A/N (1/22/2022): At the beginning of this month, I had lost a whole bunch of confidence in my writing.
Turns out, there's a story out there with a similar premise to mine, with ~1/8 of the words and somehow still a similar amount of favorites/favs. I know my story is a bit more niche, but it made me realize that perhaps I'm not making the most out of my words. That my writing skill is actually very lacking.
Therefore, I've decided to go train in the mountains. Er, the proverbial mountains.
At first, I was going to put this story on hiatus and work on a series of tiny stories (either finishing the previous ones I've started, or completely new ones). These ones will be around ~100k… which puts the planned length of ARG into perspective, as it is only currently around ~100k. Yeah. That's why I'll be taking a break on this and practicing shorter ones. I would like to practice the entire length of the story, from the beginning to the end, and practice stuff like diverse characterization, character arcs, etc, without all the baggage that a long story would bring with it. I first need to master the little story, before I finish this far bigger story.
However, upon reading some people's reviews… uh… I might have been a little flattered, and decided to continue this story till the end of the next arc, before I go on my little training journey. Plus, I've already promised this chapter part this month!
Just letting you guys know my future plans!
Beta: Path of a Writer
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
Jaune could not concentrate.
It was the middle of night and he was exhausted.
His previous homework and quizzes were splayed out in front of him, in front of his computer. Two textbooks were also open, but to him, the words that should be familiar to him felt like the ramblings of a deluded madman. He hadn't reviewed any of this for half a week, courtesy of the gods screwing around his life, and already he felt lost. Worst of all, concepts were just not sticking to his mind.
That was not to mention all the other junk Light had brought to his attention, leaving unpleasant, pressing questions stuck in his brain.
"Fuckkkkkkkk…" He swore for the nth time. "If only there was a magical way I could turn back time…Wait, I can!" He considered for a second the respawn in the gods' game, before shaking his head. One, he didn't know if that turned back time in real life too, and two, that cost far too much money.
He smacked himself.
The previous train of thought was exactly why he couldn't focus. Whenever he thought about banks and financial systems, a few minutes later he would have found himself thinking about the game again.
It wasn't like he could even use the game in order to study this time, like what he did with his prose. His textbooks, his homework, and the information the professor had posted online were all in the real world and inaccessible in the game world.
He let his face plant into his pages of graphite scribblings, not caring if some of it got onto his face.
He had one more avenue of approach, but he didn't really want to bug Ren so late at night. It's kind of my mistake anyways… but mostly Light's fault. Plus, even if I have Ren's notes, can I really cram everything so fast? It was the least amount of time he'd ever given himself to study since high school and this was university now, where courses were harder.
The reason he was after Ren's notes was that his own were barely legible. While his usual writing was actually pretty immaculate, his writing during class was a whole different can of worms. Trying to understand what the professor was saying and writing it all down, not to mention trying to catch up after being distracted by text messages, was quite the task. Ren, noticing this, had suggested he redo his own notes after getting home, but after trying a few times the first few days of the semester, Jaune hadn't done it since.
Regrets… So many regrets…
"Boo."
Jaune raised his head. It was Dark's voice, and it was coming from… the ground? He peered at the floor beside his feet.
Dark's disembodied head smiled back.
Jaune didn't scream like a girl.
The god of darkness laughed as the rest of his body snaked on the floor from a dark corner, flat like paper, towards his head. With a pop, they reconnected, and then the god took a huge breath, inflating his body back to its normal shape, not unlike a balloon. "Helloooo… Huh. Something's wrong." He gave his neck a sickening crack and left it sideways. "Much better…"
"What the hell is up with you gods invading my room!" Jaune yelped.
Dark rolled his shoulders, making sure to pop every bone along the way erratically, before he raised his hands to cup them around Jaune's cheeks. Turning the young adult's head side to side, the god seemed to be looking for something.
It was very uncomfortable for Jaune, especially since the hands were cold like ice.
"...I saw the fight at the end." Dark finally said.
"Ah?" Jaune blanked. "Well, I didn't."
Dark stared.
"Wasn't conscious." He annoyedly replied as he pulled himself away.
"That's a relief. The things Light did to you…"
Jaune didn't like the sound of that. "It can't be that bad, one hit decides the end of the match."
Dark didn't reply. Instead, he took a look around. "You certainly don't clean up. Quite the mess you have here." He peeked out the bedroom door. "Are those onions on the floor? Why onions?"
"Did they fall off the counter again? I'll just put them on the floor, then." Jaune stood up and went to do as he said he would. Not like he could continue studying at this rate, anyways. He entered his kitchen. A break sounded good to him.
"You have ninja turtles?! You've got to let me play!"
Yeah no, not that kind of a break. I've learned my lesson this time. "And why are you going through my stuff!" This isn't a goddamn elementary sleepover!
"Hey, didn't touch anything. They were already on the floor." There was a pause. "I found a second gamecube controller in the cabinets! Er, I mean, on the floor - "
Jaune rushed back. "You're not even trying to lie!"
Dark already had the gamecube out and had rigged it to the computer monitor. "Made you a seat, let's do this!"
"Shit, now I'm kind of tempted. Stay strong, Jaune…" He muttered to himself. "But I really can't, Dark, I've got an exam tomorrow that I haven't studied at all for!" Huh, maybe he has some wise tips?
"'S okay, just flunk it. Now we playing or not?"
"Hey!"
"What do you want me to do? I know nothing about university material, and you know Light has disallowed using our powers to meaningfully change this reality and suggested the same for the game world."
"He said the same for the game world? Why did you use your powers to break the game and give me free rolls, then? Isn't that against Light's rules?"
"No, that one was a suggestion." Dark stated plainly.
"And so you ignore it?!"
"It was a suggestion, not a law. Well technically laws are suggestions too. Strongly worded ones."
"Dark…"
"Are you going to sit down, or are you going to let your character get pummeled?"
Jaune let his turtle get beat up, realizing something. "...If I lend you this game, would you mind… copying my notes into my brain, while I'm inside the game?"
"Haha no. That would still count towards Light's rules, I believe."
"Kind of arbitrarily, isn't it? Won't this be still in the game? Isn't using your powers in the game fine?"
"Yes… but it skirts a thinner line than usual, since it has larger effects on this reality. Personally, I would rather stay away from incurring Light's wrath. He's not himself when he's hungry - grhm, angry."
"Didn't you help me before?"
The god kept mashing the buttons on his controller. "...Yes, but - "
Jaune leapt on the god's moment of weakness. "...But…? Come on, help out your old buddy, will you? How about instead, you just change the contents of my game locker. Just take out some books and swap them out for my econ notes and textbooks"
He looked very hesitant. Though he was tearing through the enemies on screen, there were noticeable distracted pauses in his gameplay. "…That doesn't mean…"
"I'll let you play Mario on my N64."
"Fuck yes!"
Jaune bribed - er, gifted - the god with his Nintendo 64, and after finishing their game, and his hearthstone quests after, happily went to sleep.
/-/
Jaune blinked at the ceiling. "What?" He hurriedly threw off his blanket, looking at the time. 7 AM. "Why?! How?!" It didn't make any sense to him.
The gods' game had invaded his dreams every night - and some days - without fail. Yet, today -
"No game?!"
Had he made Light so angry that he had decided to stop the game? But last time they parted, he didn't give off any hints towards that. In fact, Light had been as self-righteous as ever! He took a moment to think over recent events, before his eyes widened. Oh shit, did Light discover what Dark was doing? Fuck! That seemed to be the most likely. If that did happen, then he was on his own. Damn it, just five hours left, and I have to cram all this material in by myself without any cheats?!
Jaune held his head in his hands. His mistakes have caught up to him and it looked like it was time to own up. Maybe it was time to finally do his honest work. Take his time, slow down, and start understanding all the material using his own learning ability.
He called Ren.
"Hmmm, yeah?" Ren answered on the other side of the phone. "Jaune? Aren't you usually not awake at this time?"
"Yeah, uh, I need a favor. I need your notes."
"I've already sent them."
Jaune stared at his wall, phone in hand. "...You have so little faith."
"Sorry - Nora! Dammit, my pancakes! Jaune, if that's all - "
"Yeah, yeah, thanks a bunch! You're a lifesaver!"
"You're welcome - Get back here Nora!"
Jaune heard some cackling in the background before Ren hung up on him. He made some prayers for his friend's soul, faking some tears. You were a good man, Ren. May you be at peace. The Nora trials are truly fearsome.
Okay, now I better start cramming.
/-/
Hours later, Jaune sat at the back of the midterm room with a good amount of confidence about his chances. It was very much due to how well made Ren's notes were, something that had saved his ass ever since high school. Sometimes he thought that perhaps he was taking advantage of his friend. Well, it's not like sharing digital notes is that hard, anyways. Still, thank you so much Ren… You are a lifesaver! Speaking of the guy, Jaune saw him look back to him from the front of the room, and he waved. We should have a Ren appreciation day. I'll ask Nora, she's already probably made one.
Nora was in another room and so was Weiss.
There was little to do before the exam actually started and his phone was all the way in his bag near the front. Therefore, he laid back and relaxed, feeling the tension ease out of himself, playing with a pencil in hand. His mind drifted to what had happened this morning.
Ever since I've been cursed with RWBY:Online, I have never slept without dreaming about it. The only reason I can think of why this time it's different is my deal with Dark. However, now that I think about it, that might not be it either. If it was like so, I feel like I would have been expecting an angry Light to appear at my doorstep. I suppose there is a chance that he is busy, and unable to come to express his anger, but, I mean, he's a god, right? There's no way they work.
…Do they go to work? Jaune took a moment to recollect his previous conversations with them. I feel like they might have mentioned something like that. Still, if he was busy, shouldn't I be expecting some strongly worded text messages instead? He was quick to respond to my infraction of the 'no help' rule early on.
He shook his head. He had barely any information to go on. His speculations were useless.
His head snapped up, turning his attention to a flash of red. Jaune, why the hell are you so obsessed with the color red these days -
A woman stepped through the doorway, black hair dyed at the tips with a crimson red.
He froze.
The heavy black makeup on her face marked sharply against pale white skin, eyes piercing like an eagle's. White patterned gloves stretched past her wrist. A Victorian mourning dress covering most of her skin, lacy with tones of red and black, adorned her, giving Jaune such a tremendous whiplash against the mundane normal around her. For a second, he couldn't look away as if he was bound by a spell, not due to some enchantment but due to his own mounting unease.
A number of other students seemed to also stare, which helped to hide him within the crowd. As she stepped up to a desk and sat down, his vision of her was obscured by a sea of muted rainbow cloths that the others wore. Reason returned to him. Shit! Well, it's not like it has anything to do with me. It might not even be Ruby. And how other people dress - again, nothing to do with me. The makeup made it hard to instantly identify her, especially due to the years they were apart.
But the question was still there.
As the test started, he could only stare blankly at his sheet of paper, all his confidence gone in a single flash of a second. It was far into the test before he could refocus.
/-/
Should I ask? Jaune agonized to himself as he sat on a bench outside the exam room. He'd done as well as he could on the test and handed it in, which was luckily before the mysterious Ruby-like person could leave. This allowed him to wait outside for her, which now that he thought about it, could count as quite creepy. Well, I'm just saying hi to an old friend… even if it isn't Ruby, then I just come off as a guy trying to hit on her with a crappy excuse. Jaune thought about it for a sec. Well, that's fine, I'm pretty charming.
No matter, Jaune had to know. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, not to mention the worries that plagued him. If that was Ruby, then…
He growled to himself.
Just talk to her. He knew he should. If he was wrong and got the wrong person, then he'd just laugh it off like he always did. But that wasn't the problem.
Jaune did not believe in using stereotypes to judge people. But no matter what his logical side told him, as he thought of what he'd seen, the facts seemed to line up. Clearly, by the email he failed to respond to, something terrible had befallen Ruby. And that sort of attire, isn't that what dark, broody people would wear? Plus, the getup was quite intense… It made him think of other things that were attributed to that subculture… Could Ruby, in order to cope… Fuck! Except that's exactly the classic judging a book by it's cover mistake!
First of all, Jaune had no idea about goths. He didn't even know if the attire was even in that style, or even if he had the right term. He also didn't know why people would even dress like that… Though he admitted that there was also no reason to not dress like that too. Free choice and all that. For all he knew, she had just come back from a Victorian cosplay convention. Shit, it could even be regular cosplay!
Honestly, he was just confused and surprised at all these judgements he had made from just seeing her for a few seconds.
I think thinking about this is just making it worse. Talk to her. Just talk to her. It's that easy. He stood up. Taking a breath, he built up his confidence. Who's the man? You're the man, Jaune. You got this. It's literally just talking to someone. And what do you know, Jaune has talked to a lot of people before, from businessmen rushing to important meetings to homeless people making a scene. Or vice-versa. Yes, vice-versa.
He watched as Ruby exited the door, walking down the hall by him, typing something on her smartphone. For a second, he was going to rule her out since she seemed to be taller than game-Ruby, until he heard the clickety-clack of heels as she walked by.
…Game-Ruby seemed more like a practical person. I don't think she wore heels at all, unlike Weiss and Pyrrha. Then again, this Ruby didn't have to fight monsters of darkness.
Inadvertently, he started following at a distance as she exited the building and into the wider campus. This side of the building led to a pedestrian pathway that led to many other places. It was surrounded by trees, giving the university a bit more greenery. The two of them were surrounded by a good number of people, but not enough that it made her hard to follow. Earlier, it made sense, but this now kind of feels like stalking... All I need to do is run up and call for her, let's not turn into an actual stalker. A plan in hand, he approached her.
She stumbled on the path.
Jaune flinched, almost rushing ahead, but she seemed to catch herself.
…That's Ruby alright, she must not be used to heels. Wait no, that's stupid. Why would anyone wear heels to an exam if they didn't wear them usually?
She shook her head, putting a gloved hand on her forehead. Then, she turned and headed down a side path.
He tilted his head, a bit worried. He recognized that one. It was a dead end. Why would she do that? I should probably see if she's fine. He took the same turn, like a non-stalker would.
This path was a bit bendy, cutting off sightlines at several corners. Upon arriving, Jaune had already lost sight of Ruby. He was about to just give up and call her name, even if it was a bit weird, when a flash of red around a tree attracted his eyes. Far away from him such that she wouldn't be able to hear his footsteps, from around a tree, he saw the red of her dress, the bare skin of an arm, and a flicker of a syringe.
He spun around. It was by instinct and more because of his surprise at the flash of skin. Still, he left, head muddy.
Unsure.
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
Ruby, around the tree, sighed, disposing of the needle in a safe, durable container. "This always costs so much money…" She pouted. "Why are insulin prices so high here? Healthcare in Vale is a scam." She laid her head against the bark, letting the dizziness slowly disappear.
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
That night, he had trouble falling asleep. He tossed and turned, still confused about what he should do about Ruby. He'd always heard of the people who were addicted to drugs and have consumed a great amount of media that humanized them. However, a tiny thread of doubt lingered, and he wasn't even sure where it came from. He wanted to not care, he really did. But he was afraid. Afraid of what he'd find if he actually spoke to her.
It was with these confused thoughts that he finally fell asleep.
Only to be faced with Ruby again, source of his current issues. He had forgotten that he had left a problem here too. Shit, I didn't even think about this yet. He remembered how he let some of his complaints about the RWBY:Online game slip yesterday in front of Ruby.
"Jaune?"
"Just a second. I'm thinking."
"You're… thinking?"
Now that he calmly considered it, it wasn't a big problem. He doesn't remember exactly the words he had said, but he could probably play it off as him thinking about an indie game he played. Nothing about his words specifically mentioned anything about this reality actually being a game world, which from what he remembered, if he mentioned… Might break Light's 'no help rule'?
Would it really break Light's no help rule? How did he word it? Letting a game character know of the reality of her own existence… That doesn't count, does it? No, wait, Light did mention that 'this game stays between us'. I remember that clearly, when I was thinking about telling Ruby before. Is that an extension of his no help rule?
"Hey Jaune!" Yelled Yang from somewhere back where the tents were. "Weiss brought a portable stove, do you have anything you want to heat up on there?"
Ruby responded for him. "Just a sec, he's, uh, busy!"
"Busy?"
"He said he's thinking!"
"Oh, can't bother him while he's thinking!"
Thanks, Yang.
Yeah, back on topic, I should have written down Light's rule. He realized. This way, I will actually know what I can and can't do. I'll ask him about the wording next time I meet him, then? Would he actually repeat it, or would he make it frustratingly difficult like how he makes everything else?
He sat down onto the dirt. Ruby, seeing him unwilling to talk, went back to picking up the pieces of his sword that she had dropped. She gave him glances from time to time, most likely uncertain why he had suddenly started contemplating deeply.
Light? He directed his thoughts clearly to the god. Nobody answered, telling him that either no one was there or Light didn't wish to respond. Not talking to her about my situation is clearly the safer option. I could easily bluff my way through it and lie about what I actually meant. This way, I don't get Light angry and I can go on with the game as normal.
"Hey, Ruby," He called. "I have something to tell you."
…But the second option might be the better one overall. Having another ally than Dark in this situation will be extremely helpful, especially since I can't make heads or tails of the crappy UI and terrible game design.
[Admin]: Mortal…
"Yes, Jaune?"
Undeterred, he approached Ruby and started helping her with the shards. "Do you like games?"
"Uh, of course? Why?"
Right, right, she talked about those fighting games before. And being a champion, actually. "I've been playing this game recently. It's kind of interesting… An RPG shooter." Jaune tried to describe it. "The point of the game is that it's really badly designed and all the systems are obscure." You can't penalize me for this, Light. I'm speaking of a game… which may or may not be your game.
[Admin]: …
She tilted her head as she reached down to pick up another shard. "A parody game?"
"Sure."
"Oh! So you were complaining about that. What's it like? Is it on console or PC?"
"A VR game?"
Her eyes lit up. "Hm? I've certainly heard of them, but I haven't played any! I think my sister tried, but she got dizzy. Are they cool?! Did you bring the headset with you? Can I try it?"
If I say no, then it'll be weird that I keep progressing in it, right? It'll be difficult to bring up any new progress. If I say yes, then she will want to play it. Ugh, I've driven myself into another hole. He looked for a way out. Let's just say it's a regular game… But then again, she'd want to try it. Was there not a way I could have her help me with the game, have it not be weird that I can't let her play it, and have it make sense that I'm making progress without her ever seeing me play it? Perhaps a game that only I can play? It would have to be something… personal, then. Saying that my parents are game devs and that I am playtesting wouldn't work, especially since it sounds like an easy lie to see through.
"Jaune?"
Dammit, think of something! How can I have my cake and eat it too? Perhaps a lock on the game, keyed to my biometrics? But then it wouldn't make sense why I can't even show her the game… and the existence of a game like that wouldn't make sense anyways! Calm down, let's go over the requirements again:
Access to this game has to be something personal about me.
I must be able to make progress, such that I can bring new problems to Ruby and we can solve them together.
Something personal… Something personal… An idea came to him.
"Ruby, sorry, VR doesn't describe it well."
"Ah?"
"The truth is… I think it's my semblance."
Ruby stared.
Jaune rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yes, you heard me right." This 'gamer' ability is my superpower. Doesn't that make complete sense? This way, it's personal, so she can't play it, nor would she ever have heard of it. I can also make progress in it without arousing suspicion. It's a perfect solution!
"...I'm sorry, you can play games as a semblance?"
"No," Jaune face palmed. "I mean, you've heard of the Gamer, right?"
"...No, I have not."
"Really?" Jaune blinked. Was it because it didn't exist here, or did Ruby just never read the series? "Well, it's a series in which the main character has the powers to treat reality as a game."
"O… Kay? That sounds cool?"
Shouldn't Ruby be more excited? Is it really not her cup of tea. "You know, the main character gains an HP bar and other video game stats…"
"Like, a better way to measure Aura?"
I guess they technically already have an HP bar… "Er, yeah, and they also get to fight monsters…" He blinked.
"We already get to do that, though?"
"He grows powerful super fast!" He finally added. "And, uh, he gets to exploit game rules to get even stronger!"
"Ah! Like how I figured out a hardware configuration in Crimson Rose to get 30% more kinetic energy in every shot!" She seemed to get it.
"Yeah!" Jaune joined in her excitement. "Exactly… wait…"
"There were these scientists in Atlas, who were researching new applications for Dust microstructures and how they affect propellants! It's crazy what they found out. Did you know that certain Dust, when compressed under high temperatures, creates tube-like structures that reinforce…"
He planted a hand over his face. She doesn't get it. I guess her reality is already half of the Gamer's premise, so it's not that exciting. "Ruby."
She stopped herself. "W - Was I rambling again? Sorry."
"No, no, I'm happy to listen," Only a bit though, it was way over my head. "I just wanted to get back to our previous conversation before we get too distracted. I said my semblance allows me to treat the world as a game, right?"
"Yes… but what exactly does that mean?"
"Huh?"
She took a moment to think. "You said you have a health bar, right? But, if you think about it, isn't that just an ad - abstraction of all your physical stats? If you go to a doctor, he'll also be able to tell you how healthy you are, right?"
"I guess the difference is that I'm certain about my health. The health bar has to be right." If Light didn't make it incorrect, that is.
"So your semblance… is knowing your own status perfectly?"
Jaune opened his mouth to disagree, but then closed it. He had never thought about it that way, but in many games the certainty of information is a big part. For example, if your health was at 5/100, you would know for certain that 5 damage will knock you out or kill you. There was no ambiguity like in real life, where the doctor could tell you are fine and you still can die on your way out the door due to a stroke. Therefore, even knowing your health perfectly was a superpower, wasn't it? Similar thing with strength and other common stats. One can easily measure the different weights that parts of the body can lift, so the strength stat was just an abstraction over all of that.
"No." Jaune thought, going over that part. "If it is an abstraction, then it goes both ways. Just as information is 'summarized', the actual strength itself is also spread out across the body. Imagine if I start doing deadlifts all day, raising my strength stat. Then, oddly, it won't just be my arms that become buff, so will my legs even if I ignore leg day." Unless the game separates the two, which I kind of expect Light to do at this point, if only to spite me.
"Does your semblance do that?"
"I… Don't know. I'm not even sure if weight lifting would raise my overall strength, rather than just that muscle like normal."
"Then, this is the time to test that!" Ruby looked as if she had found a new toy. "There's clearly so much we don't know about it. I should grab some materials - Let's investigate this semblance fully! New semblances are always so much fun, since you never know what they could do!"
"Why are you suddenly so eager about this?"
"Well, figuring out unknown things is always fun! A lot of times, it means that there might be a new way to upgrade Crimson Rose!"
Jaune didn't say anything in reply, merely smiling at her excitement. I made the right choice. She brought a whole new perspective. So this is the difference between her and I.
She grabbed his hand.
"Come on, let's try some things over there!"
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
Next chapter: February 27, 2022