[Strong language warning]

(OOC warning, because this is practice and this honestly won't be spot on for characters and how they act. Just enjoy the show.)

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"You know what? This is rediculous. I blink and suddenly I'm hallucinating that I'm in a forest in the middle of fucking nowhere, and find myself covered in bruises. What the fuck."

I raked my hands down my thin dark purple sleeved covered arms and hike my Attack on Titan themed backpack up my right shoulder again in annoyance.

"Seriously. All I wanted was to have a sleepover at Jessie's house. We were going to work on the lyrics of Hamilton, eat wild wings, and cosplay. What the hell...I'm talking to myself, that's a sign I'm going crazy right? Right. Settled."

I step over another root with my galaxy patterned shoes, making sure my black shorts didn't get caught on anything.

"I feel like I just walked into a leafy hell pit with a side of nonsense, topped with an energizing pep talk about murder. Where did that come from? Thanks for that, brain, job well done. God, it's colder here than in my house."

I could smell the wings in my bag. They were in a take out bag, and I was drooling.

"Who can I cosplay with as Bloodborne now? There's no such thing here as a Jessie dressed as Japan from Hetalia..."

I took out my phone and checked the time. Two in the afternoon. Stopping, I realized something as I looked around the empty forest.

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I stuffed the clothes I was wearing back into the bag, now dressed as the main character of Bloodborne. I didn't have my my weapons or my bracers with me, but it was more comfortable than my shorts and thin shirt.

Tugging the mask over my face and the pointed hat on my head, I felt more comfortable now. I made the material myself along with my families help. Thank god for professional sewing experts in my family making cosplay ever so cheaper for me...it looks and feels very real and isn't cheap looking at all. Pulling the backpack over my shoulder again, I kept walking in the random direction I chose.

To distract myself from getting bored walking, I thought about my family. I was the only boy of the four children of my household, and since the girls are much younger than I am, I was given extensive self-defense training. Jujitsu, to be exact, so I can protect my sisters when I babysit them berudgingly on weekends. My mom isn't around that much, but dad is. He began to sew as a hobby, but now he had a professional company for it. He takes my requests from time to time, making me pay (but half price, since I'm family with a part time job finishing college).

At that second, I tripped over a stray log and fell almost flat on my face.

Okay, brain, focus on walking now.

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THUNK!

"Holy!"

Stumbling backwards, a throwing knife was wedged into the tree in front of me. Looking to the left, I saw a couple of people who looked like trouble. They stalked in an offensive and deadly position.

Wait. I recognize that style of dress! What was it? I was binge watching it last night, how can I not remember!

"Picked the wrong territory to get lost in, mate," one dressed in a sleeveless red shirt rigged with multiple weapons told me.

"We'll need more people out in the fields," The other dressed in a red vest and white shirt muttered. That's when I saw the tattoos peeking out from their chests.

Shit. Badlands! That's what this is! I'm defenseless! Real Clippers!

I started to sweat, slipping my bag to the floor. It landed with a thud.

Red. If I remember correctly, red was for Quinn, the Baron with the armadillo symbol...or was it Ryder in charge? It depends on the time I stepped in. The two Clippers look in their thirties, and I myself am almost 21. Jesus, of all Clippers to meet, I meet merciless Quinn's.

"Clippers out here?" I asked, "man, something's got to be off."

"'Out here'? You losin' your mind? You're half a mile from the Barons wall!" The first one, we'll just call him Moomoo, exclaimed.

"Must be high on Opium. Look at how he's dressed," The other, we'll just call him Cheese, pointed out to Moomoo.

"Nah, not the Opium type of guy," I replied, nerves getting to me as my sarcastic mechanism comes through, "I'm just out lovin' the scenery. Could get high on some Cool Whip air, love that stuff."

"Cool whip?" Moomoo muttered, confused.

"I'm kidding," I laughed, "more like Widow's perfume. Heard that smells interesting. You don't suppose Quinn is still around?"

The two Clippers looked at each other, then Cheese stone-faced at me as he pulled his blade out. I raised my hands in a surrendering position.

"Ah, nevermind, I can see that's a touchy subject," I relented, "but seriously, I'm no harm. Got no weapon on me, not even a pointy stick."

"You're trespassing on the Barons land," Moomoo informed me.

"I've noticed," I bluntly responded, gesturing to the Clippers in front of me, "and now I'll become a tattoo, right?"

Moomoo didn't say anything else to me, but to Cheese he gestured with his head to me as if saying, 'This one's yours, have fun'. Cheese nodded.

I panicked as he started towards me in a speed I didn't expect. He swung with his blade at my neck, but I ducked under it in reflex.

My body moved, plunging my leg into his open side and he flew backwards. He landed on his back but quickly rolled, back on his feet. I stared, eyes wide. I made the guy fly!

"Fuck this shit!" I announced, "I'm out!"

I whipped around and took off. The two came after me. The forest was a blur now, my feet thudding against the dry leaves and making a zig zag pattern. The way I moved saved my head from more than one throwing knife.

Running without looking back would probably be the best thing to do, but I decided to look back. Cheese had wall climbed a tree and flipped over me, landing in front of my path.

Skidding to a stop, I turned. Moomoo and Cheese had me covered on two sides.

--------------

"Welp," I huffed, "that was fun, want to go again?"

I stared at Moomoo, who was on the forest floor on top of Cheese.

"Sorry about the broken arm," I apologized to Cheese, "uh, and the shattered skull. Didn't mean to flip you right on your noggin. As for the dislocated jaw...uh...nevermind."

These might have been the weakest, since they aren't near the Baron himself. I gotta take off before any more show up.

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"Why can't I go home?!" I shouted to nobody in particular.

It's been a couple of days, the wings are gone, and I was tired of sleeping in the forest in random hidden locations. I tried everything I could think of about what I did at the time I blinked. I tried to text Jessie, but I didn't have reception here in the Badlands. It was useless and it was frustrating me.

On top of that, the red Clippers have found me more than once, and I've unintentionally left a trail of unconscious but broken bodies. Everytime I've come across them.

Some asked me my name before they attempted to chop my head off. For anonymity, I answered "Cyphis". I said this because that's who my character was named in the game file I played before I fell in love with Bloodborne as a whole. They seemed to take it seriously enough, even though it wasn't my real name. Like they'd know that, but you've got to give them credit.

After the fifth time I've run into the red Clippers within two days, I was so fed up I just kept silent.

I just wanted to go home.

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-Quinn's Lavish Home-

"So...Cyphis, hmm?"

"Yes, Baron. A man dressed in a heavy leather coat, black face mask, and a pointed hat. He took out seven of your men. Broke their bones and left them to die."

"Hmm," Quinn rubbed at his forehead and looked put the window, "bring him to me, alive. He could be of use in the impending plan, hmm."

"Yes, Baron."

-----------------

Ten this time, huh, I thought as I stared at the ten Clippers that approached me with blades drawn, they're reeeally trying to kill me aren't they?

"Our Baron wants to see you, Cyphis," one spoke flatly, "That's your name, right?"

Okay, that's new.

I huffed, getting up from the rock I was sitting on and answered just as flatly, "One condition."

"You don't have a choice in the matter," Another informed me.

"I'll go with you, I just want to ride a motorcycle there. Is that too much to ask?"

"We can't allow that-" the same one argued, but I cut him off.

"What, you'll think I'll take off? Seriously, if I wanted to run off I would've by now. Get me a bike and we'll roll. Deal?"

Silence. They looked to one another, then one silently sighed.

--------------

God, it's been a good couple of months since I've touched a bike, especially one this awesome looking. Riding with a truck behind me and three more bikes in front of me, the Clippers escorted me through the plains and through the red flower fields.

It was so strange, seeing it in real life. The towering walls and all of the red. People in the fields looking like they're wearing themselves down to the bone. They probably were.

Trying not to think about it, I focused back on the road, seeing the large doors slowly open wide for us.

We drove through the semi-cramped city, dirty clothed people moving immediately out of the way, some noticing me on the bike being escorted. I glanced at a face I knew, a tan skinned woman with gorgeous black hair.

Veil. She was more pretty than on-screen. We held gazes for a few seconds as I passed, but she turned away. I sighed inwardly and revved the bike, continuing on.

It took us about ten minutes to get through and up the hills to reach the mansion where the Baron himself lived. It was something out of a dream.

We parked on a gravel drive that led to the side entrance. A red-clad guard took the bike off of my hands and I was led inside, but not before shifting through my bag briefly along with me to make sure I didn't have anything that would compromise the Baron. Staring coldly, I snatched the bag back and kept walking.

Down a couple of spick and span glorious hallways and a comfortably red foyer later, the two Clippers stopped at an entryway to a closed balcony. I nodded to them and they acknowledged it with a tip of their heads. I entered with a wide stride, finding the red clothed Baron we all knew as Quinn.

"Welcome to my abode, Cyphis, hm. I am-" Quinn came over and offered his hand, but I cut him off.

"-Quinn. I'm aware,"  I replied with a dark tone, shaking with a confident hand and taking off my pointed hat with the other hand.

"Hm. I was told you lingered in my territory for some days, taking out my men and simply leaving them to die."

I stood for a second in silence, surprised. I actually never thought about my actions that way.

"It wasn't my intention to linger here," I answered tiredly, "or to injure others, for that matter. I'd rather be back somewhere other than the Badlands."

Like home, for example.

"You've been outside the Badlands?" Quinn asked, interested.

"Hm," I confirmed, walking around and taking a long gaze at paintings and decorations for a few moments, "...I must say, I feel like a stranger, being in a lavish place such as yours."

Quinn took his sweet time sitting on a red couch and picking up a glass with wine in it. He offered a glass, but with a wave of my hand I denied it.

"My intentions are to see you otherwise, Cyphis," the Baron rumbled, "I've called you here to propose an offer...of a lifetime."

He really loves putting people on edge.

I stopped walking and faced Quinn, listening. For more suspense, Quinn looked at me for another moment before he spoke again.

"I'd be glad to have you as one of my men," Quinn rubbed absentmindedly at his glassware. My eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"Pardon?" I questioned, staring.

"Join me in my fight for my purpose, to gain power and make this world a betterment for everyone involved, hm," Quinn went into more detail, "If it's successfully completed there will be peace. The Badlands have been restless, and the other Barons don't pay any mind to the misalignment...having power over all the territories would solve this tyrany."

I blurted flatly without thinking, "and let the Badlands be ruled in Dictatorship? You certainly won't live long enough to see it if the other Barons resist your ideals."

The air became extremely dangerous, along with Quinn's gaze. My heart dropped realizing what I had just said.

Quinn didn't tell anyone but his first wife and Veil. Hoo boy, I'm in some deep shit now.

"It's not hard to tell, Quinn," I continued, covering my ass on the last comment, "and some point, everyone with a right mind will see that you're unwell."

"Unwell, hm."

"To be fair, Baron, brain tumors do have the effect of the headaches you've had," I gesture to his hand which he was pressing against his forehead.

He stared with the eyes of a raging wolves.

"...I'll think about your offer," I smiled through my mask, "until then, keep your men off my back, would you? I'd rather not have to leave more people to die."

I turned to leave, then paused.

"Don't worry. Your compromising condition is safe with me."

With a confident and relaxed stride, I didn't look back as I left the lavish room.