A/N: WARNING!!! There are topics that some may find to be too heavy in this chapter. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Time skip – 2 days – 2 days until Delsin arrives
I panted, my eyes burning from the hot sun above me and my lungs burning from exertion. Hearing noises come from below me I duck lower behind the rocks I scrambled behind. The noises got closer and closer, my exhausted brain and body being unable to make out the sounds until they were right on top of me. The sounds eventually something I could make out, footsteps, a lot of them at that.
[{…Why does my head feel so foggy?...}]
"Spread out!" The person I believe to be the leader ordered, his voice sounding like someone sandblasted a person's vocal cords, dunking it in acid, then putting it back together and shoved it back down the guy's throat. "I want no piece of dirt unmarked, so stone unturned, no nook or cranny overlooked!" The man growled, his footsteps being rather noticeable because of the distinct clinks of the spurs on his boots.
"The little shit couldn't have gone far, he's exhausted and young, FIND HIM! OR ELSE!" He finished, the sound of a detonator arming barely being audible over the sounds of whimpers, groans and jeers. That last one being from the person's main group, the whimpers and groans…they were slaves…dispossable ones at that.
They ranged from the terminally ill, to amputees, all the way to partial or fully "mutated" people. The last group of people were just people with regular, if detrimental, birth defects and physical mutations that were not unseen pre-war. They'd shoot the actual mutants on sight, not caring if they were sentient or not–
I shake my head, clearing my exhausted brain's thoughts to focus on a plan to get out of this situation. Working through a mental inventory of all that I have on me to try and find a way to gather more information.
Tossing out several options rapidly because of my estimate on the amount of people looking for me, my current inability to adjust and orient myself to get to my backpack because of how small the space between the rock I'm currently behind is and the wall is from me.
Not to mention that none of the exits to this little kill box I found myself in are close or easily traversable to make them genuine options to try and take.
"Come one luck, don't fail me now…give me something…please…?" I whisper, tilting my head back and squinting at the sun, I try to find some way out of this mess. The sound of several sets of footsteps closing in on my position getting clearer.
'Is this it?' I wonder, my hand closing around the shitty .22 pee shooter I insisted was all I needed since, "It's not like I'll be in much danger with a caravan of weapon traders! And it's silenced, so nothing'll be able to find me! I see this as an absolute win!", those words came to bite me in the ass apparently.
I could feel a self deprecating grin spread wider across my face as I steel myself to take as many with me before trying to bolt for an exit. '5…4…3…2–' my mental countdown was cut off by the sound of something almost metallic scraping against rock…something that is currently scraping against the wall in front of me…
*Scratch scrape skrik skerk…*
"W-w-what the FUCK is t-t-that noise!" One of the leader's crew stuttered out.
[...Those lizards shouldn't be here…it's too far from…]
He was clearly high on something, probably a mix of jet and psycho, maybe a bit of Med-X as well. Noting that for later I try to understand why no one tried to come closer to my position. Taking a breath to focus and center myself, I listen, and it doesn't take long for me to realize why no one is coming over here.
Because that sound is coming from all around us. I can't pinpoint where everything is since–
*Sker–crack!*
'Exit stage left it is then' I decide frantically as the wall in front of me starts to show cracks. Planting my hand and flipping over onto my knees I grab the rock for leverage to bolt out of cover. Deciding to test my luck a bit more, I peak over for a second to get a look at the situation before bolting.
Bad choice, just because the footsteps coming closer to me stopped didn't mean they left…since I made contact with a pair of eyes…a pair of eyes that had twin irises in each of them.
'Holy peepers Jeepers!' I internally babble, freezing mentally at the sight of them. Though my body doesn't follow my brain as all the training my parents and instructors drilled into me kicks in.
*Whoosh CRUCH!*
My hand whips out in the shape of a knife before closing into a fist right before it makes contact with his nose. Following the recoil of the strike I bring my hand back down to my holster and grab nothing– Wait, grab nothing!
Looking down at my hip reveals that my gun is gone, probably off somewhere that is too far to reach.
{…It wouldn't have helped…not for those things…}
'The thing was so shit it wouldn't have mattered anyways.' I tell myself, despite knowing that even the smallest of rounds can have their uses. Looking back up I find two more people looking at me, both of them jolting and stumbling forward to grab me and the backpack I have on.
They try to corner me, hoping I wouldn't test going straight over since the first guy I hit was back up and moving now. All three were slaves, one of each type.
An amputee to my left, missing everything below his right knee and a mix of fingers on both hands. 'Stance on both legs show he hasn't been trained and hasn't had that fake leg for long, the bulk he has can be a problem if he grabs me though." I analyze, my eyes darting to my right.
{...Tyler…he was supposed to be getting supplies for his families roof gardens… and some kind of portable pre-war farming equiptment…}
A terminally ill woman who looked like she just walked away from being bleed dry and asked for more. 'Her eyes are hardened, stance is weak from her condition but practiced, she was faster to react than the amputee and didn't even seem to notice her condition…keep her in front of me.' I mentally decided.
{…Stacy…she was supposed to be on her first patrol when I left…she had a slight cough the last time I saw her…}
The one in front of me, on the other side of the rock, was a mutant. His muscles looked like they were pulled out and replaced with steel…not that he was big, just that his muscles looked powerful. 'Lanky but strong, good eyesight–' My thoughts stopped as I noticed that he was shaking, using the rock as support, 'bad endurance, that was less a punch and more of a strong if clumsy jab…I can work with this.' I finished.
{...Andrew…I never saw him without some kind of eye wear on…guess I know why now…}
Deciding on a plan after cataloging my opponents traits I fake a rush for the rock, keeping my eyes on the amputee. I stop and fake a jab at him, making him flinch hard backwards before tilting forward and sending a kick at the left knee of the terminally ill woman.
She lets it pass through her legs, bringing her hands together and letting her knees buckle to try and trap my leg.
{…I was quicker…the only thing I had over her…}
I reached out, grabbing the amputee's fake leg and yanking from both ends, feeling the amputee's fake leg resist for an instant before releasing as I felt my foot hook the back of the woman's knee and pull her leg forward slightly.
{…I still think half my luck was used up here…}
Somehow, my foot slipped as her leg was about to pinch my leg, the slight pull forward being enough to throw off her estimates of her actions and–
*Crack!*
"AAAGHRAH!" Her knee met some loose rocks in the wrong spot and cracked something, putting her out of my mind and pivoting back to the–
*BAH CRUNCH!*
'...did I- did I just get kicked…by a…brahman?' I wondered, feeling my head spinning in opposite directions, my chest feeling hollow from the absolute lack of air in my lungs, and my ears ringing like I could hear a dog whistle and it was blasting from inside my ears.
Forcing my blurry vision upwards I could see five people in front of me now…'are they que- quan- quintuplets…did they all kick me at once…but why are they all limping…?' My mind felt like it was moving through sludge, being pulled by wires attached to whatever was making my head spin in both directions.
'Oh,' I thought, watching the quintuplets become thriplets, 'I'm just all sorts of fucked up…I can still handle this–' my thoughts were cut off by the mutant grabbing me my the sholder, throwing me face first to the ground and ripping the backpack off of me.
*RIIIIIP! Snap!*
Beyond the sound of my backpack's straps tearing, I could feel the bandana I had on snap and come off, the welding goggles I had were…somewhere…probably broken…
'Time…too Grognak…this shit' I mentally hyped myself, pushing myself onto wobbly arms, my head feeling lighter all of a sudden.
*Thunk– Clink clatter*
'Ah,' I thought, my eyes locking onto the shattered back of the metal helmet that was on my head a second ago, 'that can't be good…' my thoughts feeling like they were floating out of my head, probably because of the holes that were now in it if the blood on the helmet meant anything.
Reaching a shaky hand out to the pieces of the helmet, my fingers wrapped around a sizable piece that I could use to shank someone with.
*KER KRE CRAck! CraCK! CRACK!*
'There's also that…' I thought, staggering to my feet, my legs shaking worse than my arms before steadying myself enough to look over my shoulder. Seeing the three of them gathered around the backpack. They were fighting over the thing, like it was some kind of life line, '...doesn't…matter–'
{…I always hated this part…}
I blinked, and I was standing over their dead bodies, their faces looked shocked/horrified/remorsfull…and a bit familiar…pushing that to the side I reached out–
"Agh!" I groaned, feeling a few ribs shift in ways they shouldn't be shifting in–
I blinked again, I was running now, I was running through the canyon as the sounds I heard from behind me were a good enough reason to keep forcing my legs to move. I could feel what was left of my backpack in my arms being clutched to my chest.
Fumbling with one of the pouches, I pulled out a bag of quick use medicines I had been saving for an emergency. I had several others but they were for extended treatments, this one was for immediate healing…
'Just gotta find a place to sit down and get nutrients in me' I think, hearing the sounds of flesh tearing and people screaming fade from my senses–
*Woosh RIIIP!*
"Fuck!" I yelled, ducking under a claw that came out of a hole in the rock wall, feeling them barely touch me yet still managing to slice my shoulder open like it was nothing. I stumbled slightly, hearing whatever tried to grab me drop down and start chasing me.
'FUCK IT, I CAN ALWAYS GET A NEW BACKPACK!!!' I mentally screamed before tossing what's left of the bag over my shoulder at whatever was currently catching up to me.
*Shi– Krunk!*
"Gah!" I groaned again, feeling my ribs shift some more. Hearing the backpack make contact with something, that something sounding like it tripped, a growl, and then nothing.
{…I'll get back at that one someday…a few of these scars still hurt…}
Risking a glance back I see two glowing white eyes set in a leathery skinned face, its mouth holding rows of vicious looking jagged teeth. The rest of its body seemed to melt into the shadows, its face only being visible because of a small patch of light entering through a crack in the canyon I was running through.
It might have just been my imagination, but it almost looked…irritated.
[…that thing looked familiar…but it seems a bit…off…]
I blinked, finding myself at the opening to my destination, my home. Coming to a stop at the top of the hill, just outside of the canyon's entrance, I wobbled slightly before dropping to my knees. My hands let go of the medicine bag as they fell to my sides.
"Can't…stay here– ARGH!" I groan, falling to the ground after attempting to stand. My vision blackened around the edges for a moment before another shot of adrenalin hit me. The fear I felt at realizing I almost passed out was enough to force my brain to tell my body to get me back up.
The adrenaline being enough to push me forward and grab the medicine bag, blinking hard and shaking my head–
–find myself standing and half stabilized. Dropping my head down to an inconspicuous looking pouch on my hip, I pat it slightly, feeling the thing I was paid to deliver. Some piece of pre-war equipment of some kind, I was told not to look at the thing…but I did look…and I haven't the slightest clue what the hell it is.
{…should've left it there…should've done my job and left…}
So I pulled it out, just to make sure it was all in one piece still. Holding an odd looking laser in my hands, I looked it over and checked for any damage.
{…dumbest shit I've ever done…}
"Hm?" I hummed, seeing that the laser was on, deciding to get a closer look I turned to see the end of it fully.
{…just a fucking stupid ass–}
"Ack!" I yelped, feeling the laser light shrine right into my eyes. I jerk it away, my hand clenching on reflex.
*Clink*
"Huh!?" I looked forward, seeing where the laser was pointed when I heard the click. It was pointed at The Divide.
*KRUNK! THOOM!!!*
Whipping my head to the side I see a hatch I hadn't noticed before open, something massive starting to poke out of its entrance. The sound of several others opening in places I couldn't see before a low, bassy hum came in all directions. I blinked–
"NO NO NO NO NO NO NONONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!!!!!!!!" I was running, I knew it was stupid, you don't run towards a nuke let alone multiple. But I was already running before I realized what was happening.
I didn't stop running as I watched, feeling my feet move on reflex when they would have been caught on something, when they fell into pot holes until I finally tripped, face planting.
Raising myself to my hands I looked up, and saw several of the nukes reach their arching point before they started falling back down. My mind doing a count down without my consent.
5…
4…
3…
2…
1–
*Thump!—thud—SLAM!*
"Ahn!❤ YES!❤ RIGHT THERE!❤ HARDER!!! ❤❤❤"
I fell off my bed, hearing the sound of a girl being rather vocal in the next room over…then I remembered were I was. Groaning, I got back up and covered my head with a pillow, only for the noises to continue as though there was nothing there.
'I can understand that they're both pent up, they're both barely adults, that they're both scared about what's going to happen—if in a rough outline—, but they could at least take it somewhere else!' I mentally ranted, feeling more annoyed than anything else.
'I can understand why Fetch would be into him now though,' I thought, remembering the first time I saw Eugene with his glasses off. 'I mean, I'm not gay or bi, but I'm secure enough in my own masculinity to admit when another man is handsome…and Eugene is a fucking chad in a Melvin disguse!'
'The first time I made him take off his glasses to train without them I thought Fetch would have jumped his bones right there–'
"YESYESYESYESYESYES!!!!!❤ DEEPER! DEEPER! DEEPERRRRR!!!❤❤ PLEASE! I'M SO CLOSE!!!❤" She screamed again, the sound of slapping growing louder and louder.
Squinting my eyes at the spot they were, I threw the pillow at the wall to try and get their attention…it made no noise at all.
"…I've exhausted all options…time for drastic measures…" I said, reaching out to a loose wire, one that I set up for quick deployment outside of the basement, and sent a pulse of energy through the wire and to the room they were in.
*Pop–Flash! Pop*
I made the wire flash…the same kind of flash as a camera…then made it flash like I had ran back through it and out of the basement, which I did the next second. The last thing I heard was two people falling and starting to scramble up to get dressed.
>Line break<
Ding! Be the best and worst wingman ever!
1x Random Bronze ticket acquired.
"I didn't do anything! Those two are just horny!" I yelled at the screen, people looking up at the roof I was shouting from in befuddlement. Turning away from the edge I continued, "I don't care that their fucking I just don't what to hear it, let alone be in the next room from them!"
"Yeah! No one wants to be a third wheel to that shit!" Some random guy from below shouted up at me.
"Thank you random guy!" I shouted back, fully turning to the rest of the roof, hearing a few people laugh and snort at our interaction.
'I'm not a virgin–' I started, trying to think of my experiences as Issac but came up short, seeing every time I got close to losing my V card and the reasons why I never could.
'Why do so many women want to cut my dick off!?' I mentally screamed, remembering multiple times when that happened. Maybe if I had less self respect I would have just paid for a woman to lose it too, but I remember thinking that it would be kind of cheap of me to have to pay for a woman's intimacy…maybe I should have…
I don't know if my picks for one night stands were just horrible or if it's just how my dick looks–
"Do I just have a cuttable looking dick…?" I asked myself, trying to remember why they all wanted to do that. Before my thoughts could start racing for answers I was interrupted by the gacha.
Ding! Successfully keep the DUP from spreading across all of Seattle!
1x Random Gold ticket acquired.
Ding! Successfully force Celia out of Seattle!
1x Random Bronze ticket acquired.
Ding! Successfully force the criminals of Seattle to refuse aid from the DUP!
1x Random Silver ticket acquired.
Ding! Realize just how advanced yet stupid the Fallout universe is!
1x Random Bronze ticket acquired.
'Huh, I was wondering why I didn't get anything for so long–' I started, seeing the first three tickets and thinking of how we didn't do anything to warrant a stronger response, actively staying out of people's focus…until we really started going after the gangs, then we were actually noticed, but I kept an eye out for stuff that would have made us look worse than we actually were.
Like keeping overly blood thirsty girls from killing people in the most gruesome ways possible and pinning it on one of us. That was just a side issue in the grand scheme of it all though, as she gave up after the third try at killing someone.
And because we were so careful with everything, the DUP couldn't put a bounty out for everyone that was a conduit, making people less inclined to help them when there was no reward in it for them.
Sure, it still happened, the DUP still made a request(demand) for people to send in tips to find more conduits, and some still sent tips in(most false). They stopped after a while though…totally not because we would string up everyone that did send in a tip before posting all of their dirty laundry on the internet and on paper planted right in front of them…conveniently next to a farmers market when everything they had was going rotten and coincidentally needed to throw everything out…totally.
But I came to a stop at the last one…
My face scrunches, my brows formed an almost perfect V and my mouth curved down into an upside down U. Why was my reaction so exaggerated? That's simple.
"Why did you have to remind me," I groan, bringing my hands to my temples before dragging them down my face and continuing, "they have all that tech, all those advancements in different fields, and they choose to keep themselves at a technological stone age!" I finish, voice getting progressively louder until I finally stand up and start shouting again.
"Hey!" The guy from earlier shouts up at me.
"What!?" I shout back, leaning over the edge to look down at him. The guy was sitting on a bench with a guitar in hand and his case in front of him, open and interspersed with different sized coins and bills.
"You goin insane up there?" He asks, a joking smirk on his face as he lazily strums a few strings. I scoffed at him, before laughing, some people below looking weirded out by the action.
"Sorry sorry, it's just that, you can't live the life I've lived and keep thinking anyone's completely sane." I answer, the man raising an eyebrow before snorting, others deciding I was just being dramatic and going back to their business.
"So, if I were to point out anyone on this street, you'd say they were insane?" He questioned, his smirk twitching into an actual smile. I laughed some more at the question before answering.
"If you try pointing at someone and say they're sane, I'll point out three insane people, me included for even going along with it." I say, finishing with another laugh, the man below joins in for a bit before letting our laughter die out. Letting out a sigh as we come to an end, I look closer at the guy.
He's in semi-ragged clothes–obviously from choice given that they're clean and well kept–and has a few pins and stickers on his jacket and guitar. Likely some well off guy playing at a drifter, or just someone who likes his life how it is and knows how to get by.
"Hey!" I call down again, pulling his attention away from tuning his guitar. "Mind if I have a go with that thing?" I ask, gesturing to his guitar. He looks thoughtful for a bit before shrugging, his lazy smile growing a bit more.
"Sure, why not! I might as well be insane for a bit and let a stranger play my baby!" He laughed, placing his guitar on the bench and gesturing to it, sitting back to wait for me to come down. Deciding not to keep him waiting I leap over the roof's edge. Grabbing a hold of a drain pipe and sliding down a few feet before jumping to the side, grabbing onto a person's balcony.
Turning partly to the street I spot the closest light poll and jump for it, my feet making contact first and sliding a bit before grabbing fully and starting to slide in a controlled manner. Reaching the ground and starting to walk to him, I stop, remembering something important.
"Are you seriously looking both ways after doing all that!?" The guy laughs incredulously, starting to wheeze by just how ridiculous the scene looks.
"Hey, you know what they say about insanity!" I say, giving him a look like that was all the explanation that was needed.
"No, what do 'they' say?" He asked, looking like he actually wanted to know.
"What, didn't you hear them?" I ask, giving him an overly confused look. He just laughs again.
"HA! I'll give you that one, I walked right into it." He conceded, giving a welcoming wave to the bench. "As a reward for the successful deception I'll grant you a seat on my throne." He said grandly, like a magnanimous king talking to a jester. I just shook my head with a smile at the comment and sat down next to the guitar, giving it a good once over before grabbing it, making sure to be gentle with it.
You gotta be respectful with things like this, since I could tell just how old yet loved the instrument was. I must have made a really good impression on the guy for him to decide I was trustworthy enough to let play this thing. Just from looking at it I knew that if I was in a more supernatural world, this thing would have become some kind of living item.
"Hey now," he started, the joy from earlier still there, but a hint of warning entering into it, "don't go looking at my baby like that, she might be good but she's mine." He finishes, still sounding just as happy, but the warning fully pushes through his words now.
"I'm not I'm not," I sooth, giving him a disarming smile, "just appreciating her is all." I say reassuringly, strumming the chords to check where they're at.
"Any requests?" I ask, not just to the man but to everyone who stopped to watch our interaction. A few people give out suggestions, others start pulling out phones and cameras to record what will happen, a few looking like they want something to go wrong just to laugh at me. The man tilted his head back, looking deep in thought before turning back to me with a smile.
"How about something that resonates with you, tell us a story about yourself through the song you choose." He said, others around us looking to agree with the man's suggestion. My smile became slightly strained, my attempt to hide it failing as the man gave me an apologetic look. He tried to say something but I held a hand up, stopping him.
"It's alright, I just…you asked me this when I was trying to forget, but…maybe it's better to let it out, in a way." I say, moving through my head for a song to encapsulate my feelings right now. As I do, the people around us seemed a bit uncomfortable, probably feeling like it wasn't appropriate to listen.
I started strumming the guitar strings experimentally. Trying to find a good one until I stop, finding one that fits well enough.
"I…think I found a good one…but it might be a bit depressing." I warn, tuning the strings to where they need to be for the song. The man stays silent, turning to face me fully in place of answering, some of the people recording deciding to stop. Some looked shameful while others just left, not wanting to be around if I started getting emotional.
!!!! — Content Warning — !!!!
[Johnny Cash – Hurt]
I started, the cords letting out a sad and regretful melody, sounding like a man who was sitting at the edge and trying to find a reason to get up and keep going.
I hurt myself, today~
To see if I still feel~
I focus, on the pain~
The only thing, that's real~
My mind goes back through my memories as I sing, remembering the day Issac was ambushed, right before I came along and entered his body…he was tired, trying everything to forget, everything to keep moving from his past…even if Benny didn't attack, he wouldn't have reached New Vegas.
He was going to go to The Divide, he knew whatever House wanted would end the same way The Divide had, and he couldn't be a part of that…not again.
The needle, tears a hole,
The old familiar sting,
Try to kill it, all away~,
But I remember, everything~,
My fingers plucked the strings faster, remembering times when he'd look at the Med-X in his bag and think of how easy it would be to push all of them in and just lay down to sleep. My voice rising like a man trying to find that courage and failing.
What have I~, become?
My sweetest friend~,
Everyone I know, goes away,
In the end~
I remembered him looking in the mirror after surviving his first and only attempt, seeing his parents looking back…looking disappointed that he tied...and releaved that he had failed…then his friends, with expressions of forgiveness and understanding, then only he remained.
And you~ could have it all~,
My empire of dirt,
I will let you down,
I will make you hurt,
He begged to the skies above, with everything he was…for everything he lost. My fingers came back down, smoothing out to how it was in the beginning, like a reset…but of myself.
I wear this crown~, of thorns~,
Upon my liar's~, chair~,
Full of broken thoughts~,
I cannot, repair~,
It was of me now, I use his name, I use his face…I feel his feelings…I gave no promise to fix, just to take. As I sung, I felt something in me stir, something so close yet so far at the same time. I kept playing, needing to let it out.
{Beneath the stains, of time~,}
{The feelings~, disappear~,}
{You are someone, else,}
{I'm still, right here,}
I didn't feel like I was singing alone anymore…because I didn't initiate those lines…Issac did…telling me he never left, just slumbered. But I started singing again, both of us singing now,
{What have I become?}
[My sweetest, friend,]
{Everyone I know goes away}
{In the end}
He hated himself…I loved who he was…he thought himself cursed…
{And you could have~ it all!}
{My empire~ of dirt!}
[I will let you down]
{I will make you hurt}
My eye's, half lidded, closed…letting my senses of everything but us fade as I came face to face with him, each of us singing to the other. Him wanting to give it all away and fade…my fear of not being enough, having to compensate for all the things I know he could do…him threatening me if I didn't…
{If I could start again}
{A million miles away}
[I would keep myself]
[I would find a way]
He sung, begging again, to me now, to find a way to bring them back…I interjected, promising, there was no other option…not after this, not when I have this power…
He looked at me, searching for any lie in me…and relaxed…seeing my memories of every ability, every item, every person I could find…everything that could bring The Divide back…
He stepped forward, hesitated a moment, and hugged me. He stepped back and started to fade…his mouth moved yet no sound came out, but I understood.
"Thank you…"
I sat there, feeling myself become lighter.
Ding…Receive Issac's acceptance and blessing…
1x Random Advantage Platinum ticket acquired.
I opened my eyes, my mind feeling clearer than ever, like I'd slept on a cloud. A breeze came by, a cool sensation on my face. Reaching up, I found myself crying, yet I felt at peace. Looking up, I find a crowd of people, all the people I can see are crying…I smile, letting them know it's alright. Then I sigh, letting out a chuckle at the end of it before speaking.
"Man…that was a bit too depressing, right?" I ask rhetorically, taking a deep breath before readjusting the guitar in my hands, tuning it for something more light this time. "How about something to lift everyone's moods, yeah?" I see several people nod absentmindedly, the man next to me looking off in the distance—seeming to have been doing so for a while now—before turning back to me, a peaceful smile on his face, and he nods.
I look around, looking for inspiration for the next song. Finding nothing around us I decide to look into the crowd, finding a young couple standing together. The young man—not even looking to be out of high school yet—held his girlfriend as she cried, and I smiled as I knew what song to play.
"I got one," I started, gesturing to the young couple, seeing as they looked surprised for a moment before both blushed in embarrassment, "for the young couple here, how about a love song? One that I hope some of you have heard of." I say, finishing the tuning for the song.
[Ring of Fire — Johnny Cash]
I begin to sing, and somewhere in the background—unknown to me—the gacha rolled the ticket I got from Issac.
Rolling Random Advantage Platinum ticket…
[Silver Chariot]
|Elite Familiar|
JoJo - Silver Chariot is a stand that is bound to your soul; it can only be a certain range from around you, and whatever damage it takes is inflicted back onto you. While it does not excel in brute force, Silver Chariot is an Expert Swordsmaster with insane agility and dexterity, capable of moving so fast that it can leave behind afterimages that look like clones. While Silver Chariot comes equipped with a simple rapier, it can use any weapon the user can use. As a stand, the power of Silver Chariot scales with your energy levels and consumes your energy to stay active and use its superspeed.
Or
[Hands of Time]
|Epic Ability|
Allows the user to alter the time of a target through physical contact, letting them accelerate their time or reverse their time, such as turning a sapling into a full tree, reverting glass to sand, rotting wood to ash with a touch etc. the greater the alteration of time, the more energy they need to exert. Living beings can resist the ability.
[Hands of Time] selected, ability will be stored until the end of the mission…
New main quest pending return to home world: [The Divide UnDivided]
Beyond both of these, there was one more feat I obtained.
Ding! Make a good first impression on—
[Chapter End]
A/N: I just wanted to say this here because of this chapter's contents. People seem to think it's a bad thing to be seen as weak. When in actuality it's not that important, people are complex things. We can survive things that logically should kill us, things that animals that could rip us apart in an instant wouldn't even be able to handle a fraction of.
Yet we've managed to make it this far, we as a species have done the impossible over and over again, saying that something is impossible is just an invitation to try and we've always ended up winning. So if everyone before us could do the impossible, then we can do the same and keep moving forward.
"Just as happiness shines in the shadows of sorrow, only in the darkest depths of fear does courage truly shine" — Mob Psycho 100
It probably sounds pretty cheesy and I'll be the first to admit it is, but sometimes the most true things in life just happen to taste like cheese…alright, that one was bad, I'll see myself out now.
One last thing before the end of this author note, I wasn't planning to have the ticket be rolled during the mission, I just looked at it after typing it and said to myself "Eh, why not, I haven't rolled anything in a while. I might as well." Then, BAM! The perfect roll to tie it all together. I mean, I feel like I did well with this chapter, not great, I don't think I'll ever get too great, but I like to think I'm getting better at least. Oh well, that's enough out of me.
And if you've read this far and are still reading, I hope you have an incredible rest of your day/night.