1. I am Unpai-K the gamer
Time, it was something that she was sure was running out.
Air, it was beginning to become sparse in the tightened space.
Sound, it was everywhere from the beat of the blood in her veins to the thrumming in her ears; she could even hear the harsh breathing escaping her lips as she crawled onward determined.
Touch, she could feel the cold ground, the surface of the rocks stripped at her palms and knees, but she ignored the pain; it meant nothing right now.
Scent, oh the smell of the old air around her was disgusting; she could smell the mold and festering illness that clung to the surfaces as she crawled onward.
Fear, it was all around her, but she couldn’t succumb to it, not yet.
Just a little further, just a little further. All she had to do was reach the end of the never-ending dark tunnel. She had to only get past the weaknesses her body was forced to put up with, she promised him. She promised to keep going, she promised to keep living no matter how hard it would be. She just had to keep going for him, Inu Yasha.
The feeling of the clammy air shifted, the scent of salt as a brush of wind slapped her in her face teasingly. The sea, was she that close to it? She couldn’t remember, half her memory of the day was lost. Only her determination to live and keep going, to keep running or in this case crawling to escape; escape what?
With a cough she could feel her time for breathing was drawing near its end if she didn’t make it out of the tunnel soon. Pushing back her human senses she pushed onward, fingers scraping against the stone ground, sharp rocks scratching into her exposed flesh as she crawled for the light at the end of the tunnel. Reaching, crawling, escaping, biting back every urge to scream and cry she pushed on to her tiny goal; fresh air.
With one last yank on a rock she pushed her body out of the tunnel unaware of the drop in height she went barrel rolling down the hill. It was too much for her, the pain finally grasped hold of her when her body clashed with another obstacle, and it was hard. She was dizzy, in pain, gasping in the fresh air was just as painful as the scrapes, scratches, and cuts that littered her form from the rocky tunnel.
The sun was much too bright for her after spending hours in that darkness she couldn’t make out any of the blurs, just the scent of salt and floral; the sound of the waves from the sea reached her ears; the feeling of the soft grass beneath her abused body; all of which was enough to put her at ease. Just enough ease for her body and mind to shut down, to force her to finally rest after the long hours of physical onslaught, just before she succumbed to the realm of sleep a soft yet familiar voice reached her ears.
“Hn, woman,” it was a stern cold one, but her mind couldn’t process the voice with. Her mind too muddled and tired to care.
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BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
With a grumbled sigh dainty fingers slid over the headset, shifting her fingers carefully she removed the device on her head. Lowering it to her lap as she shifted slighting in her comfy chair; yawning with a few stretches she felt like she slept horribly, but she knew why.
Slipping her fingers through her raven locks getting any bad hair out of place and back in its right spot; she had a long night and it felt like the day would be another long one.
RING
RING
RING
Shifting her hand slightly she picked up the obnoxious phone answering the call, “Hello?”
“Unpai-K I presume?”
With another yawn she replied, “This is Unpai-K, can I help you?”
“Ah yes, we just got the new games in for you to test and review before we send them out to be sold. The team has prepared them for you and have them waiting for you to pick them up as soon as you can.”
“I’ll be by in a bit then, tell the boys to keep up the good work,” with the last of her honeyed words she ended the call and leaned into the chair a little longer, her head resting against the pillow. It would be another long week of nonstop work. What work? She was a game tester, she tested the new games the company she worked for finished making and spins out an excellent review. She’d been doing it for years now, her reviews were one of the reasons the company’s games were selling so well. If a game didn’t make a 3 star with her it went back to the drawing board with the crew till they could spit out a better version.
She enjoyed her work, but there were times it got stressful at times. Have you ever come across a game that you just had the most difficult time playing, or maybe just couldn’t stop dying? Controls aren’t always easy if you have to memorize too many. Yet if the level is too hard for one to complete you’ll spend hours if not days on the same level trying to master it, it was like trying to beat an intense level in the old Mario Brothers game with those hidden blocks that would only show up if you hit them wrong then you die.
Intense gaming, she was in the middle of an intense game that she couldn’t just find a stopping point, that’s a problem with virtual reality games, you lose track of everything in them.
Sliding her fingers over the side of the head gear a soft click was heard, she plucked the game out of the device. It was another game she beat, it was something fairly fun, and she’d have to write a review on it later. Picking up the device she slid it on to the table next to her chair, sliding the game disc and the phone on the table as well she slowly rose from her seat.
Stretching towards the ceiling she could feel her bones rolling in their joints crying out as they pop in and out of place releasing any air trapped from the uncomfortable sleep. Chairs were only so comfortable, she didn’t mean to be in it all night, but time slips right on by.
Making her way across the carpet through the very dimly lit room she found her way to the bathroom, she’d take a quick shower then be on her way to the company.
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With another yawn she shifted on the metro train a little, she was on her way to the company. Her return goods and reviews in her bag, she was ready to take on the next set of goods and earn another pay check like usual.
Glancing out the window towards the sea, she got an odd sensation from it; it was calling to her in a way. Shrugging the feeling off, she glanced towards the buildings and scrapers that the city hugged tightly, her metropolis city.
When the metro came to a stop at the next station she slipped off the metallic ride and made her way past the few people, there wasn’t many about at this time; a rare transit time she supposed. Making her journey along the stair well she made her way up to the streets; unaware of the eyes following her, unaware of the silent stalker.
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Tugging out her badge she swiped it through the scanners gaining entrance to the company. Slipping through the doors she made her way to the elevator greeting the front counter girls with the security team. Once in the elevator she slipped her fingers over the floor buttons selecting the floor that she was most prone to stopping at to collect the new games.
Leaning against the side of the elevator wall she listened to the tune they had playing, sounded like one of the new games theme music. One of the things to enjoy with this company they always tried hard to keep the game spirit going by playing all sorts of music from their games, to her it was much better then the dull elevator music in any other building.
With the sliding of the elevator doors she exited and made her way down the hall to the desk at the end of the hall.
“Oh Kagome, we’ve missed you dear,” one of the girls at the desk cried out when she noticed her.
“Shh, I go by Unpai-K, goodness Yuuki you’ll get me in trouble if everyone learns my true identity,” she hushed the girl easily.
“Tsk, you use such a tacky name.”
“It helps when the others think the reviewer is just an average player much like them.”
“Gives a ‘mystery’ over who the real Unpai-K is?”
“You’re so smart Yuuki, so is Anbu in?”
“He should be, he just got out of his meeting I believe. You know where his office is I’ll be waiting here with this obnoxious box for you,” Yuuki giggled at her friend.
“I’ll be back soon enough, then we can plan a get together to hear about all your life drama~” Kagome was already heading through the door unable to hear Yuuki complain over her life not being that drama filled.
Stepping on to the battle grounds, it’s how the layout appeared. It was like a giant sandbox with games here and there, cardboard cut outs, bean bag chairs, low tables, cubicles here and there, and testing stations. It was like walking into a children’s dream land of gaming.
With a shake of her head she made her way to an office, the fine printed letters of Anbu on the door drew her in. With a soft knock she opened the door glancing in at the two in the room, “Hello Anbu and Yasha!”
“Kagome, do come in and shut the door girl,” one of the males told her. She did just that, she entered the room with a smile slipping in shutting the door quietly.
“Is it already that time of the month?” the other male stated.
“Yeah drop off and pick up day,” she replied while pulling her pack off unzipping a compartment she plucked out a flash drive and a few game cases sliding them on to the desk.
“Only three didn’t make at least a 3? Not bad, seems those boys can’t make something up to your ratings anymore.”
“It’s not that, they had a good plot, but it just didn’t play right I left them notes in the cases; and there’s one that has to have its difficulty messed with, its way to hard in most parts not many will enjoy the game if it’s that hard to play.”
“And this is why we ask you to test the games.”
“She at least gives a good report compared to the other testers,” he sighed.
“So Yasha, you make one of the new games?” her eyes were on the guy with silver hair pulled back into a low pony tail.
“Nah, it’s still in testing grounds; still fiddling with the last bit of the mapping,” he smirked a little.
“Can’t wait to try that one out when it’s ready,” she teased.
The other man, Anbu, had looked over the games and was already on to looking over the reviews, “Your reviews always leave me feeling like I just finished playing the game myself.”
“This is why no matter what you can’t get rid of me,” wagging her finger in a ‘matter-of-fact’ manner with a smirk.
“Oh now her ego is stroked way to go Anbu.”
“Can’t help the truth, now can I?”
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A/N: I thought I’d try something different I guess; I had wanted the chapter to be longer, but you get what you get when you type for a few hours. The first bit is a sneak peek into what comes later >:3
Hope you guys enjoyed this a little, either way I wish to see comments be them positive or negative, now negatives I eat your cookies D8< RAWR!!!