|Sword Art Online, Floor 1, Town of Beginnings|
|Jan. 29th, 10:05|
It was a bright and sunny morning back on the bottom floor of Aincrad, while the quiet ambience of the town's music continued to fill the streets, it went unheard by one individual in a red coat, his fingers toying with the goggles dangling around his neck while he paced, muttering under his breath.
"It's fine, totally fine, just a normal day with a normal girl who you may or may not find to be both amazing and attractive, nothing wrong with that—no, of course not, it'll be fine, it'll be fine…" Artorias paused for a moment, dwelling on a few aspects of his mutterings, running his hands over his face with a cry of dismay. "Oh, Gods above, I'm so hooped—no, relax, just follow her advice, just take a breath and relax,"
A day prior, back in the Misifts headquarters, everyone had gotten over the initial shock and heartache at believing Artorias had died in taking Arawn down with him, thankfully, the often egotistical swordsman had survived with a clutch crystal before striking the ground, and after earning a mixture of relief and earfuls over his stupid actions, Nagi took it upon himself to have everyone call it for the day to unwind, especially Artorias and Yuuki, both having gone through the most out of anyone.
Tucked outside on a balcony facing the wisteria tree within the entrance garden, its vines vibrant in the nightlight, two figures stood there after a pregnant pause. "So why do you want my help with this?" Mito crossed her arms, questioning her company, the strangely anxious Artorias.
"Because, I figured, why not put my faith in the Reaper herself?" Though his false smile was met with a bemused frown and a single brow raise.
"Wasn't most of the issues today caused by a lack of the truth? So tell me why are you asking me for advice on how to go on a date?" Mito kept her cool composure, much to Artorias's envy.
"…because asking Argo is like begging her to have a significant amount of dirt on me, and she'd sell, you know she would. Daora is… Daora-"
Mito shrugged a nod at that. "-and Nagi… I dunno, I feel… embarrassed asking him of all people, is that weird?"
"Hardly, I just never expected you of all people in this game to ask me, I'm not exactly a social butterfly, and you clearly have more enemies than friends," Mito retorted pointedly, seeing his mouth open only close and nod along.
Then, his eyes gradually became downcast, leaning his arms against the railing. "I just want to make it up to her…" His voice was quiet, for a split second, Mito saw a young teen who felt the guilt from today weighing him down like an anchor, wanting to make amends.
The purplette's stoic face lightened up with a tiny smile, leaning her back against the railing. "If you really want my advice… might sound cliché but just act like yourself-" Artorias scoffed but didn't make a fuss. "-the whole 'smug personification of perfection' is the last thing she'll be looking for, show her this side of you, the side that you've wanted to express,"
"That's… hard," Artorias admitted, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "You know how it is, humour keeps me… me,"
"Exactly, that's fine, but tone it down and don't be afraid to show some honesty, you guys have kept enough secrets, if you ask me," Mito advised, then paused to give it some more thought. "Now, about what to do, cause I'll be honest, young guys like you tend to pick only what's comfortable or cliché without consulting what you know about the person you're going out with,"
Artorias gave pause, "So… I know she likes exploring new things, she's a glutton for food, primarily sweets. And… I think there's a few other places we could go, I mean, ToB is massive,"
She nodded, "Good, it's fine to just explore but having some landmarks along the way helps to give some direction," Pushing away from the railing, she moved closer to give Artorias a pat on the back. "Take your time, the two of you have all the time in the world; don't be afraid to show her things you like but share in her interests too,"
"…T-thanks, Mito," Again, Artorias's tone was softer, so Mito gave him a small smile, nodding once.
Pausing before the entrance of the Black Iron Palace, Artorias took a deep breath to relax, slapping his cheeks. "Alright, that's all you need to do, just keep your word and show her a good time, simple enough, I'm a master of improvising!"
"Then I'm expecting nothing but the best!" Mid-stride, Artorias tripped over his own foot, turning sharply to the chipper, boisterous voice, followed by a cute chuckle. "Sorry for the wait, Ran and Siune held me up with all this stuff I have to remember, kinda made my head spin, haha,"
Keeping cool, Artorias rolled his eyes. "Like that's any surprise coming from those… two…" That wave of confidence smashed up against the cliffside instantly, Artorias gaze captivated by Yuuki, her outfit hadn't changed like his, but it was a significant part of her appearance that changed.
Gone was her lustrous purple hair, replaced with shoulder-length, blackish-brown hair strikingly similar to Ran's or Nagi's. And her vermillion eyes fading into a smooth shade of onyx. Yuuki herself had a nervous smile plastered to her cheeks, toying with the bandana wrapped under her bangs.
She really was the most beautiful girl Artorias had ever seen, though he knew that when they first met, if not her skills alone. Yuuki cupped her cheeks, swaying side-to-side jokingly then placed her hands on her hips, trying to make herself as extroverted as possible while her heart raced.
"Ta-da~! My actual good looks and maiden charm… or, uh, however you'd describe yourself," Artorias didn't miss her jab at his way of expressing oneself. Yuuki then rubbed the back of her head, fidgeting on the spot. "I-I don't have Ran's long hair o-or any really cool eyes like before bu—"
"You're perfect," The words rolled off Artorias's tongue without his consent, making Yuuki's eyes widen as his did. A blush crawled up his neck, smiling while making various, frantic expressions with his arms. "L-like you look great—amazing even! Nothing wrong with your actual looks at all! Now I can really see your resemblance with the Boss and Short-Stack, hahaa…"
Listening to Artorias stutter over his words made Yuuki's own anxiety quell a little more. He didn't get flustered often, but Yuuki found it adorable when he'd lose all that confidence of his, and all to compliment her of all people? Yuuki never really gave any consideration of her looks until recently. But then again, she never expected both her idol and best friend, the former title making the compliment even sweeter.
"I guess so… it's just, given my condition this is how I would look, but I'm really all sickly and pale, I'm probably skin and bones too," Yuuki murmured but then earned a small flick to her nose, drawing her eyes to Artorias's blunt gaze but nonchalant grin.
"I think you'd look just fine, pale and skinny, so what? Half the idiots in this game aren't much better looking once you see them up close,"
Artorias murmured to her, seeing her giggle again before turning slowly, hand extended to the city and another to her. "Now, ready to skip the awkward crap and actually make good on my promise?"
Yuuki stared at his offered hand for a moment, nervously reaching over for his hand to take hers, making a buzz run along her whole body, drawing out a smile once more. "Let's do it," She squeezed his hand, marching forward. "I'm looking forward to what schemes you've got planned, don't disappoint me~"
Pulled along by the raven-brunette for the day, Artorias shrugged. "Now why would I want to disappoint you, Cupcake?"
|10:45|
Heading to the biggest commercial district in the Town of Beginnings, the streets had several players and NPCs roaming around, though most players were intermedium players as most were on the higher floors or taking part in the Floor Boss today. As for Artorias and Yuuki, the two took to window shopping before locating the place Artorias paid a certain Rat for the location of.
The pair had entered a small clothes store, one of the few dotted around Aincrad that provided an actual clothing range for players, Vanity items as its most known as. It provided no benefits to stats only cosmetic, much like Calm Sea, Nagi's haori.
Yuuki stared at herself in the full-length mirror within the changing rooms, having gathered a selection to experiment with as both came to realization, they had no actual casual clothes besides removing their armour. She studied her latest look, giving a big smile at her choice.
"Alright, I'm ready!"
"Strut your stuff, Cupcake," Artorias called from beyond the veil, spotting her fingers curling at the edge of the curtain.
Throwing the veil aside, Yuuki gave a graceful twirl to give him a full overview of her new, casual style. A pair of black gutties with thigh-high socks. A midnight-purple skirt and a pink t-shirt beneath a warm-black jacket with a hood. It was something you'd see an average highschooler wear, which is what the young Konno was going for, something she hadn't worn in years.
"So then? How's your rating on the new me?" She teasingly winked, holding out peace signs for some added flair for her critic. Not that Artorias was much of a fashion freak himself, wearing a combination of blacks, reds, and greys usually. For a split second, she had seen his mouth ajar a little, even his eyes were unwavering. "Nailed it… Ran's right, a fresh look can go a long way,"
It took him a second to collect his thoughts when admiring her new style, after three failed attempts so far, the last making him nearly topple over in hysterics. Now? His whole chest felt tighter, and it was strangely pleasant again, a stupid smile creeping onto his lips while Yuuki waited for a reply impishly.
"I guess… the colours are very 'you' but they don't make you stand out anymore than you did before, actually, it tones down the flair which is great, and blends perfectly with your dark hair and black eyes, the additional pink gives the colour pallet a good amount of saturation to boot,"
Artorias summed up nicely, gesturing towards her. "You look beautiful, Yuuki, in every way right now,"
There wasn't a single stutter, and none of it was laced with humour or a sly comment. Artorias was being entirely genuine in his analysis, and yet, that had a greater impact than he realized. Yuuki felt her cheeks flare up, but her insecurities were quick to try and correct him.
"D-do you mean it?" She had to ask, feeling a little uncomfortable under his sharp eyes.
"Yuuki, out of everyone I've ever met, you're one of the few that actually care about what I say, you don't just dismiss whatever comes out of my mouth, you listen to me, so believe me, you look fantastic—I have a couple other terms on that list but as I said, not enough to describe, hah," Artorias replied simply.
Her smile enlarged with her eyes shut tight to hide her feelings for a bit behind a small squeal of delight. "Th-thanks, Artorias, I mean it," More than he might ever know.
"Anytime, Cupcake," He held up an 'OK' hand-sign.
Retaining her grin and uplifted enthusiasm, Yuuki opened the shop menu, and with a few button presses, her white prompt disappeared, and her whole outfit shimmered white like glass refracting light, equipping her new clothes. Satisfied with the selection, she grabbed his wrist and practically threw him at the dressing room. "Now it's your turn, I saw you lift some things, wow me next,"
She sat down on the bench, eagerly drumming her fingers off her thighs while Artorias rolled his eyes and took the hint, closing the curtain to switch from his Red Warrior attire into something more fitting for just Artorias.
It didn't take Artorias nearly as long to decide on his clothing range of choice. Having the experience thanks to needing to look presentable for former professional leagues and being from a high-end lifestyle. "Just so you know, my style's a little simpler than yours,"
"Are you saying that as a compliment or because I had more options than you?" She remarked, even through the curtain, he could sense her smirk. "Also, if I don't like it, I'm helping you,"
"My hero…" He snorted, pulling back the curtain, giving her a polite bow, a hand over his stomach. "Alright then, how's this under your professional eye, Miss Yuuki?"
Artorias went with some black boots and dark-tan trousers. A black shirt beneath a red, high-collar jacket with a white zipper and a white stripe stretching down from the shoulders to the cuffs. The outfit was about as simple as Yuuki's and made him look slimmer than his baggy combat gear.
"Cool—ahem," Clearing her throat, Yuuki attempted to maintain a modest expression, maybe leaning towards an impersonation of a posh Englishman. "You clean up rather nicely, Sir Artorias, pfft hehehe,"
"Why thank you, madame," He returned with equal mirth. "Now, if we're done pretending to act like we're part of the upper-echelon, ready to properly get today underway as peasants should?"
She leaned forward with both hands behind her back. "Thought you'd never ask,"
|11:19|
Travelling through to the south-east side of the starter town, the pair's lengthy stroll brought them to the foot of their destination as it appeared on-screen, 'Library of Beginnings'. At a T-junction, a large building towered over the others with stone columns supporting the overhang to the angular roof. A large tower attached to the left wing of the institute. A handful of people sat on the steps leading to the entrance to add to the liveliness of the library.
Activating the teleport obelisk nearby to cut back on travel time if needed, the two jogged up the steps to the main entry. The surprisingly cool air greeted them, as well as a massive selection of literature. Like ripped straight from a storybook, the grand library with chandeliers, long tables and chairs and a balcony to the upper level. And shelves upon shelves of countless books.
"Woooah, how come you never told me about this place!?" Yuuki spun on her heel with the biggest glint to her eyes that day, keeping her voice to a whisper to avoid disturbing the other readers present, even if most were just NPCs.
"Because I never knew you were a bookworm until recently, which honestly surprised me," Artorias admitted. The raven-brunette had leaked that slip of information prior to the whole heap of drama yesterday, being a major book lover prior to being sucked into this Death Game with the rest of them. Her and her sister.
He gave a quick look around, noticing their hands were still linked but didn't want to point it out, it was nice. "Far as I've seen, most books are just blank for filled with gibberish to fill a scene, some books are useful for quests, but here I heard from Sakura libraries have a good selection that are copied from the real world or detail lore about Aincrad as a whole, and with what that girl from the 51st floor said about her home's literature… Chen was it?" He saw Yuuki nod, clicking his fingers immediately after. "Yeah her, the selection should be wider now, so… take you pick,"
"Awesome, there's gotta be some real good reads in here, lemme see…" Knowing Chen's event quest may've introduced even more to their viewing pleasure, Yuuki was very eager to dig into every category. "Oh-oh, let's go with some history, Talken said the lore's got some really juicy stories about the floors and even the Great Separation,"
"You lead I'll follow," Gesturing with their interlocked hands, Yuuki marched on, viewing each of the plated sections as they passed by quite the variety of genres to choose from. Yuuki pulled him into the 'History' section after passing around five sections.
Per Artorias's warning, a number were blank, merely to fill space, but those that were legible were marked with a title along the spine of the covers. Running her fingers along the books, Yuuki's smile perked up, pulling out a red covered book with gold writing, italic and curved. The title read, 'The Skill Smith'.
"Hm, this looks interesting, let's try this first," Yuuki offered, immediately flopping to the crimson carpet at their feet, patting the space next to her. Given his lack of literature IRL, Artorias took a seat, their shoulders pressed together as his neutral expression warped with surprise.
After going through her concealed menus, Yuuki's left hand caught a blob of light as it formed into a pair of oval-shaped glasses with a thin purple rim along the bottom and for the arms. Pushing them along her nose, she blinked as she saw how Artorias was staring at her like she just suddenly changed her whole outfit again.
"What?" She asked rather humorously, enjoying how awe-struck he appeared for a moment.
"Oh, uh, nothing-nothing… just, didn't think you'd wear glasses, all good with me," He was quick to elaborate less she felt insulted by his comment.
Yuuki giggled slightly, tucking her legs in. "Well, they're only cosmetic anyway, just feels natural to do so whenever I read so I keep a pair on me," Just then, a teasing thought crept into her mind, so she gave him a sly look and pulled the glasses down slightly, peeking over the edge.
"Why? Is the great Red Warrior enraptured?"
A snort escaped him, forcing his hand over his mouth, but Yuuki didn't miss the cute smile and shade of pink that crawled over his cheeks at her remark. "Aren't you bold, Cupcake. Gotta admit, they suit you, for a bookworm, of course,"
She pushed them back up, making a smirk as she purposefully let the light catch the lenes like those intelligent anime characters like to do. "Hmph, of course, I'm both a cool beauty and intelligent beauty, don't you know?"
Now, the pair of them struggled to contain their laughter, less there was some hidden game rule that would have them thrown out for being too disruptive. After recovering their composure, the two got comfortable together, Yuuki flicking through the introductory to get to the start of the book.
"Okay… 'I have spent a good sum of time pleading with many officials and forms of government formed in the wake of the Great Separation to allow me to publish my documentation on the sacred arts many within this new world have come to craft, adopt, and master. The skills given as a blessing of the Priestesses, the relics of the world below, or perhaps the very being of Aincrad itself',"
Listening to Yuuki's retelling of what was written, Artorias hummed in thought. "It's a journal talking about our sword skills? Huh, nice find, Cupcake," She let a small smile perk across her lips before continuing to read the prologue out loud with a soft voice.
"'Finally, I may begin to properly record all that I've come to learn as a witness to some of the finest swordsmen Aincrad has ever seen. And maybe someday, my work will be recognized by another young swordsman with the determination to learn from the past, and perhaps, exceed what I've come to know',"
Both had completely engrossed themselves in the journal, tucked out of sight among the towering shelves and books.
|13:27|
"Wah, so tasty~!" Yuuki exclaimed as her cheeks puffed out with a red streak over her cheeks while she chewed.
Having gotten their fill on the lore of sword skills, which incidentally led to many different tales and legends of people across Aincrad, even the likes of the Houses Shirayuki was a part of and the elves too. The young teens sat down for lunch as the sun cascaded from above.
They chose to sit outside of a cozy restaurant with a parasol shading them, the place was situated on one of the town's many archways, giving them a decent view of the streets below, the place called 'The Arch' for lack of a better title.
Ordering the special for the day resulted in quite the tasty meal. Honey-roast ham sliced into rashes against soft mashed potatoes and a selection of fresh, boiled vegetables with a gravy boat. It was simple but the flavours were enticing, and the scent of the ham was mouth-watering.
"Sorta reminds me of when one of our maids made this for me when I was home alone, really they're the upside aside from my second oldest sister," Artorias mulled over fondly, having already inhaled his ham after getting a taste.
"You had maids too? Lucky…" Yuuki sighed, wondering how that must've felt like, having people do pretty much everything for you. Raising her fork to point at him, she added. "I think I'd be weirded out; I mean, I can't do anything IRL but if I was like you I think I'd want to do things myself,"
"Yeah, I did but there's a lot I'm not actually good at outside of gaming in general, even with help it was always slow going," Artorias chuckled in admittance. "I'm… pretty useless-"
"No, you're not," Yuuki cut him off, leaning over the table for a moment to look him dead in the eyes. "Just cause you can't cook or program-"
"I still can't comprehend how the hell Numbnuts knows how to code," Artorias jabbed with a roll of his eyes.
"That doesn't mean you're useless; your talents are elsewhere, and you're a really good player, I should know, I have watched you even without realizing it was you," Yuuki smiled, sitting back down as a bigger question lingered in the back of her mind, one that she's had since yesterday about the brunette sipping away on his lemonade.
Mustering up all her courage, Yuuki sat up straight as she set her knife and fork down. "…Artorias?" He opened his eyes to look into her onyx gaze that spoke a thousand words. "Why did you quit being SilentNight?"
Setting his cup down, he spared the street below a glance, an expression like no other crossing his face, resulting in a tiny, pained smile. "Y'know that's a pretty broad question… but it's also doubled with a pretty bad answer,"
"Start wherever you want," Yuuki encouraged, sitting silently to hear out everything he had to say.
Artorias kept quiet for a while; he had given this situation a lot more thought than ever before. He never focused on his personal issues as that would 'break character' for him, minus the occasional slip-up. It was never an issue, just keep it all under lock and key until it was a forgotten memory. But that's what led to this dispute, what Arawn fed on, and nearly led to Artorias's death months ago.
"I come from a wealthy family, everyone's a prodigy in some way, shape or form. My mother's a doctor, father's a CEO of a tech company, actually the same that funded the NerveGear, probably not anymore considering all of this," Artorias gestured to the wide world around them. "Let's see… eldest brother's a lawyer since he was 22, eldest sister's in university to be a psychiatrist, and my second sister is studying to go into something to do with programming,"
"Wow, your whole family's scoring all those high-end careers," Yuuki couldn't help but praise, then saw the strained smile on his face, causing her moment of wonder to dwindle and fizzle out. "…but…"
"Not one good thing from yours truly. I'm not smart enough to be a lawyer or some CEO of a company, ain't got any interest in psychology, and, well, Numbnuts is better a programming allegedly," The mood didn't stop the brunette from air-quoting. "So, when I turned to video games, well, you know the rest from there; I climbed higher than anyone else my age, I became a prodigy in my own right, I had exactly what my family had and more,"
Although, Yuuki's heart tensed when his face soured, tensing his jaw for a moment, leaning his right cheek against his hand. "…but you know what they said?"
Within SilentNight's household, he had recently returned from an overnight tournament, he had won, it was close but his team, despite their hiccups, had pulled through and given SilentNight their avenue to victory. He had asked his brother where their father was, and to his luck, he was in his study.
SilentNight entered to speak with him, detailing the 'important' aspects of the event, maybe glossing over some details to avoid any questions, the bottom line was, SIlentNight had won, he had become one of the top five in Japan, perhaps the top ten players in the world in this division. For the first time in SIlentNight's life, he felt accomplished, that he could confront his father with his achievements.
After giving a brief but informative breakdown, SilentNight could only hear his father's clock ticking above the mantle at his back when he set his work down, adjusting his glasses. "Alex… our family has strived for perfection, we live in a position where our status among others must be held above everything else, if we falter for a moment, credibility and reliability is set to fall, that could jeopardize our family name, our future,"
When SilentNight… no, Alex, looked in his father's eyes, the man was logical, apathetic, uninterested. Those weren't the eyes of a loving, supportive father, just a man who saw people as a resource, and his children were the 'legacy' of the family name. Nothing more, nothing less.
"There was nothing expected of you, your academics are average, and a career in 'video games' as a profession only confirms your mother and mine's speculations," Every word made Alex's expression shift, growing from neutral to visibly distraught, his mouth ajar slightly, his eyes wavering from his father's to the desk. "You may not be exceptional, but that'll only benefit the reputation of your siblings, after all, not every child can be gifted, I suppose,"
In only a few sentences, Alex felt whatever fleeting hope be helplessly crushed, his heart stamped on cruelly and without a shred of sympathy. But what else was new among his parents? They saw everything as statistics and reputation, life was measured by how much you had, and that hammer finally shattered whatever warmth Alex had left inside.
But he didn't tear up or scream, he just stood there and took it because what was the use? Instead, he searched for his voice again, hollow and lifeless. "Right, that… I understand, Sir," Not even bothering to bow or give any form of departure, Alex just turned to leave, and whatever else his father had to say fell on deaf ears.
When Artorias felt his eyes focus again on the table and empty plate before him, he blinked. "In the end, had it not been for my second eldest sister, I'd have completely given up on everything. I mean, how's anyone gonna recover knowing that even their own parents don't expect anything of them? I'm just a tool to prop up the others, nothing else I did or could do mattered in their eyes… to the point I… nearly ended it all, but as I said, only family member that gave a damn kept that at bay,"
Before he could get another word out, two arms had pulled him in from the side to rest against Yuuki's chest, her arms squeezing tightly while one hand started to run down his hair, taking the monotone teen off-guard. "You are so much more than that, you've saved so many people in SAO, you can stand on your own and lead people too, you're the best person I know… I believe in you,"
Laying with his head against her, it felt just like the time after the Moonlit Black Cats had died, when Artorias felt utterly powerless to do anything. He didn't deserve any of her kindness, yet he selfishly kept still, sighing shakily against her as her tender hand and secured hold settled his heart.
After a few minutes, Yuuki returned to her seat, watching Artorias wipe his tears away that had crept up without his knowledge. "Anyway, guess I have a lot to show this time, and… I'm over it, if my own parents can't accept me, so what? My sister's all I need, and after meeting Nagi, I… feel like he's sorta like a big brother—Gods that's embarrassing to say out loud, haha…" He scratched his cheek as a bashful heat rose from his neck. "Hell, even Daora's a pain in my ass but he's alright, and Mito's good to talk to."
"See? Look at how many friends you've got that like you now!" Yuuki waved her hand at him, watching Artorias's smile grow as all her positive reinforcements bolstered his own optimism. "And when we clear this game, you can tell them just that,"
"Hah, wouldn't that be something…" Placing his fingers together, Artorias grew devilish, cackling at the thoughts plaguing his mind. "Aah… I can see it now, the looks on their faces when I really tell them how I feel. Man, I've gotta write some of this material down, give them quite the formal report on their parenting too while I'm at it,"
Yuuki burst out laughing, tapping the table. "Oh, and don't forget about emotional damage, super important,"
Clicking his fingers, Artorias pretended to jot that down. "Hm, yes, very good, we'll need to compile a list later then. I expect nothing less than ten pages at least,"
"I couldn't agree more," Yuuki stuck up her nose, puffing out her chest as another round of laughs escaped them.
Grabbing another round of lemonade, Artorias turned his thoughts to Yuuki as she sipped hers with a little umbrella propped on top. She looked so happy and carefree, but after that outburst yesterday, and the many tells that finally came together, Artorias knew better, and the gravity of both Yuuki's and her sister's situation.
"Yuuki, how… how are you and Ran doing, with… everything?" It was hard for him to properly convey his question, but it brought her to pause and her smile to soften.
"Ran told me that Nagi explained everything, I honestly thought you'd have given up after my outburst, but when you came to save us from Arawn, I realized that you wouldn't have, even if it frustrated you," She chuckled as he remained silent, watching her stare at her reflection in the glass. "If I'm honest, our parents likely passed away by now, even before the death game, their conditions were much worse than mine or Ran's, it… hurt to try and get over but we had each other, and Nagi and the other Sleeping Knights,"
"All this time, you kept it hidden?" Artorias questioned, feeling sorry for them to have gone through that while the rest of them were ignorant.
"It's not your faults for not knowing, we tried to hide it but that wasn't going to last. Especially if one of us disappeared someday without any warning, but I still didn't want any of you to go through that pain, I… didn't want to hurt you," Now, Artorias understood greatly by what Yuuki meant that day, wanting to avoid him because she really did care.
"Guess we both wanted to avoid hurting others," Artorias concurred, leaning back in his chair. "Then, the whole reason you wanted your names on the monument was so that your names were remembered by the players even after the game is over,"
The raven-brunette gave a delighted nod, "That's right, we'd leave our mark on the players' hearts, and live our lives to the fullest with whatever time we have left,"
It was a sombre experience nonetheless, but it was a good life and motivation for them both to stick through this together. If Artorias had to guess, the other Sleeping Knights were hospitalized with other conditions, not just AIDS, though he could ask that later.
Slapping the table startled Yuuki, looking over to Artorias who downed the last of his lemonade with a scarily serious face. "Guess there's only one option left then; Yuuki, I'm gonna make damn sure you get to see as much of your life as possible. Be it a few months or a handful of years, you ain't gettin' rid of me, got that?" Leaning over, he jabbed his finger straight at her nose. "No more 'I'm fines', if you need something, you let me know and I'll pitch in, anything you want to do, not a problem—within reason, got my own pride to worry over—but my point stands!"
Going crossed eyed for a moment, Yuuki flopped back against her seat, blinking up at Artorias who sat down, arms crossed with an expectant brow shot to his bangs. She had a feeling he wasn't about to just let her skip out on keeping in the loop with her illness, but to be committed to making her life exponentially greater left a different impression on her heart, warming up her whole chest as a hand rested against it.
"You're such a dork…" Dropping his firm look, Artorias stared over to Yuuki who hid her smile behind her glass, taking a sip. "…thank you,"
|15:04|
Doubling back through other venues and the markets that were separate from the market district itself, the two were chatting away when they passed through one of the city's large courtyards with a decorative fountain and several players gathered to listen to the ones making the most noise. It was loud and obnoxious enough that the pair couldn't help but give in to their curiosities to uncover the reasons why.
"Oh, great, here we go…" Artorias couldn't withhold his bemusement as Yuuki nearly dragged him by the heels to look.
The players everyone focused on were a group of four, all of them dressed in plate metal armour fitting for a European knight minus the helmets though they wore headbands that held a blue feathered crest akin to the Romans, and a short, torn blue cape that reached the middle of their backs diagonally from the right shoulder.
The one that took the most attention must've been the leader of the party, he was the definition of a 'pretty boy', had lustrous blonde hair that fell to the sides of his face, a face chiselled from stone, and was nearly two heads taller than Artorias. His eyes were as blue as sapphires, just to make matters worse.
"-I cannot thank all of you kind citizens enough for your time, if at any point you wish for our services, please, you needn't hesitate to ask," His smile made one or two female players gush, furthering Artorias's disgust, rolling his eyes while Yuuki cocked her head to one side, trying to make heads or tails of these players. "While the frontrunners battle, we shall meet them eventually, but until that day, our lives will be in service of all of you; The Silent Knights!" His companions then threw their fists up alongside their leader, the cringe accumulating to new heights for Artorias as the audience applauded them.
Finally, it dawned on Yuuki her onyx eyes widening in shock, her head twisting sharply to look at the boy next to her. "Wait, are these players…?"
"A fanatical cult? Yes. Are they massive fans of mine I've had the displeasure in knowing about? Also, yes—let's go," Grabbing her hand, Artorias pivoted on a heel to leave the scene less he got a headache. "I swear, these guys are anything but useful, I'd find more use in using Numbnuts as a battering ram than I would if I tied all four of them together,"
Raising a humorous brow, Yuuki felt her smile perk upright, "You really sure it's a good idea to leave them then? What if they're up to no good?"
Pausing, Artorias snorted a laugh, "That circus? They've got strength but the attic's a bit dusty. One of the ninja guys from the... Whatchamacallit guild are keeping tabs on these guys for the Rat just on the off chance. Buuut no sympathy for anyone dumb enough to take them up on their 'offers',"
"Huh, well, can't be helped," Shrugging, Yuuki stuck close to Artorias as the turned fully to leave… straight into the breastplate of the lead Knight.
"Ah, my apologizes, I should've called, I just couldn't help but see that we had the Red Warrior with us today, a startling surprise as we came to suspect you'd have joined your comrades in today floor boss raid," The Knight commented, drawing all eyes to Artorias who only felt his annoyance grow.
"Well Shining Armour, I happen to have the day off, so if you don't mind…" Making a shoo-shoo gesture with his hand, Artorias tried to step around, but the guy waved his arms high, nearly clocking Artorias in the face.
"Where are my manners, you may refer to me as Lancelot," That almost made Yuuki snicker behind her hand and Artorias physically cough to hold his back. "And a shame, truly, I'd have imagined a player such as yourself to be willing to work with your team in such a pivotal moment,"
"Yeah, well, I like my free time… Shining Armour," Not even considering the man's name, Artorias didn't want to keep talking with him less he lost braincells.
"And who might you be, fair maiden?" Lancelot completely ignored Artorias for the moment to focus on Yuuki who smiled sheepishly but hearing the term 'maiden' be used seriously and by a real person felt really off-putting.
"Uh, Yuuki, just… hanging out with Artorias for the day," Being civil, Yuuki didn't want to keep Artorias here longer less he blew a blood vessel; she even wasn't overly keen on chatting with someone called Lancelot less she burst out laughing. "We'll just be going, but… nice meetin' ya!"
Unfortunately, Lancelot kept standing in their way, reaching out to grab a hold of Yuuki's hand for a moment, making her blink up at the teen, befuddled, and causing several murderous glares to fall on her shoulders from other players. "You miss, I wonder, have we met before? Your face looks familiar somehow…"
That made Yuuki worry, the last thing she needed was attention when she wanted to forget about being the popular frontrunner who remained undefeated in PvP. That's another reason she went with her real appearance to spice things up and hide her identity from most players. All with the expectation of Lancelot it seemed.
"I-I probably just have one of those faces-" But before Yuuki could say more, another hand moved in and broke Lancelot's hold on Yuuki's wrist, putting an arm around Yuuki's waist to keep her closer.
"Okay-okay-okay, I am not standing and watching this C-Rated high school rom-com for another millisecond," Thoroughly done with this one snag in the day, Artorias kept a firm hold on Yuuki while glowering back at Lancelot. "Shining Armour, take the hint, she wants nothing to do with you or your K-Pop band at the moment, and frankly, I could do with never seeing them again, so grab your friends, grab your shit, and go away,"
"Hey, what makes you the big shot around here!?" One of the Silent Knights barked, the group marching over to back their lousy leader.
"Uh, maybe because I'm so much better at doing my job than you guys who care more about being the next big thing since sliced bread," With a dismissive wave, Artorias tried to turn with Yuuki to check she was okay but saw the others were quick to cut off their retreat. "Here we go…" Rolling his eyes.
"Now, let's not escalate things, Chase," Lancelot tried to quell the issue with Chase, the one currently up in Artorias's face about the issue.
"You're no better than all those other high-and-mighty players in the frontrunners, and this girl's just some plaything," Chase hard accused, jabbing a finger into Artorias's chest, only for the brunette's face to twitch uncomfortably, hearing the murmurs around them.
Biting his cheek, Artorias would love nothing but to knock Chase and all these morons on their asses, considering Artorias and Yuuki did absolutely nothing to begin with. However, Artorias was taking today off to not only apologize to Yuuki but… maybe he'll finally understand how he was feeling lately toward her.
Tightening his fist for a moment, it loosened in Yuuki's eyes as she watched that devilish smile stretch over Artorias's cheeks, the fiery glint caught in his eyes like he was untouchable.
"Hey now, let's not start to draw conclusions here; we can be civil," Artorias's devilish grin only widened, outstretching his arms. "So as much as I'd love to put your sorry asses in the ground to prove my point," He kept Yuuki closer, making her a little nervous with a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Today is my day of rest, and I intend to enjoy my afternoon providing my comrade with a joyous day, I'm sure you understand… even with that pack of idiots behind you!"
That little insult drew out the scorn and anger from the players around, even Lancelot was shocked by how brazen Artorias was, even with the people turned against him, he just kept smiling away without care or consideration for his own well-being. Yuuki saw this, now staring into Artorias's eyes deeply.
"He keeps taking the fall, distracting everyone by being flashy and arrogant… even though he's been hurt so much, he keeps throwing himself to the wolves for others," Yuuki really understood him now, why Artorias did what he did. Deep down, a small fraction of his mind still saw himself as a good-for-nothing, so why would it matter if the whole world was turned against him?
"This guy… Boss, let me put this arrogant guy in his place," Chase drew his sword but stuttered in place when only a dust cloud greeted them.
"Aaand scoop!" Tucking his arms under Yuuki's legs, the girl gave a surprised yelp when Artorias swept her off her feet into his arms, giving the angered crowd and the Silent Knights a shit-eating grin. "I'm one of the top players in SAO, I'm freakin' phenomenal! So yeah, I may be a little arrogant but even with that against me you still haven't a chance in hell at beating me! Byyye~!"
Turning on a heel, Artorias kicked his Sprint skill into overdrive, leaving them all in the dust, carrying a stunned, bashful Yuuki in his arms like he just kidnapped the princess or something, the curses growing faint as he swept from alley to street.
Once a comfortable distance away, Artorias slowed to a jog, eyeing Yuuki who had yet to say a word. "You alright, Yuuki—and we're hugging again," Blinking, her arms had snaked around his neck, bringing them closer before she leaned back to erupt into a laughing fit, her face lighting up as she wiped her tears away from laughing too hard.
"Y-you dork! You just made all those people hate you, just cause one guy wasn't getting the hint, I could've dealt with it!" She playfully shoved his chest.
"Very true, but you deserve to have a stress-free day after all the crap we went through," Though Artorias then felt her hand slap his chest, seeing her softer expression.
"That goes double for you; you handled that really well too, so thank you," She replied kindly, stretching her right arm forward to point. "Now, full steam ahead, let's leave these guys in the dust!"
Giving a small chuckle, he tucked his arms around her legs and back tightly, "Yes, Ma'am!" With another boon of velocity, Artorias dashed through the streets, evading people and objects as the wind caught in their hair and through their clothes, making sharper turns and frightening some people that turned the corner.
|15:28|
"It's just through here,"
"This feels like a really roundabout way to get there,"
Yuuki wasn't wrong but this was the exact path Artorias had taken in the Beta Test. They were at a particular edge of town, rather, the very border of Aincrad itself. Artorias gestured for Yuuki to follow him through a passage located within the town's wall, led only by a torch in his hand. Not a monster in sight, only the dark, damp corridor and the dripping that filled in the void.
"There's a quest that leads you to these corridors located at certain points of the first floor, it's the only way to actually reach where we're going and was known by those dumb enough to try and climb the exterior of Aincrad," Artorias revealed.
"So, these tunnels lead outside of Aincrad, that's so cool, I doubt anyone would want to climb up the exterior now though…" Although, Yuuki would've given it a shot if it didn't mean dangling her life on the literal edge of the world.
Removing the torch, Artorias gestured for Yuuki to the foot of a short staircase, silently smiling as she took the lead, seeing the sunlight bath the remainder of the passage. Reaching the peak, the world opened with a strong breeze at first, her eyes forced to adjust to the natural light.
By then, Artorias stood next to her, seeing her blink and soon her whole face dropped in comedic fashion. The massive wall of metal was to their backs, and straight ahead, a walkway towards one of the several massive sword statues that marked the exterior of the colossal castle in the sky.
A deep blue sky stretched over both Aincrad and the world beyond, the blurry mountains and forests of the forsaken earth under their feet stretched out endlessly. Turning her head, Yuuki felt her smile widen, staring up at the sheer scale of Aincrad, and if she squinted, she caught a scarce tinge of red at its peak.
"Welcome to the exterior of the mighty castle of Aincrad, where many… many players have tried and foolishly plummeted to their end in the Beta," Artorias gave some dramatic flair, listening to her snicker as she turned to look at him slyly. Artorias was silent for a moment. "…I was among them, yes,"
"Pfft, hahaha… why am I not surprised?" Rolling her eyes, Yuuki jogged over to the nearest edge to peer over, admiring the next perspective, extending an arm towards the edge that poked out from the side. "Hey, that's the Town of Beginnings!"
"Good eye, yeah, there's a handful of floors that have points sticking out from the castle, the Town of Beginnings has probably the best view aside from the upper floors if I had to guess," Artorias commented, leaning against the edge with her as the wind became a gentle breeze at their backs.
The silence lasted for nearly five more minutes, the two taking this time to enjoy the scenery with each other. Yuuki, for her part, felt giddy inside… but fearful on what to say next, she wanted this but that looming inevitability in her life wasn't about to let her go just yet.
"Thanks for today, Arty, I really loved every bit of it, even scaring the people we flew right past," She giggled.
"Hah, glad I could provide to the community and yourself," He winked, crossing his arms for a moment against the wall, his fingers tapping off his left bicep. "I've, uh… never done anything like this, so a lot was improvised so to hear it all was to your approval is a comforting thought,"
"Good, cause it was the best day ever, even trumping our first battle together," Yuuki added while she stared at Artorias's smile as he laughed at the memory.
Again, her throat tightened at what she wanted to tell him. Ran had given all the advice she could but ultimately, it came down to Yuuki to outright admit to Artorias, her idol, how she felt. Despite this, she still felt very anxious to say it. "I've been fighting the odds continuously, I can do this…" Reinforcing that in her mind, she looked toward the horizon, finding her voice after some mental gymnastics. "When I saw you jump in to save us, I honestly felt so happy to know you still cared about me, even after I yelled at you,"
"Well, Arawn's always been a pain in my ass to fight, even prior to SAO, and it's not like I made the situation better by blowing up on you," Artorias dryly remarked, trying to be modest.
"And when I thought… you died, I felt so crushed, I didn't even get the chance to apologize," Her knuckles tightened against the wall's rough edge. Though her grief faded into a silly smile, "Then I get back to the first floor and find you sitting on the ground with barely any HP like it was no big deal, like, how insane is that?"
"O-okay, so is this supposed to be my intervention where you tell me I've completely lost the plot? I at least thought Numbnuts would be first on the list—damn, I don't even have some super villain speech laid out yet…" He scratched his head, earning a light jab to the side with a scoff from the raven-brunette.
"I was getting there, dork," Rolling her eyes, Yuuki fiddled with her hands, her voice growing tender. "Despite every issue we've had, no matter how bad your reputation gets, or you complain, that's never stopped you from helping others, you took the experiences you learned as SilentNight and became someone better, and you've only continued to do so,"
"The person you are now, all the things you've done to help makes you… amazing, breath-taking, cool," Yuuki had a pretty lengthy list, but that summed it up nicely. "Even today, you handled those weirdos without even drawing your sword, you've changed so much since we first met, and all with that stupid smirk on your face,"
The massive string of compliments left Artorias speechless, appearing bashful while his hand brushed against his neck. "Uh, t-thanks, Yuuki. Although, I'm not sure if I've changed entirely, I mean, have you met me? I have a lot to correct, even once this hellscape of game is over, I still need to clean up SilentNight's messes, and even then… I don't know what I'll do from there,"
"That's not true," Pinching his chin so Artorias would face her, she didn't want this to get him down. "You've done more than you could even begin to imagine, someone who is incapable of changing wouldn't have saved me, you even helped so many players in the beginning, and… when this game does end, if you can't find something to live for… then I'll help find one for you,"
His eyes lit up at this, and he felt his jaw clench for a moment that he had to look away, covering his eyes with a great sigh. "Oh for Gods' sake, I am not about to get emotional over this," Rubbing his eyes vigorously, all Yuuki did was stand by a watch with a sly smirk on her face. Then, his finger extended to jab her nose, making her go cross-eyed. "Don't you dare, I can see you smirking, Cupcake!"
"Haven't got a clue what you're talking about," She feigned ignorance. Giving a hum, she held her hands behind her back. "Now then, what about me? Got anything you wanna say to get off your chest?"
Recovering from his bashfulness, he hummed. "Really putting me on the spot, Cupcake…" Clearing his throat, rubbing his chin while he scrunched up his brow in concentration. "You, erm, I think…"
"You are… the strongest person I've ever met. You always put on a front for others to hide how you truly fell; you were never alone but you were afraid to get closer to anyone else outside of the Sleeping Knights and Nagi, even then, you still wished to keep them from getting hurt whenever you would pass away,"
"But after everything you've changed. Your smiles have been brighter today than ever before, even committed to living in the moment. I've gotten to see so many sides to you in ever since we met. I don't know how long you have left, but that hasn't stopped you from fighting for the survival of everyone in this game and enjoying every day you have. And that's honestly amazing, that someone as awful as me could've met someone as talented, strong, and caring as you, Yuuki,"
Yuuki had spent a long time wondering how any of that could be true; how could she be strong? Outside of SAO, of Full-Dive, she was just a sick girl that can't even set a foot outside her hospital room. But having been trapped here with her sister and guild, meeting her cousin and all his friends, meeting Artorias, she had a sense of normality again. She could feel like a regular girl today that she never had before.
Neither realized how close they've gotten until now, Yuuki stared deep into his light-blue eyes, seeing the depths of his soul; every word was the absolute truth. Still, a flicker of doubt remained, "But… I'm not ordinary, outside this game I'm all pale and sickly like I said, without this world I'm…" Unattractive? That was definitely the word that plagued her the most.
"First off, that's out of your control. Secondly, once we're outta here we'll all be looking like the living dead blended with that chick from the Ring. Rolling his eyes with a small chuckle, he placed a hand to her shoulder tenderly. "Yuuki, you are beautiful, and I'm not just saying that to make you feel better, I mean; never met a more sweet, energetic, and lovely girl… besides, I'm definitely not bothered by your appearance…" His muttered under his breath.
Feeling the heat return to her face, Yuuki's heart fluttered at his genuine kindness about her appearance, but also for him being him, there wasn't any punchline or jokes to be seen, and it had her hearing what Artorias was saying. Now, there was little distance between them, and Yuuki felt her anxieties smothered deep down for a moment, so she drove her body forward, spotting her opening.
Leaning up slightly so their eyes met evenly, she didn't give Artorias a chance to speak when she crossed that gap that felt like miles to lightly peck him on the lips. It was warm, spreading down from her lips to her heart threatening to burst from her ribcage. The contact lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like a great weight fell from her shoulders.
Despite how pipping hot her face felt, she tried her best to keep her eyes on his to see his reaction. His face as scarlet as mine.
Artorias tried to speak but nothing came out, turning to his side to hide his face while he processed what just happened. Yuuki felt a lump form in her throat, ducking her head down. "I just did that, I just did that, I actually, really-really-really just kissed him!?" She wasn't sure if she should feel excited and over the moon or terrified and wish the world would swallow her whole. But she stood her ground, since she was the one to make the first move, she had to see how this ends.
A breath escaped Artorias, like he had been holding it this whole time, he had covered his eyes with his hand, wearing a stupid smile over his reddened cheeks. "I'm such an idiot…" Hearing that made Yuuki's heart deflate, he didn't seem to… "Sorry, I just had a few revelations smack me across the face…"
Now, their eyes met once more, then he rolled his eyes. "Guess I-I've been putting myself through hell f-for nothing, funny h-how that always resolves itself a-after the hurdle, huh?"
"I, you… y-you too…?" Yuuki's chest felt tighter, she had a feeling based on what the girls kept telling her, but unless Yuuki saw it personally she'd refuse to get her hopes up.
He never said it, nodding once as Yuuki felt a tingly feeling run down her back when his hand grazed across her hot cheek, it felt pleasant that she leaned into it more. "Let the record show, if anyone asks, we weren't that oblivious," Yuuki snickered at this, nodding with a wink.
Everything went extremely quiet now say for the breeze running across Aincrad. Nothing came into focus except for each other, Yuuki's hand curled around the zip-line of Artorias's jacket. She jumped when his right arm held the back of her waist again, making him freeze for a moment while their faces were dangerously close together.
They could feel their breaths brush against their lips while their eyelids began to fall, after that, all either of them felt was the sensation of their lips connecting in the middle, only longer and with more force from Artorias this time. Yuuki's hands tensed against his jacket and shoulder while his own held her with just as much force.
Heat coursed through every inch of their bodies, like a spark that erupted into a roaring fire rather than fireworks, which only made this moment ten times better.
Time swam by but felt prolonged, they leaned away from one another only for Artorias to steal Yuuki's lips again, exciting a small gasp from the raven-brunette, causing her whole face to feel extremely hot, yet her lips curled into a smile of surprise, holding him as close as possible, eager to cherish him more.
Finally pulling a way with a hot breath between them, both of Yuuki's arms wrapped around Artorias's neck while she stared deep into Artorias's soft blue eyes. "S-so… out of t-ten?" He asked her breathlessly.
A softer laugh escaped her, hugging his neck tighter. "Nailed it perfectly," Yuuki certainly had no complaints, feeling this way, expressing it was like a breath of fresh air she never knew she needed. Lowering her head to rest against his shoulder, Yuuki felt like the luckiest person in Sword Art Online right now. "…I'm glad I met you, Artorias,"
Pulling her back a little, their eyes met. "Alex, my name is… Alex Masaru—and no, my name isn't short for 'Alexander', though you would think so," Judging by how he rolled his eyes, it was clearly a common question.
Yuuki felt bashful, staring into his eyes, studying his whole face as her blush darkened. "Yuuki Konno,"
"Really? Your name?" Artorias snickered as she smacked the back of his neck lightly, pouting.
"Hey, it wasn't a big deal, I was in a private game at the hospital before all this," But she didn't appear annoyed, squeezing him tighter. "I'm glad I met you, Alex,"
She felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her flush to his body so both could rest their heads on each other's shoulders. For Artorias, he had never felt more… complete, no one had ever made him feel like it was okay being the person he was now, the doubts and worries lingered, but Artorias didn't feel he had anything to hide anymore. Not from the wonderful girl who accepted him.
"And I you, Yuuki," His heart had never felt lighter.
To Be Continued…
Next Arc – The Iceborne
Drawing closer to the true heart of the Abyss, Shirayuki leads Nagi and his party deep into Floor 55's mountains where a harsh blizzard threatens to bury the past forever. However, a lone settlement, which has endured the storm, may be their best chance at uncovering the truth…
I did this on my holiday of all things, my sense of 'vacation' is 'not a 9-5 job'. Anyway, this whole arc has been one of my favourites, not just focusing on Artorias's whole character and story but his relationship with Yuuki, which I feel is a case of 'about damn time' but that's just me. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this chapter and its conclusion, such a sweet day between the two.
But we're back on track with the Divine Sakura questline, so I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; see ya in the next arc, Misfits!
074 – A Shining Beacon
Swept up in the constant storm within the 55th floor's mountains, Shirayuki attempts to lead her allies to the remains of House Winter…