He supposed it had been put off long enough. The urge to play Grand Quest Online had been with Hideo since he set aside a copy from the first shipment, but it had been pushed aside for more important matters. No more though! Today, he’d finally delve into what was pretty much the most hyped game in a while and experience it for himself. The click of lock, a flick of a switch, and with soft steps Hideo ascended from the darkened shop to his home above the store. There would be no disappointed customers either, or at least hopefully. He’d been smart enough to update his blog and post a notice a few weeks in advance, notifying of possibly closures from this day forward. There had been some backlash from the customers, but he’d managed to ward off the worst of them with promises of still being open at least twice a week during this time.

Slipping his shoes off at the stairs, he stepped into the small upper floor he called home. Ignoring everything for now he made a beeline for the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Setting up the RGG took only a moment and before long he was laid out comfortably on his bed, slipping the headpiece on. With a, “Link start,” Hideo felt reality slip away as the Gear lulled him asleep. 
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Drowsiness didn’t accompany his “awakening” in the virtual world as this was hardly his first time using the RGG. He took a moment to take in the Character Creation room before getting to work. As usual, he ignored any sort of visual customization and went straight for the things that actually mattered. Figuring out what he actually wanted from his character took a while, but eventually after his final tap on the interface Hideo was satisfied. Again, he felt himself losing grip on this “reality” as character creation took place, his vision fading to black.

When he opened his eyes again, it was to a rich world that didn’t disappoint and Hideo instantly understood how people could forget it was just a game. There was a sense of fullness to the experience simply sitting on the plain had that other VRs lacked, something essential. While amazed at what the development team had managed to achieve, his mind as a gamer quickly assumed direct control. He had only managed to examine his character details before a voice broke the silence. While, thankfully, not long-winded, the mysterious voice was also rather vague and cliche if he had to be honest. He supposed that this would be the equivalent of the game’s tutorial, and with GQO’s system being apparently revolutionary, Hideo felt no urge to cluelessly dive in. Having accepted the quest, he figured introducing himself to the others also participating would be apt. Especially given how three others had already done so. [b]“Well I don’t recognize any of you, so Mushi’s fine.”[/b]