[PP-F3] <<Worn Out Welcome>> Redux (Shinzoku)

[Ashrah 0]

He arrived well before the designated time at the designated spot, and waited.

Since he had done the quest before, Arc knew what to expect and where to go. It was natural to do these repeatable duties in order to gain the precious experience that helped green players level up, and the party in question needed the armor that came as reward. He placed both arms behind his head and closed his eyes as nighttime poured starlight through the cracks in the forest canopy, and the gentle background music that played resonated in his mind.

"Just a few more minutes," he murmured as he checked the time on his HUD. Absently he wondered what his family was doing on the other side. Were they worried about him still, or had they given up and gone back to their monotony? Routine sometimes helped to swallow the harsh pill of reality. He couldn't fault them if that was the case. Since he was still living, he figured they had done enough to get him the care he needed in reality.

It didn't last forever. SAO had taught him that. People died, friendships faded into obscurity, and things were wont to change. In spite of that, he had learned to be himself. That was the hardest part of living on Aincrad. It was easy to get lost, and difficult to be found again. Once you got that under control, you started to find the real challenges. Arc was ready to face them, but there were plenty of people who couldn't say the same.

@Shinzoku

Edited September 7, 2016 by Arc