3-11 Tranquil Park

Tranquil Park

Keywords: Reminiscing, Calm, Urban, Woody, Veins
 
A peaceful park set in the middle of a familiar city, trees are abundant and there’s even secret caves hidden around the park for teenagers to make out and do…things. The main attraction of the park is the beautiful fountain plaza surrounded by benches and planted flowers. Upsets are scarce here and it seems like a wonderful place to relax with your loved one. The park just reeks with the scent of love and peace.
 
Suddenly everything is dark…all I can feel calming breeze against my face…wait, breeze? This seems all too familiar…could it be?


“Hey…”


“That voice! It…it can’t be!”


“Hey Routier wake up!”

I feel a familiar hand shaking me awake, and I’m finally able to open my eyes.


“Neil…it can’t be…is that you!?”


“Of course it is, you ok there? He laughs a bit”


Was it all a dream? Am I really back? I-Is this real!?

“You ok the…”


Before he says anything she gives him a loving embrace, tears forming in her eyes.

“H-Hey what’s the matter? Did you have a nightmare or something?”


I think back to the times I had with Reiko and Shizue…it wasn’t even close to a nightmare…more like a wonderful dream~

“N-No I’m just still out of it hehe~”

I nuzzle him more than usual…wait…nuzzle? The dream seems to have changed my habits a bit…

“Wow you sure are affectionate today!”

She gets a grip on her surroundings after coming out of the portal, noticing that the area seemed rather peaceful and normal, unlike all the places before. This set of a little alarm in her head.

"The hell...? Wait...shit...don't tell me..."

She looked over and saw Routier talking to a human. Yeah. This is exactly what she thought it was. She swallowed a bit nervously, and kept her paw on her gun in case something was going to happen.

She knew it: this was going to be a hell of a ride. So, she watched carefully.

Valinea blinked a few times, as she came out of the portal, only to see Routi on a bench with... some guy. She sighed a bit, sensing the lack of upsets around, so she casually took out her axe, since that fact got her a bit worried.

I stand watching... The feeling is ominous at best and a chill flies over her shoulders...

"... It is Reiko... I think this may be..."

Unsure of how the situation will change I quickly hold my left hand on my dagger and watch the situation unfolds... Hoping it doesn't turn ugly...

I hear a voice in the back of my head…It must still be from that dream…they’re becoming louder and louder, but I’m too focused on my love to care!

“Hey you sure you’re ok? You’ve been acting pretty weird since you woke up,” He pulls away and gives me a deep concerned look.

“Y-Yeah don’t worry about it~ I’m just really happy being here with you~” I pull him close and give him a nice 3 second kiss, assuring my love for him. “I love you so much~”


A feel of guilt suddenly takes over…it was just a dream wasn’t it?

She looked at Routier, and based on her actions, she knew immediately who this must've been. At first, she felt a little tugged at, but then she remembered all the things that happened thus far...
She wouldn't mind letting Routier go as long as she has Shizue. She put her paw to her chest, a bit concerned though.

Something happy like this couldn't be given to her. There is always suffering in these zones.

"I want to say I'm happy for her, but this isn't going to end well. It's like a twisted shock ploy used by modern game companies to make controversy for the sake of press... a little sick." For a few moments, she debated whether or not she wanted to call out to Routier to give her a reality check, and originally, she wasn't going to so she can watch what would happen, but then she realized Routier will need all the help she can get.

"Rooty! Careful! Don't forget what this is!"

I think back to her situation... How I almost gave up my soul and disappeared from everyone... The darkness of doubt is scary and diving in alone is foolish and will only end poorly...

"Routier, be careful... This... This is a struggle!"

Can she hear me? She has to! If she gives up here... I won't forgive her!

"Routier! C-Can you hear us?!?"

she looked around slowly and twirled her axe behind her "Yu know, if yu're zhat vorried, yu could try running over to her?" she suggested, expecting most of what's going to go down here to be on Routier, Shizue and Reiko.

He slowly pushes me away a bit to look deep in my eyes

“Listen…I brought you out here not just for another date…there’s something important I wanted to ask you.”

“Umm…what did want to ask me?”

I ask him a bit confused, but then he kneels on the ground and pulls out a familiar shaped little box…I know what this is…is he really…




The voices in the back of my head are becoming so loud they almost sound real…I…I can’t believe he just proposed to me…there’s nothing else I can say….

She nods to Val, then promptly runs over as fast as she can, trying to put her paw on her shoulder to snap her out of it.

"Rooty! Careful! Don't get too hooked into it or it'll get worse-- ...?! "

She looked over and saw the ring being held out... she was shocked -- not because of the ring itself and the proposal, but how far this world would go to play into someone's desires so cruelly and likely turn it against then.

"Shit's going to go down, you have to listen to me!"

This isn't good... It's just like with Mariko... I thought the situation was so nice... But Reiko is right... Shit is gonna hit the fan at this rate... She's gonna have to break the Illusion and face herself... Just like I had to...

"... Routier... Be safe..."

I start walking forward and gets a closer look... The moment looks so happy, a wedding ring? That was my dream to become a wife... But, it's only an illusion that can only fade to black in this situation...

Valinea started to worry too, since this place was an illusion at best... but it might hurt Routi to shatter such a blissful illusion for her. She decided to follow after the others, granted at a lagged pace, just incase anything blindsided them.

“Don’t!” “Stop!”

The voices keep telling me…

“Please don’t!”

They keep getting louder and louder…There’s only one thing on my mind…these voices can’t stop 
me! This is what I’ve wanted my entire life, someone who will always be there for me, there’s only one answer!

Shit...she's not responding...What do I do?! ... I ... wait.

She stands there, still worried, but she glares at Routier like she knows the problem.

"I get it now. We can't do anything about it until we see the issue itself. This isn't even half of it yet..."

She draws her guns and holds them up, ready to spring forth a shower of lead if something dangerous happens...

I grab my kunai and prepare myself for combat... I know Reiko is right, I could hardly hear her while I was speaking to Mariko... All I can do right now is support the best I can...

"Routier! Listen! It's an illusion!"

Would this even work? It's not like we got along really well in the past... but maybe... just maybe she can hear me and use her reasoning!

Valinea sighs a bit "zhis is going to crash on her hard, isnt it?" she said, as she stopped twirling her axe, and gripped it with both hands

As soon as I mutter those words we both look at each other and smile, we are both truly happy…until…

The area suddenly turns dark…the air turns toxic and it becomes hard to breathe...and then…

[STAB]

That horrifying noise…it can’t be…I look upon the figure that suddenly appeared behind Neil…no…



“SAYANE WHY!? WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? HE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING TO YOU!”

“You pathetic bitch, you can’t even begin to realize what you’ve done to me, it’s all your fault he’s dead!”

She pulls the dagger out of his back…he lies there lifeless, blood all over the ground and dripping from the dagger…my senses finally come back to me and I finally take the time to look at my body…

I’m still a cow?! Wh-What?!

Suddenly the area is covered in a sickening miasma, and the area shows its true colors…I can see Reiko, Shizue, and Valinea finally…those were the voices in the back of my head!? Oh god Reiko saw everything! I can only lie there frozen as the poison slowly saps the life out of everyone…

“First you take him away from me with promises of riches and eternal love, and then you have the nerve to marry him? You always did want everything you cow, the latest fashion trends, all the attention, a perfect body!? And you ask me why I do the things I do? That’s a laugh!”

What do I do? I can’t say anything…my strength is slowly being sapped away…I can only look at her in tears…

“Bahahahahahah! You truly are pathetic, how can you even protect everyone if you can’t even protect yourself!? That’s what you want right? To be everyone’s protector? Otherwise you’d feel useless!”

“Shut up…”

“Oh and by the way, that girl you’re apparently in love with? She just wants you for your body! She’s not in love with you! She probably wants nothing more than for you to go away and disappear so she and Shizue can live without you happily, you’re nothing more than an obstacle for their love!”


She looks over at Reiko with red piercing eyes.

“Isn’t that right? You know it is! Admit it girl!”

“Shut up…that…that’s not true!”

“SAY IT! BREAK THIS GIRLS HEART SO THAT SHE MAY STOP EXISTING!”


The miasma is getting thicker and thicker as Routier’s emotions become more and more unstable!

The fuck is this?! I can't... this smoke... it burns my lungs...

"Ghh.... I ... I can't.... h...hehe... it's funny how you're asking me -- *cough* to answer that when you've made the air all shitty and stuff... "


She shakes her head and gets on her knee and takes off her hair ribbon, then ties it over her mouth so she can breathe through it.


"Let me tell you this then. I don't want to lie to you... But she's right. Well, only half right. It's true. I just wished me and Shizue could be alone so she could be fine. It's because you've done so much to the town that I couldn't forgive -- that a lot of us couldn't forgive, trying to fill a hole you could've tided over like a normal person. But I didn't want to just leave you to rot... I did it because I wanted to protect the town.
I'll be honest. At one point, I did like you -- I did hope things were going to be okay, but you never got to the point where both me and Shizue could be happy with it. I don't know how she feels now, but... those days, felt like you only thought about yourself. You thought about filling YOUR need and using the guise of "protecting others" to cover up a lack of self-sufficiency. You weren't really protecting us though, and I know why. You were protecting others to protect yourself -- from losing something you wanted to heal that you had the responsibility to face yourself."

She moves her hair out of her face and fixes it a bit, staring a bit dreadfully at the ground.

"That's why...that's why she's here. That's why this is happening. Because you didn't let go. I did tell you at one not to let go, but this isn't what I meant. I meant don't let go of your hopes...don't let go of what you strive for. Eventually, if you gave it time, maybe something would've worked out better? If you hadn't...lept forward into the insanity you gave us, maybe we would've been better...
So yeah. I don't love you as much as you want me to... I was trying to be nice to you. I cared about you. But by doing that, you went against everything I was hoping for..."

She closes her eyes.

"Regardless of what I do or say, I care about all of you in this town. Not just Shizue. It's my duty as leader to ensure the longevity of our stay here. To maintain the peace and harmony. So I did what I wanted to, perhaps even hoping all three of us really could be in love. Maybe I was being greedy? Yeah. You are cute... but...I lent everything I wanted to on Shizue's behalf because she came first in this little dangerous game of ours. So do what you must, Routier. Let everything out if you want. Maybe there's still hope for you, if you hold on... but only if you do. But only if you accept what you've done and try everything in your effort to fix it. Then maybe you can move on...? Maybe everything will be okay, for all of us and you."

She slowly lays down her guns slowly and takes off the ribbon, then draws her paw slowly to her chest, some tears rolling down her cheek.

"Then we can all be happy. Then everything she's saying on you doesn't matter. I know you can prove her wrong ... So go for it Routier. Do everything you must to end this. "

Shizue holds out her right arm and removes her bandage and looks at Routier with her warm amethyst eyes...

"Maybe I don't love you... Even now I'm not too sure what love is... Perhaps I was being greedy too, acting to support Reiko only to benefit myself... Maybe I have a lust for love as well... But something always arose that surprised me and that I was always jealous of, Routier... You have a will of steel and a heart that tries to protect ignoring right or wrong and to a certain extent I respect that... But to a certain extent it can be frustrating as well..."

Shizue walks up and wipes some of the tears away...

"You and I aren't so different you know? We fear losing those who are precious to us... We've come a long way... You can't vanish from me! It isn't fair! It isn't right! I was in this situation too... What if I surrendered and disappeared? Even now... You felt it... Someone vanished from our camp recently... I don't want to forget you either..."

Shizue sighs and looks at Reiko...

"Watashi wa kanojo o aishite shinjite inai..."

Shizue looks back at Routier and hugs her...

"This is a catch 22 for me... and for us all... But if you give into this bitch! What were you fighting for this whole time?!? What is your worth?!? Stop doubting yourself! You're strong! I too... have to stop doubting myself as well..."

She raises her daggers and points it at the malicious Sayane...

"But you... You're nothing to me... Just a phantom who serves as a memory of pain... I might not be able to, but Routier will wipe you from this plane of existance..."

Valinea sighs deeply, as she stabs her axe into the ground, and looks at Routier, mentally organizing what she's about to say.

"Routi, Yu'fe most certainly had yur issues since ve'fe all come to zhis camp. Yu'fe annoyed alot of people vell past normal tolerances, and efen after yu'fe promised to change, yu'fe caused, albeit less problems, but still problems. Efen as I teach yu, zhe vay yur mind vorks still shows in zhe vay yu act, Not only towards me, not only towards Dame Reiko, but towards eferyone, and also in yur fighting."

She took a deep breath, as a pause before she continues her explination.

"Yu'fe equipped a shield, and set out to protect eferyone vith it. Yu've equipped zhe thickest armor, so yu, yurself cant be hurt. Yu'fe equipped zhe lance, so zhat yur judgement vill avays pierce through.


But zhe shield doesnt truly protect, it aliviates and deflects damage at best. Yu're using yur shield where yu should be standing.

But zhe armor doesnt truly protect, it helps zhe core cope vith zhe onslaught, and allows one to charge fearlessly. Yu'fe been using zhe armor to hide, and cover yurself, beliefing it to be yur personal fortress.



And zhe Lance, zhe lance alvays strikes true, but only true to zhe vill of zhe user, and do yu truly beliefe yur vill is zhe best for everyone? Hafe yu refined and defined zhe limits of yur vill, and zhe sovernty it carries? Yur reaction zhe ozher day confirms zhe yu vere more zhe villing to impose yur vill on ozhers in zhe form of policing zhe town, but it vas clear yu're not ready for zhe responciblity, for yu barely hafe enough of a moral center to keep control of yurself."

She finished her monologue pulling her axe out of zhe ground.

"Yu still hafe a long vay to go mein squire, and it's long time yu open yur eyes to yur own problems and fix zhem, before yu take zhe next step and try to guide ozher people's actions."

“Reiko...Shizue...Val...I…ever since those first days...I've always regretted all the things I've done...ever since you two took me in, I've enjoyed every moment of our lives together, I do appreciate all you've done to make us, and the rest of the town happy, yes I may have been obsessive and overprotective...but only because I cared about you Reiko, this world scared me and I didn't want you taken away from me like Neil was...I...I finally see that I may have gone too far...To think what I was doing was slowly driving you away. I can't believe I had been so blind! I...I want to give my all to make this work out...for you and Shizue, I don't want to get in the way! I truly want us to live happy together! That old Routier...she's no longer part of me, I'm not that greedy cow who wants everything to herself! I will use this lance and shield for the better of everyone, not just myself! I didn't pick them up just to let everyone down, especially Val...she took me in as her squire and taught me how to fight, how to protect...I won't use these teachings and disappoint her!”

“You just babble on about changing, but you really want her to yourself don’t you!? You greedy cow you want to take her away from their lover too!? You make me sick, just sit there and let me erase you~”

“No I…I love Reiko...and I do honestly love Shizue too…I want it to work out...but I can't just have everything I want can I? I have to learn to accept that she doesn't love me, but my feelings for them stand honest and true, and I believe I can make it work out, and if Reiko doesn't want it, then fine it wasn't meant to be! I'm not just going to let you erase me!”

“Shut up! You’ve always had this thought in the back of your mind, you wish you would’ve approached her sooner and confessed don’t you!? You still want her all to yourself!”

“Shizue is my best friend, I would never think anything like that! Stop lying! I'm a changed person, this world has taught me many things, and I would never repeat those same mistakes again! Did you ever bother to ask if Neil and I could share our love with you!? No you didn't, you resorted to killing me and taking Neil away!”

“These are lies, they are false realities and nothing more!”

“No…no they’re not! I...I would have been happy with loving you and Neil, it still pains me every day, knowing I pushed you that far! If only...if only I could've told you sooner!”

The miasma gets thicker and thicker until I can barely see the others…I…I can’t breathe…is this the end, is this all I lived for…I, I’ve changed, I don’t care if Reiko loves me more or less...or at all...I just want to make everyone happy, I want to make amends for all the things I've done, I want to help everyone, I can't let myself be erased here, I have to show Reiko, Shizue, Val that I'm not a weak obsessive girl, that I can learn and live!

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s too late, she will leave you even if you make it out of here, so…”

It's getting dark... This mist... Chemicals? .... No... Poisonous gas...

"... dark... I... want to sleep..."

Valinea coughed deeply, and knelt down, holding her axe ready, and narrowing her eyes, hoping things dont go badly....

“Oh Reiko I…I want to protect you, Shizue, and everyone else, I don’t care if you leave me after this…I, I just want to protect everyone!”

“Shut up and stop lying to yourself! Shut up shut up shut up!”

“No! I…I’m stronger than you!” I can feel a little strength returning…but not enough to pick up my lance or shield…I can only move a little bit.

“I will erase you, and Reiko, and all the others here! Just sit there and accept it!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I yell at her with the last bit of my strength…”I don’t care at this moment what happens to me…I love Reiko, Shizue, and Val as a mentor! If they die here because of me, I would never forgive myself!”

"My tears shall give me strength so my loved ones may live another day, for love and peace, I will give my life for everyone's sake!"



"Aegis Martyr!"


Sayane???: 1200/1200
ATK: Instant Death on Hit

Suddenly Routier shines an angelic light, her entire body seems to glow, then she releases a huge shockwave of light dissipating the Miasma and completely restoring the other’s strength, Sayane on the other hand is engulfed in the light as she mutters her last words.

1364 damage to Sayane and fully heals the rest of the party!

“Hahahaha you fool, stop nggggh, lying to yourself GAHAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH” She lets out a terrible scream and disintegrates!

Afterword Routier faints where she stands, leaving the park like it was when they first got there.

“Reiko…Shizue…Val…am I strong enough…” Her eyes close, she seems at peace.

She got up slowly, and coughed a few times, answering honestly "No, but yu're most certainly getting zhere" she said, with a small smile.

She watches as the bright light extends outward and quickly restores her strength -- the miasma gone. She shakes her head trying to get her composure back and then immediately notices Routier on the ground.

"Rooty!"


She rushes over to her and kneels by her side, making sure she's alright, checking her pulse and all...

"....hhh....wh...what was that...? Nevermind...it doesn't matter, you did great..."

She takes her paw and gently strokes her cheek, glad she was able to get through it all.

Shizue stands behind Reiko and gives a smile to Routier...

"I'm proud of you~"

"Thanks Shizue...Reiko...I'm sorry you all had to see that..."

She smiles and opens her eyes, looking deep into Reiko's, enjoying the cheek stroking.

"Did you really mean what you said...can we really...make it work in the end?"

"Yeah. Of course. You just have to understand what needs to be done, then do it. And even if it doesn't work out, you still need to be able to move on regardless. If it's everyone else you're working for, that -- in the end, doesn't matter. It's what matters for everyone else that should be what you strive for.

And if you can do that, I'd totally dig it."

She looks to Val, gesturing that she might need help getting her to town.

"You did well for now, Rooty, but we've still got a long battle ahead of us. Stay in it with us."

"Y-Yeah of course, I promise not to let you or anyone down~"

Her eyes close again, still weak from the fury she used, still smiling.

She nods at Reiko, and walks over, putting her Axe back on her back, ready to help carry Routi back to town.

"Thanks, Rooty."

She looks to Val and nods to her too as thanks.

"Time to head home."

She tries to help pick her up, but her gaming arms don't have enough STR to do that without serious pain.

"....yeah."

Shizue smiles and starts humming the tune of bad apple taught by Averia as they walk back to camp~

Val puts her arm under Routi's shoulders and helps walk her back to the portal

Entering the area once more with Shira by his side, he kinda groans feeling a strange sensation in the air.

"It's so calm here it's almost...exhausting...but no matter, we have a duty to preform."

He walks over to one of the large rocks in the area and harvests some tungsten.

Allow me to assist you, Master, if I may.

*She joins in with gathering Tungsten*

The member 'Shiravella Mon Fraiser' has done the following action : Roll Die

'Encounter-Sense' : 2

Now, let us be on our way, jes?
*she bows and heads out*

*He pulls her back*

Wait-- I just remembered. We have a distinct lack of metal in town, and it's quite troublesome. Let us work on that here while we can.

*He throws a pick at a metal swing set and it explodes into metal scraps*

Perhaps we should find another area, Master Minh... *she drags him out*

She takes a quick stroll in, bringing Shira with her.

"Shit! Gold!"

Starts mining, and gets ready to bolt instantly in a rush.

The member 'Reiko Yuikeida' has done the following action : Roll Die

'Encounter-Sense' :

Nope! I'm out! *Smoke bomb*

She hops into the zone and enjoys the peace alone for a bit before gathering 52 metal and quickly hopping out for the day.