Progressive Factor

The ALS & DKB

Part 2: A Brave Group of Legends And A Shattering Scam

December 7th, 2022, Asuna

"You must be Asuna, the front-line warrior. I wish that I could have as much fun swinging my sword as you and help everyone out. That must feel really good. I'm so very jealous."

Asuna continues to think about the man she met earlier while grinding the fields of Floor 2. Situated in an inn in the town of Urbos, she rests in comfortable clothing and finishes sewing a pair of Fingerless Gloves. She wonders what that guy saved is doing now. She had no advice for him, other than he should take off that ridiculous eyepatch so he can see. Being called the "Eyepatch Swashbuckler" is not worth misjudging distance and dying.

It's been three days since she participated in the raid that opened this floor, and besides messages shared between her and Koharu the previous nights since the party was closed, she has not seen Kirito, Jaymes, or Koharu. For all she knows, Kirito is doing as he pleases, but Koharu and her partner have had their days filled with leveling, helping the Kibaou and his side of the front lines, and helping a friend of theirs rejoin her party. All of that in three days sounds quite adventurous.

Asuna sighs as she now soaks in the bathtub, reading up on the field guide for the second floor. Argo wants to meet with her in the morning tomorrow, for whatever that could entail. Maybe she knows... No, Asuna doesn't want to know what Kirito could be up to. She's better off looking for Koharu and Jaymes, but she's sure they'll appear at the field boss fight tomorrow. She's betting on it.

And maybe Kirito will too.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Koharu, around the same time

"Jaymes and I have both come a long way, you know!"

"You two work so hard to support each other. You're just the perfect match."

"Sachi..." Koharu buries her face in her pillow, but she swears she could set it on fire with how hot her head is. Why did Sachi have to say such a thing! It'd be different if she hadn't said the second sentence because, yes, Koharu and Jaymes support each other, but they're the perfect match? There have to be more perfect matches out there...like...like... Well, there are more perfect matches.

Like, looks at what Jaymes is doing now. He's reading the field guide while sitting at the desk underneath a lamp, not even paying attention to Koharu's plight or not caring to speak up... No, that doesn't help. Damn it all, just when she was comfortable with sharing an inn room with him (or, to be factual, she never minded, but he did until they got to the second floor) to save on Col, this happens. Sighing, she rises and brings her bare legs closer to her chest, covering more of the limbs, and looks to the reading boy. She hates to interrupt him, but she hates the silence. "Jaymes."

"Koharu."

"Um... You think we'll see Asuna and Kirito tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Asuna definitely, Kirito most likely. I thought we're partying with her again?"

"Right, I forgot... What do you think of Asuna? She's a beautiful girl, isn't she?" Jaymes hesitates to answer for whatever reason. Maybe he doesn't want to offend Koharu by saying yes, or maybe he wants to say no but doesn't want to say it immediately, or whatever decision he has made in between.

"This doesn't have to do with what happened at Kirito's place, does it?"

"Huh? Oh, no. No no no! And you do remember it!"

Jaymes shrugs and puts down the book, looking at Koharu. "It's not something I would forget. We'd been together for a month now, and that was the first time I've seen you out your armor... Not that I am looking forward to that, mind you, but... I mean, look at us now. We're not in armor, we're just wearing whatever we've deemed as comfortable clothes and enjoying each other's company."