"I have a rather simple routine. I wake up, meditate in my garden, go into town to enjoy a simple cup of coffee or perhaps, if I'm feeling a little wild, tea. Then I walk through the city, and see how my fellow Aurians are doing. I'll wave them hello and they'll say "hello" back. Though I've found there's a lot of...unique ways to say "Hello" these days."
"Once my stroll through town is over I have lunch, a salad topped with croutons, a dash of lemon zest and a hint of vinegar. Then I pass by Lady Auris' house and see how her and the kids are doing, perhaps stick around long enough to enjoy one of her divine dinners...and when that's over with I return to the garden, and meditate myself to sleep."
"Its a very simple routine but one I am very fond of."
"But today is different. I woke up to a letter on my lap addressed from Lady Auris to come see her. Intrigued, naturally, I walked straight to her house. I found her on the couch, drinking her morning coffee, where she immediately said to me..."
Chapter 55: "Find something new to do, Gabriel."
And she calmly withdrew back to her brew without missing a beat.
"...I-I beg your pardon, Lady Auris?" He replied with a raised brow and bewildered half-smile.
She laid her glass upon her soft, warm lap and stirred the cream floating at the top with a plain, but effective turn of the wrist. The whole while her eyes never opening in acknowledgment of his presence. There was a slight air of mischief surrounding her, her small, impish smile giving herself away.
"You've found yourself in a rut recently, Gabriel," Her voice was angelic, just quiet enough to still hear but soft to soothe any lost soul, "Day in, day out, you've trapped yourself in an infinite loop of your routine."
"With all due respect," He said, keeping his tone at the barest minimum of defiant sounding, "I have done other things lately."
"At the prompting of others." Leave it to her to cut straight to the point.
Gabriel flinched, tingling up his arms, and he closed his eyes slightly out of shame, "You may have a point there..."
But though a difficult foe in the battle of the minds, she is not beyond reason. Gracefully extending his hand he stated, "But I see no harm in following a routine. It makes the different days even more exciting."
She set her cup on the table and it rang out like a small hammer hitting glass. She then rose to her feet and stared with her smile slowly creeping wider by the second.
Her giggles still retained their youthful, disarming nature and even he, loathe to admit it, stood no chance against their power coupled with the concern she expressed, "Do this for me, Gabriel. Please?"
He breathed in deep and let it out slowly, ending on a smile to match hers, "Very well, Lady Auris. I'll give it a try."
She bowed and, with nothing more to say, returned to her coffee. Though with that said, he had but one question left to ask, "What...do you suggest I do?"
She retaliated with a somewhat stern glare as she said, "Figure it out yourself."
"To press further would be akin to poking a wasps nest." Gabriel found himself shivering from head-to-toe and slowly turned to face the door.
He took a moment of silence to ponder the task set before him, "Something new...Why, Sancturia is far from devoid of unexplored ventures, but where would I even begin...?"
"Race you down sis! Last one there smells like a skunk!"
"Shina, you're gonna put the baby in danger again!"
Gabriel expressed a curious hum as he turned to the stairs and found Shina sliding down the rail on her butt, with Kairi rushing down the steps with panic in her eyes.
Shina landed at the bottom and stumbled until she was right in front of him, flailing her arms out the entire time. She wore her normal set of clothes but nearly four months into her pregnancy her belly was starting to poke out from under her shirt.
Kairi got the bottom of the stairs and the two quarreled for a bit, bringing a smile to his face.
"Oh!" Shina suddenly perked up and turned to her right, "Mornin', Gabriel! You're here early today!"
After a chuckle he gestured to them and asked, "What's the hurry you two?"
Shina slapped her arm on the back of Kairi's neck and pulled her in closer, "WE'RE going shopping!"
"Shopping?" A curious spark ignited in his mind and he began to rub his chin, "Daresay, I can't recall the last time I ever did that. And on top of that, isn't a mall a conglomerate of unique places to explore?"
As the sisters waved to their mother on the way out the door Gabriel pushed one step towards them and remarked, "Wait. I'll come with you."
The two froze stiff as stone and looked back at him like they were seeing a ghost. Kairi then made a confusing remark, "A-Are you...feeling ok, Gabriel?"
He knew what they were getting at but humored them by playing the answer straight, "I'm perfectly fine, thank you."
"I dunno," Shina curled a fist against her mouth and chuckled, "He's looking kinda...GREEN!"
Kairi pulled her head back and groaned.
He got a brief laugh out of it though, "I don't mean to intrude, if you don't want me to come-"
Kairi folded her arms under her chest and mumbled, "I-I guess you're not the worst guy who could tag along with us."
She then tossed an aside glance at him and said, "Just...don't say anything embarrassing out loud, please?"
Gabriel blinked a few times and said, "Ok...?"
As they exited the house he wondered, "What could she possibly mean by-?"
A few minutes later...
"Oh."
His giant frame combined with his outdated choice of clothes made him stick out like a sore thumb among these racks of clothes in the women's department.
He'd heard tales of this place before but never had reason to explore it. The colors of this place were much brighter than the men's department, and daresay it reminded him of a flowery meadow.
He was not the sole man here but he was certainly the centerpiece of attention for everyone else trying to do their shopping. Women young and old looked at him with curiosity, confusion, and the occasional lust. The men stared and dragged their heads down, relating to his dilemma with an expression of pity.
He looked at Kairi and Shina and saw them fiddling through the shirts at the moment. There were so many designs to go through and none of them repeated.
And though he prided himself on being a well-spoken man with a voluminous vocabulary, the talk between these sisters came across as an alien language. What were "cups" in reference to exactly, and why did Shina saying it make Kairi get all flustered?
"I am completely out of my element here..." Gabriel rested his hands by his hips and sighed to his lonesome but nevertheless, steeled his nerves, "But I must endure, for Lady Auris' sake."
He looked between the two sisters and tried to engage in their conversation a little, "What type of shirt are you looking for?"
They turned and blinked like they had forgotten he was here. Then Shina took the shirt in her hands and pulled them at the shoulders, "I need something big and stretchable for my belly."
She then wiggled her brows towards Kairi, who was holding up a striped shirt with two shades of green on it, "Sis here's looking for some shirts to show off her body to a certain someone."
Kairi scrunched the poor shirt against her chest and her cheeks turned red.
"S-Shut up...!" She whispered out.
Shina hung her shirt over her shoulder and snatched the one out of her sister's hands, tossing it back onto the shelves without a care, "You're too conservative, sis."
She then dipped into the neatly laid clothes and ruined how they were arranged in a hunt for one specific shirt.
"Here we go!" She announced with aplomb, hopping up and dangling a rather...interesting shirt before their eyes.
It had straps to go over the shoulders but...could they even qualify as strings? He had to strain his eyes just to see them. And the rest of the fabric...just how much of the body could it even cover?
Shina proudly held this shirt up to Kairi's beet red face and told her, "Wear this and it'll get his eyes rolling til he's seeing his brain!"
Kairi stared at the shirt with her eyes so utterly devoid of color. A sound was surfacing deep within her akin to a siren's screech.
Looking at that shirt forced a long sigh out of Gabriel, and he grabbed his chin to ponder things over, "What has become of fashion these days? The women of this day and age are so...brazen and bold with their clothing, flashing their cleavage and midriffs in public without a care."
He was reminded of simpler days, "Why, back then you only bared your skin to consummate with your precious one. I still fondly remember passing by many a tempting beauty, wrapped tightly in garments of silk and threadbare robes, their eyes alit with a passionate glow envied by the stars..."
He gave a slight nod and then looked towards Kairi calmly, "You don't need to display yourself so brazenly Kairi."
His words got both sister's attention perfectly ensnared in his grasp, "Any man worth his salt will love you for who you are...On the inside, AND outside."
He smiled proudly at the two. Shina courteously bobbed her head in agreement.
"..." Kairi raised her brows sharply and muttered, "You're shittin' me right, Gabriel?"
His eyes widened as he watched Kairi brush him off with a frustrated scoff and then waved her hand out towards Shina without looking at her, "G-Give me that shirt, Shina. N-Not because Mew would like it or anything though...!"
Shina slowly pushed the shirt forth with a smile while Gabriel found himself with, what do they say? "Egg on his face?"
"Ah," He gently rubbed his chin and said, "This was all about Mew, I should've guessed."
"N-No! Its not! Its totally not!" Kairi started flapping the shirt directly up and down Gabriel's body, and he felt his body being pushed away against its will.
He looked down with a blank stare and nervously closing his eyes shut, "I feel I overstepped my bounds somewhere..."
He silently endured the rest of the shopping trip and then politely pardoned himself from their group, leaving the mall having felt he knew less now than he did going in.
He tilted his head to gaze at the sun and sighed heavily, "Have I really become that detached from time?"
The answer was a solemn "Yes", through which he found the resolve to admit, "Perhaps before I try anything else, I should consult someone who can relate to the youths of today."
An immediate answer sprung to mind as he walked through the streets, "Catherine. She's energetic and youthful. That bright brain of hers ought to know a thing or two that could help me."
He strolled over to the Pyramid and went to her floor, "The portal's still active. Good."
He went through it to wind up in her space station. His gaze wandered through the area, reminding him how little time has actually passed since he last stepped foot inside.
"Its been a peaceful time." Everyone had earned their time to rest. But Catherine, bless her soul, could be seen working tirelessly at her computer on the opposite end of the garage.
The complexities of her setup were lost on him but the effort was not. She was the maestro of technology and the keyboards played to her tune. Those tiny fingers of hers dancing from place to place in the blink of an eye.
The quiet, heavy steps he made were not even a blip on her radar. A more rougher measure, manifesting as a cough, aroused her from her trance.
"Hmmm?" She perked up from her hovering seat and turned to face him with a greeting smile, slipping the loose glasses back into place, "Oh! This is a surprise, Gabe!"
"Catherine." He gave a brief bow as she hopped out of her seat and reciprocated in kind.
"Got any troubles that need solving again?" She said playfully.
"As a matter of fact..." He detailed his dilemma in simple enough terms and she nodded approvingly by the end.
"Ah, I get ya!" She gave a dashing smile and crossed her arms upon her chest, "You came to the perfect girl! I'm young, I'm hip, and I got it going on!"
"Then what should I do?" He said with a kindly gesture of his hand.
"I have NO IDEA!" She said, springing her eyes wide open and masking the severe blow she dealt with her own confidence.
Gabriel itched the side of his beard for a few seconds.
"Sorry Gabe! 110% of my brain goes into technology! When it comes to the latest trends?" She stuck the tip of her tongue out and made a dull sputtering sound.
"I see." He bemoaned softly.
She tapped her right toes on the ground and then suddenly snapped her fingers up, "Hey I know! You can help me work on some of my tech!"
"..." Gabriel stared her straight in the eyes and cracked a thin smile, "Heh."
Her smile broke with a snicker and the two shared a stifled laugh for a few seconds, ending with her hunched over to catch her breath.
"Ahhhh." She sighed and wiped a wandering tear off her right eye as she rose.
Then she spun around and picked up a tablet on her desk, brandishing it straight into his burly chest, "Tell you what Gabe, you work on this for me for a bit, and I'll try getting in contact with Jupes to ask her for advice!"
He took the tablet out of her hands and stared at a list of names originated from many different but familiar worlds. At the top was the label for her new organization, "C.O.G.S." She had each letter overlaid onto a different colored gear to contrast the color of the letters themselves. Behind it was a starry backdrop.
"Ah, this must be the roster of leaders backing your organization."
"Yep!" She said upon hopping onto her chair for a spin, "Gotta divide division leadership among everyone best qualified for the job! It ain't as easy as I thought it'd be though..."
"I'll lessen the workload for you."
"Much appreciated Gabe!" She waved him off and returned to her computer in peace.
He held the tablet to his waist in one hand and wandered away from her workspace to the elevator in the center of the room.
"I recall there being a garden on the 14th floor." He pressed the corresponding button and took a gentle ride through the glass tube while staring at the tablet.
"Hmm, all these names belong to leaders who backed Gravitus' empire..." And there was no better place to start than at the top.
"Pluminx from the Tesla Sector," He stared into the one-eyed disciplined face of a cat man with a combed back mane and found himself wandering into the past, "Third in the family line as Emperor of his people. He assisted us in stopping the insurgency in the Tesla Mining Region, and then signed an accord with Gravitus to share partial quarry from the mines..."
Catherine had put a blank space next to his name and touching it popped a list of leadership roles that needed to be filled.
"Fierce, dependable, a fair man to his people..." He tapped the "Supplies" mark and muttered, "He'll keep everyone well-stocked."
Next up was a squinty eyed reptilian creature with a coat collar made of fangs and a bottom jaw lacking in teeth, "Camormidus of Planet Eadine. He partook in the War of Five Worlds with a considerable army and only lost a handful of soldiers thanks to sharp thinking, and even sharper claws. He believes that war can only be stopped with war, but he tends to take great care towards the lives of his people."
His finger drifted towards "Military" only to hesitate, and instead move towards "Strategy", tensely hovering between the two for a few seconds.
"He has the potential to save many lives..." He dropped down to "N/A" and let out a deep breath, "But his methods may come at too great a cost."
The elevator jiggled to a stop and the doors slid open. He calmly walked out and caught a whiff of the floral life nearby.
He turned and gestured his left hand towards the arboretum, tickling the underside of the thick, veiny petal of a Florana Rose along the way.
She had gathered many plants from across the universe in this one place. Some got along in the ecosystem better than others, certainly, but this was a one-of-a-kind view that he couldn't get anywhere else. And for that, he could look past a little mishandling here or there.
There was a subtle beauty to the imperfection this garden had. Not many could appreciate it. He had to stop and look it over, picking out what had changed since he was last here.
"Ah, there's some ivy crawling beneath the stems here..." He leaned in and reached out, but the "ivy" whipped its head out and spewed drips of venom with a hiss.
He retracted his hand and stared at the serpent's four hungering eyes arranged in a square at the tips of its spread mouth. Its tongue rattled around against its slimy maw as it slowly closed shut, and the creature returned to its natural habitat.
"That's a new one," He withdraw back with a mild chuckle, "Perhaps that can count as a new experience?"
He felt a cold chill resting on the back of his neck for a brief moment, and stuttered.
"Never mind." He withdrew back towards the tablet and wandered a few steps away.
"Well well." Came a voice he thought he'd never hear from again reminding him that, on top of being a garden, this floor also acted as a prison.
He turned away from his job with a coarse glare at one of many cells stacked against the wall. Cuffed to the point of impotence in both arms and legs, the once pale king Pluto sat not on a throne of gold, but a cold, steel stool, with all the comfort it could provide robbed from him.
Shadows dangled under his eyes thanks to the glow of the chain around his neck, as time continued to knead its claws into his disheveled face. All the energy he could muster, wasting away on a smirk.
"To what do I owe this displeasure?"
"Pluto..." Gabriel growled softly, and turned away.
"That tablet in your hand..." The king gripped his invisible iron hand on his shoulder and remarked with a harsh chuckle, "Playing taskmaster for the girl's newest make-believe team are we?"
Gabriel tucked the tablet behind his back and cautiously approached the cage, "Even a cornered beast can still bite..."
He stopped ten feet away, and knelt to maintain direct eye contact with this man.
Pluto's dirty smile rested into a frown, no doubt expressing his own, twisted definition of pity, "Poor girl. Betrayed by the man she saw as a savior, only to then chase his shadow in futility."
His eyes raised with a sinister gleam, his tone in turn got deeper, and cold, "Even though she already runs from her own..."
He can talk big, but his weaknesses laid bare on his sleeve for Gabriel to exploit, "Is that really the proper thing to say, coming from the 'Disgraced King'?"
"Heh," Pluto's dry chuckle came as a surprise, "I speak only the truth. She cannot bring peace to the universe. And if you're a part of her game of make-believe then you're an even greater fool than I have known."
"Today..." Gabriel took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, "I am merely a friend helping a friend."
He raised his hand to his chin and gave it a soft rub, imagining a puzzled look on the pale elf's face, "But... if you want my honest opinion, I am somewhat inclined to agree."
"Oh?" Pluto bemoaned curiously.
Gabriel gestured his hand forward off the chin and remarked curtly, "She alone cannot bring peace to the universe. It'll take the efforts of the many, not the few."
"And here for a moment I thought you had an inkling of sense behind that mold ridden face of yours..." Pluto answered with a light scoff.
"Do you still believe yourself worthy of being a king?" Gabriel proposed with a firm, but gentle tone.
Pluto paused, sitting hunched over deep in thought. He then shook his head, chuckling to his lonesome.
"The lies of Gravitus' making do not change his truths. The universe is rotten, and it requires change, direct change, to make a difference."
"And you're the one who can make that change happen?"
"If not me then who?" Whispered the pale elf.
Gabriel paused and sat there, alone in his thoughts for an entire minute. He closed his eyes with an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his gut as he responded, "Perhaps...there is no one person capable of saving the universe anymore."
"The Elemental Overlord, the Dark King, even Gravitus..." Pluto tried to gesture his hand out and spoke with a powerful gravitas, "Movers! Shakers! Gods, toiling among men! Their lives have shaped the fates of many worlds, even to this day!"
"...But even they could not fix that which is incomprehensibly broken."
"...Mmrrr," Gabriel placed his hands on his knees and shook his head, "I am still willing to hedge my bets on one individual to make a change where all else have failed."
"Oh?" Pluto hummed curiously, "And whom might that be?"
"You know who he is," Gabriel remarked with a knowing smirk, "You owe your new throne to him, after all."
Pluto grimaced and raised his brows in laughter, "Him?! A fine sense of humor you have there, Gabriel."
"We owe our lives to him in more ways than one. Mock him for his naivete if you wish, Pluto, but his strange way of thinking has started to bring out the best in all of us..." Gabriel stood and took one last look at the king's unamused face, "Even you."
The pale elf sank into a welcome silence, while he made his way back to the elevator. He pulled his head back and breathed out a deep sigh as this talk, inadvertently, gave him an idea.
"Mew." He whispered.
He stared at the buttons for a good while with his hand hovering over the one to the 1st floor.
He pulled away, sorting out a few more members on Saturn's roster to pass the time while his thoughts laid elsewhere, "It feels rude of me to have not considered him sooner. Perhaps I felt a sense of guilt in asking for his help again, when I already owe him so much. But no, he hardly thinks of such things. He helps people without a second thought, not doing it for any sort of reward, or celebration of his deeds. Daresay if I could it down to one reason, I was simply embarrassed at the thought."
He held his head up high from the tablet and after another sigh, swiftly pressed the button to the 1st floor, "Wouldn't be the first time this old man's learned some humility, eh, Sarajin?"
Once at the bottom he walked out and Saturn rolled on up beside him and he handed her the tablet, "My apologies, Catherine, I got a little distracted."
"That's fine, Gabe! Hey listen, I asked Jupes and she said-"
"No need," His curt response brought her to a standstill, "I've found my answer."
He turned his head with a smile and said, "I need you to send me to Mew's house."
She was understandably belligerent over his decision for a brief moment but nevertheless, got him to where he needed to be.
He didn't know what he came to expect from Mew's home but a humble two-story cottage in the mountains was on the lower end of his guesses.
The crisp air, blended with the fresh mountain scent, marked a perfect atmosphere for meditating in. And sitting off to the side was a bountiful garden of fresh fruits and vegetables that he could tell were kept lovingly maintained.
After a brief detour to examine the fruits of Mew's labors, he wandered on up to his front door, made of a fine oak wood, and gave it a couple knocks.
"Are you there, Mew?" He said with an inviting tone.
"Gabriel?!" Came an illicit sound of shock from behind the door.
A moment later Mew pulled the door open and looked straight at him like he was seeing a ghost. He wore his usual attire of black shirt and blue jeans, with not a single bit out of place.
With a fond gesture Gabriel remarked, "May I?"
Mew shook his head and backed away from the door, "N-No, c'mon in!"
His voice was oddly quieter than usual.
He ducked through the door to finally get a look at the house behind the man. And his jaw dropped, "Its all so...clean."
Clean table, clean kitchen, clean halls. Why, there even was a lingering lemon scent in the air and the floors looked freshly vacuumed. Was he...expecting company?
Gabriel turned and looked Mew square in the eyes, who then rolled his shoulders as if to say "What?"
Gabriel placed his fist over his mouth and coughed to break the ice, "This is my first time in your house so I was just...admiring the decor."
"My bachelor pad's pretty snazzy eh?" Mew gleamed around at his house while Gabriel took a moment to look around some more.
"Where's Maria?" He wondered aloud.
"Ah, I accidentally fed her too many eggs for breakfast and she got a tummyache," Mew's voice softened up a little, "She's laying down and drinking some milk and honey I gave her. Even snuck in a couple medicinal herbs to help digestion."
Gabriel faced him and smiled, "I'll try and keep it down."
"Thanks," Mew smiled back then folded his arms against his chest, "Soooo, I'm guessing you aren't just here to say 'Hi'?"
There was a spark in his eye hungering for battle. Gabriel tried to let him down gently, "Its not what you think, Mew."
He explained the situation with Lady Auris and the events leading up to this point. Mew nodded along the way and when it was through, immediately snapped his fingers up and said, "I know just the thing."
He walked around him and down the hall to the door in the back. Gabriel overheard him saying to Maria, "I'm going to be playing with Gabriel for a bit, if you need me, ring the phone ok?"
Mew nodded a few seconds later and then quietly shut the door. He walked back with his hands behind his head and a curious glance towards him.
Gabriel was smiling from cheek-to-cheek, "What a good father..."
Mew blinked twice and then dropped his hands to his sides, wandering towards the living room, "Follow me."
He pushed the table closer to the television and then got into the cabinet beneath the television. Fiddling around for a bit he pulled out two black devices attached to cords going into the cabinet. They had a rectangular shape with two curvy ends pointing downward, with two sticks, a directional pad, and four buttons arranged in a diamond with the symbols for "Square" "Triangle" "Circle" and "X" painted on.
The sticks showed wear and tear and the paint was fading on the buttons. Mew held one up proudly before him and said, "Go ahead and sit on the couch while I start this up."
Gabriel stared at the controller as he sat down on Mew's comfy couch, pressing and fiddling his thumb around on top of the left stick. It had smooth movement and could even be pushed down. The right stick responded the same.
The ends were easy to grip, even with his big hands. And this positioned his thumbs perfectly over the buttons.
"Fascinating!" He murmured, eyes widened in awe.
He pushed down, and his thumb pressed two buttons at the same time. He slowly lifted it off, and tried positioning it a little further down. The very tip of his thumb pressed the "Square" button too.
"No..." He succeeded on the third attempt.
"There we go!" Mew's sudden declaration surprised him. The boy hopped over the table and landed comfortably into the couch with his own device in hand and feet on the table.
The television turned on and he was greeted by a series of odd looking bars arranged in front of an azure backdrop.
"Ah, this is a video game," Gabriel nodded slowly, feeling a moment's hesitation creep up on him, "...Its not my style but, I'll give it an honest try."
Mew guided a cursor to something called "Vs. Mode" and both of them had to guide an icon similar to their devices, which he called controllers, to separate sides of the screen.
Then following a brief fade to black, the game dropped an alarming white flash and they were brought to a new menu displaying even more icons shaped like hexagons, 35 in total he counted.
A tune that could only be described as heavy metal played as a pair of cursors hovered over two of the icons, causing portraits of two unknown figures to pop up off to the sides.
"What is this...?" He found himself muttering aloud, drawn in to the many colors and faces on display before him.
"Its BlazBlue: Central Fiction. An old classic, but one I come back to from time to time when I need to let off some steam." Mew promptly responded.
"Let off...steam?" Gabriel turned his head to him and raised a brow.
"Yeah its a fighting game," Mew sat up and gestured at the screen, "You pick a character you like and face off against another character in combat."
"Interesting..." Gabriel looked back at the screen and in response to moving the stick, the cursor moved as well. Hovering over different icons displayed different characters.
So video games can replicate even something like a one on one duel on the television screen, Gabriel felt an itch in his face from a smile beginning to grow, "I'll have to see how it compares to the real deal."
Yeah I figure someone like you can pick up the basics easily. Mew sank back into the couch and then locked his cursor onto someone called "Ragna the Bloodedge" He looked like a rough, unfriendly sort.
It was hard for him to pick someone he liked from the bunch. This game certainly had a thing for...barely dressed women, "I-I suppose this is just the modern day aesthetic..."
But when his cursor drew over a figure in all white, goosebumps rose over his skin for a flash, "Lord...Hakumen?"
Mew pulled up and said, "Huh? You know who that is, Gabriel?"
Gabriel broke his usual stoicism to stand aghast towards what he was seeing, "I-I'm surprised you do!"
Oh yeah well... Mew rolled his shoulders and leaned back into the couch, "I know there's worlds based on video games...or, our video games are based on their worlds..."
While the point confused him for a moment he quickly got back on track, "T-The point is that me and Riku's travels helped us figure that out. But what about you?"
Gabriel stared at Hakumen's face and a fond smile glowed on his own face, "That's a story for another day, Mew. Lets just say..."
He pressed "X on the controller to lock Hakumen in and then glanced aside at his opponent, "I feel confident he'll carry me to victory."
Mew picked a song, then a stage, and after a brief loading period they were dropped into a battleground. And right after the counter went down, the moody shifted instantly.
Gabriel felt like a child dropped into a jungle, trapped beside a feral tiger. Mew left no chance for him to understand what he needed to do and went straight on the attack.
Assaulting him with aggressive blow after blow, Gabriel watched as a bar above his character plummeted down to empty in a matter of seconds.
He found his fingers scrambling across the buttons. It caused Hakumen to start drawing his sword, only for Ragna's attacks to stop it.
"This isn't accurate at all. Such weak attacks wouldn't phase him!" Gabriel's complaint was followed by his defeat in the first of three rounds.
He firmly grasped the controller in both hands and looked at the button, "So the ones arranged in a diamond make Lord Hakumen attack."
He stared at the screen, eyes steeled with determination, "And the goal of the game seems to be to attack faster than your opponent can. I see..."
He tried to press buttons to counter Mew's attacks, but Hakumen just seemed all-around slower than this...Ragna the Bloodedge.
"Lord Hakumen's attacks were powerful but elegant. I suppose that doesn't translate well to this type of game..." It felt like when he did land a hit on Ragna though, it took out a good chunk of his bar.
But alas, he lost another round, and thus the match. Mew stretched his hands up high and yawned, "Hmmm, you getting the hang of it ok there, Gabriel?"
Gabriel looked at his controller with a docile nod and Mew bluntly replied, "Good!"
He pressed "Rematch" without hesitation and they started another match. Gabriel tested the buttons some more and found that rotating the stick in certain ways changed Hakumen's attacks. But they were still a little slow.
After five more losses Gabriel tried to experiment with a button he hadn't tapped yet, the "X". When he clicked that Hakumen popped a shield and all of a sudden Mew halted Ragna's assault.
"!" Gabriel felt a twinge of nostalgia in his brain, "Zanshin!"
A move that counters attacks. The defining trait of Hakumen's battle style, which Gabriel can shamelessly admit he copied partially off of.
"So its not just a matter of offense. You must mix defense in as well." Gabriel mixed in the occasional "X" button press with the others to keep Mew on his toes. He was still suffering losses but now he got more than a few good hits in.
But it seemed as though there was a counter to the counter in the form of throws. As unrealistic as it was for Ragna to lift the Susano'o Unit apparently the game was fine with that.
He was getting closer to figuring this out and felt a rush of adrenaline through his head, "So you can chain moves together for extra damage. I wonder what would happen if I added additional motions to the stick when I press a button?"
Suddenly the battleground shattered like glass and Hakumen raised his sword above his head, gathering in wintery energy to his blade, "Bokujin: Shippu!"
Mew sent Ragna right into it the attack and it took out the rest of his health, winning him his first round. Mew plopped back into the couch and gasped.
"H-Huh..." His eyes fluttered a few times before he got back up and remarked, "You finally won a round. But the match is far from over!"
He gripped his controller tightly and continued the fight. Gabriel lost the match but it was close. Very close.
Next match he found he could add the super move to the end of the chain of regular moves, creating this genuine flow of combat that was quite gratifying to behold.
However while his game plan continued to change, he noticed that Mew utilized the same techniques he started with.
Mew's eyes began to slant and the way he gripped his controller made it tremble. There was a clear and present lack of patience on his face.
Midway through a round Gabriel leaned over and gently offered advice, "Mew, did you know that if you push in the opposite direction your character's facing, you guard attacks?"
"Mrrr...!" He growled, right before losing a round to Hakumen's counter super move.
"If you had spaced your movements a little more carefully, you might've won that."
"MRRR...!" He growled louder.
A few more matches later and Gabriel found himself winning the majority and it got to the point where he saw no change in Hakumen's bar.
Upon his latest defeat Mew crashed back into his couch and the leather started to swallow him up.
"PERFECT!" Declared the announcer.
At this point Gabriel softly looked Mew in the eyes and said, "I feel you're not living up to your full potential Mew. Pressing Square and X while guarding allows you to spend meter to guard attacks more efficiently."
Mew stood up and threw his controller onto the ground while shouting, "Oh I JUST remembered! I got uhhh, company coming over in an hour and I gotta make dinner!"
He started shoving Gabriel by the shoulder until he stood up and made his way for the door. All the while he stared back with a blank expression. Finally as he stumbled out the door he looked back and remarked, "We'll have to play again some other time."
Mew's gaze sharply turned feral and he said dryly, "Don't count on it."
He then slammed the door shut and the shockwave from it grazed Gabriel's skin.
"Huh..." He uttered, rubbing his chin with a silent expression of confusion on his face, "Never would've taken him to be a sore loser."
He felt his hand trembling, the adrenaline rushing through his veins yet to have been quelled. He stared at his open palm and felt young, reborn.
"So this is what it feels like to learn something new..." He clenched his fist with vigor and gave an understanding nod, "I see now what Lady Auris was referring to. Video games...I can see the appeal."
With a more confident strut in his step, he returned to Sancturia and headed straight for Auris' home.
Upon politely entering he saw her sitting on the couch reading a magazine only to look up at him with a hint of surprise, "Back already?"
He walked towards the television and bent down before it, "Yes Lady Auris. Now, where is Shina's video game console?"
"I-I beg your pardon?" She replied with an uncharacteristic stutter.
He stood and faced her with his arm crossed against his chest and a smirk bright as can be, "I did what you asked me to and learned how to play fighting games from Mew."
Auris' eyes began to bulge as he continued on, "Your daughters gave me lip while we were at the mall. When they return I shall punish them accordingly on the field of electronic battle."
Auris slapped her forehead and rubbed her temples deeply with a groan.
Gabriel raised his brows and muttered, "L-Lady Auris?"
She sounded completely, utterly devoid of energy, "I feel as though I have made a grave error..."
And for all his wisdom, he could not decipher what she meant by that.
Next Time: The Road to Success