[PP-F2] Climb Ev'ry Mountain

[Lessa 1]

Outside Taran Village - Closed to Zulas

Climb every mountain, ford every stream. Follow every rainbow, t'ill you find your mats.

By the time she reached the top, Lessa was huffing harder than she would like to admit. Her generally rosy cheeks were a deep crimson, and a fine layer of perspiration clung to her skin. Though the mountains were not high, the air felt a little thinner at the end of the path. That, or she was merely out of shape, and did not care to admit it. After months spent living in the seventh floor's mountain range, one might assume that she had conditioned herself for such climbs. The truth of the matter was, she had rarely spent hours at a time hiking, and rather preferred to stop and set up camp after only wandering for a short time. That trip had been for meditation, guidance, and self-awareness. This trip was for materials, and those required a solid hike. A solid hike that became far more difficult when outfitted in heavy armor, and weighed down by a massive Claymore. More than once, she had considered unequipping them. But common sense won out in the end, as she did not know these mountains, or the dangers that lurked within them. She would have to stay on her guard, and react instantly were something to spawn. And by react, she would have to fight, because it was pretty clear now that she would not be able to outrun the sucker.

She pulled another long, deep breath, filling her lungs with the slightly cooler mountain air. It was refreshing, even if the flat-topped mountains did not reach the same frigid temperatures as their higher-floor cousins. What these mountains did have, according to the rumor mill, was an abundance of iron ore. That was precisely what her shop lacked, and what the pink swordswoman needed most. As luck would have it, she located a small hunk just a few feet off the beaten path. "This is easy," Lessa mused aloud.

Spoiler

 

ID# 69590 LD: 20

One material gained.

Lessa's total for thread: 1.

 

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by Lessa

[Zulas 0]

The swordsman had spent some time at the mountain already. He doesn't know when he had first started, but he liked the quiet time it brought him. He had set out on this path because he needed a bit of materials for an item that he wanted crafted. The armor that he had on was not the best so he had opted to change it, but the problem was that he didn't have that many materials to trade. The shops ran by NPC's were not that creative or abundant in their wares and the players' shops were a bit pricey for him right now. The only way was to gather the necessary materials, which didn't require much effort... just a long time in this mountain where he was right now.

Zulas searched around where he stood, it seemed to him that only minutes had passed but in reality it had been hours. The solitude gave him time to think, much he hadn't done since he began the game. He had only thought about the outside world and his life one time... that time which seems like ages ago but it had only be a few weeks back. While thinking about his life, the words of a woman suddenly made him turn around and caught him off guard.

"Uh" - was the only thing he could say. He turned his attention at the girl and then searched around him to see if she had spoken to somebody else. When he realized that there wasn't anybody else he continued, "Yes... if you say so."

Zulas then really looked at her for the first time and his eyes opened wide. He quickly turned around and continued his search.

Spoiler

 ID# 69602 results:

 Loot: 3

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by Zulas

[Lessa 1]

"Jesus," Lessa exclaimed, dropping the handful of iron ore she had just scooped up. It fell back to the earth with a dull thunk, nearly as loud as the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears. She straightened, and then rounded on the young man, her blue eyes as violent as a stormy sea. Curses danced on the tip of her tongue, and she had every intention to lay into him for frightening her that way. But when her gaze found his, and she noted his confused expression, all anger fizzled. There was something so innocent in the way he watched her, and in the way that he suddenly turned away from her. Of course he had not intended to frighten her, and to accuse him of such would be entirely out of line. The truth was that Lessa was unusually jumpy, her nerves most likely frayed by the creeping exhaustion. The hike had done a number on her, and she briefly wish she had brought a teleportation crystal with her.

The blonde watched the other player mill about a bit. Unsure of what else to do, she did the same, returning to pick up her ore and look for more. When a tense, silent moment passed, and neither of them spoke, she decided to be the bigger man. Besides, it was most likely her fault that he was giving her such wide berth. "Sorry," she told him, heaving a small sigh before offering a slightly larger smile. "You scared me."

Spoiler

 

ID# 69603 LD: 11

No materials gained.

Lessa's total for thread: 1.

 

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by Lessa

[Zulas 0]

"Oh", was all Zulas could say. "I didn't mean to." - he said apologetically. 

After a few moments of gathering more ore, he continued - "I didn't know you weren't talking to me.".

Zulas thought for a second what to say, but nothing came to mind. He looked from where he was gathering his materials to look at the woman standing in front of him. There was something about her, a strange sensation that reminded him of something but he couldn't quite place where. He stopped what he was doing for a second and just looked at her smile. It made him half smile for a split second, but he looked down and continued to gather his materials. The feeling wouldn't go away and then a mid breeze hit him that made him put his arm up to cover from the dust. He looked over at the woman, the way her hair whipped around in the wind. Again, it reminded of something, something important that he had forgotten.

That's when it hit him, flashes came to his mind like the rush of a river. One image after another without stopping, so many that it made him drop the stones he was carrying. He stood there as they hit the ground with a loud thud and his eyes opened wide once more. He quickly composed himself and dropped down to the ground to recover what had fallen on the ground.

 

 ID# 69604 results:

 Loot: 6

Edited October 17, 2016 by Zulas

[Lessa 1]

"I wasn't talking to you," she retorted. It took only a split second for her to recognize the unintentional venom in her tone, and Lessa scrambled to correct her mistake. "I mean, not really. I was more talking to myself, I guess." That sounded even worse! Mentally kicking herself, the woman urged herself to calm down. Slow down, she commanded. Deep breaths. She had learned a great many things during the months she had spent alone. Controlling her emotions, and calming herself, were two of them. Unfortunately, it seemed that conversing with others was a skill that she had forgotten. Like a dull blade, she would have to sharpen it a bit. And that would mean making this boy see that she was not some lunatic.

But when she went to offer him a broad smile, and an explanation, she was met with an expression that stopped her cold. He stared at her, his eyes wide, his lips suddenly curling into a smile before he turned away. Lessa's eyes narrowed with concern, and even as she returned to glancing for mats, she kept him in her line of sight. When he finally gasped, the stones he had held spilling from his hold, she could no longer stifle her concern. She eyed him, running a hand through her long hair, trying to find the words for this complete stranger. He had behaved so strangely, and she was unsure of how to broach the subject. Don't overthink it, a voice cautioned. "Hey," she began softly, "are you okay?"

Spoiler

 

ID# 69610 LD: 11

No materials gained.

Lessa's total for thread: 1.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2016 by Lessa

[Zulas 0]

Zulas realized what he had done when he heard her question and stopped what he was doing. He quickly glanced at her as he felt that his face was flustered. He could feel his cheeks red so he didn't say anything at first. He moved a couple of paces away to search in a different direction before he replied, "Yes... yes, I'm ok."

He then looked at the ground, giving time for his body to take control again. "I didn't mean to upset you earlier." - he said apologetically when he finally composed himself. Zulas noticed that there was something about this woman. There was a peculiar way about her, the way that she quickly changed responses. When he thought about it he gave out a low chuckle, and continued to search the path on the mountain.

It had been a long time since he had talked to anybody else like this, face to face. I think the idea of not really being face to face was what let him feel a bit more comfortable. He finally managed to look at the girl this time and responded with a slight smile and continued his work. It was a bit of an awkward silence again but he decided to break it first this time.

"So, do you come to this mountain often?" - was all he could think to ask. Yeah, that's not very interesting, he thought.

Spoiler

 ID# 69639 results:

 Loot: 15

Material Gained.

Zulas's total for thread: 1

 

Edited October 18, 2016 by Zulas

[Lessa 1]

"Oh, you didn't upset me," the swordswoman replied, too quickly. "Not really. Just startled." She offered him a warm smile. "Honestly, I'm good." But was he? The happy expression she wore did not reach her eyes, and she watched him carefully as he picked through a nearby pile of rocks. There was a moment of silence between them, not necessarily uncomfortable, but not the easy still between two good friends either. So she continued to watch him as he searched, and in brief spurts, so did she.

Another piece of discarded ore caught her attention, poking through a collection of stones. Careful not to venture too far from her new acquaintance, she approached the material, and stooped down to retrieve it. When she realized it was still held deep in the hard ground, she gave it a few quick, well-placed kicks with the toe of her boot. During the action, she nearly missed the player's question.

"This particular mountain?" She gave the iron another solid whack with her foot to demonstrate. "Nah. But I did spend quite a bit of time in the seventh floor mountains. It was nice. That's also where I met Riker." As she spoke, it dawned on her that she had no idea where her familiar had vanished to. "Not sure where he went though." She grabbed the ore, which she had finally dislodged, while asking, "what about you? Come here often?"

Spoiler

 

ID# 69658 LD: 18

One material gained.

Lessa's total for thread: 2

 

 

Edited October 19, 2016 by Lessa

[Zulas 0]

Zulas attention turned towards the woman when he heard mention of the 7th floor. He had dreamed of going to the upper floors for a long time now, but he knew that he wasn't strong enough to do it. He noticed how quickly he and intensely turned his gaze towards her, so his face turned red. Zulas, now embarrassed, knew that the woman had to have seen him turn his face red. The motion was followed by some digging on the ground to see if he was lucky enough to find some more materials. It would allow him time to calm down, and answer her question.

"Yes, I do." - he managed to answer. "I...", was all he could manage to say.

Zulas couldn't find the right words to say. For some reason, it mattered to him what she thought of him. He knew that she was way out of his league in terms of this game. "I haven't been above the 3rd floor." - he finally admitted. The words felt heavy in his mouth, it sounded a bit more depressing than he intended, and without knowing he added. "I don't think I'll survive by myself."

Zulas continued to look at the woman as she used, what Zulas thought, was an unknown technique to gather her materials. Again, he saw the same flashes go through his mind; the long hair, the strong personality, but something aloof to her personality that made him smile.  

Spoiler

ID# 69849 results:

 Loot: 17

Material Gained: 1

Zulas's total in thread: 2

 

Edited October 22, 2016 by Zulas

[Lessa 1]

Lessa paused mid-action, still stooped beside the material, hand still extended to retrieve it. "Oh," she breathed, her voice barely audible, despite the relative stillness that surrounded them. When she finally straightened, rising to her feet and turning to face him, her blue eyes found and held his. The boy's cheeks were flushed a warm pink, the expression he wore a bit sheepish. He smiled, but there was something behind his eyes that the blonde found difficult to decipher. There was sadness, sure, and embarrassment. But what else? Why did he continue to smile at her that way.

"Ah, alright," she replied dumbly, the words not coming to her when she finally found her voice. Though she was far from the strongest player, she could hold her own, especially on the lower ten floors. Unfortunately, it seemed that she had taken that ability for granted. Not too long ago, she had been just like the swordsman, too inexperienced and low-leveled to hold his own. If he could not proceed with relative assurance as to his safety, what business did he have traveling freely? The way she did? The thought tugged at her heart, and when she spoke again, her words were softer, gentler, and more deliberate.

"If you ever feel like seeing other floors," she told him, "just let me know. I'd be happy to take you up there."

Spoiler

 

ID# 69914 LD: 10

Lessa's total for thread: 2

 

 

Edited October 24, 2016 by Lessa

[Zulas 0]

"Thank you." - he said to the young woman. He continued to search and after he was satisfied, stood up to face her. 

The young man extended his hand towards her after a few seconds. "Sorry not to have done this earlier... Name's Zulas. Nice to meet you." - he said with a smile. This time he looked in detail at the woman in front of him. She was certainly beautiful, and caring, because not any player would offer to help a stranger that they just met. Just like her, he thought instinctively. He shook his head slightly to get rid of those thoughts, he didn't want to think about her right now. It had been a long time ago, and she was already gone. Then as he stood with his hand out towards the young woman, he felt a tiny teardrop fall down his cheek, and he cursed the game for making his feelings show like that.  

Spoiler

 

ID# 69948 results:

 Loot: 19

 Materials Gained: 1

Zula's total in thread: 3

 

 

Edited October 25, 2016 by Zulas

[Lessa 1]

In silence, Lessa watched the tear slip down the man's cheek. It shimmered like crystal beneath the mid-day sun, as did the salty trail it left as it streaked over his jaw. Her gaze followed as it plummeted to the earth, leaving a small stain against the dark, hard-packed dirt. She took a deep breath, unsure of how to handle the situation. The other player was clearly having a difficult time, but what comfort could she provide him? She hardly knew him, and even his reason for the sudden emotion remained a mystery to her. In fact, she had only just learned his name.

So she did all she could do, which was take his hand in her own, and give it a gentle shake. "Great to meet you, Zulas. My name is Lessa." She held his hand for a moment, searching his face, his eyes, for any clue as to his thoughts. What was it that plagued him? Maybe it was a silly question, as it was impossible to survive this long in the damned floating castle without acquiring a few demons. But what were his, and could she help him? Or, perhaps the better question, why did she feel obligated to do so?

"Hey," she continued gently, her hold on his hand remaining, "are you okay?"

Spoiler

 

ID# 69952 LD: 2

Lessa's total for thread: 2

 

 

Edited October 25, 2016 by Lessa

[Zulas 0]

Zulas noticed the woman looking at him and her eyes trailing something to the ground. She spoke, but her voice was soft and Zulas guessed that he was making her uncomfortable, so he responded, "Yes, I apologize. You just reminded me of someone. Someone I knew a long time ago." - he said truthfully. He hoped that with this, she wouldn't look at him like he was broken. In reality, he was broken, but not in ways that he could be fixed, at least not right now. 

The young man squeezed her hand and replied with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Lessa." 

The young man was very curious of his newfound acquaintance because he hadn't met a lot of people since being inside of this game. He knew that people had their stories and it was bad manners to ask somebody of their life before the game. So, he set out to have a casual conversation that didn't involve anything of that sort. He kept looking at her and took back his hand, "Lessa, you seem kind of strong. Do you battle on the Frontlines?" - he asked curiously.

Spoiler

 

 ID# 69960 results:

  Loot: 4

Zulas's total in thread: 3

 

 

Edited October 25, 2016 by Zulas

[Lessa 1]

She reminded him of someone else. Someone happier. She could not keep the bitter voice from consuming her thoughts. Someone warmer. Someone from a better time. For so many people, Lessa had represented a person who was no longer present, either left in the real-world, or lost to the game. She was the stand-in, the memory, the reminder. It left her in a strange position. On one hand, she was pleased that she could provide some solace to those who were hurting. On the other, she hated the way that they looked at her. Like she was someone else. Like she was a ghost.

"I get that a lot," she replied, her voice drained of all emotion. Her face worked a weak smile, one that did not reach her eyes, but would do the job for the moment. She dropped his hand, wiping her palm on her pants instinctively before turning to look for more materials. It gave her something to do, which she certainly appreciated. 

His second question was one that she heard often, and like the previous comment, it too left her with mixed feelings. She was strong, and so it was natural for less veteran players to assume that she was a front liner. Or, at the very least, to inquire as to whether or not she was one. She could not blame him for asking. But she also could not stop the knot from tightening in the pit of her stomach. To admit she was hiding from the front lines was akin to shouting her cowardice to the world, was it not? "No," she finally answered, raking a hand through her hair, "I don't."

Spoiler

 

ID# 70211 LD: 13

Lessa's total for thread: 2

 

 

Edited November 2, 2016 by Lessa

[Zulas 0]

"Ah", was all Zulas could say. He felt a bit of weird feeling emanating from the young woman, but he paid no mind. It was an unwritten rule to ask about other's past lives, lives before this death game. Zulas turned to the ground and continued searching through the ground and after a while moved to another location. He kept thinking what to ask her, it had been so long since he talked like this with another person, so casually. It seemed so foreign to him, but at them same time he felt that he could tell her anything although he chose not to. It was true that everyone in this place had one thing common, and that was that they were prisoners inside of this place with the hope of one day returning. 

"You know..." - he started to say, struggling to find the right words. "I've been telling those that I've come across with that I want to be in the Frontlines... that I want to help everyone escape... but that's not true." - he finally admitted, more to himself than to the stranger that stood in front of him. 

"If it were up to me, I would just by a house and stay there. If I choose to live my life like that, would it be a bad thing?" - he asked, even though he already knew the answer to that question. He knew it at the bottom of his heart, but he did not want to accept it.

Spoiler

 

 ID# 70259 results:

 Loot: 2

 Zulas total in thread: 3

 

 

Edited November 3, 2016 by Zulas

[Lessa 1]

A ghost of a smile curled the corners of her lips. "Zulas," she began, shaking her head gently, "that isn't a bad goal. Truly. I don't blame you for wanting to just settle in. To just breathe. I keep looking for more opportunities to do that myself." Lessa scooped up another chunk of ore from the ground, and then leveled a reassuring gaze on the boy. "Not everyone is destined for the front lines. Hell, I wonder if I'm even meant to be there anymore. That doesn't mean we're bad people, or any less valuable. In the real world, it is understood that people have different strengths. We embrace that! Why in the world would that all go out the window just because we are stuck here? We're not all fighters. And that's not a bad thing."

The blonde had skirted off onto a tangent, and upon realizing it, she loosed a small shrug. "Besides," she added, her blue eyes twinkling, "you don't have to tell people squat. If you want to tell them that you're going to the front lines, why not? Or tell them you're looking at houses. Or nothing at all. You don't owe anyone anything." A cool breeze rolled past, and she paused to simply enjoy the sensation. Her eyes closed, and she stood, unmoving, for a moment. Then, not opening her eyes, she spoke again. "A lot of people talk about how Aincrad gives us a new life. Everyone can start over here. I don't know how big of a fan I am of leaving my old self behind, but you have to admit, the notion is a bit liberating."

Spoiler

 

ID# 70929 LD: 20

Lessa's total for thread: 3

 

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by Lessa

[Zulas 0]

The young swordsman heard the words spoken with such wisdom, one that has lived many tales in this world. He couldn't help but admire such a person, but of course he wasn't going to let her know that. The way she said it seemed like she was struggling with herself, that there was some things that she would have rather not experienced here. The same thing couldn't be said of Zulas, he hadn't experienced much this side of the world but, because of what had happened on the other side, is the main reason that he said such things. A half smile escaped him as he dug deep into his thoughts, the idea of not having to return seemed good to him, but not going back scared him. One thing he was good at was running from his problems, from people, but he liked this world because it made it easier to overcome that.

After a quick moment of silence, as he picked through the ground for materials, he said - "It's like a fighting a battle on two fronts. I don't mind staying here but I feel like staying here would not be considered living. I don't think she would consider it living. It's true that I don't owe anyone here anything, but I do owe to her." He didn't know why he said that last sentence, but he said it softly. It felt like it had escaped his lips, like saying those words out loud made real the fact that she wasn't alive anymore.

He realized what he had said, so he quickly continued on. "The fact that this world feels so real doesn't really help neither." - he chuckled softly. Although, he could not hide the blood rise to his cheeks thanks to the system's display of emotions. 

Spoiler

 

 ID: 70978 | LD: 5

 Zulas total in thread: 3

 

 

Edited November 18, 2016 by Zulas

[Lessa 1]

Lessa opened her eyes, and glanced sideways toward the young man. "Look," she started gently, "it is really sweet that you're thinking of her, and that you're living for her." One hand raked through her blonde hair, her attention moving back to their surroundings. Staring across the mountains, the woman slowly pierced her next words together. She hardly knew the player, and as such, what she had to say might be misconstrued. Even more pressing was whether or not it was even her place to speak on the matter. But she had lost so much time, energy, and hours of sleep to the despair that could have been avoided. If she could spare Zulas, was it not worth giving it a try?

"Just be careful about living for someone else." Now, she turned to face the man, her expression mixed part pain and concern. "If you make everything you do about someone else, you might start to lose parts of yourself." There was a beat of hesitation, and then, "I know it sounds cheesy, but really, it happens. Believe me."

Edited November 24, 2016 by Lessa

[Jomei 0]

Incomplete thread:
Lessa is rewarded with +1 SP.
No col rewarded.