[PP-F1] Anything But Mainstream (Asteria)

[ShinoTenshi 0]

It was a lovely morning in the Town of Beginnings. Shop's were open, children were playing, and the sun was shining brightly above, "Ugh. Why is this place so happy? Its like they all have a deathwish." Shino walked through the alleys of the town, hoping to avoid people for the day. She pondered killing more people in the day, but gave up on it remembering the last time she did. Watching a few children run around her, she gave them a smile so as to conciel her true feelings. And in just a few moments they were on their way again. Shino opened her menu and looked at her inventory, she sighed seeing she had yet to earn enough Col to buy anything. "I'll have to get a job or go on some quests later. I really need a stronger dagger if Im gonna kill people and mobs alike."

[Aster 0]

'Why aren't there any books in this miserable place?' An orange-haired girl sat alone on a bench in the main plaza of the Town of Beginnings. Legs crossed, Aster leaned back against the hard wood, a slight scowl covering her features. Her annoyance with the world of Aincrad in general was growing by the day, and the monotony of her daily life was doing nothing to improve her outlook. Sure, there were redeeming qualities to the virtual prison; she was free of her academic burdens, no longer held to any standards and was free to live as she pleased. Free of parental influence and social expectations, she supposed she had to give her freedom at least a bit of weight. The limitations and impracticality of the virtual world, however, nagged at her practically all the time, leaving the irritations and inconveniences as the only things she could focus on during the day.

A light sigh escaping her lips, Aster wracked her brain for something useful to do to distract her from her own thoughts for a while.

[ShinoTenshi 0]

As Shino was crossing one of the allies, she couldnt help but notice a girl that seemed to be just as miserable as she was. "Who is she? Hm.. I cant tell if I met her or not.. Well there's only one way to find out." Shino ventured toward the unknown girl deciding to come from behind, as was her preference when approaching anyone. She leaned against the back of the bench next to the girl and spoke hoping not to startle her, "Rough night? Or are you sick of this place too?" Shino looked at the girl and was certain they hadnt met. "Nah I wont hurt this one, we are feeling the same kind of pain."

[Aster 0]

"Eh?" Aster mumbled aloud without thinking, turning her head suddenly as a figure loomed beside her. From the corner of her eye, the dark-haired girl appeared disinterested, but her questioning caught the ginger off-guard. Realizing she needed to provide a response, Aster turned her head back to face forward, frowning to give the words some thought before she answered. "It gets boring." She said simply with a small huff. The girl stared ahead of her, eyes scanning the players and NPCs alike that littered the town's main plaza. "For some, this place may truly be an escape," She started, able to sympathize with the thought, "but it's just a game. There's only one objective, and the path to it is not only physically and mentally taxing, but repetitive." She held her frown as she silenced herself so she wouldn't continue to complain.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Asteria

[ShinoTenshi 0]

"I hear you, but this certainly isnt my escape." Shino began fantisizing about her past and how much she missed the reaction of her victims in the real world. "Yeah, I liked the real world way more. This place, as you said, just gets dull after a while." Shino took a seat next to the orange-haired girl and crossed one leg over the other, being sure to keep her skirt pressed down with her hands. "I really wanna go home.. I havent seen blood since I've been here. And not to mention killed an actual person as of yet." Shino looked to the unnamed girl and held out her hand, "The names Shino" she said as it was her usual greeting.

[Aster 0]

The girl glanced down at Shino's hand as she offered it, still a bit surprised to have someone approach her in the first place. Not wanting to come off as rude, though, Aster took it in a light handshake. "Aster." She introduced herself simply in return. Aster guessed the girl was close to her in age, although the ginger had been mistaken for a tween on more than one occasion due to her smaller frame and childish features. She turned her attention back ahead of her yet again, shifting slightly. She didn't like small talk. Conversations of this or that weren't her forte, and she wasn't really in the mood to force the interaction. So, she remained silent, though her expression was softened a bit from the annoyance it carried earlier.

[ShinoTenshi 0]

Shino shook Aster's hand slightly harder than she intended, just noticing how light this girl took her hand. She gave her a smile and looked out to the crowd of people, "This girl doesn't seem too comfortable at the moment. Perhaps I should go.. Nah, I can close the gap." Shino stretched her arms out far and let out a yawn as she did so. "So how old are you sweetheart?" she said as if she knew Aster well enough to call her that. But it couldnt be helped, that was just the way Shino spoke. "I turned 18 not too long ago, I guess in a way, this game was one of my presents"

[Aster 0]

A half-smile crossed Aster's lips as Shino continued with more questions. "Seventeen." She answered, keeping her gaze on the daily scenery ahead of them. She was right--they were close in age, although she disliked the thought of being younger than this person. She was typically the youngest--or considered the youngest--in most situations, so it shouldn't really be something that bothered her, but perhaps she would never get used to it.

At the mention of getting the game as a present, a wry smile overtook Aster's expression in response. "I guess I could say the same. It wasn't for my birthday, but the game was more or less of a gift. A reward, rather." She recalled asking for it specifically, impressing her parents enough that they wouldn't be able to deny her 'outlandish' request for it. The thought was almost nostalgic, so much time had already passed since she first entered Aincrad.

[ShinoTenshi 0]

"Ah yes, 17 was a major turning point in my life. I started my.. profession then." Shino took a quick breathe noticing she almost "spilled the beans" as they say. Aster's second response peaked Shino's interests for the time being, "A reward?" Shino turned to Aster with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "She seems rather intelligent.. grades perhaps? That should be it, if she's still in school." Shino caught her first good glimpse of Aster's eyes through her glasses, she looked away quickly as she blushed ever-so slightly. "She has georgous eyes.."

[Aster 0]

"Mm," Aster murmured, giving the other girl a sideways glance as she elaborated. "I may not look it, but I have a thing for learning." She said with a hint of sarcasm, needlessly pushing up her glasses with her right hand. "Grades, a promising career, all those things that parents want for their children," She smirked slightly as she continued. The girl loved her parents and knew she was loved in return, but Aster was old enough now to realize she had a personality growing up that allowed her to be molded. Her thirst for knowledge was hers alone, but the thought of her family's disappointment if she were to ever stray from her 'perfect' life gave her a bitter feeling.

"Anyway, I didn't usually ask for much, so I figured it was worth a shot." She tacked on, not sure where to take the conversation. She wasn't going to go on about her life story, nor admit that she'd never gotten her hands on a video game before Sword Art Online.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Asteria

[ShinoTenshi 0]

Shino had a puzzled look. She never took the time to understand what her parents wanted from her, so she supposed they wanted the same for her. "I wonder if that was why they flipped out so much.. Well I cant ask them now, or ever." But Shino felt a little bad for Aster. From the looks of it her parents always pushed her into what they want, not allowing her to live how she wanted. "I can sort of relate, except my gift was to come back home from military school. I have the smarts, but I lacked in motivation at the time. So they sent me away for a year." Shino got up from the bench and twisted her body, cracking her back. "You wanna walk around? Its bound to be more interesting than sitting here."

[Aster 0]

'Military school?' Aster echoed with a hint of surprise to her thoughts. With the girl's back to her as she stood, Aster quickly surveyed her once again before averting her gaze. Her build was actually more athletic than she first observed, though she was only now getting a good look at the dark-haired teen. At her suggestion, Aster frowned in thought, unable to come up with a reason to decline. Talking to Shino was getting her mind off of the daily irritations that had been nagging at her, and even a slight change of scenery wasn't a bad idea.

Aster stood, giving her legs a stretch before turning her attention back to Shino. The girl barely managed to prevent a look of annoyance at the realization that her eyes were angled slightly upward when she faced her. Of course Shino was taller than her.

[ShinoTenshi 0]

Shino gave Aster a smile as the began walking through the starting town. "So Aster, correct me if Im wrong. But were you someone that was forced through school by your parents? I think mine tried to do that, but I was always more rebelious than my sister." Shino brushed against someone as the two girls walked by and thought about stabbing him. "No no.. that would likely scare off your new friend and make you have a bounty. With this level you cant have that girl." Shino looked down at her feet as they walked, taking careful steps so as she was used to for silence when she was about to kill. Not that it mattered in-game anyway.

Edited June 13, 2016 by ShinoTenshi

[Aster 0]

Aster frowned in thought as the pair lazily strolled through the winding city, no destination in mind. "I wouldn't say that..." She said in a low tone. "I mean, I excel at it because I enjoy it. I suppose you could say one of my priorities is to...impress." She picked the word carefully. Aster always knew she was considered a privileged child among other youths. Since she mainly attended private schools, the girl had essentially been immersed in a higher-class society growing up. While she's had her fair share of culture shocks since first entering Aincrad, she was quick to accept the situation and forced herself to adapt as quickly as possible. There were still some basic functions she struggled with, but she would try her hardest to make the best of things.

Bringing her mind back to Aincrad, the ginger caught the other girl mention a sister; another curiosity. Being a single child left plenty of room in her imagination, but Aster felt books usually gave her her a decent grasp on any real-world concept she wasn't directly familiar with. While that rarely held true, she refused to think otherwise. The girl hesitated, but opened her mouth to speak again anyway. "Is having a sister all that great?" She tried to ask the question casually, but as the words left her mouth she could tell there was a slight awkwardness to it.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Asteria

[ShinoTenshi 0]

Shino nodded her head in response to Aster's answer to her assumption. "I suppose I was wrong. It wouldnt be the first time ever" Shino looked around as the two walked, seeing nothing that spiked her interest or curiosity. Before Shino could think of something else to say, Aster asked her about having a sister. "Well for me, I wasn't thought to be as important as my little sister. Even though Im older, I was always put in her shadow because she was so easy to manipulate by her parents. Im sure the answer can be given differently a million ways, but my answer is no." "Though she did make for a good out for my first murders."

[Aster 0]

The girl felt another frown tug at her lips. Wasn't it usually the other way around? She was sure in at least two novels she'd read, the older sibling was held on a pedestal from their many impressive accomplishments, leaving the younger sibling to devote their lives to becoming like them, ultimately chasing behind them or resenting them until some plot twist would hit. Just as she tried to recall the ending to one of those stories, Aster realized she was still in the middle of a conversation. The girl glanced around to get her bearings, having absentmindedly wandered beside Shino, only paying enough attention to divert her path from intersecting with another person's.

She seemed to perk up a bit when she realized they were getting close to the player-side of the shopping district. Aster seemed to mull over a thought before giving Shino another sideways glance. "Hey, I know somewhere we can go," She started, hoping she was getting the hang of the whole "getting to know each other" thing. Without giving any more detail the girl began to lead them through the area, passing by familiar shops and streets.

After just a minute, Aster stopped the pair in front of a small, very plain-looking building nestled between cobblestone structures. With a small, almost nervous smile the girl reached for the handle of the wooden door and gave it a firm push, having to add some of her weight to get the heavy door open. She held it open so Shino could enter behind her, letting it go to slowly swing shut once both players were inside. The inside of the shop looked just as unimpressive as the outside--small, old, and worn-down, but a close eye could tell the owner kept it in the best shape they could. Clues such as a large black cauldron sitting in the corner and the handful of potions sitting neatly in a display case near the counter were evidence that the place was an alchemist's shop. The orange-haired girl held her hands behind her back as she walked ahead. With her back turned to the dark-haired teen, her eyes glanced around the room, as if she was fretting to be sure everything looked nice. "Make yourself comfortable." Aster finally turned and offered Shino a small smile.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Asteria

[ShinoTenshi 0]

Shino tilted her head, giving thought to where Aster would take them. "I wonder if she has a friend in town or something. Or perhaps we're grabbing a bite." After a little bit of guessing the possibilities, the two girls stopped at a building. Shino didnt notice a sign before she was led in by Aster, but taking a look around she knew it was a shop. "This is your alchemist shop Aster?" She looked around, her eyes lighting up. "Its so cool!" Shino clapped her hands together in excitement. "You know I was thinking of becoming an alchemist since I got here. Any advice you could give me?" She admired all of the potions that were on display, poking them to read their descriptions.

Edited June 15, 2016 by ShinoTenshi

[Aster 0]

Aster couldn't help as a relieved smile pulled at her lips, her expression becoming more genuine than polite as she watched Shino's reaction. Meanwhile, a different pair of unblinking amber eyes stared the dark-haired girl down from across the room. On top of the counter, curled up against the wall, lay a small fox whose fur nearly matched the ginger alchemist's orange. Since the two players had entered the building, the familiar observed the stranger, but as his patience wore thin he moved from his position to jump down from his perch. Whether or not Shino had noticed the movement, the fox trotted over to the girl without hesitation, circling around her ankles as he sniffed and nosed at her.

Normally Aster paid no mind to the curious fox's disregard for personal space, but once she realized what the familiar was doing the girl quickly moved to scoop the animal up in her arms and pull him away from the girl. "Sorry!" She said quickly, ignoring Reginald's squirming as the fox was immediately made uncomfortable.

The healer blinked in thought as her mind processed the question Shino had asked, surprised that the girl was asking her for advice. "O-oh, uhm," She felt a bit embarrassed as distractions had interrupted her flow of mentally preparing herself when the conversation progressed. She quickly came up with an answer that she was satisfied with, finally putting the fox down as its physical protests threatened to derail her train of thought. "You just have to keep experimenting, I suppose." She said with a thoughtful frown. "It's basically like a chemistry lab to me. You never know what two materials will do until you dump them together and record the results."

Edited June 17, 2016 by Asteria

[ShinoTenshi 0]

Out of nowhere a fox started curling around Shino's legs, her first reaction was to reach down and pet it. "Hello little one. What do they call ya?" But before Shino could reach her hand down, Aster swept the fox up in her arms. She then apologised for something Shino wasnt aware of. Shino gave Aster a confused look, "What for?" Animals werent something Shino was familiar with as much as other people. She lived in the city for her whole life and never had the chance to connect with nature.

Shino took Aster's words to heart, seeing as she may be an alchemist until she escapes this bloodless death game. "A chemistry lab huh? You are always thinking of school arent ya?" Shino giggled before finding a chair to sit in, and plopped down exhaling slowly. "It must be nice having your own place. Gives you somewhere to escape from all the chaos outside."

[Aster 0]

Aster felt another moment of awkwardness when it looked like Shino didn't mind the fox's intrusion at all. The girl realized she was hovering and worrying too much, causing a small pink to color her cheeks as she averted her gaze. The familiar glanced back and forth between the two girls before slowly approaching the dark-haired teen again to sniff at her curiously. He would tilt his head at her and continue circling around her ankles, eating up any attention he could get. Seeing that the fox had gone right back to looking for attention, Aster realized Shino had asked about his name. "Oh, it's Reginald." She mumbled.

When Shino went back to the topic of her shop and teased her slightly, Aster couldn't help a small frown from crossing her expression, but gave a thoughtful look as her eyes traveled over the shop's interior. "Yeah, it's pretty small and worn-down, but it is something." She agreed with a small smile. She had taken to treating her shop as a makeshift home ever since she'd completed the quest to give her the profession. With her mind on the quest now, Aster glanced back over to Shino. "If you plan on taking the quest for a profession, I can help you out if you need."