Private Providence Ain't No Mountain High Enough

[Herrscher]

The Shadow Reaper

Visiting the mountainous region of Providence, Haru thought of trekking up the mountains. A little adventure awaits for the young Shadowmancer. Despite the possible dangers in participating in such an activity, Haru was addicted to exploring new places. Especially in this virtual world not of her own. Thankfully she is not alone for a companion that takes the form of a shadowy pup was with her. The puppy rests in Haru's backpack, barking cheerfully in support of her master. Haru felt warm and happy.

This is enough.

Before she starts her climb, Haru arrives in this small town built nearby a tall and mighty mountain. She needed to get some supplies first in case her trip took a little longer than expected. So with that, she enters an establishment that could grant Haru some needed equipment and food for the mountain track. It was a quick in and out. She interacted with the shop owner and got what was necessary to be prepared. After the transaction, she steps out of the building. Feeling more confident for her plans. However, just as she does so, Prizrak—Haru's shadow puppy—leaps out of her backpack and begins running down the street. Haru's eyes widen as she sees her friend running away all excited.

"Prizrak! Prizrak! Come back! You might get yourself hurt!"

Haru starts chasing after her puppy, worried that it might get itself into trouble. The townsfolk are later gifted this sight of this eye-patch wearing woman running after this shadowy pup. Making a lot of noise.

"Prizrak, please! Awaaa!"

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Haruka was lurking a small town's marketplace for interesting ingredients. Well, she was now. Honestly, the woman couldn't remember why she'd been there in the first place anymore. But, this was common for Harukami. She'd forget her own head if it weren't attached. But while she had a bad memory, she had decent enough perception to notice when people were reacting to something unusual.

A woman running down the street, chasing after a shadowy-looking puppy, was making quite a bit of noise, garnering her a lot of attention.

Worried for the puppy, Haruka ran in front of it and crouched down, putting a hand up in a 'stop' gesture. "Prizrak is your name, right? Now sit down, Prizrak. You can do it. Come sit." She pat her lap as she lowered herself to the ground completely.

Surprisingly even to her, the puppy seemed to obey, crawling into her lap and snuggling up against her.

"That's a good little guy," Haruka chimed with a smile. "Good Prizrak. Nice and relaxed now, aren't you?" Looking up towards the eye-patched woman with a smile, she said, "H-He's yours, right? H-He's calmed down now."

@Herrscher

 

[Herrscher]

The Shadow Reaper

When Haruka gets in the way of Prizrak, the little shadow puppy stops himself from moving any further. There was something about her that managed to make him halt in his tracks. Now he finds himself snuggling up against her, letting out these cute barks of joy as if it had found another friend.

Haruka is able to determine that this shadowy puppy was not "alive." It looks to be a literal shadow of its former self. A result of some form of Animancy for sure. Perhaps even a combination of other masteries that exist in the game of Terrasphere.

Haru's chase for her puppy, Prizrak, lasts for about a minute or two before finally someone intervenes. She sees that Haruka manages to get Prizrak to calm down. She was thankful for that as she no longer needed to worry about her pup getting in trouble or worse. When the chase stops, Haru was feeling tired. She starts panting, taking a moment to catch her breath before moving a little closer to the pair.

"Thank you for helping... And yes, he's mine."

With a heavy sigh, Haru gets down on her knees. She gently rubs the head of the pup and frowns.

"Why didn't you listen, Prizrak? You scared me."

Seeing Haru look sad, the puppy felt sad too. Prizrak started to feel guilty for his actions so he proceeds to move back to his master and try to apologize. He does so by leaping onto her lap, whimpering. The sight of Prizrak looking sorry made Haru feel even more sad. So as one would expect from a good master, she puts on a smile and comforts her companion.

"There, there. It's all right, Prizrak. Just don't do it again, ok?"

As Haru forgives him, the shadow puppy's tail wags with energy. He then lets out another bark before running in circles around Haru. Leaving her to chuckle as a result.

Seeing that Prizrak was safe now, she shifts her attention to Haruka. From there, Haru forms a sheepish smile on her face and attempts to converse with her.

"I really appreciate what you did back there. Prizrak's my only friend at the moment. If he had gotten himself hurt, I wouldn't know what to do."

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

It wasn't until she felt the shadow in her lap that she realized it wasn't an actual, living puppy. What is this interesting creature? She pondered, but it didn't last for long. Its master had come over to check on it and admit her ownership. She even thanked Haruka for her (not very hard) work!

"I-It's really fine!" She yipped, startled by how close the woman suddenly was to pet her dog. "I-I didn't do much of anything. I-I'm just good with anime... erm, no, uh... animals!" She laughed nervously, ashamed she could be so foolish as to mix up animation and animals.

"I-I can understand that. In the other world, m-my sister is basically my l-lifeblood." Haruka laughed a bit, smiling. "Ah- m-my name is Haruka...mi. M-Maybe we can become friends." It was wishful thinking, but it was worth offering nonetheless.

@Herrscher

 

[Herrscher]

The Shadow Reaper

Now that Prizrak has calmed down—sort of—Haru would pick up her companion and slowly stand up. Kneeling down in the street and staring at the woman in front of her was strange. Especially for the townsfolk present that had witnessed their opening exchange.

Haru maintains her smile and takes a deep breath to relax. It would not be wise if she was just as nervous as the person she was speaking to. At least one person should be able to lead the interaction, that way both would warm up to each other and become comfortable. This was a lesson taught to her by a friend she knows in the non-virtual world. The real world.

"No, please. I'm really thankful for what you did. Though you view it to be little, you still did something! Despite Prizrak here being my companion, I still can't really control him from time to time."

She looks at the shadow puppy in her arms and melts her heart after locking her eyes with the smaller creature. It was hard to resist its cuteness. Especially when that someone is like Haru—a person that is always emotionally vulnerable.

When Haruka mentions the word "friend," this caught her attention. She was a little surprised by the offer but felt a bit of glee inside of her.

"Y-Yeah! Maybe we can. The name is Haru. What's yours- Wait no, you already said it. Ahaha... Off to a great start aren't we, huh?"

Like Haruka, she laughs for a moment. Simply hiding away her pain of embarrassment through this playful act. But even with the stutters, Haru's statement was genuine. She really does not mind making friends with Haruka. Especially since from her name, she could be a fellow Japanese. It should be easier to befriend the stranger in Haru's eyes. Hopefully. Probably not.

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

"I-I'm honestly s-surprised he calmed down with me," Haruka admitted. "W-When I first saw him, I thought my b-beast arts were what helped, but when he was in my lap, I realized I was wrong."

Haruka took a deep breath before standing on her feet again, dusting off her skirt and smiling faintly to Haru as she introduced herself. Their names were so similar it was kind of funny, so Haruka giggled a bit, bowing politely to the other woman. She had a feeling Haru would appreciate her politeness and understand it better than many others did.

"A-Are you by chance also from Japan? I-I know our names are common in some, uh, distant countries, but..." As she trailed off, she looked over the landscape for a moment. "I-It's kind of funny how similar our names are. T-That's why I was curious if we had being Japanese in common too."

@Herrscher

 

[Herrscher]

The Shadow Reaper

And Haru's assumption was correct! Harukami was in fact a Japanese just like her. This made Haru feel more comfortable now that she is speaking to someone like her.

"I am! It's really nice to see that there are other people from Japan that play this game!"

She got a little too excited there because she leaped up into the air as if to celebrate a victory. She also squealed and raised her fist. It just shows how fortunate Haru feels currently. Even Prizrak was surprised by his master's behavior. Realizing that she may over gone too far, she covers her mouth and blushes.

"S-Sorry about that... I got a carried away. Ahaha..."

Haru coughs into her right fist and takes a deep breath to compose herself. She then returns Harukami's bow to also share the same level of respect and gratitude.

"If you don't mind me asking, where in Japan do you live? Who knows, maybe we live close to each other. U-Unless you don't to maintain your privacy! If that is the case then please don't feel forced to answer. I was just curious is all. I tend to ask too many questions when I got overwhelmed..."

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

Haruka couldn't help a slight giggle that escaped her lips. "Haru-chan is adorable!" She chimed, clasping her hands together. She meant it, too- the woman's energy level was endearing, and her excitement warmed Haruka's heart just to witness. A soft blush found its way onto her cheeks as she glanced sideways, trying to hide her own excitement and embarrassment. Was calling a semi-stranger 'adorable' okay?

"I live in the countryside," Haruka explained, feeling a bit more confident. "I-If you're ever in Tottori, you should let me know. It's very far from populated, but it's really beautiful." Her smile had grown significantly as she thought of the wonderful scenery of home. "Whereabouts are you?"

Haruka's shyness returned ever so slightly as she began to twirl her hair, realizing she'd just asked a rather personal question- even if she'd been asked it first. "I've been thinking of taking a small trip next break. Maybe it will inspire me of where to visit."

Waving her hands in front of her, she chirped, "N-Not that you have to tell me! I just got curious too! A-and I don't mind questions. I-If anything, they make me happy. It's always nice when someone shows an interest in us, isn't it?"

@Herrscher

 

[Herrscher]

The Shadow Reaper

When Haruka shares some very valuable information, Haru became concerned. It is only fair she does the same so she quickly speaks up regarding the matter.

"Ah! It's only fair that I tell you where I am from since you just answered my question. I'm currently studying in Tokyo. Looks like we are both in completely different areas. Though this makes me wonder... how did you get access to Terrasphere?"

Again, Haru was curious. Sometimes she is able to completely ignore such feelings but sometimes it is impossible to do so. All she ever wants are answers. Though despite being very hungry for such, she never has the guts to ask most of the time. At least with Haruka, she seemed very kind. In fact, their share many similarities with each other. From their personality to where they are from.

"I have never been to Tottori before... I should really travel around Japan at some point. My friends tell me that I'm always missing out. Though whenever I try to do so, I get too scared to even leave my dorm. I'm a lost cause... "

She sighs in defeat. There was not much she can do to battle her problems. Although, for some reason, in Terrasphere, Haru was open to exploring. Though the place is not real it most definitely felt like it was. She was about to go on a mountain climb—something she has never done before in her life. This game just allows her to break her usual behavior frequently. This exchange with Haruka was no exception.

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

"Even the countryside has internet nowadays, you know?" Haruka explained, thinking that was the problem. "It may be a little slower but..." Her brain finally cliked that the woman may not have meant 'how do you access it now', but rather, 'how did you even find out about it'. Laughing nervously, unaware her stutter had managed to vanish for a bit, she explained. "T-To be honest, I don't really remember how I got the program installed. I think it was in an email? Maybe? No, that doesn't sound right..."

Knocking on her head slightly, she laughed. "My brain is kind of, um, bad. It's a long story so..."

Taking a break from worrying about whether she should tell Haru about her brain damage in general, Haruka focused on listening to Haru explain her living situation and lack of travel. "I go to Tokyo sometimes to visit relatives. My family is, er, from Tokyo originally. Mom moved us to the countryside for my health as an... adolescent, I think the word is?"

If Haru told Haruka about how she used the game, Haruka would've been entertained by just how similar they were. Their names were similar, they both had some anxiety, and Haruka used this game to get out of her comfort zone just as much as Haru did. She giggled a little, thinking of the ones she at least knew so far. "It's um, kind of... amassing- er, no, um... amazing! That's it! It is, isn't it? This world let me meet someone so familiar yet so different."

@Herrscher

 

[Herrscher]

The Shadow Reaper

The fact that someone like Harukami got access to Terrasphere meant that despite the game's global ban, there are still many people that have access or at some point gain access to the game. It was awfully concerning for the Shadowmancer. Though just as she begins to ponder on why people are still playing the game, Haruka reveals that there was something wrong with her. Her brain in specific.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that... Er..."

Haru wasn't sure on how to follow up with that information about Haruka. There was something wrong with her brain? Seeing that it may be too personal, Haru proceeds to move on with the conversation. After all, she does not want to offend or hurt the feelings of the fellow Japanese player. The two just met so it would be unhealthy for the both of them if things spiral to a negative path.

"Yes. It is definitely amazing, this place. Have you met other players? Maybe gone to a quest or two? To be honest I'm still afraid of going on these player raids and all. Personally I prefer exploring Terrasphere rather than fighting monsters."

She nods her head. Haruka can also note that Haru did look like the exploring type. With all the equipment she had on her, she looks like she is about to go mountain climbing. It would explain why she is here.

"Hmm... If you don't have any plans, maybe you can join me? I asked the locals and they said the mountains nearby are relatively safe. Just need to watch our steps and all that. A-And don't get me wrong! I'm not an expert or anything. I just want to try something new. The game has been... very providing when it gets players to get out of their comfort zone."

@Harukami