I’m going 10. If it’s wrong and we die (mentally or physically) well we can hopefully restart. If this is all a test and 10 is the right answer, well that’s good.....hopefully
I’m going 10. If it’s wrong and we die (mentally or physically) well we can hopefully restart. If this is all a test and 10 is the right answer, well that’s good.....hopefully
10. I'm always been an idealist fool so
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10. We mustn't give in.
10. If we just say yes, we're no different from those mindless NPCs who just say whatever she wants us to say.
10!
No choice but to fight!
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.
10
10. That’s wrong!
ps: often plot twist, and we thought it was a cliche crush.
10!
Time to bail out
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10.
We have to fight!
10
Was certainly a fun twist, hehe - - did have mild suspicions but was not expecting this.
The Act of dozing off in the afternoon is a luxury indeed.
Coffee would be nice, though.
[Collection of my Servant Sheets]
Now Revamped!
Year: 2018
Location: Hallow Lake, Fairyland
A future of unfettered happiness. The life I’ve always dreamed of. Such a thing is in my grasp.
All I have to do is submit. Close my eyes, plug my ears, and sell my soul. Do that and the pain will all go away. I don’t have to think about all this complicated stuff anymore. We can do whatever we want. We can take whatever we want. We can live however we want.
Nothing else matters. Nobody else matters. We just need each other.
That’s…
“Tricking people is bad, you know, Master. You should do things honestly. Deception is for wicked men.”
That’s…
“My husband is someone who always gives it his all to complete his duties, even at the cost of his own health. And I think that part of him is really cool.”
“And if you don’t find anyone… well, I suppose I’ll make you take responsibility for your words~”
That’s…
“I see. Then… I guess we’re friends from now on, Saber. I’ll be trusting my back to you.”
“Yeah, I promise. I won’t leave you. So, sleep tight.”
That’s…
“Nothing. It’s just… I think I’m a little glad to be alive right now.”
“That’s wrong!!!”
I shout out with everything I have and push Bianca away.
“H-huh?” Bianca gasps in shock as she’s shoved backwards. “Wh-what’s wrong, Ben?”
“It’s all wrong. Every part of it. There’s nothing right about a life built on the bodies of others. I can’t accept it.” I declare strongly.
“… huh? I-I don’t get it. What are you talking about, Ben?” She asks, tilting her head. Her pretty little face contorts in utter confusion. No, it’s not that she doesn’t know what I’m saying. She just can’t believe that I’m saying it.
“I’m saying you’re wrong. Using mind control is wrong. Manipulating others for your own benefit is wrong. The happiness you’re talking about is wrong!” I declare, looking right at her without any fear.
“E-eh? H-hey, c’mon now, Ben. Now isn’t the time for jokes. You almost sound seriou—” Bianca begins to laugh, but I immediately cut her off.
“I am serious. Brainwashing isn’t something to joke about.” I tell her firmly. “I can never accept someone who treats such a thing lightly. That’s why I can’t accept your happiness, Bianca.”
It’s true. Everything would be so my easier easier if I could just turn away and follow my heart’s desire. In such a perfect future, I’d never feel dissatisfied ever again. But I can’t do that. I can’t close my eyes and plug my ears. I can’t choose the selfish path when I know it’s wrong. I can’t be like Bianca.
That’s the choice I made ten years ago and the choice I’m making now once more.
“… why?”
“Huh?”
Despite my clear and upfront declaration, Bianca continues to stare blankly at me, as if the light in her head had shut off and the very ground beneath her had crumbled.
“Why is mind control wrong?” Bianca questions, almost emotionlessly.
“Of course, it’s wrong. How could it be right? It’s wrong to force other people to do what you want!” I yell back.
“Why? Who decided it was wrong? Who decides what’s right and wrong?” She asks me with a lack of vigor in her voice.
“That’s…” I pause for a second, surprised.
“The people who decided that mind control is wrong are all just normal people, right? The ones who can’t actually do it. They can’t do it, so they’re scared of it. That’s why they say it’s wrong, because they’re afraid someone will do it to them. In the end, they’re just looking out for themselves. So why should they get to decide that it’s wrong? And… why should we care?” Bianca asserts passionlessly. “Why should we care what the normal people think? They don’t care what we think. They think whatever we want them to think. I mean… They’re just NPCs.”
“N-no. They’re not NPCs! They’re people! Like you and me. It’s wrong to treat them like they’re just robots.” I rebut vigorously.
“But they are. All you have to do is push the right button and they follow their preprogrammed commands, right? How is that different from any other machine?” Bianca mutters.
“No, I’m saying that type of thinking is wrong!” I shout.
No matter what I say, I feel as if I’m not getting anywhere, as if the words coming from my mouth just bounce right off Bianca. Instead… all they seem to do is make her more irritated.
“Wrong, wrong, wrong… This is wrong. That is wrong. Why do you keep saying that? What are you even talking about, Ben? I don’t understand what you mean!” She bellows out with a large frown. “I don’t get it, Ben. Why are you complaining so much? Why aren’t you happy right now? You’re supposed to be happy. You have to be happy. This is supposed to be your happiest moment, isn’t it?”
“Happy, huh… I don’t know about that.” I scoff at the disappointment in her voice. “Honestly, I’m feeling pretty miserable right now.”
Finding out someone I know is just as horrible as I am? Yeah that’s plenty to make me sick to the core. I have enough on my plate tolerating myself.
“… why? Aren’t we the same? Weren’t you lonely too? Didn’t you also want to find something real? Don’t you want some meaning for this dull, stupid world?” She asks me, almost pleadingly.
Before I even realized it, her eternal smile had melted away as faint tears begin to gather in the corners of her eyes. She seems almost desperate to get the answer she wants.
I, however, feel cooler than ever. I close my eyes and sigh heavily, before I answer.
“… to be honest, I do.” I admit to her. “… you’re right. I was lonely.”
“I-I knew it. Th-then we should—”
“But that’s just in the past. It’s different now.”
“Huh?”
I open my eyes and face her once more, with a heart as clear as ice. Through them I see a girl stained in blood, twisted and warped beyond recognition. I see in them a reminder of what I despise the most.
“If… if you had told me all this and reached out to me earlier, before all of this, I honestly think I would’ve agreed with you. The me back then was so desperate, he would’ve done enough to feel acknowledged. But not anymore.” I tell her straightforwardly. “I’ve changed. I’ve met people and they helped me change for the better. And I can’t abandon those people and just treat them like NPCs. That’s why I can’t turn back anymore. It’s not that the happiness you speak of isn’t tempting… it’s just that I’ve found something more important.”
“More important… than me?” She questions in utter shock.
“Yeah. Far more important. It’s not even a contest.” I affirm. “Frankly, I don’t want anything to do with you.”
“!”
Hearing those final words, Bianca’s eyes shoot wide open for a second and her entire body flinches, as if it had been hit by a lethal blow. And then, she goes limp, hanging her head in disbelief. A sorry, disgusting sight I can’t even bear to see.
Not wanting to deal with this anymore, I immediately get up and start walking off, channeling my cold rage into each footstep. I just want to get away from Bianca as quickly as possible. Get out of here as fast as I can and return home and go to sleep so I can finally wake up from this nightmare.
But I don’t even get two dozen steps away, when—
“… where do you think you’re going?”
Bianca’s voice, cold and eery, suddenly stops me.
“Huh? Obviously, I’m going home—” I begin to answer, when it suddenly hits me.
I was so focused on the revelation that I hadn’t been thinking about my situation at all.
Now that I think about it, right now, I’m in Fairyland, Bianca’s Lostbelt, a literal reality away from my own. And the only way to leave it is Bianca’s Servant…
“Oh fuck no.” I curse without realizing as the situation dawns on me.
In utter panic, I immediately reach into my pockets and rummage through them, but they’re all empty.
“What’s wrong, Ben? Looking for this?” Bianca asks chipperly, suddenly seeming a lot more happy.
She raises her hand dramatically so that I can see what she’s holding. There, in Bianca’s grasp, is my communicator device that allows for cross-Lostbelt communication. Without it, I can’t contact anyone outside the Lostbelt. In other words, I can’t call for help…
“When did you—?” I gasp, half shocked, half angry.
“Oh, come on, Ben. It’s not like I stole it or anything. You’re the one who handed it to me, remember?” Bianca whistles cheerfully while waving the device around as if taunting me.
That’s right. When we called Alisha earlier, I passed it to her and forgot to ask for it back. How careless!
“… give it back to me, Bianca.” I command her warily.
“Hmm~ No, I think I’ll hold on to it for safe-keeping.” She hums slyly, tucking the device snuggly away.
Suddenly, it’s as if all signs of her previous grief and weakness have evaporated. Sitting by the docks in front of me is the same composed, smiling Bianca Chrome I know.
What the hell? A chilly, ominous fear sprouts within me as I see her bright and sunny smile.
“Oi, what are you plotting?” I bark at her, completely on guard. In comparison, Bianca’s as chill and satisfied as ever.
“Oh, don’t make it sound so devious, Ben. I’m not planning anything. I just suddenly came up with a good idea. You don’t really need to go back, do you? Why don’t you just stay here with me?” She suggests softly.
“W-what? Are you crazy? Of course, I need to go back. I’m a Crypter so I need to be in my Lostbelt.” I argue.
“That’s not true. Yao already has another Crypter, right? I’m sure Alisha can handle it by herself. And if it was okay for the two of you to share a Lostbelt, there should be no problems with you sharing one with me, right?” Bianca rebuts cleverly.
“E-even so, you can’t just keep me here…” I try to fight back.
“Why not? Who’s going to say no? If someone does, I’ll just change their mind, hehe~” She bubbles with complete confidence.
She’s unfazed. Though she had been shaken a bit before, now that she’s regained her composure, she’s completely undeterred by anything. But of course, she is. Nothing can stop her. No one can stop her. Nothing has ever gotten in her way before and nothing ever will. With her power… she’s invincible.
“Why? Why are you imprisoning me here?” I inquire, cutting straight to the point.
“Oh, don’t call it imprisonment. That makes it sound so mean. Is it so wrong for me to want to spend more time with you, Ben?” She poses innocently. “I just think it’s best for you if you never go back there ever again. I mean… it’s their fault you’re like this, right?”
“Huh?”
Bianca’s voice shifts cold once more as a wicked grin dresses her face.
“You said that you changed because you met all those people in your Lostbelt, right? I understand. It’s their fault you’re responding like this. That’s right. The Ben I know wouldn’t act like this. The Ben I know would be happy to be with me. But they corrupted you, didn’t they? You’ve been infected by their NPC thinking. Well, it’s okay, Ben~ I don’t mind. I’ll stay with you until you get better. But in exchange, I don’t want you seeing those people ever again.” She says, rapidly switching back and forth between her sweet, happy voice and her cold, intimidating tone.
“Bianca, you…” I’m at a complete for words as it finally dawns on me just how screwed I am and how many screws this girl is missing.
“Hehe~ Well, then, Ben. Let’s enjoy ourselves and be happy forever~”
Full of genuine joy and happiness, Bianca smiles brighter than a thousand suns.
A smile so soft and tender that it could melt any frozen heart.
A smile that will come to haunt my nightmares…
Year: 2018
Location: Bianca’s Mansion, Fairyland
“Good morning~”
A dazzling cheer wakes me up in the morning.
With a heavy, dreary body, I get up from my bed and find myself in an unfamiliar room. A shining bright light is twinkling in from the window. For the first time in a while, I awaken to the morning sun.
When I turn to face the source of the voice, I find none other than Bianca Chrome standing by my bedside with a giant grin on her face.
“Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead. C’mon, breakfast is ready.” She tells me energetically.
Once I recognize its her, I quickly return her friendly greeting with a sharp, hostile glare.
“… morning.” I reply coldly, as if trying to stab her with my voice.
“Oh, what’s with that grumpy face, Ben?” She probes almost mockingly. “Oh, could it be that you wanted me to wake you up in only an apron? Guys like that kind of stuff, right? Sorry, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet…”
“Oi. You know exactly why I’m upset.” I berate swiftly.
“Really? I have no idea~” She whistles unnaturally before quickly switching tracks. “Anyways, hurry on down for breakfast. I’ll be waiting~”
Without waiting for my reply, she scurries out the door and runs down the stairs, leaving me alone to wallow in my room.
Last night, after everything went down, I had no choice but to stay the night here in Bianca’s far-from-humble abode. She put me up in the bedroom right next to hers, a large, spacious space fit for a noble. The big, soft bed was comfier than anything I’ve ever laid my body on… but I was far from able to rest well.
Having woken up and confirmed the whole thing wasn’t a dream, I can only face the reality of the situation. I’m stuck in this Lostbelt and I have no way to get out. This beautiful home is nothing more than my prison.
Even as I think that though, I feel my stomach grumble and demand sustenance. I guess I still need to eat.
With nothing to do about it, I reluctantly make my way down to the dining room where Bianca is waiting for me with a lavish spread.
“Hey, Ben. Don’t just stand there. Come and dig in~” She urges me cheerfully and motions towards the meal in front of us.
“… is it just the two of us?” I ask, noticing none of the Servants are around.
“Yup, it’s just us today. The others tend to have very liberal schedules, so we don’t really dine together often.” Bianca explains. “Enough of that though, come on and eat.”
“… fine.” I begrudgingly shrug and join her with an attitude that made it seem as if a gun was being held to the back of my head.
Sitting down, I find a somewhat familiar set of dishes laid out on the table, more than any two people should reasonably be expected to eat. Fried eggs, sausages, bacon, pudding, pancakes, bread, and some sort of hash are all extravagantly presented. While the dishes themselves seem normal, I’m not too sure about the ingredients. The eggs seem a bit too… large to be chicken eggs, and the meats don’t look like any livestock I’m familiar with. As for the bread, well, it’s kind of super sweet and covered in rainbow sprinkles…
“How is it? Do you like it?” Bianca asks as I try a bit of everything.
“Well… it’s edible. Doesn’t seem poisoned either.” I shrug. “Did you make this?”
“Would you like it if I did? Sorry, but Saber prepared it today.” Bianca winks. “I’m actually not that good at cooking. Oh, but I could try if you want. I’d be ecstatic if you’d enjoy something I made for you. Or maybe we could cook together~ Doesn’t that sound nice?”
“…” I remain silent, refusing to humor her little quip.
“Well, anyways, I’ll be heading out after breakfast for some business, okay? Be a good boy while I’m gone. You can go out and walk if you’d like, but try not to leave the forest, okay?” Bianca dictates as she twirls her fork above her plate. “I know you might get lonely but bear with it for a bit. I’ll come back as soon as I can, and we can have the evening to ourselves. If you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a nice, sweet reward, okay~?”
Saying that, she blows a kiss towards my direction. It’s charmingly repulsive.
I find myself clenching hard on my fork, as if trying to crush it.
“Oi, stop that. What’s with that lovey-dovey talk? Don’t talk like we’re d-dating or something.” I retort indignantly. Even someone like me can tell she’s being way too sweet and flirty.
“Hmm~ What’s the problem? I thought you would like that sort of stuff. It’s the kind of things I picture newlyweds doing.” Bianca comments nonchalantly.
“Well, sorry, but I’m already married, so cut it out.” I respond forcefully.
“Eh?” Bianca gasps.
She must be surprised. I guess Alisha never told her after all. I didn’t want to tell her either out of shame, but embarrassment is a minor concern now.
“Yeah, that’s how it is. I married a woman from my Lostbelt and I’m committed to her. So, stop with the cutesy, affectionate stuff.” I command.
If Bianca’s doing all this because of some misplaced affection for me, telling her I’m already married should cool her down. At the very least, she’ll stop being so flirty. In fact, she might even come to her senses and let me go…
“Oh my god, that’s great, Ben! I’m so happy for you!”
“Huh?”
Despite my expectations, Bianca cheers at the news of my marital status, throwing her arms up and grinning from ear to ear.
“What’s she like? Is she pretty? Tell me, tell me~” Bianca urges energetically.
“W-woah, woah, hold up, hold up. Y-you’re… not upset?” I inquire, confused at her sudden cheer.
“Upset? Why would I be upset? I’m just glad you’re finally opening up, Ben. Actually, marrying a woman is so much progress for you; I’m so proud.” She explains sincerely.
“B-but I’m married so the two of us… you know.” I rebut, pointing back and forth between us.
“Oh that? That’s not a problem, Ben. I told you already it’s not like that.” Bianca shrugs nonchalantly.
Still grinning, she gets up from her seat and circles around to behind mine, like a shark stalking its prey. The eeriness and suddenness of her movement petrifies me with fear. Slowly yet surely, she reaches me and wraps her arms around my neck until her mouth is next to my ear.
“Oh, Ben. You should understand. Dating and marriage are just concepts that normal people came up with. We don’t have to constrain ourselves to such things. What we have is more than that. Much more special than that.” She whispers affectionately. “So, you can have as many wives or girlfriends or concubines or fuck buddies as you want. I don’t mind. In fact, I’m happy for you.”
The arm wrapping around me raises a bit and begins stroking my chin as if I were a dog.
“Of course, going by that, you wouldn’t mind if I had some boyfriends or husbands for myself, would you? It’s only being fair~ Hehe, just kidding. Did that make you jealous? Don’t worry, I’m not interested in other guys. NPCs bore me. The only one worthy of me is you, Ben.” She teases as she seductively traces her finger across my collar.
Her sugary, alluring voice coursing through my ear sends shivers down my spine. I already knew it but… this girl is seriously warped. She’s seriously twisted beyond any human sensibility.
“Oh! But now that I think about it, there’s a problem. You can’t see your wife anymore.” Bianca suddenly remarks as she lets go of me and claps her hands together. “Well, that’s too bad, but she wasn’t good for you anyways. You should stay away from that woman.”
“…” I choke up, despite my neck being free now. I want to tell her not to say anything bad about Yingying, but my throat isn’t cooperating.
“Oh, I know. How about this? We can go to town later and look for some cute girls who suit your tastes. We can pick out two or three of them for you and we’ll make them your lovers! That should fill the hole your wife left behind. Doesn’t that sound good?”
“Just stop it!” I yell out at last and slam my fist onto the table.
What the hell is wrong with her? Everything she says is beyond insane. It’s one thing to do whatever she wants with me, but her malice doesn’t just stop there. She demeans everyone else as a NPC, insults Yingying, and just casually suggests taking random people off the streets and making them sex slaves. It’s beyond fucked up! She needs to be stopped!
But…
“Oh~ What’s wrong, Ben? Is there something you want to say?” Bianca asks without a single crack in her composure.
But I can’t do anything. She’s too powerful. I can’t escape and I can’t call for help.
All I can do… is obey.
“Dammit!”
After breakfast, I return to my room and immediately punch the wall. All sorts of frustrations and anger are flowing through my fist and I throw a few more punches for good measure, not paying any attention to the pain.
“What do I do?” I yell to myself.
I’m not just going to lay down and take this treatment. There has to be some way to fight back, some way to get out of this hell. But what?
Think. Plan. Overcome. I need to figure out a strategy to deal with this.
My objective is simple: get the hell out of this Lostbelt.
But its simplicity is why it’s so troublesome. There’s only one way to get out of here and that’s Saber’s Noble Phantasm. Beyond that, getting past the storm walls is near impossible. The only other way would be to rely on the other Crypters to get me out, but I can’t even contact them.
If only I had my communication device or some way to travel between Lostbelts myself. But of course, I don’t.
Saber is Bianca’s Servant and he seems totally loyal to her. Even if he wasn’t, her ability gives her full control of him. He won’t betray her without good reason. And the communication device is in Bianca’s hands. She literally holds every key to the situation, every piece on the board.
I... feel so helpless.
What can I even do!?
Choice!
3. Talk to Saber
If things go well, we are out of here
And if things go really bad? He might kill us.
Win Win
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.
3. Talk to Saber. We need to get back home to our wife and friends. And if not, maybe we can at least get Saber to deliver a message.
EDIT: Actually, 5. We need allies. Once we have an ally, we can try talking to Saber.
Last edited by Lunasilverhart; January 28th, 2021 at 11:50 PM.
3.
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7 is really starting to sound like a tempting option... but I'll go with 3 first.
5.
3, seems like a reasonable person
5. Convincing Saber will be hard because honestly, we don't know *much* about him. If we can manage to gain one of the Lostbelt Servants as an ally, then we could gain information on Saber that could be helpful in making a good argument to him for " Take me home your Master is fucking crazy and I'm afraid ".
5. I think trying to convince Saber is the easiest way to get out but I agree that we need more information/allies.
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