operation: bubbles
my piece for @trafficzine! 1.1k words
(very late to posting this, oops)
Past Life Server, Session 6, mid-day.
[Scene opens, we see INTHELITTLEWOOD tampering with Cabincore’s hot-tub. It is unclear what he is doing at this time. He is alone, for the time being, SMAJOR1995 having recently left.]
It’s really an innocent thing that he’s doing. No harmful intentions behind it at all, no siree! Technically, by the wiles of Martyn’s completely reasonable justification for this, it’s only a hot tub once it has bubbles. He’s doing them a favour, and if they happen to stand up and take damage from the magma blocks, well, he can’t be blamed for their forgetfulness. It isn’t like they can miss the glowing orange under their feet, it’s right there.
[Enter BDOUBLEO100, there is the beginning of a scowl on his face, and his gait tells us that he is decidedly unhappy to be seeing INTHELITTLEWOOD. He stands on the front decking of the building, attempting to muster up a smile as he watches the situation unfold.]
BDOUBLEO100
“Hey Martyn, watcha doin’?
The unmistakable chipper of Bdubs’ voice. Bdubs who is always suspicious of everything in these games. Bdubs who is always convinced that someone is out to get him. This is going to end one of two ways, by Martyn’s calculations.
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“Bit of home reno for you. Thinking of starting a business, gotta get my foot off the ground somehow.”
Martyn prays that it comes off as a joke, that Bdubs isn’t gonna get all wary of him and run back to Scar or Etho and cry war. Though, it is Bdubs, so he wouldn’t be too surprised.
BDOUBLEO100
“Uh-huh. What are you doing?”
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“Adding bubbles. Seriously, that’s it! Promise.”
BDOUBLEO100
“Mhm. I don’t trust you. Infact, I should go get Etho, see what he thinks of this.”
Really? Is all Martyn can muster up. Can a guy not do one nice thing on a server where they’ll all kill each other eventually? He doesn't think that's too much of an ask.
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“You don’t need to do that, it’s literally just bubbles, look!”
[Enter SOLIDARITYGAMING, with a grin on his face. He is as upbeat as always, as if nothing can bring him down. He is between BDOUBLEO100 and INTHELITTLEWOOD, closer to the door. He is less apprehensive than the man standing next to him.]
SOLIDARITYGAMING
“Hey guys! What are we doing? Is this a chlorine change?”
BDOUBLE100
“Martyn’s trying to kill me and my teammates!”
[BDOUBLEO100 moves further away from the hot-tub building, back out onto the path, as if convinced that it’s rigged to blow.]
SOLIDARITYGAMING
“He’s what? How?”
Oh, this is great. Just great! He already had enough enemies, he doesn't need Jimmy, sweet, surprisingly evil when he wants to be Jimmy, thinking that he’s making his way around the server trying to kill everyone. Fantastic!
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“‘Okay. I am not trying to kill anyone! It’s just bubbles. It isn’t a hot-tub without bubbles.”
[SOLIDARITYGAMING moves inside of the building, getting a good look at what INTHELITTLEWOOD is doing.]
SOLIDARITYGAMING
“I don’t know, Bdubs, this doesn’t look like someone trying to kill your team.”
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“Because I’m not trying to kill them! I had some magma blocks left over after a nether trip and thought that you might like some bubbles.”
BDOUBLEO100
“Yeah, well, I’m not buying it. And- you know what? I’ll keep this quiet from everyone else if you pay me off.”
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“I’m not giving you money because I put bubbles in your hot-tub! It’s supposed to be the other way around, contractee pays the contractor."
[SOLIDARITYGAMING rummages through his inventory, searching for any valuables. He pulls out two diamonds.]
SOLIDARITYGAMING
He sighs. “I’ve got some diamonds, if you want them as hush money.”
BDOUBLEO100
“Oh, perfect! Thank you very much, Jimmy.”
[INTHELITTLEWOOD looks between SOLIDARITYGAMING and BDOUBLEO100. He is in clear disbelief.]
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“Jim, why would you give Bdubs diamonds? I was never trying to kill the cabin boys. You’ve given him hush money for bubbles!”
SOLIDARITYGAMING
“Well, when you put it like that it sounds like a stupid decision.”
BDOUBLEO100
“Nuh Uh. This is a very wise decision, Jimmy. Now when Martyn kills my teammates, we can take credit for the kills.”
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“I’m not trying to kill anyone! Seriously, as long as you crouch you’ll be okay. Or put a layer of glass, this is not a trap. At all.”
[BDOUBLEO steps inside of the cabin, observing the bubbles and sighing in defeat. He looks back to SOLIDARITYGAMING and INTHELITTLEWOOD, narrowing his eyes.]
BDOUBLEO100
“Huh. Okay. Maybe it is just bubbles.”
Yes, this is what he’s been saying! In their defense, he is a fan of traps in plain sight, but this was not the case. A guy just likes a hot-tub with bubbles. He assumed everyone else would too.
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“I told you that like a hundred times!”
BDOUBLEO100
“But you’re Martyn. I’d expect Ren to do something like this, not you.”
SOLIDARITYGAMING
“So, Bdubs, can I have those diamonds back?”
[BDOUBLEO stares at SOLIDARITYGAMING, a frown etched on his face. It is tense between them, their teams are not enemies, but there is an established dislike between them. INTHELITTLEWOOD takes a step back.]
BDOUBLEO100
“Nah, man!” he barks a laugh, “These are gonna make me a sword.”
SOLIDARITYGAMING
“Oh, come on! I need them. You already stole our diamonds earlier, Joel’ll kill me if he finds out I gave you them.”
BDOUBLEO100
“You wouldn’t be out first at least. There’s no way you’re getting these back. I- we, really need these.”
SOLIDARITYGAMING
“Martyn, you were the instigator of all this, you gotta fix it.”
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“Hey, I’m just the bubble guy, I don’t have to do anything.”
BDOUBLEO100
“Hush money is hush money, man.”
SOLIDARITYGAMING
“It’s not hush money if he was never going to kill you! I’ve just given you diamonds!”
BDOUBLEO100
“And they were a very nice gift, I appreciate it. Maybe we can be allies. Martyn, are you sure you aren’t trying to kill us?”
[INTHELITTLEWOOD sighs. He turns to BDOUBLEO100 with a deadpan look.]
INTHELITTLEWOOD
“Genuinely, yes. I just had some magma left after a nether trip and thought bubbles would be cool.”
BDOUBLEO100
“Oh, Jimmy. There’s no point in you having these.”
[BDOUBLEO100 throws the diamonds back to SOLIDAIRTYGAMING, who takes them with a grin. SMAJOR1995 and ZOMBIECLEO have joined the conversation, both watching with amused eyes.]
SOLDARITYGAMING
“We can still be allies though, right?”
BDOUBLEO100
“Nah, just wanted your diamonds.”
[INTHELITTLEWOOD can be heard laughing as he walks back to his base with ZOMBIECLEO. SOLIDARITYGAMING and BDOUBLE100 keep bickering, with SMAJOR1995 attempting to act as a mediator.]