mickilennial

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: City Streets, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

As long as subjects of families and Japan could stay off the table the Japanese girl figured she could handle things. She had a long stride for someone her height, certainly, keeping ahead of Benkei. The echoes of her family chittered in her brain like a looped video, designed in an algorithm to manipulate her anxiety and rage. She tried her best to keep it all buried; she tried her best. She hadn’t realized yet, but the length of time it had been since her last appointment with her therapist was wearing on her. Even when the game was “normal” she needed those appointments. Where was she going to find them now? How long until she was an unstable mess and everyone turned on her? How long until she was alone and spit on once again? Her hands grabbed the clothline of her pockets tighter, almost ready to tear it from its seams.

A loud voice cracked the silence in her head. Alja, in her infinite wisdom, had decided to join the Japanese Study Group on their venture through Thorinn. Her voice was like a trip to an onsen, warm and inviting. It softened her anxieties, even though they were still very much bothering her. She smiled, a half-laugh leaving her lips.

“どうも.” She muttered, so quiet nobody could hear.

Rael stopped at a fruit stand not far down the street. It was on the way, and it’d give enough time for Kazuki to get his bearings, Alja to catch up properly, and Benkei to muse over the vendors as well if he felt the need to. Rael threw a few coins down, grabbing an apple.

“What else do you guys wanna do? Not gonna be at Mystic all day.”

Steal Away The Light

Chapters

TBD

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Did some minor edits on the last post. Was a bit clunky, but I'm never happy with my content lol.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: City Streets, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Had Kazuki ever yelled at anyone before?

It was a thing that occurred to Rael as she leaned back against a nearby fencepost. Family issues. She hated when people talked about ‘family’. Benkei was seen as a disappointment and didn’t feel like he was talented or smart enough, how his mother would put him down, and how Kazuki was the successful one. It all reminded her of home in Kōriyama before she left for university. Her fists curled into her tunic as her face remained unchanged. Kazuki yelled at Benkei like her father. Benkei talked about his mother like a sympathetic version of Rael’s own. Hanako’s own.

You’re such a disappointment. You don’t have any talent.

A Moriyama expects better. What will Akihiro think of you when he meets you?

“When we get out.” Rael mused, as she gathered her resolve. “Tch.”

An internal scream filled her mind and she jumped off the fencepost she had been leaning back on, moving down the street with her hands dug into her pockets of her longcoat. She didn't want to hear about their familial issues. As if their problems were worse than hers. At least Benkei's mother wanted him to be productive to society. She wished her mother spoke to her like that, even half of that. Whatever. it wasn't productive to think about. There was places to go. Things to do.

She thought about the prospect of a way out. If such a thing ever became possible. Only one conclusion came to mind.

“I’m never going back. I’d rather die here.”

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: City Streets, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

The morning air was hot and dry, but at least it was air.

She missed Theremia. The cool air would’ve felt a lot nicer. Of all the places she picked in the world to do some dungeons she had picked Thorinn. Her reputation in Theremia and Khatia was behind her, but she also wanted to explore all of the factions. Her fault for being curious, she supposed.

“Well, we probably would’ve had some losses in the dungeon, I guess.” Rael remarked as Benkei moaned about Mystic Prophecy and then what would’ve happened if he had not put his everything into the game, trying to be the best. “You’re thinking a lot lately about it, aren’t you? Replaying it in your head.”

“Dunno if what if’s and should have’s are gonna help you. And you gotta stop bein’ afraid of Mystic. Kazuki was there and save for Luci saying some mean words he was fine. Pris doesn’t hold anything against us. Unless you think that’s a problem. Do you want them to, or somethin’?”

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: The Laughing Worg Tavern -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

“畜生.” Rael muttered under her breath. “まるでまるで.”

The red-haired tank looked across the table to the other two Japanese members of the group, letting out a half-laugh.

She understood where Kazuki was coming from though, even in his drunken stupor. Graves was being real cozy with the new girl and it was annoying. Her eyes moved over to the girl in question, an unimpressed look on the Japanese girl’s face. Help her with anything she needed? Her friends were dead, there was nothing they could do except waste their time looking for their half-digested bodies and burying them in the grass. A waste of time. They were dead and she was going to have to get over it like Luci and Pris had to get over Enos and Aaginim. A whisper in her head, she was laughing at her again. Why did she care? Why was she thinking such cruel thoughts? Perhaps it was a Japanese thing. Kazuki didn’t want to deal with it either and now he was ushering Benkei to handle it.

Discarding the thought as Graves commented on how drunk Kazuki was, she probably figured Benkei would let the conversation slide over for another time or make it worse. She stood up, deciding to do something to get away from the energy she was feeling.

“I guess I’ll handle leading a group to deal with the other busy work. Maybe we can head up Mystic.” She moved over to Kazuki and Benkei, “C’mon, let’s get your brother some air.”

Rael was happy to pair up with Benkei and Kazuki since so many people were pairing up for the investigative work. Plus, it allowed her to avoid Benkei from trying to murder Graves on accident again. Well, on purpose, but accidentally on purpose.

Gamblers of Vox Fortuna

Still a Gowi game. Silence, thot.

Gamblers of Vox Fortuna

By the time I figured out there was a template, I'd already written like twenty Alja posts and it just wasn't worth it at that point.

@Lemons

I went and changed every Rael banner once. Exhausting...

Gamblers of Vox Fortuna

Yeah, but I don't use the Pariah template.

@Lemons

You should. It's high quality content.

Gamblers of Vox Fortuna

Ah shit wait I just realized there's a post template
Gimme a hot sec, I can fix this

@Lemons

It's just the Pariah template, Lems.