[center][h1]Desmond Anderson[/h1][/center]

The announcement of Talrae had excited Desmond like nothing has before and inspired a whole new set of fantasy drawings, including many about what his character would like. His art was just starting to gain recognition and fame in the months leading up to Talrae's release. Between college classes and his art, Desmond had barely enough time to eat and sleep all the while dreaming of the day he would finally jump into a virtual world where he could leave all his troubles behind. All he could think about was escape. A place where for a few hours a day he could pretend that he didn't have an alcoholic, abusive father, that he wasn't an emotional and mental mess, and that he wasn't as pathetic as he thought...a chance to be a hero.

He was at home on break when the dive gear went on sale but had completely forgotten despite multiple reminders on his phone. A studio had recently contacted him about ordering a commission from him for artwork in an up-an-coming animated short film and he enthusiastically accepted. He had barely finished and submitted his work when his mother dropped a box onto his desk. His head was flat against the wood finish of his desk when she did so, making him jumped with a startled scream. In his tired state, he lazily looked over the label and suddenly his half-open eyes burst wide. Quickly he hugged his mother, his own hero, before hurrying to set up the dive gear. He didn't want all the release-day events to go off without him. After getting comfortable on his bed, he put on the wave gear feeling a tingling sensation throughout his body "[color=8882be]A whole new world here I come..[/color]" he spoke quietly as the system activated.

[center][pre]
Wave Gear system log in
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He spent a some time meticulously designing his character using all of his knowledge to design the perfect anti-hero archetype, with spiky black hair, red eyes, and a persistent look of indifference on his features. While all the classes seemed promising, He really wanted to be the archer in the shadows.

[center][pre]
Welcome to Talrae. 
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Seeing those words among the flashes of bright colors did not prepare him for the awe that he would see once properly in the game. If he didn't know better, he would have no idea that this world was virtual in anyway. The first steps he took was towards a small fountain to see the reflection of the character he created. A small smile crept across his lips seeing those red eyes stare back at him. This was not just some dream.The Desmond of the real world was left behind leaving only Reylan to explore this magical land.

He took a few moments to just soak in all that was Talrae, a world without the troubles of the real one, before making his way through to town to gather supplies. "[color=8882be]How much for arrows[/color]?!?" The price was a little expensive for newbies but surely he would be making money soon enough. None of his friends it seemed were able to get a wave gear in time so he was going to be alone for awhile it seemed. It didn't bother him in the least, he was used to solo games anyway...at least what he told himself.

The objective of the game wasn't what mattered to him. He could play this game all his life it seemed at the time and living in this world was enough for him. He traveled to the outskirts of central hub, getting familiar with the menu and its uses, when he encountered his first monster. While being just level one, he smirked in unusual confidence and aimed his bow notching a arrow firmly in place. It was going to be his first taste of battle and hopefully victory until he felt extreme unease slide through his skin. Within moments and a flash of light, he found himself in the center of Genesis City looking just as confused as everyone else still wielding his bow. He hadn't even bothered to put it away when Malgoth ripped through the sky and all he could feel was danger.
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While his entrance was nothing short of spectacular, his anxiety built up to a suffocating level as the demonic figure began to speak and was met with the positive cheers of all the players, yet Reylan remained still his chest beginning to tighten. The words rang through his mind "[b]Or die trying.[/b]" and all he seemed able to do was stare blankly at the sky, the chilling tone of his voice enough to freeze him in place. The virtual world suddenly got a lot more real as the girl exploded into pixelated fragments and disappeared. Fear was not what he felt upon seeing the girl perish but loss and anger, she hadn't even been given a chance. Reylan wanted to shoot Malgoth right then and he raised his bow up in rashness before his arm trembled and lowered. This game might be twisted but it had rules and mechanics. He would be doing nothing more than tossing a pebble into the ocean.

He hadn't even realized in his frustration that his well-sculpted avatar was no more and was replaced with his true identity. His body hadn't changed that much, a fact he owed much to those years of soccer as a striker, but that meant he could no longer hide as well. After Malgoth he found his expression returning to the standard, stoic one he had in the real world and his hand tightly grip the handle of his bow. Innocent people hoping for a chance of happiness and fun in a different world were going to die and suffer. He looked around to all the scared, the crying, and stunned people and suddenly the issues he faced became just a bit smaller. There was no point in standing here waiting for something to happen. Bolstering what courage he had, he set forth from the city square towards location B since its where others would head as well. He kept telling himself that no one would know him hear but that still didn't calm his nerves about talking to someone, he would always freeze up before introducing himself.

After a little bit he wandered into the nearby inn, feeling defeated in himself that he couldn't even approach a single person to ask them to be in a party. An archer like himself needed someone who keep the mobs away so he could do damage without getting killed...that had a different meaning now. It was only after looking around that he spotted a girl sitting to herself looking lost in her own thoughts. Reylan felt his nature kicking in despite the tight feeling in his chest, she looked like she needed help. Slowly he stepped over in her direction, the thought of turning around constantly pecking at him "[color=8882be]H-Hey how are you doing?[/color]" he spoke a little quick as he tended to do even forgetting to say his own name. Outwardly he would appear calm thanks to years of practice but it was simply because the realization hadn't truly hit him yet.

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