Who Could Sleep? [c]

For the first time since entering the world of Sword Art, Farms' eyes looked hard. A combination of anger, frustration, betrayal and worry all boiling in his gut. The first thing Farms did was find everything he could on the crafting systems the game had to offer, applying himself until he had a firm understanding of how everything worked. Then he went to work, gathering materials and forging his first set of armor. He could only hope there would be many more to follow.

He may not be a warrior or a leader, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be in this fight. 213 had already lost their lives, and he knew there were going to be more to follow. But if he could save even a single life with his work, he was going to do it.

Fortunately he managed to work out most of his frustrations, the long period of time spent working and studying the game served as a good release. It was also an exhausting end to an exhausting day, causing him to retreat to the Inn for a rest. He was still wearing his new set of armor, a long shot from the shabby clothes he started with. At least he could take comfort in that upgrade.

Entering the Inn perfectly illustrated the change that had occurred in the community. Once a bustling hub was now dark and quiet, only a few people gathered talking in somber tones. He lowered his gaze, slowly making his way to the stairs so as not to disturb the other players. At least that was the plan.

A voice caught his attention, one that sounded like a distraught woman unable to do anything but curse her situation. Head turned slightly to see the source, a young lady sitting by herself. It didn't take long for Farms to come to his decision, taking a deep breath before turning and making is way toward her.

A leather and copper clad hand moved to gently rest on the woman's shoulder as he spoke in a hushed tone. "Mind if I sit here?" He didn't wait for her to respond, instead continuing forward and setting himself down on the other side of the table. In all honesty he had absolutely no idea what he was doing here. He had never had to comfort someone in a situation like this before. "Did you...lose someone?" Sitting sad and alone at a time like this...He could only hope he was wrong.

He couldn't help but breathe a soft sigh of relief upon hearing she had yet to lose anyone. If that were the case he would have really been speechless. But what followed rung all too true, brows pinching together as she spoke. Almost losing to a weak monster?Honestly that sounded like something that would've happened to him if he tried that pig quest he encountered earlier. Expression softened as he gave her a smile nodding slowly before he spoke. "At least you're not alone there. I'm in that same boat. In fact, this is the first video game I've ever played." He shrugged, armor plates clinking together as he moved to rest his arms on the table.

"And you don't need to apologize. We all have a right to be angry here. As long as we don't take it out on each other, we've got a chance." One of his biggest fears was that the players would start to turn on each other. If they would start to kill other players for their money or equipment in an attempt to give themselves a better chance. At that point there really wouldn't be much hope left. 

His heart sank a little as the conversation came to a brief pause, noticing the trails of tears still on her cheeks. If he was back home he would have pulled out his handkerchief and let her use that. But like everything else, that was left in the the real world. The end to the pause came as a surprise, causing his eyes to immediately snap back to hers.

"Oh no I don't mind at all. Actually I go to the Tokyo University of Agriculture. Though I do have a few friends over there." He squinted at the woman for a moment, head tilting as he searched his own mind for the connection. "But I will say you do look familiar yourself. Maybe names will help." Hands moved to press against either side of his helmet, lifting it off and setting it down on the table. "Nakamoto Shoichi. Second Year. Ringing any bells?"

Eyes widened as the name left her lips. "Haru?" A wide smile suddenly took over his features, the name bringing back a number of good memories. Farms, or rather Shoichi, didn't have too many friends back home. For the most part he kept to himself, staying busy with his school work and fiddling around with his little projects. But Araki Haru was one of those few people who would call him a friend. "I know him well. Probably one of my best friends in Tokyo."

Araki was the one who would always be dragging him around, trying to introduce him to new people and expand his circle of friends. Shoichi always wished he could be as social and outgoing as him, but up until now it just didn't feel natural to him. The next name was less familiar, a copper plated hand moving to curl around his chin as he mulled the name over. "Kurosawa...Natsuki." He stared at her as she spoke, continuing to ponder the name as he examined her features. Eventually, it all came together.

"Yes! Yes I remember! Haru introduced us, right?" Hand returned to rest on the table as he stared at Natsuki in disbelief. Never did he think he would actually come across someone he knew from the real world. "Honestly I'm surprised you even remember me! Gosh, I never thought... So, how have you been?" Even when Haru dragged him around he never did much socializing in the group, usually keeping quiet and just smiling and occasionally laughing along with the group. But those moments felt like they were miles away, like they were part of another era. Still, that made them all the more cherished.

Farms looked slightly confused at the prospect of someone hitting on him. Though that wasn't enough to hide the faint tint of red that appeared on his face. "Really? I'm sorry I just...find that hard to believe." He never really saw himself as the kind of guy that women were attracted to. Maybe it was for the best that he was oblivious to her advances. If he knew what was going on he probably would have felt obligated to take her out on a date. "Don't worry, I'll keep that to myself." He let out a nervous laugh after he spoke, a copper plated hand moving to ruffle his own hair.

Fortunately the subject soon changed, giving him something less uncomfortable to focus on. He managed to push his nerves aside and give her the most reassuring smile he could. "Yeah, it's good to see a familiar face. We may be here a while, so reminders of the real world are a good thing to have. Helps keep things in perspective." He already found himself getting lost in this virtual world a few times, which was a disturbing thought given it's nature. It was something he would have to stay on guard about.

He nodded quickly, gesturing to open up his main menu. "Of course. If you need anything don't hesitate to message me. We're going to have to stick together." After a moment of fiddling with the menu the friend request was sent. He closed the menu immediately after, arms resting on the table as he leaned forward. "There's not a doubt in my mind that we'll both be taking these headsets off. All it will take is a bit of teamwork, right?"