💫 𝔼𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤: 𝔸 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 | 𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕫𝕒𝕚 & 𝔹𝕒𝕜𝕒 💫

[Tenzai]

ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪᴛꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɴ ɪᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ.
- ʜᴀɴꜱ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛɪᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴇɴ​

---

Every story comes to an end, sooner or later. . .

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ | ʟᴏꜰɪ ʟɪᴀ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

"You've been nothing but perfect to me, darling. Be mine. I won't accept anyone else." A vampiric prince stood at the other end of her screen with arms extended, revealing the feelings once hidden within the depths of his frigid, undead heart for his protagonist lover. He was one of the many romanceable candidates in the Otome game Eternal Lovers: A Thirst for Passion; The final game released in the series before the gaming company that made them went bankrupt. While they held many talented writers and artists within their ranks, what the company and its series lacked was a consistent identity and niche. Their aims were too broad. Its settings across the game series were all over the place, contrasting greatly from one sequel to another.

For a couple games, their creative lead would focus on historical romances in feudal times between samurai and knights before suddenly shifting over to a sci-fi space odyssey with mecha pilots and futuristic magical girls. With other games in the series, they explored worlds of fantasy through magical academies or dungeons populated with mystical and monstrous races. Other times, they even experimented with realistic worlds set in modern times in both war and peace. To consider their flagship series, Eternal Lovers, all the same canon timeline was to give it directors too much credit.

While innovative for its time with its introduction of unique RPG mechanics, NPC interactions, and life-sim systems, it was still a simple premise underneath all the added elaborate layers of complexity: The protagonist was given choices to improve herself and further her relationships with different characters with the single goal of choosing your own happy ending. While in pursuit of this goal, challenges and antagonists would end up getting in the protagonist's way, usually leading them to suffer from a bad end as a result. The games were not kind to its villains. It was as if the story writers wanted to subconsciously let the player know that some characters were unworthy of a happy ending.

However, with time, competition, and a lack of creative direction, opinion of the series had become negative once the market was flooded with competitors. Demand had dropped when combined with an economic crisis that struck the real world. As a result, the canonic storyline that once was considered the golden standard of Otome games had finally come to an end. Within the final games of the series, they capitalized on whatever interest and fanfare they had left through leeching cash grab systems that took away from the game: Gachas and overpriced DLCs which sealed the fate of the characters that lived in their world. There was no true ending for them left. There was no more life for them to live. Their stories had come to a premature ending from a deadly combination of corporate greed, creative stagnation, and real-world economic affliction. Many among them were never meant to find happiness. The unfair gods that commanded the fate of the real world have dictated it so.

---

But where one story ends, another begins.

​

Darkness combined with the sounds of keyboard clicks to break up the nothingness. "Hello? Is this thing working? Can you hear me?" A familiar voice had rung through the room. It was a character from the Eternal Lovers Series that made an appearance in every game; The goddess of rebirth and new beginnings, Moira. Usually she played a major role at the beginning of the games, introducing the character, the world, and the setting to the player. Oftentimes, she would also make a reappearance at the end of those same games as well: Offering a player a chance at rebirth with the skills and items of the life before as a form of "New Game+".
As she checked the quality of her mic to ensure it was functioning properly, she accidentally increased the sensitivity to deafening levels. "IS IT BETTER NOW?" Thankfully, whatever she was using had auto-adjusted itself back to regular audio levels, notifying her that her mic was receiving her input. "Oops. Sorry about that, soul number. . . Fourteen thousand and seventeen. . . I think?" Moira wiped her exhausted eyes, before popping the tab of another can filled with a divine energy drink. "Ugh. . . Just one more to go before I could clock out. Thank god." She forgot her mic was still on, taking a swig of her can.

"Ah! Here you are." She searched through her pile of scattered soul reports atop her desk, picking out the next life she thought was the right one. "Your soul has been selected to be reborn into a new world. Ooo, exciting~" Despite her best attempts to hide her exhaustion, it was as bright as day. The supposed excitement was a tired addition at this point, given the fact that its the fourteenth thousandth or so time she faked the process today. "Once we're done here, you'll wake up in the world of Ferris. A wondrous land of magic and science!" Ferris was the universe in which the Eternal Lovers series of games took place. It was one of the very few constants shared between games.

"Umm. . . " The tired goddess flipped through more paperwork. "In a small floating island village that houses the magical academy of Alesia. Would you look at that? It has a nice err. . . View of the ocean!" Her presentation was much sloppier than it was in game. "While I would usually list a bunch of perks you could choose before I send you off, unfortunately, the other souls have chosen everything else. But! There is one more! Your memories!" She chimed, choosing the easiest blessing to bestow upon her arrival. "All that you've learned in this past life, you will take with you into this new one and-"

Her alarm clock rang. It was time to clock out.​

With the new budget cuts affecting her company hours, Moira knew she wasn't going to be paid overtime. There was little point in extending her introduction into the new world if she wasn't going to be paid for it. Immediately once she heard the blaring of the alarm, she slammed her drink down, pressed snooze on the alarm clock, and rushed her spiel. "You're free to become whatever you like and make your dreams a reality." No one was going to separate her from doing what she wanted on her time off, not even the souls of the recently departed. "AHEM." She followed her words with a deep breath before finishing up with her disclaimer.

"The reincarnation department of heaven is not liable for any crimes or damages you commit in the new world. Nor is it or its related entities responsible for any physical, mental, spiritual, magical, social, economical, sexual, or relational damage to you. By agreeing to becoming reincarnated, you consent yourself and your own wellbeing to whatever fate you have decided upon. . . " She droned one for another few minutes, bringing up every edge-case imaginable and unimaginable, before finally ending with another deep breath. "With all the boring, legal jargon out of the way. Good luck! May the goddess of luck bless your new life. . ."

"And I wish you nothing but the best on your next adventure."​

The application was complete. Her introduction, while short, was said and done. All she needed now was to send her to her next destination. With exhaustion on her mind and her bed so tempting, she hit the enter key on her keyboard, sending the final soul on her way. Though, once she closed her laptop, she noticed a book sitting behind her screen. Her face paled upon her realization, before she shook away her anxiety. It was the manual to the new world and how to interact with its many systems. Inside the book held information about the cultures and species which dwelled within and how to interact with them.

". . . Ah shit. . . I forgot to give her the manual."

"Eh. She looked smart enough. She'll figure it out, right?"​

---

One new voice mail.
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀꜱᴋ | ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀ 5 ᴏꜱᴛ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

"Hey mom. I just wanted to check in with you." Tsuna's voice had stirred his mother from her slumber. "The academy has been great! I've just enrolled in my new classes but I might need a few thousand more credits for the Fall Semester. Don't worry too hard about me though. I'll be able to take care of you once I graduate. So hold in there a little longer, okay? I'll be there soon. Love you mom. Thanks for everything." Her phone's screen faded back into black as she opened her eyes to the cold world again. Bandages had covered her hands from the job a night before. While her magical adversary might have been much younger than her, there was a distinct gap between their magical abilities. Her foe's "love" was powerful; Dangerous to the mother who owed a debt to the wrong people. Her son needed the money but her bar struggled to make ends meet.

"Ugh. . . Fuck." She lifted her head off the bar counter, grabbing her phone before stretching her limbs to wake herself up. Her muscles were sore and her head was throbbing, but that didn't stop her from remembering her responsibilities. She needed to restock the bar for the next shift. Even if it wasn't popular, it had a few kind regulars that visited often enough to drive her legs forward.

The ginger-haired woman stood up with renewed strength, grabbing her phone and keys to head out. However, before she took more than a few steps forward, she felt the door stop sooner than she expected. On the other side was an unconscious brunette; A girl she had never seen before. Her blue dress suggested she was a well-off local, though it was odd to find someone like her on this side of the island. "Hey. . . Hey, wake up." She shook the prone woman's arm to no avail. "Of course, I gotta deal with this first thing in the morning." She sighed, taking a deep breath before pulling her in to avoid others from getting the wrong idea.

Once the unconscious woman came to, she saw a glass of water sitting on the counter in front of her. The air was warm, being moved around by the ceiling fans above. She was in a lonely bar; A familiar scene from one of her games long ago. "Oh, finally. You're awake." Footsteps sounded from behind the counter, introducing the woman that brought her in. In front of her stood the ginger-haired antagonist: Ember. "How are you feeling? You're not coughing or sneezing, so I don't think you're sick. Get drunk in the morning?" Ember cleaned a glass with a rag, scanning her new guest for signs of injury. "I don't know who or what left you at the front of my door, but thank the heavens it was me who found you rather than anyone else. Can't trust the vampires around here. That's for sure."

Instead of introducing herself as she did in game however, there was something distinctly different about her. She was far kinder than she appeared to be when around the magical protagonist. "If you're feeling hungry, I might not have a lot around to make you something but I could scramble an egg. I actually bumped into you while getting more food. I have water and a few drinks if you're thirsty but. . . I'd avoid the alcohol if I were you. I wouldn't want you falling unconscious again." She chuckled, offering a gentle, motherly smile to ease the mood.

"I'm Ember by the way. What's your name?"​

 

[Baka]

Arriving Somewhere, But Not Here - Porcupine Tree
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​

The clock was approaching 1am fast, and in an empty office filled rows of tables with identical computer setups, office chairs and piles of paperwork only one of the monitors emitted a warm light into the otherwise completely desolate room. A young woman Haruka Fukuda was sleeping her head against the cold table. Hour or so ago she had finally got her overtime work finished, and decided to take a little rest before going to fetch a coffee from a vending machine way out, and take the last train to her home, in which she could have few hours rest on the warm and comfy bed before having to return to the office once again, and repeat this process yet again with no vacation. Her only day off she would spend pretty much in bed recharging her batteries before returning to the drap office, being surrounded by people who were as cold as the environment, and the boss, who enjoyed harassing the new employees like Haruka to no end.

After finally waking her little nap the brunette jolted up, realizing that she needs to leave immediately and run to the station if she wants to make it. She picks up her purse, turns off the computer, and runs out the office without stopping to the vending machine, after all those few moments of rest were more important to her than some small dose of caffeine, which had lost it's effect on her a long time ago and was now just a routine she kept up.

Despite it being past midnight on a weekday the buzzing metropolitan city was still wide awake, and the streets were relatively crowded, but not so much that she couldn't ran straight line while looking her phone for the first time in hours, and to her dismay was only greeted with emails saying that she wasn't selected for the positions she applied. "Just a little while longer... I only need to keep up with this just a little more..." she said to herself inside her mind to comfort herself, but knowing the current state of employment and economy deep down she knew that even getting to her current job was a miracle, so finding a job with humane working conditions currently would be justa pipe-dream.

After finally reaching the station she stamps her train-pass to the reader, goes through the gates and into the platform waiting for final train of the night to arrive. While waiting she decides to roll the gacha based on her favorite game/dating-sim franchise, Eternal Lovers. Once an iconic series now dongraded to just a mobile title riddled with unecessary fanservice and bastardization of the rich lore and story pissed the woman to no end, but as an avid fan, who had read all the routes of every game multiple times, purchased every limited-edition merchandize and even cosplayed the characters of the game she couldn't help herself to not invest her time and money to the game. A new banner and event had started, and with it a new banner, which she reluctantly went to roll to get the new SSR+ character variants. "Fucking pieces of shit. The character would never wear this kind of revealing outfit... And why is that freaking demon-lord a new boss again? This time his colors are just inverted! Why don't you just already go bankrupt and stop ruining my faves like this?" the furious looking Haruka stared daggers into her mobile screen while cursing the entry to the ground, while rolling the gacha like a gambling-addict elderly on casino.

While being hyper-focused to the gacha she didn't realize that some drunk person was approaching her, most likely trying to flirt with her. However while approaching they lost their balance as they were trying to grap Haruka's shoulder, and accidentally ended up pushing her forward, and straight into the train-tracks in front of her. Despite trying to regain her balance she couldn't do so, and ended up flat on her face against the gravel and cold steel tracks.

"... Ouch..." Brown-haired woman manages to mutter as she lifts her face up, and realizes that a bright light is approaching her, she turns her head around, and realizes that the train she was waiting for was arriving to the station. She could hear some people panicking and trying to get the attention of the guard to help her out, but instead of trying to move out of the way or save herself she just stayed still, looking at the headlights approaching her.

"Maybe this is better. I don't have to worry about waking up tomorr---"

---

Out of Here - Leprous
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After supposedly getting ran over by the train Haruka found herself being surrounded by darkness. She didn't feel any pain, or particulary anything. "... So this is how it feels to die. If I knew I should've just tried this sooner." she nonchalantly says as she starts to look around her, only seeing a pitch-black darkness wherever she tried to look. Thinking that she had been banished to the shadow-realm or eternal oblivion a sudden familiar voice echoing loudly makes her startled and to look around the source of it, and suddenly she can also hear someone typing on keyboard. After that a flash of light blinds her for a moment, and she finds herself in a room, that looked eerily similar to her own one, and a computer monitor, from which she spotted Moira, a character from Eternal Lovers-series she was really acquainted with. Completely puzzled about the situation she tries to ask what this all is about, but the unenthusiastic voice of the godess interrupts her.

As she goes through her situation and the info-dump more and more questions pop into her head "Reborn? New world? Ferris? Oh I know that! Alesia? Yep... So am I getting to reborn into my favorite otome-game now? Hell yeah! Maybe dying was best thing that happened to me!" woman weirdly optimistic about her current situation thinks to herself. However she doesn't have any chances to ask for elaboration to any of this. She was too busy absorbing all the new info, and it looked that the dazzling godess from the game couldn't actually be bothered with anything other than getting the woman out of her hair and get her out of her hair.

When the blonde Goddess had finally finished going on about the technicalities and such Haruka finally tries to get a word in "That's all cool, but..." she gets interrupted as a light that supposedly teleports her to her new world starts to teleport her slowly but surely. "Hey! I am not done! Stop this you fuc---"

---

Constant Fear - Bohren & Der Club of Gore
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Again finding herself in a pitch black oblivion this time the brunette, blue-eyed woman wakes up to the sound of a famous line from a hit RPG-game from many years back said by extremely familiar voice. She quickly lifts her head, and start to look around her, and finding out that she is inside of a bar. Not even realizing there was a person in front of her the blue-eyes soon get locked with the supposed owners eyes, and she realizes that in front of her is one of the antagonists in the Eternal Lovers-series. Ember. Which makes the blue-eyed woman froze in place for a while.

​

However as she listens her talking something about the older woman seems different. Instead of ruthless and violent woman from the games in front of her was surprisingly warm feeling person. "... I guess her name is Ember after all... So makes sense." she thinks to herself and let's out a little chuckle before her stomach answers with a loud growl before she manages to say anything.

Now faintly blushing she laughs and awkwardly rubs the back of her head. "I guess I haven't eaten for... When I even ate last time?" she starts to think, not knowing how much time had actually passed since she passed away and this moment. "So if I could trouble you with some food I would be grateful. After that I really need to get a better understanding of my surroundings and situation... Though I guess I also need some money to do that... And quite a bit of other things too. The goddess could've at least gave me something else than this dress." she mutters about looking at her garnments and realizing that she is completely empty-handed, aside from her memories of her past life.

After the Ember introduces to herself without knowing that the brunette in front of her already has a good grasp of who she is... Or at least one side of her Haruka hastily does a little bow. "I'm Haruka Fukuda. Thank you for taking me inside of your lovely little bar to rest." she says and expresses her genuine gratitude.

Haruka then bonders over something a little bit, which is her next course of action, and decides to take a gamble of revealing her situation to her. Sometimes in isekai this is a death-sentence, but in others this kind of gamble will pay off. Having nothing to lose yet she decides to make a risky move and tell about her situation to Ember "However before you serve me anything I think I should let you know." she prefaced before telling her situation to Ember. "I actually just arrived to this worl after dying in my previous one, and a lazy, exposition-dumping godess just gave me my old memories with me before teleporting me somewhere you found me I think, and now I am in this new world, without any money, house or connections... Technically." she says with a gleeful smile on her face. "But hey! Beats working overtime every day and not being able to even relax properly."

 

[Tenzai]

"I guess I haven't eaten for... When I even ate last time?"

A flash of motherly concern.

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴛᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʟʟ | ʙᴀʏᴏɴᴇᴛᴛᴀ ᴏꜱᴛ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

Despite Haruka being a new face, Ember couldn't help herself but care. Haruka looked around the same age as her son sent off to college, albeit her body shape was much slimmer and shorter. As a result, the bar-owner saw the strange girl as a daughter subconsciously. To leave anyone hungry or thirsty within her bar was to fail in her responsibility and to do them a disservice; Especially if they were as seemingly young as she was. "So if I could trouble you with some food I would be grateful. After that I really need to get a better understanding of my surroundings and situation... Though I guess I also need some money to do that... And quite a bit of other things too. The goddess could've at least gave me something else than this dress."

"Say no more." A flicker of flame had escaped the mother's hand, using a basic spell to spark the gas from the oven. "Scrambled eggs it is. Don't worry about paying me back if money is tight. . ." She turned over to Haruka, curious as to what to call her before being given her name. "I'm Haruka Fukuda. Thank you for taking me inside of your lovely little bar to rest." Her compliment had formed a grin over the chef's face. "Haruka. . . Fukuda. Such an odd name. A beautiful one too, but not the first that comes to mind when looking at you." Ember brought a pan to the flame, oiling it before cracking an egg over the corner of the bar. "Thank you for your kind words about the bar. I know its not perfect by any means but. . . I appreciate it. I put a lot of work into making this place feel like home away from home."

The yolk sizzled as it slithered its way onto the pan. Its aroma had scattered across the room, offering Haruka a waft of the meal to come. Ember was sensitive to the needs of others. She had a wealth of experience that came from raising a child of her own. It led to her becoming an impromptu mother for the regulars who chose to drink or eat beneath her roof. As the egg began to solidify, the mother heard her speak up. "However before you serve me anything I think I should let you know." She raised an eyebrow, taking her eyes off the pan for a moment to turn to the blue dressed girl. "What is it, Haru?" Instead of speaking her full name, she opted for a more comfortable moniker. "If you're allergic to eggs, let me know now. I don't want to cook you something that would make you sick."

"I actually just arrived to this world after dying in my previous one, and a lazy, exposition-dumping goddess just gave me my old memories with me before teleporting me somewhere you found me I think, and now I am in this new world, without any money, house or connections... Technically. But hey! Beats working overtime every day and not being able to even relax properly."

Ember grew silent at Haruka's sudden revelation. Regardless of whether they lived in a world of magic, reincarnation was still largely unheard of, especially if it was a soul from another world. Revival was one thing, being involved with the gods was another, but to have a combination of everything yet ending up at her doorstep without money, board, or connections at her age, from another world nonetheless, it was extremely hard to believe in. However, Ember could find no lie in her words. She didn't stutter nor did her eyes move away. Whoever Haruka was, she truly believed this all.

Ember gave a blank stare as she processed Haruka's words, sliding the scrambled eggs off the pan into a plate to serve. Though, instead of brushing her past off as the ramblings of insanity, Ember gave her the benefit of a doubt. Haruka didn't appear like the drunks that would stumble on her doorstep. She didn't seem like the type to lie or take advantage of her like her bosses. She was ordinary by all definitions, in mind, soul, and body. "Look, I'm not a priest that dines with gods and goddesses, so I won't claim that I'd know anything about what you're saying but. . . If you're new to this place, and its clear to me you are given your clothes. Least I could do is offer you a roof over your head, a couple meals a day, and. . . Maybe a job too."

She nodded her head towards a nearby staircase that led to the second floor. "This place used to be a tavern long ago before I refashioned it into a cozy, modern bed and bar. Upstairs, there's a few bedrooms for visitors that want to spend the night. Feel free to choose one, whichever one you'd like. I won't charge you." Ember slid the plate over, leaning on the counter beside the brunette. "All I ask is that you help me out. I can't afford staff and . . . I need someone to run this place when I can't. My son's in college and it leaves just me to watch over this place while he's gone."

The bartender handed Haruka a fork and knife to eat with, as well as a couple napkins to keep her mouth clean. "Naturally, there will be times where I have to head out at night. Handle a few errands you know?. . . But I can't leave the bar alone when others are there. If you could help me out, I'd really appreciate it, Haruka." She gave a motherly smile, placing a bandaged hand on her shoulder. Whatever hurt her appeared to have done so recently. "Who knows, maybe with a little extra work, I could give you an allowance too. Any tips you earn will be yours too. What do you say?"

A text.

One new message from her boss.
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴇʟᴇᴄᴛʀɪᴄ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍꜱ | ᴘᴇʀᴛᴜʀʙᴀᴛᴏʀ
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺​

From: Hart's Dry Cleaning

---

Hello, Cinder. Your dress is dry cleaned and ready for pickup. Please come by 1295 Zenith Drive around 11PM and remember, no refunds or alterations can be made.​

"Oh, one moment, Haruka." Giving her guest some space and time to eat, Ember took out her phone to read the new message. It was another order from her loan sharks through another one of their pseudonyms. As she read the contents, the kind, motherly gaze she wore earlier had contorted into something much colder and more familiar. This was the Ember she remembered: The cold antagonist driven by business. The game she was from only examined her as a character from a surface level glance, but here in this new world, there was nuance. She appeared troubled at the news. A wrinkle had contorted the features of her face. "Damn. And after all I've done the night before, they're still asking for more."

Ember put her phone away after responding in the affirmative. While she hated doing their dirty work, she needed the money. The bar wasn't cheap to run, nor did it make enough money to sustain her and her son's college tuition. Regardless of the trials they forced her through in the hopes that she could defeat the up and coming magical hero of the academy, she couldn't say no. She owed them far too much and needed to pay them back. It was only right.

"Sorry that you had to see that." The mother poured herself a drink before sitting on a barstool next to the eating girl. Clinking her shot glass with Haruka's glass of water, she took the shot to ease the struggle of her reality. "To keep this place running, I had to take up a second job. Boss there is an absolute pain." She rolled her eyes, exhausted at the thought. To take care of her family and her home, she had to sacrifice her nights for a fruitless cause she didn't believe in. She didn't even hate her magical counterpart, though Ember understood that only she could play the part of antagonist. There weren't many others as capable of wielding the corporation's magi-tech as well as Ember did; Her expertise and experience gained during her time serving as a mercenary had played a major role in their decision. However, what was once thought as a boon had become a curse. She had lost her chance to live a normal life for the sake of her family. Though, if given a chance to make the decision again, she had no doubt that she would choose the same.

Reality wasn't so kind as to grant her a happy ending.

Not for the price of love.​

Even with the gods and goddesses that dictate the future of the world walking around them, few cared about the affairs of mortals. Ember could care less about the worship of gods that never bestowed the blessing of higher tier magic on her. She didn't care about the injuries or the loss of time either. As long as her child was happy and her home was safe, she'd be willing to embrace this reality until her body failed her. "Anyways. My offer still stands, Haruka. Would you be interested in helping me? I could use someone. . . Anyone really. Just thought it would be nice to help each other out." The kindness in her voice had returned as did the light in her eyes. It was clear that her calling was the bar. It made her happy.

"I'd really appreciate someone like you."​

 

[Baka]

Haruka sighed in relief when she heard that she wouldn't have to pay for her first meal in this unknown, yet really familiar world "Thank you for your kindness." she replies and does a little polite bow to Ember. In truth she would've offered to help her if need be, but currently her thoughts were too occupied to take in the absurd situation she was in, however when the eggs that were put on a pan started to sizzle and spread the familiar aroma she smelled last time when she was in university woman relaxed a bit.

Brunette let's out a little chuckle when Ember says that she should mention any allergies to her. "It's nothing like that. I would've told you already if I had any allergies. It's actually something more... Complicated." she prefaces before she blurts out the whole story of how she got where she is now.

After that the woman anxiously waited her reaction. Telling something of this magnitude was usually a risky move. In best case scenario if things went south she would be branded as a rambling madman or a heretic, and in worst-case scenario she could be killed-off either by someone in the game, or the Godess herself if she broke some unspoken rule regarding telling her real identity to the 'native' in-game characters. However when the might of god didn't struck her to cinders immediately she could relax a little. At least there wasn't any rule that would forbid her from revealing her situation, now only hurdle was to convince one of the antagonists of the game to believe her.

Lamp - Late Night Train
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When Ember started to speak at first Haruka thought that she had failed, but by the end of her reply a relief washed over her, and a relieved smile rose to her face as she let out a sigh. "Phew. I thought that revealing such thing would brand me as some sort of lunatic... Glad I took the chance." she says with a smile. "Honestly a place to stay, food to eat and a job on top of that is more than I could ever hope for. If you really will let me work here I would gladly take up on the offer." she says as the smile on her face becomes more pronounced. Despite being a little alert of the antagonist she knew she started to see a completely different side of her. "Who would've known she would be this nice to me... In the gacha especially she was just portrayed as a bloodhungry violent menace... though I don't even count those piece of shit bastardizations even canon..." she thought to herself.

She then listened about how the place used to be an in, and that she could pick whichever room she pleased. And on top of it all all the brunette had to do was help her with the place. Compared to her inhumane working conditions in the 'real world' this felt like a vacation to her. The happy smile had suddenly turned into an exaggerated reaction of her literally crying, as she leans over the counter and gently takes a hold of her shoulders "Are you sure you're not the goddess of this world? One with such benevolent heart must be the one. Not that lazy bum I saw when I got here..." she asks before leaning back to look something she can wipe her tears to.

After not finding anything she takes the utensils to her hand and looks at the Ember with tears in her eyes and nods. "Yes... I would love to help you. This deal is honestly too good for me." Haruka says before starting to stuff the scrambled eggs into her mess of a face. When the first bite hits her stomach she once again regains her smile. "So good. It feels like it's been hundreds of years since I ate homemade cooking." blue-eyed brunette says as she chows down the meal while the tears start to dry on her face. Overall the woman in this perilous situation looked like she was having time of her life just eating a normal breakfast, if you exclude the puffy eyes from crying earlier.

Haruka kept eating as the message arrived to Ember's cellphone, and she let her reply to it in peace, but the time she looked up from her plate as she was taking a sip of water she saw the cold-gaze she was familiar with. While this did not directly scare her the smile from her face retracted to a more neutral expression. She could guess what the message was about, and didn't want to pry more into it, deciding to ignore it unless Ember herself wanted to talk about it she kept eating her eggs, finishing the plate before she was done with replying.

Fit For A King - Locked (In My Head)
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"That's alright. I sadly can somewhat relate to annoying boss." she replies as the older woman takes a seat next to her and start to enjoy her drinks. "Where I come from hostile and toxic work environments are... Sadly pretty common. Sometimes we would stay in the office for days, only taking short breaks to eat. Sometimes you could see people crying, having mental breakdowns... After some time you realize that a nice coworker you got along with wouldn't show up, and heard that they were laid off due to them not being able to hand it anymore. And sometimes..."

Haruka stops in the middle of her explanation that was getting more serious and somber, like her expression did, settling at a jaded stare onto the empty plate as bad memories of her past life went through her head. However as if a switch would've been flipped inside of her she turns to Ember and smiles. "But now you don't have to carry all the heavy burden yourself. I may be a newbie, but I try to help as well as I can." she says and puffs her chest a bit as she turns her body towards her.

Queen - You're My Best Friend
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Blue-eyed brunette then picks her water glass and holds it between them ready for a little toast. "So how about we toast as a sign of our new mutually beneficial friendship?" she asks waiting for her to respond. Though even before she manages to respond the woman was already going at her own pace, and clanged the glasses together.

"Cheers for our fated meeting and new friendship!"​

 

[Tenzai]

"A goddess? Haru, I'm the farthest thing from it."

"If an ounce of kindness was enough to convince you otherwise, whichever life you left behind was not a life worth living."​

While Ember may have been sweet, she wasn't afraid of sharing her mind. Without the threat of her job being taken away as a result of her being her own boss, she cared little about the opinions of others. The pride of gods and goddesses had mattered little in the grand scheme of her world. She saw them as she did everyone else, all capable of being an asshole. Still, the girl in front of her appeared to be innocent. Haru was dealt a bad hand, similar to herself. Empathy had entered her crimson gaze, revealing more of the light that hid behind her darkness.

She had offered Haruka a gentle smile, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. Watching her sudden emotional display towards her kindness had touched the villainess' heart. "Would you believe what you've told me wasn't the strangest thing I've heard all week?" She motioned her eyes towards the door, thinking of all the customers that brought their stories to the bartender's attention before returning back to Haru. "People of all kinds walk through those doors. Some good. Some awful. But all, with their own beginnings just as unique as yours."

She reached over, placing her hands on Haru's wrists to guide her hands away. Bruises had lined her body from the night before, causing her arms to tense upon feeling her hands move with so much excitement. "With a smile like yours, know that you'll always have a place underneath my roof for as long as you try your best here. That's a promise; My promise... Welcome, Haruka." She wrapped her arms around her new staff member, treating her as though she was family.

"Welcome to your new home."​

Ember pulled away to let Haruka eat, smiling as her new friend dug into the scrambled eggs she just cooked. "So good. It feels like it's been hundreds of years since I ate homemade cooking." Seeing her acts become the reason for another person's happiness had softened her features after the reminder of her rough night before. At least, even if she was subject to the evil whims of her bosses in her other job, she was still capable of making someone smile. Her hands had uses beyond the destruction of another. "Take your time, dear. There's no need to rush. Your food's not going to run away from you."

---

"That's alright. I sadly can somewhat relate to having an annoying boss."​

The sudden shift in Haruka's tone had drawn the mother's attention. "Where I come from hostile and toxic work environments are... Sadly pretty common. Sometimes we would stay in the office for days, only taking short breaks to eat. Sometimes you could see people crying, having mental breakdowns... After some time you realize that a nice coworker you got along with wouldn't show up, and heard that they were laid off due to them not being able to hand it anymore. And sometimes..."

"That's enough, Haruka. If its too hard to talk about, you don't have to. No need to bring up your past life when you're not ready." She patted the brunette on the shoulder. "Sounds like you've had a taste of hell yourself. I'm sorry you had to go through all that in your old world." Ember poured herself another shot, her heart feeling empathy from the glimpse into Haruka's past. She understood that her fate was not exclusive to her; But to find someone like Haruka in a similar situation, it made her angry.

"Reality can be such a bitch sometimes. But hey; Even if I can't pay that well, I won't treat you or anyone else that comes through those doors like that. Never will. To treat another fucking person like they're cattle..." She rolled her eyes in disgust, thinking of her other bosses. "It makes me sick. If I had to waste a third of my life somewhere, the least I could do is make it feel like home; Even if I had to take care of it all by myself."

The hand on her drink had grown tight, shaking from her words. While they may have had an excuse to treat her like shit, to treat someone that appeared to be the same age as her son the same way was infuriating. Though a shift in Haruka's attitude had made her mood simmer down. "But now you don't have to carry all the heavy burden yourself. I may be a newbie, but I'll try to help as well as I can."

Ember had sighed, taking a long breath before returning back to her previous self. "Thanks, Haruka." Haru wasn't her enemy. She wasn't the magical girl that did so much harm through her love-fueled spells either. She was just an innocent girl who had a past that helped her understand the bartender she sat beside. "As long as you put your heart in it and you're willing to try your best, I could teach you the rest." Haru's smile was radiant, lighting up the mood in the room.

With a puff of her chest, she revealed to her new boss her conviction in embracing this new chapter of her life. "So how about we toast as a sign of our new mutually beneficial friendship?" Ember raised her glass alongside her. "Gladly. To a new and better life for the both of us." She clinked her glass. "Cheers for our fated meeting and new friendship!"

"Cheers!"

A toast to symbolize their new beginning.​

"So, you said you were from another world, right?" Ember had taken a sip of her glass, still curious about the odd girl's past. "I wonder how different it is from this one. I barely recognize your clothes and usually the offices here are only built around capital or trade cities far away from here." She thought back to where her other job had resided. The concrete jungle had always brought out a colder side of her. The people there were known to be much less caring than those from the country-side villages. Even if the sky rises that towered above the horizon had shared the same world as her cozy little bar, it had felt so alien of an environment to her. To imagine another world entirely was a tough concept for her to grasp.

"At least, here. You get to see the sunrise on fields of grass. You get to see the waves of the ocean from the edge of the floating island and hear the sound of the wind above the passing seas. Even if there's not much to see around here, it feels like my little piece of paradise." She gazed into her empty glass, staring at the melting amber cubes before casting a minor frost spell to chill the fluids inside. "Beats the sight of a corporate battlefield. That's for sure..."

Switching topics, she turned her attention back to her. "Oh, I wanted to ask... Who were you in your past life?" From the way she conducted herself around the villainess to the sudden degree of comfort she appeared to hold around her presence, Haruka's personality stood in stark contrast to the typical stranger. It was as if she knew her. "Usually, when someone else sees me for the first time, they get nervous. I have scars from my time serving as a mercenary and I know they're off putting... But you? Its like you immediately saw past them. You're treating me like... Like you've known me for a while." She stroked her head, unable to hold herself back from treating her like a mother.

Instead of seeing Haruka as suspicious, she welcomed her warmth into her life. "Its actually quite comforting to be treated as normal sometimes... It gets easy feeling like anything but when all people could see you for is your past. Makes me wonder whether you were a mind reader... Maybe someone great at casting charms." She gave a quiet chuckle, losing some of the seriousness she displayed earlier.

It didn't take long before Ember raised an eyebrow, realizing something odd ever since Haruka came in. Her water was getting warm, and yet she didn't cast a spell to cool it off. "Wait... Haruka? Do you like warm drinks or..." The closer she examined her new staff member, the more she realized that there was a lack of ambient mana being emitted from her. "...Did you not cast spells in your past life?" Her eyes grew wide. Her mouth was left agape, revealing a shocked expression.

"Oh no, honey. How did you even survive in your past life?!"​

The mere idea of living a life without magic was beyond her imagination. Even if she wasn't the most adept spellcaster, the quality of life that came with being able to cast beginner, low-level magic was considered essential in this new world. To live without it was akin to being disabled, equivalent to losing one of the primary five senses. "...That's it." Ember stomped her way over to the door, unplugging the neon open sign to turn it off. "I'm spending today teaching you the basics of magic. No ifs or buts about it."

"You're not leaving here until you cast your first spell. Got it?"​