truckreincarnation

[truckreincarnation]

Landslide | Frank Epilogue

It's a few years after the ritual concluded, on the outskirts of Last Haven. Twilight creeps through the sky, lit just enough to see the silhouette of a storm forming. The few people awake down below see this, and prepare for a dreary day ahead - that is until they hear something from up above. It brings a small smile to their faces, as it does most mornings the witch makes her rounds. If you look you can even see her - the sleek, black shadow darting and circling the hamlet. But even if you can't make her out, those who are listening can hear her sing. She can always reach her audience.

"I come home, in the morning light." The voice croons, clear as a bell through the peals of distant thunder. "My mother says 'When you gonna live your life right?' Oh momma dear, we're not the fortunate ones…" The few Incarnates among the early risers shake their head; hell of a song to start the day on. But the peppy, catchy 80's synth and guitar that trails behind her is infectious - it makes you want to sing along, even.

"And girls just wanna have fu~uun…" Frank croons, twirling in mid-air as she makes her laps over the hamlet. "Ohhhh girls just wanna have fun~!"

Frank swoops back into his home through the big, round open window in his bedroom, shoving it shut with his wing before walking back over to his vanity and plucking one of the chokers off of it with his tail. In a moment his more bestial additions fade away, leaving him a relatively normal looking human with long nails. Or a perfectly normal looking half-elf, judging by the ears. Part of his complex routine of getting ready in the mornings.

A big part of that routine being his "morning laps" - swinging around the nearby neighborhood and plucking a song from someone so he could get his Domain out of his system for a little while. Otherwise he had a tendency to lose control and burst into song during meetings, and he didn't need Harriet getting on his ass again for freaking her out.

Anyways. All-human choker on so he could take a shower and get dressed easily. Then one of the partially-transformed chokers depending on what he needed for the day - and for all that he had to do today, he opted for the one that let him retain his horns and wings. Complicated bit of magic juggling all three, but Germain was a good (and patient) teacher and Frank was eager to learn it. He could do these seals himself now, if need be. And he has, on occassion.

Somehow, some of the people in town found out where he lived. Rumors liked to spread - and Frank begrudgingly picked up a reputation as a "powerful witch" who could help those in need. He did do his best - a lot of times it was a Bound trying to get some help and comfort when reintegrating with society wasn't going so hot, or people whose Domains were wreaking havoc with their lives. He pulled strings, wrote seals, offered a roof over their heads - whatever he could do. Even if that meant having to go all mama harpy on some asshole who wouldn't leave well enough alone.

Frank slipped on an off-the-shoulder sweater that should give him just enough room for his wings to poke out when he changed seals - courtesy of Esmee, of course, and her fantastic sense of fashion. More than eager to swap clothes with Frank or take him shopping (and push him to buy cute outfits)…

…Frank takes a look in his mirror for a second. Looks down at his hands, opens and closes them. "…This is me." He says quietly. "These are my hands. This is my body. I'm…" He takes in a breath and lets it out as best as he can. "…I'm okay. I'm alright."

Frank nods to himself - he was fine. And he needed to get a move on if he wanted to get out of here on time. There was a huge meeting this morning about re-establishing certain connections the previous kingdom had maintained; sometime after that he wanted to check in with Perry to see how the team he'd sent over was doing (and also how she was doing, not that he'd make that obvious). Speaking of checking in on people, Manami (or "Mana" anyways) reached out about some project she wanted his help with. Though he was already sectioning off a couple extra hours in case this was just a ruse for some dumbass prank she was planning.

And that was on top of his monthly rounds to the local job sites, dinner that night with Bian and Nao (and the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloins he was fixing to make) - there wasn't enough hours in the day!

And yet as Frank climbs up on his window one more time to fly into town, he can't help but smile. He was miserable in his old life. Convinced no one wanted him and would leave sooner or later. Not anymore. He had friends, he had people he cared about - and who cared about him in turn. Whatever he had to do to keep these people close, he'd do it with bells on.

Bells, huh? Frank starts humming a little tune as she leaps into the air, chimes ringing out around her as she lets out a pleased little chirp.

Love was something Frank was… unprepared for, in a lot of ways.

He held love in his heart for his friends, for the people he considered family - but had wholly given up on romantic pursuits. Not in a nihilistic way - just, it was for the best. He had a second (or third) life to live, he didn't need to care about finding someone for him. Wasn't that always how it seemed to go?

He'd been dragged on a few dates - set up either by Bian and the others OR by his new friends in the unions. Enough dates to make him realize how awkward he was - what the hell did Ursula see in him all those years ago?

Of course, he realized that what brought the two of them together back then was the fact that they were already friends - best friends at that. They got each other on a level that few could understand. A level Frank thought he'd never reach with another person.

Which brought him back to the here and now, a year or two later. Last Haven was in good hands, and he had found worthy successors to take up his work on the Council. He'd done what he'd wanted - made a place he could always come back to, that would always feel like home. With that done, it was time to do something he'd always wanted to since he was a disillusioned punk with a chip on her shoulder.

He wanted to see the world. Shin was more than happy to oblige.

He'd been doing the travelling mercenary bit for years at this point - as did Esmee, Luz, Germain, Yuliya and the handful of them that cycled in and out of being at his side between the other responsibilities they took on.

Now it was Frank's turn, and he was more than excited. Whenever Shin and his crew came back to town he always insisted they all stay at his cabin, Frank making food for them and asking Shin for stories of what they did and saw. Adventure, travel - it's what every 60-ish year old who could pass for half that would want out of a retirement.

So of course, when Frank found himself falling in love he was completely blindsided.

It was slow, and gradual. He didn't even know what it was at first - just found himself… longing for more one day. His thoughts consumed, his heart full to bursting. A feeling he hadn't felt for a long, long time. Frank was careful to take it slow this time though. He had been burned before and didn't want to rush into anything.

His concerns were reciprocated - with patience, with kindness, and above all with eagerness. Waiting was fun in its own right, and the two of them had all the time in the world.

Eventually, Frank would stop wearing a choker - that became an arm band instead - as something much more precious now hung around his neck. A simple chain, bearing a simple ring. But it was everything to him. It was a promise that no matter where they went, they would always have a home in each other.

Always. Always always always.

It's many, many, many years in the future. The world is so much more different than it used to be.

There's a cabin in the woods that is overgrown and mossy, unable to be opened.

A plaque rests outside the door to the local Union hall, dedicated to a former sitting Councilwoman who helped steer the fledgling city-state in a better, fairer direction.

Kids still talk about a witch who lives in the woods, who commands a beast that will drag naughty kids away and turn them into birds as well.

And walking into town in a girl. Maybe no more than twenty, twenty-five or so? She wears a trendy little outfit, her long orange hair tied back in twin braids as she hums to herself a little song.

She wears a black band on one arm - that was important. She wasn't supposed to remove that for… for some reason. She couldn't quite remember. But that's okay! Who needed memories when you had a song in your heart and feet on the ground, right?

There's a necklace around her neck - a simple chain that carries two things. A weathered old ring, tarnished over time, and a small charm. If you look very closely it glows a faint blue. She wasn't supposed to take that off either, also for reasons she couldn't remember! Maybe it was something her mom told her? Her… mom…

The girl's head fills with static for a moment, the Music running through her head cutting out for a moment as her breathing starts to hitch a little bit. She hated these spells - why couldn't she remember anything? Why why why why-

"H-Harriet, Luz, Manami, Nao…"

She forces the words out. Where this song came from, she wasn't sure (why why why) but it was burned into her mind at least. It made her feel… calm. Safe. Like everything would be okay.

"Avery, Perry, Vee and Vivi…"

Breathe - just breathe. She was okay! She was alright. It wasn't so much a song as a list of names sung to a simple tune - almost like a nursery rhyme. But it never failed to keep her grounded.

She goes through the rest of the names, one by one until she calms down again. She came here for a very specific purpose after all and it would suck ass if she had a panic attack on the way there! The girl continues down the street until she reaches a tavern where members of the Mercenary's Guild operated out of. She walks up to a gruff looking man behind a gated desk.

"What can I do for you, miss? Need to put up a posting?"

The girl shakes her head. "I need to join the guild! I have some work I need to do… I think!"

The gruff man lets out a guffaw. Another strange one. "Alright then, what's your name?"

The girl… has to think. That too was lost to her, but that was okay - she liked coming up with new names! None of the ones from her song though (it always felt like there were a few missing anyways that she couldn't remember), but she thought about it for a second. What did that plaque she saw before say?

"…Frankie! My name is Frankie."

#frank #epilogue #submission

[truckreincarnation]

I'm Not Your Hero | Harriet Epilogue

For much of her time in the ritual, Harriet’s plan had simply been to do what she was required to do: kill the Demon King, then get the hell out. Things changed after her execution, and continued to change rapidly, until she began to believe that there wasn’t any hope for a peaceful resolution. So the way the war ended— not with a battle to the death as she’d expected, but a firm handshake— left her both pleasantly surprised, and at a complete loss for what to do next. She'd need some time to sort out her feelings and what to do with herself in this new era of peace.

On the plus side, Felyn was safely released from the Demon King’s clutches. This whole time Harriet had been nervous about finally meeting her, but as it turned out, Felyn was just as kind as Harriet had been led to believe. She praised Yukino on managing to get a girlfriend during their time apart, calling Harriet a good catch (huh?) and complimenting her fur (what?). When it came time for Yukino to finally confess her feelings to Felyn, Harriet stood by to offer moral support. And, thankfully, Felyn reciprocated. Yukino had two hands, and now she had two girlfriends. As far as Harriet and Felyn’s relationship went, they never became anything more than close friends, but they were both very committed to giving their mutual girlfriend all the love and support she deserved.

After returning to Last Haven and taking some time to settle in with her girlfriend and metamour in their shared home, it was time for Harriet to decide just how much she wanted to involve herself in the new government. Policy advisor wasn’t a position she ever thought she would willingly accept. She wasn’t very knowledgeable about civics or politics, which combined with her impulsivity made her quick to suggest less-than-ideal courses of action. Still, she wanted to help in whatever way she could, even if it was just providing moral support for her more proficient friends. The job helped provide a bit of framework as she adjusted to life after the ritual and gave her reason to try and connect with the people of Last Haven and the greater Arisen Kingdom.

When out in public Harriet made regular use of the runes that hid her true appearance, so as to not risk intimidating anyone who still held biases towards the Bound. Unsurprisingly the average layperson was generally more willing to talk to an ordinary-looking girl than a wolpertinger covered in chains. Or at least, that was her excuse. Despite repeated reassurances from her friends, Harriet still felt a deep distaste towards her appearance. The runes provided an easy way to avoid confronting her discomfort; she didn’t have to think about the way she looked if she could simply make herself look like she did in her old life. Even as Bound became more accepted by the general public, she refused to step foot outside without wearing the runes under her clothes.

With no threat of war or imminent death to worry about, Harriet was able to devote much of her free time to finishing her comic, Rabbit Heart. As she worked tirelessly on her passion project, the story began to take on a different shape than the one she’d conceived years ago. Like she’d done back in high school, she used her comic as a way to process the rage, guilt, and sorrow she still carried months and even years after the ritual's end. She poured her heart into her work and ultimately crafted a story about a lonely girl whose fear led her to hurt the people she cared about, and how she gradually found the strength to move forward and make amends for the pain she’d caused. And at the end of the comic, Florence– now fully transformed into a monstrous bipedal rabbit– realized that she still had friends who loved her and cared for her in spite of the mistakes she’d made. As long as she had people who believed in her, she could believe in herself, too.

It took three years of almost daily work for Harriet to complete Rabbit Heart. During that time she gradually began to wear the runes less frequently, and by the time she was finished she stopped wearing them altogether. Once it was finished and properly published, she made sure that each of her friends received a free (autographed!) copy. The back of the book contained a lengthy acknowledgements page thanking her friends for their constant support. And on the first page, there was a simple dedication: “For Joules, for always believing in me.” Even if they would never be able to read it, it felt fitting to honor them in this way. Rabbit Heart became the first of many books in her cartooning career, and overtime Harriet “Lapin” Lazuli became a well-known and beloved (if somewhat reclusive) artist admired the world over.

By the time she had completed Rabbit Heart, Last Haven’s government was functioning smoothly, and most of her friends had stepped away from their roles to pursue their own interests. In contrast, Harriet never fully stepped down from her advisor role. As she put it, someone had to make sure Frank didn’t fuck things up somehow. This may have just been an excuse to have a reason to hang out with Frank more. But even with her position with the government, she’d still find the time to travel and explore the world. She made regular visits to Perry’s settlement in Tal’nula to catch up with everyone there, and occasionally joined up with Shin’s mercenary group to offer her unparalleled strength when it was necessary. The sight of a red-eyed wolpertinger wielding a massive gleaming sword was enough to strike fear into the hearts of many a brigand, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Over time, Harriet was able to overcome her feelings of betrayal and distrust towards Manami and Germain and forgive them for their roles in the ritual. Harriet and Manami (well, Mana and Nami) worked together to create KANOJOSORE, which proved to be an incredibly fulfilling collaboration and the first of many. And when Germain picked up writing again, Harriet was more than happy to provide cover art for their books. Even if visiting Hivemount always felt awkward to her, it was worth the trip to see two of her closest friends.

Throughout all this, Vee remained Harriet’s best friend, her confidant, and her closest family. They had always been there for her in her darkest moments, and she did her best to always be there for them in return. Her place with Felyn and Yukino had a sizable spare room, so that Vee would always have somewhere to come home to whenever they returned from their worldly wanderings. Sometimes she’d join them on their adventures, eager to see the places they’d discovered and meet any new friends they’d made. Though their relationship never became anything more than platonic, it went without saying that after Yukino, Vee was the most important person in her life.

Progressions were extremely rare for Harriet, thanks to living with the foremost Bound researcher in the world. But that didn’t mean they never happened, especially during the times when she was far away from home. Over the course of decades she gained bigger antlers, larger wings, shaggier fur, sharper claws and longer fangs– all changes that would have mortified her in the past, but didn’t bother her nearly as much now. The wings in particular were a delightful addition, as now she was able to join Yukino in flight. As far as she was concerned, this was a gift. Despite her progressions, Harriet maintained a powerful hold on her sense of self– either through her Domain, or her own stubbornness, or possibly both.

In her old life, Harriet didn't think she had much of a future. This belief carried over into the ritual, and persisted even after the war ended. She'd felt lost, aimless, extremely unsure of herself. But now, somehow, she had the life that she'd always wanted: a life full of friends and romance and boundless creativity, where she could share her passionate heart with the world without any fear. This life wasn't exactly the way she'd imagined it would be, of course, but it was hers, and she refused to ever give it up. As Germain had once told her, it’s hard to be lost when someone’s found her already. And with her friends close by and Yukino at her side, she was certain that she’d never be lost again.

#Harriet #epilogue #submission

[truckreincarnation]

New Game Plus | Manami Epilogue

On days like today, someone like Manami… should probably be burning in hell.

Even if it hadn’t come to pass, she was still fully complicit in and ready to aid the destruction of an entire capital city. But, with tensions mellowing and a new age of peace flourishing, she too had cooled down on her general villainy and had mostly become a personal nuisance at her worst. In fact, once she was settled back in Hivemount, she’d gotten to work on establishing a rudimentary Stone Network as part of her diplomacy efforts. It would start as direct calling lines between the most major cities and settlements willing to accept them at first, like New Last Haven and Perry’s Place. She would take advantage of this to call Frank and Perry and whoever else for “”testing purposes”” as often as possible. But as the years, decades, centuries went by, her efforts to Bring Back Phones And Also The Internet As Most Of Them Knew It would continue and, eventually, bear some sort of fruit. Magitech might not have worked quite like in her animes, but Manami was surprisingly damn resourceful when she wanted to be. And nothing if not dreadfully determined. Her Desire domain corrupting into something that compelled her to assert her will more and more forcefully was… a mixed bag, in that it was at least a good vehicle for positive change. When she could channel it productively.

The Demon King was understandably deeply reluctant to give her any more of a direct line to him than she already had through her Domains, although with him being a lot less evil… eventually, her link to what she desired most in the world would shift away from him. She would remain devoted to the success and prosperity of Demon King’s lands, but even she wasn’t quite sure when it stopped being entirely about pleasing her king. She just… Desired a more fun world, she surmised. It was a massive undertaking - just negotiating the necessary magical infrastructure with the rest of the continent would have been almost a century’s worth of work by herself. Having Frank’s support made it much easier in the newly anointed Arisen Kingdom, at least, and it wasn't like the other countries were keen to fall behind on the latest magitechnological developments.

As for her progressions over time, well…

Mana(mi), the reddish Love Bug, had ghostly outlines of her face and limbs out of sync with her movements. It was more ethereal than it was unsettling, once one had a moment to get used to it. Her edges were more rounded, wings adopting a softer heart-shaped silhouette. She wore her heart on her sleeve - her body was now overlaid with a sprawling pattern mapping out her veins. It was a more subtle look, easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it or looking at her directly, but it did bring everything back to her heart in the end.

(Ma)Nami, the bluish Game Breaking Bug, looked more and more like something that crawled out of a video-game corruption. Her eyes took on an almost LED screen-like appearance, shifting from red to black and her pupils forever defaulting to little red pixel hearts (but changing shapes as they reflected her emotions better than ever before.) Where there was subtle sprawling vein pattern on Mana was a striking, disjointed set of bright red and blue and black circuit board patterns that snaked up Nami's limbs and across her angular, glitchy wings.

On top of the existing issues with her Glitch domain that you were all more familiar with, she was… kind of scary to look at. One could be forgiven if they mistook her for a Lost Bound at first glance. While Manami herself was never shy about this development, the Mana body handled most of her diplomatic work. She was pretty excited to show off all of her other new changes to everyone else, but she got a particular kick out of dropping in on Bian and Nao with her new creepypasta-ass look. It was fun! It was funny!

Being in two places at once was actually quite helpful in stalling any further progressions. A lot of her stress had come from all the responsibility she’d taken on in this world, and eight hands were significantly better at managing it than four. Her proximity and surprising… friendship…? with Germain after all was said and done was another positive. They’d been at this for a lot longer than she was without losing themself, and it turned out that having a healthy outlet for her more aggressive urges when they arose was a pretty major benefit. Even when she had the time to make it technically two-on-one, it still took her countless tries to actually beat them in a spar.

Quite excitingly, though, after some slow but steady amends were made and well before The New Internet… she would ultimately get that collaboration with Harriet. KANOJOSORE would release in the format of a set of Choose Your Own Adventure books, a spiritual sequel to her beloved KARESHINPAI full to the brim with beautiful, spooky women for the reader to kiss and/or be killed by. It was better than a dream come true, being able to have that kind of rich, creative relationship with someone again. Manami had come to realize that even in the ritual, she’d been undervaluing non-romantic relationships as a source of love and fulfillment. While she'd still seek that sort of love to little success wherever she went, she felt a renewed sense of gratitude for the friendships she'd formed during her time on this Eart.

She tried to keep up with Shin’s group as best she could, always nosy about their latest adventures. Mercenary work was fucking cool, and it was comprised of some people she considered very good friends of hers. When the occasion and opportunity arose, she would gladly get into a little trouble with any of them. Esmée and Luz particularly - she’d gotten into all sorts of mischief with them before, and saw no need for that to change. With her newfound Recursive Mimic Duplication Mastery, she re-resolved to solve the ultimate mystery of how many targets Shin could hit with only one punch.

Ultimately, she would at least try to stay in touch with everyone. She did keep her magic journal, and she had her bird, Oowashi, that she'd gotten from Luz. Whether anyone responded in kind was up to them, but everyone would get at least occasional check-ins from her even without responses. She was just so busy she barely noticed the time flying by as she worked tirelessly towards creating the New Internet, towards re-introducing her beloved craft to the continent - and maybe eventually the world - at large.

She barely noticed some of her friends getting worse.

Perry’s decision to be unsummoned was one she respected. It couldn’t have been an easy choice to make, but at least it had been just that this time - a choice. It was a devastating loss, and her constantly elevated emotional responses made it difficult to handle, but knowing that it had been her decision made it… a little easier, at least. If there was any sort of service or ceremony or celebration of life, she was absolutely in attendance. She would check in on Esmée and Yuliya a little more often after that, pay Perry’s settlement as many in-person visits as she could manage. She would try to be a little more like her in all the ways she respected. If anyone else were to make the decision to leave for their original afterlife, she would strive to carry a part of them with her too.

She had always been a bit of a completionist like that. She never liked leaving things unfinished, and to that end - she finally found some closure with Pixel Heart. A version of the musical leitmotif Kotone had identified as her favourite became the default ringtone, or ‘call sound,’ as the cellstone network developed. With what it would mean for her immortal soul, she’d already never wanted to see Kotone again. She never would now, with Incarnate summoning as a lost, forbidden art. She’d been an important person to Manami for as long as they’d known each other. It only seemed right to honour her in some way.

But all of that is in the future.

Today, it's a beautiful day outside.

Birds are singing, flowers are blooming.

On days like this, people like Manami were thriving. She had a lot of business to attend to in Last Haven, and a brilliant idea she wanted to pitch to Frank. She was pretty sure she’d hit on something that would revolutionize the way this world communicated - and if he didn’t mind helping her out with it, she'd like to test some of the basic infrastructure between Hivemount and Last Haven.

#Manami #epilogue #submission

[truckreincarnation]

Luxury Spoon || Perry Epilogue

And so, Perry chose to negotiate. It was a difficult decision, and she struggled with deciding all of the details. She knew that when it came to negotiating, she wouldn’t be of much help verbally. The best she could do was act as an anti-violence mediator, protecting both sides from being injured to the best of her abilities. As much as she sympathized with the Demon King’s cause, erasing a bunch of innocents was hardly something she was ok with.

Being offered some kind of leadership or advisor position, though? Dear god, no. Perry wanted nothing to do with that in the slightest. Even if Calamity was under a different name, a different banner, Perry wanted nothing to do with the land. It had been… a MISFORTUNE even knowing it.

Though Yuliya and Esmee had opted to stay to advise, Perry kissed them both a temporary goodbye, accepting some of Yuliya’s links and stealing away a series of valuable crystals from the husk that was once Amber, and set out for her personal final destination: Tal’nula.

With Alvarie’s help, Perry worked to establish a settlement nearby Alvarie’s hometown: A place with room for a ranch, and plenty of houses for people to settle down as they wanted. Using the money she’d acquired from Yuliya and the selling of the gems (she was scammed on the price a few times at first, not knowing the value of things. Alvarie quickly stepped in to help her understand the economy), Perry hired on an entire crew of contractors, starting with her own home and the barn for Yuliya’s eventual ranch.

During her time separated from her girlfriends for this project, she kept in daily, long-distance contact with them via the Bonds telepathy network AND through exchanged physical love letters. However, contact is extended to far more than just them, as she used the journal, letters, and telepathy where possible with Shin, Avery, Frank, and Manami. She also continued to speak in the journal to give building updates.

Funnily enough, though, Perry found herself communicating with Frank for advice on building up the settlement, which he gladly does, joking that if she chose the outskirts of town she’d be accused of being a witch. Well oops!! Still, with Frank’s help in hiring other contractors, the work was finished at a steady rate, including a nice fountain in the center of town made by Frank themself!

As people began to wrap up their work repairing Calamity’s government, Perry passed on the news of the settlement’s progress. Soon enough, both Esmee and Yuliya also moved in, as the three began to share a singular home, with the barn and ranching area fully available to Yuliya. Of course, though, they had in-and-out visitors in the form of Avery, Shin, and Alvarie (the latter of which was still actively flirting with all three home residents) whenever they were in town.

Though the entire completion of the area took Perry about four years to complete in full.

As the contractors left the area, Perry took multiple months to rest after the project, before jumping out into the world by taking part in Shin’s mercenary group, spending a large amount of her time with Esmee here, and sometimes bringing Yuliya along as well! While she dropped in and out depending on the needs of her life at any point in time, roughly six years after he time with the Shin’s team, Perry managed to reach level 5 with the Harvest domain! Where many others could make this journey nigh immediately, it took Perry 10 years of being in this world to make the achievement required to seek out the Harvest domain guardian.

While accompanied by Shin for the trip to find the guardian, Perry came across them to receive her quest in exchange for a blessing. The goal? To find a village that was dying out, be it by poor birth rate, low crop yield, disease, or something of the sort. From there she was tasked to find a way to revive the village by whichever means deemed necessary. What?? What??? Alvarie just needed to FIGHT her guardian, this was going to take like a whole year! Perry pouted about it, but didn’t back down from the challenge.

During that year of work, it wasn’t uncommon for Avery to stop by and offer aid where she needed it, allowing them to spend precious free time hanging out, as well. During a period where she was working alone, she progressed from the stress and took on a full centaur form.

Eventually, upon the completion of her task, she received her blessing in the form of the ability to permanently store a select amount of compliments that she had the ability to apply to herself at a time in which she needed it. To go over that select amount, she’d have to remove another stored trait, much like save files in a video game.

Returning home as a centaur was certainly awkward with Dimitri present and the horse ranch as a whole, especially with Perry herself now being fully rideable as a battle mount as well. It took her some getting used to, both in life and in her relationship, but after enough time had passed, she’d settled down into the new form.

Things for Perry were rather cyclical after that: Manage the settlement, hang out with friends, date her girlfriends, go out on mercenary work. She steadily grew stronger and stronger over the years, as well, eventually unlocking her own second domain by her 23rd year in this world: Passion. These powers for her largely manifested in the form of the ability to rally and encourage others to take risks for their own and others’ benefits, to stand up for themselves, and to find the things they enjoyed the most in life (with the added benefit of Perry being granted aid in the ability to tell when others were lying about their feelings).

And this worked out, for the most part, wonderfully for her. Over the years, she’d managed to mature as a person and mellow out, largely in part due to her bound curse and occasional stress-related progressions. The speed at which she’d progressed had overall slowed massively compared to when she was in the ritual. But even during the progressions she did have, it seemed like they were limited to her Harvest domain exclusively, the Passion domain remaining uncorrupted.

That is… until it wasn’t anymore. 42 years into her time in the world, while she was out on a regular mercenary trip with Shin’s group, she’d made the bright idea to temporarily split up with the group to gather resources for a meal. Not all things could be controlled, of course, as she came face-to-face with a lost bound more powerful than what she could handle on her own. For the first time since her death in the game, Perry died.

It took her a month to regenerate this time, leaving her loved ones in the dark as to when she’d return. But when she came back… There was new corruption coursing through her body. Her Passion domain that’d once been a great boon to her also became a vice. She had an uncontrollable rage within her core, only narrowly held back by her Harvest need to please those around her. Her form had twisted into something no longer recognizable as human. She now came with an aura that spread her deep-rooted anger to anyone around her. And… She was on the edge of becoming lost.

With what minimal rationality she had remaining within her, she made the decision to be unsummoned and return to her peace in death. 65 years old was much older than she’d originally been granted, after all… Perhaps there was a success in that, even through the tearful goodbyes she had to give to her girlfriends, to her friends, and her new family. Still… It was time to go. Nothing lasts forever.

And at 65, Perry’s soul returned to the aether, back in its restful state of death. Where her soul would remain for the rest of eternity.

#Perry #epilogue #submission

[truckreincarnation]

From a Nation’s Ashes || World State

With no nobles left to vie for power, the civil war was snuffed out unceremoniously. In the place of the monarchy, a council of several leaders informed by dozens of qualified advisors shouldered the task of governing Last Haven. The First Council was largely assembled from whoever was present in the capital, available, and felt up to the task (including Theophania, Avery, and – surprising some – Frank). Esmee and Yuliya stayed on as advisors to help get the government off the ground. Vee positioned herself as an advisor on matters of health and public safety, and Harriet offered what guidance she could to the council as well.

The Demon King ended up sending Manami herself to be his representative in Last Haven. While this was reflexively met with mistrust and scrutiny from the populace at first, her public status as the assassin who ended Calum IV’s disastrous reign eventually won over the common folk (and the more reticent councilors). She conveyed the Demon King’s decrees to the council whenever it was required, and did her part to ensure the city stayed a neighbor her beloved ruler could stand. Which, funnily enough, also had the effect of generally making it a better place to live. She also brought the Demon King’s announcement of a new name for the unified territory. No longer would this land be known by the combined names of its extinct ruling line. Now, Last Haven belonged to the Arisen Kingdom.

Once Last Haven’s government had been firmly established for a couple of years and was running smoothly, Theophania and Avery ceded their positions to live more private lives, and Esmee and Yuliya similarly departed. Their replacements, and all subsequent councilors, were elected by popular vote. Anyone with relevant expertise could volunteer or be called upon to advise. With no noble families to snatch up all the seats, it became a government of tradespeople, working witches, idealists, and of course Incarnates.

At peace, real peace, for the first time in hundreds of years, the shattered kingdom slowly, finally, began to mend. The wealth hoarded by the nobles was repurposed and put to more practical uses, such as rebuilding the damaged parts of Last Haven and improving the living conditions of those in the surrounding shantytowns. The nobles’ land, too, was divided among those who needed it more. Magical conveniences became even more widely accessible, now that the bulk of the nation’s craftspeople and witches were no longer dedicated to the all-consuming war effort. Initiatives to restore Calamity’s blighted and barren wastelands slowly began to bear fruit.

In the aftermath of Calamity’s fall and rebuild, one Felyn’mice formerly Arkanana had a lot of work to do. The conflict between the nobles had only inflated the number of Bound. That meant more people who would be in need of her service. Being very aware of the Demon King’s original desire for her death, and coming off a stint in an unpleasant (though not horrible) prison, Felyn had absolutely no desire to stay in Hivemount after her release. She quickly made her way back to Calamity, but not without taking the information that Hivemount had gathered on their own Bound with her.

It was a life’s work, a work of five hundred years of successive scientists really, that allowed for Bound to be returned to their original afterlife. Felyn dedicated herself to it thoroughly. Without having to play politics with the nobles and with proper funding and resources, the project expanded. By the end of Felyn’s long career, they would have a method of saving even the Lost Bound, though it was much trickier than the initial method. It was lucky too, that a number of spirit summoners had been willing to take up her work, training under her to learn the desummoning process. Summoning was, after all, a vital part of transmuting one’s soul through to another world. Soon enough, the method became widely known. Bound came from all over the country to end their curse, though not all Bound chose such an ending. There would always be those that chose to stay until they were Lost. But soon, that too would be treatable. It was only after cleaning up its own mess that this place could truly heal, after all.

Once even Lost Bound could be freed, the population steadily expanded once more into areas long deemed too hostile to occupy. This task ensured there was still demand for adventurers and mercenaries (native, foreign, and Incarnate) even as the peace held. The Solitude Plains, the northern wastes near the former border… even the great swamps became more habitable with the release of the many tormented souls that once wandered there. By the Demon King’s decree, Incarnates were given leave to establish settlements where they pleased within these newly revived lands.

Felyn’s hard work benefited the Arisen Kingdom diplomatically as well. With Lost Bound no longer a threat to neighboring countries, previously frosty relations started to slowly warm. The Dwarven Lands began to trade with the people of Last Haven again, and even allowed some intrepid Incarnates to venture into the country and secure the trade routes against the region’s many dangerous monsters. Tal’nula was slow to discard its grievances, but with their political ally the Demon King in control, they eventually came around as well.

With the war over, the Demon King found new, more diplomatic posts for his other generals, much like he had for Manami. Through their efforts, Hivemount, on the northern coast, became a hub for international maritime shipping and commerce. Should the adventurous among you ever grow tired of exploring the continent they were summoned to, now they have a gateway to the rest of this world.

Even in more peaceful times, Bound progressions could still happen. Very rarely, they could even shake out as so useful they offset their own downsides - as was the case for Manami. Not only did a certain incident trigger the re-unlocking of her old Desire Domain, but the following progression rather literally Split the Difference with the one you'd known her as having. Any of you who had personal dealings with her, or were still on speaking terms, would quickly find out she had two spiritually-linked bodies now - with no fixed upper limit to how far apart they could be! One more strongly connected to Desire, the other Glitch, functionally enabling her to be in two places at once. It was rather useful for her considering all the new responsibility she’d taken on in both Hivemount and Last Haven, and slightly terrifying to imagine the sort of havoc two Manamis flitting around could cause. Or, as they'd come to be known for ease of differentiating between the red one and blue one, Mana and Nami.

The little Cocoon charm you knew was in their possessions might have raised some alarms for the potential mischief she might get up to. But that would probably be fine. The two bodies might have been a little jarring, but despite everything, she was still her. She would always be receptive to entertaining you as guests in her home in Hivemount - not as delegates, but as friends.

Her reputation as a kingslayer was well-established. Manami had dealt the decisive blow against Calamity that kickstarted the final days of the war. There were rumors, whispers from conspiracy theorists that King Calum’s death had been an inside job. But that was ridiculous. Germain and Manami both were committed to making sure the rumors stayed just that - silly, easily dismissed rumors.

There were other rumors too. That the elusive Bound living next to Manami’s Hivemount home was a former royal agent of Calamity (they never denied this). That they were one of the heroes who’d been a thorn in the Demon King’s side centuries ago (nonsense). They didn’t have an official title, but from the messenger birds leaving their home for  the Demon King’s castle or Last Haven, they must’ve been doing some work for the people upstairs. On the occasions that they were at home, and they weren’t occupied with the Demon King’s bothersome delegate clipping through their walls, Germain told the truth (... mostly).

They questioned whether Manami’s frequent visits were a bumbling attempt to spy on them, or simply the nature of their unconventional friendship (maybe some mix of the two), but they entertained her all the same, and any other guests (though they didn’t expect particularly many). Their chains broken, they were frequently on the road, eager to embrace their newfound freedom, yet grateful for a home in Hivemount. Germain had picked up writing again, in their free time. As an adventurer, Germain took it upon themself to ensure leadership was kept apprised of the situation across the nation in detailed, if sporadic, reports. The last regime had forgotten that there was a world outside of Last Haven. Germain would help this one remember.

They had no desire to stay in the city that had restrained them for so long. They didn’t feel the same tugging on their chain, obligating them to help. But they still wanted to play their part, however small. They’d always seen Calamity as broken beyond fixing. But as they wandered, they saw the Arisen Kingdom’s people living happier, safer lives. At home in Hivemount, they saw the walls between old enemies slowly, but gradually, breaking down. They were beginning to understand. This was the world their old friends had hoped to create. The world their new friends brought into being.

#ending #theophania #avery #frank #vee #harriet #manami #germain #esmee #yuliya

[truckreincarnation]

Salvaging a Tomorrow || Ending

The last spare hours soon draw to a close. Manami departs with the finalized terms to delay her King, and the rest of the negotiators follow. Turns out almost everyone decided that was the right path forward, and it’s a pretty big group.

Luckily, there’s a direct waterway connection between the Great Tree and Last Haven. A few of  Sakuramber’s boats carry the negotiation party swiftly south. At some point, a loose escort of swarm soldiers descend from the skies to surround you. While the sight of the humanoid insects might intimidate some, Manami descends soon after to reassure you and bring the Demon King’s response. He’s begrudgingly willing to parley.

Finally, you stand before the man himself. Done up in striking insectile regalia, the Demon King still looks smaller and less intimidating than you might’ve expected. Even those of you that saw a picture of his true appearance before… Aside from the deep lines of anger carved into his weathered brow by time, and the second set of eyes, his face is surprisingly unremarkable.

The Demon King’s deeply furrowed eyebrows lift slightly at the sight of Germain. Ah, right, they’ve met, haven’t they? You wouldn’t know it from looking at Germain, who, aside from a knowing nod on arrival, inspected the Demon King as though he were a stranger. Manami, meanwhile, near-immediately latches onto the Demon King’s arm, face the deepest blue you’ve ever seen and very giggly. The Demon King exhales through his teeth, suddenly looking much more on edge, and politely but firmly requests she let go of him. After she complies, he sits down at the negotiation table and curtly bids you say your piece. 

Once you’ve made your case, the Demon King makes it clear that if Last Haven is to be spared, he will not tolerate Calamity continuing as an independent nation. After all, this is still a military victory for him, whatever else happens. He had his sword at Last Haven’s throat, and has lowered it at your entreaty. What you are negotiating for is his mercy. He demands Calamity’s territory be ceded to his country, that the people of Last Haven and the wilderness beyond henceforth be subject to his laws.

While this is initially met with reticence among some of the negotiation party, he calmly goes on to detail what those laws actually are. And they’re not unreasonable. The primary tenets of his nation are the obvious forbiddance of summoning, severe punishment for coercively affecting the mind of another with magic (such as via the use of Control Crests) and explicit provisions for Incarnate and Bound civil rights. Certainly, nothing you had a strong objection to. It takes a couple hours of discussion, but with the Demon King unwilling to budge on that point, you eventually agree.

With that, the discussion turns to what should be done with the Calamitan nobles. The Demon King absolutely insists they all be executed for their role in perpetuating the old system, and you find that’s an easy concession to make. Some of you are even willing to help do the deed yourselves. He wants the same fate for all summoners and their allies, but after some debate he’s talked down to just the crown’s official registry of Incarnate summoners. Any other summoners will instead be exiled from Last Haven and unwelcome in the north, and there won’t be any more executing people who have merely associated with a summoner.

Incarnate summoning knowledge, similarly, has to go if the practice is to be abolished. On that point, you agree with the Demon King. Books on the subject (and on how to create Control Crests) are to be searched for and destroyed. Between the nobles and the Incarnate summoners, most people who’d be able to pass the practice down from their own knowledge alone won’t make it, but the remainder will be firmly encouraged to take the secret to their graves.

Between these concessions and the threat of sealing, the Demon King eventually (if begrudgingly) agrees to spare Last Haven from Abyssal annihilation. But the power vacuum in Last Haven still needs to be addressed. The Demon King himself has no interest in personally governing what used to be Calamity, despite it now being part of his dominion. Hivemount is his home. Last Haven is a place of hate and despair for him. So, the groundwork is laid for a new regional government, one in which Incarnates have a voice and no one person has absolute power. Your proposal meets with the Demon King’s approval, provided you allow a representative of his to supervise and take part in deliberations.

After some more negotiation, you’re also able to prevail on the Demon King to see the wisdom in releasing Felyn from custody. Her desummoning research will do a lot more for the Bound if she’s allowed to actually put it into practice. He casually admits he was planning to execute her once she’d divulged the secrets of her potion, to end the line of Arkanana. But with your plans for the new government, he can ensure she’s never allowed to seize power, and he is satisfied with that.

With a final firm handshake between Frank and the Demon King, a historic moment that will later be depicted by many a Last Haven painter, negotiations are settled. The Demon King and his entourage depart to ensure the nobles and summoners are dealt with, leaving you to your own devices.

Though it’s absolutely not in the way your summoners wanted, you have indeed succeeded in ending the centuries-long war.

You rather think some celebration is in order.

#ending #germain #manami

[truckreincarnation]

Dual Destinies || The Final Hours [3/3]

Unbelievable.

Or, no. Perhaps it was entirely believable that she wouldn’t have stood a chance against someone with two hundred years’ worth of experience over her. Manami pouts up at them, still sulking for a moment… before bursting out laughing, now free of any trace of malice.

“Ahaha! Okay, okay… I do feel a lot better after that, and you did beat me fair and square, so… yeah! I guess I am!”

She wasn’t the final boss, after all. Just his penultimate henchman. She sits up, wincing a bit from the exertion and criss-crossing her legs, staying planted firmly on the ground.

“So you’re gonna want me to run off with a bunch of demands, probably, right? Since I can get there quickly? Well, I’m gonna need to know what they are first!”

… Germain looked back at the others, an expression that could only be described as baffled on their face. Back to Manami. They supposed it made sense playing along would’ve calmed her down.

“Uh. R-Right. S-Sorry, I c-can’t believe that worked. They’re… n-not just demands. Well, there are d-demands, like n-not d-destroying Last Haven, but… I know the c-carrot just as well as the s-stick. And it’s n-not just me. Haven’t you b-been listening? Everyone has a p-part in this.”

Manami pouts again. “Jeez, I was just trying to keep a little spark of rivalry going!! That’s how this is supposed to go. I’m not… just asking you. Really. It was just, you know, I was… ughhh, nevermind, it was gonna be a whole Thing!!”

“Th-There is no s-spark.” Germain spoke flatly.

“Wh, what?! Even after all that…? Come onnn, at least humour meeee…” she whines pathetically, but, well. No sense crying over spilt lactose-free milk. The next act is beginning.

A long, exasperated sigh, with perhaps the slightest bit of resignation. “M-Miss me with that c-corny shit. Esmée, A-Avery, Yuliya, e-everyone’s b-been pointing it out. We c-can c-come to a s-solution that helps the D-Demon King, if… you’d j-just listen. We have s-suggestions and offers to g-go with the d-demands. And if you w-won’t listen…” Germain glanced to Shin… winking conspiratorially at him. Way to kill the mood. “I d-doubt everyone’ll m-make it easy for you. So let us help you.”

Manami glowers for a moment, but sighs - with a significantly more overblown resignation. “He’s not going to be that easy to bargain with. There are some terms I know he won’t accept, but… if you really are going to leverage that stupid spell against him, then… maybe we can work something out. Something that doesn’t involve trapping him, either. But if you really want to stop him from destroying Last Haven, you are going to have to make it worth his while. After everything you’ve all said, it… does sound like some of you have ideas that… might not be totally terrible.” She makes that silly pleading face at Shin, then casts a slightly more apologetic look to Avery and Esmée in particular.

She makes her pouty little -3- face again, a bit embarrassed.

“... I guess you’ve convinced me. Let’s negotiate! Maybe, um, run some of that by me again…? You’ve got a few hours before I’ll need to take off if you want me to get there in time to present, um, present a case to him. He’ll be starting soon otherwise, after all…!”

#ch5 #event #manami #germain

[truckreincarnation]

To The Edge || The Final Hours [2/3]

Germain sank, falling face first deeper into the abyss.

Through the darkness of the water, they think they can vaguely make out the bones - those laid to rest in the lakebed for the past two centuries. For a long time, Germain had wondered when they’d join them in that rest, that dreamless slumber. A fitting capstone.

Calamity had become their undeath’s work. The heroes couldn't protect it, so the duty fell to Germain. They couldn’t leave. Not until they understood what it was about this shithole of a country that let them see it as a home. Not until they understood what it was about a coward like Germain that let them see the Lynchpin as a friend.

And now, that project was being undone by someone who saw it all as nothing more than a game. There was no reason for it. This world was just a sandbox to Manami, and she was fluttering about, having fun doing whatever appealed to her at any given moment.

They run through the centuries. It was miserable. Imprisonment. Joyless missions to hunt their own kind that only served to dull the monotony of a life of degrading servitude to Calamity’s nobility back at the court. As water fills their lungs, they struggle to think of a single moment in all that time that they would call ‘fun.’

No one had ever allowed it.

Man, how could they have been so stupid?

The surface of the lake ripples, before breaking into a high plume of water. A streak of purple rises high above the lake. The figure cackles like a hyena.

“Nyahahahaha! Wahooooo!”

Germain spread their arms and legs out in celebration, an uncharacteristically bright smile on their face. They landed gracefully on the surface of the lake - or rather, on Snappy’s back, resting on the surface of the lake. 

“Th-Thanks for the assist, g-girl.” They stay crouched, taking a considerable amount of time to dry off their furry arms much in the style of a cat. They aren’t even paying attention to Manami, immediately, seemingly lost in their own grooming. Germain opens a single eye, as if deigning to notice Manami. 

“M-Manami. Please, just k-keep in mind…”

Germain was fast. In an instant, they were before Manami, body twisted in mid-air as they swung their leg down in a forceful kick. Even with her Haste spell active, she couldn’t quite react fast enough to avoid it. Her attempts to leap up and fly back were shot down, knocking the wind straight out of her sails.

“... you were asking for this f-fight ❤️.”

Still reeling from the shock of the impact, she scrambles to train her gun back on them, one hand hovering by the gleaming sword on her hip. Just in case.

“T, two on one doesn’t seem very noble to me… we should even the odds, don’t you think?”

The mimic, having disengaged itself from Pettiwhisker, hovered perfectly in position behind Germain. It lifted its sword to drive the blade through their back, only to hit open air. They dodge, and instead the blade is forced to the ground as Germain stomps on it, looking downright excited.

“Heh. They m-make the same mistakes you d-do.”

With another kick, Germain sends the mimic flying away, towards the surface of a lake. There’s a blur of green, as Snappy’s tail swats the mimic out of the air. She’s got that one covered. Of course, if Manami had taken the opportunity to make a second mimic, it might have had just enough of an opening to grab them. But she wouldn’t do that… right? Germain whips around, but too slowly. It turns out she totally would, in fact, do that.

“Ehe, they do take after my save data. Pretty cute, aren’t they?” Her attempt at a cackle is a little too much of a giddy giggle to be intimidating. Her gun revs up again, but rather than Germain, it’s the mimic that she grabs in its field. Manami flicks a switch and, with a significantly louder whir, whips her clone around and uses its mass in conjunction with the gun’s graviton surge to catapult them upwards, the mimic fading back into static from the sheer force of the impact. Germain splats against the tree upside down, their arms splayed, but that mad smile hasn’t left their face.

They turn around, sinking a claw into the tree to hang with one arm. “What’s your p-problem? You’ve b-been acting like we’re the only two p-people in this room the whole t-time, and you c-can’t even be bothered to f-fight me yourself? G-Gotta send your mimics to do your d-dirty work? I f-figured a game d-dev like you could do b-better than an add f-fight.” 

Of all the attacks on her character since getting here, that cut far deeper than it had any right to. “Y, you of all people- you’re gonna give me a hard time about adds?!” She snaps a branch off the tree and hurls it at them haphazardly - they kick off the tree, perching on another branch as her makeshift projectile collides harmlessly with the spot they were not a second ago.

“S-See what I mean? It’s s-so impersonal.”

Impersonal? Well, fine, if they wanted personal, she’d respond to their taunting. Personally! She hurtles up the tree with a garbled shout, not even bothering to draw her sword against them. Her claws might not have been quite as impressive, but she did have a spare set of them to use, slashing wildly. She finds her mark this time. Germain takes the blow with a wincing laugh, taking a swing back and nearly losing their footing on the branch as their claws connect with empty air. Manami reappears behind them for another flurry of swings, cackling all the while. It’s a slugfest as they trade blows and dodge in turn. Manami’s rather tenuous grasp on predictable, or even physically possible, motion makes her a hard target to hit, and a particularly heavy blow from Manami sends Germain flying back at the tree’s trunk, though they at least land against it more gracefully this time.

Why were they still so tense? Oh, right - the people of Last Haven were on the line. They shouldn’t forget that. It was always important to know why they were fighting. They let the thought settle in the back of their mind. Still, why should they let it stop them from having fun?

They let out a long exhale, loosening their body a bit. The chains around their arms go slack, slipping off to hang like tendrils. Germain flung themself at Manami as she flew at them in turn, aiming to meet her in midair with another swipe, one that she harmlessly stuttered away from. And directly into the trailing arc of the chain following their slash. Smack. It sends her reeling almost comically, spinning and completely disorienting her.

Ahhh, shit. Dodging was suddenly an issue. Was it already time to gamble on the big all-or-nothing move? Might as well make it flashy. She grabs the hilt of her sword in preparation to draw, flitting quickly to the side out of the way of a chain that goes wide.

“How did you… rrrgh, never mind!! Watch it, I’m Doing The Thing!!”

Warning them about it might have been a questionable call, but that had always been one of the conditions in their little spars. She closes her eyes to concentrate, willing every part of her Domain to Just Work with her here- and the resulting explosion shakes the sky. The edges of the fireball flicker, more licks of rainbow artifacting than flame but no less powerful for it. Certainly, it left her a little scathed as the wielder, but that was nothing compared to the force it would exert on her rival, as she watches the explosion launching them up and away.

It’s a second too late when she notices the chain she dodged mere moments ago come up and away behind her, wrapping around her ankle.

“Wuh oh.”

The moment of realization gives way to a shriek as she’s dragged up with Germain by the force of her own explosion, momentum and inertia keeping her ascension going even as Germain passes her on their way down. 

“Nyahahaha! Eat sh-shit!”

A cat always lands on their feet, and Germain manages as delicate a “thud” as they could. Rising, they grip their chains, and with a forceful yank, slam Manami back into the ground a safe distance from the trial circle. She makes no indication that she’s going to move again anytime soon.

Germain looked down at her with a smug, catty smile. They stretched their arms, still with energy to spare. “Th-There’s a lot I’ve lied to you about. B-But… I’m s-sorry. I n-never meant to g-give you the impression you were anywhere n-near my level.” They brushed their hands on their tunic, dusting themself off. “B-But you were a f-fun enough diversion. We sh-should do that again s-sometime. N-Now…” They crouched down,  leaning in real close, before letting the cattitude evaporate.

“Um. Are you r-ready to talk?”

#ch5 #event #manami #germain

[truckreincarnation]

‘Neath Dark Waters || The Final Hours [1/3]

Getting walloped in the face with rocks aside (easily taken care of with a quick healing spell), it seemed like the discussion was reaching an endpoint. Even if… even if Esmée was as compelling a diplomat as ever, reaching out to her directly, even if Yuliya denounced their justice, there was something burning in Manami’s core that wouldn’t let her listen, even if she could hear it. She couldn't let Harriet reach her heart now, whether she wanted to or otherwise. Not yet. Not yet.

“I’m still not convinced there’s anything to negotiate.” She turns to face everyone, anyone else who isn’t Germain. “My role is to facilitate my King’s will. He wants the place gone, so I want it gone. Simple as!!”

Back to Germain. Eyes narrowed.

“But you. You take away my ink, you steal my kill… I might have lost connection with my Domain in this ritual, but I think we can spare a little time before the big finale. And I’m going to get what I want out of this, too!”

While the words drip like venom from her fangs, there’s a curious disjoint to it. The slight echoey lilt to her voice, the reverb itself, almost sounds ecstatic.

"I h»¶Të you... I h»¶Vê you so much...!! For that, you’re gonna have to stand in for your dumbass boss one more time. Do it for me!”

Germain raises a hand defensively over their chest, only stammering out a string of incoherent, confused chirping sounds. Their eyes are wide with fright, ears drawn back, flat against their head. Pettiwhisker’s back arches, as they let out a hateful snarl at Manami.

“Run!”

Germain bolts - crouching low as their digitigrade legs launch them with a surprising show of force, leaping out and away from the summoning circle. 

In the blink of an eye, Manami’s taken to the air, keeping her gravity cannon trained squarely on Germain.

“No! You don’t get to run away, not this time! You’re going to have to show more conviction than that if you want me to believe this is worth my time!! Give me something to work with here!”

She snarls, ‘pupils’ narrowed to pinpricks.

“R-Really? Are you s-serious right now?” Regaining some of their composure, Germain’s voice sounded downright indignant. “Th-That’s what you’re upset about? F-Fucking… kill-stealing?” 

Germain jumps again, perching themself on the back of Francis’s chair. Momentarily, they stop to hiss at Manami, before they leap again, away from the intensifying metallic crackling of her weapon. Manami’s gun, hissing in return. 

“The k-king is d-dead! Who c-cares how? You g-got what you want, your m-mission is com- yeeOOOWR.”

Their exasperated voice devolved into a panicked, squawking yowl as their feet never connected with the ground, held aloft by a bright blue beam of energy.

“My mission…? My mission? You think just getting to point B from point A is good enough, even if you let me say I did it?! Come on, you of all people should know better than that! What’s the point if that’s all this amounted to?!”

She keeps them held there in the anti-gravity field, shaking them a little bit for emphasis as she stares daggers through them. They flail wildly, struggling against the gravity field as their claws slash at open air.

“We d-don’t need to - urgh - why are we f-fighting?”

“Why wouldn’t we? That’s what we’ve always done, but I’ve been holding back for a looong time. Even if I get credit here, that doesn’t mean I got to play the actual game-- FUCK!”

Pettiwhisker - now in their full-sized battle form - rams into Manami, knocking the air out of her chest as her grip on the gun weakens. Her extra set of hands scramble into position to keep from dropping it, and while it doesn’t slip out of her grasp, the field around Germain dissipates. Her look of shock splits into a toothy grin, and her toothy grin splits off in a flicker of static. A mimic wouldn’t have the benefit of speed, but it could keep Pettiwhisker occupied long enough for her to make a dash for the Lynchpin themself.

And so she does, at a breakneck pace. She’s on them in double time, claws digging into their undershirt as she hoists them up physically, staring them dead in the eyes. That creepy, wide smile hasn’t left her face.

Germain has a pained, almost fearful look to them, as they hold tightly to Manami’s arm - for their own support, rather than to push her off. Their eyes wide, searching for some meaning in Manami’s expression - fixated on that frightful smile. 

“You think standing around here talking is an appropriate way to kick off the endgame? After sitting on your claws this whole time, you’ll only raise them against Calum?” The distortion around her hands almost appears to be spreading to Germain.

“... Appropriate?” They struggle, more out of obligation than anything, against her grip. “S-Stop treating this like it’s a g-game! These are p-peoples’ lives!”

All that gets from Manami is a brief, quizzical look, followed by more laughter.

“After all this time here, you still don’t get it? We’re all just players in this second game of life! If you’ve got some kind of problem with that, maybe you should actually try to stop me…? A hero’s supposed to give the antagonist a good fight!”

To punctuate her statement, she musters all her strength and takes off with Germain in tow, whirling around at freakish speeds to slam them against the husk of the great tree. It’s forceful enough to splinter the bark with a resounding crack. Germain’s body twists in pain from the impact. A quick, forceful cough lets out some blood. They grip Manami more tightly, their breaths coming out in slow ragged gasps as understanding finally dawns on them.

“... Oh.”

Germains hands lowered from their grip on Manami, hanging limply at their side. Their head sinks as their expression goes… empty. No more fear or frustration. Quiet acceptance. Manami’s distortion continued to spread, a corrupting influence that Germain no longer bothered to stop. Their hair hangs over their eyes, which casts a dark shadow over their face. With their pallid complexion, it was easy to see them for the corpse they were.

Manami leers down at their limp form, almost disappointed.

“Right. I forgot. You aren’t a hero anymore… That’s too bad. I was hoping you’d show me what you’re really capable of, but if you’re going to be so dull and boring about this, maybe I should stop wasting my time! I’ve got better things to do, anyways.”

The glimmering reflection of the lake catches her eye from their current vantage point.

“Take some time to cool off and think about it, maybe. You know where I’ll be if you ever change your mind…!”

Without another word, she swings around, beelining straight for the surface of the water. At the last moment, she pivots back upwards, hurling them in without a second thought and dodging the consequent splash with a stutter courtesy of her Domain. She lands at the water’s edge so quickly and forcefully that she leaves long claw-mark trails in the soft terrain, brushing herself off absentmindedly.

“... Sheesh! That was kind of a wash.”

She turns her back on the water.

“Oh well~! At least it’s done now…”

#ch5 #event #manami #germain

[truckreincarnation]

Vague Hope | Harriet | Trial 5.6 | Re: All of the Above

Harriet barely manages to keep herself from spiraling again by focusing on her breathing and the comforting presences near her. It feels like the darkness is closing in, no choice but to send countless innocent people to their demise, only for another option to show itself. Something she hadn't considered. It was so easy for to assume there was no way negotiation would ever work, but... Calum was gone. Calamity was in shambles. If there was any time to try and work out a more peaceful resolution, it was now. Harriet perks her ears up and pays attention to what the others have to say, and against her better judgment, starts to feel like there is a chance.

...She does chuckle when Frank beans Manami with his rock, though. Get owned.

Briefly, she glances at the huge sword leaning against her desk. Harriet can feel her sword paw twitching, eager to pick up the blade and do what she does best. But that wouldn't solve anything, would it? It'd just cause an already fraught situation to escalate further. Instead, she sighs and looks towards Esmée. Towards Manami.

"...If it is possible to talk with the Demon King and figure a solution peacefully, that's what I want to do. The things that they've done disgust me, I can't lie about that. Just like everything Calamity's done to us disgusts me, too. But it's more than just the people in charge, right? it always has been. And at this point, I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of killing. I just... I don't want anyone else to have to die."

The Deputy isn't her friend. The Deputy only cares about doing what her master ordered, regardless of the cost. She can't be reasoned with, not when she's so devoted to her cause.

But Manami was Harriet's friend. In some ways, she still is. And maybe she'd be willing to listen.

"Please, Manami. Let's just work it out. I... I don't want to see you get hurt."

#Harriet #ch5 #trial5 #submission

[truckreincarnation]

Children of the City | Germain | 5.7 | RE: Shinjuku, Frank, Manami, Avery, Esmée, Yuliya | ATTN: Manami

Shin mentioned the sealing ritual, and Germain’s ears perked up. They hadn’t considered it a viable option, at least, not initially. Even without their domain screaming at them to not even dare, it didn’t seem possible. Germain didn’t have a clue how Cass had done it. Germain didn’t know there was a fucking instructional manual.

“We c-can’t!” They blurted that out on instinct, before they made a long, low groaning noise. “S-Sorry. I d-don’t mean that. I th-think it’s a viable o-option. It would m-mean d-defeating the Demon King f-first, but that would b-be possible. In the end, he’s an I-Incarnate just like a-any other. It’s… g-good that you brought that up Shinjuku. It is a p-possible end to th-this… this threat that we’re c-currently facing.”

They’d already stripped sixteen odd people of their freedom. What was one more, at this point?

One too many, that’s what.

“S-Still. I’m n-not trying to shut anyone out. I’m with F-Frank, Manami. This isn’t about n-negotiating with me. Hell, I already admitted I d-don’t know what I’m doing! We c-can come together to f-figure out s-something better.”

Avery and Esmée get an affirmative nod from Germain.

“T-Take it f-from someone who’s b-been on the ground. S-Someone who knows the p-people of Calamity. They c-can change.” That was what the others had believed, at least. “M-Most of them have n-no love for the r-royal family, and their f-fear of the D-Demon King s-stems from propaganda. You c-can show them th-that they’re wrong, c-convince them that the Demon King is a b-better option for them.”

“And then the Incarnates in the c-capital. Your m-master c-claims to want to h-help them, but d-destroying the c-capital would s-send thousands of I-Incarnates to th-their death… and… f-for what? You want to s-stop the creation and abuse of m-more Incarnates, but how c-can you d-do that when it c-comes at the c-costs of the ones already here, who’ve d-done nothing wrong?”

Germain stared.

“Like Esmée s-said. To d-destroy Last Haven would undermine your own g-goals. It m-makes me wonder what th-this is really about. Helping the Incarnates? Or… g-getting revenge on the p-place that hurt the D-Demon King? N-Not even the p-people, but the p-place they’d called home?”

Yuliya had a point. Even Germain was all too willing to give themself over to bloodlust, lately.

“Razing the c-city might feel g-good in the sh-short term, b-but taking the t-time to take integrate the i-innocent people and Incarnates into your k-kingdom would be much more b-beneficial in the long-term. It’ll t-take a f-few more t-turns… er. It’ll t-take longer.” Beat. They had it better the first time, they realized. “But it leaves you in a s-stronger position.”

“Especially when you have to c-consider what other c-countries will th-think. As much as they hate C-Calamity, I d-doubt the m-major shift in power balance it g-getting destroyed will cause is s-something they’ll f-find amenable. You’ll be t-torching a lot of important r-rels, if you d-do that.”

“S-So… I th-think it’s advantageous to you, and your leader, if we c-can negotiate. F-Find a peaceable option. And… th-that way we won’t even need to s-seal the Demon King. B-But if he r-refuses to t-talk, there’s n-no reason we c-can’t… um. R-Rock it, s-so to speak. The s-sealing ritual, that is.” They gagged as they talked about it, raising a hand to cover their mouth. “I m-mean it. Even if my d-domain protests, th-that doesn’t mean I n-need to s-stand in the way of it. We’re t-trying to work out a m-mutually advantageous s-situation… hell, a Demon K-King advantageous s-situation. B-But if you’re n-not gonna work with us, M-Manami, I'm n-not going to sit idly b-by while you put the p-people of Last Haven in d-danger. Not when th-there’s a way to s-stop it.”

They wouldn't ask the others to stand up for it, but from the looks of it, at least a couple seemed ready to anyway.

#Germain #ch5 #trial5 #submission

[truckreincarnation]

a short-sighted view of justice || yuliya || trial 5.2 || re: esmee; attn: manami

Words have all blurred together into a heap of white noise, yet not once has Yuliya moved her gaze away. She hasn’t put her head down, nor has she buried her face in her hands. No, this isn’t the time to look away and despair under the face of it all, even when this exhaustion continues to cling onto her like a parasite. Not here, and not now, when there are people still fighting. People that are still trying.

She sends as many feelings of comfort she can offer for the time being in her mind. Something steady and strong. She’s here for you. Until she finally speaks, her gaze level.

“... All of this talk here. Wiping this out. Wiping that out. Murdering this and murdering that. It’s like that’s all you can talk about. Killing.”

So casually and nonsensically. It’s not just about a moral compass that Yuliya’s standing by here. She’s not preaching to a choir about how it’s wrong to kill or what not. But…

“I’m tired of it.”

Weeks upon their stay watching death after death as they continue to grow stronger and stronger. She wonders of the blissful irony of it all, as being forced to bide your time while hiding away the true version of yourself. 

She’s already tired of death. She wonders how Germain and Manami are as well with the number of years on them instead. Shouldn’t it already be exhausting?

“Look, I’m not one to talk about justice or anything. But what kind of message would that send to what’s left of the common people? Just by confirming how inconsequential their lives are? Because that isn’t justice. That isn’t an eye for an eye. That’s vengeance.”

All collateral damage - people with hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow, likely to be snuffed out because of mere convenience. Such an imbalance of power is enough to make her feel sick.

“And to those that are left, they won’t see that as justice either. I can assure you that they won’t. No, they’ll be angry. they’ll be infuriated. And when people are angry and infuriated they don’t take things lying down - they fight back. And by which means would they do so? The one effective means that’s shown how they can consistently fight back your beloved army?”

“More potential summonings. More potential rituals. But this time, likely in secret. Angry people mean more drastic results, especially when you’ve turned them against you and proved the king ‘right.’ I shouldn’t have to spell this out for anyone. And that doesn’t make matters any easier for us. I don’t want that kind of future for any Incarnate.”

Being forced to fight. Forced to live and die in the Domain you were ‘blessed’ with. Puppeteered to fight and fight until you dropped dead unless your Domain killed you. This isn’t peace.

“You bring up so much talk about peace, about how it will come. But that’s only for afterwards. When is that?”

“The king is dead. Do you realize the amount of possibilities there are now for an actual conversation instead of more death? People grow in the environment they’re brought up in. So of course there are people that truly do believe in his bullshit. That’s expected. 

"But in order to make that change, to truly make a peaceful future for Incarnates like us, you have to work for it. Not just to kill because you can, because they’re against you. With nobles that are stuck in their ways or just civilians who happen to live on the other side… because reform is hard. Negotiation is difficult. But it’s more productive in comparison to this short-sighted sense of justice I see here.”

Short-sighted in the message that will be sent. How easy would it be to kill them just for disagreeing? It’s a recipe for disaster, asking for another rebellion in the making this time against you. Another power vacuum, and another message to only continue this war, continue this cycle of violence. Strike them down simply because you say that you are right.

It’s the easy way. The simple one. Only because you said so. Yuliya doesn’t want the easy way.

“... I don’t want quick and easy results. I don’t want a better tomorrow to happen now. What I want is results that can last for the generations to continue after us, so they never have to go through what we did again. And if that fight has to continue long after we’re gone, I’m willing to go through that myself.”

They may never even see the fruits of their labor. It could last forever. But that’s what she wants. Not a flimsy, nonsensical hope, but a guarantee. She’s okay with that.

“Change isn’t easy. But it’s worth it in the end. So please listen to what Esmée had to say."

#Yuliya #ch5 #trial5 #submission

[truckreincarnation]

For the Sky to Heed my Call, For the Night to once again Fall | Esmée | Trial 5.5 | Re: Shinjuku, Vee, Avery, Frank | ATTN: Manami

As Manami proclaims the full plan, Esmée’s grip on Harriet tightens. Something to ground herself when she tried to be the grounding force. Then Shin pipes up, and she could hear herself breathing again. Some semblance of a plan, a step forward, even as it was causing him worry- if it means a future..

Then Vee Speaks and it boils over into anger.

What do you mean you hid an important piece of evidence? So it may not happen again- what if by studying it we could reverse it? Why would you hide something so-

Harriet would hear the quiet grinding of teeth as Esmée failed to restrain her wild glare. Moving from a cuddly to a vicious bear about to attack in the span of seconds; so was the nature of these damned trials.

They just needed a way forward. They just needed a talking point. They just needed something- anything- a hook. Something to negotiate; when she had spoken to the pixies in their war it was so much easier. Sure the stakes were high but she was calmer then, now she felt as though she was being hunted. Chased. She needed a way out.

She needed to talk her way out. THEIR way out. Frank was at Shin’s side; so she offers him a small glance, a quick message, and then she turns to Manami. She needed to move forward.

“For Our Sakes, Manami taking the fall in regards to killing the King is our best option.” 

Her voice warbles slightly, as she sucks in a breath to try to steady it. Keep moving forward. Make your plea.

“Germain admitting the truth would get us outcast, crested, or worse. In terms of that topic we need to prioritise ourselves. However…” 

With that, she turns to Germain, looking to them for help before she finally faces the ‘foe’ head on. As Manami recovers from that rock being thrown, Esmée walks on over. The opener to negotiation is a simple thing; catch them off guard and make them listen.

Her hands grab one of Manami’s pairs of hands as she forces the other to look her in the eye. 

“Casting Last Haven into the Abyss would be a terrible decision politically for the Demon King’s Lands.” 

Never undermine the value of shock factor. Make your point and mean it. Hear her, listen to her, in terms of the spoken word, Esmée is not to be underestimated.

“It’s as Avery said. Many innocent people there hated Calum and Summoning too. Hells, even summoners hate summoning. Some of them, anyhow. You want to hurt those people? You want to cast away thousands who agree with your ideology?” 

She can’t panic. She can’t show anger. She needs her resolve to be steady, fluid, to shine bright as a guiding star in the night sky.

“Here let me…you consider it to be hostile territory, all enemies right? When really the large amount of ‘enemies’ are just tied down by the boss monsters of the area. Ykno. The Nobles.” She cringes a bit as she speaks, fully aware at how simplified this version is, but she needs Manami on her side. If she’s correct about her personality never wavering, then… “Rid those boss monsters without hurting a neutral enemy on the field then that 'enemy' becomes an ally. They may even praise and rejoice at seeing the downfall of the nobles who caused this whole mess.” 

“You’re sending lands into the abyss that could prosper. You are sending thousands upon thousands to their deaths when they are simply lovely people forced into a bad situation; like us. Unlock them with the right choices and the dialogue and future events will show that.” 

What was the last point? Oh. Right. She’s been thinking this for a while…but now would be the best time to bring it forward. The way to avoid a disastrous plan is to give an alternative; and cover all the same bases in a different light. 

“If you’re worried about future summoning, we all know those in summoning schools are exploited students. There is far more they’d rather work on; just outlaw the practice. People are aware of the Demon King’s Power, outlawing it would definitely slow it down if not grind it to a halt. Magic Users can be taught in school to instead help Felyn’s cause in helping Bound. A form of ‘repentance’ in terms of direct action rather than needless slaughter.” 

A glance then, goes over to Vee, and then back to Manami.

“I think it’s a far better plan than yours, personally. Plus, need a bargaining chip? A non-zero percent chance doesn’t mean an 100% chance of death either. The Sealing Ritual is still possible to do to the DK. It is a threat regardless, and as Shinjuku said, Alvarie is here. Tal'nula also bears witness to this possibility should the DK threaten them in his actions; so I ask you to think.”

#Esmée #ch5 #trial5 #submission

[truckreincarnation]

We Will Rock You | Frank | Trial 5.3 | RE: Avery, ATTN: Manami

Frank hadn't spoken up for a minute as the proceedings went on. Either way you sliced it, as a musician or a mason, the fate of nations was way above his pay grade. All he could think was the naive, idealistic sentiment to minimize as much pain as possible. Who deserved it, who didn't? Even that they couldn't agree on, with Manami still wanting to reduce anyone cajoled into becoming a Summoner into less than a blood smear if she had her way.

And Germain... Frank couldn't find it in his heart to hate them - mostly because if he was in Germain's lack-of-shoes, he can't say he wouldn'tve done something similar. Something dramatic, damn the consequences. If there's a problem, you cut it off at the head and everything else is just... cleaning up the fallout.

It still pissed him off. These two, these two extremely flawed, extremely powerful people just made this a living hell for the remaining number of them. Whatever decision they came to was going to come at a Cost - either to themselves, or to others. This was too much, too much...

"And who's to blame?" Hissed a voice in Frank's ear. One he hadn't heard much of since he came back. For better or worse, dying splashed some cold water on the fire building and burning in his heart - but the coals were still warm. They had been stoked over and over by what just happened, and Patty was the one with the poker."Who the FUCK is responsible for this, huh?"

Calum, obviously, but there was no use beating a dead lord now. "Are you fucking satisfied with that? He's not going to FEEL it when you BUST his face in for making you his personal fucking clown, Frankie."

"But one of them will."

Frank's eyes look up. Manami and Germain. Germain was the reason he was brought here - the reason he looked like this, the reason he lost his memories, the reason he fucking died. Why didn't he hate their fucking guts? And Manami, taking this so fucking un-seriously he wanted to slam her into the ground. But it's when she talks about attacking Last Haven, about the causalities so casually - that's it, that's the last straw. He can't even hear the chains that have been rattling in the back of his head since the trial started anymore. All he can hear is Patty whispering encouragement and the rush of anger in his ears.

Frank grips the rock that appeared in his hand. Scrapes his nails against it. He makes a choice, and pitches the rock. It flies straight and true, nailing Manami in the forehead. She hears a mental chorus of "FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU" for the brief moment the two make contact.

Frank stares at her with wild eyes, heaving breaths as the anger leeches back out of him. "Don't- don't fucking treat this like a game, Manami!" Everything that had been said while Frank was in his rage-induced fugue rushes back to fill the silence. "Avery's right - it's not just fucking you and Germain here, you both aren't the only ones who can do something here!"

"...we can do a lot more, if you actually let us."

He turns away from Manami and over to Shin, moving to rest a hand on his shoulder to give him a supporting squeeze. Or he tries to, anyways - Frank wouldn't be surprised if after that outburst he didn't want the harpy laying a hand on him.

#Frank #ch5 #trial5 #submission

[truckreincarnation]

A Dragon's Plea | Avery | Trial 5.3 | Re: Germain, Manami | ATTN: Manami

At first, as Germain is talking, as they momentarily find themself caught up in bloodlust before apologizing, before pulling themself out of it… It’s a little disappointing that they DON’T have a plan, in all of this, but if even they’re endorsing Manami’s plan then… well, they won’t go with it just because of that, but it IS something to note they seem on the same page for. Though… Avery gives a quick glance towards Perry who… well, she’d know why.

But then… it’s once MANAMI talks about her plans, about the Demon King’s army’s plans for the capital that their face goes deathly pale. The first parts of what she says doesn’t bother them, they’re fully aware that this is a war and that some form of bloodshed being involved is… well. They expected it by now, knew that certain bastards may even deserve it, even if they still disliked it personally. But as she starts talking about sending them to the Abyss… talks about Last Haven, and then, ultimately, reveals… 

Ah. Ahaha�� A ‘big boom’ of casualties, huh? To destroy Last Haven and those in it after all. Avery just stares at her as the words die in their throat in the moment. …Before a low growl comes from their chest as Shinjuku speaks, their inner fire burning with fury and fear and more as they try to process the situation here. 

  “Last Haven… Manami, Last Haven isn’t just a city, isn’t just where dukes and nobles live with a few civilians to guard them, it’s where 70% of the population of Calamity has been driven to. The people outside of there are either being killed by bound or harassed by your army into fleeing to the capital already. There’s barely anyone left outside of it. Do you know how little of a percentage the people in power are to a population? And you’re telling us now that your big plan IS to wipe out nearly everyone there, and send them to the Abyss? Am I understanding that right? To kill nearly all of the population too, just like they’ve always feared?”

But somewhere in there, Manami’s… hesitating? She’s asking why… Germain should negotiate with her. Offering it out to just Germain, right? Avery can’t read people well, can’t ever know for sure what others are thinking until they say it, but… even if she wasn’t talking to all of them, Avery takes a slow, deep breath. In and then out, calming themself in an almost meditative position even as their tail gives the occasional thumping flick on the desk behind them.

Avery knows she needs to gather herself, to clear her head, part through her fears she knows will continue to pain her regardless and THINK. And after a moment… Their tail calms a bit, and they straighten up a little as they sit on their desk, and look to Manami head on without flinching away. Their voice is calmer now, but also… firm, in a way they’ve only recently been able to be.

  “…If Germain doesn’t have their own solid plan already, that doesn’t mean they can’t make one. That we ALL can’t make one, or contribute if we want. I’ve… told you a little of my own thoughts before in private, right Manami? And… you keeping asking if there’s any alternative, any other way for all of this, and I can’t tell if you really mean to look for one or not. But if you do, then please listen to me and everyone else too. Because there ARE other ways to handle all of this.”

“So… I asked you before if you had all ever tried making actual demands to Calamity to stop summoning, and I then I asked the past-Sakura we met before just earlier today too. It doesn’t seem like there has been, at least not with an out that they WILL be okay if they stop summoning incarnates. It seems like every attack the Demon King has made makes them fear you just want to do exactly what’s now being planned and kill them All, not trying to get them to stop incarnate summoning.”

  “This is your chance to make that claim. The common people of Calamity are suffering, and have been for a long time but especially right now as the internal war between nobles in the streets. They’re desperate, they want someone to help them. So many of the ‘junk’ letters in the mail room and spilling into the hallway were just normal citizens trying to reach out to us to help them, who they’d only ever seen in that tournament or by word or mouth.“

"And… you’re right, most people seem like they always hated Calum and his policies. A lot of them even DO despise the summoning of incarnates. They’ve tried to rebel about it before and been killed for it by those in power in Calamity in the past. They’re still at risk of it every time they try to help us all, and a lot of them still try.”

“So if you offer HELP to all of the people who really don’t want this system to continue, REAL help and affirmation that they won’t be hunted down if they’re so much as related to an incarnate summoner, for daring to try and ASK if the population can be spared like I know has happened, if they agree to condemn the practice. I think there would be a very real possibility that those desperate people would be willing to side WITH you against their own oppressors, at least. I really don’t think you need to aim to kill them all.”

  “That’s… that’s my argument. I can offer more details, different solutions for what we can just… personally try to do if there really is no way the rest of your army will change their minds, but… I really am serious about it, Manami.”

#Avery #ch5 #trial5 #submission

[truckreincarnation]

hea(vee) duty banishment | Vee | Trial 5.3 | Re: Germain, Manami, Shinjuku

Truthfully, Vee had mentally checked out of the trial once Germain had revealed themselves. It wasn't apathy, or at least it wasn't the majority of what they were feeling, but their exhaustion had won out and Vee simply decided to let those with more stakes decide the future of the Kingdom of Calamity and what to do with Calum's murder. It's not like their opinions mattered much, as far as they cared to think about it. They just wanted to leave.

Until Shinjuku brought up a certain book, which... well, there was a reason Vee hadn't exactly been keen to talk about it the Book™️ and its properties. "I... was h-honestly hoping to find a way t-to reverse engineer the ritual in this b-book for the souls in our w-weapons who might want to move on b-before I brought it up here, but I s'pose n-now's as good a time to b-bring it up as any. Yes, I... When we d-defeated Raven, they dropped it a-as loot, and I wanted to s-seal it away in the S-Shadow Realm so no one could r-replicate what they'd done to the o-others." They murmur quietly, reaching into their shadow and withdrawing a nondescript tome from their room of requirement within. "The ritual s-specifically binds a soul to an object that t-they already have a particular affinity with, a-and can only be p-performed when the soul has been w-weakened, which is why I assume R-Raven was so deadset on bringin' us d-down. Can't become further Bound or L-Lost if your consciousness is trapped where it can no longer... p-pass."

Their brows knit up. "It comes at a p-price, though. Raven noted that the r-ritual itself has a nonzero chance to kill its u-user, which they confirmed failed to d-do more than progress themselves as a B-Bound... It would probably be worse off o-on a living caster." They shake their head. "Sorry for not b-bringin' it up earlier, but there didn't s-seem like a good time to. And I d-don't imagine some of the people in t-this room would enjoy knowin' that it e-exists."

#Vee #ch5 #trial5 #submission

[truckreincarnation]

Hold a Goddamn Moment | Shinjuku | Trial 5.3 | RE: Germain, Manami | ATTN: Germain

Paranoia is a blessing and a curse sometimes. You think of things that others wouldn’t really process, breaking down every little point that you should fear or be wary of that may be looming in the distance. However, it practically controls you, making you afraid of everything. The sins crawling along your back, the feeling like someone is always watching you, the truth that someone is always out to get you.

Most of the time, paranoia is just nonsense.

But today it’s justified.

As Germain confirms how the king would have controlled them all at the drop of a hat, along with the fact that Manami saying what the common folk feared with true, Shin was absolutely pale. All of his fears… were right. All of his paranoia… was right. The fact he thought everything would be different, no one watching him anymore, no one out to get him. That was wrong.

Leave it to his fears, his paranoia, always being justified.

“.....”

He swallows, trying to mask the fact his anxiety was going haywire. The guilt after talking to Luz mixing in doesn’t exactly help either. Everything was feeling like static again, time was quickly ticking.

“....I knew it.”

“I fucking knew that there was merit to those fears. To that threat. Look, voiding Last Haven is a fucking way to wipe out all the shitty people, but what about all the innocent goddamn people who are also going to be wiped out as collateral damage??? I-”

There was some fear peeking in his voice, trying to keep calm.

“I… I can’t let that happen. Look, fuck every shitty person who has fueled this conflict, but there’s so many people out there that I can’t stand idle and let their lives be cashed as necessary sacrifices to end the war. I can’t fucking STAND here on my own moral ground and allow that.”

Shin takes in a deep breath. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Tune out all the static. Shake off all the eyes. “...I hated hearing about what people like me are suffering from on both sides of the war. Exploited or slaughtered, for some greater good on either side. I can’t fucking take that. But now that I know, for sure, that everything will be wiped out-”

Heavy sigh. “There has to be some other way, there has to be.”

Trying to regain his grounding, not to spiral in the middle of such a heavy discussion, the mercenary closes his eyes. Focus. Focus on something. Focus on nothing. Just calm down and keep speaking. Keep thinking. Try to do something. Try to be useful.

The man has always lived with the guilt of being the cause of a handful of lives lossed.

There’s no way he could live with himself if he was connected to a finale of losses.

“......this isn’t peace. It’s just senseless slaughter of innocents. Both sides are guilty of it. I can’t fucking take it.”

“Look- Manami is probably screwed, right? I mean, outting all this, especially in front of other people connected to politics, right??” Alvarie and, in turn, the Khan may prompt a response to that, right? Fuck, he doesn’t know jack and shit about politics. “I dunno, just… either Germain is branded a traitor for murdering the king, or Manami takes the fall as another sign of hatred against the Demon King’s army. Both answers are chaos, but fuck, there’s already so much chaos outside of here. It’s all fucking hell.”

Breathe.

With that, Shin sighs a bit quieter this time, before running a hand through his hair. The stress was quickly rising, especially with the debates about what to do and where to go with this. Though, something does stick out in his mind, causing him to pause for a moment.

“....could it…?”

A small mumble, before he shakes his head. With a clear of his throat, he speaks up.

“Hey, uh, maybe there’s something we can do. There’s a book, uh- Raven’s book, I found out about it a bit ago. Vee has it, they showed me after we investigated the hidden room under the fountain once more. After reading the notes about what to do with the Demon King in order to end the conflict. However-”

He fidgets slightly, adjusting his glasses. “Anyway, uh, Raven’s book. Back on track. It pretty much talks about the spell to bind someone’s soul to their weapon, sealing them away. Much like their powers and everything, it just prolly takes someone strong with spells to use. Just, fuck- could that work on the Demon King?”

“I mean, fuck, uh- there would be a lot to do. As I’ve said before, I don’t fucking like either side and I can’t really stand either as I want to protect all the common people affected, but could this be another step to solving this conflict? There’s targeting all the shitty nobles and every harmful person like that, and then with the Demon King, sealing him away. We- we just need someone who could cast the spell, right?? I dunno who’s that great at magic to do so, b-besides like Vee who’s still holding onto the book.” Glance.

“But, shit, I dunno, this has to be something, right??”

There, he looks over at Germain, staring at them with such an intense look. Deathly curious, yet wrapped with such deeply rooted fear.

“Germain, could something like this work? Is that something possible to do?”

#ch5 #Shinjuku #trial5 #submission