18+ Private Dunnstads Sunshower

[Lily]

Honeyhome. The name frankly did not ring any bells. Lily shrugged, instead flattening one of her palms before using the index and middle fingers of the other to do a few steps across the open palm, then simply threw both of her hands open at their surroundings. Maybe she saw whatever Honeyhome was along the way and just didn't learn the name, nor bother stopping there. She picked a direction and walked. Where the breeze seemed fresh, that way she went.

To showcase that she did indeed understand sign language, she gestured... something to Vina, before putting up a thumbs up. Although she didn't fully understand why someone would take such an immediate interest in her, she opened up her menu, invisible to the beastfolk, and ensured that a friend request would be arriving relatively soon. In her own mind, she somewhat doubted that this person would be able to learn sign language easily, especially in a timely manner, but they were communicating fine enough.

In fact, the in-game menu reminded her of something. Extending her hand toward Vina, she opened and closed her palm several times, a familiar gesture to anyone playing the game. With all of her fingers, she then started typing on an invisible keyboard. She wasn't actually, but the gesture probably got across well enough.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

From the looks of it Lily had quite literally just walked all the way to this lake from wherever she'd exactly spawned in. Barring irregularities that meant she'd crossed most of Falderen to go from Eastern Brisshal to this relatively remote part of Dunnstads.

Honeyhome is a nice place, so if you want to visit some other parts of this world it wouldn't be a bad idea to go there~ (She tilted her head.) They should also be used to the telepathy, since there's plenty of elves passing through there as well.

Vina could try to learn the basics of sign language to make communication a bit easier, but she doubted that the people of Honeyhome knew anything about that. And for that matter, Lily's next suggestion of using the UI to communicate wouldn't work for them either, as the people of Honeyhome were largely Landers and UI-locked Starcalled.

It was, however, a very good idea for Lily and Vina to communicate, and the vixen nodded enthusiastically before she received the friend request notification. Opening her own menu she quickly accepted the request, then tapped some more buttons and tried quickly writing out a message for Lily.

Vina Skysong

@Lily
I rarely use this so I forgot about it. Good thinking!

It didn't quell her idea of learning sign language entirely, but at the very least it meant they had a quick way of communicating in the meantime when gesturing wasn't doing the trick.

It does feel a little less personal than just talking, but it works~

 

[Lily]

Lily stared at Vina blankly for a moment upon the last line before typing something into her system, invisible to the other girl.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
Impersonal will have to do.

It wasn't supposed to be particularly aggressive, even if it maybe came across as such. It was just a moment of 'Well, what am I supposed to do with that' over anything else. But it was convenient at least. The game was so immersive that it took Lily a moment as well to fully remember that such functions were always available. Though it would still be pretty difficult to do in a more heated moment. Even if Lily had not experienced any combat yet.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
Don't know Honeyhome. Followed the fresh breeze until I got bored of walking. Then I decided to try out masteries for the first time and stayed here for a few days.

That just about summed up what the girl has been doing since she started in this world. Probably far less eventful than the experience of most.

 

[Vina Skysong]

Being unable to see Lily's UI meant that Vina could only wait with open curiosity as the elf typed something else, quickly checking the message once it was sent. The content made her blink before she laughed softly, her tail happily going from side to side.

Sorry, I didn't mean it like that~ (She tapped the side of her head.) But the telepathy will be very useful once you've gotten it under control~ It's like remembering words which weren't said.

As a singer, it was almost like the opposite of Vina's Harmonic Magic, but it was an interesting experience. Her main complaint was that it also meant she couldn't hear Lily's voice, but given that the elf was apparently mute there wasn't much either of them could do about it.

Lily's next message made Vina tilt her head, the druidess tilting said head slightly in thought.

The breeze brought you all the way here? That's pretty far, from here to there~ But Honeyhome is a nice place to visit, so I can point out where it is if you want to see it?

Given Lily's attitude it was possible she had little interest in the settlements of this world, but for Vina the offer came as naturally as the rain. Well, the usual rain, not the cloudless rain Lily had accidentally brought about with her magical dance. The songstress hummed a short tune before continuing, her vulpine ears twitching in rhythm.

If you don't mind me asking, what have you eaten in those days? Because even in this world you need more than just the sun's rays~ There's more than enough here to drink, but gathering enough fruits must take some time.

It was the middle of summer, and nature's bounty was available in abundance... but if Lily was new she might not have realised that food was just as important in this world as it was on Earth.

@Lily

 

[Lily]

Lily didn't really pay much attention to just how far she got. Not to mention, not all of it was just walking. That, and she didn't spend all of her time in the game, either. As far as she understood, she didn't need to eat or drink while she was not present here. After all, that would mean that anyone who logged out for a week straight or more would join back in and instantly die of thirst.

So in response, she simply shrugged and pointed to the trees all around them. She didn't exactly find it difficult to make use of nature's bounty. She knew how to make a fire, had the ability to command water, and was even learning some other tricks that helped in the thick of nature. It was all almost like one strange camping trip, where she got to sleep under the stars and make do with what she had around her.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina was surprised with how casual Lily was about surviving out in the wilds on her own. Most new players would have bought food from Honeyhome and put it in their inventory for when they needed it, but apparently the elven maiden was perfectly fine with foraging her own food.

I see~ So are you used to that kind of thing then?

She didn't mean to pry too much into Lily's identity outside of the game, but her curiosity did make her ask that much, and she did think it was a fair question.

Of course, it was also a relief that Lily wasn't starving.

This is a nice place to be if you know how to get your hands on what nature offers you~ (She looked around.) It's also the right time of year for camping, isn't it? Yeah, I can see how you're doing well for yourself out here~ That said, maybe I can offer you a little something?

After all, she was a guest here, visiting Lily at her lake without announcing her arrival in advance. It would be considered polite to offer her hostess a little something for the trouble, so Vina opened her inventory and fished out some pastries from the bakery in Honeyhome, still warm as time didn't pass inside the inventory. The vixen herself had gotten used to eating whatever was available during her journeys, but she always had some reserves just in case. Just in case here meaning if she wanted to treat a friend to something nice.

Here you go~!

Holding out one of the pastries towards Lily she waited for the elf to either accept or turn down the offer, the scent of freshly baked sweet goods filling the air quite quickly.

@Lily

 

[Lily]

Lily's hands moved fast once again, only for Vina's UI to notify her of another message that had arrived as soon as the elven girl stopped moving her slender fingers.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
Not my first survival VR game. Got plenty of experience.

Vina's comment only went hand in hand with that message. For someone who had experience with staying alive in the wilderness, it was not particularly difficult to get plenty to eat, or a safe space to sleep, in this kind of environment. The lake and its surrounding areas were all close to several settlements, meaning monsters were far and few between.

Of course, having a diet of forest strawberries meant that when something as delicious as freshly baked pastries was presented, it was rather hard to refuse. Especially given the fact that TerraSphere was just about as realistic as the world out there, smells and all. Lily's stomach grumbled a little as she eyed the pastries for a moment before snatching them from Vina's hands. It was an offer, after all.

After a few bites, she gave the aerial druidess a thumbs up and wiped away saliva from the corner of her mouth. It seemed that she found it a bit difficult to keep her manners up, but at least she did her best to actually enjoy the food instead of just wolfing it all down in a few bites and barely even getting a taste.

 

[Vina Skysong]

Oh, you're a fan of survival games? (She nodded.) I've tried one out in the past, but it was still in early development so it didn't last~

The growth of virtual reality did mean that certain types of games which hadn't been possible before were now gaining popularity or had already become mainstream, although the strict limitations set on most games did mean that Terrasphere was still a completely unique experience.

Still, this world is something else isn't it? (She stretched out one arm to the side.) It's hard to believe it's not real sometimes~

She could actually feel the winds stroking her skin and hear the rustling of the leafs at the edge of the lake. The level of immersion was unbelievable, the songstress sometimes wondering just how it was possible.

But that wasn't the kind of topic you discussed with somebody the first time you met. Instead it looked like Lily was all too happy to accept the offered pastries: the vixen smiled as her new friend almost snatched the food out of her hands and started tearing into it. Keeping one of the pastries herself she enjoyed every bite as well, giving Lily a thumbs up in return as the raindancer non-verbally signalled her approval.

It's good, isn't it~? I've got more in my inventory, so don't hold back~ Also, I could show you where you can get more if you want.

A moment of silence as she took another bite, the sweet taste distracting her for as long as it took her to carefully chew it up and then swallow it down. After which she blinked and laughed, mostly at herself.

I just realised I haven't asked yet! If you've been here for a couple of days already, how are you enjoying Terrasphere so far Lily?

She'd already asked Lily a bunch of questions, but she'd yet to actually hear what the elf thought about this game. That she'd spent the last couple of days here practising her masteries indicated at least some interest, but it would hardly do to not ask.

@Lily

 

[Lily]

The food was delicious enough for Lily to be left licking her fingers clean afterward. A clear enough indication as to how she might have felt about it, even if she did not say a word, or shown a single other gesture to confirm or deny anything. Though, before doing anything else, she started getting a bit tired of just awkwardly standing in the middle of the lake with Vina floating in place, the wind from her hover technique being more than just a bit of a breeze.

As if whatever spell was holding her up above the water's surface just expired, the girl suddenly sank, her entire body disappearing down beneath in an instant. Enveloped by water, her body moved much faster than anyone would anticipate, moving to the lake's edge in the blink of an eye and leaping out like a dolphin, landing on the lush green grass. One look back at Vina was hopefully enough of an invitation for the druidess. And besides, the girl felt much better with her body moisturized... she was starting to dry up just starting in place until now.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
TerraSphere is strange. And overwhelming. Too many sounds that cannot be turned down or off. Very disorienting.

Another quick message came through as well. Immediately being bribed by pastries with the promise of unlocking a location of the nearest bakery was certainly part of what was overwhelming about the game. Though the bigger issue most certainly were all the sounds, that were all piercing and crushing, and there was no hearing aid that could be simply taken out of the ear to take a rest from it all.

 

[Vina Skysong]

The eagerness with which Lily first devoured the pastries and then even licked her fingers clean told Vina everything she needed to know about how much the elf appreciated the gift. She would've said more, but before she could suddenly her new friend disappeared into the water, leaving the sky druidess looking rather befuddled as she blinked several times.

By the time she'd processed what had just happened Lily was already at the shore, the elf clearly expecting the vulpis to follow. Taking another moment to look from Lily back to the water Vina laughed, then directed the winds that held her aloft to push her towards the shore instead, hair dancing around her as finally she dispelled her magic and let her feet touch solid ground once more.

I did not expect that at all.

She wasn't bothered: in fact, she looked very amused at how abruptly Lily had returned to the lake from which she'd emerged. With the winds no longer in control of her movements Vina stretched until Lily sent her the message answering her question.

The message itself... Vina tilted her head slightly as the words tumbled inside her head. She herself had very sharp ears in this world, able to pick up not only very soft sounds but also sounds that were either too high or too low for most people to hear. Yet Lily apparently found the sounds in this world too much...

Sorry if I'm digging too deep Lily, but... can you hear well on Earth?

Vina wasn't an expert on muteness, but the way Lily talked about the sounds did make her wonder if maybe her new friend wasn't used to having fully functional hearing. It would explain why she described Terrasphere's sounds as overwhelming, and why she talked about turning sounds off.

@Lily

 

[Lily]

Turning around, Lily tilted her head in a questioning manner as she observed the laughing fox. No matter, she waited patiently for the druidess to arrive at the shore and found herself a nice flat spot to sit down in the meantime. The breeze could almost feel chilly in the shade of the taller trees that surrounded the lake. The droplets of water adorning her body would likely soon be gone again at this rate.

But Vina had arrived at the shore with another question, one that was obviously coming sooner or later. In the real world, the girl's situation was far more apparent, so she already figured that she would face this kind of question plenty of times. Rather readily, the girl pointed first to her ears, then to her mouth, and finally crossed her arms to form an X.

She figured there was no need to really spell this one out. After starting her adventure in this world, she quickly figured out that a lot of people here would likely be similar to her. Granted, she had not heard about this ahead of time, but that didn't mean others would be in the same boat. Hell, some would surely seek out this game just for the idea of overcoming their disabilities, even if it were to be in a digital world.

@Vina Skysong

 

[Vina Skysong]

So back on Earth Lily was mute as well as deaf... that did explain her difficulty communicating here in Terrasphere. It also confirmed Vina's idea that Lily's sensitivity to the sounds of Terrasphere was because the elven maiden was unused to hearing anything at all, much less the rich world of Arcia and all the wonders it had to offer.

While Vina greatly enjoyed her sharp hearing in this world, she could imagine that for Lily it was taking some getting used to. The jump from good hearing to superhuman hearing was probably smaller than going from no hearing to fully functional hearing.

If you're not used to hearing I can imagine that this place is a lot~ Is that one of the reasons you ended up in this plot~?

This lake was fairly peaceful: there were still birds and small critters, but this part of Falderen had very little in the way of larger animals or anything else that posed a threat to either Landers or Starcalled. Or, in Lily's case, anything that made a lot of noise.

The druidess made herself comfortable on the ground next to Lily, her tail swishing from side to side behind her as her gaze remained on the lake for now. It was really beautiful, the way that the sunlight reflected from the slight ripples that disrupted the tranquil surface as a slight breeze moved across.

I'm thinking that you'll get used to the sounds eventually, but I might have an idea to help out in there here and now~ Unless, of course, this place is already peaceful enough~

@Lily

 

[Lily]

It was nice that the person who ended up approaching Lily was at least reasonably good at deducing things. She had some not-so-great experiences from outside of the game, where her lack of ability to speak truly left her stranded in the proverbial sea with no compass to lead her. Or in other words, people who would not understand no matter how she would try to communicate with them unless she quite literally spelled it out on a piece of paper.

With a nod, she affirmed Vina's assumption as to why Lily was here to begin with, and already opened up another typing interface. However, she had to pause for a moment when the beastfolk suddenly mentioned that she had an idea of helping with the 'sound issue'.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
You can't breathe in a vacuum, either. But when I started playing, I went in the opposite direction of all the noise. I think that might have been the Honeyhome.

Preemptively trying to get ahead of a potential idea that could come from someone who has great control over wind and presumably air, she also tried to connect the fact that she was currently quite sensitive to sound with the fact that she somehow ended up here instead of at the usual newbie zone that just about everyone visited right after spawning in for the first time.

 

[Vina Skysong]

Vina blinked at Lily's next message: she hadn't considered removing the air itself to get rid of the sounds, but even if she had the elf was correct that it wouldn't work very well. The playful vixen shook her head as she laughed softly.

That is not what I had in mind~ My idea is much better you'll find~

Given that so far she'd mostly been showing off her control over the winds it was natural that Lily would assume that Vina's idea revolved around that part of her skillset. The druidess, however, had a different idea entirely, and one which she was eager to put to the test.

But I can hold my breath for a long time, so in an emergency it might be fine~ (She closed her eyes.) I'll just need a moment to focus and I can demonstrate my plan.

The cheerful swishing of her tail slowed down as the vixen concentrated: with her eyes closed she could fully focus on the sounds of the world around them, identifying all the different sources and their pitches and rhythms. This place was already quite tranquil so there weren't too many sounds for her to figure out, but it would do for the purposes of a brief demonstration.

Once she had all the different sounds figured out Vina began to hum softly, barely audible as she wove an unusual melody. At first nothing happened, but then both Vina's humming and all the surrounding sounds disappeared as the songstress used her own voice to cancel out all the other sounds, leaving the two of them in a bubble of silence.

Opening her eyes Vina opened her menu to send another message, her throat for the moment occupied with something other than talking.

Vina Skysong

@Lily
It's a bit tricky, but as long as I'm not distracted I can use my Harmonic Magic to cancel out other sounds. What do you think?

The message was accompanied by a smile both cheerful and even a bit prideful: Vina did think it was a really clever idea, especially since she was confident that she could also use it in noisier areas with a bit more practice.

It wasn't how she'd usually use her musical talent, but it was worth it if it helped her new friend be at ease.

@Lily

 

[Lily]

‎

It honestly wasn't like there was THAT much noise here, so Lily didn't quite understand why Vina seemed to be trying that hard with this. Still, she would let the vixen be. Not like it was her place to stop someone from doing something they wanted to do, anyway. And sure enough, it was still impressive when the effect kicked in... if a little weird and perhaps somewhat disconcerting on the account of the girl regaining her hearing and now 'losing' it once again.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
So you've turned on noise-cancelling on the headphones, except you are the headphones.

That was probably a bit of a weird metaphor, but frankly, it was the first thing that came to mind. Not that Lily used headphones in the real world, only a hearing aid. But given the age and how technology was advancing, just about every listening device she came across boasted about such a feature, and she did know how it worked on a technical level.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
It is impressive, I think.

 

[Vina Skysong]

Given the absence of any truly disruptive sounds at the lake edge maintaining the effect was fairly straightforward: Vina didn't have to think too much about it once she'd established the melody, and given that she was used to adapting her music to the world around her making minor adjustments came fairly easily as well.

Although she did lapse for a moment as Lily's comparison made her chuckle, the sounds returning before she caught herself and resumed the noise-cancelling humming before typing out a reply.

Vina Skysong

@Lily
That's one way to look at it~ I'll need some more practice to get used to it, but this way I could help you slowly get used to the sounds of this world.

Of course, if Lily preferred to just stay in quiet places that was her choice to make, but the playful vixen thought it would be a shame if the silent piscine didn't share the wonders that this world had to offer. Real or not, Arcia was a beautiful place that deserved to be explored, especially with friends.

Vina Skysong

@Lily
Thank you~ I'm used to being the one creating the music, so it's a new experience to be the one to take the music away. I could maybe also find other ways to help, but I'm not really a crafter or anything.

As a druid, she did dabble in herbalism, but she couldn't compare to dedicated alchemists and tinkerers. They could probably create some kind of tool or potion that could help soften the sounds for Lily without requiring constant concentration.

@Lily

 

[Lily]

‎

Lily remained still for a good minute or so, pondering before her hands quickly returned back to typing yet another message.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
I appreciate the gesture, but I think I'll get used to all the sounds soon enough. Probably won't be more than a day, if that. People are just good at that.

Just like opening your eyes in the light after being in the dark for a long, long time. Sure, it would be bright and perhaps even hurt for a little bit, but the eyes would get used to everything soon enough. Her ears were the same. Even though, in this case, it was really more her mind than anything. After all, the body she was inhabiting at the moment was entirely new, and never experienced deafness either.

Lily

@Vina Skysong
But I guess this would have other, more practical uses in a world like this.

 

[Vina Skysong]

As Lily appeared to be thinking about the idea Vina remained silent as well. Or rather, she continued to cancel out all sound in the area, leaving the two of them in their bubble of quiet. To somebody who was used to enjoying all the sounds the world had to offer there was almost something eery to it, but the vixen persisted as she waited for her new friend to offer her thoughts.

Given that Lily had gone out of her way to find this isolated lake to escape the noise she was surprised at the elf's declaration that she'd get used to the sounds soon enough, but nodded and typed back.

Vina Skysong

@Lily
If you say so~ Don't hesitate to ask if you ever feel like the noise is too much though~

She was happy to help, so even if Lily thought it was unnecessary the druidess wanted to make it clear that the offer would still be around should her friend ever feel differently. For now Vina decided to use this opportunity to practise the technique as well as get more comfortable with the silence herself. Something which was rather foreign to her, just like how the opposite was alien to Lily.

The suggestion that the technique could also be used for different matters was an interesting one, given that Vina hadn't really considered it before. Well, that wasn't entirely true: she'd done something similar before, but at the same time it was a completely different situation back then. She tilted her head in thought before replying.

Vina Skysong

@Lily
If I got more practice with it maybe I could control which sounds I cancel and which get through, so that'd be useful if you want to talk in a busy place. What other uses did you have in mind Lily~?

@Lily

 

[Lily]

‎

Lily

@Vina Skysong
There are no people here, so there is barely any real noise. If this place was a hotspot for tourists, it would be a different story.

The answer was really as simple as that. The reason why she headed in the opposite direction of Honeyhome was because it was a busy city with many, many inhabitants and adventurers gathering there. It might not have been the capital of the nation, but it certainly could be just as noisy to someone like Lily.

Here, however? A peaceful lake with only the sounds of nature, and the yapping smooth talking of a single beastfolk. It was far from the worst. And speaking of which...

Lily

@Vina Skysong
You can also speak normally again, I really don't mind. And the offer is appreciated.

Vina wasn't exactly a loud and boisterous type. In fact, her voice was more soft and soothing than anything. Far better than the company of some other adventurers Lily could imagine. As for the other uses that she had in mind...

Lily

@Vina Skysong
Like cancelling out a mind-controlling song of a siren, or something like that.

Means of violence and combat were what first came to the mind.

 

[Vina Skysong]

One of the downsides of Vina's idea was that she couldn't emote with her voice as long as she was cancelling out the sounds: or rather, expressing herself vocally could interfere with the technique, which was unfortunate as a part of her really wanted to chuckle as Lily dryly pointed out that in their current environment there wasn't any real noise for the songstress to cancel out. Thankfully she managed to suppress that desire, instead typing out her own response.

Vina Skysong

@Lily
Haha, I mean if we go somewhere with noise in the future~

She was currently just demonstrating the technique, since she highly doubted Lily was bothered by the noisiness of an isolated lake in the midst of a forest. The truth was that she rather enjoyed the rustling of the breeze travelling between the trees, so when her elven companion told her that she could stop she gratefully did so, gradually tapering off her humming so all the sound returned smoothly.

Inhaling deeply her ears swivelled as she took in all the sounds once more, the vixen closing her eyes briefly before opening them again and smiling.

I must say, complete silence isn't my thing~ I'll have to practise enough that I can let the wind song pass through at least. (She tilted her head.) Or maybe that would also be strange if it was the only thing that got through...

For a sky druid like Vina the winds were like messengers from afar, telling her about the world around her and beyond. For her own sake, refining her control so she could cancel the bad sounds while letting in the good would be a good idea, and she imagined that for the people around her it'd also be uncomfortable if they were exposed to true silence for too long.

Cancelling the song of a siren? (She chuckled.) That could work, or maybe I could counter them by singing an even better song~ That's not a bad idea though Lily. I wonder if it would also prevent sorcerers and wizards from chanting their spells~

She had, in the past, used a similar technique to cancel an ongoing magic effect, but that had been a special case.

But as a bard making other people feel at ease is as practical a use as I can imagine, so I'd disagree on it being a better way to use my voice~

@Lily