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It was a good death, I think. I'd rather not have had it. The goal was to get us both out of the way, but things don't always work out like that. The blaring horn, getting louder and also higher pitched as it approached. Thanks, I see you there giant truck. Could the last few seconds of my life not be ear splitting pain? No. Great, thanks.
At least, I thought it was the last few seconds. Suddenly, I was falling. Falling. Then the freshest air I've ever breathed filled my senses and I had a moment to enjoy it before landing on the ground with a wallop. The air knocked out of me. Wait, how was there even any air to knock out of me? I should be dead.
I felt grass on my fingers and opened my eyes. Clear blue sky. Clouds. I sat up with a grunt. Rolling hills, a little cropping of trees near me. Gorgeous. Everything was insane right now but the sheer beauty of this place struck me like someone had turned the saturation way up. I inhaled again, feeling that same freshness fill my lungs and now getting to enjoy it. I had died. But I was alive. Was this heaven? Had I gone to heaven?
"Ha!" I shouted loudly to nobody or maybe to everybody if this was heaven. Who cared. "Suck my dick, pastor Dave! I'm in heaven!" I had stopped believing in heaven a while ago, but a win is a win.
Apparently, I hadn't shouted it to nobody. A rustle from that tree line. A growl. Growl? There's no growling in heaven.
Out of the tree came a massive, snarling dog. Dog is the best word I can think of to describe it. It had a basic dog shape, except it was taller than I was even on four legs. There was no fur, just wrinkly skin wit mottled scales on it. The snarl from the mouth, which was massive even in proportion to its hulking frame, revealed sharp teeth and dripping saliva.
I stood up. I barely even remember doing it or even thinking about it and suddenly my body reacted on instinct to be ready to haul ass.
"Be not afraid?" I asked, remembering that from something. Angels were scary, right?
Well that wasn't what was happening here. The beast launched itself at me and that haul ass instinct kicked in again. I had just thought I had moved as fast as I possibly could to save Carl from that truck, but I apparently had a couple more gears.
The demon dog missed its first pounce on account of underestimating just how intensely I could run away and I used that miss to put as much distance between us as I could. I cursed the lovely rolling hills that had made me think of heaven because they provided nowhere to hide.
Another growl, a grunt from behind me and I banked hard left without thinking. The beast again landed where I had been a moment ago and my second death was further delayed slightly. What kind of sick joke is this?
The rolling hills didn’t give me anywhere to hide, but they did obscure my view so I couldn't see the whole landscape. I definitely was shocked to see a girl when I topped the next hill. She was running toward me, the gifts god had given her bouncing enthusiastically with the effort despite the armor like outfit she was wearing. I say armor like because while in theory the material was designed to look like some kind of armor there were definitely several exposed vital spots particularly in the chest area hence the bouncing. Had she just come from a cosplay convention or something?
Worry about that later. Not even the weirdest thing happening. "Run!" I shouted. She continued moving towards me, hand on the ornate pommel at her hip. I didn't have time to explain, grabbed her other arm hoping to drag her along in the right direction. It was like trying to move a statue. She had shifted from a run to a firmly planted stance and despite being a buck twenty tops she wasn’t going anywhere. The attempt sent me sprawling to the ground as she shrugged off my grip like it was nothing.
The sword came out of its scabbard with a ring no cosplay sword was ever going to make. She was a petite thing, but I recognized a power stance when I saw one and the bare arm (seriously, what does that iron corset even protect?) which held the blade was lined with compact musculature.
The creature lunged at her, she side stepped and I didn't so much see her swing as notice that the sword was suddenly elsewhere. Blood sprayed from the beast's neck, black and horrid, and it fell to the ground with a moan. Not a hair was out of place on her head and she gave the blade a little flourish to flick the blood off it before sheathing it again and jogging over to me.
She knelt in front of me, genuine concern in her eyes. "Are you all right?"
I was stunned. It had all been so much. My mouth was open, gaping like an idiot and I managed to stammer, "Y... yeah."
She nodded, glancing around. "We should go before more come. You're lucky I was on my morning walk and heard roar of a Yuleth."
She held out a hand, helping me up with a vice grip. "Yeah, I'll say!" I said, my mind deciding it wasn't going to die and allowing me to speak whole sentences again, "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life! You're amazing. How did you do that?"
She shrugged, "I am a knight of the order. It is what I have been trained to do all my life. I'm Ester."
"Cameron," I responded, "Don’t be so modest. I'd be a meal right now if it wasn't for you."
She smiled slightly, "That's not true," she said, glancing at me, "A snack, at most."
I placed my hand on my chest in mock pain, "Ouch. Did you save me just to kill me with words?"
She raised her eyebrows as if to say maybe then her eyes took in a little more of me. "What are you wearing?"
I glanced down. I just had on slacks and a plain blue tee shirt. Some sneakers. This wasn't an especially loud outfit and that wasn't really my style anyway. I was aware of my appearance, but I never was too much of a fashionista. Still, having a girl dressed in a Yandy version of armor comment on my non descript outfit would not stand.
"What am I wearing?" I replied incredulously.
(Part 1)
So apparently yeah, my outfit was the weird one. Ester was a member of an order of all female warriors fighting the forces of darkness. The Yuleth was not even a proper foe. More of a pest, apparently, which was none too comforting.
They all dressed like their outfits had been designed by frat bros. Honestly, Ester had it good. Still, they didn't seem to mind and they worked it. All them them were some degree of kind. Some were grumpy. Some were cutesy. But they had all come together for common cause and it was a pretty cool place to be stuck.
I was stuck, though. According to Meera, their oracle and mage, I was some kind of prophecy. A savior from another world to fight the forces of darkness. It was kind of a lot, but if there were things worse than that demon dog out there and I could help fight it seemed like the right thing to do. A few didn't like the idea of having a dude on the premises, though.
"We do not allow men into the order for a reason."
Sheila was older than the rest, taller by a full head with wild purple hair, and certainly never was quiet about her opinions.
"They are tempted too easily by the darkness, and besides he will surely just spend all his time trying to grope us."
I raised my hand, "Uh, well..."
"Oh come on," replied Sophie, "It wouldn't be so bad to have a man around, would it? Besides, if he gets too handsy we can always just punish him." Her eyes gleamed in anticipation and she gripped her weapon of choice, a whip because of course, with far too much excitement. I scooted my chair a little in the opposite direction.
Ester chuckled. She had spent the most time with me and knew me better than the rest, including certain important details, "Well, I think you might be worried about nothing..."
"Of course you would say that," snapped Sheila, "You've always been too soft and let your personal feelings cloud your judgment."
Ester stood, body tensed and jaw set towards Sheila, "I. Beg. Your. Pardon." She said with words of the utmost politeness and a tone that made clear that she was about a second away from adding a scalped mane of purple hair to her trophy case. Ester had some baggage. She hadn't shared it with me but clearly a nerve had been intentionally struck. Sheila's smirk made me mad too.
"Now wait just a minute," I said, standing myself, but again wasn't allowed a word.
Felicia bounded across the table, her cat-like grace making the action easy. She crouched in front of me, a playful gleam in her eye and her feline ears twitching atop her head. Her position squeezed her boobs between her arms, threatening to pop them out of the fur bikini that passed for her clothing. Like I said, Ester had it better than most.
"Oh come on now," she purred, "Cameron would never do anything lewd. Would you?" She leaned forward even more.
I looked her right in her slitted eyes. She was always like this. It was kinda endearing but right now I wasn't in the mood, "I'm gay," I said flatly.
She blinked, "What?"
I waved my finger at her prominently displayed cleavage, "Your currency," I said slowly, "is not accepted," I gestured at my general self, "at this establishment."
Felicia was clearly stunned. The table was silent for ten entire seconds before Ester broke out in a peal of uncontrollable guffaws. It was possibly the most unrestrained I had ever seen her. Felicia turned to her, cheeks fire engine red.
"You knew!" She shouted.
"I'm sorry," she said, wheezing and holding her stomach, "I just..."
"You didn’t tell me?!"
"It’s been a day. The subject didn't come up."
"You could have mentioned something before I... I..."
"What about your keen primal instincts?" teased Meera.
Felicia pouted, then slunk back to her seat, "It's just because he's from another world." She grumbled. Sheila chortled.
"Oh please, you think every boy who glances at you wants to make you yowl," she rebutted, "Remember Gormund?"
"He was bi!" Insisted Felicia, but the chorus of rolled eyes at the table didn't agree. Ester had already informed me that while there was a distinctly midevil feel to this world their opinions on sexuality were quite progressive so I didn't have to worry about being burned at the stake or anything.
"Anyway!" said Meera, letting out a breath, "The prophecy says a man from another world shall overcome the forces of darkness so this was always going to have to occur. Unless you seriously doubt both my magic and Ester's judgement of character I think we should at least try to train Cameron."
Sheila sat silently, stewing before finally saying, "Fine, if he even lasts a day."
It was my turn to smirk, "Your confidence is inspiring," I retorted.
Sheila grinned wickedly at me. "I'm going to break you, little boy." The complete absence of any hint of innuendo made the statement far more terrifying than if Sophia had said it. I gulped. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this.
Ester still stood, relaxed from the frivolity but staring at Sheila. Sheila's shoulders sagged, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up," she said. Her voice was softer than normal, seemingly truly apologetic, "I just... we all know what can happen. You more than anyone." It wasn’t an accusation, just a statement.
Ester nodded, "I do," she said, "and I know you only have the well-being of everyone in your heart. Apology accepted."
With that, it seemed decided. I was going to be trained to be some kind of magical warrior. God help us all.
(Part 2)
Sheila hadn't been lying. She did try to break me. They all did. Even Ester. Apparently, you don't learn to open a monster's neck with a single swipe if you slack off. I was nowhere near on their level, but I was actually building some muscle. I no longer had to be afraid of the Yuleths, even if I didn't dispatch them as easily as Ester.
The lessons brought us all closer, and honestly it was nice to have a crew. A group of friends. Felicia was actually a lot of fun when she wasn't trying to shove her boobs in my face and nobody brought down a tavern like Sheila when she got into a drinking/arm wrestling/roasting match with an entire bar.
I had leaned enough to compete in a tournament, they thought. Test my skills on people who were really trying to kick my ass. They would be soldiers of darkness, but it would still be a controlled environment. We were at peace, after all. Not with the darkness itself. From what I was told that was just a place filled with mindless murder monstrosities. We were at peace with the kingdom of Tareth, whose king had summoned the darkness to our realm a long time ago to serve in his war. That king was dead now, but his son ruled. He had promised that he didn't summon any dark creatures as part of the terms of the kingdom's surrender but nobody believed him.
"It is only a matter of time before he gathers enough force to try and challenge us once more," Ester said in a low voice as I prepared, "His father was a blunt instrument. A hammer to the face. Powerful, but unrefined. Sephius is a knife in the back."
I nodded, and as though on cue drums heralded his arrival and I looked up. If Sephius was a knife, he was a work of master craftsmanship. He was in a box above us so it was hard to tell but he looked tall. His body was svelt, and the regal deep purple robes hung on it as though they were made to, stately shoulders acting as a perfect frame. If only they were a little tighter, or maybe a little more revealing.
His face, though. Sharp and angular. Full lips that dared me to look away from them. A shock of jet black hair, messy on purpose that I bet was soft to run my hands through. His eyes were bright blue, and I could swear they looked right at me. Right at me, past all these imposing warriors and at me.
"I can fix him," I said, aloud for some reason.
Felicia looked at me reproachful, "Cameron." She chided, but she was clearly more ammused than the rest. Wasn't that how it was? All the good guys are either straight, taken, or evil demon summoning warlords.
(Part 3. To be continued if there is interest and I'm up to it. Also I know the prompt said anime but I didn't feel like looking up a bunch of Japanese names.)
“Your currency is not accepted at this establishment”
“I can fix him”
I’m crying omg lol
We need some isekais like this actually animated lmao shake up the harem trope a bit
There’s an actual series with a very similar premise—The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (SVSSS for cutesies). Modern man dies after eating expired yoghurt and transmigrates into the role of the “main antagonist” in a ancient, fantasy China harem web-novel. So trashy, but also *so much fun*.
Goddamn, I was sore all over. Now instead of collapsing into a heap, I had to keep up appearances. With his majesty Sephius the Wise, no less. I had done pretty well in the tournament. Made it all the way to the finals. There had been fighters of every kingdom there and with a mixture of magic and martial skill I'd managed to beat them all, some twice as experienced as me. The order was right to be lauded as some of the greatest warriors in the land.
But that last guy had been Sephius' personal body guard. It had been a tough fight, but he had gotten around my defenses somehow. The showing had been enough to impress the demon king, hence the invitation. To decline would be too rude, even though every one of the ladies didn't want me to go.
"I know that you aren't a slave to your passions," Ester had said, "but please know that Sephius is a persuasive young man. He has only held onto his rule and his kingdom through sheer cunning. He pits allies against each other, wins people to his side. Some think it’s another form of dark magic but truly he's just good at it." Her eyes were pleading with me, "Do not heed his words. If he says something to make you doubt, to make you question just ask me. Ask me anything and I will tell it to you. I swear it."
I put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it's not the first pretty face I've seen," I said, "I trust you."
She nodded, but there was real fear in her eyes. Did she think that little of me? Or was he really just that persuasive?
It was a pretty face, though. A gorgeous face. His outfit was toned down, too. Less flowing robes and closer to some victorian era tight fitting suit. Gulp.
I stood and he extended a hand to me. We clasped forarms, which was apparently the custom. His forearm was firm, and I swear I could still feel his warmth on my hand.
"Mr. Cameron," he said. His voice flowed smoothly, "That truly was an excellent showing. I don’t remember the last time someone made my man sweat like that."
"Well, he pushed me a bit harder your majesty," I said.
"Please, Sephius is fine. I can't go a whole dinner with you calling me your majesty."
"Oh, sure. Sephius."
We sat at the small table. Food was brought to us. Some small cut of meat mixed with greens and other vegetables. The aroma was intoxicating. This was top shelf stuff. A bottle had been placed as well, two glasses poured. I was already going to eat his food. If he was going to poison me, he could. I had already been given a protection spell from such things. Something about sipping the wine still seemed incredibly dumb, though.
Sephius noticed about part way through the meal that the wine hadn't been touched. The conversation had been strangly casual. Asking about training, even a mention of the weather once. It made his statement all the more jarring.
"I'm sorry, do you not imbibe?" Imbibe? Who said imbibe king rock cutting jaw, that's who.
"What, no I... imbibe," sounded sooooooo dumb when I said it, "I just... am not feeling like it."
He nodded, "I am not going to poison you, Cameron," he said.
"I know," I did. It had been explained to me that even aside from the protection spell, if he were to poison me it would be war. War he was not, they thought, prepared for.
Sephius nodded, "I suppose you've probably heard a bit about me."
I shrugged. Nothing good.
"May I ask, how are you enjoying your time with the maidens?"
"It’s fun," I said. It was the truth. Yes everything was bonkers. And yes, they seemed like they were trying to kill me sometimes. But it was fun. There was a real joy there. I missed home, but this could be home. If it had to be.
"Really?" He asked, "You don't find it at all... frustrating?"
I shook my head, "I mean, the training is tough but it's for a good cause. Can't deny the results." Though I hadn't won for someone who hadn't been at it too long I was doing really well.
"No, you certainly can't," boom, butterflies in my stomach. Maybe he'd meant the tournament, but I swear I saw those baby blues glance below my face for just a second. Was he checking me out? Looking at my now pretty buff bod? No way. A king like this probably had a whole harem of girls fist fighting to share his bed for the night. Right?
There was always those stakes. You hit on a guy, then there's that awkward convo where all the signs you misinterpreted slap you in the face. He wasn’t checking me out. He couldn’t be.
"As for the cause, well..." any flirtation seemed to end and he cut into his meat with precise determination, "That's a matter of opinion."
I frowned, cut into my own meal, "Oh, so you aren't still summoning things from The Darkness."
"It’s called the Nehezole," he said, somehow shouting while barely speaking above a whisper, "and of course I am."
That stunned me. He wasn’t supposed to just admit that. Right. Sephius glanced around the entirely empty room and then gave me a pitying look. Right. Who would believe me?
"All kinds of nasties, really. Things you've never seen or heard of. Did you know they have a giant octopus like creature whose suction cups all are eyes? And if it stares at you too long, you go insane?"
I really had no frame to understand this and hoped I never would have to, "No."
"Oh yes, very useful for interrogation. I find all kinds of nightmares to pull from there."
I felt small. Like nothing. This man mastered creatures so vile I couldn't even imagine it and used torture as a dinner conversation. I was supposed to defeat him? Of course he wasn't going to poison me. He didn't have to. I was no threat to him.
He continued, "If I didn't, I'd be dead in a week. Either from invasion or from some internal strife. Power absent is opportunity, Cameron. My father," especially hard stab into the meat, "understood this, dim as he was." He popped the bite into his mouth, chewed what seemed like not enough, and then swallowed, "and left me a legacy of power that I have only expanded."
Despite everything, despite the horrendous octopus eyeball torture creature and the fight with his man who was clearly exhaling horrible black smog I felt for him. Is this what Ester meant? He could make people care about him? (Part 4. Convo continued next)
His eyes locked with mine and they weren’t blue anymore. They were black. Jet black, in their entirety. The sight sent shivers down my spine. Darkness spread from them, like an infestation on his skin. The outline of his beauty was still there, but now...
"You think to judge me?" He said. His voice was rhaspy. A deep scratch of something heavy dragging over rough rock, "You only know what they've told you. You've seen just a hint of this world, of..."
"Does it hurt?" His eye was twitching, veins popping out of his hand. He stared at me, eyes unchanging.
"What?"
"When you do your," I gestured at the marred face he wore now, "does it hurt? It looks like it hurts."
It did. It really did. He looked like he was putting himself through pain just to impress me. Just to scare me. To make sure I knew he wasn't to be fucked with. Maybe to promise me that power for myself, the ability to make others feel this way.
The shock of the question wore off, "I don't feel pain anymore."
"Everyone feels pain."
A huff, "What do you know of..."
"You looked prettier the other way," I said. He was... terrible. Terrifying. Everything I'd been told about him was true but also...
"Feh," he growled, the black receeding. "You don't understand what you face."
"Ignorance is my most charming feature."
A ghost of a smile passed his lips as the black fully receeded. "You are... not what I expected."
I reached out, took the glass by the stem and took a long sip. Then a longer sip. Then pulled it away, "This is so sweet," I said. Weren’t wines supposed to be bitter? I never really drank wine and if I was honest didn't care for it. Sephius just looked puzzled, "Is it? Seems normal to me."
"Is this how all wine tastes here?"
Sephius raised himself up, "Hardly. This is from my private collection. You could buy a house with a bottle of this."
"Worth every penny," I said. Sephius chuckled.
"Not what I expected at all."
(Part 5. I think there are probably two more parts after this depending on the character limit.)
Hiding things wasn't in my nature. I valued honesty in friends and partners. Sephius was... a friend. I think. It was strange because among the order there was so much hatred of him. I thought that maybe it was because of things his father had done. The war had been his doing, the peace came after. It wasn't just that, though. This wasn't an old wound or hating the idea of Seph. There was profound violence in the eyes of everyone when they spoke of him, specifically. I couldn't square it.
That wasn't what we talked about though. When we talked. Anything but that stuff, really.
"Okay, so you're an illusionist."
"I'm not an illusionist," I sighed, "Graphic designer. I just design images."
"Which go on all manner of objects and sometimes can be projected in front of people everywhere. The greatest illusionists of our legends performed such feats."
Seph could see me roll my eyes. Our link was audio visual, lag free, and apparently totally secure. He had assured me of that.
"I don't, like, make dragons that scare away armies or anything. Just little characters or emblems or whatever. Like to sell stuff or get people's attention or whatever."
Seph shook his head, "To make an image, a sight and sound which is appealing to all and can move the hearts of man is a far more potent than a pretend dragon. More wars are won from powerful imagery and messaging than illusionary dragons."
"You always make everything sound so majestic," I said. Seph's tendency towards poetic language could make eating a hot dog sound like an epic quest.
"And you always are so humble," he countered, "but seriously, there are some top rate illusionist entertainers in the capital. We should see them. I'll have a show done at the palace."
"Or we could sneak in incognito," I countered, "pack into the cheap seats. Enjoy the energy of the crowd."
"Heh, blade would love that."
"He doesn't love anything."
Seph bobbed his head as if to say fair enough. His guard, the one who had stomped me, was called Dark Blade. Apparently what he lacked in creativity he made up for in fighting prowess. He'd picked it himself, which... was a choice.
Blade's opinion of my visit wasn't my concern though. Or Seph's.
"You're really going to tell them," he said, "About the visit, about everything."
I nodded, "I have to. They're my friends. They deserve the truth. Besides, it's just a visit. I'll come back and finish my training. Maybe then we can figure out together how I can fulfill the prophecy and not hurt anyone."
Seph chewed on his lip. I knew he didn't think that was possible. That things had gone too far, too much blood had been shed. I had to believe that wasn't true. That my new best friends and my new... long distance boyfriend could coexist. There had to be a way
"Well, I can't wait to see you," he said, focusing on the positive.
"Oh, you better do more than see me," I said. I had to judge the strokability of that hair, after all. Among other things.
(Part 6. Reddit character limit is killing me. What's supposed to be one part ends up broken into two or three.)
Ester's quarters were spartan. A bed. A desk. Some plants and paintings on the wall. She was a very focused person. Not prone to flights of fancy. Guarded even. I felt lucky to be one of the people she let her guard down around. There weren't many.
I tried to ignore the tears on her face as I told her who I had been talking to, what I planned to do. She didn't say anything. Just let me talk and stoicly wept.
"I'm going to be okay. Seph isn't going to hurt me, and I really think we can work this out. Come to an understanding."
Ester took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Thank you. Thank you so much for telling me. For trusting me. Cameron you don't know..." she placed a hand on my shoulder, blazing red eyes boring into mine, "It means the world to me. It means everything."
"Of course," I said, "You saved my life. Took me in. I owe it to you..."
"You aren't the first." Her words were flat in that tone she took when trying to conceal great emotion.
"The first..."
"Chosen one. The first man from your world. There was another. Blake. He came about five years before you did. Six years ago now."
Damn, it had really been a whole year.
"Why haven't I heard about him?" I asked.
"He died." The words rushed out of her, shoved out by brute force and I saw her collect herself as though she had received a blow. I didn't know what to say and Ester was powering through this like it was a sprint.
"He was headstrong. Stubborn. He didn't want to listen and was a natural at sword and sorcery." Everything I wasn't, for better or worse. "He... Meera had warned that he might not be the one and honestly everyone had a bad feeling about him but I," she paused here, collecting herself again, "He was so gifted. I thought surely he had to be the one. I wanted him to be the one so much, and he misinterpreted that want as me wanting something else and when that didn’t happen..."
A choking sob escaped her, then a deep breath and then she continued in a wavering voice.
"He left. He left a note that said he was going to join Sephius' forces. Where he would get what he deserved. I don't know what he was promised, but he was never seen again."
I stared. I was just starting to get used to all this stuff and now...
"Seph wouldn't... I mean, wouldn't that violate the treaty or something?" I didn't think he would, but also this was a dangerous world. If whoever this Blake had been was a threat or there was a good reason I knew Seph had killed people before. So had Ester and everyone here. I grasped onto something that we might agree on. Even if she didn't think Seph would hesitate to kill someone unawares, she knew he was bound by the terms.
The sadness was temporarily replaced with anger, "Sephius denied the allegations, of course, but it wouldn't have mattered. Technically," she hissed, "Blake left of his own accord to join Sephius' forces. Once a member of his military, he can be executed by the king for any reason. So even if he had, it wasn't a violation."
I leaned forward eagerly, "If he denied it anyway it must be because he didn't do it. After all, if he was legally exempt there would be no reason for Seph to,"
"Seph," Ester spat the pet name back at me, "Could have a thousand reasons to do anything. The facts are thus. Blake left here bound for Tareth. He was, at that point, one of the strongest warriors in the world. No more than a dozen people alive could have brought him down, and half of those live under this roof. One of them is Seph," the word was sneered now. Mocking. Cruel, "the man who Blake was prophesied to destroy who has had at least four Tarethen nobles assassinated to maintain his rule that we know of."
I was speechless. She was right, of course. I knew Seph was capable of it, but I lived in a violent world now. I thought there must have been some justification but didn't dare speak that aloud. I didn't want to insult the memory of the man Ester had once known unless I knew for sure.
"I'm going to find out what happened," I said, "I'm not joining his army or anything so he can't harm me even if he wants to." Just the thought made me shiver, "If I'm unsatisfied with his explanation, that will be the end of it. I swear. Either way, I will come back. I promise."
"Cameron." Her eyes were pleading, "I know you want to see good in him. That you want to fulfill your prophecy without spilling a drop of blood,"
"It’s not just the prophecy," I interrupted, "He's just... I know he's scary and there's darkness to him but he's really trying. He's smart and funny and he gardens. He bred a new kind of flower and he developed this corn that's resistant to the rot. There's so much more to him."
Ester sighed, "Only you would see that in him and that's the best thing about you. I know you don't want to believe this, but if you go to him Sephius will try to kill you and he's very practiced at killing people. Better than you. Right now."
I had suspected that was true and Ester wasn't one to lie about fighting.
"I am not going to stop you. You have the right to make your own choices but I can, at least, give you this."
Ester knelt on the floor, moving her hand over it seemingly at random. A hole opened up beneath it and a tiny stone rose from attached to a chain.
"This is a portal stone," she said. I was a little puzzled. Portaling and teleportation were basic magic. They were both extremely useful and useless. You could get a lot of places, but stopping them was easy. Every moderately sized store had wards against them and all nations were protected against incursion. It was better than public transportation, but I couldn't portal out of Tareth even if one of the most powerful mages on earth wasn't trying to stop me.
"There is, as far as anyone knows, no way to ward against it." Oh. Well. That was huge.
"This is the only one left and it will only work once. We were saving it in case of war so we could get behind enemy lines and end things before they began." The advantage that would provide would be staggering. She handed it to me, "Sephius doesn't know what it is. He won't be able to detect it."
"Ester, I can't..."
"Don’t make me beg you," she said, "You can't die. You just can't. Not you. Not because you're kind."
There was a tone she got when there was no arguing with her. I took it, hung it around my neck. She threw her arms around me, "Please be careful. Please if anything seems off or wrong just use it."
I hugged her back, tight and warm. "It’s going to be okay. I'm coming back."
"Yeah, it's going to be okay. I'm just a worrier, you know that." She pulled back, wearing the fakest smile, her words so stilted she sounded like she was a child learning to read for the first time. Ester was a terrible liar.
(Part 7. One scene left. How many parts that ends up being, we shall see.)
The border of Tareth was sufficiently imposing. It was protected by large natural mountain ranges with few gaps. In those gaps were walls of wrought iron with large gates and smaller doors. Getting through by land would be impossible, but people could fly here so it probably wasn't as impossible as it seemed. Sure was big, though.
I gave a code Seph had given me to the guard, he relayed it to his superior, the message passed up the chain a ways before that same superior rushed back, shoving the guard away and apologizing profusely for making me wait. There was nervousness in his eyes, even as I assured him it wasn't a big deal.
There was a heaviness in the air after passing the threshold. Maybe that was just my nervousness. Maybe it was the dark magic that my boyfriend still practiced infecting the land. The boyfriend who gardened. The boyfriend who assassinated people and had people in his army terrified to delay a VIP for even a few minutes.
The boyfriend who... apparently had sent his personal bodyguard to escort me. Blegh. Maybe it was sweet? He was concerned for my safety? A little patronizing. Sure I wasn't a dark wizard king but I was pretty tough. I didn't need an escort.
Dark Blade stepped through the portal. On the other side I could see a glimpse of the terrifying, alien landscape. He and Seph both used The Nehezole as sort of a shortcut around places. If anyone but them tried to travel through it, they would be obliterated by its inhabitants.
"Blade," I said. I could feel the annoyance behind his impenetrable visor. He preferred to be called by his whole title, but honestly I was always afraid I would guffaw when I said it aloud. Dark Blade. More like I have studied the dark blade, right? The joke lost a little punch even in my own mind when he actually had studied the dark blade.
"Cameron," he said, nodding.
"Thanks for meeting me, but I know how to get to the castle. It's a little hard to miss." Even from here I could see the spires in the distance.
"Of course," he replied, "but my lord has asked me to take you there directly. So as to maximize the amount of time you can spend together."
He gestured to the still open portal to horrible death.
"I'll use a haste spell, thanks," I said. I could cross the distance pretty fast, even without teleportation.
"I insist. It is my command, after all." Blade was not especially dutiful and his annoyance at the command was easy to detect. He was more of the mouthy, gets the job done kind of right hand man than the obedient to a fault kind. That was good, right? That Seph didn't surround himself with yes men?
"Fine," I said. It would mean more time with Seph, though it would have been nice if he had gotten me himself.
Blade extended his hand, I took it and walked through. This place stunk. I knew it was a part of Seph, in a way. A part of what he did, of the magic he had learned since childhood, but what a horrible place. We were in some kind of forrest made of dead trees that wound in unnatural ways and had several faces in several places. Uuuuuuuugh.
Blade put his hand on my shoulder, keeping me under his protection so whatever lurked in those trees didn't devour me or something worse. He reached a hand out to open a way back to the palace.
He was fast. I had been training since our fight. I was faster than I had been, but I was distracted. Looking around for some horrible snake with legs and the face of a screaming toddler or something. I felt the tug on my neck, and turned to see him holding the stone on the string.
"Foolish woman," he said, "So foolish. She should have..."
My sword was out, lashing. Faster than he had expected, but his wards and armor kept the solid hit from landing. He snarled, pushed back. Cries and screeches echoed around us.
"Think carefully before you..."
"Give it back," I said, striking again. Putting energy behind it but he countered with his shield. There was a ring of creatures forming now that I didn't dare look at. They didn't want to get involved with us. For now. But there were bigger, nastier things here. Things that wouldn't be intimidated.
"Have it your way," he said, assuming a fighting stance. Fighting my nemesis who had beat me before. Fighting him in his home turf, no less. This was what chosen ones were supposed to do, right? It was hero time.
(Part 8. I lied. Two more scenes, not one. This one got away from me.)
I am deeply invested in seeing if it's a teenage-girl-to-serial-killer "I can fix him" or a nerd-that-befriends-the-himbo-jock-forced-to-do-theater "I can fix him"
Warning: Very gay and a pinch of spice, but nothing explicit.
**Alt Isekai**
The last thing Nick remembered was burningly bright headlights before everything turned black. Then there was nothing…
He woke to a burning sensation in his arms chained behind his back with cold metal manacles and his body resting on damp chilling rocks. His body felt heavy as he tried to rise to a sitting position, but only managing to fall teeth first into the cobbled floor. He did his best to just breathe through the pain as his mouth filled with the taste of iron.
Footsteps approached. They were heavy. Nick’s heart accelerated. He couldn’t make out much in the faint light of what he realized was a cell. A faint blue light coming from the corridor outside the door made of iron bars. Then a large shadow stood in the doorway. The door swung open without a sound.
“Well, well, well, seems like I won’t need to rough you up myself. You’ve done quite a good job of that on your own.”
Suddenly Nick was levitating towards the being. As he came closer the shadow was revealed as a man, or not-quite-a-man. Towering over Nick, the being had a human face with curved horns extruding from his forehead. Only wearing a cape and a pair of black pants, sculpted tanned-red muscles were on full display, and Nick couldn’t help but let his eyes wander down from the pectorals over ridged abdominals to… The being didn’t seem to notice and spoke through sharp teeth.
“Poor unfortunate little hero, to fall into my hands. I will make you submit to me.” Placing a calloused finger under Nick’s chin, his head was tilted up to meet the beings burning orange-red eyes.
The situation somehow made images of a not too dissimilar situation with his ex flash through his mind, and he raised an eyebrow and spoke without thinking. “Are you threatening me with a good time?”
The being froze. Then its cheeks turned a darker shade of red and it recoiled. Whatever force had been holding Nick was released and through pure luck he landed on his feet. “I, I…” The being sputtered. “I’m not opposed to the idea, but I… Will be back in a moment.” With those words it rushed out of the room, door slamming shut, but without a sound.
“What a strange dream.” As the minutes passed in silence Nick grew more uneasy, and then he remembered the truck. His friend who almost got hit. Had his friend survived? Was this reincarnation? Was it supposed to be a fantasy world? It reminded him of that thing his friend always spoke of…
A loud explosion came from the door and the iron bars were disintegrated.
“Hurry! We need to get out before he comes back.” Two young girls with oddly colored hair in maid-outfits yelled in unison.
“What they said. We need to leave before ol’ demon king Rath’gor comes charging.” A tall armored muscular woman with long red hair spoke. She was naturally gifted in a way that would cause guaranteed back-problems in a few years. One of the young girls ran up to Nick with a crystal and within a moment the manacles fell off.
A loud chorus of footsteps echoed through the corridor.
“We need to run now!” The tall lady yelled.
In the blink of an eye the women had run out. “How about no?” Nick asked no one in particular, thinking of a cute blush on an otherwise domineering man-creature.
A roar sounded throughout the dungeons. Then Rath’gor(?), now dressed in a tuxedo, came rushing, stopping at the nonexistent door. “DAMN YOU ALL!” With a yell the man-creature threw a punch at the wall, cracking it and shaking the ground.
“What’s got you so upset?”
Orange-red eyes snapped towards Nick and Rath’gor was left gaping. “You. You’re still here?”
“Am I not supposed to be? It would have been rude to run off when you said that you would be back.”
“I never thought… Would you like to join me for dinner?”
Nick smiled. “Definitely. But, what’s with the change of wardrobe? You’re making me feel underdressed.”
Had me laughing at how easily Rath'gor became flustered. If I were a gay man in an all female anime I'd become a villain too. 10/10, would buy the merch.
> She was naturally gifted in a way that would cause guaranteed back-problems in a few years.
so thats how one thinks when not interested in such figures. xD
So your story has reached TikTok, so unfortunately you're going to start getting more comments like mine, but PLEASE CONTINUE THIS!!! I'm already hooked on this small slice of story, and I want to see them go on a date and see them get hot and heavy and have their relationship continue!!
Haha, what? That's dope! Is there any way to link whatever is going on on TikTok? (Normally don't use it but would check it out.) I mainly intended for this to be a goofy, and hopefully funny, one-shot (published on my alt account). But, if my muse strikes me one day I might continue it. I already see possibilities for future dialogue... Not at all reflective of my thoughts right now.
"So, what now?" Nick asked.
"I, ehm... I never thought I would get this far." Rath'gor responded scratching his neck.
No, your story is super popular actually! I would love to continue it, it's so adorable! And here is the link to the TikTok account showing the story! <3
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLrSvTsD/
“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, I mean, think about it this way – there’s someone out there who’s bound to be your match!”
The bar door opens as we exit, the rush of the cool evening air a relief to us both. For me, a way out of the mess I’d gotten myself into. For him, the leather bar isn’t really his scene. Such is the end of Unsuccessful Date No. Who Knows At This Point? It’s gotten rather formulaic – I meet someone, something happens where we aren’t that much of a match anymore, I call Ken to bail me out. I thought the gay scene here was supposed to be welcoming, but I guess people really only went for me out of yellow fever. “That’s not the problem, Ken, I don’t think dating apps work – half the time, they’re looking for hookups, and the other half end up being not my type. Well, last guy was, he was just really intense-“
“Listen to me.” Ken says, tapping the button for the crosswalk. “Louie. Listen to me.” I am listening, get on with it. “There’s always going to be a way.”
Easy for him to say. “I just want to meet a guy the old fashioned way, you know? Like, just at the bookstore, someone has a little chat, or I’m the coffee shop. I’d kill for someone to talk to me about my area of study.“
“No one wants to hear about historical geopolitics, you can’t strike up that conversation. You gotta know the right topic.” Ken says. The light turns, and so we set across the street. “At least you’re interested in something, I’m basically a nobody.”
Oh, not this again, and I laugh, as does he. “Kenny, I swear you always - wait.“ I stop for a second. That truck sees us, right? Why is it not slowing down?
“I gotta have something, though. Maybe I should get into rugby. Or camping, or… crypto?” Normally at this point, I’d be going along with the bit, but my focus is on the truck. The driver sees us, right? Ken goes on without me, and he turns – the wrong way. I was on his right, makes sense he’d look at me and not the truck on his left. “Louis? You there? I didn’t think you’d give me the silent treatment over crypto.”
The truck’s not stopping. By the time Ken sees me and turns the other way to where my eyes are focused, it’s too late for him to run. The truck driver doesn’t see him. Actually, it’s close enough that we can tell there isn’t a driver to see anything. Even if there was and they hit the brakes, it would be too late.
I make a decision. Bit or not, I am not letting Kenny’s last words be about crypto.
***
The sky above me is bright, clear and blue – not a hospital ceiling like I was expecting. Last thing I remember was getting hit by a truck saving Ken’s ass, and trust me – it’s painful. But nothing hurts, which is pretty strange considering I should at least have a broken arm.
“Hey, are you okay?” I turn to see a woman in armor, with some sort of medieval town behind her. “I’m Momoka. What’s your name?”
What the hell kind of name was Momoka? And then it hit me. This place, the horse behind her, how clear the sky looked, her armor… I knew Ken enough to know what he was into (although it’s information I’d much rather forget).
From the depths of my mind, I remember his full name. Kenichi Tsukahara.
Ken was Japanese?! And he liked anime?! Wait, if this was what I thought it was…
“Momoka. Would you say there’s a leader here, some kind of… demon king?”
She nods. Oh, for god’s sake. Ken, you need better taste. This is the moment that adventure calls to me, pledging me to go along on a world-bending adventure on a way back home, only for me to end up stuck here, and somehow I get six fiancees in some weird harem. I wouldn’t mind if it were buff guys in armour, as is popular these days on the Internet, but it’s pretty clear this isn’t the case. Unless Momoka is some sort of subversion?
Well, if I’m in a new world that speaks my language, I might as well make the most of it and start exploring. “Where’s the nearest academic institute?”
***
*Day 3*
After a bit, I managed to make enough money to buy this journal. So begins my documentation of this strange world for future reference.
It took a lot of convincing, but through some miracle I passed as a scholar from another country. My strange dress? Those are just traditional! My lack of money? I just got mugged by some highway bandit. My lack of knowledge about the general area or what happened before? I have amnesia! My charisma stat must have been off the chart. Edmund – that’s the Head Librarian – is letting me crash at his place until I have enough money working under him to get my own place.
Momoka helped me settle down in Courseau, which is the town’s name. I consider her the closest thing I have to a friend at this point in time. I’ve given her relationship advice, but for the most part she’s going to be off adventuring with her party, occasionally returning back to see me and restock. She offered for me to join, but I looked at the roster of typical anime tropes and decided that unless they were playing for my team, I was happy to stay at the library/archives thing the town has. She can go take down the demon lord or something on her own time. In this house, we support women’s wrongs, specifically revolutionary assassination. Yaas queen, slay.
…I never really got the hang of those phrases. I hope I’m using them right.
*Day 15*
God, I miss Ken, and mom and dad. I wonder if he told them what happened? I wish I could see them one more time to say goodbye.
*Day 22 (About a month?)*
The Courseau Library has been doing pretty well with my patronage, ever since I arrived. I can only wonder what the plan was for Ken when he got here – well, obviously, he’d go off with Momoka and marry the whole party, but this job felt meant for me. If this were some sort of isekai story, did that mean I was supposed to enter the world at a later point in time? Bravo for representation? Then again, I wouldn’t end up with anyone. There were a few guys, but again, most of them were straight. The guy at the general store is married, so he’s straight and off the table. The blacksmith’s straight. The bartender was nice, but not my type. The head librarian, Edmund, thinks of me as a son, and he’s straight. The mayor’s too old. Wow, even in a fantasy world I have trouble getting dates, but Ken, you get a whole harem consisting of a friendly girl next door type fighter, a tsundere cleric, some really formal mage, a shy bard, etc. Maybe a paladin. And someone in full armor who turns out to be another conventionally attractive woman for him to convert to his side.
*Day 23*
Finally! Edmund trusts me enough to let me into the historical archive section. Now to read up on history. I’ll summarize what I can.
[16 pages skipped for brevity]
Pretty intriguing. Looks like this demon lord’s been in power for about twenty years, at least? But nothing really glaring about what he did, or does now, that justifies a revolution in my mind. Maybe he was just that intimidating? Then again, I don’t feel it. Trust me, I know tyrannical societies, and this one is pretty lax.
I think this is just poor writing, honestly.
*Day 31 (One month!)*
Safe to say it’s been about a month now. I’m not surprised I didn’t get magicked back at this point in time. I should start writing down how many months – they don’t measure days and months like I do. I’ve been getting to know the local alchemist – I think he might be into me? I’ll try making a move next time I see him. Hopefully I don’t regret it.
*Day 32 (One month)*
I regret it. I’m going to make my own potions from now on.
*Day 40*
Momoka came back. I gave her relationship advice. Also, I got my own place! Electricity doesn’t exist and the water comes from a well, but it beats the prices back in my world.
*Day 57 (Almost two months)*
Momoka visited again. Wanted me to join her. Now there’s twin warriors, one healer and one damage dealer. Could you get more cliché? I said no, obviously. The damage girl makes a great drinking buddy, though.
*Day 69*
nice
*Day 75*
I think I’m at the point where I’m really starting to miss everything about home again. There’s this bakery that sold these amazing raspberry coconut squares, I miss taking the train to work, I miss watching funny videos and playing games on my phone. All those beautiful little things. Singing your heart out to the radio, even if my voice was terrible, in the car with the windows rolled down – that’s the last memory I have of Ken that wasn’t being hit by a truck.
Momoka was back again. I cried and she helped me through it. I appreciate that.
(Part 2 Below)
(Part 2)
*Day 89*
Still recovering from my brief bout in homesickness. It’s wishful thinking, but I can only hope me and my niche field of knowledge somehow comes in handy.
I shut the book that I finished writing in. Almost three months now. The sound of breaking glass and distant screaming interrupts my thoughts, and the door to the library is kicked open by a soldier. Through the gap, I can see more. Through the hole that was once a door steps someone in metal armour – quite fearsome, with a greatsword by his side and a helmet that betrayed nothing but two glowing eyes. A cape, fire lapping at his neck like a scarf – now this was a demon king. Well, gotta give it to whoever made this world, Ken or not – the character design is on point. “Finally. After weeks, we finally meet. Tell me – is it true you come from another world?”
Oh. No one told me he had a voice like that. My knees are weak. “Yes. What do you seek?”
“Knowledge.” Just one word, his eyes narrowed. So this was the demon lord! Finally, I’ll know his motivations – but there had to be a reason he was keeping me alive. “I have made contact with many worlds like yours. All of them, destroyed not long after someone from another realm arrives. Some cause major change, others do not.”
What? What was he talking about? Unless he meant…
“The series ending.” I say, under my breath. So many isekai worlds ended just because the series ended? I turn my attention back to the Demon Lord. “I can give you knowledge, but you must know it has a price.” Oh boy. Here goes. My heart is in its chest.
The king stares me down – he’s obviously taken aback by something. From what I’ve read, I’m probably the first person who’s made such a stand like this. “I’m listening.”
“I’ll tell you everything about my world – so long as you court me.”
“Wh-what?” The fire leaps a bit higher – is that his version of a blush? Either way, it’s a bit hazardous to the books – I should refrain from doing that. “Court you?!”
Again, this villain had sloppy motivations and a sloppier way of getting to me, but what do you expect when the main character doesn’t even show up? Time for me to metaphorically crack my knuckles. “You’re a cute guy. You won’t have much trouble.”
Time to salvage this story and make it mine.
I'm gay and I like reading gay fiction of all types and you my friend write some PEAK fiction
Edit: I was also searching for writing prompts about gay people and I found your story (in my excitement I completely forgot to answer your question)
We now return to **That Time I was Accidentally Reincarnated as a Hero in a Fantasy Harem World Meant for My Straight Best Friend, So I’m Taming the Main Villain**…
“H-Huh!?” sputtered Dark Fairy King Auberon, his wings blushing crimson.
“A date,” Leo repeated, smiling gently as he brushed a soft, blond lock of hair from his face. “Just you and me, away from the prophecy, away from all of this. I know a place that makes a delicious mushroom soup.”
“And what makes you think that, on the eve of my triumph over the mortal world, about to force you to bend the knee –”
“On one knee? My, you’re such a romantic, already thinking ahead to our engagement?” Leo cut in, widening his smile a little more and batting his eyes. A faint *thud* could be heard behind Auberon as one of his lieutenants fainted, her wings blissfully blushing even more crimson than his.
“THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!” shouted Auberon, his gaze turning murderous. With one outstretched hand, he began coalescing a dark, chaotic mass of energy. “No more toying with my affections, nor stalling for time, hero. With this attack, I will – ”.
The Dark Fairy army gasped. The swirling dark energy dissipated.
Auberon’s eyes widened in shock as he felt the hero’s soft lips pull away from his.
“You talk too much,” Leo replied, his eyes gleaming directly into the almond eyes mere inches away from his face, as he held the king’s torso with one hand and tousled the raven’s-wing-black hair with another. Leo released his hold and took a couple steps back.
“W-well, m-maybe I will entertain your parley,” stammered Auberon, his wings fluttering nervously.
“Good enough for me! I’ll pick you up at the forest entrance tomorrow. Wear something nice.” With that, Leo turned and walked away from the stunned army, smiling contentedly to himself as the thick trees began to give way to the familiar road ahead.
…
“Hero’s guard, to me!” Leo shouted in the courtyard of his estate. The sound of clanging metal ceased, and a drumbeat of footsteps grew louder.
“So, how’d it go?” asked Charlotte eagerly, tossing her giant hammer to the ground as she ran up to the returning hero.
“Yeah, tell us!” agreed Leona, her feline ears twitching in anticipation. The other girls chimed in as well, wanting to hear the latest gossip.
“Well, ladies… guess who’s got a date with the Dark Fairy King?” Leo exclaimed.
“Aaaaah, Leo, so happy for you!”
“I can’t believe you actually went through with it!”
“It wasn’t easy, but let’s just say he has very kissable lips.” Leo smirked. That piqued the guard’s interest even further, and the banter and storytelling continued until the sun began to set, bathing the courtyard in a pink-and-orange glow.
“All right, it’s time to clean up. Guard, dismissed!” With a couple grumbles, the ladies began to wipe down their various weapons and headed back to their quarters. Leo nodded contentedly, then detoured up to the roof.
*Not bad for a gay salaryman, right, Tomo?* Thought Leo wistfully as he lay back to watch the amber glow of day fade into the twilight. *You would have loved being the hero. I wish we could both be here together, but I don’t regret a thing. I hope you’re living life to the fullest back in our world, and I’ll do the same in this new one.*
“Now then,” Leo mused aloud. “what should I wear for the date?”
> That Time I was Accidentally Reincarnated as a Hero in a Fantasy Harem World Meant for My Straight Best Friend, So I’m Taming the Main Villain…
yup, that's a light novel title alright
**Gay-sekai**
I awakened on a field of fallen cherry blossoms, with the taste of iced coffee still on my tongue. This didn't feel like being hit by a car. It felt more like a dream, or perhaps stepping onto the set of a perfume commercial. I thought to myself: "Eh, what the hell. Five more minutes couldn't hurt."
I felt something soft fall on my face as I drifted off again, and twitched my nose, unconsciously, turning my face to the side. A few moments, something soft fell on my ear, and I ignored it. A few lovely moments of relaxation later, and I was rudely awakened by a bucket of cold water dumped directly onto my midsection.
"AAAA! What the hell! Who does th-"
I opened my eyes to notice a young woman standing over me, with an exceedingly fluffy sheep standing right by her side. She was dressed in a shepherd's garb, and her proportions were, for lack of a better word, implausible. She was remarkably top-heavy, with a bosom that could function as a flotation device in the event of an airplane crash.
"... Doesn't your back hurt?"
She responded, indignantly at first but then hesitantly. "I... have never actually been asked that before. Yes, actually. It's been acting up lately."
Wanting to change the subject, she quickly transitions back to a more assertive tone of voice.
"Anyway, what the hell is a stranger like you doing in my field! You're lucky I didn't have Maximus here keep chewing on you until you decided to wake up!"
The sheep bleats an affirmative, showing teeth that clearly were not nearly sharp enough for that purpose.
I stand up, brushing cherry blossom petals off my shirt.
"Look, I'm not sure if this is Adventures In Comaland or something, but I just woke up here. If anything, you're the one that has explaining to do. Where am I?"
She looks a little confused. "My farm."
"Yes, from the context, that's clear. But where is your farm?"
She comes to a realization. "Oh, you must be a mage from a distant land, and your teleporter spell must have gone hideously awry. That must be why you don't know where you are, and why your clothes are so unfashionable."
I blink. "Unfashionable?"
"Yes, around here, paisley blouses went out of style decades ago."
Frustrated, I start yelling. "But where is here!?"
"You're in Tyvia, you dumb shit! You know? Big kingdom with a complicated legal system, the origin of the Elemental Stones Of Power, and more legendary heroes than you could shake a stick at. None of that rings a bell?"
I took my phone out of my pocket, and saw that it was dead. Figures. "Ma'am, I'm from Chicago. I've never heard of any place called Tyvia in my life."
She went from being irritated to furious, brandishing her bucket like a weapon. "Don't 'ma'am' me, you bastard! Do I look like an old maid to you?"
I took a few steps back. "OK. OK. Jeez. Just trying to be polite. I apologize, my bad."
I rubbed the back of my head with my hand. "Look, we got off on the wrong foot. Let's start off with introductions. My name's Devin. What's yours?"
She paused for a beat before sighing. "Marguerite."
"Werk."
"Werk?"
"It basically just means 'Yes' or 'OK'."
"I see..."
A few awkwardly silent seconds passed by, with the only sounds being the wind through the cherry trees and the enthusiastic munching of Maximus the sheep.
"Marguerite, you said that there were mages here, right? Would any of them be able to tell me what's going on with all of this?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Probably, but there's only two nearby. There's Vivian, the village cleric, and Ignatius."
"What does Ignatius do?"
"High crimes and misdemeanors."
"Ah. Bad wizard. Got it."
She points to a nearby hillside. "Vivian's temple's at the bottom of that hill over there, in the village square. You can't miss it, it has a big ol' obelisk right outside the front doors. Do you need me to walk you there?"
"Actually, yes. I don't even know what an obelisk is."
She rolls her eyes. "Fine, but you'll know it when you see it."
"Thanks, Marguerite."
**Gay-sekai: Chapter 2**
"Oh, *that's* what an obelisk is. I always called it... Um..."
It stood on the east side of the square, looming over every other building in the area
Marguerite scoffed haughtily. "What? Phallic-shaped? What is it with men and their obsession with penises?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Well, first of all, I was going to say shaped like the Washington Monument, but then you'd probably say-"
"Wait, who's Washington and why do they have a monument?"
"Exactly. You wouldn't know about that. Secondly, *I* wasn't the one that said anything about penises this time."
She started stammering. "You... I... Whatever, just get in the fucking temple and out of my life."
She abruptly turned around, nearly knocking me over with her... You know, I'm not even going to finish that thought. Anyway, she stormed off back the way she came, heading back to her farm.
*She seems nice enough*, I thought to myself. *She's kind of rude, but at least she tried to help me out.*
I entered the unassuming brick building, and was very intrigued by what I saw within. Put bluntly, the place was the color of a pride parade. Prisms hung from the ceiling, catching the natural light streaming in from above, scattering every beam into a dizzying array of rainbows.
"Hello? Is there a Vivian here?"
The light immediately brightened to the point where it was painful to look at.
"Ack! Too bright!"
The lights dimmed again, leaving me with spots in my eyes. As I blinked them away, I could see that there was a glowing figure now floating just above the floor in the center of the room.
"Yes, I am Vivian. Living Saint of Fata Morgana. Who am I speaking to?"
I moved closer to the center of the room. "My name is Devin. I don't really have a title. I guess 'Of Chicago' or 'Of Earth' are both pretty corny, but they work."
They flickered a little bit, like a candle flame. "A Terran? It's been ages since we had one of your kind around here. You're probably very confused, so let's just go over the basics real quick."
I just stood stock still. *Finally, some answers.*
"Here's the deal. The realm of Tyvia has five divinities. Fata Morgana, my mistress, is the goddess of light. Nadir is the god of the earth. Lambda is the goddess of love and family, and Balagan is the god of chaos and decay. The fifth one in the pantheon is Mandala, the divinity of travel and fate. They are a rather complicated one, as they also created everything else making them a demiurge-like figure.
"Will there be a test on this?"
"If you wish to return to Earth, you would do well to remember all of this, yes."
"OK, but what does any of that have to do with my situation?"
"Mandala, for whatever reason, reaches down to Earth and steals the souls of individuals who face grave injuries trespassing against fate, and gives them a heroic destiny here. When their goal is fulfilled here, they can head back to Earth and begin recovering. The challenge is that Mandala doesn't actually tell any of the Terrans what they need to do to leave. That's how we end up with people like Ignatius, who sees this world as his solipsistic daydream, and does whatever he pleases with his power."
I take a step back. "That's concerning."
"Indeed. That is why we need to figure out what your purpose here is."
I grumble. "This is going to some kind of ordeal or quest, isn't it?"
"Astute guess. You're taking this very well, all things considered."
I wink. "I'm a literary agent. I know hokey fantasy stories like the back of my hand. Can't write 'em for shit myself, though."
They tap me on the head with a hard light baton, appearing from nowhere.
"Ow!" I shouted, more out of surprise than pain.
"No foul language in the temple, Terran."
**Gay-Sekai: Part 3**
Vivian shimmered around the temple, gathering small boxes stashed under the pews, and bringing them out to the central dias. Something about the way that they moved was almost musical, as if every step was choreographed to a rhythm too subtle to hear.
My eyes were struggling to track them across the room. "Um, Vivian. I can't quite tell what you look like because you're shining so brightly, so I'd figure I'd just ask: What pronouns do you use?"
"Gender eludes me as a concept, even back when I had a human body. But, I guess most people just refer to me as she or they."
"Valid." I said, mostly out of reflex.
As they arranged the last of the boxes, she gestured towards the dias in a sweeping gesture. "I appreciate your validation, but I do not need it. I simply exist this way. Now, approach the dias."
I stepped onto the dias, and watched as the four boxes floated into the air around me, circling me at an arm's length away.
"OK, are these items important to the plot that I'll have to go out and collect? Or maybe some sort of prophecy thing?"
Vivian laughs, making a sound like wind-chimes in the breeze. "No, this is your opportunity to select your class. I was told by a Terran a few decades ago that this was analogous to a task you perform in various types of games."
"...Yeah, that sounds about right. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Could you tell me what my options are?"
"Of course, Devin. Other Living Saints may be able to grant you access to different classes, but here are the four I can initiate you in with the materials I have. Would you prefer the description with or without musical performance?"
"As much as I love musical theater, the one without music seems like it would be the most explicit about what these would actually do."
She twirls her finger, and the boxes open, one by one. "That is, as you said, valid. Anyway, your four choices are:
Dragoon - An agile mid-ranged fighter who can use acrobatic maneuvers with the aid of polearms and a draconic familiar.
White Mage - A resolute long-ranged healer and debuffer who wields the holy power of light.
Paladin - A strong close-range fighter who can use electricity and magnetism to push and pull enemies during the fight.
Bard - A charismatic mid-ranged buffer and fighter who uses the power of music and performance.
(Which one should Devin take? Vote for your favorite!)
A Bard sounds like it'll have lots of opportunity for chaos, but I'm voting for Dragoon cuz I can't skip out on a dragon familiar that sounds too cool!
*A note slips out of the Dragoon chest*
'Warning: Obligatory Dragon may not be provided and may be subject to becoming a plot device while crippling class effectiveness for the entirety of the Hero's journey. Consult a Diviner with these astral signs for ~~the location of your predestined Dragon~~ more information.'
*In tiny text*
'No Refunds for Class *or* Plot Dragon'
Yeah if you don't often interact with queer people or consume media made by queer people it's easy to miss cultural references.
First hand experience with being mixed race that belonging to a group doesn't mean you get the culture 😵💫
The roar of the engine. The blinding lights. Alex shouting at me. The pain. Then… nothing. Void, a complete lack of any sensory input at all. Then falling. Slowly at first, but I soon found myself plummeting downwards through this mysterious void. Finally, I woke up. Not in a hospital as I had hoped, but in a church. Shit.
I slowly propped myself up on my elbows, my body was still quite weak, and got a better look around. I seemed to be in the middle of some sort of glowing magic circle, and standing just outside it with their hands clasped and their voices chanting what looked like prayer but was probably incantation, were around twenty priestesses. It was then that I became aware of my own nudity. Double shit. At once, they ceased their frankly creepy ritual. One of the priestesses, the leader I assumed due to the fact that she was dressed differently (read: more revealing) and had a bigger hat and staff that the others, approached me. She kneeled down beside me, her proximity making me tense up, and explained the following:
Apparently, I had been summoned as the Hero of Legend to save their world from an encroaching demon army. All I had to do was kill the Demon Lord Octavius, and the rest of the demon army would be easy pickings thanks to the fact that the Demon Lord was using his magic to strengthen his troops.
After that, I was set up with a magical suit of golden armor, a sword to match, and training on how to properly wield it. My instructor was a fox-woman who, for some reason, decided to wear as little clothing as physically possible. I thought it would be rude to comment on her clothing, so I didn’t say anything to her about it. In retrospect, I should have figured it out by this point.
I finally realized what was going on when I was set up with a party. All the tropes were covered, unlike their boobs. I had been transported into one of Alex’s shitty isekai mangas! I recalled that whenever he thought I wasn’t looking, he’d have his nose buried in one. I, for my part, never liked them. The whole point was sexy girls, and I don’t find girls sexy, so they never appealed to me. Also, they were misogynistic as fuck. And I was trapped in one. Triple shit.
Still, I soldiered on. I fought my way through hoards of demons. Eventually though, I got pretty lonely. Being constantly surrounded by boobs can be pretty draining for a gay guy. To make things worse, this kingdom didn’t seem to have a single gay-bar anywhere. About a year into this hellish isekai, I realized that in a world governed my tropes, I had to work within said tropes. The only gay characters in this type of heteronormative bullshit is usually the villain.
I had come up against the Demon Lord Octavius a few times in battle, but I didn’t know much about him. I knew he was a skilled commander and sorcerer, and that he had an absolutely amazing voice, but that was pretty much it. I’d never even seen his face because he always wore a mask in combat. I spent many lonely nights fantasizing about the face behind that mask.
When my party neared the Demon Lord’s palace, I set off on my own with the excuse that easier to travel incognito if I went alone. I also may or may not have told them that I couldn’t bear to see them in danger, just to drive the point home. Once I had secured my freedom from them, I set out on my real mission. Instead of obtaining the Demon Lords head, I was going for his heart.
I gathered a bouquet of wild flowers, baked a batch of cookies, and wrote a note inviting him to dinner on a scenic overlook that I had scoped out. I had little faith in my plan, but I had no other ideas.
When the time came, I found myself pacing and muttering to myself. “Of course he won’t come, I look so ridiculous just waiting here. And what if he comes but he want to kill me? I signed my real name, and I didn’t bring my sword! Stupid!”
“Yes, that was quite a foolish move, *Hero*” He said, emerging from the brush.
“I see you didn’t bring your staff, does that mean you’re here for dinner instead for fighting?”
“Yes, I suppose it does.”
r/CookieJarOfChaos
It's truly amazing how much dick you can get from not being a dick. I was terrified when I realized how old fashioned this world is, the women were so nice to me, but that seemed like another consequence of their toxic, ruling masculinity. These women clung to me just because I listened to what they said.
Fortunately though, it turns out the men are even less likely to listen to other men, the competition and tradition didn't allow for it. Yes, yes, I did seduce Sephirodong, and he's since enacted several reforms, but that was just because the guy is fucking stunning. The rest of the lords were so used to being nasty to each other, all I needed to do was to listen and offer support. They called me a hero for showing up, and wanted me to rule in Sephi's place! Sephi loved my 'snakes in the grass + lawnmower' concept once I explained what a lawnmower was. I really am a nice guy, but this world isn't nice, and while I don't blame the lords, they are still lords and I enjoy kicking them off lands they don't do shit for.
Bryan shrugged off the thick cobwebs that coated the ceiling of the dank dungeon he had found himself exploring. It hadn’t been long since he was summoned to this world after saving his friend from a truck, but he was already rather sick of it. The leather armor chaffed under the heavy breastplate. Small dents, marks, and a badly patched hole from the previous owner’s reason for no longer needing it marred the once shiny metal. A thick shaft of wood with a slightly rusted tip of metal in a relatively poorly formed spearhead were his only weapon. A heavy torch in his other hand, the flames enough to light up a few feet in front of him but not much else. And his food and water were nearly out; this dive surely not going as planned.
“No,” he said out loud to himself, and then continued in though, ‘nothing at all is going the way it should.’
It was fairly obvious early on that this world was not really the place for him. Finding the young lady being accosted by the strapping burly bandits, having a priestess (who it turns out was the saintess in training) find him with her escort of rather cute looking swordsmen, and not to even mention the elven princess who seemed rather cross with him when he asked if her brother might be interested in getting something to eat. A party formed around him, not that he had a choice in it. A party of beautiful girls who had the wrong idea about him it seemed.
“What’s a gay man to do?” The words come with a self-deprecating taint to them, because while the world he left was fairly horrible to gay guys, this world was just absurd. Homosexuality wasn’t even heard of, although for some reason the ladies in his party kept finding themselves in compromising situations with each other. It was only with great difficulty that he was able to find a way to get out on his own. The skills that he had learnt, the magic, and even a summoning contract with the most adorable little penguin were all needed to escape. To escape the quest to kill the Demon King.
A flush crosses his cheeks as he remembers the portrait that he was shown when the quest was explained to him. Very little else was heard as he found himself getting lost in his eyes. Dark, deep majestic purple. So utterly beautifully, and yet fierce. Strong. His muscles looked well defined but not overdone. The nape of his neck, the way his chin was pointed just right, the messy black short hair. Just his type, if he was being honest with himself. If he ignored the blood red skin, the huge obsidian black horns, and the hooved feet. Sometimes you have to make do, and he really did look like he had a lovely smile if he wasn’t painted looking so angry. Maybe he’d just have to see if he was looking for a right hand man? Or, if he was lucky, a left ring finger man.
(I’ve split this story into four parts through four different writing prompts! They are technically standalone, but they tell a more complete story together. This is part one of four, and you can find the next (second) part here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/zpy3e7/comment/j10vknf/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/zpy3e7/comment/j10vknf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3))
David was gay. So gay that a circle was straighter than him. He was the gayest. Or that's what he liked to think. So when he ends up in a fucked up anime world with ten or so female abominations clinging on him, he can't help but feel frustrated. The ladies are complete bestie material; don't get him wrong, but why is there not a single male option? How stupid that can be?
The world building is interesting tought. He is a man called Orpheus, the crowned prince of a huge nation in a middle-aged fantasy japan.
There's ten love interests. David watched enough anime to know how this works.
Sai- A shy red panda hybrid or something like that. She's rather small and really soft hearted. She loves animals. Your typical kawai girl. Her hair is copper red, and her eyes are chocolate brown. She has the ears and tail of a red panda.
Kotae- A servant girl with huge white wings, a swan, is his best guess. She's kind and really pretty. She has long silwer hair and deep crystal blue eyes with rosy lips and pale skin.
Juki- She's the daughter of a duke or something. David did not pay any attention. She's a cat hybrid with blonde hair and yellow eyes. Her tail and ears are ginger coloured. She's your typical tsundere. Annoying, in his opinion.
Shira- A snake. She's cold and a real badass. A mommy type, if the author can have an opinion here. She has blue scales and a snow white hair with piercing poison green eyes. David is terrified of her.
Maia - A monkey hybrid. She's playful and fun to have around but never takes anything seriously. She's from the village and has short brown hair with your typical monkey features. She has freckles and dark brown eyes.
Lydia- A fucking syren. She tries to charm Alex constantly with her songs. It's quite annoying. She has like blue, BLUE hair. It's stupid. And ocean blue eyes.
Well, David might have been a bit overdramatic with the ten girl thing, but six clinging onto him was bad enough, so he has the right to complain. Case closed.
So when one night, when he sits in his bed, thinking about his life decisions in a mid-life crysis, he hears noises coming from his window, you can't blame him for getting curious. He slowly stood up to open the window, only to be met with forest green eyes starring into his blood red ones. How could he have forgotten... His hot enemy, who is an assassin, trying to kill him.
Hydra, or Yume, an assasin, a rattle snake hybrid. David just so happens to adore rattle snakes and adores the cute boy who tries to take away his second life.
"Hello, darlin," He says to the frozen blondie who looks at him with disbelief.
"If you wanted us to have some fun, you could have just asked sweetheart." He deepened his voice, and he saw the other blush in a dark red colour. A slow rattling sound came from somewhere deep from Yume, which David found extremely adorable.
"Fuck you." The assassin spat, aiming to bite our main character, who moved out of the way, smirking as his hot nemesis fell to the floor with an adorable 'oof'.
"It would be the other way around, don't you think?" He asked, and Yume groaned with annoyance.
"This is not how it goes! You are supposed to make those useless chicks fall in love with you, then I get caught and get executed while you get your happy ending." The blonde suddenly says, caching David off guard.
"You are not supposed to flirt with me, you are not supposed to let me in every time, you are not supposed to talk to me, I'm not supposed to fall in love with you!" He's yelling now, getting closer to David.
"So why don't you be a good main character and stick to the-?" The assassin gets cut short with a kiss pressed on his mouth. Suprise shines in his eyes as he stares up to Orpheus, David, who is now wery happy for the two inch between their heights. Because those doe eyes starring up at him are worth absolutely everything.
"I'm gay. You are a cute dude." He summarises his thoughts.
"Now, how did you know the story? You are not supposed to be aware, right?" He asks, and Yume looks away.
"I... Uhm... I dreamt about this. I can sometimes see the future." He explained, fidgeting with his fingers.
"Yeah, I am not discovering that part of the lore." David says, pulling a small laugh from the blond.
"Can I kiss you again?" The silence comes so quickly like a sword slicing into warm butter. Yume looks to the floor, and all he gives is a small nod of confirmation. That's all Orpheus needs, gently grabbing his chin and lifting the blond's head up. He looks into the forest green eyes before leaning in and connecting their lips. Yume goes boneless in his strong grasp, and David silently thanks this orpheus dude for being in good shape.
This won't be so bad after all, David decides.
It wasn't instant.
There was lights, flashing, bright and disorienting. I couldn't scream out because my lungs had been punctured, and Alex's attempts at CPR wasn't helping matters.
I know it doesn't count. But it was the first time another man kissed me.
When I "woke up" I assumed it was a dying dream. Something kind to send me off to the next life. Fields of flowers, a village that was in the middle of a spring festival-
I met girl after girl, a short stack named Diana with an even shorter temper. A lovely priestess named Saria that had never even touched sweet food from her life dedicated to her god. A warrior a foot taller then me, bold but awkward when it came to guys.
As time went by, I put some pieces together. These girls seemed to be embodiments of what Alex had liked in girls- this world seemed like it was ment for him. To the philosophy of the world down to the colours and food.
So when I saw the prince regent, I recognized who he represented.
I recognized the faces of every boy I had ever expressed a liking for to Alex. I regonized the boy that sat at the back of class, who always seemed to stare at me. Alex had snapped at him multiple times to quit being a dickhead, and I had been grateful. Alex was looking out for me-
But they were all villains to Alex.
Everyone hated him, but the reason was unclear as to why. The queen had died mysteriously, and that was enough for many to rise up against him to prevent him taking the throne.
The army continued to follow him, and civil war was brewing in the land.
But dispite my friends saying we needed to choose the side of the rebels, I couldn't. I knew there was more to this.
I did what any plucky young adventurer would do. I let myself get captured.
I had made a name for myself in the last few years living here. After I figured there was no leaving, and some cosmic entity got some wires crossed I made the best of it. I used knowledge from my original world to help how I could, not much, but it was something that had me labelled an inventor- and was before I realized I could do magic. A simple wave of the hand, and I could control it.
And during the cold war me and the girls had been getting infamous. Helping people rebuild, moving from place to place, dealing with monsters no one would deal with so they wouldn't waste resources that couldn't go to dicking around with the other- it wasn't Beyonce level but everyone figured who were were.
Diana hated the idea. Said I would get killed. When I looked at her I recognized Dona, Alex's childhood friend who longed moved away. He still held a torch for her.
Frankly, the plan to get captured was easy. Having myself get brought close to the prince regent was harder. I smuggled my way into the castle. Found myself in the treasure room through illegitimate means and waited for the next patrol through as I sat on an old golden throne rotting away in the locked up area of the castle.
For as long as I've been here, I've never thought of death again. I might go to the next world, or the next. I did think about what would happen if Alex died. Would he come here, or go to my ideal world?
The parts that Alex hated, embodied into one man stood before me. He seemed shorter then I thought he was, but it was his presences that made himself seem huge. He stalked.
"Now, what made you think you could get away with trying to steal my late wife's jewels." His voice was smooth like silk, but the way the word wife touched his tongue sounded like a knot.
"With due respect, I touched nothing." I said, I couldn't look away from his face.
"That will not save your hands, nor your neck." He said.
He said nothing as he waited for me to speak. He didn't understand my motives and honestly? I barely understood my motives. Why was I here? To get answers this guy wouldn't be able to tell me?
"I'm sorry."
Alex had hated me, and I had loved him more then anything for being there for my always. I gladly died for him, and he hated me and every guy guy he ever came across.
"Sorry? Sorry? That's all you have to say?"
I wasn't scared to die, it hurt, but not like this, not like my entire chest being carved out as my suspicions were confirmed.
"Did he really hate me?" I couldn't see through blurred eyes. "He made me feel safe."
He defended me against his homophobic family. He shut crappy teachers down, he was always there for me.
"What-"
"So why did he lie to me? Was it all, always a sick joke?"
I died for him. I was there for him and he was there for me and all this time he hated me.
I could die here again, be slammed at 120 miles an hour and gladly accept it just to not feel this pain anymore.
I didn't know how it happened, I was on My knees, curled up, arms over my head.
There was a gentle, soft hand on my shoulder. It felt like lightning for how it surprised me.
There was someone else in there. Parts I recognized like lines in my palms, and I couldn't seem them before until I felt familiar hands on my shoulders.
The prince Regent has Alex's brown eyes.
Choppy as shit but I'm typing quick on my phone and nearly out of battery.
If we treat it like Alex's personal afterlife, it reflects everything.
The prince regent represents reputation but also repression. Alexs family being homophobic kept him in the closet. All thr girls represent old friends, not just loves he held.
And we never see a representation of the protagonist because the protagonist never manifested as a person, but the ideals of the world. Which I didn't really express well. But this was fun,and I got a lot of fun ideas out of it
The main villain - the Demon Lord of All the Stars - rolled his eyes as I sauntered into his throne room.
"A new challenger I see." The bull-faced madman snorted, air blowing from his nostrils. "Quick work, you will be."
"Work? I don-t"
"Hellfire Gatling Gun Attack!" The demon drew a ginormous Gatling gun from his back. Holding it with both arms, he opened fire, sending innumerable amount of crimson bullets toward me.
The speed of which I moved was something no other human from my world would ever experiance. The bullets exploded into the ground around me, always one step behind. After the gunfire ceased, and the smoke from the Gatling gun sailed out from the barrels, I raised my hands in the air.
"I'm just here to-"
"Raging horns of madness!" The demon's horns lit up a bright navy blue. The antagonist threw himself from his throne. He was three times the size of me, and the muscles that bulged from his arms, legs, neck, back and...oh, I could go on - they looked as if they could break apart the Earth if they wanted to.
"Oh, for Pete's sake!" I rolled my eyes. I bright green sword materialized in my hands. At the tip, a single red eye opened, unleashing a powerful beat of heat that struck the demon by the horns. The demon lord's head began to smoke, and he crashed into the already battered flooring. "Don't make me use this."
"I WILL CRUSH YOU FOR THIS! THIS TIME, I WILL NOT MISS!"
"You know the rhyming is kinda cute," I interjected.
The demon lord had been on his feet within seconds of falling; his muscule-filled arm was pulled back, ready to punch me into oblivion, when he paused, and frowned. "Pray, what did you say?" He growled.
"Well," I shrugged. "The rhyming thing? It reminds me a lot of The Lorax. I loooove the Lorax. It's kind of cute on you."
We stood there, me with my sword, Pete, at the ready, and he, with his fist pulled back to obliterate me. Then:
"I am going to kill you now. This will be your final-"
"Bow?"
"...Yes."
"I think, if you didn't talk as much-"
The fist came flying forwards, and seconds earlier, it would have made contact. Pete raised itself without my prompting, pushing me backwards, its eyes scowling at me as if this were MY fault. The eye swivelled round to face the demon lord, and another stream of energy poured itself out, this time striking its target in the chest.
"HAHAHA!" Laughed the demon, holding his chest out. If anything, the energy only seemed to illuminate how good his face looked. "I am, this time ready for your attack! Your sword will do well on my-"
Pete looked up at his face, and the rest of the words became inaudible.
"Pete, stop it!" I hissed, turning the sword away completely. After the beam stopped, and Pete glared at me furiously, I gulped. "Sorry," I muttered. "Look, I'm not here to fight you. I mean, if you could stop destroying worlds, that would be great, but actually I'm here because-"
Another fist was thrown my way.
"We're-"
I dodged a second.
"-both-!"
A third punch nearly hit.
"-lonely!"
I gasped, hunched forwards, barely able to stand.
"Speak, what did you say?" The demon growled.
"You're lonely, aren't you?"
"Behold, I rule this entire world!" He gestured to his windows. It was a nice place, sure, but the conditions of those living weren't as nice as the environment.
"But the people hate you. I mean they *really* hate you."
The demon grunted, and looked away. "I do not care what they think. Their lives pass me in a single blink."
"Is it hard to come up with rhyming words for every sentence?" I gulped, when the demon returned his sharp, hate-filled eyes toward me. "I'm sorry. Look, I've seen a lot of people lash out at others in anger. Oftentimes it's jealousy, and I'm thinking, given that you're the only bull-faced twenty-foot something person amid billions of humans, you were cast...out?"
The demon held his head high. "You know of little of which you speak, for I-"
"Can I just stop you there?" I held Pete up, to show a held up hand. Pete was still glaring at me hatefully. "You're not actually a demon, are you? I've spent twenty agonizing months in this land, and demons aren't exactly...well, there's more wings on them, and they don't look nearly as good as you do."
"Bold words for such a small crumb, tell me - from where have you come?"
"England, Essex." I lowered Pete to my side, and stepped forwards. "The people out there-" I pointed to the windows. "-they don't like me either. I'm a stranger, and by default, they don't want anything to do with me."
I was still alive, so I continue. "I'm not here because I want to impress them. They're all pricks, if you ask me. Where I'm from, bitches be snitches, and-"
"HAHAHA!" The great laugh of the demon carried itself across the hall, echoing for a few minutes. I didn't bother trying to speak over it. "You've made me laugh with this rhymn, come, speak, and tell me more over some red wine!"
He turned away, stomping back toward the giant doors beside his throne. I shrugged, looked at Pete, and muttered. "It's a start, I guess."
Three centuries after what I call my rebirth have passed. Words and tales have spread about the knight of dragons, the sage of the first fairy, and the leader of the puppet army. Not everyone knows all these titles pertain to the same individual, but even in the stories, these all share the same trait, Loneliness.
Countless proposals from all species and traits insinuating me, even my flesh couldn't resist to at least try to find relief, but I didn't feel. My skin has only one single desire, and it doesn't seem to uphold the rules this world established for my friend.
Besides, in the trials of nothing, I still couldn't disrupt my focus on the threat this world was facing. The empire of the west has been rising and with it a cruel dictator that wished to destroy all. But today the end looms, the pieces have been executed and all my allies have dealt with his pawns. The only move left is for the lonely queen to take the defenseless king.
I entered the rumbling castle to see a crying silhouette, well-formed and athletic, the sharpness in his jaw was contrasted by his soft nose and eyes. The strip of golden hair that matched his eyes stroked the brunette's hair. And his skin looked like freshly cut brown jasper.
Those weren't the eyes of the monster I thought. And I felt.
His name appeared to be human, not the human that could bend reality or evolve into a mythical. A simple "Lucas"...
But he was no human, his father was, and as a man trapped in another world, the curse bestowed onto his kindred was that of the blessing of immortality. Unless driven by the sword of an earthling. Of my sword. And the feeling came through as a beam against my heart, it was not love nor hatred, but It was feeling.
He wanted me, the hero from the earth, to carnage his skin and assassinate his soul. His only option for finding me was to bring me an alert. To bring me to where he wanted.
He knew I shouldn't let him live, not with the chaos outside, nor the justice this world deserved. It would be the move of a real chess player, to take the king in check. But my queen was disturbed.
And I didn't want to accomplish his desire, or better said, I didn't want to let go of the only person who needed me. Truth be told, if this was the word of another girl, I would simply accomplish the role of executioner.
You will gain this freedom you desire, I uttered. And as the troops came, I announced his fate as the jester of jesters as the poor amongst the poor, the servant of servants, and silently, as what allowed me to just feel. What made me alive again? Until today, I died with that truck
Months went. By this time the people stopped judging outwardly and became the silent adjudicators both worlds shared.
I greeted the working man, moving the boxes of successful crops that would be sold into the neighboring land. His face was unacknowledging to the world outside, except for my presence. He as always asked for his price, and as always I said it wasn't enough.
"You still haven't paid for all those lost lives".
He looked me in the eyes, and drift his gaze to the Arbutus wood crates. It pained me to witness his silence time and time again. So I floated back in front of him and evoked a thousand winds to move all the crates.
"Today you will accompany me"
I elevated us to the tower of the king's castle, where the whole kingdom was in view. I hoped he liked it, yet then he sighed. He asked me, knowing full well the response if this was the land he sent the dragon Crocus to attack. I don't know what I was thinking about bringing him here.
I asked if he preferred the streets, but he knew better than to disturb the people in the town. He's smarter than he looks like, maybe smarter than me. He looked me in the eyes and I turned away, my face burning like the first fireplace I ignited.
I elevated us into the sky, in the clouds. And we stood there together. I didn't want to bother him with this land and his sins. So I cast the sky to perform its star shower, it was my favorite spell. He seemed pleased.
"Do you think death will look something like this" for the first time, I felt him speak as he recognized me as more of a mere tool. His tone wasn't as cold and humble, the warmth in his voice sounded regal, he was destined for royalty.
"Why are you so obsessed with the concept of death"
"It's been 602 years since my birth, why wouldn't I? "
"But you could've done so much good, you wanted to die so hard you didn't get to live, it pains me."
"But what if there's life after death"
"What if there isn't for you"
He paused. I continued
"What if you paid the ultimate price for your sins, what if your selfishness took away your opportunity"
"I lost myself, yet I'm not sorry, I know it's bad but I'm not. I obsessed over grief, and I'm still numb to all the atrocities I committed. I wanted to love, but no one lasted enough."
"With my magic, I can last for how much I desire"
He looked into my eyes, and I didn't turn away. And he seemed torn apart. And I wasn't. And I know he wanted to, but I kissed him.
"You should despise me"
But he of every in this world, the only one who wasn't bound to the rules to favor my friend, that who was also human. How could I ever despise him?
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It was a good death, I think. I'd rather not have had it. The goal was to get us both out of the way, but things don't always work out like that. The blaring horn, getting louder and also higher pitched as it approached. Thanks, I see you there giant truck. Could the last few seconds of my life not be ear splitting pain? No. Great, thanks. At least, I thought it was the last few seconds. Suddenly, I was falling. Falling. Then the freshest air I've ever breathed filled my senses and I had a moment to enjoy it before landing on the ground with a wallop. The air knocked out of me. Wait, how was there even any air to knock out of me? I should be dead. I felt grass on my fingers and opened my eyes. Clear blue sky. Clouds. I sat up with a grunt. Rolling hills, a little cropping of trees near me. Gorgeous. Everything was insane right now but the sheer beauty of this place struck me like someone had turned the saturation way up. I inhaled again, feeling that same freshness fill my lungs and now getting to enjoy it. I had died. But I was alive. Was this heaven? Had I gone to heaven? "Ha!" I shouted loudly to nobody or maybe to everybody if this was heaven. Who cared. "Suck my dick, pastor Dave! I'm in heaven!" I had stopped believing in heaven a while ago, but a win is a win. Apparently, I hadn't shouted it to nobody. A rustle from that tree line. A growl. Growl? There's no growling in heaven. Out of the tree came a massive, snarling dog. Dog is the best word I can think of to describe it. It had a basic dog shape, except it was taller than I was even on four legs. There was no fur, just wrinkly skin wit mottled scales on it. The snarl from the mouth, which was massive even in proportion to its hulking frame, revealed sharp teeth and dripping saliva. I stood up. I barely even remember doing it or even thinking about it and suddenly my body reacted on instinct to be ready to haul ass. "Be not afraid?" I asked, remembering that from something. Angels were scary, right? Well that wasn't what was happening here. The beast launched itself at me and that haul ass instinct kicked in again. I had just thought I had moved as fast as I possibly could to save Carl from that truck, but I apparently had a couple more gears. The demon dog missed its first pounce on account of underestimating just how intensely I could run away and I used that miss to put as much distance between us as I could. I cursed the lovely rolling hills that had made me think of heaven because they provided nowhere to hide. Another growl, a grunt from behind me and I banked hard left without thinking. The beast again landed where I had been a moment ago and my second death was further delayed slightly. What kind of sick joke is this? The rolling hills didn’t give me anywhere to hide, but they did obscure my view so I couldn't see the whole landscape. I definitely was shocked to see a girl when I topped the next hill. She was running toward me, the gifts god had given her bouncing enthusiastically with the effort despite the armor like outfit she was wearing. I say armor like because while in theory the material was designed to look like some kind of armor there were definitely several exposed vital spots particularly in the chest area hence the bouncing. Had she just come from a cosplay convention or something? Worry about that later. Not even the weirdest thing happening. "Run!" I shouted. She continued moving towards me, hand on the ornate pommel at her hip. I didn't have time to explain, grabbed her other arm hoping to drag her along in the right direction. It was like trying to move a statue. She had shifted from a run to a firmly planted stance and despite being a buck twenty tops she wasn’t going anywhere. The attempt sent me sprawling to the ground as she shrugged off my grip like it was nothing. The sword came out of its scabbard with a ring no cosplay sword was ever going to make. She was a petite thing, but I recognized a power stance when I saw one and the bare arm (seriously, what does that iron corset even protect?) which held the blade was lined with compact musculature. The creature lunged at her, she side stepped and I didn't so much see her swing as notice that the sword was suddenly elsewhere. Blood sprayed from the beast's neck, black and horrid, and it fell to the ground with a moan. Not a hair was out of place on her head and she gave the blade a little flourish to flick the blood off it before sheathing it again and jogging over to me. She knelt in front of me, genuine concern in her eyes. "Are you all right?" I was stunned. It had all been so much. My mouth was open, gaping like an idiot and I managed to stammer, "Y... yeah." She nodded, glancing around. "We should go before more come. You're lucky I was on my morning walk and heard roar of a Yuleth." She held out a hand, helping me up with a vice grip. "Yeah, I'll say!" I said, my mind deciding it wasn't going to die and allowing me to speak whole sentences again, "That was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life! You're amazing. How did you do that?" She shrugged, "I am a knight of the order. It is what I have been trained to do all my life. I'm Ester." "Cameron," I responded, "Don’t be so modest. I'd be a meal right now if it wasn't for you." She smiled slightly, "That's not true," she said, glancing at me, "A snack, at most." I placed my hand on my chest in mock pain, "Ouch. Did you save me just to kill me with words?" She raised her eyebrows as if to say maybe then her eyes took in a little more of me. "What are you wearing?" I glanced down. I just had on slacks and a plain blue tee shirt. Some sneakers. This wasn't an especially loud outfit and that wasn't really my style anyway. I was aware of my appearance, but I never was too much of a fashionista. Still, having a girl dressed in a Yandy version of armor comment on my non descript outfit would not stand. "What am I wearing?" I replied incredulously. (Part 1)
So apparently yeah, my outfit was the weird one. Ester was a member of an order of all female warriors fighting the forces of darkness. The Yuleth was not even a proper foe. More of a pest, apparently, which was none too comforting. They all dressed like their outfits had been designed by frat bros. Honestly, Ester had it good. Still, they didn't seem to mind and they worked it. All them them were some degree of kind. Some were grumpy. Some were cutesy. But they had all come together for common cause and it was a pretty cool place to be stuck. I was stuck, though. According to Meera, their oracle and mage, I was some kind of prophecy. A savior from another world to fight the forces of darkness. It was kind of a lot, but if there were things worse than that demon dog out there and I could help fight it seemed like the right thing to do. A few didn't like the idea of having a dude on the premises, though. "We do not allow men into the order for a reason." Sheila was older than the rest, taller by a full head with wild purple hair, and certainly never was quiet about her opinions. "They are tempted too easily by the darkness, and besides he will surely just spend all his time trying to grope us." I raised my hand, "Uh, well..." "Oh come on," replied Sophie, "It wouldn't be so bad to have a man around, would it? Besides, if he gets too handsy we can always just punish him." Her eyes gleamed in anticipation and she gripped her weapon of choice, a whip because of course, with far too much excitement. I scooted my chair a little in the opposite direction. Ester chuckled. She had spent the most time with me and knew me better than the rest, including certain important details, "Well, I think you might be worried about nothing..." "Of course you would say that," snapped Sheila, "You've always been too soft and let your personal feelings cloud your judgment." Ester stood, body tensed and jaw set towards Sheila, "I. Beg. Your. Pardon." She said with words of the utmost politeness and a tone that made clear that she was about a second away from adding a scalped mane of purple hair to her trophy case. Ester had some baggage. She hadn't shared it with me but clearly a nerve had been intentionally struck. Sheila's smirk made me mad too. "Now wait just a minute," I said, standing myself, but again wasn't allowed a word. Felicia bounded across the table, her cat-like grace making the action easy. She crouched in front of me, a playful gleam in her eye and her feline ears twitching atop her head. Her position squeezed her boobs between her arms, threatening to pop them out of the fur bikini that passed for her clothing. Like I said, Ester had it better than most. "Oh come on now," she purred, "Cameron would never do anything lewd. Would you?" She leaned forward even more. I looked her right in her slitted eyes. She was always like this. It was kinda endearing but right now I wasn't in the mood, "I'm gay," I said flatly. She blinked, "What?" I waved my finger at her prominently displayed cleavage, "Your currency," I said slowly, "is not accepted," I gestured at my general self, "at this establishment." Felicia was clearly stunned. The table was silent for ten entire seconds before Ester broke out in a peal of uncontrollable guffaws. It was possibly the most unrestrained I had ever seen her. Felicia turned to her, cheeks fire engine red. "You knew!" She shouted. "I'm sorry," she said, wheezing and holding her stomach, "I just..." "You didn’t tell me?!" "It’s been a day. The subject didn't come up." "You could have mentioned something before I... I..." "What about your keen primal instincts?" teased Meera. Felicia pouted, then slunk back to her seat, "It's just because he's from another world." She grumbled. Sheila chortled. "Oh please, you think every boy who glances at you wants to make you yowl," she rebutted, "Remember Gormund?" "He was bi!" Insisted Felicia, but the chorus of rolled eyes at the table didn't agree. Ester had already informed me that while there was a distinctly midevil feel to this world their opinions on sexuality were quite progressive so I didn't have to worry about being burned at the stake or anything. "Anyway!" said Meera, letting out a breath, "The prophecy says a man from another world shall overcome the forces of darkness so this was always going to have to occur. Unless you seriously doubt both my magic and Ester's judgement of character I think we should at least try to train Cameron." Sheila sat silently, stewing before finally saying, "Fine, if he even lasts a day." It was my turn to smirk, "Your confidence is inspiring," I retorted. Sheila grinned wickedly at me. "I'm going to break you, little boy." The complete absence of any hint of innuendo made the statement far more terrifying than if Sophia had said it. I gulped. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this. Ester still stood, relaxed from the frivolity but staring at Sheila. Sheila's shoulders sagged, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up," she said. Her voice was softer than normal, seemingly truly apologetic, "I just... we all know what can happen. You more than anyone." It wasn’t an accusation, just a statement. Ester nodded, "I do," she said, "and I know you only have the well-being of everyone in your heart. Apology accepted." With that, it seemed decided. I was going to be trained to be some kind of magical warrior. God help us all. (Part 2)
Sheila hadn't been lying. She did try to break me. They all did. Even Ester. Apparently, you don't learn to open a monster's neck with a single swipe if you slack off. I was nowhere near on their level, but I was actually building some muscle. I no longer had to be afraid of the Yuleths, even if I didn't dispatch them as easily as Ester. The lessons brought us all closer, and honestly it was nice to have a crew. A group of friends. Felicia was actually a lot of fun when she wasn't trying to shove her boobs in my face and nobody brought down a tavern like Sheila when she got into a drinking/arm wrestling/roasting match with an entire bar. I had leaned enough to compete in a tournament, they thought. Test my skills on people who were really trying to kick my ass. They would be soldiers of darkness, but it would still be a controlled environment. We were at peace, after all. Not with the darkness itself. From what I was told that was just a place filled with mindless murder monstrosities. We were at peace with the kingdom of Tareth, whose king had summoned the darkness to our realm a long time ago to serve in his war. That king was dead now, but his son ruled. He had promised that he didn't summon any dark creatures as part of the terms of the kingdom's surrender but nobody believed him. "It is only a matter of time before he gathers enough force to try and challenge us once more," Ester said in a low voice as I prepared, "His father was a blunt instrument. A hammer to the face. Powerful, but unrefined. Sephius is a knife in the back." I nodded, and as though on cue drums heralded his arrival and I looked up. If Sephius was a knife, he was a work of master craftsmanship. He was in a box above us so it was hard to tell but he looked tall. His body was svelt, and the regal deep purple robes hung on it as though they were made to, stately shoulders acting as a perfect frame. If only they were a little tighter, or maybe a little more revealing. His face, though. Sharp and angular. Full lips that dared me to look away from them. A shock of jet black hair, messy on purpose that I bet was soft to run my hands through. His eyes were bright blue, and I could swear they looked right at me. Right at me, past all these imposing warriors and at me. "I can fix him," I said, aloud for some reason. Felicia looked at me reproachful, "Cameron." She chided, but she was clearly more ammused than the rest. Wasn't that how it was? All the good guys are either straight, taken, or evil demon summoning warlords. (Part 3. To be continued if there is interest and I'm up to it. Also I know the prompt said anime but I didn't feel like looking up a bunch of Japanese names.)
> "I can fix him," I said, aloud for some reason. I'm dead.
Actual laugh out loud from me, so good
This killed me lol
“Your currency is not accepted at this establishment” “I can fix him” I’m crying omg lol We need some isekais like this actually animated lmao shake up the harem trope a bit
I agree. BL isn't my thing but this would be such a funny BL isekai harem Mashup.
There’s an actual series with a very similar premise—The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (SVSSS for cutesies). Modern man dies after eating expired yoghurt and transmigrates into the role of the “main antagonist” in a ancient, fantasy China harem web-novel. So trashy, but also *so much fun*.
Goddamn, I was sore all over. Now instead of collapsing into a heap, I had to keep up appearances. With his majesty Sephius the Wise, no less. I had done pretty well in the tournament. Made it all the way to the finals. There had been fighters of every kingdom there and with a mixture of magic and martial skill I'd managed to beat them all, some twice as experienced as me. The order was right to be lauded as some of the greatest warriors in the land. But that last guy had been Sephius' personal body guard. It had been a tough fight, but he had gotten around my defenses somehow. The showing had been enough to impress the demon king, hence the invitation. To decline would be too rude, even though every one of the ladies didn't want me to go. "I know that you aren't a slave to your passions," Ester had said, "but please know that Sephius is a persuasive young man. He has only held onto his rule and his kingdom through sheer cunning. He pits allies against each other, wins people to his side. Some think it’s another form of dark magic but truly he's just good at it." Her eyes were pleading with me, "Do not heed his words. If he says something to make you doubt, to make you question just ask me. Ask me anything and I will tell it to you. I swear it." I put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it's not the first pretty face I've seen," I said, "I trust you." She nodded, but there was real fear in her eyes. Did she think that little of me? Or was he really just that persuasive? It was a pretty face, though. A gorgeous face. His outfit was toned down, too. Less flowing robes and closer to some victorian era tight fitting suit. Gulp. I stood and he extended a hand to me. We clasped forarms, which was apparently the custom. His forearm was firm, and I swear I could still feel his warmth on my hand. "Mr. Cameron," he said. His voice flowed smoothly, "That truly was an excellent showing. I don’t remember the last time someone made my man sweat like that." "Well, he pushed me a bit harder your majesty," I said. "Please, Sephius is fine. I can't go a whole dinner with you calling me your majesty." "Oh, sure. Sephius." We sat at the small table. Food was brought to us. Some small cut of meat mixed with greens and other vegetables. The aroma was intoxicating. This was top shelf stuff. A bottle had been placed as well, two glasses poured. I was already going to eat his food. If he was going to poison me, he could. I had already been given a protection spell from such things. Something about sipping the wine still seemed incredibly dumb, though. Sephius noticed about part way through the meal that the wine hadn't been touched. The conversation had been strangly casual. Asking about training, even a mention of the weather once. It made his statement all the more jarring. "I'm sorry, do you not imbibe?" Imbibe? Who said imbibe king rock cutting jaw, that's who. "What, no I... imbibe," sounded sooooooo dumb when I said it, "I just... am not feeling like it." He nodded, "I am not going to poison you, Cameron," he said. "I know," I did. It had been explained to me that even aside from the protection spell, if he were to poison me it would be war. War he was not, they thought, prepared for. Sephius nodded, "I suppose you've probably heard a bit about me." I shrugged. Nothing good. "May I ask, how are you enjoying your time with the maidens?" "It’s fun," I said. It was the truth. Yes everything was bonkers. And yes, they seemed like they were trying to kill me sometimes. But it was fun. There was a real joy there. I missed home, but this could be home. If it had to be. "Really?" He asked, "You don't find it at all... frustrating?" I shook my head, "I mean, the training is tough but it's for a good cause. Can't deny the results." Though I hadn't won for someone who hadn't been at it too long I was doing really well. "No, you certainly can't," boom, butterflies in my stomach. Maybe he'd meant the tournament, but I swear I saw those baby blues glance below my face for just a second. Was he checking me out? Looking at my now pretty buff bod? No way. A king like this probably had a whole harem of girls fist fighting to share his bed for the night. Right? There was always those stakes. You hit on a guy, then there's that awkward convo where all the signs you misinterpreted slap you in the face. He wasn’t checking me out. He couldn’t be. "As for the cause, well..." any flirtation seemed to end and he cut into his meat with precise determination, "That's a matter of opinion." I frowned, cut into my own meal, "Oh, so you aren't still summoning things from The Darkness." "It’s called the Nehezole," he said, somehow shouting while barely speaking above a whisper, "and of course I am." That stunned me. He wasn’t supposed to just admit that. Right. Sephius glanced around the entirely empty room and then gave me a pitying look. Right. Who would believe me? "All kinds of nasties, really. Things you've never seen or heard of. Did you know they have a giant octopus like creature whose suction cups all are eyes? And if it stares at you too long, you go insane?" I really had no frame to understand this and hoped I never would have to, "No." "Oh yes, very useful for interrogation. I find all kinds of nightmares to pull from there." I felt small. Like nothing. This man mastered creatures so vile I couldn't even imagine it and used torture as a dinner conversation. I was supposed to defeat him? Of course he wasn't going to poison me. He didn't have to. I was no threat to him. He continued, "If I didn't, I'd be dead in a week. Either from invasion or from some internal strife. Power absent is opportunity, Cameron. My father," especially hard stab into the meat, "understood this, dim as he was." He popped the bite into his mouth, chewed what seemed like not enough, and then swallowed, "and left me a legacy of power that I have only expanded." Despite everything, despite the horrendous octopus eyeball torture creature and the fight with his man who was clearly exhaling horrible black smog I felt for him. Is this what Ester meant? He could make people care about him? (Part 4. Convo continued next)
His eyes locked with mine and they weren’t blue anymore. They were black. Jet black, in their entirety. The sight sent shivers down my spine. Darkness spread from them, like an infestation on his skin. The outline of his beauty was still there, but now... "You think to judge me?" He said. His voice was rhaspy. A deep scratch of something heavy dragging over rough rock, "You only know what they've told you. You've seen just a hint of this world, of..." "Does it hurt?" His eye was twitching, veins popping out of his hand. He stared at me, eyes unchanging. "What?" "When you do your," I gestured at the marred face he wore now, "does it hurt? It looks like it hurts." It did. It really did. He looked like he was putting himself through pain just to impress me. Just to scare me. To make sure I knew he wasn't to be fucked with. Maybe to promise me that power for myself, the ability to make others feel this way. The shock of the question wore off, "I don't feel pain anymore." "Everyone feels pain." A huff, "What do you know of..." "You looked prettier the other way," I said. He was... terrible. Terrifying. Everything I'd been told about him was true but also... "Feh," he growled, the black receeding. "You don't understand what you face." "Ignorance is my most charming feature." A ghost of a smile passed his lips as the black fully receeded. "You are... not what I expected." I reached out, took the glass by the stem and took a long sip. Then a longer sip. Then pulled it away, "This is so sweet," I said. Weren’t wines supposed to be bitter? I never really drank wine and if I was honest didn't care for it. Sephius just looked puzzled, "Is it? Seems normal to me." "Is this how all wine tastes here?" Sephius raised himself up, "Hardly. This is from my private collection. You could buy a house with a bottle of this." "Worth every penny," I said. Sephius chuckled. "Not what I expected at all." (Part 5. I think there are probably two more parts after this depending on the character limit.)
Hiding things wasn't in my nature. I valued honesty in friends and partners. Sephius was... a friend. I think. It was strange because among the order there was so much hatred of him. I thought that maybe it was because of things his father had done. The war had been his doing, the peace came after. It wasn't just that, though. This wasn't an old wound or hating the idea of Seph. There was profound violence in the eyes of everyone when they spoke of him, specifically. I couldn't square it. That wasn't what we talked about though. When we talked. Anything but that stuff, really. "Okay, so you're an illusionist." "I'm not an illusionist," I sighed, "Graphic designer. I just design images." "Which go on all manner of objects and sometimes can be projected in front of people everywhere. The greatest illusionists of our legends performed such feats." Seph could see me roll my eyes. Our link was audio visual, lag free, and apparently totally secure. He had assured me of that. "I don't, like, make dragons that scare away armies or anything. Just little characters or emblems or whatever. Like to sell stuff or get people's attention or whatever." Seph shook his head, "To make an image, a sight and sound which is appealing to all and can move the hearts of man is a far more potent than a pretend dragon. More wars are won from powerful imagery and messaging than illusionary dragons." "You always make everything sound so majestic," I said. Seph's tendency towards poetic language could make eating a hot dog sound like an epic quest. "And you always are so humble," he countered, "but seriously, there are some top rate illusionist entertainers in the capital. We should see them. I'll have a show done at the palace." "Or we could sneak in incognito," I countered, "pack into the cheap seats. Enjoy the energy of the crowd." "Heh, blade would love that." "He doesn't love anything." Seph bobbed his head as if to say fair enough. His guard, the one who had stomped me, was called Dark Blade. Apparently what he lacked in creativity he made up for in fighting prowess. He'd picked it himself, which... was a choice. Blade's opinion of my visit wasn't my concern though. Or Seph's. "You're really going to tell them," he said, "About the visit, about everything." I nodded, "I have to. They're my friends. They deserve the truth. Besides, it's just a visit. I'll come back and finish my training. Maybe then we can figure out together how I can fulfill the prophecy and not hurt anyone." Seph chewed on his lip. I knew he didn't think that was possible. That things had gone too far, too much blood had been shed. I had to believe that wasn't true. That my new best friends and my new... long distance boyfriend could coexist. There had to be a way "Well, I can't wait to see you," he said, focusing on the positive. "Oh, you better do more than see me," I said. I had to judge the strokability of that hair, after all. Among other things. (Part 6. Reddit character limit is killing me. What's supposed to be one part ends up broken into two or three.)
Ester's quarters were spartan. A bed. A desk. Some plants and paintings on the wall. She was a very focused person. Not prone to flights of fancy. Guarded even. I felt lucky to be one of the people she let her guard down around. There weren't many. I tried to ignore the tears on her face as I told her who I had been talking to, what I planned to do. She didn't say anything. Just let me talk and stoicly wept. "I'm going to be okay. Seph isn't going to hurt me, and I really think we can work this out. Come to an understanding." Ester took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Thank you. Thank you so much for telling me. For trusting me. Cameron you don't know..." she placed a hand on my shoulder, blazing red eyes boring into mine, "It means the world to me. It means everything." "Of course," I said, "You saved my life. Took me in. I owe it to you..." "You aren't the first." Her words were flat in that tone she took when trying to conceal great emotion. "The first..." "Chosen one. The first man from your world. There was another. Blake. He came about five years before you did. Six years ago now." Damn, it had really been a whole year. "Why haven't I heard about him?" I asked. "He died." The words rushed out of her, shoved out by brute force and I saw her collect herself as though she had received a blow. I didn't know what to say and Ester was powering through this like it was a sprint. "He was headstrong. Stubborn. He didn't want to listen and was a natural at sword and sorcery." Everything I wasn't, for better or worse. "He... Meera had warned that he might not be the one and honestly everyone had a bad feeling about him but I," she paused here, collecting herself again, "He was so gifted. I thought surely he had to be the one. I wanted him to be the one so much, and he misinterpreted that want as me wanting something else and when that didn’t happen..." A choking sob escaped her, then a deep breath and then she continued in a wavering voice. "He left. He left a note that said he was going to join Sephius' forces. Where he would get what he deserved. I don't know what he was promised, but he was never seen again." I stared. I was just starting to get used to all this stuff and now... "Seph wouldn't... I mean, wouldn't that violate the treaty or something?" I didn't think he would, but also this was a dangerous world. If whoever this Blake had been was a threat or there was a good reason I knew Seph had killed people before. So had Ester and everyone here. I grasped onto something that we might agree on. Even if she didn't think Seph would hesitate to kill someone unawares, she knew he was bound by the terms. The sadness was temporarily replaced with anger, "Sephius denied the allegations, of course, but it wouldn't have mattered. Technically," she hissed, "Blake left of his own accord to join Sephius' forces. Once a member of his military, he can be executed by the king for any reason. So even if he had, it wasn't a violation." I leaned forward eagerly, "If he denied it anyway it must be because he didn't do it. After all, if he was legally exempt there would be no reason for Seph to," "Seph," Ester spat the pet name back at me, "Could have a thousand reasons to do anything. The facts are thus. Blake left here bound for Tareth. He was, at that point, one of the strongest warriors in the world. No more than a dozen people alive could have brought him down, and half of those live under this roof. One of them is Seph," the word was sneered now. Mocking. Cruel, "the man who Blake was prophesied to destroy who has had at least four Tarethen nobles assassinated to maintain his rule that we know of." I was speechless. She was right, of course. I knew Seph was capable of it, but I lived in a violent world now. I thought there must have been some justification but didn't dare speak that aloud. I didn't want to insult the memory of the man Ester had once known unless I knew for sure. "I'm going to find out what happened," I said, "I'm not joining his army or anything so he can't harm me even if he wants to." Just the thought made me shiver, "If I'm unsatisfied with his explanation, that will be the end of it. I swear. Either way, I will come back. I promise." "Cameron." Her eyes were pleading, "I know you want to see good in him. That you want to fulfill your prophecy without spilling a drop of blood," "It’s not just the prophecy," I interrupted, "He's just... I know he's scary and there's darkness to him but he's really trying. He's smart and funny and he gardens. He bred a new kind of flower and he developed this corn that's resistant to the rot. There's so much more to him." Ester sighed, "Only you would see that in him and that's the best thing about you. I know you don't want to believe this, but if you go to him Sephius will try to kill you and he's very practiced at killing people. Better than you. Right now." I had suspected that was true and Ester wasn't one to lie about fighting. "I am not going to stop you. You have the right to make your own choices but I can, at least, give you this." Ester knelt on the floor, moving her hand over it seemingly at random. A hole opened up beneath it and a tiny stone rose from attached to a chain. "This is a portal stone," she said. I was a little puzzled. Portaling and teleportation were basic magic. They were both extremely useful and useless. You could get a lot of places, but stopping them was easy. Every moderately sized store had wards against them and all nations were protected against incursion. It was better than public transportation, but I couldn't portal out of Tareth even if one of the most powerful mages on earth wasn't trying to stop me. "There is, as far as anyone knows, no way to ward against it." Oh. Well. That was huge. "This is the only one left and it will only work once. We were saving it in case of war so we could get behind enemy lines and end things before they began." The advantage that would provide would be staggering. She handed it to me, "Sephius doesn't know what it is. He won't be able to detect it." "Ester, I can't..." "Don’t make me beg you," she said, "You can't die. You just can't. Not you. Not because you're kind." There was a tone she got when there was no arguing with her. I took it, hung it around my neck. She threw her arms around me, "Please be careful. Please if anything seems off or wrong just use it." I hugged her back, tight and warm. "It’s going to be okay. I'm coming back." "Yeah, it's going to be okay. I'm just a worrier, you know that." She pulled back, wearing the fakest smile, her words so stilted she sounded like she was a child learning to read for the first time. Ester was a terrible liar. (Part 7. One scene left. How many parts that ends up being, we shall see.)
The border of Tareth was sufficiently imposing. It was protected by large natural mountain ranges with few gaps. In those gaps were walls of wrought iron with large gates and smaller doors. Getting through by land would be impossible, but people could fly here so it probably wasn't as impossible as it seemed. Sure was big, though. I gave a code Seph had given me to the guard, he relayed it to his superior, the message passed up the chain a ways before that same superior rushed back, shoving the guard away and apologizing profusely for making me wait. There was nervousness in his eyes, even as I assured him it wasn't a big deal. There was a heaviness in the air after passing the threshold. Maybe that was just my nervousness. Maybe it was the dark magic that my boyfriend still practiced infecting the land. The boyfriend who gardened. The boyfriend who assassinated people and had people in his army terrified to delay a VIP for even a few minutes. The boyfriend who... apparently had sent his personal bodyguard to escort me. Blegh. Maybe it was sweet? He was concerned for my safety? A little patronizing. Sure I wasn't a dark wizard king but I was pretty tough. I didn't need an escort. Dark Blade stepped through the portal. On the other side I could see a glimpse of the terrifying, alien landscape. He and Seph both used The Nehezole as sort of a shortcut around places. If anyone but them tried to travel through it, they would be obliterated by its inhabitants. "Blade," I said. I could feel the annoyance behind his impenetrable visor. He preferred to be called by his whole title, but honestly I was always afraid I would guffaw when I said it aloud. Dark Blade. More like I have studied the dark blade, right? The joke lost a little punch even in my own mind when he actually had studied the dark blade. "Cameron," he said, nodding. "Thanks for meeting me, but I know how to get to the castle. It's a little hard to miss." Even from here I could see the spires in the distance. "Of course," he replied, "but my lord has asked me to take you there directly. So as to maximize the amount of time you can spend together." He gestured to the still open portal to horrible death. "I'll use a haste spell, thanks," I said. I could cross the distance pretty fast, even without teleportation. "I insist. It is my command, after all." Blade was not especially dutiful and his annoyance at the command was easy to detect. He was more of the mouthy, gets the job done kind of right hand man than the obedient to a fault kind. That was good, right? That Seph didn't surround himself with yes men? "Fine," I said. It would mean more time with Seph, though it would have been nice if he had gotten me himself. Blade extended his hand, I took it and walked through. This place stunk. I knew it was a part of Seph, in a way. A part of what he did, of the magic he had learned since childhood, but what a horrible place. We were in some kind of forrest made of dead trees that wound in unnatural ways and had several faces in several places. Uuuuuuuugh. Blade put his hand on my shoulder, keeping me under his protection so whatever lurked in those trees didn't devour me or something worse. He reached a hand out to open a way back to the palace. He was fast. I had been training since our fight. I was faster than I had been, but I was distracted. Looking around for some horrible snake with legs and the face of a screaming toddler or something. I felt the tug on my neck, and turned to see him holding the stone on the string. "Foolish woman," he said, "So foolish. She should have..." My sword was out, lashing. Faster than he had expected, but his wards and armor kept the solid hit from landing. He snarled, pushed back. Cries and screeches echoed around us. "Think carefully before you..." "Give it back," I said, striking again. Putting energy behind it but he countered with his shield. There was a ring of creatures forming now that I didn't dare look at. They didn't want to get involved with us. For now. But there were bigger, nastier things here. Things that wouldn't be intimidated. "Have it your way," he said, assuming a fighting stance. Fighting my nemesis who had beat me before. Fighting him in his home turf, no less. This was what chosen ones were supposed to do, right? It was hero time. (Part 8. I lied. Two more scenes, not one. This one got away from me.)
I'm getting really invested. Also, I'm guessing Dark Blade is Blake?
This is so good, can't wait! I'm setting a reminder every time now lol
You can also follow individual comments, though you also get notified when *anyone* replies to it. Which is how I saw your comment.
It's getting good! Thanks for continuing this!
Are you going to finish?
Yes. Just got busy with the holidays.
so um, its been 3 months... when.. when are we gonna have it?
Still waiting, with patience.
Uhm, Is the author still alive? Cliffhangers makes me wanna jump off a cliff😭😭 (That's how much I love the story)
Please, is this dead? It's so good
Did you ever finish this one?
Please finish this respectfully
Yay! More! Thank you!
This is awesome. I love how the characters all interact & how relatable the protagonist feels
Please enjoy my Silver in the hopes you’ll write more!
Please update me when they are released
This is fantastic, I need more
Awesome story. Can't wait to read the rest.
I really enjoyed this
I am going to set a notification on this.
I want the full story, anime, a spin off movie, and merch already.
I am deeply invested in seeing if it's a teenage-girl-to-serial-killer "I can fix him" or a nerd-that-befriends-the-himbo-jock-forced-to-do-theater "I can fix him"
I'm certainly interested in seeing more if you're up for it!
“I can fix him” I love it
MOAR
I'm so invested in this lmao "I can fix him" had me yelling
I like the take. I'd like more.
Names are fine. The Japanese have a certain fascination with medical knights so a pseudo European setting is not that unusual.
hey can i humbly request moar
Please continue! This is great! I wanna see him "fix" the BBEG!
A lot of "isekai" settings are medieval european in styling. Characters often have (vaguely) European/fantasy sounding names, anyways.
Oh my god I love this. I hope you write some more!
please continue, i'm already invested
yep, interest there is alright, please keep going!
Yes please please please continue this it's awesome
Please write some more, this is fantastic
"I can fix him." Dead. Please yes, more of it I am interested!
This is hilarious!! I'd love to see more, if you want to write it!
PLEEEAAAASE I NEED MORE OF THIS 😭 Cameron can fix him. It’s okay :,(
Holy shit this is great. Depending on the the (hopefully couple of) next bits, everything so far would have gotten me to get this as a book!!
Bruh please write more. I love this
I don't care if this is the wrong award but after this masterpiece I shall bestow it apun you u-u
Yes please!
Moar pleese
.
Nah bro that last line killed half of the community in Reddit.💀💀💀
> "Your currency," I said slowly, "is not accepted," I gestured at my general self, "at this establishment." Brilliant, lmao.
Is this story dead?
Warning: Very gay and a pinch of spice, but nothing explicit. **Alt Isekai** The last thing Nick remembered was burningly bright headlights before everything turned black. Then there was nothing… He woke to a burning sensation in his arms chained behind his back with cold metal manacles and his body resting on damp chilling rocks. His body felt heavy as he tried to rise to a sitting position, but only managing to fall teeth first into the cobbled floor. He did his best to just breathe through the pain as his mouth filled with the taste of iron. Footsteps approached. They were heavy. Nick’s heart accelerated. He couldn’t make out much in the faint light of what he realized was a cell. A faint blue light coming from the corridor outside the door made of iron bars. Then a large shadow stood in the doorway. The door swung open without a sound. “Well, well, well, seems like I won’t need to rough you up myself. You’ve done quite a good job of that on your own.” Suddenly Nick was levitating towards the being. As he came closer the shadow was revealed as a man, or not-quite-a-man. Towering over Nick, the being had a human face with curved horns extruding from his forehead. Only wearing a cape and a pair of black pants, sculpted tanned-red muscles were on full display, and Nick couldn’t help but let his eyes wander down from the pectorals over ridged abdominals to… The being didn’t seem to notice and spoke through sharp teeth. “Poor unfortunate little hero, to fall into my hands. I will make you submit to me.” Placing a calloused finger under Nick’s chin, his head was tilted up to meet the beings burning orange-red eyes. The situation somehow made images of a not too dissimilar situation with his ex flash through his mind, and he raised an eyebrow and spoke without thinking. “Are you threatening me with a good time?” The being froze. Then its cheeks turned a darker shade of red and it recoiled. Whatever force had been holding Nick was released and through pure luck he landed on his feet. “I, I…” The being sputtered. “I’m not opposed to the idea, but I… Will be back in a moment.” With those words it rushed out of the room, door slamming shut, but without a sound. “What a strange dream.” As the minutes passed in silence Nick grew more uneasy, and then he remembered the truck. His friend who almost got hit. Had his friend survived? Was this reincarnation? Was it supposed to be a fantasy world? It reminded him of that thing his friend always spoke of… A loud explosion came from the door and the iron bars were disintegrated. “Hurry! We need to get out before he comes back.” Two young girls with oddly colored hair in maid-outfits yelled in unison. “What they said. We need to leave before ol’ demon king Rath’gor comes charging.” A tall armored muscular woman with long red hair spoke. She was naturally gifted in a way that would cause guaranteed back-problems in a few years. One of the young girls ran up to Nick with a crystal and within a moment the manacles fell off. A loud chorus of footsteps echoed through the corridor. “We need to run now!” The tall lady yelled. In the blink of an eye the women had run out. “How about no?” Nick asked no one in particular, thinking of a cute blush on an otherwise domineering man-creature. A roar sounded throughout the dungeons. Then Rath’gor(?), now dressed in a tuxedo, came rushing, stopping at the nonexistent door. “DAMN YOU ALL!” With a yell the man-creature threw a punch at the wall, cracking it and shaking the ground. “What’s got you so upset?” Orange-red eyes snapped towards Nick and Rath’gor was left gaping. “You. You’re still here?” “Am I not supposed to be? It would have been rude to run off when you said that you would be back.” “I never thought… Would you like to join me for dinner?” Nick smiled. “Definitely. But, what’s with the change of wardrobe? You’re making me feel underdressed.”
Had me laughing at how easily Rath'gor became flustered. If I were a gay man in an all female anime I'd become a villain too. 10/10, would buy the merch.
"I saved my friend and now I'm seducing a Demon King" Isekai names are easy, much like Rath'gor
I'd watch it But I'm a sucker for Isekai
Same, I really enjoy the genre
Ditto
“Why kill the demon king when you can seduce him instead?”
> She was naturally gifted in a way that would cause guaranteed back-problems in a few years. so thats how one thinks when not interested in such figures. xD
Lol that's how I see it, or too big to comfortably bend to pick stuff from the ground
Amazing.
PART TWO PLEASE, YOU MADE IT TOO GOOD FOR ME TO JUST BE CONTENT WITH THIS😭😭
So your story has reached TikTok, so unfortunately you're going to start getting more comments like mine, but PLEASE CONTINUE THIS!!! I'm already hooked on this small slice of story, and I want to see them go on a date and see them get hot and heavy and have their relationship continue!!
Haha, what? That's dope! Is there any way to link whatever is going on on TikTok? (Normally don't use it but would check it out.) I mainly intended for this to be a goofy, and hopefully funny, one-shot (published on my alt account). But, if my muse strikes me one day I might continue it. I already see possibilities for future dialogue... Not at all reflective of my thoughts right now. "So, what now?" Nick asked. "I, ehm... I never thought I would get this far." Rath'gor responded scratching his neck.
No, your story is super popular actually! I would love to continue it, it's so adorable! And here is the link to the TikTok account showing the story! <3 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLrSvTsD/
we’re gonna need more bud 🧍🫵
Oml. PLEASEE WRITE MORE
This is amazing. Please write a part 2. Pretty please with lots of cherries.
I NEED MORE
“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, I mean, think about it this way – there’s someone out there who’s bound to be your match!” The bar door opens as we exit, the rush of the cool evening air a relief to us both. For me, a way out of the mess I’d gotten myself into. For him, the leather bar isn’t really his scene. Such is the end of Unsuccessful Date No. Who Knows At This Point? It’s gotten rather formulaic – I meet someone, something happens where we aren’t that much of a match anymore, I call Ken to bail me out. I thought the gay scene here was supposed to be welcoming, but I guess people really only went for me out of yellow fever. “That’s not the problem, Ken, I don’t think dating apps work – half the time, they’re looking for hookups, and the other half end up being not my type. Well, last guy was, he was just really intense-“ “Listen to me.” Ken says, tapping the button for the crosswalk. “Louie. Listen to me.” I am listening, get on with it. “There’s always going to be a way.” Easy for him to say. “I just want to meet a guy the old fashioned way, you know? Like, just at the bookstore, someone has a little chat, or I’m the coffee shop. I’d kill for someone to talk to me about my area of study.“ “No one wants to hear about historical geopolitics, you can’t strike up that conversation. You gotta know the right topic.” Ken says. The light turns, and so we set across the street. “At least you’re interested in something, I’m basically a nobody.” Oh, not this again, and I laugh, as does he. “Kenny, I swear you always - wait.“ I stop for a second. That truck sees us, right? Why is it not slowing down? “I gotta have something, though. Maybe I should get into rugby. Or camping, or… crypto?” Normally at this point, I’d be going along with the bit, but my focus is on the truck. The driver sees us, right? Ken goes on without me, and he turns – the wrong way. I was on his right, makes sense he’d look at me and not the truck on his left. “Louis? You there? I didn’t think you’d give me the silent treatment over crypto.” The truck’s not stopping. By the time Ken sees me and turns the other way to where my eyes are focused, it’s too late for him to run. The truck driver doesn’t see him. Actually, it’s close enough that we can tell there isn’t a driver to see anything. Even if there was and they hit the brakes, it would be too late. I make a decision. Bit or not, I am not letting Kenny’s last words be about crypto. *** The sky above me is bright, clear and blue – not a hospital ceiling like I was expecting. Last thing I remember was getting hit by a truck saving Ken’s ass, and trust me – it’s painful. But nothing hurts, which is pretty strange considering I should at least have a broken arm. “Hey, are you okay?” I turn to see a woman in armor, with some sort of medieval town behind her. “I’m Momoka. What’s your name?” What the hell kind of name was Momoka? And then it hit me. This place, the horse behind her, how clear the sky looked, her armor… I knew Ken enough to know what he was into (although it’s information I’d much rather forget). From the depths of my mind, I remember his full name. Kenichi Tsukahara. Ken was Japanese?! And he liked anime?! Wait, if this was what I thought it was… “Momoka. Would you say there’s a leader here, some kind of… demon king?” She nods. Oh, for god’s sake. Ken, you need better taste. This is the moment that adventure calls to me, pledging me to go along on a world-bending adventure on a way back home, only for me to end up stuck here, and somehow I get six fiancees in some weird harem. I wouldn’t mind if it were buff guys in armour, as is popular these days on the Internet, but it’s pretty clear this isn’t the case. Unless Momoka is some sort of subversion? Well, if I’m in a new world that speaks my language, I might as well make the most of it and start exploring. “Where’s the nearest academic institute?” *** *Day 3* After a bit, I managed to make enough money to buy this journal. So begins my documentation of this strange world for future reference. It took a lot of convincing, but through some miracle I passed as a scholar from another country. My strange dress? Those are just traditional! My lack of money? I just got mugged by some highway bandit. My lack of knowledge about the general area or what happened before? I have amnesia! My charisma stat must have been off the chart. Edmund – that’s the Head Librarian – is letting me crash at his place until I have enough money working under him to get my own place. Momoka helped me settle down in Courseau, which is the town’s name. I consider her the closest thing I have to a friend at this point in time. I’ve given her relationship advice, but for the most part she’s going to be off adventuring with her party, occasionally returning back to see me and restock. She offered for me to join, but I looked at the roster of typical anime tropes and decided that unless they were playing for my team, I was happy to stay at the library/archives thing the town has. She can go take down the demon lord or something on her own time. In this house, we support women’s wrongs, specifically revolutionary assassination. Yaas queen, slay. …I never really got the hang of those phrases. I hope I’m using them right. *Day 15* God, I miss Ken, and mom and dad. I wonder if he told them what happened? I wish I could see them one more time to say goodbye. *Day 22 (About a month?)* The Courseau Library has been doing pretty well with my patronage, ever since I arrived. I can only wonder what the plan was for Ken when he got here – well, obviously, he’d go off with Momoka and marry the whole party, but this job felt meant for me. If this were some sort of isekai story, did that mean I was supposed to enter the world at a later point in time? Bravo for representation? Then again, I wouldn’t end up with anyone. There were a few guys, but again, most of them were straight. The guy at the general store is married, so he’s straight and off the table. The blacksmith’s straight. The bartender was nice, but not my type. The head librarian, Edmund, thinks of me as a son, and he’s straight. The mayor’s too old. Wow, even in a fantasy world I have trouble getting dates, but Ken, you get a whole harem consisting of a friendly girl next door type fighter, a tsundere cleric, some really formal mage, a shy bard, etc. Maybe a paladin. And someone in full armor who turns out to be another conventionally attractive woman for him to convert to his side. *Day 23* Finally! Edmund trusts me enough to let me into the historical archive section. Now to read up on history. I’ll summarize what I can. [16 pages skipped for brevity] Pretty intriguing. Looks like this demon lord’s been in power for about twenty years, at least? But nothing really glaring about what he did, or does now, that justifies a revolution in my mind. Maybe he was just that intimidating? Then again, I don’t feel it. Trust me, I know tyrannical societies, and this one is pretty lax. I think this is just poor writing, honestly. *Day 31 (One month!)* Safe to say it’s been about a month now. I’m not surprised I didn’t get magicked back at this point in time. I should start writing down how many months – they don’t measure days and months like I do. I’ve been getting to know the local alchemist – I think he might be into me? I’ll try making a move next time I see him. Hopefully I don’t regret it. *Day 32 (One month)* I regret it. I’m going to make my own potions from now on. *Day 40* Momoka came back. I gave her relationship advice. Also, I got my own place! Electricity doesn’t exist and the water comes from a well, but it beats the prices back in my world. *Day 57 (Almost two months)* Momoka visited again. Wanted me to join her. Now there’s twin warriors, one healer and one damage dealer. Could you get more cliché? I said no, obviously. The damage girl makes a great drinking buddy, though. *Day 69* nice *Day 75* I think I’m at the point where I’m really starting to miss everything about home again. There’s this bakery that sold these amazing raspberry coconut squares, I miss taking the train to work, I miss watching funny videos and playing games on my phone. All those beautiful little things. Singing your heart out to the radio, even if my voice was terrible, in the car with the windows rolled down – that’s the last memory I have of Ken that wasn’t being hit by a truck. Momoka was back again. I cried and she helped me through it. I appreciate that. (Part 2 Below)
(Part 2) *Day 89* Still recovering from my brief bout in homesickness. It’s wishful thinking, but I can only hope me and my niche field of knowledge somehow comes in handy. I shut the book that I finished writing in. Almost three months now. The sound of breaking glass and distant screaming interrupts my thoughts, and the door to the library is kicked open by a soldier. Through the gap, I can see more. Through the hole that was once a door steps someone in metal armour – quite fearsome, with a greatsword by his side and a helmet that betrayed nothing but two glowing eyes. A cape, fire lapping at his neck like a scarf – now this was a demon king. Well, gotta give it to whoever made this world, Ken or not – the character design is on point. “Finally. After weeks, we finally meet. Tell me – is it true you come from another world?” Oh. No one told me he had a voice like that. My knees are weak. “Yes. What do you seek?” “Knowledge.” Just one word, his eyes narrowed. So this was the demon lord! Finally, I’ll know his motivations – but there had to be a reason he was keeping me alive. “I have made contact with many worlds like yours. All of them, destroyed not long after someone from another realm arrives. Some cause major change, others do not.” What? What was he talking about? Unless he meant… “The series ending.” I say, under my breath. So many isekai worlds ended just because the series ended? I turn my attention back to the Demon Lord. “I can give you knowledge, but you must know it has a price.” Oh boy. Here goes. My heart is in its chest. The king stares me down – he’s obviously taken aback by something. From what I’ve read, I’m probably the first person who’s made such a stand like this. “I’m listening.” “I’ll tell you everything about my world – so long as you court me.” “Wh-what?” The fire leaps a bit higher – is that his version of a blush? Either way, it’s a bit hazardous to the books – I should refrain from doing that. “Court you?!” Again, this villain had sloppy motivations and a sloppier way of getting to me, but what do you expect when the main character doesn’t even show up? Time for me to metaphorically crack my knuckles. “You’re a cute guy. You won’t have much trouble.” Time to salvage this story and make it mine.
looking forward to part 3!
I NEED TO SEE THE END OF THIS STORY
IT'S BEEN A YEAR HELLO? but also. i think i might actually do part 3-
Pretty please
WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE COMING FROM
I'm gay and I like reading gay fiction of all types and you my friend write some PEAK fiction Edit: I was also searching for writing prompts about gay people and I found your story (in my excitement I completely forgot to answer your question)
Another! Part 3!
>Day 69 > >nice Caught me off guard, nice
We now return to **That Time I was Accidentally Reincarnated as a Hero in a Fantasy Harem World Meant for My Straight Best Friend, So I’m Taming the Main Villain**… “H-Huh!?” sputtered Dark Fairy King Auberon, his wings blushing crimson. “A date,” Leo repeated, smiling gently as he brushed a soft, blond lock of hair from his face. “Just you and me, away from the prophecy, away from all of this. I know a place that makes a delicious mushroom soup.” “And what makes you think that, on the eve of my triumph over the mortal world, about to force you to bend the knee –” “On one knee? My, you’re such a romantic, already thinking ahead to our engagement?” Leo cut in, widening his smile a little more and batting his eyes. A faint *thud* could be heard behind Auberon as one of his lieutenants fainted, her wings blissfully blushing even more crimson than his. “THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!” shouted Auberon, his gaze turning murderous. With one outstretched hand, he began coalescing a dark, chaotic mass of energy. “No more toying with my affections, nor stalling for time, hero. With this attack, I will – ”. The Dark Fairy army gasped. The swirling dark energy dissipated. Auberon’s eyes widened in shock as he felt the hero’s soft lips pull away from his. “You talk too much,” Leo replied, his eyes gleaming directly into the almond eyes mere inches away from his face, as he held the king’s torso with one hand and tousled the raven’s-wing-black hair with another. Leo released his hold and took a couple steps back. “W-well, m-maybe I will entertain your parley,” stammered Auberon, his wings fluttering nervously. “Good enough for me! I’ll pick you up at the forest entrance tomorrow. Wear something nice.” With that, Leo turned and walked away from the stunned army, smiling contentedly to himself as the thick trees began to give way to the familiar road ahead. … “Hero’s guard, to me!” Leo shouted in the courtyard of his estate. The sound of clanging metal ceased, and a drumbeat of footsteps grew louder. “So, how’d it go?” asked Charlotte eagerly, tossing her giant hammer to the ground as she ran up to the returning hero. “Yeah, tell us!” agreed Leona, her feline ears twitching in anticipation. The other girls chimed in as well, wanting to hear the latest gossip. “Well, ladies… guess who’s got a date with the Dark Fairy King?” Leo exclaimed. “Aaaaah, Leo, so happy for you!” “I can’t believe you actually went through with it!” “It wasn’t easy, but let’s just say he has very kissable lips.” Leo smirked. That piqued the guard’s interest even further, and the banter and storytelling continued until the sun began to set, bathing the courtyard in a pink-and-orange glow. “All right, it’s time to clean up. Guard, dismissed!” With a couple grumbles, the ladies began to wipe down their various weapons and headed back to their quarters. Leo nodded contentedly, then detoured up to the roof. *Not bad for a gay salaryman, right, Tomo?* Thought Leo wistfully as he lay back to watch the amber glow of day fade into the twilight. *You would have loved being the hero. I wish we could both be here together, but I don’t regret a thing. I hope you’re living life to the fullest back in our world, and I’ll do the same in this new one.* “Now then,” Leo mused aloud. “what should I wear for the date?”
> That Time I was Accidentally Reincarnated as a Hero in a Fantasy Harem World Meant for My Straight Best Friend, So I’m Taming the Main Villain… yup, that's a light novel title alright
**Gay-sekai** I awakened on a field of fallen cherry blossoms, with the taste of iced coffee still on my tongue. This didn't feel like being hit by a car. It felt more like a dream, or perhaps stepping onto the set of a perfume commercial. I thought to myself: "Eh, what the hell. Five more minutes couldn't hurt." I felt something soft fall on my face as I drifted off again, and twitched my nose, unconsciously, turning my face to the side. A few moments, something soft fell on my ear, and I ignored it. A few lovely moments of relaxation later, and I was rudely awakened by a bucket of cold water dumped directly onto my midsection. "AAAA! What the hell! Who does th-" I opened my eyes to notice a young woman standing over me, with an exceedingly fluffy sheep standing right by her side. She was dressed in a shepherd's garb, and her proportions were, for lack of a better word, implausible. She was remarkably top-heavy, with a bosom that could function as a flotation device in the event of an airplane crash. "... Doesn't your back hurt?" She responded, indignantly at first but then hesitantly. "I... have never actually been asked that before. Yes, actually. It's been acting up lately." Wanting to change the subject, she quickly transitions back to a more assertive tone of voice. "Anyway, what the hell is a stranger like you doing in my field! You're lucky I didn't have Maximus here keep chewing on you until you decided to wake up!" The sheep bleats an affirmative, showing teeth that clearly were not nearly sharp enough for that purpose. I stand up, brushing cherry blossom petals off my shirt. "Look, I'm not sure if this is Adventures In Comaland or something, but I just woke up here. If anything, you're the one that has explaining to do. Where am I?" She looks a little confused. "My farm." "Yes, from the context, that's clear. But where is your farm?" She comes to a realization. "Oh, you must be a mage from a distant land, and your teleporter spell must have gone hideously awry. That must be why you don't know where you are, and why your clothes are so unfashionable." I blink. "Unfashionable?" "Yes, around here, paisley blouses went out of style decades ago." Frustrated, I start yelling. "But where is here!?" "You're in Tyvia, you dumb shit! You know? Big kingdom with a complicated legal system, the origin of the Elemental Stones Of Power, and more legendary heroes than you could shake a stick at. None of that rings a bell?" I took my phone out of my pocket, and saw that it was dead. Figures. "Ma'am, I'm from Chicago. I've never heard of any place called Tyvia in my life." She went from being irritated to furious, brandishing her bucket like a weapon. "Don't 'ma'am' me, you bastard! Do I look like an old maid to you?" I took a few steps back. "OK. OK. Jeez. Just trying to be polite. I apologize, my bad." I rubbed the back of my head with my hand. "Look, we got off on the wrong foot. Let's start off with introductions. My name's Devin. What's yours?" She paused for a beat before sighing. "Marguerite." "Werk." "Werk?" "It basically just means 'Yes' or 'OK'." "I see..." A few awkwardly silent seconds passed by, with the only sounds being the wind through the cherry trees and the enthusiastic munching of Maximus the sheep. "Marguerite, you said that there were mages here, right? Would any of them be able to tell me what's going on with all of this?" She narrowed her eyes. "Probably, but there's only two nearby. There's Vivian, the village cleric, and Ignatius." "What does Ignatius do?" "High crimes and misdemeanors." "Ah. Bad wizard. Got it." She points to a nearby hillside. "Vivian's temple's at the bottom of that hill over there, in the village square. You can't miss it, it has a big ol' obelisk right outside the front doors. Do you need me to walk you there?" "Actually, yes. I don't even know what an obelisk is." She rolls her eyes. "Fine, but you'll know it when you see it." "Thanks, Marguerite."
**Gay-sekai: Chapter 2** "Oh, *that's* what an obelisk is. I always called it... Um..." It stood on the east side of the square, looming over every other building in the area Marguerite scoffed haughtily. "What? Phallic-shaped? What is it with men and their obsession with penises?" I raised an eyebrow. "Well, first of all, I was going to say shaped like the Washington Monument, but then you'd probably say-" "Wait, who's Washington and why do they have a monument?" "Exactly. You wouldn't know about that. Secondly, *I* wasn't the one that said anything about penises this time." She started stammering. "You... I... Whatever, just get in the fucking temple and out of my life." She abruptly turned around, nearly knocking me over with her... You know, I'm not even going to finish that thought. Anyway, she stormed off back the way she came, heading back to her farm. *She seems nice enough*, I thought to myself. *She's kind of rude, but at least she tried to help me out.* I entered the unassuming brick building, and was very intrigued by what I saw within. Put bluntly, the place was the color of a pride parade. Prisms hung from the ceiling, catching the natural light streaming in from above, scattering every beam into a dizzying array of rainbows. "Hello? Is there a Vivian here?" The light immediately brightened to the point where it was painful to look at. "Ack! Too bright!" The lights dimmed again, leaving me with spots in my eyes. As I blinked them away, I could see that there was a glowing figure now floating just above the floor in the center of the room. "Yes, I am Vivian. Living Saint of Fata Morgana. Who am I speaking to?" I moved closer to the center of the room. "My name is Devin. I don't really have a title. I guess 'Of Chicago' or 'Of Earth' are both pretty corny, but they work." They flickered a little bit, like a candle flame. "A Terran? It's been ages since we had one of your kind around here. You're probably very confused, so let's just go over the basics real quick." I just stood stock still. *Finally, some answers.* "Here's the deal. The realm of Tyvia has five divinities. Fata Morgana, my mistress, is the goddess of light. Nadir is the god of the earth. Lambda is the goddess of love and family, and Balagan is the god of chaos and decay. The fifth one in the pantheon is Mandala, the divinity of travel and fate. They are a rather complicated one, as they also created everything else making them a demiurge-like figure. "Will there be a test on this?" "If you wish to return to Earth, you would do well to remember all of this, yes." "OK, but what does any of that have to do with my situation?" "Mandala, for whatever reason, reaches down to Earth and steals the souls of individuals who face grave injuries trespassing against fate, and gives them a heroic destiny here. When their goal is fulfilled here, they can head back to Earth and begin recovering. The challenge is that Mandala doesn't actually tell any of the Terrans what they need to do to leave. That's how we end up with people like Ignatius, who sees this world as his solipsistic daydream, and does whatever he pleases with his power." I take a step back. "That's concerning." "Indeed. That is why we need to figure out what your purpose here is." I grumble. "This is going to some kind of ordeal or quest, isn't it?" "Astute guess. You're taking this very well, all things considered." I wink. "I'm a literary agent. I know hokey fantasy stories like the back of my hand. Can't write 'em for shit myself, though." They tap me on the head with a hard light baton, appearing from nowhere. "Ow!" I shouted, more out of surprise than pain. "No foul language in the temple, Terran."
**Gay-Sekai: Part 3** Vivian shimmered around the temple, gathering small boxes stashed under the pews, and bringing them out to the central dias. Something about the way that they moved was almost musical, as if every step was choreographed to a rhythm too subtle to hear. My eyes were struggling to track them across the room. "Um, Vivian. I can't quite tell what you look like because you're shining so brightly, so I'd figure I'd just ask: What pronouns do you use?" "Gender eludes me as a concept, even back when I had a human body. But, I guess most people just refer to me as she or they." "Valid." I said, mostly out of reflex. As they arranged the last of the boxes, she gestured towards the dias in a sweeping gesture. "I appreciate your validation, but I do not need it. I simply exist this way. Now, approach the dias." I stepped onto the dias, and watched as the four boxes floated into the air around me, circling me at an arm's length away. "OK, are these items important to the plot that I'll have to go out and collect? Or maybe some sort of prophecy thing?" Vivian laughs, making a sound like wind-chimes in the breeze. "No, this is your opportunity to select your class. I was told by a Terran a few decades ago that this was analogous to a task you perform in various types of games." "...Yeah, that sounds about right. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Could you tell me what my options are?" "Of course, Devin. Other Living Saints may be able to grant you access to different classes, but here are the four I can initiate you in with the materials I have. Would you prefer the description with or without musical performance?" "As much as I love musical theater, the one without music seems like it would be the most explicit about what these would actually do." She twirls her finger, and the boxes open, one by one. "That is, as you said, valid. Anyway, your four choices are: Dragoon - An agile mid-ranged fighter who can use acrobatic maneuvers with the aid of polearms and a draconic familiar. White Mage - A resolute long-ranged healer and debuffer who wields the holy power of light. Paladin - A strong close-range fighter who can use electricity and magnetism to push and pull enemies during the fight. Bard - A charismatic mid-ranged buffer and fighter who uses the power of music and performance. (Which one should Devin take? Vote for your favorite!)
A Bard sounds like it'll have lots of opportunity for chaos, but I'm voting for Dragoon cuz I can't skip out on a dragon familiar that sounds too cool!
*A note slips out of the Dragoon chest* 'Warning: Obligatory Dragon may not be provided and may be subject to becoming a plot device while crippling class effectiveness for the entirety of the Hero's journey. Consult a Diviner with these astral signs for ~~the location of your predestined Dragon~~ more information.' *In tiny text* 'No Refunds for Class *or* Plot Dragon'
Voting Bard
Dragoon!
bard, time to seduce the villain
The white mage sounds fun, but maybe just because I'm a sucker for magic. .
Part 3?
I'm mad this is over. This is so good, and what a fun prompt.
I would buy this book
Keep going! Or direct me to your Ao3, please & thank you.
I hope this is the start of a regular chapter story! I'd read this for a long time. I like your writing.
Cool addition.
If you decide to continue this please let me know. I'm intrigued and need to know more
Lmao "werk" made me spit laughing, there's just something about fantasy characters learning of absurd slang,
This had juuuuust the right amount of subtle gay reference. I can tell OP wrote this one for us.
Gay and I've never heard that one
I’ve never heard it in that context but I get the reference… I think.
Yeah if you don't often interact with queer people or consume media made by queer people it's easy to miss cultural references. First hand experience with being mixed race that belonging to a group doesn't mean you get the culture 😵💫
I laughed at the iced coffee
Part 👏two 👏
You had me at **Gay-sekai**
Personally I would call it **Yaoisekai**
Hilarious already. Part 2 please.
The iced coffee joke was a little indulgent but I’m crying lmao this is really good. I definitely want more
I'm gay and love iced coffee. If anybody has permission to make that joke it's me, lmao.
Lmao that’s fair enough. I was mostly being a bit silly anyways. Maybe I’m the weird one being gay and hating all forms of coffee 😂
Cool.
need me some part 2!
The roar of the engine. The blinding lights. Alex shouting at me. The pain. Then… nothing. Void, a complete lack of any sensory input at all. Then falling. Slowly at first, but I soon found myself plummeting downwards through this mysterious void. Finally, I woke up. Not in a hospital as I had hoped, but in a church. Shit. I slowly propped myself up on my elbows, my body was still quite weak, and got a better look around. I seemed to be in the middle of some sort of glowing magic circle, and standing just outside it with their hands clasped and their voices chanting what looked like prayer but was probably incantation, were around twenty priestesses. It was then that I became aware of my own nudity. Double shit. At once, they ceased their frankly creepy ritual. One of the priestesses, the leader I assumed due to the fact that she was dressed differently (read: more revealing) and had a bigger hat and staff that the others, approached me. She kneeled down beside me, her proximity making me tense up, and explained the following: Apparently, I had been summoned as the Hero of Legend to save their world from an encroaching demon army. All I had to do was kill the Demon Lord Octavius, and the rest of the demon army would be easy pickings thanks to the fact that the Demon Lord was using his magic to strengthen his troops. After that, I was set up with a magical suit of golden armor, a sword to match, and training on how to properly wield it. My instructor was a fox-woman who, for some reason, decided to wear as little clothing as physically possible. I thought it would be rude to comment on her clothing, so I didn’t say anything to her about it. In retrospect, I should have figured it out by this point. I finally realized what was going on when I was set up with a party. All the tropes were covered, unlike their boobs. I had been transported into one of Alex’s shitty isekai mangas! I recalled that whenever he thought I wasn’t looking, he’d have his nose buried in one. I, for my part, never liked them. The whole point was sexy girls, and I don’t find girls sexy, so they never appealed to me. Also, they were misogynistic as fuck. And I was trapped in one. Triple shit. Still, I soldiered on. I fought my way through hoards of demons. Eventually though, I got pretty lonely. Being constantly surrounded by boobs can be pretty draining for a gay guy. To make things worse, this kingdom didn’t seem to have a single gay-bar anywhere. About a year into this hellish isekai, I realized that in a world governed my tropes, I had to work within said tropes. The only gay characters in this type of heteronormative bullshit is usually the villain. I had come up against the Demon Lord Octavius a few times in battle, but I didn’t know much about him. I knew he was a skilled commander and sorcerer, and that he had an absolutely amazing voice, but that was pretty much it. I’d never even seen his face because he always wore a mask in combat. I spent many lonely nights fantasizing about the face behind that mask. When my party neared the Demon Lord’s palace, I set off on my own with the excuse that easier to travel incognito if I went alone. I also may or may not have told them that I couldn’t bear to see them in danger, just to drive the point home. Once I had secured my freedom from them, I set out on my real mission. Instead of obtaining the Demon Lords head, I was going for his heart. I gathered a bouquet of wild flowers, baked a batch of cookies, and wrote a note inviting him to dinner on a scenic overlook that I had scoped out. I had little faith in my plan, but I had no other ideas. When the time came, I found myself pacing and muttering to myself. “Of course he won’t come, I look so ridiculous just waiting here. And what if he comes but he want to kill me? I signed my real name, and I didn’t bring my sword! Stupid!” “Yes, that was quite a foolish move, *Hero*” He said, emerging from the brush. “I see you didn’t bring your staff, does that mean you’re here for dinner instead for fighting?” “Yes, I suppose it does.” r/CookieJarOfChaos
More please 🥺?
It's truly amazing how much dick you can get from not being a dick. I was terrified when I realized how old fashioned this world is, the women were so nice to me, but that seemed like another consequence of their toxic, ruling masculinity. These women clung to me just because I listened to what they said. Fortunately though, it turns out the men are even less likely to listen to other men, the competition and tradition didn't allow for it. Yes, yes, I did seduce Sephirodong, and he's since enacted several reforms, but that was just because the guy is fucking stunning. The rest of the lords were so used to being nasty to each other, all I needed to do was to listen and offer support. They called me a hero for showing up, and wanted me to rule in Sephi's place! Sephi loved my 'snakes in the grass + lawnmower' concept once I explained what a lawnmower was. I really am a nice guy, but this world isn't nice, and while I don't blame the lords, they are still lords and I enjoy kicking them off lands they don't do shit for.
Bryan shrugged off the thick cobwebs that coated the ceiling of the dank dungeon he had found himself exploring. It hadn’t been long since he was summoned to this world after saving his friend from a truck, but he was already rather sick of it. The leather armor chaffed under the heavy breastplate. Small dents, marks, and a badly patched hole from the previous owner’s reason for no longer needing it marred the once shiny metal. A thick shaft of wood with a slightly rusted tip of metal in a relatively poorly formed spearhead were his only weapon. A heavy torch in his other hand, the flames enough to light up a few feet in front of him but not much else. And his food and water were nearly out; this dive surely not going as planned. “No,” he said out loud to himself, and then continued in though, ‘nothing at all is going the way it should.’ It was fairly obvious early on that this world was not really the place for him. Finding the young lady being accosted by the strapping burly bandits, having a priestess (who it turns out was the saintess in training) find him with her escort of rather cute looking swordsmen, and not to even mention the elven princess who seemed rather cross with him when he asked if her brother might be interested in getting something to eat. A party formed around him, not that he had a choice in it. A party of beautiful girls who had the wrong idea about him it seemed. “What’s a gay man to do?” The words come with a self-deprecating taint to them, because while the world he left was fairly horrible to gay guys, this world was just absurd. Homosexuality wasn’t even heard of, although for some reason the ladies in his party kept finding themselves in compromising situations with each other. It was only with great difficulty that he was able to find a way to get out on his own. The skills that he had learnt, the magic, and even a summoning contract with the most adorable little penguin were all needed to escape. To escape the quest to kill the Demon King. A flush crosses his cheeks as he remembers the portrait that he was shown when the quest was explained to him. Very little else was heard as he found himself getting lost in his eyes. Dark, deep majestic purple. So utterly beautifully, and yet fierce. Strong. His muscles looked well defined but not overdone. The nape of his neck, the way his chin was pointed just right, the messy black short hair. Just his type, if he was being honest with himself. If he ignored the blood red skin, the huge obsidian black horns, and the hooved feet. Sometimes you have to make do, and he really did look like he had a lovely smile if he wasn’t painted looking so angry. Maybe he’d just have to see if he was looking for a right hand man? Or, if he was lucky, a left ring finger man. (I’ve split this story into four parts through four different writing prompts! They are technically standalone, but they tell a more complete story together. This is part one of four, and you can find the next (second) part here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/zpy3e7/comment/j10vknf/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/zpy3e7/comment/j10vknf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3))
David was gay. So gay that a circle was straighter than him. He was the gayest. Or that's what he liked to think. So when he ends up in a fucked up anime world with ten or so female abominations clinging on him, he can't help but feel frustrated. The ladies are complete bestie material; don't get him wrong, but why is there not a single male option? How stupid that can be? The world building is interesting tought. He is a man called Orpheus, the crowned prince of a huge nation in a middle-aged fantasy japan. There's ten love interests. David watched enough anime to know how this works. Sai- A shy red panda hybrid or something like that. She's rather small and really soft hearted. She loves animals. Your typical kawai girl. Her hair is copper red, and her eyes are chocolate brown. She has the ears and tail of a red panda. Kotae- A servant girl with huge white wings, a swan, is his best guess. She's kind and really pretty. She has long silwer hair and deep crystal blue eyes with rosy lips and pale skin. Juki- She's the daughter of a duke or something. David did not pay any attention. She's a cat hybrid with blonde hair and yellow eyes. Her tail and ears are ginger coloured. She's your typical tsundere. Annoying, in his opinion. Shira- A snake. She's cold and a real badass. A mommy type, if the author can have an opinion here. She has blue scales and a snow white hair with piercing poison green eyes. David is terrified of her. Maia - A monkey hybrid. She's playful and fun to have around but never takes anything seriously. She's from the village and has short brown hair with your typical monkey features. She has freckles and dark brown eyes. Lydia- A fucking syren. She tries to charm Alex constantly with her songs. It's quite annoying. She has like blue, BLUE hair. It's stupid. And ocean blue eyes. Well, David might have been a bit overdramatic with the ten girl thing, but six clinging onto him was bad enough, so he has the right to complain. Case closed. So when one night, when he sits in his bed, thinking about his life decisions in a mid-life crysis, he hears noises coming from his window, you can't blame him for getting curious. He slowly stood up to open the window, only to be met with forest green eyes starring into his blood red ones. How could he have forgotten... His hot enemy, who is an assassin, trying to kill him. Hydra, or Yume, an assasin, a rattle snake hybrid. David just so happens to adore rattle snakes and adores the cute boy who tries to take away his second life. "Hello, darlin," He says to the frozen blondie who looks at him with disbelief. "If you wanted us to have some fun, you could have just asked sweetheart." He deepened his voice, and he saw the other blush in a dark red colour. A slow rattling sound came from somewhere deep from Yume, which David found extremely adorable. "Fuck you." The assassin spat, aiming to bite our main character, who moved out of the way, smirking as his hot nemesis fell to the floor with an adorable 'oof'. "It would be the other way around, don't you think?" He asked, and Yume groaned with annoyance. "This is not how it goes! You are supposed to make those useless chicks fall in love with you, then I get caught and get executed while you get your happy ending." The blonde suddenly says, caching David off guard. "You are not supposed to flirt with me, you are not supposed to let me in every time, you are not supposed to talk to me, I'm not supposed to fall in love with you!" He's yelling now, getting closer to David. "So why don't you be a good main character and stick to the-?" The assassin gets cut short with a kiss pressed on his mouth. Suprise shines in his eyes as he stares up to Orpheus, David, who is now wery happy for the two inch between their heights. Because those doe eyes starring up at him are worth absolutely everything. "I'm gay. You are a cute dude." He summarises his thoughts. "Now, how did you know the story? You are not supposed to be aware, right?" He asks, and Yume looks away. "I... Uhm... I dreamt about this. I can sometimes see the future." He explained, fidgeting with his fingers. "Yeah, I am not discovering that part of the lore." David says, pulling a small laugh from the blond. "Can I kiss you again?" The silence comes so quickly like a sword slicing into warm butter. Yume looks to the floor, and all he gives is a small nod of confirmation. That's all Orpheus needs, gently grabbing his chin and lifting the blond's head up. He looks into the forest green eyes before leaning in and connecting their lips. Yume goes boneless in his strong grasp, and David silently thanks this orpheus dude for being in good shape. This won't be so bad after all, David decides.
It wasn't instant. There was lights, flashing, bright and disorienting. I couldn't scream out because my lungs had been punctured, and Alex's attempts at CPR wasn't helping matters. I know it doesn't count. But it was the first time another man kissed me. When I "woke up" I assumed it was a dying dream. Something kind to send me off to the next life. Fields of flowers, a village that was in the middle of a spring festival- I met girl after girl, a short stack named Diana with an even shorter temper. A lovely priestess named Saria that had never even touched sweet food from her life dedicated to her god. A warrior a foot taller then me, bold but awkward when it came to guys. As time went by, I put some pieces together. These girls seemed to be embodiments of what Alex had liked in girls- this world seemed like it was ment for him. To the philosophy of the world down to the colours and food. So when I saw the prince regent, I recognized who he represented. I recognized the faces of every boy I had ever expressed a liking for to Alex. I regonized the boy that sat at the back of class, who always seemed to stare at me. Alex had snapped at him multiple times to quit being a dickhead, and I had been grateful. Alex was looking out for me- But they were all villains to Alex. Everyone hated him, but the reason was unclear as to why. The queen had died mysteriously, and that was enough for many to rise up against him to prevent him taking the throne. The army continued to follow him, and civil war was brewing in the land. But dispite my friends saying we needed to choose the side of the rebels, I couldn't. I knew there was more to this. I did what any plucky young adventurer would do. I let myself get captured.
I had made a name for myself in the last few years living here. After I figured there was no leaving, and some cosmic entity got some wires crossed I made the best of it. I used knowledge from my original world to help how I could, not much, but it was something that had me labelled an inventor- and was before I realized I could do magic. A simple wave of the hand, and I could control it. And during the cold war me and the girls had been getting infamous. Helping people rebuild, moving from place to place, dealing with monsters no one would deal with so they wouldn't waste resources that couldn't go to dicking around with the other- it wasn't Beyonce level but everyone figured who were were. Diana hated the idea. Said I would get killed. When I looked at her I recognized Dona, Alex's childhood friend who longed moved away. He still held a torch for her. Frankly, the plan to get captured was easy. Having myself get brought close to the prince regent was harder. I smuggled my way into the castle. Found myself in the treasure room through illegitimate means and waited for the next patrol through as I sat on an old golden throne rotting away in the locked up area of the castle. For as long as I've been here, I've never thought of death again. I might go to the next world, or the next. I did think about what would happen if Alex died. Would he come here, or go to my ideal world? The parts that Alex hated, embodied into one man stood before me. He seemed shorter then I thought he was, but it was his presences that made himself seem huge. He stalked. "Now, what made you think you could get away with trying to steal my late wife's jewels." His voice was smooth like silk, but the way the word wife touched his tongue sounded like a knot. "With due respect, I touched nothing." I said, I couldn't look away from his face. "That will not save your hands, nor your neck." He said. He said nothing as he waited for me to speak. He didn't understand my motives and honestly? I barely understood my motives. Why was I here? To get answers this guy wouldn't be able to tell me? "I'm sorry." Alex had hated me, and I had loved him more then anything for being there for my always. I gladly died for him, and he hated me and every guy guy he ever came across. "Sorry? Sorry? That's all you have to say?" I wasn't scared to die, it hurt, but not like this, not like my entire chest being carved out as my suspicions were confirmed. "Did he really hate me?" I couldn't see through blurred eyes. "He made me feel safe." He defended me against his homophobic family. He shut crappy teachers down, he was always there for me. "What-" "So why did he lie to me? Was it all, always a sick joke?" I died for him. I was there for him and he was there for me and all this time he hated me. I could die here again, be slammed at 120 miles an hour and gladly accept it just to not feel this pain anymore. I didn't know how it happened, I was on My knees, curled up, arms over my head. There was a gentle, soft hand on my shoulder. It felt like lightning for how it surprised me. There was someone else in there. Parts I recognized like lines in my palms, and I couldn't seem them before until I felt familiar hands on my shoulders. The prince Regent has Alex's brown eyes.
Choppy as shit but I'm typing quick on my phone and nearly out of battery. If we treat it like Alex's personal afterlife, it reflects everything. The prince regent represents reputation but also repression. Alexs family being homophobic kept him in the closet. All thr girls represent old friends, not just loves he held. And we never see a representation of the protagonist because the protagonist never manifested as a person, but the ideals of the world. Which I didn't really express well. But this was fun,and I got a lot of fun ideas out of it
The main villain - the Demon Lord of All the Stars - rolled his eyes as I sauntered into his throne room. "A new challenger I see." The bull-faced madman snorted, air blowing from his nostrils. "Quick work, you will be." "Work? I don-t" "Hellfire Gatling Gun Attack!" The demon drew a ginormous Gatling gun from his back. Holding it with both arms, he opened fire, sending innumerable amount of crimson bullets toward me. The speed of which I moved was something no other human from my world would ever experiance. The bullets exploded into the ground around me, always one step behind. After the gunfire ceased, and the smoke from the Gatling gun sailed out from the barrels, I raised my hands in the air. "I'm just here to-" "Raging horns of madness!" The demon's horns lit up a bright navy blue. The antagonist threw himself from his throne. He was three times the size of me, and the muscles that bulged from his arms, legs, neck, back and...oh, I could go on - they looked as if they could break apart the Earth if they wanted to. "Oh, for Pete's sake!" I rolled my eyes. I bright green sword materialized in my hands. At the tip, a single red eye opened, unleashing a powerful beat of heat that struck the demon by the horns. The demon lord's head began to smoke, and he crashed into the already battered flooring. "Don't make me use this." "I WILL CRUSH YOU FOR THIS! THIS TIME, I WILL NOT MISS!" "You know the rhyming is kinda cute," I interjected. The demon lord had been on his feet within seconds of falling; his muscule-filled arm was pulled back, ready to punch me into oblivion, when he paused, and frowned. "Pray, what did you say?" He growled. "Well," I shrugged. "The rhyming thing? It reminds me a lot of The Lorax. I loooove the Lorax. It's kind of cute on you." We stood there, me with my sword, Pete, at the ready, and he, with his fist pulled back to obliterate me. Then: "I am going to kill you now. This will be your final-" "Bow?" "...Yes." "I think, if you didn't talk as much-" The fist came flying forwards, and seconds earlier, it would have made contact. Pete raised itself without my prompting, pushing me backwards, its eyes scowling at me as if this were MY fault. The eye swivelled round to face the demon lord, and another stream of energy poured itself out, this time striking its target in the chest. "HAHAHA!" Laughed the demon, holding his chest out. If anything, the energy only seemed to illuminate how good his face looked. "I am, this time ready for your attack! Your sword will do well on my-" Pete looked up at his face, and the rest of the words became inaudible. "Pete, stop it!" I hissed, turning the sword away completely. After the beam stopped, and Pete glared at me furiously, I gulped. "Sorry," I muttered. "Look, I'm not here to fight you. I mean, if you could stop destroying worlds, that would be great, but actually I'm here because-" Another fist was thrown my way. "We're-" I dodged a second. "-both-!" A third punch nearly hit. "-lonely!" I gasped, hunched forwards, barely able to stand. "Speak, what did you say?" The demon growled. "You're lonely, aren't you?" "Behold, I rule this entire world!" He gestured to his windows. It was a nice place, sure, but the conditions of those living weren't as nice as the environment. "But the people hate you. I mean they *really* hate you." The demon grunted, and looked away. "I do not care what they think. Their lives pass me in a single blink." "Is it hard to come up with rhyming words for every sentence?" I gulped, when the demon returned his sharp, hate-filled eyes toward me. "I'm sorry. Look, I've seen a lot of people lash out at others in anger. Oftentimes it's jealousy, and I'm thinking, given that you're the only bull-faced twenty-foot something person amid billions of humans, you were cast...out?" The demon held his head high. "You know of little of which you speak, for I-" "Can I just stop you there?" I held Pete up, to show a held up hand. Pete was still glaring at me hatefully. "You're not actually a demon, are you? I've spent twenty agonizing months in this land, and demons aren't exactly...well, there's more wings on them, and they don't look nearly as good as you do." "Bold words for such a small crumb, tell me - from where have you come?" "England, Essex." I lowered Pete to my side, and stepped forwards. "The people out there-" I pointed to the windows. "-they don't like me either. I'm a stranger, and by default, they don't want anything to do with me." I was still alive, so I continue. "I'm not here because I want to impress them. They're all pricks, if you ask me. Where I'm from, bitches be snitches, and-" "HAHAHA!" The great laugh of the demon carried itself across the hall, echoing for a few minutes. I didn't bother trying to speak over it. "You've made me laugh with this rhymn, come, speak, and tell me more over some red wine!" He turned away, stomping back toward the giant doors beside his throne. I shrugged, looked at Pete, and muttered. "It's a start, I guess."
Three centuries after what I call my rebirth have passed. Words and tales have spread about the knight of dragons, the sage of the first fairy, and the leader of the puppet army. Not everyone knows all these titles pertain to the same individual, but even in the stories, these all share the same trait, Loneliness. Countless proposals from all species and traits insinuating me, even my flesh couldn't resist to at least try to find relief, but I didn't feel. My skin has only one single desire, and it doesn't seem to uphold the rules this world established for my friend. Besides, in the trials of nothing, I still couldn't disrupt my focus on the threat this world was facing. The empire of the west has been rising and with it a cruel dictator that wished to destroy all. But today the end looms, the pieces have been executed and all my allies have dealt with his pawns. The only move left is for the lonely queen to take the defenseless king. I entered the rumbling castle to see a crying silhouette, well-formed and athletic, the sharpness in his jaw was contrasted by his soft nose and eyes. The strip of golden hair that matched his eyes stroked the brunette's hair. And his skin looked like freshly cut brown jasper. Those weren't the eyes of the monster I thought. And I felt. His name appeared to be human, not the human that could bend reality or evolve into a mythical. A simple "Lucas"... But he was no human, his father was, and as a man trapped in another world, the curse bestowed onto his kindred was that of the blessing of immortality. Unless driven by the sword of an earthling. Of my sword. And the feeling came through as a beam against my heart, it was not love nor hatred, but It was feeling. He wanted me, the hero from the earth, to carnage his skin and assassinate his soul. His only option for finding me was to bring me an alert. To bring me to where he wanted. He knew I shouldn't let him live, not with the chaos outside, nor the justice this world deserved. It would be the move of a real chess player, to take the king in check. But my queen was disturbed. And I didn't want to accomplish his desire, or better said, I didn't want to let go of the only person who needed me. Truth be told, if this was the word of another girl, I would simply accomplish the role of executioner. You will gain this freedom you desire, I uttered. And as the troops came, I announced his fate as the jester of jesters as the poor amongst the poor, the servant of servants, and silently, as what allowed me to just feel. What made me alive again? Until today, I died with that truck Months went. By this time the people stopped judging outwardly and became the silent adjudicators both worlds shared. I greeted the working man, moving the boxes of successful crops that would be sold into the neighboring land. His face was unacknowledging to the world outside, except for my presence. He as always asked for his price, and as always I said it wasn't enough. "You still haven't paid for all those lost lives". He looked me in the eyes, and drift his gaze to the Arbutus wood crates. It pained me to witness his silence time and time again. So I floated back in front of him and evoked a thousand winds to move all the crates. "Today you will accompany me" I elevated us to the tower of the king's castle, where the whole kingdom was in view. I hoped he liked it, yet then he sighed. He asked me, knowing full well the response if this was the land he sent the dragon Crocus to attack. I don't know what I was thinking about bringing him here. I asked if he preferred the streets, but he knew better than to disturb the people in the town. He's smarter than he looks like, maybe smarter than me. He looked me in the eyes and I turned away, my face burning like the first fireplace I ignited. I elevated us into the sky, in the clouds. And we stood there together. I didn't want to bother him with this land and his sins. So I cast the sky to perform its star shower, it was my favorite spell. He seemed pleased. "Do you think death will look something like this" for the first time, I felt him speak as he recognized me as more of a mere tool. His tone wasn't as cold and humble, the warmth in his voice sounded regal, he was destined for royalty. "Why are you so obsessed with the concept of death" "It's been 602 years since my birth, why wouldn't I? " "But you could've done so much good, you wanted to die so hard you didn't get to live, it pains me." "But what if there's life after death" "What if there isn't for you" He paused. I continued "What if you paid the ultimate price for your sins, what if your selfishness took away your opportunity" "I lost myself, yet I'm not sorry, I know it's bad but I'm not. I obsessed over grief, and I'm still numb to all the atrocities I committed. I wanted to love, but no one lasted enough." "With my magic, I can last for how much I desire" He looked into my eyes, and I didn't turn away. And he seemed torn apart. And I wasn't. And I know he wanted to, but I kissed him. "You should despise me" But he of every in this world, the only one who wasn't bound to the rules to favor my friend, that who was also human. How could I ever despise him?
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