Re: Pompeii: A "If the Forums Were Real" Story- Chapter 11

[CrimsonIzanagi]

*joins in*
Update! Update! Update! Update! Updaaaaate! *swings pop-pops around*

[Joseyposey]

Sorry this took so long.....    I realize this is no excuse. This chapter isn't much, either. Not very exiting. But, a chapter! I finally got motivated! Yay!
*Hides in corner hoping I won't get killed*


Chapter Four

When I reached the top of the stairs, I found a strange scene before me. Winxer, Scarlet, and Ushi had already settled themselves in what looked almost like dentist chairs, but were much more high-tech and had lush black leather. Above the seats hung black helmets, which were attached to the seats by a bendable cord. Winxer pulled one of the helmets over her head. “Come on, hop in a chair!” she urged me.
Hesitantly, I sat down in one of the chairs. Following Winxer’s example, I pulled the helmet over my head. I peered uncertainly at Winxer. “What is this?” I asked nervously. 
“This is the Roleplaying Enhancement Machine, or, as we like to call it, the REM. It allows the players to experience the roleplay as if they were actually there. Kind of like Sword 
Art Online. Have you watched it?” she asked me. I shook my head. “Aw, that’s too bad. But anyways,” she said, looking over to Scarlet and Ushi. “Ready?”
“Ready!” Ushi said, giving a thumbs up. Scarlet grinned.
“Then let’s go!” Winxer shouted, and slammed her hand on the red button on the arm rest. Scarlet and Ushi did the same.
“Huh?!” I said, confused. Deciding to just follow their lead, I pressed the red button on my chair.
I wondered if I should panic as my vision faded away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I woke up on the ground. Woozy, I sat up, completely confused by my surroundings. I sat near a stream in a forest. I held a backpack filled with various things, including a doll. I was completely baffled. Where was I?
“JO! Ya there?” I heard a familiar voice say. I looked around, thinking I would see Winxer, but I seemed to be alone. “W-where are you?” I asked.
“I’m at my guild’s starting point. You’ll be where your character would be on a ordinary day- which is in your case the woods, according to your form.”
Character? I looked down at myself. I wasn’t wearing the clothes I had been wearing earlier. I now wore a white tank top and brown shorts, along with a pair of blue sneakers. Which was….
The exact outfit of the character in my form.
I reached back behind my head. My hair was longer, and as I brought it up to my eyes, I realized it was several shades lighter. 
“If you haven’t figured it out yet, you’ve taken on the appearance of your character,” I heard Scarlet’s voice say. “This is just like a role-play, only now you act it out with your body. Kind of like make pretend, only we don’t have to pretend anything.” She chuckled at her analogy. 
“It might seem a little weird at first,” Said Ushi’s voice, “but you’ll get used to it eventually. If you want to communicate outside the role-play, use the earpiece.” 
So that’s where the voices were coming from.
“Once you meet up with us, you’ll notice a gamer tag above each character. This shows who’s character they are, and as you get information on them, their names, class, race, and guild. If you look up, you should see your tag too,” Ushi told me.
I looked above me, and sure enough, a blue gamer tag hovered above me. 
“Alright,” I said hesitantly. “So what do I do?”
“Start roleplaying!” I could practically hear Winxer’s grin. “Let the roleplay commence!”

[Briadah]

I love the way you wrote about the REM... I would have never thought of that  

[Joseyposey]

Eh, it was really just borrowed from SAO. I didn't really come up with any original ideas with that one.

[CrimsonIzanagi]

Ahhh! Jo! I can't wait to see what happens next! ^^

[Joseyposey]

Ah, thank you! ^^

[Joseyposey]

Another chapter, because I feel like it. What is wrong with me?


Chapter Five

And with that, the voices went silent.
I sat there for a moment. Just sitting there. Doing nothing. Trying to comprehend what I’d gotten myself into.
“Stupid! What are you doing just sitting here?!” I asked myself. “Do something!”
I got up and walked over to the stream. Did I have something to hold water? I opened up my pack. A few apples, the doll, and- aha! A canteen.
Opening the lid, I dipped the canteen into the water. My hands cut into the water. It was wet and cool. Good for drinking later.
When that was filled, I capped the canteen and slipped it back into my bag. Standing up, I tried to think. What should I do? I wondered. Trying to remember what I had filled out in my form, I begun to pace. I often did that automatically, whether I was thinking or daydreaming, it didn’t matter. It was a weird trait I had-
Hold on.
How did I even know that? I had no memory whatsoever before that strange blue wall. And between that and now, I had had no time to ponder or daydream about anything. So how did I know that?
A shiver ran down my spine, but not from cold. Although it was a little cool.
I had no more time to wonder about that, though, before I heard a rustling in the bushes. I whipped around towards the sound.
“Wh-who’s there?!”  I said. But there was no answer.
Suddenly, a huge force came rushing out of the thrush and rammed into me. I went flying.
I landed with a thud. My breath flew out of me. I lay there, trying to breathe, when blue letters flew across my vision like a video game screen.

Grand-Pooh-Bah here! You have been attacked by a FOE! 

Wild Boar
HP 20
Level 2


You
HP 60
Level 1

“Eh?” I looked up at my attacker. Sure enough, a boar stood a few feet away. With a groan, I dropped my head back onto the ground. “Ya could have told me a little sooner!” I shouted at the sky.
“Jo? What happened?” I heard Winxer ask through the headpiece.
“You never told me there were enemies in this thing!” I shouted.
“Sorry! Thought I’d explain it when the time came. I didn’t think you would be attacked before we got together, anyway.” I could hear static at the other end. “Um, unfortunately I cannot explain it at this moment-” I could hear a loud crash on her end. I heard Winxer shout away from the microphone. “Stop fighting, would ya?!” Then she came back. “I’m busy at the moment, so I can’t explain very much. Just use your skills and stab it until it’s dead.” 
“But Winxer-” the other line went dead. “Winxer? Winxer?!”
The boar began to charge. “WINXER!!!!”

[Joseyposey]

Chapter Six

I shouted into the headpiece, frightened. I had never fought anything before. I had no fighting experience at all. And what did Winxer mean by skills? I had no combat skills at all! 
Practically screaming, I only barely managed to dodge the boar. I landed sprawled on the ground. I’m going to die in here, I thought. Feeling a stab on my thigh, I saw a pair of knives in my belt.
Of course! Lucy used two knives as a weapon. I might be more likely to injure myself than the boar, but a least I had some sort of defense.
Getting back on my feet, I turned and faced the boar. “Okay,” I said. “You wanna go?” 
The boar snorted. It pawed at the ground, like it was going to charge. I wondered if boars really did that, or if this one was just weird. Because normally a boar wouldn’t- wait! Why am I talking about this when I’m about to be killed?!
The boar ran at me. Any bravery I might have scavenged fled. I ran away, screaming, “DOOOOOOOOON’T HUUUUUUUURT MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!”
Yea, I was better at running than fighting. Because I’m a wimp.
Soon enough, I’d lost it. I’m sure that in a normal situation that was impossible, but Lucy was adapted to the forest life. I could hear and see better than I had in my life(Though I didn’t have any memories of my life prior to the blue wall). I could run fast, flawlessly jumping over roots and rocks. This was quite the feat for me, because I was normally quite clumsy, tripping over nothing sometimes. So yea, I felt pretty incredible.
However, this success was already fleeting. Soon I slowed down to a walk. And ripped over a root. 
“Of course,” I mumble to myself. 
And now I realize I don’t know where I am. 
Perfect. I’m lost.
I wandered for a few minutes, trying to find my way back. Then wondering if I should. If the boar was still there, I would just end up running away in a different direction.
I had no idea what to do. Oh, joy. 
It was then I noticed a tree a few feet away. It seemed familiar somehow, like I had found safety in it several times. Then I spotted the familiar red fruit hanging from it’s branches.
Oh.
It was Lucy’s -no, I suppose my, since I was technically Lucy at the moment- apple tree. It was my refuge.
Well, I thought, might as well climb up. Winxer said to act out a normal day, after all.
So I climbed up the branches with ease, even though I’d never actually climbed a tree before. I doubted it was natural talent. It was probably similar to the super speed situation. A strange trick of the computer, I supposed. Still, it was a nice bonus.
Settling in a nice crook of a bough, I hung my pack on a nearby branch. While my hand was in that area, I picked an apple and bit into it. Yum.
I sat there for a while, eating my apple. It was calm and peaceful. I realized it was almost the first time I had peace and quiet time to spend with my thoughts since I had become a member of….. Whatever this place was. My subconscious told me that the word would be website, but I didn’t understand how I had gotten inside a website. Heck, I didn’t understand anything about this place.
I wished I had more time to ponder. But it looked like my wish wouldn’t be granted.
I heard a sudden rustling in the foliage at the edge of the clearing. I slowly reached for my knife. Was it the boar? Had it tracked me down? Was that even possible for a boar?
But no. The creature that emerged was no boar. It was a small child.

[Micromeichi]

I would so say that! "Oh sorry about that these are monsters that will try and kill you. Forgot to mention that."

[Contenido patrocinado]