Well this obviously is nothing like Boston whatsoever. Ozwin thought to himself rather annoyed. He honestly should have just stuck to walking around the city until he hit the coast since he was heading to the docks to find work but had instead entered the city from the west thinking to take the shortest distance. Unfortunately the streets were nothing like he was used to being a born Bostonian and just when he thought he found something familiar it was a mere coincidence that got him further off the path. Oh sure he knew which direction was east, he wasn't an idiot... it was just the streets he found forced him to backtrack a lot and some neighborhoods just didn't feel safe. That and he was crossing a very large city on foot. Rather as he went further along he realized the harbor might not be where it was in real life. He tried asking for directions and when someone didn't try to take coin he didn't have for directions he was either ignored or given the names of landmarks he knew nothing of and was treated like an idiot bumpkin when he tried to get clarification! What sort of game was this? Ozwin didn't even have a stick to his name, was completely skill-less, had no direction and was brushed aside by the NPCs! ... Actually he was really impressed by the NPCs, he would occasionally forget mid argument they weren't real people. He might actually think about suggesting people use this to train for service industries if it wasn't such a difficult sell. But that didn't help him right now. He quickly learned that asking after player characters and the real world irritated the NPCs and seemed to have something in their programming but he really did need to figure out how to find someone who would actually understand his questions... So the next plaza-like area he found he did the one thing he could think of that would not cause the NPCs to freak out on him while hopefully grabbing himself someone else from Boston or at the very least a player character. Ozwin climbed up a short wall and began singing in a loud and proud voice, "Where it began, I can't begin to knowing, but then I know it's growing strong." There wasn't a soul in Boston who hadn't heard Sweet Caroline in the seventh inning stretch of every Red Sox game since well before he was born. He also supposed other people knew the song as well so long as they didn't live under a culture-less rock. He tried to get more attention by projecting his voice more and building up the next couple lines in the hopes that not only would a player character would start paying more attention but also that the NPCs would quite down a bit out of curiosity. Sure his singing voice was just alright but it was simply a good enough song to cover up for that. But then the important part came... "Hands, touching hands, reaching out, touching me, touching yooooooouuuuuu!" Oz paused to catch his breath for a moment before saying loudly ignoring the fact that an entire street of people was now paying attention to his impromptu performance, "Anyone here who knows the next two words speak up!" He wouldn't normally dare be able to do something this embarrassing in public but it was just a game and it wasn't like these were real people for the most part... Unless this happened to be the PC gathering area and he just made a complete spectacle of himself... Hmmm. Yeah he would probably die a bit of embarrasment if that were the case.
Wandering through Stokbon, it was probably only her second or third time there. Somehow, Harveste had opted not to pay attention to where she was going even though she was very well aware she was easily caught in mobs, whether it was monsters or people. Instead, her eyes were stuck on the magical book she'd just bought, wanting to get used to it and learn it's power carefully. Despite not looking, however, she was fairly good with sounds- and the sound of song caught her off guard. Shoving the book back into her inventory, she thought the song, an old favorite she'd tried to learn to play on the piano due to enjoying country classics, was a sign. It was a sign to tell her where to go- and it was then that she saw him, a stranger on a wall. His singing was what she'd heard? He had a nice voice. It kind of made her want to join in! He'd said she only had to speak up- but that was too simple for her. Not when she wanted to have some fun in an old hobby. Without thinking, she started sing, using the higher side of the vocal spectrum and letting the words out freely. "Sweet Caroline~ Good times never seemed so good. I'd be inclined to believe they never would. But now...I..." She stopped as she noticed a couple of weird looks- that, and the realization he hadn't actually continued singing. Face turning a slight crimson shade, she swallowed her pride in a gulp of air. It'd been fun, singing like that without a care in the world. When was the last time she'd tried to let others hear her? Smiling, she waved up at the man on the wall instead. "Your voice is really nice! Next time we should sing in harmony!"
Ozwin blinked in surprise. She is so small, I wonder if her parents know she is playing such a game... No he didn't consider the fact this small child could just be sometimes completely original avatar since he only adjusted his own body a bit nor did he take into consideration that the different races had some startling physical differences. He hopped down from the wall when he realized that he just let this kid go on singing by herself and knelt down to be more eye level with her. "My voice isn't half as nice as yours chibi but sure we can duo up next time." He always had a soft spot for kids and pat her head a bit while being careful not to mess her hair up. "I'm rather new to this... well everything honestly." Standing tall he cast an arm around the kid's shoulder and pulled her over to not the middle of the street since he had realized the were hogging the road a bit. "It's a great spirit of adventure that pulled me into this world though I have little knowledge of how to actually act in accordance to that spirit. Since I am barely a few hours off the wagon I can only assume anyone who I meet has more experience on their hands." Knowing that kids loved nothing more than being treated like adults he took her over to a free table and pulled a chair out for her with a flourish and lent her his hand to help her sit gently and push her chair back in. It didn't hurt to treat her a bit courteously and he honestly did need her help after all. "So little miss, it is imperative that I ask you for your assistance as I am... well I am pretty lost right now. I really have no idea how to use skills or anything, handle equipment, get around, telling who is a player and who isn't and in general finding out where to go next. Honestly I was just going to try and find the harbor in this city and see if I could find a job as a sort of... I guess a fantasy world sort of whaler maybe? Do you think they would take a crew out to hunt sea monsters and such? Rather what are monsters and magic and such like in this game? You would think they would have a proper tutorial or something... Uh right rather rude of me. Ozwind Ahab at your service miss...?"
She didn't like that she was getting used to her head being pet. In fact, she was starting to like it when people did that. While she knew it was usually done to treat her as a child due to her appearance, it wasn't as troubling as if it had been done offline. That thought sent her shivering. It always did bug her being mistaken for a kid! "You're quite eloquent, aren't you sir? Your word choice feels as though I'm speaking to a poet." Her smile was gentle, warmly lighting her small and round face. His later actions, as she sat in the chair he'd found for her, only made her wonder moreso of his background. "If I didn't know any better, I might assume you a nobleman. Your manners are more of such a status than many. At least, based on my recognition." Still, he was seeking experience- and while she'd had some time to get used to things, she didn't know just how to explain the things he needed to know. "To know a player or not...To be fair, even though I may have a few days more experience than you, that's not easily done. I don't think even more experienced players have a true way of finding others. One way can be how you're treated. People from our world tend to be much more emotionally showing than those of this one." Was she really trying to give advice by sharing how little she knew? It felt truly foolish- but it was the truth. "As for menus and such...It's all about hand motions. Depending on your skills, such as with magic, you can try to just speak a spell if you've memorized it from your skill list. But..." She thought for a moment, and tried to sample the hand signals she used for herself when going to menus, explaining the details crisply. "Sorry, I know my description might not be very clear. This game takes more than just time. It's best you just take your time getting used to things." Timidly, she held a hand out to him upon his introduction. "I should apologize as well. I got so interested in our chat I didn't even think of not knowing your name, let alone sharing my own. I'm Harveste. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Ozwin blinked with a small amount of confusion at being compared to a poet and nobleman. After a moment though he involuntarily gave a brief yet sharp and projected laugh, briefly interrupting the little miss before him. "I apologize for cutting you off there little miss, but poet seems a bit too noble and praiseworthy to describe me and nobleman too wounding and shameful. I am nothing but a scoundrel, perhaps a rake would be more apt a term, and green hand waiting to join a crew and learn of the sea." He had mixed feelings concerning the difficulty of finding real people mixed in with all the AI as while it made his life a bit more difficult... well it was actually extremely impressive. Ugh that sounds like it will be a rather large pain in the future. Then there was the menu bit... after moving his hands around in a half enthused manner he finally got some of his character information to pull back up. "Yeah its all here... Though it doesn't appear like I will be able to do anything in particular with them yet. Particularly not with Aeromancy, though at least it seems if I fall I can slow my decent a bit. Polearm... Nothing apparently that just means I can equip one and swing it around hopping to hit something, that is too realistic game... Hunting... Hunting... Investigation mode improvement?" He read for a few seconds before sticking his index and middle fingers to his head and hopped a bit in surprise and quickly turned it off. "A lot of time will be needed indeed, but this much is already greatly appreciated little miss Harveste," he took the hand offered by the kid and gave a small peck on her hand, "May the seasons to come be gentle on you and that you become quite a bountiful Harveste." Yes that was a little bit of a teasing pun but she was a cute kid, so perhaps a good ten years down the road she might become quite a bountiful young woman in a different sense than her fortune, it wouldn't hurt to plant some goodwill now so it may bud later. "I must admit though that instead of hopping straight onto a ship or finding adventure... I am rather curious as to what the food of this world tastes like. Would you like to join me for lunch as a thank you, perhaps have a sweet treat? On my journey here I did manage to get my hands on a few coins... kicking some chickens that attacked me... Goodness it is even more embarrassing to say out loud that it was in my head. I came into this game to hunt sea monsters, not to fend off the attacks of poultry..." He was actually blushing a bit at the memory of having to DESPERATELY fight off chickens... Rather if the chickens were that hard to kill... But no he would cross that bridge when he got to it.
"Can a seaman or scoundrel not be poetic and noble in his own right? I'm certain they're words that can be used for anyone, no matter what they might truly be. They describe the heart, after all. And a man with no nobility wouldn't be nearly so kind to me, not even if they were asking help, would they?" She smiled sincerely, words wisely chosen from her repertoire. "Though, I believe I may not be the only one mistaken a bit. While your wordplay may amuse me as much as a gentle summer Ozwind-" she paused, realizing she'd still fallen into the trap of using a pun of her own- "While I may be small, part of that is because I'm a faerin. I'm actually an average height for the species I chose when I created my character." A timid giggle left her lips, entertained by the man's attempt at treating her both as an adult and child at the same time. "I may not look it, but I'm an adult offline. Not much bigger, but that's just because I stopped growing kind of early. Though...With how easy it is to mistake me, maybe I should pretend to be a kid for real? I do kind of like getting my head pat..." Shaking the internal conflict of whether she should've bothered with her blabbering, she looked at the man yet again, a slight rose tint to her face from the realization and embarrassment. "I see, you're the type that gets attacked rather quickly? I'm actually accustomed to it myself. For some reason, even in a peaceful part of the forest, I've managed to get mobbed by monsters that felt like they appeared out of nowhere. No poultry in my case, yet...But I wouldn't doubt it's coming with my luck." Would her words reach him? Would they help him in some way? "But...A bite to eat sounds nice. I can pay for my share though. I'll just confuse you for a gentleman more if you offer to treat me like that." A soft murmur of a voice was what she held as she stood from her chair, prancing next to him and holding a hand out. "But I will ask you to lend me a hand, quite literally. I'd rather not get separated from the crowd. I rather like our time together, so far. It'd be a shame if my ability to get caught in mobs were to obscure it here."
Oz stared blankly at the... apparently not child. There were other race options weren't there? He hadn't even bothered to look at them. This chibi was a grown woman... and of average height for her race... It was a bit heartbreaking, he thought gloomily while patting the chibi's head without thinking much about it. Such a cute kid was never going to grow up into a fine woman, and there was apparently a whole race like this... the gods of this virtual world were definitely cruel beings indeed. He ought to give them a piece of his mind. He ought to actually beat these gods up and force them to at least freeze the aging of these cute things after another good 10 years of development if not a bit more actually. 15 years more might be more spot on looking at Harveste... 20? He put his fingers to his temple and gave a long studied gaze. This probably wasn't the intended use of investigation mode. "Yes," he muttered almost too quiet to hear, "it might be best to treat you more like a kid then... along with the rest of the Faerin. Such a cute little face never making the transition to a grown beauty... It hurts my spirit deeply..." He continued to pat the poor girl's head while in deep thought... The mention of the poultry again hurt his spirit further. "It wasn't so much that I got into a fight that bothers me but... I had to be serious against a bunch of chickens.......... Goodness that is a pathetic sentence." His spirit was so damaged at this point he only began to pay half attention to the conversation, nodding emptily for the most part though he still absorbed bits here and there. Hmm she was afraid of getting separated? Rather than holding her hand he easily picked the small girl up and swung her around his back in a piggyback position and casually walked on down the street making the two look like a brother and his little sister. "You probably want something sweet don't you... probably a cake place would fit you best. You are already fully grown... it just isn't right... Wait they don't make you chibis go to war in this world do they? If they do, I will need to knock some sense into more people... Ah I have barely even started this game and I already have knocking some sense into gods and kings on my checklist. Rather monsters have even been attacking this small girl for no apparent reason. So many things are wrong with that... should I keep an eye on her then? But does that mean I will need to take in all the chibis I come across? Actually since is a game I might actually meet gods and kings... Alright I will just need to remember to give them all a piece of my mind in recognition of chibi rights. Oh ice cream, two strawberry cones then please, keep the change... Here you go kiddo... But wait... how does the race... Yes, I will need to beat the gods up quite thoroughly." He stopped walking in the middle of the road forcing angry cart owners to curse him as they went around him. He turned his head and began focusing on little miss Harveste directly again, "First, if some guy comes around trying to do adult things with you tell big bro here so I can use them as chum. Second... you wouldn't happen to know where we are do you? I can't even seem to remember which direction we came from."
"I made a small character because I wanted to feel taller. I know it sounds funny, but I'm pretty short compared to most people my age offline. So feeling taller than my character is kind of nice." Her laughter was nervous, especially as the man proceeded to nonchalantly swing her onto his back. Timidity mixed with endearing thoughts left her rosen face almost scarlet, as she hid her head against his back, noticing how even the warmth felt realistic. "Faerin are second rate citizens to most of the NPCs, but I haven't been sent to war or anything. I'm probably no use there anyway." Laughing a bit more easily she felt the air catch in her throat rather suddenly. She hugged herself a little bit tighter against the man that carried her as he spoke of giving the gods a piece of his mind- that very word was a trigger, and not a good one. Shaking slightly, she could feel an impulse to cry into his back, trying to use his warmth to soothe her aching heart. "C-Can we not mention things like gods? I died in a cathedral recently, so I'm really scared of those kinds of things still...Dying is pretty brutal here, you see..." Like a flood, she was given flashbacks of the cathedral in question- and how brutally she'd died, even though it had been a quick death, if nothing else. Eyes starting to tear, she was snapped out of it by his ordering the ice cream for both of them. "H-How did you know I'd like strawberry? Are you a mind reader?" She managed to laugh despite the crippling fear that haunted her mind, which was trying more than just desperately to keep it's wits with her. "I'm not that good with directions, myself. I've only been in this town once or twice. Someone led me each time because I was lost and getting caught in crowds. I really was never good with cities. When I play the game, I try to be less like myself. It's nice being able to do things I normally can't. For example...I'd like to go with you to the sea, at least once. I want to smell the sea with my own self, even if it's only a dream."
Oz grimaced through the little miss's tale and began adding more people to his mental list to knock some sense into. What bastards around here were picking on these childr... chibis? Killing them even! Who the hell would go around and kill one of these kids?! He would do more than beat them up! They are also going to go into the chum bucket! As for her question, it was a good opportunity to move the subject to one less stressful for her. "Really? How do I know you like strawberry? I can't even see your face right now cute stuff and I will bet that before you finish eating that ice cream you will likely get some on your nose. I know the phrase don't judge a book by its cover but it is hard not to assume looking at you that you go to bed quite early compared to most people, have a second stomach for sweets and own underwear with a bear on them because you thought the bear was cute. I will also think you still occasionally use a nightlight but use the excuse of using the light for reading and 'forgetting' to turn it off. Of course I realize that unlike me your avatar could be completely different to your real appearance but still you come off as a bit of a ditzy thing who would lose her glasses on top of her own head. I assumed you like strawberry because you come off as a cute little lady." "... As for the sea of course you are going to get to smell it. Play in it too. I want to judge if they can at least get that part right. The smell... the taste and feel of the salty air. The gentle waves over your toes as the sand under your toes gets pulled away. They better have all that correct and more. There is no point of conquering the sea if it doesn't have the proper romance to it." He took another turn and found another dead end alley and sighed in exasperation. "Damn it all... hold on tight, I am getting tired of this... oh and hold my cone." He simply began climbing the wall with Harveste on his back. Sure this sort of thing was probably frowned upon but if anyone had complaints he would tell them to take it up with whoever the idiot city manager it was they decided how the roads around here would be set up. "Let's see... oh it looks like there is a big street over there! Looks like at the very least it leads to the water if not the docks." He climbed the rest of the way up the wall and pulled open his menu looking at something. "Well it should work fine..." He tapped on a spell and began reading it, and just before he was almost done with it he stepped off the wall. Right before meeting the ground though he finished the spell and a burst of wind shot up that would have caused his jacket to pop up if it wasn't for the chibi helping to hold it down... Though he now had to pretend like he didn't see anything when he turned his head around to check on her. "Well my legs do not feel happy with what I just did at all, though the fall wasn't nearly as bad as it should have been. Still that seems to have taken a scary amount of my stamina bar and a bit off my hit points. Gonna need to look more into that in the future. Onward to the sea.... er well... onward after you fix your... you just might want to straighten you clothes up a bit, just in case, not that I saw anything... Just mention if you see something you want to check out along the way then." He began to walk on towards the direction of the coast after giving Harveste a moment to catch his hint.
She could feel herself getting a mixture of paler and yet more red as he spoke. Calling her cute was something she wasn't quite accustomed to (or rather, likely never would be). However, that he got most of his guesses right was a really scary thing to the young woman. "I'm not the type to go to bed early, and I don't have that kind of underwear-" She paused. What was she talking about? Why did she blurt that part out? An idiot! She was an idiot, just nonchalantly telling him what kind of panties she did or didn't have. "Erm...You're right about a lot of things though. While I dont' like nightlights, I do lose my glasses on my own head. I'm definitely someone with a sweet tooth, though I could only wish I had a second stomach so that I wouldn't get fat eating them. My self control is pretty bad...As you probably figured out." Her timidity was not playing nice with her that day. It was only making her embarrass herself more, and this man was somehow good at dragging that out of her- that, or it was because she was unusually safe from danger for once, being on the back of someone strong and careful. "I don't know what the sea smells like. In fact, coming here was the first time I got to smell a city or a flower. I have congenital anosmia...I can't say if any of the things I smell are accurate, but I can say they make me happy just to be able to sense them for the first time in my quarter of a century." As he spoke of the romance of the sea, she could only giggle, taking hold of his cone while desperately trying not to fall backward- after all, she only had two hands, and now neither of them could really hold onto him. He was doing all the work. "Wouldn't it be easier for you if you put me down...? I don't like straining you like this. Plus, your talk of the romanticism of the sea, which I surely agree with, kind of makes it sound more like a date." Laughing sincerely, she took a small lick at her ice cream, trying not to make a mess as she did so. When they fell, she could feel her embarrassment rising, face burning as she saw him try to avoid her gaze, and avoid seeing the dishevelled state of her linens. "I-It's kind of hard to straighten up with my hands full...So...I-It's okay if I just use you to hide it, isn't it?" She pushed herself closer to his bck, crefully keeping the cones in her hands. Not used to such delicate juggling, she had to work hard to keep them from falling, especially while she was using his jacket to cover up that which could be seen, just so that it wouldn't bother her so much that it was. "It's times like this where the detail is kind of embarrassing, huh?"
Ozwin laughed under his breath a bit and squat down close to the ground for a moment to let her off and taking the cones so she could straighten up. "Wait did you just say you are 25? When you said you were an adult I honestly didn't expect to here you say you are older than me. Ahh the world is a scary place, this open and defenseless creature could even be living without supervision... Well to be honest you have had more time to train in here so I guess you are at least stronger than me. Here we will just hold hands for a bit since it is a bit difficult to eat my cone like that. Don't want you wandering off now that I finally know which way we are going." Ozwin had started taking her by the crook of the arm but she was much too short for him to do that without bending too far over to be comfortable before deciding to go with holding her hand. "As for the smell of the city... How do I put this... It does smell like A city but not the sort I am used to. The air itself smells cleaner, no pollutants really though it also smells dirtier because well it doesn't smell as sanitary and there is a strong smell of dirt. You can actually get a tiny tiny whiff of the sea mixed in as well..." They were definitely getting closer. "Something tells me that we are about to start losing a lot of this earthy smell and finally get some direct sea breeze in a block or two." He smiled despite himself saying so. At least this part was the same as in real life. "Also you should know better, but affection is only a part of romance. A large part but still far from the whole. The romance of the sea is that feeling there is a thousand mysteries behind every one of its truths. How something so gentle to gaze upon can be the most violent force in this or any world. How foreign she can be despite always being there, observed since time immemorial. We have been fed and taught by the seas for as long as history and more people have been swallowed by the sea than you would ever want to know. Terrible place for a date though because that great siren can pull a person from the greatest of loves... The age of sail has ended in our world though, the great adventurous spirit has been lost and the greatest extent most will do is stay on her beaches and occasionally dip into the shallows." Ozwin could taste the salt in the air and unconsciously began walking a bit faster, pulling Harveste along. "People are so used to safety and comfort these days but no matter how much our civilization advances we still all fear the ocean to some degree. A respect that is ingrained in our instincts. Yet in the past there were many who were either pushed into or willingly challenged the deeps. Fools all of them but how I wish I could be a fool with them. And in this fantasy world the beasts that roam her are even more terrifying. Almost every creature in the ocean fears her despite being born there, but even in our world there were a handful of creatures that held know fear towards her, for they are truly her children. And yet there were those who would hop on large piles of wood and challenge them face to face in their home territory. Creatures that could crush ships and take many blows and more men died at their wills than they died of ours. But we advanced, ships of wood became ships of steel, large enough to store a number of whales and sharks with little effort and weapons that could kill with significantly less effort. But in this world..." He had began running without realizing it upon hearing the waves and now stared out onto and infinite emerald ocean, his face plastered with a massive grin. It was just like the ocean in the real world... no it was better... this would be the ocean their ancestors knew. He knew that was a silly thing to think but he couldn't help but think it to be the truth. "In this world there are even worse monsters than the leviathans of our world. No, not worse monsters but true monsters. Creatures that can hate and hold grudges, that can plan and dream... Creatures that don't merely see people as food they need to knock off their boats but beings that can truly look down on us and have every right to..." He was trembling in fear and excitement looking at the gentle and inviting face of this ocean. "Boss monsters and world bosses are typically what gamers prepare and quest for... but I am sure that in this world, just like in the real world, the most powerful and terrifying creatures of the land are mere insects to those of the sea... creatures truly free from fear of anything except that caution they hold towards each other... And I am going to be the man that hunts them..." He had a lot of trouble calming himself, he had embarrassingly gotten himself this worked up over a video game. "Oh look, its a pastry shop, right over there. That is actually a bit surprising... I wonder if it is because they can get their hands on sugar easily near the docks? Let's stop in there for a bit, I am curious if they have food we don't have irl."
Letting her feet feel the ground again was almost confusing her, having gotten far too used to the warmth of his back. She timidly brushed her clothes into place, smiling at him as he spoke in his surprise, before taking the hand he'd offered her. "I didn't know I was older than you either until you said that. But yep, I just don't look my age. IRL, I've been mistaken for a kid too. It's kind of troublesome, but...I meet nice people, whether it's here or there. In that way, it's pretty lucky, don't you tink?" Her eyes kept following him as he lead the way, tugging her along after having struggled to find the right way to keep ahold of her. His explanation of the city in which he lived only made her that much more curious. "I don't think my city is likely this clean, but it'd be nice if I could really smell the sea..." The closer they got, however, the more it was starting to touch her nose. She giggled softly, hugging his arm as she finished the ice cream that could drip, but careful not to get him dirty. "Just because I've never been on a date doesn't mean I don't know anything abotu romance in general, you know. I study people quite regularly, and even if only online, I have dated and loved. However...Affection, to me, requires trust. And you've shown me only reasons to feel at ease with you, have you not? Even if you claim otherwise, I can only really judge by how I've seen you so far. And while you say you're a scoundrel...You're far too kind to be a bad man to me." His rambling may have been unconscious, and at one point he seemed even embarrassed by himself- but the more he pulled her along, the more she worked hard to keep up with him, sniffing the salty air and wondering gently what it was like. "The truths and mysteries of the sea are surely compelling. I don't go out much at home...But to me, the sea has always been special- like the sky. I've always wanted to fly across the sea on my own power. To see the hidden lands that sit in it, and watch the inhabitants quietly with wonder." He wandered so much in his words, she could only work hard to keep up with them after a while. He'd made the sea so clear to her, so moving. Without a thought, she hugged him after finishing her cone, wanting to share the warmth he'd given her with his love of the ocean. "Did you know? We too come from the sea...And to the sea we someday return. But even if sometimes it can be a scary thing, the sea loves all of us, I think. And I'm sure it feels your love for it, too. I feel it, so it should too!" Grinning, the topic changed to more food- this time, pastries. Letting herself let go of him a bit, she kept hold of his hand and shyly walked beside him. "You bought me the ice cream, so can I buy you a treat this time? As thanks, and compensation for your kindness towards me."
Ozwin felt himself cringe a bit from embarrasment when Harveste commented on his monolouge. Ah that made him want to hide behind something a bit. "Fine you can buy the snacks this time just please don't let me go on like that if you catch me doing so... I want to crawl under something right now. And stop with the sweet talk, it makes me worry about your judgement skills significantly." Why did he have to be embarrassed in front of this chibi hugging his arm? It was his job to tease this small creature, not the other way around. When they were inside he saw some things that seemed familiar and others that... well weren't. He decided to go with what seemed to be a fried banana with a cinnamon bread as the bun it rested in, a bit similar to the structure of a hot dog except it was basically pure sugar even the banana had caramelized and just leaked sugar. It turned out to be deliciously warm and toasty but he found himself unsure if he could manage to eat something so sugary in a single sitting so he offered a bite for the chibi to try in an effort to avoid waste and drank a bit of coffee to balance himself. "So little miss Harvete, I think I may have mentioned maybe once why I am hear and what I am wanting to get out of this world... But why are you here? And don't spare me the embarrassing details, anything on that front will make it easier for me to look you in the eyes after earlier."
"For your information, I have excellent judgement!" The closest thing to a lie she'd ever tell, she knew she was oblivious- but to her, her judgement felt right, until it wasn't. "While it's true I will never know everything about anyone, I can only judge based on what I know. I judge based on the few facts I have, and as those grow in number, it molds my mind further. No one is two dimensional, after all. Right?" With a bright smile, she agreed to the bite of his food nd immeditely took one without even taking it out of his hand. It wasn't a big bite, but it was sweeter than she'd even expected. Covering her mouth slightly, she felt the sugar that clung to her lips and laughed nervously after finishing the bite with a solid swallow. "It reminds me of the fried bananas I used to get as a dessert as a kid. They were similar in that they had cinnamon crusts, but were otherwise just bananas fried and coated in syrup." The memory was small but special. Her face was still pink, but much more t ease. "I don't think you did anything that embarrassing personally. You've already seen me in a much more embarrassing state, have you not?" Still, he was trying so hard to learn about her. His eyes watching her at all was the embarrassing part. "I-I've never actually been good with people in reality. I don't really go out much...I'm a writer, but I lack a lot of experiences, and without experiences, it's hard to write a really relatable story. In games, I can be someone I'm not normally...I'm bad at lying, but here, I'm not as afraid to talk to someone I haven't met, or to sing in public. I'm not afraid of the city like I would be in our world. I still have my fears, but...I feel able to conquer them here. I guess that's why I started in the first place. My longing to grow, but my lack of strength to do so. I was certain that...if I could fight my fears here...I'll be able to really fight them there too. Do-Does it make sense at all?" Okay, so she could see how talking a lot could be embarrassing. Her face stared at the small slice of cake she'd ordered for herself, a cup of tea beside her that she diligently sipped from, savoring the flavor. In hopes of idly undoing her own mental demise, she altered the conversation by cutting a small piece of the shortcake she'd ordered and offering it on a fork to the man she sat with. "Mine's not as sweet, but it's light and tasty. Try it too. It's more fun to share, right?"
Ozwin leaned forward and ate the cake off the fork and chewed it over for a moment. "Ah that is much easier on me, don't get me wrong this banana thing is quite good but the amount of sugar is a bit overwhelming... And yeah I get what you are saying perfectly. Earlier I was thinking all... this," he gestured towards the world, "The ai and the environment that is, this level of realism would be quite useful in training my employees in customer service without causing the hotel any real world trouble though I think with all the government warnings about this game I would get in huge trouble if I tried to suggest it. But yeah if I tried singing Sweet Caroline to a random street in Boston I would... actually that is a bad example people would probably join in, but anywhere else I would die of embarrasment. In the real world I would probably get myself killed fighting wolves or... well whales are endangered so I can't anyway but here I can do dangerous things without a fraction of the hesitation. Heck, after jumping off that wall earlier I think i will take up a bit of parkour." His legs seemed to be complaining about this idea but ignoring that... He took a napkin and wiped the extra sugar off the chibi's mouth, "So yeah go challenge things you never would or could in the real world. Sing in the streets, try to make friends with the toughest looking bastard in the bar and go get that first kiss you have been dreaming about getting from a prince charming since you were 7. Heck we may be able to find you an actual prince around here somewhere. I would normally volunteer to take the honors myself but please understand, I would honestly feel like a criminal."
