Private Eastern Brisshal The Old Man and the Elf

[Chrys]

A shooting star, Pete Simpson was not. He was nowhere near one, not even on his best day, and today was just another normal day for him, another terrible one at that. From arriving late due to some kid crashing into him and never even helping him up to stubbing his toe on the foot of his table before he could surrender his backpack to his seat, work was work. But all that was bound for the other world, the real world, the one where he had to live a boring, mundane life, endure the same routine day in and day out, and bear the burden of the same regrets that he would never be able to fix. So when a friend from way back, with whom he hasn't spoken for years until this week, introduced this game to him, the Pete Simpson of the other world decided to take his chance and log in...as the Pete Simpson of this one.

Staring at his own two hands in this new world, he just stood there in the middle of all the green. If he had been a deer or a rabbit, even a hunter at the ripe age of five would not have missed him. Fortunately for the idiot who used his name for his in-game name, he was all alone in that clearing. He had time and peace on his side this time, a pair he had had enough of in the other world. In this one, however, Pete was reintroduced to them in a more hopeful way.

"Oh, my lord," Pete gushed as he inspected more of him, the avatar he had painstakingly created in his head, the form he had always wanted to wear but never had the opportunity to. Until now that is. The Pete Simpson of this world was way better than the original. He was glad that was a fact. His eyes then wandered to the shrubbery around him, the various flora and the peaceful fauna that soon scampered at the sight of him. Even though his face did betray the excitement he felt within, choosing instead to be uncharacteristically calm and serene, Pete felt like he was about to explode. The very possibility of an escape from his dreary existence was what the game offered, and Pete was not disappointed. Not one bit. "This place... It's so... It's everything I've ever wanted..."

And then a branch broke from behind him, the sound of someone, or something, stepping on it catching his attention as well as that of nearby birds that instinctively flew the heck out of there. Pete turned to look in the direction of the noise, aiming his ring at whatever was behind him, but felt embarrassed when he realized what it was, who it was. Just another Player? "Oh, hey!" Pete scratched his head, his cheeks flushing red. "Sorry, I almost blasted your face off. I thought you were... Uhh, I'm Pete." He took a step towards the new person, extending his hand to shake. Wait, what if they're an NPC? Oh, that would be so cool!"

@Leyna

 

[Leyna]

Materializing in this virtual world, Leyna, the person she is in this world now, had to go through long, arduous process of character creation. She wanted it to be perfect. Inside the gray room was where she could build herself the way she wanted, unlike real life where it is all set by fate, all set by destiny. No one could control it. The best anyone can do is seeking help from other people to change something they themselves couldn't control. But not in the gray room. Each detail she put is deliberate, whether with or without any meaning. With that out of the way, she can finally start her new life in a virtual world.

She thought being a shooting star when arriving here is a very nice touch. "Wish upon a shooting star," as the saying goes. Being the shooting star itself symbolizes the characters being a wish carrier, whether of others or their own. She has a wish when entering Terrasphere; to escape the reality of life and find comfort in it. She has a feeling that she's not alone with this wish. She'll try her best to help other people with the same wish. It can be rough, it can be unfair, it can be depressing. But they're all here now, all with a wish, brimming with hope that they could achieve it.

New world, new hope, new chapter, new life. She took a deep breath to calm herself down from all the anticipation and excitement standing in the starting area. A new beginning. She scrutinized herself to see what is and isn't on her body. Her clothes, her body, her equipment, her features. It's not much, but it's a virtual world, after all. Everything should be able to be worked on. She took her staff and wandered around for a tad in the forest to get use to her new self. There shouldn't be anything dangerous in the starting area, so she took the stroll casually in the nature.

However, upon being aimed at by someone as she entered a part of the forest, she froze. "O-oh.." Her expression showed shock. To have met someone is such circumstances, it could be awkward. But nonetheless, she relaxes herself a bit. "That.. wouldn't be quite favourable to me. Isn't it? I'm..." She paused a bit, processing and separating her identities. "Leyna. Nice to meet you." She smiled gentle. She approached this avatar of someone that looks like he watched a bit too much fiction and wanted to look like a generic main character but only got his chance now. In an exaggeration, they are pretty much the same. "Are you also a new player?" She asked kindly as she took his hand and shook it.

@Pete Simpson

 

[Chrys]

Pete continued to debate with himself on whether this new person was indeed a Player Character or just your run-of-the-mill NPC. He should've listened to that old friend when she was teaching him the various kinks and trivia about the otherwise illegal game, but at that point, Pete had already checked out and was already dreaming up scenarios about becoming the main character, a generic protagonist from all those isekai graphic novels and animated shows he could get his hands on legally, that would save this world from any tragedy that would befall it.

To be fair, the girl in front of him looked very good, but that didn't help him that much. Either their Player was very good when it came to arts, aesthetics, and all that junk, or the game developers were very good when it came to the same things. Either way, he found himself at a mental Mexican standoff, except there were no Mexicans and it was just him and his thoughts.

When she spoke, however, Pete immediately realized that she was a Player Character. Or a good NPC— Gosh, dang it, Pete! Why would an NPC talk about being a new player?! That makes no bloody sense! A Player Character then. He gave her another look as if memorizing her very form, before speaking again, actually forgetting to let her hand go.

"Leyna... The pleasure is all mine!" Pete gave her one of his best bows, which he believed a gentleman would normally give a lady in such situations, even though it just made him look like a complete idiot. Pete has never been that great socially, so this was an opportunity for him to try and be one. Unfortunately, he has been watching too much fiction. "I am! Haven't played a game like this, so this is pretty much my first time, too."

"What about you?" Pete asked before looking around them, still holding her hand, a little more curious at the environment they were in. Was this where they normally spawned? It seemed too lovely a place to taint with their presence, to insult with their very being. Then again, it could just be a welcoming sort of bliss from the developers, made to make the Players at peace before their inevitable demise at a harder mode of gameplay. "You've played these games before?"

Pete was, in no uncertain terms, very uncertain about how to proceed next. Should they be going somewhere with more people? There didn't seem anyone else around them. Did they spawn somewhere incorrectly? He wondered if they would get randomly attacked in this place. As much as it seemed like a very peaceful clearing, there were all sorts of animals here, prey to more majestic predators. Would any of those latter be watching them, stalking them, so they could feed on these hapless newbies? Only time would tell.

@Leyna

 

[Leyna]

Finding another new player this early is something she would be grateful for. She doesn't know anyone else who played this game and opt to play it anyways even if she's alone, hoping that she could make friends with. Though given its illegal nature, she shouldn't expect much. That's what she should do, however, she couldn't help but hope for a lot of things.

She is grateful meeting a new player who doesn't look like he'll harm anyone. On purpose anyways. A good person is a good person, no matter how misguided they are. They can be shown the path to improve themselves. It's what she believe in. Or maybe it's just what she's thinking right now to convince herself that this is fine.

She just watches the man with his antics. The way he bowed. The way he never let go of her hand. She smiled a bit as a reaction, but that smile is to be courteous rather happy or funny. It'd be rude to show impolite manner in front of this man. He is still a stranger after all. She doesn't know anything about him, apart from his name.

"Ah, I see. Then we are sort of in the same shoe, aren't we Pete? Two new faces in a new world." She tried to pull her hand away discreetly. This sort of thing reminds her of those perverts whenever she went for her part-time job. Whether done intentionally or not, she wanted to break free from this handshake. These innocent, soft, slender hands must not be tainted. "Not really. There are some games that came close to, but never as immersive as this one. Everything is so.. alive."

"Anyhow. How far have you been in this game? Learned anything yet?" She asked.

@Pete Simpson

 

[Chrys]

"Yeah, that, uhh, true, I guess," Pete wondered if this new Player was actually a man pretending to be a tiny girl. He's heard about those people. Then again, she could just actually be a small child playing a small child. Like he was a handsome man playing a handsome man. She doesn't sound like a child, though. Maybe an older woman playing a small child? Hopefully a hot single girl who didn't look very different from her in-game character. "Just two peas in a pod. Tight and together."

He scratched the back of his head with the same hand she shook, looking around them, wondering if there would be others to come. So far, nothing else stirred. Maybe it was just them for now. Just me and a girl... I've seen enough animation to know where this is going. Pete gulped. Is this the girl that would become his lover in the game? Bruv, I am so not ready. Pete didn't start playing this game to look for a lover! Right now, right at this very moment, Pete was just bored out of his mind. "Yeah, uhm, this game is pretty...cool."

"I actually just logged in," he admitted with a sheepish grin. Just like you. He looked around them again, as if curious as to what else was out there. Maybe if they started moving, walking, maybe then they'd find something new. Or were they supposed to just wait here? Pete should've asked his friend. "Haven't had to learn anything useful yet. What about you?"

For some reason, though, he decided to just stand there and talk about their private lives. Maybe she's a hottie in real life! "So, uhh, where are you from? I mean, in the real world, you know? Out there, not in here."

Smooth, you soggy sock puppet.

@Leyna

 

[Leyna]

"Oh I see. It's still my first hour in here. So I don't really know a lot of useful things yet. Just the basic ones." Judging from his reactions, it seems that man has something more going on in his head. She have seen this before. Some of her fans do these sheepish looks and being awkward and all. Just what is going in that head. But the differences with this man is he doesn't know her, not in real life. So maybe he's just naturally awkward and/or oblivious. She shouldn't judge so soon. Not yet.

"Me? I'm from..." She didn't expect that question from him. But she's not surprised either. People like him does that. They wanted to get personal. Nothing wrong with that specifically, expect she's tired of it. These kind of people also tends to be the strange weirdoes. First are the simple personal questions, then it escalates to something she prefer not answering. It can be disgusting at times.

"...Japan." She hesitated a tad bit to answer. But she supposed a general answer would suffice. It's a big country. He can't possibly find her exact location, can he? So she answered it anyways. No harm with getting friendly with people.

If only that's wholly true.

@Chrys

 

[Chrys]

《 ⋯ ❖ ⋯ ❖ ⋯ ❖ ⋯ 》

Trying out a new banner but meh.

Chrys nodded as he took in @Leyna's information. As he had surmised, they were the same, just two neophyte peas in this very advanced pod. She would be of no great help to him, as he would be of no great help to her. But perhaps they can start on this journey together. Every new beginning is, after all, less arduous and intimidating when you've got a friend beside you.

"Well, maybe we can figure out things together, Leyna. Let me just see if I can..."

Chrys started tinkering with his UI. He should have asked more questions about the game and did his research first. Gods know his entire life revolved around research and questions. But Chrys didn't think much of all this, to be fair, and so he just skimmed the entire book and went straight ahead, plunged into it. What's the worst that could happen? I could die.

Notice

You are about to add another Player to your party, Chrys. Once you add them, they will also be added to your friend list, even if they leave the party. Are you sure about this?

He stared at the text for a couple more moments before clicking the check mark. How scary could a tiny girl from Japan be? She could actually be bigger. And a man. A member of the Japanese mafia. But Chrys had friends over there, the very same guys, thanks to his line of work. He would be protected.

Party

Chrys has invited you to join their party.

"There we go! For when we log out or part ways. It would be great to still come back here with a friend."

 

[Leyna]

Being new players alike, she would understand the struggles and intimidation of delving head first into a realm that one does not know. Especially without friends. It's.. alienating, to say the least. Just like she thought before, having someone as a company this early is something that she's very grateful for. She should be.

"Yeah. That would be really helpful as we continue to grow and explore more in this world. Hmm? What are you doing?"

She asked as Chrys started doing something with his UI. He's tinkering with his UI and made her wonder what he's doing. After all, it's taking quite a bit of time of silence waiting for him. She can't really see what he's doing exactly, but from the gestures, she imagined it's the UI. It has to be that or Chrys is a weirdo and mentally challenged. That would explain many things.

"Do you need any help...?"

She sees him pausing for a few second, staring at his UI graphics. Again, that's what she assumed it is. That is until he made the final button press and she received the notification. She opened her own UI and opened the incoming notification. A party invitation for her. She stared at it for a bit.

"I don't really know what this does specifically, but a party is usually good in any MMORPG. We get to help each other out. So I'll-"

She accepted the invitation. Now it shall be processed and make them both a party and add him in her Friend List, which she just found out after accepting.

Notice

Leyna has joined your party.

"Oh, I see. Anyways, I accepted that."

@Chrys

 

[Chrys]

《 ⋯ ❖ ⋯ ❖ ⋯ ❖ ⋯ 》

More personal questions are my specialty.

"Nice!"

Chrys did away with his UI before turning to @Leyna with the warmest smile he could muster. He was never known for being warm or friendly, though he usually played that role perfectly for first-time meetings. Unfortunately, as people would come to know him, they would inevitably realize that Chrys, rather C. S. Jackson, was never a kindly man but a sinister snake. He had to be. Anything else would hamper his own survival in the cutthroat world of international criminal law.

"So, where are you in Japan? Been there once or twice. Worked for some great people."

That was a lie. At least that part about those people he worked for being great. Those people were terrible. They did bad things, and Chrys, C. S. Jackson, helped them get acquitted, and get the hell out of trouble without a single bruise. That's how good he is.

But none of that mattered in this game, in this world. He had the chance, the opportunity, to be someone else, to play as someone else, someone who wasn't such a snake, someone who could be more heroic, warmer, and helpful. Fingers crossed, at least. A snake can shed its skin, but at the end of the day, it would still be a snake. Something like that.

"Also, you're a girl in real life, too, right?"

 

[Leyna]

"Now we are in party and friends list? I suppose contacts in this game would be easier since it's all digital. Heh. Nice."

Warm and kind. Perhaps too kind. She saw his warm smile as she accepted his party invitation. Something feels off. But it's not enough to warrant anything other than silent suspicion. Even then, that's a bit overboard for what she just witnessed. Perhaps he never smiled before, and that's why it looked weird. He doesn't seem to have friends, after all. It's all just a feeling. No need to be concerned too much about it.

"I'm simply in Japan. I'd rather not reveal too much. At least not this early. So let's leave that at that."

Anonymity is something valuable on the digital networks. Privacy is something valuable in real life. Both of them goes hand in hand when you're online. People could only get her information if she leaked it. That's what she learned in the IT class in school. She don't know much of the details and technicality but she knows what to and what not to do. Generalized information shouldn't be a problem, giving out too much of even that and people could piece it together. She'd rather not.

"Um.. Yes. I am girl in real life."

She figured out it wouldn't be nice to lie about such an obvious thing. But this person that asked her.. what will he do?

@Chrys

 

[Chrys]

《⋯《 ⋯ ❖ ⋯ 》⋯》

Chrys watched @Leyna with great interest, not even hiding it from plain sight. He was curious as to the type of person who would choose the avatar for themselves. They were an elf, maybe someone who loved the works of Tolkien or some fantasy author? Maybe just anyone who wanted a taste of something different? The possibilities were endless, and all of it was drowning his already cluttered mind.

"Would be much easier to keep in touch, yes."

Chrys wasn't quite sure if he'd continue playing this game after today's experiment. He was a busy man in the real world, after all, with clientele all over the world. He's not some jobless loser or a child on their summer break. Chrys was Mister Worldwide. He had better things to do. And yet, he felt like that wouldn't be such a waste of time or effort, just keeping in touch with someone he'd met in the game for the first time. Who knows? Maybe they can even help each other out in the future. If he'd continue playing anyway.

"Fair enough, and that's good to know. I was just curious about the limits of what anyone else could turn themselves into as far as physicality was concerned."

Truth be told, Chrys had thought about using a female avatar for himself. Just to try and see if he could. But he never got around to actually trying it out. When he started making his character, all he could think of was himself. In the end, he ended up with something resembling himself to a tee. Not a bad choice, though.

"In any case, I think we should head in somewhere. Might be a little dangerous if we stay out here for long. What say you?"

He began looking around them, in all directions, in every direction, to check for a good place to start heading towards, but could not set his mind on anything.

 

[Leyna]

Leyna's gaze has drifted off elsewhere to notice the man's action. It got a tad uncomfortable and embarrassing to look at this person who is staring profusely at her, but she doesn't want to be rude and tell him off. Hopefully this won't escalate into something threateningly dangerous. She want to feel safe in this game, definitely not otherwise. Safe from real world that is.

"Yes, and thank you for not prying further. I chose this avatar because... it's cute. I like cute things. Naturally I like being cute myself. One's avatar is a reflection of the owner, in some way or another."

What she said for herself could also be said for him. The question is which of him is being reflected upon his avatar? His real self? Ideal self? Suppressed self? Imaginary self? She wouldn't know. Only he would. As for her, it would be her wanting self — wanting cute things.

"Hm? Oh. I doubt that's the case. It's pretty close to the spawn area. But I don't have any real reason to stay here. So I say, sure. Let's head somewhere, Chrys."

She smiled as she looked at him. With a bit of warmth this time. Having someone to travel together with, especially this early — something she's silently relieved about.

 

[Chrys]

《⋯《 ⋯ ❖ ⋯ 》⋯》

The response made Chrys smile. He was around 70% sure now that @Leyna was a girl. Or at least girl-like. Did it actually matter? Of course not. But Chrys wasn't sure what else to fixate on. Everything else seemed too out of reach, especially the game's physics and rules. For now, he'd settle on figuring out the puzzle of the cute elf girl, even if, in the grander scheme of things, it was very irrelevant.

"You're welcome. I suppose that's fair."

Hmm. Chrys took a moment or two to look around them. He wasn't quite sure which direction to choose. North, east, west, south... Everything seemed to him like they had the greatest potential for adventure. In a world where everything is probable, can he really choose correctly? Best leave it to fate then. That's something he rarely did, especially in the real world. But this was a new one, and there's always a first time for everything.

"All right then. Let's go. Is there any place you'd like to visit as soon as you can? Somewhere or someplace you'd like to explore? I think I'd wish to see the deserts of this world. Or perhaps the mountains."

He continued speaking as he started walking towards the west.

 

[Leyna]

Despite having a weird first impression, the longer she talks to him, the more 'human' he felt. The more assuring she somehow feel for him. But still, she shouldn't let her guard down — they're both still strangers to each other, no matter how silly @Chrys was being.

"Hmm.. . I don't really know the places around here. Being new and whatnot. Heheh.. "

It's an MMORPG. There bound to be some generic places that exist across universes. She could say those. But then again.. they're generic. She want to see something new, something fresh... something nice. But alas, she doesn't know anywhere. She's being quite indecisive right now.

"Well, I think it would be nice to find nice places to go to. Places that warms the eyes and opens the heart. But for now, I guess I'll let the wind decide for me."

Place it on luck. A gamble. Maybe it'll be end of her, but maybe it'll lead her where her heart wished. Or somewhere totally mediocre. That is the gamble she is taking as she followed Chrys, who seems to be walking to the west. At least she have a companion in her travel to find nice things, or whatever Chrys is looking for.