FSE

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The room was crowded. Noisy and crowded. Lucky couples and akward singles wriggled in a tremendous mass around the centre of the dance floor, low light and pulsing beats setting the tone for the night. University students of all kinds were enjoying themselves, while two teens stood with their backs to the wall, one talking as the other gazed onto the centre stage. The bass was turned up way too loud, causing coke cans on a nearby bench to spill over as the grungestep knocked them towards the edge.

His friend was saying something to him, but it was impossible to hear voices through the awful haze of laughter and groans as someone fell over near the bar. To be truthful, Rowan wasn't exactly trying to listen either, more set on the other dancers moving.

"Hey hey, so I said 'You don't really like her, it's a game to you!' and he got so pissed, Jade looked kinda stressed too. Hey, you listening Rowan? Oh sorry, sorry dude, I forget you had the hots for her."

"Nah, it's fine. She's gonna break up with him soon, he's just gotta show he's a prick first."

"You should make the first move man! Just tell her 'Hey, it's cool- I gotcha back' and she'll be swooon-"

"It's not that simple Dregan. I asked her out remember, and she said no?.."

"Maybe she's not a hockey fan. You gotta get to know her first, before- Woah! Check that out man, Rowan look!"

Glancing around at the crowd, her figure became clear amongst the others. Time slowed down as Jade took the spotlight in Rick's arms and kissed. A series of "OOooOOoooo's" rocked the club, as she was swung back, her hair spilling over her shoulders as she and her ginger-haired boyfriend smooshed lips for all to see.

Seconds laters the crowd seemed to merge around the pair, obscuring the view from both the friends, with Rowan's face beginning to flush. The single beer he got for the night was shaking in his hand regardless of the music, half empty.

"Wooah, did you see that? Rowan, go get her! You know she just made a mistake then!"

Standing up, he began to move through the crowd, his friend shouting out moral support. Yet, before Rowan made it to the dancefloor, a crack formed through his stomach. He had no idea what to say, or what he'd do. She probably wouldn't talk to him at all-

-He turned, and power walked to the doors, Dregan quickly realising that he had given up. With unseeing eyes, Rowan went to the car to try and hide, fumbling with the lock before he remembered he didn't have the keys.

"Hey hey, man keep it cool, I gotcha back, I gotcha, don't worry, lemme take you home."

They piled in, Rowan forced himself not to furthur lose his composure, biting back tears that threatened to well up through anguished eyes. As Dregan took the drivers seat, he covered his face- he hardly wanted his friend to see him like this.

"What was I thinking, that was a stupid thing to do.."

--

"... uhh... uh? Oh."

"You awake?"

Rowan sat up, still in the front seat of the car, his friend waiting paitently on the drivers side. The car lights were on, but Dregan had since shut the engine off. Glancing around, the confused youth quickly recongnised the surroundings as being his neighbourhood, parked outside his house.

".. Dregan, were you waiting for me to wake up...?"

"You were tired, and nodded off by the time we got here. Don't worry bud, you've only been out around... half an hour or so."

"You didn't have to wait."

"I didn't have to drive you either! Sheesh, can't a man be kind without getting questioned? Anyway, it's late for you- better get yourself to bed."

Agreeing, Rowan clambered out of the old vehicle they shared for just about everything. Dregan lived just down the street, and had always been a great guy to be around. He was in his twentys, and a year older than Rowan, yet he carried a certain charm under the stubble on his chin.

Rowan struggled with the front door for bit before it relented to the household key. Only just as the door opened did the car engine start, and Dregan wound the window down.

"Have a good night man, I'll ring you in the morning to see if your fine, Ok?"

"Yeah, Sure."

He pulled away, waving out the window before disappearing of into the night. He'd always been a bit odd like that, maybe a little too close, but Rowan didn't put much thought to it. His brain was already complaining about having to think again, starting to pain him with relentless thumping. Putting the beer down, which had miraculously survived the journey home, he noticed the time.

"...Damn, almost 3:00. Gonna hurt in the morning"

The night was a blur, stuff happened, Jade kissing a misty haze, he could hardly think straight getting to bed. It was lucky his parents were out for the week with some relatives, or else they might have heard him stub his toe on the way up stairs. When he finally crashed onto the bed though, relief struck through his bones.. he could finally relax for the night..

...

...Rowan turned over, surveying the room carefully. Something felt off. His head complained at him for overthinking. Flicking the bed lamp on, his eye's stung as they adjusted, looking into the empty room. Papers on the floor, bookshelf, desk with his computer. Nothing was out of place, but something still felt weird, something weird about...

"Screw it, i'm tired, this sucks. Going to sleep."

Laying back down, he put the pillow over his face and flicked out the light, trying to zone out. It was as if, he was just unable to fall back asleep again. It almost felt, as if...

*Poke*

Freezing, Rowan went absolutely still- did he just feel something prod his stomach? It was like a tiny point, surely he was just imagining that-

"Get up before I sit on you."

For a second, his heart stopped- then reacting before he could think, he swatted around where the voice came from, his hand striking nothing more than air. Smacking the switch for his lamp, light filled the room and burned his eyes, before a picture slowly resolved in front of him.

It was some sort of demonic thing sitting haunched a bit away from the bed, staring back at him with a wicked smile on it's short muzzle, it's jawline jagged and fanged. It resembled a gargoyle or dragon, with dark leathery skin accented only with a red streak under each of it's eyes, glinting with mischief. It's tail, while not spiked, was serrated like it's jaw, and it's clawed paws were bigger than they really should have been. A pair of spikey wings were also folded on it's back.

Despite it's looks, the voice had been feminine and sounded somewhat teasing. Rowan was stunned still, taking in what he could see- was he going insane, or was there really a gargoyle sitting in his room, staring at him?

"We're going to play a game tonight."

"...Get out of my room."

"Not until you play the game."

"Get out."

"It's a very good game-"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

The gargoyle scorned, before muttering some words and clicking her claws. All of a sudden, Rowan could feel his jaw grow tense, unable to open. While he struggled with pulling his lips apart, the demon walked casually to the bed, hopping onto the end to balance on the edge of the mattress.

"It's rude to interupt me. I never gave you a choice, and it can be as fun or as boring as you want it to be. Stop sliding away, or I'll petrify your legs as well."

Unsuccessful at sneaking his legs out of the blankets, Rowan kept still - his heart was beating faster as this weird thing crawled closer to him over the duvet, talking nonsense about a game. He had to find a way out of there. He secretely pinched at his hip, but all he got was a pinprick of searing pain, the demon still existing and real- Rowan absolutely no better off.

She smiled again when he had obeyed and stopped twitching, curling her demented mouth in a somewhat unnatural looking way.

"I've been watching you these past few days, and you've been nothing but a selfish brat. You can't see past yourself at all. So, I'm going to play a game with you- If you win, I'll grant you a wish, a single wish, for anything you want. If you lose, well... then I've had my fun and will be on my way."

The demon gave a cruel grin, and flicked her claws again- the tense sensation in Rowan's jaw fading away. She continued as he exersized his mouth, groaning at the numbness that had set in.

"Trust me, there's no way out of this- and I think you'll enjoy yourself anyway. Decide on your wish, and don't make it something stupid. I can't revoke it if you want to change it later."

"This is stupid. What the hell are you."

"Questions later Rowan, think of your wish."

"I'm not going to play."

"You don't have a choice, think of your wish."

"Why do I--"

She glared at Rowan, who shut himself up. Those claws looked pretty deadly after all. He was shivering in the blankets, heart pounding and lungs shaking. There was no way he was ever going to spend time with this demon thing, playing whatever game she had in mind.

"How the hell are you getting out of this one, bloody stupid, damned, GGrrrrrr. Well, it's waiting for me now, so I should think of something. What if, I wished for something it doesn't ever want me to win? Maybe... maybe that would work, but what would be important enough-"

"Tell me you've decided by now."

"Sure, I've got something. Uhh. If I win..."

"Yes? Hurry up already."

"If I win, then, you, will..."

She narrowed her eyes, the red markings glowing slightly beneath them.

"This is going to be a really stupid wish isn't it?"

"You will have to be my sex slave. Forever."

For a second the Gargoyle sat still. Her maw opened slightly, a long tounge visible inside, as bright red as the marks beneath her eyes. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but then pulled more thought to what he said. Feeling smart, Rowan crossed his arms as a sense of success began to arise. It had felt so awkward saying that, but he'd got her to shut up, not that he really wanted that sort of wish. She eventually snapped out, shaking her head in disdain.

"Fine. Fine, you can have that stupid wish. You could have asked for world peace, or for immortality, I could have tried granting those- but no, if sex is all you want, then alright. You might have worser problems than I thought. Doesn't matter to me, because you're not going to win anyway."

The fake tone and sarcasm in her voice was depressing to hear, Rowan coming to terms that it was kind of was a dumb wish, if she could grant anything- which he still doubted, but she did mute him for a minute after all...

"Well, you could change it, right?"

"You're a pretty poor listener. No, first wish is the only wish. I cast hexes, not fairy magic. However, I believe this game is going to end up a lot more interesting than I first thought."

"You still haven't told me what this game even is! And what's your name, you know mine somehow, but I have no clue about you!"

"I'm known as Scarlet, and the game we're going to play- Is Day Replay."

Scarlet cleared her throat, and took a cup of water from the bedside table. She guzzled it, dribbling half of the liquid out onto the blankets from between the craggy lips of her maw, drawing a look of disapproval from Rowan. She set it back down as she began:

"The rules of Day Replay are simple. You will wake up tomorrow with a curse, and I will give you a goal. If you complete that goal before this time the next day, then the day will reset as though nothing had happened. Next morning, you'll get another goal and another curse, and the game goes on. Complete seven goals, and you win the game- and I'll have to grant your wish, as stupid as it may be."

"And what If I don't complete the goal in time?"

"You'll live with that curse and the consquences of your actions that day for the rest of your life."

"...Okay, that sounds bad. What will you be doing while I'm running around completing tasks?"

"Watching, of course, and probably messing with your head- not that I can directly effect any of your decisions or the world around you."

"Well Thaaannks, that'll be helpful."

"No need to thank me, this is just an opportunity to change your life- and you've already ruined that somewhat. We start as soon as you wake. You'll have a better understanding by simply playing instead of asking questions."

"Augh. Well, I donno what to ask. Just, get out of my room. Please."

"With pleasure."

Scarlet padded off out through the door, literally phasing *through* the door, leaving Rowan to his own mind to contemplate what just happened. Had he been arguing with his imagination? It felt far too real for that, and certainly, he would have woken up by now if it were a nightmare. Hopefully, in the morning, everything will be just fine- no weird dragons, no curse, no goal- just another sunday morning to relax and chill out on.

The game doesn't forbid him from hoping, after all.

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