"And just how do I even use this?" she thought as she looked at her pink fluffy tail. Having never owned a tail before she had no idea how to use one. She tried clenching her buttocks, moving her lower body around, but no matter what she tried she just couldn't figure out how to make her tail move. "Gah this is hopeless!" she hissed in frustration. She sat down heavily on a nearby bed and raised her hands to her face and began to sob. "I can't believe this is really happening. Please tell me this is all a dream or a hallucination and that I'm going to wake up!"
Her sobbing was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door followed by a soft male voice. "Hello, M'leineya? Is it alright if I come in?"
Melanie pulled her hands away from her face. She knew that voice, it was the Crystal Exarch! Quickly she wiped away the tears from her face with her hands and straightened her outfit. "Yes, please, come in!" she called out.
The door handle to her room turned and the door opened. Melanie's heart started to beat faster as she watched the Exarch slowly step into the room. Under his robes she could see the crystalization that was taking over his body around his neck and right arm. It looked so much more clear and crystal-like than it was in the game, and despite looking like his arm was made of pure crystal it was as flexible as any ordinary arm. It was hard to believe that he was over 130 years old as he still looked like his youthful self, however his face gave away signs that he had seen and endured much in those 100 years on the First.
"Please forgive the intrusion, I heard you were discharged earlier and I just wanted to see how you were" he said with a smile. As he looked at her he noticed that her face was still slightly wet from crying and his smile turned to a look of concern. "Is everything alright?" he asked softly.
Melanie clasped her hands together and smiled. "Yes, I'm doing much better now" she said joyfully, taking in some deep breaths to try to calm herself.
"I see, well that's a relief to hear" the Exarch replied. "Did the chirurgeons say what caused you to collapse?" Melanie shook her head. "Oh, well I hope it wasn't anything serious" he continued.
"What luck the Exarch came to visit me first" Melanie thought to herself, "I could ask him to arrange the meeting since I still haven't figured out how to use this linkpearl yet."
"Actually while you're here I have something I need to ask from you" she said with a slight stammer. She began to fidget nervously with her fingers.
The Exarch looked at her with curiosity waiting for her to continue speaking. "Go on" he said.
Melanie suddenly felt all her confidence drain from her. She was never too good at speaking out loud and asking for anything and as important as it was it was still a bit of a struggle for her to speak out. "Come on, get a grip!" she thought to herself. Melanie took a deep breath. "I have something very important that needs to be heard by yourself and the other Scions, it's best if it took place in the Ocular with us all present together." As she spoke she struggled to keep eye contact with the Exarch. Whilst she knew it was important to look someone in the eye when talking to them her nerves were getting the better of her and she didn't want to look like she was staring at his unusal red eyes. They were very plain and glass-like with dark slits for pupils, despite having seen them many times in the game it was a little unsettling for her to see them in person.
"Very well" the Exarch nodded slowly. "I shall arrange a meeting for noon tomorrow."
"Thank you so much" Melanie said as she exhaled shakily.
The Exarch looked down at his friends' hands which were now shaking uncontrollably and it was already noticeable that she was unusually jittery. He had never seen her like this before. "If you don't mind me saying, you seem a little anxious" he said to her gently.
"I, uh, I'm still a little...in shock from collapsing earlier" Melanie said rather sheepishly, reaching towards where her ears would normally be, then dropping her hand back to her side in embarassment once she remembered her ears were now much higher up on top her head.
"I see, perhaps some rest will help you at ease" the Exarch responded. He cared admirably for his friend and despite what she said something was amiss and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Melanie nodded. "Yes, I think some rest will be good" she replied.
The Exarch eyed her a little suspiciously. "Very well, I'll take my leave and allow you get some rest then" he said, bowing slightly before making his way out of the room.
After the Exarch departed Melanie started hyperventilating and collapsed onto the small wooden bed which was in the corner of the room. It was made a very thin mattress filled with feathers on top of a delicate green wooden frame covered in plain white and brown sheets and a single small flat brown pillow. "Man that was difficult keeping my composure there" she thought to herself. She spread her arms about either side of her and started to take notice of how the bed felt. It didn't look or feel as comfy as the one back at home on Earth with the plush duvet and soft thick pillows. Just thinking about it made Melanie start to miss home.
The Exarch eyed her a little suspiciously. "Very well, I'll take my leave and allow you get some rest then" he said, bowing slightly before making his way out of the room.
After the Exarch departed Melanie started hyperventilating and collapsed onto the small wooden bed which was in the corner of the room. It was made a very thin mattress filled with feathers on top of a delicate green wooden frame covered in plain white and brown sheets and a single small flat brown pillow. "Man that was difficult keeping my composure there" she thought to herself. She spread her arms about either side of her and started to take notice of how the bed felt. It didn't look or feel as comfy as the one back at home on Earth with the plush duvet and soft thick pillows. Just thinking about it made Melanie start to miss home.
"I wonder how Tony is doing at home without me" she said to herself quietly. She began to wonder about how things looked back at home. Did he come home and find her on the floor, or did she disappear altogether when she was spirited away to the First. She let out a deep and sad sigh and slowly began to unzip her boots.
She looked once more at her bed remembering how her character in the game would sleep. "These sheets don't look like I'm supposed to pull them over me. Am I supposed to just sleep on top of it?"
Melanie turned off a nearby lantern, swung her legs over onto the quilt and pushed herself back onto the bed and lay her head against the pillow. She shuffled around a little trying to get comfy, pulled away her tail from under her, and frowned. Despite the mattress being rather soft she could feel the wooden frame underneath. "This isn't very comfy" she thought to herself. "Maybe if I just roll over to my side..." she rolled onto her side and faced into the room. Moonlight peered in through large green wooden windows, gently illuminating the room with its silver light. She could still hear the tinker of plates and glasses from The Wandering Stairs and people conversing quietly, the sound of night creatures outside, and the night air carried in various scents from across the nearby lake into her room. The night sky was so dark that it was sparkling with countless stars, way more than she had ever seen back on Earth, and it filled her with awe just gazing at it. Even the darkest nights she'd seen back on Earth could never compare to this. "I must be very far from home" she thought to herself staring at the alien constellations. She wondered just how far away Earth must be and if it was even at all visible in Norvrandt's night sky, even as a dimly lit star just to give her something to look at and remember as being home. As she gazed towards the stars she felt her eyes become heavy and slowly she began drifting off to sleep.
"Maybe when I wake again this will all have been a dream."
She looked once more at her bed remembering how her character in the game would sleep. "These sheets don't look like I'm supposed to pull them over me. Am I supposed to just sleep on top of it?"
Melanie turned off a nearby lantern, swung her legs over onto the quilt and pushed herself back onto the bed and lay her head against the pillow. She shuffled around a little trying to get comfy, pulled away her tail from under her, and frowned. Despite the mattress being rather soft she could feel the wooden frame underneath. "This isn't very comfy" she thought to herself. "Maybe if I just roll over to my side..." she rolled onto her side and faced into the room. Moonlight peered in through large green wooden windows, gently illuminating the room with its silver light. She could still hear the tinker of plates and glasses from The Wandering Stairs and people conversing quietly, the sound of night creatures outside, and the night air carried in various scents from across the nearby lake into her room. The night sky was so dark that it was sparkling with countless stars, way more than she had ever seen back on Earth, and it filled her with awe just gazing at it. Even the darkest nights she'd seen back on Earth could never compare to this. "I must be very far from home" she thought to herself staring at the alien constellations. She wondered just how far away Earth must be and if it was even at all visible in Norvrandt's night sky, even as a dimly lit star just to give her something to look at and remember as being home. As she gazed towards the stars she felt her eyes become heavy and slowly she began drifting off to sleep.
"Maybe when I wake again this will all have been a dream."
