Sword Art Online Rp~ (Luna and Overly)

[Castello]

Sword Art Online

Your life was probably going normally, you had job, you had loved ones and you either lived in happiness or in sadness. However upon receiving the game you had hyped up for many months, that was all about to change.


You quickly put on the game system and experienced something you have never felt before, a different world that felt so genuine it was as if you were on a foreign planet. You enjoyed your first hours, like everyone did, it was as enthralling as a roller coaster ride, minus the terror. However in an unexpected turn of events the developers lock you within its boundaries and now you are a mouse in a trap, waiting to either die off or break free with your tail dismembered. It's not like other games were you can just respawn, or restart, no, this is as real as a video game gets.


In this game, if you die within the game, you die in real life.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Time: 6:46 P.M, 3 hours after release


Place: Town of Beginnings:


The town is now more of a desert Oasis. Along it's sandy streets are many water fountains that travellers can snatch a drink from, if they can avoid authorities. The buildings are all made out of sandstone and it has an ancient Egyptian feel to it. In the fog of ones eyes, sandy mountains can be seen, but other than that it is a flat dessert, with palm trees here and there. But rumours tell of great ancient ruins and pyramids with great goods for the ones who explore them.





~Volke~

​

It was a quiet day here in The town of beginnings, the wind blew softly and the sounds of birds chirping could lightly be heard through the ears. It was a good change from the city life, which Volke had grown so tired of. Here there were no cars, no pollution in fact, not that he was an environmentalist or anything, but it was nice to finally breath clean feeling air. Whether it be simulated or not.


He had just gotten back from training and decided it was best to pay attention to the world around him, he seemed to enjoy this way more than the actual fighting, but that could be because he was rather poor at it, actually very poor at it. He was never the type in games to go up to people, like a wrestler and spam the attack button to annihilate them in seconds. Instead he preferred the shadows and concealed weapons like knives and daggers, they just felt better. He was like that before and he still remains the same, just now it's as if it was truly him fighting these beasts, like skeletons and wild hyena's.




*Clink!*




*Clank!*





In a near distance he could hear the colliding of weapons. It seems people were really serious about doing well in this game, they were really missing out on the finer parts of this world, but that was just his opinion. It wasn't like he could reach into their brain and pull out their thoughts like a ballet card.


Slowly, but surely his eyes began to close, after this nap he would log off, his mother might begin to worry if he stay on too long. Atleast now it wasn't bad for his eyes.
​

 

[Sythril]

| S c a r l e t t e |

​

From the center of the Town of Beginnings, the specific place where the girl could have sworn she was first spawned in as a player, the red-haired girl stood. It's been quite a while since she had first logged in--perhaps already a few hours? She wasn't really sure--and surely enough, she had gotten used to the game's systems and mechanics, thanks to those helpful players from earlier, and some kind of booklet she bought from an NPC, for no actual amount of money needed. It was free! Oh, how she loved free items. Not that she didn't like the feeling of earning things for herself.


Sword Art Online--this game--is her first one. And despite the unique yet refreshing setting, she fell in love with the game ever since she had first stepped onto it. If she remembered correctly, this was the same spot where she jumped and screamed in victory. I'm finally here!





She decided that she'd do that again. Scarlette, the Salamander, didn't jump and scream like a hyper maniac this time. She had finally gained her composure, so all that she did was close her eyes and inhale the beautiful atmosphere. She exhaled, just as enthusiastic and amazed. She didn't think anyone could get enough of the game, much less this specific experience and glorious event in time--one in millions. It had been already several minutes since she looked around and gazed happily at pretty much everything from this view, so she detached herself from that place and started walking towards the market district.


She observed the different NPCs and stalls which contained just as much as items and anything that could be sold, basically. While it was true that what they sold were nothing compared to enemy drops and loot and custom-made items, there were still the essential basic things that a beginner like her probably needed. Like, potions, for example. Scarlette bought a few of those, just to aid her future training sessions. She was, despite being skilled in combat, a very reckless fighter. Though, most of the time, to her surprise, she does end up being successful.


There was also one thing about searching around the different places in Sword Art Online. Despite this being only the first floor, some kind of getting-used to for beginners and grinding sessions and exploring for beta-testers and the brave new players (which she was part of), every corner of the game wasn't to be missed. Aside from the fact that the game is too awesome for her to miss even a pixel of it, she had no doubt that there were mysteries and hidden events, quests, NPCs, and items in the game that Scarlette was more than determined to find.





She reached one of the dead ends of the alleys, located in one of the countless streets of the Town of Beginnings. None was to be found. "I guess it takes lots of luck for that," she sighed. In search of another hidden item, NPC, or anything of the sort, she continued to look and walk around. She bothered not to ask for directions, because that was how she is. Scarlette only relied on her instincts, and Fate, which she very much believed in.

 

[Castello]

~Volke~

​

Upon falling into sleep, Volke soon heard, lightly, a presence approach him. It wasn't out to kill him or anything, but it caused him to slowly open his left eye and peer at who was coming towards him. Once he properly woke up he realized it was just a blue haired girl he began to lightly nudge the tip of her blade in the side of his cheek. He opened both his eyes and began to gaze at her confused like.





"What the hell are you doing?" A random girl asked with a curious stare. "This game is amazing~! There is so much to do and you would just waste it on sleeping?" She continued in a curious tone to match her glare.


Volke let out a slight sigh and slowly got up from his sitting stance and looked her right in the eye. It was easy since she was about the same size of him, just a little taller. She was putting her hands on his hips as if she was some sort of VIP, this sort of got on the nerves of Volke, that she would come out of nowhere and act as if she owned the place. Without a word said she did some weird things with her hands and opened up the menu, she was going to something that seemed to deal with partying. What was this strange girl up to? He had a pretty good prediction and he was already saying no inside his mind.





"You. Me. Party. Now. I can't have you sleeping on the job when there is so much loot for us to get! It's decided, you will be my servant now, yes what an excellent idea!" She exclaimed and stuck her blade in the dirt, so that she could probably have two free hands.





"Wait... what?" Volke exerted, he had no clue what was going on.





"Just join." She said, holding out her menu





"Bu-"


'Join." She interupted. Volke looked to her, he really wanted to smack her but he reluctantly reached his hand over and began to pluck in his username with his left hand. This obviously riled up the spirits of the girl as she looked pretty happy.





"Good, now lets go get you a weapon. I can't have you using that bronze piece of shit." She proclaimed and dragged him by the hand to the nearest market place. He was really confused, how on earth did she know what weapon he was using?





"Oh yeah, I'm Valerie!" She intorduced and looked back to him with a smile. Volke paused a moment, he really didn't like this girl but he sighed and reached out his hand. "The name's Volke." He said and shook her incoming hand. "Pleasure to meetcha, my lawful servant Volke!" She happily said and once again, began to drag him by the hand, even though he was fully capabale walking without the 'assistance'.

 

[Sythril]

| S c a r l e t t e |

​

Several minutes, but still, she found nothing.


"Dammit!" She sprinted to the next alley she found. The floating orbs of light around illuminated the paths she took dimly, as they were focused on letting most players freely roam the streets at night. She could tell that beyond the darkness of this back alley was nothing she needed, though she still checked for anything she could find. The most special thing she found so far was a yellow floral pin which gave no enhancement. She took it, of course, in hopes of it being a successful lucky charm of some sort. She didn't think anyone would come back to get it anyway, if it did belong to a player.





Who would even go back to those dark places?, Scarlette thought as she walked around, towards anywhere else Fate may bring her. "Okay, maybe me," she said to herself, chuckling afterwards. She was lucky that there weren't too much players around to hear her talking to herself. Well, she would do this all the time. All it took was the right timing, which she was unconscious to as much as speaking to herself in public was. It felt like an hour already passed, though, what made the player feel like that was only the lack of the discovery of mysterious and interesting things.


After more running around like either a crazy or overly-excited person, Scarlette let her pace slow. She figured (finally!) that maybe, trying to look and running around aimlessly would do her no harm. It just occurred that finding these hidden things in-game were actually a challenge. She didn't bother to think about the calculations that she may have to make in order to achieve such things. She was never the logical kind. But, this did her a little frustrated. "Aaaaaaah!," she screamed, not too loudly, but enough to get the attention of NPCs and players.


That was how bad she wanted to uncover Sword Art Online's secrets.


But the feisty girl she was, the negativity only lasted for a very short while. "But I won't give up!," she said in determination, and out of the blue, decided to run towards the training fields once more. It was night, yet there were many things she wanted to try in terms of combat, and well, anything else she could find. She knew that more surprises would be served to her by this game if she looked hard enough. I'll start here, Scarlette thought, running towards the middle of one of the training fields. That's where most players laid off now, because that's exactly where enemies cooped up and sometimes, spawned. I'll start with me.





Bravery was her thing. And so was recklessness.


But sometimes, they would go so great together, if you were someone like Scarlette.


The Salamander, with a dagger gripped comfortably yet alertly at one hand, ran to a Frenzy Cactus (and trust her when she says she prefers seeing the small plants for cacti) and jumped over it to give it's green body a full slash. She didn't think while doing so. She just absorbed the fun and let the thrill, and the game's systems, take over her. One by one, those Frenzy Cacti rushed to her with their legs, which were as deadly, prickly, and large as its arms. Ignoring the cuts that soon showed as red pixel wounds on her body, Scarlette hit, and killed, and if you were watching her, her sudden spark that was now visible to all other players who were near her would make the Frenzy Cacti's names an understatement.





"HA!," the girl whose HP was reaching three-fourths exhaled. One could almost detect all the mixed emotions stirring in her, if they looked well enough though her agile build and actions. Before anything else, I'll start with myself!, she thought while flipping her dagger mid-air and taking it by its hilt at the right time, stabbing it right through a Cactus that looked too small to be one of those Frenzy Cacti from earlier. Oh, she thought, pausing for a while as she watched the smaller cactus disintegrating upon being killed by her. Is it a baby?, she wondered. In games like these, she didn't doubt that the smaller ones were the offspring. It was kind of an automatic way of thinking for her now.





Congratulations!, came the message into her vision. It was the first one she glanced at after what she had just done. And despite the looming other Frenzy Cactus which seemed to be more enraged than ever, Scarlette stared at the item she had just received from the Venial Cactus.


"...No way."





(I got into the mood again! Sorry if it's too long. c: I'll tone it down next time~)

 

[Castello]

~Volke~

​

In about five minutes of unrequited dragging, the pair finally arrived at the market area. There were NPC's and plenty of players like them. It was almost like rush hour in the real world. While moving through the crowd he could hear many grumbles as Valerie passed them, she obviously had no requite when it came to ploughing through people, because she did it mercilessly so.


After about another three minutes of barging through bodies they finally arrived at the black smith. It was made out of stone and had a smell of burning and iron emitting from it.





"Well, here we are~!" Valerie announced and looked up at the sign, which read: 'John's Black Smith.'





"You know, I don't think any weapon will make me any more competent, I kind of, well suck at this game." Volke admitted and stuck his hands into his pocket.





"Well, we can't have that can we?" She replied. "Well I am sure you'll get better with me as an example!" She continued and dragged him into the store whilst screaming. "Good day travellers!"





The weapons were stacked upon each other there seemed to be plenty of each. Valerie seemed to anxious to find him a weapons and began to shove any weapon look like it could work. The first one she offered was an axe, but upon holding it his arms almost broke off trying to keep the weapon up. She then tried other weapons but with each new weapon her expression grew ever more disappointed. Finally she shoved a small steel dagger into his palms and a satisfied smile grew onto Volke's face. His plan worked.





"Perfect." He said and spun the dagger in his hands.





"I would've preffered a cool weapon, bah you're boring!" She scoffed and reluctantly paid for the weapon and the pair headed outside the store.

 

[Sythril]

S c a r l e t t e

​

The red-haired girl subconsciously knew that she had to act soon. The hoard of Frenzy Cacti, which seemed to be angrier than they were earlier. Instead of just scampering clumsily towards Scarlette, their one target, now they seemed to be bathing in fury. Their black beady yet highly-pixelated eyes were now gleaming red. To add, the pins stuck all around their plant-like flesh were longer. And as they shone in the available light sources around, she could tell that those were sharper than they once were.





"Since when did training grounds have these?!," Scarlette exclaimed, making a huge step backwards to prevent having her health any lower. There were about seven more enemies, and before her sight got blocked by more Insane Cacti (yes, that was their name now, and even she was quite baffled by it), she watched as a few scurried off to the other nearby players. "Hey!," she said, but it wasn't like the enemies would be there to listen to her. "You're my fight!" Some players attacked back and some just ran off in confusion. But she knew that she had to do something about this too.


Clutching the newly-acquired rare item in her hand, Scarlette immediately put it in her inventory and unsheathed the simple dagger that she'd been using ever since earlier. It could wait. It was hard to do so, but the questions and confusions could wait, she knew. With another step back, she leaped slightly and stabbed her weapon through one enemy. It only took half its health, despite her focus and strength in this attack. So she made sure to slash through its head again, and watched it disappear in her triumph.


It was easy, the next few ones. They all were programmed similarly. Even though Scarlette wasn't so aware of these kinds of things, she was already unconsciously getting more and more used to the actions of these virtual monsters. They weren't so dangerous or scary as anyone else would think anymore. With the hint of serious determination in her eyes, Scarlette did not hesitate to defeat them. She even managed to help the other players who were having a hard time. But of course, when she was finished, and when all traces of those Cacti were gone, and when players just stared or talked about her in a low whisper but in sheer admiration, she was already quite tired.


Maybe not just quite. She was very tired.





"Fatigue really is... a thing here," The Salamander laughed--a little bit more like an exhale of relief--before feeling her body fall to the ground. She didn't care if her health was already in the red zone. She could only muster enough strength to kneel, and not let herself collapse, anyway. Scarlette spent the few minutes trying to regain her breath, composure, and somehow, also her sanity. What just happened, she wasn't sure of. But as she slowly stood and walked towards the safer parts in town, she knew that she would get her answers soon enough.

 

[Castello]

After wandering around town for about 5 minutes they stopped at a relatively quiet part of town. "Why are we stopping?" Volke asked, he thought they were heading on a quest or something. Perhaps maybe something important, but now it was beginning to look like a waste of his time.


"Well... I was thinking maybe we would recruit another member. A cute girl, your not exactly the most friendly looking person. If I didn't know you I'd say you wanted to rob me and pillage my body. We need someone friendly looking, like me to make us more appear cute and friendly!" She honestly exclaimed and without mind of how loud she was screaming her words. The people around her probably all heard what she said, Volke had a big urge to hit her as hard in the head as possible, but then again, she did buy him a weapon. Perhaps he would let her go this time.


"Yea..." Volke sighed and rolled his eyes. Valerie made things atleast somewhat interesting... and embarrassing.


"Oh! Watch those eyes! We don't need your bad attitude here." She scolded and grabbed him by the hand and began to pull him along. It wasn't even slightly romantic. It was if she was pulling him by a long line of metal chains, with a whip.


"Well why on earth are we walking in the quiet places then! Wouldn't there be more cute girls in the rush zone?" He questioned only to be slapped thoroughly, for a reason he was not entirely sure.


"Quiet fool!" She yelled, but then her demeanor shifted and she began to look more vulnerable. "I like to spend my time with quiet people, I hate obnoxious people. They are always so mean, that's why you are still on my team... because you seem like an okay guy..." She sorrowed with a red face, but soon her old demeanor returned and once again it was back to being pulled. The only thought Volke could think was, 'Hypocrite.' But he wouldn't say it out loud, perhaps she had issues in real life or something? Anyway, he did appreciate her compliment and he tried to pull off a smile that wasn't artificial seeming. But he wasn't angry anymore, contempt like he was under the tree.

 

[Sythril]

S c a r l e t t e

​

She was grateful for the fact that the other players didn't seem to see her health bar, or name, but only a female Salamander, slowly walking the streets of the first floor in a but seemingly-tired way. Perhaps none of them could even deduce the fact that all she wanted was to find the nearest resting place. An inn, perhaps. That--and the thought of a comfortable bed and room to stay in for a while--was good enough for the girl. With a smile on her face that still proved how the fatigue that had just struck barely mattered to her excitement and other emotions, Scarlette continued to walk, her shadow following her as slowly as she moved.


The streets weren't as crowded as earlier in the morning, compared to earlier when players first logged in. Though there were quite an active amount of players still (probably the beta testers and hard-workers, Scarlette figured), the majority probably remained in other places to finally rest in. It was getting late, and to be honest, Scarlette might've not slept if the fatigue wasn't a thing in this game. "Oh well," she muttered softly, words under her breath. The red-haired girl was still happy about the fact that she learned the basic things about this game, if not everything that someone like her should already realize. Items, levels, knowledge... they were enough to make the smallest disappointments disappear.





It never occurred to Scarlette, the need to log out of the game. In reality, she was already so immersed with the wonder of this virtual reality game that she nearly fully forgot who she really was. But of course, the thoughts of real life hung on thin threads and lines at the recesses of her mind. Maybe even unconsciously, she was thinking about it, but not as much as someone who really knew what was going on would. Either way, Scarlette was but a player among thousands now, living this life that she knew she wouldn't ever regret living. I'm not going to get to real life today, she decided with a faint hum. It's just some hours... Plus, I want to sleep on a bed in this game!


As she slowly walked and marveled at the illuminations guiding her to wherever, Scarlette felt her whole existence calm. Yet once again, her goal--of finding some place to--stay faded. For now, she just wanted to walk again--all the random streets and directions she went to didn't matter, neither did the looks shot at her either intentionally or not. The darkness of the night that loomed at every tick and tock of the clock was beautiful instead of intimidating. "This is why I love games," she told no one in particular, with a little smile that no one might have ever seen her have. Everyone around knew her for such a cheerful and bright personality. But this feeling seemed too serene that even her mood changed to something a little lighter.


She scrolled through her inventory in search of the perfect food to celebrate this night with.

 

[Castello]

The two stood upon a hill observing the passerby's until the dusk fell upon the pair. "Okay this is-" Volke tried to say, but was quickly interrupted. "Shhh, you'll give away our position." Valerie interrupted and lightly pressed her finger over the mouth of Volke and went back to looking through binoculars that actually were just her hands, in the shape of the object. It probably didn't do anything at all.





Finally after a little more waiting the exasperating one, Valerie, finally gleefully shrieked, sort of like a crow. At the hearing of the sound, Volke's heart skipped a beat and all sensations of drowsiness were a past feeling. "What is it!?" Volke blurted only to have Valerie's finger once again hover over his mouth, it was her hypocritical way of telling him to shut up. He should just smack her hard next time she speaks... that would teach her. "Whisper, she might hear us." Valerie softly spoke as a smile grew on her face. Volke followed her gaze and met eyes with a crimson haired girl. She was kind of cute, kind of like his mother, just much younger. "Well I'm sure she has already heard us. You did scream like a banshee..." Volke whispered back only to have zero response in Valerie's physique. Instead she said this:





"Let's kidnap her!"





Volke was speechless, at a lost for words. That was the single most stupidest thing he had ever heard come off a mouth of any kind. "You must be... Joking right? Why don't we just ask her...?" Volke quietly inquired. Valerie shook her head quickly and reached for Volke's hand. "Hell no we aren't doing it that way! Kidnapping's more fun, maybe she'll get Stockholm syndrome and fall in love with you. Oh~ how romantic."


Valerie blabbered and began to pull him to a near by bush, on ground level. "Okay, I'll distract her, then you take this bag and shove it over her head, 'kay?" Valerie plotted, and without a moments haste, walked out the bushes as if there was side walk behind her and ran up to the girl.





"Hello, oh my god you are super cute!" She squealed and reached for Scarlette's hands, with a blushed smile on her face. "Tell me, what are the secrets to your sweet body?" She said observing each and every part of her body, touching to 'elaborate' her feelings.





Slowly creeping up behind her was Volke, with a very unrequited look in contrast to Valerie's. His footsteps were silent, and he couldn't believe he was doing this. But he had to admit, he had never kidnapped someone before.


*Swoosh*

 

[Sythril]

S c a r l e t t e



​

"Here!," she said with a smile. Her finger hovered over one of the few choices of food that she could eat tonight. There were some certain food and items that she decided to just randomly buy (but hey, the NPCs and players said that they were edible enough). Though, in the end, she chose to eat this unrefined, black bread. Well, it was horrible-looking already, and any kind of player would choose anything else in her inventory than just that. But with a curious yet mischievous smile on her face, Scarlette brought it closer.


It seemed normal enough for her. She hoped that all the rumors that have been spread about this kind of bread worth just one cheap Col, like how it can kill players, NPCs and even monsters. And some even said that it was actually the real enemy in the whole game. But though she honestly partly believed (and took part in being terrified in such stories), she wanted to bravely spend this night as the most memorable one. "Here goes nothing..." she mumbled, sitting on one of the benches in the plaza-like place before attempting to eat it.


But she exclaimed before that. "Wah, how could I forget!," she summoned her inventory again, immediately pressing one thing that she knew would help her in her adventure with this piece of bread. It was good that no one was around to witness her do such things, though she wouldn't even get embarrassed if it happened around anyone else. Challenges, adventures, accidents... they were all what made a life just more and more interesting. A small pot floated a little above her lap. Inside it, if she was not mistaken, was some cream that would make any kind of bread or food taste better.


She believed in such a rumor too.





But yer once again, before she could do anything, she felt someone nearby. Scarlette looked up and saw a girl in front of her. She seemed to be interested in her body more than the food, so that left the red-haired girl in wonder. "S-Secrets?," Scarlette asked, twitching sometimes with the sensations her 'sweet body' was feeling sometimes when touched by the stranger. Even until now, the small black bread was in her grasp. She would, sooner or later, eat it, so as she stood to actually have responses for the blue-haired girl, Scarlette dismissed her food back to the inventory for now.


"Hello to you too!," she nodded with this determined smile on her face. She was more than happy to actually see another new player, and she seemed like a good companion for the night. But she was surprised that such a player would get near her just to compliment her. Scarlette was, one way or another, baffled yet still quite curious. "I don't really do anything though..." She actually thought deeply about what to tell the other player. There have also been some people in real life who asked this.


All she did was play and eat and sleep and sometimes live normally. But aside from that, there was nothing else to say for an explanation. Maybe genetics? Her mother did have a nice physique, just like a model's. She was still trying to avoid those hands of the other girl, despite having only a few to no tickle spots.





She didn't notice the next player who approached.


"W-What?!" Darkness enveloped her. And she didn't exactly like that. In not more than a second, she managed to unsheathe her dagger and stab the cloth-like cage once. "Are you all right?!," she asked the girl whom she was with earlier. If she was alone, with no one to care about this night, she might have been panicking more than asking if one stranger she trusted was all right.

 

[Castello]

"Great job Volke! You snatched her right up, you know, you're pretty good at this kidnapping thing. Are you actually a kidnapper in real life?" She jested and began to run away about ten meters but stopped and turned back. "Wellll, what are you waiting for? Come one we have treasure to obtain!" She exclaimed gleefully, jumping up to show it.


"But what about the girl...?" Volke questioned and looked to the bag he tied over her face, feeling slightly ashamed. "Bring her along of course! What are you, stupid." She shot back and awaited Volke with her hands placed on her hips.


He looked to the girl at reluctantly picked her up in a cradling hold, so tight she would have a tough time skirming out. "I-I'm sorry for this." He whispered to her and made his way over to Valerie. "Great, okay let's make our way to this ruin. I have set up a quest for us." She informed and began to walk. Volke looked to Valerie's back and sighed and began to follow her trail, completely unsure on what was going to happen.





About another hour later, which was probably a bad time for the captive, they arrived at a huge pyramid. It was hard to sort out all of the minor details since it was dark, with no street lights, but it was a spectacular sight, real or not.





"Set her down." Valerie and asked as Volke complied and untied Scarlette's covers.


"Well hello there again! Look's like you'll be working for me now!"

 

[Sythril]

For a matter of what seemed to be millenia, the red-haired girl was in a state of confusion, wonder, and other similar emotions. She needed answers for majority of the situation, but in her mind, her thoughts were swift, running water. Answers formed slowly, one by one. She had successfully created a cut at the bag around her head, by the area between her eyes, but her next attempt to slice through the fabric with her dagger failed.





A whisper from outside the bag was all she heard well. For what? she wondered.





And she had her answer.


She definitely had not expected to be carried. She thought that there would be ransom demands or a fight or whatever (her mind worked in rampant ways), but she really did not expect to be carried.





"WH-WHAT?! L-Let me go!" Now, thought it seemed like it, Scarlette wasn't mad (she never was, really), but it would be a lie to say that she wasn't panicking. The player did her best to shake and squirm off such the tight grip on her, only to fail, and even have her dagger--her hope--fall out of hers. That was a fail in itself, If not for the bag that let the darkness invade her sight (which was, something she didn't like at all), anyone might have seen the embarrassed look on her face. She no longer had a weapon, and she was even cradled like a baby, a bride, or both. What was there to not be ashamed of?





She only focused on her breathing, which was in a silent, but uneven, rough pattern. She had lost track of time, but not her curiosity. For several minutes she still tried to get out, and after then she finally gave up. After gaining her bearings, which was still hard to do, she let out a short breath--some kind of sigh. There must be some kind of explanation for this...


"Set her down."


If she was still in a berserk-panicking mode, Scarlette may have ran around the place in circles, screaming and wondering just what was going on. It was a good thing that it wasn't the case. When she was out of the covers, she caught her breath and nearly stared at the familiar player in disbelief. Scarlette was hungry, and tired, but she was baffled by such a surprising way of... Wait, she thought. this was some kind of party invitation?


It must be. It was the only explanation, and she took that. An amused grin was planted on her face. She didn't see the point of what just happened, but she just decided to go with it. She was able to face her captor behind her too, which was a fellow Salamander. No wonder he was able to contain such a firecracker like her. He looked like he could surpass Scarlette's strength anytime, but the next time that was to be tested, she would give more than her best to prove otherwise.


After all, this was Sword Art Online! The weirdest and most daring of things were what appealed Scarlette most, too.





"Well, hello." She said casually, scratching a part of her head. "Working for..." She seemed lost in thought before responding. "I guess I am~"





And just like that, she was back to her same self, only a hungry version.

 

[Castello]

Valerie let out a satisfied smile. "I'm glad you were easy. You wouldn't imagine how much of a pain this guy was." Valerie said motioning back to Volke, who's eyes were now rolling from the entire situation. "Yeah rig-" Volke said, but was quickly interrupted. "Anway, I got to go do some things, I'll back in a jiffy!" Valerie exclaimed and made her way behind Scarlette, undoing the ties that kept her in place.





"You two don't have too much fun, alright!" She playfully scolded and wandered off to god knows where.





Volke looked back to Scarlette, who was somehow in a good looking mood. "I've only known her for a couple of hours and it feels like she's my mother, or some abusive girlfriend...." Volke slowly admitted with a slight chuckle and knelt against the pyramid walls near Scarlette. "Anyway, the name's Volke... what's yours?" Volke politely asked and looked around to see where Valerie was headed. It should be easy to see where she went, since around them was just the sandy plains. But somehow, like a phantom, she was lost like the wind. Volke wanted to lightly curse, but he knew she would be back soon, he could tell Valerie wasn't the one to lie.

 

[Sythril]

Scarlette was always easy. That's majority of what made people attracted to her, be it in-game or real life, person or player. There were some who doubted her carefree personality, but the tales of how she'd get in trouble because of such players are for another time, she figured. When the blue-haired girl mentioned that she would be back, Scarlette simply waved her off, not without wondering just where in this world she would go.





"Don't worry!," the Salamander said back. "We won't start the quest without you!" Whichever the quest is. These kinds of statements of hers also proved how Scarlette was innocent in certain ways. And with that, she was left with a fellow Salamander (he had red hair as well, and that was enough of a basis for Scarlette). He seemed to be the one who abducted her from behind earlier. But she had nothing against him now.


Scarlette let out a chuckle of her own. For all he knew, Scarlette was already thinking of how these two new players whom she had just met seemed to look good together. The other player introduced himself, and just as he did, his player tag became visible. "Scarlette. It's nice to meet you!" The Salamander said kindly. This was one of the times when such a girl didn't seem to fit in a battleground. But of course, she was capable in shifting from a trusting girl to a war machine--only a very reckless kind.





"You're a Salamander too?," she asked, even though it seemed so obvious already. Once again, she was just so innocent sometimes. Explains many things... she thought sheepishly.


While waiting for the Undine (or that's also what Scarlette assumed) to return from wherever she may have gone to, she opened her inventory and looked through the variety of food that she could eat tonight. She figured that eating the infamous black bread could wait. She didn't want to go fighting on a bad stomach!


A normal player would have thrown the horrible piece of bread away from their inventory, but Scarlette decided to let it lay around for now. Instead of eating that, she took sweet bread from her inventory. She forgot from which quest she got it from--not that it mattered. Sweet bread was famous and common around the players earlier, so she decided that this would be a good one to eat and offer. Two buns lay in her grip, one for her, and one for the player in front of her. "Volke," she called to him. "Want one?"

 

[Castello]

Volke fixed his hair and acknowledged her name, it was a rather unusual one. Scarlette was a colour wasn't it? That sort of led him to believe that she was using an alias, but he had heard weirder names before. Valerie would come to mind.


She seemed honest, unlike some other person he had met previously and seemed rather easy going. If she was like this all the time, they might have a chance to become fast friends, though girls can be surprising. At least to his experience. It was nice though, to be away from his exasperating ally and with a reasonably quiet seeming girl.


Though the more he looked at her, the more feature he realized, the wings came to mind. For a moment he wanted to 'fanboy' over them, but he kept his hands to himself. If he were to be honest he thought there were only humans, like him and Valerie. But lo and behold, there stood a different species, a pretty cool one as well. When she brought up the topic of what race he was, he stuttered, as the term Salamander was foreign to him, other than the sly lizards the crept around in his backyard.





"No," He responded with a light chuckle. "Just a boring old human, inside and out." He finished, feeling a little dull for not seeking out any cooler species.


When she pulled out the grain looking food, he eyed it desirably. He had not eaten for hours, Valerie had starved him. When she reached her palm out to him, he looked at her almost confused like, but slowly grabbed the bun and lifted it out of her hand. "Thanks." He briefly replied and dug his teeth into the food.

 

[Sythril]

Scarlette let out a chuckle while chewing. "Hmm." She looked Volke up and down before eating some more. "You must have chosen the species in Aincrad, then," she figured aloud. Of course, she chose to be one of which were originally Alfheim's--a fairy. For her, it was more interesting than the other species, and though sometimes she didn't understand other's choices, she respected them just as well. Maybe he doesn't like wings, she thought, her own translucent red ones fluttering unconsciously. Or magic.





She was very hungry and tired, so she managed to finish the bread in two more bites. She was used to the feeling, though, but only through playing games nonstop, overnight and even continuing sometimes without sleep. She was capable of playing through a week without sleeping, but she decided not to say anything about that. Feeling the hunger still loitering around her stomach, she decided to eat another one, drinking from a jug of spring water that she also got from her inventory, and offered the rest to this other companion.





"Anyway!," Scarlette jumped high, now that she was a little more satisfied after having a decent meal (or at least, that was decent enough for her already), her wings only managing to let her float for some seconds before she fell feet-first on the ground. Gotta practice using these, she looked at her wings before glancing at Volke. "Don't you like wings?," she asked, hoping to quench her curiosity. "Or magic?"





To show an example of how awesome it would be if he--or anyone else, really--would join her, she opened her palm and a fireball took form on it, only to be shot uncontrollably at the pyramid's wall near them. Gotta practice that too, she thought.

 

[Castello]

Volke had little clue on what she was talking about. Clearly she had done much more research than him. Really all he did was excitedly sprint home from his video game dealership and quickly make a character. If he had known that there were different species, he would've been badass like Scarlette. But it seemed he was boring ol' Volke, hell his character looked like his real life counterpart!





"Aincrad, yeah, sounded like the best choice." He replied obliviously, though in truth he had no real knowledge on what this 'Aincrad' was. Though he could soon clear his mind with a sip of water, offered by the nice lady. He tipped his head back and took a quick drink, mildly relishing in the fact that he was kissing the girl in front of him in ways. Though from the sweet bun and water, he could tell the food was much better than the single dollar ramen his mother bought for him.





"Thanks again." He said, handing her back the water.





"Don't you like wings?," she asked, hoping to quench her curiosity. "Or magic?"


Her words made him feel a little lame and he just simply nodded, but before he could get a chance the embodiment of hell was returning with what seemed to be a gigantic axe. 'Oh boy...' Volke thought to himself with despair.





"Hey-Hey you two. I found you a weapon for you Scarlette, we were in real need of a sexy girl with a gigantic axe." She began and threw the axe into the sand in front of her. "Now it's a pretty easy wield, but it might slow you down a bit, That's why I got you this." Valerie said with a gleeful smile, holding out a school girls uniform. "It'll raise your speed, don't ask me why, I don't know~!" She sung and threw the clothes into Scarlette's face.


Volke wanted to interfere and call that a total ruse to get Scarlette in a cute uniform, but the inner man inside told him to shut up for once.