[PP - F1] Awaken

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

How long had it been? How many days, months, or years had passed since he had been like this? Within a cavern sat light glowing cocoons filled with a clear viscous fluid that enveloped Kiluia and several others. The venturing party he had left with had been whisked away into the night after setting off a trap that was peculiar to say the least. As the outside world continued, they would lie asleep in almost a cryogenic state. Their bodies did not wither away into dust like some things would but kept perfectly preserved to an extent. They were food. Food for the plant creature that would slowly feast on their bodies for nourishment. Each adventurer that was devoured this way would sustain the creature for a lengthy time which allowed Kiluia to be in a euphoric state in his slumber. 

In his own mind, he had been dreaming of a reality that was only made due to the nature of the plant. This dream, his reality, let him be free from the clasp of VR. Ironically, he was trapped in a game within a plant that created another reality. Damn. His friends had  been in his mind. Haine, Lessa, Raidou, and several others had been placed within his mind so the dream was.. sweet. Promotions, dates, hang outs, heart ache, and everything that would happen in the real world happened to him. It was indeed reality to him. A reality that would soon crash and break. 

Near by, a group of people had ventured upon the beast that was holding the adventurers hostage. However, they had no knowledge of the situation of those in danger while they defeated the plant monster that Kilua and the rest had succumbed to due to the trap the others had not triggered. The cavern shook with violence shedding rock and debris to the ground. The cocoon that had kept Kilua in a serene state had been ruptured by sharp rocks that cut a sizable hole to allow the fluid to flood the area. His body fell with a vicious thud to the ground causing him to groan in pain and wince. His body had been stuck in the position for so long, he had forgotten how to move his body. That changed relatively quickly as the top of the cavern had begun to split open making him involuntarily recoil back to the open space. He watched, in horror, at the rest of his former party being closed off to him. Alone. He was alone again with only the break of light above him that the tremor had caused. "Help me!" He rasped. It had been so long since he spoke. Was this all in his mind? "Help me!" His voice grew louder and clearer. "Anyone! Please!" His pleas for help turned to sobs of sadness as he had realized he left his friends to die. "I don't want to be alone.." He whispered. 

[Lessa 1]

"Whoa, hey, where are you going?" Baffled, Lessa watched her trusty wolf familiar peel away and begin trotted through the foliage. Riker's ears swiveled atop his head, locating the distant sound, and guiding his sudden change in course. At least, that's what the swordswoman assumed was happening, as she couldn't actually hear anything. What was the probability her companion would uncover something good? What if he were trotting head-long into an ambush, or tracking some rare spawn poised to kill them both? The wolf had never taken it upon himself to venture off like this.  Frowning, Lessa called again, "Riker, bud, wait up."

But the wolf gave no indication of slowing, his shaggy mocha tail disappearing behind a cluster of thick trees. Uttering a soft curse, Lessa summoned her HUD, dragged Arcturus into her equipped slot. As the massive Claymore appeared in her hand with a ribbon of light and twinkle of chimes, the blonde jogged into the tangled brush. For a few brief, panicked moments, she couldn't locate Riker at all. When she finally caught him, he was disappearing into a crack in the mountainside. "How did you find that?" she muttered. The cave's entrance was so well-hidden that she couldn't see it until she was right on top of it. 

Then she heard it, the cracked, broken sound of a man calling for help. In an instant, she saw Bahr collapsed at the base of Monument. Baldur as he wept in her arms. Alkor as he fell apart before her eyes. At the same time fear gripped her heart like a vice, Lessa plunged into the darkness. "I'm here!" she cried, voice echoing eerily in the cavernous space. "Just keep talking so I can find you, and-"

The words died on her lips as realization struck like a freight train. She stared at him, eyes first wide with surprise, then glossy with sudden, unshed tears.

"Oh my god."

Spoiler

Basics Level: 50 Health: 1045 Energy: 100 DMG: 22 MIT: 116 ACC: 5 EVA: 2 THNS: 54 HM: 3   Skills/Mods    R5 2HSS R5 Heavy Armor Howl R3 MIT Familiar Survival Precision Ferocity Athletics Fishing

Equipment Arcturus (DMG/DMG/DMG) Neutron Star Necklace (ACC/ACC/REC) Galaxy Armor (THRN/THRN/HM) Inventory Transportation Crystal Liquor of Light [+3 DMG] - Consumed

Housing Buffs 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.

 

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

His voice was cracking due to the tense shouting he had been performing non-stop. His eyes were stained red from either crying or from the dusty tomb he had been in for quite sometime."Please.. anyone.." His voice was waning every second he spoke out. He dropped to his knees as he stared up at the opening. It was close. It was so close but there had been no grip and his equipment had been missing. Nothing left but the bare minimum of clothing and boots that were still on him. His hands shook with anger as he screamed at the top of his lungs. "I don't want to die like this!" The yelling had attracted something and right before his yelling ended. He noticed her. His eyes met hers and immediate relief washed over him. Silent tears had fallen down his face. It was almost staring at an angel for anyone.

"Lessa?" He managed to speak with a soft trail. Her voice had caught him off guard. Was this a mere delusion or another trap to break his will? It was then he had watched her eyes and reaction. There was no way he could imagine his friend like this and the imagery of her change was nothing his mind could conjure up. It was indeed her. Both arms arms raised up to her hoping she could simply reach down to him."Please be real.." He managed in a half joke half serious manner. Nothing could prepare him for the shock he was about to face in the soon future. He brushed away his white hair for his eyes trying to contain himself. 

[Lessa 1]

It couldn't be him, could it? He'd disappeared so long ago, and for years, she'd hoped for a sign of him. Many had recalled his name, even conjured an image of his face, yet no one had known his whereabouts. Like clockwork, she had checked the Monument of Life, holding her breath as her finger had traced the "K" names. He had never been there, some small comfort among the loss and uncertainty. Sometimes, at her weakest points, she had wondered if she had simply dreamed him into her memory. She wondered if he had ever existed at all.

"Please be real.."

She was, and so was he.

"Kiluia," she breathed, voice as reverent as a prayer. Only once the initial shock had worn off, the fog clearing from her mind, did the blonde focus on his situation. Why was he in the crevice, and how had he gotten in there? Questions for later, she determined, shoving all thought, all emotion aside. Simple survival skill took hold, and with a clink of heavy armor on the hard cavern floor, Lessa dropped to the ground. With her stomach pressed to the ground, she scooted her way to the lip of the cliff, carefully reached over.

"Try to grab on," she called, her tone thick with desperation. "I'll pull you up."

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

The differences came into play as he had envisioned her in his own mind as one in the real world. When he noticed how strong and independent she was, a strong sense of relief hit him. She still survived. With her hand reaching toward his, he was able to grab hold. He wasn't as weak as he had imagined after recollecting what had initially happened to him. Trap. Time. Darkness. It all came to this as he held onto her hand. "Okay!" He took one more glance around the damp cavern looking for any signs of life other than his own. The ruined cocoon was the only thing that laid there as he was being pulled up.

The next moment, sunlight struck his face for the first time in years. His eyes adjusted by squinting at her before he was able to properly see her once more. He was pulled up by her and when he had made it, he rolled off to the side looking at her. She was different. A lot different than he had imagined her but it was good to see the familiar face that he had once looked upon as a close friend. He let out a loud laugh and held his hands in the air looking at the blue sky through his fingers. He couldn't help but laugh at all of what had happened to him and the others. He couldn't help but laugh because the initial shock was starting to wear off and he had realized that the others were gone within that collapse. The laugh shaky now as he held his one hand over his eyes hiding the falling tears. "I made it.. I made it.. Thanks Le..Lessa.." He uttered. How could he be so happy.. and guilty at the same time.

[Lessa 1]

Like a drowning woman breaking the sea's surface, Lessa hungrily sucked in breath. The rush of oxygen, air warmed by the bright sun, helped to tame the wild galloping of her heart. Still, it thundered in her chest, in her ears, as she stared up at the blue sky. Thin wisps of clouds drifted lazily, nearly transparent, as if someone had torn apart cotton balls. The sun blazed white-hot, burning Lessa's fair blue eyes until she narrowed to a squint. They widened again when she heard Kiluia laughing. 

Was he mentally unstable or something? Lessa had no idea what it was he'd gone through since their last meeting. Perhaps the man had gone off the deep end entirely? So she rolled onto her side, head propped up on her elbow so she could study him. The joy on his face appeared genuine, at least, deep lines of joy shattering from each eye. When she noted the tears racing down those lines, she was reminded of the pressure behind her own eyes.

"Kiluia," she began again, his name so foreign on her tongue. When had she last spoken the word out loud? "I can't believe it's really you. It's been so, so long, and-" Pausing to swallow around the newly formed lump in her throat, Lessa's eyes shifted to a space just above him. Why was it so difficult to look at him directly? So she let the incomplete sentence hang between them, unsure of how to proceed.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

He had been dreaming. Such a long dream that made him unaware of his surroundings. There were things that made him question the dream like state and the situation that had placed him there. It was then he realized time did not flow like it did in reality. He had grown old in his dream and but nothing seemed different now. He snapped back to reality upon hearing her voice and concern that flowed out. This was reality. This damn game messed with him again. His breathing stabilized and soon he looked over at her. The sunlight was pouring down through the leaves giving them enough shade but it seemed his eyes weren't adjusting as fast. He was about to answer her before realizing one word struck out at him. Long?

Moments passed by as he regained his composure to straighten himself out. His amber eyes looked at her up and down. She was battle worn. Time had indeed passed but only for one of them it seemed. Time froze for Kil as he spoke softly to her. "How long have I been gone?" The words barely audible as he watched her with his eyes softening at the sight of her. The stroke of luck he had when it as her of all people to of found him. His memory was patchy but clear enough to remember the moments before the blackness sunk into his mind and his body. He swallowed the air trying not to choke on it as he was anticipating the answer hoping it was it was a couple weeks or a few short months. It was a futile prayer judging from her but he wanted to grasp onto that hope. " I need to know please..."

[Lessa 1]

Kiluia posed a strange contradiction in her mind.

When she looked at him, her heart swelled like a growing balloon. Years and years of wondering, hoping, fearing the worst, and yet, there he was. Of course, people did not age in Aincrad, but something about them still changed to reflect the passing time. They grew harder, or wearier, or perhaps even both. Their gear also had a habit of changing as they climbed the ranks. But Kiluia? He was a perfect mirror image of the last time she’d seen him. Something about that frightened her.

And at the same time her heart swelled, it sank as she studied the look in his eyes, the waver in his voice. The poor man had no idea, did he?

”Kiluia,” she said again, tone as gentle as possible, though it shook with those unspilled tears. She had a sudden urge to touch him, both to comfort and to confirm he was really real. “It’s been about five years.”

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

"W..what..?" It was like everything was that had happened had solidified for him. The world to him ceased to exist as he stared at the blonde lass. He searched for every inch of her face for the lie that did not exist. The unfallen tears laid perfectly still on her face spoke  volumes to him as the cohesive barrier broke inside his mind. 5 years? Was that possible? Did the game cheat him 5 years of his life? He felt sick. He felt the urge to vomit but he knew that nothing would  come of it. The stress of it all. If there had been a safety feature  for a psychological breakdown, now was the perfect  time to eject him from the game. 

Minutes passed by as he sat frozen looking at her. The cliche words escaped his lips like a cheap science fiction movie. "Tell me... your lying.. Tell me that its... " Her face.. he could no longer directly  look at it as he searched  for the entrance.  He scrambled to grab a stick and slammed it into the ground trying to make a marker for himself. He was so engulfed in a break down, he could of used the HUD to remember the positioning. "Haine is down there! Shes down there! Rin too!" He screamed as an emotional wreck. It was his fault.

[Lessa 1]

To her absolute horror, Lessa watched Kiluia fall to pieces in front of her eyes. The stages of grief flashed before her, switched through as rapidly as a remote clicking through channels. Shock, denial, and when he exploded to his feet, Lessa scrambled after him.

The Guardian’s heart siezed as she watched him grab the stick, slam it into the ground. What he was doing, and why, were lost to her. What she did know, however, was that her friend was having a breakdown. Was it best to let it all play out? Should she let him experience each emotion, and stand back as he rid the grief from his system? Was such a thing even possible?

Only when he raced to the crevice, began shouting, did she grab him by the arm. “Kil, stop it,” she commanded, planting a hand on each of his shoulders. As she began rubbing his upper arms,  as if to warm him, she peered into his wild eyes. “You need to calm down, alright? Please. Take a few breaths, then tell me what happened. I can help, but not if I don’t know what’s going on.”

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Her touch felt like electricity coursing through his body. His sense of touch had been dulled since the cocoon was split open. Now every sense synapse  fired on all cylinders. He shivered looking at her trying to contain himself. Eyes brimmed with sadness flowing down. How could he explain it to her. Where would he start? For the past five years he had been flooded with dreams that had saturated his memories with thoughts of the real world and diluted the thoughts of this one. His voice was stolen from him as he hiccuped from sobbing. It was best to let him gather himself trying to remember everything. 

Memories flowed through his mind of every little thing that happened, love, school, jobs, and a lie of a life. He saw bits and pieces of the memory that was torn asunder". "A trap..." He finally spoke to her. "I triggered a trap.." His voice was soft and raspy. "It was just a regular... stupid... expedition.. and a damn trap.." He slumped at the entrance looking down there. Silent tears now fell staining the ground. ".... I don't know if they're alive.." He couldn't remember all their names..Minus Haine. The guilt was going to kill him.

[Lessa 1]

There was nothing she could do as Kiluia withdrew from her and wandered toward the entrance. He collapsed there, the tears cascading down his flushed face and splattering on the hard earth. Hopelessness was a feeling Lessa had grown accustomed to during her time in Aincrad, but that certainly did not mean she enjoyed it. The sick feeling in her gut, and the vice around her heart, only intensified as the white-haired man's body rocked with a hiccuping sob.

"Hey," she began softly, moving up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. Whether the physical contact was what he wanted, she couldn't be sure. But Lessa knew from her own experience that the tangible link was what she wanted in her most vulnerable moments. Perhaps the gestures might help him, too. "I don't know if they're still down there, but if you didn't see anyone..." Her voice trailed, and she caught herself before she said something that might upset him further. ".... maybe they're still tied up like you were? We can't be sure."

She squeezed, then added, "But we need to be smart. If this enemy was powerful enough for all this, it's an enormous threat. We can't just go running back in there. This thing put you into a coma of some sort for years. We shouldn't mess with it. Let's head back to town. You can get some food, and we can send out some messages. Maybe get a search party together."

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Reality struck him hard as she touched his shoulder. Her familiar warmth caused another spark to course through his body. The real sensation of touch had been missing for quite sometime due to the suspended animation he had been placed in. His voice, his eyes, and even body language looked fatigued. Tears would not come anymore to him. The trail stained his face with tears no longer seen. His voice cracked as he spoke to her. "I'm tired..." This was his defeat and among the rubble he simply couldn't look at it anymore in the dark entrance. 

Body struggled to get up for a moment stumbling slightly as he reached to his feet. Weary eyes looked over at Lessa and a sad smile crossed his face hearing the words of food and a place to stay. The mentioning of food caused a stir within his system causing it to break the tension of wanting to stay. Apparently food was the key phrase that would be the motivator for him to leave for now.  Hand reached over toward's Lessa and onto her shoulder where he regained  sense of balance to travel with her. All of those words she had spoken about how the world had passed on while he was frozen filled his mind at what fate had become to the others before him.

"Lead the way.. please." He croaked softly. The sense of frustration and defeat was written all over his face as the two made their way back. He struggled along the way with her back to town."Thanks.. for saving me." It was a lack luster response of gratitude but it would do for now until he was properly able to express his gratitude. 

[Lessa 1]

He told her he was tired, but that much was painfully evident. The words that came from him seemed heavier than dumbbells at a gym, and his body slumped with the weight of them. The haggard expression he wore made Lessa wish she could give him some of her energy. If only it were possible, but even Aincrad did not allow for such things. Instead, when he slumped against her, Lessa snaked her arm around his body and drew him closer. "Alright," she murmured to her mentor, "I've got you. Let's get you back."

Though she was unfamiliar with the first tavern they came to, Lessa shouldered her way through the front door, easing Kiluia in with her. The dull roar of patrons mingled with the clink of glasses, the scrape of cutlery, and the occasional scrape of chair legs on well-worn wooden floor. Fortunately, despite the dim lighting, Lessa found a small table in the corner. "Here we go," she told him, shouldering her way through the crowd before plopping Kiluia into the seat. The waitress arrived only a moment later, which was surprising, given how busy the place was. "A soda and a cheeseburger, please," she ordered hastily, then looked to her companion.

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

Ever feel that water effect where your head feels like its in a bubble? The exact situation was happening this very moment making it hard for the young man to concentrate. The reverberation of the entire area caused him to close his eyes. The discomfort was increasing second by second but it was only because he couldn't figure out why he was the only person to survive the onslaught. His eyes looked up at the waitress who seemed to speak but no words were comprehended by her. He let Lessa take care of the situation that had been laid out. "So... how far have we gotten since I've been gone? " The reference was to the amount of floors they had covered. Then again, he couldn't even recollect what they left off at when he was gone. 

His eyes looked at Lessa. If he could focus on anything, it was the fact she was still before him. What was their last conversation? Was it a training session they had before he left? So many questions started to fester inside his head as he continued to speak. "What kind of state are we in? Have are the others?" He would rub his temples trying to regain his sensory back. 

[Lessa 1]

When Kiluia simply stared dumbly at the waitress, Lessa stepped in. "Why don't we make that two of each," she requested with a pained smile. "Two sodas, two cheeseburgers." When the woman had nodded, then hurried away, Lessa's attention shifted to Kiluia. "I hope that works for you. I think you just really need some food in your system."

At his question regarding progress, the blonde frowned. "Ah," she began slowly, attempting to choose her words carefully. "We're not as far as some would like us to be, if I'm being honest. But there has been a lot of drama on the Frontlines, and it looks like we're facing our toughest boss yet, so everyone is a bit apprehensive." When the waitress swung by with their drinks, Lessa accepted the glass with a quick nod. Swirling the amber liquid around, she finally concluded, "We're on the twenty fifth floor, working toward the twenty sixth. When we fight that boss, I'm going to be there."

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

The food came and the waitress gone. His eyes stared at the amber liquid that was in front of him. The smell of the food invaded his nostrils for the first time in a long. The time spent in a dream like state had caused him to forget what the actual smell really was. His eyes looked up at Lessa as he spoke. "Well damn" He swirled the drink before taking a long drag of the straw. The carbonation against his throat made him relive how much he had missed. The flashes of the fake reality swirled through his mind once again realizing how much of a lie he was living. Maybe he didn't want to admit that it all had been a dream and he had wished he'd stayed there. 

He cleared his throat looking up at her. "There are always people with different opinions.. we all have walked a different path to get where we are." He looked at the burger only to take a small bite. Texture was recognizable but also foreign to him. Once he swallowed the food, he gave a look at her once more. "I guess there isn't room for me to be a pile of pity right now. I'll have to make myself strong." His reaction to everything seemed relatively at an all time low, but there was a little shine in his eyes as he knew that this wasn't the end. He took another bite and looked at her again trying to contain himself from going hog wild over the food. Another swallow followed by another bite.

He finally finished everything off and his final words were, "Who all is left? Anyone I know?" 

[Lessa 1]

Lessa took a bite of her burger, then chewed thoughtfully as Kiluia spoke. Once he’d concluded, she swallowed the food and shook her head. “I don’t think pity is out of the question right now.” Leaning forward slightly, Lessa reached across the table and placed her hand over his. “You’ve been through hell, Kiluia. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through. You’ve missed so much. You shouldn’t feel bad about... well, feeling bad. It’s natural, and I probably would in your shoes.”

When he asked who else was still on the frontlines, Lessa hesitated slightly. “Uh, well, I guess I’m not sure who you knew from back then. Ariel is still fighting, if you knew her. Then Hestia, Macradon, Morgenstern, Zandra.” She has seen their names in the news bulletin regarding the labyrinth boss. “Baldur was there, too, but I don’t figure you met him. There are others, but I haven’t been to a boss meeting in a very long time.”

[Kiluia Seiko 0]

The food was gone before he knew it as she continued to speak. Was it really hell? He was married, had a job, kids, and was living life. And yet, it was all imaginary. Nothing but a simple fantasy the man dreamed up in his head. If he had not been absorbed in SAO before, he would have never believed a single word the woman before him spoke. But it was Lessa. The woman had no reason to lie to him about the current events of how they were still stuck. The worst of it all was that the woman of his dreams was still missing. His voice betrayed him as he attempted to remain in a stoic manner. “Hell. I guess you are right.”

The following names flowed from her lips, but no one seemed to make a connection with him. That was troublesome as he felt like his memories were deteriorating before him. Despite that revelation, he gently spoke to her.” Sounds like a good bunch. I hope you guys manage to beat the floor.” Not being a quarter of the way made him realize that this was going to a dreadful life if he didn’t clean up his act and get it straight. Fatigue started to catch up with him and he took a deep breath looking at her. “Mind taking me to the inn? I’m feeling more tired.” He offered a weary smile. They would have to play catch up another day when he was able to keep his concentration on her.

[Lessa 1]

A good bunch? Despite the situation she and Kiluia found themselves in, Lessa felt a small smile prick her lips. "Yeah," she answered on a wistful sigh. "Yeah, they are. They're really good people. We're pretty lucky to have them going to bat for us." Thinking of them, Lessa shoved a fry across her now largely empty plate. These high-stakes fights always elicited mixed emotions. On one hand, she was incredibly proud of the men and women who put their lives on the line to earn her freedom. On the other, she worried for them every single day. 

When Kiluia asked about an inn, her eyes widened. "Oh, of course, yeah." Shoving back from the table, Lessa climbed to her feet, offered a hand to her companion. "There's actually a few rooms upstairs, if I'm reading the layout right. Why don't we head up there, and see what there is? I'd rather not drag you across town if I don't have to." You look absolutely exhausted. 

Though the white-haired player had regained some of his strength during the meal, Lessa still slid her arm around him, propping him up as they walked. "You know," she began absently as they neared the secluded staircase, "I really am glad to see you again. I missed you so much. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to message me, okay? I owe you so much."