Tiffany/Synopsis

## Biography

### Background

Not much is known about his history, or what his real name is, but what we do know is he was an American who moved to Japan. Once there, he opened a bar called the "Dicey Cafe" in Okachimachi, located in Tokyo's Taito ward, at the age of twenty-five.

But, due to it being located in a complicated alleyway, he did not receive many customers. This resulted in him being so strapped for cash that he couldn't afford to buy water as an option to sell at his bar. Also, the alley was also so complex that his commute to his job required him to climb the window of a lady named Chiyo, who he later befriended.

At some point he bought a Jukebox which he named "Mr. Worldwide", but he couldn't afford to put actual songs on it, so instead he filled it with instrumental covers of popular songs he found on YouTube.

### Aincrad Arc

#### Pre-Episode 2

On November 6, 2022, having saved up enough money, he bought a NerveGear and a copy of Sword Art Online, a VRMMO set in a multifloored castle in the sky called Aincrad. He logged into SAO, naming his avatar "Tiffany", and was trapped in the game along with 10,000 other players. It can be presumed that his avatar was female before it was changed into his real appearance.

#### Episode 2

On December 2, 2022, Tiffany was in the town of Tolbana on Floor 1 and attended a strategy meeting, led by a player named Diabel. When a player named Kibaou started chastising the beta testers for not helping the other players, Tiffany emerges from the crowd and introduces himself. With Kibaou both intimidated and confused by his surprisingly feminine name, Tiffany points out to the other players that the beta testers have been helping them all along, as every player was given a guidebook with tips and strategies on how to survive the game when they logged in, which was written by the beta testers. However, Tiffany is shocked to learn that none of the players have read the book, mostly out of laziness. Having learned this, Tiffany gives up on trying to help the other players.

With Kibaou silenced, and Tiffany defeated, Diabel brings out the guidebook Tiffany mentioned, stating that, not only does the book contain tips on how to survive the game, but it also has advice on how to defeat the first Floor Boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord. Diabel then reads the passage on the Boss, which says that Illfang will switch his weapon from an axe and buckler to a talwar once his health bar turns red. However, Diabel stops reading when he realizes that the guide is full of non-helpful info, which involves sacrificing annoying players, with one category fitting Kibaou, and culminates in a joke about the Final Solution. With the guide no longer of any use, Diabel decides to form his own battle strategy for the assault team, but when he fails to do so, he asks the players for suggestions. Two players then suggest that they "group up and hit it 'til it dies", which Diabel reluctantly accepts, due to not having any better ideas. After everyone groups up, Diabel tells the assault team to get plenty of rest, as they will be leaving at noon. However, after hearing complaints from most of the players, he begrudgingly delays it to 2:30pm.

The next day, after walking up the stairs to the Boss Room for five hours, most of the assault team are exhausted from the trip, as SAO bases a player's stamina on their real-life athletic abilities. Annoyed, Diabel jokingly tells the assault team to take an extra hour to regain their stamina, only to become even more annoyed when they actually take an hour.

Once they finally enter the Boss Room, the assault team is greeted by Illfang and three Sentinels. As Diabel tries to lead the charge, most of the assault team ignores the plan and starts aimlessly attacking Illfang, with one player yelling, "EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!!!" Diabel tries to regain control of the situation by barking orders to each Squad, but none of them listen to a single order, with one Squad stopping in the middle the fight to play Bejeweled.

Eventually, all the Sentinels are defeated and Illfang's health goes into the red. As Illfang goes to switch weapons, Diabel decides to land the finishing blow himself, believing the other players are not skilled enough to do it. However, Illfang pulls out a nodachi instead of a talwar, and strikes Diabel down with a combo, who was unprepared for the nodachi's longer reach and harsher damage. Though Diabel initially survived the attack, he eventually dies from his wounds.

Luckily, two players named Kirito and Asuna team up and defeat Illfang, with Kirito dealing the final blow. As he catches his breath, Tiffany walks up to Kirito and congratulates him on his victory, calling it a feat more impressive than the cat that learned how to play the game. Tiffany then declares that he and the other players will follow Kirito to hell itself, telling him to "address [his] people". However, despite the players cheering him on, Kirito decides to leave his position as leader of the assault team. Kirito then arrogantly proclaims that he could've defeated Illfang himself, calling the other players incompetent teammates whose only value was absorbing damage from the Boss, despite Tiffany pleading him to stop. Kibaou tries to cut Kirito down a peg by claiming he's not better than the rest of them, but Kirito disproves him donning on his newly acquired Coat of Midnight, signifying his status as a solo player, before leaving the Boss Room.

#### Post-Episode 2

After the first Floor was cleared, Tiffany gradually came around to Kirito's way of thinking about the other players, and the two became friends. Eventually, Tiffany established a merchant shop in the Floor 50 city of Algade, which became infamous for selling overpriced, poor-quality items. Tiffany would then spend most of his time leveling up his merchant related Skills and would only occasionally leave his shop to participate in quests and raids with the assault team.

During this time, he kept running into Asuna, who had become the Vice-Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, the strongest Guild in the game. This led to a very uncomfortable and racially tense relationship between the two, as Asuna refused to stop talking to Tiffany in a gangster slang, in a misguided attempt to befriend him.

#### Episode 5

On March 6, 2024, the assault team are in Pani on Floor 56, discussing the raid of Sheeptar the Sheep King, which has already killed seven of the players. Tiffany attended the strategy meeting, but didn't participate in the discussion. Asuna comes up with a plan to get close enough to aggro the Boss and have their archers lead him to the nearest village, where he'll be too distracted killing the NPCs to notice their attack. Kirito disagrees with this plan, however, since some of his best friends have been NPCs, a fact that did not surprise Asuna. Before he can argue any further, Kirito hears the voice of Gary, the NPC that caused the deaths of his previous Guild. Seeking vengeance, Kirito brutally murders Gary as the other players watch in horror, except for Asuna. This results in the assault team changing the plan.

On April 11, 2024, Kirito arrives at Tiffany's Shop. At first, Tiffany is glad to see Kirito, teasingly calling him his "least favorite customer" for not buying his merchandise, but is shocked to see Asuna come through the door. He then pulls Kirito over the counter and starts yelling at him for bringing Asuna to his shop, questioning their friendship in the process. Kirito doesn't understand what the problem is at first, but things become clear when Asuna starts talking to Tiffany in gangster slang as usual, which makes Kirito cry tears of joy. After some mildly racist banter, Kirito and Asuna give Tiffany a sword that was used in an apparent murder that happened in a Safe Zone, asking him to appraise it to look at its stats, which he does, overhyping his abilities in the process. He tells the two that the sword is called Guilty Thorn, a player-made weapon made by a man named Grimlock, but finds nothing special that would make players die in Safe Zones. To see if the power is real, Kirito tries to stab himself, but is stopped by Asuna, making Kirito see how stupid that idea was. Believing the sword to be too dangerous, Asuna gives it to Tiffany, who comments how giving the black man the murder weapon is a "tale as old as time".

#### Post-Episode 5

At some point, Tiffany became friends with a player named Klein, and the two of them went on a quest together on Floor 17, where they battled Chimeras so that Tiffany could get an an axe, which they succeeded.

One day, Tiffany met a girl named Lizbeth, who was one of Asuna's friends. She explained that Asuna burned down her shop in a fit of jealousy and no longer had a place to stay, after which she apparently moved in with Tiffany and the two seemed to bond over their mutual resentment towards Asuna.

#### Episode 8

On October 17, 2024, Kirito brings some Ragout Rabbit Meat, an S-Class Ingredient, to Tiffany's Shop. Tiffany is shocked to see the item and asks Kirito how he obtained such a rare ingredient. Unfortunately, Kirito tells him that he just threw a knife at the rabbit and it died, much to both Tiffany and Kirito's disappointment. Tiffany then asks Kirito why he would want to sell the ingredient instead of taking the opportunity to eat it. Kirito admits that he would love to eat it, but points out that he'd need to find someone who's maxed out their Cooking Skill to prepare the meal for him.

Luckily, and to Tiffany's horror, Asuna shows up with her bodyguard Kuradeel and informs Kirito that she has maxed out her Cooking Skill. Hearing this, Kirito initially makes a sarcastic comment about how this goes against feminism, but he quickly retracts his statement when she asks him to repeat himself. As Tiffany wonders if he needs to line his doors with salt to repel Asuna, Kirito shows her the Ragout Rabbit, much to her shock. Kirito then offers Asuna half of the meal if she agrees to cook it for him. Asuna then asks if Kirito's offer is a date, which Kirito scoffs at, pointing out her "boyfriend" is standing right behind her, a statement that disgusts Asuna. Kuradeel is offended by how repulsed Asuna was at the thought of dating him, something Kirito makes worse by stating that Kuradeel looks like Voldemort got caught in a grease fire.

Jokes aside, Asuna asks for some clarification as to whether the meal is a date or not. Kirito is surprised with Asuna's seriousness, thinking she was only joking, until Asuna grabs him by the collar and sternly invites him to her place at 6 o'clock, promising that it will be a "magical evening". Kirito says yes to the invitation, remarking that Asuna's request was more like a mugging, which Asuna celebrates, although she almost immediately tries to downplay her excitement. With the matter settled, Kirito apologizes to Tiffany, as he won't be selling him the meat after all. Tiffany then asks if Kirito will let him have some of the rabbit too, to which Kirito says they'll save him a plate, but he'll just need to come to Asuna's house to get it, something that's beyond Tiffany's abilities.

#### Episode 9

On October 19, 2024, Kirito is in Tiffany's shop where he finds out that one of the Aincrad Liberation Front Soldiers he rescued was livestreaming the entire event, becoming very frustrated and embarrassed that his rant has been immortalized. As Tiffany laughs at the video, Lizbeth enters the room with a box in her hands, reassuring Kirito that none of the players care about his adorable little freak out, as they're too busy being in awe with his ability to hold two swords at the same time. As Tiffany and Lizbeth laugh at Kirito's newfound fame, Kirito asks what in the box Lizbeth's carrying, asking if it's more junk to make her next masterpiece. Lizbeth tells Kirito that it's all she could salvage from the wreckage of her shop after Asuna burned it down. Just then, as if on cue, Asuna appears to tell Kirito that the leader of her Guild wants to see him. However, before she can say it, Lizbeth freaks out upon seeing Asuna again and jumps out of a window with Tiffany, leaving Kirito alone with Asuna.

#### Episode 11

On November 7, 2024, Tiffany was summoned to Floor 75 to participate in the raid against the Floor Boss. Tiffany eagerly accepted invite, as it saw it an excuse to use the axe he got on Floor 17. After he arrived at the Boss Room door, Heathcliff, the Commander of the KOB, attempts to deliver an encouraging speech to motivate the raiders, but his metaphors are sadly misunderstood by the less than smart players. Heathcliff then compares the situation to herding cats, prompting a player to ask if Fluffles, the cat player, was at the raid, which Heathcliff denies. He then explains that, after rounds of torture, gladiatorial combat, and Pictionary, oddly enough, he managed to negotiate a truce with the King of Ashes, the leader of a group of bandits that were blocking progress in the game. However, as he's saying this, the King himself is suddenly heard leading his army down the corridor, ordering them to kill the "intruders" for crossing him. Heathcliff is confused by this at first, but quickly realizes that Kirito did something that broke the truce. Kirito denies this, despite the fact the King sent him a message stating he would "FLAY YOUR FUCKING SOUL!!!" and the fact that the King is heard demanding Kirito's head. With the King's troops coming to kill them, Heathcliff decides that they're going to enter the Boss Room now. With the door opening, Klein and Tiffany psych themselves up, reminiscing about a quest the two of them went on together on Floor 17. Hearing this, Kirito asks why he doesn't remember the quest, to which Klein explains that they have lives outside of him, which Kirito doesn't believe.

With the door finally opened, Heathcliff leads the player into the Boss Room, but they become confused when the Boss is nowhere to be seen. After a few seconds of players believing the Boss was a metaphor, Klein notices a giant centipede made of bones hanging from the ceiling. Having finally been noticed, the Boss, known as the Skull Reaper, descends from the ceiling and kills two of the players in one hit. The players are shocked by this, and Tiffany asks himself why he put all his points into bartering. Heathcliff then tries to rally the players to fight, despite the fact that the players who died were the raiders' tanks, but is caught off guard when the Boss suddenly dies. Despite Heathcliff's confusion, the other players see this as a victory. However, they soon realize that the door to the next Floor is still closed, meaning they're trapped in the Boss Room. Kirito comments that this is typical of the game.

The players then fall into despair, with Tiffany pointing out that they can't even starve to death, which Klein agrees would've been a mercy, as now they'll just have to wait until they die in the real world. Heathcliff then tries to lighten the mood, stating that, even though they're going to die, at least they're going to die playing an awesome game. This comment causes the players to rant about the many faults of the game, with a player named Schmitt pointing out that their Teleport Crystals, one of their only lifelines, don't work half the time. Klein adds to this by pointing out that one of KOB tried using a Teleport Crystal to escape the room but ended up getting twisted into a Cronenbergian nightmare. Heathcliff gradually gets more and more annoyed by this, claiming that, while it has some "minor bugs", the game itself is groundbreaking technology, asking where the players' sense of wonder is. Kirito agrees with Heathcliff, saying that he loves the game despite its flaws. However, he also admits that the game is a mess, filled with terrible designs, stating that the only reason they all bought it was because it was the only launch title that made Tron a reality. This comment enrages Heathcliff the most, and he voices his frustration over how Kirito has suddenly seen Tron.

This comment causes Kirito to realize something, and he attacks Heathcliff, causing a protective wall to appear around him. Confused by this, Asuna asks Heathcliff what the wall is. Heathcliff tries to play it off as a lucky glitch, asking the players to subdue Kirito, but Asuna doesn't believe him, which Heathcliff accepts. Kirito gives Heathcliff the chance to come clean, but Heathcliff tells him to explain it, sarcastically stating that he doesn't want to ruin Kirito's "big moment". Asuna asks Kirito what they're talking about, to which Kirito explains that Heathcliff has been hiding a dark secret. He's Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of the game. However, the players don't know who that is, much to Kirito's annoyance. Kayaba then plays the Scanners clip he used on the first day of the death game, making them realize who he is. Relieved that he kept the clip tabbed, Kayaba asks Kirito what made him realize who he was, to which Kirito explains that Heathcliff was the only other person who referenced as many movies as Kirito himself. This makes Kayaba ecstatic, as it's the first time in years, possibly in his entire life, that anyone has understood him. Kayaba then tests Kirito's knowledge by rapid firing a series movie quotes, all of which Kirito gets correct, much to Kayaba's amazement and the shock of the other players.

Kayaba is then attacked by a member of the KOB, prompting him to paralyze all of the players except for Kirito, to prevent any similar acts of stupidity. Kayaba then rants about the players' stupidity, only for Kirito to start defending them, something Kayaba thought was uncharacteristic of him. While Kirito agrees that the players can be idiotic, using Schmitt as an example, much to his dismay, he points out that at least they were willing to put their lives on the line, which is better than what Kirito can say about Kayaba. He then proceeds to mock Kayaba until he asks Kirito what he wants, prompting Kirito to tell Kayaba that he would like a rematch to their previous fight. Irritated, Kayaba agrees to the fight, as stabbing Kirito in the chest sounds therapeutic, and asks for Kirito's terms. Kirito tells Kayaba that it'll be a fight to the death, one where Kayaba won't use any of his GM abilities, and if Kirito wins, Kayaba will end the death game and let everyone go free. Hearing this, Kayaba is a little shocked that Kirito wants to end things 25 Floors early, but Kirito provokes him by asking, "What's wrong, McFly? Chicken?". Delighted by Kirito quoting Back to the Future II, Kayaba agrees to the fight, believing that he'll defeat Kirito easily.

Asuna then questions why Kirito wants to leave SAO, as he loves being in the game, and asks why he would want to get out faster. Kirito admits that he does love it in the game, as he can be the person he's always wanted to be in it. However, he then confesses that, despite his best efforts, he's decided to not give up on humanity. This shocks Klein, as Kirito actually took his advice, and is overjoyed that he made a difference. Kirito then admits that, while the virtual world means more to him than the real one ever did, he feels like the longer that he stays there the greater the risk that he'll lose the people he loves. This makes Klein freak out even more, prompting Kirito to ask him not to ruin the moment, which Klein agrees to try. Kirito then voices his worry that Asuna will mock him for showing these emotions, but she supports him for making such a huge step. She then tries to get everyone to give Kirito a big round of applause, forgetting that she's paralyzed. Unable to move, Asuna explains that she's not being sarcastic, but Kirito understands, and appreciates the thought. To make up for this, Klein starts clapping with his teeth, which Kirito appreciates as well, despite being weirded out by it.

Asuna then tells Kirito to go fight Kayaba, which he does, although he puts her down in a potion that prevents her from seeing the fight in the process. Kirito then draws his swords but stops to talk to his friends. He asks Tiffany to let Lizbeth know he didn't name something "the Piece of Shit" if he doesn't make it. However, Tiffany doesn't understand this request, due to how vaguely Kirito worded it. Kirito then apologizes to Klein for not joining his Guild, stating that he's always regretted it, and admits it probably would have been fun. This causes Klein to devolve into a gibbering mess. Finally, Kirito turns to Kayaba and adds on more condition to their fight, asking him to make it so Asuna can't kill herself if he dies. Asuna's insulted by the insinuation that she'd kill herself over Kirito and tells him to suck a dick. However, Kirito corrects her, stating that's her job now. Though amused by his joke, Kirito realizes he's going to pay for it later.

Kirito then fights Kayaba, but his sword breaks during the battle, leaving him open to attack. However, just as Kayaba delivers the finishing, Asuna jumps in the way and seemingly dies. Kirito then tries to retaliate with Asuna's rapier, but his attacks are too weak and easily avoidable. Kayaba then disarms Kirito and stabs him in the chest. However, Kirito refuses to just die, and manages to stab Kayaba with Asuna's rapier, technically defeating him. The two players then die, prompting Kayaba to purge the game from the server and log the players out. Tiffany was then freed from SAO, along with all of the other players.

### Fairy Dance Arc

#### Pre-Episode 12

Having been freed, Tiffany returned to his job at the Dicey Cafe, where he spent his free time scrolling through message boards, learning about the new VRMMO ALfheim Online and its console the AmuSphere. He also kept in touch with Kirito, whose real name was Kazuto Kirigaya, and they exchanged email addresses.

#### Episode 12

One day, Tiffany discovered pictures of what looked like Asuna in ALO. Although Tiffany was happy at the fact that Asuna appeared to be trapped in the game, he also knew that Kazuto had been depressed lately, due to her not waking up, and decided to send him an email to let him know what he had discovered.

#### Episode 13

The next day, Kazuto arrives at Tiffany's bar. As soon as he's in the door, Kazuto proceeds to rant about his trip. Tiffany doubts that the journey was that bad, seeing how Kazuto managed to find the bar, but Kazuto states that it took him an entire day to do so, and he had to climb through Chiyo's window in the process. Tiffany asks how Chiyo was doing, to which Kazuto informs him that she gave him some cookies to give Tiffany. This makes Tiffany happy and voices his love for the old woman, which Kazuto agrees with, as her kindness is a nice detraction for his "SEETHING, IMPOTENT RAGE!". Tiffany then asks if the trip was really that bad, to which Kazuto explains that he's only complaining about it to vent his frustrations over how his life has become a "multi-headed dick hydra" and knows that Tiffany can handle it. Though confused by this, Tiffany thanks Kazuto for letting him be his shoulder to yell at, causing Kazuto to say that he treasures their friendship. Seeing how wound-up Kazuto is, Tiffany reaches behind the bar and gives him a copy of ALO. Confused, Kazuto asks him what the game is, to which Tiffany responds that it's "everything you're looking for".

Eventually, Kazuto calms down and apologizes for his outburst. Tiffany understands, however, and offers him a drink. Kazuto asks for some water, but Tiffany can't afford it and offers one of the few drinks he can afford instead, a borderline toxic drink called "9-Up" that Tiffany needs to boil until it's brown so it's safe to consume. Disturbed by this, Kazuto changes the subject by asking about ALO. Tiffany explains that it's a kid's game for the AmuSphere that came out a year ago but has only recently gained popularity. Kazuto asks what an AmuSphere is, to which Tiffany explains that "It's a new NerveGear that promises it's not a NerveGear but is backwards-compatible with NerveGear", a description that that disappoints Kazuto. Tiffany then explains that the game is meant to be an edutainment game, but box doesn't really make that clear. This prompts Kazuto to read the game's description, only to find it's a confusingly worded mess that promises such contradictory info as "teaching kids how to share" and "teaching them to wipe out their enemies", making Kazuto wonder who the game is for. Tiffany agrees that it seems like the target audience is the cast of Lord of the Flies, but explains that once people actually tried the game, they became addicted to its flight mechanic and the game became a hit.

Kazuto then briefly gets distracted by the potential awesomeness of the game's flight mechanic, only snapping back to reality when Tiffany asks him not to make him beg Kazuto to save his "klansman of a wife". Tiffany then tells Kazuto that the photo of Asuna he sent him was one of many. He explains that, at the center of ALO, there's giant tree called the World Tree, which players are usually unable to reach the top of due to the game having a time limit on flying. However, a group of players got curious and managed to exploit the flight mechanic long enough to reach the branches. The players then spotted Asuna in the tree and took the pictures, sharing them on message boards, which is where Tiffany saw them. Kazuto and Tiffany then come to the conclusion that someone has trapped Asuna in ALO.

Kazuto then suddenly voices delight with this situation. Tiffany initially agrees, but then gets confused why Kazuto would be happy about this. Kazuto explains that the man that's trying to marry Asuna, Nobuyuki Sugou, works for RECT Progress, the company that made ALO. Tiffany comments on this coincidence, but Kazuto declares this is fate, as now he gets to be a badass again and screw over Sugou, all while saving Asuna. Tiffany then cheers Kazuto on, although he isn't sure about that last part. Kazuto then downs his 9-Up and thanks Tiffany for giving him this opportunity, declaring that he's coming for Sugou. However, due to toxic nature of the drink, he becomes violently sick and vomits Tiffany's jukebox, much to his dismay.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Episode 13
2. ↑ Episode 1
3. ↑ Episode 2
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Episode 5
5. ↑ Episode 6
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Episode 9
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Episode 11
8. ↑ Episode 7
9. ↑ Episode 8
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Episode 12