End of Fiction: Epilogue

[Davidizer13]

Wow, brilliant hiring move, thought Andrew, watching the mod flail about trying to answer a simple question about the game. You'd think that with all the money they'd been rolling around in, they could at least get someone who knew what they were doing. She had to kick it up to the president of a major game company, who, inexplicably, had nothing better to do than save some schmoe the couple minutes it would have taken to look up the answer on the wiki. Beautiful.

But then the question the guy asked the "president" (he suspected that the guy was just the game admin - still...) gave fouled that up even more: some boss, part of a big update they had released a bit ago, was glitching out. Well, no duh, if their coding and playtesting was held to the same standard as they hired their moderators. He bit his tongue about all this on the game: the mod said she wasn't in a banning mood, but one could never be completely sure, if he said something that hit too close to the truth.

Still, he hadn't expected much from Vintage these days, not since they got hung up on Prologue. They had been a great game company back in the Genesis era, making things like Yggdrasil, Claymore, Time Circuits, all sorts of creative ground-breakers. He even grudgingly liked the first EoF game, but Prologue... They just changed too much, like they had forgotten what had made it good the first time around. At least they had fixed some of that in Epilogue, though it didn't have him totally sold yet. With a sigh, he looted another Cactiwalker. Only five more of these things to go. Jen had taken a beating, so Andrew tapped out a quick message

[Jennumaura]:Hey, anyone got a heal they could spare? running out of mana

[rocklobster]

Mariko tossed Jennumaura a healing potion.
[Josie]: I always carry more than I need. I tend to be the default healer anyway.

[Masquerade1412]

[Valmont]: Yeah, my entire guild has been trying to figure out what's going on with Mugen
[Valmont]: Our server first got taken away
[Valmont]: Boss wasn't "working as intended"

Nishimoto took a second to think. He leaned back and shouted to one of the bystanders, "Hey, Joseph. Aren't the guilds YOUR territory?"
The man named Joseph quickly focused his eyes on the President. "Y-yes sir."
"Then go check on it! I don't like to hear complaints about things that can be corrected."
"Yes, sir!" Joseph quickly scrambled out of the room.

Nishimoto turned back to the flashing screen.

Nishimotor: The problem shall be fixed as soon as possible.
_______________________

[everdred12a]

I think I'm being duped, Dan thought to himself. The whole situation had seemed a little too convenient, and way too easy; especially after what must have been a collective of hundreds of GM tickets the guild had filed.

[Valmont]: Not sure I buy it
[Valmont]: but I guess I'll find out when we go to try to kill it again tonight

[Party][Valmont]: Alright, let's go clear out that dungeon real quick
[Party][Valmont]: should be pretty easy

Without giving much time for Raider to respond, Dan steered Valmont towards the heart of the desert, for it was at the heart of the zone that the cactiwalker boss and his minions waited.

As he walked, several of the local monsters seemed to take an interest in Valmont. The air around Valmont coalesced into a mist, and with a quick hand motion, the mist formed into a small flurry of dagger-like ice crystals that hurled themselves towards the foolish creatures at a great speed. The creatures offered little resistance to the barrage of razor ice crystals as they mercilessly slashed and pierced the creatures, leaving little more than a few corpses and a fine, frosty mist in Valmont's wake.

[raider~joseph]

Raider rushed the boss with breakneck speed.He ran around him lighting(hah)fast speed and created a stasis field of electricity around it.It was good crowd control.Joseph then began to use a DoT of lighting on the cactiwalker by shocking it with a stream of lighting.

(Raider):Any melee dps?

[everdred12a]

After clearing their way through to the cactiwalker boss with relative ease, Raider did not wait long at all to start his assault.

[Raider]: Any melee dps?
[Valmont]: Nope, just you and me and this thing

The air around the boss crackled with electricity, and the boss roared in its strange native tongue, most likely a combination of pain from the electric current running through it and an attempt to assert dominance over the two to make them shaken.

Valmont began a short incantation in turn with some somatic gestures, and the air around him almost seemed to cloak him in a cloud of frost. As the last words escaped his mouth, he completed the spell with a throwing motion, and a lance of ice emerged from the frosty cloud, hurtling through the air and meeting its mark in the large cactus' torso.

Repeating the spell four more times, four more lances homed in on the boss's position, each piercing the boss' hide.

[Masquerade1412]

RedMasq watched as Valmont and Raider attacked the cactus boss. To a normal bystander, they were doing magnificently well. To the undisputed master of Prologue, they were hardly dealing any damage at all.

[color="Red"]RedMasq[/color]: That's not going to work. The boss can only be truly damaged moments before it attacks.

As if commanded, the monster rooted itself into the ground and began to inhale the air, uprooting nearby shrubs and one unlucky player.

[color="red"]RedMasq[/color]: If you want to defeat it in one blow, now is your chance. Strike inside the boss!
______________________
Nishimoto leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Why is it when someone says that they'll fix a problem, someone always doubts it?"

He looked at Jaylin upside down and asked, "What do you think?"

[raider~joseph]

Raider eveloped his hands in lightning.This was his most powerful attack.To get it you would have to have beaten a chain of quests,capped your level,and be forced to beat the clockwork deity.The last boss of the game.A massive demonic machine with razor sharp vorpal swords and an immunity to elemental attacks.It can heal,buff,and debuff in a single cast.It was brutal.If you beat it you got the master skill.It varies with the element you had fighting it.Lighting's was the neuron bomb.A spell with a 5% cast rate.Raider casted it as a joke in this fight but when he saw it go he smiled.It only rarely went off and cost all your energy to use.It was a instant death spell.He casted it and a blast of white energy hit the cactiwalker.Bit by bit it dissipated into nothing. K.O. The chest that appeared where it stood was big.

[Raider]: You have it.I mean it it's the least I can do.If you had not let me help neuron bomb would not have been casted.It's awesome to behold.

[Diamond Dragon]

By now Tomo had completely lost interest in her surroundings and moved her character off to a more interesting spot. On the region chat she had noticed one member bullying another. That guy had to be put down a few pegs. Soon she arrived at the right spot. One member with a black haired, red eyed avatar was attacking another avatar with a lower level, and the bully wasn't listening to the other's requests to stop. Tomo marched her avatar right up to the bully.

[Solar Moon]: Why don't you pick on someone you're own level? I challenge you to a one on one battle, winner takes the most valuable item from the other's inventory!

[Black Ruby]: You're on, n00b!

Great, one of those chat speaker people... Tomo thought. The screen changed as both players were transported to an arena where no one else could bother them. Then the fight began.

[everdred12a]

[Party][Valmont]: Well, let's at least see what's in it before we decide who gets what

Valmont opened the chest; there was some gold in it, of which he only took half, and there was a good lowbie sword - Edge of the Burning Sirocco.

[Party][Valmont]: I don't need the sword, you want it?

[Valmont]: Yeah, I know you can't do much until it attacks
[Valmont]: I had hoped we could just brute force it down since we outlevel it

[Masquerade1412]

Valmont: I had hoped we could just brute force it down since we outlevel it
[color="red"]RedMasq[/color]: Some of the bosses require strategy instead of force.
___________

The door opened quietly and slowly, revealing a head with short auburn hair.
"Lee," it said. "It's time to eat."
Silence.
"I'll be down in a little bit," Lee replied.
The door closed again, as silently as it opened.
____________________
[color="red"]RedMasq[/color]: I had hoped to stay a little longer, but I have other duties to attend to.
[color="red"]RedMasq[/color]: By the way, hold on to that sword. There is a trader nearby that will give you a very high price for it.
[color="Red"]RedMasq[/color]: Farewell.

[Davidizer13]

Jen gulped down the potion, and Andrew checked her inventory. She had all the spines she needed; perfect. But something else caught Andrew's eye: a couple players were in a battle just over the next hill, and it looked big. Sure enough, it was a huge cactiwalker, nearly dead, though. By the time she got there, the party had split up the loot; an ice mage and a fighter were chatting about how they could've done it better.

[Jennumaura]: What'd I miss?
[Jennumaura]: Got a spot for a spear fighter?

[rocklobster]

Mariko walked over to Tomo. "Would you like a partner?" she said, hoping Tomo would play nicer.

[everdred12a]

[Valmont]: Hmm
[Valmont]: I guess I got time for more
[Valmont]: Raid time isn't for awhile

Valmont invites Jennumaura to the party.

[raider~joseph]

[Raider]:You guys wanna do the coswall creek instance?That boss gives out some hardcore drops.And you keep the blade.

[Diamond Dragon]

ooc: Just so you know Rock, Tomo isn't being bad, she's dealing out some justice! (And getting some profit from it)

By this time the one on one battle was fully underway. Tomo found that 'Black Ruby'
was a lightning type, and could deal some hefty blows with the battle axe he (or she, Tomo wasn't very sure) had equipped. Tomo had gone to the defensive side, trying to dodge as many blows as possible, and occasionally dealing a blow with her equipped claymore. As time went on, Black Ruby's mana was getting pretty low, and Tomo's health was at half. However, this was the moment Tomo had been waiting for. Swiftly Tomo cast the steal move. She came away with 200 gold and an emerald which would fetch a good price at the market. After that, she started dealing powerful blows. Black Ruby fought back fiercely, surprised at the sudden change. Finally, Tomo landed the winning blow. Black Ruby was on hands and knees, with the red word 'Loser' above. Tomo's avvie pumped a fist, with the Word 'Winner!' above her. Then she turned back to Black Ruby.

[Solar Moon]: Never treat people who are just starting like dirt Oh, and by the way: They call me the Justice Thief.

An object floated from Black Ruby to Tomo's avatar. It was a high quality Briswood sword. Soon it was in Tomo's inventory, and Black Ruby disappeared.

Now Tomo was back at the place she had been before the fight. Looking at her health, she noticed it was dangerously low. "Black Ruby was a hard enemy to beat...." she said out loud. Then she noticed Mariko, asking to be a partner.

[Solar Moon]: Sorry....I work alone.

[everdred12a]

With a shrug, Dan took the sword from the cactiwalker boss. A few more gold never hurt.

[Party][Valmont]: Yeah, let's go

With a few gestures and the use of another pinch of catalytic powder, a portal back to the hub city of Coswall appeared. Coswall was a fort town, surrounded by high walls of stone and plaster and ramparts where the archers who made up the city guard stood. However, it was partly ruined due to the constant attacks from the enemies who set up their camp at the bank of Coswall Creek.

[Masquerade1412]

"Done." Lee took his empty dinner plate, sat it in the sink, and started to climb the stairs.

"Wait a second, Lee," his father said. "Would you like to talk about your day with us?"

Lee paused for a moment. Then he said, "Nothing to report", and climbed the stairs out of sight.

"I don't know what to do, Harold," Lee's mother sighed. "It's like he is growing farther away from us."

"Now don't start crying, Gwen. He's not gone yet. After all, he is still eating with us."

Gwen still fought tears. "And when is that going to end? When is he simply going to abandon us for his games?"

"He's just a kid! Let him enjoy his childhood before--"

"He is not a child anymore, Harold! He is seventeen and almost an adult. It is time he starts acting like one." Gwen stood up quickly and slammed her hands on the table. "I say we rip him from the computer once and for all!"

Harold stood up and clamped his hands onto her shoulders. "If you do that, you will do more damage than simply letting him be! You have to ease him out of it."

Gwen simmered down and sank back into her chair. "What do you suggest?"

Lee's father was silent for a moment, deep in thought. "How about this? Tomorrow, we will play a board game with Lee. If he wins, he can go back up into his room and play his games. If he loses, then he will have to go on a camping trip with us."

Gwen laughed. "The last time you tried to play against Lee he put you in checkmate in ten turns!"

"That was such a long time ago!" Harold turned away so Gwen would not see his reddening cheeks.

"Honey," Gwen said softly, "That was last week."

[rocklobster]

"I think I'll go home now, boss." said Jaylin. "Tomorrow's going to be a busy day of bug-checking on the new game. Come along, Josie."
Her dog got up from her place next to Jaylin's wheelchair and opened the door with her mouth.
OOC: How's that for a talented dog?

[raider~joseph]

Just as Joseph readied his charge the update alert sounded.The servers were updating."Great just great...ok..."

(Raider):Okay here is my member address.If you need a nomad I'm always up for a raid!

He logged out and went to bed.What else could he do...alone again.Well not entirely...mr jingles his pet mouse was across from him.Named after one of Joseph's favorite movies.The green mile.

[Diamond Dragon]

Suddenly Tomo's door opened, and Ryan, one of her brothers stood there. He wasn't as mean to Tomo as her other two brothers. "Dad's home." he said gruffly. Tomo silently nodded and logged off the computer. Then she followed Ryan down the stairs and into the living room where their father sat. He looked tired as usual. And even before she sat down beside him, she knew he had been drinking again. "Hey Dad...how was work?" she began uncertainly. Her Dad didn't answer. He just sat there, his eyes looking cloudy and unfocused. "Dad, why don't you ever talk to us anymore?" Asked Tomo, tears started to gather in her eyes. Still no response. Slowly, Tomo put a hand on her Dad's hand. "...I love you Dad." she said, sniffing.
ooc: Waaaaah, I'm making myself sad! T.T

[everdred12a]

"Server update!?" Dan half-shouted, earning Clare's attention.

"Oh, chill out. It's not the end of the world," she teased from her seat on the couch. "Guess who gets to watch Dancing with the Stars with me?" Clare was grinning and pointing both of her index fingers at Dan.

"Yeah, yeah," he groaned as he typed his farewells in the game and closed it out. Dan almost literally dragged himself over to the couch and fell into the seat next to Clare. "I feel like I just won the fail lottery."

"Well," Clare started in a very clearly irritated voice, "I'm glad you have your priorities in order." Dan sighed, knowing where the conversation was going.

"I hate this show, and you know that."

"Doesn't mean you have to act like you hate me."

"I don't hate you. I just like to, at the end of the day, do something that has no import to daily life."

"So quit acting like it's so important."

It stayed quiet for quite some time. The two of them watched the show on the television, as the contestants danced through their routines. After two commercial breaks had passed, Dan decided it was time to give up. He scooted in close to Clare and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Sorry."

"...It's okay."

[Davidizer13]

Coswall Creek sounded as good as any - Andrew had never seen it, but hey, no time like the present to do it. He joined the party, they teleported over there and...

A message popped up on the screen: the servers were updating in a half-hour or so. Definitely not enough to do a dungeon.

[Jennumaura]: dangit
[Jennumaura]: Oh well, maybe next time?

Andrew sent a friend request to Raider and Valmont, said his goodbyes, and disconnected. He spun in his swivel chair, surveying his room. There was a pile of electronics on the shelf, a half-finished Darius Gaiden supergun, some Genesis games scattered in front of an old TV like an offering to a technophile god, and an unmade bed. One day, he'd get better organized.

With a sigh, he got up to his feet and headed for the kitchen. His roomie was sprawled over the couch, still chatting away on his cell phone.

"Yeah, I've got my own place, there's another guy here, though, kinda weird, keeps to himself a lot. He's a physician... No, he's not a doctor, he does something with physics, and- Hey, Andrew, are you a doctor? Like, a surgery one?"

"No, of course not!" He continued under his breath as he dug through the refrigerator. "If I was, I wouldn't have to share with you..."

"What's that, Andy?"

"Never mind. We got any roast beef left?"

"Hold on, baby. No, I used it all last night." Wonderful. "Should be some chili around, though."

Andrew rifled through the cabinets, carefully avoiding the pile of dishes in the sink in his search for canned chili. What am I doing with my life? he asked himself for the second time that day. Work had been a killer, he didn't get to do barely anything on his game, his roommate was still kind of a jerk... He'd figure something out, he was smart enough for it.

[Masquerade1412]

"Oh? Leaving already?" Nishimoto turned in his chair to face the exiting Jaylin. "Well I was going to talk to you about the 'Project', but there will be plenty of time tomorrow for that!"

He smiled and said, "Get home safe, 'kay?"
___________________________

Lee shut the door and tried to log back onto the game, but he got a message indicating a server update. "Rats."
He turned off the computer and plopped down onto his bed. Other than the bed, the computer, and the bookshelf, there really wasn't anything distinguishing his room from the ones in the catalogs. His parents have tried to get him interested in at least painting the room, but Lee didn't mind the pale white color.
"What will you do now, RedMasq?" he asked himself. "Will you continue? After all, you've beaten both the Story and the Prologue. What is left?" Strangely, Lee had been asking himself this question frequently, as if he could never find an answer. Since he was talking to himself, he never really got one.

"Maybe...I should call it quits."
________________________

End of Day One


___________
OOC: I'm so glad that we've finally made it to the second Day. I honestly did not believe we would make it this far!
Tomorrow is going to be a big day, so get ready!

[Masquerade1412]

Day 2

Nishimoto walked through Vintage's glass doors. He loved the revolving doors of the hotels and got one for the front, but since some were scared of getting dizzy, he put a second door beside it. Sasuke greeted the secretaries and asked, "Has Jaylin come in yet?"

"No, sir. She should be here soon though."

"Thanks." The president went into his office and checked the site. Everything seems in order...
__________________

Lee woke up the next day feeling absolutely terrible. I must have caught a cold or something, he told himself. He grabbed his bag and fumbled out the door. "This is going to be a long day..."

[raider~joseph]

Joseph woke up...3 hours ago.He was playing with some guildmates offshore. He was actually just about to have breakfest.Which consisted of cereal.He then...actually he was gonna review his job offers."Who to whack next?"He said to himself."He was reading a email from a guy who got pkd by some girl named Solar Moon."I've heard of this chick.I hope she hasn't heard of me.They run when they do.Makes my day go slower.Ill call the boys up..."After placing a few off shore calls he logged back in.

[everdred12a]

For Dan, it was just another morning ritual. Wake up. Coffee. Shower. Coffee. Help cook breakfast. Coffee. Say good-bye to Clare. Coffee. Get to work. Coffee.

Oh, how I love you, he thought as he stared at his coffee thermos. I have no idea where I'd be without you.

Work was kind of average, that morning. The accountants usually kept to themselves. It was pretty boring, honestly, and knowing that the company might be going belly-up soon wasn't exactly motivating Dan to give it his all.

The morning was grueling. The afternoon was tiring and boring, what with the meetings that had to be attended and the reports that had to be given. When the clock reached 4:55, Dan could have set a company record for shutting down for the day and getting out of the parking lot.

[rocklobster]

Jaylin came in with her dog. She got some cheerful greetings from everyone as she entered her office.
She saw a message on her phone from the president. As she gave Josie her food, she pressed a button and said on the speakerphone, "Sorry, sir, traffic was a little packed on the way in. I barely had enough time for breakfast."

[Masquerade1412]

Nishimoto opened the door to Jaylin's office. "That's alright," he said. "Now we have to get on to business!"
____

Lee slumped down into his 1st hour desk feeling like a dumptruck had run him over, and the driver switched the truck back into reverse.

Things got worse when Jeff slammed his hand on Lee's desk. "Hey there, punk."

"Go away.."Lee murmured.

"What was that, Sir Dweeb?"

"Leave me alone..." Lee started feeling dizzy and leaned his head against his hand.

"Why don't we play a little game? It's called 'Bruise Lee'!" Jeff raised his fist, but before he could lower it Lee vomited all over the jock's clothes. "AH!"

Lee rested his head on the desk. "One hour down....six to go..."

[Diamond Dragon]

Tomo slipped out of her room via the big tree, tears streaming down her face. Her brothers had been meaner to her than usual this morning, and she desperately needed somewhere to cry in peace. When she reached the ground, Tomo started running into the woods.