Private Dunnstads Experiences

[Nyx]

Hayate was drunk.

Glancing from her mug to the young man across from her, Trissayne couldn't help the slightly arched brow that neared her hairline. Just how in the world did he become drunk? Obviously, yes, it would have been from imbibing alcohol, but this entire place was simulated. The people at the bar, the sea outside the window, the man playing the lute in the corner; none of this was real. Even these two bodies that they inhabited were simulated, bits of code strung together so that an experience could be had and the brain could be tricked.

...Maybe he was fucking with her...

"Hayate," she begins while picking up a fried stick of cheese and nibbling on it, "dere ain't no way ya be actually drunk. Ya can't be. Da alcohol ain't never gone trew ya system. Ya just be tinking your drunk." She chews and swallows, enjoying the sharp taste of cheese mixed with the crunch of the batter. It was...amazing how real it felt and how good it tasted. But it was a trick, it was always a trick, and she just had to remember that.

"Ya been drunk before, right? Or dis be anodah new experience?"

@Hayate

 

[Hayate]

Wasn't this supposed to be a game to enjoy the experiences? it was a world of new flavors and tastes, of new brews and alcohol. Why in the world did they feel the need to replicate the aftereffects of drinking. Maybe it was an effect of having his pain limiter on? And just how much he immersed himself into the world or was trying to. At least as much as he could without ui-locking himself. That would be stupid to chase it that far, though he had heard tales of those that did. With a groan he lifted his head from the table to peer into his cup. Was it empty?

Giving it a slight swirl, he could feel that he hadn't yet quite finished. Raising the mug to his lips, he tilted his head back slamming down the rest of it. The cool feeling rushing down his throat and somehow to his head. Even if it was all code, it definitely felt real to him. The mind was a scary thing.

"Mn, Yah?" he'd reply as Triss called out his name. "Even if. . . it's only in my head. It really feels like it." he spoke slowly enunciating his words, placing his head back down on the table with a sway, pushing the empty mug to join the who knew how many others. Sliding his head to the side so he could speak he'd laugh.

"Not since that last time. Got in too much trouble. Ha ha."

 

[Nyx]

It wasn't cute. It wasn't cute!

It was...amusing. And because she found it funny, she clicks her tongue and chuckles as he lays his head on the table. Impulsively, she reaches out a hand to gently ruffle his hair, and, once again, she is amazed by the texture sliding through her fingers.

"Day gives ya da cheese ta help wit da alcohol, ya know," she tells him, her hand withdrawals to instead gently push the platter toward him. Fried cheese, stuffed mushrooms, a side of rice, and chicken on a stick; really, it was a good spread all things considered. Maybe she should order some seafood while they were here. It had to be the best in the game, right? Being a port town and all.

"Didja get in trouble in da game or outside of it? Not much ya can do in da game, I tink. Like, I ain't been seeing no jail or noting for people who be breaking da laws." Taking another small bite from her cheese stick, she frowns and tilts her head to the side in question. "What even are da laws around here? I assume, like, no stealing and don't be going around killing kids, but are dere more?"

 

[Hayate]

Was he aware of how he looked right now? Not at all, paying attention to his own personal appearance had always been a weakness of his both before he joined TerraSphere and during it. Which accounted for his usually sloppily dressed self. A stark contrast to the tailored clothes that were neatly arranged and picked for him each day by the staff. No this was better, more comfortable. It was free. And easy. Unresponsive to the motion at first he stilled and blinked as the woman ruffled his hair in what he assumed was a motherly fashion. Something absent in his life so he didn't fight it, just sorta letting it happen as he turned to hide his face and expression.

"Oh, right. Sure. Drinking on an empty stomach. Bad Idea."

Reaching over to the offered plate he started picking at the food with his hands, bring them once piece at a time to nibble on, trying to savor the flavors through his 'muddle' minded state. Each salty accoutrement a counterpoint and balance to the tang of the alcohol. Mulling it over for a bit, as he hadn't really talked about the outside world and all to many others, being something that took him out of the game and experience he decided why not. Triss had been kindly enough to him afterall, and he did like making friends. And friends shared things right?

"Uh, out of the game. Broke into my father's private cellar to swipe some for a party with friends. Something, something worth more than I know, and we were all underaged. So I guess breaking a law." Pausing with a shrug as he continued to eat, due to a lack of drink he thought for a second before shaking his head. "Not sure, I guess just common sense things? But there are still some idiots doing dumb things. Treating it as just a game when its so much more."

Sighing wistfully he glanced at the mugs, waving at the barmaid for another round.

 

[Nyx]

Let it be known that she's never been a fan of ale. She enjoyed wine more and, when she really wanted to let loose, Long Island Ice Tea. So while Hayate slammed through as many mugs of ale as he could, thus his current state at their shared table, Triss had sipped and frowned and sipped some more at her drink throughout their conversation. Even now, her mug is still half full. And it was halfway to her mouth when Hayate answers her inquiry, causing her to smirk and gently shake her head.

At that moment, it became very apparent just how old she was in relationship to him...

Taking another small sip and wincing because of it, she finds herself freezing at his mention of this just being a game. Her emerald eyes narrow and she lowers the mug back to the table, scoops up a napkin instead, and wipes her mouth.

"It do be just a game," she replies to him. Her voice is level, with no change in pitch or octave indicating that her statement was anything more than just that, a statement.

A factual statement.

...She should just leave it alone. People were entitled to their own opinions and she was no one to shove hers down anyone's throat. So maybe it's from the earlier realization that he is young (and likely impressionable) that makes her press on, that makes her lean forward in her chair and stare at him intently.

"Dis all just be a game, even if it be feeling real, Hayate. Come on now, ya be knowing dat. Ya be a smart boy outside of all dis...silliness." She waves a hand over the table as if she's shooing flies away from their meal.

"It can't be no more dan just some good code by some brilliant minds. It's a big trick wit all dem neurons in your brain. Life like, yah, but it ain't."

She pauses.

"Ya know dat, right?"

 

[Hayate]

Looking up from the food and drink as he caught the shift in her tone. Even as 'Inebriated' as he was, he was always aware of the things around him. Blending in with those around him just was what he did. Matching their pace and beliefs. A bad habit that made it hard to have long term friends, but in the short term? Most usually found it easier to get along with those of similar thoughts and interests. Slowly speaking still he fished at the food not really picking anything up. Like a child caught doing something they shouldn't.

"Yah. I guess it is." He nodded slowly as she spoke, somehow slinking further down into the table than he had been before. Though the praise made him blink somewhat as he stopped playing with the food to rub at the back of his head with another sigh.

"A game it may be, but a good escape at least. Does it hurt to treat it kind of real while we are here? The friends and people we meet are real enough. At least, I know enough to not stick around if things get to a certain point."

He'd fall silent after that. It was an awfully sobering point. Not one that he had any confirmation of, but the thought of dying and being stuck here? While it might appear to be a bright place. It was just a cover for the terrifying rush of undercurrents beneath the surface. Their forray against the bandits the other day was an easy example. Those npcs could just have easily been players on an opposing quest.

With perfect timing the next round of food and drink would arrive, giving him something to distract himself with. Reaching for the ale, he'd sip at it quietly no longer drowning himself even if he wished too. The haze cleared as he withdrew from the game at her words.

 

[Nyx]

Triss leans back as the empty plates are taken away and more food is brought to their table. Their waitress hesitates, looking from Triss's mug to her face and back again. And Triss, not understanding, glances from her to the mug and back again as well.

And then it dawns on her.

"Oh! No tanks, just dis wun for me."

The woman nods and leaves them and Trissayne turns back to her companion with a small sigh. It was comforting to know that he agreed with her, but there was still a little kernel of doubt that festered in the back of her mind. Something that she felt she had to stomp on, a point that needed to be driven home.

"A good escape, mhm mhm. Ya be right. It's nice ta get home and log in and do a few quests, drink at da tavern, round up da missing sheep." She even smiles, having recounted her favorite repeatable quests.

"But when I be logging out, well, I still got dishes ta wash and laundry ta fold." She wets her lips. "If...ya be lulled inta tinking its real, well, I just be worried dat ya might actually...start believing it. Dat ya might start tinking it'd be nice ta stay. Forever."

She shakes her head. "Dere was a woman I met when I first started playing da game. And...I dunno. I tink she's crazy, truth be told, believing dat all dis ain't noting more dan really good code. But she did say dat, ah, when some of da players—if dey do die in da game, well, are dey code or are dey still people?" She swallows. "I tink about dat a lot. More dan I should."

 

[Hayate]

With the table cleared of the scraps and new treats brought over, as well as her saying just the one was enough for her. He'd resolve to do the same, continuing to just sip at his drink as she turned back to focus on him. Pushing himself up off the table, he straightened out. Immersion was broken, and they...were being honest and real. Which arguably suited his other need and desire. It wasn't just an escape he was seeking but friends. People he could actually trust and just be himself around.

A wry smile crossed his face at her words, as those miscellaneous small quests that most overlooked were the ones that he mostly had focused on doing. Other than travelling it was rare for him to do anything "big" or fanciful that would make him well known. He nodded along as she spoke, setting down the mug with both hands clasped around it. It was a more subconscious defensive and vulnerable position than he realized.

"That is true. The outside is always a joy to get back to. I. . . Do not think I'd ever view the game as real? But it is better in some ways. Not as much in others."

Mimicking her, he took a sip of the drink after speaking as she did after speaking, listening as she continued. It was a heavy thought. What did those stuck in the game count as. Ai? Code. People.

"I guess the best answer is to think about the question. What makes a person a person? What is the spark or soul? Its not a tangible thing, hard to decide right? I think to me a person is a person no matter where they are yah?"

 

[Nyx]

...She couldn't answer that. What made a person a person?

Intelligence, right? It separated humans from animals, it allowed people to logically come to the conclusion of things instead of being hoodwinked by emotion. But those who couldn't come to the same logical conclusions were still people. Was it really this spark that Hayate spoke of? The soul of a person?

Triss frowns. "Let's say dat, ah, dis spark, hm? Da soul of a person is wat be lingering behind if dey be dying in da game, right?" She allows one of her hands to rest atop the table, her fingers drumming against the hardwood. "Den, dat soul is locked here forever den? Like, no going to heaven or hell, if ya even be believing in dat shit. And if dats true, well, dat's a horrible way to be spending eternity, yah?"

She didn't know how she felt about that either. She was agnostic at best and though her hometown had its own superstitions about the afterlife, she liked to think that she was above such things. Nevertheless, she still had a small bowl of chicken bones by her front door...

"Maybe not so horrible for da convict serving life on deadt row..."

 

[Hayate]

Did he even know how deep a topic it was that they were covering, or the train of thought that it had sent her spiraling down? Nope, not at all. He was curious though as to what her answer was. It would give more insight that what was to have been expected from a casual drink with a friend.

"That is a way of looking at it, I did not consider. But it makes sense." He immediately stopped speaking at her following words. Though not at the concept of being stuck forever in the game as a soul. No his thought was something grimmer.

"I would fear more what comes after. The servers would only be up for so long. Eventually the game would come down and then what? What happens to those souls. Are they ended and vanished? Or trapped frozen in the dark and abyss with no world to move or interact in. An eternity of nothing."

Blinking even as he finished he broke from his norm. He needed a drink after that thought, her own comment on a convict being freed forgotten. Honestly how would a convict even get in? Raising his mug to his lips he downed the rest then set it gingerly back on the table, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

 

[Nyx]

Trissayne Lavelle sat back in her chair in the same moment that Hayate did and sighed. Her eyes, attentive glittering jewels that had tracked every one of his expressions, dropped to her lap. Her hands too withdrew from the table and intertwined atop her thighs.

Video games had never been something she was overly interested in. She had them on her phone and whenever she found herself with a few minutes to spare at the end of lunch or sitting in traffic, she could amuse herself with whatever was there. But she didn't think hard about the maintenance that went into video games, the infrastructure, and what happened if—or in this case, when—it all came undone.

There were servers, somewhere, like Hayate had mentioned. Someone had to be doing upkeep on them, right? At least paying the electric bill? So what happened when that stopped? Would the game just cease to exist as it did four years ago? And if that was the case, what did happen to those poor people who were, supposedly, trapped here?

She had no answers. And she hated that she had no answers.

"I've been learning about da magic I picked out at da start of the game, yah? So, ah, one of da tings I can do is resurrect people. Dunno...what all dat means in da grand scheme of things, but if you're ever—I'll be sure ta get you. Just...just in case, ya know? I'll make sure of it."

 

[Hayate]

At least he was still mirroring her in mannerisms right? Ever the social chameleon? Haha. Nope. It was too heavy a topic that it only made sense for the response that they both gave. A weight on their mind and thoughts, an anchor to the darker thoughts and what ifs. A darker lens for the bright and colorful video game world they found themselves in. At the very least? Triss considered him important enough to watch out for and revive if things came to it. He could only hope that her magic counted against whatever doom clock the game placed upon each of the players.

Luckily? He had yet to die and waste one of his lives.

Sighing again he gave her a smile. The lack of knowledge also haunted him, but they could only live and learn. Exploring more of this world, something he enjoyed at the very least. He only hoped that such knowledge didn't have an unpayable price.

"Most of what I do is damage, but I think? Chronomancy has something down the tree that can do the same. But I haven't focused too much on it. Maybe....I should. I would hate for something to happen to my friends. I'd try to save you too if I could."

He wouldn't say how much her words meant to him, but it would show in his demeanor. Fixing some of the dour that he wore.

 

[Nyx]

It feels like a balloon pops.

And with it so too does Trissayne's chest fall in a rushed exhale. A timid smirk taints her lips and her chuckle is strained as if she might have forgotten what it meant to find humor in the world around her. She cuts it off quickly, disliking the scratchy quality that made goosebumps rush up and down her arms. Instead, she nods and grabs at her mug.

"I appreciate da sentiment. Really. And if ya can do damage, dats real good. Probably more dan I can." She takes a sip of her ale before returning the cup to the table. "Tell ya wat; ya be keeping da monsters offa me and if da worst ting ever happens, I be resurrecting ya from da grave. I tink dats a good deal, yah?"

This time, a smile stains her lips and her shoulders slump with an ease that she hadn't displayed since they sat down together.

"How didja even get involved wit TerraSphere ta begin wit? I found dit on my VR device, one I bought from da pawn shop. It just appeared one day and I pressed da button, foolish, I know, and now I be here."

 

[Hayate]

The reassuring words went both ways it seemed, the buoyant return back to a better mood shown in their mannerisms and words. It was good that he was able to help her snap back, just as she was for him. Should he take offense that his attempts at poking the idea of healing and being a support was enough of a joke to get her to smile? Probably not, it wasn't like he was good at it anyways. It was a hail mary play to make one day maybe. Plus as she said. They didn't have to worry about it as long as he did his job, and she did hers. Thought that insinuated that they would be working together a lot. Not that he minded that at all.

"Yah, you are probably right. Better to focus and specialize." he'd say scratching at his cheek idly as he reached for something from the fresh plate of snacks. He did make a mental note to practice it on the side anyways just a little bit. The chance to save a friend would bind them to him for the long term.

But just as his mood raised up, it quickly shifted to a grimace. Taking in a deep breath and stretching out, he shifted in his seat back and forth. "Well you see, there was a group of people I used to game with. On the more casual side. And one of them got their hands on the game and spread it to all of us through something techy he did. But uh, they did not stick around."

Similar to her case at least, it was spread to them through someone else. Not something they had sought out.

 

[Nyx]

...Was it really better? Triss could not say. She did know, from experience, that most quests had her out and about in the world, dealing damage to things in order to complete whatever she needed to do. So, perhaps, maybe specializing wasn't the way to continue to progress.

The thought flutters away with the salty breeze as conversation returns to her question. She nods at his explanation, the corners of her mouth turning down in a frown. "Dat's shitty," she tells him. "But I be hearing dat em-em-ohs ain't be for everybody. Dat ya gotta be a certain kinda person ta be enjoying dem." Her shoulders lift in a shrug as one of her hands skitters forward to the platter and scoops up a mushroom stuffed with cheese.

The ability to eat, and eat, and eat, and never gain a single pound while she was here was such a joy. And the fact that her brain was tricked into believing that everything tasted so damn good was another plus. Honestly, she could understand why people didn't want to leave the game and why others would trade it in for reality.

"Well, I don't tink ya gotta worry. I like dis game and I'mma keep playing until I get tired of it, eh? So ya can always be lookin' me up for tings. Even if it's sometin simple like providing company while ya be fishing."

 

[Hayate]

He nodded along at her reply, scratching at his cheek as he thought about the situation. Could he really blame them for leaving knowing the reputation of Terrasphere? Sure they had a buffer, but that only lasted so long and who was the say that the rules wouldn't change at any time. That. Was a sobering thought, but a bridge to cross for the future.

"Most of them were of the casual phone game type, and I imagine the novelty wore off after the first death in the group."

Her sentiment was one mirrored by him and one of the joys he had found in the game. Food, you could eat anything and everything without worry or repercussion. Much better than the regimented food and diet he was held to back in reality.

A full and real smile was given at her words, something that made him thankful. Someone that wanted to be friends and have him around, instead of the usual him asking them. It was a feeling that was satisfying in its own unusual way. "Thanks, and I will. Most of the things I do tend to be simple or small, though. But to friends."

He'd finish raising one of the cheesy mushrooms to cheer with her, his drink being empty and all.

 

[Nyx]

Triss immediately finds herself smiling. Phone games were something she knew all about! She had the highest score in Candy Crush of her Facebook friends and her WORDLE score was also one of the highest among those who shared their information on social media. Granted, her circle of friends was rather small, so having a high score amongst them wasn't necessarily difficult...

"Yeah," she finds herself agreeing with a nod. "Dis ain't be notin like Candy Crush. I can be tinking dat after da first gader ten wolf pelts, maybe ya friends started looking for sometin else ta be playing. I don't blame dem." Another shrug bounces her shoulders. It was different than those match-three games on her phone, harder in ways, yes, but there was a level of intricacy here that simply could not be replicated with a cell phone.

Grabbing a piece of garlic toast, Triss lifts in reply to him before taking a bite. Shuffling the food to her cheek, she speaks past a mouthful of bread. "To friends."

@Hayate