Still no Sequel
~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~
"The game is good as it is. There's no need for a sequel."
"Don't screw with us!" And then somebody punched Neku.
This is a story about friendship but mostly anything goes.
~xoxo~xoxo~
Ever since their last existential crisis concerning the countdown on a certain website that didn't amount to expectations, they've been quite busy at doing nothing. They played a few games here and there but not much since their company doesn't produce that many in the first place. After being idle for almost a year, they actually have a topic to discuss. The downside? It's more related to a recent event that doesn't even include them. Yes, that one.
"Wasn't the first game good enough? They already made an HD remix so people should just let it go." It was hard to take Neku seriously when he had tissues up his nose since Beat's idea of a shut-up-punch was until something bleeds.
"Ain't no one's gonna drop it! A remake ain't another game." As Beat cracked his knuckles instinctively, Neku took it as a threat and did a somewhat defensive pose. What? His punches hurt.
Neku casually put some good distance between him and Beat just in case. "Look, there're tons of standalone games which did good. A sequel doesn't do any good to the first game."
"Usually the games are treated separately even sequels. And sequels don't necessarily change anything 'bout the first game. Siblings may share the same blood but not the same personality." Rhyme just so happened to know it was true in her and Beat's case.
"They still compare them though. Most of the time, the sequels are way worse. It's like they were made just to mess with the fans." Shiki sighed as she massaged her temples. Definitely not one of her happier topics.
"Man, those're cheap. S'like 10-II and 13-II. They all trippin' us like we know nothin' 'bout games."
"There was a popular saying on the internet. You know a game is ruined when it gets a sequel."
"Standalone games are the best. They don't need anything else. They're legendary on their own." Neku crossed his arms.
"Someone's regressing to Week One, Day One." A little gorgeous bird of white hair chirped.
"But our company isn't exactly in the business of standalone games." Rhyme pointed out.
"Now that you mention it…" Shiki thought and Mr. Mew looked like he did too. "Yeah, not much."
"Not true. Look at 33rd Birthday."
"Actually, that was a spinoff of Parasite Noon."
"Aight, Ramuh Sphere then."
"That was just released in a certain region by the company. It's not really something they made."
"Street Fortune?"
"That's a lame joke right there."
"Yo, how 'bout Wakffu?" Beat blurted out all of a sudden.
… And then there was silence.
"What the hell is that?" Neku took the responsibility to voice out everyone's opinion. "Anyways, they still got a few good ones like Nyer and The Final Remnant."
"You're missing the point here, dearest." Joshua really did love calling Neku that. "Everyone knows that a sequel always follows good games. It is simply a must."
"Who made that stupid rule?"
"The market, of course. If it sells then simply make more of it." Ah, the cruelty of reality. Even fiction can't escape it.
"That's messed up, yo. Ya givin' me the chills." Beat rubbed his arms.
"Truly unfortunate but it does happen. Just take our company for example."
"It's full of long-winding series like the Something of Nama, Fantastical Fantasy Finale, and Dragon Guest." Shiki was more than happy to know the titles.
"And lots of smaller series like Star Sea and Drunkenguard." Rhyme added for good measure.
"Oh, I know those! Wait a minute, isn't the censorship for the last one a bit too much?"
"Really? I thought it sounded really close."
"Well it does, it's just that… how do I say this? It kinda gives the wrong picture."
This conversation was cut due to its dull length. Please enjoy the boys' conversation in the meanwhile.
"Although I wouldn't call them the best example since they're so painfully blind sometimes."
Beat got to him first. "Blind? They got hit in da eyes or what?"
"They're not too keen on what a good investment is." Joshua flipped his hair so dashingly. "I mean, obviously, I could pull off more sparkles and a bigger fanbase than Thunder and yet she gets another game."
"Who's asking? Just shut up." Neku had no interest whatsoever in this discussion. "The last thing we need is more haters just 'cause you dissed the newbie."
"Oh, I'm sorry was I talking to you? You were dead for three weeks." His hand deliberately and slowly caressed Neku's jawline. "Maybe I should've let you stay dead." He said it in his sweetest voice.
If you asked Neku, it was so sweet that it was practically sickening. "As if a prissy boy could do that. How 'bout you pull off your sparkles instead since you seem so good at it?"
"Losing your temper already? Then you could at least fix your use of emphasis since it is seriously out of place just like you. Might I remind you that I-"
"Bwaaaaah?! Dude, no spoilers!" Beat jumped in as fast as he could.
"It can't be helped. Someone's too much of a spoiled brat." Joshua had a venomous gaze.
"Yeah, and I'm looking at him." Neku glared harder.
"They at it 'gain. Sucks to be dem."
This conversation was cut due to some reason probably graphic violence. Please enjoy the girls' continued conversation in the meanwhile.
"Most great games don't get sequels just prequels." Rhyme thought out loudly.
"Like 7?" Shiki quickly supplied.
"That has two prequels which are admittedly good. However, it's just a good half example. 7 does in fact have a sequel but it didn't live up to its name though." The gameplay doomed itself or so she heard. "Prequels usually get better reception than sequels. After all, the past is the key to the present."
"I know what you mean. Sometimes sequels aren't as awesome as the first one but prequels work more often."
"Even though most people hate open-ended endings, they're quick to hate on sequels that don't quite match their interpretation of the ending." She adjusted her beanie. "And most of these do bear merit since a lot of sequels serve no greater purpose than to earn more money. The plots don't even make sense that it's kinda sad."
"But with prequels, since the ending's already done, it's so much easier to accept backstories that suddenly explain stuff as if the prequel actually came first."
"So instead of asking for a sequel, we should just hope for a prequel."
"Yeah but I don't think there's much to go 'round if it's us." Not many non-casual gamers would pick up a game where the main cast was a bunch of ten-year olds and believe that it wasn't targeted at kids with that age.
"I guess we're also one of those cases where prequels don't work." Given that they did have a solid first game but no one would take a prequel like that.
"Anyways, let's go back. Don't forget those which get so many sequels that it becomes an independent series." Shiki waved her hands in exaggeration.
"Was there ever a case that a game by our company got a sequel but wasn't turned into a series?"
"How 'bout Krono Trigger with its Krono Cross? That is if you don't count that one Japanese-exclusive game that everyone seems to don't know about." She thought harder. "Sorry, I got nothin' else. I still don't get how you could make so many sequels out of one game, it's a bit over the top."
"Yeah, me too but that just proves how strong the game is to turn into a series. Mimicry is the highest form of flattery."
"The company's in no shortage when it comes to those."
"I feel like we were just giving out examples of those series a while ago." Weren't they?
"No way, must be déjà vu or something."
… Another awkward silence.
Shiki coughed. "Don't forget the spin-off games too. They're just as many as the main line but oddly enough they're never counted in the series."
Rhyme picked up the pace soon after. "That's because they never were. Most of them are for casual gamers anyways with just the game name. Classic examples would be those like FFF Four Heroes of Lite and Chococo Racing."
"But didn't we get that one spin-off game?" Beat skated his way over to this side of the conversation.
"How's it going on your side?"
"Not cool. They still at it."
"Oh, you mean the Live Remix?" Joshua wore his charming smile and casually joined in. Well, that was fast.
"Yup, that one. With just one game and an HD remix, we still got a spin-off game."
"However, the usual sequence is turning into a series then getting spin-offs. In other words, we should expect our game to turn into a series." It was only logical, right?
"Dream on. You know our company's track record. It ain't happening' at least not until the big guns are out." Neku butted in and not surprisingly, he's got a few bandages here and there as if his bleeding nose before wasn't enough.
"You're talking about the 3E, right?" Shiki asked.
"3E? Don't you mean E-mmph!" He immediately found himself gagged.
"Dude, you whack?!"
"What's your problem?! I'm just saying that you got the letter-number thing mixed up." He wheezed as he was finally allowed to breathe.
"My, you're quite the ignorant one today aren't you? Clearly, that was on purpose."
"It's for legal purposes." Everyone but Neku nodded his or her head.
"It's common knowledge not to use such terms so as to evade lawsuits." Always ever the wise one, Rhyme, spoke.
He rolled his eyes. "Right. Tell me what else can I get myself canned for?"
"If the company ain't got it then we ain't s'posed to talk 'bout it." The skater warned.
"'Sides, isn't that what you've been doing all along? Think back to all those games you misspelled." Shiki pointed out.
"Yeah, but those are different. I'm playing it safe. No gaming company owns the rights to E-" A piece of cloth covered his mouth. Again. Smells weird too… was that chloroform? Mother fu–
Somewhere in the background, Neku collapsed.
"Going back on topic, we can't compete with FFF15 and KayH3. We'd probably turn out much worse." Mr. Mew was mimicking a few moves from those games with the help of his expert puppeteer of a master.
"I know how you feel. A two-digit series and a series tied up with Dis-knee are quite intimidating."
"Man, the series' got FINALE in its name and it still ain't over. How they do dat?"
"And the other one has theme parks across the globe."
Thankfully, Neku's dead air was over. He's already conscious again. "What about the other companies?"
"Huh? What about them?"
"Aren't we gonna check them out or something?" No, thanks. He's better off sleeping cold.
Everyone gave him disapproving faces. "No way! That ain't our turf!"
"Yeah, and the higher ups might think we're going rebel."
"That's it? Just two games?"
"Just two games? Neku, these are the two games."
"It ain't cool to joke 'bout dem."
"In the event that we get another game, whether sequel, prequel, spinoff, or tie-up, please don't include Neku in the cast." Someone said to no one in particular.
"What? Ya got a problem with me?"
"Yo, it ain't Rhyme's fault. Ya keep sayin' ya don't want one, aight? So jus' don't get into one."
"They can't just leave me out. I'm the-"
"You're the what? The hero?" Joshua challenged him.
"Protagonist." He narrowed his eyes in acceptance.
"Might I remind you that there are five of those in this room?"
"I'm not blind. But I'm the main protagonist."
Everyone grimaced. Disgust was written all over their faces.
"That was a low blow, man."
"Too low even for you."
"Someone's being egotistic."
"In the event that we get another game, whatever it is, please destroy Neku's character so that not only the cast but also the fans will hate him."
"Oh c'mon! You guys can't be serious!"
~xoxo~xoxo~
This is a story about friendship but mostly anything goes.
Joshua clapped his hands. "Might I interest anyone on the console wars?"
Beat hollered. "Yo, the SBOS-1 got floored. It got brutal."
Rhyme had a more calm approach. "It's PX4 domination then. It's not enough to knock down an opponent. One has to ensure that they never get back up."
Shiki quipped. "All the while, the Wii-YU gets front row seats."
Neku just shrugged. "We're way too far from the original topic. But what the hell." And no. It was not on purpose that in the last segment, the main characters were naturally introduced.
This fanfiction is good as it is. There's no need for a sequel.
~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~
Shinra-ex-SOLDIER
I added the censorship for fun. Laugh with me. Hahahaha!
After the extremely long hiatus, I finally wrote something and it's a filler! A CRACK FILLER! Behold my 2AM inspiration. I think I forgot how to write TWEWY, I guess that's it for me? This was really fun though. Paalam!