I don't own digimon.
Characters: Unknown
Universe: Azure Shift
Notes:
A couple of years ago, I showed off a version of this fic - broken but with an end. This is not that fic. No, this is the entirety of Azure Shift as it was written before I made those changes. As a result, this is very rough and unpolished. I'm fine with that. Just a stepping stone on the road that is my writing career. Sometimes, a piece just doesn't work out. The hardest thing as a writer is admitting that it doesn't.
Azure Shift
Chapter 1
Jake Rorst opened his eyes.
Currently, he found himself trapped within a freezer, holding a piece of paper in his left hand. His memories of the previous night were a complete blur, not that such a state dulled his other senses that much.
"Okay then," he remarked and turned his attention up to the roof. "Uh… who even are you?"
Seraph, the narrator to this mess. Get used to me.
Jake took a deep breath and shook his head. While he preferred his mind to not be invaded by unknown individuals without being asked first, it wouldn't be the first time it happened. For the moment though, he closed his eyes and ignored the intruder, letting his mental space be occupied by a far different person. Compared to the faceless and possibly bodiless 'Seraph', it was a man of some sort. His skin was a dark shade of red, while two orange slits seem to watch over every move made. A pair of horns hung on top of his head, seeming to twist together in such a way to form a 'tiara' of sorts. Not that one would really tell such a man that it looked like that. No, they would be more focused on his outfit. Out of all the materials that existed in this world, leather was what held in the highest regards by those not quite considered 'accepted' into Medreth's general population. It was both statement and something to wear. Which combined the best of both worlds in their books.
If you're done fantasizing about some dude, we need to continue.
Jake took a deep breath, mumbling something
"Italics mean you, got it." he whispered and looked at the paper. "I'm guessing you want to see the paper?"
Of course.
He held it up to the ceiling, still somehow able to see the words.
Looking for your next adventure?
Want to bask in fame and glory?
The gather a team together and come to Mt Eset! There, the grandest performers in all the land will put the performances of their lives in the hopes of becoming #1!
Once he was certain that Seraph had seen it, he pulled it down.
Interesting.
"Is something a matter?"
No, just trying to figure out what they mean by 'performers'
"Care to elaborate?"
If you do the same.
Jake took a deep breath and made his way towards the freezer door, pulling his cane out in the process.
"Not much to say, really." the reanimated rogue explained as he slammed his 'weapon' into the lock of the door. "Tool, not weapon."
Sorry, old habit. Continue on.
"I just woke up one day in Medreth and became a rogue of sorts, the streets my stage." Jake whispered and spun the lock open. "But considering how little you seem to know, do you wish for me to run down my duties?"
You pick locks and pickpocket people. Maybe climb some walls
Jake scowled at the sky and took a deep breath. At the moment, it wasn't worth directing his anger at the guy he just met mere minutes before. Afterwards, he stuffed the paper into his trenchcoat and peered into the hallway.
"So why are you narrating all my actions then?"
If I didn't there wouldn't be a story. It would be just a series of disconnected conversations.
"That doesn't answer the question."
Who's to say there is a reason?
"Shut up!" Jake announced and took another deep breath. "Does it really matter in the slightest?"
Maybe. Or perhaps it's a secret to everyone.
The rogue slammed his fist into the door after that remark, though it falls more on me than him.
"Just get out of my head."
No.
By that point, Jake stopped listening and decided to be all sneaky-sneaky and that shit. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against those who use stealth as a tool. It's just been a very long day. Buried more dead bodies than I ever want to.
"Sorry to hear about that."
While I admire your sympathies, this was something I brought down on myself and many others a very long time ago.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Jake responded in a sarcastic fashion as the exit came into view. "But didn't you say something about telling me about yourself?"
Silence fell over the rogue, which he was fine with. He picked the door to the exit, finding a market of sorts on the other side. Tents of all sorts had been set-up by a variety of creatures, peddling their wares and services to all who needed them. Within all of that and the vast crowd of wandering people, one could make out a woman riding a strange looking hawk.
"Can anyone help us here?"
"We're kind of lost…"
Jake took a deep breath and turned his attention to the duo. The woman in question was slender and doll-like, with long brunette hair and a pair of chocolate brown eyes. She was adorned in a red dress, going quite well with her matching boots and the pair of black revolvers hanging at her side.
The hawk had a purple sheen to it, going quite well with its amber eyes. But the moment its talons touched the earth, its body shifted upward and shifted shape, taking on the appearance of a human woman. She was in a dark blue sundress, with a pair of sandals adorning her feet. A dark blue messenger bag had been slung across her body, while a gnarled silver ring hung on one of her fingers. Finishing off the look, was a head of short dark magenta hair with a pair of a
"Married couple, I presume?" Jake inquired and gave a wink. "At the very least, you could give a guy your names."
He got no answer, with the brunette whispering something to her magenta-haired wife. She whispered something back, getting a nod in return.
"Uh… do you know somewhere that we can exchange our money?" the magenta haired girl asked. "We would like to get a hotel room, but were not certain if they'll take our money."
She then pulled out a mix of dollar bills and loose change from her bag, showing it to the rogue.
"You should be alright." Jake answered. "Most of the places here accept whatever you get as donation."
"Oh." the brunette added. "Then how do they make money then?"
Silence fell over the rogue, unsure of how to really answer the question. While he had wondered that himself, there was still the question he had.
"So are you two married or something?"
"Yeah." the magenta haired girl answered and watched their 'guide' take a deep breath. "Is there a problem with that?"
"No, I was just curious." Jake answered.
'It's not a big deal from where I'm from.'
"Oh hi, Seraph." the magenta haired girl remarked. "I'm guessing you're the new author then?"
Jake stood there, quite confused by the latest statement.
"Back up a little bit, who is this author guy you're talking about?"
'He was the guy observing this mess and giving people a free pass to look into our personal lives.'
"And you two were fine with that?"
The magenta haired girl made a glance towards the brunette, getting a nod in return.
"Yeah." her wife answered and got a blank stare in return, which seemed to do very little to change the mood.
"Oh right, we should probably introduce ourselves." the brunette continued and took a deep breath. "I'm Alice Zwingli, Spirit Gambler."
"And I'm Elena Zwingli, Gale Corsair."
He expected some radiant glow to come over them, as if to tell him that he was in presence of greatness. But it never came.
"Thanks for the advice!" Alice finished. The duo made their way further into the market, exiting the sight of the rogue without a second thought.
"Yeah…" Jake remarked, letting a deep breath out in the process. "I guess I should go find Sangran."
'You're not even curious?'
The narrator got no answer, with Jake choosing instead to go in the opposite direction. Compared to the market area he had just exited, things were far more silent here. It suited him more, especially when compared to where he was.
"Just a little furth-"
But as Jake took his next step, his body fell apart. In retrospect, that would've been nice to know back in the freezer.
"You're right." the rogue whispered and closed his body, feeling the various parts of his body pull together. "I am living corpse thing."
So you're a zombie then?
"Not quite. If I were, I doubt that we would be even having this conversation."
True. Got any more questions for me?
"Any family or friends?"
I have a 'wife'. Though, most of my friends are buried in the cold ground.
"Oh." Jake whispered, his body now back in one piece. "I'm sorry about asking."
It's alright. Stuff happens and people get stuck in the middle.
The forest grew thicker with each step, its trees beginning twist and branches getting ready to break in two and shatter into a million pieces.
"The prison is just ahead." he continued. "No funny business."
Whatever.
The 'prison' quickly came into view, only for Seraph to do a double take. The building in question was a sick joke, the sort only those that sought to control a world.
It was a white building with a white interior, the sort that would make one wonder what the heck went wrong with the architects. Even in the provided notes, the narrator and his predecessor wondered the same.
"Predecessor?"
It's complicated. Just know this: Our story has been going on for quite a while.
Jake stared up towards the sky, unsure of how to really react. He took one more deep breath and made his way inside, Seraph's words still hanging loosely over him.
Chapter 2
Claire preferred to not sleep.
When she had been first 'created', such a state was never really considered. Sure, she would occasionally fake it back then, but it was something her creator would later improve on in her younger siblings.
But now, her slumber was just one long dream. In it, she would find herself in an unknown arena, having an answered a call of some person she couldn't remember. They must have been precious to her, since the look on their face was one of true happiness. The sort one gives a friend they haven't seen in some time. She feels the same, but can't place why exactly.
But that happiness would not last and the witch would find herself back here. Fatigue was a constant nemesis, especially when it came to dealing with everything else in her life.
At this particular moment, she was laying on the right side of a queen-size bed. The left had been unoccupied for at least an hour now, judging by the covers being shifted all about and the shaking of what appeared to be a fairy alarm clock on a nightstand. Beside it, was a pair of picture frames. The first one was of some woman with a mousy-looking girl. While she couldn't quite place it, something about them seemed familiar. The second picture frame was much more familiar, showing Claire and her partner in their work outfits.
"Can you please shut up?" she muttered and got up, making her way over to the nearby dresser, pulling out her work dress. The outfit in question was a lilac apron dress with a jagged hem. While not the nicest one she had, it was reserved for the handful of times she wasn't at work. Next came a matching pair of boots, followed by a pair of orb-shaped emerald earrings. The witch gave them a slight tap as the faint sound of chirping filtered in.
Then, it was off to her vanity, where she gave her red hair a quick brushing and applied a quick coat of eyeshadow to compliment her violet eyes. She fitted her curved lilac witch hat on her head, making sure it was pointed the right way.
Finishing off her look, was a pair of lilac butterfly wings. Those were slipped on her back, which she gave a quick flap.
"Phew." she thought and made her way over to her door, pushing it open.
Outside, a large room awaited her. The stained wood and carpet were the first things to greet her, but that was not what her gaze was currently focused on at the moment. No, it was on the kitchen and the weirdly dressed girl working within it.
"I'm up, Cuddles." she shouted and watched what appeared to be a cross between a clown and nurse walked over. "Is breakfast ready?"
Cuddles took a deep breath, saying something that Claire couldn't hear. All she got was an unnatural silence, which seemed to not bother her.
"..." Cuddles shouted back and pantomimed a tap in the ear region.
"Oh right." Claire whispered and gave her earrings a second tap, making sure that this time the things weren't on standby. "I thought I got these on."
"Alright!" Cuddles answered in her usual bubbly and joyful, even if by the end there seemed to be a hint of sadness. "You best get to work."
"Of course."
Claire made her way towards the eastern wall of the room, where a hostess desk awaited. She walked over to it, pulling out a notebook and setting it on top. Her next stop was to the door, which she unlocked, followed by the flipping over of a sign.
"There we go." the witch thought and made her way back over to the desk. The breakfast rush came quickly after, keeping both girls busy.
"Two omelettes coming up!"
Back and forth Claire would go, moving from table to window to desk and back again with a grace that seemed 'off'. It was as if she was waiting for someone to show up and wanted to be there for them.
To some extent, it hurts. Not because I'm the one she's waiting for (especially since I'm married and all), but because I think I know who she's waiting for and I don't have the heart to tell her the truth. Sooner or later, she'll learn of the truth.
But I digress.
The diners had begun to leave, bringing with it a sense of calm and serenity. But there were still some stragglers.
"Welcome! Seating for two?" Claire greeted as two more customers entered.
"Of course." Elena remarked and took the witch in. "I feel like I've seen you before. But I can't put where exactly…"
"It was probably that tournament." Alice answered back and began her own examination.
"Which one?"
"Both."
"Uh… Would you like a table or a booth?" Claire whispered and made her way over to the duo.
"Table." both girls remarked, allowing themselves to be led over to a nice sunny spot. A table had been set up beside it, giving it a view out towards the harbor.
"I'll give you two a moment to look over the menu." Claire continued, watching the girls sit themselves down. "At the very least, I'll bring you some water."
"Thank you." Alice answered and watched their server head towards the kitchen.
Compared to the dining room, the kitchen wasn't anything special. All the appliances had a stainless steel finish with nothing special going for it. Cabinets hung near the ceiling, seeing frequent use between the two girls.
Of course, Cuddles was currently skipping about and cleaning stuff. A large syringe filled with some liquid sat by the doorway, possibly for use for either shots or putting out the occasional fire.
"I need two glasses of water."
Cuddles gave a nod, pulling out a pair of glasses from a cabinet. Then she gave her flower brooch a tap, with a stream of water coming out seconds later.
"Here you go!" the clown announced and handed over the glasses. "Also, I'm a clown nurse, not a clown."
Right.
Claire took a deep breath and made her way back into the dining room.
"Here are your waters." she explained and set the glasses down.
"Anywhere you want to go?"
"Hmm… Maybe we could go look at the boats?"
I would be fine with that."
Of course, Alice and Elena were more focused on confirming their travel plans than looking at the menu.
"Is there anything I can start you off with?" Claire remarked, tapping her fist against their table. That seemed to get the attention of her customers, their gazes now focused on her. "Or do you want to get to the main meal?"
"We'll split an order of chicken fingers." Alice remarked, getting a nod from Elena.
Claire wrote down the order, making her way back to the kitchen. There, she set the ticket on a weird circular device and spun it. Then she made her way back to her desk, letting a couple minutes pass in silence. Inside, she felt far from it. Nor was it helped by the sudden feeling of a sharp clarity.
You should really confess how you feel about her.
"Dispel." the performer thought and held a finger against her forehead. For a few brief seconds, a sharp stabbing pain filled her head. But in doing that, her vision clouded up and faded images bombarded her. She wasn't sure why this unknown attacker wished for her to see these things, but it was annoying.
"Just get it over with."
.
Screams.
It was always screams.
Each and every time she found herself in this apartment, a tiny bit of her seemed to die. But it was never enough to stop her from sinking the claymore into that couple's bodies. Their two children would casually watch on, already planning their revenge the moment steel pierced flesh. Not that she blamed them.
But that revenge would never come. Mostly because the boy never did quite reach that point.
Sometimes, she would ask why it was screams, not something like laughter. The boy usually would counter with something along the lines of 'it wouldn't make sense'.
Though considering what sort of universe this was, one could doubt that logic could really hold up. Let alone survive a round of harsh scrutiny by other fanfic writers. Of course, that stuff never did get published. Or even typed up for that matter. Her master hadn't quite reached that point either. At times, she had debated just going through with more drastic measures in the hopes of bringing an end to this.
But, life seemed to have other plans for her. It came in the form of a pair of golems, named Hera and Valia. Their first meeting came shortly after another set of deaths, with her walking in on the duo's activation.
The boy had explained that the two would serve alongside her in order to reduce the workload. But in private, the boy had other goals and a fight broke out. Words were spoken and tears spent, their paths diverged.
Claire's eyes shifted back open and she took a deep breath. The voice was at least gone, but the pain remained. It felt like a familiar reminder, twisted and distorted to a point that it was just barely recognizable. But what it reminded her of seemed to evade her, mocking her to some extent. Yet, she seemed to see something within it
"Third time! Chicken fingers are up!" Cuddles called out, breaking Claire from her self-induced daze.
"I'm coming!" Claire shouted back and ran over to the counter, somehow managing to trip along the way. Yet she caught herself and managed to roll out of it, ending right at the counter.
"..." Cuddles said, watching her boss fiddle with her earrings once again. "Bravo."
"Thanks…"
Claire grabbed the plate of chicken fingers and made her way back to Alice and Elena's table.
"Sorry about that." she explained, cracking her best smile as the plate was set down.
"We're used to it." Elena remarked and began to chow down on her meal. Alice quickly followed suit, with the two making short work of their meal. After though, the girl's focus honed in on the performer. "Can I ask you something?"
"Uh… sure." Claire answered.
"Do your wings work?"
Silence fell over the dining hall, with the gale corsair getting a look from her wife.
"What? I just saw her walking about and was curious…"
Claire let out a deep breath and jumped off the ground, focusing her energy to her additional appendages. For a few brief seconds, she succeeded in that task. But then…
"Oh crap."
Claire's wings froze up and the ground met her with a loud 'crunch'.
"Not again…"
Her vision began to flicker about, bringing a charging Cuddles with it. Yet, there was something off about it. The clown makeup and outfit seemed to disappear off of her, revealing a woman adorned in a green kimono. The tapping of sandals filled the air, while the woman's brunette seemed to catch Claire's attention. A pair of emerald eyes looked upon her, only to have the attention to shift to the green lotus neck tattoo.
"It'll be alright." the woman remarked as she reached Claire, kneeling down to the examine the witch's injury. "No matter what should befall, I'll come running."
She takes a deep breath, possibly attempting to hold back her own tears.
"Close your eyes and I can begin the repairs."
Claire complied, letting her eyes slide shut and hearing aids deactivated.
Chapter 3
Sangran knew better.
In the eyes of many, he was a monster, brought forth from hell itself to take them in. And to some extent, they were half right.
The tinkerer had come from hell, or some place that mirrored it. It was always cold and gray, but had the nice charm of a seaside town to somehow balance it out. Now though, he lived in a refurbished cell block, furnished with a mix of crude metal shapes and discarded carpet. Yet, Sangran was fine with it.
"What are you even talking about?" he remarked, shifting his gaze up from the latest alarm clock the guards had brought them. "I doubt that I am crazy, but it's a possibility."
Oh right. I am Seraph, the narrator of this wonderful story. I'm guessing your Jake's boyfriend. Kind of was expecting a bit more.
At the moment, our current focus was dressed in what appeared to be a slate grey military fatigues, the sort one expects out of a dress uniform. Still not entirely sure where one would get such an outfit.
But the tinker's focus laided not at the contents of the room, but the ceiling.
"So you're in my head?" he remarked and continued to stare up, searching for the source of the unknown voice.
Kind of.
"Oh."
Almost on cue, he got a knock at his door and rushed over. He pulled it open, revealing a quite happy Jake.
"Sorry about being so late. Got stuck in a walk-in freezer." the rogue explained and sat himself down.
"It's alright." Sangran answered, setting the alarm clock down. "Just one question."
"Shoot."
"Do you hear that weird voice?"
Jake let out a deep breath. That was one of the problems
"Yeah." he answered and watched Sangran breath a sigh of relief. "Anything else new?"
The tinkerer shook his head, only for his gaze to focus in on the piece of paper in his friend's hand. His mood shifted, changing from one of melancholy to that of joy.
"We should try and compete!" Sangran announced and began jumping up and down. "Though, we'll have to gather a couple people."
Knowing you're guys luck, some mystical, possibly bullshit event will happen and you'll find yourself in a group of people with something in common.
Both Jake and Sangran stared up towards the ceiling, not quite certain of what to make of the narrator.
"Want to go a round?"
"Absolutely."
No.
"Why not?"
It's already been a long day and I still have the stupid jester's daug-
Feed switching…
.
Feed switch complete.
Gone was the cramped 'apartment' that served as Jake and Sangran's abode. In place of it, was a large bedroom. It was mostly empty, with the possessions of its previous occupant all pushed to the back wall. What remained was a pair of cots and a desk. Sitting atop it, was a pair of 'second best conqueror's' coffee cups and a laptop showing
Before Seraph had a chance to finish his response, he got interrupted.
"What did you say about Mira now?!"
The voice in question was a loud one, the sort with a just distinct enough tone that made it identifiable to those who knew it, but not the viewer.
"Please leave." Seraph snarled and opened a desk drawer, pulling out a pistol. It was your standard glock, the sort one sees in all those action movies. Of course, that didn't seem to be enough to deter the threat from standing in his personal room. "Or do I have to use force."
"Go on ahead, Seraph." the intruder countered and took a step towards the narrator. "Jestery will clock Seraph!"
Seraph pulled the trigger and watched the bullet fly out of the gun. Jestery casually watched on, grabbing the projectile with the grace of a drunken hobo. Then she popped it into her mouth.
"Seraph should really stop buying fruit-flavored rounds."
The narrator just stood there, unsure of what to really say or do. On one hand, he could call for help from the person currently voicing over this, or he could just go full auto with his pistol. The choice was his.
"I get it, honey." Seraph snarled and took a deep breath, only for a shot to ring out. Compared to the one he had shot out, there was no sound. "You could've done that in the first place."
What's the fun in that?
Seraph shook his head and fired off his gun a second time, watching both bullets slam into the target…
Doing absolutely nothing at all.
"What was Miss Seraph expecting?" Jestery taunted, cracking a smile afterward. "Jestery is immortal and invincible. Nothing can kill Jestery, unless Jestery wants to be killed.
That's not my name, you fucking bitch.
"Language! There might be "
Jestery got another shot from the back for that comment, choosing to teleport away. After, the narrator took a deep breath and sat himself back down.
Switching feeds…
.
Feed switch complete.
We returned back to our heroes and me, (Seraph) as their narrator.
"Okay…" both Jake and Sangran remarked, taking a deep breath afterward.
Sorry about that. Some people are just assholes. So I handled them in the most gentlemanly fashion.
Jake lit up and decided now was a good time to get up on his tippy toes and stare up towards the ceiling.
"Really?" the rogue inquired and got laughter in return.
No, I shot her. What were you expecting?
Jake fell to the floor, but Sangran managed to catch him. After, the tinkerer took a deep breath and propped his boyfriend back up. He then pulled a table over, sitting Jake down there.
"At the very least, can I look the flyer over?" Sangran remarked and Jake handed it over. He then sat it down, letting both of them to look it over.
On second glance, the flyer still had the same information on it as before. One still needed to gather a group of people in order to outperform their opponents in 'battle'.
What Jake had failed to notice, was the deadline for entry. Which was coincidentally in the next two days.
"Wait. You added that after the fact!"
Probably the work of that jester.
Sangran let out a sigh and flipped the paper over. Once that was accomplished, he began scratching out something.
Possible members:
Me
Husband (Jake)
Wait, I thought you were just dating.
"We are." Jake remarked and made a glance down at the paper. "Oh. I hadn't really put that much thought into it."
His eyes slowly slid shut and mind began to wander. In his daydream, he and Sangran were still in their little apartment but now there was a couple little demon children running about. He had expected that one of them would be dressed in something stupid. That was thankfully not the case. He got a suit of some sort, while Sangran still had his military outfit on. Their children were dressed in nice little outfits, the sort one buys at an infant clothing shop or perhaps a thrift store.
"Jake!"
But before he could get that much further in, Sangran pinched him.
"Sorry about that." the rogue answered and watched his boyfriend shake his head.
"No, it's alright." Sangran answered as his gaze turned to a smile. "It's was a good dream."
The comment seemed to take Jake by surprise, but didn't seem to bother him. After letting that sink back down, he let his gaze focus back on the flyer.
Me (Sangran)
Husband (Jake)
Mage of some sort (One of the diner girls)
A child actor (Gyroid Priestess?)
A brute of some kind (?)
A foreign person (Maybe a Diplomat?)
"It's a start." Jake whispered and pulled his own piece of paper out. He then placed it over the flyer and slammed his hand down. Somehow, this resulted in a near perfect imprint. After, he slipped it into one of his pockets. "How about we go get dinner?"
Sangran nodded and made his way towards the door. Jake followed right behind, making sure to lock up behind him.
Chapter 4
The once clear skies hanging over Medreth had clouded up, bringing with them the rain.
For the lone little girl slumped down in an alley, it was the climax of a day filled with nothing but squandered opportunities.
Her day had started off promising enough. She woke up a bit earlier than usual and managed to find a place to change out of her nightgown and into the hand-me-down orange and blue jumpsuit. That was where her first moment of bad luck occured. Some kid tried to offer her some 'candy' in exchange for a little skin. When she refused, they threatened to report her for some stupid crime related to 'detriment of mental health'. But she managed to convince him otherwise.
"Why are you recounting Mira's day?" the girl inquired and stared up towards the clouds, letting the droplets plop down onto her magenta wig. She could easily wring it out, but what good would that do?
Because it helps give the reader a better understanding of you and your struggles. For all we know, they might think that you're some random psycho loli.
"Mira does not give a fuck about such insects."
As I was saying, she managed to ward off his advances and make her way to school. Which was on the other side of town for some reason. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for the gyroid, especially since she could run the whole way. But there were more people to help, who in turn would pledge their allegiance to her mother. Which in turn, would make establishing a more permanent place of worship/home for her.
"She could just do it herself, but no! Mira has to do all the hard work."
Offscreen, Seraph took a deep breath.
If it helps, I don't really like your mother either.
"You don't?"
Yeah. I've gotten to meet a lots if people in my travels and she was the most unstable, unpredictable one I've ever met. And that's saying something.
Mira looked up towards the sky, letting her mind wander to any possible number of strange people that Seraph could potentially know. But try as she might, she could not see the shapes but not the faces or defining features that make up such beings. So the gyroid made a second attempt and got the same results.
"Narrator can go back to describing Mira's day, I guess."
Mira's usual path took her pass the temple of Jes, who ran the one and only school in this general area. Most lessons were usually based around concepts such as 'All wealth and knowledge must be shared equally among the masses' and 'it's alright to have special time with multiple people, they understand'. The sort of stuff that sends the shivers down my spine. Mira didn't really care for that sort of stuff, instead preferring the classes that actually let one gets hand-on or conduct an experiment. Even if she could predict the results beforehand. While it had made her a hero among her classmates at times, it also made her the target of all her teachers. But for all the knowledge theoretically stored within, none of that could prepare Mira for interacting with other people. When her mouth opened, the wrong things spilled out and the mocking cries entered. Sure, there were times that things didn't quite go horribly out of hand, but those were a treasured rarity.
"Don't remind Mira." she whispered and closed her eyes, trying to envision
After school, there was more little acts of kindness and possibly dinner. The former was an absolute certainty, while the latter was a bad joke. After all, robots don't need much in the way of sustenance, right?
"Narrator, shut up."
Scratch the last part out, I guess. The next couple were considered by Mira to be her free time. Sure, the temple wanted her to engage in charitable acts and duties that would benefit the people of this unnamed town. But she would rather play on the one playground in the general area. That also brings us to here, where we find Mira moping about in her cardboard box home, situated in some alley. I could think of worse days, personally. Had a string of them before this mess. Put some good people down who deserved far better.
"Care to elaborate, Mr…" Mira started and got a sigh. "If you don't mind, could you tell Mira your name.
Seraph. And to answer your second question, I need you to understand one thing.
"Okay…"
I've done some questionable things in the past that I'm not so proud of. Back then, I was fine with double-crossing whoever, whenever. Now though, those things have caught up to me.
"So what's Seraph going to do about it?"
Make amends and play my part, to the best of my abilities.
"And that somehow involves narrating this?"
It's one of my duties. If I slacked off, no one would really know what you were doing at this moment.
At this current moment, Mira had decided to just get up and make her way out of the alley.
"Thanks, Mr Seraph."
No prob.
And as luck would have it, Sangran and Jake were walking the streets.
"Hello there, is there anything I can do for you?"
The two men looked among each other, only to shake their heads.
"Nothing much at the moment." Jake remarked and looked Mira over. "But we are going out for dinner. Want to join us?"
"Sure." Mira answered and joined the duo. "Wait. Mira does not know either of you. How does Mira know that you're not going to kidnap her?"
Offscreen, Seraph shook his head. As tempted as he was to call the gyroid out for being a moron. At least she was being a team player for the moment.
"I'm Jake." Jake explained and pointed towards his companion. "And that's Sangran, my 'personal friend'."
Sangran shot his friend a quick glance.
"You could've asked me first." he mumbled as Mira watched on.
"You're right." Jake answered back, letting out a deep breath. "And that's my fault. I'm sorry."
He reached over for Sangran, who pulled him in.
"I forgive you." the mechanic answered and the two broke away, letting their gazes focus in on Mira. "So you're a priestess then?"
"Yes." Mira remarked as they walked on. "But not to that insect, Jes."
She then spat on the ground.
"Why not?"
"Because I serve my mother."
Both men stopped, giving each other a confused glance.
If it helps. Her mom is a reality-warping jester that speaks in the third person. As long as you don't do anything stupid, you should be alright.
"Okay…" Jake remarked as the cafe came into view.
Chapter 4
Daniel Blaine was used to the rain.
It was one of few comforting things in his life at the moment, aside from his bag with his teaching materials not having holes and not suffering from a major illness and/or injury. Well, if one didn't count getting poked by barbs embedded in one's armor
"Uh… thanks?" he remarked and pulled a map out, making sure that it didn't get rain on it. At the moment, he stood at the edge of town, enroute to the temple of Jes. "At the very least, you could tell me your name."
Seraph.
"Named after an angel, huh?"
He got no answer, but that was mostly the result of Seraph taking a quick bathroom trip than anything else.
So Daniel waited patiently for him to return. If anything, it gave him time to let the rain wash over his armor and onto the few exposed parts of his yellowish green body.
"Haven't had such a nice shower in some time." he thought, letting out a deep breath right after. Sure, he could just have down to the beach and laid himself down in the calming water. But that brought with it a variety of problems. For starters, he would be risking the already flimsy integrity of his armor, which could result in it breaking mid-swim. Secondly, it brought the risk of getting pulled out to see was quite high. And third, he couldn't quite swim.
He took a deep breath and stared out towards the sea.
I'm back. What was your question again?
"Is there any meaning to your name?" Daniel inquired and returned his focus to the cobblestone streets. He casually made his way from the harbor edge towards the town square, ignoring the cautious stares from all involved.
It was just something that I picked. There is no special meaning in it,
"So any education of sorts?"
High School. But even that is debatable at best.
"So you're some drop-out with a god complex?" Blaine remarked, letting the glares continue to come in. "Fine by me."
Shut up.
Daniel stared up towards the sky and let out a chuckle.
"Lighten up." he joked as his feet reached the wet steps and he tripped. Which is divine karma if you ask me. "Shut up."
Oh, did I hurt your feelings? Too bad.
"SHUT UP!"
He slammed his foot against the ground, which seemed to freak a couple people out. But, he took a deep breath and mumbled an apology. Which somehow, was more than enough to calm people down.
Lighten up, Francis.
He got no answer, possibly because the goblin was already heading off to his destination. The rain was in no way letting up, leaving its droplets behind with little care to those involved. Personally, I would prefer to be such a small little bit of water. If anything, it would mean that I would always be doing something rather than watching. But I made a promise and now, I have to keep my end of it.
"So you know a god, so what?
He wasn't a god. The author was mortal human.
"What's the difference, really?" David remarked as he exited the town square. "He influenced your world in whatever way that he did.
Offscreen, Seraph muttered something under his breath. In a way, he would've preferred to have been down there, with the rain and whoever else arrived.
At the very least, you could at tell the viewers a bit about yourself.
But Daniel wasn't in much of a listening mood. No, he was more focused on heading towards a large marble building modeled off a church. To do what exactly, I'm not exactly sure. Possibly to repent for being an asshole to the person narrating.
"Shut up."
No, you shut up.
Inside, no expense had been left on the table, with gold ornamentation all around and the finest of velvet for sitting one's butt on. Of course, that was not what our knight was focusing in on. No, he was talking with some chick dressed in a blue and orange jumpsuit. Which I'm fairly certain is grounds for defamation.
"Welcome to the temple of Jes, what may I do for you?" the woman inquired.
"I'm looking to make a deposit." Daniel answered and took a deep breath. "Do you have a place that I can do it in private?"
"Why of course."
With that, Daniel was led into a nearby room. Like the rest of the building, it was decorated with marble.
"If you need anything, just ring the bell."
"Of course."
Daniel gave a nod and the woman walked away. Once he was certain she was out of listening distance, the goblin sat himself down. There, his eyes closed and the chanting began. It was unlike anything our narrator had ever heard before, not that was saying much. Of what he could decipher, it seemed like he was recounting a story of some sort. That, or just some fake language in order to keep some facade up. Possibly both.
Yet, I let this 'session' go unhindered. Sure, he may've pissed me off and I could possibly punish him for it. But, that wouldn't be right after such a long day.
"Thank you for your time." Daniel remarked and casually got up, shaking away a few flakes of rust off his armor. Which, had a black cat painted upon it for some reason. And while I'm familiar with the symbol and it's possible meaning. At one point, it was a defining symbol, unifying many seemingly disconnected pieces into one complete story. Of course, that didn't stop things from being a complete clusterfuck.
"Must you swear?"
Sorry. Old habits just die hard.
Daniel let out a chuckle and exited the room. Once outside, he made his way back over to the woman.
"Oh! I'm guessing you changed your mind?" the woman inquired and watched the goblin shake his head.
"I'm the new teacher." Daniel explained. "Is there somewhere that I can drop off my supplies?"
"Of course."
The two made their way down a different hallway, passing through without a second thought. Eventually, they reached the end of the hallway, where the woman opened a door.
"Will this do?" she inquired and let Daniel take the room in. It was what one expected out of a classroom, with a bland walls and a ugly gray carpet. Which according to the note provided, is quite common for some reason.
Rows of desk lined the middle, with one currently occupied by a woman. A second woman stood in front of the desk, textbook in hand.
"Are you ready for the couple letters?" woman #2 remarked, watching her student finish their work. "Or do you want to practice some more?"
"I'm ready." woman #1 answered and handed over a piece of paper. Her teacher looks it over, only to give a head shake. "Something wrong?"
The teacher lets out a sigh.
"Do that last part again."
The student gives a nod in return as the paper is handed back.
"Who are those two?" Daniel remarked.
Uh… I'm not sure either.
On closer inspection, it would appear that the woman acting as the teacher was dressed in a red dress, while her student was clothed in a dark blue sundress.
"Just a married couple." the student announced and handed the paper back once again. "I'm learning how to write."
Her 'teacher' let out a groan.
"How do you know how to read and not how to write?" she remarked and got a chuckle in return.
"I guess my teachers didn't want anything to do with me?" her student answered and got a sigh in return. "That, and I wasn't really in school for that long."
Another sigh, only for the duo's gazes to focus in on their guests.
"Oh sorry. We'll get going."
With that, they left.
"I'll just get to unpacking my stuff." Daniel remarked and set his bag down, dumping the contents onto. "Do you know of any good restaurants?"
"There's a cafe nearby." the woman remarked and took a deep breath.
"Thank you."
Daniel made his way outside, making out a pair of men and a young girl.
"They look like they know where to go."
So he followed them. If nothing else, it was worth a shot.
Chapter 6
A ship casually stops up against the dock.
The crew scramble out, making sure that the gangplank is ready for its sole passenger.
"Make way for the princess of the Neko Empire!" someone announced as a white ball of goop pokes its head out.
"Squeak,"
Carefully, it reshapes itself, taking on a form more familiar to the crew. In this case, it was that of their shining jewel: Sprinkles.
Gone was the ball of white goo, having been replaced with an adult catgirl. She is draped in a matching dress and heels, with short gloves on her upper 'paws' for some reason. A pink parasol hung right at her side, serving as the only thing that probably wasn't made from her body.
At first glance, one might see such an act as that of assassin or perhaps charlatan. Personally, I would agree with that inference. But that was far from the case, Because why have anything normal in the digitalverse?
"Squeak suee?"
Is there any good way for me to understand you?
The 'catgirl' shakes her head.
"Sprinkles sue?"
So you actually are named Sprinkles. Good to know.
Seraph made himself a note, placing it with all the others made so far today,
Of course, Sprinkles took this as her cue to head off from her hiding spot, more than ready to expand her horizons after such a long trip.
"We hope you enjoy your time here." a crew member remarked as the 'catgirl' made her way onto the dock. Once there, she broke into a full-on dash. She probably had some destination, but it shifted to a butterfly fluttering about over the wet cobblestones.
"Squow!"
Of course, she made the mistake of jumping up into the air and attempting to open one's parasol at the same time. The result was her landing on the ground with a splat. Not that it really hurt… I think.
"Whistle." the catgirl mumbled and pulled herself off the ground, her gaze already focusing on it's next destination. Which in this case appeared to be the building with a large blazing sign. "Squeak!"
She made her way over, running over a woman in the process.
"Ow." the woman remarked and was helped up. "Come back here!"
Sprinkles turned around and made her way back over. On second glance, it would appear that the woman had been travelling with another woman. One with seemingly intimate feelings. Make of that what you will.
"Squ?"
"Just watch where you are going, okay?" the woman's wife added, only for Sprinkles to stare at her.
"Familiar." she mumbled and scurries away, confusing the couple and Seraph.
Something wrong?
Yet, my words fall on deaf ears. You would think the 'moron' of all people would at least listen to the disembodied voice.
"Sprinkles smart." the catgirl snarled and headed off, reaching the large sign that had attracted her in the first place.
The Dark Emporium
Now Hiring!
Sprinkles made her way inside, ignoring the riffraff that tended to gather in these sorts of places. Aisles of shelves had been placed in the middle of the building, with the back being lined with mailboxes. A counter had been placed near the front, with a woman dressed up like a purple dress. A pair of bunny ears hung on her head, while a pair of red eyes gazed over the shop. Finishing of the look was a head of short black hair and a light of lipstick.
"Welcome to the Dark Emporium." the woman greeted and looked Sprinkles over. "What can I do for you?"
But, Sprinkles's attention was more focused on the pile of white papers. So she decided pointing towards them was the most effective way of communicating at the moment.
"Of course!"
The woman handed over a paper along with a pen, which Sprinkles took with the sort of enthusiasm I wish I had. Given the choice, I would be with my wife with a froo froo drink. But, that outcome seems like a far-off dream. Of course, I highly doubt that our little princess over here is capable of actually filling out a form such as this and passing through a proper intervi-
"Qesu!" Sprinkles announced and handed the paper back.
"Hmm…" the woman remarked, nodding afterward. "While your references seem dubious and the presence of a narration voice implies that you're some sort of main character, you're hired."
What the fuck over?
"Boo hoo! I was a protagonist once, you know!" the woman added, cracking a tiny smile. "But let the girl do what she wants. I doubt you know what the fuck is even going on at the moment."
She pulled a nametag from 'somewhere', placing it down on the table. Sprinkles managed to pencil her name in.
"Squeak!"
Sprinkles carefully slipped it onto her gelatinous body, doing a little twirl afterward.
"I don't have any jobs for you at the moment, so you can be on your way."
The shopkeeper got a salute and watched her newest employee walk out of the door.
"She's going to go far."
Outside, Sprinkles wasn't sure where to go. On one hand, she could find a place to get a bite to eat and maybe a good night's rest. Or she could have some fun.
"Sqak!" she announced and began to observe her surroundings. But she got bored and decided to run off in a particular direction. "Squeak!"
Which, led her right towards four of our five protagonists.
You guys really need to need get better at this.
"Better at what?" Jake remarked and got a sigh from offscreen.
Never mind.
Chapter ?
Once more, Claire found herself dreaming.
In it, she had been transported to an art gallery. No, scratch that. It was more of a photo gallery than an art gallery. It even had
"Does it really matter?" Claire remarked, letting her attention turn to the pictures themselves. But as she approached, 'fuzz' came over her vision and the images shifted change. Now, they were showing people getting murdered. It was always the same way - a blow from a large blade, usually to the head. "I'm guess this is my doing?"
She expected a response from Seraph, but got nothing. Between you and me, I would expect my husband of all people to at least
"So your not Seraph then?"
Bingo.
The witch rolled her eyes,
"So you're his wife or something?"
Yeah. Is that some sort of problem for little miss lizzie fae here?
Our heroine's gaze shifted towards the ceiling, with her head giving a little shake.
"Lizzie fae?" she inquired
Well you're a faerie and one of those 'sort'.
"What are you even talking about?"
I wasted more than enough words on you. Goodbye,
With that, Seraph was dragged back into his office.
Sorry about that. She's usually a lot more quiet.
A shot then rang out.
Claire's eyes slowly slid open.
The woman was gone, having been replaced by Cuddles once more. The cafe was currently closed at the moment, with the witch still laying in the exact same position as before.
"We need to talk." she whispered, carefully turning her hearing aids back on.