Complete Eastern Brisshal To me, loyal companion!

[Lily]

Well, this was a dead end. With Delice getting into her usual state, there was not much Charlotte could really do to have a lasting positive effect. Honestly, caring for people was such a pain sometimes… bullying them was much easier. But she shouldn't fall into old habits that quickly. Walking over to the fae, the white fox wondered what she should do.

"If you just log off, you won't grow any more familiar with the game. If you're not familiar with the game, how are you gonna be helpful to me when I need you the most?"

That was probably a tad mean. Trying to use Delice's interest to manipulate her into doing things… 'Guess I'm still just a bully, huh? Ugh.' As Charlotte mentally facepalmed herself, she would turn around and take a few steps away.

"The first town shouldn't be too far now. I think it's called Honeyhome or something? Should be a good starting point!"

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

Oh. Charlotte had a point there, didn't she? If she wanted to be useful to Ellie, then she needed to actually spend some time getting familiar with the game and learning what she could do. Of course, surely it couldn't be too difficult to tame animals and brew potions? She could kind've sense whenever the birds were flying overhead. Still, she slumped sadly, nodding at that little remark from Charlotte.

You're right...I really should at least try to learn how to play this game so I can help you out when you need it.

Though she had no clue how she was going to do that. How did she learn to do things that she'd never done before without anybody to teach her? She'd never brewed potions or tamed an animal before! Hell, her family had never even owned a dog!

Seeing that Charlotte was beginning to walk away, Delice scrambled after her pathetically.

R-Right! That sounds good! You're really smart, Ellie...

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

Delice might have sounded a bit uncertain of things all the time, but it was recognizable that she really was quite unsure about this whole thing. Well, it was understandable, in a way. She was clearly not an avid gamer so she didn't even have the basic concepts. With a bit of a hum, Charlotte tried to think of the best course of action.

"Well, I don't know how to swing a sword either, but I can do it here. The game itself will help you. And who knows, you might even meet someone who would need your help as well."

Perhaps that idea would cheer her up some. But to make sure it didn't seem like she was tossing her aside, she added a bit more.

"It'll be fine as long as you don't let them steal you away from me~"

It would be troublesome if someone attempted such a thing, but unfortunately, the two girls would not be able to stay together at all times. Perhaps this whole situation would help Delice become a bit more confident?

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

Well, whilst she certainly had no intentions of ever swinging a sword at anybody or anything, Delice supposed that wasn't exactly what Charlotte had meant by that. Apparently the game was helping Ellie do things that she didn't know how to do, so it could do the same for Delice? Maybe? She wasn't entirely sure how the game could help her tame animals when she had no clue how to do so. It wasn't like it could inject knowledge into her brain, could it?

On the subject of meeting somebody, though, Delice could already feel her palms beginning to get sweaty, her anxiety spiking at the thought of having to meet somebody else. So far only Ellie had been nice to her and even then, the girl had started off as a bully.

Oh, um, I don't know about that. I don't think I should really be wasting somebody's time like that...

She sighed, before panicking when Charlotte mentioned not allowing anybody to steal her away. Right, she'd come here because Ellie had told her to, so wasn't she technically Charlotte's property?

O-Of course not! I'd never do that!

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

Games were meant to be played together with others. Well, at least this kind of game was. Not to mention that things here were not the same as in the real world. But there was probably little point in trying to explain that to Delice. She just had to experience it all at least once.

"Oh, it'll be fine, you'll see. Games are meant to be enjoyed, so you should just let yourself have some fun."

Of course, it would be difficult to just do that, wouldn't it? But Charlotte didn't know any other way of doing this. Delice was... not difficult, per se, but certainly not very open to new experiences. And while the fox was reasonably sure that she could force her into almost anything, she didn't quite want to go that route.

As they walked through the forest, the trees would slowly start being fewer and fewer, a few buildings soon visible in the distance. It seemed that they arived where they want to be. The first stop for a majority of new players - Honeyhome.

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

How did one just let themselves have fun? It felt like a wholly alien thought process to Delice, the idea of letting herself just enjoy something without the fear of making people angry or wasting their time. It hurt when all she ever wanted was to be helpful and useful to people, only for them to be better off without her getting involved anyway. Only Ellie had ever really chosen to bring her along for something, so why couldn't she just stick with Charlotte?

Oh, I-I bet it'll be really fun, yes! But um, I-I'd rather just stick by your side than go out by myself.

She certainly wasn't going to be doing any adventuring by herself. Maybe there was like, a hotel or a bar or something that would hire her as some extra staff? They were definitely coming across civilization, as the trees began to get less dense in population, emerging out into Honeyhome.

She immediately felt threatened, now that she knew that there were people around. She took a step closer to Charlotte, looking around anxiously.

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

There really was no helping it, was there? Delice simply did not want to remain by herself. It made some sense, given that Charlotte was the one who 'forced' the other girl into this game. But at the same time, she hoped that meeting others online would help her get out of her shell. Oh well, perhaps that would come on its own with time.

"Well, if you insist, then I guess we can explore around together. I guess there are still things I could teach you about this game… uh… what else was there aside from the menu and the masteries…"

Charlotte was quite new herself, so it wasn't like she knew everything there was to know about this peculiar MMO. Eh, they would discover everything necessary over time! For now, the two girls stepped outside of the forest, and a paved road opened up in front of them. People littered the street, going on about their own business, as one could expect. The fox also noticed her company getting a bit closer.

"What's wrong? Worried that people will stare at that amazing body of yours~?"

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

Yay! Charlotte was going to let her stick around and even teach her a thing or two, rather than just discarding her at the first opportunity that she had! Delice had to fight the urge to jump for joy or clap her hands, instead settling for shuddering slightly as a rush of pleasure was sent through her spine, leaving it to tingle. Charlotte wanted her around! She'd have to try her absolute best to make sure that she was useful for her only friend.

Of course! I'll do my best to learn anything that you want to teach me!

And then they were on a paved road for the first time, Delice looking around nervously, though they weren't drawing nearly as much attention as she'd thought they would. Not that she wanted any attention, of course, but well, it was entirely possible that Charlotte did want to draw some attention.

Speaking of Charlotte, her teasing remark had Delice blushing, shaking her head.

N-No! I-I don't really...want people to stare...unless it's you. You...y-you can stare as much as you'd like...

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

The landers of Honeyhome were probably plenty used to strange new Starcalled arriving out of nowhere and exploring their quiet little town. Probably for the best, as it meant to unnecessary distractions! Charlotte already had some ideas as to where they should visit. Or rather, she would retrace her own steps and go where she was before Delice spawned in. But before that…

"You want me to stare? Then I'll happily oblige, especially whenever you're standing in front of me or bending over, haha~!"

She joked around before looking around. Her louder voice and laugh did draw a few wandering eyes, but she paid them no attention. What she was looking for was a specific store, and she found it pretty quickly.

"Alright, let's go. You might not need a weapon if you don't want to fight, but you'll probably still need some kind of medium for your masteries."

What the white fox was leading Delice towards was a store with beginner-level equipment. Each player seemed to spawn in with a small amount of gold that could be used well in just such a place. It was just up to the girl to pick something she would be happy with.

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

Delice blushed, covering her face at that. She hadn't said she WANTED Charlotte to stare, only that Charlotte was the one person that she wouldn't mind staring if somebody was going to stare at her regardless. And did the beastkin player have to be so loud when she was saying such embarrassing things? She was drawing way too much attention to the two of them for Delice to be even remotely comfortable with it. She grimaced, looking around at the people that were beginning to look at them, covering her face in embarrassment.

E-Ellie! Don't be so loud a-about such embarrassing things in public please?

She begged the girl, pleading with her, though Charlotte seemed quite intent on leading her into some kind of beginner's store or something like that. The Faerin looked at it nervously, before looking at Charlotte.

W-Well, when I was picking t-the description for A-Alchemy said that it needed an alchemy kit. D-Do you think they'll have one of those for cheap?

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

Given the kind of bullying Delice already went through, Charlotte would have imagined that this much would give the girl no trouble. Oh well, that was beside the point right now. Getting starter equipment was much more important than figuring out just how much public humiliation her friend could take.

"As far as I understand, this place is a hotspot for new players. If that's true, then they gotta have something for just about anyone, come on!"

Pushing the door open, she entered the store. It was surprisingly large, yet still quite homely and quaint. Maybe it was the wooden interior with flower stands adorning every bit of the place they could. Although given how much weaponry this place carried, that contrast was almost more amusing than anything. When Charlotte was here last, she just grabbed the nearest sword and was done with it.

Now she was here with someone else. And while they had plenty of time to spare, the white fox wanted her friend to start getting used to actually doing some things herself. Such as finding herself an alchemy kit and buying it at the counter. Moving behind the other girl once they were both inside, Charlotte would slap Delice's behind playfully to send her on her way.

"Go on then! I'm sure there is an alchemy kit waiting just for you~! If there's one you like, but it's more expensive, I think I can cover the excess."

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

Delice could only follow Charlotte into the store as the beastkin girl pushed the door open, revealing the interior to both of them, quite the large, yet also homely place. It was definitely something of a clash, what with sharp and dangerous looking weapons on every shelf, yet also flower pots and potted plants everywhere. It was kind of like seeing somebody spraypaint a gun with every color of the rainbow, it just seemed so incredibly out of place that it caused a kind of intellectual confusion.

She squeaked as Charlotte slapped her behind, stumbling forward as she did so, blushing as the sound echoed dully in the store, doubtlessly drawing some attention, even if she couldn't exactly see if anybody was looking over at them.

U-Umm, r-right! You don't h-have to pay for me though!

With that, she began to wander the aisles, looking over different weapons and magical focuses, searching for where they kept the Alchemy kits, until eventually she found one. A small satchel that, somehow, held multiple glass vials and potion bottles, along with bags of different reagents. She picked it up, before looking at the counter nervously, swallowing.

C-Charlotte? C-Could you please...b-buy this for me if I give you my money?

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

While Delice would peruse the store, Charlotte started looking for something herself. This might have been primarily a weapon store, but she figured they would definitely carry something akin to what she wanted. Sure enough, she managed to find it pretty quickly, right next to where the counter was. After she purchased her item, she waited for her classmate to be done selecting the alchemy kit that suited her the most. Though, as that was done, she eyed Delice with an eye full of doubt.

"Mm, no can do. I mean… what if I'll ever really need you to run some errands that will involve buying stuff or talking to people? Will you tell me that you can't? It'd be better to practice now that I'm here, don'tcha think?"

She smiled as her eyes moved back down. She was holding her purchase - some kind of book. The title read "Beginner's guide to Falderen" and each page contained a piece of a map with some interesting trivia about the showcased location. While the girl was looking for a normal map, this would do as well. Their little guide as they would leave the town!

Item Acquired
Beginner's guide to Falderen
[ ✦ ✦ ✦ ]

​

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

Seeing that not only had Charlotte bought something, but also was looking at her with such doubt and questioning how useful she could be, made it feel like arrows were piercing her heart through her chest each time. The force of the beastkin girl's disappointment practically hit her physically, the way she stumbled backwards upon seeing that doubt and disappointment. She looked down at her own feet, half considering putting the alchemy kit down and walking away, before she stopped herself.

How could she claim that she wanted to be helpful to Charlotte, to be needed by her, only to fail at such a small first hurdle? She could buy something! She did it all the time in real life! Shopkeepers weren't likely to bully her because they actually wanted her money!

She wordlessly approached the counter, shakily handing over the alchemy kit, then counting out a series of coins until the shopkeeper told her that she'd counted enough of them, before wordlessly handing over those coins and taking the alchemy kit. Once that was done, she practically vanished, hiding behind Charlotte.

S-So...what did you buy?

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

While Delice did manage to succeed in the end, the fact that she hit behind the white fox so quickly afterward did leave some worry. But at least it was a first step that was taken and done. Now the fae was capable of buying things for herself, albeit with some minor difficulties. That meant she should not starve or die of dehydration when Charlotte wasn't around, good.

"Hey, there's no need to hide behind me! Bleh, come here!"

Turning to the side, the beastfolk extended her hand across Delice's small back and then grabbed her by the shoulder, quickly squeezing her against the side of her own body as she moved the open book in her other hand between them.

"It's a written tour guide for the area we're in. For the Starcalled, that is us, players, it seems to pretty much be a starter zone. I was thinking where we could go next… since I wanted to test the game's realism even further, the beach seems like a fun idea~"

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

Bwah!

Suddenly she was snatched by Charlotte, the beastkin girl's hand extending across her back to grab her shoulder and pull her in close, the book moved between them and opened by Charlotte, now that Delice had no method of escape and was pressed flush up against the fox girl. Her cheeks filled with red and, had this been a cartoon or an anime, her head would have been releasing jets of stream from how hot she was and how embarrassed this was making her.

She did manage to listen to Charlotte's explanation as much as she could, though. The idea of going to the beach made her blush, wondering just why on earth Charlotte had picked that of all things to test the realism of the game. What was special about a beach that made it the perfect place to test the realism of something? Was there something she was missing?

Either way, she had no objections. She wasn't about to go against Ellie's will anyway.

I-I don't have any problems with that. I'll...I'll just follow you wherever you go...

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

With no objections to her idea, it was decided. She would let go of Delice, allowing the other girl to make some distance between them if she so wanted. Either way, they were leaving the store satisfied as they acquired both a map and a catalyst for Delice to use her masteries with. Speaking of which, using those masteries was also something they should do once outside of the city.

"I did say that the game helps with things you might have no idea how to do, but since we decided to go together after all, I guess I might as well help you. Since we got basic equipment, we probably don't need much else… how about we head somewhere we can be alone~?"

As she asked the question, she leaned toward Delice a bit, her ears twitching a few times as she listened for an answer. Since the white fox didn't pick alchemy, she was actually pretty curious about how such a thing would work. But then again, her invitation could be interpreted in a few different ways.

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

Even when she was let go, for some reason or another, Delice didn't make much of an attempt to place any distance between herself and Charlotte, standing there shuffling her feet awkwardly, before she began to follow along after Charlotte as the fox girl began to leave the store. Of course, the girl's suggestive comment about being alone caused the faerin girl to heat up, her face burning like a furnace and body temperature skyrocketing as high as it could possibly go.

A-Ah, um, okay...

She shuddered, back tingling at the thought that Charlotte wanted her alone, maybe pinned against a tree off in the woods or trapped against a bed in a quiet inn somewhere, the fox girl leaning into her personal space.

She couldn't help but wring her hands nervously, thighs rubbing together and feet anxiously kicking at the dirt, shuffling as they began to make their way to wherever Charlotte had decided their next destination was. Red eyes tracked up and down Charlotte's form in an instant.

I-I...I'll do anything you tell me to do...

@Charlotte Ann Marie

 

[Lily]

Since Delice agreed, Charlotte figured that going just outside of the city would suffice. Close enough to civilization to not have to worry about stray monsters, but also close enough to the forest that they would not cause too much of a scene if they managed to blow something up with an especially unstable potion. That said, they were barely through a single side alley before the fae would speak up again, making Charlotte pause for a good moment. Then a smirk. She would walk up to the other girl, then circle around her and lean in, whispering into her ear from behind.

"Oh, anything~? But what exactly would you want me to do to you, hmm?"

She was just teasing, of course. But she was also genuinely interested in what the fae would answer. And, well, if it were something reasonable, then she could possibly oblige as well. The fact that Delice downloaded this game and went this far did warrant some kind of praise and reward, after all.

@Delice Sergia

 

[Delice Sergia]

The whisper to her ear as Charlotte circled around her and leaned in made Delice squeak, her face flushed a vibrant, bright red in embarrassment as her mind went into overdrive looking for a way out, before she admitted anything particularly embarrassing due to this strange overwhelming desire she felt to conform to everything other people said and treat every command like it was one made with power over her very soul.

Sadly, as her eyes darted around looking for an escape, they found nothing and she was left trapped in that moment, the words beginning to bubble to the surface no matter how hard she tried to suppress them and keep them crushed down.

I-I-I-I um, ah, uhhhh....

Her whole body shuddered, the faerin looking down at her feet as her own submissive nature began to win out. This lack of willpower that made it so that she was the world's doormat, able to be walked all over by everybody, forcing her to admit things she would've rather kept quiet.

I um...I-I want you to...control me...to...to...dictate everything...to um...to bully me...

@Charlotte Ann Marie