???: "Good moooooorning!"
Y/N: "h–huh...?"
Rain: "Rise and shine, U/N! I made a healthy helping of eggs and bacon, it's waiting for you on your dining room table! It's best enjoyed hot, so don't tarry too long!"
Y/N: "r–Rain...? *yawn* What... What time is it? w–Wait, what are you doing in my bedroom?"
Rain: "Teehee! I guess the girls weren't lying after all, you really have been sleeping in lately huh!"
It was all so abrupt, and even though I knew that the systems of Sword Art Online didn't actually incorporate that groggy feeling you would get upon being woken up suddenly, I couldn't help but feel like Rain's surprise appearance in my bedroom had somehow recreated this manually. I was still struggling to process everything when the culprit for my confusion had made her way over to the bedroom window before then pulling the curtains open and engulfing the entire room with a morning dawn's light that just overloaded my senses even more than they already were!
Y/N: "h–Hey! You traitor! I thought you were a fellow gamer?! You should know better than to pull open curtains so suddenly!!"
Rain: "Well, why don't you look out the window and see: the sun may be out now, but there are also a fair few dark clouds in the sky too. So don't you think it only fair that 'Rain' should get to show up now?! Teehee!"
Y/N: "That... That doesn't really explain much about why you're here in my room though? How did you even get in?!"
Rain: "Huh? What do you mean? You've always had your room left unlocked to people on your friends list, right? I just walked right on up to the door and it unlocked when I pulled on the handle!"
Y/N: "A–Ah, right, yeah... I forgot about that. Usually people knock first though, and usually when I'm actually awake..."
Rain: "Well, I guess I was just too excited to wait! And, well, back in the day you used to be up and out grinding by now... I never would have thought you to have gotten so lazy!"
Y/N: "... I, uh, I guess you've got a point. Just a couple months ago I'd be out on the front lines and mapping stuff before most players would even have woken up, or at least I assume so... You never did tell me what time it actually is."
Rain: "Oh! Well... it's just gone six o'clock."
She wasn't kidding. I opened up my menu as I asked the question to her, and whilst it took my eyes a second to adjust to the bright menu that appeared in front of me, I was able to espy the time in the top right corner of my HUD... And sure enough, it said 6:04 right there. Wait, only four minutes past six?! But she's been talking to me for a couple minutes or so now, and she said she made breakfast for me... she must have made it in her own room and brought it over to share, right? ...Did her room have a kitchen installed into it, though? I didn't notice one when I was there last night.
Rain: "But it's just like you said a moment ago, you'd normally be wide awake and in the middle of a dungeon at this time normally. But when I knocked and didn't get a response..."
Y/N: "You let yourself in and made some breakfast...?"
Rain: "Exactly! Oh! But don't worry, I didn't use your cooking ingredients or anything! I always make sure to keep a healthy stock of useful items on hand no matter where I am!"
Y/N: "And that includes raw meat and eggs?"
Rain: "Of course! They make a great combination for most any meal of the day! And, well... I remember you said that was what you used to do too, right? Because both those ingredients were readily available on most Floors and they could be cooked with just a campfire?"
Y/N: "I suppose..."
Rain: "Oh, so come on! You've got to get out of bed already, and get eating! And you gotta tell me how it is, alright? So you have to be quick, I don't want to lose points because you took so long that the food went cold!"
Y/N: "Alright, alright... I guess I'll get up. Could you, uh... leave me to freshen up though? If that's okay?"
Rain: "Huh? Oh! Oh sure! I'll be waiting in the other room. Remember, don't take too long! And don't fall back asleep! Otherwise I won't be so nice when I come back in here to wake you up again! Teehee!"
The girl who had intruded upon my room had now made her exit, giggling to herself all the way out. I waited for a moment longer after she had closed the bedroom door behind her before then begrudgingly pulling myself out of bed. I'm not entirely sure why I asked Rain to leave the room either, to be honest. Because with the way SAO works I can very simply just swap what equipment I'm wearing at the touch of a button, and at no point would it ever expose me because of the instantaneous nature of the equipment system.
I guess it's just another outdated habit I've held onto, because back in the other world there would actually be some level of consequence to getting changed in the company of another. But here? I'm just being awkward. I suppose I should be thankful that Rain was willing to entertain my awkwardness without even questioning it or pushing back on the irrelevancy of it.
And the least I can do is repay that kindness and thoughtfulness by being speedy with my morning routines and to partake of her rather kind albeit strange gesture of cooking breakfast for me so early in the morning...
* * *
Rain: "Oh! That was really fast! I hope I didn't make you rush too much, I was only kidding before when I said that stuff, you know!"
Y/N: "Don't worry about it. It was just a little shock to be woken up like that... but I guess you've got a point: there's no reason for me to be sleeping in so much. It's not like I'm all that in need of the sleep. And if I want to make the most of what time we've still got left together in Aincrad..."
Rain: "o–Oh~"
Y/N: "—There's so many of us in our group, and so little time left now. And yet, after all these years... I've barely done much of anything, with any of you..."
Rain: "Oh. You just meant... *sigh* Well, never mind that for now I guess. Instead, you should focus on eating. Come on, come on! Sit down and eat up!"
I wasn't really left with much of a choice. Not with Rain practically commandeering me towards one of my dining table's chairs. To which she then... persuaded me further into sitting down with a forceful push downwards. And now that left me with the food in question directly in front of me. And, I won't lie, it was really quite a delicious looking meal!
Rain: "If you're still feeling a bit drowsy, I wouldn't mind cutting it up for you?"
Y/N: "That, uh, that won't be necessary. Thank you though. This looks really good! Although... it's a bit more than just some meat and eggs like you said..."
Rain: "Teehee, I guess! But I suppose I just always get carried away with stuff like this, heh. Oh, but don't worry. I only used the freshest and best quality of ingredients for your meal!"
Y/N: "For my meal...? Are you not going to be eating as well?"
Rain: "Me? No, no! I'll be fine! I wanted to make this specifically for you! I can get myself something later if I really want to."
Y/N: "Huh? Well, if you're doing this for me... then why don't I just make something for you in return?"
Rain: "Oh? You want to...? o—Oh! Well, I appreciate that! I really do! But if we did that, then... well, it'd take up a lot of time, don't you think? I can just get myself something on our way out to the Teleport Gate if needs be, or we can gather the materials together out on the Field and we can do some cooking the old–fashioned way together!"
Y/N: "Hm? You want to head out of the city today then? I guess we could do that... Did you have a particular place in mind? You've definitely got the skills for the front lines, but I'm not sure about your level..."
Rain: "Well, with you by my side I should be fine. Right? And I'll earn more exp that way too, fighting the higher level mobs and all! Oooooooor... we could go to that secret place that only you can take people to? Just the two of us?~"
Y/N: "Secret place? Hm? Oh! Do you mean the Hollow Area?"
Rain: "That's the one! I've been super interested in that place. A whole other world just for two people to explore, all on their own? It sounds simply fantastic! You'll take me there sometime, won't you?"
Y/N: "I mean... I guess I don't mind? It's not like I want to keep it as some sort of exclusionary area! And, well, that place is great for getting experience! That'll definitely be helpful for getting you to catch up with the rest of the Raid Team for when we take on Floor 81."
Rain: "Mhm! Exactly! So you'll take me there then, right?"
Y/N: "I suppose I've not really got any reason to say no. So sure, why not? Do you want to go there today? Or did you have other plans on the Aincrad Floors instead, maybe?"
Rain: "Oh, I don't mind either way! But if we're talking practically? I guess it would make the most sense to go to the Hollow Area and to get me all levelled up and ready to take my place as your Raid Partner again! You didn't replace me, right? I know it's been a while... but I've still got the slot as your duo partner in the Boss Raids, right? You haven't replaced me with anyone else... have you?"
Y/N: "Well... I mean..."
Just since our reaching Floor 76, I've done way more teaming up for Boss Fights than I had done in like a year. What with me and Philia being basically attached by the hip as we made our way through all those areas of the Hollow Area— well, albeit that last one I guess, where I had Kirito as a partner instead. And then in the actual Aincrad Floor Bosses I had one with Leafa as a partner and another with Philia.
Rain: "...oh. I see... Well then! Looks like I've got a lot more to do than I first thought! Come on, U/N, let's head to that Hollow Area of yours and you can show me the absolute best places for grinding experience. You said you've got no other commitments either, right? So we can stay at it all day long! That'll hopefully do me some good, so that I'll definitely be back in the running to be your most trustworthy partner! Teehee!"
Y/N: "I, uh... well, I guess you've got a point there. I did say that I'm basically free from hereon out. But do you really want to spend the whole day out there? Isn't there something else you'd rather do than just grinding all day? I mean, I can be pretty boring... you wouldn't rather do stuff with the rest of the group at all?"
Rain: "Nope! I'm more than happy just spending the day grinding away with just you, I promise! Come on, please...?"
Y/N: "I... I don't know..."
Rain: "I promise I'll make it worth your while! Honest! I always pay back my debts, you know that!"
Y/N: "...If you're really that insistent... then I guess we can, sure!"
Rain: "Yay! Thank you, U/N, thank you! Teehee! Now, hurry up and finish your breakfast so we can head out already! Oh, but not too fast, I don't want you getting an upset stomach on my behalf!"
* A SHORT WHILE LATER, IN THE ADMINISTRATION AREA *
Rain: "Woahhh... this place... It's certainly different from what I'm used to. It looks almost like we're inside a computer or something!"
Y/N: "Yeah, I can definitely see that! This place is called the Administration Area, so I guess that's the aesthetic they wanted for this place?"
Rain: "It's kind of strange to think that there were people in here who weren't trapped players, don't you think? I wonder what happened to the developers of SAO, are they locked in here with us? And did they know what was going to happen, or were they just as confused as the rest of us?"
Y/N: "I wouldn't imagine any of the developers for Sword Art Online would ever dare admit that to any of the players in Aincrad. Even if they only ever worked on something innocent, like the food items."
Rain: "Huh, you really think so?"
Y/N: "You know how people can be... Vindictive and cruel. They would be more than happy for any excuse to get what they consider revenge. That developer could be the nicest person in all of Aincrad, giving all of their gear away to any and all players in need. They could give all they have to help the people here, and yet still these people would want nothing more but to see that developer fall. Even if they were entirely innocent of this scheme that's gotten us all trapped in here."
Rain: "I guess you've got a point... Say, U/N. You wouldn't happen to... well, you're not talking about yourself there, are you? You're not a developer of Sword Art Online, are you? Not that I would mind, of course! Don't worry; I already know you're a good person, so nothing would change between us!~"
Y/N: "I appreciate the kind words, Rain. But that was just me speaking on behalf of the developers in hiding. I'm definitely not one. My first experience with Sword Art Online was on the day of it's release, just like the rest of us. I'm not even a beta player..."
Rain: "And that's what makes it all the more impressive that you're the strongest and most valuable player in all of Aincrad!"
Y/N: "You really do think far too highly of me. I just levelled up quicker than most other people did is all. I got lucky to find the good spots early and didn't have those obligations to be with others. That's all. It was a race in which I ran with an early head start. The only thing I will accept, though, is that I've been pretty diligent about keeping myself at a constant rate of growth. But if I didn't... I... I'd feel like I was squandering the opportunity I was given to actually... to actually be of help to a people for once..."
Rain: "U/N..."
Y/N: "Don't worry about it. I don't really care all that much about it anymore. That's just how it's played out thus far. No point pushing against the waves now. So! To get back on track with the present... where is it exactly that you want to go in the Hollow Area today?"
Rain: "Well, uh, what are my options? Is there a map or something, maybe?"
Y/N: "Well... I'd say it's more like there are two ways we can really do this. The first being to just start at the easiest location and to slowly progress through it together, so the level curve isn't too high for you. Some of the boss monsters don't respawn though... Otherwise, we can just head into a specific area with some very high-levelled mobs. They'll be a bit dangerous for you at first, but you'll quickly level up to a point where you should be fine to deal with them."
Rain: "Huh. So my options are either a world tour or an efficient session in one place? Hmm... Well, I guess the important thing is levelling up, right? That way I'll be ready for anything that shows up. And then instead you can give me a worldly tour next time. And with us both being high levelled that time it'll mean we can better take in the sights instead of worrying about levelling. That sounds pretty reasonable to me, don't you think so?"
Y/N: "Well, I guess that makes sense when you put it like that. You're 100% sure?"
Rain: "Mhm. Lead the way!"
Y/N: "Well, alright then. Follow me over here if you would, to this teleporter here. It's its own separate thing to the normal Teleport Gate."
* TELEPORT: ADMINISTRATION AREA! – UNDERGROUND! *
Rain: "Woah... This place is even weirder than the first place!!"
Rain: "What is that weird beam of light in the middle of the room? Is that... I guess that's a teleporter to get elsewhere in the area, right?"
Y/N: "That's right. From what I've figured out, we can use this to get to what I can only describe as our own personal Aincrad tower. With loads of floors each containing plenty of mobs at what seems to be the highest level I've seen yet in this Hollow Area."
Rain: "Oh? Well that sounds promising! So was this what you and Philia had to go through when you stopped that update thing you mentioned to me yesterday?"
Y/N: "Actually, it's quite a bit different from the last time we were here. Before there were only around ten or so of these floors we had to get through. But now? I'm pretty sure it's a lot more than that. The floors had a different orientation than the last time too."
Rain: "Huh, wait, does that mean that you came back here again after that whole mess?"
Y/N: "I did, yeah. Just out of curiosity. I had a thought come to mind that I wanted to check. The terminal in this place has been the most powerful one that we've been able to interact with since that time back on the First Floor where Kirito was able to save Yui from being deleted by the system."
Rain: "Oh? So, then, what was it that you were hoping to find?"
Y/N: "Well... I thought I could at least look and see if, well... See if there was a way for me to revert the issue of us not being able to logout of the game, and the whole permadeath mechanic... But, unfortunately, no dice it would seem."
Rain: "Oh! Yeah, that would have been really helpful! But, well... I kinda don't mind that it didn't work. And I bet you're of a similar mind too, eh!"
Y/N: "It would have been nice to let everybody go home for sure. But yeah, I don't mind being in here for a little while longer..."
Rain: "Teehee, I knew it! Not that I blame you, of course, we're of the same mind when it comes to this world it seems! But... what about the other things? Like the bug that's stopping us from going back down to Floor 75 and below?"
Y/N: "Unfortunately, I can't get that terminal to interact with Aincrad at all. The only thing I can do is apply changes from the Hollow Area to that of Aincrad. Like how PoH tried to transfer the Hollow Data of players on top of the actual players' data. So I can't use it to fix bugs or to change game rules at all. In theory though I could transplant the areas here in the Hollow Area into the Aincrad tower, replacing what was there before; so I could replace the next twenty Floors of the tower with the easiest area here in the Hollow Area and we could have Aincrad cleared in less than a week, easily."
Rain: "But...?"
Y/N: "But I'm not sure if I could do that without breaking some very important code. Like, actually being able to progress to the next Floor upon beating the Floor Boss of the Floor you're on. Or being freed from the game after defeating the Boss of Floor 100. I genuinely would make that sacrifice so as to get everybody out of here as soon as possible, but I just don't think that I can guarantee it working. I could break everything, and then we'd be trapped in here forever. And then everybody... they..."
Rain: "Then you would be in the same position as those innocent developers we were talking about earlier..."
Y/N: "r–right..."
Rain: "I guess it's definitely better to be safe than sorry with something as big as that. I don't blame you for hesitating, not at all! But, hey, why don't you bring it up with the others sometime? You said that Yui was some sort of AI, right? She could be a good, uh... person to talk about that with, right? And she's helped with some of these Hollow Area terminals before too, hasn't she? If anybody could figure it out without breaking anything, it would be her I'm sure!"
Y/N: "I guess... I'll talk with the group about it later tonight, maybe."
Rain: "Well, you don't have to! After all, nobody else knows about this except us, right? It can't trouble them if they don't know about it! And even still, maybe Yui can't do anything about the issues you're worrying about. In the end, this is something that you discovered, and you shouldn't do anything that makes you uncomfortable or puts your time in here in any jeopardy. You're allowed to be selfish sometimes!"
Y/N: "I'm allowed to be selfish...?"
Rain: "Mhm! You most certainly are! But don't worry about it right now, alright? Let's just head out there and have fun. And get me lots of levelling done too, if you wouldn't mind! Teehee!"
Y/N: "S–Sure... Let's head in then; stay behind me to start with, though. Okay?"
Rain: "Of course! I know you'll keep me safe until I'm not in any more danger, and then we can take on these monsters side-by-side, just like old times!"
* RAIN'S POV *
And just like old times it was! From the very get go of us heading into what was essentially an endgame dungeon, U/N had me placed behind them so that I was entirely safe from the attacks of the monsters in here. And for the first hour or so I simply stood safely nearby whilst I allowed for U/N to absolutely pulverise everything in our path. And boy, they weren't kidding when that Sinon girl and U/N said that you could level up way faster in here than you could in Aincrad! I'd already levelled up at least 10 times before the first hour had come to an end! I thought being level 98 was pretty impressive already for Floor 76. And that I'd be able to handle the general area mobs without much struggle at all... but now I'm bordering on level 115 already in such a short timeframe!
That just makes me wonder even more as to what level U/N actually is... they'd been in here for a good couple months from what I understand. And whilst this dungeon seems to be the place for endgame players, I'm sure U/N has fought plenty enough of the weaker mobs to have made up the difference. Like, is there a level cap? Has U/N hit that? And if they have... well, as long as we keep this up it won't be long until I am too! And then we'll be the perfect team for the Boss Raids all the way up until Floor 100!
It definitely helped that U/N had access to two skills from the Hollow Area too, one that boosted their own experience gains and then another skill which gave the entirety of their earned experience points to the other members of their party. This meant I was getting more than double the experience I normally would be getting for each mob we killed.
But even if I levelled all the way up like that... I'll need to make sure I'm the more appealing choice for U/N to team up with. After all, U/N and Philia had been in here together, so Philia might be the more likely pick of the two of us. Actually... if U/N isn't at the maximum level, wouldn't Philia be a higher level than them now? She was in the Hollow Area for a lot longer than U/N was, so she'd naturally be the higher levelled player of the two... right? Well, unless she didn't actually do much levelling before U/N showed up. She did always seem to be more timid when it comes to battle, and with her main equipment being a dagger and that small shield of hers. So I guess she got the same treatment as I'm getting now, then? With U/N carrying her through the entirety of the Hollow Area like they basically did with all of us throughout our time in Aincrad!
It's quite likely that Philia will be quite out of my reach for the time being, in terms of level, so I'm definitely going to need to step it up and have U/N bring me into this place as often as possible until I overtake her. Otherwise... she's going to replace me. I... I don't want that. I thought that if I stayed behind on the lower Floors and took care of the respawning Floor Bosses in U/N's stead, that they would be really impressed with me. That they would see me as the only logical choice to... But that's not what happened. Instead, all I did was put space between us both, and now all the other girls have taken advantage of that. I'm basically at the bottom of the ladder in comparison to the others, even those new girls seemed to be closer with U/N than U/N was with me. At the very least, U/N always looks out for ways to help their friends, and they saw that I needed help. So I've got to do the best I can with this opportunity if I want to make up for lost time. That's why I showed up so early today after all, and why I wanted to get us both out of town before anybody woke up: it was my best chance at getting some time alone to play catch-up.
I've some tough competition; Lisbeth and Philia in particular. But I... I don't plan on losing!
U/N: "Hey, Rain? How close are you to your next level up now?"
Rain: "Hmm? Oh, just one or two more mobs should do it I reckon! Why do you ask?"
U/N: "Oh, it's nothing. Just that it's starting to get a bit late into the day, don't you think? We'll probably have missed the group's meal now, so I guess we'll just have to get something from an eatery from one of the Floors we've got access to on our way back. That won't be an issue for you, will it?"
Rain: "Huh, have we been out here that long? I didn't even notice... Well, I guess it's just like they say: time flies when you're having fun! And it's always a fun time when I'm with you, U/N~"
U/N: "Oh? Uh, well thanks. I could say the same thing of you too! It's always a good time when I party up with you, Rain! So, are you ready to head out? I'm not sure what's actually available, but I'm sure we can find something!"
Rain: "Actually, I think I have a better idea... Let's head back to your place, alright? You don't mind me using your kitchen again, I hope?"
* LATER, BACK IN AINCRAD *
* Y/N'S POV *
Despite my protesting, Rain was really quite insistent in cooking yet another meal for me. I did my best to offer alternatives, but each and every one got shot down for a various number of reasons. So, eventually I relented and I allowed Rain to escort me back to my room at the Inn on Floor 76. From there I really tried to push it so that I would be the one who was actually going to be cooking the meals for us both tonight, but again I was defied — but at least this time she had a decent enough excuse.
Rain: "I still owe you from that time you treated me to a cake for my birthday, and, well... I have been wanting to get some more practise for a while now. You know, with the whole maid café thing?"
And so, with her persistence, I relented and allowed her to have full reins of my kitchen once again whilst I sat at the dining table alone, wondering just what it was that she had planned for this evening. That, and replying to the messages I had been getting from our other friends throughout the day. Almost everybody was curious as to where I had vanished to, with it now basically being common knowledge that I was sleeping in until just a little before noon most days now. But with my room empty and my location being "Hollow Area" it left me with quite a few messages from the group asking if I was alright. Not that I blame them, of course, I did basically just not exist in Aincrad today at all— what with Rain pulling me out of bed so early in the morning and not being finished with me until after they'd all retired for the night. And the way she was acting today too, it leaves me wondering... was that intentional?
Rain: "Sorry, sorry! I hope I didn't leave you waiting too long, Master?"
Y/N: "Eh? m–Master?!!"
Looking towards the source of the voice, I saw her emerging from my kitchen, Rain had returned with an entirely different look than she did when I left her. No longer adorning her combat attire, she now looked... like a maid that you might find in a maid café. But this isn't the same outfit that she had the last time she dressed up for me, right? Just how many of these maid outfits does she have at this point?!!
Y/N: "Rain? What's with the—?"
Rain: "Here, to start you off I brewed this tea for you. It's Chamomile, so it should be just fine to have before you retire for the night. If you'll excuse me, Master, I'll be right back with your meal in but a moment."
Y/N: "Wait! But—..."
But it was too late, Rain had already excused herself with a curtsy and made way for the kitchen once again. This left me sat alone at the table once more, but this time with the teapot of chamomile tea and a cup filled with the same tea. And neither of these were mine, so that would mean... but Rain didn't head back to her room first, we came straight to mine. Has she been carrying all this on her person the whole time?!
Rain: "I'm sorry for the wait, Master. Here, I made this just for you... An omelette rice!"
Y/N: "Oh? You, uh, huh..."
Rain: "Hm? Oh, is it not to your liking? I would be happy to make you something else, if you'd prefer? It's just, well... I thought I'd keep it simple for my first time, being a maid for someone like this and all."
Y/N: "It's not that. I just... I've only ever had an omelette rice once before. My parents never really integrated all that much with Japanese foods, so my only real experience was with... well, an old friend of mine I haven't seen in... quite some years now. Even before I got into Aincrad... I wonder how she's doing..."
Rain: "Sounds like you were quite good friends. But you stopped speaking to each other? Why was that?"
Y/N: "She moved away. And I was a stupid little kid at the time, I managed to convince myself that she had abandoned me and left me to struggle to integrate into this country without her. By the time I realised I was in the wrong... too much time had passed, so I just left it. But I remember she was trying to learn to cook, even as a kid, so she could help around the house some more. And she... she made me an omelette rice. But she didn't beat the eggs enough, and she used the wrong temperature for cooking it too. I remember it tasted awful, and she looked so dejected when she put it on the plate. So I told her it was the best thing I've ever eaten since coming to Japan. I ate every last bit of it too. Heh, I still remember the panic on her mom's face when she saw I actually ate it!"
Rain: "D'awww... That was really sweet of you! You've always been a pretty swell person then, huh? I'm not sure whether you'll be happy or not to hear that my attempt didn't meet such issues, the cooking system in SAO doesn't really give me the option to. It's either well cooked or burnt pretty much!"
Y/N: "Yeah, a system that really worked well for me. It meant that I didn't have to excel at cooking to have something nice to eat. I just needed to level my cooking skill enough and not mess up the simple asks for the recipe!"
Rain: "Teehee, you're just like always! I was going to try making those, uh, burgers that I remember you used to be quite fond of. But I didn't have all the ingredients on hand for that, and... well... I kinda wanted to try something else that they do at Maid Cafés, if that's okay?"
Y/N: "Sure, I guess I don't mind. On one condition, though."
Rain: "One condition? What would that be...?"
Y/N: "That you have something to eat with me. You've not had a proper meal at all, all day! Don't think I forgot!"
Rain: "Ah, right... I guess I haven't, huh. But I only made this one serving. And by the time I make something else, yours will have gone cold... that would make for awful service as a maid!"
Y/N: "Well then, why don't we just share this one? This is a pretty big serving, it should be more than enough even if we only have half each!"
Rain: "I... I guess... but I really wanted to..."
Rain had started mumbling here, and she was fiddling with her fingers now too. Whatever it was that she wanted to do, it seemed like it was too embarrassing for her to say out loud. But Rain's never been the type to get embarrassed, she always said whatever came to mind without issue. It's one of the things I like about her, she never beats around the bush, she'll just come right out and say whatever is on her mind. It makes interactions with her so much easier than basically everybody else in this place! But if even Rain is getting embarrassed now...
Y/N: "What was it you wanted to do? Whatever it is, I'm happy for you to do it."
Rain: "...Really? Are you sure?"
Y/N: "Of course! Whatever it is, you go for it!"
Rain: "Well... alright then..."
She still looked a bit unsure of herself, but it seemed I had said enough to spur her back into action. And she was now navigating her inventory for something, something she found quite quickly and would then materialise. Is that... a bottle of tomato ketchup?
Rain, with the bottle in hand, was now making her way back to the side of the dining table. But it wasn't the same side as when she dropped off the tea and the omelette rice. No, this time she was standing directly behind me, leaning over the chair I was sat on; her stomach gently pushing against my back as she leaned further in towards the table, and the omelette rice that was in front of us both now. And then, that was when she started to gently speak to me in hushed words...
Rain: "m–Master... You're very kind to let me partake of some of your food. But even still, I haven't even blessed it yet. Let me just decorate it for you first..."
And so she did, it seemed she had gotten quite some practise in with using the ketchup bottle to effortlessly draw on the omelette rice she had prepared. Her arms on either side of me moving so fluently as art was committed to this temporary medium. And so expertly did she manage this feat that it was over almost as soon as it had begun. Leaving the omelette rice decorated with a single word surrounded by two filled in hearts...
♥ FRIEND ♥
Rain: "And now... f–for the magic words... *ahem* kyun kyun~!"
And after the 'magic words' had been spoken out, and the omelette rice had now been blessed by Rain's efforts, the maid fell quite silent as she took a couple steps back away from behind my chair, her body no longer leaning down on me.
Y/N: "I, uh... Thank you, Rain. That was... That was quite something."
Rain: "...t–thanks."
Y/N: "Now, uh, why don't you come and sit down next to me? I'll cut this in half and then, well... I can go get another plate and fork for you so that—"
Rain: "No, no! Allow me! I remember where you stored all your crockery from way back when, when I used to help you set up for all those gatherings we had in your room. Remember? You're quite the creature of habit, Master, so I know they'll still be there today."
Y/N: "Oh, alright then... Oh! But whilst you're there, don't forget to grab yourself a cup too, okay? You made quite the amount of tea, and I'll need your help drinking it all!"
Rain: "Of course, Master."
And with one more curtsy, Rain once again left the room to return to the kitchen. The whole experience was kind of awkward, but I know that this was just her getting some practise in like she's been wanting to do. For when she gets out of Aincrad back to the other world and has to go to work. And whilst I've never been to a Maid Café before, I know the basics of what goes on in one. Her calling me "Master" and being so overly affectionate was just part of the typical employee's act, so I did my best to not let my awkwardness mess up Rain's flow.
Hopefully now, that she'll be sitting at the table and eating with me, she might put all that on pause for the time being though. And then we can go back to a more normal conversation... Ah, and that's a thought, we definitely won't be able to mention this little performance around the others, for Rain's sake. Both to save her the embarrassment from the girls, but also to avoid Klein and any other guy players of similar interests learning that Rain has such skills and equipment on hand... I guess that's just yet another secret I must keep...
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