Lessa

The door swung inward, beckoning the victorious adventurers forward. A warm breeze swept through the open passageway like breath through lungs, carrying with it the pungent odor of someone else's waste. A long corridor rolled out like a grime-covered red carpet, seemingly endless as it plunged into the dark. Though it took quite some time to traverse the tunnel, those willing to make the trek were rewarded with a tall, heavily fortified door. Thick wood stood sandwiched between slabs of metal, and an enormous handle dangled from the right-hand side. It connected to a deadbolt, though the thick

When Mac took off, his orange cape flapping behind him like some sort of superhero, Lessa made a snap decision. It appeared he'd learned something, and since their interrogations of orphans weren't getting them anywhere, it was worth following up. So she followed behind, boots thudding on the grime-covered stone, she noticed that their path was beginning to slope downward. Was the entire city at an angle, as some ancient civilizations were built? That sort of construction allowed sewage to flow naturally to the edges of the city, but Lessa didn't get the sense they were exiting the settlement.

The souterrain seemed to reach forever, the windowless walls closing together with each step. That, of course, was simply an optical illusion, caused by the haphazard stonework and flickering light cast by uniformly spaced metal lanterns. Three things remained true: the stench of sewage, the plunging temperature, and the path's slight downward slope. By the time the intrepid Players finally reached the enormous wooden door, they had traveled far beneath the city. To their Cobwebs, old rope, and slime-slicked vines clung to the ceiling like macabre crepe-paper streamers. Rotting barrels, long f

Grinning, Lessa regarded her newest groupmates. It had been a long time since she'd teamed up with strangers, especially those who were so low-level. Once, she had spent most of her days leading level ones through beginner quests, and training them to survive in Aincrad. But many of them hadn't taken the training seriously, or taken advantage of her kindness in one way or another. When one of her young pupils was killed by a boar, Lessa found herself withdrawing from the social scene. While she still tutored young Players, it was in social studies and English, not swordplay. So much had c

Lessa slanted Mac a grateful smile. She didn't know the man well, but had heard quite a bit about him. None of the rumors had said anything about him being so sweet, or good with children. People were always surprising her. "And my name is Lessa," she continued as soon as Mac fell silent. "I'm a blacksmith too, but not nearly as good at it as Mac is. I can't tell you how many times I've hit my finger with the hammer!" It wasn't a lie per se - she had absolutely fumbled the hammer on more than one occasion. But the in-game mechanics had kept her from feeling the pain. Her attempt at humor was r

♦Lessa The first floor never changed. One might assume that it would, given the sheer volume of Players in the Town of Beginnings. Even half a decade into the game, the population still pressed against the protective walls like an overstuffed suitcase. Of course, instead of dirty laundry or obscenely over-priced souvenirs, Starting City was filled with frightened level-ones, orphans, shopkeepers, and battle-hardened Players who looked to lose themselves in the crowds. Then there were the oddballs, who wandered the busy streets without any real motivation. They had no destination in m

"I-I guess so," she replied, somewhat shakily. It had been a while since she had interacted with children, and she had never expected to do so while searching for a boss room. But Baldur might be on to something, and besides, this was her first time. Who was to say that asking children for directions wasn't what you were supposed to do? Still, the blonde hung back a few paces while Baldur approached the NPCs. Dirt and grime caked their skin, and the faint sheen of grease in their hair spoke of infrequent bathing. Are they homeless? Or just a couple of kids playing outside together? Lessa

“Close?” Lessa echoed, then tilted her head in thought, sending her blonde hair slipping over her shoulder. “I’m not sure I would say we are close. Not as close as you and I, at least. But we are guild mates, and I consider her a friend.” A small smile ghosted across her face, the expression oddly wistful. “She’s definitely interesting, yeah. I’d also like to get to know her better, but we haven’t really had the chance. Maybe more adventures like this will make that possible. You're welcome to come along, and we can both spend more time with her." Shifting her gaze, Lessa stared at NIGHT'

With mixed emotions, Lessa studied Bahr's crumpled face. The completion of the floor boss raid, and the fact that no one died, was cause for celebration. Yet nothing about Bahr's tone, posture, or expression spoke of joy. Instead, she found only annoyance. This was not an unusual mood for Bahr - he had a habit of holding himself to lofty standards, and was often too hard on himself - but it felt so out of place here. In her clean, cozy kitchen, warmed by the crackling fire and the midday sun, she always found positivity. One more thing that just feels off today. "I guess that's something

"Blue haori and katana, huh?" She muttered the words, more to herself than to NIGHT, as her companion began moving away. In truth, the combination was far from unusual. Many katana users opted for the more traditional light armor, so that weapon plus a haori did not promise anything. But also blue? Hope bubbled in Lessa as she finally trotted after NIGHT, her blonde hair bouncing, her boot heels clapping against the stone. She considered asking her guildmate about her suspicion, but eventually decided against it. Was there any way to be sure NIGHT and Baldur actually knew each other? They were

The message came out of the blue. Of course, that wasn't saying much, as just about every message caught Lessa off-guard these days. While she wasn't reaching hermit status the way she had a few years prior, she didn't consider herself especially social, either. Expecting a message from Bahr or Alkor, the woman's eyes widened as she noted the sender's name. NIGHT? They were guildmates, but they hadn't spoken in quite some time. Additionally, the vagueness of the message first interested her, then concerned her. to: NIGHT Lessa: Yeah, I'm here. Lessa: Why, what's wrong? Is everything oka

"That didn't take long." The NPC gave both Lessa and Roxis approving nods as they approached. "It seems my compass proved useful?" "It did, yeah," Lessa replied, handing it over with a small smile. "Honestly, I wish I could hold onto it. It really came in handy." With a soft chuckle, Giovanna accepted the tool, then slid it into the pocket of her apron. "This is a rare item, and unfortunately, I cannot simply give it away to anyone who asks." With a small smile of her own, she glanced between the two players standing before her. "Regardless of how much I might enjoy their company."

As his body drifted into hers, she let out a quick laugh, and returned the gentle bump with one of her own. Then she simply settled in to listen to him speak. Baldur's words carried a certain weight that she had always found fascinating. The same sentences could come from anyone else's lips, but from his, they boomed like a general's rallying cry. He inspired her, excited her, and made her feel like she could accomplish anything. Those mountains he had talked about? After a Baldur-quality pep-talk, maybe she could climb them after all. "You know," she cut in when he paused for a breath, "

As Roxis punted the rock like a bona fide football kicker, Lessa watched it soar down the path. Then her blue eyes flashed open when the item caught the light, and began to shimmer brilliantly. Plain old rocks definitely did not shimmer, and in response, she took a lunging step forward. Her mouth opened to call a warning, but it appeared that Roxis made the same realization she did, at about the same time. When he took off after his prized possession, she slowed back to a walk. When her companion thrust the Shard into the air and waved it around, she found herself expecting him to jump up

Lessa pursed her lips in thought, but after a moment, shook her head. "It kind of depends on what you're into," she answered. "I have a list of pretty good places, and they're all different. There's a pizza place, a noodle place, a place with really good cheeseburgers." As she listed off the possibilities, she ticked them off on her finger. "And there's a place that does really good burritos. You don't find too many Mexican places in Aincrad though, so it's normally really busy." Pausing, she slanted Roxis a look. "Any of these sounding good to you?" As they walked, a chunk of rock protru

With a careless wave of her hand, Lessa dismissed the notion. "It wouldn't bother me at all, and you definitely wouldn't be a burden. Honestly, it would be nice to have some company. I don't craft very much these days, mostly because it feels too much like busy work. Having someone else in the shop with me might be just the change of pace that I need." When Roxis expressed his concerns with the compass, the woman frowned in sympathy. She had definitely lucked out with her early find, but she knew what it meant to spend hours searching for a quest item. "I'm sorry about that," she explaine

“I’m sure you’d be great,” Lessa countered. “Besides, we’re lucky enough that the system can bridge a lot of gaps.” She walked along beside him, gaze picking through the grass for materials she could use in her forge. “I figure I’d have made a decent enough blacksmith in the real world. I was always physically strong, and I never minded the hard work, or getting dirty. But ‘tap something three times and it turns into a sword’ good? I could never do that. The game sucks in about a billion ways, but at least it helps us with our crafts.” No clumps of ore caught her attention, so she shifted

Pain flashed in the woman's blue eyes, but it did not extend to her facial features. Instead, she merely offered Roxis a small smile, then nodded. "Sure," she answered. She stood a moment, watching the other Player move on ahead while she attempted to bury the hurt. Why? Why had he made the decision to join the game, knowing full-well what he was doing? He could have stayed in the real world, surrounded by the familiar, and the people who loved him. Instead, he had donned the Nerve Gear, and signed himself into this prison as if it were some fancy hotel. And he preferred this world? Perha

After half a decade in Aincrad, very little surprised Lessa anymore. Of course, Roxis' statement, and the nonchalant way in which he delivered it, completely blindsided her. As her blue eyes widened in shock, she nearly bobbled the compass. "You- I- what?" Those were the only three words she could manage when she finally picked her jaw up out of the grass. Then she inhaled, exhaled, and asked, "You just joined? I mean, after all this time, and after you saw what happened to all of us? You still joined the game?" She looked as though she might say something else, but the compass suddenly

"The Demonic Shard?" Lessa asked, then shook her head. "No, I've never heard of it before. And honestly, I can't know if it has always existed, and I've just missed it, or if it is new with the update." At the mention of the world-wide patch, Lessa's lips drew into a thin line. "So much has changed since the big overhaul. New quests, new NPCs, new locations, and new items. So it wouldn't surprise me if the Demonic Shard was one of them." The compass' needle began to tremble slightly, and the woman came to an abrupt halt. Her gaze remained fixed on the tool, and she mumbled, "I think we mi

I know it's not canon, but I like to imagine your characters have a nice little subdivision somewhere.

Col has been sent for item junking.

Red-rimmed eyes went wide as Bahr spoke, then narrowed again. This time, it was Lessa's turn to be confused. "I- what?" Given all of the muddled thoughts splashing about in her brain, that was honestly the best she could come up with. Shaking her head slowly for a few seconds allowed her time to sort her thoughts, but in the end, it didn't do much good. "The confines of the boss' chamber?" Did he really not know what had gone on outside of that boss room? "Uh, hey," she began suddenly, shifting a bit to draw further away from him. "Would you mind if we went inside? We could grab something

"Yup," the blonde responded, motioning in the direction they were already walking. "There's a clearing not too far outside of town. That's where I last heard the quest-giver was camped out. Apparently, she moves around a lot. But if we're lucky, she'll still be there." After only a few minutes of walking, the pair found themselves at the city gate. "This is where the safe zone ends," Lessa explained conversationally, gesturing to the invisible barrier. "I'm not sure how much time you've spent outside the city, considering how little experience you've had. But if you go this way again, make sur