Just a heads up: this chapter gets heavy. Like, cry cry cry no Batter why u do dis? Here we see the Queen for the first time, and she is not a nice person. Thanks always S, for the wonderful reviews.
"BATTER!"
With a jolt, the sleeping purifier woke up and gasped. His player was sitting in front of him with a bemused expression and chuckled.
"Someone was having a good dream." She commented.
When the initial shock of waking up wore off, it became obvious The Batter had a slight problem between his legs. He carefully drew his knees against himself and tried to look casual.
"That's not working you know."
The Batter sighed, and admitting defeat, stretched his legs out.
"I figured."
The pair sat in silence, relaxing in the furnace room.
"So what were you dreaming about?" The Player asked.
The Batter looked down guiltily.
"Do I really have to admit it?"
His Player nodded.
"Alright... I was dreaming about us..."
He sighed.
"I know we agreed that us hugging and kissing doesn't mean anything, but that doesn't change how I feel about you. And sometimes, my thoughts just get away from me and I wonder what we would be like if you were a part of this world full-time."
He looked over at his Player to see how she was reacting to his confession. Surprisingly, she had a calm face that didn't show much emotion. When she didn't say anything in response, The Batter took it as a cue to continue speaking.
"I know I have no right to feel the way I do about you. I'm not a human now, and I'll never be. I'm a puppet, and you're The Puppeteer. But..."
He grasped his Player's hand.
"It's just-"
She placed a finger to his lips to silence him. He closed his eyes and let his head loll forward and into her palm. The Player scooted beside him and snuggled against his chest.
"Where I'm from, there was this God-awful movie called 'Her'. It was about a man who got a new OS and they quickly became really good friends. They were a lot like us. They had up days, and down days. In the end, the two had to part ways, but they learned a lot while they were together. That didn't make the parting any less sad."
The Batter reflected on what she said.
"And... You don't want that to happen to us..?"
She nodded.
"Batter, after all the time we've spent together, I've realized something. You are everything I look for in a guy. Confident, maybe a little too much so, but it happens. Repentant, dependable, brave. It takes you a minute to let people in, but you're caring. You seek to better yourself, and when something tries to crush you, you don't let it."
The Batter couldn't help but smile at the praise.
"What I'm trying to say is: If things were any different, we would be together until we're both wrinkled old farts."
"Well? What's the good news?"
"Yeah, I've got dinner waiting!"
"There's work to be done in the mines."
"There are many new books in the Library to be sorted."
"Heh heh heh..."
The group was gathered in Zone 0, their now regular meeting place. The Player was excitedly bouncing on her feet with a cheshire grin.
"Alright, remember that guy my brother beat to hell and framed after he tried to get me expelled?"
A collective nod went around the group.
"WELL. The frame job stuck, and the charges against me with the school were dropped, seeing as they were 'slanderous falsifications of misconduct by an untrustworthy party' and he is now on his way to expulsion and ten years behind bars."
The Player slapped the table with an open palm.
"Karma!" She shouted.
A cheer went up among those gathered and a toast was made in honour of The Player's brother. After some drinks and friendly babble, it was time for The Player to return home. She bid everyone a good night, kissed The Batter, and was gone. After she left, the gang stayed together for a while longer before gradually dispersing. Dedan was the last to leave, hanging around in hopes of talking to The Batter.
"So, you and her aren't going any further eh?"
The Batter bared his teeth at the question.
"That's not your business."
Dedan laughed.
"Calm down Batter. Forgive a man full of piss and vinegar."
He gave The Batter a light punch on the arm before adopting a serious face.
"Ever think about getting back with the Queen? Hell, you might not have the love for her, but I'm sure she'll have the love for you if you need it."
The Batter balled his fists.
"Watch yourself, Dedan. Just because my Player isn't here doesn't mean I can't still kick your ass in English and French."
The Batter was serious in his threat, but Dedan chuckled darkly.
"Is that a fact, Batter? Why don't we test that little theory? And make a bet to boot?"
The Batter listened to Dedan as he explained the terms of the bet. The two would have a friendly little battle. If Dedan won, The Batter would go see the Queen for a nice meal and see where things went from there. If The Batter won, Dedan would be paying for him and his Player to go back to the Amusement Park and for The Player to eat her way through as many sweets as she wanted. At the end of Dedan's explanation of the terms, The Batter nodded in determination.
"Fine then. I hope you have some credits saved up."
"Plans? Batter, since when do you make plans without me?"
Rather than admitting to his Player he made a wager with Dedan and lost because of his cockiness, and therefore having to explain why said wager was made and what the terms were, he simply stated that some private matters had arisen that needed his attention. His Player was sad to hear that she wouldn't have any time to spend with him that day, she fully understood he had his own life within the game and let him carry on, after he promised to make it up to her some other time.
Getting to The Room to meet with the Queen proved more difficult than The Batter anticipated. While he could travel freely between Zones 0 through 3 now that he had a newfound friendship with the guardians, he could under no circumstances enter The Room without Enoch's card. The Batter knew if he simply asked Enoch for the card, there was a good chance the man would hand it over once he had asked a significant amount of questions. But The Batter didn't want to be subjected to a line of questioning, especially knowing that Enoch wasn't exactly the best at keeping secrets.
So The Batter decided the best course of action was to simply steal the card.
He started by causing a disturbance in the sugar vault. The Elsen's went into a panic, attacking anything that they saw. This of course included each other, and by the time Enoch came down from his office to deal with the commotion The Batter was long gone. He broke into the office, rifled through Enoch's stuff and found the card he needed to get into The Room. He was leaving the office when he stopped, and as an afterthought scribbled a note to Enoch apologizing and offering to take full responsibility for his actions.
"My dear... I didn't expect you to come back. And without your Player..."
It had been several months by this point since the last time The Batter saw the Queen. He had forgotten a lot about her: her voice, her finer details, the elegant sashay as she approached him.
"What brings you here?"
He approach was all too casual, as was the way put her arms around The Batter. The only thing that wasn't casual was the longing kiss she gave him, and the way her tongue was so eager to dance with his. She held the kiss too long, and when she pulled away The Batter needed to take a deep breath.
"I... I came here to speak with you." He admitted.
The Queen laughed sweetly.
"Without your Player? Whatever will she have to say about this?"
"My Player doesn't control me." The Batter huffed.
Another laugh from the Queen made his skin crawl.
"My my, don't tell me she has grown bored with you? That must be hard."
Despite his best efforts, the Queen's words got to The Batter. She knew this right away and dug deeper.
"She doesn't return any of your affections, does she? I know the kind of man you are, dear. How noble you are. How strong, how desirable... Passionate."
With that last word, the Queen brushed her lips against the neck of The Batter. He flinched away in response and glared at her.
"Don't try to tempt me with your affections. That is not why I am here."
The Queen reached her hand back and slapped The Batter across the face.
"My affections? My affections for you Batter are the same as they have always been. Now look at your affections, Batter. I know you believe you love your Player, but you don't. You covet her, Batter, because you can never have her. You seek to possess her, like she's some thing. It's as if you are a Player, and she is a game."
The Batter felt himself growing sick with each word from the Queen's lips. He grew sick because the Queen spoke with conviction. Because the Queen spoke as if she had practiced her speech...
He grew sick because the Queen was absolutely right.
He didn't want to believe it, but as he sank to the ground The Batter knew there was no denying it. The Queen came to The Batter's side and knelt beside him.
"Return to me, dear Batter... Take your place at my side..."
If The Batter was the type of man to quote song lyrics like his Player, it would likely be the song she seemed to like so much by... What was the man's name? Mr. Brightside?
'It started out as a kiss, how did it end up like this?"
And how indeed?
All too easily he found himself in the Queen's bed with her pressed against him. He let her hands, lips, and tongue roam across the body it had been so long since she had touched. His hands roamed as well, lost in the feeling of the soft skin he once knew well as his own. The touches became more fevered and soon both The Batter and the Queen became entangled in a passionate dance of tangled bodies and sheets.
At first, The Batter felt guilty. He couldn't be with his Player so he jumped in bed with the Queen instead. But all his quilt was quickly overshadowed by the euphoria coursing through him. They transitioned between lovemaking and fucking so fluidly The Batter couldn't remember why he ever left her side. But eventually both participants exhausted their energy and collapsed on the Queen's bed. The Queen snuggled up against The Batter and gave him one last kiss.
"So good to have you back..."
It became routine between The Batter and the Queen to meet up after The Player had left the game. Once she was gone, there was no one to stop The Batter and the Queen from having passionate sex until the two fell asleep. His Player had no idea of The Batter's escapades with the Queen, of course, and during the day the two were as they always were. The Player would happily chatter on, holding onto The Batter's arm or hand, and The Batter would listen to his Player and smile fondly. Then the Player would bid her farewell to The Batter, he would wave goodbye, and return to the Queen. His feelings of guilt soon vanished, and as time passed he even began to count the hours until he could see the Queen again.
"Why don't you just leave your little Player? You have me again dear."
Leaving his Player was something the Queen suggested often. She raised valid points, but some part of him deep down still believed he was meant to be with his Player. He could casually deflect the question each time it was brought up, much to the Queen's chargin. As time passed, the Queen became more vocal about her wish for him to leave his Player.
"She's a distraction. It's her memory that's keeping us from being happy together."
As she spoke, her hands trailed along his body. Over the toned muscle and smooth skin.
"I was made for you," She murmured into his ear.
"You know it's true."
So yeah, that just happened. This is the end of the story. I have another story in the works right now that will expand upon our Player. It will of course have stuff relevant to OFF, but I've grown to like our Player and figured if I show some stuff from her world in relation to the game, it would be an interesting thing. Please, leave a review and tell me what you think.