[hider=Nightblade]
[b]Real Name (Optional):[/b] Alex Taylor

[b]Character Name:[/b] Nightblade

[b]Age:[/b] 19

[b]Gender:[/b] Female

[b]Appearance:[/b]
[img=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f1/ae/f0/f1aef0c11318018d1a335c0ed275db26.jpg]

Naturally brunette with dyed blue hair, Alex stands around five foot, six inches and weighs about 110 lbs. Outside of the game, she was lithe and this actually aided her in-game, allowing her to dodge attacks that would normally kill her.

[b]Beta-Tester?:[/b] Yes

[b]Personality:[/b]
Alex is one of the few people who's personalities in SAO are exactly the same outside the game. Mostly, she's quiet and sticks to herself, taking on the dangerous role of soloing the game and attempting to finish before her party-counterparts can catch up. Just like in the game, she's cold and calculating with little desire to press someone for personal details. Efficiency is what she rates conversations by, and that works for her. It's not that she dislikes talking to others, she does think a certain level of social interaction is necessary to retain sanity, but she just never finds any point in engaging in meaningful conversation with another being.

Within SAO, her cold nature has been weaponised and generally, she's not the type of person you want on your bad-side. Although she's no where near the level of others who would prefer to follow a life of crime in the game, she isn't exactly an angel who you would rush to for aid in a quest or whatnot. For her, the sins she commits are necessary to ensure that people get out of the game. She knows if she ever gets out, she'll be judged by just how harshly she dealt with those who would seek to kill others in the game, but she also knows that her role is a key one. The Grey are efficient but their prison-system doesn't inspire much fear in the criminal underworld. A rogue figure who punishes the guilty, represents fear for those who kill and makes sure that other killers keep living in fear seems to be much more effective.

Some would question how she can kill so easily and the simple answer is that she doesn't feel [i]anything[/i] when she kills someone. It can sometimes be terrifying, a very lack of emotions when you should be your most emotional, but she gets through it alright. After a while, killing becomes as natural as riding a bike, only more bloody.

[b]Brief Real Life Background:[/b]
Alex's story isn't tragic, nor is it in anyway spellbinding. She was just a girl, with three older brothers, who grew up being the centre of attention but lacking any desire to be anywhere remotely close to that centre. She was shy but not in an awkward way were you can see she wants someone; no, Alex was the curious child who preferred to sit and play in the corner which would preferably be devoid of other people. Her family loved her though, despite her shortcomings and regularly they would spoil her (they were quite rich). Gaming was the life she grew up with because by the very nature of it, it offered somewhere where she didn't have to deal with pesky complex beings. No, all she had to deal with were AI who were predictable, which was precisely what she wanted.

Why she even approached Sword Art Online to be a beta-tester, she still ponders, but once she got into the game and began using Nervegear, everything changed. In SAO, she could be whoever she wanted to be, she could live her life in the real world then log on and lead a completely different life that pitted her against monsters and relied on her ability to succeed. When the game launched, she wasn't quick enough to snatch a copy and by then, she was left desiring for more adventure. The only other option was, of course, to pirate a copy and get into the game.

[/b]Game Background:[/b]
When it first emerged that they were stuck in the game, she was [i]nearly[/i] as distraught as all the other players. The very real possibility of death scared her, even if she was hesitant to admit that. She desired to have a life in the real word, to get a job and make a load of money. She did not intend to die in a game and that was her mentality from the first day. Being a beta-tester, she went on ahead and used her knowledge to get some better gear quickly. Alex knew that it wouldn't be too long until pure panic set in and people began attacking each other. She was right, of course, it was barely even a few days before the killings began and they've never really stopped.

After a few months, she discovered herself to have a bloodlust that demanded to be sated. She wasn't a bad person so she initially felt disgusted even at the thought of permanently ending someone's life. Instead, she turned this new feeling towards the criminal scum of SAO. Her first player-kill was on a guy who hung around the eight level, waiting for weak players with crafting specialisations to wander out into the field before he subsequently murdered them, possibly even making their last few moments a brutal time indeed. The feeling of having someone die by your blade is quite indescribable. First, it was disgust, then it quickly changed to a contempt approval. It was probably there that started the whole mess with The Grey.

[b]3 Main Skills:[/b]
- Katana (Upgraded version of the One-handed Curve Blade skill)
- Sprint
- Acrobatics

[b]Special Skill?:[/b]
[u]Fall from Grace:[/u]
For a short period of time, Alex gains a large jump-boost that allows her to leap high above a target if she can use her surrounding environment appropriately. If she chooses to, she can concentrate the energy of her fall into her blade, doing a high amount of damage.

[b]Other Skills:[/b]
- Parry
- Sewing
- Cloth Equipment

[b]Current Weapon:[/b]
[u]Phantom's Edge:[/u]
[img=http://www.nihonzashi.com/tonbo/SH2469.jpg]

[b]Current Armour:[/b]
[u]Tainted Rose:[/u]
The above picture, without the tie. If she's out hunting, she'll typically cover her face and wear a cloak to hide her identity.

[b]Play Style (Optional):[/b]
Alex is a quick, high burst-damage character that is fairly weak. Her attacks aren't typically sustained and would only occur on a Boss when another person has its attention.

I love your milkshakes, they bring a fair majority of the boys to the yard!
[/hider]