Lysette

With music on the air and mostly automated, Lydia decided to find her way back to her friends. She left a few crystals on the deck, setting them to shuffle before removing her headphones and stepping away. The machine that Oscar had created was beginning to hum, to run itself. So there was no harm in actually enjoying herself for a moment. Weaving through the crowd, she spied that blazing red hair from across the way. Her pace increased, her sandals padding softly over the sand as she approached the group that had congregated in the corner. She approached Abellio from behind and wrapped her ar

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Well Oscar was on his shit. Not surprising. A group this big was bound to have some crossed wires here or there. Of course the host would need to actively regulate. She felt bad though. He'd put on all this effort and couldn't even enjoy his own party. She thought back to a brief conversation she'd had with Warren before they moved everything here and the silent pact they'd made while they made the preparations. It just wasn't right that he had to basically be on bouncer duty. Especially when there were the three of them who could just as easily do it for him. Lydia, naturally, could

What the fuck was even going on? Lydia’s head was spinning. She was just about to- And then- Her eyes remained locked on that orange cursor. Abellio was different. She could tell. That cold look in his eyes wasn’t the Abellio she knew. It scared her. Because she knew what he was thinking. That glare only meant one thing. She wanted to run, but terror kept her feet locked in place. Not of the orange Player, but of what Abellio was going to do to them. She didn’t want to watch that. She didn’t want to witness her Abellio become a killer. She almost let out a sigh of relief that blade

Lydia supposed that she could leave the repairing of the winches to Abellio. He seemed to have a knack for tinkering with things. And besides, she had a job of her own to do. She crossed the main deck and stepped onto one of the many skiffs that were arranged off to the side. Unlike the others, this one was laden with a sweet, frozen payload. She wasn't dressed for the beach. At least, she had kept herself more or less covered. She was certain that if this had been back in reality, she would have had a most tastelessly skimpy two piece forced onto her. Had to show off the ink after all.

Standing in the midst of the chaos, it was hard for Lydia to continue to push through. The battle the raiders were fighting seemed to have shifted into high gear. She could tell that much even from this distance. The situation around the stage had mirrored that uptick. Around and on, now. Shamblers swarmed the performance, descended upon STY/L and the people watching them. She was spending more time stepping on skulls than she actually spent focusing on her dancing. Disharmony in every sense of the word. And the question was posed: Do they stay or leave? There was a part of her

"Really?" Lydia raised an eyebrow as she drove her spear between Kumatetsu's eyes. The boss shattered like glass. Lydia stepped through the miasma, dismissing her weapon as she planted herself directly into Abellio's personal space. She looked up at him, fingers rising up his chest to fidget with the medallions on Abellio's necklace. She waited, keeping her feet planted and her eyes locked. And she struggled, trying to keep her face the picture of serenity even though her heart was thundering out of her chest. She wanted this. Him. Why was he keeping her waiting. Did she have to grab him by th

This was fun. Lydia had never been much of a fighter, but this was fun. She knew for a fact that it wouldn't be this fun without Sam. She didn't think that she would be able to deal with fighting a bear like this all on her own. It was strange how just being around him made her braver. He didn't even do anything. His glow alone inspired confidence. Confidence enough to risk her hide. Confidence enough to literally wrestle a bear. But that was just him. Silently encouraging, a stable and steady presence. It scared her, how dependent she already was on him. Her audacity too, in defiance of

Lydia never expected the Quest Boss to find them and not the other way around. Though, she didn't really give it much thought. She was too busy watching Abellio leap into the fray for her. Like he'd done on so many occasions. She wouldn't bring it up then, but that was what made him so far out of her league. Forget the fame and everything that came with it. He was there. Always right on time with zero hesitation. He parried the beast and froze as it bounded out of town, knocking over stalls and NPCs alike as it fled into the forest. Lydia didn't. The moment was gone and she did just say she wa

This was nothing new to her. The movements, the sound. Bass thumping, voices harmonizing. It felt familiar. Lydia hated being her celebrity status. But mostly she hated it because it was forced on her. In the heat of the moment, in the rising action of the performance, she had to admit she came alive. Being Lysette was easy. Effortless. She didn't have to think, there was no one to impose their will upon her on stage. She commanded attention. But she wasn't a solo act now. She had three of her friends beside her and their combined energy feed one another. It reflected, rebounded, grew and grew

His outburst surprised her. Abellio didn’t really strike her as the type to get bogged down in stuff like that. But it made sense, kinda. She couldn’t really hold it against him. Being starstruck was a real thing and she knew that from experience. But her temper flared when he questioned how fucking important he was. She didn’t let it show. Instead she reached up and clapped her hands down on both sides of his face. “You’re such an idiot,” she said in the sweetest tone she could muster. “Are the details really that important?” Of course they were. He was hurting and it upset her. She

Life so very rarely gave you the opportunity to correct past mistakes. Lydia knew that better than most. Keenly so. Standing here, with Abellio, in repetition of that tiny, significant moment in that cavern was one such time. She could make it right. Actually be the type of confident self-assured woman that she was on stage. Invoke the persona that everyone around her had crafted for her so carefully. But she was terrified. Why wasn’t he saying anything? If he wouldn’t she would. Lydia stepped in closer, bridging what small gulf existed between them. She pressed herself almost e

Lydia almost screamed when she saw that the incoming message was from Abellio. And everything else screamed at her to play it cool. But she was alright typing and sending out a message before those thoughts managed to attain a glimmer of actuality. She was already getting ready before the regret tried to set in. Tried to set in. It didn’t really make it very far. Lydia would absolutely never regret any amount of time she spent with Abellio. Only not spending more. She raced down to Floor 8 with a bright smile on her face. Because even if they weren’t a thing she still enjoyed every m

She couldn’t believe she’d done that. Why had she done that? Lydia stared into the mirror - into the eyes of her reflection. Some part of her hoped that the image would speak up and give her the answer. Her face still burned, even so many hours afterwards. Her lips too, as if she’d stolen a chunk of Abellio’s burning brilliance. She reached up and touched her lips, fingertips lightly brushing over the soft pink skin. She was terrified that the feeling would be gone when she woke in the morning. That she would forget. And why didn’t she lean into it? Clearly she’d had the cour

Redemption. Second chances. The opportunity to do better. It was the same thing Lydia was doing. Making up for the past, taking control of her life. Wasn't that the entire reason she'd rid herself of her tattoos and piercings. Lydia had reinvented herself in Aincrad. To the point that she dreaded the day they would leave. Those marks would be back. Those reminders that she'd let other people live her life for her. She couldn't bring herself to begrudge Mari her own reinvention. With a soft sigh, she also put away her weapon. Her shoulders slumped forward for a moment, then her back strai

What surprised Lydia wasn't how quickly she reacted to Mari's feint, it was how casually she did it. Lydia saw how Mari moved as Abellio turned his back and just reacted. And if it hadn't been for Oscar, she would have tagged her. The gravity of her actions sank in. It worried her. Lydia didn't hesitate. In that split second, it looked like Abellio was in trouble and she threw herself into a fight that she doubted she would truly be able to win. But what worried her the most was that she didn't feel the slightest remorse over it. If the choice was between Mari and Abellio, she would choo

Lydia didn't like it. The only thing that kept her from turning and bolting - while dragging Abellio along kicking and screaming - was the frustrating fact that Oscar was completely at ease. That and the fact that the woman had not, as of yet, tried to stick a dagger between anyone's ribs. Still, she didn't try to make friends. And she would have her questions answered once they were not in mixed company. Every time she thought that she had Oscar's measure, he wound up surprising her. Normally, that was a good thing. Now? She didn't know. But what she did know was that she was brought her

Lydia had actually arrived long before Abellio did. Upon seeing the orange cursor, her instinctive response was to keep to the shadows. Remain in stealth as she tried to get her bearings, acquire the necessary understanding. She owed Oscar much, but helping out a killer seemed to be a bridge too far. It wasn't until she saw how relaxed Oscar was around the woman, witnessed Abellio's rather casual reaction to it, that she made the decision to reveal herself. "Abellio," she said in a scolding tone, appearing out of thin air with a light laugh. "You can't just call random women orange just b

Pins and needles. That's what he felt the entire way to the cave. Through the dark tunnel and into the cavern proper. He was constantly aware of Lydia's presence. Hard not to be, the way she clung to his arm for dear life. She had gone well beyond hints. Abellio wasn't that dumb. But he was absolutely chickenshit. He was convinced that if he just kissed her that it would be off to the races. The start of something special. Something real. But as convinced as he was, Abellio was equally convinced that he would fuck everything up if he did. "Lydia," he said. "You're really close."

Abellio didn't want to move. Didn't want to breathe, either. His breath caught in his throat the moment Lydia scooted over. He tried to pull away and get some space, but she didn't let him. She just rested her head on his shoulder. Perfectly serene, perfectly relaxed. He could only match her energy. His back, once stiff and tense, melted as he heard her breathing slow. Abellio was screaming inside, but he kept it contained with just a small content smile. After a while, he felt her shift. Looking down, he found himself staring straight into those piercing golden eyes. Her expression was s

Abellio had to think for a moment. What was someone supposed to say to soothe years of trauma? God, she probably hated herself. But at the same time, she was taking command of her life. From her skin, to her clothes, even the way she acted. Because she probably wasn't going to ever leave the town without that first push. And she would have never learned what she could do. Never would have found that confidence to just stop silently suffering with it all. Abellio's fingers curled around hers. He was suddenly keenly aware that their hands were entwined. But he couldn't pull away right

Her mood suddenly darkened. The smile slipped from her face, replaced by a slight frown. Lydia really wished Abellio hadn't asked him that. Because now that he asked, she needed to answer. And she remembered what he'd said. How he needed her to pay closer attention. How he had been so clearly and plainly honest with her. She would match his energy. Lydia had never really confided in anyone about her past or her life outside of the game. The sudden change would require that she explain herself. Or at least try to. To Oscar. To Warren. And Abellio especially. She took a deep breath, opening

Life in Aincrad made for some real miracles. Lydia stood over her bathroom sink, running her fingers over her bare, untainted arms. It was the first time since she was 16 that she was able to see the skin beneath the sleeves of ink. She always wore jackets, hiding her inkwork under layers of cloth. She did away with the piercings too, hand slowly moving down her midriff, her breath hitching when she didn't feel that ring beneath her fingertips. She felt clean for the first time in years. And sure, it was probably all illusion. They were still sullying her skin in the real world. But

Abellio finally relented and took that first drink. Lydia received her beer second. She was a little nervous about drinking while being surrounded by three guys, but she remembered that she literally couldn't get drunk. That set her mind at ease. She didn't want to show anyone drunk Lydia. And least not anyone she had a purely platonic relationship with. Because drunk Lydia wasn't shy or bashful. She was direct. And a massive [censored]. So much so that the guys were in more danger than she was. She would never be able to live that down or look them in the eye. As she raised the bott

Lysette sputtered, twisting out of Abellio's grasp. Lovebirds? What was Oscar talking about. Just because she cared about him and just because he'd saved her hide three times so far didn't mean that she wanted to jump his bones. She fumbled with her spear for a moment, trying and failing to adjust her grip before attacking the boss again. Abellio's hand fell on the butt of her weapon, helping her steady it without a word. "Thank you," she said, with a bit of relief in her voice. She turned back to face Oscar. "And we're not lovebirds!" She threw her spear like a javelin. The wea