[E3/PP/F1] Reality Check

[Titan 0]

The bright exclamation point hovered so brilliantly on the top of Tyle's head, a beckon to bring him into a quest line of teaching and learning the Aincrad methods. Something about it felt too linear for his liking, luckily for Titan he wasn't obligated to rush through it all like a sprinter wanting to win the 100 yard dash. " Thanks Tyle, I'll be back, alright! " An anxiety crept up from under his fingertips straight for his neck as a feeling of suffocation began to consume and overwhelm.

In his mind, Titan knew the beaming sun hadn't been real or the kind breeze that felt as though it caressed his face as he walked. Everything inside of this world had been a system of numbers set to trick and fool those minds to being transported to another dimension but something about it's similarities to Earth did ease his often anxious mind. Each step he took, each new civilian he passed still, after all this time, felt real.

In a daze, Titan absentmindedly slammed into the person in front of him, his own body was sent skidding against the cobblestone pathways of the Town of Beginnings as he looked up to meet the person's gaze in defiance. " Watch where you're going, would ya? " His eyes slowly panned up the other's body, a bit surprised when he noticed it was a beautiful woman. " I mean, uhh, sorry. I wasn't paying attention. My mind seems to be getting be more in trouble these days. " Titan blurted out, words a flurry after he pushed himself off of the ground, patted the dirt off of his hands against his legs and offered a handshake. " I'm Re- I mean, Titan. What has the likes of you down here with the newbies? " @Lessa

 

Spoiler

 ID# 140202 | Craft: 11 & Loot: 17
Eggs Looted: 6 | Total: 6

 

Spoiler

Titan (Level 1) 
HP: 20 / DAMAGE: 2
EN: 2 / MIT: 0
ACC: 1 / EVA: 0

Skills:

• 1-Handed Assault Spear (Rank 1)

Equipment:

• ( R ) 1H Assault Spear ( ACC / DMG )

Inventory:

• (3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

Spoiler

* Wearing Violet Ribbon (Light Armor): +3 LD instead of Rose Gauntlets.

Housing
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down).
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests.
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

Inventory
- Teleport Crystal
- Rose Gauntlets

Someone wise once said, "parting is such sweet sorrow." Lessa couldn't be sure, but it was probably Shakespeare. It definitely sounded like something Shakespeare would have written, and she vaguely remembered it from ninth grade English with Mrs. Shoemaker. Regardless, whoever it was absolutely knew what he was talking about. A heavy weight pressed on Lessa's chest as she walked, and the vice that had held her heart all morning tightened with each step. Oliver's birthday approached, the first since she had met the nine year-old. How could she make the day a little more special? How could she bring to joy to someone who had watched his mother be mauled to death by a bear? "Turning double digits" lost some of it's shine when observed through a lens like that.

Yet the boy with the tragic past remained upbeat. How, Lessa couldn't begin to guess. When she'd lost her friend of only a few months, she'd descended into years of depression and solitude. I was a mess, Lessa mused as she stooped to pick up a pastel Easter egg. Hell, I still am. On the other hand, Oliver was as happy-go-lucky as any fourth grader she had ever met. She could learn a lot from him. In fact, she should probably-

The woman's world shook as she plowed into another form. The collision was unavoidable, she figured, considering how lost in thought she had been. Fortunately for Lessa, she had been wearing her full set of armor. With a jangle of metal, and the swoosh of her purple cloak, the woman climbed to her feet. An apology formed immediately, but the words died on her lips at the man's sharp scolding. Wow, was that really necessary?

Fire snapped in the woman's blue eyes, heating the typically serene sea to a rolling boil as she stared up at the other player. She prepared a reprimand of her own, but once more, he spoke first. "I appreciate the apology," she replied. Heat lurked beneath the words, but it was already beginning to cool as she added, "But I wasn't paying attention either, so I can't let you take all the blame."

Lessa had stopped wondering how it was that other players guessed her level; her ornate armor spoke for itself. At least he didn't call me a Frontliner. "I was visiting a friend," she answered after a second's hesitation. "It's a pleasure, Titan." The Guardian eased off her heavy gauntlet, then met his bare hand with her own for a firm shake. "My name is Lessa."

Spoiler

 ID# 140219 | Craft: 7 & Loot: 20
Eggs Acquired: 5 | Total: 5

 

[Titan 0]

Gods, Titan couldn’t help but devour every curve of the other’s body with his gaze. It was incredibly unbecoming of a man like himself, someone who considered himself a cut above the rest but something about her seemingly shined as though being a frontliner cleared ones pores, moisturized and included a natural shimmer. He was certain that deep down, beside the fact that they all seemingly looked the same due to being avatars in a death game, what made the girl radiate was her desire to live and the fact that she had been fighting to do so. “ Of course. ” Titan hadn’t cared about repercussions at all during the last few years while in the game, he often asked remiss or down right uncaring to those in the Town of Beginnings because he simply could, because he had nothing to live for. With this new perspective on life, every person who he met was a resource and on top of that, he was still incredibly weak. The one thing he would take from this interaction was tact because the flames that lived beneath the woman’s azure gaze had been intense and would light Titan on fire if she hadn’t had the grace to reel it in. For whatever reason, Titan seemed to be pardoned.

“ I’ve been down here for quite a while, haven’t seen too many people from the higher floors returning down here. ” He wasn’t lying but he also was much more of a recluse since about a week ago since he decided to follow Lessa’s lead to finally live. He sensed the slight hesitation, his acute listening was a bit surprised, but the man was also a stranger, could he blame her for being a bit cautious. To watch the girth of the weapon rest against her other hand, a tawny hand peeling out for a handshake, she seemed incredible.

“ Nice to meet you too, Lessa. ” He gave the woman a quick nod and bow as it was customary to do back in Japan, it’s where he assumed most of the players had come from. “ That armor looks pretty cool. Did ya craft it or something ? ” The question seemed to blurt out without a rhyme or reason, his eyes wrapped around them once again in awe, she looked way too cool to have any friends on the first floor.
 

Spoiler

 ID# 140226 | Craft: 9 & Loot: 5
Eggs Acquired: 0 | Total: 6

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

"Mhm," she confirmed with a small nod. "There aren't too many higher-level players who come back down here. Some definitely do, of course; a lot of the player-owned shops are down here. And there's the nostalgia factor." Lessa held up the hand she'd just used to shake, then waved it absently. "But that same nostalgia can be what keeps people away, too. It definitely varies." She had difficulty determining the man's level, as equipment wasn't always a true indicator. A higher-level player could easily wear beginner armor, or none at all. In fact, Lessa rarely wandered the streets in her own heavy get-up, if she could help it. The only reason she did so that morning was because she planned on doing some grinding. And it seemed the man found her apparel interesting. Is that why he's staring?

She offered a warm smile, then nodded again. "Yeah, I crafted it myself! I'm a blacksmith, so it's sort of my thing." She jabbed her thumb toward Scarecrow's Sickle, and amended, "I didn't do the sword, though. That was a gift from a friend. It's actually a really old weapon, and it's traded hands a bunch of times. I was just lucky enough to snag it this time." Talking about her equipment relaxed the woman, something that really only registered as it happened. Interacting with others was once her greatest strength, but years in isolation had dulled the blade. She had a long way to go if she hoped to reach the social butterfly she'd once been.

A flash of color caught her eye. "Hang on a sec," she said to Titan, then stepped away to glance under a nearby bench. "Sorry about that," she said when she returned once more. Thought I saw an egg, but it was just a flower. These things really are everywhere though. Are you out looking, too?"

Spoiler

 ID# 140474 | Craft: 11 & Loot: 2 + 3 = 5 < 6 
Eggs Acquired: 0 | Total: 5

 

[Titan 0]

“ That makes a lot of sense, honestly. ” He took the time to consider the pain, the naivety lost in climbing the floors and who they had turned into since beginning newbies in the Town of Beginning. He hadn’t seen too many player-owned shops but he also hadn’t been too eager in trying to find them since he had very little col to his name. Perhaps, if he had been just a smidge more perceptive, a lot more information would become easily accessible to the man who often considered himself to be observant. He hadn’t wanted to stare too much but her armor and weapons looked way too ornate and beautiful for her to be someone who wasn’t highly invested in finishing this game.

“ That’s pretty impressive, Lessa. Probably highly sought after for your armors. ” The more he surveyed the scene and understood a little more on who Lessa was, it was fairly evident that she was simply one of the elites and Titan was a pleb who was truly lucky to have accidentally bumped into her. “ The sword’s cool too. Seems like there’s a lot to this game than just slicing monsters. ” Titan was barely scratching the surface of the reality of actively playing Sword Art Online.

“ Yeah, I’ve asked a couple of people though but no one seems to know where the turn in for these quests are though. Do you happen to know? ” If he could get that information, he’d be so much closer to understanding what he could potentially do with the eggs he kept trying to pick up.

Spoiler

 ID# 140515 | Craft: 10 & Loot: 6
Eggs Looted: 6 | Total: 12

 

Edited April 11, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

The blush that crept across Lessa's face came as something of a surprise, as did the boy's kind words. It had been a while since a complete stranger had been so free with his praise. Sure, it was entirely possible the man had ulterior motives, trying to butter-up a higher-level player. But it still did wonders for her ego. "Nah," she answered, waving her hand dismissively even as she fought to stifle the pleased smile. "There are a lot of blacksmiths in higher demand right now. I actually haven't crafted anything in years." She loosed a quick, one-shouldered shrug. "Honestly, being a blacksmith or a tailor kind of sucks. Players get their gear, then that's it - they rarely have to upgrade or swap out. If you haven't chosen yet, I'd suggest going for a profession that makes consumables. There's a much higher need for those items, and that need never really goes away, y'know?"

Stooping, Lessa plucked a green egg from a tuft of similarly-colored grass. Stowing it in her inventory, she turned back to Titan. "The whole thing is sort of a mystery," she admitted. "The eggs just showed up one day. But I follow the rumor mill pretty closely, and I've heard that there should be a drop-off place opening up at some point." She smiled wryly. "Would be a pretty massive disappointment if you couldn't actually trade them in for anything. Could you imagine? All of us walking around with inventories full of eggs, but nothing to do with them?"

An idea crossed her mind, and she tilted her head before asking, "Would you want to look for eggs with me? It's more fun with a partner."

Spoiler

 ID# 140940 | Craft: 1 & Loot: 10
Eggs Acquired: 2 | Total: 7

 

[Titan 0]

He noticed it immediately and inside Titan felt victorious. He hadn’t flirted with the random girl for the sake of her being a front liner or to try and get her to help but because her beauty was impeccable, and Titan was an admirer in all forms or gender. The man was slightly taken aback by her answer, a twist of his neck and a furrowed brow was enough to show his confusion through blacksmithing. “ Ahh, you know what. There’s a finite number of players. At some point, everyone has gear. ” It did make a lot of sense, especially with a slow system where people hadn’t needed any new gear for quite some time. “ Yeah, I was thinking of either cooking or alchemy. I’ll probably go with Alchemy once I’m a bit higher leveled. I did meet the NPC who gives out that quest so that’s one piece of the puzzle figured out. ”

These dang eggs seemed to be everywhere. “ It’s kinda crazy how everyone doesn’t really know. I’ve asked so many people by now and zilch. ” He surely hoped that they weren’t collecting these damn eggs for no reason. “ Could you imagine… There’d be anarchy. I just have a feeling. I’ve been dreaming about these damn eggs. ” He wasn’t even quite sure what he was hoping to get with them, other than gaining enough SP to continue climbing.

“ Of course, Lessa. Now don't be too sad if I get more easter eggs than you, sometimes that's just how the cookie crumbles. "

Spoiler

 ID# 141020 | Craft: 8 & Loot: 6
 Eggs Looted: 5 | Total: 17

 

Edited April 13, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

The Guardian nodded as her new companion spoke. "Alchemist and cook are both solid choices," she assured him, pausing to sweep her blonde hair back from her face. As she tucked a lock behind her ear, she cast him a sideway glance. "Alchemists are definitely in high demand. If I hadn't picked blacksmith, that's probably where I'd be." Flashing a grin, she added, "I like to imagine myself holed up in some laboratory somewhere, doing the mad scientist thing, mixing vials until something explodes." The thought amused her so much that Lessa actually laughed. "Maybe I'll have a white lab coat made. And some safety goggles."

Shaking her head, Lessa heaved a sigh, then concluded with, "But cook is awesome too. If you go that route, I could send you to a friend of mine for some support. He's a cook too, and a really great guy. I'm sure he'd be up to giving you some pointers."

She laughed again when he mentioned his egg-filled dreams, and nodded her agreement. "Oh yeah, me too. My inventory is packed with them, but I can't stop looking. It's like a giant challenge - I have to get more eggs than everyone else." When she turned to look a Titan, her blue eyes flashed with challenge. "Now, apparently, I need to focus on getting more than you."

Spoiler

ID# 142196 | Craft: 5 & Loot: 16
Eggs Acquired: 3 | Total: 10

 

[Titan 0]

Titan couldn’t help but find Lessa’s presence comforting. Perhaps it had been the way that she guided with a soft grip or the way her armor gripped her form so form-fitting and fueled with experience that the man from Tokyo simply could not wrap his head around. The power that laid dormant in her fingertips, the strength she had to crush him whole with a single flick had been scary and exhilarating, all at the same time. “ Alchemy, it is. Once I get high enough, please feel free to come to me for my services. I owe you one for all the help you’ve given me with what to do. ” Titan was a man who liked to help and in a world where their best bet had been collaboration to leave, he’d be the very first one willing to use whatever he had for the sake of the group. “ Nice, I think I’ll stick with Alchemy though. I saw that there’s a lot of damage potions I can make? That’d be the goal. Something to beef me up for solo content. ” Right now, he noticed he didn’t do quite enough damage yet fast enough but he hoped with a bit more help that his build would come together, at least until he was tier two.

“ Competitive, huh? It’s probably how you got to the top. ” He mused; ambition was quite the admirable trait. “ I just want enough for good items, whatever that means. ” Hands on the two eggs he found, flicking them into his inventory as he smiled. They were getting a good haul for their short time together. 

EASTER EGG LOOT

Spoiler

 ID# 141020 | Craft: 3 & Loot: 7
 Eggs Looted: 2 | Total: 19

 

Edited April 19, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

With a soft tch, Lessa waved her hand through the air. "That's sweet," she assured Titan, "but you don't owe me anything. I've hardly done anything for you. If anything, you're providing me with some much-needed company as I look for these dang eggs." Speaking of, the blonde jogged a few steps away to look for some eggs. When she returned, she offered her companion a smile. "Seriously, don't think anything of it. I spent about a year doing nothing but helping lower-level players. I carried them through quests, gave them gear, taught them to fight..." Her voice trailed as the memories returned, and some of the disappointment ghosted across her face. "They weren't the best of times," she muttered, hand closing into a fist, then falling back to her side. "The vast majority of the people I worked with ended up being a huge pain in the ass."

Forcing a smile, she nodded toward Titan. "But you're not, so yeah, you don't owe me anything. And I'll be happy to drop by your shop, just to see how far you've come."

Spoiler

ID# 142847 | Craft: 8 & Loot: 2 + 3 = 5 + Multipurpose (1/1) = 6
Eggs Acquired: 5 | Total: 15

 

[Titan 0]

She had been so sweet, a nurturer for sure, but Titan could not help but want to see what the woman was capable in the front lines. She had a way with words but he had this hunch that when it had been time to turn the flames on that Lessa was quite the force to be reckoned with.

As she ran to find the additional eggs, Titan bent down to grab the three that had been hiding in a nearby bush.

“ I understand. ” he wasn’t the type to push others into feeling like they had to share but he took the woman’s words as an understanding that humans could be downright deceitful or that they might have ended up losing the game. “ I won’t promise that I won’t be a pain in the ass, it’s all subjective but I can promise you that if you ever need potions once I get high enough to make some for you, it’ll be on me. The first batch anyway. ” It was a way to get people into his shop and he was devoutly loyal to those who showed him kindness.

He caught back up to her, glancing toward her direction and offering her a genuine smile. “ I just want to get strong enough to help get the front liners push their way to the top. Whatever I can do to make sure that happens will always be my goal. ”

EASTER EGG LOOT

Spoiler

 ID# 142857 | Craft: 6 & Loot: 16
 Eggs Looted: 3 | Total: 22

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

He was persistent, and Lessa found it oddly endearing. "Well, alright," she relented. "I could use the consumables, and I'd be happy to get them from you. Thank you." Grinning, the Guardian scooped up another egg and sent it to her inventory. The pretty pastel treasures had to constantly respawn, or else they'd be totally picked over by this point, right? A few weeks had passed, and there was no way someone would miss one lying right in the middle of the path. This whole event is so mysterious, the woman mused. Hope we get some answers soon.

When Titan mentioned the frontlines, Lessa's lips drew into a tight line. But then she sighed. It was wrong of her to keep shoving her own issues with the frontlines onto other people. If the bright-eyed boy wanted to join the cause, who was she to dissuade him? Goodness knew the frontliners needed the help. "That's a really noble cause," she commented after letting the silence drag on for too long. "Do you know much about the frontlines?"

Spoiler

ID# 143131 | Craft: 3 & Loot: 9
Eggs Acquired: 2 | Total: 17

 

[Titan 0]

“ Don’t thank me quite yet, I still have a bit of things to do to get myself into a place where I can make a shop but then, I’ll make sure to let you know. ” She truly seemed so kind, everything in this game so far had been nice enough to share their experiences with him and either warn him or give him the best advice to continue forward. It’s probably why, even though they had warned him immensely, had such a positive outlook and demeanor in climbing to assist. It was during this train of thought that he spotted three eggs on the side of the path where they were walking, Titan kneeled for a moment to collect them before catching up with Lessa.

“ It’s mostly selfish. I miss my Real Life. I want to go back home. ” He paused for a second, eyes settling on Lessa before he continued. “ But I’m assuming most people feel this way. At least, I hope. ” He was certain people also had reasons not to want to go back home. “ But, I don’t know too much about the front lines. I know that tanks and healers are needed but that’s really it. Care to fill in a newbie on what people might not know behind the curtain? ”

EASTER EGG LOOT

Spoiler

 ID# 143132 | Craft: 5 & Loot: 12
 Eggs Looted: 3 | Total: 25

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

When the man spoke of home, Lessa felt a fist tighten around her heart. Blowing out a quick breath, she nodded her agreement. It appeared there were many things that she and Titan saw eye to eye on. "Believe me, I know just what you mean," she assured him. "I think about my family all the time. I can't wait to get out of here and see them. I don't want to wait to much longer, because-" The woman faltered, inhaled, exhaled. "Well, I'm starting to forget things. Just little things, like how my bedroom is laid out, and what my mom's homemade strawberry jelly tastes like."

Lessa wiped her suddenly damp palms on her breeches. "I haven't forgotten the really important stuff though. You know, faces, and the sounds of voices. I'm really holding on to those."

She rolled her shoulders. "But you'd be surprised how many people don't think like us. Some of my best friends have really found their stride here in Aincrad. They aren't in a hurry to get out, and a couple don't even want to go back to the real world. I can't imagine."

Spoiler

ID# 143427 | Craft: 9 & Loot: 1
Eggs Acquired: 0 | Total: 17

 

[Titan 0]

To hear Lessa share her own desires to return to the real world, to not be enveloped in artificial beauty but to see what the Earth had created on her own made Titan feel like as he continued, Lessa would truly be one of the few who could help him make it out alive and power through to keep the group motivated to continue. He’d have to research her a little more, figure out how much pull she had with the frontlines, only for his own inquisitive nature. “ Yeah… I have a girlfriend back home. I doubt she’s still waiting for me. We had this cute little apartment in Tokyo and a tiny maltese poodle named Casey. ” But, in this game he felt so lonely and there had been so many kind people that he couldn’t help his mind from wandering into he what ifs with them.

“ No, I get it. For those who maybe didn’t have enough. This would feel like heaven minus the dying. ” For someone who had little to nothing, a chance to reclaim their lives and end up on top would be ridiculously tempting. His eyes spotted the Easter Eggs, grabbing some of them and putting them into his inventory.

“ So, how long have you been a part of the front lines? What does that even mean or look like in terms of number of people? ” He was too nosey not to ask, curious to see if he would need to hurry up or if he had the luxury of time on his side.

EASTER EGG LOOT

Spoiler

 ID# 143450 | Craft: 7 & Loot: 13
 Eggs Looted: 5 | Total: 30

 

Edited April 22, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

Lessa didn't need Titan to tell her he missed his life - she could hear it in his voice. She could sense it in the way he spoke of his girlfriend, their dog, and the life they had just begun building together. Everyone's lost something, she thought to herself, pausing to pick up a pile of pastel eggs. As she banished them to her inventory, she offered Titan a sad smile. "Sounds like you have something really special back home. And I wouldn't give up on your girlfriend." As thoughts turned to her own white-haired warrior, Lessa added, "There are some things that are worth waiting for."

His question regarding the frontlines drew her back from her wool-gathering. As it registered, she winced. There it was - wanting to know the specifics. So many of her conversations with new acquaintances had gone this route, and some had ended after she answered. Oh well. How would he handle the news?

"It's been a long time since I was on the frontlines. I helped clear the earlier floors, but it's been a couple of years since I fought with them. I-" Chickened out? Grew disenchanted? Gave up combat, became a hermit, and hid away? "Well, I suffered a pretty big loss, and took some time to recover."

Spoiler

ID# 143489 | Craft: 10 & Loot: 3+3=6
Eggs Acquired: 6 | Total: 23

[Titan 0]

The way they reminisced, even though they hadn’t known much of each other outside of this introductory moment, felt refreshing to have a time to think back and remember their lives outside of this death game. “ Yeah… ” He trailed off for a second, the rose-tinted glasses coming up whenever he thought of her. “ It’s been years though. I would hope she moved on and isn’t waiting for me. To be stuck in the real world clinging onto hope. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy but, I agree. She’s mighty special. ” And with those words, Titan had a moment where he sent love over to his girlfriend back on Earth hoping that there was even a way for her heart to pang in this moment, to feel him actively thinking of her. His eyes spotted the eggs, it had been nice to have someone to talk to about all of this.

“ Ahh, sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. ” He wanted her to know that he wasn’t trying to make her feel small, he enjoyed her presence probably the most of the people he met so far. “ Look Lessa, I’m not here to judge. I’m a newbie barely understanding what’s going on. You’ve been fighting from the beginning to get out of here and for that I have to thank you. Let some of the others carry the burden of floor clearing. You take as long as you need or never return, that’s only up for you to decide. ” He moved in close, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze of condolence. “ We don’t need to talk about it anymore, I won’t ask. ”

EASTER EGG LOOT

Spoiler

 ID# 143504 | Craft: 2 & Loot: 10
 Eggs Looted: 2 | Total: 32

Edited April 22, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

His words actually stopped Lessa in her tracks. The swordswoman blinked owlishly at him, her deer-in-the-headlights expression a little unnerving to passerbys. "I-what?" She asked for clarification, but it wasn't as if she'd been able to speak anyway. Something somewhere in her brain had short-circuited, and she was having a difficult time processing what he'd said.

Fortunately for both of them, she quickly regained her composure. "Oh," she managed. "That's, uh, that's a really nice thing to say. Thank you, Titan." Lessa paused long enough to rub at the base of her neck, then began walking again. As her mind caught up, she grabbed two more eggs from the base of a nearby tree. 

"Most people aren't so understanding," she stated suddenly, turning to face the young man. "Usually when I meet people, they're weirded out to hear I left the frontlines. Like I was... I don't know, running away or something. Which I guess I sort of was." She forced a smile, then concluded with, "But I appreciate that, and the subject change, too."

But what would they talk about instead? She'd have to default to what she knew best.

"I'm a little hungry," she commented. "Would you want to go grab some food after this?"

Spoiler

ID# 143528 | Craft: 2 & Loot: 10
Eggs Acquired: 2 | Total: 25

[Titan 0]

He hadn’t wanted to piss off anyone higher level, he knew that it wasn’t a good look and that if they wanted to, they could ruin anything and make it incredibly difficult to level up. Now, he didn’t think Lessa would ever do that but it was the principal of making smarter and better choices when chatting with them. “ It’s not up to them to decide how you feel and what you’re ready for. If people can’t realize that, it doesn’t seem like they should be in a position where they should be aiming for the front lines anyway. ” and those would be his final words on the matter for now.

“ I’ve actually never eaten anything other than what they have at the tavern. Mostly hamburgers, ground meat and what have you. Do you have a place you like on the first floor that you enjoy? ” Her movements seemed to be slightly hampered, a waft of sadness that seemed to be ebbing and flowing throughout them both.

“ I’d be willing to go into a different floor too, just haven’t got the nerve to leave the Town of Beginnings quite yet being a newbie and all. ” but he’d trust the girl to take care of him if there was a place somewhere else with stellar food. Titan picked up the three eggs hiding in a nearby bush before looking back at Lessa, feeling as though their time picking eggs would be coming to an end soon. 

EASTER EGG LOOT

Spoiler

 ID# 143535 | Craft: 5 & Loot: 14
 Eggs Looted: 3 | Total: 35

Edited April 22, 2020 by Titan

[Lessa 1]

"Really?" Both of Lessa's eyebrows winged up at his statement. Disbelief in her voice and on her face, she said, "That's years of basically bar food. You poor thing." She shook her head, then motioned down a path to her left. "So if you head that way, there's actually a little town with some hole-in-the-wall type restaurants. There's one that sells sushi, and that's about as far from burgers as I think you can get. Plus, it's a pretty good compromise, I think. Still on the first floor, but venturing into new territory."

As they walked, she scooped up another egg, then slanted him a quick glance. "And thanks again, for saying that. Maybe I'm a little embarrassed that I'm not on the frontlines anymore, so their criticism hits a little harder than it should. Honestly, I'm still not sure I want to go back there, either. But I also hate leaving it to everyone else." With a smile, she added, "People like you. You'll get there, if you want to. And you can always reach out to me if you need anything."

A second later, a friend request appeared in front of Titan.

Spoiler

ID# 143547 | Craft: 9 & Loot: 12
Eggs Acquired: 5 | Total: 30