>>4312971
>>Busy yourself with looking down at your phone – you’re frankly too nervous to say anything, as this is something out of nightmares for you.
Do it in the most spilled spaghetti way possible

>>4312971
>Look around the bar for Cinder – she left quite a while ago to get food, and she’s the closest thing to support you have around here.

we need our support tomboy

>>4312971
>Ask why he felt the need to come all the way here to score some money - it’s not your fault he must have lost.
>What do you expect me to do about it?
THE LAD IS BACK

>>4312971
>Busy yourself with looking down at your phone – you’re frankly too nervous to say anything, as this is something out of nightmares for you.

>>4312971
>>4312974
seconding

>>4312974
>>4312978
>>4312982
The phone is all the support you need. Writing now!

>>4312986

Rather than facing this situation head on, you decide to duck your figure down further and clumsily grab for your phone in your hoodie pocket. You have literally dreaded meeting any member of your old team again barring Fletcher, and now one has shown up on your doorstep asking for money? That’s just enough for you to want to disengage, especially since it’s the one member you hardly knew shit about in the first place.

You pull up your phone and notice that you have some unread messages – thankfully, none are from unknown numbers. There is still a bit of residual fear from the constant spam messages and calls from 0phelia, however those ceased as soon as she formally left. This leaves you with someone you haven’t heard from in a bit worming into your inbox – your ever-trusty landlord, Alexis.

>Yoooooo, how’s it hanging, champ?
>Work’s been hell so I’m gonna drag you out for drinks tonight.
>I’d say that saying no is an option, but you could probably use one, eh? See you soooooooon!

Your eyebrow furrows automatically – this is from a few hours ago, likely during your match with Edit and Sky. With all of the sudden excitement that occurred after the match, you’d had no time to even notice these, meaning that she may just be inbound. You take a glance up at the people in the booth with you – Orion has fallen silent as he idly observes the two of you, while Golden is in the process of opening his mouth to retort.

It’d be nice having some form of mediator here, but at the same time, you’re really not sure if you’d like Alexis around for this confrontation. Due to her inclination with teasing you, you can only imagine the ammunition she’d have with this.

>”Already at the bar. See you soon.” No need to rain on her parade despite yours being flooded.
>”Not feeling up to it tonight.” Cut her off simply – you’d rather be left alone after all this.
>”Don’t you have anyone else to drink with?” The fact that she asks this semi-often has you curious.
>Leave her on read – you know, like an asshole.
>Write-in.

>>4312992
>”Don’t you have anyone else to drink with?” The fact that she asks this semi-often has you curious.

>>4312992
>”Already at the bar. See you soon.” No need to rain on her parade despite yours being flooded

>>4312992
>”Already at the bar. See you soon.” No need to rain on her parade despite yours being flooded.

>>4313004
>>4313065
Let her come. Writing now!

>>4313067

You send a message back immediately. As much as she could theoretically tease you, a friendly familiar face is always good in times of stress.

>Already at the bar. See you soon.

A few seconds after it’s sent, you get a response from her.

>Damn, beat me to it!
>Don’t text while driving.
>It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught!

You roll your eyes and go to reprimand her for the incredibly dangerous action, but the infuriated sounds of Golden beginning to speak break through your thoughts.

Oh boy, this is gonna be good.

“Listen Orange, don’t you know that people aren’t your personal piggybanks?” Golden adopts an almost condescending tone, leaning his head against his hand. “Besides, showing up to randomly accost people isn’t kosher, especially when you haven’t seen them in five years, probably!”

It takes a lot for you to bite back the words that come to mind – Golden literally did the exact same thing, minus asking you to help him get money. He’s probably one of the richest people in the game anyways.

“And also, you aren’t gonna bully him into doing what you want him to just because you lost your own chance at money!”

Oh, wow, he’s actually stepping in to defend you. You hadn’t expected Golden to immediately jump to your defense in such a way, maybe you should have given him some more—

“At least, not until I get a match out of him like he promised!” You spot Golden whirl on you, bright blue eyes full of determination and hope, the look burning holes into your face.

Yeah, there it is.

“Yours seems to be a matter of pride, while mine is a matter of living. You can easily step aside for now – I hardly have any time left.” Orion waves off Golden’s words, and you roughly jab him in the side again when he goes to slam his hands on the table.

“I’ve been waiting several weeks for this, buddy, and I’m not gonna be denied any longer!” He turns to you again. “Come on, Nova, you promised to do it if I beat Edit, which I did!”

“Didn’t seem like it took a lot of work, dude plays like a punk ass.” Orange helpfully supplies, making you chuckle under your breath despite your nerves. Golden, of course, can hear you do this and begins to glare at you as well.

>Ask Orange what he expects you to do about it – you don’t exactly have a lot going for you currently.
>Tell Golden that he’s right – you did make a promise, and you’re pretty down with sticking by those.
>Attempt to find Cinder and invent a signal for help – these two are overbearing in different ways.
>Write-in.

>>4313083
>>Ask Orange what he expects you to do about it – you don’t exactly have a lot going for you currently

>>4313083
>Attempt to find Cinder and invent a signal for help – these two are overbearing in different ways.

>>4313083
>Tell Golden that he’s right – you did make a promise, and you’re pretty down with sticking by those.
It's just one match how long can it take.

>>4313083
>>4313108
switching to >Attempt to find Cinder and invent a signal for help – these two are overbearing in different ways. since no one is coming to break the tie

>>4313083
>Attempt to find Cinder and invent a signal for help – these two are overbearing in different ways.

>>4313097
>>4313122
>>4313138
Find your support tomboy. Writing now!

>>4313141

Rather than indulging this now growing argument, you completely stone wall the two boys and cast your gaze around the bar, trying to seek out your friend. Things are getting a little bit out of your comfort zone – what can you say, Orion’s presence is enough to fuck with you – so having her around might bring some form of stillness back to your mind.

Also, maybe if you asked nicely enough, she’d carry him out of the bar for you.

It takes you a few moments due to the bar’s activity. As this is later in the evening, there are more people to be found as expected, and there are a few crowds watching some games on the flatscreen. You can pick out some people cheering at a random Warscape game, a few people getting really into a girl with far too short of a skirt doing a concert, and there’s even a corner filled with people watching some sort of chess-looking game.

Eventually, you can spot Cinder coming back over just as the boys start up their bickering again.

She has a fairly large tray balanced on one of her arms filled with food, and a drink holder in the other. Every few seconds she needs to adjust her posture in order to prevent her crimson hair from getting in the food, but otherwise, she seems to have a good handle on things. When you catch her gaze, a small smile flits across her face, which vanishes as soon as she looks to the loud talker next to you. You shoot her a look, and she seems like she gets it.

You can almost hear her sigh from where you’re sitting.

“Alright, boys, maybe tone it down a bit.” She says when she reaches the booth, putting both trays on the table. “The owner’s getting a little irritated.”

On the food tray lies a pretty great looking pepperoni pizza, along with a burger for Orion. You quickly grab at your drink and take a sip – you had told Cinder to surprise you, and she’s apparently picked something fruity. You can hardly taste the alcohol, which is great, yet concerning.

“Sorry about that.” Orion shrugs his shoulders, looking like its of no particular concern to him. Cinder motions for Golden to scoot over so she can slide in next to you, and she immediately stares down Orion without flinching.

“So, now that your story is over, what exactly do you want? I doubt Wolf’s gonna fork over money for your apartment – at least he had better not.” She glances your way, much more nicely than Golden you might add, and taps your wrist with the back of her hand.

She’s got your back.

“Well, since you’re back in the game, I figured we could go hit up a tournament or something.”

Your eye twitches. You’d clobber 0phelia if you could get away with it legally.

>”I guess I could see the logic, but why the hell does it have to be me?”
>”I’m not exactly playing by choice, Orion. How’d you even find me?”
>”…and why couldn’t you go and do this yourself? I don’t see why this concerns me.”
>Look to Cinder for guidance – support tomboy is much more of a people person.
>Write-in.

>>4313184
>”I’m not exactly playing by choice, Orion. How’d you even find me?”

>>4313184
>”I’m not exactly playing by choice, Orion. How’d you even find me?”

>>4313184
>>”I’m not exactly playing by choice, Orion. How’d you even find me?

>>4313189
>>4313202
>>4313212
Writing now!

>>4313212
Also, it's been a long time, but isn't Fletcher still active? Why wouldn't he ask him before coming to us?

>>4313213

You finally manage to say something directly to the man, attempting to straighten your back as you do.

“I’m not exactly playing by choice, Orion. How’d you even find me?” You somehow manage to say this without wavering, although the look he casts your way almost makes you wilt. You know it’s not entirely on purpose – he’s always had a kind of bitchy face – but man, it still skeeves you out even five years later. “And to add to that, why didn’t you ask anyone else before coming to me?”

Orion sighs as if you’ve asked the most stupid question in the world, which irritates not only you, but everyone else on your side of the table.

“Well, for one, your arcade’s address is well-known knowledge if you know where to look.” Orion raises a finger, and you can concede that to him. You’re very well aware that 0phelia leaked your shit online, so if anyone truly wanted to know, they could just traipse their way through your door.

“And for two, everyone else is busy. Buster has his own team to deal with, I would rather swallow molten glass than do anything with Drifter, especially with her current attitude,” he shoots you a look, and you feel your blood chill for a moment, “and Fletcher refused flat out. Said he wouldn’t ever play anything but solo without the full team behind him.”

“He trained me after the fact, though…” You say quietly, to which Orion snorts.

“Was that training public? It beats the fuck out of me why he won’t play publicly with us on our own, but you’d have to take that up with him. He’s always been a little bit weird – and I say that as nicely as I can – but you and I both know that. Therefore, by process of elimination, that leaves you the only one left. And so, I tracked you down.”

You’re almost tempted to ask him if he had any other friends he could attempt this with, but you know he’d say he doesn’t. Even back then, Orion could hardly be considered a social guy – hell, he stayed in his room most of the time when he wasn’t training – and you highly doubt that’s changed in any way, shape, or form.

>”Then wouldn’t a solo tournament do the trick? Still don’t see why you needed to find me.”
>”So, you’re still in contact with everybody? How are they doing?”
>”Still doesn’t seem like a good plan, dude. You haven’t played for five years, and I’ve hardly done it either.”
>”Get Golden to do it.” Jab the blonde haired boy in the side and see how he reacts.
>Write-in.

>>4313234
>”Then wouldn’t a solo tournament do the trick? Still don’t see why you needed to find me.”

>>4313234
>"Still doesn't seem like a good plan, dude. You haven't played for five years, and I've hardly done it either." also how much money does he need and how does he plan to earn it
Info Dam it !

>>4313234
>”Still doesn’t seem like a good plan, dude. You haven’t played for five years, and I’ve hardly done it either.”

>>4313234
>"Still doesn't seem like a good plan, dude. You haven't played for five years, and I've hardly done it either." also how much money does he need and how does he plan to earn it

>>4313234
>"Still doesn't seem like a good plan, dude. You haven't played for five years, and I've hardly done it either." also how much money does he need and how does he plan to earn it

>>4313248
>>4313253
>>4313304
>>4313309
Why is he so bad at planning, and how much does he even need? Writing now!

>>4313319

“…it still doesn’t seem like a good plan, dude.” You manage to look him in the eyes for the first time in the encounter, brushing some of your hair from your eyes. “I haven’t played hardly at all, and you haven’t played in five years, either. What do you expect me to do? As well as that, how much money do you even need? How did you expect the plan to go? Did you consider any of this?”

It’s remarkably easy to talk when you have some leverage to stand on, as opposed to this man walking in like he had everything planned out. He doesn’t seem to lose any of his quiet confidence, though, although you do watch him shift a bit. Cinder taps your hand again, although whether it’s a warning or a show of support, you have no clue.

“Like I said, I figured we could hop into a tournament – I scoped one out before I showed up. And judging by the very limited clips I’ve seen, it looks like you’re still functioning well enough – have you even lost yet?”

“No, but—”

“That’s enough to prove my point.” He rudely interrupts you, waving a hand. “You could give me a few pointers, I get back up to speed, we kick ass in the tournament, and we get that $20,000 bounty. I’ll need 75% of it, but that’s still a hefty pot for you regardless, right? Solos don’t pay nearly that much.”

“Psh, only that much…?” You hear Golden murmur under his breath, to which you pinch him underneath the table, causing him to squeak.

“How much do you even pay for your apartment?”

“$1,250 a month, and I pay yearly - that makes $15,000.”

You almost spit out your drink.

“Christ, that’s a little much, isn’t it?” Cinder gripes. “Why not move to a place a little cheaper?”

“Because I like the apartment, and I worked hard to get that offer in the first place.” Orion shrugs again. “I used to pay monthly, but I like buying shit, so I convinced my landlord to let me do yearly. I got it, but on the condition that I have to keep it up, or I’ll be kicked out. A one strike and you’re out system – I’ve been very good about paying it, however my usual gambit didn’t work this time, so I’m shit out of luck. There are no Infinite Skies events going on due to the big one taking up the spotlight, so I figured Warscape be a good fallback.”

“And…when do you need this money by, again?”

“Two days from now.”

You resist the urge to hit your head against the table with all your might. You’re aware that Orion is a little bad with money – at least, he used to be – so you thought he might have grown up a little bit since then. Apparently not.

>Try to ask some details about the tournament.
>Ask what prevents you from playing with Golden first, in that case?
>Turn to Cinder to seek her counsel – she is the sanest one at the table, probably.
>Look at him blankly, and then finish off your drink. You’ve earned it.
>Write-in.

>>4313343
2 days....Nice P/ |___| We got this
>Ask for details and sip on your drink.

>>4313343
>Try to ask some details about the tournament.
Might as well commit to it.

>>4313343
>Turn to Cinder to seek her counsel – she is the sanest one at the table, probably.

>>4313343
>Ask for details and sip on your drink.
>"On one condition, you owe me,"

>>4313343
>>4313364
Seconding

>>4313364
Lol sure, I can see Wolf getting scared a bit by Orion after say "You owe me," cause of bitch face

>>4313343
Supporting >>4313364
$5000 isn't enough

>>4313364
Fucking this.

>>4313343
>>Turn to Cinder to seek her counsel – she is the sanest one at the table, probably

Yo, I'm back! Had to make some dinner. Hope you all are doing well tonight, and thank you for coming around!

>>4313364
>>4313372
>>4313379
>>4313403
>>4313405
Based. Writing now!

>>4313465

You take a good, long moment to contemplate his words. True, Orion seems to be as icy as ever, and still possesses money problems. It’s true that you’re not exactly playing willingly, and it’s true that this is an incredible emotional roller coaster you’re on right now. You hadn’t expected the aftermath of your team match to beget this shit, but goddammit, Orion was a friend, and he’s about to lose his house.

Doesn’t mean you won’t spin it a bit, though. Dude can bite it for showing up all of a sudden – he didn’t even call the arcade beforehand! You may be a lot of things, but you have some fucking manners.

“…Jesus, Orion. Give me the details.” You sigh deeply, taking a sip of your drink and ignoring the fact that your words made your friends gasp. The fuck’s with that? “On one condition, though. You’re gonna owe me for it.”

Orion’s gaze shifts from your drink to your eyes, and you can’t help but flinch. You think he’s not trying to glare on purpose, but you’re not really sure because of the resting bitch face, and so you’re left fidgeting in your seat as the boy stares holes into you. Another tap from Cinder – fuck, that’s almost annoying at this point – but you try your best to hold your ground despite his aggressive aura.

“Alright, sounds good to me. What do you want?”

You physically sag in relief – you had honestly expected that to go a lot worse. You weren’t aware of just how tense your body had become, but thank fuck that didn’t spiral out of control. You’d rather avoid any wrath heaped on your shoulders, because you’ve experienced a lot of it already.

>”I want you to pay back the $15,000 at some point, if I decide to do this.”
>”You’ll owe me a favor for some point in the future.”
>”At least try to fix your spending habits, man – I can’t believe this is still a problem.”
>Write-in.

>>4313476
>”At least try to fix your spending habits, man – I can’t believe this is still a problem.”
Let's help him get out of the hole instead of digging a deeper one.

>>4313476
>”At least try to fix your spending habits, man – I can’t believe this is still a problem.”

>>4313476
>”You’ll owe me a favor for some point in the future.”

>>4313476
>>”You’ll owe me a favor for some point in the future.”

Yo, gonna head off for the night, as I'm pretty tired! Thank you for coming around today, and I hope you had a great time reading! Please leave any comments, criticism, questions, or concerns you have - I wanna make things less shit overall.

Have a great night, anons! Vote is open 'till morning. See you soon!

>>4313476
>”At least try to fix your spending habits, man – I can’t believe this is still a problem.”

>>4313476
>"You'll owe me a favor for some point in the future."
>"And at least try to fix your spending habits, man- I can't believe this is still a problem." I wonder what he buys

>>4313476
>"You'll owe me a favor for some point in the future."
>"And at least try to fix your spending habits, man- I can't believe this is still a problem." I wonder what he buys

We don't need money, but support whenever you need it is worth its weight in gold.

Good morning, everyone! How are you doing today?

>>4313479
>>4313480
>>4313481
>>4313483
>>4313603
>>4313649
>>4313872
So with all of these votes, and some wanting both, I'm pretty sure we can combine them in this case. Writing now!

>>4313995

You ponder for a moment – what exactly could you ask of him? Well, for one, you could make him pay you back in the future, but knowing him, that’d probably be a fruitless endeavor. You still have quite a bit of money in the bank, and you make enough off of the arcade to get you by, so you don’t even need it. Raising a hand to cup your chin, you eventually settle on something that you think’s acceptable.

“You’ll owe me a f-favor for some point in the future,” you shrug your shoulders, finding a shred of confidence in the fact that you have a bit of leverage now. “Although, I’d like you to at least try to fix your spending habits, man. I really can’t believe that it’s still a problem.”

Orion regards you for a moment, and you almost think he’ll reject it, but he settles on chuckling. You think you can spot a mote of relief in his eyes, but you’re not willing to look at him long enough to confirm, because fuck the dude’s scary!

“Why’d I think you were gonna ask for anything else?” Orion runs a hand down his face, slapping his knee as he does. “Just like how you used to be – nosy, but fair.”

Your eyebrow furrows, and you can swear that you hear Cinder snort from beside you.

“Please give me the details before I change my mind.”

You glance over at the people sat next to you – Cinder looks almost proud, and Golden looks like he’s sat on a thumbtack. He most certainly has some form of objection, but you’ll wait to hear it after this, because you can hardly imagining having to field both Orion and Golden at the same time.

“Alright, then.” Orion pulls out his phone – a really nice one, you might add – and swipes a few times. “The tournament’s a two-man team affair, and it’s a best of 16 bracket, meaning four match-ups. Prize is $20,000, and you need to have some form of “professional reputation” to get in there – thankfully, we both have that, for better or worse.”

“So, we can expect people who actually know what they’re doing?”

“Eh, we’ll be fine once you get me back up to speed.”

“Again, I hardly know anything.”

“But you know how to play, and that’s what matters, yeah? Not like you’ve lost, yet.”

You find yourself slipping into a once familiar pattern of analysis – you’d like to say that your old habits should have stayed dead, but sometimes it be like that, so you’ll just roll with it.

>Ask if there’s any specific requirements for what a professional rep entails – you’d like to know precisely what you’re dealing with.
>Ask if there are any names of people enlisted – if it’s someone you fought in the past, you might be able to use that.
>Try to enlist Golden on the spot to help with training Orion – he’s played at a professional level for far longer than you, and he still looks mad.
>Turn over to Cinder and ask her just why she hasn’t showed you any details of the game yet – this may be serious, but you have time for teasing.
>Write-in.

>>4314003
>Turn over to Cinder and ask her just why she hasn’t showed you any details of the game yet – this may be serious, but you have time for teasing
There is always time for teasing but also
>Try to enlist Golden on the spot to help with training Orion – he’s played at a professional level for far longer than you, and he still looks mad.

>>4314003
>>4314010
seconding all of this

>>4314010
+1

>>4314010
+1
Killing two birds with one stone in Golden case.

>>4314003
Also is there a roster for those enlisted in the 2v2 Tournament, so we can check later?

>>4314010
supporting this

Went to town and got some lunch, and now we're back for the day!

>>4314010
>>4314021
>>4314039
>>4314058
>>4314141
Writing now.

>>4314144

You can see the points he’s making – although some of your matches have been by the skin of your teeth, you’ve managed to persevere, even if it came down to items at the end. You lean back in the booth and run a hand through your hair, glad that even some of your nervousness has been abated. You doubt you’d be feeling this at ease if it were just you alone with Orion, so again, you’re thankful to the people around you once more.

However, just because you’re nervous and thankful doesn’t mean you’re above teasing. You slowly look over at Cinder, who quirks an eyebrow at you from behind her glass.

“You know, we’ve been at this for a few weeks now – any reason you haven’t sat me down to explain more detail about items and shit?” You say with the barest hint of a smirk, causing her to almost choke on her drink. After wiping her mouth, she gives you a sly look.

“Well, if you wanted me to be a personal trainer, you could have asked! Also, I was gone for a week, and shit’s been hectic otherwise.” She says, patting you roughly on the shoulder. “Besides, you’ve picked up enough – at least you know what a haste potion is, right?”

“Oh, trust me, I’m well aware. I can see why Edit had so many of them, especially if there aren’t that many drawbacks.”

“The drawback is overconfidence and ridiculously high pricing – it’s mandated with how good of an item it is. You can commission practically anything as long as it falls within competitive standards, but they’ll definitely gouge you for it. Due to that, it’s almost impossible to predict just exactly what everyone has since people do a lot of tweaking, but I’ll run you by the Auxilia standard stuff, okay?”

“Thanks, Cinder.” You exchange smiles, and then turn over to Golden, who is now sipping his iced tea with relentless fervor. He’s scowling at everything in his path, so you figure trying to include him in the process will at least sate him for now.

“And we can use you to help get him back up to speed, Golden.” The boy immediately turns to you, blue eyes widening at the suggestion. “You’re the most experienced person on hand, and as much as you like to fuck around, I know how serious you can be.”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?” His expression of shock turns into slight irritation, and just as he’s about to respond fully, Orion decides to open his mouth.

“Does it really have to be him, though?” Orion yawns, taking a bite of his burger.

>”Is there an issue with it being him?”
>”Yes, he’s the most qualified one to do it.”
>”Not necessarily, I guess.”
>”Why are you like this?”
>Write-in.

>>4314162
>”Why are you like this?”
>”He’s the most qualified one to do it.”

>>4314168
support

>>4314162
>Not necessarily but I do owe Goldie a Fight, might aswell let him help with practice. Or do you have someone on mind

>>4314266
Someone else*

Also he can just help for 1 day if Orion really doesn't like him.

>>4314266
supporting this

>>4314162
>>4314168
+1

>>4314168
>>4314256
>>4314311
This goes through - writing now!

>>4314313

You are sorely tempted to facepalm at the sudden interruption by Orion, and you slowly turn to look at the man properly. You’re starting to realize that anger and irritation is a pretty damn good motivator for being able to look at someone – maybe you look into that at some point!

“Why are you like this, Orion?” You say flatly, getting another snort out of Cinder. “He’s the most qualified person to do it o-on-hand.”

The look he sends your way is enough to make you falter in the latter half, and he adjusts his position so he’s no longer slouched.

“He’s Auxilia, and he doesn’t like me. What reason do I have to believe he won’t try to dick me over? Even back then, he always got heated when it came to our team in both interviews and press conferences. Maybe you’re willing to overlook those boundaries, but this is a matter of me still having my home – I have no reason to believe he won’t fuck around and cost me the match by feeding me misinformation, or purposely playing in a manner that I won’t be able to learn from.”

“Hey, listen here—” Golden physically goes to move forward, and your hand darts out to hold him in his seat. It doesn’t do much, but the motion is enough to give him pause, which is all you need.

“Then who would you suggest?” You counter, feeling your own patience chip away slowly. Orion may be an old friend, but you’re not just gonna let him butt heads over old drama – you know that he’s always been the stubborn type, but come on!

“Fletcher, or you.”

“You’re contradicting your own argument from earlier – you said you didn’t talk to Buster because of his own matters, therefore you shouldn’t do the same for him. Not only that, but I already owe Golden a fight, so there’s no reason to exclude him based on your own past stuff. He’s had my back, somewhat, for the past week or so - don’t you trust my word?”

“I did trust your word, once. Look where we’re at now.”

Those short, blunt words feel like a kick to your chest, and you immediately fall silent. This is more than enough for Cinder to finally speak up, who sounds incredibly unhappy.

“Back the fuck off, dude. That isn’t a way to talk to someone who not only was a friend, but someone you’re coming to due to your own mistakes.” You chance a glance up at the girl, who looks like she’s ready to knock a few of Orion’s teeth lose. “You can be mad about what you want, but come on, dude. That was unnecessary.”

Moments of very tense silence pass, and surprisingly, Orion is the one to concede.

“…yeah, that was out of line. Sorry, Wolf.”

You can’t bring yourself to look at him.

>”It’s fine – when do you want to start training?” He’s also in a rough spot, you can’t blame him for being emotional.
>”Golden, want to go have that match now?” You need some time to think, and it seems Warscape’s a place to let off steam.
>”I’m going to go get some air.” It feels like someone has punched you in the chest, and you want to get out of this environment.
>Write-in.

>>4314352
>”It’s fine – when do you want to start training?” He’s also in a rough spot, you can’t blame him for being emotional.

>>4314352
>”It’s fine – when do you want to start training?” He’s also in a rough spot, you can’t blame him for being emotional.

>>4314352
>”It’s fine – when do you want to start training?” He’s also in a rough spot, you can’t blame him for being emotional.
Orion is such a funny character as a super intimating guy but also relatively shy and reserved

>>4314352
>”I’m going to go get some air.” It feels like someone has punched you in the chest, and you want to get out of this environment.

>>4314355
>>4314359
>>4314372
Tensions are high. Writing now!

>>4314391

You take a deep breath and attempt to get a handle on the vestiges of panic rising, gripping your knees and trying your best to rationalize things. Orion is in a very emotional state right now due to the potential loss of his home, which would equal the outburst. You know he’s not a bad guy – at least, he wasn’t - he’s just incredibly abrasive, and he did apologize just now. Whether or not he meant it is another story, but you need to calm down.

“…it’s fine.” You almost jump when you feel Cinder grasp your wrist, and you look over to see her giving a concerned look. Trying to calm your beating heart, you look back over at Orion – all you end up managing is looking at his chest – and continue to speak. “When d-do you want to start training, then?”

You aren’t sure if you’re imagining the tone of regret in his voice or not when he responds.

“I guess we can do it tonight? If you own an arcade and have those consoles, we could just camp out in there for the night, yeah?”

“Works for me.” You say, taking a long sip of your drink and finishing the whole thing as you do. Putting aside Orion’s money situation, it’s clear for you to see that there still is resentment on his end, which is fair. It’s nice to know that some of your fears were not only confirmed, but still have a great effect on you! Good to know for the future, you guess! Being emotionally vulnerable sure is fun.

More silence follows – nobody seems to know what to say, and you have a feeling that you’re going to be the one who needs to break the ice.

>”If you’re against Golden being a trainer, then what do you propose we do?”
>Turn to Golden ask what he thinks would be best to do as a warm-up – Orion has lost the right to complain.
>Break the tension by teasing Cinder for how hard she’s gripping your wrist – it’s starting to hurt.
>Excuse yourself from the table so you can go see if Alexis is here yet – you said you’d drink with her.
>You actually have an idea of your own for how the two of you could train! (Write-in your ideas.)
>Write-in.

>>4314419
>>Excuse yourself from the table so you can go see if Alexis is here yet – you said you’d drink with her
>Suggest to have the match with Golden before we start training with Orion tonight, we did promise we would do it and there's no reason to delay it any longer

>>4314427
supporting this

>>4314427
+1

>>4314419
>>Excuse yourself from the table so you can go see if Alexis is here yet – you said you’d drink with her.

>>4314427
+1

>>4314427
+1

>>4314427
>>4314442
>>4314464
>>4314494
>>4314516
Writing now!

>>4314539

(Ordered pizza and spent some time with the family – pepperoni is god.)

“Alright, then let’s put a pin on this for now.” You tap Cinder’s arm and motion for her to stand up, which she complies with. Moving out of the booth, you turn around so you can face both Orion and Golden. Alexis should be inbound soon enough, and you want to peace out for anyways, so this is a good enough excuse. Maybe some fresh air will make your heart stop racing.

“Before we do anything tonight, I’m gonna play my match with Golden – there’s no reason to keep putting it off.” Golden lights up slightly, although he’s still looking at Orion with scorn. “Golden, you can do whatever you want to do to set up. My landlord is coming and expects to drink with me, so I’m gonna go meet with her for a bit. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah.” Orion responds simply, going quiet and tucking back into his burger, albeit with a few glances that make you feel cold. You’re not sure if it’s intentional or just your body overreacting, but it’s making you uncomfortable, so you immediately turn away to leave without any further words.

You’re able to navigate through the various crowds who are drinking, and a few even give you a sympathetic pat – no doubt because they heard some of the conversation, you figure. The door isn’t far away from your position at all, and when you step out into the open air, your body is immediately assaulted by cold. It isn’t snowing this time around, however your body is still left chilled, partly due to how nervous you had been, leaving your skin flushed.

“Fuck me, dude.” You murmur to yourself with a sigh, pressing the heels of your hands into your eyes.

“Nah, not when I’m the one who paid for dinner.” Cinder quips from beside you, causing you to nearly jump out of your skin. She must have followed you out without you noticing, because to be fair, you are massively focused on your current internal strife. It feels like your emotions have been blitzed to high hell, and now you’re going to be squaring up against Golden, but also teaming up with someone you thought you’d never see again.

All fun and games when it comes to your life, really. At least it’s not 0phelia again!

You hope you didn’t just jinx yourself.

“How are you feeling, man?” Cinder leans against the wall next to you, scanning the street for Alexis’s car.

>”Well enough, considering everything. How are you doing?
>”Honestly, I feel like I want to disappear. I never thought I’d see him again.”
>”I’m trying to think what the fuck I’m going to do about this tournament.”
>Remain silent, and let the angst roll off of you in waves. You feel bad, man.
>Write-in.

>>4314721
>”Well enough, considering everything. How are you doing?

>>4314721
>>”Well enough, considering everything. How are you doing?

>>4314738
>>4314744
Writing now!

>>4314798

“Well enough, considering everything.” You’re not entirely certain what classifies good in this situation – it’s definitely a far cry from having a panic attack, although you’re not ruling that one out just yet, so you can say you’re okay for the moment. Even if things are startling, you have things under control for the moment. “How are you doing?”

“You don’t gotta lie to me, Wolf, I can see how spooked you are.” She pokes you in the side with her pointer finger. “I sort of want to punch that dude out for being an asshole. You and Fletcher are nice, so I was sorta expecting all of you to be.”

“Orion’s nice enough, he’s just…blunt. And he seems to have grown a lot more so over the past five years.” You weakly shrug, but poke her in the side back. “And that’s why I said well enough – I’m doing the best I can.”

“I wouldn’t call that nice at all. He looks like a mean dude, even taking his words out of the equation.”

“That’s just his face.”

“I’m at least glad you didn’t give him any money up front!” She claps you on the shoulder, to which you respond with a snort.

“Don’t care who you are – I’m not taking $15,000 out at the drop of a hat unless it’s for the arcade.” You manage to share a chuckle, silence falling as the two of you stand outside. A few people murmur greetings as they pass in or out of the building, and you’re able to see the street lamps and neon signs light up all down the street. It makes a pretty sight, even if it’s one you’ve seen several times before.

>Bring up those base details she mentioned – she said you could ask her, after all!
>Ask her what she’d do if she were training someone – you value her input quite a bit.
>Thank her for being here for you yet again – she seems to be your only pillar of support.
>Write-in.

>>4314820
I'm gonna be that guy and ask if we can do all three prompts

>>4314820
>All 3
but if not then just
>Thank her for being here for you yet again – she seems to be your only pillar of support.

>>4314826
>>4314896
This definitely can work, writing now!

>>4314975

You take a moment to let out a patented sigh, adjusting your clothes and breathing in the cold winter air. You’ll be happy once things turn to spring, as the mood in the air will be more facilitating of things such as “posi vibes” and “not unwoke scenarios”.

Man, you almost want to hit your head against the wall for even entertaining such a ridiculous thought. What are you, hip with the times or something?

“I’m just lost on what to do, I guess. Orion doesn’t want to be trained by Golden, and with my own lack of knowledge, I don’t’ know what the fuck to do. Any chance I could get some of those basic tips, since you so nicely offered?”

“Of course, but probably not tonight, since you’re gonna be fighting Golden. I can get you briefed tomorrow when I don’t have a few drinks in me, sound good?” Her voice is cheery, and you can make out the tiniest hiccup come from her.

“Yeah, it does. You’re a lifesaver, Cinder…if I can ask, how would you train him?” You look over at the girl, who’s already looking in your direction. “You may not be on the grand stage like Golden, but you know your stuff, right?”

“Well, it really depends.” She leans back and crosses her arms as she ponders. “If we’re getting him up to speed with the game, I’d say a few solo rounds to help him get his bearings, and then immediately throw him into the deep end with some team matches. I don’t think there will be too much problems there due to you guys having actual synergy from Genesys, but you might need some refreshers. If he’s been playing VR games this whole time, the detail shouldn’t be a bother, but he’ll still need to get caught up to speed.”

You can’t help but give her a lingering look as she explains, her eyes upturned towards the darkening sky. You’ve noticed that when she takes the time to explain something, she’s actually quite good at it – even if she is pretty headstrong and stubborn when she wants to be.

“Thanks, Cinder.” You find yourself saying of your own accord, reaching up to scratch at the back of your head. “You’re helping me out quite a lot recently, both with the game and with social shit. It really means a lot to me.”

“Well, it’s not like you haven’t helped me out, you know? You just got me through Edit and Sky, you’ve let me practice after hours for the past five years, and you even let me go without paying sometimes…I’d say that it’s only paying you back, but that’d be a lie. It’s just what friends are for, you know?”

She finally turns her eyes down towards you, and if you didn’t know better, you’d swear her grin is as bright as the street lamps.

“Heyyyyy, you two! Didn’t expect to be getting a welcome party, haha!” A loud voice booms from down the sidewalk, making the both of you flinch.

Looks like your pesky landlord has arrived.

>”Well, you were just taking so long, we couldn’t help ourselves!”
>”Wanted some fresh air. Got an unexpected visitor today.”
>Let Cinder talk to her. You’ll let her take the social reigns once more.
>Write-in.

>>4315046
>”Wanted some fresh air. Got an unexpected visitor today.”

>>4315046
>>”Wanted some fresh air. Got an unexpected visitor today.”

>>4315046
>”Wanted some fresh air. Got an unexpected visitor today.”

>>4315046
>”Wanted some fresh air. Got an unexpected visitor today.”

>>4315046
>"Wanted some fresh air. Got an unexpected visitor today."

>>4315072
>>4315074
>>4315079
>>4315184
>>4315217
Late night update. Writing now!

>>4315366

(Gonna go pass out now, you all have a great night! Thank you very much for reading, it means a lot – see you tomorrow, anons.)

You turn to the right in order to regard your landlord, and you can see that Alexis has discarded her business attire for the day. Where normally she’d show up in something obviously suited for business, she’s exchanged the suit and jacket for a maroon sweater, and the skirt for a pair of blue jeans. Even despite the low light, you can spot her tired eyes from behind the glasses perched on her noise, although it apparently doesn’t affect her enthusiasm.

“I wanted to get some fresh air. Got an unexpected visitor today.” You respond to Alexis, raising an arm in greeting to the brown haired woman.

“Oh, really? Something other than press, challengers, starstruck kids, or jerks? Color me surprised!” She flashes you both a lopsided grin, stopping in place and waving at one of the cars that pass by.

“Jury’s out on the last one. Good to see ya, Alexis!” Cinder murmurs the first bit, before walking forwards and clapping the woman on the shoulder. Once they actually met, it didn’t surprise you that the both of them hit it off – they’re both pretty similar, and when it comes to matters off the clock, Alexis couldn’t really give a damn about acting businesslike.

“Anybody I should be wary about? I’d like to know if we’re gonna need to fix up the arcade again,” Alexis comments after a moment, raising an eyebrow.

“Nah, he’s not gonna hurt my shit physically. Emotionally, however, can be wildly different – it’s one of my old team members.”

You can see the look of concern cross Alexis’s face, and you immediately divert your eyes.

“You just keep attracting trouble, huh? I can try to make sure he doesn’t come on the property—”

“It’ll be fine. I agreed to give him a helping hand.”

She rolls with your words rather fast.

“If you’re sure. Looks like you really do need that drink – I’ll even pay for it, since I’m such a caring landlord~!”

“Tch.” You click your tongue and sigh, jamming your hands into your pockets.

“Are you gonna cover mine, too?” Cinder asks in a fake sweet tone, causing Alexis to loudly laugh.

“You’re not my tenant, so unfortunately not! Unlucky for you!”

Well, you’d bet that Alexis is certainly gonna rope Cinder into drinking with her, judging by the way she’s leading her into the bar by the shoulders. Hell, you can only hope that means you’ll be going into your match clear-minded by the end of all this.

What would you like to do?

>Follow the girls in and have a drink or two – you haven’t caught up with Alexis in a bit, and Cinder’s always good company.
>Go back into the bar and find Orion and Golden’s table – maybe the two of them have made peace at this point.
>Try to find somebody playing a game of darts, pool, or what have you. You’ll distract yourself with games.
>Stay outside and take in this evening air – you’d rather spend some time alone with your thoughts, even if just for now.
>Write-in.

>>4315384
>Follow the girls in and have a drink or two – you haven’t caught up with Alexis in a bit, and Cinder’s always good company.

>>4315384
Let's have a beer with the girls, but then we can try our hand at darts. We need to go for the grand slam of pub games (that also means a rematch in beer pong).

>>4315672
Obviously the beer pong rematch is not going to be tonight if we have to train, but we WILL have our victory dammit.

>>4315384
>Follow the girls in and have a drink or two – you haven’t caught up with Alexis in a bit, and Cinder’s always good company.

>>4315384
+1

Good afternoon, everybody! Spent the morning with my dad, since y'know, Father's Day is a thing. How are you all doing today?

>>4315658
>>4315672
>>4315700
>>4315755
Talk to the girls. Writing now!

>>4315872

As tempting as the option is, you’d rather not sit out here and be a total recluse. The night air will suck after a while, being alone with your thoughts will suck even harder, and you don’t want to have the eventual hazing Alexis will heap upon you for not drinking with her. So, with that in mind, you move off the wall and trail after the two chattering girls.

Stepping into the bar, your eyes immediately go towards the corner booth once again. Orion and Golden seem to be in the middle of an animated discussion, although the volume is too low for you to hear from this distance. Golden looks as if he’s explaining something to Orion, who’s staring back with disinterest as he takes bites of his fries. Before you can try to make out the conversation, you feel a tap on your shoulder, and see that Cinder’s reached back in order to lead you towards the bar.

She must be trying to save you any additional stress. Support tomboy is best tomboy.

“Glad to see you’re doing well despite the vandalism!” Alexis chatters as she takes a seat at one of the stools, quickly ordering a cocktail that you’ve never heard of. “Thought you’d be closed for longer, honestly – I’m pretty impressed!”

“Well, it’s not like there’s much else to do around here – it was nice to have some peace, for once.” You sit next to her, and Cinder takes the seat next to you. “Having people show up for interviews gets real annoying after a while. I have no idea how I used to deal with it – hell, I used to love it.”

“Maybe you’re getting older?” Cinder quips.

“You’re older than me, and I’m damn well sure you’d love to be in the spotlight.”

“Potentially! It hasn’t exactly happened other than small shit, so who knows? Maybe I’ll become Cascade’s PR person, and net you some more business.”

You pale at the grin plastered across her face, and make a mental resolution to never allow her access to anything involving your arcade’s media presence.

“Well, at least your business is running good. It makes me proud to see you come this far~!”

The lilt to her voice makes you shudder.

>”Well, I have you to thank for it. Couldn’t have ran a business at that age without you.”
>”What’s up with your business? Thought you were an infallible landlord.”
>”Maybe you should enlist Cinder to be your PR person. It means she won’t touch my shit.”
>Ask either Cinder or Alexis if they’d like to play a game with you while you chat. (Choose between darts, billiards, or beer pong.)
>Write-in.

>>4315899
>”Well, I have you to thank for it. Couldn’t have ran a business at that age without you.”
>Ask either Cinder or Alexis if they’d like to play a game with you while you chat. (Choose between darts, billiards, or beer pong.)

Darts, so everyone can play without getting too tipsy.

>>4315899
>>”What’s up with your business? Thought you were an infallible landlord.”

>>4315920
support

>>4315920
>>4315967
Play some darts! Writing now.

>>4315971

“Well, I have you to thank for it. Couldn’t have ran a business at that age without you – hell, you were the one running shit until I was old enough to take the reigns.”

You shrug your shoulders and cast your eyes around the room, settling on a seemingly unoccupied dart board near the billiards tables. While there are a few holographic games near the front of the bar, it’s always had a section for “old” games, which are still used just as frequently.

“And don’t you forget it!” Alexis cackles from behind her drink with no malintent, brushing her hair out of her eyes and following your vision. “Feeling up to some darts? I will warn you that getting some booze in me won’t be enough to win – that’s one thing I have over you, champ!”

“Well, if you’re offering.” You manage a chuckle and move off of the seat. Alexis is pretty notorious for being good at darts – you recall a night where she was challenging quite a few people for some free drinks – but hey, you’ve had some more practice with your aim! Maybe tonight’s the night you’ll get one over on her?

You’ll just have to see about that. You turn to Cinder, who’s already in the process of standing up to follow.

“You want in on this too, Cinder? Two’s better than one, especially when going against this fiend.”

“Oh, trust me, I’m well aware. She’s beat me a handful of times too, you know! I’m down, let’s kick her shit in.”

The three of you idly chatter as Alexis signals to the bartender to give her three sets of darts. Cinder snags the red set, Alexis goes for blue, and you’re left with green.

“We doing 301 rules?” Cinder asks, leaning against one of the tables and twirling the dart in one of her hands.

“Yep, as always! Sticking to what’s simple is best!” Alexis takes another sip of her drink, and then turns to you. “Wanna go first, Wolfgang? It’s only fair to give you first shot as a handicap!”

Oh, she’s on.

>”Sure, I’ll take your generous offer.” Line up and prepare to throw.
>”You should be giving that to Cinder, since I’ll be beating both of you.” Smack talk with friends is always warranted.
>”Nah, you can take it. Better not slip up – I’ll give you hell if you do.” Smirk at Alexis, and gesture to the board.
>Write-in.

>>4315996
>>”Sure, I’ll take your generous offer.” Line up and prepare to throw.

>>4315996
>>”Sure, I’ll take your generous offer.” Line up and prepare to throw.

>>4316023
>>4316041
Let the darts fly. Writing now!

File: DART.png (113 KB, 1112x878)

113 KB PNG

>>4316048

“Well, I’ll take that generous offer, then.” You move past her and pat her on the shoulder, taking place an adequate distance away from the board. Raising your arm, you squint as you try to determine where exactly where you’re trying to hit. The rules of engagement are quite complex when it comes to darts, and you need the perfect possible strategy in order to—

“Hey, throw the damn dart, already. We have training to do tonight!” Cinder jokes from behind you, making you sigh.

Let’s see how good your aim is. You bring your arm back, and send off the first dart.

>For those who are unaware, a game of 301 in darts is as follows. You start with 301 points, and depending on where you hit on the board with three darts per turn, you will subtract that score from the total. Your goal is to have 0 points first, which will make you the winner! The ring of color closest to the bullseye means the number counts for triple, and the farthest ring means it’s a double. As well as that, if you only have 1 point remaining, yet you make a hit on a 5, it will not count.

>If you have any questions, please ask!

>I want three people to roll me a single 1d20, and describe where you wish to hit on the board. First come, first serve!

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>4316063
20, inner ring!

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>4316063
BULLSEYE

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>4316063

Rolled 18, 6, 6, 1, 15, 15 = 61 (6d20)

>>4316072
>>4316090
>>4316111
These all go through! For the third poster, please specify where you'd like to hit if you're still around, or I'll just choose one of the first two instead! Writing now!

>>4316119

Letting the first shot fly, you attempt to aim it towards the inner ring of the board. Unfortunately, you’re just the tiniest bit off, and the dart makes its home directly below the line. Gritting your teeth, you make a second shot towards the bullseye, yet it drifts to the right, and embeds itself on the 4 section. Feeling very irritated at this, you make a shot towards the inner 20 line again, and this time it strikes the wall next to where the dartboard is perched upon.

>WOLFGANG: 20 / 4 / OUT = 277

“Strong start, weak finish!” Alexis cackles, and you look behind you with a frown. You can feel the competitive fire within yourself rising, but you keep it cool and step out of the way so Alexis cans step forward.

“Watch how a master does it, Wolf!” She croons, raising an arm and casually throwing a dart towards the board.

It fucking hits on the inner 20 line.

You could swear that you feel a blood vessel pop in your forehead. Alexis slaps her knee and makes another lackadasial shot, however it veers widely off course and sticks in the 1 area. A small frown comes across her face, and she throws once more. The dart sticks in the same place once again.

>ALEXIS: T20 / 1 / 1 = 239

The grin that comes across your face of it’s own accord is scathing.

“Thought you were a master, Alexis?” You say sarcastically, making Cinder giggle.

“Even a master has an off moment, Wolf! Just you watch, sometimes it takes a bit to get going.”

Cinder wordlessly passes by you and throws towards the dartboard. Her first shot goes wide, making her frown. She makes an attempt at the bullseye, and nails it just outside the green ring, scoring 18 points. She makes a second, and it falls south, scoring 3.

>CINDER: OUT / 18 / 3 = 280

“Well, still not enough to put me in second! It is what it is.” She shrugs her shoulders, sliding off her jacket as she does. Your eyes are drawn to her tattoo that’s visible with her sleeveless top – it goes down to her wrist, depicting a red dragon amidst various flora. It’s high quality.

Cinder notices you looking immediately, and gives you a coy grin.

“The board’s over there, man.”

“Oh, shut up.” You step past her.

>ALEXIS: 239
>WOLFGANG: 277
>CINDER: 280

>As before, please roll me a 1d20, and specify where you wish to attempt to hit along with your vote! First three go through.

>”What got you so into darts, Alexis? I don’t believe I’ve ever asked you.”
>”So, how bad did work go today? You said it was hell – were some tenants being rowdy?”
>”Hey Cinder, were you inspired to get that tattoo because of your screen-name, or something else?”
>Write-in any other small talk and or regular talk you wish to engage in!

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>4316143
>”So, how bad did work go today? You said it was hell – were some tenants being rowdy?”
>Inner ring! 20! Never give up!

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>4316143
”So, how bad did work go today? You said it was hell – were some tenants being rowdy?”

>>4316176
Inner ring

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>4316143
>”What got you so into darts, Alexis? I don’t believe I’ve ever asked you.”
Inner ring

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>4316143
INNER RING

>”Hey Cinder, were you inspired to get that tattoo because of your screen-name, or something else?”

Rolled 16, 17, 6, 7, 20, 6 = 72 (6d20)

Got my dinner sorted, so let's get the ball rolling again!

>>4316149
>>4316176
>>4316179
These three go through - writing now!

>>4316270

Alright, so maybe your first round wasn’t the greatest in the world – but hey, that’s fine! You are completely confident in your ability to make some great throws. It doesn’t matter what they say, all that matters is that you stick to your guns! Those guns, of course, being the inner ring in the 20 position!

The first dart misses the board.

Your eyebrow twitches, and you squint as you slowly bring your arm up again to throw the second dart. You could swear somebody behind you snickers. With a bit more hesitation, you go for another shot on the inner ring.

The second dart knocks a glass off of the adjacent table.

You sigh deeply as you throw the third shot, almost tempted to look away as you fling the third dart. You nearly jump in place when it connects, and you have to stop yourself from darting forwards to check it. It is only a sliver off from the inner ring, but the fact that you scored a 20 still elates you somewhat.

>WOLFGANG: OUT / OUT / 20 = 257

“Hey, you at least got some points!” Alexis says, stepping past you with a barely contained smirk. You lean against one of the billiard tables and sigh, choosing to focus your effort on talking rather than mental dart failure.

“How bad was work today, Alexis? Were some tenants giving you shit?” You ask her as she makes some shots – she also is going for the inner ring, although misses and scores two 20s. Her third shot goes way off base, and snags a 15.

>ALEXIS: 20 / 20 / 15 = 184

“Ah, someone couldn’t pay rent, and so I went over to evict them. Turns out they trashed the fucking apartment, so I gotta get that all fixed up – seems like they knew they couldn’t pay up, so they bailed.” Alexis shrugs, taking another swig of her glass. “What can you do? Shoulda saw it coming, but I can’t turn down someone in need like that.”

“Sucks to hear that.” Cinder says as she makes her rounds – she seems to be aiming for the bullseye once more, although her first shot goes wide and snags a 6. You see her narrow her eyes and stick her tongue out slightly on her second shot, and after a moment’s hesitation, she lets the dart loose.

PING!

You can’t help but feel a bit impressed – Cinder’s snagged the bullseye, netting her 50 points.

“Hey, hey! I fucking got it, finally!” She pumps her fist several times, immediately following up with a wild throw. It hits a 17, though, so not bad by any standards.

>CINDER: 6 / BULLSEYE / 17 = 207

She walks back over to you with swagger, extending her fist out for a bump. You roll your eyes, but respond in kind, stepping up to the plate.

>ALEXIS: 184
>CINDER: 207
>WOLFGANG: 257

>Roll 1d20 – specify your area, and the first three make it in!

>”You should really be more careful about stuff like that, Alexis. This happens too often.”
>”Hey, if it weren’t for that kindness, you probably wouldn’t have given me a place.”
>”Be careful, Cinder. If you get too confident, I might just take your spot.”
>Write-in.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>4316295
>>”You should really be more careful about stuff like that, Alexis. This happens too often.”
INNER RING

>>4316295
>”You should really be more careful about stuff like that, Alexis. This happens too often.”

BULLSEYE

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>4316329
DAMMIT, SAME PROMPT, FORGOT DICE

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>4316295
>”You should really be more careful about stuff like that, Alexis. This happens too often.”
20

Rolled 10, 15, 4, 5, 1, 14 = 49 (6d20)

>>4316315
>>4316331
>>4316340
These go through - writing now!

>>4316342

“You really should be more careful about stuff like that, Alexis.” You take your spot and line up the dart, casting a glance over your shoulder at the brown haired woman. “I’m not in any place to lecture you, considering you let me have a place to stay, but this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

Turning back around to aim at the board, you try to still yourself and aim true. The first round was mediocre, the last round was shit, but this one should surely lead to greatness! Putting your thumb on the back of the dart to assist its movement, you let the dart fly forward.

“Oh, fuck yes!” You blurt out, cupping your mouth immediately afterwards. You actually hit the inner ring! Let’s fucking go!

“Damn, nice shot, Wolf! Maybe Alexis will have to eat her words after all!” Cinder chuckles, and a few other patrons raise their glasses. They know the pain of defeat at her hands – perhaps today will truly be the end of her streak. You roll with the punches and make a shot off on the bullseye, however it drifts downwards slightly and sticks a 2. Making another one, it goes entirely off course, embedding itself in the wall.

Well, fuck it, you can’t win them all.

>WOLFGANG: T20 / 2 / OUT = 195

“Pretty good round, Wolfgang. I might have to get serious after all!” Alexis chuckles, waiting for you to retrieve your darts before she fires. “And to what you said, I literally can’t help myself. Some people who end up here are in rough straits, and not a lot of landlords take people like that. It may fuck me over in the end, but what can I do, you know?”

She’s far too nice for her own good, sometimes. You respect it, even if you’ll never tell her that to her face.

Again aiming for the inner ring, Alexis sends off her three darts. The first hits a 13, the second drifts up a bit and hits a 20, and the third goes entirely off course.

>ALEXIS: 13 / 20 / OUT = 151

“I really worry about you, sometimes.” Cinder walks forward and takes her position, bringing her arm up. “Doesn’t it get to be a little much, having to clean up after those types every so often?”

Maybe it’s due to her own worry, but the first two shots miss entirely again. She’s able to snag a 15, and that’s enough for her to still remain ahead of you.

>CINDER: OUT / OUT / 15 = 192

“Eh, tonight could be considered one of those nights, but hey! Nothing that a little booze and company can’t fix!” Alexis laughs to herself, rolling up the sleeves of her sweatshirt. “It’s always nice having a night off, you know?”

>ALEXIS: 151
>CINDER: 192
>WOLFGANG: 195

>Roll 1d20 – specify your area, and the first three make it in!

>”You have plenty of nights like this off – but hey, if it helps, I’m glad to do so.”
>”Well, hey, at least you have your dart streak. Although, maybe not for much longer!
>”I wonder if I spent my money recklessly, you’d finally let me stay for free!”
>”You’re one to talk, Cinder. Feels like you’ve been helping clean up plenty of my messes.”
>Write-in.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>4316354
>”You have plenty of nights like this off – but hey, if it helps, I’m glad to do so.”

BIG BUCKS
NO WHAMMIES
BULLSEYE

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>4316354
Can I get uh... Inner ring 20
>”You have plenty of nights like this off – but hey, if it helps, I’m glad to do so.”

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>4316354
>”You have plenty of nights like this off – but hey, if it helps, I’m glad to do so.”
Inner Ring

Rolled 15, 10, 20, 20, 8, 12 = 85 (6d20)

>>4316358
>>4316360
>>4316361
Oof, that nat 1. These all go through, though, so writing now!

>>4316382

“You have plenty of nights like this off, judging by how much you drag me out to them.” You squint as you try to line up a shot on the inner ring, pushing back some of your hair to get it out of your eyes. “But hey, if they help get you away from your shitty job, then I’m glad to do it.”

Your first shot flies far downwards, and it snags a 7. Wincing at the large gap, you take another at the bullseye, and it veers into a 9. As you set up your third shot on the inner circle, you notice that Alexis has been oddly silent after your words. You draw back your arm, and just as you’re about to throw, she decides to speak up.

“Well, ain’t you a sweet talker – I’m a bit out of your age range, though.”

Your body violently seizes as soon as she says this, and the dart goes not only off the board, but into one of the adjacent tables. Clutching your chest, you sharply pivot around to stare at the girl with a blazing red face.

>WOLFGANG: 7 / 9 / OUT = 179

“I didn’t mean anything like that, damnit—”

Alexis promptly loses her shit, laughing hard enough that she leans on a stool to keep herself upright. When she sees you glaring at her with embarrassment, she reaches up to wipe a tear from her eye, moving past you and ruffling your hair with a free hand.

“Oh, you’re so fun to tease, Wolfgang. Don’t think I’ve known anyone who reacts like you do!”

You grumble to yourself and look to Cinder for salvation, and judging by the way she’s pressing her hand into your mouth, you will find none. You only glance up at Alexis once you hear the three thunks of the darts – and you curse to yourself, because she made another fucking ring shot.

>ALEXIS: 5 / 13 / T20 = 73

“Aw, calm down, Wolf! You don’t gotta be so embarrassed!” Cinder says through a few giggles, poking your cheek as she walks by you. You’re not sure if it’s skill, confidence, or just plain luck – but she nails her first bullseye almost seconds after taking the plate.

>CINDER: BULLSEYE / 9 / 10 = 123

>ALEXIS: 73
>CINDER: 123
>WOLFGANG: 179

>Roll 1d20 – specify your area, and the first three make it in!

>”You’re teasing me now, but wait until I make this comeback. I’m gonna show you.”
>”I-I really didn’t mean anything like that, Alexis, just so you know. Don’t be an idiot.”
>Stare into the dartboard and hope it swallows up your embarrassed existence.
>Write-in.

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>4316391
>Stare into the dartboard and hope it swallows up your embarrassed existence.
Bullseye

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>4316391
SO HELP ME IF THIS ISN'T A BULLSEYE

>Stare into the dartboard and hope it swallows up your embarrassed existence.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>4316391
>>Stare into the dartboard and hope it swallows up your embarrassed existence.
in order to minimize our time in this conversation, we might as well hit an INNER RING 20

>>4316404
+ 1
Nice

Rolled 8, 19, 13, 16, 20, 8 = 84 (6d20)

>>4316401
>>4316403
>>4316404
Stare into the abyss, and hope that it stares back. Writing now!

>>4316447

You can’t bring yourself to say anything with the heat on your face – you hadn’t meant anything weird with that whatsoever, but as always, Alexis seems to love teasing you! You had began to slip up and think maybe you should give her some slack, but as soon as that guard drops, she sneaks in and gets you like that!

You have been done dirty on this day, even if it’s really not that big of a deal. You stare into the dart board regardless, and pull your arm back for some more shots. An 11 on the first, a 14 on the second, and fuck yes, you actually manage to hit the ring on the third! You sigh in relief – you’re slowly catching up to Alexis, so maybe you’ll be able to finally conquer her winning streak on this night.

>WOLFGANG: 11 / 14 / T20 = 94

“Looks like you’re doing pretty good, Wolfgang!” Alexis comments, rolling her shoulders as she walks forward. You could swear that you feel a menacing aura coming off of her, and it’s enough for you to step back in face of the sharp gaze she’s casting towards the board.

The first shot goes off – she hits a 14, putting her down to 59 points. You feel a bead of sweat form on your brow.

The second shot goes off – she nails the inner ring on the 19, putting her down to 2 points. A lump forms in your throat.

“Too easy, too easy!” Alexis cackles, leaning back and aiming at the board one last time. With a quick motion, she fires off, and you instinctively shut your eyes in anticipation.

“FUCK!” Alexis curses audibly, garnering not only your attention, but many patrons around her.

Her shot went away from the 2 and up to 20. You sigh in relief, her points will remain the same.

>ALEXIS: 14 / T19 / 20 = 73

“Damn, we’re still in it, Wolf.” Cinder nudges you with her shoulder as she walks by, cracking her knuckles. Your embarrassment fades – for the moment, anyways – in face of the imminent victory. Even if you’re not the one to get it, all that matters is taking Alexis down!

“Are you really, though? I can guarantee that next turn will be my win.” Alexis croons from the table, having procured another drink.

“We’ll see about that,” Cinder murmurs, sending her darts towards the board. The first hits the rim next to the bullseye, making your heart leap. When she hits the bullseye, you and many of the patrons observing have a physical reaction to it. You can see the grin flash across her face as she takes a crack at the inner ring on the 16, but she goes wide and hits the 17.

>CINDER: RIM / BULLSEYE / 17 = 31

The room has become tense.

>CINDER: 31
>ALEXIS: 73
>WOLFGANG: 94

>Roll 1d20 – specify your area, and the first three make it in!

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>4316467
bullseye!

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>4316467
BULLSEYE

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>4316467
BULLSEYE!

>>4316472
>>4316478
>>4316480
Literally cursed

>>4316481
we're in paintown gentlemen

Rolled 15, 15, 3, 10, 11, 19 = 73 (6d20)

>>4316472
>>4316478
>>4316480
Wow. We're cursed again, boys. Writing now!

>>4316566

(Heading off for the night, everyone! Hope you had fun today, and thank you very much for coming around to read! See you all tomorrow – have a great night, anons.)

“It’s time for me to step up, then.” You say dramatically, sliding off your own coat for the first time as you walk towards the line. Spinning one of the darts in hand, you exchange a look with Cinder – a look of affirmation and camaraderie. You both realize that right here, right now, you have to win this. Alexis is too powerful – but if you can just reach 0 before her, it will all be over.

“Do you really think you can approach my level, Wolfgang?” Alexis walks into sight, cocking a hip and staring at you with mirth.

“Perhaps not. But I can get closer.” You flick your hand out and take aim, determination swelling up within you. This is your moment. Swinging it forward with a short battle cry, you can feel the breath the bar takes as the dart flashes forward in the low light.

It hits the wall. So does the next. And the final one.

You physically collapse.

>WOLFGANG: OUT / OUT / OUT = 94

“Looks like you’ll have quite a bit to go before you can reach me!” Alexis gives a faux villainous laugh, gently jabbing your back with her foot as she goes to take her place. You feel shame as Cinder leans down to pat your head. You don’t want pity.

“Watch as I carve yet another mark in my record!” Alexis calls to the crowd that has now formed, twirling the dart as she sends it flying. The first hit is a flat 20 – you feel your heart sink into your gut. The next throw is another 20 – she’s at 33 points. You watch her eyes trail over to the 11 inner ring – and with one last smirk to you and a horrified Cinder, she throws.

KH-THUNK!

It hits the wall. Alexis looks heartbroken.

>ALEXIS: 20 / 20 / OUT = 33

“Oh, thank fuck!” Cinder lets out a hurried breath, cracking her knuckles. “See, we’re not stuck in the woods yet, right Wolf?”

“Kill me.”

“Okay, that’s enough of that!” Cinder laughs and rises up, jauntily strolling over to the line. The crowd is thrumming with excitement – it seriously feels like a small scale arena at this point. Even the bartender is watching, and you can make out Orion and Golden beginning to move pver.

“It’s over for you, Alexis!” Cinder is clearly hamming it up at this point, powerfully tossing the dart at the board. It appeared that she was aiming for the bullseye, but it veered off course into a 9. A bead of sweat trails down her cheek as she sends another out – you wince and look away as it collides, but when you look back, you see it’s hit a 20 rather than the bullseye.

Wait. That means she has 2 points left—

“GOTCHA NOW!” She fully abandons all pretenses of quiet, practically whipping the dart towards the board as hard as she can. Time almost seems to slow as it approaches the surface, and the room takes a collective breath in pure suspense.

It firmly hits the 2. The crowd promptly loses their shit.

>CINDER: 9 / 20 / 2 = 0

(1/2)

>>4316595

People are screaming their heads off as soon as the dust settles, the sounds of clapping and glasses clinking heard all around you. Alexis is looking forward in shock, you can spot the bartender starting to look a tad impatient, and you’re only barely able to pull yourself off the ground in face of the excitement.

Cinder, meanwhile, looks elated.

She slowly pivots and walks towards her abandoned hoodie, a confident sway to her hips as she smirks at Alexis. The crowd absolutely loves this, and small chants of her name are started up as she snatches up the coat, throwing it over her shoulder with her tattooed arm.

Looking at both you and Alexis, Cinder winks, her blue eyes filled with excitement, shock, and radiant levels of smug.

“Looks like I’ve already surpassed you, Alexis.”

>CINDER: 0
>ALEXIS: 33
>WOLFGANG: 94

>MATCH OVER - CINDER WINS!

>Reach out and fist bump the girl – that was pretty fucking hype, goddamnit.
>Pull the girl into a half-hearted hug – you did it, you conquered the beast.
>Sit in silent, salty solitude. You failed, even if you still accomplished your goal.
>Now’s your chance. It’s time to strike. Put her in a headlock. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]
>Write-in.

(2/2)

>>4316596
>Now’s your chance. It’s time to strike. Put her in a headlock. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]
I'll personally find and kick the ass of anyone that doesn't vote for this

>>4316596
>Now’s your chance. It’s time to strike. Put her in a headlock. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]
We can only roll high, right?

>>4316605
+1
Yep, VERY HIGH!

>>4316596
>Now’s your chance. It’s time to strike. Put her in a headlock. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]

File: cinder.png (270 KB, 723x1185)

270 KB PNG

btw cirno here's some cinder fanart. probably mangled the tattoo design but hope you guys like it!

>>4316596
>Now’s your chance. It’s time to strike. Put her in a headlock. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll
LETA FUCKIN GOOOO

>>4316596
>Now’s your chance. It’s time to strike. Put her in a headlock. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]

>>4316596
>Now’s your chance. It’s time to strike. Put her in a headlock. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]
We will fail and it will be glorious.

>>4316708
Very nice. For some reason I remembered her hair being in a ponytail but I could be wrong.
>>4316596
>Is that even a question?

>>4316596
>cirno thinking we will ever give up
Cute

Good afternoon, everyone! Very busy morning, but I'm here to write.

>>4316601
>>4316605
>>4316611
>>4316673
>>4316792
>>4316839
>>4316854
>>4316930
>>4316973
Why the fuck did I expect anything else from you madlads? Roll me a 1d20 - best of three wins!

>>4316708
Holy shit, thank you so much anon! She looks amazing, and goddamn the tattoo is slick as hell!

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>4317302

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>4317302
Greetings Cir

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>4317302

>>4317310
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

>>4317310
OH, MY GOD. Writing now!

>>4317307
Huh...Thx

>>4317310
Proud of you

>>4317314
Classic headlock roll

>>4317323

Today is the day. Many attempts have gone by, where you were conquered by your best friend. Her strength is insurmountable, but in this moment, emotions are elevated. You can see the pure excitement in her eyes, you can hear the rumbling of the crowd, and most of all, you can see the defeat in Alexis’s eyes. Today, one person has been conquered, but you’ll add another to that score.

You pull yourself off the ground using a stool for leverage, and turn to face Cinder with determination in your heart.

It’s just in time to see her arm coming your way, and you’re unable to stop her as she yanks you down against her side by the neck. This causes the crowd to explode again in laughter, and you’re left loss as your attempt has been foiled before it even began. You look up at her from your bent position, and find that smugness has entirely taken over her excited expression. She leans down so she’s close enough for you to hear her, and the words are whispered against your ear.

“Not gonna get me that easy, Wolf! I know what you look like when you’re about to try something.”

Perhaps it’s due to the proximity, but you feel a sudden shiver creep down your spine. Curse this girl for not only being infinitely stronger than you, but also for paying close attention, you guess? You attempt to pull yourself away, but her arm has a vice grip around your neck and shoulders. Looking over at Alexis, you see her expression is a sincere mix of sorrow and amusement.

You’ve lost for the second time tonight, it would seem.

>”Fine, fine, I tap out.” You’ve been foiled, and you have a match with Golden to kick off.
>Reach out to Alexis with your free arm, pleading for assistance. S-She’s kind, right?
>Stay still – if she wants to keep you here, then you’ll just wait until she gets bored and lets you go.
>You aren’t down for the count yet. YOU WILL ESCAPE. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll with DISADVANTAGE.]
>Write-in.

>>4317310
I'm proud of you son.

>>4317348
>>You aren’t down for the count yet. YOU WILL ESCAPE. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll with DISADVANTAGE.]
You don't even have to ask

>>4317348
You aren’t down for the count yet. YOU WILL ESCAPE. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll with DISADVANTAGE.]

We all know how this will end cirno. Why are you prolonging the inevitable

File: 1580585223506.jpg (41 KB, 683x453)

41 KB JPG

>>4317363
Because you never know, anon.

>>4317348
>You aren’t down for the count yet. YOU WILL ESCAPE. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll with DISADVANTAGE.]
Might as well get rid of the cursed rolls now.

>>4317348
>You aren’t down for the count yet. YOU WILL ESCAPE. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll with DISADVANTAGE.]

>>4317348
>You aren’t down for the count yet. YOU WILL ESCAPE. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll with DISADVANTAGE.]

>>4317366
silence bottom. we know whose ass is going where.

>>4317348
>>You aren’t down for the count yet. YOU WILL ESCAPE. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll with DISADVANTAGE.]
COUNTER SUPLEX INITIATE

>>4317348
>You aren’t down for the count yet. YOU WILL ESCAPE. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll with DISADVANTAGE.]
there is literally no other option

>>4316930
couldn't remember for the life of me. thanks tho bro

>>4317302
you're very welcome my man! thanks for running such a fun quest

>>4317353
>>4317363
>>4317369
>>4317377
>>4317383
>>4317394
>>4317398
COUNTERATTACK. Roll me 1d20 - the best of TWO wins!

>>4317383
How could you call me such a name, anon?

>>4317398
Thank you very much, anon - glad you're having a good time.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>4317400
Allah guide my hand

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>4317400
1

>>4317419
Well, it seems the inevitable always happens. Writing now!

>>4317400
I'm sorry have mercy

>>4317453
you've done it now

>>4317427

(Sorry for the wait, had stuff to do around the house! Gotta love it.)

You try with all your might to squirm away from the girl, straining to escape her muscled arm. Unfortunately, this doesn’t bear any fruits, as she seems to be effortlessly pressing you into her side and laughing.

“Looks like I hold your title now, Alexis! Maybe another rematch once things are a little calmer?” Cinder says between laughs, apparently paying no attention to the way you’re trying to escape her clutches.

“I was protecting it for so long…what am I gonna do?” Alexis leans against a table and raises her arm up to cover her eyes in a show of faux dramatics, but her smile betrays her as she looks to the both of you. “Yeah, sure! Guess I’m really gonna have to go as hard as I can next time around, huh?”

“Maybe I should retire from Warscape and start doing dart tournaments!” Cinder snickers, looking down at you. “What do you think?”

“You’re far too good at Warscape, Cinder, the entire game would be lost without you!” You gripe from her side, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Close enough! You’re free to go.” She releases her hold on you, only to snatch your hand and pin it to the table just as you’re properly getting up. You feel your heart stutter to a stop. “You might get me someday, but that’s not today, alright?”

You weakly nod, and she grins cheekily as she lets you go.

“Sheesh. You’re still being dragged around a bunch, huh?” You hear Orion’s voice from over the crowd, and you instinctively flinch at the sudden shock. It seems you still have some – most likely lots – of stuff to work through regarding him and your team, but hey, baby steps.

“Some things don’t change, I guess.” You respond, rubbing at your neck as Cinder cheerfully clinks her glass against anyone who’s willing to reciprocate.

>Ask Orion how he’s doing – things were weird earlier, and you’d like to be friendly.
>Ask him what he and Golden were talking about – if they’re having issues, you’d like to solve them.
>Stay silent and look for Golden – you have to discuss the match with him, and socializing isn’t your strong suit.
>Write-in.

>>4317621
>Ask Orion how he’s doing – things were weird earlier, and you’d like to be friendly.

>>4317621
>Ask Orion how he’s doing – things were weird earlier, and you’d like to be friendly.

>>4317621
>Ask Orion how he’s doing – things were weird earlier, and you’d like to be friendly.

>>4317621
>Talk with Orion, we still have a lot of catching up to do

My internet has been fucking up tonight for a solid while. Gonna get this update out and then head to sleep - thank you all for reading, and I hope you've had a great day. Goodnight, anons!

>>4317626
>>4317629
>>4317655
Try and keep it friendly. Writing now!

>>4318083

“How’re you doing? It looked like Golden was talking your ear off.” You turn towards the man – once again, not meeting his eyes – and find him already with another beer in hand. Orion yawns and leans against a table, crossing his arms as he does.

“Seems to be his favorite habit. I’m doing well enough, I suppose – not like there’s any worry about my home or anything, and no, I’m not saying that as a guilt trip.” He immediately says, taking a sip of his drink. “Golden was just trying to prove why he’d be a good teacher and why he wouldn’t fuck me over, which frankly, I didn’t believe whatsoever.”

You sigh automatically and prepare to open your mouth, but he holds out a hand to stop you.

“But, if that’s how it’s gonna be, I don’t really care at this point. Guess I’ll just have to rely on the ol’ brain to sort through proper information and the like.” He taps his temple with a finger, proceeding to then fidget with one of his many ear piercings. “As long as we can get this shit rolling and that $20,000 in our pockets, we’ll be good.”

Speaking of Golden, you can spot him a bit away from the buzzing crowd, leaning on the bar counter and typing hurriedly into a white cellphone. Every few seconds, he begins to scroll, and his face scrunches up when he sees something he apparently doesn’t like.

“Well, I’m glad we solved it, at least.” You say, raising your eyebrow at the odd sight. “If I had to tie you down into the console just to train you, that’d be irritating.”

That actually gets a laugh – or perhaps a wheezy cough – out of Orion.

>Ask him if Golden told him anything he intends to do for your match – information is advantageous!
>Ask him what he’s been up to over the past five years – you know functionally nothing about the man.
>Walk over to Golden and ask him what he’s up to – might as well talk to him about the match now.
>Write-in.

>>4318086
>Ask him what he’s been up to over the past five years – you know functionally nothing about the man.
Once more I will be that guy, and suggest also
>Ask him if Golden told him anything he intends to do for your match – information is advantageous!
if we have the time.

>>4318090
supporting

>>4318086
>Ask him about what he's been up to over the last five years

>>4318090
+1

Good afternoon, everyone! Hope you're doing well.

>>4318090
>>4318101
>>4318151
This goes through! Writing now.

>>4318762

After your words, a slightly uncomfortable silence falls over the two of you. With the crowd having gotten their fill of excitement from Alexis’s winning streak being toppled, they split back off into little groups, congregating around tables and observing the televisions once more. This leaves you and Orion standing around awkwardly, and Alexis and Cinder chatting and drinking while being none the wiser.

This leaves you with a problem.

Ever since you left the Warscape scene and started the Cascade arcade, your social life has been basically non-existent. The only exception to that has been Cinder’s arrangement with you that led to friendship, and Alexis dragging you out for the occasional drink. This has not made you an expert social navigator by any stretch of the word – with that fact being combined with Orion standing a foot away from you, it’s a nasty cocktail that leaves you sweating bullets.

But, fuck it. Your mother – or former mother, you guess – never raised no quitters.

“What have you been up to?” You blurt out, staring into your bluish-green drink to avoid any looks from Orion. “Over the past five years, I mean.”

Orion exhales through his nose, but it doesn’t quite sound irritated. Just…contemplative.

“Not much, to be completely honest. After Genesys disbanded, I went to a game where playing solo was profitable.” Another chuckle – you remember that he was by far the most money oriented of the team. “I bounced around for the first half a year, but then I settled on Infinite Skies. Things were a lot more rudimentary back then – it was definitely weird when they added in Fullsense – but with the realistic Ais, it caught on in popularity.”

“I see…you never got to finish your story. Did you end up losing that bout, then? I can only assume so if you came asking for help.”

“Well, my story got interrupted, so I guess you’ll never know.”

“…if you won and came here for money, that’d be a pretty skeevy thing to do.” You say with a raised eyebrow, finally looking over to him.

Orion is looking into his own glass, surprisingly. He almost seems to be reluctant to do so.

“If I had the money, I wouldn’t be here. I’m not that much of an asshole, Wolf.”

“Never said you were – was just a hypothetical.”

More silence reigns.

Buster, Drifter, and Fletcher were perfectly sociable people – they all had their oddities, but they had no issue carrying conversations. You and Orion had always been different in that regard – while you were capable of lapping up attention from the media, you never initiated beyond what was asked of you. Orion simply had no presence at all, preferring to keep to himself except when it was asked of him.

>Ask Orion if he knows anything about what Golden has planned for your match up.
>Tentatively ask about the two teammates you haven’t seen hide nor hair of over the past few years.
>Walk over to Golden and get some information from him yourself. The time for fighting is close at hand.
>Write-in.

>>4318776
Tentatively ask about the two teammates you haven’t seen hide nor hair of over the past few years

>>4318776
>>Tentatively ask about the two teammates you haven’t seen hide nor hair of over the past few years.

>>4318776
>Tentatively ask about the two teammates you haven’t seen hide nor hair of over the past few years.

>>4318778
>>4318787
>>4318800
Ask after Drifter and Buster, but politely. Writing now!

>>4318812

“Hey, if it’s okay asking…” You trail off for a moment, trying to find your words.

Despite your bad feelings about how things went down in the end, you’ve always wondered what everyone else has been up to. Usually the thoughts came to you late at night, when questioning literally very single action from the acceptance of the cheat to the end of your tenure. Those questions would turn to thinking about the hatred they must feel and the hatred you knew the fans to feel, which led to hatred for yourself, which led to—

Okay, boss. Let’s pull it back a bit. You exhale deeply and stare into your drink as if it holds the answer.

“Asking what?” Orion says bluntly, sipping at his drink and gazing at you with cool eyes. You don’t think that he’s trying to glare at you, but man, that fucking face of his. Dude looks like he’s gonna stab you for even daring to exist in his presence.

“How…how have the others been? Drifter and Buster, I mean. If you still talk to them, of course.”

Orion pauses, apparently trying to figure out his own words.

“We aren’t very close anymore, admittedly. I do still talk to Drifter once in a blue moon, and Buster is doing his own thing. Drifter went on to play on a pretty popular team – hell, they’re at least in the top 10 from what I hear – called Cardinal. Hell, like I said, I even met her sister. Buster flits about through teams, but I don’t know the reason. He’s always been pretty fuckin’ hard to read, despite his bombastic personality.” He shrugs his shoulders. “They seem to be keeping on alright.”

He stares at you for a moment, making you squirm.

“You’re an absolutely forbidden topic, by the way.”

You deflate slightly – sure, it was expected, but it hurts to hear it.

“Oi, Nova, get over here!” Golden calls out from over the crowd, causing both you and Orion to look over to him. After a moment, Orion groans, gesturing that you should go over.

“He’s a loud fucking talker. Go over there and appease him, Wolf. We’ll have plenty of time to be sappy and catch up over the next few days.”

>”Yeah, we will. Let’s see what he has to say.”
>”Maybe, providing you can put up with him.”
>Shrug your shoulders and walk over in silence.
>Stay over here and continue talking to your ex-teammate. (Write-in what you want to say.)
>Write-in.

>>4318832
>>”Yeah, we will. Let’s see what he has to say.”

>>4318832
”Maybe, providing you can put up with him.”

>>4318832
>”Yeah, we will. Let’s see what he has to say.”

>>4318838
>>4318891
Let's see what Golden has to say to you. Writing now!

>>4318900

You chance a nervous smile at Orion’s words, not entirely sure if he means the latter half of the statement. You’re not really intending to get sappy – is wanting some semblance of a proper reunion sappy? – but you’ll hold onto it and see where it takes you. After all, best case scenario, you can part on amicable terms, and worst case, you never have to see or hear from him again. Sounds like a plan to you!

“Yeah, we will. I’m gonna go see what he wants.”

Orion says nothing to you in response, although he does raise his glass. You take that as affirmment and turn around, walking towards where you saw the boy lingering. He’s still leaning against the bar and typing into his phone, although his blue eyes are now firmly on you.

“What’s up, Golden?” You ask him, crossing your arms. “Did you have a good time talking Orion’s ear off, earlier?”

“Dude’s a prick, that’s all I have to say about that.” Golden is surprisingly frank, eyes flashing over to the man, before returning to you. “Anyways, I wanna know how you want to do this. If I’m picking the field, you should decide the details – it’s only fair.”

“Well, what’s all in the field, then?”

“A very, very small one. Not much cover, only two buildings – it takes place in a dustbowl arena.” Golden says. “I’m looking for a test of skill, I want to finally prove I’m better than you. I’m going to be recording it, if you’re comfortable with that – no live streams, as I don’t want ANY distractions for this.”

He’s practically speaking a mile a minute, and you can’t help but feel a trail of sweat go down your face. You almost forgot that he had a pretty heavy fixation on proving that he was the better player between the two of you, as that was a hotly discussed topic in internet forums and tabloids back in the day. Due to the match ending unfairly at the Invitational, it left an unsolved question in the air – one that he was really fucking looking to confirm, apparently.

>Vote for one option from both sections, please!

>”Sure, might as well if you’re so set on it. I’m down to fight you in front of people.”
>”I’d rather not. I’m still not comfortable in the public eye, so please respect that.”
>”Alright, fine, but I have a condition if you’re going to record it.” {Write-in.)

>Ask him what kind of details he’s looking for you to decide – the statement was pretty vague.
>You’re curious first and foremost what he and Orion were talking about – ask away.
>Try and ask why he felt a dustbowl was the ideal option to prove his skill over yours.
>Write-in.

>>4318936
>>”I’d rather not. I’m still not comfortable in the public eye, so please respect that.”

>>You’re curious first and foremost what he and Orion were talking about – ask away.

>>4318936
>”Alright, fine, but I have a condition if you’re going to record it.”
Keep it private.
>Ask him what kind of details he’s looking for you to decide – the statement was pretty vague.

>>4318936
Supporting >>4318950

>>4318950
this my dude

>>4318950
>>4318970
>>4318973
Keep things quiet, also what does he want from you? Writing now!

>>4318980

“You can record it, if you want.”

“Oh, shit, real—”

“But please keep it to yourself. I’m very uncomfortable with being in the public eye, especially because I never voluntarily did so. If you do happen to beat me, you can have your bragging rights, but let’s please keep it out of the eyes of others. Also, what details are you even looking for?”

Golden muses on this for a few seconds, biting his lip as he crosses his arms. Once again, you’re very uncomfortable about how feminine the gesture is, but you account that to the trace amount of alcohol in your system. He really should cut his hair and get some meat on his bones, goddamnit.

“Alright, that’s fine by me, I guess.” He puts heavy emphasis on the latter part, obviously not liking it, but content to listen to your request. “And by details, I mean how you want the match to go! If I’m the only one who has say in where and what happens in the match, that could be constituted as unfair!”

Oh, you understand what he’s getting at now. You’d be willing to hazard a bet that Orion’s words are hanging on his conscious a bit, although you can see why. He’s on the home team of the company that made the game, so the concept of fairness must mean a lot to him – it would explain some of his aggressiveness, anyways.

“And by details, you want me to dictate how some aspect of the match should be played, right?”

He nods proudly, a small smile flashing across his face before being replaced with an obviously forced frown. You almost chuckle at the boy – he really is trying too hard, after all – but listen to what he has to say.

“Exactly! You can dictate what weapons are used, if you want any special conditions – I will match anything you have to offer, because goddamnit, I will win!” He pumps his fist with a grin, reaching out and tapping your chest with an extended finger. “So come on, Nova, lay it on me!”

Hm, interesting.

>You have nothing to add or take away from the match – you’ll beat him without deviating from the norm, showing that your balance is strong.
>You want a ditto match with him – you’ll be forced to use the same weapon, meaning you can prove you’re better with certain weapons if you win. {Write-in your preferences.)
>You want to have no items in the match – you’ve been given a lot of shit for using them, and it will mean you can prove you can win without them.
>You want to have the bracelet taken off for just one match – you’ll prove to him that you don’t need to be monitored to win. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]
>Write-in.

>>4319014
>You want to have the bracelet taken off for just one match – you’ll prove to him that you don’t need to be monitored to win. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]
>You want the stage to have very little cover, meaning gunfights can be short and extremely dangerous. A desert scenario would do.

>>4319014
>>You want to have the bracelet taken off for just one match – you’ll prove to him that you don’t need to be monitored to win. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]

>>4319014
>You have nothing to add or take away from the match – you’ll beat him without deviating from the norm, showing that your balance is strong.

>>4319014
>You have nothing to add or take away from the match – you’ll beat him without deviating from the norm, showing that your balance is strong.

>>4319107
+1

>>4319014
>You have nothing to add or take away from the match – you’ll beat him without deviating from the norm, showing that your balance is strong.

>>4319014
>You have nothing to add or take away from the match – you’ll beat him without deviating from the norm, showing that your balance is strong.

>>4319077
>>4319107
>>4319118
>>4319149
>>4319194
Neither you or he need a handicap. Writing now!

>>4319233

“Nah, I don’t think it’d be genuine if there were any handicaps in play. If either you or I win, that way, we’ll know we weren’t held back or assisted by anything.” You say to the boy, leaning against the bar next to him. “I’ve had plenty of my share of accusations, even before I actually cheated. I don’t want you coming to me angry if I happen to beat you.”

You toss out a small bit of smack as you look to Golden, who’s immediately puffing up his chest as soon as you imply your own victor.

“You’re entirely right, except for one thing. I’m gonna win – the possibility of you winning is close to zero. I’m going to give it everything I have, so you best prepare yourself, Nova.” Golden cracks his knuckles, and you feel a chill go down your spine. No matter how annoying and petulant that he acts outside of game, you can’t forget the fact that he’s not only a pro player, but one who has a hell of a lot more experience than you. He never stopped playing.

While this may be worrisome, you’re confident that you can give him a good fight. Probably.

>”May the best man win, Golden, whether that’s either of us.”
>”Don’t underestimate me, Golden – you’ve seen my streak.”
>Reach over and pat the lad on the head, before going to fetch the others.
>Write-in.

>>4319250
>Reach over and pat the lad on the head, before going to fetch the others.
Good boy

>>4319250
>”May the best man win, Golden, whether that’s either of us.”

>>4319250
>>Reach over and pat the lad on the head, before going to fetch the others.

>>4319250
>Reach over and pat the lad on the head, before going to fetch the others.

+1

+2

Good evening, everyone! Dinner was great, spent some time with family and pals, and now its time to start up again!

>>4319259
>>4319304
>>4319309
Pat the lad. Writing now!

>>4319333
>>4319334
Pat the lad with +3 efficiency.

>>4319639
>Good evening
[Laughs in European]

>>4319639
>Good evening
[Laughs in Brazilian]
huehueuhehue

>>4319639

You don’t find it necessary to say anything to the boy. However the match may fall, you know that’ll be that, so smack talking of any sort won’t have much of a place at that point. If the arena’s small and littered with a few obstacles, that might remove the need for surprise attacks and such – it will be an entirely skill based encounter, meaning that you’ll need to be at the top of your A-game. Especially since you turned down the handicaps, although it was rightfully so, in your opinion.

You don’t need anything extra to take him on. Therefore, all you do is step forward, and place a hand on the smaller boy’s head. His blonde hair is incredibly soft – you sincerely can’t imagine how long it takes to clean, considering the length – and you tousle it slightly. At first, he looks up with surprise, which quickly fades to shock, which fades to embarrassed anger. He takes an open handed swipe at your arm, but you deftly dodge away from him, smirking as you do.

While it may not have much of a place at the current moment, you’re always down to tease Golden.

“The fuck was that for!?” Golden shouts with a red face, garnering a look from the barkeep that shuts him right up. It takes a lot to stifle your own laugh as you move back towards Cinder, Alexis, and Orion.

The first two are still off by themselves chatting, while Orion’s moved on to playing a quick round of nine-ball with another patron. You can spot a drink with two $10 bills underneath it, making you sigh deeply – they’re playing for cash.

“Didn’t I ask you to keep your spending habits in check?” You say to Orion with a bit of irritation, to which he chuckles as he pockets a ball.

“You did, but I just won this money off of your dart game.”

“…did you bet against me?”

“Yep. The cute brown-haired girl looked like she had a better handle on the darts than you ever will, so I made a bet with Goldie over there – I get $10 if you lose, and I’ll owe him $10 if you win. It’s obvious what happened.”

“…well, it’s nice to know somebody was in my corner, at least.”

You want to hit your head against the table, but restrain yourself.

>Move over to Cinder and ask her for some advice on how to handle your match – she’s more up to date with shit than you are.
>Pull Orion aside and ask what he’d do in the match – he has an old school mindset from five years ago, which could give an edge.
>Get everyone together and tell them that you’re heading back to the arcade – you’ll win this off of your own stratagem.
>Write-in.

>>4319684
>>Move over to Cinder and ask her for some advice on how to handle your match – she’s more up to date with shit than you are.

>>4319684
>Move over to Cinder and ask her for some advice on how to handle your match – she’s more up to date with shit than you are.

>>4319684
>Move over to Cinder and ask her for some advice on how to handle your match – she’s more up to date with shit than you are.

>>4319692
>>4319694
>>4319707
Ask her for advice - she knows her shit. Writing now!

>>4319666
>>4319675
[weeps in American]

>>4319739

Shaking your head, you move away from the table with a sigh. Looks like he’s still going to be a heavy work in progress – you’ve no clue if he plans to stick around in any capacity after he gets his money, but if he does, you’ll need to try and curb that habit. You’re far too used to people – namely, Golden – hanging around recently. You just want to run your arcade.

“Yo, Cinder, got a minute?” You call to the girl, who turns around immediately at the sound of your voice. You spot a faint flush in her face, likely due to alcohol, but there’s no falter to her step as she makes her way over to you.

“’Sup?” She asks, voice devoid of any slurring or stuttering. On the rare occasion you’ve seen her drink, she hardly strays far from her normal self, so it really is no surprise to you. She probably just has a bit of a buzz, although you don’t think you can recall seeing her actually drunk.

“Need some advice on my match with Golden, if you’re in a state to give it.” You point to her lightly red cheeks, the corner of your mouth quirking up. “You look as red as a tomato.”

“The fuck I do!” She snorts, crossing her arms and setting down her glass. “Whatcha need from me?”

“A different perspective, if only to try and sort my own strategy out. The map’s apparently a small dustbowl, there’s hardly any distractions, and there’s two buildings.”

“How big‘re the buildings?”

“Beats me, he only told me so things were transparent.”

“Aaaaaah, if it’s small, just go CQC. He likes to carry around a saber, right? Push him into a corner so he’s forced to come at you, parry with knife or gun, shoot, and win. Easy peasy, right? I promise that’s not just my perspective as a CQC main – it seems like the logical thing to do in a limited space!” She wraps an arm around your shoulder and pulls you close, causing you to instinctively freeze up. “Alternatively, find a way to flush him out into the open and pick him off from a distance, buuuuut that’s less reliable.”

“…are you actually drunk, o-or are you fucking with me?” You lean away from the girl, noting to hate your own stutter when you’re of decent mind to do so.

“Nah, haven’t had nearly enough to get me drunk – I can’t remember, have you seen that? I hear it’s wild.”

“Noted. Mind letting go of me so I can walk to the arcade?”

“I could—yeah, I gotcha.” She releases you from the second hold of the night, and drifts away from you in order to grab her hoodie.

You don’t think you’ll ever get used to being touched again, at this rate.

>Lead your companions out of the bar, and to your arcade. It’s about time you settle this score with Golden.
>Try and sneak a text to Fletcher, and let him know about things. You might need him to step in at some point if Orion continues being antagonistic to Golden.
>See if you can access a site that tracks Golden’s inventory, like what was used for Edit. Having information is always useful.
>Write-in.