Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
Those guys are going to be a problem in the future.
Abyssal Collection [A KanColle AU/SI]
- Thread starter TranscientLurker
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
- Location
- Void of Observation
Well, shit.
8 months ago, I made a stupidly big blunder in the plot which I did not correct, and apparently I paid for that with a loss of 8 months worth of readers.
FUCK.
Chapter 1-02 has been revised in light of that. I suggest y'all reread it, so that you can actually grasp the story.
8 months ago, I made a stupidly big blunder in the plot which I did not correct, and apparently I paid for that with a loss of 8 months worth of readers.
FUCK.
Chapter 1-02 has been revised in light of that. I suggest y'all reread it, so that you can actually grasp the story.
- Location
- The Great Beyond
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
I'm in no condition to figure out the difference. Can you summarize for the long term readers?
- Location
- Void of Observation
The blunder was that the Abyssals knew that they had wrecked humanity in the past, when the actual plot had them in the dark, causing them to lose any raison'd'etre for defending themselves, causing many to leave the story at the point.
I feel like a complete idiot now.
- Location
- Void of Observation
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Right, sorry about this, but from now on, Abyssal Collection will be on indefinite hiatus. This is due to certain recent events, certain feedback given by others, combined with the difficulty of the next chapter and the general exhaustion I'm been having from writing this.
To tell you the truth, writing AC has been feeling like a chore for a few months already, what with the lack of readers and the general sense of disappointment I have with it, and part of me already wants to just kill the story. The main thing still driving me is the fact that I don't want to waste all the effort into creating this story, with all its characters and all the world-building.
So I'm taking a break, one that might restore my motivation in the future. In the meantime, I will be working on Bad Moon Rising, which is much less of a chore and frankly more interesting at the moment. Expect a chapter for BMR to come in within the day.
With that, thanks very much for the support, and good day.
-Magician
Right, sorry about this, but from now on, Abyssal Collection will be on indefinite hiatus. This is due to certain recent events, certain feedback given by others, combined with the difficulty of the next chapter and the general exhaustion I'm been having from writing this.
To tell you the truth, writing AC has been feeling like a chore for a few months already, what with the lack of readers and the general sense of disappointment I have with it, and part of me already wants to just kill the story. The main thing still driving me is the fact that I don't want to waste all the effort into creating this story, with all its characters and all the world-building.
So I'm taking a break, one that might restore my motivation in the future. In the meantime, I will be working on Bad Moon Rising, which is much less of a chore and frankly more interesting at the moment. Expect a chapter for BMR to come in within the day.
With that, thanks very much for the support, and good day.
-Magician
Mechasaurian
Big Bossu
- Location
- Lost among fields of history
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Awww. I just found, read, like-bombed, and followed this thing. 
Well...best to write what you love, I guess.
*heads off to finish liking the chapters*
Well...best to write what you love, I guess.
*heads off to finish liking the chapters*
- Location
- Void of Observation
Hiatus officially ends today - however I have a choice to make.
Firstly, some parts of the first few chapters are in dire need of another look - so should I edit them now, or ignore them, or just reboot this series entirely?
Also, if you have been reading Bad Moon Rising, you would probably know that I am about to conclude the first arc of BMR. So what do you guys think - should I complete that arc, or should I just go ahead and write Chapter 3-10 for this fic? I will also have to readjust my writing priorities to 2 chapters per week, and this choice will help me decide my schedule.
A quick response would be appreciated, thanks very much. The faster you guys decide, the more time I have in writing up the chapters.
Firstly, some parts of the first few chapters are in dire need of another look - so should I edit them now, or ignore them, or just reboot this series entirely?
Also, if you have been reading Bad Moon Rising, you would probably know that I am about to conclude the first arc of BMR. So what do you guys think - should I complete that arc, or should I just go ahead and write Chapter 3-10 for this fic? I will also have to readjust my writing priorities to 2 chapters per week, and this choice will help me decide my schedule.
A quick response would be appreciated, thanks very much. The faster you guys decide, the more time I have in writing up the chapters.
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
If it is only few chapters that require edits, instead of complete rewrites, then I recommend editing them.
- Location
- Void of Observation
Well, we are going with this route. I will do some altering for the FFN chapters, to make them more readable, but nothing else.Sokol-1 said:
If you haven't noticed, I finally finished BMR, which means as of now, the next chapter is now being written.
Stay patient, good friends.
Chapter 3-10 (Part 1) - Q&A (RAW)
- Location
- Void of Observation
=======================
"As of now, I will now conclude today's activities. Refreshments will be provided in the Hall of Whispers, and should you have any questions to entertain Magician with, he may be there to answer some of them. Thank you, and have a good day."
Black-Crane's voice filtered through the curtain separating the backstage from the hall, as I sat there thinking about my performance earlier. At least no one was shouting when I dropped all the bombshells - although was it due to my skill, or was it because soldiers have the capacity to contain their own emotions?
While I mused, the shadows on the floor shook as someone entered the room. I looked up and saw Phoenix looking down on me.
"Ah, hi. Hey, what do you think about my performance earlier? Was it goo-"
She cut me off. "Why didn't you tell me about the humans' reasoning for attacking?" Her voice was tinged with hurt.
"Wait what?" I replied, confused. "Are you talking about back when we were facing the human attack fleet-"
"Yes. You could have told us all, and then we could have tried -"
"Hang on, hang on!" I stumbled to my feet, waving my hands in denial. "Look, I think already said this, but I come from a whole different universe, dimension, whatever you call it. I did not have any idea of the motivations behind the attack at that time. It's only now after I had managed to read up on the old human war records that I could say anything."
Phoenix calmed down a little at my claim, her hat covering her eyes. "...now that I think about it...why didn't you suggest that we could offer peace back then?"
"Um..." I thought about it for awhile longer. "...I honestly thought that none of you would take my suggestion seriously, especially people like...Beacon. Or Rally. In fact, I was really scared that all of you would use it as an excuse to throw me to the sharks."
"Is that how you see some of us?" One cold eye opened and gave me a hard gaze.
I stepped back. "...Well, to be honest, I really knew none of you back then."
Phoenix continued to stare at me, her cold blue eyes scanning me as she was presumably evaluating my statement. Finally, she sighed, and her hard gaze softened. Giving a small bow, she apologised, "Then, I'm sorry, Magician, for doubting you like this. Please forgive me for my doubt just now."
"No...its alright..."
A sense of awkwardness descended on the both of us for a few moments, before she broke it. "Though, why didn't you speak of it afterwards? Come to think of it, you haven't really discussed many things with us, except for things pertaining to the conference."
"Um..." She was right. "I just...well, I didn't want to discuss something with you that you wouldn't be interested in. Not to mention that I was already planning to speak of it at this conference, so I felt that it was redundant to tell you about everything before the actual show."
"Why not? I would have loved to hear what you had to say about human culture, or we could have a discussion on how to deal with any future attacks."
I looked away, embarrassed. "I mean...uhhhhh..."
She sighed. "I guess this is just you assuming that nobody has time for you, is it? Magician, we are working together now, are we? At least if you need an ear, I'm always here."
"About that..." When Phoenix mentioned us working together, I felt guilt stabbing me repeatedly all over the place. Even now I still have not had a proper answer to her offer. Right now, I felt genuinely bad - she sounded like someone who really wanted to work with me, and I leaving her to wait felt like the wrong thing to do, even with all my reservation.
In the middle of this, Black-Crane pushed through the curtain. "Do you both need more private time, or are the both of you ready?"
"Ah! We are still in the midst - " Phoenix began, but I cut her off. "Oh no, never mind, we are ready."
"I see." Black-Crane and her assistant fully entered the room. "Again, Magician, thank you very much for choosing to speak here today."
"You are welcome."
"Right now, do you two still plan on joining the discussion in the Hall of Whispers? Again, I won't begrudge you if you wish to just skip it altogether." At her question, Phoenix looked at me, giving me the cue to decide.
"It's alright, I will be joining it."
"Good. Well, Marian will be leading you there. As for myself, I have a few things to attend to, and as such I will not be present. Have a good day." With that, she turned and walked out of the backstage.
"Please follow me," she spoke, before walking away. Both Phoenix and I followed.
===================
The corridors of the Assembly reminded me way too much of corridors in French chateaus or palaces. Large windows, wide spaces, and gothic architecture made for a rather daunting atmosphere.
Then again, I supposed Founders wanted to look their very best, and would have enjoyed a lifestyle similar to any hedonistic nobles. And I bet some of the other Abyssal leaders enjoyed leading large processions of underlings through these very same corridors to flaunt their power.
...now that I think of it, the comparison between the Founder War and the French Revolution was getting too close for my taste.
"Magician?" Phoenix asked.
"Yes?"
"You have that look again - the one that suggest that you are thinking of something."
"Yeah...I was thinking of how this building and the Founder War reminds me too much of another human nation, with its similar design and the civil war that engulfed it afterwards."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Ok." The sense of enthusiasm that accompanied me any time I began a speech returned. "The country I am talking about is called France - 300 years ago, their nobles engaged in many lavish parties and lifestyles within the walls of palaces like these, but underneath it all, their people were suffering, due to several wars the country had been involved in with nearby nations."
"Of course, they eventually rebelled, and they managed to topple their own king, and cut off his head, while establishing a different system of government in place of the old nobles - a republic, with each person having their say in the country. Hence I say it reminds me really much of your own Founder War."
"Hmmm." Phoenix mused in silence for awhile. "If this is similar to the Founder War...the story doesn't end there, does it?"
"Erm, yeah," I replied. "Basically, not everything went right. The rebel leaders set up something known as a 'Reign Of Terror' as human historians called it - basically, they started chopping off the heads of people who were in some way connected to the old government."
"Afterwards, those same leaders got their own heads cut off, and then a young officer from the military managed to get himself installed as an Emperor, abeit one that wasn't as bad as the previous nobles."
"I...see." A sense of understanding came over Phoenix. "And if we are to extend that analogy further...the 'Reign Of Terror' is similar to our time of chaos right after the Founder's fall...and this Emperor you speak of is similar to Marauder, with what she did afterwards."
"I...I didn't mean to extend that analogy that far...but you have a point."
Before I could continue further, we reached a set of large, ornate double doors. Marian turned around, pointing to the doors. "This is the Hall Of Whispers. Give me a moment, and I will have them opened."
I breathed in deeply, steeling myself for the questions that would come.
=================
"As of now, I will now conclude today's activities. Refreshments will be provided in the Hall of Whispers, and should you have any questions to entertain Magician with, he may be there to answer some of them. Thank you, and have a good day."
Black-Crane's voice filtered through the curtain separating the backstage from the hall, as I sat there thinking about my performance earlier. At least no one was shouting when I dropped all the bombshells - although was it due to my skill, or was it because soldiers have the capacity to contain their own emotions?
While I mused, the shadows on the floor shook as someone entered the room. I looked up and saw Phoenix looking down on me.
"Ah, hi. Hey, what do you think about my performance earlier? Was it goo-"
She cut me off. "Why didn't you tell me about the humans' reasoning for attacking?" Her voice was tinged with hurt.
"Wait what?" I replied, confused. "Are you talking about back when we were facing the human attack fleet-"
"Yes. You could have told us all, and then we could have tried -"
"Hang on, hang on!" I stumbled to my feet, waving my hands in denial. "Look, I think already said this, but I come from a whole different universe, dimension, whatever you call it. I did not have any idea of the motivations behind the attack at that time. It's only now after I had managed to read up on the old human war records that I could say anything."
Phoenix calmed down a little at my claim, her hat covering her eyes. "...now that I think about it...why didn't you suggest that we could offer peace back then?"
"Um..." I thought about it for awhile longer. "...I honestly thought that none of you would take my suggestion seriously, especially people like...Beacon. Or Rally. In fact, I was really scared that all of you would use it as an excuse to throw me to the sharks."
"Is that how you see some of us?" One cold eye opened and gave me a hard gaze.
I stepped back. "...Well, to be honest, I really knew none of you back then."
Phoenix continued to stare at me, her cold blue eyes scanning me as she was presumably evaluating my statement. Finally, she sighed, and her hard gaze softened. Giving a small bow, she apologised, "Then, I'm sorry, Magician, for doubting you like this. Please forgive me for my doubt just now."
"No...its alright..."
A sense of awkwardness descended on the both of us for a few moments, before she broke it. "Though, why didn't you speak of it afterwards? Come to think of it, you haven't really discussed many things with us, except for things pertaining to the conference."
"Um..." She was right. "I just...well, I didn't want to discuss something with you that you wouldn't be interested in. Not to mention that I was already planning to speak of it at this conference, so I felt that it was redundant to tell you about everything before the actual show."
"Why not? I would have loved to hear what you had to say about human culture, or we could have a discussion on how to deal with any future attacks."
I looked away, embarrassed. "I mean...uhhhhh..."
She sighed. "I guess this is just you assuming that nobody has time for you, is it? Magician, we are working together now, are we? At least if you need an ear, I'm always here."
"About that..." When Phoenix mentioned us working together, I felt guilt stabbing me repeatedly all over the place. Even now I still have not had a proper answer to her offer. Right now, I felt genuinely bad - she sounded like someone who really wanted to work with me, and I leaving her to wait felt like the wrong thing to do, even with all my reservation.
In the middle of this, Black-Crane pushed through the curtain. "Do you both need more private time, or are the both of you ready?"
"Ah! We are still in the midst - " Phoenix began, but I cut her off. "Oh no, never mind, we are ready."
"I see." Black-Crane and her assistant fully entered the room. "Again, Magician, thank you very much for choosing to speak here today."
"You are welcome."
"Right now, do you two still plan on joining the discussion in the Hall of Whispers? Again, I won't begrudge you if you wish to just skip it altogether." At her question, Phoenix looked at me, giving me the cue to decide.
"It's alright, I will be joining it."
"Good. Well, Marian will be leading you there. As for myself, I have a few things to attend to, and as such I will not be present. Have a good day." With that, she turned and walked out of the backstage.
"Please follow me," she spoke, before walking away. Both Phoenix and I followed.
===================
The corridors of the Assembly reminded me way too much of corridors in French chateaus or palaces. Large windows, wide spaces, and gothic architecture made for a rather daunting atmosphere.
Then again, I supposed Founders wanted to look their very best, and would have enjoyed a lifestyle similar to any hedonistic nobles. And I bet some of the other Abyssal leaders enjoyed leading large processions of underlings through these very same corridors to flaunt their power.
...now that I think of it, the comparison between the Founder War and the French Revolution was getting too close for my taste.
"Magician?" Phoenix asked.
"Yes?"
"You have that look again - the one that suggest that you are thinking of something."
"Yeah...I was thinking of how this building and the Founder War reminds me too much of another human nation, with its similar design and the civil war that engulfed it afterwards."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Ok." The sense of enthusiasm that accompanied me any time I began a speech returned. "The country I am talking about is called France - 300 years ago, their nobles engaged in many lavish parties and lifestyles within the walls of palaces like these, but underneath it all, their people were suffering, due to several wars the country had been involved in with nearby nations."
"Of course, they eventually rebelled, and they managed to topple their own king, and cut off his head, while establishing a different system of government in place of the old nobles - a republic, with each person having their say in the country. Hence I say it reminds me really much of your own Founder War."
"Hmmm." Phoenix mused in silence for awhile. "If this is similar to the Founder War...the story doesn't end there, does it?"
"Erm, yeah," I replied. "Basically, not everything went right. The rebel leaders set up something known as a 'Reign Of Terror' as human historians called it - basically, they started chopping off the heads of people who were in some way connected to the old government."
"Afterwards, those same leaders got their own heads cut off, and then a young officer from the military managed to get himself installed as an Emperor, abeit one that wasn't as bad as the previous nobles."
"I...see." A sense of understanding came over Phoenix. "And if we are to extend that analogy further...the 'Reign Of Terror' is similar to our time of chaos right after the Founder's fall...and this Emperor you speak of is similar to Marauder, with what she did afterwards."
"I...I didn't mean to extend that analogy that far...but you have a point."
Before I could continue further, we reached a set of large, ornate double doors. Marian turned around, pointing to the doors. "This is the Hall Of Whispers. Give me a moment, and I will have them opened."
I breathed in deeply, steeling myself for the questions that would come.
=================
Last edited:
Mechasaurian
Big Bossu
- Location
- Lost among fields of history
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Yessssssssssssssssssss.
It lives.
It lives.
- Location
- Void of Observation
Chapter 3-10 (Part 2) - More Q&A (RAW)
- Location
- Void of Observation
====================
The doors opened with barely a sound, revealing yet another massive hall. Within, many Abyssals of all sizes, clothed in many kinds of outfits, talked and mingled with each other, in several groups scattered all over the place. A few tables and chairs were strategically placed at certain places to allow people to communicate easily and on the side of the hall, a set of doorways led to smaller rooms.
I gulped and gripped my bag harder. Talking to some of them - all accomplished or influential commanders - was definitely going to be nerve-wracking. Thankfully, my presence wasn't obvious to any of them...yet.
"Do you want me to hold your bag for you?" Marian offered, while I was still thinking about what to do.
"Ah, no need for that." I picked up the bag and took out the detachable strap inside. Moments later it was slung over my shoulder, pressing into my coat. "But thanks for the offer."
I turned back to Phoenix. "Then...do you have any idea on what to do now? Who shall we approach first...or should we just wait?"
"I think..." She raised her hand to her chin, a touch of nervousness in her voice. "We need to know who are they in the first place, before speaking to any of them. So..." She turned to Marian. "Would it bother you to explain who are the main actors here? Both of us are not very accustomed to any of the attendants here."
"Alright," Marian agreed, bowing. "This whole scene may seem chaotic, but it's actually easy to differentiate which group is which - just look at their members, and how they interact."
"You should probably have recognised the group over there." I looked in the direction where she was pointing, seeing a large group of Abyssals in quiet, serious discussion. I frowned, sweeping my gaze over them for the second time.
And jolted back in shock as I recognised a certain face within. Dressed in a resplendent dress, Marauder-Of-The-Grand-Pacific was overlooking her own subordinates as they quietly bickered and argued over something. Her eyes turned to look at me, and I looked away quickly.
"As you can tell, those are the Marauders. Then," She pointed over to the other side of the room, where a similarly large blob of Abyssal was discussing things at. "That is the Eastern Bloc. The person you see in the middle, with that crown on her head, is their 'High Sun Commander', also known as Illuminating-Sunlight-Of-The-East. All of them have a sigil of a sun rising from the ocean on their clothing somewhere, which should make them easy to identify."
"Oh, ok." I haven't heard much of the 'other group' that rivalled the Marauders in influence, other than some quick, passing remarks from Phoenix or Black-Crane. Of course, I should really have asked them for the information earlier...
I flattened my palm on my face at the thought, shaking my head at the same time.
"Are you still with me?" Marian spoke, cutting through my self-deprecation.
"Yeah, I'm fine...what else?"
"Give me a second...right, those two are the biggest groups in the entire Pacific, and are currently the only two significant polities around. All there's left are the Divided States and any other Circles that have an interest in this conference. I can't really help you in regards to the two, mainly because there are so many of them its hard to keep track."
"Huh. Thank you very much." It was interesting, and now both Phoenix and I had an idea who was who now...but frankly, I had no clue who they were.
"Shit." I let loose an expletive, feeling a lot dumber.
"Is there something else?" Marian picked up quickly.
"Yes...actually, could you give me a brief description of them all, and their relationship with each other? It would help in letting me understand them further..." The words felt like bile as I choked them out in embarrassment.
This time, Marian relaxed from her stoic posture to give me a disbelieving look. "You had ample time to find all of this out in preparation for this, and you didn't? Am I hearing you right?"
"Let me do this instead." Phoenix intervened, cutting in with a swipe of her hand. She sighed before speaking to me. "Do you see my point, Magician?"
"Ok ok, I get it, please don't rub it in anymore," I replied weakly.
She huffed. "Let's start with what happened after Black-Crane's surrender to Marauder. Marauder herself had made a small but crucial mistake before planning the attack on the Port Of Dreams - she forgot to ensure that none of the Alliance members would turn on each other immediately after the fall of the Founders. As a result, the Alliance split apart and each commander either started banding together in different groups or declared war on their old enemies. Some took advantage of the same time to strike at Marauder's forces, preventing her from being able to react to sudden split."
"As a result, Marauder had to take certain measures to quickly amend the situation - one of which was giving Black-Crane rather lenient terms. She also promised the Fleets who chose to work with her a degree of autonomy, while crushing the rest who opposed her decree of peace. It was through this patchwork of agreements that caused the Marauders to turn into a massive peacekeeping force that covered a large portion of the Pacific, as well as the Divided States - while the Marauders would ensure a peace, protect them and act as higher authority for the States, the States would have a limit placed in their power and have to subscribe to certain laws."
"I cant imagine the Divided States' leaders liking that at all." I commented.
"Some of them do, as they are tired of the wars. But many do grumble as they grovel, and some try their best to push out of the Marauder's influence. In fact, I think they are most likely going to try to recruit you...or something." Phoenix muttered the last portion of her sentence with a dark tone.
I snorted. "Like I will go with someone who hasn't tried to help me all this while."
"...if you say so." Phoenix returned, looking away.
"How about the Eastern Bloc then?" I pushed the conversation back on track.
"Something trickier." Phoenix began. "The Marauders' old base was located in the west, and Marauder chose to start her 'peacekeeping' from there. However, Illuminating-Sunlight, an 'upstart' who also had a sizable Fleet, took the chance to begin carving her own empire out of the Founder's ruins."
"As you can tell, she succeeded, but many say her campaign was...bloodier. She demanded a pledge of loyalty, and while some submitted, others didn't, and she pursued them far more ruthlessly than Marauder would have done. In the end, by the time she met the Marauders again, her empire was much smaller than the Marauder's influence, but at the same time, just as strong with a greater amount of control as well as due to an aggressive redevelopment project that was only possible due to that control. In fact, the Bloc has a larger amount of infrastructure, and they have their own copy of Yumenominato, named Dawn."
"I see...so what do you think we should do now?" I asked, still feeling high and dry. The Eastern Bloc indeed sounded interesting...but I still had no clue how to approach any of the Abyssals.
"I...also have no clue," Phoenix admitted. "In fact, our presence here is mostly for you, so you really are the one who has to make a decision on that matter -"
"You might want to stop there - someone is coming." Marian interrupted the both of us, pointing at two incoming figures. Around the hall, eyes were finally pointed my way.
I gulped, and refocused my attention on the two incoming figures - the taller one wore a black cloak over a jumpsuit, which had a sash with the sigil of the Eastern Bloc emblazoned on it, while the younder one was dressed in a pale white dress with red markings on it, plus a pair of horns on her head.
They stopped, and the taller Abyssal bowed, before introducing herself. "Good afternoon, Magician. I am Mistress-Of-The-Banner, Third Star Commander of the Eastern Bloc."
"Good afternoon," I replied steadily.
"If you don't mind, could we have a talk?"
===================
The doors opened with barely a sound, revealing yet another massive hall. Within, many Abyssals of all sizes, clothed in many kinds of outfits, talked and mingled with each other, in several groups scattered all over the place. A few tables and chairs were strategically placed at certain places to allow people to communicate easily and on the side of the hall, a set of doorways led to smaller rooms.
I gulped and gripped my bag harder. Talking to some of them - all accomplished or influential commanders - was definitely going to be nerve-wracking. Thankfully, my presence wasn't obvious to any of them...yet.
"Do you want me to hold your bag for you?" Marian offered, while I was still thinking about what to do.
"Ah, no need for that." I picked up the bag and took out the detachable strap inside. Moments later it was slung over my shoulder, pressing into my coat. "But thanks for the offer."
I turned back to Phoenix. "Then...do you have any idea on what to do now? Who shall we approach first...or should we just wait?"
"I think..." She raised her hand to her chin, a touch of nervousness in her voice. "We need to know who are they in the first place, before speaking to any of them. So..." She turned to Marian. "Would it bother you to explain who are the main actors here? Both of us are not very accustomed to any of the attendants here."
"Alright," Marian agreed, bowing. "This whole scene may seem chaotic, but it's actually easy to differentiate which group is which - just look at their members, and how they interact."
"You should probably have recognised the group over there." I looked in the direction where she was pointing, seeing a large group of Abyssals in quiet, serious discussion. I frowned, sweeping my gaze over them for the second time.
And jolted back in shock as I recognised a certain face within. Dressed in a resplendent dress, Marauder-Of-The-Grand-Pacific was overlooking her own subordinates as they quietly bickered and argued over something. Her eyes turned to look at me, and I looked away quickly.
"As you can tell, those are the Marauders. Then," She pointed over to the other side of the room, where a similarly large blob of Abyssal was discussing things at. "That is the Eastern Bloc. The person you see in the middle, with that crown on her head, is their 'High Sun Commander', also known as Illuminating-Sunlight-Of-The-East. All of them have a sigil of a sun rising from the ocean on their clothing somewhere, which should make them easy to identify."
"Oh, ok." I haven't heard much of the 'other group' that rivalled the Marauders in influence, other than some quick, passing remarks from Phoenix or Black-Crane. Of course, I should really have asked them for the information earlier...
I flattened my palm on my face at the thought, shaking my head at the same time.
"Are you still with me?" Marian spoke, cutting through my self-deprecation.
"Yeah, I'm fine...what else?"
"Give me a second...right, those two are the biggest groups in the entire Pacific, and are currently the only two significant polities around. All there's left are the Divided States and any other Circles that have an interest in this conference. I can't really help you in regards to the two, mainly because there are so many of them its hard to keep track."
"Huh. Thank you very much." It was interesting, and now both Phoenix and I had an idea who was who now...but frankly, I had no clue who they were.
"Shit." I let loose an expletive, feeling a lot dumber.
"Is there something else?" Marian picked up quickly.
"Yes...actually, could you give me a brief description of them all, and their relationship with each other? It would help in letting me understand them further..." The words felt like bile as I choked them out in embarrassment.
This time, Marian relaxed from her stoic posture to give me a disbelieving look. "You had ample time to find all of this out in preparation for this, and you didn't? Am I hearing you right?"
"Let me do this instead." Phoenix intervened, cutting in with a swipe of her hand. She sighed before speaking to me. "Do you see my point, Magician?"
"Ok ok, I get it, please don't rub it in anymore," I replied weakly.
She huffed. "Let's start with what happened after Black-Crane's surrender to Marauder. Marauder herself had made a small but crucial mistake before planning the attack on the Port Of Dreams - she forgot to ensure that none of the Alliance members would turn on each other immediately after the fall of the Founders. As a result, the Alliance split apart and each commander either started banding together in different groups or declared war on their old enemies. Some took advantage of the same time to strike at Marauder's forces, preventing her from being able to react to sudden split."
"As a result, Marauder had to take certain measures to quickly amend the situation - one of which was giving Black-Crane rather lenient terms. She also promised the Fleets who chose to work with her a degree of autonomy, while crushing the rest who opposed her decree of peace. It was through this patchwork of agreements that caused the Marauders to turn into a massive peacekeeping force that covered a large portion of the Pacific, as well as the Divided States - while the Marauders would ensure a peace, protect them and act as higher authority for the States, the States would have a limit placed in their power and have to subscribe to certain laws."
"I cant imagine the Divided States' leaders liking that at all." I commented.
"Some of them do, as they are tired of the wars. But many do grumble as they grovel, and some try their best to push out of the Marauder's influence. In fact, I think they are most likely going to try to recruit you...or something." Phoenix muttered the last portion of her sentence with a dark tone.
I snorted. "Like I will go with someone who hasn't tried to help me all this while."
"...if you say so." Phoenix returned, looking away.
"How about the Eastern Bloc then?" I pushed the conversation back on track.
"Something trickier." Phoenix began. "The Marauders' old base was located in the west, and Marauder chose to start her 'peacekeeping' from there. However, Illuminating-Sunlight, an 'upstart' who also had a sizable Fleet, took the chance to begin carving her own empire out of the Founder's ruins."
"As you can tell, she succeeded, but many say her campaign was...bloodier. She demanded a pledge of loyalty, and while some submitted, others didn't, and she pursued them far more ruthlessly than Marauder would have done. In the end, by the time she met the Marauders again, her empire was much smaller than the Marauder's influence, but at the same time, just as strong with a greater amount of control as well as due to an aggressive redevelopment project that was only possible due to that control. In fact, the Bloc has a larger amount of infrastructure, and they have their own copy of Yumenominato, named Dawn."
"I see...so what do you think we should do now?" I asked, still feeling high and dry. The Eastern Bloc indeed sounded interesting...but I still had no clue how to approach any of the Abyssals.
"I...also have no clue," Phoenix admitted. "In fact, our presence here is mostly for you, so you really are the one who has to make a decision on that matter -"
"You might want to stop there - someone is coming." Marian interrupted the both of us, pointing at two incoming figures. Around the hall, eyes were finally pointed my way.
I gulped, and refocused my attention on the two incoming figures - the taller one wore a black cloak over a jumpsuit, which had a sash with the sigil of the Eastern Bloc emblazoned on it, while the younder one was dressed in a pale white dress with red markings on it, plus a pair of horns on her head.
They stopped, and the taller Abyssal bowed, before introducing herself. "Good afternoon, Magician. I am Mistress-Of-The-Banner, Third Star Commander of the Eastern Bloc."
"Good afternoon," I replied steadily.
"If you don't mind, could we have a talk?"
===================
Last edited:
- Location
- Void of Observation
No.
While the Eastern Bloc is a
- Location
- Void of Observation
Sneak peak at the next chapter, just to show I'm not dead:
"To start of, at my home, the city of Watchtower, I am about to complete the construction and development of a university. I believe you know what is that?"
Chapter 3-10 (Part 3) - Banner (RAW)
- Location
- Void of Observation
Its back!
Also, see my new project - Crossover - Sci-Fi - Descent Into Darkness [SI Multicross]
==============================
While she waited for my response, I could feel my heart palpitating madly in my ribcage, my thoughts already spiralling out of control.
I tried to not let it show, but if this person was really experienced in this...she could have already smelled the blood in the water.
"Phoenix!" I shot a mental plea for help.
"Calm down," she returned quickly. "She isn't going to eat you or anything. Just calmly agree first."
"Alright." I swallowed, and replied to the Eastern Bloc commander, holding my stance as firmly as possible. "Sure, why not?"
Even as I answered, I could feel the gazes of many Abyssals from both sides fixated on me, all watching me carefully. I swear I could feel unmasked malice from some of them, although I did not know whom it was directed at.
Banner made a smile, and she turned to walk away, motioning for me to follow. I forced myself to walk up calmly, with Phoenix following me behind.
"I assume you have no wish to participate in any political affairs, right?"
"Yeah. I don't want to get into any of that bickering. I'm new here, you see, and I rather not find myself having to juggle over a hundred different commitments to various people." I replied.
"Understandable. Then I shall leave any such matters out of our little chat." A wolfish smile crept over her face. "However, I believe some of the Marauders and the Divided States may not be as...charitable."
We headed over to one of the rooms located adjacent to the hall. After all of us stepped in and settled ourselves down on the couches provided, Banner's assistant closed the door behind us, before sliding beside her senior.
"Of course, I do have requests of my own, even if they are nowhere political." Banner continued.
"Oh?" I asked.
"Simply put…at my home, the city of Watchtower, I am about to complete the construction and development of a university. I believe you know what is a university, don't you?"
"A university…" I pondered for a bit, drumming my fingers on the table. "You don't mean...you want me to make a speech at its opening ceremony?"
She smiled, indicating that I had guessed right. "Precisely...although not at the ceremony itself. More as one of the first lectures to be delivered in its halls."
"...you know, there was a copy of my lecture given to all of the attendees, including you I suppose. You could always derive any information from it." I frowned.
"Ah, but isn't it better to hear it from the person who is the most acquainted with that information?" She parried easily, leaning back in her seat. "Besides...you didn't exactly reveal everything, am I right?"
I held back any sense of shock I had. As I suspected, someone did figure out that I wasn't laying out the whole, unblemished truth. I did withhold some information...mainly because I wasn't sure of their content or detail…
Or are you just trying to engineer a platform of superiority for yourself? A gleefully nasty voice spoke at the back of my head.
I muffled my cough with a fist. "You are right, I didn't. However, this is as there is a lot of things even I don't understand, and revealing it would just have brought unbound speculation and panic." Project Shrine-Maiden, I remembered.
"Such as?" Banner dug in further.
I hesitated at this point. Can't let her get further in, gotta stop her…
"Um...I'm afraid if I can't tell the other delegates, I can't tell you either."
"Hmm…" A bright dazzling gaze swept over me. "That's strange. You are willing to share information, but when it comes to something specific, you aren't willing any more. Strange."
"Its...its not what you think." I held out my hands, straining to hold back my rising panic. "The matter in question is something so inexplicably unknown to me, that I can't actually explain what it does, at all. Please understand."
Banner pondered over my bluff for a few moments.
"Alright, I understand," She finally conceded, although she didn't sound so convinced. "How about we talk about my offer?"
"A-about that…" I slipped, realising that my heart had been palpitating madly for awhile. I took a deep breath, then continued.
"Sorry, but my answer is the same as before. This may not seem political, but it would still seem as if I am slipping into yours and the Eastern Bloc's sphere of influence. And frankly, I am already in a precarious state regarding the Marauders, hence I rather not risk gaining even more of Marauder's ire."
"Oh? What exactly did you do?"
"Not something I would prefer to reveal...ma'am." I deferred to use something more polite to refer to Banner.
"I see." If she was disappointed, she did not reveal it. "Well, how about you, Giant-Phoenix-That-Watches? Perhaps you don't have such considerations in mind? Maybe you are open to a little trade?"
Huh? Weren't the Eastern Bloc uninterested in Divided States? What use could Banner have for Phoenix?
While I was pondering, Phoenix replied tersely, "Unfortunately, as another newcomer into this game of politics, I would also have to decline your proposal."
Silence hung in the air for a while.
"It's a little sad, isn't it Magician?" Banner turned to me again. "That even in the face of existential threats, we continue to squabble like children, hiding technology and crucial information from each other, out of the most ridiculous reasons."
"Does this have anything with what I just sai-" I began, only for Banner to cut me off.
"Not really...I assume you are familiar with the Founder War, are you not?"
Both Phoenix and I nodded.
"Well...the Marauders enjoy saying that it was caused by Creator-Of-Civilisaton and all his lieutenants being complete sadists and hedonists...but...well, not of all of that is true." A twinkling eye gazed at the both of us.
I waited curiously. I mean, it was to be expected, that things would be covered up...and I was all too eager to listen.
"In truth...a lot of commanders had all kinds of grudges against each other. And when Marauder made her little declaration, a lot of them took the chance to take them out on each other. And...well, you did have different people assembling under each faction's banner, but there were a lot of other conflicts going on at the same time."
"I can't imagine that being a cohesive naval unit." I murmured.
"You might not, but as the saying goes, if you have a tasty enough fish and a large enough stick…"
"I see...but what does that have anything to do with what you are saying?"
"Oh? You haven't got it yet?" Banner smirked. "What I am saying here...is that all of the commanders you have seen strutting about the hall...ultimately, they continue to hold petty grudges and ridiculous distaste for each other."
"I'm very sure you are just making assumptions here. I mean, each of them must have some kind of actual reason for not doing so…"
"Oh? Then, why haven't the Divided States united against the Marauders? Or why do the Gatherers Of Knowledge keep to themselves, not distributing their technology? Or why is the Director busy pulling strings behind everyone's backs, never revealing her intentions? Ultimately, isn't everyone acting on their self-interest?" Banner made her speech with no small amount of passion.
"I'm very sure the Gatherers and Black-Crane have valid reasons for not revealing their motives...besides, I'm very sure that the Eastern Bloc has its own power struggles, time to time."
"You are right." Banner leaned back in her couch, sighing. "It's just that Illuminating-Sunlight keeps a very strong stranglehold on her people. Of course, it doesn't make watching them play out any easier."
I watched her, thinking over her words. Meanwhile, her left fist clenched and unclenched repeatedly.
Listening to an old veteran ramble...I couldn't deny that it wasn't illuminating.
"In any case…" I looked up as she faced me and Phoenix seriously. "I think I have wasted your time enough."
"I don't think it was a waste of time...but anyway, thank you for taking the time to speak to us anyway."
The four of us shook hands, and the Eastern Bloc representatives stood up.
"Well," Banner spoke as her assistant opened the door. "Farewell, and may we see each other again."
The imposing figure disappeared with a swish of her cape.
"Well, that was something."
"The thing you hid from them…" Phoenix turned to me, "was it that 'Magic-System' we discussed about?"
"Yeah," I replied. "Frankly speaking, I chose to conceal all the entire inner workings of human technology - but we already discussed this."
"Don't you feel a little guilty about doing so though?"
Phoenix question hit me hard, and I winced as I answered. "No...like I said, firstly none of them would be able to utilise it in any effective way, and second, I don't exactly want the oceans exploding in yet another war…"
Those were just excuses though, I remembered. The truth is…I just didn't trust the Abyssals...except for Phoenix and her small command. And Banner's words made me trust my opinion more.
Phoenix must however felt doubtful, I guess. She probably wants the best for her people...and technology could go a long way in achieving that.
Barely a minute passed though, before an old friend barged into our little peaceful corner.
"Its been awhile, hasn't it, Magician, Phoenix?" Beacon-Of-Pride-And-Power smiled as she walked into the room, dressed in a resplendent blue and black dress.
I groaned.
=========================
Also, see my new project - Crossover - Sci-Fi - Descent Into Darkness [SI Multicross]
==============================
While she waited for my response, I could feel my heart palpitating madly in my ribcage, my thoughts already spiralling out of control.
I tried to not let it show, but if this person was really experienced in this...she could have already smelled the blood in the water.
"Phoenix!" I shot a mental plea for help.
"Calm down," she returned quickly. "She isn't going to eat you or anything. Just calmly agree first."
"Alright." I swallowed, and replied to the Eastern Bloc commander, holding my stance as firmly as possible. "Sure, why not?"
Even as I answered, I could feel the gazes of many Abyssals from both sides fixated on me, all watching me carefully. I swear I could feel unmasked malice from some of them, although I did not know whom it was directed at.
Banner made a smile, and she turned to walk away, motioning for me to follow. I forced myself to walk up calmly, with Phoenix following me behind.
"I assume you have no wish to participate in any political affairs, right?"
"Yeah. I don't want to get into any of that bickering. I'm new here, you see, and I rather not find myself having to juggle over a hundred different commitments to various people." I replied.
"Understandable. Then I shall leave any such matters out of our little chat." A wolfish smile crept over her face. "However, I believe some of the Marauders and the Divided States may not be as...charitable."
We headed over to one of the rooms located adjacent to the hall. After all of us stepped in and settled ourselves down on the couches provided, Banner's assistant closed the door behind us, before sliding beside her senior.
"Of course, I do have requests of my own, even if they are nowhere political." Banner continued.
"Oh?" I asked.
"Simply put…at my home, the city of Watchtower, I am about to complete the construction and development of a university. I believe you know what is a university, don't you?"
"A university…" I pondered for a bit, drumming my fingers on the table. "You don't mean...you want me to make a speech at its opening ceremony?"
She smiled, indicating that I had guessed right. "Precisely...although not at the ceremony itself. More as one of the first lectures to be delivered in its halls."
"...you know, there was a copy of my lecture given to all of the attendees, including you I suppose. You could always derive any information from it." I frowned.
"Ah, but isn't it better to hear it from the person who is the most acquainted with that information?" She parried easily, leaning back in her seat. "Besides...you didn't exactly reveal everything, am I right?"
I held back any sense of shock I had. As I suspected, someone did figure out that I wasn't laying out the whole, unblemished truth. I did withhold some information...mainly because I wasn't sure of their content or detail…
Or are you just trying to engineer a platform of superiority for yourself? A gleefully nasty voice spoke at the back of my head.
I muffled my cough with a fist. "You are right, I didn't. However, this is as there is a lot of things even I don't understand, and revealing it would just have brought unbound speculation and panic." Project Shrine-Maiden, I remembered.
"Such as?" Banner dug in further.
I hesitated at this point. Can't let her get further in, gotta stop her…
"Um...I'm afraid if I can't tell the other delegates, I can't tell you either."
"Hmm…" A bright dazzling gaze swept over me. "That's strange. You are willing to share information, but when it comes to something specific, you aren't willing any more. Strange."
"Its...its not what you think." I held out my hands, straining to hold back my rising panic. "The matter in question is something so inexplicably unknown to me, that I can't actually explain what it does, at all. Please understand."
Banner pondered over my bluff for a few moments.
"Alright, I understand," She finally conceded, although she didn't sound so convinced. "How about we talk about my offer?"
"A-about that…" I slipped, realising that my heart had been palpitating madly for awhile. I took a deep breath, then continued.
"Sorry, but my answer is the same as before. This may not seem political, but it would still seem as if I am slipping into yours and the Eastern Bloc's sphere of influence. And frankly, I am already in a precarious state regarding the Marauders, hence I rather not risk gaining even more of Marauder's ire."
"Oh? What exactly did you do?"
"Not something I would prefer to reveal...ma'am." I deferred to use something more polite to refer to Banner.
"I see." If she was disappointed, she did not reveal it. "Well, how about you, Giant-Phoenix-That-Watches? Perhaps you don't have such considerations in mind? Maybe you are open to a little trade?"
Huh? Weren't the Eastern Bloc uninterested in Divided States? What use could Banner have for Phoenix?
While I was pondering, Phoenix replied tersely, "Unfortunately, as another newcomer into this game of politics, I would also have to decline your proposal."
Silence hung in the air for a while.
"It's a little sad, isn't it Magician?" Banner turned to me again. "That even in the face of existential threats, we continue to squabble like children, hiding technology and crucial information from each other, out of the most ridiculous reasons."
"Does this have anything with what I just sai-" I began, only for Banner to cut me off.
"Not really...I assume you are familiar with the Founder War, are you not?"
Both Phoenix and I nodded.
"Well...the Marauders enjoy saying that it was caused by Creator-Of-Civilisaton and all his lieutenants being complete sadists and hedonists...but...well, not of all of that is true." A twinkling eye gazed at the both of us.
I waited curiously. I mean, it was to be expected, that things would be covered up...and I was all too eager to listen.
"In truth...a lot of commanders had all kinds of grudges against each other. And when Marauder made her little declaration, a lot of them took the chance to take them out on each other. And...well, you did have different people assembling under each faction's banner, but there were a lot of other conflicts going on at the same time."
"I can't imagine that being a cohesive naval unit." I murmured.
"You might not, but as the saying goes, if you have a tasty enough fish and a large enough stick…"
"I see...but what does that have anything to do with what you are saying?"
"Oh? You haven't got it yet?" Banner smirked. "What I am saying here...is that all of the commanders you have seen strutting about the hall...ultimately, they continue to hold petty grudges and ridiculous distaste for each other."
"I'm very sure you are just making assumptions here. I mean, each of them must have some kind of actual reason for not doing so…"
"Oh? Then, why haven't the Divided States united against the Marauders? Or why do the Gatherers Of Knowledge keep to themselves, not distributing their technology? Or why is the Director busy pulling strings behind everyone's backs, never revealing her intentions? Ultimately, isn't everyone acting on their self-interest?" Banner made her speech with no small amount of passion.
"I'm very sure the Gatherers and Black-Crane have valid reasons for not revealing their motives...besides, I'm very sure that the Eastern Bloc has its own power struggles, time to time."
"You are right." Banner leaned back in her couch, sighing. "It's just that Illuminating-Sunlight keeps a very strong stranglehold on her people. Of course, it doesn't make watching them play out any easier."
I watched her, thinking over her words. Meanwhile, her left fist clenched and unclenched repeatedly.
Listening to an old veteran ramble...I couldn't deny that it wasn't illuminating.
"In any case…" I looked up as she faced me and Phoenix seriously. "I think I have wasted your time enough."
"I don't think it was a waste of time...but anyway, thank you for taking the time to speak to us anyway."
The four of us shook hands, and the Eastern Bloc representatives stood up.
"Well," Banner spoke as her assistant opened the door. "Farewell, and may we see each other again."
The imposing figure disappeared with a swish of her cape.
"Well, that was something."
"The thing you hid from them…" Phoenix turned to me, "was it that 'Magic-System' we discussed about?"
"Yeah," I replied. "Frankly speaking, I chose to conceal all the entire inner workings of human technology - but we already discussed this."
"Don't you feel a little guilty about doing so though?"
Phoenix question hit me hard, and I winced as I answered. "No...like I said, firstly none of them would be able to utilise it in any effective way, and second, I don't exactly want the oceans exploding in yet another war…"
Those were just excuses though, I remembered. The truth is…I just didn't trust the Abyssals...except for Phoenix and her small command. And Banner's words made me trust my opinion more.
Phoenix must however felt doubtful, I guess. She probably wants the best for her people...and technology could go a long way in achieving that.
Barely a minute passed though, before an old friend barged into our little peaceful corner.
"Its been awhile, hasn't it, Magician, Phoenix?" Beacon-Of-Pride-And-Power smiled as she walked into the room, dressed in a resplendent blue and black dress.
I groaned.
=========================
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
A/N: Story abandonment notice
- Location
- Void of Observation
Hello all.
Its been awhile since the last update - there's a reason for that. To be honest...I gave up on this story a long time ago, even before I actually dropped, even before the imposed hiatus I went on.
The reason for that is...well, I just couldn't write it any more. It is a story full of promise and potential...but seeing my bad writing and lack of readers kinda destroyed any motivation I had for this project, especially when the bad pacing meant that it took me almost a year and a hundred thousand words to even complete the introductory bits.
And...well, I have been working on other projects. Most of which are failures.
Of course, that isn't why I came to necro this thread one last time. You see, I'm rebooting this series, giving myself another chance to do this right. AC is kind of my favorite story, given the amount of work and time I poured into it. So, lets do this again.
The reboot of AC is here: Sci-Fi - Fantasy - Rising Tide [KanColle AU]
Of course, I would love if any of you give my other story the attention it needs, so here: Crossover - Sci-Fi - The Neverending Cosmos - [AoBS/Halo/Multicross]
Thank you for being such kind and understanding readers, and have a nice day.
-Magician
Its been awhile since the last update - there's a reason for that. To be honest...I gave up on this story a long time ago, even before I actually dropped, even before the imposed hiatus I went on.
The reason for that is...well, I just couldn't write it any more. It is a story full of promise and potential...but seeing my bad writing and lack of readers kinda destroyed any motivation I had for this project, especially when the bad pacing meant that it took me almost a year and a hundred thousand words to even complete the introductory bits.
And...well, I have been working on other projects. Most of which are failures.
Of course, that isn't why I came to necro this thread one last time. You see, I'm rebooting this series, giving myself another chance to do this right. AC is kind of my favorite story, given the amount of work and time I poured into it. So, lets do this again.
The reboot of AC is here: Sci-Fi - Fantasy - Rising Tide [KanColle AU]
Of course, I would love if any of you give my other story the attention it needs, so here: Crossover - Sci-Fi - The Neverending Cosmos - [AoBS/Halo/Multicross]
Thank you for being such kind and understanding readers, and have a nice day.
-Magician