Being mistaken for artifisuki suits her just fine. 

She tilts her head. "Who's this Pagutum character then?"

"Big country full of assholes across the sea to the east, lots of propaganda against nonhumans, some homophobic and transphobic propaganda more recently too. They invaded Joret, which was supposed to be one of the newbie starter nations."

Oh. 

Of course. 

She sighs. "Do you ever get the feeling that CORA's devs made the game a little too realistic?"

She giggles a bit and nods. "I do wonder sometimes. I think this was outside action, though, at least if the rumors I'm hearing about the Patriot Church being involved have any truth to them."

"Ugh. Them. America loses one war against the Commonwealth..." 

She sighs and futzes with her hair a little. 

"Can we focus on questing a bit? I don't play games to do politics." 

She pauses, tilts her head. "Actually that's a lie, I'm pretty damn good at Mafia. But that's for fun. It's different when real world shit gets involved."

"Good idea, Sin," she says with a laugh and a grin, "I'm trying to avoid those assholes myself. So we're going to get enough money from this to afford an inn for tonight, along with some very basic supplies you're going to need — waterskin, some food, bedroll, a personal tent, maybe some little warding stakes to go around it. If you're sticking with me longer we can share my stakes, but I still want you to have a pair of your own. After that we can see about upgrades to your gear."

She hums thoughtfully. "I don't have explicit plans about next quests yet. I guess we'll see what's available when we get there."

"Yeah, I think I'll stick around. You seem interesting." 

She ducks her head. "Sorry about the swearing by the way, the guilds back in Realms of Dragons were... very male-dominated and I found that swearing got me taken a bit more seriously. I can knock it off if it makes you uncomfortable."

Sable giggles and grins, shaking her head. "Unless you start quoting Patriot Church doctrine at me and suggesting I should be purged or calling me 'young man'," she makes an eloquently disgusted face for a moment, before returning to her easy grin, "it'll take a lot more than some cursing to make me uncomfortable."

"Why on earth would I call you "young man" when you're obviously a girl?" 

Wait, hold on a second - 

"It's funny how a group that talks so much about 'souls' spends so much time insisting the circumstances of your body at birth dictate identity more than who you know you are inside, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it really is." 

She ducks her head.

And, over the private message function...

This is actually my first time in fulldive as a girl. Very first session. In Realms of Dragons I was a boy, but...

She gives Hyacinth a hug as they keep walking.

But something was missing, and it turned out to be this? Family didn't take it well, I gather?

Yeah. There's several reasons why I wanted a new game. 

I'm guessing you have a similar situation.

Yep. I don't leave VR often. Doesn't help that I don't really have any leverage on the political mess, either. Not much draw for me out there, as a result.

They're walking in the main gates, and receive nods from guard. "So, the inn is also where the bounty was posted. I figure we head there first."

Yeah, well, I guess that's life to some extent.

I don't want to just abandon my external life, but I've got a week before I need to get back to my creative writing course at university. So you'll have me for a while yet.

Hyacinth casts her gaze around at the small town, taking in the unfamiliar sights. "Yeah, let's see what there is to see."

I'll be lamenting how short it is by the end of the week, I'm sure.

On the way to the inn, they pass a few homes, some of which double as businesses like a cobbler and a blacksmith and leatherworker. Also there's a general store. Down a side street, an orphanage is visible. The small tavern, when they reach it, has a sign declaring it the Rusted Bucket Inn, with a wooden bucket hanging upside down below the sign.

Hyacinth takes a moment to study the bucket sign.

"Quaint!", she declares. 

She smiles and nods, and leads the way inside.

Several wooden tables fill the room, and a roaring fireplace occupies a far wall. A smattering of guests are seated at the various tables. The innkeeper stands behind the bar, just passing a drink to a patron.