As he walked, Ragnar could feel the alcoholic fugue slowly fading from his mind. As it did, he slowly came to doubt his own conclusions as to the nature of this world... Many of the people he passed, players he guessed, had passed the panic stage and could be found hiding themselves away in alleyways, overcome with a sense of fear that Ragnar himself had let to find. Nevertheless he was slowly taking the situation more seriously and dwelling on the implications. The voice chat was still on in the background, Erebus' and Chiharu's calm voices giving him some degree of reassurance; who knew how long that would last though... [b]'Evening Erebus. I'll have a mint tea if you've got some. God knows I need to clear my head...'[/b] One thing he had always appreciated about the werecat was his respectfulness; in real life he had never been treated to honourifics, so appreciated the gesture, even if he avoided reciprocating. 

'[b]I'll head over now; shouldn't be much longer than half hour from here.'[/b] Aside from the odd squeal from Chiharu, the voice chat went silent for some time until Erebus disconnected. It didn't particularly bother Ragnar but he had cut Chiharu off mid sentence, if unintentionally. For the moment he decided to keep his peace, stifling a chuckle as the girl yelled at someone; constant voice chat would be handy, but could lead to some quite random moments. After a while the street opened out into a wide arcade, apparently modelled off one of the real Akihabara's main streets. Shopping stalls lined both curbs and ahead stood a monolithic structure, the Guild Hall. Inside was the Lotus Warrior's private hall, the closest thing the three of them had to a home. Ragnar paused, taking a moment to survey the area and observe the other players... The air was still thick with depression, but here and there groups were forming and spirits lifting; perhaps given time, the population of Akiba would adjust to their new lives. It was... heartening in a odd way. 

Thinking of adjusting, it occurred to Ragnar that he hadn't taken a good look at his equipment. The armour he had had equipped when last playing was the best he had and the weapons by far his favourite; their high speed auto-attack and chain bonuses suited his play style perfectly. He drew them in a single smooth movement, to his surprise; having never used any form of weapon in real life, he had expected to drop the damn things... He took an experimental swing and found himself naturally pirouetting into a second attack with his other axe; Ragnar just went with the flow for a few minutes, allowing his body to flow as it wished. Somehow he was able to string together a long stream of attacks in a surprisingly elegant combo, just like the auto-attack from the game. [i]Must be the game system helping me fight,[/i] he mused, examining the blades thoughtfully. He doubted he could have managed it otherwise.

A small sound broke him out of his reverie, almost imperceptible over the hubbub of the market. Ragnar cast about in confusion, wondering if he had misheard it... but he was sure that there was a crying child around somewhere. It was only when Chiharu's stuttering voice came through the voice chat that he realised his mistake. [b]'Yeah I'm here, just outside. I'll be right up...'[/b] He still wasn't sure of the world around him and had a dozen theories he wanted to test, but a friend in need took priority over his own curiosity. Ragnar stowed his weapons and jogged into the large guild building, eventually finding the right door for his guild's hall. As he stepped in, the scent of Erebus' tea wafted past and somehow that both warmed and chilled him... The implications were worrying. Regardless he stowed that thought and headed in, his leather boots discarded untidily by the entrance, striding into the main room with an apologetic air. [b]'Sorry I'm, uh... a bit late. I got carried away with... stuff...'[/b] His guildmates were easy to recognise, even if he was used to them being represented by pixellated figures; Chiharu's signature impractical armour and Erebus' glaring catness were distinct enough. However while the latter was acting himself, their Guildmaster just looked like a frightened little girl... not a situation Ragnar had much experience dealing with. He removed his fur shawl and awkwardly laid it over her shoulders, giving his best attempt at a sympathetic smile. [b]'I'd ask if you were ok, but that would a dumb question...'[/b] Ragnar turned to Erebus, looking the other player up and down. [b]'You seem to be taking this well mate. Might be in the minority, judging by the mood outside...'[/b]