To say she was nervous was well something that didn't even cover how she was feeling right now. Isolt was don't right scared. She didn't want anyone thinking she was switching sides on anything but she needed to talk to someone and she needed to talk to someone on the other side. She needed to understand what the hell had happened with the Elves and what had caused all the horror that she had witnessed. She was also not sure how she felt about the game being so real. So very real. It wasn't going to make her stop playing it was just making her think that she might have to treat this as not just any kind of game. As not just a game and the npc's as not npc's. There was something else going on here and she'd have to figure that out for herself. But right now she needed to well she needed to talk to someone in her guild. She needed to get to the source of what she felt about sticking with or leaving them. She had to figure this out first and foremost before everything else went awry.

Isolt had Sent Gwyn a message and they had decided to meet her in Brisshal. She figured it would be neutral as they could get territory. It was where they usually spawned and she just prayed no one here thought any less of the other players. She sat down outside of one of the cafe's and she waited for Gwyn to arrive. There were far to many thing running through her head and she was at least wasn't still covered in worm goo. She laughed at the thought of that. it was something she could sorta laugh at now. At least her worry about being covered in it. She tried to keep her mind focused on what she was going to as Gwyn and they both needed to talk. To eachother about this.

@Gwyn ap Herne

 

With the battle having long since settled down, Gwyn had taken the chance to go through the notifications on her UI to see something odd. She didn't exactly get many messages, none to be completely frank. Perhaps she just didn't seem the approachable type, like that one friend who never answers their except with a 'yeah' if you ask if they're still alive. If even that. However she couldn't not answer such a sweet little thing like Isolt. She felt wretched that circumstances had put the small Felis on the opposite side of a horrendous and morally nebulous war.

Voice mail

I'm glad you guys didn't all die and that support got you up. I'll see you in brisshal i..really just need someone to talk things out with and i don't want to talk to steel right now because he had so many other things to worry about. and i'm really not sure how to feel about all of this. See you there soon.

From: @Isolt Veera

At that it was set and Gwyn didn't back out of anything unless unsavory characters or actions were involved and even then she'd normally hand around to watch said people or things go down in flames. Justice wasn't her shtick, but it still tasted sweet to see it be wrought. There wasn't anyone here though that she could judge. Not in this. It'd be grievously unfair to judge herself pure or at fault and she had no moral high ground over Isolt. She moved through Brisshal comfortably. No one stopped her if they noticed the VALOR tag that damned her as a guild member who had turned on Falderen. The people in the starting area were simple, bound to their tiny, pointless tasks. The huntress slipped easily into the small town Isolt had chosen and sat quietly across from her when she spotted the Felis outside the cafe they had agreed upon. "Hey, Isolt," she spoke softly, posture curled inwards somewhat as if she already felt the weight of the coming conversation. "It's been a long couple of days, huh? ....How are you holding up?"

 

Isolt had choosen Brisshal for two reason. One being the fact that it was neutral territory and two because she didn't want people looking at Gwyn the wrong way. She herself had already admitted to those that knew her in the task force at the keep that she was a part of team Valor. so people were probably not sure what to think of the felis girl for that matter. But because she had saved lives and because she had choosen to stay they looked at her in a far better light in Stokbon then they would have Gwyn. And so the place to meet would be the most neutral of territory. The places were people were busy making sure new players were starting out alright and all of that.

She was sippin on some tea she was totally going to try to make taste better in coming days. She liked to improve upon things and then hand it back to the people that had made it too. So everyone could benefit from what she had found. She hadn't opened her own shop yet and she was just sorta hanging there in the balance like many of those who once called the forest home. Some stayed some came with them to the capitol but still it was fresh in the minds of everyone and everything around them. She shook it off at least it wasn't here.

She looked up at Gwyn with a smile on her face. When the other sat down. She had bought tea for her too. "Hey, and yea it has. I"m at least not covered in worm goo anymore. I'm well i'm not sure how i'm holding up. I went out shopping with another member of the support team that stayed behind and i met a little one who's mom had been working in the kitchens and have been playing with that little one after i got them settled into their new home. so its going okay and i'm holding up okay but i'm still at a loss for why all of this happened." She looked down into her tea. "I know we all did what we thought was right. and i don't really know if there really was a side in this that was completely one hundred precent right or one hundered percent wrong. It feels so convoluted and like we are missing alot. And it feels so real. like this isn't just a game."She was still staring into her tea and then she looked up at Gwyn her eyes could tell her she was so full of confusion and loss at even the thoughts of what either side had to go through. Maybe she was too empathetic or too young to understand these thing. granted she outside of game a history person and eighteen. here in game she played sixteen and no sixteen year old was supposed to understand this stuff right?

@Gwyn ap Herne

 

Gwyn pulled out her seat and tried to settle as comfortably as she could manage. She was still on alert for players that might think to earn some quick reputation with Falderen dealing with one of the traitors. She chewed the inside of her lip wondering how bad she would have if it they knew she betrayed long before her guild made the call. It probably didn't look to good on a resume now did it. But @Isolt Veera was kind, the town was small, the people were busy. She forced herself to relax and took heart knowing she could probably put down most new players. Her archery was becoming something to fear the strike of.

The huntress accepted the offered tea with a smile. She didn't drink it often and didn't care for most kinds of it, but she didn't care or hate it enough to turn it down. Bitter leaf juice it was. It was only polite after all. "Yeah the whole Ancient Vampire Wurm Guts were worse than the Ancient Vampire Wurm. At least it died and that was that. I still have stains on my armor from all the blood though." She snorted in amusement and sipped at the tea as the Felis spoke. The air became heavier as she moved past the recent efforts she'd made to help the people in Falderen. The gray morality of the conflict was anything but stark, muddled and confusing. However, Gwyn didn't doubt she'd picked the wrong side. She only slightly doubted if there was a right side. If all they knew so far was true then the elves had no choice and she certainly wouldn't have kicked up and let demons slaughter her family and friends when there was a place yet to run and a chance yet to fight.

She sighed and reached up idly without thought to drag her fingers through the long ponytail, puling it over her shoulder to comb through with her hands as she thought. The ranger didn't really play with her hair, even as Sabine in the real world, but it was a comforting motion. They could all use a little soothing. "Violence is never a good thing, but when it comes to human nature and looking back on our history... sometimes violence is an answer. Never the only one, but sometimes the best. You can't fight genocide with peaceful protest or just... sitting back and letting it happen. I don't blame the elves and I don't think they're evil until I have a damn good reason. Falderen just says that they're evil? And that they kidnapped civilians. In actuality they were just scouts finding safe places to head south." She gestured helplessly with a hand, but kept the other steady only the mediocre drink. "I do, however, have proof that Falderen has lied, manipulated adventures into killing elves and their druids, and keeps slaves. That was enough. Civilians were never a target and I'm glad people like you stayed to help ensure they got out safely."

The ranger leaned back in her seat and reached beneath the top portion of her new armor. The chest had been from the Yladian side, thick leaves with small flowers woven into a tight fitting jerkin. She loosened the top of it to leave a small pocket of free room between the shirt underneath and the medium armor above. From it she lifted out the mini-pet who had been hidden there. "Say 'hi,' Diop." The small, black rabbit trembled with wide, green eyes and turned to stare at Isolt nervously. "Or not, maybe in a bit," Gwyn cooed and stroked its soft fur before waving down an NPC who worked at the cafe to request a food with greens for her to share with the small beast. It didn't need to eat, but that was no reason not to let it enjoy herself. Diop brought her some comfort. She wondered for a moment what the solid, wooden egg would produce when it hatched. A new friend for the rabbit, perhaps?

"I won't deny we're missing a lot of information. We have no idea how far back the history of this world goes," she sighed. "As for the reality of this place, it's funny you bring that up. Sera and I had a conversation about that during the night before the castle fell. This place grows, evolves, withers, dies. The people here are their own and have families, friends, jobs. They do exactly what we do back home. I don't know if they're anything more than pixels and code, but that doesn't mean they aren't real, yanno?"

 

Isolt hoped that Gwyn being with her might keep people from doing anything too stupid but then again she wasn't sure how they were actually going to view her talking to someone that had betrayed them on the other hand though many already knew that she was part of one of the groups so it wasn't like it took her long to explain that she hadn't betrayed them. Still she was glad that Brisshal was well busy with people that would have to be stupid enough to think they could win against Gwyn. Isolt was not fighter at least not as much of one as the others were. She could do something but she only really did things to hunt that was all. For the cooking and alchemy supplies she needed and all that. She shook it off mentally when Gwyn started talking about the worm they had fought. The one they had fought the blood was just as bad.

"If we hadn't of had some of the soldiers with us. We would have all died I think with the worm we faced. None of us were really all that skilled at fighting or anything. I mean a few could fight but thanks to the commander we survived." She ran her hand through her hair. She wasn't sure that she would ever feel right about what happened. They were as a guild supposed to help the common people. But she wasn't sure why they couldn't have helped both Falderen and the elves. Or some something that made it far less bloody and the people not lose more than they aready did. She looked back up as she listened to what Gwyn had to say about everything. She couldn't understand how they could be manipulated. They had the choice to go looking for information before they went on quests on finding it when they were even on them. So she wasn't sure how that worked. Of course aside form an easy quest two she hadn't really taken anything like bounties or anything like that. If there were a game she wouldn't really think it was anymore than it just being a way to gain money and all that. But since the whole this she was almost afraid to take anything as a quest from anyone.

"As adventurers we can ask questions and find things out or find them out as we do quests. We had a choice to not end the quest or do something else. At least that's what I've always found in games. You can just stop the quest if you find that something isn't right with it. I don't understand how you can get manipulated unless you want to be. And as far as lying goes doesn't everyone lie. No one is one hundred precent without lies save for maybe a baby." She shook her head. She knew that they weren't targetting the civilians but they were caught in the crossfire and shouldn't have been.

"what about the soldiers. They were all fighting on orders and that's okay. its okay to kill them. It was okay to attack before people were awake. I mean i know that out right murder of scouts is never a good things either. or spiritual people or anything of the likes. and i understand the element of suprise and the element of surprise is always gonna catch someone off guard. But the little boy. The one i helped out with his mother. His father had died in the beginnings of the attack and he was nothing more than a kitchen hand." She shook her head. "I'm not saying it was wrong that they used the elment of surprise. And i' not saying it was wrong that they were fighting to have a place to stay or against what the Falderen's have been doing them. I guess i really don't know what i'm saying. I think that just everyone turning tale and betraying the place that opened itself up to us to be their adventures. that it wasn't a good idea to do that. and i understand you had your proof. but i guess i don't understand the proof. Being a different race doesn't help me much either. My race and the fearin are used as apprentices and as help and its not like we get to advance much. I mean we can make a name for ourselves but in this place is seems like that's about all we can do. So that tells me that the human's here don't like anything really that isn't them." She shrugged that off and tried to think for a moment.

"It doesn't seem that different from the real world. I mean there we are all human but depending on our race the world viewpoint is changed right. Slavery is a part of the history there and a part of the history here. So i don't know. I don't think you choose wrong and i dont think i die but because there is other elements to this it just might be odd for a long time. i mean part of me isn't even sure about, well about sticking around in the guild. I mean, i kinda betrayed Aaron but staying behind when he told us to attack. i just didn't feel right about it. and i'm not sure how that's going to hold sway anywhere. both for any reputation i have with Falderen and you do with the elves. I'm not keen on player run kingdom either. I...i don't know why but it seems like something that near too outta place for here but maybe that's just me." She bit her lower lip and looked at the pretty little bunny that seemed afraid so she kept from petting the bunny herself. She wasn't sure how you got people to change their minds in something like this. the Falderens now had a reason to believe that the elves were evil and she didn't exactly think they were. She believed like the others that they were running from something else but she wasn't sure how to explain that they weren't as evil as they may seem not with bodies that couldn't be laid to rest because everyone was too scared to go to the castle to claim them.

Tears started to cloud her vision and she did her best to not let them fall but after a few moments of silence they did. she wasn't sure why this hit her so hard but she would work through it she was that type of person.

@Gwyn ap Herne

 

Gwyn didn't find the least bit of peace imagining someone like @Isolt Veera facing down one of those wurms. Sure, she enjoyed the fight like any other, but there were plenty who didn't relish the danger of battle or the besting of a beast. Isolt didn't seem the type and something so small compared to her nudged a protective quality in her. She was glad her arrows would never set their thirsty sights on Isolt. The thought of a Swallowtail Shot finding her was a terrible one. "I owe that commander thanks then, though I don't think any Falderen's are keen for any thanks of mine, huh?" She said with a bitter laugh, staring down into her tea as she fell silent to let Isolt speak her peace as well.

"We can ask and we can do research, but this is a game. At least, to most players it is. In other games there isn't any of this-" she cut off to gesture around them- "any of these people and nations and moral ambiguity. This place is too like the real world and no one expected that I think. I think they should have looked more into it, but I don't think anyone expected for a game to be like this." She had never played video games as a child and had only watched family members or teammates from sports teams at sleepovers or parties play them. Nothing had seemed anything near this and what she had heard of VRMMORPG games before this one when she looked them up? Besides SAO, this was unique. Even then they were different in their own way. That game had been story after story of players, not NPCs, causing issues. The politics of the real world were still unique, but in this world? There wasn't a set story. At least not one she could see or predict. "As for Faerin, they're still slaves too in some places according to the game lore. I've as much a problem with that as I do the elves. And regardless of our races, they can tell we're different. That we're dangerous in a way they can't ever be as players. But no... no I don't think it's right to kill soldiers, civilians caught in the crossfire, I don't think war is ever morally right. I'm also not a fan of traitors, but the difference is that I never stood inside the castle walls before I picked my side. If I'm going to fight for something I'm going to do it right. I may strike from afar, but I don't slit throats or stab backs. Others? Others I can't speak for and you'll have to talk to... well, the rest of the entire guild. They were in there when the tides turned, when the decision was made. I was a bit busy at the time."

She lifted the tea to her lips and sipped it gingerly, nose scrunching up at the taste before she gave in and soldiered through it. Might as well bite the bullet. Isolt's voice grew heavy as she spoke about the guild itself and Aaron and Gwyn was quick to place her tea back down. "You didn't betray the guild. No one is mad at you for doing what was right. And it was right, Isolt. Helping people? That's never wrong. If anyone in the guild says shit to you I promise I'll feed them to my snake, okay? Armor and all. As for the player kingdom, I don't like it either. Not at all. Especially the name. King Astor of Astorea-" she snorted, "how pompous." The huntress tried to make light of it, but it seemed the heavy emotion of their conversation tanked further and further. She couldn't blame her. She felt like crying too from the helpless frustration of it all.

With steady hands she reached out for the Faerin's in an offer of comfort. Gwyn spoke as soft as she could manage, her body posture kept open and welcoming despite her nerves. She didn't know how to fix this. Not for her, for the NPCs, or for Isolt. "I won't tell you not to cry. But if you need something, anything, Isolt... I'll help however I can." She pulled her chair closer and angled it so that her back blocked the other girl from the sight of any NPCs that happened to pass by. Luckily the streets were calm and empty this time of day in the smaller town. Gwyn felt like she should hug the poor thing and shield her more, but she didn't know how the other would take that particular action. It would be too presumptive, even if each tear was breaking her heart a smidge.