The Traveller

[Esther 0]

Esther had sent Arc a request to meet on the 5th floor. There was a quest that was meant to help you survive harsh environments. It sounded like something she needed. Granted, Esther was feeling better lately, but she was still worried about her meeting with Arc. It seemed no matter what she did, she just couldn't get through to him. It wouldn't make her give up on him of course, but in her tipsy state, she had also said some harsh words to him. "I gotta stop doing that..." Esther mumbled, wiping sweat off her brow.

The floor was incredibly hot, and it didn't take a genius to realise that the quest will no doubt involve them traversing the dessert. "God I'm terrible with directions..." Esther mumbled to herself. She headed toward a large sand dome building - and made her way inside. A wave of cool air rushed at her, and Esther welcomed it. "Much better..." This is where she told Arc to meet her. This is where, the quest apparently popped up. Esther took a seat at a table, and ordered a glass of water. 

She ran her finger around its rim, "mmm....I wonder if Arc would just order rum?" Surely, he'd be smart enough not to do that in this heat, but then again, it was Arc.

[Ashrah 0]

Arc reclined against the frame inside the establishment for a long while. It was so long that he'd seen dust and sand blow in, and the proprietor hurry to reinforce the cloth that hung in lieu of a door. The buildings here were reminiscent of desert hovels in middle eastern countries in the real world, clay and dirt that were packed together to form a proper foundation where steel and iron were unworkable. It was a time in flux in Aincrad, and some floors lacked the resources that others lay claim to. Arc appreciated every chance he got to stop in a new place, to see things he never had back home. It was a journey he partly hated, but one he wouldn't soon forget.

When the pink haired woman plowed through the doorway, he watched her rush past without any thought to glance around. She must have been thirsty. Arc took a sip of the water he'd ordered- sure, he would rather have had rum, but no one was that dumb on a floor where hydration was arguably just as important as being able to fight or flee. His gaze stayed with the woman throughout her order, and he listened as she muttered about his horrible habit.

"What a witch," he muttered quietly to himself. His gaze hardened as he debated just leaving her. Then again, what she said was not untrue, and she hadn't intended for him to hear it. He supposed that made it halfway forgivable.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked without moving from his spot. Arc figured that getting a head start would be favorable, as opposed to wasting time on chit chat. He'd expressed to her before- he was here to fight, not to make friends. If in the line of duty his work helped others, it wasn't his fault. At least, that was the convenient lie he told himself. He couldn't get close to anyone. His conscience reminded him of that.

[Esther 0]

Esther jumped when she heard his voice. "HO-ly SHi-ny potatoes!" Her startled movement knocked over the cup she was drinking from, and it clattered to the floor - spilling the precious water onto the table, and partly onto herself. Esther didn't pay that too much mind, the cold liquid was welcomed in this dry heat. Arc was here? She glanced around, and there he was. Sitting not two tables from her. Her face reddened. Crap He must've heard what she said. Esther glanced away, embarassed at her comment. "I'm ah....Sorry..." She mumbled as she stood to head over to his table. It was never meant for his ears, Esther was sure he didn't like her - or was she? Dammit this man was confusing. He was difficult to navigate, at times he showed semblance of being an actual human being, other times he treated her like absolute trash.  I must be some sort of sadist Esther thought to herself as she caught his hard stare.

"Yeh...Yeh I'm ready." She wanted to say more, to ask how he had been, what he had been up to - but Arc had expressively warned against idle chit-chat, and any form of it would send him packing. "We just need to pick up the quest, then we can go - do you feel we should get any sort of supplies first?" She was trying, she was trying really hard to adhere to his strict ruling. It was evident in the subdued way she spoke to him. Esther cleared her throat, straightening her back.. "I have a good 10 pack of water on me, are you set?"

 

•  

[Ashrah 0]

"Got everything I need, in the event we run into any unforeseen obstacles," he replied to her query. "Weapon, armor, and the necessary fluids to keep myself from dehydrating."

The floor would do it to you, too. Known for its unrelenting weather patterns and dry heat, the fifth floor had claimed one or two players already from no more than a violent sandstorm. Arc had heard tell that the quest they were about to undertake drove them out into it directly, but they would learn more when the NPC gave them the skinny. It was important to know what you were up against. He'd learned that many a time on Aincrad.

He didn't press her about the weapon, but he wished she would at least pick up some armor. If nothing else, it would help her stay alive in the times where she ran into mobs. He didn't say it out loud, but the very idea of a player going out into the thick of it without at least that much- it was frightening. She could be slain by misadventure just as easily as any PKer or Floor Boss.

Esther was by no means Arc's favorite person, but she didn't deserve to die like that. No one deserved to die at all. He waited for the day he could breathe without the worry that someone might be lost along the way.

"Did you figure out where the Quest Giver is?" he asked. He hadn't done this quest yet, either.

[Esther 0]

"Yeh, I know." Esther reached out to grab hold of his hand but stopped. Her hand wavered mid-air over his, her eyes rose to meet his. Arc didn't like things like that. She pulled her gaze away, and instead turned to the dark corner of the establishment. "In that corner." she said a little more flatly than she intended it. Esther cleared her throat and the bounciness returned to her voice. "Since we are in a party, only one of us needs to get it. I'm already standing, so I may as well do so." She said, back still turned as she headed toward the quest giver. When Esther was out of earshot she gave an audible sigh. "Dammit Esther. Don't fuddle up this friendship."

As she approached the cloaked NPC the conversation started, a shaky hand reached out to Esther - but Esther knew this was an NPC and offered her no hand to steady. The NPC said she needed precious cargo that was hidden deep within the sands, and that she was far too sick to deal with it. The Quest had a timeline- two days. Esther accepted it. Turning to head back to Arc. The quest should be easy enough, especially with the two of them, but she was worried about the lack of specifics.

"Ok Arc." 

Esther pulled out a chair and sat across from him. Recapping him on what she was just told, "So to reiterate - we have a time limit of 2 days, and beyond the notion of 'its out in the desert' we have no direction, or information as to where it could be. It's estimated to take us about a day and a night - so we'll be spending a night out there. If the storms pick up, we'll start loosing HP." It felt odd, to talk nothing but business. To not offer any kind words toward him, any jokes, or any concerns for his well being. Normally, this is where she'd joke about a night alone together, but she held her tongue. 

"I'm ready to go whenever you are."

 

 

[Ashrah 0]

"Then we're ready," he announced in response.

Arc stood himself up and checked his inventory one more time before heading through the doorway. He glanced out into the sands and looked over at the minimap on his HUD to glean if there were any clues. There were not. Arc let out a sigh. "Looks like we're gonna be going walkabout," he muttered to himself. "There's no chance that it'll be close by, so we're probably going to have to sit tight and hope we don't run into any strong mobs," he told Esther. "I wouldn't hold my breath though, since we're going to be outside the safe zone for this one. Hopefully the risk is worth the reward." The last words were more muttered than spoken, but still very much audible.

He did not like the idea of staying outside the safe zone overnight. If they fell asleep, there would be no one to protect them from the dangers beyond. And he wouldn't be able to sleep at all. Esther had no way to protect him during the time he spent prone. The best they could do would be abandon the quest if things got out of hand. That was unacceptable.

"We'll try to clear it in half the time," he told her. "Since we're doing this on hard mode, essentially." His words reflected her position as an unarmed noncombatant. They were not hostile, strangely. Perhaps that was part of his businessman charm? It was hard to tell. "Who knows? Maybe the reward will be better if we pull it off."

[Esther 0]

And with that, the two got up and left the cool bar. Esther was greeted with hot desert air, an unrelenting sun, and the taste of dry sand in her mouth as they stepped out of the safety of the town. "Damn..." Esther muttered. She wondered if she should have bothered doing this quest now, that she should have done it when she was a slightly higher level.  "Here, the sun rises East right?" Esther asked, thoughtfully. "If we head West, logically - it would mean we had more daylight to search right?" Esther asked, looking up at Arc for his input. 

He didn't seem bothered by the lack of conversation at all, rather - it seemed that he almost revelled in it. He had only shot her the one dirty look, and hadn't said any words dripping with malice and annoyance. Esthers hand subconsciously rose up to play with the O-Ring on her collar. The metal was already warm to the touch, and she was thankful she had the hindsight to remove the chain before coming to this floor.  "You want to be stronger right?" Esther asked, as Arc mentioned the rewards. She inwardly flinched, and shifted her gaze away from him. "Sorry. Stupid Question. I mean - this quest helps sustainability in Aincrad and offers ESh Peeh, right? Surely that's a good reward." Her voice faltered, lowered- as she felt she was talking too much already. 

Hard Mode...Huh... 

As Arc mentioned those words Esthers lips twisted up into the faintest of smiles. It sounded almost like a joking jab at her current predicament. So Arc could tell jokes when he wanted.

---
ID:67569  CD:9
Esther:  100 HP
Arc: 160 HP

Edited September 12, 2016 by Esther

[Ashrah 0]

Stronger... yeah. Doesn't everybody?

His head tilted backward as he gazed skyward, the harsh light beating down on him. It wasn't as bright as the thought it would be. The sky was a haze of orange robbed of its blue by the harsh sands. The dry wind razed the ground and threw soil toward their eyes, but his hood shielded him from the worst of it. He was more than prepared for the effort. Sweat started to form on the small of his back, which reminded him of the danger that threatened if they were not careful. He paid it no heed, yet.

"East is fine," he answered with a soft edge to his voice. "Which would be..." he glanced at the map for a moment, took in his position and checked the indicated direction. He turned a fraction of an inch to the right. "This way." After the subtle correction, he began to walk again.

"I figure everyone wants to get stronger," he answered her question and ignored the comment about how stupid it was. "That's why you're taking this quest, isn't it? Otherwise, what would be the point?" It wasn't mean so much as it illuminated an idiosyncratic portion of her logic. "Would you do this quest, and go through all the danger just to say you did it? I think that would be pretty pointless, frankly."

He shrugged, then kept moving.

Arc: 160/160 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID: 67571 CD: 9

Edited September 12, 2016 by Arc

[Esther 0]

The two continued their trek into the desert, heading East as she suggested. Did he listen to her because it was a good idea? Or because they had no other form of direction? Was it because she was paying him? Those questions burned in her mind, but Esther - in a very un-Esther like fashion kept her lips pursed shut. Refusing to speak too much on the matter. Things were better left unsaid, at least with Arc around. She felt a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like this. Holding back so much.

Esther blinked, surprised that he was engaging in some sort of conversation with her. She felt a pang of annoyance at the hypocrisy, how she wasn't allowed to engage in idle conversation - but he was. Still, it was a welcomed distraction from the heat. Esther's white Shawl didn't cover nearly as much as Arc's black cloak, but it still had a hood. Esther lifted it up and threw it over her face, it shielded her eyes from the blaring sun and the intensity of the sand that lashed at her exposed arms and legs.  "Yeh." Her reply to his question was short. She did want to get stronger. "I want to work toward the frontlines, as a support class." She kept her answers short, with every sentence she bit down on her tongue, willing herself to stay quiet.

The sun was beating down on her back, and her skin prickled, as though it were being slowly burned.

Good thing sunburn don't exist here, although you could use a tan Arc.

The joke passed through her mind, but she bit her tongue, doing her best to abide by his request. Instead, she walked silently alongside him.

---
ID:67572  CD:10
Esther:  100 HP
Arc: 160 HP

Edited September 12, 2016 by Esther

[Ashrah 0]

He glanced sidelong at her as she spoke. It struck him as odd that she wasn't talking so much, but he didn't dislike it. If anything, this was the way Arc preferred most people to be. They didn't talk about things that weren't any of there business, and they didn't push people for information that wasn't readily available or openly offered. Perhaps more than anything, that was the thing he disliked the most about Esther. Always in his business, and he had never asked for her to be. It was one thing to talk to someone who was downright introverted at all, but another thing entirely to pry into their quiet life. She went so far as to call him Tobias once, and he chastised himself to no end because he knew she would do it again. And again.

Tobias didn't want anyone calling him by name here. At least, he didn't want to be acknowledged as himself by anyone who he didn't know. Thom was dead. And if he was unlucky enough, his brother, or one of their other friends might have gotten trapped inside Sword Art Online as well. If not them, Arc wasn't the sort of person who made friends easily. His rogueish attitude and freakish anger generally scared people away.

"You know, I'm talking for your benefit," he told her. "You're not the strong, silent type. When I make conversation, you ought to make the most of it." He turned his gaze toward the horizon. "Because that's about as talkative as I get."

Her mention of the Frontlines made him feel a bit better. So the woman did have some ambition? That was a surprise. Phoebe... that was the name she'd given him. He knew she wouldn't have forgotten his, because he certainly had not hers. "So," he asked. "Ever been to a desert? A real one?"

Arc: 160/160 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID# 67573 CD: 4

[Esther 0]

The sun continued to beat down on them, and there was nothing, anywhere, that had indicated that they were going the right way. Or the wrong way. It was a difficult trek that was for sure. 

As Arc asked Esther if she had ever been to a real desert she turned her head toward him, green eyes burning with the question why? Why was he talking so much for her benefit? Why was he asking about her personal life? Didn't he keep telling her, keep insisting that he wanted nothing to do with her, or anyone for that matter? Wasn't Arc the one who said that doing something for anothers benefit was wrong? Esther turned away from him. "Once." She said, gazing out at the dancing horizon before them. "There was meant to be a meteor shower, the best vantage point were these dessert dunes about 5...6 hours out of the city. We drove all the way there. Set up tents, rugged ourselves up, only to realize that he got the dates wrong. We were a day late." Esther lowered her head, watching as each step she took created a cloud of white hot sand, only for it to be carried away by the winds. "He does stuff like that a lot, scatterbrained. Like Father like daughter - to be honest, I thought he would have taken off-" She paused. She was treading into dangerous territory, and had started talking too much. she dare not say that she assumed her dad would have taken off the headgear, in an innocent bid to tell her that dinner was ready - too much. Too much personal information. A simple yes would have sufficed. Esther shook her head, and didn't push the matter further.

He was right, she wasn't the strong silent type, she was the type to fill silence with friendly banter - she was the type who relished in human interaction and the simplicity of the comfort small physical touches would bring. A hand hold here, a hug there. It was the complete opposite of Arc. There was a long silence between the two before Esther finally asked him the question in return. "How about you?" It was a gamble, he mightn't say anything. He might chastise her for prying into his life. Still...anything would have been better than this painful exchange. Esther felt the knot in her stomach grow.

 

Arc: 160/160 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID: 67575 CD:11

Edited September 12, 2016 by Esther

[Ashrah 0]

He shrugged. "Nah," he replied. "Never been far outside the places I've lived."

There was more he could have said, but his words were enough. For someone to barely leave the towns or cities where they were raised or settled meant that they never had a reason to. Tobias was not the sort of person who went on adventures. Aincrad had opened up his eyes and made him see the value of those sorts of things. If he ever made it back, he'd make sure to take trips all over the place. He wouldn't take life for granted ever again.

"My dad..." he muttered to himself as he contemplated her words. She spoke of how they were alike, and he envied her for it. "I wish I was like my dad," he said in a soft voice. "He's strong, and he loves people- even when people don't deserve to be loved. He doesn't look for their faults. He only sees people who need to be saved, or helped, or pushed to be better than they are." All that really said about himself was that he considered himself the sort of person who did none of those things. One could tell from listening that Tobias did not have a high opinion of himself. "He used to tell me to be the sort of person who others could depend on."

He shook his head. "I'm not," he said. "I don't have it in me to be that, I think. I don't like people, or talking to people, or being touched by people," he glanced out into the distance again, looking for anything that seemed like a lost shipment. The sand roared all around them, impairing any hope of visibility. "I tried it, of course," he thought. "Thom used to say I'd be the only one of us to ever get married, but I was always so angry. I always scared people away when I lost my temper. Girls thought that was really unattractive, I think."

Arc let out a laugh. "I don't like people getting close to me," he stated firmly. "They get hurt. I don't want to hurt people."

Arc: 160/160 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID# 67576 CD: 2

[Esther 0]

This was the most that Arc had ever really spoken, and Esther wasn't sure how to act, what to say to him - what to do in this situation. She thought it sad that he hadn't been outside of his town, she was always one for travelling, for exploring places - even if it were unknown treasures in her own neighbourhood, but that was the difference between the two. He was an introvert and Esther was a social butterfly. Esther didn't comment on it, normally, she would - and it would no doubt send naught but Ire and annoyance her way.

In a sense, Esther was being rewarded for her silence, Arc continued to open up. Praising his dad. Granted, Arc was right about him not being like his dad in the respect that his dad felt that everyone should be loved. Esther shared those ideals too - but Arc seemed to hold everyone at arms length. It was a sad realisation that Arc, someone who Esther thought to be so strong and steadfast had such a side to him. "You're wrong." Her words were quiet, and slipped out before she had the foresight to stop herself. Esther cursed herself, and balled her hands up into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms. Dammit Esther. 

"I mean. You're dependable. You push people to be better. If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd be here, adventuring that is." She wanted to say more, but wasn't sure exactly what to say, talking with Arc was like navigating troubled waters filled with riptides and whirlpools, and one wrong turn would leave you drowning in his ire. In his dislike of people. Despite the somber discussion, Esther couldn't help but smile at his comment about how he was the one that would have married, Esther would never have picked it. So you were a bit of a skirt chaser, huh Arc?  She thought to herself, this time, having the forethought to not say it out loud.

"You can never really know what girls think." Esther mused, "it's best not to try."

Arc laughed as he said he didn't want people to get close to him. Well duh but his reason, it was unexpected. He didn't want to hurt people. Esther wanted to tell him that it was stupid, that he had no right to dictate what other people should feel, or decide for them if they should befriend him or not - but such hostility wouldn't help in this situation. "Don't hurt yourself in that process." Esther said finally, unable to mask the worry in her voice. It seemed like stupid advice- but she wasn't sure what else to say.

Arc: 160/160 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID# 67577  CD: 7 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2016 by Esther

[Ashrah 0]

"You say that a lot," he replied to her assertion that he was wrong. "But I don't think that's true. I think I do what I have to do to eek by in this world. Other people deserve a fighting chance to be strong. If anything, I'm selfish. I take their money and trade them an actualization they might have picked up on their own even if I didn't help. It's the most self-serving, disgusting thing someone can do." He shook his head. "I'm not nice at all."

He glanced over at her for the first time since they'd set out. The sun was beginning to set. "All of us have to be strong in order to make it out of here alive," he said. "I push for people to get stronger so that we can all work together. It's like forcing them to pull their weight. Stand up, sit down, but don't get in the way- you know?" He sighed softly. "It's like I don't believe in them at all," he murmured. "Like I think that they're never going to do it if I don't step in."

He didn't want to believe the things he was saying, but Tobias had always victimized himself that way. He didn't want people to feel sorry for him- it wasn't like that. He just did not want to admit he had any redeemable qualities. It was like he wanted to be damned, to drown in his own darkness and be forgotten by all the people who made their way out of it. Thom had been like that, he recalled. Neither of them were ever any good at accepting that they might have had something to be proud of.

When she mentioned not knowing about what girls think, he snorted. "Don't I know it," he spat. "I gave up on that a while back. I'm not interested in it anymore. Well, at least, not in this world." He briefly considered his next few words. "I haven't really given any thought to it since I realized Aincrad only had one way out."

Arc bit into his lip for a moment when she sounded worried. "Nah," he replied. "It doesn't hurt. Can't hurt. There's no one to hurt me, and no one for me to hurt."

Arc: 140/140 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID# 67578 CD: 9

[Esther 0]

Arc mentioned that Esther had usually told him he was wrong. She wanted to tease him, and tell him that maybe if he wasn't so wrapped up in his own self loathing spiral, she'd stop doing it. But, that was just as unfair to him wasn't it? Pushing her own ideals onto him. "Yeh, I'll have to work on that won't I?" Esther said, it wasn't a lie - she was trying to work on that - at least around Arc. She was beginning to think that being quieter around him was having an agreeable affect on their relationship. Whatever that may be. Friend. Associate. Business Partner...

"I'm not smart enough to give a suitable reply to that." Esther said as Arc opened up about himself, and his own thoughts on his actions. She bit her lip, again with his assertion that he wasn't nice. "It's hard to believe in others." Esther admitted, turning to face him. For the first time during their quest, the two were looking at each other face to face. "Especially when you have little belief in yourself." She turned away, feeling that maybe those words were too harsh for him - they weren't as harsh as his own, but Esther wasn't wanting to push him further away. She was enjoying the fact that they were able to have a conversation. 

Esther shivered, now that the sun was setting, there was a definite chill to the air. She stopped walking and glanced around. There was a rocky area to their left, Esther pointed toward it. "I think that outcrop of rocks would suit the night. Looks like there may even be a small cave in there. It'd be enough to shield us from the winds at least." She didn't wait for him to respond, and headed toward their new destination.As luck would have it, Esther was right with her guess. The formation of rocks blocked out most of the chill - and there was a small cave, just big enough to squeeze two- maybe three people in. She pondered if it'd be a good idea to start a fire in there, or if it would attack mobs at night time.

Arc said he wasn't interested in girls during his time in Aincrad. Esther couldn't blame him, it seemed that this would be a hard place to have a romantic relationship with anyone. "mmm....I can't exactly blame you." She knelt down and started pulling out things to start a fire. "Despite everything, I think I'd find it hard to have some sort of proper romantic relationship. I like the idea of it, but I don't know.." She shrugged. She wasn't sure how to voice her words on the matter, on how she felt attracted to a lot of people - not just one. That for all her friendliness and happiness, for all the friendships and relationships she had forged - she hadn't actually gottten close enough to someone to have such emotional attachment. 

Esther started with the flint, and after a few attempts - there was a roaring fire in the cave. With a sigh, Esther pulled down her hood.

"I see you as a friend, and as a nice person." She said finally. "I don't think any words you can say will change that, just as no words I can say, will change your outlook toward others. We're both too stubborn."

 

Arc: 140/140 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID#  67579 CD: 7

Edited September 12, 2016 by Esther

[Ashrah 0]

"Don't have to believe in yourself to fight," he replied in earnest. It was true- there was almost nothing that could make Arc believe he had it in him to act heroic. He figured that a man knew his own measure from the day he was intelligent enough to reason. Tobias was the sort of man who knew what his anger could do, and what he could do if he learned to direct it. That sort of passion could only hurt others, but if he channeled it toward the proper target, he could still do some good. That just meant containing the amount of damage he did when he cut loose.

"And I don't need no one else to believe in, neither," he said with a soft smile as she led him toward an outcropping of rock. "I suppose I believe in my dad, at least. But he's not here, so I'm fine with relying on myself. Whether or not that makes sense, I don't rightly care." He took a seat in the sand between the rocks and leaned back. He reached down and loosed a flask of water, promptly guzzling a mouthful of the stuff.

She went on about relationships for a bit, and it was amusing to hear her take on things. Arc always wondered how this girl thought. It was strange to think that she had anything remotely like qualms with talking or relating to others. She always seemed to be magnetic in personality, the sort of person that others flocked toward. He didn't think their personalities meshed that well. It didn't stop him from being cordial, now that she wasn't all up in his business.

When she said that she thought of him as a friend, he turned his gaze away from her. "You shouldn't waste your time," he said honestly, not at all attempting to be mean. "I'm not the sort of person who keeps friends. I have a few back home, but they're like me. We don't get along with folk. We drink, we talk about the things we hate about normal folk, and we think about what life would be like if only we had the guts to reach out and seize opportunity. I'm the sort of guy who has no future. I'm not worth it."

He took another sip of water. "That's how it always was. Thom wanted to get out of his own way, but he was terrified of social interaction. He was so consumed by that fear that he..." Tobias sighed. "He left the house to go to work and come home. When he wasn't taking care of his grandmom, he was shut in his room. I had to tear the door down more than once to drag him out for brews."

The dark haired man stared at the sand. "And me? Well. I was always getting in fights, or making excuses not to move on with my life. I didn't want to leave any of them behind. Out of the bunch, I'm the worst. I could have left any time. I had the chance to go to college, but I decided to stay with them."

Arc: 140/140 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID# 67580 CD: 10

[Esther 0]

Esther sat herself down beside the fire, and gave a long yawn. They had been walking for hours, it was very exhausting. As Arc said he didn't have to believe in himself to fight, Esther put her hair up into a ponytail, she offered him a concerned frown. There was no way to get through to him it seemed. He was so very focused on fighting, and little else. He wasn't even able to focus on his own well being, and that worried Esther immensely. He continued to say he didn't need anyone else to believe in, even smiling as he had said it. 

"That may be so but...." Esther turned her gaze away from him, but what? "Nevermind." She had said words again without thinking, and without any proper continuation of her words, Esther felt that they were a waste. Grogginess was seeping in, she was too tired to try and concentrate, to attempt to filter her words and mannerisms that she had been trying so very hard all day to do. Esther wanted him to believe in others, in just one other person. It didn't have to be her, if she knew that he could look fondly on just one other person - it'd set her heart at ease.

Arc insisted that she shouldn't waste her time. Esther lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I don't feel it a waste." She bought her knees up to her chest, and leaned back against a large stone, serving as a wall. She wrapped her arms around her legs and nestled her head into her knees. "If I am enjoying my time with you, so its not a waste." She slowly opened and closed her eyes, sleep was trying to pull Esther away from the conversation. But she wouldn't have it, not now. Not when she was finally having a conversation with him. She gave him a small smile, "Although it may just break my bank." She added as a joke. A reminder that this was a business transaction, he was providing his services and she was paying him. Still, Esther didn't mind. Everyone had to make Col their own way.

"You have a future." Esther sleepily muttered with a yawn. "You just.....*yawn* don't know it yet."  Arc began to talk about Thom again. Esther had planned to not bring up Mari or Thom in front of him, yet now - he was the one readily bringing up things he said he'd rather not think about. Esther heard his words, but she was drifting further and further into unconsciousness, and whatever willpower and filter she once had, was now non-existent. "So you pulled him out of his lonely world. Such a good friend...*yawn*" Her eyes were closed now, and her body hunched over. "One day...someone will be your Tobias, and drag you out of your own lonely room." She sleepily laughed. "Kickin...and...scream.....in...g..."

And at that, Esther was asleep.
 

[Ashrah 0]

He snorted at her parting words as the woman headed for dreamland. Their daily escape from the hell of Aincrad took them as close as they could get to their former lives. They saw their friends and family in that comfortable darkness. Tobias wondered if she could really find ease in that place, out here in the cold desert night. If she could, he envied her. He didn't find that sensation even in an inn, with a proper bed.

As night consumed the skyline, Arc considered what she had said. My Tobias, huh? That's a funny way to put it.

Arc took to the watch like a proper sentinel. She slept, and he sat up with his eyes out on the field. Since he wouldn't be permitted rest on this venture, he planned a good day out for when they returned when he would do nothing but laze around in a bed and recover his energy. That would be a fitting reward, he thought. The winds picked up and blasted by, but they were sheltered by the rocks. The mercenary sighed.

He wished that he had brought rum, but he knew better.

Esther had the desire to move forward, and so he would help her get stronger. Whatever way she decided to do that, Tobias had no room to criticize her decision. Support players had been one of the massive reasons people had survived in Aincrad up to this point. He respected that people chose that path, even if it were one of the most difficult to tread. Guess she's got a little more gumption than I gave her credit for. Not bad, kid.

[Esther 0]

Esther mumbled, her eyes fluttering as the morning sun hit. "mmm?" She yawned, rubbing her eyes. Was it morning already? The sun had heated the floor, and it was only morning. The woman groaned, as she pulled out a flask of water. Drinking it. Being careful not to guzzle the whole thing down at once. She saw Arc, still seated opposite her. Esther gave him a quizzical look. Did he get any sleep, was he up all night? Her eyes widened, was he watching her sleep all night? That's a little creepy...

"Uh..."  

Esther was going to comment on it, but thought it best went unsaid, instead she stood  up, clearing her throat. "W-we should be close to it soon, yeh? The quest said it'd take a day and a night - maybe it will randomly spawn now the time has passed." The woman stepped over the now expired fire toward Arc. Offering him a hand to help him stand, not that he'd really take it, still, it was a gesture Esther just couldn't flat out ignore. It was in her very nature to be helpful.

"Ready?"

 

 

ID: 67664
CD: 10
ARC: 140/140 HP
ESTHER: 100/100 HP

Edited September 13, 2016 by Esther

[Ashrah 0]

Arc glanced backward at the woman over whom he had kept vigil. She gave him a strange look, which he returned in kind. His watchful gaze had been out over the desert, where the mobs might come from. There was no reason for him to keep his back to the danger in favor of looking at a girl he barely got along with. (:P) There were dark bags beneath his eyes as their eyes met for that fraction of an instant.

He brushed the sand off himself as he made it to his feet, his gaze set on her hand as he did so. Arc looked from the appendage up toward its owner. "Let's just get moving, alright?" he asked her. "We might be closer than we thought."

For some reason, he felt like they had missed something. The night had turned into day and they were out on the desert, but they had not gone exponentially far from the settlement. How big was this desert, anyway? "Didn't see anything get close," he murmured. "But that doesn't mean we can stop being careful. We should assume that the sand is hiding something from us other than some precious cargo."

But where the hell was the cargo?

Arc: 160/160 HP

Esther: 100/100 HP

ID# 67670 CD: 12