[F-01][PP] EaL: Foraging Buddies

[Valkyrie 0]

Val adjusted the worn straps of her heavy gear, her gaze set on the quiet, unassuming path ahead. Starting small was the smart thing to do, especially at level one. She was no fool—this game might look like a playground, but the stakes were real. A profession like Forager seemed like a safe bet, something she could level up with as she gained strength. Plus, there was something peaceful about gathering herbs, something that helped her focus, kept her mind off the loss she didn’t want to think about too much.

The scent of wood smoke grew stronger as she approached the cozy campsite tucked away between thick, moss-covered trees. A small wagon rested nearby, its wooden wheels creaking softly in the breeze. As Val stepped closer, a woman dressed in green appeared from behind the wagon, her emerald eyes glinting in the fading light.

“So, it appears you've found me,” the woman said, her voice light but carrying a knowing edge. There was no hostility in her words, but Val could tell this one was used to being sought out. “I tend to move around quite a lot, but someone always finds me. I suppose you're looking for some herbs?”

Val crossed her arms, a crooked smile tugging at her lips. “Somethin' like that, yeah. Lookin' to learn how to gather ‘em, too. Figure it’s safer startin’ out small, y’know?”

The woman’s eyes widened, just a bit, surprised. “Most simply expect me to forage their materials for them, but few truly care about the process itself. You surprise me.”

Val chuckled softly. “Ain’t many shortcuts in life, cher. Gotta get your hands dirty if ya want somethin’ done right.”

Giovanna studied her for a moment, then reached into the pocket of her flowing green dress, pulling out a small, tarnished compass. She offered it to Val, the gleam of the brass catching the firelight.

“You may borrow my compass,” she said, her voice dropping a touch, as if sharing a secret. “Dark magic has made it capable of locating an incredibly rare item called a Demonic Shard. Should you find one, and bring it back to me, you will prove yourself worthy of my teachings.”

Val took the compass, the weight of it surprisingly heavy in her palm. She could feel a faint hum of energy beneath its surface—definitely not your average tool.

“Demonic Shard, huh? Well, ain't that just a peach,” Val muttered, her drawl thickening as she studied the compass. She slid it carefully into her pouch, her expression shifting to one of determination. “Alright, cher. I'll find this shard, don't you worry. Appreciate the chance.”

Giovanna smiled softly. “Take care, and may good fortune travel with you.”

***
Valkyrie's Stats
HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 4 | MIT: 18 | ACC: 3 | THORNS | PARA | TAUNT

Equipped:

 

Spoiler

 

>Sildana's Heavy Plate | T1 Perfect Heavy Armor | ID 234604 | MIT 3
Desc. Forged in the style of Nidavellirian Dwarves, this plate armor promises to provide superior protection fit for a Valkyrie

>Sildana's Shield | T1 Perfect Shield | ID 234649 | Paralyze 1 | Taunt | Thorns 1
Desc. Forged in the style of Nidavellirian Dwarves, this plate armor promises to leave your enemies paralyzed in fear.

>Sildana's Lance | T1 Perfect Polearm | ID 234650 | ACC 3
Desc. Forged in the style of Nidavellirian Dwarves, this lance is streamlined to strike true with each thrust.

 

 

[Gambit 0]

As Val began to leave, she would be alerted to the sound of something barreling through the forest at breakneck speeds. 

It was Gambit. 

He practically slid to a stop in front of Giovanna. He was breathing heavily, but said nothing. Giovanna hesitated for a moment. 

“So, it appears y-" 

"Skip!" 

“I tend to-" 

"Skip!" 

“Most-" 

"Skip!" 

“You may borro-" 

"Thanks!" Gambit abruptly snatched the compass from her hand and bolted. He paid no mind to Giovanna; no, Gambit was on a mission. The young boy sprinted past her without so much as glancing in her direction. It was almost as if he hadn't even registered her presence. He just took the spare compass from Giovanna and peeled off into the forest. Out there in the woods, there were materials to be had, and a Demonic Shard that belonged to him. But if he could set a world's first speed-run record of Earning a Living: Forager, that'd also be pretty cool. 

*** 

Gambit | HP: 80/80 | EN: 26/26 | DMG: 9 | ACC:3 | EVA:3

Stats: 

Spoiler

Level: 4
Health: 80 | Energy: 26
DMG: 9 | ACC: 3  | EVA: 3  
Shift: -

Skills:

Combat Skills:
► -

Weapon Skills:
► Straight Sword [14/30] - Rank 3 

Utility Skills:
► -

Extra Skills:
► -

Familiar Skill: 
► -

Armor Skills:
► -

Modifiers:
► -

Equipped:
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Steel Longsword: +3 DMG 
»[Equipped] [Perfect] wolf pendant: +3 EVA 
»[Equipped] [Perfect] tomochi plush.: +3 ACC

Battle Ready: 
» empty

 

Edited October 6 by Gambit

[Valkyrie 0]

Val blinked, barely registering the blur of movement as something came crashing through the forest, kicking up leaves and dirt. She was just about to get moving herself when bam, a kid—no more than a teenager by the looks of him—practically skidded into the clearing. He was breathing like he’d been chased by the devil himself, and the boy wasn’t even bothering with words, just cutting off Giovanna with "skip" after "skip."

"Hey-"

Before Val could even react, the boy grabbed the compass right out of Giovanna’s hand and tore off like a bat out of hell.

“Putain d'enfants—” Val muttered, her eyes narrowing as the kid bolted past without so much as looking her way. She wasn’t about to let that slide.

“Now hold on there!” Val called out, Her boots pounded the dirt path, heart racing with the thrill of the chase. She didn’t even think twice—her blood was already hot from the idea of letting this kid's etiquette.  Who did he think he was?

[Gambit 0]

"Whuh-?" Gambit kept running, but finally glanced over his shoulder at the sound of Val's voice. His eyes nearly shot out of his head. "W-WAHH! WAHH!!!" 

A scary lady was chasing him down! What the hell?! Gambit picked up the pace. His heart pounded in his chest. He didn't do anything! He was just minding his own business! She looked so angry, too! Gambit's mind was racing as fast as he was, trying to piece things together. Finally, he connected the dots and came to a realization. His heart sank and he could hear his blood roaring in his ears. The realization was not a good one. 

"P-Player Killer! Killer!! Player Killer!!! AHHHHH!!!" It was just his luck, wasn't it?! All he wanted to do was have a fun day out getting some quests done, and now he was going to get MURDERED by this BIG WOMAN and he wasn't even going to set a SINGLE RECORD while it happened. 

His boot snagged on some roots and he fell flat on his face. He remained lying there, motionless. 

Edited October 7 by Gambit

[Valkyrie 0]

Val blinked in disbelief as Gambit threw a wild look over his shoulder at her. The second his eyes landed on her, he went into full-blown panic mode.

Val's face twisted in frustration. “You gotta be kiddin’ me…” she muttered, her Cajun accent sharp with irritation as she picked up the pace behind him.  Gambit’s shrill voice echoed through the woods, and Val’s temper flared. This kid really thought she was out to kill him? Over what?!  Skipping some dialogue?

Her teeth clenched as she tore through the trees after him. "Boy, I ain’t tryin’ to kill ya!" she shouted, her voice growing harsher. "But I am gonna knock some sense into you if you don’t stop runnin'!"

Gambit tripped on a root, and down he went, crashing face-first into the dirt with a solid thud. Val skidded to a stop a few feet behind him, hands on her hips, breathing hard but more irritated than winded.

“Oh, for the love of—” she growled, stomping over to where he lay, face still in the dirt, playin’ dead like a possum.

“You done actin’ like an idiot, cher?!” she snapped, her tone sharp as a blade. “All that skippin’ through the NPC’s words, thinkin’ you’re savin’ time. Well, guess what? Now you’re lyin' face-first in the dirt, missin’ half the quest info you need!”

She crouched down beside him, her eyes narrowed, practically fuming.

"You keep skippin' through them NPCs like they ain't sayin' nothin’ worth hearin’. But let me tell ya somethin’, cher—you gonna miss some important details doin' that. These NPCs got context, explanations. That stuff matters.”

Val raised an eyebrow, crossin’ her arms. “And what happens when ya miss a clue about where to find somethin', or when the item you need is cursed, huh? Or maybe there’s an easier way to finish the quest, but you done skipped over all that? Runnin’ like you are, you gonna make it harder on yourself, cher, not easier.”

She gave his shoulder a firm poke.  “Get up! You ain't dyin’ today, but you are gonna hear what I have to say about all that nonsense you just pulled.”

[Gambit 0]

"You've got a funny accent, miss," Gambit said, woozy. He still couldn't believe his luck. Dead at the hands of the big lady -- and he could forget about setting that record, too. Oh, well. He had a good run. Making it to Level Four wasn't easy. That had to mean something, right? 

"Wait... you're not gonna kill me?" Now he was confused. Why had she been screaming so much, then? What was all the fuss about? "Quest details? What?" Gambit was coming to his senses, slowly but surely. There was really no telling if that would make much of a difference, though. In his mind, he had just been hanging out, minding his own business, before Valkyrie had come violently crashing out of the woods with hatred in her eyes. 

"B-but I know all the quest details already," he whimpered. Now he looked sad. He fell limp. "My speedrun... ah..." 

***

Foraging: ID#235065 LD: 8 CD: 7 (Fail) 

Edited October 8 by Gambit

[Valkyrie 0]

Val crossed her arms, tapping her foot as she stared down at the sorry mess that was Gambit. His wide eyes blinked up at her like a lost puppy, still woozy and talking nonsense.

She watched as realization slowly dawned on him—real slow, like molasses dripping in the winter. His eyes squinted, then widened, and then he muttered something that nearly made her roll her eyes clean out of her head.

“Wait… you’re not gonna kill me?”

Val threw her hands up. “Kill you? Boy, I ain’t tryin’ to kill nobody! You’re the one who took off like you’d seen a ghost!” She jabbed a finger at him.

Gambit looked back at her with those wide, pitiful eyes. “But I know all the quest details already…” he whimpered, his whole body goin’ limp like he was just givin’ up on life. “My speedrun… ah…”

Val crossed her arms, eyes narrowed at the sight of Gambit lying there all limp and whiny, muttering about his “speedrun.” But then, she paused. Speedrunning… She remembered that. Her little brother had been into that too. A lot of the younger kids were obsessed with it—rushing through games like their lives depended on it, trying to set records, skipping everything in their path just to shave off a few seconds.

Her annoyance faded as an idea crept into her head.

A smirk curled across Val's lips. Maybe this wasn’t worth getting mad over. Maybe it could be fun.

“Well, if it’s a speedrun you’re after, cher,” she muttered, grabbin’ the back of his shirt and yankin’ him up off the ground like he weighed nothin’. “Let’s do this right!”

*****
Foraging: ID#235070 LD: 1 CD: 5 (Fail) 

Edited October 8 by Valkyrie

[Gambit 0]

So she wasn't going to kill him, and she wasn't mad? Gambit still wasn't getting the whole picture, but he watched something change in her expression. Valkyrie yanked him off the ground. She wanted to join him for a speedrun? That horrible, sunken feeling in his chest was lifted. "Really?" He was practically grinning from ear to ear. Maybe this lady wasn't so bad. Alright! He laughed and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Without wasting another moment, Gambit pulled out the compass he'd gotten from Giovanna and began running headfirst into the forest. "Let's do this!"

The needle, which had been pointing straight ahead, did a complete 180. Gambit slowed to a stop. He turned around. He looked on the ground. 

"Oh, hey. There it is." Gambit scooped the shard off the ground and pocketed it without another word. A pop-up menu declared the quest's completion. Gambit turned around and started to walk away. He waved her off without looking back. "Alright, see ya later. Good luck finding yours." 

***

Foraging: ID#235071 LD: 15 CD: 8 (Success!) 
Demonic Shard Found!

Edited October 8 by Gambit

[Valkyrie 0]

Val stood there for a moment, watching Gambit run headfirst into the forest with the same reckless abandon he’d shown earlier. She couldn’t help but shake her head, a half-smile forming on her lips. Kids these days…

But then, the smile quickly faded as Gambit came to a sudden stop, glancing around the ground like he’d just lost something. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him scoop up something shiny and small—the shard. The pop-up notification that blinked over his head made it crystal clear: the quest was done.

Before she could say a word, Gambit waved her off, not even bothering to turn around.

Val’s jaw dropped. “What?” Her accent thickened with frustration, and her hands flew to her hips as she stormed after him. “Are you serious, boy? After all that, you’re just gonna walk off?"

She stomped after him, her long legs quickly closing the distance. “I haul your sorry self off the ground, offer to help with your little speedrun, and this is how you repay me? By scoopin’ up your shiny little shard and strollin’ off like I’m some background NPC?”

***
Foraging: ID#235076 LD: 19 CD: 4 (Fail) 

Edited October 8 by Valkyrie

[Gambit 0]

There was a rumble in the distance. Somewhere, branches snapped and rustled. Gambit paused, momentarily distracted, before turning his attention back to Valkyrie. 

"Oh, uh, right." How could he have forgotten his manners? Gambit bowed deeply. No, even deeper than that. Almost got it. Just a bit lower. "Thank you, angry miss lady. I appreciate all your help. And, uh. Yeah." He straightened his posture, turned, and began marching dutifully towards the floor's safezone. 

But just as he did, the monsters came crashing out of the wilderness.

"WAHHHHHHH!!" Gambit practically jumped out of his skin. Wolves?! He'd seen them before, sure, from a very safe distance -- but he'd never actually fought them! He'd never even dreamed of it! It didn't look like he had much of a choice now, though, did he? In a panic, he drew the blade slung across his back. It was a simple steel longsword. Attached to the pommel and dangling from it like a keychain was a small, cute plush. The wolves pounced on him, grabbing him by his shirt and leg and arm. Gambit screamed bloody murder. 

Free of its scabbard, the weapon glowed a bright blue. He'd thrown himself into the Sword Art activation in a panic. Whirling around like a spinning top, his blade outstretched, Gambit tore through the group of them, scattering them like dust on the wind. Dizzy, he stumbled for a moment before catching his balance. Miraculously, Gambit was completely unharmed. Had the teeth only grazed him? 

"Or am I..." 

Invincible? 

*** 

ACTION TAKEN: [AOE-I] [-15 EN]
Wolf 1: ID#235077 BD: 7 (Hit) - 9*7= 63 DMG 
Wolf 2: ID#235078 BD: 7 (Hit) - 9*7 = 63 DMG
Wolf 3: ID#235079 BD: 8 (Hit) - 9*7 = 63 DMG 
Wolf 4: ID#235080 BD: 9 (Crit) 10*7= 70 DMG 

Gambit: 80/80 HP | 11/26 EN | 9 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA 

Wolf 1: 0/63 HP | 16 DMG
Wolf 2: 0/63 HP | 16 DMG
Wolf 3: 0/63 HP | 16 DMG 
Wolf 4: 0/63 HP | 16 DMG

Looting:

Wolf 1: ID: 235082 | LD: 1+0=1 | CD:12+0=12 | Col:315, Mats:2,     
Wolf 2: ID: 235083 | LD: 11+0=11 | CD:12+0=12 | Col:441, Mats:2, [235083a] T1 Rare Armor/Shield     
Wolf 3: ID: 235084 | LD: 12+0=12 | CD:10+0=10 | Col:567, Mats:0, [235084a] T1 Rare Armor/Shield     
Wolf 4: ID: 235085 | LD: 10+0=10 | CD:8+0=8 | Col:504, Mats:0, [235085a] T1 Rare Trinket

Edited October 8 by Gambit

[Valkyrie 0]

  

Val shook her head as Gambit bowed so low he nearly kissed the dirt. “Thank you, angry miss lady,” he said, in a tone that sounded like a mix between gratitude and sarcasm. She stared at him, arms crossed, trying to keep her frustration from boiling over.

"Yeah, yeah," Val muttered, waving him off as he straightened up and turned to march away like he hadn’t just nearly made a fool of himself. She rolled her eyes. “Kids…”

With Gambit finally out of sight, Val turned her attention back to the task at hand. She still had to find her own Demonic Shard. Kneeling down, she started searching through the underbrush. It didn’t take long before she spotted a faint, ominous glow nestled between some roots. “There ya are,” she muttered, grabbing the shard and tucking it safely into her pouch.

But just as she was about to leave, she heard it—the unmistakable sound of wolves on the attack, followed by a familiar scream. Val froze, one hand hovering over her weapon. It was Gambit, for sure. She could hear his panicked wails echoing through the trees. Her first instinct was to leave him. After all, he’d been nothing but rude and ungrateful.

But she couldn’t help herself. Damn it.

With a sigh, Val took off, charging through the trees toward the noise. She burst through the treeline, sword at the ready, just in time to see Gambit in the middle of a pack of wolves, screaming bloody murder.

“WAHHHHHHH!” Gambit was flailing as the wolves pounced, their jaws clamping down on his shirt, his leg, and his arm. He was in full panic mode, but in that panic, he drew his sword—a simple steel longsword, nothing fancy, but enough to get the job done.

Val blinked, caught off guard for a second as the blade in his hand suddenly glowed a bright blue. His movements were wild and uncoordinated, but somehow, he activated a Sword Art. He whirled around like a human tornado, the blade outstretched, and tore through the wolves in one fell swoop.

Val, who had been watching from the treeline, couldn’t believe her eyes. She stepped out, still holding her sword, her eyebrow raised. “Invincible, huh?” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You sure it wasn’t dumb luck, cher?”

***
Foraging: ID#235081 LD: 16 CD: 7 (Success)

Edited October 8 by Valkyrie

[Gambit 0]

After the incident, Valkyrie appeared behind him. If Gambit was surprised to see her back, or otherwise felt any particular way about it, he did not show it. 

"I don't know," Gambit answered honestly, flexing his fists. He looked down at his arms, undamaged, his eyes full of wonder. "I don't know..." 

A deep, reverberating growl filled the clearing. From the undergrowth prowled a much larger wolf. It had fangs the size of Gambit's fingers, and a head the size of his torso. Gambit realized what this was instantly: the alpha male. Had Gambit unknowingly challenged him for leadership of the pack? Gambit took a wide stance and readied his blade. The direwolf circled him. Gambit stood perfectly still, ready, waiting. 

The wolf sprung first -- 

-- and so too, did it fall. Gambit's longsword cleft the pouncing wolf in twain; the bisected segments of lupine flesh were unable to even touch the floor before evaporating in a cloud of azure fractals. Gambit whirled around. (:0!) Had he really singlehandedly defeated an entire pack of wolves? He was incredulous. All  this time spent avoiding combat; and for what? Because he'd thought he was bad at it? 

"That's the first time I've done that," Gambit admitted. He was still quite a bit breathless. 

*** 

Action Taken: [ST-1] [-8 EN]
Direwolf: ID#235086 BD: 6 (Hit) - 9*8= 72 DMG

Gambit: 80/80 HP | 4/26 EN | 9 DMG | 3 ACC | 3 EVA

Direwolf: 0/72 HP | 16 DMG 

Looting: 

Direwolf: ID: 235087 | LD: 15+0=15 | CD:12+0=12 | Col:504, Mats:2, [235087a] T1 Rare Armor/Shield

Edited October 8 by Gambit

[Valkyrie 0]

Val watched the whole thing unfold with a mix of disbelief and admiration. When that massive alpha wolf prowled out of the undergrowth, she had half-expected to step in and save Gambit's skin. But instead, the kid held his ground. His grip tightened around the sword, his stance was steady, and before she knew it, the wolf was leaping at him with lethal intent.

But Gambit was faster. His blade sliced clean through the beast mid-air, and just like that, the alpha wolf was nothing more than a cloud of azure fractals, disappearing into the wind. Val blinked in surprise, her eyebrows raised as she took it all in.

“Well, I’ll be damned...” she muttered under her breath. Maybe the kid ain’t as useless as I thought.

Gambit stood there, looking almost as shocked as she felt, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he processed what had just happened.

Val stepped up behind him, a smirk playing on her lips. “First time, huh?” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “Well, ya sure made it look like you’ve been doin’ it all your life.”

She gave him a nod, a rare moment of approval shining through her usual sarcastic demeanor. “Ain’t bad for someone who was screamin’ bloody murder a minute ago.”

She stepped forward, crouching to inspect the ground where the alpha wolf had evaporated. “But don’t get too big a head over this,” she said, glancing back up at him. “One good fight don’t make you invincible. These wolves were tough, sure, but there’s worse things out there in this game.”

Standing up, Val wiped her hands on her pants and pointed back to the woods. “C’mon. You got your shard, and I got mine.” She hesitated, then added with a smirk, “And if we run into any more wolves, maybe I’ll let you take the lead again. Seems like you’re enjoyin’ yourself now, huh?”

[Gambit 0]

He sheathed his longsword. The little plush keychain dangled from the pommel still. He nodded. 

"Yeah," Gambit repeated, "first time." He looked back to the spot he'd dispatched the wolf pack. For reasons unknown to Valkyrie, Gambit's triumph evidently came as a great surprise to him. The compliment, however, did nothing to help keep him from getting a big head about it. He almost immediately returned to gloating. 

"Heh, let 'em come. I'll give them the ol' Gambit special." He grinned. Gambit looked quite proud of himself for that line. Wasn't he so cool? He certainly thought so. 

But she was right. They both had their shards. It was probably best to head back now, and it was more than likely safer if they traveled together than if they didn't. "Alright," Gambit agreed. "But, uh... my energy is a bit low now. So... maybe not another fight any time soon..." 

[Valkyrie 0]

Val shook her head, suppressing a smirk as she watched Gambit puff his chest out, clearly pleased with himself. Kid’s got no shortage of confidence now, she thought, rolling her eyes a bit. But she wasn’t about to knock him down just yet. For all his swagger, he’d earned at least a little moment to enjoy his victory. Even if he was already getting a bit too cocky about it.

“Gambit special, huh?” Val said, raising an eyebrow as she walked beside him. “Well, I reckon I’ll be watching closely when you pull out that ‘special’ again.  Just make sure you save some energy next time—ain’t no point in braggin’ if you’re too wiped to back it up.”

She shot him a teasing grin, her eyes flicking down to the little plush keychain dangling from his longsword. It was so out of place with all the intense fighting he’d just done. It reminded her he wasn’t some hardened warrior—just a kid who’d gotten in over his head. A talented one, maybe, but still a kid.

As they walked back toward the campsite, Val glanced at Gambit, her tone a bit more relaxed now. “So, how long you been doin’ this speedrun thing?  My younger brother was into that sorta thing, too. Loved talkin’ ‘bout all those records and times he could beat in games. Always tried to get me to join in, but I never knew much ‘bout it.  Too busy with school.” she asked, genuinely curious.

[Gambit 0]

Gambit snorted. Well, maybe it would be better if he kept a closer eye on his energy. If this fighting thing really was for him, he'd need to be a little better about it going forward. He smiled despite himself. Maybe he could finally get out there and do something after all. All that other stuff he'd been up to was getting pretty boring anyways. 

"Speedrunning?" Gambit asked, genuinely confused. Then he remembered. "Oh, right. Not very long. That was the first time. I was just pretty bored. I thought it'd be fun."

He shrugged. He knew there were tons of other people who were genuinely interested in that whole scene, but probably not in SAO. There were smarter ways to get yourself killed than accidentally dying trying to speedrun a quest. The only reason he'd even considered it during this one was because it was on the First Floor, and had no combat whatsoever. Uh... minus the wolves. 

[Valkyrie 0]

Val glanced over at Gambit, raising an eyebrow. “First time, huh?” she asked, a small smirk playing on her lips. “Well, shoot, you sure picked an interestin’ place to give it a try.”

She shook her head as they continued walking, the memory of the wolves still fresh. “This ain’t exactly the safest spot to be experimentin’ with somethin’ like that, y’know? Ain’t a game you can reset when things go sideways.”

Val let out a soft chuckle, her accent thick as she spoke. “But you handled yourself alright. Just don’t make a habit of rushin’ in without knowin’ what’s comin’ next.”

She gave him a sideways glance, her tone softening a bit. “Speedrunning’s one thing. But in here, it’s different. Ain’t no respawns. My brother used to love that stuff, but this? This ain’t the kinda place for that.”

This place, well, it surely chewed them up in more ways than one.

[Gambit 0]

"Right," he agreed. It did seem pretty dangerous. If someone had decided to try and speedrun something in SAO that wasn't just a gathering quest like he'd chosen, well -- he wasn't sure if that was a very good idea. Gambit had always been extremely cautious. He only recently was beginning to feel very brave. The way he'd handled those wolves told him that, unlike what he'd always believed, he could have a really good chance of making it. 

Making it? Making it where? The frontlines? 

Or just out of the game, he figured. He hoped. 

"Well, I think I'm gonna start going on more quests." He smiled. "I dunno which ones, but, this was a lot more fun than I thought it'd be. Hey, it was nice meeting ya!" 

The town was within sight. It was just about time for them to go their separate ways. 

[Valkyrie 0]

As they neared the outskirts of the town, Val could see Gambit was already gearing up to head his own way. He looked excited, eager even, talking about all the quests he was planning to dive into next.

She couldn't help but smile a little at his enthusiasm, despite everything. "Gonna be runnin' all over the place now, huh?" she teased lightly, her Cajun drawl warm.

As he kept walking, Val's smile faltered for just a moment, and she called after him. "Hey!"

Val pulled up her menu, a friend request already hovering in the air between them. "Listen, I know we just met, but if you ever need help... or just wanna chat, feel free to call for me." Her tone was casual, but there was a softness to it that hadn’t been there earlier. "Ain’t no shame in callin' for backup every now and then. This place? It’s dangerous enough without tryin' to handle everything on your own."

[Gambit 0]

"Hm?" He smiled. "Oh, yeah, probably!" And he kept walking along. Gambit wanted to see how much he could get done now that he was feeling that much more confident in his abilities. It was no understatement that this newfound understanding (that he could make it out in the fields) was completely throwing Gambit's world on its head. 

She called after him. "Huh?" Gambit briefly felt a flash of fear -- was she chasing him down again? 

But it wasn't like that at all. Quite the opposite, actually. Gambit stared down at the notification that popped up in front of him, and thought long and hard about the unusual softness in her tone. He frowned, deep in thought. His friends list was littered with names he hadn't seen or spoken to in what sometimes felt like centuries. Gambit accepted the request. Any sign of seriousness on his face evaporated. "'Kay!" 

He waved her goodbye with a smile and a laugh and went his own way.