His words echoed around her mind. What should he call her? He asked her to address him by a shortened version of his username… Was she expected to do the same?
"Call me Tsu," Her voice was quiet when it dripped out of her small mouth. Yet, it did not tremble as it would have normally. No, as Tsunami, Yuri wasn't afraid. She was confident, strong, amiable. She reached for the boy's hand, shaking it with enthusiasm and a grin that matched the one quickly spreading across his face, much like the honey marmalade.
Fox let her continue to eat as he sent a party request, hoping that she knew what it was. Of course, with little experience with games in general, Tsunami felt only a strange mixture of confusion and surprise when the notification appeared so suddenly in her vision. She glanced up at him through her eyelashes, meeting his lime colored eyes with a lost expression painted onto her face.
He chuckled, filling her with butterflies and a weird sense of recognition. Running a calloused hand through his messy, flaxen hair he spoke gently, "Accept it, I'll teach you."
In a bit of a daze, she did as was requested of her. Tsunami was in need of a teacher anyway, she couldn't just wait for Hideki to learn and then show her the ropes. With the sound of a saccharine twinkling bell, it was official. Fox was to be her instructor.
She smiled to herself as she finished her food. Maybe in the future, the two of them could be friends.
"How do you know about all of this?" The pair were out in a field. Wildflowers rose out of the ground like resurrected spirits, responding to the call of the sun's demand. A light breeze softly combed through the tall grasses, carrying a faint yet particularly bitter scent on it's back. Fox turned at the question with a bit of reluctance. From his weakened silver blade, crystals of shattered blue glass floated into the sky, in replace of the crimson blood of a boar.
"That'll be a story for another day, maybe." His response was short, but it came with the apologetic furrow of his thick eyebrows. Tsunami nodded shortly. There were things that she didn't want him to know, too. If he could always know her as this version of herself, then she would be happy. No one in this world should know or even care to know about her real life.
Fox sent her a grin before taking off and attacking another boar. The blade of his sword began to glow a green color, and it spread with a humming noise until the blaze met the hilt. Tsunami gazed in amazement as he landed a critical hit on a beast that glared at Fox from a safe distance. "What is that?" Her voice echoed the awe that she felt.
"It's a sword skill… Would you like to learn?"
Tsunami nodded eagerly, interested in the green flares and graceful movement that came with them. "Breathe, this requires focus," his voice was soft and coated in concentration as he demonstrated. "You will start to feel warmth at the hilt of your weapon. Watch your target closely…" he took a fighting stance, spreading his feet apart for better balance, "Then, let it rip!" The glow appeared again, along with an angry zipping sound. Fox rushed forward, killing yet another creature.
She was confused, not really sure how to make sense of his explanation. It was short, simple for something that seemed so complicated. She thought hard about it, eventually deciding to just give it a try. Maybe it could be something she could tell her family about over dinner. They wanted her to have new experiences. This was her chance to try something new, and she was not ready to pass it up so suddenly.
As Fox collected his small reward, Tsunami hesitantly took stance. She felt a surge of power rush through her body and felt heat grow at the base of her weak sword. It was as he said. With a deep breath, she focused on the closest beast to her. Then it happened.
Her sword burned a deep blue and she rushed at the animal, tearing through it with ease. The boar evaporated into the air and she jumped giddily. Smiling over her shoulder at the slightly shocked and very excited boy, she collected the reward.
Fox was happy to see that the girl was catching on quickly. It had taken him hours to figure out even the simplest of sword skills. Yet this person, whose name was the only thing he knew about her, picked it up effortlessly. Her talent astonished him.
It had felt so wonderful. She had never felt so in control, and she wanted to feel the sensation over and over again. This was certainly something that she would never forget, even as she died, the memory might play on repeat.
Filled with joy, she stood from her place on the ground. Noticing the time flashing dully in the corner of her visor, she realized that it was time to take her medication. With a pout gracing her pink tinted lips, she sighed in disappointment.
"What's wrong?" Fox's comforting voice rushed into her ears like a mountain spring trickling through smoothened rocks.
"I have to go, got things to do in real life."
"Oh." Fox thought for a moment. He liked this person, and wanted to play with them again in the future. "Would you like to be friends? We could play some more whenever you are available!"
"Sure, that would be lovely!" Tsunami beamed as she swiped at her menu. She accepted Fox's friend request and then went back to finding the log out button. Fox had taught her about the game's system earlier, so she knew where the option to end the game was. However, it was nowhere in sight.
"Fox," she called out. His name being said in such a gentle tone made happiness burst from his chest. But what she asked next surprised him, "Where is the log out option? I seem to have forgotten." He chuckled.
"Already? I just showed you, it's right… here?" Fox opened his own menu. The button wasn't there.