[OP-F1] Beginning the Adventure (COMPLETE)

[Katharine 0]

(Um, can I join? Hope you don't mind...)

I was currently in a diner, looking outside of the window as I awaited for my meal, sipping casually on my smoothie of choice. The chatting of the entire diner was blocked out by the sounds of music in my headphone, filling myself in its fantastic beat and lyrics.

[Edwyn 0]

((Don't mind at all))

As soon as Edwyn got back to town he began looking for a place to eat. He stopped by a vendor and inquired about good eateries in the town and was then directed towards a small diner that the vendor hand said serves amazing food. His stomach rumbling hungrily, Ed eagerly pushed open the door and headed inside.

[Katharine 0]

The bell chime of the door could be heard as another player walked into the rowdy small diner, looking hungry and starving. With another sip of my drink, I turned my attention away and found myself becoming increasingly annoyed by how long my food was taking.

[Edwyn 0]

The diner was pretty much full, all there was left was a small table near the wall. It was perfect, the only person near it was a small girl at a table nearby, she had very long, black hair and brilliant purple eyes. He took a seat at the small table and called for some cheese and bread, with a steak and some ale to wash it down. While he waited for his food he started whistling a tune to himself.

[Katharine 0]

I realised that another male player had sat a table behind me, ordering his food. As if right on cue, the waiter came and gave me my food as my stomach growled. I gave a thanks to the waiter as he left and started eating my food.

"Excuse me little girl, would you like to seat with me?" The tone was said in a mumbling and drunk manner, making me squirm slightly as the man placed an arm around my shoulder, his breath smelling like alcohol.

"No thank you, I'm very much fine on my own." I retorted back at him, glaring harshly. He brushed it off and pulled me with force to the table, irritating me as I tried to resist, but failed.

[Edwyn 0]

Soon after Ed finished ordering his food, the girl he had noticed earlier received her own. Suddenly a drunk approached her and mumbled something incoherent before pulling her along with him. She protested and tried to resist but when he kept pulling at her Edwyn got up immediately, "Sir, I believe you've made a mistake. She doesn't want to go with you, leave her alone."

[Katharine 0]

I sighed in relief as another player came to my rescue, which the drunk only replied back with a grunt. "And what do you fu**ker have to do with this!? Fu*k off!" He spat at him, sluring up his words and cursing at him.

With a quick reflex, I kicked the drunk in the groin, making him scream in pain and loosening his grip on me, allowing me to escape and I ran towards the other player, before the drunk could wake up.

[Edwyn 0]

"Nice move," Ed told the girl as she hurried over by him, meanwhile he scanned the rest of the diner for any other potential threats, there didn't seem to be any at the moment, however. "Why don't we go sit down? My name's Edwyn, by the way."

[Katharine 0]

I smiled at him and said, "Katharine, my name is Katharine. But Kat's fine, thanks for helping me out back then." I thanked him with a small bow and walked towards a table far from the messy scene.

[Edwyn 0]

Ed followed Kat, "It was no problem, I can't stand seeing big people pick on anyone who's smaller than them, and it only gets worse when you mix alcohol into the picture. That guy needed to be taught that he doesn't get what he wants."

[Katharine 0]

"He was really foolish, I hate being a female in this games sometimes, guys are always hitting on you, hell I had to injure some to get away from them..." I told him irritably, as a slightly shakened waitress came up to us for an order, I simply told her to get me some coke.

[Edwyn 0]

"Yeah, most of these guys probably can't find women in the real world so they do what they can here. It's pretty despicable sometimes." Ed agreed. He told the waitress he wanted some meat and bread and some water. "How've you been doing in SAO so far?"

[Katharine 0]

"Alright, managed to get to a decent enough level to fight. I have also enough col and I'm planning to do more quest afterwards..." I told him as I sipped on my drink, looking particularly irritated at what had happened moments before.

[Edwyn 0]

"The only way to survive here is to get stronger, that's true enough," Edwyn said nodding. "And quests are a great way to do that, plus there's usually some sort of item prize at the end. I think the real challenge of SAO isn't staying alive though, I think it's living, really living, in this world we find ourselves trapped in."

[Katharine 0]

"The world huh...don't you think the world's a bit too harsh?" Ed threw me a weird look. "...I mean, its just, everything revolves around being useful, but once you aren't, they throw you aside. Maybe that's why their are so many suicide cases..." I murmured to him, eyes looking slightly solemn, almost as if they had been dimmed.

[Edwyn 0]

"You're only as useful as you think you are," Ed pointed out, "If you always let other people determine how useful you are, how you're feeling or what you should be doing then you're always going to be miserable, the trick to really living in SAO is finding something that you enjoy and get really good at, keep at it and sooner or later you'll be recognized for it. Or maybe not, but it shouldn't matter if you're not recognized for it because you're doing what you love. My ultimate goal is to be a blacksmith and make it up to the front lines. Maybe I'll make it to the Assault Team or maybe not, but as long as I've got my smithy and work to do I'll be fine." Ed paused after the little speach thinking, it was weird how much SAO had changed him, it had given him a whole new perspective on life and the joys of living.

[Katharine 0]

I smiled sadly at him and then looked down to my drink, closely eyeing the reflection on the liquid. "Yeah, I guess so." I quietly commented as I took another sip, an awkward silence was veiled over us two.

[Edwyn 0]

Edwyn just looked at her, "It's true, you just have to believe it yourself. SAO can be an amazing place to be if you look around and think about all of the opportunities that are available in this world. Sword-play, smithing, all of the jobs and other things that you wouldn't have had a chance to do irl are now available to you, just seize the chance and do it. Personally, I'm having a great time, the only reason I want to go to the front lines to clear the game is because I know that there are people who want to go back to the real world, so I'll fight for them."