staring at death I take a breath

​

Her eyes opened, the world around her coming into focus.

Before her, there was a wide plain, green grass swaying in a soft breeze. Her eyes, green as well, found themselves looking at everything they could see. Her breath escapes, even as she takes in a new one, the air around her feeling pure. It was different from the air in the city, and the relatively quietness of the place was rather odd considering she had been hearing a train before even logging in. Her fingers caught a strand of blonde, and she brought it to her sight. Of course, she should have expected the shade, but yet she still felt vaguely startled, having expected her own mass of reddish auburn.

It was then that she smiled, the reality sinking in.

She was no longer Lily Briar. She was now Wild Rose, a brand new adventurer in this immersive game. With that in mind, she felt excitement suffuse her veins. What was she to do first? What could she do in this world? Her mind teemed with possibilities, and the girl found herself simply willing to go. To move forward, and leave everything else behind, to start anew and go. She would have to find her best friend of course, but for now? She was left to her own devices and that was fine. Another breath was taken in, even as she rose her hands, and furrowed her brow for a moment. She could use magic right? Well, she would figure it out as she went along.

''Now, where to start?'' she wonders aloud, the plain empty in so far as she could see.

Yet, she had not looked behind herself.

there's nothing left

 

This is the way the world ends,
This is the way the world ends,
This is the way the world ends,
Not with a bang, but a whimper. Come the colors brazen flying, sights and sounds a-splendor. And there the sky a widening gyre; no pleasure could be simpler.

Henry watched through The Admiral’s eyes as her old world died away and a new one came into sharp reality about him, kissing at him with soft light and leaving a merry little shadow dancing in the swaying grass of the hills. Turning to face it, the bardic figure danced a little jig and began to wander aimlessly in… that direction! Trudging off with the sun at his back, so began the woman’s lonely journey portraying a man’s lonely journey. How odd.

She made the most of the journey’s start, toying with settings and testing how the inventory system worked. She had entered with the notion of clobbering a few heads with a lute, but when she attempted to equip the crude item to The Admiral’s hands, it was only as a performance piece. Not as anything that could be wielded as a weapon. Disappointed, she settled for the large wooden stick that made up a crude “club” and was her only actual offensive tool right now. It wasn’t as if she particularly needed any though. She was a bard, meant to buff people! Such had been her thoughts until a fuzzy little something with teeth came along and she had to clobber it over the head a few times. Two important things were learned at that moment: just because you’re meant to work well in a group doesn’t mean you should be helpless alone, and clubbing things over the head is kiiiiiiiinda awesome. Not that she needed to make a habit of it.

All of that had been some hours prior, and she felt oddly comfortable with the character and the world at this point. Nothing particularly exciting or spectacular had happened, which leant a certain charm to the game world itself. It didn’t feel necessary to push adventure onto her if she wanted to simply lounge in a grassy prairie and lead an idyllic tramp’s life for the time being. She had found a nice boulder to stretch The Admiral out across and watch the clouds go by, tuning down the lute so that its strings were slightly off-note and discordant. After all, it The Admiral wasn’t going to be remembered for being the best bard in the world… she might as well make him infamously remembered as one of the worst. His hands began to pluck at the strings rhythmically, doing their utmost to produce music out of the strained tuning of his battered and beaten lute which hadn’t been course enough to spare her detuning it. The sound was… not pleasant. But it wasn’t wholly unpleasant, either. A few more adjustments in her inventory menu and she had the item right where wanted it; capable of curdling milk.

The thought crossed her mind that a victim would be perfect to test it out on, but alas, none were about. And she was far too lazy to go in search of somebody. Satisfied to simply wait and enjoy the clouds, The Admiral settled back for another hour or so of sky-watching. He was disturbed only twice, out of necessity of clubbing fuzzy little things with teeth to death. Eventually however patience was rewarded and a woman appeared on a hill before him, toying with her hair and gazing gleefully at the sight of the artificial world about her. Her hair was flaxen and her skin pale, and The Admiral sat up at once in an Indian-style position, legs folded in front of him and instrument cradled lovingly in the crook of his lap awaiting his touch. She spoke aloud, and he listened.


“Now, where to start?” she had mused. That brought a smile to his face, for several hours ago he had felt a similar sort of fascination. Without bothering to introduce himself first, a ping! of attention went flying the woman’s way, an invitation to party up thrown at her while he stood up, strummed his horribly off-key lute, and gave a mighty roar to catch her attention.

Invite

The Admiral has invited you to their party. Accept?

“Ha-HAAAA! Where ought one start, play the part of her art which her heart brought her here? The choice is quite clear, neither murky nor queer if sincere then a party you should join. And what better party than mine, madame? None! No I say, nay I say. Not a one. I’m done.”

Leaping off of the boulder, The Admiral landed with more luck than deftness upon solid ground and gave an overly dramatic bow regardless of screams or applause or shocked silence. Rising, he began to look the woman over none too chivalrously, hat doffed before him as if expecting a tip. The bard ran his other hand through dark matted hair as his dull brown eyes inspected her expectantly.

 

"Definitely worth saving up for a VR adaptor," Ashiore said, eyes wide with wonder. Her head couldn't keep turning around fast enough to keep up with all the new sights and sounds. There were birds chirping in the distance but flying too quickly and darting between the trees for her to catch more than the briefest glimpse of color. And what a vibrant world it was! Trees with broad, deep green leaves. Grass that tickled at her ankles, a cool breeze that contrasted perfectly with the bright sunlight above...

She quickly brought up her palm menu, just because she could. All her needs looking pretty good, for the time being anyway. And... yep! That definitely looked like a little egg icon in her inventory, probably that welcoming gift she had selected. Ohhh, this was so cool!

But, really, enough just standing around. It was time to go exploring! The forest was pretty enough, certainly, but where was everyone else? Not having any particular direction in mind, Ashiore began to wander through the trees. She occasionally ran her fingers over the bark of the trees she passed, still marveling at how real this all felt.

Eventually the trees began to thin, and the sound of voices piqued her interest. She raced out towards the sunny field beyond the forest. Finally, people! she thought.

And indeed, there were people right there. Two of them, in fact. A girl and a larger man, the latter of whom was in quite the interesting pose. She hadn't quite caught the conversation beforehand, but she was looking forward to making some news friends.

Dongxue wouldn't have spoken up, wouldn't have brought attention to herself. Dongxue would probably have just slunk away quietly and tried to find her own way to some settlement or whatever. But she's not Dongxue, not right now. She's Ashiore, who can probably do some sort of magic, or something, and this is a whole new world!

"Um, hi!" she said, beaming. As she got a bit closer, she held her arm out for a handshake. "I'm kind of new here, and I'm a bit lost. And, oh, nice to meet you guys! My name's Ashiore!"

 

staring at death I take a breath

​

Now, normally Lily would have been startled and tried to retreat from interaction right about now.

Yet, Wild Rose would not.

The party ping was surprising either way, but it was with a smooth motion that she accepted it. Her face was lit with a gentle smile, her expression kind and open. As the bard - for that was obvious at this point - did his little performance, she clapped when appropriate. But he was more likely taller then her, if she could judge his height right. And yet, even then, she had looked down - as she was at the top of the cliff - when the male approached her. Amusement was the first thing that Wild Rose felt, and she just tilted her head slightly. But she did not hesitate, for her mind may be open, but her tongue could be sharp, even if she meant it as friendly.

''If you are looking for coin bard, I must disappoint you. However -'' she had began, when something else took her attention.

Another figure had made their way to the pair. Vivid green eyes focused on this new figure, roaming over them. She took in the details - the slender build, a girlish figure - and found herself smiling at the girl. Without thought, she stepped off the stone circle she had been on. Two strides, and she was near the pair - conveniently, they placed near each other, thank the stars - and she easily took the hand the girl offered. Her grip was firm, and she shook twice before releasing.

''You are both standing in the presence of Wild Rose. It is indeed a pleasure to have met! Now bard, shall you invite her too? For both me and her are new - it makes me wonder if you are as well.'' she started. But her mind seemed to drift a moment, as her words tapered off. For a moment, she raised her head to the sky, thinking. Shaking her head suddenly, she returned to the world in front of her, and the pair of people she was currently near.

''I would think it would be our duty, as new players, to explore and learn. And doing so together is perhaps even better then walking a lonely path.'' she said, finishing her thought after a moment. Her confidence was bright, but she was not a meek girl. It was clear she could handle herself, and yet, she was still kind to the people that had made an effort to reach out first. It was the least she could do, to reward their courage!

It was a first step, that was for sure.

there's nothing left

 

The smile did not vanish from his face as Rose made it clear he wasn't about to get a tip, but rather it took on a forced edge, as if only manners kept his form in good cheer. He placed his head back upon his head and put the lute back in his inventory, seeing as he lacked the skills to actually play the thing anyway, listening to the woman speak. She didn't have coin for him, however? But whatever she had been about to say was cut from her lips by the whims of fate.

Another figure appeared from a cluster of woods none too distant, approaching quickly and introducing herself as something he wasn't about to pronounce. The blonde girl had a simpler name, styling herself Wild Rose. Now THAT was a name! It was exciting, bold, edgy, sexy, bold, sexy, exciting, short, and best of all he could say it! Not to mention it rhymed with child throw, piled snow, riled gnome, styled home, filed dome, bio dome, hired clone. What even was this thought process now? He became aware that the girls were shaking hands and Wild Rose was introducing herself in much more depth than before, and continuing to go so far as to talk about their duties as new players. HIM? The Admiral? NEW? Hardly! He had been in the game for literally couples of hours, which practically made him a veteran in his own mind.

Smiling, a chiding chuckle escaped his lips and he pulled the hat down slightly in a dramatic fashion, grinning wildly. These women had no idea who he was! Why he... Oh, right, the party invite. Popping open a menu, he sent one to Ashblehblehbleh as well, then began to laugh more heartily.

Invite

The Admiral has invited you to their party. Accept?

"Ladies, sweet ladies! Why I am no mere novice much like yourselves. I am the esteemed and enthralling The Admiral, a man of considerable daring and repute. What you mistook for simple begging before darling Flower Power was my giving the gift of my silver tongue and honeyed words to you, and offering my hat in case the sun's rays might prove troublesome. And what you have confused as a beginner in this illustrious game world of ours is none other than the Hero of the West. Champion of the Sunken Seas, and sole survivor of the dreaded Kraken of Dusk. My exploits are as numerous as my prattling, and it would by my great pleasure to teach you what I am able of this world of ours. And, to help guide you upon your first adventure. I do hope that you are prepared for the crescendo of your evening, for it has all built to this..."

 

Ashiore smiled when Wild Rose shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Wild Rose. And yourself as well, Admiral." She gave a little curtsy to both of them, Wild Rose's enthusiasm and confidence seeping into her. "I'd be very glad for company here. Looks like there's a lot to do, and it's definitely better to do it with others than alone!"

Without the slightest hesitation she opened her menu to accept the party invite. She turned her smile towards The Admiral. The titles he had rattled out were impressive indeed, and she considered herself lucky for having run into a fellow newbie and a seasoned veteran all at once. "Thanks so much for the invitation, it's great to have someone experienced with the game! Do you know where we should go from here? Maybe to a town of some sort? Or are there any hidden secrets around here?"

Abruptly aware of how many questions she was asking, Ashiore blushed and made herself stop. "Ah, um. Well, it's up to you, really. Whatever you two want to do is fine with me."

 

staring at death I take a breath

​

''My my. I was simply going to bemoan the fact that I had not been in the game long enough to bestow my pleasure upon you, but perhaps I should simply take your scolding and be at peace. And I do so hope you forgive my insult then, good sir, for I wish naught to offend you.'' she responded. The words were sometimes archaic, but they felt right flowing from her tongue. She kept smiling, almost in a benevolent manner, feeling the confidence that flowed in her veins. She wasn't going to let herself get walked upon, for she was leader, a bright rose burning in the night. Her eyes even glowed with her amusement, as she observed the pair before her.

With a calm movement, she curtsied back to the other girl within their group.

''Well met. It is quite evident that the lovely bard will guide us to adventure, so have no fear sweet Ashiore. Questions are the bread and butter of learning, and we are to learn are we not? Forward we must move!'' she said, exclaiming the last words with passion. She felt her head raise from looking down at the hill, her face still with a smile, but now shining confidence. ''None shall stand in our path, and our tales shall be sung of tonight! With no hesitation, that must be our faith.'' she declared, before passing the two and heading down the hill. In her hand, a simple blade - one provided by the system, the basic of bases. For it would be certain that left defenseless, they would not.

She marched down the hill, her steps confident and determination lining her face, with no idea what was going forward - pushing the group forward, and hopefully forcing Admiral to take charge in guiding them, if he was the veteran he claimed. Not that she doubted such, but people lied often enough, and she wasn't going to let herself be surprised either way. There was much more to do, and adventure was calling her name. In her wake, she would bring them both with her, traveling to the siren call in her veins. The time for adventure was now, and she was eager.

So forward she went.

there's nothing left

 

Though both women seemed to be of bold character, they showed themselves to be in different ways. Wild Rose was akin to her namesake; pretty but prickly, capable of sweetness or despair with any words that fell from her rosy lips. She was clearly a strong personality that refused to let others do for her what she wished to do for herself. Discovering, rather than asking. Inversely, the softer Ashblehblehbleh was not shy about asking questions and seemed keen on learning as much as possible as quickly as possible. She seemed more than capable of riding with the current of where they might go, without getting swept away by it. Smiling, the Admiral watched as she immediately joined their little party.

He listened to Rose speak and watched as she drew steel forth, ready to immediately set out upon an adventure. No clue where she was going. No clue how the system even worked. Behind the mask of this Admiral character, the woman playing him sighed internally, chuckling in her own mind at such a brash choice. As far as she had seen, Rose had barely even played with her menus or tested how things work! Even if her own Admiral character was new, she'd had several hours longer than these two to figure out how the system functioned. The least she could do was share that knowledge, through her avatar.

"Hold fast!" the Admiral shouted at Rose's back as soon as she'd taken a mere ten paces forwards. He drew a wooden club from his own inventory and raised it towards her, another prompt directed at her through the distance between them.

You have been CHALLENGED

To a DUEL

​

If they were really so set on going and fighting creatures and looking for adventure, they might as well understand how such things worked first. Otherwise this newb was going to get themselves destroyed!

"Accept my challenge and face me. I've simplified my gear and won't use any of my special abilities, so you don't have to worry about the match being unbalanced; but if you're so keen to start an adventure, there are a few things you should be aware of first and foremost. For instance, did you know that in this game, you can still feel pain? It may not be as intense as within the real world: depending on the setting you choose in your menus, it's anywhere from 15% to 60% the real thing. I myself have mine set as high as it will go, as an extra incentive not to get hit!" He let out a soft chuckle at that and kept his club level, ready to rush forward and strike at Rose.

"Ash-eeee-ooor... Ash! You'd do well to look through your own menus while observing our duel. Familiarize yourself with things, and once this fight is concluded, I shall duel you as well. But I cannot as a gentleman take you upon an adventure if you have not experienced the dangers first-hand yet! And don't worry... We can end the duel when we like, or it will stop automatically once you reach 10% health."

 

The Admiral waited, club in hand, eagerly anticipating Rose’s reaction to his challenge as he held his ground and waited for her to accept the notification that she had been challenged. He could see it now! An exchange of magical and physical blows between the two, until he lost the duel on purpose in order to spare her the pain of his attacks, winning her admiration for his noble sacrifice. Then they would make out like crazy right in front of the other girl, what’s her face, who might even join in. A house just there on the cliff with three fat stupid babies he’d constantly want to pitch over the edge to just have done with their annoying shit! And then a messy divorce when he came home one day to find her dueling with another man… Using her magic on A STRANGER instead! How tragic the life he imagined, bored and restless in the milliseconds of waiting.

Unfortunately before the girl could really respond to it, a ping came up on The Admiral’s system that informed him of a phone call in his real life home, where real life things happened. It could possibly be important, and so with a regrettable sigh he cancelled the dueling offer and put his weapon away, spinning in place to strike a dramatic pose.

“It would seem that fate has conspired against our adventuring together, for I am receiving an urgent communication in the world beyond this fine one. It was my utmost pleasure to meet both of you ladies, and a distinct honor if you’d care to add me to a list of those you might call close acquaintances or perhaps even familiar associates which, I believe, is more colloquially known as and referred to by the title Friends List.”
Bowing, he’d offer them one last smile before standing again.

“The town should be in that direction,” he said as he pointed vaguely, having no actual idea where one was and so pretending he did know better.
“I wish you both safety in your travels, and warmth in your hearts. Without further ado, adieu!”
Abruptly, the man logged off and disappeared from the world around them.

Back in reality, Henry groaned and removed her VR helmet, walking wearily to a telephone to check what missed messages she had.

• OOC: Removing myself from this thread to cut down on the number of open ones I'm in.

 

staring at death I take a breath

​

Ah, what had happened?

Wild Rose had been lost in her thoughts. She had been encouraged, ready to go adventuring. There was just something about the wild of nature, and the ability of just herself and a few people that made it so much more fun. She always had a better time when watching animes that were realistic, but still brave like this. Yet, as herself, she would never want to take the chance with her own two hands, and move forward. So for now, she still let Wild Rose do as she willed, and simply enjoyed the ride. Because it would be easier that way, for both Lily and Wild Rose in the end. The world never needed to know that her personality was faked to an extent.

It was just the way she wanted to act, if she was brave in real life.

But whilst she was ruminating on such things, something seemed to shift, seemed to happen. She held her step, and whirled about, staring at the form behind her. The Admiral seemed to be on to something, even as she tilted her head. Thankfully, she had tied her character's hair, so she didn't really have to deal with a lot of it in her face. Her face lit up at the duel challenge. What an interesting thing! Her smile broke her face, even as she contemplated the invite before her. And her green eyes sparkled in both confidence and excitement, even as she rose her hand. Her lips opened to speak, but then something seemed to glitch in the universe.

It was like fate had seen what she wanted to do and took it away.

Before she could respond to the bard and his outrageous pose, the man spoke up once more. The invite was rescinded, and within seconds, he was gone. Her mouth moved once or twice, and then she let out an annoyed sigh and stomped her foot. ''Fury inducing man! At least he told us why he had to leave... dammit, fury take that stupid thrice damned phone!'' she let out, stomping her foot again. Letting out a held breath, she easily opened her menu, and tapped to her friend's list. Adding his name, she knew he would get her request the next time he showed.

But she was still irritated.

''Aaah, I hate it when I'm tempted like so! I was all ready to fight!'' she said, a slight whine to her voice. Shaking her head, the woman sighed, before whirling on her feet towards the third person in the area. ''Ashiore! I'll send you a friend request too, that way we won't lose contact with each other!'' she said, beaming at the other. It was easy to do so - in fact, she had done so without being aware of it either. Uh, maybe she had been thinking about it in the first place? Oh well, what was done was done. But her face seemed to come alive again, even as she made a wide gesture.

''Well, despite being only us two, there's no time for adventuring like right now! Let's go!'' she said, heading off into a random direction. She had the town's direction affixed in her mind, but now, she wanted to explore more of this plain, curious about what might be hidden in it's grassy depths. Of course, the other was invited to come along, but who knows what would happen? Of course, if Wild Rose would allow herself to be pessimistic, she would figure that the other would leave her just like The Admiral did. It would be on par for the course of course.

But for now, she shouldn't worry, and just keep going!

@Ashiore Evretto

there's nothing left

 

As The Admiral challenged Wild Rose to a duel, Ashiore felt her heart stutter in nervousness. A duel? Well, as the man explained it, it did make sense. Better to be prepared and fully aware of your capabilities before you charged headlong into an unknown world. Still, though, the thought of actually getting in a fight made her anxious, especially with the knowledge that she would be feeling actual pain if she got injured.

But when The Admiral explained his situation and his departure, a part of her relaxed as she wasn't thrown headfirst into fighting another person. Maybe she'd, you know, do a bit of adventuring to build up a tolerance for this kind of stuff first. Then she'd be able to go and fight duels with the other players. Yeah! That's how she'd do it!

And it seemed that Wild Rose had a similar idea. The other girl sounded quite annoyed as the Admiral suddenly left. But she quickly spun around to smile at Ashiore and offer an invitation as well.

"Yes, definitely! I'd love to explore some more!" Ash said, grinning back. As Wild Rose took a step forward--not in the direction of the town that the Admiral had pointed out, Ash noted--something that had been niggling at the back of her mind suddenly emerged in her thoughts.

Wild Rose had her blade, and the Admiral had drawn his weapon as well when he had challenged Wild Rose to the duel. But Ash had nothing on her, at least not that she could see.

"Oh, hold on a second! I need to find a weapon!"

Ash dashed back to the treeline very quickly, eyes scanning about the forest for anything that looked like it might be useful. Uh, rocks, twigs that looked like a gentle breeze would snap them, um... Aha!

Triumphantly, Ash walked over to grab a long, straight pole. It looked like a quarterstaff, and a part of her was wondering just what an unnaturally smoothly carved staff was doing lying around in the forest. But, well, video game logic, right? Wouldn't do to dump people in a fantasy world with monsters and leave them no way to defend themselves.

Ash returned back to where she had left Wild Rose, swinging her staff experimentally. As she brought it around in an arc, her feet moved not quite with her own consciousness and brought her into a wider, sturdier stance. Huh. Handy, that.

"All right," she said to Wild Rose excitedly. "I'm ready! So, where to next?"