Chapter Text
5:59 PM
‘Come on, just one more minute, then I am free .’ I rested the cursor on top of the close button for the calls to stop.
RING RING RING
“Fuck!” Clicking the answer button and at least sound nice, even they are making me work past 6 pm
“Hello, thank you for calling XXX. This call will be recorded or monitored. My name is Mercedes Taylor. How may I help you today?”
“I would like y'all sons of bitches to stop calling me or I will sue yall for harassment!” Click.
‘Sigh…’ “Well now, I have to make a complaint ticket. Great. ”I mutter to myself.
After doing the fastest complaint ticket in my life, I clock out and shut down the computer. I speed walked off the production floor, even though I wanted to run as fast as possible to get out the fucking building-But I don't for two reasons.
- I have to grab my phone and bag out of the locker.
- I am massively out of shape. (being 250lbs does not do you any favors)
When I finally walked out of the building. I took a deep breath, and immediately regretted it. The smell of the pollution among other scents I don't want to name or think about invaded my nostrils. I started making my way to the train station to get home as soon as possible . While walking I put in my earbuds, to help avoid anyone trying to talk to me. I walk with purpose making it seem like I got somewhere to go. While of course wearing my resting bitch face.
While walking there, I always walked by the mirror windows to make sure I was looking the part. Of course, I was compelled to graze my fingers across some of the mirrors.
Once at the station, I sat down while I tried my best not to slouch. There were too many people around to relax just yet. It was always the most exhausting thing to do, but doing this has saved my ass more than once. I had seen men that were looking for prey, and would look past me and to someone else.
I finally made it to my apartment, a 1 bed 1 bath with an oven that half works, a bathroom sink that does not have working handles, and to top it all off, the light in the fridge doesn't work–even when I replaced the light bulb 3 times already.
At this point, I have given up on it.
Once in the house I kicked off my shoes. Finally I could relax. I slowly made my way to the couch and fell face first into the cushion, my muscles finally decompressing from that long day.
Abruptedly, I heard a ding from my phone in my back pocket. It’s not the normal ding from youtube notification of a new video. Instead, it is from my favorite game in the world that helps me stay anywhere near the word sane.
‘Love and Deep Space’, sometimes called ‘Love and Depression’ by the fandom. (which is 100% accurate) I rolled over and took my phone out. I love playing this game way too much and it might be not healthy at this point, considering it was my lack of self control that landed me with no money for food in the first place.
That was the exact moment my stomach decided to make its presence known. “Fuck, you are not getting any food tonight, the last bit of food is tomorrow’s lunch.”
Instead it growled again like it was talking back.
‘ I guess I am having water, air and my 3 ketchup packets for dinner tonight. ’
Those are the consequences for being stupid with money.
’Thankfully I get paid tomorrow. Then I can have real food again.’
I get up to retrieve a shit ton of water because that will make my stomach shut the hell up. (works everytime)
After drinking half of the gallon of water, I turned back to my phone and finally hit the start button.
I opened the game to see the loading screen, starting with Caleb’s face that is always too close to the damn screen. I hit the start game button. When the game loaded, I was greeted with Sylus wearing his birthday outfit. ‘ Man, aren't you just showing out today.’
“Time to check what the other boys are wearing today. Be right back.”
I switched to Caleb to see he was wearing his normal, everyday clothes. Immediately I switched to Xavier to see him next–only to see the same fucking sweater he always wears.
"Ugh, Xavier, I know you love that sweater so much, but I’ve bought you other clothes that you can wear. I know you have the ability to wear something else, which I bet is comfy too."
With a sigh, I tapped on Rafayel. He’s wearing his artist outfit. I didn’t even bother to say anything, I moved to Zayne. “I bet he is going to wear the black button down shirt.”
When he popped up, my brain short-circuited at the sight of him in the bath towel outfit. I cover my eyes and screamed “What the fuck, that needs to come with a warning label!”
Once I removed my hands, I did my dailies while trying not to just stare at Zayne’s abs. (he really is a work of art)
Once the dailies were done, I started with Zayne’s wedding memory so I can get the outfit and ring for my character. Since I did get all of the cards for the banner, sadly it took 200 pulls. (And that is with getting a double on one of them, which was super lucky for me.)(I might have a small problem.)
The story started off slow and normal, like this wasn’t going to have a proposal at the end. When it got to the beautiful mansion I started to kick my feet due to how pretty it looked and knowing that it must be coming to the end of the memory. As I heard the next words that came out of Zayne’s mouth, they almost broke my heart.
"Meeting you is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me."
Those words hit me hard. So much that I wished someone in real life would say those same words to me and really mean it.
But then, if my heart was not hurting enough, the next words he said shattered it into a thousand pieces.
"After a never-ending winter. I met the one who brought spring into my life."
Because I knew that meant so much for him, to even say those words with all the shit he went through in his lore.
Once I got to the end of the memory, I went to Sylus’s card next and that put me on an emotional rollercoaster–I almost cried a few times with how sweet it was–that drained what was left of my mental energy I had left, so I drank the rest of the water and got ready for bed. After plugging in my phone. I put on the ASMR sound of Sylus sleeping in the game (With his birthday outfit, it helped my insomniac ass to sleep, and maybe even stay asleep longer than 2 hours at a time)
‘Only if you guys were real then maybe, I could have my happy ending too.’
I turned away from my phone to listen to the sounds of his breathing, and was asleep in no time.
After repeatedly waking up in the middle of the night, my alarm woke me up for the fourth time. I hit the off button and went back to sleep. I did this 3 times and only then did I start to get up for work. With a cry of “Why do I have to do this? I am going to quit, I swear.” My brain helpfully said:
‘ How are you going to afford more cards with no money.’
“Fine, you win this time.” And with that, I got out of bed to head to work.
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That day had been even more grueling than normal, getting yelled at on almost every damn call can drain a person, and having almost no food in my system didn’t help at all. I was so exhausted that when I was making my way to the train station it was almost empty. I was thanking my lucky stars, hoping that something was going to go right for this tiring day.
I did the normal, grazing my fingers on some of the mirror windows, and saw that it looked a little different from the other mirror, but I noticed it too late.
Due to my momentum I was still taking another step past the weird mirror, I started to freak out when my left hand just stayed where I first touched the mirror. Desperately, I tried to remove my hand while telling myself to not panic just yet.
The moment my hand lay flat on the surface it started to get sucked into the damn thing, which is when I started to panic. I used my right hand to grab my wrist thinking that might help–But it was still pulling a bit faster. I tried to use my feet to use the ground to resist the pulling, before I knew it, my right foot barely moving, my elbow started to go past the fucking mirror portal thing.
I screamed, then it pulled me in completely. I looked around and I could see what looked like outer space around me. It didn't last long before I was being pulled into another mirror. I flew out of the damn thing to see the ground coming at my face, and I saw blinding white behind my eyes.
When I came to, my whole body felt like it was hit by a car.
When I could open my eyes I saw there was a wall near me. I got up, feeling like a new born deer with how much my knees were shaking. I made it to the wall and started to walk to the light that wasn’t too far away. I took 3 steps before a wave of nausea came over me, which I somehow swallowed back down and kept going.
I felt something grab my arm, and just as quickly the hand let go, which almost made me go down before the same hand kept me from falling. That is, of course, when my body shut down and I saw nothing.
A real life fade to black
================
‘What in the fuck happened’
Those words rang out in my mind when my body decided the best time to wake up. While, apparently, that said body felt like I got hit by a fast car. I listened to my surroundings before I even attempted to open my eyes, at which point I heard a beeping sound that was going at a rhythmic steady pace, if not a little fast.
‘Please don't tell me I am in a hospital.’
I opened my eyes and hoped I was wrong, only to be blinded by fluorescent lights above me. I instantly closed my eyes again.
“Noooo,” I whined.
‘This cannot be happening to me. I don't have any money to pay for a hospital visit... Not that I would have been able to afford even one if I added all my income for the year.’
“Wait…Income...Shit. My job. I am going to be fired. I was wanting a new job for a while now, but I did not want it to be like this.”
My heart rate started to increase even more with the stress of having to find a new job. I could hear that reflected in the beeping that increased as well, only to jolt when I felt someone touch me. By force of habit I jerked and batted the hand away, quickly noticed that it was the nurse that had touched me.
Clearing my throat I asked: “Where am I?”
The nurse said something that should have been impossible.
“Akso Hospital. You came in with a head injury, I will tell the doctor that you are awake.”
And before I could say anything else, she walked out the door.
‘No. I did not hear what I thought I heard. I must be dreaming. But, if this is a dream, at least I could enjoy it before I wake up.’
With that plan in place, I sat back to see how this dream was going to turn out.
After not even five minutes of waiting, in came Dr. Zayne. I honestly was half expecting Dr. Greyson since my luck could be bad even in a dream.
This man was too fucking hot. It should be illegal to be that hot. That jawline could cut glass.
I was trying to not openly ogle the doctor. (You have to be polite, even in dreams)
“Hello, my name is Dr. Zayne Li, and I will be your doctor during your stay here. We have to go through a few questions–Do you know your name, age and year we are in?”
With confidence, I played along with it. “I am Mercedes Taylor, 26 years old, and the year is 2025.” My confidence dampened a bit seeing him press his lips in a thin line.
Like I said something wrong.
“I see.” He took 3 steps to get to the side of my bed, making me a little jealous of how tall he was.
He looked at me for a moment before writing something on his clipboard. He pulled out a small flashlight from his coat pocket.
“Keep your eyes open while I shine this light.”
He then shone the sun in my eyes with no hesitation.
“Fuck!” is the only thing I could say, lasting about 2 seconds before I closed my eyes.
“You may have a mild concussion. Do you remember what happened before you injured yourself?”
“I was getting off of work and then I was here…Which is weird for a good dream to think of work.”
I mumbled the last part to myself.
“Why do you think you are in a dream?” He questioned, as if I was slow or something.
“Well, it has to be, because you are here and if I am in ‘Akso hospital’ then it must be a dream. This place doesn't exist for me. I kinda hope to see the other boys to be honest.”
“And who are the other ‘boys’ you are expecting…if you believe this is a dream?” Sounding suspiciously like he was just humoring me and not taking me seriously.
“Ok, asshole, I am talking about you, Xavier, Caleb, Rafayel and Sylus, of course.” I said with a tone of ‘duh’, like he was the stupid one.
That was what got a real reaction out of him.
It put me on edge.
Zayne never showed many emotions when he was in doctor mode. (That is, most of the time, since he’s a total workaholic) Seeing Zayne school his expression started to making me worried, like I fucked up somewhere.
“Can you enlighten me on how you know all of them, including me, by name?
He said this while backing up slightly and crossing his arms, in turn making me feel very small under his gaze. I tried to respond, opening my mouth to answer, but no words would come out. I was starting to get the feeling that this is not how dreams were supposed to be.
I felt a stray thought, this might not be a dream.
“I will tell, but you have to answer two questions first.”
He nodded at me to continue.
“How was I brought here, and by who?”
He sighed, humoring me.
“Xavier was the one that brought you while you were unconscious with a head injury. He found you in an alleyway.”
Then, the memory of what happened hit me like a truck. The fear and confusion made me start to hyperventilate about what actually had happened to me .
And that it would mean everything was real and not a dream.
Just before my panic got so far that I might pass out, a hand landed on my shoulder. He jerked his hand back, which made me look up to find that Zayne was now wearing a different expression. He looked concerned.
“That shouldn't be possible” I said to myself.
“What shouldn't be possible?”
“All of this shouldn't even be real. Even if it was, I shouldn't be here.”
He sat on the side of the bed.
“Explain it to me, and maybe I can help?”
“Okay.” I let out a big breath, building up the courage to say something that will make me sound crazy.
“I will tell you, but you have to promise not to take me to a…crazy asylum or something?”
That earns me another nod.
“You guys, and this world, are from a video game in my world called ‘Love and Deep Space’. I play as an avatar that I can interact with and meet you all. And we–the players–get to see what your stories and past are. In my world there are no Deep Space Hunters, Evols, Aether Cores, Wanderers or anything like that, including any of you guys.” I was breathing hard like a racehorse at the end of The Kentucky Derby.
When I looked back up at him to gauge his expression, it was unreadable. After a full minute, he finally spoke.
“How did you get here then?”
“I was on my way from work, and I touched a mirror. It dragged me through it into another mirror and then I guess I…hit my head and ended up here?” I was cringing in on myself, knowing how that sounded.
“I will have to talk to the others you mentioned, since this is bigger than just me. And I want to do a few tests to see if there are any… differences that will help me make sense of what you just told me.”