A/N: The Sekirei Parable Demonstration was so well received that I decided to tackle the full game. If you have not read that yet, I highly suggest you do for the sake of context.
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Countdown: Part I
[THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER]
"This is the story of a man named Stanley.
Or at least, that's how it would have been if it wasn't for some weeaboo hacker having his way with the game's code.
Now Stanley is nowhere to be found, at least not as far as I can tell.
He was an ordinary office worker, lost in the tedious maze of corporate life. Every day, he would arrive at his bleak workstation, and sit down at this computer that looked to be decades out of date, surrounded by walls of drab gray and fluorescent lights that flickered with a sense of artificiality. The only respite in his mundane existence was the distant chirping of birds outside his cubicle when he kept the door open, a reminder of the world beyond his monotonous routine.
But who needs him anyway? He never even uttered a single word! I was so lonely back then. No, this story is no longer about a man named Stanley. This is the story of actual characters!
Among them was the fiery and fierce Musubi, whose power rivaled that of a blazing inferno. The calculating and strategic Matsu, whose intelligence surpassed the boundaries of comprehension. And then there was Miss Screw-me,"
"Tsukiumi!" The water Sekirei shouted.
"For the last time , no." The Narrator cleared his throat, "Now where was I…oh yes!
The proud and noble warrior, whose control over water was as elegant as a flowing river.
Thanks to the modder, I finally have people I can actually speak with. As far as things go the only thing that's different about the game is the presence of these waifus and their chosen one. Nothing else is different, from what I can gather at least. I guess we'll find out eventually, now won't we?
Out with the old and in with the new I say! No longer is this a story of a man named Stanley. Nonono, this is the story about a group of waifus getting the sendoff they deserve!
Welcome, one and all, to Sekiro Season three!"
"Uh, wait, what did you call them?" Minato Sahashi asked, brow raised in confusion. He and his lovelies were all tightly crammed in an office cubicle listening to the Narrator blather. Bewildered glances were shared amongst the flock as he rose from Stanley's seat and pushed it back under the desk.
"Sekiro. That's what your alien girlfriends are called correct?"
"They're Sekirei." Minato corrected him. "Se-ki-rei."
"Oh right, right." The Narrator apologized, clapping his hands (or at least a sound of clapping was heard). "I often get the two confused with one another even though I binged the series three times already."
"Ugh." Matsu rolled her eyes. "It's fine, everyone makes that mistake."
"Indeed, and it's for that reason that I will never pick up Sekiro in my life. It's bad enough that Sekirei seasons one and two are out of print, but now anytime someone goes searching for it on Google, the blasted search engine will be overwhelmed with results of that goddamn soul's game before Sekirei is even listed, which only serves to bury Sekirei even deeper into obscurity!" Narry roared, outraged. "We should start a petition to force those cuckolding game developers to change the title of their game. They're too similar."
"Are we going to go on an adventure or not, Narry?" Kusano squeaked, pouting.
"Of course, of course, Kuu-dear." Narry cleared his throat. "Sorry for going off on a tangent there. Please step out of Stanley's office so we can begin your new season properly."
The group did as asked and filed into a room containing three computer desks and a copy machine. There were doors too, three in fact if Musubi was counting correctly. She wasn't. The door they emerged from just slipped her mind.
As they wandered about in curiosity, The Narrator began to commentate on their escapades and address the player of the supposed mod with his silky-smooth British voice. One could argue that he'd have a Santa-like glint in his eye if he were anything but an omnipresent voice.
"Everyone was gone. What could it mean?" The Narrator said curiously. "Minato and the flock decided to go to the meeting room. Perhaps they had simply missed a memo."
"We did?" Homura questioned.
"Is everyone supposed to be gone?" Minato asked Narry.
The Narrator fell silent.
"Oh wow," Yume said approaching the window behind employee 432's desk. It didn't even have a PC on it, just a pencil sharpener. Did this employee know how to even operate a desktop? "It looks so bright outside." She put her hand up to the glass, to get a better look at what the outdoors in this strange world looked like only to find there was no glass there. She immediately tripped and went overboard. "Whoa!" She gasped. Kazehana grabbed her by the skirt but it was too late. She went tumbling down into the white void.
Dazed, Yume rubbed the huge bump on the crown of her skull. as she came to her knees. "Ow, that hurt…"
The others came rushing over to the window as she pulled herself up from the glowy-white ground.
"Yume!" Minato yelled. "Are you alright?!"
"Thou aren't hurt too badly, are thee?" Tsukiumi asked, concerned.
"Be careful next time, Yume." Kazehana instructed her.
"Sorry about that," she giggled.
"Darn right, you should be more careful!" Narry interrupted them. "This game is supposed to have a T rating, not a T&A rating!"
"T&A? What does that mean?" Musubi requested, looking down at her twin. "Hey, where did her skirt go?" she asked.
"I have it right here, Musubi." Kazehana said waving it at her before throwing it down to Yume. She tiptoes into it and pulls it back up her legs.
"I don't think the modder is going to give you a choice in the matter, Narry." Matsu pointed out. "If he's this obsessed with Sekirei, he's probably going to put us through a lot of lewd scenarios. Not that I mind role-playing as an office manager for Minato at some point. Wink-wink, nudge nudge."
To this, Minato blushed. "Oh, cut it out, you."
"Don't expect me to narrate that, you minx." Narry replied. "But there's truth in what you say," Narry agreed, "I'm just trying my best to avoid this mod giving The Stanley Parable a 'Hot Coffee' scenario. Anyone remember that? Oh who am I kidding, you're from Japan. The only games you play are dating sim visual novels."
"How are we supposed to get her out of there?" Minato asked. "Yume, can you leap back up here?" he called out.
"Sure!" She goes to jump but lands flat on her face.
"What the?" Minato blinked. "You alright, Yume?"
"I forgot," she said. "We can't jump here. I guess I'm stuck…"
"Maybe if we search the place more we might find something?" Miya suggested.
"Like what? A rope?" Homura asked.
"That would work I guess, unless climbing is disabled too," Matsu said, stroking her chin. She looked skyward, "Is there one, Narrator?"
"If I could interject," Narry spoke, "There is a way to get her out, but it requires a game reset. I'm afraid it's impossible to escape that secret room without doing so. I'm surprised you even found it, let alone this early and without looking it up on the internet beforehand."
"Great," Homura sighed. "Not even five minutes into this shitty game, we're already down one ally."
"Don't sweat it." Narry replied. "Once you find an ending everyone spawns back at in Stanley's office as if nothing happened. You'll be reunited eventually. Just go ahead and keep walking through doors. Follow my instructions and she will soon be free."
"Alright, if you say so Mr. Narrator." Miya responded.
Minato and the flock backed away from the window, "Well, let's not waste any more time." Minato dipped his chin with a nod.
"Hey, Matsu." Homura spoke up.
Matsu's head swiveled around, acknowledging his summons. "What is it?" she replied, her tone tinged with weariness.
"Think you can sit at one of these computers and see if you can hack us out of this game or something?" He asked.
"I suppose I could give it a try," Matsu responded, her movements slow and deliberate. She sauntered over to the closest keyboard and settled herself down in front of it. The rest of the group congregated around her, their anticipation palpable. With a satisfying crack of her knuckles, she prepared to delve into her digital sorcery. "Let's see...," she muttered, her fingers hovering over the keys. As she pressed a single key, the monitor abruptly flickered and plunged into darkness. "Hey, what the heck?" she exclaimed, her hand instinctively reaching for the power button on the tower. With a swift press, the computer booted up again, revealing the desktop. Determined to conquer this enigma, Matsu resumed her hacking attempts, only for the screen to once again fade into black.
"What's happening?" Kazehana inquired, her voice filled with concern.
Matsu stood up from her seat, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the tower more closely. Finally, her gaze settled on the source of their predicament. "Ah, I see," she muttered, a mix of annoyance and realization in her voice.
"What is it?" Minato pressed, his curiosity piqued.
Matsu pointed a finger at the manufacturer's logo. "It's an HP," she declared, her tone dripping with disdain.
"Pray tell, what does that mean?" Tsukiumi interjected, her annoyance mirroring Matsu's.
With a deadpan expression, the redhead retorted, "Horrible Product." She rose to her feet, a sense of resignation in her posture. "There's no point in tinkering with it. Let's explore other offices and find a reliable one."
Everyone nodded and split up to look around. As the group explored the surroundings, it became clear that the Narrator enjoyed meddling with their every move. They discovered an array of peculiar buttons, each labeled with cryptic instructions. Minato's Sekirei couldn't resist pushing them, much to the Narrator's delight.
With each button press, the office space transformed like a chameleon on roller skates. Cubicles morphed into exotic landscapes, filing cabinets sprouted legs and danced a jig, and water coolers spouted confetti instead of liquid. It was like navigating a funhouse designed by a mischievous demigod.
Kuu, her finger pointing through a window, exclaimed, "Look, there's another office over there!" She stretched on her tiptoes and attempted to turn the doorknob, only to find it tightly locked. "It's locked," she lamented, disappointment evident in her voice.
"All of them are locked," Kazehana chimed in after struggling with another handle. She turned to face the group. "Let's continue searching."
After scouring their initial location, Minato and the flock relented and followed the only available path, until...
"When Minato and the flock came to a set of two open doors, they entered the door on their left." the Narrator said.
The group halted, exchanging perplexed glances.
"We did?" Miya queried, her voice laced with uncertainty.
"Should we follow the instruction?" Minato sought the group's opinion.
"I don't know," Homura shrugged. "It could be a trap."
"Well, we won't make any progress just standing here," Minato reasoned. "Who's in favor of following the instruction?"
"I'll go along for now," Matsu volunteered, raising her hand.
"Count me in as well," Miya added.
"Me too!" Kuu chimed in.
"I'll join if you do, Minato," Kazehana offered.
"I'm inclined to do the opposite, but I'm outvoted," Homura sighed.
"I understand your concerns, but disobeying our instructions might not end well for us," Minato explained. "For now, let's do as the Narrator says. We should try to stay on their good side."
With unanimous nods, the group meandered through the left door and followed a winding path until they reached a meeting room. Whiteboards and filing cabinets lined the walls, while a cluttered table at the center of the room teemed with coffee mugs, paperwork, and notepads. A projector screen flickered through a monotonous PowerPoint presentation, positioned near an open door at the far end of the room.
As they stepped into the room, Minato couldn't help but notice the lingering aura of secret conversations and the faint scent of bureaucratic battles fought over spreadsheets and expense reports. The walls, draped in nondescript beige, bore generic motivational posters, their optimistic phrases like "Fake it till you make it, but just be yourself" mockingly taunting the peculiar circumstances.
"Yet there was not a single person here either." The omniscient Narrator said. "Feeling a wave of disbelief, Minato and the flock decided to go up to the boss's office, hoping they might find an answer there."
After surveying the room some more, the group exited to another hallway which led to a stairwell. On the way, Homura stopped at a broom closet and everyone halted their steps.
"What's up, Homura?" Minato asked.
"I'm gonna peek inside here and look for a rope we can use to help Yume out of the void with."
"Good idea, Homura," Miya acknowledged, her smile warm. "Should we wait here?"
"Nah, I'll catch up. Just go on without me." Curiosity piqued, he approached the closet and slowly opened the door, revealing a cramped space filled with cleaning supplies and assorted tools.
Minato gave him a nod and the group left him Homura to his search.
Once they turned a corner, he stepped inside.
"Homura stepped into the broom closet, but there was nothing here. So he turned around and got back on track…"
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Minato and the flock entered the stairwell and the door shut behind them.
"Coming to a staircase, Minato and the others walked upstairs to the boss's office."
"Oh crap." Minato gasped, realizing Homura now couldn't rejoin them. "We should have waited for him."
"No use worrying about it now." Matsu shrugged. "Let's just see what Stanley's boss has to say about all this."
After climbing three flights of steps they wandered into a short hall. To their left was an executive bathroom and to their right was the receptionist's area.
"Think we should explore a little before moving on?" Miya asked.
"Indeed." Tsukiumi said, she turned towards the restroom down the hall. "I'll check the bathroom."
"Okay, let us know if you find anything in there."
"I shall," Tsukiumi affirmed, twisting the yellow doorknob and swinging the door open. Her eyes scanned the pristine blue walls and immaculate plumbing. "Very tidy," she muttered to herself. After inspecting the cabinet beneath the sink, she straightened up and faced the mirror, her fists clenched at her sides. She observed her reflection, seeking composure and poise.
It was then that the mischievous Narrator decided to interject with a crass comment.
"Screw-me McBoobula gazed at herself in the mirror as she did every morning, awed by the manner in which she could puff out her enormous jiggly sweater bunnies even more than they were.'HONKA HONKA', she enunciated."
Tsukiumi's expression contorted into a furious scowl, her eyes blazing like a rabid wolf's. She stormed out of the bathroom ranting and raving.
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A/N: This project is going to be so much fun. It'll certainly help with me cooling off from writing so much Twisted Wings. (If you haven't read it, please consider doing so. It's my main project and I'm really putting my all into it.)