S1E5: Shop of Horrors / An Unexpected Meeting, Part 1
2313 Words
“We may have increased in number, but we need to be extra careful. We're inside a game, and we don't want to die
that early. Even with resurrection items available.”
“But why I was chosen, among all other noble young men, Benoit?”
“That would be a complex question to answer.”
This is the conversation Gershwin, Jurina, Nolan, and I initiate while walking out of Padronas Twin Towers.
“But one thing I want to know. How would we hunt for clues in an open field like this? It's too tedious, and a witch like me can only do so much.”
“Don't worry, Jurina. With my GPS device, we'll be able to search for the next dungeon.”
I cut in, “Uhh... Why in the world would we need that, Gershwin? Look, there's a big building to the east of the towers!”
Jurina and Nolan can just say “Eyng?”
“You know, that building over there formerly protected by a magic barrier?”
Gershwin realizes, “Oh, I forgot! I was so preoccupied on my portable audio player that I forgot almost everything else.”
Nolan inquires, “Benoit, you said formerly. Why's that?”
“OK. When Gershwin and I visited that structure beforehand, there was a barrier protecting it. It's common sense that any form of entry's impossible. Now, with that robot scum defeated, the barrier's gone. Probably that robot's the source of it.”
Gershwin declares, “And the first thing to do is to enter it.”
Nolan concludes, “Affirmative. Let us go!”
After a brief exploration of Dillingtonlandia, we four arrive at the building.
The building itself is a totally white rectangular structure with glass panes on the façade.
Gershwin exclaims, “'Shop 'n' Get Out'? Whatta weird name!”
Jurina adds, “And the interior! Although the goods are perfectly arranged, the lights are out and nobody's inside!”
I comment, “Probably the inventory guys have a waaaaaaay too long vacation.”
Nolan cuts in, “No! I think... I sense some devildom here! Be careful.”
“Well, you sensing evil is part and parcel of becoming a paladin in the first place.”
“Yes. I believe a person's personality determines what kind of special job or class they can take.”
“Good. Even if you're not interested in games, you are still part of our hometown's gaming culture.”
“Thank you.”
We then inspect the door; and after confirming that it is safe to open, we enter the shop...
...and investigate its first floor.
From the moment we enter, I indeed sense suspicion.
“Wait a sec. The interior looks dark on the outside, but there's light on the inside?!”
Before my friends have the chance to answer my question, a disembodied voice is broadcast via the shop's public address system.
“Welcome to Shop 'n' Get Out! Try our low, low prices and you'll never go wrong! First, we have this multi-purpose
kitchen cleaver! Perfect for chopping, dicing, slicing, and...”
There is a 5-second pause, until Jurina breaks the silence with...
“Would you finish the sentence, PLEASE?”
“...BUTCHERING FOUR HELPLESS YOUNG BASTARDS TO DEATH! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
No sooner does a floating blade materialize in front of us, assaulting us in the blink of an eye!
***
[Battle: Living Cleaver]
Party: Benoit, Gershwin, Jurina, Nolan
Benoit chooses to attack the Living Cleaver.
Gershwin chooses to attack the Living Cleaver.
Jurina chooses to cast her Innate Skill spell, Kidlat, on the Living Cleaver.
Nolan chooses to attack the Living Cleaver.
Benoit attacks the Living Cleaver, dealing it 46 damage.
Jurina casts her Innate Skill spell, Kidlat, on the Living Cleaver, dealing it 156 damage.
Gershwin attacks the Living Cleaver, dealing It 23 damage.
Nolan attacks the Living Cleaver, dealing it 39 damage.
The Living Cleaver is knocked out.
The counter-terrorists win! That's us.
159 EXP and 265 Double Pesos acquired.
***
After the dangerous blade shatters into nothing, I comment at the sudden appearance of four people.
“I didn't know three hunks and a babe are sealed inside a puny blade. And I know them all, too.”
Nolan can't contain his joy as he states, “CJ! You're here!”
In return, the woman nicknamed CJ responds just as enthusiastically, “Nolan! You're alive!”
And the two hug each other in slow-mo.
So, what can I say about this little “reunion”?
“Dang. Those sappy love scenes really are a part of any good RPG.”
Gershwin recommends, “Yeah! I'll play some equally sappy love song here!”
“Hey, this ain't the time for that. We're in a place chock fulla horror, and romance has no place in here!”
Jurina cuts in, “Wait! How about Christian and those two generic thug lookalikes?”
I just say, “Hey, I know them too! C'mon, let's go save them!”
Jurina and I approach the three.
I start, “Christian? Juniper? Bearwin? Are you alright?”
The huge guy mumbles, “Ungh... What happened?”
His voice becomes more audible as he gasps, learning who's in front of him.
“Benoit? You're here?!”
Juniper asks me, “Is it you, Benoit Valmonte?”
Bearwin marvels, “Oh, I'm glad to see you again! But who's that chick beside ya?”
“Hey, she's Jurina Kawamura.”
Jurina, in turn, compliments, “It's nice to meet you.”
***
Juniper Clarence. Age: 16.
He and Bearwin are partners in crime, so to speak.
It's no surprise they are childhood friends, explaining their tight-knit bond.
Together, they form the prankster duo of Dillington High.
Any kind of prank – or antic even – is fair game to them, as long as they don't get sent to the guidance counselor's office afterwards.
One time, I came back from school after a consultation with a doctor, as the school nurse referred me to him due to my increasing production levels of mucus, which triggers coughs more often.
At Dillington High's front gate, I see Juniper heavily grinning at me, carrying something that looks like... yeah, the Mary Jane.
“Hey Benny... I hear you cough more often than usual. Here. Have this.”
“Come on, you know these kinds of substances are not allowed here.”
“It's just a prank, bro! What I actually carry are the leaves of the five-leaved chaste tree, which is a potent herbal cure for cough. Just boil these leaves, drink the concoction, and boom! Throat cleared.”
“Thanks. I didn't know of this remedy before.”
“Anything for a classmate, bro.”
Indeed, the concoction worked, and my persistent cough was gone for good.
Sometimes, pranks can be beneficial.
***
Bearwin Coulthard. Age: 18.
He and Juniper are partners in crime, so to speak.
It's no surprise they are childhood friends, explaining their tight-knit bond.
Together, they form the prankster duo of Dillington High.
Any kind of prank – or antic even – is fair game to them, as long as they don't get sent to the guidance counselor's office afterwards.
One time, Dillington High's Catholic Students Club held a pillow raffle.
The first prize was a 20” x 30” pillow; the second, a 14” x 20” one; and the third, a 14” x 14” one.
I participated in the raffle because I've wanted to replace one pillow in my condo unit due to its lack of fluffiness.
To increase my chances of winning without breaking the bank, I bought five raffle tickets, each numbered 0781 to 0785.
The day of the raffle eventually came, and I was so giddy on getting the pillow of my dreams, especially after I saw how incredibly fluffy it was.
But that day was ruined because one of the tickets – number 0784, to be exact – went suddenly missing.
“And the first prize goes to... ticket number 0784!”
Aw, crap!
Why must fate be so unkind to me?
I wasn't willing to plunk down $50 for those cotton clouds, you know!
“Hey... I think you dropped this, bro.”
No sooner did Bearwin sneak up on me... with the missing ticket in hand!
“Alright! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”
I dashed straight away to the club room to claim my prize.
Meanwhile, Bearwin just looks at another ticket, which is also numbered 0784, but it's a fake due to the shoddy print quality.
He can only intone: “I'm a prankster, but I do have limits. I don't want to rain on someone's parade... especially if the one in question's one of my classmates. Juniper, I think you convinced me to do right this time.”
***
Christian Eamon Rhames. Age: 18.
Burly on the outside, softy on the inside. He's the gentle giant of the entire class, period.
He's one of the many youths of Dillington High who are interested in games as a consequence of being a Seattleite.
The only difference is... while I'm mainly a console gamer, he's more of a PC gamer.
But we never let that difference in preferences shatter our bonds.
One time, during lunch, he and I engaged in some friendly gamer talk in the cafeteria.
“Benoit, I think my house is getting full from collecting all those big-box PC games. Good thing my parents are planning an extension to make room for more.”
“That's nice. As for me, I just don't go out and complete every game release for a certain system. I just pick the games I want, and that's it.”
“Well, no matter how big or small our collections are, one thing's for certain.”
“Yup, to enjoy every inch of it. To enjoy what contains within those discs and cartridges. To have fun.”
“Yes, indeed! And by the way, the following opinion I'm about to say may infuriate you.”
“Go on, tell me. I won't bite.”
“Ending a franchise with a definite final game is better than letting it remain stillborn.”
“I'm on the same camp as you. Especially in the field of story-heavy games, it's a great bummer to see that overarching story you've enjoyed for several games in a series never given a proper conclusion – because the developer or publisher went bankrupt, the creator has lost their willpower to continue, or the creator... simply bit the dust, with no successor named on their last will and testament.”
“I wholly agree with you. Over time, dedicated fans will have their own version of Waiting for Godot, which will be painful. Sure, there might be fanfics to fill in the gap, but nothing beats the feeling of a tale finally given complete and official closure.”
“Right on!”
***
Carmina Johnston, nicknamed CJ. Age: 18.
True to her in-game job title, “Beauty Queen White Mage”, she's the epitome of timeless, flawless beauty in our class... even if it's said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Naturally, all the boys inside and outside our class are at least smitten with her.
Not even some girls are immune to her charms, too.
It's therefore no surprise that she's racked up so many medals and trophies in local beauty pageants in and out of school since she was 6.
One of the plausible reasons for her outstanding beauty is her genes.
Her parents have genes that constitute a human body without genetic deformities whatsoever; and they also eat healthy, exercise daily, practice good hygiene, and never involve themselves in any bodily vice whatsoever.
But that gift of hers also comes with a curse.
Not only is she the target of affection of practically everyone in Dillington High, she's also the target of... less-than-savory activities by deviants.
One time, during the annual coronation of Ms. Dillington High School...
She was crowned the title for the fourth consecutive time since freshman year.
No other girl clinched this streak ever in this school's history.
Once the awarding ceremonies were over and everyone was prepared to leave the auditorium...
My eagle-sharp eyes sensed that CJ was nowhere to be found, which made her parents worried.
OK, I have to spring into action!
I looked in every nook and cranny of the auditorium, especially those hidden doors that were normally inaccessible.
And underneath the stage, I could hear a faint voice that was undoubtedly hers!
I tried to open the hatch that led to the underside of the stage, but my brute strength could not do it.
I was about to give up when...
Nolan arrived at the scene, carrying a crowbar!
“Benoit! Where's CJ?”
“She's underneath the stage! Open the hatch, will you?”
“Got it!”
With his crowbar, he effortlessly opened the under-stage hatch and saw CJ all tied up.
I told him, “You'll be the one to rescue the princess, as her knight.”
“Indeed!”
No sooner did Nolan rescue the beauty queen, freeing her from the ropes that bound her.
An hour later, it turned out that a student did abduct CJ out of plain sight just as the awarding ceremonies were about to end. That ploy was planned carefully so that no one else would suspect it.
As a result, the student was shipped off to detention until further disciplinary actions could be taken.
From that day on, Nolan and CJ became sweethearts.
Many students were disappointed that the four-time beauty queen of Dillington High already had a significant other, but they wished them the best nonetheless.
And I was glad that I've paved the way for the relationship to take root.
- Writer
