Complete Isulus Midnight Snack

[Toko]

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She had been awakened by a sudden rumbling, causing the rabbitfolk to jolt up in alarm as she looked about the wagon. Long ears were fully erect and swiveling, trying to catch even the smallest of sounds, as Toko's eyes gleamed in the darkness—able to see more than any normal human, and even some other beastfolks, could despite the poor lighting situation of nighttime hours. Suddenly she heard it again, the Lepus tensing her muscles as she had been preparing for a possible fight, before Toko realized the sound was coming from within her instead of the outdoor world they were currently camping in.

"Oh... guess I'm hungry, huh?"

There was an awkward chuckle as the beastfolk came to the realization, glancing around to confirm she hadn't woken up any of her sleeping companions, before Toko began to carefully slip out of the wagon. The faint scent of food still lingered in the air, and she allowed her nose to be the guide... eventually stumbling into the resting camp with the firepit and whatever leftover stew was still being warmed for the night shift guards and any other hungry traveler meandering about.

"Ma ikka... this will do, I guess."

Carefully Toko ladeled a hefty serving into a wooden bowl, the Lepus then sitting down on a half buried log not too far from the campfire. She blew a few times into the contents on her spoon, hoping to avoid scalding the inside of her mouth with the meal, before quietly munching away as the usual sounds of the night echoed around the place.

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

Certianly no one around had been stirred by Toko as she got up and around for a midnight snack, except one young member of the caravan who had disappeared earlier in the night. She must have, for those rabbit-y ears wouldn't have missed the hallmark stumbling about of someone who obviously couldn't see well in the dark. Her bright, blonde hair usually had subtle swerves and curls to each lock, but in this humid forest of fungus it was all hanging down straight from the dampness of the air. The humidity always made Azykia sweat in the real world, and much to her chagrin it was no different here as her soaked hair also fought against her efforts to brush it off of her face.

With her pale skin flushed from the heat trap of humidity combined with all the moisture covering this obviously uncomfortable girl and her usually airy attire, one could easily mistake her for being feverish. Not that she was (or wasn't, given the events to come). She stopped just in sight of the campsite and brushed back her hair in frustration as she leaned against a tree nearby. At least she hoped it was a tree. She had the reckless abandon of someone who was never told that some of the plants here could eat whole animals. Actually, she probably hadn't been. Truly it was fate she ever got this far.

Despite this show of displeasure, she did her best to keep quiet and not wake anybody up. A bit more personally, she didn't want to rely on somebody else to come get her. She had to get used to her new eyes before she got more than just herself killed.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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She had been about to indulge on another bite from the stew when the rustling of undergrowth and earth caught Toko's attention, long ears swiveling to better gauge where the sound was originating from. "Nani sore...?" The bowl was placed to the side, her palm opening and closing in the known motion to pull up her UI before enabling Investigation Mode in the settings.

It didn't sound like whatever was making the noises was trying to be subtle about them... if anything the Lepus would compare it to a newborn fawn stumbling about as it found its legs for the first time. Eventually a shape appeared from the darkness, the UI quickly highlighting the traveler softly before a brief summary appeared. While there was no name at least it showed she was a member of this large party of travelers and Landers that had joined the expedition... and the poor darling looked absolutely miserable.

"Anooo... daijoobu?"

There was a concerned look on Toko's face as she took the appearance of the rather young looking girl, was she sick by any chance? Perhaps something in the stew hadn't agreed with the blonde's stomach...

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

What she thought she heard for a moment was the sounds of some sort of alien language (or worse, goblins), and so her first instinct was to hold perfectly still to listen to the area around her. Then it hit her at about the same time she realized that she could hear the light crackling of the campfire against the moisture in the air. That was a real language, which meant...


Azykia spoke just louder than a whisper in a raspy request. "Is somebody there?" She had done it. She had wandered off and successfully made it back to camp. She stood back up only to put her hand against the tree from before and lean against it yet again. It felt sticky, like whatever she just put her hand on wasn't going to come off without soap. Fantastic. She sighed, realizing that whatever was on her hand was also probably all down the back of her clothes, and they were enough of a hassle to change on her own.

"Is this the camp for the expedition?"

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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The poor dear looked so spooked, like a deer caught i headlights, that Toko instantly felt protective over the young girl. She certainly looked to be having quite the shitty night if her appearance was anything to judge by.

"Hai, I'm right over... here?"

It was then Toko's eyes picked up on a particularity, for some reason the mysterious girl didn't seem to quite be looking at her—even though the rabbitfolk was in plain view thanks tot he light of the campfire—until Toko spoke a few more words.

Was she nearsighted perhaps... and, more importantly, did the game not have a fix for that?

With all the magic within The World, and its realistic feeling, that particular type of thought hadn't been one that had ever crossed Toko's mind... although some sported eyeglasses—like the Guild Master Cessia—so perhaps this girl was another person of the land?

"Yup, that's us alright... are you feeling alright?"

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

Each time Toko spoke, her eyes looked more and more directly at the rabbitfolk, but her pupil-less eyes never quite met their mark, still looking just to her side. She started to walk forward slowly. The way she trudged along, she must have been walking a while. In truth, the Nautilus Policy she adopted in trying to find her way back was a double-edged sword. Walking in a spiral ensured that she would come across her destination eventually, but it made the trip exponentially longer, and unlike out in the real world, she wasn't quite used to walking all about downtown.

Her chirp-like voice replied. "I'm... fine." She sighed, not quite ready to blatantly reveal how useless she was going to be for the rest of the expedition. Yet in action, she knew she had no choice. "I just got a little lost. Nothing to worry about here."

As she entered the clearing, a bright blue cane of magic was produced from her hand from thin air, and she began to wave it left and right gently just above the ground so she could avoid banging her shins on anything as careful step after careful step would lead her closer to Toko. Eventually. It was almost a little painful to watch.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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There was something... off about the eyes of the girl, though even with Toko's good vision she couldn't make out what it as from this distance in the darkness. As the blonde began to carefully shuffle over Toko had begun to stand, about to go over and meet her half way before stopping as the girl chirped up.

"Ah, yeah... this place can be a bit confusing. If possible I'd recommend having a buddy with you if you're going to adventure out of camp..." She could respect the fact that the human wanted to get back to camp on her own effort, especially after having been out there for who knew how long. "... we might've beaten the Myconids but who knows what else is lurking out there, mmm?"

It wasn't until Azykia finally reached the light of the camp that Toko got a much better look at her eyes... noticing the missing feature for the first time. The suspicion was quickly confirmed when the girl created what looked to be a blue walking cane from magical energy, carefully sweeping it on the area in front of her before continuing to take slow but steady steps towards the area that Toko had been resting by.

"... say, are you hungry? I was just about to get a second helping myself, come sit down and I'll get one for you too, okay?"

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

Azykia paused her steps and sniffed at the air. She couldn't quite identify what the meal was, but it didn't smell bad at all. Especially compared to a few other meals she'd had during her stay in the fantasy world. "Um... Maybe just a little, if that's okay." She did her best to maintain a polite demeanor, as it coupled well with her attempts to remain distinguished as well. The last thing she wanted was to seem needy or pathetic, even if she really felt like she was sometimes. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Could you tap a place to sit for me? I'd like to find it for myself." She then peeled her ears, ready to differentiate between the natural and the artificial.

"Though, I'll need a little assistance getting my food, if you don't mind."

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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"Don't worry, if you can't finish it all then I'll sacrifice myself in you stead~"

After all the Lepus wasn't one to waste food... but also this kid looked like she needed a very good meal after whatever struggles the blonde had gone through to get back to camp. Part of Toko was honestly surprised she'd made it back on her own too, though it was certainly better and preferred outcome than the girl being fated to be a monster's midnight snack instead.

"Yeah, you can come sit right here." A few taps were given to the fallen log, before the Lepus took a moment to infuse some magic into the bark. It caused a soft cover of moss to grow along it, a little bit of natural cushioning to make the sitting experience better for the both of them, before Toko walked over to the simmering cauldron of stew.

By the time she returned two heaping wooden bowls accompanied the rabbitfolk, a spoon sunk into each, before she carefully passed the slightly smaller one over to the girl.

"Careful, it's still a bit hot... but it cools down quickly enough to be enjoyable."

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

Her head turned in the vague direction of the log as it was tapped, but as the moss was magically grown over it her eyes fell directly upon it, and she had very little problem taking careful steps straight over to it before sitting upon it carefully. "Many thanks." She had endeavored so much to adapt to this whole being blind thing that she didn't really have much time to think about how to play her character. Even if it wasn't necessarily what her idea of ideal was, she had agreed to make the best of whatever unfairness this world threw at her. That was why she committed to randomization in the first place.

So in the few seconds after her given thanks, just as she took her food, she stopped to wonder about her behavior. Was she perhaps being too adult? Obviously she didn't see herself the way everybody else did, but that was also mildly problematic. If she couldn't disassociate her real self from her fictional self, then what was the point of coming to Terrasphere in the first place. In the real world, she had manners and dignity, but in this world it felt more like she carried those traits over without a choice. No one would be there to back up a blind girl who was unbearable to be around.

She blew on her food gently for a while as she cupped the bowl in both hands a couple times, though she knew it would take a while to cool off regardless. It was time to strike up conversation. For the first time in a while, she had the chance to figure out more about her new life, even if she was the one directing it.

"I heard you speaking earlier, but... What were you saying?" She pretended to not have even a remote idea, wondering what a line of questioning could cause for her.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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"Earlier...? Ah, gomen, I spoke to you in Japanese didn't I?"

It was a natural habit after all, ingrained into her as much as it was the need to breath, and while Toko thought she had been doing a good job of keeping mostly to English while in the game—in part thankfully due to the integrated translator the settings provided—a few times she had noticed that others had realized she was mixing languages. Probably either the translator doing a botchy job of figuring things out sometimes, though there was also the possibility some disabled the actual setting.

"I asked if you were fine, I didn't expect a young one to suddenly appear from the outskirts of camp... and, no offense, it looks like you had a bit of a rough time out there."

Hopefully wherever this girl had wandered off to hadn't been too far into the wilderness, and perhaps it was that alone that was a saving grace for the blonde that managed to make it back on her lonesome.

"I'm Toko, it's nice to meet you."

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

"Japanese? You mean like... Omae wa mou shindeiru, right?" The girl laughed softly, and the longer than average time between each individual giggle highlighted her exhausted. Maybe she really was sick. She felt sick, she thought. More importantly, she returned the woman's polite introduction. She might be able to ask about how to use her magic to make herself feel less ill if she still felt like garbage before the end of her meal, so it wasn't a huge concern.

"I'm... Azykia." She gave her name the intonation she had decided on after days of constantly fidgeting with it. "I know it's not a very good name, but it's nice to meet you, Toko." She tried to put a little bit of positive energy into her speech, like someone closer to her new age would. She wasn't certain it was working, but she did try.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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"Pffft... yup, you got it~" Hearing the iconic phrase tumble out of the girl's lips Toko couldn't help but chuckle softly along with the blonde, before listening as she introduced herself. "Azykia, haah... kawaii dess!" Toko grinned widely, before reminding herself there was a chance the younger looking girl might not understand what she meant. "It's very cute, and it suits you perfectly, Azykia-chan~"

By now the wooden bowl felt somewhat cooler to the touch, the rabbitfolk taking the chance to lift a spoonful and—after blowing a few times on it for extra measure, scalded tongues and palates were never fun to have after all—bite down on the contents. Perfect~ It wasn't too hot anymore, but still warm enough to combat the night cold that lingered around the campsite, along with the annoying humidity.

"Nee, Azykia-chan, have you been playing the game for a while now...?"

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

"I-... Thanks..." Azykia muttered and began to blush, not that she could tell even with her tuned up sense of feeling with how warm she had been for the last couple hours or so. With these honed senses, she still felt as though her food was just a little too hot to devote herself to yet, so instead of rushing things along, she remained vigilant in conversing.

"Actually, I'm incredibly new. I don't really understand how to use my masteries too well, and I can't really see the menus, so I don't have the capability to go over them." She looked down at the mossy log just between herself and Toko. "I can only see magic, though weaker magic is difficult to see, and powerful magic is quite painful to look at." She gave a somewhat bitter chuckle as she looked up in Toko's general direction. "By the way, I'm sure it goes without saying by now, but I'm blind in this world."

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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Ah, so she was new... there was a pit that formed in the middle of her stomach at that knowledge, the Lepus finding it hard to swallow a particular spoonful as she tried to gently shove the thought away for the time being. She wasn't sure how appropriate it would be to see if Azykia was aware that dying too many times in game was linked with possible in real life death... and looking at the girl she probably didn't need that added to her probably very overwhelmed plate of things to figure out right now.

"It's a very realistic world... isn't it?"

She had never considered incapacities in the game, and a part of her wondered if Azykia's blindness had been a menu option that Toko hadn't particularly noticed... or if the girl was also blind in the real world Starcalled Travelers came from. "Seeing through magic, huh... that sounds kinda cool." It was definitely a different way of experiencing the world, and a part of her thought Azykia was quite ingenious for having figured out such a system.

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

"Sometimes a little too realistic, although... that's exactly as realistic as I wanted it to be." She spoke softly in admittance. Her bitter smile had exchanged itself for a look of deep consideration, her serious expression focused forward and down in a very natural angle most would pertain to when thinking.

"It can be stunningly beautiful, with the right circumstances, but for the most part it's pretty lights and distractions at most." She finally gave her food a sip, banging the spoon on her teeth on her first attempt to do so. She stubbornly committed to touching her lips to the side of the bowl still, just not with silverware in the way.
Hey, it was pretty good. Her sense of taste was more acute than it was in the other world, so good and bad was less of an instant judgment and more the resulting opinion of the twenty seconds or so she let the food stay in her mouth to pay tribute to her taste buds. It was only after this long silence that she decided to mark down a thank you for later, be it to Toko or whoever else might be responsible for the warm food. She lowered the bowl to her lap, feeling a bit low on energy.

"I won't lie. It's also pretty terrifying." She continued to comment. "I wish I could say it helped to think of this world as virtual, but it's a lot more helpful to remind myself that... I asked for this." She took another sip from the side of the bowl. Perhaps Azykia had already decided the spoon would be an inconvenience to her.

 

[Toko]

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Toko nodded in agreement with that statement, things could sure get too realistic in The World pretty fast... though she still wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad one.

"Sure, the visual effects of this world are astounding... but just visuals alone wouldn't feel as organic, and alive, as this world seems to be." She pated the moss they were sitting on to make a point, the Lepus taking a moment to simply close her eyes and feel the faint breeze that sometimes wandered into the camp, and the way the earth broke down and compressed when her clawed feet scratched against the surface layer. "Have you had time to talk with some of the Landers? The ones at Honeyhome are especially nice, and so full of dreams and aspirations... you'd never believe you're talking to just an NPC by how organic the conversations with them, and among themselves too, can be."

And that was without mentioning other senses like hearing, smelling and especially tasting when it came to foods and beverages here. Toko had the delight of tasting some of the delicious things out here in The World... and also some she would've been better not knowing how the felt and tasted in retrospect but hey, what's life without a little bit of risk right?

"You asked for this...?"

There was a tone of confusion as the rabbitfolk tilted her head, unsure as to what exactly the younger girl referred to, but the Lepus knew better than to pry further... Azykia would share if she wanted to, but if she didn't that was fine too.

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

She finally carefully picked up her spoon and took a couple slow bites while she listened, obviously not faring well with using it.

"Mhm. I really just meant that the way I see magic is just a light show. Actually, some of the food I've had here is pretty good, whatever this is included." She giggled softly, closing her eyes. "And the people here are much kinder than those in the outside world, in my opinion."

She took a deep breath and clasped one wrist gently with the other while resting the bowl on her lap still. "I don't really want to go into too much detail, but I wanted a less perfect life, if you can believe something like that. So I randomized every option and dove into the game without any idea what I was getting myself into. I was pretty confused when I first woke up like this." She laughed yet again, but of course it had a bitter backdrop to it as usual. The stress of reality clearly hadn't left the young girl's soul yet, or maybe it was suffocating her even in this world.

What some say about problems, is that you can never truly run from them if you expect them to find resolution. She was aware of this, but in running she was certain that eventually she could find a solution. Anything in-between was a coping mechanism, and thought she was loathe to admit it, she could still at least say it was better than becoming a substance abuser in her real life.

@Toko

 

[Toko]

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"May I, Azykia-chan?" She could see the way Azykia's hands trembled as she tried to use the wooden spoon to eat, the Lepus tilting her head for a moment in thought before an idea sprung forth. Quietly she asked for permission, allowing her hands to glow softly with Nature magic in order to hint at what she planned to do. When the girl allowed it Toko reached out with one hand to the wooden bowl, another tapping the handle of the spoon, before the fighter infused both with some magic. "This way you can enjoy your meal without issue, mmm?"

A part of the player sounded older than one who looked like Azykia, but Toko made no mention of it as she instead listened and nodded along when appropriate. She could understand wanting to get away from real life, even one that was seemingly perfect one in the eyes of others, so she was not about to chastise Azykia for her personal choices.

"I'm not going to lie... I like this world. Sometimes I think I wouldn't mind living in it forever... even knowing all the dangers it might possibly hold, it still seems worth it to have a life like this one."

@Azykia

 

[Azykia]

Azykia's eyes applied no hesitation to tracking Toko's hands as she made her offer visibly clear. Honestly she was more than grateful to have something to look at that wasn't incredibly abstract, so her eyes remained focused on the other woman's hands for the entire time magic was surrounding them. Her hands, and also the infused spoon and bowl once that happened. "Hah, what a wonderful thing. Thank you... aneue." She took a bite with her spoon just as slowly, but without the struggle once she got it close to her mouth. Just as every time before, she savored that bite for a long while even after pulling the spoon out to rest in her bowl.

"I think if I had to choose between the two, I would throw the real world away without a second glance... But, now you're asking me about things-" she reached up with her free hand and held her palm flat facing downwards, "-waaaay above my age group should be talking about, aren't you?"

@Toko