Complete Eastern Brisshal Eye Opening Experiences

[Caelia Etterni]

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She still hadn't found the courage to venture far from Honeyhome...

Caelia sat on a hill just outside of the small town, the scents of baked goods wafting over on the slight breeze. Her long hair drifted ever so gently on the breeze, blue eyes fixed skyward. Oh, she wanted to see more of this wondrous game, but weren't you supposed to be a higher level before wandering off on your own?

Not like she would know. She'd never really played a game like this before. Well... This game was in a class of its own, really.

She looked out towards the road that led into Honeyhome, watching the NPCs come and go idly. She sat up a bit as she spotted a marker among the crowd, eyes falling upon a purple haired individual that was walking towards the town. Another player! Always keen to meet more players, Caelia scrambled to get to her feet and move off the hill towards the road. Her equipment jangled loudly, disturbing the relatively quiet aura that pervaded the area as she rushed up towards the stranger.

Hey, hi! I'm Caelia, I saw you walking in and thought I would say hello! Wow, your stuff looks really nice, how long have you been playing?! I'm really new, that's why my stuff looks like this. (plucks at her armor self consciously and laughs a little) You must know of a lot of other places in the game, huh? I haven't left this area much yet, I'm a bit nervous to do it on my own, haha.

All of this fired off rapidly in the face of a stranger. Caelia smiles brightly up at the taller elf, holding her hands behind her back and rocking ever so slightly onto her toes as she waits for a response.

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

Kaede had just come to drop off some medical supplies at another clinic in the forest region, but she was not much expecting to be 'mobbed' in the sense by another player. her mind wondering only for a brief moment if she stood out that much, but then recalled Players mostly had UI unlike her a a handful of others that still walked around to this day. turning towards the Faerin and trying her best to give a friendly smile but with the bags under her eyes and eyeshadow looked more like a displeased smile or threatening from a lower angle.

"Woah, slow down there or you will bite your tongue little one. I've been playing, not by choice for the last 5 years strait, but eight years in total on and off before that. As for knowing other places yes I have gotten around before I opened my little clinic to make a more peaceful income."

Kaede tried to answer the questions while she kept walking, she was already behind because Totetsu wanted to go play in the woods so she was left to walk from the two towns. her magic marker still on the massive hound to make sure he was not getting into any trouble and thankfully he moved his play area nearby to follow her this entire time like the good little puppy he was raised to be.

"Oh right you also asked for name right, Erm no you just said yours but I'm Kaede. I can talk while we walk but the other clinic sort of already waiting on these supplies so might need to slow down talking to avoid running out of breath and walking at a faster pace with me ha-ha."

Kaede mused her words as she kept walking towards the clinic on the far side of honeyhome. The girl seemed nice, but also a little over eager and from Kaede's knowledge that mean she was either unaware the danger this game had, or was one of the different kind of crazy who sought the risk and thrills of the game. Neither really mattered to Kaede, like others she would give them her words of warning, and how they proceeded from there was their choice alone to make.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

.

Now, up until this point, Caelia hadn't heard some things about this game. She knew of veteran players - those that had played before and come back when the game relaunched - but they'd all stopped playing for a while, hadn't they? Her bright and friendly smile dimmed ever so slightly as the elf looked down at her, wondering if maybe she'd overstepped by rushing up and saying hello. And there was how she'd phrased things, too...

I've been playing, not by choice, for the last 5 years straight...

What on Earth did that mean? Before she could ask, the other player was walking again. Caelia hurried to keep up with the other's longer strides, taking quick, small steps to keep pace.

Oh, I can walk and talk, that's no problem! It's nice to meet you Kaede. Are you doing some kind of courier thing for the Landers in Honeyhome? I hadn't really asked them to see if they needed help like that, that's really nice of you to help them out though!

She bounced along, occasionally taking a skipping step forward to keep pace with the taller individual.

You said you opened a clinic, too? I guess that is a pretty peaceful living, just taking care of others who might need the help.

It seemed either she'd already forgotten about the strange phrasing earlier about how long Kaede had been in the game, or she just hadn't thought to ask yet...

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

Kaede could not help the small laugh before she slowed her pace enough to make it easier on the other girl out of habit. moving her focus more on not running into people as they spoke back and forth. The girl's energy was a refreshing sight, but as the voices in her head said to make the giddiness stop she returned to her doom and gloom expression with the few smiles here and there. turning onto the next street Kaede decided to give some advise.

"Yep, unlike other games that give a fun little icon or a ray of light, you have to be aware and take the first step to maybe get some extra coin for the effort. Some just thank for the help though, and I know a few players dislike that and just ignore them."

her mind wondering if she should have dropped another hint to make the girl a little less 'this is all a game' mindset but decided against it for the time being. She enjoyed the cute little innocence sometimes and had she been about six years younger she would do everything to protect that aspect of the girl even die for it. nowadays though she only allowed it for so long before slamming the hammer of reality as lightly on thier head as she could.

"As for my clinic yes, though most people in the town I live in don't get hurt often, or really come in so I'm more of a medical supplier. The perk of taking a few traits for gathering and crafting, and having some medical experience before, well dying and all ha-ha."

Subtle and lightly dropping the hammer Kaede, very lightly as she kept walking like she had not just said she died. if the girl had stopped following she would keep going, but if she thought it was a joke Kaede would stop to look her dead in the eyes with the most serious expression. Then, she would resume walking down the next street avoiding most the main roads and stayed on the edge of town incase Totetsu decided to run over with something dangerous in his mouth. Large dog was one thing, but large dog chewing on a creature was another.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia was rather thankful when Kaede did actually slow her pace up just a bit, allowing for her to walk at a more brisk trot rather than trying to speed walk to keep up with her. She noticed the other's expression fall after a few moments, her smile more wane and her eyes more distant. It was a strange look to see on someone, considering just how fun and entertaining the game could be. Why look so...sad?

I guess I hadn't thought of it like that. I've been so focused on making friends with the players that I hadn't thought about making friends with the Landers... I guess I'll just have to add that to my to-do list!

She says it brightly, unaware of the blow coming towards her from the other until it's too late.

...before, well, dying and all, haha...

Caelia's pace slows for a moment, and she falls back behind Kaede. She opened her mouth as if to joke about it, but when the elf looked at her with that expression, something about the gravity of what she was really saying set in for the smaller Faerin.

...You just mean, like, in the game, right? I mean, it's not like... It's just a game, after all.

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

Kaede wished she could tell the girl she was kidding, but the truth was a sharp knife without a hilt as she simply kept walking. The only thing she could do was try to slow the blade down by easing into the conversation after she had failed such so far because she only had two modes, evade, and full throttle. Humming as she stopped knowing that would make things more confusing.

"Die three time here, you stay here, die a fourth time and don't get brought back within ten minutes and farewell... I need to work on my subtleness... This was a lot easier when I was always drunk..."

Moving down the final street as she waved to the other clinic owner who was used to Kaede and her 'dislike' of indoor spaces and was waiting outside for her. The two had some small talk before they both turned at the massive amount of birds fleeing from something and the sound of barking started up. 'Totetsu' was the only word they shared loud enough to be heard as Kaede handed the box of medical supplies and looked for a decent size clearing before pulling out the black whistle from around her neck and blowing it softly.

It was not long before another loud bark followed and the sound of something large came bounding out from the forest and tackled Kaede to the ground. The massive mound of black and red fur made a bear look small as it started licking Kaede's face until she pushed it back and shouted for her to sit down and the large hound listened. Looking over at the crowd of people who had started to get used to the hound when Kaede was around.

"Sorry if Totetsu startled you... She might be a big dog but she still a puppy, well four years old but I've seen bigger ones of her kind back when I was traveling while the game was locked down. Totetsu, roll over girl.~"

Laughing as the hound tried it's best to roll in the street but ran into a building half way while Kaede made a small wound on her hand with a sewing needle she kept in her hair to get blood and make a large ball from it and shot it off for the hound to go run and chase back into the woods to help easy people and stop drawing so much attention when she wanted to give her warnings to the new player now that she had ripped the scab open.

"How about we resume this talk over a cup of tea?"

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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The demeanor of the smaller Faerin had changed as she listened to the Elf speak. Her bubbling, bright nature seemed to dim like a candle in the wind as information was dropped solidly on her head with little forewarning.

Die three time here, you stay here, die a fourth time and don't get brought back within ten minutes and farewell...

She was still processing that while Kaede handed over the supplies to the Lander that worked at the clinic. She started somewhat when loud barking cropped up outside of town, her hand going to her sword's hilt. Kaede didn't seem surprised by the massive beast that emerged and tackled her, in fact she seemed to be laughing underneath it. Caelia relaxed a little, her mind still trying to wrap around the information she'd been given.

Die three times here, you stay here...

She hadn't even noticed what Kaede was doing until the dog-beast was running off and she was being spoken to again. Tea? Oh...

Uh, yeah, tea would be...nice.

The talkative girl suddenly didn't know what to say.

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

Kaede almost felt bad for the little newbie, she was the worst at breaking the ice as she felt it better to just drop them into it with a weight and a rope to haul them out later. Trying to think of something to lighten the mood before she did her best to make a silly face like she was dealing with a newborn baby. Her face going red before she turned away and started to head to a little clearing in the woods while she dug around in her bag to get out her personal collection of tea leaves she had gathered from several areas.

"Sorry... I have the social delicate of a atomic nuke... Anyways what sort of tea do you prefer, something with a little bit of a sweetness, a more mellow flavor, I got one that for some reason taste like hot chocolate that or my taste buds are really weird..."

Kaede spoke as she set down the small bottles of tea flavors, each having a tag on them and a name she had given them or heard was what people called them. Then getting her little tea pot she had made for travel before moving around the clearing to gather rocks and twigs to make the firepit, every so often using her magic to age some of the fallen sticks to make them dry and brittle for fire fuel and then started to set things up before speaking again.

"If it helps, least you got a warning about it unlike those of us that played before the shutdown. Some holding out hope for it being all a bad joke, others had people check and found out mixed details from what reached me anyways. Not like I left much behind... just a lot of overdue homework and test to be a doctor ha ha..."

Kaede tried again to make light of things, but her social failures with the miracle of strong beverages was really hard. She had to wonder how people could talk all a day and not sound like a zombie or be doom and gloom. Shrugging as she got the first embers going and started to work the fire as Totetsu bounded back with her face covered in blood from the massive blood ball popping. Sighing as she waved for the hound to settle down and it reluctantly laid on the grass pawing at the rock like it still wanted to play more.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia looked up at Kaede as she made a funny face, not sure if it really helped anything at all in this moment. Her head felt like it was spiraling, spinning out of control as she struggled to grasp the implications of what Kaede had said really meant. She followed the Elf out of Honeyhome to a small clearing, sitting down and watching in relative silence as she prepared tea and asked what kind of flavor she wanted.

Uhh... The hot chocolate one sounds nice. I'll take that, if that's okay, thank you.

She fell silent again, absently running her hands over her coat and clothes. It all felt so real still, but suddenly it felt distant as well. She felt distant. She felt like she was miles away from this place, watching herself from another spot as she thought about what Kaede had told her.

Eventually, she could not sit in silence any longer.

So, you... You're dead? Like, you were just playing the game, and you died in it three times, and you... You never got out?

Her tone is incredulous, still struggling to believe the gravity of what she's been told.

And yet...there was a part of her that was yearning for information at the same time she feared it.

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

With the tea choice decided Kaede would start to fill the teapot with some water from her canteen and placed the leaves in the small chamber attached to the lid to let them soak in the water while it was getting to boiling point and such and left it to such as she tried to take time to think how to respond to the questions that came after the decent pause between the cause of them. Pulling her hair back to tie it away from her face as she sat down leaning against Totetsu's side before speaking.

"Dead in real life sense it would seem so. I have not asked anyone to check since last thing I'd need is them to run into a dad who would go full army on them wondering how they knew me since I told him just about everything..."

Legs moving to the side as she fished around her travel bag to find a small in progress cloth outfit she was making for someone and decided to do some sewing/knitting while she waited for the tea and while responded to the questions she might get. She seemed perfectly fin on the surface, but she hated the fact she was trapped in the game and did not get a chance to say goodbye to her father or make amends with her best friend.

"Feel free to ask as many questions as you like about it and I'll try my best to respond to them. Personal questions also are fine if they are reasonable.~"

Lightly humming like some old lady would as she counted her stitching and work while having her body lean back and forth to rub Totetsu's belly as she rolled some in the grass for such a thing since she usually did such when waiting on tea even without company. pausing her work to make sure she remembered to pack two cups this time and was happy, even glade because today she packed one and seemed to forget to unpack another so she had three incase they got more company.~

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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She watched as Kaede settled herself comfortably against her hound, pulling out something to work on with her hands while the tea brewed. She seemed perfectly at ease with...everything she was saying. Caelia was still grappling with the fact that this person she was talking to, this person she could see and hear and touch if she wanted to, was...dead.

I'm just...trying to wrap my head around this, I guess. I knew the game was pretty lifelike, I mean, I even opted in to the whole thing of feeling everything, but...

She pauses and looks away, her hands fiddling with the edge of her coat. Dead... Trapped in this game forever?

...Was it wrong that a part of her whispered there could be worse fates?

So, how...how did it happen?

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

"Well the first time I died was getting eating alive, the second I tried to sleep with a girl who wanted me dead, then the most recent death I tried to be a hero and got backstabbed for it.~"

All said so calmly this time, maybe because she was getting used to explaining this to new players and people who started asking her after those annoying people over at lion arm gave out her name to people. Had they ever heard of letting sleeping dogs rest? Shrugging the idea off as she was not in any mood or much bothered to go raise hell at their HQ over it at the moment. That said though, it led to her meeting some cute girls so she was dealing with the others she met.

"Each time you die part of you feels like it gone missing, you also get a 'death affinity' I think they started calling them. Something to do with the cause of death. Like how when I got eaten I got a fear of enclosed spaces... And that might be why I keep blowing the roof off my clinic... Second death I got a fear of woman... rushed my ass right to the church to get that one fixed by the landers ha ha... and my most recent of deaths I got fear of people with positions of power... so best not to mention them around me.~"

Her magic flickering around her causing the grass to wilt and leaves to fall as the tea pot whistled and Kaede moved to get the cups filled and offered the clean cup to Caelia while she took her usual deformed one. Each was handmade, mostly because she had ALOT of free time the past four years and was trying to enjoy the little things like Harmony told her to do.

"Then far as I heard if you lose all your hp a fourth time and someone does not revive you in ten minutes your gone for good. but each time you drop to that old zero you get a death affinity so really I don't see why you would keep bringing them back because eventually nothing of the former person will exist I would know..."

A dark gaze fell over Kaede's face as she sipped her tea, recalling the darker time where she tormented another UI locked player for the fun of it and to test how many times someone could endure being killed and brought back. She was in a dark place but that time still haunts her and could come back to bite her in the ass since she left them alive in the end.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia listened without interruption. Her expression remained rather concerned for the most part, maybe just a bit disbelieving at times. She took the tea cup when it was offered to her, but did not sip, instead just watching Kaede as she poured her own cup for herself. Her gaze flickered ever so slightly to the ground as she noticed the plants wilting around the Elf.

So it's like your...your essence gets trapped in here? You can't log out?

That seemed obvious, but she still wanted to ask.

A part of her felt sympathy for Kaede, truly, but there was a part of her that was almost...jealous? Was that the right word? She wasn't happy in the real world, after all. This game was her escape, her happy place. Could it really be that bad to get stuck in something you enjoyed? She wanted to ask Kaede that question, but the dark expression on the other's face made her hesitate. What was she thinking about now?

What else didn't Caelia know about this game?

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

Kaede would place her tea down and went over the motions of trying to open the UI with no result as always, though she was mostly sure others could not see the UI since she never did since she died the last time so with a shrug having attempted to show it she would just speak up after another sip of the tea. Seeing the conflict of emotion in Caelia's expression Kaede would sigh before responding.

"It might seem like a good thing at a glance, but if you have people you only know in real life and you did not expect things to end as they did there is a lot left unsaid... you also have to adjust to having ALOT less then used to... like running water for showers... electricity, manga... mostly manga is the issue for me though... GAH i still need to find out what happen to Tort in the next volume, I want that little shit to find happiness and I'll break out of this game if the author keeps harming my little 2-D waifu!"

Kaede went from a serious note, to something she viewed as far more serious while clenching her fist and looking to the sky like she did when thinking about the real world. Moving to get another sip of her tea before getting ready to brew up a second, slightly stronger batch of the same tea, though adding a small silver bag into the bottom of the teapot before filling it and setting it back on the fire.

"The true 'what is and is not remaining' is above my mindset to worry about. I feel alive, feel pain, can move and can do what I want 'most' of the time. but can't log out and return to what 'we' call reality."

Spinning her cup some before she laid back against Totetsu and resumed the belly rubs as her hair started to build up a current and float causing her to grumble while trying to get it to go back down all the while keeping up with the pace so the large hound did not go running off when she felt it was going to cause trouble for someone or make a mess she had to clean up on a main road. Big dog, big cleaning...

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

.

Caelia could understand where Kaede was coming from, at least. It would be difficult if you were suddenly locked in a game with no way of contacting your loved ones outside of it. There would be so much left unsaid, so much left undone... She sipped at her tea once it had cooled, not quite sure if she enjoyed the flavor but drinking it anyways to be polite. It was warm; she could feel it in her fingertips, just like if she were logged out and making hot chocolate at home.

It was all just...so real...

I'm...sorry, that you're stuck here. I think I understand how that could be hard for some people, but...

She stops herself, letting out a small sigh and looking down at her distorted reflection in the off-colored liquid in her cup. She didn't even know this person, not really, so was it really fair to admit her own deeper thoughts to Kaede?

Do you ever, I don't know...enjoy it here? I mean, it's awful, what's happened, but... You can't just hate it all the time, right? You'd be miserable.

Maybe she was miserable. Caelia had no idea.

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

Kaede pondered the question and what it entailed. Sure she had moments she enjoyed but the question felt more then just what the surface of it was implying. moving to sit up as she adjusted her hair properly and just leaned against Totetsu to keep her still before she finalized what she would say and got ready to say it. She was going to tell this kid the truth to make sure it came out clear.

"The first year or so... if I was not drunk off my ass or getting kicked out of bedrooms, All I could think about was trying to break the game open like a raw egg... I did a lot of things that will haunt me until the day I truly die... Same for the year that followed and all the way until I was held prisoner by landers I had wronged along the way. That is when I met harmony... another UI locked player."

Kaede would reach into her cloak to get out the image and show part of it, covering everything below the neck mostly because it was not a decent picture as Kaede only drew one kind of art. it was another elven woman with blue hair and golden eyes that looked about the same age as Kaede. With a heavy sigh she would move the picture back over her heart before speaking again.

"Had I not met her during that low in my life when I was forced without drinks... I'd be on wanted posters for killing a lot of new players for having something I lost... This world, when it is all you have will become as bad as you might view reality. If you don't have a compass to navigate it will consume and drown you with no mercy... ...Anyways, yes there are times I enjoy it now, but not without moments I wish I could turn it all into dust and ash for what it took from me."

Kaede had a forced smile across her face as she told the full and honest truth. she had the look like going into anymore detail would dig up old wounds she would rather forget but was not holding her breath if they did get asked. Moving slightly to get more comfortable as she felt this conversation might go on a bit longer and she wanted to get comfy if she was going to be digging around landmines of her history.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia again listened without interruption. She leaned closer to the other woman when Kaede pulled out an image from beneath her shirt, looking curiously at the visage portrayed before leaning back into her comfortable space again. A part of her wanted to ask more about Harmony, about Kaede's relationship with her, but that felt...too personal. Like a line that shouldn't be crossed when they had only just met.

You would have killed new players?

Her tone was somewhat shocked, but there was a surprising lack of judgement to it. Just curiosity. She sipped again at her tea, her gaze drifting across the landscape slowly. She could feel the slight breeze and smell the scents of nature, and the tea of course. Every time she thought longer than a few moments on it, there was one thought that she had. It was always the same, pervasive and unyielding despite her best efforts to move past it.

I don't think I would mind staying here...

She kept that thought to herself. It felt insensitive to tell someone who didn't have a choice in the matter that you wanted what they had, in a sense. It didn't stop a part of her for envying what Kaede had, though.

I think you're coping very well, considering everything. You've been nothing but kind to me, and I'm just a stranger who wandered up to say hello. At least, maybe now, we're not exactly strangers anymore? I'd like to think we're at least acquaintances after sharing tea. (small laugh) I feel like I should share something deep and philosophical with you to make things fair, but I...don't really have much to share like that.

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

Kaede could not hold back the laugh, she was not coping in the slightest she just got very good at hiding the wreck that was herself behind either booze or a sugar coating. She was not going to mention the voices of her magic trying to get her to attack this player, or the fact she was fighting trying to see if she was like her in a sense. Trying to stop the laughter before she spoke came before any of that though.

"I assure you 'this' (waves at herself) is far from having it's screws in properly ha ha. Far as feeling you need to say something you fine. One thing any game has is those veterans who give new players advise. It's about all I can really do for most people since... well my magic is not sparring friendly, and most people don't want some random player making them new gear even if they have the game traits to do it ha-ha.

Kaede mused aloud as she got the new tea to refill her cup, enjoying the extra sugar this one had thanks to the small bag she had placed in with it. humming happily as she took another sip and set the teapot near the first to keep it warm while she got up to get some more firewood to keep it going incase they needed it for longer. All the while she would speak back to the other player offering some wisdom she had.

"While you don't seem like the type to pick them by choice, I'd advise staying away from dark magic, Animancy, and corrupts magic. They have a way of turning even the slightly pure into monsters..."

Returning as tossing just a few sticks into the flames to keep it a low burn for the time while she got comfortable again. She could tell something was still on the kid's mind but she knew better then to push someone who did not want to or was not speaking. Musing over how she was the same or worse then the girl in that regard since she attacked people that pushed her when she was not in a mood to speak. Maybe that was part of the reason people in the town she lived in never said good morning less she said it first, though it was one time they found out the hard way... she tended the wound after so she did not feel AS bad about it.

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Unaware of the dark thoughts in Kaede's mind, Caelia was actually growing rather comfortable sitting near this player. It was sad, in a way, that she was stuck in the game, but at the same time Caelia was glad for her experience. Her gaze slid down towards the withering flora around Kaede as she mentioned her magic wasn't exactly friendly, nodding slowly.

You're friendly enough, even if your magic isn't. Just because a person's magic is one thing, doesn't mean they have to be. I -

She stopped as Kaede kept talking. She wasn't offended, she'd stopped to take a breath so the natural pause in her words had led to the other picking up speaking again.

While you don't seem like the type...

Oh.

Uh.

Oh boy.​

(nervously pulling at coat collar) Haha, yeah, not...not the type, right. Uh. Why should... I mean, why would someone want to stay away from those? Just. Out of curiosity.

She wasn't sure if she could blush in this game, but she certainly couldn't meet Kaede's gaze in that moment.

@Kaede Hoshi

 

[Darkness]

Kaede's eyebrow would raise seeing the seemingly flustered reaction of the woman, a small laugh crossing her as she sat up and looked at Caelia closer before covering her mouth and chuckling more as she sat back down and hummed to herself some before she would chose to address the new topic that had her laughing so much.

"I stand corrected.~ Seems you do swing for the same team, or curious about it. if you need teaching in that I'd offer some help also but I'd have to warn you I'm a 'little' naughty and not the heavy commitment type.~"

Musing more as she considered the idea to make her more flustered by trying to get closer but decided to behave with the newbie out of respect and self control this time. Laughing some more at herself how had she been drunk right now talking would be the last thing on her mind as she calmly sipped her tea and waved as to hint she would stop picking on Caelia unless the girl seemed to enjoy the open game she was playing.

"Anyways, Is there anything you might like to know about the game or such things? Like how quest may work, where the 'fun' buildings can be found, that sort of thing?~"

Kaede stressed the word 'fun' having one last jab at the game before she adjusted her posture and set down the empty cup and resumed her little knitting project awaiting for the girl's responses or wondering if maybe she poked to much fun and would cause the girl to run away, would not be the first time and likely would not be the last as she enjoyed the game that was now subtly afoot.

@Caelia Etterni