Fool's Paradise by Alon

Unavoidable

“What’s this?”

The dark haired woman was too confused for words; in the first place she was never the best at games or technology. If ever, she was less than a casual gamer in her younger years. So when she was presented with the gift she couldn’t hide the surprise and slight perplexity that plastered upon her pretty features. Kagome pushed her rimmed glasses in inspection of the item; it was a game console that looked pretty expensive. Except she was no gamer, she was just a librarian who had hopes of being a professional novelist.

“Sis, you don’t like it?” Her younger brother tilted his head, “It’s the newest virtual reality game. One of the betas, it warps you almost completely into the world through your consciousness.”

“B-beta? Virtual reality?” She blinked a few times, holding the rather large box filled with all these unknowns.

“It’s in early release and testing stages, limited edition for the first few months at least. It’ll be like you’re in the game yourself.”

She was still confused, what could she possible do with it? She wanted to be lost in a novel of fantasy, not in a game. “Sota... This is amazing but I don’t know anything about it.”

Her brother just began college and majored in IT as well as computer engineering, he was the complete opposite of Kagome who preferred to do things the old fashioned way, even though she was still young. Her metal-rimmed glasses gave her an older feeling as well as covered her dainty face that hid under her spectacle. It was supposed to be vision correcting from years ago and even though her eyes are perfectly fine now she still preferred wearing the glasses.

“It’s so you can write your novels better.” He grinned. “I know you enjoy the Edo period, so it’s an RPG that allows you to do quests as well as party people, conduct raids, level up, even get money and own land.”

The dumbfounded look that his sister gave him made him somewhat sigh. “So it’ll be like as if real life but I’m in a game...?” She murmured slowly.

His eyes brightened, “Exactly! And you can use it as reference for your novel. You can fight monsters, converse with other players, join a guild, choose what you race you want to be—”

“What?”

“Well, to my knowledge there’s a choice of human, yokai, elf, dwarf and changeling. In terms of class it’ll depend on your choice of race. Humans, elves and dwarves can be knight, mage, priest, monk, rogue, and ranger. While yokai and changelings are given the choice of warlock, druid, animal morphism and warrior—”

“Wait, wait, that’s too much information in one sitting.” Her head was spinning, how was she supposed to absorb all this in one go? But it was like her brother was on his own tangent, slightly ignoring her brief protest. He would continue without acknowledging what she had said.

“It’s something that I also helped with, in high school I was lucky enough to be chosen to collaborate with others.” His eyes sparkled in satisfaction and pride. “Demons as well as humans made this together, we also put a special kick in it for those who have reiki or strong youki.” He couldn’t stop talking, couldn’t stop grinning—he was too fixated on telling his sister of the effort and magnificence of the virtual reality game. “Also, we’ve only allowed about a few thousand people to play and already it has amazing feedback, it’s planned that the release will—”

“Sota.” She had to stop him before he overloads, “How about... you teach me how to connect all this and play?”

If possible, the pure enthusiasm on his face increased as he nodded. She passed the box over to him as he began to tear open the cardboard. The title of the game plastered on the cover seemed to jest as well—

Fool’s Paradise.

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.

“What is this atrocity?”

His golden eyes narrowed dangerously, his half-brother was making an effective mess of the apartment that he lent him. Food packets and remaining crumbs were littered everywhere as well as carelessly discarded clothes and basically, him. His own sibling was filthy in his own mess, looking like he hasn’t showered in a week and donning only a pair of boxers, bleached white fading into a mixture of yellow and grey. His hair was unkempt with bits of things hanging onto the once silver strands and it took all of his control not to cover his sensitive nose. Disgust shone bright in his icy eyes.

The half-inu yokai wore a headset as well as visual technology over his eyes. He was completely ignoring the regal male who loomed behind him in a crisp suit. His long limb swiftly kicked the leather chair.

No response.

If possible, the scowl on his face deepened. The idiot brother of his was too far into his world of video games to even sense the movement made on his physical body. His molten eyes darted to the cord connected to the wall and fuelled the electricity for the device. For the first time in his day he allowed a slight up curve of his lips. Now the only question was if he should sever the plastic cord or simply pull it out?

Easy choice.

With a flick of his youki whip the cord was cleanly cut in half, anything the half yokai was doing would be lost—

“What the fuck?!” His yelling was expected as his clawed hand ripped his headphones off as the other hand pulled the visual device above his head. The older yokai said nothing and waited for the imbecile brother of his to notice his presence. There was no disappointment as only a brief second passed before ears twitched on top of his head and he whipped back. “You! Dude what the hell is your problem? I was half way in a raid y’know!”

“That means less than dirt to me.” A silver brow rose at the anger displayed against him. “You have not attended work in over a week.”

The male in the chair grunted and began to pull various cords linked around his limbs off of his skin. “Yeah, yeah, I was busy.” He stood up and various items spluttered off his body, “It’s not like you need me there.”

“It is the act that is necessary.” His nose slightly flared at the putrid scent. “Clean yourself.”

Suddenly Inuyasha himself seemed to realise the mess and chaos that he had made, “Holy shit I must’ve been stuck in that game for bloody ages.” He attempted to smell himself and immediately regret the action. Ignoring Sesshomaru’s continual glare he headed to the bathroom as the older yokai trailed behind him.

“You are to go to work and not leave until you have made up the hours lacked.” The shower switched on but he could still hear the grumble that the half yokai made.

“Why don’t you fucking make me, asshole?”

In a split second his claw was around the half-yokai’s neck, firmly pressing him against the bathroom wall. “This one will end you, if you do not go.” He began to clench tighter.

“Then you can tell the old man yourself!” At the mention of their father Sesshomaru hesitantly let go, still annoyed at the half-breed that he called brother. No doubt if the father found out he tried to contain his own sibling with force, hell will rain down on him. The taller male took a step back, arms impatiently crossing in front of him. The younger yokai had a smug look on his face as he shrugged out of his filthy clothing.

“What will it take?”

Inuyasha was basking in the hot water of the shower as it began to fog up the bathroom—the rancid scent was finally leaving. “First get the hell out of my bathroom.” His eyes narrowed but he took a few steps back, out of the bathroom but the door still open. “Close the door too, it’s called privacy.” His claw gripped in annoyance but slammed the door shut nonetheless.

While Inuyasha enjoyed the torturous face that his older brother produced, he knew he would get his ass whooped personally if he dragged his act out any longer. But he rarely got a chance to torture his prudent brother. “What will it take for you to attend work?” Sesshomaru was getting impatient and he rarely repeated himself twice. However, it was his duty to whip his half-brother into a respectable demon, something that his father designated for him.

Suddenly, an evil grin plastered itself on the half-yokai’s smug features. He quickly scrubbed himself down with unscented soap as well as cleaning his hair. He reappeared in front of Sesshomaru with spotless albeit wet silver strands and a towel around his waist, the older one could tell by the glint in his eyes that he was up to mischief.

“If you play the virtual reality game I was playing before for three—no, six months, then I’ll happily work under you for three years.”

The mixture of shock, disgust and utter disbelief that reflected in the taller yokai’s eyes made him chuckle darkly on the inside.

He got the bastard this time.

The virtual reality box packaging flickered in banter in the background—

Fool’s Paradise.

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A/N

I know I shouldn’t but I need some happy adventure stuff! Whee! Ready to go on a journey? Jokes, it’s going to end up angsty—double joke... Okay no one gets my jokes. Does anyone need me to clear any gaming jargon confusion? Just ask and it'll happen! Cheers! <3