F1-PP) Changing the job (Earning a living) (Jinx)

[Stryder 0]

Sky walks into the town of beginnings, groaning as he looks at all the merchants around. He needed to change his job.... Hei was already a better crafter then him with the tailor profession. They didn't need two tailors in the guild... He needed to change it to a merchant, something that could help everyone. He could sell there stuff, and be an option to buy potions for others.

Although he had this plan... He didn't want to, and couldn't, do it alone. He wanted someont to help him with it. Last itme he had done something like this alone he had gone crazy. He needed a companion to help him... well stay sane throughout this. He looked though his friends list, wondering who he could invite... Then he remembered Eatos, butt decided aganst it. She was probably busy running her blacksmithing shop. 

With a groan he roamed the streets, hoping to find someone.

[Jinx 0]

The blonde girl opened her crimson-red eyes. Where, was she? She looked around the alleyway, not remembering how she got where she was. She had been outside the town, in a storm. Then she'd been by a lake, with...with someone. Then she was here. She looked at her hand, and sighed. Was that stranger right, would even death be a worse fate? For months, the girl had managed to convince herself that if she was to be killed, she'd return to the real world. Even now, after being firmly told otherwise, the thought lingered within her mind. A desperate grasp onto anything, that would return her friends to her. 

She glanced down from her sitting position. At least, she had nice clothes. A plain neckless white shirt, black pants, nice pair of black shoes. Even her necklace, golden and lined, sat peacefully around her neck. If nothing else, she was alive. Back in the real world, she had always been described and beautifully cute, with her golden locks and red eyes, girlish face. She'd attracted massive numbers, not only as being one of the few professional girl gamers, but her looks had helped. 

She let out a sad snort "..Not like my eyes are helping me much anymore...or helped...the others..." Whenever her mind attempted to confroont the knowledge that her friends were dead, it would be deflected. With an emotional outpour or straight denial. She just wanted...to see them all again. She slumped her head back onto her knees, which were tucked up against her chest. 

[Stryder 0]

Sky really didn't find anyone he knew, or anyone who looked like they would be up for a quest of any kind. He sighed, wondering if he was out of luck. Normally, in a town like this, he would run into all kinds of people who needed help, or looked like they were down and out. Recently not so many... But his mind changed as he saw someone down an Ally. He heard barking, coming from something familiar, and as he turned he saw Silver, but behind her, he saw some sitting in an alley way... she looked really upset, and her head was tucked into her knee's. She looked like she had given up... He looked at Silver, who, for some reason, seemed to be walking towards this girl. He followed her, making sure to keep an eye on Silver, who was scared of everyone but Sky.... But maybe he wasn't scared because this girl was upset, and Silver knew how that felt... He didn't know.

Silver walked up to the girl, making sure Sky was behind her in case something happened, and when she knew she was safe she nuzzled the girls arm a little.

[Jinx 0]

Jinx stayed in place, cuddling her knees as she closed her crimson eyes. Was that stranger right? Hell, she'd forgotten his name already, the player killer from outside. He'd...saved, helped? She wasn't sure, but she could remember now. Her mind was clouded, but at least she knew...She just couldn't face....

The girl shook her head. No, she couldn't, wouldn't, think about it. Maybe...No, forgetting would be worse. They were her friends, her best friends. She would be hurt if they'd forgotten about her even if she was...

Her brain was forced off its depressive thoughts by feeling something touching her arms. She looked up and saw...a wolf? She frowned. What was a wolf doing here? She didn't react at all physically, her confusion being revealed on her face as she simply stared at the wolf with blood-shot eyes. She reached out with a hand to pet the wolf, stroking its head gently "W-would you forget, pretty wolf? Would you....suffer, or let go..?" She asked the pet, completely unaware of Stryder standing nearby as she scratched undernearth the wolfs chin, a dead look in her blood shot eyes. 

[Stryder 0]

Would you forget? She was asking Silver if she would forget? Or let go? Sky was a little... confused about what he was hearing from this girl, but was even more suprised as to why Silver was actually walking up to her. Normally, she would be shivering behind himself, but for some reason she was taking a liking to this girl. To him, that meant she was someone who held no hate at all... at least not yet. Silver had a good sense for it from what he could tell, she was always wary of danger, and if she wasn't this time, maybe this person wasn't bad... or maybe she just felt sorry for her, he didn't know.

Silver on the other hand, moved her head up a little, letting the girl pet and scratch her chin, trying to lick her face a little to show she was enjoying it, and from what Sky could tell, trying to cheer her up a little.

"You know... your the first person other then me she has actually ever walked up to without being scared of them" Sky said as he walked up a little closer, seeing the girls bloodshot eyes as he kneeled behind Silver, giving her back a little stroke before looking at Jinx. "Mind if i sit with you for a bit?"

[Jinx 0]

Jinx wasn’t sure why a wolf was here, but as the wolf leaned into her for affection, she realized. She didn’t care. Animals, she’d always loved them, and they’d usually always warmed up to her. She never did know why, but they did. She reached her arms out to hug the wolf properly, and even uncurled herself to see if the animal would want to sit on her lap for more petting.

“I just, I miss them. But, the stranger said I can’t be with them, that to join them, I’ll die for real…” She let out a sad sigh “I just…. Its…” Her voice died instantly upon hearing Stryder speak, and her eyes shot up. Crimson, bloodshot. And fulled with a mixture of fear and insanity. She would curl up my knees, assuming the wolf hadn’t sat down on them. But she didn’t say a word.  The wolf, she could talk to, it would listen. But a person, a person who might know who she was...No, she couldn't...speak to them. She had nearly fallen apart last time with the other outside the town, how...how would...she even explain why...she was alone. 

 

[Stryder 0]

She shut off the moment he appeared, and for some reason she seemed really... scared. When she curled up, Silver moved her head, looking a little upset at Jinx. Sky sat down next to her anyway, his clothing, well, more like his combat gear, but the style made it look like casual clothes, causing some dust to spray around as he hit the ground. He looked over at her, roughing up Silver's fur a little before Silver started licking at Jinx's hand, trying to get her attention.

"Sorry for disturbing you.... And i'm sorry for your loss... I haven't had to suffer the pain of losing anyone yet, so i can't really comfort you... I'm sorry..." He says, sighing before wondering how to approach this. It was a really delicate situation, and he needed to make sure he handled it right... 

"My name's Stryder, i'm the leader of a guild, who are you?"

[Jinx 0]

The girl looked right at the person, was he real, or yet another fragment of her mind? She wasn't sure, and took a deep breath as she felt the wolf try to get her attention. Finding more affection, the girl couldn't help herself. Animals always had made her happy. She reached out, uncurling herself slightly to pull the wolf onto her lap, half hugging it as she heard the person speak. 

Stryder....The girl looked him in the eyes properly, and froze like a deer in head lights. He looked, just like...She shook her head, it didn't matter what he looked like, even if he looked almost like Johnny. "I...I'm...." The girls voice died in her throat. She couldn't say it. She was, in part, ashamed. Here she was, a professional gamer...Maybe in a different genre but still a pro, and she could hardly string a sentence together. She let out a sigh "Does it matter?" She asked coldly before closing her eyes and stroking the wolfs head, whispering to the familiar "Pretty wolfy, is this, person, with you...?" 

[Stryder 0]

Sky noticed her not really wanting to talk to him, she was just staring at him for a bit before saying it didn't matter. He didn't question it, it was true. Who you are here is not who you might be in the real world... He wondered if she realized that. He looked at Silver, who this girl seemed to have all her attention on. Silver simply licked her, then shook her head as if saying 'yes' before continuing to move onto ther lap, essentially trying to sit on it so she couldn't curl up into a ball.

"Your right, it doesn't matter, who you might have been on the outside might not be who you are today... I guess what i meant to ask was, who do you want to be?" He asked, before deciding he should explain a little. "Obviously my real name isn't Stryder.... But i'm not the same person i was in the real world. Iv grown a bit, and now iv become someone else" He said to her, smiling. He wanted her to think she could grow... and become someone who wasn't who she was now, if she didn't like that person.

[Jinx 0]

Jinx cuddled up to the wolf, slowly wrapping her body around it as they placed themselves in her lap. It was comforting, to feel a living, breathing animal in her arms again. All the others just bite at her, it was nice to see, trapped in a game, they still liked her.

Hearing the person, the wolfs owner, speak. She let out a sigh, she knew she could tell him. Who cared who she was. Because she was a professional! And here she was, just…weak and useless. People would just move on, or would they judge her?

“Jinx…” she said to the wolf in her arms and lap “I go by Jinx, I was…a professional…before I got trapped and…” she cut herself off. She had accept the truth, but thinking about it left an ache in her chest. A whole that was left by the cutting of ten people, ten people she trusted. She missed so much it still, months after, kept her up at night.

“What’s your name wolfy?” she asked, knowing Stryder would reply, but she felt more comfortable speaking to the familiar. After all, animals didn’t judge her.

[Stryder 0]

Jinx... He didn't know the name, or the professional player. He didn't really care about it, even if he had known it before it. She didn't seem to interested in talking to him, decidign to talk to his wolf for now. Silver... She seemed a little distracted, she really needed something to help her right now, but he had no idea how to help her... But he knew she didn't feel like talking to him, she obviously was talking to his wolf, not to him. He decided to just answer her questions for a bit, and not ask his own.

"Her name is Silver Jinx, its nice to meet you, and if you were a professional, your not one i knew, i didn't pay attention to the pro's, i just played games for fun, and even now i do so" He says, smiling as he thought to himself about how he had made sure to enjoy life in this game.... He really was doing his absolute best, and he had found something to be happy and live for in this game... His guild and friends.

[Jinx 0]

Silver. The wolfs name was Silver. Jinx smiled, it was a perfect name for the wolf. It’s coat was a beautiful colour, she couldn’t help but run her fingers through it gently, lovingly. If there was ever a way into the girls heart, it was animals. They had always made her happy, partly for they always seemed to trust her and cuddled and played.

She heard the voice speak properly. It didn’t…know her professional career? A breath escaped her, relief. She liked that this person, who she was certain was real, didn’t know her, nor seem to care that her, a former professional, was so bad.

“She’s so pretty” she said calmly as she frowned. This was the calmest she’d been all day. Why? Why was that? She turned to face Stryder, a hesitation in the girls eyes as if this was the first time she had ever seen him, or more correctly, first time she had seen him as a person and not a figment of her imagination. “What do you want from me Stryder?” she asked softly, refusing to let the wolf go. Serving as a comfort for the blonde girl. 

[Stryder 0]

Sky smiled when she called his wolf pretty, it made Silver lick her a little to, obviously livking the complement. Although Jinx wasn't letting Silver go, she had no intention of going, happily laying in her lap, pushing herself into Jinx as much as she could so that she could both pin her down for her master, and keep her calm.

"What do i want from you? Well, honestly nothing. I just noticed someone looking like they needed some company, and Silver seemed to take a liking to you so i couldn't refuse coming here" He said, smiling at her. She was slowly coming to, zoning out of her own little world, and he wanted to keep it that way. He had a question or two from her.... And he was going to ask it, he just hoped she didn't take it the wrong way. 

"Is there anything you want from me?"He asks, wondering if she had any questions or anything.

[Jinx 0]

Jinx was slowly falling in love with this wolf, its affectionate nature was just adored by her and she smiled as it laid into her lap. The girls hand was careful, ensuring not to injure the wolf as she pet it. It was a precious creature in her mind, a return to normalty for her. It allowed her to forget, if for a bit, that Sword Art Online hadn’t stolen something precious from her.

Anything, she wanted from him? She looked at Silver, and let out a breath. Did it matter? Whatever he wanted from her, it didn’t honestly matter. She was pointless, she was alone. Her friends gone,…dead. Not gone, dead. She shuddered physically even thinking the word, god it was just a horrible thought to even have.

“I doubt it” she said before glancing down “Because I doubt you’ll let me keep Silver…” there was a pang of pain in her voice. In such a short time, she was in love with the animal. Her friends used to make fun of her for it, how quickly she would see an animal and just utterly fall in love with it, but it was in her nature. Despite it all, at least that hadn’t changed in her life.  

[Stryder 0]

She wasn't wrong, there was no way he was letting her keep Silver, she was his familiar... A creature he had bonded with, and won't lose that bond anytime soon. But, it did make him smile. He now knew a way he could help her, and it would only take a little bit of effort on his part, and some perseverance on her part. With a kind smile, he looked at her, Silver simply just nuzzling herself into the girl.

"Yeah, thats something i can't do.... But i could help you get your own familiar..... Your own companion to help you cope" He said, smiling. He wanted to help her, and so far Silver seemed to be the only thing keeping her..... Well talking to him. If it wasn't for Silver, he had a good feeling she would be zoning out and going into her own little world again, and if she was in that he had no way to actually help her at all...

[Jinx 0]

Her own…familiar? Jinx frowned, what was a familiar? And why was it, despite the name, such an unfamiliar word? Companion, however, made a lot more sense, and she hugged the wolf softly as she looked up at Stryder. Was this, really, her first steps? God it was terrifying to do them alone…

“Y-you’d…help me get me own, pet?” She asks softly, still refusing to move or part with his familiar, it still serving as a comfort. She had seemed to perk up a little, and rubbed her eyes “Divine, this has gotta look sad huh? Some professional I am, sitting here crying…” Despite that, she didn’t make any attempt to move. Was this who she was now? She wasn’t sure who she was anymore, but then…maybe she would have to learn? After all, her friends were…dead. The word still made the girl visible flinch, but she knew it was somewhat progress. She was no longer in denial?

“I presume that, finding a familiar, takes time…?” She asked, looking up at Stryder once again.  There was a lot about htis world she did, and didn't understand. Some aspects translated well game to game, others, less so. 

[Stryder 0]

"So what if your a professional, your only human. Not everyone can be brave... Not on there own... And from the look of it, you have been alone..." He said, sighing as he finished that. He knew he had just made a mistake with his wording, but it was to late to take it back. He knew where he could do the most good from her... Helping her find a familiar that she could slowly bond with, and hopefully, help herself get better.

"Of course i'l help you, and it can take some time, but i'm willing to stay with you until we get you a companion, and i get you both back to a safezone" He says with a smile, Silver trying to get some more attention from her when she stopped moving, trying to keep her as cheeful as she could, especially after noticing that Sky was getting through to her, licking up at her face trying to get some attention. 

 

[Jinx 0]

Even if this person, Stryder, validated her being human and pro as separate issues, she couldn’t. The life on stage constantly made sure you didn’t have such basic luxuries as privacy and a personal life. It was constantly on display for another to look at, to judge. Don’t win an event because you just got outplayed, and there was a 4 paragraph message explaining why you’re the worst player to ever play the game. For the girl, the split was a blur.

Still, at the promise of being able to find a familiar, Jinx smiled slightly. She laughed at the wolfs licking, partly because it was tickling her face and she petted the wolf some more “I’d…like that a lot, to have someone with me…Because you’re right, since this whole start. I’ve…I’ve been..alone” The word hurt, a lot. She wasn’t even sure why, she knew it, but facing the truth, just cut open her heart too much.

[Stryder 0]

Sky smiled, mentally thanking Silver. If it weren't for her, bringing Jinx back to this world so that he could talk to her, and her love for animals, then he wouldn't have been able to do anything to help this girl out. He didn't really know what to do next though, as shown last time he tried to help a friend he had hugged her and she hadn't really taken it well, despite it being him just trying to help, but he knew it wasn't a good idea to try, so he wasn't even about to. 

"Well, your not anymore" He said, opening his menu and swiping a friend request over to her. She was lonely, and the best thing in his mind to do was try and be, well, her friend to help her not be lonely. "I might not be here all the time, but if you ever need help i'l be here. So before long, you will have three people to keep you company, Me, Silver and your own companion" He says with a smile, hopign to try and remove some of her lonelyness. He said it with some energy, but made sure he wasn't over the top, just trying to keep the air a little light hearted so that they could improve her mood.

[Jinx 0]

The girl put her focus on the wolf, at least, was, until her menu had an odd noise. Frowning, the girl opened it and found a…request? A friend request. Out of nothing more than instinct, she closed the menu. Then she paused, and reopened it, actually reading the name. Stryder. The same as the boy. She accepted the request, and looked up at him.

“I…thank you Stryder. I, appreciate it” the words sounded, odd, but he was right. She did like the idea of a companion, even if it was an npc, to have something like this wolf, Silver, to be with her. She adored animals, to spend her time with them was a blessing. She cuddled up to the Wolfess tightly, before looking up, despite her face being placed on the wolfs back “So…why did you come to the first floor? Something tells me it wasn’t to find me”