[PP-F4] Foot prints in the snow

[Midnight_Lace 0]

Fourth Floor - Starting Town - 1:35pm

Dallas shivered as she stepped out of the portal and into the frozen town. This was not what she had been expecting, Not like this anyways. Someone had mentioned the floor was cold, no, chilly was the word they had used, but not this. Her breath hung in the air as she looked about, shielding her already shrouded eyes from the glare of light reflected by the pristine snow. She let out a low sigh as she scurried along, her feet crunching beneath the whiteness, as she looked for the local tavern. Taverns were her first stop. Always the first. From there she could get herself oriented, and figure out what she could do here. 

People moved around her as she slipped along the roads of the town. All were dressed much warmer than herself, and many cast her off glances as she passed, no doubt wondering why she would come here dressed so lightly. Perhaps a cloak was needed, nothing fancy, just something to fight the cold. She made a mental note to ask about clothing once she got to the tavern and warmed up. Aside from the stares, she noticed that this floor seemed much more populated than the first floor had been. It was no secret that people were moving up to higher floors as they become unlocked and more money became available, and it seemed that in spite of the cold, this floor was no exception.

Perhaps in its own way, it was nice, its frosted windows, and snow-covered trees had a charm to them. Like the old swiss villa's she had read about in school. While she had never seen anything like them before, she imagined this is what she had read about. 

It didn't take long for Dallas to find the tavern and she slipped in without a wasted moment. Instantly she was bombarded with a warmth that seemed to comfort her as she stood in the doorway still shivering off the effects of the cold. The tavern wasn't overly busy at the moment, and it even appeared that a few of the patrons were NPC's programmed to be here for the atmosphere. But there were still a few real people, some eating, some sharing drinks, and even a couple sitting by a cozy looking fire. Maybe she would introduce herself. That was something players did right? But there was a way to do it, she couldn't just announce herself, that wouldn't do her any good.

She decided it would be easier to start with one person, a young man sitting alone. He would be perfect. She moved quickly, seating herself beside him. Dallas opened her mouth and closed it quickly realized that she didn't know what to say. 

 

[Dustin 0]

Dustin drinks alone in the tavern. It had other people there and normally Dustin wouldn’t mind talking to a complete stranger for no reason. But today was different. Today Dustin was sitting in the tavern by his lonesome, drinking with a broken sword in his hand. It was his brother’s sword. The sword he had carried with him since he watched his brother get murdered all those nights ago. The player had visited the monument of life today, and wept there. He then payed a visit to a tavern on the fourth floor, his brother’s favorite floor.

Dustin had cheered up when he set his cup down, having finished his last drink. Right after he set his drink down, a player sits next to him and he says. “I have no idea why you picked that chair, but you have my attention.” He turns to her, makes eye contact then instantly blushes. I wasn’t expecting a girl. His mind begins to race, thinking of all the stupid things he could possibly say, when he utters, “The name’s DawnBringer, and this is my sword, Dustin... wait.” He says, obviously flustered. He was normally so composed around women, but she had caught him off guard, so he had no idea what to say or do. But that’s never stopped him from talking before. “Let’s try that again, I’m Dustin, and this is my sword, DawnBringer.” He corrects himself. The player’s mind had finally settled, so he seems a lot more calm than a few minutes before.

@Midnight_Lace

[Midnight_Lace 0]

Dallas raised an eye as the young man spoke. He seemed flustered, confused even. Was it the result of his drink? She didn't think beverages could actually get a player drunk, at least she had heard many others complain that they "couldn't even get a buzz" as they had put it. She remembered that topics similar to that had been the source of many frustrated rants. So many people had wanted nothing more than to drown their despair at the bottom of a brew. 

The young man had introduced himself as Dawnbringer, and mentioned that his sword was named Dustin. That was Odd. Not so much his name, after all, she had seen all manner of screen names in two years, and Dawnbringer was tame in comparison to some of the others. But the fact that he had named his sword Dustin. Before she could say anything he corrected himself, His name was Dustin and his sword was Dawnbringer. That made more sense, if not at the least being a little anticlimactic. Now as she looked at him through the fabric of her blindfold she was suddenly made aware of something. His sword was broken. What was that about? Why carry around a damaged item? How did it get damaged? Was it a quest item?

Her mind began to race with questions as she imagined this man Dustin. A noble warrior on a quest to restore the broken fragments of a weapon long since lost to the ebb of time. Nothing would sway him from his quest until he had reforged the broken blade, making him king of some long forgotten kingdom. Dallas paused a moment now, a small smile on her lips. That was just silly. Clearly she had read the lord of the rings one too many times. 

"Dustin. It's a pleasure." She held out her dainty gloved hand to him as she spoke. "Call me Lace." She spoke thoughtfully with a sweet undertone, much like someone who was entirely too innocent. "Today is my first time here..." She stopped a moment before correcting herself. "First time anywhere actually."

@Dustin

[Dustin 0]

“Lace huh? It’s pretty name, is it Spanish?” He asks, chuckling as he finishes his question. He was used to screen names, but none as elegant yet boring as Lace. His name was just his own, but hers was a fabric, not even a cool one. “You must be pretty skilled with a blade to purposefully put yourself at a disadvantage like that, blindfolding yourself.” He stands up and bows. “What brings you here, m’lady?” He asks, trying to sound knightly. It was obviously a joke, but Dustin did want to seem like a knight before she saw him for real. Even though he’s a defined average sized 6’ man, he doesn’t look like a knight, he looks more like a teen boy who played sports. Which he never did, his body was toned through hunting with a sword in the real world, where the rules were pretty much the same, but it was just his skill. The boy’s cloak comes off revealing a blue sweatshirt and tan pants. His sword on his back, he puts the broken sword in his inventory. “Want a drink?” He asks sitting back down. He waves to the waiter and smiles at the girl, “anything you want, it’s on me.” He says. He begins to realize how flirty he sounds in saying this and begins to blush. He didn’t want her getting the wrong idea from him.

@Midnight_Lace

[Midnight_Lace 0]

 

She chuckled gently as he probed into her name. "Sorry, I should be more clear. Midnight Lace is my name. But most call me Lace to save time." That statement was partly true. Most people would call her Lace if most people knew who she was. The double-edged sword of her existence here. She had stayed alone for most of the time. As a means of survival, it seemed like a bold decision to avoid making friends, but it had its uses. No one was leading her on quests and getting her killed. So there was that. But the other side of it was that she was now driven from her own safety by the loneliness she had strived for. 

Next, the obvious question of her blindfold came up. He had assumed her to be a gifted fighter, like the blind Samurai perhaps. In truth, nothing could be further from the truth. She was still a novice, barely managing to score a few kills on her own. "Err. Not quite. It's sort of a long story, but I'm much more comfortable with my vision obscured." She wasn't sure how much info to share with her new acquaintance. After all, he could be a PKer looking to score an easy kill. But then again... Somehow she doubted it. While her vision was obscured, she could see enough through the fabric to determine that Dustin was not an orange player, which did put her a little at ease.

She looked down for a moment before Dustin removed his cloak. As her shrouded gaze lifted back to look at him she could tell he was much more casually dressed than she was. He certainly seemed to be warmer dressed, to say the least. At that moment she was suddenly reminded of the chill outside and instinctively inched further from the door and closer to the fire, which brought her closer to Dustin, if only slightly.

She smiled as he offered to get her a drink. It was a nice gesture and just a little flirty. Not a bad thing though, such interactions were nice, and something she had not had in a while. "If you're sure. I don't want to impose. But if it's not too much trouble I would love something warm. It seems I did not prepare properly for this floor, and I may have a little bit of a chill." She crossed her arms in front of her to hold in the precious little warmth she had left as it threatened to leave her entirely. Perhaps she was being a little overdramatic now, but the cold was not her most favorite thing. Not when she wasn't dressed for it at least.

"So Dustin, Wielder of Dawnbringer. What brings you to a frosty place like this?" She asked with a smile.

@Dustin

Edited September 18, 2018 by Midnight_Lace

[Dustin 0]

Dustin orders a hot coco and a coffee. “I actually hate this floor. My least favorite of the 22 floors I’ve been to. But, it was my brother’s favorite floor, so I visit this floor quite often.” The boy pulls up his cloak and offers it to her. “It’s not the best when it comes to warmth, but I’m assuming it’s better than what you have in now.” He holds the cloak out and smiles. He was freezing in the tavern, he was just hoping the girl didn’t realize he was cold and decline the offer. The boy was trying to be like a knight, so he’s always a gentleman, unless the situation demands otherwise. “Your hair is beautiful.” His face turns to the coffee as he takes his first drink. The coffee was black, because he didn’t drink it for the taste. He liked it that way anyways, weird, but tasty. He hands her the coco, and laughs. “Careful not to burn yourself.” He warns her, so she didn’t drop the expensive cup. His eyes pan to the blindfold and he can’t help but stare. His mind begins to race, thinking of all the possibilities. His mind stops, and moves back to Kadin. “Did you have siblings in the real world?” He asks, his voice in a more serious tone. It was almost an entirely new person. His outgoing and open nature replaced by a recluse. He pulls his hood up and keeps drinking.

@Midnight_Lace

[Midnight_Lace 0]

Dallas Frowned as he mentioned that he hated the floor. However, when he explained it had been his brother's favorite floor she deduced that he had lost someone dear to him. It made sense in its own way. He was here as a tribute. Paying respects to someone close to him. She had wanted to say something to this, respond in some way to show empathy, but she had not been close to anyone here who had passed. In fact, she hadn't experienced death in any sort of way. Instead, she turned her head to the floor, shivering in silence for a few moments before Dustin stood up and placed his cloak over her shoulders. 

Dallas looked up at him, as best as she could with her blindfold on, and smiled. "Thank you... I... But won't you be cold?" It was an exceptionally kind gesture, to her it was more than the drink he had ordered for her. It was like something she would have heard about in one of those sappy romantic movies, the kind where the guy offers his jacket to the girl. It was sweet and compassionate, and very much appreciated. She offered a quick smile and pulled it tightly around herself, hiding her body from view and trapping her warmth underneath it. 

When he mentioned her hair she smiled and raised her hand to it, as if she were brushing it into place better than it already was. "Thank you... It's silly. Before I put on the nerve gear I had finished bleaching it. I was going to add a color to it in the real world. Blue or pink or something. I'm actually naturally a strawberry blond. As she spoke the drinks arrived and he was quick to hand her a hot coco with a gentle warning to be careful. She smiled and response and took a sip, enjoying the warm flavor that to her tasted identical to its real-world counterpart.

"I actually have three brothers. They are all older than me by several years though. They are pretty protective of me, and I'm sure they would be looking out for me if they were here. But I'm the only one in SAO. They are back home in Boston I imagine." She had often thought of her family, but up until now she hadn't actually thought about where they were. Had they even come to Japan to see her? Was she still in Japan even? There was no way to know. Dallas took another sip of her drink. "Your brother... He was here?" She asked as her tone lowered.

@Dustin 

[Dustin 0]

“My brother told me about the game when we were home alone. He was going to log in with my mom, but my mom decided to let me play that day. I’m a better at swordplay then my mom was, so I guess it was for the better, but she still let Kadin in.” The boys voice began to shake. “Kadin was the best lancer I had ever seen. His skills with a sword were unmatched. But then we got ambushed in the forest. The player we were helping that day was a PKer. He killed my brother with the help of his friends and ran off.” His eyes let out a few tears. “I should’ve known. I wasn’t strong enough to even hurt the player who killed him. I fought off the other players, and say next to Kadin as he died.” He clenches his fist and slams it into the table. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bum such a pretty lady out.” His voice still shaking a bit. Dustin usually told no one about what he was going through, but once one person got the truth, he couldn’t help it. The boy blushed after realizing he called her pretty and turns to his coffee, this player seemed to distract him from his sorrows, so he wanted to be as nice to her as possible.

@Midnight_Lace