Second part of the book came out! Yessss!
P.s. When I wrote this while my back was killing me. Don't worry, I took breaks when the pain got too intense and I got patches, they're very much helping rn ಥ‿ಥ
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-3rd POV-
"You want to play games?" Vil said, tilting his head slightly.
"I can offer you a vast selection of classic hit games...All downloaded for your entertainment." Ortho smiled, as Idia's eyes widen.
"But, uh, I'm sure you guys aren't into that stuff anyway." He averted his eyes.
"Hmm. What kind of games do you have?" The blond said.
"Sorry, sometimes us nerds can't read a room—wait, what?" The flame haired male's eyes widen, processing the male's words.
"I asked what kind of games you have."
"Whoa. But aren't you like...some sparkly, gorgeous supermodel? Do you really like video games?"
"What a narrow-minded thing to say. Gamers exist in every field." He deadpanned, "For that matter, plenty of celebrities play handheld consoles when traveling or during downtime when filming. I don't own one myself, but I've occasionally played one when it was offered to me. I thought it might be nice to do something I don't normally do, rather than squandering the next three hours."
"You know, Vil-san does have a point." Azul nodded, "I hear some Magicammers make a living off posting gameplay videos and other such content. This could open a new, lucrative door for me."
"I had a few consoles back home, but I haven't played any video games since I started at Night Raven College." Jamil said, thinking back.
"Well, Mr. Impossible-to-please—uh, I mean, Riddle is very studious, and Leona's a prince, so I doubt they play any..." Idia said.
Leona looked at him, his ear twitching slightly, "Huh? Of course I don't. I've poked at the chess game on my computer when I had nothing better to do, but that's about it."
"Forget about a game console; I didn't even have a TV at home." Riddle said.
"I feel validated now that you've both proven me right. Thanks." The flame haired male said.
The small boy smiled, "Then we should choose a game that's easy for beginners to learn!"
"Thanks, but I'll sit this one out. My mother told me video games are addictive and can hurt academic performance." The red haired male said.
"Wut. Are you serious?" Idia frowned before smiling, "Oh man, you're one of those guys. The kind that declares something's bad for everyone just because it's bad for them."
"But it's undeniable that getting too absorbed in a game will cut into your study time."
"Yeah. If you let it get that bad. There this one study that shows gaming in moderation enhances cognitive function and decision-making skills. If someone's grade tank just 'cause they played a video game, that's not on the game. It's on the person and their lack of discipline! Don't go blaming games just 'cause you don't have any self-control."
"Hoo boy...I think you've flipped his "go off" switch." Ortho sighed softly, as the others deadpanned.
"Oh, but don't get me wrong!" He continued to ramble, "I wouldn't dream of pressuring you into liking games, of course. Trying to shove a game doen someknds throat to prove how fun it is when they don't want to play...Well, that's a complete waste of time and rude on all fronts. I'm not here to drag your preferences, Riddle. You've been like this your whole life and kept the top spot in your class for years. No reason to mess with success. IMO. After all—you wouldn't wanna risk tanking your grades by picking up a controller, would you?" He laughed.
"Wha...Huh...?!" Riddle said, eyes widening.
"Now his nonstop haranguing has left Riddle tongue-tied." Vil said.
"I'm telling you, Idia's got a gift for running people the wrong way." The lion male said.
"I didn't know he could get so worked up or go on for such a long time." The Scarabia male said.
"Oh, it happens plenty during club meetings when video games or anime come up." Azul sighed.
"How dare you! My grades would never drop just because I happened to play a video game!" The red head male exclaimed.
"Oh, is that so? Strange, that's not what you just said." Idia smiled, "Or did someone else say "video games hurt your academic performance"?" He chuckled.
"That only happens when someone lacks proper discipline—which I clearly do not."
"Are you suuure? You've never played one before. How can you prooove it?" He teased, making the male angry.
"All right! If that's how you're going to be, then I'll play. And I'll prove once and for all that a mere video game cannot harm my grades in the slightest!"
He chuckled, "Just don't come crying to me if you have so much fun you can't put it down." He looked at his younger brother, "Ortho! Bring up the list of games on the monitor!"
The said boy smiled and brought up the screen that showed a list of thousands of games, "On it!"
"Now Riddle's played right into Idia's hands. It's rather embarrassing to watch." The Pomefiore housewarden said.
"Riddle-san's very bright, but had zero resistance to trolling." Azul said.
"And Idia's acting downright childish." He deadpanned.
"Let's see, a suitable game for first-time player Riddle Rosehearts...I recommend Legend of the Underworld for it's simple controls!" Ortho smiled.
"An early 8-bit title, huh? I have to hand it to you, Ortho. That's an oldie but a goodie." Idia smiled, looking over at the screen.
"Yep! I figured we could show him a little video game history while we play."
"Early 8-bit? Doesn't that mean it's really old?" Vil said.
"Sure does. We've only played the digital re-release ourselves. The original cart goes for a premium online. Not many can afford that!" The Ignihyde housewarden said.
"Legend of the Underworld is an 8-bit cartridge game that released on home consoles 35 years ago. In it, you play as a ferryman carrying souls to the Underworld. You have to collect the souls placed throughout the levels and reach the goal at the end. People consider it to be the original side-scroller." Ortho explained.
"The simplicity is what makes it so fun to play! The Underworld setting rules too. There's lots of little details that kids find cool."
"Here you go, Riddle Rosehearts. An 8-bit game controller." He said, handing the said male the controller.
"Um, right." Riddle said, looking at it like it was from a different universe.
"I'll set the difficulty to easy...There. Now, let's get playing!"
-----
"Riddle-san, you have to collect the blue and yellow flames!" Ortho said, pointing at them.
"You lose life when you hit the rocks! Use the up button to avoid them!" Idia said.
Riddle looked at the controller, looking at it confusingly, "What?! But none of these buttons say "up"!"
He grinned, "Wow, you are really bad at this, lol. I mean press up on the D-pad, on the left side." He said.
"I've not been on land for long, and even I figured that one out, Riddle-san." Azul smirked, pushing up his glasses.
"There's a big black dog coming up on the right. Is that an enemy?" Vil questioned.
"Let's gooo! That's the guard dog of the Underworld! It kills on sight! Quick, down on the bottom lane!" The flame haired male said.
The red haired male frantically pressed on the button, "Now you want me to go down?!" He said, thought he soon lost.
"Aww, you lost all your health. Game over." Ortho sadly said.
"Rgh...I barely did anything at all..."
"Boy, I gotta tell you...I've never met anyone who didn't know what the up button was! Then again, seeing as I have no friends, this is the first time I've gamed irl with anyone other than Ortho." Idia said.
The gray haired male chuckled, "So there is something you're bad at, Riddle-san."
The said male looked at him, "You're using the wrong word. I'm not "bad" at games. I'm inexperienced! How about you try, since you're so smug about it?"
"Very well. Hand over the controller." He said, taking the controller.
"Same difficulty, right?" Ortho said, as the male nodded, "Okay, here goes!"
The game began and Azul was moving the ferryman to dodge the rocks.
"My. The ferryman is actually moving to avoid the rocks this time." Vil said.
"Hey, you're pretty good for a first-timer." Idia said.
"It's my first time playing this, but Floyd owns several terrestrial game consoles. So I've dabbled a bit. Plus, Riddle-san was kind enough to go first and provide an excellent tutorial." Azul smirked, which made the Heartslabyul male angry.
"Grk! Rrrgh..."
The sound of victory could be hear.
"Azul Ashengrotto-san, you've cleared stage one without taking any damage! Congratulations!" Ortho smiled.
He chuckled, "I should think so."
"Grr...Ortho! Can you put that game on the mini-monitors on the table?" Riddle said, walking over to the table.
"Sure. Why do you ask?" The boy questioned.
"I'm going to practice until I clear that stage with no damage!"
"Oh, really? As the first of us to achieve that feat, I could offer you some pointers for reasonable price." The gray haired male said.
"Not necessary! I just need more practice with this controller, I'm sure I can do it..."
"Yare yare...So much for being above such things." Jamil said.
"Make sure you both take a break every hour." Vil said.
"Tch. All this fuss over a lousy video game. How immature are you guys?" Leona said.
"Considering the average age of Night Raven College students, most of them haven't reached full maturity yet. It's an accurate descriptor." The small boy said.
"That ain't what I meant. Can't you guys use your indoor voice? You're yappin' isn't exactly white noise, and I'm trying to take a nap." He said, his tail swaying in annoyance and glaring at the rest.
"You should join us, Leona Kingscholar-san!"
He looked at him, "Huh?"
"I have just the game for you." He smiled, "It's called, The Hydra Strikes Back!"
Idia's eyes widen, "Dude, Hydra! It's a well-known, early-gen party game. There are tons of mini-games in it!"
"The story starts with a young, would-be hero meeting a legendary trainer. The hero overcomes the trainer's many harsh trials...and goes on the slay the Hydra, a monster terrorizing the public. That's the basic gist." He explained.
"It's a sequel, right? I remember playing that on my handheld back in the day." The Scarabia male said.
Ortho nodded, "That's right! They made a sequel with a wider variety of mini-games for handheld systems. It outsold the original! The original game was released 27 years ago, and then got a digital version a few years back. It's actually had a recent resurgence in popularity."
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" The lion male said.
"Uh, Ortho, do you mean...?" His eyes widen in realization.
Ortho giggled, "You'll just have to play for yourself and find out. Here's a controller, Leona-san!" He said, handing the male another controller.
"Hey, I never said I was gonna—" Leona was cut off.
"And here we go!" He started the game.
------
"Leona-san, the gold Hydra is worth more points!" Ortho said.
"Ack! Don't hit the legendary trainer doll!" Idia exclaimed.
Leona glanced at the doll that popped out, which was a satyr, "Huh? This goofy-lookin' guy's the legendary trainer? It's his own fault if he barges in and gets smacked."
"You're not wrong, but that's how the game works. No use whining about it."
"I think this is where more Hydras heads start popping up, Leona-senpai." Jamil said.
"Tch..." The lion male glared at the screen, "Why am I doing this again?" He said, before he finished the game.
"Wow! Look at that high score! What a testament to your sharp vision and quick reflexes!" The small boy exclaimed, his shining at the score.
"Great. So, how is this game for me?" He said, turning to him.
"Well, you see...There have been a bunch of viral videos showing cats pawing and pouncing at the Hydra gameplay screen. Feline fanatics would record their cats, then tag the videos with #CatVsHydra. Later, a researcher saw those videos. That person ran an experiment to see if lions would react the same way to The Hydra Strikes Back."
"They put some game footage on screen, and sure enough...The lions watched with interest, and pawed and pounced just like the housecats did! According to the Styx database...You are a beastman with lion genes, Leona Kingscholar-san. So I predicted that if you played this game, you'd enjoy it and not get tired of it."
Jamil smirked, "Ortho, no..."
Vil laughed, "Oh, well, played, Ortho. A perfect choice."
Leona on the hard had a very heated glare, letting out a small breath.
"You were focused right from the start, and judging by your high score...My prediction was right on the mark. I'm glad you enjoyed it!" The small boy said.
Idia chuckled, "He's got a point. You might've acted disinterested, but that's a pretty high score. Did you feel compelled to keep chasing the Hydras?"
"Leona, beholden to his feline nature? Who knew he could be so adorable?" The blond male smirked.
'I don't think Ortho meant anything by it, but these guys...They close in like sharks smelling blood in the water.' The Scarabia male thought.
"Would you like to try another level?" Ortho smiled.
The lion male was quiet before letting out a long sigh, "Sorry, kiddo. They're absolutely right. I'm beholden to my feline nature, so I get real sleepy during the day. I'd love to play more, but I know I'd conk out before long. Go ahead and let someone else play." He said.
"Oh, that's too bad..." He sadly said.
"That's Leona for you. He's a real pro at getting out of stuff he doesn't wanna do." The Ignihyde housewarden shrugged.
"Have fun, guys. Here's the controller." Leona threw the controller.
Jamil was the one that caught it, "Whoa, careful now..." He said, before looking at the male that walked off to lay down, "Looks like we put him in a foul mood."
"Don't worry about it. That's how he always is." The Pomefiore housewarden said.
"Jamil Viper-san, would you like to play Hydra?" Ortho said.
The said male smiled, "Actually, I'm interested in seeing how Vil-senpai is at the video games."
"Me?" Vil pointed at himself.
"Yes. You've only been watching so far."
"I don't normally play, you know. It won't make for the most entertaining watch. But I suppose I was getting a tad bored just spectating. I might as well give it a go." He looked at the small boy, "Is there anything you would recommend, Ortho?"
He smiled, "I was hoping you'd ask! There's one game you must play, Vil Schoenheit-san! For a global supermodel and shining star, I present...Star Rogue: A Hero's Dawn!"
"Our legend! Pop ooofff!" Idia exclaimed, "This is the story of how one man became a hero. The year: Stellaris 1997. The Chronos Force invaded from the Titan Nebula, conquering the Planet Gaia and plunging it into chaos. The Gaia Dynasty was thought to have been wiped out in the invasion. However! One of their princes was raised in secrecy, his origin concealed from the Chronos Force! When his adoptive parents told him the truth about where he came from...He set forth on a journey to bring back his birth parents and restore peace to Gaia! Da-da-da-daaa!"
Everyone stared at him, making him jump a bit and realizing he rambled.
"...Erk! Uh, sorry, got carried away there...The game's a shoot-em-up, but the story's just so thrilling...Anyway, uh, you're welcome to play it if you like..." He muttered the last sentence.
"Why are you suddenly acting so embarrassed? We didn't say a word." Vil deadpanned.
"Yeah, nii-san. You should be proud of your favorite game!" Ortho said.
"They'll get the appeal way better by playing it than from me prattling on. So go on, try it out!" The flame haired male said.
"I've had minimal experience with this type of game, to be clear." The blond said.
"Then I'll set it to beginner mode." The boy smiled, "Here's your controller, Vil Schoenheit-san!" He handed the male the controller, "Now then..."
""Shoot for glory among the stars and soar like a comet!"" Ortho and Idia exclaimed, doing a pose.
-----
"Wow, you're good! You blew through the first boss like it was nothing!" Ortho said.
"Something clicked for me while I was playing. Wasn't there a live-action movie adaptation of this game? I vaguely remember the story from a film I saw with my dad." Vil said.
"Dude! You saw the movie?!" Idia said, shocked.
"I didn't know it was based on a video game."
"The movie was highly regarded among fans, but it appealed to a widespread, mainstream audience too. That led to Star Rogue hitting the big time." The small boy said.
"Yup. Game sales spiked after the movie's release, and they finally announced a sequel!"
"But right after that, the development team had a falling out."
"It was tragic. The narrative writer, character designer, and game designer...all argued so much they ended up leaving the industry and going their separate ways."
"With the original team gone, I suppose any sequel that got made would be an entirely different game." Vil said.
"Exactly. I mean, props to the company for stickin' to their principles. They didn't just slam together another team to churn out a sequel. But alas, the sequel to Star Rogue was left a dream unrealized."
"And because of that, plans for a second movie were also suspended indefinitely." Ortho said.
"I still hold out hope that those top-tier creators will get back together someday...and we'll finally get out miracle—the Star Rogue sequel." He said, tears forming around his eyes and let out a sniff.
"So all you do is hope?" The blond said.
"Uh, what?" He looked at him with eyes widen.
"If you love it that much, why not make it happen yourself?"
"What?"
"He's right, y'know. With your family's resources, you could just pay the creators and get 'em back together." Leona cut in.
"Bwhaaa?! No! None of you get it! I want the original team to make a sequel to Star Rogue...A game that was made with passion, by a team that truly believed in it and knew it was going to be amazing! What value would there be in a game they made grudgingly just because I threw money at them?"
"Is that how it works?" Jamil tilted his head.
"Yes! Ugh, bunch of casuals. You know nothing of a nerd's heart!"
"Not to burst your bubble, but that's actually not what I meant." Vil said.
"Oh?"
"For a start, you could go visit each of these creators...and let them know how absurdly passionate you are about this."
"Huh...?"
"Perhaps you'd make a difference by showing them they have an ardent fan eagerly awaiting a sequel."
"I dunno...I've seen plenty of superfans doing that before, signing petitions and stuff..."
"But that was other people, right? Have you taken any action yourself?"
Idia shook his head, "I-I couldn't. I'm just one guy. Nothing I do would make a difference..."
"It will always be a zero-percent chance as long as you believe it impossible and refuse to act. Personally, I wouldn't let it stay that way." Vil said.
Ortho's eyes widen.
"Zero is zero no matter what you multiply it by, right? But if you take some form of action, that zero could potentially become a 0.001. And 0.001 has a chance of becoming 100. In which case, there's no reason not to do it. The main character of Star Rogue starts at zero and becomes a hero, does he not?"
"Well, sure, but that's just a story. Reality doesn't work that way. At the end of the day, even super passionate dev teams disband without finishing what they set out to do."
"You're right, of course. Reality is harsh, and we don't always get happy endings wrapped in neat little bows. And that's precisely why there's room to turn our story—our future—on its head. We're still young. No need to roll the end credits on our potential yet."
"But for me, it's just..." He trailed off.
"It's not impossible, nii-san!" Ortho said, making him jump.
"Buh?!"
"I never thought there was any chance we'd have friends over and play video games with them. But it happened!"
"Uhh...Again, this is kind of a different scenario..."
"I think I have a better idea of what I should be doing now." He looked at the Pomefiore male, "Thank you, Vil Schoenheit-san!"
"Hm? I hardly did anything worth thanking me for. But if you got something positive out of it, so much the better." Vil said.
"Mhm!" He smiled.
"Uh, Ortho? Did you hear what I said?" Idia said, before they were interrupted.
"Yes! I cleared it!" Riddle happily exclaimed.
"Looks like Riddle Rosehearts-san cleared Legend of the Underworld stage one on easy!" Ortho said.
"Whoa! Guess he figured out where the up button was!" The flame haired male said, smiling.
"All thanks to my patient and humble advice, of course. Wouldn't you agree, Riddle-san?" Azul smiled.
His brows furrowed, "I could've done without the peanut gallery."
"Have you two been playing this whole time? I thought I told you to take breaks." Vil scolded them.
"Not letting zero stay zero...By taking action...You're able to turn your story on its head..." Ortho muttered.
-----
As they played or slept, alarms blared out along with the flashing of red lights.
"Testing of subjects ROS-859A and SUS-3320B is now complete as of 1600. Phantom cages have been frozen and secured. Lifting lockdown status."
Outside the barriers were lifted and no longer red.
"Oh hey, they're done. Whew. Now I can finally get out of this zoo." Idia said.
"Those three hours certainly flew by." Vil said.
Leona yawned, "Nothin' like a good nap."
"I'm impressed you managed to sleep through all that noise, Leona-senpai." Jamil said.
"Ngh...Now I see souls drifting down the river whenever I close my eyes." Riddle said.
"I understand the entertainment value of game playthroughs much better now. The way Riddle-san would scream when he got hit right before he was about to clear the stage...Oh, I can hear it now..." Azul chuckled, as the other male looked at him with an angered look.
"Okay, guys. Time to head back to your rooms. You're scheduled to fly back to school at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Just sit tight until then." Idia said, before walking, but then stopped, "Oh, right, I almost forgot..." He looked at the blond, "Vil, could you stick around for a sec?"
"Just me? Well, I suppose I don't mind." He said, getting up from his seat.