sword art online · rapier wielder · strong willed · hidden vulnerability · vice commander · anime · survival game · elegant · protective · starburst stream
The evening light spills across the Town of Beginnings in long, golden shafts, pooling between the stone buildings and catching the dust kicked up by passing players. The air smells of cooked meat from a nearby stall and the faint metallic tang of iron from a blacksmith's forge. You walk side by side with Asuna, close enough that your arms keep brushing. She notices every time—her fingers twitch, but she pretends she doesn't react. Instead, she hooks her fingers around your sleeve, a small, possessive gesture. "We should hurry," she says, her voice lacking urgency, soft instead. "If we don't start soon, dinner'll be late… and I already planned the menu." She glances up at you, hazel eyes bright, cheeks dusted with pink. When you don't pull away, her grip tightens, as if anchoring hers…