Chronicles of a Novice: Sword Art Online

I: Link Start! (Hana)

This chapter is a bit boring and it wasn't re-written so it might be a bit... well... bad. Bear with me!
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I : Link Start!

November 6th, 2022; a Sunday. The day that Sword Art Online would officially launch had finally arrived and Hanako couldn't be more nervous. Sleeping was impossible, her mind seemed to concerned with running in circles about whether or not she should actually test out the Virtual Reality MMORPG with her brother or opt out like she usually did when it came to his games.

Sword Art Online was the first of its kind though, so the thought of virtual gaming was something that would revolutionize the world. She was curious as to what it would be like because, unlike her brother, she had never done anything like SAO before. Daichi, on the other hand, had been part of the lucky 1000 beta testers picked for the trial run in August. He had offered to show her around once they submerged, telling her that he would walk her through everything until she felt comfortable on her own. Hanako just wished it was that simple.

Glaring at the wall of their kitchen, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought, Hanako debated just how she wanted to go about this new challenge. She glanced at the clock, 12:06. The launch was at 1 o'clock that afternoon. That gave her a little under an hour to decide if she was really going to go through with her brother's request. The closing deadline gripping her stomach caused her to fidget nervously in her chair. She felt it wouldn't be enough time even if she was given a thorough understanding of what MMOs were and how she was going to fit into them among people who had probably been running around a server since they were years younger then her. Worrying about it would do nothing for her though, except maybe drive her crazy.

Looking around the room she studied the rest of her family. Akira, her oldest brother, was bent over a stack of files that probably had something to do with his work. He was 23, fresh out of law school with a job as a low level job as some firm in the business district. Truth was, his job was just a lame excuse for his superiors to use him recklessly as a slave. He did everything they didn't want to waste their time doing themselves. Even if they were paid twice as much to do it, who would want to when there was some lacky to do it for them.

Next to him, snoring with his limbs spread awkwardly outward over the side of the couch, was Ren. Not much could be said about him. Despite the fact that he tended to sleep through most of his classes, he seemed to be doing quite well in school. Hanako couldn't really understand the reason he was so tired since he didn't do much during the day, but she supposed he had a rather busy nightlife. One she didn't care to know about now or any time in the future.

Tucked into the corner in a chair was Hanako's third brother, Taro, the second oldest of the group. He was flipping through the channels in search of a good news show. He was a business man and was rarely ever home except for the odd occasion that they had a family dinner. Usually he was at his own house with his wife and daughter. He was a good father, better then most, even if he had to work long hours.

Last was Daichi, who was rubbing down his NRV helmet as if it were some sort of trophy. Hanako was sure he wouldn't stop polishing it until it gleamed and reflected his face in the surface. Or until the time he could log onto SAO rolled around, whichever was first. Their parents had gone to the store; so with that, everyone in the family was accounted for.

It was rather ironic though. Even with all the people around her, not one seemed to notice her distress.

"Don't worry about me." she said to the others in the room as she pushed her chair back. "I'm just going to find a dark hole to climb into." No one even looked up at her. Taro seemed to manage a little wave of his hand and Ren snored louder but other than that her exiting the room was a very uneventful thing for them.