Complete Private Eastern Brisshal Adventuring is scary!

[Chako]

"Oooh! You know her!?" Chako excitedly exclaimed, "Crimson Ruby, right!? I met her on the very first day I came to Arcia! She has been teaching me how to dance, among other things!" Chako then fidgeted a bit, wondering if it was okay to say more... Well, a little bit more should be fine! "We even met up on Earth at one point too, you know!? And I got her to autograph my harp!

"Oh, and do you know Bluebird too, then!? She and Ruby were pretty close, so I figured you might know her as well! I also met her not that long after coming to Arcia! She saved me from falling from a tree after I forgot how to put strength in my legs!" Chako did not expect Fina to be one of Ruby's friends... Knowing that just made her smile more though, "What a small world, huh?" Actually, Arcia was pretty big, as Chako found out on her very first day here, with how long it took to even reach Honeyhome at the extremely slow walking speed she had back when she first arrived, I really grew a lot since then...

Chako was then extremely confused by the feeling of having her head gripped by Fina... This would usually be a very comforting sensation, but it was not the case this time! "R-right! I-I guess I can visit the church after we find a place where I can stay!"

Amidst the strange feeling of having her head gripped, Chako was still getting a bit excited about getting closer to the church and to whatever surrounding cities, villages and whatever else was there.

Though then, she realized that she hadn't told something to Fina, "Ah, right... When we're a bit closer, can you make Lucia slow down? I think I'll take my harp out of my inventory then." And she didn't think she could hold her harp in place while Lucia was galloping.

"... I'm a bit conscious of what you said earlier, so I think I'm gonna avoid telling them that I'm a Starcalled, so like... Well, I figured I should arrive with harp in hands to not raise any suspicion with like... Me entering an inn with no harp and coming out with a harp afterwards? This kind of thing.

"... I really need to get a bag for this harp made though. Inventory was a nice placeholder in Honeyhome, but I really need a bag now... Or a case, but I don't think I can find someone who can make me a harp case in Arcia." She couldn't even find anyone who knew how to make a bag for an instrument in Honeyhome, after all.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

Well, that certainly confirmed it. That was indeed the whole name the lass used inside of the game. The world really could feel so small at times… or perhaps it was just the same people who were often hanging around low-level areas and greeting new players to get them a good onboarding experience, that was also entirely possible. Speaking of which, she hadn't seen Ruby in a while…

"Huh…"

They… met in the physical world as well. How long has been Chako playing the game for again? Well, she didn't mention yet, but if she had not left Honeyhome up until now then it surely could not have been that long, right? But it wasn't like Ruby invited Fina over even after years of knowing each other… surely that was just because of the distance between them, right? Right..?

"A-ah… ehm… right, yeah, you've got yourself one very good teacher then! Good for you, good for you…"

At least it seemed like she managed to teach Chako something as well, given how seriously she suddenly took her identity as a Traveler. That was always good, but everything should be done in a moderation.

"If you want, you can hide anything you want in one of Lucia's bags for now. We'll get you a sachet or a backpack of your own. And don't worry, it's not like someone will be spying on you, comparing what items you have on you when you enter a building and then leave it again."

"In fact, you can see this is a bit of a roleplay! Just imagine you're a Lander who can't use the inventory to begin with. Heck, I have a friend who does that all the time because she wants to be fully immersed in this world. Doesn't interact with the UI unless she has to."

Then again, Vina could be pretty strange in many different ways. She wasn't a bad person in the slightest, but could absolutely come across as too much at times… although Fina imagined that she'd probably be a great and caring friend around someone younger like Chako, who could force a bit of tameness on the druidess.

Just as the girl asked, the lavender-haired feline signaled her horse to slow down as soon as they started approaching the gates to the town that surrounded the church. That gave Chako plenty of time to do whatever she wanted before they would be in the full view of the guards. It was obvious that this place was a bit of a tourist hotspot, given the amount of people at the entrance. Though none of them looked particularly high-alert. Perhaps just a precaution after the magia incident. And so, they simply strode past the wooden walls while waving at the lads, entering the town.

Pormont
Church of Uene

While the church building itself practically towered above the rest of the place, it was probably wise to go with Fina's suggestion of finding an inn first. Heck, the feline herself needed somewhere to stay, too!

"This place is quite a bit bigger than Honeyhome, huh? But you shouldn't get lost as long as you pay attention to the signs. Worst case, you look up and see the church from just about anywhere in the city! Now… there were multiple inns here… the best one would probably be…"

After a small internal debate against herself, Fina decided what would probably be the best place for the both of them and directed Lucia through the fairly crowded streets, people hopping out of the horse's way. Countless shop stalls passed by them, stairs leading both down and up to show just how layered this town was, and of course, many curious eyes spying adventurers that probably arrived from afar. While she advised Chako to not openly disclose that she was a Starcalled, it wasn't like some of the more observant individuals would not guess as much. The real problem were magia, and neither of them were one. So it was really more of an exercise in restraint to not invite unnecessary problems.

@Chako

 

[Chako]

Chako didn't know how to interpret Fina's reaction... She seemed... Flustered? Why though? "Did I say something bad?" She decided to just ask it openly. She didn't think she had said too much, it's not like it's impossible to meet other people that you first met in Arcia back on Earth. It's just inconvenient because of the distance.

Either way, Chako nodded to Fina's statement, "Ruby is definitely a fantastic teacher! I don't think I'd be able to dance the way I do without her guidance!

"... I was honestly at a pretty big loss in how to dance when I first came to Arcia, yanno? I had seen videos back on Earth, but trying to replicate them without having ever moving my legs before, and without having the videos as reference when I could actually move these legs was quite tough... Ruby was a huge help on that regard!" Chako happily told her.

Fina's suggestion was a bit troubling to Chako though, "I'm not sure if the harp's strings will be safe in a normal backpack... Well, it's probably still better than carrying the harp by hand though..." It was a bit too big for Chako to move around with it on her hands... "So uhn... If you're okay with it, I guess I'll take you up on the offer of lending me one of Lucia's bag for the time being!" She decided.

And maybe she was overthinking things, alright, Fina did have a point that people wouldn't be normally paying attention to what she brought in and out of inns, but... Chako felt like bards naturally drew attention, so she didn't want to risk it by having her harp in the inventory.

"Oh, your friend is a lot like me! Other than friend requests and PMs, I keep all that stuff disabled!

"At first it was indeed for immersion, but now..." Chako pondered for a bit, trying to figure out how to explain her thoughts on this, "The UI feels too artificial in the middle of a world that is real? It feels off... This kind of thing. Even the inventory, mine has nothing other than my harp, because it's the only thing that I couldn't simply carry on my arms easily."

Either way, once Lucia slowed down, Chako carefully picked up one of Lucia's bags, took her harp out of her inventory, then proceeded to carefully put the harp inside the bag, asking for Fina's help when she started struggling too much with putting a big harp inside a big bag while on top of a moving horse, "I'm definitely getting someone to make me a harp bag while I'm here in Pormont..." Chako muttered.

Sure, she didn't have much money, but it should be enough to commission a harp bag at least... Hopefully; she really had no idea of how much it would cost.

---

Once they arrived in Pormont, Chako was immediately impressed by how big the city was, "Yeah... Definitely a lot bigger than Honeyhome." Sure, London was also a big city, but this was a completely different kind of big city... And a much prettier city at that!

"I'm looking forward to visiting the church after this!" Chako smiled as she looked at the surroundings. She really had never seen such a huge crowd in Arcia before... And it seemed like it was normal for Pormont's inhabitants to deal with this many people daily! It was amazing!

"I hope lady Uene will be happy to receive my prayers..." Chako muttered as she took in the sights... She did think it was probably going to be alright, but she also figured that the gods most likely received very few prayers from Starcalled, so... Well, she just hoped she wouldn't be seen as an inconvenience or anything like it, even if she thought lady Uene would most likely be happy to receive her prayers.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

Any potential insecurities were certainly not what Fina wished to discuss with… well, anyone at the moment, really, especially not Chako. So she brushed past the question of whether the child said something wrong or not with a simple:

"Nah, nothing at all."

After all, the city was welcoming them, and she was sure plenty of other things would grab the teen's attention, enough so that the subject would be quickly forgotten.

And sure enough, Chako was willing to trust Fina that the bags that held various equipment that the feline used throughout her adventures would also be soft enough to not damage the musical instrument throughout the rest of the journey. There was not too much worry from the girl's side, after all, they were now slowing down and with lower speed, there would be less bumps that could potentially tussle things around. So, with a nod, she opened one of the bags hanging from Lucia's side, right to Chako's right. An empty one so the harp would have plenty of space for itself.

As for the idea of Chako being similar to Vina? Well… there were some key differences in certain aspects, ones that Fina would hold back on due to her fellow feline being a bit too young, still. So in that way, she was quite glad that the two were not fully alike. Although her point about the UI was an interesting one.

"Perhaps that might not be such a bad thing, for those who would immerse themselves in this world so much that they would forget that they still have obligations elsewhere…"

She had yet to meet anyone like that, but she had this terrible gut feeling that such people did exist. After all, even Chako did have the fleeting idea of perhaps UI-locking herself to live a better life here than she would back on Earth. And maybe, right now, that was indeed the case. But only because she had seemingly yet to experience any of the horrors this place was equally capable of. With that harrowing thought in her head, she helped Chako put the harp in the bag as she noticed the girl struggling.

After a while of going down the street, Fina would have Lucia head down a darker alleyway all of a sudden, after which they would find themselves in a considerably quieter and calmer segment of the town. And not too long after, they found themselves in front of a large wooden cabin of sorts, half-overgrown with colorful greenery. A older gentleman was cleaning fallen leaves outside with a broom before he noticed the duo arriving, looking up at them, adjusting his hat as he squinted his eyes before opening them wider.

"Ah! Miss Silver Wolf! What do we owe the pleasure for you to visit us again?"

"Still a cat, no matter how many times your granddaughter mistakes me for a wolf. That said, we'd like to get a room, both me and my friend here."

Patting Chako on the head, Fina slid down the side and firmly planted her legs on the hard ground, offering a hand to the other girl, figuring that her legs might have been a little wooden after such a long ride atop the horse.

@Chako

 

[Chako]

Chako didn't like it when people avoided her questions, but she decided to not press the issue, and instead just thanked Fina for her help with the harp.

"Not have obligations elsewhere though..." Chako repeated Fina's words, "Well, I guess it would be nice to spend the whole day in Arcia and completely forget I have homework to do! I'd do that easily if the homework didn't come back to haunt me right after I went back to Earth!" Chako giggled, though she was actually the kind of person that did the homework before playing... It was safer. Last thing she needed was to be grounded due to not doing homework, and losing her access to Arcia for however long her mom wanted her to.

Then, they turned into a dark alleyway and Chako couldn't help asking, "I-is this really a safe path...?" She knew Fina could defend herself, but... Chako couldn't. And she wasn't going to be around Fina during her whole stay in Pormont, so she felt like an inn in the main street would be better... Even if those would probably be more expensive.

Still, she didn't think Fina was trying to harm her or anything. She had plenty of opportunities to do so already if she wanted to, after all... It was just a bit scary to go down a dark alley. Neither as Chako or Lisa had she ever done that before.

Until eventually, they found a place that did look quite nice... Until the innkeeper spoke, which instantly sent big shivers down Chako's spine. Suddenly, Fina looked far scarier than she had ever been so far, and Chako felt the fur on her tails going up... C-calm down... I-it's just a nickname. Chako's body didn't seem to want to listen to her rational thoughts. She was trembling before she even realized it.

Then, she felt a gentle hand on her head... It helped her calm down. It helped her release the breath she didn't even know she was holding.

Still... After Fina got down the horse and offered her a hand, Chako hesitated... The idea of touching her terrified her, Stop, this is ridiculous. She just said she's still a cat... She doesn't smell like a wolf! You know that! Her body still refused to answer her rational thoughts... She wanted to run.

Chako took a deep breath, then another, and a third one... She then slowly forced herself to hold Fina's hand with her free hand, while the other tightly held upon the bag with her harp. She carefully got down from Lucia's back, with her whole body trembling along the way... She barely managed to remain standing once feet hit the ground. Partially because her legs felt numb, partially because she was trembling so much that she struggled a bit with remembering how to put strength on her legs in the first place.

She really, really wanted to let go of Fina's hand and run... But she forced herself to stay in place. Forced herself to fight against her own ridiculous instincts, "H-h-hi, I-I-I-I'm Chako! I-I'm a wandering bard w-w-who came t-t-to pay her respects to l-l-l-lady Uene! I-I-I hope to learn m-more about her ladyship w-w-while here! T-t-thank you for taking care of us!" Chako bowed to the innkeeper.

In her mind, Chako silently prayed to lady Uene to help her find a way to control these frightened, desperate instincts of her.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

Fina didn't exactly pay much attention to Chako's body language as they moved through the dark alley to reach the residential area in which the inn stood. So it all only became apparent the moment she laid her eyes on the young girl directly while helping her down from the horse.

"…?"

Was she that frightened from the dark alley? Or were her social skill so bad that she was so spook from the idea of talking to the innkeep? No, she was playing a bard, there was no way… not to mention that she had no issues interacting with Fina herself even though they met a short while ago. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to prod the girl in front of a stranger, so she just helped her get down onto her own feet, made sure she held steady, and stood close by as the introductions proceeded.

"Err… um… well, pleasure to meet you, miss Chako! Haha, there is no need to be so nervous, promise. I'm not going to gobble you up~"

"Right, please understand. She's from Honeyhome and has spent her whole life there, you see. But now, she finally gathered enough courage to venture out! Her parents sent me with her to keep an eye out on her."

"Aaah, I see how it is! First time in the big wide world, no wonder you'd be so out of it! But what else can I say, I'm honored that you'd choose our church as your first visit!"

"Mhm. So, if possible, we'd like to stay here a while? Any room will do!" She leans closer to Chako to whisper "Since this inn is in the residential area farthest away from the church, not many travelers know about it, so we'll have plenty of peace here."

"Bah! Of course 'any room' will not do! As promised, a VIP room, top floor, number 2. All on the house!"

Fina sighed.

"I'll just secretly put some money under your pillow later."

As the man let out a hearty laugh in response, Fina would gently grab Chako's hand once again and guide her past the man into the building. The lobby was just like the exterior, nothing short of cozy and inviting. Made entirely out of wood, there were plenty of flowers adorning every corner, as well as hanging from the ceiling. Illuminated by the warm light of countless candles, the feline turned toward Chako. They had a moment to breathe out now.

"What's gotten you shivering like you've seen Reaper himself all of a sudden..?"

@Chako

 

[Chako]

Chako jumped in place at the mention of the word 'gobble', she desperately tried to control her erratic breathing, "R-r-right! I-I-I have no reason t-to be afraid!" She said more to herself than to the innkeeper.

It's okay. It's okay. I'm still right here. There are only the three of us here. There is nothing to be afraid. She repeated to herself inside her mind. There's nobody worth being scared of near me right now...

Chako tried keeping up with the conversation as every fiber of her being told her to run... She vaguely nodded to Fina's words saying that Chako's parents had sent her, and tried to reply to the innkeeper's statement, "Y-yeah! L-lady Uene v-v-very important to me! I-i-important visit church first!"

Chako then recoiled as Fina head approached hers, she was there in the clearing again. She was seeing the wolves approach and open their mouth wide open, she was seeing-

"Since this inn is in the residential area farthest away from the church, not many travelers know about it, so we'll have plenty of peace here."

Chako took another deep breath as Fina's words brought her back... I'm in Pormont. I'm in Pormont. This is an inn. This is a safe place. This is no clearing. It's just us here. Chako kept telling herself, but it didn't really calm her down, nor did it help her control her ragged breathing.

Chako then desperately held onto Fina's hand as they moved... Both terrified and at the same time, clinging onto the touch of her hand to remind herself that she was in a safe place near safe people. Having Fina both being her anchor and her source of fear at the same time.

The reply to Fina's question was almost instant, "Nickname. Terrifying. Bad memories." She avoided saying the word, "Headpats? Conditioned reaction... Helps relax." It was a request. Chako was struggling to make a sentence work... She was struggling to even control her breathing, never mind talk a full sentence.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

"Nickname..?"

It took Fina a moment before she even realized what Chako meant. Since the innkeep and his daughter were the only two people who referred to her as such, she hadn't really even recognize it as her own nickname. She, especially, did not use it herself. Then again, nicknames were what other people called you anyhow.

But hey, at least the young girl knew what she wanted to get herself calm. Even if the headpats would be from the scary, big, and bad 'wolf' herself. With a smile and a bit of a sigh, Fina took a step toward Chako, suddenly grabbing her into her arms and spinning both of them around in one big hug before setting her back on the ground and patting her head until she calmed down.

---

Once she did, however long that might have taken- Fina was plenty patient- she would take the little felis up the stairs to the highest floor. Just a couple sets of stairs before they would arrive at the wooden corridor, rather well-lit by the numerous windows adorning one side. And through the door at the very end, what awaited them was a pretty large room divided into roughly three segments. A small part dedicated to one bed for two, and one smaller bed for a single individual- a kitchen with plenty of cupboards, knives, and other utensils, and finally, the relaxation section with a table and three chairs around it.

"Well, here we are. One of the innkeep's 'VIP' rooms. These are practically never all full at the same time, so he just lets me have this one whenever I need it after I saved his daughter one time. It's two plus one, so we can both fit here easy enough, though not like either of us will spend much time here outside of the night, I'd imagine~"

@Chako

 

[Chako]

Chako nodded to the question and waited... Until the moment Fina took a step towards her and embraced her that is. At that moment Chako was about to shriek and desperately tried to struggle to get out of the embrace.

Until the hand reached her head, then Chako stopped moving before long... A bit more and the tension finally started leaving her body, the fur on her tails finally went down, and her breathing finally relaxed and stabilized, "Thanks... I don't... Handle wolves well." Her body still shivered a bit at the word, but nothing too big, "Almost got eaten in my first few days here in Arcia... I didn't expect this conditioned reaction to come in handy again after all those years." Chako muttered before she started purring.

... Which made her blush a bit, "Y-yeah, I-I think that's enough, thank you!" Chako told Fina once she was clearly relaxing a bit too much, "It probably won't happen again." She purred and started rubbing her head against Fina's own hand, "I think... Hard to know how I will ever react to those things. But I think I was taken a bit too much by surprise there... You don't smell or look scary though, so I think it will be fine in the future... Probably." Talking in-between purrs was always a bit hard, but Chako tried her best.

---

After going up the stairs and reaching their room, Chako was a bit in awe, "I never slept in a room this big before!" She had to resist the urge to jump into the double bed, just to see how it felt, but Chako forced herself to stay still, as she figured Fina would probably get the bigger bed, since Chako was the smaller of them both.

"Yeah, I don't think I'll be staying here for long outside of sleeping." Chako nodded to Fina's statement, "Thank you very much for all the help!" She smiled at her.

"And uhn... W-well, I can help pay for the room too!" Probably. She wasn't sure how much money Fina was planning on putting below the pillow, but she felt she should pay her share.

She then held the bag with her harp with a smile on her face, "I'll work hard and see if I can get a proper harp bag to carry this, then I'll give Lucia's harp back to you... And of course, I'll be sure to visit lady Uene's church too before anything else!" Trips were always long in Arcia, but... It was well worth it! Here she was now! Chako was looking quite forward to seeing what her stay in Pormont would be like!

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

While sitting on the comfy bed was nice, Fina couldn't quite help herself. Tossing the large and heavy-looking cloak she always wore to the side, she allowed gravity to take over, her back hitting the soft mattress, causing her entire body to bounce a little before she settled, lying on the bed with a smile. Didn't last quite long though, as she felt rather apologetic for what happened in front of the inn… she was well-aware that none of it was her fault, of course. She wasn't even the one who brought the name up, nor could have anyone known how Chako would react, but still…

Sitting up again, she looked at the child, ready for a brief explanation.

"Just so you know, it's not exactly a name I go by. A good while ago, I was exploring one of the nearby forests when the innkeeper we met called out for help. He and his daughter got ambushed by bandits. They took his belongings and the girl, probably figured they could get ransom later… well, I gave them proper trashing for that."

She paused for a moment, one of her hands running over one of her ears as it twitched, the tail behind her back wagging a few times.

"I chose to be a Felis in this world, but this tial of mine is quite a bit thicker than that of most cats, so I guess the poor girl mistook me for a different kind of beastfolk when she first saw me then. And that's how that got started."

She was quite happy with her beastly body parts and their look. Heck, she would say that her body in this world was top tier cute and alluring any day of the week! But she never considered that someone else would mistake her for a wolf and that it would eventually lead to… all of this.

"Actually, you should totally meet up with Lyra! She's only a couple of years older than you, I think… she's working hard to become a Galeshot and the best hunter in Pormont. I bet you two could learn a lot from each other… way better than trying to pay for this room, I'd say~"

That last part was a bit of a tease, bit she did also mean it. Chako really seemed to be interested in the local deity, and befriending a local could do her a lot of good in many different ways.

"Then it could be me or her to show you around, help you find a good tailor or leatherworker to make that harp case."

@Chako

 

[Chako]

Seeing Fina lay down on the bed, Chako smiled as she saw how it seemed to be as bouncy as she had imagined... Still, she went to the other bed and sat down on it herself.

Then, she shivered as she heard the story, "I'm glad you saved her quickly." She didn't know how old the innkeeper's daughter was, but... Chako knew that there were worse things they could do than simply ask for ransom, so she definitely appreciated the fact that Fina saved her quickly.

Chako wondered if Fina thought that far before going for the rescue, or if she just didn't think too much about it... Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter. What mattered was that the girl was rescued quickly.

"Oh, so that's how this came to be!" Chako smiled. She appreciated the fact that Fina seemed to purposefully dodge the word now. It was a small thing, but it really mattered a lot to Chako.

"Galeshot?" Chako tilted her head. It wasn't a word she had heard before, "I wouldn't mind meeting her, but I'm not sure if she would have much to learn from me..." Chako doubted she'd be any good at helping a hunter... Sure, she knew how to echolocate, but unless the person's ears were as sensitive as hers, she doubted she'd be of much help there, since she couldn't really echolocate on Earth, so it wasn't something she could even teach herself properly without her Felis ears and Harmonic Magic, never mind teaching it to someone else.

That said, Chako felt that she could indeed learn a fair bit from a hunter... At the very minimum, she could learn how to better avoid threats without being detected... Not to mention just learning more about Pormont in general, since Lyra lived here!

"... Wait, what does that have to do with paying for the room!?" It's not that Chako didn't appreciate that Fina was telling her to not bother, especially because Chako didn't have much money on her anyways, but she didn't get the line of thought at all!

"Oh! That would be..." Wouldn't she just be a bother? Well, she was being a bother to Fina too, she supposed, "Well, if you or her are okay with me, I would appreciate being shown around!" Chako gave out a heartfelt smile. She was relying a bit too much on others again, but... Well, that was fine. Having independence doesn't mean never relying on anybody at all. Chako repeated to herself, as a reminder that she was not forsaking one of the many things that made her fall in love with Arcia.

Then, something else came to her mind, "Oh, right!" Chako started moving her fingers around, "How was it again...?" She seemed to be a bit troubled as she kept moving them here and there, taking pauses, then moving them again, "Oh, here we go!"

Notice

Chako has sent you a Friend Request. Do you accept?

"Gotta appreciate the good things the UI brings us, right!?" She smiled again.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

It really might have not been necessary to explain things like this, but it seemed that Chako appreciated knowing, at least. Not that it would help if people around kept using it… but then again, both her and Fina could at least ask the innkeep and his daughter to not use the nickname in the presence of the young felis.

"You can always learn something from others. It doesn't have to be something practical like shooting a bow, or playing a harp… just getting to know people will broaden your horizons, so to speak."

Especially for someone so young, Fina felt it pretty important that Chako would let her own mind grow, let it absorb the perspectives of others, so that she could grow to be an understanding and empathetic adult.

"Ah, and 'Galeshot' is what she named her hunting style. In the simplest terms, it's a hunter that relies on wind magic. I'm sure you'll find it very cool as well once you see it!"

At least there was no friction with the idea of meeting other people. Exploring along was fine and all, but friends were… an important part of life, frankly. And Fina could only laugh at Chako's confusion in regards to her contribution to paying for this room.

"Don't worry about it and just do your best making new friends and learning about Lady Uene, mhm~?"

The notice popping in front of her was more of a surprise than anything else from someone who clearly didn't like using the UI. But the surprise was ultimately a welcome one, as the feline easily pressed down on the button that added yet another name to her friends list. With a smile, she plopped herself down again.

"Guess you'll be able to just contact me whenever now, so don't hesitate. The way here was pretty damn long, so you should check the real world time to see if you can get anything else done, but I'll be getting off for now."

@Chako

 

[Chako]

"I wonder..." Chako paused for a bit to try articulate her thoughts before continuing, "I feel like Lyra would probably just think of spending time with me as babysitting me, but I'm willing to give it a shot." Chako said honestly. Getting to know more people could broader others' horizons, sure... But getting to know her? Chako just didn't feel like she would add much to anyone's life.

"Oh, I see! That does sound like a pretty cool hunting style, alright!" Probably also quite tricky to use, but Chako could imagine it being very good at what it sets out to do.

Though this did raise a question in Chako's mind, "Mmmmm... I hope wild beasts don't travel near the town too often... Like, it would be easier on a hunter if the travel time wasn't long, but it would be troublesome if they attacked the fields often, wouldn't it!?" Basically, Chako was a bit surprised that there were hunters in Pormont so close to the first church of Uene. She figured it would be hard to find something to hunt here, but... Well, hopefully beasts didn't appear regularly enough to cause problems.

Chako pouted at Fina's next words for a bit, but then she sighed in resignation, "I guess I'll just accept your kindness here. I definitely don't have much money to spare on me, so I'm not exactly in a position to insist that I pay my part." It felt a bit unfair, but... Well, Fina probably had way more money than she did, so Chako decided to just accept that for what it was, "I will be sure to make friends and learn plenty about lady Uene though!" Chako smiled.

Fina actually referring to lady Uene with a respectful term was a happy surprise. Chako figured that most Starcalled would just refer to the gods by name without thinking too much about it if they aren't religious, but... Fina was probably talking like that because she was talking to Chako. And that was something that brought a big smile to Chako's face.

"I won't hesitate!

"... I don't really send PMs often, for the record, but... I do appreciate that we're able to communicate over long-distance as needed! Don't hesitate to contact me too! I might get startled when a PM appears, but I'll reply as soon as I can! I made sure to keep that part of the UI turned on!" At first Chako felt like this was a necessary evil that was a bit immersion breaking, but was also too convenient to pass on, but... Now? Now she just felt like sending instant letters was better than needing to send actual letters, so she was going to make use of that!

Then, Chako looked outside the window and saw the sky getting redder, "I think I don't need a clock to tell me I should go home before mom gets angry at me." Chako giggled, "She doesn't mind me spending a lot of time here in Arcia, even if she doesn't know what Arcia actually is, but she made sure to set some time rules... To make sure it didn't get to the point of me missing dinner or anything like that, yanno? And to let us have some family time together as well." They only had each other now, after all. It was important to cherish each moment they had with each other... Especially if I ever give in to the temptation to stay in Arcia permanently...

Chako gave out a bit of a tired smile, "Guess I'll be leaving for the day too... Thank you for everything, Fina!" Chako then layed down on the bed, made sure to change the settings to keeping her body in place while logging out, and was ready to leave, unless Fina said something to stop her.

@Fina Drago

 

[Fina Drago]

‎

Fina understood why Chako might have thought that way. She was young, after all, so many people might have seen her as nothing more than a little baby to keep an eye on. But as she stated before, Lyra wasn't that much older than the young felis, and while Chako was free to assume whatever she wanted about someone she had never met before, Fina already knew what the innkeep's daughter was like. And she was sure that those two together would be just fine fine.

"You should be able to explore the fields around the town without too much worry. No predators to be seen this close to the city, though you might run into hares or does. Maybe a stray boar at worst. Either way, even this place needs hunters who bring in the meat. While this place grows more than an abundance of crops, a diet of nothing but that would get stale pretty quickly."

And it was good to hear Chako agree that she would at least try to make some friends here. It sounded like she already did pretty well on that part back at Honeyhome, so perhaps there was nothing to worry about. At if it came down to it, Fina herself planned to stay for a while, so she could always keep an eye out for any troublemakers.

It was honestly a bit strange, seeing and hearing someone talk about… well, their life outside of here. It was not a topic most people shared with the feline, but it also made her wonder… just how exactly did someone like Chako get access to this place? Was she one of the 'chosen' and received the mysterious email that allowed her to download the game's client onto her VR headset? Or… did she stoop as low as Fina herself? At such a young age? It left so many questions to ponder, questions that were left unspoken as she merely observed the child lay down.

"Yes, go spend some quality time with your mom if you can. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon… and no need to thank me, really."

With that, waved her hand goodbye as the other girl's body would fall lifeless, falling 'asleep' as soon as the one controlling the vessel logged off. Letting out a sigh, there were many things that bothered Fina about her newest friend here… but she could only hope that the child would keep herself safe, and that she would not loose herself in the dangerous allure of this world.

She would be gone from the room before Chako would awake again, but as she herself said… they would surely meet again soon.

@Chako