King: This was supposed to come out yesterday. But Wednesday is DnD night. So that wasn't happening.
Knox: Fair. And I got some good info for this one.
King: Now, I feel it best to open some information for you guys. This is the biggest story I have, so I wanted to add it on this one. I'll put it at the end so you can enjoy this first. ALSO! This is based on a mobile game Valentine's event. You'll see what I mean here in a bit. As always, I hope you enjoy.
Inspiration: Fate Grand Order (RWBY)
/\
Knox pulled a tablet out of his vest and tossed it lightly in his hand. "So, hope you guys are ready for an interesting one."
"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked, her eyes falling on the tablet. "What's that for?"
"This," Knox caught the tablet and held it up, "is my experiment for this session. See, I wanted to see how the big screen handles a projection from a different source."
"Why do you want to do that?" Weiss asked, confused at his statement.
"Because I want to play video games on a screen the size of a wall."
Weiss deadpanned, not surprised but also not impressed by the answer.
"That sounds awesome!" Nora shot up, excited. "Can we?! Can we?!"
"Calm down," King intervened. "For now, we do want to test a tandem system."
"Exactly!" Knox grinned, "And, I decided to have a little fun with this one. So, context." Knox swung off his balcony and landed in front of the viewers, holding up the tablet. "The world we're glimpsing here is through the lens of a game. Specifically, a mobile game."
"So, we're in a mobile game?" Yang asked, losing interest. She wasn't a fan of mobile games. You can only play so many match-3 games before they get old.
"Yep!" Knox swung the tablet in his hand, "It's also a world where you guys are all Heroic Spirits. Otherwise called Servants."
"Oh cool!" Coco grinned, "I was pretty curious what we could get."
"Right. Now, another bit. I'm plopping you guys into an event. Specifically, the Valentine's Event."
"Valen-what?" Nora asked.
"It's a holiday meant to celebrate love. Both romantic and, in some cultures, appreciation. Since this is just a test, I'm going to set you up with something simple. In the game, during the event, you can use in-game items collected to have little interactions with the Servants, i.e. you guys. I'll give you a set of the items and you guys can pick how to use them. I'll give you ten random boxes and two 'lock-on' boxes. Basically, you get fifteen at random and five you get to pick. I'm opening the entire roster to you guys rather than the usual gender separation. SO!" Knox caught the tablet again, "Who wants to control the tablet first?"
"Ooh! OOH! ME!" Saphron's hand shot up instantly.
"All yours." Knox tossed the tablet to Saphron.
"Yes!" She caught the device and opened the screen. Once she did, the main title appeared on the main screen.
[Fate Altered Remnants]
Once they moved through the screen, Saphron looked over her options. "I'll just do a random one." She tapped the button and waited to see what happened. "Give me some new ideas for the next book~!"
The scene opened to a wide grassy field. After a moment, a picture appeared showing Weiss in her combat gear.
"Weiss is first!" Ruby cheered, chuckling a little.
Weiss just rolled her eyes.
Weiss: "So, I'm sure you're aware of what today is. Valentine's Day."
"So, it's just pictures and a text box?" Velvet asked.
"It's a visual novel." Blake explained. "It's effectively a book with art to represent who's talking."
"At least it has voice acting." Pyrrha interjected, knowing she'll get to see an event for Jaune.
Weiss: "And I, obviously, came prepared."
Weiss hands a wrapped package to the player. It's revealed to be a set of chocolate Dust crystals in colorful wrappers.
"Oh my gosh!" Saphron proceeded to gush, "That's so cute and clever!"
Weiss: "Thank you for everything you've done for us this past year."
She paused as her picture changed to closed eyes with an embarrassed blush.
Weiss: "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find the others."
The scene ends and they are returned to the main title.
"Aw, that was so short."Nora complained. "I was expecting more… oomph, you know?"
"To be fair," Knox said, "That Weiss was a year one Servant for the game. It was pretty bare bones at first so the events were shorter. Newer Servants have longer sets with dialogue options."
"Ooh! Can I do one?" Nora hopped next to Saphron, hoping to get one of the long ones.
Saphron chuckled at the girl's antics, "Sure." She held the tablet to her, showing there was a menu screen for selecting who got the boxes.
Nora considered using one of the two target boxes, but selected a random box.
The scene opens to a white hallway with various rooms. This was the game's home base, Chaldea. After a moment, the screen shakes with the sound of an explosion. Two options appear on the tablet.
"Oh! Options." Nora looked over her picks and tilted her head. She then grinned and picked her option.
[I have a bad feeling about this.]
A Servant slides into frame showing Weiss again.
"Aw, what? We just got Weiss." Nora was a little disappointed.
Weiss: "Where is she?!"
There was only one option to follow up.
[Who?]
Weiss: "Xiao Long! Where did she go?!"
[Haven't seen her. Sorry.]
Weiss: "I was sure she ran this way. I'll find her yet!"
Weiss faded off screen. After a moment of silence, a new option popped up.
[She's gone.]
A picture of Yang appears after this. However, she's dressed in a yellow two-piece swimsuit with a brown leather jacket. She had a big grin on her face, as per usual.
Yang: "Thanks for that. I owe you one."
"Wait," Whitely spoke up, "Why is she in a swimsuit?"
"Seasonal alternatives." King explained. "Certain Servants have multiple forms and the game uses that to create more options. In particular, summer variants."
"So, that's my summer version?" Yang asked, getting confirmation.
[So… what was that about?]
Yang: "Hmm? Oh! Yeah, I might have gotten a little carried away with the whole Valentine's thing. I didn't have enough chocolate for everyone I wanted to give to, so I dipped into what she had left."
[...]
Yang: "Hey! Don't look at me like that! She said it was all done and that was all extra!"
Yang just facepalmed, knowing now why Weiss would get angry like that.
Yang: "It's not my fault she just left it all there. Speaking of."
Yang hands the player a wrapped package. It's opened to reveal small chocolates shaped like burning hearts.
[These aren't from the stolen chocolate, right?]
Yang: "No worries. I made yours first."
Yang pauses as her face turns a bit red.
Yang: "Don't read too much into that, alright? Still, I should probably get moving before Weiss doubles back. See ya, Master! Enjoy the chocolate!"
Scene end.
Nora chuckled a little to herself. "So, should we just pass this around?"
Ruby popped up and reached for the tablet. "I want to see what I get."
"Go ahead." Knox grinned at the scene, "You've got 8 randoms and 5 targets left. Oh! And one of those has to be for one of the Jaune variants. You know, since it's the theme for the theater."
Ruby clicked a random one, since that's what she was going to do anyway.
The scene opens to the Master's room. After a moment, there's a knock on the door.
[Who is it?]
Ren: "It's me, Master."
"OOH! Ren gets one!" Nora cheered excitedly. Even if she wasn't romantically interested in him, especially since she's dating Jaune, Ren was still like her brother. She was always excited to see what he could get up to.
[Come in.]
Ren appears on the screen, dressed in his usual green combat gear.
Ren: "Thank you, Master. Given it's Valentine's Day, I felt I should give you a gift, as is customary."
[You made chocolate?]
Ren smirks.
Ren: "Naturally."
Ren hands the gift to the player. The wrapping is opened to reveal a lotus flower shaped from chocolate.
"It's so pretty!" Ruby shouted, impressed at the craftsmanship on display.
[Holy crap! It's so beautiful! This must have taken forever to make!]
Ren: "Not as long as you might think. I just had to shape the chocolate and place them in the box in order. I hope you don't mind, but I added a peach flavoring to the batch. I debated lotus, but it felt off."
[You put a lot of thought into this.]
Ren: "Of course. This day is meant to show each person's appreciation for others. As such, I put in my appreciation and my heart into this piece. I'm glad you like it. That said, I need to get moving. I have more gifts to drop off. Enjoy your day, Master."
Scene end.
"That was cute." Nora chuckled, giving an elbow to Ren.
Ren, to his credit, fully agreed with his counterpart. "If we had the same holiday, I have no reason to think I'd do otherwise."
"Who's next?" Ruby held up the device.
"I'll roll one." Yang was handed the tablet and hit random.
The scene opened to show the hallway. After a moment, various Servants seemed to pass by. Each one had a couple poses as if they were talking to the player. After seeing Weiss, Blake, and Velvet, the screen changed to the Master's room.
[Another long day.]
?: "Tell me about it."
[GAH!]
The picture for Ilia suddenly faded into frame. She was wearing her stealth suit, indicating her as the normal Ilia.
Ilia: "Hey, Master. Jumpy today, huh?"
Ilia raised an eyebrow. She wondered where this would go and what she would make. She had an idea, but didn't know if her counterpart had the same one.
[You scared me. No offense, but did you need something?]
Ilia: "Are you tired? Sorry. I'll be quick then. It's Valentine's, so I wanted to give you a gift."
[More Chocolate?]
Ilia: "Nope. You get a bunch of that stuff every year. I figured I'd give you a break."
"Geez," Yang popped in, "How much candy does the player get?"
"One per Servant, generally. So quite a few depending on how many you have in the game."
Ilia: "For you, Master!"
Ilia gave a wrapped package to the player. It was revealed to be a hot cup of cocoa.
Ilia: "Still have to be on theme, right? Enjoy it, Master. You earned it."
Scene end.
Ilia would normally have a problem with calling someone a 'Master' but understood the context. She was a Servant, and the player was the one who summoned her. So she let it slide.
Yang chuckled to herself. "So, who wants it?"
"I'll give a crack at it." Sun held up his hand and got the tablet. "Let's see… random button. Give me a good one!"
The scene opened to what looked like a street in Vale. After a moment, a girl with dark, frazzled hair appeared. She wore an old style dress and blouse combo, mostly in blue shades. There was a series of color accents along her top and lower skirt.
Alyx: "Fancy seeing you here, Master!"
"Wait a second!" Weiss suddenly shouted, "Is that supposed to be Alyx from The Girl Who Fell Through the World?!"
"That it is." Knox grinned.
"Does that mean the Rusted Knight is in the game?" Weiss asked, somewhat hopeful.
Knox had to keep himself from chuckling, "He is, actually."
"Do we get to see that one?" Blake asked. The Rusted Knight was an inspiring figure in many ways and she always imagined what it would be like to meet him somehow.
"You do have two lock on options. Maybe after this one, one of you can pick him out."
Alyx: "I was looking for you, actually."
Alyx shuffled a moment before handing over her gift. Once opened, it was revealed to be a set of cookies all based on her journey. There was a caterpillar, the Curious Cat, the Rusted Knight, the Blacksmith, the Red King, and so on all wrapped in a clear bag.
Alyx: "Pretty cool right?"
[It is. Did you make these yourself?]
Alyx: "I want to say yes. But I'll be honest this time. No. I got Rusty to help me."
"Rusty? Like the Rusted Knight?" Yang asked to no one. They all knew, but sometimes they want to say it out loud.
Alyx: "I had to cash in a lot of favors to get them all in there, but it was worth it. Enjoy 'em, Master~"
[...]
[h…]
Alyx: "Hmm?"
[HOT!]
"Hot?" Ciel raised an eyebrow. "In what regard?"
Alyx started to laugh.
Alyx: "I got you! I added pepper flakes to the cookies!"
"EVIL!" Ruby shouted.
Ciel felt a shiver from up her spine. She would hate if someone did that to her.
[W-WHY!?]
Alyx: "Why? Why not? It's who I am. So thanks for having such a great reaction, Master~!"
Scene end.
Sun sighed before he tossed the tablet in hand. "Who's next?"
Yang smirked for a moment. "How about we get the random ones out of the way before we go picking ones?"
"That works for me." Nora gave a thumbs up.
One after another, they all agreed. Much to Weiss' annoyance. She wanted to pick out the Rusted Knight and see what he would say.
In the end, the tablet was handed to Pyrrha, who pressed the random button to see what she would get.
The scene opened to the Vale-like town again. After a moment, Penny appeared on the screen.
Penny: "Hello, Master! I am happy that I found you so quickly!"
[Hey, Penny! What's up?]
Penny: "Currently, nothing of note is above us."
This got a snicker out of Yang and Tai, both of whom have used that as a joke. Usually against Ruby. Who, in turn, groaned.
Penny: "However, if you are inquiring about my current actions and thought processes, I have been informed that today is Valentine's Day."
[That's right.]
Penny: "I was unaware of the significance of the day, and so I proceeded to research the topic. I learned that the date is a celebration of the life of the Catholic Saint Valentinus, patron of 'Courtly Love'."
"Is that true?" Nora asked the duo of god-like beings.
King nodded, "It is, yes. The holiday as a whole expanded to a holiday to celebrate romance in all forms. However, that is the origin of the date used."
"What was he famous for?" Blake asked, curious how one earns the title of 'Patron of Courtly Love.'
"That would require a lengthy discussion regarding religion and politics of the ancient world. And while I would absolutely do so, I'll shorten it down to the following. He was known as a man who defied the standards of his world and officiated marriages for common folk. In a sense, he gave the ultimate expression of love to those who were denied by circumstances of wealth or position."
[That's true. But it's not just that anymore.]
Penny: "I am aware of this. It has become a holiday celebrated beyond its religious roots and expanded to involve everyone. Some cultures even celebrate not only with courtly love, but to include familial and even platonic love. Speaking of which!"
Penny hands the player a wrapped package. Once opened, it's revealed to be a simple Valentine's heart with green, mint chocolate along its border.
"Aw~ That's so cute!" Ruby gushed a little at the simple, but very Penny design.
[You're giving this to me?]
Penny: "Yes! You've done so much for all of us. It's only right that we return the favor in some way. Admittedly, your work in the Restoration of Remnant is too great to be paid back with simple chocolate. However, it feels appropriate to give you this for today."
[Thank you, Penny. I really appreciate it and everything you do.]
Penny smiled before the scene ended.
Penny smiled, happy to know she's helping to make difference.
"Okay then. Who's next then?" Pyrrha offered the tablet next.
"I would like to see what I can get." Penny was interested in trying out her luck. Once handed the tablet, she pressed random and waited to see what she got.
The scene opened to the hallway of the facility. Jaune faded into form not long after.
Jaune: "Hey, Master! Do you have a minute?"
Velvet hung her head a bit, a little disappointed someone else got Jaune before she could get a turn.
Jaune: "See, today is Valentine's. So, I wanted to give you something."
Jaune handed the player a package. Once opened, it was revealed to be a dark hoodie with the Master's Command Seals forming a small logo on the left shoulder.
Jaune: "I know it's not much, but I wanted to make something that would convey how much I appreciate you. Happy Valentine's Day, Master!"
Scene end.
Penny smiled before giving the tablet back to the others. She wondered what it would be like to feel such emotions. While she can feel emotions, certain ones were still outside her scope of understanding. She wondered what it would be like to feel romantic love and be loved in kind.
"My turn, then." Ciel was handed the tablet. She didn't care as much, but figured it would be an okay distraction.
The scene opened to show the player speaking with a staff member from the Restoration team. After a silent moment, the staff member left.
?: "Master. May I speak with you a moment?"
The figure appeared, showing Whitely dressed in a red coat with white fur on his collar and cuffs.
Whitely (Santa): "I won't take too much of your time."
"Santa? Like the Christmas guy?" Coco asked.
"Yep." Knox nodded, "Every Christmas event has one of the Servants take on the role of Santa for the event."
Whitely (Santa): "So, I know it's not exactly in season, but it feels appropriate as a representative of Christmas!"
The package is handed over and opened to reveal chocolate chip cookies and chocolate milk.
Whitely (Santa): "I felt it best to at least stay on theme. Santa is usually the one who receives milk and cookies, so I felt it best to return the favor."
Scene end.
"This is stupid." Raven spoke up, growing more and more annoyed by being here.
"You can leave at any time." King pointed out.
"Can I?! After last time?"
"If you have nothing to hold you here, you can leave without issue. Whatever it is keeping you here, that's on you."
Raven grit her teeth before just huffing and falling into her chair again. "Whatever."
With that awkward moment over, Ciel passed the tablet along, not wanting to bother with it anymore.
The device ended up in the hands of Velvet, who wasn't sure what she wanted to do. A part of her wanted to use one of the target ones to pick someone she'd prefer. She sighed, knowing she had to pick random per the agreement. She just hoped she didn't get an embarrassing one.
So… About that…
The scene opened to the player's room. After a moment, Velvet appeared in the room, dressed in a chocolate-colored, two piece swimsuit with a white jacket. Her ears were perked up with a big smile on her face.
Velvet: "Good evening, Master!"
Velvet instantly went stiff in surprise with her eyes wide.
Coco made it worse by letting out a whistle, "Damn, girl. I always said you'd look in a bikini and damn if we can't prove it now~"
"Please stop…" Velvet wasn't used to the idea of a two piece swimsuit. She never felt like it was for her. It felt too much like being in her underwear! As she would explain. As a result, she pulled up the device to try to find a way to skip past all this. Unfortunately, that particular function seemed to be removed.
Velvet: "How's your Valentine's going?"
[Alright. Any reason you're in the two piece?]
Velvet: "Confidence!"
[...]
Velvet: …
[Care to elaborate?]
This got a snicker out of Coco and the others.
Velvet's face turns red as her eyes blank out for a moment. After a moment, the picture moves to indicate a deep breath.
Velvet: "Coco always says that if you dress confidently, you feel confident. I don't really believe it the way she does… But I had to try this time. It's too embarrassing otherwise!"
[What's embarrassing?]
Velvet took another breath.
Velvet: "Here!"
Velvet hands a package to the player. Inside is a Valentine cake with a photograph of herself, the player, Jaune, and a summer version of Blake from the event she was introduced in.
Velvet: "I wanted to thank you for helping me from back then. I know I'm not confident, even after all that. So I wanted to give you something to remember what we accomplished during that event."
Velvet paused as she looked at the options. She was about to pick one when Coco looked over her shoulder. With the biggest grin, she reached over and tapped the screen, picking the one Velvet wanted to avoid.
[You look pretty close to Jaune in this picture.]
"Coco!" Velvet batted back against her team leader, who proceeded to just laugh.
"I'm sorry!" Coco eventually choked out from her laughter, "I couldn't help it~"
On screen, Velvet turned bright red in the face as her picture shook.
Velvet: "Close? Close how?! L-l-l-l-like a couple?!"
Velvet seemed to pace on the screen from side to side before she returned to the center, shaking.
Velvet: "Ihavetogonow!Enjoythecake!BYE!"
She ran out the room and the scene ended.
Velvet practically threw the tablet at Coco, narrowly missing her head. The tablet ended up falling into the lap of May, who picked it up and just decided to roll with it.
The scene opens to the player silently talking to Yang (the non-summer version). With a quick transition and the sound of a door opening, the player was in front of Blake.
Blake: "Did you need something?"
Yang suppressed a chuckle at her partner's callousness.
Kali couldn't help but giggle.
Blake: "Hmm? Valentine's?"
Blake pauses a moment, seeming to think before speaking again.
Blake: "Right. That's the holiday where we exchange gifts to show appreciation or affection."
Blake seemingly moves to the side before returning to the center.
Blake: "Here."
The gift is handed to the player, revealed to be a book titled [From the Edge of the World].
Yang couldn't help herself now, "It would be a book."
"What's wrong with that?" Blake openly challenged her partner this time, however.
"I'm just saying. You have two modes, Blake. You're either in the corner reading or trying to overdo it and go all in on whatever you're doing. There's no middle ground."
Blake just huffed in annoyance, "There's nothing wrong with that."
Yang just rolled her eyes and let them all get back to it.
Blake: "I don't really have chocolate or anything, but this should be fine. Happy Valentine's Day, I guess."
Scene end.
May was rather happy she didn't have to pick an option. She quietly handed it around to move on. She wasn't much for choices like that, and would probably have gotten locked up for too long, getting on everyone's nerves.
The tablet ended up in the hands of Neptune. He picked random and waited to see what he got.
The scene opened to a beach scene.
Neptune was instantly seizing up at the water on screen. It was mitigated slightly by being a picture, so it wasn't too impeding.
?: "Ever sweet, my love burns bright without end. Surely, I shall burn like a star. Perhaps it is only right."
Sun Wukong came into view, dressed in his open white shirt and jeans. However, he was also adorned with a tiger-pelt sash on his waist and a golden circlet crown on his head.
Sun: "Don't you agree, Master?"
"Damn, bro." Neptune almost sounded impressed. "Didn't take you for a poet."
Sun just shrugged. "It's not impossible. But I don't think it's poetry. Maybe more like philosophy?"
[I didn't expect that when I found you.]
Sun chuckles a moment.
Sun: "I can imagine. I guess I'm feeling introspective. So, my Master, what brings you here?"
The player gives a gift to Sun, who looks surprised before he smiles.
Sun: "For me? Thanks! Hmm… I guess I should return the favor shouldn't I?"
[You don't have to worry about that.]
Sun: "Worry? Hardly. No, this is something else."
Sun thinks a moment before he smiles. He moves to the side before returning to the center. After a moment, he glows before handing a gift to the player. The gift is revealed to be a living lotus flower, its pink petals seeming to be awash with the light of the sun.
"Oh wow." Even Ruby had to admit the art for the gift was amazing. It spoke of the impermanence of the flower with the radiance of the sun. It all seemed to blend together as though they were simply the same thing.
[Where did that come from?!]
Sun: "Good question."
Sun was clearly playing coy.
Sun: "Regardless, I am thankful for your help and everything you do to keep order here. No matter how chaotic things end up. I gift to you this lotus of the East. May our journeys ever cross. I wish you luck in your pursuits to Nirvana."
Scene end.
"Well then." Neptune just passed off the tablet. He'd been hoping for one of the girls, but got his teammate instead. A little disappointed, he simply accepted his fate.
The tablet ended up back where it started as Saphron basically forced it into her wife's hands. Terra just sighed and took her chance with the random button.
The scene opens to the player's room. After a moment, the side explodes as dust kicks up.
[What was that?!]
After a moment, a figure appeared from the dust. She was dressed in a dark blue military uniform reminiscent of Arcadian dress uniforms (think Napoleonic era military coats). She had long orange hair tied up in a long braid. Her electric blue eyes seemed to glow as she came into frame.
Knox jumped up in shock, "Oh shit!"
"What?!" Terra was instantly on edge. "What did I do?!"
"What? Oh! No!" Knox quickly eased the situation. "I just forgot they'd be in the pool."
"Who?" Yang asked the golden being.
Ever Knight Valkyrie: "My apologies for the door."
"Ever Knight?" Weiss asked, confused.
"Valkyrie?" Nora asked, excited.
[What's the rush?]
Valkyrie: "This day is the rush! My Lord informed me of the importance of this day and I am lacking in suitable offering!"
[What?]
Valkyrie: "I DON'T HAVE A GIFT FOR HIM!"
She shouted as her body was surrounded by lightning.
Nora was getting more and more pumped about this character.
Valkyrie: "I am his loyal knight and I wasn't sufficiently prepared. So you're going to help me prepare something quickly!"
[Why me?!]
Valkyrie: "Because you should be offering your gifts unto our Lord as well! As his strategist, you should know this!"
Terra raised an eyebrow at her options. She shrugged and picked the one she thought might help the situation.
[Val. First off, you need to calm down.]
Valkyrie: "V… Val?"
Her face went red as she seemed to shake.
Valkyrie: "So informal… NO!"
Her embarrassment turned to defiance.
Valkyrie: "I shall not be swayed from my task! We must create a gift worthy of The Fearless Lord Arcaus!"
[Oh boy…]
The screen moves and transitions to show various silent scenes of Valkyrie moving around, presumably shouting orders, then smiling. After a while, it seems to be complete as her sprite lets out a sigh.
Valkyrie: "It's done! A perfect chocolate to convey my appreciation for his Majesty while retaining the clear indication as to be my gift! Here you are. You earned your share."
The player is handed a gift. Once opened, it revealed a set of chocolate lightning bolts.
Nora gasped, "That's genius! We can make something like that, right?!" She turned to Jaune and Ren, both of whom are the only ones between teams RWBY and JNPR they could trust to be capable of such.
Jaune thought for a moment, tapping his foot. "It's not that hard. We'd just need some molds for the chocolate to shape them."
Ren nodded, "That shouldn't be too difficult to make. Or possibly find."
"I demand lighting chocolate!" Nora shouted. The scene got her friends to chuckle at her antics.
Valkyrie: "Now then! I have to get the rest of these to my Lord! Until next time!"
Scene end.
Terra sighed and handed off the tablet.
"Last random!" Yang called out. "Who wants it?"
It ended up handed off to Emerald. She just ran with it and hit the button.
The scene opened to show a young man with dark skin. He was dressed in an old coat and tan-brown pants. He also had a pair of round glasses which his sprite was adjusting.
Lewis: "Hello again, master. May I speak with you a moment?"
"Lewis?" Jaune asked. Then, he thought back and put something together. "Wait, like Lewis Coral? The author?"
"That's him." King nodded. "The author of The Girl Who Fell Through the World."
[What's up, Lewis?]
Lewis: "Valentine's Day, for starters. I wanted to thank you for what you've done. But…"
Lewis gets embarrassed for a moment.
Lewis: "I was never much for cooking. If I just need to survive, I could. But certainly not to make chocolate. So I got you something a little different."
Lewis hands the player a gift. Once opened, it's revealed to be a manuscript titled, [Tales from the Ever After: Beyond the Veil].
"H… HUH?!" Blake shouted as soon as it hit her what had been handed to the player.
[!]
Lewis: "One of the benefits of being a Servant is getting to write again. But promise you won't leak the manuscript, alright? That's for your eyes only."
Lewis smiles with a big grin.
Lewis: "Thank you for everything. And putting up with Alyx. I know she can be a handful, but you somehow put up with her."
Alyx suddenly appears from the side.
Alyx: "I heard that, you jerk!"
Lewis just laughs as the scene ends.
Emerald smiled, happy to get a wholesome option. A part of her was scared she'd get someone like Cinder or someone like her. She doubted that only good people got to be Servants in this game.
"Alright." Knox clapped. "All you have left is the targets. And you only get two! So make them count~"
"I would like to go!" Weiss practically shouted.
Yang chuckled as she passed the tablet along. "All yours Ice Queen. Let's see the Rusted Knight."
Weiss took the tablet and used a search function on the screen to pick out the Rusted Knight. "Here we go."
Knox, meanwhile, was stifling his laughter.
The scene opened to a campfire in the middle of a dark forest. After a moment, a figure appeared, dressed in rusted armor with his face covered using his helmet. He was a literal picture of a storybook character. The Rusted Knight.
Rusted Knight: "Hello master. Would you like to join me for a moment?"
His voice echoed in his helmet, his low tone seeming to lower in kind from it.
Weiss was smiling, getting to interact with the Rusted Knight in some way. Even if it was just from a game, it was something she dreamed of since she'd first heard the story. She looked back down to her options, picking out one best for her.
[I'd like to, thanks.]
The frame moves to indicate the player is sitting next to the Knight. The Rusted Knight chuckles a bit.
Rusted Knight: "Thanks, Master. Not just for sitting with me, but for everything you've done to keep this place together. It's funny actually."
[What is?]
Rusted Knight: "Before… Back when I was alive, I never thought I'd get the chance to see everyone again. So, thank you for that."
[I'm happy to help.]
The Rusted Knight takes a moment before handing the player a gift. It's opened to reveal some marshmallows paired with chocolate.
Rusted Knight: "I figured they'd pair well."
[Where did you get the chocolate?]
Rusted Knight: "I got some ready for today in case someone dropped by. It is Valentine's after all."
"Wait," Ilia picked up something important. "If he's from a story world in this context, how does he know what Valentine's is?" This got everyone's attention, so she elaborated, "His author makes sense, and Alyx was said to be a normal girl from 'our world,' but the Rusted Knight is from the world of Ever After. So, how does he know ahead of time?"
This confused some of them. Some tried to justify it as being informed ahead of time. Knox, meanwhile, was grinning from ear to ear. It's time~
After a moment of rest the Rusted Knight lets out a sigh.
[You can't eat them with your helmet on.]
The Knight chuckles.
Rusted Knight: "That's a poor excuse to try to get me to take it off. But…"
Weiss leaned in, waiting to see what would happen. She had an idea what the Knight looked like thanks to Lewis Coral's descriptions. Described as having: 'hair of dulled gold,' 'eyes of sapphire,' and 'a lion's face.' Having a Lion's Face in Atlas meant a full beard with longer hair, resembling a lion's mane. He was kind, generous, and always wanting to save and help others.
The Knight fades away from the scene before fading back into form, helmet removed. With a full beard of 'dulled gold' and blue eyes. But… but…
Weiss' eye twitched. "No…"
Blake slowly turned to the figure who so closely resembled the figure on screen.
Saphron, meanwhile… "OH MY GOSH~!"
Jaune leaned forward, not sure what to think. There had to be a mistake, right? That doesn't make sense.
The Knight resembled an older Jaune, but with a ragged beard and a worn expression.
Jaune (Rusted Knight): "Just don't tell everyone, alright?"
Weiss had another import to make, but she found herself too stunned to continue. She just decided to pass it off to Pyrrha, who took it to finish it off for her.
[Lips are sealed.]
Jaune smiled as the scene faded away and ended.
Weiss just had to take a moment before she could even begin to process what had just happened. There was no way! That was utterly ridiculous! So why did it… make sense.
They all decided to give the last one to Jaune. It was only fair in a way. He looked through the options, not sure what to pick, but something got his attention before. He looked through the system and found his target. Clicking it, he looked up toward the screen.
The scene opened to what resembled a grand hall. One by one, three figures faded into view. The first was the Ever Knight Valkyrie. The second was a shorter girl with dark hair and a green dress with pink frills coming out from her sleeves and collar. She seemed more bored than anything at that moment. The third was a taller figure with burning red hair that flared out over her shoulders. She dressed in ornamental armor with gold inlays and a tiara crown on her head. With the three of them together: Valkyrie was the tallest, the red head was second, and the dark haired girl was the shortest.
After a moment, they moved away and a fourth figure appeared. He was dressed in flowing robes of royalty. He had a veil over the top half of his face that kept his identity concealed, somewhat. He had a golden halo floating behind his head like a crown.
Ever King Arcaus: "Hear me, my Ever Knights! Your King has called you here for an important announcement! Sound off and be recognized!"
Ever Knight Valkyrie: "Ever Knight Valkyrie! Present and ready for your orders!"
Ever Knight Ren: "Ever Knight Ren. I'm here."
Ever Knight Nikos: "Naturally I am ready to answer your call~ For I am Ever Knight Nikos! Most Glorious Champion of the Court of the Ever King!"
Team JNPR had… quite the reaction to that.
"What the heck?!" Nora shouted in surprise. "They were named after us?! Wait! Then is ARC-aus…? Is that why the Valkyrie called him her 'Fearless Lord'?!"
Ren raised an eyebrow. One, his counterpart was the opposite gender, but that was normalized somewhat at this point. The fact that she seemed bored was what hit him. He'd often been confused for being bored rather than his usual neutral stance. That was mostly in comparison to Nora, who was energy incarnate, though.
Pyrrha recoiled slightly. She never liked the idea of being the type of person that would act that way. She didn't even consider acting so high and mighty. It was… unnerving.
Jaune wasn't ready for that either.
Arcaus: "Good. Now then, to begin, the festival of Valentine is upon us. I know this means little to you, but I refuse to be outdone in any form. The contest is done through confectionery. We must prepare for this war as necessary."
"That's a bit much." Velvet replied.
Valkyrie: "Of course, my Lord!"
Ren: "This seems a bit overboard, don't you think?"
Arcaus: "Speak, Ever Knight Ren."
Ren: "I mean, it's just chocolate, right? It's boring. Why limit yourself to something so… normal?"
The Ever King thinks for a moment.
Arcaus: "What alternative did you have in mind?"
Nikos: "My King! If I may make a suggestion!"
Arcaus: "Go on."
Nikos: "I am told that simplicity is the best way to handle these kinds of things. What matters most is the person's feelings."
Arcaus: "Feelings? In what regard?"
"Does he not feel things?" Ilia asked, a little concerned given their shared realizations.
"To be fair…" Knox rubbed the back of his neck, a bit nervous, "This version gave up a lot of stuff to rule the Ever After. He became… different."
Nikos: "As in your emotions. How you react to the one you're handing it to."
Arcaus thinks for a moment.
Arcaus: "I see. Simplicity and feeling…"
The scene fades again. After a moment, things return to normal in the player's room. Arcaus appears after a moment.
Arcaus: "My Strategist! I require your attention!"
[What's wrong?]
Arcaus: "Nothing is wrong. However, I have been informed that simplicity is best in these situations."
Arcaus hands the player a gift. Once opened, it reveals something different. Rather than chocolate or anything like that, he handed the player a golden ring with a blue gem embedded on the top.
"Damn!" Coco saw her opportunity and took it, "To think, the first person Arc proposes to is himself." Coco animatedly shakes her head, "Shame."
Jaune started to sputter in embarrassment. "Coco!"
Velvet just sighed, far too used to her leader's antics.
[W-what's this for?!]
Arcaus: "Simplicity."
Arcaus removed his veil and revealed an older, albeit very different Jaune. He looked sharper in face and tone. He was so different from what everyone was used to, but there was still that underlying feeling that it was Jaune.
Arcaus: "Do not mistake this for something beyond your station. I have no need for a consort. Rather, this is a symbol of your position in my Court. You are my strategist in this world. Simply speaking, it is necessary to recognize this. I expect continued excellence from you. Do you understand?"
[Understood.]
Arcaus replaced his veil and smiled in appreciation.
Scene end.
"And that's all of them." Knox hopped down and picked up his tablet again. "Thank you for your valuable information."
"So…" Nora turned to Jaune. "Rusted Knight?"
Jaune embarrassedly shook his head, "It's different worlds, Nora. I doubt I could ever be someone that amazing."
Knox, meanwhile, smirked. "Don't be too sure, Jaune. You never know how things could go."
/\
King: So... the economy, right? I'll cut to the chase. I'm considering opening some forms of revenue sources. Be it Commissions or monthly options. The important question: Would you guys be interested in that? If I open a Pat or SuStar, I don't really know what I'd give out. Beyond like... making a Discord maybe... But Commissions are possible. Importantly! Nothing I write will be behind a paywall. Just paying to get something specific. Either way, I'm asking here if I should.