Atlantis

[Bloodedge]

Miki had an interesting tale regarding her return to the starting dungeon. He never delved very deep into Druid lore, at least not as of his last time in their original world. Knowing now how one could reach the Druid homelands, he found it to be a more... effective method of return than what he had to deal with. "Sou ka. Sounds like there are ports all over the place, if you know what you're looking for. I'm guessing there's a brief issue with going back during corruption events though?" he asked. He at least knew that things typically marked 'sacred' could become inaccessible during certain occurrences, all due to self-preservation against corruption and the like.

"I was level 50 too. I'm still pretty bummed about that, looking at how many other people seem to be keeping whatever level they had. Some of them... I don't imagine kept much of themselves, though. Either way, I'm still wondering about the whole Alter Ego Special Class. I haven't seen a single benefit yet," he explained. Moving on beyond matters concerning the scientists of their 'group' as it were, there were thoughts concerning the meeting of the two at present. "I figured you'd been lurking for awhile when you showed up at that farm. Either way, I'm pretty glad we met too. I can't imagine how life would be if I'd gone about taking this journey alone. I still can't believe I thought you were an NPC at first; you should have been easy to recognize." Kou spoke a few more words than he meant to, but he didn't even realize he'd done so. As such, he continued speaking as if nothing was amiss. "It's been fun regardless. I'm sure there's only up from here, in spite of whatever struggles are ahead."

[Apollymi]

Miki continued enjoying her meal. Nodding her agreement while her mouth was full, only to make a few clarifications when she finished her most recent bite of food. "The ports themselves are pretty easy to find. And corruption events are a problem for those of other circles, but for me they are just quick experience farms. Since I chose Gatekeeper as the Circle I follow, I am able to cleanse the spots when I get to them," she said having put a more than reasonable bit of thought into her build, to counter all potential stops to her own progress and make it so that she was virtually always able to do whatever she wanted. "I'd actually just cleared one and was on my way back to the Migrating Vale when I ended up in Eonis," she said remembering the moment and finding it strange, but it was still one of the best extra occurrences of her life.

She'd pause to continue eating, hearing out the lad's thoughts on his apparent level. Beyond that he claimed not to necessarily see the positive of the Alter Ego Special Class all of the players seemed to have. Especially seeing that they'd both had their levels reset but everyone else had managed to keep theirs. Miki thought about it for a few seconds and she agreed with one notion and disagreed with another. "We've run into several people who are probably players who are fine with just being in the world as they were carrying on. The best benefit I've seen of it so far though is that if an Avatar dies, the person behind it doesn't seem to. I mean... my other Avatar killed Sharrkan and a while after Rook popped out then he made or rather became Karna," she said remembering their time in the Marshlands. There was likely more to it than that, but she'd noticed at least a cursory difference in her own personality and those of of people like Seriri from their base selves to their current selves. Whatever the case, it seemed that Kou had at least had the thought that she'd been lurking around for a while before she found him at the farm. A chuckle escaped her as this was mentioned. A giggle escaped the blonde as it was mentioned that he should have recognized her and beyond that, his disbelief that he'd thought her an NPC. Beyond that though was the mention that he'd been happy to have met her, and that he couldn't imagine what his journey would have been like without her. The girl was stunned beyond belief, "Sou ka," there was still so much happiness in her eyes and a strange lightness in her heart. "In fairness to you, I also thought I sounded like an NPC... and I don't think I would have taken this much of a journey alone at all..." she said. This lad had become quite important to her, and though at various points they could have split in journey, she really enjoyed his company and would prefer to keep traveling with him. What more could she say? She wasn't entirely sure but she found herself starting at the lad, she truly couldn't take her eyes off him.

[Bloodedge]

"Sou ka. Make use of the conventional aspects of a build, dominate PvE, move on to an endgame that's more of a fun experience than otherwise. Interesting," he claimed. Taking pause, Kou tore into a lump of fried dough to progress the final stage of his meal. It was during this time that Miki voiced her thoughts on the Alter Ego Class, and once more, there was a difference of opinion to be had. "Well sure, that's a feature, but that doesn't seem any different than a Hardcore playthrough. When you enter Hardcore mode, if you die in PvE, you lose your character. Die in PvP, and the player who beat you has an opportunity to lay claim to your Avatar, or just its Mystic Codes the same way beating PvE bosses works. Rook said something about being a hacker as well, so he probably used some sort of loophole to keep his character data. I remember him talking about Rebirthing Sharkkan at some point."

Indeed, Miki did sound something like an NPC when they first met. In retrospect, he likely did s well. There were many features in Age of Eternity that could be considered very self-aware, including chance encounters of potential companions and romance options. A long list existed on game-related forums, containing such NPCs that had been seen by as few as one player throughout the game's lifespan, and many of the encounters couldn't even be repeated during mirrored playthroughs. "Damn game's too immersive. Let's just blame that. Still, I have to wonder. There's no convincing me that this isn't real life for us now, but... are we in a world inside the game? Or, is the game we were playing taken from this world? I dunno; I had some weird dreams when I was unconscious," he said. Before he could delve any deeper into the topic, his gaze locked with Miki's. It was a simple moment, yet just a bit awkward, considering he had a cheek full of dough at the time. Could that have been the reason behind her staring? No, probably not. Considering the events of the previous week, there was an easy conclusion to be made, and it was an eye-widening revelation. 'Shit, hang on! Am I... on a date!?' he wondered, somehow in shock. Naturally, he could only assume one thing. "... My face is covered in sugar, isn't it?"

In the meantime, there was an entry to the palace. A tall male with tanned skin, slick brown hair, and white and blue robes of what seemed to be some Holy Order, took long - yet casual - strides into the throne room. At his left hip, he bore an ornate quiver long enough to reach his ankle. On his back, he sported a bow of incredible length as well, seeming to rival or exceed his own height of about 6'3". Who was this man, and what was his purpose? Time would soon tell.

[Apollymi]

"Yeah, that was the general idea. Plus I can't agree with following the masses to build a Druid Shapeshifter. That's a waste of magic potential," she commented. She'd moved on to dessert as well, also having at an order of fried dough covered in things she liked. It seemed they disagreed about out the potential outcomes of the Alter Ego Special Class. Even so, it seemed to be a fairly normal conversation, that was rather refreshing. In her former life, when expressing opinions alternative to the norm, Miki often encountered the type of people who became fully defensive, arguing her down about a point which she simply couldn't agree with. While she shouldn't have really been surprised by this, because Kou as a person had always shown himself to be generally accepting of those differences in opinion, it was still really nice to be heard without it devolving into a fight the way online communities usually went. "Sure, in Hardcore, but this doesn't necessarily seem like Hardcore except that we are really here. Mostly when thinking about the ability to switch characters and the like. I wonder if that will make much of a difference later or maybe being more of your original self comes with different intangibles..." she thought with a simple shrug. Whatever the case, it could at least be agreed that Karna or rather Rook was some kind of outlier. "Yeah, he's definitely a bit strange, but his self seems way softer than his characters come out. I wonder if that is one of those intangible things," she mentioned before moving on.

When he mentioned not being sure how this world worked. If it was the game, or a world which the game was based on she could only nod her own confusion at that same idea. "I've been toying with the idea in both directions. I think the latter makes the most sense, but they also have to be somewhat connected. Youko was looking for this Avatar and isn't connected to it anymore. I really don't get it. I also had some weird dreams while I was out... I don't really understand it," she mentioned. All the while she was still staring at the lad, and then they were making eye contact. This was nice but she had a rather stunning thought of her own. 'Shit, did I not mention this was a date. Should I have clarified?' she thought looking surprised. When asked if he had something on his face, she leaned forward and aimed to swipe just a little powered sugar off his face by pressing her lips against his left cheek. "Just a little. This is a nice first date... and I like sweets. So, you don't have to worry about it," she mentioned with that same happiness on her face.

In the meantime, a strange man made his way into the Throne Room and he would find atop the throne, the Queen of Atlantis. A lass with a large crown sitting with her ankles crossed. She leaned forward as this new man entered her left brow raising slightly. "A strange face. How interesting..." she mentioned waiting for the man to make his reason for entering known. "I can't welcome you without knowing why you're here. Please do state your business here," she mentioned. It was cordial enough as she took in the look of this tall young man and wondered what reason he could have for showing up here.

[Bloodedge]

"I wouldn't discredit it completely. I think the Shapeshifter would make a really good Berserker. Probably a decent Assassin, too, depending on the forms chosen..." A moment of rambling ensued before Kou realized he should probably silence himself early. "Uh... gomen. Got caught up thinking about builds," he said. Moving on from that aborted tangent, he was content to address the ideas regarding this world and its functions. "You think so?" he asked with a moment of additional thought given which path Miki leaned toward. "It definitely makes sense. Maybe the two things even influence each other in a mutual way, but... I guess we'll find out for sure, if we ever need to. Oh, and about that Hardcore thing- we can't forget other players like our Blacksmith in Eonis, the Merchant, and a few others who had some weird traits. I doubt any of those people are anything like what we've seen on the other side of a monitor, so I'm wondering if Alter Ego is a special condition that lets people like us stay more like our normal selves. But... that doesn't make sense. The name doesn't match, and... I dunno, but there's something missing."

Maybe it was best to not think too long on that, he thought. More importantly, there were other things worth thinking about, like the sudden approach of Miki's face. Already in a state of surprise, he couldn't show an ounce more. Even so, he was still taken aback by the sudden press of lips against his cheek, as well as the accompanying clause. 'It is a date! What the hell; I didn't prepare for this sort of thing! What do I even do!?' he questioned within his mind. "A... date? I'm not really sure what to do on a date, if I'm being honest. Never been the... dating type..."

Within the throne room, the dark-skinned male faced Queen Seriri herself. When she reacted to his presence, he seemed more confused than anything else. It seemed almost as if he didn't feel he deserved being met with these reservations. "Welcome? I don't understand," the young man claimed, though he seemed keen on moving on with his intentions regardless. From beneath his robe, his right hand emerged with an upturned palm. Within said palm, the male held a golden glow the likes of which could be seen via the Nexus' influence. It was, in fact, a raw Mystic Code for the same rare Holy Magic radiating from the man himself. He would explain as he held this Mystic Code out in an offer to Seriri. "Whatever the case, I think you'll have use of this in the future. Your kingdom is almost sitting on a Leyline, you know?"

[Apollymi]

Miki thought about it for a second or two and she could see a Shapeshifter or two as a build working out. Before she could continue that line of thought and hear out what she thought was about to be a random but good extra conversation about build potential, the lad cut himself off. Claiming to have just be a little distracted by the idea of the builds. "Iie, no need for that... I enjoy hearing your thoughts about such things, there aren't very many people who'll talk that kind of stuff out and not feel very protective on their own opinions," she said with bright eyes. She was being honest in this case, "Hm, maybe but only if the base was another type of humanoid. Actually a baptized human/youkai halfling would probably be pretty OP," she added her own ideas about this and was then content to move on. He mentioned the idea of all of the extra people they'd come across since they'd been in the world. "There are some pretty interesting shifts in those people. But I know what Tsu-chan is like and I know how much of herself she is compared to before. I am pretty sure it could be easy to figure out with a few more points of known interest," she said not that this was something she tended to pursue right just now, she'd probably have considered it a math problem or a staff problem. Though she had to admit it was pretty interesting that this turned out so different from their characters. "Unless, it has something to do with the way people are in general leading to whether they are too much themselves or not enough," she said and that was that. Afterwards she was more than content to shift this conversation and it seemed that Kou was as well.

After her lips met the side of his face the lad seemed shocked. Actually, that was wrong, the amount of shock he experienced didn't seem at all to fluctuate. He claimed that he didn't know what to do on this date. Going on to say that he'd never been one for this sort of activity before and thus was a bit unversed on the activities to take place here. A smile broke out across Miki's face and then she laughed from a genuine place, "Hahahaha... well that's a relief. I thought it was just me," she said. "Well if Rom-Coms are any indication, I am fairly certain we are doing just fine. Dinner, conversation just hanging out is fun to me. I didn't get to do this before, so I was worried about how to approach it. I don't normally have very good luck with talking to other people," she explained of herself, being a bit more honest than normal even. "Still, I think this has been one of the best days I've had."

While, Kou and Miki figured out each other on their 'date' Seriri was confronted by what she assumed to be a stranger. And this stranger came with... a gift. In particular he pulled from within his robe a Mystic Code which he held plainly in his hand. His words were fine, but she couldn't help but listen to his words a bit. "Well, Kimi did say the Leyline might be a problem while she was restoring the Runestone Circ..." there was a pause in Seriri's voice. Where had this man come from and why was he giving her this kind of advice? Seriri was astounded, she'd never before been confronted by such a thing, she slid up in her seat seemingly unable to keep her calm in such a moment. "Wait! What? Where did you even get a Mystic Code and why give it to me? I don't even know you," she claimed. Everything about this was strange, but if there was one lesson she'd learned since being in this place, it was to question any and everything she didn't understand, and to make sure she was clear on the terms and conditions on anything given to her. But wait, hadn't she had a similar conversation to this one before? Perhaps, there was an easy way to figure this out. She looked at the lad before her and checked his username in her Nexus vision.

[Bloodedge]

Having shifted beyond discussions about builds and Classes in relation to the world they now lived in, the topic at hand was of the nature of this... date, as they had indirectly agreed to call it. He was in luck, it seemed, in not being the only one inexperienced with dating and the like. According to Miki, what they were up to presently, could be considered as much of a date as any other. Well, at least they were in the same boat in consideration to how well things were going. "I guess... if you put it that way, I can't argue. I'm not sure where all the greatness is coming from, but I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I'm enjoying it too." True enough, if he thought about it properly, there was never a dull moment around the blonde. Calmer, more relaxed moments such as this were a rarity in their own right, which did make this particular instance something special indeed. It was a shame he couldn't afford to let himself extend the moment for too long. One thing he had to keep in mind was the necessity of repairing his Mana structure.

Naturally, the Queen of Atlantis was at least aware of the potential problems in her kingdom's future. The knowledge of there being a danger was a key component, but this man was here to ensure that an even more important was delivered into the hands of the matriarch. Alas, she continued to showcase her skepticism of him. He remained confused, but... ah yes, she wouldn't recognize him, would she? "Ah. It was my mistake," he said, neglecting to acknowledge why and how he possessed a Mystic Code in its pure form. Upon viewing his username, Seriri would find it, and his other player-related information, shielded. Still, he wasn't intentionally withholding information. "You do know me. Somewhat. I've been here twice before, but... not like this. In this form, I am... Arjuna."

[Apollymi]

'He didn't argue about this being a date! It's actually a date?!' she had the thought, but where it came from in her head was simply her own insecurities. She put on a brave face and did things that were strange or foreign to her all of the time. But something about the indirect agreement about the time they spent together, was something which gave her an unknown bit of joy. He even seemed to accept the logic she'd put forward about the whole thing without fuss. Still the lass could only shrug and continue her dessert happily. "I am not quite sure myself," she mused. "But it's a relief you're having a good time too..." she said and she meant it. It was rare that the lass thought she could be herself, rarer still was something else. It couldn't have been a more relaxed moment if she'd tried to make it so on purpose. But as a person who was only really used to dealing with people she paid to do things, it was quite relieving to know that someone genuinely enjoyed her company. She knew they'd have to separate and do their own things, but now at least, she felt like she could really and truly look forward to the pair of them joining up again after it was all over. With that in mind, she was content to enjoy every minute of this date. Whenever they finished the meal, she'd pay and leave place for the lad on her pillow. She just wanted to chat with him a bit more before they had to part ways, and was content to allow that to happen at its own pace.

Seriri was having a different problem entirely. She'd tried to look at this lad in her Nexus vision and found herself incapable of viewing him. "That's weird and sketchy..." she said frowning. But the lad simply stated that this was his own fault. Still he completely overlooked the fact that she'd asked about the Mystic Code he possessed and aimed to give to her. He made the claim instead that he'd visited twice before. Her eyes widened as this lad spoke his new name and she realized who he had to be by virtue of what he said. After all people couldn't just visit Atlantis until very recently and she'd only had one person leave and come back with others in tow. "Arjuna? So...are you the same guy who is Karna?" she was quite stunned, she moved down from the throne looking the tall lad over. But it wasn't just his look that was different his entire personality had altered. 'Jeez I thought Kimi and Kou changed a lot when they switched Avatars. This guy took an entire left turn. Still, if it is him, I guess it's fine to accept a gift from him.' she thought to herself still looking the lad over. She paused before him and extended her hand. "If you are that same guy, I guess it would be rude not to accept your gift..." she mused softly.

[Bloodedge]

Weird and sketchy. That was about what he would have expected to be referred to as during previous meetings with others. On the other hand, those encounters involved him being a different entity entirely. Seriri managed to pick up on who he was based on his earlier statement, and as a result, she appeared willing to accept his offered Mystic Code. "Yes. Also, no. You're right; that is me. It is also the least like myself I've ever been. Something about that entity is... wrong. It refused to sleep, but my birth became too necessary against the Undead Dragon just beyond the land near here. So, here I am," he stated, offering an explanation to his existence in this form. Even now, he felt the vampiric claw of Karna scraping at the core of his being. That Avatar... it refused to play second fiddle, as it were. Arjuna managed to remain in charge, likely due to being an existence of holiness against the pseudo-undead that was Karna. "If nothing else, take this offering as an apology for having to deal with that side of me. Assuming you have room to hold it, this Holy Magic should be a boon against not just the undead, but also the Demons and Devils that are starting to surface in this world. Take it. I'm not Karna; there's no trickery from me."

[Apollymi]

The dark-skinned lad before her went on to explain to Seriri that he was least like himself as Karna, but that he was indeed truly the same person if not a completely different personality. "Sou ka, I thought it was just Kimi and Kou who went a bit extreme from one Avatar to another. Though they aren't quite this extreme, you did just say something was wrong with the other one. So, alright..." she completed that thought and seemed fine with this development. If he'd done this just to put down an undead Dragon nearby then he'd likely done more to help than hurt any situation within her own kingdom. In addition he'd brought her back in contact with her best friend so she couldn't really be upset to start with. "Hm, I don't really want an apology. But I'll accept the gift anyways..." she said reaching out for the Mystic Code. She'd immediately copy it into herself by way of the jewel which appeared through the finned necklace which hung between her cleavage. "I have a lot of left over lines of Mystic Code. Mostly because as a Mermaid I can only write codes I have affinity with," she as she got a feeling for this new power. It seemed that Arjuna as he was now being called was a bit worried about the more advanced kinds of creatures she might encounter here. "Hm, Kimi mentioned it could be a problem she reinstated the Runestone Circle to help protect the Leyline, but she said it wouldn't really stop stuff from getting through... that Corruption Events can happen anyway. If this will help with that, then thank you." The lass said simply, "Is there anything I can get for you now that you are here?" she asked in exchange as she waited before returning to her seat. The Kingdom itself was still rather busy so there wasn't much she needed to do at all.