Private - Another Spawn ; Detritus

The city had been loud and full of movement. Bodies surged from street corner to alleyway, carting goods, gathering small children, packing away weapons into houses just in case. Everywhere she turned, Savannah saw the face of someone who was scared or worried rushing along to get this last errand done because they didn’t know if today would be the day. Would the army come bearing down upon them today? Would they lose their life today? Would they go to sleep tonight and wake up under siege with their hopes and dreams resting on the shoulders of people they didn’t know?

It was too much for her. In a way, if she could think about it and take herself out of the situation, it was amazing coding. The tension that hung in the city, the nervous energy that vibrated through every NPC as their dialogue changed and their pathing routes brought them to stores to buy supplies for the impending war. The developers were amazing and their skill was unmatched.

But Savannah couldn’t take herself out of it. She truly felt the jaws of war opening wide, preparing to clamp down around her and swallow her whole. So, she did the only thing that made sense at the time and that was leave.

It would’ve been smarter to just log out and get away from the game entirely, maybe skip out on this event since she was having such a reaction to it, but she knew she would kick herself for missing something as epic as this. She would hate to have to read about it on Wikipedia later (if it ever even made it to Wikipedia to begin with).

It was easy to navigate back to the spawn area where she had first entered the game. There were people of all races, sizes, colors and armor types milling about. Some were fighting rabbits, others were skinning wolves, and a few were crowding around a young girl who was yelling about marbles or something she had lost and asking people to collect them for her. The event popped up in Savannah’s window and though she had completed it once, it was giving her the option to do it again if she wanted. Better rewards, it seemed, but she shook her head and instead made it past those newbies to the little coastal area that she had seen all those days ago.

There, on the beach, she sat down and brought her knees up to her chest and looked out over the afternoon ocean.

@Detritus​

 

That blinding white light....

This was the only the second time that Detritus had been able to enter this world, the first having deposited him in a forested area nearby. He had wandered briefly, exploring and allowing himself to come to know the sensations and wildlife that frequented the area while being safe. It was always good habit to observe before taking any actions.

This beach was soothing in a way unrelated to his avatar, if he was not Detritus at that moment then he might even be moved by the simplistic beauty and relative calm the beach gave off. He had chosen here to exit the day before, tucking himself into a small crevice and placing his back firmly to the sandstone shelf.

He thought he'd be alone upon reentry but was surprised to see a young woman sitting and staring at the surf, seemingly lost in thought.

Was she 'real'? Was this an event? How should he proceed?

These thoughts raced quickly through his mind before he settled on the easiest of the options- he'd approach her but let her have her space.

Not attempting to hide his presence, the youth walked briskly but calmly to a small shelf a few feet away from the woman, allowing himself to sit upon it and begin tinkering with some seashells he'd found in the sand. He knew not how mercantile worked here but looked to classic RPG's of the past; seashells usually could be sold or ground down into a compound of sorts. Better to experiment now then be caught absolutely penniless and hungry.

The first thing he found was that these shells were much harder then he'd anticipated. Unlike common seashells in the real world, these seemed to hold a minor edge and didn't chip away or flake like most chitinous material. Instead, these gave off a small spark when hit together and did not create any residue that he could gather and experiment with. Lacking an alchemy skill, he'd need more tools to continue experimenting and learning about what these shells were composed of and how they could be used....as for the moment, maybe as a dagger (makeshift) and flint for starting fires?

 

From afar, it seemed as if Savannah was deep in thought. Her clothing was normal peasant wear, but her weapon was still strapped to her back just in case she accidentally found something she didn’t want to encounter on her small reprieve. Her chin was tucked into the divet between her knees and the salty air rustled her golden pigtails to waver behind her. Her expression was…almost sad in a way, her vision on the ground instead of the ocean.

However, she seemed to perk up once she heard the rustling of another person nearby. She turned her head and took in the figure of the young male whom was some ways from her; close enough that she could talk to, but not within touching distance. He looked like a new player (no fancy armor or weapon around) which made Savannah give a small smile. It was nice meeting others who were logging in for the first time.

Hey there! she called out, lifting one hand in the air to wave. First time logging in? Need any help? Not like she had a wealth of knowledge to spare him, but maybe some companionship would help her feel a little better about what was actually going on in this pretend world she was slowly becoming addicted to.​

@Detritus

 

Maybe...these are useless.

Tossing them aside, he stood up and sighed while running a hand up and through his hair to comb it away from his eyes. Decidedly looking away from the ocean and erring on the side of civility, he glanced over at the young woman whom hailed him. She was obviously more experienced with this world than he was, even feeling comfortable enough to greet a stranger and offer aid (unless this was a trap?).

He pondered that, his gaze locking onto hers while he remained silent for a few seconds more...creating a slight air of hesitancy before he decided to reply.

" Second time around...actually, but for all intents and purposes- you could say this was the first," He let himself showcase a brief smile, allowing a small dose of chagrin to bleed in and add to the effect of being vulnerable and insecure," I admit, I'm surprised we don't start with anything to aid us. Unless, of course, I'm missing something obvious," a chuckle there, self-depreciating and vaguely empathetic.

Gesturing at the seashells he'd been tinkering with, Detritus began to speak yet again," I'd appreciate your help. I admit I'm not familiar with how to analyze or assess items yet, although I'm aware there is a function for detailed environments. I was trying to figure if these shells served a purpose or could be sold...but I'm taking a mild guess here that this world isn't your classic Dragon Quest, hahaha..." Another small smile, shrugging companionably.

" I'm Detritus, by the way..." He offered, leaving the space open for her either to introduce herself or reply to his previous commentary.

@Savannah Reed

 

The tiny Faerin slowly stood up and dusted off her pants while nodding to him. I’m Savannah, she said as she walked over and held out her hand in greeting. She was smaller than he was – naturally – and had to look up into his face to speak to him. It was becoming a familiar thing for her and it was through this experience that she began to realize how her shorter friends felt when they had to do the same thing. She’d be making no more short jokes if she could manage it.

Steep learning curve, she murmured. Just the stuff from character selection and that’s it. I’ve heard that there are stores where you can buy better gear or even get some of the veteran players to craft you some, but I haven’t stumbled upon either of those resources. I want to take up Blacksmithing myself but…I dunno. Perhaps after this event is over.

As soon as the words had escaped her mouth, her demeanor changed, her shoulders slowly rolling upwards to tighten around her ears. Her hands balled into fists, clenched, and then relaxed. Her nostrils flared and the slender ears atop her head immediately flicked backward.

His words about an investigation mode piqued her interest. There is one? I didn’t even know. Ugh, see; I get the being secretive because of government and licensing and stuff, but not even having a general forum for us to talk to each other outside of the game to learn stuff has to be bad for the game. She crossed her arms over her chest in a huff, her eyes narrowing as they glanced from him to the ocean waves lapping against the shore.

I mean, there’s so much stuff new players don’t know or understand. And not everyone is Mary Sunshine gonna help you out. A forum would be great for us to get together and talk. She sighed. I’m ranting, sorry. So, ah, what did you decide to specialize in? I don’t see any weapons on you…

@Detritus ​