Dreams of Doki Doki

by the cooler eros

Xavier has been troubled by dreams for as long as he can remember, but has been able to maintain an average life grounded in reality. When that reality starts to look more like fiction, though, will he be able to tell the difference between the two? And what does any of this have to do with Doki Doki Literature Club?

62. Act 3 Chapter 2 - Un Solo Palo

Act 3 Chapter 2 - Un Solo Palo

As I step into the room, the artificial lighting of the ceiling lamp illuminates my view of the mirror that immediately greets me. Blizzard stands slightly in front of me, but quickly shuffles to the side in an effort to give me a full view of my reflection.

My reflection…

Standing across from me is a dark-haired woman who looks as if she's in her twenties. Her skin shines a vibrant tan, complementing her deep brown irises. She looks rather well-built and athletic, clearly having made a habit of exercising daily. Lastly, long healed-yet-fresh scars line her torso from her shoulder and hip to her opposite thigh. It's a bizarre injury, only highlighted by the ripped-up sweater that very closely lines up with it.

All in all…

It's me.

"Do you feel better at all, knowing how you look now?" Blizzard asks, reopening the conversation.

"Still not quite sure, but…" I look at my reflection, then look down at myself. "It definitely feels like me. No doubt about that."

"I'm glad! Do you think it gave you a better picture of who you were before?"

I shrug. "Not particularly, outside of the more obvious details. It's not like it made anything shout out at me, though."
Blizzard sighs. "I guess that makes sense. I mean, the only thing I can really intuit is that based on your accent you're probably from Canada or the United States, but that's neither here nor there and doesn't even have to do with your body."

I clench my fist slightly. "If only we had even one lead… Just one dot to connect so I could start to put the pieces together…"

"But we do, don't we?" Blizzard points at my pocket. "The note. Even if the sender is gone, the fact that you knew her means that you have some kind of connection to the Earth Reconstruction Project. And even if the Consulate can't help, there are plenty of others who know a thing or two about it. In fact, there's one in particular who I-"

Suddenly, Blizzard's voice is interrupted by a sharp, bitcrunched rendition of some Katy Perry song that I can't remember the name of coming from her jacket pocket. Not wasting a moment, the Consul pulls her Blackberry out and flips it open while mouthing a silent apology in my direction.

"Hello…?"

"Yes, I'm here right now."

"..."

"Wait, so did you get my email or-"

"..."

"I'll be right down."

Blizzard's eyebrows furrow as she shuts her phone and shoves it back where it came from. Letting her evident frustration out with an exhale, she looks back towards me. "Sorry about that… Coincidentally, it's looking like a meeting was called by someone other than myself."
I cross my arms. "So… What does that mean for me?"

"It means that I'll add you to the docket to be discussed afterwards…" Blizzard pauses for a moment, a slightly worn-out look now resting on her face. "..Since it seems like none of them bothered to read my email."

"So…" I hold back the urge to chuckle at the notion that immortal gods still communicate via email. "What are you guys meeting about first, then?"
"Remember how I mentioned that the successor of the Earth Reconstruction Project passed away?" I nod, encouraging her to continue. "It seems like a replacement has been proposed, so I need to come down and cast my vote one way or the other."
"And while that's happening I'll just… sit there?"

"Pretty much." Blizzard strolls out of the bathroom, presumably to gather her things. "Anything else you think you need to do before we head off?"

"Do I still have time to take you up on getting a change of clothes? I probably shouldn't be turning up to a Consulate meeting in this glorified confetti that I have on right now."

"Right, yeah." I hear some shuffling from outside of the bathroom, as Blizzard presumably rustles through her closet. "Those guys are never punctual, I'd say we should be down in forty-five minutes or so at the latest. Do you have any preference for clothing?"

"Not really. Not like I'd remember what kinds of clothes I like to wear." Still, I rack my brain for what I feel like I'd enjoy. "Something formal, I guess? I'd also like to use your shower if I have time to, I need to feel clean right now."

"Of course! You can borrow my makeup too if you'd like, go ahead and hop in the shower and I'll find something that I think would suit you." Now having permission to, I begin to undress and throw my clothes to the corner of the room. "And by the way, for hot water you want to turn the knob to the cold side."

"Thanks," I finish taking off my clothes, and follow her instructions on the knob. I'm truthfully not sure what kind of bathing habits I have, but the thought of a hot shower sounds divine to me after all I've been through today. Water pours out of the shower-head, gradually warming up until the room begins to steam. Without a moment's hesitation, I step into the shower and feel a sensation of warm pleasure wash over me right away. The hot water sears my skin slightly, though any burning sensation I feel at first soon phases into an exfoliating happiness.

I let my hair and face soak with the sizzling bliss, and wet the rest of my form in order to begin applying Blizzard's body wash. It smells like honey and almonds.

I spread the body wash, exploring my body more closely than I did when I was simply looking in the mirror. The thing that comes to my attention still, though, are the long scars running down my torso. The questions on how I could have gotten hurt this badly still come to my mind, not to mention the paradox of the injury being healed yet my clothes being ripped in the exact way one would expect them to if the scars had been received recently.

Was it a fight? Or something more simple, like a car crash? Maybe something more complex, like a byproduct of entering this strange place. As much as the thoughts flow, it doesn't seem as if a shower setting will be awfully helpful for finding answers.

Once I finish applying body wash, I move to my hair. Blizzard's shampoo is of the same brand and scent, and I wonder to myself where these gods do their shopping anyways. I give myself a solid squeeze, and make sure to lather my hair deeply and use my fingers and nails to dig the fluid deep into my scalp. The process is mindless for me, as I scrunch up my thick black locks in my hands.

In enough of a rush as I am to balk on waiting for the shampoo to sink into my roots, I quickly apply once again identically-scented conditioner. I start at my ends, slowly moving back up to my scalp as I go. My hair leans closer to the long end, but it's still very much manageable. This time, I give my hair a little bit of time before once again rinsing it out. As I do, I get a small bit of conditioner in my eye, which stings for a moment before I manage to wash it out with water. I leave the shower not long after, wiping off my eye before quickly drying myself off.

I glance back to the corner of the room, seeing that my old clothes are now gone and replaced by a dark blue dress hanging on the closed door, along with panties, a bra and heels.

This must be Blizzard's… Is it really okay to put on her underwear? I shrug off the thought, figuring that there's no point in putting too much thought into it. I instead begin to put them on without thinking any more deeply of it, with a slight sense of relief washing over me at the reassurance that her bra is an okay fit. I then move to the dress, which looks closer to something you'd go clubbing in than a meeting with the most powerful people in all of reality with its spaghetti straps, glittery texture and high split. Again, I assume that Blizzard has a better understanding of whatever dress code they might have and step into it.

After I finish zipping up the dress, I look inside Blizzard's bathroom cabinet for the makeup she mentioned. A good assortment of products present themselves to me, but I don't pay too much attention to the options that lay before me as I beeline for some plain eyeliner and mascara. I'm probably short on time by this point, and either way most of Blizzard's stuff isn't even a remote match for my skin.

I quickly throw on the makeup, give my hair a quick once-over, and slip on the heels that Blizzard left out for me. They're a bit bigger than my shoe size apparently is, though, so it takes a little bit of getting used to as I walk out of the room.

As I walk out of the hallway back towards the main room, Blizzard is already at the door to greet me. The look on her face gives off a slightly shocked demeanor, as if there was something on my face.

"What's wrong? Did my mascara smudge?"

"No, it's just…" She looks and sounds surprised that I asked. "Nothing. You look great."

"All right… Shall we go, then?" I try to break up the awkward air with a quick chuckle before walking towards the front door. I see Blizzard starting to nod out of the corner of my eye, and she opens it for me. As I step through, though, my heel snags against her now-outstretched foot that she is using as an anchor to keep the door open and I lose my balance enough to trip and begin to fall.

I tumble to the ground in a blur, but as I begin to outstretch my arms in an attempt to brace my fall I strangely feel my fall come to an abrupt stop. Before I can fully parse what's happening, I feel firm arms under me and Blizzard's concerned face from above.

"Are you okay? Sorry for putting my foot in your way so suddenly…" Seeing Blizzard's face so up close makes me feel a peculiar tingle in my stomach, but I try my best to avert my gaze. Wouldn't want her to think that I'm some kind of creep…

"No, that's on me," I say as I stumble back to my feet. "Feels like it's been a while since I wore heels this steep based on my muscle memory… You go out often?"

The question makes Blizzard wince slightly, but her demeanor stays just about the same. "Used to. You can honestly hold onto these afterwards, I haven't worn any of those clothes in a good while."

"Gotcha… Well, I appreciate that," I say earnestly with a smile. Having regained my footing, I walk through the door. Blizzard follows my lead, passing me up as we enter the elevator.

As I squeeze into it after Blizzard, our bodies are once again pushed close together. The pure darkness of the chamber causes me to dissociate slightly, with my eyes crossing absentmindedly. At the same time, it also causes me to worry slightly about the countless unknowns of my situation.

I still don't know who I am, and now I'm being plunged into a whole new world of oddity. Heck, I'm putting my trust into someone I just met to figure out my situation. She's been so kind, too… Is this really okay?

"Umm… Blizzard?"
"Yeah, Serena?"

"Is there anything I need to be ready for when it comes to talking to the other Consuls? If they're really gods…"

"Refer to them by their titles until told otherwise, and speak with respect. Those titles will be read out at the beginning of the floor session, so just be sure to listen carefully and remember them." I can feel Blizzard shuffling around slightly to face me. "They're the rulers of the multiverse, but they're only mostly heartless."

I chuckle. "That's reassuring."

As I speak, small trickles of light begin to enter the cage as the elevator lowers to its final destination. With a few jerky clicks and one loud clunk, the elevator stops and the door opens.

Blizzard walks out first, heading towards a sliver of light at the horizon. She looks back at me, the faint glow shining on her cheeks.

"Ready?"

I slowly exit the elevator, looking down at the way the slight illumination paints a slick gold onto my hands. Gathering as much courage as I can muster up within me, I listen to the faint sound of my heartbeat.

"Ready."

Blizzard gently raises her hand, stretching it out in front of her with her palm facing the light. Her hand then once again exudes that strange glow that I noticed earlier in the elevator, and with it the sound of large gears turning and grinding against one another surrounds us. As the sound drones on, the slice of light begins to grow, becoming wider and wider and consuming the chamber with a blazing gust of energy. Squinting and turning away on instinct, the blaze fills my view.

And then, the noise stops. I begin to turn back and allow my eyes to adjust, seeing that behind a newly open golden gate lies a large, equally gilded chamber. The ceiling stretches to infinity much like the entrance hall, with a massive chandelier filled with hanging ornaments adorning the space. Five imposing podiums that must each be at least one or two stories tall each form a semicircle, with one more smaller podium at the other side of the room across from the rest.

Blizzard walks forward, her boots tapping lightly on the floor below her. "I need to head up to my podium now. Stay down here for now."

As I nod in affirmation, a much less familiar voice enters my ears. "For what it's worth, Blizzard, I read your email."

My eyes instinctively move up to find the source of the sound, eventually landing on the figure of an aged yet solidly-built man in a slick parka and polo, lighting his pipe as he sits on his towering right-of-center podium. Despite both his horizontal and vertical distance from me, I can somehow hear his voice clearly.

"Good evening, Riptide." Blizzard is mostly out of my view, but I can just barely look around her podium on the far left end to see her being lifted up slowly by a rising platform. "I appreciate that."

"So, then, who's the girl? Where'd you find her? Your email only mentioned that she existed." Suddenly, I see the man, Riptide, turn his head down to me. "Come to think of it, why don't you tell me yourself? Hello, by the way."

"Oh, well…" Not expecting to have been called on, I shudder slightly in shock. "My name is Serena. I showed up here earlier today, but it seems like I've lost my memory. I can hardly remember a thing about myself from before today."

"Amnesia… Scary-sounding word, ain't it?" Riptide laughs, smoke billowing out of his nose and mouth in his amusement. "So there isn't a lot you can tell me after all, I take it."

As I begin to open my mouth and speak, Blizzard interjects. "She had a letter in her pocket that ties her to the Earth Reconstruction Project. It's plausible that she was somehow involved in the events that recently transpired there."

"Plausible?" I can feel Riptide perking up an eyebrow. "I'd say it's certain! Let me see that letter."

I move my hands to look for the note, soon realizing that I left it with the laundry that I discarded before showering. "Ah, sorry, I-"

"I have it," Blizzard states nonchalantly as she pulls out the small slip of folded-up paper. She throws it towards Riptide's far-off podium in a fashion where it would without a doubt flutter to the floor, but strangely my eyes lose track of the sheet. As I instinctively move my gaze towards Riptide, I find that he is unfolding the letter that now lies in his hands.

The chamber falls into a state of silent anticipation as Riptide's eyes flutter left and right down the page. I try to pay attention to his nonverbal reactions as he reads, but there's nothing that I can parse outside of silent intrigue.

"I see… What a touching love letter." Riptide chuckles to himself as he flicks the sheet back to me. I expect it to flutter to the ground, but much like his reception of the letter it spontaneously changes locations, appearing right in front of me for me to grab. "I don't know enough about Tsunami's shenanigans to make anything of it, but the person who could will be here in about ten seconds."

"Ten seconds-" I turn back at the large door behind me, finding that it is once again shut. Just as I take note of that fact, though, I hear gears turning as the gate rumbles open, with two silhouette-like figures entering into the light of the chamber.

"Good morning, everyone! I know you all missed me." The shorter of the two figures, though still rather tall, is a woman with long black hair. Her swept-aside bangs frame her giddy maroon eyes, and the smug smile she wears across her face captures my curiosity and attention.

The other much more silent figure is significantly taller, without a doubt standing at nine feet if not taller. His long blond locks flow down his violet robe, and his eyes contrast with those of the other woman's in their deep and emotionless demeanor.

The tall man stays silent, though, as the woman continues to speak. "I overheard that you have a letter for me to read, right? Give it here."

I hesitantly oblige, internally surprised that she was able to hear through the door. Maybe the room just echoes in a certain way towards the door… or maybe she just has good hearing. Wouldn't be the fifth-strangest thing I've experienced today.

The woman grabs the letter from my outstretched hand, reading it nonchalantly. Or at least she was, until she reaches a point that causes her eyes to balloon wide open. She looks at me, then back down at the paper, then up at me again. She turns the paper upside down, and then right-side up again. She seems to reread the passage multiple times, eyes never narrowing back.

I take a step closer to her, now very concerned. "Is… everything okay?"

"What the fuck." She walks close up to me, examining my body up and down. "Xavier?!"

The name seems to make Blizzard's eyebrows furrow up in confusion slightly, and mine probably look about the same in that moment. "Who's… that?"

The woman ignores me for a moment, continuing to look up and down my body before touching my scar with her finger. "This scar… does it happen to run down to your opposite side, and is there another one that intersects it across your waist?"

I stagger back away from her touch in shock, peeking down my dress for a moment in disbelief. "Okay, now you're creeping me out… How'd you know that?"

"Holy shit." The woman now has her hand over her mouth, doubling over as she tries to resist laughing. "What the fuck."

"What the heck are you laughing about!? I'd appreciate an explanation…"

"You had me scared there for a second!" She's laughing out loud now, seemingly finding whatever she's talking about to be incredibly funny. "Not that I really thought you'd just up and die like that, but it was kind of pathetic how it happened."

"Wait, do I know you? Did I die?"

"Wait, what." The woman's laughter tapers off. "It's me. It hasn't been that long… Not remembering dying probably makes sense, but me? Really? I thought I gave off a better impression…"

"No, it's…" I pause to try and figure out how to order my words. "I woke up here. I don't remember anything before today, so I promise it's not personal that I don't remember you. If we did know each other, I'm really sorry."

"Okay, you're way more polite than Xavier. If he lost his memory he'd probably say something like, 'I don't fuckin' know you, okay!? It's like that one part of some movie that you haven't watched but I'm going to reference it to give off an illusion that I'm culturally plugged-in and not a braindead PUBG player.'"

That seemed… emotionally charged.

"There's still no doubt that this letter was addressed to Xavier, though… and strangely, I'm reluctant to think that losing his memories turned him into a prim, pretty, perfect princess." The woman chuckles again, clearly painting a vivid picture in her head. "His reputation precedes him as to how he treats the women in his life."

"I see…" I awkwardly stand in place, not quite sure what to say in response. "Well, I can-"
"Oh wait! I've got a theory." Her eyes light up slightly as she speaks. "I didn't recognize you at first, because the body you have is a good bit different from the one Xavier had back in the sim."

"The sim…? Anyways, I don't mean to be rude, but wouldn't the most likely outcome if my body is different be that I'm not the person you know to begin with?"

"Nope, the scars on your body make that totally impossible. What I'm thinking is that Xavier and Serena's bodies merged together when time looped back, sort of how Elizabeth and Yuri's minds did. That explains how you're alive to begin with, not to mention how your personality and body are different." She makes a gesture with her hands, intertwining her fingers with one another. "I definitely see it now… Your eyes, skin tone and build are more like Xavier's, but your body type, hair and general features are definitely more like Serena's."

"Okay, I'm officially lost."

"It doesn't matter," Blizzard nonchalantly states from her perch. "I spent all day with Serena, there's no way she could ever in a million years be Xavier McEnroe. You take after your master strikingly in the way that you try and convince others of your lunacy."

The woman scoffs. "You're missing the point. Intentionally, I'd bet."

"Chill your jets, Aftershock." The coat-clad Consul sighs sharply, clearly getting agitated. "That's not the type of thing to joke about."

"I don't see why it wouldn't be. You keep things so very close to the chest, after all." Aftershock speaks mockingly, clearly not having a heavy regard for Blizzard's feelings. "She could still very well just be Serena. It's possible that Xavier McEnroe is truly gone from this world and that Serena has inherited his life, so to speak. The difference in personality between her and the Xavier I knew is night and day, after all."

Blizzard stays silent, clearly conflicted about something. Quick to break that silence, though, the previously quiet man speaks up. "Anyways, I think we should get started. I don't believe that Wildfire is coming."

Riptide cackles. "You're kidding… they came for one random session, picked a fight with Blizzard, and fucked right off!? Hilarious."

"No surprise there. But yeah, I'm giddy to get started.

"Perfect." I turn back to where the tall man was, but find him to be gone. Instead, I find that he's somehow already up at the middle podium with his hand raised in oath. "That being the case, I, Emperor-God Cyclone, first seat of this holy Consulate, am ready to execute my duties in the best interest of our beautiful reality."

Following suit without skipping a beat, Riptide raises his own hand. "I, Conqueror-God Riptide, second seat of this holy Consulate, am ready to execute my duties in the best interest of our beautiful reality."

"As the Seeker-God and Trickster-God are not present, I, Balance-God Blizzard, fifth seat of this holy Consulate, am ready to execute my duties in the best interest of our beautiful reality."

"Guests to this chamber, please enter the visitor's podium and state your names."

I hesitantly follow Aftershock to the platform, and stand next to and slightly behind her. As soon as we enter the podium, she speaks. "I am Aftershock, apprentice of former Trickster-God Earthquake."

"I'm, uh…" Not expecting her to finish so quickly, I stammer a little bit before finding what I want to say. "My name is Serena."

The room grows silent for a moment, before Cyclone continues. "Good. In that case, we're ready to begin today's session. Are there any motions on the floor? If there are no others, I'd like to introduce one."

Cyclone's question is answered with another moment of silence, indicating for him to continue. "If there are no other motions, I will advance to the motion to vote for our new Trickster-God. All in favor?"

The two other Consuls give "I"s, and Cyclone keeps up his oration. "With the motion advanced, I propose a vote on appointing Miss Aftershock as the next Trickster-God. We will now open with an interview in which each Consul will have their time to ask their questions to our candidate. We will start with seat two, then five, then back to me. First, though, I'll need to ask the candidate to take an oath of honesty."

"Of course," Aftershock says with a grin. "I just need to put my hand in the Question Flame, right?"

"Yes. Blizzard, can you please summon it for us?"

"Of course." Blizzard lowers her platform back down to ground level and walks over to our podium before setting her hands down on the flat desk in front of us. Her hands once again exude the same glow that she used in the elevator, and as she does a strange green ice begins to form where there was once air in between her palms. She lifts her hands slowly, expanding the ice vertically along with them until a stubby stick of the stuff is poking out of the desk.

"What's this?" I ask, not able to help but chime in out of curiosity.

"It's a tradition of sorts, passed down from Balance-God to Balance-God… I never even got to meet the one that came before me, so I guess it's just something inherent to the title." Blizzard brings a single finger down to the stick of ice, which with another hand-glow somehow manifests a strange-looking discolored flame. "It's a way to ensure that the truth is told when we need to do testimonies and interviews, in the name of fairness. If you swear an oath and then lie in your testimony, the flame will consume you."
"Killing you… I assume?"

"More or less, yeah. Pretty good incentive, I'd say." Blizzard states with a wink.

With the flame created, Aftershock pipes up again. "All right then…"

With no further fanfare, she plunges her right hand into the flame. The blue embers consume her hand, but spread no further and appear to not do any damage to her skin. She promptly removes her hand, although the fire still stays fixed onto her hand.

"Good. Now that that's done, I have my first question." Riptide takes a puff out of his pipe before introducing his first question. "Aftershock, what is your relation to the current iteration of the Earth Reconstruction Project? I understand you worked with Earthquake on the original before their alleged death."

Aftershock nods. "I did. Because of Tsunami's role in their death, I wanted to exact my revenge. I used one Xavier McEnroe, the first subject of the original Project, in order to bait Tsunami into the Providence supervision facility to get personally involved in hatching her plan to use the revival ritual."

"And why did that benefit you?"

"By doing this, I was able to further bait Interloper into the facility and put Tsunami into a situation where her death was certain."

Tsunami? Providence? Revival Ritual? Interloper? I officially have absolutely no idea what's going on…

"Have you ever communicated with Interloper or her little rebellion in any way?"

"Not in the slightest. I simply figured that she'd take advantage of a chance to kill a Consul, let alone Tsunami, that was practically handed to her on a silver platter."

"I hope you're aware that I've received some scout reporting indicating that Interloper's ranks have increased since the stunt she pulled. Avenging your master is fine, but giving the enemy a meaningless power boost is irresponsible."

"I understand."

"All right, those are all of my questions. Blizzard, you're up."

"All right." Blizzard stands up, and gives herself a moment before bringing her inquiry to the table. "Did your reasoning for exacting vengeance on Tsunami have anything to do with the fact that you knew that you'd be the undisputed next-in-line contender for the seat of the Trickster-God after her and Quandary?"

"It was, to some degree."

"That's all?" Blizzard's tone is slightly mocking. "Nothing else to say?"

Aftershock shrugs casually. "What else is there to say? It's impossible for something like that to not play a part in one's behavior as long as it's a known fact."

"Fine." Blizzard sighs in resignation. The white-haired Consul's voice feels slightly more agitated as she shifts topics. "Didn't Tsunami use the revival ritual? In addition to the fact that Xavier was fartime, how could he possibly be alive when the ritual specifically demands death? How much time was there between his death and Interloper thrusting time back?"

Interloper… So all of the time stuff is her doing?

"Definitely way past the three minutes before Fartime bodies tend to fade away after death. That's what confuses me so much about the situation, although maybe Xavier just barely held onto life somehow. Sure didn't seem like it." Aftershock crosses her arms in thought. "That said, Xavier wasn't a part of the revival ritual. That honor went to Natsuki, Yuri, Earthquake, and her apprentice."

"I see… so the other four are most definitely dead?"

"According to the revival ritual, yes."

"Anyways, I suppose it's impossible to know right now. I'm done with my questions. Cyclone?"

Blizzard takes a step back, leaning against the side of the podium towards Cyclone. Very quickly. he begins to speak. "This'll be quick, as I have just one question to ask you. I ask for a simple answer, 'yes' or 'no'. If you are able to answer 'no', I will vote for you to be the next Trickster-God."

Aftershock opens her mouth, beginning to speak. "Wh-"

"Are you Earthquake?"

The room falls completely silent, with Aftershock's eyes widening. The pause lasts for a few seconds, before Aftershock bursts out with laughter. As soon as she does, Riptide follows suit with a loud cackle. Even Blizzard seems to giggle slightly.

"Of course I'm not, Cyclone! Are you crazy!?"

With a roaring laughter, Riptide replies. "You worry too much, Cyclone! Shadows jumping out at every corner with you!"

Cyclone doesn't respond, simply holding his stoic silence.

"Anyways, are we ready to move on to the vote?"

"I am. And I'm glad our dearest ashtray isn't here so that we don't end up with a tie. This shouldn't take too long." Riptide crosses his arms, holding his pipe in his hand. "I'm going 'yay' on this one. A Consul needs better foresight on how one's actions will affect the rest of reality, and Aftershock hasn't shown that she can do this in the way that she unwittingly gave Interloper's forces more power. I trust that you will not allow that to happen again."

Aftershock nods, and Riptide continues. "That said, I think you're more competent than the previous Trickster-God. Her own personal motivations are what brought us into this mess to begin with, so you at least can't do worse than that!"

"Don't disrespect the dead like that." Blizzard sighs, moving to her own verdict. "I'm giving a 'nay'. I don't like you, and you were involved in the death of someone who I considered a friend. I think that you'll be a massive handful as Consul, much like your predecessor."

"Is this really the hill you're dying on? Wow…" Aftershock chuckles. "Cyclone?"

Cyclone leans his tall frame over his podium, thinking to himself before speaking. "'Yay. As promised. And as such, you will be sworn in as the 17th Trickster-God and new fifth seat of this holy Consulate. Please take your oath to the Flame, and allow it to enter your heart.'"

Aftershock nods, putting her hand back into the flame without hesitation. This time, it consumes her wholly.

"I, Aftershock, swear to perform my duties as Consul to the best of my ability. I promise to adhere to the responsibilities of my domain, and do what is in the greatest interest of our beautiful reality. I swear not to use the resources of the Consulate in an effort to usurp it, and will do what I can to maintain the balance of power that our forefathers have left us with."

Cyclone smiles. "Good. With that done, Trickster-God Aftershock may take up her post at the fifth-seat's podium. Blizzard, you may advance to the fourth seat."

As Aftershock begins to walk towards the podium, Blizzard lowers herself back down to the ground so that the new Consul can take her place. She then walks past Aftershock towards the previously empty podium across the one that she had just vacated, and I can faintly see her grinning smugly. Soon enough, the two of them lift themselves back up to their perches.

Once Blizzard gets herself settled, she opens her mouth to speak. "Now that that's done and over with, I'd like to bring something else up onto the docket."

"Yes, you mentioned this to me earlier. The floor is yours." Cyclone spreads his hands out towards Blizzard, allowing her to lead the conversation.

"As I've already mentioned, Serena here appeared in the Cathedral today with no memory of who she is. She had a letter in her pocket, though, that linked her to Tsunami's iteration of the Earth Reconstruction Project. I'd like to try and piece together what exactly she's doing here, and what to do with her going forward.

"Of course." Cyclone states rather emotionlessly. "While the rest of you are discussing, could I give the letter a read?"

"Of course. I have it right-" As Blizzard reaches toward her pocket, she steps back in slight confusion as she glances at Cyclone, letter in hand. "Really…?"

"I'm sorry, I was just so overtaken by my own curiosity." Cyclone chuckles slightly as he reads. "Anyways, do go on."

"I was actually going to ask Aftershock a few questions, since she evidently seems to know a thing or two. For one, tell me a little bit about Xavier McEnroe. Were you friends?"

"Friends? Maybe, though I find it tough to put a label on what our relationship was." I can hear the sound of Aftershock tapping her foot on the marble floor of her new podium. "Xavier, at the end of the day, was a man to a fault. He never treated the women in his life awfully well, after all. He was dating one Elizabeth Morrisson when he was put into Earthquake's version of the Earth Reconstruction Project, but pretty much instantly abandoned that relationship and dated our dearly beloved Interloper behind her back. When Xavier used that information as a playing card to get his way, it broke her heart beyond repair! She receded into Yuri's mind after that, and was never quite the same afterwards. Neither was he, when time looped back for the first time."

"How so? Not sure I heard about this part."

"Oh, you'll love this one. He insisted on becoming Interloper, and when she herself finally found a way to return to him he thanked her by trying to rape her in a fit of delusion and shooting himself through the head when he didn't succeed. Almost faded away forever right then and there! Not to mention how he treated your late friend Tsunami, which I assume you know well."

"Tsunami told me that he lied to her about being her friend, whom he was put into the body of during the Project. Her desire to take vengeance and avenge that friend was what eventually led to…" Blizzard looks down, a slightly grief-stricken look on her face. "And don't talk about those things in that kind of tone. There are topics that ought to be taken seriously."

"Sure, sure," Aftershock says while nodding. "Anyways, the one woman I'd say he treated normally was Natsuki, and her punishment for wanting to help him was death. All in all, you get a sense of the kind of person he was."

"Could you explain to me what you think is going on, then? I do hope you're not accusing Serena of being a misogynistic sex-pest."

I'm not quite sure why Blizzard is getting so defensive over this point… We just met today, so why does she care so much about my identity not having anything to do with this guy? Not that I'd want to have anything to do with someone like that regardless…
Aftershock turns to me, scanning my body up and down while stroking her chin. "Well, here's what we know: Xavier was put into the body of a girl named Serena in the sim. Xavier's eyes, skin tone and athletic build all match Serena's current body. Her scars even match the places where he was cut by Tsunami! I'm not necessarily saying that she is Xavier, but she's at least part Xavier. That said, you're right that the personalities probably don't quite match based on McEnroe's track record."

"They definitely don't match. McEnroe was an irredeemable human being, and it's best to leave him dead and forget him. For the sake of Tsunami's legacy, at the very least. She shouldn't be remembered for her relation to some disgusting man like him." Blizzard sighs heavily. "Anyways, that all said, I do definitely accept that Serena's body is some mishmash of her old body in the sim and McEnroe's. Is there a precedent for that?"

"Elizabeth and Yuri's minds stuck together even after time looped back, likely due to Yuri's latent fartime quality. On her own Serena would have been naught but a few idle lines of code in an abandoned simulation, but because she was all tangled up with Xavier, a fartime, she ended up coming along for the ride. Xavier's vacant body was being stored underground in a freezer, and as time was looping back they must have gotten so tied up with each others' being that they were impossible to separate. Hence, we have this mishmash of their bodies standing here before us!"

"I'm having a hard time following, but…" Slightly afraid to pipe up, I force myself to speak. "...Are you saying that Xavier McEnroe's… soul, or being, or whatever… might still exist somewhere inside of me?"

"That's one possibility. It's also possible that your beings were thrown together in the mix and that you're, like, half Xavier… Or it's also possible that Xavier is dead, and that you inherited his body somehow. It's all very unclear."

"And then there's the question of how she ended up in the Cathedral," Blizzard brings up.

"It's true… I can't recall a Consul who simply appeared in the Cathedral spontaneously. We were all summoned by someone else when we got our start." Riptide breathes into his pipe, billowing smoke out of his nose and mouth as he begins to speak. "That is to say, Serena must have been summoned by one of us. And if no one else fesses up, there's only one other possibility on who that could be…"

Cyclone raises an eyebrow. "You're insinuating that Wildfire summoned Serena here…? What reason would they have to do something like that?"

"Do we ever know their reasons for doing things? They act erratically and unpredictably, showing up to random sessions hundreds to thousands of years apart for no apparent reason… And, of course, they're gone just as Serena turns up here just one meeting after the one they randomly turned up to and picked a fight in! It's obvious, there's only one answer."

"I do have an alternative theory." Cyclone raises his hand slightly, commanding his authority over the chamber. "It is a possibility, however small, that Serena possesses a latent Divine Principle that could have caused her to appear in the Cathedral."

"Wait… Divine Principle? I don't mean to speak out of turn, sir, but may I ask what that means?"

"'I don't mean to speak out of turn, sir, but may I-'" Aftershock scoffs as she mockingly imitates my voice in a nasally falsetto. "I find it hard to believe that there's even a shred of Xavier within you. Wow."

I can't help but roll my eyes. "...I was just asking a question. O Trickster-God. Ma'am."

"Lay off her, Aftershock." Blizzard huffs. "A Divine Principle is a special ability of sorts, unique to the fartime. It's the main reason why we're the driving force of reality."

"Oh… Is that what that glow I've been seeing you do with your hands is all about? The thing with the candle, and turning on the elevator?"

"Yep. It's all possible with the power of my Divine Principle. If you've seen the rest of the Consulate do weird stuff that you can't quite explain, that's probably why."

"Gotcha… So, umm… What is Cyclone again? Sorry."

"Emperor-God."

"Right. Emperor-God Cyclone is saying that I might have one of those?"

"It's possible. The conditions in which Divine Principles unlock aren't definite, but they usually reflect your greatest desire in a moment of dire stress." Blizzard's tone is slightly unsure, as if she's doubting her own words a little. "It's weird, and I don't want to talk your ear off about it during the middle of a Consulate session. I'll explain the rest to you later."

"Or…" Riptide starts, a smug sureness in his own voice. "I could kill two, no, three birds with one stone. Hear me out here, friends."

"Yes?" Cyclone perks up an eyebrow with a grin.

Riptide whips out his arm, counting up with his finger with a massive smile lining his bearded face. "First! I'll go take a trip to see Wildfire and ask them about all of this myself."

Blizzard's face flattens. "Are you sure you won't kill each other in the process?"

"Well, we'll see what his answer is." Riptide shrugs, before getting back to his central point. "Second! I'll bring Serena with me, and take her under my wing as an apprentice! That way, it's possible we can figure out her Divine Principle along the way, maybe unlock some memories."

"And third?" Aftershock leans forward in her post.

"Third, I'll use the journey as an opportunity to fulfill a certain other goal of ours that was inevitably going to be brought up."

"And that is? Don't leave us in suspense." Blizzard brings her hand to the side of her head.

Cyclone smiles. "It's the Child… Isn't it?"

"We have ourselves a winner! Depending on how involved Interloper's cronies are in stopping us, we might have wayyyy more than three dead birds on our hands." The comment causes Riptide to be consumed by laughter once again, eliciting a chuckle out of the others in the room as well.

Calming down, Cyclone restores his professional air. "I like it. Motion to bring this to a vote? It's your call, Miss Serena."

"Umm…" I stammer over my words, completely unsure of myself. "This is all happening so fast, and I…"

"What Riptide is asking you to do, in essence, is for you to work and train under him during our equivalent of a business trip." Blizzard explains the situation nonchalantly, making sure I understand before moving on. "Sailing with Riptide isn't a bad deal, but it'll put you into the line of danger. We could always also just plop you back down on Earth with a new ID so that you could rebuild down there as well, and it's possible that you could…"

"Blizzard. It's all right." I exhale, not sure if I'll regret my next words. "If it's the best way for me to figure out who the heck I am and what I'm doing here, I'll do it. I can't live with this large a piece of myself just… missing."

Blizzard remains silent for a moment, but Riptide pipes up not long after. "If you'd like, Blizzard, I'd love to have you on board… We'll need all the help we can get to deal with whatever's going to get thrown at us!"

"I guess that's true… I suppose I'll come along. That's a 'yay' vote for me, if Cyclone couldn't tell."

Aftershock chuckles. "'Yay' for me, too. Don't see why not."

"A unanimous vote, then. Your resolution is approved, Riptide."

"Good. We set sail tomorrow! Get a good rest, Serena, and get your sea legs about you while you're at it!"

"With that, are there any further motions?" Cyclone waits for a few seconds, before continuing. "In that case, I think this session is quite over. We may adjourn."

The four Consuls all lower from their perches simultaneously, with Cyclone as the first to head for the door. Aftershock follows suit, giving me a strange look on her way out. Riptide walks past me with a nod and a smile, and finally Blizzard stops to meet me.

"Well, that's not how I saw that going…" Clearly worn out, Blizzard sighs. "I know I said it would be a good move, but are you sure about this? Like, really sure?"

"I think I am…" I nod, trying slightly to convince myself of that same fact. "...Though I'm not sure what I'm really getting into, since most of what was talked about went over my head…"

"I'll explain it all to you again later. Ready to get back?"

"Yeah, I'm just about ready to plop into bed and never wake up again, to be honest…" I turn around and begin walking back towards the elevator. "What a day."

"No kidding." Blizzard follows me out slouching slightly. "It was a long day for me, can't imagine how you're feeling right now… You're a real trooper for getting through it all. You can take the bed back at my apartment, if you want…"

"No, I couldn't possibly… I'll sleep just fine on the couch."

"So will I… I fall asleep there by accident all the time anyways. Go right ahead."

"I swear, I'm fine… Spare a pillow and blanket and I'll sleep on the toilet if you want me to."

"You need it more than I do… It's just one night, I don't mind it at all!"

"No, no, you've already offered me so much today… I couldn't possibly ask for more."

"You can totally ask for more! I insist!"

"I promise you, I promise…"

"It's okay, I really don't mind…"

Blizzard and I would go back and forth all evening, until we both tired out too much to continue. In the end, we would both sleep in the bed that night.