“Tough day?” Leo asks when he brings home dinner. They’re old enough to make it themselves, but it feels like his responsibility, somehow. 

“Same as always. Had to put up some proofed frame, pain in the ass.” Leo nods his head sagely, and Aria steadily ignores him, as she always does. “You?” 

“Math test today. Went well, I guess.” 

“I’m sure you did great,” he offers, and Leo nods, looking down at his food. “So. Any homework, Aria?” 

“An essay on the defeat of the GIA. Would you mind fact checking me later?” His hands twitch lightly on the fork, and he nods. “It’s just… first hand source, and all.” 

“Of course, Aria.” 

“Oh, Vesper- since we’re both going to be doing homework tonight, you can take the capsule.” Leo says, in between mouthfuls of food.

“Alright,” he says. “Buzz me out when you need me. I’m all finished.” He grabs his own plate, slides the excess bit of noodle into the trash, and sinks it into the dishwasher. 

“Thanks for dinner,” they both say with, admittedly varying levels of enthusiasm, and he nods, sliding the door to the capsule room shut behind him. He steps over to the capsule, bright blue logo stained on the front center, and presses “ON.” 

With a sound all in the world probably knows by now, the world to Anomenada opens- or, just Ada. 

The hinges squeak a bit, with how used the capsule is, and he gently lowers the headset over his eyes, and puts his fingers into the input keys. The door’s closing squeak is unidentifiable, as the system comes to life around him. 

[READING BRAINWAVES… USER RECOGNIZED… 

…WELCOME BACK, PLAYER___RAINMAN___] 

Rainman sighs, and opens his eyes. The world flickers to life around him, sky bright blue and sun artificial- though, it certainly doesn’t feel as such. It’s windy in the city of Tartrost, being in the sky as it is- and an NPC he doesn’t know pushes past him in the sea of white name tags with a scoff. 

He is just standing in the middle of a city street.

He wanders to the baker’s shop. He’s been ‘following’ a quest line for a while now, collecting various ingredients and plants for baking. He could be playing more seriously, with everyone in the town knowing him he could be leveling like crazy from quests, but playing is a nice relief from the world anyway. 

There’s a reason his siblings fight over the capsule. Everyone wants one of three things- get rich, have fun, or get away. His siblings are, luckily, the most common group of Players- just there to duke it out with an orc or three, and build up your class. 

His brother insists that Vesper could be an awesome player, given already how intimidating he is, but you can’t level up without increasingly difficult quests- unless you want to grind monsters for hours on end. And why in the world would he do that? Its nice enough having a break to collect {Noah’s Rosemary} or {Rare Lily Flower} for Leon, the town baker and his closest friend. He might be an NPC, but that's never really mattered much to him.

Tartrost is a beginner town, which means it's safe from constant monster raids and doesn’t really have any dangerous quest lines. He’s only around level ten because he does so little- so he can’t go anywhere else without getting killed- and he likes the people here. His brother and sister are both on the lower halves of the Chicago rankings because Vesper got a pre-release capsule.

He makes the rather short walk to the bakery, where Leon is waiting. The door swings open, and immediately he is hit with the rich smell of whatever the man has on today's menu.

The baker is waiting for him, and Rainman lets a very slight smile take over his face. The man offers a fresh roll, lightly dusted with the {Sweet Mary’s Mushroom.} It’s the yield of his most recent quest, after all. 

When Leon realized that Rainman wasn’t as… determined as the other players, he started to offer baked items in payment instead of an increase in quest experience. Or whatever the NPC’s are coded to think that experience is. Part of the full immersion system.

“Leon!” 

“Rainman,” the man says, stepping forwards past the display case. “It’s been a while! How goes it?”

“Good. And you?”

“Good. Leo and Aria?”

“Same as always- moody, as teenagers are. And Nora? Is she at the smithy, now? Or…” his eyes wander to the door that leads to the baking area. “Is she doing something in the back?” 

“At the smithy again.” Leon answers easily. “That girl. She’s too talented for her own good.”

“So, any tasks while I’m here?” 

 “Can you run to the fields? I've run out of flour for the Ryi dough. Yir will have some spare,” he says, handing him the coins.  

“Of course.” He ignores the quest pop up with a brief mute and accepts verbally. “I'll be back soon.” 

“Nora will be here when you return! She wants to hear about Aria! A strange obsession, but you know her.” 

“That I do. Goodbye, Leon!” The door swings shut behind him, just in time before the lunch time rush started. He passes another player on the way out, and they eye his gear with a hint of pity. 

It's still the starter gear, which means everyone thinks he's below level 15. Which, he is, he hasn't even unlocked the next beginner set or quest to make it. 

He takes the main roads to the fields, eating his roll with a ghost of a smile on his face. It is very good, after all. The pickpocket dwarf NPC who lurks in the second alleyway to the fields takes his coin pouch, but he holds out a hand and the dwarf gives it back. It’s a kind of routine really.

He crosses the river's bridge, coming to a stop outside of the fields, and stops in his tracks. Yir, the farmer NPC, is having a very loud argument with another player. 

Rainman's hands twitch at his sides, and he steps forwards. While he is low level, he's at least competent enough at easing tensions. 

He jogs up to the two, careful not to trample the crops, and Yir looks at him with relief. “Rainman! Finally, someone with a little sense. This damned Erthan-” 

“Who the fuck are you, huh?” The player spits, tilting his head up to try and meet his gaze. “Can't you see I'm talking to a NPC?” 

“I have high favorability,” he says. Well, high enough. “What's the problem?”

“This fucker wants me to give him my Token of Farming.” 

”What did you call me, huh?” The player growls, and Rainman furrows his brows. He certainly looks familiar, in a dull kind of way. “Don't you know who I am?” 

“Uh, fellow player... sorry, I don't know your name, you can't get this Token of Farming unless you go through the entire chain quest with over 150 favorability. It's considered to be impossible except for high rankers.” 

The players face contorts in rage. “I am a high ranker, dumb bitch.” Rainman tilts his head. A vein in his forehead pops, and Rainman looks at him in confusion. Should he know this guy? 

“I'm the Sword Saint.” Rainman's eyes twitch in disbelief. Oh, yikes. “The Sword Saint, Andrew? AKA Goliath? God. There isn't a user or NPC who doesn't know my name.” His name tag appears, shining silver with the appearance of topranker, and he swears internally. 

“Goliath?” Yir falters a bit backwards. “I-” 

“Yeah, code. You afraid, now?”

“Sword Saint Goliath,” Rainman says. It is always better to placate men like this. “I didn't meant to insult you. I play only occasionally, and check ADANEWS even less.” 

Andrew's nose twitches in anger. “And that quest is the only way?” 

“Yes.” Yir looks anxiously between the two, brows twitching.

 “Well, then. Guess I have no choice, yeah?” 

Rainman narrows his eyes. He knows nothing of the Sword Saint, but he does know the certain look in his eyes. He knows men like this. 

”Can I ask you why you need it?” I mean, wanting tokens is very normal, but this particular token of farming is strange.” Goliath flicks his eyes back to him. 

“We're starting a town, my guild. If you get Tokens from all the beginner cities, they help attract workers and promote growth. Do you know nothing?” 

“I'm sorry. Like I said, I don't play often.” The saint looks him up and attempts to look him down, as if he can see through him. (He’s also, well, shorter.)  How ignorant, to gaze at strangers as if they are worth less than yourself. Deianira would've ripped him limb from limb. 

 He imagines this short, arrogant man on the battlefield beside him. He wouldn’t have the strength to stand beside him. But that doesn’t mean he is worthless, only unfit for his squad.

That, is true judgment. 

“Yeah. Well then, I guess this is resolved.” Yir says anxiously. “If you really want my Token of Farming, I... I'd be willing to have a hand around the farm.” 

“Okay,” the Sword Saint says, and Yir's head comes tumbling to the floor. The Sword Saint absentmindedly wipes his sword clean on the flowing grain, and Rainman steps back, trampling the crops in surprise. “What a scam. I'll just take it from his dropped items.” 

“You...” Rainman whispers. Goliath flickers his eyes up in unbothered silence. “Why would you-” 

“Hey. You seem like a cool guy, okay? Don't get your panties twisted about it. It's just an NPC.” Rainman exhales slowly through his nose. “Man, you're angry. Why? Because you made friends with a line of code?” 

There is nothing he can do. The Sword Saint defies the existence of the smaller, and he doesn't even have beginner gear. He isn't even level 10. Yet he throws the punch anyway.

It connects square in the jaw, and shatters all the bones in his arm. 

He shouts in pain, and the Sword Saint looks down at him bent over, lightly touching his nose. “Woah. One damage, huh? Impressive. Here, let me show you how to throw a punch.” 

[

Extreme Critical! 121,780 damage is taken!

You have died. You will respawn in your last favorable location.

Because you are lower than level 10, no additional penalties will be taken.

]