Complete Eastern Brisshal Fate

[Hanno Futaba]

Brisshal was still as welcoming as always.

Hanno still had the memories of the time he met Aristides and Rivers, wrestling with wolves after grabbing a big purple-ish fruit the size of a watermelon. Ah, good times indeed.

His eyes went up to the sky, stars falling endlessly like rain, creating a bittersweet atmosphere in his mind. It was a pretty sight, and everything was honestly wonderful. But it was hard to fully enjoy it if that meant it would be at the cost of lives- Something that unfortunately he couldn't do anything about. All he could do was wander in this place filled with new players, hoping to make sure they wouldn't get their first death so early, and hopefully to make sure no one would ever die in the first place.

As he wandered, the tip of one of those magical monoliths... Those are called Power Stones... Caught his attention.

Adjusting his gargantuan shield, he marched forward, hoping that he would find an answer about them, something that so far has been unsuccessful. But being relentless meant that at some point, it would work, right?

However, to his surprise, as soon as he approached he could spot a golden hair poking out from behind the stone.

He sidestepped, leaning his body to the side while tilting his head, making the heavy shield hang for a moment. "Heya, buddy!" Hanno greeted, finally getting back to a comfortable and balanced posture. "What'cha doing?" He asked, stepping closer.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

Laylabelle had been waiting here for someone or something. What it was, she could never ever be sure of, but, whatever it was, Laylabelle was sure she would find it interesting. Her intuition hadn't let her down yet, so while she was hardly sure how this red thread of hers (that only she could see) functioned, she generally followed it whenever she could. Laylabelle was totally relaxed as she wasted time poking and prodding the power stones. The stones, however, were merely a diversion, who or what she had actually been waiting for had yet to arrive. Typically Laylabelle would close the distance on her own, but this time around, she saw the thread shrinking in distance as the other end made its way to her. Which, was rather unusual.

Awfully convenient, she thought, as she continued to mess around. Eventually, Laylabelle heard a voice, and sure enough, the meeting she had been waiting for was, well, met. All that was left was for Laylabelle to satisfy her curiosity.

"Oh, hello!"

Laylabelle turned and waved at Hanno looking him up and down.

"I was just killing time until you got here. Not that I knew it would be you or anything but..."

Laylabelle wound up and tossed a stone like a baseball as it shimmer against the protective enchantment surroundings the power stone for the briefest of shimmers.

"...I kind of have a funny talent for meeting interesting people. And, it seems, like you are just the person I was waiting for."

Laylabelle smiled and extended her hand.

"My name is Laylabelle, and my occupation is half-baked witch, what's yours? You don't seem quite so new like the other players. I can tell by the way you carry yourself. Not your first rodeo I take it? I'm right aren't I? You see, I'm very wise~ Hm Hm~☆"

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

The greeting from the girl was... Intriguing. Suddenly speaking in a mysterious way that made Hanno ponder for a moment. Was she implying she was already expecting him? Wait, could it be that there was a divinator class? Crap, he wished he had it, knowing the future sounded cool.

Well, be it for whatever reason, Hanno liked to meet other people, and this lady was making him feel a bit cool, calling him interesting and all. He was a small muscle guy with a gigantic eldritch shield, so he supposed he was a very interesting sight in a way. "Y'know. I will tell you a secret." He smirked, leaning in as if he was going to tell something quietly. "I happen to have the same talent." Hanno winked.

"You are very right too, hell how you are smart. I am far from being a newbie, but honestly a lot change in four years, so may as well tell you that everyone is new now, in some way." He shrugged, then offering his hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet'cha, Laylabelle? Lay? Belle?" He asked, inquiring a nickname. "Mine is Hanno, Hanno Futaba. Adventurer, fighter and hero- Hopefully." He said.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

"Oya? Like really-really, or are you just calling me weird."

Laylabelle laughed as she took the Faerin's hand and shook it.

"As for me, I am pretty clever, but it doesn't take a mastery to see the shield on your back. But even then, you walk with confidence, which made me figure you'd either gotten used to a Terrasphere body or that your body now isn't all that different from your body back... I have no idea what the term is... in the real world? Earth? Gaiasphere? Whatever."

Laylabelle shurgged and shook her head with some level of exasperation.

"I mean, I've heard a lot of things, and one of the wiser seemed to be not to consider this a game, or well, just a game or something. I'm here to poke around because it's fun regardless."

Stretching, Laylabelle found one of the cleaner non-power stones strewn about and sat on her cloak to take a load off.

"Are you busy right now, Hanno? If you're not maybe I could borrow some of your time~ hm hm~ See, you mentioned that a lot's changed in four years, and being able to tell seems pretty interesting. What's shocked you the most so far? Is there anything that feels off? Better? Worse?"

Laylabelle asked as she reached into her satchel and produced lunch. A jam sandwich and some tea. She offered half to Hanno.

"Sandwich? There's nothing in any world that isn't enhanced by a generous application of bread."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

When she took his hand for the handshake, his eyebrow rose. "That depends, are YOU calling me weird? Because I just meant you are interesting." He said with a grin, letting her hand go and like the usual, listening about the enormous shield he had on him, except that this time someone not only noticed the shield but the whole way he moved and behaved.

He honestly felt a bit self-conscious when she spoke about it, really proving to be analytical and making him feel like if he did anything remotely off the usual, she would catch it immediately. "Gaiasphere sounds cool, not gonna lie," Hanno said. "Well, my body outside here is quite different. I'm like... Six feet? Much more slender too." He admitted, not really minding sharing his real life aspects, even if he understood others didn't like it.

"This really isn't just a game. I think you did hear the news of what it can do to you if you die too much, right?" He said, not caring to drop a bomb if needed. Truth was that he would rather if the woman in front of him turned off her VR to never turn it on again, but if she was already logged in, she probably already knew what was up, and any effort to do that would be in vain.

"Well, about what changed-" He began talking, but when he was offered a sandwich, he paused and looked at her. "Damn it, how do you know me that well, have we met before? Okay, let's sit down and I will tell you everything." Hanno took the sandwich half and gestured for a nearby couple of rocks that were big enough to sit. It was scary that she knew that the perfect way to buy him was with food.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

Laylabelle laughed, "maybe I'm being too pushy, I'm too pushy with everyone, or so I've heard, but you're just especially easy to talk to. I just so happened to model myself pretty close to real life. So whatcha see is mostly whatcha get. I'm not artist so I'm sure somethings aren't all TOO exact though. It's helped me getting about though. A big change for you though hm? That seems fun in and of itself."

Laylabelle shrugged, taking a bite.

"No offense, but maybe we're all a little strange, because, as you've just mentioned, this game can totally, one hundred percent, bury us."

She paused.

"And yet, here we are. Right? All of us. There's things I wanna do, Mr. Hanno, and I aim to do them. Some people want to be heroes, but I think I'd just like a nice place. A nice place might mean helping out those hero types, but I'm not sure I really get the appeal of really getting out there. That's why I mayyyyybe took a little curiosity in your history, sorry if I crossed a line."

Laylabelle took a sip of tea.

"We can also talk about other things, if you'd prefer, like these magic stone thingies. I'm more than a little curious about what they are, but even more than that... what protects them, isn't that barrier super duper interesting? Look!"

Laylabelle lightly tossed a stone where it plonked off a blue forcefield.

"Mysteries aside wouldn't having something like that be super useful? As a shield user I'm sure you get it. How would you rate mysterious blue barrier of the rocks? I'm still pretty weak so I don't really have a great sense of scale."

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Heh, well. My face isn't too different either. Just my size." Hanno said, grabbing his cheeks and stretching them for emphasis, clasping them and huffing with a grin. "It is fun in a way. I will be honest that I kinda wanted to have a cute character." He admitted shamelessly, and he was cute, goddamn it! He was literally a fairy, or something very similar to it. He couldn't get any cuter.

Hanno then laughed heartily, handwaving. "No offense taken. If anything, I like being strange." If he was normal, his life wouldn't be as fun as it was right now. He would still be in his real life, and while wasn't boring or anything, it was far from being as interesting as a fantasy world that Terrasphere had to offer... Though you had to be weird enough to ignore the death chances it had, even if you were doing it for a greater good.

Taking a bite of his sandwich, he waited for Laylabelle to continue talking, something that she proved to do a lot. Not that he minded, far from it, he loved to talk.

"No need to apologize, buddy. If you want my history, I can tell you." He said, thrusting the last piece of the sandwich down his mouth, eating it quite quickly. "I am a hero type, and if you need help to get your 'nice place', I will do it for you. Though I need to know what exactly you mean by that." Hanno grinned, then turned to look at the Power Stone she mentioned, tilting his head. "They are very interesting. And I'd say they are extremely strong for something that is in a newbie's area. They are nearly impossible to destroy. I've tried once. If you had access to that, you would be able to protect anything you wish to" Hanno admitted.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

"Anything I wish to protect hm?"

Laylabelle tilted her head processing those words. She'd been listening rather carefully to Haru speak, absorbing every detail.

"Then allow me to maybe be a little bit shameless and demonstrate in one idea the answer to all your questions about my very humble but true, oh so very me, nature! Hehe~"

Laylabelle pointed.

"So, my good good friend whom I have just met, dear Hanno old-new pal, if you could protect anything, what oh what would you protect?"

Laylabelle raised her pointer finger and winked.

"Because I would use it to protect my yard."

Laylabelle laughed.

"You see, 'nice place' for me really means something pretty darn literal, I want a house, a nice yard, and a nice garden, and I want to fill it with nice things, things I like, so it's a place of my own by me for me and occupied by, well, me. Not quite the heroic flavor am I, right? Right? But I don't really care even if it is just a selfish dream. I want a nice place. And well, a nice place needs nice company, right? So you're welcome anytime if and when I get it figured out."

Laylabelle had just finished eating and dusted her hands of crumbs.

"Hmhmhm, you know your expert opinion gave me an idea~ call me evil, but maybe if you really are a hero, maybe you can help me out with something, you know~ as thanks for lunch?"

Laylabelle pointed.

"So long as it's safe, I was wondering if you could maybe use that shield of yours to push against the power stone's barrier, I'm not strong enough to get much but a flicker of magic out of them, but I think if you nudged it for about a minute I might be able to get a better read on its composition. Wouldn't that be interesting? Just a push-pressure, no need to attack or anything like that. It'd be a shame to scratch them if we even could..."

Laylabelle continued while looking at Hanno with starry eyes.

"So~? So?! Whaddya say Mr. Hero? Could I trouble you?"



@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno was already opening his mouth to answer what he would protect, not realizing it was a rhetorical question until Laylabelle interrupted him with more words. He paused and carefully listened to everything she had to say, and what was her vision of a nice place.

If anything, her vision was pretty much most people's. "So basically you need a house." He rubbed his chin. "Or rather, a home sweet home." Hanno smirked, liking the idea. "I ain't going to lie, my old-new buddy, but I used to have a cottage in Vintergard before the disappearance happened and everything was destroyed by a giant ship while I was logged off." He shrugged.

"How about this then... I help you to make us a house, all the brute force part it needs, and some money too since I got it. But the house will be mostly yours since I adventure outside most of the time anyway. So I'm mostly an old-new buddy that appears once in a while to bother you." He suggested, grabbing his shield and already approaching one of the power stones and cracking his knuckles.

"Regardless of your answer to my suggestion, the answer is yes, I will help you out," Hanno said, bracing himself before being surrounded by a divine force field and forcing himself forward, clashing his magic shield with the magic stone.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

"I can see why people like you Hanno, or well, I hope they do because they wouldn't deserve your friendship otherwise hoho~ I have some choice opinions on insurance companies but I think it's a raw deal to lose something that nice, sorry."

Laylabelle laughed but shook her head.

"Unfortunately, this is something that I have to do for myself, it won't have any meaning otherwise. But, I'm also not so immature to think that asking for help would make me weak or pathetic, not that I mind being either of those two things mind you, so since you offered to help, then yes, I accept, at least in some things. Thank you. And, I will be sure to return the favor twicefold, hm hm."

Laylabelle grinned.

"Now, let's go figure out how to make a pretty freaking cool fence."

On Hanno's cue, Laylabelle opened a runic circle behind the faerin's considerably cool shield. It was technically a barrier spell but if Laylabelle could get a feel for the sussy magic coming from the stones it would suit her purposes.

"Pardon my reach and just a little longer!"

Laylabelle shouted as her brow furrowed to catch a beading sweat.

"Little more, ten seconds tops!"

"Nine, eight, seven, six, six and half, five, four, three-two-one got it! Mwahaha that's a whole in one! Excellent work!"

She shouted while giving a thumbs up. Then, Laylabelle promptly collapsed on the spot..

It was a mind down from completely draining her energy.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"If you need to do it yourself, then do it, buddy. But if you need any help I'm always down to give a hand." Hanno said with a firm nod as he continued to push his way against the force field that surrounded the power stone. His grip staggered a few times, with his arms trembling due to the amount of strength he gave against the shield that protected it.

When she spoke again, he nodded. "I-It is fine, keep going with what you need to do-" He said squinting and feeling his HP draining slowly. Of course, since it was slow and he had plenty to spare, he could keep that pace for a long while, but that didn't make the experience any less uncomfortable.

However, it was for a good cause, so it wasn't a big deal.

His shield rumbled, with an eye opening to check on him and making Hanno grin at it. "It is all good," Hanno said, and the eye of the shield closed, just in time for the woman to announce the work was done.

Hanno sighed, resting the shield on the ground and looking at her thumbing up, grinning and offering another thumb up back before noticing she was collapsing, rushing to try to hold her before she fell head first on the ground. "Wait wait, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly, waving a hand in front of her face and giving her shoulder a gentle shake, and then checking her vital signs. Thankfully, it seemed she had just passed out.

---

After enough preparation, Hanno was sitting on a rock nearby, with the woman laying down on the inner side of his shield, which was actually soft enough to be comfortable, and covered by a blanket he carried with him. Since he had no idea when Laylabelle planned to wake up, he decided to work on something to eat, simple and quick with an improvised fireplace and his traveling cooking utensils.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

"guhhh..."

Laylabelle began to stir after about ten minutes or so. Her head smarted, she felt queasy, there was a light cool sweat permeating her body. Basically, she felt hung over. Something, however, smelled pretty good.

"2 lives left already...? No, wait... I didn't die... oh jeez, but I really feel like I want to, just a little... gurk..."

Laylabelle held it down as she sat up her head swam.

"So this is mind down, I came close to it in my training with Nyancy but this, oof, this is beyond that, advanced blah blahness. Blah plus. Yeah... heh he... uh oh... gurki..."

Laylabelle took deep breaths.

"You're okay, right Hanno? I can't turn my head or I'll hurl---so just shout---no, not shout---ow my head---just make a vaguely peaceful, calming, but otherwise hearable noise of reassurance."

Ugh, I messed up... I need to be more careful or more successful, I'll settle for one or the other...

Laylabelle now realized she was covered by a blanket and laying on... something...

I think I can spare an investigation mode.

Laylabelle activated and touched the surface next to her.

His shield...? It's soft though... why would it be soft...? Hm... I think I'm missing something fundamental about defense here. Is that how it's supposed to work...?

"Hey Hanno...? Are shields support to be soft... is that what makes them better...?"

It'd be just a little longer until she could get up. Then, surely, she would be able to share the results.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

When Hanno heard the woman groaning and babbling, he turned to look at her while finishing the last touch on the food he was preparing. "Mornin' sunshine. Seems like you went way too far." He said, partially playful, partially concerned. "You didn't die or anything, I think your energy simply got way too low," Hanno explained, trying to take a guess of what the hell had happened to her.

"I am all good. Come on, I prepared some jerky broth with potatoes for us, it will help you to get back up in no time." He said with a smile, filling a bowl for her with some generous portions and approaching to crouch and hand it to her while she couldn't quite stand up yet.

"Some shield supports yeah, but my shield, in particular, is a bit different because of the way she is." He said, clearing his throat for a moment and adding: "Well, you will understand someday. I guess you could say it is more 'bouncy' than your everyday shield. Very comfy too, right?" Hanno chuckled, handing the bowl with the food to her, and waiting patiently for her to get better so she could tell what she had figured out.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

"OOF. Noted with every bone in my body, even some extra ones I think I'm feeling that i didn't even know that I had... ahaha... ow... I think I broke my funny bone just now. Too far? Or maybe I just wasn't up to snuff, probably the same thing..."

Laylabelle winced a smile and received a meal that would probably leave even a lumberjack saying "woah that's hearty."

"It's great, WOW, maybe the best thing I've had since I landed here, and trust me, honey home bread is to die, no, to live for, to live for yeah, hmhm."

Laylabelle, of course, ate without complaint.

"So, I think I've been trying to force things..."

Laylabelle held up her hand which quickly formed a thumb over her shoulder at the magic barrier stones, and future fence posts if all went well.

"No, not that, I mean with my own defensive barriers, hoho. I've been trying to force them and make them too rigid and they've been shattering in my face, AND into my face left and right. So, well, I think i've gleaned something useful! Banzai second lunch and banzai an expert opinion, I knew a had a good feeling about this spot, this day. The Laylabelle intuition doesn't lie, hmhm~ Though case in point and that point goes to you Hanno, aside from that bit of wisdom, these stones are waaaaaaay out of my league.... FOR NOW. I think I've kind of figured out how they work, but it may be some time till I put it into practice."

Laylabelle produced some bread, she always had bread, and sopped up the tatoes. She offered the other half of her back up of many back up loaves to Hanno if he wanted some. Then she ate and doodled a diagram in the dirt.

"I'd call it a lay-line, but i think phonetically, leylines are already a thing. Basically it's pulling excess mana from the land. Now where I come from, that's a bit new, I don't suppose they have magic in your corner of the earth? Well, maybe they do, world's a crazy place any world. Hehe. But ANY-E-WAY~ what I'm getting at is that I've got a lot to learn and even less to assume~ good things in the future my comrade~ good things~ and of course, I owe you one. Don't hesitate to call on that anytime. Just so long as it's not a pain."

Laylabelle grinned, she was feeling better. And then with a wave of her finger, there was a ploop-sound.

Mail

PA PAPA PAHN~ LAYLABELLE HAS SENT A FRIEND REQUEST!

"No pressure, but let's do this again sometime, your pretty shield companion is VERY comfy~"

Laylabelle laughed patting the eyeball squishy shield thing.

(OOC- This will be my close unless there's anything else you'd like me to do. <3 )

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Thanks, it took a while to get used to cooking in this game, but after I got the hang of it, nothing can stop me." He said confidently, pausing when Laylabelle went through a long explanation.

As usual, the woman spoke a lot and Hanno could only smile and attentively try to listen to what she had to say, not missing any bit or piece of it. He nodded at every new information that he could gather, understanding what she meant overall, but failing to put everything together as neatly as she had in her mind. "Wait, you got magic offline..?" Hanno frowned, clearing his throat and musing. "But I think I get it. If these power stones are out of your league though, then we need to get stronger before coming back to it, no problem at all." He shrugged.

"No need to think as you owe me something. We all need to help out each other to go somewhere." He said, before blinking and hopping at the sudden request.

Notice

Hanno Futaba accepted your friendship request!

Hanno smiled at the confirmation, looking up at Laylabelle and taking a greedy bite out of the bread he had with him and gulping it down. "Of course, buddy. We can do it whenever you want." He said, and the shield that was patted had its eyeball blinking, rumbling and looking at Laylabelle before stretching out a tentacle to pat her back.

@Laylabelle