Clipped Vermillion Wings - Caged Sparrow

[Tsukiakari]

Canon's Story
Chapter 1: Clipped Vermillion Wings - Caged Sparrow
BGM: Border of Life

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;

Or close the wall up with our English dead.
...

I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips

Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:

Follow your spirit, and upon this charge

Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'" - Henry V, Shakespeare

This could not be happening. It simply couldn't be. This sort of thing... it wasn't possible, right? It was just something like you'd see in fiction, not something that could ever become a reality. A game... That's all this was, right? They couldn't possibly be trapped inside a game, right...?

The white-haired girl, dwarfed by a terrified crowd all around her, was perhaps just one of many likeminded individuals at this moment, trying to deny the unimaginable reality that now faced them. Almost unconsciously, her hand swept down, then back up again, then down yet again, opening and closing the same holographic menu window repeatedly, as though doing that would somehow replace the missing icon where the utility bar abruptly cut off - <<Log Out.>> Where was it?! WHERE WAS IT?! Why was it gone?! Why was this happening?! Why, why, why, why, WHY?! This wasn't possible, this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening!

But it was. There was simply no denying it. The young warrior's amethyst eyes began to go wide with horror, unable to even blink away the fearful tears that the system within which she was trapped generated from within their digital surface. The <<Log Out>> function had been completely removed. The once-great <<Blademaster Canon>> was now nothing more than one of countless people all left equally helpless and alone within a prison of their own making. She was just a solitary, weak girl standing amidst the innumerable ranks of the <<Players>> now trapped within a hell they'd chosen for themselves, a dream-turned-nightmare that made a mockery of all of their hopes and despairs, of all the things that had driven them to run away from reality, right into the mortal cage in which they were now trapped, a world infinitely worse than the one they'd left.


For a moment after the <<Gamemaster's Announcement,>> everything was silent as the confused crowd, their precious levels, items, and skills all stripped from them, tried to grasp the peril in which they now dwelt. And then, as the truth set in with a dawning sense of horror and despair... the square erupted in absolute chaos. <<Players>> screamed, cried, and raged, yelling empty threats or meaningless pleas to the now empty sky above, as though doing so would cause the <<Gamemaster>> to reconsider his decision, and to free them. Those with more presence of mind than the others around them began to run, trying to escape from the crowded area that would soon inevitably become stricken by famine as desperate <<Players>> bought up all the food in the city to feed themselves. All mobs and quests in the area would, of course, be almost immediately completed and hunted to extinction, respectively. With so many <<Players>> in one place, it would be almost impossible for any individual to progress. And, in a game where falling behind would now mean becoming prey to the entire world and being almost surely killed, it was clear that failing to regain the levels and power that had been lost would be a death sentence.

Deep down, Canon realized all of these things in a heartbeat as reality set in upon her mind with startling clarity. And yet, what was she supposed to do? All of the items and skills she'd worked so hard to collect were gone. With just a longknife, a shield, and a couple of potions, even low-leveled enemies could be an overwhelming challenge. For the first time in her life, she was filled with an honest, unshakable dread of death. What could she possibly hope to accomplish? All of the strength she thought she had gained had just been ripped away before her very eyes. She was just Suzaku Kanna, now, a weak, fragile, and hopeless girl who didn't even have the guts to face herself, let alone an actual enemy when her life was on the line.

But, on the other hand, what else could she do? If she stayed in this city, her death was almost assured. She'd languish in her own weakness, doomed to poverty by her own cowardice. She wouldn't be able to find the food that was now needed for her survival. In short, she'd die either way. With this realization, hopelessness set in, but with hopelessness came determination, for Canon's mind grasped one more simple fact that escaped most of those around her. As things now stood, she had absolutely nothing to lose, and everything to gain. The die had been cast, her death was certain, but the time and the means were uncertain. And, if the only way to stave off the hour of her inevitable demise was to grow stronger, then that was what she'd do! She'd fought to accomplish that very goal once before, against the same impossible odds. She'd died plenty of times already. In fact, the way she lived on the other side, she might as well have been dead to begin with! She was useless, worthless, and despised, a nobody who existed only in the background, doomed never to accomplish or to be anything. She understood that. The only reason she was here was because of the undeniable truth of her own powerlessness. She'd tried to run away from reality, and now she had to face it. This fate was one she deserved, one she had asked for. In that case, she really did have nothing to lose. And so, like a wild beast backed into an inescapable corner, she realized that she had but one path: to fight. Even though the entire world was now her enemy, she would simply have to fight like she always had. She would become Canon one last time. Even with her wings clipped, the <<Vermillion Sparrow>> would not be deterred. She would take flight just one more time, and if she fell, she would either get back up and try again, or die in the attempt. She would live today, even if it might very well be the last day she had left. Like a prisoner sentenced to death, she would yet reach in vain for her stolen goals with her very last wish. She would sing, dance, and be merry within the confines of her cell, laughing in the face of the looming specter of the guillotine waiting to take her head, for tomorrow, she would die.

And so, numbly... Canon's pale, thin hand slowly closed the status window, and no longer grasped in vain for the reality that had been taken forever from its grasp. Slowly, she dropped her hand to her side, and, clenched into a fist. In an instant, the fearful, cowardly mind of Suzaku Kanna retreated back into the depths hidden behind twin purple eyes, and once more, the digital face of Canon returned to its false, yet natural state. Resolution in spite of inescapable fate became etched into every pixel of her countenance as she turned, and, identifying the distant spires and walls of the city's nearest edge, began to swiftly slip through the crowd, making her way out of the square while her fellow <<Players>> wept. Even though she knew that her life would soon end, something snapped deep inside Canon's mind. And so, even though the game she had once enjoyed had been turned against her, she willingly chose to fight and die within that hopeless masquerade.

Soon, she found the crowd parting before her, and, making her way through the path she could at last see, she began to run towards her fate. It was just like the day she'd first begun to play, she mused. She'd run freely into the wilds that time, too, aware of the danger but knowing that it was a danger she'd have to face eventually, anyway. The only difference was the direction in which her feet had gone. On that day, she'd been doing nothing more than running away from reality. But today, she was rushing to face it. In her mind was despair, but in her heart was unshakable determination. The gates of the city loomed wide before her, and beyond them, the wild fields in which roamed the monsters that would, most likely, end her life before night fell. But despite the terror welling up inside her, Canon's heart remained strong. She wasn't going to be scared. At least, this once, she would do something right, even if she knew she would fail. She wouldn't run away anymore. There was nowhere left to run. The only path left was forward, and she would run along that path until death finally stayed her feet.

I won't die. I won't run away. I won't die. I won't run away. I won't die I won't run away I won't die i won't runawayiwon'tdieiwon'tdieiwon'tdie I WON'T RUN AWAY ANYMORE!

I won't be a coward. Just this once... I'll be strong.

And yet... Even knowing my fate... Why am I still so scared?

Help me. Someone, somehow... Please save me. I know I'm going to die... but I don't want to die alone. I don't want to be alone anymore...

(Oh dear. I think I might have overdone this one a little. Path description, chapter title, bgm, and quotes from popular literature? That's a little over the top, even for me. XD Anyway, you might notice that I took a somewhat... different approach to Canon this time around. Either way, this should be fun.

Asher, if you want to meet up again, you could always run into Canon on your way out of the city.)

[Asher MasterImmortalis]

Blade Slizer, one of the few people who had ever sought out to master the style of the blade and sheathe combination, ran through the crowds of people, weaving this way and that until he found the person he was looking for. Immediately, Blade unequipped his current sword and got a chain-scythe out, ready to attack. "GET THE HELL OVER HERE!" Blade shouted as he threw the scythe at his target.

The poor person didn't even know what was coming, and he was pulled back by Blade's pulling on the chain. "Idiot..." Blade whispered to his victim's ear before loosening the scythe. "You really shouldn't let this game take over yourself." Asher scolded the fellow martial artist in his school, Jacob.

"It's my life. I can do whatever I damn want!" Jacob replied, rather rudely.

Asher just shook his head. "You... You're supposed to have enough discipline not to be sucked in. Now look at yourself, your REAL self... It's all just skin and bones! One of these days, you'll die from this game."

As if on cue, the two martial artists were teleported into the square of the very first town they spawned in. "What the hell?!" Jacob shouted. His inventory and status windows were opened... only to show the very thing that was shown went a player had just started on an MMO: Level 1, basic stats, no gold, and no equipment- save for the basic ones.

"Warning" was then written all over the sky until the game master appeared. Instead of announcing that an error has occurred as all players had logged out, he announced the opposite: This was intentional, as all players are now trapped in a game of survival. Everything was silent... For the first few seconds at least.

Then everything just went into utter chaos. Screaming, yelling, crying, fighting, all these sounds filled the air and deafened the ears of Blade Slizer. My God... He thought. We need to bring order now... "EVERYBODY SHUT. U-" However, the black belt's voice was drowned out by the sounds described earlier. There was nothing he could do.
"Jacob... We have to go... Now..." Asher muttered to his friend. But then, Aser turned around to see an empty space... The ground occupied by a <<Beginner's Knife>>, which shattered into pixels automatically. There was no need for explaining; Jacob killed himself.

Asher's eyes widened at the realization of this nonetheless. His mind was still trying to accept the fact that a black belt, one of his closest friends, was gone. Just. Like. That. Asher's knees nearly gave away. "No... Jacob..." He muttered, stil trying to accept the fact that Jacob has ceased to exist.

Then, his mind cleared away. Asher stopped thinking for one moment, then realize something. The memory of a few minutes ago told Asher one thing. Now look at yourself... Your REAL self... It's all skin and bones! "Jacob didnt eat..." Asher muttered. "He didn't commit suicide... He died because of lack of nutrition..." The realization hit him like a <<Fireball>> to the face, point blank. "Everyone here will meet the same fate... If no one in real life helps us soon..."

Everything went numb for him after that. In a trance, Asher walked through the chaos. Swords, pixels, tears, they all flew everywhere. But Asher kept walking. "I need to finish this... WE need to finish this... Quickly...!" Asher said, his tone changing from one of realization to one of determination. As soon as he reached the edge of chaos, Asher ran. He ran to the fields, going as fast as his own life's speed stat, not the game's, would take him. "First I must kill as many enemies as I can, then I have to-" His mind races, strategizing every event that would take place in his life. It failed to realize, however, that he was running into another player with long, silver hair. Asher realized this too late, and only managed to put up his shield to lessen the impact on him and hopefully to bring the <<Beginner's Knife>> out of the way so that no one would get stabbed.

Unbeknownst to Blade Slizer, his family had already been working to take him- or rather, his body- to the hospital, along with many others who saw their children or other relatives fall victim to the ACO trap. Doctors and nurses rushed this way and that to prep up machines that would give every patient the things they need to survive. Asher's parents waited and waited for the ambulance that would be able to arrive later that night, as they already managed to call 911.

[Tsukiakari]

Turning abruptly as she rushed around a corner, Canon's dead set eyes fell upon her target: the western gate of <<Nova.>> From there, she'd need to jog slightly northwestward and off of the main road, which would require a somewhat dangerous journey through the wilderness, but if she could make it, it would pay off in the end. While most other players with the presence of mind to get a head start would be heading north or east towards nearby cities, she would outrun even them and reach the city of <<Illumis>> by journeying directly across the <<Delta Plains.>> This city, while meant for <<Players>> at least level 8, was also home to a large number of Natural Skill Tutorial quests which did not require combat to complete, and rewarded not only high amounts of base XP for a level 1 player like herself, but also <<Natural Skill>> experience, and a respectable sum of gold and high-class items from each quest, the latter of which even came pre-upgraded thanks to the tutorials in which the <<Player>> would perform these upgrades with zero chance of failure, and with materials pre-provided by the quest. It was essentially killing four birds with one stone - her monetary issues would be solved, as well as starting her on the way to a reliable source of income as a <<Support Player>> - a <<Player>> who specialized in one or more <<Natural Skills>> - and providing her with the levels and equipment she'd need to survive within the new <<Survival Game.>>

It was actually kind of strange, she realized. Right now, she was scared out of her wits, and yet, somehow, that fear felt distant, like it'd been left behind along with her body in the real world that was now so far away. Her mind was calm, mapping out maximum-efficiency plans to survive even as it realized that she was almost certainly going to die. Her body felt numb, and yet, it moved in perfect accordance with the strategies her mind was already producing, unbidden, without hesitation despite the terror she felt deep inside. It was like watching through another person's eyes, her perceptions and thoughts locked within her heart, while her mind and body were both in the control of someone else. But then, was that strange? After all, she'd always felt like a different person when she'd fought, lived, and died within ACO before. Maybe that alternate persona, the <<Blademaster Canon,>> was simply surfacing yet again to save her when <<Suzaku Kanna>> was incapable of doing so. Call it survival instinct, experience, or whatever you like. The fact of the matter was that she was suppressing her true self in the name of survival. Or perhaps it would be better to say that she was casting off her true self? Never again did Canon intend to be hampered by fear, nor did she intend to be weak. Even if her false strength was now gone, the only thing she could do was become strong in and of herself to compensate for what she'd lost. She would become more efficient, more skilled, and above all else, she would survive for as long as she possibly could, even unto her inevitable death!

Yet, it wasn't going to be easy. Even as she made this plan, Canon realized the true danger that lay in what she intended. The <<Delta Plains,>> and the path to <<Illumis,>> were populated by only the most dangerous monsters of the area. Level 5 Boars, and, even worse, Wolves. A <<Field Boss>> might even spawn in her path. With her current speed stat - which is to say, zero - she'd have to spend almost a whole night running. There'd be no time or place to stop or rest - it'd be too dangerous to. And, all that time, she'd have to face enemies much more powerful than herself. Doing all this, on her own, was going to be... Well, she couldn't deny that the odds were pretty terrible, even for a seasoned player like her. With just a knife, a weapon she'd almost never used, her offensive capabilities were going to be pretty low. And, even with a shield - she'd always kept her off hand open, allowing her to switch her sword hand to be more versatile - she would have difficulty protecting herself. But, there was no choice. To survive, she'd be competing against more than just the world. She'd be struggling to surpass her fellow players as well, to become stronger than everyone else so as to assure her survival. But, to do that, there were dangers that would have to be faced, too. This was just one such threat. Still, she just wished she didn't have to do this alone. She might have been competent, but she wasn't any less afraid of dying. Although normally, she'd have been completely incapable of partying up with somebody else due to her trouble communicating with other people, this was certainly a dire situation. She was willing to humiliate herself if that was what it took to have somebody to save her if she made a mistake. If only there was another <<Player>> in the area. Maybe she should have stopped to wait for one's arrival. But, no, that would delay her, and would ruin her entire plan. She would just have to carry on. This was the only path available to her, and, if she died, then she'd just have to face her end with courage and defiance, and perish with no regrets.

Just as she was thinking these things, however, something both unexpected and intensely ironic, considering her dismissal of another <<Player's>> arrival, occurred. The only warning Canon had as to the other person's presence was a brief blur on the edge of her vision that snapped her back to reality. However, she'd been so lost in thought as to completely fail to notice the incoming boy until he was only a few feet away. He seemed to have been equally oblivious to her presence, for he was only just beginning to try to stop himself, just as she tried to do the same. It didn't matter. Both of them were equally late in attempting this. Canon gave a quiet yelp of fright as the boy raised his shield - evidently, he'd been running with both of his weapons drawn, and was trying to keep himself from stabbing her - and braced for the impact. Canon tried to throw herself backward, but that did very little to lessen the sudden force with which the wooden shield slammed into her gut, picking her up off of her feet, and sending her flying backward, rolling once against the cobblestones before skidding to a stop against a wall. She shut her eyes, and prepared for the inevitable collision with the edifice. A slight surge of suppressed but nonetheless noticeable pain rushed through her. It looked like the impact had actually been enough to deal some slight damage to her health bar. Slowly, she opened her eyes with a groan, and looked up with relief to see the boy standing over her, regaining his balance. Thanks to her own efforts to disengage herself, the way the boy's shield had dulled the impact on his end, and due to his overwhelming advantage of size compared to her own lithe, light form, it seemed he'd managed to retain his footing, and had only stumbled slightly. This was much more favorable than the outcome Canon had foreseen, which had caused her to throw herself backward instead of bracing herself, even knowing she'd be sent flying that way. She'd seen enough anime to know exactly what happened when a boy and a girl collided at high speeds, and she was bad enough at conversing with people without taking into account the humiliation of being accidentally groped.

The relief she felt at not ending up in such an embarrassing situation, however, did nothing to diminish the dizziness and soreness she was not feeling however. "Ow..." She groaned, slowly rising to a seated position. Ah, right, another thing to give thanks for. The starter set included pants, unlike her normal garb's skirt. It seemed that embarrassing aspect of literally running into someone would also be spared her.

Oh, right. She should probably apologize and get up. If she didn't, the boy would probably start thinking she was seriously hurt. She didn't want him worrying about her - she knew she wasn't as strong as she'd have liked to be without being coddled, thank you - so she decided that this course of action would probably be best for now.

"S-sorry," She stammered, shakily rising to her feet and dusting herself off, although there was no real need to do the latter. The virtual world wasn't in-depth enough to include realistic mechanics for specs of dust, no matter how amazing it might be. "I g-guess I wasn't paying attention where I was going," She added quietly, pretending to dust off her pants to give her an excuse - albeit a very flimsy one - to avert her eyes from the formidable boy's face. She hoped he wasn't mad at her. She didn't think she could deal with somebody getting angry - not in the state she was in.

[Asher MasterImmortalis]

Blade Slizer watched as the silver-haired girl stood up. She was around his age- within a two-year range at least. The girl was Japanese, had a small build, and has purple eyes. Why is this face so familiar...? Asher wondered. Indeed, he had seen this face on a picture before... Some topic about well-known players, what their titles were, and why. She HAS to be one of those players, but who?

Asher Damons shook his head. This isn't the time to be wondering about getting an autograph... It's the time to start living. His mind went somewhere else at that thought. No, it wasn't the task at hand. Unfortunately... It was how awkward the situation COULD have been. Asher had seen enough anime to know that any event of a collision would result in someone being on top of the other in a seemingly suggestive position. Worst case scenario would be the girl yelling for help and accusing Blade Slizer of sexual harassment. Asher shivered, but then he snapped back into reality web he heard the girl apologize and began to dust herself off. The way that she did it, adding in the fact she was looking away, made her look like someone straight from an anime- a cute character at that. Stop it, black belt. Apologize to her!

"Um, my bad, miss." Asher bowed in respect for her- at least, that's what he thought he did. Asher was never familiar with Japanese customs, nor the language despite watching anime a lot. "I didn't look where I was going so I bumped into you. Gomen nasai..." Asher raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. This would be normal in a situation like this except for one problem: Blade Slizer had again forgot to unequip his weapons. Asher ended up attacking himself with his own shield, causing his health bar to drop. Instinctively, Asher let out a pained "OW!" and then a small curse. He quickly opened the equipment window and unequipped his weapons. "Sorry about that..." Asher muttered.

Then something struck him. In a side-window, their was a recent threads visited section. In it was the subject "The Vermillion Sparrow - Canon." Asher's eyes widened, then he bowed again. "Oh my God! I'm sorry for bumping into you, Canon!" Asher said in a fast pace. The girl in front of him, that one girl he bumped into, it was none other than the Vermillion Sparrow! Asher has just realized that, and tried to make his apology... better for a lack of words. After all, he had just encountered a player well known for her speed and battle prowess. "I didn't know you were there!!!"

Embarresing... Pathetic... Is this how you make first impressions to well-known people, Asher Damons? A voice in his head scolded him. "G-Gomen nasai!!!" True, he didnt play games much. Now is never the time to waste on sorries and such. However, Asher has a lot of admiration or the more famous people in Antiva Chronus, and he was taught to respect those he admire and those who are above him.

[Tsukiakari]

Although the white-haired warrior's gaze had evaded the face of her fellow player up until then, when the boy, too, began to apologize, seeming quite ashamed of himself - or perhaps worried for her sake - Canon's face quickly shot up. "N-no!" She exclaimed hastily before almost immediately silencing herself. Taking a moment to think about what she should say, she spoke much more reservedly, her voice quiet and uneasy, yet composed and calm. She spoke simply, in a matter-of-fact manner that seemed to leave little room for argument, but also seemed to push aside the subject of who was to blame for the accident rather than dwelling upon it. "It's my fault," She said quietly, with the air of one who has said the same thing many times before with the same unshakable level of certainty. "Don't worry about it." Turning her gaze away again, Canon focused on a spot just a little to the left of and below the unexpected new arrival's face, not wanting to seem rude by staring at him, and also too frightened of his piercing gaze to look on him directly, but at the same time striving not to anger him by looking away. Idly, she began to kick at the cobbled street below her as though idly poking at pebbles, even when no such break in the even surface of the digital road existed. Clutching her hands together behind her back, her fingers began to poke up, then fall back into line again one by one, a pattern she repeated back and forth across all ten digits as a means of distracting herself from the unease she felt at speaking to someone so directly, and at the bizarre situation in general. Still, she tried valiantly to hide this discomfort, blocking the idle twiddling of her fingers from view behind her back as best she could.

Just then, however, a sudden loud sound and a slight flash of light snapped her back to attention, and she found her eyes darting back up momentarily to the boy's face as she tried to grasp what had just happened. It seemed that he'd yet again forgotten that his equipped weapons were drawn, and, nervously scratching his head, had executed a shield bash against himself completely by accident. Canon, not usually one to find humor in the suffering of others, nevertheless had to admit that the boy seemed almost comical in his manner. From what she had seen, she was beginning to derive an impression of him as being rather absentminded, or at the very least, distracted. Yet, thinking about it, there was absolutely nothing funny in his preoccupation. She knew exactly what it was that, at this moment, must have fixated the boy's attention. It was the need to survive, the same determination in the face of disbelief and outright terror that had taken hold of her own thoughts, as well. It was this realization that, even as the boy mumbled something and hastily returned his weapons to his inventory, Canon realized something. He was thinking along the same lines as herself, planning on risking everything in the name of prolonging his survival. She herself had realized how hopeless her situation was, and that she'd likely need to party up to survive the night-long journey she intended to undertake without supplies nor preparations. Surely, this boy must have felt the same. Then, in that case, even if she couldn't express well her meaning or her intentions, and even if she was largely a bother to those people she met, perhaps this boy would be willing to put up with her so that they could use each other to survive long enough to go their separate ways? It was certainly a better plan than going it alone, and, although Canon was very reluctant to approach others, dire circumstances called for emergency measures.

Her fidgeting began to accelerate, almost without her realizing it. She glanced immediately away from the boy, a slight blush emerging on her cheeks as she realized that, while she thought about the situation, she'd been staring at him. Her violet eyes began to scan the cobblestones beneath her feet, which scraped at the same pavement, as though kicking aside some sort of invisible dust might reveal the words she sought, engraved upon the stones below. No such answer was forthcoming, however, and Canon realized that she'd have to express herself adequately at least once, after all. She thought carefully, rejecting most of her potential words of invitation before she had even finished them. Finally, she settled upon a choice of phrasing that, she hoped, would suffice to explain her plan and offer, and do so in a way that wasn't overly pretentious, rude, or unfeeling. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, however, another sudden exclamation snapped her out of her reverie, completely dissipating the composure she'd only just managed to force back upon herself with such effort.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry for bumping into you, Canon! I didn't know you were there! Gomennasai!" This sudden burst of surprise and apology was enough to completely baffle the silver-haired warrior for a moment. How did this boy know her name? In the past, Canon had hardly talked to other players, so even though she had become somewhat famous due to her one-of-a-kind gear and skills, she had never really noticed it. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she froze up, confused by the boy's sudden urge to apologize, and by how he had known who she was.

"W-what?" She stammered, watching with no small embarrassment as the boy almost frantically bowed to her in a manner that seemed altogether too respectful to be serious, like he was bowing to some member of the royal family or something. A scarlet hue began to creep across her face as she wondered at the sudden revelation that she apparently had at least one fan. In her own modest opinion, she didn't deserve anything like the sudden respect she was getting. In her own mind, she couldn't even talk to other people right, let alone do anything for herself, so why was it that this boy apparently thought she was so important or special? She wasn't anything like what he thought, and, with such sudden expectations being imposed upon her, she felt overwhelmed and deeply ashamed that she was so inadequate as to be unable to meet them. But on top of that, what if somebody saw her getting treated like this and thought she was some sort of conceited jerk? Or what if she ended up coming off the wrong way to this boy? He'd probably think she was an arrogant witch, and would go and tell everyone about it. People would hate her, all because she simply wasn't good enough to talk to them or to deserve the respect they apparently held for her.

Flushing a bright scarlet, Canon lowered her head in shame - a gesture which doubled as a valiant but futile attempt to hide her violent blushing with her bangs of silvery hair - staring intently down at the pavement and, so distracted as to forget even her own means of distracting herself, she absentmindedly and very jerkily began to intertwine her hands, twitching her fingers first one way, then immediately back the other, twiddling them furiously as though her life depended on it. She opened her mouth, began to speak, then hastily closed it again, every response she could possibly think of seeming completely inadequate for dealing with such an unprecedented situation.

"W-what are you...? I mean, it's n-not like... T-that is to say, I mean- I... I'm not... I... how did you... W-why..." She mumbled, her voice muffled each time she tried to begin anew as she choked back her words, until at last, her voice stifled by her broken confidence, she despaired of finding the right thing to say, and so simply said the thing that she felt above all else, hoping against hope - not to mention past experience - that just this once, she'd somehow manage to find the right words.

"S-stop... Please..." Her voice was almost pleading now, barely above a whisper, and yet, despite its quietude, contained a level of humility that was almost tangible. "I'm n-nothing special, a-and... If you're joking, t-t-then it's not funny." Mustering her courage, she managed to put a certain level of force behind her last words, speaking as matter-of-factly as she could when her voice was stifled by overwhelming shame. Her words, despite their sternness, however, contained a certain level of gloom conveyed by the certainty with which she spoke of her own inadequacy, which was, indeed, in her eyes, something that simply could no longer be argued against. She'd tried, and failed, to disprove how worthless she was. Now, she had simply come to accept it. And yet, even knowing how she paled in comparison to others, she was even now forced to be subjected to a level of respect that was simply too humble to be believed? That was more than she could take. And so, gazing resolutely down at the ground, Canon found her own inner shame slowly boiling up inside her, even despite the walls of determination she'd so carefully erected in the hopes of changing herself somehow before she inevitably died. She really was... a useless excuse for a person.

[Asher MasterImmortalis]

BGM:

"I'm n-nothing special, a-and... If you're joking, t-t-then it's not funny." Her words went into Asher's ears, how stopped bowing. "Huh?" Asher got out. "What's wrong?"

Blade Slizer had found himself in front of a girl, contemplating on something. Canon looked down onto the ground for some reason. Her last statement carried some force, but not that much. In fact, it also carried a little more of a... bleak tone. Besides that, Canon's voice was also soft, as if she was actually sad. Yes, there is an excuse to be sad, but Asher didn't see that sadness before. The girl in front of him didn't break down in this area before, crying and weeping that she wasn't able to log off. No, it was something else. "Canon?" Asher asked her, trying to get the girl's attention. She seemed to be thinking of something.... Asher thought. Wonder what?

Instead of doing the sensible thing and leave her alone, Asher decides to go against his better judgement. He walks up to the Vermillion Sparrow and places a hand on her shoulder. "Canon." Asher simply says. "You alright?" His tone carried his concern for her. Actual, genuine, concern. "If you were embarressed by that, I'm sorry..." He scratched his head again and tried to make an awkward smile- this time he scratched his head without using a shield. "It's just that I'm supposed to respect those that I admire... Bumping into you like that, I didn't know who you were. So when I did... I panicked, somewhat... Sorry..." [/font]

[Tsukiakari]

"Why does it matter who I am?" Canon broke her own silence with this quiet question. She didn't understand this boy's apparent reverence for her, didn't know how she should react to a situation like this. Why would be admire her? What was there to admire in a person who had wasted her life and was now being punished for it? Was he like her, someone who had tried to escape from reality and who had seen her devoting herself singlemindedly to the pursuit of strength, and had thought it admirable? He seemed concerned, whatever his reasons, but she just couldn't fathom his behavior. What was she supposed to do in this situation?

She decided it would be best to just make due with her ignorance. All she intended to do was ask this boy for his help to make it to Illumis, anyway. It wasn't like she'd need to speak with him for very long, so she didn't need to understand him. She would just improvise as best she could, and endeavor to acquisition his assistance until the end of her night's journey.

"Never mind," She said at last, shaking her head slightly and stepping back, feeling very uncomfortable with how close the boy had gotten. "At a time like this, unimportant things like myself and accidents don't matter." With these words she steeled herself for the real task at hand, doing something she'd almost never done before: partying up with another player. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself as best she could, and spoke.

"I... I'm not sure who you are or how you know me, but that can't be helped. I don't mean to impose, but please hear me out. I need your help," She began. "With things the way they are," She began to explain, averting her eyes as she spoke and trying to forget that someone was listening to her. If she was just talking to herself, she always seemed to find the right words. "It'll be almost impossible to survive in this city. To live on, I'll have to level up and amass money, skills, and powerful gear. I know a place where I can do that, but I...  I don't think I can make it on my own. If we work together, though, we can reach that place by tomorrow morning and get ahead of just about every other person now inside this game. So, please, will you help me?" She asked, trying to be as polite as possible, but unable to shake her nervousness at talking to another person. This was like going outside. It was something she simply wasn't good at doing, something she couldn't handle. If he turned down her offer, she wouldn't have another opportunity at this, and even with her apparent reverence towards her, she felt afraid that he would just leave and go his own way, leaving her with little hope of making it to Illumis herself. But nevertheless, there was naught to be done but to try. At this point in time, her best was all she could do.

[Asher MasterImmortalis]

When the girl in front of him said "Nevermind", Asher mentally sighed. Why? The people at his martial arts academy used to impose extreme punishments for disrespect to higher-ups. When Asher first went to the school, he used to slip a few... Unnecessary words. Oh how much he hated those punishments for his slip of the tongue. "I... I'm not sure who you are or how you know me, but that can't be helped. I don't mean to impose, but please hear me out. I need your help, With things the way they are, It'll be almost impossible to survive in this city. To live on, I'll have to level up and amass money, skills, and powerful gear. I know a place where I can do that, but I...  I don't think I can make it on my own. If we work together, though, we can reach that place by tomorrow morning and get ahead of just about every other person now inside this game. So, please, will you help me?" Canon asked.

Asher couldn't help but smile. "I gratefully accept your request, ma'am." He bowed in respect. When he went back up, he realized something. "Oooh.... Maybe I overdid it wi the formalities... Sorry, Canon." He chuckled a bit. "That was a bit... Embarrassing for me... And maybe you..." Asher breathed in and stopped. His inventory window came up at his command, and Asher reequipped his weapons. With a serious expression, Asher asked Canon "So shall we go?"

[Tsukiakari]

Canon hadn't been looking at the boy, too anxious to meet his gaze, even if she had managed to largely regain her composure by this point. The fact that she was having to make such a request of someone she didn't even know, either in the game or in real life, was hard enough on her. But having that person also apparently be some sort of fan of hers... that was too much. She felt like somehow, she had to meet up to whatever expectations he might have held for her, something she knew that she would be unable to do. In her pitiful excuse for a real life, she'd never had to be anyone's senpai simply because she was such a laughingstock amidst her peers that nobody would have taken her seriously in the first place. In the game, meanwhile, she'd always avoided people, especially those below her own level, since she lacked any confidence in her own opinion, making it impossible for her to share her experience with such people. Being treated with respect was thus something entirely new to her, and something that, up until this point, she'd tried her hardest to avoid.

Nevertheless, that meant she couldn't let her composure slip again, even though this entire situation seemed tailor made to undermine what little confidence she could actually manage to feign. Actually, thinking about it, it probably would have been easier if the boy just rejected her offer outright and left, deciding she wasn't worth the time. At least, then, he'd understand the truth about her, and she wouldn't have to strive to fit a role that surely outshone her actual self. But, to her surprise, the boy bowed once again, speaking in an altogether antiquated manner that, combined with his tremendously low bow and equally low, calm voice and equally polite choice of words, made it impossible for her to keep from blushing. This boy... he was acting like some sort of samurai, treating her with such respect that she almost expected him to abruptly drop into seiza and bow to her, addressing her as "Kanna-hime-sama," never mind the fact that he couldn't possibly have known her real name. It was almost like something out of a storybook, or, more accurately, an anime. Now if he just had some kind of ridiculous hairdo, a completely impractical and yet inexplicably awesome outfit, some sort of amazing magical sword, and maybe some sort of habitual sentence ending... "De gozaru~" would probably work. And then she could wield some sort of prophesied magic, and maybe a set of paper fans, and they could slay demons... Yes, yes, you could certainly market that.

She mentally slapped herself. This situation was embarrassing enough without projecting some sort of cliche shonen anime plot onto it. At any rate, the boy in front of her seemed also to have realized how over-the-top he was being - finally. Her vibrant red cheeks, something she found herself sadly unable to hide, along with her averted gaze, had probably contributed to this discovery. Not wanting to risk letting her weakness show through the stutter that would doubtless work its way into her voice, she simply nodded in response to his next question. Thankfully, he was speaking a bit less formally now, so she managed to actually look up as she did this, although she never quite managed to meet his eyes in the process. Of course, even with his consent and more casual attitude, there was still one more thing that was awkward about this whole situation. Namely, he seemed to know her quite well, but she hadn't a clue how, or who exactly he was. She didn't even know his ingame name. But she didn't want to make him feel awkward by pointing this out... She hadn't the courage to. So, instead, she resolved upon a somewhat different approach. Other players' names were set, by default, not to display unless they were specifically set to. But, you could still find out another player's character name by requesting a party with them, or adding them as a friend. Canon wouldn't have dared attempt the latter, as her track record with "Friends," both real and virtual, could be compared to average success rate of random monsters of the week in prime time anime shows at defeating the main hero. So, since she now had an excuse to, she resolved upon the former. Sliding her hand across the air, she swiftly opened the main menu, then went to the party request screen. Targeting the boy using a feature of her user HUD, she then selected him as the recipient for her party request. This, in turn, displayed a confirmation window, reading "Would you like to send a party invitation to <<Blade Slizer?>>" Canon couldn't help but smile slightly at this. That out-of-place, misspelled English name - well, admittedly, she'd just added an n onto how her own name sounded, and then spelled it like a genre of of music in English, so she was in no place to laugh - would have fit the protagonist of a Gundam show.

"A-alright. Er... What loot sharing setup would you prefer, then, uh... Blade?" She spoke the name a little reluctantly, although whether it was because she was just ashamed of using his name without asking him or because she thought it sounded silly was up for debate. At any rate, she'd managed to say it, and had changed the subject in the process. She could speak with a little more ease now, at least.

[Asher MasterImmortalis]

"A-alright. Er... What loot sharing setup would you prefer, then, uh... Blade?" Canon had responded. Asher was a bit surprised at the fact that she knew his username, since he didnt set it to display... Yet. "Uhm..." Asher's response was only that word. He thought about it, and sighed. "I'm not good with these things to be honest... Maybe just 50-50? If there is something one of us needs in the loot, then we give it to the person who needs it...?"

Truthfully, his expertise when strategizing was in battle. Countless hours of freetime were all spent in playing Fire Emblem and the like. That, and Asher was an expert in chaining the various artes of one, or even the entire party, in the Tales of series. Money, however, was not the kind of thing Asher would be good at.

The next issue to be addressed by how she knew his name. Asher didn't change the settings to display his username, yet. So how did she- Oh... Right... Asher remembered the same thing happening to him from when he started the game. Just send a friend request to the person in front of you using the hub. That way you can see their username, as the message was programmed to do that in the first place. Derp... Asher mentally facepalmed, then focused back on survival. "Anyway, so is there a quest we should do before going off to fight the mobs outside of town?"

[Tsukiakari]

"A-alright," Canon agreed, nodding slightly as she averted her eyes again, distracting herself with a search for the equal sharing option, which, due to her lack of experience with the party window, was probably one of the only icons she didn't actually know the location of. "That's probably the best setup for now..." Saying this, she at last located the button, and selected it, sending the party request to the unusually-named player before her. Mentally, she breathed a sigh of relief. So, she'd actually managed to ask him, and hadn't made a horrible mistake yet. Better yet, he'd actually agreed to help her! Now, if she could just keep herself from failing along the way to Illumis, then she might just be able to keep the new party together long enough to make it to her destination.

Just then, however, the boy spoke again. Quests? In this city? She hadn't really thought of trying any low-level quests before leaving. Even if she could probably have made it to any number of starting points before other people, the dialogues to start them usually took far too long, and then there was the time she'd need to clear the quest itself. If she delayed in such a manner, then she'd never make it to Illumis, even if she ran overnight. So, quests were out of the question... unless, that is, they had no opening dialogues and could be cleared along the way to her destination. Come to think of it, there was one such quest, wasn't there?

"G-good idea," She said, smiling slightly as she remembered. "There's one quest that won't... slow us down, so we can do that for some extra XP and money while we run." Canon was just about to lapse into silence once again, expecting him to know what she was speaking of, when she realized, to her embarrassment, that she hadn't even yet told the boy where exactly they were going. She flushed slightly and gazed down at the ground, grimacing as she realized exactly how far she'd gotten ahead of herself. She still needed to explain the plan to the boy.

"A-ah, right," She began, trying and failing to sound like this was something she'd been planning on saying all along, and hadn't just remembered to explain now. "Where we're headed... it's Illumis. But we'll have to run across the Delta Plains, where there are lots of wolves, and it'll probably take all night to get there, so, that's why I needed your help..." She trailed off, feeling like she'd spoken all the wrong words. "A-anyway, t-there's actually a quest we can do along the way. There should be a bounty board at the gate, which will give us a quest to kill 50 wolves. The only problem is that we'll also need to kill the <<Three-Eyed Wolf.>> There's only one per zone, and the Delta Plains area is so big that it'll be really hard to find a <<Field Boss>> like that..."

[Asher MasterImmortalis]

"A-alright.... That's probably the best setup for now..." Canon had said, but then seemed to ponder about Asher's suggestion. After all, it would be good to do quests, as they are the main way to gaining gold and XP in MMORPGs. The same rules should apply to this game, even if it was modified to be a deathtrap to anyone and everyone. I mean, how else would a person level up easily? Through mindless... enemy... slaughter....? Actually, that idea is still a legit way to gain some levels as well... Asher had thought.

Then the girl responded to the quest suggestion. "G-good idea. There's one quest that won't... slow us down, so we can do that for some extra XP and money while we run." She said. While she did smile, her expression then changed. She averted her eyes to the ground once again, for some odd reason. "A-ah... right... Where we're headed... it's Illumis. But we'll have to run across the Delta Plains, where there are lots of wolves, and it'll probably take all night to get there, so, that's why I needed your help..." Her tone of voice trailed off, then she continued. "A-anyway, t-there's actually a quest we can do along the way. There should be a bounty board at the gate, which will give us a quest to kill 50 wolves. The only problem is that we'll also need to kill the <<Three-Eyed Wolf.>> There's only one per zone, and the Delta Plains area is so big that it'll be really hard to find a <<Field Boss>> like that..."

"Ah.. I see." Asher responded, trying to remember all the beginner quests that he took part in or had heard off. When she mentioned the "Kill 50 Wolves" quest, Asher facepalmed. "You're right... That quest took me a few days in real time to complete, and the <<Three-eyed Wolf>> was just frustrating to search for... I think on my first attempt, I either thought I was too low of a level to face it, or the game was just trolling me." Blade Slizer shook his head, and looked towards the gate's direction. "So, how long do you think the quest itself will take us with all the players around? I think it will take all night... Virtual time..." He muttered, his mind somewhere else all of a sudden. "So shall we take our leave and depart to Delta Planes...?" Asher asked a few minutes later, when the surrounding area was filled with silence. If only I had my dragon with me.... Asher thought. It would've been a helluvalot easier...