Chapter 2: Black Market

Games. A primary product in the land of Gamindustri. The Goddesses depend on its production and wish for all their followers to legally acquire them so the industry can keep flourishing.

And yet, here I am heading for the black market in the most shady-looking back alley of the nation.

I'm a cheapskate, in case that wasn't clear from the last time. I need the money for my rent.

Hands in my pocket, I wander into the alley like it's a second home. A few turns later and I am met with an unwelcome iron fence gate, rusted from the bottom and its latch fused to the post. I can already see a few stalls scattered across the opening, selling various illegal products. Weapons. Drugs. Pirated games. There's even a forger in the mix.

Hey, when I said black market, I meant an actual market of illegal products.

It's not often I come here, really. And I just so happened to learn about this place by overhearing a conversation between two co-workers talking about it.

If anything, I only come here when I absolutely need something. In this case, I need the new Super Mayro Maker 2 for the Lowee Swap… Look, I didn't think of the name either. And whoever did must've been high on ketamine. But I can't deny the quality of the game either. Just thinking about it is making me want to play it.

There's plenty of intimidating individuals around this place. I make sure to make no eye contact with any of them. Not unless I'm thinking of buying something.

Finally, I find what I'd been looking for—The scarce stalls with games. One of the owners gives me a glare matching that of an eagle… That or his face just molten in that expression.

"What ya lookin' for, sonny," he asks with a coarse voice. Clearly a smoker.

"Just some Lowee title," I reply without bothering to look up at him. "A new one. Wouldn't happen to have anything that meets that criteria, would you?"

He smacks his lips twice. As he didn't speak up, I shoot him a glance.

"Nothin' but Lastation junk here. Care for some Deity of War 2? Spiral: Year of the Dragoon? Or how 'bout some Deroid: becoming Inhuman? That one's new… Relatively… Or how about a new console? I got more in the back."

I raise my hand. "No thanks. I'm here for the Lowee stuff and nothing else."

His already grumpy face sours up even more. "Two stalls over. Look for a girl that looks like she died ten years ago but hasn't caught up yet."

An odd image fills my mind, followed by a reference of a popular anime. Fist of the Southern Cross, I think it was…?

"Yeah… Thanks."

As I walk off, I can feel his glare burn a hole in the back of my head. Yeesh… Best to never come back here after I'm done. This place always gives me the chills.

A few steps later and my eye catches on to the expansive selection of games. Titles of nearly all nations cover the table, ranging from old titles to new ones. Most look in relatively good shape. A few have a scratch on the cover, but that's easily overlooked, considering they all go for half of the store price at most.

"Nice…" I utter. There's a spark of hope in the back of my mind. There's so many titles here, including some of the latest ones, there's no way they won't have it!

"Hey!" I call as I look up. The stall owner has her back turned to me… Wait. She looks familiar.

"Huh? What do you want?" She calls, turning to face me. Red eyes. Green hair. Ashen-grey skin.

We both fall silent until we point at each other.

"The Vampire Girl!"

"The Baby-faced dolt!"

…

…

Huh?

What did she just call me?

Babyface?

What even-... Why? I have a five o'clock shadow. Or at least, I had one. I forgot to shave that morning. How the hell is that a babyface!?

To defend my case, I take a breath and open my mouth, but the Vampire Girl beats me to the punch. "What the hell!? Who are you calling a vampire? Like… Mouse-girl. I can get it. Underling? Maybe. Vampire!? You're just asking for trouble!"

"Says the one that just called me a babyface. I don't even see why you'd say that. Like… C'mon, man. Give me a break."

"Oh, so I look like a vampire to you then, huh? I'd watch it if I were you because that neck of yours is looking really tasty right about now."

I know she's mocking me, but I can't help but point out the obvious. "Aren't you proving my point? I mean, with eyes as red as yours and skin like that… I don't mean to be offensive, but you're like a modern vampire in my eyes… Pretty cool, actually." I mumbled that last part.

She folds her arms and clicks her tongue. "Tsk. Whatever. What do you want? I'm fresh out of Graggy Ice if that's why you're here."

Oh. Right, I almost forgot. "Nah, nah. I mean, if you got more, I'll gladly take it."

"Not a chance."

"Hm. Alright. How about some Super Mayro Maker 2 then?"

There's a positive shift in her expression. "Oh. You're here as a patron?"

"Mhm. You heard me."

She wryly smiles, reaching under her stall and pulling up a box. "I got you. This is all I got."

"T-That's-... My god…"

The width of my eyes increases as I gaze upon the box. It's nothing less than the collectors edition! With the game, an art book, several amyybo's that were released along with the game, and an honorary 'Builder's Coin,' signed by Lady White Heart herself. Those coins alone go for a fortune on the web!

I look back at the Vampire girl and recompose myself. "A-ahem… Yes… Yes, I see… Uhh, well, it's just the-... collectors edition… Err, how much do you want for it."

She puts a hand on her hip and leans on the table, inching towards me. "We're talking about a lot of digits here. I ain't stupid. This thing's the real deal and you know it."

I sigh. Yep. Should've known she wouldn't fall for it. "I got no more than a hundred. One-twenty if I skip lunch and dinner for the next two days. Don't you have the actual game? Without all the extra stuff?"

She shakes her head. "This is all I got. The game just got out yesterday. I mean, tomorrow, maybe. It's just that the boys grabbed the most expensive box first."

Oh… It's stolen. Somehow, I'm not surprised. If anything, I wonder why I didn't think of that, considering the massive discounts all these things have.

Yeah, there is no way I'm ever going to afford this one. I'll have to pass up on it. I know I can't ask for her to just give me the game either and nothing else. There's value in all those pieces together. Especially if the box is unopened. It ensures quality.

"Sorry, Vampy. It's a few too many digits for my taste." My hands drop into my pockets as a I shrug. "No deal."

I can tell she's not too happy with it, but what can I do about it? Buy the ridiculously expensive game and go into debt?

"Fine. Is there anything else sir wants?"

I don't like the way she said sir, but whatever. "Nah. I was just testing my luck with that one game. I'll guess I'll go and find myself an actual copy."

She blankly stares at me before responding. "Sure. Whatever. See if I care."

One nod later and I turn around. As I walk away I feel a bit guilty for not even buying anything. Even if she and I quite literally only met twice now, it felt as if I just pushed a brother under the train…

…

…

…

That or I'm being overly dramatic. Besides, it's not like she won't sell the thing. Plenty of people around here would buy it for the price she'd offer.

"Hey!" I hear her call out. I look over my shoulder back at her.

"Alright. What if… What if I cut you a deal?"

If she asks me for my soul, we're bailing, boys. "A deal?" I repeat in a questioning tone.

"Yeah! Let's say… you give me all the cash you can afford to cough up. Do that and I'll… 'consider' giving you a discount. Sound fair?"

Hm? Huh. Crazy. She's letting me have this thing for not even half the actual price. I mean, I get when you're doing it with a game that's just fifty credits or so… But this thing? It would go for at least ten times that amount.

"H-hey… You sure about that?"

She shrugs. "I said I'd consider it. Let's see the cash first, alright?"

I walk back to her nodding several times. My hand goes down into my pocket and I just grab a hold of everything in there. There's now a total sum of one-hundred and twenty five credits on the table… Yes. Five more, for those of you keen-eyed people. I was going to buy some gum with it later.

She leans over and begins counting. Oh, please, let this not be enough. I need food to sustain myself for the next few days and I know I'll regret buying this if I do.

She looks back up at me… and grins. Shit. Sorry future-me. You're either gonna starve or be behind on your rent… again.

"Alright, I guess that'll do. Here. Just take it."

She slides the box towards me… It feels so good, yet so bad to buy this thing now.

With my hand put on the top, I slide it closer. It doesn't feel like it weighs much. I could probably carry it under my arm. And so I will.

"Y-Yeah… Thanks," I utter as I take the box. "And, uh, what are you gonna do with all that cash?"

My first mistake was asking a thief what she is going to do with her earnings. My second was not realising my first.

She looks at me rather threateningly. "Like hell I'd tell you. If you don't want to be found with a knife between your ribs in some alley with rats infesting your body—"

"An awfully graphic and detailed description…" I mutter.

"—then you better be sure not to tell anyone how much you got… or where you are going to spend it."

"Right, right, I get it, I get it," I say with a hand raised, waving it off. "Just don't spend it all one place, okay?"

A rather long-lasting pause comes from the vampire-like girl. Maybe I've waited too long for her response, but as I take a breath to say my goodbye, she interrupts me.

"Gonna spend most of it on the ramen stand just outside the alley. Girl's gotta eat right."

I laugh. "And the girl's made a good choice. The guy that serves there has a perfectionism complex. Every bowl he makes has to be 'perfect'. You're in for a good meal."

She nods back at me before what I presume was a question to mock me. "Wanna tag along?"

My response is to deadpan at her and speak with a rather cold tone. "I just told you I have to skip several meals for several days."

"Drinks are on me."

"What time are we leaving?"

And not an hour later, I was out for a night of debauchery with no money whatsoever. Now, if you are like me, you had to look up what the word debauchery means. Well, if you did… Let's just say that I was wrong and just got a bunch of alcohol. It'll be a cold day in hell...

So somehow this story blew up to be the second most popular story I wrote here. I dunno how it happened, but what I do know is that, on its first chapter, this zero effort fic has more favs and follows than on the first chapter of anything else I have written. Crazy…

Well, if people show their continued support, I guess this one could be kicked up to be higher on my priority list. I mean, if people demand it, why keep them waiting for another two months?

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one. See you next time!