Astra

Astra watched as the player he was speaking with communicated back with him via sign language. Even with her signing her words, Astra could still hear a voice in his head, thanks to Cardinal's translation system. He was thankful for this, as he really only knew how to sign a few words, even though it was something he had always wanted to learn. He couldn't help but marvel at the capabilities of the Cardinal's translation system. This world could be full of hardship and strife, but new experiences were always aplenty, and for that Astra was grateful. When the player had expressed their co

This very well might be Hell. Astra wiped beads of sweat from his brow as he traversed the craggy pathways of Floor 9, heading towards the settlement on top of the cliffs in front of him. This was his first time on the volcanic floor, and he certainly felt like the setting was anything but welcoming. Molten lava sifted through cracks in the rocks, below him were pools of magma bubbling and seemingly ready to burst. The sky was seemingly stuck in a perpetual state of red and black, and it was hot. Far too hot. If the freezing cold could chill your bones, then the heat of this floor would

"Of course you can," Astra replied to Bliss' lemonade request, as he sifted through the full picnic basket to find her drink. As he passed the lemonade over to her, he couldn't help but think about how it was such a heartwarming sight to see her enjoying the food and the picnic. A person like Bliss deserves moments like these, an escape from the fear and the stress that can come with daily life in Aincrad. The image of her just simply enjoying a sandwich while they talked was enough to let Astra know that this picnic was a great idea. Astra could tell that Bliss was still slightly concern

Astra sifted through the picnic basket and fished out two sandwiches, one for Bliss, and one for himself. He passed Bliss her sandwich before taking a small bite of his own. He couldn't help but remark on how delicious it was, but that was expected, because it was made by Ciela. "Oh wow, this is great! Ciela really outdid herself with this," he said with a smile. If there was one thing that could enhance a moment like this, it was good food. Delicious food and lovely company, what more could you really want? Initially he was a tad embarrassed when Bliss seemed concerned when he put his h

Before he knew it, Astra found himself in a party of four. This was going to be the crew that took on Wulfrin's Sharkbait training program, so it was probably best that introductions were made between the people who didn't know one another. Astra offered a wave and a smile to the woman whom he didn't recognize, with a "Hi, I'm Astra. Nice to meet you." When Siren had entered the hovel they found themselves in, Astra found himself a little more at ease. Siren had a hospitable warmth about her that was infectious. "Hey Siren! Ready for some shark fighting?" He asked, while wiping the small bits

The Forgotten Time King had already done some damage. Astra watched as Mina unleashed a combo on the foe, but still took some damage from a following attack. It took everything in him not to call out to the veteran player, and ask if they were okay. He knew from there reaction and their tenacity that they would still end up just fine, especially with what ensued. Mina and Morningstar performed a <<switch>>, something Astra hadn't yet done during his time in Aincrad. The attacks that Morningstar performed seemingly did a great amount of damage against the undead king. He continued t

Feeling recharged after the food, Astra decided to immediately jump back into action. His stomach was full and his desire to kill these boarlets was keeping him going for just that much longer. With this new boost from the food, and this re-ignited determination, Astra was ready to finish the job. His seemingly-longtime enemy, the boarlet he'd been focusing on, was still around and rearing on its haunches. It was as if it was taunting the newer player, as if to say: "you couldn't kill me if you tried". Astra had a rebuttal to that, because he knew he was able to kill a simple mob such as

Astra walked alongside Wulfrin and soon found himself at a familiar spot on Floor 1. This was where Wulfrin had taken him and Siren for the "The First Few Lessons" quest, where they had gathered materials and eventually fought some boars. The white haired boy could see why Wulfrin favored this location, as it was scenic and generally a calm spot. Astra didn't mind being back here one bit. As Wulfrin explained the basics of sword art motions and swordplay, Astra nodded along. The movements used to initiate sword arts were just as important as the attack itself, as they were the way to ini

When those words had left Bliss' lips, Astra immediately stopped his searching and looked towards her. His mouth was slightly agape, almost in a comical "O" shape, because he was truly taken aback. Favorite person? M-me? Really? If someone else had said that to him he would find it hard to believe, but every word Bliss had spoken towards him was bathed in sincerity. Astra felt his face getting a bit warmer, as his cheeks became tinted with a rosy-pink hue. He probably stared at her with that shocked face for what felt like an eternity, but eventually he pulled himself together and changed his

Nothing seemed more appealing in the current moment than having a mid-battle snack. Whether that be to satiate the hunger that built up from the expenditure of energy, or to boost some stats to help out in the battle. The latter seemed more important in the moment, because these boarlets were slippery little things. When Wulfrin produced his feast, Astra couldn't turn it down. He'd also probably be foolish to turn down any sort of boost. With his sword still drawn he made his way over to Wulfrin and Siren to get a portion of the Creme Brûlée. "Thanks Wulfrin! I've been working up an appe

"Cobean," Astra repeated when the blue-haired boy pronounced his name. "Nice, I like that." When Cobean extended his hand, Astra offered his in return to complete the handshake. Generally speaking Astra was more used to waving at people as opposed to giving handshakes, and that was due to his ability to overthink the smallest of actions. Was it a good handshake? Was it secure? Firm enough? Too limp? Oh well, in the end it didn't matter, it was just a cordial gesture between the two. When Bliss had handed Astra's shirt back to him, it had taken a moment for him to register that he'd even

Astra nodded along as Wulfrin ruminated on the state of the VRMMO genre post-incident. It was definitely a matter of when, as there was seemingly no ending in sight at the moment, but Astra did often find himself pondering what the world will look like if the game is cleared. He felt like VRMMO's were too groundbreaking and immersive to just throw away entirely. Even being trapped in one, it was still a technological marvel. Maybe there would be less dangerous clones, or new developments in the technology. Hopefully this will be the last incident where someone traps thousands of players in the

Astra continued to munch on the snacks Wulfrin supplied and nodded along to his companions words, before turning his attention to the newly arrived veteran player before them. He had yet to meet her, but he could tell from her gear and the way she held herself that she was another strong player, someone who has been risking their lives on the frontline. Astra offered another smile and introduced himself as she approached, because that was the polite thing to do. Plus, if they're going to be working as a team to battle this boss, they'd need to be acquainted. This was Astra's first foray into t

Astra watched as Siren regained her footing and bounded back into the action once more. She was resilient and fighting with a similar determination to himself, which just reaffirmed that even if they were missing some attacks, they were still making the right moves. Astra nodded and flashed a quick smile to Siren as she told him to "show the little fucker who's boss". That was exactly what Astra planned to do. With a quick breath, Astra briefly twirled his sword in his hand, before gripping its hilt tightly once more. The boarlet in front of him continued to snort and squeal, taunting th

Even just sitting next to Bliss on the picnic blanket was an intoxicating feeling for Astra. He hadn't really been on a real date before, well, not at least in his adult life, and he could've never even imagined that he'd be here with someone so gentle and beautiful. When she sat down, he couldn't help but find himself staring, his gaze fixed on her. There were no other words he could think to describe her besides "perfect". The light from the sun that cut through the trees seemingly lit her up and gave her a glow, as she was reposed next to him. Astra could feel his mind running marathons as

When Astra gets his mind set on something, it's usually hard to derail him. Ever since he started finding his footing again he's moved with a certain determination and renewed sense of self. The actions he takes were no longer just about his survival, there were people he cared about now. People he wanted to protect. As he sifted through bushels of shrubbery and fungi, his mind began to wander as he thought of the friends and connections he had been making. Thoughts of cooking them a meal to keep them warm, or provide a stat boost, danced around his head. That was the end goal of his quest tod

Every time he found himself back in the Town of Beginnings since he moved away, the ghosts of his past would bite at his heels. He tried to kick them away as much as he could, fighting the voices and images that played in his head, but sometimes it felt like there was no escape. It was the reason why he didn't find himself coming back to the first floor that often. It was the reason he did his best to get along with his business and get out of there. There were two years of history spent on this floor that now weigh heavily on him, and sometimes it felt hard to shake. Sure, he was making the s

Astra watched as Siren was thrown from the back of the boar, hitting the ground with a thud. "You okay Siren?" She seemed like she took the fall well, but there was still concern in his voice. Thankfully Wulfrin was doing a great job at holding most of the boars' attention, leaving room for the others to make their attacks. Turning his attention to the already weakened boar nearby, Astra planned out his next strike. From the looks of the damage the boarlet had sustained, one good hit could take it out and provide him with more of the tusks he needed. With his sword readied and poised, he

Astra had to let out a small laugh when Wulfrin said that VR game development was his passion. It seems like a cruel joke to want to create an expansive virtual world and then get trapped in one. Although, Astra himself was enamored by Full-Dive technology since he heard about it too, and throughout his life always wished for a way to live in a Fantasy RPG world. Maybe not like this though. Aincrad and it's dangers weren't exactly the perfect escape he was looking for. "Do you think you'd go back to that, once we make it out of here?" Astra asked his friend. Once we're out of here. It'll

The cavernous expanse of Floor 21, and the settlement of Tomoika within it, were completely new sights for Astra. His eyes widened at the city of metal and stone that surrounded him, as he stepped off of the teleport gate with Wulfrin. When he had some spare time Astra would frequent the library in the Town of Beginnings, digging through different types of books that caught his eye. Oftentimes the young swordsman would find himself searching for books on the lore of Aincrad and the discovered floors that lay within its walls. From what he knew of Tomoika, it was originally a trading post estab

"Nice, so you were a scout? I always wanted to join, but never had the opportunity when I was younger." Astra reset his line and cast his baited hook out once more. He watched as the bobber dipped up and down in the water, but it didn't seem like there was a lot of activity. He would notice a nibble here or there, but nothing worthwhile. Even if he wasn't catching this rainbow fish right away, a small catch of something else wouldn't hurt. Astra looked over to his companion, who had just fished out a bass from the lake. "Nice catch!" He said with a thumbs up. So far he wasn't having much

Even though the boarlets weren't striking back at the swordsman just yet, the exhilaration of the battle still sent a rush of blood to Astra's head. The boarlet stood in front of him, squealing wildly, covered in slashes and matted fur. One more good slash or strike was all that was needed to finish this thing off, and then Astra could turn his attention to the other boars so he could collect those tusks. His feet were planted firmly in the grass, ready to switch and move at a moments notice to deliver the final blow. No matter how small and miniscule this mob seemed to be, Astra's focus was s

A rosy redness spread across Astra's face when Bliss complimented his name in return. He knew when his ears began to feel warm that she was blushing a little bit, so he looked away from Bliss briefly and looked towards his feet in the water. "T-thank you! I chose this one for a pretty special reason," he chuckled. He could hear it in Bliss' voice that she was a bit nervous too, so that eased his own nerves quite a bit. At least he wasn't alone in that. When Bliss expressed that large groups could get her feeling overwhelmed and a bit anxious, Astra understood that completely. "You're def

"Oh so the bait isn't really that special? Well...That's alright. I've got all day to catch this thing," Astra said, lowering himself into the seat that materialized before him. The sprawling lake in front of him rippled lightly and shined as it was kissed by the sun overhead. One thing was for sure, it was the perfect day to try and do some fishing. The weather was perfect for this time of day, which brought a comforting calm to the activity. "I've baited a hook back in the "real world". It was a long time ago, and I was a pretty small kid," Astra looked up at the sky as he reminisced a

Astra rubbed the back of his head and chuckled a bit as Wulfrin playfully chastised him for forgetting to include location details in his message. It makes sense, if it weren't for the tracking features he would virtually have no way of finding Astra. Astra didn't even stay in Coral, he just started wandering into the wilderness. What a goofball move. "Heh, sorry about that. Completely slipped my mind." When Wulfrin produced the new sword and armor that he had crafted for Astra, Astra's eyes widened. He was incredibly thankful for Wulfrin helping him out. Not only teaching him how to sur