Private - Cat Fist and Wolf Fist

Astorea had suffered quite a lot recently due to the invasion, but that didn't mean the entire country was in ruins, with nobody having a roof over their heads. Sure, a lot of damage was done and a lot of lives were lost, and there was no denying that the events that had occurred were tragic and regrettable. However life went on, and the hard work of soldiers and adventurers alike had helped limit the damage so while it was still extensive there still was an Astorea left for people to live and rebuild in. The city of Dormont may have had its walls nearly destroyed as armies clashed in a fight to determine the fate of the nation, but thanks to the veteran adventurers who had managed to defeat the mad king Theo the defenders had won, and most of the city of Dormont was actually still standing. That didn't mean there weren't plenty of issues to deal with, but there were opportunities for one to enjoy the victory.

One of those examples was the fact that there were still inns standing and running amidst all the chaos of people trying to return to their normal lives. Some of them had closed, some of them had simply run out of provisions as they had to provide for as many people as possible. But some inns and taverns remained functional both because the owners had to keep earning money and because, as contradictory as it might sound, refusing to freely hand out the provisions to anyone was helping the city as a whole. While making sure that everyone had enough food that they wouldn't starve was a necessary and noble thing people would work better if there were also opportunities to unwind and relax, ways to actually benefit from the hard work instead of working themselves into the ground like slaves without any reprieve or reward.

That is why there were still inns and taverns running, to reward the hard workers and give them something to work for. They might be working for their family, for their nation, for their friends, or because they got paid for it, but it never hurt to add the additional motivation that those who worked hard would afterwards get to drink themselves into a stupor and enjoy some tasty food that would otherwise have to be carefully divided amongst the people. The innkeepers and tavern owners would lower their prices for anyone who was helping out, to further spur people into action to help their beloved nation and show their support of Astorea, which had endured so much but through it all had still remained standing.

Mizuki hadn't necessarily been helping with the rebuilding, but she had been helping in her own way. The provisions which were produced from the storages weren't nearly enough, and since it was already winter they couldn't rely on the crops to take care of the issue. So they had to rely on foraging and hunting, and Mizuki was actually pretty good at both of these things thanks to her masteries. Sure she wasn't an alchemist so she might not be an expert with plants and the like, but with her Hunting mastery she was still good at finding things so as long as she knew what to look for she didn't need to know the exact details of what it was supposed to do. Find the right herbs, find fruits and vegetables, hunt boars and deer. Simple work but very rewarding, as Mizuki channelled skills which were usually oriented towards combat into feeding the people of Astorea, so they wouldn't begin starving to death in the middle of winter.

However just like those workers Mizuki also required breaks to function, and right now she was having a break in one of those taverns who hadn't just helped divide all their provisions. She wasn't drinking any alcohol since she was planning to head back out for more hunting once she was done resting, so instead she just ate some of the tastier snacks while limiting the actual volume so she wouldn't end up undoing all of her own hard working by eating as much as she had already managed to hunt.

While she gnawed on some snacks she looked at the tavern around her, where there were plenty of workers. However pretty much all of them avoided Mizuki, which the Caenis didn't find very surprising although it was a tad hurtful. It was understandable that they'd avoid her though. For one thing she looked like one of those wolf people who had helped attack the city (since both she and they were Caenis) and for the other it wasn't like the soldiers who had helped defend the walls were going to remain silent about everything which had happened on the walls. They had seen Mizuki fighting with as much savagery as any of the enemies as the Berserkergang had consumed her more fully than it ever had, and there were even rumours about how she ate the hearts of her enemies. Which was more or less a lie... it was only a single lie, and it had happened outside of the actual fighting.

Nevertheless she was now something of a suspicious person who the average citizen would rather avoid, so the Caenis sat there alone, her eyes for the most part on the doorway in case someone of interest came in. The NPCs could avoid her as much as they wanted, but Mizuki was hoping she might be able to find someone of interesting before she left the city again for her hunting. She hadn't met up with Kaede in a while and she didn't know where Zelrius was, so she had been a bit more lonely than she was used to in Terrasphere. She didn't regret what happened on the walls, during the fighting or after, but it did have some consequences for her social life in this world which she hoped weren't actually going to be permanent.

@Ilya

 

The day thus-far had taken a specific toll. One that Ilya of all people had not been expecting. She had found her way back into Astorea, back to where people were suffering after the effects of the war. Those that had been so keen to help, only being able to help a few at most in a day. The effects of the guards, adventurers and certain NPCs definitely seemed to kind of help in the grand scheme of things. Yet in Ilya's own mind there would be no way to make up for the amounts of people that went unhelped, especially with people exactly like Ilya. Those that had no skill what-so-ever in doing anything but maiming things past the point of recovering them. That of which, was something Ilya had to work on.

The exact race that Ilya was, gathered enough attention as it was. Attention that would prevent Ilya from helping out. The exact attention that brought about obstacles in the world of Terrasphere. The cat ears of the Felis flickered as the light hue of gold made a spot in the distance. The smoke coming from the chimney all but calming the nerves of the cat-girl. Her red eyes scorching a path to her new destination. The inn in the distance. Perhaps, this time someone might have something she could help with. Whether it be a bounty or wiping out something that had been bothering the people, Ilya wanted to do what she was good at. Killing things. Taking things from the dead bodies of her enemies.

Pretty much the things of those of the pirates that raided Dunnstads. Upon the thought of Dunnstads, Ilya was brought back to the likes of Mudflester. That was fun.. Too bad we had to retreat. At that time I was not as strong as I am now.. Glancing down at the gauntlets that lined her own wrists, Ilya looked back up, the inn was nearing even closer now.

Time to see if anyone could use a gal like me. The glance that Ilya held was far from a smile, instead it was one of pure nerviness. The door to the inn seemed to haunt her vision as Ilya made her way to the door. Her hand shaking as she held it out, latching it on the handle. The door slowly opened as Ilya move her wrist out to shift its own position. The sights of the inn etching their way into her memories. The nervous glances that kept being cast towards a certain wolf in the corner. Whether or not the caenis in her vision was the infamous Ueno Mizuki, Ilya was unsure. The only thing being that there were two reasons why those were nervous towards her. One, being that the caenis race aided in attacking Astorea. Secondly, the Mizuki chick, was rumored to be a beast in battle, eating the organs of her enemies. Stepping into the inn, Ilya began to walk past the wolf, heading instead for the innkeeper. The only thing that would have stopped her advancement towards the innkeeper would be if she were interrupted.

 

As Mizuki was contemplating whether it was time to head out again the door opened and someone new stepped through, someone who definitely wasn't part of the average crowd. For one thing Felis weren't actually that common amongst the NPCs, if only because there were simply a lot more Humans and in Astorea specifically there were also just a lot of Yladians, because apparently they fled down here after demons took over their original home. So a Felis was something worth paying attention to if only briefly. However further inspection quickly revealed that beyond being a Felis there were more traits that made this one stand out. For one thing those gauntlets she wore were a dead giveaway that she was someone who liked to use her fists as weapons, which was somewhat uncommon amongst the NPCs as well. While the Body Combat mastery allowed for a lot of versatility and prowess it was usually considered less favourable than just picking up a sword or some other weapon, because those usually had both a longer reach and did a better job at maiming something or someone upon contact. As such if someone used Body Combat they were more likely to be a player who wanted to fight like a monk in a fantasy world.

Add the unusual hair colour and eyes and Mizuki considered her interest piqued. She stared calmly, although her heterochromatic eyes made it clear that she was studying the girl who just entered the establishment, and also noticed when Ilya looked at her and seemed uncertain. It looked like she had heard some of those rumours as well. Hmmm... Mizuki didn't even remember much of the fight on the wall because the Berserkergang had effectively stolen her memories, but she hoped that the players weren't going to start acting reluctant to interact with her as well. She wanted to get along with people and make friends, and if everyone became hesitant to accept her presence because she had a wild fighting style that'd make things difficult for her.

However for now the best thing she could do was just see if this woman was willing to see past the rumours, and it looked like it would be on her own head to take the initiative. The Felis was heading towards the innkeeper behind the bar, leaving the Caenis to give her some time to reach the bar and make herself comfortable before standing up and walking after her, coughing to ensure she got Ilya's attention. "Greetings." She was so used to giving a formal greeting that even after she had become a bit blunter than she had been in the past she still did it without really thinking. "I hope I'm not bothering you, but I noticed that you walk like someone who knows how to use their fists." Powerful warriors usually gave away their expertise by the way they walked, and Mizuki was good at picking up on things thanks to the Hunting Mastery. "If you're not interested it is no issue, but I've been helping out the people here by hunting and foraging in the forest. After the war the provisions and supplies have become low, as you can imagine. If you're as good with those fists as I think you are I think you'd be able to help a lot with making sure nobody in the city starves."

She held out a hand, showing that she herself also wore gloves which were meant to be worn by someone whose weapons were their own fists, although hers were somewhat unusual in their own way: they were primarily made of leather instead of metal, with as only metal the studs adorning her knuckles and the claws on the fingertips. Rather than a heavy hitter Mizuki's gloves were made with as aim to allow for fast combat and using feral attacks as easily as more mundane punches. "I'm Ueno Mizuki. Going by the way you looked at me I assume you have heard some rumours, but I assure you they're most likely exaggerated."

 

The silence of the inn was broken almost outright without any warning, by something as simple as a cough. The sound causing the felis to lightly jump, bringing about a feeling of surprise. The head of the red-head flipping around, facing the figure that made the noise. The caenis... As a Felis, Ilya herself felt a slight uncomfort around the caenis race. Perhaps it was just due to her in-game "origin" so to speak.. But one thing for certain, if Ilya were to be thrown into a group of them, she would more than likely die. Cats and Dogs do not mix very well.. Period. Obviously, Ilya knew of a few occasions where cats and dogs did mix well together, much like her own cat Choji, and the friendly dog that had visited the other day on one of the tours.

The sound of the woman now speaking snapped Ilya out of her thoughts. Bringing her attention straight to the sound of the voice of the woman. The way it ripped through the air, blunt yet childish. The sound of twinkling stars. The second thing that held the attention of Ilya, was the multi-colored eyes. To the term, that Ilya had forgotten. One seemed to speak in volumes of blue, while the other spoke volumes of brown-gold. The hair of the caenis matching the ears and tail that adorned her body, much like Ilya's own adornments, yet these took on a more domesticated "wolf" shape. The tail bushing about, the ears more curved and rather larger than Ilya's.

Know how to use their fists... Right... Processing what the caenis spoke of, a small smile peaked its way onto the face of Ilya. "I can imagine I would be better than you think I am. The way I look, walk and talk do not do justice of my abilities." For one that trained so hard, day after day, Ilya did not look the part. She seemed rather small, skinny even. The girl in front of her seemed much taller, being around 5' 10" in height. Her breasts bulging upon her chest, which caused Ilya to feel rather self-conscious of her own smaller, more medium sized chest. Ilya's mind on the inside jerked for a moment. Wait.. She invited me to.. Actually do something I was looking to do... Ilya realized she had yet to accept which brought out a very rapid 'yes' from her lips. Realizing again that she should explain as to why she said yes, Ilya felt flustering blushing sweep across her chilled cheeks. "Y-yes, I would love to help you out.."

The small blush that had engulfed Ilya's cheeks seemed to turn beet red as the caenis introduced herself. The hand that was held out, Ilya accepted graciously. Giving it a light shake. "Erhm.. I am Ilya.. And do not worry.. I do not base my own opinions of people on their rumors.. You have a clean plate from me.. I personally, I have no idea as to whether it is due to the whole 'race' thing.. But I felt uncomfortable.. cats and dogs do not mix that well, apart from on special occasions.." The blush disappeared as Ilya got serious, "Though I do not mind trying for the special occasion with you... Not that I am hitting on you or anything, just saying.."

 

Mizuki hadn't knowingly been trying to be stealthy, but it seemed that by waiting for the Felis to pass by she'd accidentally spooked the woman a bit by suddenly announcing herself. As the Felis turned around Mizuki's sharp eyes picked up on her movements and the way she held herself, her Hunting mastery showing itself to be useful for more things than just finding tracks. Like everyone else in the room the Felis appeared to be somewhat uncomfortable, although she was doing a much better job at reacting reasonably than some of the others, startled jump aside. Mizuki herself was lacking in nervousness, mostly because she was currently the one who was making others nervous and in the cat vs dog thing she'd played both roles already due to the Caenis race only recently being unlocked so she didn't have much reason to act unreasonably aggressive towards any Felis.

The woman wasn't hiding the fact that she was studying Mizuki's wolflike features though, The Caenis raising one eyebrow slightly as she waited for the inspection to finish and for Ilya to give an actual response. Once it came it was one of confidence in her skills, which wasn't surprising given how her movements indicated that Ilya was quite good indeed with her fists. Mizuki nodded as her tailed swished from side to side behind her. "That might very well be the case, which would be very useful as well." If Ilya was even better a fighter than Mizuki thought she could help hunt down animals even faster, which would mean they'd do a better job of feeding the people of Dormont. Of course her figure didn't betray it, but Mizuki had already learned that a small and slender stature didn't guarantee weak muscles and a behemoth could still be weaker. Snefrid had been a good example of someone who was significantly stronger than you'd think if you just looked at her physique.

Snefrid hadn't been so easily flustered though, leaving Mizuki staring in some confusion at what was throwing Ilya off so easily. Well, at least she answered in the positive, Mizuki showing her a small smile as her ears perked up. "That's good to hear. I've been doing my best, but there are a lot of mouths to feed and I can't hunt enough on my own no matter how fast or deadly I might be." At least carrying the remains back to the butchers was actually pretty easy: just put them in the inventory and move fast. She gave Ilya's hand a firm shake, then her clawed hand went up to her cheek as she grabbed the hollow of her elbow with her other hand. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm afraid I've made a bit of a rough impression lately on the people around here, so it's good that you're willing to give me a chance. Although I also can't say the rumours are entirely undeserved... Just exaggerated." She tilted her head to the side slightly and blinked when Ilya explained about trying to overcome the cat and dog thing for this occasion. "Don't worry, I have nothing against cats so you don't have to be on guard towards me because of that. And I understand." Mizuki looked fairly pleased, as it looked like she had managed to establish a fairly stable line of communication with Ilya. "Well then, it is nice to meet you Ilya and I hope we'll do good work together. Although since you only just arrived here I assume that you might want to get something to eat before we leave. Even if we are taking upon ourselves the task of procuring more food we still have to make sure we have enough nutrition ourselves. I'll wait until you're finished eating."

 

The bluntness that followed the voice of Mizuki, made Ilya's nervousness disappear. Her flustered face all but vanished as the wolf spoke as if they were on the same grounds.. Nothing against Felis.. good.. Her unease seeming to disappear. "I am not one who judges other so quickly as the rumors that are held around their name. Remember that.. I look forward to fighting with you." With a slight nod of her head, Ilya returned her body towards the innkeeper. Revealing her back to Mizuki, showing that she trusted her. As by not turning the back others, it establishes another line of trust. Ilya went forth, and ordered something rather simple.. Fish.

Upon her meal being handed to her, along with a small mug of water, Ilya quickly drank and ate. Watching with unblinking eyes as her needs meters filled up. She was thus ready, upon finishing her meal. Turning back to Mizuki she seemed to think for a moment before pulling forth her menu. She selected Mizuki and sent over the party invite that they had yet to observe into. "I am ready whenever you are. You lead the way."

Ilya cracked her knuckles as if she were only confirming what she had spoken. Her body portraying that she was indeed, ready, bold, brave and confident.

 

Seeing that Ilya was calming down and becoming more confident in her actions Mizuki felt glad, since she would rather not feel like she was constantly unnerving the woman or something. Given the fact that not everyone had reacted as positively towards Mizuki's behaviour during and after the fight on the wall knowing that Ilya wasn't actually going to constantly be uncomfortable around her was a relief, since it helped Mizuki feel less like her actions might keep haunting her for a long time, if the actual players were less inclined to be bothered by it. "I will remember that, and I will also try to make this a comfortable partnership. Given the amount of food required we might end up working together for quite some time if you don't lose interest, so the better we get along the easier it'll be for the both of us."

Mizuki didn't have quite that insightful an opinion of Ilya showing her back, as the wolfwoman simply didn't realize that Ilya was the type of person who would be so guarded as to only show her back to someone if she trusted them even in the middle of a city, where taking advantage of such an opening would surely result in trouble for the one taking advantage. Instead the Caenis just waited patiently as Ilya got her fish and water, taking a seat so she wouldn't have to stand while Ilya ate. As she waited Mizuki glanced around to take in the people around them, who seemed to be showing more curiosity now the Caenis and the Felis were teaming up together, but still kept their distance since they'd rather just get on with their own business before returning to work.

Once Ilya's meal was done Mizuki nodded and stood up, blinking as the party invite popped up. Strangely enough this was the first time that Mizuki actually used the party feature: before now she'd just grouped up with people and forgotten that she was in a game where there were special features that helped people work together. However she didn't waste any time accepting the invitation, watching the second bar with Ilya's health and energy meter appearing next to her own in the upper left of her vision. It still was one of the strangest sensations, to always have your health bar hovering up there. It wasn't like it actually hindered your vision, which was strange since that implied that you weren't actually seeing it... It was more like it was just there for when you needed to check on your health, and that of people in your party.

"Let's go then. The city is even busier than usual so we'll have to travel quite far before we reach an area where we can hunt for wildlife. So far I have been hunting in the west mostly, but given the fact that we shouldn't empty out one area completely I'd prefer heading north this time unless you have objections. Unlike most less realistic games it seems that this world does obey the rules of population and reproduction, so if too many creatures are killed in one area it will affect that area for as long as it takes for it to re-stabilize." As she talked she began to walk towards the nearest gates that would lead out of the city. Through those gates they could head either west or north, so they had time to decide which direction to go.

"Given that we are both melee combatants and rely on our own body rather than weapons we will have to rely on speed. If one of us was ranged they could simply snipe any animals we find, but we will have to get close enough that it'd be better to get close enough that we can run them down instead of trying to sneak right up to them." Mizuki held up one hand and pointed at it, her tail lightly swishing from side to side behind her as she walked, her heterochromatic eyes on Ilya. "Given your apparent and proclaimed skill you should know how to take down prey with minimal damage done, which will be beneficial here. The less structural damage we inflict the easier it will be for the butchers to turn the cadavers into meat, and the higher quality the meat as well. Even if Astorea is in a state where any additional food is welcome that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to deliver good food, especially since our method is more supplemental."

She then blinked as she thought of something. "You have killed things before, right? It's hard to believe you'd have become a powerful fighter if you hadn't, but if this would be the first time you actually knowingly and purposefully kill something we'll have to take it a bit slower. Even if we know that this world is virtual it's realistic enough that you can find yourself shaken after killing something as a part of you still believes that what you killed was a real living being." Of course in Mizuki's case she actually thought that this world as as real as Earth even if it was also virtual (who said real and virtual were mutually exclusive?), but that didn't change her own advice. "Be sure to communicate clearly and without hesitation, even if it may sound silly. This may be a simple job with little risk to ourselves but I'd still prefer focusing on good teamwork and cooperation so everything goes smoothly."

 

A swift nod of her head confirmed that Ilya herself had no objections going North. Finding no need to speak as Mizuki launched into her plan, Ilya's ears perked lightly, swiveling to focus on her voice. Taking everything in and processing it in her head seemed quite a simple feat in itself. Ilya's own mind gears beginning to move as if the speed of light as she thought of Mizuki's own words. "Since neither of us are ranged, and since you do not seem keen on the idea of sneaking up on our prey, perhaps we could set our own bodies up in such a way that we scare the prey towards the other? From your own words you seem good at keeping minimal damage. We can switch back and forth, I myself am quite speedy, and I can tell that you are as well. So it will not take long to reposition ourselves if we have to. I can keep everything at a minimum damage to ensure that we get maximum supplies for the people of Astorea." Ilya's feet finding their way to face northward as she spoke. One stepping in front of the other, causing her to walk forward, northward.

"As for whether or not I have killed things.. I have. Quite a lot, actually. I know that you have? As of your words thus far. To me, this world is parallel with the real world. They are one in the same. Without the real world there would be no virtual. I tend to rely on this world more than the real world, if we are being entirely honest with each other. This world is as real as the one we actually live in." The crimson hue of Ilya's eyes never seeming to blink as her gaze narrowed in on the party statuses. Ueno Mizuki.. Ilya herself having forgotten that Mizuki's first name was in fact, Ueno. "Speaking of.. Do you rather go by Ueno or Mizuki? Or perhaps I could call you Mizu?" Ilya's own question was innocent in itself, never batting an eyelash as she spoke. Rather blunt, if Ilya were to place a single personality to her question that she had just recently spoken out loud.

The sounds of the town were slowly disappearing behind Ilya as she continued to walk Northbound. No hesitance in her step, her own interest beaming and overflowing from her own body.

 

One of Mizuki's ears was turned towards Ilya in case her Felis companion had a reply for Mizuki's words, while the other was turned towards the city around them in case there was a sound worth paying attention to. However both the ears and Mizuki's head turned towards Ilya when the woman spoke up, the Caenis considering her words while scratching the side of her head, turning her head a bit so she could look forward while still keeping Ilya somewhat in her peripheral vision.

"It's not that I have a dislike for sneaking, but it tends to be more successful if you have a ranged weapon... And beyond that there's the fact that we are in something of a hurry. Quality or not there are a lot of mouths to feed, and the stealthy approach can result in it taking a while before we get our hands on any prey. Your idea sounds good though... Let me think about it for a bit longer." She ran the idea through her head one more time as she led the way towards the gate that would allow them to move north. "They might still escape to the sides if we do that, but it might be one of the better options we got. It'd require good teamwork, as we'd have to make sure we're properly cutting off their escape routes from both sides. If we aren't careful and one of us moves faster than the other the prey could escape on the weaker side."

In response to the statement that Mizuki would be good at minimal damage the Caenis nodded, moving her hand back to her side and in the process revealing that even though she had been scratching her head with the iron claws attached to the fingertips of her gloves there wasn't any damage. "I've got the Hunting mastery, which makes it easier to know where to hit to secure a kill without causing too much damage to the prey. Beyond that I've also had a lot of practice, since I've spent a lot of time improving my Body Combat skills and mastery by fighting whatever creatures I could find out there in the wilderness."

As Ilya began to explain her position on how real this world was Mizuki scanned the area ahead of them before looking back at the Felis, somewhat surprised that this redhead would be so open with considering this world as real as Earth. Mizuki herself often decided not to bother with treating Terrasphere as anything but real, but this was the first time someone was so open with it. "A lot of people seem to prefer being in this world, so you're not alone in that. As I tell everyone else, as long as you don't forget about Earth it should be fine." She pointed over her shoulder at her tail with her thumb. "It can get confusing to be lacking a tail on Earth. I have to admit I also often treat this world as real as the other, especially when interacting with the people who live in this world makes it difficult for me to treat them as any less real than the people of Earth." Her tail swished to emphasize her point. "So all things considered I do agree with you. However it might be better to be careful with who you say that to. I phrased it more carefully towards you because there's people who will assume that if you're treating this world as real it must mean that you're losing your hold on reality, and I'd rather not have insanity added to the list of rumours." She sighed, then gave Ilya a small smile. "But it's good that you are already experienced in killing. I was worried I'd have to keep an eye out for your mental health during this but if you've already become accustomed to it we can focus fully on the hunt."

The question regarding what to call her wasn't surprising for Mizuki, since most people didn't follow the Japanese custom of putting the family name before their given name. However the mention of the possible nickname Mizu had her nearly stumble in surprise before she recovered, after which she considered the question honestly before shrugging. "I followed the customs of my mother's side of the family when naming this character, so Ueno is the 'family name' while Mizuki is the given name. Mizuki is what I tell most people to call me, but I suppose I wouldn't mind being called Mizu either..."

Reaching the gates Mizuki stepped past the guards, who seemed to be more focused on anything going in than out anyway. Indicating for Ilya to come a bit closer Mizuki pointed towards the north. "You probably already know this, but this area is largely temperate climate, which in combination with the dense forests means most of our large prey will be deer. Of course there are other creatures available, including creatures which don't exist on Earth, but unless you can find one of those I think it would be best if we prioritize tracking deer. Boars are better avoided. They might give good meat but if not taken down with care they could exhaust and perhaps even wound us, and as long as you're willing to work we'll have to get a large number of prey so we can't afford to waste our time and energy on a single one. Agreed?"

 

Talking while walking was a skill that Ilya had practiced over her numerous of years living in the world. Her own experiences and stories showing how many times she had in fact talked while walked. Some other experiences showing she was just as adept with sitting or standing while talking.

"I am rather keen to agree with your statement of stealth. It is used better for ranged users.. Along with those that have more time than we do." Ilya's tail flicked as if agreeing to the statement she spoke of. "If I am understanding your agreement to my sort of plan, we will go like cheetahs, almost, minus the sneaking that they usually start with? I myself have no skill in Hunting, so I might leave the tracking to you? If that is alright?" Ilya thought for a moment. "Good teamwork is essential. I am glad to say that I think I can work well with you."

The chilly air that seemed to wrap its way around the two females, seemed to match that of the world's opinion on those that viewed this as real. "Aye, I agree with that wholeheartedly. Though, I doubt I could ever forget that I need to have a grip on reality.." Ilya was lightly hinting at her own real life. Her job, her situation.. Yet she was hinting at it in such a way that not even those that have practiced and observed communication for so long that they can notice any subtle difference in word choices or word emotions would be able to know of the hint. "I do find no tail in the other world to be strange.. Along with the fact that if I were to be found using my fists other than my words, it would be rather weird.. So.. This world and the real world are different in their own ways. Yet the same in others." Ilya watched the gates come into view as the two continued to walk.

"Mizu it is then!" With a small chuckle, Ilya focused on the task they had at hand.

With a small, curt nod, Ilya agreed with Mizu. "We should stick to tracking deer. Got it. Easy enough.. I fought many deer and wolves while training my own body combat skills.. Soo.. I know deer well enough." With a glance farther ahead, Ilya's eyes narrowed in on the supposed way they would be walking. "I am ready when you are. Let's do this, and let's do it quickly!"

 

"It might have been viable for us as well if we were both more skilled and experienced with the art of hunting, but as it stands yes I do believe it would be for the best if we don't rely too much on stealth." Mizuki frowned slightly at Ilya's comment, thoughtfully rather than out of annoyance. "Like cheetahs yes. We try to surround them and get close, and then we sprint towards the prey and try to tackle it to the ground so we can finish it off. We're both fast and good with our fists, so that should be the best method for us."

She nodded as Ilya professed that she didn't have much skill with Hunting and that she'd have to rely on Mizuki to take care of that aspect of the hunt. "I'll do my best. We're lucky that in this world creatures seem less intent on hiding in the first place, which still puzzles me. My best bet is that unlike Earth almost every creature in this world has some combat potential, so the prey are less reliant on not being found by the predators." She shrugged. That was the best she could come up with but it still felt a bit off. Was that just an inevitable result from this world being that of a game, with most people not wanting to waste time trying to find things to fight which would then be weak opponents?

"Good teamwork is indeed essential. During the fight on the wall we could never have taken down that monster of a Caenis if we hadn't all worked together to fight her, and even then it was still a close call. There are those who'd try to act as one-man armies, but I prefer to see it as a lone wolf being less effective than a pack."

She nodded again as it looked like she had come to an agreement with Ilya about how to view this world and Earth. It was good to find like-minded people who didn't see this world as nothing more than just some entertainment, who saw it as being as real as Earth and having great importance beyond just a simple get-away from whatever situation had them trapped or bothered on Earth. Actually as she thought about it... a player who didn't take this world seriously must appear to the NPCs of this world like psychopaths appeared to the people on Earth. Which made you think... when psychopaths seemed to just disregard others when convenient, was that because they were insane or because they knew for a fact that the world wasn't 'real'? Mizuki thought and dearly hoped it was the former. She never heard of any psychopath showing up again after dying (at least not as confirmed being real) which made it less likely that Earth was a simulation unless that system always reincarnated you as someone else... The attitude was probably the only thing psychopaths and apathetic players had in common.

"That's true, isn't it? It's really surprising how easy it seems to just rely on violence even though Earth is a world in which most of the dominant culture has heavily discouraged violence in all forms." She looked at the iron pads on her knuckles, which enhanced her striking power while protecting her knuckles from her own punches. It really was strange. "Maybe on some level we still don't take this world as seriously as Earth, so we have an easier time becoming violent... Or do we just become violent the moment we enter a world in which punishment isn't nearly guaranteed?" The former would indicate that they're not so much different from the apathetic players as Mizuki thought and hoped, but the latter would indicate that in the end nearly everyone is actually by nature violent and only actual punishment suppressed that.

It was the first time that someone in Terrasphere gave Mizuki a real nickname, which gave Mizuki a funny feeling which she decided to ignore. It probably wasn't that strange, and it just happened that with her it had taken a while, partially because she was bad at meeting new people outside of a professional environment.

"If you are ready we'll immediately get started. We probably won't have to travel very far, so don't sprint but don't hesitate to put some effort into it either." With that MIzuki sniffed the air, then wandered around a bit while sniffing her surroundings before motioning Ilya to follow. "I found a trail. Let's go." Dropping onto all fours she waited for Ilya to look ready before she began to follow the scent trail, sniffing as she ran and occasionally stopping to get a better picture until they were already in the middle of the forest, with the walls of the city rising up like a barrier above the treetops but already being respectably far away.

 

"Hunting is quite a skill, yet I chose to go down a separate path.. Your build is highly likeable. From rumors, you gain more power and anger the lower your health gets, so I can conclude you took up Berserk. On top of Berserk, you have Hunting and Body Combat. Quite a skill set you have indeed. I am quite impressed." The small thoughtful expression did not go unnoticed by the observant Felis, waiting for Mizu to voice her thoughts out loud. "It should definitely be the best method. I look forward to partnering up with you."

Ilya's ears flickered unconsciously, her body giving away that she did indeed look forward to working with the Caenis. "That is the best conclusion, as I myself also found that prey are in fact less prone to hiding. I am sure you will do beautifully, Mizu." Another reason that had always flashed in her mind was that the animals were less prone to hiding in the presence of those who were of hybrid race. "I might as well voice my other thoughts. I myself feel as thought the animals are less prone to hide when I am out and about by myself. Yet when I am with my human companions they seem to be more wary.. Perhaps they do have combat abilities, but perhaps it is a combination of not only that but also the fact that we are animal and human hybrids?" The ideas that surged through Ilya's mind were voiced to the Caenis. I wonder if I am right.. So many things, that are left unspoken in this world. Leaves quite a feeling of pure wonder.. Imagination and Creativity are definitely of importance in this world..


"That definitely makes sense. I myself would not speak of wolves, yet of lions. Teamwork. I myself feel as though I can rely on you, I will assure you that you can also rely on me as well. I was absent for the fight on the wall. I wish I had been there, perhaps then I could add more adventure under my belt. But lass, I actually joined Terrasphere too late. I had put it off for quite a while, to focus on work rather than games." That was all Ilya had to say of her Earth-self. She was no longer one who spoke of personal things to people she had only just met. That was indeed how mistakes were made with her past self.

Thinking of the proposal that Mizu spoke of, Ilya's thoughts went wild. Violence back in the other world, was definitely not as common as violence in Terrasphere, yet it was still in the world. People used violence to get what they wanted. Whether it be money, sexual gratification, pleasure.. There were those who used it in such a way that brought about orderly violence. Yet there were those who did it just because they loved inflicting pain on others, Psychopaths and Sociopaths. Serial Killers.. Criminals. Back in the real world, violence was shunned, unless one was in the army or police force and had a just reason to inflict violence. Such as, war... Chasing down criminals, or self-defense. In Terrasphere violence seemed to be encouraged.. With masteries that centered themselves around violent paths. Quests that urged you to wipe out a cave of bandits or hunt down deer to feed the family. Everything you did in Terrasphere affected the whole world, yet most of the affects had to do with the result of violence. The world they were in definitely held onto acts of violence on top of everything else. "In a world where violence is more common, and urged upon. With masteries like.. slash, body combat and pierce.. We are encouraged to kill things or hurt others. Quests that tell us to hunt things down or murder tribes. Punishment here is not relied on. Violence is not shunned on as it is in the real world. Yet Terrasphere is just as successful and amazing, if not more amazing that Earth." The world was practically devoid of punishment which brought about a sense of security in becoming violent of nature. Perhaps this world shows everyone that each of us are violent in nature, only held back from becoming a real murderer by the small strands of punishment back in the real world. The thought of jail, or possibly dying holding us back..

"I feel like we could become really good friends.. And I do not say that to just anyone."

Following in pursuit of her newly found companion, Ilya watched as she dropped on all fours, a motion that Ilya had not necessarily tried yet. Crouching low to the ground as to act with a bit of stealth, Ilya followed. Tailing Mizu as they ran through the forest. Stopping to gain attention of their surroundings. Trees flashing by as she relied on Mizu's senses to get them to their goal. Silently moving until they seemingly stopped. Ilya now stiffened lightly as her ears flicked. Picking up the sound of movement and chewing. Her tail stilled as she thought of what they would do next. Flicking it once, she tried to catch the attention of Mizu. Her voice soft and quiet, as to not scare their prey. "I am going to take to the right side. Want to take to the left? Whenever you are in position and ready, just let me know by flicking your tail, then we can close in on them and take them down quickly, not worrying on stealth at that point."

From her own senses, she caught on that there were three deer in the space ahead of them, still hidden by the flora and fauna that stood between the hunters and the prey. Her body quietly and quickly making its way to the right side of where they remain hidden from her. Her whole silent movements being of great help as she got into position, watching Mizu, waiting for her to flick her tail to let her know that she was ready. A single simple thought echoed through her mind, The hunt is on. With the single thought, her eyes narrowed as she began to focus, trying her best not to get too excited.

 

Mizuki nodded as Ilya quickly summed up the Caenis's skillset. All things considered it was actually a pretty straightforward and to the point combination of masteries: there were players with much more interesting masteries, especially the ones who invested heavily into magic. At times Mizuki felt a bit self-conscious that when she had the chance to be something different in a world of fantasy she basically just became a brawler, but the truth was that she liked her combination of masteries, because of that same straightforward and to the point nature that could make it sound boring.

"It's a very straightforward combination of masteries, but it's also quite effective with good compatibility." She flexed one hand. "That said it also has its downsides, so I'm glad you're here to help out."

Her own tail swished from side to side as she gave Ilya a small smile, the Caenis then returning her gaze to forwards so she could see where she was going. "You have a lot of confidence in someone you only met half an hour ago. Not that I dislike it, mind you. And I also feel a lot more confident with your help and presence, so we should be able to do this without much trouble." She hadn't expected Ilya to bring forth a theory for why the beasts would not be hiding as much as they would have on Earth, but she listened attentively. The idea that it was the fact that they were more like the animals than the humans and elves was... not exactly something Mizuki had actively considered. It felt like it wasn't the first time she heard that, so she assumed that it had popped up in the back of her head one day but she'd never dug into it.

"If you've actually seen the wild animals become more wary when there were humans nearby there's no denying that they have some reason to be more suspicious of humans. I would be surprised if they were actually trusting of us, since both cats and dogs are predators so you'd think the herbivores wouldn't be any more at ease... I'd have to study it to be certain, but you do have a point that maybe non-humans aren't as worrying for the animals, since they mostly know the humans for dealing so much damage to their surroundings in order to expand their villages and towns."

Mizuki nodded again. "I do feel safe relying on you to pull your weight. But I think you might have been luckier being too busy to be part of the fight." Mizuki looked over her shoulder at Ilya. "You know how there are many stories of how people lost their image of war after they'd seen how the world wars were waged? The weaponry of this world can't compare with a well placed nuclear bomb, not without risking the complete exhaustion of the casters. It wasn't bad for adventuring since it was a big fight, but I think it wouldn't have been as fun as you might think. I certainly underestimated it myself."

It looked like the Caenis's wondering about the violent nature of this world had managed to strike a nerve with Ilya, as Mizuki could almost hear the gears turn in the woman's head as the two of them walked onwards. It took a bit before the Felis spoke up again, Mizuki in the meantime having been more focused on the path ahead but immediately slowing her step a bit and looking around so she wouldn't be ignoring Ilya. "It is hard to tell whether the beauty of this world is in spite of or because of the lack of protection against violence. At first you'd think that a complete lack of law enforcement would cause endless amounts of trouble, but then it turns out that such freedom allows for the world to become things you'd never see on Earth. Still, regardless of whether it's beautiful or not, the truth is that for some reason this world seems to thrive on violence."

The declaration of expecting a good friendship to blossom between the two of them, deeper than Ilya expected of most people, had Mizuki blinking for a moment as she tried to process those words and think of the best way to respond. "...I think so too. After we've gathered more food for the people in the town maybe we could hang out together some more."

Once the actual hunting began Mizuki was fully focused, barely registering Ilya except as another part of the hunting group as she searched for tracks, footprints or scent to find something by. Even with the animals not being as shy to reveal themselves as on Earth they still seemed to have some kind of sixth sense for sensing danger, because they were remarkably hard to find now that the strong Ilya was there to accompany Mizuki.

When she finally noticed Ilya's attempts at gaining her attention Mizuki turned around, wondering what was happening that demanded her attention. When the Felis explained that she found prey and that she wanted acknowledgement of the plan before using it Mizuki looked surprised, then concentrated on her ears to verify what Ilya had heard. It seemed she had been so much with scent and sight that she'd forgotten hearing. "That sounds like a good plan. Let's go."

Once Ilya left to flank the found prey from one side Mizuki moved towards the other, moving in a wide circle to avoid catching the attention of the prey. The creatures around here had sharp senses, so if she wasn't careful they'd notice her straight away. Fortunately she managed to flank the left side without incident, after which she looked towards the opposite end to see if Ilya was already in place. When she recognized the catlike ears Mizuki took a deep breath, then flicked her tail high so Ilya could see it. She then waited two seconds before rushing in, expecting Ilya to move in first to scare the prey so Mizuki could then help keep it from escaping.

Once she'd waited for just a little bit she charged in, dashed straight towards the target prey to minimize the time it had to try and find a way out and send it in a panic. However if Ilya had moved first she would most likely be the one to strike first...

 

"Downsides.. Like how we are close-combat only. We lose ranged in exchange for high damage outputted close combat." Her tail swished one way and then the other as she offered her own opinion to the slaughter house. Her tail followed opposite of Mizuki's one way then the other. "It gets rather easy to trust someone when they have not done anything against you." Yet.. Despite trusting others rather quickly, and relying on them.. Ilya still held a small pinch of doubt invisible to any eye no matter their skills. She knew to trust her partners yet at the same time stay guarded just in case it turned to be false trust. Always watch your back, even when they are the people you know the most.. Especially with the fact that one never knew who had killed players in the past due to the fact that there was no PVP marker, and friendly fire was off.

It was something that Ilya herself had thought of. Rather than being a kind individual who had the courage of a lion, she could have been a true bitch. She could have gone off on killing sprees, murdering everyone. It was never too late however, at just the flick of a tail, Ilya could easily kill people if she wanted to. Yet Ilya was not planning on it at the moment. Her own reasoning being one that seemed rather simple. She wanted to remain nice.. Trusted, and loved by people. She wanted to gather resources and relationships and use them as her stepping stone into the world of success in Terrasphere.

"True, we are predators. Yet I also remember the fact that everything is slightly more aggressive in this game than in the real world. Perhaps deer are more bold because of it. I feel as if Felis and Caenis invade territories too, yet it seems less intrusive than Humans and Yladians. I was with this girl once, and they seemed to be rather more scared of her than of me. Despite the fact that I am considered a predator. Maybe they are not as used to our kind here as they are others. After all, Caenis are from the mountains if I am not mistaken. Never the less, it matters not what the reason behind it is if we do not investigate it in the future."

"So then the war was difficult?" The curiosity killed the cat was definitely something that could happen to Ilya. Her own quizzical eyes focused in on Mizuki, hanging onto every syllable of each word that would come from her lips. "I bet you that with the skills and mechanics this game has we might be able to reserve energy into objects and use that energy to set off explosions with the right mastery combination. After all, this world is basically a sandbox. You can do anything and it has consequences. Anything you do affects each part of the world around us." The violet colored eyes of the lion seemed to twinkle in the makeshift light that appeared through to where the two animals were talking.

As Ilya had spoken on her own accord to the topic of violence it seemed as if Mizu had more things to say about the topic as she splurged into monologue about it. "You would need a large deal of investigating to understand how it thrives with the current violence level it has. Per say you kill things here more than you kill things on Earth, and Earth seems to be worse off, as I previously said. Violence can also tie in with the whole criminal factor of this world. Thievery and Black mail are eminent with entire factions dedicated to the three aspects."

The like minded Caenis spoke of things that caused a spur to develop inside of Ilya. Her eyes sparkled even more than they had been as her head lifted slightly higher. Her arms began to sway around as a wide plastered grin dotted her rosy cheeks. "I would love to continue to hang out with you after this. I actually seem to enjoy being around you."

The events that took place upon focusing on the task at hand remained that Mizuki seemed to enter into a sort of predatory phase. Focusing on tracking her prey for both her and Ilya's sake. Ilya followed a little ways behind Mizu, weaving in and out of bushes. On occasion taking to the trees to see if she could spot anything.


~~~~

The flick of Mizuki's ears set their plan into motion as Ilya surged out of where she had been hidden. Her mouth opened and bared as her two feline teeth seemed to pop as she made a growling sound, her lion tail flashing behind her. Her ears pinned as she scared the deer. Quite a few seconds after, Ilya's vision caught wind of Mizu as she appeared. Making the deers scared and confused not sure where to go. Ilya had been focused on the one farthest to the right, as she kept them from moving to the East or the South. Her body lunged forward as she pulled her fists closes to her body. Shooting them towards the deer as she leaped into the air. The deer's life was over in a flash as Ilya dealt a deadly blow to the head. The sound of the body falling making a thud onto the ground. Now flipping backwards, Ilya focused on the remaining deer, watching as Mizu had at them.

 

"For example. While we're fast enough that we can close the distance an enemy who can stay out of reach is a serious threat. And then there's the fact that we're mostly physical fighters, and magic users can do a variety of things which would make fighting them a real challenge." Mizuki lowered her eyebrows for a moment as she contemplated it some more, then shook her head. "That said I'm not planning to accept defeat just because someone has magic and I don't. I don't know who created this world, but I doubt they made physical fighters unable to compete with mages."

Mizuki shrugged in response to Ilya's explanation of how it was easy to trust if someone hadn't done her harm yet. "I guess that's true, although I personally only trust people up to a point until I've become more familiar with them." Not that Mizuki had much experience with her trust being betrayed, but while she wasn't misanthropic she didn't think that the world was only filled with genuinely altruistic and kind people. She'd encountered some examples of how people could be less than gentle, although to be fair most of those memories were about little children, who didn't know what they were doing and thus couldn't reasonably be blamed for their behaviour. Nevertheless Mizuki wasn't one to trust people fully if she didn't have reason.

In a completely unrelated note, Mizuki thought it was quite adorable to watch Ilya's tail move from side to side in response to Mizuki's own. She didn't say it out loud, but it was definitely fun to watch.

"That... is actually a very good point." Mizuki conceded with some surprise. Mizuki fell silent for a moment as she considered this. On Earth predators avoided fights as much as they could, since a single scratch could become fatal out in the wilds. But in this world you could get attacked by several different creatures just by walking out in the fields. "I think you're right. Predators are less intimidating because predators and herbivores alike are more used to violence. In which case our status as predator is of less importance in how the animals react to us, and humans are more likely to be seen as threatening with how much damage they can do to their surroundings."

Mizuki nodded, thinking back at the war. "It was short but very brutal. King Theo of Falderen had no intentions of holding back or giving us a chance to fight back, so he used everything he had to overrun us as quickly as possible. The actual fight lasted less than a day but in that time Vintergard's walls were nearly gone. On the South Wall there was some strange angelic abomination which the king got from who knows where and which caused immense damage before it was stopped, and on the East Wall there were the Lunatic Mercenaries together with their leader, Snefrid." Mizuki bared her fangs for a moment, but then grimaced and held a hand against the side of her head. "She was monstrously tough... I can't even remember most of the fight because the moment I was consumed by rage, but I can still remember that it was almost impossible to believe how little she was affected by our attacks." Her grimace deepened before she shook her head, her expression becoming more relaxed even though for a moment her golden eye reddened before returning to normal. "It was certainly a difficult fight, and many people died. I nearly died as well, although I was lucky enough to hang on by a thread."

She stared in the distance for a moment, the memories of that intense war keeping her distracted for several seconds before she gave an abrupt start. "Ehm... Yeah, it's probably possible to create bombs like that. I'm not very knowledgeable about magic but there's a lot you can do if you can figure out how. Although considering the state Earth is in I'm not sure I'd want to introduce weapons on par with nukes."

"It'd be an interesting thing to study, although it would be somewhat complicated by the fact you can't bring information in or out of this world except through memorization." One could of course just try their best to remember everything, but there was a reason efficiency shot up the moment people could write down or otherwise document data.

"The feeling is mutual. I don't blame the people in Vintergard for being wary after what happened during the invasion but I'm happy you don't share their hesitance." Mizuki smiled a bit more widely, showing genuine appreciation.