I found that this meme barely has any Japan (outside of shipping fics) so my request would be Japan as the star of some sort of Fantasy AU without any kind of pairings. I'll leave the exact set-up to the filler, it could be anything, be it a Fantasy world based on Victorian England or Japanese mythology, or maybe a real-world High-school setting were he discovers that he has magical powers, whatever it is so long as it involves magic.
How many other characters you include is completely up to you, I'd even appreciate if you put in as many as possible, please no gender-bents or OCs (at least none that are relevant to the plot). When I said no pairings then I meant no pairings as the center of the plot. There can actually be some, even involving Japan, but only as an aside, maybe mentioned a few times or something.
Smut is fine, too. Rape as well if it's relevant to the plot but please not graphic and please not involving Japan. It shouldn't be the center of the plot either. (But if it's not relevant in any way or if something else would work just as well, don't include it)
Non Nation AU, but if you use the official human names or different ones is completely up to you!
Bonus: Give China an important role, he needs more love as well :) (I'd prefer as Japan's ally but as the villain or whatever would be fine too)
Bonus 2: DON'T give America a super important role. He can appear and appear a lot but he gets so much attention, it'd be nice if he were only a supporting character here
Overly long request over! Thanks to anyone who would be willing to fill this!
Hey, thank you so much for the interest! That scenario would be lovely, I'd be really happy if you could write it! Like I said, any scenario you'd like is fine! (But it's fine that you ask, I often do that, too, when I'm unsure)
In a very distant future, where technology has reached an unprecedented level of advancement...
“Kiku, have you heard the news?”
The Japanese lifted his hands from the keyboard to swiftly adjust his headset, before resuming his lightning-fast typing. Gaze fixed to the screen, fingers flying between computer keys with an expertise that rendered his programmer colleagues speechless with jealous wonder, Kiku acknowledged the question with a distracted hum.
“The Internet Police has declared that they have developed a new way to sanction creators of illegal servers.”
“Is that so?”
“They say that caught hackers will now be given the choice between the usual fine or this new punishment. They gave no further details, though.”
That got Kiku to stop typing. “And does this make you... reconsider our project?”
He could almost hear the grin in his Chinese friend's answer. “Not in the slightest.”
Kiku took up his typing, listening to the crackling voice continue : “Whatever this alternative may be, I'd accept anything if it means I get to keep my money.”
“Then, Yao...” With one final tap on the keyboard, Kiku sent his chair rolling with a push on his desk, no doubt sharing the same triumphant expression as his friend with the similar headset on the other side of the city, “our private server is done.”
“Snails?”
Alfred's character stood in the middle of a clearing, watching as Kiku and Yao were nimbly moving from one mighty beast to the other, slaying them with a short knife.
“Well, it's only the beginners' island,” Kiku said, “it gets better. You will get the armour and better weapons once we're on the main continent.”
The American sighed at their default equipment : simple shorts and T-shirts. “So... which job should I choose to make the biggest explosions?”
Kiku gave it some thought, still vanquishing his foes with as much dexterity as a Lv.5 character was allowed. “The Cannoneer class would have done just that but...”
“... their tutorial is on the Pirates' island.” Yao finished, just as a pillar of blue light briefly illuminated his character. Level up.
“No fair! How come they get their own piece of land while the rest of us are all here?”
[CaptainKirkland] : We are just that great ;)
Alfred snorted. “Says the guy who can't get his mike to work.”
[CaptainKirkland] : You're just jealous I'll get to wield guns and not you.
“When the game just came out,” Yao interrupted, “all the characters had the same basic training here before specialising in their desired classes on the continent.” Kiku sent him a good job in private messages. They knew all too well that when their anglophone friends started bickering, it never ended. “Then when the game gained in popularity, they started creating new classes with storylines to diversify gameplay. Pirates are one of these classes.”
Yao jumped on a nearby rock to replenish his health out of harm's reach, while Kiku continued his hunt, taking the occasional potion on the spot. Alfred was still idling on the side.
“But like anything that gets too famous, gameplay and community degraded over time. So Kiku and I created this private server to bring the game back to its former glory.”
[CaptainKirkland] : I'm almost done, guys. What about you?
“One last quest and we'll be able to take the boat to the continent,” Kiku answered.
“We could have swam the way here and he would still be late.”
Kiku, Yao, and Alfred were waiting on the docks, the boat they had just stepped off of already sailing back to the tiny island in the distance.
“It should be any minute now, Alfred.” Kiku informed.
Yao was counting his money dejectedly. “The trip fee has always been a rip-off. How am I supposed to buy effective knuckles with 70 coins left?”
“Should we have lowered the prices?” Kiku asked pensively.
The American was still muttering. “He's not answering, too. Doesn't he hear us?”
[UFOsighted] : Art what the f*** are you doing?
The scream from Alfred was the most horrified-sounding he had ever let out since the local Mc Donald's had shut down. “Guys! How could you have left the censorship system?!”
Any response was drowned out as a singing voice resounded in their headsets. A very familiar voice. “Way hay and up she rises, way hay and up she rises early in the morning!”
“Looks like someone fixed his mike,” Yao said, amused.
Arthur jumped from the deck to land in front of the group. His character was wearing ragged beige slacks and a sleeveless vest, a brown bandana loosely tied on his head, and was holding a proudly displayed pistol.
There was an intake of breath and Kiku intervened, knowing exactly who it was from and what he was going to ask. “Alfred, Pirates have their job advancement on their tutorial island. Now that we are Lv.10 and on the continent, we will go through each town to have ours.”
In the outskirts of the harbour, the four players were slowly making their way through a thicket, Yao and Kiku skirting around the walking tree stumps and slime blobs jumping in their way, Arthur firing on any coming too close. Alfred let out a frustrated sigh.
“Why can't we squash them ourselves again?”
“You can only make your job advancement if you are Lv.10,” Yao explained, “if you level up to 11 before, the class instructor will ignore you.”
A little -3 briefly appeared above Alfred's character. “Huh? I didn't touch anything, did I?”
Suddenly, a pebble near his feet grew to the size of a rock in a matter of milliseconds, and began rolling towards him with a sound that would be relevant for a mountain crumbling in on itself.
Alfred's dramatically panicked voice was barely heard over the ruckus : “Art-Arthur! Shoot! Shoot it!”
Arthur took aim, only resulting in an empty click. “I have to recharge!”
Kiku checked Alfred's character profile, saw his experience bar almost full. He made a dash for the creature, quickly followed by Yao. “Alfred, dodge it, if you kill it you will turn 11!”
It was in a pillar of blue light that the live rock was successively hit by the Asians' novice weapons, and finished off by a shot from the Pirate.
After an hesitation, Alfred whispered : “...shit.”
“You leveled up, didn't you?” Yao said with a sigh.
“I only pushed it towards you guys! I didn't know I would get so much experience from an assisted kill- ”
There was an inquisitive silence, Kiku, Yao, and Arthur waiting for an explanation as to why Alfred's character had suddenly vanished from view. The American's exasperated tone soon shed light on the mystery : “I just fell into a... a sort of ravine? And- for fuck's sake, there's a stone golem down here!”
The three players moved to where the leaves had parted on the ground under the character's weight, and peered over the edge to see Alfred's weapon go right through the monster, as though it was made out of an ethereal matter. A miss appeared above the giant. Alfred started running around, followed slowly but menacingly by the rocky behemoth.
And in the real world, sitting before their computers, Yao covering his face with his hand, Kiku clicking his inventory open for potions to throw to the American, Arthur letting go of mouse and keyboard in hysterical laughter, Alfred asking for “Help, you morons” but giggling despite himself, were the last images of the young men before they were engulfed in a blinding white light. A red badge-shaped form flashed before their eyes, and the next second, there was no screen anymore. Yao's ponytail was blown from his shoulder by a gust of wind, Kiku heard the grass and leaves crack under his feet, Arthur felt the weight of a pistol in his hand, and Alfred's ankle was stinging where a thorny bush had scratched his skin.
The first sound to break the astonished silence was Kiku's soft voice, as he whispered :
“They caught us.”
Notes : Here is what Arthur was singing : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw I hope the errors aren't too much of a bother. I iz no englisch and I can't be arsed to find a beta reader. Sorry Alfred appeared so much in this part. I haven't forgotten OP's request for him to be only a supportive character, it was to explain the fact that he will be pretty much useless now that he can't acquire useful skills. And in case people are looking for romance, sorry, there won't be any pairings.
Wow, you really surprised me there! That was fast! Don't worry, I did notice a few mistakes but it really didn't bother me. I couldn't even tell that you weren't English (meaning: Even the English-speakers make tons of mistakes). Besides, I iz no english, either, and I never had a beta reader, either. As for the fill itself: I very much liked it so far! And I think now that they are actually there, it'll get really interesting! (Though I have no clue about computers, unfortunately, so I'll just need to assume that you know what you're doing 'w' ) Let me say, I adore Alfred's username! It just really fits well without being strange! Also: I know that song! It's so awesome, somehow! All in all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yNhl8wT3Pc
“Should I even ask what just happened?” Alfred shouted from the bottom of the pit. His voice echoed up to his companions at the surface, a lot less clear without the efficacy of headphones.
Kiku and Yao turned to look at each other. What now? The Japanese shifted his gaze towards the Englishman who was, unsurprisingly, wearing a troubled expression. Kiku was thinking about apologising, when he saw a form slowly materialise behind the Pirate.
“Look out!”
The form had taken a human shape when Arthur looked behind him. It was wearing a cap, and a red badge appeared on the front before the whole silhouette evaporated. All that was left in its stead was a piece of paper, which hovered in the air for a second then fluttered to the ground.
Arthur turned back to the Asians, who were making their way towards him. “The renowned Internet Police, huh? I wonder how many people actually saw them.”
Kiku asked the blond if he was okay while Yao picked up the paper. He quickly looked it over before handing it to Kiku. “They are rules.”
“I'm getting tired here, guys.” Alfred's voice rang out again, along with the loud thumps from the golem still giving chase.
As if on cue, a few branches rustled overhead, and an armoured shadow emerged from the leaves, jumping straight into the pit. After a second of surprise the three rushed to the edge again, to see the newly arrived stranger charging the creature.
It was a knight, head entirely masked by a helmet, a white cape and a long tunic covering most of the chainmail, a black cross on each shoulder and one down the front of the cloth. He was gripping a broadsword with both hands, with which he proceeded to, in the most literal sense, sweep the golem off its feet. The ground shook under its weight, and the knight immediately jumped on it, raising the blade above his head. The monster made to grab his waist with its rocky arms, but the fighter severed both before the stone fingers could reach him. The pointy metal impaled the creature's head as the chopped off limbs hit the dry earth. The knight paused for a moment, shoulders heaving. Then with a grunt of effort, lifted the skewered head and spun on himself like a discus thrower, to send the rock shattering next to Alfred.
The four observers stayed silent as the dust settled. There was a metallic clang as the knight dropped his helmet, followed by a victorious cry.
Alfred blinked. “Gilbert?”
“That would be me,” he answered, sheathing his sword, then placed his hands on his waist. He looked up to the three elevated onlookers. “What did you think, Kendoka?”
“The techniques are different, but impressive swordsmanship nonetheless, Gilbert.” Kiku appraised.
The warrior began to laugh with pride, but was cut off by Arthur's taunting voice. “You have nothing on King Richard's Crusaders, Teuton!”
“Helfen, Wehren, Heilen, friend!” the German retorted, grin still firmly in place.
Yao let his eyes wander to the nearby trees, until he sighted a vine he deemed long enough. He tugged on it to test its sturdiness, then pushed the loose end over the side of the pit. “Climb up, kids.”
They sat down on the grass a few feet away, in an area that seemed monster-free for now. Kiku took out the Police paper again, summarising as he read :
“Our goal is to reach the maximum level, 100. This is one way to pay our debt and be allowed back in the outside world. The other option is to agree to pay a few millions or possibly go to jail.”
The four listeners instantly blanched. Kiku wondered if he had the same look of terror he was seeing etched on their faces. He certainly didn't feel well.
“Or rather, this is the objective for Yao and I. As the creators of the server, we are responsible for all of you. So even if all players present during the interception were dragged into the game, as long as we both reach Lv.100, we are all set free.”
“But you can only get out of here when we do reach the highest level,” Yao added, and Kiku nodded.
“I, ah... I forgot my helmet in the pit, guys.” Gilbert said, getting to his feet. “I'll be right back.”
He waited for some sort of permission, and only after the four sitting men distractedly muttered their assent did he left.
Kiku continued : “Time in the outside world still goes on normally,” and if they hadn't been pale as snow earlier, this statement drained the remaining colour from their faces, real-life jobs and other responsibilities passing through their minds.
Kiku's voice grew more and more hesitant, as if the paper would spontaneously combust in his hands at any moment. “We will feel any injury we are inflicted, but, in case of death...”
They heard a string of german curses, shouted so loud that had they still been wearing their headsets, the voice would only have been slightly clearer. There was a crumbling noise, then silence. And after a minute, a dejected “Aw, man.”
They were considering going to check up on him when Gilbert resurfaced. Or, that looked like Gilbert, but...
“Do you want the good news or bad news first?”
...he was translucent.
Arthur raised an eyebrow and turned to Kiku, pointing at the ghostly knight. “Is that what happens when-”
“I got my helmet back, but the stupid pile of pebbles respawned in my blind spot, and struck before I had time to say sh-”
“That is what happens, apparently.” Yao confirmed, curiously inspecting the phenomenon.
“Ah well, it was fun while it lasted.” Gilbert sat back down, but there was no clink of metal, no rustling of grass.
“So you can't fight anymore now, you're just... here.” Alfred said, although the uncertainty in his voice made it sound like a question.
“Yeah, I'm as useful as you now.”
“Gilbert,” Kiku rolled the paper, “I know we agreed to all log on at the same time earlier, but isn't there any chance some of us are still outside?”
“I doubt it. Ludwig and I were up there in the Warriors' village together, and Ivan, Francis, and Feliciano launched the game at the same time as us. They must be scattered between the Mages and the Archers' hamlets. And I think that's it. Wait, maybe Antonio made it? I'm not sure.”
Alfred was speaking to himself at the same time, lost in thought. “Hold on, I invited someone too, didn't I? I completely forgot.”
Yao turned to Kiku. “This is going nowhere.”
“Right.” The Japanese picked up the short knife he had placed on the grass at his side, and got up. The rest of the group did the same. “We still have to specialise in our classes to be able to defend ourselves. We'll see who we meet on the way. They must have had the instructions, too.”
As everyone was getting ready, Arthur walked up to Gilbert. “Are you all right, though?”
The German's grin returned full force, and he replied in the best British accent he could manage : “Tis but a scratch!”
The sound of their high-five sent a flock of birds flying into the sky.
Notes : Kendoka : One who practices Kendo, the Japanese fencing. King Richard I of England, a.k.a the Lion Heart, led his army into the Third Crusade. Helfen, Wehren, Heilen : “Help, Defend, Heal” was the motto of the Teutonic Order.
*returns high-five* Hi, German OP. I happen to have great respect and admiration for your country. Thanks for the nice comments, I'm glad you're having fun so far.
OP, if you're still here: this is probably the last update. I'd like to say I will try to continue updating albeit very slowly, but it is more likely that I will never be able to finish this story. I'm very, very sorry I wasted your prompt, I never intended this to be discontinued. If by any chance someone else is reading this and is interested in the request, please don't hesitate to make a second fill. I'm sorry again, OP. All the best.
“Why are you even here, anyway?” Alfred inquired, “Weren't you supposed to be training with your brother?”
“I lost at rock-paper-scissors so I was given the glorious task to go buy cheap mana potions from the magicians,” Gilbert answered, inspecting his now unusable sword with transparent fingers.
“A wise decision,” Yao approved.
Arthur didn't look convinced. “How?”
“Their spells require a lot more magic than any of the other classes,” Kiku ducked under a low branch, “so their potions have discounts.”
The path was still being cleared by sporadic gunshots as they went, and when Arthur went out of bullets, he switched to the more elementary technique of kicking the offending beasts out of the way. Alfred soon joined in, swinging snakes in circles above his head before throwing them as far as possible.
The trees soon grew more sparse, and trails of smoke could be seen reaching the clouds.
“Look, we're right next to the Archers.”
The village seemed peaceful and without troubles, the houses so round and disproportionate they looked like mushrooms with doors. Artisans were sitting behind their workbenches outside, crafting arrows or sewing feathers on hats. Cooks could be seen through the windows, but there was no appetising smell to go with the picture. The dwellers were repeating the same motions over and over, befitting their nature of programmed characters. But there was one whose actions didn't seem as mechanical as those of the surrounding villagers. It was a young man seated on a roof, struggling to attach a string to a curved stick of wood.
His hair was loosely tied back, but one could wonder if it was truly necessary, given the number of blond locks that were falling in his face anyway. It was enough to clear any doubts. Arthur shook his head with a drawn out sigh. “Of all people...”
“Hey, look who it is!” Gilbert shouted happily, and Francis raised his head. His face immediately beamed.
“Welcome, my friends!” he exclaimed, prancing up to the newcomers. “Quite the ghost town, isn't it?” he motioned to the beings who might as well still be pixelated for all the lack of human behaviour they were showing, “even though it appears so lively at first.”
The German set his elbow on his friend's shoulder, who raised his eyebrows at the knight's ghostlike appearance. Gilbert dismissed the silent question with a wave of his hand. “Long story.” Kiku bowed, Yao shook his hand, Alfred did a friendly salute, and Arthur crossed his arms, amused.
“You look like a mix of Peter Pan and Robin Hood.”
“How unperceptive, Arthur.” He held up the unfinished item, “I'm a bowman! Or soon-to-be. If I could get this thing to work.”
“May I?” Yao asked, carefully taking the work-in-process from the Frenchman's hands.
“Excuse me, Francis,” Kiku politely cut in, “but is there anyone else with you?”
“Ah, yes, Antonio went to do some quests to earn us a little money.”
He looked to Yao's hands, dexterous fingers fiddling with the handiwork. “We can more or less make weapons on our own, but potions are another story. We need to buy them.”
The Chinese snapped the string in place and handed the bow back. Francis smiled gratefully and strapped the weapon to his outfit. “Oh? Back already?”
“Hey guys,” came an ever-cheerful voice.
Antonio waved at them from his location near one of the mushroom houses, where he was extending an armful of fake fruits to a grumpy-looking old woman. He reflected the Frenchman's earlier expression when his eyes fell on Gilbert, his eyebrows shooting up in confusion. The German just chuckled, clearly amused by the situation. The Spaniard completed the exchange and received the promised money, turning away with a cheerful “thanks”. But no response came, the old lady as alive as the inedible fruits she was holding, blank stare fixed on the horizon.
Antonio threw the money pouch to Francis.
“Ah ha!” Alfred pointed to the shorts and T-shirt the Spaniard was wearing, “condemned to be a permanent beginner, right?”
“Huh?” He looked down to his novice equipment, and scratched his neck in embarrassment. “Oh, yes. I kind of got carried away and, forgot about the specific level requirement...”
Alfred's face brightened and he looked to the others in triumph, as if to say 'see? I'm not the only one.'
Arthur patted his head in mock praise. “That kill assist was still an awfully bad decision on your part, kid.”
Kiku let the various cheerful and annoyed voices fade to the background as he looked up to the sky. The village was orange under the rays of the dying sun, bright artificial red above the habitations. They implemented a day and night cycle, he thought.
“We should find someplace to sleep,” Yao said to him, “it's been a long day.”
“Indeed. But...” He looked back down to the village. “...All the houses aren't programmed to have an interior. If the player isn't supposed to enter them for the storyline...”
“...They're nothing but scenery.” Yao remembered, and cursed under his breath.
“The elves and fairies living up there,” Kiku pointed to a lush green forest of giant trees looming in the distance, “are too hostile to anyone but magicians to accept us amongst them. So the wizards' village is not an option.”
The conversation of the others gradually died down, their attention shifting to the talking Japanese.
Kiku then gestured to what looked like an abandoned town, a cluster of hollowed out buildings in the opposite direction. “The thieves' hideout has its entries concealed so that only the members of their clan can find them.”
“So the warriors' den would be our best bet,” Yao said, turning to the mountains behind which the sun was slowly disappearing. “They do have some open tepees we could sleep under.”
“But they're so far,” Francis observed.
“And elevated,” Antonio added.
“And nine times out of ten you have to offer something to the elders so that they grant you permission to use them,” Gilbert concluded.
The informations were welcomed with a collective sigh. And shivers.
“Of course they would think of decreasing the temperature during the night but not make the torches or fireplaces emit any kind of heat.” Alfred sulked, trying to rub the cold out of his arms. The sky was now dark blue, their only source of light coming from the windows of the surrounding fake houses.
Kiku considered their options. Gilbert had said that the others were either warriors, archers, or magicians. He would have to become a thief to balance the group's abilities. Thankfully, the hideout was the closest to where they were right now, but he couldn't drag everyone with him there. They had to move fast. He looked at the money pouch the Frenchman was holding : it was taking the entirety of his open palm, some coins even slipping between his fingers, giving the pouch a droopy form. There should be enough for what they had to do for now.
“All right.” Kiku decided, “Here's what we are going to do.”
The group turned their attention to him. “Use the money to buy a teleporting scroll, then as much potions as you can with the rest. You will use the scroll to get to the outskirts of the magicians' village ; it will spare you the climb up the trees. You should be close enough to spot Ivan and Feliciano, but out of reach of the elves and fairies so that they don't throw you out.”
Arthur estimated the height from the hut-looking habitations protruding from the giant tree trunks to the ground. It would be quite a fall.
“I believe it is safe to assume that they already acquired some of their basic skills, by now. So once you are reunited with them, they should be able to teleport all of you to Ludwig at the warriors' den with a simple spell.”
“Without having to buy a second scroll,” Yao nodded in understanding, “nor scaling the heights.”
“Exactly.”
“Right. I'll take care of the transactions.” Francis said, taking the bundle of money to the nearest store.
Yao turned to Kiku again. “What about you?”
“When I'm done with my job advancement, I'll meet you up there.”
“Hold on,” the Chinese's eyes narrowed in disapproval, “You're not planning on going alone, are you?”
“We have no choice. We need to go to each town to round up everyone, and you have your own test to take at the Warriors'. Now that we can't refer to a map at the top of the screen anymore, the only ones that know the game well enough to not get lost are you and me. You need to go with them.”
“Wouldn't it be better to just stay together?” Alfred suggested, still shaking from head to toes, “Like in horror movies, you know? It just screw things up when they separate.”
“It's not necessary,” Kiku assured, holding up his hands and shaking his head. He would hate to be a bother to anyone. “The town is really close, I can reach it in ten minutes. And I have enough spoils from our way here to buy a scroll to join you after the test, too. It will all be over in half an hour, at most.”
Yao couldn't seem to find any flaws in the plan but still hesitated. Alfred, Antonio, and Gilbert wouldn't be of any help, he himself didn't have any power yet, and he did have to lead the way. Francis hadn't used his weapon even once yet, so maybe Arthur?
The Englishman offered : “I could go with you?”
“Thank you. But it will be faster like this.” Kiku squinted to differentiate their faces in the faint light, “And we have already lost enough time as it is.”
“We are ready, gentlemen.” Francis jogged back to them, presenting a rolled up parchment in one hand, and several belt pouches in the other. “I figured it would be easier like this, instead of having one bag for all of us.”
They took a minute to put on the new piece of equipment and distribute the potions between the seven of them. Francis unrolled the parchment, revealing a long list of locations, and held it in the middle of the group. After an instruction from Yao, everyone reached out to hold the edge between two fingers. Except Kiku, who was standing a little to the side.
“Be careful.” Yao looked to the scroll, frowning with lingering reluctance, then put the tip of his forefinger on their destination. The parchment immediately illuminated.
Kiku smiled reassuringly: “You as well.” He barely heard his companions' encouragements -“Good luck, man”, “See you in a few”- before they were engulfed in a small whirlwind of light. The next second, Kiku saw the same flash (albeit the size of a speck of dust in the distance) in one of the tall trees of the wizards' forest.
Kiku arrived at the deserted town a dozen minutes after leaving the village. The place was exactly as he remembered it from his numerous sleepless nights spent behind his computer, but the pitch black sky and the tall buildings obscuring what little light the moon was offering were considerably hindering his progress. He gave the entirety of his inventory to the merchant in exchange for a teleporting scroll, which he then put in his pouch next to the Police paper. It took him more time than he would have liked to find his intended target, so when he caught sight of the dangling sign of the dilapidated bar, he allowed himself to kick down the rusty door, effectively taking it off the last hinge it had been attached to. Not really stealthy for a future thief, he thought, but the town really was deserted, and there was only so much pent-up annoyance he could bear.
He made a beeline for the back door, already berating himself for not keeping his composure. It revealed a ladder, which Kiku climbed down without hesitation, knowing full well what was awaiting him. He arrived in a simple square room, completely empty except for the shadow hanging from the ceiling. There was no light here, either, but the silhouette was somehow darker than the rest of the room, so it was possible to spot it in the obscurity.
So... I can't click it to initiate the conversation, so what do I say? Does it even talk? The thieves' instructor looked like either a human-sized bat or a human in a good disguise, as it was draped in its wings (cape?) and constantly upside down. It opened its eyes, two red slits in the darkness. The minuscule black pupils looked Kiku up and down. The Japanese stayed still, assuming it was the equivalent of the game checking if a character was meeting all the requirements needed to advance further. The instructor closed its eyes after a moment, and Kiku barely had time to jump on the ladder before the floor was covered in dozens of creatures, moving wildly and stepping over one another. They had the appearance of lizards but the size of small crocodiles, and only one eye, big, round, and unblinking on their foreheads.
Kiku hung from the ladder, one hand on the rope and the other in a defensive stance, short knife at the ready. Soon enough one of the reptiles jumped, and the Japanese stabbed it right in the eye. The mutilated creature fell, but instead of vanishing like it did in the game, it got back up and disappeared among the countless others. So they have weak points, now. It's not a matter of simply hitting enemies until their health bar is empty. But where is theirs if it's not the obvious eye in the middle of their faces?
Another creature jumped, and this time Kiku went for the neck. The decapitated head disappeared and immediately grew back on the body, but as the regenerated monster fell down, Kiku found what he was looking for : a second eye on their stomach. Confident in his discovery, the young man took a potion from his pouch, readjusted his grip on the short knife, and jumped in the middle of the swarming reptilian heap.
Meanwhile... “Look, Feliciano! Everyone came to see us!”
“How nice!”
“What are they saying, I wonder?”
“I don't know. But they look a little scared, wouldn't you say, Ivan?”
“Hm, but they're waving at us. They must be trying to say hello.”
“I don't know, they look really, really scared. Terrified, even.”
“Oh no, look, they're just playing tag with the fairies.”
“But the elves are throwing energy bolts at them! Maybe we should, uh...”
“Ah, here they come. Hello!”
“You two teleport us to the mountains! Hurry!”
The last of the creatures evaporated under Kiku's blade, and the room was back to normal, empty and silent, except for the exhausted Japanese trying to catch his breath. Now that he had passed the test, the last step was the offering. Any item did the trick, and since he had gotten rid of everything to buy the teleporting scroll, he figured he could give the Police paper. They had already read the rules so it would be more cumbersome than useful to keep it. He reached in his pouch and took out the rolled parchment, extending it to the instructor. The red eyes appeared again, and looked him over. When they closed, the paper disappeared from Kiku's hand and he found himself wearing a 'historically inaccurate but famous in popular culture' ninja outfit. The short knife was gone, and in its stead Kiku saw a brand new dagger in his closed hand.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and reached in his pouch again for the teleporting scroll. He would have loved to fall asleep right then and there, but he had a promise to keep. He unrolled the parchment, but something was wrong. Before jumping to conclusions, he made his way up the ladder and out of the bar to find some semblance of light. When he looked at the parchment again, he didn't see a list of locations, but a familiar text with a red badge in the corner. He had given away his teleporting scroll.
He tried to empty his pouch and even went back to the bar, searched every nook and cranny of the dark room, but found nothing. The way up the mountains would be very long.
As far back as he could remember, Kiku had always dreamed of being on the other side of the screen. Now that he had his wish, he was too tired to enjoy it. The mountains were extremely steep, and he spent more time scaling them than simply walking. Thankfully, his agility had been enhanced by his now official status of thief, and he tried to use his skills sparingly: jump a little higher there, reach farther here. If he ever went out of mana, he wouldn't be able to free one of his hands to grab a potion without falling.
He was beginning to feel the difference from when he was practising martial arts on a regular basis. First it had been hand-to-thand combat with Yao during his childhood, and then Kendo, which had stolen his heart and most of his time until adulthood reared its ugly head. His job had then imposed itself on his life, leaving little time for anything else. He loved being a programmer, but sitting behind his computer all day and only standing up to go to sleep had physically weakened him. Now was the inappropriate time it was showing.
When he almost slipped for the second time, he decided it would be too dangerous to go on. He hoisted himself up on a somewhat flat rock, just big enough for him to sit against the rocky wall. The abandoned town below looked the size of one of those Rubik's Cubes Yao used to spend all his time on. Kiku was sure that he could have reached the Warriors above in just a few more minutes, if his whole body hadn't been trembling with exhaustion.
The night was slowly coming to an end, the dark sky fading to blue. He knew that he was already several hours late, and that it would be worse if he fell asleep now. The others would probably wonder what happened to him when the morning came with no sign of him. But for now he would simply stay here until his body was able to move again. He knew trouble would come later, but for now, as he wiped the sweat off his brow, he realised that all the worry, caution, and stress that had accumulated up until now were gone. He felt this momentary peace of mind brought on by intensive workouts, the same he used to have after his sessions in the dojo.
Heeey. I'm soo, soo sorry. I wasn't around for a while but I still love it so should you come around to this and want to start writing again I'd be more than happy!
Japan - Fantasy AU
(Anonymous) 2013-11-14 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)How many other characters you include is completely up to you, I'd even appreciate if you put in as many as possible, please no gender-bents or OCs (at least none that are relevant to the plot). When I said no pairings then I meant no pairings as the center of the plot. There can actually be some, even involving Japan, but only as an aside, maybe mentioned a few times or something.
Smut is fine, too. Rape as well if it's relevant to the plot but please not graphic and please not involving Japan. It shouldn't be the center of the plot either. (But if it's not relevant in any way or if something else would work just as well, don't include it)
Non Nation AU, but if you use the official human names or different ones is completely up to you!
Bonus: Give China an important role, he needs more love as well :) (I'd prefer as Japan's ally but as the villain or whatever would be fine too)
Bonus 2: DON'T give America a super important role. He can appear and appear a lot but he gets so much attention, it'd be nice if he were only a supporting character here
Overly long request over! Thanks to anyone who would be willing to fill this!
Re: Japan - Fantasy AU
(Anonymous) 2013-11-16 11:22 am (UTC)(link)OP
(Anonymous) 2013-11-16 02:31 pm (UTC)(link)That scenario would be lovely, I'd be really happy if you could write it! Like I said, any scenario you'd like is fine! (But it's fine that you ask, I often do that, too, when I'm unsure)
This is no game 1a/?
(Anonymous) 2013-11-16 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)“Kiku, have you heard the news?”
The Japanese lifted his hands from the keyboard to swiftly adjust his headset, before resuming his lightning-fast typing. Gaze fixed to the screen, fingers flying between computer keys with an expertise that rendered his programmer colleagues speechless with jealous wonder, Kiku acknowledged the question with a distracted hum.
“The Internet Police has declared that they have developed a new way to sanction creators of illegal servers.”
“Is that so?”
“They say that caught hackers will now be given the choice between the usual fine or this new punishment. They gave no further details, though.”
That got Kiku to stop typing. “And does this make you... reconsider our project?”
He could almost hear the grin in his Chinese friend's answer. “Not in the slightest.”
Kiku took up his typing, listening to the crackling voice continue : “Whatever this alternative may be, I'd accept anything if it means I get to keep my money.”
“Then, Yao...” With one final tap on the keyboard, Kiku sent his chair rolling with a push on his desk, no doubt sharing the same triumphant expression as his friend with the similar headset on the other side of the city, “our private server is done.”
“Snails?”
Alfred's character stood in the middle of a clearing, watching as Kiku and Yao were nimbly moving from one mighty beast to the other, slaying them with a short knife.
“Well, it's only the beginners' island,” Kiku said, “it gets better. You will get the armour and better weapons once we're on the main continent.”
The American sighed at their default equipment : simple shorts and T-shirts. “So... which job should I choose to make the biggest explosions?”
Kiku gave it some thought, still vanquishing his foes with as much dexterity as a Lv.5 character was allowed. “The Cannoneer class would have done just that but...”
“... their tutorial is on the Pirates' island.” Yao finished, just as a pillar of blue light briefly illuminated his character. Level up.
“No fair! How come they get their own piece of land while the rest of us are all here?”
[CaptainKirkland] : We are just that great ;)
Alfred snorted. “Says the guy who can't get his mike to work.”
[CaptainKirkland] : You're just jealous I'll get to wield guns and not you.
“When the game just came out,” Yao interrupted, “all the characters had the same basic training here before specialising in their desired classes on the continent.” Kiku sent him a good job in private messages. They knew all too well that when their anglophone friends started bickering, it never ended. “Then when the game gained in popularity, they started creating new classes with storylines to diversify gameplay. Pirates are one of these classes.”
Yao jumped on a nearby rock to replenish his health out of harm's reach, while Kiku continued his hunt, taking the occasional potion on the spot. Alfred was still idling on the side.
“But like anything that gets too famous, gameplay and community degraded over time. So Kiku and I created this private server to bring the game back to its former glory.”
[CaptainKirkland] : I'm almost done, guys. What about you?
“One last quest and we'll be able to take the boat to the continent,” Kiku answered.
[CaptainKirkland] : See you there.
This is no game 1b/?
(Anonymous) 2013-11-16 08:25 pm (UTC)(link)Kiku, Yao, and Alfred were waiting on the docks, the boat they had just stepped off of already sailing back to the tiny island in the distance.
“It should be any minute now, Alfred.” Kiku informed.
Yao was counting his money dejectedly. “The trip fee has always been a rip-off. How am I supposed to buy effective knuckles with 70 coins left?”
“Should we have lowered the prices?” Kiku asked pensively.
The American was still muttering. “He's not answering, too. Doesn't he hear us?”
[UFOsighted] : Art what the f*** are you doing?
The scream from Alfred was the most horrified-sounding he had ever let out since the local Mc Donald's had shut down. “Guys! How could you have left the censorship system?!”
Any response was drowned out as a singing voice resounded in their headsets. A very familiar voice.
“Way hay and up she rises, way hay and up she rises early in the morning!”
“Looks like someone fixed his mike,” Yao said, amused.
Arthur jumped from the deck to land in front of the group. His character was wearing ragged beige slacks and a sleeveless vest, a brown bandana loosely tied on his head, and was holding a proudly displayed pistol.
There was an intake of breath and Kiku intervened, knowing exactly who it was from and what he was going to ask. “Alfred, Pirates have their job advancement on their tutorial island. Now that we are Lv.10 and on the continent, we will go through each town to have ours.”
In the outskirts of the harbour, the four players were slowly making their way through a thicket, Yao and Kiku skirting around the walking tree stumps and slime blobs jumping in their way, Arthur firing on any coming too close. Alfred let out a frustrated sigh.
“Why can't we squash them ourselves again?”
“You can only make your job advancement if you are Lv.10,” Yao explained, “if you level up to 11 before, the class instructor will ignore you.”
A little -3 briefly appeared above Alfred's character. “Huh? I didn't touch anything, did I?”
Suddenly, a pebble near his feet grew to the size of a rock in a matter of milliseconds, and began rolling towards him with a sound that would be relevant for a mountain crumbling in on itself.
Alfred's dramatically panicked voice was barely heard over the ruckus : “Art-Arthur! Shoot! Shoot it!”
Arthur took aim, only resulting in an empty click. “I have to recharge!”
Kiku checked Alfred's character profile, saw his experience bar almost full. He made a dash for the creature, quickly followed by Yao. “Alfred, dodge it, if you kill it you will turn 11!”
It was in a pillar of blue light that the live rock was successively hit by the Asians' novice weapons, and finished off by a shot from the Pirate.
After an hesitation, Alfred whispered : “...shit.”
“You leveled up, didn't you?” Yao said with a sigh.
“I only pushed it towards you guys! I didn't know I would get so much experience from an assisted kill- ”
There was an inquisitive silence, Kiku, Yao, and Arthur waiting for an explanation as to why Alfred's character had suddenly vanished from view. The American's exasperated tone soon shed light on the mystery : “I just fell into a... a sort of ravine? And- for fuck's sake, there's a stone golem down here!”
The three players moved to where the leaves had parted on the ground under the character's weight, and peered over the edge to see Alfred's weapon go right through the monster, as though it was made out of an ethereal matter. A miss appeared above the giant. Alfred started running around, followed slowly but menacingly by the rocky behemoth.
And in the real world, sitting before their computers, Yao covering his face with his hand, Kiku clicking his inventory open for potions to throw to the American, Arthur letting go of mouse and keyboard in hysterical laughter, Alfred asking for “Help, you morons” but giggling despite himself, were the last images of the young men before they were engulfed in a blinding white light. A red badge-shaped form flashed before their eyes, and the next second, there was no screen anymore.
Yao's ponytail was blown from his shoulder by a gust of wind, Kiku heard the grass and leaves crack under his feet, Arthur felt the weight of a pistol in his hand, and Alfred's ankle was stinging where a thorny bush had scratched his skin.
The first sound to break the astonished silence was Kiku's soft voice, as he whispered :
“They caught us.”
Notes :
Here is what Arthur was singing : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw
I hope the errors aren't too much of a bother. I iz no englisch and I can't be arsed to find a beta reader.
Sorry Alfred appeared so much in this part. I haven't forgotten OP's request for him to be only a supportive character, it was to explain the fact that he will be pretty much useless now that he can't acquire useful skills.
And in case people are looking for romance, sorry, there won't be any pairings.
OP *o*
(Anonymous) 2013-11-16 10:13 pm (UTC)(link)Don't worry, I did notice a few mistakes but it really didn't bother me. I couldn't even tell that you weren't English (meaning: Even the English-speakers make tons of mistakes). Besides, I iz no english, either, and I never had a beta reader, either.
As for the fill itself: I very much liked it so far! And I think now that they are actually there, it'll get really interesting! (Though I have no clue about computers, unfortunately, so I'll just need to assume that you know what you're doing 'w' )
Let me say, I adore Alfred's username! It just really fits well without being strange!
Also: I know that song! It's so awesome, somehow!
All in all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yNhl8wT3Pc
This is no game 2/?
(Anonymous) 2013-11-26 05:12 pm (UTC)(link)Kiku and Yao turned to look at each other. What now?
The Japanese shifted his gaze towards the Englishman who was, unsurprisingly, wearing a troubled expression. Kiku was thinking about apologising, when he saw a form slowly materialise behind the Pirate.
“Look out!”
The form had taken a human shape when Arthur looked behind him. It was wearing a cap, and a red badge appeared on the front before the whole silhouette evaporated. All that was left in its stead was a piece of paper, which hovered in the air for a second then fluttered to the ground.
Arthur turned back to the Asians, who were making their way towards him. “The renowned Internet Police, huh? I wonder how many people actually saw them.”
Kiku asked the blond if he was okay while Yao picked up the paper. He quickly looked it over before handing it to Kiku. “They are rules.”
“I'm getting tired here, guys.” Alfred's voice rang out again, along with the loud thumps from the golem still giving chase.
As if on cue, a few branches rustled overhead, and an armoured shadow emerged from the leaves, jumping straight into the pit. After a second of surprise the three rushed to the edge again, to see the newly arrived stranger charging the creature.
It was a knight, head entirely masked by a helmet, a white cape and a long tunic covering most of the chainmail, a black cross on each shoulder and one down the front of the cloth. He was gripping a broadsword with both hands, with which he proceeded to, in the most literal sense, sweep the golem off its feet.
The ground shook under its weight, and the knight immediately jumped on it, raising the blade above his head. The monster made to grab his waist with its rocky arms, but the fighter severed both before the stone fingers could reach him.
The pointy metal impaled the creature's head as the chopped off limbs hit the dry earth. The knight paused for a moment, shoulders heaving. Then with a grunt of effort, lifted the skewered head and spun on himself like a discus thrower, to send the rock shattering next to Alfred.
The four observers stayed silent as the dust settled. There was a metallic clang as the knight dropped his helmet, followed by a victorious cry.
Alfred blinked. “Gilbert?”
“That would be me,” he answered, sheathing his sword, then placed his hands on his waist. He looked up to the three elevated onlookers. “What did you think, Kendoka?”
“The techniques are different, but impressive swordsmanship nonetheless, Gilbert.” Kiku appraised.
The warrior began to laugh with pride, but was cut off by Arthur's taunting voice. “You have nothing on King Richard's Crusaders, Teuton!”
“Helfen, Wehren, Heilen, friend!” the German retorted, grin still firmly in place.
Yao let his eyes wander to the nearby trees, until he sighted a vine he deemed long enough. He tugged on it to test its sturdiness, then pushed the loose end over the side of the pit. “Climb up, kids.”
They sat down on the grass a few feet away, in an area that seemed monster-free for now. Kiku took out the Police paper again, summarising as he read :
“Our goal is to reach the maximum level, 100. This is one way to pay our debt and be allowed back in the outside world. The other option is to agree to pay a few millions or possibly go to jail.”
The four listeners instantly blanched. Kiku wondered if he had the same look of terror he was seeing etched on their faces. He certainly didn't feel well.
“Or rather, this is the objective for Yao and I. As the creators of the server, we are responsible for all of you. So even if all players present during the interception were dragged into the game, as long as we both reach Lv.100, we are all set free.”
“But you can only get out of here when we do reach the highest level,” Yao added, and Kiku nodded.
“I, ah... I forgot my helmet in the pit, guys.” Gilbert said, getting to his feet. “I'll be right back.”
He waited for some sort of permission, and only after the four sitting men distractedly muttered their assent did he left.
Kiku continued : “Time in the outside world still goes on normally,” and if they hadn't been pale as snow earlier, this statement drained the remaining colour from their faces, real-life jobs and other responsibilities passing through their minds.
Kiku's voice grew more and more hesitant, as if the paper would spontaneously combust in his hands at any moment. “We will feel any injury we are inflicted, but, in case of death...”
They heard a string of german curses, shouted so loud that had they still been wearing their headsets, the voice would only have been slightly clearer. There was a crumbling noise, then silence. And after a minute, a dejected “Aw, man.”
They were considering going to check up on him when Gilbert resurfaced. Or, that looked like Gilbert, but...
“Do you want the good news or bad news first?”
...he was translucent.
Arthur raised an eyebrow and turned to Kiku, pointing at the ghostly knight. “Is that what happens when-”
“I got my helmet back, but the stupid pile of pebbles respawned in my blind spot, and struck before I had time to say sh-”
“That is what happens, apparently.” Yao confirmed, curiously inspecting the phenomenon.
“Ah well, it was fun while it lasted.” Gilbert sat back down, but there was no clink of metal, no rustling of grass.
“So you can't fight anymore now, you're just... here.” Alfred said, although the uncertainty in his voice made it sound like a question.
“Yeah, I'm as useful as you now.”
“Gilbert,” Kiku rolled the paper, “I know we agreed to all log on at the same time earlier, but isn't there any chance some of us are still outside?”
“I doubt it. Ludwig and I were up there in the Warriors' village together, and Ivan, Francis, and Feliciano launched the game at the same time as us. They must be scattered between the Mages and the Archers' hamlets. And I think that's it. Wait, maybe Antonio made it? I'm not sure.”
Alfred was speaking to himself at the same time, lost in thought. “Hold on, I invited someone too, didn't I? I completely forgot.”
Yao turned to Kiku. “This is going nowhere.”
“Right.” The Japanese picked up the short knife he had placed on the grass at his side, and got up. The rest of the group did the same. “We still have to specialise in our classes to be able to defend ourselves. We'll see who we meet on the way. They must have had the instructions, too.”
As everyone was getting ready, Arthur walked up to Gilbert. “Are you all right, though?”
The German's grin returned full force, and he replied in the best British accent he could manage : “Tis but a scratch!”
The sound of their high-five sent a flock of birds flying into the sky.
Notes :
Kendoka : One who practices Kendo, the Japanese fencing.
King Richard I of England, a.k.a the Lion Heart, led his army into the Third Crusade.
Helfen, Wehren, Heilen : “Help, Defend, Heal” was the motto of the Teutonic Order.
OP
(Anonymous) 2013-11-26 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)Heh, iz German OP :P
It's always strange to see my own language in stories like these.
Still like your choice of usernames.
Also, high-five from me, too, because yay!
author
(Anonymous) 2013-11-27 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)Hi, German OP. I happen to have great respect and admiration for your country.
Thanks for the nice comments, I'm glad you're having fun so far.
This is no game 3/?
(Anonymous) 2014-01-14 12:56 am (UTC)(link)If by any chance someone else is reading this and is interested in the request, please don't hesitate to make a second fill.
I'm sorry again, OP. All the best.
“Why are you even here, anyway?” Alfred inquired, “Weren't you supposed to be training with your brother?”
“I lost at rock-paper-scissors so I was given the glorious task to go buy cheap mana potions from the magicians,” Gilbert answered, inspecting his now unusable sword with transparent fingers.
“A wise decision,” Yao approved.
Arthur didn't look convinced. “How?”
“Their spells require a lot more magic than any of the other classes,” Kiku ducked under a low branch, “so their potions have discounts.”
The path was still being cleared by sporadic gunshots as they went, and when Arthur went out of bullets, he switched to the more elementary technique of kicking the offending beasts out of the way. Alfred soon joined in, swinging snakes in circles above his head before throwing them as far as possible.
The trees soon grew more sparse, and trails of smoke could be seen reaching the clouds.
“Look, we're right next to the Archers.”
The village seemed peaceful and without troubles, the houses so round and disproportionate they looked like mushrooms with doors. Artisans were sitting behind their workbenches outside, crafting arrows or sewing feathers on hats. Cooks could be seen through the windows, but there was no appetising smell to go with the picture. The dwellers were repeating the same motions over and over, befitting their nature of programmed characters.
But there was one whose actions didn't seem as mechanical as those of the surrounding villagers. It was a young man seated on a roof, struggling to attach a string to a curved stick of wood.
His hair was loosely tied back, but one could wonder if it was truly necessary, given the number of blond locks that were falling in his face anyway. It was enough to clear any doubts. Arthur shook his head with a drawn out sigh. “Of all people...”
“Hey, look who it is!” Gilbert shouted happily, and Francis raised his head. His face immediately beamed.
“Welcome, my friends!” he exclaimed, prancing up to the newcomers. “Quite the ghost town, isn't it?” he motioned to the beings who might as well still be pixelated for all the lack of human behaviour they were showing, “even though it appears so lively at first.”
The German set his elbow on his friend's shoulder, who raised his eyebrows at the knight's ghostlike appearance. Gilbert dismissed the silent question with a wave of his hand. “Long story.”
Kiku bowed, Yao shook his hand, Alfred did a friendly salute, and Arthur crossed his arms, amused.
“You look like a mix of Peter Pan and Robin Hood.”
“How unperceptive, Arthur.” He held up the unfinished item, “I'm a bowman! Or soon-to-be. If I could get this thing to work.”
“May I?” Yao asked, carefully taking the work-in-process from the Frenchman's hands.
“Excuse me, Francis,” Kiku politely cut in, “but is there anyone else with you?”
“Ah, yes, Antonio went to do some quests to earn us a little money.”
He looked to Yao's hands, dexterous fingers fiddling with the handiwork. “We can more or less make weapons on our own, but potions are another story. We need to buy them.”
The Chinese snapped the string in place and handed the bow back. Francis smiled gratefully and strapped the weapon to his outfit. “Oh? Back already?”
“Hey guys,” came an ever-cheerful voice.
Antonio waved at them from his location near one of the mushroom houses, where he was extending an armful of fake fruits to a grumpy-looking old woman. He reflected the Frenchman's earlier expression when his eyes fell on Gilbert, his eyebrows shooting up in confusion. The German just chuckled, clearly amused by the situation.
The Spaniard completed the exchange and received the promised money, turning away with a cheerful “thanks”. But no response came, the old lady as alive as the inedible fruits she was holding, blank stare fixed on the horizon.
Antonio threw the money pouch to Francis.
“Ah ha!” Alfred pointed to the shorts and T-shirt the Spaniard was wearing, “condemned to be a permanent beginner, right?”
“Huh?” He looked down to his novice equipment, and scratched his neck in embarrassment. “Oh, yes. I kind of got carried away and, forgot about the specific level requirement...”
Alfred's face brightened and he looked to the others in triumph, as if to say 'see? I'm not the only one.'
Arthur patted his head in mock praise. “That kill assist was still an awfully bad decision on your part, kid.”
Kiku let the various cheerful and annoyed voices fade to the background as he looked up to the sky. The village was orange under the rays of the dying sun, bright artificial red above the habitations. They implemented a day and night cycle, he thought.
“We should find someplace to sleep,” Yao said to him, “it's been a long day.”
“Indeed. But...” He looked back down to the village. “...All the houses aren't programmed to have an interior. If the player isn't supposed to enter them for the storyline...”
“...They're nothing but scenery.” Yao remembered, and cursed under his breath.
“The elves and fairies living up there,” Kiku pointed to a lush green forest of giant trees looming in the distance, “are too hostile to anyone but magicians to accept us amongst them. So the wizards' village is not an option.”
The conversation of the others gradually died down, their attention shifting to the talking Japanese.
Kiku then gestured to what looked like an abandoned town, a cluster of hollowed out buildings in the opposite direction. “The thieves' hideout has its entries concealed so that only the members of their clan can find them.”
“So the warriors' den would be our best bet,” Yao said, turning to the mountains behind which the sun was slowly disappearing. “They do have some open tepees we could sleep under.”
“But they're so far,” Francis observed.
“And elevated,” Antonio added.
“And nine times out of ten you have to offer something to the elders so that they grant you permission to use them,” Gilbert concluded.
The informations were welcomed with a collective sigh. And shivers.
“Of course they would think of decreasing the temperature during the night but not make the torches or fireplaces emit any kind of heat.” Alfred sulked, trying to rub the cold out of his arms. The sky was now dark blue, their only source of light coming from the windows of the surrounding fake houses.
Kiku considered their options. Gilbert had said that the others were either warriors, archers, or magicians. He would have to become a thief to balance the group's abilities. Thankfully, the hideout was the closest to where they were right now, but he couldn't drag everyone with him there. They had to move fast. He looked at the money pouch the Frenchman was holding : it was taking the entirety of his open palm, some coins even slipping between his fingers, giving the pouch a droopy form. There should be enough for what they had to do for now.
“All right.” Kiku decided, “Here's what we are going to do.”
The group turned their attention to him. “Use the money to buy a teleporting scroll, then as much potions as you can with the rest. You will use the scroll to get to the outskirts of the magicians' village ; it will spare you the climb up the trees. You should be close enough to spot Ivan and Feliciano, but out of reach of the elves and fairies so that they don't throw you out.”
Arthur estimated the height from the hut-looking habitations protruding from the giant tree trunks to the ground. It would be quite a fall.
“I believe it is safe to assume that they already acquired some of their basic skills, by now. So once you are reunited with them, they should be able to teleport all of you to Ludwig at the warriors' den with a simple spell.”
“Without having to buy a second scroll,” Yao nodded in understanding, “nor scaling the heights.”
“Exactly.”
“Right. I'll take care of the transactions.” Francis said, taking the bundle of money to the nearest store.
Yao turned to Kiku again. “What about you?”
“When I'm done with my job advancement, I'll meet you up there.”
“Hold on,” the Chinese's eyes narrowed in disapproval, “You're not planning on going alone, are you?”
“We have no choice. We need to go to each town to round up everyone, and you have your own test to take at the Warriors'. Now that we can't refer to a map at the top of the screen anymore, the only ones that know the game well enough to not get lost are you and me. You need to go with them.”
“Wouldn't it be better to just stay together?” Alfred suggested, still shaking from head to toes, “Like in horror movies, you know? It just screw things up when they separate.”
“It's not necessary,” Kiku assured, holding up his hands and shaking his head. He would hate to be a bother to anyone. “The town is really close, I can reach it in ten minutes. And I have enough spoils from our way here to buy a scroll to join you after the test, too. It will all be over in half an hour, at most.”
Yao couldn't seem to find any flaws in the plan but still hesitated. Alfred, Antonio, and Gilbert wouldn't be of any help, he himself didn't have any power yet, and he did have to lead the way. Francis hadn't used his weapon even once yet, so maybe Arthur?
The Englishman offered : “I could go with you?”
“Thank you. But it will be faster like this.” Kiku squinted to differentiate their faces in the faint light, “And we have already lost enough time as it is.”
“We are ready, gentlemen.” Francis jogged back to them, presenting a rolled up parchment in one hand, and several belt pouches in the other. “I figured it would be easier like this, instead of having one bag for all of us.”
They took a minute to put on the new piece of equipment and distribute the potions between the seven of them. Francis unrolled the parchment, revealing a long list of locations, and held it in the middle of the group. After an instruction from Yao, everyone reached out to hold the edge between two fingers. Except Kiku, who was standing a little to the side.
“Be careful.” Yao looked to the scroll, frowning with lingering reluctance, then put the tip of his forefinger on their destination. The parchment immediately illuminated.
Kiku smiled reassuringly: “You as well.”
He barely heard his companions' encouragements -“Good luck, man”, “See you in a few”- before they were engulfed in a small whirlwind of light.
The next second, Kiku saw the same flash (albeit the size of a speck of dust in the distance) in one of the tall trees of the wizards' forest.
This is no game 4/?
(Anonymous) 2014-01-14 12:57 am (UTC)(link)He gave the entirety of his inventory to the merchant in exchange for a teleporting scroll, which he then put in his pouch next to the Police paper.
It took him more time than he would have liked to find his intended target, so when he caught sight of the dangling sign of the dilapidated bar, he allowed himself to kick down the rusty door, effectively taking it off the last hinge it had been attached to. Not really stealthy for a future thief, he thought, but the town really was deserted, and there was only so much pent-up annoyance he could bear.
He made a beeline for the back door, already berating himself for not keeping his composure. It revealed a ladder, which Kiku climbed down without hesitation, knowing full well what was awaiting him. He arrived in a simple square room, completely empty except for the shadow hanging from the ceiling. There was no light here, either, but the silhouette was somehow darker than the rest of the room, so it was possible to spot it in the obscurity.
So... I can't click it to initiate the conversation, so what do I say? Does it even talk?
The thieves' instructor looked like either a human-sized bat or a human in a good disguise, as it was draped in its wings (cape?) and constantly upside down.
It opened its eyes, two red slits in the darkness. The minuscule black pupils looked Kiku up and down.
The Japanese stayed still, assuming it was the equivalent of the game checking if a character was meeting all the requirements needed to advance further.
The instructor closed its eyes after a moment, and Kiku barely had time to jump on the ladder before the floor was covered in dozens of creatures, moving wildly and stepping over one another.
They had the appearance of lizards but the size of small crocodiles, and only one eye, big, round, and unblinking on their foreheads.
Kiku hung from the ladder, one hand on the rope and the other in a defensive stance, short knife at the ready. Soon enough one of the reptiles jumped, and the Japanese stabbed it right in the eye.
The mutilated creature fell, but instead of vanishing like it did in the game, it got back up and disappeared among the countless others.
So they have weak points, now. It's not a matter of simply hitting enemies until their health bar is empty. But where is theirs if it's not the obvious eye in the middle of their faces?
Another creature jumped, and this time Kiku went for the neck. The decapitated head disappeared and immediately grew back on the body, but as the regenerated monster fell down, Kiku found what he was looking for : a second eye on their stomach.
Confident in his discovery, the young man took a potion from his pouch, readjusted his grip on the short knife, and jumped in the middle of the swarming reptilian heap.
Meanwhile...
“Look, Feliciano! Everyone came to see us!”
“How nice!”
“What are they saying, I wonder?”
“I don't know. But they look a little scared, wouldn't you say, Ivan?”
“Hm, but they're waving at us. They must be trying to say hello.”
“I don't know, they look really, really scared. Terrified, even.”
“Oh no, look, they're just playing tag with the fairies.”
“But the elves are throwing energy bolts at them! Maybe we should, uh...”
“Ah, here they come. Hello!”
“You two teleport us to the mountains! Hurry!”
The last of the creatures evaporated under Kiku's blade, and the room was back to normal, empty and silent, except for the exhausted Japanese trying to catch his breath.
Now that he had passed the test, the last step was the offering. Any item did the trick, and since he had gotten rid of everything to buy the teleporting scroll, he figured he could give the Police paper. They had already read the rules so it would be more cumbersome than useful to keep it.
He reached in his pouch and took out the rolled parchment, extending it to the instructor. The red eyes appeared again, and looked him over. When they closed, the paper disappeared from Kiku's hand and he found himself wearing a 'historically inaccurate but famous in popular culture' ninja outfit. The short knife was gone, and in its stead Kiku saw a brand new dagger in his closed hand.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and reached in his pouch again for the teleporting scroll. He would have loved to fall asleep right then and there, but he had a promise to keep.
He unrolled the parchment, but something was wrong. Before jumping to conclusions, he made his way up the ladder and out of the bar to find some semblance of light. When he looked at the parchment again, he didn't see a list of locations, but a familiar text with a red badge in the corner.
He had given away his teleporting scroll.
He tried to empty his pouch and even went back to the bar, searched every nook and cranny of the dark room, but found nothing.
The way up the mountains would be very long.
As far back as he could remember, Kiku had always dreamed of being on the other side of the screen. Now that he had his wish, he was too tired to enjoy it.
The mountains were extremely steep, and he spent more time scaling them than simply walking. Thankfully, his agility had been enhanced by his now official status of thief, and he tried to use his skills sparingly: jump a little higher there, reach farther here. If he ever went out of mana, he wouldn't be able to free one of his hands to grab a potion without falling.
He was beginning to feel the difference from when he was practising martial arts on a regular basis. First it had been hand-to-thand combat with Yao during his childhood, and then Kendo, which had stolen his heart and most of his time until adulthood reared its ugly head.
His job had then imposed itself on his life, leaving little time for anything else. He loved being a programmer, but sitting behind his computer all day and only standing up to go to sleep had physically weakened him. Now was the inappropriate time it was showing.
When he almost slipped for the second time, he decided it would be too dangerous to go on. He hoisted himself up on a somewhat flat rock, just big enough for him to sit against the rocky wall.
The abandoned town below looked the size of one of those Rubik's Cubes Yao used to spend all his time on. Kiku was sure that he could have reached the Warriors above in just a few more minutes, if his whole body hadn't been trembling with exhaustion.
The night was slowly coming to an end, the dark sky fading to blue. He knew that he was already several hours late, and that it would be worse if he fell asleep now. The others would probably wonder what happened to him when the morning came with no sign of him.
But for now he would simply stay here until his body was able to move again. He knew trouble would come later, but for now, as he wiped the sweat off his brow, he realised that all the worry, caution, and stress that had accumulated up until now were gone. He felt this momentary peace of mind brought on by intensive workouts, the same he used to have after his sessions in the dojo.
Kiku couldn't help but smile. He felt great.
OP
(Anonymous) 2014-03-13 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)