Private Pormont (Reaping Season I) The Future Harvests

[Siondhe]

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Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

Amazing...absolutely amazing...I wonder what else you could do with technology designs like this! She felt her excitement growing - a feeling she hadn't felt since the incident with the rats in the cave.

A shiver ran down her back as the image passed through her mind, bringing her back to the horrors that she had inflicted there. Thankfully, MAI managed to pull her from her thoughts, asking about a possible reward. Confused, Kyra turned to look at the Magia again, her expression filled with befuddlement.

"Uh...what sort of reward were you thinking of? I'm not really sure what I could offer, but if it's within my power to do so - wow, that sounds way too official...what I mean, is if I can do it, sure. I mean considering all you've done so far...it's just a miracle, really. In so many ways. I mean I knew that things like this might be possible, I guess. But to actually see it..."

Her excitement had her rambling, and she had to sigh the words away. Plastering on a simple smile, she gave a nod as her tail gave a soft sway behind her.

"What I mean to say is...yeah, if I can do something for you, absolutely."

Her hand remained lain across the cart, gently holding onto it even as she marvelled in its design. Absolutely...wonderful...

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

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Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

Somehow Kyra seemed almost too excited about what they have accomplished so far. MAI listened while her expression remained largely neutral, merely blinking a few times. Ultimately, she turned ever so slightly to look over her shoulder at the cart.

"It's nothing special. I think that anyone with Magitech and enough relevant knowledge from the outside world could accomplish something like this... and much more."

But now was not the time to undermine the fruits of her own labour. After all, Kyra had just agreed to reward the Magia, as long as it would be something feasible. As far as the purple-haired girl knew, it very much was feasible, her body leaning to the side as if she was trying to peer behind the healer.

"Your tail. It looks fluffy... can I hug it?"

That was it. She left the words hanging, so the other girl had plenty of time to process them and react accordingly. MAI, of course, did not change her expression at all, remaining steadfast in her request, as strange as it might have been.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

Hug...my tail? She stared blankly at the Magia girl for a longer time than she likely should've, trying to process the request. In return for all the work, MAI just wanted to...hug her tail? It wasn't at all what Kyra had expected to hear from the other girl, in fact in many ways it was far simpler than any of the requests she had been considering.

"I...uh, sure? I mean...that's all you want? I'm not complaining in any way - in fact it's kind of...cute?...I just didn't expect it to...well, I just didn't expect it to be that..."

She shifted around slightly, awkwardly trying to turn her tail around for the other girl to get a grasp of, while keeping her eyes on her. She only ended up twisting in an awkward manner that looked nearly as uncomfortable as it felt.

"Uhm...but why?"

The confusion in her voice likely matched the confusion visible on her face; the question burning in her mind even as she spoke it aloud. Although she'd chosen the beastfolk race because of its adorableness, she'd yet to meet anyone else who wanted to...hug her tail. It felt odd to Kyra for reasons she couldn't quite explain, and definitely couldn't understand.

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

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Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

Just as MAI figured, Kyra was rather uncertain about this whole thing. Not reluctant, but definitely uncertain. Well, she could hardly be blamed for that. But while she was seeking satisfactory answers, there were not many to be given. It was just as simple as this:

"It looks very fluffy, so I thought it would be very comfy. Like a really nice pillow to nuzzle against when a person is lonely."

A bit of personal experience might have slipped in there. Either way, the Magia suddenly turned away from the healer and marched toward the cart, then gestured for the barn gate to be opened up.

"Just open up and come sit down. It'll be much more comfortable like that. You'll just hurt yourself if you contort your body like that when standing up."

While sitting down, all she would have to do was turned slightly and the tail would be quickly resting in MAI's lap and could be hugged from there. Not like any other way to do it would reduce the inherent awkwardness and possible embarrassement from such a situation.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

She stared after the Magia girl for a moment, paused as she tried to figure out what the girl was playing at. Her reasoning made sense, in a way - in a very weird way, it made sense. Her tail curled inwards slightly in response to the situation, tucking itself in against her in an almost defensive way. It was weird, thinking about someone wanted to hug her tail - something that she could understand, and yet somehow felt so personal.

"Oh...yeah, I guess...here, let me help with that. With the doors. Then we can...test it, I guess..."

She moved to the larger barn doors, assisting with opening them up so that the cart could be guided out towards the fields beyond. Once the doors were opened, she made her way back towards the cart, hovering on the edge of the cart itself while she waited for MAI to give further direction.

"How do we get this thing going? Do we just...hop on, and like...spin it up and ride it out? Is there a special phrase we need to speak? Like an incantation? A quick tap on the motor to kick it into gear?"

A quick flick of her tail caused a small gust of wind to shift across the floor, disturbing the straw and dirt that had collected throughout the barn.

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

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Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

The more she heard Kyra speak, the more was MAI convinced that this girl had a really strange way of thinking about... well, everything. Not to mention how it almost seemed like the fox was subject to severe mood swings. Well, as long as they could work together in some capacity, it was probably fine. The doors of the barn were opened and the cart was quickly aligned with them, both of the girls now getting on it.

"I'm not a cackling witch, and we've made this for elderly people who have hard time with anything new. You just press a button to start and then again to stop. "

To demonstrate, MAI leaned over to the engine and indeed pressed the only part of it that looked like a button. Perhaps they should paint it red later so its more obvious... but regardless, the engine hummed as it started sucking in air. And suddenly, it would start moving the two rods that connected it with the wheels.

The mechanical motion made the wheels spin and the cart was going ahead. Not nearly as loud as any normal engine from the outside world, not fast, nor slow... it truly did just replace the previous means of moving it forward - the horses that were here no more.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

Kyra stared in both amazement and absolute embarrassment. She figured, in that moment, that even the elderly folk would be more inclined to awareness than she had been. The button had - upon inspection - been obvious; obvious to the point that she realised just how foolish she was looking.

"Uh...yeah, yeah that makes...sense. I guess I've spent too much time playing the whole fantasy thing...forgot the simplicity that can sometimes come with, well, everything..."

She gave a sheepish shrug and smile, hoping that it would appease the other and maybe clear away some of the judgement that she guessed the other was placing upon her.

"I think this would be a good time to state the obvious...I'm not a mechanic in real life."

She gave a wink alongside the words, and a beaming smile. The joke was meant to lighten the mood, and hopefully bring about her point that she really was better with people than anything else. Still, it was embarrassing regardless to have been so...blind.

"With how this thing is moving so far, I think the folk around here are going to be pleasantly surprised...and maybe, just maybe, impressed with what Magitech can do - when it's not being used to murder and torture your family members."

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

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Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

The Magia would merely shake her head at it all. Kyra didn't have much to worry. Even if MAI were to judge someone in her mind, she would never do so out loud and publicly. At the same time, it would not disallow her cooperation with another. There were plenty of incompetent people walking the earth, and the fox healer was doing just fine in comparison to them.

"The most basic things can easily escape us. There is a reason why tech support always asks if your device is plugged in first. It might sound stupid and like a mockery, but it does account for most of the issues."

Whether that was of any consolation to the other girl, MAI had no idea. Worst case, the entire thing would become even more awkward for both of them!

"...and anything capable of torturing and being autonomous would be far more complex than a simple motor like this."

Maybe her humor was a bit too dark in this instance?

 

[Siondhe]

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Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

Kyra nodded, a shy smile on her face in response to the kind words of the Magia girl. She glanced about as the cart began pulling itself forwards and into the field, moving with a speed that almost surprised the fox girl. She had known that Magitech could mirror some of the technology of the real world, but this almost seemed like an improvement on the real world technology.

"So...think they can get away with just one of these? Or do you think we need to make more of these? I saw at least another six carts throughout the village, and they do have a few thousand acres of fields or something to farm..."

She gave MAI a beaming smile in an attempt to appear pleasant prior to asking her big question. She'd already asked a lot from MAI, and it felt wrong to ask for more, even if it was helping other people.

"That is...unless you don't think you can replicate this again. Maybe it's a one-time deal?"

A wink, followed by her tongue being stuck out were meant to signify the jest - but as she did so, she wondered if the other girl would catch the humour behind her words. She knew sometimes it was lost on others, especially those who didn't know her very well.

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

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Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

Everything seemed to be going well, which pleased MAI a fair bit. This was her first time actually trying to replicate real-world technology, after all. Rather than the idea of a random explosion which worried Kyra before, the Magia was worried about malfunctions that would prevent the motor from running properly. But seeing how none of that was happening, perhaps there was hope?

"I don't know how to describe it well, but as long as I have the beginner settings still on, the game keeps helping me. It even seems to keep 'blueprints' of what I do with my Magitech mastery. So if I want to replicate something like this motor, it will help me make more exact copies. Though... it may be worthwhile to only upgrade half of their equipment in case some of the others stay adamant about not using any Magitech."

Sure, they might have convinced the old lady, but she was just one person. And as the fox healer said before, she seemed to be the most desperate one. It was entirely possible that some of the older folk would refuse to touch MAI's Magitech even after it proved to be effective and making things easier.

"I don't mind doing this much... as long as I can get my 'reward'."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

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Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

Kyra nodded as the girl explained about the beginner settings - the system assists that she herself had ignored, wanting a more realistic style of play. It had cost her, in the beginning. Learning things had been that much more difficult. Especially magic, where she had been forced to memorise the complex activation sequences, something the auto-assist would've done automatically for her.

"Yeah...that auto assist feature can really make a difference. I...skipped over it. Still don't use it, in fact. It makes the game easier, but...well, I just don't like assists, I guess. Made learning spells a lot more difficult, and combat comes naturally, but at a cost as well. Sort of. Basically, you have to learn - and memorise - how to do everything. Takes a lot of practice, and time."

MAI had a good point - upgrading half of the other carts would be logical, in a way. Especially if the others were resistant. It was a possibility. Yet...Kyra wondered if it would be worthwhile to do it, to just force them into it. Especially seeing as once they saw the upgrades, there was a good chance they would want it too, and then there might be infighting.

"I'll leave that decision to you, seeing as you're the one doing all the work...I don't know if they'll be entirely resistant at all, but it's possible. Worst comes to worst, I guess they can share the carts, right?"

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

160 / 160

Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

MAI stared at Kyra blankly for a moment after hearing the fox spirit healer speak of her own way of playing. With a completely blank face devoid of any emotion or judgement, the Magia then proceeded to state her own feelings without any restraint at all.

"Sounds like a really dumb decision. Especially in a death game."

It was not meant to be an insult in any sense of the word, it was simply how the girl thought about things. The beautiful mask she wore in this game allowed her to be more open with her feelings and thoughts, which were formed by the way she thought about things. Namely that people should be careful when trying this game, especially at the start. Diving into the hardest difficulty without even knowing the controls, it simply sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.

"But helping here wasn't a dumb decision. And if they start fighting over the upgraded equipment, they can just call us back here again. Unless they would think that arguing would be better than trying to solve the problem."

Then again, their resistance to Magitech and attempts to outsource the fields to a random Starcalled might have been a small sign of them trying to find short-term solution over long-term ones already.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

Kyra laughed at the response from the Magia. She had heard many times that it was a dumb idea, especially in this game. Not that she ever regretted the decision, it had made her what she was now - capable, non-reliant, versatile. A lot of other players though, relied on the systems, almost more than they would like to admit - something that she would never allow to happen for herself.

Sure...it might've been dumb in the beginning. Dangerous, even. But...you become reliant on the system, and the moment its no longer there, you're lost. Relying on technology is alright to start with, but the manual way, the old fashion way in some viewpoints, won't ever abandon you. I've come across too many players who rely on the system, only to have it falter at a crucial second, leaving them...well, useless. Can you cast any spells without the assist?

Her voice wasn't judgemental at all - in fact it carried an almost humorous tone to it, and her question was lightly spoken, not pointed or targeted in any way. She doubted it would make a difference, but she reached over and flicked MAI on the nose, gentle enough not to hurt the girl, all while smirking at her.

And if you think they won't fight over it...well, you clearly haven't spent much time with old people, have you? Any reason to scrap and they're there. Even if it's just to fight over who has the better coloured knitting needles. Old folks.

She giggled as she considered the farmers fighting over the equipment. MAI was right, they could just call them to make more, she'd just need to give them a way to reach her.

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

160 / 160

Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

"Sounds like these elders who think magitech technology will hurt them or otherwise fail them."

MAI just kinda blurred those words out, but it did seem similar. Assuming that a helpful system would inevitably fail in the most crucial of moments, thus having to do everything the old hard way... when reality has proven again and again that it was the other way around. It was always the human element that was the weakest and that failed miserably while the automated machines marched on tirelessly. But ultimately, it was all up to Kyra. And she had already made her choice a long time ago.

"I don't have spells, either. Only command lines for remotely controlled magitech constructs. The rest is just me and this body."

Perhaps she was just still too new to this game to have any real abilities. She did avoid combat for the most part, after all. Not something that she could keep up forever, likely, but as things stood right now, she was simply enjoying the game and what it had to offer. As for the actual conversation about old folk...

"None of the elderly I know outside of here are like that. They are very nice, in fact. And don't mind sharing."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

Kyra giggled, considering the concept of the differences in their worlds. Perhaps it was a cultural thing - she assumed MAI was from another part of the world, although she had no confirmation of that. Not that culture couldn't be different within the same city, let alone the world.

Fair...I guess it's just different experiences. Command lines, eh? Sounds more like a computer program than a game. Writing code and all that...fancy hacker stuff.

A wink and a tongue stuck out as she jested at MAI, hoping the girl wouldn't be offended. Everyone played the game differently, there was no denying that. That was part of what had made Terrasphere so interesting to many folks; the ability to play it as you desired, no real restrictions beyond what should be realistically expected.

You know what's nice about all of this? The fact that we can be so different, and not find ourselves at odds...something that just doesn't seem to happen in the real world too often. And it's not just you and I. I know so many players who have different beliefs on how to do things, and sure there's an argument here and there, but...

She shrugged, smiling as she glanced out over the fields again. There was an underlying beauty about it, somehow.

Not to say that there isn't conflict here...there is, always. I just find that on a day to day basis, well...it's easier to get along with people here, than in the real world. At least that's what I've found. Maybe it's just a me thing though, who knows. I am odd, after all.

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

160 / 160

Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

"Games are computer programs."

MAI was quick to answer with another short retort, or perhaps a correction. She was no hacker or even a programmer, at least not in a professional capacity, but she still knew more than most people that merely saw computers as magical monitors sitting on one's desk, projecting things when you clicked something on the mouse or a keyboard.

As the cart stopped in front of the seemingly endless fields of swaying golden spring wheat, the view would become truly otherworldly. A strangely appropriate backdrop for the kind of conversation that Kyra opened up, somewhat out of nowhere. Well, she was an oddball, after all. But the Magia did not mind. She liked talking about philosophy, even if on just a basic level.

That said, having such a respite, her eyes quickly wandered to something specific before she would answer all that Kyra had said. Nudging herself a little closer to the fox healer, she would suddenly half-pounce on that fluffy tail and take a hold of it. It was supposed to be her reward for achieving this, after all. So as her hands softly embraced it, her still mostly expressionless appearance would soften at least a bit.

"Of course. Mother Kos allowed for the impossibility of life. Even if we don't realize it most of the time, our lives defy everything. We should not be here, yet we are. In face of that, arguing over things like ideologies or beliefs is... silly."

Suddenly, she squeezed the tail against her chest a bit tighter than before, a brief shadow cast over her face as her gaze fell from the infinite horizon to the dirt-laden ground.

"Only because outside of reality, we are given a beautiful mask that lets us become our better selves. But where it matters, the truth is that the world isn't so small we need to step on each other. But I know even if it were only the two of us, even if we had everything in our hands, we'd still fight until our last."

Kyra certainly managed to open up quite a heavy topic.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

She'd almost pulled away at the sudden leap upon her tail - the movement shocking her far more than hurting her. She'd managed to remain still, only through quick reactions and sudden realisation that what was happening wasn't a threat - in fact, it was completing a promise made. Instead, she made the tip of her tail twitch ever so slightly; a technique that had once been foreign to her, but now came so easy. The wonders of what you get used to, over time...

Perhaps...there's always conflict. Always. But I find that here...I don't know, it's like there's more willingness in most people to try and compromise, to not suddenly leap towards violence. I would...

She cocked her head as she considered her line of thought. Definitely a personal opinion, but one that she had come to notice during her time here. It wasn't all encompassing by any means, but there was a truth to it, somewhat.

...I would almost say that the most violent people I've met here, are those players from the world beyond. Which is not to say that there isn't violence inherent in this world. Bandits, creatures, bad folk.

She had to stop herself from specifically mentioning the Magia and the Magitech. The attack on Camp Hope had left her scarred, more so than she'd like to admit. But it hadn't corrupted her view on the enhanced folk, like it had for some individuals.

But, I would say that even considering all that...the Starcalled leap towards violence ahead of anything else, as if they come here just to...kill. Not all of them, mind you, but a large portion. Makes you wonder sometimes how people of this world can call us heroes...

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

160 / 160

Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

The girl didn't plan on stealing Kyra's tail away for too long. In fact, she slowly allowed it to slip away already after her small outburst of negativity. She merely wanted to know how it would feel to hug something so fluffy. It was very nice. Warm and comfy, she could easily imagine herself hugging onto something like this a whole lot. Alas, that was not possible, and she didn't want to make her new friend too uncomfortable.

"Game. It's because they join this place as a game... killing is what you do in MMOs. The most common activity. So they join, assuming this place would be the same."

Well, that was the girl's theory, anyway. She had no real way to confirm this, but she figured it was the most likely cause. When the world in front of a person was fictional, or at least perceived as fictional, it was fairly easy to detach any feelings or empathy. Let loose, slaughter, and have fun. There was no need to feel bad about doing something like that... until a game like TerraSphere came along.

"Rather than malice, it may simply be... ignorance. Willful or not."

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

220 / 220

Scythe Mastery ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Spirit Magic ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aeromancy ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Corrupt

Kyra shook her head as MAI responded, the arguments valid - she would've agreed with them, originally too. But there was far more to it, than just that. Something that she hadn't yet shared, something that she found far more disturbing, at least in her mind.

Sure, if they were just to drop in...but these are the veterans. Those who've been around TerraSphere for some time, who know what this world is - what it's all about. Maybe they started off violent, I can't say for sure, a lot of them come from long before my time here. What I can say, is that they show a level of violence and aggression that stems on the...well, almost concerning side.

She flicked her tail towards MAI, inviting the girl to curl back into it should she so choose. Her eyes still hovered on the horizon as she spoke, eyeing the glittering fields as she considered everything she was sharing. It was nice to just talk, once in a while.

It's not like new players drop in combat ready...this place forces you to fight for every instance that you want to survive - in some way, shape or form. But what I've seen, is that even though most players are aware of what this place is...they still willingly jump to violence as the answer - especially some of those who've been here for a long time.

She raised her hands, as if in defeat. She wasn't even sure what point she was trying to make here. She, herself, had turned to violence on occasion. It wasn't as if she was free and clear of such actions. But what worries you is how it becomes easier, over time...as if the more time you spend here, the more violent you become...and does that only last in the game itself?

@MAI​

 

[MAI]

160 / 160

Taunting‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Protected‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Aura Protect‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Vulnerable
Empowered‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Inspired‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Hasted‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Other

Kyra's words didn't necessarily change MAI's opinion. If a person saw this world as nothing more than a game constructed for them, then they would have little reason to hold back. Once you perceived the things around you as nothing more than replaceable data which would never reach the level of 'humanity' then you probably wouldn't have much empathy or care for said data.

Sure, some people were enough of empaths that they would find something like that impossible. After all, one look at a Lander would convey that they are a human just as anyone else. They were the majority, but they had to be mirrored by people who were perfectly fine torturing animals or doing harm to other humans for nothing more than entertainment. For now, the Magia had only one answer to it all.

"It's also the easiest way. Killing is a permanent solution to a problem. And usually much faster than anything else."

That was really it. Just saying it made a certain kind of cold emerge from deep within her. Though she quickly stopped her own hand that reached for the tail again, even if it was offered to her. Relying on such comforts was not good long-term, or so she was convinced.

@Kyra Vashtana