Blake blinked as his second arena faded from view. He'd fought some kind of hybrid ranged/caster, who launched exploding arrows and warped around. No doubt it would have been a problem for some slow melee type. Blake had tossed the arrows around with Telekinesis, mostly for fun, as his constructs chased the man all over the place.

When he got tired of that he started using some Arcane Blasts, but his opponent had ranged and magical defences. It went on for a painfully boring amount of time. Then the guy (looking a bit haggard, and one had to say, desperate) finally warped in to try and kill Blake with a knife.

One Telekinesis-toss and a few construct spears later, and that was pretty much that. He'd gotten two points this time. Though it hadn't felt particularly deserved.

Then the Neutral Zone returned with all its artificial exuberance, Blake still sitting in his chair like nothing had even happened. He took a moment to collect himself, then gave Seul-ki a smile.

"Well fought." She bowed her head. "I discovered we can watch any fight we wish, on any screens we wish. They are somehow displayed individually. I was able to see your entire bout."

"How interesting," Blake said, taking a look for his brother in the menu he was able to pull up in his profile 'screen'. "I assume you declined this bout as well?"

Seul-ki nodded. Somehow her class allowed her to be in the Neutral Zone as a player or a civilian, whenever and however it suited her. She wasn't being forced into the tournament at all. After a brief discussion, she assured Blake that her powers were completely useless solo, and that she would currently stand no chance.

"Better not to reveal anything," she said. "Than to waste my secrecy and lose every bout anyway."

He had been forced to agree. But the loss of any chance to receive a prize from the system seemed supremely unfair. Like most video games, it seemed, the 'support' types got straight up punished by the system rules. It probably annoyed him more than it should have. But Seul-ki and people like her had taken an incredible risk in the first place to be 'supports'. Shouldn't the game occasionally reward them for such a thing?

"We'll make sure you receive your rewards when the teams start," he assured her, and she nodded with a smile.

They'd already discussed their strategy somewhat for the threes. Seul-ki had essentially no defences. And neither Blake nor Annie had much to actually protect her save Telekinesis, or to put Annie or constructs physically in the way. Then Blake slowly realized he was an idiot, as usual.

With True Making, he could make practically anything he wanted. So, the first thing he intended to do at the start of every match, was to make Seul-ki a…pope mobile.

OK maybe a tower. But a metal or glass box seemed easy enough. Something unlockable from the inside, a small hole for him to reach into, so Seul-ki could take his (or Annie's) arm and channel all her powers.

He’d make it work. Then, depending on the team, they'd make monstrous constructs until someone interfered, send Annie on a Seul-ki enhanced path of destruction, or start controlling minds...

He wasn’t really sure, but trusted things to work out. And he was getting eager to see how the larger fights went. For now he grinned as Mason's name popped up, and he watched his brother pop up on screens wherever he looked. It was all very impressive, and he grinned at the visual display.

But it wasn’t the most thrilling match. In a few seconds Mason's fight was over, and some old lady was dead.

"Well. That was anti-climactic," he said, thumbing through to look for Annie.

The little red head fought some kind of warrior-wizard. Arcane energy surrounded him as he held up a shield and sword, swirling with rather impressive shields that Blake would have loved to identify.

He blasted several shots at Annie as she came in. She dodged them all or deflected them with her terrifying axe, face a mask of complete indifference as she charged. Then her huge weapon practically caved in the wizard's shield in one hit.

He panicked as his auras clearly failed to stop his opponent, falling back and blocking for dear life as his deadly magic stung Annie like angry bees.

Pretty soon his shields broke—both magic and mundane. The rest of him swiftly followed.

"Well done, my dear," Blake said as the young warrior appeared in her chair. She blinked and looked at Blake like she hardly recognized him, and didn't much care to.

"Remember our deal," he said, a little chastisement in his tone. "No Voidsoul except when there's danger. And there's certainly no danger here. RoboGod says so. And our beloved overlord wouldn't lie."

Annie visibly drooped as the power faded. She was doing better, far better, since their work on her dreams. But she still had a long way to go.

"Are you alright?" he said, taking her hand. She nodded and instantly started chewing the nails on her other hand. It was a new nervous affectation, he'd noticed, along with twirling her fingers in her hair. He didn't try to break her of these, though he sometimes pointed them out, just so she knew. But not today.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Well," he said, scrolling through fights of other players from Nassau, pleased to see pretty much all of them were winning. "Another day, another victory. I know you're both...introverted, and no doubt tired of this 'promenade'. Would you like to go and see the rest of the hotel? Maybe get a massage? Eat something in the rooms? I'm happy to do anything you like."

Seul-ki smiled, and even Annie showed a bit of interest.

"Room service might be nice," she said, then her eyes opened wide. "Do you think they'd have a pool? I love to swim. But I wouldn't want..." her voice drained to a whisper. "Only if it's private."

Blake frowned, not sure he could guarantee that. As players without any 'patron' status or 'Houses', their options were actually quite limited. They could certainly find a pool to swim in, but any other players could wander by.

He made a mental note to start building things for Annie and Seul-ki into his tower when he got home. With True Making, and a little learning, he suspected he could make quite an elaborate home. If he ever had the time.

But for the moment, if he wanted to give Annie what she wanted, he knew he would have to ask Mason. It irked him slightly. But not much. Blake was arrogant, certainly. Narcissistic, probably. But he didn't suffer overly much from pride.

"Go to the rooms," he said, giving Annie a wink. "And I'll go find us a nice, private pool."

Annie grinned like the teenage girl she was. Between her very developed figure, and the pure joy on her pretty face, Blake imagined there weren't many men who could tell her ‘no’ for long about anything. Seul-ki and Annie walked off towards their rooms, Annie giving him a last look and a wave before she went.

Blake tried desperately to stuff his growing affection for the girl into his still-recovering Partitioned Mind.

"God damn Saza-whatever," he said, thinking of the demon that ripped it apart with a final Mind Rend. "I'm glad I locked you in hell."

He stood and steeled himself, hoping Mason wasn't still too angry. He walked towards 'House Mason', equipped with his most pathetic expression, apologetic tone loaded for battle.

* * *

“Yes I’m aware I’ve not been invited. But I need to speak with Baron Mason to receive said invitation. So if you could just…”

Blake sighed at the system servant apparently ‘guarding’ the entrance to House Mason’s balcony. But after a few useless moments of trying to convince the thing, Haley had noticed him and was coming down the stairs.

“My dear, you look as radiant as ever. I was hoping to come in for a chat.” Blake smiled with genuine affection, pleased to see the woman he already considered his sister in law.

“Hello. Nice to see you,” Haley said, coming forward to give Blake a chaste kiss on both cheeks. Then she frowned. “I’ll need to speak with Mason first.”

“Of course.” Blake stepped away and put his hands behind his back. The brothers were in a rare moment of conflict, and while Blake had no concern in the long term, he didn’t want to put Haley in any kind of awkward position.

She came back in a few minutes with a smile, and Blake’s profile flashed with an invitation to the balcony. He skipped up the steps then remembered he was supposed to be a repentant beggar.

“There he is.” Blake smiled weakly at Mason sitting in a booth across the platform. As ever his brother’s practically glowing green eyes were unnatural after a lifetime of seeing them different. Mason also seemed somehow bigger every time Blake saw him, his always well-muscled body getting closer to superhero status as he draped a thick arm across the rail.

“What do you want now?” Mason said, looking away. But Blake had known his brother too long. He could see he was happy to see him, and he realized if one day he wasn’t it would be a very terrible day indeed.

“I was hoping to apologize. And then to beg.”

Mason sighed and seemed to consider, then waved him over. After Blake had sat across from him he finally turned and looked him up and down.

“Why don’t we just skip to the begging. I know the other part’s bullshit anyway.”

Blake frowned, but gave a nod.

“Annie was hoping for a private swim. She's still...fragile, but getting better. I don't have any kind of resources here. Seul-ki and I wouldn’t have to go with her. Though...that might make her more comfortable. I don't know what access you actually have. But I figured…well. If it wasn’t for Annie, I wouldn’t ask.”

Mason stared, because of course they both knew the outcome. It was a genuine request, but Blake also understood by asking for Annie he was appealing to a side of Mason that would literally die to protect or help a weaker thing. At least on a good day.

"I've just invited all three of you to our pool,” Haley said, coming up beside them with a smile. “It's all yours until tomorrow. It should come up on your list as soon as you step in the elevator."

Mason just glanced at her, the lovers probably having a conversation with their eyes. Blake smiled.

"I appreciate it. Thank you. And I watched your fight, brother. Top form as ever."

"Did you watch John's?" Mason said instantly.

"I'm afraid I missed that one."

Mason sat up and balled a fist, looking ready to jump off the balcony. "The emperor of man ripped him apart with his bare hands. John's tough. I've seen him take a dozen explosions to the face. And that man tore him limb from limb."

It definitely wasn't fear in his brother's voice. But it was a cautious tone. A warning. Mason also had that look in his eye like he'd seen something he couldn't stand. Like he wouldn't be satisfied until he put it right. Blake sighed.

"It won't be the last time you see your people lose. It's part of the game, I'm afraid."

Mason muttered something, increasingly massive arms crossed, in full on angry protector mode. It was a side of Mason Blake had appreciated all his life. But it wasn't always helpful.

"I'm sure you'll both enjoy slaughtering emperors soon enough,” Haley said, inching closer to Mason’s side of the table like she was approaching a wild beast. “But for tonight, why not relax? You and your girls could join us in the pool." She looked at Blake and smiled. "We can catch up a little. Float. Pretend we're not in the, ah, Matrix? Yes?"

Blake matched the beautiful woman’s smile. He and Haley had always worked well together—especially when their task was getting Mason to do something for his own good. She took a breath and glanced his brother’s way, the pair exchanging another kind of long-term couple, meaningful look. It made Blake smile to see it. His brother had truly fallen in love with the girl, and it was hard to imagine someone worthier.

"Alright." Mason sighed like he'd signed a bad contract. Or maybe a peace treaty. "A swim would be...nice. If Annie doesn’t mind, we'll meet you. In a bit."

"She’ll be thrilled." Blake grinned and gave Haley a special thank you look. He tucked away a reminder to send her some kind of gift, then almost swore as his Partitioned Mind flared with another error. "I'll see you shortly." He stood and walked away with a wave, then a finger point. "Oh and no speedos. Except for the girls. That would be fine."

He walked off and grinned at the familiar feel of Mason's glare on his back. They were in a rough patch, no doubt. But they’d squabbled plenty all their lives. A drink and a float, and things would be back to normal in no time. He was sure of it.