Title: Two Brothers

Summary: We don't speak the language. We can't read the words. The menu is a troll. Half the time something wants to kill us and the other half is us trying to kill it. In short: Sword Art Online is the worst thing ever. OC Duo First-Person Narrative

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TB – E

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Alright, here's how it is:

Three-thousand copies of Sword Art Online were sold on October 31st. This was to be a controlled, managed sale. As such, for a lucky three-thousand, every guy or girl would only be allowed to buy one copy of the game.

Only one.

I might have missed the whole 'no international exporting' rule hidden in the fine print, but that 'you-are-only-allowed-to-grab-one-copy-of-Sword-Art-Online' instruction was pretty obvious when they blare it in big, bold letters on their homepage. Can't miss something like that and not be called out on it.

Still, grabbing a single copy would be tricky. Online or otherwise, as those unlucky in The Line could vouch for. It was probably closer to impossible through the online mean – our internet is shit and our devices are living testaments to a craptastic age in digital gadgetry.

But even still, Jon managed to snag one.

No, wait, gotta rephrase. He snagged two.

Fucking. Two.

I'm pretty sure the math is off here, but I think that means he wasn't just a lucky one-in-three-thousand. Double the prize…two-in-three-thousand? One-in-fifteen? Fuck math, he's lucky, end of story. Even the clerk and the guys behind us thought so. One guy even looked ready to call foul. Maybe even start a riot. Only thing that probably held him back was that Jon could have probably ripped him in two if he wanted. He's kind of a big dude, not someone to casually fuck with.

But back to subject: how did I not know this?

Seriously, I read the order. One SAO game, that's all. Okay, two Nerves, but that's…he could have just wanted one himself. A really expensive, high-tech helmet. For decorative purposes…or a paperweight…it's possible! Or he could have wanted to play the game on his own helmet! Peruse Aincrad singular…whenever that is that I would let him…which, if this game is as awesome as the crowds, reviews, and videos seem to illustrate, might not be any time this week-

No, no. It's not my fault. Jon hid the second order. Had to. I seriously doubt I mixed the second order this entire week as the first, failing to notice the two sheets differences by my lack of observation. That would be just silly. Impossible. Hell, one didn't even have the same orders (namely two large gaming headsets) as the other. It's so damn obvious.

I couldn't have made a mistake. Definitely. Extremely or, at least, very unlikely.

I'm not that dense. I can't be. It had to be hidden.

Probably. Possibly. Maybe.

Fifty-fifty?

Meh, doesn't matter. Was someone, who shall not be named, naïve and unobservant? Conceivably. Was someone, who shall not be named, sneaky and nefarious and an otherwise humongous dick to their younger brother? Who's to say? Point is, everything ended fine and dandy and honestly way better than I thought they would.

Because seriously, TWO COPIES. That's…TWICE AS MANY AS ONE!

I probed Jon as to how he managed to pull a fast one to the whole one-buy only rule in the first place. Apparently putting different names into the purchaser box is a good place to start. Then having two devices with the SAO homepage up and running is also a perfectly legal and viable option. Laptop being the first device, as I already guessed that. And the second, his cell phone. Mr. Obnoxious Wakeup Alarm itself. The irony of Jon's phone standing tall and successful in that important moment is not lost to me. Still need to flush my own damn thing, now that I think of it…

Anyway, won't hold up for much longer. We got the stuff, walked the way back to the hotel, unpacked everything, and now are in the midst of performing the most sacred and holy of rituals pertaining to every great video game in history…

Reading the installation manuals.

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TB – E

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"…Remember to insert the battery cord…into a proper outlet…and allow to charge for up to twenty hours…for proper battery fill." Jon one of those guys that like to read everything with a skeptical eye that would make a lawyer proud. He doesn't want to miss the finer, boring details.

"Just plug it in already…" He's already plugged mine in. Took a nightmarish amount of time just to do that. And then, somewhere in that head of his, my brother assumed his device must be so radically different then my own that he needed to read the set-up, basic rules, advisement, and standard procedure sections of the NerveGear installation manual again.

So here we are: an hour later and we have finally got the damn things hooked up and charging.

"…Be sure not to remove helmet…from connected power strip until…'POW' label is lit green…"

His helmet is sitting next to mine. Both 'POW' labels are glowing red. Charging, I guess.

"NerveGear devices will connect to…to Argus orbital devices upon first opening…no additional installation practice required." Thank God, I'm sure I'd be sitting here till midnight trying to convince him the internet was fine if it weren't for that snippet. "And if you have followed these instructions-"

"Then your NerveGear should be ready for use in twenty to twenty-one hours. Yes, great, let's go." I've been waiting an hour to get to the best part. I've earned this! Jon taking an hour to set up something almost pre-handled in the box is driving me batshit!

"I'm just trying to be safe, okay?" Jon defends himself. "This is expensive hardware. We have to be careful and make sure we handle everything with a certain…"

Yeah, I'm just gonna block out that lecture.

With the helmets brushed to the side, all that remains are a pair of sweet-looking cases and the laptop.

And this is where the good stuff comes in. But for the love of all that is good and pure and gaming, Jon must love to hear his voice.

"Okay. Yeah, cool, I get it." Oh, the half-assed responses are strong with me. "But, uh, can we, you know, move on? Today?" I point to the games. Only way I could have been more obvious is if I rubbed the cases to his face, screaming to do more important things.

I'm a teenager, I'm allowed to be impertinent. And I'm not waiting anymore, that plastic has to go.

It might just be my imagination, just a little, but I swear I'm seeing a bit of golden dust and light as I open the thing. Some angels singing in the background, I think the sun is shining just a little brighter through the balcony doors, and does the world just seem to have just calmed down even just a little? This single disk. Circular and reflective and stuff. So majestic, much wow. I could write poetry.

"Ethan, you're drooling." It's, it's just beautiful, okay? If there's one thing to be happy about being born in this day in age, it's that I get experience this! No one can judge me, I have a right to be enthusiastic! "Shoot, if looks could kill – alright, put the game in, let's see what we're dealing with."

Oh, right. Time for the best part.

I pull the laptop to me, pressing the side as the CD port opens before slipping the game in.

See, SAO is sort of funny. Because of the general specifications within the game, including modeling and general FullDive workings that allow for full sensory connections to the user, the NerveGear does not supply the design protocols to build one's character. In other words: you cannot use the helmet to make your character. Something about 'limited spec control' or some other fancy words. You need a computer, desktop or, in our case, laptop to create the SAO avatar.

The full design capabilities, details, specifics and requirements will tie into an ID account to log in once the servers officially start running. Input the ID, wait a few moments, and I'll be in the character (or, essentially, I'll become the character (not sure what that's gonna feel like, but sink or swim it should be fun). To design the avatar, however, requires a system suited much easier to the design function then the NerveGear. Preferably, something with a mouse and keyboard.

ID ACCOUNT: XXXXXXXXXX
ID PASSWORD: XXXXXX

Takes the computer a moment to pass the game's data through the software. The ID pops up, but I don't need to remember it. The game will input the code into the NerveGear once the game is playable-

Time until: 22 hours, 32 minutes

-and our FullDiving privileges would be permitted (should I be counting down the seconds? I feel like I should be counting down the seconds).

The codes fade and up pops a mannequin. A pair of mannequins, actually; one obviously male and the other female. They stand on two platforms, like those ones at malls you see everywhere. There's definitely a stature and pose to them which suggests they are meant to be seen heroically or as valiant figurines. Music starts to play, a familiar toon like the one SAO's homepage starts when you log on. A fierce, light, medieval theme which I can't help but appreciate to a greater scale now that I have the game. I can be sentimental like that.

"Boy, girl," Jon looks over my shoulder. Didn't even see him move beside me. "Choose your gender. Do you want to be a boy or girl?"

As obvious a first-choice question for an RPG character design page, this is a good start.

The implication that I could play as a girl aside, I'm mostly a to-my-gender kind of player. Feels weird to play as a girl – hundred times more when there's romance options involved.

Easy decision. I'm a dude intending to play as a dude avatar.

I mouse over the naked man. Boop.

The page shifts and twists, looking all fancy and digital as if I made some monumental decision. The woman figure disappears, fading away in an animation which looked vaguely like the animations when you killed a monster, pixels of bluish-green and white. Did that suggest I killed her? Ha, I'm a murderer and I haven't even PK'd yet.

Then the male mannequin got an upgrade. From the toes up, the once pale and featureless figure started to develop some character.

First came the boots; a light brown leather. Then the pants, a dark-hued blue. A shirt of pale white color which stretched out to the wrists, where tanned skin flaked over the hollowed and lifeless fingers before. Then, the face; the skin came first, same tone as the hands and fingers, but then it started to take depth with the nose, the lips, the eyes and brows, with a bit of short hair coming last and washing over the man's brows and sides.

I couldn't help but stare at him. Lifelike, for one. And when the transformation finished, the figure shifted in his spot, looking down at himself, testing his fingers, as if the avatar just came to life itself.

Detailed. Very detailed.

"Very nice," Jon compliments, "scroll over something."

I willingly follow that instruction.

First, I mouse over the shirt. Click. And to the side, up pops a bar full of scrollable options and digits. Doesn't take long to figure out that these are options for altering the character, as the avatar is highlighted entirely in a kind of whiteish glow. Takes a little longer to work out what each might or could do.

Japanese. Every little word is Japanese.

FYI, I can't read this.

"Try messing with one of those," Jon points to one of the scrolls. Could have done it on my own, but I follow through anyway.

I click on one then shift the mouse far right.

Whoa, my avatar just got a load of obesity.

The second the scroll started to move, the hips, arms, legs and everything in-between started to widen and expand. His cheeks looked like they were filled with food and the rest of him looked ready to burst at any second. The good avatar still managed to look chipper even with the impending idea that he might pop like a balloon at any second.

That got a laugh outta me. Jon too.

"Alright," Jon tried, bringing in his amusement, "now, to the left."

Slide to the lef-holy crap, now he's Jared.

"O-kay, so that's weight," I deduce. Damn, I wonder how it would play as either 'tons-of-fun' or 'skinny-like-I-haven't-eaten-in-a-year' Ethan. Could I roll down a hill and smash my enemies with my tremendous mass? Or would the skinniness strike fear into the enemies who gazed upon my anorexic ass.

The thought amuses me.

"Well," Jon starts, "it certainly offers some options to work with." Hell yeah, it does. "Okay then…experiment a little."

Oh, you don't have to tell me.

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TB – E

/

Three hours. Three hours of messing around, toggling the controls and fumbling with every piece of design I could get my wicked little fingers on.

I've now created my monster.

I'm being somewhat literal here. This was all done intentionally, I tell Jon, who looks like he wants to smack me for what I've created.

And I can't really blame him if he did; I definitely created the perfect demonstration of horror this day, and am proud to admit it.

It started as a joke. Made the character a foot taller than I was, give him skin that looked like it hadn't seen the light of day in years, skinny that I could almost wrap my fingers around his neck without issue, and worked on the more terrible traits after.

SAO's character design is pretty in-depth. I chose a shirt and pants tone of color which looked just right to make my character look like he'd worn this semblance of clothing for years and was stained with grime and mud. That alone is eye-catching.

Then I went to the feet. Going barefoot is an option; the legs under are ghostly pale and, after a few tweaks, almost sinister. Predatorial, even. I wondered how it would all feel in game and if I could stub my toes or feel the grass under me.

I figured out the finger controls and learned how I could extend them to beyond the normal lengths, now giving me the equivalency of talons. No fingernail editor, though. Can't make me some claws (game sucks, gets a 7.8 out of 10, needs more design features).

Hair came next. There were plenty of pallets of full, lengthy streams to pick from but the ones which caught my eye were next to the bald features. Hair which looked perfect with the crypt-walker I've invented; single and deformed strands which only just looked as if they were keeping with the thing's head. The nose was easier; pushed it in so far inward that it looked like I barely had nostrils. After that came the eyes. Narrowed, white, without irises and sharp. Really aimed for the 'I'm looking into your soul' look. Would have liked a mouth design feature, but it seemed standard one was for everyone. Would have liked some fangs and stuff, but I guess I'll just have to wait for SAO 2 for that.

Add in some aesthetic effects – some scars on the face and body, dirt and grease to make it all look unclean – and alright. Now I have thoroughly made me a monster.

And what a truly horrifying creature, it is.

Holy crap, how did I do this? I just messed with toggles as severely as I could. Put them to extremes or harsh settings. Had to figure out what half of them did, first, but I think the end result is certifiably terrifying that even looking at him is like looking at an abomination of nature which probably would have been stoned in the early medieval years as a witch's creation or a spawn of the devil.

To me, he's perfect.

Okay, usually I'd want to create something commendable. Appreciable. Especially with this being a limited offered game and one online to boot. Something that wouldn't haunt the minds or dreams of children. But I couldn't resist.

Behold, the glory that is…someone.

Yeah. Someone. Still need to name him.

"Well," Jon speaks up behind him, lifting a bottle of water he pulled from the fridge to his lips and taking a long sip as he looks over my shoulder to the monstrosity, "you've outdone yourself. I think you've created the first playable abomination to step on Aincrad. Congratulations, I didn't know you had it in you."

Oh, Jon's giving me sass. Two can play that game.

"Doth my ears detect jealousy behind thy lips?" Look at me with the fancy words. Getting my Shakespeare on. "Behold! The majesty of this nameless thing! Behold the terribleness and fury! The cruelty I shall bring to Aincrad shall be the thing of legends." Let evil laugh flow freely past lips. And for the finale: "All shall love me and despair!" Nothing says awesomeness like mixing in a little movie reference to really sell it all forward.

But the image of my monster could have been more terrifying if it weren't looking so happy and cheerful as he had when he first popped on screen. Like a kid waking up on Christmas. Sort of ruined the terror and intimidation factor I was aiming for when it looked like it wanted to give me a hug.

I can practically sense Jon's eyeroll. "Is it my turn yet?" He asks. "I want to give this a shot before the week is up."

Oh, come on! It's only been a few hours. A character's design can never be rushed. Every gamer, save the filthy casuals, know this.

"Fine," I groan. "Where's do I go?"

Quick look over the screen shows an arrow button easy enough to see. A scroll over it shows it lighting up a brighter green.

Click.

My monster avatar cheers and waves as it disappears from view, sliding to the left of the screen. Unusually chipper abomination is oddly adorable, it seems.

Anyway, a new panel pops up. And this one is significantly easier to understand. Partially because I read up on it. It was one of the more aggressive articles to read on, and definitely the one I got the most interest for.

Weapon Choice.

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TB – E

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See, a sweet thing about Sword Art Online is that you are not limited to just a basic sword as your starting tool.

From the BETA Player reads, I got you could choose a weapon coordinated to your style of play that you wanted and develop skills and abilities through that item as time goes on. Apparently, it takes an insane amount of time to level up weapon skills, even for the hardcore BETAs, but that holds a level of appeal to me. Wouldn't want the game to be over too soon or anything.

The weapons available are numerous and varied. Each has their specialty to certain enemies, playstyles, or player preference.

Choose wisely.

Swords are the most basic. Good range, good power, good attack. Not really a weapon that excels or fails at anything. It's the first option to pop up on screen and even if I can't read the Japanese text at the side, the measurements and features seem to suggest by color coding that this weapon is of a normal standard for basic or new players. Probably even has info on what it's best suited for in the way of enemies. Comes with a side option for curved swords, which are kinda like scimitars or such. Better cutting power at the loss of any potential piercing ability. Better to lighter armored enemies.

I skip the swords and scroll down.

The spear. One of the best weapons in terms of range. I saw a few online players using it. They've got good critical features and can stun if they hit an enemy just right. They can also be used with shields, so if I want to go full spartan on someone, I could. The downsides are that the damage isn't great and it's parrying abilities are understandably limited without a shield. And from what I've seen, it's best used with players in groups who could work together and form a shield wall to attack and press back enemies. A more defensive tool used with a much-needed shield to play.

An option, but there are more.

Rapier. Like the sword, it has a similar good length to it. Lacks the slashing ability the sword has, making it less useful in that regard to certain enemies, but it's critical and stabbing abilities can make it very valuable. Plus, its speed isn't too bad either. Less combo options, however, and its defensive points aren't that of a sword either. Use with caution and speed. Recommended for more nimble or elegant players.

Axes. One of the few two-handed weapons available at the start of the game. Offers high-tier damage. Solid defense breaking. Not much defense or speed, though. But a solid hit can make all the deference. Preferably used with those in heavier or stronger armor classes to make up for its difficult parrying abilities.

Hammers or maces. Very similar to axes. Two-handers. Not as much damage, but better defense breakers. Better speed and defense to axes, too. But not much. I can almost imagine myself falling into an act with my avatar, skinny thing that it is, running around with a bloodstained axe in my hands, jumping on unsuspecting teams and mutilating them for the shits and giggles.

I'll just put that on my avatar' bucket list for now.

There are more options. Estocs, some polearms, other weapons shown to just wet the interest of the players but aren't readily available at the start of the game (katanas, greatswords, lances, whips) and such. No ranged weapons allowed in SAO. It's all hand-to-hand, blunt or bladed arms. No magic or such. That got some gripe online, for those who wanted to see our 'lord and savior' Kayaba handle magic online, but whatever. Guy can't do everything. Besides, if he makes a sequel, that leaves him with a few hooks. Dude knows how to PR.

Now, all these weapons are fine and dandy but only one really catches my eye. The one which will probably before long be declared the most troublesome and difficult of weapons in Aincrad. One only a few players on the net have used during the BETA release but have some compelling prospects to it that make me want to take a look at and see just what it's like to use.

I speak of the one, the only, the dagger.

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TB – E

/

"A knife?"

"Yeah."

"You're going with the knife?"

"Dagger, technically."

"Really?

"Yep."

"Why?"

"In Sword Art Online, the dagger has the shortest reach of any weapon and its attack power is below most others. Its defensive skills are near crap. During the BETA plays, anyone using it had to get up close with a monster, and it turns out most things do not like to be stabbed in game. They retaliate violently, resulting in a LOT of death early on. It makes the weapon a real risk to use without much in the way of actual returns, unless your partied with others with different weapon sets. And this is true, at least on paper. The dagger is a tough weapon, but it offers something in exchange for its crappy stats: its critical. Daggers crit like a champ and do so a lot. It's faster than any other weapon and doesn't weigh you down. Get a combo going and don't get nicked by anyone and you pretty much have the SAO equivalent of a DPS weapon. If you want to chop someone's health to itty-bitty pieces in no time flat, the dagger is the weapon to choose."

My inner-nerd begged to speak. I had to let it. Anyone in my shoes could understand that feel.

I basically read the online forums description of SAO's dagger. Even Jon looks impressed. I did that all in one breath – props. "That…actually sounds pretty cool." Even Jon admits it. Crazier still, he understood what I was saying. I'm so proud of him. "But that sounds kinda hard. Why not go with the sword and change up later? I mean, aren't swords cool?"

No. No they are not. Everyone and their grandpas will be using them. I refuse to be part of a majority statistic. "What's wrong with a little challenge?" And that.

"Nothing, nothing. I just…eh, if you want-"

"Plus, have you seen my guy?" I can't help but interrupt. "Imagine it: me, carrying a long, serrated knife around the floors. Cutting up boys and girls, left and right, laughing like a loon in the moonless night. I'd be the terror from the bottom floors to the top!"

Maybe I'd even make a guild out of it. Hunting everyone down, scaring the bejeebers out of kids to adults. Oh, I am going to have so much fun when this game gets released back home.

Jon's staring at me. "You know, you're a little bloodthirsty…" All I can do is smile. That doesn't seem to calm him. "And absolutely nuts. Okay, what's next?"

Ah, right, he wants a go.

Easy enough to move forward from here. Click a little icon that looks like it's asking if this is my choice, click it, click the positive in what I guess is the Japanese equivalency of 'are you sure?' and…

Another popup.

This one is rather simple. A square box with two clickable option boxes inside it. A bit of text is overhead both boxes – Japanese, again, no hope in reading that – but the option on the right catches my eye.

English. The word and the letters. English.

Not sure what this is about, but I click it.

Character Name:

Ohhh, name time! That's something to get excited about!

Apart from looks, the name makes the character. You can half-ass a face anytime, but a name? Names have presence. People recognize you by your name, even if the face is a mystery. So, while a certain part of me is screaming for 'Mr. McShivUrButt, Dark Corn-Muncher of Aincrad,' I'm going to politely decline that part of me.

"You got one picked out yet?" Jon asks innocently enough.

Problem is, I've had months to wonder, hypothetically, what name I would go with if I ever got to play this game. And, yeah, once this whole escapade was becoming a reality, I considered a little more over what kind of character I'd be. What choices or playstyle would appeal to the aggressive kind of gamer I am.

Choosing to go the dagger route was easy. Like me a challenge. Making a monster of a character was fun. But the name?

Shit, what would be my name?

McShivUrButt. McShivUrButt. McShivUrButt. McShiv-

No.

"You don't have a name?"

"Give me a sec," I tell him, "I got to choose a good one."

"Just put in your own name."

"No one does that. It's lame." Who names their character after themselves? You play games to be other people, not yourself. "I need to pick a name that works with my avatar. The name makes the character. The monster that is to be me." Don't I sound so wise?

"Just go with, I don't know…Jason Voorhees."

What? No, I'm not doing that! How lame would that be? "I don't do hockey masks."

"Frankenstein."

"My avatar doesn't have green skin." I know because it wouldn't let me alter skin tones beyond the basics.

"Freddy Krueger."

"Not a chance." Guy who pops up in your dreams to kill you? Yeah, SUPER scary.

"…How about 'It?'"

That's…not too bad.

It. Plague of Aincrad. Has a nice ring to 'it' (ha, punny).

I type it in. The screen has a loading symbol on it for a moment.

CHARACTER NAME IS ALREADY IN USE BY ANOTHER PLAYER

Crap. "Already taken."

"Ah, fine. Then…uh…I don't know. What's your name in the games you play back home? The ones you play right now?"

What, like the ones I play on console? "I don't play many RPGs." More of an FPS online player.

"Then what do people call you when you're playing against others?" Jon's question is innocent enough, but the implications are almost funny.

What do people call me online? Whatever my gamer tag is. "WickedPlayer76."

"…Seriously?" He can't hold back his laugh. "Jesus, that's terrible." It was your name, dumbass! "Alright, good. Choose that."

Fuck no, I'm not going with that. Who wants to have numbers in their name? "Not a chance!"

"Uh, you're a pain in the – fine. Uh…Wicked. Try Wicked. That may work."

…Ehh, not as good as 'It,' but whatever.

Wicked. The Pale Scourge of the Upper Floors. I could sell that.

CHARACTER NAME IS ALREADY IN USE BY ANOTHER PLAYER

Son of a-, "No sell."

Jon's groan echoes in the room. "See? This is what happens when you take too long to make a character." Spoken like someone whose lost his faith in gaming. Blasphemer.

My brother stares for a moment at the screen. He has one of those 'one-thousand-thoughts-a-second' kind of looks to him. Maybe even he's trying to get into the spirit of the name game.

"Name…name…monster name…Pumpkinhead. Pinhead. Swamp Thing." Wow. Jon knows his horror genre. "Ghostface. Leatherface. Chucky. The Boogeyma-ohhh…" He stops himself. A long, distant look takes over the stern, calculating one. Like one of those 'I've had one of the best epiphanies ever' kind of faces I've seen on TV.

Jon's eyes turn back to the screen. 'Wicked' blinks back to us. "Boogeyman…" He suddenly reaches over my shoulder, brushing his finger over keys I can't see. I am currently blinded by two-hundred pounds of older brother currently in my face. All I can hear is a pair of loud taps of keys being struck, followed by a soft laugh from the ass reaching over me.

I was about wrestle for my freedom when Jon decided then to move off of me. Could practically feel my lips moving to call him out on that shit he just pulled, but my eyes catch his face. If that look wasn't the absolute definition of smug, I don't know what is.

"There. See if it works. Thank me later."

He leaves for the kitchen, probably to grab more water, leaving me to judge just what kind of dumb name he put up.

Character Name:

_ _Wick_

/

TB – E

/

Wick. Wiiiick. Boogeyman – Baba Yaga.

Wick. The Boogeyman of Aincrad. PKing everyone with everything from greatswords to pencils.

"Okay, yeah," I'll admit it, "that, that works. That definitely works." I can hear Jon laugh in the kitchen, yelling his self-praises. I'm not one to steal names from other movies, feels like a copout when picking a name for a character, but fuck it, this one is almost too good. "Hold onto your butts."

I click enter. It only takes a sec.

NAME AVAILABLE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED?

YES – NO

Hell yes.

The computer takes a moment. Another loading screen.

The abomination of my making – the now bequeathed avatar known as Wick – appears. He does a little cheer, which really contrasts the look I was aiming for him, before a small belt wraps itself to his waist. A leathery pocket, fitted with a short handle, clearly shown at Wick's left.

Wick pulls the small handle. The dagger flies out, raised to the sky where a beacon shines down onto him.

Then he fades. And wonderful music begins to play.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE CREATION OF YOUR CHARACTER!
DO BE SURE TO LOG IN THIS NOVEMBER 6
TH AT 13:00 IN
PREPARATION FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF THE WORLD
OF AINCRAD!

WELCOME, WICK! MAY YOUR HERO'S JOURNEY BEGIN TODAY!

Oh, I think I may have peed a little.

"Did it work?" Jon asks, moving up beside him. He probably could hear the music fine, but no harm in asking. He reads over my shoulder. "Awesome. Looks like you're ready."

"Yeah." I nod, still a little lightheaded. "Guess I am."

"Great. Now scoot over, it's my turn." I do as I'm ordered. Mostly because Jon nearly shoves me from my spot the next second. He slips my copy out, cases it, then slips the other copy in before I barely have my legs stretched out to stand.

Ha. Nerd. He may try to sound unexcited, but I know my brother. There's a gamer in him yet.

Well, no big. I am completely fine with this. Just one more day. One more single day. I can hardly wait.

But first, I need food. Food is main priority.

To the kitchen!

/

TB – E

/

Four minutes. It only took four minutes before an all-too familiar theme of music began to play again over the laptop's speakers.

I twist my neck a practical one-eighty when my ears pick up the sound, my mouth full of reheated waffles as I gorge myself at the table. I wasn't even paying attention as the rusty-as-hell gamer that is my brother took control and decided he knew what was best when making a character for online playability on a revolutionary new model of gaming.

Stupid stupid stupid stupid STUPID!

I move to my brother. Damn him, he looks happy with himself.

"Done!" He tells me. 'No shit,' I feel like replying back. "See? Didn't even take me three hours."

Ignore him. Stare at computer.

A girl appears to the screen. Short, black hair. Dark green shirt, brown pants. Dark black boots. Light complexion. Sharp eyes, I wasn't complaining about those too much. Basic sword being thrusted into the air. It's all so…normal. Plain. "Did you go with the default look?" Crap, if he did, he'd look like a hundred other scrubs who didn't even try to design themselves. He'd be a twin! Of hundreds!

"No, no. I changed her a bit." He pointed to the screen, even as the girl started to fade. "Black hair from blonde, changed her height a little, messed with her face a bit – I was kinda aiming for her to look a little like…"

He trails off. As if that isn't suspicious. "Like what?" I have to ask.

Jon's face is red. He can't even look me in the eye. In any other circumstance, I'd say this is prime blackmail/mess-with-you information I could use later. But right now, I'm just annoyingly curious.

"I…I wanted to make her a warrior…pretty, but deadly. Like Xena!" Xena? Xena who? "But I couldn't remember what she looked like. But I do remember Mulan – the Disney warrior girl? I always thought she was awesome. Dad and I used to watch that movie all the time. Kicking Hun butt and protecting China. Remember the song? 'Be a man! You must be swift as a…the force of a great typh…strength of a'…remember her? I wanted to design her like that. I thought it would look cool..."

…Aaaand my opinion of my brother has plummeted.

"Dude," I beg, "please tell me you didn't name her Mulan."

If he did, I'd kill him. I swear to God, I would.

"No." Jon admits, still embarrassed. "I thought that would have been…weird." And playing as a girl is normal? In a game where you would ACTUALLY become a girl? "And maybe a bit insensitive." Would it? What's the Japanese relationship with a Chinese heroine? Probably best not to test it either way. "And I didn't feel comfortable naming myself after a girl. Just couldn't make myself do it. So, I went with something more gender neutral."

Gender neutral? "Like what?"

Words appear onscreen.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE CREATION OF YOUR CHARACTER!
DO BE SURE TO LOG IN THIS NOVEMBER 6
TH AT 13:00 IN
PREPARATION FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF THE WORLD
OF AINCRAD!

WELCOME, MILLER! MAY YOUR HERO'S JOURNEY BEGIN TODAY!

Miller. Jon named himself after himself.

Myself, too, for that matter.

…I'm done.

/

TB – E

/

Author's Note: Seriously, who names their character after their own name?

Names are very important for any standing character. They need to ring, seem natural, and fit the persona of who someone is or will be.

Halfassing a look is fine and whatever. Halfassing a name is a crime.

In this chapter, I wanted to illustrate just how character creation is done in SAO, because the source material never did. It was just sort of 'BAMB!' your character is made. And in the case of the MCs, Kirito and Klein looked very similar to their real people that, I'll admit, watching SAO for the first time, I didn't even realize Kirito's face or appearence changed. Or Klein's. They were just too similar that I didn't even catch it till I looked back.

Who the hell makes a character like that?

When I make characters in RPGs, either I make them extremes or I make them respectable, hero-like characters. However I decide to play a game. I don't make them like me - I'm a boring figure. I wanted to show that the game offers extreme design applications for players, as shown with how Ethan has designed his character to extremes. It's a bygone monster of a figure. Barely resembling a human. Really grotesque.

In short, it is the opposite of how Ethan is or looks.

A very sharp contrast.

Also, Jon's playing a girl. Becoming a girl. Implications of that will be fun.

And I don't care what anyone says, MULAN IS AWESOME AND I HEAR THEY ARE MAKING A LIVE ACTION MOVIE OF IT AND I AM HYPED!

Ahem.

Also, weapons. Wanted to illustrate some diversity why some weapons work for different players. Each has their ups and downs and each has their pluses or minuses. Depending on playstyle, one might work better than another. Especially since the weapon is being used by actual, real people. Some tools will just feel more natural for some than others, like in real life. Swords aren't necessarily the absolute way to go.

Again, it's something that wasn't glossed over in canon. I hope no one minded my adding it in.

And finally, we have our protagonist character designs. Took me forever to think of what to call them or how they should look, but I think the names work with the characters they inhabit and fit each personality.

Miller and Wick. Yeah, I think that sounds like a couple of winn-

Wait, hold on.

Miller and Wick...Miller, Wick...Wick and Miller. Wick and Miller.

Rick and Mort-OH, GODDAMN IT!

Next Update: 7/25/2017