[PP-F2] Let There Be Light (Keith, Lessa)

[Guest]

It was late noon on Floor 2, the sun was preparing to go into it's sunset program for the day, and signify the coming of night. Keith, whom had been going through some thinking recently, had almost come back around after the previous events. Most would call him naive, but he liked to consider himself an optimist. The carbuncle on his shoulder tensed up and yipped, stopping Keith's evening walk through the street. Being a player with a cursor like his was troublesome, making him forbidden in towns. But in this case, most guards were on the east side of town at this time. And he only got this cursor for protecting others, taking out players whom he nicknamed "Mavericks". Keith pulled his hands out of his pockets and placed one on the familiar's head, patting it slightly.

 

"What's up Ruby? Is Timmy stuck in the well again?" Keith joked, as the little carbuncle yipped with more sass, and hopped off his shoulder, darting off down the street and making a turn for one of the alleyways between the buildings. The Blue Blader stood there with a stupid expression as he registered what happened. He blinked once, and then tensed up, running after his pet. "Ruby! Come back! Can someone lend a hand!?" He called out, taking after the speeding purple blur.

[Lessa 1]

If the carbuncle had not been chirping excitedly, Lessa may have stepped on it. The blonde's mind was elsewhere as she walked through the city, letting her feet carry her anywhere that they desired to go. She wandered across parks, down cities, and through alleys, her hands shoved deep in her pockets, her dulled blue eyes staring straight ahead. There was a lot to think about. The past weeks had been spent aiding other players, reaching out to her remaining Guardians, and burying herself in her training. There had been little time for fun or reflection, but that was alright. She feared pausing to take a breath might result in a total breakdown. She was doing alright. She was, for the most part, finished mourning Alkor. And now it was time to move on. She just had to press forward. If she stopped, who knew what might happen.

But the purple creature's high-pitched cries had caused her to glance down. Realization crossed her face as she stooped down and gently cradled it with her hands. It seemed to like her well enough, and did not protest as she slowly scooped it up and rose to her feet. Holding the creature close to her chest, she felt it cuddle closer. For the first time all day, her lips curled into a smile.

She was standing there, cuddling the carbuncle, when Keith turned the corner. His panicked expression and wide eyes revealed he had been searching for the creature, and she nodded toward him. "I suppose you're looking for this sweet thing," she told him.

[Guest]

[Zelrius? XD]

 

Keith blinked as he turned a corner, seeing his pet being held by a familiar face. "Ruby! Don't run off like that! You know how worked up I get..." Keith said with a sigh, walking over and scratching the carbuncle behind the ears. His pet Ruby was all he really had left to remind him of the older days. Keith did have a familiar before Ruby, but there was an incident. Seemingly, Ruby was Keith's only friend left after most of them disappeared. Keith and his wife, Cicila, had always considered him a pet of sorts. That was before she passed away. Since then, not even Ruby has had the same energy before the September Incident. 

 

"Thank you so much for catching him. I don't know what I would do if I lost him here..." Carbuncles were and extraordinarily rare monster in SAO. Especially on the shorter floors. Only one spawned every six months, and their materials were valued at staggering amounts. Keith, however, decided that taming one might have been a better option for him at the time. Seemingly the only player in SAO to have a Carbuncle familiar, many players have offered him col and items for it, to which he always refused. Ruby was his best friend. And he always got scared when Ruby wandered off, opening the possibility for a player with loose morals to just take him. "Seriously, I can't express it enough. Anything I can do to make it up to you?" Keith asked, smiling happily as he looked up from the carbuncle, who lightly licked his fingers, an into the eyes of Lessa.

[Lessa 1]

(( Sorry! I had my PP with Zel up in the other tab. That's what I get for multitasking. But I've fixed it. ))

The creature clearly knew who its master was, and the moment Keith grew near, it began to react. Shifting its weight back and forth excitedly in her hands, the carbuncle chirped louder, and did not seem satisfied until the man's fingers scratched it gently behind the ears. Lessa watched the scene with a small smile, enjoying the interaction between the man and his familiar. He treated the animal much like she would have treated a dog or a cat back home. The sheer thought of it tugged at her heartstrings, and made her once again wish for the safety and familiarity of her family's ranch.

When he asked her about making it up to her, the blonde shook her head. "Oh no," she replied, "there is no need for that. I am just thankful that Ruby was not hurt or stolen. A familiar like this is pretty popular, I imagine." Carefully, Lessa extended her hands toward Keith. They stood close to one another, but it still took a bit of concentration to ease the carbuncle out of her hands and into his. "He does seem very relieved to see you."

[Guest]

The carbuncle made a sassy little yip, closing it's eyes and smiling smugly when Lessa inquired it's popularity, an it's rarity. "Heh... Yeah, he's a little too popular for his own good." Keith said with a smirk, as the Carbuncle squirmed again, out of Lessa's and bounded toward the alley again. "Aw, shoot... Really?" Keith said with a sigh, jogging after the carbuncle. As he followed up, he came to a stop, seeing the Carbuncle standing by a crying woman. Judging by the crystal coloration over her head, she was a quest giver.

 

Keith waled over to her slowly, as Ruby scurried up Keith's leg and under his vest, popping up again on his shoulder, Ruby's favorite spot to sit. He approached the lady slowly, seeing a quest update pop up. He pressed 'Accept' without even reading the details. Keith wasn't exactly patient, and would just follow the objectives on his HUD instead of reading the whole quest. Before turning to leave, Keith remembered the last time he was out alone. A shiver ran down his back and he turned around to Lessa, quickly sending her a party invite. "Say, wanna tag along? I feel like you and I have a lot we could talk about together, seeing as we're both animal lovers." Keith inquird, as Ruby nodded with a whole. "Please come, if not for him than for me." kind of expression.

[Lessa 1]

A small gasp escaped her lips as the carbuncle leapt from her hands. Out of instinct, she grabbed madly, but her hands found nothing but empty air. Ruby moved far too quickly, and before Lessa could understood what was going on, the purple creature was bounding deeper into the alley. Out of concern for the familiar, the player moved into run behind Keith. The pair loped after the fast-moving carbuncle, and only came to a rest when they reached the NPC.

A crying woman? Lessa thought to herself. She had never seen this particular NPC before, which meant it was a quest she was entirely unfamiliar with. What were the odds, finding a new quest on the first floor a year into the game? Are there new quests that only become available after a certain amount of time has passed?

A party invite, and Keith's voice, snapped her back to reality. "Hmm?" Lessa mumbled, glancing up toward the man. When she comprehended what he had asked her, she hurriedly added, "oh, sure. I can do that." She nodded, before confessing, "it would be nice to spend some time with someone new."

[Guest]

Keith smirked and opened up his map. "Sweet! We'll get this thing done in no time at all!" He then looked at the map and his expression faded, seeing the cave they needed to go to was all the way on the other side of the Floor, up on a mountain side. "...Whaaaaat? This is going to take foreveeeer..." He whined, while Ruby just simply rolled his eyes. Seemingly, Ruby had to put up with Keith's short attention span quite a lot.

 

"I bet they don't even have any food on the way there..." Keith whined again, before Ruby gave him a little slap across the face with his tail, making Keith mumble and rub his cheek. "Alright, alright, sheesh... Guess we'll get a move on." He said, looking over to Lessa. "Do you need any supplies or items before we head out? Floor 2 is usually the best spot for exploration gear."

[Lessa 1]

She laughed. That single peal of laughter transformed into a fit of giggles, and the woman had to clamp a hand over her mouth to muffle the noise. Her face was flushed from the laughter and the embarrassment by the time she was able to speak. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Its just that you and Ruby get along so well. Its so funny to watch you two interact." She wiped at a tear that had collected in the corner of her right eye. "Its been a long time since I've seen something so genuine. And," she confessed with another small laugh, "a long time since I've laughed that hard. So I guess I have to thank you for that."

 

Lessa moved up behind the man, brushing his shoulder slightly as she peered at his HUD. "Does look like a bit of a trek," she agreed, nodding. "But I'm up for it if you are. I can't think of anything else that I need."

[Guest]

Keith tilted his head slightly as he pondered, tapping his lower lip in thought. "Well, I wanna go fast, so we should just skip supplies." Keith confirmed, his "Get it done fast and get it done right" attitude taking hold of his choice making. He closed the map and then looked up at the mountains, stretching slightly as he stifled a yawn. "Well, guess we got a long way of chit-chat to do, seeing as how almost no monsters spawn in the way between the town and the mountain." He said, rubbing the back of his head and ruffling up his blue hair.

 

"Say, since you're so fond of animals, how come you haven't gotten a familiar yourself? There are plenty out there, and most have a likable personality." Keith said, smirking as he rubbed Ruby behind the ears, who purred and let him scratch. "Well, except this sassy little attention hog." Keith said with a chuckle, as Ruby opened his eyes and made a "Wow, really?" Kind of face. 

[Lessa 1]

At his question, the young woman's face hardened. Blue orbs, which had once been clear and laughing, clouded. Lessa withdrew into herself, reflecting on what he had asked of her. It had been a simple question, and perhaps it was accompanied by an equally simple answer. I had one, but I let him go. It was an easy enough thing to say. But he would ask why, and she would have to tell him eventually. Perhaps it was wiser to simply explain everything.

 

"I had a familiar," she began slowly. "Orion. He was a stoat. The cutest thing, and so smart." She paused to take a deep breath. After exhaling, she said, "but I released him a few weeks ago. I-" It was clear she was struggling with her words, but she shoved through. This needed to be said. "I was in a tough spot. I had lost someone very close to me, and I felt like there was nothing else here for me." Finally, "I was going to jump. And I did not want to have him there for that."

[Guest]

Keith's usual keen and eager eyes became that of regret, instantly wishing he hadn't asked. So, he did what he had to in order to try and mend his wrong. He stepped forward, opening his arms and pulling Lessa into a hug, patting her on the back gently as he whispered. "I... I feel your pain. I had a familiar before Ruby. He was killed by a maverick and I... Blamed myself for it... Not only that, but I've lost a lot of people close to me because of stupid things I've done." 

 

Keith choked slightly, feeling like he needed the hug just as much as she did. It's a really awful feeling, isn't it? When you try to stop something, and then it happened anyway?" Keith said, while Ruby crawled onto Lessa's shoulder, huggling up against her cheek, trying to comfort her. Keith was no guest to loss, he was basically a full-time resident to it at this time. "If you ever need someone to talk to about it, I'm a pretty good listener." He said, patting her back again.

[Lessa 1]

As he stepped forward, Lessa's body tensed. She had only known this man for a matter of moments, and though they stood in a safe zone, his sudden movement put her on edge. Back home, before Sword Art Online, she would not have been at all put-off by an action like this. But nearly a year of living on-edge had transformed Lessa into someone she hardly recognized.

And suddenly, his arms were around her. When he pulled her small frame closer, and she was finally able to comprehend what was happening, she took a small step closer to him. Surrounded by the warmth and security offered by this man, the blonde felt herself melt into the embrace. Her arms snaked around his waist, and her forehead rest on his shoulder.

It had been a very long time since Lessa had been held, even by a stranger. Surely, he had no idea how much the innocent act meant to her, and perhaps he never would. But for now, the girl simply enjoyed it, focusing on his hand on her back, and the sensation of his warm breath in her ear. And when when Ruby scurried onto her shoulder and burrowed into the crook of her neck, the girl let out a small, breathy laugh.

"Thank you," she told him simply, though her tone said so much more.

[Guest]

Keith held her a little longer before stepping back, letting Ruby stay on her shoulder seeing as how she needed the comfort, and he smiled brightly as he adjusted his vest. "Well, ready to get a move on again? We're only half-way there and night time is a-comin." He said happily, glad he could've helped her feel better. More or less, that was how his little sister had always cheered people up. She always gave hugs and remained optimistic about everything. Keith always did learn a thing or two from her, and even though no one had seen her in SAO for quite some time, he still devoted himself to try and get out, just to find her.

 

The whole idea she was just one room away in the real world, yet possibly hundreds of miles away in SAO baffled him. He still shook the idea off, and turned his attention back to the journey ahead. "A-Anyway... Knowing quests like these, there's probably gonna be some higher up monsters keeping us from the real goal, so you ready to kill mobs and take names?" He said, as they drew nearer to the mountain.

[Lessa 1]

Finally, he drew back, leaving the woman feeling much better. Somehow, the human contact had rejuvenated her, and she was even able to muster a smile as she reached up for Ruby. The carbuncle, who still sat daintily upon her shoulder, licked at the woman's fingertips. Lessa slipped her fingers into the anima's soft fur, and gave her back a gentle scratch before turning back to Keith. "I am ready," she told him, nodding. As they continued to move toward the mountain, she found herself thinking about the strange pair she had run into for a second time. The first time they had met, Keith had been half-alive in a pile on the ground. She had regarded him with cautious suspicion, unsure of whether or not the player killer might spring up and attack her at any given moment.

Now, they walked side-by-side in a comfortable silence. His familiar occasionally nibbled at her ear lobe, chirping to himself happily as they traveled. For one reason or another, she felt at ease with this man. It was refreshing. Though a small part of her worried about his intentions, her skin still glowed with the warmth of his hug. She had a difficult time forgetting that.

"I was born ready," she quipped when he asked her about the monsters. "In fact, I'm looking forward to it. Its been a while since I've been on a quest with a higher-level player."

[Guest]

As they walked in silence for sometime, Keith's ears perked up as he heard her suddenly talk. "Well... Levels are just a number. Real strength comes from one's fighting spirit." Keith said, not looking back he inspected the mountain, which they were now at the base of. "Huh.... Well, this may be tough. I'm not seeing any kinds of paths up to the cave, which means, we're gonna have to climb the side." Keith said with a sigh, unequiping his vest and katana for better climbing ability. He rolled his arms as if to loosen them up and then stretched his legs, which felt a little stiff from walking so long.

 

"Sometimes, I wonder what the logic behind these quests are. I mean, how does an NPC child get stuck up in a cave on the side of a perfectly leveled cliff?" He said, placing both his hands on some protruding rocks and then one foot on another below him, slowly lifting himself up. "Don't worry about Ruby, he climbs terrain like this every day pretty much." Keith said, reaching up and grabbing another hold, moving up again. Carbuncles were naturally inclined to climb trees and rugged suraces, so Ruby would probably be able to leave him and Lessa behind pretty easily.

[Lessa 1]

The blonde nodded along. "No, I agree with you," she assured him. "I have met some incredibly strong level tens, and some completely hopeless level twenties. It has everything to do with your passion, and your drive to succeed. However, I've spent the last month or so helping new players find their feet." She threw him a sideways glance as they slowed to a stop at the base of the mountains. "I'm talking level ones who have never left the safe zone. It was rewarding work, and it was totally necessary. I know that. Once upon a time, someone helped me the same way. I would not be here without him, and maybe, I can be that person for someone else." With a laugh, she concluded, "that being said, I can only kill so many starter-level boars before I go crazy. This trip will be nice. I've needed more of a challenge, and it is refreshing to have someone new to work with." Reaching up to rub the bridge of her nose, Lessa sighed. "I've been caught up in more drama than I'd like to admit over the past couple of months. I really need this."

Now, finally taking a moment to glance up at the cliff face before her, Lessa also unequipped her gear. Heavy armor did not aid in climbing, and though she was comfortable with Hell Rose strapped to her back, she knew it would throw off her balance. Then, grabbing onto the rocks before her, she hesitantly began to climb. It was slow-going, as she had never done anything quite like it before. Ruby, on the other hand, scurried up the mountain's face as if it were flat terrain. "You weren't kidding," Lessa commented, already out of breath. "Ruby is a natural." Then she snorted, and muttered, "that makes one of us."

[Guest]

Keith nodded, his face already red from exhausted as he tried to make the climb. "I...I Don't know if I can make it.... My fingers are slipping..." Keith rapsed, his grip on the stone loosening as he held onto the wall. If he fell now, it would all be over. Keith struggled to keep on, holding for dear life as he tried to keep himself from falling. He dared not look down, knowing it wouldn't do him any good. He adjusted his grip again, knowing if he fell down, at least Lessa would take good care of Ruby. Keith's grip tightened again, before loosening.

 

His grip slipped. Keith felt air beneath him as he fell, his hands slipping off the rock as images flashed before his eyes. This was it. This was the end. As he fell back, everything seemed to go slower as he fell back from the building, and then he impacted. Keith fell a whopping one foot down, not even enough height to take away one HP from his health. "...Ouch...?" He said, sitting up and looking at the pathetic progress he had made before falling like a wimp.

[Lessa 1]

"Keith!" The blonde cried out, watching the other player lose his hold on the rocks. As if in slow motion, his body slowly peeled itself from the cliff face. On his face was slight confusion mixed with sheer terror. Then, he was gone, crashing to the ground below. Shoving back from the rocks herself, Lessa threw herself to the ground as well. Boots struck the grass-covered earth with a soft thud, and her legs bent slightly to absorb some of the impact.

Falling to her knees beside Keith, she pressed a hand to his shoulder gingerly. "Are you alright?" She questioned, searching his face for signs of injury. Then, the truth of the situation began to slowly dawn on her. The level forty six player killer had fallen a full foot. As she studied him, his body sprawled out on the ground, she felt a laugh bubbling up from the pit of her stomach. Though she attempted to keep it contained by clamping a hand to her mouth, she could not fight it. She was still giggling as Keith sat up. "Maybe we should find some other way?" She suggested gently, though it was no secret she found the situation humorous.

[Guest]

Keith opened his eyes and saw Lessa giggle, and he couldn't help but let his lips stretch into a smile as well. He sat up his elbows and titled his head to the side as he made a small laugh, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb as he smiled childishly. "Yeah... We should probably find some way up there. Little Ruby may get lonely up there soon." Keith said, sitting up and crossing his legs, brushing a few blades of grass off. He then blinked and looked at the time on his HUD, rubbing his neck in thought as he looked at Lessa.

 

"Darn... It's getting late. We could head back and find an inn or we could always just camp out here. I'm fine with either." Keith said, yawning and stretching his arms. Despite his hyper-active attitude, Keith always treated sleeping as though it were the most essential thing in SAO. What a guy. "Either way, Ruby will come back down to sleep with us. And you haven't slept until you've had a carbuncle with you. They're like a plushie, but much softer and snugglier."

[Lessa 1]

At his mention of the small familiar, Lessa glanced upward. It was easy to see the spot they had fallen from, as they had not made too much progress before Keith slipped. But the purple creature was nowhere in sight. "Hope she's alright," the girl whispered to herself. Then, her attention returned to Keith. He had proposed they camp for the night, and she found herself conflicted by his question. It would be much easier to simply sleep out here - the trip to the mountain had taken the good part of a day. However, the thought of sleeping beside the player killer made her uneasy. She still knew very little about him, and she may find herself in a bad situation if she let her guard down around him.

 

Finally, she came to a decision. She would allow them to stay there, but she would refrain from sleeping. If he wanted to take advantage of her in any way, he would do so when he thought she was asleep. Feigning sleep would be easy enough. Perhaps this would be the perfect opportunity to get a feel for who this player really was.

 

"We can camp here," she told him, nodding. Then, good-naturedly, "so long as I get to snuggle with Ruby."