[center][h1][colour=Crimson]Keiko Inata[/colour][/h1][/center]

Rain splashed against the window of the kitchen in which Keiko took residence. It was a small apartment, a kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom, perfect for her to live on her own. Across the room, on a chair at the kitchen table, was Keiko; tapping away at the air with both hands, almost like an imaginative child in the midst of a game. However, she was instead writing messages - two to be precise - with two separate keyboards assigned to one message tab. One, to be sent to an old friend from a couple years back, and the other, a more recent acquaintance. As she wrote, a small window appeared to her left; a message, from a trusted member of Synergy.
[i]"King, another one. Should we deal with them now or let you handle them."[/i] it read. Keiko reached over and tapped the message, enlarging it and creating another keyboard.
[colour=Crimson][b]"You can deal with them. I have other things to attend to."[/b][/colour] she replied, sending the message and closing the window. Then she returned to her messages to her friends and reread them both aloud.

[b]"Been a while, Shizuka. There was something I wanted you to see, so I'm sending you an invite. There is a Virtual World I've been developing, and I was wondering if you could check it out. You might not be the only one there."[/b]

And then the other.

[b]"Hey, Yoshiki. I know you were looking for a new game to play, so I'm inviting you to try out a new game idea I've been trying out. Try your best, since I know you can't resist, because there might be someone else there ^_^."[/b]

They were good for getting them the message, at least it would give them an idea. Hopefully they wouldn't ask to many questions and would just join it, which would make it easier. On either side of the messages were files, and she over to them both and dragged them to the message, creating a small tab at the bottom of the message that would connect them to the world. [i]All that's left is to wait[/i] she thought as she tapped the send button on both and proceeded to reach for her glass. She finished the glass and stood to head to the bathroom.


[center][@Akayaofthemoon][/center]
[hr]

[center][h2][colour=SlateGray]Yoshiki Kiabara[/colour][/h2][/center]

Yoshiki stood from the sofa of his house and closed the video window in front of him. He had just finished watching a documentary of sorts about the SAO incident from 2022 and the years following it. He'd always been interested in game history and things related to it, so his video archive on the Neuro-Linker was filled with things of the sort. Old world games, the 21st century, The Nerve Gear and BIC, the first generation, etcetera. It was why RPG type games were so appealing to him, and the same with puzzle and strategy and fighting. His sister, Mayuri, sat on the other side of the sofa, supposedly watching something as well. Whatever it was, she seemed pretty engrossed, as she didn't notice him standing.

He walked over to the kitchen, just a little ways from the lounge, and pulled a glass from a nearby cupboard. Then he grabbed a bottle from the side and unscrewed the top, pouring the black liquid into the glass and watching it fizz. The sound of his parents talking and the oven were all but drowned out in his hearing by the constant downpour of rain from outside. There were only a couple days left before school started again, and so far the final days had been boring and miserable. Yoshiki lifted the glass to his mouth and took a drink, before a message appeared at the side of his vision, from Keiko. It wasn't normal for her to message him, so the occasion must have been special in some way. He placed the glass back down and opened the message, saying it quietly under his breath as he read. It was short, but it definitely piqued his interest. A new game to test out? She really did know him well.
[colour=SlateGray][b]"Yeah sure, I'll check it out."[/b][/colour] he replied before putting the tab to the side.
[b]"Hey, I'm gonna head to my room for a bit. I've got something to do, so message me if you need me urgently."[/b] he said to his family as he walked off and into his room, locking the door behind him with the Neuro-Linker. Then he sat down and connected to the invitation world.
[b]"Open direct link."[/b]