Complete Private ✪ Finweald Like Cats and Dogs

[Ash Vargold]

Folk St. Market, Finweald, Astorea

"...wow, prices are up."

It was rare that Ash was in Finweald long enough to see Folk St. Market open, and even if he was he generally avoided it. It was loud, it was crowded, and his height and hair made him an easy market for enthusiastic hawkers.

Still, he had to worry about things like equipment and food, and there was no place cheaper than the crowded stalls of the market. It was also the one place he could find things that appealed to player sensibilities. Unidentifiable stew and dried nuts were fine most of the time, but if the world was going to give him the option to eat a cheeseburger, then by god he was going to eat a cheeseburger.

"Can't help it, sir. Winter's been rough." The cook kept his attention on the large beef patty he was cooking. Ash was trying not to, but the smell was distracting and his stomach was complaining. "But we're still the cheapest joint on Folk St., I guarantee it!"

Ash wasn't sure if that was true, especially with how few people were at this particular stand. If it was, it was probably a bad thing, but he was too hungry to be picky right now...

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

Rhela herself hasn't had much of a chance to look around the place too much. But she was still here... Her tail in a soft swaying serpentine as she walks through the market, mostly trying to find a place that wasn't as crowded as other locations. It was doing a number on her stimulation for the moment. In the real world and video games she was usually one to avoid crowded spaces after all. But.. The smell of familiar foods drew her in. She swallows hard as she approached a stand. Her head tilting around the tall as fuck man in front of her- dog? Looked like a dog man- MAYBE WOLF! Oh, she hasn't seen many of those. She's mostly seen a bunch of cat girls and stuff off to the side. Hey maybe not get distracted.

"Not sure about cheapest considering the lack of a line..." She mutters to herself. Rhela glances off to the other stands, wondering if they had anything else in the area. She could just... get a burger irl. But like... It's right here and she doesn't need to cook-- wait, she'll need food eventually irl. She just kinda mrrrrrrs as that thought crossed her mind.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

There was nothing that stood out about the felis approaching. Ash glanced at her briefly, but the cook seemingly had other ideas.

"Good day, young miss! Are you interested in trying one of Finweald's Finest meatinbuns?" His voice was loud, as if he were trying to advertise to an entire crowd rather than one overstimulated catgirl. "Its made with the best Solvale has to offer, and guaranteed to be free of monster meat!"

Ash flattened his ears. He'd gotten the same spiel, and just about as loud. He doubted the felis next to him was doing much better.

The man took a break from his shouting to flip Ash's burger. Grease spurted and sizzled, catching aflame for a brief period of time before settling. The smell of probably-not-monster filled the air anew. "Just 5 gold, and 1 gold if you want cheese!" As he spoke, he dropped a slice of something that might be cheddar on the meat patty.

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

Rhela winced, her ears flattening against her head as she heard the man suddenly shout his spiel. "Aiya- don't gotta be so loud.." Rhela complains as she rights her ears again. "I guess I'll have one though." She pulls out a pouch and began quietly counting her coins. A glance up. "I'll not have cheese on mine though."

Wonder if this place has something like ketchup... She thought a moment before shrugging. "Second thought, I'll have the cheese too." She glances to Ash a moment. "Though it is... rather expensive... I mean, a whole gold piece for a piece of cheese?"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

The cook smiled widely and eagerly, then turned away to grab and shape another meat patty. Notably without any effort to clean up first...

Ash looked towards the felis next to him, and shrugged with a helpless looking smile. "It has been a bad season. A bit more than bad weather, though." She looked like a player, but Finweald made it harder to guess than usual. "Should be fine to eat, though."

At the very least, there weren't any echoes of unfortunate victims lingering at this stall.

The cook slapped Rhela's patty onto the gril, flattened it with his spatula, and then scraped Ash's patty onto a roughly cut bun. "Did you want this bagged, sir?" he asked as he wrapped it in butcher paper.

"No, thanks."

The chef nodded and handed the burger over. Grease was already beginning to soak through the paper, heralding the soggy mess of bread and maybe-beef marinating within. In any other situation, he wouldn't even consider eating this, but he was starving.

"Excuse me." He stepped aside slightly, giving Rhela some room to monitor her own order and Ash a little more distance from the churning crowds. He ripped open the paper, hesitated a moment, and then began to devour the burger like a starving man.

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

Rhela made a face as the man didn't bother to clean up before grabbing the meat to make another patty. Her eyes glance to the wolf man who's partially stepped away. "Has it been a while since you've eaten or something?" She had to ask with how he ate the thing. Her tail wagged though as she watched her burger cook. Most bacteria would burn off and whatnot anyway. It should be fine. "Well, at least it smells alright."

She smiles a lil taking a breath in through her nose. Though when the fire flares again from grease getting in it, the bright light caused her eyes to dilate and shrink quite a bit, getting a flinch out of her. She kept her eyes closed a moment before letting out a sigh. It took a moment to recover and for her to open her eyes again. Turns out, having great eyesight really messes with you when a bright flash occurs unexpectedly.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

By the time the cook was wrapping Rhela's burger, Ash had already finished inhaling his. His tail wagged with relief - with the worst of his hunger managed he felt like he could think again.

He wiped his face hands clean on whatever bits of the paper weren't soaked with grease before transferring the mess into his inventory to be tossed later (or more likely, forgotten).

"Yeah, unfortunately..." At least, a while for him. He took a moment to recompose himself before turning back to Rhela. With his burger done, he really had no need to stick around, but...

Th-thmph. For all the people in the market, it wasn't a particularly friendly place. It was manageable, but not great. On the other hand, there was a certain sort of camaraderie to be found in the experience of eating shitty fast food. There wasn't any harm in sticking around a little longer.

(Maybe he'd get another burger. Just in case.)

When Rhela recoiled against the flash, he frowned and leaned forward. "You alright over there?"

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

"Yeah... I'm fine. Just... My eyes are more suited for darkness so ah, bright lights tend to cause some degree of pain or blindness." Rhela smiles a bit as she takes the burger in hand, handing over the coins for it as well. She began unwrapping it and ate it much slower than Ash did. Her metabolism is rather normal.

She looks around a bit... "I'll... prolly find a quiet place to eat. Way too crowded out here." A few twitches of her ears. Too many noises. Her heart was in her throat as it was! AND THIS GUY WAS TALL! WHAT GIVES!?

"Thanks for worrying though." She gave a half-hearted smile as she hid away to the side of the stand for now.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Ah, I see. I have the same problem with sound and smell-" And speaking of both of those things, the cook had resumed his hawking, and a few curious customers were approaching. Ash grimaced, ears folded back, and nodded. "Getting more crowded as we speak. Mind if I join you?"

Twitching ears, twitching tail, that vague scent he associated with anxiety... yeah, this girl was not doing well. He slipped into "tutorial" mode with ease. "If we get off the main road the crowds will drop off a lot. I think I passed a park on the way here. As good a place to eat as any."

He gestured towards a nearby side road. There was a bit of crowd between here and there, but it was visibly less crowded just around the corner. All they had to do was force their way through the crowd. Ash considered himself pretty good at that.

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

There was a sort of stutter in her step for a moment as she debated following. She glanced up, then took a bite of her food. Her head turns to where Ash motioned then to the wolf man himself. "Yeah, sure, a park would be nice. Better than here with this guy-" Rhela jerks her thumb to the man yelling his wares. "-shouting in my ear."

She took another bite of her burger and began to walk in the direction that Ash motioned too- before stopping and waiting for him to pass. She was not big enough to make it through the crowds without quite a bit more force than him. If they knew each other better she might have asked to ride on his shoulders or something for a better vantage and to get through the crowd even faster than just following behind a big dude.

"I'll let you lead the way."

... She should introduce herself when they're in a not so crowded space. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Got it. This way."

Height was an important part of clearing a path, and one of those things he'd never get tired of, but it was presence that was more useful here.

The presence of the dead, specifically. And while there weren't any lingering near him now, the same aura that attracted them worked just as well to drive off the living. All he had to do was release his control a little.

It wasn't directed at Rhela, but she would still be able to feel the slight chill around Ash, or see the way the crowd conveniently parted around the both of them. They reached the side street without much trouble at all.

Ash shook his head, and the unnerving presence faded. Rather than explain anything, he looked down the side-road, which was already much calmer than the main marketplace. A few people in smaller stalls sold more... unusual goods.

"Oh, that's... uh, lets get going."

He was just going to forget about that one. He continued down the path, tail still waving, until they ended up at the "park". It was more of a patio, with a few old benches, but it was a place to sit, and no one else was there.

"Here we go. This should be a good place to rest."

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

Rhela turns her head briefly to look at the go-... Yep, moving on. She does not see it. She kept right on following behind Ash, even speeding up slightly and finding the cold air a bit of a refreshment but also eerie as fuck!

A few more bites of her burger... Quiet like as she lets her eyes wander once more. She was kinda impressed with how the crowd parted like that back there. Not the usual thing you see every day. Then again this is a game- but it felt so real... Ugh, the fuck! Stop confusing yourself, Rhela!

Rhela takes a small breath and sat down. "Thanks... Oh! Uh- right... I'm Rhela." She bows her head. That name might sound familiar.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash took a moment to sit down himself, ears twitching as he kept watch. Finweald was safe enough for now, but all the recent disasters meant more ghosts, and after his little trick there was a chance some were sniffing his way.

"Ash Vargold. Good to meet you-"

Ash paused, stumbling on the last breath of his greeting. Rhela was... a name he knew. Not one he'd thought about for a long time. Not until he'd gotten a message from a particular person about a particular website...

Was it coincidence? God, he hoped it was. But things were starting to line up about the name and appearance. And the timing, this was some terrible timing, he was still recovering from the mess in High March, he really didn't need this right now...

"Are you new to Finweald? You seemed like you were caught off guard by how busy the market gets...

And yet, despite the mess swirling in his head, autopilot marched on.

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

"Oh, yea, I arrived not too long ago- mostly stayed on the outskirts before moving inward to check out how the city actually performed... What with it being so big... I had to check it out after my curiosity got the better of me." She was a rambler when she felt somewhat safe at least. She looks around, munching on her food.

"Mostly here because of some rumors I heard... But I'd rather not get into it." She swallows hard. "Besides, I doubt most people would wanna talk about such a dark topic to someone they only recently met."

Her eyes wander a bit towards Ash. "... You alright...?" Her head tilts to the side- like a dog or a cat that got confused. Or curious. "Oh- and yeah, I wasn't expecting it to be as crowded as it was. Place is impressive..."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine.

Now Ash really did wish he had purchased another burger, if only so he'd have something to do with his hands other than pick at the fabric of his pants. Rhela hadn't reacted to his name, either in a "I knew you in another game" kind of way or a "I read your blog" kind of way, which meant it was probably coincidence.

It was fine. He was fine.

"Plenty of rumors about this place. Most of them true, to be honest." He glanced around briefly. This little park was out of the way from the more damaged parts of the city, but even here there were lingering signs of Szofrit's attack. "Any particular ones you were curious about? I know a bit about recent history."

He'd experienced a lot of recent history, too. Not the latest bit, but there was something about too many players in one location that attracted events.

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

"Well, it's more... Death related. I read a blog a while back thanks to a friend of mine." She leans back to stare up through the alley they found themselves in. "And found a list of names in it, along with obituaries. It was connected in some way to this game and the blog." Rhela glances his way.

She seems to be thinking... "Do people actually die when enough deaths are reached in this place? And- why do people PLAY if that's the cased?!" She just had to know that bit. She could make due with her writing or trying her best to survive but she didn't want to die at all. It'd be bad to leave people behind. Sure, she's a stubborn lass, but a game that can just kill you? Why would people even play it- the thrill? The sensations that are here? Something else?... She knew Chako was just here to be able to experience walking and whatnot. But why was SHE here?

"I mean, it doesn't make sense to play this game if death is a thing that just happens- and it doesn't help that so many people here, whether they're NPCs or players it's hard to tell who is who unless you look at their clothing- or in some cases see how willing the players are to do dangerous shit for no godsdamned reason. It's like a few people have a damned death wish... Just last week I saw someone jump off a cliff with their spear just to attack something that was below. Just to 'look cool'."

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

...well, there went any chance of things being a coincidence.

"Ah. That rumor." Ash crossed his arms with a frown as Rhela bombarded him with questions. They were all things he'd wondered before, and things he'd asked before. He'd gotten plenty of answers then, and he had just as many for her now.

"That one... isn't a rumor. Terrasphere can and will kill you. As for why people play..."

"You could ask a hundred people and get a hundred different answers. But in the end, it's because they think Terrasphere can give them something a reality can't."

He leaned forward, resting his head on his chin while his tail thrashed his agitation. "Terrasphere imitates reality, but gives you just enough to feel powerful. Thus people jumping off cliffs with a spear... or using a spear at all." He made a face at that one - he could imagine exactly the kind of person who'd do that.

Hell, he'd been the kind of person who'd do that, once.

"I don't think they're thinking about death at all. Or they think it's worth the risk."

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

"I-... huh..." Rhela blinks a couple times as she watched him. Her head tilts to the side. "What'd you say your name was again, Ash? Your last name?" She remembered reading some of this before. Her tail twitched a couple times. Her eyes glanced at his tail, how it thrashed. He was agitated.

"You sure you're alright?"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Yes, I'm fine." Ash's gaze followed Rhela's towards his own tail. He took a breath, leaning on the pattern of his heart to recenter himself. "It's just... frustrating. That Terrasphere can provide that, and nothing else can compete."

He sat up straight again, body language calm once more. It was almost uncanny, the way it switched off. "And even after the last event killed so many players, they still keep playing." Ash shook his head with a sigh. "Players have no sense of self-preservation. Trinity herself could tell them the truth and they'd still risk it."

guiltySurgeon: I don't think players know what "hardcore" means
guiltySurgeon: no sense of self-preservation, I swear
guiltySurgeon: a gm could warn them and they'll stil afk in the pvp zone

For Rhela, the sentiment might have seemed familiar.

Ash looked towards Rhela, apparently skipping past the question of his name - not because he hadn't heard it, but because he didn't want to deal with it. "I mean, you clearly know, and yet here you are."

@Rhela Elahka

 

[Rhela Elahka]

"... I have suspicion that one of my friend's plays. I talked to them after finding the log. Nothing they explicitly stated made me suspect it. But it's their sort of style, and I hadn't found anything else like it... But the suspicion nagged at me enough till I was sent an email one day with the game's QR..."

"... In a sense, if they do play, I want to hope they're safe. If they don't, then I don't gotta worry about it. But now I got other people who play this game that I don't think should be and I want to make sure they are safe and... fuck..."

Rhela hangs her head as she realizes she made a mistake of even logging into this game ONCE, just to look around briefly. That was a mistake. Because it meant she now knew more people who would get killed if they died. And that meant more people to worry about and-

"... I may be an idiot for even starting up the game." She kinda turns on her UI, looks over to Ash and... slow blink. Staaaaaaaaare... She was just gonna send a friend request but she's staring at his name now. Same spelling.

@Ash Vargold