Complete Western Brisshal Ambush

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

"Oooh! That's still very amazing!" Ronja's eyes sparkled at everything Harper revealed. To think she would meet someone so impressive in Terrasphere! It seemed like it wasn't just shut ins who played the game.

The defeated tone from Harper made Ronja feel slightly bad, especially knowing she could probably help the girl in this aspect. But revealing the real identity online wasn't exactly something common, as far as Ronja knew, so for that moment she could only watch the girl's trouble helplessly. "Yes! That's the spirit!" Ronja beamed. "As long as you keep doing your best, Ronja is sure you will succeed. And maybe she will even be able to watch and cheer for you." She grinned, throwing a few punches for emphasis, even if Judo didn't involve punching.

When asked about a date, even if the girl quickly corrected herself, Ronja giggled. "Any time, really... Ronja is available most of the time." She said.

As the second question came through, the deer approached once again, with the meals and drinks the girls had ordered and gently placing it on the counter, flashing a warm smile for both of them. The smell of the food was enough to water anyone's mouth, hyping up expectations for a wonderful taste.

"Nnngh! if Ronja could only taste it!" She whined, fidgeting on her stool and looking at Harper. "Hmmm, for now... Ronja wants to keep upgrading her magitech after that. Ronja plans to invent and craft things in this game, after all"

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Heh, right? But that's nothing yet. I still have a lot to accomplish. To win!" She would return Ronja's air punches with some of her own, the two making a bit of a scene before the magia stopped and the tigress following suit. As she settled down, she would cross her arms as she answered Ronja's wishes with a smile. "Well, I'm sure there are going events with streams. Even if there aren't, or I'm not in any featured matches on stream... Just knowing that you are going to be rooting for me is going to be a big boost."

At the mention of her availability, Harper smirked. A very fruitful partnership was being made in this tavern. She'd open her mouth to talk about it, but the two of them would be interrupted by the arrival of their food. The plentiful mix of scents immediately hit the tigress, who couldn't help but start salivating. She'd quickly catch it and wipe whatever started to drip off the corners of her mouth before getting her hands on the first of her ribs.

Taking a bite out of it, she'd close her eyes as the incredible taste filled her tastebuds. Taking a few moments to chew it down, before gulping it down her gullet with some of her honeyed milk. Letting out a relieved sigh, she'd turn toward Ronja with a sympathetic look... Paired with her wet, whiteish upper lip from her milk.

"You are missing way too much, Ronja... Say, give me a call when you go back to working on that taste upgrade, and I'll go looking for whatever you need. You have this tigress's word!" She'd say with a proud pound on her chest... Before digging into another rib like a ravenous beast.

They said money can't buy happiness. Maybe that was true. But it certainly helped.

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

"Yeees!" Ronja beamed along, swaying her legs excitedly at the idea. When Harper did mention streams and everything, Ronja did wonder if the other girl was actually fine with letting her watch her, knowing who she was. Perhaps Harper was less bothered about her real identity. "You need to let Ronja know then, if you want to, that is... Ronja understands the implications." She said with a nod.

As Harper started her feast, so did Ronja, who took her time to sniff the smell of the wonderful food and dream about its taste, only to feel the texture of the food only instead. Of course, it was still good to feel that fresh and warm food dancing in her tongue and teeth, but hell it would be much better if she could taste it!

"Huh? Really?" Ronja perked up, turning to look at Harper with a smile.

"You will help Ronja out in this? You will really do?" She asked, joyfully.

@Harper (Sorry! I missed the alert because of the mini event!)

 

[Harper]

Harper would shrug Ronja's comment off, waving off her concerns with a literal wave of her rib-gripping left hand. She didn't really care all that much about her identity eventually getting out there, after all, if she wanted to be the best, it would eventually happen naturally. As long as she didn't attract the wrong type of attention, everything should be alright. And even if she did attract those kinds of people... She could always judo throw the bad away. Probably.

"Don't worry about it. If I'm telling you, it's because I think you are a good enough person for me to do so. Or that I can positively beat your ass should you come to harass me in real life. But I can assure you that your case is the former, haha."

While Ronja could only feel the texture of the food, the tigress could and did enjoy every fiber of the ribs she was chewing on, the honeyed milk she had ordered with them already done for. The beastkin was truly ravenous, and she wasn't shy about loudly cracking the rib bones with her strong jaw. Every bit of nutrition counted, after all, even if it was equal parts disturbing and distracting.

When asked if she really meant it when it came to helping Ronja, the tigress let out a hearty laugh as she playfully pat the Magia in the back. And even though they were roughly the same size, said pat could knock the wind out of her lungs. Crush Weapons was truly something magical.

"Yeah, of course I do! When Harper says something, you can truly believe she means it!" She'd proudly proclaim, stuffing her chest. "And bartender, get me another cup of this delicious honeyed milk!" Harper would ask to the deer bartender, her tail softly wagging behind her.

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja breathed a laugh. "Ronja is sure that anyone could beat her ass at any moment. Especially a martial artist like you." She said, having a small smile and looking at Harper fondly. The girl's energy was endearing, it did make Ronja feel a bit envious, especially considering how much the other could do out of the game. But at the same time, it made Ronja feel fairly happy to have her around.

"Ronja is very glad that you think of her that way. Ronja also thinks you are a good person, and she is still very grateful for you saving her life!" She beamed, clasping her metallic hands together.

And upon the confirmation of help, the clasped hands interweaved its fingers, wrapping together as she smiled warmly. "Thank you very much, Harper..." She hummed happily.

The deer woman didn't take long, soon approaching with another glass of honeyed milk. "Here... You are, little cub." She said, crossing her arms above the counter and tilting her head.

"You... Two... Want to find magitech..?" The deer asked.

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Aw, but who would ever hurt such a sweet girl? They'd truly have to be a monster." She'd tease Ronja, cleaning one of her hands on a handkerchief nearby before ruffling her cyan hair a bit. Although Nicole was well-versed in martial arts, it really took a whole lot of antagonizing her for the thought of hurting someone even cross her head. It went against the principles both Judo and BJJ taught her, after all.

As Ronja profoundly thanked the tigress once more for saving her back there, Harper couldn't help but lay back a bit further in her seat, nodding at her words with a proud smile on her face, clearly enjoying the praise she was receiving. She hadn't really thought about it before, but there was something she really did enjoy in helping people out, and it wasn't just because of the praise.

There was something about the worry and sadness in someone's face going away, giving place to happiness and joy and you knowing that you were the one who caused it just made Harper go all warm and soft on the inside. Maybe she should go out of her way to do it more, it certainly wouldn't hurt. Lightly scratching her cheek, she'd give a light chuckle at Ronja's words, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"Aw shucks, I'm going to be all embarrassed if you keep saying all those things about me out loud. Do feel free to keep going, hehe." She'd be interrupted by the intermission of the bartender, her mentioning magitech making the beastkin's ears perk up and turn towards her, Harper resting her elbow on the counter so she could rest her face on her hand.

"Ohoh? And here I thought a high-end place like this wouldn't have your usual bartender gossip." Going bottoms-up on one of her newest cups of honeyed milk, she'd put the empty cup down as she wiped her lips with her free hand, before continuing. "But yes, we are in fact looking for some." As she said that, she would wrap an arm around Ronja, pulling the two of them closer together. "So, whatcha got for us?"

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja giggled softly, leaning on the hair ruffling Harper offered until she realized that she was being pat by, theoretically, a girl that was much younger than her. The idea made her frown slightly, but honestly judging by the way the other acted, she was probably older than her avatar showed. (And it was what Ronja hoped, for the sake of her own dignity).

"Ronja is sweet, hmm? Harper is very sweet too." Ronja chirped with a bubbly expression on her face. "Maybe a bit citric, though" She winked, turning to take a bite of her food and side glancing Harper with a grin. "Ronja will say it every day for you then. You are amazing!" The Magia said, then finally turning her attention to the deer woman, that seemed to have a bit more knowledge on the topic regarding magitech.

"Yes! Tell us, what you got." She fidgeted in excitement.

The deer woman chuckled lowly, approaching and looking at both of them with a serene glint in her eyes. "I... Am not... A mere bartender..." The deer admitted, smirking at Harper.

"I am... No lander either... I am... I was a player..." She said, humming. "Dragonfall... That was... Magnific and terrifying..." Her head tilted, looking at both of them.

"There... You can find..." She stared intently at Ronja. "Other Magia... And pieces for you..."

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Citric...?" Harper would be a bit taken aback by the comment, especially since she didn't consider citric to be a positive descriptor in this case. Had she said something wrong to warrant such a comment? The question would swirl in her head for a moment before the tigress happened to glance at one of the empty glasses, spotting her reflection.

"Oh." Harper would stop for a moment, before falling into a fit of chuckling at her own expense for a moment before recomposing herself. "That one is on me, haha. So, you were a player? Does that mean you... You know, are stranded in here?" She'd bluntly ask, curiosity taking over her for a moment. Even if she had already been introduced to the truth about Terrasphere's death system, it still felt quite surreal to her that someone could die in real life from this game. Yet the more UI-Locked people she met, the more real it got.

"If that's the case, then you do have my condolences." Harper would note in a respectful tone, before taking a look around the bar. "Though, you did manage to prop up a pretty nice place here. And if the traffic you have today is constant, you should be set pretty well for life." The beastkin would note, resting a hand under her chin as she squinted her eyes slightly, now processing the rest of the information that was sent her way.

"This place you mentioned... It seems like one of those aircraft boneyards, but with Magias instead. Which sounds like an incredibly unnerving place to walk around on." She'd say with a small shiver, crossing her arms as she looked at Ronja by her side. "Still, it does sound like a good opportunity for Ronja. Even if we don't outright find parts that fit her, I'm sure she can get at least some good inspiration for her own stuff. Though..."

Harper would scratch her head for a moment, before visibly shrugging and letting out a defeated sigh. Looking back at the bartender, she'd comment on the topic of Dragonfall while her hands went up to fixing her large twin tails which got a bit messy from the conflict prior. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know much about this "Dragonfall" event you've mentioned. What about you Ronja?" She'd say with a smirk, playfully elbowing the Magia's arm. "You certainly sound a bit more experienced in this game than I do. Got any tips for this tiger here?"

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

"Mhmm! Citric like a refreshing summer. Lemonades and all. You are just bright like that." Ronja giggled, wondering if that sounded a bit cheesy, but it was mostly her artistic side speaking.

Ronja's attention then shifted to the deer, with the implications of what she said making Ronja's eyes retract for a moment, dilating in a slow clicking sound. Her hands fidgeted on her lap, listening attentively to both the woman's words and then at Harper referencing her.

"Ronja have heard very little about it. All she knows is that it is a very dangerous place." She said, smiling shyly at the mention she was experienced. "It is filled with dangerous automatons and robots... and it used to be Astorea's capital, until an accident happened." Ronja paused, looking at the deer, not knowing the details very well.

The deer looked at the tiger girl, smiling gratefully. "Thank you... For the... Kind words..." She said. "But... I doubt anyone... Misses me out there... So it is... Alright." She stated, tilting her head.

"Dragonfall... That day the sky had darkened... Three giant... Mechanical dragons..? Ships..? All of them... flied and roared in the skies..." The deer told. "One of them... Fell... And brought... Chaos..."

Her lips frowned. "Many lost... Home..? No more... Only robots..." Her eyes trailed to Ronja. "And androids... Like you..."

@Harper

 

[Harper]

Harper couldn't help but let out a frown as the deer beastkin commented that no one missed her back in real life. She couldn't fathom the thought, since, for all her social faults, she had a good lot of people who would deeply miss her and vice-versa. Her family, friends, training partners... Even the thought gave her shivers.

And yet, she was here playing Terrasphere. Even though this started as mostly a way to spend free time, she learned about the mechanics of death quite early, and yet... She was still playing the game. The experience was just something she could never have back in the real world, and as she met more and more UI-Locked people it reminded her of the danger she was constantly in. Yet, the thrill of kill-or-be-killed kept her hooked like nothing else.

In a way, it was nature's ultimate competition. And besides, she could always just cut her losses and put the game down at two deaths, so why not indulge a bit while she had the leeway?

"Wow... Sounds like one hell of a bad time for everyone involved. Still, a lot of robots and Magia, you say..." The beastkin would think for a bit in between eating and drinking what she had ordered, analyzing the logistics of the situation they might just be throwing themselves into this time. After all, going into a devastated land filled with danger was a bit different than defeating a single goblin champion.

"The numbers will certainly not be in our favor if even a few of them turn out to be hostile." The tigress would note, lazily moving the cup in her clawed hand from side to side. "The fact that neither of us knows much about the place is a problem too. Still, I'm down for it." With a smile, she'd turn towards Ronja. "I did say I'd help you out, after all. But are you down for it? It might not end up being an easy day in the park. So, ready to wet your feet?"

She'd ask in a playful tone, but the question was important. Harper did say she'd help Ronja out, but it would be ill-advised to go neck-deep into danger with someone who's head isn't also 100% into it.

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja's eyes clicked at the deer's words. And while she couldn't say nobody would miss her if she was gone, Ronja shared the sympathy of... a certain indifference to the death the game could cause. Her eyes shifted to Harper, tilting her head. "Ronja hopes they are willing to talk to Ronja, if they are similar to her." She said.

"Of course Ronja is. It isn't like she has anything to lose." Ronja smiled looking at Harper, noticing the other girl's spirit hardly has been affected by the reveal. "In this case, Ronja would suggest us to get ready." She grinned.

"Ronja is very glad you want to help her out, and we must be prepared for everything..." She huffed.

"Any particular day you want to come with Ronja there?" Ronja asked, with her attention shifted completely to her tiger friend, that so far has been the most supportive.

@Harper

 

[Harper]

Harper would nod as Ronja noted her wish for peaceful interactions with whatever Magia they might find in their expedition. It would certainly make things a lot easier if they didn't have to wear themselves out against an army of them before getting anything done. And besides, while she hadn't tested this yet to be sure, Harper didn't know if some of her holds would work on them. Could she even choke out a Magia?

These and other questions kept her mind occupied for a moment or two, though Ronja's comment that she didn't have anything to lose did get the tigress's attention, the beastkin frowning before letting out a quick quip. "Well, except your life. It is going to be quite dangerous, after all." She'd take a serious tone, keeping the silence for a moment as she brought a rib bone to her mouth, the loud cracking sound as she chomped down on it being followed by Harper herself cracking up and waving the previous tone away as she lightly slapped Ronja's shoulder with a chuckle.

"Hah, I'm just pulling your leg there. Well, kinda. It's true that we are putting ourselves in danger, but losing hair over it would only work against us. Being prepared is a good thing, but being overly so would just burden us. Balance is important is what I'm trying to say." She'd say as she lightly pushed her empty plate of ribs and cups of milk forwards, signaling she was done for now. "Man, that was some good food." Would exclaim the tigress with a few pats of her now slightly rounder belly.

At being asked about her availability, Harper would ponder for a moment. "I'd say the weekends, mostly. If that doesn't match up well with you, I can afford to miss Friday's practice, but I'd very much rather not do it. Gotta stay sharp, and the best way to do that would be to not miss a single day."

@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

At the mention of her life, Ronja shrugged slightly, looking at Harper with a faint expression. "As long as you are fine, Ronja would say we shouldn't worry too much about it." She affirmed, then shrugging.

The slap on her shoulder got Ronja to perk up slightly, with her eyes clicking twice as she averted her face, still side looking at Harper. "Preparation is the key for this lock we are trying to open, yes. And Ronja would say we have all the keys for it."

Ronja then turned to Harper, smiling brightly. "Weekend, any day really, is fine for Ronja!" She exclaimed, approaching the Tiger girl and holding her hands with a small squeal. "Thank you so much! Ronja can never thank you enough for everything, Harper! She will make sure to reward you as much as she can in future." She beamed, softening her expressions and breathing a sigh when opening her UI.

"But for now, Ronja thinks she can only go one more round of drink before logging off for a bit." She said.

@Harper We can probably end on your next post~

 

[Harper]

Harper would visibly raise an eyebrow as Ronja seemingly put Harper's life before hers. She didn't really understand it, and while having someone that keen on keeping her safe was well and good, it wasn't like the beastkin didn't want Ronja to be fine also. But she figured that whatever was the cause of Ronja's mindset probably wasn't something she could fix with a drink or two, so she decided to let it slide for the moment being.

"If you say so. Just don't focus too much on the lock and forget about the way to it." She'd comment, before having her hands suddenly shaken by the Magia in appreciation for her acceptance, stunning the beastkin for a moment before she let out a warm smile. Ronja's attitude was just that incredibly contagious. "Well, it's not like I'm doing this for money or fame. If we get a good fight or two or something that I can sell while looking for the parts, then that's good enough! All that matters is that we get you your parts."

Upon hearing that Ronja was close to logging off for the day, the Harper would motion to the bartender. "Yo, hit me up. Same one." After a little bit, her cup of honeyed milk would arrive and she would lift it up in the air, before brandishing it towards Ronja with a smirk. "I say a toast! For me and you of now, and me and you of 'morrow. And to a fruitful friendship!" She would exclaim, letting go of her worry of causing a ruckus for a moment as she moved in to toast with the Magia's drink before downing her own.

Today was a very eventful day for Harper. And she knew that her meeting with Ronja would change her path on Terrasphere forever. But for today, all they would do is share one last drink.

Cheers!

@Ronja Bubblyfoot