"It should be around here, I saw it!" A voice, slightly deep and lightly exhausted, said through the darkness echoing until the sound faded.
"Be careful up there, Noel! It's not very safe going up there like that." Cried a second voice, this one higher and laced with concern, toward the first voice. There was no reply from the male but the exception of grunting and strain searching for securtiy before proceeding.
"You want me to go after him, Serah?" A third voice asked the second sounding bored, almost knowing that trying would do nothing. A reluctant sigh came from the female and shortly after a few minutes of silence she replied:
"Are you sure? I mean your powers have been inactive for some time now. If you try to climb after him and either of you fall, I'm not sure a phoenix down or my cure spell would help you out from that height. Both of you might die!"
There was silence again from both figures as if trying to get someone to submit to the others request in a mental battle of a staring contest. This continued for some time until the pinknette could no longer match her gaze to the others scrutiny she relented, turning her gaze skyward.
"Alright... If your so sure about this then all I ask is for you to be safe, and try not to kill eachother up there, knowing how you and Noel tend to butt heads."
Reaching up the rock face for secure footing the third figure gave one last acknowledging smile to their friend and ascended...
"I'm sorry that I couldn't fulfill your wishes, Serah. And I'm so sorry for failing you twice... Lightning."
'Everything happened so fast; Serah, Noel, and I managed to time travel to Archylte Steppe (XXX A.F.) and upon our arrival Noel spotted an artifact utop one of the high cliffs, or so he claimed. The steppe expanse were void of monsters so Serah was safe from harm as she tried to convince Noel to forget the artifact until there were more light and untill we reached one of the last remaining frontiers in this world. Of course, Noel was far too eager to try and reach another timeline, and disregarded the dangers and his own safety. Talking was pointless thus why I asked for Serah's consent to go after him, which she did reluctantly. I remembered the events crisply, still fresh in my mind: The day was slowly rising past the dawn as the citrus kissed skies and orange sun gave the first few rays of the new day. Ascending higher the gentle wind picked up and the tan dirt of the rock face stained my hands and clothes, I noticed that Noel was still climbing half a high school bleacher length ahead it was difficult to manage my way safely up. Higher and higher elavation made my head feel dizzy and my vision was spinning, my surroundings moved three times in motion trying to remain steady were very difficult. All I remembered after I felt sick were reaching my hand up grabbing a stable fissure and tried to plant my feet against the wall to push up. I planted sloppy and felt my weight descend. Wind whistled through my being and into my ears it was until I looked towards the ground that my vision was clear enough to notice I was falling and the ground was coming up fast. Serah's concerns came true... My powers had been inactive for a while and left me in dire situations and my magic skills aren't good enough to save anyone without the powers Etro gave me aside from this worlds magic. I failed in this world, now all which I sought after to mend my fragile mind will be left unanswered...
"Mel!"
Bar & Lounge: Sunday Night: Day 1:
Eyes shot open, blood shot and blurry, spazzed about trying to discern figures from shapes until their vision refocused. Mellow lights and sound melded together the figures head began to pound as if someone were trying to beat their skull in in an aggressive rhythm. In a last resort, and disregarding their new surroundings and the consequences, the figure clapsed their head with both hands until energy suged into their palms til they glowed a faint aqua-green glow. Soon enough the cure spell relieved the pain until the throbbing dulled to pressure against the head and the persons eyes refocused taking in their new surroundings.
'Guess I survived again, but where am I? Is this the frontier we were looking for?' Thought the figure before paying detailed attention to the room they sat in: it was modern, nowhere near the grassy plains full of beasts that inhabited Archylte Steppe and the people seemed to be carefree like their lives weren't at risk. From obvious observations it was a lounge and the fashion looked more of Earth than of Final Fantasy. To be sure if their suspicions were true the person stood from the corner booth and walked across the near golden carpet toward the polished oak counter several long strides away. A tall male occupied the counter cleaning glasses and conversing with people at his station, once he saw someone approach him his attention changed and greeted the new comer with a small smile.
"Hello, what can I do for you sir?" Asked the male. The figure shifted a little uncomfortably in place and instinctly reached for their right pants pocket to find nothing in it. Swallowing nervously the person responded shyly,
"I'm feeling a little unwell. Would you mind telling me the date, time, and the name of this place so I may call a ride later?" The man nodded, as if he went through this many times over, lifted his wrist to his eyes checking for the required information.
"Of course. Right now it is almost seven thirty in the evening, April first, and this little establishment is Glennberry Bar & Lounge. The city is a little over the average country population so taxi's know where every place is located without a GPS, an address isn't needed for them when picking up tourists or drunk locals." With a quick nod of thanks the figure turned back to their table but turned back to the man.
"Could I get a glass of water, my throat's a bit dry." The man nodded again and filled an octagonal whiskey glass with water. He placed the cup on the counter and the other took the glass in their hand. They looked up to meet the man's gentle gaze until they noticed his eyes were looking them over with suspicion, as if they weren't ment to be in the bar.
"T-thank you again!" The figure took the water and hastily retreated back into the corner booth out of sight out of mind.
'Glenberry? Never heard of it. But if I'm someplace else then I must have been pulled into another world, and Serah with Noel are back at the steppe doing who knows what. But why drag me from my first quest, is there a reason that I'm here?' Thought the figure as they tentatively drank from their cup looking out the window of the lounge with a great view of the city lights that surrounded the establishment, people were bustling without a care in the streets unlike during the day and were ready to unwind from their stress. Soon in the windows reflection someone stood by the booth. The figure froze in fear it might have been another worker from the bar ready to toss them out for being two years underage the legal drinking age. Slowly the figure turned their head until brown fearful eyes met with lively emerald ones that could have been mistakened for the Pulsian healer or huntress.
"Hi there." The figure was a female decked out in a short red cocktail dress that exposed her shoulders and her slender arms. From her greeting she sounded young but a few years older than the one they were adressing. Looking around the bar's other patrons were far from the booth and the only one there gave a cautious reply.
"Who, me?" The brunette giggled a bit and responded confidently again.
"Yeah, you. Who else would I be talking to?"
The figure felt a little startled from this womans excitment laced in her words that they couldn't look her in the eye anymore and looked at their drink ashamed.
"S-sorry, I don't talk to many girls..."
"Well, your talking to one now, kiddo." The figure whipped their attention back to the female in alarm, so far this bar was the only place they knew upon arrival and feared the possibility of being kicked out before getting their thoughts together. Soon enough the girl slid herself into the booth across from the other and continued the one sided conversation.
"I can tell your a few years underage, buuut... I'm a friend, and I can keep a secret. That is if I like you enough."
Too many red flags went off, this girl was really strange like she wanted something out of this but what? Questions overwhelmed answers yet again but all the figure could do was build up their walls and leaned in closer toward the girl over the table and spoke low enough for her to hear since it turned into a private conversation.
"Who are you, and whats your angle?"
The girl sat in the booth silent, her eyes trained on brown and her smile turned into a smirk. She knew how to play this dangerous game and only time would appoint the winner if someone broke first. It would have been a draw but green beat brown in the staring contest as the loser looked down at the tables surface in defeat.
"To answer your first question: my name is Kyu, its nice to meet you." She said smugly then a tad too excitedly since she won the game. Looking back to meet Kyu's gaze again there was something off about her but this girl was a mystery in and of herself.
"And as for my angle... I'm not talking. Buuut... Isn't it good manners to give your name after someone gives theirs? Then we can have a more civilized conversation?" The figure thought it over for a bit, even though it was unwise to respond back, this girl wasn't going anywhere until she got what she wanted.
"My name is Mel..." Kyu laughed under her breath.
"What no last name?"
"I'll tell you mine if you tell me your last name first." Mel responded in a cold manner, feeling uncomfortable talking to this girl. After hearing that statement Kyu quickly lost her composure and started figeting in her seat embarrassed.
"You know what? Fuck last names, don't really need to tell if this is going to be on a first name basis..." Mel leaned back into the chair, arms crossed, trying to glare at Kyu but she wasn't fazed from earning herself negative attention.
"Are you okay? You look a little constipated over there..." Kyu managed to say after recollecting herself and back to being that confident girl from before who started to feel uncomfortable herself.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Mel replied back evenly but their expression remained the same. The other brunette scoffed and shot back,
"Thats a fat load of shit and you know it, because honestly you look like you need to take one." This time it was Mel who lost their cool, their face became scarlet and eyes widened in surprise.
"Man, you don't hold back your words." Nodding as if she recieved a compliment Kyu crossed her arms and smiled a little wider.
"Of course, I tell things as is, I never sugar coat anything to avoid 'hurting someones feelings' by accident."
Mel's POV:
'Holy crap, who is this girl? I never met anyone remotely like her before. But we're straying off topic. She knows something, my gut says so, but I have to strike back and get any information out of her now!' I had to look away because her eyes feel like shes looking through me and peering into my heart, but now its time to talk back.
"Look, Kyu is it? I- Hey, she left?" I was confused now.
"Not quite." Oh, Etro, she was next to me. I didn't see her get up from my peripheral, she really isn't normal!
I turned to my left and she was right there! That smirk of hers was gone and her eyes were half lidded.
'No way she isn't going to do what I think she's going to do, is she? I knew watching too much anime takes out the realism in these situations but I'm trapped! And using whatever magic I can conjure would expose me. What do I do!?
"You know what?" Her voice cut through my thoughts and her face was inches away from mine. I could smell vanilla and something sweet radiating from her body, it smelled nice, but that shouldn't be my concern right now!
"W-what is what?" I asked nervously, sweat pouring from my body in bullets and I felt my spine turn cold. My prayers were answered and Kyu backed away until she was standing at the foot of the booth, her smile growing wider and her eyes beaming excitedly.
"This might actually work. Oh, man! Today is your lucky day, Mel. Look, I gotta go, but we'll talk again real soon. Good night!" That was the last thing she said to me and she sprinted out the bar almost knocking over three women that were walking in. The tension that hung in the air finally dissipated and I could breathe easier, but I had trouble trying to wrap my head around what just happened.
"I need to see a therapist or something..." I muttered to myself and made my way out of the booth. Once my spine and legs were parallel with eachother I heard something fall and land to the floor with a 'clank'. Looking down something laid beside my foot, kneeling I took a closer inspection to the item and picked it up. It was a set of keys with the name of the place and room number hooked onto the key by a keychain. It took a few minutes until I felt my spine turn cold again and my face felt hot with shock.
"I hope this isn't the, 'we'll talk again real soon', thing she mentioned... What. The. Hell..."
A/N: Holy crap, its been a really long time since last posted something on here. But I am pretty rusty so this is a small project I wanted to do to get back into writing in general. Now, I know this isn't the usual final fantasy 13 stories I would write, more of a small crossfic, but Huniepop is a game I've been stuck on for a while. Ever since I watched Cinnamontoastken play this game last year I tried it myself and found it to be perverted, objective, but hilarious as hell. I mostly read whatever fanfics are about this game and a few of them inspired me to take on a different game genre while enjoying the stories like: Inner world, you need to like exist or something! by Kuro Shiro Kami Chan, The Love Fairy's Apprentice by CypherDS, and Find a Way by Kh0ldstare, I absolutely adore these stories and how the authors were able to flesh out the characters and the story to a more believable level than the game. Plus I really liked how the development of the characters and plot work their way up to the rising climax to the changes in situations. If anyone is curious about what I'm trying to get across about these stories check them out if you want and hopefully whoever is reading this might understand why I like the development rather than the story being rushed into something, a habit I've tried to manage in all of my writings as well. Anyway, hopefully everyone is doing well and have a good day, ciao!
i do not own Huniepop and the stories mentioned in this authors note go to their respective owners listed.