Hello, hello, hello... It's me again, and it's been a week, albeit I may be a bit late, but close enough. I planned to do this earlier in the day, but I got distracted. Good news, I watched Justice League.
By the way, thank you Roboticninja369 for the review. I spent my month doing whatever, procrastinating, gaming, anime, and writing. Good stuff.
I'm glad you enjoyed the content. I felt like it could have been done much better, but am satisfied with how it turned out. And I also thank you for the kind words of comfort. It's very kind of you to care.
And I'd like to thank both Lance Eterna and TheImmortalOne50 for the reviews, while yes, it may take a while to reach this point or at all. I feel it's only proper to thank someone for their review.
Moving on, this chapter and the ones that follow may not be the best, I struggled a bit with writing these chapters. Because I honestly didn't know how to write these. But, I gave it a shot, and I don't feel the need to cringe. Close enough.
I wrote these because I wanted to deviate from the original storyline, I find it enjoyable and funny, no mistake on that part. But I once read an author's note from a Neptunia fanfic from a while ago. Or was it some review?
Anyway, it said something along the lines that the author found that many fics on this fandom were the same, the same story as the game, with only an inserted character. And wanted to write an original story or something that didn't just conform to the game. Asking where were all the original stories, asking what happened to making something different. Or something along those lines.
I read this when I first started writing I suppose. Back then it didn't make much sense to me, now though, I do have a vague understanding of the feeling behind those words. Now, I want to write something good, something I can feel proud to call my own. While I do tell people I write fanfiction, I don't tell anyone what fandom I'm a part of. While I shouldn't care about what other people say, I do feel somewhat embarrassed to tell people I'm writing a self insert.
Mind you, I don't regret taking up writing as a hobby for a single second though, I enjoy it. Creating something I want to read. That's one of my forms of motivation, the other is my drive to finish this. I'm a pretty half assed person, I don't like taking risks outside of games, and even in games, risks are something I avoid entirely. Sometimes I look up guides for some games because I just can't stand being in the dark, not knowing what's around that corner, not knowing how to achieve what I consider the best result... and sadly enough, because I don't want to waste time figuring it out.
I'm a bit sad when I think of it like that. Even as a kid, I didn't like risks to an extent, or change for that matter. I enjoy a good challenge in games, but I can't stand failure... no, I should say I'm afraid of failing. This applies to both games and life. Not to say I'm cautious of every damn corner, but whenever I do something that I believe has a good chance of killing me, save, save, save. And in life, I hesitate and hold back.
And that's where I think writing comes in, it's something new... a change I guess. Considering I've been doing this for years, I can't exactly say that. But I guess writing is a 'risk' I've taken. Learning a new skill that's out of my comfort zone. Frankly, I'm loving it. Or enjoying it, close enough.
I have more on my mind I feel like writing down, but every time I start talking, these author notes begin to turn pretty excessive.
In the end, if I had to sum up why I do this, I think the most important reason for me... is that, when I go to sleep every night. I want to be proud of who I am as a person at the end of the day... one step at a time.
I still remember the first time I told my friend about this back in highschool, how happy I felt at the time to just tell her, how happy I felt to have someone eager to actually read it. It was the same time I first started writing...
... Has it really been four years since I first started writing?
Oh well, message or leave a review.
Chapter 32:
This morning felt absolutely horrible… it didn't have anything to do with the sugar she had the night prior, no matter what anyone told her. Hot chocolate with marshmallows and sprinkles was not a problem… it was the damn cure.
No, that was not the problem, and if anyone ever did say that about hot chocolate she would lose it and go all Lady White Heart on them. There were things you did not insult in this world to her.
Lady White Heart, Lady Blanc's chest, and hot chocolate being among them. A person did not just hate hot chocolate, unless they were allergic in which case they received a pass, but everyone else… they were either demons or dead to her… unless they were family in that case they would also receive a pass, but only because they're family.
So yeah, hot chocolate was not the problem… her coworkers were… they were lower than her in the food chain, but that didn't stop them from the bane to all people… gossip. While she herself did participate in the practice and enjoyed it many times. Unfortunately, this time, it was her turn to be the center of attention.
And it didn't stop there, nooooooooo, it had to get worse, it also extended to Phoenix. What's worse was the fact that to her dismay, many of her coworkers believed they were in fact, lovers.
Otherwise why else would she willingly see him at night, give him a suit to make him look nice, leave with him at night, then return much later with hot chocolate in hand as relaxed as could be. Then to top it all off, he gave her his out of nowhere with a smile on his face.
And of course they had all seen it, they had seen him drink out of it, then they had seen her take it and happily drink it... She could only sigh at the thought.
At the time it was free hot chocolate, later in the night as she showed him to his room, then discovered that he had no sense of taste… and did not like having sugar before bed… so no, he didn't do it out of the kindness of his heart or to 'be a good boyfriend' as her co workers put it.
The rumour itself wasn't very embarrassing, being thought of as someone's partner wasn't bad in any way. It just meant people thought they looked cute together or seemed right for each other. More of a compliment than anything.
No, no, what made her ears burn and her face hot was what they said, the teasing looks they gave her and the sticky notes stuck to her locker. With good luck written on them or little 'tips and tricks' in order to make their love life more fulfilling. Needless to say she immediately tore those up and threw them in the bin.
...
They had to die
It was simple… not really but close enough… maybe she could get Yvoire to scream at them and make them feel bad about themselves, nothing compared to Lady Blanc of course but close enough.
She herself had never been on the receiving end of Lady Blanc's absolute thrashing but she had seen the results… those poor poor victims.
But, eventually, she would put the fear of Financier into them… that sounded far cooler in her head.
She could only fear what would happen if and when Lady Blanc heard of this, what would happen? Would she be punished? Verbally destroyed? Fired? Or would she join along in the teasing… if any of those things happened… she needed to fake her death and start anew, work her way up the food chain again under a new alias.
And there was just one more problem… albeit very minor in comparison to the other ones, but still a problem… it was unprofessional to consider such an issue so largely.
But there was nothing more she could do about it now, it had spread like wildfire throughout the entire Basilicom. Now she couldn't go anywhere without someone looking smug.
*Knock Knock*
No response… most likely still asleep. It was almost time for breakfast, enough time for a small talk about their plans, as well as a warning about the rumours. Goddess knows he didn't need to be bothered by them as well.
"Excuse me" She inserted her master key and opened the door, and was surprised to see him already up, in his chair, his hands rested on his lap. His eyes shut, and his posture was relaxed as he sat up straight.
But that wasn't the strangest thing… it was the lack of movement, his chest didn't move back and forth with his breath, his upper body didn't twitch nor adjust itself as anyone did when sitting in a chair, neither of his arms so much as twitched.
"Phoenix?" She stepped closer, somewhat cautious "Are you okay?" She placed a hand on his… and thank the gods, there was a pulse.
His eyes opened slowly "Financier?"
"Good morning" She greeted "You didn't respond when I knocked"
He tilted his head to the side "I can't hear you"
It took a moment for it to sink in "Oh yes, I'm sorry. I'd forgotten" A fact learned last night. In return he gave her a nod "Did you get out of bed yourself?" Another nod "... But… Nothing" It didn't matter, less work for her "Do you have time?"
"What is it?"
"Just let me…" She shut the door and locked it "Much better… good… it's about today. How will you get everyone together? Are there instructions at the areas you specified?"
"There are, as long as they follow them they'll be fine…" He sighed "Still… shame we couldn't get Planeptune"
"Can't win them all" She agreed "What do you think went wrong?"
"A lot of things… but if I had to say… it's their lack of relationship with Purple Heart"
"Miss Neptune?"
He nodded in agreement "Planeptune is the only Basilicom to not know the human form of their goddess. I doubt they actually believe their CPU is in trouble" She wondered how they would react to a childish goddess.
"True, even now I find it hard to believe Lady Blanc is in danger… usually her colourful language would tear out their desire to fight and destroy their wills to live"
"If only I was lying" He let out a sigh "How do you think it'll go?"
"How what will go?"
"The meeting. People from three different nations will be coming together, there's bound to be some problems"
"There have been joint projects between nations before… but nothing this important"
"What were the results of previous projects?"
"Failure" She admitted "Will this truly work?" Her expression expressed all her concerns.
"Don't know, I doubt any of them actually believe the goddesses are in danger. That's why there'll be representatives for each nation"
"The ones from Lastation don't represent the Basilicom"
"Sadly enough, the faith in Black Heart is much lower there than other nations. The Basilicom is still being reformed as well, I doubt they'd be helpful"
"And this company Passe is?"
"They aren't doing this out of loyalty or faith, they're doing this for profit. That's what makes them reliable"
Financier's eyebrow raised in concern "Does it? Are you sure they'll work properly? If their hearts aren't in this then…"
"No, it is. Loyalty and faith vary by the person right?"
"Yes, while not everyone in the Basilicom reveres Lady White Heart to the same extent, they all do have some sense of responsibility"
"Passe is motivated by profit, they're reliable in that sense. As long as they're paid they'll do the work. Loyalty and faith on the other hand…" He shrugged "People will only go so far"
"Is Lastation the only one you're paying?" She was just a tad annoyed at his prior statement.
"No. I will be paying each group the same amount of Orichalcum…"
"Something so valuable…" She pondered the very act "Are you sure you're willing to give it away?"
"I'm not giving it away, I'm paying people with it" He crossed his arms "Money doesn't have any worth outside of the areas it's recognised" He raised a hand as if referencing to another fact "Materials, technology and ideas on the other hand have some kind of value no matter where you go… In that sense I'm actually pretty wealthy"
"Then sell it… make a business, I'm sure you could do business, find a partner to help and you would do greatly…" She looked a bit sad "More so than most ever will"
"No thank you. While being wealthy sounds great and all, it wouldn't mean anything to me. All it would do is put people out of work. There's nothing wrong with a successful business mind you, but the moment it starts putting other people out of work, the general life of the common person begins to deteriorate into a scramble for jobs that pay less than they're worth"
"... That would have an effect on the economy… you know how the flow of money works?" It was a bit surprising, he didn't look like the type to know.
"Enough to have a vague understanding. Look at Lastation, not too long ago Avenir used to control work there, very few companies could stay in business, and everyone else, wanted to work at Avenir. If they went on for too long, eventually Avenir would have become the market.
Like I said, nothing wrong with a successful business. But in Avenir's case, competition would begin to disappear"
"They were trying to stay on top in terms of business though, weren't they trying to make better products constantly?"
"They were" He nodded, conceding her point.
"But…" She rested a finger on her cheek "I see your point… eventually their products would have stopped progressing by leaps and bounds, in the short term it worked out fine, but without competition, there wouldn't be any need to improve… how sad… how is Lastation fairing now?"
"Still rebuilding, they're getting work. More companies are popping up and competition has begun rising…" His eyes locked onto her face for a few moments "Do you have any bias towards the other lands?"
She tilted her head to the other side to assist her thought process "... I couldn't say"
"Be honest, I need to find all the problems first and forehand. It's not strange for different groups to have some kind of bias towards each other"
She paused for a moment "Somewhat… I…" If it meant Lady Blanc's safety, there was no secret she wasn't willing to reveal "... don't believe Lastation's workers will perform their jobs correctly"
There wasn't a single change in his expression nor emotion "Will you still work with them?"
"Yes…" She felt a small sigh of relief coming, it was nice to know he didn't seem to care "Will we be working independently or together?"
"I need everyone working as a group"
"Why not assign us the work and let us work in our groups? It's not strange to have different companies perform different work without ever meeting"
He nodded, there was some sound logic in that… however, this was more than business "Have you ever fought a war?"
"Hmm… besides defending against the Lowee military, not properly. Is there something relevant I'm missing?" The girl didn't understand the relevance of such a horrid act with the premise of working together.
"Did you know… war is easy"
"I… I don't believe so. In war there are many different factors-"
"That's not what I meant, I didn't mean winning a war I meant the act of it…" He looked somewhat amused "Do you know why?"
"I wouldn't know" She stared at him for answers
"It's easy, terribly easy to make your enemies out to be demons, turning them into the darkness and you the light… it's just how it is. You're the good guy, and they're the bad guy… It's just how people are, no matter how much time passes that won't change"
"... Then you're saying it's impossible to achieve peace?"
"I'm just saying… it's just how it is. I'm not going into the full details of it all here and now. But there is one thing you need to know. What do you think is the most important aspect of war?"
"Hmmm… I would say it's the people sticking together and forming a strong community. That way even if war is lost, they'll still have each other… your face says you think differently"
He sighed "I do… people might change, but war never does… I think the most important thing is the aftermath, what comes after the war" He shook his head "That's enough, I keep going I'm going to start a lecture"
"Right…" She nodded vaguely "...Breakfast will begin soon, would you like to join me?"
"Yes please"
As they left the room, she had completely forgotten the original purpose of her visit along with the several other questions… but there was just one thing stuck in her mind… that one phrase, repeating like a broken record 'what comes after the war'.
Nothing more than a single phrase, most would think nothing more of it, but it disturbed her. The very content of it… as a leader she didn't know what to make of it… what was the purpose of it all, making them work together?
Was it because he honestly needed them to work together, or was it there to foster some kind of positive relationship between the lands even after it was all over… was he really thinking so far ahead?
One question remained in the center of her mind "What will I do?"
"Is this really the right idea?" She muttered to herself, following the map on her phone and the sheet of paper in her hand.
In all honesty she didn't want to… after a night of little sleep… she had cooled off and with nothing better to do, she just thought… constantly, about what it was she could do, and what needed to be done.
Eventually though, it ended up with exactly what he had told her. Nothing… there was nothing she could have done… not something with a high chance of success anyway.
Their conversation was fresh in her mind, something she wished she could have forgotten or slid under the rug. It was filled with both of them practically venting at each other, a few lines were crossed... And going back would've just been awkward.
Did he still consider her a friend? He wasn't Nep, she doubted he was anywhere near that forgiving…
Even so, in that same night, she had taken the time to search her pockets, and to her surprise she found something new.
A folded up sheet of paper, with a map reference, a dot indicating where she needed to be. A bunch of symbols all lined up along with time of day and date… oh and a 'Don't be Late' written on the back.
Along with some chalk in a small bag… had he known this would happen? Did he have such a firm grasp of the human psyche that he could predict how she would react and what she would do?
… Doubtful… he most likely knew what someone in her position would do, either seen it play out before his eyes at another time or act no differently.
And this was why she liked to work alone… why having travelling companions was a bad idea, there would always be some kind of attachment formed. Sometimes not enough to risk her life, but… this was not one of those times.
"Dammit Nep" She cursed at the girl "When I find you I'll tickle you to death" After all, it was all for them… a life without them didn't seem anywhere near as fulfilling.
And yet, as she stared at the wall, with chalk markings… she paused… what would she say, what would she do, what if he kicked her out?
It was all so terrifying, running away and hiding seemed like a good decision, becoming a hermit and cutting off all contact with civilisation also seemed like a good idea.
But no… that wasn't right… but… he was scary… but she needed to do… something… but he was scary.
"Come on IF" She slapped her face "You've dealt with thugs, crime bosses, monsters and Nep. What's Phinx gonna do… can I still use his nickname?" She ruffled her hands through her hair "Please don't hate me..." Hastily she drew in the missing characters with the chalk.
It glowed, the outline of a door appeared "This was a mistake, a big mistake. I should run. He won't notic-"
"IF? Is that you?" The door appeared far more quickly than she thought, she stood there frozen "Don't just stand there, come in" And his upper half was naked.
"Y-Yeah" She wasn't even thinking as she stepped through, it shut behind her "Am I interrupting?" The urge to run was strong.
"Not really, I'm almost done changing" He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. IF took a quick look around, to see that this was in fact a bedroom… his in all likelihood.
She remained silent, opting to instead stare at him change… she herself didn't even realise it.
He picked up a white shirt, the size a tad bigger than himself, he slipped it on and buttoned up the shirt, his back still facing her. He folded his collar down.
She honestly believed he was going to wear a suit of all things, but no, his pants were not suit paints. They seemed thicker than they should be, more like for heavy duty work or what monster hunters wore.
He wore a pair of boots, not simple runners as he usually would, but actual black boots, hidden underneath his pants.
He slipped on some black leather gloves and a pitch black coat, on it's back was a symbol of a flaming bird, the Phoenix.
But as far as she could see, he had no obvious weapons, it seemed more like the attire one would go to work in. However, there was something wrong with that idea… it all seemed so clean cut, all of it custom made to fit him and him alone.
He hadn't even tucked in his shirt, yet it fit his image all the same. Not sloppy nor casual, but work attire. His back straight, his expression stoic, he looked like a person going to war.
"Get changed IF, we can talk afterwards" He pointed towards a rack, there was a literal copy of her previous clothing "What're you standing there for? Everyone's almost here"
"O-oh… yeah" Like a machine she moved towards her clothes, she picked them up and could feel how new they were "... Um"
"Yeah?" He sat down on the bed, his back facing her, he was looking through some notes "I won't look if that's what you're wondering, I have other priorities right now"
"... You don't have to say it that way" She muttered, changing cautiously, sending him a glance here and there just to make sure.
Once done, she sat down on the opposite side of the bed… an awkward silence hung in the air.
She looked down at her legs and swung them back and forth. Praying that someone would break this silence… anyone would do.
…
…
…
This was it wasn't it, she needed to begin the 'talk' between them… she was not looking forward to it… she opened her mouth "IF?"
"Y-Yes?!" Oh god, that came out a pitch higher than intended "W-What?"
"Do you want to talk about last night?"
"... Can we not?"
"I'm going to either way"
"... Okay… talk" It was time to face the music
"We both said some pretty shit things to each other, I admit, I could've been less of an asshole"
"I guess… me too… I was too emotional"
"... Do you hate me?"
"What?! No! No… I just… you said you would do nothing and that really ticked me off"
"Yeah… that was my bad"
"It is"
"I was going to say we were going to make a plan, but people tend to misunderstand what I say sometimes and I come off as bit of a douche"
"... I was a bit of a… you know"
"I don't mean anything by it, it's just that… I tend to act differently to normal people at times… I don't mean to act cold, I'm just not an optimist"
"I know, you do that a lot"
"I do?"
"Yeah"
"...Oh"
"Do you… hate me?"
"... I'm a little bitter"
"Was it because of… it was because of the last things I said wasn't it?"
"Yep"
"Do people actually tell you to… you know… do things cause you can't die?"
"More than you know"
"... Sorry… if you don't want to be friends anymore then…"
"No, it's fine. We were both saying random things in the moment, I don't take anything anyone says in those moments seriously. Sure it might sting, but they're nothing more than words IF… that's all they are"
"... Are we…"
"We're cool"
"Good… still friends?"
"Yep"
She let out a large sigh of relief, they didn't hate each other, they were still friends "Then we're fine right?"
"Wait" She began to internally panic "There is one thing I am sorta pissed off about"
"W… What? If it's about your last question I'm really sorry about it an-"
"You picked me up, dropped me and Histoire, then left us both on the ground… on the cold ground... it was really hard getting back on the wheelchair"
"T-That… I uh" She winced… she had in fact forgotten about that little aspect "I'll… make it up to you… as long as it's reasonable"
"Hmmm… a date"
"...A what?!" She screamed
"A date… I want to go sightseeing in Leanbox without Vert or Neptune there. I don't trust them"
"... You want a tour of Leanbox?"
"I do"
"You do realise I was born in Planeptune right?"
"Oh… so you don't know the area?"
"No, I know some nice places but, I'm not a local. I'm sure Lady Vert would be happy to give you a tour of-"
"Can you be absolutely sure she won't just take me to maid cafes, arcades and game stores and spend the day there?"
She rubbed the back of her head "... fine… you got a date… turn around"
"Sure" They both faced each other on the bed
"...H-Here" She leaned in, wrapped around him and gave him the most half assed hug… ever… of all time "You know I'm not… I'm not a hugger"
"I can tell" He hugged her back, albeit without the hesitation "But hey, I can brag about getting you to hug me"
"Please, no…" The moment they separated she muttered "Tch… forgot my bra"
"... what the fuck"
She then realised it "I just… made this really awkward again didn't I?"
"No shit"
"I have a question… on our date are we going as friends or... " She couldn't believe she had to ask
"Friends… it's awkward now, imagine us on an actual date"
"... Right… You know… I've never had a boyfriend before sooooo…"
"... Girlfriend?"
There was a pregnant pause "No?"
…
…
…
"Don't we have somewhere to be?" IF asked
"Yes, absolutely!" He jumped up "I still have to tell you what we're doing" The two faced each other "Follow me" She nodded
"About our date… when do you want to… you know?"
"After everything…" He waved his hands about, as if referring to everything "Is over"
"... Formal or casual?" She saw him facepalm "Awkward?" All she received was a slow nod.
"IF!" Two arms wrapped around the poor girl as blue hair covered her vision
"Chian?!"
"I was so worried! I was scared that you had went off and hurt yourself!"
"C-Chian… someone… help" She struggled as the hug became tighter "P-Phoenix"
He stood to the side "You brought this upon yourself" He abandoned her
Chian broke off and rested her hands on IF's shoulders "I'm so happy that you came back… but you" She looked at him "You never told me you two made up! Ahhhhh, I've been so stressed out for the last twenty four hours, when did you two become friends again?"
"Five minutes ago" He answered
"You two are fine then?"
"Y-Yeah" IF looked a little embarrassed as she nodded
"Ooooh… there's a story here, but I'll refrain…" She judged his clothes "Where have you been hiding those?" She actually looked at him quite closely.
He crossed his arms and answered with a bored look "I generally dress in order to blend in, but there are times when I do need to stand out"
"... No suit?"
"I've always dressed in accordance with my role. And as far as I remember, I've been a warrior"
She nodded "I approve… if you were a bit older you'd be in my strike zone" She joked
He rolled his eyes "Very funny, you want to get laid, go on a dating site"
"Oh… but I'm not joking when I think you look nice" She sent a smug look towards IF "You travel with a party full of pretty girls, I'm sure there's at least one you have an eye on"
He remained silent for a few moments "... Everyone's entitled to their own secrets. Everyone else is going to arrive soon, I suggest you sit down"
As he left, her smug grin grew wider towards IF "I've seen how you've been looking at him… everything okay IF?"
"... I should go with him"
Chian grabbed IF's hand "Don't be a spoilsport IF… I'll even teach you a few tricks to get through that thick skull" She winked
Her face tinted red "We're not like that… it's just, we're a bit awkward. We're friends but, it takes time… why are you so interested in my love life?!"
Chian sighed "I allow all my workers to have relationships in work as long as it doesn't interfere… but no one has, they're all about work and not one of my ships have sailed"
"... You're doing this because you're bored?!" She had honestly thought Chian was a nice person, without anything weird about her… it was sad how little that fact disappointed her.
As the… auditorium filled out… IF no longer questioned him or why he had things, there was no longer any point. It was by no means a large one.
It could at best hold a hundred people, a paltry amount to the largest she had seen, but more than enough to accommodate the amount coming in.
However, amongst them, she recognised two familiar faces. Lowee's Chamberlain Financier and Leanbox's Archbishop Yvoire.
Everyone, them included seemed just as confused as one another. Albeit, less confused and more interested.
The room was well lit by the standard lights, IF had expected some alien like thing instead, but it seems even he felt the need for normal at times. The seats were all of a comfy leather, red in colour with their own armrests and whatnot. It was all on an angle, from lowest to highest, presumably so that everyone could see the stage along with the big screen on the wall behind it.
The front row was practically evacuated save for the three representatives of each nation, all seated together and getting along nicely. That was good.
Behind them all, were their people… each one segregated into their own areas, all of which were of a similar size. Two dozen per group at best. Some were maids, others were soldiers, some were employees from Passe.
She had to wonder, how in the world did he gather all these people on such short notice… She looked at the man just sitting there looking through… cue cards "Do you know what you're doing?"
He shrugged "More or less"
"More more, or less less?"
"... Would you believe me if I made this plan up in ten minutes?"
She facepalmed "Histoire… is that true?"
"Including the break we had in between, yes"
They were doomed, Nep and the others were going to die and he was going to make a fool of himself out there.
She looked through the video feed of the camera again, to take a better glance at the crowd. The three leaders seemed absolutely calm, while a bit nervous, fine on every account.
There was one problem though… the people, some of them were looking at each other 'funny', and not in the 'haha' sense either. She was thankful they had chosen to have an empty column between them all. At least one seat separated them from a straight up bar fight.
Although, there were some on the other hand who just didn't seem to care about the fact that there were people from different nations.
"Venus, we're starting" The lights dimmed, the chatter began to quiet down
"Ready?" She asked him
He shrugged "About as much as I can be"
"I'll make sure no one does anything funny" The two gave a nod to each other, he left for the stage, IF kept an eye on the cameras.
As he took to the center of the stage, his hands rested on the podium, a light shone over him and he spoke into the mic "I thank you all for gathering here today, as you all know you've been chosen by your representatives for your skills and abilities in your respective fields"
He knew, he was not a good public speaker, he couldn't invoke emotions in people nor inspire them. He only knew to speak the truth, wordplay or clever lies were not his forte… Well, blatantly lying was something he could do.
"I am the Phoenix Knight, you may refer to me as Phoenix. I'll spare you the small talk and jump straight to the point. I am not here to inspire you, I am not here to tell you to die fighting for your country, I am however going to tell you this here and now.
Any information I or your leaders provide is to remain here, no one else shall know, not your families, not your friends, not even your pets. I believe you all understand this?"
Silence
"Whatever you've been told thus far is absolutely worthless, therefore if anyone decides to leave or back away, no harm, no foul" Of course that was a blatant lie, if Arfoire found out they were preparing, she would do the same.
"But, for those who do choose to stay and work. You will have time for basic rest, exercise along with proper meals. Barely any different than your average day, it is something your representatives will organise. Free time on the other hand will be lacking, not to say you won't but you'll be dead tired. You will be properly compensated for the time you will spend here.
Each party shall receive the same amount of pay, for some it could be several months worth to a dozen weeks. It entirely depends on how much you make as an individual. The time range with which we'll be working with is from today to two weeks, Whether or not all the work is completed, you will all be paid the exact same amount on the condition that work is done to the best of your ability.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I would like all of you to follow my instructions. Look to your left… now look to your right… now back at me" They did as instructed.
"Memorise these faces, because these people will be your coworkers. They will be working with you and alongside you. Now, I do understand some of you may have some bias towards people of other lands, some of which I can assume is negative.
Allow me to make myself clear on this matter… " He scanned the room, looking into their eyes "I'm not telling you to get rid of it, I'm not telling you it's your fault you have it. Bias usually comes about as a result of growing up and or different life experiences, it's not something you can just get rid of.
However, it is a requirement that everyone works together, any form of harassment will be severely punished. I'm not telling you to suddenly become best friends, hell, you don't even have to like each other. But... I do expect that each of you is able to respect each other's differences and opinions.
I didn't hire children, I hired adults, I expect each and every single one of you to have the professional attitude to match.
But, if for some reason you cannot follow the requirements I have listed, you may leave. If by chance you choose to leave for whatever reason, whether it be family, friends or different priorities. You will not be chastised, you will keep your previous jobs, you will not be beneath those that remain. Your lives will be no different than before.
I've said my piece" The lights turned on "Each decision will be made by yourselves, no information will be revealed until after the fact. The rest will be handled by your leaders. Thank you for listening" He walked off stage with a lazy wave.
"Good work" she handed him a water bottle. The sound of chatter begun once more.
"Thanks" He sighed "That was terrifying..." He wiped his mouth after taking a big sip.
"You know, public speaking might not be your thing but you looked good"
"I did?"
"Yeah. Being confident is a good look for you"
"Oh…" He averted his gaze, somewhat embarrassed "Thanks… wait, how do I usually look?"
"Bored"
"... You're not wrong" He sat opposite to her "That is my natural face"
"What now?"
"We wait…"
"Phoenix?" Histoire asked
"Yes?"
"Would you like to live in Planeptune once the dust has settled?" IF raised an eyebrow in confusion at this strange proposition.
"Anywhere would be fine as long as I don't have to go back my world" He leaned on his arm.
"Isn't your dimension filled with magic and cool stuff?"
"It's a shitty hellhole, a quarter of the world is uninhabitable because of the nuclear warheads used in World War V, whatever's left of the world is practically full of monsters. Only cities and their surrounding area are actually habitable, travel to anywhere is either expensive, dangerous or through magic.
Outside of those areas, the only species I know of that manage to survive are the forest elves, mermaids of Atlantis or the Rito of the sky. Even then, each have their own fair share of problems and are dying out slowly just like the rest of us"
"... You have elves and mermaids?!"
"Were you even listening?"
"But… mermaids, and elves… do you have pictures?!"
"What! No, why would I have pictures? I've never been to Atlantis and I've only met the elves once…"
IF clicked her tongue "... You're useless"
"What the hell! You think I personally know mermaids or elves?!"
"Yeah!"
He sighed "The elves don't like outsiders and I-" He pointed to himself "Cannot breathe underwater"
It was her turn to sigh "Isn't there some kind of spell for that?"
"Putting aside the fact that there is one" He held up a hand, preventing her retort "It's fine for travel and not a problem if you accidently swim into a wall, if a monster attacks you when you're that deep. There is a very high chance you'll lose the spell, then be crushed by the water pressure… there wouldn't be anywhere near enough time to cast it again"
"Excuse me?" Histoire asked "I apologise for interrupting your riveting discussion on death by water pressure, but did you answer yes to my previous question or were you simply jesting?"
"... Yeah I guess… what did you have in mind?"
"No matter what Neptune does or how little of her memory she retains, she is, and always will be Purple Heart, while I'm sure others can fill in for the job. There would be no one better than you"
"You still haven't told me what I'd be doing"
"... Neptune's bodyguard and caretaker"
He stared at the book, and considered burning it "...You just want me to be her babysitter"
"Well…" IF looked elsewhere as his stare bore into her skull "... You'd be good at it"
"There has to be something else, some kind of desk job, I'll even work as a mercenary… I don't want to be someone's babysitter"
"Caretaker" Histoire corrected
"Same damn thing! Honestly, she's a goddess, she should be able to do it herself!" The look IF gave him said otherwise
She cringed "Nep… Nep wouldn't be able to live… by herself… she needs adult supervision"
"Correct, and you are her teacher. Therefore she will in fact listen to you, there is no one better suited for the position… congratulations!"
He rested his elbows on the table and rested his head between his hands "This cannot be happening"
"... You'll get paid"
"That's not the problem here!" He looked up at her "She's not my daughter, I shouldn't have to take care of her like I'm her dad!"
"You're overreacting… this can be practice for when you… be an actual dad" It was a bit awkward to say, but not strange. She took a drink, no need to keep talking after all.
He let out a big sigh "I already am one"
…
…
…
"PFFFTT!" He ducked as she spat out water as it flew over him "WHAT?!"
"I… I must say, this is quite unexpected. I had only skimmed through your story… please give spoiler alerts next time you say something so life altering"
He got up and patted her back "You really shouldn't spit out your water like that… you should be thankful I have good reflexes"
*Cough Cough Cough*
"How was I supposed to react?!" She cleared her throat "You mean Arfy and the others… I hear pet owners think of them like their own kids"
"No" He lightly shook his head "I have an actual daughter, I'm pretty sure she's turning five this year"
She blatantly stared at him "... please tell me you're joking"
"I'm a little hurt" He sat back down "You honestly think I would lie about something so serious?"
"But… you've been here… this entire time. How can you have a daughter?! You're only physically sixteen!"
"It doesn't change the fact that I do…"
"... I thought you didn't have any family…" This had changed everything, he had a kid, a living breathing kid… who he was not taking care of right this moment.
"I do have people related to me by blood, but I wouldn't consider any of them family"
She sighed into her hand "... That story about you being an orphan is that…"
"I think it's true, I've seen proper loving parents and guardians, and I'm sure I've had neither"
"Are your…" This was such an awkward conversation to have in such a serious situation "Who are your blood relatives?"
"There's only four, my daughter, my two parents and their kid"
"Your parents are alive?!" She slammed her hands down on the table "Do you know where they are? Can you contact them?!" This story was getting too sad for her liking, even she wanted him to be happy.
"We've met…" He didn't bother elaborating.
"... And?"
"And what?"
"What do you mean what? What happened?"
"Well, they-" The sound of footsteps entered the room "Oh, they're back. Took a lot less time than I thought they would, maybe they really want the Orichalcum. I took a look at the market prices for it. Money, money, money. No matter the world, always a good form of motivation" He nodded to himself
"Don't change the subject" She grabbed his hand "Continue with what you were saying?"
"I'll tell you later" he waved her off with a bored expression "Come on, we need to get on stage"
"Wait! Don't just… aggggghhhhhh!" She felt the urge to pull out her hair. She was so curious, yet a different part of her told her not to pry… But she was so curious.
She followed him onto the stage "Hello all! Welcome back from your break" IF stood just a bit behind him "I'm glad to see that most of you have decided to stay, for that I thank you" All in all, at most ten had left. He had expected more losses.
"I assume no one else wishes to leave, if so speak up now…" Silence "Okay then… good… Venus!" The display lit up behind him "As of this moment on, everyone here is now a part of Project Hearts! If there are any questions throughout the explanation, please raise your hand or wait until afterwards.
The goal of this project is to save the goddesses from the person responsible for their capture, along with preparing defences for her next move.
This person's name-" An image of her appeared on the screen behind him "Is Arfoire, pale skin, dresses like a witch, has a haughty laugh. I doubt any of you have ever actually encountered her. She has been known to go by different aliases in each nation as well as a disguise to accompany it" Several names appeared "Conversation of Leanbox, Evangelist of Lowee as well as other names we don't know about"
"Her goal is to increase the religion of Momus, while also trying to destroy the faith of the four goddesses. She's been going about as messenger, playing on fear and so on.
It was only yesterday that all four CPUs decided to go find her in order to rescue someone. While they did in fact rescue said person, they themselves were captured in the process and are still alive at this point.
It was between now and yesterday that Overlord Momus was in fact created… a bit far fetched, I know. And yet, I stand here while the goddesses do not. Do keep that in mind.
Her goal on the other hand, remains the same. Her next move will most likely be causing destruction and chaos with Momus at the center of it all. We believe her best and next target will be-" All other images closed, four took their place "The Basilicoms. A physical symbol of faith of the CPUs, similar to a grand temple of sorts.
If destroyed, it not only strengthens Momus worship, but will also severely weaken Goddess worship. Those four are the best targets in order to do so, the lesser targets for Arfoire are the small churches spread about the lands. While nowhere near as devastating as directly striking the Basilicom, it will cause damage.
Needless to say, there will be media coverage, so if one is struck, the rest suffer too. Naturally people's lives are in danger. Questions?" They remained quiet as he looked over them.
"Now that you all know what's at stake, I'll explain what, and how we'll be working. Everyone will be divided into groups based on their area of expertise, those groups will then be further divided into smaller groups.
Each party will have a leader assigned in order to give basic directions, along with provide a simple status report about the work assigned to them. These reports will then need to be submitted to these five people"
Chian popped up on the screen "Chian of Passe from Lastation" Next was Yvoire "Archibishop Yvoire of Leanbox" Then Financier "Chamberlain Financier of Lowee. They will handle engineering both normal items and magic ones along with information.
Any scouting and geographical information is to be handled by IF of the Guild beside me" She stepped forward as a picture made itself present "And I will be training the soldiers in the use of new equipment and giving help in any area that needs it" A picture of him added itself to the mix "And Venus, will be providing support to all areas, from learning how to use the equipment to looking for the medical bay, won't you?"
"Yes sir" The female voice echoed "If there are any inquiries, do not be afraid to ask"
"You'll gain a more in depth explanation once grouped up. Your leaders will assign tasks for all of you, you have one hour of free time to explore, find your new workstations along with other areas. I'm sure you're all itching to stretch your legs, and while you're at it, get some lunch.
Just ask and Venus will guide you to the cafeteria or even give you a tour. If you have any questions, ask either Venus or any of the leaders. Return within one hour" The display behind him turned off.
"You look tired" IF patted his shoulder
A shrug given in return "Never been one for public speaking" He hopped down the stage, IF followed
""Don't like the spotlight?"
"I've always been hidden behind other people, for a better public image and all that" The crowd began to disperse.
"Quite a performance" Yvoire added "With a bit of tutoring, you could be much better"
"Leave the kid alone, he did great. Isn't that right?"
He rolled his eyes at Chian's argument "God you sound old"
Her eye twitched "I'm not old! I'm still not thirty and in my prime!" IF winced, that had to hurt "When you're nice and old, I'm going to poke fun at you"
"Pshh, please… I don't care. As long as I like myself I'm good"
At this point, they were just throwing insults at each other "You probably won't get a girlfriend by then"
It. Was. On "You should fix your non-existent love life before commenting on mine"
"BUUUUUURRRRRN!" One of the crowd yelled, most likely one from Lastation by the sounds of it.
Ouch, that one… everyone had to admit that was good. That was not the kind of comment one made unless the two in said argument were close enough "... Well played… Well played" Chian muttered as her eye continued to twitch, bordering on murder.
Either he didn't notice, or just didn't care as he nodded to himself. He then gave a gentle pat on the shoulder "Relax… I don't have a love life either"
The two looked at each other, a sudden kinship developed between them, a deeper bond formed right there and then. Their eyes became wide.
A moment later they spread their arms and hugged each other tightly, it was the hug of those who knew suffering.
The people around them began to mutter, IF facepalmed, Financier began to slowly turn pale, while Yvoire looked more amused than anything else.
She patted him on the back, a tear left her eye "You're a really good guy too… one day… one day we will find love… One day!" She promised
The only thing IF heard in response to this was "Ahhhh… the rumours… they're going to get worse" Financier muttered quietly "... Lady Blanc help me" She had this faraway gaze as they hugged, far longer than any friends would.
Yeah, no, IF was not getting involved in that.
"To be young again… those were the days"
Half an hour later, the five leaders stood around a conference table. The tour over, lunch eaten. They had thirty minutes to discuss plans along with anything else of necessity. More than enough time.
Sprawled across the table were sheets of paper, many more were stacked in the corner. In the middle lay Histoire, still in her sealed form.
They all took their seats "There's someone I'd like the three of you to meet. That book there, is Histoire, tome of Gamindustri"
"Hello" Their reactions were a lot less than he was expecting, as they all simply looked at him for answers "My name is Histoire. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances"
"Is that… something you made?" Chian asked, a tad startled
"No" She denied as her voice rung throughout their heads "He is not my creator. I am the tome of Gamindustri, I am it, and it is me. I have existed for as long as the land itself"
"Histoire?" Yvoire tested the name "That name rings no bells unfortunately"
"Naturally. I am but a tome, it was only on important or dire occasions that I interfered directly with the lives of others through speech. Otherwise, I recorded the history that occurred on me"
"Excuse me for asking, but how were you born?" Financier asked
"I do not know nor do I remember. I am much like any of you, I do not remember how I came into this world, all I know is that I did. And one day, I became self aware. I have no accurate estimation of my age, but I do know that I lived before and during the religion of the one true goddess"
"That cannot be… that's simply impossible" Yvoire stated
Chian raised a hand "What's the religion of the one true goddess? I've never heard of it"
"I'm not surprised…" he took a breath "There are few remaining ruins or old structures that even mention the One True Goddess. From what little we've learned of it, there was indeed a religion, and people worshipped her no different than we worship ours… those ruins are many centuries old, even a millennium is not out of the question. But a name was never found, they only referred to her as the one"
"Her name… the people had many names for her, symbolising different ideas. But none of them was the name she went by. It was-"
"Ahem" He coughed "We're getting off track"
"Why do you interrupt?!" Yvoire bursted "Do you understand what this means? Any of you?!" All the girls gave relatively confused looks "Through Miss Histoire, we could learn true history, not as how the victors or the defeated wrote it, but the way it truly happened. An objective point of view, we would no longer need to guess how our ancestors lived, their cultures and customs. We would have factual information, far more trustworthy than any ruin or riddle"
He knew, as he sat there listening, he knew how important Histoire was. How dangerous she could be if she wanted to be. For he knew, he had a good grasp as to what she was. It was a myth that fit her quite well.
The Akashic records. It was the closest match he believed her to be, while she most likely did not record all human emotions and thoughts. She most likely did record everything that went on in Gamindustri from an objective view. Nothing would be hidden.
While most people probably didn't think of it as much of a problem. There was just one… she could unravel myths, legends. She could find where mythical beasts slept, where horrific monsters were sealed by heroes of the past and more. While he wasn't sure such things existed in this dimension.
He was sure of the stories passed on through time, fairy tales. Some only had a hint of truth in it, everything else an exaggerated detail, others did in fact tell the story as it was, albeit perhaps a bit different, but weren't believable.
After all, the stories had to come from somewhere.
"I get that you're curious, but that can come later"
He paused, and recollected himself "...Yes... Pardon my rude behaviour"
"No need, once I am free of this seal and the CPUs safe, you may ask me any questions you wish"
Yvoire nodded in agreement "Why is she so important that you're only telling the people in this room now?" Chian asked "I understand she's your friend, but what is her role?"
"... That's how you know" Financier put the pieces together "It's through her that you know Lady Blanc is safe"
"You can do that?" Chian asked
"Yes"
"How are Nep and the others now?"
"Last I read, they were alive"
"What about now?"
"Barely any different than before, I believe they've begun insulting each other"
"Histoire" Phoenix called "Any new or important movements?"
"Just one" They listened closely "She's preparing"
"For what is the question" Yvoire commented
"For you Phoenix. She knows not of this group you've gathered, but she is arming herself to destroy you specifically"
They all looked towards him, his expression unreadable "... You've known about her, has she ever done this before?"
"Made plans to infiltrate groups or get close to specific individuals, yes… but to actually take the time to muster forces and prepare countermeasures… only against the goddesses… and never to this extent"
He remained the same, even under their worried gazes "I will not jest nor lie about your chances. Even for someone of your abilities, the likelihood of you returning without serious injury is slim, but to return alive… she will show no mercy when killing you"
Their worries grew, their concern along with it as they waited for an answer. His finger tapped against the table. An ominous silence hovered over them.
…
…
…
He breathed out through his nose, and closed his eyes for a few moments "... Histoire, at the end of everyday, and the beginning of every morning. Can you give an update about anything new? If possible, I want to make plans for those too"
"Very well"
The rest of the room blatantly stared at him, absolutely astounded at the lack of reaction to his imminent death "Hey… you heard that… right?" Chian asked him "You're in danger" Even she herself had trouble articulating it.
He picked up the one of many stack of papers and hummed in response. A moment later he replied "I heard" And yet his face hadn't bothered changing "Moving on, here are the projects I want each of you completing. Also decide your groups and leaders" He handed each of them one stack.
They varied in amount "Sure…" IF replied half heartedly, barely skimming through it. The others weren't much different.
No, instead of the work in front of them, their attention was focused on him.
"I can call this off" Was what he said
"What?" Financier asked "When we've barely started?"
He looked up with a bored expression "You're all obviously disturbed by the fact that people will die soon, me being one of them changes nothing"
"But-" Financier was cut off
"No buts, if we want to save the goddesses, then risking a few lives is inevitable… on the other hand, if you have something else that can get the job done I'm all ears… well?"
…
…
…
A sigh left him "I'd rather not die at all if possible, but if we don't do this, who will?" Silence "Then let's continue" His expression hadn't changed, the concept of death didn't seem to faze him, but deep down. It did "The first page of your booklets there is the personnel, they've been marked with the possible leaders, on the page after. Fill in their names in the numbered groups and so on, you get the idea. Everything else is work"
They all flipped over "... What the… what is this?" Chian spoke for all of them "Is this a… weapon or a… sword?"
"I… I don't understand mine either. How do you even… is this magic?" Financier added
"Mine as well… this language… I don't believe I've seen it in Gamindustri"
"Why do you want to know placement for bombs?!"
He created a tent with his fingers, rested his elbows on the table and grinned "This ladies and gentlemen… is how we're going to kill a god"
It was at this moment, that they all thought… he was insane.
Twenty minutes later
"Stop… stop" IF called out "Run through it… again… I just need you to understand how stupid it sounds"
"The point of the bombs is to get an evacuation order out for terrorism where there isn't any so that-"
"Not that one, the other one" IF nursed an oncoming migraine, was this what it was like to work with crazy people?
"Which one?"
"Weakening Momus"
"The idea is to get eaten and stab the sealing items from the inside, unless it's embedded in the flesh the curses won't take effect"
"You-" She pointed "Want to go inside the big monster… inside… in it's belly… without it chewing you… inside!"
Financier raised a hand "I… I really don't see how that is a good plan"
He shrugged "I said it was a plan… not a good plan, but a plan"
"Can those same effects not be applied to other things?" Yvoire asked
"Or throw in explosives with the same effects" Chian added
"With all the runes on the damn thing, it would take trial and error to make it fit a smaller item, and as you know, we don't know when she'll attack. And explosives… not a problem, but the item needs to be intact"
"What about these cursed items you've listed here, don't some of these serve the same purpose?"
Yvoire looked through his notes "Some of those affect the entire area, while some others curse the individual. Some of these will only last a second or two at a time"
"That's enough for you isn't it?" IF asked "You can get it in there"
"Problem" Chian stated "The sealing items, each one is too big to slide through flesh. You'll need to hammer it in if you don't want it to fall out"
They each sat in thought "... A nail gun" Financier muttered "I remember we've been renovating some of the Basilicom and I saw some of the construction workers with a nail gun" She pressed her fist into an open palm "It would be bigger than a nail gun of course, but instead of taking the trouble to stab it in, then hammer away at it, why not have a machine do it instead or some kind of gun?"
Chian pressed a fist to her chin "... For that to work for something this big. It would need a few people, maybe four to operate it, not to mention the recoil from firing it… or one of you" She pointed at him
"If Arfoire wasn't focused on ending me, I probably could"
"But she will" IF reminded him
"Yes… yes she will" He nodded "But that would involve timing it right for that one second window"
"Instead of one at a time" Yvoire noted "We use them at the same time in order to increase that window… but to use the improvised nail gun…"
"They would have to get up close" IF finished his sentence "If we did use them all, and I were in there with three other guys, how would that-"
"If we're talking about using all the curses at once, it would affect everyone within that area, you included. You would slow down, feel weak, nauseous along with other things. It wouldn't kill you, but if Momus recovers faster than you can get out of there-" He drew a thumb across his neck
Financier sighed into her hands "What a horrible plan. Using the lives of our men for one attack"
"... This strategy" Yvoire commented "If we did go through with it… would it succeed?" Some of them gave him a confused look "If they were to follow through and sacrifice their lives… would it make a difference?"
It was his turn to sigh "... Yes"
"We can't be considering this?!" Financier jumped "We'll be using them like pawns on a chessboard!"
"My dear… that is exactly what we are doing… while this may be a simple meeting to you, this is in fact, a war council. And we, are the generals deciding how our pieces will move"
"No…" She slumped back in her chair "I told them… I told them this was all for Lady Blanc and that we should be proud to be of service… I don't want to lead them to their deaths through my lies"
They all looked down, the mood turned sour and grim. None dared argue with her, for their words would mean nothing.
"It is time" Histoire's voice rang out "Almost an hour has passed since you've given them free reign to explore, some have returned early"
They all looked towards each other and unanimously decided, this meeting was over.
IF remained "Go on ahead, Financier and I need to talk"
The other three members paused, then nodded "... Don't take too long" He picked up Histoire, then they left, shutting the door behind them.
"Is there something you needed of me Miss IF?"
"Please, call me IF. All my friends do"
"Then… IF, you wanted to talk?"
"Yeah... " She didn't know how to start it… maybe she should've let him handle it "You're scared… aren't you?"
She sighed "Of course I am… I thought myself a Chamberlain days ago, now I'm some general"
"The way he put it was weird… I don't think what he said was wrong"
"I suppose not… A Chamberlain, an Archbishop, a Guild member, a Company owner and… and a…" She honestly didn't know
"A Rune Knight" She added
"A… what?"
"...Rune Knight… it's his official job"
"I… I don't think I've heard of that job description anywhere in Gamindustri"
"He's not from here"
"... Then where?"
"He's from far away, very far away. Best you don't know"
"O… kay… as I was saying, us as a… group? I think it's a bit much to call us generals"
"That's… what we are" She shrugged lightly
"IF… may I ask?"
"Shoot"
"Is it quite alright for us to risk another's life so shamelessly?"
"..." She crossed her arms "I… I don't have the answer"
"I thought not" It was a faint hope, a yes or no to reconfirm her values. But instead, it was in the grey.
"I've got a story"
"Pardon?"
"A story about… this" She gestured to everything "It's short"
"... I'm listening"
She nodded "Last night I… I did something damn stupid" She rubbed her temple just thinking about it "Phinx and I had an argument about what we were going to do about Nep, we disagreed, got emotional, said things that crossed lines…"
"... Oh… are you two still…"
"No, he and I are good… as good as we can be. But what matters is after all that… after Chian refused to help and I had time to cool off and think… when the uhh… people you… think of like family are in danger. It's… it became easy…"
"To do what?"
"To do stupid things… or bad things depending on how you look at it… when I was in the heat of the moment, I don't think I cared who got hurt as long as I got Nep and the others back… after I cooled off, I couldn't imagine it. Getting other people to die for my goals… it's hard… I sort of get what you're going through"
"... I… I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't particularly see why any of this is relevant to me"
"I'm sure everyone else is going through something like it" She ruffled her hair "Ahhhhh. I was trying to tell you something, then I… lost it… I'm just happy he's leading us, okay… I think that's what I wanted to say"
"Him? Are you sure? I don't think he's a bad person but is he really suited for leading this kind of… project?"
"I like to think he is… I'm thankful I'm not in charge"
"You don't think yourself a good leader?"
"No no no no no" She waved her hands "In the party, I am the leader" Damn straight, no matter what Nep said, she knew it was true "I'm thankful I'm not responsible for all this… I know it's a terrible thing to say, but… if someone dies or something goes wrong… I'm happy it's not on my head"
She remained silent, this revelation felt a bit… shocking.
"I know… but… wait… stop… I was trying to say from the beginning that you're not alone in this"
"All that… for one sentence?"
"I'm… bad at this"
"I can tell"
"Still, you have everyone you can talk to… if you want answers though… go to him… Phinx always has answers… probably from some fortune cookie"
That was the last thing she said before leaving, Financier stood by her lonesome, a small amount of time left. But enough to walk there leisurely.
Answers though… did he really have answers? Wasn't he a person just like them? Unsure and afraid?
Or was he one of those types that could practically see the future and act accordingly. She prayed he was the latter, for if he was, he had the answers that could quell her quivering heart.
So how'd you like it?
I wanted to take a different direction and I felt that this seemed appropriate, sure it might be stretching the rules of reality a bit, but I like to think it sort of flows well enough to not break immersion.
Also, I wanted to write with someone other than the CPUs, I like them, but when's the last time the humans had some time on stage?
Gust, Nisa, I remember seeing them in mk2 and maybe rebirth2. Not so sure about the latter.
Not to mention the other human characters, like Falcom, Cave, 5pb, Financier, Yvoire, Chian, Singe, Ganache, RED, Chika, Mina, Kei and the others I haven't added onto here. You barely see them in any fanfiction unless they're needed, let alone any games, they've practically died from the games, never to be seen again. And the anime, well, I remember seeing 5pb but no one else.
Think at the top of your head, and ask yourself what you know about these characters. Barely a flipping thing, maybe a trait or two here and there, but not much to begin with. There are so many unused characters, but not much is done with them... you know what that means though?
They're pretty much a blank slate. So long as it doesn't contradict or go against their existing character trait you could do pretty much anything you want with them, you could give them family, a random backstory, hell, you could probably relate them to each other and it wouldn't be strange considering how little is known about them.
I want to write about other people, I want to write about the human characters and have them intertwined with the CPUs, it doesn't even have to be a major connection, a damn cameo would satisfy me. I want them to have dreams, goals, aspirations, likes, dislikes, little ticks that piss off people. I want to write them with their own little twist to them. I have no idea what any of those could be, but I'll think about it.
I should really make a notes section in my profile, it would probably shorten these authors notes by a lot.
Anyway, leave a review or a message. I'll see you next week.