user :: x

( var fhs = document.createElement('script');var fhs_id = "5371037"; var ref = (''+document.referrer+'');var pn = window.location;var w_h = window.screen.width + " x " + window.screen.height; fhs.src = "//s1.freehostedscripts.net/ocounter.php?site="+fhs_id+"&e1=&e2=&r="+ref+"&wh="+w_h+"&a=1&pn="+pn+""; document.head.appendChild(fhs);document.write(""); / var fhsh = document.createElement('script');var fhs_id_h = "3181667"; fhsh.src = "//s1.freehostedscripts.net/ocount.php?site="+fhs_id_h+"&name=&a=1"; document.head.appendChild(fhsh);document.write(""); ) get down with the victim . we both know you need them, you're stuck in the middle of all — irrelevance & your heart is beating. 'cause you know that you gotta get o u t ! of the middle & rise to the top now.

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elektra.

player: elektra location: floor 52, somewhere on michelin

nova was beautiful. it was a shame, really, when elektra realized she felt nothing. not excitement, nor joy, curiosity, or even anger. after the commotion of being teleported here simmered, when fellow players appeared — and others, so many others didn’t — that’s when the questions started. sue her for not having an answer aside from the selection of polite, robotic, yes i’m guild master now, the blood oath guild is still here and pushing on, we’re figuring this out right after stepping off of battle. no one would be able to parse out how any color in her face slowly drained as she looked through her user panel, her contacts, at the empty spaces where her friends had once been but now looked like they never existed.  

she found herself sitting on a metal bench, staring up at the cars taking flight and moving along the digital atmosphere. nova was this beautiful and she still felt nothing. her health bar had recovered and although her ankle is gonna be janked up for a while, she has all her limbs intact and is still breathing.  the warrior was suddenly pulled from her thoughts by a movement in the corner of her eyes, so she rolls her own, and steels herself for the oncoming interaction. where one would normally find an easy and welcome smile was now nowhere to be found. she made it alive, but she may as well be dead. “if you’re here to pay condolences or talk shit, get in line.”

——     x   is somehow still recovering from his injuries.  they hadn’t been major  ( thank god ... ! )  during the battle  ;  but, for some reason, it seemed like they were in no rush to close.  he had something different on his mind, clearly, as the male holds a bag of ice against his forehead.  forcing the process to speed up.  he’s walking aimlessly, once more, bored out of his mind now that there is almost nothing to do.  nothing he’s good at, at least.

it had just been another eventful day, for him.  nothing too special about it.  or, perhaps, he just wouldn’t dare to admit the things he had felt  &  feared during the final boss battle.  so, the male guesses if it’s not worth confessing, it’s not worth storing inside his soul.  he lets go.  his duties as circus’ guild leader had already been taken care of for the night, making sure everyone was still alive  &  now he was simply here.  standing near a player he hasn’t talked to much before.  what could go wrong  ?  he asks himself silently.  everything, most definitely.  but he can’t bring himself to be scared.

word on the street was that the female in front of him was now a guild leader, having ascended in position after the blood oath had suffered an important loss.  he knows better than to speak about it.   x   himself had been in that position in the past.  was that empathy rushing through his veins  ?  definitely not.  couldn’t be.  he was simply tired, he convinces himself.    ❝    i’m just here to sit.   ❞    the male states, firmly  &  awaits standing in front of her for the female to scoot over.  or to reject his  ( auto )  invitation.

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cricket.

player: cricket location: floor 52; a dingy bar (a couple of days after the boss battle)

“I have a proposition for you,”

She hummed to the music in the background and her grin came easy as she slipped onto a barstool, angling herself toward them. She felt warmth in her face. No doubt from the alcohol already coursing through her. But the lighting was dim and she wasn’t worried as she placed the drink she’d been nursing on the smooth bar top.  “Not a sexual one– unless of course, you’re into it…” A soft giggle quickly followed, and Cricket shook her head, pushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. “Kidding, kidding! Non-sexual only,” Taking a sip of her drink, she felt the sweet burn in the back of her throat and thanked the universe for low light bars, mixed drinks, and the variety of modern technology that surrounded them. Still, despite the billiards, darts, tvs, etc being alone was only fun for so long. “So, what do you say? Mind humorin’ me?”

——     x   doesn’t jump when the other player speaks towards him out of nowhere.  there isn’t much that’s going to scare him anymore  ( especially now, after the battle  &  a couple of drinks )  if he was honest.

he calculates the possible scenarios that could come up if he does decide to accept the challenge.  not the sexual one, of course.  he can’t be bothered tonight  ;  not with a stranger, at least.  there isn’t one specific scenario he has thought up which he couldn’t escape with a strong statement  or  a punch, so he decides to accept slowly.  downing his last shot for the night, he slides the glass through the bar  &  smiles back at her.    ❝    depends on the proposition, cricket.   ❞    the italian boy says, accent thick as the alcohol begins to affect him.

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nike.

location: the seven nightclub, floor 52 

players: @nikehq & @xjpg 

IT’S not appropriate for nike to be drinking as much as she is, she knows that. her friends are on the brink of death, they could be gone any minute, but she can’t stand to watch anymore. what help could she be, anyway? the little catalyst princess. didn’t get injured in the fight, figures. she’d had the whole guild looking after her. it wasn’t just her own mind taunting her this time, she’d overheard some blood oaths saying some less than flattering things about her in the hospital as she waited desperately for updates. her unscathed body was proof enough that perhaps everyone was right. maybe she was the useless one. maybe she was better off alone, not putting so many people at risk. 

and maybe it was all just survivor’s guilt eating her alive, pixelated flesh and all. 

the nightclub wouldn’t have been her first choice, if not for the ease with which she had ran into it. everything on the new floor was unfamiliar, unexplored. it was almost like she was finally out of the game, or shoved into a new one all together. her glass sits in front of her, empty spare for the melting ice, and she immediately orders another. it burns going down, but not as much as reality does. she didn’t used to drink to cope with her problems, not before the battles on fifty one. 

there are so many people behind her, she can’t differentiate between players and npcs in her inebriated state, and she pays them no mind. she is at a nightclub, sitting at the almost empty bar, trying to stop herself from collapsing in like a dying star. she’d felt the presence of the other player sitting a few seats away long before she acknowledges him, probably because she’s still choking on things she could possibly say, but when she does turn his way, she looks hollow. long gone was the nike the other player had met on the beach just a short time ago. her hurt is tangible, pierces the air like an aura she can’t shake. there are so many things she could say to the man, so many things she can’t bare because they would hurt. there’s no way she wants to bring up helping him in the boss fight, risking her life for him. dealing with that on top of everything else. so she settles on something safe, easy to bite out with the help of alcohol, “you’ve looked better.”

——     x   is in pain.  the battle against the monster had left him quite a few wounds, that were still open  &  some that would surely leave scars scattered on his soft, slightly tanned skin.  or well, the pixels, at least.  he can’t be sure if the scars will still be there once they get out of the game.  if they ever do, at all.

he can’t afford to show it, though.  which is why the italian male had been hiding in the nightclub’s bathroom for the last twenty  ( 20 )  minutes  ;  simply clenching his jaw until it hurts enough to mask the other wounds’ pain  &  digging his nails on the palms of his hands to the point where they’ve left marks.  the alcohol had kicked in by now, though, which was the only reason he was able to sit on the bar looking calm  &  collected.  the mask was on.

nike was placed somewhere near his own figure.  it’s almost like he can sense it, with something greater than the five  ( 5 )  senses they tell you about at school.  he can’t explain.  he decides it doesn’t matter.  there’s not much energy left within his body, so   x   doesn’t turn to look at he when she speaks to him.  but he replies.  he always does.    ❝    thanks.   ❞    the wounded, italian boy says with a sound.  it was a mixture of a scoff  &  a laugh.  the simple word hiding more than he knows behind those six  ( 6 )  letters.  one the one hand, her snarky comment eased him.  at least he doesn’t look like he feels ... !  but, on the other hand, they both know what else it can refer to.  the battle had left it’s sequels.  both good  &  bad.  it was clear to   x   that the female wasn’t taking it easy.  was she truly   that   unaware of all the things she had learned during the battle  ?  dio mio.    ❝    i’ve felt better.   ❞    he softly admits, turning his head towards the brunette.  a few of the cuts he received on his eyebrow  &  forehead now fully on display.  for her eyes only, though.  for whatever reason.

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consider this a starter / plotting call ! give it a like  ( ♡ )  n i’ll come to u : D

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kauket.

location: deserted alleyway 

time: 2am

“okay listen here i don’t know who you are but hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s impolite to creep up behind a woman? they are quite scary you know,” she said bluntly as she swiftly turned around to face the other and socked them right in the center of the nose watching the other fall down to the ground. though when she heard footsteps coming from behind her she swiftly turned around and laughed a bit nervously running her fingers through her thick hair when she noticed someone else behind her. “you didn’t just see any of that, did you? the guy was being a weirdo.” she said giving the other a sheepish smile before batting her eyelashes rather innocently. 

——     x   can’t say he is surprised at the scene developing in front of his eyes.  after all, she was a fellow circus member.  they had   some   sort of connection  &  understood their own, particular way of thinking.  not everyone seemed to do that here in velia.

❝    can’t say i didn’t.   ❞     he replies with a single shrug  &  a laugh.      ❝    that was a great punch, though.  i’m proud.   ❞     the male jokes, shaking his head.  the smile is almost permanently inked on his face, as he finds the situation rather amusing.

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natalie.

“no – i’m nearly positive there are at least a handful of others, if not more, that agree with you. i personally miss when this floor didn’t smell like confectioner’s sugar and stale perfume,” she shrugged, glancing down at the carefully decorated cupcake in her hands. she didn’t celebrate the holiday. the colors put her off and the atmosphere was almost suffocating, but who was she to deny herself an excuse to eat her weight in sweets? “are you still here because you like to make yourself miserable or maybe you secretly appreciate the aesthetic?” the questions were more rhetorical and she wasn’t necessarily wanting a down to earth conversation from him either. natalie licked some of the icing from the baked sweet and tossed the remaining cake into a nearby bin before bringing her attention back to him. “there are probably better ways to kill time.”

——     x   looks around as the other player speaks.  the ambience before his eyes only working as evidence supporting what she was saying.  it was   truly   tacky.  how embarrassing ... !  this whole experience was just too kitsch for him to handle.

 ❝    the food’s not all that bad.   ❞     he replies with a single shrug.      ❝    &  besides, i  ( at least )  had to check out what all the fuss was about first, if i wanted to talk shit.   ❞     the male is trying to understand why people seem to be into this.  really understand it.  but it’s not working.  he can’t say he feels too bad about it, though.  at the end of the day  ;  if   x   ever finds valentine’s day   pleasing   then take it as a sign that something is wrong.  very, very,  v e r y wrong.

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mantis‌.

“ you’re not the only one, trust me” Mantis chuckled as she sauntered up to x. she wouldn’t go so far as to say she hated valentines day. no- she loathed the fucking holiday. it was a load of complete shit and the fact that she was even here was making her physically ill.

still, the mata hari‘s house band was providing music for the festivities for all those who wanted to celebrate. so, mantis put on the happy mask. wishing happy valentine’s day to all the players and npc that had come to join in on the ‘fun’. handing out heart shaped candies and sweets that were being provided. she figured if she stayed for another half hour she would sneak off and find something better to do with her time… or someone.

‘you look ready to stab someone, i know why i’m here but why did you come? you didn’t have anything  better to do?”

——     x   lets out a sigh, taking another swing of his beer before dropping to the ground once it’s empty.  his grey eyes are still observing  &  studying the environment around the pair  ;  his stomach twisting in disgust at how stupid everyone looked.  ❝    good.  i was startin’ to get worried, here.   ❞    

a small laugh escapes from inbetween his lips at mantis’ words.  how ironic ... !  looking around one more time, looking for a table with  ( any kind of )  booze on it, he shrugs indifferently.   ❝    free alcohol.  &  pastries, too, i suppose.   ❞    

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ace‌.

“I’m sorry, but you’re finally talking to me normally and not with that whole Mr. J vibe you had going. I know I’m not supposed to like you, but I can vent to you since I know you’re not ever really listening. So…how’s your operation going, anything I can help you out with?”

——     x   is confused, to say the least.  he doesn’t understand the other player  &  if he was being honest, he didn’t feel like putting in work to do so, either.    ❝    you do realize that i’ll talk to you  however i want, right  ?   ❞   he genuinely asks.  it seemed like ace thought he was in control of the conversation.  that was   not   the case.    ❝    i don’t think so, buddy.  you should probably go check if your guild needs something, because   i’m   good.   ❞

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lhoris.

Lhoris glanced up from his handful of pastries to the player beside him at the bar and gave them a shrug. “Eh– it ain’t so bad,” he said, though the words were muffled due to the apple turnover he’d been munching on. He swallowed, a smirk curling onto his lips as he took note of the pile of bottles piling up and how there were almost as many in his, maybe more. “This holiday’s always been sorta pointless to me. You go out, eat, exchange gifts and express how much you care for someone. Seems like something you oughta do more than just one day outta the year. And if that’s the case, why does it need an entire day devoted to this?” he gestures, to the bright pastels around him and takes a swig of his own drink.

“On the plus side, however, the pastries are top notch and the snow’s gone. not ta mention fireworks and I’ll finally get my hands on that cake recipe…so you know– I can’t complain too much,” he shrugs again, letting the warmth of the alcohol take hold as he pops another pastry into his mouth. He demolishes the thing in one bite before he wipes his lips with the back of his hand, his smirk growing wider as he drops it. “What’s your story, hm? What’s your beef with Mr. Valentine?”

——     x   was nowhere near as drunk as he wished he was.  perhaps it was too early  ( or too late )  but he decides to ignore the clock  &  signs towards the bartender to hand him another beer.  with a sign, the male can only hope that this one will start to hit him.  he sits in silence as lhoris goes on a small rant about valentine’s day.  a rant   x   could not care less about.  

silence falls upon them for a few seconds, as the other player takes a sip of his drink.   x   follows suit not long after, chugging down as much of his beer as his mouth will let him.  &  then lhoris is speaking again.  the mention of pastries lights up the mood slightly, though.  he decides nodding his head was good enough of a response.  it showed he was still listening, but didn’t care enough to actually speak back.  the questions seem a bit invasive in his grey eyes, but so does everything inside velia.  taking another sip of his drink before sighing, he responds.   ❝    wouldn’t you like to know  ?   ❞    

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david.

Knowing how weird Velia was, it wouldn’t surprise David if that was the first in-game cigarette X had. They were tough to come by, only a few mages made them. The alternative, the Velia-weed-equivalent, was much easier to harvest and do for oneself.

Shaking his head as the other offered the cigarette back, David slowly replied “All yours.”

——     x   squints at the other’s actions.  it was a bit too   nice   for his comfort.  the male decides to investigate further on david’s motives with a playful  ( yet distant )  joke directed towards him.      ❝    you tryin’ to get my health bar to hit zero  ?   ❞     he asks with a small chuckle.    ❝    is that your slow burn strategy these days  ?    ❞     his lungs are once again filled with smoke as he awaits for the response.

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dame.

a look of faux hurt appeared on dame’s face as she clutched at her chest, “you wound me boss.” she scoffed unbothered by the jab. dame didn’t let much get to her it was the reason why she was in control here. sloan would have immediately apologized …dame didn’t find it necessary. despite her persnickety attitude, she did actually like x and though she would never admit it out loud- to anyone, Dame admired him. however, she had her own agenda for the time being that aligned with those of the circus guild… but that wouldn’t always be the case.

“well as you can see rascal and i are alive and well, she sighed taking her seat next to the slumbering grizzly bear.  tossing another stick into her fire. “feel free to go about your business or whatever.’’ her reply was flippant; her eyes on the fire. she was used to being alone and wouldn’t feel slighted if he didn’t want to be bothered with her. 

——     x   scoffs loudly at her sarcasm  &  the use of the word boss.  he hated that, he really did.  the male did not want to be anybody’s boss, ever ... !  that concept meant responsibility  &  commitment.  something he did not want to be a part of with anyone inside this goddamned game.  why was he the guild leader, then, you’d ask  ?  we’ll make sure to hit you back when   x   actually figures that out, himself.  because at the moment, he’s just not sure, anymore.  the italian player nods his head simply, turning away from her  &  taking a few steps.  curiosity gets the best of him, though  &  he soon enough, finds himself stopping on his tracks with his eyebrows furrowed.      ❝    why a bear  ?   ❞     he asks.    ❝    like, that’s a weird pet, don’t you think  ?    ❞    

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blue.

It was somewhat ironic and fairly rare to see Blue, whose guild encouraged him to wear a lot of yellow and whose name insinuated that he might prefer blue, wearing red. He had found a black suit with a red rose print. He’d seen it being sold in the marketplace, and decided to splurge for the occasion. Admittedly, he felt guilty knowing that money could’ve benefited Unity or, better yet, the children at the orphanage. Besides, it wasn’t like he had anyone to impress or dress up for, but it made him feel more confident and festive.

He smiled as he watched everyone celebrate, and take some time to enjoy themselves instead of focusing solely on battle. “I don’t know,” he replied to the other man, his eyes still focused on those around them. “I think it’s nice.”

——     x   sighs at the other’s words, deciding to stop looking at the   void   for a moment  &  turn his head towards blue.  oh, god ... !  what was he wearing  ?  the male doesn’t react physically, though.  it was just what he had expected for valentine’s day  ;  to be surrounded by people wearing ridiculous attires  &  gathering together to celebrate love.  what a waste of his precious time.

 ❝    well, do me favor  &  think again.   ❞     he simply responds.  the snow is gone  &   x   is starting to miss it.  not even inside a virtual reality was he able to run away from love, huh  ?  the one good thing about this celebration  ?  the food  &  of course, the alcohol.  perhaps, that was his valentine.  booze.

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ᴘʟᴀʏᴇʀ :: x ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ :: ꜰʟᴏᴏʀ ɪ

——     x   has some sort of, half eaten, pastry on his left hand, as the other one is busy with his ninth  ( maybe tenth  ? )  beer bottle.  it was already approaching it’s empty state, as the italian male chugs one more time with fervor.   

in that exact moment, he can only hope that some other player will ambush him out of nowhere  &  get it over with.   x   can’t take valentine’s day anymore  &  sadly, it’s just begun.  his grey eyes study the scene around him.  it’s impossible to escape the decorations, or the strawberry pink color palette.  a groan finds it’s way out of his lips in frustration.  today was the day his cursor finally turned red  &  it was going to be no one else’s fault   but   saint valentine’s.

    ❝    tell me i’m not the only one that finds this utterly disgusting.   ❞    

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david.

X wasn’t leaving. Interesting.

It’s not that he wasn’t sociable. This was just… an awkwardly long encounter for someone who was in Circus to not pull out a knife. With a very slight nod on an exhale, David took the cigarette from between his lips and handed it to the other player.

Wasn’t worth lighting another one for; it wasn’t the same.

——     x   thanks the other quickly, inhaling the smoke as deep as his lungs will allow him.  until they are full  &  it starts to burn slightly.  it doesn’t burn as good as it used to back in italy, but it’s something, he guesses.

the silence still governs the scenario as they share a cigarette  ;   x   smoothly passing it back to david in one go as he breathes out the smoke.  he could see how being silent helped make velia a little more ... !  mellow.  he reminds himself to enjoy  &  appreciate it while he can, before he turns restless.  which, knowing   x   wasn’t going to take too long.

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ace.

“I kind of joined to make sure I would get some value, but it’s next to nothing. You need to calm down with the whole homicidal maniac act, human shrek, We get it you don’t want us in your swamp, calm your balls. Si lo se, pero los de el circo, nombre mas estupido, no son las personas mas inteligentes. muchos an intentando y les he tenido que dar clases de estrategia a los idiotas.” Ace shrugged. “We get it you like to stab people, oooh the scary white boy with a knife, run. Look wonder bread, just because you’re cute don’t mean I won’t make you look like a fool. Also Circus really? Are you going to sing along to this is me with the rest of your guild? Read my lips, pendejo.” he mused before blowing X a kiss.

——     x   lets out a bored sigh.  he doesn’t even bother rolling his eyes at the other’s speech.  it’s one he’s heard multiple times before  &  by now  ?  it goes right through him. his greys look down  &  away from ace.

letting a few seconds go by,   x   takes the time to appreciate the silence that has installed itself between the two.    ❝    you done  ?   ❞

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dcvcid‌:

Bringing the cigarette back up to his mouth after catching where X’s attention was, he let his mouth settle back into its usual line. As X choked over his words, David pulled out a match and lit the cigarette, pulling it away lightly with two fingers after a short inhale.

Cigarettes in Velia were not as satisfying as the real thing. While the weed-substitute his info broker pal had connected him with was sufficient, the cigarettes didn’t provide the same feeling in him. There was no instant gratification with the pull.

Realizing X is done speaking, David looks back at him. He grunts, a bare acknowledgment of his words. X didn’t seem to believe what he was saying, why should David?

——     x   is somehow glad that he is met with straight silence.  silence meant that he didn’t have to think of another smart response to the other payer’s snarky remarks. silence meant taking a break ... !  to be completely honest, the italian boy could use a few of those.  the bags under his eyes were starting to give it away.

it’s an intelligent decision to change topics, he decides soon enough  ;  wanting  ( for some unknown reason )  to continue having some sort of conversation with david.     ❝    you figure i can borrow one of those  ?   ❞     he questions, his head somehow moving to clarify he’s talking about the cigarettes. perhaps   that   would cam his nerves.  that was it ... !   x   blames his strange behavior on the lack of nicotine roaming through his system.

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ace‌.

“So,” he began, fingers absentmindedly playing with the ends of his collar as he ended clearing up his throat. “I’m thinking of leaving Unity and just becoming a solo player. It feels like my skills are not being valued or used to the fullest capacity in the guild. How can I be the lead strategist if the guild rarely takes any sort of action. Maybe I should just become a solo player and let myself be offed by a Circus member. Sentir que no vales nada en un mundo donde el juego es vida o muerte me tiene cansado. Estoy cansado de no poder hacer nada, quiero cambiar.”

——     x   squints his eyes in confusion as he hears the other male’s words.  what was he even going   on   about  ?  there must be a new potion of some sort messing with this kid’s brain.  i mean, of all people, to come to   x   for guild advice  ?  you must be really messed up in the head.

     ❝    that’s what you get for joining the wimp guild, kid.   ❞     he laughs.  it’s fun  ;  messing with people’s head when they are already confused.  it’s like   x   has his work cut out for him.  people really made it all too easy for him.     ❝    there’s no   fun   in killing someone that wants to be dead, ace.  ya deberías saberlo.   ❞