Lessa

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

Applying a couple of Bunny Stamps! 1. Stamp acquired from Easter 2020 Event. Item acquired from Vig's Shop. Name: Empress Armor Roll ID: 188108 Item Type: Heavy Armor Tier: 4 Quality: Perfect Enhancements: Heavy Momentum(2), Thorns Description: A pristine set of armor, forged from Star Silver, an empowered variant of Silver that shines like starlight. Its design is powerful yet elegant, with accents of Celtic blue. The wearer will not miss a single attack in vain, and retribution is brought upon all who strike the wearer. After applying the Bunny Stamp, and adding Th

Night fell on the first floor, bringing with it a cool breeze that rolled down the paved streets. While the Town of Beginnings never slept, what with so many people stuck within it's walls, certain areas were more lively than others. Parks swam with people, and cafes and taverns spilled light and sound onto the crowded sidewalks. On the fringes of the city, however, the crowds thinned. For that reason, Lessa was able to move more freely, glancing at each storefront as she passed it. Oscar's hotdog stand stood empty, which didn't bother her any - she didn't look forward to their next interactio

Not a single quest? Roxis certainly wasn't the first she'd ever met who avoided the game for as long as possible, but most had at least attempted the starter quest lines. He had so much to learn, and Lessa was grateful that she'd bumped into him. If nothing else, she could look out for him, and make sure he picked up a level or two before trying anything really dangerous. "It's pretty easy, once you get the hang of it." The woman summoned her HUD with a flick of her wrist, and with a few button-presses, shared the quest with her new companion. "Just hit the little blue button on your pop-

Continuation from exchange here. Though it was silly, Lessa found herself blushing beneath the stranger's praise. "It's really not all that exciting," she told him. "Though I guess if I'm the first crafter you've seen work, this probably looks like sorcery or something." Her smile never wavered, but the woman tilted her head a bit as she studied the young man. How strange it was, that after so many years, someone could appear so completely out of place. Lessa's stomach lurched as she recalled her own fascination with the world, and her wide-eyed awe in the beginning. But that had been so

"I'd heard it moved around," Lessa whispered to no one in particular, "but I guess I didn't realize it actually did." Awestruck, Lessa studied the tidy campsite. Though it looked just the same as the last time she had visited, it was constructed in an entirely different location. A smile bloomed across her lips, and with an appreciative sigh, she said, "That's so cool." As quietly as possible, the swordswoman approached the center of the site. "Hi there," she called out in greeting, though she suspected she would receive no answer. "I'm here for a few more items. I hope that's alright. Th

Friends BAHR Best friend. Red coat, god sword. Emperor of Tarot Hierarchy. Met him at the Monument. Then he almost killed me. Turned out okay though. [ journal ] ALKOR First person I met in Aincrad. Tall, dark, and edgy. Hermit of Tarot Hierarchy. Didn't actually die. Met him my first day here. We became friends, then we lost touch. [ journal ]

They walked across the tundra together, the Empress and the Gaijin Samurai. Of course, they had known each other far before such titles came into being, and Lessa found that fact oddly comforting. Equally comforting was the gentle, rolling way with which he told his tale. It was far from monotone, but it also avoided being loud overly expressive, either. Somewhere in between, she decided. This was not a parent telling a child a story. Rather, this was a friend confiding in a friend. A mentor teaching a pupil. And once he had concluded sharing his memory, Lessa found herself oddly disappointed

He was there, and the relief that exploded from her lips came on a hard sigh as her body crashed into his. Tremors racked through her, and though her legs went to jell-o, the snowy-haired swordsman supported her. Just as he always does. The hand he pressed to her neck was cool, a welcome relief to the hot sweat that had broken out over her flushed skin. She focused on it, and the force with which he possessively held her against him. She focused on the rapid-fire beat of his racing heart as she screwed her eyes closed. She focused on the familiar smell of him, and the sensation of his cot

The jingle of the bells at her door was something she hadn’t heard in a while. Even as the stranger stepped inside, Lessa stepped away from her forge and behind the counter. In that simple movement, she shifted from blacksmith to saleswoman. As she expected a mere traveler, she was startled when he requested her by name. ”I’m Lessa,” she answered with a grin. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” When the man explained his vision, Lessa nodded. “Sure, I can do that for you no problem. Just hang on one sec.” A couple minutes later, she returned with his sword. “It’s only a rare, but it shoul

She woke to a tongue on her face. "Stoppp," Lessa murmured groggily, though a small, coy smile curled across her chapped lips. If he wanted to wake her up with sloppy kisses, who was she to refuse? It was only when Bahr began to whimper in a strangely animalistic way that the woman finally blinked open her eyes. Even through the sleep gunk, she managed to make out the hairy face of, not Bahr, but Riker. Eyes like crushed stars bore into her, swirling with an oddly intense concern. With each heavy pant, he blasted her with hot breath and spittle. Disgust and disappointment crashed thr