transmitting live, transmissions rise

[faceplate]

Who: faceplate & YOU
When: IC 11/6, OOC 24/3
Where: Mostly ViVID
What: Zer0 is terrible. Time to make friends!
Rating/Warning: Violence, probably.

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[ you spy with your little eye someone who isn't being quite as stealthy as they think they are. a tall, dark figure (maybe handsome?? we just don't know), loitering in alleyways, behind buildings, up on rooftops... it's hecka creepy. if you approach fast enough, zero doesn't run away!

and sometimes, they even initiate conversation., with things like, ] Wanna go kill stuff?

[ ...yep. ]

(( ooc: closed starters below! ))

Comments

[monology]

[Frankly it startles the shopkeeper more than it startles Felix. He's been shot at more times than he can count, and he could tell just from the sound of it that it wasn't metal bullets. He doesn't even look down to check if he's bleeding. No, instead he glances upwards, gaze casting around vaguely. Like he doesn't really know what he's looking for. To the untrained eye, he gives up and shrugs it off, turning back to the shopkeeper.]

Weird huh? Must've been a glitch or something.
[Though the shopkeeper is puzzled by his wording, they seem to settle down. And Felix takes his time finishing his business, unabated. Or maybe on purpose. He's fidgeting a lot with his hands, and the reason will become apparent to Zero moments later when Felix disguises a knife toss as a casual gesture, and it sinks into the tower wall near where Zero's hiding.

There's a paper wrapped around the grip. If you investigate, you'll see it's got "You know you can't kill NPCs, right?" scrawled on it.]

[faceplate]

[ zero tracks trajectory well enough to know that it won't hit them, but it could still be an explosive. when they don't sense anything from it, they reach down just enough to grab the knife and retreat back up to their perch.

...rude. zero's amused more than anything, however. they replace the note with another message before lobbing the knife back in a smooth arc; the tip lodges itself in the stones and the knife stands up next to the stranger.

now the message just says Watch.

the shot still isn't perfectly clear. but zero takes it. they know the risks and weigh them with the ease of long practice—which is to say, with caution and taking as much time as they can before they lose their chance.

a bullet (real, this time) punctures the hole in the NPCs code. where a normal attack on an NPC would have resulted in a scripted reaction, mostly a flinch and complaint, this bullet lodges in deep and the storekeeper freezes completely in their tracks. ]

[monology]

[Well, that was unexpected. But more than that, Felix is intrigued. After his initial surprise, he crouches down to pick up the items the NPC dropped (while he wonders why they even have drops if they aren't supposed to be killable. Once he scoops up his knife as well, he glances up in Zero's direction. He doesn't do anything to acknowledge their presence other than a small jerk of his head as he heads into the bar nearby.

After all, it would be rude for him to climb up there and compromise your sniping roost. So come down here and tell him how you pulled that off. He'll be waiting in an isolated corner with his feet kicked up on the table.]

[faceplate]

[ zero follows the other person's movement with their scope. (that was their drop, rude.)

it's a few minutes before zero follows, but they do. even if felix is watching the door, he won't see zero enter. they come to the table from the back hallway of the bar, coming over to stand by the table without a word. ]

[monology]

[Well maybe if you play your cards right he'll give it back. Maybe. Probably not, though.

In the few minutes it took Zero to catch up, Felix got himself a drink. It's oddly colorful for a guy who very obviously carries himself like a professional. In any case, at least he doesn't startle when he notices Zero. There's only a minute amount of surprise, even. He just gestures to the seat next to him.]

Pretty interesting trick you pulled there, I gotta say. Don't suppose you'd like to share how you did it?
[He pushes his helmet up just enough to take a sip of his drink. What is even the point of drinking in virtual reality? Who knows, but he's doing it.]

[faceplate]

[ zero doesn't deign the question with a reply, because... well, look at them. they're not going to give things away that easily. they do take a seat, however, by the stranger's side. ]

Why'd you take my loot?

[ cutting straight to the chase here. and if they sound sort of sulky, it isn't necessarily felix's imagination. ]

[monology]

[Felix expected that, really. Another reason he's glad he grabbed what is clearly an effective bargaining chip. You can almost hear the smirking grin on his face when he talks.]

Figured you wouldn't follow me here if I didn't. Also, because I felt like it. It's mine now, finders keepers, you know?
[You're clearly dealing with an asshole here, Zero.]

[faceplate]

[ ugh. zero doesn't say anything, but they're annoyed and tense and it shows, their lanky frame somewhat rigid as they stand in silence, simply looking at felix. ]