[PP-F11] Respite (Birdie)

[Ashrah 0]

Tobias opened his menu and slid his finger across the item in question. When it flickered in his hand, the two handed spear materialized for the woman to inspect. It earned a look of disapproval from the waiter, but the man placed the food down in front of them both without a word. "I wanted to do something different than a sword," he explained. "And the spear seemed... way more my style."

He dismissed the weapon to his inventory once more, then closed his eyes and cut a sliver of meat away from the main course. While he gnawed on it, the girl began to talk about her mother's drinking problem, and her own fear of falling victim to alcoholism. "I did," he said quietly, "fall into that trap, and so I can't blame you for wanting to avoid it. Thom and me both. His grandfather passed, and we spent a week straight getting pissed. I can't remember anything emotional, or even really anything at all about those seven days. That's how bad it got. That was around the time my parents got divorced..."

His eyes had turned away from her as he spoke, and they looked distant in their half open state. She began to eat her own food, then sipped more of the wine as if to dismiss his worries over being inconsiderate. When Arc glanced back her way, he was smiling.

"I hope it's not too weird," he said with a laugh, "after all, I'd hate our first date to go down in the books as a strange experience. What'll you tell your friends?" He made a facetious face and emulated an effeminate voice, albeit mangled, high pitched, "I did meet this guy, but he took me to this place and it was strange." He let his eyes fall to the table, then move back up to meet hers.

"In all seriousness, you don't have to drink if you're uncomfortable." He gestured toward the glass in her grasp. "I'm more interested in you having a good time than anything."

[Birdie 0]

She twirled some pasta around her fork as Arc talked about his alcohol-fuelled week, her eyes rocking as he mentioned his parent's divorce. As he turned back, she noticed his smile and sent one in its stead. That must be tough to go through, having parents that don't seeing eye-to-eye.. Keeping her thoughts contained, her attention was recaptured by Arc as he referred to the oddness of the date.

She raised an eyebrow in lighthearted fashion, a grin bursting onto her lips as they facilitated the soft giggle that followed. "I do not sound like that!" she spoke through the gentle laughter, her eyes faltering for a moment before levelling with his. She raised and tilted the glass an inch as he pointed to it, her eyes trailing between the man and the drink. "Tobias," her gaze returned to him, "I'm not uncomfortable. Talking about-.. well, talking about stuff like what you said earlier is normal, M-maybe not on the first date, but-" she took a small sip of wine and smiled, "I kinda like knowing the little things about people. Maybe I'm just weird that way.." 

With the primed pasta wrapped around her fork, she brought it to her lips and munched on a portion of her meal. Her gaze averted, glancing sidelong to the river for a time. The sunset's light shimmered in the waves, catching her eyes in the reflection. "This place is beautiful, it's like,, the best of Italy squashed into a single city." She closed her eyes with a sigh, turning back to the table. "I wish Starting City had any allure to it- it's becoming a mess with The Army trying to take control."

She glanced at her glass before looking to Arc. "I thought about moving elsewhere- maybe even looking for a house in one of the other big cities. It was always so risky to come up to these double digit floors, but if this is what they have to offer.." She paused, shaking her head subtly. So expensive.. "What about you? Have you ever thought about settling down into a house?"

[Ashrah 0]

"Not at all," he shook his head, "I like your voice. And I couldn't hope to replicate that accent, so I don't mean any offense." His words were quick, as though he realized his mannerisms were rude and had slipped from the chivalrous demeanor he strictly conducted himself by. It was obvious that he shifted from it a bit with familiarity. Markedly, he seemed a bit relieved when she mentioned she wasn't altogether uncomfortable. "Oh- good," he sighed. "That's good." Ava met his gaze and he gulped down, then managed to lift his drink. "I don't think it's weird to know people in the slightest. I'd wager that knowing your friends makes the friendship more real than just going out all the time, never really talking about life or problems."

He took a small sip and turned his head to look out at Taft's scenery, and noticed droplets of gilded sunlight spilled out across the river's surface, a perfect mirror of the pastel-painted sky. Orange, deep violet, and vibrant yellows cast the warmth of daylight's death down on them, and all he could do was nod in agreement. Tobias had always enjoyed the late day sky, and with his attention drawn to it, the man was helpless to say much else. The colors melted in his gaze, their dichotomy abolished when reflected in his green eyes. "I reckon this is my favorite place in Aincrad," he murmured.

Tobias began to slice off another sample of meat as she turned back to him and spoke about her fears- the dangers of higher floors- and the possibility of a house. He lowered his half-raised fork. "Eventually," the man nodded, "I would like that. Once I've put a lot of money together, and I can support the cause a bit better." The player reached up to scratch the tip of his nose. "We've got some time before the Frontlines, and so, I figure by then we might laugh about financial issues."

Tobias took a healthier sip from his wine this time. "I think you won't even need to worry about dangers for that much longer," he confided. "You're in a guild, and they'll help you out in a pinch, right? And I'm always a message away if they don't hop to. Not to mention, you're stronger every time I see you, so you might not even need my help much longer." His eyes had shut as he spoke, and he smiled, but his heart sunk. The idea of her not keeping him around hurt more than he let on. "If you do get a house, I'd love to see it," he spoke in a much lighter voice, genuinely.

[Birdie 0]

Birdie spun her fork in the pasta, weaving another fork full.  Lifting it to her mouth, she ate and listened simultaneously as the man mentioned financial struggles. The food left her mouth with a swallow and she washed it down with a sip of wine, rather enjoying the taste now that the initial jitters had surpassed. “Yeah, we’ll probably be rolling in piles of Col by the time we get to the top.” The imagery was amusing but she thought to backpedal, “Well- maybe not quite, it will just be nice to go out and not feel like clothes and non-essentials are a waste of money,” she pondered.

Ava’s eyes fell soft, her smile shifting to match a weak frown in appearance. “Tobias, I’ll never be ready to face the harshest dangers of Aincrad by myself.  The guild is full of great people who do great things but in the end, they’re a group of players training others to be stronger fighters.” The girl’s cheek faced Arc as her eyes turned away. “As soon as they’ve taught me all they can, I’m not sure I’ll be strong enough to do this all alone.” She felt a smile. Even if she spoke with the intention of demeaning herself, to think that she was being so sappy made her want to cringe and laugh at the same time.

Ava nodded gently, “You’d be welcome to stay, at a rate of 100 Col per visit.” She gave a wink as a grin happened upon her face. “Gotta pay the house off somehow~ seriously though, it would be lovely to have someone around. The whole home thing will be tough to do alone..” Her gaze fell sideways, Did that sound weird?

 

[Ashrah 0]

"Charging me money to visit?" he spoke in a surprised tone, and lifted a hand to his chest. "I would be wounded if it didn't seem so riddled with scandal. Aren't you the venture capitalist?" His smile was ever-present, though it did vary lightly when he took a bite of his dinner. As he chewed, he considered her words and then shook his head. "I never meant to infer that you would go off on your own," he told her. "I am of the opinion that it's a much more Tobias thing to do than an Ava thing." The mercenary drummed his fingers on the table and washed down the meat with a flavorful dose of the Chianti, which grew more appealing with each drink he took. He quietly warned himself about getting too familiar with the drink, especially in front of this young lady. He pushed the glass away without a second glance.

He winked conspiratorially at her and then pointed to her food with his fork. "Looks delicious," he interjected to stave off some of the stuffy mood they'd happened upon.

"I do appreciate it, in all seriousness," he added after several moments of them both enjoying their food. "You're welcome to call on me any time. I find that having someone I can count on at my back is pretty settling. I fight mobs to the extent that a solo player can, but being on a team makes things infinitely easier and less risk-involved." He spoke of the advantage for her benefit, since their previous gush of emotional vomit had left her laughing so hard she might have doubled over. He knew the feeling all too well. Awkward people had a harder time with those sorts of things.

"And if you don't mind, I'd rather take you to dinner than pay to come calling at your door," he cleared his throat. "So, if that's more suited, perhaps we can discuss a more amicable payment plan on the house in the future, when it's more in the cards." He tried his best to not imply too heavily about anything. "A gentleman ought to not pay a lady for her time, as that would imply a slight to her honor, but the rules of hospitality are very explicit that he pay for things to keep the smile on her face."

He opened one eye as he spoke. "At least, my version of the rules."

[Birdie 0]

"Girl's gotta stay in business somehow," she replied in a somewhat casual tone, the illusion of seriousness broken by a smile. As Tobias pushed his glass away, she almost felt inclined to do the same but decided against her better judgement. Her fork dug into the swirl of a shrimp, cooked and seasoned with fresh basil and thyme sprinkled over, The fork made it halfway towards her mouth before Tobias intercepted, affording him a smile before the shrimp completed its journey into the pits of her mouth.

Birdie swallowed the mouthful, bringing the back of a hand to her lips to cover her chewing. "Mmm- warning you now, that's a privilege waiting to be abused." She sent him a light smile. "I can always count on you, Tobias - I was gonna look out for a quest sometime this week, so you're more than welcome to come with." The fork's tip rested atop her plate. 

A brush of red struck her cheeks.  What does he mean by that..? Birdie's expression softened gradually, the rouge hint that once lit up her expression now a dull hue amongst her smiling lips. "If we're going by the rules, a lady should know how to cook and care for the homestead. Burnt toast is about the extent of my culinary skills." Her lips formed a smile. Those words were a slight exaggeration, but they help some truth within their meaning. She crossed her arms, leaning onto the table. "So.. if you're insinuating what I think you are, um- what sort of place would be your ideal home?" Her eyes danced around his, "I think if I had to choose anything, a high-up apartment near the city centre would be dreamy. Having a view of Taft in its entirety... and with how beautiful the architecture is on the outside, it's hard to imagine how intricately designed the interiors must be." She loosed a sigh, knowing to not dwell on the thoughts too much.

 

Edited October 8, 2016 by Birdie

[Ashrah 0]

Tobias gave a slight shrug. "Impose on me all you want," he replied evenly, "even if it's just for dinner, I don't mind tossing around a few col to spend some time with my dear friend." He grinned. "It gives me an excuse to not spend all my time fighting, right?" 

She made note of his dependability, and the warmth in his chest grew. "Well, I'm more than happy to accompany you," he told her. "In fact, I'm honored that you'd ask me over someone else." Tobias offered her a bow over the table, then a smile. "So, thanks."

He did his best not to laugh at her when she mentioned her abysmal cooking skills. Tobias was no slouch in the kitchen in real life, but he had no points in the profession and doubted sincerely that the game cared about his experience. Before he could comment, though, Ava returned to the topic of a house. 

"Well," he added, "anything like that is a long way off, of course, but if I had to pick something..." he glanced out at the water again, and his lips tightened as he thought about his preferences. "I'd want something I could come home to everyday and be happy with. I'm not too incredibly bothered with aesthetic, so long as I enjoy it." He could go on for hours about architecture or decor, but he opted not to. He didn't want her to think he had spent tons of time on it- which he hadn't, until just now.

"I certainly didn't mean to make bold assertions lightly," he quickly added, "I'm still sort of mentally stuck at the 'I can't believe this girl likes me' stage."

[Birdie 0]

Birdie returned a smile, nodding as he made a point of the time he’d otherwise use to fight mobs. “Right, you’ve said it before – taking a break to enjoy the little things is always important.” Her gaze integrated with his, causing the girl’s eyes to shy away. “W-well... maybe this is more than just a little thing.”

Birdie looked to Arc as he thanked her, causing her smile to brighten. Truthfully, she felt at peace with Tobias’ presence, stemming from the countless times he’d stepped in to ensure her safety. Although it wasn’t dignifying to know she relied on him so much in the past, to have somebody so dependable gave her hope that they’d see the game through to the end.

Her smile’s integrity weakened as he mentioned the dream house being out of reach, for the time being at least. She found herself begrudgingly agreeing – houses certainly weren’t tailored to be affordable for low level players, especially the luxury apartments located in one of the game’s most prime accessible hotspots. “Mhm…”

She listened as he described his perfect place. “Agreed. In the end, a pretty house is a pretty house. Having a place to call home and feel at ease in is the most important thing to look for in a place.”

Birdie’s gaze had fallen to the table, and the girl wore a soft expression as she peaked towards him once more. She blinked, “R-really?” She hadn’t even considered that he’d be surprised or shocked by her liking him- up until that point, at least. “Well… you’re a genuine guy, Tobias. Kind, sweet, s-strong-“ she couldn’t stop a wave of heat flowing through her cheeks. “-I can’t think of much that I don’t like about you.” His apparent selflessness, but she didn’t mention it.

Unnoticed by Birdie, the contents of her glass had slowly dwindled.. When the waiter hovered around their table asking if she’d like to refill, she brought her eyes over to Arc, before returning to the waitstaff. She politely declined, asking for a glass of water instead. “Would you like anything?” she diverted the waiter’s attention to Arc.

[Ashrah 0]

The mercenary shook his head and declined another drink with his hand raised, a half smile on his face. "No thanks," he murmured as his gaze shifted back to Ava. In response, the NPC bowed courteously and left them be, for the time being. "I like to hope," he said in the quietest of voices. He didn't meet her eyes this time as he spoke, but his words would carry to her. 

He had met many people in the real world, and in this one. Of those, so few every got to the point of being good friends with him. Ava was the first to make him get a warmth in his chest, the way he felt at that moment. He was certain that it was something he liked, even if he was scared of it- scared that he might lose it, especially in this world.

His eyes fell to her hand, and he remembered the first time he'd asked her if she wanted to hold his. "I think if we put in the work," he said, a bit louder, "and we really want it, then a house isn't as far off as all that. Sure, it's not the most important thing, but setting goals helps you retain some of your sanity in this world."

At this point, Tobias did look up, and he let out a soft sigh. She spoke about things she liked about him, and he could think of nothing to say in response. It was like something out of his wildest dreams, that someone could feel any semblance of that. Sure, he could respond with all the things he thought were great about the girl, but he doubted she'd enjoy it with as red as her face had become. Instead, he reached across the table and touched her hand, gently.

"Thanks," he told her, hoping to catch her eye. "I mean... yeah. I like you, too." He flagged down the man who hurried around the restaurant and paid off their tab with a few words, then looked back to Ava. "Moonrise is in about half an hour," he told her, "take your time eating."

[Birdie 0]

His warm fingers grazed softly against Birdie’s hands, causing a silent gasp to escape her lips. She caught his emerald eyes as he thanked her, and a warm smile formed as he reinforced his likeness for her. Birdie’s hand pulled away as Arc went about paying the bill, she knew any protest would result in a lecture of beautifully constructed words explaining why she shouldn’t fret about it. With a soft breath, she scooped up more of the dish and munched on it in the meantime.

Then he told her about the upcoming moonrise, a hand rushed to her mouth after she choked a little in surprise. “Jesus, it’s that late already?” She struck up her menu to the left of where she sat, giving a slight look of alarm as she came across the clock. “Times flies..” She brought her attention back to the plate in front, and then up to the Arc. “S-sorry, I’m so slow at eating,” she apologised, thinking for a moment. “Hey, um… would you like to try some?” She looked to him curiously, “I promise I don’t have a cold or anything- is.. it even possible to spread germs in this game?"

[Ashrah 0]

He blinked, then nodded. "Sure, I'll try it," he replied as she asked about germs and sickness, and he shook his head. "No, only poisons and other like effects, and those are only generally caused by weapons and potions." Arc was infinitely thankful for that fact. There were many times where, if it had been real, they both probably would have frozen out on the fourth floor. They hadn't even so much as caught cold.

"I totally got caught off guard, too," he laughed. "The clock on my HUD was set to notify me when we were getting close. Didn't wanna miss it, is all."

Tobias glanced at the dish before her and then at his own. "You're welcome to try mine, too," he offered, "though Prime Rib is hardly a flashy dish." 

He said nothing about the speed of their dinner, since both of them had spent so much time interested in other things. There was still plenty of meat left on his plate. 

[Birdie 0]

"Sure, I'll try it." Birdie smiled, bringing her fork down to the cloth it came wrapped in. She gripped the rim of her plate and began pushing it towards Arc, only to be caught off guard when he asked if she'd like to try his. Her fingers gently pushed the plate to one side, making room for Arc if he wished to take from and add to it.

Prime Rib? As if blinded by the heat of the moment, or perhaps failing to realise it through simple ignorance, she laid eyes on his dish for the first time. She regarded it as rude to stare at another person's food, wishing to avoid an implied pretence that she wished to try some. Of course, along with the man's offer came the right to inspect his plate. "Some of the best tasting foods are often not the prettiest." She gave a small nod. "I would love to, would you mind cutting a little off?"

Referring back to her plate being pushed closer to him, "You can take as much you wish from my plate. They went above and beyond with the portion size here," she giggled softly, her eyes falling lazily to the table. She couldn't shake a feeling of the feeling of warmth that emanated from her chest, spreading to the outer reaches of her fingers and toes, perfectly encapsulating the feelings she felt at present.

Glancing to her plate, she'd wait for Arc to take some of her dish and add some of his before taking it back. "You speak fondly of Prime Rib, have you eaten it before?"

[Ashrah 0]

"For sure," he spoke offhand as he acquiesced to her request. A slice of the meat came away without much resistance. You could tell the cut of meat was cooked to perfection by how rough or tender it was. Juicy, savory, and infused with tangy herbs, the meat could be described as nothing short of succulent.

"Here you go," he told her as he tilted the plate in her direction and nudged it slightly toward her. "If you like it, you're welcome to more."

In turn, he took a fork full of her pasta and cut it away in the manner his father had taught him, taking just enough to fit the utensil without overburdening it. When he lifted the food to his lips, he took a quick sniff to inspect it for spices. With a smile, he took a bite and savored the various elements of the sauce.

Whoever programed flavors for Kayaba was a bloody genius.

"Prime Rib was my great grandpa's favorite," he explained. "I don't get it nearly as often as I should. It's got a very distinct flavor, and is a dish that gets prepared differently depending on where you go." He swallowed the last bit of the pasta and nodded. "But this dish... oh man... this is good."

With a smile, he asked. "What's your favorite food?"

[Birdie 0]

Pulling her plate back, she observed the cut of meat and prodded it with the prongs of her fork, testing to see how squishy it was. She stopped playing with her food and brought it to her mouth, letting the flavour of the seasoned beef sit and mingle with her taste buds as she tried to decipher all the things she was tasting; mixed herbs, a stream of juice leaking from the meat, and of course the beef itself. "Soo.. good.." she spoke, her eyes shimmering as the cut disappeared down her throat within seconds.

Birdie folded her fork over her meal, knowing well and truly she shouldn't stuff herself full on the first date. Propping an elbow up on the table, she leaned in closer and rested her jaw in her palm. "Oh come on- Pizza, no questions asked." A smile bloomed as she readjusted her arm to sit comfortably. "My Dad always used to take me to this local pizza shop when I was little, and I think that's when I fell in love with Hawaiian pizza. Say what you want, pineapple on pizza is amazing." She waited to see his reaction to that, knowing most disliked that variant of her favourite dish.

Feeling her muscles tense up slightly, a yawn overcame Birdie as her loose arm slid across the tabletop in a stretch. Leaving it to rest in the middle of the table, her eyes lazily traced up to Arc's alongside a kindly smile. "Thank you for the food, it was delicious~" Her eyes moved up to the sky, a subtle reminder of the moonrise that was to come in under half an hour. "Should we start making our move? It'd be a shame to miss the moon rising," she said, her gaze falling to Arc once more.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Birdie

[Ashrah 0]

"I know all about those people," he folded his arms. "My mom always got Hawaiian pizza, and they were about that 'pineapple doesn't go on pizza' nonsense." He thought about it, then replied. "It's not my favorite food, but the pineapple and the sauce are perfect complements. Who wouldn't mix those two things?" Spicy and sweet, after all, offset each other perfectly. It was the same concept as using salt in baking, because it drew out the other flavors. 

"Me?" he asked rhetorically, "I'm a Chinese food guy. Specifically, I eat House Fried Rice. Could eat it for every meal." He feigned the use of chopsticks. "Oh man, do I love the flavor..."

He reminisced about his favorite food longingly and sighed as his eyes slipped shut. When Ava thanked him, Tobias smiled. "Absolutely!" he replied. "Any time! We can try all kinds of restaurants, if you like."

Tobias followed her gaze skyward and tilted his head. "Yeah," he agreed as he stood up and offered his hand. "Let's get going! I'd hate to miss anything."

The Moonrise, after all, was magnificent over the river.

[Birdie 0]

"Right? It's amazing!" Ava accentuated her voice, the hand her jaw had rested on falling to the table palm-first. Realising the sudden ruckus she'd made, she glimpsed over to the other tables to make sure no nobody was looking, before folding her arms together by her edge of the table.

A smile caught her lips. "Chinese food has an allure to it. Spicy food always burns my mouth though.." She looked to him with a sheepish smirk, "Wouldn't that become repetitive eating the same rice all the time?" She figured the food could go with a lot of things, though her lack of Asian-style foods prompted the question.

She stretched her arms to either side as Tobias began to stand up from the table, and pushed her legs out from under the chair. "Oh my god, if there's a pizza place in this city.." Her eyes almost went wide with anticipation but she stopped herself, shaking her head a little. She sauntered to his side and held his hand the way she had before. "Lead the way, romeo," she said while glancing up to him, meeting his eyes with a warm smile. "Should we look for someplace with a nice view?"

Edited October 12, 2016 by Birdie

[Ashrah 0]

"It's not spicy at all!" he blurted, and several eyes shifted in his direction. The two made a hilarious scene, if nothing else. He bowed his head apologetically and lowered his voice. "No way, the flavor is like... mmmm... savory, and just hints at the open flame that it cooks over. The onions mix perfectly into the flavor of the rice, carrots, egg, and peas..." Tobias felt the saliva pooling in his mouth. "Then, what makes it House Fried Rice- it's got beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp. Imagine all of that flavor. Every bite has a different texture, and each different ingredient has a distinct taste."

Now he wanted some. He shook his head. "Bad Tobes, we just ate," he chastised himself. "I guess it would be repetitive, but I wouldn't mind so much. There's this place I used to go back in town... ah man, I'd love to take you sometime. You'd enjoy it, I think."

When she took his hand, Tobias laughed. "I'll see about finding you a pizza place next time," he told her. "That'll be fun."

Tobias glanced skyward pensively. "Yeah," he replied, "I think we can find a good spot out by the bridge."

They began to walk.

"You really can't hate the aesthetic," he murmured. "Despite the conditions."

[Birdie 0]

"Holy cow that's a lot of protein.." she hushed under her breath, staring towards Arc as an image of the food projected in her head. His description almost had her taste buds salivating, but she learned some self control in favour of remaining civil during their date. Her smile eased, becoming simultaneously relaxed and tense as he implied her visit across the pond. "I.. I'd like that."

One foot after the other, they set off along the path. The city was darker than she remembered it an hour ago though it certainly wasn't dead- it seemed more alive than before, even.

She tilted her head up to him, nodding easily. "This is truly Aincrad's finest- and to think there's still 82 floors to explore, each with their own flavour of themes, towns and cities.." Her words trailed away, the endless possibilities for what might lie ahead prompting a spurts of thoughts to invade her mind. She shook her head gently, returning her attention to the road they walked along.

"What conditions? Are you talking about.. um.." She bit her lip in hesitation. ".. being trapped here?"

Edited October 13, 2016 by Birdie

[Ashrah 0]

He squeezed her hand gently when she asked about his meaning. There was no real need to extrapolate on it. Everyone in SAO knew that at its core, the vast and beautiful world around them was their prison. It was better to look on it as something that could be enjoyed, if not in totality then in parts.

The night life of Taft certainly drew his attention back from the brink of despair. "Yeah," he said finally. "That's what I meant." Tobias offered Ava a serene smile, something most denizens of the virtual reality lacked for. "But I deal, you know. We all do."

He slowly lifted her hand to his face and brushed his lips across her fingers. "I'll make sure we get home safe," he told her. "Then you can definitely come over and have some of that Chinese food." If not for almost souring the mood, he never would have taken the leap of faith that came with kissing her hand. Still, as he lowered their hands to their sides, Tobias was satisfied with having done it. 

Dim lighting came to life in the windows as he led her toward the bridge, and out onto the middle of it. "The water is so clear," he said, "all you'll see is moon reflected on the surface. It's so great."

He turned and leaned against the rail, his head tilted backward. "And Aincrad even has its own sky," he whispered. 

[Birdie 0]

Ava held her gaze for a while longer, returning a smile of similar grace when he offered one to her. "Life goes on." She laid the topic to rest with a final comment, resting her eyes on the road ahead.

She felt her hand ascending to his lips - powerless and lacking a desire to pull away, her eyes slowly drew to his. Ava's cheeks warmed as her mouth was left agape by the gesture, and as their hands returned to their sides, she shook her head gently to return to her senses. "That's the best thing a boy's ever said to me, in this world and the real one.." Ava's eyes returned to the road, her head moving closer to Tobias until it rested lazily in the crook of his arm. "If for nothing else, let's get out of here and meet each other on the other side. I've always wanted to walk on a boardwalk along an American beach." Her words trailed off, almost in a dreamy voice.

After what felt like only seconds under his embrace, she heard the hollow thud of wood beneath their feet. "Hm?" Her eyes trailed to the river flowing calmly under the bridge, and the white sphere of the moon's reflection in the water. "Y-yeah, it's kinda scary how real this all is.." The sound of flowing water harmonised with her ears, and she breathed a gentle sigh. "If it weren't for Aincrad's fantasy themes, it would be difficult to discern this reality from our real one.. come to think of it, isn't it strange that this technology is first released as a game?"