Before the Looking Glass

[Buio]

And that was how Jason's very first make-out session started. Not bad at all if he did say so himself. The two who were usually so nervous and apprehensive quickly forgot all their worries in their exchange of kisses, breaking contact only to breathe, and never pulling apart even as they paused in their embraces. Both entirely filled with love and desire for the other time slipped by into a forgotten memory as their moment together stretched onwards. What had begun with soft, tender kisses gradually became more and more passionate as the two, for what was the first time in their lives, willingly gave themselves over to each other. When the two had finally had their fill of each other they were laying together intertwined in the sofabed (though Jason was still conscious to keep his hips pulled away lightly so as to prevent any unnecessary friction in that area. Comfortable as he may have become with kidding her, he still wasn't quite ready to test out how rue would react to him getting an erection). Jason was still gently caressing her back with one hand while her head was laying on his chest. He didn't say anything, nor did he feel the desire to do so. Holding her close he felt calm and happy, and would have been completely fine letting himself drift off to sleep exactly as they were.

 

[Ravenbelle]

And that was how Rue's very first real make-out session started. She felt a little clumsy at first, swapping which lip would fit between his at the right time, trying to breathe in between and getting confused about where to put her hands, but after that..things came more naturally. She quickly shed her nervous mood for a sweeter, then more passionate one. There was nothing she wanted more than Jason in that seemingly long stretch of time in which she did nothing but love him. She felt like she was taking so much, but giving everything she had as well. Rue had never been so open and willing in her lifetime and for once, she wasn't afraid about it. But all good things must eventually come to an end and just like a favorite book, she appreciated the events instead of mourning the fact that it ended. Rue was very content to lie in his arms with her cheeks still red and her soft smile intact. It was like he had held her long enough to temporarily stick all her broken pieces back together. She knew it might not last very long, but while his fingers trailed up and down her back in comforting caresses and she listened to his lullaby of a heartbeat, Rue was okay. Better than okay.
"I love you," she whispered.

 

[Buio]

Jason found himself blushing lightly as he heard rue speak (not that she could see it from her position) and smiled warmly, hugging her more closely. "I love you too Rue. More than anything else."

"You should grab her butt."

It was a with a heavy mental sigh that Jason physically nuzzled his girlfriend's hair and closed his eyes so she wouldn't notice his internal conversation. "I'm not grabbing her butt."

"No, seriously, you should grab her butt."

"How about instead I NOT ruin the moment?"

"Which you're only saying because you're afraid of her rejecting the attention, but you and I both know there's a pretty good chance she's having thoughts at least similar to yours. She's a teenager too and she obviously likes you."

"We've been dating a day."

"But you've been a couple for a week."

"Yeah, well, while that's true from a certain perspective a week's still a pretty short amount of time. Even if rue's got... those thoughts, she's not exactly the most adventurous girl."

"Jason, i'm not telling you to whip your cock out and stuff it in her face-"

"Jesus christ Jack, way to pull out your inner Chess."

"Wouldn't that technically make it your inner Chess?

"... don't even joke about that." retorted jason, mentally shuddering at the idea of another 'chess' forming within his sub-concsious and antagonizing him when the real one wasn't around. he wasn't able to teleport into people's minds, right?

"Look, either way," continued jack, "what i'm trying to say is that grabbing her butt would be a good way to test the waters you know. It's not exactly something girls wouldn't expect from their boyfriends, and if she doesn't like it you can pass it off as something you were just doing to be silly without too much damage."

"I think you're overestimating my ability to sell a lie, especially to her."

"Maybe, but what's the worse that could happen, you think it's something she would break up with you over? Worse case scenario she gets spooked, you have to apologize and feel embarrassment for a while, she forgives you in like a day, and then you now know exactly how little she's thinking of sex."

"Yeah but why the heck would I even risk that? Cuddling like her like this is fine."

"You said it yourself jason, she's not exactly the adventurous girl. If she wanted your body right now would she make the first move or wait for you?"

"... well, even still-"

"Right now she could just be waiting for you to do something to signal that you're interested."

"... that's incredibly unlikely..."

"But not impossible, and you know that possibility's not going to stop nagging you until you verify it, even if I don't."

"... so what you're saying is-"

"You should grab her butt."

"... how the hell did I let you convince me on this?"

"hah, because unlike you I can actually be honest about what you want."

Thankfully for Jason communicating at the speed of thought was a fair bit faster than verbalizing everything, so once his discourse with jack was over only a few moments had passed in realspace since he'd spoken to rue. Swallowing away the last of his apprehension and choosing to bite the bullet under jack's counsel, he slid one hand down from her lower back, letting it rest on her rear and only applying the slightest pressure for one to consider it being 'grabbed. He chuckled casually (or at least attempted to) and spoke again. "after all, how couldn't I love a girlfriend with a butt as cute as yours?"

Granted, he had managed to make the words actually sound like a legitimate playful tease, but he still feared having his nervousness be given away by rue hearing how his heart was beating in his chest.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Though she couldn't see it, she smiled at the same time as Jason, anticipating his reply as he hugged her closer in his warm arms. And it even turned out better than she expected. 'More than anything else.' There was that new phrase there, another one she had yet to hear directed to her. It made her blush again along with his nose nuzzling into her hair, which she also hadn't anticipated no matter how many times he had already done so. Rue took a deep, almost relaxing breath lying right above his golden heart and hoping that this wouldn't come crashing down like everything else had.

And then he sneaked up on her, letting his hand go lower than earlier when it came down from its caress from the top of her spine. She didn't immediately react that badly, but her smile disappeared. Only her hands clenched tight on his shirt. That is, until his fingers squeezed just slightly and his words reached her from his chest. It sounded like a warp of his voice both because of her position and her mind's instant tidal wave of panic and---nononononononono!
Rue stiffened, tensed every muscle to brace herself for the impact, holding her breath as her eyes shut tight and air started to come in little gasps so she could survive under the water that loomed over her, ready to crush her in an instant. There was one thing that was left to save her in her desperate search for a lifeboat.

A few beats of a golden heart. It was jumping and pounding nervously under her ear, reminding her of whose arms she was wrapped in. Jason. Rue opened her eyes and blinked a few times, gulped and listened closely. She could recognize the music of his heart anywhere. He wouldn't hurt her now. Not on purpose. And when he moved his hand away she was certain and she was sure the panic was fading away. She breathed easier now and slowly relaxed again before replying in a whisper. She couldn't meet his eyes, she didn't want him to see anything that might make him feel guilty.
"P-please, don't. I'm sorry. and you don't have to apologize, I just..." Rue shuddered and stayed quiet for a bit after that. She had felt an urge to explain herself, but she couldn't this time. So she kept silent, unsure of how to finish her sentence or if she even should.

 

[Buio]

While she may have tried to hide it; from their close contact it was easy for Jason to feel her tensing up under his touch, when she didn't raise her eyes to meet his that was all the information he needed. He promptly, thought not abruptly, proceeded to remove his hands from her behind, bringing them back up to her back, though refraining from hugging too tight even there. He said nothing but he knew what was coming next and let her say it. When she was done, he felt surprisingly calm. He'd imagined rejection would somehow disappoint or sadden him on some level. But seeing rue shrink under his arms, all he knew is that he didn't ever want to cause that reaction again. He almost felt liberated in a sense. Oh his carnal desires were still there mind you but he now found it much easier to overrule those impulses with his sense of duty to her.

Understanding that she wasn't going to finish her sentence, Jason hugged her closer to him and spoke softly. "It's alright. I want to protect you no matter what. That means I won't ever do anything you don't want. I meant it when I said loved you more than anything, this doesn't change that."

He then held her close in his arms and paused for a few moments. He hesitated. Having stopped talking, he was having a hard time resuming his speech. He wanted to just stop there and let the peaceful moment go on. But he knew he needed to talk to her about what had just happened, and without any push from Jack, it was his responsibility.

"But there's one thing I'd like to say. Your physical reaction right now, you just displayed several textbook examples of classic physiological reactions to direct exposure to a source of psychological trauma." Though his voice remained even, Jason felt his insides tremble as he continued. "More specifically, the kind of trauma people who suffered from physical or sexual abuse develop. Now, if I'm just being crazy and seeing red flags where there aren't any because i read one too many psychology textbook, you can tell me right now. However, if there was something traumatic about your past... You don't need to tell me now, you don't need to say anything. You can even lie if you want, I won;t question or doubt any answer you give me. I'm not forcing you to do or say anything, I just want you to know that I'm here. It's my job to protect you and take care of you now." he smiled and gave a light chuckle."Well, I guess that's always been my job, but even more so now. So I want you to know that if you need anyone to talk to, or to vent, or a shoulder to cry on, if you need anything at all... you're not alone, I'm here."

It was kind of cliche really. Jason knew this kind of confession was totally out of character. He knew this was the kind of thing he never could have said without relying on jack before. He was Jason, nervous, sneaky, quiet, awkward, hesitant, Jason. And part of him just couldn't help but laugh at how he was playing out such a cliche trope that even he knew about it. He was finding his courage through the power of love. It was ridiculous, but yeah, he'd be damned if he was going to let something like his own weakness stop him from keeping rue safe. For her sake, he'd be as strong as needed. even if that meant her potentially hating him for bringing this up. Jason also knew exactly how much people generally didn't like having their skeletons brought out of the closet

 

[Ravenbelle]

Rue tried to come up with something to say. Something that wouldn't give anything bad away. Something to get their minds off of that. Something to change the subject or...or something...anything! But her mind was blank, too occupied with keeping everything out of the forefront that no ideas came to her aid. She bit her lip, grew anxious in the silence she created. It could have lasted an eternity for the nervousness it caused.

Until he spoke again. Her broke away a bit of her tension with his soft voice and warm, forgiving hands. As if he had read her thoughts and feelings, Jason soothed her skipping heart and calmed her down to a near-peaceful level. How does he do that so easily? Rue listened to his heart, coupled with his perfect words and let out a quiet breath, relaxing a bit more into his embrace again. He still loved her. The only part that concerned her was the protective part. She knew it was contradictory, but as much as she wanted him to care about and love her, she knew she didn't deserve it and she wished he didn't feel that way. Then she could painfully love him at a distance, so he wouldn't want to risk getting hurt in any way to protect her instead of her protecting him. She loves him unconditionally, no matter what he feels or doesn't feel for her, she loves Jason Greeves endlessly. And for a moment, she wanted to sit with that, let it wash over her like a sweet summer breeze.

But when the silence shattered for the second time, it was definitely less reassuring.

"But there's one thing I'd like to say. Your physical reaction right now, you just displayed several textbook examples of classic physiological reactions to direct exposure to a source psychological trauma."

Rue gulped, grit her teeth, kept herself locked up like a ticking time bomb. For someone who doesn't want to get attention for feeling tortured all the time, she sure tends to make it obvious. Rue winced. He knew she was weak.

"...More specifically, the kind of trauma people who suffered from physical or sexual abuse develop."

Rue's breath hitched in her throat.She sealed her lips tight enough to make them go white. He's going to figure it all out much sooner than she thought. The redhead had to dig her nails into her palms. It felt like all of her secrets and emotions wanted to leak out of her pores because she refused to scream. It made her skin itchy. Thin. Fragile. Breakable enough to free her. Free her blood from the confines of her cage of a body.

"Now, if I'm just being crazy and seeing red flags where there aren't any because I read one too many a psychology textbook, you can tell me right now. However, if there was something traumatic about your past..."

She held her breath. Waited for the crash and burn. She knew this was too good to be true...

"You don't need to tell me now, you dont need to say anything. You can even lie if you want, I won't question or doubt any answer you give me. I'm not forcing you to do or say anything. I just want you to know that I'm here. It's my job to to protect you and take care of you now." He smiled and gave a light chuckle. "Well, I guess that's always been my job but even more so now."

And just like that, he calmed her down again. Though her heart was still beating fast with his, she could breathe again. Was he really..giving her permission to just...stay away from the topic? He wasn't going to ask for the truth or tell her he should know or that it'd feel better to talk about it? Why?
Was it because he just wanted to keep her comfortable? Because he felt obligated to protect her? It wasn't his job. It was hers to protect him. Surely he didn't feel the same way she did! Blue eyes widened. Didn't he know that this was supposed to be the other way around? Why couldn't she be there for him? Didn't he trust her? Is it that he didn't want to rely on her? That she was too fragile to be leaned on?

"So I want you to know that of you need anyone to talk to or to vent, or a shoulder to cry on. If you need anything at all...you're not alone, I'm here."

No that's all wrong! She's supposed to be saying that! Not Jason. Or...Jack? No..though it seemed like something Jack would have initially tried to bring up, it was Jason's tone of voice. She was sure. She could hear it from his chest. He couldn't see her face. She has to fix this. Rue took a deep breath and let it out with a soft "Mhm.."

But that was only so he wouldn't say anything more about her past. Here she pushed herself up, one fist on either side of his head, sitting on her knees beside his stomach. She set her features to the most serious face she could muster, staring him straight in those perfect green eyes.
"You're not alone either. You know that, right Jason? I'm here for you too...for Anything. Please know that. No matter what. Now it's my turn to keep you safe from anything and everything and not only because you're the leader of the Broken Mirrors. I love you, Jason. I couldn't bear it if you were hurt in any way...okay?" Rue sniffed. By the end of that her sapphire eyes were shining with unshed tears. He had to know that she would do anything for him if he asked. And she wanted to be able to be there for him more than anything.

 

[Buio]

Jason looked up at rue above him and smiled warmly as she spoke to him. Somehow the water gathering up in her eyes only made the sapphires shine more brightly, and when she was done he propped himself up on one elbow slightly, and reached behind her ear, holding her gently by the small of her nape as he placed another soft kiss on her lips. "Thank you Rue. How did I ever get lucky enough to get a girlfriend like you?"

He nuzzled her lovingly and wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her down into a close hug in the bed. "I love you. I'm so happy to be with you."

"See, that wasn't so bad was it? You even found out something important because of it."

"..."

"*chuckles* alright, alright. I'll leave you to enjoy your time with your girlfriend now."

Jason smiled without a word and just continued holding the girl he loved in his arms.

 

[Ravenbelle]

Jason's grateful smile gave Rue a sense of peace and his kiss was so heart-warming that she melted into his touch, cooperating like water in his hands, enough to relax once again. His words, spoken so soft and sincerely evoked a smile from the small girl that refused to be held back, even if she knew he could do better than her in getting a girlfriend for sure.

But then his arms wrapped around her again and she felt him nuzzle against her, coaxing her compliant body to lay against his in another easy embrace.

"I love you. I'm so happy to be with you."

She heard, curled up by his side and smiling. For a moment, she denied his beautiful words again, doubting herself like always. The feeling faded swiftly, however, chased away for the time being by the comforting arms of her boyfriend. She could lie there content all day...Was this perhaps...what home feels like?

"And I couldn't be happier than I am with you."

 

[Buio]

Jason didn't even notice him and rue drifting off into sleep again, he'd just been content to stay close to her, bodies pressed against one another, arms wrapped around her and hands caressing her gently. So he didn't know exactly how much time had passed when he was woken up by an unfamiliar ringing, though since it was still light out he imagined only a few hours could have gone by at most. The digital ringing continued and Jason, still bushy eyed, looked around for the source, wondering what was making that noise. He saw that it was coming from the kitchen and, suddenly realizing what it was, became very thankful for how lightly he had been sleeping the last few days and quickly got out of bed.

Part of the possessions Shine had provided for him and his new identity was a cellphone (an older touch screen model with its internet connection capabilities blocked off behind a firewall of course). This was the first time Jason was hearing its ringtone though, as he'd only just given his number out for the first time yesterday while he was chatting with the clerk at the movie store. Getting in the kitchen he quickly picked up the phone and answered, taking a glance at the stove's clock and seeing it was now shortly after 2 in the afternoon.

"Hey there! Sorry for the wait." said jason as he picked up the call, being met with lighthearted laughter on the other end.

"No problems man, I take it those movies you got yesterday served you well huh?" the young man on the other end of the line gave another small chuckle before continuing. "Anyways, you remember that game night i was telling you about with my friends? Turns out they want to do it today but we're still looking for more players, you interested in joining? You could bring your girlfriend too if she's into that stuff."

Jason did indeed remember, and he had been looking forward to the invitation in the following days as it had essentially been teh whole reason why he and Michael (the clerk in question) had traded phone numbers to begin with. He didn't know how well Rue would like a gaming session, but he figured it couldn't hurt to ask, and either way socializing with others as Jacob and Belle would be good for the two and their image.

"Oh, sure, yeah, I'm down. Let me go ask her if she wants to join now."

Jason walked back out of the kitchen into the living room and looked over to rue who'd evidently also been brought out of her sleep when he;d gotten out of bed and went to get the phone. "Hey babe, Michael, the clerk I told you about yeseterday, he just invited us over to a gaming session with his friends; says they need more players for their group. You wanna head down and see what it's like?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

After so much sleep deprivation in the last few weeks, these little naps curled up against Jason were easy for Rue to slip into, especially with the way his hands gently glided back and forth in soothing motions. His heartbeat was her lullaby and his arms were her blanket and sometimes she'd find herself thinking that he was her home. If home could be a person, that is. It's where her mind doesn't immediately conjure nightmares to torment her with. Where she actually gets some rest. Peaceful sleep not quite like she'd never known.

The only downside to it was that she didn't wake so lightly. That is until he left her. A few moment after Jason had slid out of the newly discovered sofa bed, Rue twitched and blinked, just beginning to catch the tail end of Jason's conversation on his cell phone. Who was he talking to? Rue sat up and stretched for a moment, making a little squeak and widening her eyes to fully wake herself up. Jason then re-entered the room and she looked at him curiously, finger-combing through her short hair even though it couldn't have been that disheveled from a little nap. It was still light outside.

She cocked her head slightly when he called her babe and when he mentioned Micheal...oh he's Jacob. It's getting strange to keep up with all of these aliases. She took a deep breath and considered the question for a moment. What would Jacob call 'gaming'? She blinked and briefly recalled a realistic fiction book she'd read where the main character had a little brother who always played video games with his friends. A gaming session. Hmm.
"Um. Sure, I guess. I have to get dressed first.. uh where is it?"
Would they walk there? It is a pretty small town, so she wouldn't be surprised. If it was anything like the vague reference in her book, she'd be going to this Micheal's house. She didn't know much about him and she probably wouldn't feel safe there at first, but Jacob and Belle have to get some interaction outside of the apartment somehow.

 

[Buio]

Jacob smiled. "She said she's in. Where should we meet up?"

"Sweet. That should round out our numbers pretty well. We'll be meeting up at my buddy Jeff's place in about two hours. He lives at 117 Achievement Avenue. Need directions?"

"That's off Rooster Road isn't it?" offered Jason, already having familiarized himself

"Hey, look at you already figuring your way around town, wha'd'you do; take a 15 minute walk?"

the two boys shared a laugh at the small town's expense and made their goodbyes before Jason hung up and looked back at rue. "We've only gotta be there by 4:30 so we have plenty of time to get ready."

 

[Ravenbelle]

Rue listened to their goodbyes and smiled gently up at Jason. "Okay. There isn't anything specific I should bring to a..gaming session. Right?" Rue asked curiously. She wasn't quite sure what she was in for, but obviously wherever Jason goes, Rue follows. Within reason of course.

 

[Buio]

***​

When Jacob got to 117 Achievement Ave he wasted no time knocking on the front door to announce his and Belle's arrival. Before They had showed up he had made sure to explain to her as much as he knew about the game they were going to be playing. Evidently it was really similar in functionality to one of the VTA (virtual testing and assessment) programs they had had to take before, except this was adapted into some sort of multiplayer game you could connect to the internet with and use to play with people from all around the world. Today though they'd be playing with a group of friends who'd all be hanging out in the same room as them though. The game of choice was supposedly going to be a fantasy adventure game set in an academy of magic users and Jacob and Belle would be joining the 'club' opened up by the players they;d be gaming with today. When Jacob inquired about what exactly a 'club' was in this game and how it was relevant, Mike explained that it was: "essentially the same thing as a Guild In most old-school MMO's". Jacob had nodded in understanding but was truly now wondering what four terms meant instead of one. He and Belle later agreed that it would probably all make sense once they were actually playing the game.

It only took a few seconds of Jacob and Belle waiting on the front porch before the door was opened by an older young man, looking approximately 20, with a long face that made him seem perpetually tired, but a jovial expression worn on it none the less. "Ahh, you two must be the couple Mike told me about. Yeah, come on in." He smiled from under his scraggly goatee and moved to let the two into his home. "I'm Jeff, Nice to meet ya. Mike says you're new in town?"

Jacob smiled and led Belle into the house with him. There was a small inter corridor with a large sliding door closet where the two were able to take off their shoes and store their jackets. As they did so Jason replied to their host. "Oh yeah, we've only been here about a week already and have mostly been getting settled in so far. The shopping trip where I met Mike was really one of our first real public outings." he said with a small laugh at the end.

It was returned by the host who turned and led them out of the corridor and into the kitchen. "So if you don't mind me asking, what brought you guys to a sleepy little town like Oringale?"

again Jacob didn't hesitate to reply. "Well, I'm actually trying to become a novelist. I'm using the change of scenery to try and inspire myself to write something really worth publishing." He turned to his girlfriend and smiled warmly, squeezing her hand lightly. "Belle basically said she'd kill me if I even thought of leaving without her so here we are."

Jeff gave a warm laugh at this "Well, aren't you two just adorable? That already sounds like something out of a romance novel to me. Good thing my girlfriend isn't here or she'd have hugged you two to death already." While the house had not seemed like much on the outside it had turned out to be surprisingly well decorated inside, the kitchen having a classic look with white marble counters and dark stained mahogany cabinets and drawers, as well as a matching Island counter in the middle. There hadn't been much time to appreciate it however as they were then led down a wide staircase into a well furnished basement level made to act as a second living room.

A large Holoscreen Television was situated against the far back wall of the well-lit and spacious room, sitting on top of a cabinet dresser that was lined with dozens of game cases from a variety of generations. The walls also had some shelves mounted on them housing well preserved old consoles, games and collectibles, further commenting on the resident's Collector hobby. In the middle of the room was a large, black, three-sectioned wrap-around synthfibre (material: soft as silk, resilient as leather) couch with a low back. It surrounded a mid-sized low-top table on which were situated six Smarttop computers(ask for description in PM), screens showing them to already be booted into the game of choice for the night.

Sitting at different spots on the couch were Mike and two other people. One was a girl with dark red hair that fell just below her shoulders. She was sitting next to Mike on the left section of the couch, logged into the game station second from the left. Opposite to Mike on the right section of the couch was another older young man, this one handsome and square jawed, with flowing brown hair and a set of thin framed glasses folded and hanging at his collar.

With Jeff, Jacob and Belle entering the room, the motion sensors on the monitors blinked to life and the three were immediately alerted in-game. As a result though they all had been sitting motionless before they turned their heads towards the new arrivals, their AVR bands (Augmented and Virtual Reality) turning from opaque to translucent. Mike pulled his up and smiled Jacob's way. "Hey man, glad you could make it!"

Jeff turned to the two new guests and introduced the others one by one. "So the loud one over there is Mike, next to him is his girlfriend Lindsey, and that charming sociopath over there is Rayn. Everyone, meet Jacob and Belle."

"Hi guys. Glad you could join us," said Lindsey, beaming a cheery smile their way.

"Well technically I already knew Jacob Jeff, I should be introducing him to you," retorted Mike with a snarky smile. Jeff rolled his eyes and took his seat next to Rayn. "Yeah yeah yeah mike. Tell you what, you can keep running your mouth or you could look up how to make some decent warding potions so the Whither Knights don't bend you over like last session this time."

Rayn, not bothering to take off the goggles, looked at Jeff with a smirk. "And why am I suddenly the sociopath?"

"Pft, suddenly?" replied Mike with a laugh.

"Hey, they weren't around to see the last campaigns alright. As far as they know I'm a perfectly well-adjusted human being." defended Rayn kiddingly. "I don't need you guys sullying my reputation with our new victi- I mean teammates." he said, purposefully emphasizing his shiftiness at the end for comedic effect.

The group had a laugh at this and Jacob and belle settled themselves in on the unoccupied middle section of the couch, Jacob sitting next to Jeff and Belle between him and Lindsey.

Jacob put on the AVR synchronized to the smarttop he was in front of and put it on his head, slipping the vision band over his eyes and activating the headpiece. A familiar technicolor light show working in hypnotizing hues spread over his entire field of vision and jason, from underneath the Jacob mask, recognized the same technology Brewster had used in its virtual testing programs. He knew that hereon out he would essentially be suspended in an artificial state of guided near-sub-consciousness. All actions from here on out would be taken only in the game world and he'll be unable to move his physical body unless he pauses or exits the game, the game ends, or someone walks in the room and trigger the motion sensors. This way he'll be able to move about in-game without worrying about his physical surroundings. It took about five full seconds the hypnotism to take full effect and for the colours to solidify into the game screen before Jacob.

MAGECRAFT: New updates every Friday

-New Profile
-Load Profile
-Options
-Extras *new Items In store*
​

Jacob wasted no time loading up a new profile and getting to work creating a new character.

Template (optional: if you want to create yourself a full fledged Magecraft guy or girl through rue/bell.)

Spoiler

Gender:
Name:
Age:
Initial Appearance:
Class:
Sub-class: *unlocked at Academy Rank 15*
Weapon:
Year: 1
Club: None

The first option was the most obvious one when making a new character. choosing a male or female avatar.

Gender: Male

Next came choosing a name for himself in the game. Not wishing any more of this repetitive name tendency surrounding him and his aliases, Jacob chose something with a little more flair for the fantasy setting.

Gender: Male
Name: Zephyr Eastmarch

Jacob was surprised when he noticed that there was such a wide range of possible ages to give to his character and how it visibly affected the model he was staring at, but then remembered that the in-game lore did state that the gift for magic could manifest in someone at any age. It would make sense then for many first years at the academy to be of varied age groups and backgrounds. Still, Jacob kept his at something reasonable for himself.

Gender: Male
Name: Zephyr Eastmarch
Age: 19

And now came the section that would allow him to finalize his character's appearance. He was again fascinated by the sheer variety of ways to personalize one's in-game avatar. From within, jason noted that before the tutorial had even started this game was showing more impressive thinsg than most virtural programs he'd seen in training. not wanting to waste anyone;s time fully exploring the customer creation mechanics though, jacob quickly settled on one of the preset appearnaces he found aesthetically satisfying. He knew he'd be able to alter it later if he wanted anyways.

Gender: Male
Name: Zephyr Eastmarch
Age: 19
Initial Appearance:

Spoiler

*sans the weapon*

And finally came the choice of what class Jacob wanted his character at the magical academy would start off as. He had had this explained to him as essentially deciding what specific type of magic he will start off being able to use in the game and that this will decide which particular style the game will be played in for him. Wanting to make sure he made a choice appropriate for him and didn't end up dragging down his teammates, he carefully read the description of each of the three starting classes.

Classes

Spoiler

- Warrior
Root - Form

Spoiler

To those who are born with the root of Form; magic is a tool, an expression of their will upon reality. They use their magic through glyphs, magical seals that appear on their bodies, containing groups of words of power that they arrange into spells. A warrior is limited in the number of glyphs that can adorn their body at one time, being able to carry more glyphs as their power grows. This means that they trade off magical flexibility for being able to cast their magic under nearly any circumstance.

Starting Glyphs
Slash (Form, Edge) - Deal moderate physical damage to close range target via magical slash attack
Pierce (Form, Spade) - Deal weak physical damage to mid-range target via magical projectile

- Caster
Root - Flow

Spoiler

To Those who are born with the root of Flow; magic is an energy, a living, pulsing stream of power that permeates all things, places and times. They can harness this energy from within themselves and project it outwards as a force through the chant of Magic spells. These caster mages begin as potent telekinetics capable of moving objects and enemies about with nothing but their words and minds. their varied abilities make them crucial to any strategist's plans.

Starting Spells
Force (Flow, Push) - Push target back with current of magical force
Draw (Flow, Pull) - Pull target in with current of magical force

- Enchanter
Root - Nature

Spoiler

To those who are born with the root of Nature; magic is an equation, the fundamental building blocks upon which reality itself is supported and through which it can be understood and unravelled. These mages perform their arts through the use of Talismans that imbue objects and location with the properties of the spell formula written upon them, hence the name Enchanters. An Enchanter is a largely support oriented role, but skillful management of their magical buffs and debuffs is often the difference between a team's victory or defeat.

Starting Formulas
Break (Nature=Weak) - Weaken or destroy the structural integrity of the object or being the talisman makes contact with
Reinforce (Nature=Strong) - Reinforce the structural integrity of the object or being the talisman makes contact with

Jacob thought on the advantages of each for a moment and then made his decision on both class and the weapon his character would use.

Gender: Male
Name: Zephyr Eastmarch
Age: 19
Initial Appearance:

Spoiler

*sans the weapon*
Class: Caster
Sub-Class: *unlocked at Academy Rank 15*
Weapon: Spear
Year: 1
Club: None


With all this decided on Jacob confirmed his selection and loaded up his avatar. His vision faded with another technicolor display and when everything became solid again he was now looking at life through the eyes of the character he just created. Loading into the New Arrivals area, as soon as he looked around he saw the group waiting for him off the landing platform.

Jeff, Mike, Lindsey and Rayn were all already waiting, their equipment showing they were not exactly new at this game. Jacob stepped down the platform and rushed over to them, recognizing their usernames above their character names hovering over their heads. "Hey guys, sorry for keeping you waiting. Man this place looks awesome," he said, looking around at the huge station they were in, dozens of other players and groups walking around the area. "I've tried a few simulations at school before but nothing this fancy."

"Haha, well we'll be happy to show you the ropes once we're all gathered up" retorted Jeff, "speaking of which, looks like your girlfriend's loading in right now."

Jacob turned around and sure enough the magical circle drawn on the ground of the gate he had just stepped through was glowing and there was a flashy animation that triggered as Belle's avatar materialized before them.




(OOC: finally. That post took me hours. Mostly because I had to take a break halfway through and make up a whole new magical system for the video game. Had to come up with 108 different words of magical power for this concept. I have a word document where they're all organized and everything.

why would I go through all that trouble you might ask? Because I'm a masochist.

Also because the world of Magecraft is gonna seem very familiar to you very soon if you pay attention)

 

[Ravenbelle]

***​

Rue squeezed Jason's hand on the front step outside Micheal's place. She was fine listening to her boyfriend tell her about he game and what it would be like, hoping it'd be easier once she was playing. But now that she was right outside the stranger's home, she was a bit nervous. She tried her best to memorize the route they'd taken to get here and call her paranoid, but from the moment Jeff opened the door, her eyes started darting to exits in case of emergencies. The house was nicely furnished, but she didn't pay much attention to anything but essentials. She was glad Jason was doing all the talking. She was already pretty shy around people, especially new ones. And in a situation like this, staying undercover and hiding from murderers in lab coats, mousy Rue would most likely clam up and keep her attention on Jason. She went with the motions and took off her shoes and jacket, but went back to holding his hand whenever she could.

Not long after, the couple were led down to a basement. Every step downwards set Rue more on edge. The only other exit in the basement was a tiny window at ground level that most would have trouble squeezing through. Sure the room was meant to look more like another area for activity--a very high-tech one at that--, but a basement is a basement and she hesitated once reaching the last step. Jason didn't seem perturbed at all though. She tried to stop being such a scaredy-cat. She was probably just overreacting. Rue winced, held his hand a little tighter and walked in by his side. Jeff introduced them to Mike, Lindsey and Rayn respectively. Their easy conversation and friendly greetings helped to calm Rue down some, even with Rayn's purposefully sketchy comment. She forced a small smile when the others laughed and followed Jason to the couch, her beside another, darker red head. Lindsey. She seemed cheery and sweet from what Rue could tell so far and though the game-gear was unnervingly familiar and she knew she would have to stay still while in-game, it was a slight comfort to sit between her and Jason, for she'd rather it was them two than any of the others.

Following Jacob's lead tentatively, Rue took a shaky breath and took her visionband from the smarttop before her. Once it just started to activate itself, Rue placed her hand in Jason's so the pair would stay that way outside of the game. It was slightly comforting, even though she stopped feeling it once the game screen appeared before her bright blue eyes.​

MAGECRAFT: New updates every Friday​

-New Profile
-Load Profile
-Options
-Extras *new Items In store*​

Rue figured she had to make an avatar and decided just to pick the plain stuff and not take too long.

Gender?...Female
Easy.
Female she selected, and went through the other questions pretty swiftly, not giving much thought to most of them.

Name?
Uuuh... Kate Typher

Age?...17
She remembered soemthing she'd been told about the lore of the game, how magic could manifest in someone at any age. Briefly, she considered making herself a bit of a younger avatar, but stuck to simple in the end. Just a year older than herself.

Appearance?
This one took a bit longer, but Rue didn't change much from her own physical appearance to the avatar. She figured it would be easier that way, to get used to in game anyway.

Kate

*sans the crystal staff thing*

Class?...Enchanter
Skimming through the different choices without too much serious consideration, she thought she didn't know enough about how the game is played to really weigh her options. So she went with what she thought would be easiest and most comfortable for her. Thus the words support oriented role stood out to her. She wondered for a moment what Jason had chosen, but selected Enchanter without giving it much thought.

Sub-class: *unlocked at Academy Rank 15*

Weapon?... .... Sword and Shield
The defensive stance would likely suit her. She didn't thin she'd need the weapon much though, what with her 'Talismans'

Year: 1

Club: None

After making her final selection, Belle loaded her avatar and waited through the colorful display until she was immersed in an artificial reality, blinking through the reddish eyes of her newly-created character. She was glad her outfit came with a hood, for it made hiding slightly easier in the crowd milling about the New Arrivals area she found herself in. Belle looked around nervously until she spotted the group usernames above five avatars by the landing platform. One just turned to watch her and she found that it was Jacob's. Though he was in a new body, his smile calmed her a little and she approached the others, keeping close to Jacob, who had named himself Zephyr. Her simple Kate seemed kind of dumb in comparison. Having not said a word since she entered Mike's house, she must have given off the vibe that she was either shy or quiet or both. Maybe she should try to speak up every now an then? If at least for the sake of her cover as Belle.​

 

[Buio]

Zephyr met Kate with an eager smile. "Hey, your avatar looks great."

"Sweet! our first female enchanter!" exclaimed Lindsey's avatar Kazu, who appeared to be specialized as a fire dancer. Next to her was Mogar, mike's avatar who seemed to be geared for a warrior role.

"Yeah, looks like Rayn and I will be able to teach you a few things then," stated Jeff's avatar, Istjeff with Rayn's avatar Edgar standing next to him, the two evidently having both started as enchanters despite their different specializations now.

"first things first though we should probably teach them how to actually play" suggested Edgar.

"Yeah let's not have a repeat of our first time when we thought it'd be a great idea to rush into the first quests without even learning how to set our magic yet." chimed in Mogar.

"Alright, alright, so first things first we'll split up and help you two blast through the tutorial missions," conceded Itsjeff. "Mike, Lindsey, you guys go with our new caster, get him the rest of his first level words. Me and Rayn will teach our new enchanter how to use her talismans. We'll meet back at the clubhouse when everyone's done, sound good?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

"Yours too." Kate smiled sweetly up at him, still slightly disoriented by the whole new digital world. Everything felt so real and yet..the artificial bits were obvious so she could be sure reality was not here. It still made her nervous to think of their bodies almost totally vulnerable in Micheal's basement, but she'd get over it. She hoped.

Getting a closer look at everyone else's avatar as they spoke, Kate found intricate eye-catching gear and costumes. Lindsey's matched her enthusiasm for sure. Belle hadn't looked through all the options so she had no idea some of the stuff on their avatars could even be generated. It was actually pretty cool. And a slight comfort that she hadn't been the only one to pick a simple avatar name when she saw Itsjeff. With Jeff, Jason and Lindsey--because she was the only other girl--, it was easy for Belle to match the avatar to the person. Mogar and Edgar on the other hand might take a few tries. Edgar is Rayn. Mogar is Mike. Mogar Mike Mogar Mike. Easy.

After the Jaegers (apparently the club name deducing from the floating name by their heads) had decided to split up, Kate bit her lip and looked up at Zephyr. He seemed to have no problem with the setup. And really, she shouldn't be so clingy and nervous. Even if she was off to train with pretty much total strangers. She gulped, trying to swallow her worries, but nodded to the plan and gave Zephyr's hand a quick squeeze with a soft "Good Luck" before allowing the guys to lead her away.

Edgar put a hand on her shoulder when she could see the way leading to the training areas. She made a conscious effort not to flinch at the touch as he said "Jeff and I are basically proffessional enchanters so you have a lot of catching up to do. Are you ready?"

"Uh..maybe?" Kate asked, confused and still looking timid.

"Ah he's only teasing. This'll be a piece of cake, don't worry." Itsjeff replied over his shoulder and led her through the entrance to her first tutorial mission.

----​

She had to admit, it had taken a bit of getting used to, but she wasn't terrible at it, which at least let her exceed her expectations for her first 'gaming session'. And her teachers were patient with her, despite the teasing remarks. Kate even managed to laugh at her silly mistakes at times and the guys seemed so laid-back and cool with it all. None of them made her feel bad about her blunders here and there, especially at the beginning. She thought they seemed like such good friends. Not that she could join this group of friends though. What with what happened to her last one. Kate pushed that out of mind though. She wasn't about to ruin everything with the fears and worries of the day before she had arrived at Micheal's house. So she acted. Got distracted. For a little while, it wasn't so bad. And just like that, the mission was completed and the smiling trio was at the door to the aforementioned 'clubhouse' in no time.
And Kate's hood had slipped off without her noticing.

 

[Buio]

"Hey, Mike?" spoke Kazu, looking ahead of her rather than to the avatar whose RL name she had just used without realizing.

"MaaFus~Vi!" and the shimmering orb dashed like a lightning bolt in it's course, crashing forward into one crystal target, shattering it into an explosion of light, and then precisely dashing left into another target and taking it out before the light of the first's explosion had faded.

"Yeah?" replied Mogar without paying attention to his real name being used.

"MaaFusDe---~DeLoh~Fus!" and the orb suddenly shot violently forward at a diagonal angle, into a third target, then diagonally back into a fourth, and straight forward into a fifth luminously explosive crystal.

"You said this kid never played this game right?" Continued Kazu, watching the new player systematically destroy targets laid out in front of him with no apparent effort.

"MaaDe~fus~Vi~Fus!" right, forward, left, forward, and with that the last four targets destroyed. And with that the new player's magic ball construct faded, and the slight hue around him as he spoke faded, his mana pool being expended just as he completed the trail. Zephyr let out a sight of mixed relief and exhaustion as the "Mission Complete!" sign appeared and his inventory was filled with the reward points for completing his objective. "Geez, I almost thought I'd run out before completing that one. Guess that means no more club challenges for me for now."

"Yeah." confirmed mogar, also looking at the new player, not quite as bemused as his partner, more like studiously confused.

"Soooo, how did he just do that?" asked Kazu again.

Zephyr moved away from the challenge module and turned back towards the two senior players. "Hey guys, sorry but even with all my first level words I don't think I'm gonna be able to clear all the horizontal challenges yet. I guess this is the point where i have to go increase my stats and come again later?"

Mogar sighed lightly. "Uhhhh, no. No that would have been about four challenges back," he stated with some evident disbelief in what he just saw. "Now is the point where you tell me where you've been hiding those pro gamer skills Mr 'I've never played VR games before'. Also, 'stats'? I don't think I've seen a stat's screen in an RPG in like ten years. Well, except for the intentionally retro ones anyways. Just call them attributes."

"Oh!" said Zephyr with some surprise at both the question and the statement, he then laughed lightly and adopted a somewhat bashful posture. "Well, I really haven't ever played any VR games before, but the AR simulations we used for some of the tests at school seem to have run on stripped down versions of this kind of game's OS, and I was pretty good at those. So I guess you could say it;s not exactly fair to call me 'new' to these things. Though I've got to say, I love how everything's so much more precise and detailed in this game. Those challenges were great for learning how to measure my energy output in my spells."

"Holly crap, Mogar!" exclaimed the fire dancer. "You brought us in a ringer! You know it took me two months to do seven challenges in one sitting!"

"Pffft! Yeah I did!" replied the bear-skinned warrior with a boastful laugh. "Zeph, those challenges were supposed to test how good you got at managing your mana after learning to play, not teach you how to do it. If your girlfriends half as good as you are then we may just be able to make up for Rei leaving! I thought something was weird when you cleared the tutorial missions so fast but this is sweet!"

Zephyr laughed in Embarrassment. "No, no, seriously! You're giving me way too much credit, I just have an unfair advantage compared to normal new players, It;s not like i'm gonna become a gaming god at this."

"Well, I guess we'll find out about that now." Stated Kazu in her typical chipper tone. "Look who just came back to the club room"

At that moment Kate and her two mentors walked into the 'club room', which was a large and spacious living area that could comfortably accommodate over twenty occupants at once, outfitted with several terminals that allowed the players to access club-exclusive gaming hubs and menus. Upon entering this thematic equivalent to a traditional guild hall Mogar greeted the two other senior members. "Hey guys! Back pretty soon too huh? So is your prodigy as good as our prodigy?"

and a faint "Not a prodigy!" was heard behind him

 

[Ravenbelle]

"C'mon You weren't that bad!" Edgar smiled and leaned his arm on her shoulder, him being that much taller than her. Itsjeff was leading them into the clubroom and the first person he saw was Kazu, who just noticed them enter while Kate gave Edgar a look clearly saying Are you kidding? I was terrible! Admit it! as she ducked from under his arm so she stumbled for a second and laughed while Itsjeff replied "hey! You beat us here! Uh I dunno about prodigy, but she got the hang of the basics for the most part. She'll be fine." he smiled back and her and she returned the gesture politely, then instantly gravitated towards Zephyr, wide eyes scanning the spacious clubroom.

"What, did Zephyr fly through the tutorials or something? How long have you been waiting on us?" Edgar sauntered in closer from the entrance, scratching the top of his head a bit and appraising the newbie simultaneously

"Yeah, I hope I didn't take to long..How was it?" Kate mumbled nervously near her boyfriend, noticing the attention from the members on the new couple in the guild now that they had regrouped.

 

[Buio]

"Nah, we haven't been waiting here that long, about fifteen minutes?" replied mogar with a grin. he was about to follow up with an explanation of the situation but his girlfriend excitedly beat him to the punch.

"Which is exactly how long it just took this guy to clear seven guild challenges, one after the other! I never saw someone get the basics down so quick."

"No one?" chimed in the warrior with a smirk.

"Ok Rei doesn't count," she replied with a sigh and a quick roll of the eyes "He knew these games in and out before this one even came out."

Mogar seemed about to retort but Edgar cut into the budding couple's dispute. "Did you just say seven? In one siting? Sweet!" He then turned to the club president behind him. "Looks like we'll be able to do that temple run after all."

Itsjeff smirked and chuckled lightly. "Weeeelllll. The kid's good, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Being able to solve puzzles and get the basics down is one thing, but we need to see how these two handle themselves out in the field before we start talking about any temple runs."

He then turned to face the two new recruits and smiled "Hope you guys have had your fill of The Academy for now, because we're about to take you out to see The World now. We're gonna run you guys through a couple low-level areas and see how well you do on the quests there."

Zephyr, in this time, had made his way back to Kate's side and offered an embarrassed dismissal of what the others were saying about him before asking her how her tutorial missions had gone. The two, however, hadn't had time to get into a significant conversation before they were addressed by Itsjeff, and didn't have the time to reply to him before another voice came from the club 'room' entrance.

"Well, the Jaegers certainly do put their new recruits through the runner quickly, don't they?"

The voice was smooth as silk and carried a tone that made it hard to decipher whether the question was meant a praise or mockery. As the group turned to see the orator they were met with the sight of a youthful looking man, seeming no more than a half decade older than Jason and bearing a similar coiffure of short, neatly kept white hair. The similarity ended there, however as his eyes were a piercing golden yellow as opposed to Jason's emerald green. Not only this but in spite of the avatar's entirely convincing facial expressions and mannerisms, the colour in which his name appeared above his head let everyone know he was an NPC.

In spite of this, most of the Jaegers seemed to become tense at the appearance of this Prof. Mercure Delacroix. Itsjeff seemed to be the only one mostly unphased by the young man's appearance and addressed hi first. "Well professor, when we spot talent we're quick to see how well we can use it."

The Npc offered Itsjeff a positively snake-like smile. "Yes, I had noticed your absence from the recent club tournaments. The loss of your former Ace caster must have destabilized your group. It is good to see you have found hopeful replacements."

The Club leader remained even-toned as he replied. "Rei's decision to leave the academy and our club is one I supported and I wish him the best of luck pursuing other endeavours in life. That being said these two are nowhere near replacement-level yet. It's natural for any club to gain and lose members as it grows so right now were just going with the motion of things."

The young-looking magical professor chuckled. "Yes, the life of a magical academic is not for all. But I've quite enjoyed your group's performance in the past and would like to see you return to the Tournaments as quickly as possible. Hence, when a little birdie told me that your club's core members were going around training two new students, I thought I would come here with a little proposition."

The club leader's brow raised at this. "Oh? With all due respect, what kind of proposition would a Master Magus have for us?"

another light but somehow ominous chuckle from the unsettling man. "Come now, even professors have their hobbies. Think of this like a fan backing a sporting team. It's common knowledge that our newer students often go to Moonlake to stretch their wings. It just so happens that I have a friend of sorts who needs assistance with a disappearance who resides in Moonlake. If you were interested in investigating for them I would be quite grateful for the assistance, should you resolve their issues mind you."

"Huh, well alright then Professor Dehlacroy," the NPC didn't seem to register the half-assed pronunciation of his name " We'll check it out for you, thanks for the intel."


"Very good," smiled the AI-directed avatar before holding out his hand, causing magical glyphs to appear around them, "then I shall update your maps so that you may find my contact once in Moonlake."

with the procedure done, and all the players getting a notification of an added club-wide quest to their trackers, the NPC turned around and made to leave. "Well, good luck Jaegers, I hope to see you in the tournaments."

and with the club room door closing behind him Itsjeff let out a deep sigh "Jeezus fucking christ that character is a creepy motherfucker."

"Yeah, tell me about it!" chimed-in mogar. "Every time I see that guy I think he's gonna crawl up behind me and grab my wee-wee"

This got an immature but honest laugh from the guys and Kazu brought up the silver lining of the encounter as usual. "And hey, at least we got a club quest out of it."


Zephyr chuckled and turned to his girlfriend "Well, this all turned out to be a lot more lively than I thought it would be. What do you think of the game so far?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

Kate was relieved slightly to hear they hadn't waited for her too long, though she was sure by the way they praised Zephyr that she hadn't done nearly as well a job as he had in the Academy. She wasn't surprised, especially when Jeff mentioned solving puzzles. That was right up Jason's--Zephyr's alley She wasn't ashamed for more than a second though. She was used to his skills being better than hers at basically everything. Just another reason to look up to him. She smiled shyly at him when he made his way over to her. He was too modest, shrugging off their obviously honest remarks. She had no clue what a temple run was, but whatever low-level areas they ended up in would surely bring more compliments to Zephyr. She was pretty excited to see him in action for herself.

But no one could get anywhere before Kate felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and another avatar walked in, white-haired and yellow eyes. Kate was on guard immediately, distrusted him without question. Her hand slipped into Zehyr's. Only then did she notice he was actually an NPC. It calmed her slightly, but his voice still sent warning signals down her spine. Why would a computer generated character be set up like this?

Either way, she was glad for the way Itsjeff handled him, despite the man's positively unnerving chuckle. She didn't want to take any proposition he had to offer, but the way Itsjeff said Master Magus, she assumed it had to be important. And well, disappearances tend to be important. The look in his eyes was rather snake-like, but no one opposed taking the mission upon the club. At least he had seemed honest about MoonLake being a place for newcomers.

As soon as he was gone, the Jaegers cut the tension quicker than she thought they could and Kate smiled slightly at their laughter. Then she turned her bright eyes to Zephyr and nodded in agreement before answering his question. While the club started to head out and follow the maps, she started walking with him and replied, "Well, it's a lot to take in. I guess it wasn't that different for you though, huh?" she smiled.

------

Kate had checked the map only twice in the way to Moonlake. It wasn't far and still the club conversed and laughed at each other's jokes. They all seemed so lighthearted it was almost contagious. after walking through a large courtyard with portals and tunnels , then a lightly wooded path, the group was notified that they had reached the town they had been sent to. And it's name was immediately fitting. They couldn't see the whole of it yet, since the club had entered into the outer edge of the town, but the glimpse of the lake she caught at the end of the main cobblestone road was enough to let her know there was a huge, dark body of water ahead. Given the number of side road and streets headed off in wide arcs to the left and right, she predicted that the town was set up around the entirety of the lake, again living up to its name. The road was grey beneath them and the building were small and unassuming but beautiful in their simplicity. Most of them were seen in shades of silver and white with small glowing stones it the cracks of the walls and some in the ground. The first word that came to mind with just her first look was...enchanting.