Private Eastern Brisshal Singing is Just a Sound

[Harveste]

In Honeyhome, a crowd had gathered in town square. There had been rumors that a little girl could make flowers bloom with her voice. Harveste doubted it was an altogether rare act, seeing as she was sure she wasn't the only person in the world to choose nature magic and harmonics in the Mastery section of the UI. But still, she had shown off to the plant nursery how her songs made the flowers happy to bloom.

Why was she such an idiot, she wondered? Anyone would be at least a little amazed at that sort of view!

Reluctantly, she began to sing for her audience, closing her eyes so that she didn't have to see the disappointed faces. The nearby plants did bloom beautifully, but that was all there was to it- she sang, flowers bloomed. To many, seeing it just for a moment was enough for a year. The crowd began to dissipate, much to her relief.

She opened her eyes and began to run- to run away from anyone that might have heard her singing, because she didn't want notes on it. She didn't want compliments. All she wanted was to make people smile. Couldn't they do that without telling her words that didn't make sense to her?

As she was running, she unintentionally felt her elbow get caught on someone for a moment as she rushed past. She stopped, turning to the stranger. "I'm really sorry- I wasn't exactly looking where I was going."

@Caelia Etterni

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Leaving behind the little cafe she'd been sitting at, Caelia followed the crowd of Landers towards the center of town. Unfortunately, it seemed that she'd just missed whatever they were gathering for; by the time she came up the street, the crowd was already dissipating. She still walked forward, planning to maybe sit in the town center and enjoy the day. That was about when someone ran into her, or at least, caught her elbow a little bit. She reached out a hand to steady the smaller individual, smiling down at her.

A Faerin, like me! I haven't seen a small one before, but I did have the option to make myself shorter at character creation... she thinks to herself. Aloud, she speaks, her tone warm and friendly:

It's quite alright! What're you in such a hurry from? There's nothing to be worried about, is there?

She looks back the way the other Faerin had been coming, as if assessing the route for any danger that could have pervaded the streets of Honeyhome. She didn't see anything... She looked back to the other Faerin curiously, still smiling.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Harveste was small, that was for sure. She smiled while her neck was straining to look up at the woman she'd bumped into, who was working to stabilize the frantic girl. Moving her free hand to rub the back of her neck, she let out a nervous chuckle. Didn't think I'd cause a panic, she thought to herself. It wasn't really a panic, but she felt like it could count. After all, the woman had moved to look around for any danger Harveste might have been running from.

It's nothing, really! Nothing's wrong, I mean. I'm just kind of... bad with crowds?

She laughed nervously now, bowing her head to the woman.

I'm really sorry for running into you like that. I was just had so much pent up anxiety that I had to run for it. I can only sing for so long...

Some of the Landers walked by and complimented her as they did, leaving Harveste bright red and totally embarrassed.

Oh why did I do that, anyway!? I'm glad it made people smile, but...!

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia wasn't sure if she was supposed to treat this Faerin like a child or like an equal. She didn't look any older than she was herself, but it was so hard to tell in these games, wasn't it? Probably best to go with "equal" for now, lest she offend the other woman.

Again, it's no worries! I was headed towards the town center to just sit and watch the day go by.

She paused as some Landers walked by and complimented her for her...singing? Oh, that must have been what the gathering was earlier! Maybe?

Were you singing for the Landers? That's sweet! I'm sure they enjoyed it. (soft chuckle and a smile) I'm Caelia by the way. What can I call you?

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Harveste watched as Caelia seemed to be thinking, before telling her about her plans. Her words reminded Harveste of an old song she liked, and so for a short moment, she began to hum it- then stopped, shook off the need to do so, and smiled.

I see! Honeyhome is a very nice town to relax in. I travel a bit around the country, but I always like coming back here for some R and R! It's just so peaceful!

She could use some peace after recent events. That peace was still ongoing even as she struggled with people talking to her outside her new acquaintance.

I was more singing for the flowers than the people... I have the ability to make flowers bloom when I sing by combining harmonics and nature magic, you see...

She wasn't sure why, but she felt it best to explain to Caelia the whole story.

Caelia? That's a nice name! My name is Harveste.

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia nodded in agreement with the other Faerin's words about Honeyhome being peaceful. She couldn't exactly relate to the whole "coming back" for R&R, considering she rarely left the area as of yet, but it still made sense.

Nice to meet you Harveste! Do you want to walk and talk?

It was interesting to hear how the other's magic worked, blending the two together. So far, Caelia hadn't tried blending her magic much, but perhaps she should practice that a little more...

You must be pretty skilled to make the flowers bloom. I'm still pretty low level myself, still working out the kinks in my own magic.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

It surprised her a little bit when the fellow Faerin offered to walk and chat together with her, but the small woman smiled with delight, ear to ear.

I'd love to join you! Thank you, Caelia!

Harveste could only laugh nervously as Caelia commended her and called her 'skilled'. It was true that she'd gotten fairly good at magic- and most of her skills- but she felt a bit like a cheater. She was there for the first round of Terrasphere, after all. While some things had changed, including the mastery system, other things were fairly similar.

You can only get better with practice. I've just had a lot of time to do so. I'm certain you'll be better at magic than me someday as long as you put in the effort!

Did that sound too wise for a small girl? Probably. She couldn't help wondering if she'd said something she shouldn't have to the woman. She was, after all, appearing as an adult. Harveste was an adult too, already past her first quarter of life- but she wasn't as wise as she acted sometimes. Still, she nodded to herself after letting go of worries about age and all that.

We can always practice sometime together if you'd like. For now, though, I think rest is plenty important too.

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia started to walk through the streets of Honeyhome with her new acquaintance, occasionally smiling or waving to the Landers that they passed. Kaede's warning about her magic still rang in her ears any time she was near civilization, so when Harveste mentioned practicing sometime, she laughed a bit nervously.

Maybe! I usually practice out in the forest, so I don't, ah, scare anybody. (nervous chuckle) Resting is important too, though, you're right. I plan to put in a lot of effort to getting better over time, with plenty of rest in between.

She slowed her pace as they came back towards the center of town, idly looking at the shops and things that were scattered around.

So, if you're really skilled, you must be from the...the first game, right? I've met a few veterans since I started playing... What was it like? Has a lot changed from that game to this one?

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

As Caelia waved to Landers, Harveste mimicked her in kind. She knew many of the Landers by name, but couldn't always place them. So, she just smiled and waved like a child might, eagerly flailing her hand. She seemed to be trying to be inconspicuous after her little display- but rather than that, she was quite obvious to most of them. Some even giggled passing by, noting she was a 'cute kid', which made her pout.

I was aiming for a cute fairy, not a child...

Then, Caelia mentioned practicing in the forest to not scare anyone. Harveste nodded, grinning.

I do all my practice in the forest too... Or outskirts of towns in general. I like places with a lot of greenery for my practice- not just in magic, either. I'm also a martial artist. I still prefer not to accidentally hurt anyone, so I try to stay somewhere far from people while I'm training in that, too.

As they slowed their pace in the center of town, Harveste found a bench near a small fountain and took a seat. The flowers of all the shops were blooming brilliantly due to her song. Looking around, she smiled. It was a sight to behold, to her.

Yep! I was here the first time around! The mastery system and things have changed a lot, and there's a lot of Landers I don't recognize... I'm not sure if they changed the landscape or not because it's been four years and I don't remember it well. This game gave me a lot of things in the past... But it took away some of those things as well. Be careful not to lose your life too often, okay? If you ever want to go on an expedition or something further out...

Harveste began to use the Palm Menu to send a contact request to Caelia. Grinning, she finished her thought.

Don't hesitate to call me to party up. It's always safer in numbers, and I can fight and support pretty easily.

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Ah, so she wasn't going for child. Caelia filed that information away to remember for later. She gave a wane smile when Harveste mentioned doing her practicing outside of town so she didn't hurt anyone. That was a good reason; it certainly was probably better than "I practice magic the Landers consider taboo," anyways. She took a seat beside Harveste as they came to a stop, listening to the fountain trickle softly behind them. The flowers were blooming rather beautifully, their scents making the air fresh.

Oh, yeah, someone else warned me about the...the lives thing. (nervous chuckle) She was stuck in the game, I guess? Still trying to wrap my head around that information, but she was nice...

She paused as something popped up over her UI.

Notice

@Harveste would like to add you to their Contacts.

She reached up to hit the blue check mark, smiling down at Harveste as the notification disappeared and a new contact was added to her list of friends.

I'll remember that! I haven't gone far from Eastern Brishaal yet, I'm working on grinding out my skills first before I try to see other places... I'm a bit nervous to go too far on my own.

 

[Harveste]

The sound of the fountain's trickle made a tune to the harmonic mage. She hummed softly to the tune of the water and the wind, being careful not to put any actual magic into her voice. It took a lot of effort, surprisingly, but she managed not to over-indulge the plants with nature's song.

There's a lot of nice people in this world. Some try to protect others in the game, too. But to me, part of the fun is making friends to do things with anyway... And it's safer that way.

Harveste smiled up at Caelia as her contact request was accepted. She then listened carefully to the woman's words. Being nervous about going far from a safer area was understandable. The little Faerin nodded, grinning up at her new ally.

I've been away from here a fair bit. There are some really nice sceneries around Falderen. Honeyhome will always be special though, I think. And a number of other places. I've made great memories here over the years... Well, I guess I can't really put it that way, but...

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia nodded in agreement when Harveste said it was safer to make friends. It was a collaborative kind of game, after all, so it only made sense you would want to make as many connections as possible. She tilted her head slightly when the smaller Faerin spoke again, blinking slowly.

Does Honeyhome have bad memories for you, too? I guess I shouldn't ask, that's impolite... I'm sorry. If you want to talk about it, though, I'm willing to listen.

She gave a gentle, hopefully encouraging smile. She was curious, and she would be lying if she said she didn't want to know what Harveste was talking about. The more she learned about the game, the more intriguing it became...

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

I didn't mean Honeyhome specifically, I meant this game. I found someone I love in this game, but... They died to this game as well...

Harveste fidgeted slightly in her seat, tapping her foot and letting her fingers tap against her knees. She was flustered, visibly. Her face was a bit red, too. She could feel her heart racing slightly as she thought about Kaede.

Sorry, did that scare you to hear? I didn't get to see her for four years after she died... I finally got to see her again coming here, but...

She shook her head gently. She didn't want to think about it too much, nor bring down the mood. So, she stayed silent. A sad smile was plastered on her lips.

Let's try thinking about something more positive, shall we? Tell me more about yourself. What brought you to this world? What do you want from it?

 

[Caelia Etterni]

.

Caelia listened, her expression sympathetic as Harveste spoke. There was something more to her expression though, a very faint, lingering sense of yearning perhaps? Sure, the person that Harveste had found had died to the game - a fact she was still grappling with - but Harveste had found love.

Didn't they say it was better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, or something?

Oh, you didn't scare me. Someone else already told me about getting stuck in the game. It's...kind of hard for me to believe, honestly, but she was pretty serious when she told me about it, so I assume I'm not getting hazed by a veteran player and that it's real...

Her smile became a bit strained when Harveste asked what she wanted from the world and why she'd come here, searching for something positive to say.

I just...wanted to be more, I guess. This world offers so much. I mean, I feel more important here than I do out there. It's...nice.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

I've seen her since returning here, but a lot changes in four years. I can't see her in our world anymore, but... I guess on the bright side, I can see her here, even if things seem to have changed.

To have loved and lost- it was a common trope of sorts to the writer Harveste was, but having lived through it, she also knew how painful it could be to survive. Part of her felt guilty, leaving Kaede stuck in this world, not having been able to be by her side for four years. And yet, though happy to have seen her again, she felt a distance she couldn't explain. And that saddened her to think about. So, she shook her head and changed her thought process.

That's certainly true, there's a lot to do here. I came here at first to experience smell for the first time. Pretty lame reason, right? I think your reason is more reasonable. But... From now on, I want you to remember you are important, no matter what. To me.

 

[Caelia Etterni]

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Caelia didn't press Harveste for more information about the person she seemed to care so much for. Four years could change a lot, especially if one of those people was trapped living an alternate reality to what they'd known all their life... She still wasn't 100% certain of the truth of that, but she wasn't going to bring it up in front of Harveste. She seemed pretty upset about it.

Aw, well, thank you. I'll try to remember that, Harveste, I really will... It's hard sometimes, but I'll try.

She gave a gentle smile down at the other Faerin, but it lacked some of the genuine nature that her smiles had had before. Would she really remember what Harveste said?

...Did she even believe the other woman, necessarily?

She wasn't sure.

@Harveste