[PP - F1] In The Beginning [Alkor, Steel, Kiluia] [Complete]

[Lessa 1]

As if in a trance, the young woman moved slowly down the street. Her blue eyes were wide, but they were cloudy, and unfocused. Anyone could tell that her mind was a million miles away. The last of her tears dried on her crimson cheeks, and her pale lips, normally curled into a grin, were drawn into a tight line. Every few moments, a shallow breath would catch in her throat, and her body would shake with a silent sob.

I am trapped.

It had been an hour since she had heard the news, and she was finally regaining control of her emotions. Admittedly, Lessa was a fairly emotional individual. But she had not been quite as shaken as this in a long while. And for good reason! How else could you handle the news that the video game was actually a prison - one which could easily take your life? But an hour of quiet walking, moving away from the anguished cries of the other scared players, was doing her good. She needed time to reflect on what had happened, and time to come up with a plan. She was never one to back down from a challenge. And this would be the greatest challenge that she ever faced.

The toe of her boot caught a crack in the walkway, jarring her out of her thoughts. It took her a moment to realize what she had tripped over, and when she finally understood, she fell to her knees. Her fingertips traced the crack in the stone, and the few tufts of grass that occupied the space. It felt so real. Lessa had learned that she was stuck in the game only moments after arriving. Truth be told, she had not yet had the time to inspect the wonders of the game, and feel just how real virtual reality really was.

She let out a soft peal of laughter. The sound surprised her, but it felt good. The world really was extraordinary - even in her panicked state, she could not deny that. Lessa stood again, brushing the bits of dirt from her hands, and brushing her blonde hair back from her face. It was true that she could not escape the world. But the woman also knew that she had to make the best of the bad situation. If her parents were there, that is what they would tell her. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, as if expelling the last of her pent-up emotion. Fresh start, she thought to herself. I have to live long enough to see them again.

[Guest]

"Hey," he asked as he watched the woman who appeared to have tripped chamber back to her feet and brush away dirt from her hands. "Are you alright?" It was a formality, of course- the pain that the virtual body experienced was never reflected by actual nerve receptors in the body (the wondrous creation of Kayaba Akihiko had introduced a buffering software that mitigated that reaction)- but it was customary to ask someone who had fallen nonetheless... wasn't it?

Also could never be sure with these kind of situations. It certainly felt like the right thing to say. He glanced up at her HP bar, eyes skimming over it to be sure she hadn't inadvertently taken damage. The entire premise of "dying in a game and for real" made him skittish of even the slightest of drops, his own or otherwise.

Then she was laughing, and Alkor cocked an eyebrow. I really hope I didn't stop for one of those crazies who throws themselves off the edge of the world, he thought to himself. Watching something like that happen was not on his "to-do" list on this or any other day. He reached up for his hair and scratched thoughtlessly, one of his old habits from a world he had started to wonder whether or not he would see again.

He wore basic, beginner's clothes except for his sword, which appeared to be just a bit better than one would start with. Both the boy's eyes were a pale brown, almost amber color that matched up well with his chestnut hair. Alkor wore his misgivings openly, clearly not a fan of being near someone else, let alone talking to them.

Still, he waited for her answer. It took him several moments to finally see what she had tripped over, and he blinked when he did. It made him want to laugh, but he relented. "The first few steps are the hardest ones," he said, looking off into the distance in a clear attempt not to match her gaze. His lips had pulled up in a smirk, and he meant for her not to see.

[Lessa 1]

"Hmm?" She murmured, turning to face the newcomer. "Oh, yes, I'm fine." I didn't trip, I was just looking at that crack. She thought better of telling him that, and instead offered him a soft smile. "I appreciate your concern though."

And just like that, Lessa was back in her element. Communicating with others was her greatest strength, and it did helped to relax her. This time was no different. Her gaze swept over the young man before her. His attire seemed to match hers, suggesting he was also a new player. His sword looked a bit different, but she did not know enough about the game's weapons to tell for sure. Truthfully, she did not know much about the game, period. She had a lot to learn.

She was drawn to his eyes, and the unique color of them. But as his gaze moved elsewhere, she understood that she was making him a bit uncomfortable. "Yes, that's what I'm learning," she replied gently. "And even harder now, what with the recent announcement..." Her voice trailed. There was no need for her to go on. Surely, he knew what she meant.

Silence hung between them, then she continued. "You look like you know what you are doing here." Whether or not he really did, she hoped her words would be taken as a compliment, and maybe raise his spirits a bit.

[Guest]

Perhaps the most interesting thing to be noted about Alkor as a person- beyond the facade of video game character- was that he was absolutely awful at talking to anyone. More than just talking, he was terrible with any type of social interaction. The game gave him an outlet, but after the aforementioned announcement, it had devolved into madness. This was little different than the real world, with the exception that it was far more dangerous.

When she commented that he knew what he was doing, the humor drained from his features. "Well enough, I guess," he responded. "Good enough to not die, at least." To him, that was a huge step in the right direction- not dying, that is. "It's not much," his voice lowered to almost muttering, "but I can show you a few things, if you like... maybe...

He looked around, as if to be sure no one else was watching. The odd thing was that he never looked directly at her, even though he was speaking to her. If it were a more pressing situation, or they were under duress, it might be different. Alkor had found himself a bit more assertive in dangerous times.

[Lessa 1]

Yes, he was very uncomfortable. That was clear now. Lessa knew from experience that she could not counter his shyness by being even more friendly - it simply did not work like that. More than likely, becoming more assertive would only make him more anxious. Instead, she withdrew slightly.

"If you have the time, that would be great," she replied softly, giving him a smile though she knew he would not look at her. "I have a lot to learn." She ran a hand through her hair, then shrugged slightly. "Nothing a bit of practice can't fix though." Then she gave a soft laugh. It was light-hearted enough, but bereft of any real humor. "Not dying would be a nice start." She hoped that saying the words jokingly would help to dampen the fear that accompanied them. It really didn't.

For the first time, she became aware of the other people milling about. It seemed that the large gathering in the center square was finally dispersing, and the shell-shocked players were finally moving on. There were things to do if they were to survive. They needed to carve our their place in the game - find their niche. What will my niche be? She found herself wondering. "I don't even know where to start," she muttered under her breath.

[Guest]

"Well," Alkor said as he tucked both hands behind his head and admired the digital sunset. The only constancy in this game was how utterly beautiful the aesthetics were. The mild breeze that swept over his hair beat it every which way, and he felt himself smile a bit. "The most important thing," he told her when he looked back at her and studied the way she looked for a moment, "is to not worry about it. You can't change it." His own kind gesture came in exchange for her attempt to lighten the mood. "Just focus on getting tougher."

He gestured toward her. "First, make sure you equip your weapon. It should be in your inventory when you open the menu. Once you do that, it can be used any time." Alkor drew his own weapon so she could see it; the bluish gray steel glinted a fierce orange in the sun's dying light. "You can't hurt anyone in a safe zone like this, so don't be afraid to look at your weapons or browse your inventory. Just be conscious of who's watching."

The young man sheathed his weapon and looked toward the field beyond. Somehow, he felt alright when teaching a player. It felt harmless, detached even. Once he was finished with that part of the tutorial, though, he did look away. "Once you're comfortable with those basics, I can introduce you to some low level combat with monsters... I mean... If you want."

Alkor had to be careful not to let his enthusiasm run away with him at times. He winced at how quickly he'd spoken, but shrugged it off. "I found that to be the best starting point. Just throwing myself into it."

[Lessa 1]

She was startled to feel his gaze on her, and she had to fight the urge to meet it. Instead, she dropped her eyes to his hands, watching him draw his weapon. He was beginning to open up a bit, which was nice to see. His excitement for the game was clearly improving his mood, and the enthusiasm was contagious. Despite the terrible truth of their situation, it was difficult not to feel the excitement she felt when she first put on the nerve gear.

It felt uncomfortable at first, cuing up her weapon. Waving about in midair felt forced, but she was thrilled when her menu appeared. It took only a moment of scrolling to find her sword. It was very basic, only a starting level weapon, but it felt great in her hand. She brought it up to eye-level, and admired how the edge of the blade gleamed in the sunset. The young woman was so immersed in studying the weapon, she missed the moment when he finally looked away from her.

"I agree." She was grinning when she looked up from her sword. "Throwing myself in is probably the best way, so long as the risk isn't too great. I'd rather not hurt myself too badly on day one." Then, she turned to look at the sky. It really was beautiful. The sunsets back at the farm had been stunning, but the views hardly compared to the things she was seeing here. I bet it is even more beautiful outside the main wall.

Then, she added, "but I'm sure you have things to do. Please, don't let me hold you up."

[Guest]

"Boars are the easiest," he mentioned, "wolves after that. Try to avoid groups of them until you get your level up a bit more. You still have fragile HP at level 1." That was the best advice he had to give her; it came as a bit of thanks for her offering to let him off the hook. "Erm," he said offhandedly, "if you want, I'll stick around just long enough for you to get a level or two in," he offered.

There was a slight heat in his cheeks when he spoke, as Alkor was terrible at offering help to anyone. Even more, he was uncertain of how much help he would be when it came down to it. "I... I'm not very good at... people," he said, his words not coming together as coherently as he would have liked. "But I do want to help."

That tore it. He had said it, and she could take him up on the offer or politely reject. Either way, he had done something good for someone. It marked the first time he had come remotely close to decent interaction since joining the game. Well... beyond one person he knew from the real world, who wasn't around just now.

After saying his piece, the youthful swordsman admired the beauty of the slowly growing night sky. Stars twinkled into their routine, moonlight shedding it's gentle glow over the world. In this false reality, it was the closest thing he came to those nights back home.

[Lessa 1]

He made her laugh. She hoped she did not offend him, but Lessa could not help it. Bad at people? It was a concept she had a hard time understanding, as she was a very outgoing person. The way he phrased it, and how genuinely he spoke to her... it was so raw. It was nice to hear someone speak that way to her, in this world full of strangers. With the rules of the games changed so dramatically, she knew that most people would only be looking out for themselves. It was a world that would eat the caring, naive young woman alive. She knew how important building bonds would be down the road. She would need all the help she could get if she expected to live long enough to see her farm again.

"That would be lovely," she responded. Slipping her sword into its sheath, she put her hands on her hips, tilted her head, and gave him a wink. "Though I suppose I should know the name of the man so graciously willing to help me out before I accept his offer."

[Guest]

"Ah!" He was startled by the realization that he hadn't given his name, yet it was a common mistake on his part. "Uh, my name..." he looked around for a moment, then recalled that his handle in SAO was different than his real name. He supposed that he'd strive to recall that for future instances of introduction. "Alkor," he said finally. "It's Alkor."

It was the name he had chosen long ago, the first time he'd been prompted to choose one in an RPG. Ever since, all the way up to Sword Art Online, his characters had been given the name. Stretching his back, he finally looked at her without worrying about whether or not she was looking back. It was then that he noticed she had very pretty blue eyes. He'd always liked blue eyes. That recognition drew his gaze off toward the sky again.

Her laughter didn't bother him; in fact, he had chuckled to himself when he heard her. What a strange girl, he thought, I hope she finds my help useful. He opened his menu with a quick slide of his fingers through the air, and he sent an offer for party to her.

[Steel 0]

Steel was jumping from roof to roof in the town, practicing his Acrobatics skill. After a bit of time, he noticed someone he knew. Hey, it's Alkor. He thought to himself before slipping and falling from the roof. "Wauggh!" He screamed before hitting the ground next to Alkor and the girl. "Thank goodness you don't lose health in towns." Steel said as he got back up with relief in his voice. "Hey Alkor, what's up? Also, who's your friend here?"

OOC: Lessa, you can answer that second question.

[Lessa 1]

"Pleasure to meet you, Alkor!" She chose to continue on as if he had never hesitated before giving his name. Drawing attention to that certainly would not make him feel more comfortable. And truthfully, if she had not chosen her real-life nick-name to be her handle, she probably would have had to think about it too. "I'm Lessa." It felt strange, introducing herself without the customary firm hand-shake. That was how they did things back home. Tradition was an intregal part of Lessa's lifestyle. Strange that a girl born out of a place like that could be as adaptable as she was. While she loved tradition, she saw change as a new challenge. This was one of those challenges.

Meeting his gaze for the first time was wonderful, as it gave her the oppertunity to study his eyes a bit more. They truly were an interesting shade. Her entire family had blue eyes, and most of the people around her did too. She was always fascinated by things like eye colors, facial features, and hair-styles. These were all things that made a person unique. And she found his eyes exceptionally fascinating.

When he finally added her to his party, she mirrored his movements, bringing up her menu, and accepting the invite. Then, she looked to him eagerly. "Do we start now?" She asked him, not minding too much if she sounded like an over-eager child.

Suddenly, a figure fell from above, and landed on the hard ground beside her. She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Lessa moved to ask him if he was alright, and help him up, but he spoke first. The second question seemed to be directed toward her, so she answered simply, "my name is Lessa."

[Steel 0]

"Don't worry I'm okay. Just slipped while I was jumping from roof to roof." Steel replied with a bit of a grin reassuring the girl who became startled and worried by his sudden appearance of falling from the sky. "I'm Steel by the way. Nice to meet you. I heard you were going hunting, mind if I join you guys? I don't have much else to do."

[Guest]

Alkor blinked as Steel hit the ground not too far from either of them. He knew the man, though not extremely well, from some group or another he had been a part of. If not for immediate recognition, he might have offered help. As it was, Alkor heaved a sigh and watched the man compose himself. "Steel, right?" He asked, not sure if that were the name to go with the face in front of him. In truth, he hadn't said much to any of them, except one or two people. Those people had all been part of a strategic meeting.

"It's good to meet you, Lessa," Alkor said finally, after the interruption had been quelled. The handshake had been a foreign concept, but he accepted it without any kind of distress. "We can start when you're ready." He forced his lips into a strangled smile, the best he could conjure.

It faded quickly when he turned to face the world beyond the wall. "We'll take a boar or two, first," he said. His face looked distant, thoughtful. "Get you comfortable with the game's system." His eyes slipped shut, and he fumbled with the hilt of his sword. "After that, you should be safe on your own, at least with monsters consistent with your level."

He glanced at Steel again. "You're welcome to come along, if there aren't any objections." Really, he had no qualms with another good sword. Though, he wasn't overly fond of company beyond that.

[Lessa 1]

Though she remained composed, Lessa did find herself a bit puzzled by what was unfolding in front of her. The newcomer, Steel, spoke as if the two were the best of friends. Alkor, however, regarded him as a mere acquaintance. She already knew that the latter was distant, but now she knew quite a bit more about this Steel character. He was more assertive. She, too, could be described as assertive, but she was a bit more delicate. She read a person before proceeding. Steel, it seemed, preferred to jump right in. Quite literally, in this case.

She gave him a nod, signaling that she was ready to move on now. The smile he gave her looked pained, and she knew that it was taking a lot of effort. Putting on a show like that was honorable in its own way, and she appreciated the trouble he was going through for her. Deep down, Lessa worried that she was truly inconveniencing him.

Even so, she recognized that this was her best chance when it came to learning the ropes. Here, she had an intelligent, willing young man offering to show her the way. And as for Steel, he seemed eager enough. She saw no reason not to invite him along. "The more, the merrier," she quipped when Alkor mentioned objections to Steel's company. But after she spoke, the weight of what Alkor had said just before that hit her. 'After that, you should be safe on your own.' The thought alone made her want to move closer to the men in her company. She knew doing so would be a terrible move, especially in Alkor's case, but she did not feel comfortable enough to venture out on her own yet. Even the idea of it sent goosebumps running up and down her bare arms.

"Lead the way," she told him finally, pushing her fear aside.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Azure eyes seemed distant as he had started traveling on the road. He had abandoned all thought process for the pass couple weeks and eventually had become a hermit. It was time to break out of the shell of a hermit and become a bit more active among the others. Being on the front lines had taken much out of the young man allowing him the first taste of battle. Silver hair blew in the slight wind as he moved at a good pace down the path. He didn't have much of a destination to go to nor did he have anything in mind really. Gaze was given around to several travelers walking and chatting.. he remembered those times.

Those sky orbs landed on the small group of players that seemed a bit more experienced than the rest of the travelers among them. He simply stood there as he hadn't seen these folks before. In fact, he hadn't seen much of anyone lately. After retiring from the front lines, he had been sitting around the church he was staying at just to stay there. He slowed his pace a bit before staring at the three people. To be polite, he gave a slight wave to them hoping to engage in some conversation. It was about time to say hello to the new ones of the world trying to survive, he thought.

"Hello." He gave a light smile to the rest of the group." Fine day isn't it?" He started off with a bit of small talk among the three. Of course it was a simple yet effective tactic to embrace the fellow man. Eventually, he stood there in his black vest tucked with his dagger tucked to his side.

[Guest]

With a curt nod, Alkor flipped open a party invitation for Steel, then struck off toward the field without waiting for the other player to accept. "Once we're out there," he said, "watch your back. Monsters can pop up out of nowhere."

In a deft motion, Alkor drew his blade and walked with it at his side. It would be much safer for him to keep ready, if only so that the others wouldn't have to. "I'm not geared or specialized for Tanking," he said plainly, "so we're not going to fight any mobs with difficult to manage power. Not today, anyway. There's nothing to worry about."

He didn't look at her directly, but her mannerisms alone were enough to tell him she needed to be reassured. Lessa had gotten closer when he'd said something, and he didn't think she'd done it intentionally. She knew how skittish he was about that sort of thing, if only a surface knowledge. "As far as the dangerous stuff goes," he glanced back at her with a smirk, "face it later."

It was then that a silver haired man with striking eyes greeted them. Alkor glanced at the man with his own, intense amber gaze and tilted his head. Something about this man bespoke a quiet confidence. It almost seemed unnerving, yet at the same time, he seemed uncharacteristically gentle. "Hello," Alkor said offhand, not wanting to step on toes with someone he was unsure of.

[Steel 0]

Steel accepted the party request and followed after them. "Well, if we're just going to be fighting boars, I'll tank then. I think it's better to let Lessa here get some experience." He then noticed the girl in question appeared to be scared about something. From his memories, he recognized it as being scared of being alone. He then decided to cheer her up. "You're scared about being alone right?" Steel whispered to her as the group continued to walk on. "I can't blame you, even I sometimes get scared of going out into the fields by myself. Just thought I'd let you know that if you ever need someone to be with you in the fields, I'll be available." He said this with a grin, wanting to let the girl know that she won't be alone. "I bet there will be other people out there willing to adventure with you too."

[Lessa 1]

There's nothing to worry about.

The words were simple enough, and Alkor probably put little thought into them. But they were exactly what Lessa needed to hear. She gave a small sigh, then nodded, as if to clear her mind for the task at hand. Again, she drew her own weapon, and fell into stride along-side her new acquaintance.

Before she knew it, there was a forth individual in their little group. His tone was friendly, but Lessa regarded him with a bit of hesitation. He looked tired, even rugged. She could tell that he was far more experienced than herself, even without knowledge of what his items and weapons were. This man had seen a lot. That could mean one of two things. Either he would be eager to pass on his knowledge, or he would be tired of newbies like her. The latter could mean real trouble down the line. But she returned his smile, and gave him a nod.

While she was thinking about the newcomer, Steel moved up beside her. She slowed her step slightly, demonstrating that she was aware of his presence, and ready to listen to what he had to say. His words, like Alkor's, worked wonders to calm her nerves. "Thank you for the offer," was her genuine reply. She really did appreciate his help, and the thought that there were others to help her was very comforting.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He gazed upon the few around him. The first to respond was the man. He gave a slight wave before speaking to him." I would suggest you all go somewhere a bit secluded as opposed to the open here. " He glanced around quickly with his ocular vision turned on for support. He was studying the other travelers movements for any orange bars that might entail a grizzly end for the small bunch. He noticed that the woman had given him a greeting as well and he responded with a smile.

He had caught some of their conversation about a tank and he spoke to them. " If you'd like.. I would lend my shield and abilities if you plan on going on deeper." He had a tendency to go and support fellow players. In fact, most had blossomed into fine warriors. Without a moments notice , he opened up his menu adding any skills he needed to help assist the group if they were to accept his offer.

It was true with the looks in their eyes. He had seen a bit much and was a bit tired from the circumstances. But seeing how the people he depended on disappeared one by one, he would invoke whatever will power he had left to start over. He took a deep breath and looked upon them with his azure orbs behind those silver framed lenses.