Lessa

Lessa wasn't entirely sure what she had been expecting. Learning that she, along with the entirety of Aincrad, had died... well, it couldn't be easy for anyone to come to terms with. She thought maybe he might blow up, cursing the game, its creator, and the harsh reality they never seemed to have any control over. She had seen this anger in him many times before, and knew that it still bubbled just beneath the surface. Try as she may, she had never succeeded in permanently cooling the man's temper. She had prepared herself for the explosion, and the impossibly hot flames that she sometimes sti

꧁༺Lessa༻꧂ Lessa, The Violet Guardian Level: 31 Paragon Level: 41 HP: 780/780 EN: 116/116 Stats: Damage: 32 Mitigation: 142 Accuracy: 4 Battle Healing: 39 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)

His response came only a moment later, the chime of the incoming message sending her heart into her throat. She hadn't expected the swordsman to reply so quickly. Truth be told, she hadn't expected him to reply at all, meaning his speedy return caught her off guard. Lessa dragged her lower lip between her teeth, biting down as she read the six words over and over again. She had practically committed the simple message to memory before tipping her head back against the chair's cushion. She stared at the slanted wooden beams that supported her ceiling, gaze tracing them absently as her mind work

Approved!

"I think its a sixth sense," Lessa responded, crouching to scratch Okami behind the ears. She planted a kiss on the top of the wolf's head seconds before he returned to his butt sniffing. "Wolves just seem to really like me. Maybe I should focus on training familiars. Have a whole pack of wolves at my disposal." She was teasing, of course. Besides, as far as she knew, the game didn't even allow for such things. But she smirked when Riker slapped her with a disapproving, unamused stare. She would absolutely put money on the fact her familiar knew exactly what she was saying, and it delighted he

At the mention of peppermint hot chocolate, Lessa's eyes lit up. Aside from caramel hot apple cider, flavored hot chocolate was her absolute favorite warm drink. She hadn't considered picking up anything except information while at the Pumpkin, but now she didn't see the harm. "Yeah, definitely," came her eager reply. "That sounds amazing. And thanks for remembering I don't like coffee. You've got a great memory." With one hand, she motioned to their surroundings. "It must come with the territory though." She grinned at him, and when he turned his back, she swung her attention to Oji. Wit

꧁༺Lessa༻꧂ Lessa, The Violet Guardian Level: 31 Paragon Level: 39 HP: 820/820 EN: 114/114 Stats: Damage: 23 Mitigation: 122 Battle Healing: 41 H.M.: 8 HLY: 8 THRNS: 72 LD: 3 Equipped Gear: Weapon: Arcael's Might (T4 THSS - DMG DMG DMG HLY) Armor: Empress Armor (T4 HA - HM HM THNS THNS) Misc: Purple Hair Ribbon (T2 TRINKET - LD3) Skills: Straight Sword R5 He

“Huh?” She muttered the word dumbly, blue eyes glazed over as her brain stuttered. Kissing? Freyd couldn’t have surprised her more if he’d kissed her himself. When she finally sorted through the absurd question, no humor lit her expression. Instead, shadows whispered across her face, lips turning down at the edges. Her jaw clenched as she thought of the last kiss she’d shared, and the long months that had passed since. Then, as quickly as it had come, the storm cleared, and Lessa adopted an amused smirk. “Me? Kissing this guy?” She leaned over to shoulder bump her friend, feigning sh

Lessa had never feared taking charge. Even before Ainrad, Alyssa had been willing to step up whenever the situation called for it. Sometimes, this manifested as playing mediator for her brothers, parents, or school friends. Other times, it meant taking the bulk of the work in a group project. And, of course, she shined on the stage while in high school. But in the Floor 26 boss meeting, Lessa found herself shrinking back into her seat. She knew it was wrong, but she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole, rescuing her from the oppressive weight in the air. When had she last

A grin bloomed across Lessa's face as she recognized the Player and familiar on the other side. "Hey hey, Koga," she greeted warmly, reaching out to pat the man on the arm. "It's really great to see you. You too, Okami." As she addressed the other wolf, she stooped down to rub the familiar behind the ear. At the same moment, Riker bounded over, and began to sniff at his new companion. "Yup," Lessa decided, propping her hands on her hips. "This definitely feels like a case of deja vu." When her friend asked his question, some of the good natured humor left Lessa's blue eyes, and her smile

꧁༺Lessa༻꧂ Lessa, The Violet Guardian Level: 31 Paragon Level: 39 HP: 820/820 EN: 114/114 Stats: Damage: 23 Mitigation: 122 Accuracy: 2 Battle Healing: 41 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) Skills:

A smile broke across Lessa’s face as Baldur shoulder bumped her. It had become their “thing,” a gentle reminder of nearness and unwavering support. She appreciated it, and him, especially in those moments of uncertainty. The weight that had settled across her shoulders lifted - at least for the moment. Freyd’s declaration, though intense, also helped to reassure her. However, as the conversation continued to flow, something nagged at her. A few different times, Lessa tentatively lifted her hand into the air, then dropped it again, like a student unsure of her answer to the problem on the

꧁༺Lessa༻꧂ Lessa, The Violet Guardian Level: 31 Paragon Level: 39 HP: 820/820 EN: 114/114 Stats: Damage: 23 Mitigation: 122 Accuracy: 2 Battle Healing: 41 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) Skills:

꧁༺Lessa༻꧂ Lessa, The Violet Guardian Level: 31 Paragon Level: 39 HP: 820/820 EN: 114/114 Stats: Damage: 23 Mitigation: 122 Accuracy: 2 Battle Healing: 41 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) Skills:

[Floor 26] Floor Boss Sign-Ups If you'll be participating in the upcoming floor boss fight, please post here. This is an OOC post - it does not need to be in character, and you will receive no rewards from it. The boss fight will begin the first week of November, a few days after the meeting is concluded. Breaks will be given for holidays should the fight take that long. This fight will be limited to three character per writer (so you are welcome to bring along two alts). You may post on each account you plan on bringing, or simply post a list of the names with one account. Si

Closed to Alkor The steam climbed the cool air, bringing with it the impossibly sweet scent of apples, caramel, and cinnamon. Lessa breathed in like a drowning woman reaching the surface, filling every part of her with the familiar aroma. But when she exhaled, her own breath mingling with the vapor, she found herself wholly unsatisfied. Lifting the steaming mug, she pressed it against forehead, relishing in the way the heat permeated her cold skin. The spark of warmth raced through her system, but did little to fight off the chill that never seemed far off. And as her blue eyes open

Closed to Baldur "I really appreciate your letting me do this." Lessa glanced around the horse's rear end to beam a grin at the old woman. The pure, unadulterated joy on her flushed face might have been more at home on a lottery winner, rather than a girl with her hands on a horse's dirty tail. Expertly, she tangled her fingers in the wiry strands, dragging them downward to work out the tangles. "Seriously, I know it was a weird request. It means so much to me that you were willing." The NPC gave a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "It was," she agreed, reaching down to plunge her hand

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