Private - Avarice and Apathy

This is it.

Marcus's breathing was coming in shallow and ragged breaths. Each inhalation was hell, burning like his body was consumed with fire. It was becoming so hard to breath, and he was so tired now... It was becoming difficult to keep his eyes open. His head swam and it took all of his will power to keep from passing out, though that was becoming a futile task in and of itself. He knew that one day he would die in a similar manner; back in the mud, staring up at the sky for one final time, bloodied battered and broken. But he didn't expect it to quiet be like this.

Through half opened eyes Marcus regarded the smoldering corpse of his killer with apathy. Smoke still fumed from his charcoal like body leaving the horrid stink of burning flesh lingering about the forested path. His harsh brown eyes continued about, looking upon the five lives he had consumed with empyrean flame. They shouldn't have been here. The information he had gathered on them had been wrong, or that fucking barkeep had been in on it and Marcus had walked right into a trap. But it didn't matter now. All that mattered was that he had made a mistake, gotten to complacent during this job and now he would pay for it with this life. He coughed up blood once again, staining the blue of his clothing in a brownish crimson and leaving a metallic taste in his mouth.

After everything I survived in the real world, this is how I die. To bits of code.

He couldn't help but weakly and pathetically snicker at the irony. A laugh attempted to force itself through the haze, but was quickly replaced by violently and painful hacking.

Marcus tried to will his arms out of atrophy in an attempt to hasten his departure. The dagger that had pierced his chest and lung still remained buried to the hilt, gleaming slickly red with his own precious sanguine blood. Better for this to be over with as fast as possible than suffer in shock. But his fingers refused his every command, as did his arm. Everything had begun to go cold. Even then his body refused to shiver. Everything was shutting down, a cascading failure. If only he could have had one last cigarette... One finally coffin nail to see him off. He let out a tired a weary sign as he struggled to return his gaze to the darkened sky, to the stars and moon that flickered beautifully as their maker intended for them to do.

It would have been nicer... if they where real...

@Peppercorn

 

This was the game people got lost in.

Peppercorn couldn’t count on one hand how many times she’d fight with her ex, the asshole leached on her apartment and constantly played this game. When he got another system he forgot about this one, only to leave it for her to find as an act of revenge… Granted, she didn’t know his name or who he was. It was likely for the better, the two of them split off on better than average terms for a rocky relation-shit.

At least she held a job and made money from the game.

Speaking of which, her senses told her that trouble was around the corner.

The scent of chaos perfumed the air, a mixture of burning flesh and ample blood filled her nostrils. Not to mention that there was a laugh followed by a coughing fit, somebody was having themselves a time out here. The pain sensation was likely prickly their sensations, perhaps their panic mode set in? Perhaps insanity was already a contributor, considering that laugh from earlier.

Once she had uncovered the body that laid motionless, she felt the small vibrations from the stones that orbited around her. One of them floating to lay itself atop the man’s head, as it began to slowly expand a small barrier of bright golden light.

“Hey now, it’s not your time to die yet” Peppercorn said quietly, as she put her finger up and pushed a couple of buttons. "My name is Peppercorn, I can assist you in mending the wounds that plague you..."

The spell beginning to stabilize him, at least enough for him to be conscious enough for consent to her next question.

Clearing her throat, before putting on her best costumer service voice. “Due to your injuries and magical energies involved, my fee is around 15 dollars” Peppercorn explained plainly, almost as if this had been memorized at this point. Heaven forbid she got revive, this was just mending wounds. A small window would pop up in his vision, the typical credit card information and deposit for services.

“An additional 5 dollars, I can accompany you on your journey for an hour. To finish your quest and allow you to take all the treasure, another ten dollars. It’s around 30 dollars, which I think is about the right price for a pocket healer in a harsh world like this” Peppercorn rambled, as she sorta added up on her fingers.

The spell stones stopping any healing process, keeping him from bleeding out but just weak enough from attempting to run from her… Extortion.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬​

@Marcus Caine ​