Complete See You

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan's Room - Nighttime

Yuhan fidgeted as the time was coming.

It was silly, she knew. It wasn't like there was any reason to be so nervous about it. It was just a simple video call with someone she already talked to and spent a lot of time in a VRMMO, yet it felt as nerve-wracking as meeting someone for the first time.

She took a deep breath, then released it as she quickly moved her phone right in front of her face, with its light prickling her eyes that couldn't stand the shiny screen in the darkroom, despite the young woman's stubbornness of keeping her lights off, as if it would give her some sense of secrecy.

A silly one, and for no reason. She even went as far as taking a shower before it was the time.

　

[ Jim Rainer ]

　

Hey Jim.​

　

My sister is sleeping.​

　

So I am ready when you are.​

​

Three messages, one awkwardness after another, with her feelings cramping her decisions until she was finally freed from them. There was no turning back now.

Ruby clasped the phone right next to her, sinking her face into the pillow and starting to try and put words together.

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

He stirred awake when the sound of his messaging app buzzed nearby. Groggily feeling around for the device, he finally managed to get a hand on it, only for it to slide off the edge of his nightstand and tumble over onto the floor. With a discontented grunt, Jim rolled put of bed.

A few random pats across the carpeting later, he had his cell in hand. The bright light burned his retinas as he swiped the touch screen and he winced. "What time is it?" he mumbled, waiting for the frame to come into focus. When the digits were clear, he cursed loudly.

"Aw dammit," he frantically tossed the phone onto his bed and hurried to the bathroom. Some soap, water, toothpaste, and a brush later, and the blonde man thought to himself that he looked almost presentable.

More than he had in about a year and a half, anyway.

"Two hours later than I wanted to wake up," he complained to no one in particular. "I set an alarm! Did it not go off?"

Jim tilted the device toward him and swiped to the alarm screen. It was set for 6 AM, not PM. How many times had he made that mistake, now? "Note to self," he took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Never set the alarm right before bed."

His intention had been to pick out clothes that were stylish and might make him look like a productive member of society. He only just managed to escape the reality that he was a manic depressive shut in with a clean looking polo shirt and a makeshift combover.

Jim quickly skimmed through her texts and ran his fingers through his hair. No woman had ever been quite this eager just to talk to him. It was a nice feeling. So, he shot back a quick text.

　

[ Yuhan]

　

kk. Calling now...

He gave her a minute before he hit the dial button, just to be courteous.

"Hi, yeah, this is Jim Rainer calling, could I please speak to Yuhan...?"

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

It took a while for the response to come, with the increasing nervousness making Yuhan fidget on her bed. Was she too early? Maybe too on time? Perhaps he got busy with something else and he couldn't tell-- So much rushed in her mind, but she quickly regained her calm with steady breathing, finally going and deciding to turn the lights on just because she had nothing else to distract herself with.

As she went for it, her phone bzzzzt'ed, and she immediately stumbled, trying to rush for the phone and taking it tightly with both of her hands.

Calling now...

Freak out moment.

She adjusted her hair, bit her lower lip and swallowed, looking at the phone screen and waiting for it...

Waiting for it... Waiting for it...

It was taking a bit.

She relaxed. Maybe something happ-

The phone exploded in a ringtone, and Yuhan nearly got her phone to fall flat against the floor, flailing to not let it fall and finally holding it properly while her 'accept' button was pressed by accident.

Jim's voice reached Yuhan's ears, and as she shifted to glance at her screen, seeing him on the wide screen and herself in a tiny one by a corner, her lips quivered into a sheepish smile, taking a moment to regain words before finally-- "H-Hello, uhm-" She giggled, getting herself to the bed, and adjusting herself. "A moment, Yuhan needs another second, uuhh-" She got herself comfortable, laying her back against a pillow by the wall, and finally getting into a proper position.

With everything finally ready, she picked up her phone once again, moving it in front of her and looking straight to the screen and camera, a bit calmer, yet still nervous. "... Hey there." She mustered.

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

He watched as she fidgeted and struggled against an unseen force, eyes tracking each movement as though it might be part of some archaic ritual. If he missed even a single detail, what might become of him? Women were like that, right? Hot, mysterious, dangerous?

Only in your imagination, kid.

When she mentioned being Chinese the first time they really talked about themselves, he had to admit his first thoughts were of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, martial arts movies, and wire-fu hijinks. The woman before him was much... less graceful than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Or something. Anyway, that was probably just a stupid, intrusive thought. He was facing a girl, and more importantly, a girl who said that she liked him.

Girls didn't generally tend to do that with Jimmy.

... Hey there.

Okay, cool. She's taken the social bait. Time to nail the first impression. Say something cool. Aaaaaand...

"Sup?" he asked.

...nailed it.

She wasn't flying around in a kimono or dolled up with face paints or makeup, but she was beautiful. He noticed that about her immediately. Unlike the more animated, fantasy catgirl version that was Ruby, this woman had a certain elegance.

He glanced for a second at himself, reflected in the top corner of his screen. Man, I wish I had set that alarm right. He combed at the back of his hair absently with his fingernails, perhaps out of some nervous habit.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan had finally got everything mostly under control. At the very least, her phone wouldn't slip her hands anymore. There was still a lingering nervous excitement on the back of her mind, hammering every second that this was Erick.

It was the first time she talked in real life with someone from a game, even if it was just a video call.

His reply was simple and straightforward. Sup?

Yuhan's lips pursed, squirming into a small smile. That silly yet simple reply. Why she was being so nervous? Jim was Erick. He was her friend, he should be nothing short of comfortable to talk with.

A rational thought was enough to calm her down, relaxing her body and smiling more properly.

"Sup?" She asked, breathing a sheepish giggle. "Well. I was telling my good night to my sister. And now I am talking to you, of course." Yuhan said, fidgeting her fingers around the phone.

She looked at him, tilting her head. Jim looked good, even if it seemed like he had just woke up, which explained why it took a bit long for him to respond.

"To think you was late though-" She feigned a pout. "I almost thought you had forgotten it."

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"Right. Yeah. To me." he blinked, looking at the image of a beautiful young woman who was staring back at him, a face imprinted in a magic mirror. To call the feeling 'surreal' was an understatement. It was one thing to be interested in Erick, the powerful Time Mage who could see alternate realities where causality diverged, but Jim-the-midwestern-guy-with-not-much-going-for-him was skeptical that any woman might show interest.

But here she was.

"Forgotten?" he asked, balking visibly at the thought. "Never, madam. A wizard arrives exactly when he means to," he said, quoting some famous movie or another. With a hand on his cheek, he studied her expression, the lines drawn in her skin, the color of her eyes- all the things that made Yuhan distinct and different from Ruby.

Things that differentiated life in Terrasphere from life outside.

The thought struck him as strangely foreign. He usually never paused to think about his life outside anymore. Was that a bad thing...?

"Any man who stands up a pretty lady like you would have to be nuts," he boldly stated, shifting the pressure she'd put on him back toward her.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan looked at Jim, who seemed slightly puzzled at the very least. The feeling of surreality was mutual, but perhaps for different reasons. For Yuhan, it was mostly because she never met anyone Ruby knew, in real life. She usually tried to keep it separated, after all, she used that world to escape problems...

Until, of course, that world created its own problems, and between those problems, things that made it worth to go through said problems existed. One of them, being right before her eyes now, even if still in a layer of virtuality, a thinner one at it.

"So you are a wizard here too?" A chuckle escaped her lips when Jim quoted the wizard sentence, joining the jest and then blushing at the compliment, distracting herself with two fingers that played with her hair and tucked part of it behind her ear.

"Well, you are a bit nuts as far as I know, so it had a chance." She teased a bit, as usual to cover her own embarrassment.

"But thankfully, you aren't the typical handsome face with a smooth brain." Yuhan said. 'Damn it Yuhan, just give him a direct compliment already!' She cursed herself.

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"You can be anything you want if you believe you are," Jim appended hastily, smirking. He watched her brush the hair out of her face, a sure sign she was probably as anxious as he was. That made him feel a rush of confidence, albeit just enough to shake off the jitters. He could still screw things up at any time, after all.

"I'm nuts?" he asked. "Why am I nuts? I've never done anything nuts," he continued, playing innocent. "I mean, snap decision making, not thinking before I act, all admirably foolish qualities, but not nuts, per se..."

He eyed her sideways when she mentioned he didn't have a smooth brain, and he let out a snort. "Man, I'm really batting 1000 here, huh? Managed to conjure a few brain wrinkles in my lifetime, avoiding the shameful alternative."

His grin grew wider by the second.

"Help me out," he petitioned her suddenly. "I'm a pretty shy guy, so I'm not great at talking to girls. What should I talk about to break the ice?"

By putting himself on the chopping block, he managed to diffuse the nervous tension and allow for her to start a lighter conversation, about whatever she might want.

Don't try this at home, boys- this is a pro move.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Have you forgotten the conversation we had, that ended up with us... Well... Deciding to do all of this, Mr. Martyr?" She shook her head in disapproval, looking at him with crossed arms, and huffing a quiet chuckle at the retort of her words.

"Well, certainly anything but sperms race." Yuhan said, looking at him with a flat expression, soon before laughing yet still somehow suppressing her voice, not wishing to wake her little sister up. Teens had good ears, and so did walls.

Relaxing, she could feel a breath she didn't even notice she was holding escaping her mouth, and she looked up at him with a calmer expression. Certainly, he was acting all silly and funny like he did at the time she had come back to Terrasphere and met him. It seemed it was his way to try and relax her, and this much the girl had already picked up.

"You don't really strike me as a shy guy either." She said, shifting her position again, still a bit restless. "But I don't really mind if you are shy. I mean, I think we are already past that." Yuhan said, smiling faintly, perhaps telling it to herself as well.

"If there was any first impression that we didn't like, I think we wouldn't be here, still trying, right? So... How about something simple... Hm... How was your day?" The most generic way to start.

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"You wouldn't let me forget if I said I had," he offered a wink, the way he would to anyone who he'd known his whole life. "But I still don't think I'm crazy."

When she brought up the ill fated pep talk from the time when they'd gone out for drinks, he grimaced a bit. Leave it to the prettiest lady on either side of the screen to quickly bring him back down to Earth and remind him that after a few drinks, even the mighty make bad decisions. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, his eyes darting away for a moment until she brought his attention back by commenting that he didn't seem much like a shy person.

If there was any first impression that we didn't like, I think we wouldn't be here, still trying, right? So... How about something simple... Hm... How was your day?

Those were some of the truest words he had ever heard. If something hadn't gone right- the planets aligning, Mecury being in gatorade, someone selling their soul to Satan on his behalf- he would never have gotten this lady's phone number. Let alone be face timing her after her little sister went to sleep. She could have let him live with the interference. That meant this was important to her.

Right?

"My day, huh?" he repeated, straining for a moment to remember what it was like to have a routine. He used to go out and feed the animals first thing before the crack of dawn, before it was time to catch the bus and head to school. That felt like an eternity ago now that he didn't live on the farm anymore. Now, the alarm only ever woke him up if he slept past noon. Nowadays, the only time he really ever went out was...

"I headed into town to do some paperwork," he recalled, finishing the process with the Social Security administration to make sure he was certified to receive benefits now that he was legally considered "disabled." It was rough in a Midwestern Red state, too, where they wanted him to jump through hoops just to "prove" his disability wasn't "fake." "Sorted through that in about an hour and a half," the Case Manager assigned to his situation was one of the harder men to deal with, lots of questions about why he didn't want to work, or why his family now refused to help him.

It was incredibly draining, and he'd wanted to scream. There were dark bags under his eyes still, though they were almost unnoticeable with the light of the screen, and the fact that he'd washed his face pretty thoroughly. He knew his way around a camera because of theater classes. "Finally managed to get everything done, and I should hear back from them in about..."

Knowing the State and how they hated giving out benefits at all...

"...eventually, probably. Nothing new or exciting. How was yours?"

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan scowled at the mention of paper work. "Really..? My condolences-" She sighed, shaking her head. "It will probably take a while. So I hope it will be fine... Is it urgent to you?" Yuhan asked, as she gave his question a moment.

"Today was very calm. Nothing big either. I went to fetch my little sister at school, something I've been trying to do every day, if possible. At least until she is getting used to everything... I've been doing some work, but it is mostly freelancing commissions for now." Ruby admitted. Thankfully there were plenty of things she could be creative with, and make sure she wouldn't just completely stop her income.

"This time was something relatively simple too, they just wanted me to do a few liuqin covers. Something about a Wuxian-esque indie VR game." Yuhan explained, getting a bit curious about what the game would be in its final form.

"There is a bard NPC in the game, apparently. They said that maybe they want me to voice her as well, to fit the voice of the songs." Her voice had a hint of excitement, in a way that if it was in Terrasphere, her two tails would be swaying at full speed. "I've never done it before, so-"

Then, something snapped in her mind. "Wait, you are a voice actor, right?" She asked, recalling it.

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"It's... kind of," he answered without really giving an answer. If he told her it involved his income and the ability to finance his living situation, she might panic, and he didn't want to bring that up the first time they ever had a conversation in the real world. He was thankful that she immediately began talking about her day, and listened intently. She continued to talk about her little sister- it was nice to hear she had at least one member of her family who she was close with.

At the mention of freelance work, he tilted his head a bit. Recalling the way she played the one time they had sang and danced together outside Vintergard, he was not surprised people wanted to hear her play or even pay for the service. Yuhan was a great musician by all rights.

And then, she mentioned that they were considering her to voice the role. Erick smiled softly at that. It was true, musical talent did lend to jobs in the field, especially with characters who played a fairly involved musical role. He had never been a "singer" in the classical sense. His voice training was in changing, controlling, and otherwise manipulating his voice to fill any given role.

Then, she managed to recall that fact from their conversation. "Yeah, you caught me," he murmured as he ran a hand through his hair, averting his eyes. "Or at least, that's what I would like to say, but I only have training. I've never managed to get hired."

He smiled again, glancing back at her. "But that's so cool to hear, even if its an Indie game, you will still get a nice royalty check for your voice and work being in it based on sales."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

The vague answer was as concerning as a direct one, but Yuhan tried to not show it. It was their first time talking in Real Life, and the last thing they needed was a mood drop. Besides, it was her fault for prying, so she could only blame herself for it.

With the topic change, however, a smile soon reappeared on Jim, and that only brightened Yuhan's as she engaged more in it, with the answer of the young man making her grow more excited.

"This means I can ask you for help if you are willing-!" She beamed, looking at his expressions, and then his words, and then the remainder of their conversation.

It was just like then, the first time she took her steps. If no one had helped her, she would've...

"... And also..." Yuhan cleared her throat, trying to pick up the words for it.

"... I remember they were also considering me because they were having a hard time finding voice actors that could fit in... So..." Yuhan left it lingering for a moment. "... Say, why don't you give it a try? Wouldn't it be fun if we ended up working together?"

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"I..." he stopped short when she mentioned the idea of him helping her. He was a failure. Not one agency had given him a callback, even for small and unimportant background parts. Did she really want someone like that giving her pointers? She had no training, which meant that whoever helped her could feasibly mold her experience.

Still, she asked. He hated the idea of letting her down when she went out of her way to ask. "...could probably do that," Jim told her reluctantly. There was something about her energy that made it difficult to say no, or even sink into the depressive funk that seemed to hang over him in perpetuity.

A hard time finding voice actors.

The market that was once flooded with prospects now had jobs begging to be filled. That was an irony that was not lost on Jim. It shined almost like a beacon in the night that was his life. Even at his lowest, he couldn't help looking toward the light when it was flopped on the table in front of him.

He sat with his mouth slightly ajar for several seconds as he processed just what Yuhan had told him.

Wouldn't it be fun if we ended up working together?

His gaze moved over the woman again, soaking in the positivity she brought with her. He was an actor by choice, because he was good at emulating things that were not real. He knew how to look good even when he didn't feel good. Yuhan didn't seem to have to fake it.

She was genuinely happy. Jim found a great deal of warmth in that fact. "Yeah, that would be pretty cool," he admitted. So would getting a job at all, though.

"I can look into it," he said. It had been so long since he had to be himself. Being Erick was easy. Erick had all of Jim's lost positivity and enthusiasm. In reality, he had long since been drained of it. He was trying so hard. When he finally forced a smile, it looked genuine enough in the image at the top corner of the call.

"If you send the info I'll see if I'm what they're looking for."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

The hesitation was clear, enough that even in a simple video call it could be noticeable. There was some acceptance after the hesitation, however, and Yuhan's smile grew larger. "Really? Yes! Trying to do some voice work will be far less stressful then... Though I doubt it will have many lines, it is just a side NPC, that has her music as the main deal." She sighed.

At the end of the day, it was mostly about the song she was playing in the game than the voice of the character that was being used to represent said songs.

Another wave of hesitation seemed to flow through their conversation, this time roaming to the realms of having jobs. She couldn't help but feel something wrong with it, but a legitimate smile crossed his lips and she couldn't help but follow the fashion. If he was smiling, it meant he liked the idea, right?

"Sure! I will send them a message asking for the info, I'm not sure if they will reply today, but... As soon as they do, I will send it to you." Yuhan explained, until something snapped in her mind:

"Ah... I ended up talking about work in our first RL talk... I am hopeless." She rolled her eyes, playfully.

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

"No, it makes sense. Work is a huge part of your life. People spend a majority of their time doing their jobs and making money to fund every other aspect of their lives, so it makes sense it might come up in a conversation," he said, quickly assuring her that everything was normal and going smoothly. Only, the words he said were something he believed as a boy that no longer held true. His parents instilled this belief in him that everyone works hard and does their part and exists as a cog in a massive machine. Now that he was out of work, he realized that not everyone had a job. Not every person contributed. Not every person was able to, or had the capacity.

"That sounds good, though," he said, not giving too much thought to it in reality. He could only get so much income before he lost the benefits that the State barely wanted to afford him in the first place. Unless the job was steady and he could sustain on it long term, it was a massive risk. He didnt have the heart to tell her that, though. "Go ahead and send it to my Email when you can."

And despite all of that, he knew he would look at it. Like a child staring at the heated burner on a stovetop, transfixed, he would hold out his hand toward something he knew was not good for him. It didnt stop him from wanting it, even if it ultimately hurt him.

He still remembered the day that his parents told him to give up on his dream, because it wasn't a real job.

"Every part is important, though, you know? Even the background characters help shape some aspect of a story. Their voices aren't forgettable. If you make it into a game like that, people will always remember your voice." That was one of the reasons he fell in love with it to begin with. Despite being a social butterfly, Jim had always been forgettable. People came and went in rural life. He wanted to be something more than a fleeting role in the lives of those people he made contact with.

Talking like this about it gave him bittersweet memories of that fact.

Now those people he had dreamt with no longer remembered his face. They didn't call him to hang out on weekends. If he saw them in the supermarket, they might call him by the wrong name. And he'd made peace with that

So which of them was really hopeless?

"I have to admit, it's... nice to see someone so excited and upbeat about what they do."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Yuhan paused for a moment, nodding. "Well, I wish I could only need to bother about doing what I want, but turned out that..." She interrupted her words, realizing that she was going to start babbling about boring thing.

"... Turned out that Yamahas and Gibsons need a lot of work time to get." She chuckled, leaning away and stretching her body out just like a flexible cat would, reaching for the acoustic guitar she had near her bed, trailing her fingers on it as she pulled it to her lap.

"And at the end of the day, listening to these lovelies playing make it worth it." She declared, strumming it softly, glancing at Jim as he mentioned the importance of background characters.

"Remember my voice forever?" She asked. "Raising the pressure on me, huh? I will make sure they will do it from my music." Yuhan said, shrugging.

"Because if it is on acting... Well, as you can see, I don't act well."

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

When the guitar appeared in her hands, Jim blinked. As a younger man, he had always wanted to learn to play the Guitar. He asked his parents to buy him one, but the cost was determined to be too high for what they could afford- since he had no musical training, and all. Practical people, practical expenses. That was the rationale.

Seeing one made him a little wistful. "Man," he whistled appreciatively. "Is there anything you can't do?" he asked, throwing her a playful wink. He wasn't sure if she was trying to impress him or this was a way of making more conversation, but the impression was a good one either way.

When she mentioned that she would leave her impression through music, he smiled a bit more softly. "Now that, I don't doubt at all." He had heard her play, and with all the talent she had shown for music this far, there was no way he would believe her if she said she couldn't sing.

He rested his cheek on his palm and watched her for a few seconds after she mentioned that she couldn't act. "I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," he said, looking both ways before he glanced back at her on the other side of the screen. "Acting is a hybrid art form of playing pretend like when you were a kid, and lying. Pretending to be stuff you're not, and convincing other people that you're legit. It's all the things parents roll over in their graves about," he said, shameless.

"Whether or not you get paid for it is determined entirely on how well you sell bullshit to people. If you can give people music they're willing to shell out money for, I guarantee you, you can sell them bullshit."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"Well, I can't do a lot of things." Yuhan said, tapping her fingers on her guitar and leaning a bit closer to the phone. "Music-wise? Well, that I am confident I can do almost everything... But there are instruments I am not good at yet. Pianos and keyboards for example, I can play them because it is easy to learn, but to master? It is another story..." She sighed.

When Jim mentioned a secret, Yuhan quietened herself, giving all of her attention to what he had to say, letting out a quiet giggle and then keeping a serious facade to play along with the conspiratory tone.

Yuhan nodded at every sentence that was said, raising an eyebrow at some of the explanation, crossing her arms and pondering. "I had my share of pretending to my parents, until it was time for me to get away from my home, that is." She nodded, looking at Jim.

"I understand it now. It will be a matter of practice, but as long as I get the hang of it..." Her eyes then playfully squinted. "Wait, how do I know now that you aren't selling me bullshit." She questioned.

@Erick Stryker

 

[Erick Stryker]

He watched her warily as she admitted there were many things she couldn't do, and while it could have been considered humble, it was true for most people. As she leaned closer to the phone he took a minute to really look at her face, her expressions, and listen to her voice. This was the person behind Ruby. This was Yuhan. That was sinking deeper by the second, slowly becoming more natural to him.

When she mentioned pretending and her parents, he found himself interested. What exactly did she mean by that? Stroking his chin, he opened his mouth to ask, but she asked him how she would know if he was being honest with her or not. Instead of laughing or brushing off the question, he smirked confidently. "You don't," he said honestly. "And that's what makes me a good actor."

That was the truth of it. The moment he became transparent and unconvincing was the moment all of the hope he had left was gone forever. But Jim wasn't ready to give up on the dream entirely. Not just yet. Not when she had practically forced him to want to stay alive just a little longer.

Long enough to create something with a person he had never met outside of a digital world.

Until today.

"What did you mean, though?" he asked. "Having to lie to your parents, I mean."

@Crimson Ruby