Private Delight at the Erudite

[Cleo Looker]

Yeah, Madison said something along the same lines. Used to be something of a dark druid, using like natural decay and all that kind of stuff, as far as my limited understanding of that kind of thing goes. Which isn't very far, considering that I know absolutely nothing about magic, I barely even use any myself and mine is super limited and specialized.

That being said, hearing that Akemi, or Mizuki, had been the one to help Madison with her abilities back in the day was quite interesting. It seemed that the world of Terrasphere was quite the small world indeed, if it was so easy for people she'd met to have run into each other in the past.

As for Hanno, Cleo shook her head.

He's volunteering, going around the newbie areas and protecting and teaching new players, as well as looking for a bunch of the people that got UI-locked before the servers were blocked. I've been doing some of that too, recently. Only really met one UI-locked veteran, though.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Akemi wasn't surprised that Madison would have told Sarah about what she used to be like. From her memories, Madison was very outspoken, which made interacting with her pretty straightforward as long as you weren't put off by the sometimes rather blunt statements.

It was a fascinating setup since most people who use Nature Magic focus on life rather than death and decay. I think she was inspired by her friends: I believe she was on good terms with Lucia. Back then Lucia was the most infamous necromancer.

Now that the conversation had turned in that direction Akemi realised that she actually didn't know whether Lucia had returned to Terrasphere or not. She hadn't heard anything about her, but at the same time she would have expected the reopening of Terrasphere to be a dream come true for Lucia.

She frowned as Sarah spoke rather dismissively about her own magic.

Magic is very diverse, but I don't think your magic is limited. You can create anything which isn't mechanical or chemical. It's probably one of the most versatile magic masteries. (She turned her attention to the other topic.) It's good to hear people are looking out for each other and those who could use the help. That said, why the interest in UI-locked Travelers?

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Well that's not a name I'm familiar with, though Madison did mention something about a teacher in necromancy and stuff like that, or somebody that she looked up to? I don't know exactly what it was that she said, but sounds like she was referring to this Lucia woman, whoever she was.

It wasn't a name that she was familiar with, at the very least, though it wasn't one that was on the list of UI-locked players, as far as she knew. It wasn't like she could remember it exactly word for word, but she couyld feel confident that she hadn't seen that name there.

As for her own magic, Sarah shrugged at that.

I guess it's pretty diverse, but I'm not used to creating anything that isn't a spear or spear shaped. I'm a specialist like that.

As for why she was looking into UI-locked travelers, well that was quite the simple thing.

We're trying to make sure they're still alive and safe, looking into what they might have learned about the world whilst stuck here.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

I wouldn't be surprised. Lucia was fairly infamous back then due to being the most prominent necromancer. (She frowned.) I believe she was also considered a voice in the politics of Astorea, although the details escape me.

Akemi took a sip from her smoothie as Sarah explained that the specialist nature of her magic came from herself rather than the limitations of Arcanamancy. That was a logical conclusion to draw.

We did talk about it before when we were training in Western Brisshal. It's similar to how I usually don't use my Nature Magic for much more than healing, buffing, and crowd control. Which sounds like a lot, but there are those who base their entire design around using plants for everything.

Gathering intel from the UI-locked... Not a bad idea and Akemi said as much.

Understandable. While we were all out here they've been learning more about the world for four years. (She sighed.) I do have a friend who was trapped in there before the servers shut down. I've been trying to track her down, but it seems she mostly avoids people when possible. I could try introducing you to her once we've re-established contact.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Well, whoever this Lucia person was, she sounded like she'd be a good source of information about the game, if she was even still around anymore. It was likely that she was, if she hadn't been killed. Sarah could only guess that somebody that had gotten involved enough to be a prominent voice in the politics of the in-game world was likely obsessed enough with the game to jump at the opportunity to get back into the game, now that it had somehow overcome the server block.

The agent hummed, listening to Akemi talking about magic and the fact that they had discussed it and their own specializations before. They both clearly had defined fighting styles that they used magic purely to supplement and improve upon. From her own arcanamancy to produce spears to throw, to Akemi's nature magic to buff herself or heal.

Really, Sarah hadn't thought much about buffing or crowd control. As for gathering intel and Akemi's friend who was trapped, Sarah frowned, but nodded.

I don't mean to dig up any bad memories or anything, but that'd be really useful. I've only met one UI-locked veteran so far and that wasn't exactly the most productive meeting.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Akemi didn't think Kaede would be happy to talk about her life inside of Terrasphere, but she understood that it would be better if Sarah had as many sources as she could gather. The more they knew about Terrasphere the better the odds that they might find some way to keep it running while removing the death mechanic. That and she herself was also very curious about what had happened in those four years, and Kaede was most likely to talk to her about it due to their bond.

I'm not surprised to hear that. There's no real unifying factor behind those who were locked into the game safe for the fact that all of them died three times, whether it was due to recklessness or bad luck. They're not all going to be cooperative or well-informed. (She considered her own friend.) It might be that my friend will be the same. Her name is Kaede Hoshi, in case you're interested in searching for her yourself.

She fell silent as she thought about her friend. It truly was unfortunate what had happened to her, and she might have taken it even harder than most other people who got trapped in Terrasphere. The last time she'd seen the woman was when she was practically breaking down at the realisation that she couldn't log out. Four years of living in Terrasphere might have helped her calm down... or might just have made the situation worse.

She used to be very cheerful and energetic, but she was already reacting poorly to being UI-locked before the shutdown. I don't know what state she's in now.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Yeah, there wasn't anything that had bound those players together and so they had scattered to the winds, unknowingly making her own job a lot harder as a result. Granted, officially, once somebody was UI-locked, her obligation to help them or even care about them was no longer there, but unofficially it felt wrong to just abandon somebody because they had died three times in a game. Her psyche evaluation would probably see that kind of thinking as a red flag, though, so she kept it to herself.

Though when the name Kaede Hoshi was mentioned, Cleo nearly choked on her drink, before blushing and shaking her head at the reminder of that specific person.

Ah, yes I've already had a run-in with Kaede. She was on the list and there were rumors of a witch who ran a clinic, so I went to check it out and managed to find her.

She wasn't going to say what had ACTUALLY happened in that encounter. Especially not on something that could be considered a date.

She's certainly not quite cheerful anymore. There are some unsettling rumors about her and some not so kind nicknames associated with her.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Akemi raised an eyebrow at Sarah's reaction to Kaede's name. The blush spoke volumes even if it was partially hidden by the smoothie that the officer had been drinking from before name recognition backfired on her.

Hmmm... That's concerning, but not entirely unexpected. From what she'd told me she had an active life outside of the game, so to be cut off from Earth would have hit her harder than someone who considered Terrasphere an escape. (Which might include Akemi, even if she wasn't going to admit it out loud.) Judging from your reaction, however, not everything about her changed. She was always very flirty.

The raven-haired female smiled lightly at this, teasing Sarah while at the same time making it clear that she wasn't bothered by anything that might have happened. It just wasn't reasonable to expect a drop-dead gorgeous woman like Cleo to approach Kaede without the sorceress making a move. She sipped from her smoothie as she gave Sarah time to recover from the surprise.

What kind of rumours? I'd rather not gossip about her if possible, but I trust that if you call them unsettling then there's reason to be concerned.

Just how much had being left alone for four years affected Kaede? It had robbed her of her cheerful attitude, but Sarah made it sound like it might be worse than that.

If you wanted to see just how far someone could fall, nothing pushed them further than misery and despair.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

It made sense that somebody who was so active outside of the game would have been hit exceptionally hard by being locked into the game. Somebody like Akemi, who wasn't unactive, but treated the game as an escape from their real life, would probably manage to cope with being UI-locked a lot better than somebody who very much had a lot of stakes in reality. Things they cared about and would lose now that they'd passed on and were essentially NPC's in a video game, unable to interact with the real world ever again.

It was pretty morbid to think about, really.

Still, the less she thought about Kaede's flirting the better and her frown said as much, as Sarah shook her head and took a sip from her smoothie.

I'm not sure I'd call it flirting so much as I'd call it dogged pursuit. I'm fairly certain if this had happened in real life, I'd have had grounds to file a restraining order against her for her actions. And just so we're clear, nothing happened.

As for the rumours, Sarah paused for a moment, thinking back to the things that she'd heard, trying to pick out the ones that she thought were important for Akemi to know.

Well obviously they call her a perverted witch. Some of them distrust her and her clinic. Apparently she has also gone missing a few times without any explanation, only to turn up looking more sullen, or even angry.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

From the looks of it, Sarah wasn't very impressed by Kaede's attitude, which Akemi didn't agree with but could understand. Most people would find the Kaede she'd known four years ago flirty to the point of being somewhat bothersome. Akemi happened to consider it a testament to Kaede's energetic nature, but if her friend preferred to forget about it the raven-haired woman wasn't going to push the topic.

Understood. I don't think she means any harm with it, although I wouldn't be able to say for certain after all these years.

Given that Kaede had taken being trapped in Terrasphere hard it wouldn't surprise Akemi if she wasn't as innocent as she used to be. That said, she shouldn't draw conclusions too hastily, at the very least not until she'd had the chance to meet Kaede herself.

The rumours that Sarah had overheard regarding Kaede didn't reassure her in the slightest, however. The perverted witch thing wasn't new, but beyond that, it didn't sound like her old friend was adjusting to her new life in a healthy manner.

I'll have to try and meet her soon then.

But she didn't want to spend this entire time discussing Kaede. The two of them were on a date, after all.

Thank you for keeping me informed Sarah. I can't immediately think of any other UI-locked people I know, but I'll still do my best to help your investigations. (She took a sip from her smoothie.) Of course, that's hardly a big concession from my part, since I do enjoy spending time with you.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Regardless of whether or not that Kaede girl had meant any harm by her actions, she had made Sarah wholly uncomfortable and it wasn't exactly an experience that she cared to relive or revisit anytime soon, especially at a time like this when she was supposed to be enjoying herself with somebody that she cared about. It was very easy to see that the witch hadn't adapted well to being locked in the game though, considering the various rumors that were there and other such issues that had been raised with her behaviour and her general manner of being.

I can probably show you on a map where she's set up her new clinic, when we're back in game. I won't be accompanying you though. I really would prefer to not have a run in with that woman again.

Though with that being said, Akemi's pledge to help with her investigation was nice, but it was what she said afterwards that was really sweet. Sarah nearly choked on her smoothie, eyes wide and cheeks warm as she pulled away from it.

Well now, aren't you sweet? I enjoy spending time with you too. A lot.

She smiled, leaning forward.

Lavishing me with such praise like that. One might think you were looking for a spot in her bed~

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

It was a bit worrisome to hear Sarah openly state that she had no intention of meeting Kaede again if she could avoid it, given the implications it carried for just how Kaede had changed over the years. However, Akemi could hardly argue against Sarah's decision: if she found Kaede's aggressive flirting uncomfortable, then it was her decision to keep her distance. Instead, she focused on the offer to mark Kaede's location on a map.

I'd appreciate that. Tracking her down could take a while, so having your assistance would make it a lot faster and easier.

With some luck, she could help Kaede in some manner, and possible in the process also convince the sorceress to take it easy on Sarah. It wasn't vitally important for the two of them to get along, but Akemi still preferred it if everyone was at least on speaking terms with one another.

It seemed that her compliment had struck the mark, however, judging by how Sarah's cheeks had turned red. The raven-haired woman smirked as her friend had to stop drinking from her smoothie to recover, clearly amused by the reaction she'd managed to elicit. Her smirk turned into a more affectionate smile once Sarah returned the sentiment.

I'm glad to hear that the feeling is mutual then. (She carefully pushed her smoothie to the side so she could lean a bit forward as well without being in danger of spilling it.) As for wishing to share a bed with one... I'd be willing to bet that most people would agree with that wish. (She rested her elbows on the table and interwove her fingers under her chin.) Is that something one is interested in as well, or was she only speaking hypothetically?

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Well at the very least she'd managed to help out Akemi with her search for an old friend, though admittedly, the fact that her friend was so invested in such a person wasn't exactly the most comforting thought in the world. Especially given recent thoughts she'd been having, considering the idea of upgrading Akemi from just a simple 'friend' to something more. It was, well, probably strange for her to be considering that given how they'd met and the circumstances behind everything, very often online relationships didn't go too well, but now that they were both here, in the flesh?

It felt real.

She blushed a little deeper as Akemi leaned forward after sliding her smoothie to one side, swallowing at the way she wover her fingers underneath her chin. The topic at hand, she wasn't exactly sure how to handle it.

Well...one would say that she isn't speaking hypothetically and that she is interested as well.

Then she swallowed, leaning forwards and pushing her own smoothie to the side, mimicking Akemi in that regard.

Akemi...I like you. I like you a lot. I'd like to see more of you. In more ways than one.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

While the two of them had been spending time together for a while now, there was still a lot about Sarah that Akemi didn't know. It wasn't like you could learn everything there was to learn about someone within a few months, after all. People were complicated, and many aspects of their personality might not reveal themselves until specific conditions were met, or they were exposed to a certain situation.

The point was, while Akemi was definitely interested, she wasn't sure if Sarah's suggestion had been genuine, or if she was being playful. Both were valid options, and while Sarah was usually serious while on the job it was clear that here on Earth she was capable of being more relaxed.

So she was honestly curious about how serious Sarah had been. When the red-haired beauty sitting opposite of her stated that she was interested and that it hadn't just been hypothetical, Akemi's cheeks reddened a little at the implications.

I didn't know I'd managed to make such a good impression.

The table they were sitting at was small enough that with both of them leaning forward their faces were already quite close, although there was still some distance left to cross before they would be touching one another. Akemi tilted her head to the side slightly in response to Sarah's words, looking thoughtful but retaining her affectionate smirk.

I must also admit that I didn't expect you to be so brazen. Tell me, what exactly do you want to see of me?

Her voice lowered a little as she spoke, her heterochromatic eyes peering into Sarah's without blinking. Even with her cheeks red she was a lot more confident here on Earth than she might have been if this had happened in Terrasphere.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

They were really close, actually. Wow, she hadn't really noticed until they were now nearly face to face, but now that they were, it was really all that she could think about. If she just leaned forward a little bit more, she could eliminate that space entirely. And it wouldn't even be the first time that they'd ever kissed, so she wasn't sure why she was hesitating all of a sudden. She felt like she was trapped in the moment, similar to how things had gone with that kiss underneath the rain in Terrasphere.

Well, I don't think I could say everything I want to see out loud in such a public place as this, really~

She blushed a bit more, but decided to lean in just a little bit further. A hand snaked out to slowly reach for the hands that Akemi had linked underneath her chin, resting her hand on those joined hands.

But beyond even that stuff...I want to see how you live. See if there's room in that life for somebody like me. See you smile, see you laugh, see you weep from joy. I, well, I don't want to put it in a juvenile way, but I want to see if, maybe, you have the same feelings for me that I have for you.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Akemi had been lightly teasing Sarah with her words, finding it entertaining to see the beautiful redhead blush, but instead, she found herself blushing as Sarah spoke so openly about what she really wanted. She stayed silent for the moment, letting Sarah speak her mind before taking her time formulating her response.

As she thought carefully about her words she'd unweave her own fingers, instead resting her chin on one hand as she used the other hand to grasp Sarah's, holding onto it as she looked her friend in the eyes.

I don't think anyone would overhear us if you did speak your mind, but I think that answer already says enough~ And I must say that you spoke a lot more bluntly than I would have expected... I'm a bit embarrassed now. (She let out a short hum before continuing.) I do also like you a lot, Sarah. It will take some time to explore these feelings, but I'm willing to spend that time with you. I don't have much experience with these things, but I'll gladly let you into my life if I'm also allowed to be part of yours.

It might be too early to know whether this bond would last for the rest of their lives, but for now Akemi knew that if Cleo wanted to form an even more intimate bond she would happily agree to that.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

Her hopes soared as she watched a blush spread across Akemi's face, even higher when she felt one of Akemi's hands grasp onto her own. And she listened intent, enraptured by the woman's words as she spoke, her own blush only increasing more when the woman gave her a bit of teasing, but she couldn't even attempt to hide the smile that seized control of her whole face the moment that Akemi mentioned liking her a lot and wanting to explore her feelings.

Then...I hope this isn't too forward, but I've been wanting to try ever since that one time...

She swallowed, before leaning forward, closing the rest of the distance as she leaned over the table, pressing her lips to Akemi's. She was slow and gentle, a chaste kiss, rather than that passionate liplock that they'd shared underneath the virtual rain. And when she pulled away, her breath shuddered.

I don't know what the rest of your schedule looks like for today, but...would you like to come over to my place?

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

Akemi hadn't thought of Sarah as someone who was inclined towards expressions of strong emotion, but watching the other woman react to her words made it clear that either Akemi had thought wrong, or this mattered more to Sarah than she'd expected. Either way, it was quite a touching sight to see the normally cool and collected redhead look so happy at Akemi giving a positive response to her affection. If Akemi hadn't already been smiling she probably would have started to as well.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was that Sarah wanted to do, and Akemi didn't need long to make up her mind regarding how she'd respond. She'd move her head forward as well so her lips could meet Sarah's, a warm sensation spreading through her from her mouth to the rest of her body as the two shared their affection through a kiss.

Once Sarah pulled back Akemi inhaled, her cheeks redder than before as she tried to calm down a little. Things were definitely developing faster than she'd expected, but she didn't mind one bit. At the suggestion that she could visit Sarah's apartment, she tilted her head for a moment before nodding.

I didn't have anything else planned for the day, so I'd love to come over. Although we should first finish our drinks.

@Cleo Looker

 

[Cleo Looker]

That her offer was accepted, Sarah felt a rush of glee and excitement, feeling for all the world like she was a teenager again out on her first date. It was weird how something like this could make her feel so much younger than she was, yet it was also so exciting that she couldn't help but toss thoughts of her age to the side and step right into it, even though she would usually characterize herself as the type of person that took everything slowly.

And so the redhead nodded to the fact that they needed to finish their drinks first, taking a swig of her smoothie in response. It was slightly childish to drink just a little bit faster because she was excited, but she really couldn't help it, when it came to this.

Once the two of them were finished, Sarah stood up with a smile.

You didn't bring a car or anything, right? There's room on my motorbike for both of us, if you don't mind riding with me? I know some people get nervous about the idea of riding.

@Ueno Mizuki

 

[Ueno Mizuki]

It looked like Sarah really was happy with the news that Akemi would be joining her at her place, which made the raven-haired woman even more glad that she'd accepted the offer. As the beautiful redhead began to drink her smoothie at a faster pace Akemi also directed more of her focus towards her own drink, enjoying the taste but also making sure not to take too long. They'd been enjoying a nice conversation so far, but it looked like both of them were now looking forward to changing location.

Once she'd finished her smoothie Akemi actually felt a bit full: she'd only had some cake and the smoothie, but that was still a lot more filling a meal than she'd normally have at this time of the day. She usually paid a lot more attention to her diet, although circumstances justified indulging herself a little.

I don't have much experience with motorbikes, but it shouldn't be a problem... do you have a second helmet though?

Sarah was an officer, so Akemi trusted her to drive responsibly. A helmet would still make her feel safer though. Getting up from her seat she looked at their plates and drinks but shrugged as she imagined that in an establishment like this employees would clean up after them.

Hmmm... Someone will come along to collect this, right?

@Cleo Looker