My Laughing Coffin [SAO fan-fiction]

Chapter 15: Mercenary Work

Wiping the tired from my eyes never seemed to wake me up anymore. My body was always weighed down from exhaustion, regardless of how much sleep I'd get the next day I'd wake up just as tired.

Ironically, it made me more alert. My eyes sharpened with focus on the tasks in front of me and I'd find myself entering a flow in the middle of combat a lot quicker than before. This was both a testimony to my adaptability and a glaring recognition of my solitude. I had no choice but to watch my own back now, I'd ghosted my party and while the space permitted a level of growth-- it also required a higher level of mental fortitude.

However, constantly being alert during high-intensity scenarios seemed to make me more aloof during less intense moments.

"Hey, are you even listening boy?"

"Honestly? I missed all of whatever you just said." I admitted to the guild master, a tall, black-haired, and fair-skinned man by the username of Bartholomew.

The wire-armed guild master's monocle tassel jingled when grunting as he leaned back in his seat on the couch. "Mr.Grimm, you approached Orion Arm Company of your own volition. Frankly. It's miracle a player with stats like yours applied here, but if you can't adhere to our standards-- which includes paying attention to your guild master, there is simply no place for you here."

"I've been a bit out of it for the past week or so, I won't make it a habit." I apologized, chuckling to lighten the mood.

Master Bartholomew was the sheepish guild master of Orion Arm Company, the moment I'd submitted my application to him I could tell that his bashful personality would immediately be washed away by anything involving his guild. The plethora of guild related fan gear that decorated his office walls was proof enough of his fanatic approach to supporting his guild. From t-shirts to towels with guild forged shields and swords lying somewhere in between, there wasn't an object in the ornamental library of the office that didn't burn OAC into my freaking eyes.

"Just don't make a habit of it, shall I restart your quest briefing?" He asked.

"That's unnecessary, I got it all." A voice from the corner of the stated.

While Bartholomew and I sat on couches around the coffee table at the center of the room-- my quest mate had opted to scan Bartholomew's useless books rather than sitting with us.

"I apologize once again for forcing you two solo players into this party, but seeing as how you are the top-grossing employees of our company... I thought that maybe you two would put your playstyles aside for the guild?" Bartholomew smiled with hope sweating down his face, as Esther and I stared at him.

"You're just lucky I met this guy before." She giggled, walking behind the couch and ruffling my hair before sitting on the arm of the sofa.

"How is it you two know each other again?" His white wool eyebrow arched with curiosity.

"OUR TRAGIC STORY BEGINS IN A TAVERN ON FLOOR 25--" Esther threw herself from the couch arm and fell back onto the cushions on the sofa, the back of her hand covering her eye and the other outstretched as if about to recite Shakespeare.

"We met during server maintenance."

"Damn it Grimm, where's your flare for dramatics!?" She punched my arm and adjusted herself in the seat, throwing her arm around me and burning a hole in the side of my face as she stared.

Bartholomew's full beard of wool did little to hide his shock at Esther's behavior, but he chuckled nonetheless and manipulated his menu, selecting a scroll that he'd hand to us as the dual participants of the quest.

Sensing that Esther had more charades in store for me, and with the quest being in our names now, Bartholomew quickly pushed us from his office and informed us of the carriage waiting to take us to the safe zone town Shorebrook where we'd begin our quest.

"What're we doing again?" I asked as Esther led me down the stairs to the  main room of the Orion Arm Guild guild hall.

"Geez, you actually weren't paying attention at all?" Esther snickered in amusement

"I figured that was implied by my question."

"Do you think if I put that you weren't present for the briefing in the guild report that Bartholomew would give me a bigger cut?"

"You could always fuck around and find out." Another sweet giggle sang through her smile, I swear I'm losing my mind. Boycott from women for a few days to train like crazy and all the sudden the cute ones melt my heart.

"We are going to be body guards for Mr. De'Suess, a local 'noblemen' of the floor who's throwing a ball of sorts to celebrate a whosawhatsit." She said.

"YOU WEREN'T PAYING ATTENTION EITHER??"

"I was present for most of it. What can I say, Bartholomew likes the sound of his own voice. He gets really into the larping aspect of this game."

"I don't think it'd sit well with him if you tried cheating me out of my cut of the reward then."

"Maybe I should keep it all to myself, the report, the reward, the mission.. what would you do about that?" The gorgeous umber eyes of Esther teased me as she look up over her shoulder.

I smiled, much like Nomad with Taya, Esther and I had run into each other more than coincidentally possible since I joined this guild. She'd made one or two jokes about me being a stalker and I'd make three or four about voodoo dolls and more pictures of her than Bartholomew had OAC merchandise on the walls of his office. I enjoyed these run-ins, but we'd never worked together before and with me having played solo for around a month now-- this was without a doubt going to be an experience.

Esther huffed at my lack of response to her question, and pushed open the door of the guildhall revealing the  picturesque safe zone of the city Wildwood. This place was themed heavily off of a medieval fantasy game. Tall stone buildings framed the streets of Wildwood while flora and fauna of the region seemed untamed by the presence of people. Trees and vines clung to the sides of homes and sprinkled glowing pollen into the air every so often while monkeys and exotic birds plucked fruit from their trees.

My companion tugged me along to a nearby clothing store where we'd prepare for the quest. Despite the fantasy aesthetic of this game, Kiyaba had opted to leave formal ware in the modern era and from the look on Esther's face, I could tell this was one of her few guilty pleasures. I didn't do it often, but admittedly I did enjoy a well-tailored suit, and with a pretty girl on my arm I'd probably enjoy myself more than I initially thought.

The orders we'd put in prior to our meeting with the guild master had been completed on time, so all we had to do was pick up and change. As a rule, I try to choose form fitting yet breathable materials for formal ware, this was doubly true now that I'm performing bodyguard duties-- luckily for me, what is unachievable in the real world is completely possible in virtual reality.

The suit Esther had picked out for me hugged my arms tightly, hiding none of my mass but restricting less of movements. The coat and trousers were a soft midtone grey while the undershirt was made of a material like silk and colored black.

Esther appeared from behind a changing divider in an elegant yet equally form-fitting gray dress. If not for the bits of lace and floral patterns revealing her arms and the open shoulder style of her one piece dress, I'd have compared the way she looked to a girl in a sundress. My heart certainly fluttered the same as this angel of a woman floated towards me, tossing a sash around her tanned shoulders her brown curly hair was tied back into a flowing river of hair, allowing the natural earth brown of her eyes to glow like the sun on the horizon of freckles that graced her cheeks.

"You look good." I said, with the poker face of a drunk man.

"You too." She giggled, tugging my shoulder and forcing me to turn towards her. "Do you know how to tie a tie?"

"I don't."

I did.

"What would you do without me?" She laughed, tossing the white tie around my neck and coming close enough to throw off the rhythm of my breathing.

"I'd probably be fine." I chuckled.

Esther flexed the nimbleness and dexterity of her fingers as she finished the knot of my tie, tightening it around my neck and making a not so subtle tracing of my chin as she retrieved her hands from me, taking my arm and nodding towards the horse-drawn carriage Mr.De'Suess had provided.

"Shall we?"