Training Day

    It's early in the morning, the skies are gray with thick large white clouds drifting in the sky. There is a scent of rain in the air, high above the wind blows down cooling the area off.

    In this particular area a squeal can be heard as boar is struck down. Wynfei backflips away. Grinning a bit, the monkey Cait Sith bounces on the balls of his feet. Wynfei does a back bend to stretch kinks out of his back a bit. He looks around the lake area, he begins taking off his clothes, beneath his clothes he has on a pair of shorts, he turns and looks at the blue water and grins, "Man I've not swam in a while." he laughs. His tail bounces about behind him.

    Early bird gets the worm, or so they say.
    It would seem that Wynfei isn't the only person who's up and about, this morning. Wandering by might be a familiar figure, after that meeting outside the City of Beginnings, as Amalthea makes her way along at a casual pace. She had been hitting some quests in the area pretty hard, solo, and was just about to turn them in when who should she spy getting ready for a dip but Wynfei.
    Raising one arm in a lazy wave as she makes her way along the flowery path by the water, the older adventurer pauses, resting a hand on her hip, cocking her head to a playful angle.
    "Hello, Wynfei. Working hard? Or hardly working?"

    A chuckles escapes him and he looks to the sound of Amalthea's voice. "Hardley working!" he calls out to her. "Just finished some quests and now it's time to relax." he says to her. "What are you up to?" he asks. "YOu want to join me, I'm about to do some swimming and enjoy this weather before it starts raining." he says as he looks towards Amalthea.

    "I just finished a few quests, myself." Comes the older adventurer's reply as she unceremoniously drops her shield to the ground and lowers herself to seat on the grass.
    "I could use a breather." Amalthea admits, planting a hand on her knee. "You know how it is. Grinding for experience, gold, and better equipment. These old bones could use a break."

    He turns and looks to Amalthea, he watches her for a long moment as she speaks. "You don't look old at all." he says to her. "Instead of sitting there, come join me." he says as he goes into the lake. He dives beneath the water, swimming out for a moment and he swims back. He comes up, "Oh that feels good!" he says to her. "Come on Amalthea!" he gestures for her to join him.

    Now that. That earns a laugh. A hearty little chuckle builds in Amalthea's throat as she wipes at her forehead. "Flattery will get you nowhere, you know that right?" She points out mirthfully, before shaking her head. "I'm good, really." She settles on the topic of getting in the water, choosing to remain parked where she is by the lake's edge. "I'll be soaked enough when the rain comes, anyway, and that's enough for me." She points out mildly, drumming fingers on her knee.
    "What were you doing out here, anyway, killing boars, I'd venture, judging by the squeal I'd heard." She muses. "Do you ever wonder why the Landers always ask for things like 'ten boar meats' and yet not every boar we kill has an ounce of meat on them?"
    Drop percentages, man. Can never trust them.

    Moving closer, he sits down in the water, it comes up to his chest and he smiles as he listens to Amalthea. "Hey flattery is good, but you would know." he smiles at her. "Still, I was out here just training. We still need money to survive, and also I don't know." he takes a deep breath, "I feel more alive here then I have back home honestly." he states. A sad expression shows on his face as he looks down into the water.

    "As for the Landers, I don't know, but I have noticed some differences now, they ask a bit differently now." he tells her. Some ask like the game use to, but some are starting to feel like they are real which I have to admit I like it." he chuckles.

    "Mmmmm."
    Amalthea makes a noncommittal sound at first, lips pursing into a thin line. "It feels a little *too* real." She admits, nose scrunching for a beat.
    "I can't say I planned spending my retirement years going on adventures and quests every day, but here I am." Mused with a soft laugh. "It's... Different. But... Ultimately not what I want."
    She pauses to consider. "I never paid much attention to the Landers before everything went pear-shaped." She admits. "But some of them do seem... Different from what I remember, yes."

    Wynfei nods his head a little as he listens, "I don't think this is anything anyone wanted." he says to her. Hearing about her being retired, "Well I'm glad you are here, I hope I can get to know you a bit better. I've been trying to know as many people now, before I was solo playing and joining groups when I needed to." he shrugs a little bit, "I've been doing that a lot lately, just interacting with the Landers and enjoying some conversations with them. I'm treating this as my new existence because right now it is."

    With a flop, Amalthea lets herself topple back to lay sprawled out in the grass and flowers, staring up at the sky for a long, solemn, beat.
    "Our new existence, huh." She murmurs, eyes sliding closed.
    "Well, I'm sure someone will find a way back." She says after a moment's thought. "Have to keep up hope, right? And when they do, I plan to be right there with them."
    "I don't mind meeting new people. It's the conditions we're under that get to me."

    Wynfei falls back and goes underwater and he stays under for a long moment and he comes up. He hears Amalthea, "I will help those who are looking for a way out." he tells her. "I like it here, but I guess I'm an oddity." he laughs. "I understand that Amalthea." he says to her. "Add me to your friends list if you want to be friends. Hell we can team up and do these quest and grow stronger and honestly just have a support group as well."

    Crystal blue eyes watch as Wynfei goes under the water. Though Amalthea doesn't seem to worried in the least when he stays down as long as he does. Eventually, when he surfaces again, she dips her head in a nod.
    "It doesn't surprise me that some people like this." She admits. "There are all kinds of people who played this game for all kinds of reasons." But then she pauses briefly, fiddling with her UI.

    AMALTHEA HAS SENT YOU A FRIEND REQUEST!
    >Y/N?

    "Not much of a game anymore, now, is it?"

    FRIENDSHIP REQUEST ACCEPTED! AMALTHEA AND WYNFEI ARE FRIENDS!

    "Thanks." he says to Amalthea. He looks at the older woman across from him, he smiles as he looks into those blue eyes. "Yeah true. But like you said there are all kinds of people here. I just hope this don't bring out the bad side of people. But then again things like this can." he sighs a little.

    "No, not any more. That's why you build up the group of people you want to be around and help others." he says.

    Amalthea snorts mildly.
    "You are an endearing young man, do you know that?" She says. "So amenable to wanting to help people." Murmured as she folds her hands behind her head. But then her lips purse into a slight frown.
    "Anything can bring out the worst in people." She says. "Just hopefully we won't run into the bad seeds out there, but you never know." She puffs her cheeks out. "Still, you have a point. If you ever need a... What was the term? A 'Tank'? Just give me a call, yeah?"

    His eyes narrow a litttle, "I hope we don't have to deal with them, but we must be prepared. I don't tolerate bullies at all." he says. He blushes a bit when he is called endearing, "THank you, and you are very nice." he says to Amalthea. He chuckles, "Cool, I will call you and I may just invite you to lunch or something just to hang out." he laughs. "You're correct, we always need Tanks."

    "HAH!" Oh now that seems to amuse the older adventurer. "Bullies." She snorts. "Can't stand 'em myself." She says.
    "When my daughter was just a little one on the playground and some other kids picked fun at her, I threatened to beat them myself." She pauses. "When their parents took offense, I threatened to spank them, *too*."
    She shakes her head of what is clearly an amusing memory for her as she sits back up and pats her knee lazily. "Yeah. Yeah, give me a call whenever."

    Wynfei walks out of the water and he walks over and lays down in the grass, this area is pretty safe, and closes his eyes as he listens to Amalthea, "I can see you doing that too." he laughs. "I will, but first I need a nap." he yawns. The Monkey like Cait Sith starts to drift, "Oh, if you need me or anything, let me know." he tells her.

    This may be a moderately safe area, but moderately safe doesn't mean ENTIRELY safe.
    "I've got some time to kill before I need to head back. Go ahead and nap, I'll make sure nothing nasty comes to get you while you're out." She says with a light chuckle, content to just enjoy the breeze for a bit and keep an eye out while Wynfei sleeps.