I mean, at least from an American perspective... My middle school did offer a highschool level earth science class that could be taken early and would count for your highschool credits, and meteorology was one of the topics covered...
... but that's still a highschool level course optionally taken early, not the kinda thing most middle schoolers would be expected to know.
[X] Plan: To whom it may concern
-[X] [Release the Presses!]
-[X] [MANKIND Dreams]
-[X] [Shadow//Falling FORTUNES]
-[X] [PLANTING the Seeds]
-[X] [Work//CatCafe]
-[X] [Serene Garden]
-[X] [Augma Fight!]
-[X] [Nekoya!]
-[X] [Torment//Sumeragi]
-[X] Purchase [Living Potion]
-[X] Personal Training!
I think we can afford to give up one part time job, and given that the sign job has potential to increase stress for only a flat sum of money, and that we seem to need empathy for a lot of different things, we should keep the job at the maid café. Opinions on this plan are welcome.
And you feel... great! Last night you got started on the light novel series, Prince of Nightmares. It was just the kind of mindless popcorn you needed to destress. On top of that, you got a full 8 hours of sleep, woke up a bit early, and treated yourself to a full breakfast. Went over a few high-impact topics, brushed your teeth, did your hair, and took a nice, brisk walk to school.,
Isn't his son running for Prime Minister this year? The kid who's on the diet despite being in high school?
Argh, high-school prodigies must have it so easy....
If isekai protagonists like this are running for the diet then it makes a lot of sense that Japan's become a shitty dystopia by the time of Accel World.
"Ah, Natsuki-kun! Thank you for joining us today." Motosu-sensei normally would demand a certificate or a doctor's note for missing school, but she just gestures to his seat. She must know of his circumstances to some extent, and likely decided it wasn't worth pushing.
Alternatively, if we get word that 1 Shadow Action is okay (I counted it as 7 actions between Major and Minor and rounded up to get to 2 Shadow actions needed) I don't mind just removing her from Shiroe's link entirely.
"Suuuuuuuuubaru-kun?" Your friend pokes the despondent boy in the chest, to no response. "Suu-ba-ru-kun? Earth to Subaru-kun?"
She turns towards, you a question in her eyes. "Is he alright?"
"I don't know," you reply, shrugging. He seems to have completely shut down. You reach out to give his shoulder a light poke. "Hey, Subaru-kun. Hey."
"O-oh, Hiyori-san. H-haha..." The boy's eyes slowly drift back into focus. He tries to give you a smile, but it looks more like a grimace.
"We're planning on doing something, now that the test's over," you say, slowly. Testing out the words. "Want to come with us? Grab a bite?"
His face immediately falls, and he turns his head away from you. You can practically see the storm clouds gathering above him. "Thanks, but I got stuff to do." He spits it out without hesitation.
Your friend shrugs her shoulders and gestures towards the door. Mission failed. You asked her if it was okay to invite Subaru along, and she didn't mind but recommended you give him more time. You just refused to help him study, and any assistance offered after the test ended was just going to come off as pity.
You think she's right. He needs more time.
You haven't known him for long, and he's struck you as awkward and a bit socially inept the whole time. You avoided people for some time due to SAO, but that was due to very extenuating circumstances. What the hell happened to Subaru? Until you figured that out...
"Uh... Hiyori-san? I need to leave. Could you get out of the way?" Subaru doesn't even look you in the eyes as he complains. Oh, you ended up blocking the path to the exit when you went to speak to him.
Right now you have enough issues on your plate to deal with Subaru's whatever. You feel a bit bad for leaving him behind, but... he did say he had other things to do.
"Sorry. I'll give you some space."
...
"Hiyori-san? You're still blocking the exit."
"Aaaahhh... sorry."
...
"Hiyori-san?"
You... had a lot of other things to do. That means you don't have to waste on this. This whole thing? It's just been a waste. You don't have the time to deal with Subaru. And his Persona wasn't even all that good! You had plenty of alternatives, did you really need to butter this guy up? You'll get more mileage out of the hundreds of other things you could be doing. No power and shifty eye here wasn't even any fun! So why bother getting anxious? Why not just... do what comes naturally?
"I have other things to do," you whisper to no one in particular. "I don't need to be here."
You feel your mind starting to drift. You let it. It's like thinking about things from a different perspective... there's something your mom always told you about tough situations. There's a bright side to every shadow. And no matter how absurd a situation is, there's always room to laugh and have fun.
Like... you're running around hacking VR worlds at the orders of some ghost in a clown mask, and taking advice from goblins with long appendages.
Why the hell were you letting school worry you?
"Aha... hehehe..." You can't help but find this whole damn thing so ridiculous. Subaru was looking at you like you just went insane. That just makes you laugh harder.
Your life gives you lemons you have to make lemonade!
If you're press-ganged into a murder cult at knifepoint, then you'll be the best damn murder cultist ever!
And if you're stuck dealing with a manic-depressive kid, then you're not going to worry about what he thinks!
You feel a grin stretch across your face. You're feeling much better now.
"Hey, what the hell is— AH!"
His desk skids across the floor with a screech as you jump onto the desk in full view of the class. You enjoy the way the whole room goes quiet, all eyes on you, and savor the moment before the explosion.
"What's the airhead doing?"
"Uh, are they, like, together?"
"The loser and the lunatic?"
"She's gonna cut him up!"
"I've got a bone to pick with you, Subaru!" You punctuate your complaint by kicking him in the arm, eliciting a surprised yelp.
"Hey, what the fuck is wrong with you?" he growls. His voice is a low rumble that sounds like a tiger ready to pounce, but you don't care. "Get the hell off my desk!"
"Make me!" you shoot back.
"Wh-what the hell is your problem? Get off my desk!" Subaru snaps.
"Two of the cutest girls in school just invited you to go out with them," you tell him. "But you said no. Why?"
"I-I've got things to do!"
"Bzzt. Wrong answer. Try again."
"I just don't want to, alright?" he growls. "Why are you giving me a hard time about this?"
"Bzzt. Try again. Final warning. Get it right, or I'll make you regret it."
"What the fuck are you even talking about?!"
So you have chosen the hard way. You give a nod to your loud friend, who immediately matches your wavelength.
"I'M ON IT, BOSS! SUBARU, YOU IDIOT!"
"What?! Hey, what's— lemme go you damn monkey girl!"
His struggles are for naught as your friend's baka-power pulls his hands behind his back. You stand to his side and drag him out of his seat, slinging his bag around your shoulder. "Where are you taking me?!"
"You're coming with us, Subaru-kun. We'll drag you out kicking and screaming if we have to. You'll be having fun if it kills us. And it just might kill me if I have to spend one more minute in your depressing ass presence."
"Wha-"
"IT MEANS YOU'RE BEING KIDNAPPED!" your friend clarifies by screaming it in his face.
Ah, thank you my assistant for speaking on a level even a dunderhead like Subaru can understand. You've been trying to help her develop an understanding of social graces and subtlety. It's a slow process.
And now the whole class is staring at you. Atsuko is off to the side looking at the scene in abject horror. Good, she's too emotionally stunned to follow!
You wave a hand dismissively. "Nothing to see here folks. Please, continue on with whatever shit you were doing before."
And you drag him out of the classroom with the whispers of the class following in your wake.
"Can you sing? I bet you have a great singing voice Yori-chan! Okaaay..... first Karaoke, then the shopping district, oh we got to get some food too... Yosh! We're painting the town red!"
You're on your way to the train station, Subaru finally having acquiesced to his fate after you threatened to carry him the rest of the way yourself.
"Got a place in mind?" you casually call out to your friend who's rapidly texting and walking simultaneously. Probably assuring Atsuko that you didn't go crazy.
"If it's food it's gotta be Nekoya!"
"Hey, aren't I coming over later tonight? We're gonna spoil dinner at this rate."
"No worries, I got a second stomach just for Nekoya!" You cannot argue with that logic.
"Hold up." An arm grabs your shoulder. Subaru's changed into his loose tracksuit and his face is a mix of confusion and irritation.
"What? Not a fan of Western food? It's got shit like natto there if your taste buds are already melted."
"NOT THAT!" He screams right against your ear, any hesitancy he might've had evaporated the moment you left the school grounds.
"Well, what is it then?" You cross your arms and stare him down. He doesn't waver.
"I don't need your pity!" He hisses that last part through gritted teeth. He glares at you, gesturing wildly to the school behind you. "You know what? I get it. Yeah, I really do. I should've studied, and asking you last minute wasn't fair. Sure. Whatever! You made your damn point! I fucked up, happy!?" His pupils narrow to a point, and his face twists into a sneer. "I see what you're doing. And hey, thanks for trying. Appreciate it, really. You really helped me out with that stunt." He continues, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"But since you don't seem to understand. I'll say it as many times as I need to. I. Don't. Need. Your. DAMN! PITY!"
You take a moment to breathe. "Well too bad. I totally pity you."
"Wha—"
"I pity you. And I don't care what you think about it."
And that sets him off, he lurches forward and grabs you by the collar, pulling your face inches from his own. His lips are twisted in a snarl and his eyes are wide and bloodshot. "WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?"
He's shaking. You don't flinch. "I said it when I first met you didn't I? You looked like you needed a friend. That, dear Subaru, is what pity looks like."
"WE'RE NOT FRIENDS!" He screams, then drops his voice to a whisper, almost a whimper. "You just hung out with me 'cause I looked too pathetic... how freakin' ridiculous..."
"You got a real pie-in-the-sky view on friendship. Hey, buddy," you ask your friend who's just kinda staring mouth wide open at the back and forth between you and Subaru. "Remind me why we're friends again?"
"Uh... I don't remember?"
"Well I do! The first thing you did when we met was press gang me into hitting up the bakery. You totally did it to mooch off me."
She at least does you the courtesy of blushing. "T-that wasn't intentional!"
You roll your eyes, "Uh, huh. Keep telling yourself that. I bet you haven't even paid back Atsuko-chan yet." Turning back to the boy gripping you by the collar, he's still livid. But he's starting to sweat and his eyes keep darting to the side. You'd pay good money to see what this scene looked like to bystanders.
"See, I got no problem with takers. If anything, I'm a big fan of people who just say what they want. Pity, greed, shared circumstances... so what? You think there's a friendship out there without ulterior motives? People aren't that noble. We're all screwed up inside."
He's starting to look like a deer in the headlights.
You smile at him and keep talking. "I don't get you. Really. Not even a little!" Subaru's anger is quickly turning into confusion, and his grip starts to weaken. You decide to press your advantage.
"If you want attention well, hell, you've got it! Bottom of the class! Everyone's gonna remember that. But you know what?" You shrug off his weak grip and reverse the position, grabbing his collar and forcing him to look you in the eye. "They're gonna remember your name next semester. And they'll definitely remember every unlucky bastard who appears below that name in the rankings."
"That's..."
"An excuse to study harder, just to piss on the haters? Hey, if it works, why not use it? But maybe you don't care about grades? Wanna be class clown? Brush up your material buster, my dad's funnier than you!"
"No, I'm not—"
"Not a comedian? Fine. Maybe you do like being pitied? Then work harder at it! Be the most pitiable person ever! Grovel, kowtow, learn how to be a proper suck-up!"
"You... you don't get it," Subaru mutters, eyes glazing over. "You're just talking out of your ass..."
"And if you're really so low that you don't even know what you want? Then do what I do! Survive and have the time of your life doing it! We're all faffing around in the dark together anyways!"
You finish with a huff, and Subaru is still as a statue, a shocked look on his face.
"So c'mon. You got two girls here who're trying to cheer you up. Don't think too hard about why we're doing it. Don't think at all! Now I'm working up a hell of an appetite yelling at idiots. What're you hungry for?"
Subaru opens his mouth.
...
And answers honestly.
"LET GO OF MY MAYO!"
"AND LET YOU RUIN IT!? NEVER!"
Subaru and your loud friend are locked in mortal combat. You can smell the thick, heavy, aroma of grilled meat, and the faint scent of spices and herbs locked in the demi-glaze. The atmosphere is relaxed and warm, and you feel your heart beat faster with the knowledge that you're going to be stuffing your face soon.
"SHOVE OFF MONKEY GIRL! IT'S MY STEAK SO LEMME EAT IT HOW I WANT!"
"THERE'S ALREADY A SAUCE SUBARU! DON'T YOU DARE SPIT ON THE MASTER'S CRAFT WITH YOUR CONDIMENT!"
Okay for the first bite... it's so tender. Not too dissimilar to the minced meat cutlet you had on your first trip, but instead of a soft, chewy, consistency, the hamburg steak's juices are held within a crispy, browned skin. The sauce is pure umami, almost overpowering. Ah... but there's plenty of mashed potatoes to balance it out.
"WE GOT INDIVIDUAL ORDERS! YOU DON'T SEE ME TELLING YOU HOW TO YOURS!"
"IT'S A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE!"
Wow, Subaru has some experience in this. Your loud friend has monstrous strength from a lifetime of climbing trees, but Subaru seems to actually know how to wrestle. He's managed to find a position of leverage and is slowly pushing his opponent back to her seat.
Hmm... you cut into the egg yolk and let the innards drip down onto the veggies. Seems a waste to use it on the meat when there's already a thick demi-glaze. Oh, you could get a bite with every component. Okay, a bit of mash, cut open that french fry...
"WHAT PRINCIPLE?! TASTE IS SUBJECTIVE!"
"A UNIVERSAL, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE! IT'S CALLED NOT PUTTING MAYO ON STEAK!"
The egg yolk mixes with the veggies and you savor the combination of flavors. The gooey and satisfying consistency of the yolk mixes with the soft crunch of the greens... just the right hint of bitterness to loosen your palate. Just in time for another dose of that juicy, meaty goodness.
"HEHE, GIVE UP!? YOU GOT WORK OUT HARDER TO BEAT ME, MONKEY GIRL!"
"ARGHHHHH, YOU MAY HAVE WON THIS BATTLE, BUT I REFUSE TO LOSE THE WAR!"
Moments away from utter defeat, your friend finally realizes that a battle of attrition against a stronger opponent is a futile effort. With a mad glint in her eye she employs her superior flexibility and wrenches her foot out to the side. A sharp wet sounds echoes through the restaurant.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
"IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!"
And the bottle of Mayo goes sailing through the air, spraying condiment everywhere as it bounces off the wall. You briefly see it sailing through the air like a majestic bird, climbing ever higher toward heaven itself.
"MY BABY!"
"VICTORY!"
Right into the ceiling fan. And then everything is ruined.
"You know what? I'm glad we eat there every week," your friend says, wiping her face for the umpteenth time with a paper towel.
The Master came to your rescue right as the waitress was about to put you on the lifetime ban list. It was a bit of a close call, the moment he saw the bottle of Mayo you saw this hollow, dead, look in his eyes and it seemed like time itself had frozen. But eventually, he recovered and let you all go with a stern warning.
"So that didn't work out!" Your friend says, clapping her hands and stretching them wide with a smile.
"No," you respond, deadpan. "It did not." You're five seconds away from calling Atsuko and begging for mercy. You were nearly banned from Nekoya, which was slowly encompassing an ever-growing percentage of your daily caloric intake. You're starting to realize that she and Subaru bounced off each other explosively.
"So, what're we doing now?" Subaru asks, the only person in your group who didn't seem to mind getting showered in mayo.
"Wellllll...." you say, drawing out the word to delay your response. "Fuck if I know. Let's hit up Shinjuku!"
"Shinjuku, eh?" Your friend rubs her chin, considering the suggestion. "Sounds dangerous!"
"Shinjuku?" Subaru echoes.
"Yep," you reply.
"Shinjuku."
"Yep," you respond, again.
"You're kidding, right?"
You cross your arms. "What's wrong with Shinjuku?"
"Oh for god's sake, do you want to get mugged? Or worse, kidnapped?"
You sigh, exasperated. What was he so worried about, he's already been kidnapped. "It's not that bad. I've been there before, even alone. Besides, if you're that worried about safety, Bunkyo Ward ain't that much better, what with the Balaclava Berserker running around here."
Subaru pinches his brow. "Fine, let's set that all aside and just think rationally. We're like 3 blocks away from an amusement park. There's a freakin' roller coaster! I don't know about you but I'd rather be surrounded by children than Yakuza!"
Well, when you put it that way...
"Subaru, you are the most boring boy I know." And you knew Shiroe. "Why aren't we on the roller coaster?"
"Oh no, you just ate. I ain't dealing with you vomiting all over me." Subaru calls down from his perch.
You roll your eyes, "I won't vomit. My stomach is iron incarnate!"
"Oh, yeah?" Subaru snorts. "Then I'm sure you'll have no problem climbing up to us."
You stare up at the rock wall. Turns out, Tokyo Dome City has an indoor sports facility. There's a whole bouldering wall with a bunch of artificial rocks jutting out, a series of ropes, and some handholds. Your friend took one look at it and scaled it like a spider in seconds flat. The instructor has been trying to recruit her ever since.
And of course, Subaru had no problems at all reaching the top.
"Hey," Subaru calls out, "You're not getting cold feet, are you? I seem to remember someone needing to exercise more..." Was this revenge? This seems awfully revenge-related.
"Come on," your friend joins in, "It's not that hard. Just grab hold of the first one and keep going. You'll make it up in no time at all!"
"Oh, hold on," Subaru adds, "I remember now! You're too frail and noodly to climb, aren't you? Ah, Yori-chan, this is why exercise is so important. Gotta spend more time outdoors! Let me tell you the view up here. Amazing. You can taste the breeze. It smells like victory."
That breeze is probably the exhaust vent from the ice skating rink. And you're really not in the mood to hear a lecture about going outside from a former NEET.
"You can make it! C'mon!" your friend cheers, pumping her fist.
"Nah, nah, such a frail, helpless little waif needs to do things at her own pace." He's seconds away from giggling. Yup, this is revenge-related. "After all, this is the girl who needs help opening her melonpan wrapper..."
"H-hey! I can manage fine on my own. Shut up, sit down, and wash your neck!"
You couldn't make it. And you did end up vomiting, once, when you got tangled up in the safety ropes trying. Damn it, if it was inside ALO you could've just flown to the top.
Or eat the rock wall. That would've been more satisfying.
You're sitting next to your friend, watching Subaru fumble his way through a half-beat-up vending machine. He's feeling awkward about being treated to dinner, even if due to circumstances outside human control he never actually ate a bite of the food.
"Hey," your friend nudges you, "Does this count as a pity date?"
You blink. "What? No. Of course not."
"Really?"
"Yep. It's a 'get Subaru's head out his ass' date."
"That sounds like a pity date."
"It's not."
"If you say so."
"I do. I say so." For his own damn good! If you all go around calling it a date and Atsuko catches wind of it, you're pretty sure she'll find a way to blink Subaru out of existence.
"You think he'll be okay after this?"
Do you think this guy, who skipped half the semester for reasons you still cannot fathom will be okay after one dumb afternoon? This human ball of neuroses?
"I think he's going to head home, realize all his problems haven't magically gone away, and come back to class tomorrow prissy and miserable."
She gives you a look. "You really have a way of looking at the bright side of things."
You were. In the end, you're only on the periphery of his life, and you don't have the time nor desire to fix everything about him. This was always a give-and-take relationship with the Persona, but that didn't mean you had to be some kind of therapy fairy. It wasn't terribly grand, but if you were gonna get power from him regardless, wasn't it better to have fun doing so? Beats being his shrink.
"Eh, figure he's got issues that won't be fixed in a single afternoon." The best help you can offer is just giving him chances to socialize. It helps that he's no longer insufferable when he's having fun.
You're both quiet for a moment, watching Subaru walk back, holding his purchase. He hands you a small carton of juice and then hands another carton to your friend.
"So," he says, "you guys wanna go on the roller coaster?"
"Absolutely," you answer.
"Ah, it's getting kinda late," your friend replies. "And Yori-chan's gonna sleep over at my place. I think we should call it a day, ya know?"
"And that's not an invitation for you to tag along," you say, staring down Subaru. "You'll give her mom a heart attack." And land yourself in an early grave.
He raises his hands in surrender. "Hey, no, it's cool. That's a can of worms I'm happy to keep closed."
"And Subaru? Consider this an open invitation. Come join the literature club."
He furrows his brow in confusion."But I don't even like to read..."
You fight the urge to roll your eyes at him. "It's a club with almost no one in it, a huge room that no one uses, and frankly? It's the only place in the whole school where you'll actually get our homeroom teacher to care about teaching. If you got trouble with... whatever. You could do worse than hanging out there. I bet it smells better than your room at least." Two birds with one stone! Keep the club open and get Motosu-sensei off your back about president stuff.
"Hmmm... I'll, uh. Keep that in mind."
"Alright then!" Your friend shouts, pulling out her phone. "Let's take a photo! We only got one chance for a first group pic, and it's gonna be awesome! Subaru, stand next to Yori-chan."
"Wait, wha—" Subaru goes red, stumbling at the sudden escalation.
Whoa, hey, you don't want picture evidence of this! "Uh, can we not—"
"C'mon, c'mon, scoot closer. No, not that close. I want to see you two! Okay, there we go! Don't make me get rough! Now everyone get your phones out!"
Before you can protest your friend's monstrous strength drags the three of you together, and you find your face pressed up against Subaru's shoulder. You've been covered in sweat, mayo, and probably some vomit too. Knowing your friend she's gonna plaster this all over her accounts, heedless of the consequences.
"Wait, let me—"
"No, no, no, the sun's gonna go down soon! Hold it like that. Say cheese!"
"H-hey, my hair looks really bad today, let me—"
"Smile!"
Click.
>Failing to climb a rock wall has significantly trained your FITNESS! ♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪
>FITNESS has increased to Rank 4 [Farmer Without Shotgun]!
>FORTUNE has advanced to RANK 2!
AN: No vote this chapter, vote will be next chapter.
I know it's AI art and that's its own care of worms but does anyone else think Hiyori looks a lot better as a gaunt gremlin girl rather than being a generic moeblob? It gives her more of her own style to me.
Huh, theres some more potential social links added to the page for wand, cups, sword and pentacles, did we fulfill some condition for them to be unlocked and does that mean more will available later in the future (number 78 is the fool, so do we have potentially 78 social links?)
LOL Hiyori trying to serenely get through her food monologue while Subaru and her friend argued.
her friend was completely justified there tbqh.
Well, that was a rather unconventional way to start a "friendship" but then she's not wrong that a number of her own friendships have started in bizarre ways. Not just her friend as she noted, but Yuuki gave her a PTSD episode and let's not even begin with Rain lol. I was worried for a lot of it that it may have been a bad idea but by the end of it, I think it may work out in getting Subaru to open up down the line.
Huh, theres some more potential social links added to the page for wand, cups, sword and pentacles, did we fulfill some condition for them to be unlocked and does that mean more will available later in the future (number 78 is the fool, so do we have potentially 78 social links?)
Sword is almost certainly Shigemura given we actually had the option to initiate it the past two or so plan phases. Cups is intriguing because it's someone who appears to be in UW, aware of Administrator's true nature, and access to the AI. My best guess would be Cardinal. Unsure on the other two.
I was worried for a lot of it that it may have been a bad idea but by the end of it, I think it may work out in getting Subaru to open up down the line.
As someone who's watched Re: Zero let me tell you that sometimes Subaru needs a brick to the face to make progress. He stands out because he's an isekai protagonist whose flaws are treated as actual flaws.
I know it's AI art and that's its own care of worms but does anyone else think Hiyori looks a lot better as a gaunt gremlin girl rather than being a generic moeblob? It gives her more of her own style to me.
I just like playing around with AI imagegen. I figure if there's any one acceptable place to use imagegen it's in fanfiction, which is already stealing everything else... and I tried moeblobbing Hiyori but I couldn't get the surprise look right, so I settled for what I got.
Huh, theres some more potential social links added to the page for wand, cups, sword and pentacles, did we fulfill some condition for them to be unlocked and does that mean more will available later in the future (number 78 is the fool, so do we have potentially 78 social links?)
No, there's won't be 78. The numbers are referring to the Thoth Tarot of Etteilla, where Fool is placed at the very bottom after all other cards. I added the extra SLs due to necessity, as I'm plotting the remaining fic. SLs are vaguely split between those who interact with the plot and those who are purely in the real world. ALO for example has Rimuru, Shiroe and Yuuki as VR SLs and potential party members.
"Absolutely not!"
"But moooooommmm..."
"No! We don't even have a spare futon!"
"We can just bring some cushions in!"
"No means no! Especially at the last minute!"
You sit there, awkwardly, as your friend tries to convince her mom to let you sleepover. What you had innocently thought was something planned in advance is actually nothing but a spur-of-the-moment decision, decided the second exams were over.
"I'd hate to impose. I don't live too far, and it's no trouble at all for me to head home," you offer. Sharing a bed was out of the question, you've seen her napping at school. You know she snores.
"Oh, Hiyori-san," your friend's mom turns towards you with a twinge of embarrassment, "It should be me apologizing for being such a poor host. My son's visiting from college, so we truly don't have any spare beds." She twists her neck and gives your friend a patented disappointed mom look. "Something you should've remembered!"
"But mom! It was test season, I was busy!"
"It's no trouble, really," you try to smile. You can feel that this conversation won't end until someone just gracefully accepts, and your smile feels more like a wince. "I can just head home."
Your friend's mom frowns. "At least let me call you a taxi. I don't think it's safe for a girl to walk around late at night."
"I'll be fine. I'm—" Just accept already. It'll help assuage her guilt and end this stupid conversation sooner.
"On second thought, that seems wise. I thank you for your kindness." You say with a short bow.
"Okay!" Your friend shouts, having achieved her hidden secondary objective. "That means Yori-chan can stay real late! C'mon, let's go eat!"
You sigh. And somehow she still got what she wanted.
Before her mom can mount another protest, your friend grabs you by the arm and drags you toward the dining room. You catch one last glimpse of her mother and notice the way her face has contorted into an expression of defeat and bemusement. Damn, she has them all wrapped around her little finger.
"So, Hiyori-san, my daughter tells me you transferred into the city?"
"Mhhmmm!" your friend answers for you. She's stuffing her face, unsuccessfully trying to speak around a mouthful of food, but all that comes out are incomprehensible mumbles.
"Oh, I was, uh... out in the country for a while..."
"But you're so skinny! Oh you poor thing, what were they feeding you?" She says as she piles another serving of rice onto your plate. "You're still a growing girl so eat up! There's plenty to go around!"
You've long since verified the horrific truth that you've regained every last kg of weight you've lost in SAO. Not that your friend's mom seems to realize, having been accustomed to her daughter's inhuman metabolism. The food is good but you already ate... and as you look at the expecting smile of your host you realize you have no choice but to sacrifice your waistline tonight. Damn it...!
"I-is that so... thank you," you stammer out, picking up your chopsticks and starting on the new serving of rice. Guess you're skipping lunch tomorrow...
"So what brought you to the city? If you don't mind me asking."
"Um," you begin, and then swallow, trying to eat as slowly as possible. "Just wanted to live in the city. The countryside can get a bit... quiet."
"Yeah! Yori-chan here's amazing! She works like 4 different part-time jobs!"
You wince at the look of sheer pity the mother directs at you. "Four jobs!? O-oh. I didn't realize. My daughter mentioned you lived alone... uh, I may have been a bit hasty earlier. Please, feel free to stay the night! We can figure something out..." Yeah, she either thinks you're a runaway or your parents are deadbeats.
"No, no, it's not like that!" You're not going to explain that the reason you're working 4 part-time jobs is to fund your second life as a VR terrorist. "I just, uh, have expensive hobbies."
You glance at your friend, begging her with every subconscious motion you can muster to back you up on this. The last thing you need right now as a concerned citizen calling civil services.
"Yeah, Yori-chan's super big into VR stuff! It's all she does all day, she doesn't even leave her apartment!"
What.
"Is that so," the mother says. "My, how times have changed."
"Yeah, that's right! I, uh, play a lot of online games. It's fun," you add lamely, feeling strangely ashamed. "They're pretty realistic."
"Oh, how nice," she replies, clearly not meaning a single word of it. Upgrading from a sob story to a weirdo otaku. Great.
"It's not that weird. It's honestly pretty normal now," interrupts the plain-faced young man sitting to the side of your friend. Her brother, who's visiting from college, evidently. "I play a bunch in my spare time, as do most of my friends."
"Well, so long as you keep up with your studies..." the mother trails off before pointing at her daughter with chopsticks. "Speaking of, how did the test go sweetie?"
"Uhh... I'm sure I passed," your friend replies through a mouthful of rice and cucumber. "I studied really hard!"
"Really. All by yourself? I'm sure Atsuko didn't drag you through the test kicking and screaming like every other time."
"H-hey! That was then and this is now!"
"Sure, sure! I bet you studied all by yourself with no help. Or am I wrong?"
"Uuuuuu..." your friend lets out a little whine, then stuffs a whole cucumber in her mouth, pouting.
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" her mother chides. "Honestly, sweetie, you have to get your act together! You're in high school and I still have to wake you up in the morning! Look at Hiyori-san, she's working 4 jobs and gets up in time on her own!"
Ack, you're being dragged into being a teachable moment!
"I-I have very expensive hobbies. And they're all pretty infrequent, no more than a few times a month," you say as you try your hardest to defend your friend's honor.
"Yes, moooommmm... I'll do better, okayyyyy..."
"Haha, now, now give her a break," her brother reaches over with his hand and ruffles your friend's bird nest of a hairdo. "This loveable idiot just has to land a gullible enough guy to take care of her for the rest of her life."
"Argh, aniki, stop it!" she yells, flailing her arms. He's unphased, continuing to mess with her hair, and you watch, dumbfounded, as the two siblings bicker and tease each other like children.
"Bold words, aniki, for a loser without a girlfriend!"
"Hey! I'm busy with my degree!"
"That was your excuse last year!"
"T-that was completely different!"
"Ah, sorry, Hiyori-san," the mother laughs, "these two never stop when they start, but you get used to it after a while."
"Y-yeah..."
It's certainly the liveliest dinner table you've ever sat at. The warmth reminds you of... the days before SAO. Of home. A loud, rowdy, warm home.
"Thank you for watching over my little hellion, Hiyori-san," the mother says, "so visit whenever you'd like! We'd be happy to have you over, and there's always plenty of food. Oh! If you could get my daughter to study properly, I'd be even happier!"
"Moooooooom, quit it! You're making Yori-chan all shy!"
"You're the one who should be embarrassed," her brother scolds. "Knowing you, she must think we're all a bunch of weirdos!"
You laugh, despite yourself. Her mom smiles a plops down another cucumber on your plate. They really were delicious, especially when paired with the vinegar. "I'd be happy to. And thank you for inviting me to your home."
Your friend's room is... exactly what you expected. A game console half spilled out of a cardboard box, and volumes of unorganized shojo manga spread across the floor. Her PJ bottoms are draped across the front of her bed while her top is in a crumpled-up ball in the corner.
The moment she enters the room your friend immediately faceplants into the bed, not bothering to put anything away.
"Argh... I ate too much..."
She did pack away quite a bit, but all the food was healthy. Fish, vegetables, miso. No wonder she had so much energy; outside of Nekoya your friend was eating healthy and delicious home-cooked meals every day.
"Your home is really nice," you tell her. It really was. Even after SAO, every meal you had with family was just... awkward. Mom treated you like you were made of glass. You used to be a big fan of eel until you realized that Mom was cooking it every day for two weeks straight. You miss the laughter more than anything.
"Mmmm, you gotta be careful with mom," she mumbles from underneath the comforter. "She's totally onto you."
"Onto me? What do you mean?"
Your friend her face out and stares at you, deadpan. "Like, you know, how you always look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."
"W-wait, what? Since when?"
She laughs and sits up. "Like, always! I thought you were a natural airhead at first, but you're actually just brooding! Tell me the truth, Yori-chan, and as your oldest friend in Isei High you can't lie to me!"
She's leaning in close, and you're backing away, nervous. Her hands clamp around your shoulders.
"Wh-what!?"
Her eyes bore into yours. You sense she's been wanting to ask this question for ages and is only now finding the opportunity to do so.
...
"Yori-chan... are you a Mahou Shoujo?"
"EH?"
"You're always too busy to hang out after school, and you know some really weird people." She's counting off on her fingers. All 10 of them. "There's this air of mystery to you, you never talk about where you came from, and all the teachers treat you differently to boot! You always act like you're talking telepathically with someone. The part-time job stuff's a convenient cover for your night time patrols. Then somebody takes a photo of you covered in blood, clearly the aftermath of a big fight with your nemesis!" She lists off her evidence with increasing confidence.
You open your mouth to protest but can't find the words. Were... you actually a Mahou Shoujo? Where was your talking animal? Transforming makeup kit? Shiny wand? You have MAXWELL, an avatar, and a crap ton of glowing swords.
"You're totally a Mahou Shoujo, aren't you? And that's why you can't hang out after school, cause you're too busy fighting evil! Oh, and Subaru! He's never in class and then suddenly he starts showing up again and hanging out with you? You must've beat his heart demon!!"
...
...
"I uh, hate to disappoint you. But I really do just spend most of the time in VR..."
"Really!? Then all the part-time jobs?"
"They're real. Not very well paying or anything... but no, I just needed the spending money."
...
"O-oh! Ahaha, silly me!" she says, backing off. "Sorry, I let my imagination get the better of me... hehe, of course you're not a Mahou Shoujo!" The unnecessary wink she appends to the end of her sentence does little to reassure you.
"But you do always look like something weighing you down. I-if you need to talk about it, I'm here for you. And if you don't want to talk about it I'm here for you too!" She shoots you a stupid, toothy smile. It feels... nice to know she's looking out for you, even if she's getting all the details wrong.
"It's fine," you tell her. "It's true I've got a lot on my plate. But it's not, um, all bad." You can't really explain all the psychic and VR stuff. It's too strange. Too complicated.
"If you say so, Yori-chan! Now c'mon, let's go steal aniki's futon so you can stay the night!" She grabs your hand and starts leading you out of the room.
"Wait, what? I-I already said I'm going home!"
"No way! After all that, mom totally doesn't have it in her to kick you out. Now hurry, he's in the bath. We've only got like, 5 minutes or something."
As predicted, your friend just smiled and blustered her way straight through. Her mom is still convinced that you're a runaway student or some VR addict in desperate need of socialization. Her brother didn't seem to mind the grand theft futon and exacted his vengeance in the form of noogies. You now know why your friend's hair is a perpetual mess.
It's almost midnight, you haven't stayed up this late since the last operation, and even then you had the excuse of OBERON.
You're staring at the ceiling. She had challenged you to a kart game first, then a party game, followed by a fighting game.
You kicked her ass in all of them.
Does VRMMO experience translate into hand-eye coordination? Or were you just naturally predisposed to cheese every game you touched?
"ARGH, rematch! I demand a rematch!"
"C'mon, it's late. Let's not keep your folks up and go to bed."
"No way! Not until I get you just once..." She rubs her eyes, fighting back a yawn. "On second thought maybe tomorrow..."
You laugh, and she grumbles. She's not going to get her revenge in any video game tonight, that's for sure.
"Yori-chan... hold on, where is it..."
She's fumbling around in her drawer, pulling out a small, circular, object. It takes you a second to recognize it...
The disk for Fortune's Lover.
"Hehe, last week I finally managed to beat the secret route! I wanted to thank you for your advice, but then exams hit and things got a bit hectic..." Ah, you've completely forgotten. The... student council president route? With the gaslighting, kidnapping, and kink baiting?
"So here!" She pushes it into your hands.
"Whoa wait," you protest, trying to hand it back. "I have no intention of playing Fortune's Lover!" And you meant it. The fans of this game seem like very strange people.
"C'mon! Me and Atsuko have already beaten it, and I need to know who your favorite is. I bet you'll like the little bro character!"
"I hate to disappoint but I looked up the endings on the internet already."
She looks positively scandalized. "W-wha? Why would you do something like that!?"
"I just wanted to know what all the fuss was about."
"Haaaa, but I'm telling you the journey beats the destination. C'mon, if I leave it lying around I'll be tempted to keep replaying it."
You sigh and relent, tucking the disc into your pocket. "Alright, but I know you're just doing this so I'm forced to let you borrow Alto Liebe. I'm warning you right now, that game absolutely sucks."
"Hehe, you know me too well!"
You spend the rest of the evening together, gossiping deep into the night.
>SUN has advanced to Rank 3!
>Due to misunderstandings, your friend's mom will sometimes pack her an extra lunch to give to you! (Receive occasional 1-5 Determination bonuses!) (AKA, gives the QM excuses to round up your Determination)
You are... between dream and reality. Mind and matter. Awake but not fully conscious. In the space between the states of the soul. Or you can't fall asleep because she's snoring like a chainsaw.
Or that.
"Hnnnng, Gerald, let go... of my leg..."
She's talking in her sleep.
You've been thinking a lot about commonalities. Suburu with his truancy. Yuuki, trapped between two cruel fates. Argo, with her burning need for justice. Mikami, with his love of virtual worlds. Even Shiroe, jumping at the chance to do something exciting, even risking his soul.
The little things that point towards the realization they had some need to escape. A... Seed of something. Not quite the SEED of the VR games but not entirely different.
But you can't see it in your friend. She's... happy. Hell, she's never not happy, and if she's faking it, she's lying better than anybody you've ever met. I think that's it. She's... loved but beyond that she's empty. She's never overcome anything, never suffered for anything.
A girl who's being... taken care of. A family that loves her, a friend you're 99% sure thinks of her as much more than just that...
What does she imagine in the future? She's going to find a nice, loving, boring husband, and settle down if Atsuko doesn't get her claws in her first. She's going to be a housewife and dote on her children. Grow old and happy and die surrounded by everyone who loves her.
There's a feeling in your stomach. An ugly, bitter, disgusting feeling. A bit of jealousy. A bit of pity, that she'll never learn to overcome adversity.
...
But she's smiling. She's sleeping peacefully. She's happy... so that's enough, isn't it?
You close your eyes, hand unconsciously touching the game CD in your pocket. You were so very tired.
What could she possibly want from another world?
FRIDAY - May 16th, 2025
Velvet Room
There are no limits to happiness. It is a light that stretches into the horizon without end. There are no sacrifices, no hidden horrors lying beneath the surface. A world where everyone can be happy and where everyone will be happy.
Even a girl destined for death or exile, a villain with no redeeming factors, a true stain of a human... can achieve happiness. Can be loved. Can love in return.
Is it the life you want? Only you know the truth to this question.
But it is the life she wants.
And not just for herself. She wants it for you. For her friends. For everyone.
A world of infinite love.
Mankind was always meant for something more. A better future than a lost world aimlessly plodding towards a cold and bitter grave. Take her dream of love and bring it within yourself.
Let her SUN shine on the world.
So we may all reach our HEAVEN.
Fuse Shakuntala and Otome Game Protagonist into...
[ ] Draupadi
Drupada, had a daughter risen from the centre of the sacrificial altar. Of eyes like lotus-petals and of faultless features endued with youth and intelligence, she is extremely beautiful. And the slender-waisted Draupadi of every feature perfectly faultless, and whose body emitteth a fragrance like unto that of the blue lotus for two full miles around who's existence could take away people's breath, she was the most beautiful women ever born.
-Adi Parva, Book 1 of the Mahabharata
UPGRADES: 4
STR: Rank C (3 Dice)
MAG: Rank B (4 Dice)
AGI: Rank D (2 Dice)
VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
CHT: Rank C (3 Dice)
Weakness: Bless, Curse
Resist: Wind, Elec, Madness
Null: Fire
Skills:
Marin Karin: Attempts to Charm target.
Agi: Fire magic attack.
Zio: Elec magic attack.
Uwakaja: Augments CHT for [CHT Rank] turns.
Maragi: Widespread Fire magic attack. [1 SP]
ENHANCE ARMAMENT O Govinda, O thou who dwellest in Dwaraka, O Krishna, O thou who art fond of cow-herdesses. O Kesava, seest thou not that the Kauravas are humiliating me. O Lord, O husband of Lakshmi, O Lord of Vraja, O destroyer of all afflictions, O Janarddana, rescue me who am sinking in the Kaurava Ocean. O Krishna, O Krishna, O thou great yogin, thou soul of the universe, thou creator of all things, O Govinda, save me who am distressed,--who am losing my senses in the midst of the Kurus.
Draupadi Vastraharan: Call upon Krishna to protect your chastity. Raise a shield on all party members that protects them against Mind-Alerting effects. Party members under this effect do NOT roll CHT, the shield is expended even if they would've naturally resisted. The shield persists until it is expended. Unlike most ENHANCE ARMAMENTS this effect by be used as many times as one wishes. [2 SP. Each time it is used in combat the SP cost increases by 2.]
RELEASE RECOLLECTION The Pandava brethren went towards the house of the potter, and they entered and addressed their mother Pritha, saying: "A great gift have we obtained this day."
Said Pritha: "Then share the gift between you, as becomes brethren."
Yudhishthira said: "What hast thou said, O mother? The gift is the Princess Draupadi whom Arjuna hath won at the swayamvara."
Said Pritha: "Alas! what have I said? I have sinned deeply in saying, 'Then share the gift between you, as becomes brethren.'
Mahabharati: Enter a special stance. Once per turn, whenever you are targeted immediately counterattack. The nature of the counterattack depends on the result of a 1d5 roll. This effect ends when you switch Personas, but persists even when you are incapacitated or altered. In the event you are charmed into fighting allies, the counterattack is 'smart' and will instead target those who afflicted you. [Free Action. Once active, 2 SP is expended whenever it's activated. You may not prematurely end this effect except by switching Personas.]
Roll 1 = Yudhishthira admonishes you for your violence. You suffer 1 point of BLESS damage and your next offensive action suffers DISADVANTAGE. (Yudhisthira is the worst)
Roll 2 = Bhima swears a blood oath. Counterattack with BLUNT damage that rolls 2 ADDITIONAL dice. Strikes with +1 ADVANTAGE.
Roll 3 = Arjuna displays his strength. Counterattack with WIDESPREAD PIERCE damage. Strikes with +1 ADVANTAGE.
Roll 4 = Sahadeva gives you advice. Recover 4 SP.
Roll 5 = Nakula winks and flirts! Counterattack with a CHARM effect.
See what you have done? Like a cancer she has taken hold, feeding you lies and sweet nothings. You have let your guard down and now her poison is spreading.
It is not a curse of fire and brimstone, nor of disease or destruction. It is a slow death. An emptiness that spreads within. Apathy. Avoidance. Dreams.
There is but one world. Countless thousands of years of death, suffering, and chaos precede you. You stand atop a pile of corpses stretching into the sea of souls without number. Do not dishonor them by turning to a walled garden, as SUN would.
I assure you, contractor, it will come to pass. Eventually, the SUN shall set and she will realize the nature of the world is cruelty. Only then can she grow.
Ah, but you have chosen the path of fusion, and though it not be my preference, it is by no means outside of my reach. Take your conquests. Carve out the hearts of those you have defeated. That struggle to survive, to cut, to kill! Take it within you.
And tear down HEAVEN!
Fuse Shakuntala and Thor into...
[ ] Urvashi
Let the great King hear! She, who was Indra's soft
weapon, when he was alarmed at the greatness of a Sage's
penance ; — the shamer of Parvati, proud of her beauty ;
and the ornament of heaven; she, our loved companion,
returning from the palace of Kuvera, has been carried off midway, with Chitralekha, by a Danava.
-Vikramorvasiyam, play by Kalidasa
UPGRADES: 4
STR: Rank E (1 Dice)
MAG: Rank B (4 Dice)
AGI: Rank C (3 Dice)
VIT: Rank D (2 Dice)
CHT: Rank B (4 Dice)
Zionga: Powerful elec magic attack. Attacks with +1 ADVANTAGE. [1 SP]
Sexy Dance: Attempts to Charm opposing targets who can see you. [2 SP]
Concealment: For the next [CHT Stat] Turns, enemies will not target you. If due to widespread attacks or narrative reasons the enemy must target you, they do so with DISADVANTAGE. [2 SP]
ENHANCE ARMAMENT Since thou disregardest a woman come to thy mansion at the command of thy father and of her own motion--a woman, besides, who is pierced by the shafts of Kama, therefore, O Partha, thou shalt have to pass thy time among females unregarded, and as a dancer, and destitute of manhood and scorned as a eunuch.
The Spurning: Attempts to Charm foe; if unsuccessful attempts to Castrate foe (roll CHT). The Castration attempt is made with ADVANTAGE if the target identifies itself as male. A foe that is castrated typically suffers Enervation, but depending on the individual can respond unpredictably to the effect. Castration wears off after the battle ends or 1 hour has passed. [3 SP]
RELEASE RECOLLECTION Thy face, suffused with the trembling colours of the
jewel, which I hold on thy forehead, wears the glow of the
lotus, red with the morning sunbeam!
Jewel of Union: Generates a «Jewel of Union» which floats above the battlefield. It possesses 4HP, 3VIT, 1AGI and is weak to CURSE and BLESS. Tends to draw enemy attention. You may guard or defend it with other party members, but it must remain a valid target for enemy attacks to provide any benefits. So long as it exists, you and your party members are immune to all mind-altering status effects. Persists even when you change Persona. [2 SP to activate. Additional 2 SP is spent when dismissed or it is destroyed.]
AN: Choose a Persona Fusion result. As you already paid to unlock ENHANCE ARMAMENT it remains unlocked, whereas RELEASE RECOLLECTION is not.
VIT/AGI stats are going to be a bit lower on average from here on out. For the next arc I plan on changing how defense is calculated, to better reflect the unique challenges of that arc.
