Open - Heartbeat, Heartbreak

Da-da-da, dun-dun. Da-da-da, dun-dun.

There were plenty of rumors about Terrasphere. Even once you tossed out the most ridiculous - the comas, the conspiracies, the deaths, you were still left with a lot of things that had too much truth, too much evidence, to simply ignore. Things like consequences, like the scars left by a death.

Da-da-da, dun-dun. Da-da-da, dun-dun.

Ash had died in the battle against Titanius. It had been... a strange, confusing experience, but... At first, everything seemed fine. He was ready to toss out the whole idea of "death afflictions" entirely, just another rumor milled out by the internet. He logged out, went to bed, went to work, went on with life as normal. Maybe Aisling had some nightmares of being lost and alone in the damn, acidic darkness. Maybe she jumped at things that looked like eyes, or the faint whiff of seasalt.

Logging in, however... that was when it began. The sound of his heartbeat, soft but insistent, beating to a discordant rhythm. Like the darkness within Titanius, where there was no sound but battle and the beat of the monster's unseen heart.

Da-da-da, dun-dun. Da-da-da, dun-dun.

In through the nose, out through the mouth. Ash knew anxiety, knew the ways to slow a heart out of control. Tricks learned over years, strategies that helped him survive in a world with a brain that expected lions, but instead got middle-managers. A heart could be slowed, a panic attack could be stopped.

Da-da-da, dun-dun. Da-da-da, dun-dun.

He'd made it to Vintergard. It was an interesting city, though obviously one that had seen a lot of war. Ruined, tattered, and inhabited by probably as many ghosts as people. He tried to avoid them - most of his experience was with the lesser spirits of Brisshal, mostly dead animals and lost children. The spirits of the dead... well, he tried not to make eye contact, at least for the ones lucky enough to still have eyes. The last thing he needed was a fight in the streets against something he couldn't see.

Da-da-da, dun-dun. Da-da-da, dun-dun...

Right now, what Ash really needed was for his damn heart to respond to his constructive coping mechanisms, damnit.

 

Leona eyed the tattered situation of Vintergard and even though her eyes seemed focused on assessing the situation of the player nation, her thoughts were so far away. Sure they were going through some difficulties, especially considering that so many western Astoreans had to migrate to the capital and some of nobility’s domains, but honestly… None of them had to go through the hellish trial of defeating the otherworldly abomination that threatened this world. Munch after munch, she pondered while eating a jerky. Was her sacrifice worth it? For some reason, after dying in the Titanius fight, anything but meat made her feel nauseous. Questions, oh so many questions…

“Hmuhmuhmu. This is good… It has a light and sweet taste. I’ll get some more on that store later…” She commented to herself, a rather weird way to remember the store.

She heard things were realistic in this game before. Her few friends she had in reality warned her against playing Terrasphere, and even though she died, she was still here. What was it that made her keep going? She experienced death. Yet, not even death was enough to stop her from setting up the Virtual Reality gear to play it again, again and again. Leona sighed in annoyance, shoving these thoughts to the back of her mind. No use pondering about it no--

CLANG​

-------
If @Ash Vargold looked briefly to his side, he’d be able to see a girl eating something while making her way god knows where. More importantly, however, a small ghost followed her, which could probably raise a bit of suspicion. Given her laid back look, however, it seemed that she had no idea that the area was brimming with ghosts all around thanks to the previous two wars and whatnot. Thanks to her inability to see the ethereal creatures, the ghost managed to sneak past her and quietly break the chain of a iron sign for an abandoned store nearby. Once broken, it hung just low enough to…

CLANG

A prank — a harmless one, but still a prank.​

No thanks to her lack of focus and her inability to follow directions, Leona ended up hitting her forehead with full force on the metal sign. “Ughuuuu!” she crouched, hands on her forehead to try and minimize the pain one way or another. Her forehead, a bright red. Well, at least the loud clanging of metal managed to break the beats of a heartbreak, right?

 

Da-da-da, du- CLANG

Ash jumped, ears flattening and heart rate climbing from it's dissonant cadence to a fast, but more normal one. He turned, to see a pink-haired woman bent over, and above her a painfully young ghost laughing at her predicament. It didn't take much to put two and two together.

"Oi, you," he said, nevermind the fact it was to what most would see as empty air. The ghost froze as Ash made eye contact with it. There was no way he could pretend that he couldn't see it, and that would open him up to further issues down the line, but... "That's rude, you know. It'll mess with your karma."

The ghost stared at him for a long minute. Then it stuck its tongue out at him before following it up with a rude hand gesture..

Ash rolled his eyes. Dead or alive, kids were going to be kids, he supposed.

With the dead at least temporarily dealt with, there was the living to worry about. Ash squatted down next to @Leona. No smell of blood, but he was already digging in a pocket for the last of his crumpled paper charms, just in case there was more than a bruise. "Hey, you alright? That sounded pretty nasty."

 

“Owowow... “ the pinkette rubbed her forehead in pain, ignoring words spoken by someone else nearby. The pain wasn’t exactly the problem, but the adrenaline that flowed on her blood because of it. Berserk was a powerful mastery that was useful in combat. It allowed her to ignore the pain and rage at her enemies before crushing them under her might, but Leona was still a long ways off of properly controlling it. Something that happened so suddenly was bound to trigger an unwanted response.

“Breathe... Deep, breathe.” the pinkette muttered under her breath as she attempted to control the rage burning inside her. For a moment, her sclera went black, though they quickly returned to normal. After one last deep breath she finally managed to calm herself down. She eventually noticed that someone was near her — a man with green hair and somewhat fluffy ears perked atop his head. She had a sudden urge to pet (or at least ask to pet) them, but she imagined that would be a very rude request. “Ah, yes, thank you. I will be fine.” she replied with an impassive and softspoken tone.

“I never imagined being two inches taller here would make such a big differen--” Her eyes widened and a gasp escaped her mouth as she noticed that her succulent and beautiful jerky had fallen in a mud puddle. “T-this is no good…! Mister!” Leona reached closer to him, ignoring the man’s personal space and resting her hands on his shoulders, with a serious expression that lost any sort of credibility because of the red bruise on her forehead. “Now I will have to find the jerky shop again…!” and audible growl could be heard coming from the pinkette.

Nevermind the bruise on her head, now she had a pair of cheeks red from embarrassment as she pressed her arms on her belly. Include her round face and the red on her forehead in the mix… If Leo happened to have green hair just like the man before her, it wouldn’t be wrong to picture a tomato. “I’ve be looking for the adventurer's hall in the Guild here in Vintergard for a while to turn in a quest, but I got lost so many times. Finding it was already tough, but now this…” she sighed in frustration.

“Sorry, here I am rambling on to someone I just met! Thanks for worrying, mister! I’m fine, so I’ll be on my way now.” Despite the pain and the lamentable loss of her delicious jerky, she pressed on with a light smile on her face while looking for the adventurer's hall.

Except that, if @Ash Vargold knew where the guild was located, Leona was clearly walking towards the opposite direction.​

 

Aalam was walking with a bundle of roses in his hand; he had been able to grow these in a small bit of land the duke had given him. Times had been heavy the past few days with that creature attacking and the players needing to come together to take it down. He was pretty much through at least half of his supply from that one day, and that wasn’t counting everything that he drunk after. However, he needed to get out of the duchy a moment of peace and just a bit of light. The world was dark enough, and he could not afford to lose a source of light. He felt bad that every time he went to see her, there was that weight on his chest, it was like he was using her for an escape.

However it was more than that, it was also the way that she laughed and was able to smile after everything that she had been through in this game. He had found purpose in the game that he lacked back home she brought joy, and that was something he would fight to keep. However that was thought for another day when he was back in the duchy, it was now time to met her for a date, after all, he was able to get her to say yes to a second one. He might not have been the smoothest operator, but hey it worked. He had decided to wear a more casual outfit this time. However, the suit might have been a little much for a first date after all. Ans the flower he had been growing himself after he got that piece of land from the duke. There wasn’t much that he ever really needed but at times flower couldn’t hurt, and well it was a nice little gift to give her.A little something from the garden last time she told him that Lucia didn’t settle down up in the north something like a flower would be sweet to brighten up a caravan. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he wasn’t paying attention to where he was walking and walked straight into a young woman full force. He was surprised that she didn’t bounce back he was a good few inches taller than her after all. She was softer in some areas that Savannah might be however that was a thought that he was going to take to the grave and beyond.

Looking down at the person he had walked into he had seen newbies before but never ones that were walking away from the hall. Placing his flowers into his inventory as took in the girl, turning on investigation mode. She wasn’t wearing the right clothing for a mission; there was little to no amour. However, from the way the other one was looking at her they were on a date, and it seemed he had interrupted a conversation between the couple. So his face softens a bit, and a light smile found its way there, he sometimes had to kill before @Savannah Reed reached. “So where are two suppose to be heading ?”

@Leona

 

@Leona might not have looked the part of a tomato, but Ash certain did for a moment - after all, he hadn't expected to suddenly be grabbed. Even if she was... talking about finding a jerky shop...

She's kind of cu-wait, no. Stop that. The moment of confusion lasted until she'd let go. Hopefully she hadn't noticed the blushing, which certainly didn't mean anything at all shut up...

Deep breaths. Ash ran a hand through his hair, stood up, and watched as the pink-haired girl walked directly into @Aalam Abungu. The little prankster ghost hadn't been involved in that, but it was certainly snickering up a storm above them. How bad is this woman's awareness, anyway?

...and for that matter, how bad would her luck be, considering the entertainment-starved spirit that had clearly decided to tag along for the ride? Surely, it wasn't his business, but-

Da-da-da, du-

Screw it. No one else was going to keep an eye on that brat.

The other man - he looked like an adventurer, considering all of his gear - was asking a question. What the sudden softness in his face meant, Ash didn't know. "We're... uh, heading to the Adventurer's hall. Do you think you could point us in the right direction...?"

 

It would soon come to pass that Savannah was en route from the Adventurer’s guild, a miss clutched between her hands, her silver eyes quickly reading the scrawled message. Deep lines ran horizontally across her forehead, her right cheek sucked inwards, her grip tight on the parchment. Similar to others of Vinterguard, she was dressed in common clothing, her shoes a preferential soft leather to the graves and boots she wore in battle. There was still a chill to the air, so her signature black-bear cloak was draped across her shoulders.

The Death Knight couldn’t help but sigh. Sure, she had missed the battle with the great abomination creature, but the damage it had done to the land and the surrounding area was paramount. Savannah knew and understood that the adventurers who answered the call to take down Titanius had done the very best they could, but she couldn’t help but wonder if there couldn’t have been more done, if more people couldn’t be saved.

It was a comment she would never answer aloud.

Looking up from the piece of parchment, she pocketed it with a small shake of her head. She would have to get permission from Lady Lucia before she committed to anything...

Blinking, she was surprised to see a familiar face standing next to…two unfamiliar people. Hm, new friends maybe? Causally, the Knight made her way over to them, a friendly smile stretching her blue features, her ears picking up on the question that the male was asking Aalam.

I just came from the Adventurer’s Guild, she told them, interrupting whatever else they might be talking about. Realizing that, she blushed and cleared her throat. I’m Savannah, nice to meet you both. Hello again Aalam. Nice to see you again as well. Is everyone heading to the Guild for news about that…thing that died? Supposedly a lot of little towns and villages have been really hit hard.
​

@Aalam Abungu @Leona @Ash Vargold

 

Step by step, Leona walked further and further away from the fluffy-ears boy. She wondered why his face was so red, though. Sure she had closed the distance between then out of nowhere, but that was important! Jerky was meat. MEAT! Nutritious, salty yet sweet and each munch... — but then she suddenly shut the thoughts about jerky in her mind. Imagining and describing everything about it was fine and all, but that just made her recall how she accidentally tossed one in the mud a few moments ago. Bummer. Leona let out a defeated sigh… Only to liven up a moment later. Optimism, ho!

“Teehe, silly me. That was just one jerky. Worrying about that when I’ll soon cash in a lot of gold from a big quest --” Perhaps it was karma, but the pinkette bumped into someone before she could finish her sentence. Considering their difference in height, she gaze up just enough she could look at his face with a curious expression of her own. “Good grief, I keep bumping into things. First an iron thing, now someone else. Sorry for my... Huh…?” Leona proceeded to apologize in her always low and soft spoken words, but what she saw instead was someone gesturing to enter investigation mode out of the blue.

In response, the pinkette stepped back a couple of times before eyeing the man from head to shoes while rubbing her chin. That was quite the introduction, she guessed. He had flowers on his hand, which disappeared on the air out of nowhere — she had no doubt he was a player, just like herself. “You two?” She retorted @Aalam Abungu 's question, only to notice @Ash Vargold catching up. “Ah, I didn’t know you were going to the Adventurer’s, red-green mister.” She said in response to the Caenis man. Just as Leona was about to introduce herself, @Savannah Reed interrupted them as she heard their talk about the Adventurer’s Hall.

“Savannah Reed? That’s a great name, miss. I am Leona.” Her failed attempt at a serious face (thanks to the large red bruise on her forehead) aside, she offered a handshake to both of them, who seemed to know each other. After everyone introduced themselves, Leona spoke up once more. “If it’s not a problem for you two, could you show us the way?”

If they both agreed to her request and Ash tagged along, the small group would eventually arrive at the adventurer’s hall. Arms up in the air and the shine of a thousand stars on her eyes, Leona was the first to rush in and join a depressingly long line to turn in her quest item. If anyone were to try and ask her what it was, she’d reveal a Titanius’ eye inside a leather bag. While the eldritch abomination did claim several lives, it's still living and intact parts were still worth quite a bit of gold through quests provided by the Brotherhood. Talk about a weird, magical fetish.

"More gold, more gold, more jerky, jerky shop..." Leona chanted to herself, whilw wiggling in place from sheer excitement.

Other than the several tables and chairs for some sort of comfort, a few adventurers, with their faces hidden by hooded cloaks, entered the spacious establishment. Behind them, several adventurers carefully pulled a large cage covered by leather inside. Focused on the reward awaiting her, Leona ignored it completely. Suddenly, a loud clanging of metal could be heard coming from the cage. Whatever was inside it was trying to escape. Despite that, however, it seemed the people responsible for the cage seemed unconcerned.

 

"The thing that died... ah. Titanius." It was a name said with a tinge of resentment, or of resignation. The memory of the fight was enough to make Ash's heart pound - though it was a normal, anxious thumping, rather than whatever had tormented him before. "I... wouldn't be surprised. It had a long reach, and not just with the tentacles."

Breathe in, breathe out. Here and now, he was safe, and the salty taste in his mouth was just salt, not acid. He was safe. Well, relatively. "But anyway. I would also appreciate the guidance, if you're willing..."

Even without them, Ash followed Leona to the hall. The prankster poltergeist had broken away once it realized that he wasn't going to stop keeping an eye on it, but... for some reason, the thought of breaking away from the group would get his heart going, da-da-da, dun-dun, and he'd find an excuse to keep going. He'd settled on "looking to buy a map of the area", which he kind of wanted anyway. After all, he didn't know how to get back to the newbie areas...

"That is a lot of people," he said flatly, as Leona went to turn in the Titanian eyeball. Ash normally wasn't bothered by that kind of thing, but knowing what it had been attached to... ick. He'd just... be over there, looking

A sudden cry of alarm rang out in the air. Ash turned to see the all-too-familiar colors and undulations of one of Titanius' spawn. He froze only a moment before the instinct forged in the span of one hellish boss fight kicked in. He burned one of his last paper charms, muttered a prayer, and charged through the crowd, spectral magic letting him push further and faster. One hand on his sword hilt, the other hand on his temple as he scanned the creature. Even a shifting mass must have a weak point...!

His attention was drawn to the familiar sack, the one containing one glaring eyeball, and he lunged, sword swinging in an attempt to cut the sack open.

@Leona @Aalam Abungu @Ezra

 

Freezing a little after he heard savannah’s voice well he wasn’t expecting to meet her here and the roses he still had the roses in his hand. This was going to require a bit of finesse unequipping them and placing them back into his inventory this would last a bit longer in there, and more importantly, she wouldn’t notice beforehand. When did she learn to walk that soft? Of all the times that he had decided not to drink for the little boost to courage, this was a wrong time. Well, at least it didn’t seem like she notices the flowers. However, when he turned to look at her, she was surprised she seems to be weighted down. That was strange well at least for the woman he knew Savannah was a bit of light in a dark spot and to see something affect her like that was different. He would have to wonder about that another day has the conversation changed to a different topic a topic where he died. That being the case it was a topic that was not kenned on discussing again especially when dawn had come. However one still had to be polite. “Yes I was heading in that general direct looking for a job mostly, work has been a bit slow after we creature was killed.” Shaking his head to clear his mind of that death, a player died every day, and the job had gotten done there were other things that needed to be done after all. Giving Savannah a light pat on the back, to show a bit of support. “Yes she’s right I haven’t been there much over the past few months because of jobs on the outreaches and well with recent activity.”

However turning his attention back to the other giving a little nod as he responded. “Ohh and the name is Aalam second best ranger and possibly the third best archer in the kingdom, also a friend of Savannah over there. As for showing you the way it wouldn’t be a problem. That’s what games have more experienced players right to help those that are not.” Well, it seemed that this was going to be more of the quiet days at least that how it started and by this point, he should have known better. It seemed someone had done something stupid like trying to capture a spawn of titanius and not keeping it a solid steel box with no air holes. So he let out a whistle a nice loud one letting to echo over the noise of the crowd until he heard the boom that followed. Stretching out his arm and letting Zeus land on his hand point towards the thing and speaking one word. “Follow.” Before the bird took off he would give them sight in the sky he would not lose something like this in the crown, but with the number of people he didn’t have a clear shot, and that was a problem needing to be corrected. So he got higher up on the edge of one of the building Ash was making his way through the crowd he would be on range support.

@Ezra @Ash Vargold @Leona