Complete Private Eastern Brisshal The Cat and the Hat

[Nyancy]

It was another nice day out and Nyancy, as usual, was doing some fishing and thinking. Though this was basically her standard practice these days, today was something special. This was because today, Nyancy was supposed to meet a friend, or really more of an acquaintance at the moment, from the physical world in the digital world.

It had been about a week ago that Nancy Jenkins, the woman who became Nyancy in the digital world had visited a small watch store and found an oddly designed wristwatch that she had taken a liking to. When she asked the cost, the store owner simply gave her the wristwatch for free. Feeling that some type of payment should be made, and not having much more on her at the moment, Nancy Jenkins gave the woman a QR code and told her about the game. The woman had seemed interested and the pair decided to meet in the game to play together. Now, today was that day.

I wondah what kinda person she's gonan be. She strikes as someone that would play as ah human maybe? But who knows, maybe I'll be surprised.

Before leaving the shop, Nyancy and the woman had decided on a time and a place to meet.

Welp, should be about the right time any minute now. Guess theyah nuthin' tah do but tah wait.

And so, Nyancy sat, sitting by the river, waiting for her acquaintance to join her.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

"Well, it really is something"

Laylabelle muttered walking as she looked all around herself, and mainly up. Everything went so far up. She wasn't much of a game player, not seriously anyway, but that was kind of rare wasn't it? To look up and just see it keep going and going and going? She even had a feeling she could make it up there, if she could find the means.

"Good fishing, huh? Now I get it..."

Nodding, Laylabelle continued. She was nearing the place. The game had no map, but with all the hustle and bustle of the game re-opening, or so she had heard, there were plenty of people around to point her in the right direction. In fact, she had only gotten lost three times.

"It is around here, right?"

Laylabelle had just passed Honeyhome, a nice enough place that she considered it well enough for a final destination. A quaint little town that had that European rustic feel that city folk like her rarely got the opportunity to experience, except as part of an air bnb. Laylabelle had always wanted to spend a week in a place like this, but on her own, without all the... structure behind it. Now, well, maybe she would. "Good fishing."

For now Laylabelle continued to walk over a series of small wooden bridges, as she ran her hand over the railing she couldn't help but feel like they had a history to them, once again, quite odd for a game. It wasn't temple ancient OhhoOOhhhooo chanting dungeon mystery ancient, no it was just like a well put together thing, well care for. Yeah, Laylabelle was sure she'd like it here. But for now...

She'd hit a dirt trail and leaves crunched beneath her boots a little further and she at last found her.

"Nan---oh Nyancy! HAAAAAAAY!"

She waved over her head large and wide as she approached the fishing cat.

"You said I'd recognize you and I thought you were crazy but now I get it. Good fishing huh? This Terrasphere thingy's something else. Perfect for a staycation. I really get what you were saying now."

She said as she continued to approach.

"So how do I get money in this gameajig? I thought it might be nice to buy a house around here. Sure is nice to start at the finish."

Settling in, Laylabelle bundled up her cloak and sat on it.

 

[Nyancy]

Ah, thea ya ah. I was wonderin' when ya would show up!

Nyancy turned to see the woman she had invited to the game had finally arrived.

Ya recognized me instantly didn't ya? Told ya so. Nancy in the physical world, Nyancy in tha digital one. Ah but be careful about callin' it ah game. It's moah like a second life ah somethin' like that. You've read tha PSAs and warnin's right? If ya die in this woyld enough, ya die in the real world. Of course, yah get three lives hea and only one in the physical woyld so ya got a bit moah wiggle room hea.

Nyancy checked her rod as she felt a nibble, but whatever it was had only tested her hook without actually biting down on it. Nyancy looked at the water with a grumble, then turned back to Laylabelle.

That bein' said yeah, it's nice hea and I like it. Not tah mention yah can do things hea that you could nevah do in tha physical world; become a wizahd, use magic, have a legendary sword, become king, lead a nation, all the types of hero things ya see in the books and movies is possible heah, though to be fair all I've eva really done is fish but, ya know, it's whateva.

Nyancy winked, then began to scratch her chin as she thought.

As fah funds, I guess quests and the like? I'm not really too shoah tah be honest. Honestly, I just sleep in tha trees, do a bit ah workin' out now and again, and help out newcomers when I runs into 'em. Maybe I'm being too humble though. Maybe we should try goin on an adventuah sometime ah somethin'?

Nyancy gave Laylabelle a moment to mull it over, then continued.

Anyways so what kinda things can ya do in this woyld? I'm a physical fightah type, but ya look moah like a wizahd.

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

Legendary hero? King? Being a bigshot?

"Hmmm..."

Laylabelle thought.

"I don't know if I'd want to do all that, it seems like a pain, but I do think I need some money if I'm going to get a nice house... wait did you say we could die?"

Laylabelle tilted her head.

"I thought it was kind of like, you could die if you didn't buckle your seatbelt and drive properly but that sounds awfully specific, like a hard rule... yeah? b=But well, I haven't died once in real life yet so I think I have a pretty good track record. I guess that means I'm risking my life for my staycation but well, I guess, that's life?"

Laylabelle sighed. No such thing as a free lunch.

"I'm still set on'nit I want my own comfy cabin core hideaway, I was planning on playing this game----er, (existing here?) To relax. Camping's fun but I don't think I want to do the whole survival thing ya know? Sounds like a lot of work..."

Laylabelle was currently trying to align her chips in her mind.

"But, I guess what you're saying is I gotta fight for it."

Laylabelle's brows furrowed as her fists balled. She could log out right here, then that'd be it, she'd be done. But the serene easy life of Honeyhome had already left its honeypot sting on her heart. She wanted her free for me freedom ultimate staycation whenever I want lifestyle.

"Right, so what I can do. I decided on Makestuff-mancy, Dark Magic, and Alchemy. Though on second thought maybe Dark Magic wasn't the best idea. Well whatever, it's strong right? I think people say it is, and Alchemy seems useful for my making stuff mancy."

Laylabelle rose, gathered some stick and made a safe little firepit.

"Saw this in an anime once."

Clapping her hands together, Laylabelle then pointed at the sticks.

"Makeshift, Materia, Magica!"

There was a small dark poof and the sticks lit with a shimmering flame.

"I think my magic's a little weird but it's good enough to eat with. I'm sure there's an adventure out there that suits us, and to pay you back, we can be roomies, how's that sound? I'm gonna no-risk no-problem stake-my-life on my anytime-I-want-staycation. I think that's the long and short of it because, I dunno Nyance, I think I wanna live it up real good..."

Sitting by the shimmering magic fire Laylabelle felt that it was warm even if it wasn't quite the real thing. That gave her a number of ideas which she filed away for later.

"But for now how about lunch? We can figure the rest out as we go."

@Nyancy

 

[Nyancy]

The small Felis scratched her chin.

Makestuff-mancy, eh? Sounds useful though tah be fayah, I have no idea what ya talkin' about. Dark magic is typically what witches use ain't it? But I guess yah ain't a witch? Or are ya? Ya got the hat? Well whateva the case ya ain't a bad guy.

Though Nyancy had made a lot of friends and acquaintances in the world, they were more like people she ran into. She hadn't met anyone yet that she actually joined a party or adventured with. In fact, most of the time she spent her days either fishing or showing newcomers how to get to Honeyhome. The idea of having a partner in crime so to speak was... intriguing.

Well I'm all fah livin' it up real good, so I guess that sounds like a plan, though what it entails I guess we'll have tah figyah out latah. I had been thinkin' ah becomin' a hero type also, like some of the otha people around. Gotta learn how tah fight to do that though. Well, I have been trainin' a bit like I said. You'll probably need tah do some practicin' of that makestuff-mancy magic as well if wea gonna have the skill loudout to make money from adventuahs.

Nyancy thought for a minute then shrugged.

We got time tha think about it though. For now, lunch eh? Well...

Nyancy pointed to the river.

Ya like fish?

@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

"Oh I like anything I can fit between two pieces of bread. Would you like some? We could have fish sandwiches, that's what I'm gonna do."

Laylabelle tittered as she removed a large loaf from her her bag. She was setting up sticks to cook the fish. Then, soon enough, she was turning them over from time to time at Nyancy's direction.

"Smell that? A nice hoagie bread toasted to perfection! Hm hm~! Now I let it cool and wait for the main haul."

Laylabelle sighed. This is what she was after, to stretch out her legs and let her hair down. She wasn't an outdoorsy type, but something about this out of body experience made really made her want to cut loose. Maybe it was the dark magic.

"So you we're thinking about maybe being a big shot hero, huh? I don't mean it in a bad way but that's really not the kind of person I pegged you for. Since you're helping me out, I'll help you out too, course I will if it isn't suicide, but why?"

Laylabelle tilted her head.

"It seems like a lotta trouble to be up n' up and involved in strangers' lives all the time fixing things. I can't say it's a bad thing, but it's not something anyone HAS to do right? Good deeds are good deeds because they're outta the norm. Same goes for bad things, mind ya, but that's sides the point. It ain't normal."

Laylabelle was blowing on her hoagie fish sandwich as the smoke stung her eyes. Then she took a bite. Amazing flavor. Now, she was blowing out her mouth to cool at as she poured some water from her canteen. She passed the water jug to Nyancy as she did so.

"Is it something to do with how this place was before? Ya know, before it came back and stuff?"



@Nyancy

 

[Nyancy]

Not gonna lie, the bread does smell pahretty scrumptious.

Nyancy got quiet for a moment. It was a contemplative quiet more than anything dour.

Not tha person ya pegged me for eh? Well, that's understayndable. It really wasn't for ah long time. I told ya I had played this game foah yeahs back, right? Well durin' that time I didn't do much 'cept fish and lay around. Nuthin' wrong with that neither, but now I feel like I wanna do somethin' ya know?

Nyancy sighed.

It's like... like when yah on vacation a little too long and it's like, man I should be doin' somethin ova hea. It's like that. So hero, I dunno, but maybe doin somethin'. Yah said trying to get some gold by goin' on adventuahs. Maybe I need some adventuahs unda my belt tah scratch that itch.

Suddenly, Nyancy let out a chuckle at Laylabelle's next statement.

Lotta a trouble to be involved with strangahs? Haha, ain't that tha truth, but I'll tell ya, ya bettah get used to meeting and bein' involved with strangahs, because whether ya like it ah not, theyah gonna get involved with you. Up to each person to decide how theyah gonna deal with that, but that's just tha truth ah livin' hea. Call it a good deed, bein' ah hero, or just not bein a bad person, making choices comes with tha territory. Haha, it ain't all rainbows, sunshine, and vacations hea, that's fah sho. But, if ya evah wanted to be somethin' moa than you could eva be in the real world, this is tha place tah do it.

Nyancy's line tugged hard and the little Felis stood up to balance herself.

Hope ya hungry! Looks like we got a big one!

Fighting the fish, Nyancy sternly but gently handled her fishing pole.

That's it... right... theyah!

Yanking her pole backwards, the fish came with it and landed almost magically into Nyancy's hand.

Dinnah is servahd!


@Laylabelle

 

[Blader X]

Laylabelle watched Nyancy very closely as she talked, absorbing every word. It was like talking to herself from the future or something. And then, there it was again, that restlessness... what was it? What was this feeling? It was strange to Laylabelle, and even stranger to Layla, her real life counterpart, this feeling, this feeling, this damn damnable feeling, it was indescribable but it made her want to do something about. Do something...

Was I being shallow? Too shortsighted? I don't mind being shallow, I don't mind being shortsighted. But will I regret it?

I will, won't I? Even if it is a pain I'll regret it. I'll regret it if I don't do it now, because taking it easy only feels really, REALLY, good after pulling off something big. I wouldn't mind it but I'd regret it. Yeah. So what I guess I'm feeling is I've been holding back.

Their meal was drawing to a close as Laylabelle sighed.

"I won't mind it but I will regret it... I think I get it now, Nyancy, I've been holding back. I don't think what I have what it takes to be a hero, but I'll tell you what, I'm gonna shake up the world. I don't even need a reason, I just have this damn itch that I'll be missing something big if I don't. And in the end I wanna be laughing. Laughing real hard. So I gotta train to do that, huh, well I'll find a way to do that, my way. Money and adventure, let's start there, and next, the world."

Laylabelle grinned.

"Let's shake it up Nyancy, a world will make a fine garden for living it up, and if we have to save the world a few times to pull it off, to heck with it. I just wanna feel like I did everything I could. That's the only way I'm going to feel really satisfied when all's said and done."


@Nyancy

 

[Nyancy]

Nyancy let out a hardy laugh while holding a fish just about the size of herself in one hand.

"There ya go! Now ya get it! There's moa to this world than just takin it easy! If ya wanna take it easy take it easy in the palace ya built after takin' down a flying crocadile on account of thea not bein no dragons in the woyld from what I've heard. Or a big fire monstah ah something. Live it because ya earned livin' it up is what I'm sayin', and we haven't earned nuthin' yet cept the opportunity tah earn somethin'.

Nyancy smiled.

So first things fahst, wea gonna cook and eat this hea beauty of a fish, then we might take a nyap. No, no nyap. Then we get ta work. Training, learnin' to use our skills, gettin' bettah at all we can. We'll be so powerful the woyld will be jealous, then we'll face off against all the woyld has tah offa, and when it's said an done, while be sittin' on thrones we built with owa own two hands! I like it.

Nyancy held out her hand and gave a big thumbs up. The woyld is ours, patnah!

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, partnership, and journey all wrapped up into one.