“Motherfuggin’ emoticons,” Sally whispered. “Or emojis. I don’t know the difference.”
“Who are you?” Humphrey folded his arms. “We’ve had quite enough strange demons turn up to-“
[Lucius has joined the Party]
“Sally!”
“Whaaat?” She shrugged. They needed a new friend, and despite the red horns protruding from their hood, this demon didn’t seem particularly annoying. Emotes!
“Thanks, friends!” A thumbs-up bubble appeared next to Lucius before he dropped down off the roof to the street. “This place has been pretty quiet lately.”
“I didn’t know we could emote, Humphrey,” Sally kept her eyes narrowed at the new demon just in case he popped a new one up.
“Scrapped part of the System.” Humphrey shook his head. “No points for guessing how you are glitched. Are you capable in a fight?”
Lucius shook his head, and a bubble with a red cross popped up. “I prefer to talk my problems out.”
“Shameful.” The Death Knight deflated.
“I like talking,” Sally beamed, “but we are looking for some humanoid Monsters to punch for a bit to blow off some steam.”
“Oh, I know the place!” A joyous bubble popped up beside the demon’s head as he pointed a finger into the air. “There’s a barbarian tribe not too far to the north of here.”
“Perfect!”
Humphrey sighed as the two started off along the street, only briefly looking behind to see if the toll collector had moved. Red flame flickered across the back of his helmet as the body was no longer there.
“I’m just saying; there’s nothing romantic about brain-eating, right? It’s pretty gross no matter who the target is and the situation in which I am doing the deed, right?”
“I see what you’re saying.” A nodding emote appeared next to the demon’s head.
“But it’s different for Theo because there is that media romanticism of vampires. He can bite and consume anyone on the battlefield, but if he is sucking on a pretty lady outside of a fight - there’s an implication there.”
“Even if you trust him, and there’s nothing more to it than a meal, it’s just the optics of it?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you spoken to him about it?” A question bubble appeared beside Lucius as his hand entered the darkened shroud to rub at his chin, presumably.
“No, I don’t want to appear clingy or jealous - and it’s not something he has actually done.” Sally deflated and looked out at the plains.
“It’s important to set expectations and boundaries; he seems like he would be understanding and accommodating if he really cares for you.”
Humphrey slowly ground his metallic teeth together.
“Thanks, Lucius. Theo is currently going through something - so after we help him with that, then I’ll sit him down.”
A thumbs-up appeared by the demon. “My pleasure, Sally. It’s so rare to see a relationship with such promise out here; I wouldn’t like it to go to waste - if you pardon the pun! Out here, such things require a little more care and cultivation to flourish against the odds.”
Sally nodded thoughtfully. She knew better than to let what-ifs erode at the otherwise solid walls of her mental fortitude. It was just the nerves shaking her up, the ones still lingering from the morning. She hated that the tree of her worry now bore fruit. “What about you, Lucius, what’s your story?”
“Oh, I’m just a demon that hangs around Bordertown to befriend and lure Players into a trap.”
The sound of Humphrey’s sword withdrawing from his back caused a sweat drop emoji to slide out from the demon’s hood.
“Just kidding!” He waved his hands in the hope of cooling down the Death Knight. “I need to learn to read the room, huh?”
“We have had an… eventful day so far.” Humphrey slowly returned the greatsword to his back as he kept his eye sockets narrowed at Lucius.
Sally looked out at the nearly completely barren plains around them. She had spent too much time worrying about the miserable blood bag. It had been fun to dance around the idea that they could be something more, but it just seemed to be dragging at the back of her brain too much. Annoying Humphrey about it had been fun too, but maybe she was partly to blame for the Party falling apart.
They had gotten too comfortable with success and being the strongest around.
“Perhaps we should have brought the coffin with us,” the Death Knight looked over his shoulder back to the slowly receding Bordertown.
“Eh, he can look after himself.” Sally hardened her resolve. She had all the love in the world, or at least as much as her cold dead heart could manage, for the members of her Party. But he was not among that select few currently. “Let’s focus on getting more powerful.”
Humphrey smiled but tilted his head.
“We are almost there!” A saluting emote appeared beside Lucius. “Most remaining Monster groups are underground now, since the incident.”
Sally gasped and raised her eyebrows at the Death Knight. “What incident?”
“There’s a sandstorm that splits the Wasteland in two, appeared almost a month ago. This side of it got real dried out and barren, and it’s hard to get resources from the other side.” Sad face emoji.
“Hmm, I had not heard of this.” Humphrey looked out to the distance with a furrowed brow. “Is there no way through the storm?”
Grimace emoji. “There is one route, but it’s maintained by chumps like Edward - toll collectors.”
“You know Eddy? He keeps telling us he is Unavailable or something.” Sally cast a quick glance over her shoulder to see if the blue-eyed demon had shown back up.
“Know him?” An emoji of a rather contented-looking poop appeared. “Practically cousins, I think. He works for the dragon, though.”
The Death Knight rubbed his chin. “The one who caused the sandstorm, no doubt.”
“You’re an astute one, Humphrey.” Thumbs up emoji. “You were an Observer before, correct? It must be quite the change to be disconnected from your purpose.”
“I have a new purpose,” the helmet flames flickered, “one much more suited to my beliefs and abilities.”
Sally gave the Death Knight a smile. “Humphrey is my rock. He was there since I first awakened. Even made the decision to break from the System to save my life.”
Heart emoji. “That brings me great joy to see such a strong bond.” Lucius stopped and gestured around with his hands. “This whole area used to be barbarian tribes. Little villages, grazing bison and turtlecats, even some trees and the like.”
“They do not respawn?” Humphrey frowned at the cracked earth.
“And did you say turtlecats?” Sally added, leaning towards the demon.
“I do know how these things work, unfortunately. I am but a humble ba… demon.” Sweatdrop emoji.
“Why are you a demon?” She stopped and crossed her arms. “Other than the giant rats-“
“Mice.” Humphrey sighed.
“-we have just seen two Unique demons and no Players.”
Lucius shrugged and looked between the both of them with his two large crimson eyes amongst the darkness beneath his hood. “Look around, friends. There’s not much here for Players. It was either turn to dust or buy their way into the second of the Wastes.”
The pair of undead continued to wait for a further explanation, causing him to emote another grimaced face.
“Demons are naturally fine with the heat… there’s a portal or two where we can come through - or rather there were.”
The Death Knight nodded slowly. “An invasion event; you are one of the few remaining.”
Lucius clicked both his hands and pointed at Humphrey with finger guns. “Great having a guy in the know, huh? What do you know about the barbarians here?”
“Very little, if I am honest. I was stationed in the First Area and never had much need to delve into the specifics of other Areas. They should be around our level, mostly melee-based humanoids.” Humphrey scratched at the side of his helmet.
“I’ll assume that’s correct - like I said, I’m no fighter, but you both look competent.” The demon raised his own thumbs up to pair with a smiling face emoji.
“Humanoids are my speciality, in fact,” the zombie beamed. “We’re a little on the softer side without… but I think we can handle some melee fighters, right Humps?”
“Certainly. Continue to lead the way, Lucius.”
The red-robed demon gave a low bow and then swivelled around and trudged onwards across the dry plains.
Sally wasn’t too sure whether she fully trusted the new Party member yet. He was cool and certainly friendly enough… but he was a demon - and from what she knew, they were either evil or manipulative in some manner usually. That said, her Party was meant to be the bad guys. At least in the Forest area, they had started that way. Now they were just morally grey.
As she ruminated about what the future may hold, they stopped at another hole in the ground, similar to where they had found the giant mice. Approaching, it looked as though it was smaller - perhaps only half the size, and covered with some manner of door or leather.
“Ugh, if everything is going to be underground in gloomy tunnels, I will be annoyed.” She sighed. “I hate it when they reuse assets so blatantly.”
The head of a thickly muscled man popped out from the hole at the sound of her voice, his heavy brow set to a scowl at seeing the three standing there.
“Who are you?” He growled with a strong accent.
Lucius shrugged and started to slowly step backwards. Humphrey started withdrawing his sword. Sally started salivating.
Two more heads popped up, another man and woman with long hair, both equally as muscled and concerned about the new visitors.
Sally gasped. “Whack-a-meal!” With a wide grin, she leapt towards the barbarians, who started to emerge from their underground lair, holding axes and swords.
“Motherfuggin’ emoticons,” Sally whispered. “Or emojis. I don’t know the difference.”
“Who are you?” Humphrey folded his arms. “We’ve had quite enough strange demons turn up to-“
[Lucius has joined the Party]
“Sally!”
“Whaaat?” She shrugged. They needed a new friend, and despite the red horns protruding from their hood, this demon didn’t seem particularly annoying. Emotes!
“Thanks, friends!” A thumbs-up bubble appeared next to Lucius before he dropped down off the roof to the street. “This place has been pretty quiet lately.”
“I didn’t know we could emote, Humphrey,” Sally kept her eyes narrowed at the new demon just in case he popped a new one up.
“Scrapped part of the System.” Humphrey shook his head. “No points for guessing how you are glitched. Are you capable in a fight?”
Lucius shook his head, and a bubble with a red cross popped up. “I prefer to talk my problems out.”
“Shameful.” The Death Knight deflated.
“I like talking,” Sally beamed, “but we are looking for some humanoid Monsters to punch for a bit to blow off some steam.”
“Oh, I know the place!” A joyous bubble popped up beside the demon’s head as he pointed a finger into the air. “There’s a barbarian tribe not too far to the north of here.”
“Perfect!”
Humphrey sighed as the two started off along the street, only briefly looking behind to see if the toll collector had moved. Red flame flickered across the back of his helmet as the body was no longer there.
“I’m just saying; there’s nothing romantic about brain-eating, right? It’s pretty gross no matter who the target is and the situation in which I am doing the deed, right?”
“I see what you’re saying.” A nodding emote appeared next to the demon’s head.
“But it’s different for Theo because there is that media romanticism of vampires. He can bite and consume anyone on the battlefield, but if he is sucking on a pretty lady outside of a fight - there’s an implication there.”
“Even if you trust him, and there’s nothing more to it than a meal, it’s just the optics of it?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you spoken to him about it?” A question bubble appeared beside Lucius as his hand entered the darkened shroud to rub at his chin, presumably.
“No, I don’t want to appear clingy or jealous - and it’s not something he has actually done.” Sally deflated and looked out at the plains.
“It’s important to set expectations and boundaries; he seems like he would be understanding and accommodating if he really cares for you.”
Humphrey slowly ground his metallic teeth together.
“Thanks, Lucius. Theo is currently going through something - so after we help him with that, then I’ll sit him down.”
A thumbs-up appeared by the demon. “My pleasure, Sally. It’s so rare to see a relationship with such promise out here; I wouldn’t like it to go to waste - if you pardon the pun! Out here, such things require a little more care and cultivation to flourish against the odds.”
Sally nodded thoughtfully. She knew better than to let what-ifs erode at the otherwise solid walls of her mental fortitude. It was just the nerves shaking her up, the ones still lingering from the morning. She hated that the tree of her worry now bore fruit. “What about you, Lucius, what’s your story?”
“Oh, I’m just a demon that hangs around Bordertown to befriend and lure Players into a trap.”
The sound of Humphrey’s sword withdrawing from his back caused a sweat drop emoji to slide out from the demon’s hood.
“Just kidding!” He waved his hands in the hope of cooling down the Death Knight. “I need to learn to read the room, huh?”
“We have had an… eventful day so far.” Humphrey slowly returned the greatsword to his back as he kept his eye sockets narrowed at Lucius.
Sally looked out at the nearly completely barren plains around them. She had spent too much time worrying about the miserable blood bag. It had been fun to dance around the idea that they could be something more, but it just seemed to be dragging at the back of her brain too much. Annoying Humphrey about it had been fun too, but maybe she was partly to blame for the Party falling apart.
They had gotten too comfortable with success and being the strongest around.
“Perhaps we should have brought the coffin with us,” the Death Knight looked over his shoulder back to the slowly receding Bordertown.
“Eh, he can look after himself.” Sally hardened her resolve. She had all the love in the world, or at least as much as her cold dead heart could manage, for the members of her Party. But he was not among that select few currently. “Let’s focus on getting more powerful.”
Humphrey smiled but tilted his head.
“We are almost there!” A saluting emote appeared beside Lucius. “Most remaining Monster groups are underground now, since the incident.”
Sally gasped and raised her eyebrows at the Death Knight. “What incident?”
“There’s a sandstorm that splits the Wasteland in two, appeared almost a month ago. This side of it got real dried out and barren, and it’s hard to get resources from the other side.” Sad face emoji.
“Hmm, I had not heard of this.” Humphrey looked out to the distance with a furrowed brow. “Is there no way through the storm?”
Grimace emoji. “There is one route, but it’s maintained by chumps like Edward - toll collectors.”
“You know Eddy? He keeps telling us he is Unavailable or something.” Sally cast a quick glance over her shoulder to see if the blue-eyed demon had shown back up.
“Know him?” An emoji of a rather contented-looking poop appeared. “Practically cousins, I think. He works for the dragon, though.”
The Death Knight rubbed his chin. “The one who caused the sandstorm, no doubt.”
“You’re an astute one, Humphrey.” Thumbs up emoji. “You were an Observer before, correct? It must be quite the change to be disconnected from your purpose.”
“I have a new purpose,” the helmet flames flickered, “one much more suited to my beliefs and abilities.”
Sally gave the Death Knight a smile. “Humphrey is my rock. He was there since I first awakened. Even made the decision to break from the System to save my life.”
Heart emoji. “That brings me great joy to see such a strong bond.” Lucius stopped and gestured around with his hands. “This whole area used to be barbarian tribes. Little villages, grazing bison and turtlecats, even some trees and the like.”
“They do not respawn?” Humphrey frowned at the cracked earth.
“And did you say turtlecats?” Sally added, leaning towards the demon.
“I do know how these things work, unfortunately. I am but a humble ba… demon.” Sweatdrop emoji.
“Why are you a demon?” She stopped and crossed her arms. “Other than the giant rats-“
“Mice.” Humphrey sighed.
“-we have just seen two Unique demons and no Players.”
Lucius shrugged and looked between the both of them with his two large crimson eyes amongst the darkness beneath his hood. “Look around, friends. There’s not much here for Players. It was either turn to dust or buy their way into the second of the Wastes.”
The pair of undead continued to wait for a further explanation, causing him to emote another grimaced face.
“Demons are naturally fine with the heat… there’s a portal or two where we can come through - or rather there were.”
The Death Knight nodded slowly. “An invasion event; you are one of the few remaining.”
Lucius clicked both his hands and pointed at Humphrey with finger guns. “Great having a guy in the know, huh? What do you know about the barbarians here?”
“Very little, if I am honest. I was stationed in the First Area and never had much need to delve into the specifics of other Areas. They should be around our level, mostly melee-based humanoids.” Humphrey scratched at the side of his helmet.
“I’ll assume that’s correct - like I said, I’m no fighter, but you both look competent.” The demon raised his own thumbs up to pair with a smiling face emoji.
“Humanoids are my speciality, in fact,” the zombie beamed. “We’re a little on the softer side without… but I think we can handle some melee fighters, right Humps?”
“Certainly. Continue to lead the way, Lucius.”
The red-robed demon gave a low bow and then swivelled around and trudged onwards across the dry plains.
Sally wasn’t too sure whether she fully trusted the new Party member yet. He was cool and certainly friendly enough… but he was a demon - and from what she knew, they were either evil or manipulative in some manner usually. That said, her Party was meant to be the bad guys. At least in the Forest area, they had started that way. Now they were just morally grey.
As she ruminated about what the future may hold, they stopped at another hole in the ground, similar to where they had found the giant mice. Approaching, it looked as though it was smaller - perhaps only half the size, and covered with some manner of door or leather.
“Ugh, if everything is going to be underground in gloomy tunnels, I will be annoyed.” She sighed. “I hate it when they reuse assets so blatantly.”
The head of a thickly muscled man popped out from the hole at the sound of her voice, his heavy brow set to a scowl at seeing the three standing there.
“Who are you?” He growled with a strong accent.
Lucius shrugged and started to slowly step backwards. Humphrey started withdrawing his sword. Sally started salivating.
Two more heads popped up, another man and woman with long hair, both equally as muscled and concerned about the new visitors.
Sally gasped. “Whack-a-meal!” With a wide grin, she leapt towards the barbarians, who started to emerge from their underground lair, holding axes and swords.
