Sword Art Online Gameverse x Reader

Chapter 26: Joining a Party

<Author's Note: I wrote myself into a corner in this chapter and got some writer's block, wasn't sure how to progress for a while which delayed the upload, but I have a basic storyboard set up now for the next handful of chapters which'll help me out considerably, spoilers after the end-of-chapter wordcount. >

Y/N: "... i- I didn't really think that anybody would actually care..."

. . .

Philia: "W-What do you mean by that?"

Y/N: "I'm nothing special really, I just started levelling faster than the others, I just assumed-"

Argo: "That we only care about your stats right?"

Y/N: "... kinda, yeh."

Lisbeth: "Are you serious?"

Rain: "Why would you think that?"

Y/N: "...I uh, we don't really interact unless its to help with something or to sell info, I kinda just assumed I was a hired spear"

Asuna: "U/N..."

Agil: "Have you felt like this the entire time?"

Y/N: "... well, yeah. Nothing personal, I'm just not good with the whole friend thing..."

Argo: "I knew ya were a piece of work but I didn't know ya were an idiot too!"

Asuna: "Argo?"

Argo: "How dense can ya be? I don't chat and get all chummy with any ol' client ya know."

Rain: "Yeah! And I said I wanted to be there for you to watch your back when you wanted to do something stupid, not because of how strong you are but because I wanted to help you!"

Lisbeth: "And I didn't even know you were a high-level player when we met, I thought you were just another smith and then we got to talking and went on that trip that was meant to be combat-free, I'm grateful you could and did save my life in that Boss Room but that's not why I added you to my friends' list!"

Y/N: "..."

Agil: "You've got some great friends U/N, a lot of us here are on the higher end of player levels but that isn't all friends are good for."

Kirito: "I get where you're coming from U/N, I'm the same way- I've been solo since day one but when it comes to bosses I'd never risk it to solo them when I have other players who could and will help out"

Argo: "Y'see ya doofus. It's not just us, even Mr. Blunt sees the benefit of having friends to rely on!"

Kirito: "Mr. Blunt?-"

Asuna: "-Friendships are a two-way street, we should lean on each other as we climb up these floors or we'll end up losing ourselves along the way. Okay?"

Y/N: "Would it be enough to say I'll try?"

Asuna: "hmm, well I'd prefer-"

Argo: "-It's a start, we can't expect ya to just roll over and change on a dime. Ya always did seem the quiet and solitary sort. We don't want ya to change who ya are, we just want ya to rely on us as much as you'll let us rely on ya."

Asuna: "...I guess that's reasonable."

Argo: "Good, because I'd like them to join you and Kirito whilst you do the Elf War Questline"

Kirito: "Oh yeah, I forgot we were going to do that today. That's somewhere in the Wavering Mists right?"

Argo: "Ayep, and if it's the same as it was in the beta there'll be two factions to choose from. You'll choose and support one of them and defeat the other, be wary though, these elves are on another level and in the beta I don't think anyone ever beat 'em without the friendly Elf's failsafe."