Private Eastern Brisshal Crouching Tiger, Hidden Wolf

[Harper]

"A copy, huh..."

The tigress would settle down for a moment, thinking about the wolf huntress' words. It did make things a bit more believable, if not downright scary. To think something that seemed so insurmountably complex as the human consciousness could be copied into data and replicated not unlike any other algorithm. Theoretically, it made sense. Morally, it really unsettled the tigress. Had technology really advanced this far? Should it have advanced this far?

Mizuki also made a great point about the game somehow managing to break through any and all safety precautions the VR hardware had to fry their brains should they die too much. Whoever was behind Terrasphere clearly knew things that no one else did, or at least didn't dare to put said knowledge to use. And all this left Harper wondering what was the ultimate end goal for all of this. Was it something virtuous as just creating an alternate world? Or was there a more nefarious reason, with the players merely serving as guinea pigs to iron out the kinks?

...

All this thinking only seemed to make Harper more annoyed. And hungrier. And as Mizuki commented on the advancement of the world's technology, the beastkin nodded. "Goes to show what people can do, huh? Maybe in another few years, you'll be able to shop for pre-packaged, refrigerated meat alongside your everyday mana potions. Hell, as we talk people might just be inventing the phone." She'd chuckle, resting a hand upon the carcass as she watched the luna wolf continue to filet it. The questions about eating organs caught her off-guard for a moment, though she'd eventually answer some thought.

"Hmm... Somewhat of a fan of beef heart, but I dunno how well that translates to much else. As I said, open to trying anything, really. Though..." She'd frown for a moment, looking at the organs. "I'm trusting you and your experience as a huntress in this world to know what I can and can't eat. I remember reading that eating polar bear liver makes your skin peel off or something like that, so I'd prefer to avoid any Terraspherian equivalents."

As she finished, a thought would come to her head as she watched Mizuki work the carcass bare-handed, before looking at her own bloodied hands. "You know, humans do have it kinda rough don't they? We can be here eating raw meat we cut with our bare claws out of the ground, while they can get their stomachs in a nasty twist just by eating something that hit the ground for a moment." Tapping her belly with a finger as she joked around, she'd turned her gaze towards Mizuki once more with a smirk.

"Never heard of a beastkin with a nut allergy either. One of the benefits of being born to be wild, so to say. "



@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

With Harper busy considering the implications of every UI-locked person possibly being a copy of the original rather than a hijacked mind Mizuki focused on the task in front of her. It was both a terrifying and intriguing thought, involving philosophical topics such as what really was a person when you got right down to it. However, at the end of the day, the UI-locked people were still people so far as Mizuki could tell, and the People of the Land were sophisticated to the point that she didn't have much difficulty with the idea that yes, Terrasphere could create a perfect copy of a person's mind.

How they managed to get rid of the original version was the bigger question, as that required some method of disabling a brain while utilising third-party hardware which was carefully vetted to prevent such abuse. Mizuki had become more familiar with electronics and programming ever since she'd become involved in Terrasphere, as her curiosity made her seek out information on what was quickly becoming one of the most important topics in reality, but she wasn't foolish enough to believe she was an expert.

She halted as the tigress suggested that maybe they'd have phones and refrigerated foods soon if the Travelers continued to bring advanced technology into this world. That was definitely a possibility...

That would make life a lot easier for the average person. I prefer the fresh meals I can hunt for myself, but historically speaking technology has been a boon.

What she didn't mention was that she disliked the idea of Travelers transforming Terrasphere into a second Earth. The fantastical nature of this world was appealing to her, and even if magic and monsters would continue to exist she'd be upset if life became as monotone as it was on Earth for many people.

Keep in mind though that the rules of this world aren't an exact match to the rules of Earth. I don't think I've seen any machines that use electricity so far.

With Harper agreeing to the idea of trying out organ meat Mizuki would get to work carefully removing every organ from the bear's body, her hands sliding deep within the large carcass to remove the sometimes sensitive parts.

There shouldn't be any problems with eating the organs. If you're feeling nervous about it I'd suggest leaving the brain alone, but otherwise, you should be able to digest it.

While there were instances where organ meat could cause health issues those were usually indicative of the animal it came from having come in contact with toxic substances. There was little reason to believe that this bear was an example of such, and Mizuki was definitely planning to eat every last bit of it. Possibly not all in one setting.

Humans can also eat raw meat if needed, but it's true that they're more sensitive. Even for us, cooked food tends to be better than raw food though: I just happen to like the taste of a fresh kill. (She looked at Harper.) Could you set up a fire while I keep working on this?

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Hmm, guess so. I do wonder why though. Electricity seems like such a natural step in the evolution of technology as we know it, so to just skip it like that... Or maybe the advent of the technology brought by the discovery of those ruins was what brought said skip... Either way, it does make you think."

Harper would take the moment to think about the technology in this world. It was definitely magical in nature, yet for as many areas as it seemed to dwarf the real world, it also seemed to lag behind in others, creating a dichotomy that intrigued the tigress. And she would have no problem dwelling on it with Mizuki further, given that she was seemingly one of the most seasoned players she had met thus far.

Nodding to her answer to the organ conundrum, Harper couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the note about the bear's brains. "What? Do the unprepared develop an unrelenting addiction to brains, becoming unrelenting brain-bear-eating zombies?" She'd extend her hands in front of her, before starting to slowly walk forwards. "Oooooooooh... I'm a tiger-zombie... Raaaaaaawr!" She'd keep this up for a bit, before stopping with a burst of hearty laughter. "Or... It is because the texture of the bear brain sounds exquisitely gag-worthy. I know which theory I prefer, though. And consider that fire set up, miss!" She'd say with an exaggerated salute to Mizuki before turning away and starting her search for the materials needed for the fire.

---

After gathering the stones needed to isolate the fire, some leaves and grass for tinder to light it, and some bigger pieces of wood alongside two sticks she carved out using her claws and her brute strength, she'd start making the fire they'd need. Making a circle with the rocks to keep the fire from spreading, she'd first set the tinder material inside the circle, before grabbing one of the sticks and using her claws to carve a hole into it. With that finished, she'd grab the second stick and put one of the ends inside of the hole, holding it upright before starting to spin it back and forth.

As she did so, she'd look at the luna wolf, trying to make small talk as she waited for the smoke to appear. "Say, this was one of the first things I had to learn the hard way how to make here. Spending one night in the Scarwoods under pitch-black darkness was more than enough for me to look at how to make a fire up before logging back in, heh." As she talked, the friction between the two sticks started to do its job and smoke would start to rise. "Theeere we go. Almost done."

She'd then pick up the stick with the hole on it and bring it closer to the tinder materials, carefully dropping the hot dust from the hole on it and gently blowing on it as she held everything close together, more smoke rising until eventually... "Aha!" They had a fire. As she placed the bigger pieces of wood around and over the fledging blaze to serve as fuel, she'd turn to Mizuki. "Can't say we'll have the most evenly grilled meat, but grilled meat we'll have!"

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

There was much to say about the strange development of technology in Terrasphere. Mizuki imagined that if it was somehow possible to record the events within this world there'd be many experts on Earth who'd have input on the differences between Terrasphere and Earth, and how everything made sense if you looked at the nature of civilisation. However, neither she nor Harper were experts on the topic, so the best she could do was shrug.

Maybe electricity doesn't work like it does in our world. Or magic somehow interferes with it. You'd have to ask the MIT for more details.

She hadn't interacted much with the Magical Institute of Theory herself, as she was more interested in hunting and adventuring, but if there was any group who might be able to answer Harper's questions it was them.

It seemed that Harper had taken Mizuki's comment regarding bear brains differently than the luna wolf had expected. Looking away from the carcass she snorted as the tigress mimicked a zombie, amused even if she kept most of her focus on the bear.

Well, zombies could exist in this world, but I was thinking of something else. You've probably heard of mad cow disease.

Of course, bears were different from cows, but Mizuki did think it was possible for similar problems to occur. That said, she really doubted that this bear carried any diseases that would be a threat to either of them.

With Harper focused on starting the fire Mizuki could put her full focus on cutting up the bear. She'd successfully removed all the organs by this point, which meant that the next step was to dismantle all the muscle and fat into chunks that were easy to prepare and eat. For a short while there was silence as Mizuki didn't speak and Harper was busy preparing the fire, but once the tigress started talking about how she'd learned to make a fire quickly upon entering this world the luna wolf nodded.

Being able to make a fire is a good skill to have if you're planning to explore this world. I think there's a lot of players who choose to return to a settlement whenever they get tired, but there's not much point to experiencing this world if you stick to what you already know.

She could smell the smoke before the fire had gotten started, and once the flames were greedily consuming the tinder that Harper had prepared Mizuki grabbed some slabs of meat and handed them over to Harper.

Good job. I trust you also know how to grill this? I can do it for you if you're not confident.

While Mizuki usually ate her prey raw she did know a fair bit about preparing game, in part in case she had companions who didn't share her primalistic fantasies.

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Mad Cow disease? That's actually a thing that exists?"

Harper would tilt her head in slight disbelief at Mizuki's words. Besides the practical stuff for grappling like knowing body mechanics and the like, her knowledge of medicine wasn't that better than that of the average joe. And the quite-frankly silly name of the disease didn't do it any wonders. Still, Mizuki seemed serious enough about it that the tigress just had to accept it as a fact, or at the very least remember to search about it later.

As she watched the fire slowly rise up into a strong flame, she would smile. What started as just a way to fill up her weekends now has let her learn a lot of skills that she would never think of doing back in the real world. And maybe she would never have to make a fire in Atlanta, but learning new stuff like this was still very much fun.

"You bet. Besides, sometimes you can't give yourself the luxury of taking a trip back into town. Though..." The tigress would frown slightly, ruffling her own hair. "Waking up with a sore back and a bunch of bugs in your hair isn't exactly pleasant, so I'll take the warm inn bed whenever possible." She'd note, before being passed the pieces of meat for cooking, the tigress letting out a small sigh afterward.

"As I said, I'm still figuring out how to do it more or less evenly. Sometimes one side ends a bit on the charred side, and sometimes I bite into it and it is still mooing. Way harder than doing it on a good ol' reliable cast-iron pan, trust me. Good enough for just feeding myself, but given that I'm eating it in bulk for a competition..." She'd think for a moment, before shrugging with a smile. "Wouldn't hurt to give me the best chances I can. I'm up against a pro, after all."

She'd drag herself away from the front of the fire, clearing the way for Mizuki to stand closer to it. "Take it away, grillmaster. I'm all eyes and ears."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki blinked as Harper made it clear she didn't know about mad cow disease. The huntress thought that it was a fairly infamous affliction, but maybe she'd assumed too much. Or maybe Harper was young enough that by the time she was old enough to pay attention to such things the media had already stopped paying attention to it.

You don't know? Yes, it's a thing, although of course it has a more formal name. As the name implies it usually affects cows, but it rarely spreads to humans if they eat something they shouldn't.

She wasn't an expert on medicine either, so that was more or less the extent of her knowledge as well.

A chuckle escaped her as Harper complained about sleeping out in the wilds. It was hardly the first time other Travelers had complained about camping outdoors, and truthfully she might have been the same at first. Terrasphere really caused people to change, even if they didn't notice it.

It takes some getting used to. If you're planning to always stick close to civilisation you might not need to get used to it, but I imagine that if you're the more adventurous type like me you'll end up in places where you can't just head for an inn when you're starting to feel tired.

Mizuki did have an advantage that she could alter her shape to better match her surroundings, which made finding a good place to sleep easier. However, she figured that Harper could also become a good survivalist if she set her mind to it.

With Harper clearing the way Mizuki would grab several strips of meat and walk over to the fire, squatting in front of it. In the middle of a forest it was an easy task to connect with the roots that formed an underground network, feeding them a trickle of energy to grow according to her will. Within moments wooden tendrils would emerge, forming a circle of large stakes around the fire to which Mizuki began to attach the strips of meat.

At the end of the day we're eating because we're hungry and enjoy the taste, so you shouldn't focus too much on eating more than me. (She looked at Harper.) It would be a waste if you ended up vomiting it back up because you went overboard.

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Gotcha. The name does bring up a very funny mental image though." She'd chuckle, the image of a cow spouting obscenities and drooling everywhere coming up in her head as she walked away from the fire and made space for the wolf huntress to do her job at the campfire. At her comment about sleeping outdoors, Harper crossed her arms, pouting.

"So the answer to the bugs is to just get used to it, huh..." She said, sounding somewhat defeated as she took one of her long twin tails and inspected it. While she loved what she did with these as she also sported twintails back in the real world, they were also a prime target for every sort of undesirables to get on, not being limited to things such as bugs, twigs, rocks, and general dirt. Cleaning up was also somewhat of a shore too, especially in a world without your everyday shampoos.

"Guess it just comes with the trade. Can't expect everything in this world to have a magical solution. Though you bet I'm still picking the bed if that's available, no matter if I get used to it or not." She'd say with a chuckle, putting her hands behind her back as she watched Mizuki makes stakes with the roots from the ground. If she was back in the real world, she would probably make a comment about her worries about how sanitary the use of roots could really be, but as Harper she knew her stomach could handle it, though she did still hope to not get any dirt on her meat.

"Don't worry about that Mizuki. If grappling for a good lot of my life has told me anything, is to respect my limits. Know when to tap, how long can I fight against a choke, how much can I train on a day, that sort of stuff. Those are absolutes, and I just have to respect them. However..." She'd turn to Mizuki with a confident smirk. "Breaking past the ones that can be broken is how I got so damn good, you know? And it's what I'm going to do until I'm number one."

She'd exclaim, showing off her quite high opinion of herself as she watched the meat get cooked so she could learn from the wolf for when she needed to cook her own meat later on. "That is to say, I'm not going to eat until I puke. But you bet I'm going to get up to 99.99% of that point. And then I'll improve until that 99.99% becomes 90%, then 80%, and so on until I can beat the Mizuki who beat me."

She'd say, crossing her arms as she looked up in the air. "By that point though, you might have also improved, and beat me again. That just means I'll just do the whole process again until either one of us hit their ceiling. That's my motto."

Finishing her speech with a sigh, she'd turn towards the meats being cooked in the campfire. "But firstly, talking about all this stuff has gotten me even hungrier. How's our lunch going?"

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki had a fair guess at what Harper was thinking of as she fantasised about mad cow disease. It was the first thing that came to mind, after all, especially people who heard about it for the first time. As the topic switched to sleeping out in the wilds the luna wolf nodded in response to the tigress's disappointed muttering.

If there's a way to sleep in the wilds without having to put up with those things I don't know of it, so I've gotten used to it myself. I can't blame you for preferring a bed, but again, if you're an adventurer you'll be better off being comfortable enough with it that you can live with it. For now everyone seems busy with reclaiming Vintergard, but once that's dealt with we'll be seeing more expeditions to the west.

Many things had happened in the four years that most people hadn't been able to visit this world, and Mizuki imagined that it'd take a bit longer before everyone had adapted to the changes and once again set their gaze westwards. Of course, that didn't mean those changes weren't significant: leaving Vintergard alone was just a bad idea, given that it was currently filled with mechanical lifeforms that seemed to be hostile to everything.

The roots that Mizuki extended on the ground were probably cleaner than Harper expected, given that she used her magic to extend the existing roots. Once the strips of meet were attached to the wooden stakes Mizuki sat down next to the fire, turning her head to look at Harper as the tigress proudly proclaimed herself to both be capable of respecting her limits while also admitting to the desire to surpass them.

99.99% from puking still sounds like you're not enjoying the meal, but I won't bother you with lectures. (She shook her head.) That said, are you always this competitive?

Mizuki had stated that Harper wouldn't be able to meat as much as she did because from her perspective that was wholly accurate. Now it had turned into a contest, one which the wolf was pretty sure she'd win but which might result in Harper suffering from a bad stomachache. Looking into the fire her eyes glowed as they reflected the light, one eye shining like burnished gold while the other glistened like melting ice.

If you keep training you'll be able to eat more than me in no time, but wouldn't that just mean that you'll get fat? (Lifting one arm she rolled back the sleeve so she could pinch the pale flesh.) I burn a lot of energy, so I need to eat a lot. I don't know about your metabolism, but if you want to eat more than me and not get fat you'll have to burn energy really quickly.

Upon Harper's request, she checked one of the strips of meat, carefully turning it so she could see how it was browning.

Depends on how you like your meat. If you like it rare I can give you this one, but if you'd prefer it a bit more roasted you'll have to give it another couple of minutes.

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"The west, huh? I've heard stuff about it from a few people, seems like quite the uncharted place still. I bet you are itching for whatever new game there is over there, huh?"

She would note with a smile, the Tigress herself being somewhat interested in facing whatever new threats these unexplored regions had to offer. Iron sharpens iron, after all. But as she said, that was on hold until the problems at Vintergard were resolved. And while Harper hadn't gone there herself yet, Ronja had filled her in about some of the stuff that was going on, so she had a general idea of the situation.

There was a faint interest by the beastkin in fighting the magia. After all, it would be her first time attempting to fight something she perceived as truly inorganic. She wondered if some of her holds and chokes would even work out on them, or if they even felt pain. Ronja seemed to at least worry about her own well-being, but there's no telling about the ones in Vintergard.

Alas, Harper's daydreaming about future battles would be interrupted when Mizuki asked her about her competitiveness. With a smile, she would proudly pump her chest with her closed fist. "All the time. If I give any damn about something I'm doing, you bet I'm aiming to be the best at it." Putting a hand on her thigh as she got closer to the fire, the Tigress would continue as she watched the meat cook.

"I just hate the feeling of losing, especially when it's something I care about. Nothing special really, most athletes would say they feel the same if you asked them." She'd say, her golden eyes looking much like two gold coins as the light of the flame in front of her hit them. "In the same vein, I absolutely love winning. So I just live my life to maximize the latter and minimize the former. And you miss all the shots you don't take, so I'm always up to a new challenge."

Her eyes would dart towards Mizuki, a big smirk on her lips after the comment on her getting fat from her "training". "Hey, I compete in grappling on the regular, I know a thing or two about weight control. Wrestle the extra bear, punch the extra bandit, and climb the extra tree... If I have excess energy, it just means I don't have enough things on my routine to use it on."

Mizuki's question about her preferred temperature earned her a shrug from the tigress. "Hard to tell you how I prefer something I haven't even had before. But since I'm competing... Give it to me more on the rare side. Bears move a lot, so I don't think their meat is very tender in the first place. It wouldn't be in the spirit of fair play to have me eating the equivalent of shoe leather, now would it?" She would let out a chuckle, before tilting her head and letting her smirk grow into a grin.

"Then again, who knows? Maybe it'll turn out that you would've needed the handicap. Can't say for sure until those slabs of meat start to go down our gullets. I for one can't wait." She would confidently declare before being rudely interrupted by the growling of her stomach, her cheeks reddening a bit.

"Maybe in more ways than one, heh."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Hrmmm... I haven't given it that much thought yet, to be honest. Most of my attention is on the Hylands.

So far as she knew the Hylands were the homeland of the caenis race. They might also exist in other places, but Mizuki wouldn't know of it. If she was lucky once they resolved the situation at Vintergard she'd be free to go up there and learn more about both the Sun Claw and the Moon Fang. However, thinking about this did bring a small frown to her face, one of her ears twitching.

Before we were shut off from this world for four years there were plans to send an expedition up there, and when I finally come back it turns out the expedition has already gone through without me. Not gonna lie, I'm still a bit peeved about that.

She quickly shook her head. Harper didn't need to be bothered with Mizuki's childish complaints. That the expedition had been successful was what really mattered, and now that contact had been established it was much easier for her to go up the Ascent and explore the place.

But now that you've mentioned it, I'm curious what kind of creatures might live out to the west. This world has already surprised me many times, and I imagine it'll keep doing so the more we explore.

Harper's attitude reminded Mizuki of someone, her mismatched eyes studying the tigress even as the striped female owned her competitive nature. The luna wolf placed her hands on her knees for the moment as she listened, her tail swishing from side to side once or twice as the bonfire filled the air with a soft crackling sound, with the occasional sizzle as the heat made small droplets of fat drip from the strips of meat onto the flames.

I... kind of get it, but I also kind of don't. (She admitted once Harper finished her explanation.) When it comes to things that matter I do want to excel, but there's also plenty of things I'd rather take it easy with.

Maybe it had been a bit much to try and explain to a martial artist the importance of weight control. She raised her hand as a placating gesture, although she highly doubted Harper really needed much pacifying. Or that any such attempts would work.

Forget I said anything then. That said, if you want to both eat more than me and not gain weight you're going to be working out a lot. (She smirked.) From the sound of it that might suit you just fine. (She chuckled as Harper commented on the qualities of bear meat.) Rest assured I wouldn't rely on any handicaps. That said, bear meat has a lot of fat so most people melt most of the fat away before eating it, but since you're eager to get started...

Grabbing one of the stakes she pulled the slightly roasted meat strip from it and tossed it to Harper. At the same time she also procured one of the strips of meat which she'd preserved for herself, whose only warmth came from the bear's internal heat when it was still alive.

We don't have any spices here, but enjoy.

Opening her mouth to reveal sharp predatory fangs she clamped her jaws around her own meal, tearing the flesh in half with a sharp yank of her head before chewing on the part which had quickly disappeared behind her lips.

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Hey, you wouldn't be the first. Even the folks on the dojo sometimes get worried about how seriously I take things." Harper noted, shrugging with her shoulders. "It gets me results though, so I ain't changing. People have said I can get a bit obsessive about it though, but that's just their opinion!" She would scoff, crossing her arms. Sure, she might've spent a entire night or ten running on fumes and coffee combing through grappling instructional after grappling instructional after getting beaten by a particular move, among other bouts of unhealthy obsession, but that's just regular behavior for athletes...

Right?

In any case, she would nod as Mizuki mentioned her interest on what creatures laid beyond the west, the tigress casting her gaze to the skies for a moment. "Not just the west, either. If this game really is made to be basically a whole new world... Then just how truly big is it? Could someone have actually coded something to the size of our Earth? Hell, forget Earth..." She let herself fall on her back gently, before pointing at the sky.

"What about outside of it? I've seen people use Astramancy and what not, so there's gotta be something up there to draw that power from, no?" Letting out a sigh, she would put her hands behind her back as she draped one of her legs over the other. "Dunno about you, but I'm no Columbus or Armstrong. I just want to fight things, so I'll leave the further exploring and boring paperwork to our resident cartographers and astronauts while I keep their butts safe."

Sitting back up, the beastkin would stretch her arms, before patting her hair down to clean some dirt. "But that's for the future, and we are in the present. And present Harper is very hungry. So gimme that meat!" Grabbing the meat with her furred hands, Harper would blow on it a few times before taking a bite, visibly having to put a bit more effort than Mizuki to tear a piece due to her normal teeth, though her strength did help out.

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either she thought. And the lack of salt was definitely felt too, but food was still food and she was more than happy to have so much of it. She also noticed the wolf huntress' sharp teeth, and with a smirk she covered her mouth with the side of her hand before speaking out in a forced tone as she tried to resemble an elderly lady.

"My my, what big teeth you have."

She honestly didn't know if Mizuki was going to get her fairytale reference, but for the sake of not sounding extremely awkward Harper really hoped she did. Then again, people from all over the world played this game, so there was a non-zero chance she had never heard of Little Red Riding Hood.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

If Harper's acquaintances from the dojo had also told her to take it easier the tigress clearly had a habit of overdoing it. That was worrisome, as Mizuki had seen more than one person push them like that until they reached their limit and broke down, but she couldn't exactly do anything about it. As it stood the two of them had known each other only for today, and while Harper had been pleasant company so far Mizuki wasn't in a position where her words could have more impact than those practitioners whose suggestions Harper had already rejected.

I wouldn't dismiss the opinions of others entirely, but if you're comfortable with yourself you don't have to change to fit other's expectations either. (She hesitated for a moment.) Of course, that doesn't apply to everyone, but you're not hurting others so it should be fine.

She watched Harper as the tigress lay down on the ground while talking about how big this world might be. The luna wolf's tail slowly moved from side to side, catching the warmth from the large campfire above which the bear meat was getting roasted to a point that it would be safe for humans to eat. Now that her eyes were no longer turned towards the fire their own colours stood out clearly, icy blue and burnished gold.

That's hard to answer, since nobody knows who made it, how they did it, and what they used. (She looked up at the skies, which currently were still blue and filled with the occasional clouds. The day was still in full swing.) One thing I've noticed is that it's bigger than it used to be, so whoever made it isn't done tweaking it yet. But if Astramancy really pulls power from actual stars... (She shook her head.) Anyway, if you go exploring you can find new things to fight.

The fire had successfully chased away anything that might disturb the two of them, leaving the only sounds in the clearing their breathing, the crackling of the fire, and whatever words they spoke. That is, until Harper grabbed her meat and began to eat it, biting down on the roasted bear flesh while Mizuki tore raw meat into digestible chunks with fangs that belonged on a predator rather than a person.

The reference to the big bad wolf made Mizuki do a double take, blinking as she stared at Harper for a moment with a piece of meat still hanging out of her mouth, ready to be torn in two. After several seconds the huntress resumed eating, and while it might be difficult to see while she was chewing she was smirking around her meal.

To better to eat with I guess.

Watching Harper she noticed that while the tigress had the claws of a tiger she didn't have the teeth of a tiger. Swallowing her mouthful of invigorating bear meat Mizuki licked her lips before pointing at Harper's mouth.

Planning to grow out your teeth?

If Harper was willing to endure moulting for better claws she might also be interested in fangs. After all, the perfect time to sink your teeth into an enemy was when you had them grappled, so they couldn't escape as you pierced flesh and crushed bones with jaw strength.

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"...That's a lot of effort put into a supposed death trap, huh. I wonder what the endgoal is for whoever is behind Terrasphere. But thinking about that takes time. And time makes my meat go cold, so lets stop for now."

She would shrug, shoving another piece of meat inside her mouth. At the end of the day, she couldn't peek inside the head of the ones behind the game, so trying to analyze the inner machinations of someone she didn't even know was quite the waste of time. Time she could be spending keeping up pace with the huntress, who's animalistic teeth went through piece after piece of the bear's meat much faster than Harper had anticipated.

On the topic of teeth, Mizuki's question about Harper's future plans regarding further acquiring beast-like body parts made her pause for a moment, the tigress poking some of her normal teeth with her fingers. "Well... Maybe? Might as well get the full package. Though it will definitely be a bit harder to get used to it than the claws." She would bring one of her now healed hands closer to her face, inspecting it.

"As a judoka, a lot of our techniques are enhanced or easier to do if we have clothing to grip on. So using the claws for that, albeit still very weird at first, eventually fell in place like a glove. On the other side of things, I don't bite people." She would say with a frown. "Nor do I want to get any bad habits from this game. Still, I can't deny it would be pretty damn rad. So I guess we'll see. Now, give me another piece!"

Harper would exclaim with confidence, extending her hand towards Mizuki as she was still fully focused upon their competition. And thus, the both of them continued to go through their pieces.

---

"Ugh... I can still... Go on...!"

Almost an entire bear later, Harper was very much nearing her "99.9%" threshold, the beastkin fighting to finish her current piece of grilled meat. She had really underestimated how much bear was in a, well, bear. Her usually toned stomach was showing signs of roundness and Harper was mostly just lying down belly up at this point.

"You stupid juicy piece of meat, don't think you are defeating me... NOM!" Rallying herself for one last hurrah, she'd bite into the piece of meat and sloppily pull out a chunk of it, chewing with all her might. She might not defeat Mizuki today, but she would go out on her shield. This tigress was going to eat 'till she couldn't no more!

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Who had created Terrasphere and for what purpose was one of the biggest questions Mizuki struggled with. Even if she preferred to consider Terrasphere its own world rather than a mere game she wasn't quite so naive as to ignore the fact that someone must have created this world, and that they must have done so with a purpose.

However, she'd asked that question multiple times and had yet to find a satisfying answer, so even if her motivations differed from Harper's she agreed with the tigress's suggestion of dropping the topic for now. Running in circles trying to answer a question you simply didn't know enough about wasn't exactly a fun activity, and Harper was making it very clear that she was much too busy enjoying the moment to waste time with such things.

Hopefully we'll find out eventually, but right now it's just asking for a headache.

Thanks to her sharp fangs and claws Mizuki could devour meat quite quickly, cutting and tearing the bear's flesh into chunks small enough that she could swallow them without much chewing. Truthfully she could have skipped the chewing entirely, as her gullet was also adapted to a carnivorous diet, but she did enjoy the taste of a fresh kill and wanted to savour it.

Still, compared to a human she spent a lot less time chewing her meal and a lot more time tearing off new chunks and swallowing them. Of course, the point of their competition wasn't who could eat faster but who could eat more, but Harper would still have to push herself if she wished to keep pace with the luna wolf who'd clearly gone native.

It does take some getting used to, but it has its advantages. For one thing, you can eat much faster when in a hurry.

She grinned as she said that, displaying her sharp fangs. Just like most people her striped companion wasn't very enthusiastic about biting others, which Mizuki answered with a shrug.

If you want to make the most use of your beast parts you'd have to adapt your fighting style to them. That said, fangs are best for when you grapple a lot, so as a judoka it shouldn't take too much adapting. As for bad habits... As a martial artist you should have plenty of discipline and self-control.

Pretty much every martial art had discipline as one of its key components. After all, if you wished to push your body to its limits and refine your techniques to the utmost you needed to have full control over yourself, or at least as much control as your biology allowed.

Given that Harper was more interested in winning their little competition than holding a discussion Mizuki would quickly hand her another piece of roasted bear meat, returning her own attention to the raw chunk in her clawed hands. Opening her maw she bit into it, the rich taste of blood filling her mouth as she gulped down the fat and muscle.

---

You've certainly lasted a lot longer than I expected.

Most people would already have stuffed themselves to the brim long before this point, so Mizuki was watching Harper with open interest and admiration as the tigress kept pushing herself. Not that she wasn't also concerned: Harper might be holding it all down through sheer willpower at the moment, but if she kept going like this she might really eat herself sick.

Given that you're a carnivore I'm not surprised that you can eat a lot in one go, but still.

Mizuki herself had already finished eating her half, the luna wolf laying on her side with one hand supporting her head as she watched the judoka's determined fight against the limits of her own body. Truthfully she'd also eaten enough that she was feeling quite full for once, as even a wolf's eternal hunger had physical limitations. Nevertheless, she was faring better than the striped female, her well-trained and well-adjusted body quickly digesting the excessive amount of bear meat she'd stuffed herself with.

The sheer size of the feast also meant that she hadn't bothered much with etiquette. Scarfing down fat and muscle had already left her hands and mouth stained with blood, but once she'd gotten started on the organs she'd made quite a mess. Even now she was still licking her free arm and hand clean, having cleaned the other thoroughly before laying down to better recover from a hearty meal.

Hrmmm... You wouldn't happen to be a Siberian Tiger, would you?

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Siberian Tiger, Siberian Tiger..." The tigress would tap her chin, trying to remember where she heard the name from, before her expression brightened up as it came back to her. "I did see something about it when I was looking up ideas for well... Me. Not gonna lie, I was a bit overwhelmed when I was first going through that character selection screen..."

Elizabeth was never what would one could call an avid gamer, so to say she got a sensory overload when she was first presented with all those options when creating Harper would be an understatement. "So I decided to log off and try to decide what I was going to be before going back in. It was darn hard, lemme tell you." She'd say, sending another small piece of meat down her gullet with some effort. "But then, I spotted a flyer from my gym across the room. It has a tiger on its logo, so I figured it would be very fitting. A few searches for tigers on the internet and then Harper was born!"

She'd spread her arms to show off her body, before poking her now full belly. "Before today I used to have abs, though..." She'd lament, before looking at Mizuki with a smirk. "Well, throwing the question right back at you, hound. Don't know any species of wolf with funky eyes like yours. "

"In any case... I do have self-control, yes. But going back and forth between grappling as regular me and grappling as bear-toppler, boar-juggler me is a bit jarring. Brute strenght is only bad when you don't have it." She'd whine, before trying to pick another piece of meat. Instead of immediately eating it though, she'd look at the wolf huntress before sighing.

"It's not that I don't appreciate the compliment, but I do think that endurance without the chance of victory is just a good old waste of time. You see people praising a boxer for having heart when they are losing, but after a certain point does it really matter?" She'd inspect the meat in her hand, spinning it from side to side before looking at Mizuki's remaining portions and how far behind she really was.


"All that heart is getting you are further injuries, and sometimes it is better to just call it. So that's what I'm gonna do." With a defeated shrug of her shoulders, she threw the piece of meat back to Mizuki, before falling onto her back with an exasperated sigh.

"Well well, you win. This time. Don't get too comfortable though, I'm running this back."

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Mizuki listened attentively as Harper explained the process that went behind shaping her Terrasphere self. She did find it interesting what considerations people had when making their character since she herself had put a great deal of thought into hers. She nodded along, waiting until the explanation had finished before responding. The idea that Harper's race had been decided by a logo did make her smile.

The first time was difficult for me as well. I spent hours trying to get everything just right. (She lifted her free arm, which was longer than average.) I even made the arms longer so I'd have more reach and so I could run on all fours without having my face aimed at the ground.

It wasn't something she mentioned often, but since Harper had shared her story Mizuki felt like she might as well share some of hers. Besides, she imagined that a martial artist could appreciate the benefits of having better reach.

Given that the tigress was showing off her form so willingly Mizuki got herself an eyeful, her mismatched eyes paying special attention to the judoka's muscles. She may not be built like a bear, but she clearly was more geared towards raw power than the mix of agility and strength that Mizuki herself had gone with. When Harper asked after Mizuki's subrace the luna wolf blinked.

Me? I'm a Northwestern Wolf. (She pushed herself back upright, sitting with crossed legs as one hand went to her cheek right underneath the eye.) Biggest type of wolf, lives in cold and remote regions. But I've got these eyes because I've also got heterochromia on Earth, so seeing two same-coloured eyes in my reflection in this world would have been strange.

But the reason I asked whether you're a Siberian Tiger is that they're both the biggest tiger and the only ones to live in cold regions. If like me your subrace is built for cold climates you'd also be able to eat as much as me or even more once you get some more practice in.

Predators as a whole could eat a lot of food in one go, but for a predator to be capable of surviving in a hostile environment they had to take it even further. Mizuki had thought at first that even Harper wouldn't be able to compete with her when it came to an eating contest, but it looked like she'd underestimated the tigress quite a bit.

Hrmmm... (She scratched her cheek.) You do have a point, but would you limit your potential in this world to make it easier for yourself to adjust on Earth?

Harper's next words surprised her, given how vehemently the tigress had been about giving it her all. Reaching up she snatched the piece of meat out of the air, tearing it into two pieces and swallowing one after the other to put an end to the match.

Well, it's a good thing to know when to quit. (Licking her lips clean she grinned.) I'm looking forward to it then. It'll be nice to have someone to hunt together with, so hit me up whenever you're feeling like a rematch.

As for those abs of yours... Don't worry, they'll come back once you get some exercise in. Your body should digest food quickly as well.

@Harper

 

[Harper]

"Whoa, that is a good lot of effort you put in." She'd note, extending her arms to the sky as she inspected them. "Besides the tiger parts, my proportions are the same... Or well, mostly the same. I did eyeball a few things, so I didn't get everything spot on. Got a bit taller, arms are a smidge longer, that sorta thing. Definitely not brave enough to completely change them up, since I thought it would give whiplash whenever I logged out."

Sitting up, she would look at Mizuki's body with a smirk. "I bet it doesn't feel great when you can't reach something up a shelf back in the real world that Mizuki could get, haha!" Letting out a hearty laugh at the thought of it, she would fall back into thought for a bit as the huntress described her animal inspirations and the reason for her question before, the beastkin letting out a shrug.

"Afraid my knowledge on wildlife ain't all that, so I'll just take your word as truth. That does make me wonder though, do you work on the field as a biologist or something? Or are you just very interested in it?" Harper would ask, even if she didn't exactly expect to get an answer. Not giving details about your real life to a stranger in a virtual world seemed like a fair call, but Mizuki's knowledge and dedication to detail stood out too much for her to not want to know a bit more.

"Hmm... Yeah, you do have a point. Can't half-ass things for the sake of comfort, neither here or back as real me. Still, I hope I don't break my normal teeth trying to bit into pork bones any time soon, hah!" With a chuckle, she would let out a relaxed sigh before going on all fours for a moment and stretching much like a cat would, arching her back as she let out a grunt.

"You know I gotta give it to the felines, this really feels great to do. Anyway..." She got up, before looking at the sky, noticing that the sun had moved quite a good bit ever since they settled down to eat. "I'd rather not look like a plump piece of prime cut by nightfall, nor can I start burning these calories while my belly's full, so I'll just hit the nearest inn and crash out for the day there."

Bringing up her UI, she would send Mizuki a friend request so they could better communicate and find each other. "Yeah sure, I'd totally murk another bear or two with ya. Just remember that I am getting my runback here. I know this is a death game, so if you dare to go out and get yourself seven foot under before our rematch, I will find a necromancer to get your butt back up."

Her "threat" came out more as amicable taunting, the beastkin grinning back at Mizuki. "That is to say... Keep yourself sharp. I hate losing, but you best believe I dislike losing twice to the same person even more." Putting her hands on her waist, she would puff her chest. "And that's why it usually doesn't happen. Just so you know, capiche?"

Turning around, she would wave a goodbye behind her head towards the huntress before starting her walk back towards the nearest settlement. It wasn't that far away, but her full belly certainly slowed her down. Still, she liked her chances of making it there in good time. Her expression, now hidden from Mizuki, was one of silent frustration.

Losing to Mizuki stung hard, no matter how much she was in a disadvantage from the start. But while she didn't like the feeling, she knew it was good that she still felt it, even in a somewhat casual setting like this. For it was the bitterness of defeat that pushed her into seeking victory and the arduous path that led her there.

She would never settle for less, for that's not the cloth from which she was cut.

She was Elizabeth Fairbanks. She was Harper. But most of all, she was going to be great.



@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Thanks. I figured that if I was going to be someone different in this world I might as well make sure it was someone I could enjoy being.

It was essentially just escapism. The hope that in Terrasphere she could be someone else, someone unburdened by her past. She wasn't so dishonest as to deny that. As Harper admitted that she hadn't been quite as obsessive about her character design Mizuki nodded.

It can feel a bit strange, but I think I've gotten used to it. And I think most people take your approach: not a lot of people who'd spent literally hours painstakingly making every part of their avatar perfect.

She quickly shook her head when Harper asked her whether she was a biologist. She wouldn't dare to claim to be an expert in a field in which she merely had an interest. And truthfully it was only thanks to Terrasphere that she had as much interest as she did.

I just have an interest. Before I came to this world I didn't, really, but since I spent most of my time in this world hunting I started sliding into it. (She looked a bit embarrassed.) Looking back I think I was stuck in a rut before Terrasphere came along.

It wasn't like her life had been devoid of meaning or happiness, but she definitely had been going through the motions more than anything else. Now thanks to Terrasphere she'd acquired new hobbies even back on Earth, and her perspective had also become a lot broader. It was truly embarrassing how deep an impact this world had on her, which other people considered to be nothing more than a game.

She chuckled along with Harper as the tigress painted a rather humorous scenario, then watched as the tigress stretched herself like a cat. For someone who apparently didn't want to deviate too much from her Earth self she seemed to have that part down at least.

Turning her head she looked up at the sky as well, her vision obscured when Harper's friend request arrived. She accepted it without thinking: she had no reason to turn the request down. At the warning to not get herself killed she chuckled once more, showing a fanged grin.

I've been doing a good job avoiding death so far, so as long as I don't jinx myself you don't have to worry about that. But I look forward to next time we meet. Until then, take care Harper.

She watched the tigress turn around and wander off, disappearing amidst the trees to leave the luna wolf behind with the large bonfire and the skeletal remains of the bear they'd devoured together. A part of her wondered whether she should just join Harper on the trip back to the inn, but eventually she decided that she'd just go find her pack. After taking another hour or so to properly digest her meal so she wasn't running around with a full belly.

Hopefully she'd run into Harper again soon. She did really like the idea of having a friendly rival she could have competitions with. Hunting was nice and all, but it could get a bit repetitive if you were on your own.

She wondered if maybe she should also have told Harper that Siberian Tigers are one of the few predators on Earth willing and able to hunt any kind of wolf in their territory to the point that wherever you'd find a Siberian Tiger it wouldn't be long before there would be no wolves left.

@Harper