White Cloak & Black Coat

    The sounds of pen hitting paper can be heard within the confines of the bar like establishment. What would have been the real world equivalent of taking your laptop to a coffeeshop turns out to be writing a document at the tavern. Though instead of being quite calm and easy going it's still a bit on the loud side. Though as far as things go he appears not to mind the noise. The white cloaked enchanter's bespectacled vision almost completely focused on his current task, his tunnel vision make it apparent that whatever it was he was doing he was quite into it at the moment.

    Of course while he couldn't seem to take notice of his surroundings at the moment, the enchanter in question had apparently been garnering a few whispers here and there. The random guy in the corner who hadn't said anything for hours, and just kept writing document after document like some sort of machine. To anyone bothering to enter besides the whispers going on about him, it was pretty apparent to see who they might be talking about with how he stationed himself right at the corner of the main hallway. "MMmm..."

     Murmerings among murmerings can indeed be heard in the fine, if somewhat hectic, establishment. Word of a Black Swordsman back in town after knocking out multiple quests in succession was sliding into the air between customers, before those doors open up to reveal the newest arrival.

Dressed in a coat of midnight with black pants and two swords on his back, black eyes scan the room until his eyes fall upon the man dressed in white in the corner, the one working on the parchment, and begins to approach him. In passing of an empty table, he grabs an unused chair and drags it over with him until he twists it at the last moment to be facing Shiroe.

"Mind if I join you?" Shiroe may find the voice familiar if he's so focused on his paperwork that he doesn't visualize Kirito, but the tone is one of friendliness and familiarity.

    The sound of pen tip on parchment is truly all he heard for so long. The voices of others whispering had eventually all but gone mute. The hours had passed without much distraction till the sound of a voice reaches his ears. His hand stops writing as his eyes blink rapidly. His eyes can be seen shifting up from behind his glasses to spot the person who's decided to take the seat across from him. "...It really is you..."

    As he finally takes notice of the black swordsman, he relaxes his grip on the pen and slowly leans back into his chair. "Wow, this is a surprise..." Truth be told, while it wasn't unbelievable for Kirito to have ended up in the game during the apocalypse, he was just frankly more surprised that he had take the time to come say hi to him. There were plenty of people from the DTP who were considered asocial, but even Kirito had been something of an exception...He wasn't even technically a member, but the fact that he had cleared enough content he probably could have ended up one at a time if he had been more forthcoming with Kanami. "Feels like forever since I last saw you. I would have contacted you sooner ya know if you had accepted a friend request before this all happened." There's a bit of a reprimanding and teasing tone to his voice, but it fades away soon enough. "So...How you been holding up?"

     Kirito had taken that statement of surprise as a yes before he takes his seat across from Shiroe, his hands clasping together and resting on the table in front of him, black eyes locking onto Shiroe's own and giving an old friend a bit of a smile. "In the flesh." Kirito says in a friendly tone. Though he seems more than happy to wait out Shiroe's shock and awe.

Kirito's gloved hands remained clasped, not offering a hand in friendship or even lifting to adjust non-existant glasses. Instead his eyes remain firmly on Shiroe, even as he suggests that Shiroe would have contacted him sooner. Kirito does appear to be guilty at these words, removing a hand from the other to rub the back of his neck. "Sorry about that...it was just a bad time for me." he still hasn't said why he's so averted to the guild idea. "Though its something we can remedy now. I'm doing alright, just trying to level up as effectively and efficiently as possible...how about you, how are you holding up? Get in touch with the other DTP members?" he's surprisingly calm for realizing, along with everyone else, that he's trapped in the game.

    "People might think it's in bad taste if you say 'In the flesh,' ya know." It's another teasing remark though he imagines it'd probably be true as well. He ends up listening as Kirito ends up apologizing to him, and again the enchanter gives a bit of a smirk. "Nothing to apologize for. I imagine that it wasn't exactly a good time for anyone. Though out of all the people who I would be worried with leaving alone, you really weren't on that list." He was well aware of Kirito's standing as a solo-player and a notorious one at that. So concern for his well-being while present wouldn't have been as often.

    "Hmmm, well I guess farming levels is a bit easier as a solo player, that's for sure. As for the old members...At the moment Naotsugu and Balmung have partied up with me for the most part. Bear's also acting as the Guild leader for Grandeur, and supposedly there's a few others around but it's been problematic getting in touch with them. But they're all capable enough I'm sure wherever they are. Speaking of parties..." He knows it might be a sour topic but he feels the need to ask, like a parent that wants to make sure their son is okay. "Even if it's not a guild, have you been able to meet new people?"

     A light chuckle erupts from Kirito's lips, amusement staining his expressions. "I see what you might mean. Though...if our current states are reflected on our real-life appearance, it'd still technically be the same. After all, the only difference between the Real World and the Virtual is the amount of data in either." whether or not that is actually true, its an interesting point of view.

When Shiroe dismisses Kirito's apology favorably, he bows his head in gratitude. "I appreciate it. But...I wish I could tell you otherwise, but I'm still a bit of a solo player. While it would help make farming a little easier, it also comes with its cons: making myself a target for groups of players to bully, for example." granted, all of these 'bullies' were sent home disappointed and defeated.

Alas, Kirito seems pleased that Shiroe has come in contact with many of his old friends. "Naotsugu...I remember him vaguely. He's a tank, yes?" He asks, and of course, who could forget about the world-famous Balmung? But now comes the million dollar question: has Kirito met new people, or at least reconvened with old friends?

"Yes. Do you know the player Yuuki? I used to do raids with her in the SAO closed beta. She's a friend of mine. Otherwise, many people have been just old acquaintances and so forth. Though now, going it alone is no longer an option." he sighs a little bit, like he disdains the thought. "Though...speaking of our current predicament: do you have a plan to escape?"

    Shiroe waves off the comment, "It's fine, it's fine. Just figured I'd ask. At the very least you know the situation enough to know the pros and cons of working in groups. That's enough to hear of me. As for Naotsugu, yeah, he's the one who was always talking like he knew how to talk to woman." It was nice that Kirito seemed to remember most of the group, even if they weren't per se actual party members.

    Though when Kirito finally brings up one of his own friends, there's actual a bit of a surprised look on his face, "Wait...Yuuki? You don't mean the one from guild Sleeping Knights do you?" There's a legitimate amount of surprise on his face when he hears that. "Mmm, for some who's been going solo that's a pretty interesting friend you've made."

    When he asks that final question though, it's Shiroe's turn to let out a sigh. "It's not so easy. We have so little information about our circumstances there's no way we could attempt to get out as is. To be honest while, while the Scale Emblem Alliance is already prepping to fight the first floor boss soon, realistically...I don't see us escaping for a large period of time. If all it takes is to clear the floors of aincrad, and we just tried to speed run everything we could maybe...Maybe finish in a six months...If everything worked out." There's a pause for a moment, as if he doesn't even believe the statement himself.

    "Though we don't even know if Floor 10 even got debugged or not. For the time being the priority should be trying to accomodate Eldertale to be as inhabitable as possible for us and make sure that we can leave here for an extended period of time if we need to. Though that means finding ways to significantly increase the quality of life. If we can't..." They'd have way more issues that trying to escape...

Kirito smirks. "True, true. Either way, we'd walk in circles around each other if we talked personal tactics and playstyles and I'd rather not distract you from your writings for that long." he states almost definitely and with a sense of finality, though he does seem to smile at the mention of Naotsugu. "I recall. He tried to regale to me his strategy for picking up strong women for nearly five minutes."

Apparently its a fond memory. But, as Shiroe questions if its the same Yuuki he thinks it is, to which Kirito nods. "The very same. We duelled recently, and I only narrowly lost. However, I intend to make due on a rematch with her. We traveled together awhile, but once Sword Art Online went belly up, our time came to a close." he looks amused though. "Doesn't mean I don't quest with a friend from time to time...its just guilds that I have an aversion to." there's a bad experience there, probably.

or just an emotional scar.

All the same, Kirito seems to nod. "Truth be told, I would rather start off somewhere than nowhere. Even if one guild begins the battle, it will invite others to help end it. Even in most quest systems, the database for the questline seems to have changed. Monster behaviors are different. Some more aggressive, some more passive...there are now an infinite number of ways to complete the same quest. If that is the case, I would bet that floor ten has been debugged and is possible to surpass."

Its a big theory, but not as big a longshot as one might suspect. "and if we are stuck here, I would rather we say to ourselves that we gave it our absolute best shot possible before we give up, and even then, I'd still like to try and conquer the tower thats eluded us for so very long. But I agree. Elder Tale is our home for the moment, whether we like it or not. We should try and make ourselves comfortable....it'll be a long road until we reach the 100th floor."

    As Kirito talks about his aversion to guilds, Shiroe holds up a hand to stop him. His eyes tell him to say no more on the matter. "I get it. Honestly. Don't force yourself to change on that if you don't think you can't either. Anyway...as far as Miss Zekken goes, I don't know about Yuuki's skills as a guild master but if she's able to beat you in a one v. one, I'm impressed."

    He starts organizing his papers a bit as Kirito also starts talking about the mention of the quests. "It's not just the monster behaviors. Before, quests and missions...They were just tasks to help level up. No major intricacies beyond knowing the same routes and paths a monster took and making sure you dealt enough dps to it. But things are clearly different than that now, and the People of the Land are a prime example of it. Though it begs the question just how far these changes really go. That's something I think we'll need to investigate in just as much as the tower itself."

    At least that's how Shiroe perceived it at the moment. "Anyway, I wish I could give you more information but like I said, there's just to little information about all of this. We're at a point right now where it's not even we don't know what's going on, we don't even know the proper questions to be asking to get us on the right path." Another sigh escapes his lips. "Either way, it's just as you said. We're in it for the long haul now...So this time, I'm not letting you make excuses for not adding me to your friend's list." With that he opens up his menu throwing an invite Kirito's way.

Kirito watches Shiroe lift his hand up and settle the conversation on guilds, before moving onto Yuuki, or Zekken as she is popularized and mentions her impressive ability. "It was intense, and I can tell by her movements that she's pretty much built to be entirely a duellist. Not to mention, her speed stat is insane. But, all the same, I think you two would get along, if you can manage her desire to fight everything that moves."

He listens carefully as Shiroe elaborates on what has further changed as opposed to what was before, and he nods lightly. "Much has changed indeed, but I'd be willing to bet a memory on it." he tells Shiroe. But, he actually ends up laughing when Shiroe reminds him that Kirito does not have a choice when it comes to the friend request. In acknowledgement of this, Kirito notices the menu option that now appears in front of him: 'Shiroe has sent you a friend request'.

Without hesitation, Kirito clicks on the option that says 'accept', thus listing himself on Shiroe's list and vice versa. "There. In this way, we can also be alerted if one of us is in trouble or is in need. Its nice working with you again and I'm definitely looking forward to it." he says with a light nod.

"But...now comes the time to collect information. If we're tackling the first floor, we should take care of the minions and get a view of the boss as soon as we enter the boss room. We can have a player perform a scan of the monster, then immediately leave the room to avoid the fight. That way we can tackle the boss and be prepared while minimalizing our losses by knowing the battlefield."

    As Kirito accepts the request a sincere smile shows on Shiroe's face. "Hmm...Hey Kirito, just curious but how many people /do/ you have on your friends list?" It's a bit of an odd question, "I ask cause someone told me a rather interesting number and I want to see what yours is in comparison..." He actually does seem curious of the answer though he doesn't push it if he chooses to opt out of it. "As for Miss Sleeping Knight, I doubt I fall under the category of someone she'd wanna fight. But if she's able to make a friend of you I'm sure she's a good person."

    The stuff about the friend request gets an obvious headnod. "I've said more than a few times now that people should try to reach out as many people as possible more than ever. We don't have the leisure not to have our information nets as wide as possible. That said, now that you're on my friends list I may ask you for a favor every now and then." Though things start to shift in demeanor when Kirito brings up another topic..."Hooooo?"

    A sinister smile accrues on the face of the bespectacled enchanted. The sheen of his glasses shield his eyes from view. It almost feels like an aura of danger begins to seep out from his person that even some of the people near by start to move a table down as he pushes those glasses of his up. "Kirito, it almost sounds like you think I've forgotten how to prep for a Floor Boss. But you wouldn't disrespect me like that...Would you~?" It's a chilling sensation but as soon as it comes, it vanishes as he clears his throat, "Anyway, that's probably the strategy that'll end up being used. But it's not really my final say on the matter either. The one's currently leading the Tower raid are those in Scale Emblem Alliance. If that's the case I'd assume that the ones that'll have decide the scouting strategy with be the Knights of Blood and D.D.D., and if that's the case Misa Takayama will probably be in charge of the decisions on the frontlines. But now more than ever it'll probably be just as important as the actual fight to make sure we can scout properly. After all, with the update there's so many changes there's not even a guarantee that the floor bosses will be the same or even have the same attack patterns."

    He finds himself scratching the back of his head. "Seriously, it'll be a hassle beyond a doubt. So you better be sure to arrive when they announce the date for it. We'll want as many veteran players as we can not just for the experience but to keep an eye on the new players as well. Some really do wanna help climb the tower but don't have a lick of actual experience with these sort of raids. You might have to end up teaching them a thing or two."

Kirito seems to chuckle a moment. "Not a whole lot, really. Maybe four people?" He's really not kidding when he says he plays alone. "I uh, never really was good at making friends." he tells Shiroe. "So you probably have significantly more friends than I do. Though why do I have a sneaky suspicion that I just helped you win a bet?" he chuckles a little bit. Though Kirito senses that shift in topic. While others probably start clearing the area or start getting distance from Kirito and Shiroe...

Even the former gets at least a tad bit nervous. "Only if I was attempting to be funny -- which I was. You never how know panic or nervousness might affect cognitive process." Kirito is mostly fearless, but even Shiroe has that aura that Kirito just doesn't want to fight -- even if he would if he had no choice. Lets just say Kirito appreciates being on the same team as Shiroe.

"I would certainly hope so. I remember the Knights of the Blood....they're a passionate sort." he seems to hum a moment when told that he'll probably have to babysit some of the fresher players to make sure they don't get massacred.

"I'm fully prepared to take on that kind of responsibility. I'm more concerned about things like trap rooms or status effects we're not prepared for. I'll show them a ropes, maybe even meet a few players who don't intend to climb Tower Aincrad and try to change their minds."

    Shiroe ends up just staring at him for a moment before pushing up his glasses. "Actually...The other person I know still beats you out. He only has three on his list..." The look on his face makes it clear that he's not joking, and he's just as surprised about the comparison than anything. There's not even a tint of laughter to it at first. Though eventually a slow but certain smirk shows on his face since it actually is just a /little/ funny. "Heh, well you're both pretty close though."

    As for the joke part, he'll just leave that to a 'Sure ya did,' and move on from that. He finally starts putting his papers away though seeming to have had a good fill of laughter. "Ah...I needed that more than I thought, and yeah, I'm sure as far as qualifications go they're probably more than enough to help handle the Tower clearing. As for trap rooms and all that, that'll be up to scouts and field monitors to handle. So I wouldn't stress it out till then. That said...It was good seeing you again Kirito. While everything's so crazy I can imagine if there's one good thing I can see coming out of this is that I'll be seeing more of you as time continues."

     Kirito's turn to look really surprised. "Wait, seriously? Somebody is more of a loner than -me-?" Kirito asks curiously, as if this is most certainly a blow to his pride as THE asocial player, but this is surely done in jest. All the same, Kirito eventually just starts chuckling. "Oh well. I couldn't be by myself forever. I have a hardline limit as a solo player. In a group, you are limitless."

Or so he likes to believe.

All the same, Kirito starts to rise out of his seat as it appears their reunion is drawing to a close. "Agreed...part of me wants to scout with them. They might miss something." leave it to a perfectionist...but, the people on this game tend to be very talented, even if they are newbies. But, all the same, the compliment seems to warm Kirito's heart a bit.

"Likewise, Shiroe." he offers a fist bump to the Archmage. "Till we meet again."