Chapter Text
Violet
The weekend hums with the familiar buzz of my gaming setup, my headset snug, RGB lights casting a soft glow across my desk, and the faint clatter of my mechanical keyboard. Teaching tenth graders all week leaves me craving these nights with my crew: Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, and sometimes Dain, when he’s not being insufferably overprotective. Tonight, we’re diving into a new co-op game called Dragon’s Empyrean, a fantasy RPG with dragons, magic, and enough chaos to keep us yelling at each other for hours.
“Yo, Violet, you ready to carry us, or are you gonna rage-quit again?” Ridoc’s voice crackles through my headset, his gamer tag Ridoculous flashing on Discord. “Keep talking, Ridoc, and I’ll yeet your character off a cliff,” I shoot back, smirking as I adjust my mic. My tag, Raging Sunshine, is half-ironic, half-accurate. I’m all smiles until some NPC screws me over, and then, well…rage mode activates. Rhiannon, aka Rhihype, laughs. “Violet, you threatened to burn down an entire village last week. Those poor pixelated children.”
“They deserved it,” I mutter, clicking through the game’s lobby. Sawyer, Sawyer Shot First, snorts, and I can picture him leaning back in his chair, probably snapping a photo of his setup for his photography side hustle. Dain’s voice cuts in, low and cautious. “Vi, you sure about this game? I read some reviews, and it sounds intense.” His tag, DainThePain, is unfortunately fitting. Childhood friend or not, his constant hovering grates on me sometimes.
“Relax, Dain. It’s just a game,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Okay, guys, there’s an open lobby with some randos. They’re streaming on YouTube, but they’re cool with us joining if we consent to being recorded. Thoughts?”
“Consent given,” Ridoc says instantly. “I’m ready to be famous.”
“Same,” Rhiannon chimes in. Sawyer grunts his approval, and Dain sighs but agrees, after reminding everyone of ‘Stranger Danger’. I type a quick message to the lobby host, Shadow Master, confirming we’re in. His response is curt but polite: Cool. Mics up, we’re starting in 5.
The game loads, and I’m immediately sucked into the world. Towering cliffs, glowing runes, and dragons soaring overhead. Our team of ten spawns in a forest clearing, and I glance at the player list. My crew’s tags are familiar, but the others, Shadow Master, Pink Destroyer, Ricktastic, SunnyBoi, and Cancel Her, are new.
Then Shadow Master speaks, and holy hell, my brain short-circuits. “Alright, everyone, let’s move toward the first objective. Stick together, don’t agro the drakes yet.” His voice is deep, smooth, like velvet dipped in whiskey, with a commanding edge that makes my skin tingle. I grip my mouse a little tighter, suddenly hyper-aware of my breathing.
“Damn,” I mutter, forgetting my mic is hot. “Who gave him permission to sound like that?” Ridoc cackles. “Sunshine, chill! You’re simping already.”
“Shut up, Ridoculous,” I hiss, but I’m grinning. Shadow Master chuckles, low and warm, and I swear my face heats up. “Careful there, Raging Sunshine,” he says, his voice teasing. “Keep flirting, and I might think you’re trouble.”
“Oh, I’m definitely trouble,” I shoot back, leaning into it. “Question is, can you keep up?” Someone, Ricktastic, I think, groans. “Shadow, don’t encourage her. She sounds like a menace.” Sawyer remarks, "You can't imagine how accurate that is." I grin while my team bursts into laughter, except for Dain, who stays silent, though I can almost see the disappointed look through the screen.
I’m about to reply when the game kicks into gear, and creatures called Venin start attacking us. I’m in my element, slashing through enemies, dodging fireballs, and yelling at Ridoc for stealing my loot, but Shadow’s voice keeps pulling me in, every command or quip making my pulse jump. He’s good, too, coordinating our chaotic group like he’s done this a thousand times. His character, a shadowy rogue with dual swords, moves like a predator, and I catch myself watching his gameplay more than my own.
Then it happens. An NPC quest-giver betrays us, locking us in a trap-filled dungeon. My gamer rage kicks in full force. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I snarl, mashing my keyboard. “That pixelated traitor has kids, right? I’m gonna find them and burn them so bad that their code is rewritten!”
"Hold on, Violence," Shadow interjects with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Threatening non-player character children? That is quite extreme." I lean back in my chair as I hear his voice. "Violence?" I repeat, raising an eyebrow. "You’re already giving me a nickname?"
"It suits you," he remarked, with a detectable hint of amusement in his voice. "While 'Raging Sunshine' is charming, 'Violence' encapsulates your essence entirely." My friends lose it. Ridoc is wheezing so hard he has to mute himself. I’m torn between embarrassment and delight. “Fine, Shadow. Call me Violence, but you better watch your back.”
"Always do," he replies, sending a shiver down my spine.