Day 55

I haven't moved, I haven't eaten, and I haven't been able to do anything else.

It was pathetic, but when your life goes from sitting in your room being lazy and taking everything for granted and then going to… well, my situation now… Yeah, I think I was in the right here.

It was how I was handling the situation that was the problem, not how the situation HAPPENED in the first place.

I heard a knock on the cell bars as I made an auditory grunt of acknowledgement.

"You should eat Bryce. This meal comes from a friend." Said a random guard as I opened my eyes.

I rolled over as I saw the guard leave.

"...Dishonored references… okay then…" I muttered, pushing myself off the floor, and then falling back onto the floor. After my fourth attempt, I walked over to the tray as I pulled the bread off the plate, only to find it had a cut on it's side.

As I pulled apart the bread, I found… a guard key card.

I quickly pulled it out and found a note taped to the back.

Bryce, the guard should have left a suitcase near your cell. I'd do more but I'm a bit… busy. Researching Lastation.

See you on the other side

-Anonydeath.

I sighed, ripping up the note as I stood up, looked at the key card in my hand.

"Okay, let's weigh my options… first, I could be caught and tend to more jail time… or, I could go home free and be done with it all…" I sighed. "...Or I stay here…"

As I thought about this, the sound of footsteps caught my attention, causing me to look up to see IF on the other side of the bars.

"...Uh…" I was at a loss for words, slowly moving the key card behind my back.

"If you would give me the card." Said IF, holding her hand out.

I sighed, handing her the card. As she took it, she used it to unlock the cell door.

"...Um… what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Histoire wants to see you." Said IF, motioning me out of the cell.

As I walked out, I realized something.

"...No handcuffs?" I asked, only for me to not get an answer. "...Okay then, good chat."

I was quickly led to an elevator as I entered to see find a girl with pink hair and-

"Jesus christ!" I exclaimed, stumbling backwards at the sight of the GIANT NEEDLE next to her.

"Come on, get in." Said IF, who I swear had a smirk on her face.

I walked into the elevator, standing next to the person I had only now remembered was Compa.

Yes I realized I should have known earlier, but I'm currently running off of no food for three days straight. Hell, the last thing I ate was the god damn pudding from the interrogation.

"Hmm…" Compa looked me over as a doctor would a patient, as I looked over at IF.

"I'm glad my discomfort amuses you." I said sarcastically, before being pinched in the arm. "Ow!"

"When was the last time you've consumed any solids or liquids?" Asked Compa.

"...Okay then, full on nurse mode…" I quickly muttered. "How many days was I in there? I lost track in that cell."

"Around four." Said IF.

"Yeah that." I answered.

Compa nodded, before looking at IF.

"Iffy, he'll need something to eat before we do anything else." Said Compa.

"Two things, one, Iffy?" I said, a slight smile on my face as I tried to hold in my laughter. Yes I knew this, but after three days of sadness and emoness, this was like a breath of fresh air. Jesus Christ, when did my life gain the angst genre? "Secondly, can someone PLEASE tell me what's going on?"

The ding of the elevator grabbed my attention, before IF answered me.

"You're meeting with Planeptune's oracle, Histoire. She wants to talk to you about your… 'player'-ness." Said IF, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the elevator.

Which, might I say, is a weird sight to see a 6'1" guy being pulled by a 4'11" girl. It just… doesn't feel right. Like a Canadian in a group of Americans. It looks fine from a distance, but once you take a better look it just makes things seem… weird.

Where was I? Oh yeah. So as I was brought into the top floor of the Basilicom, I realized that the area I was in was probably the 'penthouse' that Neptune and Nepgear share.

I say probably, because all we ever see in-game is there room, and while we do see a bit of the actual 'penthouse' in the anime, It's not enough to remember it all off the top of my head.

Anyways, as we walked into the room, the sounds of furious gaming could be heard nearby. This prompted me to turn to see a form laying down on their stomach furiously button mashing their controller on the game in front of them.

Said person also stopped and paused their game as they stood up to face us. And it was now that I realized that I REALLY need food in my stomach because the fact I couldn't tell that was Neptune from where I'm standing is VERY alarming.

"Hey Iffy! Compa!" Said Neptune, walking over to us. "I see you brought B-ryce along with you."

I felt my eye twitch at the reminder of how some kids from school used to call me. Annoyed the crap out of me, and to this day, it still does.

"Don't, ever, call, me, that… again.." I said, exhaustion leaking from my voice.

"What's with him?" Neptune asked Compa.

"He just hasn't eaten or drank anything in four days, Nep-Nep." Compa said cheerfully.

"Nepu!? What's with that!?" Neptune suddenly got up in my face.

"Uh… Well… uh…." I tried to backpedal, but that just ended with me tripping and landing on my back. "...Ow…"

"...You going to get up?" Asked IF.

"No… my body doesn't feel like it." I said, trying to sit up, but like how it used to be doing situps, I got a 16th of the way, and then flopped back down onto my back. "Yeah… I think I'd like some food now please…"

Even after being helped into a chair by IF and Neptune, I was still… well, floppy.

"Here you go." Said Compa, as I looked at the plate to find… eggs and toast, a side glass of orange juice on the side.

I quickly digged into the food, I didn't gobble it all down, but I did eat rather quickly. And that glass of Orange Juice? I had like… half of it. Too much pulp for me. Not my kind of thing.

I'm not complaining, It's just how I grew up drinking it.

"Thanks…" I said, pushing my plate a bit forward.

Compa nodded, as she took my plate and glass over to the nearby sink.

I sorta just layed on the table. Now that I've eaten, I'd like to say that I was… well, very tired. So much so that I actually started to pass out.

The last thing I heard was Neptune shouts of 'Stay away from the light!'

I cracked open my eyes to find I was moved to the couch in my sleeping state.

"..." I stayed silent as I didn't feel like moving, sleeping does that to you. However, someone else had better plans.

"Ooh, you're up!" Said the familiar voice of neptune, as I felt someone grab hold of my shirt, and pull me off the couch.

...Which resulted in me faceplanting onto the floor.

"...Ow…"

As I stood up, I noticed that a tiny girl on a book was floating in front of me.

"...I'm not going to question that." I muttered.

"Hello, I am Histoire. Planeptune's Oracle." Said Histoire.

"Hello Histoire. I'm Bryce, resident dumbass." I muttered the last part to myself. I do think Neptune heard it though.

"If you would follow me please." Said Histoire, as I nodded, following behind her. "For this kind of testing, we need to be somewhere specific."

"To learn new things, we need to be in the right state of mind…" I said to myself, before looking at Histoire as she looked at me. "Game quote."

She nodded in acknowledgement, as we entered an elevator on the other side of the 'penthouse'.

As I walked inside, I immediately noticed that there was only two floor buttons in this elevator.

"...Hmm." I watched as Histoire pressed the button and the elevator descended. "...where ARE we going?"

Histoire remained silent, before the elevator opened to a big empty black room, with a strange power button in the center, what seemed to be holograms or code were floating around the room, and the power button was giving off a strong light.

It wasn't blindingly bright, but I wasn't going to be looking directly at it for too long.

"Have a seat." Histoire said, as I sat down cross legged in front of what I assumed to be Planeptune's Sharicite. "Close your eyes."

I did as asked. From this moment on, I couldn't tell you what Histoire was doing, but I could tell you that I was forced to sit there like that for three hours.

Why three hours? Because apparently Histoire does everything in threes.

Once she had finished… doing whatever, I was allowed to open my eyes.

Once I did, I looked to my right to see a deadpanning IF and Histoire looking over some holographic menus.

"So he IS from another dimension?" Asked IF.

"It's more complicated than that." Said Histoire.

"...In which way?" I asked, standing up.

Histoire turned to me, before looking back at the holo menus.

"Well, from what I gathered, you aren't from this world. That we now know to be the case." Said Histoire. "And I wouldn't say other 'dimension', because that would establish that you're world is in some way a variant of OURS."

"Which it really isn't." I said.

"Then at a lack for a better word, I'd say parallel universe." Said IF.

"Seems about right." I said, before scratching the back of my neck. "So now that this info has… been brought to light… what exactly happens now?"

"Well, since the introduction of this new info…" Began Histoire. "And the fact that it DOES seem like you arrived here against your will…"

IF finished for her. "Your charges have… changed a bit. Well, it's more like where you'll be kept really."

"...Go on…" I said, crossing my arms in intrigue.

"You'll be placed under house arrest… in the basilicom." Said Histoire.

"...Come again?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "So what, I'm staying her for seven years now?"

"Only long enough to know that you aren't going to be an issue." Said IF.

"...This doesn't feel like an idea EITHER of you would have." I said, narrowing my eyes.

"That's because it wasn't." Said IF. "Nep actually gave the suggestion, I think it was the prospect of having a 'player' live with you was something Nep got a bit over excited about."

"Can I actually ask about that." I said. "Neptune keeps referring to me as a 'Player'... what exactly… well, what IS a player in this world?"

"A Player is the personified force controlling how select portions of history play out." Said Histoire.

"It's also during these moments in history where Nep is able to 'Break the fourth wall' as she calls it." Said IF. "Otherwise, there isn't really any way for her TO do it. Without the player there, there isn't anyone to really do it to."

"...So uh, why is Neptune so… uh, adamant about me being a player then?" I asked.

"It's probably due to the fact that you can actually talk back to her now." Said IF, a slight smirk on her face.

"...Are there like, any others. That are... similar a 'Player'?" I clarified.

"We know of three others." Said Histoire. "Readers, who don't do anything but watch as history unfolds. Writers, who sculpt the history of the world into stories for readers. And Developers, who do the same as writers, but instead of Readers watching, it's Players playing. A Developer can make different outcomes, that a Player can try to achieve one of said outcomes."

"Huh…" I said. "...So does this give me like… powers or something?"

"As it currently stands, we don't know exactly." Said Histoire. "A Player has never actually come here before, so this is a new phenomenon."

"So there's a chance… but not a likely one." I said.

"That sounds about right." Said IF. "Some may form as things move along, but for now, none that we can see."

"We should head back up." Said Histoire. "I'll have some guards prepare the guest room for you Bryce."

"Alright." I said. "Oh hey, so will I need to like, help out around here? Like, the uh, Guild thing?"

"I don't see why you wouldn't." Said IF. "It'll help give us a better impression if you're helping Nep with her shares. Nep knows she probably needs the help."

"Though you will need to be accompanied by either Neptune, or Nepgear whenever you go out." Said Histoire.

"Right, cause of house arrest." I said. "It's sounding more like parol now…"

"We're not sure what to describe the situation as." Said IF.

"Well, if that's how things are going… I'm going to need a weapon for Questing…" I said.

"I can take care of that when you sign up." Said IF.

"Oh, another thing." I began. "...Yeah, Can I have my stuff back now?"