Authors note: Hello all you there, this is my first measly attempt at writing a story. All review are welcomed and any tips that can be given to me to help me improve would be greatly appreciated. Well enough stalling here is "Everyday life with a Oni"
Chapter 1-Introduction.
"Ugh." Marcus groaned as he woke up, moving his arms to push himself up until he found them unable to move. In fact he could hardly move anything at all. He started to struggle only for that to produce zero results. When a snore snapped him out of his struggle, and he remembered how he got himself stuck under a large snoring mound.
One month earlier…
"Marcus!"
"Huh?" Marcus was snapped back to reality by the sound of a familiar voice. Looking up he sees his two friends looking at him with smug expressions.
"Look at him, Mr. Makes a hit game and is set for life, doesn't think he think he has to pay attention to us commoners anymore." His friend Everett joked at him with a mock expression of hurt. While Matilda the one who snapped him back to reality was laughing at his situation.
"Oh sure laugh at the guy who worked himself to the bone to make a game, that just happened to become a hit. At least people would pay to see me." His friends stopped laughing and just smiled at him, both seeing what their jeering was doing to him. Only for them to burst out laughing again seconds later at his attempt at seeming important, making him just place his head into his arms. "You two are the only people I know who would make fun of someone for becoming famous."
"Oh don't be like that we still think you're a pretty cool guy, even if you can't bravo your way out of a paper bag." Matilda said putting a hand on his shoulder. Everett still chuckling joined her, placing his arm around Marcus' shoulders.
"Yeah, think about the stroke of luck. Here we are in the regular world living our lives normally, and you go and make an RPG where your objective is not to kill the monsters you come across instead you befriend them and join their side in in an adventure. Your situation, you make a game and it is doing well making you money, nothing major but enough to get by, and suddenly Monster people are revealed to be real by the government and your game goes from having a small following to being the most bought game of the year as interest in monsters rise through the roof." Marcus pointed out while he just chuckled at his friend's antics. It was true though, his game was not completely revolutionary with the idea of befriending monsters instead of killing them. But there was something that drew people to his characters. He would joke that his game was more an interactive story not quite a game. Nevertheless he had a small, dedicated, growing following around his game. It only shot up majorly in popularity when the Linimal races were revealed to the world.
He then remembered that Matilda had joined the Interspecies exchange program. "Hey, Matilda how is the Homestay project treating you? It was kind of unexpected of you to call us out at such a short notice without bringing Mami, what? You just left your homestay at home all alone?"
"Nah, Mami had to have a meeting with the exchange coordinator today and I was asked to be out while they did it for some privacy reason. Hence why I called you two schmucks out for coffee. It's not like you two had any other plans on a Saturday morning, I mean, an indie game developer still coming down from selling a hit game and a deadbeat author going through university? Not like you two have much better plans." She said reclining back in her chair. Everett was barely able to keep a straight face after her insult and turned to Marcus.
"I remember when we were the deadbeat author AND a deadbeat indie game maker. Now the duo just a Uno." He then just broke out laughing at his ridiculous observation as his demeanor brought a smile to Marcus' face who started to chuckle, while Matilda just shook her head. She then looked up at the two of them and waited for their laughter to die down.
"By the way, have you two given any thought to joining in the program? I can vouch for it that while it may be awkward at times and hard work to learn a new culture. It is still a very fulfilling experience." She looked between the two of them, waiting for their response. Everett just shrugged.
"Sorry I can't I'm too busy with school and my novel to take care of another person, heck I can barely take care of myself." Then he and Matilda turned to Marcus to see his answer.
He stammered for a second. "I…I…I don't know I mean I thought about it but I have been so busy with my game and..." Matilda Just smiled at him.
"Well then what are we waiting for! Your game is finished and you have some money coming in. Come on I'm sure the coordinator would be finished by the time we get to my house and you can talk to her about signing up." She then grabbed his arm and started pulling him away, throwing some cash on the table. "Everett cover any difference when the check comes!" She called back to Everett who just gave her a thumbs up while shaking his head at his friend's antics.
Marcus struggle to stay standing as he was being dragged down the sidewalk by his over-enthusiastic friend. Matilda's house was only a twenty five minute walk away from the café. Though it was hard to tell where they were exactly as he was being dragged backwards much to the bemusement of passerby's. Finally he was able to get his footing and walk beside Matilda instead of on the ground behind her. As she joyfully talked about some of the misadventures she and her homestay had gotten into mostly involving shopping mishaps. Marcus wasn't really listening to her rambling, and instead he decided to take in the sights on this beautiful fall day. He breathed in the cool breeze and zoned out to be in his thoughts. He thought of his game and how well it was doing, but more importantly how was he going to follow it up. While he thought of story and characters ideas, he was literally shaken out of his daydream by Matilda. "I swear the minute you lose interest you're gone like the wind." She scolded him with a smirk, Marcus could just sheepishly shrug as he had no way to respond to that bit of truth. "Anyway we're here." With that she started walking up the stairs to her humble home in suburbia, Marcus just looked around wondering if he could escape without incurring his friends wrath, then sighed knowing he couldn't escape and followed her up the stairs. When he entered the doorway he saw Matilda standing there with her arms folded, there he was met by two women. One who he had never met before in a suit, and a more familiar face covered in bandages wearing a miniskirt and a sweater.
The woman in the suit looked at him and smiled, "So you're the friend that Matilda here was talking about being interested in joining the International culture exchange? The name's Agent Brown and you would be?" She said putting her hand out to him.
"Yeah I guess that would be me, my name is Marcus Williamson." Agent Brown's eyes seemed to grow as large a dinner plates behind her sunglasses.
"Wait you mean THE Marcus Williamson? Creator of "The Gem of Tiamet" that new game that came straight out of left field and brought Linimals to the light before we did?" She demanded while grabbing his hand and proceeding to shake it furiously.
"Y..yes?" He said, unsure of how to handle this type of attention.
"Wow can't say I ever thought I would get to meet you. A lot of people in the Cultural Exchange Bill hold quite a bit of respect for your game. I mean, here you are showing the world that people that have been stereotypically known as "just monsters" throughout history, can not only be reasoned with but are individuals with hopes and dreams and you befriend them instead of fighting them. Oh man, this is great, think about it. Getting you involved with the program would be great publicity for the program. There was some talk if we could get you to allow us to give you a seal of approval for your game and a deal where we could help with the localisation process to bring this game across the world. I'm getting ahead of myself, come on we have a lot to talk about ." Marcus gave a measly greating to Mami as was dragged pass by Agent Brown into the Kitchen where they would talk about the details of entering the host program as well as laying out some of the groundwork for a collaborative effort. Mami just looked at her host who was grinning wildly at what had transpired.
"You seem pleased about this?" She stated emotionlessly to her host. "You planned on this happening all along, didn't you?"
"What?! No… well maybe but this will be good for him. He always locks himself away and never meets new people. And since when did you become the judge of my schemes?" Matilda replied while putting her hands on her hips. Mami just smirked seeing how she could get a rise out of her host. She knew her host would get her back later, probably by taking her for "exercise" out of the warmth of the house into the blasted cold she hated so much. But deciding to let the sleeping bear lie, she walked to the t.v room with Matilda following behind her. The two would start talking about their day while Marcus was talking with Agent Brown in the Kitchen about the details of joining the Homestay program.
