On the streets of Seaguard (Cordelia, Kol, Red, Apotheosis)

Hearing the smaller woman complain about his choices he faced her with a plain expression, waiting for her to finish. "How I spend my money and time isn't of your choice or concern ma'am. Is it? I don't remember every truly asking you."

Upon noticing the other man now as he politely intervened, Red's attention turned completely to him, ignoring the woman; he'd rather not answer to someone whom got so heated so quickly. Even more Red would rather not be placed in a worse mood than he was already in.

He figured this is the closest to a distraction he'll get so Red gave in and finally spoke out calmly. "Sure, 'enjoyable' and what do you think would be fitting?" His eyes gaze turned sharp, challenging the man. Disbelieving a stranger would find something interesting enough to fill his time; though he really didn't have anything better to do. Red noticed the taller mans smile and choose to ignore it as well.

"It was a suit on a man, I'm certain at least of that much," Apotheosis says, smiling a little bashfully now at the green-eyed man in the suit. "It may have been years ago, but I can at least remember that. Maybe it wasn't you after all." She can at least concede that.

She would go to accept the suited man's handshake, but the chatter distracts her. The mermaid girl's addressing of the other man draws a little flicker of a nervous look in Apotheosis's eyes. It's a small thing that could suggest a lot of things. Nervousness at the sudden dressing-down between two people who Apotheosis assumes to be strangers, nervousness at where this might be headed, and...

"There are some older players who played this game," Apotheosis begins in a calm yet measured manner, "back when it was primarily a means of reuniting those in comas to the living. I, ah, believe there were some who were in financial need that received a FISH for free then in exchange for their testing efforts. And... there are people who do buy them as presents for others, in addition to the game itself."

She chuckles in a nervous fashion, raising her hands up in the universal gesture for 'I am not armed and mean nothing dangerous'. "So let's not assume anything of anyone here, shall we?" she asks gently. It's her very best attempt at mediation.

Taking a deep breath, Cordelia calmed herself. Her agitation was more her own business than anyone else, and she was likely taking away from other peoples enjoyment of the game world. Both by how she was treating the other player, and her faux pas of mentioning the outer world in this immersive setting.

She turned to face Apotheosis as she spoke, but the words seemed more meant for the tall man who had followed her. "I'm sorry, you're right. It is none of my business." There was a moments hesitation, like she might have been about to say something else, but she held it in and changed the subject. "My name is Cordelia." She extended a long fingered light purple hand out toward Apotheosis, offering it in a classic handshake greeting.

Her gaze purposefully avoided the tall suited man on the other side of Apotheosis from where she currently hovered. The party request and something in the man's slow methodical manner sent warning signs to her brain, tickling that sixth sense that most women develop for their own survival. She mentally filed the party request into the 'ignore' category. She could always retrieve it should the small group decide to do something off the wall like that and get along with each other. They didn't really start on the best of terms, and Cordelia know that it was her fault. At the moment she felt no guilt at that.

Her problems with the man who had followed her stemmed from how hard she was forced to work to get the FISH suit and the game herself. Her brain just couldn't conceive of someone not finding the entire experience and game world fascinating beyond measure. To be bored here to her own way of thinking would take years of playing and exhausting the game offerings. But for a new player to find it as such, she just couldn't wrap her mind around. In a way it was... Heartbreaking. She realized that in a small corner of her self, she felt pity for the man. She glanced back at him and smiled, trying to begin the process of warming the way between them and start to make up for her earlier condemnation.

When the woman with her purple-shaded hair and violet eyes fails to shake his hand, Kol shrugs and lets his own hand fall to the side without thought about it. The conversation is slipping away into introductions and he smiles warmly. Though the introductions seem for the moment to be limited to the two women. He isn’t that concerned about it. Instead he focuses his attention on the man who may, or may not be joining the group which Kol has put forth.

(Not that anyone has joined it yet.)

"Sure, 'enjoyable' and what do you think would be fitting?"

“Fine company is a good start to making any outing more enjoyable.” Kol says smoothly and without hesitation, his smile like the glow of a fire burning merrily. The dark haired man takes a moment to examine this other and offers his hand to the stranger. “Mon… my name is Kol. A pleasure to meet you I am sure.”

It matters not to him if the other man decides to actually shake his hand or not, either way he turns toward the two women who are somewhat to his side and offers a few more words. “It would be good to find something to do together, oui? I will leave the choice of opening activity to you, if you would be pleased to join in such.”

He had hope that one or both of them would. If not, he could always seek them out later for more personal activities, and if they chose to do something now, then he had a day that was certain to be interesting and entertaining.

Red nodded at Cordelia's apology, accepting it even as he listened to the other woman about the game. He didn't quite understand Cordelia but that was all the more reason to not mind. "It's quite alright. These things happen. Believe it or not things like this happen around me often."

Red turned his attention back to the other man and hesitantly shook Kol's hand with a little interest. "The name's Red. I'm a doctor of sorts." Upon taking his hand back he crossed his arms with a firm posture. In all reality he had no reason to dislike Kol, he hadn't acted hastily and had instead  turned the table to something else. Red had a stern eye on him, studying his posture and behavior, and recognizing the other's social nature.

"I don't mind joining you on- whatever it is that's decided. It might be a good change of pace to know where I'm going instead of wandering aimlessly." His words were honest and calm, but his posture indicated that he was still quite uncomfortable. Of course that was due to his own lack of socializing.

There's a little mote of relief in Apotheosis's eyes, followed by a soft little exhale, as she watches Cordelia apologize to the man. She takes the handshake offered to her by the mermaid avatar, and she smiles much more broadly now as she tilts her head slightly to one side, her black-ombre-violet waves jostling a little for the motion. "I'm Apotheosis," she says. "Pleasure to meet you, Cordelia."

Apotheosis lets go of the handshake before she turns her attention back to the now-introduced Kol and Red, regarding them as well with significantly-cheered violet eyes. "It's also a pleasure to meet the two of you, Kol and Red," she replies. Then the thought follows: Was he named Kol? The man wearing the suit? It rings a little bell, but... it's such a small bell that it could really be from anywhere at all.

She just isn't certain.

"How about one of the beginner's dungeons?" she suggests, pulling her attention back to the matter of the moment. "They're shorter and reward some nice things for those who are new." It's as good an idea as any to her.

Cordelia lets go of Apotheosis' hand and goes back to eating her tart sized fruit pie. She listens to everyone all buddy-buddy now and wonders idly if this is going to be a mistake. "Does a beginner's dungeon sound like something Dr. Red will want to do?" She turns to the shorter of the two men. "What kinds of things do you enjoy in your video games? I'm sure they have some content somewhere that won't be boring for you." There is no malice or sarcasm in her voice.

Mentally, she tells the server to retrieve the party request from the ignore list, but not to accept it yet. She is hoping to get some insight into the other players before she jumps in with both fins.

"I am told that the game world here caters to a broad variety of tastes. Some large tiger thing told me once that he could point out a dungeon, quest, or world area for almost any type of playstyle." Now that the pastry was gone, she wiped her hand on her hip, out of habit, even though the item generated no crumbs or mess.

Red or Dr.Red nodded as he sent out an acceptance to join Kol's party; it took longer than what he would’ve liked but it was his first time playing. He was used to informing others in an introduction of his occupation. It was merely professional.

"I am told that the game world here caters to a broad variety of tastes. Some large tiger thing told me once that he could point out a dungeon, quest, or world area for almost any type of playstyle."

Red's eyes darted to Cordelia as he listened with interest. "In all honesty I'm not entirely certain, I'm not keen on jumping into a dungeon... Though I wouldn't mind starting a quest of some kind. It may or may not be interesting, no?"

Red's posture stiffened, he turned to view the board once more giving it a second look, his shaky hands underlining the writing as he read it. As he checked it once more he couldn't but feel an eerie curiosity about the other man, he shrugged it off to be their difference in social nature. "...Quite a few of them are easily achievable...Does anyone have a preference?"

"Quest, dungeon, it's all the same to me," Apotheosis replies with a bit of cheer in her face, eyes, and voice as she accepts Kol's party invitation. Now that the group appears to finally be forming past its initial bout of discord, it's an easy thing to do. "I think our Doctor here ought to have first pick since he's newest!"

When Red inquires about the content on the board, Apotheosis gives it a little look. "My suggestion would be a kill quest or a fetch quest, if you prefer a quest. The escort quests are a little daunting on beginners, especially when who you might be helping is not always... Ahh, the most apt at self-preservation?" It's Apotheosis's in-character way of communicating that the NPCs that players are often required to escort can have no way of fighting back and often go into dangerous situations alone. Even if quite a few players these days don't care wholly about maintaining the illusion that Savior is a living and breathing world to rival the one that they're all escaping from, she does. She's spent too long in Intera to not care.