Complete Eastern Brisshal At The Right Time

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno was patrolling the beginner's area, as usual, having a bag of fruits he has gathered around in a hand, and one of the said fruits in another, with every greedy bite on it, making a quarter of it disappear deep into his stomach. As part of his usual gluttonous way, the bag was quickly becoming lighter, with a trail of eaten fruit nearly being left behind, if it wasn't for his shield sometimes growing a tentacle and a mouth to snatch and eat the peels.

So far, the day has been rather quiet. One or another star fell in the sky, but without any sight of newbies, Hanno could only guess it was because whoever that had spawned, did somewhere else very far.

At that point, he hoped whoever it was could be found by Cleo, who should be working on the other side, or any other veteran or fellow newbies so they could get off the forest in safety.

As he finished another fruit and tossed it aside, his eyes soon spotted someone-- And incredibly enough, someone that he didn't need to look up to see.

"Oh, hey there-!"

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Another lovely day in the game! Caelia hummed quietly to herself as she strolled along the path, heading away from Honeyhome for once. Maybe she'd go check out Maithe's Rest today, or maybe visit the Mudspring she'd heard some Landers talking about. The more she practiced her magics, the more comfortable she was getting roaming farther and farther from where she'd started. Maybe she'd even leave Falderen eventually and see what else was out there!

The small Faerin looked up when someone called out, making eye contact with another small individual not far down the road. She smiled and waved, starting to approach. Once she was closer, she spoke, her face still beaming a smile.

Hi there! What's your name? I'm Caelia, it's nice to meet you! You sure have a lot of little fruits there, what are they? I don't think I've seen them before.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno's eyes met with the fellow friendly faerin, blinking for a moment before he smiled brightly back at her. The woman looked a bit new, he could notice it. Especially the way she told she had never seen these fruits before, something that was a big sign she was new since some of them are completely common in the surroundings.

"Name's Hanno, Hanno Futaba." He grinned, introducing himself. "It is nice to meet'cha, Caelia." He said, shifting a glance to his bag of fruits before looking back at her.

"You got it right, I have plenty of fruits here. Gathered some while patrolling for a bit. It is that time of the year again, so a lot of this bloom around." He tucked his hand into his back, pulling out a funny purple one to offer her.

❰ Veobola ❱

"Feel free to give it a try. I have a lot more if you want to have them." He said, smiling faintly.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia had seen some of these little fruits blooming on her walks around Eastern Brishaal, but she hadn't stopped to pick them and see if her UI had recognized what they were. She took one now from Hanno, looking at it curiously before popping it into her mouth and taking a bite. The taste was strange, but not in a bad way, and she smiled while covering her mouth with one hand. Once she'd finished chewing, she spoke.

That's pretty good! You said you were patrolling? What for? Are you from the old game, keeping an eye out on newbies like me?

She laughed a little bit, glad that this person was friendly. Then again, most of the encounters she'd had thus far had been rather friendly. Maybe people were just nice in games! Certainly nicer than in real life...

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"I am glad you like it, buddy." He winked.

For Hanno's surprise, the fellow faerin caught up what he was doing fairly quickly, without the need of him elaborating anything. "Bingo. Hell, you are a smart one, aren'tcha?" Hanno chuckled heartily, resting a hand on his waist and taking a careful glance at Caelia. "It is the beginner area, but there are plenty of dangers like bears, wolves, bandits, and beasts in general" He explained.

"I think you have heard the rumors, right? Danger of life and everything? This ain't just rumors, it is the truth, and that's why I am patrolling." He said, already killing many birds with a stone.

If the faerin knew about the rumors and thought it was a lie, Hanno already presented it as a truth. If the faerin didn't, Hanno had told her now, and he could start trying to convince her to log off.

At least, that was his usual plan.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia wiped her mouth with the back of her hand to get some juice from the fruit off of it. She blinked slowly as Hanno asked if she'd heard the rumors... She hesitated, looking almost guilty for a moment as her gaze slid off of Hanno and to the side.

Oh, yeah, I've heard. Kaede told me... I mean, it's bad and all, but... Well, ah, no but really, just...

The Faerin fumbled with her words, gaze still on anything other than Hanno as she looked around. How did you explain that you weren't afraid of the game's mechanics, even if they were so...well, fatal?

Anyways, I stick to the beginner areas when I'm alone, mostly, and I've been grinding up my stats! I'm not too worried about the stuff around here, haha. If I go farther out, I usually find someone to go with me, just in case...

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

The way she averted her eyes made Hanno let put a very subtle sigh. She was one of those that didn't leave the game despite knowing the dangers around it, and the mention of Kaede made him sure that if there was any chance of that woman to leave the game, it was already tested.

"So you don't care if you die? What about those who love you? I'm glad that you are at least cautious on playing this game, but are you really sure?" Hanno asked something risky. The amount of times he was scoffed of for that question, or sometimes outright ignored was quite big.

Many didn't have anyone on the other side, which made the decision of pursuing the game even more desirable.

"... I am not your owner, I can't tell you what to do. But have you carefully thought about it?" He asked, not sounding judgemental or scolding, but instead calm and pensive, especially remembering the face of Sean's family when he met them at that day he would never forget.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia's good mood was quickly evaporating. Her smile faded, her bright and sunny demeanor becoming more clouded the more she spoke to this Faerin. What did he know about her life in the real world? That anger she kept bottled up, simmering in the base of her mind, started to surface. She tried to ignore it, but she'd noticed that, ever since getting stronger with her magics, it was harder to ignore those thoughts when they arose.

She forced a smile to her face, a very wane and hollow one, when he asked if she was sure, and if she'd thought carefully about it.

Look, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but you don't know what you're talking about, okay? You're right that you're not my owner or my keeper or whatever, so you can't tell me what to do. This game... It's everything I could want, everything I could need. I'm happy here. Isn't that important, my happiness? Besides, there's no one that would miss me on the other side, okay? So don't go there.

When she talked about the world, her tone was wistful, her expression fond, before it darkened again as she looked at Hanno.

If it's so dangerous, why'd you come back?

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno watched her expressions fading into something not as joyful as before, and he carefully heard her, nodding quietly. "I don't know. And that's why I am asking, not affirming anything." Hanno said, with his expressions remaining mostly calm.

When he was asked about why he came back, he pondered. "It is a long story. But I just want to protect people. Those who just came and aren't aware of the danger. Those who are unfortunately already stuck. And... well. You." He said, having a small smile on his lips.

"By you, I mean those who know about the danger, but decide to stay here anyway. Be it because they think of this game like an extreme sport, or because they have something important in here." Hanno explained, genuinely while looking at Caelia.

"Sorry if my questions hurted you, but I had to make sure you aren't being reckless." He said, resting his shield on the ground and clearing his throat.

"In this case, buddy. You can count on my shield to help you as long as you stay around."

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

.

Caelia's sighed, feeling a bit bad for how she'd phrased things with Hanno. He was remaining calm with her, being nice, and he deserved that same respect from her, didn't he?

That's very...noble of you. I guess I kind of want to do the same thing? I mean, protecting people, if they're needing it. I want to learn about the world, too.

She looked at his shield briefly as it rested on the ground, a more curious light coming to her eyes. The design was strange, and she kind of wanted to ask where he'd gotten it.

I'm sorry for being rash, I just... I get a little defensive talking about myself. I'd be grateful to have your shield to help. What sort of masteries did you take?

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno smiled at her words, with her confession of wanting to protect others warming his expressions for a moment. "So you want to protect others, hm? If you have the spirit and desire for it, I am sure you can do it." Hanno said. The passion for this world was clear in Caelia's words and expressions.

"That's at least something I can see in your eyes." Hanno said, resting a hand on his shield and then shaking his head at her words.

"No need to apologize, my questions were very invasive." And they were meant to be, after all he needed answers about it

"My masteries are Guard Arts, Divine Magic, Spirit Magic, Martial Arts and Aura." Hanno said.

"My selection was specifically to protect others. I am rather defensive, and I try to be wary of my surroundings all the time. I think the best way to defend someone is not to save them, but is not needing to save them in first place." He explained, tapping his shield and then tilting his head.

"How about yours?"

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia was glad to hear that he wasn't too offended by her standoffish response to his words earlier. She smiled a bit once more, not as bright as when he had first called out to her but still more genuine than before. She did nod when he admitted that his questions were invasive, having to agree with him on that one.

I don't think I've seen, well, any of those in action. You'll have to give me a demonstration sometime!

She laughs lightly, but the sound seems to catch in her throat when he asked about hers. Stupid! Of course he would ask her the same question. If the Landers thought her magic was taboo, did other Travelers think so, too??

Only one way to find out...

Well... I took dark magic, hemomancy, and weapon arts. Oh! And I recently picked up shadow magic, too. Not really sure what kind of, what do they call it, build I'm going for, I'm just...doing what feels right for me.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"I can give you a demonstration anytime, buddy." He grinned, nodding at her and then pausing to listen to her mastery choices. He crossed his arms, nodding at every single one of them. Dark Magic, Hemomancy, Weapon Arts, and Shadow Magic. Surely a selection that was quite powerful on its own, with the only downside being-

"I hope you know most of those are taboo," Hanno said, looking at Caelia with a gentle expression. "Just be wary about using this in front of Landers. Some of them won't take it lightly, but for most of the part, you can just... Use generic versions of it. Most of Landers can't really understand the magic that well, so they won't spot the difference unless you are using hemomancy, that is pretty obvious even in its generic shape." He explained, letting the information sink in before he continued.

"Your selection is really good though. Many of them can work really well together, and Hemomancy could save your life if you know how to use it for first aid." Hanno said.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia knew that Hanno was just trying to look out for her. She didn't want to be upset with him because of his kind-hearted nature, naturally, but hearing things she already knew stated back to her like she wasn't aware was a little annoying. Her smile became slightly more strained as she struggled to hold back a sharper quip to his words. He's just being nice, be nice back...

Kaede told me to be wary around the Landers with this magic. I've been practicing well outside of the villages so I don't scare any of them. I certainly don't plan to whip out any dark magic or hemomancy in the towns unless it's, like, an emergency. Besides, Kaede was able to do cool stuff with her dark magic, like make it look like fireworks. They wouldn't be scared of that, probably.

She felt distracted from her slight annoyance when he went on to compliment her choices, preening a little as she stood up on her toes for a moment with a smile.

I tried to pick stuff that worked well together, so thank you! I'll have to study more to be better at them all, but that's part of the fun, isn't it?

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno nodded at the explanation. "Kaede is wise in her way to use her skills, you will learn a lot with her for sure." He said, happy that at least someone with skills more similar to Caelia was there to give her a hand.

"Yeah, exactly. And you are right in your choices, most of them work perfectly together, and your Weapon Arts will make you a very dangerous player for monsters to deal with." It was a very fierce damage build, that still had plenty of room of flexibility, but this was all a theory talk that wasn't Hanno's strength.

He then paused to ponder for a moment, having a small smirk in his lips. "But putting all of these skills into action is the best way to study them." Hanno said, tapping his feet and finally offering:

"Why don't you show me a bit of it? I can take a lot of hits, so we can test your build and how you combo with them." Hanno wondered if she would like it.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia had to admit that she wasn't sure if she understood why her Weapon Arts would be more lethal to monsters, but if Hanno said so, she'd believe him at that. Like she'd said, she wasn't the best at builds in these kinds of games. She just picked what felt right for her, whether or not it was maximizing her use wasn't really a consideration.

Oh! Would you want to spar? Is there a way to do it without, like, putting you in danger? A dueling system?

She pulled up her UI as she talked, trying to locate that feature if there was one. She thought she'd heard players talking about something like that before, but she wasn't sure.

I just don't want to put either of us under undue amounts of stress, y'know?

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Well, there is no dueling system. But we can set some dueling rules. And the rule is... When I tell it is enough, it is enough." Hanno chuckled with a shrug, not wishing to get himself killed. Even if he was higher leveled, Terrasphere was a game where realism walked along, so it only needed one stab in the right place to kill him off, no matter how much HP he had.

"A spar would be a good way to say it, yeah. Except I won't attack you, I will just defend. And you can try and attack me using the masteries and skills you want to try out." Hanno explained, raising a finger.

"Think of me like a training dummy." Hanno suggested, just so the other faerin wouldn't feel bad or stressed about attacking him.

"And... if you feel bad about it. Don't worry, we can use my shield instead. It is a good sparring partner." Hanno revealed.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia closed out of her UI when Hanno said there wasn't a dueling system, frowning just a bit. She was certain one had been mentioned before, maybe she'd just gotten it mixed up though... Regardless. She shifted her stance a little bit, eyeing Hanno curiously. That curious gleam only seemed to intensify when he mentioned his shield as a good sparring partner.

Wait, your shield? What's up with it? Does it do stuff?

She spoke eagerly, taking a few steps forward to better examine the armor piece. It was a strange color, reminding her almost of an armadillo's shell in the way the pieces slotted together. A part of her wanted to touch it and see if it felt strange, but she withheld. It wasn't her shield, after all.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

The question made Hanno grin slightly. The truth was that his shield came with a lot of surprises, it was his loyal combat buddy, after all, and his connection with his shield went beyond mere expertise in using it. "Yeah, it does do a lot of stuff," Hanno said, patting the shield for a moment. "Hey, Ghast."

A rumble came out of its shield, and it tilted slightly.

"Wake up. A friend wants to see you." He said, giving it another nudge.

At the second nudge, a tentacle appeared from the side of the shield, placing itself on Hanno's face, and its suckers glued on his cheek as he chuckled and tried to push it away. "No Ghast, just wake up." He said.

The shield rumbled again, with the sound of ripping flesh followed by one central giant eye opening on its surface. It blinked once, twice, and the other five tentacles grew on its sides, stretching like someone that had just woke up. Its pupil eventually focused on Caelia, watching her with curious intent while its tentacles wiggled.

"Here we go. Caelia, this is Ghast, my shield."

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

.

Caelia knew that some people named their equipment. Weapons, mostly, but she could see someone naming their protective gear too she supposed. When the shield rumbled, she gasped softly, eyes widening just a bit in curiosity as she waited to see what would happen. Watching the thing come alive was fascinating! She blinked slowly at the eye that blinked back at her, examining it curiously from a slight distance.

That's amazing! You said it's name was Ghast? Where did you get such a thing? Is it... I mean, I don't want to offend it with the question, but is it smart? Or just alive, kind of like...a dog?

@Hanno Futaba