Sword Art Online: Recurrence/Rebirth

[Roxie1563]

Surprised to see someone else knowing sign language made me happy inside and I couldn't help but smile as she gave me her name: Crystal. I wiped my eyes to clear my tears and signed back to her. "I'm Alex, but you already knew that." I giggled, my eyes staring at those beautiful violet eyes. When she told me that it wasn't Max's fault for what happened last night, I shook my head in protest. "You're wrong! It is my fault; See, last night I was supposed to go with Max to head home but Carlos, the new guy who works here, asked me to take me home." I explained to her as I cross my legs across, my back still against the wall.

"I mean, it always has been him and I to travel together because of my hearing loss," I signed to her. "And when I saw his face, I just knew it was those men I saw last night and regretted going with Carlos, who is pretty cute, but that's not the point!" I ranted then sighed to calm myself down. "I just... I don't think Max even cares about my feelings back there and I feel hurt because of it."

I looked to her and without any warning, I gave an hug to her when she said she wasn't sure if she was helping or not. After I let go of her, I signed back to her. "You did help by just being there and listening to my rants," I laughed a bit, not in nervous, but rather in happiness as I continued on. "Oh, one thing.. Remember when I said Carlos is cute, right? He is, but I don't exactly swing that way. I, um, am more interested in the same gender."

I didn't know if she cared or not, but I thought it would be better to tell her before she got any crazy ideas going on her brain. As that sort of news hit Crystal, my thoughts switched gears to Max and I realized I wouldn't be fit for work if I'm feeling like this. In fact, I don't think I couldn't handle being around Max for a full day and decided to take the day off.

Slowly, I got up on my feet and helped Crystal up as well, looking at her then decided to let her know of my plans. "Hey, would you mind telling Max that I'm taking the day off and that Carlos will have to take my place as cook?" I pleaded to her. "And if he is really feeling sorry for himself to hurt my feelings, he can find me at the usual spot at the park close to the fountain. Oh, before I forget.." I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and gave her my number, so we can stay in contact.

Once done, I once again gave her another hug and quickly pecked her on the cheek then left the restroom, my cheeks turning pink because of what just happened as I waved Carlos and Renn good-bye and left the cafe, turning left down the street that would eventually led me into the park.

As I walked on, my mind was on the subject of Max. I knew Max meant well to me because he was there for me as I tried to make the best of my life after I graduated High School and the death of my brother, which I haven't told him for personal reasons. Not only that, I could see some strange similarities between him and Musashi from S.A.O. I made a sound and reminded myself that it wasn't possible but then stranger things has happened before.

I finally arrived at the park and decided to sit on the bench by the water fountain and just simply disappeared into my own world as I closed my eyes, my mind full on S.A.O. making plans of how to defeat the Floor 30th boss tonight then gave out a sigh, the sun shining onto me.

 

[Max]

"Um! I uh, see I umm. Hmm." This was Zoey's first response to me spilling my guts. And it was the only response I got for what seemed like an eternity. I sat there and waited, unsure of if I should speak up or if I should just let her work through this. Perhaps it was a process. "You--You're not ugly!" Well, that was a response.

"Well, uh, thank y-"

"I mean, right now you kinda are cuz of...yeah. Hah, sorry probably shouldn't have said that. Ummm! Wow, 'K I, uh..." Wow, okay then! I tried to slyly kind of turn my body to the side so that she couldn't see the side of my face that was all beat up. So on a regular basis, I'm not ugly, that's good! I'm not attractive maybe, but not ugly is still good. I barely noticed Zoey almost topple over due to both the way I was awkwardly standing and being lost in my head. What caused her to almost fall? The floor wasn't slick was it? Goddammit, Carlos better know how to properly mop! I can't have people slipping around everywhere. Or maybe she was just trying to get a look at my face since I was basically standing sideways. Oh man, I must have looked ridiculous. I turned back to face her again and rested my elbow in onehand, and then placed my other hand on my face in an attempt to cover part of the wound.

"Are yoon a'ight?" Oh. My. God. My hand was partially holding my jaw shut, and I was too out of it to even move it. Are yoon a'ight? Seriously?

"I'm good! I'm good, I'm good. Good good good." She didn't even acknowledge the fact the I was being an awkward mess. As she leaned back against the wall and looked up into my face, I slowly let my hands drop to my sides. "I mean...listen...I don't know if, like, a serious...thing is a good idea just yet..."

I felt my heart sink as feelings of rejection came swelling over me. My head felt like it was floating, while my body felt like a heavy anvil keeping it tied down on the ground. No longer was I looking at Zoey, but past her, unsure of what exactly to do next. Like a call back to reality, I heard her knuckles slowly tapping one after another along the wall behind her. I looked back into her dark brown eyes.

"But, like, we can try." I felt my breath catch in the back of my throat as I stood in bewilderment, praying that my mind wasn't playing tricks on me.

"R-really?" I asked as I slipped my hands into my pockets to prevent unnecessary fidgeting.

"Small stuff first. Like, like watching the fireworks, yeah. And--and buying me food wouldn't hurt." A smile spread across my face as I took a step closer to her.

"Small stuff, yeah of course. We'll take it slow, get to know each other, and yeah!" I must have sounded like a giddy child. "I'll take you out to eat, wherever you want, I'm not picky. I'll ask Ned if I can borrow his car, and we'll go see the fireworks and stuff, I know a great spot!"

I wrote down my phone number on a scrap of paper real quick and handed it to her as she looked back at me. "Um, do we shake hands or something? I'm not very proficient with this type of thing."

"Shake hands?" I scratched the back of my head as I let out a small laugh. "This isn't like a business transaction, you aren't selling your soul to me or anything." I grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug. Afterwards, I let my hands rest on her shoulders for a moment before stepping back towards the door. "I uh, I better get back to work. I'd say seeya later, but I figure after you stand back here for a few more minutes, you'll be heading out for work too. Don't worry about what everybody out there will think, it's only going to be as awkward as you suspect it is."

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After work, I wanted to go and make sure that Alex was okay since she was so upset about what happened. I felt pretty terrible after my talk with Zoey when found out Alex decided to take the rest of the day off. If there is one thing I've learned about women, it's that when something bad happens, it's always my fault.

I headed to the park to find Alex sitting by the fountain, her eyes closed and her face to the sky. I had prepared a little something at work before heading here, but it made it even better that her eyes were closed. I gently placed a picture I had drawn on her face to get her attention. When she could get a good look at it, she'd see that I drew a (bad) picture of me with a beat up face asking for her forgiveness for being a jerk. Across the top of the picture I wrote out Beauty and the Beast.

"Of course, I'm the beauty," I mouthed out to her with a sly grin as I held out my hand offering to walk her home, hoping things could go back to normal.

 

[LatinoHeat90]

"Hey Carlos... it's weird but you seem kinda familiar for some reason... not like passerby sort of familiar but like I know you from another life or something."

I took a moment. I swear that I have heard a line like that before. Oh, the last time I heard it I was at a bar and some drunk guy was trying to hit on girls. The drunk guy was unsuccessful. I had just sat there drinking a cranberry juice, not talking to anybody. At least the drunk dude was trying.

"Uh... sorry but I don't think so. I got to get back to work. See ya." I quickly walked away. I felt the awkward of the conversation still lingering. As I made my way behind the counter Alex walked by, her eyes slightly pink from crying. She mouthed goodbye. I wanted to trying to comfort her but she was out the door in a flash. I wanted to apologize for the other night but that would have to wait. Crystal came out and gave Max and I the news about Alex and that I would be the cook for the night.

"You're kidding, right?" The night was chaos. I don't know how to cook, I can only make instant ramen. Hell, I don't even know what all we serve at the cafe. Max walked me though the menu and how to prepare most of the dishes. Luckily, it was simple stuff like grilled cheese, ham sandwiches, soups, etc. After a couple oorders were sent back to me and some pep talks from the crew I was able to handle the kitchen. At the end of the night Max gave me a congratulatory smile and handed me a mop and bucket. It was also my job to clean the kitchen floor.

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I stood in front of my answering machine, sweat dripping down my face, my heart thumping, making my chest hurt. I felt my head spinning so I sat on my bed, my feet firmly planted on the floor. I took in a long breath. I couldn't help myself, I had to hear it again. I reached over to the answering machine and played the message again,

"Hay, Carlos, it's Daphne. Sorry to call you out of the blue like this but I was thinking of you. How are you? I mean it has been so long and we haven't talked since...well... high school I guess. Uh, I hope you don't mind but I asked your mom for your number. She said you are well but she doesn't see you often.

There was a pause. I knew she was searching for something to say. I grabbed at my chest. I wanted nothing but to hold her.

"Do you think we could meet up sometime?"

"No." I began to reply as if she were next to me. My voice was a weak whisper.

"I have some time off and we could catch up"

"That's not a good idea" I tear rolled down my face.

"I really miss you"

"I miss you too, but, please stop." The message ended with Daphne leaving information to contact her. I had to recollect myself again. I had my eyes closed the entire time, but I could see her even more clearly. I reached over to the answering machine again. I hit the button and deleted the message. I couldn't stand to hear it again. I wanted to forget that it ever existed.

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I roamed the marketplace. I wasn't interested in purchasing anything but I needed something to do so my mind wouldn't wander. I had two hours until we went for the boss and I needed to be in the game. I needed to be Crod.

 

[Roxie1563]

I opened my eyes to see Max staring at my eyes and I realized I must had dozed off all day. I massaged my neck and looked down to see a piece of drawing that apparently represented Max himself and his beaten face with the writing that indicted his asking for forgiveness and on the top on the paper showed the title, 'Beauty and the Beast". I glanced up to him as he told me that he was the beauty of course when I read his lips.

I tried to hide my giggling, but I knew he was trying to show he was sorry for what happened at the cafe. I shook my head and slowly signed to him. "No, you're the Beast; I'm the Beauty, obviously." I teased him as I took his hand to pull myself off the bench. As friends since ever we met at Ned's Cafe, we had this bond that no other would figure out except for our co-workers, of course; but it doesn't stop us from having small squabbles that occurred hours ago.

We walked on to Ned's Cafe to check to see if the door was locked, hands in hands as friends would do if they were going shopping at the mall. I took the time to check my phone to see what time it was and to see if they were any sort of messages, but nothing. I sighed and I slapped my forehead when I realized I hasn't asked him if he asked Violin Lady out or not.

I rubbed my forehead and whipped out my phone and wrote out what I wanted to say to him. "Hey, Max, I never got to ask this, but how did it go with Violin Lady? (Sorry if I don't know her name, but I guess once you tell me her name, I'll get it now) And I'm sorry for bailing on you, but I couldn't handle being around you when my feelings are raw and I'm an uncontrollable woman with issues when that happens." Then I sent it to his phone and waited for his response when my stomach growled loud enough for him to hear it.

I dropped my head in embarrassment, my hands on my stomach. I felt light and I realized that I haven't had lunch OR supper lately. I looked at him, my eyes giving off puppy looks, hoping he'll take me out to eat as forgiveness. Once we ate at our local fast-food place, we headed home but this time we took the longer route to the apartment building and as soon as we arrived, we just knew to separated ourselves and I went up to my second floor then unlocked my door, walking into my place.

I sighed to myself and walked into the bathroom to relieve myself then quickly switched into my Super-Girl shirt and grabbed my AmuSphere and logged on, reminding myself to treat Muasashi as equal as I would to Max or Carlos.

~~~

I was glad to be back as Maya to get away from the craziness that happened many hours ago. I looked around my environment and I remembered enough to send everybody the map that I managed to save so we'd get back to the door that leads to the 30th Floor Boss and the next Floor as well.

I wondered if I should shoot anyone a message that I was here, but I also knew they're probably getting ready for the fight as well, so I decided to walk around the town market, hoping to meet my fellow fighters. Little did I know I'd stumble upon Crod soon enough.

 

[Cassette-Disk]

"You're wrong! It is my fault; See, last night I was supposed to go with Max to head home but Carlos, the new guy who works here, asked me to take me home. I mean, it always has been him and I to travel together because of my hearing loss, And when I saw his face, I just knew it was those men I saw last night and regretted going with Carlos,"
"But..." what could I say? "Nobody blames you for this." I told her, unsure of what to tell her. Alex then collided with me in a manner my roommate usually does, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around her. She was just a bit taller than myself, which made a surprising difference for my hand placement when compared to Zoey.
"You did help by just being there and listening to my rants,"
"That's good to know" I signed back with a smile. "I was worried I was coming off as nosy."
"Oh, one thing.. Remember when I said Carlos is cute, right? He is, but I don't exactly swing that way. I, um, am more interested in the same gender." Didn't see that one coming.
"That's...that's cool." I told her. "I'm not really one to judge others for their lifestyles or whatevers." I tapped in Alex's phone number as I nodded to her request. "I'll let them know. Text me if you need anything, alright?" After adding her to my phone's contacts, I sent a quick text so she had my own number as well. Before I was able to send the message, Alex zoomed in for another hug, but surprised me by bringing her lips to my cheeks before waving goodbye. As the door closed behind her, I quietly cleared my throat, noting how my face had become slightly red.I quickly composed myself and hit the send button on my phone.

"Test text! "

I waited for a bit before leaving the restroom. When I got out I tapped the new guy on the shoulder.
"Carlos, yeah?" I asked him as I led him to the counter where Max was standing. "My name's Crystal. My friend Zoey and I play our instruments on the stage." When I reached the counter, I tapped on the top of it to get Max's attention. He looked happy. Stupid happy. Like someone broke open a pinata over his head and little Zoeys with wings popped our and they were all playing their own separate violins as they circled his head. I probably wasn't too far from the truth. "Hey, Max. Alex had to step out for the day. She said Carlos is going to be in charge of her cooking duties." I waited until Carlos left to quietly tell him about Alex. "Also," I added after, in an even lower voice as I clasped his shoulder. "Don't you dare hurt her. I have..." a gave his shoulder a quick squeeze, "friends that will make your black eye look like nothing." I loosened my grip as I smiled at him. "Congrats, though! And good luck!" I gave Max two light pats on the back before entering the room behind us.

I found my best friend sitting on the nearby table inside. By 'on the table', I mean she was sitting on the actual table instead of on a chair next to the table. And by 'sitting' I meant laying down face up, with her head dangling off the side.
"Hi Zoey." I told her upside down face.
"˙lɐʇsʎɹƆ 'ᴉH"
"What are you doing?"
"˙ʇno ƃuᴉƃuɐɥ ʇsnſ" She said before sitting upright and facing me so her legs were dangling off the table instead.
"I kinda threatened your boyfriend."
"What?! It literally has not been more than five minutes and you already tried to play tough girl on him?" I sighed as I sat on a nearby chair.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I just worry about you, you know?"
"Mmm. I know. So what'd you tell him? That you'll strike from the Shadows like a spooky ninja?"
"...Something like that. Jeez, now I feel silly."
"It's fine, probably. I'll let him know you were just joking." I wasn't.
"Thanks." I rested my chin against my hand as I looked up at Zoey. "So you two have a date set up yet, or did he just ask if you wanted to be a couple?"
"We do!" She said happily as she kicked her legs like a kid. "We're gonna watch the fireworks together!"
"Man, first you were all scared about him asking you out. Now you look as if you can't wait until your first date."
"I know! I'm just...happy, you know?" I nodded at her. "Hey, we can make it a double date!" Uh-oh. "Max and me, and you and--"
"Zoey!" I interrupted. "I'm sorry. I haven't told you this yet, but we kinda broke up a while ago."
"What. W--When?! Why didn't you tell me?!" I leaned back on my chair so the front legs lifted up from the floor.
"Back in January. He finished his training program and got hired by some company overseas. I didn't think a long-distance relationship would work and he agreed so..." I felt my throat dry up a bit. "yeah."
"Crystaall" Zoey wailed quietly as her eyes teared up. "I'msosorry oh man I had no idea gawd I'm sorry aw." I watched her divebomb off the table and on top of me, nearly causing me to lose my balance as I tilted dangerously backwards. "So that's why back on Valentine's Day..."
"Yeah." I stayed in all day that day, save for coming to work. "But hey, we had a...good run, it's nothing to cry over. These things happen. PLUS, you've got your own guy problems to worry about now."
"You gotta gimme the strats." She said.
"Girl, I'll give you the entire freaking strategy guide." I watched her laugh as she stood while bringing out her cell phone.
"Max gave me his number, but I forgot to give him mine."
"Déjà vu."
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
"'K. You ready for work?"
"For sure." I said as she hit the send button on her phone.

"Test text! :3"

 

[Shinra]

I went home about 5 minutes after what I said to Carlos and finished my puffed wheat square on the way back to my apartment I was still sipping my latte though and it certainly helped me wake up some more. When I entered the door to the building I thought about what Max had done after making my latte rushing Zoey into the other room... He finally had the resolve to ask her out and I knew he was going to eventually. but when I looked at them together an image of Musashi and Viola popped into my head. These vibes I had seemed to be clues to something... but my mind was still hazy... maybe I'll figure out why within SAO.

___

I spent a solid couple hours in SAO grinding my skill levels before I came back to the marketplace looking to restock my items. And surprisingly people took to looking at me more than usual because I had my two blades at my hips and I could hear whispers of people debating whether or not I was a hacker who hacked dual blades into my account because it was pretty rare to have that ability now because very few had the resolve to complete the revised requirements to obtain that extra skill. I knew them because my boss had a friend who did it and he told me how since I was a "dual wielder" by choice... However I was just a switch blader now... I only used my sheathed phoenix blade so I could pull off quickdraw sword skills at will. Like when I first got it I could only use it as a startoff attack before I was forced to defend. Now I can defend and strike back with higher damage output. And using two blades meant I could increase my weapon skill level exponentially faster with the weapon I wanted. I spotted Maya ahead of me and smiled as I tapped on her shoulder. "Hey cutie. Miss me?"

 

[Max]

I threw off my shirt and flopped down onto my bed face first. I laid there unable to breath with my face in my pillow for as long as I could before rolling over to my back. I was so beat, I just wanted to go to sleep, but everybody would probably be pretty pissed if I bailed the night of the boss raid.

I clicked the button on the side of my phone to check the time. I really should be getting online soon. I scrolled through my messages from today before shutting off my phone.

"Hey, Max, I never got to ask this, but how did it go with Violin Lady? (Sorry if I don't know her name, but I guess once you tell me her name, I'll get it now) And I'm sorry for bailing on you, but I couldn't handle being around you when my feelings are raw and I'm an uncontrollable woman with issues when that happens."

"Test text! :3"

Alex was happy now, Zoey agreed to go out with me... My life had turned into an after school special. And you know how those go, everything is okay and fine one minute, and the next....

everything goes to shit.

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I stared at the boss door for a moment as the wind blew through my hair. What beast was going to be waiting for us on the other side? Nobody had even attempted this boss yet, so there was no way we could go gather info on it to make any kind of strategy beforehand. We couldn't afford to lose, not in a tournament like this. Sometimes it was easy to forget that we were competing to make it to the top... This is the kind of game that requires teamwork if you want to truly go far, even solo players were said to have a tough time on the higher floors during the death game. I think that's the reason why we were required to party up for this battle in the first place, so that we would realize that it's best to work together.

There was an amazing view beyond the tower that led to the next set of floors. Aincrad is a floating castle in the sky of course, meaning that each floor eventually ended, a cliff leading off into the sky. It was sunset now, and I gripped my katana by the sheath as I sat down on the edge of the world to enjoy the view. It was a nice moment of solitude before the big fight.

My thoughts drifted to Zoey as I awaited the arrival of the rest of my friends. Man, I wish the 4th was tomorrow. Sure, it's the day after, but that isn't soon enough. I want to talk to her some more, I want to get to know each other better. I'm so happy that she said yes, and the possibilities of where this could go were endless.

I turned around and looked behind me. Still no one here. I wondered who all would actually show up for the fight. If some chose not to come, I would understand. You could make it much further by letting others do the dirty work of defeating the bosses and then climbing higher. But still, I hoped that tonight I wouldn't end up fighting alone.

 

[Kiba]

July 2, 2034

Dear Diary,

I’ve made a friend. A handsome friend. At least, I think he’s a friend. (I know he’s handsome.) He didn’t kill me. That’s a point in his favor. Anyways, we met in SAO. It’s a game. A VR game. VR stands for Virtual Reality. His name is Legion. He helped me get stronger. In the game. Not in real life. He wont tell me why though. He’s kind of weird. No, he’s hot. For a video game character. He probably looks ugly in real life… Or maybe he’s the son of Brad Pitt! Which one? I don’t know. One of the 23 that Pitt and Jolie adopted or gave birth to before they split. Again. But I hear they’re back together again. But that’s off topic. On-topic. We’re going to fight the boss on level 30 today. I’m going to beat it. Then I’ll be super strong. Maybe even almost as strong as Legion! Nah, who am I kidding. He’s probably like the strongest player in the entire game. By the way, when did I buy this diary? And why did I choose such a frilly pink thing for MY diary? Wait. I don’t even write in a diary.​

Sam’s eyes blinked open. She was surrounded by scattered papers and crumpled white sheets. Her mind was still clouded by sleep. A yawn escaped her mouth as she sat up and rubbed her eyes with the butt of her palm. She tried to run a hand through her always tangled hair, but her fingers just got caught. The papers around her were remnants of the homework she’d tried to complete after logging out of SAO. Sleep got the best of her halfway through the assignment though.

Several yawns and groans later, Sam stood from her bed and made her way into the bathroom. The light flickered a couple times before turning on. She made a mental note to get it fixed, but immediately forgot about it. Her attention was on the mirror in front of her. Or rather, the person staring back at her from the glass. She bit her lip. The reflection mirrored her action. Standing in the bathroom in just her underwear started to feel weird with her likeness looking back at her. With two fingers, she pinched the pudge on her stomach and sighed.

Padding over to the scale in the corner of her bathroom, she stepped up onto it. The numbers shuffled around a bit before landing on: “148!” Sam exclaimed. She jumped off the scale and did a little dance. “I lost 4 pounds!” Her dance didn’t last long as someone was knocking on her door. She looked at the clock and then towards the door. The clock read 9:05 and she didn’t have any plans. She never had plans.

Another knock. Her mind tried to think to who would be knocking this early in the day. No one came to mind. The thought of Legion finding her in the real world crossed her mind, but that was impossible… Or was it? The thought lingered in her mind as she slowly stepped towards the door. Her heart was beating fast. It couldn’t be. That’d be crazy. He’d be crazy! She grabbed the umbrella next to the door and brandished it as she would a sword.

She turned the knob and swung the door open. There was a man outside. He WAS handsome. “Legion?” She questioned tentatively.

The man just looked at her bewildered. His eyes scanned her from head to toe. He was muscular and tan. Just like she liked ‘em. Tall, handsome, and da- “Delivery?” He announced. His voice uncertain and quavering. Was he scared? And why did he have a brown box under his arm?

Realization flooded through Sam. Just as quickly, redness covered her entire body. He was a delivery man. And she was standing in front of him still in her underwear and holding an umbrella as a sword. There was no time to act like this wasn’t normal. She played the part. “What?” She grumbled, a scowl forming on her lips. “I didn’t order anything, young man!” When did I become an old lady…?! Eh, go with it. “Sonny, I ain’t payin’ for anythin’ that ain’t mine!”

The delivery man looked even more confused than before. He stumbled over his words but finally gained traction. “Are- is this-“

“OUT WITH IT!” If you’re gonna be a crazy old lady, might as well go full force.
“Samantha? Samantha Howard?”
“How do you know my name?!”
“It’s- uh, on the packing slip. Look, can you just sign so I can be out of your hair.”
“Hair?!” She howled and then signed the electronic pad. He threw the package at her and then practically ran to the elevator. “And stay out!”

She shut the door and slumped down to the ground, box in hand. “That was embarrassing…” She let out a groan that eventually turned into a laugh which left her lying on the floor in hysterics for a couple minutes. Finally composing herself, she placed the box on her lap and stared at it. Her parents hadn’t said they were sending anything, but the the return address was theirs. “Hm.”

The box was light but rattled when she gave it a shake. Probably just knick-knacks again. The last box they’d sent had a post card for each place they’d visited on their trips around the world. Since she’d left for college, they’d taken advantage and decided to make a tour of every cool place in the world. They had the time and the money.

Sam grabbed a pair of scissors and cut smoothly through the tape. Inside the box was another box, wrapped. On it was a postcard from Japan. The picture was of the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine in Kyoto. She flipped it over and smiled at her dad’s handwriting. It read: Sam. Those games you were telling us about during Christmas break are super popular here in Japan. Happy early birthday. Hope you don’t have one of these already. Hope all is well. We’ll be in touch soon. Love, Dad.

Sam tore through the wrapping paper anxious to know what was inside. What had he sent her? Her eyes lit up. An Amusphere. An actual Amusphere. She tore open the box that held the device and ripped the device from it. It was beautiful. So small compared to her bulky NerveGear. A million thoughts crossed her mind. Thousands of emotions flooded through her every being. She’d only seen pictures of the device online. And yet here it was in her hands.

Finally, after letting out every single yelp and hoot, Sam put the Amusphere next to her bed and threw the old NerveGear into her closet. She wanted to put it on and try it out so much, but she still had errands to run and class to attend. “Later my sweet!” She coddled the machine. “I will use you later, I promise!”

With that she threw on some jeans and a t-shirt and ran out of the house. There were things to do and people to not see!

 

[Roxie1563]

I became lost in my thoughts as I walked down the street of the market place when I felt an tap behind me. I snapped back into the present and turned to see Rene. I slightly twitched my lips when he called me 'cutie' but he wasn't flirting with me as far as I could tell.

I grinned back to him and waved then briefly talked to him for a bit until a few minutes later, I realized I still haven't done my preparations. "Hey, Rene, sorry I can't talk much; I got to get ready for the boss that we're facing, so gotta to go!" I quickly spoke to him as I walked backward then turned around and ran for the item shop. As I arrived at the item shop, I carefully selected my items including those meds that can instantly wake you up if you got knocked out fast within just one hit from a dangerous foe.

Once I paid for my stuff, I quickly made my way to the cave and when I finally got to the place, I glanced to see Musashi sitting close to the edge of the world, I took a deep breath and made my way to him then sat next to him in silence for a few moments until I decided to speak up.

"Hey, Musashi," I said to him as we looked up into the sky. "I, um, need to apologize to you about what happened at the bar and last night. I know what happened was an accident and it wasn't right for me to threaten you, but.." I looked down to my skin-tighten pants, my hands clasped together as I continued on. "It just.. It bothers me when someone does that to me, whether it was an accident or on purpose, and I get mad quickly at men in general."

I felt so weird talking to him about this, but for some reason I felt... safe. I could feel my cheeks turning a little red but I cleared my throat and turned my head to look at him. "Listen.. I already forgave you for those both times just now and if we do manage to beat this boss, would you mind if we stuck together as a team along with the others?" I asked to him as I dusted off a speck from my pants. "I wouldn't mind learning about you, so we can get know each other properly," I teased half-seriously.

While I waited on his responses, I gave out a sigh and laid on my back on the ground, my legs moving around as my mind began to be filled on Crystal. I became shocked as I wondered why she came to the edge of my thoughts, but I realized she was cute, of course, but it was her personality I loved the most. I couldn't help but smile in anticipation for tomorrow. I gave out what sounded like to be a small yawn as my eyes slowly closed away, not knowing I fell asleep when I should be getting ready for the boss fight.

 

[Shinra]

After Maya had departed I knew what I had to do next. I walked to my boss's shop to grab a fair bargain on some items before I warped back to the boss floor... I started at the entrance and did some more grinding on my way to the boss door and I was pretty satisfied at my skill levels as I had grown from the range of level 175-225 to 250-300 on all levels... I knew for sure I was ready...I just hoped that my new friends didn't rip me off and leave me alone to the boss. I reached the boss door and soon spotted Maya and Musashi nearby so I sat next to them... As I looked at them I could see the spark of a relationship but I couldn't determine if it was romantic or not... Only time will tell as we hang out more... but for some reason... I felt... angry... it might be jealousy but I was so unfamiliar with the sensation until now that I wasn't sure. "Man... looking at you two reminds me that both Crod and I need girlfriends of our own soon haha!"

 

[Cassette-Disk]

Maybe it was just me, but time seemed to just pass by. I kept looking at Zoey only to find her stealing glances at the register. ...I think the term 'hopeless romantic' applies here a bit, even if she seemed reluctant to jump in that boat at first. As Zoey packed away her violin I poked her lightly on the stomach.
"Yo, you in the mood for a dri--"
"Yes." I don't even know why I asked. After a bit of googly-eyeing, we walked out of the cafe with a couple of drinks. Zoey had again taken a chocolate shake while I instead opted for a fruit smoothie. "That doesn't even make sense." Zoey told me. "Like, it's made from fruit, but it's still unhealthy for you? What's the point!"
"It's probably more healthy than a chocolate smoothie. Not by much, but still. Plus don't you get sick of chocolate all the time? A change is good every now and again."
"Getting sick of chocolate is like getting sick of lazying around on the couch watching TV."
"In that it never happens to you?" I teased.
"Ye--no! I mean it like, you know, those things are sweet and you gotta enjoy them when you got 'em!" I nodded at her, following along with her train of thought, or at least some of it.

When we got home I took a quick shower, and when I got out I found my roommate spinning around in the living room. I watched on as she eventually fell to the floor and I almost saw birds circling her head.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"I have a daaate."
"We've been friends for a really long time, so I think it's fair if I ask this. Are you bipolar? Because this is definitely not how you were acting in this situation yesterday, or even this morning."
"I have a daaate." She repeated. "And no, I don't think I am. Maybe? Would I know if I was? Whatever, it's cuz I took the plunge and don't regret it. Well, he took the plunge I guess, but I think it counts to say that he dragged me in. Although 'dragging me in' doesn't really sound nice, but I did kinda feel like I was gonna throw up during it, so maybe it is? I dunno." I walked around the downed girl and sat down on the couch, turning on the TV. Within minutes, Zoey stood up and sat next to me. My thoughts drifted around as little thoughts ran through my mind. It was probably a good thing Alex didn't use lipstick, or if she did she wasn't using any that left a mark on my cheek. That would be hard to explain. At that exact moment, Zoey collapsed from her sitting position and placed her head on my lap, still facing the television. Was it...always this warm in here? Jeez, get a grip, girl. I shivered slightly, which caught her attention.
"You alright?"
"Fine, yeah." I said calmly. "Your hair just tickled my skin."
"Oh sorry. Oh gosh! Will I have to fix my hair for the date?" She asked seriously, sitting back up. "What am I even gonna wear?!"
"Dude, calm down. Just pass a brush through it or something. And wear whatever's comfortable. I doubt he's gonna care much about that."

Against my will, we spent quite a bit talking about what outfits she could wear, as well as how to fix her hair...though even messy it still looked decent. She was lucky in that her hair was low maintenance, so even though she never brushes it it never gets matted or clunked together. I was just a tad jealous about that, having to spend some time brushing my hair to avoid those same problems.
"Man, I still can't believe you two broke up though."
"Yeah. Sorry about not telling you. I just... I dunno, I didn't want to worry you, I guess."
"What else are you keeping from me, hmm?" She asked playfully.
"We all have our secrets you know." I told her with a smile.
"Mmm. I think I'm gonna call it a night though. Gonna play me some video games and then go to bed."
"Right on."
"Goodnight."
"'night." I watched as Zoey entered her room before turning off the TV and going into my own room, making sure to lock the door. I went to the mirror hanging over my clothing cabinet and opened it, pushing aside random articles of clothing until my hand bumped into a small hard plastic, placing it on the cabinet after opening it. I brought my index finger to my eye and lightly poked it near the iris, a practiced motion. As I pulled my finger away, the contact easily stuck to my finger as I placed it into the liquid in its case.
We all have our secrets.

---​

Am I late? Probably not. Ahhhhh two more days! I belly flopped on my bed before wiggling around like a worm. I faced the ceiling as I brought up my cellphone, clicking to the text I sent Max. I should text him. But if I do he might want to follow up with a conversation. It might be hard to text while in SAO, unless I kept logging out to check my phone. I'll just make up an excuse, yeah that's it!

"Hey! Srry about Crys. Shes 2 overprotective. Gonna practice violin sum more, but see u 2morrow! "

...Yeah, that's good. I put my phone on my nightstand before reaching into the crevice between my bed and pulled out the visor before slipping it over my head and flipping it on.

 

[LatinoHeat90]

It was almost time. I made my last rounds of the marketplace, buying healing items and other odd items I thought what come in handy. None of us knew what we were going to be facing so it was best to be prepared. My shopping was interrupted by a personal message. The name of the sender made me sick to my stomach. After what happened in the real world with Daphne am I really going to be dealing with this now. I reluctantly opened the message, driven by fear and curiosity. I glanced at the message before the message came to life in a stranger's voice behind me.

"Behind you." I guickly turned around and there stood a woman in a cloak, hidden in the darkness of an alley. I reached for my axe but the grin of the player made me realize we were in town, a safe area, PKing is not possible. "You haven't been replying to our messages, Crod. It is very disappointing. You could be something in our little group." Her voice was seductive but menacing.

"I was clear with my answer before. NO. It is that simple. I should report you for what your group is doing, it is disrespectful." I had an uneasiness in my voice. I could hear it myself.

"Look, it is just a game. What we do doesn't hurt anybody. And, before you continue talking to me so bluntly, I will remind you of the position we had you in a month ago. You nearly pissed yourself."

"I would have taken some of you out with me." I could feel my body getting warm, even hot with anger.

"I agree. That is why we want you." She moved closer to me. She lifted her hand and placed it on my face. "We could have a lot of fun together. Imagine how strong you would become killing other players and taking their stuff." I jerked my face away in disgust.

"I won't be apart of it. If we meet again I will end you." I was done with it all. I hated players like her. And, I was in no mood to be jerked around. My day was not going well and I was ready to do something drastic.

"Fine. Well.... you have fun with that boss fight. That's right. We have been watching you and your group of weirdos. I'm pretty sure we could have slit all of their throats at some time or another. See ya, Crod!" I was furious. They had been keeping tabs on me and I was none the wiser. I was ready to lose myself in anger and frustration. I wanted to drive my axe into the floor boss and then seek out the members of the new Laughing Coffin.

I stood motionless for a couple of minutes, calming down. I needed to get a move on. I made my way to the rendezvous point. When I got there Renegade was saying something but I was to distracted to hear it. I was still angry. I looked at Maya and my anger began to diminish. I still didn't want to involve her. I feel that if she found out she would do something stupid and get herself killed and disqualified from the tournament. But, in time, I will have to tell her everything I know.

 

[Max]

After sitting for a while, I decided to go and walk around the map for a bit while I waited for everyone to arrive. The area wasn't too big, so I was sure I could comb over it for treasure or something before the boss. A few other players wandered in, and there was a bit of chit-chat as they discussed what they thought the boss would be like. Damn, we made it here first, but we were only a day ahead of other players making their way through the caves already. To my surprise, these players weren't interested in fighting the boss, at least not yet. They wanted to wait for the first bit of information to be leaked if the first party to attempt the fight lost (which usually happened). They'd be waiting on our information o spread throughout Aincrad.

I looked back over to my spot to see Maya approaching another player that was sitting there. I squinted my eyes to see who it was, but I didn't think he was one of ours. As I walked in their direction, I could see he was another samurai character. He even had a similar hair style as me, how strange. His attire was different though, he donned armor while I was still in more of a loose clothing outfit to keep my speed up. Maya continued to speak to him as she looked up into the sky, and he watched on romantically, his eyes gazing at her face. Maybe they already knew each other, who knows.

As I got closer, I managed to catch the tail-end of what she was saying. "Listen.. I already forgave you for those both times just now and if we do manage to beat this boss, would you mind if we stuck together as a team along with the others?" Whoa, she must really trust this dude. So she's only gonna stick with us until we defeat the boss, then she's heading off with this guy and his group huh? Well, I guess that's fine. She's always yelling at me anyway.

She leaned back and closed her eyes, and the man's face got red as he leaned over her. "Whatever you say pretty lady, I'll apologize for anything if you promise to come with me~" The man leaned in closer and, almost drooling, gave her a big smooch right on the lips.

The kiss lasted a while before I spoke up. "Um, excuse me. Shouldn't you two stop to breath?" The man flinched as he snapped his eyes up to me, a look of fear covering his face. He stood up quickly and backed away from us a few feet before pulling out a warp crystal and disappearing before my eyes.

"Okay... Maya, I didn't really think you rolled that way, but I guess-" I looked down at her to see she hadn't moved. A smirk cracked across my face and I clasped my hands over my mouth to keep from laughing. She was asleep! She was spilling her guts to this dude one moment, and the next she was just napping! And then he-

"Hahaha-" I gripped my mouth tighter as virtual tears left my eyes. This was about the funniest thing I had ever laid witness to. I sat back down a few feet away from Maya where I had been sitting before so I could wait for the rest of our group as I tried not to die of laughter.

After a few minutes I heard a player plop down beside me. I turned to see it was Renegade, and as I was about to greet him with a smile I thought I could sense him giving me the death glare. "You alright?"

"Man... looking at you two reminds me that both Crod and I need girlfriends of our own soon haha!" He laughed now, the previous look on his face washed away. Just as he said that, Crod approached us from behind, acting like his usual boring self. All gloom and no fun.

"Haha, um, Maya and I aren't a thing if that's what you thought Renegade. Actually, I just overheard her talking to another samurai, and she was saying something about leaving with him and his group after we beat the boss. They even sealed it with a kiss."

I turned and looked at Maya, who was still sleeping, then glanced back to Crod and Renegade. "I'm glad you all came. We're still waiting on Viola and Kaz then. We'll give them just a little while longer, and if they don't show, well then... We'll just have to go without them."

I opened up my message box and sent each of them a message.

"Hey, Kaz, you still in today? We're gonna take this sucker down!"

"Hey there Raisin Bran (well that nickname's a little different... anyway), you coming to the tower? We could really use you here today."

I stood and stretched as I turned to Crod. I approached him and gave him a good hard smack on the face. "Buck up! I don't want your negative energy affecting my performance in battle!" I looked over at Renegade and motioned for him to come closer. "Go on Renegade, give Crod a good smack in the face, let's get pumped up!"

 

[Cassette-Disk]

"I need a theme." Viola told herself as her consciousness slipped away. "I'm so...normal in this game. I need something cool. Like...like A PIRATE." As soon as Viola spawned in, she noticed a message from Musa.
"Hey there Raisin Bran (well that nickname's a little different... anyway), you coming to the tower? We could really use you here today."

"Yar! I be hoistin' anchor as we speak! Jus' need to refurbish my ship right quick. She be outdated and covered in barnacles." She responded while walking around the market. She could act the part out fine, but it wasn't just about that. She'd also need to look like a pirate. Walk the walk, talk the talk and whatever other metaphors there were. She entered a weapons shop as one person, and walked out a completely different on. Gone was her simple tunic, instead replaced with a white long sleeve shirt and a brown vest over it. She had tied a green sash around her torso and gone with tight fitting brown pants, as well as wearing a green bandana over her now ponytailed pink hair, with a tricone hat fitting snugly on top. As much as she wanted to put on an eyepatch, depth perception was a concept that still held water in this world, and she'd rather not limit her field of view for a costume. Her favorite part of this was her weapons. Her shield was now adorned with handles on the endpoints much like the wheel on a ship, and the while the whole shield had been painted a dark brown, the center now had a skull and crossbones painted over it with a very sharp spike dead center. Her morning star remained mostly unchanged, but had gained various stat boosts. All she needed was a musket, but that was probably not available as a weapon. Well, it should be!

As the would-be pirate rounded to the desired meeting spot, she spotted something that was a total surprise. That be the lass, Maya. And thar be the scurvy dog Musa. They be bittersweet companions, though they seem to be chubby at the mome-- HE JUST KISSED HER DUDE WHAT. Viola watched as Musa backed away slightly. He be an imposter! And the lass--she be taken to the kingdom of slumber! What trickery is this? Maya had confined with the group that she wasn't into guys so what...Oh. Oh hell naw. We got us a slippery eel, but I've got my peepers on him. the girl thought to herself as she equipped her shield before charging at the faux Musa before colliding with him, sending him to the ground. As he skidded slightly, the she-pirate gave chase so that the moment he turned to face her, she'd have her heel on his torso.
"Now just where do ya think you're goin' ya wee minnow?" Viola asked dangerously. "Ya really be supposin' you can get away with somethin' like that? Nay, I peeped ya, foolin' to be someone else and stealin kisses."
"What--what the hell is this?!"
"This be a reckoning. Look alive, for you won't be for much longer, lad! You won't be getting any parleys from me." She said as she scrolled through menus, looking to send him a duel. 'one strike duel'? That'd be too easy. 'To the Death, half GP reward'? Thar she blows.
"A-are you insane?!"
"What kind of samurai be yeh?!" Viola spat as she backed away facing the man. "I dnno how you landlubbers do it, but on the seas we have honor. Draw your blade, you'll be meetin' Dave Jones soon enough. Or are yeh too much of a pansy little boy to face your crimes?"
"Is it about the girl? Cuz she was totally--"
"Keep yer mouth shut ya gutless coward. You remind me of the barnacles we scrubbed off ships back home. Look like one too."
"Fine! I'm running low on cash anyway." The man answered, accepting the duel.

The small crowd that had gathered around the boss entrance was now enveloped by the sudden prospect of a duel, and circled the perimeter the game had set as the boundary points for the two combatants. Viola spotted members of her party within the crowd, and she gave them a smile and a quick thumbs up.
"You're a pirate, then?"
"Yarr."
"Then you're screwed. I've practiced with tons of pirates and know all their tricks."
"Oh, that a fact? Well fancy that! Don't go growin' your head too big now. You might just be learning something new today." Viola said as she drew her morning star. As the match began, she quickly realized how much faster these supposed samurais were than other players. She quickly rose her shield as the samurai rushed her, blocking attack after attack, waiting for the right moment to strike back. ...There it was. She quickly activated her Charge once more, and struck her foe dead center, catching him onto the spike and dragging him forward until they crashed into the invisible wall, scaring the few bystanders that were standing just behind it. Her weapon still glowing with the Charge's power, the pirate brought her morning star down with full force as it crashed onto the samurai's head. Viola hopped backwards twice as her opponent fell to the floor. "'ow many of your pirate friends can do that?" She said as she watched the cooldown bar slowly begin to fill.
"That was...not too impressive." The man said as he got to his feet. His health was...well above halfway to the top. Despite her best combo, he was still standing tall. Was he a much higher level than she was? "My turn." The air seemed to thin out as the samurai disappeared and a sharp pain came from Viola's stomach. Stabbed. Just as her mind registered this, another sharp stab from behind. Then from the side. Can't even see him. Her health trickled down slowly thanks to her high defense, but how long would it last? Already she was in the yellow zone. That signified something, though she couldn't remember what it was. Wait, was the samurai slowing down? Her health dropped some more and he slowed even more. No, he wasn't...She was speeding up. A quick look at her stats confirmed that her stats were getting a boost the more she was being damaged. Avenger. How could she have forgotten? Red zone. Now it's a fight.

Viola quickly slapped the samurai with the front of her shield, dazing him and breaking his combo indefinitely.
"Now you've gone and summoned the Kraken." She hissed at him as her avatar glowed in a slight red aura. Her charge was still on cooldown, but she had other skills to work with. Bringing her weapon low, she struck the fake samurai upwards in a fiery attack that lifted him off his feet. Another strike sent him higher thanks to Avenger's +150% increase to her stats. The pirate jumped after him, landing blow after blow as the two fell back to earth. Already, she could see the difference, his health having dipped just into the red zone as well. One last strike... Viola brought her weapon above her head and swung downwards furiously, causing her opponent to fall much faster, his health bar completely depleted.

The barrier surrounding the battle faded as the game gave the loser a single point of health.
"Dominated!" Viola cried as she flipped the loser over so that he was facing upwards. "Let that be a bloody lesson to ya. Don't go thinkin' we're over either. You're still indebted to me half your ship's booty, so cough it up, less yeh be wanting another beat down."
"Game already took it." The samurai answered as he slowly got to his feet. "God damn it, what the hell was that even about?! Why do you even care?"
"She be one of me mates! Can't have no scoundrols gettin' away with such pervsions. Next time I lay eyes on yeh pullin' that, there won't be a duel invitation. Now ship off, 'fore I change me mind and strike yeh down with yer meager point o' health."

 

[Peace]

*clack clack clack*​

"Saito."

*clack clack clack clack*​

"Hey Saito."

*clack clack clack clack clack*​

"SAITO!"

"I'm right in front of you. You don't need to yell," A young man with red eyes and coal-colored hair replied calmly as he kept typing. Without looking away from his keyboard and computer screen, he asked "Do you need somethin'?"

"I do. I was wonderin' if you can finish and file these reports for me," A portly man about ten years older than him yet has a significant amount of grey hair requested sliding a packet of files into his view. Determining from a split second's look over, it looked like documents for the marketing section of the company.

"This looks like your department, not mine. Go find someone else to sucker to do your work for you," the red-eyed youth told him with irritation in his tone.

Offended, the man I'm not giving a name responded "You know I can get you written up for insubordination, right?"

"Yet at the same time, I can do the same but for using your position in an attempt to intimidate me," Saito responded without missing a beat as well as suppressing the strong urge to kick the guy in the head. "Not only have I've been doin' my own work managin' the Sales Reps, but I've also been helpin' out the finance side of things since Ellen quit a month ago. Makin' sure the company bein' paid and doin' the same with our own bills in case you forgot."

When the supervisor had nothing to say, Saito added "Also, there's a camera that records sound in the corner above your left shoulder. Plus, in the time you spent standin' here doin' nothin', you could have gotten some of your work done." Flustered, the guy left grumbling something about a "Stupid punk kid."

When he was done with the report he was working on, he sent an e-mail describing what just happened to Human Resources. After that, he looked at the clock at the corner of the computer screen and sighed "Two more hours."

When he gets home, he'll be more than glad to sleep the morning away.

 

[Roxie1563]

I woke up, my hands rubbing the sleep out of my eyes when my ears picked up of someone falling down to the ground and with that, I turned to my left side and were able to see a strange looking lady dressed as what appeared to be sort of a pirate.. and an odd-dressing pirate she was. I was able to get the gist of it since she mentioned me and I was wondering why would she mention my name of all things when it hit me.

I got up and as I did, I felt my lips wet from something. I frowned and used my sleeves to wipe whatever it was off as I wondered what it was, but I could have swear that something kissed me while I was out. It felt like it was from one of those slimy lizards that zoomed by in the desert. As I continued to clean my mouth and lip, I glanced at the pirate lady and for some reason, she looked like Viola and after closely looking at her, it was so.

I walked up to her, hoping my mouth was clean and gave her my hellos. "Hey, Viola. What's with the getup?" I asked as I subconsciously tried my best not to wipe my lips again, "You trying to be Captain Jack Sparrow from that pirate movie?" I teased to her as my eyes moved from her to the oddballs that I would call my friends. I gave my smile to Musashi, hoping he would mind me staying with him then that smile changed when I saw Crod. I wondered if everything was okay with him as he appeared to look.. angry, was it?

I quickly gathered myself as I continued to talk to Viola, still wondering what had happened to me while I was out of it. "Anyway, what was that all about back there?" I questioned to Viola as I had my arms across my chest, my eyes still on Crod, watching him as he appeared to, from my perspective, figure something out.

I quietly sighed to myself, but recovered before anyone noticed that. I hoped that we'd win this fight without a hitch, I thought to myself as she and I conversed on, unsure of how this night would end either on a high note or low note.

 

[SwagStarIV]

Ace Duseki | 18 Floor, Small Merchant Town Close to the Main Dungeon

Emerald logged into his nerve gear system and arrived at his shop. Ace opened his menu and checked his messages. Empty... As always... *Sigh* Another boring day huh? Maybe they've moved their focuse to higher floors? Either way... I guess today is the day! I've gained enough exp to make my own custom weaponry, plus this hidden weaponry isn't bad either. Time to run this game! Funny though... I've never even seen a boss. I bet most of these people think I'm to cowardice to face one... Facing the outside of his shop, Ace pouted. He still had his battle armor on. Something was telling him things where going to change.

With a sudden rush of energy Ace leaped to the back of his store and gathered all the unnecessary items in his storage. Most of the items were beginners weapons he had crafted and food items, so he sold them to the system for cheap and gained a sum of 30,000 col. The rest of the items, all of which being the first high class weapon he created, his first dagger, his weapon crafting tools, various material he had been saving, and some teleport crystals. Ace left the store and put his space up for sale. Hmmm.... 250,000 should do! These low level floor are way to boring. It's about time I should my tenacity!

 

[Peace]

"Ughhhhhhhhh," Saito groaned as his body collided with his futon. Toooooo much work, he internally complained while the sunrise peeked through the windows of his studio apartment. Even though he's been on this graveyard shift for several months, he still feels he can't get used to it.

I need to vent, he thought as he pulled out his phone and scrolled down his contact list to a name out of nothing but habit. The youth was going to hit send before he stopped himself. He remained in that state, hesitant to call her. With his thumb hovering over the button, he sat back up on the couch/bed and leaned against the back.

The young half-Irishman missed having someone to talk to. It's not like he has issues speaking to his family or friends. It's more that he made more of a connection with this person in particular. Plus, no one else can keep up with his sometimes very groan worthy music references and ball jokes. At the same time, he didn't want to come off as needy, creepy, desperate, or like a crazy ex.

I know we agreed to break up, but dammit I miss her.

He never broke up with anyone before, so he didn't know what to do. He wanted to get some advice, but he didn't want to bother any of his friends with his problems. In the end like all of those other times, he exited the list. For the past month and a half, it's been like this. They were able to talk before, but those conversations turned quiet and/or awkward pretty quickly. This made him less inclined to get in contact, but the urge to call her keeps coming up.

The former college student sighed in frustration with a bit of not having enough sleep mixed in there. A part of himself told him to man the hell up. The rest of him quickly agreed. He texted Crystal to be (what he considered) safe.

"Hey. Sorry it's been a while. Work's been kickin' my ass lately. Do u have time 2 talk?"

 

[MegaCore5]

The Stinging Hollows hovered in the sky, ready to deliver the final blow. Three of them dived towards me with their stingers aimed for my head. I winced away as I waited for my demise.

But there it was again. The same rustle from within the trees I heard before but much louder. Then, unexpectedly, a man cut through the trees above my head and cut two of the bees down with one slice, while the others backed off from the attack that had once before meant my demise. He landed in front of me and reached his hand down to me. I was pulled up to his level in an instant and I managed to get a good look at him.

Getting up, I noticed that he was much younger than had imagined, based on his strength. His silky, pale skin and jet black hair only seemed to intensify the stare of his violet eyes. I also noticed that he was slightly taller than I was.

"Can you stand?" The boy inquired.
I started to speak but the stare pierced my soul and inhibited me to speak.

"Listen, we got to move away from here. These bees won’t let up at all and you need to recover." he said.

"I appreciate the assistance... but who are you?" I managed to blurt out.

“No questions. You need to get out of here.” He demanded, leading me towards the edge of the woods.

I still did not trust him but his confidence and comfort weakened my resolve, and I conceded for his help.

As we were leaving the tip of my boot tapped a small smooth rock. Wrinkles on the corner of my mouth curled up deviously as I instantly hatched my plan for revenge.

Without a second thought, I picked up the shiny rock and thrusted it at one of the Hollows in the swarm. Not my brightest plan... The entire swarm reacted in unison diving toward me and the boy.

Lavender-eyes let out a groan and yanked me in the opposite direction. “That was stupid.” he scolded and threw me a potion.

As we bolted off deeper into the woods I quickly drank the potion he had offered.
In no time at all, the hollows caught up to us. Five to the left, seven flanking from the right, and twelve diving from above. The five caught up, running parallel to me. Two out of the bunch attempted to flank me, to which I barely countered with my rusty sword and, finding an opening, countered the attack jaggedly through their thoraxes, leaving a trail of rust that temporarily blinded my eyes, hindering my limp escape.

As we both ran, I tripped over a uprooted tree root and fell onto my hands and knees. The three bees to my left took advantage of this and dished out a strong attack, leaving me with half of my health. I waved my sword wildly behind me, dazing the hollows enough to thwart their attack and unsteadily hold my ground.

As I looked around, the hollows floating about taunting me, I just couldn't take it anymore. So, in aggravation, I roared, "Just go and die already!!!"

I flailed my sword through the hollows left and right,wildly swinging my rusted sword in a blur of brown and yellow. When the copper brown smog had settled, not a single hollow stood standing and I coughed in the heavy cloud I had forged.

Clear of those bees, I realized that the other hollows had forgotten me and chased after the other guy. I debated whether it was worth it trying to save him, but realizing he had done the same, I stumbled in his direction briskly.

As I limped to where he was at, I realized not only did he have it under control, he had the ground littered with hollow carcasses. He stood over them, barely breaking a sweat and remained calm, cool, and collected.

“Um.. hey, are you okay? Sorry for leavin ya back there but… It seems you had the situation under control” I said, huffing from the exertion of strength it took to even limp this far.

He turned around, eyes piercingly purple. He looked mad. “I did."

“Ok then, well... um... thanks again for everything i'll see y-”

“Here.” He interrupted, giving an antidote to me, "next time use that. It’ll keep you from mortal peril..." He remarked darkly.

I glanced away, looking to the floor uncomfortably.

"I don't mean actually dying. That all went away a long time ago…” The boy quickly muttered.

“But… the game’s original purpose was for death, so, how can you be so sure that it can't be used for those same purposes again. Thats why I’m careful. even in this game I still fear death. Because there might become a day where the incidents of SAO become a reality once more” I explained, trying to look calm but failing to hide the fear I had before spoken of.

The stranger's demeanor completely changed. He smiled at me. “You’re new huh? Paranoia won’t get you anywhere. Just play the game like it’s intended and you’ll be safe.” Lavender-eyes warned, staring deep into my soul as to ensure my memory of this speech. The armored boy turned and began to walk away before turning his head and saying: “And don’t throw rocks at the Hollows… They don’t like it.”

At that, we went our separate ways. I managed to choke down the weak antidote he had given me, only to curb the effects of the paralysis for a short while. I sighed, and began limping away to town for my only hope for salvation.

 

[Kiba]

The leaves were green as ever. The sunlight pushed through their multiple cracks illuminating Central park beautifully. Sat on a bench reading to an old man was Sam. She read from a poetry book she’d found in a used bookshop on her way home from school. The book was old—its pages were yellowed and wrinkled from overuse. Despite this Sam continued reading. It was a poem by Rilke. Some Russian or German poet who died several years before Sam was even born. She never understood the poetry, but she enjoyed the way it sounded as she read to the old man.

Johnson or Williamson? She couldn’t remember the geezers name. He was someone’s son. That was for certain. The first time she’d asked to read to him he’d turned her down. She read anyways. The first few times he would scowl and scoff and mumble bad words under his breath but he never left. He always stayed till the end and each week he’d return. Sam would find him in the same spot with that same grumpy expression. The bad words eventually stopped but he still scoffed when he saw her walking up. They’d exchange pleasantries (or in his case unpleasantries.)

“… and changes us, even if we do not reach it, into something else, which, hardly sensing it, we already are…” she read, not looking up from the book. The old man was looking at her with a look of concentration. She continued: “… a gesture waves us on answering our own wave… but what we feel is the wind on our faces.”

Sam looked up and he looked away, scoffing. “Why do you come here every week?” She inquired, closing the book and placing it on the bench beside her. “You always seem so grumpy but here you are always listening to me read. I can't be that good of a reader.”

She smiled a big toothy grin at him. He merely turned away. Her shoulders dropped and she pouted. “You remind me of Anna.” He said as if she should know who Anna was. He didn’t let her reply. “ Plain. And soft hearted. She was strong willed like you too.”

“I’m not strong willed…” Sam replied standing up hurriedly. “I have to go. Uh, I have a date…”

“No you don’t.” He said as she began to walk away. “You just don’t know how to take a compliment. You underestimate yourself.”

She stopped walking and turned to look at the man. He was staring her directly in the eye. His expression was one of determination. The fact that he was right scared her. One old man who she’d read to a few times knew more about her more than most of her “friends.” “I have to go…” she said softly and turned to leave.

“Your book.” He called. It was sitting on the bench where she’d left it.

“Keep it!” she said without stopping. “A token of our friendship.”

The old man didn’t say a word and was soon out of sight. By the time she arrived home it was well into the afternoon. She dropped her bags next to the door and threw herself onto her bed. The old man’s words resonated in her mind. She couldn't stop going over what he’d said. Her mind drifted to the Amusphere on her bedside table and she forgot all about what Old Man Johnson or Williamson said. She’d completely forgotten about the new device.

Without another thought, she placed it over her head and lie back.

~ LINK START ~​

As Kali’s eyes opened, two pings resonated and a notification popped up in her menu. She flexed her fingers out of habit, but everything felt slightly different. Her movements felt more fluid. The scent of wood burning wafted through her room. That was normal in this inn. Sitting up, she stretched her arms out and let out a yawn. There was something different that she couldn’t put a finger on. The room? No the room was the same. Mirror, featherbed, oak table and chair in the corner— Those items were all normal. She stood up and put on her clothes before it came to her. There was no weird feeling. That disorienting feeling that accompanied jumping into the game with her NerveGear was gone.

Before she could convey her moment of elation, another ping rang through her menu. She opened up the darn thing and looked through her notifications. There were three: 2 messages, 1 friend request. She opened the oldest message first.

It read:

I forgot to add you as a friend.​

L.​

The next notification was said friend request from Legion. She smiled and pushed the accept button. Looking at her online friends list, she expected to see Legion’s username pop up. Nothing changed. Just one guy that she’d gone ranging with ages ago. He was a little weird, but she paid him no mind. Legion wasn’t on and that disappointed her.

The third notification was another message. This one was more recent. The time stamp actually indicated that it was sent 2 minutes after she logged in. This message was just a set of coordinates and a date stamped with the hummingbird sigil that Legion had adorned on his armor. The same symbol that was engraved into the necklace she wore. Kali closed the message and sat on the bed deeply concerned. The message wasn't from Legion. It's user was hidden. Kali was more surprised that messages could be sent anonymously than of the message itself. Before she could think about it anymore, another notification popped up. This one from Legion.

I found the boss’ door. Hurry here. There’s already a crowd. Sending the coordinates.​

L. ​

Her heart fluttered. Not only from the fact that Legion was online, but that he’d found the door. That he actually wanted to help her grow. That he was sticking to her plan. Or was that his plan all along? It would explain the ring. She didn't think about it much longer. The coordinates came in on a different message. Sending a quick “On my way” to Legion, she ran out the door and towards the teleport gate. Today was the day she’d become strong.