Glitchy MMO (Introduction Solo!)
Jan 27, 2017 22:20:09 GMT
Post by Igarashi Sakiko on Jan 27, 2017 22:20:09 GMT
When Sakiko arrived home, she had the apartment to herself. Her parents were still at work according to the white board hanging in the kitchen. It kept track of everyone's schedules and activities, including planned family nights such as tonight. The adolescent scoffed at the idea of a family night and hurried upstairs with her backpack. She had her own plans to think about.
Once she was in her room, she tossed her backpack aside and began turning on the television and game console. As she sat down in her desk chair and rolled in front of the television, her eyes caught a glimpse of her backpack and it gave her pause. Maybe, tonight, she should do her homework? She was failing almost all of her classes except Phys. Ed. and they would kick her out of the clubs next week if she continued to fail. That would upset her schedule a great deal...
The game console made its pleasant welcoming sound and diverted her attention. It was pointless to do the homework. She was terrible at English and mathematics and one night of homework wouldn't bring up her grades. Besides, she needed to practice. The tournament was next week! A few presses on the controller and she was in the MMO world, her character wearing the special edition armor she had earned from winning last year's tournament. Thousands of players were on the internet analyzing her strategies from last year's win, so she had been trying out new tactics against other players. Thus far, very few things worked.
[3 hours later...]
There was a knock at the door.
"Saki-chan? Have you finished your homework?"
"Not now, oka-san."
"Yes now! You're failing. Saki-chan, I don't want to see you get banned from your clubs. I know how important they are to you..."
"This is important to me right now, oka-san!"
There was silence from the hall. Sakiko waited for another sound, her eyes unable to look away from the game on the screen. This tactic was working! She was winning! Finally, she heard her mother sigh outside the door.
"Well, dinner is ready if you want some?"
"Just leave it on the table. I'll come eat when I'm done."
"Did you see the board? Tonight is family night. Your father and I want you to join us..." There was a long pause. "Saki-chan?"
"I heard you, oka-san. I'm busy right now. I'll come eat later."
Her mother's footsteps trailed away from the door. For a moment in the game, while she was waiting for someone to attack, she reached over and grabbed her gaming headphones. Someone shot her from behind! Sakiko let out a cry out of rage.
[Two more hours later...]
Yes! This test strategy was succeeding! She would be able to use this in combination with all of her other tactics. She just needed to make sure no one could see her. Testing someone's blind spot was always tricky. Her tongue stuck out, clenched between her teeth gently as she tried to sneak up behind someone...
Just one more second, that was all she needed to attack...
The screen became a mass of binary code. Green and black numbers ran in dozens of marquee lines across her television.
"NANI!?"
She jumped so suddenly in her chair that it rolled, caught on the edge of her rug, and tipped backwards with her. Sakiko fell hard, the rug softening the blow for her head. With a low growl, she sat up rubbing the back of her head and glared up at the screen. What was going on?
The coding began to form an egg. It became more and more 3D looking. She couldn't believe what she was seeing! This had never happened in the game before! As the egg started to push itself from the screen, she realized that it was becoming an actual egg! A pink thing, kind of glitchy, with black stripes. Sakiko could not help but stare, entranced. It was almost completely emerged from the television before she realized what would happen once the egg fell.
Thanks to a lot of dedicated practice and her intense training schedule (which was the reason she was failing classes), Sakiko had developed quick reflexes and amazing physical speed. She leaped from the rug across the room, turning in time to catch the egg and hug it to her chest. However, because hardwood floors have no friction and she was still in her school uniform (tights included), she slid until her back slammed into the entertainment center. It knocked loose several cords which shut off the gaming console and her television. A few books fell from the shelf above to knock her on the head, drawing a groan from her.
Footsteps rushed to her door. "Saki-chan, are you all right in there?" It was her father.
"Yeah, I just dropped a few books."
"That sounded like more than dropping something. I'm coming in--"
"No! I-I mean... Hang on."
She quickly stuffed the egg under her bed, wrapped a scarf around it to keep it warm, and rushed to the door to open it before he came intruding. She gave her father a rare smile.
"See? I'm fine."
"Saki-chan, you're bleeding."
"What?"
She reached up and felt warm liquid on her forehead. He sighed and pushed the door open wider to see her room.
"What happened?"
Sakiko sighed. "I got carried away and my chair fell..."
"Why did the books fall?"
"I tried to hurry back to the game and slipped. I should have changed when I came home."
He gave her a stern look over his square glasses. "You also should have done your homework. Come on. Let's get that cut taken care of, then you're coming to eat. It's almost bed time, so family night will have to wait."
She glanced over her shoulder at the egg. Would it be all right under her bed? Sakiko left the room with her dad, listening to him talk about her failing grades while he lead her to the bathroom to clean up. Her father was an unusually kind man for someone that worked as a copy editor. She had seen his office. It was cramped, unorganized, and covered with coffee stains and paper. He was grumpy during work and pleasant at home. Did he have dual personalities?
Forced into the kitchen after having a band-aid stuck on her forehead, Sakiko could see a gleam in her mother's eyes as she sat down to eat. Why was her mother so happy? Maybe it was her imagination.
"After dinner, we can play a game or watch a movie. What do you think, Saki-chan?"
"To be honest, I don't feel good. I'm tired and I feel a little nauseated." Anything to get back to her room. She couldn't take her mind off the egg...
Her dad started digging through a drawer and returned with a flashlight. He shined it right in her eyes.
"Saki-chan, how many fingers am I holding up?"
She winced from the bright light. "Three."
"Good." He removed the flash light. "Walk in a straight line from here to the counter."
Sakiko sighed and did as she was told. This was ridiculous. Her parents were sometimes over-protective. As she finished her walk, she heard her father's lowered voice.
"She's fine. She doesn't have a concussion."
"What should we do? If we let her go without eating--"
"If she gets hungry, she will eat. She's not starving. You said she eats just fine at school, didn't you?"
"Well, yes..."
"Sakiko," her father's voice was firm, "you can go back upstairs. Please take your plate with you so your mother will not worry about your health. Also, I would like to have your journal."
"What? Why?"
"I want to see your schedule so that I can plan a proper family night. We always seem to plan it on a night when it most inconvenient for you, so we will work around your schedule."
The teenager did not like that idea at all. She avoided family night on purpose. As she locked eyes with her father, she understood that he already knew that. This was a crafty tactic. If they went by her schedule, she would have no excuse as to why she locked herself up in her room. With a curse under her breath, she snatched up her dinner plate and returned to her bedroom. He followed her to the door, careful not to step over the threshold, and waited for her bullet journal. She handed it over immediately, trying not to glare at him.
"Thank you. I will return it in the morning. Good night, Saki-chan." He smiled at her, the ultimate sting, and shut her door before he left.
She wanted to scream. First her original tactic had been ruined by some punk player, probably American, shooting her in the back! What kind of cowardice move was that, anyway? Next, her most successful tactic thus far had been thrown out the window by a random binary code and an egg! Sakiko stopped her train of thought there. The egg!
The girl dropped to her knees to check on the egg. It was fine. Somehow, she got the feeling that it felt cozy inside her scarf. Sakiko hesitated, then pulled the egg and scarf out from under her bed to examine it. What was it? Obviously, an egg, but what kind of egg? Her eyes absently wandered up to her television screen. How had it come from there? Eggs didn't come out of screens. It had come from that coding... She looked back at the egg. It felt content, happy even. How could she possibly know what an egg felt? That didn't make sense at all.
Eggs usually took a long time to hatch. Did she need to get an incubator for it? Something about this unknown feeling made her think the scarf would be enough. She leaned over and started to push it back under the bed, but that emotion became cold and clingy. What was going on?
"Do you not want to be under the bed?"
She felt a sudden need to be hugged. Strange... A sigh escaped her and she set the egg on top of her bed near her pillow. Was she really going to sleep with it? Sakiko shook her head and turned away to change into her pajamas. Her mind wandered back to her homework, eyes trailing to her backpack. She probably should do it. Just one bit before she went to bed. The adolescent pulled out her books and homework and sat down at her desk. She had just started to concentrate on a math problem when she felt an odd lurch in the pit of her stomach. It was somehow tied to the egg. She jerked around to check on it. It was still resting comfortably near her pillow, wrapped up in her scarf.
"What do you want?"
The cold, clingy sensation returned. Sakiko got up, took the egg back to the desk with her, and set it under her lamp. There was a warm, fuzzy feeling, almost euphoric, that engulfed her. It made her sleepy and the sensation did not stop during her entire study session. Homework unfinished, she dropped her pen and fell asleep, dreaming of happy bubbles and a loving sensation she hadn't felt since she was young...
[The next morning...]
It was the image of Haruka that stirred her. Haruka smiling brightly, ordering her in her fun, aggressive way to wake up! Something exciting was happening! Sakiko jerked awake. Her homework was covered in drool. The morning sun peeked through her windows. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand; the alarm had not yet sounded. After wiping the drool from her mouth, Sakiko noticed the egg. It was still under the lamp, hot and happy.
"I have to get ready for school," she told the egg. Nonsense. She had said that to herself, right?
Sakiko finished her homework, put her supplies in her bag, and got dressed for school. When her alarm clanged, she shut it off and searched around for her shoes. The books were still in the floor. She needed to tidy those up before she left. Something dropped out from under a book and clattered along the floor. It was a strange electronic device: light blue with black accents. The screen and buttons were also light blue. She pushed one. Nothing happened.
"What is this? Is it broken?"
There was a cracking sound from behind her. Sakiko froze. Another crack, followed by a tap, tap, tap. Slowly, she stood up and turned around. The egg was hatching! The teenager watched, paralyzed, as the shell cracked apart. At last, something white poked out. White, round, and fluffy. The egg wiggled, fell over, and started to roll off the desk. With a yelp, Sakiko dropped the electronic device and dove for the egg. She caught it for a second time, this time bumping her head against her desk leg. As she sat up, she realized that the egg had finished hatching. Pieces of the pink and black shell lay scattered around her. What was in her arms now was alive, fluffy, and round. It was a monster!
It made a gooey sounds at her. She let out a scream and almost dropped the baby, scrambling away from it as fast as she could. The electronic device beeped on. Sakiko crawled over to it and stared at the screen. It was showing the fuzzbaby in front of her with basic information on its type, family, and attribute. But what did any of this mean?!
"Y-you're name is Snow Bohh... Botamon?"
The white fuzzbaby gave a coo. She had never seen anything like it, but it was pretty cute. That urge to be hugged reappeared once again and she had to fight it. Sakiko scooted closer. It made a sound close to a kitten's meow. It was only a baby, after all. With a deep breath and an amount of courage she didn't feel, Sakiko reached out and pet it. Its fur was very soft, like fleece. The fuzzbaby gave a loud purr as she pet it and her euphoric sensation returned. The bounced right into her lap and snuggled against her.
"What are you?"
She checked the electronic device again. A Digital Monster? What did that mean?
Her mother shouted from the living room.
"I'm going to be late. Snow Botamon, you need to stay here."
It blinked its big, black eyes at her. There was a cut on its cheek she hadn't noticed before. How did that happen? Was it when she dropped it? Sakiko's mother called again and she got to her feet, setting the fuzzbaby aside on the floor.
"Stay here, baby. I'll come back later."
It started to cry. An overwhelming fear of being abandoned immobilized the teenager. The crying got louder and a puddle began to form on the floor from its tears. Sakiko didn't know what to do! Her mother might hear it and come check!
"Okay, fine. You can come with me. Just stop crying. Please?"
It stopped and bounced happily, emotions having changed in the blink of an eye. Sakiko snatched the fuzzbaby up, stuffed it into her backpack, and reached to zip it up. The big, black eyes were watery again. She had to pause.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
It sniffled. Was it going to cry again? Sakiko scanned her room for something that might help. The scarf was still on her desk. She grabbed it and wrapped it around the fuzzbaby. The creature nestled down into the folds of her scarf, closed its eyes, and allowed her to zip up the backpack. But not all the way, because apparently it was scared of dark places...
Sakiko rushed out of her bedroom, the electronic device in hand, and followed her mother to the car. It was going to be a long day at school.
Once she was in her room, she tossed her backpack aside and began turning on the television and game console. As she sat down in her desk chair and rolled in front of the television, her eyes caught a glimpse of her backpack and it gave her pause. Maybe, tonight, she should do her homework? She was failing almost all of her classes except Phys. Ed. and they would kick her out of the clubs next week if she continued to fail. That would upset her schedule a great deal...
The game console made its pleasant welcoming sound and diverted her attention. It was pointless to do the homework. She was terrible at English and mathematics and one night of homework wouldn't bring up her grades. Besides, she needed to practice. The tournament was next week! A few presses on the controller and she was in the MMO world, her character wearing the special edition armor she had earned from winning last year's tournament. Thousands of players were on the internet analyzing her strategies from last year's win, so she had been trying out new tactics against other players. Thus far, very few things worked.
[3 hours later...]
There was a knock at the door.
"Saki-chan? Have you finished your homework?"
"Not now, oka-san."
"Yes now! You're failing. Saki-chan, I don't want to see you get banned from your clubs. I know how important they are to you..."
"This is important to me right now, oka-san!"
There was silence from the hall. Sakiko waited for another sound, her eyes unable to look away from the game on the screen. This tactic was working! She was winning! Finally, she heard her mother sigh outside the door.
"Well, dinner is ready if you want some?"
"Just leave it on the table. I'll come eat when I'm done."
"Did you see the board? Tonight is family night. Your father and I want you to join us..." There was a long pause. "Saki-chan?"
"I heard you, oka-san. I'm busy right now. I'll come eat later."
Her mother's footsteps trailed away from the door. For a moment in the game, while she was waiting for someone to attack, she reached over and grabbed her gaming headphones. Someone shot her from behind! Sakiko let out a cry out of rage.
[Two more hours later...]
Yes! This test strategy was succeeding! She would be able to use this in combination with all of her other tactics. She just needed to make sure no one could see her. Testing someone's blind spot was always tricky. Her tongue stuck out, clenched between her teeth gently as she tried to sneak up behind someone...
Just one more second, that was all she needed to attack...
The screen became a mass of binary code. Green and black numbers ran in dozens of marquee lines across her television.
"NANI!?"
She jumped so suddenly in her chair that it rolled, caught on the edge of her rug, and tipped backwards with her. Sakiko fell hard, the rug softening the blow for her head. With a low growl, she sat up rubbing the back of her head and glared up at the screen. What was going on?
The coding began to form an egg. It became more and more 3D looking. She couldn't believe what she was seeing! This had never happened in the game before! As the egg started to push itself from the screen, she realized that it was becoming an actual egg! A pink thing, kind of glitchy, with black stripes. Sakiko could not help but stare, entranced. It was almost completely emerged from the television before she realized what would happen once the egg fell.
Thanks to a lot of dedicated practice and her intense training schedule (which was the reason she was failing classes), Sakiko had developed quick reflexes and amazing physical speed. She leaped from the rug across the room, turning in time to catch the egg and hug it to her chest. However, because hardwood floors have no friction and she was still in her school uniform (tights included), she slid until her back slammed into the entertainment center. It knocked loose several cords which shut off the gaming console and her television. A few books fell from the shelf above to knock her on the head, drawing a groan from her.
Footsteps rushed to her door. "Saki-chan, are you all right in there?" It was her father.
"Yeah, I just dropped a few books."
"That sounded like more than dropping something. I'm coming in--"
"No! I-I mean... Hang on."
She quickly stuffed the egg under her bed, wrapped a scarf around it to keep it warm, and rushed to the door to open it before he came intruding. She gave her father a rare smile.
"See? I'm fine."
"Saki-chan, you're bleeding."
"What?"
She reached up and felt warm liquid on her forehead. He sighed and pushed the door open wider to see her room.
"What happened?"
Sakiko sighed. "I got carried away and my chair fell..."
"Why did the books fall?"
"I tried to hurry back to the game and slipped. I should have changed when I came home."
He gave her a stern look over his square glasses. "You also should have done your homework. Come on. Let's get that cut taken care of, then you're coming to eat. It's almost bed time, so family night will have to wait."
She glanced over her shoulder at the egg. Would it be all right under her bed? Sakiko left the room with her dad, listening to him talk about her failing grades while he lead her to the bathroom to clean up. Her father was an unusually kind man for someone that worked as a copy editor. She had seen his office. It was cramped, unorganized, and covered with coffee stains and paper. He was grumpy during work and pleasant at home. Did he have dual personalities?
Forced into the kitchen after having a band-aid stuck on her forehead, Sakiko could see a gleam in her mother's eyes as she sat down to eat. Why was her mother so happy? Maybe it was her imagination.
"After dinner, we can play a game or watch a movie. What do you think, Saki-chan?"
"To be honest, I don't feel good. I'm tired and I feel a little nauseated." Anything to get back to her room. She couldn't take her mind off the egg...
Her dad started digging through a drawer and returned with a flashlight. He shined it right in her eyes.
"Saki-chan, how many fingers am I holding up?"
She winced from the bright light. "Three."
"Good." He removed the flash light. "Walk in a straight line from here to the counter."
Sakiko sighed and did as she was told. This was ridiculous. Her parents were sometimes over-protective. As she finished her walk, she heard her father's lowered voice.
"She's fine. She doesn't have a concussion."
"What should we do? If we let her go without eating--"
"If she gets hungry, she will eat. She's not starving. You said she eats just fine at school, didn't you?"
"Well, yes..."
"Sakiko," her father's voice was firm, "you can go back upstairs. Please take your plate with you so your mother will not worry about your health. Also, I would like to have your journal."
"What? Why?"
"I want to see your schedule so that I can plan a proper family night. We always seem to plan it on a night when it most inconvenient for you, so we will work around your schedule."
The teenager did not like that idea at all. She avoided family night on purpose. As she locked eyes with her father, she understood that he already knew that. This was a crafty tactic. If they went by her schedule, she would have no excuse as to why she locked herself up in her room. With a curse under her breath, she snatched up her dinner plate and returned to her bedroom. He followed her to the door, careful not to step over the threshold, and waited for her bullet journal. She handed it over immediately, trying not to glare at him.
"Thank you. I will return it in the morning. Good night, Saki-chan." He smiled at her, the ultimate sting, and shut her door before he left.
She wanted to scream. First her original tactic had been ruined by some punk player, probably American, shooting her in the back! What kind of cowardice move was that, anyway? Next, her most successful tactic thus far had been thrown out the window by a random binary code and an egg! Sakiko stopped her train of thought there. The egg!
The girl dropped to her knees to check on the egg. It was fine. Somehow, she got the feeling that it felt cozy inside her scarf. Sakiko hesitated, then pulled the egg and scarf out from under her bed to examine it. What was it? Obviously, an egg, but what kind of egg? Her eyes absently wandered up to her television screen. How had it come from there? Eggs didn't come out of screens. It had come from that coding... She looked back at the egg. It felt content, happy even. How could she possibly know what an egg felt? That didn't make sense at all.
Eggs usually took a long time to hatch. Did she need to get an incubator for it? Something about this unknown feeling made her think the scarf would be enough. She leaned over and started to push it back under the bed, but that emotion became cold and clingy. What was going on?
"Do you not want to be under the bed?"
She felt a sudden need to be hugged. Strange... A sigh escaped her and she set the egg on top of her bed near her pillow. Was she really going to sleep with it? Sakiko shook her head and turned away to change into her pajamas. Her mind wandered back to her homework, eyes trailing to her backpack. She probably should do it. Just one bit before she went to bed. The adolescent pulled out her books and homework and sat down at her desk. She had just started to concentrate on a math problem when she felt an odd lurch in the pit of her stomach. It was somehow tied to the egg. She jerked around to check on it. It was still resting comfortably near her pillow, wrapped up in her scarf.
"What do you want?"
The cold, clingy sensation returned. Sakiko got up, took the egg back to the desk with her, and set it under her lamp. There was a warm, fuzzy feeling, almost euphoric, that engulfed her. It made her sleepy and the sensation did not stop during her entire study session. Homework unfinished, she dropped her pen and fell asleep, dreaming of happy bubbles and a loving sensation she hadn't felt since she was young...
[The next morning...]
It was the image of Haruka that stirred her. Haruka smiling brightly, ordering her in her fun, aggressive way to wake up! Something exciting was happening! Sakiko jerked awake. Her homework was covered in drool. The morning sun peeked through her windows. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand; the alarm had not yet sounded. After wiping the drool from her mouth, Sakiko noticed the egg. It was still under the lamp, hot and happy.
"I have to get ready for school," she told the egg. Nonsense. She had said that to herself, right?
Sakiko finished her homework, put her supplies in her bag, and got dressed for school. When her alarm clanged, she shut it off and searched around for her shoes. The books were still in the floor. She needed to tidy those up before she left. Something dropped out from under a book and clattered along the floor. It was a strange electronic device: light blue with black accents. The screen and buttons were also light blue. She pushed one. Nothing happened.
"What is this? Is it broken?"
There was a cracking sound from behind her. Sakiko froze. Another crack, followed by a tap, tap, tap. Slowly, she stood up and turned around. The egg was hatching! The teenager watched, paralyzed, as the shell cracked apart. At last, something white poked out. White, round, and fluffy. The egg wiggled, fell over, and started to roll off the desk. With a yelp, Sakiko dropped the electronic device and dove for the egg. She caught it for a second time, this time bumping her head against her desk leg. As she sat up, she realized that the egg had finished hatching. Pieces of the pink and black shell lay scattered around her. What was in her arms now was alive, fluffy, and round. It was a monster!
It made a gooey sounds at her. She let out a scream and almost dropped the baby, scrambling away from it as fast as she could. The electronic device beeped on. Sakiko crawled over to it and stared at the screen. It was showing the fuzzbaby in front of her with basic information on its type, family, and attribute. But what did any of this mean?!
"Y-you're name is Snow Bohh... Botamon?"
The white fuzzbaby gave a coo. She had never seen anything like it, but it was pretty cute. That urge to be hugged reappeared once again and she had to fight it. Sakiko scooted closer. It made a sound close to a kitten's meow. It was only a baby, after all. With a deep breath and an amount of courage she didn't feel, Sakiko reached out and pet it. Its fur was very soft, like fleece. The fuzzbaby gave a loud purr as she pet it and her euphoric sensation returned. The bounced right into her lap and snuggled against her.
"What are you?"
She checked the electronic device again. A Digital Monster? What did that mean?
Her mother shouted from the living room.
"I'm going to be late. Snow Botamon, you need to stay here."
It blinked its big, black eyes at her. There was a cut on its cheek she hadn't noticed before. How did that happen? Was it when she dropped it? Sakiko's mother called again and she got to her feet, setting the fuzzbaby aside on the floor.
"Stay here, baby. I'll come back later."
It started to cry. An overwhelming fear of being abandoned immobilized the teenager. The crying got louder and a puddle began to form on the floor from its tears. Sakiko didn't know what to do! Her mother might hear it and come check!
"Okay, fine. You can come with me. Just stop crying. Please?"
It stopped and bounced happily, emotions having changed in the blink of an eye. Sakiko snatched the fuzzbaby up, stuffed it into her backpack, and reached to zip it up. The big, black eyes were watery again. She had to pause.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
It sniffled. Was it going to cry again? Sakiko scanned her room for something that might help. The scarf was still on her desk. She grabbed it and wrapped it around the fuzzbaby. The creature nestled down into the folds of her scarf, closed its eyes, and allowed her to zip up the backpack. But not all the way, because apparently it was scared of dark places...
Sakiko rushed out of her bedroom, the electronic device in hand, and followed her mother to the car. It was going to be a long day at school.
