[Athilea Majiri]

Username: Calonia
Real Name: Alexandria O'Shay
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Background: She was not always a gamer. Once she had tried very hard to enjoy the company of other people, instead of emersing herself in a fantasy world. Rejected time and time again by the people that thought they were cool, she turned to the only thing she had. Video and Computer games. Her father being a game developer, there was no end of what they had in their house. Soon, she decided that she would do the same thing, and started to go to college for the same thing, hoping to match her fathers success.
Appearance: Her hair is short, with something of the punk rock look to it, standing up in ways that it was never meant to naturally. Behind her glasses she had blue eyes that most fail to notice, and she has several peircings in her face. Soon she will add tattoos to that. Her clothing matching the punk rock feel as well, but with an obvious hint of her gamer tendancies thrown in there.
Personality: She is shy, quiet, and keeps to herself. Once she had tried to be an extrovert, but failed to do so and decided not to go against her nature. Now she is seen as an odd girl in a small town that people try to stay away from.

[Shenandoah]

Username: Mazin
Real Name: Richard "Rick" Toomey
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Background: Withdrawn into his own little world which revolves around music, books, or his own imagination. He has been a part of the system since he was five and has tried to escape the here-and-now for the past twelve years through his obsessive passions. He is almost a full adult and knows he has little to look forward to - save a minimum wage job.
Appearance: In real life, he has muddy brown hair that is usually unkempt, weak gray eyes shielded by glasses that have been broken several times, and old hand-me-down clothing. His frame is scrawny without being starved and of middle height (around 5'-6"). However, in his favorite virtual reality RPG, he looks like this and stands slightly taller than his real world self at 5'-9".
Background: He is quiet and not very open. He talks very little, is picked on quite a bit, and is otherwise someone else's rug to walk all over. He is self-effacing and is an absolute animal lover. Within his games, he has a stronger backbone, though he is still considered weak in many aspects...

---

Username: Michael the White (commonly called "Mike")
Real Name: Jasper Warren
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Background: Jasper was a big gamer when he was younger, though they usually wound up being board games, card games, or dice games when he was younger. As computer and arcade games became more available, he got interested in those. His mother wanted him to become something good and Jasper chose to become a programmer for Macintosh. Eventually he switched career paths and became a game programmer full time before becoming one of the creators of the new hit of the digital realm he now administrates along with a handful of other individuals.
Appearance: Outside the Game, he actually looks much the same, though his hair is cropped and he certainly doesn't have the musculature to carry the armor he 'totes about' within the confines of the digital universe he administrates. Not to mention, he wears glasses with rectangular frames in real life. In both the real world and in the Game, he is a solid 5'-10".

[Athilea Majiri]

((Sure, that wont be a problem))

She leaned back in the chair. It was uncomfortable, but she could ignore that. Her studies had to be completed and she only had so much time to do that in. She had just recently discovered a game that she wanted to try badly and her work just could not be done fast enough.

The problem was that she enjoyed playing the games just a little more then she liked the thought of creating them. Still, she thought it would be the best career path for her, and so she would work hard at it.

As soon as she was done she would go to her apartment and finally play the character she had just created the night before. So intent on her work she did not notice anyone else that used the lab for their work. She did not hear the comments some of them made, and could not have cared less then she did if she had.

[Shenandoah]

Rick settled down in the chair at his school's library at the computer. He was going to graduate fairly soon, but that didn't mean that he enjoyed that fact. He knew there'd be little to keep him from flipping burgers at some fast food joint. Perhaps he could get a job as a mechanic, but he knew virtually nothing of engines and stuff... nor had an inclination to know.

However, he knew there was one thing he was good at doing... and that was gaming. He would go to the Game Station later on and use their uplink to the most popular RPG ever: the virtual reality game simply called 'The Game' by most people. He knew he'd play until they closed and he was glad he was good friends with the owner of the place or else he'd have to pay out the ass for all the uplink time.

Soon, school would be out and he would be going down the road to the VR lounge.

----

Time did move quickly enough. He left his high school, his bag on his shoulder, and went south from his school on foot. Rick didn't get the privileges of going on a bus or driving a car. He lived too close to his current foster home for one and his foster parents didn't have the money to afford even a clunker for another. Which was fine with him. They didn't seem to care one way or the other when it came to his late appearances at home so long as he got there for dinner with the other foster kids.

Rick knew they were simply in it for the money. Most were, unfortunately, in his experience. Quite frankly, he didn't care. His time was almost up anyway and he should have left by now except for the fact that the one saving grace from having his roof yanked from him was that he was still in school despite being a legal adult.

[Athilea Majiri]

It did not take as long as she had anticipated before she was done with the work she needed to do. Saving the information to a small, green flash drive that she then hooked onto her belt loop for her class the next day, she left the room.

Her heavy backpack was slung over one shoulder and she had stuffed her purse into it so that she would not have to be bothered with the thing. Alexandria's small apartment was not far from the campus, so she used the opportunity to get a little bit of exercise before she spent the evening playing games. Even walking, though, she could not resist playing her handheld system, only barely paying attention to where she was going.

Angry curses, and insults followed her as she mumbled apologies to the couple of people she actually ran into. It was amazing that the girl didn't walk out into the road as involved in the game she played as she was. She managed to keep herself alive, though, time an again. When would that luck run out?

[Shenandoah]

He got to the Game Station, nodded to Rex (the guy that ran the place), went to his favorite station in the back that was luckily free today, and dropped his bag. Logging on as Mazin, he smiled. His character was one that he liked quite a bit. He was a mage and his favorite spells were always offensive rather than defensive. He liked his character quite a bit and no one that saw him in the game could ever connect him with real life.

Some, he had seen, tended to make their characters look much like themselves to give it a bit more 'realism'. However, Rick didn't like his real self, so he fabricated his ideal self. Granted, his character was perhaps a touch 'pretty boy', but he always had plenty of girl characters interested in him despite his shyness... in fact, it tended to drawn them in more when he began stuttering it seemed. He didn't understand that at all. Didn't girls like guys with strong backbones?

The game loading screen popped up on the monitor and he picked up the VR headset. Settling it over his eyes, the VR headset was slightly heavy but not uncomfortably so. It covered his ears and was very top of the line. The game finished loading as he picked up the controller on instinct.

It was time to play.

[Athilea Majiri]

As soon as she was home she shut her DS off and set her things down. The Flash Drive was unhooked from her belt loop and sat on top of her entertainment center and she sat down in a comfortable, overstuffed armchair with a matching stool. This is where she preferred to play any game. The chair was perfect.

Finally she slipped the VR on and found herself in a new and inviting world. She did not think about the fact that she should probably have eaten something. She was to excited about the game she'd been hearing so much about. It would, of course, take some getting used to. Perhaps she could find someone that could help her.

----
Within the game she was pretty enough, though she was impaired. The blindfold around her eyes prevented her from being able to see as others might, but she had talents that helped her to work around that disability. Most would be surprised to find that the eyes were actually damaged, and that the cloth was not just transparent and for show.

[Shenandoah]

Rick settled into the role of Mazin, the Mage. Sending his digital self forward, he crossed through the town of Belara, a way-station that saw many newbies on this server as most didn't go too far from the beginning towns initially. And this was the beginner's town for this particular server. This was where most logged into... where most respawned in the initial stages of the game. He whipped his head around as he glanced up a side street, the silver flick of his thin braids digitally tucked behind his left ear flipping before his face momentarily.

Disregarding the people up the street, he went towards the log-in station, a huge revolving series of graphics that were golden orange. Mazin had no real name to describe it other than that it could be one of those strange gizmo things that sat on desks that had various rings that spun around inside each other.

What he did not expect to see on the way to the log in point was what appeared to be a blind player. He knew there were those that wore blindfolds to pretend a greater sense of mysticism though he always sort of thought that to be retarded. Instead of going up to the blindfolded player, he turned and approached the booth nearby the point to gather up some supplies, moving through the crowd with some ease as he knew how to push through to get where he needed to go.

There were a few appreciative glances his way, though he ignored them. Why anyone would want to 'feel up' pixels, he had no clue... Rick only wanted to have fun and forget the shit life of high school and his immediate demise.

[Athilea Majiri]

It took a few moments for her to become accustomed to her new, blind status. For a short time she simply stand in the same place, unmoving, until she was able to adjust to being sightless. Once she did, she was no longer Alexandria, but instead fell into the role of Calonia. She was a healer, a priest, and she was determined to be the best in the realm.

She took a few steps, managing to dodge around other players that were rather rude, and move with the confidence of someone that had perfect eyesight. Her back was straight and her chin up. Of course, she did not see Mazin, even when he took a passing glance at her. Her abilities allowed her to function well enough, but it still was not perfect. It would take practice, take time for her to function as though she had no disability.

With that thought she set about her tasks. Calonia found things she would need to do for almost anyone that needed help, and she did them to the best of her ability. Her progress was a bit slower then others, but she managed well enough with little help.

[Shenandoah]

((Might as well move this along.))

Soon, he was finished with gathering his initial supplies, ready to take and go into the wilds around the town in order to get to another town. He had in mind to try and complete a quest today, however long it needed to take. He passed the blindfolded player as he walked.

It happened quickly, and in real life Rick clutched his gut, the controller falling to the floor as a wave of nauseous pain filled his midsection. He clapped a hand over his mouth, the VR controller staying in place as he fought to keep the school lunch where it belonged.

Unaware of what was going on in the Game, he had no idea his digital self was copying his motions, only he was doubled over and had slowly slumped to the ground.

But that was only the beginning. Richard suddenly felt a blinding pain stab into his head and he had the fleeting thought of wondering if this was what a migraine was like before he passed out... both in reality... and in the Game.

Mazin rolled onto his side in the Game, his eyes shut and his face betraying the pain that he had felt before he had lost consciousness. Players around him pointed and looked, but did nothing. If he was injured enough, he would re-spawn later at the log in point. It wasn't their concern and to spend either mana or potions on a player in a town is stupid.

[Athilea Majiri]

She could hear the gasps and mummers of those around her as they pointed to Mazin. Her head turned towards him, and she carefully moved forward. Other players told her not to bother with him. The woman ignored them as she knelt by his side. This is where things were a bit trickier for her. She could find the body easy enough, but figuring out what had happened was a bit harder.

Quickly she worked, letting her hands hover over him and slowly trying to find where the pain had come. It was difficult. She started to think that it was not something that had happened within the game. The question was, then, if she could help him at all. Even so, she tried to heal the man that lay on the ground before proceeding to find out where he had logged in from.

Maybe someone else was there, maybe they were not...then...just as suddenly. She screamed out and fell to the ground herself. Her movements had not changed much in the chair she was sitting on. Her fingers gripped the arms, nails nearly tearing into the leather. Pain shot through her. She managed to think that this might be a short, a problem in the game. Perhaps she could fix it. Then, darkness took her.

Calonia lay in a heap next to Mazin. Her own face painted with pain. Aside from the in game breeze rustling through along her skirts, and through her hair, there was no movement from her.

[Shenandoah]

He had no idea how long it was before he awoke with his cheek pressed into gritty cobblestone. Groggily, he pushed himself up and blinked at hands that weren't his bedecked with rings. His clothes pulled strangely and there were two thin silver braids falling in front of his face glinting in the light of a nearby torch fastened to the wall. It was dark and the details he could see were not all that great, but what details he could see startled him.

He could see. Mazin looked around only to have his eyes fall on the heap that was the blind girl from the log in point. She was unconscious much as he was and he immediately thought of grabbing a revitalizing potion for her.

There were few on the server at this point as most did not log in at this time of night except for the hard-core players or the absolute losers. It made him wonder why Rex hadn't come to kick him out of the booth. Little did he know that his controller that he instinctively grabbed for was on the floor as his true body in the real world was being taken to the hospital as it was now comatose and completely unresponsive.

Rick, now trapped in the form of Mazin, searched for the controller and panicked when he couldn't find it. However, he did manage to find a couple potion vials in his pocket, much tinier than he would have expected and they glowed faint mana green instead of the faint electric blue of a Restore Potion. All of his supplies didn't seem to exist at the moment but at least there was a pouch tied to his belt containing a good deal of the gold he had acquired. He thought that perhaps he should use a spell, but he had no spells on the caliber that would be required to revive someone. And he didn't want to leave her when it was obvious she had been hurt and something was wrong if she (nor he, for that matter) hadn't re-spawned if the injuries were critical enough to have knocked her unconscious.

So, he settled for the next best thing. He reached down, hesitated for a long moment, and then decided to shake her shoulder as he knelt on surprisingly hard cobblestone. If this was an upgrade... it was very unsettling and he didn't want to have any of it.

[Athilea Majiri]

She made a small sound when he shook her away and then tried to open her eyes. Alexandria was surprised to find that she could not. Her eyelids would not move. When she reached for the controller all she found was the cloth that covered her eyes.

Hurriedly, she squirmed away from the hands on her shoulders. Worry, and fear was painted on her face. "What..what happened?" The voice that came out was not her own. It was the voice she used for Calonia. She was still in the game? Why couldn't she find the controller...why couldn't she open her eyes?

Out loud, the next question she asked was, "Who are you?" The priestess could not hear any other footsteps near them, though she was certain that the guards would be around soon. It didn't matter though. She found herself having trouble concentrating on the person that had woke her up.

[Shenandoah]

"I don't know. And I'm Mazin," he told her as she pulled away, automatically using his user name rather than his real one. "Do you know of any upgrades that were supposed to happen? Because..." He drew in a breath and noted the non-VR Lounge smells that invaded his nose. Rather, he smelled dusty stone, smoke from the torches, and many other things that had no scent of sweat-and-body-oil-inundated plastic and vinyl or soda-sticky surfaces.

Didn't matter how hard Rex tried... he could never completely keep the VR Lounge free of mess.

"Can you get up? We probably should go to an inn... see if we can find a bulletin board. I can't access my user control panel, so we have to do the next best thing, I guess." Bulletin boards contained a few things: Quests that were free-for-all, ads for players by players, ads from companies trying to sell something, and a home for general announcements. As most people frequented an inn at least once per visit due to the fee you pay in order to heal up your HP and MP instantly, it was an ideal place to put such notices.

[Athilea Majiri]

She shook her head slightly, "I am not aware of any patches." The priestess pushed herself to her feet after a moment, and turned her head as though she was trying to look around before cursing. An ability of hers that had allowed her to know her surroundings, even without eyes, was not working properly. Blindfolded eyes were turned in the direction she thought Mazin was in.

"It seems that something must have been changed though. Eyeless Sight is not working as it should be." She frowned before she continued, "I suppose the only thing we can do is go to the inn."

With that she took a step in the direction she thought the in was in, but that single step found her flat on the cobblestone road again. Calonia let out a groan and rolled onto her back, checking her nose. It was bloody and the cooked appearance of it showed that it was, in fact, broken.

She sat up, legs crossed beneath skirts that seemed to have more appearance of being cloth then they ever had before, and managed to work on of the healing spells she had. Within minutes the bleeding had stopped and, if her nose wasn't straight, it did not have the same stomach churning look as before.

[Shenandoah]

It was proof her Eyeless Sight ability was not working very well. She had looked slightly off to the left of him before turning and going South instead of East, which was where the inn was located... He watched in surprise as he lunged forward, though he was still incapable of catching her as she did a rather spectacular nosedive into the cobblestones.

"Well, I guess magic still works," he said solemnly, snatching a bit of fabric from a nearby used-to-be-there-for-appearance clothesline. He dabbed away the remainder of the blood from under her nose. It certainly wasn't the bloody mess it was before, but the sight of that blood was making him a bit queasy. If this upgrade allowed one to be disfigured and bloodied, it meant that they were in loads of trouble. Pain was evidently something that could happen and if that happened, what would happen if they were killed?

"And I guess I'll guide you as your Sight thing doesn't work." He held out a hand to her after he stood, realized she wouldn't be able to see it, and then took one of the delicate hands in his to hoist her up. He did not yet pull at her arm, not wanting to be rude. "C'mon."