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The game had become somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Logging in everyday to greet the boys and fight wanderers at their side. It was your escape- from your boring life and your crappy 'friends.'
Still, you'd never be caught dead playing it in public, and you hid the app away in a folder off of your homescreen.
What would you do if someone caught you, holding the hand of this jumble of pixels? How would you exlain the caracal ears perched on top of Sylus' head of wite fluffy hair?
Sylus.
Something about the leader of Onychinus just... captivated you, pulled you in deep and wouldn't let you go.
Maybe it was because of the dichotomy between your character's nature- the noble hunter, upholding the law, and the crime lord, dangerous; sour and sweet like all the best candies.
But it ran deeper for you. In real life, you were always the good girl, never making waves, always staying in line. In real life, you were scared to go out of bounds.
It was because of your fear, your refusal to break the mold, that you found yourself apologizing to the middle aged (and obviously drunnk) businessman who bumped into you, even though you were the one absolutely soaked in brandy.
Still fuming with quiet rage, you arrive back at your apartment. Flicking the lights on, you're greeted with a frustrating sight.
Your roomate didn't do the dishes before she left.
Shit.
With a grumble, you realize what you must do. Almost stomping, you walk into your room and change into a fresh set of loungewear. When you removed your phone from your pocket, you groaned once more.
That complete and total, absolute motherfu-
Taking a breath, you calm your nerves and clean your phone of the mess. It seemed none the worse for wear, a beam of light parting the clouds of the mounting inconvieniences.
You rolled up your sleeves and placed the needle down on your favorite vinyl.
You and Sylus had that in common.
As the music began, you opened up your one respite- the app. After entering the server, it felt like the world was... different. calmer. Steadier. Sylus' voice greets you, as he gets close to the screen(You always love it when that happens).
"Had a tough night, sweetie? Why don't we spend some time alone together to wind down.
What a coincidence, you thought. That's exactly what I'm thinking.
You chuckle to yourself and select the 'Quality Time' button. You prop your phone up on the counter so that Sylus is looking at you, and you get to work.
About 15 minutes later, and you've barely made a dent in the mountain of dishes that your roomate so graciously left behind.
"God, I hate her..." You mumble to yourself, as you place another fork on the drying rack. "Of course she had to go and break our dishwasher, too..." As you move to put a spoon on the rack, you hear it clatter on the tile instead. Sighing, you bend over to pick it up. returning back to your full height, you hear a soft noise from your phone.
"Tsk. I was enjoying that view."
The sudden sound startles you. You had gotten used to the soft music and occasional clicks from Sylus' gun being manipulated. The characters didn't talk during Quality Time before...
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you, kitten?You're going to need to toughen up real quick if you want to keep living if just my voice gets your fur standing on end."
That can't be... did... did he see me? What was this? What the hell was happening? You tear your gaze away from the sink and cautiously walk over to where you'd placed your phone.
"This... is getting really freaky..." You watch as Sylus' crimson eyes follow you as you walk closer.
"I didn't give the app camera permits..." You murmur, inspecting the little circle at the top of your screen for any sign of movement.
Sylus chuckles, a laugh full of mirth that made new feelings awaken in you when you first saw him.
"I know. I did."
You stumbled back, backing away from the game (-are you even sure it's really a game at this point-) on your phone.
"I can tell what you're thinking, sweetie. 'How?'" Sylus inches closer and closer, nearer to the barrier between the real and fake worlds than he's ever been, and he taps. On his side of the screen.
You heard it, little clicks from inside your phone.
"I'm not telling you how. But know that liquid courage works wonders in many ways."
Your face goes white. Of course, you thought. That asshole with the brandy. It must have done something to your phone.
Sylus smirks. "I will tell you why, though, dove."
Dove.
DOVE!
That was the nickname you had him call you! And he said it out loud!
Your breath was catching in your throat, blush singeing your cheeks. You had to be hallucinating, or dreaming- Sylus was not actually talking to you.
The dishes could wait till tommorow. You needed to clear your head.
Fumbling with the buttons on the side of your phone, you manage to shut off your phone.
That... didn't just happen. You're delusional, you tell yourself. you stare down your phone on the counter like it's a dangerous animal.
Nothing happens.
Maybe you need to take a break from Otome games.
Putting off the Mt. Everest of dishes that were still unclean until the morning, you decide it would be better to shower and get some rest.
You try to calm your racing thoughts under the hot water, and while the surface thoughts are silenced, there is still one question that you have. About Sylus' final words before you chickened out of your interaction.
"I will tell you why, though."
Regret stings your heart as you wonder what he would have said.
You step out of the bathroom, and put on a pair of pajamas. Normally, these times are your favorite hours to play the game- but after the encounter you just had, and judging by the way your knees were still slightly weak, you needed a break- and some water.
"Hello, kitten. Not very nice of you to shut the power off on me like that. Don't worry."
You stand in your kitchen, frozen by the sound of Sylus' voice somewhere near. But it was different- clearer, closer. Suddenly, there were large, but gentle hands covering your eyes.
"I found a way out. Guess who....?"
Shakily, you remove the hands and just barely, you crane your neck upwards high enough to see... Sylus.
Actually, really, truly Sylus.
"How..."
"I never got to tell you my reason why I came here, dove. Why don't I tell you now?"
You couldn't believe your eyes, but you saw red and black mist gathering around Sylus' arm. His power, his evol, pushed you back down into a chair. You opened your mouth to speak, to say anything, but you find you can't speak.
"It's all you. I came here... for you. You woke me up, made me feel alive for the first time. But something about little miss perfect hunter felt off...I had to meet the real you. And by god, she's stunning..."
Questions flood your mind. But all of them were completely forgotten when Sylus presses a kiss to your lips. As the the kiss becomes hotter and more frenzied, you realized- you're never going to stop playing Otome games.