Mey Hem RPG Micropiece Theater

[Zamuel]

A triumphant soundtrack blared as a woman clad in white leathers dropkicked a zombie then swiftly pulled out a shotgun and shot another under an uncharacteristically bright full moon. Roock and Beanuu sat and watched in excitement. "This movie is great!" "Yeah, and the music rocks, too!"

They watched as a tall, shirtless vampire approached the heroine from an overlooking hill. This vampire had popped up to antagonize her throughout the movie. She tensed once she saw him. He reached out to her and opened his mouth...to sing.

"Blood boiling, emotions so right.
Yet you keep running, I must give a fright.
No need to fear me, in the moonlight.
Watch me shimmer, shimmer in the niiiiiiii..."
"This...wasn't what I expected."
"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"
"Yeah, I expected a big fight scene."
"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"
"He's really holding that note."
"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"
"Gotta give him credit for that."
"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight."

Once the vampire stopped, the heroine began to sing, "When you chase me, I feel so alive..." but Beanuu jumped up and shouted "No! Why is she singing? I get vampire gloating but her?" Roock shrugged and said, "I dunno, dude. I didn't write it." The image paused and Friday asked, "Should I stop the movie?" Beanuu paused and then sighed, "I guess we'll finish it. Wouldn't want to miss the end if we have it."

 

[Patch]

As the wave of purification washed over her, she felt its soft warmth reach into each and every cell of her body. As a limb gone numb slowly wakes to sensation, so was the exquisite agony she experienced everywhere all at once.

But that was nothing compared to what was happening in her mind.

The transformation had slowly eroded her memories, eating away at her sense of self, twisting her thoughts and driving her into madness. It was as if her mind was a bookshelf, and the books on the shelf were being slowly devoured by voracious worms. The light that came burned the vermin away, but the books, already in tatters, fell from the shelves, scattering pages everywhere.

Pages. Everywhere.

What a mess.

She had no choice.

She had no self.

She only knew that someone had to pick up these pages.

As she picked up each page, it spoke to her.

She heard the voice of each page she collected.

"please help"​

Whose voices were these?

"You seem a bit - distraught."

"I have heard rumors of a local thrill-seeker who wears armor like that. Supposedly calls himself a knight and fights with a sword. I can only assume this is that man."

"help ... sanctuary ... become a stronger force ... for good"​

Was one of these voices hers? She continued to pick up the pages.

When all this is done and over with, we'll be strangers once again.
​

"Everything comes with a price. Especially magic it seems. Fascinating."

​

"G-get back, I can't stop it!"​

I'm not a good person. Not anymore.
​

"That’s a dangerous path you walk. Dark and lonely.”

Everything that gets in my way will be destroyed.
​

"...Of course it is important to her, for what is a spellcaster without her book of spells? Answer: A miserable pile of secrets, that's what!"​

​

"Sometimes we do bad things to survive."

​

"Hello there. A little surprising to see a librarian out in these parts but I guess it's odd for all of us.”​

​

"Yuh a too young to get de joke, Elfubuh. Too young."

​

"What songs are carried in this malignant book?
And for thy quest what has thou forsook?
What would drive thee to bring it hence,
And suffer such grave offense?"​

​

I-I know what it's l-like to hate yourself. It's a horrible feeling that twists everything about how you look at yourself. You can't win, because you don't deserve to win.

​

“You seek a dark power from outside and I don't know why.”​

​

"Um...hey. Are you okay? There's a lot going on out there. It's okay to be scared. I know I am. Just...I think you can do more than I can. I don't want to be deactivated. I...I don't want to die."

​

"Please help us. Together, we can be a stronger force for good."

*****

Patch gasped with shock as she was suddenly aware of herself again.

 

[Patch]

She was in a place that couldn't be real. All around her, a luminescence that seemed to be without a source, yet it was everywhere. The ground beneath her was bleached white, the sky white, nothing on the horizon but an endless expanse of white. The air was calm.

She knelt down to look closer at the ground. It was made of pages. The text on them was hard to see at first, but as she looked closer, she could make out the words. These were her memories, she realized. Countless pages spelling out the moments of her existence. Most of it the boring, everyday tedium that makes up the fabric of life. Idle moments, frivolous dreams. But she could feel darker thoughts buried beneath the surface...

It occurred to her that she was not alone in this space. She stood up and looked around. But it was beneath her feet that she finally saw it: a shadow was beginning to take form, in defiance of all the surrounding light. And it was growing.

It stretched out and away from her, running like a river towards the horizon, growing wider and darker. The bright light all around her began to grow darker. A brisk wind picked up, tearing pages from the ground and blowing them past her. She watched in open-mouthed horror as the shadow began to rise up and take shape.

She took a step backwards, then another. She tried to turn and run from it, but her feet failed her and she fell. Lying on the ground, she looked up at the immense, shadowy being that seemed to fill the bounds of the ephemeral space with its presence. It stared down at her with cold, glowing eyes while loose pages swirled in the winds around it. It was in this place, surrounded by memories, that she finally understood.

"I know what you are."

 

[Patch]

Her thoughts were more lucid now than ever. It was simply a matter of tracing everything back to where it all started.

The first spell I cast from that grimoire.

She yelled up at the shadow over the now-howling winds. "Back then, I knew what it meant to cast that spell. It was pure evil. But in a moment of fear, I gave in. I let myself take that power to defend myself. And it felt... amazing. For a brief moment, all the fear washed away, and I was left feeling something I'd never felt before: powerful. But only for a moment. Because an even greater fear came next... the knowledge that I'd crossed a line. And that I was absolutely willing to cross it again for the reward of feeling powerful again."

The grimoire's prophecy. My fate.

"The grimoires I collected over the years held dark powers that I, as a human mage, could never hope to control. I knew it, but they knew it too. That's why they lied to me, telling me I was already doomed from the start, that nothing I could do would change it. My fear of that fate only made me fall deeper into the trap that had been set. I began to look for some way to delay the inevitable..."

The pendant.

"I tried to ward off my darkness with a spell that bound my negative emotions to that pendant. At the time, I didn't realize what I was truly doing. The negative energy siphoned from the spells I cast fed the emotions bound inside the stone, and they took on a life of their own. Over time, they grew strong enough that the connection started to reverse. Those emotions began to feed me."

She gazed up at the dark being looming above her.

My shadow.

"That's what you are. My sadness, my fear, my loneliness, my anger, my grief. Reinforced with dark magic, growing ever stronger until Moscareina's power finally pushed me over the edge, allowing you to take over."

Understanding her words, the being responded by reaching out to seize her with its shadowy grasp.

"But Moscareina's gone now. Her vile magic was purified and our connection was severed. You... you have no power left!" She shouted at the shadow. "For you to appear like this, here and now... it's not because you're stronger than me anymore. It's because of how terrified I am of finally accepting you!"

She reached out her own hand to meet the shadow's, and when they touched, a powerful reaction began absorbing the shadow... first, its hand with its wispy claws, then its long, black arm, until the whole of the shadowy being was being drawn into the palm of her hand.

"You're a part of me... and I need to take responsibility for you... even if it's the last thing I do...!"

As the last remnants of her shadow were pulled into her hand, her arm snapped backwards. The stormy atmosphere all around her in the strange space had dissipated with the shadow's disappearance. She looked at her clenched fist and tightened it, watching as a few tiny wisps of darkness escaped between her fingers before vanishing. She slowly opened her hand. There, resting in her palm, was a tiny point of light.

"What is this..."

It began to glow brightly, filling her whole field of vision.

...a memory?

*****

I'm sitting in a chair outside my brother's bedroom. I feel anxious and scared, but I'm glad I was able to find the town's doctor. Maybe there's still time. Maybe...

The door opens with a creak and the doctor steps out. He motions to me to enter the room. I get up from the chair and walk inside.

Loren is lying on his bed. He smiles at me as I walk in. His chest is wrapped in bandages and they're soaked with blood.

Before I can say anything, he speaks. "I'm glad you're okay." His voice is weak.

I can't find my words now. I'm sure he can tell by the look on my face what I'm thinking. "Nah, I'm probably not going to make it. But... you know what, I don't regret a thing. You're safe. I'm okay with knowing it was for the right reasons."

The tears I've been holding back come rushing out. I fall to my knees at the side of the bed. I want to wrap my arms around him and hold on to him, but I know it would hurt. So I just grab the edge of the blanket and squeeze it.

I feel him place his hand on my head. "Patch," he says softly. "Listen... I talked with the doctor. He's going to help you get out of here. It's dangerous to stay any longer. There's places you can go where there are others with gifts like yours. You'll meet new people, make new friends. This world needs people like you, people with good hearts who can make a difference."

I want to believe what he's saying. But I'm afraid to go on alone.

"Don't give up, Patch. I know, someday, you'll change this world for the better."

 

[MEDdMI]

Harue blinked absently at the small stage setup in the corner.
"Is he for real?" She asked the bartender, without taking her eyes off the stage.
"I ask myself that same question every time he comes in." The barkeep also has his eyes glued to the stage, absently wiping a non-existant glass that had long ago dropped to the floor unnoticed.
Harue could only nod in response.
After a few minutes, Thubtien hopped off the stage, slightly sweaty from the dance moves he had just pulled.
"How was that?" He winked at Harue and ordered a glass of water. The barkeep blushed and scrambled away.
"I-I... your voice! And those moves!" Harue huffed, more out of breath than Tien was.
"See? Told you you'd like Carry-okie. Not a bad second date, huh?" He took his water and gulped half of it down. "Why don't you give it a shot? There's no one else here but us this early. And him." Tien finger-gunned at the barkeep, who coughed and occupied himself with an actual glass.

~*~*~*~

"Told you I don't sing well." Harue came down from the stage after only a few lines of the song. The barkeep still had his hands plastered against his ears, eyes glazed at some unseen horror beyond the stage.
Tien lowered his hands from his own head cautiously with a stiff grin.
"Um, well, you put a lot of heart into-"
"I stink."
"With practice, I'm sure-"
"Won't help." Harue popped some peanuts into her mouth. "I'm not going to be offended by honesty."
"But..."
"Just say it. I stink at singing." It was her turn to smirk. It was fun to watch him squirm.
Tien ruffled his hair with a sigh, then laughed.
"Ok, ok. Fine. You suck."
"There you go. Was that so-"
"I think that might be among the worst I've ever heard, and I've heard a LOT of drunks here. Sweet merciful godess, my ears feel like they're bleeding!" Despite his words, his grin was growing. "And I think you traumatized poor Pierre-Jean. Just look at his face!"
They both looked at the barkeep, who was slowly returning to the land of the living. They looked back at each other. Soon, they were both laughing so hard, it left them gasping for air.

By the time they recovered, Pierre had graciously excused himself to the other end of the bar and served himself a stiff drink.
"What I said seriously didn't bother you?" Tien wiped the last tears away from his eyes.
"Nah. I've heard worse. No need to walk on eggshells around me. Brutal honesty! Tell me I've gained weight! Diss my outfit! There isn't anything you can throw at me that I can't handle!" She threw back the contents of her glass and coughed a little. "Wrong... tube....."
Tien patted her back until she stopped coughing.
"Alright. You want the brutal truth?"
"Hit me." Harue nodded confidently.

"I really want to kiss you right now."
"Huh?" She stared at him. He wasn't laughing anymore, rather he was staring at her, quite intently.
"Can I?"
".....i-if we're being brutally honest, if you kiss me, I'll probably assault you later. Maybe break some furniture and end up hurting you."
"Hmm." His eyes crinkled in amusement. "I bet I can handle anything you throw at me, too."
Suddenly she was kissing him, a messy, sloppy kiss that nonetheless left him breathless with its intensity. He would have slipped off his barstool, if her fingers weren't already digging into his back.

Soon enough, they were scrambling out the door.

Spoiler

I found some old drafts for the Micropiece theater. All Harue stuff, but not sure if I'll post them all, some are really sad.

 

[MEDdMI]

Spoiler

I couldn't remember if this thread got wiped or not, just giving it a bump. Thinking about posting some of the other stuff I wrote, but also debating some of the points.

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

I most definitely endorse more Micropiece short stories. I may attempt one myself. Possibly, though I’m not sure what.

 

[MEDdMI]

EB squirmed in his seat, tilting his head at the giant screen ahead of him. Some old romantic movie was playing, but it wasn't very interesting.

"Why can't they just tell each other how they feel?" He complained out loud.

A shiver suddenly ran up his spine. He thought he felt Bea glaring at him, but when he glanced at her, her attention was on the movie, stuffing popcorn with furious gusto.

He wasn't quite sure why Kage had pushed them so hard to watch this thing together. Heck, he wasn't sure how or why the man had a small private movie theater in his house, or why they were sitting in a plush love seat near the front. It was hard *not* to sit in it without brushing against her in some way. He was painfully aware that they were alone in the theater. While Bea didn't seem all that into the movie either, sometimes she would emit a little frustrated sigh or grumble at it under her breath. Everytime he tried to relax, their arms or legs would brush, ever so slightly. He felt his face flush at the thought, and he squirmed again, trying to make himself as small as possible in his corner of the couch. It'd probably be easier if he moved to another seat, but...

He didn't mind the contact. He wouldn't even object to closer contact, but surely she'd punch him for that. Or he'd get another bullet to the head. She still had her gun nearby, just in case.

~~~~~~~~~~~

He wasn't sure exactly when or how it had happened, but he was touching Bea, and she wasn't objecting. His bare skin rubbed against hers slowly and softly.
"It's ok." She whispered calmly, way more calm than he felt. Her fingertips brushed against him, sending his heart racing.
"You sure?" He barely managed to gasp, trembling.
"Yes." She squeezed him tightly. "Are you?"
"..." Although his mind was unable to form a coherent thought anymore, a suddenly calm washed over him as he pressed against her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, EB stood at the kitchen, staring into space while an eggless pancake burned in his skillet. Kage entered in his bat-print pajamas and bathrobe. Calmly, he put his coffee mug down and turned off the stove. He chuckled at EB's face, who still hadn't entirely noticed him yet. So Kage's plan HAD worked, after all. He knew it was only a matter of time.
"So, how did it go last night?" He teased lightly, sure that he already knew the answer.

"Hmm?" EB blinked lazily, so relaxed that he barely stood straight.

Surely, with the most romantic movie of all time, in the dim lighting with the subtle insense, and the cushy, soft loveseat they had-

EB finally replied, a big grin on his face.
"We held hands."

Spoiler

I found this rough draft while sorting through old files. I think this might've been when I was debating the contents of EB's epilogue where he kisses Bea. I don't think I posted it before?

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

I don’t remember reading any of this before. I like though. Nice and sweet and fitting for EB and Bea.

 

[MEDdMI]

AND THEN THEY - *gets shot*

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

Hehe. That happens later, after the confession.

Or maybe when EB comes back from our current world saving escapade.

 

[MEDdMI]

**Just giving this a quick bump so I can reference/use it later**

 

[MEDdMI]

"Pants?" He looked at Harue's basic black slacks and cheap floral shirt, the disappointment clear on his face.

"Remember what happened last time? I've had enough wardrobe malfunctions with dresses and heels, thanks. Plus, jewelry just gets stuck on things." She brushed her hair, parting it carefully to cover her right eye and scar.

"But, well, it's the annual charity ball, and..." He hesitated.

She stared at him for a moment, then went back into the bedroom and shut the door. After a few moments, she came back out.

His jaw dropped.

She was wearing the exact same outfit, only with one of his business suit jackets on top. The sleeves hung well past her hands.
"There. This should be formal enough." She gave a satisfied smirk at the look on his face. "What? It's not like I have to wear a hot outfit and makeup like the other women."

"Haru, that isn't-" He groaned and rubbed his temples with one hand.

"I'll just trip over my own feet anyway. Why don't you go with Cindimae? She doesn't burn her chili so bad it fuses with the pot, right?"

For once, he didn't smile, deflect, or flirt. His brows knotted and he stared at the floor.

Did she go too far this time? Maybe he'd leave her now. It'd be better if he did. The number of scars and scrapes on him were growing. Soon he'd be riddled with them like her. He couldn't keep saving her all the time. After the Ball she'd end things. Now was not a good time. But that was also what she had told herself last month, and the month before, and...

She had to. Before her bad luck affected him again. Before-

The front door slammed. He was gone. Did he even say anything before he left? Did she? She stared at the door, her mind already writing and rewriting a dozen possibilities of what had just happened, what would happen now.

"...Told you you'd regret it." She told the door.

*The part below takes places right after this fight. I wrote it ages ago but I guess I forgot to post it*

Thubtien stomped on the streets, scowling at the pavement. Harue's words still stung. While it was true that he couldn't help but look and flirt with other women, and maybe sometimes they got the wrong idea, and there was that one time Maggie kissed him, BUT! He always came back to Harue in the end. Ever since he came across her at the basketball court...

At first he thought she was just paranoid, but during their time together, he had seen everything from stubbed toes to potted plants that barely missed her to a sinkhole nearly swallowing her whole. He wasn't sure if she was really unlucky for all these things happening to her, or lucky because she always survived. Initially he admired the way she stayed calm after such events, though he came to realize that she just didn't care what happened to her anymore. She had accepted that this was just the way her life was. At least, until he started getting hurt.

He came across an empty soda can and punted it as hard as he could down the street. He used to be able to convince her that he could help her. That she didn't have to live that way. That she deserved better. It used to feel good to be her knight in shining armor. Now he was battered and weary from being constantly on edge, just waiting for the next disaster. Sometimes it really did seem like she was more trouble than it was worth. In the last few months she began trying harder to push him away. He let out a sigh. Mostly, he was frustrated that he couldn't actually save her. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and froze when he felt a small box there.

Tonight. The annual fireman's ball. He was going to prove his dedication to her in front of everyone. He just wanted to make sure it would be memorable and romantic. He wanted to show everyone just how beautiful she was, even if she wouldn't believe it herself. He sighed again, his anger fading. Somehow the image of both of them attending the ball while wearing his suits came to mind. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself a little.
"I guess that would be memorable, too..." He shrugged with a smirk and started to turn back towards their apartment.

Just then, he heard a cry for help. Soon, he was face to face with a condo, the top floor ablaze. He comforted a weeping older woman out front. She pointed a trembling finger at the top window. A neighbor ran off to alert the fire department. The rest of the team would be here soon, but not soon enough.
"Don't worry, I got this." He grinned and disappeared into the smoke.

 

[MEDdMI]

After their Carry-OK date, Harue and Tien made it back to his apartment in a rush. Harue had Tien pushed against the door for a minute before pulling away.
"Hold on." She stared at the floor.
"You ok? You want to stop?" His voice was just a bit shaky.
"No, but..." She sighed. "I should show you first."
Harue stepped back. Before Tien could say anything else, she had taken off everything but her underwear. His breath caught in his throat, but not for the usual reasons.

Her body was covered with numerous scars and a few bruises, some old and some fresh. He had seen worse trauma by far, but never expected it on a girlfriend.
"How-" He gently traced a faint scar that crossed her collarbone.
Harue smiled wryly, her eye dark.
"I think that one was a tree branch that fell on me? It's kind of hard to keep track. Though, I get it if this wasn't what you were expecting." She shrugged and laughed, though there was no humor in her voice.

Tien just held one of her hands gently, not sure what to say.
"It's fine, I'll put my clothes back on." She sighed.
"Wait. Why?"
Harue stared at him blankly. "Because... I mean...." she gestured to herself. "You really want this damaged thing? And don't say yes out of pity."
Despite her casual words, Tien could see that she was trembling and avoiding eye contact. He squeezed her hand a little.
"Did you think I'd dump you because of that?"
"Wouldn't be the first time a guy did that." Haru squirmed a little.
"Really? His loss- sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood. Hey, if they bother you that much, how about I kiss them better?" He smiled, then leaned forward to give her the gentlest kiss on top of her eye bandage.
He moved down to the scar on the collarbone, kissing along its length.
"W-what- that's stupid." He pecked at a faded bruise on her left shoulder. "That not going to heal-" He kneeled in front of her, found some old burn marks on her knuckles, and raised her hand to his mouth. "Y-you're an idiot!"
He chuckled at her clever retort.
"And you deserve to be loved."
He could hear her breath catching in her throat. Her trembling fingers buried in his wavy hair, and soon warm tears dropped down onto his face.

Spoiler

Had this draft sitting for awhile as well, edited it a bit.
I'll admit that this one is romance novely. I think my main gripe was that Tien was entering "too perfect" territory. But, this can just be an idealized version from Harue's memory.

 

[MEDdMI]

The crowd in the venue was, of course, impeccably dressed. They gathered in small groups around the food and drinks, or sat at tables, laughing quietly as gentle music played in the background.
Harue gave a weary sigh. She sat at a table, alone, while he was the center of attention at the front of the room.
Idiots, the lot of them. If she didn't hear them whispering about her, she caught them glaring from the corner of her good eye. Most of the daggers were from women. Every once in awhile, someone would come over to exchange empty pleasantries and leave when the uncomfortable silence became too much to bear. She had even worn a dress and low heels for him, but all she wanted to do now was to go home.

"Hey. How you holdin' up, lov?"
Harue's focus shifted to Alann, a grizzled but kindly 40-something old man. He was one of the few Boys who didn't talk badly about her. As he sat down, Harue shrugged without a word. "Ey, don't mind the women. Dey just jealous of you. None of them could keep him tied down."
"Well... I probably should've let him go sooner. Then he wouldn't be missing."
Alann fell silent. Oblivious to their table, people continued to gather around Thubtien.

Or rather, a large photo of Thubtien that was propped up on a stand in the front of the room, along with his uniform and one of his pink shirts that he was infamous for. A 6-pack of his favorite beer. A sports jersey he wore whenever his favorite team played. Photos of him and the Boys at the firehouse, his friends, his family. Only one of the photos included Harue in it.

Harue slumped her chin in her hand.
"I know. Everyone thinks he died. But they couldn't positively identify the remains."

Alann sighed. "I dun want to believe it neither. But dey did find that wit him." He gestured at a small box in front of Harue on the table. It was charred and dented nearly beyond recognition.

Harue snorted. "You believe that? He would never chain himself down. Whoever died wasn't my Tien."

"......"
"It wasn't him. I'm going to find where he ran off to, no matter what it takes."
Alann could only swig back his can of beer and sigh.
"Ah hope you make peace with dis, lov."

Spoiler

Another old draft. Apologies for dumping these, they should get posted before I post the epilogue.

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

Don’t apologise. It’s what Micropieye is for right. Worldbuilding and character stuff outside of the rp story. I mean, I’m enjoying the fleshing out of Harues past.

 

[MEDdMI]

Spoiler

Finally getting around to posting these. I probably mentioned this before, but I'm going to do something different and present various endings for Haru/e, much like a visual novel game. Mood levels and likehood vary. All fall under two general outcomes. First up:

TIEN IS DEAD (prologue)
"You're late." Haru smiled at Kage, who offered an apology, as well as a bruised chin.
"Eh, don't worry about it. I figured you might get caught up in 'business'."
"...I'm not sure what I'm going to do now. I missed so much work after the piano that even Judeen would have a hard time hiring me back. Not sure I liked sneaking around as a journalist, anyway. Besides, I've seen some crazy things in the short time I was with you. That, and the stories you and the others have told me..."
"Gods, huh?" Haru looked up at the rainy sky.

RELENTLESS END
Harue walked slowly amongst the old ruins with a slight limp. A tattered backpack with only a few days' worth of rations hung limply from her hand. Her hair had grown out a bit but was unkept and tangled. Her clothes were ragged and torn, her chest binder exposed and loose but she didn't care. There was no one around to see, anyway. No one even knew she was hunting down one of these gods.
She still half expected Kage and the others to somehow find out and stop her. It would probably be easy enough, for them. Just a footnote in their heroic history. Still, she would find a way. Pretend to listen to another of Kage's speeches, then resume the search once their attention was elsewhere. They could even imprison her. She'd find a way out, whether through her smarts or sheer dumb luck. Let them try...
"I'll find a way to bring him back, even if I have to erase my own existence..." Her quiet laughter echoed across the empty ruins.

Spoiler

HOPE END
Tien was gone. Haru would've been lying to himself if he said he didn't want Tien back somehow. Still, making a deal with a god seemed... dangerous. Yet, the world was full of strange and magical things, which Haru had only recently been made aware of. With Kage and company's permission, Haru had written (mostly) accurate stories of their adventures and histories. The Chronicles of the Ice Princess. My Little Pawny. The Librarian's Forbidden Tome. Prince Incognito. The Secret Knight Rises. The Avenging Assemblers. Even though Haru had only changed names and identifying details, his books had been interpreted as fiction, and gained a small yet fervent fandom.
But, more writing was for another day. Haru trekked through a dense forest, adjusting his hiking backpack. He had hired a few people (recommended by Kage) to accompany him. There had been rumors of an relic that could grant good luck in this area.
"Sorry if this one ends up being a dud like last time, but might as well try, right?"
"Say, I've been thinking of writing alternate universe fiction. Something romantic, maybe even naughty. I really like the thought of a superhero and a butler..."

Spoiler

Did some quick sketches to go with the endings, too. More to come later.

 

[GodSentinelOmega]

Prince Incognito huh? EBs not gonna escape that one. I very much like these multi-purpose endings. All equally interesting.

Though I can confidently say that the ‘Relentless’ route would very much have a Kage who is progressively losing his marbles In chasing Harue.

Love all the story names too. And your art never fails MED.

 

[MEDdMI]

Thanks, the art is a bit messy since there's so many of them/didn't want to spend too much time. In a sillier world, I can almost see the Relentless end turning into a running joke like Elmer chasing Bugs Bunny. XD
Now, on to the other ends.

TIEN IS ALIVE

HERO END
"You're late." Harue smiled up at Tien, who offered an apology and a hand up.
"Sorry, babe. Got held up on another secret mission." Tien adjusted his sunglasses, which glinted somehow even though it was pouring in the graveyard.
Tien. That fateful night, he had actually been recruited to ANGEL, a top secret organization whose mission was to save the world from the lesser threats of the world. While Kage and co dealt with gods and villains, Tien's group dealt with lesser demons, gangs, and corrupt CEOs.
ANGEL had needed to fake Tien's death, fool even his closest family and friends, in order to thwart the group of evildoers known as DEVIL.
"So your role with ANGEL is really over?" Harue held onto Tien's bulging bicep, looking up at him under his umbrella.
"Yes, babe. Who knows when DEVIL will rise from hell again, but for now... the earth is safe, and we can go back to our happy, ordinary lives."
"Ok, but why did you want me to bury your old ring? The materials can be repurposed."
"Because, babe..." Tien placed his sunglasses on top of his head and gently tilted up Harue's chin. "That was just a cheap one. My girl deserves better. I hated having to fake my death and be apart from you. Not a second went by when I wasn't thinking about you. I know you're not big on jewelry, but..."
Tien passed the umbrella to Harue and got down on one knee, in front of his own grave. He pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside was a delicate ring with a large rainbow-colored stone.
"Will you make me the luckiest man alive and marry me?"
Harue dropped the umbrella to hug Tien. Somehow, she felt her unluck lift on its own accord. The skies suddenly cleared, leaving a sparkling double rainbow in the sky, with an alicorn dancing in the distance.

Spoiler

Drew this in a more cartoony style for the goofiest, least credible end.

AMNESIA ROUTE
FORGOTTEN END
Behind the one-way glass in a hidden room, Harue watched Tien test out a bionic right arm, courtesy of Kage. Tien had been randomly selected to test out some cutting edge technology!.... which was a plain old lie.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk to him?" Kage asked gently.
Harue looked at Tien. Most of his right arm was gone. Burn marks and grafted skin ran up his left side, neck, and face. Scars cut across his nose and parts of his body. He was leaner, weaker, yet still had a bright smile on his face as he managed to grip a soda can. He winked at one of the scientists who was adjusting the settings, and she couldn't help but giggle.
"..." Harue gently leaned her head against the glass.
She wondered how many restless hours she had imagining this moment, running a hundred different scenarios in her head. Yet, actually being in such a moment was a completely different story. Overwhelming joy that Tien was still alive. Crushing guilt that he was in such a sorry state because of her. The desperation that surely he would recognize her and love her again given enough time. The cold knowledge that even if he did, her bad luck would strike again. There was no guarantee that she would find a way to break that luck before something happened to him again.
Her emotions finally settled-cold, heavy, and numb.
"He's alive... that's good enough."

Spoiler

The next endings are longer, I'll post them later today.

 

[MEDdMI]

ALTERNATE END
Tien held his shirt to his mouth, deftly searching the burning house. He finally reached the room that the woman outside had pointed to- only to find a mannequin sitting near the window.
Shock and anger were quickly overrun by the sense that something was very, very wrong. He started to turn back, and just then, he heard some timbers creaking above him.
There wasn't enough time. Just as a burning beam was about to hit him, it stopped. He blinked in confusion, then suddenly realized that the flames and the smoke had stopped moving. Everything was silent, and he was suddenly standing a few feet away.
This was definitely wrong. He looked back to where the beams were about to fall, only to see someone else in his place.

It was Harue, but not. Her hair was shorter, and for some reason she was looked like a man. Even though she looked exhausted, even a bit older, she had a smile on her face.
It was then that he realized what was really happening.
He tried to yell and reach out to her, but his arms refused to move fast enough.

Live. Harue mouthed the word before the beam came crashing down.
With a gasp, Tien opened his eyes, suddenly finding himself back in the apartment he had left only moments earlier, in the exact same spot Harue had been standing.
~~~~~~~
"Well, to be honest, Kage, I actually got hired to dig into and write about your activities." Tien smiled. "It was supposed to be written by my girlfriend, but..."
The last two years had passed in a flash. Barely anyone had shown up to Harue's funeral. After getting into a fight with one of his teammates after catching an offhand remark about Harue, he had been kicked out of the team. Even though his writing skills were severly lacking, he found himself under the employ of Judeen Smith. His natural charm made him extremely easy to open up to.
Not too long after following Kage around, he found himself holding an old man in his arms, staring at the remains of a grand piano just a few feet in front of him.
~~~~~~~
Soon enough, Tien was sitting in a room at Kage's mansion, writing down summaries of the eyepatched man's latest adventures in the floating city.
"If I hadn't seen the stuff I saw while I was with you, I wouldn't believe it either." Tien smiled. The awkward hero had quickly gained Tien's trust and friendship, and they remained in contact even after everything had settled down.
"...I know I mention my girlfriend a lot, but there's some things about her I never mentioned. This tacky shirt? It's the kind of thing she loved to wear. And this..." Tien reached towards a well worn strip of yellow cloth that was tied around his right bicep. He carefully unwrapped part of it to reveal a small misshapen mass.
"I've told you about the fire she was in, that they couldn't positively indentify her, and that this was all that was found. No one else knows this, but... I never got a chance to even give her the ring." Tien unwrapped another section of cloth, revealing a humble yet intact ring.

"*This* is the ring I was going to give her. Now how can there possibly be two? Have you ever heard of someone going back in time? I think that someone had to die in the fire that day, and she swapped places with me."
"These last few years, I've felt like I've been doing things that she would've done, or at least tried to. If time travel is possible, I can't help but wonder..."
Tien shook his head and sighed.
"I just hate thinking that she felt like my life was worth more than hers, but even if I did find a way, I can't help but think that she'd just do it again. She was stubborn like that." Tien laughed weakly and rubbed his eyes.

"I don't really believe in soulmates or anything like that, but it's strange. I haven't been interested in dating again since. Hey, if gods exist, what about ghosts? I swear I felt like something was going to kick my ass the first time I saw Dee and whistled at her..." Tien shrugged.
"Well, maybe one day, but it'd have to be someone pretty special to get her approval."

The men continued to talk over tea and light snacks.
"Say, isn't EB leaving soon to rebuild his island? Are you maybe hiring another butler/crimefighter?" Tien's eyes sparkled with excitement as he clasped Kage's hands in his own.
Somebody, somewhere, suddenly got a bloody nose and started writing furiously.

Spoiler