Port City Cat

The sound of seagulls overhead is notable, along with the ebb and flow of the sea. It's a bit rough during this time of year, but the hustle and bustle of people being offloaded from Ezzo is interesting to watch. Standing there, with his cart attached to one of the banisters overlooking the lower sections of the harbor, a Cait Sith views everything going on. The way the sailors prepare for their next journey. The food being offloaded.

It is true. The Landers are doing a lot to help the Adventurers. The food being sent by the Ninetails Dominion. The ships being sent by the Fourland Dukedom, the extra soldiers on board each ship from the Holy Empire Westelande, and the teams from the Eastal Free League figuring out the safest routes.

It's something to behold.

His tail lazily moves, while remaining up. His hand under his chin, resting there like a regal looking, if not a bit lazy, cat.

There doesn't seem to be a break from the ever-present cold this time of year. In some ways, it makes things feel that much more realistic within Yamato, echoing the chill of winter in Tokyo. The difference being, that in the real world, the cold would bother Mikage far more than it does here. Here, with a healthy body and the resistances that come from her Were Fang blood, the cold doesn't go all the way bone deep as it would have in that other life.

Still, the pale Were Fang girl is wearing her usual thick jacket, the fur-lined hood pulled up over her features, covering her tattoo in the process. Winter seems a good time for that, the Landers are less likely to be suspect of someone covering their neck. Her footsteps blend in with those of dock workers and travelers, creating a form of stealth.

It makes it quiet enough that he might not notice her at all until she comes to stand beside him, leaning lightly over the railing. "Planning where your next adventure will take you?" Her voice is soft as she speaks, as if she were taking care with her words. "Seems that ships are coming and going every day."

There's a jerk in Cyrus' shoulders that shows his surprise. Yet, like a cat, he pretends like he's all cool and that everything happens for a reason. But she knows. No doubt his heart is beating fast at her suddenly speaking up. No doubt that hand at his chest is checking for his rhythm. "Hrrm. Aye. Where, and on what ship." He answers Mikage, turning around slowly with a slight flush on his face that quickly fades away.

The Cait Sith always seems to be dressed warmly. The longcoat and the fur on his coat helps him as well. Luckily, he's a Cait Sith, so he doesn't even need to consider hiding or not hiding features on his neck. It's obvious what he is.

He turns fully and leans his elbows onto the railing, and lazily looks aside towards her. "I was thinking of grabbing a boat to the Ninetails Dominion first. There's constantly food being moved here, and those boats return to their docks. Looking to join?"

If Mikage notices his small signs of surprise, she draws no attention to it. Others might try to take advantage of such a thing, but Miki seems to preoccupied in her own mind to consider that. "The New World Alliance is looking to make connections in the Ninetails Dominion." She murmurs, as if it were easier to say that than address the question directly. "I'm... not any good with that sort of thing, though." Mikage shifts her weight.

"I'm not good with people in general." Her eyes remain out to sea as she speaks, perhaps because it's easier than actually looking at him. It's possible that the girl is trying to explain some of her reaction to his invitation earlier. "People aren't always kind. So I've learned to be a little suspect of people. Slow to let people in. Slow to trust people." Leaning forward, Miki sighs softly to herself, her breath hanging in the air.

"I'm sorry about the other day." This seems to be what she wants to say. "It wasn't nice of me, nor kind." She then looks at him, and there is regret there in her features. "You don't know me, but you're right. I'm dependable in a party. Protective of my allies."

It's still not really an answer. Instead, she just adds, looking away again, "I talked to Sassaral. Seems you haven't directly asked her yet, either, have you?"

"Yeah, I'm not really the political kind of guy myself." Cyrus answers Mikage when she remarks on not being good at that kind of thing. "Though I suppose I used to be pretty good at making friends back in highschool." He adds to that, raising a hand and rubbing into that mess that is his hair.

"People are jerks sometimes." He admits. "Big jerks - not something I'm a big fan of." He adds, before quieting down. Something in his face showing that he knows what that is like. Though not in the way she's used to it.

He turns his head towards her as she apologizes, and anwers by straightening up and bowing to her. "I should be apologizing. I suddenly landed that all on you." He straightens up again.

"Ah, Sassy? No, I haven't found the time to do so I'm afraid."

"I'd probably just make a fool of myself if I tried." Mikage admits, her lip quirking with a shy sort of self-deprecation. "There's a reason I chose a class that doesn't require a lot of social interaction with the Landers." Raising her hand, Miki rubs at the back of her neck, then lets her hand fall back down onto the railing.

"You know... I probably didn't get bullied half as much as I should have in the real world." She admits, as if she were just thinking about it now. "I had a few friends who warded off the worst of it. Once I had friends, that is." It's the first time she's talked about her life with him. "When I graduated, most of them moved on to University. So, I lost touch."

The girl flexes her fingers, "I forget sometimes that people see ... me. This body. This avatar. They don't see what's behind it. So I keep expecting the reactions I got in the real world."

When he begins to apologize, Miki shakes her head. "How about we both just accept that we blew it big time and start over, okay?" She doesn't look at him as she says this. "I talked to Sassaral, and... we're willing to go with you. But I want to make sure we have pekos or horses or something." The girl explains, "I have friends here and if I'm needed, I want to be able to get back."

"I didn't really spec to hang with the Landers myself either." Cyrus admits, "I kind of... changed up my tactics a while back." He adds to that, motioning his hand outwards, before he leans back up against the railing and lifts his head upto stair at the clouds in the air.

"I hate bullies." Cyrus grumps, "Couldn't stand them when I was young, can't stand them now." He lifts a hand almost instinctively, balling it into a fist. "Especially those who bully people who can't as easily stand up for themselves. They're the worst." By his expression and tone of voice, it's very clear the youth is being earnest. Perhaps a bit /too/ earnest. The Japanese don't normally make statements like that so boldly. It's a rather youthful statement.

He looks back to her. "Glad you at least got some people who wanted to look out for you. Sucks that you lost track of them though." Cyrus remarks. "I'm not sure what it must be like, to be in your position. But it feels... weird to be this now. Cyrus." He motions his hands out, almost as if he were showing off clothing. "But I'm starting to get used to it."

At her remark on blowing it, he laughs. "Sure, let's agree on that." He then adds, before noting; "Oh wow, you talked to Sassaral? Thank you. I appreciate that." His right hand goes to his hair again as he awkwardly thanks her. "I remember there's a large amount of Pekos out in the Ninetails Dominion. I'm quite sure we can buy some over there."

Mikage is quiet for a while, making sure she thinks over the words that come out of her mouth. The girl tended to do that when in a more social situations, as if she were uncertain of her own instincts. "I'm not looking for anyone to protect me, here. Here, I can take care of myself." It harkens back to that comment he had made about her before. The fact that she didn't want to have to depend on other people. Yet, she is very clear with that word: Here.

"But I also don't really want to be alone." Miki lifts one foot, tapping it on the ground. "I... don't know if we can be friends or not." She looks over at him, some uncertainty there. "But I'm willing to give it a try."

She nods once, "She's sweet, that girl. Though I think we're all a little broken." It isn't her place to share anyone else's story, so she just shakes her head, "I needed to give her some of the meat I caught, so she could start trying to make some proper food."

The fact that they'll have easy access to mounts seems to set her mind slightly at ease. "Okay." There is still some uncertainty there, and then quiet, as if she weren't sure what else to say.

"Being alone sucks." Cyrus notes and glances back to her after giving the skies another long look. "And I personally could use someone to protect me. I'm a healer. I can not do that much on my own - unless I want to spend an entire battle healing myself." He admits to her. "I'm no weakling, but my limitations as a support can be pretty rough." He comments.

"And whether or not we can be friends - only one way to find out." He remarks broadly.

As the topic switches to Sassaral, he nods his head. "She is a darling." There is a small raise of his brow at the comment on being a bit broken, so he just nods his head. He's not sure what that is about after all. "How was the food? She seems like she'd cooked it on the spot and shared it." He offers to Mikage.

There is a soft laugh from Mikage, with only a hint of humor in it, "I'm not exactly a tank." The fact that she favors leather armor and athleticism over heavy armor and shields shows that much. "But I'll try my best." Her eyes settle on him then, "It'll be up to you to make sure I don't fall in battle." She turns her back to the railing, leaning herself back against it. "So I'm going to be depending on you."

There is a lot of trust in that. In this world, the price of death is still an unknown. Though it seems to have little real effect on people, Miki would rather avoid having to live that experience, especially after what Reika had said.

"I don't know yet. She said she'd make up some jerkey for us to take on the road, though." Miki scoots her butt up onto the railing, balancing there with her legs dangling in front of her, braced by her hands. "I'll probably have to do some more hunting before we go, so I have some food for Rama. He mostly eats the raw animal drops." Miki explains. "And I'll need a day or two to let people know I'll be heading out."

"Aye. And I'm not a specialized healer." He admits. "But we clearly are both making due with the more hybrid approach on things." She might remember the strange alchemical potions he used on their last Hunter Quest. "I'm in your care." He then adds, after bowing to her once again.

He then sits up on the railing himself, following suit with her, and motions his feet, his tail lazily swaying left to right in very small motions. "Jerkey huh? I don't think I've ever had jerky." He remarks. "As for our departure day - I am in no rush. Just let me know when you are ready."

"What a party we will be." Mikage laughs, seeming amused by the whole thing. "A few months ago, I would have looked at our group makeup and thought... what a hopeless set of newbies. They'll never clear content." Some of the unease seems to have lifted from her, and her expression shifts into a soft smile. "Times have changed. The world has changed."

When he joins her, sitting on the railing, Miki looks over at him, eyes shifting to watch the idle movement of his tail. "Me neither, but it has to be better than eating raw meat." Her hand moves around her belly, "Even with a Were Fang's resistances, it still does a number on my stomach." Obviously she had been surviving by doing so, since it was one of the few things with any sort of flavor.

"Oh I'm sure the typical min-maxers are sitting there disapprovingly staring at our entire setup. A newbie, and two longer time players. A non-specialized healer, and hybrid front liner, and another support." Cyrus laughs. "But that many healers means we're more likely to be able to get away." He admits to her, smiling with her. "Hmm. I agree. The world surely has changed."

He glances away for a moment. "Yeah, I've been avoiding the raw meat myself. But I am pretty sure that I should be eating more than bad porridge and berries. I can't wait to taste real food. Heck, I will settle for a Cup Ramen at this point. Or a nice Combo A from the combini. Or..." He's drooling a bit, imagining the taste of food.

"Somewhere, someone is monitoring the game, looking at our group and going... seriously what the fuck?" Mikage muses, laughing in return. "If anyone is out there at all." The truth is, she simply doesn't know. None of them do. For now, she doesn't let that sort of thinking drag her down. "The only thing that would make it worse is if we all have different respawn points." That is when she realizes that she has never asked either of them about that.

"Uh... I'm allied to Eastal. You?" Cyrus would soon discover that Miki is right. They /are/ all alligned to different kingdoms, meaning of any of them were to fall in battle, the rest of the group would have to trek halfway across Yamato to reunite.

"You know what... let's just set our meet up place here. Harbor in Carmina Gadelica. That way if any of us die, we all head to the same place." Not that she had any intention of dying anytime soon, but it is an MMORPG. It is bound to happen sooner or later.

"You know... you're drooling a little bit. Right there." She points, but it seems as if this is a bit of a game, as if he goes to check, she'll just lightly tap on his nose. "I'm sure Sassaral will manage. Between the two of us, we should have both scavenging plants and animals covered, so we should have a decent diet."

"Fourland Dukedom - hrrm. Yeah, having a central meeting place here in Gadelica Marina would be pretty good." He admits to her. "But it would be nice if we don't let that happen. I'm more of the 'turn and run' type right now, if we get in over our heads. Back before the Apocalypse, I probably would have stayed, just to learn any extra information about an area or the enemies. But not anymore. Ten minutes wasn't too bad."

The youth is about to say something else, when Mikage points out he is drooling. He looks confused and raises his hand towards his lips to touch them, only for her to tap him on his nose - his eyes going, well, cross-eyed for a moment. He jerks back bemusedly, and releases some of his tension with laughter.

"Yeah, I can find herbs and the like and retrieve them pretty well." He admits while glancing at his cart, containing a bunch of ground up herbs, before looking back to her.

"Ten minutes felt like an eternity back then." Mikage admits, shaking her head, "But at least then, you had a waiting screen and a countdown timer until respawn." The whole experience that Reika described is entirely different. "I can't even imagine just... not consciously existing for an entire day. Reika said it felt like sleep, but different." A shiver runs through her, "I wonder if that's what death feels like. Except it's a slow death, a little at a time."

It is, perhaps, a morbid thought, but no one really knows what is happening to their real bodies. Even though they'd already agreed to meet back here, the idea of waking up from something like that to find yourself alone... seems almost sad. "Nevermind. I'm being stupid." She smirks, shaking her head. "There are far more pleasant things to talk about."

"You definitely need a peko." Miki states. "Then I won't feel as bad about hitching a ride on your cart." She glances at him, trying to lighten the mood. "Not that I won't do it anyways, but... you know."

"Yeah, when I died, I always used that time to take off the helmet and just relax for a few moments. Have a drink, check the time, that kind of thing." He remarks to Mikage as she mentions the waiting screen and countdown timer. "It usually also allowed me to pay some attention to my kitty." He adds to that, before wryly looking at Mikage. "Honestly, I'm just glad it isn't instant death. Can you imagine what it might have been like, if dying in this world meant just... permanently dying?"

He shudders at that thought. "It's not stupid. I get it. It honestly scared the living daylights out of me when we went questing and those Gnolls started hitting that hard." He admits. "It's good to talk about that kind of stuff, and get it off of your chest. Otherwise you end up bottling it all inside." He remarks warmly.

The youth then laughs once again at the Peko comment. "Aye, I really could use a Peko at this point. Though I dou~ - hah, there it is." He grins at her. "It's the principle of the thing huh?

"You're lucky." Miki murmurs, a hint of a smile on her features. "I always asked my dad if we could get a cat, but..." She hesitates, as if unsure how much she should actually explain, "... well, it never happened. I guess that's why I have Rama, now." And she has a real affection for the lynx, even if he is only a series of pixels. "I hope you have someone at home taking care of them while you're gone."

The thought of how close she had come to dying while fighting Haggar has her lightly wrapping an arm around her belly. That memory is all to clear to her. "I imagine more people would be sticking to the towns if that were the case. I don't know if I would be quite so brave." She admits. Then, her hands come back down to either sode of her, lightly supporting her, "I might not be sure about wanting to go home or not, but I don't want to die. Not for a long time."

When he grins at her, the smile she returns is gentle, but still a little uncertain. "What can I say? I figure it's a good test to see just how annoyed you'll get with me before you actually get angry." She lifts her brows, "So far, it seems like I can be pretty annoying. You haven't gotten mad at me yet. Even when I was an asshole."

"I think that my mom or dad would have checked up on me, if I am stuck there, and will be taking care of Miki." He explains to Mikage, while hooking his legs into the lower slats of the wooden railing, and leaning back fully. He's so much more nimble and capable of bending in this form, he's noticed. Languid like a cat, and stretching out his arms until his chest is almost horizontal with the ground.

"Honestly, if that was the case, I don't think we'd ever reach floor one-hundred. Even with this many people, I think the fear would just grip us all, and we'd stay in the towns and make a life for ourselves in a different way. Maybe our offspring would one day conquer the tower..." Pause. "Can we even have offspring in this world?" He doesn't know.

"Yeah, no dying - not for either of us." He agrees, before letting out another bit of laughter. "I am not so easily annoyed, I admit. I used to get angry far more easily. But... I've turned things around since pretty heavily." He suggests. "Now, I clearly am more interested in struggling with balls of lettuce." And he motions his hands about in a flailing and amused manner.

That is when Mikage starts to laugh. It's an actual, full laugh that seems to seems to bubble out of her with actual real amusement. In that instant, the tension between them vanishes and she is just a girl, siting on a railing over the sea, a bright smile showing. "Your cat... is named Miki?" He might not get it at first, but after a few more soft laughs, she shakes her head in amusement, looking over at him. "Miki is what my dad calls me, and my old friends at school."

The amusement only continues when he starts to wonder about if it is possible to have kids within the game. "Well, the Landers certainly do. Though I think it's a bit early in our relationship to be asking about things like that. Not that I'm not flattered." She teases, her nose twitching once as she wraps her arms around her stomach, trying to ward off another fit of laughter.

It's still in this state that she peers at him, "Do I even want to /know/ why you're having trouble with lettuce? Please tell me it isn't a funny story." She is actually trembling a little, trying to hold in her amusement, one hand going over her mouth.

"Yep! Why's that so funny?" Cyrus asks her, giving her one of those half-bemused, half-confused looks. One that clears up into a proper bright smile when she explains that's what she used to get called. "Hah. I don't know. I mean, I have no idea what kind of Were-Fang you are, but I am going to assume you're not secretly a white cat Were Fang with a little gray streak on the left ear and blue eyes. Because otherwise, I'm just going to assume I actually died at the console and this is how I got resurrected into a new world." He answers Mikage.

The youth then quickly gets up and motions his arms about. "Wait -waitwait. No no no, I meant... as a whole. Adventurers!" His face growing red super fast. "Not like that!" Clearly quick to apologize for that little error on his part. Of course, she's just teasing him. But him being the good ol' well taught Japanese youth, he must apologize!

"Huh? Oh - it's this thing about Snow Leopards. Saw one at the Tokyo Zoo. Big metal bucket, gets in, tries to get this huge head of lettuce into its bucket." He mimes the motions.

There is still amusement written there in her features, even as he tries to come to grips with the odd connection that the two seem to share. "Afraid not." She looks around, making sure no Landers are close enough, and then pulls her hood down, using her fingers to brush her hair away from her neck. The mark looks like nothing cat-like at all. In fact, it would be hard to tell just what it is supposed to represent, but whatevever it is, it has wings which wrap around to the sides of her neck. "I'm afraid that this isn't that time you were reincarnated as a snow leopard." Her lips draw into a smirk.

"But... my friends do call me Miki." She confirms, "Short for Mikage. I am one of /those/ players, apparently." Miki rolls her eyes, obviously not offended by those who comment on people using their real life names.

There is still that hint of laughter in her voice, "Well, if you're so keen to find out, you can always find someone and experiment." The teasing continues. She taps herself on the nose. "Not it."

She doesn't quite get the thing about the Snow Leopard and lettuce, but she lifts her shoulders in a shrug. "I've always heard snow leopards have a problem with trying to chew on their own tail."

"Darn. And here I was hoping for a rediculously long Light Novel title I could create for myself. Though honestly, with the situation being what it is, I might as well do that anyhow." He answers her while leaning in closer and looking at the mark she's showing off. "Something winged?" He asks her, before leaning back again.

"Ah, well... nice to meet you Miki. Since you are introducing with your real name -- my name's Okada Takeshi." Last, then First. "My parents wanted me to be strong and tough. I guess I was in a few sports clubs back in the day. So that much worked out." He notes, "But Cyrus Frost is what I've got now." He adds, as he points up slightly, rightly where his Inspect window would show up.

"Honestly... not that keen on just finding someone to have a child with. Sorry but - call me old fashioned. I rather have someone I can dedicate my life with first. Maybe some proper time spent with them, to make sure they won't ditch me for the next fancy Snow Leopard Cait Sith that comes around."

He youth then rolls his shoulders a bit, stiffling a yawn behind his hand, and glances aside... and uses a hand to lift his tail and goes; "Nomf." Playfully.

"I believe they do so when stressed? I don't remember."

"Can you imagine the stories we'd be able to write when we get out? 'My Time Trapped in Elder Tale'" Miki air-quotes, the motion allowing her hair to drop back over the tattoo. "Tell you what, I'll give you a present if you figure out what I am before you actually see me transform." She gives him that challenge.

At the proper introduction, she inclines her head. "Which would you rather I call you?" She asks, head tilted quizically. "Cyrus, or Takeshi?" It seems that she's willing to accept and respect either name for him.

"Aww. That's cute." Miki pulls a leg up towards her knee, wrapping her arm around the other. "Even if I did find someone to share my life with, kids is pretty much off the table." She admits, resting her head across her arm. "So, not exactly something I'd want to experience here, either."

His gesture of nomming on his own tail has her laughing again, that soft smile lingering on her features. "You know... you might be okay. Maybe."

"I think those books would glut the market with everyone writing their own. I bet the only way those would sell, is if you could expose people for specific kinds of behavior. What's worse, putting your name out there would be pretty bad. I bet that, if this lasts a long time, people will start making decisions that will endanger others. And people on the outside won't understand why those choices were made - not having lived this." Cyrus remarks.

He then leans back and gives her a bit of a look. "Really? I gotta figure out what you are? I don't think I'm that good with that kind of stuff." He remarks, not realizing he already has a hint on this - what with him having watched the Angelic Layer tournament. "Just Cyrus works for now." He then adds, changing the topic.

He then gives her a look at her stating that him nomfing his tail is cute. He releases it and bleps his tongue out. "Phhhlew. Fur." He grunts. "Sometimes I think this new expansion is too real. Phleh." He grabs a small piece of cloth and cleans his tongue off. "Got it - no kids." He notes, motioning his hand.

"Maybe." The laughter seems to die on her lips in that instant, the thought about the long-term effects of this strange world and their experiences. "Right now, we don't know how many of us will live to make it out of here." It is a scary thought. Even if they could re-spawn in game, what would the various countries of the world do with a population of millions upon millions who were no longer contributing members of society? Would they eventually give up on those trapped inside ETO? "I don't want to think about it." She pushes that thought away.

She offers no hints to him in regards to her Were Fang identity. There are relatively few obvious connections between this girl and the person that exists in the real world. Oh, he knew she worked for Piffle Princess, but it is quite a leap from there to the identity of the dark-haired girl known only as the 'White Storm', Deus of Rei. "Consider it a challenge."

There is only a small smile that returns as he tries to get leopard hair out of his mouth. "I should probably get going. I should at least tell a few people I'm leaving. That way I don't end up on one of those missing adventurer boards."

"Yeah, me neither. It's why I rather be called Cyrus. Maybe it's a bit escapist, but it's better to just immerse myself into the world I am stuck in for the time being. If we get out - great. But I don't want to risk corrupting my own sense of justice and humanity by chasing the top of that tower too quickly." He remarks to her, realizing that the topic has grown a lot darker.

"Heh. I mean, I will take you up on that challenge. But I suppose it's going to take a while. Right now, I don't have much in the way of hints." He explains to her.

He then nods to her. "Alright. We'll meet here again when it's time to head out?" He asks her. "At this fence here." He then remarks, and uses one of his claws to scratch a 'C', an 'M', and an 'S' into it in a very way.

"I just believe there's more to this world than just the tower." Mikage explains. "Our disembodied friend in the sky said something about Twilight. Like it was something else entirely, separate from having to scale the tower." This is, of course, just her interpretation. The words had gotten garbled and there were many ways of looking at the situation. "There is an entire world to explore. They wouldn't have just made the only content stuck here in the Isle of Beginnings."

Mikage's brows draw together slightly. "I believe there /has/ to be more."

The girl hops down from the fence, watching as he carves their initials there. "Make sure you talk to Sassaral. I'm sure she'll come, but you should still ask officially first." Miki slips her hands into the pocket of her coat, pulling her hood again against the chill. "I'll see about picking up some supplies. At least the basics."

"It's on my docket." He promises. "Talk to Sasseral, get more supplies, get across the ocean, have fun in the completely peaceful Ninetails Dominion." Cyrus pulls himself off of the fence and gets down on the gorund again. "Alright. I'll see if I can't find her." Pulling his own hood up. "See you soon."