Author's Note
I love seeing out of context moments from tubers and streamers I follow, I thought it'd be funny to give some snippets I thought would fit this cast of characters. Bonus points for people who catch where some of the quotes came from. It's preeeeeetty Final Fantasy heavy, because I've been on a kick of watching a certain content creator's stuff lately.
I really hope you like it!
SC: OOC
It was a nice Friday afternoon, the prestream dinner for the Shimmer code cast. Sunset had branched out and included several friends who joined her weekly. Some rotating out when unavailable. Around the table sat Lemon, Octavia, Lightning, Lyra, Aria, Rainbow and Sunset herself. A few others couldn't make it...but would be there for the stream that night.
They chatted and prepared stream ideas as they ate at the small diner.
"Dude, you gotta see this. I was losing my shit." Lemon giggled, holding her phone out to Sunset.
"Shimmer Code out of context?" She read the video title. "Oh lord."
***
The video started with a short title card before static cut to the first clip. Sunset's character ran around dodging circles on the small arena, Lyra’s character, a lalafell paladin, a sword and shield wielding holy knight in lime green armor screamed in the background as she was chased by multiple additional enemies.
"I don't have my tank stance on! I don't have my tank stance on! Snake mommy is mad!" She called out.
"Snake mommy?" Lightning asked, stifling a laugh. An Au Ra dragoon, or a dragon knight stabbed her foe with her ornate spear before leaping into the air to strike another.
"Look at her! I'd say step on me...but she has no legs."
"Lyra, control your thirst!" Octavia's voice chided, the viera red mage threw a fire spell before following it with a burst of electricity from her rapier/staff.
"MY THIRST CANNOT BE SLAKED-ACK!" She shouted then grunted as her character fell to the ground, out of hp. "I died."
A chorus of laughs from the others in the party ultimately caused the group to wipe against the boss, Sunset recalling actually being brought to tears.
*static*
The camera on Sunset zoomed in as her thumbs moved about on the controller. A loud crash sounded in the background, followed by Rainbow's voice "Fuck, me!"
Sunset paused the game, glancing over her shoulder. "Was that a demand?"
*static*
The next clip started with a live action skit they had set up for a game announcement.
Aria sat on the couch in Sunset’s apartment, looking annoyed, Lemon and Indigo idly walking around as they picked up what looked like trash from the gaming session. The Christmas lights around the background and the tree behind the couch was telling of the time period.
“You better watch out…” Lemon began.
“You better watch out…” Indigo added.
“YOU BETTER WATCH OUT!” Rainbow’s voice called from off camera.
Aria palmed her face as Sunset took a seat beside her. “You better watch out.”
All three in the room and a distant fourth voice chanted in unison “YOU BETTER WATCH OUT!”
Aria tried not to smile as she looked ready to die.
*static*
A red capped plumber ran across the screen as a ghostly woman followed him.
"Why is that ghost stacked?" Light asked simply.
"Big ol' ghost jugs." Lyra added, sounding bored for whatever reason.
"Great, you ruined Paper Mario."
*static*
Applejack sat on the couch, her thumbs moving deftly as she turned the controller, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.
Her reaction time was actually rather good, she caught each attack that came in and parried them easily. The words 'Prey Slaughtered' appeared on the screen as she sat the controller down, crossing her arms with a satisfied smirk.
"You just beat the final boss without getting hit…" Sunset said, mouth hanging slightly.
"That's how it's done, Sugarcube." She tipped her hat.
"Since when have you been so good at games?"
"Y'all never asked if I could play." She shrugged.
“I’m totally not butthurt about this.” She said with a frown.
“Sounds like y’all are.” The cowgirl smirked.
"I am extremely butthurt."
*static*
Lightning’s dragoon ran a marker over another party member, as they dodged attacks from a giant red machine-like being.
“LIGHT, I’M GONNA TURN YOUR ASS INTO KIMCHI, I SWEAR TO GOD!” Aria shouted, the flashily dressed viera dancer tried in vain to dodge out of the attack with a forward darting rush ability.
Light guffawed as the attack went off, almost killing her teammate.
“Kimchi is really spicy.” The Paladin said simply.
“...What?” Octavia asked as her brain tried to comprehend the response...chuckles starting in the group chat.
“No, it’s not.” Lightning replied.
“What?” The red capped magician asked again, still baffled at the statement.
“Lyra’s the type of person who thinks toothpaste is spicy.” Light said with a chuckle.
“It’s cold spicy.”
“‘It’s cold spicy’!” The dancer repeated, laughing “I love that!”
“I hate that...so much.” Sunset said, tiredly. The miqo’te bard threw out another song as she tried to keep up with the dropped damage done during the laughing fits.
*static*
“Did you see that post about how we suck at raiding?” Lyra asked as the same fight from the previous clip was going on.
“Oh, how were 8 individuals and not a group?” Sunset asked.
“Huh?” Aria asked.
“On Chitter, there was a post about our prog speed. Saying we’re so slow because we’re 8 pugs.” The paladin explained as she ran out of the ground that suddenly began sucking in the party members, she made it to the safe spot just barely.
“It doesn’t matter, I think it was unrelated to us.” Sunset said, as she stepped out of an attack.
“Oh, if there’s no drama I don’t care then.” Aria sighed, throwing her chakrams before she began one of her dances to buff the party. “There’s no clout to gain from this.”
“Clout...it sounds like a gross word.” Sunset chuckled, releasing a shot from her bow as she leapt back out of range from an attack.
“What’s worse, is that if there’s no good clout to be had, there’s only sourclout.” Lyra said, the smirk evident in her words.
“SOURCLOUT?” Aria repeated, chuckling. “I hate that I like that.”
“I’m killing it today, I made Aria laugh twice.” Lyra boasted.
*static*
The screen showed another big boss battle, what looked like a floating ship-like creature, it swung its arm as Lyra blocked with a large gunblade.
"Guys, Gunbreaker is so fucking cool!" Lyra cheered as she pointed the gun to Sunset who swung a large greatsword, a healing buff taking effect as she took lead.
"Glad you like gunbreaker, Lyra. But focus, we're almost through this."
"Hey Moondancer, you paying attention?" Lyra asked.
"I am, why?" The scholar asked, her voice echoing slightly as if she was speaking into a can.
Lyra held her blade up and her health dropped to 1 point.
Moondancer gasped loudly, coughing before trying desperately to recover her health. Crashing items were caught on her mic. "YOU SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO SUPERBOLIDE!"
"BUT I'M INVINCIBLE FOR 7 SECONDS!"
"I SPILLED MY EVERYTHING!"
"That'll teach you to get comfortable." Lyra said with sadistic glee.
*static*
The same fight played as they discussed the mechanics before starting.
"So if you pass the prey marker, the more you do it, the less damage it does." Octavia explained.
"You're fucking lying." Aria said, sounding genuinely surprised.
"No, I'm serious."
"I literally don't believe you. Fuck it let's pull." Aria said, Lyra throwing an attack to start the fight.
"If this does anywhere near 100k damage, I'm beating the shit out of you in real life." Aria play threatened.
"Do it. End me." Octavia said simply.
The mechanic triggered and the prey circles were passed between two dps, a healer, then to the tank...to a much weaker damaging attack
"Holy fuck." Aria said, stunned. "I've cleared this fight before!"
"Yes. Hello. I know mechanics." Octavia smugly replied.
*static*
What appeared next was a screen with four cameras, Sunset, Aria, Lyra and Octavia took up the frames, the words ShimmerPod in the center with the chibified heads of the four members.
Aria held her hand up as if to start in on a statement...the other three giving her the floor.
"Oh yeah, Aria, you had a story you wanted to tell us?"
"I...got fucked the other day-"
"Brag about it." Lyra cut in immediately, which earned chuckles from the other two girls.
Aria looked down, sighing, but held a slight smirk at the girl's quick response.
*static*
The camera was zoomed in on Moondancer's lalafell, running past a giant attack marker in another big boss fight. A tether attached to Lyra and dragged her into the killing blast.
"I-WHAT?! WHO?! WHO DID IT?!" She shouted.
Sunset burst out laughing "M-Moondancer, did you just-"
"I hold your lives in my hands." The small scholar said darkly as the party was soon demolished by the boss.
"Oh...MY GOD!" Lyra groaned. "That was the one!"
"Yeah, you gonna hit superbolide after I heal you again?"
"I-! Likely, yeah. Knowing me. Let's be real." Lyra shrugged.
*static*
"Oh, I just need some more rathian fights and I'll get that chest I want…" Sunset said, looking over the armor designs.
She exited out, turning to find Lyra and Aria standing in matching bright pink bone armor.
"Sunset."
"...what?"
"We got boned."
"Why are you my friends again?"
*static*
"So Bernadetta is my favorite archer unit." Aria explained as Sunset walked around the monastery of another game, a new teacher trying to get to know her students.
"Why do you say that?"
"Her ability makes her do more damage if she's not at full health. Plus she's a mess and it's kinda funny to pick on her."
Sunset walked to her door and initiated a conversation.
"Oh my god she's like if Fluttershy and Wallflower fused."
"Interesting. I didn't think either of them would consider killing someone with fire to avoid social situations."
"She wha-?!"
"Good thing you picked her class. Black eagle is the canon ending as far as I'm concerned."
"There are other endings?"
"Oh god. Sunset, did you even look into this game at all?!"
"I saw a cute girl and picked her house!"
*static*
"This is the worst." Sunset said simply.
***
The video ended and Lemon giggled, the girls at the table being reminded of their previous projects.
"We've been at this a while." Aria said.
"Let's...get more games in than Final Fantasy XIV, most of that was from there."
"Stop making raiding funny."
"I can't raid if it's not entertaining." Lyra pouted.
"You need to not play a tank. You kill us too often."
"Tank is easy though. I stand there and get all the attention. And when I'm feeling neglected, I just turn a cleave toward you guys. Give you all some love." Lyra grinned.
“I gotta get in on more projects, I was only in one of those clips!” Lemon excitedly stood. “So, what are we recording tonight?”
“Let’s do a big party game and just all stream from my place.” Sunset suggested. “We can piss Aria off by beating her in Mario Party.”
“Joke’s on you. I’ve had time to get good at Mario Party. Sonata loves that crappy game.”
“We’ll see.” Dash chimed in.
“To think, someone goes through our content enough to make a highlight video…” Octavia mused.
“I mean, we’ve got zingers every now and then.” Lightning chuckled with a shrug. “Lyra’s totally the star of the show though. She can break down Aria’s grump.”
“I don’t like that you’ve decided to refer to my disdain for you losers as “My grump”.” Aria crossed her arms.
“Well don’t be such a grump then.”
“Let’s go. We got work to do.” Aria huffed.
“Everyone, thanks for making this what it is.” Sunset said with a smile. “It was just a throwaway idea one day...and it became this. Some of us stream professionally because of this. It’s so much fun knowing that if anyone wants to do a project you can just call them.”
“Don’t get sappy on us, Shimmer.” Aria sighed.
“It’s been a lot of fun.” Light smiled. “I’m happy you asked me to be a part of it.”
“As am I, this has been a wonderful experience.” Octavia said before taking a sip of her drink. “It’s never a dull moment as a member of Shimmer Code.”
Dash pat Sunset’s shoulder with a smile. “I’m happy for you all. I need to get in on more streams also, it's kinda tough with my schedule...but I’ll manage.”
“I have gigs all next week…” Lemon pouted. “But you know the minute I’m off those I’m hopping in the voice channel.”
“And promptly fall asleep in there again.” Aria said simply.
“ONE TIME!”
“SEVERAL TIMES!”
“It is getting late, girls. Let’s get going.” Sunset said as she stood to pay the bill. The Shimmer Code team all followed her out to head to Sunset and Dash’s place for a long game of shouting at your friends...
