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In the wake of their narrow escape from the Death Beetle swarm at the raid of the Diamond North Caves, a formidable two-man team was forged between the valiant part-time-doctor-part-time-knight Blitz, and the mysterious and otherworldly ambassador of the Spacetimer race, known only by his assignment number 8032 and possessing of sorcery-like powers derived from his people's reign over all of time and space. Singlehandedly allying the Spacetimer Council with the Atlantis Guild after recovering from his wounds sustained at the raid, Spacetimer 8032 joined Sir Doctor Blitz for many a subsequent quest as his most valued cohort, but whether he will ever truly return the favor of his rescue remains to be seen.
Their most recent campaign: a return to the Caves in pursuit of the One Diamond that would stabilize the Tides of Time, vital to the mutual existence and unity of Spacetimers and Atlanteans (as well as dolphins) and said to reside in the keep of the very same Prime Beetle that had spawned the ambush that nearly cost 8032 his life. On account of factors beyond the realm of their known universe they've spent over a week idle in the Field of Trepidation, but word has it that Blitz and 8032 are once again on the move.
[spacetimer8032 signed on at 1:08 PM]
[DoctorBlitz signed on at 1:14 PM]
spacetimer8032: (1:14:13) I've updated our Story Log for the web archives. Check that it sounds alright.
DoctorBlitz: (1:14:46) I have always liked that these games are capitalizing important nouns. It looks good. We should move– I am reading that Beetle attacks are more damaging at night.
spacetimer8032 used Dual Warp (Due North).
spacetimer8032: (1:15:10) In the interest of saving time. There was a region to level grind nearby so yesterday I saved up for extra teleportation capacity. I can take us 10 miles in any direction at a time.
DoctorBlitz: (1:15:22) Ah, that's good! So we should being able to escape if ever we require it?
spacetimer8032: (1:15:36) That's the idea. But it knocks levels off of weapons and lengthens revival time for the caster, so you should hold onto any items we find.
DoctorBlitz obtained Carbon Steel.
DoctorBlitz crafted Carbon Steel Cuirass.
DoctorBlitz: (1:16:02) How about armor? Even powerful Spacetimers need basic protection.
spacetimer8032: (1:16:11) Unaffected. Cool. I'll take it.
DoctorBlitz sent spacetimer8032 Carbon Steel Cuirass.
spacetimer8032: (1:19:00) Nice. We'll want to make our way up these caves picking up everything we find that's not a duplicate from the first raid, especially all the raw carbon since it's so versatile. Wait until we get close to the top before picking up actual diamonds. They're heavy and take forever to craft so we should have just the highest quality ones. I can do Quantum Randomize now to scatter the Death Beetles, plus your trident has better range with the extension. They've given us a lot of trouble in the past but our survival percentage is twice as good as last time. I won't jinx anything with the word "foolproof" but it's looking good.
DoctorBlitz: (1:20:03) There are trials ahead, but it should work! I am feeling strange about using the catchphrase now that I know that you know me by it.
spacetimer8032: (1:20:34) The moment wouldn't be complete without it.
DoctorBlitz: (1:20:59) TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!!
The ascension up the North Diamond Caves is a long and grueling one. 8032 keeps count; they lay waste to six-hundred-and-seventy-four beetles and every wave still has some they have to avoid rather than kill. Blitz's trident stains electric blue and has to be sharpened six times on cuttings of rough diamond. The greatest asset to the cave is that there is no shortage of valuable items, and Blitz takes them all. But as the healing potions become more plentiful it serves as a reminder that looms lower and more shadowy over them with every step: the reality that the boss is nearing and that the states of their respective organizations are dependent on a victory based in perfectly executed partnership. Absolute trust, no doubts or hesitations. (And absolutely no scene-stealing ego stunts– pulling a Leeroy is out of the question.)
DoctorBlitz: (2:33:21) Through this upcoming passage is the boss, and it will be making a challenge to our resolve to protect one another. I feel this is requiring a moment of preparation.
spacetimer8032: (2:33:40) Agreed. A gesture if you will. For suspense if nothing else, since video games are an underappreciated storytelling medium but one nonetheless.
DoctorBlitz: (2:34:02) Not exactly. Utmost honesty, speaking as Karl and Abed. I have something to say before we face our enemy, unrelated to our characters.
spacetimer8032: (2:34:17) Got it. This won't go in the Story Log.
DoctorBlitz: (2:39:56) I have decided what I want to do with the 5 $ that you gave to me. Well I may probably be needing more than 5 $ but I have my own money so it makes alright. Abed, I like you, and it is in the more-than-friendship sense for which I wish there was a concise and suitable word. I have ever since I saw who you are in the real world, even after the claim of solid cake, and I decided just to tell you now that things between us are good again. Thank you for the trident by the way. And after we shall extinguish this boss I wish to take you out to lunch, wherever you will be wanting to go. Only if you want to though, and sorry for my English also. It gets shaky when I am nervous.
[spacetimer8032 is typing.]
[spacetimer8032 stopped typing. (2:45:26)]
Karl drops his chin out of his hands and lets himself sink back into the student lounge couch. He should have known better than to expect anything, but even so. He will never hear the end of this from Lukas and Reinholdt. Trying and failing to ask a man out through SpawnCraft is exactly the kind of misfortune they revel in so much.
As he moves to close down his computer, Karl hears someone sit down on the couch next to him and his mind already starts cluttering itself with ways that he could tell Lukas to lay off about the lost foosball scholarship and Reinholdt to stop picking on him for his time spent gaming with the "enemy." When he looks over though he sees that that won't be necessary: it's Abed, cradling his laptop on one arm and breathing heavily like he ran from the study room in a hurry. His eyes are deep and dark and fixed squarely on Karl, making him fidget a little.
"I typed up a reply but I knew sending it would take away from the impact of my coming over here and doing this in person." Abed pauses, eyes flitting somewhere else in thought for a moment, then amends, "In short my answer is yes, I'd like to date you."
Karl looks down, then up again, relieved and elated but reeling from the waves of nerves that are internally rocking him back and forth. He rests a tentative hand on Abed's knee and hopes he's doing this right. Abed sets down his laptop, his gaze intensifying even more if that's at all possible, and he stills, and speaks quietly again.
"You can kiss me. You deserve the honor of the pivotal move."
That's all the push Karl needs; his thumb rubbing absent circles on the bone of Abed's knee stops, and slides with the rest of his hand up his narrow thigh as he leans forward, still slowly, and his other hand comes up to lightly hold the side of Abed's face. Abed's skin is smooth and warm and Karl doesn't have time to be self-conscious about his own stubble before he's kissing him, just like that, pushing his lips against Abed's which are slightly sticky from chapstick. It only lasts a few seconds, and when they pull apart Karl's lips tingle. He winds up breaking out into a massive grin, just because.
"So? How about we exterminate that beetle and celebrate over a Monte Cristo, ja?"
"Cool. Cool cool cool." Abed gives a considering look over his shoulder, and then swoops his head back around to kiss Karl again and more boldly, reaching backwards to press enter on his keyboard as he does. Karl doesn't notice until a new message scrolls up onto his screen.
spacetimer8032: (2:48:51) I know you said that this wouldn't be reflected in our characters, but consider this: if we update our alliance type to Battle Couple then we can share EXP and use officially sanctioned combos that do 15% more damage. Hard to believe that most people opt out of this just because of the extra cutscenes.