[Other FULL] «Sword Art Online: Sanctuary» [IC][T]

[machomuu]

William Danielson||Godot & Rise Amagawa||Apathy
Lv. 13||Floor 2
Only Once a Year​

As they continued onward, Apathy tugged at Godot's arm. "There's a pretty large lake in that direction." She pointed somewhere, but Godot didn't look to see where. Apathy looked up at him before looking ahead once again. She figured that Godot had some good reason for remaining silent, so she decided not to keep pestering him about the issue. She almost fell as Godot stopped suddenly.

"Apathy, I'm sorry for leading you on like this...but I'm being selfish," Godot spoke solemnly before turning around. She tilted her head in confusion. "We're gonna have to part ways; there's something I have to do. It wouldn't really mean anything if I didn't do it alone."

Apathy remained silent, creating a lull in the conversation. Looking away, she said, "I don't care about your prideful bull. I'm going with you." She put her hand on her weapon without changing her deadpan expression, but Godot didn't move an inch. Rather, he just stared at her with an unrelenting expression of stone. The exchange between the two had become so extraordinarily plain that it was as if they weren't even there, but it was Apathy who finally gave in, releasing her sword from her grip. "Fine," was all she said before walking in another direction. Godot watched her go off until she wasn't visible anymore.

Godot sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Apathy, but it wouldn't be right to use you like this." Godot opened up his Quests menu and looked at the map placement for a quest called "Only Once a Year". This is my only chance..I've gotta make the most of it. Godot immediately set out for the location depicted on the map.

---

When Godot arrived, what he found was as he'd expected, a dungeon. He unsheathed his weapon prior to walking inside. He didn't know what to expect...though he felt it odd that there were no enemies...nor any players. It was deafeningly silent to the point that Godot started to think it was a trap like the one a month ago. This was a rare item that he was after. He slowly walked forward, tapping his feet lightly against the smooth surface of the dungeon floor. His eyes scanned left and right, swapping between slow and fast rotations.

His alertness was heightened incredibly as a quiet scratching sound grew. At first, he suspected it was some type of spider monster. He stood in place, closing his eyes in an attempt to pinpoint the source of the noise and strike when it tried to do the same. It didn't take long for him to realize that the sound was coming from behind. He quickly swiveled around to see the entrance to the dungeon being overtaken by foliage. "Crap!" He yelled, sprinting towards the entrance before it could be completely blocked. He was faster than the foliage could cover, and because of that, he knew that he was safe.

That was, until something grabbed at Godot's leg. "Gah!" He tripped but found that he was unable to fall to the ground. Looking back, he saw that a vine had wrapped itself around his foot, and that gray dungeon was transforming into a lush green. He didn't hesitate, however, and cut the vine with his sword. He landed on his feet and continued his escape. Just as he was about to strike the shallow green preventing his escape, a vine caught his arm. Then another. Then a few caught his other arm. Then his legs. By this point, he was levitating and was a few feet above the ground, flailing his arms and legs. Finally, his sword was pulled away from him and taken into a hole in the ceiling. "N-no!" he lamented, but it wasn't long before he was dragged into the depths of the forest cavern.

He floated through the air for a good while, not knowing exactly where he was being taken or if he was even moving at all. He was overtaken by the darkness not long after the vines started dragging him away. Disorientation took him as well, unable to tell whether he was going left, right, up, down, or even if he was still conscious at all. As he tried to struggle from restraint, his restraints only became stricter, and at some points he even yelled out of frustration. The green showed no mercy as they not-so-kindly dropping him to the ground with no regard for his safety. It wasn't painful, but it certainly was unpleasant.

Godot rose to his feet, doing some stretches and surveying his surroundings as he did so. He was in an empty room with a single door. He headed towards the door and felt himself depress as he took a step. He looked down to see a pressure plate. "...Dammit." It was a textbook trap, and he fell for it hook-line. What appeared before him was a single Salamander Knight. Godot couldn't hold in his laughter when he noticed that the monster was clad in a Santa outfit and a candy cane as a weapon. He readied his weapon.

"...Wait a minute."

He readied his weapon.

"H-HOLD ON A SEC!"

He started to pat himself over. When that didn't work, he went to his Equipment Menu and scrolled through his items. "W-where are all my weapons!" He'd forgotten that his sword had been taken, but the situation grew worse as he realized that the Meister's Soul had been taken as well. He was weaponless and faced with a Santa-clad Salamander. "Perfect," he sighed. He took a fighting stance, recalling the few years of Kenpo Karate that he had taken as a child.

The Salamander didn't attack, though. It seemed as if he was waiting for something. Was Godot supposed to make the first strike? Was he supposed to try to bypass the Salamander? Godot tried walking passed the knight and...it worked. The Salamander paid him no mind, but at the same time, the door wouldn't open. He turned around and looked at the Salamander, then reared towards his face. "...What do you want?" He asked. There was no response, as he'd expected.

He waited. Nothing happened. "WHAT DO YOU WANT!" He yelled out of frustration. He didn't attack, because he knew that there was a very good chance that he might die without a weapon. He was at a complete loss for exactly what he was supposed to do. Then, he started to analyze the Salamander. It was a Santa Costume. Maybe it wasn't simply a theme...but it had something to do with the requirement. "..." He nodded his head left and right, slowly piecing together theories on exactly what to do.

"...Merry Christmas?" Godot said, unsure. The Salamander smiled an incredibly creepy smile and then handed him his Candy Cane. It was classified as an Axe, which was classified as an axe, and disappeared in a haze of snow. Then, the door promptly opened. Godot was shocked at the convoluted nature of the quest...but it may have been more apparent than he gave it credit for being.

What followed was a hallway that seemed to lead to another room. Surveying the room one last time, there didn't seem to be any sort of alternate exit. As a result, Godot followed the hallway to the next room. It seemed to be a festive, Christmas-themed quest, and that was fine with him. He readied his Candy Cane, expecting to find more Christmas-themed monsters to kill with it. Then, a message popped up.

Quest Log has been Updated​

Knowing that the quest log would probably be invaluable, he promptly checked the Quest Log. What he found inside was what seemed to be a journal entry, rather than the conventional description.

December 25

Clara told me to keep a journal...and it's a little strange, I never thought I'd be writing about my daily life in one of these, just mostly work. But it was a gift, and I definitely let it go to waste. I just got back from a small job in Urbus. I dressed up as Santa and handed out candy canes the children. It really was something seeing all of their smiling faces, it made me want a child of my own someday.

I'm not really sure what else to say, so I might as well get back to my research.

"Hmm..." Godot grumbled, closing the Quest Window. He sighed and looked at the candy cane in his hand. "I...don't feel so good about this." He pressed on, the green scenery transforming into a frosty paradise, and upon entering the room, he stopped. He looked around as he previously did, and noticed that the room was nearly identical save for the aesthetics. There was probably a pressure plate somewhere. He tapped the space in front of him and slowly applied pressure, and ever so slightly the floor depressed. He removed his foot before the pressure plate could activate stretched his legs before walking backwards in the hallway and sprinting back into the room, jumping as far as he could toward the door.

Once he landed, he depressed.

"Is this entire room made of pressure plates!?" He yelled. He turned around, trying to avoid being blind-sighted by whatever monster the plate may have spawned. And, in the darkness, was a small creature. It looked like a child. However, its eyes were red, and blood seeped from its teeth. Now, common sense told Godot that he was to give the child his candy cane, it was in the quest log. However, a twisted smile grew on the child's face as it licked its teeth can cracked its knuckles, all the while keeping its eyes trained on Godot. Unlike the Salamander, the child was ready to strike. He raised his weapon, and the child jumped. It was an agile creature, and it didn't seem to be human exactly; rather, it seemed to be some sort of...creature, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly what. It had brownish skin and what looked to be reddish eyes and long white hair.

The creature was fast, but Godot was faster. He would have thought that the child would try to steal the candy cane. It didn't. It was very clearly after Godot's blood, and it was relishing every minute of it. He wanted to attack it but it seemed to be frail, despite its muscles and apparent strength. While part of it seemed to be attacking out of enjoyment, the other seemed to attacking out of necessity. No, this one didn't take much thought. It was just as simple as he thought it was. He put his arm out and offered the candy cane to the child. The child didn't take it, however, and it bit into his neck with its sharp teeth. His HP dropped. He didn't move. Godot gritted his teeth, hoping that the child would take the candy cane.

It didn't.

No, instead, it kept draining his health. Godot's mind started to race. He needed to do something, and it had to be done fast. He knew it was in the Quest Log, but he couldn't for the life of him figure what it was. The journal talked about the smiles of children and dressing up as Santa, but this smile seemed warped. It was not one of satisfaction but one of lust. He knew that, should his health reach critical levels, he would have to strike.

And then it hit him. It was not Godot it wanted, it was sustenance. He wasn't in any danger...no, the cane only offered an alternate way to go about the quest. Whether the alternate way was the right way was a whole other story entirely, but it wasn't really a problem. The child was simply chasing after the treat that was offered to it. Once it had its fill, being when Godot was in the red, it licked Godot's neck wound and melted away. The whole incident was for more of a feelgood than Godot was expecting, bloody as it was. He wondered if what he did was correct. Would the alternate way have been a mercy kill? That was the idea that stuck in his head.

---

Once again, a hallway presented itself. This time, however, the hall led to a crossroads. Upon reaching its center, the message appeared once again.

Quest Log has been Updated​

Godot didn't hesitate to open his Quest Log and read the new journal entry.

February 22

Today I made an amazing, 1-in-a-million discovery! Venturing out into the mountains searching for ice crystals, I found a dead Diablos Dragon. What a find! Not only are they not indigenous to the region, but the chances of finding one dead by any means are astronomical! Of course, I was cautious in approaching it. When I'd first found it, I'd assumed that it was asleep, having never seen a dead Diablos Dragon before. It had been dead for what was probably hours, showing a visible powdering of snow about it. Of course, I couldn't carry it back myself, but I didn't really need the entire body. I took some bone, a few blood samples, scales, an eye, and a fang. It was enough.

This will increase the rate of my research ten-fold! Clara and I won't have to live in this cave, we can actually afford to live on the outside. We can buy a house! If I can develop a thesis and test it, then I'll be accepted as a valuable member of the scientific community. Though, the fame is honestly of no concern to me, all of this is for Clara's sake.

Godot scratched his head, wondering exactly how that would aid him in picking a path. All four paths looked the same, so he wasn't exactly sure where it was that he should go. It was another situation of him not knowing whether there was a wrong answer or if they all just led to different outcomes. Then, of course, there was the chance that each path, possibly even the one he just came from, all lead to the same place, and that there was only simply an illusion of choice. Of course, none of this really mattered, because once he had picked a path, the only outcome that mattered was the one of the path he'd chosen, regardless of the circumstances behind the outcome. He sighed, taking the straight path.

Going forward, the previously frozen aesthetic of the dungeon changed to a simple black, making it almost impossible to see. Even if there had been light, the black walls would have made the sources of luminescence look distant and wouldn't aid visibility. Godot bumped into the walls a few times in a simple attempt to walk forward, and when a turn appeared, he would hit the wall in front of him.

When he reached the next room...he fell. There was a drop, almost as if the entrance was meant to be a step for a giant. "D-dammit Kayaba," Godot grunted, rubbing his backside. "You really need to take another course in level design." After rising to his feet, Godot walked forward. He knew that there was a pressure plate, but there was no reason for him to try to avoid it as the way to the next room was only accessibly via the plate's surprise. He walked forward and nothing happened. Godot almost stumbled as the floor didn't move, solely because of his expectation for it to do so. Instead, the room took on something of a dim, orange hue. On both sides of the room, candles seem to have kindled themselves.

"Uh-oh..." Godot said with an almost sarcastic amount of fear in his voice. "How am I supposed to defeat Magus without any magic?" He chuckled, though the joke was a defense mechanism. If what was going to happen was what he predicted was to happen, he was to be in for a big fight. He stepped forward, and more candles lit. Each couple of steps was accompanied by a candle, and with each candle, Godot's apprehension rose. His teeth rattled inadvertently, and his grip on the cane tightened. Amidst all of this, there was a clang that rang out suddenly, and Godot felt a slight "thump" at his feet. The moment he heard the sound, the "thump" didn't even register, and he immediately raised his cane in a defensive position, his eyes darting in every direction and his breath quickening. It wasn't long before he realized that the he had kicked something.

"Ma-Mammon's Fang?" Godot exclaimed, his voice echoing throughout the room. Indeed, it was his trusty sword. How it got there wasn't important. He quickly equipped it in place of the Candy Cane. It didn't really replenish his confidence, but it was somewhat reassuring. With sword in hand, Godot continued down the path at a quickened pace. A familiar message appeared.

Quest Log has been Updated​

March 31

I have created a mutagen from the Diablos Dragon. It's currently untested, but if all goes well, it could be a breakthrough for multiple fields of science. Not only could we cure previously incurable diseases, but we could also reverse physical disabilities and debilitated senses. It could change the world of medical science!

Even more than that, we can GROW as a species. With this, humans can become stronger, faster, and even smarter, too! We could grow wings and learn to fly, and we could possibly learn to breathe fire! Of course, the latter two examples are simply the musings of an imaginative child yearning to create magic. However, the possibility does exist, though the availability of individuals who would actually want such abilities would probably be minimal.

With that in mind, I need test subjects. This theory cannot be submitted until I have tested it. Not humans, of course. Instead, I'll need to use something like a Salamander. No, no...too dangerous. Hm...this will require more thought. I will end this entry for today and report my findings some other day.

Godot remained silent, wondering exactly what that entry had to do with the quest at all. Godot continued onward, that was all he could do. He'd invested endless thought into the matter already, he couldn't let it stop him any longer. He couldn't simply sit and ponder what the whole scenario; the clock was ticking.

Quest Log has been Updated​

April 15

Never in my years of science have I ever seen such a phenomenon. A baby Mini-Tauros had been separated from its pack, and as it turned out, I did not have a test subject. So, I used the creature to administer my tests. Sure, it wasn't the most compatible subject to the human anatomy, but I was still weighing my options and it seemed to be the most humane and least dangerous opportunity I would get. I named him Bels.

After administering just a small amount of the mutagen, his old teeth fell out and, at an astonishing rate, it grew new, sharper teeth. He also showed an increase in the activity of his back two legs rather than its front two and, when presented with a ball, he played with it with its front two hooves. Simply amazing!

Once I administered more, Bels became much faster and its reaction times increased. There also seemed to be some sort of mutation taking place with its hooves, and, what's more, he managed to stand on its back legs for full minutes. Bels seemed to have been gaining bipedal tendencies. The way it played with the ball also became more intuitive, even managing to use its front hooves to play with the ball while it was standing on its back legs. It was astounding, the developments taking place.

What was truly unbelievable, however, was what I witnessed this morning. I could barely believe my eyes! The creature had seemingly transformed into a humanoid...in fact, it was almost as if Bels had transformed into a human with clear deformities. It was still a Tauros, with his horns and brown fur still being visible (though his fur could easily be mistaken for his skin in its current state). Bels' white mane grew downward, and his hooves turned into what seemed to be claws, hands, and feet. Even more incredible, its front legs seemed to have transformed into arms! Save for his animalistic tendencies, his apparent deformities, and his inability to speak, he could barely pass for a foreign pre-pubescent boy.

It has indeed been a wonderful couple of weeks! Now, these changes are rather absurd for a creature of such low compatibility to both the Diablos and to humans, so the effects of the mutagen may need to be tuned.

April 29

Lately, Bels hasn't been eating. He has lost a lot of weight in the past weeks, and he hasn't touched his food in a good while. He has also become less active, and on the general day he usually just sits around, rarely touching the ball. I surmise that there may be a change in diet, and I will need to experiment with other food choices to compliment that.

Though, I did observe that Bels gets incredibly excited whenever I or Clara walks by. It seems that he may require more social interaction. I have never seen such a smile on his face. Anyway, it's about time I change the old food, it is starting to create a stench.

April 29

Bels is dead. I went to go change his old food, as stated in the previous entry, and the moment I opened the door...he attacked. He bit me and scratched me something fierce and I bled an incredible amount. It seems that he had become carnivorous, and in my inability to take notice of this change quickly enough, he decided to feast on human flesh.

Clara warned me about this. She noticed that something had been off about Bels recently, and I was too stubborn to listen to her. She was the one to kill Bels, though...he seemed to be ill. In a postmortem analysis, I found that for some reason, Bels' physical status had been degenerating for some time. Had he not been killed, he may have only lasted another week.

July 20

In light of the lack of progression in my research, the news that Clara is pregnant has made me so happy. You would never suspect it, because she showed no sign of morning sickness, though her eating habits did increase! It only makes sense, she's eating for two now.

We've already agreed on the name for our child, her name will be Tara. I have seven more months until she's born, and thus, I have six more months to publish my theory. I want her to be born into a where she can be with others and breathe fresh air every day. I want her life to be normal.

December 23

I'd suspected that Clara had contracted the mutagen some time ago. Secretly, I'd thought it since the death of Bels, rest his soul. I decided not to document this suspicion as it seemed like a silly thought at the time and...because I was in denial. I'd noticed the symptoms. I've noticed her increase in strength. I noticed the wounds on her back where she tried to cut off the wings. I've noticed the sharpness of her teeth.

Clara knew for a long time that she had contracted the mutagen. She hid it from me. She possibly knew all along, and when I confronted her about it, she said that she was happy that she was able to be a test subject, putting on a smile and yet struggling to hide the tears that lay behind closed eyelids.

It's all my fault.

"It's all my fault." Godot's head shot up from the final message as an ominous voice spoke. The candles rounded some distance ahead of Godot, and there lay the prize: A Mistletoe. "She died yesterday...she died giving birth to Tara." Behind the Mistletoe appeared a man, seemingly a doctor or professor of some kind. "She was so...SO STUPID!" The doctor hit the wall out of frustration. "Why did she hide it from me!? WHY!? I could have developed an antidote! I could have saved her, but..." Even in the dimness of the room, the man's tears were visible. "I loved her more than anything in the world. There was nothing I cherished more. Nothing. Now all I have left in the world is Tara...but I don't have much time left." Something seemed to be moving on the professor's back. He laughed a wry laugh. "I'm glad you were the one who came. You were willing to treat the Tauros the way I never could with Bels, resorting to analyzing it and even sacrificing itself for your sake. With the Salamander, despite your frustration, you restrained yourself and made a wise decision. You are the only one who I can trust Tara with."

The man clenched his teeth and covered his mouth, holding in coughs that resulted in a bloody palm. "However, if you are to take her into the outside world, you must first prove that you are strong enough to protect her." He twitched wildly, and his coughs resulted in smoke. From his back grew two gargantuan wings. His shoes and clothes exploded, and his body transformed from that of a well built human to that of a large wyvern. He was no longer human, and he was no longer a professor. Now, the tragic man was simply a Diablos Dragon.

Godot readied his weapon, but he shook uncontrollably. In his first month in SAO, his first and only friend in the game was lost to a Diablos, and seeing one again brought along a weakness complex, as if he weren't able to defeat the dragon. He'd basically defaulted to death. The Diablos sent down his fist and Godot only barely dodged. A stream of fire followed, with Godot unequipping his weapon and turning tail and running. The Diablos followed suit, but Godot pulled out a Teleport Crystal and readied a transport.

It was just like last time, but there didn't seem to be anything stopping him this time. He could escape. He could leave and forget all about the quest. He could go off and leave Alistair unavenged. He could deliver his gift to Kagome and look her in the eye, all the while knowing that he was too cowardly to avenge her brother. He could leave and be completely unworthy of Kagome's love, instead being some coward that had been hidden away in Godot and took his place. He could leave and lose everything he cared for in the world.

With a skid, Godot stopped and looked the Diablos in the face. The Dragon sent down his feet, ready to stomp on the immobile warrior. Godot wouldn't have it. He dodge-rolled to the side and quickly climbed the Diablos with his sword re-equipped. He stabbed into the Diablos' leg, climbing as quickly as he could and keeping a careful eye on his stamina. The Diablos slapped his leg, and Godot stabbed into the Diablos' hand. Unlike the boss of the first floor, however, the Diablos wouldn't have it. He rose from the ground and flew up high, leaving Godot at a major disadvantage. He held onto his sword with all his might, but like an assassin on a colossus he was losing stamina fast.

Then, a miracle happened. Well, not so much a miracle as a convenience. He spotted the Meister's Soul. It was dark, but the wyvern's constant blaze of frustration lit the ceiling gloriously numerous times, and plunged upright in the ceiling was the polearm. With a timed jump, he was able to pull out his sword and jump from the wyvern's hand to the ceiling.

And missed.

He was sent plunging downward, but the Diablos seemed to want to go for a faster death. Appearing below Godot, the wyvern looked up and spewed his fire breath. That was Godot's chance. He took a potion in hand a sparrow-dove into the fire. His HP fell gradually, but he used the potion and survived the flames. Still using the speed of the dive, Godot planted Mammon's Fang into the Diablos' chest, though not so much that he could pierce the heart. Still, the pain took its toll, and both of the fighters fell to the ground. Luckily for Godot, he landed on the Diablos, cushioning his fall and minimizing the damage taken.

The Diablos rose to his feet. "That was a good effort," he spoke in a low, demonic voice, "But I see that you are not fit to protect my daughter." Godot stood firm and kept a stern eye on the professor. He was confident that the fight was his. With a roar, the Diablos rushed towards Godot. In a mad furry, he spewed a furious fire down, punching and stomping in a rhythmless mass. Godot continued to dodge but made sure to stay close to the spot he was standing in before the attack. He had to wait for the Diablos to become tired, and when that happened, he took the chance to strike. After a final punch, Godot jumped on the arm of the Diablos. With fire and flurry, the Diablos tried to thwart the warrior, but his lack of speed worked against him, especially thanks to the debilitating nature of the mutagen and the wounds already sustained. With precision, he grabbed the Meister's Soul that had fallen from the ceiling thanks to all of the vibrations, and with a roar, Godot jabbed the Mammon's Fang and sent it through the Diablos' heart. It was over.

"I..." The professor started with slow speech, "...I have...chosen...correctly." Godot looked at the draconic professor with sympathy as he faded away in a snowy mist as Tauros and the Salamander had before him. With a heavy sigh, Godot gathered his weapons and slowly walked over to the Mistletoe. Normally, he would have wondered where Tara was, but his mind was blank. It was a long day, and the mission had taken a toll on him. He stared at the Mistletoe, levitating over the pedestal and glowing bright. In a sense, he felt happy, yet he looked like a truck ran over him (which may have been partially because he was run over by a dragon). He felt sympathy for the professor, and for Clara and Tara, even if they were all just NPCs. He felt as if he needed to take a moment to mourn for the family, and so he did before finally picking up the mistletoe. Then, with bright letters and happy music, a message appeared on the wall.

Congratulations!
Merry Christmas!​

Godot wasn't amused. In fact, he was disgusted. Kayaba had some sense of humor. The message soon faded away, and Godot found himself outside the dungeon, the entrance blocked by a rock wall. After all was said and done, Godot headed back to Urbus, with Christmas on his heels.

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lacy
Player level 13
Floor 2: Urbus​

Lacy woke up in her room in the inn where she had slept most of the day. She yawned as she stretched herself and opened her menu to look at her player level and experience. "Hmmm... level 13 and 64% experience..." Lacy whispered. "Not bad. Maybe I don't have to stay up all night anymore now." With a satisfied smile she hopped out of bed and equipped her self-made armor and sword. She knew how late it was and took a glance out of the window to see the events that were taking place in the center of Urbus. The lone tree had beautifully been decorated as well as the town itself.

Lacy took her stuff together and went downstairs. She didn't want to miss this and she secretly hoped to find her sister out there. At the door she saw two men in a cloak, one kept staring at her as she left and made Lacy wonder why. She could see that both of them weren't PKers because they both had green arrows above their heads. One of the usernames said "Robin" but the username of the other one was hidden. Lacy smiled at them and turned around again to walk around. She soon stopped at a stand to get some hot chocolate. "I would like one." Lacy said with a soft smile as she opened the trade window towards the player behind the stand. "That's 200 col, miss." he replied. As soon as they had traded, Lacy took out the cup of hot chocolate and took a sip. "Hmm! This is good!". "It is, isn't it? You don't need a high cooking skill to make this." The boy smiled at her. "I see. Well, I'll be going. Thank you!" Lacy walked off with the cup and occasionally took a sip.

Lacy kept looking around for a username that said "Lucina" or atleast see her at all. Suddenly Lacy felt she was walking against something and dropped on the ground along with her cup of hot chocolate that immediately dissapeared as soon as it touched the ground. She opened her eyes to find out that she didn't bump into something but someone. "I-I'm very sorry!" Lacy shouted as she looked at the man with her emerald eyes. The username said "Godot" and he looked like he had been run over by a train so he probably wasn't in a good mood. Lacy hoped that he wasn't going to snap at her.

​

 

[Satan.EXE]

Ashley Leigh ― «愛の力»

---

Unenthusiastically Emotional


Chapter I ― Part II
"Brimming with Excitement"

Urbus Shop > Fields

x

.

"I-- I have the Col." Ashley breathed heavily after she rushed into the store, but still it didn't waver her tone or change her expression. "Err-- I'm a few hundred short... I could offer some of my stuff to make up the rest..."

The shopkeeper, who was busy closing up shop, turned to her with an examining look, followed by a sigh. "Ah... Don't worry miss. I don't mind haggling the price down a tad."

Ash sent over her Col, and picked up her new weapon: Cupid's Arrow. "Would you like to buy my old spear... I don't need it anymore."

"Uh... Sure, lemme inspect it..." He picked up the spear, tapped a button on his GUI, and looked nearly startled. "W-Woah! How'd you get this thing!? I-- uh... Five thousand Col for it!"

"Deal. And I got it on the first floor... While everyone was busy fighting the boss, I was busy raiding the floor one dungeons." Ashley turned and headed out the doorway, stopping for a moment. "As for how I got it... Beginner's luck, I guess." She continued out of the shop, stopping to check her map of the second floor. "Alright, so if I remember, there's an event dungeon out that way somewhere..."

---

Stringing notes on her harp-tar with both hands, Ashley made her way along the fields, seemingly avoiding all of the wild enemy spawn areas as she made a peaceful trip in the general direction of the dungeon she remembered. It didn't take long for her to realize she was following the same path someone else was, and catching up to the person rather quickly. Within seconds, Ashley was walking beside the girl, though she said nothing as she continued to play until the song was finished. She then unequipped her instrument, and prepared her utility belt of items in preparation for upcoming battles. Her new spear, Cupid's Arrow, appeared on her back, Bright and shining metallic white with pink lining every edge and detail.

"Hello, fellow player." Ashley greeted the young woman, her eyes seemingly open and kind, while her face remained stone-cold and neutral. "I notice you're heading toward a dungeon... Perhaps we could party up and take it on together." Ashley looked ahead at the path they were following, before looking back. "I'm in it for rare an legendary items, but I don't mind splitting the winnings evenly. I end up selling most of what I find, anyway." Walking suddenly more quickly before returning to match the new person's pace, Ashley walked backwards in front of her, offering a hand in greeting. "My name's Ai No Chikara, but everyone just calls me Ashley." She paused. "Well, they would, if I didn't scare them all off... What's your name."

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lucina
Player level 15
Floor 2: Urbus​

"Hmph, it's only logical to think I don't have any friends from my status. It's not like I wanted to make friends anyway, they insisted," Robin explained himself. Lucina smiled awkwardly and while it was quiet for a brief moment, Lucina searched in her menu to suddenly find a option that allows the player to hide their username and level from everyone who is not in their friend list. Lucina pressed a few buttons and it seemed like her username and level was going to be hidden from everyone outside her friendlist from now on. This was convenient for her because people wouldn't ask questions about her username anymore while they thought she was a male.

As she closed her menu, a girl with blonde hair and black with golden armor walked past them. Lucina kept staring at her with widened eyes as she thought that she was recognizing that face. The girl smiled at them and left. Lucina kept staring but thought what she was thinking was impossible. "Very well." Lucina suddenly hears Robin say as he walks past her and chooses a room. "Also, that sandwich was..." Lucina listened but Robin didn't finish his sentence, instead he looked a way and seemed to be putting a hand in front of his mouth. Lucina was smirking a bit. "If you could...a Fruit Sandwich..." He asks her while taking a seat. "Ofcourse." Lucina replies.

Once she enters the room she takes off her cloak, puts it back in her inventory and turns to Robin. "I usually wear casual clothes when I know that I don't have to fight, so I'll go change in the bathroom." Lucina spoke as she left the room once again to enter the bathroom. She searched in her inventory for the white dress that she bought from some player a while ago. Once she found it she removed her armor and equipped the dress instead. She went back to the room where Robin was waiting. "Now I can cook." She said with a smile as she proceeded towards the small kitchen. She opened her inventory and started preparing the ingredients for the fruit sandwhich. Once she got them together she pressed her knife against the ingredients to cut them.


------
«Lucina's white dress»
​

 

[Impossiperiod]

Cerulean - Level 13
Second Floor: Urbus
[Fields]
HP: 65% EXP: 45%
-------------------------------------------

Cerulean tightened her grip on Bloo's hilt as she came to the realization that PKers were in front of her. Both their level and names were hidden but based on what they were wearing Cerulean decided that the minions weren't that high of level, possibly carried this far by their presumably higher level leader. "You're PKers," she stated.

"What a bright girl," the leader said sarcastically, taking steps towards Cerulean. His minions followed his lead, coming back to his sides.

"Stay back!" Cerulean shouted, stepping backwards.

"Just give us all your col and there won't be any problems," the minion to the right of the leader said.

Cerulean tightened her jaw. She knew she had her «Sprint» ability leveled pretty highly and if it came to a scrap «Battle Healing» would kick in if she got into the red. All of it would risky.

It had felt like hours. She was looking at the men and they were looking at her, blank expressions on their faces. They studied her, she studied them, and the wind howled bringing now cold air.

"It's the Christmas season and you go around robbing people!" Cerulean shouted.

"We're treating ourselves to a Christmas present and with your col we'll have just enough." The leader paused and licked his lips. "Now, give it or die, right here."

Cerulean breathed uneasily, frozen from words and thought. "Kill her" was all she heard before the two minions were upon her. She cursed herself, in this time she could've drank a «Health Potion» to restore the missing thirty percent of health.

Cerulean raised Bloo to parry a blow from her right before being force to leap backwards to dodge a blow from her left. The two minions were longsword users which gave them some reach but Cerulean knew she had speed.

"She's mine!" one of the minions had shouted. She watched expressionlessly as the man continued his charge. Accelerando was on cool-down and wouldn't be up for a time. It wouldn't be smart to use Cresendo now if they somehow evaded the Art. She wouldn't have any Sword Arts to defend herself if worse became worse.

Yukio parried the man's blow but staggered back from the force of his swing. She caught herself before falling and doubled back with her own combo of swift slashes. Bloo was placed in her left hand and caused the man to awkwardly parry each of her blows. The man was losing ground. "Switch!" he shouted, catching Cerulean off guard as he leaped away.

In his place landed the other minion who came down on Cerulean's rapier hard with his own longsword. The metals clashed harshly. The switch had thrown Cerulean off her game; she had to jump backwards to distance herself and survey the situation: the two men were the only ones in the fight against her. Their leader was perched ominously behind them, watching the fight.

Cerulean easily dodged a couple of forceful and wild swings from other man with the movements of her feet. This man was less experienced than the other and would be easy to force out of the fight. Cerulean found an opening after one of the man's wild downward swings. The blue warrior leaned forward into a punch that contacted with the man's temple as he rose to swing down again.

The assaulter flew to the ground from the force of the punch. Cerulean followed her punch with a powered kick to his abdomen. He gasped out as his health bar was chunked again and again by her kicks. When Cerulean was sure he was out she looked fiercely to the other minion.

"B-boss!" he stuttered, backing away from Cerulean.

Cerulean's sky blue hair dashed with the wind's push against her. She was breathing heavily and honestly didn't know how long she could hold out. If thought served her correctly the leader would be the toughest.

"Look to Ermin," the hooded man said as he approached Cerulean. "I'll deal with her."
​

 

[ShinyDiamond]

Robin - Lvl 11
Floor 2: Urbus Inn
HP: 32% - EXP: 69% - Col: 904

​

Now in the room, Robin should review his stats & see what he should do. Lucina explains how she dresses from battle clothes to casual clothes. I don't care much about appearance. Who is Robin to judge her life, really. However she lives her life, it's none of his business. His life, however, is to be discussed for another time.

When Lucina came back into the room in a totally new clothing, a white dress, Robin quickly averts his gaze as he holds tightly on his hood, blushing, then retreating to the farthest window looking out. Women make Robin uncomfortable. For now, they can discuss about the mafia once Lucina finishes cooking.

Robin gazes outside the window in deep thought. He looks through his menu, configuring his options to only let party members see his name & level. Why did Kayaba create this world? For what purpose? To control a world of his own? Some of his words on the first day of SAO. People actually die in this game. It's just horrible. Another thing, their are PK guilds in this game too. Not everyone will survive.

There is danger everywhere, in every corner. One can not avoid fate... One can only struggle to survive. I must do whatever it takes to protect as many people as I can, get stronger, stay alive, &...Kayaba. You better prepare yourself, Kayaba Akihiko!

 

[machomuu]

William Danielson||Godot
Lv. 13||Floor 2 - Urbus​

After some time, Godot reached Urbus. He hadn't completely recovered from the previous quest, both physically and mentally, but he knew that he had obligations. There were quite a few people he needed to get presents for, and he wouldn't spare any expense in the matter. It did bother him, to some extent, that he would have to hold off on buying any sort of home for even longer, but he couldn't shirk Christmas. After all, it was his favorite holiday.

While he was going over his notes and pairing who would get what present, something hit Godot. This caused him to fumble, printing several letters on the screen he didn't mean to. He decided to deal with the list later. He was bumped into by a young blonde woman who dropped her drink on impact. "I-I'm very sorry!" she shouted. Godot looked at her and then the ground, and then at her again.

"Don't apologize, that was my fault," he said, scratching his head. He looked down at the ground where the cup had broken. "What was that, hot chocolate?" He looked back up at her again. "Well, if you'd be willing to indulge me, I'd be happy to make you more. Trust me, wherever you got it from can't make it as well as I can." He chuckled with a small hint of narcissism. "Okay, I'm exaggerating, but I don't think I could go about my day knowing that I just gave you back the money you paid. I'll need to make a few stops, but we're gonna get you more hot chocolate."

He started walking before turning around. "Oh, by the way, what should I call you?"

Rise Amagawa||Apathy
Lv. ?||Floor 2​

"I hate that idiot." Apathy said with clear agitation in her voice. "I hate that idiot I hate that idiot I hate that idiot I hate that idiot." She repeated the phrase several times, as if to affirm that it was true to someone who was listening. Probably herself. It was a practice that worked before, ambivalence could easily be perverted into hate, it was the easiest thing. There were some things, however, that she had a hard time hating.

"Oh no...I'm becoming a tsundere." She put her hand over her mouth in posed surprise, though her eyes betrayed any sense of emotion. It felt strange now. With Godot, she could be expressive in such a way, but alone it was awkward. Of course, she had no problem with people thinking that she was talking to herself, that was fine with her. She oft switched between internal and external monologues. Once she'd stopped talking, she noticed a sound. It was quiet, yet melodic. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it got louder before stopping so suddenly.

"Hello, fellow player." A girl appeared next to Apathy. It surprised her, but she didn't jump or make a sound, she simply glanced at her from the side and continued looking straight ahead. "I notice you're heading toward a dungeon... Perhaps we could party up and take it on together. I'm in it for rare an legendary items, but I don't mind splitting the winnings evenly. I end up selling most of what I find, anyway." This girl talks a lot, Apathy said, paying the girl no mind. "My name's Ai No Chikara, but everyone just calls me Ashley." She paused. "Well, they would, if I didn't scare them all off... What's your name."

Apathy stopped. If I didn't scare them all off... Those words resonated with her. She opened her mouth ever so slightly in modest surprise before closing it, an expression that was mostly posed. She glanced at the girl and then quickly looked away. "I hate introductions." she looked in another direction. "But I hate you just a little bit less, so I'll make an exception." She continued towards the dungeon. "I'm Apathy, and I hate everything." She looked at Ashley's hand and contemplated what to do with it. She wasn't much of a hand shaker, but she did like company, so she took her by the hand and did what came naturally.

"Oh, and you can have any legendary weapons or items we find," Apathy said. "I'm a blacksmith, so I'm only in it for the materials. I only use weapons that I made myself." She thought for a moment. It was a thought that'd been in the back of her mind for the past couple of hours. "Actually, there's someone I have to make a weapon for. 'Tis the season, and they've done a lot for me. I feel like I need to repay them."

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lucina
Player level 15
Floor 2: Urbus​

It was quiet for a while. Lucina didn't know what to talk about and it seemed like Robin felt more annoyed by the fact that he was alone with Lucina. This was a bad start of a friendship if there was ever going to be one. Lucina occasionally took a look behind her to see what Robin was doing. He seemed to be changing his settings. She quickly finished up the sandwhich and approached him.

"It's done, I hope you like it." Lucina said with a neutral face. She handed Robin the sandwhich and took a look outside the windows. She was definitely going to walk around in Urbus to see the stands and events that were going on but not now. "If there's anything else you want, just say it. If I have the ingredients then I will make it right away." Lucina offered as she sat down in front of him and took a sandwhich herself. She really liked the sandwhich despite the fact that she made it herself.

"Why did you decide to save me actually back there? You kind of gave me the impression that you really didn't want to be around me when we first met on the first floor." Lucina suddenly asked him. This all reminded her that she had to buy presents for Robin, Hono, Princess, Godot and Kagome. Lucina still felt a little sad about Shiren's death but there was nothing much she could do about it.


------
«Lucina's white dress»
​

Lacy
Player level 13
Floor 2: Urbus​

As Lacy had apologized, the young man looked at her, then at the ground and then back at her. Lacy was preparing herself to get scolded for bumping into him but was rather suprised when he said "Don't apologize, that was my fault,". Lacy blinked a few times and started to calm down a bit after he seemed to be quite gentle actually. He asked her if it was hot chocolate that she dropped. "Well, if you'd be willing to indulge me, I'd be happy to make you more. Trust me, wherever you got it from can't make it as well as I can." Lacy smiled at him, she kinda heard this sentence before and couldn't help but remember hearing it from her sister, except that she was talking about food and not hot chocolate.

The man admitted to be exaggerating and offered Lacy to buy her a new cup of hot chocolate. It seemed like Lacy didn't have much of a say in this because the man turned around and started walking off in the direction of the hot chocolate stand. "Oh, by the way, what should I call you?" He stopped and turned around to look at her. Lacy chuckled a bit and stood back on her feet, this probably meant that the young man already made his decision. "You really don't have to get me a new cup of hot chocolate... but I guess you already made a decision so I'll have to deal with that." Lacy spoke softly with a nice smile. "You can call me Lacy, nice to meet you." Lacy walked up towards him and while brushing her hair out of her face.

"What can I call you?" Lacy asked politely.

​

 

[Turnip]

Turnip
HP 99% | LV. 14 | XP 32% | Col 7000
Location - Floor 2: Urbus​

The world from Turnip's perspective was, for now, a happy place. He had a quest to do at the Lone Tree, the prospect of actually getting something useful from Santa, and above all: he had a hat. An awesome hat. People around him seemed to be happy as well, which he wouldn't usually pay any mind to – still, for now, it had a positive effect. Everyone was relishing in Christmas cheer, and there seemed to be a Christmas-themed buffet which-

*Rrrruummmble*

"GOD, DAMMIT, STOMACH." Turnip cried in outrage, "Can I not leave you without food for JUST ONE BLOODY DAY?"

No. You suck and I hate you. Came the stomach's imaginary reply, And also you smell.

The armoured figure let out a mighty sigh, then promptly left for the nearest inn to pick himself up a bacon bun. No Christmas feasts for Turnip. He'd actually proclaimed fairly early-on in his SAO experience – that is, once he'd actually discovered that bodily needs were forced on players – that he'd only be eating bacon buns out of protest. They've stayed consistent as his only food source and because of the nature of food within the game, it's worked. The other reason for his skipping of buying anything from the buffet was also, of course, that the majority of it would certainly struggle to fit through his visor. Bacon buns, although not perfect, were still a tried and tested solution, so he gladly stuck to them.

He finished the first of his two buns as he left the inn, crunching down on two final rashers of bacon at once. Turning North, Turnip headed just past the buffet, then stopped. There was a guy – and more obviously, a username – that he recognised; it was Godot, one of the group from the boss fight. If Kagome's assumptions were anything to go on, then he seemed to be one of the few people who actually trusted Turnip, or at least didn't immediately distrust him instead. But, hey, that was good enough for the armoured figure. Turnip greeted him and started rambling, but stopped when he noticed that Godot looked pretty thoroughly steamrollered.

"Hey, I know you, that's good! You should totally do some of Santa's quests, you get this amazing hat and- bloody hell, what happened to you? You alright?"

It was at that point that he remembered the dagger. Ohoho, yes, the dagger… on one hand, it looked like Godot had been through enough already. But on the other hand, what other chance would he get to take advantage of the trust of the innocent? Wow, that sounded pretty evil. Ah, well.

"Oh, uh, we should be friends." He suggested abruptly, bringing up the menus, "That wouldn't end in unfortunate circumstances for either of us, especially not you, uh – so, anyway…"

After then paying yet more attention, even approaching regular human levels of it, he noticed a young woman, Lacy, who appeared to have some sort of conversation involvement going on with Godot. He turned fairly suddenly, the bobble of his hat flicking around his helmet.

"Oh, hi, I don't know you, sorry if I- was I? – eh, I didn't mean to, uh, interrupt…esema…helmuhdin…quodgeadunbar…esquepodelmo… or something."

And so towards the end Turnip's vocal skills descended into meaningless gibberish, as they did often. He ended up just grumbling, stopping as he slid another bacon rasher into his helmet-void.

 

[ShinyDiamond]

Robin - Lvl 11
Floor 2: Urbus Inn
HP: 32% - EXP: 69% - Col: 904

​

The city is filled with snow. Christmas is coming soon, & this is will be the first Christmas of «SAO» ever. Such a sad fate to not spend it with family. These thoughts won't get Robin anywhere. Lucina comes back with his Fruit Sandwich ready. Robin gladly accepts, & Lucina suggests anything else he would like if he wishes for more to eat. "Thanks for the offer..." Robin answers while shyly looking away. He quickly takes a bite of his sandwich, suddenly forgetting his situation momentarily.

Robin takes a seat, planning to discuss intel with Lucina. She starts off by asking him why he saved her, but... "That's for another time," he explains, biting his sandwich again. "Right now, I want to discuss this mafia," Robin changes the subject. "By now, they may have noticed that one of their own have been eliminated. I assume they may target you, since the dead member might've mentioned you beforehand. I only just met & killed the guy, so I doubt they know about me yet, so I recommend you keep a low profile than you already do. What I wanna know is, how many of them do you think their are in the game & what they might look like, if possible." These questions are important for Robin to know. They could be anywhere, even eavesdropping.

 

[Satan.EXE]

Ashley Leigh ― «愛の力»

---

Unenthusiastically Emotional


Chapter I ― Part III
"Brimming with Excitement"

Fields > Dungeon

x

.

"I hate introductions. But I hate you just a little bit less, so I'll make an exception. I'm Apathy, and I hate everything. Oh, and so can have any legendary weapons or items we find, I'm a blacksmith, so I'm only in it for the materials. I only use weapons that I made myself. Actually, there's someone I have to make a weapon for. 'Tis the season, and they've done a lot for me. I feel like I need to repay them."

It took a moment for Ashley to process exactly what the girl was saying, how she said it, and the way she acted about it. "You speak much like I do," Ashley observed, her eyes curious. "I feel like we would get along well. It's a pleasure to meet you, Apathy." She looked ahead. Off in the distance the dungeon was slowly becoming visible. "I guess that works out perfectly. You grab the materials, I grab the equipment, and everything else we can just split." Ashley opened her menu, and for a moment, she just stared at it blankly. "I-- How do I make a party..." She pressed through the menu, and luckily, found it on her first attempt. She sent the offer to Apathy, and while she didn't show any sign of emotion, her eyes did gleam with delight. "I'm kinda excited," Ashley admitted, "You're the first person I've met that talks like I do... Everyone thinks I'm just mean or angry or heartless because of it..." She drew her spear and examined it while she spoke. "Even though I'm really happy inside... It's like I can't show how I feel... That and some of the things I say aren't really normal, and a lot of people think I'm scary or crazy..."

She held her spear at a ready position as they reached the dungeon entrance. "The whole point of playing this game, for me, was to find friends who understand me, and maybe even true love... Of course, this whole death game thing puts a spin on it, but either way..." Ashley offered for Apathy to go in first, while asking "What about you. Why did you decide to play the game. Is it because of that person you mentioned."

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lucina
Player level 15
Floor 2: Urbus​

Lucina watched Robin eat the sandwhich as he thanked her for the offer. For a little bit he seemed less serious and actually pretty shy as he looked away. "That's for another time," He said to answer her question about why he saved her. It got silent for a moment after that but Lucina took that moment to eat her sandwhich and to watch her HP bar slowly go back to 100% percent. She was thinking back about the blonde girl that left the inn earlier. Lucina almost had mistaken her for someone else but quickly found it impossible for that person to be inside this game. It would also be a nightmare for her. Lucina decided to let the thought go and quickly shook it off.

"Right now, I want to discuss this mafia," Robin suddenly begun again and changed the subject. "By now, they may have noticed that one of their own have been eliminated. I assume they may target you, since the dead member might've mentioned you beforehand. I only just met & killed the guy, so I doubt they know about me yet, so I recommend you keep a low profile than you already do. What I wanna know is, how many of them do you think their are in the game & what they might look like, if possible." Lucina blinked at him a few times before she starting staring at her knees and seemed to be thinking. "There were three when the incident happened, two of them are still in jail but they mentioned 2 others that were walking around in that area around that time. It's hard to say how many there are of them because they are from a small maffia group. I guess around... 20 or less...?" Lucina explained. "It is impossible that all of them got inside this game though... maybe 6 but not more." Lucina added.

Lucina took the last bite of her sandwhich and returned her look towards Robin. "I'm sorry that I got you into this. You really don't have to do anything more though. I can protect myself and I could leave you out of this by taking the blame of that guy's death." Lucina spoke softly. She didn't like to be dependent of someone, especially if that someone was going to be Robin.

------
«Lucina's white dress»
​

 

[machomuu]

William Danielson||Godot
Lv. 13||Floor 2 - Urbus​

"Lacy, huh?" Godot smiled. Lacy...huh. He looked at the girl...she looked familiar. He couldn't place why, though. She didn't look particularly like anyone he knew, so maybe it was her voice. He practically stared at her trying to figure out. Was it her hair? Her face? Her eyes? He tilted his head in thought...but it was useless. He was still caught up in the quest he'd taken on not more than an hour ago. It was one thing doing a quest like that in a normal video game, but in the digital prison that was SAO where the world was reality and NPCs sometimes be indistinguishable for other players, it was difficult for Godot to even put on a smile. Well, that and the fact that he had to fight a Diablos Dragon by himself. "I'm Godot, the man who never-"

"Hey, I know you, that's good!" Godot was interrupted by a familiar voice. "You should totally do some of Santa's quests, you get this amazing hat and- bloody hell, what happened to you? You alright?" It was Turnip, the guy he met a little before the first boss fight. He was surprised when he showed up so suddenly.

"Oh, hey." Godot waved. "It's been a whi-"

"Oh, uh, we should be friends." Interrupted again. Godot winced slightly, but let it slide. "That wouldn't end in unfortunate circumstances for either of us, especially not you, uh – so, anyway…" Godot received the message and then looked back up at Turnip. It was all so sudden, Godot couldn't really process what was going on. Turnip was kind of like the salesman that would talk so fast that you didn't really have time to understand but, at the same time, you didn't have the time to refuse, either. But the thing was, Turnip WASN'T talking fast, he was just incredibly urgent. Couple this with the fact that Godot had just been thrown through the air at varying speeds and it becomes apparent how much of a daze Godot was in at that point in time.

Godot rose his hand to press "CONFIRM" on the request prompt. "Well, there's no real harm in-"

"Oh, hi, I don't know you, sorry if I- was I?" Godot clenched his hand into a fist just before accepting the friend request and bit down hard. "– eh, I didn't mean to, uh, interrupt…esema…helmuhdin…quodgeadunbar…esquepodelmo… or something." He took a deep breath and then cancelled out of the request prompt without confirming or refusing. Normally he would have noted how Turnip's speech devolved into drivel by the end, but his exhaustion was transforming into a headache.

"...I need to sit down." Godot started rubbing his head as one with a headache would. "...No, you weren't really interrupting, but me and Lucy here." Godot caught himself. "I mean Lacy...we were going to go make hot choco-" He caught himself again. That sentence didn't flow right at all. "Lacy and I are gonna go get some Hot Chocolate." Normally, Godot would be a lot more friendly, but he was slightly annoyed and he had a headache that was only getting worse. "I'll see you later, though." He turned to Lacy, "We're gonna go buy ingredients, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't make the stuff myself." So, with a flick and a turn, Godot started off to the nearest Grocery Store, waving to Turnip.

Rise Amagawa||Apathy
Lv. ?||Floor 2​

"You talk a lot," Apathy said, accepting Ashley's party request. She looked at the girl and her face glowed with a slight redness. "But I envy your enthusiasm, you know what you want out of life." She readied her sword and started making her way into the dungeon. "The person that I'm getting the weapon for...they are the most important thing to me. I guess you could say I partially started playing because of them." She looked down. "Anyway, let's go."

Apathy had more to say. She could have talked about how, until Godot came around, there wasn't anyone else who accepted her because of her demeanor. She could have talked about how she was unable to accept the love of her parents. She could have related to this girl. The problem, however, was the fact that she was scared of this person. She did more that simply envy her enthusiasm, she envied her as a person. She had problems, sure, but she was far more human than Apathy was. She portrayed emotion without even put on some sort of mask or change the tone of her voice. Simply by finding someone who was like her, Ashley glowed with excitement without outwardly showing it. Ashley was the more polite of the two, and she was far less aggressive than Apathy. She was able to talk about herself, something that Apathy had to be pushed to the very limit to even be capable of. Ashley was the beauty while Apathy was the beast.

 

[Satan.EXE]

Ashley Leigh ― «愛の力»

---

Unenthusiastically Emotional


Chapter I ― Part IV
"Brimming with Excitement"

Dungeon

x

.

"You talk a lot, but I envy your enthusiasm, you know what you want out of life. The person that I'm getting the weapon for...they are the most important thing to me. I guess you could say I partially started playing because of them. Anyway, let's go."

"You seem to make a point of hiding the person's gender... And-- Oh..." Ashley stopped to look at Apathy. "Oh, I see how it is." There was almost a mischievous glint in her eye as she spoke. "You don't just like that person... You like-like him-- or her." While her main intention was to poke and tease, she soon found herself a bit pained by the fact. "Well... I guess I have a reason to envy you too, so that makes us even." She looked onward. "I do talk a lot I guess... You're the first person I've ever met to talk like I do, so I guess I'm a little excited about it... The only problem is I don't know what's considered normal or not, and then I say something weird, and then people don't like me..."

Ashley drew her spear, eyeing it silently for a few moments. "A-Anyway... You're a sword wielder, right..." She seemed to be examining her spear closely. "I have a skill, or a... What do they call it in this game... Uh, a sword... Art... I think... That deflects projectiles and sometimes sends them back. So we could switch when the times are more convenient for the other. I could deflect projectiles while you sneak around and kill them. When the situation calls for close quarters, you can hack and slash at them, or when distance is required, I could hit from medium range with my spear... I also have another skill that lets me throw the spear at enemies." She paused. "If it wasn't obvious, I'm kind of new to video games..."

 

[ShinyDiamond]

Robin - Lvl 11
Floor 2: Urbus Inn
HP: 55% - EXP: 69% - Col: 904

​

Robin saw how Lucina didn't expect him to bring up the mafia group. It's only natural to react like that. She explains how many she saw during the incident, & how many more there might've been that same time, as well as how many might be in this game. So they can't be sure how many of those killers are in this game right now. Looks like they'll have to stay cautious of these guys.

Robin just about finishes his Fruit Sandwich when he listens closely to Lucina. So she doesn't want Robin involved any further... "Hee..." Is this some kind of joke? Robin's only response was a smirk. He responds, figuring things out, "I believe I said earlier, 'so I doubt they know about me yet'. It's too late to back down now. They'll target me in the near future. I killed one of their members, I'm already involved, & I chose to involve myself." Robin pauses for a moment.

"That's the truth."

Robin stands up, finishes his sandwich, then adjusts his hood. He turns to Lucina, "I'll be heading out now. I'm sure we'll meet again." Robin disbands their party, then leaves the room.

"..."

It's time to find a blacksmith to repair his equipment, then to take on some quests. «Anneal Blade» will have to be repaired, & hopefully, upgraded. Santa's quest will be the first quest Robin has never done in the Open Beta Test. Caution, at every step.

 

[Sapphire Rose]

Lacy
Player level 13
Floor 2: Urbus​

"Lacy, huh?" The man smiled. Lacy nodded and found the man staring at her for some reason. He kept staring and tilted his head at some point. "Is there... something on my face...?" Lacy asked with a red glow across her cheeks from embarressement. However, he didn't answer and continued staring until Lacy thought he was probably thinking about something. "I'm Godot, the man who never-" He finally replied but got interupted by another man who seemingly knew Godot. The man was wearing some kind of knight helmet so it was impossible to see his face.

"Hey, I know you, that's good! You should totally do some of Santa's quests, you get this amazing hat and- bloody hell, what happened to you? You alright?" This man spoke so... well, not fast but he definitely went from one to topic another. "Oh, hey." Godot waved at him. "It's been a whi-" Godot got interupted yet again when the man proposed friendship. Godot seemed to be alright with this and rose his hand towards the "CONFIRM" button.

"Well, there's no real harm in-" and he got interupted again when the man turned his attention towards Lacy and completely ignored whatever Godot was about to say.

"Oh, hi, I don't know you, sorry if I- was I?" Lacy blinked at him. "My name is La-" she started but soon got interupted as well. "– eh, I didn't mean to, uh, interrupt…esema…helmuhdin…quodgeadunbar…esquepodelmo… or something." Lacy was holding in her laughing but this got easier when she looked past the male player and noticed that Godot looked a bit annoyed... of course he would be, he has been interupted by this man atleast 4 times.

"...I need to sit down." Lacy heard him speak as he rubbed the back of his head. It was obvious that he was getting a headache from this guy. "...No, you weren't really interrupting, but me and Lucy here." Godot spoke to the man but stopped. Lacy flinched as she heard the name "Lucy" as that's how she nicknamed her sister. Lacy decided not to mention it and just stared at both Godot and the man with the knight helmet. "I mean Lacy...we were going to go make hot choco-" Godot stopped again after correcting himself. He seemed pretty exhausted. "Lacy and I are gonna go get some Hot Chocolate. I'll see you later, though." He turned to Lacy, "We're gonna go buy ingredients, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't make the stuff myself." Godot turned around and walked away while waving at the confusing man.

Lacy followed Godot towards the grocery store. "I have no idea what just happened." Lacy commented and the whole situation just now. It was confusing and she didn't know what else she could say about it but that is was confusing how he went to one topic to another. "You seem exhausted..." Lacy said with a worried look on her face. "You really don't have to make me a new cup of hot chocolate, I'm really fine with buying myself a new one." she said that even though she knew it wasn't going to work.

"O-Oh uhm... let's be friends if it doesn't bother you." Lacy smiled at him before sending him a friend request. "

​

 

[Satan.EXE]

Hono Nakamura ― «火の鳥»

---

Adorably Ecstatic


Chapter III ― Part III
"Not Your Typical Grind"

OUT OF BOUNDS

x

.

"Be careful not to die," Shiren added sweetly. "You know what happened when you died, right?"

Hono paused, in stunned silence. "I... I died...?"

"In the game, yes. I was able to bring you back, but it comes at a cost."

"What...? What cost?" Hono asked, confused. "I..."

"I've only brought you back once... But, each time I do it, it takes from you in the real world..." There was an unusually somber tone when she said this.

"How much...?"

"Well... Each time I bring you back, you lose about eight to ten years of your life..."

Hono grew silent, backing into the corridor wall, and sliding down to the floor. There were so many ways she could have reacted, but silence was all that she felt able to muster. "... I..."

"Yes..." She replied quietly. "I can prevent the NerveGear from frying your brain, but I can't keep it from damaging you... I'm sorry..."

Hono just curled up against the wall, her eyes darkened and blankly staring onward. "I... Feel sick to my stomach..." She stood up slowly, walking past the trap room, further into the dungeon. "I'll... I'll just get the sword and go..."

"Alright... You have a few more open rooms with enemies before the mini-boss, so be ready."

 

[machomuu]

Rise Amagawa||Apathy
Lv. ?||Floor 2​

Every time Ashley spoke, Apathy felt an arrow pierce her chest. Ashley was so normal and yet she denied it for some reason, and this only made Apathy envy her more. You're such a Belle... Apathy thought to herself, her face redder than ever. She looked at the dungeon walls and said, "...There's no real reason for masking their gender...but you could say that...they are the only person I'll ever really..." She couldn't say it. Or rather, she was incapable of saying it. There was simply nothing next, as if she'd simply simply forgotten the word or never knew what it was in the first place. Then again, maybe she simply refused to say the word. It didn't really matter, the fact of the matter was that she didn't say it. Ignoring her unfinished sentence, she looked elsewhere and said, "That's what I thought, anyway. Things...changed, though."

She plunged her sword on the ground and rested her wrists, and then her chin, on its end and stared at Ashley closely. "Are you lying to me?" She tilted her head to the right. "I mean, you're on the second floor soloing. You should know what you're doing by now, so you can't seriously play the noob." She tilted her head in the other direction. "Sword Art Online can't seriously be your first video game." She pulled her sword from the ground, putting it up to Ashley's neck. "I mean, a game like this is a pretty strange choice...but I guess being a VRMMO does give it wide appeal." She closed in, her forehead gently meeting Ashley's. "Hmm." She looked deep into her eyes, almost as if she was looking for something. She felt some satisfaction in being so close to Ashley. It was an indescribable feeling that could only be described as "good", and that pretty much described all of the time she spent with this girl. It wrought her pain, but at the same time, she felt something that no one else could give her. No one but Ashley.

Though, it was something. How could someone else be a perfect match for her but not the other way around? Ashley saw something in Apathy that Apathy didn't see in herself. That's what she assumed, anyway. When Apathy looked into Ashley's eyes, she saw quite a bit. When she looked into her own, she saw nothing. Was it Apathy's lack of what Ashley had that made Ashley so comfortable around her? Did Apathy make Ashley less self conscious because she covered Ashley's weaknesses. She stepped away from Ashley. She could confirm this, all she had to do was ask. All she had to do was ask. "...Nevermind, let's go. Your plan's good."

 

[Satan.EXE]

Ashley Leigh ― «愛の力»

---

Unenthusiastically Emotional


Chapter I ― Part V
"Brimming with Excitement"

Dungeon

x

.

"...There's no real reason for masking their gender...but you could say that...they are the only person I'll ever really... That's what I thought, anyway. Things...changed, though."

Apathy rested over her sword, eyeing Ashley. "Are you lying to me? I mean, you're on the second floor soloing. You should know what you're doing by now, so you can't seriously play the noob. Sword Art Online can't seriously be your first video game. I mean, a game like this is a pretty strange choice...but I guess being a VRMMO does give it wide appeal." Apathy rested her head against Ashley's. "Hmm."

"...Nevermind, let's go. Your plan's good."

"Well, I've watched other people play games before... Mostly because that's something that I didn't talk while doing... But yeah, this is my first game... It's still confusing, and people keep using phrases I don't understand, but it's better than trying to work a controller... It's more like just using a weapon than playing a game, I think..." She shrugged. "I'm not one to talk, but it feels like most of it is common sense." Ashley drew her spear. "I chose this one because I figured, if I play a game that would let me smile, at least in the game, people would find me less creepy... But then that mirror thing happened... So I guess I'm just doomed to be like I am..."

Ashley sighed, a gesture made barely noticeable by Ashley's near-static facial expression. "You lead, I'll follow close behind, since I have further reach... If any of them fire projectiles, I'll take front."

 

[Turnip]

Turnip
HP 100% | LV. 14 | XP 32% | Col 6970
Location - Floor 2: Urbus​

Godot and the other person – whoever that was – took their leave of the armoured figure. Godot seemed a little annoyed, but Turnip assumed that was pretty reasonable considering the guy looked like a slightly botched pancake at the moment. Well, that and the fact that it was generally annoying to garble your way into sudden requests. Or maybe it was just that that quodgeadunbar was the magic word for making people leave. At any rate, Godot didn't seem to have accepted the request. Turnip swallowed a bacon rasher as he gave a short salute-wave to them both with the two free fingers of his bun-hand, then turned away as his tone grew darker.

Curses! He has evaded my elaborate ruse! Foiled my brilliant plan! Curses… again… is that the only thing villains ever say? Curses? Uh… blast, maybe? Eh. Still, can't be bloody Professor Dr. Sniveldy-arse Prickpot all day.

Turnip spun in a full turn before plonking down his raised foot and plodding intrepidly to the North. It was getting late-ish, so the faster he could go and finish the Rudolph quest, the better. Or even if it would be too late to bother with it today once he got there, he'd still be able to check out the Lone Tree. Looking up at it as he made his way out of Urbus, he could see even from a distance that the tree was littered with festive lights, as the Christmas season warranted. Although certain aspects of the holiday were a little sickly-sweet for Turnip's taste, he could tolerate it, and a lot of it was just people being happy. As much of a miserable bastard he could fake being, he couldn't honestly argue with that. And if some old bearded bloke wanted to go around giving everyone gifts, who was Turnip to stop him? He was still in a good mood, anyhow, so he wasn't about to complain.

He drew his sword shortly after exiting the city, quickly resorting to twirling it in boredom as the long walk to the Lone Tree became more and more of a drain on the senses. With Turnip being used to games with a more regularly fast pace, and not so attuned to MMOs, all of the real-time aspects and generally slow progression were becoming a little tedious – or they would be, if SAOs other features didn't make up for it. Truly, if this were any other RPG that trapped you in a similar manner, there would be far more problems. Turnip supposed that Kayaba had actually developed the game somewhat for trapping people in it.

The armoured figure turned instinctively as he heard the distinctive clang of steel-on-steel off to his right. A slight detour from his current path, but not really out of the way. There. He could see the source of the sound now, some kind of battle going on… with no mobs in sight.

Ah.

Any kind of fight between players was generally not good. He'd have to check this out, out of principle more than anything. If it was an attack by PKers, then he'd kill them. If they were duellists, then he'd tell them that it was a bloody bad idea, then be on his way. Whatever this was, the helmeted vegetable would need to get a better look – he set off at a brisk pace towards the conflict, whatever it was.