Chapter 180: 12: The Harp’s Last Song

Danika glanced through the handful of congratulatory messages from her family group, noted that her father hadn't replied, and that her distant grandparents wanted a photo of her with her new boyfriend. She wondered how she was going to bring that up with Shinichi, and opened "Living Jade Empire" on her phone while she ate. Aishin and Ryullusion were back in the garden, and Ryullusion had resumed playing, so Danika assumed that he'd made it in time.

Aishin caught her and carried her as he circled the harp. A dialogue popped up as he said questioningly: "He says you were throwing potions into his mouth?"

Danika told the mobile app to let her use voice so that she could simply reply directly without having to stop and type. And then she responded, "Yeah, I was using the shape cantrip that I learned from the ring I got from that enchanter that the white mice were bothering."

Aishin's chibified avatar wore a thoughtful expression. His face was uncovered at the moment, although his clothes didn't appear shredded as they often did when his face covering scarf was missing, at least in the simplified mobile version. Danika found that she couldn't recall the state of his clothing today from her VR view. She'd been too focused on Ryullusion and the harp.

"That actually sounds really useful," Aishin commented after a moment. "Maybe it could even be used for attacking from a distance with liquids? Would you mind if I exit and carry your stone into town to see if I can get one?"

"No it's alright," she replied quickly.

"Okay," he said. Then he kissed ZipZing, making the cute heart float up between them, and Danika smiled.

Aishin used his silent movement skill and then released her and walked over to the little center stone. Danika realized belatedly that when he spoke the exit word it was going to end his silence, but apparently the harp's pull didn't interfere with the room's exit function, because he vanished as usual.

Once she wasn't being carried by Aishin, and Danika wasn't giving her character any input, ZipZing landed and began to dance around the harp. Danika gazed at her character in surprise. Then she laughed. Without any input, her character was just reacting to the harp's enchantment the same way an NPC would.

Ryullusion asked, "You really like this song?"

Danika was confused by his question until she realized that from his point of view she'd voluntarily landed and begun dancing, and then she laughed. It probably looked like the song delighted her. The music her phone emitted sounded simpler than the last hour of songs she'd heard in VR though. She wondered if it was actually different or a product of the difference in game applications.

After a minute she replied, "The song is ok, although it sounds simpler than the others recently? But I'm logged in on my phone while I eat, and ZipZing is just dancing when I am not interacting with the game."

"Oh, I see. The song might sound simpler, but the chords have just made another jump in complexity. It's a lot more realistic than I expected, I'm glad I get a chance to try it," Ryullusion told her.

That seemed to mean that the harp's sound was probably being represented fairly accurately. Ryullusion's words sounded like they should be more enthusiastic than they displayed through the phone though. She wondered if it was just that the muted and flattened effect of the mobile version carried through both ways, or if he was growing weary.

"Are you getting tired?" she asked.

Ryullusion's chibi avatar visibly straightened and he replied, "I'm ok, the bit of food I got is helping."

His dark haired elf wasn't as gorgeous seen through the mobile version, but he was more cute. Of course, ZipZing was really cute in both versions in Danika's opinion. As far as her character went, she was a little narcissistic, she loved her cute little fairy dragon appearance.

Hikaru popped into existence beside ZipZing, and Danika guessed that either it was because Aishin had moved the pebble out of her pet's range, or because her 'stay' command had timed out. She wasn't as worried as she had been. The bees seemed to be surviving ok. The little firefly bobbed along happily as it circled the harp beside ZipZing.

After she finished eating, she gave Ryullusion another dose of healing and energy potions. It was more difficult to toss shaped balls of potion in the mobile version, but thankfully the skill also took over more of the aiming once she had the shape formed. Once that was completed, she left ZipZing dancing around her garden, and did a couple of quick chores. Then she logged out and pulled herself back into the VR-medi pod.

When she finished logging back in, she discovered that Aishin had returned. He caught up to her and scooped her up again. There was a very familiar looking silver ring on his hand. She turned to face him, and looked him over. His clothes weren't shredded, he just wasn't wearing the face concealing cloth that he often used. His hood was down too.

Aishin raised his eyebrows at her questioningly. Danika shook her head. "Whenever I wasn't moving ZipZing, she danced, in the mobile version," Danika told him.

Aishin chuckled and said, "It's weird hearing you refer to ZipZing in the third person." He added quickly, "Not that I don't get it, it's the difference in perspective on the mobile version of the game, but it's odd to hear you talk about it that way."

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Ryullusion played for more hours. Danika and Aishin took turns feeding him balls of potions and candy to the bees. Then Aishin had to leave for awhile again, to attend an evening event with his band.

Danika exited the stone a couple of times, carrying out seeds that her plants had produced to trade for more coin. Aishin had left it on a rooftop near the marketplace in Fogton, so it was relatively easy to zip over and trade for more supplies.

This was the most time she'd ever spent constantly in her garden when she wasn't just logged in through the mobile version and practicing skills on the side. Or possibly even including that. It was kind of weird to actually be able to see her plants growing as the digital days passed in ¼ of the time. Weird but cool.

Aishin returned to find Ryullusion still playing with a determined expression, and Danika tiredly circling. "Maybe you should go sleep," he suggested.

"He said about a bell ago that the harp told him that he was getting close to mastering it," Danika informed him.

An hour later she wondered what time system the harp was measuring in. She and Aishin were both yawning, but Ryullusion still looked focused and determined. Danika felt like the music became weirdly mournful but with triumphant passages, and then finally, Ryullusion played the most heartbreakingly complex and beautiful melody yet.

When it ended he stepped away from the harp, which fell silent, and said, "It's over, and the spirit is gone, but this game is incredible."

Aishin looked at him wearily and asked, "That last song wasn't the harp's was it?"

Ryullusion tucked his hands behind his head and replied, "No, but I think it's what it was meant to be, only the person who wrote the quest's final song wasn't quite good enough. I can't believe this game can really teach the mastery of a new instrument within the span of a day. I need to buy a harp and see if it's as accurate as I think it was."

"I can't believe you survived that and you want to go play some more?" Danika asked incredulously.

"It only counts as successfully taught if the person who experienced it can absorb it all," Aishin pointed out.

Ryullusion grinned at both of them, and then yawned. After a moment he admitted, "True. But the character obtained the skills to play the songs in a kind of automatic way, like ZipZing described her dancing, so I think I can replay all the lessons anytime I want to now."

"Okay, that is actually pretty cool," Aishin admitted.

Ryullusion chuckled and told his son, "You should have been playing a bard."

Aishin grimaced and shook his head. Danika could somehow understand both sides of the barely worded argument. Aishin could have been using the game to increase his real professional skills, but he preferred to use it as a place to relax and spend time differently.

"I'm going to go order a harp," Ryullusion announced, and logged out.

A moment later Danika turned to Aishin and said, "Wow, your father is…"

"Crazy?" he suggested laughingly.

"Really amazing?" she returned questioningly.

"Oh, that too," he agreed.

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