Low-Key
"A story of a girl(?) whom wanted to escape an Utopia"
"The Thousand Eye Millennium Clash, a chance for dreams to come true, for anything you imagine to be finally obtained! If you were unfortunate enough to miss out on registration for this once in a life time event, then we here SeaHorse Corporation sincerely apologize! For those participating, the games have been underway for seven days now, and the competition is already in high gear! Everyone involved is trying their hardest to come out on top, but to succeed and have your wish granted, you must have an ambition that can crush all who oppose you! Stay tuned to see some of the hottest Clashes that have taken place so far! We'll be right back after the break."
The news cast faded out, followed by a spinning coin on the screen that stopped to show a seahorse wrapped around an Sh and C, with the company jingle following soon after.
"Even Life's a Game~ With SeaHorse Corp."
A cheery receptionist smiled at the screen hanging in the corner of the lobby. "Hey!" She called at the receptionist by her side. "Do you wanna grab a drink to celebrate our last night?"
The other woman slammed down her pen and glared in response. "Sharon, I'm going home and bleaching this place from my mind."
The two attendants stared at each other, each with vastly different opinions of the other.
-DING!
"Fuuuuck!" The jaded attendant muttered. "Sharon, I'm going to the back for a smoke, whatever the dumb kid wants just get it over with so I can leave." Sharon peeked out from the employee room and wheeled her chair to the deck to the greet the late attendant.
"Hello Sir! You're super lucky the doors didn't lock!" She said in sing-song voice before looking up at the person. "What can I do for-"
-THUMP!
Sharon had been startled when her eyes met the gaze of the person waiting at the desk. Her reaction flipped the chair back and tossed her body across the floor.
"Uh...Are...Are you alright..?" Said the cause of Sharon's downfall. They leaned over the desk to see the receptionist struggling to get up.
"I-I am completely unharmed, I apologize Mister-er-Miss!" Sharon said clumsily as she struggled to pull herself back up. "S-so are you looking for someone, or something perhaps?" Her arms wobbled under her, when she finally managed to stand back up.
"I..um...wanted to register for the uh..Thousand Eye Millennium Thing..." The person responded.
Sharon nodded and smiled like she did for everyone else and knelt down to grab the registration materials. "Is that seriously not a boy..?" She thought while fishing in the dark drawers for the papers. "The voice seemed boyish, but something definitely seems off.." She sprung back up and dropped a large black box on the desk. A paper soon followed, slowly drifting on top of it, and Sharon held out a pen and focused her eyes on the odd person.
Shaggy and unkempt blonde hair curtained over their eyes and obscured a pair of bright emerald eyes. Thin red lips marked their face, with freckles dotting their cheeks and small round nose. A baggy pink sweatshirt hung off their shoulders, with a big hood and sleeves that flopped over their arms. When they reached for the pen, she saw the faint outline of a bust and faded blue jeans that were cuffed above yellow tennis shoes.
CLICK, TAP-!The small, pale hand clicked the pen and placed it beside the box before retreating back into the sleeve.
"Thank you~!" Sharon said, taking the papers in her hand and trying to read the freshly-inked information. She blinked in confusion, then flipped the paper to the correct position, then blinked in more confusion at the first few answers.
Name: Ziz Frei
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Favorite Game: All
"Sharon, what the fuck is taking so long!? It's time to go!"
She grimaced at the distant harassment from the other receptionist and looked at the young adult again. "I'm so sick of being yelled at all day..." She said under her breath while fiddling around with a lock that kept the box shut.
"Well, Ziz, you lucked out! We ended up getting one extra starter kit! This is your 'Cog'!" She exclaimed, swinging the box around to unveil it's contents to the boy. A silver device in the shape of a gear glistened in the velvet lined case. In the center of the gear was a translucent purple dome that protected a screen, and by the side of the device was an open wallet-like case that displayed three heart shaped tokens. "This device is like your magic key in this city, it holds all your information, and keeping it on your arm is a sign that you're an official Player! During the Game, you'll use this to participate in what is called 'Clashes', a game played between Players to see who progresses further in the competition! All you have to do is ask someone who also has a Cog on their arm to play a game. You then bet these 'Hearts'" She gestured toward the wallet, "and whoever wins keeps the lot. When you run out of them, it's Game Over, and you'll no longer be able to compete."
Ziz nodded politely as she talked and never questioned the details.
"SHARON! SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE FUCK IS TAKING SO LONG!"
Sharon sighed, then tried to smile at the boy. "Do you have any questions?" She asked.
"Uh...The wish...do you know if it's somehow true..?" He asked quietly. Sharon had to lean in to hear him, then she giggled and smiled.
"SeaHorse Corporation practically runs the world, I'm certain that they can fulfill anything anyone desires. If it wasn't for them, the world wouldn't be nearly safe enough to have an event like this!" Sharon said, as she closed the box and pushed it into the boy's arms.
She heard another bitchy yell and groaned. Her eyes scanned the boy's figure in an attempt to find something else to discuss.
"You don't look like you have anything to play games with!" She blurted, noticing the lack of the signature belt nearly every other participant had.
"Uh..no.." He meekly replied.
She had run off before he answered, and swiftly returned with small plastic box decorated in flames in one hand, and a capsule holding a large green spotted egg in the other "This is a Duel Monster deck someone left here," She said, stacking the box on top of the Cog's case, "Aaand this is an egg that I found on my first day! You can battle other people with whatever hatches from it!" She placed the egg capsule beside the card box and smiled wide.
Ziz struggled and wobbled from the tower of stuff that filled his arms. "Y-you don't have to..."
He muttered.
"Now just go through those doors and board the train before it takes off!"
"I don't want.." He tried to say, but another scream echoed through the hall, causing Sharon to pound her fists into the desk.
She grabbed a clipboard and ran off toward the screaming.
THWACK-!
Ziz looked around in fear and started to waddle off toward the double doors that lead outside.
"I refuse -THWACK- to be treated -THWACK- like -THWACK- your -CRACK- slave!" He heard violence echoing through the hall and rushed toward the double doors leading that Sharon directed him to.
When he finally escaped, he found that the train platform under the night sky was much quieter, without a thick tension filling the air. Ziz managed to stuff the unwanted contents in his sweatshirt and head toward the glowing train ahead, longing just for the warmth and refreshments.