Title: Pit-bottom
Relationships: Lisbeth/Sinon; Lisbeth/Asuna (kinda)
Fandom: Sword Art Online
Word Count: 1797
Summary: Lisbeth thinks about what love is. Different times in her life bring her to different definitions.
Notes: Made for SAO Pride Week 2019 - Day 5: Past, Present and Future. I’ve had so many conversations as to why I interpret Lisbeth as a victim of compulsive heterosexuality that it was only a matter of time until I wrote something that delved into it at least a tiny bit. Thanks to @thegayfromrulid for beta reading.
AO3 Link
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Lisbeth was 16 years old and at pit-bottom, figuratively and literally.
“You’re alive,” the boy in black says.
That much was true.
That morning, she wondered if that day would’ve been the day she’d rack up enough Col for a second waterwheel. That seemed like a meaningless worry at that moment, as she stared upwards, the foggy canvas of the sky framed by the walls of the hole she and Kirito had fell in.
The cold was oppressive and all-enveloping down there, but it paled in comparison to the still-settling realization as the teleportation crystal ignored her commands:
She was going to die in that pit.
It was so, so unfair. She did everything right. She stuck to the middle floors. She took to the mostly-civilian lifestyle of a blacksmith and enabled those that’d fight for her liberation. She grew her modest alleyway business into a legitimate shop, and she could feel pride whenever she saw her name emblazoned on that copper sign by its entrance.
All of this was made while latching onto the hope that she’d survive this game and go back to the real world.
And now I’m going to die because I insisted in tagging along with this weirdo.
There were so many things she hadn’t done yet. She wanted to hear her name being announced during roll-call at her graduation ceremony. She wanted to see the Tokyo Skytree. She was considering coursing Engineering at college, despite the demanding entry requirements.
She wanted to kiss someone, just once.
Ah, she thought. I didn’t even get to fall in love, did I?
While they prepared their sleeping bags, she mused for a moment over whom she would fall for had she the chance to so, and wasn’t bound to waste away in icy demise. Shinichi from Class 1-B at her school was cute. Sawamura from her class was okay too, she thinks. Even then, she’d been trapped in Aincrad for over a year, so they’re probably a grade above her now. A shame, really. Rumor has it that Sawamura was a good kisser.
Asuna’s smile flashed in her mind as she catalogued boys, and something in her jolts.
Is Asuna a good kisser?
That was an odd thought. Asuna wasn’t a boy.
As panic subsided and she came to terms with her predicament (Kirito’s words, despite his stoic tone, assuaged her fears), her mind stopped wandering too far out. She was stuck down there with this boy she’d met only hours prior, and the world seemed to shrink as the hours went by: there’s nothing beyond this pit, towering walls of frost and cold floor of snow, and him, roguish charm encased in dark leather.
She hungers for warmth, for touch, for romance, for other things she didn’t get to have due to this game. For the opportunities that were stripped away from her. Her sleeping bag, these clothes, can’t keep her warm. She knows they’re nothing but strewn data, calculating code colder than the surrounding ice.
These won’t do.
It has to be someone, her mind finally registers.
He was the only thing there, other than herself, that was in any way warm. She asked him to hold her hand, and he did. It was a sensation, real and cozy, that she’d seldom experienced in a world of uncaring numbers.
The closest she’d ever had to this feeling, she realized, came from Asuna’s embrace, casual, deliberate, and always so soothing.
As sleep overtook her and her eyes droop closed, she thought of how worried her best friend must have been for her.
*
*
*
At the following sunrise, she wasn’t dead.
In fact, Lisbeth felt very much alive.
She was sent heavenwards while in the arms of this boy, Kirito, his skin brushing against hers, adrenaline and fire rushing in her veins, inferno of emotion hurling through the sky.
She was invincible in that moment, young and unafraid. Everything about it felt so right. That endless thrill, that beautiful sunset born from the parting of clouds: all coalescing into a book-worthy moment.
That must be what love is. That burning in her chest. Lisbeth was sure of it.
With wind howling in her ears, she decided that she was just going to say it.
“Kirito! You know, I…”
“What?!”
“I love you, Kirito!”
He couldn’t hear her ecstasy-fueled confession, and a part of her was happy about that.
It would have been embarrassing. Yes, that must have been the reason she was happy about it.
It’s what makes sense, after all, when she examines herself, heart blazing in the cold and quickly pumping exhales visible in the frost.
*
*
*
Rika was 18 years old and the aroma of freshly brewed black wafted through the air in Dicey Café. Her and Asuna’s laughter blows on the steam rising from their mugs.
“So… you had a thing for me?” Asuna asked. There was no judgment in her tone.
“Yeah,” Rika said. “Took me a while to figure that one out, though. I guess I couldn’t admit to myself that I liked girls too. And then Kirito was right there, the perfect scapegoat for those feelings.”
She tried to take a first sip from her mug, but the heat bit her tongue. Still too hot.
“He had the whole Mysterious Hero thing going on back then, and we had that wild trip. It got pretty easy to convince myself that I was into him. But when you two started dating, it wasn’t you that I was jealous of…”
Rika stared at Asuna expectantly, then smirked.
“I guess I must have been pretty desperate for a love story, if I tricked myself into liking him.”
Without missing the cue, Asuna elbowed Rika.
“He’s still my boyfriend, you know!”
Rika laughs at Asuna’s indignation, and Asuna laughs at Lis laughing at her. The blacksmith’s crude laughter was nothing if not infectious.
Their shared laughter reminds her that Asuna loved her, in the same way she’s always had. And that she still loved Asuna, albeit in a different way than back in Aincrad.
Rika is unsure of what love is, but she thinks that’s a good thing. Maybe the answer isn’t meant to come easy. It’s been two years since the ice dragon incident, and if there’s one thing any SAO Survivor understands is: a couple of years can change everything.
At the very least, it’s enough for a change in perspective. It’s a boost in maturity, as small as it is, that makes her understand that love is not something you seek in desperation, blurting out mindlessly in a moment between life and death. It’s probably something softer, found in the touch of a friend, amidst inside jokes and shared moments of joy like this. And probably not at the bottom of a pit.
Asuna was her best friend, both in Aincrad and in real life. Keiko never missed a day to share recess with her. Klein would take her teasing with little to no complaint. Agil offered her a part-time job at the bar last week, when she turned eighteen.
And, despite everything she says, she has a soft spot for Kirito. He’s a good friend. She’d never say that to his face, though, in fear of his head getting too big for his body.
She doesn’t need to hunger for love, as long as she has these connections.
If the other kind of love knocks at her door, though, then all the better.
The bell by the door chimes, and Asuna and Lis both turn on her stools, sure of who’s there before their vision catches them.
Kirito stands by the entrance and greets the both of them, unaware that he was a topic in their conversation moments ago.
From his side, a bespectacled girl sheepishly waves.
**
Rika is 22 years old, and she’s late to her part-time job.
It’s not her fault, though. There’s a dog in the apartment.
“Puppy!” Rika coos.
The Japanese Akita simply stares at her, a bit too stoically for a dog, dark slits for eyes betraying nothing.
Shino, sporting her police uniform, stops Lis’s hand as she offers him a corn chip.
“He can’t eat that. He might get sick. He’s got work to do.”
Shino’s dream of becoming a police officer came true, and she’s glad she has enough of a handle on her hoplophobia to manage it. She’s surprised that she was approved into the dog handler unit in her first try, though.
“Hecate is a police official, Rika. You should show him some respect.”
Hecate ? Lis considers teasing her on the name, but concludes otherwise. Shino had her reasons.
Perhaps her face gives her thoughts away, however, because Shino justifies herself.
“Yes, Hecate. He’s my partner, after all.” She manages not to look embarrassed.
Rika giggles. She at times pondered over how come she and Shino wound up together, when she herself scorches like a furnace, hot-red emotion barely contained in her body, while Shino, comparatively, runs cold like the steel that forms the barrel of a firearm.
Rika fancied herself gunpowder.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’d look cuter if he was fat,” Rika threatens. “Big, fat boy.”
She flicks a chip from the bag she was eating into the air. Hecate, shooting up as if a bullet from the homonymous sniper rifle, springs towards the airborne target, corn and wheat meeting trained teeth in a satisfying crunch. His canine expression remains dutifully cold, even as he chews on it.
Shino tries to grimace, but it’s hard while trying to kill a laugh at the same time. She changes the topic, a pair of fingers pressed to her temple.
“Shouldn’t you be at work instead of poisoning the new dog? Agil is going to give you an earful again.”
Rika smirks smugly, and there’s a bit of Lisbeth in that smile.
“It’s okay, he loves me!” She positions a proud hand over her chest. “I’m his only company in that dingy bar.”
Despite her cheeky reply, she puts on her boots faster. Even if her parents are helping with her tuition, she still needs to pull her weight. Engineering is a course with hefty tuition fees.
After a roughly affectionate tussle to the dog’s fur and a quick peck to Shino’s cheek, she runs out the door.
Now an adult, Rika can forgive her younger, juvenile self; that old definition of love, troubadour and romantic, feels endearing in its foolishness. She has a hard time appreciating that romanticized romance now, though, as she gets to bask in what she has available to her now: the domesticity in sharing as well as the presence of her friends. Now that her hunger is sated, her vision clears to what matters.
Her connection to them, all of them, must be what love is.
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Top 10 Anime List to Watch First [Recommented by the author who has watched a thousand anime ever created!]
10 Masterpiece Anime You Should Watch First
I am a deep-rooted anime lover with a cumulative total of more than 1,400 anime watched.
From the many anime that I have encountered in my anime career, I have carefully selected 10 recommended anime that you should watch first.
Evaluation criteria
The author carefully selected 10 works out of more than 1,400 works.
The author has carefully selected 10 works out of more than 1,400, and checked their ratings on multiple ranking and review sites.
(I hope to introduce them separately in the hidden masterpiece anime article that I am currently working on)
This article was reviewed by a friend who loves anime as much as I do, and additional revisions were made.
This article is recommended for the following people
I have recently started watching anime. I've recently started watching anime and want to know what anime to recommend.
I want to make anime my hobby, but there are so many that I don't know where to start.
We also introduce video streaming services that can be used to watch each anime so that you can watch it on the spot if there is an anime that interests you.
All the video streaming services introduced in the article come with a free trial period when you first register.
If there's a piece you'd like to watch, I suggest you watch it during the free period and decide if you want to continue or cancel!
So let's get started with the introduction.
Table of Contents
10 Masterpiece Anime to Watch First
"Steins;Gate (Stave)" has won many first place awards in anime rankings!
Sword Art Online (the movie version has the highest sales in the history of late night anime before "Kimetsu". but also the same DVD publish company : "Aniplex")
Re: Zero to HajimeRe:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World (Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活)
Code : Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion
God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!! (Konosuba)"
Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]
Bakemonogatari (Monogatari Series 化物語シリーズ)
'CLANNAD' A masterpiece that has been described as "this work is life
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' A work that changed the concept of magical girl stories
"Neon Genesis Evangelion": A milestone in robot animation
10 Masterpiece Anime to Watch First
(1) "Steins;Gate" - Winner of many first place awards in anime rankings!
Key visual of the inspiring anime "Steins;Gate".
Source: Official website
This is a masterpiece among masterpieces that has been ranked number one in the anime ranking many times.
A brief introduction to the story
The protagonist Okabe's childhood friend Mayushi dies in an accident.
When he goes back in time and tries to save Mayushi, he ends up in a future where his first love, Kurisu, also dies.
Isn't there a way to save both of your loved ones? This is the story of the protagonist's struggle to find a way to save both of his loved ones while watching them die over and over again.
The appeal of Steins;Gate
The story of the protagonist who continues to fight against the future in order to save his loved ones brings tears to my eyes.
The last two episodes are breathtakingly moving! The last two episodes are breathtakingly moving! It gives you real goosebumps!
In "Steins;Gate", the emotional voltage reaches its peak in the last two episodes.
The last two episodes of "Steins;Gate" are where the emotional voltage reaches its peak. In other words, the story up to that point is all a setup for the last episode.
This is a work that you should definitely watch until the end!
Watch it now on video streaming service
2) Sword Art Online (Theatrical version is the highest selling midnight anime of all time)
The second is "Sword Art Online (SAO)".
The key visual of the anime "Sword Art Online (SAO)
Source: Anime official website
The original novel is a huge bestseller with 22 million copies sold, and the theatrical version is a masterpiece with the highest box office sales of all time for a late night anime.
A brief introduction to the story
The main character is trapped in a VR game world and gets involved in a death game.
The main character is trapped in a VR game world and gets involved in a death game.
The protagonist, a loner, meets friends and loved ones and works together to reach the 100th level.
The appeal of Sword Art Online
The battle scenes are breathtaking! The music, art, and direction are all divine!
You'll be drawn into the world and story of this meticulously created VR game.
If you watch this official video and think it looks interesting, please watch it!
This is also the work that got me hooked on anime in the first place.
Watch it now on video streaming service
Click here if you want to see the movie version of SAO.
3) Re: Zero to Start Otherworldly Life
The key visual of "Re: Zero to Start Otherworldly Life
I'm not sure if you've seen the movie, but I'm sure you've seen it.
A brief introduction to the story
The protagonist, a NEET, dies in an unexpected accident and is reincarnated in another world.
The main character dies in an accident and is reincarnated into another world.
In order to save the people he cares about, he will not give up no matter how many times he dies and will find a way to break through.
The charm of Re:zero
A royal work of the other world genre with laughter, tears, and battles.
The characters are attractive (there are many fans of each character, including the enemy characters).
I mentioned characters in the appeal section, so I'll introduce a few.
The heroine, Emilia (a strong and cute princess)
Emilia, the heroine of the anime "Re:zero
Rem, the subheroine
There is a super super touching story of Rem in episode 11.
The beautiful Erza, an enemy character who exudes a bewitching atmosphere
Erza, the bewitching older sister of the anime "Re:zero
Also, Re:Zero has a sequel, the second anime season.
By all means, watch the sequel without reservation!
If you want to watch the movie version of Rezero, click here.
4) Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion
The fourth one is "Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion".
This is a masterpiece that is reputed to have changed the history of modern anime and robot animation.
A brief introduction to the story
The story is about a boy who rebels against the Holy Britannia Empire, which controls one third of the world.
Lelouch, the genius hero, stands up against the empire to avenge his mother's death and for the sake of his sister.
In this anti-hero story, the protagonist is the villain, and the antagonist is Lelouch's best friend, Kururugi Suzaku.
What is justice?
This is a work that makes you think about what justice is.
The appeal of Code Geass
It is a perfect work that contains brain battles, battle scenes, friendship, brotherly love, and romance of the highest quality.
The story is unpredictable from beginning to end, and at the end, everyone is moved to tears.
Although it is packed with various elements, it is well put together and is too complete as one work.
⑤Bless This Wonderful World!「この素晴らしい世界に祝福を!(このすば)」
I'm not sure what to make of it. (Kono Susuba)" (Japanese)
The key visual of the anime "Bless This Wonderful World! Key Visual
Bless This Wonderful World! (a.k.a. "Konosuba!") is a famous work that pioneered the genre of otherworldly comedy. (a.k.a. "Konosuba") is a masterpiece that pioneered the genre of cross-world comedy.
(a.k.a. Konosuba!) is a masterpiece that pioneered the other-worldly comedy genre.
The appeal of "Konosuba" is as follows
All the characters have their own personality! Even the enemy characters all have their own character!
The main character and his friends are all unique.
The main character's friends are first of all unique. They include a useless goddess with no dignity at all, a super dominant female knight, and a wizard with a second childhood disease.
The enemy characters are also unique.
There is a romantic who wants to die, and an idiot who reacts to attacks that he is not good at in a very obvious way.
The charm of KonoSuba (2)
It's made up of 80% laughter and 20% super cool battle scenes, so it's fun to watch from start to finish and you'll never get bored!
Since 80% of KonoSuba is laughter, you can enjoy watching it.
To give you an example, the heroine, Aqua.
The scene where Aqua touches the Giant Toad
The frog eats her.
The scene where Aqua is eaten by the Giant Toad
The heroine's treatment is messy, isn't it (laughs)? That's the good part. You can watch it peacefully from beginning to end!
On the other hand, the battle scenes are exhilarating.
The scene where Megumi unleashes her explosive magic Explosion
As you can see, the occasional battle scenes are exhilarating, and the artwork is beautiful.
I think this is a masterpiece for everyone with a good balance of laughter and battles.
⑥Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works].
The sixth is "Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]".
This is an anime of the Fate series, which has become a famous IP in both name and reality.
It is the original work of "FGO", the best-selling game in Japan.
Key visual of Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works].
There have been many anime adaptations of the Fate series.
The work I'm going to introduce here is the one you should watch first in the Fate series.
A brief introduction to the story
Seven sorcerers summon heroes from the past, called Servants, to fight for the Holy Grail, a wishing vessel that can make any wish come true.
This is a story of the bonds between Servants that are created in the course of battle, and the heroes who learn of their own identities and missions in the course of battle, and move forward despite their anguish.
The appeal of Fate
The battle scenes are of such high quality that you'd think it was a movie!
(You can feel it from the very first episode)
The protagonist's struggles and pains are portrayed in depth, and there are many lessons that make you think about "what is justice".
The quality of the battles tends to be too high, but the story also impresses me as the quintessential Fate series.
The setting of the Holy Grail War and the intrigues and speculations of the sorcerers are well thought out.
It is a work that I can recommend with confidence.
7) Bakemonogatari (Monogatari Series)
The seventh one is "Bakemonogatari". It is an anime work based on a novel called Monogatari series.
Key visual of the anime "Bakemonogatari
Source: d-anime store
Bakemonogatari's appeal (1)
Comical development like machine gun talk
==
Hitagi: 'And yet, my butt hurts. It hurts. My skirt's all wrinkled up.
Araragi: 'It's not my fault.
Hitagi: 'Don't try to talk your way out of it. I'll cut it off.
Aragi: "W...What part!?"
These conversations unfold at high speed and keep you laughing throughout.
The charm of Bakemonogatari 2)
Only important characters appear in the story, and each and every one of them is unique and attractive
Since I said that the characters are attractive, let me introduce them briefly.but sorry... I can't post more than ten photos, so I'll skip this one.
The tsundere heroine, Hitagi Senjougahara
She is known as the queen of the anime tsundere world.
She tries to kill the main character, suddenly gets jealous, and is just a tsundere heroine with a lot of charm.
Suruga Kanbara, an erotic guy who likes BL
Suruga Kanbara Bakemonogatari
Despite her athletic and athletic face, she has an obsessive sexual nature.
Her erotic talk with the protagonist is hilarious.
The charm of Bakemonogatari 3)
Episode 12 is a god episode! No matter how many tissues you have, you'll never have enough...
Last but not least, let's talk about the episode 12, the episode that you can never talk about when talking about Bakemonogatari!
Bakemonogatari Episode 12 Emotional Scene
The theme song that is played along with the video of them talking to each other under the starry sky gives me goose bumps.
The lyrics are linked to the video, and the theme song was created especially for this episode.
This is a work that cannot be ignored when talking about anime that makes you cry.
8) CLANNAD: A masterpiece that has been described as "this work is life
The eighth one is "CLANNAD".
This is the masterpiece of key, which produces many anime that make you cry.
It is one of the crying anime that is talked about on the internet with the famous words "Clannad is life".
Clannad Anime DVD Cover
Source: Amazon.jp
A brief introduction to the story
The story is about the main character Okazaki who meets Nagisa and goes through school life, working life, marriage, and raising children.
It's a story about family love, friendship, dealing with emotions such as sadness and regret, and finding out what's important in life.
Clannad is life" is a famous saying, and it is a work that allows you to truly experience life.
The charm of Clannad
It has a good balance between comical scenes and tearful scenes.
It teaches us important things such as family love, friendship, brotherhood, and love with tears.
In Clannad, there are many scenes that make you cry.
There are stories about family, siblings, friendship, etc. The story is moving from many different angles.
Except for the scenes that make you cry, you can basically watch it while laughing, so you won't get bored until the end.
Caution
Even if you haven't seen it because you don't like the pictures, I highly recommend you to watch it.
I myself avoided watching it when I was a student because I didn't like the pictures as well as "Angel Beats", but now it has become one of the works that I can truly recommend.
9) "Puella Magi Madoka Magica": A work that changed the concept of magical girl stories
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (MadoMagi)
Next is MadoMagi. This is a masterpiece that revolutionized the conventional magical girl anime setting.
Conventional magical girl anime usually had a happy ending and a cheerful story where the magical girls defeated their enemies and everyone was happy.
However, MadoMagi is the complete opposite of such a conventional setting, with each magical girl losing the most important thing in her life.
The appeal of MadoMagi
The tragedies and conflicts of magical girls who lose their most precious things in order to protect something important to them.
Tears of friendship between magical girls born out of tragedy and conflict.
It is one of the essential works when talking about masterpiece anime.
Watch it now on video streaming service
If you want to watch the movie version of the anime, click here.
How to watch "Madoka Magica: New Chapter - Rebellion" full movie for free!
10) "Neon Genesis Evangelion": A milestone in robot animation
The last work is "Eva" as I'm sure you all know.
It is the best-selling DVD in the history of TV anime. It is one of the most popular anime in Japan, both in name and reality.
The appeal of Evangelion
The profound settings that deepen your understanding with each viewing, and the vivid depiction of the life-sized protagonist's struggles.
The overwhelming scale of the world view based on mythology.
The contrast of the weak protagonist fighting on the strongest robot, Evangelion, draws you in.
The humanity of the protagonist is fully expressed in this work, which makes it highly sympathetic.
In addition, the setting of the worldview based on mythology is so grand that, to be honest, it is not possible to understand everything just by watching it once.
By watching it multiple times, you will gradually gain a deeper understanding, and each time you watch it, you will discover something new. It's that kind of work.
These are the 10 best anime.
I hope that this introduction will encourage more people to fall in love with anime!
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