{2/9} - Two of Nine: A Nine Lives Forum adventure

[Lilium Mortem]

Content Warnings: Death, Cancer, Unreality.
This story may have more content warnings apply to it as it goes on, as it stands now, there are a few things I'd like to avoid all together, but as a world-building project, anything could happen. Content warnings appear at the beginning of new posts that introduce them, as well as the general content warning list, should another one come up.



-{2/9}-
Two of Nine: A 9 Lives Forum Adventure

You ever heard of Hikikomori? In Japan some kids are so crushed under the weight of responsibilities thrust on them by their parents and society they just shut themselves inside their rooms and refuse to come out. They stop social interaction and live off games, manga, anime, ect. I like to think of how lucky they are that their parents will bankroll that stuff for them. I feel like we’re kindred spirits.

I grew up on TV and video games. Books and internet message boards. I never liked talking with other people and detested school. I made no friends and stayed out of the way all up through high school. I engaged with fantasy worlds where I had power, and could understand people in a way that the real world made too confusing.
 
When It was time for college, when I had to make real decisions, I picked safe bets. I took gen ed courses to put off choosing my major for as long as possible, and when it came down to it… I realized I didn’t want to do anything. So I dropped out. I lived with my mom and got paid to move pallets in a warehouse. 
Now… I’m dying. They didn’t detect the tumor until it was too late. At first I was OK with it, OK with just ending a life that was never going to go anywhere. Then I saw my mom cry. People from work showed up and we’d talk, I hated it, but they cared. And then an internet friend showed up. Drove 30 hours from Detroit to get here. A guy I’d been raiding with in MMOs since high school. People cared, and I didn’t.

I can’t help but wonder what went wrong. Why could I never connect to people? Why didn’t I want to? I could see my life laid out before me and I only ever took the easy way out. What would it be like to put effort into life, into trying to connect with people?

I’m not ready to die. Not anymore. I can turn things around, Have friends, get to try D&D, Go back to school, and move on from the limbo I’ve placed myself in. I don’t want to die… no. I won’t die! I have a dream now, even if it’s the smallest of things! I’m going to connect with people and pay back their kindness!
  

{1/1}



{2/9}

-{ {} }-

 
I can see myself, floating in an abyss. A cat shaped silhouette ill defined. It’s that dream again. I need to remember… who I am. Where was I born?
 
1) Foundry
This country/continent is one of the two major powers on the planet. The government is built off the ideals of Freedom and serving the direct will of the people. Corporations are beginning to thrive here as the lax intervention from the government enables them and Crime is higher than ever before. Still, It can be good place to live. Everyone is considered equal since their voices all matter. Poly-amorous Weddings were legalized recently, and the push for a government sponsored universal basic income experiment has been gaining traction. Social progress here is fast, and people accept who you are. Everyone is free, everyone has a voice.

2) Alloy
This country/continent is one of the two major powers on the planet. The government is built off the ideals of Safety and serving the best interests of the people. Prisons take dangerous criminals off the street… and not so dangerous ones. If you want anything done you have to navigate labyrinthine bureaucracy, people suffer under the weight of a system slow to move and slow to change. Still, it can be a good place to live. Guns are outlawed to everyone except specialized law enforcement and the military. You can walk through the busy streets of a city without fear. Strict safety regulations mean you never have to worry about an unsound foundation, or a train that hasn’t been serviced. It’s safe here, and quiet. Take things slow, and enjoy the ride.
 
3) Kingdom of Rose
The only surviving monarchy. A small nation overshadowed by the two global superpowers of Alloy and Foundry, The kingdom of roses makes it’s one way by trusting that people who dedicate their lives towards governing others have the experience to handle anything that comes their way. Each King or Queen chooses their replacement from a pool of candidates elected by the public in addition to a parliament. You need to serve in the military once you come of age, and government schooling reaches all the way up to college level. Corruption is a large problem despite the best efforts of the Queen to stamp it out, or some may say because of her. Despite this The kingdom is lush, and there are crown sponsored organizations that can help you along any path you wish to take. Life here is smaller than the other countries, and steeped in tradition, both good and bad. It can be a good life, for those that don’t need bustling metropolises or high speed rail lines, so long as they have their community and faith in the crown.

[1011686]

Kingdom of Rose

[victorianflorist]

I'm also for the Kingdom

[ಠ_ಠ]

kingdom time. lets overthrow the monarchy.

[King-Clod]

Foundry. Seems like a good place to start, I doubt we'd do well in the military.

[Lilium Mortem]

Oh, right. I remember seeing the Queen in the Water Festival Parade. Her smile always seemed forced on TV, but she seemed relieved to just ride a float and smile. That felt like an honest smile. I can’t remember, did I see that in person?

The Kingdom of Rose is a temperate archipelago in the southern hemisphere made up of 6 different major islands. Red, Pink, White, Yellow, Blue, and Black. Red Rose Island is the largest, and where the capital is. Pink through yellow are all moderately populated and close to red, with Blue and Black being the major exceptions. Blue Rose Island houses the temple of the ocean spirit, the largest temple in the Kingdom, The island is very religious, and often a place of pilgrimage. Black Rose Island is a rock. Unlike the other major islands in the Kingdom, hardly anything grows on Black Rose Island. It’s barely populated, with only fishing villages being able to sustain themselves.

Jeez, I know I went to school at least, that’s a textbook definition of the place. But where did I go to school? What kind of a place did I grow up in, and where?

[Suggest a place to live with as little or as much detail as you want, you could just say what island you want to start at, or go all the way down to how the floorboards of our protagonist's home creak. Go nuts, I'll pick and choose which details to use.]

[King-Clod]

Black Rose Island. We had to drop out of school early to help our family with the family business after our older brother left for better business prospects on Red Rose Island. The town we live in has an especially close-knit community, with nearly everyone being seen as family, whether they're related by blood or not. They certainly make the long nights at sea a little more bearable.

[ಠ_ಠ]

Black Rose Island. same as clod's answer but the business is mining and the family doesnt own it.

[1011686]

Blue Rose island let's go.

We played a lot with our friend's pet.
We spent several months slowly building a huge pile of rocks in the backyard (it was a 'house').
We liked playing in the water, but didn't actually swim much.
We thought people working in the military were really cool.
We did okay at school, mostly because we were very studious and attentive to what our friends said when we asked them for help.
We were closer to our parents than our siblings.
We experimented with sleeping in a hammock, but eventually gave up.

[victorianflorist]

We collect driftwood and seaglass in our spare time, crafting sculptures we want to bring to the capital one day.
Our fascination with seaglass started after a massive storm blew out all the windows of our house, the cost to replace them would be too much, so we began using cement and seaglass to cover over the open windows.

[Lilium Mortem]

I live in a small fishing village on the northern tip of Blue Rose Island called Blackwater crossing. It used to be the last port before a ship would head north to Black Rose Island, but shipping routes changed and that left the village pretty empty until the copper mine was discovered. The town was booming for decades, my dad tells me, but now the vein is running low, and it’s hard to find work in town.

A couple of years ago a monsoon blew out our windows and we couldn’t get them replaced. I tried to drop out of school to help Dad with work, but even if that wasn’t illegal, there’s no extra work in the mine, it’s already struggling. It was then when my older brother left for Red Rose, hoping to get a better job. He’s a third life, and when he got his memories back decided to stick around in a quiet fishing village. Things got too bad for him to stay. He sends money home, we replaced the windows.

For the longest time as a kid I’d stay away from other people, making mud and stone structures in our backyard. Pyramids, a ‘clock tower’, an arch over the creek, all kinds of stuff. Eventually I upgraded to using other materials, and once we got an art teacher at school I really got into sculptures. Currently I’m fascinated with working with Sea glass.

But then there’s Wuther. He’s a [Siamese] that saw me sitting by myself one day and said he’d be my friend. At first I didn’t want to bother, but something changed my mind. He showed me his pet bird, Dusty, and we played fetch all the time. It never got old seeing that bird catch a frisbee mid flight. He even gave me his old handheld game console for a birthday present once.
 

-{ {} }-

There was a crack of thunder and I woke up. I had that dream again. Things were starting to come back to me, but it still felt like it didn’t make sense. I always forgot what happened at the beginning of the dream. I made my way into the bathroom, bladder screaming at me. Once I relieved myself I washed my paws and took a look into the mirror.

“Ugh, still feels weird. Summer break is ending in three days and my birthday is in seven. I’m almost thirteen.” I said to the mirror, the same way I would talk in that dream. “My Name is-”

[Select our Protagonist’s name, pronouns, and breed of cat. In this world people revere the natural world, and so too name people after nature. Few names of the old world remain these days, so most names are in the common tongue. The Kaz are a race of anthropomorphic house-cats. Most earth cat breeds exist, save for crossbreeds.]

[King-Clod]

Scud (a mass of windblown spray), they/them, American Curl

[seppawku]

i like scud but how about a russian blue?

[ಠ_ಠ]

Scud Pumpernickel, an Oriental Longhair 

[victorianflorist]

Scud Kelp, Mainecoon

[Lilium Mortem]

[I rolled a d4 for cat breed, so no hard feelings.]

“My name is Scud, My name is Scud, My name is Scud.” I repeated, hoping to make it stick.

I looked in the mirror, flexing the claws out of my white paws. I smoothed out my neck ruffle and stared into my piercing red eyes, which matched the red fur that topped my head and made its way down my back and covered my fluffy tail. Sometimes it bothered me how much fur I had, being a [Maine Coon], but I wasn’t quite sure why. For a second I didn’t recognize the reflection as my own. I shook my head and forced myself to accept who I saw was me.

It was me, I knew that. Still… I felt like there was more. Like I had forgotten something. I splashed my face with water, my whiskers twitching at the sudden wetness. I grabbed a towel and dried off before making my way back to my room.

I checked my alarm clock. It was [6:54AM]. Was it too late to go back to bed? I’d only get maybe an hour more of sleep If I was lucky. I walked over to the window to see the rain pouring down on the town. It was still summer vacation and I didn’t have any plans…

“What should I do?”

[Character creation complete! You may now feel free to interact with Scud! I can't guarantee all your suggestions or insights will reach them, but generally you will still guide them on their journey.]

[ಠ_ಠ]

make a big sandwich. the biggest sandwich you have ever made

[King-Clod]

Let's sit down and write a letter to our brother, see how he's been these past few years. The sound of rain always helped us get our thoughts together.

[Lilium Mortem]

make a big sandwich. the biggest sandwich you have ever made

I suddenly remembered how hungry I was. I guess the first thing to do in the morning is make breakfast. A sandwich sounded really good right then. So I headed downstairs, careful not to make a racket and turned on the lights in the kitchen. I put together a sandwich, a bit bigger than I’d normally make it, and sat down at the kitchen table.

I heard the footsteps of my dad as he made his way downstairs. He was a [Main Coone] like me, but his fur always looked shaggy and he was never not tired. He grunted in my general direction, a zombie without his morning tea. I grunted back, but he just ignored me while he put the kettle on.

When my eyes glanced into the living room I stopped to look at the computer. We only had Network over telephone, or ‘NOTwork’ as my friends liked to call it. Only good to send electronic mail and read message boards. Nothing like real MEINet, where you could download pictures, chat in real time, and even play games with other people! Technology really is amazing.

Let's sit down and write a letter to our brother, see how he's been these past few years. The sound of rain always helped us get our thoughts together.

I realized I should write an electronic letter to Stratus. We only got NOTwork a few months ago, I haven't had the chance to use it. I wondered what he’d been up too these past couple of years.

I finished off my sandwich just as the kettle started to whistle and put my plate in the sink before running over to the computer. I flip the switch on the bulky machine and it begins to hum to life. After a few minutes, the monochrome desktop loads. I rolled the trackball until the cursor was over the mail icon and pressed the select button. The application opened but I was lost. Inbox? Trash? [CC]? Where did I click to enter an address?

[Guest]

Compose.
try to show off our vocabulary while writing, be as eloquent and verbose as possible to impress him (our brother).

[King-Clod]

It should be compose, but if we can't find that then we could always ask our dad.
Try to make the letter well-written, but more importantly try to make it genuine. Tell him since interesting things that have happened with the family recently, ask how it's been at the capital. Send him a picture of one of the sea glass structures we've made.

[ಠ_ಠ]

pick up phone
dial number for operator
ask operator how to send an email

[Lilium Mortem]

Compose.
try to show off our vocabulary while writing, be as eloquent and verbose as possible to impress him (our brother).

 

It should be compose, but if we can't find that then we could always ask our dad.
Try to make the letter well-written, but more importantly try to make it genuine. Tell him since interesting things that have happened with the family recently, ask how it's been at the capital. Send him a picture of one of the sea glass structures we've made.

 

My eyes scanned over the screen again and the word ‘compose’ caught my attention. I didn’t know the meaning of the word, but it felt right, so I clicked it. A new window popped up where I could type in and there was a ‘to’ section to put in an address. I had everything I needed, I just had to impress my bro with my vocabulary and writing skills, while keeping it real, yo.

‘Dear Stratus

I write to on this dower mourn to tell you tales from our home. The reposte I have gotten for the summer is comming to a close, and it feels like only a fortnite has passed since I heard the bells of school chime in my liberty.

Father has been working dreadfully hard and I willn’t bare it much longer. The pearls you send help, however there are wispers in the street(It’s actualy just Cliff yelling gossip at his birds) that the mine is on it’s last feet. Mother has been atempting a career in writing, but can knot compete with authors with lifetimes of exerience.

How has life been in Castle Garden? I do so wish to see it one day. Your job as a Soul Technician sounds incredulisly important, and I wish to know more. I would send you photographs of my work, allas, NOTwork lives up to it’s namesake. Also we don’t have one of those fancy digital cameras.

Gracefully yours,
Your sibling,
Scud Cumulus Om-HarvestFell’

Satisfied, I clicked send. A new window popped up. ‘Error: could not send message, please check the contents of your message and try again. X-241-422AT’. I read through the message again, but nothing looked wrong to me. I was stumped.

pick up phone
dial number for operator
ask operator how to send an email

Then I got a brilliant Idea. The Information Network runs through the phones, so the phone people might know how to send an electronic mail. I walked over to the wall mounted unit and picked up the receiver, flipping the switch on the box to send the call to the operator.

“Crown Company of Telecommunications, Switchboard operator Copse speaking, how may I direct your call?” A tired voice asked from the other end of the line.

“Hi! My name is Scud and I’m trying to send my brother in Castle Garden an electronic mail. It’s telling me to check what I wrote but I did and it’s fine!” I said to the operator.

“...Kid,” The voice sighed then paused for a second. “I’m a telephone switchboard Operator. If you know your brother's name I can patch your through to him on the phone, but I’m not customer support. Do you want to talk to your brother? Or do you want me to patch you through to actual customer support for your computer?”

[King-Clod]

...Actually, I'm not sure our brother even checks his email that often. It might be for the best to just call him.
Plus we have an operator on the phone and we wouldn't want to have wasted their time oh gosh oh frick
Ask the operator to patch us through to our brother, Stratus.

[ಠ_ಠ]

can I talk to you for a while, operator? You seem to know a lot about this crazy mixed-up world we live in.

[ten11]

Patch me over, but what am i meant to do next time this error comes up? It said " X-241-422AT" if that helps.

[Lilium Mortem]

can I talk to you for a while, operator? You seem to know a lot about this crazy mixed-up world we live in.

“Can I talk to you for a while, operator?” I asked, they seemed smart.

“No.”

Patch me over, but what am i meant to do next time this error comes up? It said " X-241-422AT" if that helps.

“Can you at least tell me what the error X dash two four one da-”

“No. Do you want to be patched through to your brother, Customer service for your computer, or do I have to hang up?”

...Actually, I'm not sure our brother even checks his email that often. It might be for the best to just call him.
Plus we have an operator on the phone and we wouldn't want to have wasted their time oh gosh oh frick
Ask the operator to patch us through to our brother, Stratus.

“Wait! No, oh gosh!” I said, Scrambling. I shouldn’t have been wasting their time. I should probably just ask to be patched through. “Sorry, I’d like to be patched through to my brother, Stratus Em-HarvestFell-Gardener, living in Castle Garden.”

“Hold please.”

I listened as an ad played for the Call-or X. I asked my parents for one of them for my birthday, but they said it was too expensive. Only Dad had one, and it’s a worker model he mainly used for radio calls on the job. It’s so unfair. Why do we have to be poor?

I was brought out of my thoughts by the phone clicking and a tired voice answering.

“Hello?”

“Stratus!” I said, full of excitable energy. “I tried sending you an electronic mail but the computer gave me an error. But that’s ok! I wanted to talk to you. Oh this is Scud by the way.”

“Scud… It’s [6AM]. On a work day. I need to be at the clinic in an hour.” Stratus said, sighing. “I can make a bit of time to talk to you, but promise me not to call before [5PM] unless it’s [Sunday] or [Friday].”

“Oh! Sorry. I forgot. I promise not to call you before then.”

“I’ll hold you to that. So, what’s up?

[1011686]

Well, that explains why the switchboard operator was so tired.
Let's talk to him about school for half a minute until that gets boring, then talk to him about something that's actually interesting. like his job as a soul technician, or our most recent artistic creation.

[ಠ_ಠ]

read him the letter you wrote, out loud

[King-Clod]

Tell him we've been having weird dreams, which is why were up so early. Maybe ask him what it was like when he got his memories back?

[Lilium Mortem]

[note: when scud says someting in <> they're speaking english and not the Kaz Common language.]
 

read him the letter you wrote, out loud

“Oh I just had a great idea! I’ll read you the letter I was planning to send! I worked really hard on it.” I said, smiling.

“Go for it.” Status said, chuckling.

“Ahem. Dear Stratus, I write to you on this dower mourn to tell you tales fro-”

“Dower morn?” Stratus asked, holding back a fit of giggles.

“Hey! Don’t laugh! It’s raining over here. So: dower mourn.”

“Ok, ok, I’ll wait until you finish. Then I’ll laugh.”

“Don’t! I’ll tell dad you’re picking on me!”

“Sorry little bud, I promise not to laugh.”

I read the entirety of the letter. I heard Stratus snicker once and awhile, but I ignored it, voicing my letter elegantly. Once I had finished I took a bow before I realized that we were talking on the phone. Good thing Dad was in the other room.

“You’re worried about our money situation?” Status asked. “Little bud, It’ll be fine. You’re a kid, just worry about homework and having fun. You only really get to be a kid once.”

“But like, what if dad loses his job? Mom isn’t a good writer. Would we have to move?”

“Scud my little bud, I don’t know. Stuff like this is really complicated. But I will share a little secret with you: I’m up for promotion soon. I can take care of all of you until mom can find a job, and if dad gets laid off. So don’t worry.”

“Ok.”

Well, that explains why the switchboard operator was so tired.
Let's talk to him about school for half a minute until that gets boring, then talk to him about something that's actually interesting. like his job as a soul technician, or our most recent artistic creation.

“You ok little bud?”

“Yeah. Now that you mention it, what is your job? I know you do something like reading souls with one of those Soul detectors but what does that mean?”

“First of all, they aren’t ‘Soul Detectors’. It’s called a Sigma Radiation Information Manual Parser. The SRIMP. While computers have gotten good at parsing patterns in Sigma radiation, You still need someone who can regulate their own Sigma Radiation to operate one, or else there’s interference. A side effect of training to regulate a soul’s Sigma output is a sort of instinctive understanding of the patterns in data related to Sigma radiation. I currently work at a maternity clinic, reading the souls of newborns and passing that data to the government.”

“Huh? All I got from that was <Shrimp>, and now I’m hungry for seafood.”

“What does the SRIMP have to do with seafood? Never mind. To put it simply, I’ve trained to control my own soul’s energy, and to read other people’s. Not quite a medium, but there’s some overlap. I use that ability to match the soul patterns of babies against the reincarnation database.”

“Oh. Souls are what let us think right? Cliff told me that’s where dreams come from too.”

“No Scud, that’s not how it works. Our brains let us think. The soul… it’s more like our core. It’s everything we are physically, but invisible and untouchable. Hmm… It’s like… A save file. Everything is important, but you still need a game to use it. When we die, our soul gets transferred to a new copy of the ‘game’, a new system. As for dreams… there’s some evidence for the soul influencing them. Reincarnates who haven't awoken sometimes dream of their previous lives.”

Tell him we've been having weird dreams, which is why were up so early. Maybe ask him what it was like when he got his memories back?

“Well, I’ve been having weird dreams. That’s why I’m up so early. I don’t know… how was it for you when you awoke?”

“If you’re worried about secretly being reincarnated, don’t. Stuff like that doesn’t happen outside B-movie plots and romance novels. As for my Awakening… I guess I haven't told you huh? I’ll give you the full story when I’m home for your birthday, but...” Stratus paused for a second, I heard the sound of cars from outside his apartment. “It was like my whole life was a dream. I woke up one morning and everything was clear. I didn’t stop being who I was before I remembered, but I gained something. I felt whole, and that things were just starting. I remember looking at your big bright eyes and thinking: This is my family, just as much as my last one. I love you, despite your horrible letters.”

“Huh. Ok. I guess I’m not sure about whether or not I think I’m Reincarnated. The dreams feel so familiar and when I wake up, I feel like I’ve lost something, like there’s something I should remember.”

“That’s just how dreams are, Scud.” there was a ringing from Stratus’ end “Oh SH---oot. Shoot. I have to go. See you next week, bye!”

“Goodbye!”

The line went dead with a click as soon as I finished my goodbye. I didn’t think I was reincarnated, that would be stupid. My brother does the tests that tell you if that’s what’s going on. But why did I think to ask him about his awakening? Was there anything to these dreams or was I just being stupid?

I sighed as I walked back into the Kitchen. Mom was there sipping a cup of Tea while jotting something down in a notepad. Dad finished rinsing off his dishes and went to give Mom a peck on the cheek. He waved goodbye as he opened an umbrella and walked out into the dark of a rainy morning. I waved back.

There was a knot in my stomach. Things didn’t feel right. I told my mom I was going for a walk and grabbed an umbrella from the closet along with my windbreaker. I stepped out into the streets of a sleepy village, listening to the steady pitter patter of rain on my umbrella and the occasional strikes of lightning in the distance as I wandered, not knowing where to go.

[1011686]

Go to the playground and spend some time on the swing. It's early enough we might have it to ourself.

[ಠ_ಠ]

oh, what if you're the first baby born with no soul! that must be it. scud the soulless.

[King-Clod]

Go to the seaside to watch the waves. Maybe find some cool shells, or a message in a bottle if we're lucky. Though... maybe that's wishful thinking.

[Lilium Mortem]

oh, what if you're the first baby born with no soul! that must be it. scud the soulless.

I shook my head, I had a stupid thought that I had no soul. I picked up my pace. I’ll be fine. I just need to clear my head. Think on stuff. I’m normal. I’m me. I’m Scud.

Go to the seaside to watch the waves. Maybe find some cool shells, or a message in a bottle if we're lucky. Though... maybe that's wishful thinking.

I can’t go to the beach, it’s raining, waves are going to be big. It’s a good idea, if the weather was better I’d go down there. Come on Scud, Think! I need to go somewhere, I can’t just walk around in circles with my own thoughts, It’s scaring me.

Go to the playground and spend some time on the swing. It's early enough we might have it to ourself.

Maybe I could go to the pl- There’s no playground in Blackwater. That’s a weird thought. I need to think through this, not just entertain every thought that comes into my head. This walk is a categorical failure in making me feel better, so what else can I do? Stratus would know. Mom and Dad would be dismissive. I need a friend right now.

I walked down to the barber shop on main street, shops weren’t open, it was nearly [7AM] but they didn’t open until [8AM]. I walked around to the back and found a pebble to chuck at the second story window. This went on for about a minute before I saw Wuther looking out the window still groggy. He held out a paw with all digits extended, saying he’d be down in five. Or at least that’s how I saw it.

About that time later he snuck out the back door with an umbrella. He looked really worried. I had just woken him up, so that wasn’t surprising. Still, he was too good to me. Wouldn’t even be mad that I got him up early.

“Scud, What’s wrong?” He asked, inching closer.

“I’m sorry, Wuther.” I said, looking away. “I’m feeling weird this morning. I’ve been having these weird dreams. All I remember from them is that I’ve forgotten something important. I called Stratus, and he brought up the idea I might be a Reincarnate. Well he thought I thought that.

“Thing is, that makes a weird kind of sense. I’ve always been weird. What if I’m just some weirdo? What if I’m not really a kid?”

“Scud...” Wuther walked closer but had to back off as our umbrellas bumped into each other. “You’re you. We’re friends with Reincarnates right? They’re kids too, even if they Awaken. Remember Pyrite? Before he moved away he made homemade fireworks for us. He didn’t suddenly think he was better than us, but when he remembered he used those memories to make rad explosions for his friends.

“No matter what, you’re who you are. I’ll always be your friend.”

“Thanks.”

-{ {} }-

I spend the morning at Wuther’s house, playing the new Fantasy Forever with him. It was the first one in 3D! The attacks looked so cool and we had a blast. I called home to let my mom know where I’d ended up. After hanging out with Wuther for a while I felt better.

I didn’t really believe I was Reincarnated. That would be crazy. But the Dreams I’d been having still weighed on me. I realized I needed to talk to someone about this. Wuther wasn’t enough, and I couldn’t wait until Stratus got off of work.

That left me with three options off the top of my head. One would be going to the temple and talking to Medium Em-Burn, But that risked a religious lecture. Second option was Ser Ka-Silversong, an eighth life and our resident knight. Going to her risked a lecture about respecting the law, and ‘not building toy swords out of scrap metal yes even if they’re ‘sculptures’’. The last option was The Witch. They moved in a few years ago and Run the pharmacy with their partner, but have their own shop on the second floor. I’ve heard they know a lot about the supernatural, and tell fortunes. I’d be risking my parents finding out for this one, they told me to stay away from The Witch.

[King-Clod]

The Knight. She's gone through reincarnation a bunch, right? She'd know what's up with you.

[1011686]

i agree with going to the knight. if she brings up the sword thing just say they're not swords, they're really long thin pryamids.

[Lilium Mortem]

The Knight. She's gone through reincarnation a bunch, right? She'd know what's up with you.

 

i agree with going to the knight. if she brings up the sword thing just say they're not swords, they're really long thin pryamids.

I decided on Ser Silversong. I had a couple of good excuses if she brought up the scrap metal swords, plus she’s on her eighth life. The decision seemed easy in retrospect. I’d get in so much trouble if I went to The Witch, and I don’t want to spend any more time in that stuffy temple than I have to for services. 

I walked down main street towards the small police station, and the attached watchtower. I heard when she first came to town, She built the watchtower as an addition to the police station by herself. It’s also her house, which, of course you’d want to live in a tower.
 
With a bit of apprehension I entered the station. There were only three desks, a holding cell, and a few back rooms. Not even a receptionist. Officer Em-Mason looked up from a magazine she was reading and sighed when she saw me.

“Scud, did you break something?” She asked.
 
“Not today.” I replied.
 
“For my own sanity I’ll ignore the implications of that.” She said, rubbing her temples.
 
“I want to see Ser Ka-Silversong. I need some advice.”
 
“That’s a first,” Officer Mason chuckled. “If you’re taking the initiative on getting scolded I’m not going to stop you. The good Ser is where she always is this time of day, top of the tower. You know the way.”
 
That I did. I made my way to the stairway that led up into the tower and walked up four stories to the top. The top floor of the watchtower was a large square room with huge windows covering the entire perimeter. Ser Silversong was walking in circles around the room, scanning the view of the town.

In addition to a radio, a computer, and a table, the one thing that stood out about the room was the weapons wrack. There was an old wooden re-curve bow, unstrung, up on a plaque above the windows, and below that, a rack containing several different weapons. The base of the rack was attached to a gun safe, and held a spear, some daggers, Throwing knives, and a modern crossbow and five bolts displayed prominently.
 
I took a moment to look at the Knight herself. She was a [Maine coone] Like me, with a serious expression on her face and the silver fur of her family. She wore a regal red uniform, a compromise between mobility and regal flair. On her left hip she had a sword with a silver hilt and a ruby set into the crest engraved into the hilt. On her right hip was holstered a standard issue police Taser. Then she turned to look at me.

“Hello Mx. Harvestfell. It’s awfully early for you to be getting into trouble.” She said, giving me a playful smile. “Though it’s plain to see on your face that’s not what you’re here about. Take a seat, I’ll get you a juice-box and you can tell me what’s on your mind.”
 
“Thanks.” I said.
 
I took a seat. I tried to collect my thoughts. What should I tell her? There’s the weird dreams, the strange thoughts I’ve been having, the crazy Idea I could be reincarnated… I think that covers it, right? Maybe I should ask her some easier stuff, break the ice. Or I could just be direct. What should I do, Oh Spirits she’s coming back with the juice-box. Come on Scud, Decide!

[1011686]

firstly, thank her for the juice-box. it never hurts to be polite.
to begin with, just ask her about what reincarnating and regaining memories is like, without mentioning your own experiences. you can bring those up if she says something that seems relevant to what you're going through.

[King-Clod]

^ Ditto to that.
If she asks why you think you could be reincarnated though, describe the weird dreams. Be sure to bring up some of the stuff that you've been remembering in the dream and throughout the day that just doesn't make sense, like the Shrimp.

[Lilium Mortem]

First post has been updated to reflect a change in how I handle content warnings for this project. I've removed the content warnings for Drugs and Suicide implications because I no longer plan for them to come up, and have made a statement that future content warnings may be added if we run across them during the adventure. read the full statement for more clarity. Thank you for reading, there's still time to get suggestions in, don't plan on updating until at least tomorrow night.

[Lilium Mortem]

firstly, thank her for the juice-box. it never hurts to be polite.
to begin with, just ask her about what reincarnating and regaining memories is like, without mentioning your own experiences. you can bring those up if she says something that seems relevant to what you're going through.

 

^ Ditto to that.
If she asks why you think you could be reincarnated though, describe the weird dreams. Be sure to bring up some of the stuff that you've been remembering in the dream and throughout the day that just doesn't make sense, like the Shrimp.

Things fell into place. I had a game plan now. First thank her for the juice-box, then ask about her experiences with Reincarnating. Once that breaks the ice I can mention my own stuff. I need to remember to mention stuff that doesn’t seem right.

Ser Silversong opened a mini-fridge and tossed a juice-box my way. I caught it out of the air and set it down on the table so I could open it. Ser Silversong poured herself a cup of rust brown tea and walked over to the table before taking a seat.

“Thanks” I said, taking a sip from the juice box. “It’s been a bit of a weird morning for me. I talked to Stratus, and he told me about his awakening this life. It… It got me thinking. I’ve never really thought about it, you know? Reincarnation. Everyone in town knows you’ve been through a lot in all of your lives. What’s it like, reincarnating?”

“You’re not the first kid to think they’re reincarnated” She replied with a wry smile.

“What? No! I mea-” She raised a hand to interrupt me.

“I’m old, Scud, I’ve received lifetimes of training on many things, and I’ve had this conversation before. It’s ok. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

“Oh, ok. Sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” She said, sitting back and closing her eyes for a second. “My first life was during the tail end of the Ashen Era. I was a farmer by trade, but back then the kingdom was still divided. Raiders were becoming a real problem, but there wasn’t enough law enforcement to go around. Reconstruction was taking all we had.

“I couldn’t just do nothing. So I joined the militia. Every day I’d wake up and train with a spear before working. Every night I’d practice with a bow and arrow after dinner. Then we were raided. I froze. I watched as they rained flaming arrows on the village. Then I saw one draw a blade. A villager was blocking the door to one of the storehouses with their body. Before I knew it I was moving.

“I killed the first raider, then the next, until they were all dead. Every movement trained, every beat of my heart I felt the other villagers, the others in the militia, they needed me. I stopped farming after that, and became a guard.

“I trained hard, and became the best fighter in the village. We were raided a few times later, but we could drive them off now. Until a raiding party of a hundred souls appeared at our doorstep. This time I didn’t hesitate. The first arrow from my bow killed their commander before he could give the order to attack.

“The battle was brutal. Every chance I got I’d distract an enemy so a civilian could get to safety, or a guard could get a chance to breathe. It was a losing battle. But I kept going. One by one the other guards fell, or ran. I was the last. I killed about fifty men total. At the end I was missing an arm and half my face. I kept going. I wouldn’t die, I couldn’t die. I still had to live to protect my Village, My family. A raider ran me through with a sword. I pushed my way further into it until I got close enough to strangle him to death before I finally died myself.

“I was born into my next life In the city of Crossroads in Alloy. I grew up with a poor family. Have you ever done something so much that it becomes second nature? Not just muscle memory, something more. Instincts burned into your soul. I went through my spear drills with a mop without knowing what I was doing. I took walks through the neighborhood until I found someone up to no good and beat them senseless. It became obvious I wasn’t in my first life.

“When I Awoke… everything made sense. I knew why I acted strange, why I needed to help people, why I fought. I knew all along, really. It just took some time for my body to grow up enough for me to accept it. I joined the police, but after just a year a Knight from the Kingdom of rose came to me, to tell me I was nominated to be a Knight myself.”

I raised my hand. “Wait, a knight came all that way before airships and high speed rail? Wouldn’t training a knight back home be easier?”

“No, Knights aren’t just really good warriors.” Ser Silversong said, shaking her head. “We are the kind of people who don’t accept death, the kind of people who can’t help but help when we see someone in trouble, the kind of people that do good for the sake of doing good. That’s a hard person to find. Even harder to make them agree to be a knight.

“A Knight’s Training lasts around seventy years, due to the rose knight’s Soul Art.”

“Wait.” I said, “I’m super curious about everything that goes into being a knight, but I think we went off topic.”

“I’m sorry, You’re right. Let me summarize then, let me know if you want to know more. A Soul Art is a technique where you manipulate your soul into affecting the world around you. The Rose Knights Soul art is called Blood Iron Thorn. It lets us control Iron extracted from our blood. That’s what my sword is made of, as well as those crossbow bolts.

“Back on topic, Every life since then, I act to protect others, even as a kid. I Fight, I struggle, even before I Awaken. When you are a Reincarnate, your nature is already determined. Who you are emerges as your body grows to accommodate your soul. People like to think we’re somewhat new people when we reincarnate. That isn’t true. Our core is the same. We might change growing up in different circumstances, but no more than how we all change and grow over the same period of time.

“So let’s entertain the idea you are reincarnated. What habits stem from your soul? What things are burned into the core of who you are? What things make you more than your body?”

We sat in silence after that. If I was a reincarnate, then that means I’m already who I was? Then who am I? I’m a Kid. I like to make art, it feels good to create. I don’t feel like talking to people, but I do it anyway. I want to do more, be more, than I am.

“I make things. Pieces of art that come from a place deep inside. I never felt like having friends, but I try hard to have them anyway. I always want to help out, to do more, to be more. I feel like… Like I have to make up for something.” I said.

“That’s not enough. Those could all be things that could be you just being a kid. What else?” She asked.

“Well...” I closed my eyes. “I have dreams. I don’t remember them much, but it feels like I’ve lost something every time I wake up, like there’s something important I’ve forgotten. I’ve been having weird thoughts lately. Stuff that almost doesn’t seem like my own. I wouldn’t have thanked you for the juice-box normally, I wouldn’t have Called Stratus after I couldn’t get electronic mail to work, I wouldn’t have come here. I would have tried going to The Witch for advice. And I wouldn’t tell you this: I told my brother the acronym for the soul detector, the SRIMP, sounds like Shrimp.”

“Mmmm… They may just be intrusive thoughts. You’re growing up, after all, your brain is still developing.” Silversong said, swirling the remains of her tea. “Wait… SRIMP doesn’t sound like Shrimp. They don’t sound anything alike. ‘Sra’-’im’-’P’ doesn’t sound anything like ‘Al’-’u’-’ta’”

“Aluta? But I said Aluta.” I said. What? “Aluta. Aluta. ALUTA!”

Silversong gets up and puts a hand on my shoulder. I realize I’m shaking. I know SRIMP sounds like aluta. But it doesn’t. But it does.

“Calm down, try to explain it to me, one thought at a time.” Sileversong said, holding my hand.

“Ok. Stratus said it was called the Something Radiation Information Manual Purser. Then he said SRIMP. I remember eating Aluta and imagining a big pink Geiger counter.”

“Ok, it’s ok.” Silversong said, “how are you doing, Scud?”

“I’m confused, and scared, but I feel like there’s something I’ve forgotten, something on the tip of my tongue”

“Do you trust me?”

I did. She was a paragon, someone who went out of her way to do good. She was forced to take a post here because she was overworking herself saving people. No matter how much she scolded me she was always fair. She had my favorite juice in her mini-fridge.

“Yes” I said.

“Aluta are toxic to Kaz, Scud. they don’t even live in this hemisphere. You’ve never eaten one.” She said.

But… I had. I remembered it clearly. A seafood restaurant. It wasn’t very good, but it smelled like saltwater and crab. The place was decorated with nautical knickknacks and you could see the ocean out the window. I ordered popcorn shrimp, thinking there would be actual popcorn. I threw a tantrum.

“<Popcorn shrimp>” I whispered.“... Aluta.”

Two images in my head clashed. A brown shelled crustacean that was the bane of northern fishermen. The other was red and pink, but looked the same. You had to pay more to get them without their tails. They were served grilled or fried. They came with gross sauce. Shrimp. Aluta. They were different, but the same. How could I know both?

[1011686]

Try not to overwhelm yourself with these memories, just calm down and think them through, one at a time. Try to see if you can recall not just experiences, but information. What was your name? What was the name of the place you lived? What did you look like?

[ಠ_ಠ]

You know both because you're an alien, Scud. Obviously.

[King-Clod]

Maybe you're a reincarnate of an undiscovered settlement of people, or something? Who figured out how to eat Aluta safely? Or maybe you aren't a reincarnate at all, I don't know. Maybe...you're something worse.

[Lilium Mortem]

Maybe you're a reincarnate of an undiscovered settlement of people, or something? Who figured out how to eat Aluta safely? Or maybe you aren't a reincarnate at all, I don't know. Maybe...you're something worse.

Maybe I’m from some undiscovered settlem- no. Reincarnation happens instantly between any two points in the world, that wouldn’t make any sense. But nothing makes sense… that was another. Another one of those weird thoughts.

‘Or maybe you aren't a reincarnate at all, I don't know. Maybe...you're something worse.’

SHIT! I flinched and fell back out of my chair. I was vaguely aware of Silversong catching me, but that wasn’t important. I don’t think these weird thoughts are mine. Could I have dissociative identity disorder? No, that wouldn’t give me memories of impossible things, would it?

Try not to overwhelm yourself with these memories, just calm down and think them through, one at a time. Try to see if you can recall not just experiences, but information. What was your name? What was the name of the place you lived? What did you look like?

I took a deep breath. I shouldn’t overwhelm myself with these memories and thoughts. I need to calm down and think things through. See if- see if-

‘you can recall not just experiences, but information. What was your name? What was the name of the place you lived? What did you look like?’

I flinched again as I realized the thought isn’t my own. It’s not bad advice, and I have ignored these thoughts in the past… So I’m probably not being mind controlled? God this is a lot.

Alright. I tried to put things in order. I reviewed my life up until now. I was born here in this village in Ohio. I grew up without any friends. I always loved playing in the sand and mud, making things. My parents didn’t approve of art as a career, so I gave it up. Now we’re struggling to make ends meet, even with Stratus’ help. I dropped out of college, it was too much. I shut myself off from the wo-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!” I screamed, clutching my head.

It hurt. The memories. I can’t tell them apart. It’s a jumbled mess that crashes into itself and makes more and more pain and I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t be calm, I couldn’t think through this, It just keept happening.

‘You know both because you're an alien, Scud. Obviously.’

I get it now. It finally clicked into place with that last thought. There’s a planet called earth, people called humans. It was my home. I wasted away there not caring, shut off from the world. But I also grew up here, made friends, and did stupid kid stuff. The memories don’t conflict because I am a reincarnate. I’ve been goddamned Isekai’d.

Things started to settle into place. I realized I was drifting off, Falling asleep. Or unconscious. I couldn’t feel anything anymore and that ain’t good. But I felt the arms of a knight carry me, and decided I’m in good hands. Or paws as it were.

[Now that we're past the tutorial, so to speak, I will use all suggestions. Scud can hear you now. fully and completely.]

[King-Clod]

Hey bud! Feeling alright? You kinda passed out there for a moment.

...You should probably tell your parents, Stratus, and Wuther what happened when you get your head about you. I'm sure they're all worried. You were all out of sorts today.

[ಠ_ಠ]

Dream about shrimp

[1011686]

>review what you know about isekai tropes in order to determine what your next appropriate course of action is.

[Lilium Mortem]

In the darkness born of void one light shows. A figure sits back-lit, silhouetted by a rectangular light. They turn to face it, revealing they are sitting on an office chair. The light reveals itself to be from a monitor, a mishmash of early 90’s PCs and a boxy, metal computer that seems too big to just hold what it needs to for being a computer.

The display is in monochrome with bits of bright red sprinkled throughout. On it there is a forum thread displaying. The figure scrolls back, seeing a full account of their day, and all the anonymous forum users that posted comments during that time, starting when they got up.

They open up a window and make a new post.

I guess it’s time we talked huh? Seems like there’s a 4chan in my mind. Weird. Looking back through this it’s all clearly in english, so I doubt y’all are something from Kaz’Rao itself. I’ve never dreamt this lucidly before, I think it’s an effect of whatever weird shit is going down with me besides being reincarnated from earth.

Feels so weird to just type that. Though I guess I’m not really typing, this is all just some kind of metaphor. Perfect for a shut in like me. Or like I was. It’s laughable how bad I was at computers just this morning. But I’m getting off topic.

Y’all seem to be giving me advice, or suggesting things, rather. Most of it is good, some of it is a bit odd. Don’t know why you’d want me to make a giant sandwich or insinuating I had no soul. Who knows, maybe there are trolls in brain 4chan too. Lets take a look.

Hey bud! Feeling alright? You kinda passed out there for a moment.

...You should probably tell your parents, Stratus, and Wuther what happened when you get your head about you. I'm sure they're all worried. You were all out of sorts today.

Still passed out, I think. Thanks for the concern I guess. That seems interesting. I wonder how much information you get? There weren’t any of you chiming up while I was spending the morning with Wuther, so I wonder how much you see.

I’m not going to tell anyone I’m reincarnated. Well at least not my family. Wuther maybe, sharing that kind of secret sounds kinda fun, as weird as that sounds. I mean I doubt that Silversong hasn’t called my parents by this point, so they’ll know about the fainting. Hmm… guess Silversong could tell them I’m reincarnated, but I doubt she would. Seems like something she’d leave up to me, knowing her reputation.
 

Dream about shrimp

...No. yeah I’m doubling down on the theory that brain 4chan has trolls. Fuck you and fuck shrimp.
 

>review what you know about isekai tropes in order to determine what your next appropriate course of action is.

Ok yeah you’re definitely earth adjacent at least if you know about Isekai stories. Also, no. Subaru from Re:zero made that mistake and kept making that mistake. If there’s anything I’ve learned from deconstructions of isekies is that this is a real ass place with real ass people and problems. I’ve lived here for almost thirteen years.

Besides, I don’t want to find a cute girl to white knight and power creep my way into a showdown with the demon king. We don’t even have a demon king.

My plan is to hunker down, pretend I didn’t just remember my life from earth and have a nice birthday with my family and friends. I am not going to let my childhood go to waste… again.