[Private with @Brant Dugal] Portia had never seen a corpse in real life. Well, movies were a thing, of course, but the actual experience was something she couldn't take off her mind. Feeling someone else's warmth fading while she held onto them, unable to stop whatever was taking them away... It was one of the many things she cursed Terrasphere for, and one of the reasons why she had chosen to devote the entirety of her being to the restoration of what'd been lost during the battle. ''It will be okay. Titanius has been vanquished and the threat to our land has been ended at last,'' she whispered to the homeless villagers who attempted to hold a conversation with her as she walked by Astorea's city streets, the concern in her face growing ever stronger each time she logged in just to see the consequences of the battle they had won. Sometimes, the mercenary would hold hands with the children who were most afraid of all the warriors' presence, and sometimes she would aid the others on their efforts to attend the needs of those who had lost their homes. But it became too much for anyone to handle. Astorea had lost its usual cheer, and there was not a single soul in the kingdom that could be blamed for it. Titanius destroyed the land and sought to take even more from them, ever unsatisfied with what it found on their lands. The streets had become dangerous after the waves of refugees crawling in became more and more prominent than before, forcing the so-called ''saviors'' to split their unexistent resources and offer solace to whoever appeared at their gates. And so she would argue against the higher-ups every now and then, cursing the others for their lack of understanding. Splitting their already thin resources would only lead to the populace's discontent, to the nobles causing an uproar and soon, if all happened according to her own words, the streets in which a seemingly endless amount of citizens could be found in would be stained with nothing but their blood should push came to shove. Quite some time had passed since the battle ended, the players who died during the battle returned from the Temple and the NPCs that perished alongside the adventurers were still being mourned. Yet the nation had to heal. Ever so slowly, one step at a time, she began to assess a plan in which her strategy could be carried out efficiently. A speech, a public speech would do. NPCs were inclined to trust the players' words if they appeared reliable enough and true to their purpose, and how many of those were left in Astorea? They weren't a lot if she had to count. Thus, posting some pamphlets around the kingdom's message boards, she sent out a request to summon all those available to aid in the preparations for the speech and sat on the main plaza as she waited for anyone to take upon the messages, looking completely like an average citizen rather than the brawler she usually was.
When Brant had first materialized in Terrasphere he was simply amazed. The bright atmosphere, the lifelike characters, it honestly surprised him with just how...real it all was. He was so stunned in fact that he simply began walking through this newfound world, not caring where he went. It simply didn't make sense how something like this could just fall under the radar. Where were the leaks of information, the videos, the copious amounts of copies? He knew that the government had outlawed the game after a while too. It simply didn't add up. He knew from experience that when something is meant to be kept secret all it takes is one person to tell their buddies at home, then those buddies tell their friends, and so on. Who was even making the copies of this game in the first place? However, despite these questions, he knew he was getting ahead of himself and that if they continued he could end up in a situation he doesn't want. For now, he had decided to simply see what the game had to offer him and whether or not he would chuck that flash drive out the window tomorrow. "Owie..." Brant looked down and saw that he had bumped into a small child. He learned down to give them a hand... "Oh sorry about that buddy. Here take my-" ...but they didn't even so much as give him a glance of recognition. Their eyes were dead as they aimlessly walked away. He wasn't entirely conscious of his surroundings since he was too busy trying to piece together what he thought were inconsistencies, but now he actually looked around him. The people were less than happy to say the very least. Despite this atmosphere he kept a neutral expression on his face. "Hmmm...Hopefully I don't get mugged. I don't have anything on me as is." It was sadly true. Since he had just started the game not too long ago he had only the basic clothes, a staff, and a few basic spells to keep him company. He should definitely do some quests before he goes on another expedition like he just did. Just as he was about to turn around a piece of paper smacked him in the face. He yanked it off and began reading it's contents. Apparently someone was asking for assistance in preparing for...a speech? He was skeptical about the whole idea. these people are gonna need more than a few encouraging words. He was just about to let go of the paper and let it be someone else's problem. 'Man just how selfish can you be? You haven't changed a bit.' His arm froze in place and he remembered why exactly he was so desperate to play this game in the first place. He growled at the fact that his mind, for once, was right. He would be the same guy from before if he turned his back now. Brant made his way to what he assumed was the main plaza before looking around. Nobody stood out to him from the crowd of people walking around though. In his search he didn't notice the sets human of eyes staring at him or, to be more precise, his ears.
When she chose to wear the same anyone did when enjoying a civilian's day off, she did so with half a mind to blend into the crowd of homeless NPCs flooding Astorea's streets, only knowing how impossible of a deed it would be after she was faced by a few of them who instantly separated her as one of the players who escaped the ordeal with Titanius. The wounds that had only started healing recently on her skin said as much, and the way in which she didn't seem as unclean as the rest of them were already gave away her true identity with enough ease. It didn't matter. Somehow it felt like having others know what she was ahead of time put her in a privileged position for what she was about to do. Portia's thoughts continued drifting from one to the other as her eyes scanned the plaza in search of someone who might've taken upon her request, fully expecting no one to show up. Any stranger that caught her attention was either an NPC or a player busying themselves with one of the many tasks to aid in the restoration of the kingdom that they eventually came to call home. One in particular, however, stood out and not because of his height, but because of the confusion visible on his features, even from afar. The woman pulled herself from her seat and walked up to this person, giving him a little tap on his shoulders to try and catch his attention. ''You look... Awfully lost.'' She glanced up at the unfamiliar male from beneath her dark lashes, cocking her head to a side as she positioned herself next to him. Her brows furrowed at the unmistakable look of beginner's armor he was wearing, a constant reminder of how eventful her first few days of the game had been. She folded her arms over her chest and stepped away, mere formality keeping her at an arm's length from the other player as she further inspected him, curiosity clearly taking the reigns in this case. ''Is there anything I can help you with?'' After all that had happened and with the player kingdom in a state full of chaos, people would always choose to take advantage of others. While this would be the case for her under other circumstances, there was a time and a place for dragging others down, and this wasn't it. The people needed as much help as they could afford, and with more helping hands, everyone could go back to playing their respective roles soon enough. ''We've been getting so many new players as of late, but I don't recall seeing you when we fought that thing. Perhaps you spawned after the monster's life was ended..?'' Portia put a purposeful halt to her words, inviting him to tell her of what had brought him to the game
Just as he was about to look elsewhere he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw the darkly colored girl beside him. Saying he was lost was an understatement, he didn't even know how he got here, much less how to get back. Curse his absentmindedness. 'You're an idiot' 'Shut up!' Seeing this girl study him was a tad bit unnerving but he knew it would happen at some point being a new face and all. The way she spoke told him all he needed to know. This was the person he was looking for. At the mention of a monster his interest peaked. The way she spoke of it made it seem like this "monster" was a big deal around here. Was this perhaps and awkward time to be joining up with everyone? He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and replied. "Yea. I'm new here, just joined today after getting a weird flash drive in the mail." Or was it yesterday at this point? He had a hard time telling time without a clock to keep him company. "I came here because I found this. Or to be more precise it found me." He held up the paper detailing where he had to go and why. Unbeknownst to him, he was excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet. His face didn't show it, but he was excited to try any help someone out. "You need help setting up and I just so happened to be nearby. Whadda ya say?" He didn't know what it was like to work for someone else, so this would be an interesting change for him. He just hopes that he doesn't do anything to mess it all up in the process. His conscience already has enough emotional ammo to use on him as is.
''A flash in the mail...?'' She felt her eyes widen in surprise by themselves, that golden gaze of hers glinting with the same emotion and the sense of curiosity that made her inspect the player moments earlier. Never before had anyone been so willing as to inform her of the method in which they discovered Terrasphere, she just assumed it all happened in the same it had for her: a very suspicious looking email that would glitch out upon opening. While some players would surely go out of their way to provide a general explanation, the mail thing was a whole new situation. ''That is... unfortunate, and you say you don't know who sent it?'' It wasn't every day that you met someone as willing to help out as the Yladian standing in front of her, holding a pamphlet on his hand as he showed it to her. With a gentle hand, she took the paper out of his hand and scanned it briefly, recognizing some of her own handwriting on it as to ensure he didn't get the wrong person or idea, and then she returned it to the owner, a faint smile to be discerned on the paleness of her face. ''You are the first one to arrive and it doesn't surprise me that you are, but the fact that you are a new player is quite troublesome...'' Raising a hand up, her index finger immediately went to her semi-parted lips, giving them a series of slow taps as the woman consumed herself in thought. Of course, she hadn't meant what she said in a bad way, even when she couldn't realize her sentence could be taken in a bad way until she finished pronouncing them. ''All help is appreciated, but I believe you would benefit more from what we are about to do if you knew why exactly it is that we are doing it.'' Anyone who came into Terrasphere could be divided into two groups: those who did some previous research on the forums about this illegal game, and those who came in blind because they got their hands on it some way or another. Judging by everything he had just told her, she assumed he was part of the latter. ''My name is Portia Ahrens, wanna join me on a little walk around town? We can pick what we need on our way.''
Brant winced a little at the mention of not knowing who sent it. Admittedly Brant didn't care about what exactly was in the flashdrive when he first got it. Even less about where it came from. He was so depressed and out of it at the time that he simply went into autopilot. Now that he looks back on it all now he feels stupid for not bothering to question it until he got in. It was a little bit disheartening hearing that him being new was troublesome. Was this what it felt like to feel inadequate? It sure wasn't fun. 'I wonder who else felt this way before. Deeeeefinately not someone we screwed over right?' He cringed at how on the mark the voice in his head was. It was official, he was going to work like no tomorrow after all of this was over and done with. That and get his mind checked out later. He wasn't sure if a guilty conscience was supposed to speak as fluently as another person. That and he was just getting really annoyed. He perked up when she said that all help was appreciated though. That's all he could really want at this point, even if it was for a stupid reason. Plus finding out about what exactly happened here would be beneficial. Information was valuable in the real world, so there is no reason for that same rule to not apply here as well. While interacting with others he had learned that there were 4 distinct groups of people who usually made up a society: The sheep who made up the populace, the rats who absorbed and later sold information, the birds who kept order, and the lions who ran it all. He guessed it was time he became the rat to her lion for now. It was...a strangely refreshing idea. No need to worry about everyone trying to stab you in the back. "I'd be happy to join you. The name's Brant by the way. Brant Dugal. Magic enthusiast and...s-sorry just ignore me." With the introductions out of the way he stood to attention and ready to follow her and do as she asked at a moments notice. He just hoped that whatever he was about to help with would be worth it in the end.
''Martial artist extraordinaire and your guide for today, I'm afraid,'' she said and reached out a hand to take his arm around hers, stopping mid-way before she engaged in full physical contact, her fingers working as an ever-present reminder of the Mastery she'd recently discovered and how it began affecting her body in ways she didn't exactly appreciate. If she wasn't careful with how she presented herself to others, with or without her usual spark to aid her in said cases, she might end up freezing the poor player. He didn't deserve such a fate on his first day. Portia turned around and with a wave of her hand told the Yladian player to start following her, the light footsteps of the female taking her from the Plaza and into one of the less crowded streets Astorea could ever afford to have. Despite how the number of aimless wanderers had decreased, there were still many refugees making their way in and out of the many buildings plaguing the streets. It made it easier for her to point out the significant places he might want to check out during his personal adventures. Simple, notable shops one would never forget, like a tavern or an inn. ''When it appeared, we thought it was a plague of some sort,'' she began, releasing a heavy sigh as she steadied herself against the memories she called back to her mind, ''and we were wrong. What sort of plague would turn entire villages to dust? Make people disappear without leaving bodies behind?'' She paused and so did her steps, unable to continue as she stumbled into a nameless refugee to whom she offered an apology to. ''Many parties were sent to the Canyon located at the west of the capital, I was there. I saw it myself how it... sucked the life out of this world, devoured it and everything standing on its path turned to ash.'' ''Guess you could say I lived to fight another day because that was exactly what happened. I was one of the many, many people who faced him.'' The woman made her crystallized gauntlets appear on each of her arms, the claws already out and ready to play, something that they would have to wait on since there wasn't an objective on sight. A tiny display of what one of her masteries worked as, if it helped to make the example any clearer. ''I lost two of my friends that day and haven't received word from either of them yet.''
Seeing the woman in front of him reach out before pulling away caused a raised eyebrow before Brant shrugged it off. Perhaps her mind simply left her for a moment. At the wave of the small human's hand Brant began to follow her. If it wasn't for the fact that the place looked more like a refugee camp than a town, he'd want to explore rather than be guided. He committed to memory some of the shops she pointed out as they made their journey through the street though. Brant would be sure to check out those areas in particular later on. However, hearing her early description of what happened set him on edge. Entire villages and people gone? That was absurd. Nearly missing the fact that his guide had stopped he barely managed to catch himself. When he regained his posture, he focused his attention on her when she continued to speak. It was obvious from the way she spoke that this...thing was on a completely different level from what he could image at present time. What made things worse was that he realized that since this world was a still game it would try it's hardest to one up anything previously shown. Seeing the gauntlets appear on her arms startled him for a moment but he regained his bearings quickly. Magic, right. He nearly forgot about that. Hearing her mention that her friends have gone MIA upset him just a tad, even if he didn't show it. He didn't know what it was like to have someone you know suddenly disappear of the face of the earth, but he had a vague idea of what it could possibly be like. "Well, no sense in losing hope right? I'm sure they are around somewhere." He did his best to lighten the mood with a bit of optimism. Even if he himself didn't understand why he was doing it in the first place. Just seemed right.
''I am sure of that as well, but patience isn't one of my virtues.'' The woman rustled around her satchel and came back with an envelope in hand, a torn journal page revealed to be its sole content as her fingers pulled it out of its home to offer it to the new player. Inside, he would find the writings of the female regarding her scarce knowledge on the subject the days prior to the battle, the letters malformed with how the rush barely allowed her a brief moment to rest and write. Never did she think anyone would read her words, but here she was, offering them to someone she knew nothing about. ''We barely made it. Naryu Canyon isn't a home to anyone right now, and we aren't sure if it'll be in the future. Players are disappearing, NPCs are suddenly gone and the earth is turning to dust... Three entire villages turned into ghost towns overnight, and no one said anything about it before? However good the nobles' intentions might be, all the talk so far has done nothing but to raise the hopes of the populace, a hope which they'll be stripped off unless we dare to do something soon. I was invited to a meeting in a duke's manor and... Holy hell, people are getting locked in. This is bad, I gotta warn him.'' As the man read, she left him with her thoughts in his hand and went to a nearby flower shop holding a list in her remaining hand, the one she hadn't used when offering the page to her companion. She smiled for the first time in a while, and though it wasn't sufficient to reach her eyes and lighten her general aura, it did the trick. Portia came out of the store with a single bouquet of flowers nestled in her hands, the shade of colors held in between her hands remaining in subtle variants of blue and purple. A strange sight, as anyone who knew her from before the World Boss fight would've reckoned, yet she hadn't the mind nor the cheer to prove even a brawler could be a lover of the finer details. Carefully planning in advance what she was going to do have that kind of effect on someone. It made them act and appear as someone they would never have. ''This will do. Are you ready for the phase two of the preparations? If you have any questions about what happened, now is the time to ask.''
