pkken
IzurichThe man's voice startled Izzy, and she looked up at him with red and puffy eyes. She wiped her tears on her sleeve, embarrassed to be seen in the state she was in. The man's words of assurance were nice to hear, though, so she tentatively accepted his outstretched hand.
Putting a hand against the wall to support herself, she got up unsteadily. She looked at the man's face, prepared to respond, but lost her nerve and her gaze quickly dropped back to her feet.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I... um, I have someone I need to find," she said, tensing up. She hated turning people away when they were only trying to help her, but her mind was made up. She stepped around him to exit the alley, adding "I hope we'll meet again..." as she passed by him.
She left the alley and entered the populated street. A few people saw her and stared for a few seconds, causing her to go red. She must've looked terrible, what with the fact that she had just cried her eyes out. Across the street, she saw a shop that sold cloth armor, and quickly made her way towards it, keeping her head down.
Inside, she found exactly what she needed: a plain cloak-and-hood. She bought the dark green variant, and immediately equipped it. The cloak fell to her knees, and was open at the front, making it easy to move in and almost more like a cape. The hood, which she pulled up, helped hide her mess-of-a-face from the world.
She stepped out into the street again, feeling a little more confident, and began to try to find her way back to the square where she had last seen Haunt.
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Undying Curiosity said
@riegalThat last post you made..........Deep.
Oh, well thanks, but I wouldn't really call it deep. It's more just Izzy flipping out because she's imagining everyone dying.
souleaterfan320 said
im currently waiting for a reply from riegal.
You posted literally five minutes after I went to bed x). I'll be replying soon, sorry for the long wait.
Izzy ran with her head down, afraid to see anybody's face. She didn't want to know anything about anyone who would die soon. She felt that she would faint at any moment, and her lungs burnt. She didn't want to stop, but her body forced her to.
Turning into a random alley, she went as deep into it as she could before her dizziness got the best of her and she tripped over her own feet. She landed painfully on her forearms, but didn't have the strength to make any sort of noise. After slowly picking herself up, she crawled to the closest wall and sat with her back against it.
It was then that she finally noticed that she had a message and party invite from Haunt, and for one relieving moment, her panic subsided.
The moment passed when she realized that she had run away from the one person in the game that wasn't a complete stranger to her.
She clutched her face and broke down, finally hitting the peak of her attack. She did her best to stifle her sobs by burying her head between her knees.
It only took a few minutes for her to get over the height of her panic, but she was drained and exhausted. The attack wasn't over yet, either. It would last for another little while, but it would - thankfully - slowly dwindle during that time.
She stared at the party invite, completely at a loss as to whether she should accept or not. Of course, it would be a good idea to make friends in the game, especially now that everyone's lives were at risk. But that was also exactly why she didn't want to accept. The risk of death was substantial, and any friends she made would be in constant danger. She couldn't lose someone she cared for again.
It was an impossible choice, and thinking about it just caused her receding panic to flare up. So she stopped thinking and followed her instinct.
With a trembling hand, she reached out and accepted, choking back a sob.
Her sister wasn't in the game. She couldn't comfort and calm her. Izzy wanted to have people around her that she trusted and cared for. That desire won out over her fear of losing the friends she hadn't even made yet.
She hugged her knees tighter, deciding to stay in the alley until she had fully calmed down.
Turning into a random alley, she went as deep into it as she could before her dizziness got the best of her and she tripped over her own feet. She landed painfully on her forearms, but didn't have the strength to make any sort of noise. After slowly picking herself up, she crawled to the closest wall and sat with her back against it.
It was then that she finally noticed that she had a message and party invite from Haunt, and for one relieving moment, her panic subsided.
The moment passed when she realized that she had run away from the one person in the game that wasn't a complete stranger to her.
She clutched her face and broke down, finally hitting the peak of her attack. She did her best to stifle her sobs by burying her head between her knees.
It only took a few minutes for her to get over the height of her panic, but she was drained and exhausted. The attack wasn't over yet, either. It would last for another little while, but it would - thankfully - slowly dwindle during that time.
She stared at the party invite, completely at a loss as to whether she should accept or not. Of course, it would be a good idea to make friends in the game, especially now that everyone's lives were at risk. But that was also exactly why she didn't want to accept. The risk of death was substantial, and any friends she made would be in constant danger. She couldn't lose someone she cared for again.
It was an impossible choice, and thinking about it just caused her receding panic to flare up. So she stopped thinking and followed her instinct.
With a trembling hand, she reached out and accepted, choking back a sob.
Her sister wasn't in the game. She couldn't comfort and calm her. Izzy wanted to have people around her that she trusted and cared for. That desire won out over her fear of losing the friends she hadn't even made yet.
She hugged her knees tighter, deciding to stay in the alley until she had fully calmed down.
Izzy nodded in response, still looking away. Haunt seemed nice enough, but she knew she wasn't the easiest or most fun person to talk to. He'd probably enjoy the game more if he found other people to -
Her thoughts were cut off by an invisible push to her gut. She doubled over in her seat, and stared at Haunt as he began to glow a light blue. She quickly looked at her hands to see that she was also glowing.
Before she could make sense of what was happening, she found her self in an unfamiliar square. She looked around frantically, feeling a panic attack begin to take hold of her. It seemed like every player in the game was packed into the square, all just as confused as she was.
A black cloud formed overhead, and with it a voice addressed the players. With every word the voice spoke, Izzy's panic attack grew. She frantically swiped at her menu, seeing that what the voice had said was true. There was no way to log out.
She realized with a start that she was having trouble breathing. The second unseen push, this time hitting her in the chest, made the problem worse.
This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be trapped in a life-or-death game. She couldn't be, she couldn't be, she couldn't be.
Her thoughts continued to spiral downwards, becoming incoherent even to herself. She stood doubled over, eyes wide and hands covering her mouth. She couldn't move, and people bumped into her from all sides.
Haunt had taken off, but Izzy didn't notice. The only things she noticed were the awful feelings that bounced around mercilessly inside her. She was going to die. Everyone around her was going to die.
A loud clang resounded throughout the square, audible over the thousands of voices. When she heard the noise, she felt it - the urge to run. To leave wherever she was.
So she did. Izzy turned on her heels and sprinted blindly. She didn't care that she had no idea where she was going. She didn't care that she was running into dozens of people. She just wanted to get as far away as possible. She gasped for air, but no matter how hard she tried, her breaths were quick and shallow. Blackness crept into the edges of her vision, and she felt herself begin to get dizzy.
But she kept running.
Her thoughts were cut off by an invisible push to her gut. She doubled over in her seat, and stared at Haunt as he began to glow a light blue. She quickly looked at her hands to see that she was also glowing.
Before she could make sense of what was happening, she found her self in an unfamiliar square. She looked around frantically, feeling a panic attack begin to take hold of her. It seemed like every player in the game was packed into the square, all just as confused as she was.
A black cloud formed overhead, and with it a voice addressed the players. With every word the voice spoke, Izzy's panic attack grew. She frantically swiped at her menu, seeing that what the voice had said was true. There was no way to log out.
She realized with a start that she was having trouble breathing. The second unseen push, this time hitting her in the chest, made the problem worse.
This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be trapped in a life-or-death game. She couldn't be, she couldn't be, she couldn't be.
Her thoughts continued to spiral downwards, becoming incoherent even to herself. She stood doubled over, eyes wide and hands covering her mouth. She couldn't move, and people bumped into her from all sides.
Haunt had taken off, but Izzy didn't notice. The only things she noticed were the awful feelings that bounced around mercilessly inside her. She was going to die. Everyone around her was going to die.
A loud clang resounded throughout the square, audible over the thousands of voices. When she heard the noise, she felt it - the urge to run. To leave wherever she was.
So she did. Izzy turned on her heels and sprinted blindly. She didn't care that she had no idea where she was going. She didn't care that she was running into dozens of people. She just wanted to get as far away as possible. She gasped for air, but no matter how hard she tried, her breaths were quick and shallow. Blackness crept into the edges of her vision, and she felt herself begin to get dizzy.
But she kept running.
WELL SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.
This must be more than a simple coincidence.
This must be more than a simple coincidence.
YipeeXD said
I'll try reverse psychology.... no guys dont post in the ic. that would be awful... there definitely isnt a plot post written up waiting to be pasted in.... nope... none of those interesting plot twists ready to be shared here....
I'll make another post as soon as Kaithas responds to my last one.
You guys are really active, which is awesome, but don't leave us behind x)
Izzy rubbed her left thumbnail against her teeth, staring at her feet and impatiently waiting for her health to fill up.
"I'm hauntedWoods, but you can call me Haunt. You doing okay?" a boy said.
She paused for a moment, uncertain if she was the one being addressed. She looked up slightly, seeing that someone was indeed standing in front of her, hand held out.
"Eh?" she breathed, head snapping up to see the boy's face as she quickly hid the hand she had been holding up to her mouth.
In other games, when a stranger spoke to her, it was easy to ignore. They were only polygons and a speech bubble. But in SAO... well, she may as well have been in the real world.
Her face went red as she realized this, and her gaze drifted back towards her feet. She decided to do what she would outside of the game - be as polite as possible.
"I'm, um... I'm Izzy," she stammered, accepting Haunt's handshake - albeit very weakly. "A-and yes, I'm fine, thank you..." She added, kicking herself on the inside for being so socially inept.
"I'm hauntedWoods, but you can call me Haunt. You doing okay?" a boy said.
She paused for a moment, uncertain if she was the one being addressed. She looked up slightly, seeing that someone was indeed standing in front of her, hand held out.
"Eh?" she breathed, head snapping up to see the boy's face as she quickly hid the hand she had been holding up to her mouth.
In other games, when a stranger spoke to her, it was easy to ignore. They were only polygons and a speech bubble. But in SAO... well, she may as well have been in the real world.
Her face went red as she realized this, and her gaze drifted back towards her feet. She decided to do what she would outside of the game - be as polite as possible.
"I'm, um... I'm Izzy," she stammered, accepting Haunt's handshake - albeit very weakly. "A-and yes, I'm fine, thank you..." She added, kicking herself on the inside for being so socially inept.
Izzy had killed a half-dozen boars by now, quickly getting used to the combat. Eyeing another one of the beasts, she stepped towards it and activated her Sprint skill, allowing her to close in on it quickly. When she was close enough to hit it, she planted her right foot on the ground, spinning around and leaping a few feet in the air to gather momentum for her swing.
The hammer connected solidly with the boar's head, shattering the creature instantly. The now-familiar rewards screen came up, and she quickly dismissed it, going after another enemy. Every skill in the game had a max level of 1000, and only a few of her's were even at level 2. It would take a long time to max them out.
Izzy stayed out in the field as long as she could, but eventually she began to tire and her health got uncomfortably low. She returned to the town and dismissed her hammer.
She walked through the streets and made a point to avoid eye contact with anyone. It may have been a game, but all these other characters were real people. She couldn't get over her timidity that easily.
She found a store that sold health potions, and bought a few. She drank one, noting that it was fairly tasteless, but certainly not bad. Reading the item's description in her menu, she saw that it would heal her slowly over time, which meant she couldn't go back out into the field for a little bit. She decided that that wasn't such a bad thing, as she was a feeling a bit fatigued from her first excursion. The wait would let her catch her breath.
She found a nearby bench and sat down. With nothing else to do, she tried to discreetly study the happy players who milled about.
The hammer connected solidly with the boar's head, shattering the creature instantly. The now-familiar rewards screen came up, and she quickly dismissed it, going after another enemy. Every skill in the game had a max level of 1000, and only a few of her's were even at level 2. It would take a long time to max them out.
Izzy stayed out in the field as long as she could, but eventually she began to tire and her health got uncomfortably low. She returned to the town and dismissed her hammer.
She walked through the streets and made a point to avoid eye contact with anyone. It may have been a game, but all these other characters were real people. She couldn't get over her timidity that easily.
She found a store that sold health potions, and bought a few. She drank one, noting that it was fairly tasteless, but certainly not bad. Reading the item's description in her menu, she saw that it would heal her slowly over time, which meant she couldn't go back out into the field for a little bit. She decided that that wasn't such a bad thing, as she was a feeling a bit fatigued from her first excursion. The wait would let her catch her breath.
She found a nearby bench and sat down. With nothing else to do, she tried to discreetly study the happy players who milled about.
Isabel sat on her bed, hugging her knees. She stared at her NerveGear, waiting for the SAO servers to go up.
Her father had not been happy when he found out that she went to buy the game alone at midnight. He had started throwing and breaking things, yelling at her. Life had been just bearable when her sister still lived in the house, but now she was living with her boyfriend. She visited nearly everyday, but it wasn't the same.
Noticing that it was time, she wiped her eyes and put on the NerveGear.
"Link start," she said softly, afraid of being heard.
As the game started up, she afforded herself a small smile. She'd be able to live a different life in SAO, if only for a few hours at a time.
In no time she was in-game, now known as Izzy. She stood still, in the Town of Beginnings, in awe at how everything felt so real. So real that at first her mind refused to believe that it was a game. But all around her, others were spawning into the world, appearing out of thin air. She swiped at the air, trying to call up the game menu. She let out a small gasp when it worked. As she scrolled through the floating menu, equipping herself with basic items she found in her inventory, she finally accepted the fact that she was in a game. Which meant she could do things she could never do in the real world. Like...
She summoned her two-handed hammer, which was colored black and very plain looking. It hovered over her outstretched hands momentarily. Her instinctual reaction was to not catch it, because it looked insanely heavy. She fought that urge, and the hammer fell softly into her hands.
She stared at it, once again in slight disbelief. It felt so light in her grip. She swung it at the air a few times, testing it out.
Izzy smiled, excitement replacing shock. Thanks to the skills she had chosen, she could wield a massive hammer with ease. Outside of the game, she wouldn't even be able to lift this weapon, let alone swing it around.
Done with the hammer for now, she quickly used the menu to put it away so she wouldn't need to carry it around.
Deciding that she wanted to try fighting something, she began to walk, making her way outside of the town.
Her father had not been happy when he found out that she went to buy the game alone at midnight. He had started throwing and breaking things, yelling at her. Life had been just bearable when her sister still lived in the house, but now she was living with her boyfriend. She visited nearly everyday, but it wasn't the same.
Noticing that it was time, she wiped her eyes and put on the NerveGear.
"Link start," she said softly, afraid of being heard.
As the game started up, she afforded herself a small smile. She'd be able to live a different life in SAO, if only for a few hours at a time.
In no time she was in-game, now known as Izzy. She stood still, in the Town of Beginnings, in awe at how everything felt so real. So real that at first her mind refused to believe that it was a game. But all around her, others were spawning into the world, appearing out of thin air. She swiped at the air, trying to call up the game menu. She let out a small gasp when it worked. As she scrolled through the floating menu, equipping herself with basic items she found in her inventory, she finally accepted the fact that she was in a game. Which meant she could do things she could never do in the real world. Like...
She summoned her two-handed hammer, which was colored black and very plain looking. It hovered over her outstretched hands momentarily. Her instinctual reaction was to not catch it, because it looked insanely heavy. She fought that urge, and the hammer fell softly into her hands.
She stared at it, once again in slight disbelief. It felt so light in her grip. She swung it at the air a few times, testing it out.
Izzy smiled, excitement replacing shock. Thanks to the skills she had chosen, she could wield a massive hammer with ease. Outside of the game, she wouldn't even be able to lift this weapon, let alone swing it around.
Done with the hammer for now, she quickly used the menu to put it away so she wouldn't need to carry it around.
Deciding that she wanted to try fighting something, she began to walk, making her way outside of the town.
Username: Izzy
Real Name: Isabel Evans
Age: 16
History:
Isabel was born to a fairly average family. It was just her, her older sister, and their two parents. They didn't have very much, but they were happy together.
And then they discovered that Isabel's mother had cancer. It was a shock, of course, but the family believed they could get through it. Over the next two years, their hope and optimism slowly disappeared as mother's health worsened. She eventually passed away, and the once-picturesque family would never be the same.
Isabel's father became a severe alcoholic in an attempt to deal with the loss, and spent his days grieving and largely ignoring his two daughters. Isabel herself became reserved and quiet, getting by in life by simply going through the motions. Her sister, barely a high-schooler at the time, got a part-time job and did every she could to provide for Isabel, while also somehow keeping up with her studies.
After her mother's passing, Isabel found she was quick to panic whenever anyone she cared for was in any sort of danger. Her panic attacks are often bad enough to cause her to hyperventilate, and to stop them she needs to be calmed down - usually by her sister.
Keeping herself locked in her room, she eventually picked up video games as a hobby. When bad things happened in games, she didn't panic because she knew it was just a game. She also liked the feeling that she was in control of what happened in games. It was her one of her few sources of enjoyment.
So of course when she heard about Sword Art Online, she began saving up for a NerveGear. She hoped it would help her get rid of her panic attacks, as she would be in a game with no consequences, but the advanced virtual reality technology would feel closer to real life.
Personality:
Isabel is a nervous, unconfident, and soft-spoken person. The thought of losing people who are close to her terrifies her, and as a result she's hesitant to make friends. Despite this, she's still very polite and kind, and doesn't want to be disliked by anyone.
In-game, she's largely the same, but her displays of emotion tend to be more subtle - an attempt to hide her shy nature and her insecurities. A small smile usually means she's very happy.
She's prone to experiencing panic attacks, but surprisingly this problem isn't as bad in SAO. She's a lot more powerful in the game than in real life, obviously, and because of that she feels like she can help her friends if they're ever in danger.
Weapon: Two-handed Hammer
Skills: Two-handed Battle Axe, Acrobatics, Sprint, Parry.
Crush: None to start off.
Real Name: Isabel Evans
Age: 16
History:
Isabel was born to a fairly average family. It was just her, her older sister, and their two parents. They didn't have very much, but they were happy together.
And then they discovered that Isabel's mother had cancer. It was a shock, of course, but the family believed they could get through it. Over the next two years, their hope and optimism slowly disappeared as mother's health worsened. She eventually passed away, and the once-picturesque family would never be the same.
Isabel's father became a severe alcoholic in an attempt to deal with the loss, and spent his days grieving and largely ignoring his two daughters. Isabel herself became reserved and quiet, getting by in life by simply going through the motions. Her sister, barely a high-schooler at the time, got a part-time job and did every she could to provide for Isabel, while also somehow keeping up with her studies.
After her mother's passing, Isabel found she was quick to panic whenever anyone she cared for was in any sort of danger. Her panic attacks are often bad enough to cause her to hyperventilate, and to stop them she needs to be calmed down - usually by her sister.
Keeping herself locked in her room, she eventually picked up video games as a hobby. When bad things happened in games, she didn't panic because she knew it was just a game. She also liked the feeling that she was in control of what happened in games. It was her one of her few sources of enjoyment.
So of course when she heard about Sword Art Online, she began saving up for a NerveGear. She hoped it would help her get rid of her panic attacks, as she would be in a game with no consequences, but the advanced virtual reality technology would feel closer to real life.
Personality:
Isabel is a nervous, unconfident, and soft-spoken person. The thought of losing people who are close to her terrifies her, and as a result she's hesitant to make friends. Despite this, she's still very polite and kind, and doesn't want to be disliked by anyone.
In-game, she's largely the same, but her displays of emotion tend to be more subtle - an attempt to hide her shy nature and her insecurities. A small smile usually means she's very happy.
She's prone to experiencing panic attacks, but surprisingly this problem isn't as bad in SAO. She's a lot more powerful in the game than in real life, obviously, and because of that she feels like she can help her friends if they're ever in danger.
Weapon: Two-handed Hammer
Skills: Two-handed Battle Axe, Acrobatics, Sprint, Parry.
Crush: None to start off.
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