ohmyarceus | January - February Test drive

Yeah! Sneaking up on her isn't too hard. You just gotta catch her when she's eating garbage and not paying attention to you.

[And then you just casually kick them into a trash compactor it's no big deal]

You really think so?

[He guesses Freddy does make a good point, though. Freddy's knowledge seemed to really only stretch through the confines of the Pizzaplex. Beyond that...he's basically clueless.]

Well in that case, if you got any questions about outside-world things, I can try to answer 'em.

[Not that he really has all the answers either, but he'd try.]

[There's a long, LONG pause.

It's clear that Gregory is chewing on her words, but something in particular she just said is REALLY standing out to him.

And when he replies, Ochako might be able to tell that he's trying really hard not to give away how tentatively interested his voice sounds.]

You're...a superhero? Are you messing with me?

[Freddy should be worried, but after the night they had been through... he was just too glad that the other was here, and could find something to snicker at.]

If the others show up... Chica or Roxy or Monty, you should try to get to know them, without other things happening. I really think you might get along, without his influence.

[ She can't imagine her Little Guy in a fight; of course, she'll be likely to change her mind when and if he shoots out ice spikes. That'll be a treat. ]

You know, they do say that pets tend to take after their owners... [ Sorry, Lorenz, that was too good an opportunity to pass up for teasing. ]

Ah, yeah- That obvious, huh? [ She tries to adjust and blend in where she can. Of course, she imagines people here might be pretty close-knit so... Naturally, newcomers stick out a bit. Hm. ]

That's cool of you though. I'm more of a solo act these days but, hey, I'll never say no to a jam session or two.

[ Getting a Pokemon for it's fluff content is entirely valid and, really, a method that Rose might pick up herself eventually. ]

Yeah, he seems pretty attached already. Maybe. I don't know, it's a little hard to tell because he's, uh, a bug. But! I imagine that the fact he hasn't abandoned me yet is a good thing.

Honestly? The ocean's fucking terrifying.

[ She's just going to lay that out there. Also, uh. It only occurs to her belatedly that maybe she shouldn't swear around the pretty, gilded lady. Oops. Too late now! ]

So, I'd rather take my chances in the tall grass and woods. At least I know how to navigate those.

[ Oh, dope, that's right- They have phones. Pokegear? Whatever. Same difference. ]

Sounds like a plan, girl. Thanks.

While the initial flash of colour in the corner of his eyes had been the first thing that had caught his eye, Taiki soon focused more on the young man working with the cards. He was clearly having a time of it- not that Taiki himself was doing much better, honestly. Still... how many times had he been grateful to meet a friendly stranger, in a moment of need?

He didn't ask the obvious question of 'is aught amiss'. Most people, when prompted with such a question, would respond with something to the effect of 'oh, no, I'm quite alright, thanks for asking', and that would be that. With the unspoken bit of 'I'm really not, but you're a stranger and I'd rather not be a bother' hanging in the air and strangling in the cradle any attempt at rendering aid.

So! Attack from an unusual angle, redirect. He approached, leaned over slightly to examine the cards, smiled. "Are you doing Astrology?" He glanced up at the other man, pointing at the middle card. "Only I don't recognize the Arcana so they must be different from my home, but they look so much more portentious than your usual playing cards."

[ Route 29 ]

[ The whole thing had been insanely familiar and it hadn't taken Kirito long to figure out what was going on. Or at least sort of. He wasn't fully aware that this was a Real Deal New World, but he'd thoroughly convinced himself he'd somehow been pulled into a different VRMMO, one that he (once again) could not log out of. But there was a twist in that he knew this. It had all been so familiar and to say he looked excited would be an understatement.

He had been walking along route 29 for a while now, taking it all in, his Honedge floating along beside him because really, he'd needed someone to talk to while he figured out the details of this new game. ]

Bottom-up tech. It's gotta be. No amount of detail could be made like this in top-down, right? The sun has the same warmth as home, the smells are so real, the touch... The processing power this server has must be insane. It's a shame that it'll all get shut down if being stuck here is more than just a glitch. You'd think people would learn. But there are worse situations to be stuck in, right?

...Honedge?

[ Okay, he hadn't actually been expecting a response, especially when he hadn't even given his pokémon an official name yet, but the complete silence isn't want confuses him so much as when he looks around for the sword, he can't find it. ]

Where did you...?

[ His face falls into annoyance when he sees the blade has wedged itself between some rocks, almost like Excalibur. Kirito crosses his arms quickly. How is he supposed to get it out of there? ]

Drama queen. I wasn't talking that much.

[ Network; Video | UN: kirito ]

[ The boy on the feed looks like he could be a generic tsundere anime protagonist, with his dark hair and somewhat serious expression as he settles himself down against a rock now that the video is steady. He crosses his arms over his chest.

Only he can't keep up that act for very long. Even with the potential severity of the situation, he grins from ear to ear as he addresses the network. ]

Pokémon. There's real, live pokémon! I can't believe they went and made one of these without it leaking out to the public! Is this a beta? The whole kidnapping thing doesn't usually go very well, they really should consider maybe... Y'know... sign ups? There has literally never been a successful launch of any game that has ever started with people not being able to find their log-out buttons.

[ Which reminds him of that serious part. He sighs, the grin fading, and he rubs his forehead. ]

Which reminds me: three questions! First, is there a way to search to see who is logged into the system? Second, is there any way to contact the outside world? And most importantly, I guess: what's the deal with the death system in this place?

That's good. Some people have a lot of trouble and get attacked by them... [She'd seen it a few times on the network. People having issues with being bitten or scratched at by their new pokemon. Though the most damage she'd ever taken had been from belly flops.]

Fantastic news, my friend.

It does not appear as if death is an issue in this world. Isn't that wonderful? We have no need to fear for our lives.

Edited 2022-01-22 23:39 (UTC)

[ THE RELIEF. He lets out a deep sigh, his eyes closing for a second, before he reopens them and offers a smile. ]

That's probably the best news I could've gotten. Not that I really thought "death game" and "childhood nostalgia" went hand in hand, but you never know these days.

That... is a strange statement, I must say.

One would hope childhood nostalgia did not involve games of death.

The sound may not have been overly loud, but the town is quiet so it does not take Byakuya long to pick up on the sound of something approaching them. He scans his surroundings, looking for the source of the noise only to find another of these strange creatures. His Cherubi, now noticing that his attention is no longer focused on her, hopes forward with a curious "cherubi~?" to look over the fellow Pokemon.

This one, however, has a head covered in bone, which can usually only mean one thing. He rises to his feet, turning to face the little beast. It's small, and doesn't seem to be that threatening, but you cannot be too careful.

"A hollow?"

[The sound alerts Byakuya quickly enough, that he can be on his fet and ready for whatever thing is charging at him. Though it appears a single step to the side is enough for the creature to miss him entirely, and his Cherubi, and continue sprinting through the grass behind him.

Byakuya glances over his shoulder to watch the creature as it passes- it seems nothing more than a wild animal that got skittish and ran. But then he hears the voice calling out, familiar yet not, that calls out his name. The fate of the creature is forgotten, for his attention is focused solely on the young man in front of him.

He's heard the voice before, but where? It's different. And he looks like Ichigo, yet at the same time, it's different. Changed. Paler, so much paler. It reminds him of the time they thought.]

Kurosaki Ichigo?

[It is questioning, he may resemble the young human but his demeanor does not.]

[The moment that voice hits his ears it stings, like a blade upon skin. He recognizes it immediately, of course he does. It is a voice you do not forget.]

...Aizen.

[Byakuya turns towards the tree and the familiar man stood beside it. He is aware of the cherry battle still happening beside him, but Aizen is not a man you let out of your sight. He wishes he had his zanpakuto (he tried) or could use kido (he tried). Who knows what the other was planning, but it can not be good.]

Is this your doing.

['this' being literally all of this. The place, the creatures, the incessant music. Was it all an extravagant illusion?]

That would be the ideal, but there are crazy people in the world. Just look at the SAO incident.

[ He says like someone who was not at all involved in the SAO incident. ]

[Oh look, a newcomer--oh. .... Oh, does he think this is...? So um... have a "sylph" come on screen.]

Ah, hello there. My name is Allura. So... I take it you are under the impression this is a... video game of some sort?

[Of course she's familiar, thanks to Lance and Pidge snagging that game system from the Unilu mall, but this is... definitely a newcomer mindset she hasn't encountered before.]

[Yep. The Deino just keeps going. Until she runs into another tree, which she then tries to chew on. Really, they're a perfect pair.

The young man shrugs and holds his hands up] So much for my dramatic entrance...! Thanks a lot, puffball.

[he shakes his head, then takes another step toward Byakuya, gold eyes gleaming in the sunlight and a twisted grin on his face]

Ichigo? Wrong. I'm so disappointed! You don't recognize me! Then allow me to reintroduce myself -- I'm the one who almost killed you. [he says it with a dramatic flourish. Whoever this guy is, he is far more animated than the usually stoic Kurosaki] At the time, my name was being... borrowed. But now it's mine again, and you may know it. I am Zangetsu.

[ Why didn't he get to bring his ALO avatar in that's not fair :( She doesn't sound like an NPC or typical AI, but neither did Eugeo. Bottom-up tech at its finest could make it very difficult to get someone to admit it was a game, it could theoretically even break their programming which he absolutely does not want.

So he'll try and introduce it cautiously. Just in case. ]

Kirito. Pokémon are very popular in media where I'm from, so it wouldn't be surprising that they decided to make a VRMMO.

I see... Well, there are virtual reality games in my world, even among my world's humans, but I haven't heard them mention this particular one.

[Then again, it's not like Dos Santos and Montgomery would let them bond over a game more often than a single filler episode.]

In any case, this is a real world; a nexus reality of some sorts. We're unsure how or why it's so, but this place tends to bring in and send back people from other realities at random.

[ He thinks about asking what games she's heard of, but it feels like it probably wouldn't actually help all that much in getting more information. The comment on it being a "real world" gets a laugh out of him though, and he ducks his head with a somewhat sad smile. ]

Mm. Every world is a real world, if you ask me. [ But that could get philosophical way quick, so he looks back up with a more curious look on his face now. ] Does anyone know why this one is snagging people up? Some kind of ultimate purpose for it?

[ Network Post ]

[ Most of the games Asuna knows have some sort of messaging system. It’s not surprising that this one has one too. Naturally, it’s the best way to introduce oneself, not to mention the best way to ask questions and receive information from the larger group.

She’s still pretty convinced that she’s just stuck in another full-dive world, but it’s not quite like most of the others she’s been in. What makes her the most nervous is that she can’t seem to log out of the system.

She’s feeling panicky about that, but it’s almost impossible to pick up on from the composure she showcases as she addresses the feed. ]

Good afternoon, I apologize for the disturbance, but I’m seeking information. You see I’ve woken up here, without any memory of how I got here. This isn’t a game that I’ve ever played before and I don’t know how I’ve found myself here. Though not unprecedented, it’s hardly appropriate of whoever is in charge here to be stealing people. I know from experience that administrators with that sort of directive don’t tend to care about the opinions of the common player, so I’m sure it’s fruitless to ask who the leader of this realm is. Instead, I’m hopeful to just get some information from the general population of players about the situation we are in. If anyone could be so kind as to explain to me what is going on, or give me any information at all, it would be greatly appreciated.

I’m also wondering if perhaps I’ve simply overlooked something and there is in fact a logout out option. If so, would someone please tell me it’s location. My mother won’t appreciate it if I’m late for dinner again.

[ Around Town ]

(( OOC: either action tagging or threading fine ))

Asuna knew from experience that one of the first things you had to do when you are in a new place that you don’t know was to try and map out the area and get adjusted to the main surroundings. It was important to know where food, shelter, weapons, and other important gaming equipment could be found. This place didn’t seem to be quite like that; for one thing there weren’t any weapons. She’s not quite sure what that means for this particular game, but it makes her feel a little vulnerable.

Another difference she's noticed is that she’s being followed by an adorable little creature, who she’s learned is called a pachirisu. She’s never been one to choose an animal companion, that was more her friend Silica’s thing. However, it would appear that this little creature had chosen her. She wasn’t going to brush off any potential assistance in an unfamiliar place, so if the funky little squirrel wanted to tag along, she wasn’t going to dismiss it. Besides, it was rather adorable.

She’s gotten a little bit of information from the person in the house she’d woken up in that was so insistent about being her mother, but what information she had gotten was not all that helpful. Especially since the woman appeared to her to be an NPC and mainly a non helpful one. She hadn’t cared too much about being kicked out as it gave her the kick she needed to get out and go find the information she wanted.

She continued on her exploration, stopping to look in several shops or meandering the streets, looking for information, people, or anything that might help her figure out why and how she ended up here. More importantly, she wants to find a way to get home. She’s very focused, so it’s possible that she might bump into a stranger while she’s in the stores or in the streets.

When she finally needs a break from searching the town, she grabs some food and makes her way down to the water near Cherry Grove for a brief break from the stress of it all. She finds a quiet little spot to eat, but she doesn’t really feel hungry. Thinking she’s alone, she takes the time to feel the frustration and the fear and the pain of being trapped someplace once again. When she notices she’s not alone, she’s quick to wipe at her eyes and offer an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, about that. I’m fine really.”

January - February Test drive

AS YOU DO

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National Park

Kirito/Kirigaya Kazuto | SAO | ota

[ Route 29 ]

[ Network; Video | UN: kirito ]

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video;

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Video

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Yuuki Asuna | SAO