Fantasy World Creations

Location: ???
Date: ???

Permanent death felt different than what you were expecting. You felt something hard beneath you as your arms were folded on top of each other with your head down resting in them. You started to stir awake, and that was when you realized that it was a wooden table. Smooth and clean, the table itself looked blemish-free, but gave you the impression that furniture helped with the general atmosphere of comfort. The light around the area was a soft yellow, bathing the entire room in its warm light.

From a cursory glance, you realized that the room you were in had two parts to it. One was open and had a variety of different bar games such as pool tables, darts, and even some arcade machines.

[spoiler](https://i.gyazo.com/45e396b763b6a5e41af90fc958c1d5a0.jpg)[/spoiler]


The other side held what looked to be the bar-area of the room. You noticed a variety of alcohol bottles lines up against a wall, with tools that made up the bar stool. You yourself sat on one of the stools, though it was placed around a circular table instead. There was a mad with blonde hair wearing an outfit reminiscent of a cowboy, with a noticeable white feather stuck on his hat that looked towards you.

[spoiler](https://i.gyazo.com/19451e2537519473475a382b8cd781bf.png)[/spoiler]


But it was someone else in the room that caught your attention the most.

[exclude u=463]It was Lucy.

The last thing you remember was your train crashing, or perhaps hitting something. You remember clearly seeing Lucy dead as you vainly tried to bring her back to life. You remember seeing the eight red-glowing crystal-like eyes of the pink-hued metallic spider. Next, you remember your blood falling on Lucy extending and reaching into Lucy's eyes. Lastly you remembered your eyelids starting to feel heavy as you finally lost consciousness.[/exclude][exclude u=462]It was Josh.

The last thing you remember was feeling weightless and suddenly smashing into a pole as you felt something in your spine snap. You had blacked out immediately after, but for whatever reason, you currently weren't in pain. You remember something else then, hazy memories of standing back up in the rubble of a ruined train. The memories were hard to reach, but you thought you remembered seeing some sort of metallic creature.[/exclude]


Where-ever this was. This wasn't back on the ruined train. In fact, it felt calming here. There was a strange warmth to the entire room that you couldn't quite place your finger on. The man who had been watching the two of you finally spoke up.

"Howdy!" The man grinned. "I see you've woken up. Had pleasant dreams?"

Even before he opened his eyes, he could feel his surroundings to a degree: though, mostly just the hard wooden surface beneath him. At first he thought it could be the bottom of a casket, that alarmed him enough to open his eyes from the idea of being buried alive. He opened his eyes first before moving, just to be sure that there were no other dangers. The memories of the day with Lucy ran through his head in a messy jumble of images and powerful emotions that seemed to dull in this peaceful environment. Am I dead... Is this the afterlife? he thought to himself as he began to look around. He had seen all kinds of anime, some depicted the afterlife as alternate realities. This wasn't exactly what he expected the afterlife to be like. Not that he was completely sure it was even, for he recognized a few of the table games as well as the beverages at the bar.

Concern for Lucy ran through his mind, the blonde cowboy at the bar looking at him could wait. Even as the man began to talk to him, he momentarily ignored him until he confirmed that Lucy was there. She was. "Lucy... Lucy.! he would say, increasingly louder to get her attention. He was quite certain she had been dead, but she seemed alive enough. Josh jumped down from the table surface he was on and over to Lucy to physically inspect her in a concerned demeanor. He would feel for her heartbeat and then check for any life threatening wounds while he would respond to the man's greeting.

"Where are we? What happened to the metal creatures?" he would ask, disregarding the question about pleasant dreams. If his life up to that point had been naught but a dream, he didn't like the way his little slice of life had turned into a nightmare at the very end. Though he suspected the question about the dreams was mostly either harmless banter or well-concealed sarcasm. Josh wasn't too sure what was going on or where they were, but the two of them seemed to be okay despite being either dead or severely wounded.  Between Lucy and himself, he would inspect their bodies to a degree to verify whether they were treated for their wounds from the train wreck. When in unknown territory, it was best to understand the situation and be aware of any eminent dangers. This would lead his eyes back to the cowboy' direction as he would look about inquisitively to see if he could find any potential weapons to defend himself and Lucy if necessary.
(http://forums.fantasyworldcreations.com/Themes/envision2013_smf20_rev3/images/dice_warn.gif) This dice roll has been tampered with!
Josh's Perception 1d20+4 : 9 + 4, total 13

[info]Josh's Perception: 13
The bar looked like a bar you would expect from an older era, perhaps in the early 20th century, or late 19th. There was still heavy use of wood with the chairs, tables, shelves, and almost every furniture being made with that same material. The exception being the antique arcade games that were shuffled into a corner. Looking around specifically for weapon, each of the chairs could potentially work as make-shift weapons, not to mention the various bottles lined up against the walls could make do as sharp weapons.

There was a heavy feeling of comfort, almost a light intoxication, that could be felt.

Apart from that, your body felt well. None of the wounds you had suffered were visible. In fact, your body seemed too well. Any previous wounds or scars were gone, as if your physical body had never went through any physical trauma.[/info]

QuoteOODM: Continuing the cowboy guy's response after a few days or after Lucy's post, whichever is first. Feel free to do any other checks/actions (that would take little/no time) if you wish though.

Darkness with a splash of light. Death was certainly different every time she had experienced it. Though one can say she never truly died, Lucy still considered her count with the grim reaper at two, well maybe three or four now. It was really rather strange. Within the gripping darkness, she experienced nothing. Just a void that yields nothing, but something at the same time. Such things can be so difficult to explain with words, it's almost like you had to be there to know sort of deal and everyone has something different to say about it, if they ever get to again. Death is kinda good at that, making sure you don't get to talk about it afterwords. For Lucy though, it was a bit different. She could remember the train, the pole, the snap and cracking of bones. However, something else. Where the light came in. Unlike prior times, there were flashes of light. Memories that were there, but not within reach. A dark blood red hue. A metal creature of sorts. being there, but not. It was all hazy and out of reach of her mind. It could not be grasped...yet. Maybe sometime later on she would know what flashes of light were interrupting her eternal nap.

However, long it seemed however, the light wouldn't go away. Matter of fact, now there was another feeling. A stiff, hard surface. A feeling she had come to know many a times during her party days. Wood? Without a doubt, she knew that feeling and more would come to as she grasped a but of the light and came back to herself and her body. It no longer felt like she was dead, just asleep, her eyes slowly cracking open, light pouring in, slowly registering in her mind. Lucy took a moment, but her body then started to follow her commands, groggily she rose up, bracing herself on the wooden table she had been laying on. She looked down and sure enough, it was a table, it was wood. She looked around, but couldn't process entirely what she was seeing at first. It was a bar of sorts. Was she 21 again? Was this a memory? Was she just really drunk? No, she was certainly on the train, with her best friend Josh. She knew what she was doing in most recent memory, however the strips and hazy thoughts still plagued her. It certainly made everything all the more confusing. Rubbing her face and head, her eyes fully adjusted to the light and room. It was indeed a bar, with various bottles and arcade machines. Sitting up fully, she hung her legs off the table and tried to touch the floor. It was solid and her legs, though a bit weak, were able to support her and she slid off the table and finally just established that where ever she was, it was at least physically real. Looking around she would see Josh, but she also saw another. A cowboy with blonde hair. Now things really didn't make sense and when the cowboy spoke, she could barely understand at first. She was more focused on Josh, who had now approached her and was inspecting her. She waved him off a bit, but he continued to check her, as well as himself. She opened her mouth and at first words didn't come out, before finally it seemed her voice came back to her.

"What in the world happened and where are we?" Everything around her processed through her head and she just calmly looked around. She didn't see anything new that caught her eye, so then turned her attention to Josh once more and asked. "What happened with the train and the sky and...?" The question he asked about the metal creature alarmed her a bit. She didn't know what he was talking about directly, but the haziness of her memory seemed to ache when he mentioned it. She held her head, almost like she had a headache of sorts and looked up to the cowboy at the bar and just bluntly asked. "Where are we and who are you?" Lucy wasn't in the mood for games, though that is what they sought out to get at the start of this night. Now they had done anything from die to get lost. If they were going to get anywhere, they needed some answers and needed them fast.

The man had laughed when he noticed at least one of you checking your bodies.

"Don't ya worry. You're still above snakes. No wounds, no hurting. You're as good as new. Trust me on that, yeah?" He moved his eyes towards Josh specifically. "But the metal creatures? They're still there." The cowboy responded. "But they're also not. Time works a little differently up here. So we're neither then or now. But either way, the two of ya have it bettermost than the rest of the lot." The man began to pull out some glasses, and grabbing one of the bottles behind him, started to pour it into the cups.

"Fer ya see, in a few hours of your time then, most of the folks at New York city would be six-feet-under. Hell, in a few weeks most of your world be like that too. A hellabaloo if there was one! Trust me on this, yeah? It wasn't a place you'd really want to be in. But now you're here. Safe and cozy."

"And here is my little corner. My domain if ya will." Once both the cups were filled up, he snapped his hands. A moment later they had disappeared only to appear in front of the two of you.

QuoteOODM: They would taste whatever you deem to be the best kind of alcohol, but tastes better. The look and texture would change depending on the individual drinking it.

The man had a glass of alcohol in his hands as well, but you swear he only poured two cups. He didn't quite drink it yet though, only placed it down on the bar table, and began to rotate it from the rim as his clear hazel eyes continued to watch the two of you.

"The two of ya were just those that fits the bill. My domain I mean. So here ya two are. As for who I am? Well, they'd called me plenty a names as the years roll on by. But names to us aren't that big of a thing really. I am who I am. And you... Josh and Lucy, are who you are."

"So... pleased ta make your acquaintance."

Josh ha checked himself and Lucy both out for wounds, to a moderate degree. He wasn't going to undress in front of a stranger after all. Plus he was certain Lucy would make him experience death all over again if he tried to take off her clothes. He ad to settle for a minor inspection and then take the man's word for it. he could move his once-dead arm freely after all... And the fact that Lucy was alive, was miraculous enough that Josh decided not to question the authenticity of the situation, though he still remained skeptical of the cowboy. First was t answer Lucy's question since she had been dead almost immediately and hadn't experienced the monsters. "After you...died. The city was besieged from metallic creatures. Those cracks in the sky ushered in some kind of apocalyptic event in our world and I was unfortunate enough to meet two metal creatures. The first was extremely large and shaped like a golem. I believe it was what crashed into our train like a meteor. The second was a giant spider the size of a car." He paused for a couple seconds while he tried to remember what happened, though he had fallen unconscious. "The last thing I remember was the giant metallic spider was trying to get into our train cart and me and likely your body." Josh then motioned with both arms as if to say "And now we're here."

Of course his explanation hardly seemed to make much sense, but given the cowboy's explanation, it made more sense... Or at least more believable. The world Josh and Lucy knew was essentially ending in some alternate timeline... So where did that leave them? Or perhaps a better question.. When? He stowed that question away for the moment as a glass of liquid suddenly appeared in his hand, as did Lucy's. Magic... Or was this cowboy so fast that he had placed it in their hands and poured himself a third glass before they could realize it? The second option seemed more plausible, considering Josh had been watching him with keen eyes under suspicion and hadn't seen him pour the third glass.

Josh was surprised, so much so that he jerked his hand slightly, nearly spilling the drink. Given the age Josh and Lucy were born in, these kinds of things were possible and frequent in VRMMOs. Unlike the common masses, Josh was very quick to recover and accept the situation. "It's possible we are in a game." he would say to Lucy in a lowered voice, not intended to let the man across the bar hear his hypothesis. Magic and inhumane speed only existed in fantasy in their world. He sipped the drink and quickly recognized it Jack Daniels and sweet tea. The blend was just right, his own version of course and how he personally preferred it. So how did this man seem to know his preferred drink? Josh's quick wits and logic seemed to convince him that this was a VRMMO game and data from their brains was used in the thought-creation of scenes and beverages. There were holes in his logic however... The pain and emotions he had felt were all too real... He couldn't remember if he had died or not, nor how they had managed to arrive at this place which seemed to be between time and space.

This cowboy called it his domain and even made a reference whether intentional or unwitting, a phrase that was fairly defining in the sense of a certain religion."I am who I am." That was a phrase the god of the Christianity chose to describe himself when asked his name. The implications were slightly sobering of his skepticism, but Josh hadn't ever cared if gods existed or not. He would bite his tongue and not openly accuse the man of claiming to be a god.. If he could magically make Josh's favorite drink appear in his hand, he might as well have been a god. The better question was. If he could do something convenient like that.. What other things could and would he do? "You seem to know a bit about us. Is there a reason you called us here of leaving us to our fate in our world?" Josh asked, trying to get straight to the point. The atmosphere here was nice, strangely soothing despite how raw Josh's nerves had been not too long ago. His instincts told him it was safe, but for how long? Even a safe place could become a prison. He sipped at the drink again, testing it before Lucy to make sure it was safe to drink. This god-like being seemed to want or need something from them... and that meant there was room for negotiation, maybe even a chance to escape. Lucy was the smart one between the duo. If Josh had deducted this much, surely she would find the means to use what information he had given through his choice words... to their advantage.

Lucy's brought her hand down as her head aches less. She didn't like their situation much. Here they were, in a place of unknown origin, shortly after some form of catastrophe. She didn't say anything, just allowing her sharp ears and eyes follow the cowboy. She didn't need to pay too much attention to Josh, outside of his words. He was easy enough to follow just through her peripherals. Plus she trusted Josh, but this mysterious cowboy, who would only at best give them vague answers, had her a bit on guard. However, her eyes did dart over to Josh as he mentioned one thing for certain. That after she died, the metal creatures had appeared. That confirmed one thing for certain, she had indeed died like she had thought. However, that didn't explain why she kept getting some form of glimpses of the metal creatures within her memory. From her clear understanding, she had died before experiencing them personally, outside what she started to see fall from the sky and even that wasn't within clear detail for her to be able to identify as such. After all she could only barely see something falling and a metallic hue, nothing else. Josh didn't seem to have many answers himself. He was alive longer, to experience more than she had, but the cut off in his sentence and memory didn't yield enough for her to break down.

As she continued to veraciously scan the info at had, continuing to listen carefully, a sudden...surprise snap her from thought process. A...midori sour appeared in her hands. Why? She noticed that Josh also had a drink appear for him. While watching the cowboy, he had pulled two glasses out, as to offer them a drink, but it looked nothing like the drink she currently held and she would know. Spending a good amount of time drinking, she could pick out and even make a fine few drinks. Lucy swirled the drink in her hand, eyeing it. It looked like just a normal drink. The smell of melon and lime was unmistakable, all that was left was taste. Josh seemed just as surprised about his drink and though Lucy was rather skeptical of hers, his seemed to be fine as he sipped his. She brought the glass to her lips and gently took in the taste. It certainly wasn't her favorite drink, but it had been what she had been craving lately and sure enough, it fit perfectly. Probably the best midori sour that had graced her lips. Surprised, she looked over to Josh, who seemed to enjoy his a bit as well and said. "I don't remember being able to taste in video games, do you?"

Lucy lowered the drink and set it on the table next to them. taste wasn't the only thing that override the thought of it possibly being just a game. after all, VRMMO or not, it wasn't normal to feel. Visual experiences aside, it would be too dangerous to apply actual sensations for humans in games, no matter how advance the technology. After all, who would leave a dream world of pure fantasy if they could feel while in  as well? Plus there was no mistaking it, she knew the feeling of waking up on a wooden table. The taste of her sweet and sour drink was better than the real world, which to her perceptive logic, was pretty obvious. That just unsettled her more though, since it opened so many other questions and possibilities. How did the stranger get them there? How did he revive them? How did he know their preferred, or desired drinks? So much to learn and already they were not getting much of anywhere. Lucy brought her full attention back to the cowboy and calmly walking over to him at the bar.

"You say names are not that important. However you know ours. Now we have identification, so that would be easy to learn by just a quick glance, however all this over stuff." she said as she stretched her hand over, as his presenting what was the room and Josh, "This is not normal. You say 'up here' and 'your domain', clearly you mean something that is not a part of our Earth. The drinks, the knowledge, it is beyond the grasp of human beings, even within our world. Which makes me believe you are certainly not someone, or something like us. I don't particularity like that concept. However, it means you can provide even more and if you brought us here for something, I would think filling us in is only proper." She leaned on the bar and brought her hand back, pointing to her head. "For example, why do I have these broken up and hazy memories of that shit show that is currently destroying my home? The last time I checked, the dead were kinda...well, dead. Yet that metal spider Josh keeps mentioning is bugged up in my mind, almost like a dream that is just out of my reach and understanding." before she realized it, the drink she set down on the table was back in her hand. She was surprised by it all over again and that annoyed her a bit. She was getting tired of this places bullshit. Slamming the drink down, first figuratively, then literally. The glass shattered sending ice and glass shards across the bar. It took mere seconds for the accompanying chill and flavor of this drink to mix with the sensation of glass shards in her hand. Any remaining alcohol stung like hell as it mixed with the blood that was dripping from her hand, steadily dripping down her flesh onto the wooden surface below. It was certainly no mere game as Lucy could very much feel the pain. However she barely flinched and just presented her hand to the cowboy and said. "Let's see what you can do. Heal me, blondie. Show us a bit of reassurance, followed by some useful information." Her eyes were sharp as the glass in her hand and they were locked on the mysterious man. What she did was rash and completely ridiculous, but if this man in front of them was indeed something of a higher power, then it was of the utmost importance to see exactly what he was capable of and know exactly what his plans for them were. This she was certain of.

"Well, look at ya! All hell-fired up! It ain't too good if you keep that pot a boiling." The blonde cowboy said as he looked at your hand. A second later, he laughed. A short burst of mirth as his eyes twinkled in remembrance. "Ya know, it used ta' be quite a thing about not tempting me and my fellows. Had a whole book about it too. Well, just a smidgen part."

"But that wound, Lucy? Is it actually there?"

Lucy's hand that crushed the pieces of glass causing it to bleed had stopped bleeding. Any glass shard that might have embedded itself would have found itself lying in your hand instead. Even the blood that had poured down on the table would have suddenly disappeared from sight at the same time the bleeding stopped. Though the glass itself remained broken, and if one had wanted to, it would have been easy to use those same shards to start the bleeding all over again.

"It's a pity about the glass though." The man said as he eyed the broken shards still on the table. His eyes had a certain warmth to them, as if he was feeling pity over it. "It got itself into a little scrap. Destroyed, crushed, sent to oblivion, all to pieces, by a being who probably wasn't very much thinking about it neither. And that being only did so ta prove a point." His eyes slowly moved to Lucy's then towards Josh.

"So what can a lone cowboy do, but take pity? After all, did that glass deserve it? Just atwixt you and I, I didn't rightly think the glass deserved all that destruction. As for the destroyer?" His eyes turned towards Lucy's again. "I ain't got no blame ary fer it." The man explained. "Fer ya see, they'd just be doing what they were meant ta do. A freak of nature, but a natural one, if ya will."

"Now, maybe it would have been the bettermost if I just let the whole thing be, but ya got here your huckleberry." He said as he grinned pointing at himself with his thumb. He cupped both of his hands then, and a moment later a glass appeared from it. At that same time too, the shards on the table and alcohol were gone. In fact, the same drink was back in its place in the glass. Filled to the brim as if you had never taken a drink from it in the first place. After a few moments, the man placed the now-full and intact glass back down on the bar table in front of Lucy.

"So it's just that... The reason why I didn't leave ya to the fate of your world." The cowboy continued. "Ya two are fellow gamers, how could I not lend a helpin' hand? As fer your hazy memories? They're real, just as well as you'd remember it. In fact..." He glanced towards Josh. "Josh over there. If ya dig down into your final memories, you might remember too." He focused back on Lucy. "It wasn't anything of my doing. That magic cast in a world of little mysteries, the existence of the walking dead ary ain't my thing. But ya know, I never did say I was ta only one interested in the two of ya."

"The two of ya are dead in your world." The cowboy said confirming. "I betcha never thought ya'd be alive again after death, did ya?" His eyes had a twinkle in them.

Josh assumed it was a game, but his suggestion seemed shallow as Lucy tested the theory- first with pointing out specifics about how VRMMOs didn't have certain qualities. This fact only further proved true when Josh finished drinking his drink. He was not drunk, but he could tell that the taste of whiskey had began to tickle his senses in only the way alcohol could. Videogames just couldn't synthesize the feature of getting drunk. That let him back to the other hypothesis- what this blonde cowboy said was likely true... Even to the point of indirectly calling himself a god.

Lucy was not fond of the concept and Josh shared her sentiment. He had always believed himself to be someone who truly didn't care if gods existed or not. They had their hands off of humanity after all... Why should be bother to care for the gods desires and whims? Yet through all the the ages in many religions, peoples and time itself... divinity hardly touched the earth... And now their world was ending and one such divine being had chosen him and Lucy for whatever reason. There was a reason, although he blonde cowboy seemed to be dancing around the main topic. A thought dawned on Josh then... this cowboy was simply enjoying the "existence" of everything. Of the bar itself and his two visitors. Josh and Lucy wouldn't make too much progress if they pressed the matter. He was about to express his thoughts to Lucy, but then she did one of those things he absolutely hated.

Immediately he grimaced as he saw her hand go down violently with the glass in her hand and shatter. Her comment about the metal spider had momentarily distracted Josh as his hazy memories were painfully returning. His distraction was complete until she injured herself in an aggressive taunt. "Lucy!" he would yell, not so much out of surprise... but anger and concern for his friend. He had watched her die and had been powerless to help her as their world ended.

Despite her taunt and aggressive destruction of the man's property, the cowboy remained phased by Lucy's showy actions. In fact, he seemed more "understanding" Not just of Lucy, but for the glass as well. This cemented Josh's suspicions that this blonde Texas accented cowboy lived in a completely different time and state of perspective. His view of human life was equal to that of a glass cup- both so fragile and beautiful. Both of which could be probably be altered on a whim. Those were Josh's thoughts as he turned his eyes from the man and back to Lucy- finding her healed and the glass whole again. Though impressed and slightly awed, Josh was more so concerned. Two humans hardly matched up against such a being and if his intentions were not wholesome when summoning them from their dying world... Dying might have been the preferable option.

He stifled his concern for the moment but instinctively walked forward to the bar close to Lucy's left side. He didn't wish to be separated from her again. His thoughts had turned back to the events of their deaths, so he barely recognized it when the cowboy called them fellow gamers. The mention of the undead stirred the part of Josh's memories that had remained hazy until that word. "Undead... You died Lucy. I was still alive and wished so bad to make everything suffer. That's when the blood from my wounded arm poured out onto you and mingled with your body. I became very weak and my consciousness was fading from blood loss.. but the last thing I remember. Well. I thought I saw your body moving again." he said, explaining... Although not in a very convincing way. Though a divine being was standing across the bar before him and Lucy... Who had been dead only minutes ago- Josh still doubted the idea of reanimation magic. Especially in the bland and natural world of Earth.

The way he said it, was more like a question. Though the explanation was said to Lucy- it was also said in a tone that begot a question which was aimed at the seemingly know-it-all cowboy. He could clarify things.. he even hinted that there were others like him who desired Josh and Lucy. That thought was chilling, but there wasn't much he or Lucy could do about it. All they could do was treat this like one of their typical VRMMO's major events or quest-lines. They had to play along in this game. If it was a game, Josh could do it. This whole ordeal of being real had thrown him off is "game". With his perspective refreshed and slightly intoxicated from the whiskey, he would pull up the bar stool next to Lucy and sit down comfortably. He and Lucy had asked many questions up to this point, even taunting the man for information... But there was another question that lingered in Josh's renewed perspective. Despite the grim situation, the pleasant environment and charismatic divine being before them... Brought a smile to Josh's face as an unknown eagerness welled up within him.

"We died, but here we are. Game Over and restart...So. What game are we playing next?" he would ask while leaning forwards a bit and looking into the man's eyes with a serious but pleased expression. If the divines sought entertainment through creation in the way of "Games" then there was a confidence within Josh that was just simply too hard to explain. Lucy was much the same way, but maybe soon she would catch on to their advantage in this situation. Games were the duo's favorite activity, after all.

Well, as she expected, the cowboy had delivered on her request. a little pain for enough answers to sate her qualms. Josh, being well, Josh. Was of course making a commotion about her actions. He always hated when she did shit like that, but you think he would be used to it by now. Wiggling her fingers at him, her hand completely healed by their host, or at least to what she could understand it was. "Relax, I'm fine. I swear, you make such a commotion for nothing." She smirked at him slyly. Sure, she got out of hand plenty and did stupid stuff. However it was common of Lucy to never do anything just because she wanted to. Every move was at least somewhat calculated. So she had to feel a bit of pain and smash some stuff. Worse case scenario, she would have to pull some glass out of her hand. Not a wound that was particularly dangerous to her well being. More so just an inconvenience. However, as expected, their blonde host had met her expectations. After all, if he brought them there and healed them, then they should be a reason for it.

She leaned a bit more against the bar, relaxed, her eyes moving back and forth between the two men. The cowboy had confirmed that her memories were indeed hers, which meant Josh was her best lead. Sure enough, his memory started to come back, sharper than hers did. Then again, a living memory was probably better than a dead one for said events. Her eyes locked onto Josh as he explained what was coming back to him. She bite her thumb a bit as he explained. She had died, then blood merging and a shy detail from blondie hinted magic and the walking dead. She paused, her nail slightly tapping against her teeth before it all clicked in her mind. It wasn't rocket science. Lucy, by some means of Josh's doing, had managed to raise her as a zombie of some sorts. A little stunned, she awkwardly stood up straight and started to check herself a bit. Lucy neglected to do so when she first woke up, since there was no pain and everything seemed to be functional. Her body seemed normal enough. She was actually looking no different than she did before the crash. It was at that moment she felt a bit foolish. I mean she did just feel the pain from the glass shards and did make a bloody mess moments ago. However, how many people could say they had been risen as a zombie and not at least give themselves a check over. Zombies are not real in her world as far as she knew, so it wasn't like she had some form of factual sample information or examples to truly go off of. "So... I was a zombie? Yet I'm human now...? Hmmm, well I guess that's kinda neat." Taking the news shockingly well, since she at least had some form of closure, she sat on one of the bar stools next to Josh.

Well that was one issue out of the way, the next was dealing with what remained of their current situation. Taking hold of the glass again, since mister yee-haw was nice enough to not just heal her, but repair and recreate her previous drink, Lucy took advantage of such to actually enjoy it this time around. Sipping at it, she crossed off various thoughts and concerns that had been answered.  Was mister cowboy out of their grasp of reality, most certainly. Could they probably handle the situation by force, negative. Would they need to...most likely not. After all they were alive, when before they were dead. In her case, undead as well. His demeanor was pleasant and kind, though a bit quirky. He had given them free drinks. Lucy didn't know too many captors that danced perfect drinks in front of their eyes, while also establishing otherworldly aspects. Heck, usually if anyone was trying to get her drunk, it was for alternative motives. Whether it be gods, observers, or just weird-ass cowboys with bothersome accent, Lucy didn't much care. All there was left to go forward with her friend.

It was then that Josh asked the golden question. "What game were they playing next?" This certainly had Lucy's attention. She loved games and more or less had been treating their current situation as one already. A sick game where she eliminated certain possibilities and figured out what she could from their host. It seemed like she was playing it solo though, since what would have been her adversary in it, the blond cowboy, was something much more than just the two humans sitting at the bar. Small creatures of a more or less meaningless existence in the grand scheme of things. However, a certain detailed stood out that contradicted this thought. That the cowboy wasn't the only one interested in them. What made Josh and Lucy so special? I mean Josh did manage to raise her as an undead, but they still died in the end. Not very impressive in her eyes. It just peaked her interest more though. Since Josh was able to somehow cast that spell in the first place, that lead to another question: What else could they possibly do? Running her finger along the rim of her glass, Lucy's eyes gleamed with interest and a bit of excitement. "We're all for games, as you know. My question now isn't so much of what game is next. But more so of, how do we play?" The grin on her face showed a completely different form of investment in their current situation. From serious and a bit aggro, to cooperative and eager. Being there meant something and she was certain it was going to be interesting.

The cowboy couldn't help but grin with a twinkle in his eye. "Yee-haw! That's what am talkin' about! Ya two are causing me ta be happifying right about now." He said as he finally drunk from the glass of alcohol he had for himself. He placed the glass back down.

"But ya got that right." The cowboy said as he turned towards Josh. "Ya two were in a bad box. Hell, with creatures a roaming around New York, one of ya out of it or even dead, surrounded by a rubbled-down train and those that weren't quite lucky. But yes. Yer blood's what got Lucy going again. That kind of magic ain't something ya just pick out of no where. Ya know, the type of thing that should only happen in them story books and bedtime stories." He paused as he looked at the both of you eye to eye.

"One of my other fellows decided to sit in on the matter ya see, teasing and skirting the laws that bind us. Who knows what they really wanted."  He then turned towards Lucy. "But because of that, and this here young man next ta ya, you rose up Lucy. Not alive, no, but just as Josh described it as such. A walkin' and livin' zombie." He chuckled.  " You shudda seen yerself, you began to fight like some Kilkenny cats, lasted pretty long as well. Managed to even crack one of the thing's eyes." He sipped his drink again, and let out a slow sigh. "In the end though, the two of ya had that brush with death, with no one's bacon being saved. Now the two of ya are sitting here and pretty, with good ole' me actin' as yer bartender." He smiled gently.

"Now, I'd be thinking of letting the two of ya roam free again. Not back on yer own world on Earth, there'd be some laws and guidelines ta follow, yeah? So, somewhere else be just as fine. I tell ya what, it ain't always gonna be pretty, but hell, it's better than being six-feet under. Another chance. Another go in this little game. Besides, the two of ya already missed the opening of Rise of the Metallum. Hell, more than the opening. The entire act itself - well, the first part. So, it ain't gonna do ye any good to be missing anymore. I can understand what it's like to be miss out on something you'd be looking forward to for months." He winked.

"Ya asked how ta play the game? Well, just be yourself! We ain't no theater troupe for anyone's entertainment. We ain't doing this for no one but yourselves, yeah? We just be living our lives. That includes the both of ya. Live your lives."

"So, what do you say? Ya two willing to go on one last rodeo?"

Truly, Josh was more in shock than Lucy- as his own cluttered thoughts were verified by the mysterious divine cowboy. He had used magic! Not only that.. but magic in a world without magic- Josh didn't know much of anything if anything at all outside of their world... but he guessed that was some kind of incredible feat. Lucy on the other hand, he was more concerned about. Sure he was surprised, but he was more concerned. Would his friend be mad at him for turning her into an undead weapon? She was not the type that liked to be used. She preferred to do the damage herself and almost won all of her arguments with Josh. While he felt like he had gotten one over Lucy finally, he was not too thrilled about it because it had com at the expense of Lucy herself, both mentally and physically. With that weighing on his mind, Lucy had sat beside him and he genuinely thought for a moment that she would at least punch him in the arm and give a snarky response. Worse case scenario, she stabbed him with a broken glass shiv and wait to see if the cowboy chose to heal him too.

The cowbiy changed the direction of the conversation though, spurned originally from Josh and Lucy's inquiry about this game the divine being was clearly intent to set upon them at this point. Josh listened in his typical manner of watching the cowboy's body language, followed by his words. When he was finally finished speaking momentarily, Josh would pause and gather his thoughts as he analyzed the situation and the man's words for possible underlying information and intent.. He came up with little though. Save maybe one or two important questions, though presently he felt like the cowboy would give him ambiguous answers. At times, not having an answer... Was better than misleading answers.

What he could be certain of though, was that another divine being had intervened in the natural order of things... and that had caused Josh the opportunity to use necromancy, in addition to this cowboy summoning them for his game he wanted to play. One thing stood out abundantly clear to Josh, although possibly be could be mistaken- but he was convinced. This other divine being had done something irregular and that disturbed the order of things. The action had caused a ripple effect. Josh knew not how yet, but he had the inkling suspicion that he and Lucy would soon find out. 

What the cowboy promised sounded grand. A second chance at life in a different world. It was nice and Josh was eager... as surely as Lucy was. There was just one thing that Josh still wanted in this situation. He would motion to his empty glass of Jack & Tea, as if asking for a refill. Assuming the cowboy obliged him, he would then turn the glass completely upside down and drink it in one swift gulping motion. He'd then set the glass down on the bar counter, more gently than he had anticipated.. For the concept of the cowboy seeing objects as beings weighed on Josh's mind. Consideration for a being considered a god. After setting the glass down, he would slide it towards the cowboy and spoke in a quiet but confident tone as he continued to stare at the cowboy. "This sounds charitable and all.. but there is something lacking. Some unfinished business. I'll agree with you and play this second round of games.. but we want a shot at this other "fellow" that ruined our world. It doesnt sit right with me to just die like that and be given a free opportunity to start over. I don't care if you guys are gods or devils. There will be consequences for messing with Lucy and my time." Bold words, but Josh had resigned himself. He didn't want to be a puppet in another's game.

We ain't doing this for no one but yourselves, yeah? Lucy liked the sound of those words. It was common for her just just focus on herself in such situations. Sure, since Josh was with her, she had concerns and protective measures in place for the two of them, but if he was a stranger, rather than her best friend, she wouldn't of cared. Lucy didn't like people. She didn't like the world really that they lived in. Nor did she particularly enjoy her own life as it were. That's why she took such an interest in VRMMOs. They gave her an escape and now she had one. Though it wasn't the one she exactly planned on at the start of the night, it would, by the sounds of it, become a very permanent one. That was something Lucy was just fine with. A new start, in a new world, with her best friend and maybe even with strange cowboy god creature. Sounded like a pretty good deal and if that meant the burning of their world and the deaths of countless people, well oh well. Life is cruel and it isn't like she could do anything about it anyway. Heck she couldn't even survive the trash crash and she was fine with that. Living was accepting death, understand life and knowing when you're unable to change something. She was far too deep rooted in reality to question it and even with their current situation at hand, she had already came to accept that it was about to change. For better or worse, who knew, but they were certainly better off than the unlucky and soon to be dying creatures of their world.

Josh's words however, though still appreciative in the second chance, held other motivations. He was a bit upset about how their world ended, how their lives ended. Sure it wasn't a great ending and everything they had known was taken away from them, but did he really think challenging another possible god was a good idea? I mean it made sense. Humans naturally behaved in such ways, whenever something unfair, or tragic happened. It was only natural. Lucy, being the type of person she was, was very much an eye for an eye type of girl. Heck she even took it the next step further and would go for two if she could. Fuck it is the world was blind, so long as she still had an eye to see with in the end. Yet, she really wasn't that upset or broken up about what had happened. Call it desensitization, a lack of empathy, being a monster. Sure there were many reasons and words for it, but over all, it all summed up to she just didn't care. If she got a reasonable shot at who fucked with them, sure she would take a piece of the pie. That eye, eyes, the whole head, skull, spinal cord still attached. However, she would let it slide for the time being. It wasn't ideal for her to be someone's puppet. Matter of fact she was used to it and thoroughly despised it, but these were possible gods we were talking about. So in a way, they were all already puppets in the grand scheme of thing, if it was seemingly so easy for one of them to just completely end their world to such a degree. Winning fights. That is what Lucy liked. Fighting just to die was worthless. Fighting to stay alive however, that had meaning. That's what she would do, even in this new world that was offered to them. Lucy would fight, survive, and make something better than what she had before. That was guaranteed.

Lucy waved her hand a bit, supporting her head with the other and nonchalantly spoke. "Payback can wait. For now though, could we just get moving on this. We're both ready and willing and honestly I'm starting to want a change in scenery. Your bar is nice and all, but you're offering us a whole new world. That is something I want to see. New life, new start, have at it."

The man's eyes widened. "Well, ain't that just a bit above one's bend?" But the cowboy ended up smiling instead. "I can't fault ya fer wanting revenge though, but something like that ain't gonna be easy either. But a shot against them creatures?" He grinned. "That'd make the game just a tad bit more interestin' wouldn't it?"

All around you everything started to become brighter and brighter, as if a layer of white was being stacked one on top of the other. It continued to fill you vision until most of the room was covered in white. The walls disappeared. Then the tables and chairs. Slowly and surely the vision of whiteness continued to spread until all you could see was your friend beside you, and that strange cowboy who only continued to grin.

Before he disappeared completely, he tipped his hat in farewell.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[spoiler][/spoiler]

---

Location: New World
Date: Day 1


For a quick moment all you could see was white. And as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Instead of that bar room with that cowboy, you found yourselves in what looked to be an open air circular platform. There were forests that you could see in the distance, but it was the night sky that captivated you the most. Unlike most places on Earth, the stars high above were vast and covered the night skies. There was no light pollution here, and even the faintest stars high above could be seen without the aid of observatories.

QuoteRoll Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (velothia online) if you recognize the stars

You were still starting to get a feel for the surrounding, when all of a sudden, a list of notifications started to appear in a translucent green window in your field of vision. It remained static, as if it floated in the air, but didn't seem to actually be in the surroundings. In fact, it reminded you more of something like a VRMMO's menus.

[exclude u=463][okay]You have gained a new title『Summoned Hero』
You have gained『Quick Learner』
You have gained『Mana Sensitivity』
You have gained『Translate All』
You have gained『Personal Status』
You have gained『Quick Learner Extreme Edition』
You have gained a new title『The Fastest Learner』
You have gained『Regeneration』
You have gained a new title『Regenerator』
You have gained a new title『Minor Regenerator』
You have gained a new title『Regeneration Sharer』
You have gained a new title『Pain Suppressor』
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You are now level 15. Spend your unallocated points.[/okay][/exclude][exclude u=462][okay]You have gained a new title『Summoned Hero』
You have gained『Quick Learner』
You have gained『Mana Sensitivity』
You have gained『Translate All』
You have gained『Personal Status』
You have gained『Rapid Mana Regeneration』
You have gained a new title『Neverending Mana』
You have gained『Accelerate』
You have gained a new title『Accelerator』
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You leveled up.
You are now level 20. Spend your unallocated points.[/okay][/exclude]

While the notifications were scrolling in that translucent green window, a series of people, each of them wearing animal ears of some sort had bowed. The people all wore matching armor. They were some sort of guard or set of medieval soldiers, but you also noticed that they were all wounded in some way. Their armors were bent as if they had not seen any repair, and you couldn't help but notice the blood on them, not to mention the makeshift bandages that some of them wore. At the front of the guards, looked to be a girl with pink hair and animal ears. She wore a blue robe and her eyes looked downwards in perhaps a sign of reverence. She too had some injuries, though, not as severe as the other guards. But the most unique trait on her apart from her hair were her piercing golden eyes.

"Hero! We beg of you please-" She paused as she blinked her eyes a couple times.

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 1 + 7, total 8[/blockquote]

[info]Knowledge (Velothia Online}: 8
The stars were completely foreign to you. You didn't recognize any of them.[/info]

Josh had expected the cowboy to be mad, or at least show a look of disapproval. Sure the blonde seemed surprised, but he just continued to smile. His words neither approved or denied Josh what he had requested. That was enough for him for now. Just knowing that he could exact revenge on those metallic beasts... and maybe some point down the road, even their master... Well, that was any heroes dream. Right? Lucy wasn't as interested in payback and Josh understood her reasons. The two of them were getting to start a life together in a new world, free from the chains of mundane reality. Lucy was eager to start and Josh had to admit that he was just as eager... But Lucy had died not so long ago and that weighed on Josh's mind even though she was alive and once again herself. Josh had boundless gratitude for this cowboy who plucked them out of their desperate situation, but there were few boundaries beyond return for Josh. Harming his friend Lucy was one such point of no return. These metallic creatures and their master had made the mistake of trampling on Josh and Lucy... There would be a day of reckoning for it. He cared little for their old world. Sure he had friends and family, but he was similar to Lucy in the regard to connections. He valued people but easily became tired and stressed out from people. Lucy was the one person he never tired to be with. Josh sighed once as Lucy waved his revenge away, and with that sigh, closure to the old world and everyone he knew. It was time for a real adventure.

He had no words for the cowboy. He just nodded his head, as the cowboy tipped his hat to them. He was ready to begin the game. As if on que, a whitening effect began to envelope the two adventuresome friends. The strange atmosphere mixed with the pacifying effect of the room gave Josh a strange sense of controlled excitement. Everything but Lucy had disappeared. Then even she disappeared momentarily to the whiteness and Josh found himself not looking at Lucy.. but staring up into a beautiful night sky full of radiant stars which danced to some unknown cosmic cadence.

That was not the first thing Josh had expected. Then again, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to expect in a new unknown world. From his first impression, he liked it. "Beautiful..." he said absently out loud even before he had noticed the bizarre inhabitants of the land. The voice which echoed his thoughts suddenly disturbed him, so much that he was removed from his stargazing to focus on the matter at hand. Why had his voice sounded more feminine and melodious? Maybe someone nearby had voiced what he was thinking and his mind was simply playing tricks on him. He did not recognize the constellations in the sky and so he turned his attention to the people whom stood before him and Lucy. A quick glance told him many things... but it left even more questions left unanswered in his mind.

That was when a translucent green screen popped into his vision, much like how common VRMMO videogames did in his own world. Being a veteran gamer, he made sure to pay attention as the texts appeared before his eyes. These all sounded very different than the kinds of abilities and skills in games. These are... Hmm. I'll look at these later. He told himself as he focused his senses on the indigenous people before him and Lucy. Beast-folk or so Josh assumed. Primitive. Matching armor possibly meant they were part of the same order or company- a military force, or maybe even a paramilitary group from the look of injuries and poor armor. What Josh could be certain of, was that there had been a battle and he suspected it had not gone too favorably for these people.

Following the amount of people from far to near again, his eyes finally rested on the pink haired maiden. A neko? Or maybe a raccoon girl? That mattered little at the moment, for the reverence of the host and the pink haired girl struck Josh as a situation that required decisiveness. He had a suspicion that he knew where this scene was going, but the girl spoke before he could say anything himself. Hero. The word made him grin. The very first word to him and Lucy in this new world was "Hero" Her question nearly threw him off-guard however and his moment of reverence nearly slipped away. From the look of the people, Josh could tell things were dire and they needed something to hold onto for hope. Plus he and Lucy just really needed information before anything crazy happened. With his most confident and loud voice, he would ask "Why have you summoned us?" he would say, hinting that their double summoning had not been any kind of mistake. He had read enough manga to know these kinds of beginner situations. Though one thing still bothered him. His question had been echoed once again from a feminine voice, it sounded sweet and soft to the ears... but that wasn't his voice... right? He would turn to look at Lucy with a slightly concerned expression on "his" face.

Knowledge Roll (Velothia online) for star identification.

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+6 : 18 + 6, total 24[/blockquote]

[info]Knowledge (Velothia Online}: 24
As the group of individuals around you surrounded you, and the animal-eared one had begun to ask questions of you, the stars above were something you realized that you recognized. It was in one of the quests in Velothia Online, where one of the NPCs had asked the player to gather a variety of star charts in order to complete a map. That completed map was then overlaid on top of a map of a labyrinth dungeon, which had given the players a clue on solving the dungeon itself and entering the lower floors. There were a few specific constellations and bright stars that looked just like some of the constellation charts that you had gathered. You started to recognize each constellation as well, and the more you stared, the more you were certain that these were the same stars.[/info]

White emptiness started to take over the surrounding area. Creeping into the reaches of Lucy's peripherals, it consumed all, piece by piece. The bar. The arcade machines. Tables, chairs, up to themselves and the cowboy, just for his blonde hair and smile to fade into the white with a tip of his hat. It left only Lucy and Josh remaining. Certainly they were not dead, but whatever was happening to them, it was...different. It was as if all of their sense of reality had been wiped clean, like a brand new canvas. Would this be the 'blank slate, or new start' that the cowboy had spoke of. It certainly wasn't death again. Lucy had come to understand that experience, which was the complete opposite. Just then, almost as soon as it had arrived, it faded. Brief darkness, into a mix of color and light, as if holding one's eyes shut, but still being able to see. Then, a new reality started to register within her, as a new picture was painted into reality right before her eyes within an instant. Now, instead of unending white void, it was a beautiful night sky, stars scattered about, completely let loose to sparkle and shine into existence. After a few seconds of everything coming into conscious view, Lucy had this feeling. Like, the night sky she was staring at was not so new, so foreign. No, she actually knew this sky. These stars. Familiar to her by some means, but not the same as the ones that rarely got to show themselves on the outskirts of the cities borders. These stars were just like the ones from Velothia Online. She was almost certain of it. Lucy, being the type of player she was in games, didn't like to skip out on knowledge, especially if it lead to loot and adventure. it was unclear if these were the very same stars, or if they served the very same purpose to her now as they did then, but any form of familiarity could assist them with this new life.

Her brief peace of mind under the brilliant night sky would be sorely interrupted however, as a strange screen flashed before her eyes. It listed off various titles and skills, with a decent amount of levels. Almost just as if they were really within a game once more. However, before Lucy could learn more a foreign voice could be heard. Sitting up, she found herself looking at a very voluptuous women with...cat ears? Anime waifu, wut? Lucy was a bit surprised, but then again, if it was indeed a game, it shouldn't of. However she just didn't expect this type of person to be the first one she met upon coming to this world. She wasn't alone either. Surrounding them was a small group of beaten and battered warriors. they didn't look like much and clearly, due to their current condition, were not able to hold their own. However, wounded dogs still can yield some form of threat, the looks in their eyes showed that they were desperate and weak. The girl confirmed this, as she started to ask her for help. Hero, begging. Sure enough these lot were deep in some sort of trouble and she would have to be the all mighty savior to their plea. Blek. Lucy had seen and heard it so many times before. She wasn't much of the hero type, even in games. Guess it would be the default start for them. That's when the priestess asked the golden question of two of them? Josh! Of course, they were together when they came here, however...

When Lucy looked next to her, she did not see Josh. However, it was another women. Lucy hadn't been drunk. She was perfectly fine as far as she knew. She pulled on her cheek. Yup! She could feel it. With a puzzled look on her face, she stared at this strange new girl with...car ears. Does everyone have cat ears here?! Feeling her own head, and ears briefly.  All clear, no cat ears, so it wasn't a new trait for herself at least. No turning into a neko for her, thankfully. Last thing she needed was to be questionable as a furry, or something. That aside though, she turned her back to this girl next to her, who was now asking questions. The questions were very direct, but slightly concerning and it was at that time that she seemed to look at Lucy. She looked concerned, as if she was looking for some form of answer or confirmation from Lucy, but Lucy just stared at her with narrow eyes, wonder who the fuck she was. It was then that an out of this world and their world realization popped into her head. Pointing a finger at her new companion she yelled after a brief stutter. "J..J..Josh?!" Eyes wide and confusion in her voice, Lucy completely ignored the priestess and her little entourage. Right now, she had to know if her friend was really this girl and why? Why was he now a girl/ what happened? Did he know? With the look in his eyes, it seemed not and certainly it was gonna be known now.

"I don't understand why there's two of you... The summoning ritual should have only have enough for a single hero... Unless this circle was special in some way..." She shook her head as she looked towards the two of you. "Are both of you heroes?" She asked to confirm. "If you say 《Status》it should confirm it. At least, all recorded heroes have been able to."

On the ground next to you was a bag. There was another bag next to your friend as well. They were both brown leather bags and they both looked the same. They weren't empty either, you can tell from a glance that there were items in it.

He was in a sudden bad mood. First, Josh had a heavy suspicion that the womanly voice was his... and the second, the animal women hadn't answered his question he had tried hard to sound confident about. To make matters worse, when Jucy had looked at him... her facial expression matched the feeling Josh had. So much so that eve she questioned if she recognized him? He nodded his head vigorously as Lucy seemed to ask in exclamation if it was really him. Their whole weird situation seemed mostly irrelevant to the animal people and pointedly to the young woman who seemed like a priest or something. So she is the summoner.. he thought to himself and then soaked in her words. Apparently there was a surefire way to resolve all of this... "Status" he would say out lout.

Whether he did this to satisfy the curios cat's curiosity, or for his own worry... one couldn't be certain. Until he and Lucy knew more of the situation of this new world, their options were limited. That was when he reached for the bag at his feet, ready to open the contents. Was it these people who supplied them? Or maybe the blonde cowboy at the bar? Josh thought of the smile on the cowboy's face as he had disappeared.... There was definitely something about that guy which he hadn't told them... To satisfy the beast girl's question... Because personally he hated being ignored and treated others how he wanted to be treated- he answered her question to the best of his ability before "status" could be invoked. "We were summoned together, that's our deal." He wasn't sure if he should say anything about the cowboy, so he left the explanation ambiguous, though easily misunderstood as if saying something like "We're a pair, you can't have one without the other."

Rei
The moment you said '《Status》', a translucent green window appeared in front of you.

[okay]Rei
The Fastest Learner
Level 15

Condition: Uninjured, Refreshed

HP: 49/49
MP: 28/28
STR: 22 +
DEX: 18 +
CON: 32 +
INT: 14 +
WIS: 10 +
CHA: 8 +
MAG: 18 +

Blessings: Quick Learner, Mana Sensitivity, Translate All, Personal Status, Quick Learner Extreme Edition, Regeneration

You have 3 unspent ability points.[/okay]Reaching for the bag at your feet there were multiple items inside. The first item looked to be some sort of cloth map. It was marked at the top left corner and it was apparent that this was the map of the game world of Velothia Online. Though it was designed to look old, from the quality and feel of it, it was easy to tell that this map was made with all the modern tools of your own world.


There was also a miniature outfit, primarily black, inside the bag. It was too small to wear, and judging from the size along, it looked like perhaps something a doll would wear. However, the moment you touched it, a notification appeared in your view.

[okay]Equip cosmetic?
[Yes][No][/okay]Next was a pendant, and on it was an icon of a crescent moon with a star in the middle. From promotions of Rise of the Metallum, you knew this to be the symbol that represented the new organized group in the game that the player would have joined in order to combat the threat of the 'Metallum'. The pendant was well-made. The metal had a slight orange hue to it, and the object itself had a weighty feel to it.


After that, a small black box was pulled out. On the top of it, written simply was 'Weapon Skin'. Next were 7 vials, each one labeled as '24-hour XP Booster'. After that, there was an item that looked like a small early 21st century phone. The moment you touched this item, it turned on, and you felt a slight pull of tiredness when it did turn on. On the screen is said 'Velothia Online Official Sound Track Collections 1-16'.

It dawned on you that all these items were the pre-order bonuses that you and Lucy were supposed to get. The only strange thing was that some of these were supposed to be digital goods, while some were physical ones. These were all the same: physical items.

QuoteOODM: High Res Velothia Online Map (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fvWtNJNaNO67z-TddSRC3ry2cmko3N5y/view?usp=sharing)
Actual map has more locations and markings, just didn't have time to place everything. Imagine the above but with more villages, markers for dungeons and raids, and etc.

Describe what the clothing looks like, only requirement is that it needs primarily have black.

I've added all the items in your Items tab in your character sheet. Though, if you happen to pick up items, or use items, be sure to update the sheet yourself going forward.

Everyone

"If the summoning ritual brought forth two heroes... Well, I can't question it! It's good luck either way." She stepped closer to the both of you, then held her hand out in a hand-shaking gesture, she strategically held her hand between the both of you as she glanced between the two of you, not really minding who shook her hand first. "My name is May Softpaw, First Court Mage of the remnants of the Lantosia Empire. By decree set forth by our King, we have summoned you... well... the two of you to aid us in our time of need."

Things were way out of whack now, Lucy thought to herself, still a little shocked with the current situation. It seemed that indeed, this girl she was looking at was her friend Josh. How? Who knows? Her guess was probably no one, except maybe the cowboy from earlier, who was now no longer present. Certainly not the girl who apparently brought them there. Heck she didn't even know why there was two of them, let alone why anything else of them. Getting on her hands and knees, Lucy crawled close to Josh and looked him over while he chatted with the cat girl. Feminine figure, soft melodious voice, waist, bust...bust. She reached out and poked at Josh's chest. Squish Yup, those are breasts, she thought, now getting a full handful. She let go and checked herself. She was still all there. Nothing about her seemed to change at all from what she could briefly detail. Not only that, but even this female form of Josh seemed somewhat familiar, like she had seen it before. Sure, she didn't realize it with the initial shock, but his female form looked like something she knew. Was it...his avatar? Ears, general looks, basic body type and form. It seemed to fit, but seeing it now, compared to VR felt different. It was then that she finally looked past Josh's body situation and saw the bag next to him. Turning around, she saw that she had one as well. Grabbing it, she turned and listened to what Josh and the girl had been saying for a change.

Hmmm, status huh? She figured it was her best shot at something, aside from the bag and she did note the green screen from moments before. It would only make sense to investigate. "Status" With the information that would be presented, she would move over to the bag to investigate as she tried to analyze as much as she could. It was indeed full of items and trinkets. Lucy hadn't much clue at first what they entailed, but it soon dawned on her at it was stiff similar to their presale kits. Why would they have this though? I mean was this really just the game they played? Would it be exactly the same? Sure it was mentioned prior, but it hadn't fully set in for her. They would be truly living this game. Lucy turned to the girl who had just introduced herself. Wasn't a npc that she had recognized, so someone new. "So you summoned us and want our help. However, what is it that we are suppose to do exactly? We need some details, as well as some time to hash out what exactly is our situation here." Looking back between the girl and Josh, she could really see it now. It was most definitely Josh's avatar from the game and now they certainly had the preorder packs full of goodies on top of it. Before she tried to do anything with it though, she looked over the rest of the information that would be presented to her in more depth to understand more, all while waiting for more feedback from cat girl and company.

Lucy
The moment you spoke the keyword of 《Status》, a translucent green window appeared.

[okay]Lucy
Accelerator
Level 17

Condition: Uninjured, Refreshed

HP: 30/30
MP: 42/42
STR: 16 +
DEX: 30 +
CON: 18 +
INT: 12 +
WIS: 14 +
CHA: 6 +
MAG: 26 +

Blessings: Quick Learner, Mana Sensitivity, Translate All, Personal Status, Accelerate, Rapid Mana Regeneration

You have 3 unspent ability points.[/okay]Going through the items, you were presented with the same notification when you touched the item that looked like a doll's outfit.

[okay]Equip cosmetic?
[Yes][No][/okay]

QuoteOODM: Also feel free to describe what your outfit looks like, doesn't necessarily have to match Rei's, same restriction, it needs to be primarily black.

Also changing her dialogue color for readability.

Everyone
"You two are heroes... The very fact you can understand me tells me this." May said as she looked at Lucy. The animal-eared girl bit her lip a moment later.

"We're deep in the territory of the demons. So we have to move out as fast as we can." May said as she glanced towards the soldiers behind her. "We ran into an enemy patrol on our way here... We rushed to this temple, and I initiated the summoning ritual as fast as I could, but I wouldn't be surprised if we end up being surrounded by them soon..." She shook her head. "Anyways, the tale is long... But suffice to say, countries and worlds, along with large chunks of lands, are suddenly appearing here. Where we are, this new world. Unfortunately... It's a land full of demons. There's an alliance of nations of this world banding together to fight them, and it's been through these summoning runes that you see around you that has given the people of this world an edge against that war."

"There's so much more I need to tell you..." She sighed. "But grab your things, we have a spare larvark at the bottom." She turned towards her men then. "Soldiers of Lantosia, head back down to your steeds. Prepare to move out as soon as possible." She then looked towards the both of you as the soldiers began to file down a set of stairs.

"Heroes... What are your names? And are you with us?" She said again, a spark of hope filling her eyes.

He said nothing at first, he allowed the translucent screen to pop up and verify what the cat lady was saying. As she was speaking, he would raise his hand as if to touch the translucent screen. This was all very familiar yet somehow different. He would apply his hands over the ability section of his screen and search for what he was looking for. I should invest in some useful skills and carefully plan my stats.. Though this says abilities. Maybe I should see, but I think abilities are stats. he thought to himself, reasoning a plan to put into motion at some point. [Knowledge Roll(Velothia)] "Three ability points.. I assume ability points are like stat points?" He would ask out loud, his question not specific to a person- maybe even rhetorical. He would then focus his attention on the bag that he had previously picked up.

It was just then that he felt the most unusual sensation. A prodding tickle as Lucy had crept closer to him. "Wha-" He would say in mild surprise, barely getting out the word when Lucy's poke turned into a full grope of his... her bosom. As curious and somewhat concerned as he was about his own physiology, now was not the time, nor place for such. Surely even as Lucy groped his body, no doubt there were curious and questioning eyes upon the two heroes. He would grab her hand, mostly gently- along with an emphasized look on his face as if to say "Not in front of everyone! I'll show you later."

"It seems I have a different body after being summoned..." he would say, mostly to Lucy as if to satiate both his and her curiosity on the matter. It was weird for him... but also for Lucy. His quickest suspicion was that the cowboy had played one final trick on their adventure to make things more... interesting. He wasn't too sure how he felt about the transition, but for now there was nothing he could do about it. Instead, he'd focus his attention on the bag as the cat lady continued to talk and explain the most pressing situation. Josh didn't acknowledge anything yet, but continued to peer through his bag and pull out the various things. A map... He unrolled the parchment and immediately recognized the general outline and some of the prominent details.. This was indeed Velothia Online- albeit some things appeared to be different. Most likely an effect akin to the "Rise of Metallum" expansion... To which Josh and Lucy, had become a real-life change instead of just a game. As if a cruel joke or consideration, the objects purchased in the pre-order were in there as well. A cosmetic armor skin, the map, a pendant...weapon skins and some experience booster vials. Things to think about later, but for now he would do the most basic thing for a hero. To look the part. The screen popped up and asked if he wanted to equip the skins- he clicked yes.

(Explain appearance in next post)

The details of where they were and how they were summoned- surely it would make someone nervous.. but it still felt mostly like a game to Josh. He figured since it was his second life, that bodily harm and death could come to him... but the majority of his consciousness just enjoyed the idea of this being a game. Maybe it had been coming into contact with the mysterious cowboy.. Or perhaps already having experience death once.. Either way, he felt little sense of danger or fear as May Softpaw explained their predicament. He liked a challenge, and Lucy was always reliable.  One thing remained clear to him however... and that was the organization forming in the lands... he thought of the pendant from the pre-ordered content.. Surely this was that organization. He would put the pendant around his neck, planning ahead as if it was a precaution or quest-specific action later down the line.

What he did not know.. was what a Larvark was. He thought back to Velothia online to see if he could remember. Maybe it was a steed of some kind?{Knowledge Roll(Velothia)] Hopefully one that could accommodate him and Lucy. "Rei... Just Rei." he would say, giving his name when May asked. He was his avatar in this world it seemed, so might as well go by that name, right? "Unless my partner here has any objections.. We are with you, for the time being at the least." He would say, as it was the most prudent choice. Being summoned heroes who refused service would tarnish their reputation in this world... Worse, with the knowledge of their current situation- it would be foolish to decline the aid of the tattered army in a demon-infested land. For now, it was the safest and wisest decision to follow the desperate group and see where it took the two new heroes. Surely they would run into a scouting party or something ahead that they could test their combat potential against.

Velothia Online roll [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 13 + 7, total 20[/blockquote]

Lucy
Behind the 《Status》 window was another set of notifications that were quickly fading.
[okay]You have gained a new title『She Who Knows Status』
You have gained +1 WIS[/okay]At that same time, you noticed your 'WIS' stat increase by 1 point.

Rei
When you weren't directly looking at the Status screen that you had conjured up, it started to dissipate and fade away. When you did you noticed a set of notifications behind it as well. You managed to catch a glimpse of them before they too dissipated.

[okay]You have gained a new title『She Who Knows Status』
You have gained +1 WIS[/okay]Like what the notification mentioned, you noticed the 'WIS' stat increase by 1 point.

[info]Knowledge (velothia online): 20
Velothia online consisted of stats similar to these. Though, there seemed to be a couple of differences as well. For one, this world's 《Status》 screen was hardly as thorough as the one you were familiar with. The concept of levels, HP, and MP points were the same. Even the concept of titles was familiar, as Velothia Online had a list of titles that one could earn depending on achievements they had done in-game. It was purely cosmetic. Though there were other things in the 《Status》 screen that were unfamiliar. Blessings for one was unfamiliar, along with the 'Ability points' the screen had mentioned. There were little 'plus' icons next to each of the stats listed above however. From your experience these were the sort of buttons that let the players spend their points.[/info]The moment you had clicked 'Yes' on the prompt for the cosmetic outfit, the clothing you were wearing, which had been the one you wore back on Earth, seemed to suddenly transform. May, who had just finished asking her question, blinked her eyes at your new look.

The moment you had equipped the new look, the item was still in your hand. The prompt on it changed slightly.

[okay]Skin Currently Applied
[Remove][Cancel][/okay][info]Knowledge (velothia online): 20
When you tried to think of what a larvark was, nothing came to mind. You yourself had played Velothia Online with Lucy for years, and you don't recall anything called a 'larvark'. From how the animal-eared people spoke, they seemed to imply it was some sort of steed. The various mounts and mount-skins back in Velothia were varied, but 'larvark' was not ringing any bells. At the very least, you haven't heard that word before.[/info]

QuoteOODM: Decided to just re-se the same roll above, but next time I'll have you roll twice for each attempt.

Lucy gabbed her things and stuffed most of it back in the bag, except the small item that asked if she wanted to apply the skin. She used the prompt and sure enough it applied the skin over her current clothes, much like how one in the game would. However, compared to the skinny jeans and loose sweater from before, her outfit took on a much more dynamic and fantasy like design.
[spoiler]
(https://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae156/LucealO31/12830831_m.jpg)
(https://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae156/LucealO31/12912225_m.jpg)[/spoiler]

Her outfit now, consisting of a sort of long black jacket that wrapped around her frame, high boots, belts and even her hair tied in a pony tail. It was light, but decently warm, despite now showing off far more skin then her previous clothes. Taking a moment to observe it, Lucy came to the conclusion that though it was a bit showy, she indeed liked it. "Sexy and bad ass. I like it." She looked over to Josh, who had his own skin on now. Even if they were just skins, it made them look the part of heroes at least. With it they would blend in with their new companions as well.

New outfit aside, it would be more or less time for them to move on from their current location. May was urging them as well as her soldiers to move. Lucy looked at Josh and nodded. "I don't see a reason not to join in. Ask for my name, you may address me as Lucy. No hero Lucy or anything, either. Just Lucy will suffice." Lucy noticed that Josh had decided to go with the same name as his avatar, since he now looked the part. It made sense and to a degree she was a bit glad he did so. Calling him Josh in his current body wouldn't really fit right and being a name she was familiar with, would make it easy to remember and use in conversation. With the introductions out of the way, they would follow May to whatever this larvark thing was. She assumed it was some sort of riding animal or steed of sorts, since the women motioned for her soldiers to return to steeds. Only thing that worried Lucy was...how do we ride it? Cars, bikes, even a short ride on a horse, trains, other modern modes of transportation. These were the things Lucy understood in terms of riding and driving. However if she was going to be placed on some strange animal, there was no way she was taking the reins. A bit anxious, she pointed to Rei. "Whatever it is, you're driving, country boy...err girl." Her voice was strict and unwavering, despite her slight correction. A sign that Lucy was not going to give Rei any wiggle room in the already resolved dispute in her head. She would ride bitch the entire trip to wherever, until she felt comfortable with whatever it was she was about to mount, if it even was a mount. Though she had strong doubts that in an area of demons and battles, a carriage awaited them.

Lucy's next focus would be her stats on the status page. For whatever reason, she instinctively tried to grab the screen. Perhaps try to drag or use it sort of like a tablet of sorts. In VR games, most menus and screens are intractable. Lucy would be able to drag, toss around, open, close, the works. However she had no idea how such things worked here. This is life now. Her skin worked like it would in a game, but at the same time, it was a prompt while she held it. When she tried to touch the screen though, nothing. Her hand went right through it. Well I can't touch it I guess. Damn. I was hoping to fiddle around and see what I could do. It looked like I had little plus signs next to my stats and the feed said I leveled up. Wait, how do I level up? Lucy looked over to Rei and then over to May as they walked, biting her thumb lightly as she thought to herself. Is it strange to ask them how I level? I mean this is life for them, so do they interact with things similar to us? Leaning over to Rei, she whispered. "Uhhhh, any ideas on how we level up and use our stats?" Lucy was really hoping for some form of answer. They didn't even need to use their levels right away, but if they ran into another demon patrol, or some sort of monster, it would be nice to have use of everything they had. Matter of fact...if there were to be a fight, did they even have weapons? They didn't know how to use skills either. The others would certainly expect them to fight, being heroes and all. Lucy had to ask the golden question in her head. "Uhh...May, do you have spear weapons for us by chance? We can't deal with threats empty handed."

Location: New World - Top of Tower
Date: Day 1 - Late Evening

Lucy

The moment you reached out for the Status window, it seemed to react whenever you focused on a particular location of it. A couple of screens appeared as well, related with each of the things that were focused on.

[okay]Focus on 『DEX』
Represents agility, reflexes, and balance.

Focus on 『CON』
Represents your health and stamina. [/okay]Everyone

"Lucy... Okay. And Rei.... To be honest, it feels... a bit wrong calling you with just your names." She shook her head. "Heroes are something akin to our emperor. Even though I'm the First Court Mage of the empire, I wouldn't dare call the king by his first name. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm glad one of you is a demihuman, it'd make things easier..." May then glanced towards Lucy specifically. "Not everyone appreciates humans, especially with what's been happening since our slice of the Lantosia empire suddenly appeared here."

Once you asked for weapons, May called out to a pair of guards. That guard then in turn pulled out one of their spare weapons and handed them to the both of you. They were both longswords, nothing spectacular about them, though they did have the same design. There was a crest imprinted into the pommel as well, one that looked like the face of a lion. It wasn't anything either of you were familiar with.

"Standard issue swords. We have spare armor as well... Though with how the two of you suddenly changed clothes, I'm not sure how it would work. Anyways, those are on the Larvark."

With another motion of her hand, she lead the way down.

---

Location: New World - Tower Stairs
Date: Day 1 - Late Evening

The journey down the stairs was longer than expected. There were various holes in the walls of the tower on the way down, which gave you a limited view of the night sky. The holes themselves weren't very big, but it did allow some of the rays to illuminate the interiors.

[info]Rei's Passive Perception
The light from the moon seemed to be much brighter than usual than what you remember back on Earth. It was confusing, as you recall many times the amount of light the moon would produce. Glancing at the moon itself, though the moon was a shade of green and blue rather than the normal grey from Earth, it didn't look particularly brighter in any way. Yet, the inside of the tower was well-illuminated as if someone with you had carried a lamp.

Lucy's Passive Perception
The rest of the animal-eared people filtered down through the dark stairs downwards. They didn't seem to be having trouble descending at all, you were able to follow as well, though, with the limited amount of light, you had to pay more attention to the steep incline of the stairs.[/info]There was a tenseness in the air from the rest of the soldiers ahead. And though many of them were armored, they moved relatively silent. May's voice broke the silence.

"When you said 'Status' earlier, did it mention blessings? From our scriptures, heroes are granted boons from the goddesses. Powers they didn't have back in their own world. There are other heroes in this world, summoned from the other countries that we now share the world with, and you would find that you would be able to learn things quicker, and be generally... 'better' than how you were before."

"There's also another thing I was curious about. You implied that you two knew each other... The two of you are friends? It's... well.. it's commendable that a human and a demihuman could be friends. It's different here."

---

Location: New World - Base of Tower
Date: Day 1 - Late Evening

When the group finally made it to the bottom, the first thing that was evident was an array of creatures standing side by side. They stood on two legs, were hairy, but had a head that looked like a combination of a horse and a bird. They had harnesses and a saddle. They made a unique cooing sound as the rest of the group appeared from the tower's base.


"I hope the two of you are familiar with riding a larvark... Humans of this world have something called a 'horse'. They are similar... But the larvark are better of course. We have some extra steeds, since their riders... didn't make it with us on the journey here. They're well-trained and should be able to adapt to you." May glanced at Lucy. "Lucy, come here, the larvark aren't used to humans. Put your hand out gentle towards its head, and have it get used to you before you attempt to mount it." May explained as she brought one of the creatures closer to Lucy.

QuoteOODM: Handle Animal check requested. It'll determine how well the animal gets along with you. If you don't have that, a basic CHA check.

It was after that one of the soldiers came up to the two with two sets of armors in her hand. It was a female soldier, though, this one's ears weren't as fluffy as May's, her tail too wasn't as thick, and instead was long and rounded, rather than ending as if it were a large brush like May's. Her outfit too seemed to differ from the other soldiers, sporting a set of green clothes over her own armor, with a bow strapped to her back. She wasn't at the top of the tower like everyone else, likely she waited at the base of the tower.

"Hiya dudettes!" She said.

"Kara, please, they are the heroes." May responded quickly. The other soldier shrugged.

"So, we've brought the armor reserved for our hero. But we only have that one. It is one of the national treasures of our empire, with me acting as it's guardian until now." She then presented a set of hardened leather armor, it was gilded with a lot of ornate decorations."See those swirly decorations? They actually functions as runes, the art of making armor such as these have been lost to us, but it was decided that this was to be worn by the hero. But umm.... I can't really split it, you know? Totally a problemo here."

"The other one I have is totally mundane though. So one of you gets to wear coolness, and the other one's stuck with being sucky like the rest of us here."

As instructed, Lucy approached the Larvark. Hesitant at first, she reached out in an attempt to pet the creature and show she was of no threat.

[blockquote]Charisma 1d20-2 : 8 - 2, total 6[/blockquote]

The moment you approached, the larvark's brown feathers ruffled up near its neck.

"Whoa, girl." May quickly said attempting to calm the creature as she started to pull back on its reigns. However, the larvark would not be calmed, moving its beak, it attempted to peck the hand that you had offered to it. However, as it did so, it seemed to you that it attacked strangely slowly. You were able to pick out the moment it begun to roll its head back, and strike out like a loosed rubber band. May had called out in alarm. But you already had moved out of the way. It was easy, way too easy. True you already had good reflexes, and the time spent learning martial arts only honed that skill, but even though you could see how fast the creature's attack was, you were able to react and move faster.

May struggled to keep the creature down, but eventually she had pulled it away and firmly held the reigns down, while also keep the larvark's head pointed to the ground. After a moment May looked apologetically towards you.

"I'm sorry Lucy. You'll have to probably give it some time... You can still probably ride it, but some else might have to steer it, or even lead it from behind. We don't have any wagons or carriages, but we do need to move as fast as we can."