Complete Eastern Brisshal First Contact

[Ludmilla Orphys]

Brie had been on edge ever since they made up their mind to try Terrasphere out. Technically, what they were doing was illegal and possibly lethal, but tobacco products were very much the same and they just got a taxation slap on the wrist, so this wasn't so bad was it? It's like...chugging a mega pint of absinthe to find inspiration. That was how the masters used to do it, no?

Right, this is just like that, Brie thought as they went about patting Ludmilla's cheeks, making sure they were as rosy and around as possible. There had been some difficulty in figuring out how to shape her hair, but perseverance and compromise made that the least of Brie's problems. The largest point of anxiety and contention was...

Will the game really let me do this?

If Terrasphere really was the utterly immersive experience that former players claimed it to be, then Ludmilla as a concept should be fine, right? Completely executable in this world. A lived experience that could help Brie perfectly envision their magnum opus, method acting at its finest. A dangerous idea, but that was the duty of writers; to create dangerous ideas. Right?

Doubt would only slow them down more. Brie cast aside those thoughts and continued to sculpt away at Ludmilla, slightly unsettled by how easily the avatar bent to their touch. It was as if her flesh was made of clay slurry, holding its shape only tentatively as Brie worked away. Much time passed before Brie felt it was alright to give it a rest. By now Ludmilla was entirely unrecognisable from Brie, and better for it. They shuddered to think upon the alternative, if this weren't merely a game.

That's right, Brie, it's just a game. You're playing an VRMMORPG to get inspiration. That's all.

It was about time. Pressing down on the NAME button, Brie gave themselves no time to hesitate. They had come too far to stop now, despite this merely being the first step of many to come.

---

Cold stone against her back. Dirt under her fingernails. Leaf litter under her palms.

Ludmilla opens her eyes to the growing shadows of an Eastern Brisshal dusk. Unconsciously already getting to her feet, she clutches at her face and limbs, unaccustomed to how strange the body of a diminutive Faerin feels to inhabit. She became acutely aware, little by little by the second, how much this body felt like a second skin.

"Lud...mill...a..."
Testing her voice, the first word she speaks in this world is her own name. Turning about, she rubs her eyes and takes in the sights, sounds and sensations of the deep woodland clearing she has awoken in. Her vision is suddenly blocked by a flat grey slate of stone, halfway around.
"What...?"

Transfixed by the towering runic obelisk, Ludmilla touches her palm to the smooth stone, wondering what the purpose of this strange stonework may be. A little foolhardy, perhaps, considering her complete lack of knowledge regarding her surroundings, but her dazed state is only shaken when the sudden HUD popup detailed what this construct was.
"Power Stone. Right."

She really was in the game now. Brie could take a backseat; Ludmilla now takes center stage.

 

[Harlow]

Emerson squinted towards the clone on seat before him. He didn't fully trusted that this was only the character configuration screen. After all, there was something terribly uncanny about seeing oneself when no mirrors were present. As he approached, a tentative fingertip descended to press against the doppelganger's shoulder. The false body nudged, as the flesh mutated slightly before his minor machination. His hand pulled back, accompanied by a sharp inhale. This place seemed safe, but that didn't stop Emerson from expecting the person in the seat before him to leap forwards and attack. He had only seen one corpse in his life, and he had felt similar about that encounter, always waited for it to suddenly and inexplicably find life. He thought it best if he spent as little time as possible in this secluded location with the creature he would soon embody, so he neglected many of the customization options, leaving the character primarily as a replication of himself.

Before entering his name to be done with the ordeal, he browsed the options of races. One option piqued his interest far more than anything else. A choice that, upon clicking, morphed his arms and legs into an evidently artificial construct. Surely, like the structure of a drawing, this was meant to be plastered over by the customizer's intent, but Emerson spent no time changing them. The blatantly prosthetic aesthetic limbs remained just that, attached to the more properly disguised torso. This racial choice was perfect, he thought. If the game operated as it suggested, then he would have more power of thought, and more ability to learn. Harlow was the first name that came to mind, so he placed it within its proper box and entered the game without a second thought.

---

The figure appeared upon its knees nearby to where Ludmilla stood. It did not so much materialize, as it simply was, as if it had been there the entire time, deactivated, slumped and staring downwards with dim, empty eyes. But the eyes were not empty for long, a ring of lights from within finding brightness, one seeming to set off the next, as candles passing the flame within his optics. Blinking to life with no evident eyelids, his eyes glowed, before a sound describable as the loading of a cassette tape began to play, and his frame grew more rigid. Like a string had been drawn from the top of his spine, so aligned his seated posture, eye-lights flickering.

As his head rose, his vision came online, the world's various edges becoming more defined before him. Harlow stared first towards the vast, towering stone structure, where another nearby reached to touch it. He was not so near to it, but felt himself drawing power out of it. It was a difficult to describe feeling, almost as though a the slightest warm breeze emanated outwards from the structure and bled into him. Harlow could now relate considerably better to any phone plugged into the charger, albeit wirelessly.

He sat perfectly straight upon his knees, hands resting in his lap motionless, before the twitch of a finger, and additional signs of life began to ignite. The sound of a quite fan hummed somewhere from within the place his spine ought to be, as the inhuman, android-like Harlow raised his hand and pressed the palm to his own chest. As his lips opened to speak, he found himself choosing his words before he spoke them, almost like a computer prompt requiring the press of enter. The words he wished to say, Hello, with the tone of a question. Then an introduction of his name. It translated automatically.

"Radio check." Loud. Too loud. His voice paused, as if waiting for reply. A handful of birds fled from dusky treetops. He made sure, and somehow he knew how, to turn down the volume on his next statement. "This is Harlow." His eyes glowed with the vibrancy of two dim flashlights as he stared towards the short Faerin nearby, instinctively and adeptly scanning them for any signs of hostility.

@Ludmilla Orphys

 

[Ludmilla Orphys]

Strange. It was as if Ludmilla's fingers really were touching the face of the obelisk, tracing the face of the unyielding rock inch by inch. Then again, wasn't a key draw of this game its illegal ability to provide an utterly faithful emulation of sensory input? It was incredible, Brie felt, that technology could produce such marvels in their lifetime.

Not Brie, she reminded herself, the HUD popup disappearing as she looks elsewhere. Ludmilla now. Ludmilla Orphys, Starcalled Faerin Traveler. That was her identity in this skin, and this was just another form of learning. This game, Terrasphere, would be a study in how to not just play, but embody the role of-

Startled before completing her thought, Ludmilla's attention turned quickly to a sudden change in the scenery surrounding her. The figure, the one that now kneeled barely ten feet from her, had not been there before. Right? Definitely not. Unless it was some quirk of Terrasphere's terrain rendering?

It was a person. They moved. At least, that's what she assumed; it could be an NPC, actually. She hadn't considered that. In fact, she wasn't sure if she could call this entity a 'person', even if it were a player. From what exposed limbs and facial features Ludmilla could make out in the half-light, this was what her race selection menu had described as a 'Magia', described as some kind of magitech android construct. If she wasn't mistaken, at least.

The volume of their voice startled her a second time, provoking an instinctive response as instantaneous as the birds fleeing the treetops. Something in her rearing to alertness, her stance hunched slightly as a glimmering of soft sparkles began popping in and out of existence between her palms. All that happened seemingly without the input of Ludmilla's conscious thoughts, her body simply moving on its own as if seized by a preternatural instinct. COMBAT ASSIST in warm orange letters popped up on the top right of her HUD, next to it sitting a symbol she didn't recognise.

Fortunately for both Travelers, Ludmilla could put two and two together. Before she could even will her body to stop its aggression, she was already wobbling a little and standing back up straight, pressing one hand to the Power Stone behind her to steady herself. She didn't want to be getting into a scuffle this early and in such a state, being so devastatingly new to the game.

"Ludmilla."
Just her name. Nothing more. A simple answer, a response to what she took as an introduction.
"Are you...a player?"

@Harlow

 

[Harlow]

A glowing indicator around the individual standing a few paces forwards would blink with briefest crimson, indicating danger, as her posture shifted. In another game, this might be reflected by a pair of crossed swords. If able, Harlow would have leapt to his feet in preparation for the imminent combat, but as he attempted to will his body, it seemed that many of his faculties were still in their initial booting. He remained seated, raising a hand to present an open palm towards her. Simply a humanizing motion from the android-like entity. Whether or not by his own involvement or attempted friendly gesture, the indicator faded, and she entered a less aggressive stance, his visual HUD reflecting this.

A name, his mind clicked it into place, and a database somewhere within imprinted the information, securing that he would not forget. Ludmilla. Finally, the sensation of a spark ran down his lower limbs, and he felt his legs move when requested. With both palms pressing to the leaf carpeted dirt, he lifted himself up onto his feet, coming to stand some collection of inches taller than her. The stance he took was not one of combat, nor comfort. Rather, it was quite plain, or even stiff. Then, she asked a question.

Yes, I am. And you are as well, I presume? Those might've been the words he had planned on responding with, attempting to make himself more personable. After all, he was no such social butterfly in reality, and games like this were a good opportunity to practice reinventing oneself and becoming more comfortable with difficult things. Though, as he sent the words from his throat, his mouth moved, seemingly on its own sort of auto-pilot, translating his words into something more appropriate.

"Affirmative. Are you?" This caught him off-guard. Now that he thought about it more, so had the previous, sudden radio check. It would make sense that the person before him was a player, if this were to be the designated spawning area. "First time. Nice to meet you, Ludmilla." The words in that final statement were much choppier than the rest, but they hadn't been diluted by his mental programming at least. They came out just as he had thought them up. His eyes did not remain upon her long though, often twitching elsewhere to examine other aspects of the darkening terrain.

"Night approaches." He commented without the tone he had intended. The words presented blandly, as though printed upon a sheet of paper. He wondered if this game was like others, or even similar to reality, in that the real dangers came out from hiding when the sun was not present to reveal them. "I fear. My eyes will not see for long. Over."

@Ludmilla Orphys

 

[Ludmilla Orphys]

All the better that Ludmilla hadn't done anything hasty; the automaton proved itself - actually, no, that would be rude. Harlow had proved himself to be averse to combat, simply gesturing for her to stand down. At least that was settled, and hopefully wouldn't need to be settled again. It wouldn't do for Ludmilla to make waves this early.

Her gaze pulling back as the Magia stands up to his full height, Ludmilla takes note of their unnaturally rigid posture. So, an NPC? Her first impression is that a player character, surely, wouldn't pick a race that stands in such an uncomfortable-looking pose. That and the weird, stilted introduction heavily weighted Ludmilla's judgement in that direction.

When the answer came, though, she couldn't help but blink in surprise. A player? So someone actually made the choice to just...stand like that all the time? Magia must be a hard race to play straight. Unless, of course, that's just the way all of them are supposed to be. In that case, shouldn't the starting options have made it more transparent?

The following greeting prodded her sensibilities and prompted Ludmilla to gather her social wits, though it was a bit strange to introduce herself to someone whose eyes seemed incapable of sustaining direct contact with her own.
"I am! Pleased to meet you, Harlow - it's my first time too!"

Curtseying in her admittedly unremarkable attire felt a bit underwhelming, but it felt good to make an effort nonetheless. That self-satisfaction was quickly dampened by the brusque observation of the hour, bringing that to the forefront of her attention.
"Ah, yes, it's getting a bit late. Should we find someplace to rest?"
Admittedly, Ludmilla had no idea where 'someplace' was. The growing dark couldn't be ignored for long though, so one of them would have to provide soon.

@Harlow

 

[Harlow]

Paranoia began to course through his veins… If he had such within his anatomy. Curiosity on that topic struck as his gaze lowered from the forest's darker depths to the surface of his own hand. The digits responded, though he felt no blood within. Could one feel their own blood? Maybe he was thinking too much into it. This was just a really in-depth VR game, after all. Veins, wires, whatever spiderweb of interconnected conveyor belts hypothetically maintained his structure, he felt them spark with distrust. Not for Ludmilla, no. This one was placed rapidly into a folder labeled trusted, regardless of whether that was wise or not. He spent no brainpower contemplating that, as the forest exhaled beneath a settling blanket of shade.

He had noticed her curtsey, but attempted no such similar courtesy, as much as he would've liked to bow. The Magia didn't trust his frame's mechanisms yet to not blunder the attempt, or throw something out in his back. Playing within the confines of this foreign body, at least initially, seemed to him much like how he presumed an elderly person to feel, with unresponsive, unreliable joints. Time would improve this, of course.

"That would be smart." He nodded to the idea of finding a place to rest, but likewise, he knew of no such places. This place was the first location to be logged, and as far as he knew, it could turn dangerous at any moment. The branches of trees shivered, leaves clawing one another nervously against the wind. They swayed, as if worried that staying in one place would have them caught. Harlow caught himself swaying similarly, unconsciously, before he stopped this. His eyes scanned the terrain around them again, picking up on something he hadn't seen before.

Against the moonlight, the investigation mode of his HUD detected something retreated around the other side of the pillar. Not an entity, per se, but a clue. He approached, pursuing the highlighted indications with haste, stopping to stand just before them. "Come in. Tracks. There was something else here. I'm not sure what. How long ago. Maybe it knows somewhere safe? Over." The tracks were definitely faded, and one might have to squint or blur their eyes, as if playing with one of those magic eye puzzles to gain the hint of something that his own hyper-vigilant gaze had picked up on. He only turned his gaze back to Ludmilla after he finished speaking, and only briefly again. It was a gamble, but Harlow knew not what else to do.

To follow the worn tracks might lead them to danger, or civilization. Or nothing at all, if his perception were fooling him, for some reason. He left the decision up to Ludmilla, willing to follow whichever path she chose.

@Ludmilla Orphys

 

[Ludmilla Orphys]

Ludmilla could sure feel her own blood. Something about her body now felt a little different after her brush with entering 'combat assist' mode, like the way that a new knife loses its clean metal scent after making its cut. In fact, it was as though her whole body was pulsing warmly with some kind of heartbeat not of her own, strange and unwieldy despite her instantaneous connection with it. She imagined it must feel a lot stranger and unwieldier to have a body made not of flesh, but cold hard metal.

Speaking of cold hard metal, it was as if Harlow hadn't seen her curtsey at all. Ah, well, she thought, she could put that down to the same sort of alienating jetlag that her body was being subject to upon logging into the world for the first time. Were this any other scenario, though, she may have pouted at this inconsequential rudeness.

At least he was responsive enough, agreeing with her suggestion and returning to motion, rather than standing frozen, almost resembling the runic obelisk behind her in his stillness. However, Ludmilla could not say that she found his idle swaying any less unnatural than what came before. As if mimicking Harlow, her skirts billow about, the leaves piled about the base of the Power Stone fluttering away in the wind.

Taking note of the Magia's approach, Ludmilla squats down to examine the tracks that Harlow had spotted. They were not easy to see in the dark, and it was wonder that Harlow could even pick them out from the wind-shifted undergrowth. Perhaps it was one of his character's specialties? Kind of like whatever made him talk as if he were operating a walkie-talkie, maybe.
"Ooh, really? I'll take a look too!"
Shuffling closer, Ludmilla chooses to ignore the eccentricity. After all, she herself wasn't designed to be particularly 'normal'.

"Hmm, hard to see...uwahh!"
Musing to herself as she studies the tracks, their dark shapes blending into the moist dirt, Ludmilla squints instinctively and yelps in surprise as her field of vision suddenly unloads a new set of HUD popups. An icon appears where the COMBAT ASSIST had been before, looking something like an animal paw.
Beast Arts Investigation Mode...?
"I, um, this is..."
Rubbing her eyes and trying to organise the new information being conveyed to her, Ludmilla reports what she sees as she gets to her feet and begins to make her way along the tracks.
"Footprints left by a...domestic donkey. Thirty minutes ago, it stopped here for several minutes with a rider mounted on it, then left and headed..."
Amazed by the words leaving her mouth, Ludmilla points off in a direction leading out of the woods, towards a distant collection of lights that looked to be some small township or village.
"...that way."
Immediately after drawing her conclusions and looking away from the prints, her HUD returned to its regular state, as if nothing had happened.

@Harlow

 

[Nyancy]

It was getting late and Nyancy hadn't really accomplished much today. After doing her little workout of squat thrusts, pushups, and some martial arts practice, Nyancy had spent the rest of the day at a nice pond for a day of fishing, the day had come to an end quicker than expected. Still, a good day was a good day. Now, she just needed somewhere to sleep.

As night began to fall on the forest, Nyancy heard some voices in the distance.

Sounds like some people ova theyah. Maybe if I give the cutesy routine they'll cook my fish and give me ah bed ah somethin'. I gots to be careful though. What if theyuh bad guys and try and steal my fish ah sumthin' I'll have to give 'em the ol one, two, right in tha gizzard. Ah, whateva theyuh probably fine.

Clearing her voice, Nyancy walked towards the pair.

Someone say something about a donkey? Which way they go? That donkey owes me twenty gold. Nah, I'm just kidding. How you folks doin', I'm Nyancy. Just a cute little Felis that spent her day fishin'. Got some fish to share if the two of yas want a bite. No skin off my back ya ain't fans of trout, more for Nyancy as they say. Anyway, what's up, you two new hea? I've been fishin' these parts since before the whole thing went undah so if ya need some directions, I can giva yas a few pointahs? If you twos are good, I'll just be on own little ways though. Like I said, just sayin'.

 

[Harlow]

Ludmilla's response had surprised Harlow. While his perception was keen, it would've taken more specialized mastery, he presumed, to deduct at the level of detail she had managed when examining the tracks. His own vision had pointed out of the evidence of something, but what she knew was a trove of information beyond what the game delivered him.

Harlow didn't have long to be impressed by this, however, as his peripherals were alerted to the approaching presence of another. "Break." He interrupted in a quiet tone as Ludmilla finished speaking and indicated towards the supposed donkey's path. His eyes had not peered in the direction of her indication long enough to discover the distant lights, distracted by what would soon be another humanoid among them. Instead of entering a cautionary automatic combat mode, a faint, gray text painted across a portion of his vision, indicating that some aspects of his functionality were still loading. He would simply have to hope that this new arrival was not inclined to kill, as he shifted into a slightly less advantageous position for his own personal survival.

With a self-description as cute that was fairly accurately, the Beastfolk who now joined them was introduced with a worriless atmosphere. The way with which they spoke and walked seemed to suggest they were far more comfortable in this world than himself. If they were to be believed, which he had no reason not to, they appeared to know this location thoroughly. It might've been naïve to trust this one as well, but he thought them loose enough with their information that they didn't have much, if anything to hide, and willing to share more. If they weren't a player, he wondered if this were part of the game's intended tutorial, or merely a flash of luck and fortunate timing.

"Affirmative. New here." He confirmed, "Directions. And the fish. It would be welcome aid. Over." He bowed his head, but his words were spoken without shift in his own expression, apart from the movement of his mouth. "This is Harlow." Despite the cold delivery, Harlow was thankful for this internally, glancing over towards Ludmilla for her reaction to this Nyancy.

@Nyancy @Ludmilla Orphys

 

[Ludmilla Orphys]

Still not sure how she had managed to blurt out all that information, let alone know it in the first place, Ludmilla shrugs in dismissal of that unanswered question for now. She could devote more time to investigating that alone, when she was less exposed to the elements and darkness.
Harlow's impassive voice now brought her attention to yet another newcomer. This one, though, was a bit, er, different than the Magia and herself, shall we say.

"Um..."
Looking to Harlow for some kind of reaction, trying to determine whether this was 'normal' or not, Ludmilla stood there awkwardly listening to the catlike creature run its mouth for a while, then a further few seconds to ascertain that it was done talking.

For the most part, she had gotten the impression that 'Nyancy' was some kind of tutorial creature sent by the game itself, at least up until the point where the creature mentioned that it - she was supposed to be a player from before the lockout that Brie had heard a little about.

A veteran player, huh...sure acts more like a mascot than a player, but I'm not one to talk.

Allowing Harlow to voice his opinion first, Ludmilla breaks into a smile after the awkward silence ends, treating the whole interaction as another exercise in greeting others. She would be needing experience in doing that, walking in this avatar's skin. Smile, wave, eye contact.
"Affirmative!"
Whimsically mimicking Harlow's vocal quirk, Ludmilla curtseys a second time, this time towards Nyancy.
"I'm also new to this place. It's very nice to meet you, Nyancy!"

Nodding to Harlow's simple declarations and pointing towards the lights of the distant town, Ludmilla would tilt her head a little before motioning at the tracks on the ground.
"It's just as Harlow says, Miss Nancy. We only just got here and it's already night, so having a veteran player like you to point us somewhere safe to stay would be a great help! All we have to go off of without you are these tracks, after all."
With that, she would bring her hands to her chest, gently patting her collar with her finger tips in a demure gesture.
"Oh, and I'm Ludmilla! I'd be happy to help you with your fish, if you like?"

@Harlow @Nyancy

 

[Nyancy]

'Miss Nyancy' look at you tryin' tah buttah me up. Anyways, usually I just sleep out hea in tha trees ya know. It's a little like caympin' so I don't mind so much. Not tah mention the forest ain't so full of monstahs and most of tha ones yas run into are fairly tame. It ain't so bad. Still, that's not how yas want to spend yah foyst night in the world is it? Nah, that ain't no fun. Save the caympin' for when ya get ya sea legs.

Nodding to herself, Nyancy pointed in the direction of town.

"Now then, tha town's thata way. It's an easy path so think ah it like a little stroll and enjoy the scenery. Not that theas much ah dat in the dark ah whateva. If you get the season right theas some fiyaflies that come out which is pretty romantic if ya trying to get tah smoochin', not my thing but ah you know, kids these days.

Nyancy gave a chuckles and slapped her knee.

Anyways, look at me blatherin' on. Let's get you twos tah town. We can get yas to a tavern ah sumthin' and maybe they'll have a cook nice enough tah cook these for dinnah for the three of us. While we walk if ya got any questions, shoot! I'm all eahs as they say.

With that, Nyancy began leading the way to the nearest town, which as she had pointed out was actually quite close.

@Harlow @Ludmilla Orphys

 

[Harlow]

Harlow was surprised to hear Ludmilla mimic one of his vocal ticks. Her simple enough explanation of their situation that she had produced was something Harlow would've loved to have been able to say himself, or at least something similar. Despite this, he knew that whatever his initial message was, it would be skewered and sliced by his internal auto-translate function. Initial processing had been uncertain where to place the emotion that accompanied his surprise upon hearing her emulation, but he would soon discover it to be comfort. It made the whole ordeal with his inhuman speech a tad more humanize and less… Isolating.

He remained silent through the following clarifications from Nyancy. He wouldn't have minded camping in the forest or clamoring up the trees, but a town was absolutely preferable. Alongside their accent and whimsical spirit, this more experienced player was a valuable asset and a wealth of information. While it might've been precisely what some were looking for, Harlow's mental registry chose to strike through the information on fireflies and smooching, deeming it unnecessary for survival. Again, they offered to answer questions. It had been a fair amount of time since his previous speaking.

"What is the name of our location?" Where are we would've sufficed, but he didn't fault the program this time, as it served much the same purpose. Now that they were traveling, as well as traveling in a larger group with a guide, his internal paranoia was put at ease. "And the location we are headed? Over."

Exhaustion absolutely existed for the Magia, and he had spawned with some reference of a diurnal wakefulness cycle, but it did not feel as proper tiredness did. This registered predominantly as a lag in responsiveness, and a delay and sedation of the pace of his speech patterns.

As Nyancy had explained, the wilds were safe, but he maintained a level of caution in regards to the proximal town they were supposedly approaching. A game a realistic as this, night was when the less desirable emerged to hunt their unfair game. Thieves, criminals, or simply titled bandits. An eye or two would be kept out for this.

@Ludmilla Orphys @Nyancy

 

[Ludmilla Orphys]

Ludmilla would poke her tongue out with a playful 'eh?' when accused of buttering Nyancy up, once again more for the practice of the act than the spirit of it. So it was obvious to a veteran when she did things that way, hmm. She would need to either sharpen her social mores or play to her strengths and lean fully into obliviousness.

While Ludmilla may also not at this point mind camping out for her first night in the world, considering her ability to apparently harness the power of starlight with her bare hands, she still felt it more prudent to seek out some kind of population center where she could obtain information on her surroundings; she was not someone who had four years of experience under her belt. Safety in numbers was an immensely human maxim, one she could see herself making much use of for these early stages of her exploration.

Not to mention, she reminded herself, there is a need for more samples of behaviour from this world's inhabitants regarding how they were expected to act, player and non-player alike.
If Harlow could peek inside her brain right now, he may be glad to have found a kindred soul.
However, Ludmilla would endeavour to keep her inner machinations merely a secure undercurrent for now, considering her circumstances.

As all these thoughts flit through her mind, Ludmilla follows along behind the curious mascot-creature, hiding her face with her gloved hands as the offhanded jape regarding 'kids these days'. That was mostly to conceal the fact that she was not in fact blushing until the topic changed.
"Miss Nyancy-! We barely know each other, gosh...I-I mean, it's not what 'kids' do these days, is all."
She would need to work on that. It would ill fit her if she couldn't produce that sort of reaction on demand.

Falling into step just behind the taller Harlow, Ludmilla would second the obvious question about putting a name to both their locale and heading.
"Yes, those things would be good to know! Also," she adds, looking about herself quite conspicuously. "Does this area happen to have anything that would be a good starter animal companion? You mentioned the beasts here being not too hard to deal with, so..."

@Nyancy @Harlow

 

[Nyancy]

Nyancy waved her hand as to brush off what Ludmilla was saying about kids.

Ah, I didn't mean tha two of yas. Just meant in general. 'Course whadda I know? As cute an adorable as I yam, I'm not as young as most people think. Now don't go askin' cute little Nyancy her age ah nuthin', should nevah ask a lady her age, but I will say I probably got a few yeas on the two of ya. Not that it mattahs ah whateva, wea all friends hea ain't we?

Turning to give a warm smile, Nyancy gave both of her new companions a thumbs up.

Now then, as tah whea wea goin, the closest town to hea is Honeyhome. It's wea most new Travelahs or as I call 'em Adventurahs end up. It's a real nice place. Real friendly, welcomes everyone, good food, shops if ya lookin' for tools, amah, ah weapons. Pretty much everythin' ya need to get stahted out.

Nyancy turned and looked over her two companions and began walking backward so she could talk to them more easily.

Also, since it's also a hub for new adventurahs it's also ah good place tah meet new people and make friends and tha like. Lots ah people use it as ah home base while they explore tha forest an train. So in that regahd, it's tha purrrfect place fah the two of ya. Actually speak ah the devil, lookah theyah.

Pointing towards a clearing in the forest, the town of Honeyhome could be seen. From the warm orange lights to the blooming flowers, the hamlet was like something out of a painter's dream. Adventurers of all kinds walked the quickly darkening streets and joyous laughter could be heard ringing throughout the area. Truly, if one were looking for the perfect place to get their start in the world, this was it.

Nice ain't it? I come hea when I got a hankerin' for somethin' otha than fish. So not too often, but it's nice tah come and talk tah people now an again.

Continuing on, while walking backward facing the two, Nyancy began to answer the other question.

Animal companions, huh? Hmm... well the fahrest has about what ya expect so depends on what ya lookin fah. If ya want something big and meaty maybe ya make friends with a beah. Theas also wolves if ya want somethin; like a dog ah puppy. Othah than that, ya got some snakes, birds, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and the like. So, like I said, really depends on what kinda animal ya want to tame. What did ya have in mind? I take ya as an owl type.

@Ludmilla Orphys @Harlow

 

[Harlow]

Harlow didn't get out enough in the real world to experience these kinds of awkward or blush-inducing situations. Thankfully, his racial choice seemed conveniently restricted to this, to hide his more natural, innate reactions hidden beneath a focused and cold expression.

What they were brought to was precisely as Nyancy elaborated. It fit most, if not all of the needs of any would-be adventurer. It made sense, considering how close it had been to their initial spawning zone. An ample and harmless civilization for people to find their way. And with a name like Honeyhome, of course, he thought. A sweet, safe hamlet. He had been imagining a much colder, darker town, though perhaps this game was less grim than he had presumed.

Despite the size of the town, it had a warm glow that made it seem alive even in the dead of a rotting night. The echo of laughter from within nearby buildings made it even more welcoming. He glanced upwards as they trod into the location, noticing the clear night sky that had dawned above. His gaze flickered as it traced lines between them, documenting constellations.

"This place is nice." He spoke, not necessarily to anyone in particular, as he looked around. "Tavern." Scanning the buildings, it wouldn't be hard to spot. It seemed more so wriggling with night-life than the other buildings. "To cook the fish. Over." He reminded himself, focusing upon the objective as his company spoke over the listings of their nearby ecosystem.

Not that he was uninterested in the conversation, even if it seemed that way. In fact, he was intently listening to them, even if he was not directly involving himself in the chatting, and would be taking mental notes the entire time. A list of potential wildlife encounters in the forest was a godsend to an empty bestiary. Ludmilla's questioning would make sense, if she had a beast-related mastery. And it would match up with how she had understood the tracks from before. This new information also informed him that many of the creatures native to this world might be shared with the real world.

Despite the warmth and humanity of this town, and even the comfort of conversation and interaction, he still felt something pulling him back towards where he had come from. Back into the depths of the forest. He couldn't decipher the root of this though.

Making his way up the two steps onto a short landing with rocking chairs and a railing, Harlow moved for the entrance doorway to the tavern.

@Ludmilla Orphys @Nyancy

 

[Ludmilla Orphys]

Silently thankful for the fact that Nyancy was such a talkative guide, Ludmilla much preferred things this way for now, the spotlight of conversation concentrated upon someone other than herself; she could instead pick and choose when to contribute, to hone her skills in conversing. Nobody should suspect anything before the time was right.

Wearing the same slightly confused smile, Ludmilla returns Nyancy's thumbs up.
"Friends? Oh, yes, I suppose we would be!"
Imitate, learn, fit in and observe. Those were the first steps to take.

Jogging forward a few paces to catch up with Harlow's longer strides, Ludmilla makes a note to stay out of this area if she needed to avoid attention from players for whatever reason. Honeyhome sounded like a very standard new player hub, but that didn't mean there wasn't a possibility of more veterans like Nyancy hanging around.

As Ludmilla ponders the precautions she must take to keep her nature concealed until the right time, the aforementioned town slowly emerges from the woodlands before the trio. It's every bit as busy as described, bustling with merry activity. Eyes reflecting the bright lights of the township, Ludmilla's sights would flit about the earth as Harlow gazed to the skies.

Were it not for the game's dark open secret and her own prerogative, Ludmilla would have most likely lowered her guard here of all places.
"Oh, it's delightful!" Ludmilla would exclaim, truthful to her feelings in that aspect at the very least.
"...I actually haven't thought about my animal companions before. I'll see what woodland friends I can make!"
Brightly beaming as she lies blatantly, Ludmilla makes a note that creatures with biomass as plentiful as bears might be found in the woods. That would be useful.

Noting that Harlow had split off to tavern, Ludmilla motions in that direction as well.
"Thank you so very much, Miss Nyancy! Shall we stick together a bit longer to see your fish through? I hope the tavern has a quest board or something like that..."

@Nyancy @Harlow

 

[Nyancy]

Turning to Harlow, Nyancy nodded in agreement.

Yah, like I said, it's ah nice place with good people. Ah but ya right, good call let's head ova theyah, the tavahn's that way. They'll probably cook tha fish fah us as long as we buy some drinks ah sumthin' and we can have a nice little welcome to tha woyld dinnah!

Looking back at Ludmilla, Nynacy continued speaking on the subject beast companions.

Yeah, that's a nice way tah think about it. Just be careful, not all animahls in tha forahst are friendly ah whateva. Don't get yaself hurt tanglin with somthin' that ain't takin a likin' to yas. But on tha subject ah dinnah, ah course, let's all eat togetha like.

Continuing to lead the way, Nyancy made her way into town assuming the other two were following her.

Tah be honest, I don't remembah if theyahs a quest boahd ah not. I nevah had much use of 'em before, but people certainly get hiyad tah take jobs so their probably is. If not, askin' around will usually net ya some kinda woahk if that's what ya lookin fah.

Entering the town proper, Nyancy made her way past several small groups of new adventurers to the tavern. The tavern itself looked like something out of a fantasy novel much like the rest of town, and shared the same red roofs as the rest of the hamlet.

'Scuse me, pahdon me, comin' through ova hea. Tryin tah get to tha door. Watch ya feet ova theyah.

Making it to the front of the tavern, Nyancy pulled open the door the tavern and welcomed her two companions in.

The two of yas find a seat. What would yah like tah drink? Drinks ah on me as a welcomin' present.

Nyancy smiled and gave a thumbs up.

@Harlow @Ludmilla Orphys

 

[Harlow]

Once they were in the tavern, Harlow felt, albeit in a dulled fashion, the warm breeze that wafted in from the well lit, lively establishment. Somewhere within, there had to be a fireplace. He slid to the side to evade a party of adventurers making their exit, before scanning the room for seats, as Nyancy had suggested of them. He was thankful that they would be paying for the beverages, of course, as his fresh pockets were more than lacking in funds, and he expected Ludmilla's to be mostly the same.

"Tea. If it's available. If not, water. Over." Meanwhile, his eyes attempted to poke through the pockets of vision unblocked by broad shoulders and poking heads to find an available place of seating. Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to spot one near the tavern's western wall. The amount of residents in the room would not make traversing the place easy though for anyone other than the agile Nyancy.

"Table spotted. Over– Break." Harlow was about to set off on his own, determined to slide like fluid through the crowd and make it to the table, but he paused his gait before it had begun. A glance back to Ludmilla reminded him that he was in the presence of another, a potential friend.

"Radio check…" He paused, as if lagging, adjusting the volume his voice to fit the new setting, before turning his gaze back to the crowd and approaching. There would be an array of formalities and pardons from the Magia, as he presented a hand forwards in an attempt to part the sea piece by piece, refusing to abandon Ludmilla to forge her own path through the sea of bodies, though she always could if she wanted to. He didn't have as much concern for Nyancy, who seemed to be experienced enough at crisscrossing through dense population.

Once they arrived at their table, a relieved sigh briefly exposed some of Harlow's more human anxiousness, before it quickly vanished and he took seat.

"I am impressed by your knowledge of wildlife. I hope you will find it. The animal you seek. Over."

Yeah. He wasn't too good at small talk.

@Ludmilla Orphys @Nyancy

 

[Cyrus Sylvester]

A certain tavern in Honeyhome.

The establishment had an old-fashioned feel, what with the wooden furniture and beams, bricked archways and windowsills, dark cream plaster, firewood stacked next to a fireplace, and more. The atmosphere was a cozy, homely, and friendly – if, admittedly, also loud. Cyrus wasn't sure if it was always so busy, if this was due to Terrasphere's recent reopening, or if it was just that time of day.

He was leaning on a counter, ignoring a thickset human spilling beer to his left as he chatted up a green-headed felis to his right.

"So, what do you say, dinner for two on your next break?"

The waiter had a light blush on her cheeks, but looked nervously left and right. "Ahh, I'd love to, but we're really, really busy, and if master-"

"Did someone call me?" A brunette human appeared so quickly she might as well have materialized on the spot – Cyrus thought so even though he'd watched her throw open the door from the other side of a private area behind the counter. Either she had preternatural timing, supernatural hearing, a prescient sixth sense, or those walls were really thin.

Rosabelle, the felis, let out a meep, and turned to face whom Cyrus presumed was the owner of the establishment with obvious embarrassment. "Rosy…get back to work before you get taken in by yet another rogue," the boss chided her employee exasperatedly. The beastkin waiter hurried to comply, and Cyrus was the next one subjected to an impressively icy cool glare from the human. "And you! Don't seduce my waitstaff. If you're not buying anything, then shoo," she motioned with her hand.

"Oh, no, I was – or, well. I'd heard you give free meals to newbies if they bring you the ingredients?"

The owner scoffed. "Sure, but you'll still need to fork over a gold coin or two. It's not a charity here I'm running," she grumbled that last part quietly, but still clearly enough that she must have meant for Cyrus to hear it.

"Ah – put it on my tab?" Cyrus gave his best impression of a pleading yet trustworthy look. The owner rolled her eyes, then put a firm grip on his shoulder, and physically turned him around. She was stronger than he'd have thought, and Cyrus blinked as he found himself facing the exit. A light but insistent push was enough to get him moving.

"Awww," he complained to no one in particular, but resigned himself to getting some cold, hard cash.

As he was making his way out, a particular trio entered. Cyrus ignored them at first, however, a certain key word had his leonine ears literally perking forward. His gaze zeroed onto a petite blonde beastfolk. She'd said that one thing. Free. A surefire way to get his attention.

"Hey, hey, you mentioned free drinks?" he brazenly followed the group to a table, keeping most of his attention on Nyancy for now. "I'm a biiiit tight right now, seeing how I'm new…but I've got this!" Cyrus closed then opened his hand, bringing up the menu. A few taps, then one by one, he brought out several items, and put them on the table. A bird's nest with five small eggs, an assortment of berries, several mushrooms, and a glass bottle of milk originating from Honeyhome's farm.

He leaned on the table, settling one palm on each side of his humble exhibit. "How about it? You let me in on that deal of yours, and it's sweet or savory omelets for all of us." He looked from the beastkin, to the faerin, to the magia, friendly smile in place. "And as a bonus – you get a new friend!" he thumped his chest with a thumb, grinning cheekily.

@Nyancy @Harlow @Ludmilla Orphys

 

[Ludmilla Orphys]

"Oh, I see! I'll make sure to be careful!"
Nodding enthusiastically as @Nyancy explains to her the importance of staying safe when looking for a fitting Beast Arts familiar, Ludmilla can't help but feel her face twisting in a grin not of her own making.

"But I'm sure nothing can hurt me."

Her quiet words, though, are lost in the natural hubbub of other new arrivals hanging around outside the tavern. How could she tell, being so new herself? The way they carried themselves, of course; anyone who carried their weapon in a position where it could slip out of their grip with an unlucky slip or be ripped off their person with a hard tug could not possibly claim to be a veteran. Even here, she had to be cautious.

"What I'd like to drink...hmm...do they have anything sugary? Like fruit juice...maybe ? I have a bit of a sweet tooth, ehe~"
Though @Harlow helped her clear a path as they both follow behind the self-named mascot, Ludmilla was in no hurry to take it. Being swallowed by the crowd was not so severe a situation, ironically. It was perhaps the safer one, in fact, as it drew less eyes than the alternative.

Speaking of drawing eyes, as she detailed to Nyancy her choice of beverage, Ludmilla could already see someone pointedly trying to follow them. Heart beating slightly faster as they closed in on their table, she remains as silent and unremarkable as she can be expected to to be. The only movement she makes it to tilt her head to the side with curiosity as @Cyrus Sylvester describes their situation and lays down a deal.

For some reason, she was feeling quite hungry, despite that bar purportedly expressing her hunger being quite full. As the Beastfolk continued to name his friendship into the bargain, Ludmilla looks about and sniffs the air.

It would be wrong to call it hunger. It was more the feeling of a rising appetite, as though one were situated in a packed kitchen full of dishes in progress. But yet again, it was not for food or drink that the appetite called for.

As her companions sat down and settled for a drink and a meal, Ludmilla would be nowhere to be found. Lost in the swarming patrons of the tavern, the hem of her dress flutters away through the door, to be seen elsewhere in scenes of greater horror than any of the three she had met could comprehend.