I grin at his good humor. " Nice to meet you too. Say, I don't know where you're going or what you're doing but would you like to go and try to beat a level? I've never teamed up and done multiplayer style before, and it'd be neat to try. " I had gone through a quite a few levels on my own, however there were some that seemed to be made for more than one player. For example you couldn't get some items in one level unless you had two people pulling two different levers at the same time. Basically you can beat every level on you're own, but there are many benefits to teaming up. However I just wanted a friend and the experience, and so I could at least tell myself I tried being a team player for once.
"Sure, that'd be cool." I say. I'm secretly glad he asked, because I actually have very little idea of what to do to level up or how to find my way around the Gale -- basically, I'm a noob. But you'd never hear me admit it. "Where do we start?"
" Wherever you want. We could start out with something easy for a warm up and then try something a bit more challenging. I've heard that you can go in a level so long as one of the people you team up with has access to it. " I pull up my menu and go to the list of levels I've beaten and/or have access to, there's about a dozen, two of which I haven't beat. " This is all I've got. " I say. I then remember you're supposed to send a team up request so you can be teleported to the same level. I quickly find the request button and then type in his username and send the the request. " I just sent you a team up request so the system will know to send us into the level at the same time once we choose one. "
"Sure, that'd be cool." I say. I'm secretly glad he asked, because I actually have very little idea of what to do to level up or how to find my way around the Gale -- basically, I'm a noob. But you'd never hear me admit it. "Where do we start?"
" Wherever you want. We could start out with something easy for a warm up and then try something a bit more challenging. I've heard that you can go in a level so long as one of the people you team up with has access to it. " I pull up my menu and go to the list of levels I've beaten and/or have access to, there's about a dozen, two of which I haven't beat. " This is all I've got. " I say. I then remember you're supposed to send a team up request so you can be teleported to the same level. I quickly find the request button and then type in his username and send the the request. " I just sent you a team up request so the system will know to send us into the level at the same time once we choose one. "
I accept the team request. Our usernames pop up under "TEAM" on the side of my screen. "I guess we can start with an easy one -- just to get warmed up, of course." I say.
I stand outside, watching Kai and the other player fight. Zane seems to be keeping score.
Getting a bit bored, I turn around and leave the scene. I look back for a moment and sigh. Then I walk off and settle alone, with no one around me.
I look over and see Lord Sandwich and another player teaming up. I stand and lean against the wall, watching them. At this point I don't care about the fight anymore. I watch them talk together, and then they walk away.
I get a team request from my best friend, Bearwolf, or Aleksiel Volkov, who's a Russian player, surprisingly good for someone like him. Meimei is on his team too. I stare at it, then sigh. I want an opportunity to team up with Lord Sandwich, but I don't want to disappoint Aleks and Meilin either. I accept the request. Maybe I can get Lord Sandwich to merge parties.
I follow my friends into an arena against powerful bots. I loaded my blaster and drew it. I watched Aleks draw his sword and shield, while Meilin unsheathed her healing staff. We battled for a while. Eventually, the bots stopped regenerating and the game ended, but my stomach growled.
I let my avatar dissolve, pulling off my helmet and smoothing my red-dyed black hair. I sat up and stretched, my muscles slightly fatigued from the movement required to get around the Gale. I get up and make dinner, a simple mac 'n' cheese recipe. I don't make much, because I know I'm probably going to eat it all.
Once I'm done eating, I brush my hair aside and get back in.
"Do you want to play another round?" Aleks asks as I log in.
"Nah," I reply. "I think I'm gonna rest somewhere else. We can form a party again later."
I sit against a wall near where Lord Sandwich and his friend are training. I look up. Some NPCs are nearby.
" Wherever you want. We could start out with something easy for a warm up and then try something a bit more challenging. I've heard that you can go in a level so long as one of the people you team up with has access to it. " I pull up my menu and go to the list of levels I've beaten and/or have access to, there's about a dozen, two of which I haven't beat. " This is all I've got. " I say. I then remember you're supposed to send a team up request so you can be teleported to the same level. I quickly find the request button and then type in his username and send the the request. " I just sent you a team up request so the system will know to send us into the level at the same time once we choose one. "
I accept the team request. Our usernames pop up under "TEAM" on the side of my screen. "I guess we can start with an easy one -- just to get warmed up, of course." I say.
" How about this one. " I point to a level on my screen. He seems fine with it so I sclect it. We get teleported to to forest like area. " The goal in this level is to get to the other side of the forest without getting smashed by monsters. The monsters' health is pretty low though so this should be easy. " We head into the forest, I pull up my inventory and take out my sword. Brandishing it at the ready. Lord Sandwich takes out a wepon as well.
I stand outside, watching Kai and the other player fight. Zane seems to be keeping score.
Getting a bit bored, I turn around and leave the scene. I look back for a moment and sigh. Then I walk off and settle alone, with no one around me.
I look over and see Lord Sandwich and another player teaming up. I stand and lean against the wall, watching them. At this point I don't care about the fight anymore. I watch them talk together, and then they walk away.
I get a team request from my best friend, Bearwolf, or Aleksiel Volkov, who's a Russian player, surprisingly good for someone like him. Meimei is on his team too. I stare at it, then sigh. I want an opportunity to team up with Lord Sandwich, but I don't want to disappoint Aleks and Meilin either. I accept the request. Maybe I can get Lord Sandwich to merge parties.
I follow my friends into an arena against powerful bots. I loaded my blaster and drew it. I watched Aleks draw his sword and shield, while Meilin unsheathed her healing staff. We battled for a while. Eventually, the bots stopped regenerating and the game ended, but my stomach growled.
I let my avatar dissolve, pulling off my helmet and smoothing my red-dyed black hair. I sat up and stretched, my muscles slightly fatigued from the movement required to get around the Gale. I get up and make dinner, a simple mac 'n' cheese recipe. I don't make much, because I know I'm probably going to eat it all.
Once I'm done eating, I brush my hair aside and get back in.
"Do you want to play another round?" Aleks asks as I log in.
"Nah," I reply. "I think I'm gonna rest somewhere else. We can form a party again later."
I sit against a wall near where Lord Sandwich and his friend are training. I look up. Some NPCs are nearby.
{Jammers for writers } I see there's kinda a time gap here. I would kinda like them to go through the level if that's ok. How about in the time ChromeFin and Lord Sandwich go through the level your character is doing the stuff he just did in this part. Than after ChromeFin and Lord Sandwich get back and are about to go to the hard level is where the end of this part starts? Does that sound like a good idea or do you have a different plan in mind?
“A fun one. Practically harmless, too,” I answer, reassuring Blu. “After all, it’s just a game. You can always heal yourself later on. Nick here has all the potions you need.”
“…Don’t overdo it.” Nick flashes me a look. I decide to ignore it.
“Besides, you’re the ninjas, right? No wonder you topped the charts in just a couple of months! I bet you’ll knock me out in a sec.”
Fuego—or should I say, Kai—gives Blu a “I-told-you-so” expression, and the latter buries his face in folded arms, clearly disheartened. The rest of the group finally drops the façade and continue drinking their beverages, though a bit uneasy.
The water nymph nudges the blue ninja gently, as if hoping to raise his spirits. “TBH, our cover wasn’t really put together at the start. But I think we’ll be okay as long as we stick together. Right, Jay?”
“Sure, Nya. Sure.”
“Well,” Fuego turns his attention back to me, intrigued. “What’s in it for me?”
“Just…practice, really. You can go all out at the Tavern rings since it’s a fight club. I merely want to witness your skills first hand. But hey, I’ll do you one better---” I open my screen. The leaderboards pop out before the entire group, and Kai’s eyes light up.
“You? You’re the champion here?”
“For the past three months. I’m more or less a noob.” I smirk. “If you win, you gain an extra title under your belt. And credit too. How’s that sound?”
He frowns. “What are you getting from this?”
“Entertainment. Improvement.” I nod toward Mochi. “…and one step closer to beating experts like Mr. Panda here. I think I’ll be satisfied for the week. Plus…” I lower my voice. “I think a little win from you might cheer your friend up. So what do ya say?”
"I guess I'm getting a little competition for once," Kai replies. "I like it."
Jay nods. "We'll be cheering you on. Mochi?" He turns to me.
"I would say something but I don't know which side I'm on," I confess. "Usually I just go with the winning side to be honest."
"Oh," Jay replies. "I get that."
"Yup. Just like, 'go team!'" I chuckle. "Besides, it's not like any of my folks are showing up anytime soon."
Jay chuckles too. Nya goes into her interface and changes her hair to a messy black ponytail. Jay watches her.
"Hey, should I put highlights in my hair?" she asks her boyfriend.
"Um...well..." Jay blushed a bit. "That would be kinda cute, heh."
She makes some adjustments, and her hair has some blue at the tips. I was going to comment on that, but simply clear my throat, not wanting to give myself away.
Jay clears his throat too, blushing and averting his eyes. It's clear that even if they've been together for a long time, he still has a huge crush on her, butterflies and all. For someone as extroverted and mouthy as him, it's pretty surprising he'd be so shy and awkward.
Jay decides to replace his old outfit with something more casual; a loose long-sleeved shirt and some slim jeans. Cole gets rid of that ridiculous mustache and changes into a hoodie and jeans at the touch of a button. Jay looks at Cole and says, "Well, I guess you've given up the whole 'Rocky Dangerbuff' thing?"
"It's not like I could keep it up for long," he replied. "It's kind of silly anyways, a teenager like me wearing a moustache like that."
"I thought you were twenty," Jay replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Nah, I'm nineteen," Cole replied.
"You're still the second oldest though," Jay replied.
"Really?" Cole asked.
"Yeah," Jay said. "Lloyd is 15, Nya is 16, I'm 17 and Kai is 18, so that would put you as being just after Zane, if we're talking oldest to youngest."
"You're seventeen?" Cole asked. "You look, I dunno, like...fourteen?"
"Heh heh...I mean, people tell me I'm baby-faced, so that might be it..." He looked down at himself, and I looked at him. Yeah...he was pretty young-looking; the fact that he was short and skinny probably didn't help.
"Hey, weren't you guys gonna watch Kai compete?" I asked.
I stand outside, watching Kai and the other player fight. Zane seems to be keeping score.
Getting a bit bored, I turn around and leave the scene. I look back for a moment and sigh. Then I walk off and settle alone, with no one around me.
I look over and see Lord Sandwich and another player teaming up. I stand and lean against the wall, watching them. At this point I don't care about the fight anymore. I watch them talk together, and then they walk away.
I get a team request from my best friend, Bearwolf, or Aleksiel Volkov, who's a Russian player, surprisingly good for someone like him. Meimei is on his team too. I stare at it, then sigh. I want an opportunity to team up with Lord Sandwich, but I don't want to disappoint Aleks and Meilin either. I accept the request. Maybe I can get Lord Sandwich to merge parties.
I follow my friends into an arena against powerful bots. I loaded my blaster and drew it. I watched Aleks draw his sword and shield, while Meilin unsheathed her healing staff. We battled for a while. Eventually, the bots stopped regenerating and the game ended, but my stomach growled.
I let my avatar dissolve, pulling off my helmet and smoothing my red-dyed black hair. I sat up and stretched, my muscles slightly fatigued from the movement required to get around the Gale. I get up and make dinner, a simple mac 'n' cheese recipe. I don't make much, because I know I'm probably going to eat it all.
Once I'm done eating, I brush my hair aside and get back in.
"Do you want to play another round?" Aleks asks as I log in.
"Nah," I reply. "I think I'm gonna rest somewhere else. We can form a party again later."
I sit against a wall near where Lord Sandwich and his friend are training. I look up. Some NPCs are nearby.
(First of all: Super sorry for the late reply! School overwhelmed my week and I wasn't able to write much. The following part(s) will take place between the start of the match and Mochi's exit.)
I give a wide grin. “You heard the man, Nick! Get us a ring!”
Grumbling, Nick puts away the empty glasses and bottles then walks out from the counter, leading the two of us to the very center of the tavern. A flash of his own masterscreen brings a circular arena into existence, transparent walls of coding floating around its perimeters as Kai and I enter its interior. Our movements caught the attention of other users and NPCs in the establishment, and soon enough, we got ourselves a crowd. Fuego’s friends seat themselves one row away from the arena and are shouting encouragements to the Fire Ninja. Mochi chooses to stand a bit further back near the entrance, the full fighting ground open to his field of vision. Smart kid.
SJaguar—or should I say, Zane—steps onto the platform. “I will be the referee for the match. Regarding my connection with ElFuego, I hereby declare to judge the game without bias. Do either constant have any problems with this?” We both answer no.
“Very well. This will be a normal fighting match with the demonstration of your individual skills and attributes. No weapons, no external aid, and most importantly…no cheats. Safety measures?” “On.” I nod toward Fuego. Neither of us wants to seriously injure each other. “Understood. What are the terms?”
“A transition of champion title and average rewards.” Kai locks eyes with mine. “It is agreed then. Three matches per the standard rules. Winner takes all. Are both contestants ready?” We both answer yes.
“Ladies and gentlemen, ElFuego and xxFIGHTERrxx! Champion against champion!” The crowd roars in anticipation, and my excitement soars. I reposition my hat for one final time. Zane raises his hand. “Let the match…begin!”
"I guess I'm getting a little competition for once," Kai replies. "I like it."
Jay nods. "We'll be cheering you on. Mochi?" He turns to me.
"I would say something but I don't know which side I'm on," I confess. "Usually I just go with the winning side to be honest."
"Oh," Jay replies. "I get that."
"Yup. Just like, 'go team!'" I chuckle. "Besides, it's not like any of my folks are showing up anytime soon."
Jay chuckles too. Nya goes into her interface and changes her hair to a messy black ponytail. Jay watches her.
"Hey, should I put highlights in my hair?" she asks her boyfriend.
"Um...well..." Jay blushed a bit. "That would be kinda cute, heh."
She makes some adjustments, and her hair has some blue at the tips. I was going to comment on that, but simply clear my throat, not wanting to give myself away.
Jay clears his throat too, blushing and averting his eyes. It's clear that even if they've been together for a long time, he still has a huge crush on her, butterflies and all. For someone as extroverted and mouthy as him, it's pretty surprising he'd be so shy and awkward.
Jay decides to replace his old outfit with something more casual; a loose long-sleeved shirt and some slim jeans. Cole gets rid of that ridiculous mustache and changes into a hoodie and jeans at the touch of a button. Jay looks at Cole and says, "Well, I guess you've given up the whole 'Rocky Dangerbuff' thing?"
"It's not like I could keep it up for long," he replied. "It's kind of silly anyways, a teenager like me wearing a moustache like that."
"I thought you were twenty," Jay replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Nah, I'm nineteen," Cole replied.
"You're still the second oldest though," Jay replied.
"Really?" Cole asked.
"Yeah," Jay said. "Lloyd is 15, Nya is 16, I'm 17 and Kai is 18, so that would put you as being just after Zane, if we're talking oldest to youngest."
"You're seventeen?" Cole asked. "You look, I dunno, like...fourteen?"
"Heh heh...I mean, people tell me I'm baby-faced, so that might be it..." He looked down at himself, and I looked at him. Yeah...he was pretty young-looking; the fact that he was short and skinny probably didn't help.
"Hey, weren't you guys gonna watch Kai compete?" I asked.
I stand outside, watching Kai and the other player fight. Zane seems to be keeping score.
Getting a bit bored, I turn around and leave the scene. I look back for a moment and sigh. Then I walk off and settle alone, with no one around me.
I look over and see Lord Sandwich and another player teaming up. I stand and lean against the wall, watching them. At this point I don't care about the fight anymore. I watch them talk together, and then they walk away.
I get a team request from my best friend, Bearwolf, or Aleksiel Volkov, who's a Russian player, surprisingly good for someone like him. Meimei is on his team too. I stare at it, then sigh. I want an opportunity to team up with Lord Sandwich, but I don't want to disappoint Aleks and Meilin either. I accept the request. Maybe I can get Lord Sandwich to merge parties.
I follow my friends into an arena against powerful bots. I loaded my blaster and drew it. I watched Aleks draw his sword and shield, while Meilin unsheathed her healing staff. We battled for a while. Eventually, the bots stopped regenerating and the game ended, but my stomach growled.
I let my avatar dissolve, pulling off my helmet and smoothing my red-dyed black hair. I sat up and stretched, my muscles slightly fatigued from the movement required to get around the Gale. I get up and make dinner, a simple mac 'n' cheese recipe. I don't make much, because I know I'm probably going to eat it all.
Once I'm done eating, I brush my hair aside and get back in.
"Do you want to play another round?" Aleks asks as I log in.
"Nah," I reply. "I think I'm gonna rest somewhere else. We can form a party again later."
I sit against a wall near where Lord Sandwich and his friend are training. I look up. Some NPCs are nearby.
(First of all: Super sorry for the late reply! School overwhelmed my week and I wasn't able to write much. The following part(s) will take place between the start of the match and Mochi's exit.)
I give a wide grin. “You heard the man, Nick! Get us a ring!”
Grumbling, Nick puts away the empty glasses and bottles then walks out from the counter, leading the two of us to the very center of the tavern. A flash of his own masterscreen brings a circular arena into existence, transparent walls of coding floating around its perimeters as Kai and I enter its interior. Our movements caught the attention of other users and NPCs in the establishment, and soon enough, we got ourselves a crowd. Fuego’s friends seat themselves one row away from the arena and are shouting encouragements to the Fire Ninja. Mochi chooses to stand a bit further back near the entrance, the full fighting ground open to his field of vision. Smart kid.
SJaguar—or should I say, Zane—steps onto the platform. “I will be the referee for the match. Regarding my connection with ElFuego, I hereby declare to judge the game without bias. Do either constant have any problems with this?” We both answer no.
“Very well. This will be a normal fighting match with the demonstration of your individual skills and attributes. No weapons, no external aid, and most importantly…no cheats. Safety measures?” “On.” I nod toward Fuego. Neither of us wants to seriously injure each other. “Understood. What are the terms?”
“A transition of champion title and average rewards.” Kai locks eyes with mine. “It is agreed then. Three matches per the standard rules. Winner takes all. Are both contestants ready?” We both answer yes.
“Ladies and gentlemen, ElFuego and xxFIGHTERrxx! Champion against champion!” The crowd roars in anticipation, and my excitement soars. I reposition my hat for one final time. Zane raises his hand. “Let the match…begin!”
I get up as I hear the match start. I go back to the location and sit near where Jay and Cole are, sitting against the wall together. I look at them. Jay looks back at me, and after a brief panic, he recollects himself. "What's up?"
"Just came back to check out the game," I replied.
"Oh, cool," Jay replied, scooting back and tossing his hair a bit. "There are refreshments inside if you want anything."
"Thanks," I replied. "I'll keep that in mind."
"You've never been here?" Jay asked. "I thought you knew everything about this place."
"Not everything," I admitted. "I'm not usually interested in the tournaments."
"I come here all the time," Jay replied. "Probably because Cole and Kai fight here. They'll drag me in occasionally."
"Oh," I chuckled.
"I'm not exactly happy about that," he admitted. "Especially if I have to fight someone I'm on good terms with."
"I can relate," I replied. "Back when I lived with my family, I'd often get dragged into an argument I had nothing to do with."
"Oh?" Jay looked at me. "Sounds like you had a hard time getting along with them."
"Yeah, ya think?" I scoffed. "Or...mostly, they didn't get along. But as a result they were pretty salty with me too."
"Oh," Jay replied. "Well..." He sighed and averted his eyes.
"Go ahead, tell me." I turned to him. "I'm listening."
"At least you weren't raised in a junkyard," he muttered.
"Sure, but from what I've seen, it seems like you have a pretty close, loving family who raised you right," I replied.
"Yeah, I guess so," he said. "So...how are you getting by?"
"Fine," he replied. "I live on my own. Pretty much do everything myself. It's not too lonely, I'll go out and see friends occasionally."
"So...you said you were Korean, right?"
"Yup," I replied.
"I'm of partially Korean descent and I've been there," he told me. "It's pretty cool."
"Yeah, I guess," I replied, then looked forward. "Hey, I wonder who's winning."
"If Kai's cheating I'm not surprised," Cole finally said. "He's known among us to sorta bend the rules."
"Looks pretty natural to me," I replied. I was proven wrong when Kai pretty much became fire. "Okay, on second thought I take that back."
"They don't call him 'El Fuego' for nothing," Jay explained.
(First of all: Super sorry for the late reply! School overwhelmed my week and I wasn't able to write much. The following part(s) will take place between the start of the match and Mochi's exit.)
I give a wide grin. “You heard the man, Nick! Get us a ring!”
Grumbling, Nick puts away the empty glasses and bottles then walks out from the counter, leading the two of us to the very center of the tavern. A flash of his own masterscreen brings a circular arena into existence, transparent walls of coding floating around its perimeters as Kai and I enter its interior. Our movements caught the attention of other users and NPCs in the establishment, and soon enough, we got ourselves a crowd. Fuego’s friends seat themselves one row away from the arena and are shouting encouragements to the Fire Ninja. Mochi chooses to stand a bit further back near the entrance, the full fighting ground open to his field of vision. Smart kid.
SJaguar—or should I say, Zane—steps onto the platform. “I will be the referee for the match. Regarding my connection with ElFuego, I hereby declare to judge the game without bias. Do either constant have any problems with this?” We both answer no.
“Very well. This will be a normal fighting match with the demonstration of your individual skills and attributes. No weapons, no external aid, and most importantly…no cheats. Safety measures?” “On.” I nod toward Fuego. Neither of us wants to seriously injure each other. “Understood. What are the terms?”
“A transition of champion title and average rewards.” Kai locks eyes with mine. “It is agreed then. Three matches per the standard rules. Winner takes all. Are both contestants ready?” We both answer yes.
“Ladies and gentlemen, ElFuego and xxFIGHTERrxx! Champion against champion!” The crowd roars in anticipation, and my excitement soars. I reposition my hat for one final time. Zane raises his hand. “Let the match…begin!”
I get up as I hear the match start. I go back to the location and sit near where Jay and Cole are, sitting against the wall together. I look at them. Jay looks back at me, and after a brief panic, he recollects himself. "What's up?"
"Just came back to check out the game," I replied.
"Oh, cool," Jay replied, scooting back and tossing his hair a bit. "There are refreshments inside if you want anything."
"Thanks," I replied. "I'll keep that in mind."
"You've never been here?" Jay asked. "I thought you knew everything about this place."
"Not everything," I admitted. "I'm not usually interested in the tournaments."
"I come here all the time," Jay replied. "Probably because Cole and Kai fight here. They'll drag me in occasionally."
"Oh," I chuckled.
"I'm not exactly happy about that," he admitted. "Especially if I have to fight someone I'm on good terms with."
"I can relate," I replied. "Back when I lived with my family, I'd often get dragged into an argument I had nothing to do with."
"Oh?" Jay looked at me. "Sounds like you had a hard time getting along with them."
"Yeah, ya think?" I scoffed. "Or...mostly, they didn't get along. But as a result they were pretty salty with me too."
"Oh," Jay replied. "Well..." He sighed and averted his eyes.
"Go ahead, tell me." I turned to him. "I'm listening."
"At least you weren't raised in a junkyard," he muttered.
"Sure, but from what I've seen, it seems like you have a pretty close, loving family who raised you right," I replied.
"Yeah, I guess so," he said. "So...how are you getting by?"
"Fine," he replied. "I live on my own. Pretty much do everything myself. It's not too lonely, I'll go out and see friends occasionally."
"So...you said you were Korean, right?"
"Yup," I replied.
"I'm of partially Korean descent and I've been there," he told me. "It's pretty cool."
"Yeah, I guess," I replied, then looked forward. "Hey, I wonder who's winning."
"If Kai's cheating I'm not surprised," Cole finally said. "He's known among us to sorta bend the rules."
"Looks pretty natural to me," I replied. I was proven wrong when Kai pretty much became fire. "Okay, on second thought I take that back."
"They don't call him 'El Fuego' for nothing," Jay explained.
It…it started off kinda chill, ya know? …And then it wasn’t.
Fuego moves fast, and right as Zane signals for us to start, the dude’s already zipping past the half-lines and headin’ straight for my face. I dodge out of the way just in time, sliding a few feet away before he can send me crashin’ back to the wall. I quickly get up and back away, creating a little bit of distance while he recovers from the charge. We’ve exchanged places by then, and things are not looking good for me.
“You’re quick. Most people went down on the first hit.” Kai grins. “I hope that’s not all you have,” I reply, eyebrow raised in challenge. He laughs. “Let’s see if you last long enough for the rest of ‘em!” His hands burst into flames.
I narrow my eyes. Fire…of course. What better ability for the Red Ninja?
Fireballs fly across the arena in one wave after the next, and my eyes water from the intense heat. Desperate, I try to materialize my armor, only to find it locked away.No weapons.Bricks, I should’ve thought about it more before I taunted the beast. I’m really in for it now. I bite back the pain when sparks of orange ember eat away at my coding, the thin protective layer fizzling in alarm.
“COME ON!” Fuego shouts, a cocky smirk on his face. With his shades gone and eyes lit with thrill, he looks like a madman bent for destruction. All around us, the crowd begins chanting his name, and I remain in a crouching position, wincing. “This is only the first round, kid. Get up.”
I nod, panting as I slowly rise from the arena floor. Some parts of the audience cheer as I do so, urging me on. At this point, Kai’s completely engulfed in flames, yet he’s not bothered by it in the least.
“You good?” He tilts his head. “How about we shorten this to one round? You win if you can land one solid punch on me.”
“…Sure, why not?” I look up, exhausted. “It’s been a good game, bro.” Fuego turns to Zane. “You heard that, bud? Add that—”
“SIKE!” The poor dude couldn’t even react in time when I slammed him back, hard, to the very end of his side of the wall with a stroke of my arm. The air around me swirled and fluttered as I approach him with a smug smile. “…I’m not done yet.”
I stand outside, watching Kai and the other player fight. Zane seems to be keeping score.
Getting a bit bored, I turn around and leave the scene. I look back for a moment and sigh. Then I walk off and settle alone, with no one around me.
I look over and see Lord Sandwich and another player teaming up. I stand and lean against the wall, watching them. At this point I don't care about the fight anymore. I watch them talk together, and then they walk away.
I get a team request from my best friend, Bearwolf, or Aleksiel Volkov, who's a Russian player, surprisingly good for someone like him. Meimei is on his team too. I stare at it, then sigh. I want an opportunity to team up with Lord Sandwich, but I don't want to disappoint Aleks and Meilin either. I accept the request. Maybe I can get Lord Sandwich to merge parties.
I follow my friends into an arena against powerful bots. I loaded my blaster and drew it. I watched Aleks draw his sword and shield, while Meilin unsheathed her healing staff. We battled for a while. Eventually, the bots stopped regenerating and the game ended, but my stomach growled.
I let my avatar dissolve, pulling off my helmet and smoothing my red-dyed black hair. I sat up and stretched, my muscles slightly fatigued from the movement required to get around the Gale. I get up and make dinner, a simple mac 'n' cheese recipe. I don't make much, because I know I'm probably going to eat it all.
Once I'm done eating, I brush my hair aside and get back in.
"Do you want to play another round?" Aleks asks as I log in.
"Nah," I reply. "I think I'm gonna rest somewhere else. We can form a party again later."
I sit against a wall near where Lord Sandwich and his friend are training. I look up. Some NPCs are nearby.
{Jammers for writers } I see there's kinda a time gap here. I would kinda like them to go through the level if that's ok. How about in the time ChromeFin and Lord Sandwich go through the level your character is doing the stuff he just did in this part. Than after ChromeFin and Lord Sandwich get back and are about to go to the hard level is where the end of this part starts? Does that sound like a good idea or do you have a different plan in mind?
@electricsunset1217 , here's a question for you. ^
As Jay watched with concern, I felt like I was watching an action film. Leaning in a bit, I kept watching as they battled.
Blink.
Upon hearing that little "whoosh" sound, I blinked myself. A stream of blue. Then I saw her. Slim, spiky hair, aviator jacket, goggles. Lena Oxton. Call sign, Tracer.
She took notice of the fight going on. To my surprise, she actually spoke to us. "Did I interrupt something?"
"Nope, you're fine," I called back.
Tracer glanced at the two of them. "Am I distracting anyone?"
"Just us, probably," Jay replied.
Tracer jumped into the air and "blinked" over the battle towards us.
"I met some guys, they started some big rivalry over who's better at some fighting championship," I said frankly. "They just met, and they're already competing."
Tracer giggled a bit, but her laugh quickly faltered when she saw the state of the fight. Kai was on the floor. Kane was slowly approaching him, almost like he was going to do something very bad.
"Round over!" Jay yelled frantically. "Fighter wins! FIGHTER WINS!"
"Fighter?" Len- er, Tracer- was confused at first. She seemed to notice the player's nametag, above his head. xxFIGHTERxx. "Ah."
"This is getting quite interesting," Zane muttered. A bit louder, he said, "It seems others are watching. This will be quite a show."
"I guess I got some people's attention?" Tracer said with a shrug.
Some people? Even iconic characters like Mario and Sonic seemed to be distracted by such suspense. Both players and NPCs alike stopped to tune in. Someone had even managed to get it onto local in-game screens.
"Oh my gosh," I muttered. Looking up, I gasped. "This wasn't supposed to be public!" I whisper-yelled in a panic.
"It wasn't?"
I yelped. Olivia Colomar, known publicly as Sombra, from the same universe as Tracer? I'd recognize that silky-voiced hacker anywhere.
"You did this?"
"I hacked the TVs," she said calmly, shrugging. "I figured the people of the Gale wanted to see a show."
"Well, guess what?" I was beginning to get angry. "They don't! This was supposed to be a private match. A private match! What kind of sadist would want to see someone suffer in public, especially when this is as close to real life as a game can get?"
{Jammers for writers } I see there's kinda a time gap here. I would kinda like them to go through the level if that's ok. How about in the time ChromeFin and Lord Sandwich go through the level your character is doing the stuff he just did in this part. Than after ChromeFin and Lord Sandwich get back and are about to go to the hard level is where the end of this part starts? Does that sound like a good idea or do you have a different plan in mind?
@electricsunset1217 , here's a question for you. ^Just ignore that one for now. Right now Jun's focused on another battle. But yeah, I guess that would sound like a good idea.
@electricsunset1217 , here's a question for you. ^Just ignore that one for now. Right now Jun's focused on another battle. But yeah, I guess that would sound like a good idea.
OoC: OK. So, ninjagofanmam , maybe our characters can go through the level, like you said, and once that little excursion's over, they take notice of what's going on with the other main characters?
As Jay watched with concern, I felt like I was watching an action film. Leaning in a bit, I kept watching as they battled.
Blink.
Upon hearing that little "whoosh" sound, I blinked myself. A stream of blue. Then I saw her. Slim, spiky hair, aviator jacket, goggles. Lena Oxton. Call sign, Tracer.
She took notice of the fight going on. To my surprise, she actually spoke to us. "Did I interrupt something?"
"Nope, you're fine," I called back.
Tracer glanced at the two of them. "Am I distracting anyone?"
"Just us, probably," Jay replied.
Tracer jumped into the air and "blinked" over the battle towards us.
"I met some guys, they started some big rivalry over who's better at some fighting championship," I said frankly. "They just met, and they're already competing."
Tracer giggled a bit, but her laugh quickly faltered when she saw the state of the fight. Kai was on the floor. Kane was slowly approaching him, almost like he was going to do something very bad.
"Round over!" Jay yelled frantically. "Fighter wins! FIGHTER WINS!"
"Fighter?" Len- er, Tracer- was confused at first. She seemed to notice the player's nametag, above his head. xxFIGHTERxx. "Ah."
"This is getting quite interesting," Zane muttered. A bit louder, he said, "It seems others are watching. This will be quite a show."
"I guess I got some people's attention?" Tracer said with a shrug.
Some people? Even iconic characters like Mario and Sonic seemed to be distracted by such suspense. Both players and NPCs alike stopped to tune in. Someone had even managed to get it onto local in-game screens.
"Oh my gosh," I muttered. Looking up, I gasped. "This wasn't supposed to be public!" I whisper-yelled in a panic.
"It wasn't?"
I yelped. Olivia Colomar, known publicly as Sombra, from the same universe as Tracer? I'd recognize that silky-voiced hacker anywhere.
"You did this?"
"I hacked the TVs," she said calmly, shrugging. "I figured the people of the Gale wanted to see a show."
"Well, guess what?" I was beginning to get angry. "They don't! This was supposed to be a private match. A private match! What kind of sadist would want to see someone suffer in public, especially when this is as close to real life as a game can get?"
Before I can take another step, a powerful blast shoots across the arena floor, forming a barrier of sharp ice crystals that completely cuts me off from Fuego. Jaguar, the faithful judge he is, lets himself onto the stage once more and greets the audience.
“Round!” He declares. “Each player will now have a 60-second break until further time is requested. Clear the stage, please.” I tilt my head in challenge. “I thought this wasn’t biased.” “It is not,” Zane answers, his cold glare meeting my own. “Are you questioning my authority?”
I raise my hands in surrender, flicking the lollipop stick out of the ring as I head out from the battle floor. Behind me, waterl1ly—Nya—runs to her brother’s side, only to pushed back as Kai rises from the ground, battered and bursting with rage. “YOU BRICKIN’ LITTLE—” “Hey, anything goes in the rings, dude!” I strike a smile and a wave. “Thanks for the suggestion though! It’s a nice gesture.”
“…That was a dirty move.” Nick says once I reach the tavern floor, handing me a drink unamused. There’s a hint of disapproval in his eyes, but I decide to shrug it off. “How else can I win? You saw how wild he is. I’m tired of dancing around like a circus monkey.” “Hmpt. Whatever happened to your ‘friendly’ fight?” “Words are just words.”
“You better chuck that. The round was just broadcasted live on the Gale.”
“What?!” I choke on the drink, the sweetness of victory suddenly sour. “Start fightin’ fair, kid. No one wants to watch a tainted match. Think ‘bout it: your reputation is on the line. As impressive as you’ve been dodging like a brickin’ idiot, all your favors are goin’ down.”
I gulp, hand trembling as I think of my next move. The Gale is all I have...I can’t lose that now! No, not when I…
I sigh. “Guess I have to use ‘it,’ huh?” “What other choice do you have? You don’t have that fancy armor no more. Using your special ability is your best bet.”
“...Right.” Time is called, and Jaguar ushers us back onto the arena. I stretch my arms and show a smile when Fuego and I stand face-to-face once again. But deep down I’m nervous, agitated. I can only hope that luck and the system will be on my side today.
OoC: OK. So, ninjagofanmam , maybe our characters can go through the level, like you said, and once that little excursion's over, they take notice of what's going on with the other main characters?
OoC: OK. So, ninjagofanmam , maybe our characters can go through the level, like you said, and once that little excursion's over, they take notice of what's going on with the other main characters?
OOC: Yeah that sounds good.
OoC: Cool. So, I guess I'll let you take the lead with that.
