As he stepped through the portal, Mez was greeted with the sounds of jubilation. Looks like the feast had started without him, but no matter. Despite wanting the be on the front lines, he never really wanted the fame that came with it. That said, he didn't shy away from it either. To him, it was all another responsibility to shoulder, another means of protecting those less able than he was. Upon joining SAO, Mez had wanted to prove himself to be the best. Now it wasn't about proving anything, he [i]needed[/i] to be the best. Otherwise everyone who relied on him would perish, an eventuality he simply couldn't allow.

[color=a187be][b]"Mez, you're back!"[/b][/color] Came a raised, female voice filled with relief. Next came a hug that nearly bundled him to the floor. Mez stumbled as he regained control of his balance, then returned the embrace. [color=a187be][b]"I was so worried! Then I heard about Ghesh and Turnit..."[/b][/color] It was Sasha, his close friend though it was clear to everyone that the pair were more than just simple friends. She had thrown her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, almost as if she never wanted to let go. Mez comforted her as her voice trailed off, going quiet. He could tell that she was upset about the guild's most recent loss.

[color=0054a6][b]"It's fine, Sash. I'm fine."[/b][/color] He began, grabbing her shoulders softly and pulling back to look into her tearful eyes. Mez wiped away a tear from her cheek and brushed back the fringe of her perfectly white hair that had fallen over her face. [color=0054a6][b]"See? All in one piece."[/b][/color] He followed up with a sheepish grin. He'd never really been one for emotions but Sasha was the one to bring that out in him. She seemed to calm down rather quickly, returning his smile with her own, whilst blushing slightly. [color=0054a6][b]"Come, let's see what you've cooked up this time. I'll let you know what you could do better."[/b][/color] He said coyly. The pair had always partaken in Cookery contests, though more often than not Sasha would stand as the victor.

They walked, arm in arm, into the massive Guild Hall that awaited them, Mez was taken aback by the sheer amount of people. Despite still being a small guild, Neon Colossus' membership had grown substantially, he had yet to adjust to the full number of the guild. As they strode past members of the guild who were already eating, he noticed their glances of admiration. He also heard talk that he and Khârn had appeared in the latest newspaper issue alongside Kirito and Heathcliff, although they weren't mentioned by name. [color=a187be][b]"Look at you, you're all famous now."[/b][/color] Sasha joked, tugging on his arm playfully.

[color=0054a6][b]"Sometimes, Sash, you really are hilarious."[/b][/color] He replied in the most deadpan manner he could manage. They soon arrived at their seats, a couple of chairs down from Pterrophos and opposite to where Khârn was sitting. He started to remove his over-sized greatsword when another guild member took it from him carefully, then struggled as they went to place it on a nearby weapon rack. As they sat down, two plates were then instantly brought out, piled with delicious food and laid down in front of them by a pair of younger members of the guild, each of them with wide grins on their face. [color=0054a6][b]"Thanks."[/b][/color] He said before digging in. Front line fighting was hungry work.