It was rare to see someone with an Augma virtual reality headset on a beach. Sand, after all, would scratch the screen and the salty sea air would easily cause quite a few problems with the machine’s miniature cooling systems and inner workings. In addition to that, the rising tide could do irreversible damage to every bit and piece that made a VR headset a VR headset should it ever come into contact with it. It was quite a risky decision, but for what a young man with raven-black hair had in mind for it, it was a small price to pay for what was at stake. Compared to that, a measly ¥59,999.00 is nothing. In fact, for someone like him, it was chump change. The regal figure of the setting sun cast his orange rays of light over a brilliantly flashing ocean made the high-definition screen pale in comparison. In fact, there was no point in bringing a VR headset to the beach since the natural beauty available far and away surpassed any type of cinematic graphics, no matter how good. Reality, as it stood, trumped artificial beauty. Then again, there also was not any reason for a man dressed in running clothes would be on the shore, his Adidas running shoes and track pants leggings becoming wet from the cascading sea water. This handsome young man’s name was Takeo Kazuhara, CEO of the Kazuhara Group; and as strange as this scene was, the reason for it was even stranger. “Augma dive initiate,” he declared as the image of natural beauty became distorted and overlapped with the view of the sea he had left with when he first created his online persona. When he had first bought the allegedly ‘top of the line’ social simulator game from a discreet source from the internet, he had his doubts for good reason. Being a manufacturer of medical technology and instruments, he was familiar with Meducuboids which are, of course, NerveGear technology variants. Despite knowing that such sinister devices have all been confiscated and disposed of by the proper authorities, the very name still sends chills down his spine. He had followed the events of the SAO Incident from start to finish so he – and understandably, the rest of the world – was still wary about augmented reality technology. However, he was assured by the seller that these new Augma headsets and the game pre-installed within it was safe – or at least that was what he claimed. Takeo knew very well he could not take the seller’s word at face value, but he just suspended his caution knowing that taking this calculated risk was necessary. In any case, this was going to be a dive he would not soon forget. “For my family,” he muttered under his breath before discarding ‘Takeo’ in favor of the in-game handle he had chosen for himself: ‘Yuichi Ichinose’. 2 Hours Later Yuichi stood before the wild crystalline waves of Druuk Island in largely the same manner as his real-life body did, his feet similarly being soaked by the salt water and pinched by beautifully-rendered crab-like things that skittered past his feet. The tide was coming in more aggressively with the waves now reaching halfway past his feet. He could feel his shins getting wet, but still, he adamantly ignored it for it, too, was a small price to pay. Not until he learned how to equip this curious object he had received from a game-wide Event he had participated in just moments after he had registered as a new player. It was just his luck that he managed to score an Ultra Rare pet, but being a ‘newbie’ – or at least that was what the others called him – he had difficulty appreciating this gift. Usually the prospect of winning something of great value was an exciting thing to consider, but this time, the well-built man had no interest in the rarity or in enjoying his new pet in the presence of the waves. Instead, Yuichi solely focused on reading the in-game manual as if it were the most important thing in his life – as if finishing it meant life or death. His stomach rumbled, having not eaten in two hours since his decision to play on the beach but there were precautions to be made and being well-fed was not part of that. Asking for help was certainly not an option either; the childhood trauma of being bullied was still fresh in his mind as if he were still that sobbing child who had been pushed around one too many times. He would celebrate later after he was finished with what he was doing, by himself, and without any help. While he continued his bizarre studies, the sounds of foreign voices could be heard, full of high-pitched moans and shrieks from random sea creatures, but those, too were ignored since nobody was even there to mind them. The device ensured that they were all his own. He had spent two or so hours playing this particular game, and in that time, through trial and error, he reached his latest plan of action. If this did not work, he was going to have to go through some more drastic measures. Everything needed to be perfect. “I sure hope what this manual says is true.”
"I'm sorry, the old Christianna can't come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, 'coz she's dead!" It was what played over and over as an automated answer to the calls she never took that day, a somewhat parody of a line of the latest song that caught her attention over the radio one day. For the brunette, it was what described her feeling that moment, that same feeling that rankled her entirety for the longest time: being dead; if not, that one of worthlessness and hopelessness. That of having an empty pit on her chest as thoughts rushed in her head: why did she not die instead that night? It would have been easier to deal with, than to spend an eternity of feeling dead. In the four-cornered prison where she voluntarily admitted herself, which others usually call as 'bedroom', Christianna Lee lie on her double-sized bed. Her long, brown mane that were naturally curled on its ends cascaded down the feather-filled pillow. Hands were holding each other over her full bossom like how those inside the caskets were made to position themselves. Her azure eyes were staring at the ceiling, teary-eyed as she internally savored on the emptiness of her entirety. The silence of the surroundings was deafening, but the thoughts in her head, if could be heard, could hurt one's eardrum more. Tears rolled down her eyes as she recalled how she used to be --- riding the motorcycle, running around, being with people whom she thought loved her but now were all nowhere to be found, or at least she thought. Then there was anger --- at herself for allowing such misery to happen, at the truck driver who caused her this, and ran away like nothing happened, at whoever deity or powers-that-be that controlled their lives, for making the devil work this way and for not hearing her prayer of having herself dead instead. Cherry lips were bit, too harshly, that the sting became the most pleasurable experience that moment as crimson fluid started to drip down to her chin. Then an audible sigh resonated the walls of the room. Thoughts were cut off, Christianna turned her head to find her older brother, a handsome bachelor in his early thirties with well-toned body obvious from the fitting white shirt he was wearing, by the door. His arms were crossed as he shook his head. He has been watching Christianna all these time. "At least knock when you're in someone else's room," the girl hissed, annoyance was set on her visage. And, as if like a joke, her brother knocked on the door. "Does that suffice?" he asked after. Christianna rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What do you need?" The ones sweet girl, after the incident that happened to her that fateful rainy night, became brash even to her own kin. They just tried to understand her. "You're thinking again too much again," he said as he entered the room. By the bedside was a drawer of polished paulowina, and on top of it, the VR system he and his younger brother bought for her. He picked it up and handed it over to his sister, who was puzzled at the actions taken. "You need to relax. This makes you happy, right?" -------- This place was quite rocky for a beach, yet it still has a beauty comparable to real-life beaches. Christianna --- or rather, Anabelle Zhang in this world, looked down on her lower limbs to find she was with complete legs again. This was the beauty of this game --- here, it was as if that tragic incident never happened. Upon seeing her well-toned legs, a smile finally was etched on her face, something she rarely do in real life. She was happy, to an extent that her purrs were quite audible. Then, she recalled she has yet to distribute her MP to her masteries. She has received 150 of it through an event. For a newbie, it was important. Hence, at the swipe of a hand the menu appeared. For a few minutes, she focused on adding points, not minding the critters walking around the sandy shore or the other monsters perched on the boulders. Good thing they were not aggressive types. Once she was done, she smirked and said to herself, "let's try how strong Illumancy is now." Raising her wooden rod, a skill was summoned from the high heavens. Lightning struck a crab-like creature which caused it to be stunned. "Cool!" she exclaimed. However, things took a different turn after saying those words. Its comrades which was once just hanging out of the beach area had their bead-like eyes on the woman. Five of them ran after Anabelle. Knowing that she could not handle such crowd, the catgirl meowed and ran away as fast as she could ------- even if it looked hard to do because of the bouncing pair she was donning ---- and, unintentionally, towards the direction of another player, a male whom description could not be made as of now because we need to emphasize that Anabelle was in a hurry, who was just standing there. "Meow!" tag: @Yuichi Ichinose
There are times in a man’s life where he would be faced with a situation where nothing he could do would matter as the conclusion of events would be sorely beyond his own power to affect. In such cases, the usual course of action for any normal human would be to raise up his hands in surrender and allow himself to be swept up and carried away by the tides of fate – such was the case when Yuichi turned his head and saw the vast horde of black-eyed crabs chasing a scantily-clad cat-girl with large, bouncing breasts heading towards him while he was fiddling with his character’s inventory and equipped items. It was just not his day, Yuichi told himself; first he was stumped for being inept at basic gaming interfaces, now he was on the verge of being trampled by giant crabs. With his basic human survival instinct causing the young man to instinctively dive to the side into the sea water, Yuichi was able to dodge the wave of skittering crustaceans that hounded the beast-kin, the red name tags on top of the creatures showing their already apparent agitation against the Felin female who did some untold sin against them. They may just be pixelated creatures made up for ones and zeroes, but despite that, the game’s complex system still allowed them a degree of sentience which obviously included their current tactic of overwhelming a bigger, stronger foe with sheer numbers. Yuichi was just glad he was not in the sights of such a group or else he would be in qui— —CRACK The discomforting sound reached the young man’s ears, knowing full well that it heralded a scenario he had neither planned for nor wanted. It could be said that he had been careless due to his senses being relieved by the fact that he had not been hurt by the rampage of agitated crustaceans, but it seemed that now he would be forced to deal with it in the same way the female beast-kin was facing the problem. “Damn.” Back in the Real World… Evening in New York City bustled with activity as stalls and stores lit up their lights and hung out their signs to entice the ever-increasing stream of people into coming before they journeyed back to their respective homes. Advertisers in uniforms and various other costumes flooded the streets, their calls for customers a nostalgic hymn to the end of any work day in Japan. Despite this, there was one small difference on that particular day in that of a single young man running at full gallop through the streets as if being chased by some demon. His sopping wet clothes smelled of salt water and his pockets dripped small globules of wet sand as he ran. Nevertheless, his face still held its statuesque expression which unintentionally created a hilarious contrast with his silly behavior. It was a strange sight to behold, and yet the schoolchildren and toddlers who were with their parents cheered and pointed at the eccentric runner. Was it a publicity stunt? A manner to increase public interest in his brand? Nobody knew, but a day later, news of the Kazuhara Group’s CEO creating a stir with his ‘Running Man’ would fill the gossip page of the local newspaper, much to his own chagrin at that time. Meanwhile… Yuichi’s legs burned with every stride, his muscles straining even though he was an avid runner in real life. He looked back in between every half-kilometer he had ran, but no matter how much or how far he got, the horde of snapping crab-like creatures came at him as relentlessly as what happened with the Felin. Now he knew why she was being chased, and from his own experience, he assumed that it was probably because she had also accidentally killed a crab much like he did. Of course, there was no way to know that she certainly deserved her current punishment for using an innocent crustacean for target practice for her newly-acquired magecraft, but that was another story. As of now, he still could feel sorry for the busty beast-kin. Nearly at the end of his line and breathing heavily from running a sustained race pace for almost five kilometers, Yuichi ran to the forested portion of the beach and bounded up a tree; his adrenaline-induced state making him almost superhuman in that he shimmied up a low-hanging branch as if it were natural despite the fact he had never climbed a tree. He was too tired to notice his feat though; he was just happy that the virtual crabs were now unable to get at him. In fact, he felt strangely satisfied despite being tired. Happy, even.
Everything happened faster than one's heartbeat --- that, or her vision was temporarily obscured by the violent movement of her own knockers while she ran, which made her unable to notice the antics done by the young man standing in the direction, the full dive for his life and the landing on another crab which would, later on, decided his fate. She turned her head, one that was full of light blond locks which danced in the air as she ran for her life, not only to see whether the crustaceans were still after her but also to check what the cracking sound was, Anabelle saw the aftermath of what could have caused the disturbing noise: orange to reddish shells were broken, and flesh were splattered on the sandy shore. "Well fudge," the kitty thought. She already knew what would happen, as it happened to her, but to see it come to life for the second time could be considered a nightmare. An additional set of crabs maddened by the death of their fellow that they started to go after the lean, brown-haired guy who murdered it. And in no time, he was running with her. Apparently, it seemed that the stranger was faster than Anabelle. It did not take a lot of time and he was five to eight steps ahead of her, while the horde was just a meter or two behind her, snapping their long pincers in the air. The catgirl clicked her tongue, ears twitching in annoyance. "Is this guy planning to feed me to all these crabs when he contributed to this mess?" she asked herself, turning her head once again to watch her six. Hence, she tried to run faster, now on four paws, tail up in the air trying to make sure none of those pincers would catch it. The distance between them was lessened, but still, he was ahead of her. "Wow, he's fast! What kind of player is he?" she stood and ran again on hind paws, now her furry fingers on her temples. "Inspect." It only showed his name ---- Yuichi Ichinose, a Human. All other information was blank. "Tchn, useless," she dropped on herself all fours again and ran like how a cat should. Inspect did not help that much. She followed him to the vastness of the nearby forest while she could already feel her limbs killing her. There was also a need to quench the thirst. Something should be done in order to stop these crustaceans from attacking them, or at least chasing them. Heterochromatic eyes gazed up at the stranger --- should she call out his name and ask for help? Should she ask him what was the plan? Should they help each oth---- okay that seemed not to be one of the options. Her shoulders dropped upon seeing the man climbed up a tree with haste, leaving her down the dirt to deal with the crabs. While as a cat she could actually climb a tree as well, it was too late for her to do as one of the crabs got her tail. "Meowch!" she exclaimed, gritting her teeth in pain. She struck the monster with her wooden rod its carapace several times before it let go of her tail. But at that time, it was late to escape. She was already surrounded by crustaceans, snapping her in different parts of her body, reducing her HP. Portions of her once smooth and flawless skin became sore. Portions of her long mane fell like leaves plucked out by the wind falling down to the ground. She was groaning in irritation and pain. She swooshed her rod multiple times as it produced orbs of bright blue darting towards one of the crustaceans. Not one of them was a critical hit, but managed to take away 20 health points. "Raaaaaah!" Empty hand opened the palm menu and tapped on the same spell she used earlier to stun one of them. It was a success; one of them stopped moving, but there were others who continued to attack. "What is this even, a gang rape?"
Expecting peace to finally descend to his virtual existence, Yuichi never thought that solving one problem would give rise to yet another one just as quickly as he dealt with the previous one. While he was safe high off the ground from the threat of imaginary crustaceans against his avatar, the other person in the play-area was now the focus of the full brunt of their snapping rage. The sounds of battle filled the air, her effort apparent with every huff and shout that went out to deaf ears. Since he was not part of the problem anymore, the young man could not care less about the plight of another to an extent of jeopardizing his own well-being. Life taught him that cruel lesson time and again, and it taught him very well indeed. While he proceeded to ignore the Felin’s plight, he swiped his fingers down to open up the Character Interface menu to continue his previous task of equipping his spectral whale mini-pet. A few quick taps and swipes was all it took to vindicate half an hour of meticulous reading of the game’s interface manual, which was not an easy feat in itself since the guide was of the same excellent quality as the game itself. It was as if the writer was gifted with psychic powers and pre-empted every possible question by detailing chapters and portions on them. Takeo was impressed, and most especially now that he was in the presence of something majestic. It was large but not overwhelming; majestic, but not regal – a paradox of sorts almost as ironic as a sea mammal swimming in thin air. Its translucent form glowed with a light cyan color while its playful mannerisms seemed to ignore the fact that it was not in any body of water, actual or virtually rendered. The phantasm likewise emanated clicks, whistles, and deep, pulsed bellows loud enough to distract the crustaceans from their crusade against the busty Felin. Sensing that they were in the presence of an unnatural phenomenon – again, another special trait stemming from the quality and genuineness of the artificial intelligence imbued within them – the crab-like monsters retreated back to their territories, unwilling to face the perceived threat in the form of the miniature whale now doing barrel rolls near Yuichi’s head. “Wow, that was certainly unexpected,” the young man commented with a whistle, followed by his pet spewing ghostly water out of its blowhole. It seemed happy in a way that only whales could; and which, apparently, Yuichi could sense for one reason or another. He chalked it up to being bonded with his pet much like how reallife owners of pets would inherently know the moods of their respective animals. While he had hardly any idea how that felt since he never had the chance to own any animals, Yuchi noted it to have produce a strange feeling as well, almost similar to that fleeting ‘happiness’ from before, although he attributed it to his own awkwardness around his first pet, albeit a virtual one. Still, in seeing his ghostly companion swim freely in the air filled him with a sense of peace. Vaulting down the branch he had been sitting in before, he looked towards the direction of the female Felin who looked visibly injured after having faced the horde of crab creatures by herself. He felt no need to Inspect her since the fact that she had a weapon in-hand told him that she was probably a player with a couple of weeks of experience compared to himself who had just first logged into the world of TerraSphere only hours ago. Nevertheless, he owed it to himself to at least try to be civil instead of just ignoring her from thereon out. After all, he did buy this Augma and its pre-installed game for the purpose of helping him overcome his extreme social anxiety. “So… ah… how are you faring, woman?” he spoke, his voice stern and cold; almost contrary to his intention of asking for her status. It sounded forced despite the fact that it was not, nor was it in any way a show of feigned concern – or at least that was what it was to Takeo who was likewise having trouble on his own side of the world since he seemed like talking to himself in the middle of the park. Thankfully there was not as much people there, save a few who just found it to their benefit to just ignore the apparently insane man in sopping wet clothes and smelled of sea-water. Still, Takeo could get away with it; after all, for news of the usually stone-cold CEO of the Kazuhara Group to show this side of him was humanizing, if outright humiliation was an accepted form of gaining society’s approval.
Light lanced through the gaps of the curtained windows in the kitchen, where one could find a blonde woman in her fifties carefully peeling off some plump red apples. A faint smile could be seen on her face; every cautious sliding motion of the metallic peeler was enveloped with a hope that the circumstances in her family would soon be ironed out. Once not a single red skin could be seen, the aged lady meticulously ran a sharp knife through the flesh of the apple, slicing it into bite-sized pieces. Thereafter, footsteps were heard from the stairs, leading down to the small living room. Since there were only three people in the house that time, the woman already knew who it was. "Ha Jin!" she exclaimed while cutting the apples, "come over here and bring these apples to Christianna. She might be hungry already." Ha Jin dragged his feet to where his mother was while struggling to wear a gray-colored bombardier jacket. "I'm going to the shop. They might need my help there." "Bring these apples to Christianna first. She needs to eat her snack." Uncertainty was etched on his face. Ha Jin shook his head after a few seconds and answered, "she's playing Terrasphere. I'd rather not disturb her. I apologize, mother." It was not the first time the mother of the household heard that her daughter has immersed herself in the virtual world. At first, she was approving of it as it seemed to alleviate her depression, but lately, she has been "in there" for hours and several times a day. Worse, it was with the permission of the men of the family. She clicked her tongue, a trait Christianna has adopted from her, "Why can't you just make her stop playing with that toy for a while? She needs to eat!" "Mother, I apologize. She was starting to become sad again so I told her to play. She looked better." The elder exasperated. She took the bowl of apples and decided to bring it to her ailing daughter instead. ------ Another wave of the rod and a ball of light darted towards one crustacean-like creature. A huge fancy-looking purple text appeared on its head: CRITICAL. RIght that moment, the monster's carapace crumbled, its HP bar at zero. One down, more to go. Looking up at her own HP bar, it was hastily draining down to half, while her Mana was almost depleted. Anabelle gritted her teeth. She could just fight until death, she would just respawn anyway. Just when she was starting to admit defeat, but still fighting to save her face from the man who was just watching the fiasco from his safety zone, the crustaceans suddenly stopped attacking and scampered away from the Felin. The cat twitched her ears and blinked, curious of what could have caused the sudden change. Not that she was complaining. "I thought I'm gonna be dead," she muttered while catching her breath and slumping down on the grassy ground. "I need to rest for a while to earn some MP, before I can heal myself." Then, a light thud was heard. The guy who saved himself from the mobs finally decided to climb down his safety zone. It was the time she noticed his lean and slightly muscular body, and the pair of eyes that matched the color of his hair. He appeared to be someone like a good-boy-next-door type. And there he was, just standing before her. There was silence between them; it made Anabelle tilt her head. Cool and composed she was it seemed, but deep inside her, she was freaking out. She had no idea what this man needs, or what she should say. "I..." she withdrew her heterochromatic eyes from him and had them wander around as if feeling awkward having this conversation. "I'm fine. T-thank you for... for asking." Obviously, it was a lie. A few cuts there, bleeding wounds and almost depleted MP were signs one was not fine. "Really," she finally had the courage to make an eye contact with him, "I'm fine. Are you... are you hurt? And that's..." she smiled a little upon noticing the spectral whale happily swimming with him, "that's a cute pet. Lucky you have one."
The response the Felin gave was not exactly what he had expected. By how she was dressed and the way she made cat puns despite being swarmed by crustaceans, Yuichi had deduced that she was some wild Yankee who was as liberal with words as she was dressed in an attire that left nothing to the imagination. His mother had told him about women like her – cheap, penny-ante whores, she called them; ready and willing to go down on a man at a moment’s notice in exchange for about as much money as he received as a daily allowance as a child. It was for that reason that Yuichi never had much experience dealing with women on any other level than professional; this was the first time he was about to do so. Before he made his reply, his mind went back to all the pamphlets and online articles he had read about male-to-female interactions. He repeated the basic rules in his head in order to ensure that he would not ruin this prime chance to train for candid moments between strangers of the opposite sex: Respect, Approachability, and Consistency. Those three tenets were all he needed to know, or so the authors claimed. This was as good a time as any to test that claim out, especially now with this blonde, pixel-perfect beauty being – or trying to be, to be more specific – amicable with him. Such effort certainly deserved a proper response if only for the purpose of social graces and proper etiquette. A slight, almost coy smile formed on the avatar’s lips. “Yes… I just got it recently from an Event,” he explained, pointing to the ethereal mammal swimming around his head and blowing immaterial water from its blowhole. “It is not really something I particularly like, but it being an Ultra-Rare item, or so it is described, I am inclined to take pleasure in it.” He then turned back to the blonde Felin, ignoring the urge to call her out on her improper choice of clothing. After all, Yuichi may look like a pretty boy on the outside, inside, it was the prim and proper Takeo who was in control. That, and years of being schooled in proper manners and social graces, had turned the twenty-nine year-old into a no-nonsense conservative who would rather call out a street girl than call her out. Nevertheless, the character design bothered him, so without anything else to point out beyond that, Yuichi moved on to the next topic he could think of no matter how callous it was by normal societal standards. “So… your character design must be a chore to handle, huh?” asked the young man. “I mean big breasts… little clothes… long hair… that whore-like character design, I reckon, must be ill-suited to adventuring. Too many variables to account for and to compensate.” He paused, beginning to suspect that his current train of thought might lead to an argument this early on. “ No offense though, if such was your choice. It is just that I was thinking in terms of practicality – nothing more.” Or so he claimed. In truth, he wanted to chew her out for dressing like a floozy. “So… have you been playing this game long…? I just… started playing a few hours ago so, even if you were being chased, I was unable to help since I would only be a hindrance if I did.” At that point, the aspiring martial artist remembered the current state the Felin was in, bruised, wounded, generally disheveled from the whole ordeal. He wondered if the system allowed for characters to feel pain since it seemed to simulate almost everything in real life through the stimulation of nerves and synapses that fooled the brain into thinking this interactive dream was real and actual. “In any case… do you need to go to the healing center?” he asked, trying to be as polite as he could. “There is one nearby, I think.”
The words that came out of the Human's lips were not exactly she had expected. By how he dressed and stood regally on the carpet of green grass and among the shrubs, and how he looked at her with those wide pretty brown eyes, he seemed to be one who would watch his words and would be careful not to hurt others; the typical pretty boy-next-door wearing goody two shoes. Full of respect, and approachable. Truly, looks could be deceiving. This was the exact reason why Anabelle was detached from the world. It has been a week or so since she played this game and yet she has not been to a party or approached anyone in-game. She learned everything by reading through the guides and experiments, like the incident with the crustaceans earlier. This was the first time she would talk to someone. Yet, she was already adjudged as a whore for having blessed with virtual knockers and the scant clothing given by the 'randomize' button. Anabelle wanted to slap him. A part of her wanted to defend herself and reason out, or to chew him out with a rather creative wordplay. "Yes, it is a bother to handle but it must be more bothersome to have a mouth like yours." "Oh yes mister I am a whore, I spread my legs at every man I see --- oops wait, I don't have legs!" It also came to mind to use a more decent approach and to lecture him about respect, not judging someone based on outer looks, or how words could hurt. However, vicious part of her urged her to take her rod and thwack it on the man's head. Or better yet, stun him and give him a few blows. But no, she was better than that. Her mother taught her that violence was not the solution to problems or misunderstandings, which was ironic since the game itself was known to promote violence. No, none of these happened. All that the blonde could do aside from casting a pained, rheumy gaze at Yuichi was to chew the insides of her cheek in hopes the pain would calm her down. As soon as blood swirled around her mouth and had its metallic taste on her tongue, for a moment her mind let go of the ill feelings towards Yuichi and just be amazed at how close to real-life this game was. The sting, the sensation, the taste... it was all real. She pouted and shook her head. ---- Wooden door swung open after three consecutive knocks left unheeded. Christianna's mother who was donning a full typical housewife's dress complete with apron entered the dark room. Since the incident, around two weeks ago, Christianna rarely left her bedroom and made it a point to keep it dark. Carefully, the old lady walked towards her daughter who was lying down on her double sized bed, with the Full Dive on her. Beside the bed was a small drawer; on the other side was her wheelchair. She sat beside her after placing the bowl of peeled apples atop the drawer. There was an urge to take off the gear and question her why would she rather spend her time playing that game than to get out and live normally like she used to. However, she recalled how dangerous it could be to forcibly remove the gear off its player. So, in hopes that her poor daughter would hear her, she tapped and squeezed her arm. "Christi---" the mother's heart broke upon seeing tears rolling down her child's cheek. What could be happening in the game? "Christianna! Are you okay? Ha Jin! Ha Jin! Christianna is crying! What is this game doing to her?!" ---- Upon the offer of going to the healing center, Anabelle hastily and vigorously shook her head. She stood up and dusted herself while trying to hold back her tears that came from both irritation and pain. She opted not to speak, at least to Yuichi. Noticing her energy level has reached 10% , Anabelle, without thinking, chanted a spell that caused light to emerge out of the rod. She just needed to be well and leave this guy before he could hurt her more. Immediately, the wounds on her body vanished, but with a consequence: she collapsed. 'Energy Bar: 0%'
Yuichi could not understand why the Felin was visibly upset when he, as far as he knew, tried his very best not to offend her. At that point, he hissed under his breath; the effort he put into being polite wasted by his own incompetence in the field of social graces. If things were only as easy as investment and management, he would probably had been overflowing with friends who adore him by now. “Whatever,” he finally let out, shrugging off his failure as something unavoidable before turning around to leave the Felin to her own devices. He had already ascertained that she was all right anyway, so any further act of pleasantry was unnecessary beyond his own intentions, which nevertheless never came to pass. It did not take a few steps away from the female before Yuichi heard a thud come from her general direction. He turned around out of simple curiosity only to find her lying on the sand, tired and vulnerable having used all the energy she had casting a healing spell to fix herself. She looked so helpless that even the usually uncaring Yuichi was moved by pity to help her out. Even if she did look like she would rather die than receive help from him, this was something he wanted to do if only to save face for what he considered as an imagined offense against the Felin’s feelings. Thus, without any hesitation, the brown-haired avatar doubled back and helped the beast-kin back to her feet. “Come on then, whore-looking Felin; I’ll get you to the health center.” Thirty Minutes Later… An unlikely pair arrived at the health center by the shoreline of the beach. One was an Asian-looking brown-haired pretty-boy in patterned exercise clothing, his youthful visage marred by sweat from lugging around a rather hefty weight by his shoulders. The other was the said weight on the young man’s shoulders, a beautiful blonde-haired beast-kin with sun-kissed skin that glistened in a caramel haze due to sweat. Her lust-inducing body hung nearly lifeless while supported by the other, yet even in a lethargic state, the contours of her physique did nothing but entice the primal lusts of all those who were in the health center by the way they gazed jealously at Yuichi’s seemingly privileged role as her support. Takeo rolled his eyes through his avatar trying to dismiss the gazes that fell upon them. To his mind, they had disturbed their peace by suddenly barging into the building in such a way that would imply that they had been in some major battle. He let the impression slide; after all, it was a lot better than announcing that the Felin had been brought down by her own negligence in noticing her energy meter after fighting off hordes of crab-like creatures. Still, saving themselves from ridicule was only part of the reason why Yuichi maintained his silence; for the most part, his virtual body was just having difficulty carrying the weight of the beast-kin. Carefully moving through the main floor, he went to the health center’s attendant by the wooden bar adjacent the entry way – an NPC construct designed by the game’s programmers to resemble a scantily-clad tropical goddess, complete with leaf and animal-skin underwear and seashell accessories that adorned her tanned, soda bottle body. Yuichi called for two energy drinks for himself and his companion, the youth’s perfectly modulated voice suggesting a well-educated man with an almost native English accent from its player. At once, the artificial construct took two steins and filled it to the brim with green-colored liquid – an ale distilled from seaweed which served as the Druuk Island’s version of the game’s energy-replenishing drinks that could almost immediately replenish a player’s energy meter in a matter of minutes. She then placed one in front of Yuichi and the other before the exhausted Felin. Thereafter, Yuichi gently urged the beast-kin with his shoulder, asked her to take a drink of the beverage to restore her stamina.
One. Two. Three. The Felin was completely unaware of her surroundings. Anabelle was oblivious to the fact that the stranger she had estranged feelings for was the same one who took the effort in dragging her to the nearest health center instead of leaving her lying on the ground and get bitten or eaten by any other vicious creature in Druuk Islands apart from the crustaceans. Her current state made her impervious to lustful gazes of men and the gossiping of women. It might be for the better; had she heard of any of it, either it might have burdened her emotional state more or force her to be more reclused. Four. Five. At the exact moment her energy meter reached five percent, Anabelle was able to open her eyes slowly. The vision was temporarily blurred, until little by little it became clear to her. What greeted her was a scantily-clad woman behind a wooden bar, the small piece of clothing was an ensemble that matched the theme of the island --- weeds, vines, pearls, and seashells. She was smiling sweetly at her, or so she thought, that made Anabelle withdraw her gaze from her. The faint and ambiguous muttering of a familiar voice that came from a man likewise became coherent. Her lethargic body was able to pull herself away from Yuichi while unconsciously swaying a little. "Mhm," she responded to the instruction of taking the energy drink. She took the earthen mug with her shaky hands and carefully drew it closer to her lips. Wincing once the liquid touched her tongue, the woman sort of hated how it tasted; it was salty and sweet but had a strong taste of grass and seaweed with a bitter aftertaste. Her state caused a little of the precious energy drink to spill as she drank it; greenish fluids flowing down from the side of her lips, down to her chin, her glistening neck, and then to her gap between her full bossom. Men around them were watching her, some were gulping but obviously suppressing their primal desires. Others were licking their lips while fixated on her neck and the cleavage wet by the energy drink, unabashed to let their desires be known to others. Still, Anabelle was unaware of it or rather forced upon herself not to notice the people around her. At that moment she regretted choosing her race and clicking the randomize button. Despite the awful taste, the ale proved to be effective. Drinking it, she could already feel the results. Her body felt lighter than earlier, and her energy meter was starting to move up. She stopped taking it when the ale was already halved. She turned to Yuichi, now her lips curled into a half smile, as she did a bow. "Gamsaha---" recalling that he might not be able to understand her native tongue, she stopped and chuckled a little. "Sorry, I mean, thank you for your kindness, sir. Even if I was quite offended of how you easily typecasted me as a whore because of how my avatar dressed when I merely used the randomized button and didn't bother to edit anything as it is a waste of time, and treated you wrongly by being quiet, now I feel guilty of having said ill-feelings for you, you still aided me. Gamsahamnida." Now she has to finish the ale he bought for her.
“So you do have a voice,” Yuichi commented snidely and took a seat on the bar stool to make himself more comfortable. He was tired as well, but he figured that his fatigue paled in comparison to the Felin female beside him who greedily chugged down her energy-giving ale as if it was the most delicious beverage that had ever touched her lips. It was also at that point that the young man was put aback in slight disgust at her manner of drinking – unrefined and sloppy – which barely fit a lady as Takeo knew it. Being raised in a proper environment, Yuichi’s player was understandably a neat-freak, so as such, in the presence of what he considered barbaric table manners, the child of privilege could not help but feel uncomfortable. Despite her messiness, Yuichi was still a male, and as such he took note of her manner of partaking drinks as part of her wild Yankee charm. She seemed wild and carefree – a picture of free-spirited adventure who seemed to live life on the edge with nary a worry about what tomorrow would bring. She seemed reckless and short-sighted, but then again, she might just be playing along with how Felins were supposed to be – seductive animals naturally capable of eliciting prurient desires with just a gaze; natural tempters and temptresses whose tanned, nubile bodies scored well in any male or female’s deep fantasies. The evidence was clear – the entire room even acknowledged that fact, in the hidden gazes and whispered comments that seemed to strip Yuichi’s beast-kin companion with their eyes and mouths. It was only Yuichi, it seemed, that remained immune to such temptations; his eyes squarely set into the player-character’s deep, glistening pools of gold and blue – a clever hint that seemed to reflect their owner’s flip-flopping mood from easily frustrated to amicable without any hint of shame whatsoever. In a way, he envied the young woman’s manner of speaking which seemed so natural. Compared to his own manner – which was only straight when he was being rigid and serious – hers lured more in. It might have been the noticeable Korean accent whenever she spoke English, or maybe it was how she transitioned from her native tongue to her adopted one, but her calm velvet tone reinforced her presumed role as a living male fantasy made into reality. A true Sex Kitten-archetype, whether the Felin was aware of it or not. Minutes passed by, but in the end, the natural clean-freak in Yuichi overpowered his current state of mind. The fact that his companion did not feel disgusted by the fact that bits of the green beverage trickled down her body to almost soak through her pink clothes gnawed at him. Messes made him crazy, and so did dissymmetry, and the occasional missing pen or so. Psychiatrists called it an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Yuichi, however, called it ‘taking a bath because your clothes are dirty.’ Besides, he was due for a bath anyway with how the fabric of his clothes were already sticking onto his body. Yuichi picked up his mug filled with sea-green energy drink and downed it in a single long swig. His heavy gulps indicated a thirst finally quenched, but the youth’s face after was nothing of the usual satisfied expression most players had after drinking the ale. Immediately, the brown-haired pretty-boy swiped down his fingers to access the character inventory – an action he had committed to memory after the grueling endeavor of reading the game manual for almost an hour. He then tapped his costume and swiped to the left, unequipping the aesthetics to reveal the raw, unadulterated physique that was usually hidden beneath. Unblemished, peach skin glistened as white as marble under the rays of the sun; shadows casting down shadows over slight depressions that made up the Adonis’ flawless digital physique. While somewhat unremarkable compared to the burlier character designs available, the body-type was almost realistic in that nothing of it was unrealistically out of proportion. It provided the illusion that Yuichi’s slightly athletic frame was that of his players, which when combined with his unique accent painted the picture of a man who was handsome and well-educated, even if none of those who chose to stare in the avatar’s divine nakedness had seen Takeo in person. Although social graces would dictate that Yuichi would show even a modicum of decency than just stripping in public like that, the action was mainly motivated by the fact that Yuichi’s player knew that this was a game. The usual rules of society did not apply as much here, and should one be daring enough, he or she could even walk in the beauty of their birth-skins without the shroud of necessity civilized nations cloak their citizens in. In fact, if the online fora could be believed, TerraShpere even allowed sexual interactions among players – a system Yuichi had no interest in using any time soon. What mattered to him was the ‘here’ and ‘now’; and now, he needed to take a bath. With the same stone-cold gaze, he cast upon the beast-kin earlier, he held out his hand as if to entice the Felin into his nakedness. “This is sudden, I know, but you got soaked by the ale. I have no interest in talking with dirty people, so if what you say is true, you would not have any objections in joining me for a bath. Separate, of course,” he declared in a steely tone. “Baths give you slight temporary boost in the Mastery Points you earn; an incentive to keep clean – cleanliness is to godliness, after all.”
The beastial beauty almost choked on the ale she was drinking upon the revelation set before her very eyes. The physique behind the matching and patterned training clothes was a sight to behold. Every inch of every curvature was as if carefully sculpted by gods. The peach skin was flawless, as if it was meticulously painted by the world's greatest painter so as to make everything even and pleasant to the eyes. His nakedness has drawn the attention of every female in the room; some were wide-eyed with a malicious smile on their faces, others imagined how it would be to bring him to bed, while a few formulated how they would approach the pretty boy. On the other hand, the men found the act offensive, as to their minds he was showing off or snatching the temptress away from them. A few, who were eavesdropping the conversation, was anticipating for the maiden to take off her clothes as well. In that instant, Anabelle blushed and drew her eyes off him. She was not accustomed to seeing naked men. In fact, it was the first time she had seen one in the flesh, well, pixelated flesh. But it still looked real. When she took her eyes off him, it was then she noticed the people around them. All eyes were on them. Lust could be seen in most of their eyes. A few men already stood up and seemed to approach them, or her, while women were biting their lips as they suppress their rising libido. "Just get naked already!" One of the bystanders had the courage to taunt Anabelle. The feline lady held Yuichi's hand tightly and moved herself closer to Yuichi in fear of them, of being abused even online. In the same time, she used her clothed self to cover her companion. She embraced him, skin to skin, not minding if his virtual privates were already pressed against her or her breasts were too close to him. "Please, you do not have to do this here," she whispered to his ear. "You are putting both of us in trouble. To show my sincerity to you, I shall bathe with you... but I have a request. Please do not let us be apart in the baths. I am afraid some men were just waiting for me to be alone. I shall take my clothes off once we are in the baths." Christiana herself was surprised with how much she had reposed her trust with Yuichi that time. Typically she would just run away, or smack him for the indecency, but no. She managed to push herself and trust another person even if she has just met him. Virtually, of course. Perhaps it was because he saved her? That was a shallow reason, but whatever. She wanted to get out of that room anyway, so if Yuichi will be the way for those prying eyes to go away, she would do it. Anabelle caught the attention of one NPC nearby and requested that they be teleported to the baths. The NPC, who felt nothing because their AI script did not place feelings in them, gladly assisted the two and moved them to the baths.
Yuichi met the beast-kin’s sudden display of reservation with a raised eyebrow, unable to understand the reason for her shame in response to nakedness in a virtual game. While it was true that it’s graphics afforded an almost life-like quality to everything, in the end, they were all just pixels – a series of ones and zeroes molded to form an imitation of life with a little bit of artistic liberality added in for good measure. Thus, when the two of them were transported into the bath house by the Felin’s command, the brown-haired pretty-boy shook his head and shrugged the thought off. He found no reason to abide by the real world’s laws inside the game that even encouraged craziness to transpire – that was why it was called a ‘game’ in the first place. A certain degree of suspension of reality was necessary. Decency was one of the first to go. The avatar heaved a sigh. “You know, this is a game, after all. Modesty, decency, compassion – all those usual social graces are all optional here,” he explained before he pulled himself away from the Felin to begin stretching exercises. Yuichi started with his arms, then his torso, and ended with his legs; each movement already emphasizing the digital body’s preset perfect tone by a higher degree as if enticing the libido of the only other person in the room. Takeo did not see it that way though, and as far as he was concerned, having Yuichi do some traditional pre-bath calisthenics was nothing out of the ordinary, whatever may others think. This was his world – his gaming experience. This was how he wanted to play and nobody can tell him otherwise. Having finished loosening up his virtual joints to prevent the off-hand chance that the game included a cramp system, he proceeded towards the central wooden gate into the outdoor mixed bath aptly named Monokage, or ‘hiding place’ in Nihongo. It was a mixed bath meant for couples and lovers to afford them privacy to do whatever it was that lovers did when they were together. Yuichi could not be bothered imagining whatever it was since the crown prince of tactlessness could not care less about anything beyond his own straight-laced objectives. He was pure in the way a human deprived of humanity was – a totally isolated existence forced to make connections to advance his own agendas and for no other higher purpose. For the time being, that meant that the Felin was safe from any untoward act coming from him. Outdoor baths were something Takeo, Yuichi’s player, enjoyed immensely. He particularly liked the one behind their mansion, a quaint little nook bordered by high bamboo fences carved out from the mountainside to create an alcove that catered to the tired bodies of the mansion’s family and staff. The virtual hot spring that greeted him was no less magnificent than the real one back in Sagamihara – a slice of heaven surrounded by green trees and traditional granite partitions. The natural formation of the boulders and stones created a natural pool that gathered steaming hot water from the miniature waterfall that rushed down from the mountain, yet the most eye-catching characteristic was the seemingly magical whirlpool jacuzzi in the middle; swirling a spiral formation of pink cherry blossoms that littered the bath area. Although Yuichi knew that everything before his eyes were just imitations of the real world in digitized form, he could not help but nod in approval at the sheer effort the anonymous programmers of the game put in to create even the subtlest details move like their counterparts. Nothing was spared, from the cold bite of the wind against his avatar’s skin to the light mist that rose into the blue heavens from the hot water, it was a masterpiece in design that surpassed even his own high expectations. It was wonderful. Taking the initiative to experience, for the first time, the feeling of a soak in a virtual hot spring, Yuichi allowed himself a brief reprieve from Takeo’s rigidity and let himself feel the warmth of the digitized liquid embrace his virtual body in its entirety. “Ah, this feels good…,” he let out with a contented sigh, the pretty-boy finding a corner to relax in as he closed his eyes to immerse himself in this unique experience that only a FullDive game like TerraSphere could give. “I could get used to this,” he commented. “Maybe I should prepare a hot bubble bath later. Yes, that sounds like a wonderful plan; New York is too cold for a cold shower. Yeah, that sounds great – a hot bubble bath followed by a sumptuous seafood dinner.”
In that instant, the striking contrast between the two's perception in this game became apparent. For the naked man, it was nothing but a mere game, a belief akin to where the occurrences in this realm were mere figments of one's imagination. Sadly, this was not the reality for the twenty-three-year-old maiden maneuvering the woman with the furry feline ears. This existence was her reality. She was immersed in this game as if the world of the living was Terrasphere. This perspective behooved maintenance of even a modicum of respect not only for others but to one's self, something the Human seemed to lacked that time when he decided to bare his before the crowd. As they reached Monokage, Yuichi stepped back and reneged from her embrace. His explanation elicited nothing but a timid "if you say so," from the Felin to avoid any untoward and 'regrettable' debate. She was not made for such anyway. She allowed the pretty boy to do his stretching exercises as she did hers, knowing that if this was indeed reality, cramps were likely to happen and it might affect her newly-recovered health points. Similar to his actions, but without the intention of mimicking him, Anabelle started with her arms, then her torso before finishing it off with her legs. Once done, she moved her shame aside and undressed right before Yuichi. It was but only fair anyway since he bared himself to her and even had a few seconds of skin-to-skin contact. Besides, to Anabelle, if he trusted her that much she should 'compensate' it with the same kind of trust. Off went her pink off-shoulder midriff top, the micro denim shorts, and lastly the bikinis she was wearing. Revealed before the man's eyes was a body only a goddess could have: toned, smooth legs, wide hips, a pretty nice rear, slim waist and a full bosom, the pinkish center happened to be peeping through the flowing blonde hair. Nothing but perfection. Waddling the waters to find her spot adjacent to that of Yuichi, Anabelle's pilot began to reminisce the last time she was in an outdoor bath with her family --- but it must be taken into an account that this was her first time to be in a mixed bath, a place usually for lovers Three years had passed since that time. The cheerful laughter, the relaxation and the conversations after each of them had finished their baths in their respective places, all were just memories; everyone became busy, aside from the accident that happened to her recently, the moment might not be replicated. But then a thought dawned on her: there was nothing else she could do about the past. Perhaps, it would be better even for this once to anticipate the memory with a stranger this make-believe reality could bring. Hopefully, it was of happy ones, and not those that she would end up not wanting to log-in anymore. Terrasphere was her 'last shot' at life, or so she thought and finding someone who would push her out of the game would be the end of her. Not long after finding her spot, the Felin has submerged parts of her in the virtual pool of water. A sigh of relief and relaxation spilled her lips, her tensed shoulders loosened as she purred --- a trait those of the feline race similarly shared. Underneath the waters, she caressed her legs to savor the sensations the said body part experienced. Soon after, Yuichi went on with his plans for the night, or rather the player behind Yuichi Ichinose. From what she could deduce, he must be a privileged child, having a sumptuous meal and being able to have a pleasant bath after the game, in New York. "Sounds fun," she commented, albeit it was with her soft-spoken voice she doubted he heard of it. She said so while having her hands together squeeze them so it would be squirting water like a water gun would. "By the way, thank you for accommodating my request. But, I was wondering, would you not inspect me to know my name, if you are afraid to ask?"
There was something about the Felin’s question that resonated with the human’s sense of humor, although he expressed it in a way that did not exactly fit any kind of socially accepted graces, even in a video game setting. Yuichi sighed heavily at what he considered as a question too simple to merit an answer, unable to put into words an eccentric logic he felt the beast-kin’s character would be able to understand, but unable to appreciate due to her apprehension to let loose inside an artificial world. Everyone had their own quirks that was true, but not everyone opted to stick to them even if they already made it clear that they were not going to follow any of society’s rules for the time being. Yuichi – Takeo – was one those people. From the thin veil of mist that obscured to some extent the bodies of both from each other, Yuichi stood up and parted the white partition and stood, naked and unashamed, before the Felin. His eyes looked down upon the young woman like a god would to a mortal, his wet body glistening with the crystalline waters from where the young man once sat. Up close, the Felin would see the finest details in the fighter’s body, from the rolling hills of musculature that made up his preset-perfect physique, to the endowment he had that one could reckon was sufficient to placate even the wildest tigress into a mewling kitten should such a rod be used to discipline. While he had no intention for such perfidy against the trust reposed upon him by the Felin, he had no qualms displaying it. “You seem concerned rather than relieved,” he questioned, “as if you seem rather disappointed that I did not Inspect you for your name. Think about it – what good would it do me to know it before you have it out? What use is taking something from someone who had no intention to give it? I am not a thief. I may be all things – and by heavens I have been called as such – but I am, have never, and will never be a thief.” The tone in his voice was stern, but not overbearing; a man of principle and design despite his clear lack of decency, at least inside the world of TerraSphere. “And besides,” he continued, “what good would it do to know your name? Just so I could forget it; just so I could make a simple mental note of it and leave it to fester? I do not like that – I am not like that. Cogito Ergo Sum – as such, I am because I think.” To emphasize his point further, Yuichi moved his hand on his best evidence of manhood and began stroking it slowly. The act sent jolts of electricity up from his foot to his spine as waves of pleasure began to radiate throughout his virtual body like thunderous lightning strikes. Nevertheless, Yuichi’s expression never changed from its contemplative view, too absorbed in his player’s own thoughts to mind that he was basically harassing the Felin by society’s standards. Thankfully this was not real, and as far as Takeo was concerned, everything was fair game as long as it was for the purpose of explaining his personal concepts of enlightenment to whom he regarded as an unenlightened mind. “Look at this here – what I am doing with myself. I can feel the soft and slippery sensation of my hand stroking up and down; of how the water facilitates the process by reducing friction with every slide. It feels good because my brain tells me that it is – who does not, especially when one’s genitals are stimulated in such a prurient manner in front of one such as you, a character that could so easily elicit primal lusts from lesser men with just a glance and a turn?” He explained further. “But I know this is not real; this is just my mind fooling me into thinking it is real – I know because the real me is lying down on a bed inside the Tiffany Suite of the St. Regis Hotel, tired after a day’s work trying to prevent old fogeys from clawing each other’s eyes out.” Yuichi’s hands moved faster after his explanation, then just as quickly, stopped; leaving behind the blood and mass he had built up from the act in full view of the Felin. He spoke once again, “Even the thing you see now is nothing but an illusion; an image of lust specifically designed to entice lovers into committing acts that only they are privy of. This is a game, that much is true, but how far you treat it as such is up to the player who plays. Some see this as a reprieve from their mundane lives, and others, an escape – all are valid and none are as ignoble as the other. After all, society does not rule here – we do.” Satisfied that his simple explanation of freedom and choice was displayed in the best way he could, Yuichi sat back down, but this time in front of the naked beast-kin with whom he had just indirectly pleasured himself to, albeit not fully. Nevertheless, there was no shame on his face; instead, an intense glare that seemed to look past the deific beauty of the computer-generated image before him and into something with more meaning – the spirit that animated the player-character before him. “I play this game because I need to. I play this game knowing it is nothing more than a tool. The sensations, the experiences, and the events herein – as far as I am concerned – are nothing more than dreams in the vast sea of reality. I play not to escape reality, but rather, I play in order to maintain my reality. That is who I am and that is what I know – the only thing I know. That ‘fun’, or so you say it, is nothing but an illusion all the same. I may have legs, but I am crippled. I am a slave of my own design to my own job.” He shook his head. “You want to know the real reason why I do not ask your name? Because even if I do, after this meeting, you will be nothing more than ones and zeroes. Once I log off, you all leave and I am once more alone. I’d rather keep it that way instead of basking in the illusion of normalcy since that is already the ‘game’ I play in real life. This world is where I can do whatever I want. If that includes not bothering to ask your name, then that’s that.” He paused, then sighed. "But... having someone to get to know better... is something I need the most. Even if we are just... ones and zeroes, the us playing are made of blood, flesh, and bone. In short I..." Yuichi stuttered, then shouted in embarrassment; something he would never do in real life. "...I NEED A FRIEND!"
