Lessa

Her hand clutched his, and in it, Lessa found balance in both the literal and figurative sense. Later, she'd look back on that moment and ruminate on the fact that they were holding hands. But in that split second, she simply squeezed, steadying herself against the sudden attack. With a pang of regret, she let his hand slip away as he confidently summoned his weapon, drew it, and strode forward. Jomei was one of Aincrad's most powerful players - surely, he'd surpassed her over the years - and she had complete faith in him. Whatever this random encounter was, she could think of no better c

After Jomei's shrimp-related admission, Lessa added a snort of her own. "You can't eat fifty shrimp in one sitting?" Feigning disappointment, she shook her head, then heaved a great sigh. "I'm afraid that's a deal breaker for me. I simply cannot entertain the notion of being with a man who cannot eat fifty shrimp." The words left her mouth before her mind could register them, and she felt a blush climbing her neck. It spread across her cheeks like unfurling flower petals, and she ducked her head to hide the tell-tale embarrassment. Maybe it won't mean anything to him, she thought on a note of

Much better company, huh? Lessa grinned back at him, even as something fluttered in the pit of her stomach. It was an odd sensation, and one she hadn't felt in quite some time, but she couldn't say it was unpleasant. "Better company, huh?" she finally asked, leaning over to give his shoulder a gentle bump with her own. "You say that now, but you haven't met the cruise staff. Seriously, I had a waiter once who totally threw out the 'six per customer' and brought me as much shrimp cocktails as I wanted. Seriously. Like fifty shrimp." Where perhaps a more modest lady might have been embarras

"Yep," Lessa agreed, "definitely feels like we're taking off. There's no turning back now." The flurry of activity drew her attention - men calling out, chains falling away, the thunk and grind of something mechanical. Though perhaps it clashed with the classy sophistication of the party, she found herself watching the dock workers. Despite the rebellion, and all the heartache and bloodshed that had accompanied it, the NPCs still managed to put on a fancy evening for them. They showed up, did their job, and performed like the well-oiled machines they tinkered with. Nature was healing, as the c

“Something like that, yeah.” Lessa smiled at the plum-haired woman when she mentioned their previous encounters. “It’s good to see you again, regardless.” At Nari’s trailing question, clearly meant to inquire about their relationship status, Lessa felt Jomei shift at her side. Uncomfortable? Insulted? It’s not worth trying to psychoanalyze him, Lessa silently chided herself. She had spent so much time trying to decipher every movement, every sound, every word (said or unsaid). Lately, she was trying to live by the mantra “if it matters, they’ll say something.” Easier said than done, though.

꧁༺Lessa༻꧂ Lessa, Guardian of Aincrad Level: 31 Paragon Level: 54 HP: 820/820 EN: 120/120 Stats: Damage: 28 Mitigation: 142 Accuracy: 4 Battle Healing: 45 H.M.: 8 HLY: 8 REC: 8 THRNS: 72 Equipped Gear: Weapon: Arcael's Might (T4 THSS - DMG DMG DMG HLY) Armor: Empress Armor (T4 HA - HM HM THNS THNS) Misc: Neutron Star Necklace (T4 TRINKET - ACC ACC REC REC)

Rows of shelves ran in all directions, rolled out like a red carpet, seeming to beckon Lessa closer. They stood a couple feet higher than she did, and if it weren’t for the soaring ceilings, she might have felt claustrophobic. Instead, the woman felt like she stood in the coziest, most inviting museum ever. Art hung on walls, bronze busts guarded the aisles, and real plants thrived in their prettily painted pots. Warm light bathed the library’s man occupants, white and blue crystals mixing to amplify the space’s sense of magic. And the books. So, so many books. Thick tomes, paper-thin doc

At the newcomer’s question, Lessa perked up a bit. “Baldur?” she asked, sitting up a little straighter. Hot water streaked down her skin as she shifted, and steam rose where her damp hair met the cool night air. She grinned impishly at Morningstar, her blue eyes alight with humor. “He and I go way back. We met when he jumped me in a field. Naturally, I had to defend myself. He’s lucky I was feeling merciful that day, and let the poor newbie live.” Barely able to contain bubbling laughter, she nodded sagely. “That’s exactly how it happened, too. I’m definitely not exaggerating or anything.”

Lessa gave a soft tsk, the sound echoing in the cup before she removed it from her lips. “Who doesn’t like libraries?” she countered, rolling her eyes for added dramatic flair. “Certainly nobody I’d like to spend my time with.” As Jomei asked about preparations, she downed the last of her now lukewarm cider in one giant swig. “No preparations on my end,” she answered after coming up for air. “And I’m totally finished. I can finish one of those suckers off in record time.” Recognizing that her partner was also finished, Lessa pushed her chair back from the table with the always obnoxious s

“Ooh, danger,” she echoed, drawing out the word to add emphasis. “I like danger. Almost as much as I like trouble.” She accepted the steaming mug with a nod of thanks. After a hesitant first sip to check the temperature, she moaned in a manner than had the couple at the next table eyeing her. “Godddddd,” came her appreciative groan, “that never gets old.” She lifted her mug toward Hik, who apparently recognized her praise, and accepted with a quick thumbs up. After another long swig, Lessa set the mug back on the table, shook out her blonde hair, then leaned across the table toward Jomei.

Like Jomei, Lessa found herself slipping further beneath the hot water. Unlike him, she did not stop at her shoulders, fully submerging herself before breaking the surface again with a soft gasp. One hand shoved her sopping hair back from her flushed face, then wiped at her eyes to clear them. It didn’t do much good, as her hand was equally soaked, but she managed to blink away the water as her red-headed companion spoke. ”Yeah,” she replied slowly, offering him a small smile through the steam that hung between them. “I’m working on it. I can’t mope around forever, right?” But something i

Lessa crouched at the base of a tall tree. Though its spindly branches held no leaves - sticks reaching like skeletal fingers toward the gray sky - it still provided excellent cover. The trunk was so thick that Lessa couldn’t wrap her arms all the way around it. Her entire body remained hidden from the enemy team. Briefly, the woman considered simply hunkering down there, hiding from view like a bush-squatter in Fortnight. She would likely go unnoticed for a while. But what was the fun in that? ”Gotta admit, Nari.” Her voice seemed to boom in the still of the frozen forest. “That’s p

Team B Genuine fear gripped her as Jomei toppled over and plummeted toward the ground. Even before he’d landed in the fluffy powder, she was moving toward him. It was pure instinct. Deep down, she knew her friend wasn’t in danger from the fall; Any damage he took would be negligible, and he would recover the health immediately. But she couldn’t stop herself from worrying. It wasn’t until she stood above him, confirming that he was indeed alright, that she could draw a full breath. ”You definitely deserved it,” she informed him matter-of-factly. Then, as she turned away, she made sure

Team B The snowball hit its mark, plowing into her face, and sending tiny ice crystals skittering across her flushed cheeks. The moment it struck, Lessa instinctively drew a breath, sucking in snow as she did so. By the time she'd finished spluttering and swiping at her face, she'd missed Jomei's reply. But she already knew the answer to her question. The snow in her eyes, nose, and mouth said it all. "Wow," she drawled, planting her hands on her hips as she regarded the Irishman. Her scowl seemed genuine enough, but the daggers she shot him did no real damage. "I was going to sugges