War, A tragedy resulting in devastation, lost loved ones, and bloodshed blanketing a people for years to come. One could say it was the perfect breeding ground for a game such as this. Something that will spark players to action, giving them more of a purpose than the mind numbing quests offered by most MMO's. However, this may not be the case. Losing your character to something as foolish as this war, well that certainly wouldn't do. Oikawa's thought's subsided as he continued through what remained of Astorea. Being new to the server, he had only a small glimpse of this place before the war ravaged it. Knowing what was to come, he decided to ignore the mass amount carnage that he knew would ensue and laid low. Cowardly? Perhaps. Placing him further behind? Definitely. But progress was progress, and with the war over and recovery to be made. Now was the time to shape his destiny here in Terrasphere. "Now where to start?" @Zelrius
Once more, the city of Dormont was left in ruined. The golden haired man gazed out over the streets, the pyre he had lit in honor of those he had personally slain quietly crackling out, nothing left but smoldering ashes and liquidating Steel. The paved roads were drenched in drying blood, the late year sun aiding in that fact, as every drop turned from a viscous liquid to cracked and caked chunks. The bodies that were unattended to at this moment began to stink a horrid stench, still filling the air even after all the time between the actual battle and now. It was clear that the citizens had no intention of meddling with the dead of the Falderen soldiers. Understandably so, in Zelrius' mind. It was proven King Theodore had a sickness of sorts, one possibly inflicted by Demons, or atleast, that's the theory. So, it was quite well thought out that perhaps some of the Soldiers had the same thing going on, even more likely with the higher ups that led their individual flanks. Still, those facts didn't uncurl the man's nose, as he scrunched it up in response to the ever so foul smell. He footsteps clicked lightly with each movement along the paved roads, the particular street he was on having been empty, mostly because most of its inhabitants had been killed once the Eastwatch Wall had fallen. Zelrius was pulled out of the trance of thought he was in at the voice another person, quickly scanning the area and seeing another figure seeming to have said something to himself. With slow movements the swordsmen made his way other to this other person, trying to follow whereever it is his gaze might be at the moment. "Looking for Family? Or perhaps trying to get away from the chaos in the busier streets of town?" His voice came out flat, but clear, trying to decipher if the man before him was a Player, or a Local, and what their purpose in this particular place was.
"Hmm?" The string of questions caught the noirette's attention. With a quick turn of his heel, Oikawa faced a man topped with blond hair and dressed in rather diplomatic clothes. A noble NPC? was the first thought to cross his mind, but the more he stared at the man, the more he realized how silly the notion was. Clearly the blond before him was a player, just as himself. However, the difference in attire was surely present and possibly in masteries as well. Shrugging the inner monologue off, Oikawa answered the bystander's questions. "Family... not so much. Unless my brother somehow snuck into this game. As far as the chaos, I can't complain. In fact I applaud it seeing as how I thrive in it." Dusting the dirt from his tunic and hands, Oikawa offered the man a handshake. "Oikawa Seijuro. And you are?" He wondered if the blond man was much further along than himself. He had only been in Terrasphere for the last week or so and he hadn't progressed far into any of his masteries. In fact he wondered if he had progressed if at all. His magic seemed to be at the same levels and he was no closer to learning about the temples of the Gods. Shaking his head, he realized that the silence between them had become awkward. "My apologies. A preoccupied haha."
For a moment, Zelrius stepped just once back, feeling a bit uncomfortable as the man before him scanned for a moment. The golden haired man now wondered if he had the same questions in his mind about both motive, and which side of the VR Gear he belonged to. That makes him a player, his mind whispered ever so faintly, though Zelrius still couldn't be sure. That was, until he brought up Brother and Game. Then it was obvious, causing him to visibly relax a bit, glad for it to be a player in fact, never being one who was too fond of the Locals as they're often referred to. It wasn't that he had a problem with them specifically, it was just creepy how real they were. Zelrius nodded at an introduction, seemingly caught off guard by it. "Who me? I uh," he paused for a moment, making sure not to say his actual name and instead remembering to stick with the username. "Zelrius. I uh, stabbed Snefrid at Eastwatch?" The swordsmen didn't recognize the Noirette, but he had hoped that they'd find common ground in that war atleast, right? "N-No worries," He reassured, giving a one handed jazz hands. "Thoughts drowning the mind? I know the feeling all too well..." His voice trailed off, thinking to his meet up with Emilia the other day, and how emotional that was.
"Zelrius....Slayer of Snefrid," echoed the noirette. "I can't say I'm familiar with the beast though I imagine I want be too familiar with anything regarding the war. My time here began just shortly after." Casting his gaze back out to the fields, Oikawa watched as more players scattered about. The hustle and bustle of attempting to find quest, barter with goods and making general progress all seemed to good to be true. After all, given the tragedy of what seemingly happened barely a week ago, the player and local base seemed all to chipper in that regard. Looking over his shoulder, he offered Zelrius another slew of questions. "So how long have you been playing Terrasphere? Is the game just as compelling as it looks or is there little merit to what we seemingly have available to us?" he questioned. The realm of Terrasphere seemed far more expansive than it let on. Given that there was little to know tutorial on the game however, the mage simply wondered how truly in-depth and rewarding this game was. He had heard rumors of a panel of Gods and Goddesses but knew little more than that. He had heard that the kingdom of Astorea was in fact player led. Something he didn't expect to see in a video game. Pivoting on his heel, he turned to face the blonde once more. His crimson gaze sharpened on the blonde. He had more questions but realized he knew next to nothing about the man before him either. How could he expect him to play twenty-one questions without learning about the person he was now surely bothering. Asking a simple question could lead to something better, he thought. "So, what is your goal here? For this game I mean?"
"It wasn't all that interesting, I suppose. T-That's not to say it wasn't exciting, certainly lots of fun to be had but uh," He scanned the streets once more, remembering when he was hearing about the war from as an outsider. "Looking from the outside in, it's just like any other MMO; Sounds action packed, not as fun unless you are participating." The point he wanted to make next blended well with the man's next question, Starting first to answer the questions and then making them bleed into each other. "A little over two months or so? Lost count of the exact days, they all blend together for me." My boss hates me, He thought as he remembered once regularly attending a real job back in Boston. "Compelling? Sure. It's unlike anything I've seen in Computer RPGs and what not. There's no dialogue trees constricting your interaction, there aren't 'Quest Boards' that eventually run out of content; each NPC, or I guess Person, Has their own shit going on, yknow? Their own stuff that they'd be willing to pay an extra hand for," Zelrius was quickly reminded of the time he spent with Savannah and Alric when he first joined, messing about with the Boars and Farmers back in Brisshal. "Their own little stories. It's strange actually; This game has only existed for a short period of time for us, but if you talk to any NPC, it'd be just like you were asking someone outside of the game about any historical event. They have records and memories of things that supposedly happened before any of this _truly_ existed." He stopped, realizing that maybe that was a bit more answer than the man, who introduced himself as Oikawa, was looking for. "Uhm, so i-in short. Yes. There is more than meets the eye, to say the least." For a brief moment following the string of questions being answered and the golden haired man's own monologue, dark blue eyes met crimson ones, a feature that always off put Zelrius about this game, but he understood the visual appeal as to why some would choose that eye colour for their characters. Though that meeting of pupils was short-lived, Zelrius never being one to be able to hold eye contact for longer than a second or two at most. "My goal...?" He asked, more unsure of the question in relation to himself than as to why the noirette was asking. "I dunno, to be quite honest," He pulled a neat all white handkerchief from this collar, examining it as he had done so many times over. "Originally, I was interested in serving the Court of Falderen, but recent events have changed my mind," He looked up from the piece of cloth and back over the city. "Not sure at this point. There are so many questions that no one has the answers to that I'd like to know, or who knows what lies beyond the forests of Astorea to the West? Or Norfova to the south?" The shaky uncertainty in his voice seemed to disappear in those words, sounding more like a scientist on to a discovery; the kind of burning passion for curiosity resonating well within the man. Though it returned as quickly, as he thought that maybe he was being rude. "Oh, eh, what about you? Anything you're, yknow, aiming for?"
Pieces of cobbled stone skittered about as Oikawa shifted his weight to the other foot. His mind attempted to conjure a visual to match what Zelrius explained to him. The thoughts of this place being more than he realized, quickly filled his mind with each sentence the blonde lauded over the difference between Terrasphere and every other MMO the noirette had the pleasure of indulging. The praise the game received was rather unexpected but welcomed seeing as how that meant this place was just a tad bit more worthy of his time investment; at least he hoped. His gaze softened as Zelrius admitted to once having a goal. However, it would seem the war changed his mind. Sparking the flame of curiosity akin to that of what Oikawa had burning inside him. He chuckle at he thought. To think that a game cold bring so many together and just as easily tear them apart all in the pursuit of knowledge ...glory ...power ... A multitude of passions that could excite any gamer in this day and age. Pushing aside his night colored bangs, his crimson gaze settled on Zelrius once more as the blond asked him what he was aiming for. For a moment,he pondered. What do I want from this place? What do I wish to accomplish in my time here? Power? Glory? Knowledge perhaps? Or maybe even recognition? None of his thoughts inherently stood out, but they all seemed to be right at the same time. His chest rose and relaxed. He hadn't answered Zelrius yet, and while not wanting to be rude, he didn't quite have an answer for the question that he'd be satisfied with. Nonetheless, he answered. "Aiming for? Nothing really I suppose. I'm only just becoming familiar with this place and its story. As well masteries and what not. So to be fairly honest, I don't have a goal aside from finding out where I fit in all this." Despite his answer, he found himself offering more of a conversation to the blond. "That said, I did catch wind of a court of Gods and Goddesses that presided over Terrasphere. My love for mythologies in the real world has certainly carried over in that aspect. So if nothing else, learning their lore will be worthwhile." He had to admit, the lore of Terrasphere was another driving point in choice to play but it seemed so minuscule at the time that he hadn't given it much thought. Glancing past Zelrius and focusing on the rubble. He remembered still that another reason he hadn't participated in the war was because he didn't even know how to fight or use his masteries. Maybe I should ask him to teach me? Or maybe I should figure it out alone. Shrugging, his gaze returned to Zelrius, Slayer of Snefrid.
And though the pair wouldn't have known it of each other, Zelrius too was looking for glory and power, or atleast, was, when he first joined. But Terra had this strange way of being so eerily realistic, that it have the same impression that Highschool students often found themselves in before college; the dreaded 'what now' question. And much like those same people, Terrasphere would change, the environment would be different, an army of wolf people could attack a Kingdom you don't even give a shit about and now suddenly everything is different, including your goals. First Zelrius wanted nobility, and now he found that not only was that goal a bit too mainstream for his liking, it was also kind of dead end; now he had the thirst for adventure, a thirst he was pretty sure was quenched following his time with the White Team and their moments spent in poisonous caves and dealing with frog people. However, that actually made him long for that kind of excitement even more, and to do better each time he did it. At the moment, the blonde wasn't looking for fame, he didn't really care for it, and often told himself that he wasn't good enough for it for one reason or another. Maybe he'd be abusive with it, or maybe he just wasn't the right person for it. It was this insecurity that often held the man back, an invisible hand that he inflicted on himself, and didn't know how to cure it. These thoughts were broken by the raven-haired man speaking up again, his gaze following Oikawa's once more. "Oh, Gods, yes." He stopped, trying to remember the name of it. "The Ilseed or something? Elysid? I dunno, one of those two." Zelrius tried to recall the names of the major ones, but could only recall one or two, an embarrassment to even himself. "Actually now that you mention it, that does sound rather interesting, however, you're talking to the wrong guy about it. I, uh, haven't been paying much attention to Religion, both in and out of Terrasphere." An Investigation might be an order, He noted to himself, now slowly trying to find time in his next binge of Terrasphere gameplay to look deeper into the Elysid and everything it had to offer. Zelrius now began to tap his foot, realizing that he had maybe spent too much time on this conversation and he should probably get back to the fields and grind, or do literally anything to get away from this city, however, beyond the foot tapping, he didn't move; trying his best to not be rude about abruptly ending a conversation.
The noirette wasn't too keen on asking others for help when regarding trivial aspects for such simple tasks. In fact, it seemed he already had the answer to the question he had posed himself and rather than entertain the thought any longer, he instead opted to listen to the blonde as he spoke up. Zelrius, initially drawing a blank in regard to the name of the Elysid Court, quickly recalled their existence and admitted to having limited knowledge on the subject. That makes two us, thought the raven-haired man. I suppose that's my next goal then. Discover what I can about the court. I do recall Illumancy being one of the few way to adopt the knowledge of the Gods from the advanced mastery blurb I had read online. Hopefully the notion holds true. The thoughts of his slowly passed as a persistent tapping echoed softly around them. At first Oikawa was unsure of its origin, but upon quick glance to the man before him, he realized that Zelrius was the culprit. Ahh I didn't take into account that I had taken time from his most likely busy schedule. Gesturing toward the world around them, Oikawa wrapped up their little meeting of sorts. "My apologies. I realize you may have more pressing matters to attend to. It was a pleasure meeting you Zelrius, Slayer of Snefrid."
A silence fell between the two as both seemed to be lost in a million other thoughts, questions that maybe the other didn't have the answer to, and Zelrius thinking to himself about how if the noirette did know the answers to his questions, how would he go about asking them? Of course the usual answer would be to voice those inquiries and get answers, however that was not how this man thought. Maybe he thought the questions were dumb and obvious, or maybe he just wasn't sure in his own insecurities of how to word it. One way or the other, Zelrius remained silent, a mixture of both stopping him from ending any sentences with a question mark, other than ones calling into question his own adequacy. The foot tapping stopped, though just as it had, Oikawa spoke again, making the man's ears poke up. For a moment, as he turned his head, Zelrius glanced at the man, a glimpse of an image his mind had conjured popping into his vision. There was a Spider behind him, and a rapier in his hand, though in this image, Zelrius noted they had matching hair colours, instead of the stark difference in the black and blonde. Weird, He thought to himself, lots of things like that coming up rather recently in Terrasphere, perhaps alluding to another time and another place, where the technology was the same, but the outcomes were different. That though was enough for the golden haired man to be snapped into reality, now apologizing for his rudeness. "Oh, ah no, I uh" He thought for a moment, eyes now down cast. "How I wish I was busy enough to be rude about it," He joked now looking back up to his acquaintance. "And please, just Zelrius works fine. Or Zel, whatever suits your fancy."
"Zelrius it is," mused the raven-haired mage. With a slight nod, Oikawa turned to leave. "Until next time," was heard from him as he took off. Zelrius... despite us just meeting, the name sounds suspiciously familiar. Something akin to an old friend? But vaguely forgettable all the same..hmmm... His thoughts continued to roam. The uneasy feeling that their paths had not yet finishing crossing, growing ever larger the further the distance he placed between them. Perhaps the destiny of Terrasphere has yet to rear its ugly head and we are destined to meet again. Though under what terms remains to be seen. Shaking his head, he focused. A new task presented itself and he had little time to waste on seemingly trivial matters. Retrieving the map scan he had received from Ilya only a day before, he continued to follow the dotted lines leading to Norforva. Glancing over his shoulder, he eyed the small outline of the golden haired man. "I wonder where we'll end up. Will we amount to great things in Terrasphere? Or will we just become statistics in a game? I for one will not be. I hope Zelrius opts for more as well." Looking ahead he grinned. "Oh the Malevolent Tora, will you reveal yourselves to me?" The thought of meeting Gods certainly compelled him and he didn't plan to stop until he did.
