Keiko is channeling some very SWE Abridged Kirito apathy this chapter, and it amuses me, enjoy!
Silica sat in silence as the woman who had saved her life and then introduced herself as 'Lister' stared at her in what she could only describe as ...well...abject boredom.
It was honestly really unsettling and Silica shifted about uncomfortably a moment before speaking up, an uncomfortable effort made to make a discomfiting situation less so.
It didn't help.
"Umm... Thanks again for saving me from those apes..."
Lister shrugged lightly at that while sipping her tea, placing her cup on the table she tilted her head slightly while drawling out, "Eh, not the first time I saved incompetents from their own failings. The hell were you thinking going out their on your own anyway? I mean really, you got pissy because you were being treated like a team mascot so you decided to start shit with mobs ten levels higher than you? In what world does that make any sort of fucking sense?"
Silica blushed brightly at that while muttering, "You don't have to be so blunt you know..."
"And you don't have to be so stubbornly suicidal, brat," she shot back with little heat in her retort, seeming more amused than anything else.
Silica seethed inwardly a moment before she sighed while shaking her head slowly, "Yes... you're not wrong Miss Lister...not at all. Pina died protecting me because I was too stubborn to recognize I was in over my head... Now my friends dead, I have no party, and I'm just...adrift..."
"Life sucks, you fucked up, ended up getting your friend killed, and now you have to live with the repercussions, my suggestion? Alcoholism,"
Silica sputtered a few moments at the older girl sitting across from her a few moments before shouting out, "WHAT ADVICE IS THAT! YOU'RE A TERRIBLE PERSON!"
Lister nodded once, sipped her tea while shrugging lightly, then a moment later she smirked at Silica, "Well, yes, I am a terrible person, but if you don't want to follow my advice I do know a method of getting your hamster back."
Silica spat out "DRAGON!" in open agitation, Lister just shrugged lightly in response.
"Whatever, you interested or not?"
Silica stared at Lister a few moments, closed her eyes, and sighed as she nodded slowly, "Yes...Miss Lister...I'm interested."
Lister smirked and nodded at that, "Alrighty, well as it turns out there is a way to resurrect your hamster-"
"-DRAGON!"
Lister continued on as if she hadn't heard her, "-and all it requires is for you to undergo an absolutely tedious quest on the 47th floor to acquire a Pneuma Flower. It is a rare item that you likely won't be able to buy and going by the looks of your gear, you can't even afford regardless. So there, free info."
Lister shrugged and moved to walk away from the table when Silica rushed forward and grabbed her hand while pulling her back, "When can we go!? We have to save Pina!"
Lister stared at her a few moments as a single brow rose up and she flatly stated, "Pardon, when exactly did I volunteer myself for an escort mission? I fucking hate escort missions, why would I willingly sign myself up for one?"
Silica stared at Lister a few moments, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes as she began to sniffle, and eventually the older girl sighed in exasperation while muttering , "Goddammit, FINE! But if your hamster dies again after this I'm walking away from this bullshit without any guilt on my conscience understood?! Fucking hell..."
Silica squealed in delight at that as she rushed around the table and hugged Lister painfully tight, "THANK YOU! I knew you were a good person!"
Lister snorted at that while ruffling the younger girl's hair lightly, "Yeah...so we'll get going in the morning, I gotta go rent a room and make a few calls before we turn in." She let out a sigh while muttering, "Wife is gonna be annoyed..." as she broke from Silica's hold and wandered up the inns stairs fiddling with her menu the entire time.
Silica retook her seat and couldn't help grinning to herself, tomorrow she'd get Pina back and then she would be back on track to proving herself a worthy adventurer!
The next morning found Lister waiting for her looking incredibly bored as she leaned against the wall, eventually she waved Silica down and without a word exited the building causing the younger girl to rush and follow her. Silica already realized that saying...anything would likely make the taciturn woman decide this wasn't worth her time so she simply kept quiet and followed her until she heard something that made her visibly wince.
"Oh my god Silica, how are you! When you left the party early out in the field I was so worried! Oh and where is that adorable little dragon of yours? What was its name, pinto, pine nut, p-"
"Pina, and she died protecting me" Silica stated through gritted teeth as she stopped to address the redhead beside her. At the very least Lister seemed mildly interested as she assessed the new arrival with a clinical eye. "Hello, Rosalia."
She didn't see it, but Lister smirked a moment before she stepped forward, "Hello, I'm Lister, you're one of Silica's former teammates are you not?"
The curvy redhead gave her a once over before smirking and offering her hand, "Yes, Rosalia, a pleasure to meet you."
Lister in turn shot her a downright saucy grin as she stepped into Rosalia's personal space while leaning towards her ear whispering, "Oh I assure you gorgeous, the pleasure is all mine."
The older woman shivered at Lister's sibilant words and she caught the younger girl winking at her as she stepped back, all this was missed by Silica who stated, "Miss Lister is going to help me get Pina back! She's going to escort me through the 47th floor and we're going to get the Pneuma Flower to resurrect her!"
"She's so using that girl as bait," Suguha muttered while shaking her head slowly as she leaned back into the couch cushion observing the monitor before her.
Kou tilted his side a moment while squinting," You think?"
Suguha sighed while shaking her head slowly, "No, I know."
A pause, then, "I believe you know your sister better than anyone, regardless, explain?"
"Hells bells," Hayato muttered as Tsunayoshi glanced towards his friend in concern.
"What?" He stated flatly. Hayato shook a cigarette out of its pack as he slowly placed it in his mouth, "You know how you catch a wolf?"
Tsunayoshi exchanged glances with Nagi who in turn shrugged in confusion as he replied with, "No."
Lighting his cigarette and staring at the monitor Hayato held the smoke in a few moments before releasing it with a sigh as he turned towards his friends, "You stake out a lamb in a field and you wait in the brush with a rifle."
Kou sat in silence for a few moments, stared at Kirito, Rosalia, and Silica for a time, then muttered, "Oh god damn it."
Suguha could only let out a mirthless laugh as she turned back towards her sister's avatar while muttering, "Yeah...about right..."
Blinking rapidly Rosalia shook her head blushing slightly as she turned back to Silica, "Oh how marvelous for you! It is a very rare item is it not?"
Lister shrugged slightly as she drawled out, "Yes and no, it isn't necessarily rare it's just tedious as shit to get so no one bothers, speaking of which, lets get going brat we only have three days to resurrect your hamster."
"DRAGON!"
Lister turned and began walking away, "Whatever, lets go, pleasure meeting you Rosy, sure we'll meet again sometime soon."
With that the pair walked off, soon leaving the safety of the city behind them.
Sort of insomnia driven, Lily and I worked on this a bit last night and I fell asleep early unfortunately so this is all we've got to show for it and I've got work the rest of the week so god knows if I'll get to anything else until next weekend. Thankfully I've been informed we're being forced down to 40 hour work weeks come October, and I cannot fucking wait for that.
Anywho, hope you lot enjoyed, take care!