Open - A New Lens

Adventurers Clubhouse: Rocky Road

Rocky Road...
Tenebris remembered this place pretty well still. Eldhi, oops, Saber introduced the place to her. It attracted younger adventurers but also a few of the older ones enjoyed the youthful company. The big perk of Rocky Road? Sweets! ...Or not. Tenebris actually was not so sure about those nasty sugary things. The distorted girl doubted that anything sweet would be edible. Jeez... even the sign outside looked dumb. It was no surprise that it attracted so many lameo naive kids. A big cow with a mining hat and a sword Pfft.... Taking two gloved fingers, Tenebris pokes the cow's eyes and burned holes through the thick cardboard by channeling arcanamancy through them. There it looked a bit less silly now!

The doors swung open as Tenebris headed inside and looked around. immediately she felt the stares of some of the normal patrons on her. Magi Heart had been a pretty well known adventurer here if just for her cutesy looks alone.While she once was shy of the attention. Tenebris could care less. Her black and red dress which was completely unheard of for the girl before was getting many raised eyebrows and murmurs in the crowd. A voice called out to her that was vaguely familiar.

"Hey Magi! You get a new outfit? It's cute but dontcha think it's a bad color for your style... you know?"

Tenebris flashed the young male (who also happened to be a archer) a smile and cocked her head as she looked at him gently making a very unenthusiastic magical girl salute with her fingers to her forehead. He was so low level... a novice in most stats, according to her investigation mode, that she had activated using the motion as cover. She remembered him talking about becoming the best archer in the world and shooting down a roc with a single arrow, Now, she was not sure how shooting a rock was such a big deal, but the way he bragged about his dream used to inspire her a little.... bleh. She quickly scanned the area and yep. Maybe two people in the two dozen here were even Proficient. Bunch of noobs going to cook in a oven, seriously. They probably all thought they were going to be big epic adventurers and stuff. Tenebris almost grimaced but instead made a twitchy smile and lowered her hand.

She was told not to help anyone in Stokbon or anyone at all during these trips of hers for now, but the stress of not being able to help all these dreaming peeps was actually pretty good. Tenebris was definitely well loved by Count Bloody. Giving her such a wonderful limit so she could grieve every time she traveled! The reverse Magi went to the old table that she and Saber once sat when they were dumb. The waitress came over with a smile.

"Hi Magi, how are you today? Skittle smoothie right?!"

Ewww no. That was going to make her hurl.

"Bleh. Not in a million years! Don't you have anything bitter? Hmmm... yeah black tea, no sugar! Hehe... chop chop!"

The looks in the room would have been priceless to Vermillion. This was not the magical girl wannabe that they knew...


@Aria

 

Rocky Road wasn't usually a place Surrechis found herself in often. Sure, it was a pleasant place but the whole thing felt a bit... odd to her. It wasn't her first choice for a place to take quick rest but it was the closest, it would have to do for now. Upon reflection, it really was less of the place and more of the type of people that visited it. Although she mostly shrugged it off as increasingly more people felt that way, it never really went away. However, there was something especially off with atmosphere today. Maybe it was just the stress of the day getting to her, she took a deep breath to compose herself and walked into the store.

Rather than the bombastic and lively vibe she had come to expect from the place, it felt a bit subdued. Perhaps it was just one of those slow, easy-going days. The place was still packed however, and she couldn't find any free seats. Rocky Road was quite infamous for how sweet its treats were, a bit too much for her to enjoy, if she was to be honest. It didn't really come as a surprise to her when she got odd looks for ordering a tall glass of plain, cool water. Paying for the drink, she searched for a more vacant spot. She found it but it had a... remarkably out of place looking girl sitting there. Her attire was definitely not what she expected to see be worn outside of performances and from they way people were giving her glances and looks, she seemed to be quite the outcast. Well, people of all sorts came to Rocky Road for one reason or another, it wouldn't be very polite to dismiss someone based off nothing and she didn't really have a choice if she wanted a place to sit. Walking over to the girl, she said,

"Excuse me miss, but may I take a seat here? I'm afraid that all the other seats I could see were taken."

@Magi Heart

 

Whatever it served, Cain had to admit that the Rocky Road, from the outside, looked basically like the desserts place of his childhood dreams. After getting a bit lost due to vague directions, the midnight-haired muse found himself standing in front of the pastel-colored establishment that was sandwiched between an arms dealer and a butcher’s shop. Compared to the grim and realistic appearance of the kiosks around it, the tidy, cutesy clubhouse definitely stood out. There were waitresses in tastefully frilly uniforms that reminded Cain of that one cupcake place nearby. There were appetizing pictures of colorful macarons and other baked delights. And, most importantly, there was an adorably sweet mascot that winked at him from the sign. A chubby mining cow with a sword! Clearly something that symbolized the adventurer’s spirit! Good food, good loot, and good gear! With those, a hero could go anywhere!

Of course, someone had played a rather immature prank, searing two holes where the heart-meltingly cute eyes of the cow mascot would have been, but there was a charm too. Of course little kids would do pranks like these! A flash of inspiration crossed through Cain’s mind, as he wondered whether or not there would be a life-sized mascot within the establishment, and, with a bright, child-like glee, he turned to his companion and the person that had invited him here to begin with: @Aria , Huntress of the Verdant Canopy, Queen of the Primordial Beasts.


“C’mon,” he said, pulling her by the hand, “Let’s go!”

Bursting in, the big-browed gentleman was instantly greeted with an aroma of utter sweetness. Oh, the thick, fruit-laden pies! Oh, the moist, half-melted cookies! Oh, the frosty, carefully decorated cakes! With enough sugar concentrated on one place for anyone with a sweet tooth to melt away, it certainly looked like an establishment that would draw many young adventurers, both players and NPCs. His smile was maintained even in the subdued chaos of the room. The stage was devoid of a performer, and the patrons, between tearing at pumpkin cake and drinking down sweetened tea with lemon slices, spoke in comfortably gentle tones. Unlike the Whaler’s Lament, things weren’t nearly as rowdy and aggressive, perhaps due to the lack of alcohol actually going around. Still, even if everyone wasn’t fusing together into a collective consciousness, singing dirty sailing songs, the sheer style of the place itself was enough to make Cain’s eyes sparkle. Ah, if he wasn’t so short on gold, he’d probably drive himself into poverty with the amount of food items he’d buy!

For now, however, he needed a…

Oh, that was a familiar face!

Navigating through the packed clubhouse and resisting the urge to slam ten gold pieces down on the spot for an Epic-Sized Sparkler Sundae, Cain waved at the twin-tailed songstress as he approached, a toothy grin on his face. “Hey there, Lady Surrechis!” the muse said, “What an auspicious coincidence, meeting you here. Will you be gracing the spotlight with your songs once more?”

A sidelong glance caught her companion as well, a pink-haired girl in a goth Lolita dress. With her self-assured gravitas and her snide smile, she definitely looked like another interesting adventurer! Practically oozing with the style of a resolved roleplayer and all!

“Ah, a friend of yours? Or a fellow performer, plotting a more powerful presentation post-noon within this pleasing parlor?”
@Surrechis @Magi Heart

 

Stokbon, the Holy Capital of Falderen Kingdom and arguably the most important city in all of Terrasphere, at least the currently available regions. If Aria was so honest, this was definitely where she'd love to hang out best. Window shopping, enjoying fine food, and all. The Felis had decided she should stop trying so hard to 'roleplay' and just be herself instead, no need to be something she wasn't. Right now, she was the blushing, giggling, swooning girl who was about to enjoy a 'date' with her favorite Muse, @Cain Darlite the Flagbearer of Miracles.

"Hey, wait up~" The white-clad muse looked incredibly cheery today, more than his usual boisterous self. Perhaps this was because they weren't currently doing any important quests, he could let loose and have fun. If so, then wonderful, she wanted to enjoy her time with him too, forget all the tasks and quests for a while and just... have fun really! "It should be around here, Cain..." Her green feline eyes searched around as they turned around a particular corner, "Aha, there it is!" The distinctive design of the cafe's sign stuck out to her, "Rocky Road, a nice little place I found last time I was here. Focused on her Muse companion, she failed to notice the minor vandalism done to the signboard.

"Ah... hehe, yep~" Holding his hand as he held hers, the two entered the cafe proper. "Mhm~ cozy, isn't it?" She gave Cain a grin before reserving a table for two with the waitress. As they were escorted to their designated table, the green-haired ranger was debating to hug Cain's arm... but then, he suddenly took a detour. "Ah..." In mixed curiosity and confusion, she watched as her companion greeted a... silver-haired Faerin with sleepy red eyes, who... who the hell was she? A friend of his? He called her by name so... it was obvious they knew each other.

Aww... this was... rather unfortunate. Aria, well, Mai really, knew all about this. She could practically kiss goodbye to her quality time with just Cain, now they had to join tables, ugh. "Calm down, Aria, just... put on a smile and try to enjoy this as best as you can." It's real life all over again, why was this game so realistic? What's the point? Patting her cheeks gently once, she curled the best Fashion Model smile she could then joined Cain, 'Lady' @Surrechis , and her... now who was this Emo Goth-Loli ( @Magi Heart ) chick? Don't tell her Cain know her to- oh he didn't, good. Sigh... they shouldn't have come here today.

"Hello~ nice to meet you two!" Aria smiled, brightly! Not fake at all, totally, yep! "I am Aria, Cain's da-... friend. You are Surrechis, I presume?" The Felis gave a nod of courtesy to the small Faerin, then to the equally small girl next to her, the one with pink hair, red eyes (what's with all the red eyes?), and fashion statement straight out of Dracula mixed with Sailor Moon, "And you too, Miss...?" Her eyebrow twitched, once.

 

Tenebris eyed her black tea as she lifted the glass to her mouth and tasted the wonderfully bitter, earthy flavor. She had no idea how she could have possibly drank anything else. She realized she would have to pay these people for the drink wouldn't she? Her hand glowed over the gp she would leave as a tip. Imbuing it with arcanamancy that would explode like a bomb after a few hours. It would not be all that deadly but would be a really nice present for the good tea! Tenebris really just wanted to drink and take in the dumbness so she could grieve over it. Tenebris was pretty obsessed with the thing she was so desperately trying to run from before.

"I'm Stronk... look at my stats... so kewl... loot yaaaay... friend me... ."

She muttered annoyed by the chitchat all around that was what she once craved to be a part of. Mocking the beginning players that were thinking they were having so much fun. For her, fun was found in their failure. That was all she really felt listening to them.

The old routine was just impossible to do now, the Dark Heart realized. She needed to find a new hangout or just do 'something' about this one maybe... Saber probably liked this place still. Her awakening was more tolerant of this stuff. Tenebris snickered to herself at the thought of Saber being tolerant but it was true. She was a stick in the mud but one that could resist urges if needed. Tenebris had a lot of trouble with that still... was it immature of her? Probably... cruddy shit.

"Excuse me miss, but may I take a seat here? I'm afraid that all the other seats I could see were taken."

Tenebris raised her head from her drink and looked gloomily at the girl who spoke to her? What? Another old friend? Tenebris was pretty sure she had trouble making friends back then due to being dumb as rocks.

"Naw, never saw you before...."

She said smiling at her in a very uninviting way. The girl had no where to sit? So?

"I guess you can sit wherever you want. I don't own the seats or anything do I? Hehe..."

Dark Heart considered taking another drink of her tea but instead just tapped her fingers against the glass and stared at the goth girl sitting across from her. Funny enough many may think the two friends, due to their similar color schemes and apparent age. Pfft... as if. Should she say anything to the doll like girl? What was there to say anyway? Immediately the grief addicted girl felt the need to reach across the table and strangle the goth's hair around her own neck. Longer hair than Tenebris... a lot more... elegant... urgh....

“Ah, a friend of yours? Or a fellow performer, plotting a more powerful presentation post-noon within this pleasing parlor?”

Gosh... now there was a crowd. Two more appear and obviously knew this girl. Gee whiz, seriously? Tenebris was unsure if she was annoyed or happy to have to deal with the grief of being between these peoples. The guy was in white like some kind of Tuxedo Mask wannabe. Tenebris, a performer?

"Maybe before yeah... hehehe. I played a magical girl goof up. It got super old really quick. Kinda like.. y-"

"Hello~ nice to meet you two!"

Tenebris gritted her teeth with her mouth closed when she was interrupted by another girl. Hanging all over the white suit guy. This girl was so... darn... content looking. Tenebris needed to help wake this girl up super bad. The girl was a felis, cat girl, neko thingy. Tenebris had a vague memory of having some weirdo fetish over their ears. Ewww she didn't want fleas.

"♥ Nice to meet you too! ♥"

Tenebris said with a over the top sweetness that was in no way honest. Venom almost dripped from her once friendly and un-intimidating voice. The girl needed to undue this lameness somehow, and fast. The tension of having to deal with them was the only thing fueling her grief enough to want to stay.

" ♥ You two look so sweet together that I could just dieeeeee........ ♥"

She grabbed her tea and drank it for a moment. Wondering if they were going to sit near her too. Then they would bother her and that would really be horribly nice... She needed to share the love here somehow... She had to resist the urge to go too far here. No helping these people she was told. No saving dummies from themselves. They all just needing to writhe in pain, then they would all be much better! Oh well, it sucks but you can't always do the wrong thing. Tenebri's eyes shifted to Surrechis. Yeah, something was telling her that this girl at least got it a bit more. Still not far enough though. Just looking the part had little to do with grieving.

@Surrechis @Cain Darlite @Aria

 

The girl unnerved her a little and but didn't seem to be openly hostile so she gave a quick word of gratitude and sat down. It seemed like the other girl was content to sit in silence, and so was Surrechis. Taking a sip of her drink, she began to mentally go over the possible improvements to her magnum opus. After a few moments however, Surrechis acutely felt a pair of eyes staring at her. She did the polite thing and ignored the look, it would be awkward to ask about it or show that she noticed.

A sudden voice broke the relative silence, and it was quite a one familiar as well. Turning to look at the speaker, it was none other than @Cain Darlite , the muse she had met back at the Whaler's Lament. And he had brought a stranger along as well. He seemed to have a few misconceptions however, likely stemming from how both of the seated girls dressed.

"Greetings, Sir Cain. I'm afraid that I have no current plans of any sort of performance. You are also slightly mistaken, I am not familiar with her."

She barely had enough time to catch her breath before the green haired Felis spoke and introduced herself, although it sounded oddly strained. It dawned upon her after Aria's seeing small missteps and facial twitches, she and Cain were on a date. Jealousy was an ugly emotion but luckily for @Aria, Surrechis had no plans or desires of pursuing romance of any kind. She shied away slightly from the group, her discomfort at social events and something else growing. Despite the fact that she was usually able to ignore the increasingly familiar but still disconcerting feeling, today felt different. Momentarily closing her eyes, she calmed herself and responded to Aria's greeting.

"Hello Ms. Aria, I am indeed Surrechis, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. While I have met Cain in the past, it was only for a brief night where we had a short conversation and share a duet afterwards."

While she was normally one to start a conversation, she decided to hang off on starting anything for now. She would rather say less than risk causing some sort of altercation. There was an odd tension in the air and dealing with people tended to exhaust her. It was just in her nature but generally helped when she was traveling by her lonesome, which was nearly all the time. She grimaced slightly as she heard the other girl speak, she could practically feel the spite and contempt in the words.

 

“That's indeed a pity, Surrechis,” Cain spoke, shrugging slightly, “Would have been nice to witness another performance from a songstress as skilled as you. And indeed, Huntress Aria, Surrechis and I are old acquaintances, one way or the other.”

Turning his attention to the…vividly dressed girl after she answered, Cain almost let out a low-whistle at just how venomous her words were.

A roleplayer indeed, eh? One that plunged headlong into the wonderful world of trying to force outside media into a fantasy setting like this? Cain recalled another individual before that acted like someone who just died and was resurrected into the fantasy world of Terrasphere. That had been a bit of a blast, really. And then there was Eldhi, who basically dove head long into being a holy crusader that smote criminals and heretics alike. A shame Cain never got to see her go full ‘TAKE BACK THE HOLY LAND’ before that albino knight had taken to being all grim and serious.

At least this dark magical girl had her acting on point, and seemed to absolutely relish in all her loaded statements and thinly veiled disgust. Perhaps it was a bit cheap for her to take on a role that suited her, but hey, Cain wasn’t here to judge.

“And you look wonderfully malicious yourself, little miss,” the muse replied, pulling a chair for Aria to sit in, before taking one for himself, legs crossed and only barely grazing the table. With four sides, it simply made sense that all of them could share a table, after all, and the more the merry, right? Even if Surrechis was adverse to rowdiness, Aria seemed to have a bone to pick with the stranger, and the stranger herself…well, it takes a special type of person to drink black tea in an establishment that clearly specialized sweeter affairs. “Must be refreshing to take a step in the dark side after prancing around underneath saccharine rainbows, no?”

Flicking open the menu, with its cutesy handwriting and painstakingly illustrated depictions of food items, Cain fought the urge to squeal over how great this was. Fancy food places like these were more or less non-existent on the Other Side, after all, and that wasn’t even taking into consideration the fact that Cain would never have the heart or the money to spend his money over it. Here though? The muse could indulge almost as much as he wanted! Equipment? Those were considerations for the future. Right now, he was willing to go all out for a pleasant experience.

That was probably what bamboozled the waitress when she came by for refills of water and black tea.

“I’ll have the Honey Toast Box With Macaron Crumbles, the Key Lime Pie, extra lemon juice squeeze on top, as well as…” Too much? NO, ALL IN. “…a Snowy Volcanic Chocolate Cake, served twenty minutes after the first two items, please.”

The waitress’s internal question of whether or not this was for the entire group of ‘friends’ was answered quickly when Cain handed the menu to Aria next, motioning her to order as well. Though Terrasphere’s food ultimately just made his reality a bit bleaker, it was, like his titles, something to work up towards. One day, he’ll definitely get fat off desserts!

As he waited for his order to come, the muse asked, cheerily, “So, I know the names of Lady Surrechis and Huntress Aria, but what of yours, Witch of Scarlet Thorns? One can't address you as 'little miss' and 'young lady' forever, after all.”

He had more or less learned his lesson with that forest child in regards to such forms of address anyways.

 

This little... bitch was asking for it alright! A little kid with absolutely no respect for her elders, like one of those rich silver spoon-fed snobs who had nothing else to do but look down their noses. Aria knew her kind, oh she knew all about them. The thinly-veiled sarcasm, the faux smile, and the sadistic pleasure from instigating pointless drama. She knew the girl was bad news ever since she first lay her green eyes on the emo bitch. "Oh why thank you~" Aria giggled, fully switching into her 'Social Event' persona. Did she want to play The Game? Let's play The Game. "Yes, Cain and I are about to enjoy your time here, care to join us?" "Actually, why don't you just cut yourself, preferably your arteries?"

"Hmmm, I see~" The Felis turned to the silver-haired Faerin, now this girl... she wasn't so bad as Aria could just feel the awkwardness radiating from her fidgeting form. She was just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now if only she could get the Fae on her side on this little tug of war between the Felis Ranger and Emo Goth-Bitch, or at least, prevent her from taking said bitch's side. "Ah, then you two are fellow Muses, how lovely." Aria smiled, a genuine one at the Faerin, "I do hope I can hear you perform another duet with Cain here." Cain's voice was magical, literally and figuratively, judging by what he did in the Honeyhome quest.

"Mhm~" Aria nodded with as little facial twitches she could manage when the midnight-haired Muse began complimenting the Goth, oh come on, Cain, read the atmosphere! That little brat was obviously chastising them and he was fine with it?! She couldn't... just... unbelievable! What was cool about being edgy and 'dark'? Don't tell her that Cain's actual player is an 8th grader? No... no that'd be impossible. If he liked that stuff, he'd be playing a brooding aloof anti-hero instead of a suave Muse with bright clothes. Still, Aria's green eyes turned to her partner, facial features practically begging for them to get the hell out of here. They could come back to the cafe later, it wasn't going anywhere. Alas, it failed miserably as he went ahead and ordered for all of them-... scratch that, for himself. Damn, Cain, were you hungry or what?

"Uh... I'll have..." By now, Aria had lost her appetite but if she gave up now, that pink-haired brat would win, oh no, not on her watch! "I'll have a Triple Chocolate Cake and Matcha Parfait please." This was a game anyway, no need to worry about her maintaining her ideal weight. Passing the menu over to Surrechis, she leaned back, not keeping her eyes off the dark-clad vampire-magical wannabe. "Witch of Scarlet Thorns... more like Bitch... just bitch, plain and simple."

@Magi Heart @Surrechis @Cain Darlite

 

Taking a step in the dark side? This guy had no clue what he was talking about, but he was not totally wrong. It did feel absolutely terrible for the magical girl, whose heart was constantly aching even now from the throbbing of the evil from the rose. She did not know nor cared if the rose caused constant pain for the others. It was that grief that Tenebris was enjoying so much though. She was so happy to be in such a deep state of turmoil. She only wanted to share it with everyone else. That's what it was all about after all. She learned that at long last.

"Pfft... oh you know it."

Her red eyes stared at Arias while she spoke. It was a more complex look than just one of animosity. There was also the grief of a very broken and disturbed girl who wanted to help someone she now felt was only savable by bringing down into her own grief.

"You get a lot of hate by doing that... buuuut I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Oh.... this was going to be really hard to tolerate wasn't it? Tenebris watched as the talk droned on a bit, introductions and all. Who cares who's who? Really, do they all think they matter that much? Even Tenebris did not matter in the least in this horrible world. The feeling of needing to be important. To be needed by someone... that was all a lie! Tenebris only knew one thing. These people needing to grieve. with her. That's all she felt towards them. Especially the green haired girl. She was trying way... too...hard to be nice. It reminded her of her old self's crap. Urgh... damn it.

Then they had to go and order... sweets. Lots of sweets. The names just rolled of of their tongues and the reverse Magi raised a gloved hand over her mouth as she listened to it in all of it's gross horror. Snowy Volcanic Chocolate Cake, Triple Chocolate Cake, Honey Toast Crunch? Bleeeeeeeeeh!!!!! When the suit guy, Cain asked for her name and mentioned the thorns and called her a witch, it actually was a relief of sorts.

"...Urghhhh... um... yeah. Te..."

Wait, if she gave the dumb name that Rosepire gave her... it would cause problems in the future. She would instead make use of her ill fated past.

"M-Magi. Magi Heart. I prefer to drop the Heart though. Kinda sick of the name."

She needed to make people believe she was still a idiot like them. Otherwise they would all alienate her or even worse... think they need to 'fix' her! 'Shiver', going back to that was not something she wanted. With every passiing day, a little more of that whiny wussies memories were fading away. She just needed to reinvent her image without seeming like it was forced. As the talk moved on to Surrechis' music. Tenebris thought about how Aria was a archer... a bow huh? Oh she was probably REALLY good with it.... pfft

"Can't hit the broadside of a barn...."

The girl murmured while the other two were talking in just a loud enough voice that hopefully the green haired love bird could hear. Then she swiftly switched to the other gothic songstress.

"You sing? Kewl... what kind of songs do you do? You seem kinda like a mix of Kuudere and Himedere. Is that your character or are you a NPC? I don't care to check that much anymore since I... yeah."

Tenebris was curious, maybe she sang songs that would bring her or everyone in here grief? Maybe make people cry a little at least? She went a bit far and rattled on more than she should have, almost mentioning how she never left the game anymore. Her immaturity was made into a problem for her rather than something she wanted, unlike before when she never wanted to grow up. Unfortunately for the cynical Dark Heart, she was still a child, just a grieving, bizzaro, hateful one.

@Surrechis @Cain Darlite @Aria

 

Surrechis nodded at @Aria statements politely. The duet she had with @Cain Darlite was enjoyable but she didn't count on there being an opportunity in the near future. Her schedule was often tumultuous and travels usually took her all over the place, but perhaps with Dark Harvest coming up soon, there would be more chances for performances. Not to mention, it would be a good time to expand her reservoir of songs. No doubt all sorts of new and never before heard of songs would be revealed as artists of all sorts would probably have a variety of performances awaiting them. It was an exciting time coming up, all sorts of sights, sounds and experiences awaiting. Perhaps she could even observe some of the traditions, she used to be the one at the door during the Dark Harvest. At least, she used to have that role befor- She was drifting again, giving a slight press to the bridge of her nose, she was about to respond to Aria when the recently name revealed @Magi Heart spoke up.

She was clueless, honestly. Kuudere, Himidere, NPC? Also, what did she mean by 'Is that your character?' She could answer the first question with ease but afterwards it was a blank to her. That word... NPC? It felt different to her. Somewhat foreboding yet oddly attractive, like a trove of forbidden knowledge. Information not meant to see the light of day yet it just resonated with her. Surrechis furrowed her brow slightly before asking Magi,

"I used to play the flute a while bak but I primarily sing nowadays, what I sing depends on the occasion and any requests. Also, I'm afraid I don't recognize most of the terms you used. If I may ask, what is an NPC?"

 

The tension was still present on the table, a thick slab of malice and animosity that Cain had difficulty unravelling. What exactly was causing this unpleasant atmosphere? He had taken Aria as a rather friendly person before, after all, and thought that she would enjoy a chance to meet new people while they checked out a new establishment. Heck, he would have thought that it was clear from the get-go that Magi’s veiled but venomous attitude was clearly an act, because surely no one would ACTUALLY be like that in real life…no, there was something there, huh?

Every story had a kernel of truth. Every mask had a face behind it.

“Ooooh, nice choice, Aria,” the muse smiled, brushing up against her to sneak a peek at the item she was pointing out, “Guess as the Verdant Huntress, you gotta go for the green, eh? Who knew that they even had such items available though. Gotta wonder if Rocky Road has former adventurers amongst their desserts chefs, mm?”

Didn’t even have to be former, really. Cain had gotten a couple of performance gigs himself recently, and with the Dark Festival coming up, there was definitely going to be more fun things to do. For better or worse, his flamboyancy had attracted the attention of an ‘investor’ after all, and if he did well in the upcoming festival’s Battle of the Spooks…oh, the amount of work he’ll get! The amount of gold he’ll get! The amount of sweets he’ll be able to purchase regularly!

Another small bit of victory, a flash of excitement, before Magi promptly decimated her dark magical girl character by going for the throat and asking straight up what Surrechis was. The strange terms flew over Cain’s head as well, but what was more curious was the fact that Magi couldn’t distinguish between a player and an NPC. How strange. She definitely was a player herself, so what exactly was the problem here? Just causing some trouble again?

That’s probably fairly likely, hm.

“Ah,” Cain interjected smoothly, “it’s a term we use to describe mortals within this realm, Lady Surrecchis, to distinguish between those who can rise from the grave after death and those who can not…at least not through natural means.”

Hopefully she didn’t get too curious about the Other Side, but there was probably an interesting way of putting it anyways.

“Anyways, are the two of you planning on ordering anything? Courtesy demands that I pay for everyone’s selections, but I get the feeling that Magi here would buy everything just to drain my coffers dry if I offered such a boon.”

Yup, with that perpetually devious glint in her eyes, the Muse had no doubts she would.

 

The more she spent time around the pink-haired emo-goth, the twitchier Aria became. It was as if her aura was contagious, ruining the atmosphere by turning all possible fun times into awkward silences. Well, she wouldn't let her little date with Cain be ruined by a kid! Oh just you wait, let's see who was Queen Bee around here. Keeping up her model-trained professional smile, she returned Magi's stare with her own 'welcoming' one. Yes, please do have a good time~

Some of her colleagues at university might call her smile a fake, mere fabrications just to look nice in front of a camera, that she and all of her model friends were mere actresses, living a fake life. Well, those people were fools who were socially inept, thinking the world would accommodate them if they were 'true to themselves'. Blatant honesty didn't pay bills, sweetheart, sometimes you had to adapt. Those who thought otherwise didn't deserve to be called adults. As such, Aria had no qualms to give a few compliments here and there, creating friends were much better than making more enemies. This emo girl... it'd be a challenge but this wasn't her first dance.

Oh right, she didn't even introduce herself yet, don't tell Aria she'd have to actually start calling her 'bitch' now? "Ah..." After a few stutters, she revealed her name, 'Magi Heart', oh.... really? Uh... that was... cute. She expected Magi would pick something like 'Raven Duskwood Dementia' or something totally Goth. Tho, uh... "If you hate the name, why not just change it?" The Felis asked with genuine curiosity this time. What a strange girl, it seemed the stereotype about emos like of self-depreciation was true. What happened to her to hate herself like that?

"Rrrgh..." However, what growing sympathy Aria mustered was snuffed out when the little pink brat had the gall to insult her, not-so-subtly murmuring but loud enough for her to hear, yes even if she didn't have enhanced senses as a Felis. That was it, she was beyond saving, let the slut wallow in self-hatred for all she cared.

Turned sour and grumpy, Aria's solace lay in her order of chocolate and parfait. Still, Aria almost spat when Magi dropped the ball on the most 'taboo' subject in Terrasphere. One, it would utterly break immersion if Surrechis was a player, two, if she was an NPC, the girl would be utterly confused. Lo and behold, the latter case happened, well, not her business, she didn't want any part of having to explain all that technical shit.

"Heh... well, I like Matcha and it coincidentally fits my theme too, huh?" The Ranger turned at the Muse, giving him a small smile as she scooped another spoonful of the sweet parfait. Speaking about him, he was gracious enough to spin a tale that Surrechis would understand, waving off the players as 'blessed adventurers'. Just like Cain, he was always dependable.

"Hmmm... I think it's best that we split our bills." Aria interjected before Magi could say anything, oh no, she wasn't going to let her burn through Cain's hard-earned money. "We each pay for our own orders, I think that's fair. Nevermind about all that 'courtesy', Cain, don't be so old school!"

OOC: Apologies for the delay, everyone!

@Magi Heart
@Surrechis
@Cain Darlite

 

The cover up the Cain guy did really showed how people did not get it at all! NPC? Player? Who cares... everyone here is the same. They all felt and acted real, so they were real for the Dark Heart. A NPC was who created her and was in some ways her mother... heh. Didn't that kinda make Tenebris and even Saber into a sort of crossover? Tenebris could not even leave! ... Everyone was equal in a world of grief! Covering things up with lies was part of what love, compassion, and justice did all the time. Let Magi Heart in the past wallow in it. Tenebris Cordis acted on grim reality and knew what made it worth living. On top of that... gee whiz, it was one dumb lie too. Was he calling the players immortals? Did it really feel immortal when you died? He needed help more than she thought!

"A... flute. Pfft, great taste. Singing until you're hoarse is something worth trying. sore throat and all. You might think up better lyrics from the pain. I had a theme song. It was crap though. I mean really dumb."

The man's comments about her emptying his wallet on purpose brought a rather cute grin to the girl. The lovebird offered her dumb opinion and was a bit taken back from her name. Yeah, Tenebris actually agreed. What a weird choice but it was something she had to do for now anyway.

"I'd love too. What's wrong... not feeling generous enough to spend on a kid like me❤ ? Boo. Hehe... if I want to change it I will. I have some friends that won't recognize me the right way unless I keep it. I don't want to lose track of my precious friends. I want to help them when I can... I guess I'm just stuck in the heroine role... nevermind."

Tenebris may have said more than was needed, but meh. She shrugged and went back to her bitter tea. Generosity that most people believed in was a lie anyway. The only thing worth helping anyone with was grief. These players and NPC were giving it to each other all the time so why did everyone lie about how they felt in the between the fun stuff? They would all go and start stabbing sooner or later! Tenebris sipped her drink with a straw and purposely made annoying slurping sounds as they talked. Watching anyone, especially the green flea bag, become uncomfortable was a joy to be had. A miserable joy at that! Lifting her mouth from the straw. Tenebris just shook her head a bit bored now.

"Wowzers, the manor is more fun than you guys. Seriously. What do you do for fun anyways? Date? Sweets? Sing? You noobs aren't even playing right.... gosh. I'm supposed to be the Magical Girl ❤ ! But maybe you guys should consider it, pfft. You have Tuxedo Kamen already."

The distorted girl touched her rose on her chest. Given to her by Saber. It still to this day was pumping her with pain and grief. Yet she only translated it as pleasure and love. If only they could feel that too. If the world could feel like her. It would be like a slice of heaven.

@Aria
@Surrechis
@Cain Darlite

 

Surrechis winced as all of the tension in the table seemed to come to a boil. Magi was blathering nonsense as per usual, Aria seemed to have relaxed a tiny smudge and resolved to ignoring most things in favor of Cain, and Cain was well... Cain. She wasn't sure there was anything that could spoil his mood for too long, nothing here at the least. Everything had a time and place, and she could tell that it was time to leave. Her drink was... finished enough and something told her that it would only bring her more stress to stay. Gently easing off the seat, she said to the group,

"Apologies to cut this meeting short, but I do have things to attend to. It was a pleasure to meet you all, Miss Magi, Miss Aria and Sir Cain."

With that done, she went off to continue her business in the city. There were things to be done and she wasn't about to use up all her energy dealing with a messy social landmine. Hopefully they wouldn't end up killing each other or starting a fight somewhere.

[[Exit Thread]]

 

“Ah, so sweet~ And that matcha really does look tasty, Aria! Share it with me some time” Cain exclaimed, placing a hand against his cheek at the first delectable morsel of sugary goodness that was his own dessert. Virtual reality really was amazing when it came to replicating the flavors of food, and when one could potentially become ‘Illustrious’ in terms of Cooking…well, it really fired him up. The muse did have to watch himself though, especially when it came to managing his hunger on the Other Side. After all, getting into the habit of eating three meals a day was healthy, and considering the future set before him, Cain definitely needed to start working on his real body.

Returning Magi’s saccharine smile with one of his own, all refreshingly crisp and filled with white, perfectly aligned teeth, “A child you may be, Witch of Thorn, but it’s clear to anyone present that you stand head and shoulders above the rest of us in terms of power and reputation. A pink-haired magical girl like you must have had her fair share of darkest timelines and nightmare beasts, right? Meanwhile, the only thing I have to my name are forest critters and building-sized trolls. In terms of the depths of our coffers, you doubtlessly are drowning in artifacts and gold, Magi. I’d imagine that asking for a free meal as one of your impressive stature would make you akin to a king who auctions off his land for donations.”

There was respect there, but there were also barbs, the midnight haired muse maintaining his smiles as he wondered just how much of a mad man (or lady? Or girl?) Magi was. A rebellious phase was cute, and the very fact that he could ‘imagine’ the malignant hearts bursting out from her words pulled at the threads of his mind. This wasn’t the same sort of depravity as a player who slew newbies for no apparent reason, was it? This was infinitely more entertaining, absolutely more chaotic, a cacophony of rainbow suger and bitter cinnamon. It appeared though, that Surrechis wasn’t nearly as interested in waltzing with words when landmines and venomous bites were present everywhere. With a nod, Cain called out, “Don’t forget to come to the Battle of the Spooks, Lady Surrechis! We modified the Cadenza Lacrimosa to be something quite devilish, with the aid of your notes!”

Turning to the witch once more, Cain nodded, dripping with sincerity, “If you’re willing to pass on the baton of Magical Girl, Defender of Justice and Rainbows, in order to fully embrace your darker incarnation, then please, go ahead, Magi Heart. Dates, sweets, and singing are fun after all, especially when contrasted with the blood and grime of massacre! Life’s short and much too cheap, right? Might as well enjoy all there is instead of just stubbornly sticking to one side.”

A wink was tossed Aria’s way.

“I’m sure Lady Aria would work wonderfully as Sailor Jupiter too! You think Eldhi would be better as Mars? Or Saturn?”

Just an offhand comment. Just a shot in the dark. But with a manor and a rose, Cain sure was curious!