Private ✪ Stokbon Bang! Zoom! Whoosh!

[Madison Mortiere]

"Good thing I picked a boring old human then," she noted with a dark chuckle. "No; I'm well aware that some people get a little too into their VR roleplay; that they want to get every little piece of their character correct according to the lore of the world."

She hadn't met any players who enjoyed nomming on the body parts of others, of course. And honestly, if she did? Probably would have made her sick.

"Whether there are any actual benefits to doing so, I have no idea. I haven't seen any traits or alerts like that pop up in my UI."

Just the whispers of the dead demanding she coat her bullets in her blood if she pushes herself just a wee bit too hard. No biggie!

Madison kills another wing in order to break up the dialogue a little bit. "No, I didn't. I was tempted to, I will admit. I wanted to be Necromancer Queen Shit of Fuck Mountain. A vet stopped me pretty early on, though. Like, a true vet; even back then. Kind of told me the way of the world, and let me figure out the rest on my own. Why?" A wry little grin tugged at the corners of her thin lips. "Have you thought about being an asshole here? Just to see what it's like?"

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Well, Cleo wouldn't say that humans were boring, though to be fair she'd only ever been a human and been surrounded by humans, so she wasn't sure if her opinion was a common or popular one. There had been the temptation to make herself a Beastkin, just to see what the sensation of having ears or a tail felt like, before she realized that she'd have literally no other sensation to compare it to. That and the fact that she heavily doubted she was going to be in a situation for somebody to pet any animal parts she may or may not have had in the virtual world.

She almost snorted out loud at the thought.

Sounds like you had quite like lucky encounter, I'll admit. A true veteran, even during that period four years ago? That sounds like the kind of person that would know a lot about this game. Probably the kind of person that somebody curious about everything this game is and could be would want to run into.

It was a shame her own chances of running into somebody like that were so slim, though she wouldn't count her luck out just yet. It was impossible to know what kind of connections she could forge with some effort and a bit of networking. At Madison's question, Cleo shrugged.

Not actively being an asshole. I'd just expected basically preprogrammed machines and had been prepared to treat them as such. It's a pretty big shock to the system to be prepared for that, only to find what are essentially sentient creatures where I'd been expecting to find machines. I'm not sure I quite have it in me to be a complete asshole, even if I'm just playing a role. And I'm not much of a roleplayer anyway, I'm afraid. Not even much of a gamer, outside of this.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Granted, it had been four years. That's a lot of time to forget the nitty-gritty details of one's interactions with someone you've only known very briefly. Especially after you heard about the servers being shut down, shrugged your shoulders, and said to yourself, "Well, I guess I'm never going to see them again."

"You know, I'm not entirely sure about that." Madison began fidgeting with the cuff of her shirt. "Outside of don't be a dick, I don't know what other insight she'd give. When I met her, she was content to study the nature of undeath inside the game. Like, zombies and skeletons 'n shit. What they can do, what their limitations and needs are--that sort of thing."

She made a quick mental note: Ping Lucia. See if she was logging back in. Maybe pop by for a visit. Would take several days to get there, but...

"Seriously? No games or anything?" Madison found that incredibly hard to believe. "Not even Bejeweled on your phone? No Minecraft?" Did this gal go out and buy a whole-ass VR rig just to dive into Terrasphere?

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Well that made sense, even if her first reaction was to be slightly disturbed that the person being discussed was somebody that was interested in necromancy and undeath and stuff like that. She had to admit, though, that even she felt a bit of an interest in that kind of thing. After all, such things just didn't exist in the real world, so it was only natural to be curious about them in the real world. Still, this mystery contact of Madison's sounded pretty interesting. Maybe it'd be worth seeing if Madison could put them in contact so she could pick this person's thoughts?

She sounds like quite the scholarly one, I'll admit. Actually delving in to thinking about those kinds of things, where I assume most regular players would just be figuring things out such as how to kill skeletons, how many skeletons they can summon at once and that kind of thing.

Madison's disbelief in her not playing games definitely caught her off guard. Was it uncommon for people that weren't gamers to be interested in Terrasphere? She'd have to maybe revise that particular part of her story if she was ever in another conversation like this.

I mean, I've dabbled in those kinds of games, though I wouldn't really say I played them a bunch. I picked this game up because it was so different to everything else out there. That and the fact that it automatically copies my body, so I don't have to worry about like, any kind of dysphoria, swapping between the real world and the game.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Madison could only nod. "Yeah, that's fair."

She flagged down the barkeep. "Glass of water, please." Two shots of whiskey wasn't enough to topple her on a normal day; but said day was also still young, and she still had places to go and work to do. Maddy could finish getting piss-drunk later in the evening.

"So you didn't, like, change anything in the creation screen, then?" The raven found that hard to believe. "I mean, shit-- Everyone's got something they hate about themselves. I know I spent probably an hour touching up some things and tightening up others. No matter how many times I fiddled with the sliders though, it never quite felt right. Still doesn't, even after living in this body for however many weeks now."

Of course, a lot of people quickly just mashed buttons until they created something that was ideal, that was perfect in every way. Madison could never do that. She could never live such a lie.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

If Madison was on a glass of water, then she'd either hit her limit or was planning on doing things afterwards that didn't mix well with being drunk. Personally, Cleo would have preferred to not have somebody that was armed with a bunch of guns get absolutely plastered. Alcohol and ammunition wasn't exactly a pairing that had been made in heaven, after all, but at the end of the day, there wasn't exactly anything she could do to change the woman's mind.

She downed the last of her own whiskey, but didn't bother to get another drink, instead chuckling as Madison's disbelief was made apparent to her. The agent shrugged.

I really don't know what to tell you. I didn't really see the point in changing anything in the creation screen. I've not really got the patience to design an entirely new human being, looks wise.

She looked down at herself, her identical body, with the only difference being the clothes that she wore, her padded leathers with metal plates, basically a jumpsuit. There was something about being in her own, actual body, that just helped her navigate this form with more ease.

And besides, I'm no egoist, but I like to think that I have a body to be proud of. I don't really want to do myself the disservice of changing and hiding it away. Maybe it sounds arrogant, but well, I've put a lot of effort into maintaining my physique, so I guess I kind of just want to show it off a little bit?

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

"Welp," Madison pressed her lips to the rim of her glass of water, "not all of us can be so blessed, can we?"

She remembered clearly seeing the one for one representation of herself staring back at her when she first logged into the game four plus years ago. And it turned her stomach. The years of abuse piled onto her body from mild alcoholism, severe depression, and Little Caesar's Hot N' Ready pizzas was rather unpleasant to see; every little imperfection laid bare before her.

It was a perfect chance to change everything she hated about herself. Both within, and without.

A long moment passed in silence while she sipped at her water. Cool, crisp, and refreshing; the perfect way to reset the conversation. "So. Spears, huh? Of all the weird shit you could have swung, cast, shot, thrown, or bashed skulls in with... Why'd you settle on spears?"

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Cleo frowned. Well, there was definitely a story behind that response, though it was pretty obviously way too personal for her to go digging into it. She wasn't a therapist, so if somebody hadn't liked their own body enough to feel strange about seeing somebody not change it, she was far from being qualified to say or do anything about that. All she could do was nod.

I agree. Not everybody is as blessed as I am.

Though she tried to find the beauty in things, some people just weren't capable of seeing their own good points. She could see how, for some, less fortunate people, seeing an exact replica of their own body in the character creation segment might have been something of a wakeup call or a bad feeling. It was uncomfortable to think about, but it was just something that could happen.

Still, as they sat there in silence, eventually Madison decided to change the topic, for which Cleo was immensely thankful, having felt like she was stewing in the silence for a bit too long.

Ah well, spears are just pretty cool, aren't they? Like, they were once the greatest weapon ever developed by mankind. And like I said, I have to deal with guns a little too often to have been jazzed about the idea of using one of those.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

"Can't say I'd know either way. In the real world, weapons were never something that interested me. Like, oh, cool; let's come up with even more nasty and barbaric ways for people to kill each other while those giving the orders hide in safety miles away, not giving a shit about those being sent to their deaths!"

Another sip of water. Mostly to shut her up before she continues ranting about the stupidity of conflict.

"But for me... Well... Honestly, I hate guns. In the real world, anyway. Fucking hate them. But I read a lot of books, yeah? Lately it's been a lot of trashy steampunk, sci-fi, the odd Weird West novel here and there. Four years ago, I was a spellcaster here. Fashioned myself after a druid; called upon the cycle of decay and regrowth to power my magic. But I figured, it's time for a change, right? And while everyone's being all anime as shit out there, with their fancy impossible swords and shouting out the names of their attacks and what have you--why not be the lone yee-haw?" The gunslinger cracked a grin.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Well that was definitely a pointed worldview, though it was, sadly, far from being inaccurate. That was how war tended to be in the real world. Though it was definitely interesting that somebody who held that kind of worldview would be drawn to guns inside of a game. Madison was a little bit of a contradiction, wasn't she? Cleo couldn't help but find it pretty faschinating, folding her hands over one another and resting her chin atop them as she sat and listened to the woman speaking.

Well you've definitely carved a pretty nice niche out for yourself here. I dare say that there won't be many people who don't remember you, if they've crossed paths with you. Still, pretty interesting that you hate guns, but ended up as a gunslinger yourself.

And there was some kind of thought behind the idea, unlike her own build, which hadn't really been formed from any kind of special interest or anything of the sort. Spears were kind of cool, but she could have just as easily used swords or daggers, though who had ever heard of a ranged combat specialist that threw swords? The thought was honestly just a little bit ridiculous. At least spears were meant to be thrown.

Well either way, I'm pretty impressed by you. That was some damn near inhuman accuracy there. What's your secret?

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

When you cut down to it, that's exactly what it was about.

In her first go-around? Spellcasters weren't special. They were a dime a dozen maniacs waving their wands about, shouting their rites and causing explosions every which fuckin' way without a care in the world! Nobody gave a shit that she was Dunnstad's premiere bog witch. There was no money! No fame! Nothing special whatsoever! So why bother?

And when she landed back in the game after That Commercial interrupted everything, she had spec'd into being a necromancer. But also--Lucia exists. So the most Madison would ever be known as was The Store Brand Necromancer; That Other Necromancer; The Not-As-Strikingly-Beautiful Necromancer.

Fuck that. Fuck all of that.

"Well, being a gunslinger's pretty unique, I'd say. Guns weren't really a concept in this world four years ago; honestly I'm kind of surprised that they are now. Yeah, I don't like them--but they help me stand out, you know? Everyone's got their glowing swords and shit. And here I am, a pair of big irons on my hip."

Of course, romanticized Old West fashion is far superior than whatever colorful crap everyone else had on. Madison with the all black drip; wherever she roamed, she looked exactly like the kind of gal that brought all hell with her.

What's her secret? "Hyper Sense." She flashed another smile as she tapped her temple twice. "It acts like aim-assist. I just have to spot my target, mark it in my mind, and everything just... happens! But don't sell yourself short, Cleo--you did pretty good yourself there!"

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

No arguments here. Even if I'd rather not shoot any guns in a fantasy game, I can at least appreciate how they make you stand out. I certainly won't forget you, not after you gave such a spectacular showing.

Though she herself didn't really have a unique niche, she wasn't really trying to stand out all that much. Honestly, the fact that she was a spear thrower might have made her stand out a little too much. Nobody would have paid her any other thought if she was just another archer, or if she were just a swordswoman with a flaming hunk of metal or something along those lines. Hopefully Madison wouldn't feel bad about herself if other gunslingers started showing up, though.

If they ever did.

Though the reveal of Hyper Sense suddenly made everything make far more sense, the agent slamming a fist into her palm as the secret was revealed. Madison had aim assist? That was such bullshit! She couldn't help but chuckle and laugh, though she waved a hand when Madison mentioned that she herself had done pretty well.

I did okay. Second place isn't all that bad. I tend to specialize in wide range attacks rather than accurate ones, though, so I guess I'm not doing too bad outside of my comfort zone.

She put in an order for another glass of whiskey, taking a swig from it when it was pushed over to her, before sighing.

So you used to be a druid, huh? Must have been quite the sight, seeing you running around wearing leaves or whatever it is druids wear. Still, death and decay are pretty morbid things to base your fantasy character around, right? What brought that kind of decision on? Was it just the books and stuff that you were reading at the time?

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Hmmm. Well, that was her secret, wasn't it?

"Oh, I didn't wear leaves or anything goofy like that. It was more... Witchy than anything? Lots of skirts and stockings, dresses, shawls... Tastefully crumpled, mind you. I had a camp carved out between the bogs and the shoreline in Dunnstads; but I still liked to look good, you know? A lot of other players; they dress up like cartoon characters." Her thin nose crumpled. "Too garish. Too loud. Too ugly. Looking more plain usually meant that I blended in a bit more. I think that's what's helped me survive without a death marker scratched into my UI."

Madison picked up her glass of water and nursed a couple sips. "I'd always play a Circle of Spores Druid in Dungeons & Dragons with groups online. And, when I figured out that I could basically do that here--with a few changes, of course--I figured I had an easy build that made itself while I focused on finding my way around the world and learn how to fit in and see what makes it tick."

She set her glass down. A playful smirk curled the corners of her mouth. "Why you ask? Building a profile on me, or something?"

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

A more witchy look made sense, it was hard to picture Madison running around wearing a dress made from things like leaves and such. It was much easier to picture somebody like her friend Vina dressed like that, though perhaps it was because Madison had only ever given off the aura and image of a gunslinging lawbringer or something along those lines. It was honestly hard to picture the woman even dressing up and acting like a witch, especially after today.

That makes sense, I guess. Dressing like you're the main character from a video game is just asking for attention. Though I suppose I'm also pretty guilty of that, to some extent anyway.

A skintight bodysuit didn't exactly stop people from pointing their eyes at her. It was hard to just blend in when she looked like she did, as vain and arrogant as it felt for Cleo to admit that even just to herself. Though she drew a blank at the other stuff Madison was talking about.

Uh, sorry. Not all that familiar with Dungeons and Dragons, but I'm guessing a 'Circle of Spores Druid' is some kind of like, mushroom mage or something?

Though when asked if she was building a profile, Cleo snorted, in the middle of taking a drink, coughing and sputtering on it for a moment.

Maybe I've just found the love of my life and want to get to know her more?

She chuckled, shaking her head.

No, but seriously, it's just curiosity. I'm a bit of a nosy bitch, all things considered. I like to know stuff and people, don't like being caught off guard by anything.

@Madison Freebird

 

[Madison Mortiere]

Madison tugged on each of these little conversation threads in turn, with no description or introspection to break them up into easily-read bits.

"Well, it's all a part of the escapism, isn't it? A lot of people think, well I gave myself the gifts; why not flaunt them? It ain't for me; but sure, whatever floats your boat there, friend."

...

"Close. Actually, extremely close. Fungal spores were a big part of the theme; but so was the idea of the cycle of life. Y'know, growth and decay. Lots of neat little flavor things you could do with that with spells and descriptions and shit." And raising the dead. Also fun!

...

Madison didn't have anything to say about what Cleo said next. She was too busy laughing; a low cackle that shook her shoulders and loosened up a lock of hair that was tucked tight behind her ears. Something that, rather embarrassingly, soon evolved into a snort that caught the scornful eyes of more than one other patron.

"Oh, honey--three drinks is too many for you, and I'd need about a hundred more." She slapped a hand on Cleo's shoulder. Good one, old sport. You might have made the raven pull a rib from laughing. "Seriously though; curiosity's good. But it can get others curious about you, too. The kind of curiosity that's dangerous. Especially in this game. All sorts of shady travelers and jealous landers lurking about."

The gunslinger rose from her stool, reaching her hands high above her head and popping her shoulders with a good stretch. "About time for me to head on out. I've got some shit to do around town, and I want to get to it before the sun sets. Thanks for the drinks and grub. Was a pleasure meeting you, Cleo."

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Would it have been rude or bad form to point out that she'd both made no changes to her appearance and not even bothered to really think about what her gear looked like? She wasn't trying to fill some kind of aesthetic, not like the gunslinger was, by any means. It kind of felt like she was being mocked a little bit about the whole thing, but well, she figured she could let it slide for now.

Less easy to let slide was the suden uproarious laughter, though Cleo could only hope that her joke had been taken as an actual joke and not like she was genuinely making a proposition. Luckily, it seemed to be just amusement about the wording she'd used.

I think I'm not exactly a stranger to danger, even if I'm not quite a veteran like you are. I've been working my ass off to stand amongst your lot.

And she was starting to really feel it, both the power increase she'd gained and the side effects of how hard she'd worked herself.

Still, upon seeing Madison stand from her stool, Cleo nodded, pulling the list of UI-locked players from her inventory. She'd hang around a little longer, get some work done, see if anybody knew or had seen any of these people.

It was a pleasure meeting you too. Don't be a stranger if we're ever in the same zone.

And with that, she'd turn back to her list and her drink, allowing Madison to walk away, the winner of this little contest and a potential new contact.

THREAD COMPLETE

@Madison Freebird