[PP-F1] Virtual Days (Koumori)

[Starrine 0]

Starrine watched as Koumori walked out in a much more calm manner, pausing as she spoke. As he rolled up his sleeves and walked towards her, she grinned along with him, nodding once. "Big snowman, it is!" She agreed with a giggle, getting on her knees and patting some snow into a ball. Making sure to pack it tight, she repeated the process, packing snow around the little ball until it was too big to continue. She then began rolling it in the snow, making layers around it, then patting them down, and then did it again. Sure enough, she soon had a large ball of snow. Although, it had been quite the strenuous, long activity. Wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, she pushed the bottom of the snowman into a good spot. "Look good?" She asked, hands on her hips as she examined her work; a nice, sphere shaped ball of snow.

[Koumori 0]

It had been decided that we'd be making a large snowman. Starrine joined me on the ground and began packing the snow into a little ball. Through her gloved fingers she continued to add snow until she was ready to roll it around. She was so engrossed in her work that she totally lost track of me. I had a slight jump on her so I was already rolling mine while she was still patting, but as I continued I rolled it quite a distance away, collecting as much snow as I could. I pushed the ever growing ball in a huge circle around where she was sitting, still oblivious to my actions. I had to stop every once in a while to pat it down and round it out but it was certainly taking a good shape. As I continued I noticed Starrine was nearing completion on hers so I rolled my ball back to where she was kneeling. As I approached she stood up and asked me what I thought, brimming with excitement. I felt sorry id have to put stage her. I was standing behind her when I spoke, "For the torso maybe" I said almost sarcastically. When she turned to look at me she would see what I meant. My snowball was so large that it reached over halfway up my chest to the point that I could lean on it as you would on someone's shoulder, which I was doing. In the real world I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this by myself but in the game our strength was augmented to a degree. I wasn't leveled up nearly enough for this difference to be great but it was enough to make this ball. I was proud of my efforts. I stood smiling awaiting her response. 

[Starrine 0]

Starrine turned around, and looked a bit shocked at the size of his snowball. ".. Woah." She exhaled, eyes wide as she put a hand on her own snowball. Her's was still a little bit too small to be a torso, and so she turned around, beginning to push it around more. "It's gotta be bigger, then," she laughed, obviously entertained with the fact that his snow ball was ginormous. Shivering a bit as she worked on her piece for a little longer, Starrine finally stood, pleased with the size. Picking up the rather large ball of snow with quite a bit of effort, she gently set it on top of the huge work that was Koumori's. Exhaling a relieved sigh and rolling her shoulders, she spluttered in laughter. "I thought I was going to drop it."

Starrine pulled up her menu, and after a moment of scrolling, she pulled out two bottles of water. Handing one to Koumori, she finished off her own. "Much better," she giggled. Stepping back and examining the 2/3 done snowman, she bit her lip in thought. "Hmm.. You finish up the head, I'll be right back!" She said with a grin, having come up with an idea. Starrine dashed off in the direction of the teleporter, holding her dress as she ran so that it wouldn't fly upwards in the breeze.

[Koumori 0]

Starrine was quite surprised by the size of my snowball, but she wasn't dismayed. Realizing she'd have to step up her game, she started on the task of making her own snowman piece bigger. Once she was sat satisfied with the size I watched as she gingerly placed it on top of mine. She struggled a little but I thought it best to let her do it herself, let her keep her excitement. After her Breuer work out she brought up her menu and materialized two bottles of water. I graciously accepted the one she handed to me as I was parched. After a brief break she spun around to examine our work in progress so I did the same. A perplex look appeared on her face before being quickly replaced by one of revelation. She told me to finish up the head while she ran to get something. Before I had time to ask her she ran back to the teleport gate. Oh well. I got back down on my knees and began forming the head. In no time at all I got it to a size I was comfortable with and reached on the tips of my toes to get it on top of the torso. It looked amazing, it was totally huge. But it was missing something. Just as I was finishing adjusting the head I heard Starrine approach from behind me. 

[Starrine 0]

Starrine returned with multiple objects in her arms, pleased to see that he'd finished the snow part of the snowman while she was gone. "It looks perfect!" She said with a grin, gently setting the things on the ground. "Well.. almost." With her breath leaving puffs of moisture in the air, she picked up two large branches, and gently nudged them into the torso, making sure not to crack and demolish the packed snow. Afterwards, she picked up little black rocks, pushing them into the snowman's chest for little buttons.

She stood on her tiptoes trying to push a carrot into the head for a nose, and black rocks for eyes, but wasn't tall enough to do so. "Ah.. Would you mind?" She asked, holding the objects towards Koumori with a smile. Her hands were freezing, and it was quite clear that she'd been digging around the teleporter for the little rocks. She'd found the branches below a pine tree near it, as well.

[Koumori 0]

Starrine came running back with her hands full of materials. As she got closer I could see that she had been gathering stuff to decorate our snow man with. Good thinking, that's exactly what we were missing. She enthusiastically stabbed two sticks in its sides and lines its torso with black rocks. However, she couldn't reach the head and deferred to me for assistance. I happily took the carrot and rocks in my hands and finished off our snowman's face. I stepped back to examine our work once more. It was the best snowman I had ever seen. We really had done a good job. It's too bad it wouldn't stay there forever. Oh wait, maybe it could. "Hey Starrine, I just remembered you can take pictures in here. How about it" Now it was my turn to show some childish glee. It was really fun doing all this. 

[Starrine 0]

Starrine peered up, eyes following Koumori as he reached up to decorate the snowman's face. She stared up at their huge work of 'art' and sighed happily. It looked perfect; this was the best snowman she'd ever seen; well, not including the ones real artists made in the real world. She tucked her hands into the folds of her dress, attempting to warm them up somewhat in the fabric. Starrine glanced up at him as he spoke, and she tilted her head. "Really? I'd love to!" She said with a bright grin, straightening herself up and stepping over near the snowman. "How do you do it?" She asked, lifting her brows and lifting her arms in a confused shrug; she'd heard something about picture taking before, but never really looked into it. She assumed Koumori knew how, since he'd mentioned it.

[Koumori 0]

(I remember reading in the light novels that it was possible to take pictures, but I completely forget how so I'll just make something up)

Starrine seemed to be in agreement to the picture idea. I thought she would, who wouldn't want to remember such an amazing snowman. However, she didn't know how to do it so she left it up to me to figure it out. I swiped the air with my left hand, the air freezing it as I did so, and brought up the menu. I stood there for a minute using my nearly frost bitten fingers to search around in the menus for the option I was looking for, Starrine patiently waiting. Once I found it I selected it and watched it as it appeared, SAOs camera. It looked a lot like the audio message recorder. It was a small metallic grey diamond with only one indicator light flashing on the front. It flew up into the air and hovered in front of me. With the camera ready I walked over to the snowman, there my right arm around it, and stuck up the peace sign with my left. "You too" I gestured for Starrine to come over. "Just say start timer when you're ready"

[Starrine 0]

[[ Ohh, I see! o: I only read a few chapters of the light novels, so I'm not sure, haha. ]]

Starrine fiddled around with her hands as she waited for him to pull the camera up, occasionally glancing at him to see if he'd gotten it. Once the little diamond appeared, he moved into his place, doing the traditional peace sign. She nodded as he gestured her over, and trotted over, leaving behind footprints in the newly fallen snow. As she smiled and held up a peace sign as well, she took a deep breath. "Alright.. Start timer!" The girl said with only a moment's hesitation. The picture snapped with an audible click after a few seconds, and she puffed a breath into the chilling air. "Done!" She said with a light grin, walking back over to see the picture.

As she looked at the picture, she giggled a bit. Looking up rather shyly at Koumori, she pulled on the brim of her dress. Glancing up to meet his gaze, and then quickly looking back down, she wrapped the fabric around one of her fingers, not covered by the fingerless gloves. "Ah.. um, thank you for spending today with me, Koumori. I'm really, really happy that you talked to me today." She said, smiling with an unusual amount of genuine sincerity. You could tell just by looking at her that she was honestly happy; tired, yes, but really happy. She coughed, and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "You're really nice, y'know?" Just then, she had an idea. With two fingers, she pulled up her menu, and opened up the friends tab and sent a request.

Alert

Become friends with Starrine?

O yes          X no

[Koumori 0]

Starrine quickly hurried over and took her place at the other side of the snowman. She mimicked my pose and initiate the count down. After a few seconds the camera made a signature clicking sounds, signifying the picture had been taken. I abandoned my pose and opened up the picture for us to see, Starrine seemed happy with it. But suddenly her demeanor changed. She started gripping her shirt and averting eye contact. Something must've come to her mind that made her feel uncomfortable. As she stood there continuing to fidget she sheepishly thanked me for spending time with her. "No problem. I really had fun" I replied, smiling down at her. I could see her genuine smile and I could tell she truly meant what she said. I was glad that I was able to make her day better, I'd hate for someone to have to remain alone like that on their birthday. Well, id prefer to be alone but that's not the point. Starrine wasn't done yet though. She scratched the back of her head and complemented me. "Am I? No I'm not that great" I said with a laugh. Suddenly an alert appeared before me: a friend request. Hmm, what a surprise. She must've been really grateful. This would be only my second friend so far in SAO after Glory. I reached out my finger and pressed the blue accept button, officially becoming friends with Starrine. I threw her the thumbs up and said "Let's go get something to eat. I'm sure there's an NPC place here. First meal as friends"

[Starrine 0]

She watched him smile and say he had fun; then proceeded to say that he wasn't that great. She shook her head, and laughed a bit, returning to her original self quickly. "That's what you think," she said with a little grin, and then spun around, her back to him. She'd spent the past few years alone at home with her brother on her birthday, so even if she was in this death game, it was.. better. Stretching her hands out behind her back, she nodded. "Oh, right! We passed a little restaurant on the way here; I saw it while I was looking for the snowman's arms," she laughed. "I'm not sure what they sell there, but it looked like it wasn't expensive. C'mon, I'll show you!" Starrine said, making a gesture for him to follow her. Starrine walked ahead, making sure that Koumori kept up with her. Finally pausing in front of a little quaint looking cabin, she peered at the sign on the wall. "This is the place," she said, pulling open the door for him, this time. Even standing on the other side of the door, she immediately felt the heat of the little building rush out into the cold, evening air.

[Koumori 0]

"If you say so" I said lightly. I didn't think I'd done anything to deserve her praise, just stuff anyone would've done, but I didn't want to ruin anything by disagreeing with her. The slightly timid Starrine I had noticed earlier reverted back to her normal self and jumped at the idea of getting something to eat. I listened as she told me about a resturaunt she saw when we were walking earlier. Without giving me time to respond, she began walking in that direction while looking over her shoulder to make sure I followed. The resturaunt we finally came up on was nothing more than a small cabin. It looked like a nice and cozy little place. Starrine held the door for me as I walked in to be greeted by a wall of warm air. Immediately I started to feel better as the heat and crackling fire rejuvenated my cold body. Inside the resturaunt there were only a few tables, and only a fewer number were occupied. I looked around and selected a table before sitting down before gesturing for Starrine to do the same. The place really was nice, and very thematic. Without much delay a waiter should appear. 

Edited August 11, 2015 by Koumori

[Starrine 0]

"This place is really cozy, huh?" She asked as she followed in, her amber eyes scanning the surrounding area with interest. Starrine followed him to the table, and sank onto the set across from him. Snuggling down into the cushioned seat, she rubbed her arms as they heated up. It wasn't stiflingly warm, but nice enough that when you walked in, you immediately began to loose the cold from the outside. Starrine glanced up at Koumori, and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.

"Hello, what can I get you?" The NPC waitress asked, handing them two little booklets, which Starrine guessed were menus. She opened up her own, and after a few moments of scanning the pages, Starrine glanced up. "Uh.. I'll just have some spicy curry," she said with a smile, handing her menu back to the NPC. She enjoyed spicy food, and it was one of the cheapest things in there, as well. "Alright, and you, sir?" Both girls turned to look at Koumori.

[Koumori 0]

The NPC waitress appeared very quickly. She came to our table and handed us each a small booklet while greeting us. I took the menu and glanced over the contents. It looked like, in keeping with the theme, most of the items were eastern dishes with only a few Japanese plates relegated to the bottom. Usually I'd go for the curry like Starrine was but I felt like something different. After looking over my options I finally came to a decision. I unburied my head from the menu to see both women staring at me. Yikes. After faltering for a second I tilted my head up to the waitress and gave my order. "The roasted ham with mashed potatoes, but lose the string beans." I may have seemed like a kid with that string bean comment but I really did hate them. They well like little green sticks of pure vomit inducing horror. The less I had to deal with them the better. The waitress dutifully wrote down our orders and vanished as quickly as she arrived, leaving Starrine and myself to ourselves once more. I decided I should start a conversation, and there was already an obvious topic. "If you could get one wish for your birthday what would it be. And don't say going back to the real world, that's cheating" I added with a grin. 

[Starrine 0]

Starrine watched patiently as he looked through the menu, and looked up to give his order, with only a bit of hesitance. Leaning back in her set as the waitress left, she set her hands on her lap. "No string beans, eh? I feel the same way," she said, making a grossed-out face, and then giggling. Twirling a piece of her hair in her hand, she tilted her head, listening intently as he spoke again. "Hmm.." She glanced out the window as it snowed, thinking for a moment. She looked a bit dull as he mentioned the second thing about cheating, and lifted her hand to her necklace, feeling the gem in the middle.

".. I want to make something of my time here. I feel like.. I'm searching for something.. no, anything real in this world. I just want to find that thing," She replied, a distant look on her face as she stared out of the window. As if realizing what she just said, she blushed in embarrassment, turning her head to look at him once more. "Ahh, um.." She blinked, rather lost for words at she stared at her hands, now resting in her lap again.

[Koumori 0]

Starrine seemed to echo my comment about string beans by making a gagging face as she leaned back in her chair. She started playing with her hair again, I wondered what the reason for that was. She brought her attention back to me as I asked her what her one wish would be. When she answered back she had a kind of blank look in her eyes. No. More like a look of yearning. She really did harbor deep thoughts about her time here. I found myself in agreement with what she said, although she acted like she had said something embarrassing. I too wanted to find something in this world. Something that would prevent this time from being empty, from being a waste. "I feel the same way. I don't know what that thing is yet though. It could be something simple or it could be life changing. As long as it prevents our time here from being a waste. Of course it's not my birthday so I can't make that wish...yet" I found myself staring out the same window she was looking out. From in here, through that foggy window, the snow was gray.

(sorry I'll be away for a little bit. I should be back in two hours though)

Edited August 11, 2015 by Koumori

[Starrine 0]

Though Starrine didn't look it, she actually kept deep thoughts locked away deep inside; she didn't often speak on them, however, making her seem like a childish, arrogant girl. Especially since she came to this world, she found herself thinking more and more about, well, just everything in general. The first few days in this game were just a lonely, cold place. During that time she'd decided to do her best to get out, but.. Once she got out, what would happen? Would these days all disappear? She didn't want that to happen, but.. She slowly reached out a hand, touching the window's cold glass. "I get scared when I'm alone.." she admitted in a quiet voice. "I think.. if I die alone, will anyone remember me? How long will it take for someone to notice that I'm not around anymore..?" Starrine whispered, gripping her hands together tightly.

She turned to Koumori, her eyes shiny. "I.. I really, really don't want to die, Koumori.." She whispered, her voice cracking a bit. "I bet our bodies are somewhere in a hospital, rotting away. What if we.." She couldn't bring herself to say it. She bit her bottom lip to force herself to stay calm, and focused too hard on the empty table. Taking a deep breath, she slowly looked back up, a single tear rolling down her right cheek. "I'm really happy I got to spend today with you."

[[ Take your time! uvu ]]

[Koumori 0]

Uh oh, things were getting deep. Before I knew it, Starrine had completely changed. She wasn't her jovial self. She was being overwhelmed by fear and despair. She said how she didn't want to be alone. How if she died no one would notice, no one would remember her. She was hurting on the deepest level. All the feelings she had probably kept inside, masked were all flowing out. Tears started to form in her amber eyes as she began to actually speak the word. She didn't want to die. I knew I had to do something. I knew I couldn't just let this girl go through all of this in front of me. But I had to comfort her somehow. I didn't want to give her any wrong ideas though. I contemplated the feelings, if any, I had for Glory and what was going on between her and eye. No that shouldn't matter. It was more important to comfort this girl right now. I wouldn't say anything to her about it and just act how I normally would. I leaned over the table and grabbed both of her hands in mine and looked her straight in the eyes, "Starrine, you won't die. I promise to you that you won't die. And you're not alone here. If you need me I'll be there for you, just like I was today. You don't have to cry" I kept position, waiting for her response. 

(I didn't want to add that Glory thing but she and I were talking about stuff happening so I just wanted Koumori to be thinking about that. But who knows what'll happen really haha...or maybe I'm just bad at reading situations lol)

Edited August 12, 2015 by Koumori

[Starrine 0]

Starrine held her breath, obviously in mental pain. She quickly wiped away the tear that had managed to streak its way down her cheek, and gulped, embarrassed that she'd allowed herself to cry in front of him. And that she'd spouted out all of her thoughts at the time; how careless. He was probably uncomfortable now; she mentally scolded herself and closed her eyes, trying to regain her footing on her personality. But it hurt; coming to terms with all of those thoughts was difficult, and she knew she'd never be able to truly overcome them.

As he grabbed her hands, her eyes shot open, and she almost immediately broke again; forcing back a hiccup, she felt her eyes grow watery again. She let out a stifled sob as he spoke, and nodded, trying her best to calm herself down. Pink-cheeked and teary, she swallowed thickly, and slowly pulled her hands away from him. Rubbing her eyes, she smiled softly, brokenly, holding herself in a fragile manner. Exhaling a deep breath, she finally met his gaze again, making sure she was fully composed before she started speaking again. "I.. think you just proved.. my point, about you being nicer than you know.." She took another deep breath, trying to keep her composure as she continued speaking, "Thank you for being here.. and comforting me. I feel a lot better now.." Starrine said slowly, exhausted now, not only from her outbreak of emotions, but from earlier's events, as well. Being near this boy was.. strange; oddly comforting, but painful in a way. "Hey.. don't die, okay? If you're here, I think.. someday I can find the reason I'm looking for."

[[ Pffhaha, I see! >v< Don't worry, I don't mind setting up Starrine for some heartbreak. c:< ]]

[Koumori 0]

Starrine was startled when I grabbed her hands. She looked like she could break down again at any moment as I spoke, but I knew she was listening to me. Despite the look on her face, that look that made it seem like her heart was going to burst, I could tell that what I was saying was helping. Eventually she pulled her hands away and began rubbing her face. She did her best to compose herself and spoke once more. She told me again about how nice I was and thanked me for being there. It seemed like my actions were really working. The girl was calming herself down so I rested a little. But that's when it hit me: I was totally holding her hands...for a long time. As soon as that thought crossed my mind my face was taken over by red. Oh man and it was right when she started looking at me too. I'd never held hands with a girl like that so I was honestly flustered. I hoped she didn't see me blushing, even though I could see she did. What was I doing? Why was I acting like this girl liked me or something. It would be totally conceited for me to be thinking like that. There was no way, I wasn't that great. But I also started thinking about Glory, what was going on there? Oh man my head was spinning. I was turning into a mess recently. Before I could continue my thoughts I was interrupted by Starrine. She said she didn't want to die. That she might be able to find that thing, if she was with me. Gulp. Okay, time to regain my cool. "I won't die, I promise. And if I can, I'll help you find that thing. Man I'm sure making a lot of promises to you huh?" Just as I finished our food was arriving. Ugh. I was supposed to be the cool and collected hero!!

(Great that's perfect! It'll be so hilarious to see Koumori try to deal with two potentially competing girls! Of course in the end it'll be sad, but the journey could be classic anime antics haha)

Edited August 12, 2015 by Koumori