Private - Whistling of the White

Druuk Island. Whether accidentally or on purpose, this place really gave the impression of being that fantastical tropical pirate island that everyone who had watched Pirates of the Caribbean would want to visit at least once. And since everyone in modern times had seen the Pirates of the Caribbean at least once (or at least a very large portion of it) that meant nearly everyone would want to visit at least once. Vina somewhat suspected that if word got out that there was a tropical pirate island in Terrasphere there would be a lot more people trying to get into the game, even if she herself had no idea how they would manage that, since it seemed like whatever method was used to invite people it didn't allow for requests. Sure, there were similar places in real life, but they lacked the vibe that this place had, since this place had pirates of the type that you encountered in stories. In real life on Earth you'd have to make do with the gorgeous scenery and the beautiful clear waters filled with interesting sealife, not to mention the types of exotic plants and animals that could be found on land. While those were already plenty good motivation to visit, this place had all of that and a legitimate pirate town where the buccaneers, thugs and smugglers got together to sell their wares and spend their money.

Vina herself had been a bit nervous in town, because while she didn't think she'd be attacked out in the open there was still the little issue that even if this place looked like it belonged in one of those romanticised stories it was still a place filled with the more unsavoury types of people, so she had been checking her pouch regularly in case someone had tried to steal something form it. Of course she didn't have a lot to steal, but she was still keeping a careful eye out in case she got the feeling someone was trying something. Also, not to put too fine a point on it, she was somewhat worried that someone might decide that she'd make a good plaything or slave... She didn't want to sound like she was too boastful about her looks, but it wasn't like she was lying if she said that she had managed to turn heads both in real life and in this game, and if she could draw people's gazes that could result in someone thinking it worth trying their hand at selling her.

However she had left the town, and was now exploring the island. Considering how many little obstacles there were her she had braided her hair so it wouldn't get tangled with anything, the absurdly long braid now following her as if a second tail, even following the same rhythm as her actual tail as her steps made both streaks of white sway gently from side to side behind her as she also looked around, her blue eyes sparkling with delight as she studied the various plants in the area. They were as tropical as one would expect from a place like this, and while Vina wasn't exactly the world's expert on the subject she did have pretty good scores in biology in school, and beyond that she was a big fan of nature so a sight like this was bound to hold her attraction for ages.

Even better, Vina had some more success with spotting animals than she had been expecting, since usually animals had little reason to let themselves be seen unless they had already eaten their fill and didn't think you a threat. She hadn't thought of it as much with non-VR games, but now that she was experiencing it as if it was as real as reality itself she noted how downright odd it was how in games the creatures of the world were a lot less shy. They still were a lot more active than in some games (in older games they'd just stand around all day doing nothing but wait for someone to attack them), but even with how they moved about, searched for food and water, tried to avoid getting into fights and everything, they were still allowing themselves to be seen, which made Vina wonder how the predator-prey system worked in this world. In real life you'd mostly see the bigger animals while the smaller animals were a lot more wary. Maybe this was caused by the fact that nearly every creature in this world was capable of fighting back, so even if the smaller animals would still probably flee they didn't have to be quite as hidden because at least they could make an attempt at driving off the predator by force.

Well, even if she speculated she wasn't going to get it right just like that. She'd have to dedicate some time to studying the ecosystem in this world a bit more, figuring out how much the habits of the animals here differed from those on Earth so she could create a more solid and thorough theory. Which was something Vina was planning on doing (she hadn't taken the Beast Taming skill for nothing, after all), but right now she just wanted to enjoy the scenery. The fact that the animals weren't responding too much to her, however, was most likely just a case of her Beast Taming mastery making her appear innately less threatening while simultaneously discouraging them from attacking her. It wouldn't work on the bigger and more dangerous creatures, but she was surrounded by the smaller to medium-sized ones, who wouldn't attack her unless given cause, through desperation for food or if provoked somehow. Vina wasn't planning to provoke them, so she was pretty sure she was safe for now. And if not she would use the roots of the plants around her to hinder them while she ran away.

Reaching the edge of the island Vina looked out over the wide wide sea that stretched out before her, her bare feet feeling the change from dirt and rock to sand. She could feel the wind on her skin, the sand beneath her feet, the warmth of the sun, the humidity in the air... It was wondrous and awe inspiring that she could sense the world around her with such precision and detail even though this world was supposed to be fake. Vina had a strong grasp on reality, she was aware that her reality was that of Earth, but she wouldn't be surprised if people got lost very easily in this world. There were people who already suffered from that issue with non-VR games, so a game of this level of complexity... It actually worried her how easy it would be for someone to just stop thinking of this as virtual.
@Zelrius

 

Zelrius had gotten off the canoe with his allies and waved them off quickly. The boat ride was rocky and more than a bit difficult. He wasn't thrilled about it at all, not quite waking up today with the idea "Hey, lets get rocked and fucked at sea." The small boat got thrashed around by various things, everything from smaller sea creatures attacking it, and Pirates chasing in them in their much larger boats. They got lucky though, the trio that took the boat, having avoided or bribed their way through the oceans, and now were on land. The golden haired man wasted zero time, not caring at all where they landed, he hopped off the boat and into knee deep water. Within moments he waded through the water and onto the beach, his footsteps now crunching with every moment was wet sand clung to his pants and shoes. Normally, he'd be more than mildly annoyed by such a thing, but truth be told, the golden haired man was just happy to be off the godforsaken boat.

Though with that thought in mind, he was reminded that he'd need to find a way back. No worries, he told himself, reassuring his own mind that this time, he'd be willing to spent a pretty penny for a nice ride back. However, that meant that would be a loss of monetary assets. He never liked the sound of that. It seemed the more time Zelrius spent in game, the more pragmatic and stingy he became, especially when it came to progress. He didn't like being at a net loss, always having certain goals for himself, always looking for more to achieve. It was difficult to convince him to do something, even more so when he had to be the one to convince himself, if it meant any amount of money or time was spent. The pay off had to be great. Which was the main reason he even got on the small canoe to begin with. It was an attempt to save time and money by taking an unorthodox route in a pretty much free boat ride to the far side.

However, that ended in failure it would seem, and while the man was willing to be practical, he also wasn't one to put himself in harm's way for no reason. He was a risk taker, by all accounts, he loved to roll the dice. It was a gambler mindset, the man had developed it over the last year or so. See, he began to care less and less for his own life, doing things that normally, people wouldn't care for. Crossing the street without giving a glance down either side, running up and down wet stairs for work, moving through sketchy neighborhoods for time. And this translated into the game even more, given the respawn mechanic. Fighting monsters strong than he, running through the dark underbelly of society with a Malefimancer, Riding on a rinky dink boat through No Man's Land to a Tropical Island, docking at a random beach on a far flung peninsula on the island. But, this wasn't for random life endangerment, at least, not in Terra. No, in Terra Zelrius always had a goal.

There were two types of goals, always the overarching one, the quest for money and fame within the game. Something he had been deprived off in the real world, yet still had the desire and determination to achieve. Terra was just a means to an end for the man, an escape from reality to live out his wildest dreams. How to get to that goal; Why, do exactly as D'Vangelline said, build up his skills and knowledge, along with forging a name for himself in the land of Falderen, and then contact her for work. That was the plan for now, and now he had the smaller goals to achieve the chain link he needed. He had been improving his skills, now more than capable with his Sabres, in either hand, and things seemed to be going his way a lot more. However, it was those Sabres he was unsastisifed with.

One was a reddish-brown, the colour of rusted Bronze, or even better, unforged bronze - Copper. The other, a dirtying and bad quality Silver color, that of Iron. They handled okay against Goblins and of the like back in Brisshal, but a small trip through the Astorean wildlands had proven to be nearly fatal more than a few times, which was beginning to get worrying. See, he was a risk taker, but not needlessly one. The Combination of his want to always succeed, to always have a net gain in terms of something, and to always be on the gamble forged a nice little rule set for him. And randomly dying and spending time at the morgue did not fall into his rules for himself. So, he needed to avoid death, and so far, his equipment was the hinderance.

Here's the kicker, he knew what weapons he wanted, and didn't have the funds to get them. And that's how he found himself on a Bermuda-esque Island, in search for something Pirates always had hidden away; Gold. He needed money to upgrade his gear, and that was the goal today. So, with that in mind, he got to the dryest parts of the beach and scanned quickly, having no map or direction, but determined to find something, he walked along the beach for a moment, giving it some thought. Within sometime, he came up with a plan, which was currently, find a local port town, and go from there.

And his luck seemed to turn in his favor, a woman who looked vaguely familiar walking along the beach. From afar, the golden haired man had no idea who she was, deciding to approach her, his mind whispering that a small felis like her couldn't possibly be a threat, another whisper breaking through to argue that point, reminding him where he was at, and that anyone could be a threat. Still, he proceeded without much caution, moving toward her rather slowly, a small stroll to show no intent to harm, knowing full well she might mistake the Sabres on either side of his hips for Cutlasses, and then further mistake him for a mugger or a swashbuckler. When Zel had gotten close enough, he just barely seemed to recognize her, dreamlike scenes of Carts, Flying Gators, Fire and Bandits playing in his mind. Then it clicked; it was one of his team members from that whole fiasco.

"Eh... Vee-nuh, was it?" He tried to recall the Felis' name, not completely sure, remembering that there were quite a bit of people there and it could be quite easy to mix up names. He shook his head to recollect his thoughts, moving closer to her. "Fancy meeting you here. Say, You wouldn't happen to know where the nearest town is, would ya?"

 

Vina frowned as even though she was enjoying the sensation of the winds dancing across the waters and onto the coast an important part of her wasn't enjoying it as freely as it should. She had braided her hair for the sake of not getting it entangled back in the jungle, but now she felt that it was time to let it hang freely once more. Pulling up the long, long braid she removed the white ribbon which had kept it all together, then with her fingers deftly worked her way through the braid until it was fully undone, after which Vina first pulled her fingers through her hair as though combing it, then ruffled the hair on her head a bit to help it forget the memory of being braided. It was only after she had finished freeing her hair that she returned her gaze to the sea, her white hair now freely swirling and swaying in the breeze, surrounding her body as if trying to cover it more than her clothes could before spreading out behind her. Even her tail, long and lustrous as it was, couldn't keep up with her curtain of white, although with the way that it was wagging it certainly was making a determined attempt.

For a while Vina stood there without really doing anything, her blue eyes gazing out towards the blue seas and the blue skies, azure reflecting azure. The sun was shining on her skin, the winds were playing with her hair and clothes. Fortunately her clothes weren't of such a light nature that the wind could get a strong hold on them (that would have been highly impractical given she had just been making her way through the jungle), but she could still feel the fabric of her shirt rippling across her stomach as individual winds travelled across as if rolling waves. It was a very interesting sensation, standing here on the edge of a tropic island and enjoying the good weather. It wasn't exactly like being on the beach. It was hard to describe, really: it had a bit of a sensation as if she was standing in front of the whole world, the tropic nature of this island making it feel as if she was truly 'outside' while the ocean spreading out before her was a vast expanse, promising an endless world to discover and explore. It was something like an epiphany, but instead of a genius idea originating from inside yourself it was more like being exposed to the beauty of the world, similar to what one might feel if they were standing at the top of a mountain and staring out towards the world below.

Closing her eyes Vina ignored sight as she instead focused on the other senses. Touch, hearing, smell... For the sensation of touch there was the fine sand underneath her bare feet, warm from the sun and having been moulded to the shape of her feet when she came to a halt. There was the wind, the way it playfully tugged and brushed her hair, stroked her skin and rippled her clothes. For hearing there was the sound of those very same winds and winds much greater, traversing the world with a freedom no creature belonging to the earth could ever equal. There was the sound of the waves, a soothing sensation which was almost regular but not quite. There was the sound of leafs brushing against one another behind her, the sound of sea birds in the distance. For smell there was the thick and rich smell of the tropical forest behind her, carrying the many scents of the many plants and animals living in it. There was the cold and salty scent of the sea, making her breathe deeply as she wanted to feel it travel throughout her entire body. There wasn't anything like the scent of humans, the sound of humans, the touch of humans... You could stand here at the end of the world and the beginning of the world, and believe yourself the only sentient being. The only human, even if there might be civilizations out there with their buildings reaching far enough to caress the skies, gods and demons in planes beyond this one, the spirits of nature themselves present in everything you saw and would ever see. Vina didn't know what exactly was going through her mind, but she did know that for now she didn't really want to move.

However as beautiful as that sensation was it had to come to an end, when a new sound was added to those already present: the sound of footsteps on the sand. Opening her eyes Vina didn't know whether she was disappointed either, or whether it had been as good a time to end her silent moment of being awed by the world as any. Instead she just turned her head to look towards the direction of the sound, seeing a man walk towards her. One of the first things she noticed was the weapons on his hips, but considering the way he was moving it didn't seem like he was planning to attack her. He would either have been more stealthy or he would have been running. Since he was walking normally he either had no ill intentions or she could first talk to him, and hopefully dissuade him from any malicious actions if he had those in mind. However with the calm state of mind she currently had she also saw that he was in fact one of the people who had been with the caravan when they had gone to rescue King Astor and his companions. He had been in the same wagon at the beginning of the journey, and he was apparently friendly and warm enough that he didn't mind hugging her to show his gratitude after she had carried him onto another wagon when their own had threatened to fall apart after being speared by a giant chunk of ice.

Vina smiled warmly towards Zelrius, turning to face him even as she brushed her hair out of her face so it wouldn't be obscuring it. With how the wind was fooling around with it she would have to brush it away again soon... Well, that was unimportant. She swished her tail as her azure eyes gazed upon Zelrius with her usual friendly and cheerful expression, of a person who was enjoying life and who seemed to wish for everyone she met to enjoy life just as much as herself.

"It's Vina. And you're... Zelrius, I believe." She was pretty good with names, but she had to admit that there had been a lot of different things to pay attention to back then. "It's nice to meet you again Zelrius. I wouldn't have expected to see you out here in the middle of nowhere." At his request she nodded, and pointed back towards the direction she had arrived from. "I think the only real town on this island is Nacre, which is in that direction. There aren't many dangerous animals between there and here, so you should be able to get here safely. Although I'm curious about why you're out here... If you wanted to go to Nacre couldn't you have taken a boat?"
@Zelrius

 

The sand shifted slowly under his feet with each step, even the small ones he had taken toward the Felis in an effort to be friendly, and to be i closer proximity, to keep the tone and mood of the conversation light and on the spectrum of delight, leaning more towards a sort of calmness. Between Vina and the environment, Zelrius seemed to mellow out quite a bit from his usual 'Hustle and Bustle' attitude. It was strange even to him, how calm he seemed despite the frustration he had moments ago. Though that frustration was melted now, and his annoyances came to a calm, his thoughts seeming to move in conjunction with the breeze, a snail pace. That same breeze tickled his face, as it pushed hair against and away from it in all directions, making his long golden locks flow about freely, the man seeming to give little to no mind to them, allowing them to dance in the wind and act on their own with it. The air was noticeably cozier here than in comparison to Brisshal, where the winds began to bite and whistle against every corner of every house, and distract every article of clothing that wasn't closed up from doing their job. Everything from open sweatshirts and jackets, to skirts and dresses being thrashed about in those harsher and much colder winds.

The game was always so consistent, even though it had its own rules. In a real life Biosphere, a Tropical Island so far north would be nigh impossible. Or, atleast it felt so far north, unable to shake his pre-conditioned understanding of the New England area. It wasn't clear to him right away that this is where the game took place, but it slowly did over time, as he pieced maps together and began to see very similar geological shapes and landmarks. They were definitely in North-Eastern America, or atleast, what he new as the Old Colonies, these being various names for the place he inhabited in real life. He didn't leave Boston and the surrounding Megalopolis often, but the few times he had, it had been specifically to this island for a family Vacation. years and years ago. And from what he recalled, while it was quite a nice summer, it was nothing like the tropical paradise that Druuk was here. It was more like a cheaper and trashier Florida. Actually, the Trashier part probably didn't fit, New Jersey probably better fitting that criteria better.

Still, it made sense to him, given what the Email entailed to install Terra. It was limited access, and you were to stay hushhush, which probably meant it was confined to a certain area. He distinctly recalled players he had met before talking about their days in New York, wondering now if that's where the extent ended, or if that was just another point as it went on further. He wondered now where Vina was from, if anywhere within the US, curiosity for both reasons of, wondering where it extended, and, though unwilling to admit it, interest in her.

You could hardly blame him for having moderate interest in the girl, though none of it was sexual or even romantic, those were thoughts he wouldn't spare himself to have for another woman, not since a certain incident. Still, he couldn't help but think the woman was pretty; Her smile and elegant movements, the way her tail moved at the notice of him and who he was. Though the thought struck him, she might be played by a dude in the real world, and it was possible he played that up, for whatever reason it is guys played women. Still despite that, Zelrius backed away from her, his face turning a hue of red, shame rising as he realized he had just admired another girl, even with the memory of late-wife still fresh.

"I eh, ah.." He dusted himself off idly, avoiding eye contact. "Long story on why I didn't sail straight to the city. Though I wished I damned well had." His embarssment slowly seeped away, as his gritted teeth turned quickly into frustration at the memory of the trip, glancing back to see his fellow canoe members now pulling the small boat onto shore. He didn't want them to catch up with him, so with a spring in his step, he headed off along the beach to the direction she pointed. "You're free to come with me, Vina. Or don't, more potential-treasure for me!" He teased, using that as a way to tempt her to maybe coming along, really wanting to have some decent company for what he planned to do. For now, it was headed off to this 'Nacre' the pretty Felis talked about.

 

Vina noticed how @Zelrius seemed a bit uncomfortable, although at the same time he seemed to be relaxing and enjoying the scenery as well. She was happy to see that he was alive and well, since the mission to rescue the prisoners had been a very hectic one, and it wasn't certain whether everyone had come out of that mission completely unscathed. In Zelrius's case it looked like he was doing decently, which was already enough of a relief. If there still were remnants of that event which bothered Zelrius she could ask him that later, and if he needed help she would give it freely. For now she was just enjoying seeing him again in a healthy state, since just like nearly everyone she met Vina considered Zelrius a good friend after meeting him a single time. Although when she noticed that he seemed to be embarrassed she tilted her head slightly, a curious but friendly expression on her face as she tried to figure out what might be on his mind now. She was fully dressed, actually wearing more clothes than she'd usually do, so it couldn't be that he was bothered by her scandalous outfit (since it wasn't scandalous enough for that). Maybe he remembered when he had suddenly hugged her after she had pulled him off of the ruined wagon. Vina just smiled gently, not wanting to make Zelrius any more uncomfortable if he was already feeling a bit out of his element.

"Well, we'll have time to talk while on the way to Nacre, so you don't have to worry about the story being too long unless you'd rather have me accompany you. Although you'd reach it faster if I did come along, since even if the animals aren't dangerous you might get lost in the forest still." She pulled up the map in the menu, indicating it with a circling of her finger. "The map might help, but in a forest where everything looks the same it's easier if you have someone who already knows the way." Granted Vina wasn't supernatural in finding her way through difficult areas, but she could still retrace her steps as needed. And she didn't have to fear getting lost before because with her goal to wander the place there wasn't such a thing as getting lost, as long as you at least knew which path you had walked. "Although the journey here can't have been that bad... You look fine to me. Although if you fell in the water on the way and need help warming up I'm all ears~" She twitched her foxlike ears for emphasis and gave him a mischievous smirk before looking past him to see what he might be looking at. "Your friends?" She asked, but Zelrius had already begun to walk further, Vina blinking before following him, speeding her steps until she could walk next to him. "I might not have too much interest in the treasure if it's just gold and jewels, but I'll gladly accompany you~"

As they walked Vina pointed out in which direction they'd have to go to reach the town, the Felis occasionally brushing her tail against Zelrius's leg while acting like she wasn't even fully aware of the fact, as if she did it without thinking and without noticing. She only did it once in a while, making it look more accidental as if her tail happened to move a bit further in its swishing and swaying. "I'm sorry for not keeping in touch after the event up north. I would've thought of it but the entire thing was a lot more intense than I had been anticipating, and afterwards I wanted to unwind by wandering the world a bit without getting dragged into another event of that scale." She glanced around at the rich greenery that surrounded them as they made their way across the forested island. "But I'm glad to see you're doing well. Have you kept in touch with any of the others who accompanied us during that event? I'm afraid I might have been a bit lax towards keeping in contact with them as well." While Vina was acting casually about it she did feel somewhat guilty that she hadn't thought of staying in touch. She had been honest that she hadn't expected that intensity, but she still hoped she hadn't accidentally upset the others by forgetting to keep contact with them.

"More pressingly, what is this potential treasure you mentioned? Do you have a specific treasure in mind or are you hoping that on a tropical pirate island such as this one there must be treasure buried somewhere?" Vina indicated somewhere ahead of them, where behind the forest the nearly hollowed out cliff containing the town of Nacre was waiting for them. "This place really is a haven for them, since it seems nearly all of Falderen ignores this place unless they have business here. There's a lot of pirates and smugglers, but it seems like they treat this area as one where they shouldn't bother others unless provoked. I'm guessing even criminals want a place where they don't have to worry about trouble, and if all of them gather here they'll try to make this place a home for themselves." It was perfectly sensible so far as Vina was concerned. Pirates, smugglers, thugs, thieves... They may all be lawbreakers, but they were still people with feelings, thoughts and desires. Even if they didn't want to obey the law they'd want at least one place where they could feel safe, and since they couldn't find that anywhere where the arm of the kingdom reached they'd settled for relative safety on this island. They were still a rowdy bunch, so they were more likely to still get into trouble even here, but... "From what I've seen so far as long as you don't interfere in their matters and show that you're willing to play according to their rules they won't bother you." Vina's smile became mischievous for a moment. "Although having a pretty girl with you might make them want to impress me, so I'd still be a bit careful in there~" A bit vain to call yourself pretty, but Vina wasn't without her less perfect traits.

 

The shifting sands with each step gave the odd illusion of squishy. Every time his shoes hit the ground, the sand would push to either side, reminding him oddly of those foam ground playgrounds around the city of Boston that his mom used to take him to when he was little. Those days were blissful; those of his youth. There was little to worry about as he danced from metal pole to metal pole, swinging on the monkey bars to either catch children playing tag or simply pretend to be pirates.

He was brought back to reality by her expression as he stammered and blabbed through conversation. Vina seemed unusually sweet, and that off put the man even more. There was something about the beach air, the quiet island, her slow but elegant movements that kind of sent the golden haired man in a lull. Everything seemed slower to him, every step stretched into eternity as his heartrate slowed far too down, something about the whole setting and the person's personality made things not seem as exciting, but not necessarily boring either. The conversation she kept jumped a lot, which to be honest, kept Zelrius engaged in it, willing to answer her questions and always respond with his own remarks. "A Map? That might help, I am hoping to get some information on a rumoured location here on the Island, Supposedly dangerous with some puzzles and what not. You know, the average RPG shit that keeps people entertained, and more importantly, generally has a reward of some form at the end."

With that he was reminded of the time the two had spent with a party up north. He grinned remembering his party members, Claire, a stout woman with an even stouter mind. She was a thinker for sure, and always went through with whatever plan the team had ended up with, certainly someone he wouldn't mind meeting again. Blake, that felis who was probably too pretty for her own good. A fighter, and not one for many words, unless it was to Vina herself. Magi, a small girl who had proved to have been quite proficient in literally everything she was doing; her illumancy was the stuff of legends from what he could remember, having not seen any of the Masteries performed at that skill in all his time on Terra. Then there was Romulus, a man who, much like Zelrius, probably took the game far too seriously, or perhaps he was just really into playing that character. Zelrius didn't know much about the Yladian, but he had been a valuable ally, and one of the few Yladians the golden haired man was willing to tolerate. Blithe was interesting. Her support skills, just as Vina's, has helped them through thick and thin, but her mannerisms were odd, and Zelrius would recall being constantly embarrassed by her remarks of how cute everything was, himself included. He shuddered, shaking the thought of that weird specimen from his mind.

And then his thoughts sombered as he remembered Vina's contribution, atleast, to him directly. During the hot and frustrating battle with the Frogs in a cave full of poison, she had revived him. He didn't know what this cost her, but he knew that he was grateful, now speaking up. "No, I haven't really talked to anyone since the fort was stormed. I sat on that rock a while and then headed back on my own.." He remembered the emotions he felt while sitting alone on the rock inside the fort as the Amphibians quite literally killed everything that walked, crawled, or slithered and also didn't croak. The self-hating thoughts rebubbling in his mind, which he quickly burnt away by remembering that he had died, and once again, Vina had brought him back. "Hey, by the way. Thank you for the revive. I know you didn't have to, and I don't know at what cost it is to revive someone, but thank you all the same. I owe you one.." Though he felt dumb for adding in that final part, of course he felt he did owe her, but didn't want to go around saying that, not wanting to be indebted to a person, at all.

He had thought she was smart for staying away, her reasoning being perfectly applicable. Don't talk to those who find trouble, and you won't be caught up in trouble. He completely understood her want to be away for just a moment, remembering the level of stress that the whole team had gone through for what was quite literally nothing. The frogs had rewarded them, which was completely run of the mill and unexpected, meaning that otherwise they'd have gotten nothing to do the task that they set out to do. Which wasn't even what got done. He'd dismiss those thoughts, letting bygones be bygones as the next subject was carried onto. "As said, its not necessarily buried. We have two leads. I will actually let you decide which one to pick if you're coming along. We could either forge into the Island and try to climb this supposedly super dangerous mountain that might have an Item or two, or perhaps something even more special. Or, we try to seek out a Pirate Hoard. Both I imagine would yield some pretty sick rewards. And I am entirely indecisive. So the ball is in your court, Fox." That was his new nickname for her, because even though she was a Felis, he features resembled that more of a fox rather than a cat, similar to Blake, he noted.

As the pair turned at the white haired Felis' indication, Zelrius headed down the way and into the Jungle, toward the town of Narce, as it slowly began to show signs of civilization among the Foliage. A Thing of trash here, a banana tree there, a 'Farm' house over there. That meant that not only were they getting close, Vina hadn't led them astray. She had noted that the people here were willing to play nice if you were willing to. Which made sense, even Pirates needed Rules and safety right? "I don't play nicely with rules," The Nobleman quipped with a grin glancing over to her and tapping his Outlaw's Cutlass on the scabbard. "We'll see I guess. I am in no position to not tell you to go running off with any pirates. However, I am going to say that I am a competitve man. A Pirate tries to impress, you better believe he is going to have to contend with me." Though it wasn't her affection he was after, the first part of that comment ringing truer than anything else. He was competitive, and he'd play the game simply to be the winner, and nothing else.

 

Vina nodded when Zelrius explained that he was looking for something on the island. She had already thought as much when he mentioned treasure, although she didn't think the map was going to be as much help as Zelrius might have hoped it would. "The map will help you figure out where you are, but Terrasphere holds to the idea that your map only becomes detailed once you've explored the area in question, so before your map is precise enough that it'll help you find the treasure you'd already have explored the entirety of the island. Useful if there's a puzzle and you want to gather as much information as possible beforehand before sitting down to figure out the answer, but if you're just searching for a hidden area and you're new to the area it's more a general indication of your location." She moved to stand next to him so she could show him her version of the map the game's menu gave you access to, to show that while the area they were standing in and the path Vina had taken across the island showed details of the surroundings, most of the rest of the island was a rough blur, more indicative of the general shape than providing you any knowledge of the landscape beyond the roughest outlines. "But I'll do what I can to help you find it, since that does sound pretty fun~ You can keep the treasure if we find it though."

She frowned as she saw Zelrius shudder, although before she could try to figure out why it seemed the man was already recovering, so she figured it was just a stray thought and nothing important. She frowned slightly as Zelrius explained that, just like he herself, he hadn't done a lot to stay in contact with the others who had helped bring down the fort on the cliff-side. Not surprising, but it still meant that if she wanted to regain contact with them she'd just have to go through the trouble of contacting them all by herself, unless Zelrius was willing to help her out regardless... When he thanked her for reviving him Vina shook her head, because it made her remember that at the time she had seen him on that rock, yet had refrained from reaching out to him because she thought that he might have preferred to be alone... But now she was feeling regret.

"There's no real cost for reviving someone else, other than that since it's a very powerful spell I can't cast it again for several weeks. I don't really feel like you owe me anything, especially since afterwards when you were clearly troubled I didn't try to help you." The foxlike Felis looked sad for a moment, her tail hanging low and her ears drooping. "I feel like I could have done more to help everyone, since not only you but Magi and Blake also seemed to be troubled." She sighed, the feeling of having failed to do her best sliding off of her as she let it rest in the past instead of dwelling on it overmuch. Instead her smile returned as her tail resumed its swaying and her ears returned to their upright position. "But no, I don't feel like you own me. I did what I did because I wanted to help you, so it would be unfair to demand something from you afterwards." She blushed slightly, remembering something else. "I mean, I nearly did demand that in return for reviving you that you wouldn't harm that frog, so I guess I'm not entirely fair at times." She laughed softly, then stuck out the tip of her tongue. "I'm glad that everything worked out in the end. Although..." She looked at Zelrius through her long eyelashes, her azure eyes gazing into his with an expression equally playful as the last but with less innocent undertones. "If you really did feel like repaying me I guess there's something you could do...~" She kept the gaze for a moment, the tip of her tail brushing against Zelrius's leg before she laughed again. "But I'd only ask for that if I thought you were up for it, so don't worry."

Truth be told, Vina wasn't sure if Zelrius would be interested or not, but from what she could tell so far the man was busy with his own things, and most certainly had his own issues to deal with. She could try to help him, and maybe he'd find comfort if she initiated intimacy, but she'd learned her lesson about being too aggressive. Unless she gained some more substantial hints that he'd be in favour of her making a move she'd just stick with teasing and hopefully harmless flirting, since that was already plenty fun for her. "With that said, if you're letting me choose then I think I'd prefer climbing the mountain. If it's too dangerous we can just go back, but I think it'd be better not to risk angering a gang of pirates, no?" As she talked she guided the two of them through the forest towards the town of Nacre. "And I think my talents are more suitable for helping us make our way through dangerous wilds than dealing with pirates, since I'm not much of a combatant."

As Zelrius explained that he'd do his best to match any pirate who tried to impress her Vina giggled, her tail swishing happily behind her as they got closer to the town. "Well, we'll just have to see if any pirates think it worth their time to try and steal me from you then~ I don't know if they're willing to fight over me, but considering your prowess with your swords I have no doubt you'd be able to keep them at bay if necessary." She looked ahead towards the town. "Although of course I'd hope there wouldn't be any actual fighting. I have nothing against seeing men compete, since any woman wants to feel desired, but having people get hurt because of me is not my cup of tea." Vina was a pacifist, so those words ran as true as any.

With that they entered the town, where Zelrius would be able to see that the place was essentially made out of several layers. The town was build on the inside of a cliff, a large cavernous area which had been worn out by thousands of years of the sea relentlessly caressing the cliff-side. They had to pass through a tunnel to arrive in the town proper, where men had finished the job started by the waters of clearing out the cavern, until they could build a harbour where it was hidden away from both unwanted visitors and rough weathers. There was a row of buildings at the harbour, and beyond that the town climbed upwards along the interior of the cave like terraces but a lot less organized. Near the harbour there seemed to be mostly industrial and commercial structures, alongside inns for sailors and pirates who just arrived from a journey across the waters or were waiting for departure. The higher up you went the better the quality of the buildings: it should come as no surprise that those with the money to choose wanted their homes to be placed away from the stench of the harbour and the clamour of the workers. The entrance Vina and Zelrius used was on the side close to the bottom, so when Vina led Zelrius further onwards they had to make their way through the rowdier parts of the pirate town. While there were a lot of stares (mostly towards Vina, but Zelrius also got his share of calculative glances) it seemed Zelrius's weapons were enough to keep people from trying anything, at least out here in the open.

"I assume that you wanted to know where the nearest town was so you could gather some more information about your destination, correct?" Vina asked Zelrius as they walked, trying to not give away that they were treasure hunting since even with Zelrius's weapons on display there would be people who wouldn't sit still if they overheard someone talking about treasure.
@Zelrius

 

Zelrius nodded at her explanation of how the map worked. So it was just like most other RPGs, as she had mentioned. It has vague and broad details for places that are close, and then the more you explore, the more finite it gets. Made sense, that was the games way of encouraging to explore, but also helping you remember how things were in areas you had already been to, rather than making you know it purely off memory. Though for the Golden haired man, he didn't think he'd see it as much of an issue; having lots of room in his for such things to be remembered, as opposed to his real life, where he only could recognize maybe three or four streets a piece throughout Boston. So, lots of room to memorize features and terrain for Zelrius. For a moment, Zelrius fiddled with his map, moving it from the broad area all around them, only a small portion of the island being highlighted and detailed, the rest just being a general shape and idea of certain things.

He watched the blip of Narce change, and be fully named, which to him, was something he had never seen his map do directly. This was the first time he had been watching the thing when reaching a city, strangely enough. It was neat, and his expression was that of mild impression. He leaned into her a bit to look into what she was showing him. Just as his map, not much was shown, but she had a bit more than he did, meaning he'd certainly have to rely on her for a bit of direction here and there. It was interesting, this was the first time in the game that Zelrius felt like a player more than a local inhabitant with some extra spice.

The bit about the revive spell interested him. It didn't cost anything, or so she claimed, but something remained skeptical in his mind. He had remembered the argument in the cave following his revive and the surrender of the Frog. She had pulled at his sympathies, and the man couldn't place whether or not that was her attempt at emotional manipulation, or what she was saying was actual truth, and this conversation began to feel eerily similar, though in a less negative context. He wasn't sure if she was just being polite and saying that it wasn't a big deal that she revived him, or if it truly was no extremities other than the fact that it'd be a bit before she could do it again. Either way, that was something he would keep in mind; try not to get into too much trouble on their upcoming adventure, because she might not actually be able to revive him at all. The golden haired man nodded as she mentioned that two of their mutual allies had also been a bit on edge following the events. "Aye, I noticed as well. Magi seemed shaken following the fight with the frogs, and even more so with the deaths of many of the frogs and fort defenders. I have a feeling her and Death don't play well. As for Blake, I have no idea. I've only ran into the woman once before that, and uh," He grimaced remembering their first encounter, not really being quite that fond of the Felis. "Her and I didn't exactly hit it off. So I don't know what could have been bothering her. Maybe you weren't showing her enough attention." He shrugged at the last comment, meaning it both jokingly, and half way truthfully.

Though the mood seemed to change quickly, as he turned his head to look at his conversational partner, her expression being one that Zelrius was never any good with when it came to women. He quickly shrunk away, his face turning red as he caught on to what she meant, though this wasn't painfully obvious until the tail brush and the laugh, followed by another comment. He wasn't sure how to respond, only ever having been flirty with a single woman, and she was gone now. To be honest, the Nobleman was lonely, it was a burning issue in his daily life, to the point where that aforementioned woman's disappearance from his, the only one he had been intimate with, had completely shut down all his goals and dreams. So, not only was he not particularly good at this sort of thing, having no experience, he also always felt like so much as teasing one was a betrayal to her. With no way of actually responding; unwillingly to flatly deny, but in no position to accept, his stammering continued through a dry mouth. "I-I, you, I mean. Uh.. Maybe another time? We're busy.." His voice trailed off as his distance from her body widened to give or take an arm's length, visibly uncomfortable.

The bustling city and her comments regarding the pirates slowly drained the color back out of his face, returning it to a more natural and comfortable complexion. He let out a breath, exchanging glances with locals here and there, who only a few seemed to even notice he was there, more of them interested in his azure-eyed 'Friend'. She went on to mention the Mountain as the given choice, and her lack of ability to do much in Combat. Zelrius noted that well, remembering that she had done plenty well in the fight with the frogs in the cave, but wouldn't push her if it wasn't something she was interested in. No matter, the dual-swordsman continued to trudge along, coming upon a sort of Courier office of sorts. Though it certainly wasn't called an office to the people in the game, that was the easiest way Zelrius could describe it, and as thus, was the way he referred to it. "These people throw messages and packages around to the various villages. They have on in Falderen and in Astorea, they're trying to get one built I believe. They're vital to infrastructure, and more importantly, money. So, these people should have a rough idea of the area." Or so he assumed anyway. The Shack that the couriers scurried about in and out of, some people pouring over ledgers, but most in the building huddled around tables, drinking, playing various card games, and just general lazing about, was a run down old thing, with tight space, and even less actual business. Nonetheless, Zelrius stopped a courier on his way out to ask a few questions.

After a brief conversation back and forth, the golden haired man pressed a few coins into the boy's hand as a sign of gratitude, now armed with new knowledge, turning to Vina. "Well, as that young man there just said. It looks as though we have to go through the woods to the east a bit of a ways and then loops around to a pass. That is, unless you're willing to head up the steep side of the mountain and come at it from another angle. Though I wanted to stop by another village on the Eastern side, I can always do that after we come back down."

 

Vina nodded once more as Zelrius voiced his own concerns regarding their companions during the trip towards the fort on the cliff. Of course with one of them it was more clear what the issue might have been... "I have to admit I'm not sure I approve of a child like her going through an experience like that. I know that she could only be acting as a child, but given the way she reacted to everything..." Vina looked at her own hand, waggling the fingers a bit as she felt it as if it was her own hand, her actual fingers, instead of one of the most complicated pieces of technology she'd ever encounter: the technology to create an entire new world in the virtual realm. "Virtual reality is amazing, giving us the possibility of experiencing things which could never exist on Earth as if they were real. But seeing people dying in a game like this can't be healthy for everyone. I don't like the idea, but I think Magi is really a child, and that she is even worse at coping." She sighed. "I should have been paying more attention to her back then... I hope that there were others who were paying more attention than I to help her through it."

"As for Blake, I didn't think she had it as badly as Magi... But it couldn't have hurt to give her some more attention as well." Vina giggled. "She certainly didn't seem to mind it when I did~ I have to admit that she was so pretty that it was hard for me not to stare."

Seeing Zelrius's reaction Vina quickly understood that he wasn't one of those who was comfortable with her straightforward approach, at least not if he was the target. The white-tailed Felis shook her head, looking a bit guilty as she saw just how much discomfort she brought him. "Don't worry Zel, it was only a joke." Well, she wasn't against the idea, but since she hadn't expected Zelrius to say yes she had mainly said what she did to get a rise out of him... Although she hadn't expected his reaction to be that fervent. "I'm not so selfish as to force myself upon someone who isn't interested." Her eyes were gentle and apologetic now. "I'm sorry for dropping that on you like that. I won't do it again." It was something of a shame since Zelrius was a healthy and attractive young man, but Vina sought pleasure for both parties, not just her own, so with Zelrius making it clear that he wasn't receptive to the idea the deal was off.

It looked like once they were in town Zelrius did know what he was looking for, so instead of acting as a guide Vina took the position of following him as the man made his way through town, the Felis smiling and waving at the people who stared at the two of them, her long white tail also swaying behind her. While she was aware that some of them might have less than noble intentions she still greeted them cheerfully. Here in town they wouldn't do anything because if one person made a move, others would and there wasn't anyone here who thought they could take on everyone else, especially not for the sake of Vina and Zelrius. While Zelrius was carrying around impressive weapons and gave off a strong impression, and Vina was good at drawing stares, the two of them were still normal outsiders, and thus better off left alone unless one was either really confident... or really desperate.

As Zelrius explained about the courier business Vina nodded in understanding. "I didn't know there was such a thing. I assumed that the best source of information were the taverns." Nevertheless she believed Zelrius, waiting patiently for him to gather his information while she whistled a merry tune. Of course with her having the Music mastery that tune was enough to have people listening to her, so when the time came for them to depart Vina had to wave goodbye to a group of men who had turned towards her before returning to Zelrius, tilting her head as he explained their options. "I'm better with forests than with steep cliffs, so let's take the first option. If you first want to visit that village I don't mind making the detour since we have the time, but either way we might as well depart from Nacre, agree?"

Assuming that Zelrius agreed Vina would move towards the path leading back to the outside world, leaving the cave town behind. Although the moment they were away she would turn around again and waggle a finger towards Zelrius. "But before we go any further, in either direction, I have to do one little thing. Just give me a moment~ And no peeking." With that she moved behind a boulder, where she'd remain for about a minute before reappearing. The short shirt and the tight pants she had been wearing before, which had been of simple cloth, had been replaced by the loot she got as reward on their trip towards the cliff fort. An outfit which looked like it had been woven out of vines and leafs hugged her body, making one wonder how it all worked as clothing when the vines and leafs didn't look like they were sewn together in any way. The foliage did a good job covering all of Vina's vital areas, but it still exposed a good portion of her legs, and it seemed the design also wasn't meant to hide the stomach, the back or one's breastbone area. Combined with the fact that the foliage was following Vina's curves quite nicely and it was probably a good thing she was the one to receive it, since she didn't seem to mind showing off her body, or clothing herself in plants.

"I haven't used this a lot yet since it's a bit too attention drawing, but it's pretty good for if we're going into the forest anyway." Vina's tail swished happily behind her as she inspected herself, pulling a bit on the foliage to ensure that it was placed comfortably before returning her attention to Zelrius. "Also, despite being more revealing it's still stronger than my old clothes, so I should wear it if we're going to have an adventure. Well then, shall we go?"

 

He cleared his throat, opening his menu and fiddling with it a bit, exaggerating his movements and trying to make a point. "As much as I agree with you, It is also just a game." That last string of words being more for Zelrius than it was for Vina. He often times got so caught up in his goals and the realism of the world, that he would lose grasp of the fact that it was a virtual world, one that would eventually disappear from his life, and Zelrius knew that you shouldn't take such fleeting moments nearly as serious as he did. Still, he had to consciously remind himself to do so, and even then, he'd forget to not forget. Such was life, it was probably usual for a lot of people, to be honest, and that solace kept the man from calling himself a loser for being so into the game. She was right, VR and AR Technology was astounding more ways than one. He nodded at her statement, remembering an experience of his own. "While for us big kids," that being his term for adults, funny enough. "It's easy to get over, I still remember the chills I got down my spine the first time my sword connected with Flesh and Bone. Definitely an experience I will probably never forget." He looked to her, now attempting to cheer her up and not let the Felis beat herself up too much about not giving Magi too much attention. "I am glad, now, that you didn't let me kill the Frogman. Especially since what I had in mind for it probably would not have been suitable for Magi. You did fine, both on the field and off. White Team as a whole performed amazingly. Ms. Heart herself having amazing potential."

"Yea..." He said in response to her comments about Blake. Stare. Another shudder as he remembered his all too awkward first encounter with that particular Felis, having since kind of avoided interaction with them to avoid having to come to terms with the fact that he had been all too weird in those first few moments. Not the best First Impression. He thought to himself as he tried to move past that subject.

She seemed to take the hint of his body language and tone of voice quite well, which was a relief, because those were two things that the golden haired man was always awkward at, both in and out of Terra. Atleast that was one thing he was good at conveying; being uncomfortable. Probably because he had so much god damned practice in it. Though now he began to feel bad, her own expression conveying apology, which wasn't his intention. He'd be lying to himself if Zelrius told anyone or his own mind that he didn't enjoy that kind of attention, but there were a great deal of many things stopping him from letting it go anything above attention, and he had always tried his best to curtail it should it arise; not that the situation came up for the insecure man often. "Its, ehm, no worries, Vina. I just uh, again, we're busy?" He tried his best to use that as a method to diffuse the situation, rather than outright reject her. Though in his head, he knew full well that it'd come to that eventually, as she wasn't exactly on his menu.

They agreed on a direction and the man nodded, now wanting to head off immediately in that direction, but he was quickly stopped at her request. He said nothing, raising an eyebrow as she disappeared behind a rock and insisted on the phrase 'No peeking.' He sighed, knowing what that meant, and just for extra measure, spun around to face opposite of the rock, making sure to give her zero inclination that he even attempted a peek. Before long she reappeared and her voice poked back through the sounds of the foliage and life around them, causing him to spin on one heel back around.

Only to be caught by complete surprise by what he saw. Quickly he covered his eyes with one hand, holding out the other in a stretched position. "Finish changing first, p-please." He kind of sort of, half requested half demanded. Though the words following confirmed what he was slightly worried about; she was done changing. That was it, the leaves and vines that showed much skin, and hugged tightly. He pulled at his collar with one finger, turning away from her and taking a step toward the dirt path that led away from Narce. "Are we ready then?" He asked with baited breath, trying to look at her as little as possible, before deciding on his own that they were, the golden haired man being reconsumed by the dense forestage of the island of Druuk.

 

"It is a game yes. When it gets too much for us we can log off, we can distance ourselves and remind ourselves that even if it might appear real it's still just a virtual reality someone created." Vina agreed with Zelrius, although she then followed up with her original stance. "However, even if I keep that in mind... I'm still worried for children who play it. They're very impressionable, and so are some adults." She didn't sound like she was accusing anyone of anything with that, just making an observational statement about the issue. "I trust most people to be able to take care of themselves, but I'd still rather not take it for granted and afterwards learn that I should have been paying more attention. Even grown ups can use a supportive friend, especially with how realistic this game is." Zelrius was right that it was a game, but Vina wasn't entirely sure everyone who played it would be aware of that fact. If it wasn't for the fact that players got a player menu it'd be easy to go to sleep inside the game, wake up and for a couple of minutes forget that the world you woke up in wasn't the real one. Virtual reality was wonderful, but it was also quite scary.

She raised her eyebrows when Zelrius referred to adults as big kids, being quick enough on the uptake to just smile and nod as she listened to him. "I'm less worried for the grown ups who play this game yes, although I admit I'm glad that I chose a supportive skill set instead of an offensive one. The feeling of a weapon in my hands hurting someone else..." She trailed off, remembering how she had used the butt of her staff as a quickly expanding and contracting stake against those frogmen. "I don't like that feeling." She smiled again, a little less cheerful. "I guess even in a world with monsters and magic you'll still have people who have difficulties with hurting someone else, even if they have to." It was a good thing Vina didn't actually start playing Terrasphere for the combat, or she'd have to wonder what she was doing here. She then realized she had accidentally phrased that in a manner which could be considered offensive towards those with a more offensive playstyle and quickly shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like those who use offensive masteries are by nature violent. I just meant that even in a game I still prefer playing a supportive and healing role."

She nodded and smiled more warmly as Zelrius explained that in hindsight he was glad that she'd pushed him into keeping the frogman alive. "Thank you, although I still think I could do a lot better. When I tried to create a shortcut by covering the wall in vines it took too long and didn't work to boot, so I'm definitely still not as powerful and useful as I could be. I agree that as a whole we did good. We completed the mission and everyone was still alive and standing at the end, although some of us needed a little help with that." If Zelrius were to look her way Vina would be smiling mischievously, the tip of her tongue poking past her lips even as she also gives him an apologetic look to show that she didn't mean that maliciously and hoped he didn't mind the friendly jab towards her resurrecting him. "In the end we didn't actually find the prisoners, but we certainly did our part in finding them. And Magi was very impressive. I think she was actually the strongest of all of us present, despite being the youngest." Which was most likely a sign of her playing the game a lot, but Vina would give credit where credit was due.

"I understand Zel. Let's focus on the task at hand then." Vina remained upbeat even as Zelrius tried to divert her attention. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was just trying to get away from the subject, but the Felis had no reason to push the issue. It wouldn't get her what she herself wanted, and it would only make Zelrius more uncomfortable both as a whole and with her. Instead she just went along while the man took care of the information gathering.

Vina being Vina she wouldn't actually have minded if he took a peek, but she also appreciated it when he showed himself courteous enough to turn around to ensure he didn't see anything he thought he shouldn't see. Him peeking would have indicated interest, but she also liked seeing that he had a good grasp on his morals, even if she didn't think that in this case he had to be that uptight about it. When he immediately covered his eyes after seeing her new getup she giggled, her tail swishing behind her as she watched him desperately figure out where to look. She didn't think the outfit was that much more revealing than what some people had been wearing in Nacre, although the fact that it was made out of plants probably made it appear like it covered less than it actually did. Well, in all fairness it did reveal a lot of skin, so maybe she was just underestimating just how exposing the outfit really was.

The white-furred Felis stretched to get a bit more accustomed to the outfit, most definitely not also having the goal of teasing Zelrius a bit. "Sorry, dryads aren't known for their modesty~" Her form of excuse and explanation. "Honestly I'm kind of hoping I'll find some more items to complete the set, since now I'm still stuck with the gloves and boots." And the hood technically, but she wasn't wearing that anyway. Seeing Zelrius begin to run away Vina giggled again, her eyes glinting with delight before she hurried off to join him in the journey through the foliage, where her new outfit became even more scandalous as the plantlike clothes blended in with the foliage, making it look like she was wearing nothing on her torso at all and that only the surrounding plants were hiding her private parts. "Since you know the way at least you won't have to look at me unless you really want to~ I'll stick closely behind you, so don't worry about me getting lost~"

@Zelrius

 

"Yeah..." Was his short response, not really sure how to continue from there. Her words were true enough, and he actually agreed with everything she was saying regarding it. The world around him felt so real, and Zelrius was easily one of the most guilty of getting lost in here. His expression showed it, the lines and creases of deep thought receding to sadness and regret. It was something both him and his now ex-wife had done through a few years there. They'd hide away in video games, though it was almost always together, and live in worlds and lives that a generation before them would have never thought possible, even with the games that were out at the time. That habit didn't die with her, instead, he took more to video games than ever before. When she was alive, he found himself attending concerts and musicals, spending time just at the dinner table joking and laughing. Now? He hid his face from any he didn't think needed to see it, scurrying from one room in his parents' house to the next, like a rodent. Then would lock himself in his room for as long as he could, often only being interrupted by the need for food, or to work the bare minimum amount of hours to pay the small bits of rent his parents charged him.


His eyes searched to Vina, the tone of her voice and the shifting smile clearly conveying tone as she spoke about Masteries, and explained why she picked the ones that she did. It made him feel guilty, even after she tried to diffuse her own words with the final statement regarding it. "Hey, No worries," He tried to give in comfort, a tap of the hilt of his sword. "As said, it's just a game. And while I am not thrilled about attacking Humans and of the like, Just remember that some of those monsters and people were created specifically to be attacked. Like the Rapid boars for example. Some of them pop into existence mere moments before one of us stumble on them, are probably charged at, and then kill the thing. You do just fine from behind the scenes, afterall, you brought me back to life despite not having to." He offered that through a shaky voice and stutters, not really sure how to exactly convey his thoughts in a sense that would hopefully brighten her up some.


It seemed he'd need to push a bit further, actually trying to come off as friendly, for Vina had shown nothing but warmth towards him. If he didn't atleast try to reciprocate, the Social guilt would weigh him down. "Again, atleast you tried. I stared at the ground the whole damned time," The golden haired man knew, somewhere inside of him, that putting himself down in order to raise her up wasn't the right way to cheer someone up, especially not someone like this silver-haired Felis, but at the same time, he didn't know how else to do it. "The Frogs probably would've fallen off trying to climb it anyway, but you did the best you could, right?" He smiled and nodded, remembering little Magi. "Yes, despite being a child, she and yourself" he accentuated that part, another attempt to make her feel better about it. "Along with the others certainly contributed through and through. While we didn't get the prisoners, something tells me that D'Vangelline wanted to handle that personally, and sent us to do some clean up work before the war." His thoughts shifted slightly. "I am even more glad that Falderen lost the fort entirely, rather than it just exchanging Royal Hands."


He nodded, glad to be free of her pushing for it. Normally it was the other way around wasn't it? Ask until the answer is yes? He took another look at his Fox-like ally, trying not to look too long but definitely getting a full scan in. He knew his group of friends from high school would definitely have belittled him for declining someone like her, especially since it wasn't like his wife was around to say or do anything about it. But that was just it, he knew that wasn't fair, she wasn't around to stop him, so he had to stop himself. Or perhaps she'd have encouraged it after she was gone? It was never a conversation Zelrius had with the woman before her young departure, but it was one he'd now think about often.


He looked away, realizing that between the scanty clothes and he already well-defined figure, he wasn't going to win any favors by gawking, which was certainly not his goal. He shook his head, heading back along the muddied and forested path, looking, and scanning in all directions except where Vina stood for any signs of life in here. Of course there was plenty, but mostly it was the same stuff that you could find in densely wooded areas on Earth. Small birds and reptiles, with the occasional rodent eating one said reptile before being swooped up by one such bird. A Bit too quiet? He asked himself, trying to rationalize it in his head. Maybe since it is one of the few semi-working roads around here, people keep it cleared in Travel? But Isn't the main mode of transportation Boat? Peculiar...

 

"Pop into existence?" Vina sounded confused. Which she genuinely was, since she herself hadn't experienced that yet. She'd only seen creatures either already having been born or being born: the idea that they just popped into existence was actually new to her, since this world had seemed so natural to her that at least in that aspect she hadn't thought it would deviate from Earth. "They do that? I've yet to see it happen myself, so I thought they came into life the same way as animals in the real world do." She looked around, but there weren't any animals present at the moment and even if there was it wasn't like she could unearth the secrets of this world just by looking at the animals around here. "I mean, I have no trouble with fighting constructs and the like, since those can't feel pain so it's not like I'm actually... hurting anyone with it." She blinked and hurried on. "Well, I'll learn more about life in here as I experience more of this world. And I could have refrained from reviving you yes, but that'd have been... well, you wouldn't have liked it I think and me and the others would have felt bad as well." Honestly the idea of not reviving Zelrius had never actually occurred to Vina. She had seen him die so she brought him back. "But I did it because I thought it was the best thing to do, and I don't regret doing it in the slightest." She smiled widely while placing a hand on Zelrius's shoulder as she heard him stutter. "And you're all right now, aren't you? If there's still something bothering you I'll do my best to help, whether it's physical or mental." Since Zelrius had made it clear that he hadn't taken offence at her words she had no reason to remain downcast, and instead tried her best to get Zelrius to be a bit more cheerful as well.

Hearing Zelrius try to make her feel better about her attempts at using the vines to scale the wall of the fort she giggled, but also give him another warm smile. "You did plenty of work Zelrius. There's no need to say that about yourself just to make me feel better, although I definitely appreciate the supportive intent. All of us did our part, and I think all of us were needed for the mission to be as successful as it was. While we still could do better we can be proud of ourselves, both us two and the others." She then raised both eyebrows, once again somewhat confused at Zelrius's words as he now sounded... she thought he sounded somewhat bitter. Or... bothered? "Did... Did something happen with D'Vangelline? You gave that handkerchief she gave you a lot of importance, so hearing you say that... makes me feel like something must have happened." It was something of a guess, but Vina HAD been present when Zelrius was looking at that handkerchief, so hearing him talk of D'Vangelline with anything but admiration was surprising for her.

She definitely didn't fail to notice him checking out her figure, but Vina was true to her word and refrained from making another pass at the man. She only pushed when she thought the other would be comfortable with it (or when she was drunk) and it didn't take a genius to see that for Zelrius flirting wasn't something he was comfortable with. One could argue that maybe he would get more used to it with practice, but... from the way he had reacted it didn't seem like he was completely unused to flirting, but more that it bothered him in some way. Vina was decent when it came to social matters, so she wasn't going to risk getting on bad footing with Zelrius just to satisfy her own little desires, especially since if Zelrius wouldn't even enjoy it her own desires wouldn't be satiated either, altruistic hedonist that she was.

However she still didn't mind showing off her form, and if he stared then it wasn't her fault that he got a good eyeful. Which is why she didn't bother with trying to hide her bare skin while they moved through the forest, making her way through the overgrowth without caring whether it showed off the fair skin amidst the foliage. She wasn't going out of her way to show more, but it was up to Zelrius whether he'd look at what was already visible or not.

It didn't take much more travelling before Vina also began to notice that this route was quieter than most of the rest of the forest that she had already walked through. She figured that it was just the result of this technically being a road, although given the aggressive overgrowth to what extent one could actually call it a road... It definitely wasn't as well worn as the roads you'd encounter on the mainland. From what Vina had gathered this island didn't have much to offer for most people which wasn't located on the coast, so there was little reason for most people to bother with going further inland and thus the roads were less important. But maybe this road was still used often enough that the animals had learned to not get too close carelessly.

"It's a bit quiet here isn't it? Do you think that maybe there's something scaring the bigger animals away?" She asked Zelrius, both to make conversation and genuine curiosity regarding his opinion on the subject.

 

"I assume that's how it happens anyway." His brows furrowed in thought. "Think about this; Have you ever been walking around in the Forests of the Adecus to the North, and where there definitely wasn't movement when you were a few more feet back, there certainly, positively was movement? Stuff like that. I am sure most of it happens naturally, however, I don't think there'd still be boars around in places like Brisshal if it was 100% Natural birth. Either that, or maybe it does happen naturally, except when a Species is threathened by players like that. And maybe Players are the only ones who experience that to keep the game running and for things to continue to seem natural, despite the fact that this group of Immortals could easily wipe out whole populations with 0 risk to themsleves." He stopped, realizing now he was rambling off topic. "The real answer is; Other than some piglets I took to a little hut and- I took care of. I've never seen anything being born directly, though I suppose that's a weak argument, kind of like how in real life I've never seen an egg being broken to produce a bird. My point stands on the original one, I believe that sometimes they're poofed into existence for the sole purpose of MP Grinding. The creators of this world have shown themselves to be intelligent, so why not write a little code like that to keep players entertained, without direct grinding being catastrophic."

"That being said," He continued. "Even if it didn't happen like that, clearly they reproduce fast enough that the point is moot. So I guess just forget I said anything..." Her own points had made him doubt his, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it just fed into his increasing self-loathing and questioning of his own ideas. Though his self-depricating thoughts melted as he caught the glimpse of another smile from Vina, the sight of a pretty woman smiling at him of all things and people having this strangely calming effect. "I am still thankful, and even more so that you don't regret it. Not that it would have been that big of a deal, I'd have just popped back at the Morgue and then back in Brisshal..." He tried to move along with the smile, formign one of his own as a joke came to him. "Actually, you should have let that happen. I'd have gotten home a lot faster." And his mind ruined the humor in his head with also adding, though silently And would have been alone to wallow alot quicker as well. The golden haired man now began to grow a hate in himself for being so critical of himself, however Ironic that statement is. He nodded as she offered help in anyway he asked, though no ways came up, Zelrius never being a creative person, and not really knowing how she could help, if at all. Or what to help with.

"Yes, I am quite happy with the work everyone did." Again, except his own, but there was no need to tell Vina that, just to keep talking along. "We got the fort, went through the cave, and suffered no lasting Casualties. Along with, I feel like I made some pretty great friends, most of which I hope to keep for, at the very least, as long as I play Terra. I can only hope you, Claire, Blithe, Rome, Magi and Blake feel the same." It was true enough, and while some of those he didn't care to be friends with, a handful of them he did. Who fitted where, Zelrius would keep to himself for quite some time. It wasn't that he particularly disliked any of the party members, just that some came off as weird, and strangely disconnected. Whether it was only he who felt the disconnect with others, or if the whole party felt it was up for debate. Another time though.

It wasn't directly on his mind, but Vina reflared up Zelrius' growing ideas against Astor and D'Vangelline with regard to how he felt about them and their motives. His face softened, expressionless, his voice a lot more airy than usual. "Nothing happened. Just things that I am not so sure about." A pain he felt in his chest, the outright lie to someone who he actually liked having a stinging effect. But the truth was, He wasn't ready to answer that question, remembering himself how much fire he had to win the attention of the Princess and get a higher up spot in her court. All of that gone now, replaced only by disdain of her careless acts. So, he'd rather lie than give an answer he can't put into words quite yet. He just needed more information.

On the note of Vina's figure; it wasn't like Zelrius wasn't interested. He'd steal a look here, or a gaze there, in the simplest form; liking what he saw. The issue was, in his head he could barely justify those occasional glances, telling himself that he was just checking that she wasn't under attack or anything, but he knew that there'd be far more sound than the quite rustling of feet if she got in any amount of danger. Still, he continued to use that reasoning, never looking for more than a moment before looking away, and trying his best to make sure she didn't catch him, still not knowing what her reaction would be to being eye candy for some random guy.

"Yea..." He responded to her comment about the scenic quiteness. It was weird, but Zelrius also supposed that if it were a road, there'd be bandits, right? Not in a place where everyone is a Pirate. He reminded himself of where they were at, giving now a vocal reasoning. "Maybe this is actually used a lot, which would explain why most of the foliage is cut away. Perhaps the scallywags use it as a route to hide treasures deep within so no one else can access them?" He thought about her question. "Maybe some kind of Jungle Troll," He offered flatly, his tone serious, though the deadpan humor of which was lost on him.

 

"Hmmm..." Vina had in fact not really experienced anything like movement popping up where before there had been absolutely none, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense what Zelrius was saying. Even if this world was realistic to a ridiculous level if there wasn't some way to artificially keep the creature population under control the players could really wreak havoc. "I think you might be right. I hadn't thought of it before since I don't really get into fights with the wildlife, but seeing how players could exterminate the creatures in this world a lot better than the NPCs if there wasn't something keeping the creatures living in this world from going extinct the players would already have cleared out large portions of Brisshal for example. I think your idea of the world keeping an eye on the population level and adding more if it reaches a critically low level is the most sensible." She then looked at Zelrius with clear curiosity and interest. "You took care of some piglets? How did you end up in a situation like that?" She nodded. "Now that you've pointed it out it makes sense that the creators of this world wouldn't want to risk us destabilizing the entire world with the advantages we've got. Although Astorea might already be a case of us destabilizing the world a little."

"Nono, it's definitely an interesting topic and you've made some very good points." She quickly opposed Zelrius's attempt at dismissing his input on the subject. "It makes me wonder what other parts of this world I've been taking for granted which I should be studying more closely." She nodded again as Zelrius expressed his gratitude. "All in all it seems like in the end it all worked out, and more importantly enough time has passed that I can once again cast the resurrection spell so the only real risk that someone might die while my revive is on cooldown has also passed." With his joke Vina giggled and shook her head. "Maybe, but then we wouldn't have been able to enjoy your company for the rest of the way~ Call me selfish but I think I prefer having you stay with us over letting you go home faster." She was joking as well, although she was serious that she was happy that he had remained with them instead of respawning somewhere else.

"It was a close call at some points but our hard work definitely paid off. We even managed to save that scout even though he was unlucky enough to slip in the caves, which just shows that things could have gone a lot worse if we hadn't all worked hard and done our part." She then nodded again enthusiastically, her tail wagging behind her. "Agreed! I've definitely made good friends and I hope all of us will continue to be good friends! Admittedly I've been having trouble staying in contact with all of them since we parted a bit hastily near the end, but I'm sure we'll meet up and have fun together again." In all honesty Vina hadn't been able to stay in contact with all of them because she also was busy and couldn't just spend all her time on hanging out with people in-game especially when everyone was also doing their own thing, but she definitely wasn't lying when she said she would like to hang out with all of them again.

However Zelrius's attempts at shaking off her questioning regarding the royal family of Falderen got her worried. He was trying to pass it off as unimportant, but it wasn't hard to see that something had changed his opinion drastically, and from the way that he was dancing around the subject it wasn't a positive change. The Felis frowned, trying to think of the best way to approach this. She didn't want to press the issue if she had reason to believe it might be uncomfortable for Zelrius, but she also didn't want things to just fester if she could somehow prevent it getting worse if she interfered. "Do you think my input might help get rid of the uncertainty? I wasn't too involved in the politics but from what I could tell D'Vangelline was very honest about wanting to rescue the prisoners and doing her best to help out. Do you think her motives might have been different than that?" She wasn't too sure pressing the issue was the best answer here, but it was the best she could think of right now, and if Zelrius was being bothered by something she wanted to try and help him.

Unfortunately for Zelrius his attempts at not being noticed didn't go very well, but fortunately Vina didn't mind at all and also didn't mind hiding the fact that she was aware so he wouldn't have to feel even more awkward about it. It did reaffirm the idea that his reaction towards her flirting might be something else than just normal discomfort though. If he was trying to catch glimpses of her he definitely found her worth looking at, and she still didn't think it was just unfamiliarity with flirting that made him try to change the topic when she suggested having some intimate fun together.

She'd have to see if she could get him to open up a bit about it in time.

"It could be used a lot, although it isn't as well tended to as the roads in Brisshal. It could be that pirates just have less interest in good roads, although even then..." Vina looked around, her ears sharp as she tried to catch any sounds beyond that of the smaller animals. "A jungle troll would definitely scare everything away... I mean, I'd definitely not stay in an area with a jungle troll." She smiled to show that she didn't actually think there was a jungle troll here. "If only because of the smell. Well, I can't pick up on anything that'd indicate danger to us, so maybe we should just write it off as strange and keep going?"