Though they were sparse, there were farms in Pormont that an animal and plant lover could easily enjoy. Sure, half the wheat in the golden fields was taller than Harveste's head, but that just made it easier to practice her rogue skills. Thus, she had found herself regularly heading to a farm just outside the mountain range, snooping the area for both educational value and fun. Enjoying what seemed like a nice day to her, the girl trod through some golden fields and snuck her way out of what felt like a maze of maize. At the outskirts of the vast plains was a road towards the mountain. While in recent times this mountain wasn't considered a safe place, she hadn't had any problems in the area. As such, she opted to enjoy a peaceful hike, wandering along a small, simple path. Though she seemed to be alone, one would soon find that was not the case if they looked towards her feet. The small faerin had an even smaller companion- a little clear slime, which used it's sludge like a slug to follow her, leaving a trail of gelatinous excrement in its path along the ground. It bumped into the girl's leg as she stopped for a moment, sniffing the clean mountain air with a broad grin. Looking towards her pet, she couldn't help herself as she lifted it off the ground and into a hug. "The air smells so nice this time of year, doesn't it Drip? I wish I could enjoy this so easily back home, too." @Zelrius
Zelrius had talked to the witch for the second time. His eyes burning with determination, just as they had been for the last few days. For the first time since he started, the man was in a hurry every day, to do every little thing so that he could run back into Terra. Work dragged on, chores around his parents' house made the hours expand into infinity, and when he would eventually get into the game, things would blur together. Zelrius rushed through every action, whereas before he slugged along, bored and saddened by life and its tribulations. But now, there was a semblance of a purpose creeping up in him; a distraction from the pain he had recently endured. The Princess Jeanne had given him this purpose; a quest for fame and glory. Thats all he cared about anymore, the path to wealth through her. She said make a name for yourself, so the man spent days upon days running around the world of Terra, exploring and more important, grinding every little bit he could. He spent hours reading up on the masteries of the game, and devising a build, and even more hours grinding those sweet sweet points to make the build work for him. So far, he had finally gotten a handle on his Sword skills, both with the sword individually, and then mixed with the Dual Wielding skill, slowly becoming a whirlwind of blades in any battle he found himself in. However, back to the witch. This wasn't a battle of the physical kind, nor even the mental. It was simply a gamble. That gamble was improtant to him for several reasons. The most prominent of which was of self-assuring value. Zelrius often times felt trapped, questioning his every move, never being able to take a step on his own. That hadn't changed much with that gamble but it proved to him that he was capable of dong it. The man lost the gamble the first time, dying to the Witch's game, but then quickly forced himself to return to her and try again, challenging her. And he won the second time, winning the Witch's egg from her. It was foul smelling, and the bones inside chattered with every step he took as it sat snugly in his pocket. The man proved to himself that he could take risks, just like he used to. And so, that was another quest for today, to hit on both of his goals. Build his power and influence, and take risks to get it done even faster. Today's risk; The mountains of Pormont. He had heard the Grass Gnolls terrifying the locals and harassing any colonists. He had come out with Mizuki and Kaede a few days earlier to handle some of them but, much like with the goblins, wasn't satisfied with the result at all. So, here he was again, traversing the fields and mountains looking for something to swing at, or mess with, in an effort to build those skills he so deeply desired. However, it was getting dark now, and not for the right reasons. Normally, the reason it got dark would be the setting sun of course, but this time was a bit more worrying to the man. He had seen the dark clouds moving from miles off when he began his adventure this morning, but now they were overhead, and Zelrius was more than behind schedule. He had planned to be back at Brisshal before the day was done, but it looked like that was happening. Why was he behind scheudle you might ask? Simple; he was lost. Oh yes, the one time Zelrius decided to take risks and not plan well in advanced, was the one time it would actually hinder him to do so. The golden haired man wasn't prepared at all for the storm, nor for the harsh terrain that Pormont offered. He had no map, no guide, knew no landmarks, and had no idea where he was going, unable to see the sun rising or setting from wherever it was in order to tell his own direction. So, he was basically wandering at this point. He had no idea what to do or where to go, and his anxieties were rising with each second that went by. The clouds inched forward, and it was only a matter of time unti Zelrius began to hear the light pitter patter of rain. Though that time had not come yet, he knew it was coming. It was a disappointment to him; the weather was so nice earlier that day as well. Nonetheless, the golden haired man began frantically searching for shelter of any kind, or a direct path out. And just his luck, as he saw a small figure not too far down the path he was on currently. He thought for a moment, moving toward her quickly and when coming up close, held his hands up to signify he was peaceful. Then he spoke, "Hey I uh, do you happen to- Is there a way out of here? Where is the nearest town or Inn?" Zelrius was banking on two things, One that she knew such things, and two, that there weren't any Gnolls in between him and where he was going. Both were extreme things to risk, but at this point, he was more than desperate.
The rain began to fall upon her small form, surprising her as her hair began to take in the liquid, using it as glue to stick to her skin. The lavender hair that reached likely to her ankles was now a hindrance, leaving her groaning at the edge of the mountain's path. "It was sunny just a moment ago...How did the weather change so fast?" A soft sigh escaped her as she took a breath, the humidity tickling her lungs. With the air she expelled, a rather embarrassingly written song took flight on the damp air, her body taking a soft glow as her magic flowed out on the wind, making her demands in the form of a childish rhyme. "It's raining, it's pouring~ My old man is surely snoring~" Clover Cover The magic surged into her right hand until the slight green glow became a plant held tightly in her grip. The plant was a clover- a clover at least twice her size, spread over her head to block out the rain, an umbrella perfect for a flower fairy. Sure, her spell was a rather boring song in her mind- but she could always adjust it later, right? At least now she had something to stop her from getting drenched any further. It was as she was gaining her plant parasol that a stranger's voice rang in her ears, causing her to peek up at a tall blonde, eyes smoldering with a determination for something she likely wouldn't comprehend. "I don't know if there's an inn or a village close enough, but there's lots of farm houses that dot the area...And there's a cavern not far from here on the path I was thinking of hiding out in." Her words came with a small smile, her arm with the umbrella in hand reaching out to hold it over him, now holding it at the stem. It was hard to keep it over him, but she wanted to help keep him from being as soaked as she already was. Sharing was caring, wasn't it? "It was so sunny just a minute ago...Think a fox is getting married? But it looks less like a sun shower and more like a storm is brewing. We should get somewhere safe before the thunder rolls in..."
It was too late, by the time he had already reached the small figure, his worst dreads had come true. It had already began to rain. And not just some or kinda either, pouring rain, drenching the dirt and rocks, the fields and crops. It was an intense kind of rain, ones that reminded him of his Boston, not more than a logout away. But that wasn't the idea here. He could just log out here and not deal with it, but it seemed that was a bad choice. Zelrius still had no idea what his body did when he logged out, other than what he could assume. It was always recommend to lay down somewhere safe and log out, never to do it in open fields, and especially not on mountain sides, where the incline was so steep. What he assumed is that when you logged out, your body just rag dolled and stayed there, but he didn't know how much to believe that. Afterall, he had never seen someone else log out,and it was impossible to tell what happened once you did. It was a question for another time, the point being, this was neither the time nor the place for that. So he voice became hurried, urging the small girl on. She didn't seem as urgent; her childlike mannerisms seemingly devoid of any concern for what was happening. He looked at her arm, and though she didn't request it, Zelrius grabbed the clover umbrella thing that she was holding, just barely above the two of them. It was a second hand thought, the taking of it from her so he could more comfortably hold it over the both of them as they spoke. Zelrius was less interested in her comfort, and more interested in the fact that it was one, her clover, and he knew her arms would get tired of she kept them stretched out like that. So, as a sort of silent repayment for covering him as well during their exchange, he would just hold onto it for a bit for both of them. For a moment, Zelrius had thoughts of Savannah, the only other Faerin he had met, who was also small. The golden haired man wondered if they were all adhereing to a rule. Even Ms Reed was of shorter stature, and more bubbly in nature, but this one seemed less mature than Savannah herself. Still yet, Zelrius was a bit weary around the Faerin, even now having met two of them. Their ear shapes reminded him of some versions of elves he had known, and for one reason or another, the man was never comfortable around what he called Knife-Ears. Faerin were a bit easier for him to deal with, but the feeling of anxiousness was there all the same. He listened for a moment, nodding and agreeing with her point about the farmhouses, of course he knew this, but he was getting impatient, not willing to take his chances on that. The nearest village or inn seemed quite far, and Zelrius seriously doubted the fact that random farmers would let him, or quite possibly both of them ride the storm out there. That, and there was always the chance said farmhouse got struck by lightning and burnt down, then they'd be royally fucked. She mentioned a cavern, and the man's face instantly lit up, leaning down to listen better over the sound of water drilling into the rocks as it fell from the sky. "Show me, please." His words were hurried, this wasn't exactly how he planned his whole day would go. It was putting a major damper on his plans, and quite frankly, he wasn't thrilled that all he had to work with at the moment was a child. His thoughts scattered for a moment, as he thought of several ways to get out of this situation, and not drain his precious meters of their respective needs; Hunger, Energy and Thirst. At this moment, he was mostly okay on those, but to waste them sitting in a cavern wasnt exactly appealing to the man. He didn't have much food packed, and wasn't interested in sleeping in a cave with no bedding for a while. Though it was unlikely the storm would last that long, he was less interested in wasting those things and then having to call it a night when he eventually did get back to a town. However for thirst he wasn't that worried, somehow, Zelrius thought that getting a hold of some water might not be a problem. Still, he had no idea where the cavern even was yet, but he began to think of a million things to do to maybe help. Maybe he could message Mizuki, or Kaede, and they'd be in the area. Or maybe he could buy this umbrella off this Faerin? Though that was unlikely, since she'd have to have another, and if she didn't the man didn't want to bother her too much. So, he pressed on, waiting for her answer for the cavern, dealing with one step at a time first.
The girl nodded gingerly when he asked to be lead to the cavern, though she was a bit surprised to have the umbrella taken out of her hand so swiftly. Letting her arms fall to her sides, she began to walk down the dirt road, keeping her eyes peeled for a specific crack in the rock that she knew would mean they weren't far from the cavern that hid in the mountain's ridge. Seeing their sought out shelter, the girl rushed out of the umbrella and into the cave. It wasn't overly small, the entrance tall enough to just let in even one who'd taken the tallest build possible by the game's parameters- however, it wasn't exactly 'cozy' either. Though it had enough room for a tiny group, it was musky and cold when she found a spot to sit on the floor, a slight dampness tickling her legs when she straightened them. "It's not warm in here, but it's still safer than out there..." Giggling, her mind wandered to ways to keep herself from catching a chill, eyes on the man. "What do you think we should do for warmth? I'm a naturamancer, not a pyro. In fact, I'm afraid of fire. If it were Kaede, I'd say huddling might help, but...With a stranger that's probably really awkward." She hadn't meant to blurt it out, but she did often say things without thinking. "Er, don't mind that and come sit! Let's relax while we wait for the storm to clear!" With a timid laugh, she pat the ground to offer a seat, pulling her knees to her chest and curling into a ball both for warmth and a slightly more comfortable rest on her spine. "Say...What's your name anyway, mister? I kind of just dragged you with me since it was raining...Ah, I'm Harveste."
He followed as the small faerin began to run off after a small nod. He followed closely, trying his best to hold the clover umbrella thingy-mbob while they moved around. The pouring rain turned the ground they walked on into squishy and seeping mud, each foot they moved leaving a small print in their wake. He wasn't thrilled about this, at all, not exactly sure how to get out of this situation without spending precious hours in a small cavern with a faerin, he barely even knew, played by what was most likely a dude or a small child, who he also knew nothing about other than the fact that they existed. There was also always the possibility that it was an npc, there being of little difference here in the world of Terra, but still a likelihood all the same. Though that was dismissed at the thoughts of her belongings, being way out here by herself, and the clover umbrella he had, thinking it impossible for an NPC to have such an understanding of the Naturamancy magic even at a base level. Though now he wondered what it was NPCs did in their spare time. Their lives were boring, and instead of the players' average 8 or so hours they would spend in game, this was those NPCs lives. They had 24 hours of game time, and during the Winter and even middle of summer, there was very little to keep them occupied. He wonderd if they trained their masteries like the players did, or even had an idea of what that was. Basically, Zelrius had no idea what it even meant to be an NPC in this world. Were they just like players, except coded into and ingrained in this world? Or were they more like Natives, knowing nothing of the game, and having very little grasp of its mechanics. If the latter, then it was impossible for this Faerin, or any other he had met thus far, to even meet that bill. Still, these were things worth asking, now setting up a schedule to do a little research of his own. See, Zelrius thirsted for many things, the one he wanted to desire for more than anything was wealth and fame, yet his mind would often contest this with its own desires, ones of questions and curiosity. It was a constant want that needed satistied by the man. He wanted so badly to know things, to understand the ins and outs of everything in this world, and on earth. But, unlike Earth, Terra didn't have google. Which for Zelrius, was all the better, he found it way more fun to be able to go out and do actual field research without it being a waste of time, though he was new to that concept. Though even with all that want to know, he was stuck currently, not wanting to get completely drenched and risk an ailment or something inflicting both his real life body, and to him, more importantly, his Terrasphere one as well. That'd put a real damper on things. It seemed for the moment, that he was safe from that horror of wondering. The pair entered the cave, and the Faerin hopped in, being childlike as always, as Zelrius followed slowly behind, extending the clove umbrella back for her to grab. He had made use of it and for now would just sit and ponder what to do about his current situation, making light conversation back and forth to keep the two occupied while he got lost in his own thoughts. "I am Zelrius, Its a pleasure," He added that last part politely, despite it not really being so.
When the man entered the cave with her, she was surprised to find him returning the 'umbrella' she'd crafted. "It's okay if you want to keep it. I can make another one pretty easily. It's one of the spells I've gotten good at." Her lips in a simple smile, her face had a slight red hue- she was happy; happy to have been helpful to someone in such a mess. Unlike the mud outside that laced into the soles of her shoes, the cavern had a far drier ground, only dampened by the cold that tickled through her clothing. She slipped her finger under the lip of her shoes and used them to pull them off one by one, a soft sigh escaping her as her feet were released from their bindings. "If we wear wet clothes, we'll get sick. My shoes got wet, but looks like the rest is okay...How about you, mister..." She paused, having just caugth his name. "Zelrius? The pleasure's all mine. But... That's an interesting name. Where did you come up with it, if you don't mind my asking?" Small talk wasn't her forte, but asking often random questions and brimming with curiosity most certainly was. Always looking to learn something, linguistics of names often aided her offline endeavors, causing her to readily ask the background of any name she came to find, anywhere she was. "Mine's one I've been using a while...Because a lot of games had a restriction on number of characters, much to my chagrin."
He sat on the ground, chin in hand and lost in thought for just a moment, though that seemed to only last a moment. It was broken quickly by the Faerin speaking once again, her childlike mannerisms being a bit of an eye catchers, or an ear catcher to be more exact. He didn't want to be rude at all, and smiled, messing with the clover as he took it back. It was a good gift, and he took out a few coins from his inventory, holding it out for her to take, "Here," He insisted, compensation for the thing he had no idea how she got. Whether or not the Faerin accepted, Zelrius continued to listen to her speak, only to grow bright red from her wording, his articulation being extremely broken now and he stammered. "I ah, uhm, nono." He tried to distract himself with the clover. "No, my clothes are fine on me. I uh, it-its fine. A little cold never killed anyone," Though he knew that was wholly untrue, a bit of cold could kill plenty of people, and it did for many year. However, he wondered if the healing in the game would save him from something like that, or if it was even possible to get such illnesses in game. It was a scary thought, given that outside of healers, the tech level was very much at the Medieval standard. Which meant bloodletting was the all seeing eye. He shuddered, remembering how George Washington died from such a treatment. He shook his head, losing himself back in thought, until once again being pulled away by her question of naming. "Ah, its a semi long story, but allow me to give you the short version, Harveste." He said her name on his own, giving the pronunciation a test, and quite liking how it rolled off the tongue. "It's Latin based. Ius ending means someone of status, typically male, and Zel was a play on the word Zealot. Or Zeal. Meaning, someone who is fanatical or very steadfast in their beliefs or values. So, doing a bit of wordplay, Zelrius was born."
Although she wanted to refuse the coins, she realized it was very likely 'no' was not an option on the table. With a slight sigh, she accepted it- at least it wasn't a lot he'd given her, right? But still, a gift wasn't a gift if someone paid you. She'd have to think about selling her umbrellas from now on in general- if one person liked them and found them useful, it could be a better business than just hunting was for her (after all, she was lousy at that!). When she'd mentioned the worry of getting ill, the man seemed to lose his ability to speak coherently, sputtering and stuttering as he tried to reclaim his calm. It was rare, to Harveste, that one would get so worked up over the idea of taking off wet clothes- particularly around someone like her, who looked small and childlike. Perhaps he'd realized she was still an adult? Slightly red realizing why it could be taken weirdly, she began to struggle with words herself. "I-I promise, I don't mean anything strange by it. I just don't think it's good not to be careful with your health, game or not. I don't actually have healing skills even if sometimes I can act as a support, so..." Shaking off her anxiety, she dropped the subject as quickly as it came up, rather pleased he'd opted to answer her question, seemingly playing with her own name in the process. "I see, so that's what it relates to...I didn't think the Zel really would be related to words that came to mind, so I'm intrigued. Plus, I didn't know that particular Latin suffix- or, perhaps it'd be considered an honorific?" Her mind played around with his name a bit more, curiosity only growing. "My main question now is...Would the name you've chosen be considered, with that mix of bases in mind, a good thing or a slur? Zealot usually is used more a slur than a compliment, or in my experience at least that's the case. While steadfast is a good thing, fanaticism is generally deemed less virtuous and more..." The word got caught in her mind, on the tip of her tongue. She failed to recall that which she wanted to say, letting out a soft sigh. So much for her vocabulary, it would seem. "Well, it's generally seen badly."
He didn't know what to do, not really sure how to proceed. He knew one thing for sure; no matter what the small one said, he was losing exactly 0 articles of clothing. So, shaking off those thoughts and listening to her own daddle about his name, he was intrigued now. A wondrous amounts of thoughts filling his head to answer her questions one by one as the rain stormed against the outer stone walls. The pitter patter of which was calming at this point, and Zelrius couldn't help but feel goose bumps rise as the quiet sound added quite well to the atmosphere of the game. "An Honorific, yes. It means high status, generally granted to Patricians. Though, often times Historians omit it as part of people's names. Often because it is implicit when talking about people who have it, and because it actually made some names sound completely different than normal. Crassus was easier to write, spell and understand than Crassius or Crassusius. The only time it is brought up in that sense is when the person was born with that honorific as just part of their name. Zelrius is a good example of that. I applied the honorific to the name myself as just making it part of the name. Though most people take it back from me by just calling me Zel." Not that he had a particular problem with that, it was just a note he made outloud for the sake of this conversation. "You're right," he added to her comments about Fanaticism. "Generally because, at least in America, its associated with someone's interest in Church matters. And while when I was young there were plenty who were avid Preach-Goers, its never been a popular mindset in the states. People generally see it as bad if you derive your whole basis on 'Orders from God/Church.' Mainly because of the British descent thing, who never really liked the Zealots of the old Catholic church. That being said, that is not what my name is implying; it simply means a willingness to stay determined to certain goals and ideals." He had to quickly change the subject before a whole history debate was had with the Faerin, or atleast, he thought she was. "What about your name, hmm?"
The in depth analysis of the honorific had caught her attention easily, her ears perked as she listened to each part of his history lesson in great detail. Knowing it was Latin would help her greatly in the future, she believed, as most languages had a hand in her storytelling over time. In fact, she had been using lot of small bits of Latin lately for one particular story, where status would be notably useful. "Is there a feminine form for the 'ius' honorific? Since you mentioned it was for men..." She trailed off, resting herself a bit more loosely along the ground, her hair covering a fair amount of the stone cold ground beneath her, coating it with a violet blanket. Her clothing, though wet and uncomfortable, would remain as it was for the time being to be safe. He'd shown some concern about it when she mentioned not wanting to be stuck in them, so she'd betrayed her first instinct to rid herself of them for common decency. "My name isn't quite so thought out... I set my character up thinking of harvest sprites from Harvest Moon and games of that nature. I've been playing MMOs for years, and usually, when I make a nature sprite of a character, I just call it Harvester or something, because it's focused on the bounty of nature and harvesting it's goods to share. Lately, a lot of games I've played had character restrictions, so only Harveste fit... And it just kind of stuck, after that. It still fits my theme anyway, right? I say it Harvest-Stay, so perhaps I could say it's a bit like a prayer that mother nature will continue being kind to people... Even if I don't trust her for one second in reality."
Zelrius loved to answer the question; an understanding of history actually being one his strong suits. "Quite a few actually. If you want an honorific ending for women, funny enough, there's two for women. The Romans were weird, in that not only could Women hold land, which was unheard of until the Progressive Renaissance, but they were often the expected land holder. Often times when people got married, the land would shift to the Wife's name. If you were a land holder but not of Patrician birth, the ending was Ime. Jessaime, Patricime. However, if you were just a Patrician born lady, it would simply be Ia. Julia, Octavia. If you were both, which was more common than if you were just one, it was generally up to you, but most went with the Ia by default. Romans actually held their women in pretty high standard." It was both an interesting fact to him, and one he liked to share, as the world was becoming increasingly progressive. While he didn't follow the mindset, the man knew when and how to possibly pander to someone's feelings on certain issues. "I mean, that seems it took about an equal amount of thinking as mine. It has deeper meaning and I like that," His lips formed a friendly smile to keep the conversation civil. "So, are you of the nature then? You say it fits your theme, and I see you look like a Fairy of sorts, but do you feel and act like a fairy? And follow up, only because I am curious. Is it just a character you're playing in this game, or do you normally feel dainty and fairy-like in the real world as well?" If that last part were what he thinks it was, then it'd explain her kind of bounding mannerisms, that of a child of sorts. Or perhaps a blissful teen? Though he assumed she was neither in the real world, the man was simply curious.
"You're just a treasure trove of etymological information, aren't you, Zelrius?" The girl chimed, a small clap of her hands exuding and echoing into the cavern despite her seemingly lazy posture. "I'm still a bit confused, however, by some of your words. Forgive me if I seem to be using you as an encyclopedia for words- not quite a thesaurus or dictionary, yet perhaps that might fit too... But what does it mean to be Patrician? I'm not all that caught up on some of the tendencies of the ancient world, including it's hierarchy, anymore." She couldn't recall the last time she'd really studied about Roman citizens. She'd seen a great documentary about the philosopher Socrates, which had eventually told not only of his life but how his and other Greek philosophers had affected other parts of the world, particularly the Roman empire. "Roman and Greek names are fascinating, really... To think the 'ia' in Julia was a sign of respect, not just part of the name itself... I was never aware of that. I'm thankful to you." Her smile was gentle, but childishly took over her round face. Her eyes kept away from him slightly, as if too afraid to look him in the eye- likely because she wasn't actually that good with people, and she felt like she'd just been caught in a lie from his question. With a slight sigh, she'd answer nonetheless. It wasn't like she actually had anything to hide. "I myself am small perhaps... I've been called childish looking plenty of times, but I'm an adult, and I take pride in that, at least I usually do. I don't think 'dainty' quite fits me, however, nor do I have a green thumb. I'm learning to care for plants now, but I'm still a beginner... I've never been good at keeping them alive, but I've become rather fond of having them around the house as of late. Perhaps I'm becoming more normal from them... Because having some nature around makes me want to go out more. To live a little bit." Jumping out of her rut of explaining herself and her life, she realized she was going overboard again. "A-As you can see, I have a tendency to ramble, too. I don't think many fairies have that tendency. What about you, though, Zelrius?" She was careful in using his full name, emphasizing it slightly to show she'd continue to do so for his entertainment. "Are you similar to the character you play...? Did you choose things based off a character, or off yourself?"
"Oh!" He was clearly excited to answer her question regarding the Roman Empire, one his few areas of expertise. "No worries at all, encyclopedia away! And always remember to use google when you get off to fact check, as the things I say may not be 100% Accurate." He noted, also remembering that he wasn't exactly a history professor. "A Patrician was kind of like a Oligarchic Social-Economic Class in the Roman Republic, and later into the Empire. It was basically like being a noble, and though they didn't exactly get treated out in public a whole lot better, the life a Patrician could be expected to be a bit easier, atleast in terms of labour, in comparison to their Plebeian counterparts. Though now that brings up the subject of the Equestrians, who were a separate class, and on occasion, wealthier than most Patricians." He also stopped there, realizing that they could probably go on all day about the Social Classes of Rome alone, and that was without the Imperial Family being brought up. Not that he had any actual objections, but just realizing that he was rambling without her adding any questions, and the golden haired man wasn't sure how interested she actually was in this subject, or if she was just being polite. So, just like that, he ended, giving her a chance to ask more questions or giving her an out to let the conversation end there if it was boring Harveste. He listened quietly as she explained herself and the things he had asked, realizing now that maybe the way he had worded it was a bit rude, and the strong desire to apologize filling Zelrius's body. Though he didn't say anything while she was speaking, a fear of being awkward and further rude rising in him. It was odd how people changed in Terrasphere, either into a character, or letting their experiences influence their real personalities, and some were completely unaffected, just like with any other video game. It certainly was a phenomenon that the golden haired man himself had occur to him; Terrasphere changing certain opinions that he had held in the past. "Nono, By all means, speak away," He gestured to the exit of the cave, the thundering rain as it pounded the dirt and stone all around them. "We have more than enough time, and better spend it getting to know someone that you might not have talked to otherwise, than to sit in the dark and quiet waiting to drown by rain or whatever." He offered a reassuring smile before answering her own questions. "I uh, mostly just play myself. After all, I am the funniest character I know." He offered jokingly, though the self-deprciation stinging him more on the inside than he allowed to show.
She listened with a gleam in her eye as the man gave her a lesson that was far more interesting than most history teachers had made it. A subject was never so interesting if a lesson was given by someone who didn't have interest in the subject as they spoke, which was just one thing she noticed as she tried to soak in each word carefully, letting them drench her as the rain had tried. When he stopped, she wanted to frown at first- but then, she realized he was waiting for her. A conversation required a rally between the people involved, after all, like a game of badminton might. "Sorry for getting so quiet, I just really wanted to make sure to take in what you said. I always fact check on google no matter where I learn things from, so don't worry abotu that. Instead, please continue! But um... While we're at a pause, I do want to know something. You mentioned the Equestrian class, right? But in most languages, equestrian implies horses, or some relation to them. So does that class, too, involve horse riders specifically?" There was something about language that she adored- that was, after all, why she'd become a writer. However, language had a mystery to it. She was always trying to find out the subtle nuances that led to new words, or how a word's meaning could vary so greatly. It interested her so much that she'd recently bought an audio book about that very topic. Perhaps this would be a topic to delve into also. In fact, that led her to a teasing but honest inquiry. "Have you ever thought about reading for audio books? You noted yourself, you're an interesting character. I bet if you were to be the voice behind an audio book on ancient Rome and its history, your excitement of the subject would make it even more fun to listen to, too." Her lips curled into a bigger grin, her eyes gently keeping focus on him, particularly on his shoulder. She had never had a good ability to keep her eyes upon another person's- she always kept herself just below their gaze, perhaps lucky her size had always been a bit smaller than average. Even when he joked about himself, she couldn't look at him directly. She merely smiled, hoping he'd see it from her lightly downward glance. "It's a good thing, I think, to be able to say such a thing though. Now, I'm talking about your own words here, but... When I was small, there's an old thing my father used to tell me. Life's pointless if you can't laugh at yourself. That you consider yourself 'the funniest character you know' shows you have a strong sense of self and the ability to pay attention to yourself. It sounds strange, perhaps, but... don't you think that your ability to do that shows your strength? In a way, I'm almost jealous."
