1034/Tempest at Present || Phigros Fanfiction

Chapter 4

Lado was up the next day earlier than Ruby, sitting at the table in the dining room, wearing the same clothes and lost expression while Ruby fixed a quick breakfast. She ate without talking, her gaze sweeping around like the late autumn wind blowing wilted leaves.

It was Ruby who began. "Lado. I'm taking you to my friends, the Phigros gamers."

"Oh..." she replied, quietly, as if she wasn't there. But she let him.

In a while Ruby was pulling Lado out of 1034 Pigeon Lane, and together they were walking down the streets. It was a clear day, and most Pigeons were on their way to either MopeMope Meadow or Taptap City Hall. Ruby and Lado were going to do both.

"Morning, EKRuby!" He heard a voice as soon as he pushed open the door of the community center, the voice he recognised as his friend Miele. "Did you phi any songs today?" Then most of the other players gathered around the door.

"Not really," Ruby smiled as he turned around, and pulled out Lado, who was cowering behind him the whole time. "I'd like you all to meet her."

"Oooh," said the crowd, which now surrounded Lado, who was searching around for a hole to hide in. They were cluttering her with questions like "What's your name?" "Do you play Phigros?" "What's your rks?" and "What's your relationship with Ruby?"

"Her name's Lado," Ruby said, before Lado could open her mouth, reminding that he's the center of attention, not Lado. His friends all swiveling their heads towards him reassured that he had succeeded. "She has never played Phigros before. And she's just a friend of mine."

"Ooh," Miele said as she pulled out a tablet, pressed Phigros and handed it in front of Lado. "Ruby? Do we get to pick a song for her to play then? Please? EK the greatest?"

Either to Miele's elation or Lado's necessity, Ruby gave way.

"You get to pick a song, but please, never GOODRAGE. Gave her nightmares."

If it was a cover-up, it was a bad one. But honestly, the memory of a girl asking him to verify that he will be her end has been fueling Ruby's nightmares ever since.

"Seriously?" Another voice, Myosotis, chirped up. "What about HD 7? That couldn't go wrong."

"No." Ruby tried his best impression of a stern face.

"Fine...this one?" Miele pointed to a song labeled CROSS†SOUL with a difficulty of HD 12. There was already a phi mark, which means that no illusions will take place ever again when the player plays that level again, good enough for Lado. Lado walked closer as Ruby followed, though he felt that the rage underneath her had became...oddly calmer. She nodded.

"I think that'll do," Ruby said for her.

The song was relatively easy for Ruby, definitely as he could phi almost every song in the game, but it was a challenge for a newbie like Lado. Ruby laughed in his head, as he edged farther from the crowd as they settled down the tablet for Lado. He'll be on guard, he would interfere if they humiliate his little friend, but for now on he would rather edge away from all that commotion.

As Lado was distracted, Ruby pulled out his own tablet, and for a split second he wondered if he should train on GOODRAGE, and then he rejected himself. He wouldn't want Lado to jump at him, scream at him to stop, embarrassing him in front of Miele and Myosotis and all of the other friends.

Ruby was searching for a crack in the wall to hide in when suddenly he was interrupted by a series of "oooh"s from Miele. At first he thought it was just Miele, getting jumpy and surprised over every single thing she sees. But then the voices of Myosotis and Alstroemeria, who had seen so much he doesn't even need to gasp, joined her.

He tensed. What if Lado made a wrong move and they were mocking her? What if Lado failed the level and they were telling her to "practice more", what they told Ruby when he failed? What if... The commotion was so huge Ruby couldn't make out the rhythm of the song or the finger taps, he had to check.

As he walked over, he suddenly knew why, as he buried his face in his hands, wincing as the ice cold chains pressed against his skin.

He never taught Lado how to play Phigros, nor did he show her. The times he did show her, she interrupted, pulling on his hand, pleading him not to continue.

And he never taught her the workings of the notes, how drags are different from taps, how you have to flick at flicks. And then he peered over at Lado, spied her increasing combo, and joined the gasping crowd.

She was playing the drags as taps.

CROSS†SOUL HD has tons of drags packed tightly together - for an adept Phigros player you could just press a finger where the notes touch the judgement line and there you go. On the other hand, if you play those drags as taps, it suddenly becomes a lot harder, requiring intense speed and stamina.

Lado obviously did not play Phigros before...Then where did she get all that stamina from?

"Woah," he sighed, as Miele went up to him.

"You know, Ruby?" she cocked her head at him and said, "You should take her to the City Hall, and get her a job as a Phigros Level Tester. She's gonna be really good at this."

That was exactly what Ruby wanted to do. Though he kept silent and waited for the track to finish.

It did, seconds later, as Lado, tired from jamming her fingers on Miele's tablet for so long, returned it to her with a white S as the final grade. It was definitely enough for someone who has never played Phigros before, and someone who doesn't even know how to play drag notes properly.

Either Myosotis or Alstroemeria cheered, then the room bursted into a round of applause with Lado and Ruby, frightened and surprised, in the center and the corner.

"That was some really nice stamina," Through the clappings of various pairs of hands, Ruby could hear Miele muttering under her breath, "It's a pity that we'll never see it used on GOODRAGE."

total: 1034 words again!