Party Hard

by David Petrie

  Farn couldn't help but smirk as she watched Kira wave goodbye to the elf. His eyes narrowed the moment before the doors slid shut. It was probably for the best. Farn didn't think he wanted to be there any more than Kira wanted him to be. Not to mention that he made no motion to chase after them.

  The elevator was round with a panel of polished silver floor buttons following the curve of the wall. Decorative stone carvings covered the chamber's floor and ceiling, and four matching pillars were distributed around its perimeter. In most cases, an elevator made of stone would be a terrible idea, what with weight limits being a thing. But since there were no cables holding it up to begin with, that didn't matter. Farn wondered for a second how it actually worked within the game's system, assuming that there was some kind of plate in the floor that removed gravity's hold on it.

  Despite being modeled after the same medieval style as the rest of Valain, the elevator had some more modern elements in the form of wall graphics between the pillars that Checkpoint must have allowed to be customized. The panels featured crisp black and white images of avatars from the game with high-end footwear from the real world being the one thing in color. Kira leaned against a portrait on the back wall of an attractive reynard woman wearing a short pair of pants, her bright green sneakers laced up tight, with perspiration on her skin as if she'd been running.

  The two stood in silence, Farn feeling a little self-conscious, being alone together without the threat of being crushed to distract her. The lift came to a stop part way down, where a group of the building’s employees boarded. Dressed in the closest things to business wear available, the sharp-looking group crowded in around them, forcing Farn to pull her sword in close to make room. They received more than a few odd looks, as if it was obvious to everyone but them that they were not supposed to be there.

  Pressed up against the wall, Farn, who was rather tall, couldn't help but notice the fact that Kira's short stature caused the group to dwarf her completely. It made her look small and a bit weak. Both of which were true.

  The fairy let out an annoyed huff as the middle of people's backs became the one view available, giving off an unintentional vibe of vulnerability that made Farn want to stay by her side and keep her safe. It also taught her a lesson in what made Kira so appealing. She was easily the most adorable player Farn had met. The thought caused a strange disconnect between the character that stood beside her and the person she knew played her. It was as if the fairy’s current form had overwritten her real one in Farn’s brain, making it hard for her to see the small woman as anything else.

  After a few floors, the group of formal men and women exited, leaving them alone. Kira blew out a sigh of relief and stretched into the space again. A few floors later, they reached the lobby. Outside, Farn walked past a mid-level Shield player in full, shining armor complaining while waving around a familiar piece of ore. “I’m telling you, it fell straight out of the sky!” The man rubbed at his head.

  Kira marked the victory with a quiet, “Yes.”

  Farn assumed she had to take what she could get. Part of her was tempted to check the man’s health to see how much damage had been done.

  They passed through a business district, meaning that there wasn't much in the way of item stores, just large buildings full of boring offices. The towers were well designed, but they were still boring all the same. At least it gave them something to look at as they made their way through the street. Kira didn't seem to notice, as she was staring at her map.

  It was obvious to Farn that she was trying to figure out where they were going without letting on that she was lost. Instead of speaking up to help, though, Farn just followed in awkward silence. Silence that went on for far too long. She searched her brain for a subject to start a conversation with. Most couldn't tell by looking at her, but making friends was not something that she was adept at. No, Farnsworth was more the type to spend her nights and weekends making a complicated meal for one and binge-watching media content before going to bed, spooning a Japanese body pillow.

  It wasn't that she was antisocial. Far from it. She did want people in her life, quite badly if she was honest, but after losing all of her friends back in high school, she had been left with a fear of others that she had trouble overcoming. So she hid in the corner at office parties and went to the movies alone. In fact, Noctem was the only place that she ever socialized, but that was because her capability as a Shield made it easy to find party invites. Although, even under the protection of anonymity that the game provided, she still hadn't forged any close relationships. Her friends’ list was long, but really, it was more of an acquaintance list, her only real interactions being based entirely on gameplay. In the end, she had given up on having any form of social life.

  Then, last night, Alastair, the head of Checkpoint Systems, messaged her, threw her into a party of people that had played together for years, and tasked her with saving the world. It was intimidating, to say the least. She would have declined the invitation as soon as she got it, but she felt uncomfortable turning him down since he was her boss. Not to mention she did still kind of owe him.

  She had hidden her concerns as best she could as she waited in the tavern for her new companions to arrive the night before. She had been sure that her presence being forced into the team would've been met with hostility, and being struck in the face by a turkey leg was not the best foot to start off on. Then something odd happened. After a couple of teleports, she seemed to have been welcomed into their group. No one even batted an eye. Max and Kira even seemed nice. Before she realized it, she was having fun. They were trusting her with their lives and encouraging her to do things that she would never have attempted a night earlier. In fact, if it hadn't been for Kira, she never would have escaped the dungeon collapse a half hour before. She wouldn't have even considered the strategy. She would have just frozen up and gotten crushed.

  Without meaning to, Farn quickened her stride, bringing her next to the cheerful fairy that had finally seemed to have figured out where they were. It's now or never, she thought and let a single word slip out, "Thanks."

  "No problem," Kira responded without looking up from her map. Then she slowed to a stop and looked up. "For what?"

  "The dungeon earlier. I know I wouldn't have made it without you. So, thanks."

  "Oh, sure. We're a team. Besides, I wouldn't have made it without you either, so that makes us even." Kira flashed a smile of genuine appreciation.

  "I guess that's true," Farn smiled too but kept her face down, "but really, that was crazy. I mean, is that sort of thing normal for you guys?"

  "Kinda." Kira turned to walk backward with her hands behind her. "I guess it depends on the situation."

  Farn laughed at the nonchalance of her answer. "So you're all just ridiculous badasses then?"

  Kira let out another one of her unintentional pretty laughs. "Yup!" She spun around to walk forward again. "Don't worry. You're well on your way to epic badassery. Just stick with us."

  Farn nodded, attempting not to get her hopes up for the potential friendship.

  "So how did you end up working at Checkpoint?" Kira slowed her pace to stay next to her.

  Farn let out a long, "Ummmm," while she considered her answer. “I don't really do much there. Mostly I just format internal reports so they look nice."

  "Still, it must be a hard company to land a job at," Kira said.

  "I sort of, just got lucky," Farn rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. "I moved out on my own kinda young and waited tables for a few years, but that got old quick as you would expect. So I took out a ton of loans and got an art degree. Then I waited tables for a couple more years."

  "Ha, yeah. They didn't tell us in school that there aren't many opportunities for people in creative fields these days."

  "Us, you say?" Farn stared down at the fairy. "Are you also the proud owner of an art degree?"

  "Caught me." Kira held up her hands as if admitting guilt. "I went for illustration."r />
  Farn raised an eyebrow. "How did that work out?"

  "It did not. I work at a service center of a car dealership. I write up paperwork all day. It is the worst," she said in a flat monotone.

  "Sorry to hear. What kind of stuff did you draw?"

  "Oh, pretty much anything: comics, portraits, animals. I've been drawing since I was a kid. Although I don't really have time now with work. Plus, I got lazy, so I'm kinda rusty."

  "I know what you mean." Farn nodded. "I used to paint, but I'm way out of practice at this point. I wish I could get back into it."

  Kira frowned. "You should. I always tell myself I will. Granted, I never do." Her shoulders sunk a little before picking back up. "How's working for Alastair?"

  "Good, I guess. But I'm just a low-level employee, so I don't really have any contact with him. Although, if it wasn't for him, I'd still be putting up with people complaining about their undercooked or overcooked steak."

  Kira looked puzzled. "You knew Coldblood before working for him?"

  "Sort of, not really." Farn tucked her thumbs into the sash at her waist. "He plays Noctem a lot in his spare time, and I happened to party with him as a rando. He tried to make conversation while we waited for a Breath mage to join. Found out what I went to school for and that I wasn't thrilled with what I was doing. Next day, I got a message from him with a link to a job posting suggesting that I apply."

  "Hmm," Kira pondered. "So he really does cares about the players? I kinda thought that might be an act."

  "He must. He's trusting us with this quest." Farn raised both hands, palms up like she was lifting the weight of the responsibility that had been thrust upon her. "Anyways, I wasn't going to apply to the job, but after closing that night, a drunk driver drove their car through the steakhouse I worked at, and we were forced to shut down. So I figured why not send in a resume."

  "I guess that worked out."

  "Not for the drunk driver. She died," Farn said letting her hands fall back to her sides as she remembered the aftermath of the tragedy. "It was actually really sad. It was some girl on the way home from a college party."

  "That sucks," Kira concluded, her tone sounding somber.

  They walked in silence for a minute before Farn came up with a new, less depressing subject. "Oh, okay, so people talk at work, and sometimes, I overhear things."

  "Yeah?" Kira’s head tilted to the side as she looked up at Farn with an inquisitive eyebrow pump.

  "Did you know that Max's class used to be called something else?"

  "It wasn't always Fury?"

  "Nope. It was originally called an Ash, but they changed it right before they released the class info to the public before launch. Some of the creative team noticed that it sounded too much like the word ‘ass’ when said in conversation."

  "Ha! Nice," Kira snorted.

  "I know, you'd be surprised how much that stuff happens. Anyway, they needed a name and didn't have time to go through a long process. So according to a guy in the sound department, the creatives pretty much phoned it in by stealing a word off a movie poster hanging on the wall of their break room. It was for one of those over the top car films."

  Kira slapped a hand against her thigh. "Oh god, that is such an appropriate source for Max's class title. He dragged me to every single one of those movies."

  "It gets better though." Farn held up a finger. "As a joke, one of the developers added a mural related to it somewhere in Valain. Supposedly, there’s a Dodge Challenger behind it."

  "Really? Anybody find it?" asked Kira, looking tempted to abandon their shopping trip and run off in search of the thing.

  "Nope. But it's just a rumor, so it might not be real," Farn answered, letting her excitement fade.

  "I guess we have no choice then," Kira said cryptically.

  "About what?"

  "About the fact that, when this is over, you and I are going to have to scour this entire city to find that car. Just imagine the look on Max's face when we pull up in a fantasy world driving the car from vanishing point. He would literally die right there," Kira said, bouncing on her toes.

  Farn cracked a stupid grin at the idea, accepting the obligation. "I understand. We must do what we must."

  Farn continued bonding with the fairy all the way to the merchant square where they entered a series of shops, leaving with a new stock of health and mana vials to keep the team alive through the ordeal to come. They finished their shopping excursion in a tiny store down a dark alley that was easy to miss, a small sign hanging by its door read ‘Arcane Imports’. It was the sort of place that didn't see many customers. This was largely because the items it sold were expensive, powerful, but expensive all the same. But now was not the time to be pinching credits, and besides, Farn figured that they could get reimbursed by Alastair when things were over and done with anyway. It was time to splurge.

  The two spent their remaining credits on a variety of things. Special bullets for Max, a new dagger for Ginger, and a Shrapnel rune for Corvin cleaned out Kira's wallet faster than Farn would have expected. She let out a sigh as she looked at what remained written in her journal's account page.

  Farn found a number of rare items, but not much stood out as she wandered around the shop, stopping at a display case of rings which were always useful. She peered through her inspector to read the stats and descriptions hovering above each item. There was one with a regeneration effect that she considered and another with a hefty dexterity increase that she thought might work well for Max. Then her mouth dropped open, her eyes locked on the lines of text hanging over a small dusty box. She couldn’t believe what she read.

  "Excuse me?" she leaned onto the counter, looking for an NPC to handle the transaction. She flinched when a step-stool shoved itself against the case from the other side. At first, she thought that it had moved on its own, but a second later, a small jerobin in a black waistcoat and tie hopped up the steps until he was almost eye level with her. She stifled a laugh at the sight, since she’d never seen a member of the jerobin race dressed so formally. The NPC looked like a small kangaroo with gray fur and a mousy face. A pair of long ears topped his head with a puff of white hair between them. Despite its strangeness, Farn had to admit that the little guy’s clothes fit him well, like they had been tailored just for him. The cuffs of his sleeves were gently frayed as if he’d been wearing the shirt for years.

  The jerobin leveled his black eyes on her. “Yes, how might I help you?” His voice came out sounding older than she expected for a creature so small.

  For a moment, Farn almost forgot what item she’d wanted to ask about, too distracted by the unique NPC. After an awkward pause, she pointed to the box in the case. “May I see this set here?

  The small creature hopped down from the step-stool and opened the case, fishing around a little before removing the small, black enamel box that Farn had chosen. It had no markings on it whatsoever.

  Kira eyed Farn suspiciously. Then her eyes fell to the box as the small clerk set it down on the counter, a thick layer of dust coating its surface as if no one had touched it in decades. Of course, that was impossible since the game had only been out for three years and the box was not real to begin with, but despite that, the NPC treated the container with the utmost respect, wiping away the dust with a cloth to bring back its reflective surface.

  "Now, this is an interesting item," the jerobin exclaimed, keeping his words vague so that they could be applied to any of the shop's wonders. Despite all appearances, he was just a point-of-sale system, no matter how interesting his design was. There were some NPCs in the world that had more complex programming to allow for more complex interactions, but most were just there to serve a purpose. He allowed Farn to do the honors of opening the lid, which she did with respect, mirroring the shopkeeper without meaning to. Inside was a set of two rings, resting in a black felt pad. Both were silver. One was large with a thick band bearing two shields protecting a round onyx stone between them. The other was small, a
design of delicate filigree flowing across its surface and swirling around a smaller onyx that matched its mate.

  Farn paused, letting Kira wonder a little longer. Only when she looked like she might burst with curiosity did Farn speak up, "Someone sold a contract item."

  "Seriously?" Kira scrunched her nose.

  "I know. I thought contract items were bound to the player that received it."

  Kira shook her head. "No, I got one once that was transferable. But I would never sell it. Not after everything I did to get it." She frowned and stared at the black box. "That just seems wrong. Like selling a part of yourself."

  "True." Farn gripped the handle of her sword, wondering what someone would have to offer for her to sell it, provided it hadn’t already been bound to her. She shook off the thought and looked back to the description text on her glass. "Maybe we should give these a new home. They're a little weird, but given your low health, they may be a good thing to have as a backup." Farn pushed the box over for her to see.

  "Oooooh, pretty." Kira lifted up on her toes to look closer at the set on the high counter. "What they do?" she asked, not bothering to check for herself.

  Farn hesitated a moment before reading the long string of information.

  Contract name: Rings of the Willing

  Type: accessory

  Equip slot: left ring finger

  Ownership: unbound

  Usage: one-time only

  Basic enchantment: plus six luck, not stackable

  Item given to form contract: intelligence ring, quantity, 1

  Advanced enchantment: ability, The Willing

  Ability description: once equipped, if shared between two players, the wearer of the small ring will survive one fatal blow. In exchange, the wearer of the large ring will die after five minutes time, during which they will be given increased strength, defense, and dexterity.

  "Damn," Kira commented in a flat tone, making it hard for Farn to gauge her reaction. "That's risky."