[Open] Entry to a new world

[Deleted]

Jacoben didn't really say much at this point, rather he was led away by Jane before he could formulate anything further to add to the conversation. Focusing primarily on walking behind Jane and trying to figure out how he felt about this whole situation, the Fox-tail drowned out what was going on around him. Objectively he should probably have been more concerned about the fact that they were stuck within a video game he barely knew anything about, with no idea what was happening to his body, how long they were going to be here, what they were going to need to do to survive.

Still, it meant no school, no pressure to follow the usual path of society, and... this particular world had magic. Proper magic, he knew just from looking at his skill list that he was able to throw around fire and ice as though it was nothing. Any fan of the fantasy genre would be ecstatic at such a realisation, and he wasn't an exception to that. Staring at his hand with a silly grin slowly growing across his features. He could do magic! And he would even be able to be an artist here, surely in a game there would be a high demand for such a thing. Yes, he could very easily get used to being stuck in the World of Elder Tale.

Dragged out of his musing by Flynn's query the foxtail looked up at the bearded bard with his head cocked to the side, "we're going to see if Big Ben exists in game. It's a distinctive landmark for if we get lost, plus it's very close to Westminster Abbey if I remember rightly, and if any building in London would be used as the respawn Cathedral it would be Westminster, right?" Blushing slightly at his boldness in talking so openly to someone he didn't know , he turned mismatched eyes away from the Wolf-hair just in time to see a female elf appear out of nowhere.

Her attitude towards Jane, while somewhat understandable if rude towards someone who looked like that, struck fear in the Sorcerer's heart. She had just patronised the blonde guardian in a way that his friend would undoubtedly take offense to. He hoped that Cedric remember that combat in a city was prohibited and would result in NPCs getting involved in favour of the attacked individual. The last thing he wanted was for her to lose her temple and end up killed by the powerful automatic defences of the city. Of course, perhaps because the Welshmen had picked the characteristics he wouldn't be quite so averse to people pointing them out, it was a little hard for the Sorcerer to tell.

Bringing up his interface, Jacoben examined the newcomer whom might soon be the target of Jane's irritation. Elf Guardian, username Scarlet, also a level 1 character. It seemed that they were running into a lot of people who hadn't done any levelling before whatever had happened to them occurred. Actually, it was more likely those who had gone for the quick grind were still out in the field adjusting to their new situation in a much more hostile environment than those who had still been wandering around in the cities.

That was definitely something worth pondering...

W: 550

[Jane]

The stark difference between Jane's ability to move now and how stumble-y she was when she first got to the place where @eleri was waiting was lost on the little Guardian. Instead of trying to move with his new body, Cedric just sort of treated it as though it were familiar to him and started moving. It wasn't perfect, Jane still stumbled every now and then and had to be careful not to trip, but she was able to move a lot smoother than the first time around. It was like trying to force his mind into the new form caused more trouble than just accepting it, which was a lot easier said than done.

When she was suddenly stopped in her tracks Jane just blinked a few times as she registered just what was going on. "Umm, yes? I mean I am pretty short but that's just this character." she explained "I made her like that. I'm a lot taller in real life and probably not the best person to pat all things considered. I have to admit I'm rather impressed I haven't run the other way. Unexpected physical contact usually does that."

Even as she was speaking Jane's breathing was starting to come a little faster. She wasn't about to have a full blown panic attack or anything, her body was just reacting slightly in a way that seemed familiar yet alien at the same time. One of the reasons Cedric was such a hug-y person was because he'd had to teach himself to endure physical contact, it didn't mean he liked it all that much. As with everything there were exceptions like hugging friends, but that hardly mattered to the current situation.

"Just a moment please." Jane said to everyone gathered, taking a few steps away from the group and taking some deep breaths. Once her mind was settled again and her breathing stead the little Guardian would return to the group. "Well I'm not going to say it's good to see I'm still a little unhinged, but at least that means I'm me inside all this." she emphasised the last bit with a heavy rap of her knuckles on her own armour, letting the sound of metal on metal ring out for a moment.

"I'm not sure if you're familiar with this area." she asked the newcomer, another Guardian it seemed, "But you wouldn't happen to know the way to Big Ben from here, would you?" Cedric knew it was a long shot all things considered but as he had no idea how else to greet Scarlet. "I'm running off some old memories of the last time I came here and I doubt they translate to this new world. I mean, you might not but still."

Jane glanced back at @eleri and Sketch and did her best to steel her resolve. The Wolf Hair probably didn't need Cedric to take the lead like this but his younger friend always seemed so withdrawn around new people. Cedric had to admit he was pretty impressed with just how well Aidan was dealing with it all things considered. If he had been on his own he'd probably be running around in Jane's little body screaming in panic, or something like that, but the little Fox Tail seemed calm and in control. Of the larger situation that was, the social one still seemed to be causing him some issue.

"We should probably keep moving. Even if we don't find it we'll at least have a chance to look around a bit more. The more we see the better our directional sense will be in the long run."


W: 607

[Sketch]

Flynn had to stifle a laugh at the sudden calling out of the Guardian's sheer lack of height. It did make him realize just how out of place the tiny human was amidst all this. So many of the other players had chosen to build their adventurers with ideal or otherwise expected physiques for their chosen professions. Large and burly Samurai, quick and nimble Assassins, tall and slender Sorcerers. And here stood the tiniest little girl in massive full plate, carrying about a shield nearly the size of her entire body. It was enough to make anyone take notice, at the very least. Still.. it was probably for the best NOT to upset the three traveling companions of whom he'd just met. This world was foreign and confusing and terrifying to consider. The last thing he needed right now was a temperamental half-pint breathing down his neck.

Still, regardless of all that, the smaller one took it all in stride. Or, at least, she was very good at pretending to take it in stride. It was simply full speed ahead with her, not time for chat or socializing or anything of that sort. There was a goal ahead and it had to be met. He couldn't help but crack a smile at such an attitude. Was it reckless? Sure, a little bit. Walking about with the blinders on isn't always the best way to operate. But it certainly was efficient, and if they needed anything right now, it was efficiency.

Though, perhaps through a rare moment of consideration or possibly a simple bout of sympathy considering his own worries at the current moment, Flynn couldn't really bring himself to simply leave another curious new arrival behind. They were likely just as confused or possibly frightened as he was when he first awoke. Not to say he wasn't frightened still, but at least he was focusing on other things. He raised a hand in a slight wave toward the girl, smiling at her as best as he could through his own compounded nervousness and anxiety. Stepping forward and examining the elf, He was able to suss out her class and role pretty quickly. One one group of players carry around a shield that big, after all.

"Hi!" Flynn attempted to crack a smile, but his expression and tone rang out as more awkward and displaced than it did friendly. Way to go, big guy. Let's try that again. "So.. I'm Na-" He had to cut himself off there to save face. Almost let the real name slip there. But in reality he wasn't Nate anymore... not now, anyway, and possibly not for a while yet. It would likely be for the best to get used to using the name he'd assigned himself the previous night. The sooner the better, right? "...F-Flynn, I'm Flynn. I, um... I can only assume my traveling companions here are going to be okay with this, but I figure that it'd just be rude not to offer you a chance to follow along and scope out the city. If you want to, of course. I mean really, entirely your call." He still wasn't very good at this whole "talking" thing, was he? Face to face interaction wasn't exactly his forte. But then again, if no one else here was going to make the offer... well, someone had to.

"Better to move with a group that skulk around on you're own, right?"



W: 574

[Zyrune]

Hp: 100 Mp: 100

Letting out a long frustrated sigh, the druid trudged along the overgrown and uneven cobble stone streets of the games equivalent of London, Londinium. Letting his mind wander as he walked, Zyrune couldn't help but feel slightly hopeless given the situation he and countless others found themselves in. Who would have thought this was even possible? Casing his gaze around, the pink haired druid frowned at the current state of Londinium or at least the state of what he saw anyway. So far everything he past seemed to be in a state of utter disrepair, each building looked more overgrown than the last, even the non player characters or people of the land seemed confused at the towns overgrowth. He recalled how stunning Londinium had been in the concept art pictures he had seen surface online a few months past. Zyrune had never been to the British city but apparently it was beautiful with plenty to see and go. However since he awoke in this strange recreation he couldn't help but feel as though even the city did agree with the change.

As he walked along he wondered where he actually was. Everything looked real, from the skin on the back of his hands to the water falling from a nearby fountain and everything certainly felt real, either that or he was imagining the ache in his feet from walking around, the warmth of the overhead sun and the soft breese that occasionally blew past him. Even the non player characters or people of the land as they were known in the game seemed even more real, it didn't help that they were even confused by the significant overgrowth in the town. The more people the druid walked past or stopped to observe, he couldn't help but wonder who the were behind their Entertales Avatars, what lives they left behind to come and adventure here. It was certainly true that Endertales was extremely popular, it was renowned for being one of few games that could attract a wide variety of gamers whether it be casual or hardcore, old or young, male or female, Endertales was renown for having something to entertain you. He couldn't help but feel concerned for any young players that found themselves stuck with this new reality, older gamers like himself may have been able to make sense of this, manage some what, but the vast majority of young gamers didn't even know what they were doing in game, let alone how they might become trapped in a real version of it.

However young or old, fox tail or elven eared, everyone was clueless to the situation and some were in utter denial while others were convinced that it would be sorted soon, that if they waited it out, things would go back to normal. The thought had entered into his mind but equally so another also did, one in which perhaps he was never leaving this place, that maybe this was his home now, his world now, that maybe there was no body left behind slumped over his desk, maybe this was all he was now, maybe there was no way he could ever return. It was a frightening thought, but nonetheless it was just as possible as being rescued from this world in next few days, however something nagged at him. He understood more than anyone about the time difference within the game but there was no way of knowing how long had past between the event and him waking up, nor was there there anyway of knowing if there really was a way out of here.

Stopping just short of a fresh baked goods stand, the druid blushed as his stomach let out a long low growl. It struck Zyrune that he hadn't had anything to eat since waking up in the strange reality, but then again he really hadn't presumed that his body would require food to keep itself going as it wasn't a normal trait within the Endertales world, but then again nothing about this was normal. While game characters did not require food to survive only to recover HP, he wondered how much of this reality stilled remained a game and how much of it was real and side did player respawns fell on. He shuddered at the thought, knowing the only way to be sure was to die and he certainly wasn't planning on doing that anytime soon.

Letting out another sigh, the druid pursed his lips as he studied the food displayed before him. There was a large variety of goods, scones, cupcakes and muffins of all varieties were displayed out front while larger goods such as different types of bread were displayed at the back. Nothing seemed to have a scent, even goods he could see held fruit within their fluffy base seemed to offer no scent which surprised him. "Baked them all fresh this morning sir, you'll find no finer baked goods this side of Londinium, I swear it." A male voice spoke. Lost in thought, Zyrune's heart jumped at the intrusion into his silence. Looking up into strong brown eyes, the druid paused for a moment. Just in front of him behind the display stood a handsome man with black hair, who gazed back with a warm smile and caution in his eyes. He seemed young enough and at first the druid thought he might have passed for an adventurer but his menu gave the NPC away. It struck him odd that these 'people' of the land who were nothing more than automated statues with static narratives when Endertales was just a game, now seemed to be alive, each with their own personality and backgrounds, or at least the few he had managed to observed did anyway.

Nodding, he pointed towards a small plain muffin near the front. If he was going to eat something from this world, he wanted it to be plain.. He still wasn't sure if his new body could process food and if eating was still possible but as his stomach let out another growl he understood that he needed to do something. He watched with avid curiosity as the NPC skillfully and perfectly selected his muffin and wrapped it in soft parchment paper before handing it to him with a smile. "Don't eat it all in one go." The man joked before leaving Zyrune to attend to his duties.Blushing slightly, he clutched the goods in his hands. It wasn't much, but it would tide him over for a short time and save him some money. If he was going to spend a few days here perhaps longer, he needed a place to rest and without a guild and their guild hall to rest in, he would need to rent a room in a tavern or risk the night alone in the city. Sure it was still true that he spawned with the default new player money, but the druid was hoping to make this last as long as he could, he didn't even know if monsters were still around and if they were, did they still drop money. Part of him wished he had been trapped on the Eastern European Server with his stronger level characters, he might not have had such a gloomy outlook on this situation then. He couldn't help but wonder if other players on different servers found themselves stuck within this new reality or was this unique to the Unfounded Kingdom.

His thoughts quickly turned back towards the three he had wrote off so quickly. It was true that they had made their wishes to be alone clear, but maybe Zyrune had wrote them off too quickly. As it stood, he was alone in a foreign world that held many dangers, perhaps too many to even count and he needed allies, friends even and if possible a guild. Safety in numbers, that was the logic there, what one person lacked another might have in abundance, whether that be courage, levels or money. Had the druid been too harsh with his expectations with the young dual eyed fox and quirky guardian. It was true that Zyrune had assumed that he knew what needed to be done, assuming that gaining levels quickly, finding a foothold in the city and learning more about this world piece by piece was the answer but not everyone moved as quickly as he did, maybe he should have been more patient and more reserved like he had initially planned and allowed others time to think for themselves. Then again part of his sudden dismissal was his competitive nature, the guardian had so easily added the strange Bard and equally fast past him up, that certainly struck a nerve with him and even it wasn't intentionally, the druid couldn't help but feel slightly jealous.

Despite all of that. he was sure that something within the expansion pack had to do with the entire ordeal, however he knew next to nothing about the expansion other than the name. Normally the gamer in him would have spent night after night pouring over every game developer blog, soaking in the ambient fantasy lore that these games were so often populated with, however in this case the creators of Endertales had been extremely tight lipped with regards to the expansion, not only that but for the sake of a genuine new player experience he had strictly avoided anything to do with the expansion, even rumors he avoided like a plague. Now however he cursed himself, he was blind to anything that could help him and an easier victim to anything that could set him back, he wasn't even sure the world still clung to the laws of the game, he needed more information and preferably before someone with selfish desires did. All it took was for one person of a high enough level to prevent anyone from learning about the event and any hope he had of finding a way to return to his sister was dashed from him.

Frowning, he leaned against the edge of a beautiful marble fountain and gazed down at his exposed abdomen and smiled. He would have loved to have been this lean in real life, he wasn't too far off it really, many would have been jealous of his body, but still he couldn't shake that last bit of baby weight from his abdomen. Now however he had achieved this perfect body and all he had to trade for it was his entire previous life for it. His stomach growled once more and the druid shook his head of the negative thoughts, he smiled at how much he stood apart from the common adventurer but then again nearly everyone stood out, in fact he struggled to find one person around him that might resemble a common adventurer. Then again he shouldn't have been very surprised. One of the main reasons he had returned to the world of Endertales was the diverse and detailed character creation process, he was sure that his viewers would have loved creating and customizing their characters alone and while it gave everyone an avatar to hide behind, it also hid everyone's original identity from everyone else, a notion that he was sure some not too savory characters were taking advantage of.

Pursing his lips, he carefully unwrapped the muffin. Taking off only a small piece, the druid inspected it carefully. For all intents and purposes it looked like something you might find in the real world, it felt the same and even looked the same. Sighing he took a small bite and made a face as if he had eaten something stale as it made contact with his tongue. His mouth immediately felt dry and the muffin lacked all taste, if he had to compare it to anything he thought a dry cracker would be pretty similar. Continuing to frown, Zyrune took another bite out of the depressing muffin. Of all things to be recreated, apparently the world had left good taste behind, then again it might have just been a bad muffin, there was no way to know unless he bought something else, however he needed to keep his money and the frugal in him prevented him from throwing the sad depressing baked good away.

Gazing around at the variation of people nearby, it still struck him odd that some people had fox tails and ears poking out of their heads, didn't they feel twice as odd? Then again wasn't the entire situation was odd, they were stuck inside a game or at least a physical representation of parts of it, the druid looked down at his staff as he continued to think. Many things were different now that this was reality and he was curious to know how magic casting actually worked, what it felt like and how he went about casting anything, everything was still a mystery. It would be wise to figure it out before he ran into real trouble and it would have been easier with a group, but they made their choice clear, they didn't want him nor anyone else and they certainly didn't feel like doing anything about their situation, choosing instead to sit and wait. Letting out a long frustrated breath, he stuffed some more of the depressing muffin into his mouth, frowning at the taste, he gazed upwards towards the sky, he couldn't help but wonder if he had been found, in the real world that is. He tried to remember what everyone else had been doing, but he hadn't paid their plans that much attention. He presumed not, seeing as judging by how long he had spent in the world was not any real significant time in the real world, plus he was known for locking himself in his room for hours at a time while recording a series, and his sister had been particularly excited about this one too, so he expected that she would convince everyone to leave him be, that is if part of him still remained in that world and if of course the time difference between his world and the world of Endertales still remained the same. This new reality held so many unknowns and there was no way to answer them right now, only to sit and wait.

He did wonder though how magic casting actually worked and this was one of the few things he didn't require anyone else for. Wiping his mouth of the stale tasting muffin, he gripped his staff and gazed at the ground before him trying to remember all he could about his character. Bringing up the interface, he studied it for a moment. His main class was a druid, a class of healer within Endertales that had the ability to use both offensive and defensive spells, they were considered well rounded as a healer which is partially why he had chosen the class, he knew that his party would need a well balanced healer. Each beginner had the ability to learn three skills, he had chosen cure bloom, a low-base burst healing spell, brilliant prism with a low cool down, an offensive attack spell and willow spirit both a support and offensive spell. According to Endertales if one started combat within the city, the royal guard would appear and sentence both players to death as a way to end the fighting, of course both players respawned, however it was simply a way to stop in city disturbances. Currently they didn't even know if the royal guard still existed as no one seemed to have started combat within the city lines, but Zyrune still didn't want to find out, if they did exist and they did come down to kill someone, there was still a chance that no one respawned and if they did indeed die, did they actually die or did they return to the normal world?

Letting a long slow breath leave his body, Zyrune closed his eyes and collected his thoughts. Then in an instant like a bolt of lightening. Healing and buff oriented spells did not count as combat that instigated an attack from the royal guard and they could be cast on the caster. Smirking he gripped his staff tightly, deciding it best to find a quite place down an alley before testing it on himself. It really didn't take long to find somewhere hidden and when he had gathered enough courage, the druid held his long wooden staff and aimed it at himself. "Cure Bloom." He waited for a few moments feeling quite stupid before his staff lit up and his body erupted with a pink mist, it was warm and welcoming and in an instant the area around him erupted in a soft beautifully fragrant floral aroma. He almost danced with joy and he felt his worries somewhat ease a little now that he knew that spells worked, even if it was a little different than before, magic still worked! He would have loved to share this with someone, but unfortunately at the moment he lacked anyone he might have told.

Unequipping his staff once more, he readied himself. He was on the right path and he was definitely going places, his journey in this strange new world was only beginning and if others wanted to join him and help him, then all the better and if they didn't, Zyrune swore he wasn't going to let it take away from what he had to do. Taking a deep breath, he decided the best course of action would be to learn more about death in this strange new world. It was extremely likely that not everyone logged in had been within the cities limits, some could have been out in the field and Zyrune had been hoping that perhaps one of them had respawned. He took a moment to think however, he still wasn't sure where Londinium had set the revival area to be. It took longer than he was willing to admit, but the dual eyed fox and guardian had mentioned something about WestMinster Abbey. Pulling up the game interface he looked for the quickest path to the icon. He was surprised that the fox and guardian seemed to slowly moving on the right track, more than he had given them credit for, but still that didn't excuse how easily they had dismissed him. He wondered would their opinions change when they were faced with combat and needed a healer. Shrugging his shoulders, the druid dismissed the game interface and headed on his way to the renown building wondering if it too suffered from the overgrowth, deciding that if he did see they three individuals again, he would treat it like a fresh start, they had indirectly helped decide on his next course of action, maybe now that he had seen things from a new perspective and calmed down somewhat he may even end up making some friends here. He grinned as he walked, he was quickly learning more and more and right now, information could earn a lot.

Hp: 100 Mp: 95
WC: 3179
Abilities Used: Cure Bloom
Tagged: Scarlet @eleri Jane Sketch

Notes: Long post, but figured it would be easier to post all in one, rather than spilt it up and since it didn't really affect your characters much at all. Once ye have all posted, we can work on a way to have Zyrune meet back up with you guys per @eleri 's request. 

[Pawzyrus]

Pawzyrus opened his eyes, the smell of a cool crisp morning lingered in his nose, as his blurry vision saw a tree, its leaves rustling ever so calmly against the wind. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and it was peaceful.
Wait he thought, We don’t have such beautiful days where I live… no trees in sight…
He rubbed the blur out of his eyes and looked around. The sun’s light dazed him as he pushed himself up, But as he did so, he saw his hands.
“F-fur? Nyaaaahh!” Pawzyrus fell over on his back, wondering about the oddity that was his hands. Orange, short haired, but rather good-looking if he said so himself. He managed to get up and found a small pool of water and began to check himself out. He was a orange tabby werecat with lean muscle, and white fangs. Least I still have dental, Thought Pawzyrus, as he inspected his whiskers, the missing piece of his left ear, and the Samurai-styled plate armor emblazoned in dark blue and bright orange colors. He looked at his reflection’s forest green gaze, and held it.
“This all seems so familiar. But where? Where am i? why am I here? Is this a dream? No, it feels too real, was what I thought was life a dream? No, that can’t be.” The thought suddenly sprung in his mind as he looked at the building and people around him. Elder Tale? He felt nauseated, frightened, and excited all at the same time, and slowly paced himself around the town. People were everywhere, adventurers and people of the land alike. Plenty adventurers were frightened, attacking at others verbally or hiding in corners, while others seemed to be investigating. He looked at the people of the land, however, and they seemed to go on as if nothing was wrong. Pawzyrus went to a food stall, and bought an apple, feeling a bit empty. It tasted just fine much to his satisfaction. He watched the people of the land. They seemed a bit more active, more lively. He watched as a kid bugged his mother about having some sweets while she was pushing her food cart to wherever she was going to take it. Some people of the land dressed in nicer attires were advertising about weapons, food, a new pub that opened, etcetera etcetera. He watched adventurers talking amongst themselves in hushed tones about how and why they got here, but no one seemed to have an answer, and if they did, not a very intelligent one.
When he finished eating, he wandered once again. He listened to what others were saying, on the way to wherever he was going.
“I don’t understand, why cant we log out?”
“There is no escape, were doomed! Why would someone do this to us?”
“Is there any way to escape?!”
“I would be fine if the food wasn’t so terrible!”… Wait what?
He couldn’t find anyone that seemed to have their screws in the right place, but none of this made sense; how could he be in the game world with no escape if this wasn’t a dream? But at the same time, it couldn’t be, could it? If it was, it should have ended by now, or something flashy would happen. He opened his interface. All of his items were missing, except for the starter ones, and his skills were reset to level one!
The more he wandered, he began to realize the same time they were stuck, a big expansion came out. But of course, that cant have anything to do with it, obviously a coincidence right? He let out a sigh, and continued walking. After a while, he saw a small group of people, a wolf hair, a human, a fox-tail, and some others, it all sounded like the start of some joke! “heh, a wolf hair, a human, and a fox-tail walk into a bar…” he muttered, but couldn’t quite finish, as he walked up to them, he took a bow to no one in particular and said “greetings! May I ask who are all of you, and do you know anything of what is happening?" Man, i am not good at starting a conversation, he thought.

Word count: 696
Health: 100%
Energy Pool: 100%

[Jane]

It seemed like there was just something about this group that kept attracting people. The elf girl Jane had been talking to sort of stood there awkwardly for a bit and Sketch was kind enough to invite them along. Cedric had planned on inviting them if they wanted or needed a group to follow around for now but it was good to see other people trying to invite others like this. It probably mean the Wolf Hair was more suited to people than he had guessed, though there was still that weird edge to how he felt about the man. Something seemed a little off, though what that was he wasn't sure of.

And then a Werecat joined the conversation, although joined might not have been the best way to explain it. Demanding answers and names would be more accurate, though the greeting was at least friendly. The whole situation felt like it was spiralling out of Cedric's control and that was really not something he could deal with. Jane closed her eyes and slowly counted to three while trying her best to let the situation just wash over her so she could try and figure out where she was in this whole mess. It was a good system to try and calm down but considering everything Cedric had gone through and how unusual both the situation and his new body was, it was little wonder that instead he gave in and snapped.

"Hiiii!" Jane drawled, not sounding too serious all things considered, "I suggest using your interface to try and see our names! It's very useful if you haven't already figured it out. And no, no one knows what is going on, I doubt anyone knows what's going on at all. As such I want to try and move to a point where we can SEE what is going on, and not talk about it while not knowing a thing! I'm going to start walking this way and you can follow if you want. You can alllll follow if you want, but standing around here isn't helping anyone so let's go!"

Jane pointed in the general direction that they had been moving before being stopped by the elf and would soon be walking off in that very direction. She didn't stop to look if anyone else was coming, she didn't even grab @eleri's hand or anything to drag him along, Cedric figured he'd follow anyway. The little Guardian was just powering forward, trying not to get all caught up in the despair and confusion going on all around her, or even the reasonable conversations a few people kept trying to catch her in. Cedric had an aim and he wanted to get there now. Once he was at Big Ben he could probably think again. He could breath, relax, look around, try and see what was going on, but he just had to get there first.

"Please tell me they're following." he eventually sent back to Jacoben. While it was true he wanted to get there without any more distractions, Cedric was just getting so annoyed by this whole thing he couldn't help but push people like this. It was weird how quickly the annoyance had built up too, that wasn't something he normally felt. Of course, he was never much in a physical situation with walking and face to face interaction like this. Cedric was a GM type person, behind the screens, making a story, not dealing with people until it was done. Suffice to say he was probably not used to all the conflicting viewpoints and the need to consider other people's opinions like this.

E: 608

[Deleted]

Jacoben  HP: 100% MP: 100%

"Any treasure you obtain without ever having to work for it is no treasure at all."

Trying to keep from sighing aloud at the constant influx of strangers who had come up to their growing group trying to figure out what was going on, Jacoben allowed Jane to take the lead and essentially shuffle everyone around as they picked up more and more people like some sort of Katamari ball. He supposed it didn't really matter in the long run, it wasn't like the Sorcerer had to interact with them if he didn't want to and if Cedric was willing to be the one who dealt with them then what did he care?

Without any more interruptions (though a few wrong turns here and there) they would eventually find themselves standing at the corner of what would be Bridge Street and Parliament Square in the real world, looking up at the distinctive, iconic, clock tower that was Big Ben. Alongside it was the in game version of Westminster Abbey, with groups of people already gathering around it. It seemed that they had not been the only people who had decided that this would be a good place to head towards. It was likely that other landmarks would be seeing similar gatherings of players as everyone tried to work out what had happened and find comfort in the strange situation they found themselves in.

"We need to start planning for what we're going to do," Jacoben stated quietly as he stared at the familiar clock-face. It was no revelation from seeing the structure, rather that he had used the time it had taken walking here to think and had been struck by a realisation. "We don't know how long we're going to be stuck here, it might be hours, it might even be days. If it was going to end quickly we'd probably be back by now so it's not likely to be something immediately fixed." Here the Fox-tail kept his head down, speaking more to his feet than anything as his ears twitched nervously.

If no one interrupted him, he would continue. "Basic things like food and shelter for at least tonight, if not even more long term. It won't take long for other people to reach the same conclusion so we should probably do it quickly, otherwise the best options might be gone already. Once we know we can survive her for however long necessary, then we can explore further and figure out what's caused this.... at least, that's what I think. There's no point us dying of starvation or exposure trying to find an answer that could take a long time. It is winter now after all...." he trailed off and fell silent, wanting desperately to tuck his hands into his pockets but hearing nothing but admonishments in his mind for the habit.

It wasn't like he was particularly invested in finding a way to get out of this new situation anyway, even with all the uncertainty and unknowns he would rather be here than out there. Although.... perhaps finding out what had happened to them would help him stay here if things came to that, know how it happened and you can prevent it from being reversed or redo it.... but no, now was not the time for that either, now was the time to find basic necessities and plan for what happened next. Jacoben didn't realise it yet, but already being in the realm of Elder Tales was changing him in ways beyond the physical. He would never have talked that much in front of strangers of his own volition before.

OOC NOTES:
Word Count: 589

Tags: Sketch , Zyrune , Pawzyrus , Scarlet

NOTE TO SELF: POSTS UP TO THIS POINT HAVE BEEN CLAIMED FOR AP

Made by Sifr of GS, Synesthesia and Adoxography.

[Pawzyrus]

Pawzyrus followed, I wonder if there is a way out, unlikely as that is. Whilst he followed, he continued to watch the growing amount of people crying in a corner. Fools. stop crying and try to do something about it! He sighed, knowing there isnt much to do about it. He continued on his way, until they made it to parliament standing in front of a big ben imitation. Truly, it was a beautiful sight to see. Pawzyrus remembered when he actually visited the place, I think i was supremely bored, staring at a clock for a straight hour isnt my ideal 'fun'.

"We need to start planning for what we're going to do," Pawzyrus looked at the sorcerer Did he have something in mind?
"We don't know how long we're going to be stuck here, it might be hours, it might even be days. If it was going to end quickly we'd probably be back by now so it's not likely to be something immediately fixed." Pawzyrus nodded, True enough
"Basic things like food and shelter for at least tonight, if not even more long term. It won't take long for other people to reach the same conclusion so we should probably do it quickly, otherwise the best options might be gone already. Once we know we can survive her for however long necessary, then we can explore further and figure out what's caused this.... at least, that's what I think. There's no point us dying of starvation or exposure trying to find an answer that could take a long time. It is winter now after all...."
Pawzyrus spoke "well, im not sure it is such a necessity. Think about it, we are trapped in a game, but not physically. i don't really think eating or sleeping here will do much, besides telling our mind we are doing basic functions that it needs to survive, and appeasing it." he breathed, "Nevertheless, id rather have the illusion of good food and drink, with a nice and cozy bed, rather than my mind thinking it is slowly crumbling to ashes and eventually falling apart. im pretty sure that is not the best feeling in the world if you ask me..."
Pawzyrus lifted his finger, "So, i give you my vote about your request, to 'find some place to rest and eat'. Although, dont you think we should be thinking about other things as well? No doubt people will be reckless, and scared. and do things they shouldn't, as being outlaws, killing others, stealing, or outright chaos! We need to strengthen ourselves as well as survive." he scratched the back of his head "jeez, this really is like a survival game, although i think i prefer the movies over this situation."

Pawzyrus sighed, almost out of breath "I propose as well we find whoever is behind this. I love this game, but not enough to live in it forever. Im willing to believe this will not be an easy task, however."

Pawzyrus stretched "anywho, my character used to work at the seven dancing maidens pub. It has beds, for... certain purposes, but also to 'normally' sleep in. im pretty sure we will all get discounts cause i work there, but i must warn you, bar brawls, and women frequent that place."

Pawzyrus remembered when he played the game, how beautiful it was. Every day after school, he would quickly hop on his computer, to even get just a minute into the game, hoping he would find another adventure. His life had been a tough one, and Elder tale was his escape, and he preferred to keep it that way. He would always talk to the landers, being his first source of questing, as almost every game was. But not that he was sucked in, everything is different. He had to survive and work for every moment to live, to 'play' in a game that demands fighting, and more intelligence than the reality.

Pawzyrus looked around at the people. More people were watching, it seemed, interested in a large suspicious group such as ourselves. Pawzyrus shrugged, and started walking towards a bakery "Make your minds, ill be back in a bit."

Pawzyrus entered the shop, it had an elegance to it. fine wooden tables and chairs were placed evenely on the empty space, colored windows letting in beautiful tinted light as the delightful smell of baked goods entered his nose. He looked at his gold, he realized he was wealthy enough fora  bit of food.

The lander at the counter smiled, "Greetings adventurer, would you care for some baked good? maybe our special?"
Pawzyrus nodded, "Aye , i would like your sweetest food!" he pointed to a table. "send it there.
He sat down, and saw someone stand up and sit down at his table; a lander.
"You dont seem that scared as the others. I honestly don't understand what the fuss is about, is something happening to the adventurers, are you dying?" His eyes widened a little "We can survive without you yes, but it will also be a dangerous exsistance, so please tell me you wont disappear." Pawzyrus nodded "i worry that too, but i dont think itl be a problem. "he nodded to the group outside "we are trying to figure out what the pandemonium is about, i assure you nothing is wrong... hopefully" The lander grunted, standing up about to leave the shop "Hmph! you cannot ever assure yourself, so how do you think youll assure me?" and with that, he left.

He saw the person at the front traveling food to his table, and his stomach instinctively growled. He smiled, "Oh yeah, sweets incoming!" after the waiter placed them all down, he chowed down on it "So good, so delicious! it all tastes SOOO-!!" he stopped, the flavor bland in his mouth. he spat it out, and yelled "SO BLAND!" His face soured "its just as i feared, this is a game, there is no flavor coded! My life is RUINED!" after paying, he took some of the food, went outside, and handed them to all of the group. "it is bland. when it comes to food, we are doomed! They taste like bad crackers!"

Word count: 1037

[Jane]

When Jane finally arrived at the clock tower, the tiny Guardian had to hunch over with her hands on her knees. While this body had a lot more energy than Cedric was used to, he had to use up so much more of it just to get from A to B that he was surprised by how winded he'd found Jane. Panting as she was, Jane found it difficult to follow what @eleri was saying over her own breathing . As soon as her breathing was stable the tiny Guardian caught up, registering the few words she'd already heard and putting together what exactly her younger friend was talking about.

"I'm not in much of a rush to go back." she admit to her friend, "I'd like things to go back to normal sure enough, but for now I'm happy to mess around with the game in its current form. Once we work today out at any rate. I never got to play on any of the other servers so I really don't know how it'd play on the screen. There is just something about messing around with a game like this that I can't turn down."

Food would be simple enough if the game continued as it was, you could buy it from vendors or someone with the chef subclass, if that's what the subclass did, and they had some starting gold to buy it with. Anything after that they'd probably have to kill monsters to fund their living, and sleeping on the street would probably have to do for tonight. After that who knew? Hopefully beds could be made by some subclass somewhere, it wasn't worth worrying about right now though.

"You have a fire spell on your list, right?" she eventually asked Jacoben, shortly after the disappeared into the shop, "If we have a fire going we could probably sleep outside tonight, check out what the stars look like in this world and save on spending money for a place to sleep. That gives us more money to spend on food for tonight if we want to eat lots. I'm not that hungry right now though."

That probably had something to do with how much smaller Jane's body was to Cedric's normal one, although as he wasn't an expert on body transferring and magically being turned into a tiny girl, he couldn't be sure. Maybe it was just his regular diet (or tendency not to eat much at all) that was carrying over? Regardless, eating wasn't high on his list of things to do right this second.

"I've really had enough running around for now, can we find a place around here to rest?" Jane eventually asked after staring off into the middle distance for a few minutes as she thought about mildly relevant things. The idea that she had been the one making people run around, or was the one running to Jacoben's side in the first place sort of went over her head. Maybe that slight distracted tendency of her mind was a part of the changes too?

W: 513

OOC: As Pawz is gone for a bit I figured her character can just disappear into the shop and not actually come back out. We can continue as normal for now.

[Deleted]

Jacoben HP: 100% MP: 100%

"Any treasure you obtain without ever having to work for it is no treasure at all."

"Umm..." the Sorcerer muttered as he brought up his interface, checking through his skill list to see what he had to offer, "I do have a fire spell, though I don't know if that will work to actually start a fire. After all, in some MMOs making a fire or campfire is a skill, so maybe it wouldn't actually ignite anything," he mused aloud, closing the interface once he had seen what it had to offer. It wasn't the best of starts, but he was still buoyed up by the knowledge that he was in a completely new world with the potential for a much better life.

Though Jane was apparently now too tired for them to consider exploring, something which Jac didn't expect. He wasn't feeling particularly tired or hungry at this point in time, which was probably for the best considering the fact that they didn't have any shelter or food just yet. "I don't mind stopping for a break if you want," he responded, looking around at their surroundings in search of some sort of sign to indicate where they might be able to go. There wasn't exactly a lot of good places for shelter around here, and he doubted that people would tolerate them resting out in the open with a fire burning (assuming they could even get a fire started).

"Where should we go though? I didn't see any good places under cover to rest for the night, and we can't stay out here where anyone could stumble across us," the youth remarked, still trying to take in all the sights and sounds of this unusual version of London that he had found himself in, even as his mind searched for options for their temporary location of rest. Along the Thames might be some docks, but they probably would be very damp beneath, even in places where the water did not reach. He didn't know whether or not the London Underground's tunnels existed in this world, but if they did they would probably be crowded with other people or monsters, depending on how deep they went.

There weren't really any alleyways that they could claim either, the buildings near the Westminster Abbey too close together to serve as a refuge place. Maybe they could find a damaged building to hide in? There did seem to be a few of them that were in a state of disrepair if he hadn't been imagining it, but he couldn't remember exactly where they might have been. It didn't really matter he supposed, Cedric was the one leading and the one who wanted rest, and he was sure that his friend would let him know what they were feeling like doing soon enough. If not....well, he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

OOC NOTES:

Word Count: 511 ( 465+46 [1.1 Coconia Amulet Bonus])

Tags: Jane

Made by Sifr of GS, Synesthesia and Adoxography.

[Jane]

"Well, we won't know until we try, will we?" The sunshiny little Guardian asked as she glanced around, looking for a wall or step, something that would be a good space to rest. "We could be like hobos and gather around a barrel if we have to!" she added cheerily, grinning at her own humour for a moment before pulling a face. "Though I guess we are all like hobos for now. I don't think anyone has the money to buy a place yet."

Jane stifled a yawn while nodding at @eleri's comment about a break, it wasn't that she was tired and ready for sleep, far from it, it was more an exhaustion of the mind where the body was all buzzed and ready to go. Shock could come in many forms, in Jane's case it was just a sudden screeching halt where she just wanted to stop and curl in on herself. Cedric had no idea what was going on considering he'd never experienced it like this. Physical shock was one thing, mental shock often took people by surprise.

Jane just waved the comment about resting for the night away, that wasn't Cedric's plan at all, all he needed was a few moments to gather his thoughts. There were a lot of things to take in, and he soon found himself thinking how lucky he'd been to have a friend arrive with him on this strange adventure.

"We'll figure out someplace to rest later, for now I just want to find a place to sit. We've done more walking today than I'm usually willing to do without good reason, and I'm not really wearing good walking shoes or anything." The excuse slid easily, another skill Cedric had picked up during his time as a GM for tabletop RPs. He was playing the character, and he would play the character well. Having to be the character was just a new part of it and something he'd have to just get used to in the end. The Welshman knew he didn't have time to brood or be withdrawn, he had to put his brave face on and be there for Aidan. "There are better places than here for that, we should just stick to exploring for today. After that break."

The girl flopped down on some free steps she'd finally found and stared up at her friend for a moment, blinking in surprise at the lack of people that were suddenly around. Looking left and right she couldn't see any of the people that had come with them earlier standing around and part of Cedric couldn't help but worry at the fact. Another, louder part was just happy that he hadn't lost his friend in all the confusion. Whatever was going on in the world around them it would have to be figured out. If not today then maybe tomorrow, and if not tomorrow then sometime eventually.

The Welshman was interested in checking out the world outside of the town if this went on much longer and maybe trying out fighting. It would be cool if the system had advanced beyond the menus they had to deal with when it was a game, and he intended to find out as soon as safety permitted it, and maybe even if it didn't.

W: 551

[Deleted]

Jacoben HP: 100% MP: 100%

"Any treasure you obtain without ever having to work for it is no treasure at all."

Jacoben raised an eyebrow at Jane, knowing that not only were the bodies they had found themselves in at the height of physical health but that their clothes were almost supernaturally comfortable as they were created specifically for the body of the individual who wore them, but he decided to let his friend save face and rest for the time being while they tried to figure out what to do. Instead of sitting down on the step like Cedric, Jacoben leaned against the building and pulled his robes tighter around him as he waited for the other to regain some measure of equilibrium and determine a suitable course of action for them to take.

"Maybe we can find space in an abandoned house for the time being, there seems to be many ruins in the city that we could enter. That way we'll at least be out of any weather that might come up." The Foxtail suggested, his tail waving cautiously behind him as he pondered their situation, trying to consider their options in this strange new world. It was odd, he would have expected to have been hungry by now, but he didn't feel even the slightest stirrings for need of food. He could potentially eat something, however he had no need of anything as of yet. Perhaps they didn't need to eat at all, or at least not as often, it would bear some thought and perhaps experimentation to figure out just what their new limits were. They could clearly feel the need for sleep, though that may simply be a matter of mental exhaustion, for he could definitely say that he was tired at this point in time.

Part of him wondered just what had happened to all those others whom had flocked to them not so long ago, but the majority was simply concerned about what they were going to do to survive in the world of Elder Tales. Still, it was certainly an interesting development in his life, one that made him hopeful for a better future than the one he had been expecting once he had finished High School. If he was here, then he couldn't possibly join his Father's business and be forced into a profession that he had absolutely no interest in pursuing for a family that barely tolerated him.

Putting that thought aside the Sorcerer brought up his interface, browsing through the various menus and arranging his action bars as he waited for Cedric to settle enough that they could continue whatever it was they were planning to do for the rest of the day. Honestly though he felt that they had done more than enough for the time being and should be looking to find shelter and make a plan of attack for making it through in this world, and perhaps even thrive in it.

OOC NOTES:
Word Count: (522 [475+47, 1.1 Coconia Bonus])

Tags: Jane

Made by Sifr of GS, Synesthesia and Adoxography.

[Jane]

"That's probably our best bet in the short term." Jane agreed, rubbing at her temples for a moment. "There are probably a lot more places around than people, so at least everyone can get some semblance of privacy if they so want. At least it seems that way to me, do you remember nearly so many accessible buildings for that short amount of time we got to play before this?"

It was a bit of a weird question considering they couldn't have gotten further than the starting area, but Cedric had noted the few enterable doors when he was looking around the place earlier. That didn't really matter as much to him as his own condition however. He was dealing remarkably well for someone in his position, or so he thought, and he was quite proud of the fact. Now if only he could get over the mental exertion he had to apply to simply move in this body it would be great.

"If we're lucky this whole thing will be over before too long and we can get back to normal." Cedric thought, "Seriously though, if this is someone's idea of a cool virtual reality game that they imposed on people without warning then I'm going to be annoyed when we get out. You don't do this sort of thing without asking permission first. Especially when you don't plan on giving the person a body they're used to."

After the brief rest to clear his head and settle his thoughts, Jane glanced over Jacoben's way and watched his friend interacting with the interface. It was curious to see, the subtle hand movements for some actions, the not so subtle movements for others. There was a lot of interesting interaction going on between people and their visible-only-to-them interface. For a moment Cedric fell into a sort of trance watching the Fox Tail before he finally shook his head to clear it and hopped up from the step.

"Where do you think we should start looking?" Jane asked, an over emphasis of curiosity lining her voice that only someone who had been around Cedric as long as Aidan would recognise. "We can look for an empty place near the exit to the city, somewhere near the Cathedral, or get as far away from all the interesting stuff to try and get a bit of privacy."

"I wouldn't mind getting out into the wilderness for a bit of an explore tomorrow myself but I am curious to see if anyone will revive so I'm a little torn." Cedric admit before glancing around at the many milling people all over the place and pulled an unimpressed face, "Though at the same time getting a bit of privacy would be pretty good too."

W: 459