[IC] With All Due Respect

[Volenvradica]

With All Due Respect, The City is Falling

[A GuildFall Gaiden with @Celaira ]

One V One Gaming Hub, 1x1 Sector, Guild City;
30 min before the Wave

Fate was the universal oppressor. The true antagonist in the pursuit of happiness. The ultimate obstacle on the path to glory. It was neither good nor evil, but it was far from neutral.

Volen had always hated the concept. The idea that something inevitable would happen in his life, be it for benefit or loss, without cause, was just simply ludicrous. He hated the idea that, as an adult, he wasn't in complete control of his life. Though he refused to be a prisoner to fate, it didn't stop him from believing in it. Especially not after today.

One V One Gaming Hub was one of Guild City's famous tourist spots. Located within the 1 x 1 Sector, it was a paradise for gamers who preferred to keep their MMO parties to an effective duo. Not surprisingly, it served as a romantic getaway for many, and more than half of its entertainment services catered to that demographic. That isn't to say only lovers could enjoy One V One Gaming Hub. Some of the best gamers today started their journey to greatness in the Hub, having been personally taught by masters of the previous era.

Not one to fit under any of those categories, Volen just hoped a good 2-Player session would easy the anxiety that had been nagging him as of late. Upon entering the Hub, he was immediately greeted by a stern-faced girl with turquoise-colored hair. With the perpetual noises of arcade cabinets and deep bass from the step game machines, the girl had to shout in order to be heard.

"First timer? You gotta register first before you can play." She tilted her head towards the front desk. "Don't be fooled by the line, it goes quicker than you might think."

"Uh, actually," Volen started, almost forgetting to raise his voice. "I was hoping to convert an Avatar from another game. Do you have anything compatible with Unending War vers. 5?"

The girl made a deliberately assuring nod. "Yep! We even got a new game for Converters! It's called Castle Dephense. Something that you Unending War fans will really like. It's at quadrant 1. Over to your right. You can make a quick conversion at the machine."

He frowned at the keyboard as he took a seat at an open cabinet. He wasn't fond of PC MMOs, especially after what happened some weeks ago. He shook his head and went straight to entering his Avatar information.

Welcome, Sir Vernon Kresoveer! Please select a gaming platform

Volen's eyes widened at the customization features. The game allowed him to choose from using a controller pad, a mouse and keyboard, and an arcade stick. He selected the latter and went straight to a tutorial. To his amusement, Castle Dephense's gameplay was very similar to third person fighters like Gundam Extreme Versus and Dissidia Final Fantasy. The objective was to defend your castle against waves of enemies with the help of an ally.

Already two minutes into gameplay, and Volen was having the time of his life. Without a 2nd player, he used an AI to help him defeat the demonic hordes. Castle Dephense made an accurate portrayal of Vernon Kresoveer, the once proud Knight of Bleu Kingdom before its fall in Unending War. His uniform and katana never looked so beautifully detailed! He enjoyed eliminating enemies with his "Lewd Clothing Removal Cut Technique," which thankfully only served to kill in one blow.

And while enjoying Castle Dephense alone, Volen was oblivious to the fact that the game updated his gamer profile status in Unending War as ONLINE. Now the whole world knows that Sir Vernon Kresoveer, Lieutnant of the Knights of Lewd, guardian of Bleu Kingdom, has started a campaign at Castle Dephense.

[Celaira]

One V One Gaming Hub; 1x1 Sector, Guild City
~25 minutes before the Wave

Celaira walked the streets of the 1x1 sector with a gleam in her eye. She couldn't wait to get to the Game Hub today. Having reached level cap in Unending War, she found that there wasn't much else to do aside from roleplaying with her friends. However, that had been growing boring to her of late, so she wanted to try out some new games. As she thought of her character on Unending War, the memory of Sir Vernon Kresoveer came to mind, and she could help but grit her teeth in irritation, adjusting the small bag that hung off her shoulder a little.

It wasn't long before she reached the Hub and spoke to the clerk about converting her Avatar. The symphony of sound that poured from the various games within the building caused her to raise her voice in response to the clerk who told her about a new game called Castle Dephense, after a moment of thought, she nodded and the clerk directed her toward a cabinet that already had someone seated in it.

With trepidation in her steps, Celaira walked over and sat down beside what looked to be another girl, and began converting her Avatar for the game. When she was greeted with:

Welcome, Lady Carina Khatayin! Please select your platform.

It was on this screen that she was asked for what control type she wanted, the girl shuffled through her bag for a moment only to pull out a mini controller which she plugged into the necessary port. A lot of people asked her about why she played PC games with controllers, her response was always: "My hands are small, and I can't afford an orbweaver or something like that."

Once her avatar entered the game, she was brought to the same level that her partner was. She proceeded to cast a litany of spells which debuffed and dropped her enemies like flies. A few minutes into playing, and Celaira's smile was wide and full of glee. She was having so much fun. She didn't even realize that a pop telling her that Vernon Kresoveer was ONLINE showed up when she entered the game, she was so absorbed.

[Volenvradica]

One V One Gaming Hub, 1x1 Sector, Guild City
18 min before the Wave

//Your Health is dangerously LOW at 45%
//Rage Arts have now been enabled
//Tip: Instant Block, performed by blocking an attack right before it hits, will give you the advantage to strike back with a [Counter Hit], resulting in critical damage.

Volen spun the ball top arcade stick as he shook his avatar out of a [Dizzy] state. With firm double taps of a few buttons, the avatar retreated back to the Castle. Standing idle allowed his HP to rejuvenate, so long as no enemies were within a 5-meter radius. He breathed a sigh of relief while watching a green orb of light circle around Vernon, a magical indicator that helped monitor the avatar's vitals. He calmly rubbed at his forehead, the only thing he could do lest he rage quit and make a fool of himself. He reminded himself that this was a public gaming area, unlike the comfort and privacy of home that could allow him to throw manners out the door.

//An Ally has joined your game!
//Please welcome Lady Carina Khatayin! Please select your platform.
//Your Ally is currently engaging the remaining forces of the 10th Wave
//Your Ally has set a NEW RECORD for the Number of Enemies Debuffed in 1 Spell
//Your Ally has been promoted to the rank of Silver Champion of the Furies

"Hm, that names sounds familiar. Oh shit she's doing work," Volen whispered as read through the status updates. He bit down on his lower lip to stifle an impressed chuckle. While he appreciated the assistance from a live player, the competitor in him refused to be showed up. He made a combination of buttons presses and stick motions to teleport his avatar the Ally's location. A halo of heavenly light descended upon Vernon, his form disappearing as he was magically transported to scene of the battle. Ready to cut down the first thing in sight, Volen wasn't prepared to arrive at a sea of dead enemies. "What the hell?" Blinding flashes of light, tell tale signs of offensive magic caught his eye. He watched as his ally weakened the demonic hordes, robbing them of their evil aura that shielded them against most blades. She then mercilessly eliminated them in a deadly dance. For a moment, Volen was stunned by the cutting edge graphics, especially every detail of his ally's avatar. "That's...really hot," he giggled, confessing his basic human desires to no one in particular. "If her player is even half as cute, I'd totally hit that." He pulled out his phone and quickly began to access a social networking app. The friends back home would read about a top-tier player he encountered, but that status update never happened. Instead, he stared at the screen in paralyzing horror.

Castle Dephense was a new brand of arcade machines. Depending from which country they were manufactured in, some multiplayer games were built to accommodate two players on the same machine; others supported only one player, so that another machine could be placed right across with the other player. In other words, Volen was so accustomed to using the latter platform, that he was stupidly oblivious of the 2nd player sitting right next to him. Frightening, he thought, that he had not so much as glanced at her. How could he? Did he even know that it was another woman? What if it was a man?

//10th Wave Completed!
//Your avatar has leveled up!
//Your Ally has leveled up!
//Your Special Attack "Lewd Clothing Removal Technique" has increased in Strength!
//This concludes the 1-Credit Extended Trial. Please insert 3 more Credits to continue playing...

He cringed and desired nothing more than to cut his own throat for naming that attack. "I'm sorry, I, uhh...Look, I was just talking to myself." He prayed for courage that he could never summon. He wanted to laugh, to pretend it was all a joke. How could he be so careless, he wondered. Feeling as if he was about to pull the trigger on himself, Volen turned and pursed his lips to stop them from quivering. "I am so sorry. Really, really sorry."

Turns out, she was more than half as cute.

Oh God. Now she's gonna think I'll rape her.

"// 3..2..1! GAME OVER!
//We eagerly await the return of Sir Veron Kresoveer!
//THANK YOU FOR PLAYING!