[PP-F1] Simple Minded People (w/ Wolfie)

[Birdie 0]

Birdie - at first, she hated the name. The simplicity of it made her feel as if she wasn't unique, like she was just another brick in the wall for Kayaba's master plan. Over time, from the best of moments to the toughest of hardships, the alias she despised so much began to grow on her, and it eventually came to be a part of her identity. Birdie always thought of herself as simple minded for having such a name; the name of an animal with a slight twist. It made her wonder, where there others like her out there?

It was like any other day on the 1st floor of Castle Aincrad, in the earliest settlement every player found themselves. Birdie, an Artisan and Scout for an upcoming guild, spent most of her time training with her mentor and rival to pursue an end goal- join the Frontlines and assist with the main effort of beating the death game. During time spent outside of training, she tended a shop near the eastern plaza of Starting City, making and selling trinkets and lucky charms to gather up extra funds.

When no such obligations existed, however, she had an abundance of free time. And just like the present day, where she didn't want to bother any friends nor stay locked up inside her workshop, she found herself strolling around the streets of the city she'd come to call home.

"Too bad Black Friday sales don't exist in Sword Art Online," she pondered aloud, spinning a fresh red apple in her palm. The market was usually alive, though on that particular Friday, none other than a few NPC vendors were present. Purchasing a few necessities, she stored the fresh items and decided to make way for the city's outer gates.

She wore a smile all the way, longing for the moment she could finally stop and smell the fresh grass of the training fields surrounding Starting City. The woman wondered what she'd encounter: a rare spawn? A familiar face? Either way, that day was going to be fun.

@Wolfie

Edited November 18, 2016 by Birdie

[Wolfie 0]

Wolfie, hooded and to himself, stood at a street corner as he lights a Cigarette. “These may not work as well as the ones I use back home but at least they are something.” He thought to himself. He leaned against the wall and tried to make himself unconscious. Thought he knew this was impossible, no one walked or talked like he did. And no one wore the same clothing he did, he was truly a shady character. But he also knew that if he changed what he wore because the very nature of his eyes would draw attention to him as well. Taking a long drag of his cigarette he lifted his head and looked around, cautiously. “ph'nglui mglw'nafh wgah'nagl fhtagn” he said under his breath, hoping there was no one close enough to hear him. He was not about to try to explain himself.

 

“You need to wake The Sleeping Lord” He thought to himself “Only he can give you what you need to fulfill your goal.” He took another drag and held it hoping that would let it affect him better.

 

@Birdie

Edited November 18, 2016 by Wolfie

[Birdie 0]

A brisk ten minute walk later and the edge of town came into view, a welcoming sight for Birdie's eyes. The freedom of the fields wasn't quite like anything else; someone could go on their lonesome and train for hours at a time, or fight as a group and tackle hordes of enemies. For the blue haired Brit who seldom enjoyed spending her days in a large group, the former was far more comforting.

As she neared the city gates, a peculiar sight caught her eye. She focused in on it, peering closely towards the object of interest.

"... wait, they are having Black Friday sales?"

A general store she frequented had special offers displayed in the windows and she stopped to check them out from afar, carelessly halting just to the side of the road. A merchant pulling along a cart by rope passed her and as she stepped backwards to move along, the cart bumped into her left side body and sent her tumbling towards a stranger with a shriek.

Time froze as everything went slow motion. The woman couldn't adjust her course and there was barely any time to soften the blow, all she could do was brace herself and hope for the best. She caught a glimpse of the player's eyes before falling into him, was there something strange about them? There wasn't any time left. Everything sped up, and the panic suddenly struck her. "Watch out!"

@Wolfie

Edited November 19, 2016 by Birdie

[Wolfie 0]

Taking another drag on his cigarette, Wolfie started to observe the people around him. NPC’s and players alike. His eyes caught a blue haired woman mumbling to herself, though he knew not what she said. This woman seemed very enthusiastic however given the way she was holding herself.

Wolfie watched as the blue haired girl, roamed the street. She seemed absent minded almost, and walked carelessly into a merchants cart. The next few seconds were a blur, falling the girl was to run strait into him. However, the brief moment of free fall the woman had was all Wolfie needed to re-adjust. He swiftly positioned himself in such a way as to catch the falling girl. Dropping his cigarette, his feet planted firmly on the ground, put at a ninety degree angle to her body. His arms put across his chest, left over right. As she hits him he allows his legs to spring the impact and slow her descent, his arms changing position on her back so that she is slowed to a halt while resting comfortably in his arms. By the time she had hit his arms he had heard her yell “Watch Out”. Once she was no longer at risk of being harmed he says to her in a calm but gravelly voice. “You really aught to watch where you are going. If you don’t you never know what may happen.” There was a somewhat philosophical note to what he said, thought it could easily go undetected.
 

@Birdie

Edited November 22, 2016 by Wolfie

[Birdie 0]

She tensed, her arms tightening around her face to protect it from the inevitable fall. What would the man say? Could she weasel her way out of an awkward conversation? Only time would tell, and she accepted her fate.

"You really aught to.."

In that moment, Birdie's eyes hesitantly peeked open. Rather than the hard concrete floor she expected to come face-to-face with, something soft and squishy cushioned her fall. Looking to the man as he spoke a set of wise words, the woman realised what position she was in.

"Oh.. oh!"

She balanced herself upright, putting all of her weight onto her feet with the stranger's help. "Sorry! Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going and then the cart came out of nowhere and... thank you." A breath escaped her, and she sighed to calm down. "I know, s-sorry... there's a surprise around every corner in this world," she replied with a smile, gesturing weakly to the corner stone of the building. Nervous laughter escaped her lips and she brought a hand to the back of her neck, unsure of how the pun would go down with him.

"Are you alright? I-I didn't mean to fall into you- and I made you drop your cigarette too.."

Edited November 20, 2016 by Birdie

[Wolfie 0]

The girl stumbled she seem to be very embarrassed as to what just happened to wolfie didn’t fully understand why. “You don’t need to worry about it, it happens, I'm alright” wolfie said his voice is Gravelly, low but had a note of sincerity, standing back up strait. “don’t worry about the cigarette it happens I have more. Are you alright? I could walk you to your destination if you would like, wherever that destination might be.” Wolfie waited for a response his face still just as Stone and cold as it was before he didn’t seem to really care though at the same time there was something there something that wasn’t up front but instead it seems like it was just below the surface. Perhaps it wasn’t it was a passing thought perhaps it wasn’t. “I’m not sure exactly what it is about this girl" Wolfie thought to himself, "she is not unlike any of the other ones I have seen nor is she quite like normal I guess she is indeed of not her own cause odd for those who live in this world is virtual world we live in is it safe to say that she is more or perhaps less maybe she said that she is not completely there did she truly have no external motives as she seems? And if so, is there any way I can get to know her better. Her life seems to be a blissful one, the one I crave but can never accomplish. Maybe she can help me learn.”

 

@Birdie

Edited November 22, 2016 by Wolfie

[Birdie 0]

To hear that she hadn't a reason to worry eased her nerves a tad, her arms relaxing by her sides as she let out a weak smile. People in the virtual world usually got vexed if she bothered them in the slightest, though this player treated her with nothing but the highest level of kindness. His cold exterior gave Birdie the idea that she shouldn't act too zealous around him, and she made note of his calm yet serious demeanour. "I'm fine, thanks. My side hurts a little.." Birdie's eyes trailed to the side of her body, her eyebrows lowering as she was reminded of the pain. A quick glance to her health bar revealed that no proper damages had been incurred, and the pain would in all likelihood clear up quickly.

"A-are you sure? I was planning to head out to the gathering field, the one without that many monsters." She looked towards him, the clothes he wore, and the way he wore them. He didn't seem much of a brute- in fact, his words had only been kind-hearted thus far. "With winter coming quickly, gathering up some firewood early might save me a fortune. If you're willing to go that far, then.. sure! I'd love some company." Something told her that this man had only pure intentions, she'd gotten pretty good at reading other people during her time in the game.

"O-oh, goodness! Sorry, I completely forgot-" The woman extended a hand towards him, dipping her head politely in greeting. "-my name's Birdie, but you can just call me.. ehm.. on second thought, Birdie is fine." She loosed a sheepish smile.

@Wolfie

Edited November 22, 2016 by Birdie

[Wolfie 0]

Wolfie accepted Birdies hand gripping I’m a way that was firm but light, not hard enough to hurt her but noticeably firm. “My name is Wolfie, actually. Interesting how when given the choice of name, humans so promptly associate themselves with animals. Anyways I would be honored to help you with your task. However, seeing as I am only level two, I may not be of terrific use in combat.” 

With that he let go of Birdies hand, getting the chance to look her up and down without seeming like a creep. She was very interestingly feminine, it was pleasurable to the eyes. “I still can’t tell what to make of her but she doesn’t seem like she would do me harm.” He thinks examining her eyes, he was calm but knew that they should leave soon, to avoid any potential hang up, be it time or people. 

“Lead the way Ma’am,” Wolfie says as he waves her forward unknowing of what may come next.

 

@Birdie
 

Edited November 22, 2016 by Wolfie

[Birdie 0]

She blinked. There were more people like her after all! "It stems from childhood memories for me. I'd always liked birds when I was younger, and my parents would always call them "birdie's". It's a pleasure to meet you, Wolfie!" Releasing her grip from his, she half-twisted her body into the right direction..

The stranger maintained eye contact for a second longer than she would've normally been comfortable with, though the awkward silence was broken away by one short sentence. She smiled and took lead, keeping to the side of the path just in case of any stray carts coming their way.

"We wont be doing much fighting- if any, to be honest. These fields are usually pretty bereft of boars ever since the first fighters wiped them out." Making note that he was only- allegedly- level two, she had to trust him on his word. It even eased her anxiety a bit, knowing that it was unlikely he'd be able to stab her in the back at any point.

"So, what do you spend most of your time doing? Are you a store owner on the first floor?" Low level players were decreasing in abundance, with everybody getting themselves ready to train up and fight among the Frontlines. It was rare to see a player at such a level, but still entirely possible.

@Wolfie

Edited November 23, 2016 by Birdie

[Wolfie 0]

Wolfie thought for a moment “what do I spend most of my time doing?” He looked away from Birdie’s eyes and began a semi normal amount of eye contact. Though probably edging on the side of too much. “I guess, I train my hunting and tracking skills. Not my in game one but in general, that and train my agility… well that and sitting and thinking, kind of getting stuck in my own mind actually.” His voice remained unchanged. That was the best way he could put it. He did remain unaware of the awkward amounts of eye contact that he would give. Seeing as he never really knew that many people, he always though that you were supposed to keep eye contact until one person looks away, showing submission to the one who didn’t look away. He was sure that nothing was wrong with that reasoning but that was also because no one had shown him otherwise in this game. Then again everyone he had met was just as unlawfully dominant as he was. Or just didn’t know what he was doing.

 

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

Birdie gave the man a weak smile, his words echoing with her. "Sitting and thinking? You sound like me. Sometimes it's hard to not get lost in our own thoughts, this game leaves us with so much time to ourselves.." The woman thought about the days she used to spend alone; before the guild, before the time she'd spend with the one she loved. Each day left her with nothing but her thoughts and a sword by her hip. They weren't the best of times, truth be told, though she sometimes yearned for a few hours alone to relax and rearrange her thoughts.

"S-sorry," she apologised, getting back on track. The fields were fast approaching and the sun was still low, Birdie gave a smile at how perfect the conditions were for gathering materials and bundles of wood. "Mentioned tracking skills, do you live in the countryside?" She turned to Wolfie, a curious look upon her face.

@Wolfie

[Wolfie 0]

Wolfie winced when Birdie asked where he lives. Hesitantly he says “Yeah… You could say that.” He took a deep breath; his past began flooding his mind once more. “You have to push back” He thought to himself before he realized why this girl seemed so welcoming to him. He stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes empty and distant, as if he was in a different world. A look of terror on his face. He was immediately brought back to the beach. Watching that man, listening to Samantha scream at him. Remembering everything. Her words becoming louder and louder in his mind “Why? Why did you do this to me Shoreal? Why would you allow this to happen? Please make it stop!” He felt himself tensing, tightening. He saw her eyes drain of life, he re-watched it again. He listened to the man laugh over her dead body.

Wolfie was trembling at this point, he had moved his hands to his head. He began mumbling “No, No! that’s not true! Please, Please let her go!”

@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

"No, No!"

The woman turned in a panicked hurry, fear stricken across her face as Wolfie cried in unknown desperation. Her mind froze and she drew blanks for two moments; what should she do? Stand there and wait for the episode to pass, step away and defend herself? Who was he talking about? Questions surged through her mind though her body hadn't waited for answers, and Birdie stepped into his path in the blink of an eye. She put a hand to man's shoulder and held him, instilling caution in her actions before speaking up.

"Hey! What's wrong?" The peculiarity of the moment had caught up with her, and she was quick to realise how much attention had been drawn to them. She had no need to be discrete, though being a person of interest always made her nervous, and a fair few eyes were on them both now. "Let who go? What are you talking about?"

@Wolfie