Discontinued Private Eastern Brisshal [Wintersday] Polar Drift

[Harper]

"Hey, you never know if you like it 'till you try it! I can even picture it!"

Harper would motion with her hands at the air in front of her, as if showing something to the two with her.

"Ash "The Woofer" Vargold, moose exterminator extraordinaire! Just uh... Mind the antlers." She'd say with a sheepish smile, before showing a considerably sized wound on her side that she had bandaged up. The beast had clearly done a number on her before she managed to seize its neck, but the beastkin clearly showed the wound in a prideful manner, treating it more as a battle scar than anything.

As Toko grabbed her piece of the moose to carry, Harper did the same, heaving the back half of the moose upon the head, some of its remaining blood spilling from the hole and into her shoulder, staining her clothes and some of her fur red. Upon seeing this, Harper would frown as she shook her head. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to take a bath after this. Its either that or spending the rest of the day salivating at this point. That's for later though!"

She would motion with her head towards the cave as Ash warned them of the bears's arrival, the beastkin wearing a huge grin as she saw the white-furred beasts emerging from the darkness. "There's our quarry! Let's give them a pre-dinner workout, Toko!" Stomping the ground as a signal to go, she would start running.

Holding the moose was easy work with her muscles, but keeping up with the hare was definitely the real challenge. The uneven terrain from the forest definitely didn't help either, but Harper wasn't about to let herself be embarassed! With Ash watching her back, she could put all her focus on the path in front of her and avoid any obstacles, and at least for the current moment that strategy was working, the tigress just hoping her stamina held up the entire way.

"S-So! Are we just going to lead them to the circus from here?!"

@Toko @Ash Vargold (aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i forgot about this thread i'm sorrrrrrrrrry. So, I dunno if we are doing any spice here but I'm rolling just for flavor in any case!)

Expertise Check
1d100 (78) + 35 = 113

Fitness | Harper | 1578 | I totally did not forget about this thread anyway moose sprinting

 

[Ash Vargold]

"The what."

Ash didn't have a chance to put the rest of this thoughts together before the others were off with their moose loads, trailing the smell of blood and viscera in their wake. He barely had a moment to draw his runestone before the polar bears were out. "Spirits, heed my caaaa-"

His incantation was cut off as the bear nearly trampled him in their pursuit of Toko and Harper. He stared at their backs before his body caught up with his mind. "Hey, get back here!"

Ash took off - he had none of the speed the others had, and certainly very little practice ducking through the obstacles the forest provided. He relied on his magic instead, calling whatever spirits that deigned to listen to impede the bears. Branches snapped and spectral hands dragged at their feet, causing them to stumble and growl in their pursuit. Not enough that they'd fall behind, but enough that they wouldn't overtake them.

"Taking them to the fairgrounds is our best bet!" Ash called between breaths. "We can let the circus handle them once we're there!"

With luck, they'd be there soon. He was already getting tired...

@Toko @Harper

 

[Toko]

The weight of the moose while they carried it hadn’t been an issue, less so considering it was being shared between the tigress and herself. Sure enough they’d reached the cave the circus members had called a temporary home, the strong and rich iron scent that wafted from the fresh kill enticing enough for the creatures within, and before long the duo was engaged in what could only be described as a cartoonish chase around the woods.

"S-So! Are we just going to lead them to the circus from here?!"
"Wasn’t that the plan from the start?!"

She’d been doing her best to navigate the undergrowth in the direction of the troupe and its humanoid members, the claws on her feet often digging into the softer soil underneath from the extra weight currently carried on her shoulders as Toko navigated. "Otto! Watch out for that hole, Harper!" Her steps faltered as she found an unexpected dip in the ground, the blood on her hands almost causing the hare to lose her grip on the moose, before she managed to catch her balance as a warning was shot towards her heavy lifting companion.

Behind them the sounds of heavy footsteps could be heard as the bears gave chase, on occasion sounding a bit too close for comfort until their legs would falter as Ash kept pace with them all from the rear. His interventions ensured neither girl became a side dish for the polar bears they were leading towards the circus, and as the tip of the tent finally came into view Toko couldn’t help but call out enthusiastically.

"We’re almost there!!!"

---

Expertise Check
1d100 (10) + 50 = 60
Fitness | Toko | Leading Polar Bears with a meal

@Ash Vargold | @Harper

 

[Harper]

Ash's efforts to keep the bears at arm's length paid off, given that both Toko and Harper would've certainly been caught by now if it wasn't for his help. Even in a straight race Harper wasn't sure she could outrun them, let alone in such difficult terrain, so the spirit-caller's help was very much paramount.

"Goddamn, they don't say polar bears are up there with hippos as apex predators for nothing, jeez-!"

At the beastkin's advice, Harper switched her step and avoided the hole that had almost doomed the lepri before, quickly picking up the pace again to avoid being caught. Ash's tricks were buying them a good amount of leeway, but the beastkin didn't feel like taking chances today, wrapping her tail around her thigh before shouting at the wolf boy. She couldn't afford to turn her head to look at him, so she just had to compensate by being loud.

"Yo, wolf boy! Watch your step even harder, okay?!"

She would exclaim, before verdant rays energy flew from her feet into the ground she stepped on, she using her Nature Magic to raise some roots from the ground behind her as she ran, seeking to slow the bears even further. If Toko wasn't talking out of her behind, they should be close to the finish line here, so it was just a matter of not bottling it.

...And eventually, they did arrive where the troupe was staying, the tigress catching sight of some tents. "There we go! Ahem... OIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Staff and performers both would have their preparations stopped by the sudden sound of someone shouting, before watching in utter disbelief as a pair of bloodied beastkin rushed in from the woods, Harper turning towards them with a grin.

"Did someone order a trio of polar bears?! Coming in hot!"

She would warn, dropping the moose on the ground and hopping over it as she continued to run, putting some distance between the carcass and herself so she and Toko could finally catch their breath. Looking back at Toko, she would shake her head. "Do you think the pay is worth smelling like roadkill? I'm not so sure right now, haha!"

@Ash Vargold @Toko

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash didn't have the breath to snap back at the others. No matter how fit he might be, he had no way of keeping up with players that specialized in this kind of high activity or speed. Then there was his rapidly draining EN from both physical and magical activity.

Seeing the fairgrounds was a damn relief.

The moment the moose carcass was released the polar bears were on it, ravenous from days of hunger and the chase sequence. There were shouts of surprise from the circus staff, and a few elves rushed out, ready to contain the bears.

Ash bent over, panting heavily. His adrenaline was still running high, but he was sure it wouldn't be long before he was hit by... well, everything. "I... hated everything about that. I need some water..."

And some food, he thought, as his stomach growled. Something that wasn't that increasingly appetizing-smelling moose.

@Harper @Toko

 

[Toko]

"Did someone order a trio of polar bears?! Coming in hot!"
"Doite kudasaaai!"

It wasn’t every day someone looked up to see a hare and a tiger being pursued by a trio of hungry polar bears, and a part of Toko was thankful that the circus troupe hadn’t settled down too close to Honeyhome. Once the initial shock wore off most were quick to move out of their path, and with heavy grunt from both women the bloodied moose carcass soon found itself a heap on the ground… though it didn’t have to wait long before three hungry bears were upon it.

Despite the crunching sounds of bones being ground between molars, and the lack of heavy footsteps chasing after them, Harper and Toko had still continued to trot until a healthy enough distance was placed between themselves and the polar bears.

"I dunno about that… " It was hard to form full sentences when her lungs were burning, the lepus having to alternate between speaking and breathing. "... but the hot springs sound great right now." Hands rested on her knees as the hare hunched over while catching her breath, sparing just a moment to wave at Vargold as the caenis finally joined them. "Water sounds good right now… food too… but maybe after a bath."

@Harper | @Ash Vargold

 

[Harper]

Harper could seldom give the bear handlers a wave as they got away from the carcass, the beastkin watching with a grimace as the bear started to make quick work out of it. With how close some moments of that chase got, she couldn't help but think there was a world that they were eating the mangled corpses of the bunch of them instead.

And she was very glad this was only a thought, that's for sure.

Once she finally found herself having some space to breath, her hands immediately went to her knees as she bent down, some spit leaving her mouth as she audibly heaved. She hadn't gone through such a workout in a long time, hell, she didn't even know she could run for that long in the first place. Adrenaline is one hell of a protein shake, that's for sure.

"Really? I found it... Quite fun... Actually!" She threw a smirk towards Ash, before letting her shoulders drop slightly as she kept panting. Opening her UI, she would throw a filled waterskin by his feet if he needed it. "Am I doing it again anytime soon? No...t likely."

Her feline ears perked up and turned to face towards the lepri, the tigress tilting her head slightly at her proposition.

"I'm all up for a bath as much as anyone else, but... I've never been to a hot spring before, actually. Been to a sauna to lose water weight, sure, but not hot springs."

Finally regaining a semblance of steady breathing, the beastkin rose back upright as she put her hand on her waist, stretching her back before looking at the two with a smile, shrugging her shoulders.

"Not like it matter much where we go, because I'll have all three things one could possibly need: Food, comfort," She threw her hands around both Toko and Ash's necks, pulling them close. "And good company! Now come on, what are we waiting for?!"

@Toko
@Ash Vargold

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash startled as the waterskin hit the ground near his feet, a final hurrah from the fading adrenaline rush. He shook his head and picked it up. "Thanks."

It was tempting to drain the whole thing dry, but he held back. The others were probably thirsty too, and so he offered it to Toko and Harper. "Here, you should both have some."

With the waterskin passed off, he used his freed up hands to dig through his inventory for his envelope of jerky. The first large strip vanished down his throat as soon as it was out. It didn't taste as good as the fresh meat smelled, but it was definitely more acceptable to eat...

"Are there even any hotsprings around here?"

A hot bath did sound good. He needed to get his clothes cleaned too. He'd never even been to a hot spring, but...

...well, for a lack of better word, all going together would be awkward, right...?

He was shaken from his train of thought as Harper pulled him down by the shoulders. He stumbled slightly before finding his balance.

"T-thanks for the invite, but it might be better for me to handle things at the inn..."

@Toko @Harper​

 

[Toko]

A strained chuckle escaped the hare upon hearing Harper’s words, her head shaking softly from side to side. "Not sure I’d use the word ‘fun’ to describe all of that… but it was quite the experience." Luring polar bears back to the circus while hauling a carcass hadn’t been on her plans when she logged into the game, however it was pretty par for the course when TerraSphere was concerned.

"Eh, maji de?" The surprise in her voice was hard to miss as she stared at Harper, before the lepus turned to nod at Ash as he spoke up next. "Hai, there’s some not too far from the village actually—the landers here love them, and I’ve helped with a few modifications over time."

Her geomancy had been a blessing for that, and she’d been delighted that the locals hadn’t minded the few Japanese touches Toko had added here and there as the pools had been redefined and reinforced from their original state.

The caenis wasn’t the only one that stumbled as Harper pulled them closer together, a light smile on her lips, before she raised a questioning eyebrow towards Ash. "Zettai ni?" How someone could even consider passing up the chance to visit hot springs was beyond her... until a thought occurred to the hare.

"A-Ah, they're split pools now. Figured that was probably for the best...?" While mixed baths weren't unheard of, especially in a rural village like her own back in Japan, single-gendered baths had been on a steady rise. There was also the added factor of people from all over the world being able to play this game, and Toko had taken that into account when modifying the springs.

@Harper | @Ash Vargold

 

[Harper]

"No biggie. Thanks."

She'd grab the waterskin once Toko had her fill and drank the rest of the water, listening in as Toko gave the details about the hot springs. She had only seen them once or twice on the off-chance they were on the few anime she watched, and honestly she was quite curious to know what the craze was about what she saw as basically a natural hot bath.

Cold baths are better, anyway.

Toko's comment about mixed baths earned her a chuckle from the tigress. Yeah, she could understand how the idea of a mixed bath would be a bit weird for most people outside of the culture. The beastkin herself wasn't 100% opposed to trying it out, especially with friends, but she could definitely see how it could make some people uncomfortable. Hell, there was a good example in front of her right now.

But she also thought it would be a bit of a shame if he didn't get to enjoy a good rest after all that they went through today. So, she'd get closer to the wolfman, hugging his arm as she looked up to him.

"Aw man, you ain't gonna go and ditch two ladies all by themselves, will you? Besides..."

Whatever way Ash might've though Harper was going with this was quickly dashed as she backed away with a sly grin, the beastman now noticing that most of his side was now tinted the same dark hue present on the stain of the two moose-carriers.

"You ain't gonna be allowed near a inn smelling like that, I bet! And whoops, would you look at that! My waterskin is now aaaaaaaaaalll empty!"

@Ash Vargold @Toko

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash frowned. It wasn't really... that. But explaining his particular hangups here would just make things complicated. "Really, it's fine..."

He tried to pull away, only to discover Harper had latched onto his arm for some reason. He squinted down at her.

"Considering said "two ladies" just dragged a bull moose halfway across Brisshal? I think you'll be fine.

He snorted softly as she finally pulled away, then paused as the smell of blood filled his nostrils. His gaze flickered down towards the fresh stain on his clothing.

"W...what the hell was that for?"

His fur rose as he snapped his inventory open to unequip the jacket. The tailored green affair vanished, leaving only the white button-down beneath... which was also stained in the same location. Ash tugged at the fabric around the stain with a growing scowl, then glared back at Harper.

"..."

"...would it be enough if I just walk with you two and see these hot springs?"

@Toko @Harper ​

 

[Toko]

 

𝙷𝙾𝙽𝙴𝚈𝙷𝙾𝙼𝙴 𝙷𝙾𝚃 𝚂𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂

She wondered how well Harper’s words would work on the caenis, especially considering the feat said ladies had achieved not that long ago… and, sure enough, it was the same point Ash used to counter the tigress’ comments. The lepus had been about to interject when she finally noticed the sly grin on Harper’s lips, the felis finally ungluing herself from Vargold’s side to reveal her true purpose.

"A-Ah... Tora-chan!" A scolding tone slipped into her voice as Toko realized what Harper had done, the lepus resting her hands against her hips as she admonished the tigress as Ash confirmed how far the blood had seeped into his clothing.

Turns out it’d been quite a bit.

Part of her hoped the caenis wouldn’t become upset and outright logout due to Harper’s tactics, before a relieved sigh escaped her lips as Ash seemed to accept his fate partially for now. "Hai, no harm in taking a glimpse after all." For now that’d be good enough, and the hare was more than happy to act as the guide for the trio. Who knew, maybe Ash would be more inclined for a dip once he got a glimpse of the springs?

​

The trek to the springs was fairly simple and uneventful, in large part thanks to the modifications that had been made throughout Toko’s time in Honeyhome. "Many of the landers back in Honeyhome hadn’t had the chance to enjoy them before, the path leading up to them had been too dangerous—especially for some of the elderly members." The overgrown dirt path had since been replaced by a defined cobblestone one, and the occasional patrols done by the hare ensured it remained safe for both lander and new players to traverse.

"I tried keeping it to its original shape as much as possible," Cresting up a hill would give them a good look at the hot springs awaiting below. What had once been makeshift basins in the ground had been expanded and better defined thanks to her ability to manipulate the earth and stones around, the two pools now divided by a wooden fence crafted to the beastfolk’s specifications. "B-But I did help them add things that would be beneficial for anyone that wanted to soak in them."

Despite the modifications in place the springs still retained a rustic charm to them, inspired in large parts by the local onsen found in Nao’s rural village home back in Japan. A simple entrance led to a hallway that branched off into two sides, each properly labeled for a specific gender. "There’s some stalls so people can clean off before stepping into the springs, and the landers often make sure there’s extra supplies in each in case someone forgets theirs."

@Harper | @Ash Vargold

 

[Harper]

Harper couldn't help but sigh when Ash remained steadfast in his stance, even after her "encouragement". He really was stubborn. Though she couldn't deny that this was one of his qualities as well, being so steadfast in his stance. Nevertheless, the tigress just shrugged her shoulders at him with a defeated smirk.

"Alright alright Unc... Your loss though."

As they started to be led by Toko towards the hot springs, Harper would stop for a moment before turning back to face the wolf man again, this time with... An apologetic gaze?

"And uh... Sorry for the clothes. Maybe I got too carried away there."

---

The way to the springs was much more well-paved than the tigress had initially imagined, especially since she thought it was something more off the beaten path, but Toko had visibly put in a lot of effort into making this into an actual proper spot for the locals. She had seen how adept the rabbit was at moving the earth before, but she still couldn't imagine how much time it took to get things this tidy.

The second thing she immediately noticed as they got closer was the heat.

Harper was a very fluffy girl, literally. Add that to her naturally hot bloodness, and heat struck her especially fast. So she couldn't deny she was a bit worried about what would happen once she got into the bath, but she didn't want to be a spoil-sport.

Come on, she battled beasts and fiends and lived! A little extra heat was nothing!

Once they got to the changing stalls, Harper rushed in front of the two of them with a smirk. Heat aside, she was more than ready to stop drooling from her own smell of roadkill.

"Alrighty! Don't mind if I doooo~!"

Rushing into the stall, she quickly made sure to wash every nook, cranny and speck of the moose's scent before emerging from the stalls mostly squeaky clean with a neatily tied towel around her body, with her striped round tail emerging from the bottom of it.

"What we waiting for? Let's go hot springing folks!"

Hey, perhaps if she just had a good enough time, her body wouldn't even notice the heat!

...

Hopefully?

@Ash Vargold @Toko

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash maintained his frown, but it softened at Harper's apology. "Just... don't go around smearing blood on people, alright? It's unsanitary."

...yes, unsanitary. That was definitely the problem here.

Ugh, kids...

---

Ash could smell the sulfur long before the hotsprings came into sight. At some point he'd thrown his bloodstained coat back on, partially because it was cold and partially because dark red on green was a little less obvious than red on white.

"This was with Geomancy? It's impressive." The cobbled path was a nice break from the uneven dirt trails crisscrossing Falderen and Astorea, and the springs below might have been natural for how they looked. It... really did look nice and warm down there. And he was tired and sweaty and smelled like blood...

Ash's expression twisted. He glanced between the two hallways, ears flattened back, and sighed. "Think this is where we split up, then." Ash smiled weakly, then grabbed a stall of his own to get things over with.

Washing up was always such an ordeal.

He admittedly did feel better once he was done, stepping out of the stall in some more casual and thankfully unstained clothing. He'd found a place to hang his clothes to dry, and the men's side of the spring was blessedly empty.

He sat down at the side of the spring and gingerly dangled his legs into the steaming water. It was almost too hot, but not enough to hurt.

"...I guess this is pretty nice," Ash muttered, tail swishing across the warm stones as he enjoyed the water.

@Toko @Harper​

 

[Toko]

She smiled quietly as Harper’s demeanor changed for a moment, a regretful expression on the tigress’ features, before she finally addressed the caenis properly with an apology. It was, thankfully, accepted by Vargold before their conversation turned to the work done on the path and the springs as they got close.

"Hai!" The lepus nodded enthusiastically as Vargold correctly surmised which mastery Toko had used for most of the remodeling, including the improved path. Nature Magic had been at play here and there, though to a much lesser extent than the hare’s manipulation of stone and earth. "I didn’t want to disrupt the natural layout of the springs too much, and the landers have plenty of tasks and responsibilities on their plates to bother them with this."

"It's impressive." Compliments, however small they may be, still often caught her by surprise—and it showed in the nervous smile and light stutter that coated her next words. "A-Arigatooh."

The energetic felis was the first to disappear into the washing area, before Toko gave a soft nod in return to Ash. "You don’t have to soak in the spring if it’s not to your liking, but I hope they’ll soothe your body regardless." A thought crossed her mind then, and she shared it with the caenis before he walked away.

"The landers sometimes leave woven baskets by the shallower area with eggs inside, feel free to have some if there’s any there today." There might not be as plentiful right now given the season, but onsen tamago were a simple and delicious treat everyone deserved to try at least once.

​

The shower itself was a blessing as the lepus washed away all the grime and blood from the day, the warm water pouring out coming from the same natural source that fed the hot springs ahead She was thorough every step of the way, a content sigh escaping as Toko finally confirmed any scent trace of the moose was gone from her form.

Harper was already inspecting the pool by the time she’d stepped outside, a towel carefully wrapped around Toko’s frame. "Do you see a basket near the shallows, Tora-chan?" She was unsure if the tigress had caught her words earlier, and the overall vacancy of the spring today was unexpected, but with some luck the basket on their side would have a handful of eggs they could share together.

@Harper | @Ash Vargold

 

[Harper]

As they got closer and closer to the natural pools, the heat only got more intense. And so did Harper's concern.

She couldn't help but wonder if she would even enjoy it. It was cold outside, yes, but would said cold really make up for the prolonged exposure to the warm water?

Besides all of that... Harper did not look good if her fur got wet. Especially in the face area. In all senses of the word, she'd look like a wet cat. She managed to mostly dry herself before coming out of the changing rooms, but she'd still have to dunk herself onto the springs. For once, she was grateful for the gender separation, if only because it meant only Toko would see her in that sorry state.

But oh well... She was worrying a whole lot about things that haven't even happened yet! If she didn't stop, she'd get full of beastkin wrinkles!

--

As they got closer to the onsens, Harper quickly managed to piece together the scenario in front of her with the scenarios she saw in those japanese animations she watched from time to time. They were almost one-to-one. And with that train of thoughs, another quickly came: Everything was.

No matter how real everything smelled, felt and sounded, one absolute truth was in place for those not UI-Locked like her: With the press of a few menu buttons, she would be back in her dorm, as college student and judo savant Nicole Fairbanks. Nothing more, nothing less.

And she wouldn't switch that for anything in the world. She loved her life, after all. But for those who didn't share her enthusiasm for the world outside of Terrasphere... How enticing would it be to just... Never go back?

Once she would say that this was just a game or a thrill hobby. But she understood better now. How one could easily lose themselves inside this world.

...

Whew, that was a train of thought. What was that Toko said again? Something 'bout a basket?

Prompted by the lepri's question, Harper's eyes turned a brighter shade of gold as she turned Investigation Mode on, quickly locating a basket with some... Eggs! She did remember Toko saying something in that vein earlier.

Grabbing the basket, she went back to Toko with a pleased expression.

"Love myself a good egg! Easy protein and easy to make... In a kitchen, at least. You'd be surprised at how hard it is to get a wild egg right using a few sticks and a campfire instead of a cast iron pan. Ah, but we shouldn't keep this for ourselves... EY UNC!"

She shouted loud enough to make sure Ash couldn't pretend to not hear her, before turning to face the wall that divided the pools.

"We got some eggs over here! If your side didn't get any, give me a few hollers and I'll send one overhead straight to where you are!"

She was half-joking about actually doing that, but not about being able to pinpoint Ash with her hearing alone. It was something she was very proud of, and she wouldn't lose a chance to show-off.

@Ash Vargold @Toko