AUs of Balancer Productions' Series (& other Steve Stories channels)

[📖 | ST] Immersion

He squirted his eyes, his reflection did the same. He focuses, and tries to remember if he has always looked like this. Maybe he has changed like how the others did, and he hasn't noticed till now. Maybe that's why he feels like something is missing. He focuses, still. Because he couldn't find anything different about him.

Ones & Zeros rippled itself into his eyes, and he flinched.

He isn't Balance, Balance was never real. He was a character he's acting as, and not is. He was written and acted and not, real.

His name is Box. BoxcarAssassin. And the code flowing in his eyes are his own.

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Sharply inhaling, he stood himself up as quickly as he could and stumbled back a bit, his body lagging behind as it struggled to stay up. Crap, crap— what day is it? Is he still recording? Questions overflowing as he pulls up Windows to check them all.

He's still in his Balance skin, which was. Needed. He's still in the Balancer Village, everyone is asleep or working expect him so it's fine that he's looking through code here it's fine he's okay like this it's fine.

He wants out of it. He can't, not right now, later. Later is better.

"Not here. Can't be here."

He's still recording. It's, how many minutes? Enough to make a hour? Hours? It has enough to make hours— how long has he been acting as Balance? Why hasn't any of the Staff notified him? Was he that surrounded?

"Breathe, breathe, breathe— It's okay. It's fine. You're okay, Ba— Box. Breathe."

The Player mumbled to himself as he struggled to keep his breathing steady. Moving his body towards the nearest sitting place, and it so happens to be the benches next to the fountain. Letting himself flop into the bench and letting his head lay back. Closing his eyes as he focused solely on his breathing.

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He stayed like this for a bit. The night is still kind, and the cool air seems to help him just a bit. There's not much sound other then the wind and the leaves, and if he listened close enough, he could hear OverBalance's animals.

He didn't want to think about the Balancers right now. He wanted back with his Staff. He wanted Home, this isn't Home.

Box let out a sigh as he opened his eyes, staring up at the moon as it stays in its place. The stars still shine as brightly as ever, and he feels a bit better then before. He turned, in his seat, towards the fountain, and scooped up a bit of the water in his hands. Splashing it against his face, rubbing his eyes, trying to get himself to stay awake.

Being Balance as always been tiring, just.. not this much. He never, played as him for this long before without breaks. He didn't even notice, and that part scares him the most. Because he lost himself in that role, and he..

He almost kept going. He almost kept going as Balance, and forgot himself entirely.

Deep breaths. In, 1 2 3 4. out, 5 6 7 8.

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"Fwwoo.. okay. Okay. I'm okay."

Breathing out, the Player reached out, and immediately pulled away as a certain someone walked by.

"Oh—! Um, h-heyyy.. Energyy..."

The comfortable code that used to flow in his eyes had to go for the moment, and Box hated it, but he had to. For now, just for now.

EnergyBalance blinked at Bo— Balance, looking at him for a moment before going down to sit next to him.

EnergyBalance: hey

"Hi. Why— why are you still up?"

Box— Balance, asks. Just Balance for now, just for now.

EnergyBalance looked at him still, a small frown peasant. He never looks at him like that, never had the Balancer looks at him as through he's reading him. Never.

Ones & Zeros appeared in EnergyBalance's eyes, and so much was lifted from Box's shoulders.

"Energy!"

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EnergyBalance: box

EnergyBalance: you actually back?

Box could feel his code flow through him again.

"Yeah, man— i. Why didn't anyone snap me out of it??"

EnergyBalance: we tried

EnergyBalance: you were surrounded almost 24/7

EnergyBalance: this is the only time you were left alone

Box heaved a sigh, something he seems to be doing a lot. Barely noticing how his hand went behind his neck and dig into the fake skin, his glance moving to the ground.

"Christ..."

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Energy lightly patted his fellow Staff on the back.

EnergyBalance: you really need a break. like actually

EnergyBalance: this is what, the third time now?

"I know, I know—"

He pulled his hand away as Box whined, laying into his seat without a care that he might hit his head against it.

"But we still have, what? Few more seasons to go? And I have to be here or else the Balancers would question why Balance disappeared."

A pause, the side Actor seeming to be thinking.

EnergyBalance: isn't the next arc the one with the blue guy?

"Yeaah.. Codey. It's the most anticipated one."

EnergyBalance: does Balance really have to be with them? couldn't he like, get too injured to do anything from the thing?

EnergyBalance: it'll be enough to break keys, why not people too?

Box blinked at Energy, thinking over his words.

".. Leaving Balance out of the picture, and letting the Balancers to fend for themselves."

EnergyBalance: yeah

"And ...we wanted to know how well they'll do without him, with an unknown threat, anyways."

EnergyBalance: yep

If Energy used his voice, the 'p' would've popped.

The mc Actor slowly sat up straight, the code in his eyes almost seeming to be glowing. A small grin seeming to grow on his face, causing the other to tilt his head at him.

"... Call a Staff meeting, I might just have an idea that could actually work."

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(1403 words, nice.)