Work Text
The keyboard to your PC could be heard echoing throughout your studio apartment. You had a rough work day and knew gaming would help you to release some of the pent up stress you were having.The smell of Chinese food floated through the air as you were too tired to cook dinner. Work was always tiring, but today proved to be more than what you usually could handle. You knew your friends would turn your mood around. They always did.Now you weren't lying when you thought gaming would relieve your stress because it typically did. But tonight you found yourself more stressed out than when you were at work."Push B, push B"! You command through the mic. Your teammates follow through but every time they got there, there was one player who managed to wipe them out."Fuck! Alright you know what, we got this team. The game isn't over yet." You start to chew on your bottom lip as you think of the different routes you guys can take to ensure victory."If we can't push B then let's push A". Your team had a winning streak going and you would damned if this little witch of a player ruined it for you.Your team executed your plan and was able to secure the spot. You went around the map to make sure you could eliminate any other player that would get in the way of you winning. As soon as you turned the corner, you got killed by a one-shot."Bro what the hell"! You slam your fist on the desk where you accidentally knock your open drink over."No no no". You quickly pick up the water and go to clean it but decide against it". "Eh it's water I'll clean it up after this game". Your teammates laugh at your determination and crack some jokes at you. "Yeah, yeah laugh at me now, but you'll be thanking me after we win". You state confidently through laughter.The game was starting to get pretty close with the score being 135-140, only needing 150 to win. Your team was on the losing side and you swore your heartbeat could be heard through your apartment walls.You push up your falling glasses and sit closer to the screen. You calmed your heartbeat and locked in. You made sure your aim was persistent and your gun never low on ammo.You especially made sure to avoid the one player who always took you out.Your team was now holding A and C with B being heavily guarded by your opponents. You swear the other team really isn't that great, they just have that one good player."You're tied for the lead", came from the game. You were biting your lip hard, concentration being written all over your face."Hold your positions team we are so close"! One of your teammates encouraged. Every time your score went up, so did the other team's. A person from the opposing team managed to capture B with only a few seconds left but was luckily taken out by one of your teammates. You decided to take the risk and secure B to ensure victory.You quickly run to the position and hold it, moving your camera around constantly to check for oncoming enemies. You secured it but was killed by the other team's best player, right as the game ended. You died before you could see the final score. You cross your fingers and pray your winning streak hadn't ended.Victory displayed across your PC screen. You jump up and fist pump the air. Knocking your water over again in the process."Okay where is the damn cap for this"? You ask while checking to see where it could've had gone. It was only a corner left at this point so you down the remaining bit and toss the water bottle in the trash."That was a great game you guys but I think I'm going to call it a night", came a voice from your headphones. "Yeah me too, It's my turn to take my daughter to school tomorrow", came another one. "Aww tell the little munchkin I said hello". You say while looking for any napkin that could be near you."Will do, goodnight everyone"! The rest of the team bid their farewells and logged off. You went to the kitchen to grab a few paper towels and also stretch your legs from the few hours you've been gaming.You couldn't stop thinking about that one player. You normally don't break a sweat when playing, but you would be lying if you said that player didn't give you a run for your money."They must be a hacker. That's the only way". You stop and really replay moments that happened in your game. You remember how you only seemed to die by their gun and no one else's."You can't carry a whole team on your back without some sort of assistance. Right"? You ask the picture of your favorite celebrity that's hanging on your fridge. You shake your head and go back to your desk to clean up the mess. You were thankful it wasn't soda.You toss the napkins in the bin and decide to log off as well for the night. You had work in the morning and needed all the rest you could get if tomorrow was going to be as stressful as today was.Before exiting the game, you notice you had a friend request. "Strangeballerina25" appeared across your screen. "Well that is a creative tag for sure", you thought to yourself. You studied the tag again and noticed it was the same player who almost cost you your streak."Oh you have some nerve "Strangeballerina25"".You went back and forth between accepting it or not, but ultimately decided to see what they wanted. You hit accept and then logged out of your game.You cleaned up any remaining messes from dinner and hopped into bed. You checked to make sure your phone was on the charger and your glasses were in their case. Your eyelids felt heavy and you knew you couldn't keep them open for much longer.Snuggled under the blanket, you let sleep overtake you. You really hoped tomorrow would be better than today.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"It's like all this time I've been waiting for you with my open eyes. Scanning the room for a piece of mine. You look so good in this life." You crack an eye open and silence the noise that was disturbing your peace. You roll onto your back and groan, rubbing the remaining sleep out of your eyes. Staring at the paint on your ceiling, you continue to lay in silence. Savoring the last bits of peace and quiet before you need to start your day.A vibration is felt beside your head and you check your phone to see all the exciting things that could've happened while you were sleeping. Spoiler alert, you missed absolutely nothing besides your classmate from high school posting to their Instagram story after a long time. You finally roll out of bed and stop in front of your mirror.You silently admire your body and began to think about your work choices. "Do I really need to go to work? I could just quit and start an OnlyFans. I think my body looks good enough". You strike a few poses and run a hand across your stomach. Seriously anything would be better than this current job as a barista came across your mind."Hmm but I also don't like taking pictures," came an external response to your internal one. You take a look at the clock and see that if you don't make a decision soon that you'll be late. After a few more seconds of back and forth, you decide against OnlyFans. For now.You did your usual morning routine and found you somehow have a little extra time before your shift starts. Instead of going to work early to help your coworkers, you decide a quick match would be more entertaining.You set your water on the desk, with the lid on this time, and start to unpeel your orange that you were originally saving for later.While munching on a slice, you saw that "Strangeballerina25" messaged you after the match last night: "You put up a good fight. Too bad my team was crap otherwise you wouldn't have stood a chance". You roll your eyes and let out a laugh. It was never too early for shit talking you thought.The juices from the orange peel get wiped on your pants while you type up your reply. "Yeah okay, blame it on the team. Just accept that you can't beat the best". You wish she could see the exact smirk that was displayed on your face right now. Taunting people was one of the best parts about gaming.You set your phone down and check your bag to make sure you had everything before heading out. You finished your orange and discarded everything in the trash. A sigh escapes you as you realize you no longer have enough time to play a game.Before you log off, you see that you had a message notification. You were surprised that strangeballerina25 messaged you back so quickly: "You talk a big game you know that? Why don't you play me in a little 1v1 right now". Shaking your head, you quickly type back your response. "As thrilling as that sounds, I can't right now. Tonight I'm free. Unless you're scared that is". You insert a crying emoji for good measure.Your rival's response came instantly. "You're on". ***********************************************************************************************Today is proving to be just as draining as yesterday. Since it was still the summer time, there weren't as many customers as it usually was in the winter time.You try to keep busy by finding random things to do around the shop, but the only thing you can think of is your match tonight.Currently, you are one of the top players in your league. You have gone through teams left and right like a hot knife against butter. It was fun at first, thrilling even. However, lately you haven't been feeling satisfied with how easy it's been to win.But now, now you have competition. Some much needed one at that. You can't wait to play against that ballerina person tonight and show them that your victory last night was no fluke."You okay over there? You been wiping the counter in the same spot for awhile now", came the voice of your best friend, Dallas."Huh?" You look down and notice that you haven't moved an inch since when you first started five minutes ago. "Yeah I'm okay", you say sighing while tossing the wipe in the trash. "Just ready for work to be done, that's all". You reassure while mustering up the faintest of smiles. You lean against the counter and cross your arms. Dallas finishes up a coffee order and turns to chat with you for a bit."Do you want to come over to my place after work? We can watch the new episode of House of the Dragon". Dallas suggested with a smile on her face."I can't tonight Dal, I have plans but we can do it tomorrow for sure". You try to walk away knowing what was about to come but felt your best friend grab your arm.Dallas spun you around and stepped in front of you. "Uh uh not so fast. Plans you say? Is it with a special somebody? What's their name and what are you two doing"? Dallas said so fast that it got a laugh out of you.You appreciate her interest in your "dating life" but waved your hand in front of you. "It's not like that silly. Someone wants to play me in a game tonight and you know I never say no to a challenge. Plus we could end up going multiple rounds who knows"? You say innocently.Dallas cocked an eyebrow at that last question."Not like that oh my goodness you're so immature"! You lightly shove Dallas which causes her to laugh with you.Dallas holds her hands up in defeat. "Alright if you say so. You better be at my house tomorrow night or I will hide all your keyboards".Before you could offer a rebuttal to that, a rush of customers came in signaling that it was time to get back to work.Tonight can't come fast enough.***********************************************************************************************Kicking off your shoes at the front door, you start going around the house doing some chores so you didn't have to worry about it later.You vacuumed the apartment, put the dishes away, and cleaned your gaming set up. You had a few hours before the 1v1, so you decide to relax and watch gaming strategies on YouTube.Before you watch YouTube you decide to check Instagram. You see your favorite artist, Madison Beer, had posted a story. You tap on the icon and check it out: "Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that tonight I will be streaming on Twitch and we'll be playing a new game I found a month ago. Tonight's stream will be extra special because I'm doing something I haven't done before so I hope to see you there"! She said while ending the video with that an infectious smile of hers.You felt bummed that you were going to miss a fun stream, but you had a commitment that you couldn't back out of. You went back to your original task of watching YouTube before the big game.You got lost in the videos you were watching and noticed you had an hour to get ready. You quickly order some food, because what's one more day of eating out, and then change into something more cozy. "Why do I feel so nervous"? Came a wondering thought as you was preparing. You've lost count of how many people you faced in a 1v1 and how many times the word "Victory" displayed across your screen. You were undefeated. "Tonight could change though". You thought. This player is different you'd admit. Not like the others you faced before. This one really made you lock in. Kept you on your toes. That alone made you nervous.15 minutes to go and there was a knock at the door. You quickly grab your food and tip the driver. You place the food on the desk, set your drink to the side, and booted up the game.You were in the process of munching on a very delicious chicken tender when you saw that Strangeballerina25 was online. And already talking shit apparently since you already got a message from her: "Ready to have your little streak ended by the greatest gamer of all time"? You let out a snort and wipe your hands before typing. "Not even a "hello" or "how was your day""? You take a sip of your drink when another message comes through. "How rude of me my apologies. Hello, how was your day? I hope it went well since I am about to ruin it". That caused you to giggle before bursting into a full laughter. "You're very funny, let's see if you can put your money where your mouth is". No response came. Instead, popped up was an invite to a private lobby. You instantly accept and Strangeballerina25 started the gaming queue.The first match was about to begin. You pop one more fry in your mouth, gulp down some more of your drink, and push your glasses up. "Let the games begin".
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The countdown to the match began. It was on the same map where you beat her team yesterday. "I refuse to lose on my home turf" , You thought to yourself. This was your favorite map and you liked to think it was good luck.You adjusted your loadout and made sure you had the best guns in your collection. You start out using your CBR4 as your weapon of choice combined with boxing gloves as your secondary weapon. You use your regular three scorestreaks: sentry gun, stealth chopper, and orbital laser. You don't feel the need to change those seeing you had the most expertise using them.The match was very simple. Whoever got to 20 kills first wins. You hoped that you could put this new rival away quickly. There was a new show about Lesbian witches that you wanted to check out before bed.
"5..4..3..2..1"
The beep signaling the start of the match rang and you immediately run to your left. You then decide to cut through the middle to get to her. Your thought process was that the other player would either go right or left to get to you, so the middle seemed like the best option to sneak up on them. However, your plans were quickly soiled because the second you rounded the corner, you heard the sound of Strangeballerina25's sniper sending a bullet through you.You lean back in your chair with disbelief being written across your face.You skip the respawn screen and get back to business. You see your opponent crouching down behind some bins in the game and you carefully aim your gun just at the right angle. "Boom! Headshot!" , Your character says, sounding more satisfied than how you're feeling.A small smile creeps onto your face but you don't let yourself celebrate for too long. The game goes up to 20 and with this player, anything could happen.You let out a sigh and push your glasses back up.
"This is going to be a long game."
************************************Halfway through the game and you were sweating bullets. The score was currently 13-15 with you being down two points. Normally, this game would've been a blowout and you would be celebrating yet another victory. Instead, you are internally panicking at the thought of having your streak ended. This has never happened to you before.It seemed as though Strangeballerina25 always knew what you were thinking before you even thought it. The thought that you got set up and was playing against a hacker did cross your mind a few times, but there were times where you were able to get such an obvious kill on them that you were confused on what to think.You just respawned after a death and made the mistake of looking at the chat.
"I thought you were the best?"
You grit your teeth and bang your fist on the desk. The feeling of frustration is coursing through your body at an uncomfortable rate. Their comment was everything but amusing and you hated that this game was so close. You re-focused and tried to change up your strategy. You dug into your memory and tried to remember what you saw in the countless YouTube videos that you watched before your match.Some tactics surprisingly proved themselves useful. You were able to one up them a few times and felt a bit better about the game. On the bright side, you and your jester of an opponent were now tied with the score being 15-15. The bad news is that you still need to get 5 more kills before you can be officially crowned winner.You unconsciously tried to use your stealth chopper but then remembered, Strangeballerina25 disabled the use of scorestreaks. Which you will admit now was a good idea because if she had ones that were as good as yours, you shudder at the thought of a napalm and cluster strike combo, then the match would've been over in 5 minutes.You saw her out the corner of your eye and slid to the right to dodge her. She aimed again and you crouched down behind a crate that was placed near you. You quickly popped up and took your shot. She went down with ease and you let out a shaky breath you didn't know you were holding.You were finally in the lead and only needed 4 more points to win.Strangeballerina25's weapon of choice was a sniper and you could see why. She was extremely tactical with it and rarely missed her shots. You had no choice but to respect it despite the many many one-shots that you've taken throughout the game."Alexa turn on 'Breathin' by Ariana Grande".The sound of Ari's voice filled the room and it eased some of the anxiety that was forming. You knew you had to get your breathing and mind under control or else the game would be over. You remembered in the past when you first started gaming, how you lost so many games because you would just fire rapidly and not even care to aim. You couldn't afford that now.You guys continued to go back and forth until you were down to the last point. 19-19. If you thought your anxiety was bad before, you felt like you could throw up at any moment.The chat appeared to the right of you and you tried your hardest to ignore it but you couldn't. "Don't mess up". It read followed by a purple devil emoji. You muttered under your breath, "Asshole". The respawn screen ended from your recent death and you were back into the game. This felt like something out a movie scene. Where the lights dim and the crowd fades to silence. The only thing the main character can hear are the voices in their head. One side telling them they can do it while the other is telling them that they flew too close to the sun. They close their eyes, one singular bead of sweat dripping down their face. A silent prayer is said and they come back to reality. They take the shot and win! The crowd goes wild and they feel like a hometown hero.You knew what you were feeling was a bit dramatic, but gaming has been one of the few things that has brought you joy since becoming an adult a few years ago. Between expensive bills and more failed dates that you'd care to admit, there wasn't much in your life that you were in control of.But when it came to gaming, the ball was always in your court. You always determined if you were going to win the match by how well you played. Especially in 1v1's. You know there are risks playing against people you don't know, but it only motivates you to play harder. You know winning isn't everything, but sometimes it just was.Back to reality, you were crouching and walking super slow. You didn't want to make any sounds to indicate to the other woman that you were near. You spot her and you creep towards her inch by inch. Just as you were about to aim your gun, her character makes eye contact with you.Your eyes go wide and you immediately feel your heart sink as you realize she's about to take the winning shot. You sigh in defeat and don't even try to counter. You hate to admit it but she was an extremely great player. You can count on your hand the amount of times that you felt every negative emotion there is while playing against someone, and it felt like this player brought out ones you didn't even know existed.You looked on as Strangeballerina25 lined up her sniper, locked in on you, and took her shot.************************************The sound of her sniper went off but it didn't connect with your player. You scrunch your eyebrows in confusion.
"She missed"?
She missed! The gamer in you jumped back in and you switched to your boxing gloves. You run towards her as she's reloading her gun. You slid right before she could perfect her aim and your gloves made contact with her character. She went down and the game stopped. "Victory" displayed across your screen.Leaning back in your chair, you put your arms over your eyes and start laughing. You couldn't believe you managed to pull off this extremely challenging victory. You let out a sigh of sweet relief while you heard the game playing the MVP highlights in the background.You thought back to the game and to the many times where you thought you were going to lose. How it seemed as though Strangeballerina25 was in your head digging through every strategy imaginable that you had in your gaming handbook. You shook your head and leaned back towards the game.You gave your opponent a "thumbs up" to show your appreciation and exited the game. You felt so mentally exhausted that you decide to watch the Lesbian witches tomorrow. Before exiting the game you seen Strangeballerina25 had sent a message:
"I admit I thought I had you finished with that last shot but I guess you got the best of me. You're a great player and we need to play again sometime. But maybe, we can play as teammates instead?"
You smiled at how cool she was at losing. Admittedly, you don't think you would've been as chill if the roles were reversed. You shake your hands at your side before typing back a response. "Whenever you're down to game so am I. If we're this good separate, no team is standing a chance when we're together"! You added an "100" emoji along with it. Before Strangeballerina25 could send a response, you logged off and started getting ready for bed.As you finally laid your head down on your pillow and closed your eyes, you still were in disbelief of the miracle that happened earlier. It felt like time stood still as you were nearing your final blow. You let out a small laugh because you rarely ever melee'd someone. I guess there's always a time for everything you thought.You set your three alarms for tomorrow and head to bed. Tonight's game was for the history books.************************************The next day at work felt better than the recent ones. You felt more happier and had a little more pep in your step. You were radiating so much positive energy that Dallas couldn't ignore you."I take it you won against your little date last night"? She asked while restocking the coffee cups. You dramatically roll your eyes and shake your head."It wasn't a date just a little friendly competition". You state while you starting on a new order. "But yes I did win! Just barely though. She had the perfect shot to end it but missed. I don't know what happened but I'm not complaining". You say while shrugging your shoulders. You hand the finished order to the customer and thank them for coming. You start to scroll on your phone before your manager catches you.You were checking TikTok when you saw through the brim of your phone that someone was in front of you. You start to say your usual greeting as you slide your device back into your pocket."Hello welcome to Sunset Kiss Café, what can I-" as you look up, you can't believe who's in front of you."Madison Beer"! You exclaim in an excited whisper.You cover your mouth in shock as she smiles at you.You quickly say something so you don't end up looking like a fool. You introduce yourself and she does the same even though you already know who she is."I'm such a massive fan of yours! I've been listening to you since Melodies!" You say in what feels like one long sentence. Madison cringes at the mention of her first single, but nonetheless thanks you for all of your support over the years.You take down her order and start working on it before Dallas can manage to snatch it up."Oh wait Madison, is it for here or to go"? You ask her to make sure the drink goes in the right cup."For here please, I'll be sitting right over there". She points to the chair closest to the door that's also closest to the AC. Smart choice you thought.You feel your hands shake as you pour her drink, making sure to not mess up a single detail as you do a heart on the top. Dallas can't help but laugh at you and shake her head."Dude relax, she seems down to earth, I don't think she'll care if the heart is a little crooked".Now it's time for you to shake your head. "Mhm mhm. If it was another customer then sure. They'll live. But this is Grammy nominated and best Twitch streamer in the world Madison Elle Beer! This has to be the best drink she's ever tasted!". You retort back while carefully placing the mug on a little plate. You see where she's sitting and notice she's on her phone doing something that apparently requires a lot of focus.You gently place the cup down on the table being careful to not disturb her. She suddenly leaned back and did the smallest fist bump. You let out a small laugh and look at her with one eyebrow raised.Madison jumps a bit in her seat as she now notices your presence. She puts her phone down and leans back and crosses her arms. "I'm so sorry you had to see that". She said while laughing at herself. "I was playing a game on my phone and I won. Of course".You nod your head and smile back as you're not surprised that she won. You've watched her streams and seen how dominating she can be against her opponents."What game is it if I may ask"? You quickly check back at Dallas to see if she needs any help but she's just reading a book she brought from the store across the street."Oh just some game I found out recently. I normally play on the Xbox but they have a mobile version too"! She turned her phone towards you and your face lights up as you recognize the game."No way I love that game! I play it religiously on my PC! By any chance, are you looking for a partner to play with"? You knew that was a bold move to ask her something as personal as her gaming tag, but when will you ever get another chance to play with Madison Beer?The singer nods her head and slightly bites her lip. "Know what, I am. If you think you're good you should join me. Heads up, I don't accept defeat". She says while looking through her previous match results."You and me both", You say with a wink. You open up your Notes app and make a new note. "What's your gamer tag? I'll add you when I get home".She looks at you and smiles, "It's Strangeballerina25".