dom, her sexy, badass Boar-spine Claymore from her sheath and brought it down upon the Nepent giving it a good thrashing, but not enough to kill the damn thing. The young woman growled but there was nothing she could do, she was about to lose the opportunity to steal the man’s kill, and that kind of sucked. No. It sucked a lot! Arc 17/17 Tryst 17/17 Nepent 1/ 8 Quote Report Link to post Share on other sites
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