[attr="class","orvisquote"]

[attr="class","orvisreescroll"]

starting thread at level 7

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Although he was deeply saddened by the overall rewrite of England, Orvis was quite glad that he was at least familiar with certain areas in the region coined 'countryside'. Vastly different to the original meaning of the word, 'countryside' had become a term used to describe the endless hills, forests and trails that filled the space between what little towns and cities remained in the UK. Orvis was thankful that his hometown kept some semblance of what it once looked like, but other areas like the city he lived in had been... Altered. [break][break]

But his family and friends were safe, at least the ones he could find so far. But there were more out there, and he needed to find them. With his new monster, or rather, upgraded monster, Grumble galloped softly along the trail. They were just coming back from a town he knew some friends lived in, but like most places, had been overgrown and replaced by nothing but trees, ponds and little tuffets. Orvis had never ridden a horse before this, as they used to terrify him quite a bit in fact. But Grumble was gentle, albeit slightly terrifying at times, and always made sure Orvis was comfortable. [break][break]

Once again, Orvis was travelling without a party, preferring to sneak out and gain levels without the risk of his family or friends getting hurt. For a while now, he hadn't seen a single other player, but upon reaching the top of a grassy slope, saw crossroads some way away, with an individual and something... Sparkly(?) accompanying them. Cautious of strangers and knowing he might appear intimidating, Orvis did his best to look as friendly as possible. A big, beaming smile, a cocked head and an enthusiastic wave. [break][break]
Grumble, on the other hand, remained proud and fierce.

[attr="class","orvistag"]
@yasushi

[attr="class","orvisquote"]

[attr="class","orvisreescroll"]
"Hello! Nice to see someone finally~" Orvis giggled, doing his best to make up for the beast he was sat on. He gave Grumble a rub under his jaw, to which the drake let out a pleased huff of air from its nostrils. "This is Grumble." [break][break]
There were bags and straps attached to the mount, though no saddle, as Orvis sadly hadn't found one or knew how to properly attach it. Thankfully, it was as if Grumble was meant to be sat on, for the groove in his back was smooth yet sturdy. Maybe a bit hard at times, but Orvis was fine with walking every now and then. [break][break]
Rather clunky in dismounting Grumble, Orvis was not elegant at all when he spun his legs round. Grumble was quite large, especially for Orvis' height, and he almost fell on his rear when hopping off. "Woah, need to get used to that."[break][break]
Brushing himself off and readjusting his clothes, he pointed at the small fox by the other player, "Oh, are you a summoner or tamer as well!? I haven't seen many of us. Best kind of class, right?!"

[attr="class","orvistag"]
@yasushi

[attr="class","orvisquote"]

[attr="class","orvisreescroll"]
Orvis laughed awkwardly upon hearing the assumption made about the monster, even though it was kind of correct, "Yeah, he's a real hoot sometimes though!" Orvis gave him a hearty pat on the back, to which his body shivered and he gently nudged him away. "Sorry! Sorry! It's true though..."[break][break]
Ignoring his owner, Grumble would take an interest in the sparkly fox, lowering his head to further sniff. But there was no scent, just magic. Grumble leaned in further, curious as to how such spirits exist, and whether he could interact with it. Grumble pondered on whether or not he should try to bite it, but instead felt a friendly lick would do. A long and slimy tongue slithered out, flailing around in the air after Fenix.[break][break]
"H- He won't eat your fox, I promise." Orvis assured the player, though it didn't send very confident. "Well, it's cute you have a little companion with you." Orvis would bend down, holding out a little finger to playfully tease Fenix if it showed any interest in it. "Sort of looks like someone else's pet that I know, at least the composition of it anyway."[break][break]
Standing back up, Orvis would start rummaging through the bags across Grumble's back, finally pulling out a bottle of water. His own inventory system was full with clutter, so he had to resort to the more mundane ways of transporting items. "Yup, at least I think so." Tapping his chin, he pondered for a moment, "Though 'Glorified Nanny' might suit my class description better. It's..." He shot a quick glance at Grumble, "Challenging."

[attr="class","orvistag"]
@yasushi

[attr="class","orvisquote"]

[attr="class","orvisreescroll"]
"Oh a spirit?" Orvis found this even more interesting, and couldn't help but laugh at Grumble's long tongue unsuccessfully lapping at the air. It was like watching a dog try to lick peanut butter through a glass screen, just never quite able to reach. "For creatures made from thin air, they sure seem to have a lot to do and say. It's almost like-" Orvis paused himself, not wanting to offend the digital creatures. Grumble still bled like any other, and could feel pain like any other. To Orvis, he was a living creature, just like his pet dog. [break][break]
In a moment of appreciation, Orvis gave Grumble a quick squeeze, resting his head against his chest, feeling it rise and fall. "It's nice to be able to talk to someone, we humans need it. Especially now." Orvis took a sip from the water, and brought it round for Grumble. The beast instinctively opened its mouth, lowering his neck so Orvis could pour some in his mouth. Yeah, Grumble was very much real. [break][break]
"Hm?" Orvis raised an eyebrow, looking over at Dakota. "Oh! Yes, of course, please help yourself!" Hurrying back around, he grabbed another bottle and threw it over gently to him. Orvis smiled, but was panicking at the idea of someone being indebted to him. "P- Please don't worry about it, I have more. Do you want some? I've got plenty, honestly!"[break][break]
Diving back into the bags, he pulled out a tin of baked beans with a worn label. It was still sealed, and should be okay to eat. "I have some food as well, nothing special, but it's yours if you want it."

[attr="class","orvistag"]
@yasushi

[attr="class","orvisquote"]

[attr="class","orvisreescroll"]
Goodness, they were thirsty. Orvis felt somewhat guilty that he hadn't offered it sooner, the poor man practically guzzled it down. "I- I have more if you want?" He held a hand up to the satchel, though he guessed that probably wouldn't be needed. His finger paused, delicately suspended in the air like a ballerina, "You what?" Orvis said, disgruntled, "Me, a monster, you've got to be joking?" He then giggled, and Grumble just let out an annoyed huff. "Ah, I wish. They might start leaving me alone if that was the case."[break][break]

Shrugging, he let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you for not attacking me, I guess?" Truth be told, most people assumed Grumble was going to start attacking them, that was just a given in this world, but this was the first time Orvis had been told he was some kind of monster mounting... Monster? [break][break]
"Yeah, I sure miss takeaway. There are still some great food locations in safe zones and The Hub." His stomach started to make noises, and he laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, we should set up somewhere. I've been travelling for ages, a quick bite to eat before hitting the road again might be nice. J- Just don't rob me okay?" Orvis threw that in there, worried Dakota might just be some kind of bandit in disguise. It wasn't uncommon for player on player violence, at least Grumble deterred that.[break][break]
"Secret? I guess I've just been exploring the areas that I grew up in, places I'm familiar with. Obviously it's all drastically changed, but it doesn't feel as scary. If I can comfortably stay at a high level, then I don't need to worry." Orvis rest a hand against Grumble's chin, guiding him over to some trees where they could rest. Orvis would pull out a large metal pot from his inventory, and place the tin of beans next to it. "Don't suppose you're good at starting fires are you? It always takes me ages, and I used the last of the lighter fluid last night."

[attr="class","orvistag"]
@yasushi

[attr="class","orvisquote"]

[attr="class","orvisreescroll"]
"You got invited here?" Orvis raised an eyebrow, "Curious." He would pull out a can opener from his inventory, one of the few items he stored in the system as it always came in handy. "Just be careful, I've heard awful things about players fighting players!" Orvis had leaned up slightly, clearly alarmed and serious about the situation. But he took a deep breath and knelt back down, ready to open the tin. [break][break]
"A monster class?" Orvis frowned, "My class is called Monster Rancher, I wonder if I could work with them hahaha." It was just a joke, but it did also pique his own curiosity. But Orvis quickly quietened down upon hearing the mention of blood. He had seen too much of that lately. Far too much.[break][break]
"Hmmm, I think I was in the first wave of tutorials." Orvis scratched the back of his head, "Not that long ago, like just over a week, maybe?" He shrugged, now opening the can. "Time feels weird now, everything is... Skewed. I heard that Gothica is always like night, or just so cloudy you can't see the sun."[break][break]

"But, Dakota, you shouldn't be wandering around on your own at such a low level!" Orvis screwed his face up, but cracked a smile when he saw the fire being lit. He would pour the beans into the pot, and start setting up some poles and hooks to hang it from. "Ahh, you'll have to teach me another time." Orvis would set up the food, retrieving a wooden spoon from the satchels on Grumble's back. "Don't worry, I've got bread too. It won't just be beans aha~"

[attr="class","orvistag"]
@yasushi