[PP-F1] Great Morning (Lessa) [Complete]

[Yami 0]

He was walking around the town without anything to do as he just finished his daily grinding.

Usually, he would just spend rest of time doing something else as duels or normal conversations.

Town was still full of new players, young and old.

Some were even very young, even if he could not imagine a precise age for everyone.

Then, Yami just walked inside an inn, ordering a drink and taking seat on a table.

The inn was not crowded as usual but there were just a few players taking care of their business.

Yami's table was on the inn's left side, while the others were near the counter. Weather was a little cloudy, but not exactly a problem.. perhaps after so much time, it may rain a little.

Taking a few sips from his drink and looking at his reflection on the liquid.

[Lessa 1]

The figure by the window continued to stare out at the sky. The dark clouds rolled in quickly, and the threat of rain seemed very real. But Lessa was not bothered at all by the idea. A farm girl to her core, she thought that rain was something to be celebrated, not dreaded. And the sweet smell of rain on the air was something that she loved. For a fleeting moment, she considered moving outside, just to see if Sword Art Online could mimic that same sensation.

This was her first time in the inn, but she found it to be quite charming. It was a perfect place for her to relax, collect her thoughts from the previous day, and feel just a bit of protection from the world around her. In a game like this, she was never truly self. She knew something could happen at any moment. Even in a safe zone, maybe it would be a glitch or a hiccup in the system that ended her life. She shook her head, as if to rid her mind of such thoughts. Thinking like that will drive me mad.

With a soft sigh, she lifted her glass to her lips, and took a long swig.

[Yami 0]

Glancing lightly at the window a few times to check the weather, Yami was still drinking from his cup.

Rain would not be a problem for him, it would be rather good, since he joined the game he still had to see rain here and always sunny days are quite annoying.

Then, he decided to inspect the players around, looking each of them. Noticing a girl drinking from a glass, he did not know if he should approach her and converse.

But, after all he'd like to talk a little bit, so he got up and walked towards the girl.

"Hello, mind if I take a seat?" he asks politely as he reaches her.

[Lessa 1]

"Huh?" The young woman breathed, startled by the voice from behind her. She turned in her chair, and when she saw the man standing there, she relaxed. "Oh, hello," she greeted warmly. She gave him a smile, and motioned to the chair beside her. "Yes, of course. Please, have a seat."

She moved her chair a bit, giving him more room at the small, round table. Lessa had not expected to be joined that afternoon, and she probably would have selected a larger table had she known there would be two of them. And a less trusting individual may have wondered why a stranger would ask to sit with her, a complete newcomer. But Lessa was not that sort of person. Without any hesitation, she welcomed him to her table.

[Yami 0]

Pleased by the woman's greeting, he offers a warm smile to her, taking a seat.

Hoping that she would not feel odd by speaking to a random guy, but after all it was how Sword Art Online worked. To meet new people you had to talk with strangers, if there are not friends from real life. Could not say the same about the real life, but that's how SAO was working.

Yami was inspecting the girl, studying her beautiful appearance, he thought that she was about his age or even older.

Then, he decided to start the conversation.

"I am Yami, I hope you're doing well?" he asked with a friendly tone.

[Lessa 1]

"Mhmm, I am, yeah." As well as I could be, considering I am trapped in a death game. She pushed that thought further into the back of her mind. "How are you doing?"

She crossed one leg over the other, and leaned back in her chair, completely at ease around the stranger. Other individuals in the inn may have thought that they were old friends, judging by how easily they interacted. Comfort among strangers had always been one of the young woman's strengths.

[Yami 0]

Nodding lightly, taking a sip from his drink.

"Glad to hear it. I'm good, just taking a drink after grinding around.." he said, turning his head lightly at the window.

The more time passes, the more it seems it was going to rain.

"And.. looks like it's going to rain anytime soon.." he said, turning his head back at the woman.

After all, rain was not a problem. Probably, it would be nice to see and listen after those boring days with the sun.

"Oh. By the way, I didn't catch your name.. If you don't mind, obviously?" he asked, keeping his gaze at her and taking another sip from his drink.

[Lessa 1]

"I love the rain," came her reply. She was still smiling as she looked out the window once more. "Everything needs the rain." She laughed softly. "Besides, I don't have much to do these days. I can sit back and watch the rain for as long as I'd like."

Back home, she had spent her days working hard, either physically on the farm, or mentally at college. Now, in this new world, she had a bit more time to herself. Truthfully, it was lonely at times. But it was nice to have more than four hours of sleep a day.

"My name is Lessa."

[Yami 0]

"Nice to meet you, Lessa." he said, offering a nod to her phrase.

"That's quite true, even if can't say if the rain has a role into this game, but it has in the real life. But, yes.. weather is quite realistic here, so.. who knows." looking at the window as he said it.

After a few moments, it started to rain.

It was the first time that Yami saw rain into SAO, never had the chance.

The rain was realistic, its sound was relaxing as in the real life.

Yami taking another sip from his drink, turning his head back at Lessa.

[Lessa 1]

Finally, the clouds let loose. The rain began to fall, pattering pleasantly on the inn's rooftop, and creating cross-crossing paths down the window panes. Lessa gave a content sigh, crossing her arms tightly against her chest, and snuggling deeper into her chair. She watched the rain for a moment, her mind wandering back to the things she had promised herself she would not worry about. Concerns that could wait. But she could not keep them from resurfacing.

Being a new player in this world was hard. For many, the rules changed with the death rule. A game about community became a game about survival, and for many, that meant looking out for number one only. She was having a difficult time finding someone to answer her most basic questions.

"This game is complicated," she said finally, to no one in particular, though she knew that her table partner would hear her.

[Yami 0]

"Agreed. Especially the objective, but I'm sure we'll reach it and complete the game. If there was not any death rule, I'm sure everything would have been different." he said, looking at Lessa.

It was interesting about listening another player's thoughts about it, even if Yami had his own point about it.

But not everyone can agree with someone else's ideas.

"I think that we don't have to dwell on the situation, but we should enjoy our life while we still have one. This.. trap, just give us another way to enjoy the life. Now I don't mean that I want to stay here, but to enjoy everything while you can. Unfortunate, most of players here don't think like that." he said with a shrug of his shoulders, offering a sigh.

[Lessa 1]

As she listened to the man speaking, she found her lips curling into a soft smile. "That's a lovely way to look at it," she commented as he finished speaking. "But no, I imagine that most people don't feel like that." Watching the raindrops race down the glass, she said, "even I find myself being pretty pessimistic sometimes, and I'm a very positive person." Her right hand cupped her glass, and her thumb absentmindedly stroked it as she spoke again.

"This place is so different than the real world. I know that seems so obvious, but it is the truth." Her smile faltered for a brief second. "It takes a complete change of mind to survive in a world like this. At least, that is what it feels like sometimes." She shook her head. "And I thought I would have it all figured out by the age of twenty. But here I am, learning how to survive all over again. It is... well, it is certainly something."

[Yami 0]

Offering a smile to her as he listens.

"I'm glad to hear that you are and can be positive. Unfortunate, everyone can be pessimistic sometimes, so am I, but rarely. After all, we're humans not AIs set to react just with a way or more." he said.

He could not imagine enjoying a conversation with a NPC, because it has no emotions, thoughts.. nothing.

Its words would come by a database, which is quite different from a person who can think.

"We're around a bunch of codes, data and informations, right now we're codes as well, but we're real in a way. Not just something made writing some code in the database. Our thoughts, feelings, emotions are still real, just simulated." he said, with a friendly and reassuring tone.

[Lessa 1]

Lessa nodded thoughtfully as the man spoke. "That is a nice thought, yeah." She replied. "Truthfully, I don't find myself concerned about what is real or not." She gave a small laugh, then shrugged. "I find all of this easier to swallow if I don't constantly remind myself that I am stuck in a game. And for the most part, it all feels very real anyway." She hesitated, then added, "well, if you don't think about the monsters, and the combat element."

She took a sip of her drink. "I suppose I just like thinking that this is just another place. I even don't mind the NPCs too much, as they make it feel even more real, despite the fact that they're fake." Running a hand through her hair, she said, "I apologize for rambling. Its just nicer to think about this place as real. It keeps me from thinking about my actual body, lying alone and forgotten in some hospital somewhere." She shook her head. "I'm probably off my rocker."

[Yami 0]

"Indeed, except that.. this game is very similar to real life, there's even an option to- Nothing, nevermind." he said, shaking his head slowly.

It was just about a little detail, nothing to worry about.

"Unfortunate, very likely that my body is not on my bed anymore. It should be on a hospital bed connected to something to give us protein and other I guess." he said, twists his mouth lightly.

"Ugh,. can't imagine myself like that." wincing lightly as he said it.

Unfortunate, that was the truth.

But, perhaps a day he would be able to stand up from that bed and walk.

[Lessa 1]

"No," Lessa agreed softly. "I cannot imagine myself like that either. It isn't pleasant, at all." The young woman was very active, always busying herself with one task or another. From cooking to horseback riding, Lessa refused to stay in one place for long. She rarely stopped to relax. Now, she did not move at all in the real-world. Her lifeless body was stored somewhere. Maybe it was a ward filled with players, all hooked up to their nerve gear. The thought sent shivers down her spine. What a sight that must be.

Then, she recalled what the young man had begun to say? "Option to what?" Then she laughed softly. "Sorry, I'm still pretty new. Just curious is all."

[Yami 0]

Nodding lightly to her opinion, Yami was looking at the window.

Rain was comfortable to see and hear, he would just stay there for hours, admiring the rain.

Then, he turns hid head at Lessa as she ask.

"Oh, nothing to worry about.. Just details and I don't want to mix up your thoughts." he said.

Just a careless detail, which he did not remember well how it worked.

But, without thinking too much about it, he took another sip from his cup.

[Lessa 1]

The blonde studied him for a moment, silent. Then she shrugged. "If you say so," she replied casually. "I'm sure I could handle it though. But it is up to you."

She turned back to the window, again taking some time to appreciate the beauty of it. It really was calming, and she found herself growing drowsy. The woman yawned. "Its strange," she commented suddenly, "not having anything to worry about. I've been doing a lot more training lately. Most of my days are spent out in the field." She gave a small smile. "I know I have to keep it up to become stronger. But this little break is nice."

[Yami 0]

"I'm sure you can handle it, but actually.. I don't remember precisely what it was about. Better say something for sure." he said.

Quite the truth, that detail was something really confusing and nothing necessary to know.

Yami's glance was at her, listening her as she speaks.

He thought that she was absolutely right, most of days there were spent grinding or farming.

His life, and probably every player's, was different since they joined the game.

"I understand you, but everyone needs a break some times. By the way, I'm sure it'll need a long time to reach Floor 100, only tip I can tell you.. is to enjoy your life." he said, offering a smile.

[Lessa 1]

Enjoy my life? Lessa repeated, turning the concept over and over in her mind. What could she do to enjoy it? She could take a risk. She could do something crazy.

Standing suddenly, Lessa pushed back her chair and smiled down at Yami. "I'm going for a walk," she announced. "A little rain never hurt anyone. I won't melt." She laughed, and added, "besides, I'm sure it will be quite refreshing." Putting her hands on her hips, she tilted her head slightly, and asked, "care to join me?"