[PP-F11] The Bells (Jomei) [Complete]

[Lessa 1]

It would not be long now. The swordswoman shifted her weight on the bench, before crossing her arms loosely across her chest. Her gaze remained fixed on the nearby cathedral, which she figured she could admire for hours at a time. It truly was a beautiful building, reminiscent of the great stone structures that she had visited in Europe. She and her family had taken many trips overseas... before...

Upon realizing that she was withdrawing into her memories, Lessa shook her head, ridding her mind of such thoughts. It had grown to be her gut reaction, as the emotions only worked to dull her. While her family could remain her biggest motivation, dwelling on the life that she had left behind did her no good. Her jaw worked as she focused on the cathedral once more. No, it would not be long before the bells chimed, and the lights shifted. Fascination had brought her back day after day, but she had never actually followed the paths that the lights illuminated. Today would be the day.

Suddenly, she felt a gnawing doubt take hold of her. This was the eleventh floor. Should she be running around on her own? A year of self-inflicted exile had made her weak, and perhaps she was taking an unnecessary risk. She paused, considering her options. Then, she opened a message to Jomei. There was something about the Irishman that Lessa found appealing. Likely, it had something to do with the fact that she had met him in another time. He was no ghost.

The bells would ring soon. Whether Jomei would arrive on time, or at all, she could not be sure. But the least she could do was try.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Lessa

[Jomei 0]

"Hm?" The irishman's green eyes focused on a small envelope icon that hovered in front of his face. He wondered who it could be that was sending him a message at this time. Bringing his hand up, his pointer and middle fingers extended, he tapped on the icon to open up the electronic mail. It was a simple invitation from Lessa, asking if he would meet her near the cathedral on Floor Eleven. Was there any hidden reason for this invitation, or just looking for some company. Either way, Jomei replied to the blonde haired girl, accepting her invite to meet her. Closing up his menu, the man headed to the teleport pad in the center of Urbus, the city he was currently residing in, to make his way up to the meeting point. 

After a short walk and warping up a couple of floors, Jomei's body materialized in a flash of white light in the center of the town of Taft. He stepped off of the platform and took a quick look around for the steeples of the large structure poking out over the rooftops of the smaller shops and homes. Once he spotted it, he placed his hands into his pockets and began his walk to the meeting point where Lessa waited. 

Turning the corner where a butcher's shop sat, the courtyard of the cathedral came into view, and he saw the girl's long blonde hair running down the back portion of a bench. Jomei walked up to the girl, stopping on the side of the bench next to her, "Hey there Lessa, hows it going?" 

[Lessa 1]

His presence startled her, partly because she had not seen him approaching, but mostly because she had doubted that he would show. His timely arrival was not lost on her, and she immediately felt herself pressed to explain. "Hi Jomei," she greeted warmly. "Sorry for the cryptic message. I hope that you didn't rush over here, because there's no emergency or anything." She offered a small smile, before motioning for the boy to join her on the bench. 

As she paused, she became aware of the crowds that milled about around her. Despite the eleventh floor being one of the highest that they had cleared, players were flocking to it in unbelievable quantities. Truth be told, Lessa could understand why. Taft provided the perfect blend of homey nostalgia and rich adventure, and was laid out in a way that made meeting others incredibly easy. Its many public meeting places, such as inns, restaurants, and park benches, attracted players of all levels. She watched the masses milling about in the shadow of the cathedral for a moment, before she spoke again.

"Do you know much about the cathedral?"

[Jomei 0]

"No need to be sorry." the man said, taking a hand from his pocket and putting it in front of him, palm facing outwards. "I'm always free to meet up with a friend." he smiled, taking Lessa's offer to join her on the bench. He walked in front of her and sat next to her, extending his legs out in front of him with his ankles crossed. He looked up at the cathedral, which looked twice its size now that Jomei was not only closer, but sitting down with a chance to actually admire it. He watched as various players slowly walked by the structure, looking up at the beautiful piece of European styled architecture before continuing on with their daily lives. The girl at his side spoke up, asking if Jomei knew much about this place. "Can't say I do.. And I've only been inside of there once, the Floor Eleven boss meeting." His green eyes slowly scaled the steeples of the cathedral as he spoke, "Definitely more to that place than meets the eye.." his last words came out soft accompanied by a sigh. 

[Lessa 1]

All thoughts of the building vanished at the young man's mention of the boss meeting. Her tanned cheeks grew warm as a sheepish blush painted them. "Ah," she began softly. "You were at the meeting?" She did not look at the redhead as she spoke, preferring to leave her gaze on the crowds before her. Of course, her eyes were unseeing as her mind wandered. It would have been foolish of her to pretend that the boss battles had not occurred during her hiatus. She knew better, especially considering that she was now sitting on the eleventh floor. But actually speaking to a player who had been present had more of an impact on her than she had expected, and far more than she would care to admit.

"So," she continued slowly, "you were in the battle too then? How was it?"

[Jomei 0]

The irishman kept his gaze upon the cathedral as the girl replied to his mention of the boss meeting, asking if he had been in the fight. He closed his eyes and shook his head, "No, not that one.. Lowenthal asked me to go to the meeting for him.. being he was marked as a player killer during that time." he turned to look at Lessa, pointing at the green cursor over his own head. "I would have gone into the fight alongside him.. but since we were a new guild and all, Lowenthal did not want any of us to die.. so he cut off permission for any member but him." he scoffed at the memory, "Quite selfish really.." The irishman sat back on the bench, crossing his arms at his chest. "But I was in the next battle, on Floor Twelve. And will most likely be joining in for the Thirteenth as well."

[Lessa 1]

She could sense the man's disapproval, even before she turned to look at him. When she spoke, her voice was far softer, and more understanding, than Jomei's. "I don't think it was selfish at all." The smallest ghost of a smile flickered across her lips, but pain mingled within her eyes as she continued. "I don't know if you know this, but I used to run a guild of my own. I worried about my members non-stop. Their safety became my sole responsibility, and the thing that I focused all of my time and energy on. But then I lost the person that I cared about the most. And I thought to myself, if I couldn't protect what mattered most, how could I run a guild? How could I keep them safe."

Recognizing that she was rambling, she shifted her weight, crossing one leg over another. Lessa clasped her hands, resting them on her knee, turning back to the cathedral once more. "I disbanded the guild, because that responsibility was too much for me. And I wonder if that responsibility was what drove Lowenthal to keep you from entering that boss battle."

Edited December 13, 2015 by Lessa

[Jomei 0]

Jomei turned his head to Lessa, nodding his head in understanding as the girl spoke about a guild she once ran. As far as he remembered, he was unaware of that. It was then he began to understand how she felt, and in turn realized how Lowenthal was feeling during the time. Jomei did not know a thing about running a guild, but from what he has seen, it takes great care to keep everything running smoothly, and keeping members alive and well was an important way of doing that. He thought of his own guildmates... Lowenthal, Piera, and Zandra.. he was close to every one of them, some feeling like family to him. "Yeah.. I see your point. Lowenthal was very protective of us." he let out a light chuckle, looking at his hands as he twiddled his thumbs, "I know he was not trying to be selfish.. its just.. he's my best friend. If he went and died in that fight after not letting us join him, I would have felt it was my own fault for not pushing him hard enough to allow me... Even thought I did not think I was ready.. and that I probably would have died myself." He turned to the girl again, "What was the guild you used to run? If you don't mind me asking.."

[Lessa 1]

"Ah," she commented, nodding after Jomei mentioned his reactions to Lowenthal's actions. "I understand that too. There's always a certain level of unknown here. Every time I say goodbye to someone, I find myself wondering if that was the last time I'll see them again." She frowned, before adding hastily, "I know that's pretty morbid, but its hard to avoid thoughts like that in a place like this. I think that your reaction to your guild leader's death would have been totally justified."

The topic turned to her old guild. "Oh, sure. It was called Guardians of Aincrad. The focus was helping new members train. I didn't expect them all to become frontliners, of course. I just wanted to make sure that they could hold their own. Anything that we could do to keep people alive, you know? Anyway, we had some amazing members. Actually, a few of them are are high ranking officials in Azure Brigade now." She paused just long enough to utter a small laugh. "They're my bosses now. Believe me, the irony of that was not lost on me."

[Jomei 0]

Jomei's smirk turned into a slight frown at Lessa's comment. Not because it was morbid, but because there were times he felt the same way, and knew just how she felt. He never wanted to admit it, but like she said, in a world like this where their lives were on the line, you never knew what was around the corner. "Yeah. I know what you mean." he nodded once. The topic was soon changed to the girl's old guild, which turned out to be The Guardians of Aincrad, "I think I've heard the name in passing before, maybe at the boss meeting.." he shrugged his shoulders, but then smiled, "But that must've been nice, running a guild of your own. Especially seeing them all grow up to become frontliners." She went on to mention how they have all moved on, a number of them now being higher up in the Azure Brigade even. Jomei blinked in surprise, wondering just who would have been under Lessa that were now in Azure. He reached over, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Well I know its never good to see something you worked for die out like that.. But you should be proud of yourself that those that you guided are now high ranked officials. They probably never would have gotten to where they are today without your help." 

[Lessa 1]

Though she could not feel the man's hand through her heavy armor, the gesture brought her a warmth that she had not experienced in quite some time. Relaxing into a soft, lazy smile, she replied, "I don't know that I'd go that far." The concept that she had helped Rebekah and Tristan reach their lofty positions had never once crossed her mind, and even now, it felt awkward. "I really hope that I helped them find their footing, but that's all I could have done. They're both very driven, very independent players. Those are traits that I don't think they picked up from me."

Absently, she reached up to run a hand through her hair. Suddenly realizing that she still wore her gauntlets, she quickly unequipped them, before raking her fingers through her shaggy mane. "Anyway," she heaved softly, "enough about the good old days. What about you? I see your guild emblem, but I don't think that I recognize it."

[Jomei 0]

Jomei chuckled, she didn't seem to believe the idea that she helped them entirely, but she seemed to appreciate the words nonetheless. "Well, even if they deny it, I'm sure they feel that way deep down. But here I am, talking all philosophical and all.. you don't need advice from me." He looked over at her and flashed a smile. Despite never meeting Lessa before that last quest, or so he knew, with the way she acted towards him and the similarities they had, Jomei felt like he could have known Lessa for a long time. Even though he barely knew anything about the girl, he found her very trustworthy. The girl removed her gauntlets and ran her bare hand through her blonde hair. She then asked about Jomei's guild, stating she noticed the guild symbol besides his name, but did not recognize it. "Oh that." he said with a smirk, "Thats the emblem for The Velvet Room. Its a small group.. still trying to get a hold here in this world, but its run by Lowenthal. Used to be a very close group of us, just trying to reach out for more members.. But its been tough lately, especially with Azure bumping up their ranks and attracting the attention of all the players looking for a new guild." he scoffed, and then turned to Lessa with an idea, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, if you really wanted too, you could join us." he smiled. 

[Lessa 1]

His comment about advice was met with a small laugh. "Jomei," she began, shaking her head from one side to the other, "there aren't too many people whose advice I would take these days. But you're one of them, and I always appreciate any words of wisdom that you have to offer." Perhaps she had been too forward, but Lessa had lost of much of the finesse that she had once controlled. At one time, communication had been her best weapon. But after nearly a year of disuse, that blade had grown rusty. She had surrounded herself with acquaintances, people who would meet her, and then leave her just as quickly. It had been an effective system, as many, many players walked away with improved skills after training with her. But it was a lonely life. Perhaps that was the reason that she was so quick to trust Jomei. Or maybe he is just a genuinely good guy.

And then he invited her to join his guild, and her cheeks warmed. Through a sheepish smile, she replied, "I'm actually still trying to find my place in Azure Brigade. Zelrius brought me on, and it would be an insult to him were I to leave already. Besides, I do think that Azure is where I should be right now." The girl angled her body so that she was facing him, one arm draped over the back of the bench, her leg folded lazily beneath her. "But I really do appreciate the offer. And regardless of what guild we're in, please let me know if you ever need anything. I'll try to help."

[Jomei 0]

"Oh you were brought into Azure too? Thats great. I had no idea" he said with a grin. Honestly though, he was disappointed, not with the girl and her actions, but just that Azure had taken yet another person who could have been a great addition to their small group. "You know.." he said through a chuckle, running a hand through his ginger hair, pushing the long bangs that fell over one of his eyes back to the top of his head, falling back into place one strand at a time, "I haven't told anyone this.. but I was actually invited to join Azure as well. During a private meeting with Ssendom." He sat back, shrugging his shoulders, "But I couldn't. I could never abandon Lowenthal and Velvet. I've grown too attached to the group." He looked back up towards the cathedral, a small smile on his face. "And trust me, to turn down a spot in one of Aincrad's largest and strongest guilds is a tough decision." 

[Lessa 1]

"Oh?" In truth, it did not surprise her at all that Jomei had been offered a spot within the guild. He had many positive traits, some that she had recognized immediately upon meeting him. It would not take a guild leader long to understand how much the redhead could bring to their group. Though she fought to conceal the emotion, Lessa found herself disappointed by the notion that, in another world, the boy may have been her guildmate. "Well," she concluded finally, "the Velvet Room is very lucky to have you." Even if the guild name sounds a bit like a brothel.

Once silence settled over the pair, Lessa realized how much time had passed since Jomei's arrival. The conversation that they had fallen into had been so easy, which was a pleasant change of pace for the Guardian. Her gaze returned to the cathedral, which had been her motivation for inviting him all along. The crowd that milled around its base had only managed to grow while they spoke, and it was more difficult now to see the path cast by the stained glass windows. Though she would be content merely chatting with the other player, she wanted to make sure that they also addressed the matter at hand.

"Anyway," she began suddenly. "I should probably tell you why I invited you out. I've heard rumors that, if you follow the lights from the cathedral, you'll find something special. I was curious if you would be willing to investigate it with me."

[Jomei 0]

"Thanks" Jomei simply said at Lessa stating Velvet was lucky to have Jomei. Despite not being the leader, he hoped one day he could find a way to increase their ranks and actually make a name for themselves. His mind wandered for a moment about players liking up to join the group and even rivaling Azure Brigade one day. But those were only dreams for now.. The girl spoke up and broke his trance, mentioning the actual reason she had invited the man here. According to rumors she had heard, if one were to follow the trail of light left by the stain glass window, they would find something interesting. Jomei's eyes scaled the cathedral, realizing there was, in fact, a line of light being created by the angle of the sun and the window. "Huh.. didn't even notice that with all of the people." he placed his hands on his knees and stood up to get a better look. He then turned to Lessa with a smirk on his face, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

[Lessa 1]

The young man's excitement was contagious. Her heavy armor groaned as she stood from the bench, following Jomei's lead. "Alright," she told him. Her easy smile that had grown so rare over the past year did not waver as she motioned to the immense building before them. Lessa estimated that the pair still had over two hours before the lights changed, as the bells had tolled shortly after the other player's arrival. That would leave them with adequate time to investigate the current path. Furthermore, the swordswoman was not eager to rush her time with her companion. But a voice in the back of her mind cautioned that there should be some sliver of urgency. They had no way of knowing what secrets lay before them, and for all she knew, it might require more time than they had to spare.

So the woman began to walk closer to the cathedral, alternating between analyzing the lights and checking to ensure that Jomei was still following. "It looks as if there are a few different colors," she commented finally, pointing to indicate what she meant. "See? There's that collection of reds there, and greens over there. And I think those might be blues. They're not obvious, but if I really focus, I can see them." And it was true. They were certainly not beams that directed the players, but rather splotches of light that were tossed across the cobblestone. Their varied spacing indicated some sort of pattern, at least for the three aforementioned colors.

Nodding toward their three options, Lessa added, "your choice. What color are you feeling today?"

Edited December 16, 2015 by Lessa

[Jomei 0]

Jomei followed after Lessa, and eventually quickened his pace so he would walk next to her rather than follow her, since he had an idea of which direction she was going in. The girl pointed out the different colors that made up the lights reflected on the floor. His gaze first went back up to the center of the structure, looking at the large stained glass window where the array of colors came from. He followed them down again to the ground where they walked, noticing now that the lights, were in fact, made up of three main colors; red, blue, and green. "I wonder if they make up a picture.. or some sort of scene." he said with a look of wonder and amazement at the beauty that was before them. He had never seen something like this before, and to see it on such a large scale like this was amazing. "Hm... lets give blue a shot." he said, pointing in the direction of the blue lights that he noticed.

[Lessa 1]

The blonde nodded. "Blue it is then." She lifted one hand to shield the sun, allowing her to better focus on the lights that spilled out before her. Pivoting on her heels, she swung her gaze to follow the trail. "This one looks a bit like it leads to that alley over there." It was no sure-thing, but the path appeared to grow fainter and fainter, until it died away at the mouth of a small, inclosed walk-way. Long strides carried her to the alley's entrance, and despite being within a safe zone, she was cautious as she entered it; one bare hand hovered over Hell Rose's hilt. If this was the start of some sort of mission, she would remain on her guard until she learned what the rules truly were.

"The light is gone," Lessa reported finally, peering around a kink in their path. "But it looks like a straight shot ahead of us."

[Jomei 0]

With a slight smile and a nod, Jomei followed after the long haired blonde girl as she looked for the path that the blue lights created. From what he gathered, and from what Lessa spoke up about, the lights were very faint, but led towards an alleyway off to the side. "Well, seems a bit too perfect to be a coincidence. Looks like we really are on to something here." Jomei said as he walked next to Lessa towards the alley she pointed out. The walkway the light died in front of was very thin, barely enough for two people to walk side by side through. It was also slightly darkened by the shadow of the two buildings that made the alleyway. Jomei's green eyes focused on further up ahead.. for it made him a bit weary of where they were being led to. He figured the two should be fine, being they were still in the safe zone, but he still felt cautious. As Lessa peered around the corner, Jomei placed a hand on her shoulder and slipped by her, "Neither of us know whats ahead..., I'll take point for now since its a straight shot.. In case this path decides to take a turn for the worse." He reached down and grabbed the handle of his rapier in a reverse grip, ready to pull it out at any moment's time.