Monday morning, it was time for the weekly debrief with Amy at the Barista Café. Or at least it had felt like that, being interrogated by the elf while sipping cold drinks. And, of course, the main topic had been Ilaria's date with Johnny. The day before she had been so angry that she logged out immediately after he left. But, recounting it for Amy, she couldn't help noticing a few things.
“He won an auction for a house, just before Christmas?” asked Amy, just after hearing it from Ilaria. It seemed like it was an important detail.
“Yeah, that's what he said,” answered Ilaria. “He did say that it was only the second time he had actually been in there too.”
“What a waste.” Amy swirled her milkshake with the straw.
“I know, five hundred platinum hearts,” said Ilaria, still not capable of comprehending the fact. “And to not even use it.”
“Was it meant to be a Christmas present, maybe?” asked Amy, raising her glance towards her.
“For whom?”
“Minerva.”
“But he broke up with her,” said Ilaria, indignation pouring out from her chest. “And he started that stupid speed dating club the day after.”
“It still doesn't make sense for me either,” said Amy, looking sideways. “Nothing of this makes sense.”
“Yeah, starting with Minerva dating him in the first place,” said Ilaria, taking a big gulp from her iced coffee. “He's a self-centered jerk who enjoys flaunting his levels and money.”
“He really wasn't like that,” said Amy, in a soft and paused manner. “Not that I have dated him, but Minerva painted me a whole different picture.”
“The guy is insufferable. It might not count for much, but I would have left him before even saying hello in normal circumstances.” It was like a damn had broken inside Ilaria. All which she had been silently thinking–keeping to herself while pretending otherwise–started bursting out from her.
“That really doesn't sound like Johnny at all,” said Amy, using her soothing voice, like Ilaria had heard from her countless times while talking to Minerva. “I would say that someone else is using his account, if that was possible in the first place.”
For PC or cellphone games players would share or outright sell an account. But for VR it was impossible. The VR machine had to make a neural map for you before you even used it for the first time. And that was unique for each person, akin to your login information. No one in the world would be able to get into your account, the machine wouldn't even try to. You get into the pod; you are scanned and directed to your personal VR lobby.
They didn't talk for a few minutes, the sound of Ilaria chomping on the ice cubes that remained on her cup filling the silence. Amy swirled her milkshake, not looking like she intended to finish it soon.
After a while, Ilaria calmed down. There was nothing to do about Johnny until Friday, he said it himself. Rather than that, there was another thing that had been on her mind for a few days.
“I think I'll ask Minerva for the wand.” said Ilaria, swirling the last piece of ice in her cup.
“Really? If she logs into the game, you would need to explain her this,” said Amy, moving her hand as if showing Ilaria off.
“I know,” said Ilaria, feeling her cheeks warming up. “Do you think she'll take it badly?”
“Mm, it isn't like there aren't other players who would play an opposite sex of their own. Even with the thousand dollar payment.”
“Is it common?” asked Ilaria, meeting Amy's glance.
“I don't know; I don't think there's any data about that,” answered Amy. “In Virtual Connection seldom someone asks about your real sex; you just assume if you aren't told otherwise.”
“Anyway, I don't think she'll be mad. She might get some funny ideas, though,” said Amy, grinning.
“Better than the alternative, I guess.”
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During lunch Ricardo had been looking for a time to spring the question to his sister, but it didn't feel right with mom in the room. Finally, after mom went to the kitchen with the dishes, he raised his voice before his sister could flee. She was clad in gym clothes, fresh from her after-training shower; her long hair tied in a ponytail, and no make up whatsoever.
“Minerva?”
“Yes?” The teenage girl turned her head in surprise.
“Do you remember about the wand?” asked Ricardo. He glanced at Amelia, who remained seated and just smiled.
“Ah, from VC?”
“Yeah.”
“Didn't have any luck?” asked Minerva, smiling.
“No, it hasn't dropped yet and we already outleved the Goblin Encampment.”
“Alright, as I said I don't have any use for it anymore. I'll give it to you,” said Minerva, going around the table. “We could log in right now.”
Ricardo fidgeted with his fingers over the table. It's finally happening. He evaded Minerva's eyes, meeting Amelia's by accident.
“Give me ten minutes to return home,” said Amelia, standing up. “I'll join you there.”
“Alright, in Torinelo's central plaza in ten minutes.” said Minerva, going up the stairs. Ricardo's eyes followed her until she was gone.
“I guess I should be going now,” said Amelia, going around the table. She gave Ricardo a tap on the shoulder before walking to the kitchen.
“See you there,” said Ricardo, nervously excited about the development.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
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Entering Torinelo City's central plaza, Ilaria could identify her sister with a glance; and not just because of the blond elf standing next to her. Minerva–or Mina, her in-game handle–looked exactly the same as her real life self. The same height–which was equivalent to Amy's with heels or Ilaria's without–the same facial features, the long black hair tied in a ponytail. She even dressed similar, black pants and top, the later with a colorful neon print. It was a whole different weird from when Ilaria had seen Amy for the first time.
I wonder how will she take it. Amy had supposedly talked to Mina beforehand, to prepare her for the meeting.
As Ilaria got closer to the girls, she could see how her sister's expressions cycled from surprise to recognition, and to surprise again. Ilaria glanced sideways; Amy was smiling, seemingly refraining from outright laughing.
“Sister?!” said Mina, finally articulating words. “Why are you a girl?”
“Well, I wanted to try it,” said Ilaria, crouching in her place. She felt her cheeks warming up; at least there wasn't anyone around to hear them.
“Really?! Wait, I don't really want to know,” said Mina, turning around.
They walked towards the west gate in silence, Mina taking glances at Ilaria as they walked. Amy was all smiles, clearly enjoying herself.
As they emerged in the grasslands, Mina materialized her blue and brown handbag.
“Here's the wand, take it,” said Mina, extending to Ilaria a short ruby-topped wooden wand.
One-eyed Wand
Level 19 one-handed wand
Rebound 1 (Directional, single target magic cast with this wand will bounce off the first time they come into contact with a rigid object not attached to a character or enemy)
“What does that mean?” asked Ilaria, after reading the information in her viewpoint.
“What it says,” said Mina, struggling to find the words. “You can make your shots rebound like a ping pong ball. It comes handy when shooting from a covered position.”
That explained a lot about Johnny's way of tanking and how Mina could play with him. If Ilaria had had the wand, their date would have been way different. In the right hands, and in the right environment, that ability was truly overpowered.
“How do I know what counts and doesn't count?” asked Ilaria, imagining the possibilities.
“That's mainly common sense,” said Mina, pondering her answer. “This is a game after all. Anything the developers choose to make it count, will count.”
That wasn't the clear cut answer Ilaria had expected.
“Lets go; I'll demonstrate it,” said Mina, flustered.
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The girls had taken out a return scroll and teleported to the Troll Caverns, by Mina's suggestion. As they entered, Ilaria could feel the humming that must have been caused by the waterways in the floor under them.
“The One-eyed Wand works really well in enclosed places, like caverns.” Mina shoot a Force bolt towards the ceiling, which rebounded cleanly in a way you would expect if the roof over them was a perfectly smooth ceramic tile, and not rugged 'natural' stone.
“The imperfections of the rock shouldn't make it change angles in an unpredictable way?” asked Ilaria, in her University class mode.
“I guess they should,” said Mina, “But they don't, at least as far as I know. Lizardman caves, troll caverns, haunted grotto, dragon's lair, everywhere works the same.”
“I see,” Ilaria committed it to memory. “Are buildings treated like that too?”
“Yeah, mostly,” said Mina. “As long as you point to the naked walls. If there's a window, sometimes it'll crack instead, the shot going through. And paintings or tapestries don't work at all. Roof and floor works too, as long as it's smooth, packed dirt won't do it. Neither the garden's soil, it has to be rock or paved.”
“Then it depends a lot on your surroundings,” said Ilaria, pensive. “In an open field it would be useless.”
“Not really, let me teach you something dear sister,” said Mina, smiling confidently.
Mina materialized her handbag, taking out a small steel shield, barely bigger than the handbag had been.
“That doesn't look like it would do anything to stop a troll's fist,” said Ilaria. The shield looked more like a decorative covering than a shield, being so light and thin.
“Good that it isn't for that,” said Mina, grinning.
Mina prepared herself, taking the wand in her right hand, and the shield in her left. Then, she tossed the shield spinning in the air and shot. The Force bolt rebounded cleanly in the shield's surface and impacted in the wall opposite to the direction of the first shot. When Ilaria turned her face to see Mina, she had already the shield back in her hand.
“That was really cool,” said Ilaria, with light in her eyes. Not only it looked impressive, being able to do that would open a lot of possibilities in combat.
“I'm great, I know,” said Mina, cheeks blushing. “Wanna try?”
“Okay.”
Ilaria received the shield from Mina. It really was as light as it looked, barely a sheet of smooth silver-colored steel with a handle in the back. The shield was a common item, without any special ability whatsoever. Which meant that the tossing all depended on the player's skills.
It can't be that hard.
Ilaria did try tossing the shield and shooting as she had seen her sister doing. The shield, instead of spinning, twisted in the air, and the shot passed through. Ilaria extended her left hand to receive the shield anyway.
“Ouch,” the shield fell flat on her fingers, dropping to the ground, as Ilaria heard her shot impacting the side of the tunnel ahead of them.
Amy, who had been in one side silently looking at them, laughed as she picked up the shield.
“I guess you should practice with the shield only for the time being,” said Mina, grinning at her older sister.
They stayed for a bit, Ilaria getting the shield to spin after several tries. She couldn't catch it in the air yet, though. But she would get there eventually, for sure.
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After their training session, the girls went to The Grinning Flatfish, Mina eager to eat to her heart's content without guilty feelings. They ordered several dishes, mainly pasta, to share between them.
“This is so unfair. Why did you have to look like this?” said Mina, pouting as she finished the plate of shellfish lasagna.
“Sorry.” Ilaria looked downwards towards the plate in front of her, Parmesan crusted shrimp.
“Without any effort whatsoever, you look like the older, slimmer and just unequivocally prettier sister,” said Mina, spearing a shrimp from Ilaria's plate and startling her.
“Sorry.”
“Argh, I can't stand it.”
“Sorry.”
“Stop saying that!” exclaimed Mina, laughing despite herself.
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After a while, Ilaria received a Private Call. It was already 4:30; Diana and Kyle were asking for her. She said she would be joining soon, since they were almost finished with their meal.
“Who was that?” asked Mina, eating a big piece of tiramisu.
“The guys with whom I have been partying,” said Ilaria, biting half a macaron.
“Ah, the tank and rogue,” said Mina.
“Yeah.”
“I guess I'll log out now, have fun.”
“Do you want to come with us?” asked Amy, smiling at Mina.
“It would be pointless, I'm level 50 after all,” said Mina, scooping the last bits of her dessert.
“You could just be there keeping us company. I'll go, even if I can't join the party,” said Amy.
“You are level 35, not that far from joining at some point,” said Mina, sipping cold water.
“Level 36 now, I had a date,” replied Amy, smiling.
“It's the same,” said Mina, standing up. “Anyway, I'll go now. Maybe next time.”