Mordecai

This lady was intriguing to say the least. She was already in the tree, and she’d agreed to the race. It was shaping up to be fun day, and he was gonna soak in every last moment. “So, where do you plan on taking me for dinner?” He asks in a playfully cocky tone as he lands on a branch adjacent to hers. He’d already started looking for a path, counting the steps he’d have to take to make it to their destination. It wasn’t far according to what she’d said, but it was gonna take time.

His eyes move to her, studying her attire, her eyes and the nearest branch to her. He was trying to gauge how hard he’d have to push himself to win. “On your marks... get set...” his words were perfectly spaced apart, giving her a chance to count to when he says go so she can prepare herself. And in the same space as the other two words, he pushes into the branch.

The world around him would turn a pale gray as the color of the branches grew ever vibrant. His eyes would narrow on the task at hand as every footstep is carefully calculated to give him the shortest distance between steps.

“GO!”

His voice filled with joy as he sprung into action, darting between branches and dashing through the air.

Kai smiled as she chuckled, of course she was old enough to understand, it’s not like it’s new. As she mentions his jacket he smiles and puts his hand in his pocket flipping the side out revealing the inner fabric. “It’s super soft, feel.” He says nodding at it before another girl, this one with white hair, walks straight into a pole. Guess we’re all having a stroke of bad-

His train if thought gets derailed by a man falling flat on his face not far from the pair. What? Why is everyone having trouble walking today? He pulls his hood down and looks behind himself, examining the man who had fallen onto the cobbled path. It couldn’t be helped, he chuckles a little as he turns back towards the girl with blonde hair.

”You seem to walk with purpose, where you headed?” He asks politely. “I’d be glad to assist you if you’d let me.”

Kai was sitting on the rooftops watching the still crowded city on the first floor. It was pretty funny seeing these people mix in seamlessly with the crowd of robots that littered this world. He chuckles before he hops down off the ledge and starts walking through the streets like a normal person. His pink hoodie with cat ears kind of ruined that whole facade, but it was still better that jumping on the rooftops in a pink hoodie with cat ears.

In any case, he rounded a corner when suddenly a girl with beautiful blonde hair slams right into his side. Neither of them fell, but he stumbled back a bit. Hey, he just got hit in the side by a whole person, it takes a lot to not stumble. “No, I’m sorry, I should’ve watched where I was going.” He smiles as he bows his head towards her. “Besides, you had the right of way.”

Hopefully she was old enough to understand his joke, if not he would apologize once more and move along.

Kai thought back for a moment. The meat of the stories barely clung to his thought as he only heard a few. His foster father had been the only person to ever tell them to the boy, and it had been years since he heard one. “The man who saved the king. That was the one.” He reaches down towards the branch he was on and picks a leaf before it moves into his inventory. “It’s about a brave warrior named Mordecai, who saves a king from assassins.” He scoffs under his breath. His foster father liked to go into detail about that part, pad out the story to make sure Malcom fell asleep.

”The king had a trusted advisor who planned to get rid of Mordecai, but the King remembered the heroic actions of the brave warrior and asked his advisor how to honor a hero.” This part always made Malcom smile. Irony was his favorite. “The advisor thought so highly of himself he answered truthfully, thinking the king was speaking of him. Then Mordecai was made Trusted Advisor and the old one was hanged on the gallows he had built for ol’ Morty.” He chuckles a little. “A story a bit too complicated for a 10 year old but the old man had no idea what he was doing.” A fond smile places itself on his face.

Warmth like this was unusual.

Her comment about a prize made the business man think for a minute. “Loser buys dinner?” He offers, hoping she either made no counter offer or a better one.

@Arabelle

Not a falter in his step caught him off guard, his balance was true and his freedom was apparent. There was no fear in his eyes and no preparation either, he was just going. He jumps an alley way that was different. The building he landed on was one story rather than two like the rest, so when he rolled back to his feet he turned and waited for Kirbs. “I’ll wait for ya just this once.” He smiles, then he thinks about what he did before and looks at her again. “And sorry I pat your head back there, it was weird.” He smiles and drops down to the ground, landing silently and smoothly. “South gate’s right here.” He starts walking towards it like a normal person and he smiles, his day had already been so much fun, so he was content with however today would end.

As he exits town, his eyes examine the crater and the edge above them. He smiles and begins the trek upwards.

Her question caught him off guard, and he doesn’t like being caught off guard like this. Uhh, do I tell her the truth? I don’t see how it can hurt. He smiles at her innocently as he thinks of the story. Most people just assumed it had no meaning, so the never asked and now he had to see if he remembered properly. “Why thank you, interesting might be a stretch, but I appreciate the notion. Of course, I can guarantee I’m nowhere near as interesting as you.” His words seemed so natural and his eyes read intrigue when he looked at her. “And about my name, it’s from bedtime stories my dad used to tell me.” He explains and returns to walking.

It wasn’t long after before they reached the tree line again. [censored] guess we’re going in. He always worried about going new places, but he figured the easiest area to collect these materials was somewhere around here. His right leg pushes into the ground and he climbs into a tree, standing on a branch, grabbing the one above him and extending his hand down towards her. “Wanna race in these branches? It doesn’t hurt that bad if you fall.” He smiles like a child at her.

The hand of the woman with blue hair crosses his body and her foot slams into his armpit. In the real world that move would’ve been punctuated with a crunch of ribs and a pop. Kai’s leg would push out the man’s legs from under him, and they would get up and he would grab her hand, as he pulls her out of the cave. “Let’s go, better keep up.” He pulls her arm and spins her around, picking her up bridal style. “Oh... purge the thought Seph, It’s just to keep warm.” He smirks, taking off running and jumping over the fallen tree he had passed on his way to the cave.

They get into town and he sets her down, spinning her and pulling her in for a hug. “I’m having fun, wanna go do something more exciting?” He asks, and she looks down at the ground, looking almost sad as she looks back at him. “No sorry, I have something to do.” He frowns at her and she turns to walk away. His eyes scan her up and down and he notices a small detail, one he hadn’t noticed until now: she wasn’t refraining from attacking him to keep her cursor green, because it was already orange.

He smiles, thinking nothing of it as he climbs up onto the rooftops, watching the city around him and the people underneath him.

A party invite pops up in his face and he clicks accept, blushing a little after she had brought up the flaw with his flirt before, but he quickly recovers. If at first you don’t succeed, right? After her name pops up in the corner of his screen he steps out into the field, “Arabelle’s a pretty name, perfectly selected to match such a pretty face.” He stops for a moment, “Sorry, I can do better than that.” He chuckles. The drab scenery and empty sky gave no assistance when crafting a pickup line. “Uhh... OH!” He clears his throat and pats his chest, putting on his best seductive face he had, but turns it up a notch to convey a comedic effect rather than pervy. “Such a beautiful day to spend with such a beautiful lady.” He waves his hand, turning into the plains and avoiding the forest. It was obvious there was a reason for him to avoid it, as the area was in the forest.

His bright pink hoodie and black pants made no sense in a place like this, especially since the hood on his head had cat ears. It probably wasn’t that common to see a boy with this hoodie, let alone in a game where fear and intimidation would keep you alive. A subtle play on the boy’s part however, after two years, he noticed the stronger players wearing weaker armors on the first few floors, and the weaker players wore their combat gear all the time, so if this armor gave him the appearance of strength, a few glares and leers would be okay.

She had already made herself seem pretty enjoyable, and Kai looks at her and he pats her head. “Don’t let that thing’s attitude slow you down.” He tries to make it confusingly endearing as he looks her in the eyes for a moment, smirks and takes off running. His foot comes off the ground and lands on a table, which he then uses to launch himself onto an awning. “Gotta keep up if you wanna stick around.” He jumps off of the awning and swings on a lamp pole sticking out of the wall. A hanging garden on the metal fence like walls makes a great ladder for the boy as he climbs up to the roof tops. With ease he had climbed up to where most players would avoid because it was convenient to. It was obvious he would rather have fun than be conventional.

”Stay down there and I won’t treat you to ice cream and root beer floats after!” He shouts down, taking off on the rooftops and jumping over alley ways with lots of flair. He had spent the last two years practicing that everyday and would spend the rest of his time doing so as well. It made life so much more beautiful when you could see the rest of the world.

She seemed to be struggling with the whole breathing thing, and Kai just smiled, giving her a little chuckle. It was kinda cute the way she didn’t get along with her familiar and yet still took it everywhere and trusted it around her neck. “Well, we’ve all dealt with the moody ones  where I come from.” He reaches out and lets it sniff his hand. Whether it let him pet it or not, Kai would pull his hand back and pull down his pink hood with cat ears. His guilty pleasure was much less private now than before. He never really minded being seen in it, but he did kinda feel weird at first. The lady in the cave changed that really quickly though.

”Would you be a dear and accompany me on the familiar quest?” He asks, shaking the pouch of familiar treats in front of her. He had hoped the familiar on the lady’s neck would go for the treats, but he was fine with it just suffocating her a little bit.

Mordecai was running on the rooftops from some players he had messed with, they never managed to catch him so he just kept doing it, when suddenly he flips off of one and lands in a roll stopping just short of colliding with a red headed lady. He had officially evaded another beatdown and would continue to have fun with this little group of players he had messed with so many times. The red head had caught his eye and he grins, leaning forward and extending a hand for a handshake. “Hello, the name’s Mordecai.” His suave nature finally mixed well with his introduction as he had gotten used to introducing himself with his player name. “And you are?” He asks kindly.

The way he spoke carried a confidence most boys his age didn’t have, and his words were smooth and his actions were confident. No underlying fear of failure or dread of misunderstanding. He was ready for it all because he had seen it all, but he wanted to see more.

@Kirbs

Footsteps reveal a boy running on the roof tops as he dives off the edge and spin flips down to the ground, landing gingerly outside the shop he had heard about from the people he had spoken to in taverns. He steps inside and then smiles, looking at the owner and walking over to the book of orders. After he had filled out every prompt, he walks over to the shop owner, setting a small pouch of materials on the counter and walking towards the door. “Shoot Mordecai a message when you have it done.” He says, shooting a finger gun and walking out of the store once more.

-6 T1 Materials

Kai was smiling a little before the darkness settled over his mind. He was so comfortable and he was so warm with her next to him. Nothing too adult was going on so he was growing drowsy. Maybe it was something in the tea he drank. The dark warmth was somewhat homey, like a bedroom almost. They had their own little hide away and they were taking advantage of it. That is, until his vision went dark and his body lost all feeling.

———————————————————————————

A dark room is all he sees, a sword made of fire and ice sits in a pile of col. He goes to grab the blade but a monster slams it’s claw into the ground in front of him. It has no face but glowing red eyes. He fights the monster tooth and nail until he eventually grabs the blade, and it splits into two. He continues to dodge all the monster’s attacks and eventually grabs the ice part, freezing the monster and drops it, gripping the fire part and killing it. As he goes to pick up the other blade...

——————————————————————————

A pitter patter of footsteps draws the boy back to reality as he looks around for a moment, out of it and kind of trying to grasp exactly what the dream was about. A figure looking over him says something but the sound is muffled and then it reaches down towards Kai...

When she said sugar he withdrew, trying to act surprised and turn away. He was trying to act like he was covering a blush, but it was obvious at this point he was pretty much out of ideas on the shy guy part. His head tilts and he looks at her, revealing a smile. “Yeah, it’s the tutorial quest. Ol’ zacky boy needed me to grab him some materials.” He leans towards her. “He wants something sweet, hot and colorful, you were the first thing I saw.” He starts off towards the woods. “Couldn’t figure out how to approach you, so I just acted like I didn’t know how to approach anyone.” His grin grows a little as he cuts through town.

A small café with an outdoor section catches his eye. It’s much shorter than most of the buildings around it, the roof dropping to maybe 8 feet up off the ground. “So... considering you could guess what quest I was going for, I’m gonna assume you know where the best spot to complete it is?” His map opens up and he begins to study it, a place not to far in the woods has a circular objective and the circle is lightly filled in.

@Arabelle

Her gaze turns back towards the boy and she smiles excitedly before walking next to him and sitting down, placing her cheek on the boy’s shoulder. She leans back and pulls him down with her so they lean up against the log, and Malcom puts the blade back into his inventory. He smiles and just stares at the fire as she lay there, but he can’t help but wonder why she’s being so nice to him. He didn’t want it to matter, he wanted this to be a real thing, but just couldn’t shake the feeling creeping down his neck. Why was she in a cave with two seats and just waiting? What’s her game pla- oh crap. Does she have someone coming back to rob me? A quick glance at her face reveals a gentle and content smile, and he has to do a double take before his nerves finally stop firing on all cylinders. “This is nice, but I can’t help but feel uncomfortable.” He tries to explain to her without saying she was scary.

”Oh, I know a way to fix that.” She pulls the blanket over and pushes the log back so they’re completely flat. Malcom’s face was a bright red and she notices, giving him a smile. Her finger comes up and is placed on his lips. “Purge the thought Kai, this is just to keep warm.” She explains as she sets her head on his chest and closes her eyes. She hasn’t opened her menu or anything, but I don’t want to risk it. Not while I’m not in the safe zone. Maybe if I can take her back to my place, I’d be able to trust her. Her head nuzzles into his chest and his just falls back into the dirt. Okay, I guess this is okay. He continues to fight the sleep deprivation further, as best he can being that tired and comfortable.

Her soft hands wrap around his on the warm cup as she pulls it closer to her lips. Slowly and tenderly, she took a sip of the boy’s drink and pulled away, wiping her lips and smiling. Malcom had no idea what to do in this situation, but he could tell he was blushing. His face was almost pink enough to match his jacket which was now revealed. “Mmm, it does taste good.” She smiles and  kneels across from him, taking a much more relaxed pose as she chuckles. “You know, I was thinking. We should go hunt, maybe I can show off my spear skills.” The boy smiles and equips his sword, standing it in its sheath up against the log he had been sitting on before, and then he equips his blue and gold armor. “Maybe we should wait until after the snowing stops, it’s pretty cold out there right now.” He explains, hoping she’ll accept his request to stay in the area.

The request came out of nowhere, and he was kind of worried about how she suddenly asked to leave the security of the cave. He had no idea how strong she was, but she likely wouldn’t attack if she was part of an ambush group. She can’t risk getting an orange cursor, lest her ruse be ruined for good. He thinks, looking deep in thought for a moment as he contemplates accepting her request.

“Woah-woah-woah... thief? Okay, it’s true I’ve stolen my dad’s fine scotch more than a few times, but I’ve never actually stolen anything. I’m just trying to survive to level 2.” He says, looking at the lady and then over to Vigilon. “So I know where this is, but if you want to take point, please do.” His tone is much more kind and endearing than the woman he was almost regretting inviting. “Listen here cutie, I’m in the same boat as you. Only thing is, I’m trying to have fun while we’re headed up [censored] creek without a paddle.” He would’ve gladly done this with any other woman in the world, maybe even galaxy, depending on how cute they were, but this lady was something else. He was content with this setup, a cynic was always good so when stuff went down there was a voice of reason, but sometimes it was better to have fun.

”I’m not scared to do this because I have a plan, and while plans never go as planned, I’d like to think mine is fool proof.” He smiles cockily and takes point, unless Vigilon had taken point already.

A small metal cup of coffee presents itself and Persephone withdraws, almost like she was insulted for a moment. Soon though, her seductive eyes returned and she leaned in. “Please, drop the formality. No need to be so uptight around me.” She stands up and walks to the exit of the cave, stopping just short of the gentle snowfall outside. “Formal men are always such a drag. I prefer much more... personal... relationships.” Mordecai was entranced by the woman’s speech and movement. Even her walk was refined and sexy, but the coffee was only mediocre as the boy would find out soon enough. He sips on the brown liquid and can’t help but make a disgusted face as he sets the mug down. She frowns before chuckling a little and brushing her hair behind her ear. “Sorry, I was never good at making coffee, that’s why I drink tea.” She smiles and takes a sip of her drink.

Malcom hold his hands out and frantically waves them. “No-no-no. It was decent, I just like my coffee strong and bitter.” He explained. How was he supposed to be so cynical when all she did was be nice. It’s not like she has an orange cursor or anything. He looks up at the green crystal floating above her head, and his body lets out a sigh of relief. “Here, I’ll show you how to make it properly.” He kneels down by the fire and puts a rack above it, turning it into a makeshift grill. He sets a cup of water on the rack and goes through the motions, making a wonderful black coffee. He picks it up and sips it while it’s still warm, so it still had its full flavor and because the game dulled the pain to an unpleasant tingle. “Try it.” He extends his arm up towards the lady.

The fire offered familiarity and the lady offered intrigue. Had Malcom been in his right senses and not freezing to the point of confusion, he would’ve thought this was a ruse to rob him blind. Comfort, intrigue and familiarity were the perfect formula for taking down someone’s guard. His father had always taught him ways to convince people, the first was establish a connection, whether that be through liking he same sports team or being in the same situation. The second was make them feel comfortable, like a warm drink or comfortable chair. The third was always Malcom’s favorite, play to their interests. Cute girls, fast cars and money were generally the easiest way into a businessman’s heart.

This lady in the cave had managed to pull off all three in a miraculous event of coincidence and luck, or so the boy thought. His best senses had gone to sleep hours ago, he was pretty much running on fumes, and she had already torn down his defenses. All it would take to make him trust her was a little push. “Hello. My name is Persephone. Would you like some coffee?” She asks softly. Her tone reminded the boy of how all the refined girls at his dad’s parties would always speak. “Ma- Mordecai, and yes please.” He says, sort of confused. The blanket and hoodie provided an uncomfortable heat, but they both also gave him a sense of safety, a feeling he was not getting from Persephone.

Malcom was trudging through the snow, a woolen blanket wrapped around his body to keep him warm. His pink hoodie with cat ears and his black pants contrast against the white and gray of the mountains. A small cave cut out of the mountain side shimmers with orange light. It catches his eye among the blue reflection of the night sky, beautifully sparkling on the snow. Why would anyone willingly climb up here...? He chuckles for a moment and pulls the blue and white blanket tighter around his upper body. Oh right, I did it. He reaches out and touches the side of the cave, peering in to check to see what was going on.

The warmth hits him like a welcome wall, almost pushing him back a little. A beautiful lady sits on a log and sips her tea. “Ahh... Hello, I didn’t bring any tea for you but you’re welcome to come sit.” She motions to a log across from her own. Her light purple dress and black boa only enthralled the boy even further.

“Oh, no worries, I’ll find my way out.” A smile crosses his face and he waves, but before he could leave she wraps her arms around his back and whispers to him. “No please... stay.” She whispers. His eyes widen and he feels a chill run down his spine, but he can’t help but wonder where this will go, so he backs up into the cave with her. The warmth of the fire reminded him of his father’s den, and he pulls the blanket much tighter around himself timidly, he didn’t want her to see his guilty pleasure of a jacket and couldn’t help but be embarrassed.

After releasing the boy’s hand, Malcom smiles and boys a little. “Nice to meet you Vigilon and Vesper, My name is Ma- Mordecai.” He hadn’t introduced himself in this world as often as he had introduced himself in the real world, so he was still getting used to it. His stumble was followed by a nervous gulp, but his face didn’t falter, nor did his confidence. “Ah yes, I’d say it is time to head out. But maybe burning daylight isn’t so bad, might be easier to sneak up on the bandits at night time.” A plan fit for an assassination, the man follows the lady towards the ninth floor. She doesn’t look very happy about this. Whatever, I can always just take a back seat while they do all the work.

He had never gone on such an adventure before, and it was kind of making him nervous, especially considering such an attractive lady would be accompanying him and some boy on a daring escapade in the night. Maybe I can go on a date after this. Who knows? Most likely not, but this definitely won’t hurt my chances. He smirks confidently, hopefully this won’t be too different than the real world. He tightens the higher part of his gauntlets, and unbuttons the strap that holds his sword in the sheath.

Her reaction was reasonable, and yet again, challenge arose. He thinks for a moment, he hadn’t planned it out enough to really be inviting the player on this quest. “What about...” A new person comes crashing into the little conversation as he was about to speak. Weak words come from his mouth as he apologizes to the lady and then she returns with a sarcastic comment. Hmm... this is a big town, but him bumping into us is still... curious. A smirk crosses his face, he looks over to the lady once more and looks her up and down rather quickly, though a little more obviously. “What about stealth? We sneak in, steal the stuff and get out.” Confidence carries itself in his words, a plan like that was for the sly and forward thinking, but he would likely still need a backup plan.

”Hello there, if I can convince this nice lady to accompany me, would you like to help us take care of some bandits on the ninth floor?” Polite mannerisms and handshakes were always a good way to get what you wanted in life. Right now he was doing both, with his hand extended toward the new player and a polite smile to go along with it.

A feeling of excitement courses through his body as she begins to act disinterested and distant. Good, I like a challenge. He takes a step back, and nods at her. “Understandable. I wouldn’t trust a random stranger either, so I’ll explain further.” He puts his most confident face on and smirks as he thinks of a way to explain it without seeming insane. “We’d be going to kill all the bandits who are robbing the supply runs. Don’t worry, they deserve it.” It wasn’t entirely true. He had no clue whether they deserved it or not, but to him, it didn’t matter, he was getting payed for it and sometimes you have to ignore morality to get further in life.

”The quest pays good last I checked.” He opens his menu and looks through, looking where the quest is out in the field, planning a path and then checking to see if everything he wanted was equipped. No need to check really, I have like two things. I really need to get more col so I can buy better gear. His hand waves and his menu disappears. “Maybe I make it worth your time after we go on this quest. I’ll take you anywhere for dinner, my treat, and you’ll get to decide whether I stay or not.” He moves his hair out of his eyes.

Kai had heard about a group of bandits on the ninth floor. Spending his time in taverns and alleys to listen to people talk about secrets was really paying off. Of course, dealing with this problem was likely gonna take more than just him, or would be really boring all alone. It would be a waste of time if I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. He says, pulling his hands up and setting them on a random player’s shoulders. “You wanna go kill a bunch of bandits?” He asks, the player looking bored and almost dead in the eyes. Kinda looks like a background character. He sighs and steps away from the boring player and walks up to a female player. A cocky grin crosses his face as he steps across the brick path.

”Hello ma’am, would you like to come with me to help the sad people of the ninth floor?” A sly and cunning sentence like that would generally get the holier than thou players interested, but a small smile he gives makes the cynical people usually think he’s joking and agree to come along. Playing with people was his favorite thing to do, and he was especially good at it in the real world. Maybe we can do a little more. Nah, that won’t work, she could be a lady with a little bit of self respect or maybe she’s not interested in men. Gotta be careful Malcom. He stands proud and examines her discreetly.

Her black hair and red eyes stuck out to him. Part of him wondered if his approaching her was a mistake and really she wouldn’t be all that fun to adventure with.

@Vesper

Mordecai walks right into the old man Zackariah’s shop, no hesitation. Some people took their time for various reasons, like couldn’t be bothered to do it, or didn’t know how to start quests. Some people (ahem) decided not to so they could try to get a date. “Hey old man Zack. You got a middle school boy’s name, how does that make you feel?” He asks, smiling and leaning over the counter. Zackariah looks annoyed for a moment before he walks into the back of his shop. “I need help fulfilling my duties as a shopkeep, would you like to assist?” The old man asks. He hobbles out, and Mordecai just sighs. “I don’t see why not.”

The boy makes his way out of the shop and onto the street, smiling all the way. Every now and then he’d shoot finger guns at passers by.

One head just sticks out to him. He doesn’t know if it’s because it’s in a cute little bow, or if it’s because it’s purple. Maybe even because it’s so short, but he just can’t help himself. He walks up and taps her on the shoulder. He pulls his hands up and starts acting all innocent and shy, “H-hi. I’m Kai, would you like to uh... go on a quest w-with me?” He asks, avoiding eye contact with her. There were a few telltale signs that he wasn’t really a shy person, but he was hoping she wasn’t that smart, so she’d overlook them. Here’s hopin’ amirite?

He was not, and would soon come to regret this decision.(probably)

@Arabelle