It's strange the kind of things that happen in the world. For example, when I died on a sad...
Gaia's Alright I Guess [FSN/The Gamer] [Pseudo-SI]
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The Afterlife is a Game Show?
ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
It's strange the kind of things that happen in the world. For example, when I died on a sad, unfulfilled life full of regrets I was expecting to get sent straight to hell or be erased from existence or something. I wasn't exactly religious, and I didn't do anything overtly evil, but it was my understanding that you need to be actively good in order to get your eternal reward and since overall I didn't do any of that my fate was sealed.
I just hoped that once all the fire and brimstone went going I would eventually fall into an obliviousness of madness, or if I were to take a final death and my soul be recycled for other more important tasks I would at least stop feeling pain.
I wasn't expecting to see myself in a long ass line towards the next cycle of reincarnation. Silliness only got worse as I figured out how the process went.
It was a game show.
"And our next participant is... [ἀνδρός], oh... looks like he messed up his stay at earth folks!"
They had an honest to god laugh track in the reincarnation process. Scratch that, god is dead.
"Now, let's spin the WHEEL OF FORTUNE!"
Some kind of large wheel appeared in front of us, and it was truly gigantic. I'm not sure how I didn't noticed that earlier. It started spinning and spinning, and it looked like it would go on forever until it stopped.
"Looks like he's in luck folks, he gets another go to the Human Realm. A round of applause!"
"Next, we will see what kind of life he will live. We will get the LOTTERY OF LIFE!!!"
A fuckhuge box appeared in front of me, and I was throw inside of it. I was only momentarily surprised when that happened, and once I hit the papers I started swimming downwards. Often that part is neglected until the box is cleaned up, but I wanted to try my luck if things are this crazy.
I went deeper and deeper, and it looked like it had no end. Still I persevered trying to reach the very bottom of the box. I don't know how long it went, it could have been a few minutes to entire geological ages, I wouldn't know the difference since I didn't need to eat, drink or sleep anymore. Things did started to get dark inside the box, likely because I was too deep inside that the strange light of the game show couldn't reach me.
Using my eyes to catch the paper would be impossible at this rate, so I started using my other senses, like touch or even smell.
Finally I reached the bottom, as something hard meet my hands. I started looking around for a long time, until some paper meet my fingers with a different texture than the others. It was grainy and felt like earth. Taking a sniff it smelt like grass, of trees and flowers and fruits. It also smelled like blood and shit and rot.
I gulped, but decided to take this one for myself. When I made that decision suddenly I was standing back where I had started the game show, and the folder in my hands was floating in front of me.
"Let's see what world you will be in, and what kind of innate abilities you will gain!"
The folder opened and a gasp sound came out, making everything silent, until...
"Congratulations!" Came the booming voice, "you are sent to the world of Gaia! You are also entitled to TWO spins on the Life Wheel, and one in the Adversity Table!"
Two more wheels came, and they started spinning. This time they slowed down faster than before, until their speed came to a near halt, allowing me to see the options. All of them made me shudder with dread. I can't even think their contents so terrible they were, until they stopped.
"OOHHH!!! Looks like we have a winner here! You just got the Crossover Power and Beloved of Gaia! We haven't seen that combination in a long time folks!"
"Now, for the Adversity Table!"
There was a table full of options, and I was handled a ball to throw them in. The really sad part was that every single one of the options I could throw the ball had "live in interesting times" on it, only the colors differing a bit.
None of them looked promising, so I threw on the one that looked more plain than the others... only to land on the one that had a menacing color to it. I think I even saw some 'ゴゴゴゴゴゴ' coming from it.
"And now back to the world of living!"
I was once more thrown into a pit, and I knew no more.
I just hoped that once all the fire and brimstone went going I would eventually fall into an obliviousness of madness, or if I were to take a final death and my soul be recycled for other more important tasks I would at least stop feeling pain.
I wasn't expecting to see myself in a long ass line towards the next cycle of reincarnation. Silliness only got worse as I figured out how the process went.
It was a game show.
"And our next participant is... [ἀνδρός], oh... looks like he messed up his stay at earth folks!"
They had an honest to god laugh track in the reincarnation process. Scratch that, god is dead.
"Now, let's spin the WHEEL OF FORTUNE!"
Some kind of large wheel appeared in front of us, and it was truly gigantic. I'm not sure how I didn't noticed that earlier. It started spinning and spinning, and it looked like it would go on forever until it stopped.
"Looks like he's in luck folks, he gets another go to the Human Realm. A round of applause!"
"Next, we will see what kind of life he will live. We will get the LOTTERY OF LIFE!!!"
A fuckhuge box appeared in front of me, and I was throw inside of it. I was only momentarily surprised when that happened, and once I hit the papers I started swimming downwards. Often that part is neglected until the box is cleaned up, but I wanted to try my luck if things are this crazy.
I went deeper and deeper, and it looked like it had no end. Still I persevered trying to reach the very bottom of the box. I don't know how long it went, it could have been a few minutes to entire geological ages, I wouldn't know the difference since I didn't need to eat, drink or sleep anymore. Things did started to get dark inside the box, likely because I was too deep inside that the strange light of the game show couldn't reach me.
Using my eyes to catch the paper would be impossible at this rate, so I started using my other senses, like touch or even smell.
Finally I reached the bottom, as something hard meet my hands. I started looking around for a long time, until some paper meet my fingers with a different texture than the others. It was grainy and felt like earth. Taking a sniff it smelt like grass, of trees and flowers and fruits. It also smelled like blood and shit and rot.
I gulped, but decided to take this one for myself. When I made that decision suddenly I was standing back where I had started the game show, and the folder in my hands was floating in front of me.
"Let's see what world you will be in, and what kind of innate abilities you will gain!"
The folder opened and a gasp sound came out, making everything silent, until...
"Congratulations!" Came the booming voice, "you are sent to the world of Gaia! You are also entitled to TWO spins on the Life Wheel, and one in the Adversity Table!"
Two more wheels came, and they started spinning. This time they slowed down faster than before, until their speed came to a near halt, allowing me to see the options. All of them made me shudder with dread. I can't even think their contents so terrible they were, until they stopped.
"OOHHH!!! Looks like we have a winner here! You just got the Crossover Power and Beloved of Gaia! We haven't seen that combination in a long time folks!"
"Now, for the Adversity Table!"
There was a table full of options, and I was handled a ball to throw them in. The really sad part was that every single one of the options I could throw the ball had "live in interesting times" on it, only the colors differing a bit.
None of them looked promising, so I threw on the one that looked more plain than the others... only to land on the one that had a menacing color to it. I think I even saw some 'ゴゴゴゴゴゴ' coming from it.
"And now back to the world of living!"
I was once more thrown into a pit, and I knew no more.
My Name Is...
ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
I woke up with a start, remembering the strange dream I had. It was a really odd recurring dream, but every time I had it my motivation went up by several notches in the past, until I got into the habit of doing my one hundred percent in anything I do, which in turn evolved into doing one hundred ten percent in anything I do.
Both mom and dad are glad, yet somewhat worried, that I'm so driven with what I do. I'm not all talented at school, but I tend to read ahead the material and ask my parents to help me better understand it. I'm not all that fast or strong, but I train really hard to meet with the physical standards some of my more talented friends posses. I help my mom with whatever chores she have around the house, at least as much as she trusts me to help, and I try not to be a bother to my parents generally speaking.
All in all, the very image of a perfect dutiful son. At least as close to it as I can make.
Being the dutiful son is tiring, but overall I feel like that if I slip even for a single instant, things will get really bad for myself and my family. I it's like I feel the weight of my life and that of my family resting in my shoulders, a responsibility not to waste my life.
I never told my parents about this feeling I had ever since I was a kid, but I was certain they would find it worrying.
There are only two reprieves I have from this much work. The first is reading. I love books and stories, and I already started reading quite a bit of them, from legends and myths to books of fiction. The second are video games, and my most treasured possession is my Super Famicom with the small collection of second hand and old games I bought.
"Shirou-chan! Come here for a second."
"Okay!" I said while turning off the game before going to my mom.
We lived in a modest apartment, with two small bedrooms, a small living room and a simple kitchen. It was barely big enough for three people, but it was home. I sat down on the living room and waited for them to tell me the news.
"Shirou-chan", said my mother, a beautiful (in my completely unbiased opinion) woman with auburn hair, "both me and your father have something to tell you."
Father at her side nodded. "Shirou, you're going to be a big brother."
I blinked once, a sense that I had this conversation before a long time ago creeping on my mind before I dismissed it. "Really! That's awesome! I always wanted to be a big brother! Is it a boy, is it a girl?"
"We don't know yet", said my mother, "she will be born in a few months, so be ready for when she arrives. She will be a bit loud at first, but please bear with us for a while, alright?"
I nodded. The walls of the apartment are quite thin after all, and I can hear everything that came from the neighbors when they are fighting, though sometimes mom and father fight. Strangely, they don't mention it the next day and they always seen all calmer afterwards. Must be a friendly spar or something.
But that's besides the point! Me, Seto Shirou six years old, son of Seto Ichitaka and Seto Iori, is about to become a big brother!
Both mom and dad are glad, yet somewhat worried, that I'm so driven with what I do. I'm not all talented at school, but I tend to read ahead the material and ask my parents to help me better understand it. I'm not all that fast or strong, but I train really hard to meet with the physical standards some of my more talented friends posses. I help my mom with whatever chores she have around the house, at least as much as she trusts me to help, and I try not to be a bother to my parents generally speaking.
All in all, the very image of a perfect dutiful son. At least as close to it as I can make.
Being the dutiful son is tiring, but overall I feel like that if I slip even for a single instant, things will get really bad for myself and my family. I it's like I feel the weight of my life and that of my family resting in my shoulders, a responsibility not to waste my life.
I never told my parents about this feeling I had ever since I was a kid, but I was certain they would find it worrying.
There are only two reprieves I have from this much work. The first is reading. I love books and stories, and I already started reading quite a bit of them, from legends and myths to books of fiction. The second are video games, and my most treasured possession is my Super Famicom with the small collection of second hand and old games I bought.
"Shirou-chan! Come here for a second."
"Okay!" I said while turning off the game before going to my mom.
We lived in a modest apartment, with two small bedrooms, a small living room and a simple kitchen. It was barely big enough for three people, but it was home. I sat down on the living room and waited for them to tell me the news.
"Shirou-chan", said my mother, a beautiful (in my completely unbiased opinion) woman with auburn hair, "both me and your father have something to tell you."
Father at her side nodded. "Shirou, you're going to be a big brother."
I blinked once, a sense that I had this conversation before a long time ago creeping on my mind before I dismissed it. "Really! That's awesome! I always wanted to be a big brother! Is it a boy, is it a girl?"
"We don't know yet", said my mother, "she will be born in a few months, so be ready for when she arrives. She will be a bit loud at first, but please bear with us for a while, alright?"
I nodded. The walls of the apartment are quite thin after all, and I can hear everything that came from the neighbors when they are fighting, though sometimes mom and father fight. Strangely, they don't mention it the next day and they always seen all calmer afterwards. Must be a friendly spar or something.
But that's besides the point! Me, Seto Shirou six years old, son of Seto Ichitaka and Seto Iori, is about to become a big brother!
The Game Starts!
ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
I blinked once I saw the strange light blue, semi transparent window in front of me. I looked around, seeing the panel follow my gaze no matter where I turned. I closed my eyes for a few moments, before opening them and saw it was still there.
I shook my head quickly, and other than getting a bit dizzy myself nothing happened to the panel.
My first instinct was to call my mother to come and see this, but I refrained from doing so. Somehow, I had this strange sense of deja vu about this panel, as if I had suddenly been gifted something incredibly, greatly, godly awesome. As if suddenly all my prayers had been answered.
I tried to touch the panel, with the intention to move it away from my main point of vision, and behold! The panel stuck to my finger and followed it until I mentally released the panel.
Standing up I quickly changed myself and went to the kitchen table to eat breakfast, where both mom and dad were already wide awake.
"Good morning Shirou-chan", said my mother with a bulging stomach, "do you want some toast, or are you going to eat your bread normal?"
"I'd like some toast, thanks." I looked at both my parents, who looked rather indifferent of the floating panel at my side. "Hey mom, did you notice something different with me today?"
She looked up from the frypan, and dad took a good look at me. "Different how?"
"I dunno, different I guess?"
Mom looked between me and my father, before having a look of realization and coming to hug me.
"Awwww, my little boy is growing up. Don't worry you will be a big brother soon."
"Moooom!"
"Heh, if you're so eager to meet your sister, you can start learning to help us take care of her."
I squirmed a little bit in my mother's embrace, but after finding it an iron grip I relaxed myself and let myself lean on the embrace, enjoying it for what it was.
Still, looks like neither of my parents saw the panel. Which is intriguing, all things considered.
I would want to tell my parents about this, but somehow I feel like if I tried to do that they would think I'm sick or seeing things, or at least playing too many video games in order to get this kind of hallucination.
So I held my tongue and simply enjoyed breakfast, deciding that if I were to talk with my parents about this new development I would need to have iron clad proof before breaching the subjects with them. And probably something to bribe them with, just to make sure.
I discreetly put the new warning on the side to study it's implications later, before taking a bite of my toast.
Hmm~ toast...
~~O~~
While I was walking towards school I saw that nobody else was reacting to the panels, so I put them back into my front.
Another sense of deja vu, though this one felt more familiar to me. This reminds me of the messages on a RPG game when you sleep in an Inn, and since it talks about me then I probably have HP, MP and possible status effects.
There's also the second panel, where I gained one point of wisdom for a well thought out plan. That implies a few things: I have stats measurable in numbers, one of my stats is wisdom, it's possible to raise my stats by performing a significant action.
If things keep to the rpg theme, what else do I have? A skill and tech list? Can I see my status like in a game? Do I have an inventory? Do I have an options menu somewhere? Hell, do I have a save and load option? Even then, how do I trigger those windows?
I touched the panels one last time, and they disappeared as if they were never there.
Once I was inside the school I quickly went to a secluded place to try out this new development.
"Alright, let's try mental commands."
Main menu, open, window, status window, status panel, main panel, inventory, skills, tech, ability, skill tree, tech tree, ability tree...
On and on it went, before I determined that so far mental commands didn't trigger anything, so now I had to go through verbal commands.
"Status".
On the first try a new window appeared in front of me.
I couldn't help it, I grinned. Someone up there really liked me to give me such power.
I blinked, and the pop up message wasn't there anymore. What was that?
I looked over my stats window and there was nothing 'wrong' with it, but there was nothing to indicate that the quick message I just saw really appeared. I shook my head, dispersing those thoughts. I wonder what people call it, an hallucination within an hallucination?
Well, it doesn't matter. If it happens again I will take not of it otherwise it might be just my imagination, though I really doubt it.
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Vox De Harlequin
Consequences are for other people
- Location
- Hyalean Theoric World
Well this seems interesting.
Also, I'm totally shipping Shirou with Gaia right now.
Also also, I can't wait until he interacts with a magus and and they find out about his 'beloved of Gaia' status, given the rather antagonistic relationship she has with humanity as a whole.
Also also also, I think it would be really interesting if he got access to the places hidden away from humanity by Alaya.
Also, I'm totally shipping Shirou with Gaia right now.
Also also, I can't wait until he interacts with a magus and and they find out about his 'beloved of Gaia' status, given the rather antagonistic relationship she has with humanity as a whole.
Also also also, I think it would be really interesting if he got access to the places hidden away from humanity by Alaya.
Me is smurt ork!
Seriously, though. Pretty impressive prologue. More original than most, for one. Also, I enjoy the fact that you are going after a pre 4th war setting, so really good work hooking me so far!
Assuming you're young shirou emiya, I hope your parents survive. They seem like good people.
@NakedFury I think the mother used she as a placeholder, she could have chosen he instead, but she's a woman so it makes sense she would use the female pronoun.
As for those marks. I think they're japanese characters. No Idea what they mean, but they remind me of the 'jiiieeee....' characters used in manga to emphasize a stare or glare.
@NakedFury I think the mother used she as a placeholder, she could have chosen he instead, but she's a woman so it makes sense she would use the female pronoun.
As for those marks. I think they're japanese characters. No Idea what they mean, but they remind me of the 'jiiieeee....' characters used in manga to emphasize a stare or glare.
Serxeid
(Verified Final Boss)
- Location
- Western Canadia
ryuan
From Zero to Hero!
She wasn't going to call her child "it".
It's a reference, if you don't know where it is from that's alright. But the reference stays, it's the whole point of the reference.
Librarian
SAN Loss Isn't Fun Anymore...
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, used to denote OMINOUS sound effects.
Example:
Vox De Harlequin
Consequences are for other people
- Location
- Hyalean Theoric World
And, if I'm not wrong, that is the character 'muda', meaning useless.
A notable catchphrase of a certain puppy-kicking villain.
So that's a thing.
A notable catchphrase of a certain puppy-kicking villain.
So that's a thing.
