"Here we are!" Ezra said theatrically, opening his arms wide as he walked up to the house. Lizbeth's eyebrow twitched as she followed him.
"Um, what was your name again?" She asked.
"Ezra."
"Well, Ezra, I'm not entirely sure you know the definition of comfortable." Liz said, her suspicions apparently being proven. "This is a farm. Do you really expect me to sleep in a barn? Oh and the bath's nice, cause it's a damb river!"
"Liz, stop jumping to conclusions." Ezra told her, pointing to the main house. "We're sleeping in there"
"But isn't were the... Oh, never mind. Their NPC. Sorry." Liz apologized. "So, is it actually a good place?"
"As far as I know." Ezra replied. "I learned of this place from Kirito. I also heard from Argo that a really interesting story happened in this very house."
"And what would that be?" Liz asked, curious. "What did that beater do?"
"You call him that out of disdain?" Ezra asked. He stopped in front of the door, blocking the way in.
"Of course." Liz replied immediately. "He's like the lowest of the low. I'm surprised even an idiot like you doesn't know about him."
"Oh, I knew of him." Ezra replied. "And your all wrong. Kirito isn't the bad guy. If you believe that, your just another one of those selfish idiots." He sighed, reigning himself in before he started to rant. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but Kazuto is one of the best people I know. You remember all those people who died? Their not all retail players. I bought the info from Argo shortly after the boss raid. Roughly three hundred of the dead are beta testers. From the estimated seven or eight hundred who continued on to the games official release, that's almost forty percent. I also learned that Kazuto bought the same information."
"But that number is still way smaller than us retail players." Lizbeth argued.
"Think about it in the idea of rate of decline. If you have a large population and you have lost, I believe the amount was five percent? No, it was eighteen percent. You also have a way smaller population that is decreasing at almost three times as fast. Which ones going to die out first? The really big population, or the dying breed of the smaller one?" Liz fell silent, her image of those dirty beta testers that hogged everything and let two thousand people die changing a little bit.
"But what does this have to do with Kirito?" Lizbeth asked. "You keep going on and on about Kazuto, so I have to assume their the same person."
"Oops." Ezra said, finally realizing his mistake. "I probably shouldn't have told you that."
"Just forget about that for now." Lizbeth said. "Just tell me your point. If not, let me in so I can rent the room."
"Nope, it's mine." Ezra exclaimed, only for the girl to punch him in the chest and knock him down. "Fine, I'll finish my train of thought. Just stay away from the grampa with the quest icon. He rents the room." In an instant Lizbeth ran over to the grampa and started to talk to him, initiating the quest. When she asked about the room upstairs the man pointed at the elderly lady nearby, telling her to talk with his wife. Feeling tricked, Liz spun around and asked the lady if she could rent a room. To her displeasure, the lady told her the room was already taken.
"Ezra!" Liz cried in fury as she ran up the stairs two at a time. She pounded on the door in an attempt to break it down. "Ezra, open this door!"
"Who you yelling at?" Liz wheeled around to find Ezra at the bottom of the stairs. She cast a confused look between him and the door, a feeling of embarrassment growing in her. "I was outside when I heard your yelling."
"Oh, sorry." Lizbeth apologized "I thought you bought the room and locked yourself inside."
Ezra took on a thoughtful look. "Wait here. I think I know who still has it rented." He began to walk away when Liz stopped him.
"Wait! Wouldn't it be easier just to knock?"
"The lights are off." Ezra replied. "By all the noise you made, don't you think they would have heard you. Give me a moment to send a message." He walked away and Liz could here a door open and close. She waited patiently for his return at the top of the stairs. To her surprise, she got a party invite shortly after he left the building. Not entirely sure what Ezra was up to, she accepted the invite. As soon as she did she received a message to try the door again.
"Welcome, to my humble home." Ezra greeted her as the door nob miraculously turned and the door opened.
"How, how did you..." Ezra pointed at the window where what looked like a bunch of sheets tied together hung limply, tied to the door nob of the room right next to it. Lizbeth's eyes darkened dangerously. "That was a mean trick."
"I thought it was clever." Ezra said, ignoring her threatening aura. "Hey, at least you got in didn't you? How about a thank you?"
"Hmm." Liz grumbled, still resentful.
Ezra sighed. "Fine, it doesn't matter. Just lighten up a bit, okay?" He flopped down on the couch. "Maybe you'll actually attract a boyfriend one day if you do."
"Are you calling me unattractive?" Liz said, her hostility coming back too quickly.
"Naw, you look plenty good." Ezra said lazily, putting his hands behind his head as he relaxed. "Especially those eyes. I thought you would have been a total keeper if you weren't such an annoying one."
"What a jerk." Liz said, crossing her arms. "Why did I even come with you?"
"Because you saw my good side." Ezra replied. "I'm still being good, aren't I? I've answered your questions, I invited you to stay at my place, and now I just admit your attractive. Not once have I showed disdain no matter how much you keep looking down on me. So why am I still the bad guy?"
"But wait, didn't you just insult me?"
"I said thought, didn't I? Past tense." Ezra watched with amusement as her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "I'm not going to ask you out though."
Liz was confused, embarrassed, angry, and somehow disappointed. She had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to do, but apparently Ezra didn't really care.
"Okay, my funs over. I'll be back in a few hours. Enjoy the place, and don't stay up to late." Ezra rolled off the couch and landed on his feet, grabbing his weapon before he stood up. "I'll be back in a few hours. The bed's yours."
"And where are you going?" Liz asked, even more confused than before.
"To kill everything I come across." Ezra replied, walking out the door. "Good night, Liz." The door closed, and he disappeared.
Liz stood rooted to her spot, sorting out her thoughts. She had half a mind to walk out and leave before Ezra got back and did whatever the hell he wanted to do to her unconscious body. The other part was entranced by the idea of the first bath she had been in the liberty of taking since she got stuck in Sao. And the last part wanted to jump out the window, catch Ezra, and beat the shit out of him.
"I just don't get that guy." Liz said to herself, shaking her head.
Ezra returned to the farm house a few hours later than he had expected, arriving at about one in the morning. He was about to collapse on the bed when he stopped in confusion when he found it already occupied. Lizbeth laid on top of the bed, shivering slightly. It appeared as if she had started in a sitting position, probably waiting for him.
"I thought I told not too stay up to late." Ezra sighed, decided he couldn't leave her like this. He had invited her to come with him as a thank you, yes, but he was also trying to smooth out the hostility between them. He wouldn't vocalize it, but Liz was kind of a bitch to him.
Liz woke up when she felt the male lift her off the bed, grunting in the process. She remained frozen, not entirely sure what to do. Ezra laid her down on the pillows and she opened her eyes a crack to see what he was doing.
"I should have put some more points into strength instead of vitality." Ezra grumbled, unaware of that he was being watched. He flipped over the covers before lifting Liz again and putting her square on the bed, rolling her into the position he found her in and tucking her in. He adjusted her pillow so it was more comfortable before he nodded to himself. "That should do. Hopefully she wakes up in a good mood."
Liz watched as Ezra walked back to the living room and, ignoring the couch, took a thick blanket out of his inventory and laid down in the corner of the room. He laid his weapon on the ground just within arms reach. He just barely remembered to get up and turn the light out before he passed out and started snoring. Little did Ezra know, he might have shown too much kindness.
"What are you doing here?" Ezra asked, his eyebrow twitching. He had just come back from the second floor boss raid, leaving after the two major unofficial guilds started fighting again. There had been a major upset of the player blacksmith turning out to be involved in some kind of fraud and the front line players were in an uproar. He had noticed that Nezha and Kirito seemed to know each other, so he decided not to judge the guy to harshly.
"Waiting to be let in." Lizbeth replied to his question in an innocent tone. "Didn't you say I could stay over?"
"That was a week ago." Ezra complained. "You've been free loading off of me since I let you over once."
"But we're friends, right?" Lizbeth said. "Can't you just let me once more?" He gave a pouty face, trying for the guilt strategy.
Ezra gave her an annoyed look. Lizbeth was blocking the way into his place, fully intending to let herself in as soon as he opened the door. Finally he gave in and opened the door, stepping aside so that the girl could pass.
"So, I heard about the player blacksmith." Liz stated, plopping down on the couch. Ezra took a seat in the arm chair and pulled out his usual meal of bread and cream. "What, no food for me?" Ezra just rolled his eyes and tossed her a loaf, passing her the jar of cream.
"How long are you going to free load off of me?" Ezra asked, taking a bite out of his food.
"You don't have to say it like that." Liz said, opening her mouth to take a bite from her food before remembering her manners. "Thank you for the food." Ezra shrugged. Liz ate some of her food before continuing. "Think of me as a roommate."
"Never heard of one." Ezra said sarcastically. "But seriously, stop it. I'm not letting you in next time. You're putting too much of a strain on my resources."
This apparently didn't go over well with Liz. She had been considerably friendlier since they started to live together, so she kept her insults to a minimum. But whenever Ezra ticked her off her eye brow would twitch. Just like it was doing now.
"It's not like I want to be a burden." Liz said, putting down her bread. "But your letting me stay here. I have nowhere else to go. They way I discovered the church was because I was there. And I think if I go back, I won't come back out."
Ezra stopped eating, putting his food down too. He waited politely for Liz to continue, knowing that what she was about to say was important.
"When Sao started and I learned I was trapped in the game, I was terrified. For two weeks I hid in town." Liz said bitterly. "One day I grew sick of it. I dyed my hair as a sign of resolution and took to the fields. Didn't even last an hour before I fled back to town."
"Since then I never left the town walls. Even being this far outs terrifying, but I think it's a start. Think of it as a therapy if you want." Liz fell silent, causing an uncomfortable atmosphere the descend on them.
Ezra finally broke the silence. "If this house is that important, you can have it then. I'll head up to the third floor."
"But then who would feed me?" Lizbeth asked quickly, sitting up fully.
"I knew it!" Ezra exclaimed. "You are leeching off of me!" Liz dropped the moody look and stuck out her tongue.
"But you still won't throw me out." Liz said, snatching her bread from the coffee table and munching into it.
"Prove it." Ezra said determinedly, crossing his arms.
"Because you like me." Liz said. "You admitted it yourself." The next thing she knew, she was in the hall and the door behind her clicked shut.
"Telling you you're attractive and that I like you are two different things." Ezra called from the other side of the door. "Now go home."
"Ezra, let me in." Liz called, knocking on the door. The door remained shut and Ezra silent. "Come on Ez, I was joking. It's not like I would actually take interest in you, if that's what you're worried about." Still silence. "I've started to learn the blacksmithing skill." The door opened. "Wow, you really are a greedy one aren't you?" A pile of small bags landed at her feet and a piece of paper fell at her feet and the door closed. Lizbeth picked up the note.
"Good for you! Here's some col and all my smithing ingredients. Good doing business with you." Liz crinkled up the note, causing its durability to drop to zero and shatter.
"Ezra, let me in this instant! I live here too, you know!" Liz raged, grabbing the door nob and slamming into the door as hard as she could. To her surprise the door opened and she face planted onto the carpet.
"Took you long enough." Ezra said, pulling her to her feet. "I didn't lock the door."
"Arg! I hate you, Ez!" Lizbeth shouted, knocking the hand away.
"There's the Liz I'm used to." Ez replied, slapping her on the back. "Moody, volatile, and doesn't like me." Liz went to punch him back before she stopped herself, switching to kick him in the balls instead.
"And to think I thought such a pig as my friend." Liz huffed as Ezra fell to the ground, hands shooting to his crotch. Liz had kicked him hard enough to cause damage to his HP bar.
"Feelings mutual." Ezra groaned from the ground. The pain soon disappeared, thank god for the system. He wouldn't be surprised if he pissed himself in the real world.
"Geez, if I didn't know better you have fun doing this." Lizbeth said, helping Ezra to his feet.
"I do." Ezra said, a smile on his face. "It's why I don't throw you out. I'd be pretty lonely and bored if you stopped coming."
"Ugh. Why do I even bother?" Liz groaned.
"Hey, I'm not the one pounding down the door." Ezra pointed out.
"Good point." Lizbeth admitted. "So, shall we stop with our nightly argument? Normally this is around the time you go out for your nightly farming, coming back a few hours later and tucking me in."
"Yeah it i-" Ezra stopped, his face growing suspicious. "How did you know about that?" He asked, his voice taking on a defensive tone.
"N-no reason." Liz said quickly, waving her hands in front of her. Ezra's eyes sharpened and he started to give off an aura. "Okay, okay. On the first night I woke up when you did it and I've been purposely laying on top so that you would do it again every night."
Ezra didn't react for a few seconds, then he let out a sigh and sat back in his chair. "Figures. You're such a spoiled girl, you know that right?" Lizbeth nodded, sweat still running down her neck. "Just put the cover to the side tonight if you really want to be tucked in. I don't have the strength requirement to move a human."
"So, you're not mad?" Lizbeth asked, unsure of his mood.
"No, I'm not." Ezra claimed. "Just means you look even more immature and unworthy of me."
"Unworthy? What are you, a prince?" Liz asked sarcastically.
"Yes, I am prince Alibaba of the sands." Ezra replied, changing his accent. "I am looking for a magi by the name of Aladin, have you seen him?"
"Oh, just go already." Lizbeth ordered him, a smile growing on her face.
Ezra took a bow, holding his halberd behind him at waist level. "Very well, Liz-chan." He launched himself backwards with a cackle before vanishing down the hall and stairs, avoiding the metal vase that Lizbeth threw at him.
"I seriously don't understand that guy." Liz said to herself.
hey guys, it's the author. If you can tell, this chapter is made mostly of just some fun with Ezra and Lizbeth. Ezra being Ezra, he never really gets mad at Lizbeth. Instead, he does what any sane man would do. He plays with her. So, is he a monk or a jester? Take your bets now!