[PP F1: Lessa] Side Act: Keeping it Simple

[Astraeus 0]

Astra was at one of the establishments, a late evening as he was going over the very little information he had gathered the day before. He sat in a wooden chair and leaned back with his feet propped up on the table, one hand behind his head and the other strumming along on the table in a slow pattern of; pinky, ring, middle, index. His silvery starlit eyes seemed to graze around the area, what he needed more than anything was information and these low level players who were keeping a low key was not helping him with anything.

 

He was nearly fed up when a blonde woman entered the establishment, "Oh? What do we have here?" He kept his eyes on her as she walked in. This might be the perfect opportunity Astraeus was looking for. He kept calm in the situation, he knew how to talk to people, how to react and above all else...never reveal your motives and intentions. He was a low level player himself, so asking for such information would only be natural. Right?

 

"Ah! Excuse me!" The start, "By chance, would you be willing to help a guy out?" he motioned to her a seat next to him, the low lit candle flickering a few inches away. Upon first glance it was hard to depict if this creation was a man or a girl; the avatar itself looked a little on the /unique/ side, but the voice rang true with a masculine voice, if not a very soft one none the less. He motioned with his hands to the said blond an empty seat next to his, she could of course turn him down. He would have to get used to the Elite Status some player would pride themselves of speaking with what others who did not level up as; Lazy. And Astra was not lazy at all, in fact...he was anything but. Since that day in the Starting City, he was prepared to go full throttle with his plans. But right now, throwing himself into danger would risk all that he had planned. 

[Lessa 1]

"Hello there!"

The brunette glanced up, her amber eyes wide with surprise. It took only seconds for her to follow the voice back to a heavily armored blonde, and only slightly longer for her to gaze to narrow into a glare. "Yes?" she asked, her tone laced with equal parts annoyance and suspicion.

Though she should have been used to it by now, the brunette was slightly taken aback by the bite in the stranger's voice. "You just looked a bit confused," Lessa continued, fighting to keep the edge from her own words. "I just figured I'd ask if you needed help."

The other player pursed her lips. "I didn't look confused," she countered, "because I wasn't. And now the only think I'm confused about is why you're talking to me." She crossed her arms tightly against her chest. "I don't need your help."

Stunned, Lessa could only stare at her through the darkness. Then, her expression hardened. Her blue eyes found the girl's golden ones, firing daggers so powerful that the girl flinched beneath the weight of her gaze. "Fine," the Guardian growled. "You'll have to let me know how those boars treat you. But you don't strike me as the time of person who would even venture outside the safe zones. Happy to let others die for you while you hide here on the first floor?"

This was enough to throw the low-leveled player off, her face falling, her gaze moving from Lessa's. But she recovered quickly. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, her voice still shaking with bottled rage.

"Oh, I thought I was being quite clear," Lessa replied dryly. "I'm sorry that it still confused you."

With great flourish, the brunette showed the other player a string of curse words and her middle finger as she turned and stomped away. Lessa was left standing in the middle of the crowded city street. If anyone had witnessed the exchange, they were in no hurry to come to Lessa's defense. 

She sighed heavily. "I need a drink."

As evening had fallen only a couple of hours earlier, the inn was bustling with activity when Lessa entered. Still outfitted in her breastplate and gauntlets, she attracted more than a few glances as she passed by the many tables; she did her best to block out the stares and the noise as she bee-lined toward the bar.

But one voice in particular rose above the din, and caused her to slow to a halt. The dim light cast by the dancing flame did little to reveal much about the speaker's physical appearance. The figure could be either sex, but the voice was distinctly male. Not to mention the fact that he had referred to himself as a "guy."

"Yeah, sure," came Lessa's eventual response. After the last interaction, why did she bother to go on helping strangers? But at the end of the day, she knew it was just part of her nature. She dropped into the chair opposite him once he motioned for her to do so. "I can definitely try."

[Astraeus 0]

 

“Golden flecks of blonde as radiant as the sun…” Astra smiled his brows high on his forehead as the woman sat down. Her armor clad over her womanly figure, intense metal and shine that reflected light from the low lit candle. As if heaven itself had struck down on this mighty damsel, Astra was awe struck by the very presence of her holiness. He could feel a Gilles De Raise Complex inside himself as he stared at La Pucelle.

 

“My…you match a striking resemblance to her, don’t you? I mean, the armor, the holy aura that seems to emanate off your gallant presence. You might even have been a distant relative…- Oh! I’m sorry, perhaps you know of whom I am speaking about? None other than Joan of Arc, yes? I see the resemblance indeed!” He smiled and laughed a bit. His hand gestures helping with to emphasize his comments.

“Ahh, how rude of me. My name is Astraeus, it is pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Now, before you say your name…You are under no obligation to tell me. I understand that there might be some elite players are ‘above’ the common people here, I myself being one of such. So you are free to tell me your name, or not. It’s up to you. But since I am a low level player and all, I was wondering if I could get some information? I don’t have access to some of the other areas yet since I am still building on my stats. And I would rather not die to a lowly boar in the middle of a field. But I have been helping out in town here, with the children and helping keep a civil order. Perhaps you have heard my name whispered upon some lips as you were passing by?”

 

There was silence…”No? Well…I don’t ask for appreciation, it is not what I do it for. Alas, I was wondering if you could help me with some names of people. I heard the names of guilds shouted in the streets at times, I was wondering if you could tell me the names of these Guild Leaders, and perhaps a few things about each one. Strengths, weaknesses? Now, I know you might think I can’t be given such valuable information, even one such as myself. I am of low level, that is true, but the brain is not restricted by the mechanics of the game? I am quite the strategic thinker, a planner, a never ending book seeking the ink of a pen and the knowledge of the writer! I could be a useful tool down the road…”

 

He was complimenting himself, he does that, a lot. But for good reason as well, he was no slow witted dandelion. He has matured over the years, roughly, as a budding rose not trampled and untainted by the sludge of man’s foot. He has blossomed into the fabric of perfection with a mind as sharp as his never dulling dagger. Or…he thought for a moment, if the items in the game dulled or not. He pinched his eye brows and shook his head, “Where was I? Oh! That’s right. Information. Well La Pucelle, have any insight that I may acquire?”