Yuri sees everything as if looking through a glass. It's a strange experience, feeling some kind of breeze flow all around her small body as colorful pixels connected in strands of zeros and ones fly by. It's not real, she knows that for sure, but the way it feels… ineffable.

The system quickly connected the touch sense, then sight. Just as sudden, it connects her ability to hear, and then taste. Finally it was smell, and the first thing to enter her nose is the faint aroma of oranges. The NerveGear then asks her to select her desired language and enter the login that she had created the night before.

And she was in.

Welcome to Sword Art Online! The intro to the innovative technology's game began. Yuri could feel a gradual warmth wash over her, along with a light breeze. She could taste and smell the cool, fresh air. She felt free.

Create Character the system prompted. Feeling a slight smile spread across her face, Yuri began create an ideal version of herself. This version was called Tsunami, and she looked healthier. Tsunami had navy colored hair that met her slender shoulders in waves. Her skin held more color, less pallid than the shade that coated Yuri's sickly skin. Tsunami was taller than Yuri by almost a head. She was stronger, too. The only similarity Tsunami held with Yuri were her eyes, the same deep, icy color that she had been born with.

When Tsunami was complete, Yuri felt complete. This is what she had always wished to be. Strong with sharp, yet kind eyes… beautiful. She had always wanted to feel beautiful. And now, merged with the new version of herself, she did.

Tsunami began the game, seeing splashes of racing blue, and finally brightly colored pixels.

She smelt bread, grass, spices… oranges. All around her were iron pillars, reaching toward the sky with valor and purpose. People flashed into view with ultramarine flames, unique in appearance and voice.

Tsunami reached out her hands, inspecting them with great interest. They seemed so real. They felt so real. A sudden wind blew through the area, circling around her. It ruffled her hair and clothing.

It was all so real.

She took a step. Then another, and soon she was running. She had so much stamina, taking off through an iron tunnel. It shined sheer in the outside light, and swallowed the cobblestone path that her feet tread upon and echoed off of. On the other end of this dark underpass was a town glowing with people. So many people, more than she had ever before cared to interact with. The smells were stronger, the colors so vivid. All around her was so much noise, conversations filling the open, sunkissed air. The smells were stronger. Tsunami gulped in lung fulls of the sweet scents.

It was all so real, and she felt so free.

But what was she to do now? Never before had she played any video game, nor did she have any friends to guide her. She was alone here, at least until Hideki found a way to buy a NerveGear, which may not even happen until after she died. She hoped that he would use the one that belonged to her when that inevitably happened.

Sighing, she shook off the morose atmosphere that grew around her like a choking weed around a sunflower. She had more pressing matter to deal with. Never before had she communicated with anyone who did not belong to her family or felt like family.

As a child Yuri was very sociable, she made new friends with only the adorable blink of her azure eyes. When the disease took over, time seemed to stop, and those friends slowly drifted away. Since then she had been alone. Now, as Tsunami, she was surrounded by thousands of people, and potential acquaintances or friends. But she was scared.

Tsunami took in a shaky breath. In a strange separate thought from her usual self, she strolls forward. Ahead, she spots an NPC selling bread. Bread. The smell of it was sweet, and she inhaled deeply. It had been so long since she had it!

"One please," she spoke with desire. Her own voice shocked her a bit. It was slightly deeper, more confident. Tsunami smiled shortly, dazzling the set of codes made up to be a person in front of her. The young man, sprinkled in flour, nodded his head. He passed her a bun about the size of her hand. As she took hold of it, a notification appeared. A transaction of twenty eight Cor. She accepted, automatically removing three small coins out of a pouch that appeared at her hip. Twenty eight Cor out of two hundred that she was granted at first spawn.

Happily, she wandered to an empty bench that sat not far from the bakery stand. As she took a seat, she tore into the roll and pressed it into her nose.

It smelt impossibly real! Tsunami took a bite, and an explosion of flavor saturated her mouth. She giggled, joy filling her up to the top. She continued to eat the bread greedily, not even noticing that someone had taken a seat next to her.

"It's even better with this on it," a deep voice chuckled. Surprised, Tsunami jumped. She looked over to the boy beaming next to her, holding a small cream colored jar toward her. With wide eyes, she observed him. His hair was colored blonde, glistening in the golden sunlight. It contrasted with his grinning verdant eyes and the small brown mole that sat beneath the one on the left side of his face. He had broad shoulders and was taller than her by half a head even while sitting. She glanced at the glowing green visor next to his name.

FazedFox

He held it out a little further, snickering at her frightened face. Tsunami took it with her left hand, staring down at both the bread and jar of what smelt like honey. "It's kind of like honey," he reads her mind. Honey. She hasn't had that for a long time either.

"How do I use it?" Her voice is quiet and slightly embarrassed.

Amused, he takes her hand in his. Guiding her fingers over to the jar he gently presses them against it. In her vision, a circular, peach colored shape wraps around her fingers. He guides her hand once more, moving her fingers over to the bread, "Now just spread it," He smiles. She does as he tells her, and appearing on the roll is a sunset orange paste. "Try it!"

Tsunami takes a bite with a sigh. It tastes so sweet. Like a cross between honey and orange marmalade.

"You can call me Fox, what should I call you?"