Side Note

The family dinner was great. They offered Mel and I to stay over for the night, but that was rudely interrupted when Myka just grabbed Mel and I by the collar and chucked us into the ground, somehow sending us back into Mendass, right in the middle of a camp that Sherry had made. Sherry's asleep inside a tent she pitched right next to the parked car, which is next to a flowing river. It's a pretty river, especially for one during the end times. It's quite… nice. 

"When was the last time we had a quiet moment?" I turned to Mel, who had joined me in looking at the flowing river illuminated by the moon.

"Hmm… when we had our date?"

"Pfft… you and I both know that wasn't quiet."

"I'm offended! I'm supposed to make the perverted jokes!"

"No, you're just a pervert."

"Oh."

"..."

"..."

We both sat at the river bank, enjoying our moment of peace. I could get used to this… too bad we're in Mendass.

Glace, the capital of Trogen, was known as the Capital of Heroes. Trogen was well-known for producing some of the best heroes to have braced Mendass's history, excluding the heroes from Otherworlds. It's lauded as one of four cities to be impenetrable, which is an impressive feat considering Mendass's propensity for absurd abilities that would break an ordinary world in half. 

Yet, here it is, fallen, nothing but rubble being proof there was anything here in the first place. The only living souls present are a young lady, forcibly taken from her home by the whims of foreign peacekeepers, an infamous elf, whose visage was once the centre of Mendass's biggest forgotten empire, and a bunny beastkin masquerading as a simple maid. The latter two sit at an elegant table in the dead of night, creating an oppressive atmosphere, as expected of two monsters.

"Greetings, Myka." The one to initiate is the elf Merida Sicht, known worldwide as simply 'The Seer'. "You've arrived at a splendid time. I was growing bored of this chaos."

"Yeah, yeah." The fake maid rolls her eyes. "Why couldn't you be like this in front of Madeleine? It would've given me more time before I stepped in."

"And ruin my fun? Take away an object of my curiosity? You lack understanding of me." Merida scoffed. "What brings you to me?"

"Two reasons." Myka lets out a smirk. "Make a guess, All-Seeing Eye."

"I've noticed that you have approached some rather interesting individuals in Mendass. The Golemancer, the Summoner, even my old master. I've also noticed that they all happen to be in the same building as one another, alongside some other notable names. An all-star death game, perhaps? You wish for me to participate."

"Eh, close enough for the second reason I'm here."

"Enlighten me on what the priority is."

"This." The reality warper points a finger gun at the third presence nearby, the tool that Merida had used to bring chaos to Glace, and shoots out a beam, instantly killing her. "That's that."

"Why did you execute Sally Cordozar?"

"She's a liability to Mendass' stability, as simple as that." Myka blows on her finger gun, then turns back to Merida.

"Noted."

"Now, for the second reason." The bunny girl pulls out a tablet and starts scrolling through a wall of text. Eventually, she stops where the text ends. "I shall hold a gauntlet and want your wife in it. I shall be holding onto you as insurance for her compliance."

"I sincerely doubt you will be able to either capture or convince Mare."

"Already done." The Seer's eyes grow wide. "Fuck you and your stupid fake schemes. I'm throwing it to the wayside. You and your wife are now my bitches, and part of my scheme."

The reality warper snaps her fingers, making the two figures disappear, leaving behind ruins, an unlucky lady, and countless stories that will go untold.

"So yeah, that's why I'm banned from the comedy club in Hamblin," I said out loud, having gone on about a story involving two flying sharks, a box of mints, and a strand of Christie's hair that I sold.

"..." I turned to Mel, noticing that she had managed to go silent through the entire story, which was unlike her, and that she was looking down at the river.

"Geez, Mel. You always have something funny to respond with. What's going on?"

"I'm just thinking." She turned to me. "What are we going to do when this is over?"

"The road trip, Mendass, or something else?"

"The story."

"It's been a while since you've mentioned that!" I poked Mel in her cheek, much to her annoyance. "I thought you were over it."

"I thought so too. I just… you know, sometimes overthink."

"Well, I think it'll be alright."

"How so?"

"We could have a cabin on a hill, spend days eating anything that isn't soup, and occasionally have the shadow clones and their families come over. You know, a peaceful life."

"That does sound nice… I hope it comes soon, then." She leaned on my shoulder.

"I do too." I leaned on her head.

And so we sat in silence until we eventually fell asleep beside each other.

Chapter namesake: Quiet Water by Toby Fox for Undertale

pojlk

Talk about a rare chapter. It's both a slow, quiet affair that also forwards what little plot that exists. This is also definitely not me forgetting that this story is also a Girls Love story.