Atoli

Atoli (アトリ, Atori, lit. "Brambling") is a female Harvest Cleric and a member of the guild called Moon Tree. She is also an Epitaph User, and is the host for the Second Phase Innis, the Mirage of Deceit.

Appearance
Atoli is almost an identical twin to Shino, due to sharing the same character model, the only differences being her hair color, and the lack of a teardrop shaped mark, along with a more colorful outfit. Her appearance is that of a young blonde woman. She wears a small green dress, a short white wing-shaped mantle on her back, white stockings, and a white hat. Her wave symbol is on her hat, and between the fake wings. She wields a staff in combat.

Personality
Atoli is a pacifist and is seen as very naive. She is very sweet-natured, optimistic, and kind to everyone she meets, even strangers. She cares a lot about other's opinions of her, and tries her best for everyone to like her.

She sees The World as being more like an alternate reality instead of just an online game. She is deeply devoted to helping others and can't understand why everybody can't just get along and enjoy the game together. As a member of Moon Tree's Second Division, she serves directly under Sakaki, who she greatly respects. She frequently finds herself torn between her obedience to her Captain, and her friendship with Haseo. She appears to harbor affections for Haseo, and is one of the major characters into softening his heart.

However, underneath the facade she puts on in The World, she is actually a very depressed teenager. She was once a social outcast who didn't fit in with anyone and was subsequently rejected by her so called friends. She sees The World as a safe haven, where she can make real friends and escape her harsh reality. After meeting Haseo, Atoli's personality changes dramatically, from where she's scared to stand alone, to the point where she's willing to fight for her own sake and now holds beliefs of her own.

Basic Info
Atoli's player is a 16-year-old girl named Chigusa Kusaka (日下千草), who lives in the Chiba prefecture. During middle school, she was bullied frequently. And her parent would scold her about her failing grades and decision to wear designer clothing. One day they also criticized her loud and noisy attitude, believing that girls should be always quiet. All of this led to Chigusa into shutting herself in her room and browsing suicide websites. In one of those forums, she met Sakaki, who befriended her. Around the time she entered high school, Sakaki suggested for her to join The World.

Chigusa Kusaka also bears several marks on her left wrist from failed suicide attempts. After playing The World and meeting Haseo, she has stopped attempting to end her life.

Hobbies
She is part of Animal Club at school and prides herself at being a good cook. She loves small birds and owns three pet birds in real life.

.hack//G.U. Games
Haseo first meets Atoli after defeating several PKers. After being lectured by Sakaki, Haseo leaves, but not before noticing that Atoli has the same character design as Shino. Later on, Atoli overhears Haseo insulting the Moon Tree guild. Outraged, Atoli tells Haseo that Moon Tree was not created to lecture everyone, and that he should play with her some time so she can teach him about Moon Tree.

Atoli invites Haseo to the area Δ Submissive Tragedy's 1000 Oaks. She tells him it's one of her favorite areas because of the moon, but Haseo remains rude to her. Atoli tries telling Haseo about Moon Tree, but he ignores her and continues on. After reaching the Beast Statue, Atoli begins to hear something. When they investigate the sound, they find a Sign at the back of the temple and are both sucked in. They end up at the Dead World of Indieglut Lugh. They find Endrance playing with AIDA, but when Atoli tries to go talk to him, she is attacked by Anna. She faints, but Haseo witnesses Kuhn use Avatar Magus to defeat Anna. Haseo becomes concerned for Atoli's safety, but she only wishes him to give her another chance, which he reluctantly does so.

Atoli then finds Haseo selling an item to Sakubo. She compliments him on his friendliness but is ignored when Haseo begins talking to Kuhn, Silabus and Gaspard. She then shares Haseo's kindness with Bo to Gaspard and Silabus, who invites him to join Canard. She invites Haseo to attend a Moon Tree meeting about trading fraud, but he declines.

When Atoli finds out about Shino, she is very upset and angry, and believes that Haseo only befriended her because she looks like Shino. She runs off, to go seek out Tri-Edge on her own and prove herself to Haseo. Haseo, Pi, and Kuhn follow her and defeat Azure Flame Kite in a blank room with nothing but a stack of coin lockers. After Kite's defeat, as Haseo and Atoli seem to be making up, a locker opens, and an AIDA cloud appears inside. Atoli walks towards them, as if in a trance. She is shown in a strange red light, then all the lockers open, and black hands of an AIDA cloud fly out and attack her. She falls over. The screen goes black, and shatters into a small crack. Haseo screams her name.

After the attack on her, Atoli briefly loses consciousness, and Kuhn uses Magus to bring her back to Raven's @HOME. There, Atoli awakens, disoriented and unable to speak with audio (in much the same way as Macha). Attempting to reset her computer, Atoli is the first to realize that the players are now trapped within the game, unable to determine where their real bodies even are. As Haseo and the rest of G.U. attempt to restore things to normal, Atoli's condition worsens, and her arm begins to deteriorate. This is due to the loss of her Epitaph, causing Haseo to begin a desperate search for the AIDA carrying it and drawing them both into the Holy Palace Tournament. After the original server is restored, Atoli finds herself unable to use her arm, even in the real world (when she is in the party during this time, a sprinkle of data constantly leaks from Atoli's right hand). Her doctor diagnoses her with Doll Syndrome. At the tournament's conclusion, Atoli's Epitaph is returned, at which point she immediately recovers.

Later in the game, Sakaki uses AIDA to infect her. This causes her to manifest at least some of her Epitaph's abilities, transforming Moon Tree's @HOME into an AIDA Server. The corruption of the area is more evident the further Haseo goes inside, eventually becoming a long replica of a school hallway filled with human shadows and various echoing fragments of conversations. At the end of this, Haseo finds Atoli and Sakaki standing on the little remains of the Seven Counsel's meeting area, while a shadow of Atoli seated at a desk laments about her life. Atoli is finally provoked, and transforms into her Avatar Innis. An AIDA infected Atoli fights Haseo, as he tries to desperately release her from the infection. Once Haseo defeats her, the AIDA disappears and Sakaki leaves defeated. Afterward, Atoli begins to have a mental breakdown at what she's done, which results in Haseo slapping her and giving her a wakeup call. She vows to make amends for what she's done, taking her steps forward.

Atoli, along with Pi, goes with Haseo to confront Sakaki at Briona Gwydion the Dragonbein Range, wanting to know whether the real Sakaki is the one she knew for so long or the one that has appeared now. Sakaki chews her out and proceeds to infect himself with AIDA, leading to a battle between them. Upon Sakaki's defeat, Ovan appears and reveals the truth about all that has transpired. He uses the AIDA in his arm to PK both Atoli and Pi, leaving them temporarily comatose (though both quickly recover). Later in the game, she asks Haseo to come to the cathedral so that they may speak privately. Just before Atoli can say something, she spots something behind Haseo and her eyes widen. When he turns around, Ovan appears behind Haseo and tells him to become stronger to defeat him. The screen turns black again, and shatters, but with a bigger crack than before.

Atoli stays in the background for most of the third game, although she reveals shortly after the start that she can now use her Epitaph at will. She also joins Team Haseo once more in Sakaki's PK Tournament. After Haseo's party defeats Cubia, Atoli and Haseo are summoned to Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground by Shino. While there, Haseo is forced to sort out his feelings. Shino helps Haseo realize his feelings, her thoughts still lingering with Ovan, telling him that she had seen everything while within Ovan's arm. With that, Haseo chases after Atoli, who is rather surprised and happy to see Haseo chasing after her.

.hack//G.U.+


After Haseo saves Atoli from being PKed, she makes it a goal to find out more about the mysterious PKKer known as the "Terror of Death". Despite 's warnings to stay away from somebody like him, Atoli seeks out Haseo in an attempt to befriend him.

Later she is seen in passing out pamphlets that seem to be some sort of anti-PK papers. Though Haseo appears and mocks her work, she remains friendly, even offering him a pamphlet. At the Lumina Cloth she is approached by Ovan who asks her to deliver a message to Haseo. The message is short: "Become stronger so you can save Shino." When she asks who Shino is, Ovan responds that she was a friend of Haseo's who had a character model similar to hers. She gives the message to Haseo, who is preparing to fight against the current arena champion and is surprised when he reacts angrily to the message. Fuming he heads off to the Arena, leaving a confused Atoli behind. Watching the fight from the sidelines she is one of the few people present who is able to see Haseo and Endrance activate their Avatars during the fight. Atoli is confused when people start muttering about the fight being boring as she can clearly see and fighting in the arena below.

Later Atoli approaches Haseo in, she tells him that she got permission from Sakaki to invite him into Moon Tree. To her surprise he refuses her request and accuses her of blindly following Sakaki's orders. Atoli tells him that Moon Tree and Sakaki are the only support that she has, since she's never been able to find acceptance in the real world. She tells Haseo that she learned about Shino, and asks him what Ovan meant by "Save Shino". Haseo grows angry with her; he asks her why she's so interested in a jerk like him. He tells her that he's not a person who could support her and demands that she leave him alone. Atoli tearfully runs away, and soon gets a message from Sakaki telling her to travel to. Traveling there alone, she waits for Sakaki to appear, but is surprised when suddenly appears in the zone.

Atoli disappears from the servers for a while as Haseo and Pi search for a way to move everyone out of the AIDA server and back into the real world. However as Pi activates the Switch, an AIDA trap is sprung. An AIDA transformed Atoli springs from the wall, looking entirely zombified. Haseo readies himself, saying he won't hold back. She pounces on him, her abdomen opening into a large mouth with sharp teeth, murmuring that everyone will be inside her. Skeith activates and Haseo enters Atoli's mind. After Atoli explains why she has become one with AIDA, Haseo flat out tells her that her problem has nothing to do with him. However he speaks with her, outside of her memory, saying that he's angry when he sees her because she reminds him of himself; abandoned by everyone around him. With this recognition of her, Atoli relaxes, and AIDA disperses. The two embrace as everyone is transferred back onto the normal servers. Pi wakes up next to Haseo and Atoli, the two still cuddling each other. They two get up, and Pi asks Atoli if Haseo saved her, she blushes and says he did.The two start talking, but are alerted by Silabus and Gaspard about Kuhn. Upon arriving in Canard's @Home, they find Kuhn PKed with one of Tri-Edge's Signs. Atoli is told by Haseo to look after Silabus and Gaspard, while he goes to settle things with Tri-Edge.

After Ovan unleashes the Rebirth, Haseo (Ryou) and Atoli (Chigusa Kusaka) meet offline inside a diner in Tokyo. Ryou is bored while Chigusa Kusaka offers ideas on what they should do. Ryou's negative attitude seems to irritate Chigusa Kusaka, and she later gets sad when Ryou brings up Shino. They decide to go shopping together. While shopping, Chigusa Kusaka talks to Ryou about coming back to play "The World" though Ryou declines, saying he became obsessed with it. She talks to Kuhn about Ryou in "The World". She is also able to sense Kazumi, even when he is in "invisible mode", through her hearing. Atoli is also part of the team (herself, Haseo, Kuhn, and Zelkova) that plans on taking down Kazumi. She learns about Cubia and Aura from Zelkova. After the team infiltrates the Serpent of Lore, Kazumi attempts to finish Haseo off with a Data Drain. Atoli uses herself as a shield, and in doing so, unknowingly awakens her Epitaph, Innis. The presence of the real Innis as well as a Dummy causes the R.A. plan to become unstable. Kazumi decides to forcefully execute the R.A. plan nonetheless and Atoli is caught up within the ensuing blast.

.hack//G.U. Novels
At the beginning of the novel Atoli and her party are adventuring in the field when Bordeux and a group of Player Killers attack them. Although she protests her words are dismissed, she is rendered speechless and her party members are killed. Atoli is saved when Haseo interrupts and defeats the group hoping to gain information regarding Tri Edge. Atoli later reencounters Haseo in Mac Anu while talking with Sakaki from Moon Tree. Sakaki starts an argument with Haseo regarding PK's and PKK's and the philosophies of the Moon Tree Guild. Although mistaken for Shino, Atoli supports Sakaki's remarks and runs after Haseo as he is leaving. Atoli, confused when mistaken for Shino is followed by Sakaki to explain. Their conversation is interrupted once Haseo receives a personal chat from Ovan but before leaving he messages Atoli. Haseo tells her that she is right and a player-kill just achieves an in-game death only but what he is looking for is real death.

Afterward Atoli makes a reappearance in the Eternal City Mac Anu where she is requesting for the support and petition to the abolition of PKing that is located on Moon Tree’s website. Realizing that Haseo was watching from afar, she quite forcefully gave him her member address and initiated him to went to certain area with her, followed by Bo who introduced himself as members of Canard. When they finished the mission in the area, Atoli began to hear voices and she along with Haseo and Bo were transported to the lost ground through Tri-Edge's sign and met Endrance for the first time but was interrupted by the arrival of AIDA. They were save by Kuhn and afterwards, she left because Sakaki called her.

At Haseo's crowning ceremony, she met Ovan who then revealed about Shino, which upset Atoli and get mad at Haseo, made her left the crying. To prove herself to Haseo, she searching for Tri-Edge as said by Ovan and ended up transported through Tri-Edge's sign. When Haseo found her, she tried to open the lockers to no avail. When Haseo tried to convince her that he's worried and came for her, they were interrupted by Azure Kite's arrival.

Once Haseo defeated Azure Kite, however, the lockers opened and AIDA tentacles took Atoli inside the locker, kidnapping her. When Haseo, Kuhn, and Pi, on their way to freed all player so they can log out, they were stopped by AIDA Gatekeeper but able to defeated it. Once they defeated the AIDA, the AIDA freed Atoli from its belly. Atoli then is seen again in Mac Anu with Kuhn and Haseo, finally able to reconciled with Haseo. She then revealed that she's unable to hear, due to the AIDA stole her Epitaph.

.hack//G.U. TRILOGY
Atoli first appeared at Mac Anu with Sakaki. Later, she meets Haseo again after the tournament battle, and they travel into a field together. Eventually, Atoli's feelings are hurt after Haseo yelled at her and told her to not bother him anymore. She first met Ovan in a chapel at Hy Brasail and he explains that Haseo's frustration was from her character appearance.

Later, Atoli went outside of the normal game space, trying to be brave on her own. She tries to open the lockers, but Haseo along with Pi and Kuhn arrived at her location. Atoli and Haseo talked in a short reminisence, until Azure Kite appears during the scene. After Haseo defeated Azure Kite, the lockers suddenly open and multiple AIDA appeared from within and attacked her.

Falling into her dark memories, Atoli was rendered trapped in a sunset classroom, surrounded by tormenting voices. Haseo entered her mind, only to find that Atoli was unable to listen, her screaming about how unfairly she was treated in the real world. She assumed a corrupted form similar to Haseo's later B-st Form and attacked Haseo with clawed tentacles.

She was soon calmed when Haseo waded through her attacks and comforts her, embracing her. At that point, the AIDA was driven out of Atoli's body.

Both were reawakened at Inverted City Megin Fi where Ovan was waiting for them. Atoli was shocked when she saw Pi and Kuhn's bodies in the ground, which instantly disintegrated shortly after. Ovan revealed to them that he is the true Tri-Edge, and then attacks Haseo, but Atoli saved him causing her character to disintegrate.

She later reappears within Haseo's consciousness to calm his mind, and then fuses with him so Haseo could gain his Xth Form. After Ovan uses the Rebirth ability, she returns to the same spot where she was at Inverted City Megin Fi along with Aina, Pi, and Kuhn. She told Haseo that she could still hear Ovan somewhere, then sent Haseo to find Ovan by lending him her Avatar powers.

A month later, Atoli and Haseo were talking at the Hulle Granz Cathedral. Atoli first met Shino as she enters to thank Haseo then leaves. The movie ends with Atoli and Haseo holding hands.

4koma
In terms of personality, Atoli's 4koma incarnation is mostly unchanged - sweet and trusting to a fault, she still idolizes Sakaki and tries desperately to make Haseo happy. However, her weakness for seeing The World as an alternate reality is greatly exaggerated - not only does she still maintain her fondness for Lucky Animals and Chim Chims, she becomes quite aggressive when battling monsters, attacking mercilessly.

Since meeting Kite, she has grown to idolize him and sees him only as the selfless hero. Like BlackRose, she is quite distressed by the growing animosity between Kite and Haseo.

Additionally, her darker side is also exaggerated and developed - Atoli confesses her resentment of others more fortunate or rich than herself, and often seems to contemplate suicide, though others view this latter habit with annoyance rather than fear for her well being. Additionally, during a parody of her memory scene in Reminisce, Atoli is shown to be a "yanki" (slang term for a rude, rowdy delinquent based off the American term Yankee) in real life.

Peaco's Story

 * For a more in-depth review of Atoli's role in Peaco's Story, see Peaco's Story.

The same highly exaggerated Atoli from before, Atoli is in distress that Haseo doesn't like her and flees to Pi for help. Under a missunderstanding, she creates the chatacter Peaco to try to start the relationship over.

.hack Diary
This incarnation of Atoli appears in only one comic. Her crush on Haseo is hugely exaggerated and she even teaches Bo to think Haseo is "adorable".

.hack//G.U. Returner
Atoli is given the mysterious e-mail as well, and briefly meets up with Shino, stating that she would suit Haseo better. Shino, however, rejects that statement, denying that she and Haseo are not like that and assuring her that she only needs to be confident.

.hack//Link

 * See Atoli (Link)

Gameplay
Atoli is a Harvest Cleric, and is the sole main healer for the majority of the games, until Shino becomes a playable after finishing Volume 3. She has access to a wide variety of spells, with a high focus on healing spells given her class.

Being an Epitaph User, Atoli can acquire a Lost Weapon during Volume 2 by collecting Adler's Keys: a rare Staff called "Dancing Haze" (which is renamed to "Flame Dancer" once evolved to its final form), which absorbs 25% of regular attack damage as SP, and prevents spells from being interrupted.

Stat-wise, Atoli has low physical defense, but high magic attack and the fourth highest magic defense in the game (tied with Sakubo) after Gaspard, Shino, Bordeaux. She also has the second highest SP after Shino, as well highest Water Element stat in the game (meaning she is very proficient with water-based spells).

Trivia

 * Atoli's name is the name of a type of bird in Japan, known in the west as the Brambling.
 * Atoli's starting level is 3.
 * Atoli's starter weapon is called the Spell Xialin, a common level 1 weapon.
 * Atoli's Japanese voice actress, Ayako Kawasumi, also does the voice of Hotaru from .hack//Legend of the Twilight.
 * Her character is 5'3" (161 cm) in height.
 * A poll on CyberConnect2's website shows Atoli as the sixth most popular character in .hack//G.U.
 * Another poll showed her as the third most popular character from .hack//G.U. TRILOGY.
 * In the fourth volume of the manga, .hack//G.U.＋, Atoli quotes that "If you desire to know the truth, you must also have the courage to accept it." and cites that it is a line from a book by one of her favorite authors. The quotation comes from Ryo Sakuma's Annwn and was previously quoted by Crim in during the 23rd episode of .hack//SIGN, The Eve.
 * Atoli's Avatar patterns are the only ones besides Haseo's to change visibly, the major alteration being the addition of a pattern over her mouth acting like a gag when she is forced to summon Innis, which is not present when she does so willingly later on.
 * In TRILOGY, Atoli's Avatar patterns are yellow; whereas in the games they are green and turquoise.
 * During A.D. 2017 at the same time as the events of G.U. Yoshio Kusaka 42-year-old, father of Chigusa Kusaka became the first civilian passenger to The Space Shuttle Village and was present in outer space during AIDA's Infection of computer's across the world within The Third Network Crisis.