Private Dunnstads Ocean Avenue

[Erick Stryker]

Faldaren alone was so massive, the idea of traveling the rest of the world was barely even an afterthought. It was still breathtaking how real all of this seemed. The salty air blasted his face the moment he emerged from the treeline, and the humidity was more pronounced. Instead of tree cover and indirect sunlight, he felt everything. It was almost like going to the beach, except the shoreline was far off in the distance and none of the annoying tourists were nearby to detract from the beauty of his surroundings. He felt oddly at peace as he walked along the path and watched the outlines of previously unseen architecture take shape ahead of him.

According to what little intel he had, this area was called Dunnstads, and it represented the seaboard of Faldaren. The homes that he came upon were built up with newer materials and no expense was spared to fortify them against the elements, and against anything else that might assail them. Word was, there were thieves and other ne'er do wells lurking in the shadows- and while he had no intention of going out of his way to meet them, the very knowledge put him on edge.

At the same time, if the people in this area were struggling with a bandit incursion, there was the chance that they might have work for an eager adventurer to take on. He wasn't formally with the Guild and he didn't have any credentials backing his name, but a quid pro quo situation served to help him get stronger, and to help alleviate some of the ails of the people of the land. That was what he resolved, then: look for a job.

Easier said than done, it seemed.

The sun sank low on the horizon as he finally made it to the nearest town, and the first person he was an older woman. "Don't know what brought you this way, lad, but night's a comin' soon and we don't take kindly to folks what wander through these parts after dark. If'n you're lookin' for a place to rest the night, someone can put you up in the stables, but we got no room for outsiders in our homes lately. Stuff's like to go missin'."

Erick frowned slightly. "It's a shame to hear that, ma'am. I'd be glad to pay for shelter in the stables," he said as he checked his inventory over for what passed as currency in this world. He kept his eyes on her to ease her skepticism, if only by a small margin. "If you don't mind my asking, what's got you folks so worried about things going missing?"

"You're traveling around these parts and you haven't heard about the highwaymen?" she leaned closer, lowering her voice. With a sideways glance, she spoke once she was certain there was no one listening in. "Recently there's been a real plague of no good folk who like to profit off the misfortune of the locals. As a result, we don't really have it in us to be forthcoming with our trust, see? It's nothing against you, son- we just learned to look for wolves wearing sheep clothes."

"I completely understand," he assured her. And he did. He was always told he could be anything he wanted, and when finally he tried, he'd failed. Horribly. Life wasn't fair, and the things that you took for granted often ended up becoming your greatest regrets. These people had learned not to take the motives of strangers for granted. They were wise not to. "I'm no trained professional, but I'd be willing to help any way I can around here," he said, putting the offer out in the open.

"I'm trying to get stronger, see, and I need to make opportunities for myself to get to where I want to be. If I can help someone in the process, that's even better. Do you think you know anyone who could help me out with that?"

@Harukami

 

[Harukami]

It was her second evening in the town. Having no classes or appointments in the real world, Harukami had decided to sleep while still in the game, getting to experience the softness of hay as a makeshift bed near a horse in a stable. As it was in her nature to take walks as the sun went down. There was still plenty of time until nightfall, and she'd already secured her place at the stable for a second night, but there was something bothering her that particular day.

She was desperately lonely.

Smacking her cheeks as the thought graced her mind, the mage overheard a conversation just a few yards away from where she stood on the road. She was just within earshot. Hearing that someone else wanted to help the people with the stuff going missing lately, and that they needed help doing so, the girl ran over to Erick and the woman he was chatting with.

"Good evening, ma'am." She said with a smile. "H-Hello, sir. Did I, er, hear you correctly just now?" Her smile was still plastered on her lips, though faintly. Her simple clothes were fairly wrinkled from sleeping in them in awkward positions throughout the previous night. "My name is Harukami. I've been wanting to help since I heard about the issue yesterday, but... I don't think I'm strong enough by myself..."

Many thoughts crossed her mind- mostly the worries of death. She didn't know how strong the enemy was that was 'making things go missing'. She didn't know if the man knew about the three strike rule as she called it, but something told her that didn't matter- after all, she could probably help keep him alive.

"If you don't mind, um, m-may I accompany you?" This would solve a lot of her worries- she wouldn't be alone for a little while, and she'd have the ability to work with someone to help these innocent people with their problem. What more could she ask for but to kill two birds with one stone?

 

[Erick Stryker]

Erick turned to glance at the newcomer with a look of confusion at first, but it quickly warmed to a slight smile. "The more the merrier," he answered by way of greeting. In reality, he was worried that he might have thrown himself into more than he could handle, but another person gave him some peace of mind.

The old woman looked over the two of them as the girl joined Erick, and her jaw set. "You two don't have the look of a pair of veterans, so I'd be loathe to ask you to take any kind of direct action." It seemed like the denizens of the world had a pretty good sense for what people were capable of, which was a bit of a relief. Erick remembered the conversation he had with the beastman when he first arrived in Eastern Brisshal, and how it unnerved him. "But there are plenty of ways you can help short of confronting the thieves yourself."

The crone gestured toward the horizon and smiled. "There's still some daylight yet. A fellow named Pietro lives just down the way. Find him and introduce yourselves, tell him Dierdre sent you and he'll put you to work. Whether its foraging for materials or helping to secure the perimeter, he'll know exactly what we need done."

"Pietro," he repeated the name and committed it to memory, "alright, thank you, Dierdre," he said with a bow of his head. The elderly woman waved as they turned and Erick turned to the girl who had introduced herself as Harukami. "Thanks for offering to help," he told her, "my name's Erick, and I'm fairly new to things around here. I definitely don't think I could have handled anything they asked of me alone."

He left the door open for her to continue the conversation, or to complete the long walk to their destination in silence. As they walked deeper into the town, the makeshift fortifications became apparent. Bricks and mortar packed twice deep, albeit sloppily. Piled chest high, the outer wall might keep out most monsters, but only present a slight challenge for a humanoid capable of intelligent thought. The town was built with peacetime in mind, he ruminated in silence. The perfect target for bandits looking to terrorize folks that can't fight back.

 

[Harukami]

The name Pietro was fairly familiar, but she couldn't really say why. She could only assume she'd met him yesterday- but her brain wasn't too keen on putting a face to a name, or so it seemed. Trying desperately to remember, she let out a deep sigh upon realizing it was lost for the time being. She'd remember when she saw him, probably. Yeah- that would be fine.

"It's nice to meet you, Erick." She smiled as he spoke soon after. "We all start as s-strangers to the world. But part of the fun, isn't it? Um, I mean, er, learning how it works." She got a little frustrated with herself for her weird wording more than her stumbling on the words thereafter. Blaming one of her other shortcomings, she apologized. "Sorry... I'm actually r-really bad with new encounters. But I'll get used to you soon! I promise!" She wasn't sure if the promise was meant for him or for her, however. But still, she was happy she'd said it, for whatever reason.

Looking around at the haphazard bricks, the woman frowned. "It's a shame to think it, but... Their defenses are, um, not very good, are they? I-I'm from a town where people don't always lock their d-doors. But... My family always does. So maybe I just worry more than most?"

 

[Erick Stryker]

He glanced sidelong at her as she spoke. Harukami seemed nervous, though whether it was because of him or their situation, he was unsure- until she confirmed it. "Nice to meet you too, Harukami," he spoke softly, letting his eyes drift anywhere around them, and everywhere but her. There was no need to stare, no need to put the excessive pressure on someone who was already feeling it. "Don't push yourself too hard, we'll need that energy for whatever task Pietro decides to give us." When he finally did look back her way, he smiled. "It's unnerving, right? Being thrust into a new situation with things and people that are foreign to you? I get it. Take your time with it. I'm not going to rush you."

Jimmy was used to talking to people and learning how to get along with them. In the real world, he'd been a paragon among his friends- a social butterfly by all rights, until the day he just... stopped. He still knew how to do it all, though. He hadn't forgotten what it meant to have friends, or how to treat them. He'd just stopped... wanting to do any of it.

Erick didn't have that problem.

"Yeah, the design here is incredibly dependent on there being a significantly low to nonexistent crime rate," he affirmed when she broached the topic, and his brow furrowed. "I doubt they were expecting to deal with thieves in this region at all. The capital is somewhere around here, and there's probably no shortage of guards there, but..."

His words trailed off as they came to a group of men lugging barrels and sacks from a wagon toward what appeared to be a storehouse. One of them turned toward the two of them. "You two aren't from around here. What brings you to Lindt?" he asked.

"We're looking for Pietro," Erick answered, "Dierdre sent us. Said that he could find us work."

"Aye, well you've found me, and I've got no shortage of work." The red haired man looked between the two of them appraisingly. "Don't look as you can lift heavy between the two of you, and I ain't about to send you off to fight bandits with nothing to keep you from getting stabbed. What sort of work are you good for?" He looked at the girl again, recognition in his gaze. "Ah, you're the lass what stayed in the stables last night. I can respect a body what wants to earn its keep."

Erick glanced toward Harukami, who he had yet to discuss skills and such with. This was a good opportunity for them to figure out where their strengths lay. "Well, I'm still pretty green, but I can help with moving things. I'm better at it than I look, at least."

"You saw the walls on your way in?" Pietro asked. "We have the goods here to build it up higher and reinforce it, but its too heavy for us to move and get set before nightfall. One more night without defenses is a night too many for the people here. We've lost livestock and almost an entire season's harvest. If we lose any more, people won't be able to afford to feed themselves, let alone pay their taxes, and then they could lose their land..." Pietro frowned. "We need to get at least enough wall laid to keep the bandits out, is what I'm getting out. Can you two help us with that?"

 

[Harukami]

She noticed how he tried to avoid staring at her, and stifled a giggle with her hand. "It's okay to, um, look at someone who's nervous when you're talking. In fact, I appreciate it... I-I came to this world to fight my fears. I want to become stronger, um, in all ways... And I thought this could help me..." She glanced away shyly, realizing she'd never admitted her reason for playing to someone before.

In the real world, Haruka was bad at looking people in the eyes- but in this world, it was just a little less scary. So yes, sometimes she avoided eye contact- but for most of her speech, she tried to at least look at the person, rather than away from them. And that she was getting better at starting interactions was a relief, too! In the real world, Haruka always relied on their sister to start interactions for them with other people. The only people they really started conversations with were her and their mother.

His explanation that it wasn't too hard to understand how unnerving new encounters were was surprising to her. "My sister, um, makes it look easy... To talk to new people, I mean..."

She shook off the concern about how different it was for her twin, and turned to look at Pietro. When he complimented her on wanting to earn her keep after staying in his stable, she laughed timidly and nodded. "Yes! H-Helping each other is what people should do, isn't it?"

When the topic of fitness came up, Harukami couldn't help trying to show off her muscles- muscles that barely existed. "I-I'm not very strong, but I have good reflexes... But I can probably use my magic to help?" She explained her abilities in detail- that she was fairly good at dealing with animals and getting their help, that she could melt anything that needed melting with pyromancy, and that she could heal any wounds or boost someone's strength and energy with divine magic.

"Oh!" She chirped, adding on, "I'm also good at cooking and cleaning, if that might help!"

 

[Erick Stryker]

"Fire magic, eh?" the man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "We can use that to set the mortar more quickly. Yeah, I think that would be pretty useful, lass!" Erick smiled as Pietro gave the woman some words of affirmation and considered his own abilities. He knew what his magic was, but he had never actually used it.

"I think I can do something to help," he reasoned. In reality, he had no idea if the spells on his short list would be of any use to them. His gaze moved to the heavy sacks on the ground, and he began to mutter under his breath. He walked over and placed a hand on one, and used a magic called Gravitic Distortion. Low level Astramancy afforded him a few tricks for tampering with the laws of physics, even if they were not viable for combat, this seemed like a way for them to shine. "Try lifting it now?" he suggested.

One of the workers scooped up the sack and to his surprise, it hefted over his head with minimal effort. "Its like a feather, boss!" he exclaimed excitedly, then he looked to Erick, "can you do it again? To all of them?" he asked excitedly.

"As many as I have the energy for," he replied. Erick glanced back to Pietro for the go-ahead, and the man eagerly nodded. "Alright, then! Let's get to work!"

Erick set about casting the spell over the bags and as they were moved and laid out at their respective destinations, Pietro explained to Harukami how she would need to heat the mortar once it was applied in order to strengthen the wall and fortify it against impact or wind force.

"Sometimes its the skills you don't expect to be useful that end up helping the most," Erick commented offhand as they worked. "Hey, you said you could cook, right? Think if I found you some stuff, you could make a meal for everyone?" he asked the woman. "You know, to thank them for giving us a place to stay?"

 

[Harukami]

Harukami clapped as she was given a task her magic could help with. However, what stole her attention quickly was the magic the man used to make things lighter. Breaking into some Japanese, she couldn't help exclaiming a quick "Sugoi!"

Blushing and remembering English was the primary language, she stepped back out into English. "T-That um, I mean... That is really amazing magic! I wonder if even I could lift it easily now?" A soft giggle left her lips, before she moved to the mortar on the wall and began setting it with a flame she let hover close, but not too close.

Someone tried to tell her her own magic was pretty amazing too, but she was too busy concentrating on keeping the fireball in a safe place to notice. During a break, she heard Erick ask her about cooking a meal as a way of saying thanks. Her face lit up almost until it was glowing. Since she had her hands free, she clapped a bit.

"I'd need access to a kitchen, but if I have the ingredients, I'm sure I can make something yummy! I've always loved cooking, so... It'd be fun and useful at the same time!"

 

[Erick Stryker]

He glanced toward the girl as she blurted something out that he didn't understand. Was that a different language? Terrasphere was available in many nations provided that you knew where to look, or had the right connections, so the idea that someone might not be a native English speaker wasn't altogether impossible, but he didn't think it was polite to ask. Just as quickly she corrected herself, and before it ever became more than a slip of the tongue, she had continued the conversation.

Maybe she was better at talking than she gave herself credit for. "You probably could," he told her, "the skill description says that I altered the way gravity effects a specific object, so instead of actually making it lighter, I shift the intensity of the g-force... something like that, anyway? I dunno, its high concept stuff that I'd rather just call 'magic' and be done with," he joked.

In reality, he understood the theories that worked behind gravity and mass and the applications of force because he had studied them in great detail for Physics exams in high school. Most people didn't bother with sciences or mathematics at that level once they were finished with their studies. He knew he wouldn't want to.

Erick noticed when her expression lit up, and he nudged his head in the direction they had come from initially. "I'd be willing to bet that once we finish here, Deirdre would be willing to lend us her kitchen if we told her we were gonna make a meal for everyone," he suggested. As he spoke, he quickly wove an enchantment over another of the bags, then tossed it quickly in her direction.

To his surprise, it was like flinging a frisbee. "Woah, uh, watch out!" he called. He intended to throw her the bag to let her see how light it was, but if it hit her- oh, that wouldn't be good.

 

[Harukami]

Haruka was a major in neuroscience in the real world. They understood the basics of most sciences, but it was usually the brain they focused on. In fact, with such a strong tendency to forget things, it was surprising she understood what he was saying to her at all in this game. And yet she did, vaguely, remember something like that.

Saying nothing on the topic, Harukami let out a soft giggle at his preference to just call it magic. She eventually nodded, but was silent for the most part, though did verbalize her agreement to just call it magic and be done with it.

"Do you really think she'd let me? We're strangers, you know? I never let strangers cook in my house..." Haruka's reason, though, was that guests shouldn't be involved in the housework when they were, in fact, guests. "I hope she will!"

A small squeak escaped her lips when he threw the bag her way. She was easily intimidated by flying objects. Ducking with her arms up, she managed to catch it- though it did knock her off balance and send her falling backwards in her crouched position. One of the workers saw and yelled to them to stop playing around. So, Harukami scrambled to her feet, turning to the person to bow and apologize.

"We should talk to miss, um... Dee? Miss Dee. We should talk to her when we finish. But for now, um... Let's focus with all our might!"

 

[Erick Stryker]

Erick sucked in a breath as he watched her catch the bag and slump to the dirt. "My bad," he muttered as one of the workers chastised them for roughhousing. He wanted to apologize on her behalf because it was an honest mistake, but the others did not seem to give it a second thought. They had work to do, and it was no different from one of the village kids being a nuisance to them- only these particular nuisances had actually been helpful.

"Well, we did help them out," he shrugged, "someone wouldn't do that if they were with the bandits." The people of the village were jaded, it was true, but they were loathe to trust people on the possibility of them colluding with bandits or stealing things. Someone helpful was almost certainly a breath of fresh air- or at least, that was what Erick hoped. The reality would lay itself out before them in short order.

The wall had come a long way in a very short time, tall enough now to hinder a grown man with the gumption to try and force his way over. Pietro rapped at it a few times with his knuckles to test the sturdiness, and when he was satisfied, he put both hands against it and leaned into it with his weight. "I'll be damned," he smiled in appreciation. "You kids do some pretty good work, you know? Got a couple more areas what need to be fortified, then I'll tell you what, I'll see about asking Dierdre about a reward for ya'll. How's that sound?"

"We'd be much obliged, sir," he said with a respectful bow, and after a second, he echoed Harukami's sentiment. "Do you think it'd be okay if, for our reward, she could cook dinner for everyone?" he gestured toward the woman with a thumb before setting about enchanting more bags of mortar.

The man blinked, confused. "You've been helping us all day and you want to cook for us?"

 

[Harukami]

Harukami smiled when she watched Erick explain the logic of the matter. It was true- they were helping these people, so it should be clear that they were not the burglars or bandits behind all this. "You're right," She said, sighing with relief. "I-I've seen trustworthy people do bad things, so I just thought... Even if we are doing good by them, um, they might still have worries... But what we're helping with, um, I mean... It should be fine."

The wall was pretty good looking after a while. Harukami couldn't help clapping and cheering for everyone's hard work. There was still work to do, but it was shaping up to be a good day's work in the girl's point of view.

"We may be helping now, but Mister Pietro, um, he helped me first, you know? He gave me a place to sleep. And besides... I really enjoy cooking! But cooking is even more fun when, er, you have people to cook for!" She giggled with the brightest smile likely ever seen on her face. While making a pose as if showing off her arm muscles, she chimed, "I promise to make something tasty! I'll make enough so all of us can eat together."

 

[Erick Stryker]

"Sounds like her mind's already made up," Erick joked with a smile. Pietro looked defeated for a moment and shook his head before finally he made up his mind.

"Alright, alright, I'll go talk to her," the man looked from one adventurer to the other, then sighed. "But don't be expecting to work miracles. Like I said, we've had a pretty rough go of it with all the bandit raids, the harvest yield has been cut by nearly half, and supplies from Stockbon rarely get sent our way. Things have been wild in Dunnstands for some time now, and the crown's been ill equipped to respond to it.

With more of their situation out in the open, Erick glanced toward his new companion with a look of concern. "I don't mind going out into the woods to hunt and forage for something we can all share," he told the stonemason, who raised an eyebrow.

"Alone into the woods, so close to nightfall? You're mad, boy, I'd never be able to live with myself if you didn't make it back. I appreciate all that you're trying to do, but if you want to make a gesture like that, do it when we're not burnin' through daylight so fast."

Erick shrugged. "Yeah, I'm aware that taking unnecessary risks is bad, but I'm not planning on looking for anything big or dangerous. And I promise I won't stay out too long. You can wait for me by the gates, just go get things prepped for dinner and I'll be right back."

Before anyone had time to speak. Erick was running full tilt toward the edge of town. "Blast it! That lad's got his head screwed on backward if he thinks I'm just going to wait for him to go out and die!" The man cursed loudly and turned to Harukami. "Don't you go runnin' off on me too, alright? I'll get you over to Deirdre's place and explain the situation. You just worry about cookin', I'll go bring the kid back. Okay?"

 

[Harukami]

When Erick mentioned her mind being made up, the girl could only nod eagerly in agreement. Haruka loved cooking and crafts. When Pietro gave in and agreed to talk to Deirdre so she could use the kitchen, she was giddy as a schoolgirl! Well, technically, she was still in school in the other world... But still!

"Please be careful," she told Erick when he'd clearly made up his mind to go into the woods. She knew what it was like to deal with having a set mind. She was still playing this game, knowing how dangerous it could be. In fact, knowing seemed to make her more intent on learning its secrets! But Harukami didn't know if Erick knew the dangers or not. So, she'd have to have a talk with him later.

Pietro's worry for Erick was somehow endearing to Harukami. She gave a soft smile and pat the man on the shoulder, as if wanting to have a man-to-man conversation. "I-I'll stay here, but you be careful out there too. Come straight to me if either of you get injured... I can heal you."

 

[Erick Stryker]

Pietro smiled and thanked Harukami for her willingness to heal them if something happened, then hurried off to catch up to Erick before nightfall. It was a tall order. In lieu of Pietro, several of the other laborers stepped in to give help to the female traveler. "It's not much ma'am, but thank you for your help," one of them said. He offered her some vegetables: potatoes, carrots, and radishes that were set aside from the last harvest.

Another of them hurried ahead to talk with Deirdre in Pietro's place and succeeded in not only securing the use of the kitchen, but the promise of a stern talking to for Erick when he was undoubtedly dragged back from the woods kicking and screaming. The group led Harukami to the house where she would be cooking, and Deirdre smiled.

"I didn't think you two would be able to do so much good work so quickly. I underestimated the skill of travelers," she sighed after a moment. "And I underestimated their ability to make rash decisions. Let's pray that they come back swiftly and safely while dinner is on the stove."

"Don't worry, I'm sure that they will be fine," another, younger man spoke up. A chorus of nods and positive words followed from the group. They looked to Harukami. "He seemed dead set on making sure that you could cook something," the man added. "So, show us what you've got!"

 

[Harukami]

Harukami thanked everyone- both for their hard work, and for the supplies to cook with. She immediately had an idea in mind for what to make with it, but had to first figure out how to season things. When she was brought to the kitchen she'd be working in, she cheered up quickly. They had just enough seasoning and spare ingredients leftover to make a delectable stew!

"I know... I trust Erick and Pietro," Harukami said as another younger man spoke up. All the kind words said about her and the man she'd worked with were enlightening and encouraging- and they made her want to make something tasty even more. With swift hands, she chopped up the vegetables into neat pieces, taking full control over the kitchen lent to her. She started boiling some water and seasoned it in a way she could make it taste almost like a mild curry. They had just the right warm spices to melt the hearts of those that ate it.

The curry-seasoned stew took some time, but she was sure it would be simmering hot by the time the missing men returned. While it was ready to be taste tested, she asked one of the men to take a spoonful of the soup stock she'd made that mixed the vegetables' flavor with a warmth she hoped would be accepted by the stranger. When she got a nod of approval, she clapped eagerly and continued to stir. "I hope they get here fast. It's best while it's hot, after all."

 

[Erick Stryker]

Stars flickered into being across the sky as the two trudged back toward the village. Erick stared at his feet while Pietro lambasted him for his foolishness, but in the end, both men returned no worse for wear. A loud thump at the door signaled their return to the others as the older man kicked at it, his hands too busy to knock. When it opened, to the surprise of everyone, both men limped inside each burdened with the carcass of a doe. "I have no idea how we managed to hunt down a pair of doe before sunset," Pietro shook his head in disbelief, "but here we are. This is enough meat to feed the town for several days, let alone one meal. It will take some time to prepare..."

"So what you're saying is that we did good, right?" Erick grinned, hopeful that his success would outweigh the poor decision he had made. In reality, he had gone knowing full well that his magic would waylay a low level deer or two, so he counted on that fact. If not for Pietro though, he would never have been able to carry them back in time.

None of them needed to hear about that fact, though.

"What I'm saying is that you're damn lucky, lad," the stonemason fixed Erick with a baleful expression. The young man looked away, attempting to dodge the gaze altogether. "You look at me now, son- what would have happened if I hadn't followed you? What if you had run into bandits?"

"Well, I didn't-"

"Enough," Deirdre interjected, "the young lady was kind enough to fix us a meal, and with a bit more time, we might even be able to have some meat with it. Why don't we sit down to dinner and put all this mess behind us, and give thanks for our young friends and the work they did for us today?"

Erick glanced to Harukami. She really had done it, hadn't she? With a smile, he said: "Thanks."

 

[Harukami]

Harukami had never cooked venison before. As she worried about if she could manage it, she glanced towards Erick, frowning slightly- but not due to her concern about cooking the meat all the way through. Walking to Erick, Harukami tapped the top of his head with a tight fist. "Don't make people worry about you." She was frowning slightly, shook it off, and smiled again.

"I made a curry stew. It should go great with meat. As punishment for making us worry, though, I vote you help me prepare the rest. There's quite a bit of meat to work with, after all."

Returning to work in the kitchen, she hummed a gentle melody she often sang while cooking at home. Soon enough, the venison was ready to be served.

The whole town pretty much got a platter- a bowl of stew and some nicely cooked venison. She'd procured a platter for herself and Erick as well and held out the man's serving. "You worked hard, so you should eat lots."

 

[Erick Stryker]

"Owwww!" he let out when the girl clocked him over the head and gave him a firm talking to. She was hardly as stern about the whole ordeal as Pietro had been, which he was thankful for, and the others seemed willing to let him off the hook, so he decided not to push his luck. Instead, when she mentioned curry stew, his eyes lit up. "Oh man, that sounds awesome!" he had heard of curry, but never tried it. It wasn't a regional dish where he lived, and the presence of foreign food was virtually nonexistent.

"Just tell me what I need to do and it's done," he hopped into step quickly and hurried for the kitchen, where he could have a short reprieve from the rest of the group. It was nice to have them all together for a meal, but they were the only two who knew that this was just a simulation. It was like a secret they shared that the others could never learn the truth about, and it put a rift between them.

As they worked, he thought hard about that. Would the food they ate here taste the same? Would it be the same experience? How deep did the lie go, that people would rather exist in this world than the real one? Was it so appealing to get UI-locked? Was he on the way to thinking that way?

She held out his portion, and Erick accepted it with a distant expression. "It looks fantastic, Harukami," he said, still at arm's length. When he finally looked at her directly, he lowered his voice. "I guess it really is easy to forget that none of this is real, isn't it?" he asked.

The pain still throbbed where the briars had stuck him, and his feet burned from how raw they got while he was running on dirt and stone. Without the pain limiters on, this world was a hell no different from the one they were accustomed to. If he hadn't been warned about it beforehand, he might have stumbled onto that revelation and been killed by it.

He ran off on his own to find out just how real it was.

And it was very, very real.

As he tuned the limiters back to the desired setting, he took a bite of his food. It was amazing. "You have a gift," he said with a smile.`

 

[Harukami]

Putting her hands on her hips after she'd clocked him ever so slightly, she smirked a little. His 'ow' seemed a bit unwarranted to her- she wasn't exceptionally strong. Still, it sounded like he'd learned his lesson about making people worry. Smiling more gently, she was glad to hear he was excited for the food. It seemed everyone was- this wasn't a normal dish, after all.

"It's more real than you think," She told Erick, a sad expression taking over her face. It was real enough to kill people, after all. "The people we meet- er, the players, at least- they're all real people. You and I, w-we're real. I hope that's something you won't forget."

Speaking of the two of them, Harukami decided to make a bold action- but not before noticing the marks of briar sticking him. "Want me to heal you?"

While waiting for an answer, the girl opened her palm menu and began fiddling with it, before Erick would soon see a message just for him.

Notice

Harukami would like to add you as a contact.

"There's a lot about this world we don't know... But there's something I think you should. Can we meet again soon? It's... not something to talk about during a happy meal."