Private Providence Well...I'm Here....

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Well...here Yu was...except where 'here' was exactly was a complete and utter mystery to the man. Yu almost swore that he'd passed that same mountain about four times now. As much as Yu loved mountains, not having many (at least not green ones) near where he lived, this was getting tiring. Weren't there supposed to be some big ass cities out here or something?

Yu let out an exasperated groan as he sat down on a mossy log, opening his UI again, looking at the menu options forlornly. "Seriously? How in the hell is there not a map in a game like this?" the man muttered, before closing his fist, the UI screen disappearing as he did so.

The man lifted up his arm, looking at where the red threads still wrapped around his wrist, stray strands hanging limply. He still had no answers about what the hell this thing was supposed to be. And he hadn't seen any other players with a similar adornment yet...

So many questions, no answers.

Yu sighed looking up through the trees at the view before him. "Well, at least I can sorta get why she woulda played this game," he said quietly. The scenery really was beautiful. Realistic enough that he could almost forget that it was all just a bunch of binary, ones and zeros. Plus, the AI was bar none. Yu had a hard time telling player from NPC. Terrasphere was its own little world. And a far cry better than the real one if you asked him.

@Lucy

 

[Lucy]

𓍊𓋼˙༺❀

Soft light trinkled down into the crove (cave + grove), vines hanging from the cliffsides that surrounded the center. Dew sparkling along the small leaves that entertained the will of nature. There was not even a breeze, yet the trees in the crove were swaying.. The reason for their sway was the fact that they were speaking, to each other, and to the small and dainty faerin that sat on top a warm stone. Her bare feet were wrapped up, pressed against her chest as she hummed softly. Listening to everything that went on around her, small squirrels and birds chattering nearby, the presence of the red-head the exact same as the presence of a tree or a flower. Lucy's magic was intertwined with that of nature's, it's will being permanently imprinted on her soul.

Her peaceful and relaxing moment in the crove had made Lucy sleepy. She felt safest whenever she was surrounded by nature, never truly alone. Whisperer of the woods. That's how Lucy knew that there was a traveler amongst the mountain-span somewhere... He was lost, and Lucy being, well, Lucy... She had made the decision to help him.

Lucy made her way out of the crove that she had been sitting in, carefully getting off of the stone letting the sun seep into the spot she had been sitting on. When she returned it would most likely be burning hot from the sun.

Making her way through the mountains was the easiest task of her life and before long she had arrived at the spot where the man was. Peering at him from above, as she was on a higher slope. Lucy strengthened her voice by placing one hand to the right of her mouth. "Hey you! Traveler! Are you lost?"

Her greeting was rather short, meaning that anyone with brains would probably be cautious... But the warmth in her voice was unmistakably kindness. Her pure heart beating fast as she dropped down from her ledge, landing a few paces in front of Yugam. She held up her hands to show that she was harmless, no weapon in sight. Though a mage needs no weapon, not that I'll be fighting anything anytime soon!

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

"Hey you! Traveler! Are you lost?" a voice called from behind him. Were it not for the warmth the voice exuded, Yu would've thought he was about to get stabbed in the face for accidently wandering into Terrasphere's version of the mafia. Turning around on his log just in time to see a red-haired woman land in front of him. In wasn't until she stood to her full height, with her hands held in the air, a kind look on her face, that Yu realized how small she really was. Not being a very tall man himself, even in game, if he stood he would've probably been at least a full head taller than her. Sporting elf-like ears, and strange eyes, Yu had to remind himself that just asking 'what are you?' wasn't really considered socially acceptable by most people.

"Oh, uh, yeah?" the man answered with a hint of confusion as to where the hell this lady had just popped out from. "I'm trying to find...well really anywhere with a carriage to Finweald," he answered her. "I'm uh, I'm kinda new to the game so I don't really know where the fuck I'm going...Does this game have, like, a world-map, or a mini-map or something?" he asked scratching the back of his head. "I tried to find it, but theres no 'map' option in the UI." Or maybe Yu had to buy a map from a vendor or something. The man really didn't know, MMOs weren't usually his cup of tea. But then again, he'd never tried a VRMMO before, so hey, maybe he'd change his mind. Although at this rate, not knowing where the hell he was going half the time, the odds weren't looking to great.

@Lucy

 

[Lucy]

.
𓍊𓋼˙༺❀

child of nature...

Given the fact that Yugam had taken kindly to her greeting, it meant that everything else would be smooth sailing, if Lucy didn't butcher it up by saying the wrong thing or misreading the mood of their conversation.


Finweald... The two were quite a ways away from Finweald, and without a carriage it would take days. "Being new and out in Providence isn't that great of an idea, especially if you're alone... For all you know, you could be hurt by the many monsters that wander the mountains. They're pretty scary if you ask me, even I stay clear of them..." The ginger had no intentions of sharing with this man that she was no good at combat, and with no reason to she wouldn't bring it to his attention.

Upon hearing that this person didn't have the map that everyone else got, Lucy would feel her face drop, a frown replacing her otherwise warm smile. "What do you mean, don't have a map... Everyone starts with a map, granted you have to explore and everything you haven't been to is all greyed out... If you didn't start with one, then most likely when you entered the game your file got corrupted or there is a bug..." This was a situation that she hadn't experienced yet, though given the fact that she was also relatively new, there was many situations she had yet to experience.

Thinking for a moment, Lucy would nod her head and pull up her map. "Since for some reason you don't have one, we can get you one in the closest city which is just due east. Haedes' Keep. It sounds like a fort of some kind, but it's actually just a small village with cliffs on all sides. I can take you there, and we can get you a map there and maybe get you a carriage. The only problem being..." She was rambling, but it was the only way to get as much information out as possible.... Lucy had to stop to take a breath before she continued, "Not many carriages go about this region, cause it's dangerous and super steep and stuff. If all else fails I can help you find your way to the edge of the mountain region where you're more likely to find a carriage...."

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

At the mention that players were supposed to start the game with a map, Yu felt his eye twitch slightly. Yeah, that sounded like his luck. Out of all the people in the game, he would be the one person to get that one obscure bug and not spawn in with one. The Sisters of Fate really had it out for him, it seemed.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Yu would say with a sheepish chuckle. "I don't wanna make you go out of your way or something. I'd feel bad." The man looked around them for a moment, trying to find some sign that there might be something big and nasty out there waiting to eat him. Not that not seeing anything was any kind of indication that there wasn't..."You could just point me in the direction," he said as he looked around, "I'm sure I'll-"

A pair of gleaming yellow eyes peered at the two players from behind a large bush, a low, menacing growl rumbling from whatever creature was eyeing them as it's next meals' throat. "Eh, hehe, actually, on second thought, I might take you up on that," the dark-haired man chuckled nervously, slowly and carefully getting up from the log and back away from the ravenous-looking eyes slowly. "So, uh, Haedes' Keep? Where?"

@Lucy

 

[Lucy]

𓍊𓋼˙༺❀

​

child of nature...

Chuckling lightly as the man experienced his first scare in this region, Lucy gently pressed her hand on his shoulder. "It's south of here, back the way you came." She pointed down the path, explaining that there would be a split of sorts and that he had simply taken the wrong path.

Typically, people would tell you to stick to the path so you don't get lost.. Which was very true, however in the duo's scenario, they would eventually have to step off the path and puzzle through the region in order to reach the closest town. "I mean I don't mind going with you the entire way, I kinda need to head back to Finweald anyways. I'm supposed to be going to this one cafe...." Lucy trailed off, now wasn't the time to get into her reasons for wanting to join the adventurer.

She had a job at hand, and that was, she had to make sure neither of the two would die. Believing in herself, she would push forward and begin her trail of recounting Yugam's steps. "So what's your name, anyways?"

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

At the sensation of the woman's hand on his shoulder, the man visibly relaxed, the tension leaving his shoulders, and eyes averting themselves (perhaps a little naively) away from the hidden threat and down the path she'd indicated. Nodding along, Yu began to follow beside the redheaded woman, heading back the way he'd come. Though his head was on a swivel, he did feel a deal calmer knowing that someone else was within as he traversed, what was for him, uncharted territory. The thick trees would've been foreign to him even if he had a map, growing up in a city. He'd never really played many VR games before either, and so hadn't had the pleasure of traversing a fantasy forest on foot before.

"Yugam," the dark haired man introduced himself. "But you can just call me Yu. And yours?" he asked in return. Assuming a name was given, the man would reply with simple, "pleasure to meet you," before asking, "So how's that cafe you mentioned earlier? Is the coffee good? Er...do we even have coffee in game, actually?" completely ignoring the apparent link between 'cafe' and 'coffee'. In any case, Yu figured the least he could do was try to make some idle small talk on what sounded like a long journey south in thanks.

@Lucy

 

[Lucy]

𓍊𓋼˙༺❀

​

child of nature...

Lucy introduced herself to Yugam happily, "It is absolutely lovely to meet you Yu! You can call me Lucy or Lu, it's entirely up to you!" Lucy focused on the path ahead, as the last thing she wanted to do in front of this person would be to trip and fall on her face... Lucy was entirely a klutz after all.

"The cafe apparently has everything cat-related! The spoons have kitties on them, the coffee has cream on the top like a kitty! The treats have kitty buttons. It's supposedly adorable and yummy! Ahhh, yes they have coffee here!" Lucy stuck her tongue out, "Though if coffee isn't your thing, they have herbal teas of ALL kinds... There's so many more herbs and flowers and stuff here than in the real world."

She carried on the travels, plucking a leaf from a fruit tree as she passed. She began to fiddle with it, growing a flower in her hand from the leaf stem. She then went through more of her magic, causing it to speed the growth, an apple now laying in her hand. She offered it to Yu, "If you're hungry, if not I'll eat it!"

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Though Yu was not a very expressive person himself, the woman's enthusiasm was indeed infectious. A small smile tugged the corner of Yu's lips as the woman introduced herself so ardently. "Lucy, then," the man remarked with a curt nod, the name rolling off his tongue with ease. A common enough name, but one he'd always thought was sweet sounding.

"I like both, actually," the man would reply as Lucy gushed about what the man could only assume was a cat cafe. "It sounds like a nice place," he added, imagining being surrounded by the small little fluffballs, curled up on his lap and him not dying from the vicious allergies he typically suffered from.

When the woman plucked a small flower from the tree, the quiet snapping sound drew the man's attention, and he watched with wide eyes as it went from a budding flower to a fully fledged, ripe red fruit. "Oh, th-thank you," the man said, struggling to keep the amazement from his voice as he took the offered fruit and bit into it with a hearty crunch! The sweet juices and crisp meat of the apple washed over Yu's tongue, tasting just like the real thing, perhaps even better.

"Wow, that's crazy good," the man comment, after swallowing. "What was that? Chronomancy?"

@Lucy

 

[Lucy]

𓍊𓋼˙༺❀

​

child of nature...

Lucy smiled softly at his question, "Nature magic, actually. A dear friend of mine helped teach me. They brought me to a sacred grove, and ever since then I've had a super big bond with nature of all kinds." She offered a thumbs up before clasping her hands behind her back, travelling down the road. It wasn't long before the two would have to stray off the path, and Lucy was now alert.

Her eyes scanning and her ears listening to the chime and whispering of the grass and trees around the two. She tilted her head, a tree now standing to their left, its branches curling in a weird way that made it seem like it had grown unnaturally. Granted, it had been deformed with the help of magic, but it was still a real tree. "This is where we leave the path." She pointed at the tree, showing a subtle, yet barely noticeable path that had been made by people walking on it year after year.

@Yugam

"Talking"
Thoughts

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

"Nature magic," Yu repeated in a quiet whisper. This was the first time he'd witnessed that magic, and he most certainly had skipped over it (maybe not so accidently) in the character creation screen. "Pretty impressive," the man commented with a small smile, before taking another satisfying bite out of the juicy apple.

The woman then pointed at a strangely shaped tree, before indicating that this was where they would need to wander off the beaten path. Nodding slightly, the man put a precautionary hand on the sword at his waist, ready to draw it at a moments notice. Not that he would be able to do much with it at his current level, but hey, the man could always try.

"So, how long have you played the game?" Yu asked curiously, hoping to get to know his new travelling companion a little, though careful not to speak too loudly.

@Lucy

 

[Lucy]

𓍊𓋼˙༺❀

​

child of nature...

Lucy eyed the man, not being able to stop herself from blurting out and resuming the conversation that the two had just had. Yu wasn't seemed like he didn't know much about nature magic, but that didn't mean he had no experience with other masteries. "So what abilities do you have?"

Lucy kept walking down the not so obvious path, and as it began to curve and trail off different directions... She would chose one with certainty, successfully dodging many things that might just get the two of them killed.

"I actually haven't been playing for very long, it's only been hmmm..." Lucy began to count on her fingers, "Three to four weeks?" She gave her friend a toothy grin before asking him how new he was to the game.

"So, uhhh... This one of your first few logins?" Lucy could have asked in a less blunt way, but in her defense Yu just gave off that "new" player vibe.

Her feet continued to move, one after another as they weaved their way through the mountainous landscape towards the village-fort-type-thing.

@Yugam

"Talking"
Thoughts

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Yu sighed, and let out a nervous chuckle at the first of the girl's questions. "God, I'm gonna sound like some edgy tween when I say this, but I picked up some hemomancy," the man admitted, suddenly finding the road ahead of them to be very interesting. "That, swordplay," he went on, gently tilting his katana forward, "and some ranged stuff. I try to mix it all up, cover all my bases. I'm not usually the kind to party up with people, so I'm trying to make sure I can handle most things on my own, ya know?" In fact in every other MMO Ari had ever played, he'd avoided every single person he met, tunneling on quests, and never once speaking to anyone if he could help it. Much like his real life.

"Really, only a few weeks?" the man replied with a tone of surprise, his eyebrows lifting. "Damn, if you can do that in just a few weeks, I can't wait to see what I'll be able to do." His face lit up momentarily, imagining all the cool Shonen Jump-worthy moments he could be having if he kept playing. And then he remembered how the last anime protagonist moment he had ended and his face suddenly fell. "Actually, maybe, I'll keep it tame," the man muttered, more to himself than the lady beside him.

"Yeah, this is actually my second time logging in," man answered, not noticing for even a moment the bluntness of the question, or even considering that it might be improper. A question was a question. "I don't really play a lot of online games to be honest, but I had a friend a long time ago that used to play. Figured I'd give it a shot and see why she seemed to like it so much."

@Lucy

 

[Lucy]

𓍊𓋼˙༺❀

​

child of nature...

Lucy laughed alongside Yu's nervous chuckle. Hemomancy definitely seemed edgy, "Well, are you an edgy tween?" She flitted her eyes towards Yu to catch a glimpse of his face before her eyes returned to the road, her body continuing to gracefully move onwards.

Lucy let out a soft sigh, "Nature magic is really easy for me to max out because I am always in a foresty or nature-filled environment!" It was true that the more you used your skills or used the passives, the more that the skill would level up. Obviously you could passively gain exp, but Lucy had been pretty much using her magic from the moment she learned it.

"This is my first online game, so I totally get where you're coming from. You're valid to not log in that much. If you want we can do some quests or hang out and explore sometime past this." Lucy could always use more friends, especially ones she could open up to and get close with. "I'm not much of a fighter, but I can provide excellent support!"

@Yugam

"Talking"
Thoughts

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

Yu couldn't help but laugh, glad that the woman took it with humor more than anything else. "Well, I might pass for an edgy young man in real life," the man answered back, "but I dunno. I'm just doing my thing so," the man shrugged, "it's whatever."

"So, you're telling me that if wanna level up my magic, I gotta bleed myself out more often?" Yugam asked, a look of apprehension on his face. "That sounds...not fun...Uh, anyways, what else you got up your sleeve other than Nature magic?"

"I'd be down for that," Yu then answered with a soft smile. "I haven't actually managed to even start any of the quests yet, I've just kinda been...uh...I can't actually remember what I've been doing..." Yu said with a puzzled look on his face. "Anyways, yeah, that'd be great. How do you like Terra though? Like from the perspective of someone who's never played online games before?"

@Lucy

 

[Lucy]

𓍊𓋼˙༺❀

​

child of nature...

Lucy shook her head swiftly, "No no no. You don't have to bleed yourself out." Lucy was frantic, though then again, he was a hemomancer... "You can gain experience just by being in a place full of concentrated mana. Like, there was this one grove a few miles that way... That I was sitting in before I came across you. It's kind of a "magical sacred ground" only it's not sacred.. It's just well hidden, not a lot of people know about it, and it just has a shit ton of mana in the air."

Lucy smiled, "Though I assume if you want to bleed yourself out, be my guest." Lucy took a bandage out of her bag and held it up for Yu, "You can even wrap up your wounds with this, I don't know how bad the after injury of using hemomancy is."

Then he asked if she did anything else, to that she shook her head no. "Nope! Just Nature Magic! I haven't felt called to anything else, and so far I haven't run into any problems by only having Nature Magic."

Lucy drew a finger to her chin, "Mmm, so far it's pretty nice. It doesn't feel like a game though, it feels like I'm in a multiverse or something... What do you usually do, if you aren't much of a gamer?"

@Yugam

"Talking"
Thoughts

 

[Yugam]

Per Aspera

Ad Astra

"Oh, well that sounds much more convenient," Yu said with breath of relief. "What's stopping people from just hanging out in these magic groves all the time?" Yu then asked curiously. "Is it just not as fast as like, farming mobs or does some big nasty start chasing you if you stick around too long?" To be honest, Yu would've been surprised if both features weren't part of the game.

"Oh, thank you," the man said, taking the bandage gratefully. "How bad kinda depends on the day...and how overboard I went..." At best, the wounds healed themselves in a matter of moments. At worst? Well, last time Yu had wound up a cold corpse on the ground, and you couldn't exactly heal that. But, for everything else? Yeah, Yu would get some good mileage out of these.

"Well, it pays to specialize," Yu said with a nod as Lucy clarified her one mastery. She was probably damn good at what she did, and the man wasn't going to complain about that.

The conversation shifted towards real life, something that most players, in Yu's experience, would shy away from (especially when meeting another player for the first time), but Yu was not of the kind to harbor such reservations. "Honestly, game mostly," he answered with a chuckle, "I'm finishing up college right now, so most of my time is spent there, and whatever free time I can snag goes to Terra now. I do like to color in manga panels on occasion though. What about you? Any hobbies?"

@Lucy