Lessa

"Oh no no, I'm good," Lessa assured Jomei. At the same time, she shoved her face within inches of an old tome, squinting at the handwritten text like a junkie might regard their next hit. Before Jomei could react, she yanked herself back, shaking her head rapidly. "Nope," she reiterated. "I am good. Soooo good. I am not at all obsessed with some dusty old books in the middle of a video game that kills people." She put extra emphasis on each word, as if that were necessary to convince Jomei of her conviction. Still, when she hooked her arm through his and dragged him toward the front door, she did so with a bit more force than was probably necessary. Because, yes, if given the chance to spend eternity in a library, Lessa would absolutely pull a Professor Zei and die right there in those stacks.

Only once they'd reached the street did she step away from him. Summoning her HUD with a twinkle of bells, Lessa busied herself with checking the quest details. "Looks like we need to travel to Dagan first." Her lips pursed as she studied the name. "Dah-gen. Day-gon. Dah-gon. And we need to speak to, uhhhh, Tie-beer-ee-us." Scoffing, she rolled her eyes skyward. "I don't know who picked these ridiculous names. Why can't we have 'Bob' and 'Fred' in, like, cities named after colors or something?"

The pair traveled comfortably, cycling naturally through easy small-talk and companionable silence. Laughter lines had dug themselves deep by the time they reached Dagan, but the moment they reached the city proper, Lessa's smile fell away. "Something's wrong," she stated, pulling away from Jomei, and moving into a jog toward the town hall. Shouts, cries, and panicked voices rained down around her like enemy fire. By the time she found Tiberius, she had drawn her weapon. 

"What's happened?" Lessa demanded by way of greeting.

The gruff old man leveled her with a stare, then answered with a question of his own. "Who's asking?"

Annoyance prickled across her skin, but the Guardian kept her voice steady. "We're here from Ronbaru. Destin sent us, and-"

Tiberius gave a humorless laugh. "I'll happily tell that man and his little society where they can stuff their precious books. Now leave. You're not welcome here."

꧁༺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) Skills: Straight Sword R5 Heavy Armor R5 Battle Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit Charge Active Mods: Impetus Emergency Recovery Justified Riposte Addons: Iron Skin Ferocity Stamina Active Extra Skills: Parry Survival Battle Ready Inventory: Teleportation Crystal x5 Mass HP Recovery Crystal x2 Housing Buffs: Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down) Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1] Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll Guild Hall Buffs: Helping Hand: Lowest-leveled guild member receives +10 bonus Exp at the end of the thread. At least half of the thread's participants must be guild members. Limit one use per month, per character. [1/1]

Fingers worrying the starched fabric of her fight attire, Lessa watched NIGHT approach. To her, the woman appeared so put-together - but that had always been the case. The dark-haired beauty had always seemed to carry herself with a certain... assuredness? It wasn't confidence, exactly, but it also wasn't ease. It certainly wasn't apathy, as Lessa recognized within NIGHT the same spark she often felt herself. But something in how her company-mate operated worked to calm Lessa's nerves. NIGHT knew what she was doing. NIGHT had the situation under control.

NIGHT is absolutely going to mop the floor with you.

Maybe the corner of Lessa's smile dipped a bit as she greeted NIGHT with a nod, and maybe she tried make wiping her sweaty palm on her pants super casual. When NIGHT spoke, the blonde's stomach flip-flopped uncomfortably. "I don't want it to be like that," she replied dumbly, instinct bringing her free hand to the nape of her neck where her fingers probed the permanent knot there. "No silver platters or anything. Let's just see where it goes, yeah?"

Since that sounded incredibly stupid, she blew out a hard breath, sending her blonde bangs flying. "I'm bad at this," Lessa stated. "At PvP, but mostly at PvP with people I care about. I've had to do it a lot, and it hasn't gotten any easier. Last round was..." An involuntary shudder ran through her, so she let the words hang for a few seconds. Then, "Maybe we can just try to make this fun?"

"No," came her knee-jerk answer, grief-stricken expression never wavering as she watched the bound captain. Half a dozen armed men surrounded the man, and though Daemon Xandis wore a brave face, Lessa could see his jaw clenching and unclenching anxiously. The NPC, who had never been anything but kind to her, was in genuine trouble. His people, the innocent Ladonians, were likely in a similar predicament below decks. They don't deserve this.

"I'm not sure if this is some sort of messed up event or what," Lessa muttered, words spouting from her lips like water from a faucet, "but it's honestly horrible. I'm so sick of these events causing the deaths of NPCs. Its cruel, and I swear, this floor has so many of them that I-"

Her head snapped up suddenly, blue eyes blazing as she met Jomei's gaze. "Wait, yes, I do. I do have an idea." With one hand, she motioned toward the stairs that led downward. "We can't do anything until the NPCs are safe. They're the bargaining chip here - we can't make a move while their lives are on the line." The lines of her round face hardened as she amended, "At least, most of us won't. We aren't willing to play hard and fast with them. But, if their safety is guaranteed, we could potentially plan a combined attack." Pausing, Lessa surveyed the handful of Players surrounding her, then gave a short nod. "We could take him, I think, if we worked together. But not until the NPCs are safe."

With a swoosh of cobalt fabric, she turned toward the staircase. "I'm going down to check on the NPCs. If I can incapacitate those guards, we'll at least open the doors to future attacks, right? And if I draw this Loughran guy down, then you can grab Captain Xandis." 

A sudden need for physical touch had her reaching for Jomei's forearm, and as she gave it a small squeeze, Lessa flashed him a grin. "I'll see about hijacking one of those smaller ships and loading the NPCs while I'm down there." She was only half-kidding.

"Now all I need is a distra-"

She called, and the universe answered, the lurching ship sending everyone skittering sideways. Lessa stumbled, her high heels wobbling as she fought for balance. The moment she found it, she thundered toward, then down the stairs.

The pirate was waiting for her at the bottom.

His scarred face twisted with a sneer, and as he stared down his beakish nose at her, he jabbed the air with a curved sword. "No funny business," he warned, and as Lessa instinctively lifted a hand to summon her HUD, he jabbed again. "What'd I say?!"

I'm in high heels, and I definitely do not have a sword hidden in my uncomfortably low-cut dress. Lessa's mind whirred as she stared the man down. I should try to outsmart him somehow. Play the damsel in distress? Flirt? Convince him I'm a turncoat, and I'm on his side? Whatever I do, I have to-

The ship banked a second time, and as Lessa lost her footing, her body moved without conscious thought. Her hands found the back of a small wrought-iron chair, and after she righted herself on it, she swung it at the pirate's head. It met his face with a sickening crack, and his knees buckled.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," she murmured as she hiked up her skirts and leapt over his fallen body. "That was horrible, oh god, never again."

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 champion than the Emerald Duelist. As the burly pirate disarmed Jomei with ease, all of that warm, comfortable confidence exploded past Lessa's lips on a hard exhale. Her blood chilled, the color and the life both draining from her face when that heavy boot crushed the man's chest.

"No," Lessa cried, but her pathetic protest came out more like a helpless kitten's mewl. The sheer sound of it disgusted her, and that red-hot emotion seemed to melt her frozen limbs. With the sharp click of heels, the blonde approached. Not far away, another woman appeared to have the same idea, taunting the pirate captain with a smug smile before summoning a sword art. As the colors burst into existence, so too did Lessa's enormous sword. She gripped it tightly, prepared to swing, then watched the enemy easily side-step the brunette's attack. Lessa faltered.

"I wouldn't." The captain's voice, once loud and commanding, dropped to a low snarl. That, Lessa found, was far scarier. "Your boyfriend here might stand a chance against me." Feigning repulsion, he added, "Maybe. But them?" He motioned over his shoulder, to where one of his men pressed a blade to the neck of a young, terrified serving girl. She winced, and a line of crimson slipped down to pool at the base of her throat, uncomfortably reminiscent of the rubies worn by the partygoers. "If I were you, I'd drop that sword of yours."

That was all it took for Lessa to comply, letting Arcael's Might clatter to the ground. The captain's ruddy face split with a wide, self-assured grin. "I thought so. You!" He jabbed his axe toward one of his men. "Round them up and take them below deck. If they resist, cut a throat or two." His dark eyes danced as he scanned the gathered Players. "That should get our message across."

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 desperation. Closing her eyes for a moment, she let the cool air wash over her skin, and imaged it erasing the pink from her cheeks. Being with a man was a pretty forward thing to say, and the meaning could be misconstrued as... well... there weren't too many ways to interpret it.

So she did what any proper young woman would do in her place - she began shoveling shrimp onto a pretty cocktail plate.

Biting into one, she listened to Jomei's answer. Once she'd made it to the tail, the remainder burst into pixels - a handy perk of the in-game system. "I haven't spent much time in big cities," she confessed, tucking into another shrimp. "I'm not sure how I'd handle it. I'd definitely get lost, that's for sure. I've always been pretty directionally challenged." Pausing, Lessa loosed a breathy, whimsical sigh. The pretty sound contrasted dramatically with the pyramid of shrimp perched precariously on the plate. "But the hiiiiistory. I’d love to go to Europe. I bet you couldn't take two steps without running into something literally older than America. I'd kill for the chance to experience that stuff."

"One day," she stated, with a finality that closed the door on what was left unspoken. If we get out of here.

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 embarrassed by such a fact, Lessa wore it like a badge of honor. "I may have a sharp wit, a great sense of humor, and stunning good looks, but I cannot offer you fifty shrimp."

She turned her back to the setting sun, her cobalt dress a sharp contrast to the vivid pastels painting the sky. "Speaking of," she continued lightly, something mischievous flaring in her lake-blue eyes, "what do you say we go check out what kind of food this place has to offer?"

After a moment's silence, Lessa found herself speaking simply to fill the space between them. She'd nearly forgotten how much she enjoyed talking with the emerald-clad swordsman. "So Yokohama, huh? How'd you like living there? That's a pretty big city, right?" With a sheepish, one-shouldered shrug, she added, "I've never been to Japan, and my knowledge is a bit lacking."

"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 cool kids would say. Or maybe the tradesmen were simply programmed that way.

Regardless, the woman drifted toward the railing, bracing her forearms on the polished wood. Once, when she was in high school, her parents had found the money to take the family on a cruise. It had been a small three-night affair, but the vacation had lodged itself in her memories. One thing she would never forget was the celebration that came with the ship's departure. Music blared from the pool-side DJ, servers circled the upper decks with trays of bubbly champagne, and a sense of elation pulsed through the cruisers as they waved goodbye to the mainland. The memory closed like a vice around her heart, and she blew out a long, slow breath, willing herself not to fixate on how much she missed her family. So many years had passed, but the pain had a way of striking in her most vulnerable moments.

"Have you ever been on a cruise?" she asked suddenly, putting voice to her thoughts as she turned to Jomei. "Weird question, I know, but that's kind of what this reminds me of. The big send-off, the slowly drifting into adventure while a band plays and the sun sets." Lessa turned back to the open air, enjoying the feel of it on her face as the ship took flight. "Of course, the view wasn't nearly as nice as this one."

“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.

”... really, really ridiculously good looking in our gala getup?” Lessa supplied, linking her arm through Jomei’s and giving it a playful squeeze. “Absolutely, yes we are.”

Turning her attention to NIGHT, the woman gave her guild-mate a nod and a smile. “Great to see you, too. As for the event, yeah, I’m basically just hoping it goes off without a hitch. I like big, flashy, dress-up affairs, but I don’t need any additional drama. I’m content with a bunch of food, some dancing, and then home at a reasonable hour.”

When Astralin appeared - Lessa recognized her from Baldur’s tournament - Lessa couldn’t help but grin. “Aw, thank you. You look fantastic, too. Purple really suits you.”

Surrounded by friends and acquaintances, the newcomer caught Lessa by surprise. Still, she smiled and held out a hand to shake. “Really nice to meet you, Jevi. I’m Lessa.”

Finally, she was able to shift her gaze back to Jomei. “I’m ready to get this party started whenever you are,” she informed him.

@Jomei @Nari-Lanreth @NIGHT @Astralin @Jevi

꧁༺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) Skills: Straight Sword R5 Heavy Armor R5 Battle Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit Charge Active Mods: Impetus Emergency Recovery Justified Riposte Addons: Iron Skin Ferocity Stamina Active Extra Skills: Parry Survival Battle Ready Inventory: Teleportation Crystal x5 Mass HP Recovery Crystal x2 Housing Buffs: Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down) Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1] Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll Guild Hall Buffs: Helping Hand: Lowest-leveled guild member receives +10 bonus Exp at the end of the thread. At least half of the thread's participants must be guild members. Limit one use per month, per character. [1/1]

As friends, of course! 

Lessa stared at the postscript for a handful of long, unblinking seconds. Then she burst into riotous laughter, the sound filling her living room, and bringing Riker loping in to check on her. "As friends, of course," she repeated to the wolf familiar, reaching up to swipe away a tear. "I can practically see him rushing to clarify, probably embarrassed as hell. Poor guy." Yet even as her peals of laughter softened to rolling chuckles, and Lessa settled deeper into her couch cushions, genuine admiration shone in her blue eyes. It was sweet of him to think of her at all, let alone send her an invite (as indirect as it may be). The truth was, Lessa hadn't planned on attending the big gala. The twenty sixth floor hadn't held much appeal to her after the rebellion event, and she had chose not to participate in the post-floor-clearing shenanigans. She simply wasn't sure if she currently held the mental fortitude to navigate a civil war. And when it came tonight's big party, there was one slightly more pressing issue - Lessa didn't much care for heights.

Still, she found herself unable to compose the polite, apologetic refusal message. Lessa blew out a long, slow breath, gaze dancing along the lines of his invitation even as she tried to make it work in her head. Getting there would be easy enough, as she knew where the Skyship Dock was. She'd just finished eating, so if the food sucked, she wouldn't go hungry. She was having a particularly decent hair day. And there had to be some shop somewhere with at least one affordable formal dress left.

So she pursed her lips, gave a small nod, and wrote a gracious, elegant acceptance.

"Pretty rude of that someone to keep you waiting."

As Jomei had been distracted by the ship's magnificence (and rightfully so), Lessa had made quick work of stealthily moving up behind him. She'd arrived just in time to make her little quip, slipping up beside him as if to say "it's me - I'm the someone." She reached out both hands to squeeze his upper arm, then took a few steps back to examine her red-haired companion. "Danggggg," she drawled, putting altogether too much emphasis on the word. "You clean up good." Her expression softened slightly, some of the silliness seeping from her face as she offered him a small smile. "Green is definitely your color."

Lessa's Outfit

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 documents, scrolls that appeared older than time itself. 

“That’s it,” Lessa stated finally. “I’m never leaving. I’m staying here forever.”

A soft chuckle from behind her startled Lessa out of her reverence. “A long, long time ago,” the man began, smiling from beneath a bushy beard, “I said something very similar. Low and behold, I’m still here, just as promised.”

The blonde grinned back at the NPC, immediately taken with the grandpa figure. “Are you one of the librarians? The keepers of all this great knowledge?”

”I’m not sure there’s a man or woman alive that could possibly contain all of the knowledge held here,” came his honest answer. “But yes, I am a librarian.”

And likely just the man we’re looking for, Lessa found herself thinking. In response, she pushed a little harder. “So what can you tell us about the library?”

The man ran a bony hand down his beard as he gazed across the maze of shelves. “This is a place of learning,” he began.

A few moments later, Lessa had her next quest objective. But she still offered the man a small nod. “We’ll be happy to ask around for you. If anyone can solve this mystery, I figure it’ll be Jomei and I.” Her expression softened, and she added, “You’re in good hands. We’ll let you know what we find out just as soon as we can.”

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.”

The sharp edges of humor dulled, and her expression softened into one of genuine admiration. “After that, we worked together to teach some of the kids who really needed the stability of school. I used to be a teacher, and, well, he’s actually good at math, which is pretty much the only requirement to be my co-teacher.” Lessa turned, gazing down the path from which she’d come, as if she could see Baldur right where she’d left him. “We’ve been through a lot over the years. Bad days, bad relationships - he’s always been there for me. They don’t come any better than Baldur.”

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 scrape of wood on wood. Then she stood, her blue cape cascading down her heavily armored legs to swirl about her ankles. There were very few things that Lessa would miss when they beat the game and returned to the real world. The ability to wear a cape every day and not be judged was absolutely one of those things.

With a sharp salute in Hikoru’s direction, which he returned with a small smile, Lessa led Jomei into the warm sunlight. “It’s a good day for a quest,” she mused aloud, pausing to pat Riker as the wolf joined the pair. “I feel it in my bones. This is gonna be a good one.”

That positivity stayed with her as they made their way to Ronbaru, putting a little pep in her step. “I haven’t spent a whole lot of time on this floor,” she told Jomei as they wandered the city. Blue crystals cast a soft glow across their path. “Honestly, I’m surprised I haven’t hit the library yet. But it’s big enough that it’s pretty hard to miss.” Even as she said the words, she slowed to a stop in front of the massive building. “Looks like something straight out of Washington DC,” she said, awe clear in her words. “I love it already.”

Yet despite her eagerness to get inside, she motioned to her friend. “After you!”

“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. “So, about that dangerous and troublesome adventure?”

She listened intently as her friend spoke, contributing the occasional nod or excited hum where appropriate. When he ended by offering her a choice, Lessa pursed her lips in thought. “I figure we might as well do the quest right,” she answered after a moment. “It’s been a while since something new popped up, and even longer since it caught my attention like this. We should take advantage of that, right?” She brought her drink back to her mouth, but before she drank, she eyed Jomei over the brim. “Plus, I also just really like libraries.”

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 in her tone suggested that, some days, she might be willing to try. Her thoughts briefly flicked back to Alkor. Their fight, and the following conversation, had been desperately needed. They’d danced around each other for years, and despite a willingness to work together, neither had quite known the steps. They certainly weren’t waltzing now, but at least they were no longer stomping on each other’s toes.

“People are complicated,” she suddenly stated, tilting her head back to gaze up at the blanket of twinkling stars.

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 pretty scary. I wouldn’t want to hear you singing that in a dark alley.”

A moment later, she called out again, her tone softer than before. “Hope you’re not mad at me, Jomei! I’ll let you kick snow in my face if it makes you feel better.”

[151]

@Nari-Lanreth @Jomei

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 to kick snow in the man’s face. With a grin, she added, “You deserved that, too.”

At Nari’s taunting, the blonde huffed out a breath, the vapors left hovering in the chilly air. “You sure talk a big game,” she called back.

Pausing, she turned to the Player who had joined her in the assault on Jomei. “My name’s Lessa,” she stated, offering a snow-dusted glove for shaking. “Glad we’re on the same team. You’ve got a heck of an arm.”

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 suggest a truce if we were on opposite teams, since we're friends and all, but-"

The second snowball struck the base of her neck, exploding across her exposed collarbone. She yelped in surprise, one hand slapping across the skin as if a bullet had just entered there. A faint 'hey Lessa, heads up' reached her from somewhere nearby.

"Oh ho ho," she huffed, the fire finally reaching her eyes as she bent to scoop a handful of snow. "Forget it," she called to Jomei, though loudly enough for Nari to hear. "I don't negotiate with terrorists." Only seconds after she lobbed a snowball at the redhead, she was already building another to throw at Nari.

[218] @Jomei @Nari-Lanreth

So what else was there? Tailoring wasn’t an option, even if she’d enjoyed that sort of thing. Moving in on Bahr’s clients didn’t make a whole lot of sense. What about being a cook? At the thought, Lessa choked on a hard, self-deprecating laugh. Her, a cook? Yeah, maybe if she wanted to poison all of Aincrad. Or burn it down. And that was assuming she actually remembered to turn on the stove.

"Wait," she said aloud, slowing to a halt. What was she thinking? Professions were not a reflection of her real-life strengths. Rather, they were an opportunity to try new things. To allow the game to improve her skills. To take risks.

What had she always wanted, but been too chicken to attempt?

Before she could change her mind and chicken out, Lessa ducked inside the tent. When she emerged a few moments later, it was with Maggie Spatulin’s blessing, and a new quest to complete. “Gathering mats,” she mused aloud, long legs carrying her toward the city limits. “Looks like I'm going back to basics.”

Floor 1

Do what you like.

It was a simple enough concept, but Lessa had chewed on the question for the past hour. Oliver had been wise to suggest choosing a profession that she enjoyed, as she would be more likely to stick with it. But what did she actually enjoy doing these days? Fighting? Sleeping? Spending time with her wolf, and with Bahr? Yeah, none of those really pointed to a specific career path.

Lessa reached up and scrubbed at her face with both hands. “Maybe this is a bad idea,” she muttered to no one in particular, her words lost to the dull roar of the first floor crowd. She had enough to worry about, with getting stronger, and rejoining the efforts on the frontlines. Did she really need another pet project? 

What was she even qualified to do? Teaching did not lend itself well to any in-game professions, except maybe performing. And how would she make that work? Record herself giving lectures? No, that was a ridiculous idea. Who would want to listen to her drone on about Thomas Jefferson’s birthday party, or the fall of the Indus Valley Civilization, while they were engaged in combat? Yeah, probably no one.

The laugh burst from her with the sudden force of a cannon. “Sorry,” she muttered when Oliver’s eyes narrowed. “But no, you’re thinking of ‘irrigation.’ ‘Interrogation’ is a little different. It means asking a bunch of questions. It’s what police officers might do with a suspect.”

“Ohhhh.” Oliver nodded sagely. “I see.” Then excitement sparked in his brown eyes as a new thought occurred to him. “Could being a cop be a profession? Like, could I be a cop here in Aincrad?” He beamed. “You’d make a great cop, Alyssa.”

“Thanks, Ollie,” she answered, “so would you.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and steered him closer to her shop, attempting to avoid the players that mingled on the second floor. “But I don’t think criminal justice is currently a profession option.”

“Aw, darn.” The boy stuck out his lower lip in a fleeting pout. Then, apparently already over his disappointment, he smiled again. “So whatcha gonna do?”

Lessa thought for a moment, sighed, shrugged. “I have no idea. What would you do, if you were me?”

Shaking his head, the boy managed another poke before dancing out of her reach. “But I’m not you, so I don’t know what you like. Do what you like.”

Lessa couldn’t stop the smile from unfurling across her chapped lips. She brought a hand to the top of his head, tousled his already unruly hair. “That’s a really good question, kid.”

He ducked his head, shying away from her hand in typical nine year-old boy fashion. But the pleased smile he wore did not go unnoticed. “Aw man,” he drawled, “why’d you do that?”

“Because I can.”

When he straightened again, Oliver drove a single finger into Lessa’s arm. “So whatcha gonna do?” He proceeded to jab her with each additional query. “Are you going to open the shop? Are you going to start making swords again? Are you going to get a new job? Are you going to be a tailor, like Bahr? Are you going-”

The woman reached down and snatched his hand out of the air before he could land another poke. “Hey,” she scolded playfully, “watch it. What’s with the interrogation anyway?”

A beat of silence passed before the boy echoed the word. He spoke slowly, as if testing the way it felt on his tongue. “Interrogation?” He tilted his head, akin to a confused puppy. “Isn’t that like sprinklers and lawns and stuff?”

She blew out a heavy breath, the expelled air sending her bangs flying. Maybe she would be happier with a shop to run, but blacksmithing simply did not appeal to her anymore.

“Whatcha staring at?”

The sudden voice startled Lessa, and her entire body jolted as she whipped around. What she found was wide, laughing brown eyes, flushed cheeks, and a grin too big for a tiny face. “Dang it, Oliver,” she managed, a hand pressed to her heart to keep it from bursting. “Why’d you sneak up on me like that?”

The boy rolled his eyes in dramatic fashion, then answered, “I didn’t sneak up on you. You just weren’t looking for me.” He moved up beside the taller player, placing his hands on his hips, mirroring her pose. He, too, gazed up at the shop. “So you work here?”

“I used to,” she told him, “but it’s been a really long time.”

“But you own it?”

Lessa nodded, “I do.”

A frown creased his forehead as Oliver turned to look at her. “Why would you own something you don’t use?”

Profession Change: Blacksmith to Cook

Floor 2

Wild Rose Forge.

Lessa stared up at the building, hands on her hips, lower lip caught between her teeth. Once, she had been so incredibly proud of the shop, and the work she did there. But something had changed, and the urge to craft had completely left her. How many years had passed since she’d lifted that hammer, or lit that fire? Hell, she wasn’t even sure that the key would fit the lock anymore. What if a squatter had moved into the space, and she hadn’t noticed, considering she never actually went in there anymore?

The woman shook her head, the motion interrupting the endless stream of ‘what-ifs.’ The book was closed on this chapter of her life. It wasn’t like having a profession was mandatory. Sure, crafting was an integral part of the gaming experience. It was a fantastic way to make col, network with people, and fill the free time. It provided a sense of purpose, and… 

꧁༺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) Skills: Straight Sword R5 Heavy Armor R5 Battle Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit Charge Active Mods: Impetus Emergency Recovery Justified Riposte Addons: Iron Skin Ferocity Stamina Active Extra Skills: Parry Survival Battle Ready Inventory: Teleportation Crystal x5 Mass HP Recovery Crystal x2 Housing Buffs: Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down) Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1] Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll Guild Hall Buffs: Helping Hand: Lowest-leveled guild member receives +10 bonus Exp at the end of the thread. At least half of the thread's participants must be guild members. Limit one use per month, per character. [1/1]