[PP-F2] Back to the Past (Teselmar)

[Helios 0]

Helios had been wandering Urbus for what felt like ages. There was no specific reason for coming to Floor 2, he simply needed a break from fighting mobs. The second floor happened to be the first place that came to mind. Unfortunetly, he became bored on arrival. "Maybe grinding was a better idea. Now I've got absolutely nothing to do." he muttered, taking a seat on a bench. Being in Urbus once again brought back memories. Mostly good, he hadn't gone through a huge amount of bad things in his time in SAO. He was probably one of the few people who hadn't. From what he could tell, most of the people he knew went through something awful while trapped inside the game. That thought brought him to think about players like Zelrius and Shizuka, since he still wasn't sure what caused their sadness. Anyway, his most fond memory was the quest he took to obtain a familiar. He had never ended up completing it of course, since there wasn't an animal near him. It was funny that it was one of the good times he'd spent on this floor, since he nearly died whilst taking the quest. Leaning back, Helios looked up at the sky, which had become quite dark. The bright stars and the crescent-shaped moon were the only things that lit it up. Urbus is quite the beautiful city at night.

[Teselmar 0]

The streets of Urbus weren't what Teselmar would call empty, but there were fewer players and NPCs crowding the pathways and alleys than on the first floor. The cavernous city was a good place for lower leveled players who wanted to get serious about getting stronger to head to, since anyone who didn't feel like putting their life at risk could just stay on the starting floor. Urbus had been carved into the side of a mountain, an artificial settlement in an otherwise natural setting. The hour was late, and Teselmar couldn't sleep. He decided to take a walk, leaving the relative quiet of his rented Inn room, and taking to the main pathway. Even at this late hour, the City of Beginnings would be full of people milling around. Here, it was a little more peaceful.

As he walked, Teselmar took in the sight of the moon, and the stars overhead. It's all fake, none of it's real... but taking a walk this late, the cool night air kissing his face and the starlight illuminating the path, he came to the uncomfortable realization that he couldn't tell the difference. He spotted another figure sitting on a bench by the side of the street. The young man looked vaguely familiar, and Teselmar tried to place him. He slowed his walk as he passed by the bench, until it came to him. "Hey there," Teselmar greeted him, "You were at the Phoenix's Trove blacksmith a few days ago, right?" Now that he was closer, Teselmar could see that it was definitely the same guy. He grinned, gesturing round. "Small world, right?"

[Helios 0]

It took a minute for Helios to realize he was being spoken to. Opening his eyes, he noticed the tall man who stood before him. "Ah, yes, I am. I recall you being there as well." he stated. To the man's next comment, he replied with "I guess it is. The other day I happened to run into the smith of the Phoenix's Trove, Ayumu. She is a rather nice woman." he smiled, reaching his hands in his pockets. The man was clearly a low level, judging by his gear. He recognized the rapier that sat on his hip. It was the weapon being sold at the blacksmith. Looks like he bought it. he thought, adjusting his head to look at the man's face. "Anyway, my name's Helios. And you?" he asked. The blonde man didn't look like a threat to the boy, so introducing him wasn't a problem.

The moon's virtual glow satisfied the dark haired player quite a bit. I've got to admit, although he locked us all in here, Kayaba was a genious. If he had said that aloud, most people probably would have stabbed him, despite him being inside of a safezone. But it was more or less true, in Helios' eyes at least. The amount of thought and detail he put into Sword Art Online was incredible. Even the stars looked real enough. Unfortunately, that was the problem. He was beginning to like it in the game. The boy had become bored of playing sports and most of his video games were lame anyway. After getting his NerveGear, he really didn't have the money to go out and buy more. He shrugged off the thought of wanting to stay inside of the game forever. I can't do that, there are still people who need me in the real world.

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar maintained his smile, nodding back at the boy in the moonlight. "Call me Teselmar. Nice to meet you, Helios." Teselmar was still getting used to all of these strange names that people called themselves, and he was no better. His had no meaning either, just a series of random letters, generated by a computer. He understood why people didn't want to use their real names, though. It made them feel stronger to believe that they were someone else, some warrior that they couldn't be in their old life. He didn't know when he'd start to think of himself as Teselmar more than his old name, but the thought gave him pause.

He couldn't tell how old the young man was, but he guessed that he was in high school, or thereabouts. Teselmar hated that so many kids were stuck in this death game; sure, a lot of them were more used to video games than he was, and had better chances of survival, but none of them deserved to be in the kind of life or death situation that they found themselves in. As the virtual breeze blew over him, Teselmar internally cursed the game maker once more. Why make something like this, a world with limitless potential, and then wield it as a weapon against humanity? He didn't think that anyone could truly guess what was going on inside the head of the maniac who started all of this. Kayaba was a brilliant man, in the same way that a butcher can be a master of his craft.

Shaking his head and clearing his mind of these thoughts, Teselmar turned his attention back to Helios. He appeared to be a few levels higher than Teselmar, but not astronomically higher like some of the other players he'd encountered. Ssendom, for one... the man was strong enough to kill a whole city full of other players and come out without a scratch, if he'd been so inclined. The fact that power like that was attainable in this world by people who could use it wisely gave Teselmar a small measure of ambition that he too, could ascend. He stopped by the corner of the bench, unwilling to sit unless asked to do so. "Can't sleep?" He gestured to the moon up above. "I know the feeling."

[Helios 0]

"Teselmar it is then." he replied. This man seemed different than most players he'd met in the past. Helios felt like he was wiser or much more intelligent than the rest. He reminded him a bit like Zelrius, an ex-Commandant of the Azure Brigade. Not the way he was at that time, but in the past, when Helios was a brigadier. The difference between them was Teselmar seemed a lot friendlier towards people. It was something he didn't see in Zel, although he still thought of him as a friend. He examined Teselmar, trying to decide whether or not he'd allow him to sit. The blonde player definitely looked older than Helios. Of course, not old enough to be his dad, but more like an older brother.

This suddenly reminded him of his brothers, who he had never really been close to. The boy looked back at the time's he'd stayed inside when he could have been with them and found it unfortunate. I'll speak to them once I get out of this damn game. he thought and then turned his head to Teselmar, a man who Helios believed would eventually become a great swordsman. He looked deep in thought, so the dark haired player didn't say anything. When the man beside him spoke, he nodded. "Yeah. Lately I've been forced to stay up and look at that virtual moon." he told the man. With a chuckle, Helios gestured for his new acquaintance, hopefully a future comrade, to take a seat next to him. "There's plenty of room on the bench, go ahead and sit down."

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar sat, glad for the opportunity to rest his body, even if his mind would not allow him to sleep. The notion that his virtual body could experience fatigue was not really valid, but the phantom ache that one expected after fighting monsters all day seemed harder for the mind to shake than he'd previously anticipated. He grew thoughtful as he spoke. "Thanks. It's funny, isn't it?" He turned slightly, addressing the young man. "How weird it is that we think we need to take care of our physical bodies, even in a place like this... Players still need to sleep, right? And we can feel the illusion of pain, even if the in-game filter dulls everything but the worst injuries." 

He laughed, looking at his hands. "I don't know if you've done this quest or not, but there's an extra skill quest on the second floor... first thing I did when I got into this mess was find my way up here. Big old boulder on top of the mountain, and the idea is to crack the thing with your bare hands. Gives you the Martial Arts skill." He chuckled again as he looked up at the sky. "I nearly drove myself crazy trying to crack it. I saw player after player come back down the mountain, leaving it unfinished. Took me 20 hours straight to break it, and lemme tell you, it doesn't matter if your body doesn't technically feel pain or need rest... the mind is way stronger than the system. Felt like I'd ground my hands to stubs, and then dipped 'em in salt water. Goes to show, there's still a lot about this crazy place we don't know."

Smiling broadly, he put his hands behind his head. "Ah, I'm rambling. Sorry, you probably have some crazy stories you could tell yourself, am I right? Everybody in this place seems to have one or two." 

[Helios 0]

Helios grinned as the man told him the story. "I heard about that quest. I've planned to do it for a while now, but I've never really got to it. One of my previous quests gave me the extra skill <<Concentration>>, which can be quite helpful in battle. The Gemini, if you've heard of it. It doesn't sound as painful as beating a boulder to death." a chuckle escaped his lips as he remembered past adventures he'd been on. "Anyway, yeah, I haven't done a whole lot of quests, so if you ever feel like taking one on you should shoot me a message. I'd be happy to tag along." he told the man, smiling lightly. The boy's hands entered his pockets as he listened to the surroundings. It was surprisingly silent, which the noirette enjoyed.

"I personally don't have as many stories as some players do, but I might have a few. I'd better have something to tell my friends and family after I get out of this damn game." he laughed, looking down at his feet. "I'm a pretty laid back guy. Catching up to the frontliners isn't easy, so I try to go at my own pace. I'll get there eventually though, I can guarantee that." he said, looking back up. The boy leaned back against the wooden bench and closed his eyes for a moment. "So," he began, "What's your goal in SAO?" he asked in a curious tone. The man seemed too interesting to be like the rest of the people he'd asked. They always said something like "I want to be strong enough to fight on the front lines." or something close to it. Of course, that didn't always go as planned. Some did become frontliners, some didn't, a few might have died trying to get there. He hated to think about it, but it happened all of the time. For all he knew, somebody might have died on that floor at that exact moment. Helios shrugged off the thought, awaiting the blonde's answer.

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar flashed a smile, and leaned back against the bench. "Gemini, eh? Sounds like a good time. Thanks for the tip." He swiped his hand across the menu, sending Helios a friend request. "Give me a shout if you're in need of another blade at your side. Can't kill anything huge yet, but I'm willing to throw steel at whatever I can." He listened to the calm, quiet sounds of the evening, before the raven haired youth spoke again. So the young man has a family... it was good to have something to fight for. Teselmar had never been close to either of his parents. He'd never had any siblings either, and the ache of loneliness had been something he'd turned to thrill-seeking to alleviate. Here in the game, Teselmar had met a few people who he called friends, but he was still lacking in the family department. His smile flagged, but he kept it on his face. "I'm sure you won't be short on stories to tell when you get out of here."

The young man closed his eyes, and Teselmar did the same for just a moment. He had to keep getting stronger, so that kids like Helios could go home to the people who loved them. When Helios asked about his goals, Teselmar laughed softly. "For a while, I had trouble opening the blasted menu. I'm not a gamer, never was really. Out in the world- the real world, that is, I was an adrenaline junkie. I had a dangerous job, did extreme sports, even hung around dangerous people. If there was a chance that I could survive it and have fun doing it, I'd jump at it. At first, this place was like Disneyland to a guy like me. Any day, I could get in over my head, and the numbers wouldn't be enough. The fear and excitement that comes with being that close to death, it was like a constant high to me. Didn't want to die, just wanted to feel alive. Stupid thing to say, right?" He shook his head, and leaned forward, letting a shadow fall over his face as he did so. "Then I looked around, and stopped thinking only about myself. I chose this kind of life anyway, a guy like me deserves to be in a place like this. But when I see kids out there, who are cut off from their loved ones, and are dying in droves, all because they wanted to play an innocent game? I can't just sit back and enjoy the ride any more." He listened as the breeze blew over them, ruffling their hair as it passed. "That's why I'm trying to get stronger, get to the front lines just like everybody else. I wanna let the everyone go home." He raised an eyebrow at his own diatribe, chuckling. "Typical, right?"

[Helios 0]

"I'll be sure to tell you some before we leave." Helios laughed. He listened to Teselmar speak his interesting story and when he explained that he wasn't a gamer, it didn't surprise him. From what he could tell, there were a lot of players in SAO that had never even touched video games in there entire lives, until SAO of course. He then shook his head. "No, I wouldn't say you deserve to be here. None of us do, I wouldn't even say that PKers do." he replied in his calm voice, looking up to the bright moon. The boy thought about what people deserved to be trapped forever quite often, and in the end he always came up with the same conclusion. "It doesn't matter who you are and what you've done. In the end, we're all the same." he told the man. Listening as the man answered his question, he smiled. "Typical, yes. I wouldn't say it's a bad thing though. To be honest, it's been my goal since I entered the game and it's been the goal of countless other as well. Before SAO I had just started college after moving to Japan. I was taking courses on art and graphic design. A few friends and I had moved to Japan to travel together and that's where we bought our house. We all planned on playing Sword Art Online together but now, I'm glad I was the only one who joined. Something happened and there NerveGears came late. Who know's where they'd be now if they entered with me." Helios said, his hands once again entering his warm pockets.

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar grinned at the boy's words. "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose. I wonder if this place is like purgatory; the just and the unjust, all sharing a roof until we can learn to overcome what got us stuck here in the first place." His eyes narrowed at how unintentionally accurate the metaphor was. There was no need to question who the gatekeeper in this purgatorio was. He reassured the young man, "I'm sure your friends are rooting for you, Helios. It's up to us to make sure we stay alive long enough for us to us to make them proud." Teselmar wasn't the strongest fighter in Aincrad, but what he could do, he would. 

He stood, stretching as he woke up his sleeping limbs. It wasn't like when your limbs fell asleep in real life, more like how the game lost track of their sensory inputs if you didn't flex your muscles for a while. Teselmar gestured to Helios' equipment. "So, why use a curved blade? Any particular reason?" Teselmar was genuinely curious, as it wasn't the most common of weapons. Many used one handed straight swords, or two handed swords, but his rapier and Helios' curved blade were a bit more uncommon.

[Helios 0]

Helios thought about the man's comment. "Purgatory, hey? Actually, I had the same thought once, a long time ago." he chuckled. The boy unsheathed Kanshou, his curved sword, to look at it for a moment. "I had nearly forgotten about my reasoning behind this. I used to be in kendo a while back, a few years before SAO. I wasn't too bad at it either." he laughed. "At first, my choice was going to be a katana, but I learned that to be able to use one I'd need to get a Grandmaster rank in the One-Handed Curved Sword skill. It will take a while, but I'm still working towards it." he explained, flipping the blade and slipping it back in it's leather sheath, which sat on his back. "And you, why do you use the rapier?" he questioned. A rapier was actually Helios' second choice for his weapon. He was awfully fond of the way they were shaped and the blade's style seemed like it was meant for royalty to wield. Of course, for all he knew, it could have been. The dark haired boy noticed that he didn't use a shield either, despite having a one handed weapon. Unless you weren't able to do that with a rapier, Helios was no expert on other blades. The young man didn't have a real reason for not using a shield. I suppose he just felt more comfortable having a hand free.

[Teselmar 0]

((OOC: Teselmar wouldn't know this, but you only need 1 rank invested in One-handed sword in order to unlock katana. You already qualify, you just have to make a thread where you receive one. =3 ))

Teselmar flipped the rapier from its sheath, up into the air. It flashed in the bright moonlight, spinning twice until it landed handle first into his hand. "Oh, this?" He flicked Iron Nail's tip back and forth, letting the silver celestial light dance off of the blade. "I used to like the movie Princess Bride. Action, adventure, romance, drama, it was my favorite movie as a kid. Hell, it's still the best swashbuckling movie, in my book." He laughed, catching the tip of the blade with a fingernail, letting a pure note filter into the air. "They used rapiers, and fought the best movie sword fight in all of history: The Dread Pirate Roberts, vs. Inigo Montoya!" Charging his blade with an emerald light, Teselmar ran through a few basic sword arts, the blade moving swiftly because of the system, not through any great skill of his own. He tipped it back into its scabbard on his belt with a laugh. "I guess it had an influence on me. I really should get a buckler, though..." He looked at his unadorned left arm, and shrugged. "I'm sure I'll find one somewhere."

The sky was just beginning to lighten now; the sun would rise within the hour. It seemed like they'd been talking for a little while. It was funny, but Teselmar actually felt more energized than when he'd gone for his walk. Conversation was good for him, he was an extrovert with few lasting friends. An odd combination to be sure. He turned back to Helios. "Hey, sun's starting to rise. It'll be morning soon... I know an NPC-run place on this floor that can actually do French toast pretty well. Wanna grab some breakfast? We can keep talking, if you've got nowhere you need to go in a hurry." Teselmar was meeting more and more people near his level that shared his goals; perhaps he could get a more permanent party going on some time. For now, he'd be content with breakfast. The thought of decent French toast made his mouth water...

[Helios 0]

(Oh, I guess it was changed or something xD I remember it being 5 ranks a while back, but I could be wrong.)

It had been years since he had last watched The Princess Bride, but he agreed, it truly had the greatest sword fights of all time. "I'm thinking about possibly just sticking with a curved sword. It works quite well with me and I like how comfy it is to hold." he chuckled. Helios ran his hand through his hair and smiled, looking up at the sky, which was now a lot brighter than it was before. The boy's hands left his pockets and were raised behind his head. "I should consider investing some col into a shield. It could probably help a bit in battle." he grinned, leaning back against the wooden bench, his legs crossed in front of him. Suddenly, he let out a small laugh. "I find it funny. We talk so much about becoming frontliners and helping people, yet we're sitting outside on the second floor talking. I suppose it can't be helped, it's good for people to converse."

The idea of French toast enticed Helios. "It feels like it's been ages since I last had a good French toast. I've got nothing better to do at the moment. Breakfast sounds good." he replied, standing up from the comfy spot on the bench. The noirette gestured for the man to lead the way, as he wasn't sure what direction the place was located. The boy's hands then entered his pockets once again as he waited for the man to rise from the bench. "Do you have breakfast here often? I've personally don't come down to this floor normally, so I've never eaten here." he stated.

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar scratched the back of his head, almost embarrassed. "Yep, here we are. I got my butt kicked early yesterday when I was farming mobs for mats on the first floor. A group of Creeper Vines, big bush-style monsters with leafy tentacles, and I thought I could take them all by myself. I had a few good hits, killed one of 'em, but they made me waste a potion, and I just wasn't hitting anything. So I had to make a run for it." He sighed, remembering how angry he'd been with himself. "Not my finest hour. But hey, we'll get there. No worries. We just need to stay determined." He smiled again, and rose from his spot on the bench. 

Helios agreed about breakfast, so Teselmar started on the path towards the middle of town. "I have a weird special talent, one that worked out in the real world too: I can always find the best restaurant in any town. It's my own little out of system 'unique skill', haha." He led the boy up the road, turning the corner. The NPCs were starting to come out and about, and a majority of players would soon follow. The population of Urbus fluctuated, as many were residents like crafters and civilians, and some used it as a staging base to hunt monsters and grow stronger. The restaurant was called ~Cliffside~, and was run by a couple of NPCs. Though as they entered, Teselmar saw that a few players were doing some sort of side-quest as kitchen helpers. It wasn't too busy yet, but Teselmar knew that the other players would be waking up soon, and many would make their way here. The booth in the corner was Teselmar's usual, and he gestured for Helios to join him as he put his back against the wall. Old habits die hard, apparently. "So, I've been wondering about something," Teselmar began, as he waited for the NPC waitress to make her way over. "These guilds that people have been joining, the bigger ones. What do you think of them? I know about a few, but I'm not so sure that I like any of them."

[Helios 0]

Helios smiled again, nodding. "We all make mistakes out there." he agreed. The young man couldn't help but laugh when he was informed about Teselmar's unique skill. "Well, it sounds helpful. I'd say that my unique skill is managing to run into trouble where ever I am. Hell, I think the only place I don't is in a safezone, thank God." he chuckled, following the man to the NPC-run restaurant. When they arrived, he examined the building. For an NPC shop, this doesn't even look too bad. he thought, entering. The dark haired player followed the man to the table in the corner and took a seat in one of the comfy chairs. Helios looked around the restaurant, surprised that there were actual players helping out the NPCs. Most likely a quest, I assume. he decided. The boy turned his head as the blonde man began to speak.

"By large guilds I assume you mean the main frontline guilds. That's a good question, one that I think about from time to time. Actually, I was in the Azure Brigade, the strongest guild in Aincrad, for a short period of time. I was also in the Velvet Room for a while as well. Unfortunately, I ended up leaving both guilds. Velvet's newer, so I'm not too sure about them. They aren't what I'd consider "big" yet, seeing that their leader had recently taken a member of Azure's place as Commandant and they are left with few members. Azure had changed though.", Helios stated, his expression a tad bit serious, "When I look at them, I don't see the guild I was once a member of. But I don't know, that could just be me. I personally see myself as a pretty social guy and I actually ran a few guilds in past RPGs, but for some reason I haven't been able to find a guild that I have been able to stick with. Although, I am looking at a certain guild; Amythest Descent, if you've heard of it. Anyway, what are your opinions on the matter?"

Edited January 3, 2016 by Helios

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar nodded at the cute NPC waitress. Standard 'kawaii' demeanor and anime appearance. A menu popped up, and the duo were treated to the list of items available. Teselmar selected the 'French Toast' and 'Orange Juice', then let Helios input his own order. "Well, I haven't heard of the Amethyst Descent, or the Velvet Room, but I met members of the Azure Brigade. Also," He said, leaning back against the booth as the waitress hopped back to the kitchen, "I'm... friends with the Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood, a woman named Opal. None of the members seem to want to discuss the other members in the Brigade, and Opal never really talks about the Knights. I know jack squat about how any of these guilds are handled and what their goals are; except that they seem to be against the killing of players, and they all want to get out of the game as quickly as possible." He looked out the window briefly. The sun had come up fully, and a few more players were trickling through the door. "From what I've observed," he spoke quietly, "I don't know if any of them are going about it in the best way possible." His eyebrows narrowed, and he frowned slightly. "As strong as some of these guys are, most of them are still too young to even smoke. Kids, leading kids into battle. The virtual muscle might be there, but I'm not convinced that the tactics would be something I can get behind. 'S why I haven't joined any guilds yet." Teselmar straightened his back, and leaned forward. "I'm honestly tempted to start one myself."

[Helios 0]

The dark haired boy nodded, listening to the man finish. He chose the same meal as Teselmar, the 'French Toast' and 'Orange Juice'. "I agree. If you do end up starting a guild, I'll consider joining you." he smiled. He thought back to The Knights of Blood. "I haven't heard about KoB in some time. I'm glad to hear they're still up and running, even if their roster isn't as full as some other guilds." Helios said, leaning back against the booth. "Like I said earlier, the Brigade has changed. From what I can tell, any members who once flaunted their power may have stopped, or at least died it down. If you ask me, the majority of members have become depressed. I went to Azure's Christmas party they held and witnessed it. If it's the same with other guilds, I wouldn't be surprised." the young man explained. If he was right and they had gone into depression, he felt quite bad for them. A good amount of players, mostly around his age, all unhappy. In this world, that could get you killed, although he doubted that they cared.

"Anyway, about this "Opal" girl you speak of. The way you said you were "friends" with her didn't make it seem like you think of her in the same way. You probably wouldn't have mentioned her at all if you didn't take interest in her. So what is she to you?" he asked the man, laughing a bit and attempting to lighten the mood. Helios enjoyed doing that. Reading people was something he picked up from an old friend, before SAO. He turned his head for a second, just to check if the NPC waitress was coming with their food, but unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen. I hate waiting for food. he thought, turning back to his friend.

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar nodded as he heard about the state of affairs that the Azure Brigade was in. "This place can really wear on the mind, if you let it. That's why I get concerned when I hear about teens and kids being stuck in here. There's enough that normal teenagers have to deal with, let alone the pressures of life or death situations. I'm sure that the stress is going to weigh heavily on them." At this point, the waitress returned with their items. Fortunately, maple syrup already came on the French Toast, and he was happy to see his breakfast as it arrived. Taking a sip of orange juice, Teselmar smiled at Helios, nodding his agreement. "I just figure, I might not be the strongest player in SAO, but I have a lot of life experience that most people don't. Out in the world, I'm a private security agent. That means I protect people in very dangerous situations. I reason, maybe if I get a guild going, we can set up a mentorship system where higher level players help train lower level players, accompany them on some quests and whatnot. Too many low level players are dying to boars, or other basic monsters, just because they don't have anyone out there watching their backs. If we all made each other stronger, then we'd lose fewer players to basic mistakes." He took a bite of his breakfast, savoring the sweet flavor. "Mmm. 'S better than what I can make out in the world, haha."

He listened to Helios speak some more, almost choking on his virtual orange juice when he mentioned Opal. He let out an embarrassed, nervous laugh. "Eh heh, no, don't get me wrong; she is a friend. I really do like her, really." Teselmar caught himself smiling, and rolled his eyes. He darted his gaze around the restaurant, making sure nobody he knew was about to walk in. He then selected a pack of citrus flavor cigarettes from his inventory, taking one out and holding it in front of Helios for the young man to see. "She and I share a common vice. I quit smoking out in the world, but in here, it doesn't affect your body. All of the benefits of nicotine, minus the cancer. Well," he continued, "She's got an alchemy shop, makes these incredible self lighting cigarette items. Every once in a while, I find a vendor selling these knock-offs, ones that are based on her design, but won't light. Something wrong with the code." He rolled it between the fingers of his left hand, remembering the heady scent of smoke. "Turns out, her smokes can actually chain to the knock-offs and light them. Something in the physics engine lets them ignite off each other. So the only time I get to smoke these is when I see her." He grinned, putting the cigarette away and taking another bite of his meal. "She keeps telling me to buy the self-lighting ones from her shop, but I keep putting her off and buying the knock offs. Can you guess why?"

[Helios 0]

After Helios finished chewing a piece of French toast, he thought about why he would have bought the knockoffs. "Well, I'd assume they would be cheaper than the original. That's all I've can think of, what's your reasoning?" he asked, still thinking about why the man wouldn't buy the self-lighting cigarettes. Could it be that it's just more efficient? he thought, stumped on the question. The boy took a sip of his sweet orange juice. It tasted incredible, especially since he hadn't had any juice since he entered SAO. "It's interesting that she was able to create cigarettes in game. It's a good idea, since the nicotine won't kill you in here. Anyway, these NPCs are make some pretty damn good French toast. I wish I had known about this place sooner." he chuckled.

"So," the young man started, "What do you plan on taking up for a profession, if you don't already have one." he asked. Helios had a few in mind, but he wasn't completely sure what to choose. Blacksmith probably wasn't the best idea, seeing that there are already multiple smiths in Aincrad. Fisherman was an option, as well as performer. Surprisingly, the dark haired man could sing quite well, though he wasn't fond of singing in front of others.

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar grinned, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "They're cheaper, sure, but that's not why. I buy the knock-offs because then, I have en excuse to see her. I need her to give me a light, so I give myself a reason to seek her out. Kinda silly, but it gives me an excuse to spend time with a beautiful woman. It's worth the slight inconvenience." He chuckled, and took a another sip of orange juice. They captured the flavor, but didn't quite get the texture right. Teselmar made himself believe that it was supposed to be pulp-less, and the thought helped him enjoy it more.

He answered Helios again. "Yeah, apparently cigarettes were coded in as vanity items. I wouldn't develop a habit in there though if I were you. Risk free or not, you don't want that addiction chasing you out into the world when we get out of here. And yeah," he gestured to the NPC cooks in the little kitchen, "The programming on food here is top notch. Probably designed by somebody who really poured his all into his job. Not sure if they've found Kayaba yet, or if any of his employees are facing charges over all this. Guess it's best not to worry about it, right?" Teselmar paused, scratching at the stubble on his chin. "Huh. Haven't thought of getting a profession yet. Kinda just been fighting, though in this place, I'm not particularly good at it yet. I'll give the matter some thought." He savored the last of his French toast, and leaned back again. "What about you? Do you have a profession, or are you focused on combat?"