entry #11 | ¢åтfïѕн
━━━━༻ ♦ ༺━━━━
catfish
01101111
━━━━༻ ♦ ༺━━━━
The White Residence was quiet like usual.
(Y/n) quickly washed her dishes and dried them, placing them on the dish rack to sit. She licked her lips. 'That pasta was really good,' she sighed, regretting that she had finished it so fast. 'For a cheap restaurant, their food is amazing.' She had resorted to takeout since she was too tired to cook, not to mention she wasn't especially good at it.
If you wanted scrambled eggs, she was your girl. Fried rice? Of course. Omelets? Easy peasy. Sandwiches? Consider it done.
Hotel? Trivago.
She dragged herself towards her bedroom and flopped onto it, ready to enjoy a nice, long sleep until her phone buzzed.
Whoever invented mute sure didn't do a good job at it. It's supposed to sense the situation and stop automatically, gosh.
Groaning, the (h/c)-haired girl rolled over and retrieved her phone from where it sat on her nightstand. She swiped it open and clicked on the new notification.
~ ❀ ~
6:03 pm
+05427-564448: I presume this is (Y/n) White?
me: i don't want to buy cookies
+05427-564448: I'm sorry?
me: im not interested in buying a new house either
me: scam robots begone!
+05427-564448: I am not an ad. This is Tristan Knight, your tutor.
me: oh
me: well this is awkward
+05427-564448: And it seems you are in dire need of a tutor.
+05427-564448: Or specifically, a psychiatrist.
me: now excuse me you oompa loompa po
+05427-564448: Po?
me: uh
+05427-564448: I'm afraid I am not familiar with the term "oompa loompa po." Do clarify.
me: it
me: it's turkish for sir
+05427-564448: I speak Turkish.
me: haha i knew that it was a typo
+05427-564448: About our tutoring session, I suggest we hold it at around one.
me: wow ignoring me hhh
+05427-564448: Is that alright with you, Ms. White?
me: can't i have a project to do that day at noon
+05427-564448: How about three in the afternoon, then?
me: ok that works
+05427-564448: Very well. Do save this number. I'll see you on Saturday.
unknown has logged off
~ ❀ ~
And he was gone. (Y/n) stared at the screen for a while before taking his advice into consideration and saving his number. As popsicleface. She let the phone fall from her hands and onto her stomach as she sank deeper into her collection of pillows. 'Popsicle's the kind of person I'd never be able to get along with,' she grimaced. 'And I have to be stuck with him for the rest of the school year. Fun.'
She just hoped he wasn't a spartan like Mr. Johnson. 'Whatever. It'll be fine,' she consoled herself. 'It's not like he's a psychopath or anything. He's just another rich kid.'
Then her phone went off again, much to irritation. "What is it now?!" (Y/n) scowled, snatching the offending device off her stomach. Her glowered died down at the name that appeared on her screen. It was her art group.
~ ❀ ~
6:11 pm
no.vah: wake up (Y/n)!!
no.vah: wake uppppp
kim.jaehyun: Hi.
me: shut up noves
me: hi jay
no.vah: omg you were awAke?? unreal
me: excuse you im awake more than 50% of the day
no.vah: if you count the hours you spend sleeping at night it doesn't add up
no.vah: there's 24 hours in a day and you're awake for what, five of them?
me: ten
no.vah: girlllll
kim.jaehyun: So. About the project...
me: oh sorry we got distracted
me: let's make the guernica 2.0
no.vah: that's plagiarism for one and two that'll create all sorts of problems
me: aww
kim.jaehyun: We can paint about what the students go through.
me: like at school home or both?
kim.jaehyun: I was thinking both. Since most of Fortuna's students are sons and daughters of the wealthy, they have a lot of problems and restrictions they have to deal with. How about that?
no.vah: ooh nice
me: which one specifically tho
kim.jaehyun: How the students are um...
me: chained down by their family's expectations?
kim.jaehyun: Yeah! Something like that.
kim.jaehyun: I mean, unless you don't want to.
no.vah: im cool with that
me: same here
me: ye we're done. time for me to hit the hay, my people
no.vah: haha night (Y/n)
kim.jaehyun: Um, what are we hitting?
no.vah: lol that means sleep, jay
kim.jaehyun: Oh.
me: byeee
kim.jaehyun: See you tomorrow, (Y/n).
no.vah: nighty night
~ ❀ ~
'Jay's suggestion probably stems from experience,' the (h/c)-haired girl thought sleepily as she yawned. 'With money comes new problems, and the parents don't even realize they're creating them for their kids. I'm so glad I'm not rich...'
She rolled onto her stomach and was finally about to let her blissful dreams drag her down into that oblivion when her phone rang.
'For the love of pillows! What the frick?!'
She snatched the phone off her sheets and glared at it. Gosh darn you stupid machine, she thought angrily. This is why I like computers more.
It was another text message and from a certain redhead.
'Gosh darn you, Reese.' Her movements were angry and swift as she tapped on the notification, opening up her text messages to see several new ones.
~ ❀ ~
6:17 pm
reesespieces: (N/n)! im bored!
reesespieces: save me, (N/n)!
reesespieces: heLLPPPP!!!
me: what the hell reese
me: can you do the dying another day
reesespieces: wow r00d
reesespieces: what if i was really dying?
me: if a serial killer ever went after you
me: nah they'd plead for you to kill them instead
reesespieces: hey what is that supposed to mean?
reesespieces: i don't get it????
me: nothing
reesespieces: T-T
me: ok what do you want
reesespieces: im bored, (N/n)! play with me!
me: bro you woke me up for that
me: go bother jas or something
reesespieces: nooo it has to be you
reesespieces: please?
me: fine. what is it
reesespieces: yayyy you said yes :D
reesespieces: ok so i was bored today so i decided to download this game
reesespieces: it looked really fun
me: and that applies to me how?
reesespieces: i want to play it with you silly! :D
reesespieces: i keep dying you know. it makes me sad :(
me: good for you
reesespieces: what happened to our friendship??
reesespieces: you have to avenge me!
me: my dude it's a game. how am i supposed to avenge you when you're still alive?
reesespieces: is that your way of subtly telling me to die? D':
me: oh you're right
me: sure let's go with that
reesespieces: (N/n)!!!!
me: ok ok fine ill play with you
me: only for 30min
reesespieces: yayyyy
reesespieces: it's an rpg on the computer!
me: what's it called?
reesespieces: karma's flight
me: weird name
me: ok hold on
~ ❀ ~
(Y/n) got up from her bed and reluctantly went towards her desk, leaving the comfort of her soft pillows. She pulled out her chair and turned on her laptop. She typed the game name into her browser, her fingers flying over the keyboard, the quiet bedroom filling with the sound of her keystrokes.
'Karma's Flight, huh?' The game popped up on her screen. 'Oh, it's free. I don't see the harm in downloading it.'
And so, she pressed the download button.
~ ❀ ~
6:25 pm
me: its downloading
reesespieces: yayy :D
reesespieces: add me! im chocobits3
me: nice username
reesespieces: you think so? :D
me: that was sarcasm
reesespieces: (N/n) you're so mean ;-;
me: ✌
me: oh look its done
reesespieces: add me! quick quick!
me: chill dude im on it
reesespieces: :P
~ ❀ ~
'So much terms of services and crap,' she squinted at the screen. Lines of tiny letters ran down in the window that popped up. 'Whatever, like who actually reads these things? Accept, accept.'
The game began to load. True to his word, it was an RPG. The graphics were surprisingly good for a free game. Her laptop wasn't the newest model or the best, but it still managed to support the game, allowing the graphics to flow smoothly and glitch-free.
'I'm so awesome,' (Y/n) preened. 'My laptops and computers are always the best.'
The home screen of the game displayed Karma's Flight in large, bolded letters above a background of a peaceful village in vast, rolling meadows. A perfect scenery where nothing seemed to be wrong. 'Almost like Fortuna Institute,' she thought jokingly. The (h/c)-haired girl clicked start with her mouse and entered the UK server.
'Create a character, huh?' It brought her to a new page. She was to choose a class and then her avatar's basic appearance. 'Swords are too much work and healers are boring. I'm going to play ranged. Time to go gunner because why not.'
She had the choice of an archer as well. But bows looked annoying. And mages? Their outfits were so skimpy (Y/n) wanted to throw a book at her laptop.
'What is up with game logic?' She raised her eyebrows in disbelief at the outfits. 'The less armor you wear the more damage you deal? The heck. At least gunners are fully clothed.'
She based the character on her appearance, with long (h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes. A new pop up appeared on her screen. 'Oh right, I need a username. Let's go with vanillabits3.'
(Y/n) felt a little petty that night.
'Now how do I add a friend?' The game brought her into its tutorial and she quickly skipped all of it. She was never one for tutorials; the game was more fun when she didn't have anyone teaching her the ropes, she believed. Why let the game play itself for her? That was boring.
'Ah, here it is.' The (h/c)-haired girl clicked on the little icon at the bottom of her screen, right above the chatbox. 'Searching...chocobits3. And friend request...sent!'
A few moments later, a message appeared in her inbox.
~ ❀ ~
chocobits3: wow ok i see how it is (N/n)
vanillabits3: i don't know what you mean
chocobits3: >:(
vanillabits3: :)
chocobits3: actually this makes us seem like friends or something :D
vanillabits3: are you saying we weren't friends in the first place?
chocobits3: wait that's not what i mean!
vanillabits3: and you say im the mean one
vanillabits3: that really hurt, reese
~ ❀ ~
She wasn't crying at all but instead snickering as she thought of more ways to mess with the redhead. It was her favorite pastime, after all.
~ ❀ ~
chocobits3: im sorry! here, ill give you all these gunner items!
chocobits3: ill buy you a new pillow too!
chocobits3: please forgive me? *^*
vanillabits3: wait really? sure
chocobits3: yayy :)
chocobits3: wait a second
chocobits3: YOU TRICKED ME!
vanillabits3: and ill be taking that new pillow, tyvm
chocobits3: T-T
vanillabits3: you said you were dying?
chocobits3: oh yeah! :D i was trying to solo this dungeon but it's too hard for me right now
chocobits3: help :(
vanillabits3: you do realize i just started right
vanillabits3: my character is technically naked
chocobits3: well i did too!
chocobits3: we can farm together :)
~ ❀ ~
And so they did. (Y/n) found herself enjoying the game as the two of them got her character some gear before trying to pass the dungeon the redhead needed help with. It took them several tries, but they eventually managed to do it. Somewhere along the way, they discovered there was a voice chat option.
"Yay, we did it!" Reese cheered from his side of the screen. He was making his character—a red-haired and green-eyed swordsman—do little victory dances around hers. "We're a great team! We'll be in the top ranks soon enough!"
"Keep on dreaming, my friend," she snorted. "We started this game like what...ten minutes ago? These people are pros. They've been playing for...years, maybe. Have fun beating that."
"All we need is a little hard work and a lot of faith! We can do it!"
"Are you high on sugar or...something? Calm down."
"Mmm, I'm just happy to be playing this with you. Games are more fun with more than one person."
She had to agree with that. "That's so true. How did you find this anyway?"
"Um, I got bored."
"So helpful."
"Thanks, I try."
(Y/n) shook her head in amusement, her eyes never straying from her screen, where her character was doing elaborate but extra acrobatics while raining bullets from the sky. She'd never understood game logic.
This world didn't have planes or televisions, but they had feather-light cannons.
Wow.
The swarms of goblin-like creatures around her and Reese slowly fell to their blades and bullets with ease. The red-haired male proved himself to be surprisingly good at the game, his rank climbing into the thousands in mere minutes. That was impressive, considering there were millions who played the game.
Surprise, surprise.
"We won!" She could almost see the redhead grinning from ear to ear and dancing in circles in the middle of his room. "Did I do good? I did, didn't I? Now repeat after me: 'Reese Grayson is the awesomest person on Earth!'"
"I don't think...'awesomest' is a word," the (h/c)-haired girl deadpanned. "And I cannot lie."
"You could at least amuse me!"
"I might consider it if you prove to me you're from this planet, to begin with," she scoffed. "I could've sworn you were born when an alien took a tomato in one hand...and a Reese's Pieces chocolate in the other and smashed them together. Wait...oh my gosh, I just figured out the reason why...your brain is the way it is. I'm so smart."
She heard him start sobbing—crocodile tears, no doubt—from her earbuds. "Shut upppp! Stop lying to me! I know I'm a human—"
"Really? Can you explain to me...why you're red on the outside and...the inside? If that's not a tomato...what is?"
There was a moment of silence and all she heard was his steady breathing and then a gasp. "You're right! I am a—" He paused. "Wait...you're trying to trick me again, aren't you?!"
She clicked her tongue. "Darn it."
"(N/n)! I thought we were fr—GAHHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, OLD MAN?!"
(Y/n) nearly fell off her chair as he started shouting. She could hear a series of crashes and a new voice in the background.
"Shaddup, you idiot son," a raspy, masculine voice growled. "I could hear you in the hallway. You're disturbing your neighbors!"
"What are you doing here, old m—"
The sound of a smack, and then Reese's father's voice came back on. "I told you I'm coming to your dorm to check in on you yesterday, didn't I?! Stupid son, you're no better than your brother."
"Don't compare me to my brother, old man—OWWW!"
Another slap. "It's 'Father' or 'Sir' to you, Reese!" His father scowled. "Eh? What's this?" Reese's whining died down.
Should I be concerned? (Y/n) sweated. Mr. Grayson was never lenient on his kids. She knew Reese's father since childhood, since he and her father, Aaron White, were close friends and drinking buddies. And having him as the deputy headmaster of her school was a little awkward.
"Instead of studying you're here playing games?!" Mr. Grayson screeched, no doubt smacking his son across the head. "This is why I have to keep an eye on you all the time!"
"Would you stop that?!" Reese snapped back. "That f*cking hurt, you sh*tty old man—"
"I am not old! I'm only 50!"
"Shut up! That's ancient for me—"
"Respect your elders, stupid son! I didn't raise you to act like this!"
"S-shut up, old man! (N/n) can hear us!"
Mr. Grayson paused. "(N/n)? Ah, do you mean Aaron's daughter?" She heard a scuffing sound. "She's here? Where? Let me talk to her."
"You didn't bother to let me explain," Reese scowled, massaging his sore head. "I'm playing this with (N/n) right now. Why else do you think I'd play it?"
"Oh sh*t sorry, son."
"Hmph."
Mr. Grayson took the earbuds from his son and slipped them into his ear. "(Y/n), is that you?"
"Y-yeah," the (h/c)-haired girl responded. The whole time she listened in to the sound of Reese getting yelled at by his father, it took her all to not burst out laughing. Mr. Grayson was strict, yes, but that was his way of showing his sons his love, and they knew it. "Hello, Mr. Grayson."
"No need to be so formal, (Y/n). Aaron and I are good friends. Call me Hunter."
"Okay, Mr. Hunter."
"How's school?" Mr. Grayson chuckled. "I hope my stupid son hasn't been giving you too much trouble."
"Hey!" She heard Reese yell indignantly. "Stop lying to (N/n)! Now give it back!" She choked on her laughter as she heard another crash. It was probably the redhead trying to grab his earbuds from his father.
"No can do, son. You didn't say the magic word."
"Dad, please," Reese groaned. "Not in front of (N/n)!"
Mr. Grayson cleared his throat. "Did I stutter? No, I did not. So what do you say, Reese?"
The red-haired male groaned and (Y/n) heard him move around in his room. Curiously, she unconsciously leaned closer to her laptop. 'Reese's family is a walking comedy show,' she snickered, thanking the deputy headmaster of Fortuna Institute silently. 'And this is new blackmail material. Thank you again, Mr. Grayson!'
"May I have my earbuds back, please, dad?" Reese said through gritted teeth. "W-with..."
"With?" His father prompted him.
The redhead sighed. "W-with a cherry on top."
(Y/n) fell over in a coughing fit. "(Y/n)?" Mr. Grayson asked worriedly. "Are you alright, dear? Do you need me to get you anything? Oi, son! Go buy a bottle of water and some cake for her!"
"On it, sh*tty old man!"
"W-wait, I'm fine!" She quickly interrupted them before she caused something she'd regret the next day. "I just...um...breathed the wrong way." She immediately wanted to slap herself. Wow, so smooth of you, (Y/n).
Thankfully, Mr. Grayson was just as gullible as his son was. "Oh, thank goodness," the man let out a sigh of relief. "I wouldn't know what to do if something happened to Aaron's daughter. Are you sure we can't get you anything? And do be careful the next time you, uh, breathe, okay?"
She relaxed at his caring tone. "Mmm, got it, Mr. Gray—"
"Hunter."
"—Um, Mr. Hunter. I'll tell dad...you said hi."
"Thank you, (Y/n). Alright, I need to get going now. Faculty things, real boring. I'll leave my idiot son in your hands now. Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble, please."
"You can count on me, Mr. G—Hunter."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean—" Reese tried to say, only to be interrupted.
"Alright, I'll see you some other time. I hope you have a pleasant school experience. Goodbye."
"Goodbye sir—um, Mr. Grayson."
There was a click and then Reese's screeching along with the game music blasted into her ears, causing her to wince. "What the hell, old man?!" He shrieked. "This isn't a call, it's a game!"
"Ah, my bad, son."
"Don't 'my bad' me! What if you broke my earbuds? Actually, nevermind. Just get out!"
"You don't order me around, you idiot so—"
"GET OUTTTTT!"
She heard them scuffling and the opening and closing of the door. Reese let out a long, annoyed sigh and sat back down into his seat. "I'm really sorry about that, (N/n)," he groaned. "Dad's a little...extra sometimes."
"I see you get more of your genes from his side," (Y/n) giggled. She could picture the redhead turning the same color as his hair at her words.
"S-shut up!" He stammered. "Don't compare me to him! A-anyway, where were we?"
"Trying to get three-star orange tier gear in the daily dungeons."
"Oh yeah, that. Come on, let's continue."
They played for a few more hours, until the afternoon sun completely disappeared into its own light, replacing the fiery crimson and burnt oranges with dark, endless night. Pale clouds floated across the starry blankets like smudges of white. The moon slowly came into sight in the pitch-black darkness, shining like a pearl on the end of a strand of spider silk.
The two bantered and poked fun at the game, with Reese screaming at the top of his lungs about the "noobs" in the game and how they kept stealing his farm, and her clicking her tongue in irritation every time some idiot in their party fell out of formation and died. They decided after that to not allow anyone else to join their party.
A faint ringtone filled her ears and Reese cursed under his breath. "Crap, mom's calling. Sorry, (N/n), I gotta go."
"Okay, I'll just finish up here," she said, her fingers flying across her keyboard. Her character was dressed much more elaborately than before, and her skills were also even more unnecessarily flashy. "See you tomorrow, Reese."
"Bye~!" His character waved at hers before disappearing off the screen. (Y/n) leaned back in her chair and released a long sigh. She glanced at her clock on the wall. It read 8 o'clock.
'Crap, it's already this late?' Her momentary high gone, she felt like cursing the redhead for making her waste precious hours she could've spent sleeping. But at the same time, a small, prideful part of her admitted she had fun doing something other than napping, sleeping, dreaming, or—
'Okay, okay. I'll stop.'
'Thank the god of sleep I already finished my homework,' she glanced at her fall bookbag. She had done the work right before dinner. 'I guess I'll log off now. Exit, exit, exit...' (Y/n) began leaving the dungeons and wrapping up, gearing what she had to gear and selling what she had to sell.
A ping caught her attention. A notification from the game popped up just as her mouse hovered above the exit button.
~ ❀ ~
You have (1) new friend request. Accept?