Ask to Join Video Game High School

[JacobRaze]

(Discussion Thread: https://pokecharms.com/threads/vghs-discussion.21115/ )

'You think you are good? I dont care if you're a good player, because only great players can survive here. Sound good? Do you want to win? Are you up for one of the hardest challenges you could face? Then I would like to formally invite you to VGHS.'

And the video ended. The curly haired boy fell back onto his bed and shed a tear as his dad gave him a rare smile.
"Well boy, you got a lot of packing to do."

Dorian Day, better known in forums and random Field of Fire lobbies as D-Day, had done it. Everything him and his dad have worked for was finally happening. For 10 years, he's been a FPS maniac who loved the game. His dad played at VGHS, but gave up after his wife gave birth to Dorian and realised he had to be a dad first, and a gamer second.

School didnt start for another week, but VGHS requires you to come early, so you can get your dorm rooms and your keycard settled. So with his one suitcase and his bag of snacks, he had a 4 hour train trip to go on. After all, California was really far.

This train made stops everywhere, but its the easiest and cheapest way to get to VGHS without your parents driving you.

Video Game High School is the gaming Dream. A lot of pro players went to that very school. It's located in Northern California and has one of the lowest acceptence rates in the country.

Dorian has dreamed of going there since hsis dad discovered some old gaming tapes of when he was in high school. Dorian Day Sr. was a star in High school, but sacrificed it all after an accident with his child, but after seeing his son wanting VGHS, he knew he had to train him.

The train stopped at its next spot, and Dorian began to reflect on his next years, and his past ones.

"I've really done it." He muttered under his breath, a grin taking his face. The hardest part of his life began now.

 

[EmoKitty21]

Saphrax waited for the train. He was on his way to first day in California. He had his bags packed. Most of his belongings were shiped to the school. Other wise it would be too much to carry on one trip. His both of his fathers hugged him as he got on the train with his luggage.

On his back he had his trusty guitar. It was custom built acoustic. He could not wait to use it in his classes. He dreamed of one day being a great music producer for games.

On the train sat someone who looked to be about his age. "I wonder if he is going to the same place as me. I wonder if he got into the same school." Saphrax thought.

He walked up to the kid and introduced himself. "He my name is Saphrax is this seat taken?" He gestured to the seat across from Dorian.

 

[JacobRaze]

Her support. Her smile. Man, mom would be super proud.

Dorian snapped back into reality, and saw the stranger asling about the seat. Shook his head.
"No, nobody sits there." He replayed his name in his mind a little. Saphrax. Saphrax. Saphrax? "I'm Dorian. You have a pretty interesting name." He extended his hand to Saphrax

 

[EmoKitty21]

"Thanks. It is nice to meet you Dorian." He sat in the seat. He took the guitar off his back and placed it up against the wall of the train. "So what are you doing on this train?"

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Jadin boarded the train as well. She still couldn't believe that she was accepted. After that embracing wipe from one week ago, she thought every positive thing from her record disappeared. Her mind traveled back to the raid that almost took this opportunity away from her.
********* *********
The Taction sat at her keyboard watching her raid party play before the fight. Dance bombs were going off everywhere, pillows were being placed at random, someone even brought out the rainbow gun. She chuckled at her guildmates. She knew that right before a pull was stressful. Normally Stardust, one of the tanks, would start off a mount fight by showing her rare mounts that she had collected, but this boss was indoors, according to the game. Taction looked down at her watch. She knew that they should pull soon. "One minute!" she announced. This was met with 'oks' and 'placing buffs now'. She started to move her character, Lizia, back and forth in anticipation. The buffs were placed on all of the characters and the timer was at fifteen seconds. Eleven seconds. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, PULL!" she ordered.
Stardust, being a tank, rushed up to the boss and gained agro. Fluffboi, one of the healers, placed his healing spells on Stardust. She placed her character behind the boss, who was named High Tinker Mekkatorque, and started to attack on her Pandarian Monk. Everything was going well until she saw the first healer fall. Derozia wasn't the best healer, so Taction didn't think much of it. Then it was Beetle, a tank. About half of the team fell from not getting out of the way in time. She sighed. She didn't know this boss well and she should of studied the boss. There was only her Stardust and Beaver. She knew it was a wipe then and there. Everything that she had worked for seemed like it was for nothing. She had the feeling that she wasn't accepted anymore.
********* *********
Jadin's mind returned to the present as she sat down. She sighed and looked at her watch. Maybe next time she would read up about the boss before she attemped to fight it. That what all good raid group leaders did after all.

 

[JacobRaze]

"Oh, I'm going to school. Some place called VGHS." He said, scrolling through his phone. "This train should be right next to the bus stop to the school. Thats what the website says at least. What about you? You look young enough, are you going?"

 

[EmoKitty21]

"Oh cool. I am actually attending there as well. I want to work my way into the music program. Or at least the design program. I love to create music that speaks to the player." Saphrax pulled out his tablet and started going through his music programs. He wanted to be prepared for his first class.

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Jadin listened to the two boys. They too were going to VGHS. She hoped that news of her wipe right before the start of school didn't spread around. That was a terrible run, something that her party shouldn't be judged for. They would perform much better next time. Knowing Stardust, she has already chosen the next date and time of the raid. They have been postponing it for a while now due to the fact Jadin was preparing for VGHS, and they needed their Taction. Jadin watched the two, interest in her eyes, but she didn't join in their conversation. She didn't like talking to new people.

 

[JacobRaze]

Dorian's phone went off, blaring a retro RPG theme from years ago. He quickly denied the call.
"Sorry about that. Yeah, I plan to Major in FPS. I want to go pro one day." He smiled, repeatedly tapping the deny button while the caller kept calling. After about twenty 'deny call' presses later, he stood up on the train. "I guess i should take this."

 

[EmoKitty21]

"Go right ahead. I will be here." Saphrax took out a pair of headphones and started up the music program. He wanted to remix some of his favorite songs into something new. It would take him a bit to do but it would give something to do while the train was still going.

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Seeing that the two were done talking, Jadin took out her phone to start her research for her next boss fight. She had the urge to play Dragon Revolt, but she had work to do for her raid party. She was the leader of the young group for a reason. Logging onto Wowhead, she looked at the boss and took notes on her document. She then searched for her character, Lizia, and rechecked her gear. Everything was fine there, so all she needed to do was memorize the fight patterns and defeat the boss that way. She took out her earbuds and plugged them into her phone so then she could listen to ESO's theme, one of her favorite OST tracks, while she worked.

 

[JacobRaze]

Dorian stepped to the other side of the car and answered. "Hello?" The voice was soft and recognizable in an instant. "Hey Bianca!"

His cousin Bianca, who graduated a couple years ago, streamed daily games under the alias 'DungeonPhoazer'. She was pretty popular in the stream scene and had dreams of becoming an analyst for E-Sports media. She was calling to congratulate him, and began to tease hin.

"What do you mean 'D-Day' is embarrasing, your name is 'DungeonPhoazer'. You only became popular after one lucky boss raid. I worked for my spot at VGHS."

It was true, from the legendary Brian, to even Bianca, some people get into VGHS on luck. They had a good play, or had a string of good games, and VGHS tries to give them a shot. These are the kids who are constantly at risk of expulsion, due to having low point totals. Bianca managed to graduate, and used her skills to get noticed by people on the internet.

"Yeah, I love you too. The train is stopping at its next stop so I'm gonna sit down. Goodbye!"

The train stopped again. Just one more stop before VGHS became his new home.

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Jadin looked up from her phone and saw the train had stopped. She paused her music, took out her earbuds, and turned off her phone. She picked up her bags and got off the train, not seeing if the other two did or not. She was certain this was her stop due to the fact she kept time easily due to the fact she was in charge of keeping an eye on the cooldowns for the bosses and all of her spells.

 

[JacobRaze]

Dorian sat down back with Saphrax. "These stops are starting to feel like a countdown. This one, and then the train heads to VGHS." He let out a sigh of relief. "So game design? What made you choose that as your career path? Family? Or was it just the money?

 

[EmoKitty21]

"Well it was neither. I love to draw and animate characters. Coming up with concepts for games just comes naturally to me." He then noticed the girl who had been on the train almost this whole time with them. He wondered if she was going to the same place as them. If so then she is getting off on the wrong stop.

"Hey miss. If you are going VGHS then you need to stay on the train. It has one or two more stops. Then the train drops us off by were we are going." He then turned back to Dorian. He picked put away his tablet and headphones. He wanted to make sure he got off on the right stop.

"I am also thinking of double majoring my second year. Music production would be my first choice. I love to create music and sounds. That is the route I want to take more then the disign part."

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

"But the time!" Jadin exclaimed. She looked down at the watch once more. "The train is running behind," she then muttered as she sat back down. She took back out her phone for a little bit and skimmed through the boss fight, then her notes. She grinned and said, "Time to die, High Tinker Mekkatorque. I know you now." She placed her phone back in her pocket and sat there silently.

 

[JacobRaze]

"Sounds like a lot of work that i truly don't care for, but i guess inwouldnt be anywhere without people like you." Dorian looked around. "There has to be at least 20 other students on here, that final bus ride is going to be packed."

Dorian turned to the girl. "You like phones that much or are we not enough for you to be interested? It must be a feat if you're going to VGHS, so whats your major?"

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Jadin smiled. "I'm going for MMORPGs, more specifically raiding and guild master major. I was just reviewing my upcoming boss fight and making the... appropriate strategy so then we don't wipe. If you are not interested in game design, then it must be hard for you to understand what wiping is." Jadin didn't like it when her credibility was challenged. She remembered working so hard for her spot in VGHS. Now an FPS player was challenging her? FPS games didn't have the same strategy, teamwork, and patterns that MMORPG raids had.

 

[JacobRaze]

"A wipe? Isn't that when you get the floor mopped with you and your team? Wither because your weak or didn't plan too much? My cousin Bianca streams MMOs. 'DungeonPhoazer', really stupid voice. She got me into RPG games, but i havent had too much time to play them recently." He smiled and extended his hand. "Dorian Day."

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

"One we aren't weak! It was a bad run. We were pushing it and it was late, so no one was thinking clearly. Two, I don't think I know her. I might watch her some time. What does she play? I play WoW myself. I also play ESO, Dragon Revolt, Neverwinter, Runescape, and Aura Kingdom. The extras are just for fun." Jadin said, calmed down. "Three, I am Jadin Ferto, AKA The Taction," she finished as she accepted the handshake, her grip firm.

 

[EmoKitty21]

"Saphrax Black. And yes I do know what wiping is. It's were you take tollet paper and clean yourself after you use the restroom." He rolled his eyes at the girl. He giggled a little at his own joke. "But no Dorian is right it is were a boss cleans out a team very easily. Usually only taking couple of turns. Just because someone is into desgin does not make them oblivious to the terms of the games that they want to make."

 

[JacobRaze]

Dorian smiled and relaxed. The train began to move. "That joke was awful, but the worse, the better I guess." The next stop:

The bus stop to VGHS. Then, the beautiful building would be the place he began to show the world the person who would be the next killer FPS prospect.

"I hope you guys have high profiles. Im barely above 500 points. It took a lot a lot of grinding and the danger zone of 100 seems so close."

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Jadin closed her eyes and shivered. "After that wipe, I'm not sure how I'm still here. I mean, that took out a lot of points. It was going to be at 1,000, but now I'm down to 600. That wipe was so embarrassing. Probably went so down due to the fact we were bumbling about like fools," Jadin replied. She wished she was better prepared, now everything went downhill for her. She sighed. There was no use in looking at the past. She knew her party was going to study the fight as well, and try to raise their armor rating as well.

 

[JacobRaze]

"All I know is that as soon as I get my dorm, I'm gonna grind all week. I want to be the first freshman to make Varsity FPS since The Law did it around 10 years ago." Dorian wasnt usually confident, but this was something he dreamt about forever. To have his name in VGHS Hall of Fame, to go pro, all of it.

Truth is, if a freshman asks to try out for a team, they usually get laughed at. Respect is hard earned, either by teamwork or simply being better. Usually the Varsity teams are made up of Juniors and Seniors, and very rarely a sophomore, but a freshman was absurd, unless you were The Law, who was the number one ranked player in the country by the time hw was in 7th grade.

The train began to slow. The California town shimmered. Over on the horizon, VGHS sat, large and beautiful.

 

[Red Gallade]

In one of the chairs of the train, Colin sat rather informally; arms rested on the other two chairs and one leg rested on his others whilst he appeared to have two earbuds in his ears and a song on his phone, the song that played was 'Feel invincible - Skillet' whilst he had a wide grin on his face and eyes closed, he wasn't asleep as one eye opened and he took out one earbud to eavesdrop on a few other individuals. He didn't care much for their dreams, all he knew was they had the same destination as him, so he was likely to get to know them very soon. As he leaned back, he began to look back one of his favorite gaming moments in a game known as 'Overwatch'.
---------------------------------------------------
Under the name of 'Unholy Emperor' he played as 'Reaper' a black robed wraith like person with dual shotguns. The match time was overtime as his team hung by a thread as the enemy's payload was just millimeters away from their victory whilst his team practically threw themselves to delay the inevitable, Colin had one ace up his sleeve left, Reaper's ultimate move: Death Blossom, a move where he deals a lot of damage to anyone close to him. As most of the players were distracted by his team, Colin tried to sneak past the enemies and take them by surprise, but was hooked and pulled toward one of the enemies that spotted him: Roadhog, a bulky class, Colin quickly wraith formed to avoid one of Roadhog's shots and began to hit him with a series of shotgun shots, the fact he was a big hero meant he took more damage from the close ranged shells, but when he saw how close the overtime bar was to the enemy winning, he quickly ran back, jumped on to the payload and activated his ultimate. 'Die! Die! Die!' Reaper shouted it's signature line when it used Death Blosson, a black swirling cloud appeared around him as he shot in every direction, as the team were very close to the payload, four out of six of them died whilst the rest of his team quickly took down the last two. If the respawn time didn't keep the enemy team from getting back to the playload in time, the distance between them did.
As the Screen displayed 'VICTORY' on the screen and showed the winning team, what really made his day was that he was 'Play of the game' and got to see a replay of his ultimate usage, to which half of the team praised him for.
He reveled in it.
---------------------------------------------------
This memory of his made him chuckle lightly to himself, oblivious to anyone who heard him. He opened his eyes as his song concluded only to play the next song: 'Warriors - Imagine Dragons' and noticed that his destination was within his sight, his smile widened until his teeth here somewhat noticeable he didn't apply for VGHS to try and win. He applied to always win.

 

[JacobRaze]

Dorian got his stuff and followed the line of students trying to get off. A bus was already waiting, but they were towards the back of the train. He was going to a new school, and those people on the bus were the closest things he had to 'friends', so he waited to the side and tried to mind his own business, but the thought of the school was killing him. He could barely stand still. He tried bring calm and cool, but realizing his dream was right here, he couldn't contain his emotion. He looked like a kid about to get candy.

 

[Red Gallade]

As the train slowly stopped at the next station, Colin slowly got up, put his phone away into one of the pockets in his coat and picked up his bag to put over his shoulder, his other hand rested in his pocket and got walked out of the train the second the doors opened. As he made his way out of the station, he took a look around the city to admire the view of the new place and to find the nearest bus stop in sight that would take him to the school, he spotted one somewhere on his left and immediately walked over to it. Before he sat down, he checked the bus schedule to see which one would take him nearest to the school and when it would arrive, conveniently enough, the next bus was to arrive in around fifteen minutes according to Colin's watch. With this knowledge, he knew it was likely he'd see one of the guys from the train take the same bus as him... not that he would likely interact with them.

 

[ThePlayfulFox]

Jadin got off the train, waving good-bye to the other student. She didn't look around her and just entered the bus. She tried to find a window seat, but they were all taken. She sighed and sat next to a girl with black hair and a red shirt, who was looking out the window. As soon as she sat down the girl turned to her. "This is going to be a long ride," Jadin thought before the girl spoke up.
"Hello, I'm Judy, and we are going to be here for a while, so let's become friends in that time!" she said.
Jadin swore she heard that voice before, but she couldn't place her finger on it, so she just replied, "Ok then, talk away."
"Tact? Are you The Taction? In the guild Rising Star. The leader of the young raid party?"
This was a weird question for Jadin. Sure, they streamed their fights, but it was private, so no one could see them without permission. Unless she was in her guild. Which would answer where she heard her voice before. Jadin quickly went through her party's voices and ended up with a near perfect match with Star's. "Stardust?"
Judy smiled and replied, "That's my gamer tag! Taction!" Judy then hugged her and Jadin just sat there confused.

 

[Chunky Ramen]

Kyle leaned into the aisle to see a few more people get on. He almost wanted to say something, but decided against it and put his earbuds back in, looking back to stare out of the window again. if they wanted to talk, they would come to him, probably...

 

[JacobRaze]

Getting on the bus, Dorian relaxed. He the real excitement started as soon as he set foot in his dorm room, but there was still a short bus ride before then. He sat in a seat behind Jadin and another chick. He leaned back and began to enjoy the feeling.

'Listen son, you might not ever find a group to fit in with, but when you are on the field, your teammats are your family.'

 

[greninja47]

Nate was grinding on the bus when the bus stopped,he closed his laptop and set it in his bag,he pulled off his glasses(They had internet connection,and let him read fighting tips)he walked off toward his dorm,It was empty,so he took the bottom bunk"Pretty comfortable"He bounced up and down,testing the springs,then hung up a blanket so nobody could see him when he was in there,after that,he set up a portable lap table and put all his gear down,then he made some ramen.

 

[Red Gallade]

As Colin got on the bus and informally sat down in the seat closest to the back, he looked around and saw that he was right about the people on the train take the same bus as him. He got out his phone to check if he had any messages, only to find none, so he decided to have a look around his phone and open up a chat page that was seemingly named 'Ad Victoriam' for any updates, the only few new messages that were there were excited posts about other people in the chat say they were about to go to VGHS. This knowledge put a smile on Colin's face and even caused him to let out a faint laugh behind a closed mouth as he turned off his phone and put it back in his inner coat pocket.