[SP - F21 - E3] Taking the Bait <N’sT>

[Lessa 1]

Girls talk to each other like men talk to each other. But girls have an eye for detail.
- Amy Winehouse

“So, did you get lucky with Bahr last night?”

Lessa nearly tipped the boat. As she’d been preparing to cast her line, the woman’s weight had been balanced awkwardly atop the hard bench. When the question came, and Lessa inadvertently flinched, she came perilously close to pitching both herself and her companion into the dark waters.

Both hands gripped the boat’s sides so tightly her knuckles lost their color. “Seriously?” she demanded over Olivia’s uproarious laughter. 

The brunette was doubled over atop her own bench, desperately drawing in breaths between sporadic spurts of giggles. "Oh my gosh," the other player managed, clutching helplessly at her midsection as if experiencing extreme stomach pains. "You should have seen your face. You should still see your face. You look like a tomato."

Without thinking, Lessa lifted her free hand to her her burning face. With the other, she finally sent her line flying. "Am I at least a cute tomato?" she finally asked, smiling despite the embarrassment that still lingered.

"The cutest," Olivia answered, nodding sagely. "Like that little guy from those old cartoons where they sing. I think there was a cucumber, too."

Lessa rolled her eyes, but amusement lurked in the twin blue pools. "Guess that makes you my cucumber," she commented, reeling in her catch. No, not a fish - a bushel of brightly colored easter eggs. This is seriously the weirdest event.

Spoiler

* Wearing Violet Ribbon (Light Armor): +3 LD instead of Rose Gauntlets.
* Fishing skill has been added.

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
- Suspicious Vial of Green Liquid [+1 CD]
- Crazy Lucky Hot Dog [+3 LD]

Spoiler

#ID: 143137 CD: 6 + 1= 7 | LD: 4 + 6= 10

Eggs | Found: 4 | Total: 4
Mats | Found: 1 | Total: 1

[Lessa 1]

"Okay," Olivia drawled as Lessa cast her line. After the hook sank with a light plink, Olivia added, "You never answered my question."

Lessa loosed a soft tch of indignation, shifting her fishing pole between her hands. "Tell me the truth," she began, "did you invite me out here just to drill me about my date with Bahr?"

"Yes." When Lessa scowled, Olivia threw up her hands. "What? You wanted the truth, I gave you the truth. Don't get all stuffy about it." A long, pregnant pause stretched between them, Lessa studying her bobber, Olivia studying Lessa. Finally, the green-eyed girl asked, "So you're not going to answer my question?"

"No."

Olivia tilted her head. "No as in 'no I won't tell you?' Or no as in 'no I didn't jump Bahr.'"

"No. Yes. Jesus." Lessa winced, then blew out a hard breath. "Do you have to phrase it like that?"

With a shrug, the woman countered, "Just because you found me in a church doesn't mean I'm a saint."

Spoiler

#ID: 143494 CD: 3 + 1= 4 | LD: 9 + 6 = 15

Eggs | Found: 6 | Total: 10
Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 1

[Lessa 1]

The flippant response caught Lessa off-guard. How odd it was to hear Olivia speak so easily of such a traumatic experience. If one were to oversimplify the situation, Olivia spent years in a cult, watching her murderous brother trick people into following him blindly. And, of course, who could forget when that same brother threw her off the edge of Aincrad. Were Lessa in Olivia's shoes, would she be able to make such jokes? Would she have recovered so quickly, or recovered at all?

Better to avoid the topic all together, especially considering the expectant way in which Olivia stared at her. Those medicine bottle green eyes really were persuasive. "Okay," she relented. "Okay. I didn't sleep with Bahr."

"You didn't want to?" At Lessa's startled expression, Olivia sucked in a surprised breath. "No. He didn't want to?" A pause, and then, "I didn't see that one coming."

With a sigh, Lessa began reeling in her prize. More eggs. Weird. "Look," she began, "just wait a minute, okay? It wasn't like that." 

"So what was it like?" Olivia shifted on her bench, planting her elbows on her knees, and balancing her chin on her balled fists. She'd gone full story-time mode, and despite everything, Lessa found it oddly endearing.

"It... was nice."

Spoiler

#ID: 143534 CD: 11 + 1 = 12 | LD: 4 + 6 = 10

Eggs | Found: 4 | Total: 14
Mats | Found: 4 | Total: 5

[Lessa 1]

"Nice?" Disappointment stained every line and curve of her face. The boat shifted as Olivia leaned back, lips pursed in disapproval. "That's it? It was nice?"

Was girl-talk always this intense? Was this why Lessa had never been especially good at it? "It was nice," she restated, a finality to her voice. "And nice was exactly what I wanted. The whole thing was perfect."

In a flash, Olivia's smile was back. "Because you came and saw me? I definitely had a part in it, didn't I? Was I the best part?"

Lessa fished up another handful of eggs, genuine pain creeping its way across her face. "Are you interrogating me?" she asked as she sent the items to her inventory. "Because this feels like an interrogation."

Now it was Olivia's turn to roll her eyes. "Is it really so hard to believe that I might want to know the details of my friend's first date?"

Spoiler

#ID: 143537 CD: 8 + 1 = 9 | LD: 13 + 6 = 19

Eggs | Found: 8 | Total: 22
Mats | Found: 3 | Total: 8

[Lessa 1]

Once more, Lessa found herself caught completely off-guard. The woman's words sent a shock through her, and her expression betrayed as much. Immediately, guilt swamped her, as she could see in Olivia's eyes that she'd registered the surprise. Those green globes held unmistakable hurt.

Crap.

Though Lessa raced to find something to say, it was Olivia who spoke first. "We are friends, right?" The good humor she pumped into the question was clearly meant to lighten the mood, but it had the opposite effect; shifting uncomfortably, she dropped her hands into her lap. "I mean, yeah, we're friends. How could we not be? You saved my life."

And there it was.

The switch had been thrown, and the raw emotions crashed over the pair like water from a burst levee.

Did this mean the topic was no longer off limits? Lessa wondered as she reeled in yet another catch. Or should it all remain unspoken? When it came to discussing Olivia's experience in Sanctuary, it wasn't up to Lessa to call the shots.

Spoiler

#ID: 143637 CD: 3 + 1 = 4 | LD: 17 + 6 = 23

Eggs | Found: 8 | Total: 30
Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 8

[Lessa 1]

Neither said a word for a moment, both watching Lessa's bobber drift across the black waters. Finally, when the silence became too deafening, Lessa spoke. "Of course we're friends." Though her expression remained neutral, warmth touched each word she spoke. "I just get a little thrown off having someone say it out loud like that, I guess. I'm not really used to it."

Olivia gave a short, shallow nod. "Yeah, I get that."

Lessa's thumb absently traced the edge of her fishing pole's handle. "You know," she mused aloud, "I used to be a lot better at all of this stuff."

"These are messed up times, and this is a messed up place." The simplicity with which Olivia delivered the words actually worked to calm Lessa's frayed nerves. The brunette turned away to gaze across the cavern, her jaw working as she settled into thought. Finally, she concluded, "I'm something of an expert when it comes to messed up stuff."

Spoiler

#ID: 143645 CD: 1 + 1 = 2 | LD: 15+ 6 = 21

Eggs | Found: 0 | Total: 30
Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 8

[Lessa 1]

"Yeah." 

Was that all Lessa could come up with? Yeah? But in reality, there were no words to describe the tragedy that was Sanctuary. She would never forget Dominic's smirk, Bahr's anger, the fear on Olivia's face, and the small smile on Rainey's as she'd stepped off the ledge. The two days she had spent there had been an emotional rollercoaster unlike any she had ever experienced. Immeasurable highs and debilitating lows, and the jarring shift between had left her emotionally drained and mentally scarred. And that was after two days. 

Finally, after fishing up another batch of eggs, Lessa found her voice. "How are you holding up?"

"Depends on the day," Olivia admitted. Her right hand rubbed gentle circles into her left forearm as she spoke, a gesture surely meant to provide a little comfort. "Some days I almost forget it happened. Other days, I can't think of anything else." A shadow ghosted across the woman's face, and when it passed, her features had hardened. "Those are the worst days."

Spoiler

#ID: 143664 CD: 6 + 1 = 7 | LD: 1 + 6 = 7

Eggs | Found: 4 | Total: 34
Mats | Found: 1 | Total: 9

[Lessa 1]

Lessa nodded, her loose blonde hair falling over her shoulder; she scooped it back before casting off again. "I bet. It's probably hard reliving those memories." I know that it is from experience.

But the other woman shook her head. "That's not it. I mean, yeah, it's not fun to think about. But that's the problem. Not the memories themselves, but the fact I can't shut them off. I fixate, even though I know I shouldn't. I know it's terrible for my mental health, but I can't help it. I can't get out of my own head."

"If it's any consolation, I've been there too. I know that feeling."

Olivia blinked, and when her gaze found Lessa's, it held evident doubt. "You do?"

"Well, yeah." The Guardian shrugged, shifted, said, "I know what it's like to be stuck in that loop. To be hung-up on something, even though you don't want to be, and even though its hurting you." Really, Olivia had put it best. "To not be able to shut it off."

Spoiler

#ID: 143669 CD: 9 + 1 = 10 | LD: 6 + 6 = 12

Eggs | Found: 6 | Total: 40
Mats | Found: 3 | Total: 12

[Lessa 1]

"I have a lot of good things going for me," Olivia insisted, and some of the pain in her emerald eyes shifted to desperation. "I mean, I have my shop."

"It's a beautiful shop."

"Right?" The pretty brunette nodded. "It's amazing. And the community is amazing, and I love what we've built together. I just-" Unable to find the words, Olivia huffed softly. "I just keep going back to that day. And to the days before it, when I let this all happen."

What? Left completely baffled, Lessa could only stare for a few seconds. Finally, she managed to echo, "Let this happen?" When she shook her head, it was a sharp, jarring refusal. "No, you didn't let anything happen."

"I did! I just sat back and-"

"Olivia, stop." Something in her tone finally reached her companion, and Olivia's mouth snapped shut without further argument. Lessa took advantage of the pause. "I can't believe you're blaming yourself for any of this. You had no control over what Dominic did, just like I never had any control over my brothers."

Spoiler

#ID: 143678 CD: 3 + 1 = 4 | LD: 14 + 6 = 20

Eggs | Found: 8 | Total: 48
Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 12

[Lessa 1]

"You have brothers?"

It was an odd thing for Olivia to latch onto, but Lessa was content to go with it; perhaps the other woman needed the change of topic. I understand. "Yeah, I do," she answered with a nod. "Three of them, actually. Triplets."

Olivia blew out a windy breath. "I thought one was bad."

One probably is enough, when he's like Dominic. But of course, such things were best kept to thoughts. So instead, Lessa simply tugged on her line - still bare. "It had it's moments. I was the butt of all of their jokes. Seriously, they teased me relentlessly. And they were always a lot stronger, too, which is something they loved to prove by beating the crap out of me." At Olivia's horrified look, Lessa casually waved her hand. "It was fine, I always got a few punches in, too. And after growing up on the wrong end of a 3v1, I can handle myself pretty well."

Spoiler

#ID: 143678 CD: 2

Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 12

 

[Lessa 1]

"It sounds like you guys are really close."

Are. Lessa appreciated Olivia's use of the present tense. "We are, yeah," she answered, tugging a small fish into her boat. "Even though we ragged on each other, we looked out for each other, too. All three of them were really protective."

"It was never like that for Dominic and I." There was a distant look in Olivia's eyes, a pensive expression on her face. While there was sadness there, too, it was secondary to the thoughtfulness. Lessa wondered if Olivia had ever really worked through her experiences with her brother before now. "He was always sort of off, I guess. Not like killing the neighbor's cat, or putting ants heads on pikes or anything. If it were that obvious, I never would have missed it. But he was sort of..." her voice trailed, eyes narrowing as she searched for the word. "Superficial. Yeah, I guess it was superficial. I never really felt like he meant what he was saying. He always made me feel a little uneasy, like I couldn't fully trust him, but I'd figured it was just a quirky personality. I mean, crap, he's my brother. No one expects this sort of thing. I didn't think he was capable of... what he was capable of."

Spoiler

#ID: 143814 CD: 5

Mats | Found: 1 | Total: 13

 

[Lessa 1]

The lake's dark surface reflected the cavern's jagged stalactites, and produced a muted version of the vibrant cerulean lights. Without a wind source, and with no other players or wildlife in the vicinity, the water lay like black glass beneath them. Even Lessa's bobble was eerily still as it floated at the end of her line. Both girls studied it in absolute silence.

"I don't want to talk about it."

At Olivia's sudden declaration, Lessa looked from her fishing to her friend. "No?"

"No." Olivia lifted her hands, then realizing she had nothing to do with them, dropped them back to her lap. "It's not personal, Lessa, it's just..."

Despite her better judgment, the blonde reached out and placed a hand gently on her companion's knee. "Hey," she began. "I know. I get it. It's okay."

Like the sun emerging from behind the clouds, relief shone on Olivia's face. Her entire body deflated, as if Lessa's words had chased the very stress from her body. "Thanks."

Spoiler

#ID: 143823 CD: 6

Mats | Found: 1 | Total: 14

 

[Lessa 1]

Lessa drew her hand back, but offered a small nod as she did so. "If and when, I'm always here for you."

"That means a lot, thank you." Olivia took a long, deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "Honestly, just talking like this has already done wonders."

"And you thought I was the one who'd be doing all the talking today." The moment the words passed Lessa's lips, she wished she could take them back.

Olivia's eyes lit, some of the earlier fire returning to the girl's face. Her entire demeanor changed as she grinned. "That reminds me," she drawled. "We were talking about you and Bahr sleeping together."

The Guardian rolled her eyes so hard she was likely to give herself a headache. "Actually, no we weren't," she stated, giving her line a small tug, and sending ripples cascading across the glassy surface. "We moved on from that topic."

"Had we?" The brunette actually winked. "Maybe you had."

Spoiler

#ID: 143834 CD: 2

Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 14

 

[Lessa 1]

Lessa shook her head as she reeled in yet another fish. At this point, the process was practically robotic. Too bad fishing in real life isn't this effective. I'm catching fish like crazy. Definitely skill points well-spent.

"You spend a lot of time concerned about my sex life," she commented, slanting Olivia a wry look.

"It's more entertaining than focus on my lack thereof." Once more, the older woman leaned forward expectantly. "So? Spill. Why the failure to launch?"

Clucking her tongue, Lessa muttered, "You've such a way with words. If you must know, I'm saving myself for marriage."

Finally, it was Lessa who had the satisfaction of leaving her companion speechless. It took a few seconds before the brunette was able to splutter, "Wait, what, really?"

Lessa shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. I mostly figured saying as much would shut you up."

Barking a laugh, Olivia held her hands out. "Not a chance. I'm shameless."

Spoiler

#ID: 143835 CD: 11

Mats | Found: 4 | Total: 18

 

[Lessa 1]

"This conversation has been so enlightening," Lessa mused, sending her line flying. As it sailed across the dark water, she studied her companion thoughtfully. "I've learned so much about you."

"I'm an open book," came Olivia's easy answer. "Ask me anything."

This coming from the woman who Lessa had mistaken for a mute while in the Defiled Church. The irony certainly wasn't lost on her. "Okay," Lessa began, shifting into question mode. "What are your plans for the game? Do you want to focus on your shop, or do you want to try to pick up combat, too?"

Olivia pursed her lips, then clucked her tongue thoughtfully. "Good question. You'd probably expect me to be thinking long-term after all this, but I haven't really done much of that. Honestly, I'm taking it day by day. Bahr is one of the biggest reasons why we were able to get our community up and running so quickly. Man's a force when he sets his mind to something." 

Spoiler

#ID: 144431 CD: 3

Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 18

 

[Lessa 1]

Lessa prepared herself for more Bahr-related teasing, but was pleasantly surprised when Olivia avoided the easy segue.

The brunette crossed one slender leg over the other, balanced her clasped hands on her knee, and said, "Shop comes first. It's something I've always wanted for myself, and I've already put so much time and effort into it. But after that, yeah, maybe. Can't really see myself wielding some giant sword though. I was a sprinter in school, so I'm probably better equipped for the running away portion."

"Nah," Lessa countered. "I'm sure you'd be fine. The in-game systems are super useful. Your real-life physical attributes aren't terribly important. Seriously, I was strong, but I was not 'wave around a sword as big as I am' strong." She reeled in another fish, freeing it from her hook as she added, "Besides, you don't have to go macho like I do. You could do the light armor, speed-attack stuff. Go for stealth, attack from the shadows, all that good stuff."

Spoiler

#ID: 144432 CD: 5

Mats | Found: 1 | Total: 19

 

[Lessa 1]

Olivia nodded. "True enough. Like I said, I haven't given much thought to it, but I like the idea of being super fast and never getting hit. I could totally rock the ninja thing."

The ninja thing. Well, she wasn't really wrong, but Lessa had never heard it put quite so succinctly. She would have to alert Pinball as to Olivia's new nickname for his build. "You could," Lessa finally agreed, adjusting her hook before sending it out again. "You'd have to talk less, though. I've never met such a talkative ninja."

"You've never met a ninja, period," was Olivia's retort, but she was smiling as she watched Lessa's line fly. A companionable silence fell between the girls, broken only when Olivia finally asked, "What about you?"

"Are you wondering if I could rock the ninja thing?"

"Smart ass." Olivia laughed, shook her head, then said, "No, I was wondering what your plan was for the rest of the game. Are you ever going to go back to the Frontlines?"

Spoiler

#ID: 144433 CD: 7

Mats | Found: 2 | Total: 21

 

[Lessa 1]

The question always made Lessa uncomfortable, and while she wasn't entirely sure why, she had her suspicions. Likely, it was the concept of her "going back" to the Frontlines. In order to return, she would have had to have left in the first place. She wouldn't have to "go back" if she hadn't run away to begin with. If she hadn't quit, and hidden herself away for literal years. If she hadn't abandoned her friends, her comrades, those who put their lives on the line to save everyone else. What business did Lessa have longing to return home if she didn't aid in the floor-clearing movement herself? "You can't complain unless you're doing something about it." It had been one of her dad's many mantras, and one he'd reminded her of countless times. Now? Well, she was the guy who sat and home and complained about the election results without ever having actually voted. 

You want to go home? That tiny voice asked, a skipping record that played incessantly in her head. Then act like it.

"Maybe," she heard herself say after an uncomfortably long pause. She stared blankly at her bobber. Despite Lessa's extensive vocabulary, the single word was all she could come up with.

Spoiler

#ID: 144441 CD: 1

Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 21

 

[Lessa 1]

"My turn to ask a question?"

Olivia's sudden query momentarily threw Lessa off, and she nodded without really registering the words. Once her brain caught up, she replied, "Uh, sure."

"Do you love Bahr?"

The silence stretched again, though this time Lessa's pained expression was replaced by vacant surprise. Eventually growing uneasy, Olivia asked, "Did you hear the question, or do you want me to repeat it? I asked if you-"

"Yeah," Lessa interrupted with a wave of her hand. "I heard you."

Olivia shifted, first uncrossing her legs, then crossing them again. "Did I cross a line?"

For some reason, it was the most perfect thing she could have said. The genuine concern in Olivia's tone, and the worry in her emerald eyes, actually elicited a quick laugh from the blonde. "When did you have time in the last ten minutes to grow a conscious?" she asked. "You were just drilling me about my sex life, but now you're afraid you're getting too personal?"

The other woman actually snorted. "Drilling you about your sex life," she muttered, smirking devilishly at her own filthy humor. "Well, I mean, if it isn't too personal, you should answer it."

Spoiler

#ID: 144442 CD: 2

Mats | Found: 0 | Total: 21

 

[Lessa 1]

The only sound in the entire cavern was the gentle hiss of Lessa's line as she reeled it in. Just as Olivia's anxiety reached a tipping point, and she opened her mouth to speak, her companion beat her to it.

"Bob."

"Bob?"

"Bob."

Lessa nodded firmly as she dragged her fishing gear out of the water for the last time, then banished it to her inventory. As she moved to pick up the oars, and begin the journey back, Olivia heaved an exasperated sigh. Might as well put her out of her misery. "Bob is the name of the tomato in that show you referenced earlier," she explained, letting the oar's blade slip silently beneath the still surface. 

Olivia's deadpan expression was the highlight of Lessa's trip. "You're kidding, right?"

"Ah, nope," Lessa replied. "I wouldn't joke about something as serious as Veggie Tales. I'm like 98% certain it's Tom. And I'm pretty sure the cucumber is Larry."

"Oh Jesus Christ."

"It's funny you go with that particular phrase, given the subject matter."

Accompanied by a string of curses that were surely unfit for a children's show, the two girls slowly made their way to shore. 

Spoiler

#ID: 144443 CD: 10

Mats | Found: 3 | Total: 24