Complete Eastern Brisshal Living Requiem

[Sydney Ford]

Spoiler: Solo Part

Her eyes, her hair, her hands…

Adelaide began to sculpt the form of her sister… not precisely how she last remembered her: sickly and pale, but rather the idealized form of her. Healthy, clean, and beautiful, the avatar stared back and smiled.

Adelaide was losing her composure. She thought she’d be able to do this. She thought it would bring closure: she still did! And yet, staring at Sydney’s near-perfect likeness like this… it was so much harder than she’d expected, and she’d expected a lot.

She tried embracing this avatar, but her body fell right through, and she hugged only air. There was only one way they could truly "embrace," and that was to start for real…

Deep in the forest of Brisshal, a bright light cut across the sky, marking the arrival of yet another newcomer to the world of Terrasphere. Its light continued to fall, until it landed upon a young lady with long silver hair.

Newcomers wore many expressions upon their first sight of Terrasphere. In most cases, their eyes would fill with wonder and excitement, amazed at the realism the experience offered. Instead, the young maiden’s eyes filled only with tears.

Cheer up, Syddie! You’re about to live the story you always wished for. Don’t think of this as a goodbye. Think of this as a send-off celebration…

Suddenly, Sydney wrapped her arms back around herself and gave herself a tight hug. A tad bizarre, maybe, but it surprised her to find it warm and comforting. Raising the back of her hand to wipe away the tears, Sydney took a deep breath to collect her emotions, then began to take in the surroundings.

 

[Omega Redux]

Omega was walking casually through the forest of Brisshal, getting revenge on a bear or ten and just, generally quite chipper. "Once upon a time was an Omega walking fine 𝅘𝅥𝅮~. She was looking for bears 𝅘𝅥𝅮 or maybe some strange deers~~. She gonna beat em up! And do a level up! So o- ... eh?"

Though what Omega found wasn't bears or deers or other strange forest creatures at all. Instead, a white-haired girl! Omega had been properly educated to know that white-haired people were all mysterious! And the fact that @Sydney Ford was hugging herself tightly was only confirming her education!

"Wow..." She murmured to herself. It seemed quite... emotional and tight. Maybe she was just feeling out how real TS was? Or maybe she was a sad, lonely, person who had nobody else in the real world and had just been too embarrassed to hug herself so far!

But, Omega was a generous Final Boss, she didn't judge... much. Instead, as the stranger finally finished the self-cuddle sessions, their eyes locked upon each other. "Hi!" Omega waved at her, all chipper. "Do you need another hug?" Usually, Omega did not give those out for free. No touch policy and all, but this one really seemed like she needed it! Or maybe had needed it...? English sure wasn't an easy language!

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

As much as alternatives were great, nothing could be compared to recharging using the Power Stones of Brisshal. Maybe it was personal taste, but it just felt so warm and cozy to steal every inch of mana that thing could give her, even if it came at the price of her needing to be wary of the dangers of the forest. Granted, nowadays it was easy to simply brush them off.

Her path, however, was soon interrupted by an interesting sight of a girl being all lovey-dovey with herself, or at least looked like she was being all lovey-dovey to herself, something that was quickly corrected when Ronja's eyes clicked to zoom in, spotting the tears the stranger was wiping away, being a sign that things weren't that simple.

Another person appeared, suddenly offering another hug, and Ronja couldn't help but blink confused, with her eyes clicking as they zoomed out.

Ronja stepped in, waving a hand herself. "Hello, this is a hug party?" She asked, tilting her head before offering a smile. "Ronja is pretty good at hugs herself, so she may join if you two don't mind."

 

[Sydney Ford]

Someone more familiar with online games might’ve expected the "spawn area" to be less-than-private. Sydney had played such a game… once… like several years ago. Certainly not enough to understand the immediate shift from her private room to the public world would be so abrupt.

And so, her embarrassing act had been seen by not one, but two separate people (assuming more weren’t hiding in the bushes somewhere). Sydney felt a rush of blood to her cheeks apply a pink blush as she awkwardly answered the two, "What…!? N-no, I’m just—"

She froze. Her voice was Sydney’s voice. Of course it was, but hearing it ring out from her mouth like that simply acted as a reminder that she’d come her to tell Sydney’s story.

… And Sydney was such a hugger

Taking a moment to close her eyes, Adelaide let her own sense of self melt away. She knew her sister like the back of her own hand, and the realism of possessing her body made assuming the role even easier. When her eyes opened again, it appeared as if a sweeter, kinder presence had taken over.

"Aww, thanks. You both are really sweet~" Sydney smiled brightly, using one arm on each of them to pull the three into a hug.

Did I mess up your height, or are these girls just that short…?

Not wanting to overdo it, Sydney let go after a few seconds, explaining herself. "Addy just makes me tear up sometimes."

Don’t mention me, ya dork! You’ll sound crazy!

She giggled. "My name’s Sydney; I guess I’m new here? You both look like you have fun names," Sydney mentioned as a not-too-subtle way of asking for them. Not that she had to for, presumably, Ronja, but it was still polite to make the offer.


@Omega Redux
@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Omega Redux]

Of course, there were more people! Considering it was, in fact, a newbie zone. A thought that came into Omega's mind just now. Unlike the mysterious white-hair, however, this one seemed way less in need of a hug. Yet, somehow, here she was. Doing a three-way hug with lots of warmth and affection!

"Daaawwwhhhh..." Omega made quite the strange noises, hopefully doing it right, as they finally parted again. Likely a once-in-a-lifetime Omega special. Then, the mysterious white hair spoke of two names. Something about an Addy tearing her up and then calling herself Sydney!

Oh, oh no! Was this... was this the domestic violence thing she had read about!? Was Addy the abuser, and her appearance a cry for help?! What were the signs again?... Quite a moral dilemma, actually. But then again, Omega was only 13 years old and not someone's garbage can that could be vented at.

"BESIDES..." Omega suddenly spoke up, somewhat loudly, as her inner monologue turned into an actual conversation to give these two strangers something to act on!

"Omega's name is Omega Redux. But you can call Omega Omega." She gave the two a nod. "And Omega is..." She glanced over the two again. Newbie area. Yes. "Omega is Terraspheres future Final Boss! But do not worry. Omega is currently on a break, among many other reasons that Omega is getting along with local heroes, such as you two!" Until she actually achieved Final Boss status, anyway.

"And you two are newbies?" Of course, they had to be!


@Sydney Ford
@Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

That stranger's embarrassment was clear like day to Ronja, which instantly gave her the answer that, no, that wasn't a hug party. Which meant that either that lady had a few screws loose, or that she really needed a hug- The reasoning behind it wasn't of Ronja's business, and the Magia wasn't going to judge her for it.

When she was pulled to the hug, however, any thought Ronja had of the other girl being weird faded immediately. Hugging was too good, and Ronja happily returned it, helping to squeeze the other two together. "Hehe-!" Ronja smiled giddily.

"That was probably the warmest hug Ronja had in a while." She fidgeted a bit, looking at Omega and perking up. Another Magia that was forced to speak in third person? Thank goodness it wasn't just her, she suddenly felt validated.

"So you are a final boss? That's something... Does it mean we will find you in that big space ship that fell in a city?" Ronja tilted her head, then finally turning to introduce herself.

"Oh yes, Ronja is Ronja. Ronja Bubblyfoot." She rested a hand on her chest. "She is a bit of a newbie, she supposes. It has only been a month since she joined, so there is still a lot to learn." Ronja said.

@Sydney Ford @Omega Redux

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra

Why had she returned to the forests? Kyra wasn't entirely sure. Normally, she went where she was needed - be it at the beck and call of the medical staff in the encampment, or some other group who required her healing talents. It wasn't often that she found herself going somewhere because she wanted to. It felt oddly refreshing, in a way.

"Like getting away from it all...in a way. Maybe this isn't the worst thing, ever. Let's me fresh and get away from all the demand...good for the mind and all that."

Whatever the reasoning, she'd found her way back to the forests. It was here, that she ran into her first of many issues. For starters, she wasn't entirely sure where she was. Nor was she entirely sure how she'd gotten here. Lastly, those voices up ahead were unknown - meaning that she wasn't sure if they would be friendly, or concerning.

"Only one way to find out on that last one...and maybe they can point me in the right direction, or something. I really need to take the time to invest in map-reading, or something. Getting lost like this is tiresome. Not very inspiring, either."

She wandered forward towards the sounds of the voices, her ears twitching and the fox-tail behind her seeming to sway back and forth with a manner of excitement. She wasn't sure quite to expect, but there was a sense of dangerous excitement at the thought of finding new friends.

What she did find, however, was not what she had expected. A trio of individuals, apparently stuck in some sort of weird group hug; one of which appeared close to tears.

"Uhm...I hope I'm not intruding here...I just...I came from Honeyhome, and well...I'm here now. And...why are you hugging in the middle of the forest? Not that I'm judging you for it, it just seems rather...well, out of the norm, really. Not to say it's a bad thing by any means - it's just not something you walk across every day. I guess the world would be a better place if we just randomly hugged each other once in a while, though..."

She paused in her blathering, staring at the trio as she tried to figure out exactly what she'd just walked in on. Odd as it may seem, it was still not the oddest thing she'd ever seen in Terrasphere.

@Sydney Ford, @Omega Redux, @Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Sydney Ford]

Sydney very quickly gathered that these two were… adorable beyond belief! Was Terrasphere a game for cute little people? If the final boss looked like that, clearly this was way more of a kids game than she was expecting! There was some relief in knowing that even the bad guys would come up and give you a hug if you needed it.

Surely though, there was at least one person in this game with a taller, less-cutesy avatar…

"Uhm...I hope I'm not intruding here..."

…

Yep, this was definitely a kid’s game. And she loved it.

"Awwww, I agree 100%! Come here~" Sydney strode forward, taking the newcomer by the hand and gleefully one-upping the last group hug.

You’re impossible, Syddie… I’m going to die of embarrassment in less than a day!

"Well, thank you very much, Omega~! Yes, I’m new. Very much so. I’m glad you’re taking it easy on me today!" She smiled, eyes closed for a moment. "Though if your attacks are anywhere near as powerful as your hugs, no one would ever stand a chance."

Always the silver tongue…

"There’s more to learn even after a month? I heard Terrasphere was complicated, but that really is something. Anyway, nice to meet you too, Ronja!"

And finally, Sydney turned to the newcomer she’d just hugnapped. "Did that answer your question?"

No, it really didn’t…

"I’m Sydney. I guess you could say these two are helping cheer me up after a very challenging week… although now I have three!" She winked. "Speaking of which, I’m alright now, so you don’t need to stick around if you’ve got other things to do."


@Omega Redux
@Ronja Bubblyfoot
@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Omega Redux]

"No, you will find Omega in the big space station up in space!" Omega corrected @Ronja Bubblyfoot as she inquired about her final boss location. Pointing up into the sky. "Soon, anyway!" She just needed to get a little bit stronger first! "It'll be a dungeon of the most epic proportions! Though entry is very limited! First, you have to win the Omega Space Cup with the final course being a mandatory Rainbow Road!" Everybody knew Rainbows existed in space. "And then... Omega will see when Omega gets to it. Although, Omega is also hiring." She paused for a moment, today wasn't about Omega though, but Sydney! And as much as the fledging Final Boss loved the limelight, she could take a step back. "But enough of that, instead- eh...?"

It was then that @Sydney Ford made a compliment. Omega tilted her head, blushing a bit. "Omega has you know that Omega gives only hugs to people in omega need! And you looked like you needed one! And one thing led to the next, and Omega isn't even all that touchy! So, thank you but... eeeehhh?" Before being dragged into a second course for another hug, this time four-fold! Was this just... normal? Up to now, Omega had mostly dealt with people in a 1-to-1 fashion and not many other newbies! In fact, no newbies! That white-haired Magia was all over hugging Omega too, so maybe this was just common Terrasphere courtesy. That could be... dangerous.

"Alright, Omega's touch limit has been reached for the year. From here on out it'll be all notouch." She murmured, as she gave the newcomer @Kyra Vashtana a nod. "Omega is Omega. Final Boss... on vacation." A bit less enthusiastic than her greetings before.

"Omega has nothing planned either way! Although she never interacted with so many people at once before either! So it's all a newbie experience for Omega, too!" She had clearly imagined this to be easier. Being the bubbly person she was and all, but somehow the execution seemed harder with so many people to keep the focus on AND give them enough fuel to keep up! Was this the kind of struggle Hans went through every week for their Wormhole and Mecha sessions?! Respect.

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja perked up seeing the newcomer, that looked incredibly familiar for some reason but she couldn't exactly pinpoint why. When she was snatched into the group hug, Ronja eagerly went for it again, giving the squeeziest of the squeezes her Magia strength could borrow (but not to a point it would be painful).

"Ronja thinks hugging doesn't need a reason." She said, responding in a more vague way to the cat girl, then shifting to look at Sydney with a grin.

"Yes! There is a lot to learn about this world. It is a big game with a lot of things to do, and not everything is as intuitive as it is in other games... The lack of tutorial is the main deal." Ronja rubbed her chin, pondering a little about it.

"Ronja didn't have anything planned either, so she can spend time with you." She nodded at Sydney along with Omega, tilting her head to look at the younger Magia. "In fact, you really don't? Ronja thought you had to take care of your space ship-- Can you show it for us someday? Ronja may even help you out! Don't final bosses need help?"

@Sydney Ford @Omega Redux @Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra

Kyra had enough time to mumble a response of surprise before being dragged into the group hug. She struggled for a brief moment, before giving in to the hold, waiting for it to end before quickly separating herself from the enfold of bodies.

"Err...that was uh...surprising. Not necessarily unwelcomed, but definitely...surprising..."

Her eyes looked upwards as one of the individuals began speaking about a space station, of all things. Kyra found herself entirely confused, wondering if they could truly make their way beyond the reach of the ground, before shaking her head.

She was just considering asking about the ability to travel beyond the skies, when another spoke first. Content just to sit back and listen, Kyra waited for her opportunity, providing her sentiment of agreement in tandem with Ronja.

"Oh yeah! I definitely want to see this space station one of these days! That definitely sounds cool, I didn't even know we could...you know...fly and stuff."

She felt herself flush slightly, before adding on to her commentary.

"Yeah...a tutorial would've been nice...but I don't think you can exactly prepare a tutorial for all of this, can you? I mean the game is so expansive, so realistic...it would be hard to create an introduction of hey-yeah-this-is-the-game-welcome, you'd have like hours of content to go through just for that...maybe that's why they didn't bother with it? It would just be too much to try and include in a single piece? I mean, that's what I think, at least..."

She shuffled on her feet, before remembering the all important question that seemed to be passing over everyone's mind - her own included.

"Hey, if you're new here, you haven't made it to any of the settlements, right? Like Honeyhome? Maybe we should guide you there. The forest isn't always the most welcoming place, and company is always fun, right?"

@Ronja Bubblyfoot, @Sydney Ford, @Omega Redux

 

[Sydney Ford]

(OOC note: Sorry this took me so long.)

Sydney nodded, intensely trying to follow all of Omega's plans. She smiled, offering her Oo's and Ah's, but fairly quickly, she had some different thoughts on the inside...

Syddie... I'm pretty sure this is just another player with an active imagination.

But then again, everyone was taking it all so seriously, so maybe there was something real behind the whole "space station" claim. Wasn't Terrasphere a fantasy game? Then again, most fantasy nowadays threw tech in here and there, so who knew.

"Ronja, what I've found is: the only reason you need for a hug is that you want one~! That's my policy anyway," Sydney grinned widely.

Turning to the newest member of the group (which wasn't saying much, considering they'd all piled in within the span of a minute or two), she nodded over her way, offering a smug look. "I don't knoooow, 'the forest goers' already gave me two hugs today, so I'd say it's pretty welcoming~" With a wink, Sydney offered a silly giggle before continuing more seriously. "Ehehe~ Really, though, I'd love an escort if you're offering! I have a large list of things I'd like to do before..."

She trailed off, eyes down to the earth, and for a moment, it almost looked like she was going to choke up again, but she fought through and swallowed the knot in her throat, forcing another grin. "...before I can consider my adventure complete."


@Omega Redux @Ronja Bubblyfoot @Kyra Vashtana

 

[Omega Redux]

Oh my, they were taking Omega's spaceship quite seriously!

"Omega takes all the help she can get! From today on, you're promoted to a Midboss!" She gave @Ronja Bubblyfoot a thumbs up AND a friend request. It appeared that this girl would be easy to work with AND was Magia. "We can go over the specifics sometime later, for now..."

@Kyra Vashtana was talking about how complex this game was and no tutorial and all that! Jeez. Sure, there wasn't any kind of guidance BUT the game was pretty intuitive. If one was a gamer in real life, then things came pretty intuitively. Just what was she doing with her free time if not gaming?!

Eh.

"Well, well, well. It seems like today is Omega's big day to teach all of you a thing or two about Terrasphere and its wonders so that one day you can become proper heroes to challenge Omega in an epic final battle!... Except for Ronja, whose now a Dark General-name pending." Smiling all smugish, Omega gave Sydney a nod. Before asking curiously.

"A large list of things you want to do? Those any of them involve bears?" Some grizzly business, maybe.

She then also pointed at @Kyra Vashtana "And speaking of teaching a thing or two about Terrasphere, don't you know you should introduce yourself!?" Jeez. Neither a gamer AND no manners. Just what kind of person was Kyra to have a 12-year-old judge her so badly!?

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

"Ronja can agree with this policy." She giggled softly at @Sydney Ford's words. What the hell, how that girl was so lovely? Ronja was starting to want to squeeze her forever, but that would make things fairly boring eventually.

@Kyra Vashtana's suggestion then made Ronja nod in agreement.

"She will surely love to help to escort you. Especially since we are in a big group right now." Really, it was fairly impressive that four people conveniently met in the middle of the forest.

Ronja widened her eyes at @Omega Redux's announcement. "Wh-" She blinked. "What?! Did Ronja become a mid-boss? But her stats are too low right now to be a mid-boss!" The girl protested for a moment, pursing her lips and tilting her head before pondering heavily about it, letting out a huff. "Well. That means Ronja will need to become stronger and stronger every day." She pursed her lips.

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra

Something about the way the newcomer had stated her response, had Kyra's spine tingling. It was a familiar sensation, one that she'd had lots outside of the game - and one that she had never liked the feel of. Putting on a smile, she tried to look encouraging as she shook her head, speaking loud enough that all three would be able to hear.

"I think that's one of the best things about Terrasphere, your adventure will never be done here. It's like...just when you think you've found everything and your ready to call it done...something new comes along."

Her eyes flitted to @Omega Redux as the girl seemed to admonish her for not introducing herself. It reminded Kyra of the way you'd speak to a child, or at least how she'd seen others speak to a child. She doubted that she looked like a child, but weirder things had happened...

"My apologies. My name's Kyra, Kyra Vashtana. Beastfolk healer who focuses on one day aspiring to be a grim reaper."

She gave a slight wave towards the scythe on her hip, still smiling as she turned to the final girl - nodding in agreement as they mentioned escorting the newcomer to the nearby hamlet.

"The hamlet's not far from here...I think...I'm pretty sure it's that way, but it would definitely be safer to move in groups, rather than alone."

She gave a wave in the direction she'd been heading, glancing at the other three to see if they had any input.

@Sydney Ford, @Omega Redux, @Ronja Bubblyfoot

 

[Sydney Ford]

Sydney merely smiled as the three accepted her request to travel together, each in their own… very unique ways!

First, to @Omega Redux she shook her head in such a non-committed way that it somehow felt like she was answering yes with a no gesture. "Not exactly, but I could certainly interpret some of them that way if we need to~ Why do you ask? Are there many bears in this forest? I don’t feel too worried surrounded by such capable looking friends!"

You just met them, Syddie! You’re not friends yet!

@Ronja Bubblyfoot didn’t show quite as much confidence in herself as Sydney did. Even so, she continued to insist, "You’re probably further along than you think. Certainly more than me. Keep going though, I’m sure you’ll make your new boss proud!"

And she finally received a more proper introduction from @Kyra Vashtana. "A what…!?" Sydney’s eyes widened in shock. Well… this was an illegal game, so… final boss, grim reaper… she probably expected these sorts of fantasies. But just… not in such cute packages.

Adelaide so desperately wanted to break character for a moment to make a snarky comment to the tune of "Sunshine Reaper" or something similar. But, for Sydney’s sake, she suppressed the urge. There was no way Sydney would poke fun of someone’s dreams; that wasn’t who she was.

"Well, I’ll try to be careful and not to make your job any harder, miss reaper," Sydney’s grinned. "You seem to know where you’re going, so lead the way~!"