Complete Private Eastern Brisshal Not an ideal first day

[Chako]

Things weren't going so well for Chako on her first day.

It was quite exciting to make her character, and she was looking forward to playing to her heart's content.

Moving her legs for the first time ever felt more wonderful than anything she could possibly describe. She knew that this game was just made for her.

Alas... After finding some people who joined at around the same time she did, things quickly went south.

They were nice alright. Chako couldn't complain about their manners for sure... It's just that they couldn't keep up with Chako for long.

As in, couldn't keep up with a healer who couldn't heal. Who kept tripping on her feet. Who was actually more of a liability than an asset to the team.

Chako tripped again just now. The party's leader got sick of it and kicked Chako off... Not with actual kicks at least, but it didn't feel any better to be thrown away anyways. Especially when this was the third time this happened today.

Chako sighed, "This is harder than I thought..."

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby was blasting through Eastern Brisshal with her sonic speed. Her legs blurred as she quickly darted off, using her nimble acrobatics to avoid obstacles with supernatural reflexes.

During her run, however, a small figure caught Ruby's attention. It was a blurr in her sight, especially while running so fast, but the overall silhouette made it clear that whoever it was, they were prone on the ground for some reason.

The cat girl braked her run, raising dust as she rapidly turned around and approached @Chako quickly, swaying her double tails and tilting her head as she leaned in. "Hello there—" Ruby greeted, offering a hand. "Is everything alright? Did you get hurt?" She wondered, tilting her head in curiosity and a hint of concern.

That little girl looked quite small and frail, reminding Ruby of her little sister, which only made the red haired even more inclined to give the stranger a hand.

 

[Chako]

Chako blinked a few times as she saw the most unbelievable thing she had ever seen. A strange thing was zooming towards her at a speed that was fast enough to leave a huge trail of dust behind it.

When it got close enough to Chako, she even felt her ears hurt and she covered them with her hands, "Ouch... Stupid super-hearing cat ears..." Though it's not like Chako could have expected to be in range of a sonic boom shortly after arriving in Terrasphere.

Still, after blinking a few times, Chako noticed that the strange thing was actually a person, and said person offered Chako a hand... Chako felt like the person said something too, but the ringing in her ears made her unable to discern the words proper... Though it seemed like the pain was starting to fade at least.

... Was this what a high level player was like? Was Chako going to eventually be able to dance at supersonic speeds too? It was something she couldn't help being a bit excited about.

For now though, Chako grabbed the outstretched hand, "Ah, thanks... Uhn... Super fast nice woman? I'm Chako!

"... Is running around leaving sonic booms behind you normal here? I'm gonna seriously regret having cat ears if that's the case... Though they look really cute, don't they!?" Chako moved her ears up and down a bit, "Gotta say I was happily surprised with actually being able to move my ears and tails around! They feel really real! It's amazing!"

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's ear twitched at @Chako's compliment and greeting, smiling with faintly flush cheeks as she helped the girl back to her feet. "My name is Crimson Ruby, little cutie." She tilted her head with a warm gaze, carefully brushing away any dirt or grass that covered the little girl's dress. "People call me just Ruby though." She added.

Her ears perked up at Chako's words once again, especially regarding the ears and the realism. "It isn't normal. Being fast is just really my thing. Well, being fast, dancing, and cutting things." Her voice hinted pride, and her double-tails swayed while she waited to see if the girl could manage to stand properly now.

"But don't worry, I will be aware of your cute ears, Chako... Actually... Is this your first time around here?"

The girl's brimming, excited gaze, really betrayed any doubt that she could be a newcomer in the game, but Ruby asked just in case.

 

[Chako]

"Eh!? Cutie!?" Chako couldn't help blushing at that. She did not expect the compliment at all, "T-thanks and n-nice to meet you, m-miss Ruby!" Why am I stuttering!? Come on! Chako couldn't help thinking. This was just too new for her. She really wasn't used to being complimented on her appearance, or on anything that wasn't related to the harp.

And she also felt suddenly a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable at Ruby suddenly help her remove the dirt on her own dress, "I-I can do that myself-!" and then she immediately tripped and started falling forward, though her fall was stopped as soon as she bumped onto Ruby, "S-s-sorry!"

What am I even doing!? Come on! Get a grip of yourself, Lisa!

Chako took a deep breath, then a step back, as she tried to straighten herself. Paying proper attention to what her legs were doing, so as to not fall again.

And then, Chako's ears perked up at one of the words brought up by Ruby, "D-dancing!?" Sure, Chako was relieved that she didn't need to expect sonic booms everywhere as she traveled, but something much more important caught her attention now, "I-I do love dancing too! Like, a lot!" And Chako was also terrible at it, but she didn't have to say it, right?

... Or maybe she should. Better than to set up the wrong expectations, right?

Chako fidgeted a bit, "E-even if liking and being good at it are completely different things..." She muttered.

"Oh! Ah! Thanks!" Chako blushed again at the compliment, "Y-yours are cute too... A-and your tails! T-they remind me of the kitty we have at home!"

... Chako then realized comparing a person to a kitty was probably not the best of compliments she could give... "A-a-anyways, yes! I'm new! I started playing today, actually!"

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's head tilted, double-tails swaying in a gesture of interest toward the @Chako rather expressive reaction. She was so adorable Ruby thought she could squish her- but she took a mental note to not go overboard with the compliments.

When the girl stumbled toward her, Ruby made sure to hold her carefully, slipping an apologetic smile and dropping her ears slightly. "Are you alright? I am sorry for touching your dress." Ruby was a tactile person, but she had to remind herself not everyone was like that.

The girl, however, seemed to beam at the mention of dancing. Ruby was caught by surprise at Chako's passion for it, and her smile only grew. "That's great! And do not worry, anyone can be good at dancing with enough practice and means." Ruby nodded.

"I am a professional dancer and singer myself, and even nowadays I am surprised by the possibilities. This game already expanded the horizons of dancing so much~ Using magic, or the nimbleness of a cat's body... You would be surprised." Ruby winked, nearly sighing in awe to the reminder of how wonderful this place was. She could be anything she wanted, and surpass limits beyond the reality allow.

Her ear twitched when she was compared to a kitty, and she almost meowed as a joke. But a kid didn't deserve to be mocked for an innocent comment.

"So you truly are a newcomer... You don't happen to be lost, do you?" Her ears once again dropped in concern.

 

[Chako]

"O-oh, I'm alright! J-just struggling a bit with adjusting to having proper functional legs... A-and there is no need to be sorry, I was just a bit surprised... Uhn... Thanks for the help." Chako wondered if it was fine to just talk about her issues like that out in the open, as she didn't really like the pitying gaze she often got when people saw her, but... At the same time, Chako was also curious. She wanted to see people's reactions to it. She hoped it was actually something normal in Terrasphere, in fact.

After all, someone must have a very good reason to play an illegal game, so... Chako figured disabled people might actually be common here... Or at least she hoped so.

Regardless of that though, Chako opened her mouth wide as she heard Ruby talk about her work and the possibilities of Terrasphere, "A-a pro!? For real!? Oh my god! God? Gods? Uhn... How does that work here?

"N-no matter! That's amazing!" Chako held Ruby's hands, "C-can I get an autograph later!? L-like, once I have something to autograph in the first place! Do you do shows or something in Terrasphere too!? Can I go watch!?" Chako had never had the chance to properly watch a show live, but... She realized something in the middle of her excitement, something that quickly brought her spirits down.

"Ah, uhn... Guess you wouldn't be doing your usual work stuff while you play... Sorry for the bother..." Chako quietly muttered.

... Chako then slapped her cheeks to get her out of it. No point in getting depressed while playing! She had all the time in the world to feel down about her life when she was offline! Now was not the time!

So, Chako focused on the last question Ruby asked, "Oh, lost? Uhn..." Chako tilted her head, "Can you even be lost when you don't know anything in the surroundings? Kinda hard to be lost when you don't even know where you want to go, I guess?

"For now I was just exploring?" And being kicked out of parties, but hey, it's not like Chako needed to dwell on that too much. She was going to get the gist of how to use her legs eventually... Probably.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby tilted her head at @Chako's mention of functional legs. Ruby wasn't dumb to not understand what it could mean, and while a mixture of curiosity and concern filled her mind, she spoke nothing of it for now. She wouldn't want to pry on something unless the little girl decided to tell it.

"Being in a body that isn't your own is very difficult." Ruby said, swaying her tails and casting a brief glance at them. "It took a long while for me to get used to these extra body parts, and I'm a couple inches shorter than my offline self." She looked back at Chako, letting out a faint chuckle that only grew livelier when the little girl got even more excited and held her hand inquiring for an autograph— Even if it was followed up by an apologetic sequence.

"Hey now, it is totally fine." Ruby smiled. "I love dancing and singing, and I do it here as well... Maybe not in the same professional way, but rather more... Spontaneous?" She shrugged, squeezing the girl's hand and letting it go gently.

"I can give you an autograph, meet me one day and it is yours." She nodded. "Crimson Ruby is my artistic name out there, so you already have a very good hint of how to find me."

Then, she leaned in, curious. "A little explorer at heart? That's cute. I'm an explorer too, in fact, from the Explorer League—" Ruby tugged a violet whistle tied to a lance that was hanging on her neck, resting gently on her chest. "See? It is one of the Whistles the Explorers have."

 

[Chako]

Chako felt happy when hearing what Ruby had to say. There was just a small head tilt and nothing more. No pitying eyes. No 'I'm sorry to hear it', no nothing. Or rather... She actually just shared that she also struggled a bit with adapting to her body in Terrasphere.

Chako couldn't help smiling from ear to ear as he heard that, "Oh, I can understand that!" Chako moved her tails left and right a bit, "I still struggle quite a bit with controlling those! And sometimes they really feel like they move on their own!" which was very weird, but not really something Chako minded that much... Though she hoped they didn't really wag around when she was too excited, like how a puppy's tail would move.

And... Ruby didn't seem to mind it! her excitement over her being a pro? For real!? "T-that's what I wanna do too! Dance to my heart's content! Move around to my heart's content! Do everything I can't in my day to day life!" Well, not like Ruby couldn't dance on her day to day life, but that was not relevant right now! Because, because...

... Wait what? "Uhn..." Chako's excitement suddenly died down as quickly as it rose, and she suddenly started fidgeting a lot, "I-I... I'm... Thankful? For the vote of trust, just... Well... Is it really okay to share your personal information like that...? Especially in like, an illegal game and stuff? Wouldn't it be really bad for your career if word got out that you play Terrasphere?"

Chako was now worried for Ruby. She may have never heard of 'Crimson Ruby' before, but that doesn't mean Ruby doesn't have an image to maintain... Was it really a good idea to share information like that to a stranger online? Or rather... To even make an account in an illegal game with the same username as your stage name?

... For now, Chako figured she'd just answer Ruby's other question, "I-I do like exploring, but... What is the Explorer's League? And what's this whistle all about?" Chako tilted her head.

"... And doesn't the sound of a whistle hurts your ears?" Chako lowered her own ears a bit, "I can already imagine the kind of pain this kind of noise would bring up..." And then she shivered a bit at the thought... She really didn't want to find out how much it was going to hurt.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Hehe, you will get used to it. Actually, nowadays I feel like something is missing when I'm offline, because I can't feel my tails anymore." The double-tails swayed back and forth, with a warm smile crossing Ruby's lips, leaning in and tilting her head once again as she pondered about the @Chako's passion. "Dancing as much as one wish~ We sure can accomplish that." Ruby bowed, offering a hand to the little girl.

"Why don't I help you to get more used to moving around? Dancing included." She offered, but wouldn't push about it. After all, half of the work would be on Chako to learn how to move, so it didn't matter if Ruby helped or not, at some point she would get the hang of it.

A smirk then grew on Ruby's face, with a challenging and defiant gaze locking on Chako's. "Even if someone decided to betray my trust, would they have proof?" She suggested. "Nothing that gets in this game goes out, unless one see with their own eyes. Worst case they would be labelled as a hater of my work trying to spread rumors." Ruby traced the tip of her fingers under her eyes.

"As for the whistle... It is a symbol of the Whistles, those who participate in the Explorer's League. Each color represent your rank and your expertise on it... Above this Violet one, there is the Black and the White Whistles." Ruby explained. "They serve as some sort of badge? And are useful to call for attention or help."

Ruby's ears then twitched. "Don't worry about the ears, at first it is painful, but you will get used to your augmented hearing, and it wont hurt anymore." She nodded. "Your ears are young too, so it makes them more sensitive and untrained."

 

[Chako]

"Feeling like something is missing when offline..." Chako muttered... She felt like she would very easily relate to this feeling... She was already dreading the idea of logging out and going back to her wheelchair, after all.

Then, Chako blinked a few times, "Y-you would help me with that!? Really!? I-I would love to!" It's not like Chako could ever take dancing lessons at home, so she figured she would just have to copy whatever she saw in metube videos... She never really thought she'd be able to get help in her dance from anyone, especially not from a pro.

Chako felt like she was really lucky right now. Not only from having a friend who could introduce her to Terrasphere, but also to find such a wonderful person right in her very first day online. She couldn't wait to tell her friend at school about how amazing her first day was!

Not like said day was already over though... Or rather, it was still at its start.

Either way, as she heard Ruby elaborate on how everything stays inside Terrasphere, Chako just nodded once, "I guess that makes sense... How would anyone verify information about any claim of what happens inside Terrasphere...?" Chako still felt like it was a bit worrying to share personal information that easily, but... It was also a stage name, so it was probably not a big deal... Probably.

"So the whistle is a badge...?" Chako tilted her head a bit... She still had no idea what this Explorer's League was, but... Perhaps it was just as the name said? A group of people who liked exploring? Kinda like a guild or something? "Is it hard to join this league thingy? I'm kinda curious about it."

Ruby's next words made Chako frown though, "You get used to it? Really?" Chako moved her hands through her ears a bit, trying to get a better feel of them.

... Yeah, they really felt like totally normal cat ears, "I never heard of a cat that stopped being troubled by fireworks after a certain age though..." Chako muttered more to herself than to Ruby

Chako really didn't know if Ruby was saying the truth there or was just trying to put her at ease... Like... Training ears felt like such a wild concept. How would that even work!?

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's ears twitched as she nodded. "Exactly. But it is a two way street, so don't worry too much about it." She admitted. At first, it seemed like being in-game was the grand dream that nobody ever wanted to wake from, but after a bit, you start to realize that the grass wasn't that much greener.

"Of course I will." Ruby smiled, swaying and moving around @Chako, circling the little girl with swift and elegant moves, while her double-tails waved gently, tracking the path she was taking around the smaller cat girl. "We will dance until your heart start to race~ your legs move in grace~ and the cutest of all smiles show in your face~" She hummed, swirling to halt with a bow, leaning closer to Chako.

"As for the ears..." She twitched her own. "Cats are animals, they don't develop in the same way as humans... We are part-cat, yes, but we are more humanoids than we are cats, so we develop a much bigger resistance than them!" Ruby explained, raising her posture and resting her hands behind her back.

"And the Explorer League is easy to join. They accept anyone, you just need to go there and show your interest, and make the Vow of Whistles to receive a Gold Whistle, the first Whistle an Explorer receives."

 

[Chako]

A two-way street... Chako honestly couldn't imagine it. What would she miss from her normal life while in-game? It just sounded like such an absurd concept to her.

She decided to say nothing though. There was no point in making a depressive comment in the middle of such a wonderful encounter.

Chako then started following Ruby as she spun around her. First with her eyes, then with her whole body as Ruby ran around her. It was... Funny. Chako couldn't stop herself from giggling at the rhyme, and at the bow at the end of it, "I'll be in your care then, lady Ruby." Chako smiled as she did the best curtsy she could, which was quite clumsy when considered she never did a curtsy in her life, then offered her hand for Ruby to grasp, "Please take good care of me!"

Then Ruby went on ahead to talk about how being humanoid meant we could develop better resistances than cats did, but... It's not like anyone could do stuff like strengthening their throat, could they? Or at least Chako remembered somebody mentioning that in a manga... Or was it about strengthening their eyes? Chako couldn't remember it that well... Maybe she should guugle about it later to see if it's actually possible to strengthen those parts of one's body that were usually more vulnerable.

Either way, she didn't feel like there was any reason to distrust Ruby, but she didn't buy the explanation either, so Chako just figured it was more of a game thingy that could let them improve their ears' resistances.

"They accept... Anyone?" Chako tilted her head... That was not what she expected of a guild... Maybe it was different, after all, although... "And you need to make a... Vow of whistles? What's that all about?" Chako was suddenly wondering if she would need to like, blow at a bunch of whistles through a rhythm game to be accepted or something... Though she hoped that was not going to be the case. Both for the sake of her ears and also for her immersion. That would be about as gamey as it could get.

Also... Wasn't gold meant to be rare or something? Why was the first rank the Gold Whistle... This league was feeling like it was weirder and weirder with each passing moment... But at the same time, Chako felt like joining the weirdos' group could be quite fun. She might just find out all sort of funny things if she joins it, so she was getting more interested even if also worried about some things.

Besides, this was Ruby's guild (?) too, so wasn't that enough reason to join anyways!? Isn't having your friends in a guild plenty reason to join it, after all!?

... Could she actually call Ruby a friend already? She wasn't sure... She hoped she could though.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"But of course~" Ruby smiled at @Chako's curtsy and returned with one of her own before taking the little girl's hand, for now mostly to support her to standing posture. She didn't want to see her falling on her butt again because of unstable stances.

At her doubt, Ruby simply nodded. "Exactly, anyone can become a Whistle, as long as they have the courage to become one." She placed a hand over her chest, with a prideful hint in her glimmering eyes.

"The Vow of the Whistles is one where you vow to not fear death, and to stay alongside with your companions no matter how dire things are..." Ruby's eyes closed, with tails swaying back and forth before her gaze opened to Chako's once again, taking a couple steps back and gently tugging the little cat girl close for an initial waltz stance.

"You've seen waltz before, right?" Ruby's tail swirled around Chako's hand, carefully guiding it to the right position. "It is very easy, and you can dance it with anyone you want! Even those that don't know how to dance!"

 

[Chako]

Chako leaned on Ruby a bit as they held hands... It was just more comfortable to be relying on someone, even if Chako shouldn't, in theory at least, have a problem standing still... For as long as she didn't forget how to put basic strength in her legs that is, which already happened a few times.

"Courage...?" Chako blinked a few times while wondering why exactly you'd need that to join a guild, but she just listened to the explanation which... Felt kinda chuuni, really. It brought a smile to Chako's face.

Though Ruby's expression made it seem like she took it quite seriously, so Chako made sure to not laugh, and instead just nodded, "I guess it's a guild that cares a lot for its guildmembers? That sounds fun!"

And then Chako was suddenly brought closer to Ruby, "W-w-what is-

"Oh! Waltz!" The sudden pull was a bit too surprising, and made Chako blush a bit, but when hearing Ruby mention the dance, Chako suddenly calmed down, "I saw it before! It's pretty..." and it was something Lisa could never hope to do... But Chako... "Starting with something easy sounds good." Chako nodded and allowed Ruby's tails to guide her hands to the right spots.

It really felt incredible that Ruby moved her tails with such ease... Chako was looking forward to being able to move her legs like that too.

Either way, she tried taking a few steps, following Ruby's guidance and remembering what she saw on videos before. Those videos she used to daydream for a future that she could never achieve... And that was now entirely at her reach, "It's just a shame we don't have music." Even though Chako said that, she was smiling. Smiling from the bottom of her heart as she lived her dreams coming true... As tears escaped her eyes out of sheer happiness.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's tails swayed back and forth, and a faint chuckle escaped her lips. "I wouldn't say the guild itself cares a lot, but we, guildmembers, must care a lot for each other. It is a dangerous Faction to be part of, so we are all ready to give our lives for each other." She said, making it clear to @Chako that the Explorers League wasn't sunshine and rainbows.

The little girl's sheepishness when she was pulled close for the dance was endearing. It reminded Ruby of her little sister, that also had to go through similar situations in the past. Ruby ruffled her hair a bit, and took a step back while her tails finally released the little girl's hand.

"Music? We can arrange that~" She swinged her waist, making the bells on her dress ring briefly. "That's why we have magic!"

She took another long step back and rotated her body, bringing the little girl with her while the bells rang and echoed, with lingering notes giving a hint of what was a music that followed the shape of their movements. "For now, let's go slow and easy, right? Follow my feet." She said, slowing down and just stepping back and forth, without any complexity. For now, they were truly just walking backward and forward, alternating slowly.

 

[Chako]

"The guild doesn't care, but the guild members do...? So... You have a bad guild leader?" Chako tilted her head.

She also liked hearing about the part of everyone being ready to give their lives for each other. It feels like they're big on immersion there... That sounds cool! "I'll keep that in mind!"

Chako purred for a second as her hair was ruffled. It was the kind of thing that always put her at ease. The kind of thing her mother always did when... Wait, what in heavens' name did I just do!? Did I just purr!? I can do that!?

Chako was quite confused, but the confusing thoughts were quickly forgotten as Ruby's bells rang. The echo creating a song for their dance, "So you can do even that with magic...?" Chako smiled. It was quite out of her expectations, but more importantly than that. She was just happy to have a proper dance.

She had no plans of using magic for making music, but she could certainly appreciate that Ruby could do it right now for them.

Chako felt at ease. Each step a bit more comfortable than the rest... It was so much easier with someone guiding her. With someone holding her as she took each step. Chako finally felt like she could properly focus on her dance now, on the steps, on her legs, and on her whole body. No need to worry about magic, enemies, allies or anything... "Maybe I was way too hasty." Chako muttered more to herself than to Ruby. Parties will have to wait. Walking and dancing properly will come first.

Chako's smile just grew bigger with each passing second as she went along with Ruby, letting her guide their simple steps, "Thank you very much!"

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby partially pondered about @Chako's words, then shook her head. "We don't have a Guild Leader... Well, we used to have something like that, but even she wasn't really the Guild Leader, she was just the highest ranked." She explained, reminding herself of Childress. That huge woman was formidable in a lot of ways, but Ruby didn't really felt aligned with her, ever.

A gentle giggle escaped Ruby's lips when Chako purred, and Ruby purred back. "You will get used to it." She nodded. Four years ago, all these weird things happening to her virtual body were tough to understand, but she slowly got used to it.

"The bells aren't magic per se. They are just dancing bells, it is like medallions belly dancers use. If I move myself in a specific way—" She shook her waist a few times, letting the bells ring softly. "They will ring— But I do use Illusion and Harmonic magic to make them lounder, prettier... And to echo too."

Ruby's ears twitched at Chako's words, and while those words weren't particularly to her, she responded with a mutter, that she knew Chako's sensible ears could hear: "You don't. Baby steps and we will get there, no matter how long it takes."

And whenever Chako seemed ready for the next step, Ruby started evolving their movements. They were no longer just walking back and forth, but they were walking to the sides as well, and sometimes turning just a little, to change their angle. Whenever they turned, Ruby's bells ran softly.

 

[Chako]

"A guild with no guild leader...? That doesn't quite care about the members, but with the members caring about each other...?

"... I'm completely lost here." Chako stated honestly. How was all that even supposed to work in the first place?

And then Ruby purred too. Chako opened her eyes wide at that, "R-right. I-I guess I might." Though Chako didn't even know it was possible to purr until a second ago, never mind purring voluntarily, so... It was a bit hard for her to imagine herself getting used to it.

"Oh, I see. So the magic is there to enhance the bells' effects... Sounds pretty convenient. Way easier than carrying an amplifier around to play a harp in a big venue for sure." It's not like Chako played in big venues often though. Most of the times she played at her home, but... Hey, recitals had their charm too. And she appreciated those opportunities when she had them.

Chako's ears twisted at Ruby's next words, Did I say that out loud? Well... No use worrying too much about it now, "Mmmm... I guess I don't mind baby steps too much for as long as I'm still walking. I've been waiting too long for an opportunity like this one to give up now, after all." Chako smiled.

And then dance slowly got a bit more complex. Chako felt happy. Sometimes she still tripped a bit, but she didn't fall with Ruby holding her, and... Well, I'm dancing! I really am dancing! Even if it required someone to lead her around, and she still struggled with making her legs listen at times, she was happy.

"... I think I'll start watching a lot more dance videos on metube." Chako felt happy just imagining it... Before, those were mostly painful to watch. To see that which she could not do... Now it could feel like a study session. A preparation for what she might be able to do in-game, that she could never do IRL, "Though I hope I don't need someone leading me for thaaat long." Chako said that with a smile. She was absolutely happy to have Ruby lead her... She just wanted to be able to take her own steps with her own two legs. And the sooner the better for that.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Don't worry too much about it." Ruby said, trying to ease @Chako's confusion. She didn't want her to get the wrong idea, as if joining the Explorers League was like signing up to be in the middle of a mess.

Her ears twitched at the mention of an harp, making Ruby give it a thought. "So you are planning to go for an harp? Honestly, I'm more of a dance myself, but I do know how to play instruments... I have a Liuqin with me, in the inventory."

The dance continued smoothly, but Ruby didn't shy from trying to make it more complex the longer they went on. "Mhm... Don't rush it. Enjoy the moment."

Ruby smiled at the girl's hope for some independence, and she pondered with swaying tails. "Why don't you lead me whenever you are ready then?" She suggested, turning a bit quicker and making an arc with her arm to carefully spin Chako while letting her think about it.