Fandom Welcome To Sword Art Online

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn's smile falters a bit. "Well..At first the name was only a haunting remind to me, that death haunts all, but yet I play death. Now the stories have come to change for my name and its a grim reminder to a few..." She said, the look in her eyes being heavily guarded, though she gave him a look that said 'new subject' as she was not going to inform anyone of why her name literally had blood smeared all over it. She was not one for telling such a grim tale at such an early point in time.

 

[Tombstone]

Mercer bit his lip as soon as he saw Reapers smile falter, and immediately regretted the question. The way she reacted caused him to wonder if the name actually carried a dark meaning like his nickname. He swore that could feel the scar on his cheek sting slightly as a reminder of that night. Either way, he realized that it would be best if he stopped pressing and dropped it. "I'm very sorry if my question bothered you, I didn't mean to offend. So how did you come to acquire that sword of yours? Ive heard many people talk of it, but today was the first time that Ive actually gotten a good look at it. Its a very awesome blade, no doubt about it."

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn grinned just a bit. "As yes. Anguish." She said, tasing the pride in her own words. It was her most prized possession ever since the day she got it. "Before anyone took me seriously, and before my name well..actually took hold, I and another fellow were somewhere along the floors of 78 or so and we'd hear rumors of an unbeatable boss in a level 90 dungeon..." Acelynning eyes seem to look lightly aged as she remembered this tale, though they had a faint sparkle in them as well as she kept on. "So being the arrogant team we were, He and I set off to this dungeon. Upon arriving we fought many a ghoul, and ghost, but as we went further, there was higher ranking mods like wraiths, shades and wrights. Though as usual the real treasure was the boss. Death himself. That fight..I swear..I've never been so close to dying in this game as that fight. Death was truly a matched foe and I've never had a better fight than him. The battle dragged on for roughly 2 days in the real world. Which..yes its unheathly to be in NerveGear that long, but no way were he and I backing out of this. So as we fought on, we knew the boss couldn't be beat so easily. I mean It was Death himself. He kept regenerating and getting his heath bars back. Until..well a deal was made with him. After 2 days of fighting, there was no beating the thing, so we struck a deal, with a boss. As crazy as that seems, but its what you had to do. Death could only be defeated by striking a deal. I won't say what the deal was, but the deal resulted in my legendary weapon, Anguish." She said, her voice sounding as though she was telling a tale as old as she were. though that wasn't the case.


Acelynn brought down her and showed Mercer the small scripture that came with the blade. It read: "And so the deal was made, and on that day Death's presence will forever linger on Anguish and bring it's bearer both great power and curse even greater..."


"Surely you'd heard that someone beat this boss." Acelynn said to him with a small laugh. "It was really popular." She said, sipping on her drink, as it had come to the table along with their food as she told her tale.

 

[Tombstone]

Mercer thought for a second, it did seem familiar. Then he remembered people talking about it at a tavern on floor 77. "Ah yes, now I recall hearing about that fight, I wish I had been there as I live for the challenge on an epic fight. I acquired my sword, Noble Soul, in a similar fashion. To get it I had to take on the nearly impossible task of solo'ing two bosses at once. One was a hydra the other a giant. The raid zone was on floor 85 I believe, and it was solo only. If one failed, all the gear he had equipped would be destroyed. It took me nearly 23 hours to complete the fight, and I was the first to do so as the challenge scared others away. I went through a health crystal nearly every 15 minutes, but the fight was easier than anyone imagined. I found about 20 hours in that there was a way to collapse the ceiling on top of them to deal major damage. The problem was there was a lot of steps to accomplish while simultaneously dodging the enemies blows. In the end I pulled it off and was reward with the sword. It's my favorite in the entire game because it has a lot of the properties that my rapier IRL has." Mercer smiled at the memory of how prod he was for fully defeating those mighty foes. It really was probably the hardest fight he had ever been in, but not the most dangerous.


Mercer realized that he had been the one leading the conversation so far, so he figured he should give the Reaper a chance. "Well, what do you wish to talk about now? I believe it's your turn."

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn thought on this for a bit. "Hm.." She said aloud as her index finger lightly tapped on her chin. "We said something about IRL..what do you do in the real world?" She asked curiously as her hand lowered back down ad the other got a fork full of salad and munched on it. The real world. Crazy how that seems so distant now.. She thought to herself as she swallowed.

 

[Tombstone]

Mercer paused for a second, most gamers would have tried to avoid this question. The thing was he never considered himself a gamer. SAO was his first and he wasn't playing to play a game, he was playing to fight. Mercer even used a facial recognition program to use his real appearance for his avatar, even going so far to include the scar on his cheek. To top it all off he even used his real name for his user, something that was generally considered to be a bad idea. Still Mercer believed himself to be just Mercer in the game, not someone else. "I was attending high school over in Tokyo, but I was originally from the U.S.A. What you had heard me mention about the real world was my rapier, or rather my favorite. I'm a competition fencer and one of the in the U.S. before I had left. I even won several of the largest tournaments. When I moved to Japan it became harder to find places to spar due to the popularity of kendo over fencing. Still I'd occasionally duel the best players from that sport and would usually come out on top. The whole reason I came to SAO was practice and use my skills, it is actually my first game ever. What about you?"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn nods. She knew kendo was widely popular in Japan, hell she lived there and highly wished to take kendo, but couldn't. "I don't really have a life outside of VR games...i just take collage classes online and take care of my brother. We live in Tokyo, Japan." She said simply, and though that was very vague to what actually went on at home, she'd like to keep it that way. No one needed to know how things went or how her life really was in full detail, they could just know the small good tid-bits.

 

[Tombstone]

Mercer nodded, the answer seemed pretty standard. "Alright here is a hard question that you will need to be able to answer, twisted though it may seem. Will you be able to send people to their deaths? You were a great leader and tactician in the beta so there are few better for spearheading the front line. If you plan on doing that, know that no raid ever goes perfect. There will be casualties under you leadership, possibly even hundreds by the final floor. I apologize for ruining the happy moment, but it's something that must be said. If you want to rebuild your guild there will be a lot more responsibilities than ever before. With that said tomorrow we will not only see people looking for training, but a leader as well." Mercer paused waiting for an answer, it was the truth. With this type of question there was no cutting corners or withholding information, it was either yes or no. He was slightly worried about his new friend, but if she was ready he'd follow her to the gates of hell and beyond.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn shakes her head when Mercer apologizes. "No need to apologize. I have sent many a people to their death in my time of being leader." She said, her eyes growing hard as she looked into him. "Granted it wasn't a time like this, but yes. I have sent people to their deaths, real or not. Just as I have been on death row myself. I will not fear, nor question what I must do. I shall have the blood on my hands, shall I be made the leader. This I understand and have well come to terms with; however, I ask that we make a council of guild Masters. That will be my only request of you or anyone. A council. I alone cannot make full hearted decisions. " She admited, though her voice and grown rather low and serious.


Acelynn knew what it was like to be near death, she also knew what it was like to bring death upon others.

 

[Tombstone]

Mercer smiled and nodded his head, satisfied with her answer. "Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant," He said to himself under his breath. Mercer himself was prepared to do the same as she was. This would not be his first time fighting for his life and there was a good chance it wouldn't be his last. What made Mercer different than so many others was he never hesitated. Once he was committed there was no stopping him. He was always more calm and collected in a fight than any other situation. While he avoided unnecessary casualties, the fact that there would be some never bothered him as that was the way it had always been. He would fight right alongside others and share the risk. "I wouldn't mind helping you along the way. I may not be an experienced gamer but I know a lot of the mechanics to SAO. Plus I have studied great generals such as Patton, Rommel, Ceasar, Alexander, Sun Tzu, etc, so I have a fair idea of strategies that we can use. If you want it, I'd be happy to help you in leading the charge. I can tell that you are a good person, far better than I could ever be. Either way I'll follow any order you give and would die happy knowing I was under your command."

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn smiled just a bit. "Let us hope you will not die." She said softly then picked up her glass of apple cider. "A toast perhaps?" She proposed, raising the glass up a bit higher. A leader huh? Well..maybe that's something to look forward to.. She thought to herself, a small hopefully gleam in her eyes as she looked at Mercer across the table. her smile still there, as soft as ever as it graced her features.

 

[Tombstone]

Mercer grinned, "A toast sounds lovely." He plucked his mug from the table and held it in the air. "To victory, glory, and a safe return home!" He bellowed. Whether this would hold true he did not know, but he would fight to the death to achieve it. He was confident in Reaper and her leadership, and believed that they were likely to achieve those ambitious goals. "Anything you like to add?"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

"And may our plight be ever most successful." Acelynn added with a wink, then lightly tapped her glass against his a took a drink, the cider now seeming to taste sweeter, though she knew it was just from the small fact that they were finaly figuring somethings out in the hell of a life they now lived in. We'll make it. I swear. All of us. I won't let anyone die an unglorious death. She vowed to herself mentally.

 

[Cosmos]

Riku walked through the town, an empty cold-hearted stare on her face not because of the situation she was now in... in fact she was a little happy she was finally able to escape that hellish world she was cursed too...


((sorry it's a little short... didn't really have any ideas i suck at starting posts, so was that ok?))

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

((Perfectly fine x3))

 

[Tombstone]

He was glad they actually were making progress and plan in their way out of the mess they were in. After their speeches the panic in the town seemed to calm down a bit. Mercer was concerned at how long all the moral would last. Mercer had no idea what the total length of time to clear the game would be. "How long do you think it will take? I'd have to assume a year and a half at least, maybe more. It's going to be a long ride, but hey nothing is ever easy. I'd bet that we could have the noobs ready to kill the first floor boss in a week though, or at least a party of higher level beta testers. What do you plan on doing once we beat the first boss?"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn thinks on his question for a bit. "Not sure how long it might take to beat the game, but after the first boss..I don't want to stop. I want to keep going..." She said then added. "But I won't because our troops need a rest..and with my council idea..well I'd like us to meet afterword. Actually...I'd like to build the council tomorrow after training. I was all the Guild Masters." She said. It felt good to make some planning on the boss..but still she wasn't liking how slow they had to move because of the noobies. She wanted to keep going..shoot through the floors. She had a home to get back to..even it did suck.

 

[Tombstone]

Mercer was a little surprised at her answer, most people would immediately want a break while she was right to business. He was liking her more and more. "Very honorable of you. However were going to be here for a while. As for myself, I'm going to use the money from the raid and what I have stored from the beta to buy myself a house. It would just be nice to have something of my own in this world, I'd recommend you'd do the same. One thing I have learned is that if you push yourself too hard, you will break. Just consider that, down time such as this meal can do a lot of good in the long run. As for the council meeting tomorrow let me know what you need and I'll take care of it."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn shakes her head. "I don't plan on buying a house..a guild manor will do fine, that way I'll have plenty of space for everyone and more for anyone who needs a place to stay." She said simply. "Though I do want you on this council. You're a Guild Master, you have some leadership skills. I'll need you." She said, a small smile once again gracing her features as she spoke. "So what do you say? Join the council?" She asked, her eye brow raising.

 

[Tombstone]

"Done," he said without hesitation, "Like I said, anything you need and I'll take care of it." He looked at the smile on her lips and her bright green eyes. He wondered if she was as beautiful in real life. There was a clear reason why he nicknamed her Aphrodite. She was the kind of person he was worried he'd let down. Mercer began to think about how he would fit in. He was just a solo player who was only good at fighting. He'd try to help the council but he didn't know if he could contribute much. "Maybe I'll try and pick up some solo players and make Invictus focus on guerrilla tactics. I'd also gave no problem leading the charge need be. The class I have designed is fairly versatile. Who do you plan on appointing as a 2nd in command, general, etc? It's something you need to keep in mind as they all must be 100% trustworthy. I've seen power corrupt many, which was why I avoided guilds. Also what are your plans for me?"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn thought on this as well, the countered with, "Well..I don't have exact plans for you just yet, but I was hoping you'd help me keep my cool and kinda be like an adviser? I know that sounds like a sucky position...but you pulled me out of that little freak out at the fountain so I was hoping I could count on you to help me out when I need it. I tend to uhm..have a temper...' She admitted the last part rather shyly, her face gaining a bit of a blush as she remembers her temper and how bad it could get. "It's not pretty.." She said softly, sounding nearly embarrassed. "As for the other positions..well I don't know about them..I'd like to get to know more people before everyone gets a set title ya know?" She said, the blush still on her face as her eyes awkwardly roamed about, hoping her blush would dissipate.

 

[Tombstone]

"When someone crosses me I can have a bit of a temper too." He said bluntly, "Its nothing to be ashamed of. The key to becoming a great leader is learning how to control it." If she really wanted him as an adviser he hoped he could set a good example, as he lacked some of that control when he was angered. Most of the time he could just tell someone off and walk away before things escalated, but if things got too far..... It was a good thing that it took a lot for him to get to that point. "Alright, if you want me as an advisor that's fine. The first thing that I would like to advise you to do is thoroughly investigate each person you are interested in appointing. Try to make sure that they can all agree on something. Following out a bad plan has always proven better than sitting and doing nothing. Also as cute as you look when you blush, avoid it when in public. A leader needs to always appear strong and confident in his or her actions, or it can affect moral. That does not mean you need to look like a god, you just should try not show a weak side. Try and connect with your troops, make yourself seem like a human being, just an extraordinary one. If you were to imitate one person, Id recommend Alexander the Great. Whether you feel like charging into battle on the front line is up to you though."

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn chuckled a bit, then abruptly stop as he called her cute. "Did you just..call your leader..cute?" She questioned, knowing she should really take this seriously, but she couldn't get over the fact her called her cute. It wasn't something someone did just out of the blue, it was strange to her to have been called cute in what feels like years, so it just added to her blush, making it go from light pink to deep red. Acelynn! Be serious. He just called you cute like..chill! its a complement damn. Her mind yelled at her, yet it still seemed so strange to her. "I..uh. Sorry about that.." She said, trying to compose herself and go back to seriousness..but it wasn't working.. at all.

 

[Tombstone]

Mercer couldn't help but roll his eyes. Was she really that embarrassed? She was beautiful, it really shouldn't have been that much of a shock. Maybe he made a mistake, but he meant it. Either way he would have to break her of that reaction. "To answer your question, yes. As well as adorable, sweet, lovely, delightful, pretty, etc, etc. If being called those things works you up then you are off to a bad start. Those qualities can and will affect how people see you. The only way to compensate for them is to be serious and confident. Napoleon was shorter than average and he could still command respect because he was serious."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

Acelynn cleared her throat a bit. "S-sorry. I just..that's not something I'm used to.." She said softly and looked away from Mercer. "Don't tell anyone yeah?" She said then shook her head and looked back up at him, the blush on her face fading slowly. "Anyways..I shall try to be more serious and confident, that just threw me off a bit." She said with a small sigh, her eyes once again falling from his.