Complete High March Will They Stare Back at You?

[Luthien]

Time and time again that itchy feeling returned, caused by an innumerable amount of questions that the elf lacked proper answer to. She’d tried to ignore it at first, her time already stretched thin between the ever growing responsibilities of her new Whistle rank and the restoration of the Embertorch, and that’s when the ranger wasn’t somewhere in the depths of MIT aiding Ronja with her research on the player cores or just spending time with the golden egg as she tried to help Emm stabilize her energy.

Little by little things continued to progress, and each step—small as it might be—eventually netted Lúthien some of her time back. A rumor here, a whisper there, it wasn’t long before the elf began to seek the answers to her ponderings, little as they turned out to be.

Naryu Canyon was a constant mention as she continued to investigate. It’s name had been recorded in the few tomes and textbooks Lúthien related to dissonance that Lúthien had managed to get a hold of, and it was often accompanied by urgent warnings in hushed whispers whenever she asked others about it.

Whether it was due to fear of the unknown or their own personal experiences, most had urged her to not go anywhere near the chasm. Some claimed it was cursed, others that the monsters nearby were dangerous, and even the words etched into Uene’s Blessing had linked it to misfortune.

She’d taken care to resupply in the last small village marked on her map, stocking up on rations and the basic essentials needed before venturing out into the wilderness. Unwilling to lose time, Lúthien had logged into the game before the first crack of daylight had appeared over the horizon, eager to maximize the amount of time she’d have under the relative safety of the sunlight to explore.

What little experience she’d had with dissonance had taught the elf to not trust the system and so, while she had stocked extras into the immeasurable depths of her UI inventory, the ranger had also made sure to carry on her person all of what she’d need. "Let’s see… yup, still on track." A glance towards the brass compass that Yugam had gifted her confirmed she was still heading in the right direction, its needle wavering on occasion as it steadily pointed the way for the elf.

Part of her knew the hunter would’ve had her head if he knew what she was up to, but it’d been the first time in months that she’d found enough downtime for a quick “expedition” of sorts. It’ll be fine… it’s just a look and nothing more. It wouldn’t take her long, and she’d be on her way back to the small village long before the sun started to set… she’d be back safe and sound, and hopefully with a couple of less questions pounding the insides of her skull.

After all, she wasn’t expecting anything mind boggling or revealing to come out of her little venture, but details could sometimes be missed in the stories passed from mouth to mouth and the few scribbled documents that had survived the tests of time… and the devil was always in the details, right?

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Oi."

"..."

"OI, STARCALLED!"

"...!"

Ash startled into awareness, heart thumping erratically as he opened his eyes. His sole companion, a rough-looking human, was snapping a finger in his face with a sharp frown. "This is where ye get off, boy."

Ash looked blankly at the man, then shifted his attention to the all-too-familiar sight of the struggling High March. The cart had stopped at an old village, and a couple of grey-looking refugees stood nearby. He... when did he...?

"Are ye deaf? I've got people booked for yer seat, so move it."

"R-right. Sorry."

He rose from his seat and dropped down, boots sending up clouds of dust as he landed. He stood there as the cart began to load, still trying to clear the fog from his thoughts and remember just what he'd been doing the past... uh...

Ash opened his UI, and balked. What do you mean, morning? Did I fall asleep?

He knew his head had been muddled after the incident in Ripplethorpe. That girl had done something to him, something that had shaken the predictable pattern of his heart and rattled his thoughts along with it. But still, all night? He didn't even remember getting on the cart, other than a vague memory of needing to leave basically as quickly as possible.

The cart driver grunted as the last person boarded. "Y'know, y'aint the only Starcalled I've carted this far. Had some elf-girl come this way. Luteen, I think? If something's happening out there, then you best plan to walk back to Finweald."

The cart driver lashed his reins, spurring his oxen into a wide circle. Ash watched them leave, and then his words sank in. Elf-girl named Luteen, why did that sound familiar...?

"...fuck."

He'd panic about his apparent memory gap later. He started moving, vainly hoping that someone wasn't planning to start messing with Nayru fucking Canyon.

@Luthien​

 

[Luthien]

Avoid the Naryu Canyon for misfortune…

The words scribbled on her New Year’s blessing never faded from her memory. She always carried it with her, the slip neatly folded into an omamori she’d acquired shortly after due to the plum blossoms stitched into the purple fabric. They matched the disaster ward listed on her blessing, or at least Lúthien hoped it did—carrying an actual umeboshi around wouldn’t be feasible for a whole year.

It was gradual at first, but the foliage around her seemed to lose its vibrant green hues the closer Lúthien got to her destination. Healthy hues had shifted into darker and sickly looking verdant tones, the type of shades one would usually expect while walking under the darkness of a full moon… but not when the sun had already risen over the horizon. She had stopped at one point to inspect it further, gloved fingers rubbing a leaf between them only to watch it brittle and crack.

"I’m no botanist, but this doesn’t look normal at all." Brows furrowed as she gazed at the leftover debris that clung to the leather of her gloves, whipping them against a small patch of soil to clear. Could dissonance travel faster through the ground perhaps, causing it to be absorbed by the plant matter that grew upon it? The Calamity Deep should be pretty far from here…

More questions that remained unanswered and, after a moment of thought, the elf finally plucked a few branches of the bush before yeeting them into the confines of her UI inventory. For all she knew they might wither away before she got back to MIT and could find someone to help test them, but it was still worth giving it a try.

"At least that’s still working…" A hand instinctively sought the vest pocket where her omamori rested, confirming the charm was still hidden inside. There was a small comfort to be found when no irregular shifts or static showed on her player menu as she navigated through it, convincing the ranger that it’d be fine to continue on her trek to the canyon for now.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

It didn't take long for Ash to pick up the scent. In a place like this where life was still struggling to take root, the path left by the living was a beacon. Ash picked up the pace, his concern augmented by a growing chatter, those scraps of memory and will that lingered in the wake of all of Astorea's calamities...

Are one of you responsible for this? Ash frowned at the possibility. There was no response - if it truly had been one of the dead, they were either silent or had already moved on. No point in mulling over it now.

"At least that's still working…"​

Ash's ears perked, his eyes glowing with the light of Investigation Mode. Footprints and crumbling plant-life marked a trail towards a familiar blonde mop peeking above the scrub. He strode forward, stomping clouds of dust into the air before coming to a stop close to the elf with his arms crossed.

"What the fuck are you doing out here, Luthien?"

@Luthien​

 

[Luthien]

A few more branches and questionable clumps of dirt had found themselves trapped within the confines of her inventory as she’d walked, though whether they’d actually make it to see the light of another day or be forgotten within its darkened depths remained to be seen. Sometimes one had to wonder if her occasional impulsivity to stash things away was just a form of stimming, or if her sticky fingers stemmed from her gremlin self something else.

"Hopefully some of this stuff is actually useful..." A finger carefully swiped at the air in front of her, scrolling through the contents of the UI inventory. A grimace pulled at her facial features when her eyes landed on a particular one, before the sound of footsteps picking up in her general direction caused the ranger to pause her musings.

She’d be a fool to not be on-guard while out in the middle of nowhere and on her lonesome, moreso given the area where she currently was and where she was headed to as well.

Tits was already evidence that dissonance could affect living creatures, and Szofrit had served to confirm the magia were not exempt to its influence either. A hand had reached for the quiver at her side, the blonde not stupid enough to rely on her UI to store her trusted bow and arrows while trekking towards the canyon. Anyone involved in the recent Vintergard events had experienced first-hand how unreliable the system could be when nearby strong concentrations of dissonance, and it was a mistake she wouldn’t commit twice.

The familiar mop of green hair and the pair of caenis ears resting atop it caused the blonde to release the breath she’d been holding, relief flooding through her upon seeing it was Ash and not a dissonant touched monster—though she hoped the later were rare and almost non-existent thanks to the considerable distance still remaining between them and the canyon.

"Oh hey Ash, what are you doing here—!" A hand was raised to wave at the older player before it froze in place, finally picking up on the body language of the caenis as he stomped his way over—though the soured expression on his face left little doubt of his current mood.

He stopped right in front of her, the caenis standing far closer to the smaller elf than she’d ever known him to do and invading her personal space. By then both hands had hidden behind her, the ranger’s gaze instinctively averted from his piercing golden eyes as an unexpected emotion swept through her.

She felt like a kid caught with her hand inside the cookie jar, a feeling she'd almost forgotten over the years.

"Ah-hahaa just, y’know, exploring and doing ranger-y whistle stuff…?" A light tilt of her voice gave way to questioning undertones as her crimson eyes finally dared to chance a look up to Ash. "W-What brought you into this neck of the woods?"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash sometimes forgot how tall he was. Normally, she would be the one looking up, with the rare exception of kids. Looming over Luthien as he was now, it was hard not to see her in the same way, especially as she shrunk away from his glare.

It was enough to bring Ash back to himself. He unfolded his arms and stepped back, looking nearly as sheepish as Luthien acted. He was no less upset, but... well. He could still remember what had happened the last time he'd let his emotions get the better of him.

"Whistle stuff. Of course." There was still some bite in Ash's voice as he scanned the horizon, alert for any odd sounds or the faintest suggestion of UI distortion. "And what, pray tell, are they hoping to learn from sending people alone directly towards the Calamity Deep?"

The man was certainly frustrated. But more than that, he was nervous, even scared, though it was an emotion more felt than shown. Ash didn't have an answer to Luthien's question, after all, and none of the possibilities floating through his head made him feel better.

@Luthien​

 

[Luthien]

She’d never been a good liar, less so when placed on the spot as was right now, and one look at the caenis’ face confirmed he wasn’t outright buying her excuse… the weak attempt she’d tried to change the conversation entirely ignored. He’d finally stepped back however, the man’s posture loosening a bit despite the frustrated feelings Lúthien’s mind felt rolling off Vargold in waves.

"Y-Yeah, whistle stuff…" Not a complete lie, after all she had told Beleg that she’d be working on mapping some of the regions lost after the flames devoured a good portion of the Embertorch… she’d just explicitly left out the part where she miiight venture a couple of miles into sketchy dissonant territory.

If the elven man found out he’d be just as pissed, if not more, than the caenis before her had looked a moment ago… though both would probably pale in comparison to Yugam.

A pinprick of fear tickled the back of her mind, and it took a moment for Lúthien to realize it hadn’t been coming from her. Her eyes finally looked straight into his golden ones, a silent question lurking beneath their crimson depths, though she refrained from breathing life into it. His follow-up words left her little space to maneuver that didn’t mean doubling down on a lie, and giving her whistle mentor a worse rep than what many of the veteran players held for the League, and quite frankly Lúthien didn’t want to lie to someone like Vargold.

"Okay, fiiine..." An exasperated sigh escaped as the ranger finally caved in, a hand rubbing the back of her neck as she averted her gaze away from the caenis once more—it was easier to admit what she was up to if she wasn’t looking Ash straight into his face. "They didn’t send me here specifically, but it was kinda sorta near enough that I figured a little look wouldn’t hurt…?"

After all it wasn’t like she planned to go into the very edge of the crater itself, and if things got too worrisome early on she could always turn back from where she came. "Thought I’d check if there were any changes between the old dissonant lines from a surviving map I found in the League and the current state of things here." A hand flickered through the air, before the rolled up map materialized from thin air and fell into her hand—hoping this would show the caenis she was being fully honest this time around.

"And, well…" The next part was a bit harder to admit, if only because she had zero way of knowing if any of her ideas would actually be useful at all in the first place. "Thought I could maybe bring some plant matter and soil samples back for the MIT nerds to study and see if maaaybeee something useful can be learned from it."

Perhaps a dissonant corpse or two too—though that was a taller order than just some plants, rocks, and dirt.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"It wouldn't hurt- Luthien." Ash slapped his face, exhaling loudly. "You were there for Szofrit. You know what dissonance is. It very much can hurt."

He tried not to think about the situation in the town he'd just escaped, or what he had learned about the curse plaguing his heart. Or about the death that had found him, not far from here...

Ash dragged his hand down his face, his eyes still closed as he listened to Luthien. The frustrated lash of his tail was enough of tell about how he was feeling, and his mood certainly wasn't improved by her justification, no matter how truthful it was. "Look... I'm sure they'd appreciate the information, but going out here alone is a bad idea. This place can mess with your head."

A sobbing spectre, dangling like an anglerfish's lure. A little blind child, drawing shadows from a cracked soul.

Oh, so you do remember.​

Ash unconsciously grabbed at his chest, trying to smother anxiety with the presence of a known ally - but whatever had been done to him had yet to wear off. He gave up on the failed attemped and opened his eyes, turning his attention back to Luthien. "Come on, let's get out of here before we get jumped by some shiny new Terrasphere horror..."

We never did finish our last conversation, did we?​

Ash crossed his arms and waited for Luthien's response, completely unaware of sudden presence of a shadow lurking behind him, or the white mist suddenly curling around their feet.

@Luthien ​

 

[Luthien]

The particular way he calls out her name caused the elf to let out a nervous "Eheheee..." as Ash exhaled loudly, clearly not fooled—or amused—by her excuses.

"Yes, I know it can hurt—" She can’t fault the caenis for being irritated or disappointed about her actions, but it’s because of the recent events around and due to Szofrit that she chose to come here in the first place. "—but how are we gonna figure out a way to deal with this shit if everyone keeps avoiding it, Ash?"

She’s just as concerned as him about the effects dissonance can have on both their UIs and their minds, but whatever fear she might feel about her own wellbeing is easy to forget when she remembers what Ronja was forced to endure. "It feels like all we do is react to things once they rear their ugly heads up, and it’s a fucking miracle Szo didn’t managed to wipe us all out last time."

It was impossible to not feel the frustration rolling out in waves from the caenis as she spoke, though she’s certain it isn’t entirely just because of her own words. He’s been playing this game for a longer time than she has, and everyone has secrets they keep close to their heart and closeted behind locked doors.

"I don’t want to keep playing catch up with whatever’s fucking with us, Ash." Lúthien is certain Ash would immediately drag her out of this place without a second thought if he knew death had already knocked on her door once. "But that’s all we’re gonna keep doing if no one’s willing enough to venture into these places anymore."

It’s not like most of the nerds at MIT were even properly equipped to come all the way out here in the first place, they’d probably die to a pack of wolves or a gang of goblins long before they reached these tainted lands. "Look, I promise not to linger out here t-too long—?" Whatever pleading look she’d been about to give the caenis is replaced by one of concern as she finally looks up at him, catching the way his hand grabbed against his chest and the strained lines on his face.

The expression is gone in a moment as he crossed his arms while urging her to give up and get out of there, but she only caught half of his words as flicker of movement caused her eyes to wander just above his shoulder—finally noticing the dark shadow lurking behind the caenis.

She can almost feel the color of her face drain a fraction upon catching sight of it, a chill shooting up her spine as the mist slowly pools around their feet unnoticed. "A-Ash, I…" She does her best to pretend her gaze is focused on the man instead of the shadow behind him, worried of what it might do if it realized she’s spotted it—even if a part of her continued to hope it’s just a figment of her imagination.

{ D-Don’t freak out… } She knows her voice will give it all away if she tried speaking again, and so the elf turned to the only method she can think of right now: mindspeech. { There might be something b-behind you. }

Maybe they should’ve turned back after all…

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

"Look, Luthien, I understand. God knows I feel the same way about everything in this damn game." Ash didn't bother to suppress the growl beneath his voice. Everything Luthien said was something he'd thought and spilled onto her blog on late nights. "But until we know more about how Terrasphere works, then Dissonance is the one thing we can't just rush into. It breaks too many rules-"

Ash stopped as Luthien's mental voice interrupted his thoughts, stronger than any ghostly whisper. He flicked an ear backwards to listen for a sound, but there was nothing. No breathing, no deathly chill, no...

"Sneaky, Luthien. But that's not how we play this game."

One moment the shadow was there, only to vanish between blinks. A voice, distorted like an old tape, whispered from just behind Luthien. Perhaps familiar, perhaps not.

Ash immediately drew his sword, fur bristling and face pale. His fear was obvious, but more than that there was... anger? Recognition? "You."

The figure was indistinct, as if made of mist itself. There was suggestion of red hair and what could be a long coat or cloak. Only the mask it wore was distinct, hiding the eyes but showing the shadow of a curling smile.

"You."

"Me. It has been a while, hasn't it? Ready for the second inning, Ash-ling?"

The mist grew thicker as it drifted away from Luthien, circling with steps that didn't quite match the speed at which it moved. Like a wolf, waiting for the opportunity to strike...

@Luthien​

 

[Luthien]

The low growl that coated his words confirmed what her mindmeld could already sense, she wasn’t the only one extremely frustrated by certain aspects of this game. She wasn’t sure when her hands had balled into tight fists, consciously willing herself to loosen their grip as she listened to Vargold’s words.

"I k-know that, but it’s not like Dissonance plays by those rules…" he wasn’t wrong, what she was doing was risky—dangerous even—and the caenis had far more experience with the ins and outs of this game than she did… but playing it safe had continuously lead to more questions and little to no answers. "Maybe we need to break away from them too—"

A sharp inhale had filled her lungs when she’d finally noticed the shape behind the man’s shoulder, before the figure simply blinked out of her sight in less than a moment. "What the—!" Her voice caught as she felt the presence of another behind her, the chideful remark that tickled her ear coated with a voice that felt familiar even though it shouldn’t be.

She felt the fine hairs stand up behind her neck, the ranger still as a statue as she watched Vargold draw out his sword—a simple one now that she looked in its direction, one she’d expect to see in the hands of a newbie player instead of the veteran caenis. Only now did she realize the rest of Vargold’s appearance was different too, how hadn’t she noticed his trademark coat was missing until now?

Crimson eyes ventured a side glance to their unexpected guest just in time to catch sight of the curling smile that peeked through the veil of the distinct mask they wore, before the figure dissipated like mist in the wind. "Charming friend of yours, Ash." Lúthien wasted no time as her steps carried her towards the caenis, pivoting into place so her back faced his as she grabbed her bow and two arrows.

"Don’t you know it’s rude to sneak up on people?" Elven ears could pick up the sound of footsteps, mismatched as they were against the dark blur that continued to circle around them. It made it incredibly difficult to pinpoint where the stranger currently was, but maybe she could get a proper bead on them through their voice…?

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

It was... her.

"I ran into this before. An illusion, made of negative emotions..."

"...and God knows you've got plenty of those to spare."

The response came a bit too quickly - less like a conversation, and more like finishing a thought. And like a runaway thought, it continued, slowing long enough to give Luthien a chance to get a bead on it. It seemed more distinct than before.

"That's why you've been running, after all. Running from Szofrit, from Lune, from your own damn heart. And now here you are, back where all your troubles began"

Ash winced, still keeping his sword up. Not that attacking had helped the last time. He glanced sidelong at Luthien. "We can't fight this thing. We need to retreat-"

"And there you go running again. How long do you really think you can keep this up, Ash-ling?"

The masked figure shrugged, and began to move again. Red hair, a long jacket... a person, though not anyone Luthien should know. But nothing about them screamed "Starcalled". It could have been anyone she might have passed on the street in reality.

"...Luthien's right, though. You can't go avoiding your problems forever."

The figure reached for the mask on its face. Tendrils of mist trailed like viscera as it pulled the mask away, revealing what hid beneath...

"Sometimes you have to face your fears."​

The mask fell from its hands, and landed on the ground with an echoing crack!

And as if on cue, both Ash and Aisling collapsed to the ground.

@Luthien​

 

[Luthien]

"Wait, that thing is an illusion…?!" She wanted to ask from what, or whom given the circumstances, but the elf knew better than to continue whispering at the caenis once his little friend had taken her bait.

Wait... why is he running from Lune of all people? She didn’t expect her unnie’s name to join the list of things this figure claimed Ash was avoiding, a questioning glance given over her shoulder back at the green-haired caenis, though she refrained from actually reaching out telepathically to him—not worth it now that Lúthien knew the illusion would pick up on it.

"We can't fight this thing. We need to retreat—"
"Ash, I don’t think that's an option right now—"

Little by little her ears had been honing into the figure’s voice, ignoring the way their timbre felt so familiar as the elf quietly began nocking one of her arrows onto the string of her bow. The shape became more defined now, with auburn locks that tickled a dormant memory in the back of Lúthien’s mind—her mind so certain that they had seen them before, though she couldn’t remember where that had been.

"...Luthien's right, though. You can't go avoiding your problems forever." The ranger quickly drew back her arrow as her target stopped moving, but she couldn’t find it in her to release the arrow as the mask was finally removed. "Sometimes you have to face your fears."

"It’s you…?" She knew that face, Rael and her had tormented the older woman—perhaps a bit mercilessly—back in Metaworlds 2024 after suspecting her of being the very Vargold standing at her side— "Wait, that doesn’t make sense—Ash!?!"

The heavier caenis dropped onto the ground with an audible thud, his actions mirrored by the woman facing them, and the elf barely noticed the fog getting thicker and thicker as she knelt down besides Ash. "C’mon, this isn’t the time for a joke!" Her hands grasped his shoulders tightly, shaking the caenis firmly to try and snap him back to reality, even as her own eyelids began to feel heavy and the world around them began spinning.

"We gotta get… out of… here…" The last thing Lúthien could remember was the familiar scent of the caenis as her own body slumped against Vargold, her senses dulled as whatever lurked within the mist finally overtook them.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Shapes flickered in the curling mist, shadows of people and places as if it was reacting to the forms lying unconscious on the ground. In the distance, one watched with a smile.

"How interesting... I wonder what the darkness will show us this time?"

---

Two bodies stirred in the darkness.

"Mmmmmrgh..."

The redheaded woman was the first to sit up, groaning with the effort. She raised both hands to her face, only to freeze at soon as they made contact. "What...?"

The green-haired caenis was the next to rise. Unlike the redheaded woman, he was silent, gaze oddly blank as he turned it towards the two women on the ground. It was immediately obvious something was wrong, though what it was exactly didn't become clear until the "illusion's" mocking smile grew on his face.

"I wonder how you'll feel when you're the one doing the chasing?"

He bent down to pick up the sword he dropped and slipped it back into its sheath. Then he approached the woman on the ground with ominous grace, and bent down to tap her on the nose.

"Tag.

You're it."

And with an exaggerated (and perhaps for Luthien, familiar looking bow, "Ash" took the fallen mask and stepped backwards into the mist, joining the rest of the shifting forms within it.

Frozen, Aisling watched him go, unable to process the fact that her avatar had just... walked away.

@Luthien ​

 

[Luthien]

"Nnngh..." Her head felt empty and her movement sluggish, her displeasure audible as the blonde finally stirred. A hand pressed against the side of her forehead, trying to temper the beginning signs of a headache, as her other arm supported the weight of her upper body as Lúthien shifted to a sitting position on the ground.

"What...?"
"What…?"

Her inquiry echoed from another, though for entirely different reasons, as Lúthien finally noticed the redhead not too far from where she laid. "Shit, we got company—Ash…?" She’d found him easily, but one look into the blank stare of his golden gaze quickly told the ranger that something wasn’t right.

And then he smiled.

Not a normal grin, that wouldn’t have worried the blonde terribly even if it wasn’t exactly a common expression in the caenis’ face. No, this was something else… something different, and she couldn't help the chill that swept over her at the sight of it.

She was quiet as he stood to pick up the dropped sword, the threat of it removed—for the time being, at least—as the blade was sheathed. He seemed oblivious to her presence while he spoke, or perhaps it simply hadn’t mattered at all, as the green haired caenis walked closer to the mysterious woman who shouldn’t have been here in the first place.

"Tag." She could only gawk as Vargold bent down, his finger purposely booping the nose of the redhead as he spoke. "You're it."

"What the fuuuck...?" The exaggerated flourish was like the cherry atop a sundae, completely unrequired but given all the same, before the caenis grasped the mask that laid forgotten on the floor and stepped backwards. "H-Hey, Ash wait—!"

A hand stretched outwards as she called for the older player, before Lúthien watched as the mist swallowed Vargold whole and the caenis disappeared. She remained motionless for a moment, her mind still struggling to process the current development, before an exasperated sigh escaped her lips as that outstretched hand swept downwards against her face.

Maybe the mist had been laced with something weird...?

"You," she finally spoke, crimson eyes staring intently at the woman that remained in Lúthien’s presence. "Care to enlighten me on what’s going on?"

She had so many questions and no answers, though from the expression on the redhead’s face Lúthien wasn’t sure if she’d be able to clear some—or any—of them… wouldn’t stop her from trying, though. "And who are you, a roommate of his playing a prank?" It was clear that they’d known each other, but if Vargold was the woman’s avatar then perhaps this was a friend of theirs that had decided to copy their appearance and pop into the game for a tasteless prank?

"You really shouldn’t copy someone’s IRL appearance y’know—it could get them into trouble if the wrong person saw it." With how illegal this game was, only a fool—or someone like Yugam—would risk molding their avatar as their real life self… though the hunter had thankfully changed his appearance a while back.

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Aisling Lane

This day was getting worse every second.

Ash... no, Aisling, she was herself right now, tried to take stock of herself. She could feel every old ache and quirk in a way that was both painfully familiar and bizarrely uncomfortable. Like a hermit crab without its shell, naked and vulnerable, just like that dream-

"You."

Aisling startled and looked up, briefly making eye contact with Luthien and cementing the feeling that all of this was wrong. She'd seen that expression, but never directed at her, and she opened her mouth for a moment before snapping it shut again and looking away.

...well, of course she was looking at her like that. Luthien cared about Ash Vargold. Aisling was just a stranger - and a suspicious one at that. She shrank away from the interrogation, her frustration building, until finally-

"Could you just shut up for a minute!?"

Aisling buried her face in her hands with a long groan. She did not want to deal with this. Nor did she care for how accurate Terrasphere's recreation of her was. Getting to her feet was as much effort here as it was in real life, and having to look up to Luthien instead of down was uncanny.

She had to find... it? Him? Her? It. Somewhere out in the mist-choked High Reach was her... avatar, puppeted by someone who wasn't her and she was not going to accept that it was her. She could feel some kind of tug that she somehow knew would lead her straight to it.

"I need to find 'him'. You don't have to come."

Aisling took a moment to pack her pockets and grumbled. They were empty of anything useful. "Fuck, at least let me have my smokes..." She then tried opening her palm menu, dreading the result...

It popped up normally. All her information was there, perfectly normal. But...

HauntedYou're it. No cheating.

...but she couldn't actually access any of it.

Cool. Very cool. Being harassed by her own damn status bar.

She closed the UI, took a deep breath, and marched away from Luthien, still running away from your problems in the hopes that she could finish this "game" quickly.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

Her voice had started out accusatory and strong, perhaps unsettled by the quick turn of events that her mind was still trying to make sense of, though it had softened upon seeing the older woman shrink into herself. The question she should’ve first started with, but had forgotten entirely about, had been on the tip of her tongue when the redhead finally lashed out—undoubtedly exasperated by the never ending string of words that had come in her direction.

She had half a mind to bark back a snippy quip of her own, but the ranger managed to reel in the impulse as she watched the woman bury her face in her palms and groan. A long exhale was finally released as the elf looked around them once more, frowning at the thick fog and whatever mysteries it currently concealed from their sights—like the location of one(1) green awoo boy.

"I need to find 'him'."
"What do you mean ‘find him’, aren’t you the one that pulled us in here—"
"You don't have to come."

Brows furrowed even further, crimson eyes always tracking the woman as she moved, before the blonde scoffed in response. "You’re free to try and stop me." Did she expect Lúthien to just sit here and look pretty while waiting? Fuck no.

The familiar movements to summon the palm menu caused the blonde to mimic them on her own palm. Part of her wondered if perhaps anything could be gleaned from it, though a different part dreaded seeing the familiar glitches that would indicate dissonance was at play nearby. She barely had a moment to glance in its direction before the redhead began to walk into the fog, a quick "H-Hey!" called out before the ranger followed after her.

What the fuck was going on?

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Aisling Lane

Aisling shouldn't have been surprised that Luthien jumped to action. She'd been through a lot with Ash, and she... respected him? Considered him a friend?

...was it possible to feel jealous of yourself?

"You must care for him."

As if in response to her idle thoughts, the fog flickered with pale memories - ones Luthien would have recognized. The looming dread of the Camp Hope investigation, and the chaos of the Dreadnaught.

Szofrit, and Ash's abrupt departure from Terrasphere shortly after.

Sometimes they seemed to be from Ash's perspective. Sometimes, Luthien's. Aisling couldn't help but be distracted by the latter - seeing him from the outside was deeply strange. Ash was good at hiding the low-level anxiety that plagued her and by proxy, him. From outside, he really did seem like someone who had it together, who was worth the respect.

"...what makes you so sure he deserves it? You don't really know him."

She couldn't hide the bitterness in her tone as she reached for her chest. Th-th-thump went her heart, as if echoing the one that beat in Ash's chest. It was wrong, feeling it when she was herself, but it was also the only beacon she had.

She hated feeling exposed like this. The sooner this was over with, the better.

Guess she really could be jealous of herself.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

"You must care for him." She found herself momentarily silenced by those words, as if the thought itself had never concretely materialized inside her head until that moment. "I g-guess."

It was dumb luck that she’d landed in the same team as the caenis back in Camp Hope IV, a last minute swap that had been made and informed to her as the wagons finally reached the pitched tents of the settlement. He’d been the voice of caution—and reason—for their little group… though perhaps it was his gift—or curse, depending on how one viewed it—with ghosts that had stood out the most for the young elf.

Attentive and reliable, though somewhat awkward as she’d come to learn upon discovering the caenis had somehow contracted a cold during winter. He’d turned into a friend before the blonde had realized it, even if the caenis probably regarded her as a source of many headaches and a thorn in his side whenever she was around.

The thought caused the faintest of chuckles to escape her, before moving pictures within the fog caught her attention. "Pfft...!" Had he actually winked at one of those high maintenance looking ladies? So that’s how he got info, huh? Camp Hope had truly been the wildest of times… though any additional reminiscing her mind might’ve been inclined to ponder on was instantly paused as glimpses of the battle against the Dreadnaught began to surface.

She had thought them all to be Ash’s memories, at least until the familiar face of the green caenis showed up in one of them. It was impossible to not recognize her own gloves as her palms had pressed around the sides of his face, a light jolt finally snapping the man back to his senses.

"You’re right, I don’t." She knew little of the man aside from the things Ash allowed himself to show, and close to nothing about the person behind the green haired avatar used to explore TerraSphere. "But he doesn’t strike me as the asshole type, y’know?"

She’d found his blog a while back, catching up with all the past entries he’d made so far—and it remained bookmarked on her browser to this very day. "Only someone that cares would go out of their way so often to help other players." Especially the newbies logging into TerraSphere for the first time, though the caenis didn’t just stop there.

Crimson eyes finally shifted their focus away from the memory reels to look at the redhead again, almost as if studying her with the utmost detail as Lúthien compared her to one she’d met back in MetaWorlds. She’d had her suspicions then, the very same ones that she began to ponder on now as she followed the woman through the mist, but one thing had been unmistakeable—she’d known who the girls had been referencing out loud that day.

"You probably know him the best though, right?" Lúthien had no idea where they were, or where they were even going, but it was impossible to miss the purpose behind the redhead’s footsteps as she continued… almost as if something was guiding her through this place. "Watcha think then, does he deserve it?"

@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Aisling Lane

"You’re right, I don’t."

Aisling nodded, still looking ahead rather than back at Lúthien. The staccato beat in her chest was growing more erratic, as if they were getting closer - or perhaps reflecting the growing knowledge that in the end, she was alone...

"But he doesn't strike me as the asshole type, y'know? Only someone that cares would go out of their way so often to help other players."

Aisling stopped, caught off guard. For the first time she looked back at Lúthien, only to find the elf looking back at her with more intensity than expected. She averted her eyes, as if trying to hide behind her hair, but it was probably too late.

"You probably know him the best though, right?"

"Hah. You could say that." Her laugh was bitter. Of course she knew him best - he wouldn't even exist without her scrawled notes in a half-used composition book. But Ash didn't follow those rules anymore. That character had been shaped by the time in Terrasphere, a mask to handle it's myriad horrors. Just a mask, and yet. "...though lately, I'm not so sure."

Memories whirled, like smoke kicked up by her footsteps.

The sharp eyes of a young woman looking up at him, the word Dissonance ghosting across her lips.

A hand slammed on the table, while a young man looked up with shock and confusion.

Lune, a sword, and all that followed.​

Aisling growled and squeezed her eyes shut. When was that memory going to stop haunting her? Were her nightmares not enough for this stupid game? No one had died, nothing had changed, and yet the memory still haunted her thoughts and her hands-

"Watcha think then, does he deserve it?"

"...maybe he did, once upon a time. But things change."

Th-thump. Th-th-th-thump. Aisling wasn't sure what hurt more - the dissonant beat in her chest, or the reminder of all his... all her mistakes, played out for Lúthien to see.

"He's close. Maybe we can finally finish this sorry excuse for a side-quest..."

@Luthien