September 15th, 2023, Floor 47 Floria, Level 82
Turns out that they were worse at being humans than I thought they would initially be.
Reggie had picked up baking, and thought that if the recipe called to bake something at 180*C for 20 minutes, then he can half it by baking it at 360*C for 10 minutes.
He almost burnt down the house.
Next, Blossom had tried planting and weeding around the house. First, Blossom forgot he needed to water his plants. Next, he over watered them. Right now, I'm training him with cacti. If he can keep it alive for the next week, we'll move onto something more advanced.
I had quickly learned that since they were NPCs, they had a harder time acquiring skills in the game, so they had to do everything the old-fashioned way. Meaning instead of being able to cook something quickly, they'll do the actual process for it.
I was their mom, currently. I furnished the house, went grocery shopping, did the laundry, and had to make sure they were not burning down the house. I was leveling much slower now, but I didn't mind the change of pace.
My current project to keep my free time busy was the shed. Reggie had told me he'd love to share his creations with the world, and since the shed isn't all the way up to our house, I figured I could turn it into a little coffee shop.
Rolling the final baby-blue paint onto the wall, I sigh, wiping the sweat away with the back of my arm. This was extremely mundane, and at times I forgot I wasn't in the real world, until the weeds in our garden tried to eat me.
That's right, eat me. Turns out the plants that Blossom had been taking care of a couple weeks ago weren't actually flowers.
Walking out of the shed, I set the paint bucket outside as I rolled down my green sweater's sleeves, brushing my hands off on my overalls.
I adjust my mask to go back over my face, as I grab the basket I had put next to the bucket, holding the egg I had received a month or so ago from Blossom.
Today I was heading to Sora's friend's friend's friend's cousin's brother's friend's friend's house today to get this baby incubated. All the pet shops I had been to were grimy and either wanted me to sell my egg for a ridiculously low price or I pay for them to incubate it at a ridiculously high one. So, I did some snooping at a market and found a girl who would help me incubate it for a low cost. I had done some research on the egg types, too, and this one was ridiculously powerful and gave strong, big pets.
Pulling up my teleportation cube, I go to my message box and send her a quick note that I'm coming over to the meeting spot.
"Teleport, 23rd Floor!"
I quickly feel the familiar tug of teleportation, and soon I land on a sandy beachside's boardwalk, fishermen on their little boats in the lake.
"Hello! Are you Dev? I was told you'd have a cat mask," A small voice says from behind me, and I turn to see a small girl with brown hair pulled in red ribboned pigtails.
"Yes! You're Silica, right?" I ask, as we begin walking on the boardwalk.
"Yeah. I don't have my own place, do you mind if we go to an inn? It'll take a couple hours to a couple days, depending on the egg," she explains, as I nod.
"Well, we can always go to my place," I offer as she blushes slightly. "I-I don't know if that's appropriate..."
"It's in Floria, which is pretty populous. If something makes you uncomfortable, you can always run out and scream for help," I offered, as she laughs slightly.
"Alright, I'll go."
"Great! Now, let me find a cube," I mutter, rummaging through my inventory before finally pulling out a cube. "Aha! Teleport, Home!"
"Home?" She echoes, before the familiar pull of teleportation lands us at my front gate.
"Yep! This is my home, it's in Floria," I answer, sliding open the gate for her so she can enter. "Isn't Floria expensive to live in?" She wonders, and I nervously laugh.
"We had to use a bunch of money for it, but I think it's worth it. My friends live here too, you'll probably end up meeting them," I respond, as we walk past the shed.
"I don't want to sound rude, but are you re-doing it?" She asks, and I laugh.
"Kind of, I'm renovating it for my friends, but don't tell them that. They think I'm making it a guest bedroom," I whisper, opening the door.
"I'm home~" I cheer, "And I brought my friend, Silica! She's going to help incubate my egg!"
"You're finally incubating it?!" Blossom shrieks in joy, practically sprinting down the stairs and falling down on his face at the bottom of the staircase.
"Yep! Didn't I tell you about it at dinner last night?" I ask, arching a brow at Blossom as he lifts his head up, giving me a cheeky grin.
"I was reading under the table..." he admits quietly, "but it was about planting! I swear!"
"Alriiiight," I laugh, pulling him up as Silica laughs. "Silica, where's the best place to incubate an egg?" I ask, and she shrugs.
"Usually in a place where it won't be touched too much," she suggests, and I point to the upstairs.
"Then it's off to my room! Blossom, you can't come in until the egg is incubated!" I warn, as Silica and I both race upstairs to my room.
I had got the smallest room than the other two, but I took it because it was the one with it's own bathroom attached to it. It was about the size of a dorm room, with my bunk bed being converted so the bottom bunk was a desk. Across from that was my dresser with the drawers filled with items or old clothes I didn't keep in my inventory (or used as pajamas). I had a couch pressed against that, and finally, my favorite part was the balcony, which was separated from my room by a glass door.
"Let's set it up on my desk, okay?" I ask, and she nods. "Alright!"
She starts setting up when I hear a faint, almost meowing sound. "What's that?" I asked, and she blushed slightly, pulling a small, blue dragon out of her hood.
"Pina was sleeping, so I just let her nap," Silica replies as Pina rubs her cheek against Silica's.
"Aww, Pina is so cute!" I reply, rubbing Pina's chin.
Silica took the egg and placed it in what appeared to be a glass container, than she pressed a button as the lights in the container turned a light blue.
"It should hatch anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days from now," she grins, "I'll be on my way, now."
"Thanks, Silica! I'll show you out," I reply, as we begin walking down the stairs.
"Dev!" Reggie shouts from the kitchen. "Come here!"
"I'm showing Silica out right now!" I shout back, "Can it wait?"
"No! It's really important, bring Silica too!" He replies, and I groan. "Do you mind if we take a quick stop in the kitchen?"
Silica giggles, shaking her head. "Not at all."
We tramp into the kitchen to see Reggie's hair in a pink scrunchie, and him wearing a pink, frilly apron. "Look what I made," Reggie's face was blank as he held up cake pops in the shape of an egg, decorated like the egg that was currently incubating.
"I couldn't get the shape right," he notes, "so I turned them into eggs."
"Those are...interesting," I note, as he offers the tray forward.
"Try one."
Silica and I glance between each other, before reaching out and taking one. Moving my mask up slightly to reveal my mouth, I take a bite as a smooth, chocolatey taste assaults my tongue.
"This is delicious!" Silica exclaims, quickly finishing hers.
"The shape is odd, but it's definitely good," I laugh out, quickly finishing mine.
"Wait, my stats are odd now, it seems my luck went up!" Silica notes, looking at her character stats through her menu. Crinkling my eyebrow slightly, I check my own to find that my luck had gone up by 2% for the next 24 hours.
"What do you know," I mutter, "Reggie's come up with some useful food, for once..."
"For once? What about that time I made orange juice?" He asks, slightly enraged, as I sigh. "We used that as a weed killer, it wasn't edible!"
"Doesn't mean it's not useful!" He sticks his tongue out, and I roll my eyes. "You used all the oranges I bought for it! Oranges aren't cheap, y'know..."
Silica lightly giggled as we continued to bicker, until Blossom showed up, holding up a pot proudly.
"I successfully transplanted this flower!" Blossom beams, as I look closely at the flower.
"That's a Talking Tiger Lily," I muse, looking at the item information on my menu, "and if they're red you can record messages. This one's orange, so I guess it can't-"
"I can do whatever the fuck I want to!" The flower toots, waving its leaves in a shaking matter.
"What the-?!" Silica and I shout, stepping back.
"What? Have you never seen a Talking Tiger Lily before? Do you live under a rock or something?!" The flower snaps back with a Bronx accent, and I roll my eyes.
"Nice try, Blossom, but you must've gotten a bad bud." I walk over to the counter, grabbing a tissue.
"What do you mean a bad bud?!" The flower growls, "I'll have you know that I'm the best bud in my class!"
"Sure you are," I chuckle, placing the tissue over the flower head. The flower promptly shuts up, as I pick up the pot, tucking it under my arm.
"I'm going to go sell this at a market, maybe someone'll buy it as a joke. Silica, do you need a teleportation cube to get back?" I ask, walking towards the door and holding it open for her.
"I-I hope it's not t-too much to ask," she stutters, seemingly nervous, "but can I s-stay with you guys for a while?"
"I have no problem with it, you can stay in the guest room. But if I can ask, why do you want to stay?" I ask as we made our way down the hill.
"I'm not the best fighter, and since I just got Pina I want to bond with her before I'm pulled into lots of battles. Inns will be expensive after a while. I can pay you back with hard work though, I promise! I'll do anything!"
"Anything...? Alright! You can start doing the 'anything' tomorrow!"
September 29th, 2023, Floor 47 Floria, Level 82
"Silica, nothing's happened in a while, y'know you don't have to stay here..." I push in the chair at the shed. Over the past couple weeks, Silica decided to stay with us until the egg hatches. To pay off 'her debt to us,' she agreed to help turn the shed into a cafe/flower place.
Kind of like a Cracker Barrel, right?
"That's why I got this at the market!" She exclaims, holding up a large scroll.
"Huh?" I ask, as she tosses it over to me. Unravelling it, my eyes grow wide at what I see.
Witchcraft!
"I thought there was no magic in this game for users, though?" I ask, as Silica chuckles.
"I don't know if it's going to work, but we might as well try. Who knows? Maybe one of us is witches," she laughs out, and I arch a brow.
"How did you know?"
"Oh, Dev, you're too funny!" she remarks, and I nervously laugh alongside her.
"Just don't use this, okay, Silica?" I ask, "If you mispronounce or mess up the lines of a summoning spell, some nasty voodoo stuff can happen."
"Alright, alright," she promises with a nod, swishing her pigtails slightly.
October 1st, 2023, Midnight,Floor 47 Floria, Level 82
Silica had gone out to the market today, and I had insisted she take Reggie and Blossom with her. Little does she know that a 5 hour shopping trip could last a day with them. I had sent her a message at 8:00 telling her to rent an inn so she didn't have to worry about coming back to Floria, and she gladly accepted.
Now the whole house was mine.
Finishing the chalk lines in the basement, I stood up, clapping my hands off. I had decided to use the spell that Silica had given me, and if it doesn't work, oh well!
Looking at the egg in the center of the circle, I sit down, placing my fingers on the lines. My eyes turn golden as my unevenly cut hair whipped around my face, as wind poured from the lines of the circle. Chanting the main part of the spell, the lines turned golden slowly on the edges, before finally reaching the egg.
"Veni foras!" I finish, as a golden light encircles the egg. It shines so brilliantly I put my hands over my eyes until the light fades.
Moving my hand away, I see that the egg is gone and a small, chubby looking chicken-owl thing remains. It has a small, squiggly mark on it's forehead, and was laying on its side, head resting on it's little wing. Its arms are so tiny compared to its chubby body, and...and...!
It's just so cute!
"'Sup," it chirps with a gruff voice, not matching it's body, "I'm a Celestial Beast."
"A...celestial beast?" I repeat, and it rolls it's half-lidded eyes. "I just said that, dumbass-"
Did a chicken just insult me?!
"-and yes, I am one." It brags, and I shuffle closer. I didn't expect it to be so...small? It'll grow with age anyway.
"Alright, let me pull up your stats," I mumble, looking at the new 'pet' icon that had appeared.
Let's see...in characteristics it says it won't grow...
What?
Looking back at the weird owl-chicken, it was about the size of my two fists together. So, he was going to remain small forever...
"Whaddya think you're staring at, girl? You wanna go? I'll wipe the floor with your ass! Bring it on you piece'a shit!" He chirps, as I gasp.
"Whoa! Chill out there, little dude," I snort, trying not to laugh
"I will kick your ass!" He chirps, flapping his stubby wings angrily. "Alright, alright," I admit in defeat, "I can tell you will. Now, I can go get you some food, and I bet you'll have a hard time climbing the stairs."
I hold out both of my hands, hoping the small bird would get the point. "I can do it on my own!" He angrily shouts, "Just because I'm short doesn't mean I'm retard-"
"Let's not use that word, alright?" I smile sweetly, walking over to the stairs and stepping up 5, before turning around and sitting down on the staircase. The little bird slowly wobbled over, looking up at the staircase. A step was a bit taller than the top of his head, and the little bird awkwardly flailed his tiny wings up, trying to reach the top of the staircase to pull himself up. But, for some unforseen reason, the short bird couldn't.
"Need help?" I ask, as the tiny bird rolls its eyes.
"Tch, upsies," it grunts, and I roll my eyes back at it, before sliding down and holding out both of my hands. The bird hops into them, as I make my way up the stairs.
"So, I have some corn and some fruit-"
"I don't eat peasant food," it grunts as I make my way into the kitchen, "got any ice cream?"
"Uh, yeah," I reply, pulling out a bowl of home-made ice cream. They didn't really have a grocery store here, so products like ice cream are practically non-existent. I taught Reggie how to make ice cream, and this is one of the first things he mastered, so he makes it all the time.
The bird dug into the ice cream quickly, before letting out a belch. "Christ, that was some shitty ice cream," he grumbles, "go get me some booze, woman."
"Ex-cuse me? I'm not your servant, alright?" I announce, looking the little bird in the eye. "And what are you, anyway? A chicken? An owl?"
"Hells no! Among the beasts considered sacred, only I possess immortality and regenerative abilities along with elemental! I am the Deathless Bird of Heaven, the Phoenix!" It argues, flapping it's wings.
"Alriiiight," I retort, going to the pet section on its menu.
"Though I may not look like it right now, I used to be a majestic bird with feathers of crimson and gold! I was so divine and beautiful that I was hailed as the greatest sacred beast," The Phoenix nostalgically remembered, "but then I was trapped by Satan inside an egg, cursed to live like a fat loser!"
"That sucks," I mutter, "but you're still pretty cool."
"Really? I mean, of course I know that already, but you finally fucking acknowledged it," the bird chirps, and I laugh, rolling my eyes.
"Okay then, so, what's your name gonna be?" I ask, as it crosses its wings. "Why you askin' me? Aren't you my new owner or whatever?" It grunts, as I scoff.
"You're talking to me now, so you have the rights to pick it. Now, are you a bird boy or a bird girl?"
"A boy, obviously! I'm not a pansy like a certain someone," he chuckles, and I scoff. "Alright, Mr. Sensitive Bird-Gender Boy. How about...Precious?" I joke, and it sticks its wing up.
"If I had a middle finger, you know what would be happening right now!" It grunts, as I hold up my hands defensively. "Alright, alright. You said you were a Celestial Beast, right?" I ask, and it nods.
"How about Celestino, then? Your nickname can be Tino, then," I inform, and it shakes its head. "That's not manly enough! I sound like a chic!"
A chic 'bird' or a 'woman?'
"Fine, what's a 'manly' name for you, then?" I ask, as the little bird thinks with its raisin-sized brain.
"...I like the name 'Wiggles.'" It grunts, as I bite my lip to keep me from laughing. "W-why 'Wiggles?'" I ask, clenching my fist tight to distract myself.
"It was 1518! The Wiggling Plague had taken over Strasbourg, Alsace! 400 people wiggled until they died! Wiggling is a vicious thing to do, y'know! Now, put in my name quick, dillweed!" It demands, as I arch a brow. I'm pretty sure it was the Dancing Plague, but whatever.
"Alright, Wiggles, I'll accept you as my pet now," I state.
Ding! System notice, Lee has acquired a Human Pet. Please set a name for your pet.
Inputting the name, Wiggles arches a birdie-brow at me.
"Your name is Lee?" It asks, and I shrug. "I tell people my name is Dev."
"Why? I mean, Lee is an unmanly name, so I can see why you hide it, dillweed," Wiggles babbled, as I sighed.
I should have never trusted you...If you ever talk to me again, I'll kill you...you're better off dead...
"A friend and I have a misunderstanding right now. If he sees me, I don't know what'll happen...so, I wear that mask when I go out in public. Only you, Reggie and Blossom know what lies under the mask. I changed my name to 'Dev' since I was called a Deviant, and the rest is history..." I mumble, as the bird 'tchs.'
"Does the friend of yours think you're dead?" Wiggles asks, and I arch a brow. "No...why?"
"Well, since I'm a Celestial Being, I can feel your emotions. Are you on your period or something? They all over the place!" Wiggles shouts, and I roll my eyes. "No!"
"Basically, I can tell you're wanting to cut him out for the time being. Do you have somethin' you can send to him to make him think you're off the map...or dead?" Wiggles chirps, as I reach into my inventory.
"Does this work?" I ask, pulling out my braid of hair, the ribbon that Sechi had given me still around it. My heart throbbed while looking at the ribbon, so I nervously looked away.
"Damn girlie, you insane," Wiggles mutters, peering at the hair. "Can you anonymously send things?"
"Yeah, but people usually don't..." I reply, holding the braid in my hands as I open up the gifting tab. Selecting Kirito's name in the K section of all the players, I noticed he had unfriended me, which means I don't have him as my friend.
Perfect.
Selecting the braid and the anonymous button, I had the option of typing a message...
'Terminated.'
With that, I sent the braid to Kirito, noticing that the message is kept as 'unopened.' So, I'll see when he gets to open it...
This'll be interesting.
October 1st, 2023, Noon, Floor 47 Floria, Level 82
"Aww! He's so cute and pudgy!" Silica coos, looking at Wiggles who's currently lazing about.
"I'm not pudgy, I'm full-figured," Wiggles angrily chirps, and Silica laughs. "Aww! And their little chirps too!"
"Chirps?" I ask, as Wiggles looks at me. "Only you can hear me, bub. It's a Celestial thing, don't question it."
"Oh, yeah, Wiggles' chirps are so adorable," I coo, giving Wiggles a playful glare. "Wiggles is such a cute girl."
"I am a man, and you know that!" Wiggles accuses, as Silica and I laugh.
That's right, Wiggles, no one can understand you. Muahaha!
"Anyway, does Wiggles know how to fly yet? All flying-type pets can fly immediately," Silica informs as I glance over at Wiggles, who turned their back to me.
"I have no idea..." I mutter, as Wiggles weakly sighs.
"I can't fly," he mumbles, "I don't know how to."
"I think today we'll see how well Wiggles flies, alright?" I ask Silica, as she shakes her head.
"I decided to work on the shed today, it's almost finished! The kitchen part needs a bit of polishing, and then later this weekend we can haul in the ingredients and start advertising," she whispers, as I nod, picking up Wiggles in my hand.
"Hey, put my down, dumbass!"
"Alright, I'm taking Wiggles to the roof to practice flying!"
Our roof had somewhat of a slope, which was above a large crater in the ground that Blossom had dented when he was gardening.
"Aqua!" I cheer, flourish my hands as water jets out of them, leaping into the crater and filling it up.
"Damn girlie, are you some witch or something?!" Wiggles asks, as I press a finger to my lips.
"Something like that. Besides, don't call me girlie, my name is Dev, remember?"
"Alright, alright, but what's with the fancy-get-up?" It asks, pointing at my owl onesie.
"I put it together earlier, I thought it'd be inspirational. Baby birds learn how to fly through their parents, right?" I ask, as Wiggles lets out an annoyed tch.
"Who you callin' a baby?" It asks, and I roll my eyes.
"Alright, watch closely!" I shout, hopping off the roof as my eyes turn golden, and I flap my wings, gently drifting to the ground. I land on the rim of the pool, before looking back up at Wiggles on the roof's edge. "Your turn!"
"You want me to do that, dumbass!"
"Yes!" I groan out, jumping once as I jump back onto the roof.
"You have a lot of magic, girlie. Aren't you afraid that someone will see you?" Wiggles asks, as I think.
"You're right, ego facturus facti iudicium omnibus iniuriam patientibus!" I charm, as I feel the familiar shift of bones cracking, face elongating and shortening as I become a horned owl with bright, golden eyes.
"That's not what I meant!" Wiggles screeches, now only a few inches shorter than me.
"Now you'll see how to properly fly, alright?" I coo, extending my wings.
"Just stop it!"
"Why? Don't you wish to learn how to fly?" I cock my head, as Wiggles sighs.
"There's no way in hell I can do this! I know better than anyone else...besides, I'm just a bird who used up all of its power! Everyone always asked me to be their shield and lend my powers, but I-I...I'll never be able to fly again. Even if I can't fly, I still won't die!" Wiggles' eyes betrayed him, showing the sadness and despair within.
"I'm sorry, Wiggles, I just thought you would want to fly more than anyone," I apologize, "I didn't know I was asking too much of you."
My eyes turned golden as I shifted back to my old form, criss-crossed on the roof. "But, you needn't put yourself through that right now. You came to me with nothing, and even if you're small and cannot fly..."
Picking up Wiggles gently, I peered into his beedy black eyes. "To me, you are a true Celestial Beast."
Wiggles hopped out of my hands, sitting down on the roof. "Whatever."
Chuckling slightly, I stand up, hopping back onto my balcony. "Come in whenever you're ready, Wiggles."
I left the door open slightly, leaving Wiggles alone.
3 AM
Wiggles hadn't come back in yet, did something happen? Opening my balcony doors, I hopped onto the rim of the balcony, before pulling myself up onto the roof to see Wiggles jumping, struggling to flutter his little wings to the other side.
"Wiggles! Do your best and you'll definitely fly!" I shout, as Wiggles beat his little wings harder before making it to the other side.
"Wooh! Good job, Wiggles!" I exclaim, scrambling over to me as he puffed out a breath of air, and his eyes fluttered back as he fell off the roof.
He's been here all day and night, he must've passed out from exhaustion! Quickly scrambling over to him, I jump off the roof, realizing he wouldn't hit the water. Small water droplets fell from his eyes, as a golden burst of color came from the small mark on his forehead, as it transformed Wiggles into a large, great firey-bird. I land right on top of it, eyes widening as Wiggles spread his large, powerful wings. No longer was Wiggles' feathers short and stumpy, but now they were wild in shades of bright yellows and oranges, akin to flames of the Sun.
"Wiggles! I can't believe you could do it! I'm so happy!" I exclaim, hugging Wiggles neck tightly.
"Dumbass, you're choking me!" Wiggles chokes out, as I loosen my grip. "Besides, as long as you truly trust in me, I'll have the power to live. I'm a Phoenix, right?"
"Yeah, I guess you are," I chuckle, as Wiggles flies back to the roof. "Now get off me, dumbass. It's been so long since I last flew that I can't stand to have a fat person on me."
"Rude!" I gasp, hopping off Wiggles. With a yellow POOF! and a bit of a yellow burst, Wiggles returned to his cute, chubby form.
We quickly retired for the night, err, day, until it was finally-
11 AM, October 2nd, 2023
"Silica, I know you promised to stay around until Wiggles hatched, but do you still wish to stay? I'd love to have you, of course, but I might not be around much longer," I mumble towards the end, as Silica beamed at me.
"I'd love to stay around you for a bit longer, if that's okay? I don't have anywhere else to grow, and Pina is growing each and every day, and-"
"Don't worry about reasons," I laugh, "you can stay as long as you want. You definitely earned your stay, because the shed has finally been converted into the coffee shop!"
I point at the shed, which had finally been painted a light yellow on the outside (the cheapest color we could buy). We had bought blue paint, too, but we only had enough to purchase one can. So, we drew blue swirls around the shed's outside, inspired by Wiggles' egg.
"What did Reggie think it was?" Silica asked, "No doubt, he would be suspicious after a while."
"I told him I was making it a girls' room, and he wasn't interested. But now, we'll be able to show him!" I babble, excited to reveal the project.
October 3rd, 2023, Floor 47 Floria, Level 82
"Where are you taking me and Blossom?" Reggie wondered, as I led him to the front of the shed, with Silica dragging Blossom along, too. We had blindfolded them, ready to reveal the-
"Surprise!" We shout, whipping off their blindfolds to reveal the shed-cafe.
"Oh! You finally finished it! That's a pretty shade of yellow, which reminds me of the Lily-cup flower!" Blossom tittered, as Silica shakes her head.
"It's not just that, take a step inside!" Silica announces, as Reggie approaches the door, opening it.
"Oh, it looks like a restaurant." Reggie's blunt statement made me sigh, as we all entered.
"It's actually a cafe, a place where people sell drinks, pastries and can sell other items. And it's not a cafe, it's your cafe!" I correct, as Reggie's face lights up.
"I own a cafe now...what do I do with it?" He asks, seemingly interested. He was extremely blunt, not knowing the ways of humans well.
"You bake and sell stuff here! Since you're interested in cooking, and you're actually pretty good at making drinks and baked goods, you can sell those here!" I inform, as Blossom "oohs! That's so neat, Reggie!"
"We already bought the starting ingredients for you, Reggie, but it's up to you to manage the business, now," I inform, reaching into my pocket and withdrawing a brass key with a red ribbon tied around its base with a long necklace chain, and I pass it to Reggie. "This is the key to the store, so you can open up and close down. We can stay around to help you run the business-"
"No need, I can just download the information myself, that's how I acquired recipes for baking," Reggie informs, looping the necklace around his neck as Silica arches a brow. "Downloaded?"
"He means read a book!" I nervously laugh, "Don't worry yourself, Silica."
"Ooh, Dev! Can I sell plants here, too? I can put them on the shelf on the other side! I can sell Talking Tiger Lilies! I finally raised red ones!" Blossom beams, and I shrug. "You'll have to ask the owner. Reggie?"
"No."
"Oh come on, Reggie! This is my living! How am I going to feed my kids?" Blossom bawled, as Reggie face palmed. "You don't have kids."
"Oh yeah. But still, Reggie! I can help out if you let me sell my plants on the shelf over here! And you can sell my fruits, too!" Blossom begged, causing Reggie to sigh.
"Alright. I'm going to start baking, now. What is this cafe's name, by the way?" Reggie asked, as I paled.
We never thought of it...
"How about Kit-Tea cafe? Since Dev has a cat mask, and you'll be selling food items." Silica shrugs, and I feel myself blush under the mask.
That's so nice of Silica!
"Alright, let's name it that. I'll go build a sign!" Blossom bumbled, as I shook my head.
"I'll go make one, last time we gave you a hammer it ended up in the sink."
"That was only the fifth mistake!" Blossom whined, as Reggie made his way behind the counter, washing his hands.
"I want to open as soon as possible, so I will start baking the goods. Blossom, you put everything you want to sell on the shelf in nice pots, and we'll decide on prices. Once you're done with that, you can help me prep."
"Ay-ay, captain!" Blossom salutes, before racing outside.
"And Silica and Dev, you can promote the cafe."
"Ehhh?"
October 4th, 2023, Floor 50, Algade, Level 83
"Wait outside for me," I mutter to Silica, pulling my hood up on my cloak. "I need to meet with an old friend."
"Alright!"
Walking into the shop that had taken me an hour to locate, the clerk behind the small desk smiled up at me.
"Welcome to my store, how can I help you?" He asked, as I marched to the desk.
"I was wondering what floor the newspapers are printed on, I have an ad that needs to be taken care of," I ask Agil, who arches a thick brow.
"Newspapers usually don't accept ads, besides, why are you coming to me?"
"You seem like you've tried before, no offense," I answer truthfully, and Agil holds up a hand.
"None taken. What ad are you trying to run, Sir?" He asks, as I slide over a picture of the ad. A small cat sitting in a cup of tea as the 'A' in 'tea,' its head poking up to be the 'I' in 'Kit-tea.' The coffee cup had swirls on it, identical to the ones on the shed.
"I'm running a cafe business, and it's on Floria's floor."
"A cafe?" He laughed, "I haven't seen one of those in a year! Alright, I'll tell ya' that the newspaper office is on the 32nd floor in the main town. They charge a butt load of money for a small ad."
"Will this work?" I ask, reaching into my pouch and withdrawing a large, unpolished gem. Blossom had went back to the cave earlier and took a bunch of the gems from the door after he realized their immense value.
"Y-yeah," his voice cracked, "I think that'll work."
"Thanks, Sir. What should I pay you with for this information?" I ask, and he smiled.
"A name, my name is Agil," he greets, holding out his hand. "Dev, pleasure," I shake it back, and he arches a brow.
"Is that a nickname for something? Oh, sorry, I forgot we shouldn't talk about real names in here," he chuckled, and I waved it off.
"No worries, and I guess it's a nickname."
"What for?" He asked, as I smirked from under my mask.
"A deviant."
He paled slightly, before awkwardly chuckling. "My mom used to call me that, too, if I didn't do my chores. I'll come see your cafe sometime, alright?"
"Oh, it's not mine, it's a friend's. I'm just helping him run the business, but when I'm there I'll hope to see you. I'll make sure you get a discount, alright?" I ask, taking the ad picture back and putting it in my drawstring sack.
"Alright, take care," Agil chuckled as I turned from the door, meeting Silica outside.
We head to the 32nd floor, which looked like normal plains with some villages scattering it, and we head to the main village. There we met with the workers, who directed us to the boss who gladly accepted our ruby for a month's worth of ads.
And before we knew it, it was opening day.
October 10th, 2023, Floor 47, Floria, Level 83
"There's so many people in a line, can't believe they're lining up for the idiots' shop," Wiggles muttered from his little perch, sitting smugly on the patio.
"The newspaper put out a lot of ads, and we all worked extremely hard for it. Besides, it's a scenic view at nearly the top of the hill, with large windows over viewing the world. I think it'll work out well," I chuckle, looking at the line of people forming in front of Kit-tea Cafe. Looking at my slightly-blue hand, I smiled softly. Reggie, Silica, Blossom and I had bought half a can of blue paint, and took our hands and placed 4 neat hand prints on the door. Silica's was the smallest, while Reggie's was the biggest. Blossom and I had roughly the same size, surprisingly.
"I don't understand the hype, though, it's just a coffee shop!" Wiggles grumbled, as I stepped inside and he followed, hopping along. I close the balcony doors, chuckling.
"Don't worry about it," I reply, stepping into the hallway, adjusting my special outfit for the day. It was a black-and-white business suit, and I slicked my blonde hair back and trimmed it so it curled at the nape of my neck. My mask was on, of course, and I hopped over to the guest room.
"Silica! Are you ready?" I ask, as she stepped out in a matching outfit, but with a pencil skirt this time.
"Why are we in such fancy clothing?" She asked, holding out a woven basket to me, stuffed with pillows. Taking it from her, I set it on the ground as Wiggles hops into it, pulling out graham crackers from in it.
"Damn it, I love graham crackers. Silica isn't a dumbass like you are, Lee," Wiggles chirped happily, leaning up against a pillow. Silica is going to give Wiggles diabetes if she keeps up with giving him so much damn food...
"We're not working, it's more of a business thing. Since it's the opening day and all. I'm glad we installed the gate at the front door, so only the four of us and the permissioned people can enter," I converse, as we head to the kitchen where Reggie and Blossom awaited us. Wiggles settles in his basket, sleepily blinking his eyes.
"Oh, hello! I'm so nervous and excited today! I'm, well, nexcited!" Blossom pumps his fist, happiness gleaming in his emerald eyes. Blossom was wearing a T-shirt with the logo and a black apron with some swirls on it. Silica made him a name tag clip, so Blossom drew a bunch of flowers on it.
Reggie had his hair in a red scrunchie, and his ruby eyes had a slight gleam to them. "Meh, I'm fine with starting whenever."
"Then let's go! Wiggles, want me to put you in the little house at the front?" I ask, as Wiggles scoffed.
"Whatever, bitch. As long as I have my graham crackers," he chirped, and I roll my eyes. "I'll take that as a yes. Now, let's go!"
We all left the house, heading to the iron-wrung gates that separated us from the crowd. Separating from the group slightly, I head to the cherry-blossom tree that Blossom had insisted on ordering. A small, wooden bird house, was nailed to the tree. Raising Wiggles' basket to meet the hole, he squished inside, dragging along his graham crackers.
"Pick me up later!" He croaks, nibbling on some more graham crackers as I met back up with the group.
We all passed through the gates, locking it behind us as we approached the doors. The crowd parted for us like the Red Sea, and we soon stood in front of everyone.
"Welcome to Kit-tea Cafe, Sword Art Online's first coffee shop!" I greet, as the crowd cheers. I notice its mostly homely-looking people. Some are older, while some are younger. There was definitely a lot of couples, and few rough-looking people.
"When you place an order at the counter, you will be transferring money to the cashier's account. You will give your name to the cashier, who will call out your name when it is done. If you'd like to buy another item featured, please pay for the item before removing it from the shelves, or else it will not work," Silica explains, as I look towards Reggie, who was nervously sweating.
"Any words?" I mutter, as Reggie's spine straightens.
"I own this place." He bluntly states, as I fight the urge to laugh. I think Reggie might be afraid of public speaking. "And I'd like to share my products with you. So, have a good time at Kit-tea Cafe."
The audience cheered as Reggie withdrew the key from his necklace, putting the key in the door and turning it, holding it open. "We are now open for business!"
We all entered the spots, getting into position. We figured the first week might be the hardest, so until we can get hired help Silica and I'll push through.
October 11th, 2023, Floor 47, Floria, Level 83
The first day was emotionally hard for me. Now I'm cranky, sweaty, and not wishing to hear another customers' petty complaints.
"The coffee's too hot!" Well, m'am, you ordered it off the menu that way.
"I totally paid!" Sorry, sir, but you clearly didn't, there's no notification in my inbox.
"Where's the bathroom?" Under the sign that says bathroom!
Sitting on the outside patio we had added due to us expecting a large crowd, I sighed, leaning back as a cool gust of wind blew over me.
"Is that Dev?" A voice asked, as I leaned forward in the direction of the voice. Who was that...?
"Hello?" I ask, standing up to see two familiar faces hiking up the hill.
"Sora! Michio!" I greet, as they sprint towards me, giving me a large hug.
"You never messaged us! We thought you were dead!" Michio sniffled, pulling back as Sora nods. "Yeah, we were about to hang up posters, like you're a lost dog!"
"That's a bit too far," I nervously laugh. "What are you guys doing in Floria?"
"We heard about the cafe and wanted to try it out, especially when we saw a certain Demon Lord's face next to it as the owner," Sora whispered, and I sigh.
"Please, you can't tell anyone. He's really sweet, y'know. He loves baking, making coffee, and wearing scrunchies, if that's hard to believe," I inform, as Sora arches a brow. "Scrunchies?"
"Who's the other employees, then?" Michio asks, as we all sit down.
"Silica is a friend who just happened to stay for longer than expected, and Blossom came from the same situation as Reggie, so can you keep that under wraps, too?" I ask, as they both nod.
"We swear!" They promise, as I sigh in relief. "Good."
"Are you an employee?" Michio asks, and I shrug, looking down at the uniform I had gotten. "For now I am, at least. The only employees we have right now is Reggie and Blossom, who also own the place. Silica is basically tending to the extra tasks, because I don't want to work her too hard. If we had another set of hands or two, it'd really help out. But since we're still starting out, I don't know if we have the funds to pay employees."
"Don't worry too much, good things will come," Sora suggests, as I smile from under the mask. "Thanks, Sora. So, how's life going for you guys? Any new quests going on?"
"It's going grea-"
"We actually quit going on missions, it's not really for us," Sora informs, as Michio hmphs.
"Now we look lame in front of Dev," he grumbles, and Sora rolls her eyes. "Anyway, we really don't need funds. After we sold the hairband, we got around 15,000,000 Cor," Sora whispers, and I gasp. "Damn, it was that much?"
"Yeah. We can live the rest of our lives doing whatever we want without working, so we basically travel. Sadly, not every place is safe to travel to without getting dragged into fights," Michio sighs, as a light bulb dings in my head.
"How about I offer you guys a job at Kit-tea?" I ask, as their eyes bug out.
"No way! Would you seriously do that?" Sora gasps, and I nod. "We need employees, as long as you have fingers we can show you how to make coffee or pass things to customers."
"B-but, where would we live? Houses here are few and expensive, and inns are always overcrowded," Michio worried, as I pointed up at our house.
"That's our house, it's separated by a gate so people who don't have permission to enter can't come in. You guys can live in the spare room there, and when you're not working you can travel."
We only had one spare room right now, actually, and that was Silica's. The floor plan was simple: 4 rooms (Reggie's, Blossom's, Guest and mine) with 4 bathrooms (one in the kitchen, one in the guest, one in mine and one that connected Reggie's and Blossom's.) The basement was unfinished, so I can turn that into living quarters for Sora and Michio.
"We wouldn't want to impose, though-" Sora starts, but I shake my head. "You definitely aren't. I'm not going to stay around Floria for much longer, and once I'm gone I think Silica will be leaving, too. It'll be good for Blossom and Reggie to have friends who stick around.
"We'll take the job!" Sora and Michio shout in joy, as I chuckle, standing up and they copy my actions. "Welcome to the team," I greet, sticking my hand out as they both shake it fervently.
"I'll have Blossom show you guys the ropes, while I prepare the guest room. You can move in tonight, after work," I inform as we make our way back inside. I head behind the counter, poking my head into the kitchen to see Blossom take out some pastries from the oven and placing them on a cooling rack.
"Blossom, this is Sora and Michio, and they're going to be the new employees. They're old friends of mine and will also be staying in the house, and they also know of your origins, so they're trustworthy people," I inform, as Blossom smiles, bounding over to us.
"Hello, new friends!" He greets, grabbing them and pulling them into a tight hug. "I hope we get along very well!"
"Me...too..." Michio wheezes, causing me to chuckle. "I'm heading back up to the house to take care of some things, I'll be right back," I promise, as I head out of the shop and back up to the house.
Unlocking it and re-locking it behind me, I make my way to the unfinished basement, and I roll my sleeves up. Reaching into the bucket of random supplies we had left down here, I grab the chalk.
"Alright, so I'll have a bathroom here," I mumble, drawing a large square next to a wall, drawing circles for the toilet, shower and sink. "Here's the first bedroom, which will be next to this bedroom." I draw the squares, each taking up 1/4 of the basement, while the bathroom took up 1/8. "And in the 3/8ths left, I can put in a couch and a bookshelf, which they can decide for."
Tossing the chalk aside, I roll my shoulders as I sit on the floor criss-cross applesauce style. I can usually just summon things or transfigure on whim, but if I want this to look good I'll have to use some drawing.
"Terra, bend to my will. Make walls of steel, make strong walls that even the Huns cannot break," I chant in Latin as the floor rumbled, stone walls rising from the ground to the ceiling. Some holes were in the wall as wood oozed out in liquid form into the spaces, before hardening into 3 doors. Plaster dripped out of the stone's cracks, covering them easily as it quickly hardened. The walls started to paint themselves a light tan, golden color, while the floor began to transform from stone to gleaming, polished wood that matched the doors, and the ceiling copied its actions.
Standing up and cracking my bones, I was a bit wobbly at first, but made my way to the bathroom, summoning its appliances before heading to the other two rooms, summoning a bed and a night stand for each. I summoned a cozy couch, which I flopped onto once done and wiped away a bead of sweat.
When I go back to the real world, what will become of me? Would I return to my grade level at the Wizarding school, or would I stay behind? Would I do the Final Transferring instead and stay in Japan?
Ugh, I'll think of it later. But for now, I'm awfully tired and need to rest...
October 1st, 2023, Mid-day, Floor 39, Level 67
Kirito had just finished grinding the cyclops in the valley of floor 39, when he checked his inventory and a box was lit up that he had never seen before. It had a square with a small bow on it, and his brows crinkled in confusion.
Was this a gift?
Clicking on the button, it disappeared into his inventory. Clicking on the 'gift' in his inventory, a green-wrapped gift appeared in his hands. 'Anonymous' was scribbled on a tag on the front of it.
Lifting the box's lid shakily, his eyes widened at the sight before him. A familiar blonde-braid sat in the box, with the ribbon of Sechi looped around it, just like it had been during that day...
That day when Lee had betrayed them all.
"If you talk to me ever again, I'll kill you, and I mean it!"
And Kirito realized that he was all alone now, without even the faintest trace of a friend left in this world. Next to the braid was a harrowing word that would haunt Kirito, reminding him that he won't ever have to deal with that one person ever again.
'Terminated.'
