Hi, I'm back again with another chapter. Nice to see all of you again.
Thank you for the reviews Dark 7 Thunder and Omar Zerarka. It means a lot to me to receive them.
Omar, it wasn't intended, but I'm happy you liked it. I thank both of you for the words of support. Good to know people like my writing.
Anyway, for the next few chapters, I had trouble writing them. The content itself was what I had trouble with, it's not a disturbing topic in any way, more like I had trouble just writing stuff for it. My main problem was just the lack of ability to create a certain mood in different areas with my writing, and I find that I have this tendency to repeat things. And that bad habit is evident throughout this chapter as well.
To keep it short, let's say I have two characters talking. And unless they have a very different personality or character, I tend to write them with very similar or pretty much the same speech pattern. While it's not a problem if I add a description after it like 'they said' or something similar. In a one on one conversation, I don't need it. But in a group conversation of three or more, then I do.
I want to be able to convey who's speaking solely through their speech without the need to name them. In a show, you can see who's speaking, hear their voices and easily identify, some subtitles have the person's name. But in a book, you might have a picture here and there like in light novels, but most of the time you'll rely on the words to paint the picture.
And I think that a writer who can convey lots of information with as little words as possible is an amazing writer. I don't plan on reaching or striving for that level just yet, but I think I'll begin with research, take some classes on writing, that sort of thing... because honestly, I don't see myself dropping writing as a hobby.
And it has become extremely long even though I wanted to keep it short. This is also another reason, I tend to overthink and overwrite. Not bad when I need to plan, but annoying when I type.
I will end it here and put whatever else at the end.
Enjoy!
Chapter 33:
A bit earlier than usual, the two party members sat at the meeting table. One irritated, the other focused.
"Hey" She called at him, an annoyed expression on her face "Should we really be doing this?"
"I don't see why not"
Her fingers repeatedly tapped on the table "Isn't there work to do?"
"There is" He nodded
Her elbow rested on the table, while her cheek did the same on her spare palm "... Work to discuss… now?"
"When everyone gets here"
"This is stupid"
"Your face is stupid"
Her hand twitched "You woke me up!" And she swore, she felt the repeated urge to smack him rising.
"And I fed you the best breakfast of your life"
She paused, and had to admit… he was right "Fine… can we just… do something else?"
"Wait… almost… alright, I think I got it" The guild member facepalmed as he dramatically pulled it out "Is this your card IF?!"
"No" She deadpanned "You did it wrong"
"What?!" He flipped it around "You serious? I swear I did it right!"
Another sigh "It was-"
"No! No! Don't tell me! I got it! I got it!" He pulled out another "Is this your card?!" She disapprovingly shook her head "Really?" She nodded slowly "... That's weird, I was following the instructions"
The urge to repeatedly bang her head against the table was strong "Give it"
"Give what?"
"The deck, I'll show you"
He gasped "You know how to do magic tricks?!" The absolute shock and wonder on his face… maybe it was better to bang her head against the wall.
With a deadpan stare, she shuffled the cards "Pick one" He grabbed one "Memorise it, and put it back in the deck without showing me" He nodded and followed her instructions. A few flipped cards later "Here" She threw it onto the table lazily "Your card"
*Clap clap clap*
He looked so impressed… so positively mystified… he was even clapping his hands "... Amazing" He gasped.
"It was a magic trick" She deadpanned "Anyone can do it"
"... Can you do anymore?" He asked, his eyes glimmered like that of a child
This… This was their best hope… a man who could bend the elements to his will, one who could soar into the skies with nothing more than a thought, one who could slay the strongest of monsters without fear nor hesitation, one who could actually match the goddesses in one on one combat with nothing but his own abilities… one who was apparently both interested and impressed by magic tricks.
He grasped her hands "Teach me your ways Master!" She just stared at him "Teacher? Shifu IF?"
Yeah… they were doomed.
Had one day really passed? Or was it all just one bad dream?
No matter how much they prayed for the latter to be true, rarely does anything in life go according to plan because of a wish or two.
If only someone, or something could save them… save them from this hell of a cell. Just one chance, that was all they needed. That was all she needed to get out.
…
…
…
She shrugged, her internal monologue did nothing to tempt fate or alter reality, a shame really.
In all honesty though, it wasn't all bad… sure their foe had taken all four of their powers, Overlord Momus was an actual thing now and was so overpowered it needed more than a nerf to be fair, and the ominous sounds of machinery, growling monsters and strange sounds of screaming, along with the ever growing sense that this place was growing into more and more of a deathtrap each day.
And the eye… thing… that watched them outside their cell… And being pumped for information that could be potentially used to kill her friend.
Putting aside all of that, it wasn't that bad… they were alive… they were together… one could not just focus on the bad side of all things, after all, a little bit of optimism never hurt anyone… a sigh escaped her usually cheery mouth.
Of course, optimism could only take one so far… and there was just one thing bugging her, and everyone else.
"I'm boooooooooored" The girl complained as she rested her head on her lap "Anyone got any games or stuff? Blanny…" The poor bored girl sighed "I'll even read… so gimme what you got"
"You asked five minutes ago the exact same thing!" The twin tailed goddess snapped "And you will receive the exact same answer…" She paused for dramatic effect, then threw her hands up into the air "... We have nothing!" She looked as if she wanted to tear her hair out.
Blanc groaned, her hands holding up the sides of her head "Please… shut up"
"Yes" The blonde sighed "Neptune… you've been asking the same question all day… every few minutes… it's grating on our nerves"
Those purple eyes gazed up at her "I'm not annoying am I Compa? Am I?"
The nurse scratched her cheek "Um… well…" Her guilty gaze looked elsewhere "I think some peace and quiet would be nice"
"... You too?" Her eyes looked as though a puppy had just been kicked.
"I'm sorry Nep-Nep" Her hand caressed her soft head
"Nah… it's okay…" She deflated, she turned to her side "I know when I'm annoying… you think Iffy made it out alright with Histy?"
"Don't know" Blanc replied "... We can hope"
"Nonsense, Iffy has a strong head on her shoulders. I'm sure they're putting together a plan as we speak"
"... You're just saying that cause she worships you"
"Well… I like to believe her faith comes as a result of her intelligence"
"... Maybe she's... " Blanc stopped to think "... She'll be okay"
"What was that?" Noire asked
"What was what?"
"That pause"
"I shouldn't gossip about someone I barely know"
Compa chimed in "No matter what Iffy does, she's a very, very nice person... even if she's mean to Nep-Nep sometimes… or very sarcastic… or mean… But she'll forgive you"
She scratched the back of her hand, and felt a bit awkward "I thought maybe she's… into girls"
"... I don't… how could you possibly come to that conclusion?"
Her brow twitched "Remember the brothers?"
Vert's eyes narrowed, her hostility peaked "Yes. I do… in fact, I'll have to extend their punishment a tad further"
"They worship you cause of... those…" She needed to remind herself, this was no time to pick a fight "Your assets… maybe IF's the sa-"
"No!" The goddess denied "… it… it cannot be… that cannot simply be true. She cannot love me simply because of these!" She grabbed her own breasts "I cannot believe it! While I won't deny the fact that I hold sway over the hearts of many because of my beauty but-"
"Love's a bit far" Blanc retorted
"And Iffy's more like a really big fan" Compa added
"But it's Iffy, I consider her to be my best friend"
"WOAH! WOAH! WOAH THERE!" Neptune jumped, a tad offended "Hold it there. As everyone's number one bestie I take offence to that!"
Vert sighed "While I don't deny how valuable our friendship is. It's a tad…"
"You're Neptune" Noire's words stabbed through Neptune's heart "Sometimes…" She crossed her arms and began to reminisce "Sometimes I dream of taping your mouth shut with duct tape then locking you in a cupboard, and we finally attain peace and quiet…" A depressed sigh escaped her "Then I wake up"
Compa nodded along "Oooh, I get that sometimes too…" and sighed along with her
"I just want to kick her in the head"
Vert gave a blank stare towards Blanc "... Was that honestly necessary?"
The person in question shrugged "If we're getting things off our chest, I don't see why not"
"Y… You guys really think that? I'm not that annoying am I? I mean, even if I am, I'm the annoyingly cute type right, like… like you still love me anyways?" Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as they all looked away… even Compa "VEEEEEERRRRT! THEY'RE BEING BIG MEANIES!" She leapt to the busty blonde, arms wrapped around her waist.
She honestly didn't know what to do with a crying Neptune in her lap "... Um…" She looked around for help, before giving up "...There there now" She awkwardly stroked her head "I am sure someone still loves you"
"Hic… Vert… you're my new bestie"
"I-I am?!" She asked in shock "... Was Compa not your best friend?"
"Compa's a big meanie now… meanies don't get to be my bestie"
"... Sadly enough Neptune… I… I cannot say the same"
She glanced up at the goddess of Leanbox, her expression no different than a puppies "R-Really? Then who? Who's a better bestie than me?"
Throughout her many years of gaming, decision making and wisdom, she threw out the only answer that came to mind "P… Phoenix… if I had to say I had a best friend out of anyone it would be him"
…
…
…
"I can live with that" She rested her head on Vert's lap "As long as you ain't gunning for hubby then it's a okay…" She then muttered, just loud enough to hear "... I don't have to Nep you now" The goddess of green felt a shiver down her spine.
Now, more than ever, they prayed they would leave this cell soon… if only to avoid seeing this side of Neptune… it scared them.
Dammit all, damn them, damn him, everyone could go to hell for all she cared. It was all his fault with that stupid little quip of his… she had regretted it, feeling a certain sense of comradery with him, and that hug, it just felt so natural, a way to confirm their sorrows and find relief in another who shared the same pain.
But now, now she knew… it was a horrible decision on her part… Why? That was the question any asshole of an outsider might ask. What was the problem with two people hugging?
In actual fact, there was nothing wrong with it. Hugs were good, not only were they a way of showing affection, but was a way of communicating with others… There was just one tiny, teeny problem.
"Hey boss… I hear he's gonna be coming again today" Her eyebrow twitched dangerously.
She sighed "I know"
"... Looking forward to it?" A glare was sent towards the friendly worker "... Thinking the age gap's a bit much?"
She slammed her hands down on the table "Did you come here to get fired?!"
He handed over a few folders towards her, ranging from a few sheets to over a dozen inside "We finished drawing up some designs for the big nailgun…" And out of his pocket was a small notebook "And some tips"
She grabbed one and began to look through it "... The Zero Armour" She muttered out the title "Changes to some of the designs?" There was a mess of notes on the side and alternatives.
"We can go out and buy some of these parts instead of making them ourselves"
"These exact parts?"
"Similar ones" He answered "Kid's most likely using his own original parts or they're from somewhere else. We can buy some, alter em for our own use, and cut down on production time"
It was reasonable, why make your own when someone else had what you needed already "Send a message to the accounting group and get permission, they'll get back to you within the hour… next is-" She paused when she saw the next page, and the lack of tampering "Nothing here… I expected something from all of you"
The man shrugged "Ain't a single one of us touching anything magic or whatever the kid does. Not even the bloody ones from Lowee understand the crap"
"Not one thing?"
"Nothing. We don't know how magic armour works or what he's put on there. You know what the ones from Lowee say?"
"Something incredible I hope"
"They've never seen stuff so complicated, and they're the experts in magic. Insufferable pricks were going on and on about it before, now they've shut up about it all"
"What else about the armour bothers all of you?"
"It's about as thick as a few sheets of paper, has layers of cloth packed tightly against each other on the inside, has padding on the inside to wear it comfortably" The man sighed "Even if it says this thing has effects and stuff, you sure he's going into battle with this stuff?"
She too sighed at such a question "We've trusted him before"
"With helping us guard and fetch things"
"You know that's not what I mean"
"Everyone in Passe knows Boss… We just worry for the kid…"
"... Don't we all…" She shook her head at the fact. Even worse, he was going to throw himself into danger.
"Have you read through his zero armour one yet?"
"Not enough time, at best I skimmed through it and assigned it to your group based on the equipment that needs to be made" Sure, most of these little projects were in fact, incredibly interesting. In the sense that some of them were incredible, incredibly enough that people would've most likely killed to obtain it.
The employee grabbed the folder and flipped it to the summary page "Don't know if it'll work properly, but… read it… you'll understand"
An eyebrow raised at the sudden request… oh well "What's the harm?" She muttered to herself.
Her eyes fell down to a random point in the page long summary.
'Unlike conventional magic equipment that layers different or the same effects over each other. This will instead have them all applied over the same surface area. While this theory has been generally abandoned in favour of layering in the magic community, found to provide minimal to no effect.
However by using a variety of spells that will not interfere with each other on any level, technically speaking, they will not cancel each other out, interfere or weaken each other's effects.
Therefore by applying spells that affect only one aspect to great effect, a near perfect protection is in theory, possible, most likely at the cost of several dozen magician's worth of mana at the minimum.
But, the zero armour is anything but perfect. It is a simple prototype that can be used for long periods of time and is a base upon which other suits will be built upon.
Saying that, the listed areas will serve as the main categories of spells each suit needs (Up for change)
Physical Barrier (Swords, bullets, claws, etc)
Magic Barrier (Magic phenomenon, fireballs, lightning, wind blades, etc)
Sensory Field-5 meters (Standard distance still requires testing)
Barrier enhancement
Physical enhancement
Amplification
Flow manipulation
Second barrier (In case first is ever punctured and serves as the last line of defence, by this point escape would be the main priority)
Listed under here are the spells needed for each category to be used for-'
Immediately, she stopped there… and took a moment to take it all in… were they making a general combat exo suit… outfitted with weapons? Hell, exo suits were just released onto the market last year, even then only the extremely wealthy could afford such things, even in Planeptune… and here he was, plans for an actual suit for combat.
She looked up into his eyes, he gave a nod along with a smug smile "I know… if this actually works… think he'll tell us how to make em?"
"Doubt it"
"You know how much we could make if we could develop these ourselves?"
She sighed "Too bad we can't steal it" A small chuckle resounded through the room at the joke, steal? From him? "The only way we'll ever get our hands on any of this is if he tells us himself?" And she was sure he wouldn't… god knows the damage people could do if they had these things.
"... You could always date him?"
"... Listen… I'll fire you if I have to"
"He's open minded, you're only a few years apart… he won't care if you're a grease monkey just like your old man"
"Get out or get to work"
The man rolled his eyes at her antics "One of these days you'll get a love life… by the way… there are a few problems"
"Did someone accidently set off the gunpowder again?"
"Almost, but we moved Tim away from anything that has both fire and anything remotely flammable. We got little spats here and there for petty things. Eventually it's gonna escalate… a lot"
She grabbed her spare notepad out of the mess and jotted it down "Tensions are rising… is it because there's not enough time to relax?"
He nodded in return "Think so"
"I'll bring it up in the next meeting, anything else so far?"
"Not a big problem… more of a little one" He grabbed one of the folders he'd handed over prior "We're using new equipment and learning on the job, working with things we ain't ever seen before, doubt you'll find some of it anywhere in Gamindustri… oh… and we've never seen anything like this. Omni weapon as he called it, bloody thing transforms"
"If it has lots of moving parts and a complicated inside, it shouldn't be impossible, just hard"
"I wish it were that easy, it uses 'Liquid Metal' Heard of it?" He handed it back over
She took a moment… placed it down… then sighed "Have you started making it?"
"Not yet, but we-"
"Good!" She stood up from her chair, a spring to her step "I'll supervise, so go through every step!"
"..." He remained quiet, then looked down at the amount of folders scattered on the table. Then back at her.
"I'll… do it later!"
"Boss" He scolded.
"I will! Promise!"
"Chian…" His face became a tad more stern
Her smile faded, then reverted back into her frown as she slumped in her chair "Can you at least take a video for me?" She received a large nod in return "Thank you" She would have to settle for the next best thing… after all… it was a metal that could change between a state of liquid and solid with a spell… by the gods, how she wanted to just run out and watch it.
With a depressed sigh, she asked "Anything else?" Never before had she felt such hatred for paperwork… if only she could burn this temporary office.
"We need help"
"With?"
"Everything"
"There're instructions for everything"
"We don't like working with what we don't understand, can't make improvements either"
"Is that the majority opinion?" He nodded "That bad?"
"We need the kid, we can read every report and summary, but having someone to stop us from blowing ourselves up would be nice"
She leaned back, a headache was slowly making it's way in "Only the second day and we're so busy… he can't be here all day, he's the head of the combat division"
"Anything will help. We can follow the instructions if you say so but-"
A hand was held up "I hear it, I'll bring this up as welll, anything else?"
"That was everything urgent, everything else will be in the daily report, sorry for interrupting your break"
"It's fine… really, I'll be back out there in a bit after I look over all these. Keep up the good work"
"You too boss, make sure you look up those tips as quickly as possible"
"Tips?" She looked at the small notebook and opened it up, first sentence "How to get lai-" Her head jerked up, a scolding was in order. However, he was already gone, the door shut.
She massaged her temple "Note to self… lower his pay"
*Knock Knock*
Her eyes glanced up as the door opened "Chian? You okay?"
Her shoulders fell, a tad more relaxed than before "Just stressed at all the work"
"... Sorry?"
"Don't apologise, sit, sit" She gestured to the chair "My employees are a bit cheeky today"
"Oooh… that explains something I guess" Her look urged him to continue "They were giving me these really smug looks… one of them even told me to break a leg… I have no idea for what though"
"They…" She groaned "... They've been… how do I put this… they've been putting us together"
"Together?"
"Together-together" He blinked with a blank expression "Dating"
"Ooooooooh... okay" That was it? That was his reaction?! "It doesn't really matter though"
"To you! You're not the one getting teased"
A shrug was all he gave "I don't know what it is you want me to do"
"Just sit there and let me complain"
"Sure"
"You serious?"
"Complaining about random shit is just how most people cope… but, if it's taking a toll on your mental health I'll ask Yvoire to send out a warning"
"No, it's fine… just a gripe with having the entire company consider me family… what was it you came here for?"
"Just checking up on you, see if there's any immediate problems that need to be resolved"
She leaned back into her comfy chair "We have a few here and there, and one thing"
"Thing?"
"... They need help"
…
"Well… that was specific"
"They need someone to overlook them to make sure nothing blows up in their faces"
"Not to say that there isn't a chance something'll go boom, but I have safety measures. As long as they're followed the chances of anyone actually getting hurt is next to zero"
"Even so, you get what I mean"
He sighed "... An hour tomorrow, I don't want to set aside anymore time than that"
"Any amount of time is good enough… now then… paperwork"
He immediately stood up "I'll leave you to it"
"Wait!" She lunged over the table, grabbing his hand "You came here to help right?! Then help me! Please, I don't want to be here by myself looking over design changes!"
Slowly, and gently, he held hers, and with a dazzling smile "Do your best" Then he ran
"NOOOOOOOOOO! HEEEELP MEEEEE!" There she sat, crying for the next hour as she glared at the stacks of paper. Cursing his name.
Boredom, that was all he felt in his prison… it was an emotion he rarely felt, but with nothing to stave it off. There was little he could do in his current state.
Nothing more than observe and talk to his captor whenever she felt like attacking him.
However, she cared little about his presence as a result of his refusal to give information. No matter how hard she tried to intimidate or interrogate him, none of it made any difference. There was barely any affect on him.
Any threat she gave had no bearing on him for he did not care, any pain she inflicted felt like little stings compared to the horrific feeling of controlling that child's body.
Therefore, he sat there, a lack of interaction for days on end, with nothing more than his own thoughts to pass the time. Any attempts to escape these shackles were met with failure, lest he not mind dying in the process.
In all honesty, he felt a tad sad, there he was, the mythical Guardian of the Beast as others had thought of him. He was quite proud of the title along with one other.
However, that mantle was to never be used without his permission. He expressed a strong desire to keep that name separate from that of the Phoenix Knight.
For even that child didn't want that hard earned name to be associated with the embodiment of war. But it was sad really, it had all come about as a result of performing his duty to the best of his ability.
Some of his predecessors were worshipped as heroes, praised for their heroic deeds. And now, people believed him evil for acting no differently. It just goes to show how fickle people were, and how stupidity couldn't be cured.
Faintly, something caught his attention, the sound of footsteps, two people at the minimum… and some monster perhaps?
The door opened, on the other side stood Arfoire and… what was that girl's name again… it had something to do with clumps or was it oranges?
"Get in" Arfoire nudged the terrified girl inside.
She meekly obeyed, her hands together and shaking.
A sheet of paper was held up in front of him "Read it" She ordered.
If only he had his reading glasses, a shame they were inside Phoenix's storage, he enjoyed wearing them. He scanned over the page, two paragraphs in English, thank the gods, he didn't know as many languages as that boy.
However, the content of what was written intrigued him. It had listed some new information he wasn't wary of.
By some strange event called the 'Expo' he had lost his mana reserves or as the… human put it, powers. It was easy enough to understand his current condition, after all, he had been forced to slog through all that education along with the boy.
There was just one problem, the last statement 'In a few days, he'll lose the powers of the Phoenix Knight' was what was written… he needed to know why this girl was giving away information.
"Is all this true?" Arfoire asked
"The writing?" That was it, he was needed to verify information
"What else?"
"... Answer my questions first"
"No"
"Then you'll receive nothing from me"
The human girl squeaked as the edge of a spear was brought to her neck "Her, along with the four CPUs will die"
It was impressive really, how easily she provided information "And I'm expected to care for any of their lives?" Arfoire narrowed her eyes. A reaction, that was good "... What are you waiting for? Hurry and slit her throat and leave me be. I have no use for you"
"Excuse me" She spat back "You live only because I allow it"
"You? Your allowance? Do not insult me girl. You're nothing more than a human playing god. I live not because you choose not to end me, but simply because you cannot"
"You are at my mercy! You live and die by my hand!" She screamed "You are stuck here with no options! No escape! Right now, I. Am. Your. God"
…
…
…
"... My god?" He questioned "I of all people? Trapped here?" He scoffed "I have lived tens of thousands of years and you proclaim yourself to be my god? I have watched civilisations rise and fall over a whim and you think yourself my better?" He felt something rise up… something vengeful.
A half step back was all she took, but it conveyed everything he needed "I am not trapped here because of you…"
The door slammed shut, the walls, floor and ceiling turned pitch black, a terrifying fear gripped both their hearts as a calm distorted voice echoed "You are trapped in here with me"
"You're staring off into space, what is wrong?"
"… had this weird feeling" He shook it off "Anyway, sorry about that, can you repeat what you just said?"
"I've sent a team to observe the dungeon the Goddesses are held within, and another to infiltrate it. As well as a few others to observe both the legal and blackmarket on all land masses for any abnormal purchases"
"Do we have enough people?"
He stroked his white beard "I've covered all the areas I believe are necessary, but nothing more. If there was more than just Leanbox's agents then perhaps…"
The teen let out a sigh "Sorry, no can do. Passe is just a normal company and Financier doesn't have control over Lowee's military in any form, everyone she brought with her are volunteers"
"... And you?"
"What about me?"
"Any contacts to assist us? Something from your organisation?"
Another sigh escaped him "We're on our own. My organisation has a strict no interference policy with other worlds at the moment, they're low on manpower"
Yvoire's eyebrow raised to question him "A no-interference policy that you are breaking"
"I was summoned here, there's a big difference. Any forced attempts to drag back a summoned being before they've either completed or failed their objective is met with retaliation"
"Retaliation…" he thought about the very idea "Enlighten me"
He looked up in thought and crossed his arms "There are a few recorded instances, the first time they believed it happened was when the summoned was being dragged back. Once they returned to where they were originally summoned, everything within a kilometer was then summoned back…"
"An entire kilometer?"
"Yeah… and everyone with it… travel between my and that other world is possible, but the people who got sucked in… Some of them mutated into monsters, others never made the trip, plenty died on the way"
"A grim consequence"
"True…" They offered a moment of silence "... Anyway, continue on"
"Yes, as I was saying, without enough staff, we'll be lacking severely in spreading and gathering information. And just before you arrived I received some unsettling news"
"What is it?"
"A news article one of my agents picked up on the way to their destination, in rural or isolated areas, the churches of the Goddesses have been destroyed"
"Was it Arfoire?"
"The building still stands, but the outside has been vandalised, windows broken, the inside has been ransacked and most if not all members of the Goddesses' faith residing in that church were killed, this one was reported in Lastation. It's natural to assume others have or will be attacked soon"
His head dropped "Then… that leaves only one other option then doesn't it?"
"It is as we fear... It was the people"
No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.
This couldn't be happening, it just wasn't possible. This situation could never happen, not here, not this far away from the big city.
But it was… it felt so surreal, so… so terrifying… like a prank gone bad… she prayed it to be so, some prank everyone was in on.
The blood… the screaming… the terrified expressions… now lifeless… the pleading looks for anyone to come save them… the now dead bodies… it was all real.
Why did this happen?
Why here?
Why now?
This town was out in the middle of nowhere, it wasn't some tourist hotspot.
She had come in for the weekly mass… only for a group to suddenly barge in with weapons… then begin attacking after some grand speech of sorts.
She hadn't paid any attention to it, all her attention was focused on running, fleeing amongst all the confusion… and hiding.
Her body shook in this hidden cabinet, the stench of death was heavy in the air.
Her prayers were the only thing keeping her from outwardly crying.
'Lady Purple Heart!' she chanted, over and over, those three words holding back her desire to scream and cry.
"Brothers and sisters!" A voice boomed in the distance "Today is a grand day for us, the beginning of our legend!"
Who cared?! Just leave! LEAVE ALREADY!
"On this memorial day, we have fought back against the tyrannical rule of the goddesses! Today is the day of our Revolution!"
The crowd cheered, a large scream of approval from them all.
"Our eyes have been revealed to the one true God! Before we were blind to see the Goddesses and all their lies! Their Darkness! Now! We stand! Our eyes open to the true light!"
Stop, please… please… go away… go away.
"His light bathes over us! Cleansing us of our sins! Ridding us of the impurities of the Fake Gods! It is here we act in his name… Overlord Momus"
A respectful silence took hold.
"Now we see the true evil, the true darkness… for Overlord Momus has bequeathed his cleansing flame onto us… we are the light... they are the darkness… We are the light… They are the Darkness" Slowly, but surely, the crowd followed
"We are the light"
Someone, anyone...
"They are the darkness"
Help... me
"We are the light!"
Lady Purple Heart...
"They are the darkness!"
Please...
"WE ARE THE LIGHT!"
Hear me...
"THEY ARE THE DARKNESS!"
… Save me…
She was dangerous
That was a fact.
'It was stupid of me to act now, why did I act on fear?'
'I've held back against my fear before, but why now? What makes her so terrifying that I felt the need to lash out?'
It traversed the land, fleeing towards the city in the distance, at this rate, it could easily die before reaching civilisation, but it didn't matter…
Deep inside, there was a strong desire to run… not away… but towards someone.
'I need to reach him, there's no other way right now. The army she's amassing is too large for him to handle alone, especially if what that girl wrote was correct'
If only he could make it in time… there was a chance that boy's life could be saved… there was a slight hope inside the shadow.
… It hoped this new information could persuade that child to run away… to leave this world to it's fate and save himself… while he was sure the boy would feel dissatisfied with leaving this unfinished, he was not so stubborn as to risk his life so foolishly. After all, the boy had fled or left conflicts alone on prior occasions, this would be no different.
Yet… a large part of it feared the more likely conclusion… it feared how likely it was that he would be thrust into the center of it all one way or another.
Sometimes by fate… other times by people…
Quick to point out problems yet think up no viable solutions to solve it… it was inhumane to send a child to war… and the moment said child kill in order to protect said people the child was shamed and abandoned, no longer worth their time.
… Over the years it had become so ironic… that they were being saved by the one that hated them the most.
But there was no point trying to discuss hypocrisy… not here… not now.
… And that was why he needed to return… very few actually understood how little emotion that child felt at times… how his heart could be colder than ice… how little he cared… how the voices inside drove him mad… or were they more akin to screams?
After all… he was in there with them.
No matter… time was wasting.
He was stopped in his tracks as a sudden pain surged through his back.
It's eyes focused above, and saw Arfoire, spear embedded into his shadow. A far away look in her eyes… Perhaps, he could escape… if she was distracted he could-
"AHHHHHHHHHHH" An unholy scream by the darkness as she repeatedly plunged her spear back and forth into him.
Not like this, NOT LIKE THIS!
He could feel it, his life was being cut off, every stab destroyed more of his being.
'Wait… stop… I must… I have an objective to complete… I must see him'
The stabbing stopped, he felt gravity tug on him as he was lifted off the ground.
Teeth dug into him, his mind fading quickly '... I… I need to… I must find… I… I must tell him'
'I… I'm sorry child…' Three words, the three words that he needed to hear 'If I never have the chance to tell you…"
Then, it all faded to darkness.
Dammit, dammit, dammit all!
What a waste of time it was, keeping it alive. Thinking it would provide answers.
"O-Ow… please stop pulling so hard" The girl behind her meekly begged.
Who cared, a little pain was good for gain, this one could stand to toughen up. Suffering created character.
"I-It hurts..."
"Shut up!" She screamed, frustrated "You two!" She pointed at the pair of monsters, the others close to it's cell had died "Take her to their cell, if she does anything kill them!" With a rough swing, the girl was ushered forward into the presence of the two monsters.
She stumbled and fell, the two presided over her, their stare bore into her "Hurry up!" She yelled, another order before she left them to it.
She dashed away, spear in hand, a dead man to hunt.
But… as she did so, she examined her hand… and the trace of blood that stained it.
… Blood… it had actually drawn blood… on her of all people… it was dangerous, it and it's master needed to die…
Once she returned to the remains of the cell, she witnessed the hole, and did the only thing she could… she followed… she prayed… she hoped…
After all… it was all worth it… killing it would bring her one step closer to her goal.
Just a bit more…
… Remove any and all obstacles… it didn't matter who they were.
… Man, child, woman, monster… they were all equal in her eyes… why couldn't anyone else see it?
… It didn't matter… right now… it did.
She soared through the air, her eyes looked over the land for any shadows looking to flee… it had risked it's life for this, why now was a fair question, and why attack her when it could've escaped all this time?
Bah… none of those reasons mattered…
Now… she just needed to kill it and that's one more obstacle gone… one more step… one day less.
In the end… it would all pay off.
In the end… all wrongs would be righted.
In the end… all would be right with the world.
In the end… all would be equal.
In the end… Justice would prevail.
That's right… it was all for justice…
It was all for them… the world needed a hero… it needed someone… it always did.
She wanted justice.
She wanted justice.
She wanted justice.
She wanted... power.
… Wait… what was her goal again?
Before she had even realised it… in her hands were the remains of a shadow… a strange aftertaste in her mouth… that's right… this was it… the power.
What good was justice without power?
She slumped forward "... Hah… Hahaha…" Slowly, she arched back "Haha… Ha... " Slowly, but surely, the madness reigned supreme once again "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
An ominous laughter echoed out in the wilderness.
Deep inside… locked away in the depths of her mind… the real Arfoire did the only thing she could…
She screamed
"Request denied"
"But they've already begun, we can't sit here and ignore them"
"We can't help them"
"Yes we can, isn't that why we're here?!" They each looked towards Lowee's Chamberlain… their thoughts a mystery.
"... No" The young man denied with a neutral expression "Our purpose is to save the goddesses and defend against Arfoire and Momus… we can't do anything beyond that"
"Yes we can! Instead of sitting here and discussing it, we can send someone, a team, a group. Anyone will do"
"Financier my dear…" Yvoire hesitated "I'm afraid it's nowhere near that sim-"
"Yes! It is!" She slammed her fist onto the table "If any of the goddesses were here, they would be ashamed of our actions!" The table went silent, some vied to avert their gazes.
"... Fine" He sighed as he leaned back "We'll send a small team each to find survivors and bring them back here. Then we'll offer them food and shelter, divert a third of our workforce to look after them and turn this place into an asylum… except we can't"
"Surely there's some room to-"
"The moment we take in one, we have to take in every other person" He tapped his fingers against the table "I understand you want to help people, but we aren't equipped for that, we don't have the amount of staff to match the refugees… that's not our job"
"Then whose? We know about every incident before anyone else can even take proper action, if we don't, who will?"
"The Basilicoms" He deadpanned "We've already informed Planeptune's and Lastation's, and you two have already sent out help from Lowee's and Leanbox's Basilicoms"
"They won't get there fast enough, we already have victims. Right now we don't know how many more will be attacked"
"From the latest update, there are forty five dead, eleven severely injured that are either already in hospitals or on route, and about thirty or so who've come out with minor injuries" The room was stunned into silence "Overall that's a fairly low number in comparison to deaths by monster attacks in a single day.
I expect them to stray away from any large towns or cities and focus on attacking smaller isolated towns, from the damage they've caused, they most likely possess simple weapons, knives, bats, sticks, normal household items or things you can buy or find easily.
Firearms aren't out of the question, but I doubt most of these groups have enough guns to arm everyone. Most likely kept them to the most influential or important people to the group, and even then I doubt they have much ammo to begin with.
From the way most of them have gone about their vandalism they're not very organised, they haven't limited their area of operations to the church itself but also to the surrounding homes. Even if they were to move, they wouldn't be very quick about it. I'd say a few days between each attack at the most, more or less depending on the distance between locations, a few hours at the least for closer towns…
These unorganised groups won't just be targeting churches, but I'm sure they'll go around to whichever town's closest as long as it's easy enough to take over, they'll go for churches if they can, but if not I doubt they'll bother arguing against preaching wherever they can…" He looked around at their stunned expressions "... Is no one going to suggest a plan to deal with them?"
Yvoire stroked his beard "You garnered all that information from these few acts of theirs?"
He tilted his head in confusion "Well… yeah… it's better to fight a group if you know exactly what they're capable of. If I didn't I couldn't predict their next moves…" he crossed his arms "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing" Yvoire chuckled "In this case the opposite… in fact I'd like to inquire about your thoughts on how to best handle these new groups"
His ears perked up "... Umm… sure… well, I think it's best to leave it to the Basilicom's. We don't have the manpower to go around putting them all down when the Basilicom will do it either way. After all, this is a direct attack on the faith of the Goddesses, I'm sure both Planeptune and Lastation are already making plans to destroy them"
"Do we not worry about them?" Financier asked "Is it really the best course of action to leave them be?"
"I believe so" He nodded "It's a waste of resources to fix a problem that'll fix itself given time. These people have vandalised communities and attacked churches, it doesn't matter what they're preaching, who's going to willingly join a cult like that?"
"So…" Chian chimed in "No worries then?"
"For now"
"Wait" IF called "What about the other ones?"
"Hmm…" Yvoire shifted through the documents "We haven't received any other reports on other parties"
"Not them, the other groups of Momus worshippers? You know, the ones that haven't attacked anyone"
"The minority group?" Chian asked "They haven't done anything"
"Yeah… don't you think that's a bit weird?"
"It is" He leaned on the table, his chin resting on his hand "This minority are the ones you have to worry about, Financier, Yvoire, I suggest keeping an eye on these ones in particular. They're well equipped and disciplined. They took churches without killing anyone, preached then left"
"I'll notify my men"
"I as well…" Financier sighed "... Is that the only action we're taking?"
"Financier my dear, sometimes the best action to take is no action at all"
"... I guess so" She mumbled
"I have bad news" The tome alerted them "I can no longer access any current information on Arfoire's abode"
"Nothing?" IF asked "What about Nep and the others? Are they still okay?"
"Last I checked yes, but now. I have been blocked. Most likely a countermeasure of some kind towards me by Arfoire"
"Is there nothing you can do?" Yvoire asked "A way to circumvent this... jamming?"
"I am naught but a tome. I only record the events in Gamindustri. To this day I've never been used in any type of warfare nor have I ever wanted to. I have no methods of protecting myself nor any way of directly harming others"
Yvoire stroked his beard "Then we have no choice but to work with what little we know. The latest information we possess on Arfoire is how she's amassing her army of monsters. In only days she'll have enough to storm the city with. More and she could easily destroy us all"
"Have the agents you sent into Arfoire's dungeon returned?" Asked the worried Financier
He shook his head sternly "I'm afraid not, they're either having trouble returning or have already been found…"
Chian covered her mouth "... Oh… That's… I'm so sorry"
A sigh left the Archbishop "It has yet to be confirmed"
"But monsters…" He mumbled to himself "I doubt she'll stick to those…"
"What about the Killachines?" IF asked "She's used those before, could she get more?"
"Nope" Chian denied "Avenir disbanded, any factories of theirs got taken over and now belong to some other company. Anyone caught using a Killachine would suffer a big blow to their rep. She can't get them legally…"
"But?" IF asked
"But illegally…" Chian nodded to herself "I'm sure someone's kept up production of those damn machines, bet you can find them on the black market"
Financier raised a hand, just below her head to gain attention "Then we'll keep an eye on Lastation's market, both legal and illegal for any large purchases of weapons or ammunition. As well as find the source and if possible tip it off to Lastation's Basilicom. I'll handle that matter"
"Very well, I'll focus my men towards gathering information about the Momus worshippers and Arfoire herself"
"I'm terribly sorry about being unable to gather information"
"It can't all be easy now can it"
"I'll get some of my guys to get started on making those fake key fragments, can't be nice being cooped up as a book" If she did in fact have a physical body, she would've given a hug to the kind Chian.
Later that night
She roamed through the halls with a tray of food in hand… mainly confused and in awe.
This… place was not something a normal person would have… in fact how a person even got here was a mystery in of itself.
She sighed, as mysterious as this place was she had other intentions in mind… she followed the sound of the workshop in use and the muffled conversation beneath it all.
He better not have eaten yet, it was the only reason she even brought him a tray… he should be thankful such a cute and pretty girl was fetching him food… that strange thought elicited some weird thoughts… if she asked would he actually respond along those lines?
She had emotions just like anyone else… and being called a tomboy doesn't help… maybe she wasn't really pretty like other girls but she was cute… right?
Maybe normally she was, but being in this party she wasn't… there was Compa and Nep, essentially puppy levels of adorable and then there was Lady Vert, Blanc and Noire… Lady Vert was Lady Vert, enough said. Blanc felt more mature than everyone else and Noire was… she was both pretty and cute.
She shook her head of these thoughts. It's not like she saw him as a romantic interest, there was nothing of that sort between them in the first place.
'He asked you out on a date' Her treacherous mind spoke 'Not Nep, not Compa… you'
The urge to bang her head against a wall was strong.
...It was only as friends of course…
'He hasn't asked anyone else on a friendly date'
She groaned, this was not happening. Things were already awkward around them when he asked for the date… she couldn't actually imagine them dating… by the gods their children would be just as awkward.
…
…
…
'Children?! Imagine them with their furry little ears and tails!' Her mind squealed 'IMAGINE IT! IMAGINE THEM PURRING WHEN YOU RUB THEIR HEADS! IMAGINE IT RIGHT NOW!'
… She sighed… her mind was going places where she never intended… maybe she spent too much time around Nep.
'You think he's a beast in bed too?'
That's it! No more dilly dallying!
Her face heated up as her imagination continued even further, the images clearer every second, the moans in her mind doing nothing to cool her down.
It continued towards her body… it too began to face the heat… and not in an unpleasant way.
She broke out into a power walk… surely talking to him would be a good enough distraction.
A conversation could be heard amongst the use of tools.
"I can do that afterwards"
"But you could very well be a corpse before then"
"Then I'll get someone else to do it"
"When I told you of your friend's demise, I initially expected a different reaction"
"Don't get me wrong… I am sad… but once you've seen enough people die it doesn't faze you anywhere near as much as it used to"
"I don't believe that's a very healthy reaction towards the death of a loved one"
"… That's just how it is"
"You're much too young to be so jaded towards everything"
"I lost faith in humanity a long time ago Histoire"
"... With your story it's not surprising"
*Knock Knock*
"Hey.." IF weakly called out "I'm not interrupting am I?"
"There's nothing to interrupt" He replied, his eyes focused on the items in front of him "Join us"
She placed the tray down on a free table "So this… is your private workshop… a lot neater than I thought it'd be"
"Technically speaking everything in this place is my private workshop, but everywhere else is taken and in use"
She looked about, random tools on the wall organised into groups, benches and drawers with small labels and signs indicating what was held within each one. Even in the tables themselves they had drawers with their own little sticky notes.
The tables themselves were covered in a thick mat, most likely to prevent damage to the table itself along with a sturdy and non stick surface to work on.
On these tables were a myriad of items, ranging from tools, stones, weapons and more.
She recognised on one table an assortment of firearms, beside them were their bullets. They looked similar to what was on the market right now… however, they felt different… like they were special.
"IF" Her hand recoiled back at the sudden mention of her name "I know you're curious but don't touch them, they are dangerous"
"R-Right…" She looked to another table and saw… explosives "Is that C4?"
"Yeah"
"Here?"
"Yep"
"So close to us?"
"Don't worry, if anything explodes on these tables, a barrier will be made around it preventing it from going further than a few centimeters, including any shrapnel"
"... I'll take your word for it… what're you working on now?" He stretched his hand out, a pair of goggles held within them "Safety goggles?"
"I tend to work in here by myself most of the time so I forgot to give a pair to you"
"It's fine… you're making a pair of legs?" The goggles fit snugly onto her head, a soft material between it and her made it feel like wearing a soft mask.
"For me… I need a way to move around"
"Then how do these work, you can't feel your legs"
"I give them commands through magic and they follow. It's like having a controller and pressing a button, then whatever is connected to it will do as programmed when that button is pressed"
"Oh…"
They sat in silence for a few moments, content with watching him work.
…
…
...
"By the way"
"Hmm?" He hummed.
"I brought you food"
He stopped and stared at her "...This late?"
"Eat dinner yet?"
"I don't think so"
"You forgot?"
"Yeah" He nodded with that same clueless expression he wore. He found the tray and reached for it.
Her own hand smacked his away "Your hands are dirty"
He looked at them and pondered "I'll…" He looked like a child deciding between playing and eating "I'll go and wash them"
IF sighed "Stop… I'll feed you so just don't move around so much"
"… Can I keep working?"
A nice deep breath "... No… it's not healthy"
"And being targeted by the most powerful person in Gamindustri is?"
"Not the point" She lightly poked his head "You should eat a proper meal like the rest of us"
"I have food pills"
"They don't substitute real food"
"It takes less time to eat them"
IF sighed "Look… eating those doesn't look healthy for you"
"Yeah well, one of these is enough for a basic meal…" She stared at him "I mean… technically these are considered more as emergency provisions instead of the first choice of food" She threw on a smile, feeling victorious "Yeah well, I don't enjoy eating"
"You can't be serious… you're acting like a kid"
"Hey" He pointed at her "Kids are stubborn about what they eat, I'm arguing about the act itself" IF didn't cease her stare "Fine… I'll eat… some of it… hand it over"
She was just a bit happier seeing him eat… albeit with a slight pout "Cute" She teased. His pout turned into confusion "You are" She answered.
He swallowed "I'm not cute"
She rolled her eyes "Is this everything you'll use?"
He shook his head "This is everything I'm working on, I still need to prepare oils, bombs, gases, items and other stuff"
"Gases?"
"I don't use any harmful gas in populated areas, too much risk of hurting anyone nearby. I'll be sticking to flammable gases or sleeping gas at best. Not my area of expertise but it'll have to do" He sighed "I wish most of the stuff here wasn't experimental… I'd feel better if they weren't"
"Wait… You haven't tested these?"
"Only in controlled situations" he leaned back in frustration "I don't know how well they'll actually work in combat. See those grenades over there?" She turned around "Some of them don't actually explode"
"Then what's the point?"
"They produce different effects. Ever heard of a Witcher?"
"Don't think so"
"Well, they're well trained monster hunters, best of the best. They know everything about what they hunt from strengths to weaknesses, time of activity, what they eat, how they hunt, physical appearance, how to distinguish between very similar looking species and even gender. They've developed potions, bombs and specific weapons for the sole purpose of monster hunting"
IF crossed her arms in slight amusement "You sound like a fan… maybe you should marry them"
It was his turn to roll his eyes "Point is, for someone in my line of work, they are people to learn from. Anyway, I've worked with them on a few occasions, and I've seen them use these things called signs. They produce small but useful effects. Igni, Aard, Axii, Quen and Yrden. I've seen them in action and if used properly they'll either save your life or end your enemy's"
"Awwww, you've got a crush!" She teased
He pointed the spoon at her in a threatening way "Would you shut up and listen" Her teasing expression didn't stop, in fact she only seemed to be more entertained "Anyway, I've based some of those grenades off Yrden and Quen. A field which slows things down and a barrier"
"Did you get their autograph?"
"Do you want me to smack you?" She let out a sigh and gestured for him to continue "The Quenade as I like to call it creates a barrier around anything wearing a specific charm, that way you only form a barrier around who you want. It has a radius of five meters. The Yrden Nade creates a field where kinetic energy is turned back into potential energy, not all of it mind you but enough to make a difference"
"... You've made a force field grenade and a stasis field… You need better names… and you have an entire table for these things"
"What I just told you were the first prototypes I made when I was a kid, they're not worth using in an actual dangerous situation. But since then I've made variants, improved it and changed it based on the intended purpose. I think even you'll like it, see the theory behind it is-"
"Eat" She interrupted him
"What?"
"You've just been sitting there talking, it's almost cold"
"I'm talking about magic items that are, if I'm being very, very nice, a few dozen years ahead of any magic in this Gamindustri. People have tried to kill for my research, in fact, people would kill to even listen to me talk about how my prototypes work"
"Do they?"
He looked down at the tray, and let out a dejected sigh "No… not really…" He mumbled, he shoved a spoonful of food into his mouth "They'd rather just steal everything I have and claim it as their own" He let out another sigh "Why doesn't anyone like to listen to me?"
She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder "... Because it's boring" She joked.
His ears dropped "Oh… I…" She could see the life flee his eyes "...I guess it is..." his shoulders slumped and he had that blank far away look in his eyes. She had expected some snarky or witty reply, she hadn't intended to tear away at what little self confidence he had "I mean… I've only spent my life researching magic... not like I've invested that much time into it"
"Did you hear that IF?" Histoire butted in "I believe that was the sound of his mended heart shattering into small pieces"
She sent a glare at the Tome, this was not the time for jokes "Phinx, Phinx, I'm sorry okay I'll listen without joking this time"
"It's okay" He deadpanned "I won't bore you with the details" He spun around in his chair and slumped on the table "It's fine, really… I'm only good for killing things after all… the only people that actually care about my research are the ones that want to steal it… I had a friend once who I could discuss my studies with… next thing I know she takes them and goes public with it saying she discovered it… good times" By the Gods, she could feel the sorrow.
"That…" She was tempted to insult whoever could do such a shitty thing, but refrained "... Friend of yours, did she get arrested?"
"... She has a brand now, and she's really rich… when I spoke up people thought I was lying and trying to steal from her… I was already branded as a criminal for things like assault, murder and rape. Because of her I'm a thief too… I proved my innocence in all those cases but no one cared" He let out a depressed sigh "I had a crush on her and everything because of how nice she was, even though she knew I was labelled a rapist…"
Silently, he sat up, slid the safety goggles back over his eyes and silently went back to work.
IF slid hers down and called out "Um Phinx… I'm sorry that uhh… bitch did that and all, but I'm not like that see!" She was trying, trying really hard. From the sounds of it he seemed really depressed "I'll listen and I promise I won't steal anything so…"
No response.
"I believe he's completely shut out any and all outside voices" Histoire noted.
IF rubbed the back of her head in guilt "… Anything I can do?"
"Emotional scars take time to heal… his are no different… but I do wonder?"
"What? If it helps make him happy tell me"
"Where do you suppose all this came from?"
"What? This place?"
"That too, but mainly all this equipment. Before you joined us we were talking and I inquired about all this equipment. By his word he told me he either made all of it or changed it in one form or another… you do understand he's younger than you"
"Physically"
"And mentally… correct me if I'm mistaken but you are twenty one yes?"
"... How do you know?"
"I record everything within Gamindustri, from everyday dialogue to simple facts such as a person's age… now take into account the fact that he is at best twenty… he is one of those people who throw themselves into their work"
"... Oh…" She understood and nodded "A workaholic"
"Or in his case, he has nothing better to do"
"You're kidding… he has no social life?"
"None to speak of from what I've gathered… I would suggest dating him, I'm sure the two of you would get along swimmingly"
"W-What?! No! We are not like that! Tell her wrong!" She looked towards him, expecting something.
He hadn't bothered moving nor showed any indication of hearing her, he just continued working.
IF sighed "Look, I'm worried for him so keep the teasing until after we all get out of it alive"
"I'll hold you up to it then… may I ask for a favor IF?"
"Shoot"
"Do you mind staying here and watching him? At least until it's time for bed"
"Sure" She sighed "I'll be right back" She grabbed the tray… to store it in the fridge for tomorrow. No point wasting perfectly good food.
As IF's presence became faint. Histoire felt relieved.
She was thankful that no one else could see the records… for if anyone could, they could discover fate, they could discover where fate may take them… of course this was nothing more than her own interpretation.
It ranged from one person to another, but she'd read enough stories to find patterns. Similar situations that led to a specific range of varied results. Enough to let her gamble on where they may end up.
But if anyone could read his story… they would most likely only be able to look at the boy with nothing but pity. She was sure he didn't want such treatment…
However… there was a problem… he was unlike anything she'd ever seen. He was an anomaly… passages were missing, names were blank, foreign words couldn't be translated… even if a person were to experience amnesia, it would not wipe out their past experiences, she would still be able to read them if she wished.
He had no name, only titles. Whenever his name was mentioned, it would be a blank space.
Those missing passages, it was as if they never occurred, as if he never existed during those times. From a few seconds to a few weeks.
And those foreign words… such a thing should not happen. It mattered little what language a person knew, the moment they step foot in Gamindustri everything about them is recorded, other world or not. It should all be translated.
Yet, there it was, on the tip of her tongue yet unable to either read or speak it. But for some reason she knew… she knew what those words meant yet she was unable to put it into her own words… like some kind of foreign concept.
Truly, he was an anomaly. He was like a dying candle fire, nobody knew when he might go out, but he would. It was as if he was in a constant state of life and death, both yet neither… Like Schrodinger's Cat… she chuckled to herself at the comparison.
Still… he was a strange existence… was it a result of being abandoned by his world and it's inhabitants, or never being considered one of their inhabitants to begin with?
Perhaps he could satisfy her curiosity.
And I've just realized another problem as I write this note. I've begun telling, not showing. Histoire's inner thoughts here, I think they would have been better expressed in a different way. But I don't want to change it because I can't think of anything else to end this chapter on. Every chapter, I will try to end it on something interesting, I will try, doesn't mean it will be, but I will try.
Anyway, I think that's all the stuff related to my fic out of the way for now, on a side note.
I am currently helping out another writer in the RWBY... fandom? Is that what it's called? I'll just use fandom, point is, I'm helping out with their fic by offering my thoughts and ideas based on their ideas.
Individually, I have a hard time coming up with ideas, when I do, they're usually random, so most of the stuff I've written is based off of other things I've seen recently or remember strongly.
On the other hand though, I find that if given an idea, I just think and think and think, next thing I know, I've written several paragraphs based on that one thing, not like branching paths mind you, more like how I think it may play out with an alternative here and there. Just brainstorming though, when I get a thought it just goes off.
In the last week though, I've had the exact opposite, I saw the document and the general outline of the chapter, you know, basic routine we've set up. I take a look, offer thoughts and ideas, we discuss and delve into it a bit further, and they decide what to use. They have a beta reader thank god, goodness knows how badly my help could screw them over.
Problem is, nothing came to me, for the entire week I've just gotten nothing, it was only today that I got something in, but I'm a week late, so they may have already written the chapter. And for me, it was similar to having writers block. Like coming up blank, it was annoying me all week and I feel sort of guilty for not even having the courtesy of telling them that I didn't come up with anything.
Anyway, if you're curious, their writer's name is 'RMVthewriter' and they are writing 'New Game Plus'. I think they're a great writer and the fic itself is pretty popular.
I enjoy it greatly and if you like my writing, I'm sure you'll like theirs too, so there you have it, it's a fun read.
I was going to add more, but I now realise that this has dragged on longer than intended. So I'll add it next week.
And as always, if you liked anything, saw something you didn't like, saw a mistake, or feel like offering some criticism, leave a review or send a message.
I'll see you all next week.