Private Eastern Brisshal Fated To Meet

[Juniper Lockton]

Something about today had Juniper itching to meet new people, and she felt like she'd gotten enough experience to help new players find their way through the game. Just like she'd been helped when she first arrived, she imagined it felt good to guide others in the same way. So she headed back to Eastern Brisshal and took to cloud and people watching while she waited for newbies to show up.

There were lots of thoughts flittering about in her mind as she did so, including what it might be like once she moved to Japan. She'd done more research on it and it seemed like she had job prospects to look into. It stressed her out, though, thinking about it too much. What if things didn't work out? What if Alice's family didn't like her or Alice turned on her somehow? That was just anxiety, though, she partially knew, though that didn't help to dispel the thoughts. They would have to be figured out later, because now it seemed as though she had company landing nearby.

She stood and approached the new player with a bright smile, clad in her witchy get-up consisting of mud-black robes and a hat maybe a little too big. Still, she was confident she looked cute. It was hard not too when you had a super cute avatar.

@Titania Djokovic

 

[Titania Djokovic]

Titania felt a sensation similar to a rush of air as the black loading menu gave way to a series of points of light before the world of Terrasphere loading in with a flash and crackling sound. The young woman gasped as her feet touched the ground, and she righted herself, her ornate looking staff in hand. A bright smile appeared on the young woman's face as she looked around. Wow... It was so realistic! She breathed in and waved her arm around, gasping as she noticed the brown leather glove on her right hand. That really was her arm now.

Looking down at herself, Titania couldn't help but snicker at it. "Wooooow!! It totally changed my bod to match the parameters in the character select! Just check out this pudge!" she exclaimed, reaching down to her new sides and giving her healthy waist a pinch. Titania didn't expect much when her friend told her this was some kinda revolutionary geek game, but it was already going way above and beyond expectation. Wait... WHOAAAAA!! She even had the super cool staff from the weapon selection screen. Giggling, she gave the weapon and experimental swing, sliding a finger over the small glass vials on her belt. And these hips... Good grief!

She looked up to see someone approaching, some kinda animal girl. Titania had to admit that the girl looked pretty cute, but the numbers that popped up next to her on the heads-up display were totally not. That... was a big number. And that one too! Wait, so was THAT one!! Titania pulled up her menu for a moment and stared at the string of very basic stats that described herself. How could SHE get like this beast girl? Did she have to go bash monsters?

Thoroughly ignorant to the ins and outs of video games, all Titania had to go off of were things she'd read online. Still filled with confidence, she rested one hand on her hip and leaned on her staff slightly with the other. "Uh oh! Are you one of those uh... newbie hunters? I warn ya. I've got a mean backswing!" she exclaimed, mostly joking as she giggled and playfully swung her staff at the air, betraying some of her real life background with a deft backhand motion.

@Juniper Lockton

 

[Juniper Lockton]

Juniper backed up a bit as the girl swung, even if it wasn't aimed at her, giggling a little and waving the idea off as silly. She waved, smiling brightly once more, "No, no, I'm here to help! Nice folks helped me when I was new, and I wanna do the same for other new folks!" Half-curtseying, she pulled down the brim of her witch hat as she did so, introducing herself with another award-winning, heart-warming smile,

"I'm Juniper. If you'd rather not have a full tutorial and figure it out yourself, that's fine with me. But I must say, I admire your taste in character avatars. Good stuff." Another little giggle as she realized that was maybe a bit forward, but she was in a really good mood today and didn't want to think about it too much, "What brings ya around to Terra, anyway? I hear lots of reasons, but that backswing seems indicative that maybe you're here to practice your fighting or something? I know a few folks like that. I'm mostly here to have fun and make friends." When the girl introduced herself, she followed up with,

"Pleased to meetcha~ Before anything combat-related, are you hungry? Wanna grab some one-of-a-kind snacks from the nearby city or do some shopping for some class-appropriate gear? My treat, on both accounts!" She'd ground quests religiously for weeks since starting to play, so she was in no pain when it came to her wallet. That was what she was her for, anyway. Buying friends counted as making friends, right?

 

[Titania Djokovic]

The animal girl quickly dissuaded Titania of the notion that they were about to have some one-sided PVP, and the staff-wielding ball of sunshine grinned. "Ohhhh! Well, that's awful nice of ya! I've never played one o' these game thingies before. All I had was some kinda old manual from when the game first came out, and that was full of all sorts of weird words!" Titania had no illusions about her own ignorance when it came to games, and she almost seemed to wear it more like a badge of honor. She had to admit that a helping hand would be nice. As much fun as figuring everything out by herself would be, why not try to do it with a new friend?

The girl introduced herself as Juniper, and Titania laughed at the bold comment towards her avatar. Was that an ulterior motive? It was kind of cute really, and it wasn't like Titania's choices in character creation were entirely innocent. Having eyes looking her way was nice, okay? She couldn't help it! "Nice to meet ya, Juniper! I'm Titania, but you can call me Tani or Tana if ya want! I know it's kind of a mouthful. As for my avatar, are you talkin' about these?" She put her hands on her hips and gave a little sway from side to side, giving as good as she got from Juniper.

"Hahaha! Anyway, I just wanted to try Terrasphere 'cause I heard it was the new hotness! A couple of my friends play and were totes like 'You gooootta get in here.' Sooooo, here I am! I've never done anything geeky like a video game before, but it's been pretty cool so far! I like all the pretty numbers and stuff!" She pulled up her HUD and pointed to her level and list of stats, not realizing that Juniper couldn't see any of that and may as well have been watching Tana poke at the air.

Juniper suggested either food or equipment as the first item on the agenda, and Tana pouted just a little. No bashing bad guys yet? Well, it was apparently going to be totally on Juniper's dime, and judging by the "0" next to the thing that looked like a stack of gold coins, Tana had exactly none of that. Oh, wait that thing with the meat next to it was her hunger meter, right? It was starting to go down! "Okay! How 'bout some food first? I've got my staff and these potions on my belt plus my oh-so-very-cute outfit. Gear can wait for later, yeah??"

 

[Juniper Lockton]

A girl proud of her ignorance to games, huh? It was a good thing they'd met, otherwise Juniper feared she might end up dying in this game. What a shame that would be. She blushed at the idea that she was going a kind service, looking a little bashful and fidgety for a moment before laughing it off at the girl's phrasing of the UI. She wasn't wrong. They were weird words and numbers, but she supposed it was just a different language the non-gamer hadn't learned before.

The hip sway made her blush again, "Eheh, yea. I mean, pretty much your whole avatar is like, my type, ya know?" She was trying to stay confident, but her submissive tendencies made it more than a little difficult, "Tani, that's cute! You can call me Juni and we can be Juni and Tani, or Tani and Juni!"

"Oh, we can't see each other's HUDs, but I can still teach you how to navigate yours in a bit." Fortunately, her offer of food was accepted, and this would all go smoothly with some food, she hoped.

"Great! We're pretty close already. Tell me, am I right in thinking you're a turkey leg kinda girl? They're killer here, really, like, there's this one old man who runs a stall and sells them and it's like all he does." She looked her over again, up and then down, "Hella cute, really. Did you pick some kind of alchemist class? I'm more of a witch, both in style and powers." As they walked she showed off more of her outfit, trying to get a compliment back with a few cute but slightly awkward poses. At least her posing had gotten less awkward.

 

[Titania Djokovic]

Tani noticed the blush on Juniper's face in response to the movement of her hips. She'd been sorta kidding around with her flirty posturing, but it looked like the fox girl fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Hmm... Was getting attracted to someone's in game avatar... the same thing as actually liking them? Geez, Tani didn't even think about that. This was already starting to get complicated! Juniper admitted that Tani's avatar was totally her type, and the peppy woman decided to forget about the conundrum for a moment in favor of more snickering. "Ooh, putting it all out there right from the start, huh? Is it the hips, the boobies, or maybe my super cute face that are attracting ya? Ohhhhh, unless it's cause of the clothes...?" Her low-cut top and tiny shorts certainly left a lot to take in.

The girl asked for Tani to call her Juni instead, and Tani nodded eagerly, all too willing to go for a nice easy nickname. Besides, Tani and Juni did sound cute! "Pairing us up already, huh? I see your game..." she teased with a wink. It wasn't like she found Juni repulsive by any means. This was just like... literally her first few seconds meeting the girl! Even some of the ladies at the tennis tournaments weren't that forward, and some of them were horny 24/7!

With the promise of help navigating the HUD, Juni lead Tani towards some tasty food. Wow! Real fake video game food! Tani couldn't help but wonder if it would taste like anything or actually fulfill her hunger. Surely not, right? It was just for that "hunger" number in her statistic menu? Oh no... Things were getting complicated again! The steam practically rose from Tani's head as she tried to comprehend it all. Thankfully, conversation turned to turkey legs. Tani laughed and tilted her head a bit. "Huuuuh?? What gave ya that idea? I mean... you're right, but still! Am I that obvious?" Laughter and giggling seemed to be Tani's default as she followed along, carrying her staff behind her back and smiling cheerfully.

Juni looked back again and once more fully scoped Tani out. She was that head over heels, huh? That was hilarious! Juni asked about her class while explaining her own before just about the most ham-fisted attempt to look sexy that Tani had ever seen. Was this the fabled need to "touch grass" she heard so much about? Unable to resist, Tani snorted and burst into laughter. "AHAHAHA!! Oh my gosh, what in the world are you doing? Is that your idea of trying to do cute poses? Oh silly... You got some work to do. I'm guessing you haven't had the chance to flirt much before?" Stepping a little closer, Tani took Juni's hands gently in hers for a moment. "Here, here. Like this!" If Juni allowed it, Tani ran Juni's own hands slowly up her sides and through her hair, tossing it back. She carefully repositioned Juni's hips to accentuate her figure and arched her back a bit to give some emphasis to her chest.

"Theeere we go. Now you look totally smokin'! I mean, ya had a pretty hot avatar before that, but now it's got that zing! Ooh ooh, I know! How about I give ya some pointers on posing to pay ya back for the meal? Yeah!" Slipping back into a position with a respectable bit of distance between them, Tani giggled mischievously. "Oh! And to answer your question, I dunno the first darn thing about classes! I just wanted to drink cool potions to make myself strong so I can whack people! And maybe make my own potion flasks outta thin air like some kinda magician!"

 

[Juniper Lockton]

Juni just couldn't stop blushing from the responses she was getting, and the girl's giggling was infectious, making her giggle in return. It was like a feedback loop of wholesome cuteness. At least, for the most part.

"All of it." She responded bashfully, the girl making her take a metaphorical step back in confidence. She was always like that. Ready to jump into anything until the anxiety started getting to her. Sink or swim, though, right? "I don't know what you could possibly mean." She played innocent at the idea that she was pairing them together.

"Oh, I just have a good intuition, and it's hard to find people who don't like turkey legs. I like my meat on the bone." She smirked, an innuendo definitely to be found there but not grabbing it directly.

She was swimming pretty well, she thought, until Tani laughed at her posing and suddenly her fox ears went flat against her hat, tail still, and she felt totally humiliated. She wanted the ground to swallow her whole for a moment, mind grinding to a halt as she realized her worst nightmare.

She was being cringe.

"I-umm-..." Her face was beet red, but while it felt like the end of the world, she saw Tani moved toward her and nearly flinched at her touch.

Still, she followed her guiding and was relieved to find that she was just...very over the top about things. She wasn't really trying to be mean, right? She just seemed brazenly honest. The fact that she was trying to help made her feel good again, but she'd definitely be up later that night thinking about this whole interaction and cringing at how she'd been posing in front of people all this time.

"Thanks, but, maybe cuter poses? I prefer cute to...smokin', or whatever." The response about classes made her giggle again. Yep, definitely over-the-top. In a fun way, though. She was already forgetting about her humiliation and her tail was wagging again, "That suits you, definitely. I don't know you all that well but based on what I do know, I don't think you could have picked anything better. And hey, thanks for not like...being mean about me being cringe. I'm still learning a lot." If only Tani knew. She thought it best if she didn't know off the bat, though, like some others had been told.

Finally, they arrived at the stall where an old man seemed to recognize her. It was a quick transaction as she paid for their turkey legs and walked away moments later with them, Juni expectantly looking at Titania to see her reaction to it.

@Titania Djokovic

 

[Titania Djokovic]

Tani's teasing really seemed to throw Juni for a loop, turning her face a brilliant red. Even in game! Wowza! Sure, Tani had been laying it on pretty thick, but Juni was so adorably open about her obvious attraction. It was kinda cute compared to the real world where everyone liked to play games or were creepy about it. Was Juni's attention creepy? ...Nahhhhh! Her attempt to play innocent made Tani want to tickle her sides, but she'd resist for now. It was Juni's lucky day!

Juni hit her with an innuendo and Tani snorted loudly through her nose. "Ohhhhh you do, huh? Well, sorry ta say, but I don't have that kinda bone. I'm plenty meaty though!" she remarked, bulldozing through all pretense of being coy or subtle. They walked together, and Tani once again called out Juni's blatant attempts to pose for her. For a moment, the girl looked totally embarrassed, though Tani couldn't understand why. Wasn't she just so cute?

The posing help seemed to ease Juni up a little bit, but even after all of that, she dared to nitpick?? Grrrr... Tani pouted and gently pinched Juni's cheeks, pulling slightly as a punishment. "Ohhhh, so my incredibly kind and wonderful help wasn't appreciated, huh? Well fine then! I'll show ya cuter poses, but you gotta pay up in turkey legs first!" She was quick to returning to giggles and happy skip-walking.

To Tani's surprise, Juni... thanked her? She frowned slightly and tilted her head to the side. "Cringe." Ugh. She knew that word unfortunately. It was so popular on social media to call things cringy. It was DEFINITELY a symptom of needing to touch grass. Tani put a finger to Juni's lips to stop her. "No. Uh uh. Don't ever call yourself that. There's nothing wrong with bein' adventurous and trying new things. If everyone got freaked out 'cause something was 'cringe,' no one would ever grow!" To help make sure that Juni felt good about herself, Tani paused to gently run thumb and forefinger along the brim of her witch's hat. "I think you're a veeeeery cute lil' witchy girl! You'll get there... and I'll help!"

They got their turkey leg, and Tani seemed like she managed to charm the old guy selling them with her boundless enthusiasm. She eyed the leg for a moment, her curiosity radiating from her in waves. Would it... taste good? Did it have texture? How real could it possibly be?? Tani sniffed its delicious aroma before taking a nice hearty bite. She didn't do anything in hesitant half-measures. Instantly, she perked up. "Mmmmm!!! Shoooo good!!" she squealed around a mouthful of food. Tani eagerly tore off another bite and giggled. "Thanks, Juni! Wooooow, how do they manage to make a game so real?? It even has TEXTURE! What the heckin' hey??" She wrapped an arm around Juni's shoulders and shook her a little out of sheer excitement.

 

[Juniper Lockton]

"Eh, I'm not that picky." She laughed, knowing full well she was still a virgin both in and out of game and feeling a little silly for acting like she already knew what she preferred when she didn't know the first thing about actually having sex, much less sex as a girl with another girl.

"N-no, I really appreciate it! Promise! Sorry." She was a mess right now, having a hard time keeping up with the other girl both in pace of the emotional rollercoaster and half-skipping. It wasn't long before she called herself cringe and was immediately chastised for it. Tani was really the type to take control of a situation, huh? Juni blushed and seemed bashful again, tail starting to wag as she heard the consoling and uplifting words. That was it, she may as well have just given her headpats and Juni was now going to follow her into the afterlife.

"Thanks. I really appreciate that. You're really nice. Like, one of the nicest people I've met so far in this game, and one of them offered me a place to move to to get away from my religious extremist parents." She managed to get out, still beet red. She was a little quiet after that, letting Tani handle most of the ordering aside from a greeting she exchanged with the old man. She giggled as Tani tried the turkey leg and was so expressive about how good it was. She was fun, "I know, right? It's like they used magic or something." As they kept eating, Juni spoke up again,

"So, it looks like you already have starter gear, which is gonna be good enough for right now. I can help you get better stuff later." Implicating herself into a second meeting at some point, "Why don't we look at outfits that you might like, though? Honeyhome has some really good options for a starter town."

 

[Titania Djokovic]

"Whooooaaaaa, not picky, huh? You're more mature than I thought!" Tani exclaimed, showing off her bluntness once again. She giggled, believing without question that Juni must be quite experienced. If it wasn't already clear, Tani wasn't particularly bright, and she felt absolutely no shame in that fact. "As for me, I'm more into girls myself. I dunno what it is about guys, but they just don't quite pull me the same way. Guess I was always destined to be a loud and proud lesbian!" she declared heartily, clearly quite proud of her identity as she raised her head a bit higher. Why should she be ashamed of herself after all?

It became quite clear to Tani that Juni took the things she said a little too seriously. On top of that, she was totally an "eager to please" type, or maybe someone who was afraid to lose friends. She snickered to herself as the animal girl all but fell all over herself to apologize. It wasn't that bad, sheesh! Before she could say much in reassurance, Juni fell into insulting herself, much to Tani's disapproval. The way Juni's tail wagged as Tani gave her some positive pep talk made the eager alchemist's heart flip. Sooooo cute! What the heckin' hey! She gave Juni a little pat on the head, not even thinking that such an action might seem patronizing.

Showered with compliments, it was easy for Tani to blush and laugh happily, cupping her cheeks. "Awwwwwww, you're soooo sweet! I don't think I'm anything all that special or anyth-" The last thing Juni said gave Tani pause, and she glanced sharply in the girl's direction. It was a lucky thing that turkey legs distracted Tani from probing too much more into Juni's apparently bad home life, but this was far from over. To be fair, the turkey legs were heckin' delicious!! Juni suggested that they were made by magic, and Tani nodded her vigorous agreement, unknowingly sending small bits of turkey and grease flying around and onto her blouse.

Juni suggested potentially looking for outfits, and there it was. The ultimate conclusion of Juni's obvious interest in Tani. She may have been an airhead at the best of times, but even Tani could see where Juni wanted things to go. "Hmm... And lemme guess, you wanna be in the dressing room with me while I try 'em on, right?" she asked slyly, narrowing her eyes, "Actually, come to think of it!" She opened her menu and browsed through her equipment. What would happen if...? Tani tapped the "Unequip" function on her top and yelped as the top dissolved in a shower of pixels, leaving her standing there with just a white, lacy bra between herself and total toplessness. Giggling, she tapped the button again to put her top back on. "That's pretty neat!" she exclaimed, apparently not embarrassed at all. "Anyway, that sounds like fun to me! Buuuuuut, you're skipping ahead a couple steps! First of all, you gotta tell me more about yourself if we're gonna be bestest buddies. Isn't that like... totes common sense? I'll go first!"

"I'm gonna be a super cool alchemist going on a journey to make some kinda rare magic elixir thingy! It's gonna be an ultra tough adventure fulla lots of action and hard times! It'll be great! Oh oh, and in the real world, I'm a kinda famous pro tennis player! You ever heard of Natsume Shiromori? Rank 5 in Women's International Youth Tennis! That's ME!!" Tani enthusiastically wrapped her arms around Juni's and started leading her forward, taking control of the encounter without even meaning to.

 

[Juniper Lockton]

Juniper felt a little embarrassed when Tani described herself as a proud and loud lesbian, feeling inadequate and potentially like that might cause issues if they were to possibly get together as their flirting progressively seemed to indicate. But she was really a girl, right? From things she'd been seeing online, a lot of lesbians supported trans women. Some didn't, though...

How to broach the topic?

She didn't get a chance for a bit, giggling at Tani's idea she projected onto Juni, "Oh, I'm not that bold or brave! Don't give me so much credit! I just like trying on pretty clothes is all, and I wanna see what your style is like." She blushed and her eyes glazed over as her cheeks reddened when Tani unequipped her top, revealing a bra, smoke practically coming out of her ears. She laughed awkwardly as Tani moved on unabashed. She didn't get a word in for a few moments, but when a name was given to her of an apparent celebrity she immediately took off her headset for a moment to look it up online, eyes going wide when she realized how pretty she was in real life, too.

Quickly putting the headset back on, she cleared her throat and covered her mouth with a fist before speaking up, still blushing at the thought of how pretty Tani was in and out of game, "Well, I'm the child of super religious parents. We go to rallies, conventions, a big church, I have to go to church camp each summer...it's unfortunate because I don't follow their beliefs but I have to go anyway. I wouldn't care as much if they weren't so hateful but they don't like gays, lesbians, trans people..." That was her chance to bring it up, "They believe they're all hell-bound and therefore evil degenerates." A wistful sigh indicating her desire for a better home life.

As long as she was there, she was never going to be able to be herself. That was why she was hopeful and optimistic about moving to Japan with Alice. She had to have that hope, to hang on and see what awaited her in the future. Future Juniper deserved to be happy, and she had to work for that goal no matter what it took.

"But, I'm moving to Japan soon, or at least hope I am. That way I can be more true to myself." She wasn't going to out herself so quickly, or at least, as one queer person she'd heard refer to it, let Tani in. She had to remember that showing that part of herself was something in her own control, and she had the power to let others in. Giving others the power by coming out gave them the chance to reject or shame you, or at least that was what she'd heard.

Why did this all have to be so complicated? Why couldn't she just be born a girl to normal parents? Speaking of, why was she being so forward with this person she'd just met? These thoughts plagued her and suddenly she looked a little sullen, grabbing her arm with her free hand and half-hugging herself for comfort. Another sigh escaped her, then she realized she was bringing down the mood and tried to apologize for it,

"Sorry, I just get in my head with worry about things..."

 

[Titania Djokovic]

Tani snickered at Juni's declaration that all she wanted was to see her fashion style. Even if that were true, it was a pretty funny thing to bring up on a first meeting. Her little mishap, and the intense blush that followed, only proved even more amusing. Juni was so much fun! They may not have been friends yet by Tani's definition, but they were sure as heck off to a good start! Juni even got to scope out a quick look-see at the curves of Tani's model. Frankly, Tani was impressed at how much the game could get out of realistic bods. Was there some super horny guy or girl who had to code this? It was hilarious to think about!

The revelation of her personal identity didn't seem to get that much of a reaction out of Juni. She must not be from Japan or all that into tennis. Well, that was fine! She could at least know what Tani looked like, even if she reallllly wanted to know what Juni looked like too. Ohhhh well! Juni seemed like the nervous type, so maybe she was gonna be shy about it. That was fine!

Juni admitted that she was the child of religious parents, and from context, it sounded like religious in the sense that places with one god tended to be. She stuck out her tongue and made a mock gagging noise. "Ewwww... No offense Juni, but your parents are big jerks! Well, I guess it's fine for me to say that since they wouldn't like me anyway. Hmph! Well, that's okay! Us girls gotta stick together! Even if your mom and dad think we're going to the bad place, at least that means we'll both be there, yeah? Besides! There are wayyyy more celebrities who're 'degenerates' than they think. Especially in the sports world! I should know!" The way Tani glanced to the side and blushed while grinning and gnawing at her lower lip made it very clear that she had real experience of... some sort with what she said.

BUT!! This wasn't about her! This was about keeping Juni feeling positive! She could see the way the girl began to fold in on herself for comfort, clearly heavily weighed by all the heavy stuff in her life. That was no good! Juni should be proud of who she was, just like Tani! She wrapped her arms around Juni and pulled her into a big hug, rubbing their cheeks together. "Don't be sorry, silly! Ya got a lot to worry about! Still, isn't gaming all about forgetting your worries? Ya shouldn't let the outside world get to ya here! Especially not when you're trying to make new buddies!"

She paused as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "Wait... Did you just say JAPAN??? Uhhhhhh duh Juni! What kinda name do you think Natsume is?? Where are you gonna be? I'm totes gonna come visit ya! You're done for now, lil' lady. You're about to have a super strong tennis pro literally busting down your door for hangouts. Mwahaha!" Tani was the epitome of villainy, narrowing her eyes and moving her face close to Juni's with a devilish grin. It was tooooootally over for her now. They were gonna vibe out one way or another. Disengaging from the hug, she put her hand in Juni's and nodded. "Okay! Sooooo now that we've settled that I'ma take the first bullet train to where you're at, time to clothes shop yeah?? You know where the shops are at, so I'm counting on ya Juni!"

 

[Juniper Lockton]

"Yea, they're the worst."

It was hard to sulk and feel down with Tani around, though, giggling as she mentioned that they'd both be going to 'the bad place'. That, and she was right. Gaming was all about forgetting your worries and escaping your troubles, "That's true, I guess."

"Thanks." She offered shyly, yelping sharply as Tani pulled them together and rubbed their cheeks together. That was about as close as Juni had ever been with another girl, and it left her blushing heavily as Tani went on to say that she, a big and strong tennis pro would be busting down her door. The fantasy lingered in her eyes as, once more, steam practically came out of her ears, eyes spinning unfocused in dazed circles.

"Heh, hehe..." She seemed bashful as she pulled herself back together under Tani's villainous look. At least now she was too occupied with other thoughts to be sad or depressed or anxious. Hangouts, huh?

"This way!" She was confident in her ability to get where they were headed, and spurred to action by Tani's words. It wasn't quite a command, but it may as well have been with the way she fervently obeyed and, quickly enough, they were at a row of shops rivaling a small shopping center with food and snacks to top it all off.

"Where do you wanna...start?"

 

[Titania Djokovic]

Tani observed Juni with amusement as she pulled the yelping fox girlie into a cheek-rubbing hug. She could feel the furnace-like heat of Juni's blush thanks to their close proximity, and when Tani pulled back, she could see the hazy, unfocused look in Juni's eyes. Oho...? Wasn't Juni supposed to be kinda experienced? Which was it? Was she a stereotypical gamer type who'd never kissed a girl in her life or the kinda person who could make sexual jokes with a wink and smirk? Tani wasn't smart enough to really parse it out, but there did seem to be lots of chances for teasing, and that's what mattered. "Pssst, hey, eyes over here," she joked in a whisper before launching into a set of near-demands for hangouts.

Eventually, Juni recovered enough to get some confidence back and started leading the way to shopping. Tani giggled and followed, her strides light and measured despite her down-to-earth seeming avatar. She was more than happy to let the veteran gamer show her around as she sorted out exactly what she thought about Juni. The witchy woman was pretty confusing if she was being honest. Suddenly approaching the newbie to help and mercilessly flirting was one thing, but then she got all blushy and nervous when Tani got even a little bit physical. It was weird! Cute too but definitely weird!

Soon enough, they arrived at a busy market area. Tani's eyes were wide in wonder as she stared at the crazy cool avatars walking by. There were people ranging from simple outfits like hers to full suits of armor. Some of them even had little animals or BIIIIIG animals with them!! "Hey hey, Juni! What's that??" she asked excitedly, tugging on her friend's sleeve as she pointed at a pet that looked like a frog with rabbit ears. It was... honestly pretty cute even if Tani wasn't a big fan of frogs!

Juni snapped Tani out of her distracted state by asking where they should start. The alchemist blinked and looked around at the selection of shops. A shop that looked like it was out of some kind of medieval drama caught Tani's eye. If she was gonna be in a fantasy world, she needed fantasy clothes right?? "OOH! THIS ONE THIS ONE THIS ONE!!" she declared loudly enough to get people's heads to turn toward them. Tani grabbed onto Juni's arm and pulled them in.

Clothes lined the walls, and Tani wasted no time in heading toward the blouses and other tops. Her eyes sparkled as she sorted through various garments. One caught her eye and she pulled it out, the stats appearing in her HUD. Purely cosmetic, huh? Well, whatever! Tani didn't know enough about all the weird numbers to care anyway! Wait a sec... She pulled out something that looked surprisingly like a modern white crop top. "Hmmm... Whatcha think, Juni? Too much skin?" she asked, holding it up to herself. "Orrrrr maybe you're thinkin' it would look better on a girl like you, ehehe..." She pressed the garment against Juni in return, excited to hear the girl's opinion.

 

[Juniper Lockton]

Juniper could almost feel the speculation regarding her from behind as heat remained in her cheeks, red as roses. She was thankful for a distraction in the form of a question regarding someone's pet, and she smiled like a tour guide as she gestured, "That's a Squaddle, and that over there is a Flawki." She said, pointing to a small half-white, half-black bird perched on someone's shoulder.

She was back to feeling a little awkward as heads turned to them with Tani's outburst, but she felt quickly that that was just something she was going to have to get used to. She was so excitable and outgoing that she didn't even seem to consider how she might have been affecting others. It was really charming, if she was being honest.

There was no point resisting being lead in, and she let Tani hold her arm as long as she wanted. It was difficult to let herself enjoy looking at clothes, at first, but she quickly let that go as Tani held up a crop top to her and she blushed again, "Oh, I-...No, definitely better on you." She laughed, "I don't like to show skin that much." She added, gesturing to her current outfit that covered her pretty well.

Looking around the shop, she fixed her eyes on a mannequin that looked a bit like a sexier version of her in a witch's getup, complete with accessories. Without meaning to, she looked a little wistful, sighing softly.

 

[Titania Djokovic]

Tani snorted with laughter as Juni explained the names of some of the animals she saw. "PFFFF!! Oh my gawd... This is like that Pocket Beast game. Just a buncha letters all thrown together. Sounds cute though! I like the birdie, uh, sorry the, pff hehe, the Flawki." She looked positively tickled by the whole thing and snickered as they walked past the half and half bird. Maybe if they found a pet store she could get one of her own. Wait! Was this one of those things that cost real money?? There was all kinds of noise about those uh... what were they called... macro transactions? Something like that! Everyone warned her not to fall for them, but Tani was smart enough to make her own choices... right?

Together, they entered the shop with Tani not even giving the staring eyes a second glance. Being a minor celebrity meant that she got several double takes by people who knew tennis on a daily basis. A few weird looks weren't enough to even register on her radar, especially coming from avatars that looked wayyyy more out there!

She kept a nice, comfortable hold of Juni's arm as they walked around, enjoying her company. Naturally, they had known each other for a few hours, so that automatically made them close friend material, right? That's how it worked for Tani at least! She sampled a crop top and even placed it to Juni to see how she might look. The blush that lit up her friend's face at the thought made Tani snicker. "Ahhhh, yeah yeah! I totally forgot! You're all about the cuteness instead of the big sexy. I remember ya saying that! I getcha! With the whole witchy thing you got going on, I bet you're too worried your tummy's gonna look pale too, right? I see what's really going on here~" Being the eternal prankster that she was, Tani couldn't resist seeking out Juni's belly button beneath her dress and tickling it slightly.

For the moment, Tani scrutinized the crop top and decided against it. If she wanted to catch some eyes, she could do it in real life. Someone might get confused about Tani's looks in game compared to her real self and all that. Speaking from experience, some gals liked their ladies a little chubbier, and Tani just wasn't quite that in the real world. Not like this avatar at least, sheesh! Her eyes spotted another outfit like an eagle seeking a rabbit. "Oohhhhh..." she cooed excitedly as she scrutinized the strapless dress with accompanying shawl. It looked so... SO... MAGICIANY!!! She loved it! Her HUD popped up again and displayed a "Try Out" option. "Huuuuh? Wait a sec. What's this do...?" she asked with an amazed expression.

She hit the menu option and in a flash of light, her previous outfit transformed into the dress with a pop up telling her that leaving the shop premises without paying would cause her to revert to her previous clothes along with a "BUY" and "BUY AND EQUIP" set of choices. Tani squealed in delight and examined herself in a nearby mirror. It looked TOTES AMAZING and sooooo super fantasy-like. "Wowie wow! This is snazzy! It even comes with like... suggested accessories! Geeeez, forget the rest of this game! If you put this in every department store in Japan, these people would make a killing. A TOTAL killing!!" she exclaimed.

Whirling towards Juni, she took a deep breath to shout for the fox girl's attention but stopped as she saw the way Juni stared at one of the mannequins. Tani watched curiously for a moment, trying to puzzle out why Juni looked kinda... sad? Didn't make sense to her. She was totally sexy enough to pull that off! She tiptoed with surprising stealth before pressing into Juni's back and resting her chin on the girl's right shoulder. "Daaaang, that's a smokin' hot set of witchy wear if ya ask me! I see that longing look! Ya know, most people would just like... try it on? Like me!!" Tani did a skip back and twirl to show off her clothes with a great flutter of shawl and jingling accessories. "C'mon! If ya don't like it, I think this fancy dancy cancel button will give ya your regular stuff back. Lemme seeeeeeee, Juni!"

 

[Juniper Lockton]

Being tickled was very random but something Juni appreciated to break the tension in her a little bit. Tani was certainly a character, and she was genuinely enjoying herself at her side. She just wondered if it would last, hoping dearly that it would.

Juniper didn't even get to enjoy how great Tani looked in the clothes she'd picked out because she was so focused on the outfit she didn't have the guts to try on of her own volition. Fortunately, as if reading her mind, or more plainly, her body language, Tani appeared and tried to prod her into it. She touched her fingers together, looking bashful and embarrassed as she looked down, blushing.

Slowly, she began to nod, and then move, making progress like a turtle. Arriving at the thing, she hesitated to even look up at it, as if it was a star that would burn her eyes for staring into it. Finally, though, she looked to Tani as she twirled, showing off her own outfit. This was supposed to be fun, Juni! Come on! You can do it! Nodding more, she smirked at Tani a little, but not in a smug way. It was more of a "How could I be so silly?" sort of smirk.

So silly, and yet not as silly as Tani seemed to always be. That was a whole new standard she'd never seen set so high.

Perking up into a more proud posture, she finally touched the outfit and tried it on with the UI's prompting. The same flash of light appeared and then suddenly was gone to leave Juniper in a much more detailed version of what she'd just been wearing. It was still cute, but had a touch of sexiness to it. On Juni, though, the cuteness really shined. Plenty of her midriff showed and the shorts left plenty of leg were it not for the fishnet effect tights that were still translucent throughout. The overall theme was pink, purple, black, and gold, with little rings decorating everything and the hat even having some chains handing from it, adorned at the tip with a dreamcatcher.

She turned to Tani and looked a little bashful, but hoped her brave move would be rewarded somehow.

 

[Titania Djokovic]

Tani's totally peppy and uplifting speech started with decidedly meager results. Juni just kind of tapped her fingers together and blushed. Sheesh! Was she that nervous about herself? How could someone with such a cutie avatar have so little confidence? Tani was just about ready to grab her by the cheeks and stretch the bad thoughts out of her face. She very well might have too... if it wasn't for the fact that Juni slowly began to come around. Finally, she nodded, and Tani's face lit up with joy, especially when Juni actually smirked! She was getting into it???

Putting a bit of spring in her step, Juni took the plunge and tried the outfit on. Even before the transformation finished, Tani was cheering, much to the chagrin of the other customers who were once again treated to Tani's obnoxious degree of noise-making. "YEAAAAAAAH JUNI! YOU GOT THIS! WOOHOOOOO!!" she shouted, pumping a fist in the air.

Then, as the light vanished, at first all Tani saw was Juni from the back, and the flowing robe with the witchy hat was so super duper cool. It was like triple strength awesome sauce! Tani giggled and leaned from side to side as she tried to get a better glimpse of the outfit. She was totally digging the hat ornaments though. It SCREAMED fantasy setting! This was what Terrasphere was all about!

The alchemist was just opening her mouth and taking a breath to launch into a barrage of compliments when Juni turned around, and she could see the rest. Her words died in her throat as joy turned to jaw-dropping shock. The mannequin really didn't do the outfit justice. That wasn't a blouse or a tunic... It was basically a bra with extra style. It hugged Juni's modest chest tightly and showed most of her ribs and the slender curve of her body. A pair of shorts ending in fishnet leggings barely disguised the fact that most of Juni's legs were out for the world to see. Sure, it was just a digital construct and not someone's real appearance, but...

A healthy blush crept up Tani's cheeks as she spent the first few seconds allowing her eyes to travel up Juni's form from feet to head. There was an eerie and unexpected silence as Tani tried to get her words together. She'd done a lot of teasing and joking about how cute or hot Juni was, but this was the first time that Tani saw, REALLY saw, how attractive Juni could be. It was really just her lack of confidence that got in the way. Tani was now firmly convinced of that. More importantly...

"WOW. You are like... major league stunning!" Tani breathed in amazement. She stayed a respectful distance back, not wanting to seem like a creep, but honestly it was tough! The girl had never been the type to hide her feelings, and she had no intention of doing so now. "Ya know, if this was a tennis trip and we were both out on the town, spotting you walkin' around in an outfit like this would be my cue to walk up and suggest we have a lil' fun tonight. You are THAT hot right now!" Giggling, Tani held her staff behind her back and rocked back and forth, her blush completely refusing to fade. "Sheesh, and here I thought I was gonna steal the show. You sure you don't wanna just drop everything and sleep with me?? Haha just kidding, but also kinda not really?" Tani snorted and winked, not wanting to spook an obviously very skittish Juni. How much actually was a joke though? It was a mystery!

 

[Juniper Lockton]

Juni was ready for a barrage of compliments, but not for a speechless Tani. Her breath caught in her throat. Did she look bad? Was she trying to figure out how to lie? No, as the blush crept to Tani's face, it became clear that she was just at a loss for words about how beautiful she was. Juni didn't really know what to say to that thought, so she just stayed quiet until Tani finally spoke.

Then she blushed deeper than she had maybe ever. Drop everything and sleep with her? Now her head was spinning, eyes losing focus in a series of lustful thoughts. She was a pent up virgin, after all, not to mention she was feeling incredibly euphoric when she could get over her anxiety. She was frozen, remaining silent for several more moments as she overheated, sweating the proposal both literally and figuratively.

"I-I-...heh." She smirked, laughing at how hard it was for her to even speak right now. The level of turned on she was was like nothing she'd ever felt, reciprocating Tani's proposal. She decided to whisper instead, moving in on Tani and leaning up to whisper towards her ear, "I would but...I'm not...experienced...at all." Crimson all over, looking embarrassed at the idea that she'd been propositioned so easily but she had no idea what to do in this moment, "I want to but, I dunno. I'm just-" She fanned herself with both hands, looking overwhelmed by too many ideas and thoughts.

 

[Titania Djokovic]

Juni reacted about as Tani expected, flushing scarlet and freezing up. Poor girl. Maybe Tani had gone a little too suggestive after all, even if she had been totally serious. She tried to keep from giggling at the completely dumbstruck expression on Juni’s face. Her witchy friend was so darn cute. Teasing her was just way too much fun.

Once Juni finally managed to move again, she snuck in close enough to whisper. Playing along, Tani leaned in and brought her ear closer. She expected a lot of responses but honestly never figured Juni would be so into it. Heck, the girl actually accepted! Sure, it was with a lot of backpedaling and warnings about being inexperienced, buuuuttttt… still interested??

Tani glanced to their sides and gently guided Juni off to the shelter of a few clothes racks where she could giggle and nudge her friend a bit. “Ooooohhhh, look at you Juni. More interested than I thought. I guess all that stuff about how my character thingy hits all your favorite spots wasn’t just some playful flirting. Weeeeellll, I think I spotted some changing rooms if you want a quickie. Then, I’ll leave it up to you to get us an inn or whatever they got here.”

Tani wiggled her eyebrows. She was still kind of joking, but she certainly wouldn’t turn down a little bit of fun in the dressing room. “If you’re worried about experience, just leave it to me! I got more than enough!” Looking quite proud of herself, Tani slowly ran a hand up Juni’s bare back, feeling the smooth curve there. She leaned in until her chest pressed to Juni’s slightly, just enough to give some warm pressure. “Hmmmm… Hey, I wonder how accurate Terrasphere is to our actual bods. I never had a chance to take a look for myself. You think we got any nipples?” she asked playfully. With a secretive glance back, she moved her other hand up to Juni’s chest and swirled a finger over her top. A quick little search never hurt, right?

“You wanna find out together…?” Tani murmured suggestively, close enough to breathe gently against Juni’s lips.