Lessa

The giggle that bubbled up from Lessa was entirely unexpected, and totally embarrassing. Mortified by the high-pitched, girly sound, Lessa clamped down on it mid-laugh. Then, as if to somehow counteract the sound, she gave a manly clearing of her throat. "Well," she began, letting her gaze skip away from his. "I, uh, yeah. Thanks." Thanks. Why don't you let this man shower you with praise, compliment your good looks, and even describe how attractive you are when you're thinking. All of that after you just gushed over another man, who is dead. Do that, then just follow it up with a bi

Had her words hurt him? Lessa frowned against the darkness, but turned her head to keep the expression from Bahr. Instead, she gazed along the lake's nearest bank, where the trees gave way to a thin strip of sand. Of course it hadn't been her intention to upset him. Besides, had he not been the one who asked for it? He would have known the risk he was taking, requesting that she open up about Alkor. The chance that both of them would walk away wounded. But he'd asked, and she'd answered. She'd been completely honest with him, and with herself, which was a first where Alkor was concerned. That

The knee-jerk reaction had the words spilling from her mouth before they could be stopped. “But we weren’t dating, so-“ Realization dawned, and with a huff of expelled air, Lessa let her head drop into her hands. She stayed that way for a moment, then muttered, “What the hell?” She’d had the same reaction that day at the White Rabbit, and every time someone had asked about Alkor. Of course she didn’t love him, she couldn’t have. They weren’t dating. Mari loved him, because she was allowed to. But not Lessa. It was likely the stupidest line of thinking she had ever heard of, and the woman

By the time the coat settled over her shoulders, Lessa's face was the same color as the material. There was embarrassment, as the gesture was so old-fashioned. It was so like him, the perfect gentleman - a far cry from the man she'd met at the Monument. He'd been dismissive, and somewhat short with her. But had she not been the same with him? They'd come a long way. They had so much more ahead of them. Mostly, she was impossibly pleased by the whole thing. It was probably the Aincrad equivalent of being given a boy's varsity jacket. Were they going steady now? Foolishly delighted, she pul

Frankly, Lessa wasn't entirely sure what she'd been expecting. Anger, maybe, because she'd brought up another man on the heels of their first kisses? Jealousy? Disappointment? Sympathy? But at first, there were none of those things. There were no words. Drawn as tight as a bowstring after her declaration, she blinked owlishly as Bahr tugged her chair closer. When his arm snaked around her, and drew her quivering body against him, she couldn't stop the strangled sound from escaping her lips. Part of her wanted to cry. It was the same piece that always teetered on the brink of breakdown, tr

Everything was a bit hazy on the edges, as if she'd woken up from a long nap without knowing quite where she was. Where the first kiss had held warmth, this held fire. It also held promise of more, as did the third kiss, and the fourth. When he drew back just enough to speak, her slow sigh mingled with his words, and filled the space between them. "I'd like that," was all she could manage, before she let her forehead press against his. Lessa held there, just letting herself sink into him. And when a single hand rose to cup his cheek, it trembled. Then there was a sudden, familiar weight p

At some point, her gaze had moved from the night sky to Bahr’s profile. Perhaps it was a little rude, considering he was trying to show her things. And it wasn’t even because she already knew much of what he shared; their common interest in space was one more thing to add to the list. Lessa stopped watching the stars because there was something else she’d rather look at. Something far more beautiful, and full of magic. Passion seemed to roll off of Bahr in waves. He spoke with an eagerness she had never heard before, and the animated way in which he shared his knowledge just captiva

“A fixer,” she echoed, a bit of wonder in her tone. It was something Lessa had never even considered. But wasn’t that what she’d really wanted all along? To fix people? She‘d wanted to fix Alkor, and the apathy he wore like armor. She’d tried to fix Baldur, holding him as he wept in the light of mountain crystals. And though she’d sworn it off, had she not also attempted to fix the man who crumpled beside the Monument of Life? “And now you're with me in the dark wherever I go.” Her breath hitched, caught against a sudden lump in her throat. When she finally exhaled, slow and even,

So, that god of cooking? Apparently, it was Bahr. He drifted so effortlessly into her kitchen, and began to make it right again. To say he "picked up where she left off" was wildly inaccurate, in the same way you couldn't just drive a car again after it hit the rail, rolled seventy-nine times, and then promptly burst into flames. So Lessa simply wrapped her arms tightly around herself, and drifted into the background. From a spot on the fringes, she was free to simply watch the wonder that was Chef Bahr. The man commanded the kitchen with a professional's skill, and it was nearly impossible to

Oh. Oh. The first thing she noticed was the warmth. It was in his lips on hers, and the breath that lingered between them. It was in his palm on her cheek, his arm around her waist, and the sheer nearness of him. Then, suddenly, it was in her face, her stomach, her heart. Her senses were filled with him, and he occupied her every thought. Not entirely unlike the past weeks, when she'd found herself wondering about him far more than she cared to admit. She had been caught up in him for a long time, but now, it was far more literal. Later, she would reflect on how their first kiss was

Lessa laughed at the man's suggested nicknames. The pair definitely had the same sense of humor, and she could appreciate that. "What about Bahr the Bahrtender? I could really go for some hard apple cider right about now." She paused for a moment, shrugged, and stated, "I figure it'd be legal now. Though I guess I'm not entirely certain how old I am anymore. Isn't that a weird thought?" The woman trailed off as the reality of that fact dawned on her. When had she had her last birthday? And what day was it, in Aincrad? Blinking owlishly at the racing thoughts, Lessa decided to shove it all asid

While Bahr searched through her incredibly festive closet, Lessa decided to follow his lead, and change into something more comfortable. It was silly, she supposed, not wanting anyone to watch her while she changed. It wasn't like the system would leave her entirely nude during a transition, and wasn't equipping new clothing sort of an in-game mechanic? Or, unequipping. Still, while his back remained turned, she quickly outfitted herself in blue jeans and a loose-fitting pink blouse. It wasn't her usual bumming-around-the-house attire, but she figured Bahr wasn't quite ready for Lessa in her t

With her head buried in a cupboard, Bahr could not see her smile. But the pleasure, and the pride, was evident in her tone. "Thank you. I really love it here. It's peaceful. A sort of escape from the realities of the game, you could say." She emerged with a box of spaghetti noodles, which she plopped unceremoniously on the counter. "I hope pasta is okay with you," she said, turning back to him. "It's sort of-" Her breath caught at the sight of Bahr in her house, at her window. Suddenly scrambling, Lessa cleared her throat and tried again. "Um, its sort of a staple around here. It's one of the

" I feel as though my life would be completely different." What a nice thought, knowing that she'd had such an impact on a person's life. Lessa had hoped to touch lives that way as a teacher, and Sword Art Online had thrown a wrench in her plans. Yet here she was, inside that stupid floating castle, changing someone's life. And hopefully for the better. It was, if Bahr felt the same way she did. She looked forward to his messages, and was always eager to see him again. Even though she had almost died with him, she still felt like - "Last one there cooks supper." "Wha?" was all

I voted yes. At present, I don’t support any sort of in-game reward. I’d hate for someone to join staff only to receive those rewards, and I wouldn’t want anyone to receive an unfair advantage. However, I feel it’s worthwhile to state that this is NOT an uncommon practice. The three other roleplay sites I have staffed have offered gold and experience rewards. Not that it’s wrong or right, just that it’s not unheard of. This isn’t a greedy, power hungry move. And truth be told, I’m disappointed that a staff member would be accused of that, just for wanting a bit more recognition. Did

When the tiny familiar finally made his appearance, Lessa felt her heart melt into mush. "Hi Bajesus," she cooed, blue eyes shimmering with admiration. That impossibly small pig had one hell of an effect on her. Abesently, she wondered if it was an actual game mechanic. Was she inflicted with 'overwhelming cuteness' or something? And when the little guy sneeze, gracelessly sending himself sprawling, she reached for him without thinking."Oh, there you go," she murmured as Bajesus found his feet without aid. "Be careful buddy." At her side, Lessa's own familiar gave a small hum of agreement, wat

You are the light that is blinding me, you're the anchor that I tie to my brain. 'Cause when it feels when I'm lost at sea, you're the song that I sing again and again. They'd been fighting zombies for longer than Lessa realized. As she and Bahr materialized in Coral, she realized that the sun had already reached its zenith. In fact, it was well on it's way toward the horizon, marching dutifully toward the massive mountains. Though the sky was still a cheery blue, she knew it would soon be painted gold with approaching dusk. Sunsets on floor twenty-two were her favorite thing. Or, at le

House Name: Manderley Location: Floor 22 Description: Quiet log cabin nestled between a sprawling lake and towering mountains. Plot Size: Estate {Safe Zone} Rooms: 5/15 House & 1/3 Yard Main House: Bedroom (Lessa) | Living Room (Lessa) | Bathroom (Lessa) | Attic - Storage (Lessa) | Basement (Lessa) Yard: Slime Farm (Lessa) Total Cost: Free (25+ Donor)

Anyone play Ark Survival? Might be fun to have a server going for us.

The sudden crash gave Lessa a start, and she instinctively reached for a blade that wasn't there. Her heart galloped in her chest, and she drew in a deep breath to calm herself. And then, she looked back to Baldur and Minako. Well, at least Lessa considered herself a confident, no-nonsense kind of woman. But there was always a line in the sand, and even the confident, no-nonsense sort could go tumbling over it. As Lessa watched the little santa-clad ViewTube celebrity leap into Baldur's arms, she felt herself stumbling closer to that point of no return. But she managed to draw hersel

There were two conflicting emotions warring within Lessa. One lurked in the shadier, more self-conscious part of her. It was a small green burst of jealousy and doubt, urging her to find offense in the scene. She and Baldur were far from exclusive. Heck, they were not even an “item” yet, as her middle school students would have called it. There was no reason for her to be upset, and yet, the urge to fall back on anger and hurt still flared. Fortunately, that flame was squashed by the more secure, more confident Lessa. True, this version of herself had taken a beating over her first couple

It had been a long time since Lessa had visited the fourth floor. Though many of the memories that lingered there were good, they belonged to a time she hoped to detach herself from. Even friendly ghosts have no place hanging around me, she had decided, a firm commitment to herself that she would spend less time dwelling on the past. The winter wonderland, with its diamond-shard snowflakes and Christmas-year-round spirit was one place that she knew she would have to avoid were she to keep her word. As such, her stomach gave a little flip as she emerged from the transporter. It was that un

I think starting up regular CAH games would be a really nice way to bring the community together. They're easy to jump in and out of, and don't require too much additional planning. We could really do them in addition to any other game, such as Fortnite. I'd also like to recommend games like Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm. The latter is free to play, and the former has free-to-play events fairly often.