Complete Vintergard Dragon Horizon

[Crimson Ruby]

Her eyebrow rose slightly. "They aren't just kind words." Ruby said firmly, trying to be assertive that those words actually meant something, rather than being just an empty compliment.

His words and wink made her giggle, and she nodded. "You better let me know. Or else-" She squinted while baring her fangs in a smirk, leaving it at that, especially when being surprised by his quickness on getting ready for the dance.

"I am not going to lie, you are quite straightforward," Ruby said, satisfied while glancing at his invitation.

"You are asking this to someone that only really knows music's magic... I can't shame myself in it, can I?" She smiled faintly, using her nail to strum on the strings of the liuqin once, with a white brim flickering on it before every string glowed while the instrument suddenly began playing by itself... And along with it, echoes of other instruments backed it up, almost as if it was a phantom orchestra.

Spoiler: Music

Reaching for his hand, she quickly wrapped her fingers in between his, interweaving them while getting on her feet to lean close.

"An easy one, so you won't stumble too much." She teased, leaning away and turning swiftly to let her side face him, swaying her tails and body while circling him with gentle movements, trying to follow the magical and soft harmony of the music. There was warmth and elegance at each step, with brief glances that hinted some mystery.

Soon, the crescendo came, and so Ruby switched her stance, facing Erick and locking her eyes on his, more directly than the sideglances from the previous part, enclosing their distance and letting him take the lead.

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

He smiled when she told him that her words were more than just kind. He did not want to ruin the mood by going tit for tat about his inadequacies. Instead, he gave her this small concession, so as not to break the flow of their interaction. "I meant no offense."

"You better let me know. Or else-"

"Of course." His smirk mirrored her own, toothy, albeit less malicious for the lack of sharpened canines.

"I am not going to lie, you are quite straightforward."

Unlike most gamers who found their way to Terrasphere after a lifetime of social ineptitude and gaming sequestered away from society at large, Erick's life outside the game had been rife with large events. He joined no teams, but he was still best friends with some of the star players; and while he spent most of his free time in the theater club or studying for tests to get the best results, he never missed an event. Not Homecoming, not the Ring Dance, and not Prom. He'd even danced and drove home with the Head Cheerleader on that, the last great night of his youth.

Now, he didn't even talk to those people. They were just a memory. But here, in this moment, he was someone again. If only between himself and one other person. "I'm just confident," he said, flashing her a winning smile.

The gamer boys could take that one out of his playbook any time.

"I can't shame myself in it, can I?"

Then, her magic began to reverberate, off the walls of the burnt building, filling the starlit sky above them with a new air of majesty. He took her hand as easily as she took his, interlacing fingers and turning his body so that she wound around him like threads of satin drawn through a loom.

"An easy one, so you won't stumble too much."

She teased him as she swayed with the music, so close and yet far, and he smiled. He followed with her movements, not seeking to take command of the dance; rather, he opted to let it flow rhythmically around him toward its inevitable shift.

When the music began to take flight, she ceded leadership. He had watched carefully, dutifully up to this point, learning the rhythm, adhering to it like a scribe taking notes. Now, with the quill dipped in ink and offered to his hand, he began to write his own signature.

Erick continued to draw her around in an intricate spiral but with each measured turn, he drew her slightly closer, until at last they were chest to chest with their eyes locked: a majestic and imaginative melody turned waltz.

When the music came to its gentle finish, he held her there for a moment before allowing her to pull away, his voice quiet as he deigned to tease her back.

"I hope that I didn't stumble too badly."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

It seemed like Erick was a surprise after another. For someone who said they couldn't promise to be any good at it, his dance felt genuine if anything. When she challenged him to take the lead, she just wanted to give him some of its fun, caring little about how skilled he was...

This only rose the surprise, and as simple as the movements were due to the pace of the music, it was majestic in its own way.

Her tails swayed, bringing her dancing bells into the music once again. Not even once did her eyes avert, just as the dance never staggered. The closeness of the waltz made Ruby's cheeks warm, but in the world of dance and music, she had enough control of her emotions to not stutter, allowing her to continue following his lead flawlessly.

The music slowly calmed down, even if the magic of the moment lingered on Ruby for a bit longer, with her eyes still focused on Erick's, mesmerized by the warmth of the moment. The edge of the horizon the dragon rested was already dimly red, so faint it was almost gone, but the gentle light of the campfire bathed their faces and made their eyes brim with the reflection of the flames, serving to emphasize their expressions.

Soon, however, him letting her go along with his words snapped her back to reality.

Her ears twitched, and the vague rosy cheeks turned redder as she rested her hands behind her back, averting her eyes to the flames. "You... You didn't. So you pass this time." She retorted, with her tails swaying with a timid ring coming from their bells before she peeked back at him.

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

He let her go and stepped away, slowly.

"Ah, good," his smile remained, less playful now than satisfied. It felt good to let loose. He could feel his lungs bringing in air, his body warm from both the fire and the exertion. There was sweat on his body, his heart was racing. Jimmy felt young again. Not physically young perhaps, but like he was back living the best days of his life. Surrounded by joy, by cheering friends and classmates.

He watched her look away, the rosy hint in her cheeks only slightly noticeable in the glow from the fire. Erick closed his hand and bowed his head. "That was a fine memory," he said, more to himself than to the woman, but he did not keep the thought from her. "I cherish good memories, y'know?"

The people he met, in this world or in that one, were precious to him. Though he had lost almost all of the ones on the other side, he still remembered their names, their faces- he kept the memories guarded in his heart. Even if they might never bond over them in old age. Even if he never saw them again.

When he looked up and saw Ruby again, he opened the UI in his palm and sent her a proper friend request. "I wanna be able to get in contact with you," he said, "so you can call on me whenever, even if its just to talk. I know we haven't known each other too long, but you've been kind to me, so I don't have any problem calling you my friend."

He closed his hand again and sat down next to the fire to catch his breath.

"If you don't mind, I mean," he added after a moment. "I've been having a lot of fun."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

For a moment, Ruby hoped that the shyness that overtook her didn't make her vague compliment sound unenthusiastic. If anything, the warmth she felt and the heart skipping beats were proof that the dancing was far more than what Ruby presented in words. Especially when taking into account the details that prickled emotions to flourish.

But when he mentioned it is a good memory, even if so quiet it was to himself, her attentive ears with the enhanced hearing made her perk up her ears to look at him.

A memory he would cherish...

Ruby smiled genuinely, taking her hands out from behind her back to rest them on her chest, nodding. "Me too. I will cherish it, these and the others as well. They are special, after all." She said, fondly before being surprised by the sudden request. One that she was slowly getting used to seeing.

Notice

Crimson Ruby has accepted your friendship request.

She was quick to accept when she finally processed it in her mind, watching Erick moving closer to the campfire again and following, taking a seat next to him and looking at the bunny that was still cooking after all this time, now looking brown and nice. "To me, you were already a friend as soon as you saved me back then," Ruby said, reminding herself of the ambush days ago. The one that made this adventure become possible. "I tell you the same. If you ever want to talk, or ever needs help. I'm here for you." Ruby said.

"And I will make you regret letting me get in contact with you any time I want, there are days I'm insufferable." Ruby joked a bit, twitching her ears and taking her dagger to slit two small pieces of the bunny, sniffing it with her nose and glancing at Erick.

"Here-" She said, offering him one of the pieces for him to try, waiting to hear if he would approve it.

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

Erick smiled brightly when she said that she was there for him. "Thanks a ton!" he told her. "I'll definitely remember that."

"And I will make you regret letting me get in contact with you any time I want, there are days I'm insufferable."

"Honestly, you can try," Erick gave a dry laugh. "But even being a little bit annoyed is better than having no friends at all." He said that so casually, almost like it didn't even bother him to admit to having no friends. Perhaps it was because that was his truth in the past, and did not carry now. A bitter memory, but a memory that had served to teach him the value of companionship.

When Ruby offered him some of the cooked rabbit meat, he graciously accepted it and took a quick bite. Cooked through, charred on the outside and done on the inside with no amount of pinkness. It had a smokier flavor than what he remembered of rabbit, though he hadn't had it cooked over an open flame. And the last time he could remember, it had been in a stew.

It wasn't his favorite, but this definitely was not bad. "I can definitely eat this," he grinned to @Crimson Ruby as he took another bite. It also helped to ensure that he was sustained and had the energy to press on. In this world, unlike in other games he'd played, that was a very real need. "Thank you for cooking."

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby smiled warmly at the grateful words and the reassurance of reminding himself of it. Something hinted in her that she wouldn't mind at all if he needed her help any time, perhaps it would be surprisingly fun, one after another. This was something Ruby could embrace at any time.

His retort about her potential annoyance made her ears twitch. "I suppose the saying of 'it is better to be alone than in bad company' isn't really something that catches your fancy." Ruby tilted her head, still looking at him with a certain curiosity, that slowly faded away. "I can understand though. Staying alone is... Complicated. Even for the kind of person that is more used to it." She slipped a quiet sigh until the compliment caught her attention.

Ruby chuckled faintly, watching him taking the rabbit meat she offered and beaming when he approved it. shrugging.

"Whenever you wish, I can do it again." Ruby winked to him, but quickly she added: "Next time, dinner is on you though."

She then picked up some small bowls she carried in the inventory and started to cut the bunny and share it between the two of them while they could go and mix it with the traveling rations they had.

Even if they had a bunny this time, the complements of the food were always welcoming, something that wouldn't feel as bland as usual thanks to the new addition to the dinner.

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

He savored the flavor a bit longer, chewing mostly on the words that Ruby was saying. After swallowing, he closed his eyes and folded his hands in front of his face. It was a hard thing, being alone. Man was a social creature, and in the construction of society and civilization, he found his ability to adapt and overcome adversity. It was through raw ingenuity that they survived under duress. Even isolation itself was survivable, if not ideal. It did not come without its drawbacks.

"Whenever you wish, I can do it again." Ruby winked to him, but quickly she added: "Next time, dinner is on you though."

"I'd like that," Erick said with a smile, breaking away from the dark thoughts that threatened to set in. He was a creature of habit, and in the past year or two, depression had become the habit. Now that he was able to talk to other people and interact inside of Terrasphere, that issue was slowly becoming eclipsed. "If that's the case, maybe next time, I'll see about dinner inside of a town or a city. That way you don't have to cook," the blue haired youth told her with a smirk.

She made some adjustments to the recipe before she handed more off to him, and he had another bite to sample the new and (hopefully) improved flavor. With the added texture of some of the breading and a bit of spice, the gamey flavor of the meat was largely neutralized.

"Now that," he shook the rabbit meat remaining as he chewed through the bite still in his mouth. "That's pretty darn good. Pardon me for speaking with my mouth full."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's ears perked up at the acceptance of the request, and also at the fact it was pretty much an invite to dinner somewhere, rather than what she actually meant. She smiled, nodding with a small, happy and timid smile, soon taking a bigger bite of her food both as a distraction and for the pleasure of the taste.

A long hum followed it, with her tail swaying joyfully as she glanced at him when he voiced his approval.

"Let's leave the etiquette for wherever you will be paying for us to eat later in a town or a city." Ruby said, smirking when playfully pushing the future bill to Erick.

"I am glad you liked it though. Turned out that traveling rations can be good as long as you add something fresh to it." She said, pausing for a moment and glancing toward the dragon, that could only barely be seen in darkness from the horizon, only vaguely outlined by the incoming moonlight.

"... I wonder if we will be able to find fresh things to put in our food in there... Maybe some fruit tree that somehow lived through the disaster..." Ruby pursed her lips for a moment.

"Though, as I said. Tonight is our last peaceful night until we are done with our mission, so I doubt we will have time to enjoy anything like that." A small sigh escaped from her.

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

She was quick with a joke, Erick handed it to her. Whether or not she was accentuating the point about him footing the bill for her own benefit or comedic value he couldn't say. He still managed to grin and chuckle along.

To her next point, he cracked his knuckles. "I'm sure there is probably something out there other than ashes and bones," he assured her, "but I wouldn't hold out for magical spices or tasty fruit." If he had to be the sobering reality in this situation, he didn't altogether mind; but it felt like a disservice to the evening they'd had to end on a sour note. Especially when she repeated herself.

"Tonight is our last peaceful night..."

"You keep saying that," he turned and shot her a serious look, "but I think that its better to worry when we get there, rather than worry now. We've done all we can to prepare. Why not check the anxiety at the border and use this time to unwind? If you're too stressed out, you won't get any sleep, and that would be even worse for us."

He reached out and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Just for tonight, take your mind off things that could happen and enjoy yourself. What do you say?"

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Probably not." She giggled with a shrug. "Anything that can fill our stomaches will be fine though. We do have the traveling rations, so we will be fine."

Forking pieces of her food, she listened to his words carefully, feeling the reassurance and comfort of the hand on her shoulder, which made her feel both relieved and guilty. The first was to know that Erick seemed to be more firm about everything than her, which would be a good thing to have during that mission. The latter because maybe she was dragging things down by being so attentive to what could go wrong, rather than what they could do about it.

She rested her bowl gently on her lap, pondering.

"Yeah, you are right... I should." She said, rubbing her neck and swaying her tail. "It is just normal to get a bit anxious before a tough adventure. Things can go wrong really quickly, and... Yeah." Ruby muttered, focusing her eyes on the flames for a moment, taking another bite of her food.

"Granted, this time at least I have someone else with me. It isn't as bad as how it usually feels, so..." Ruby admitted, glancing at Erick and flashing a smile. "Thank you for coming with me!" It was a sudden request from a stranger that he had just saved.

A tall order on top of it, considering how dangerous Vintergard was known to be right now.

@Erick Styker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"Yeah, anxiety is totally normal," he agreed. "No argument there." He offered the woman a gentle smile of his own as he sat down next to her. Before he could reassure her that she was not alone, she went and did it herself.

"Thank you for coming with me!"

"Of course! I wasn't going to let someone do this on their own." He sat back on his hands and closed his eyes. "And it's a new adventure for me, besides," he added. "I get to see what this world is really like, right down to the worst and most dangerous parts. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't both terrified and excited."

He leaned back and laid down, then brought his arms to rest behind his head. "I wager I've got about a half hour left in me before I pass out," he told her honestly. "Watching the gauge is new to me, but I figure I ought to respect it." He glanced sidelong toward her. "You gonna try to sleep, too? Or are you feeling too restless?"

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Being terrified and excited is a great combination." She said.

With someone else, it was even better. Because the first could be eased, and the latter could be shared. Even if Ruby had issues with crowds, having one other person with her was everything she could ask for.

"Really... The world as it truly is. From the coziest and safest tavern, to the deepest and direst of the caves." Ruby grinned, watching him giving in to the tiredness.

She followed the gesture, sending herself down to lay lazily on the ground, breathing calmly and looking up at the sky. "I probably should too. I am sure my real body will need some food though, so I may get a bit inactive in game before I come back in to sleep. It is better just in case something happens while we are camping." Ruby said, then turning her face to look at Erick.

"I will wait for you to pass out first though. Better than letting you all by yourself." She said with a grin.

@Erick Styker (Probably wrap up soon? Unless there is something else you want to do!)