Author Romeru
patreon
Chapter 37: The Party Together Again
🕑 Added 2024-10-25 19:32:47 +0000 UTC“Commission… a sword?”
Julian has been crafting his entire life, tolling away without end inside his forge. His only reward was his own desire, happiness, and obsession. And yet he had never truly ever heard those words being uttered to him before—’commission a sword’— not even once.
He wasn’t sure how to respond. But the small smile creeping onto his face said more than words could. Ellie, having just finished securing her latching shoes, immediately noticed the change in his expression.
“...What’s got you so happy?” A small chuckle escaped Ellie’s lips as she pushed herself down, slowly spinning before gently landing on her feet. There was a small hiss that puffed in the air, most probably from the latching shoes as it detected the floor.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Cyrus chuckled and smirked at Ellie, “Sword–Julian here just got a request to craft a custom-made sword from one of his fans. His number 1 fan, I might add.”
“What...?” Ellie’s breath caught as her eyes snapped to Julian. Her lips trembled, unsure whether to smile or not. But without waiting, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.
“Whoa!” Cyrus, who hadn’t activated his latching shoes, was nearly knocked off balance by Ellie’s sudden lunge.
“This… this is amazing, Julian!” Ellie’s voice trembled as she struggled not to cry in public, though her shaky tone betrayed her efforts. “Someone’s finally buying your swords. Oh my god, Julian. I’m so happy… I’m really happy for you.”
“...Thank you.” A hint of a smile also crawled on Julian’s face as he returned Ellie’s embrace. And once again, the other people who were previously with them inside the elevator looked at each other, not knowing whether they were allowed to witness such a moment.
If only Cyrus had the other people’s decorum, because right now, aside from almost turning Ellie and Julian’s moment a group hug, he would have definitely pulled out his camera if the two had given his consent to do so.
Luckily for everyone, the moment didn’t last long. When Ellie and Julian finally separated, the strangers around them seemed to collectively exhale. It wasn’t jealousy that kept them quiet, not at all. They weren’t envious of this beautiful couple who expressed their feelings openly, nope—definitely not.
“I’m… sorry…” Ellie sniffled and wiped the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “I just got… a little carried away.”
“Oh, no... please,” Cyrus waved his hands, shaking his head, “Don’t mind me. Have your moment. But wow, you two make a beautiful couple.”
“That… thank you.” Ellie wasn’t used to getting compliments about him and Julian because, well… Julian didn’t really go out much before. In fact, this might be the very first time they were actually on a trip together.
“Hm?”
“What is it, Julian?” she quickly looked at Julian as she saw him tilt his head.
“I’m just… hearing something open,” he said, turning his shoulder toward the subtle noise. From the puzzled expressions on Ellie’s and Cyrus’s faces, it seemed only Julian could hear it.
Before either of them could ask—
[Everyone, the doors to the Topside are opening. Please, refrain from going over the line until the red light that is placed in all four corners has turned green. Thank you, and welcome to the Topside.]
—the announcement cut through, confirming the opening of the doors.
“Wow...” Cyrus’s eyes widened. “Your hearing’s just as good in real life, Sword Junkie?”
“Hm,” Julian responded with a shrug.
“Ah!” And while the doors were opening, Ellie quickly kneeled and started helping Julian put on his latching shoes.
“Oh, let me—” Cyrus was about to help keep Julian grounded, but before he could do so, he saw Julian swiftly but carefully move his cane toward the nearby handle to keep him stable. Cyrus’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, but as soon as he remembered about MEGAN, it just quickly faded away. Julian has been blind his entire life, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to him that he was capable of doing such things… maybe. Truly, Julian is a man of mystery.
“There we go,” Ellie fixed Julian’s collars as she stood up. “Just bump them with each other to activate or deactivate the Grav-lock.”
“Okay,” Julian replied, doing as she said. He immediately felt the pull of the shoes keeping him in place. It was still strange to feel weightless but held at the same time. This was better than before, of course—yet it still felt… odd.
“Wow, Julian…” Ellie’s soft breath brushed his ear as the large doors continued to open. “...MEGAN, be sure to describe to Julian what we’re seeing.”
[Wow… forget your parents’ apartment. We should live here from now on, Julian.] MEGAN, however, was too caught up in the sights to immediately fulfill her duty. But it didn’t matter to Julian. Ever since experiencing sight in Artemia and gaining heightened senses, he could almost picture the world around him in his mind now.
The subtle sounds whispering to him, the vibrations tapping him, the temperature wrapping him, even the scent that lingers in front of his nose. He had an image he could create in his mind now that somewhat allowed him to see the things around him. Sure, they would probably look far off from what he was imagining—but it didn’t matter.
He had an idea of what the Topside looks like, or at least what it would look like.
He could hear water continuously flowing, the rustling of trees, and the sound of the latching shoes hitting the ground. And he was hearing them from all directions, they’re walking on the walls, even above and below. There were probably bridges everywhere, or perhaps pillars as he could hear the whispers and steps of the people circling the platforms, and that could only mean the bridges were actually cylindrical in shape.
The trees were the same. As for the rivers, Julian can’t quite figure it out just yet.
“Should we go, then?” Cyrus gestured to Ellie and Julian to follow him as he turned off his grav-lock and started flying up instead of walking forward.
“Uh…” Ellie hesitated for a moment, but Julian had already deactivated his Grav-lock. “Julian, don’t let go of my hand, okay?”
“Okay.” Julian nodded as he let Ellie lead the way—or more specifically, let her fly them both up in the air.
[This is… terrifying, Julian.] MEGAN gasped in his mind. [If I had a heart, it would probably be pounding right now. It feels like we’re going to fall, but we’re not. How are you so calm...?]
“Because I can’t see anything, MEGAN,” Julian replied.
[Ha. Ha. Funny,] MEGAN scoffed. [You’re probably so disoriented right now, with no idea what’s going on.]
“I am disoriented,” Julian admitted, tilting his head slightly. “But I know what’s happening. I know everything that’s happening.”
[Okay…that’s not creepy at all.]
“What’s MEGAN saying?” Ellie asked, not turning toward Julian as she focused on navigating the zero-G space.
“She’s just asking if I’m alright.”
“...Are you?” Ellie chuckled softly. “This must be so weird for you.”
“It is… It is very weird.”
The three continued to float up higher and higher—no. At this point, Ellie had completely forgotten which was up or down. Everything just felt like the right direction no matter where she looked. The Topside’s design was immaculate, but there was also a sense of chaos in it as all of the infrastructures did not really have any proper orientation at all.
Spherical structures dominated the view, from shops to restaurants, the rounded design being the trend here.
“And we’re here!”
And the restaurant where they were meeting the rest of Julian’s party members was also designed as a sphere. Well, perhaps calling it a restaurant would be an understatement, as the first thing that Ellie noticed was the large pool—a spherical pool just casually floating in the air, surrounded by the restaurant.
It was a small resort.
“Wow…” And it was designed so that when you look up, you’ll always be seeing the pool and the people swimming in it. Ellie tried her best not to look impressed with everything that she was seeing, but she just couldn’t help herself; her grip on Julian’s hand tightening.
[...I want that, Julian.] MEGAN also expressed her amazement. [Once we’re rich, I’m going to have someone make something like that for us. Ah! They’re playing dodgeball in the water, Julian! Julian!]
“Hm…” Julian hummed as he heard the joy in MEGAN and Ellie’s voices. Throughout the years they were together, neither of them has expressed something like this. It’s because… he hasn’t made the effort at all.
“I… don’t deserve the two of you,” he said quietly.
“What the hell is with that?” Ellie snapped, pulling his arm. “Stop being so… emo. That trend has died and come back a million times already.”
“No, I just mean…” Julian sighed. “...I’m going to do my best to deserve you both from now on.”
“Ugh,” Ellie booped his nose. “Why are you so cute sometimes?”
“W—Oh,” Julian started to say something but stopped, turning his head slightly. “They’re coming.”
“Huh? Who—”
“Is that… the Newbie!?”
Ellie did not need to ask at all as three people suddenly approached them with their loud voices. The only thing Ellie could really do was step to the side as the three started circling Julian, all of them looking at him from head to toe.
“I knew it.” Titus was the first to speak; his bald head almost reflecting the pool above, “Damn it all, if only you weren’t totally blind—I could have snuck you inside the military.”
“Titus!” Talia kicked Titus on the leg to stop him from talking, but alas, she did not carry the strength of her clone at all and was even almost the one to be pushed away. “I’m… I’m really sorry about that! I’m surrounded by nincompoops. My name’s Talia, by the way.”
“Oh, uh… Ellie.” Ellie smiled as she shook Talia’s hand. She was slightly confused—Talia looked… young, perhaps only a teenager. And yet she was also playing Otherworld? And from the looks of how everyone was centered around her, she was the leader of the party in front of her right now.
“My name is Titus, Ma’am.” Titus stood up straight to introduce himself.
“I’m Dyrroth, my dude.” And perhaps the one that’s most out of place… or perhaps the one that’s most in the place since he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts was Dyrroth. “What’s up? Eyyy.”
“...Hi.” Ellie still tried her best to smile as Dyrroth started throwing some sort of… gang sign in the air.
“And you already know me, but I don’t think I’ve formally introduced myself.” Cyrus stepped forward, offering a slight bow. “I’m Cyrus, Julian’s current agent.”
“Should we eat, then?” Talia lightly clapped her hands and started walking away, “I already had them prepare a private booth for us, I think the food’s about to be done.”
“Well, I’ll catch up with you all later, my dudes.” Dyrroth grinned as he peeled off his Hawaiian shirt and switched off his grav-lock, launching himself straight into the spherical pool above. Titus and Talia grinned at the sight, quickly tossing Dyrroth’s shirt to the side and hiding it before continuing toward the booth.
As they walked, Ellie noticed something curious—everyone they passed seemed to greet Talia. The staff, the guests, even some passersby smiled and nodded at her.
“She owns the resort,” Cyrus whispered to Julian and Ellie as they neared the booth. “Well, not legally—her parents own it, but she’s the one who bought it. You don’t recognize her, Ellie?”
“Uhm… no?” Ellie whispered back.
“Was she famous?” Julian also asked.
“She’s the youngest Catapult champion,” Cyrus explained, keeping his voice low.
“Catapult… champion?” Ellie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Isn’t that… dangerous?”
“It sure is,” Cyrus smirked and nodded. “But don’t tell her I told you, she’s kind of a private person—that’s why she likes going to Artemia, since the demographics between the two barely even overlap, if at all.”
“Oh…” Ellie muttered, glancing at Talia again. The more she learned about Julian’s new friends, the more amazed—and a little bewildered—she became. “Julian… you’ve met some very unique people.”
“...I suppose they are,” Julian just nodded as he followed the group; his mind and body, finally getting adjusted to the Zero-G environment.
The booth wasn’t as private as Talia said it to be. It was right next to the floating spherical pool, so close that someone could step through if they wanted. Still, it felt somewhat isolated, with the sounds of the restaurant muffled by the water and the soft chatter of the group.
“Okay!” Once everyone was seated, Cyrus stood up, raising a glass of whiskey. “Before we start eating—so the food will actually taste better—I want to reveal how much we earned from selling the Hidden Quest, and who actually bought it. Round of applause, please.”
“Oh…” Ellie almost clapped, but stopped herself when she realized no one else was going to do it.
“Boo,” Talia playfully stuck out her tongue, giving a thumbs-down. “We should eat first!”
“No, no… Trust me, you’ll want to hear this before we eat.” Cyrus cleared his throat, smirking. “The one who bought the information from us… is none other than Humanity Engineering themselves.”
“Great, those psychos…” Talia rolled her eyes.
“I kind of figured it’d be them,” Titus said, crossing his arms. “They’re all about research. I bet they’ll announce the quest publicly soon enough.”
“And how much did we make, Cyrus?” Julian asked, his voice calm but curious.
“Ho… I knew you would be the first one to ask, Sword Junkie,” Cyrus cleared his throat again.
[He should really get that checked,] MEGAN muttered, sounding both repulsed and annoyed.
“We made… 200,000 Credits!” Cyrus declared triumphantly.
And if Ellie wasn’t already gripping Julian’s hand tight, she would have probably let out a gasp there and then. She was, however, the only one who actually showed any reaction at all.
“...That’s it?” Talia breathed out. “That’s not even—”
“Each.” Cyrus snapped his fingers, “They bought the information for a million flat. Each of us is 200,000 Credits richer.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” And surprisingly, it was Titus who reacted first. He slammed his palm on the table before downing a shot. “A newbie dungeon run pulling in 200k. Not bad, not bad at all.”
“Oh…” Talia’s face lit up as she realized the amount. “That’s exactly the price of the Birkin purse I’ve had my eye on! This is a sign to finally buy it.”
Julian remained quiet amidst the celebrations, but Ellie leaned closer, her voice low. “Julian… with a little negotiation, that’s enough for a downpayment on your apartment. What the fuck… Who are your friends?”
As Cyrus said, The group ate well after receiving the news. And maybe drank a bit too well. By the end of the meal, Titus, Dyrroth, and even Talia were knocked out cold—Talia asleep on the bench, Titus under the table, and Dyrroth with his head hanging over the edge of the pool.
“Is…” Ellie gently adjusted Talia’s head to make her more comfortable. “...is she even old enough to be drinking?”
“She’s 17. It’s fine,” Cyrus shrugged. He was clearly drunk himself, though less so than the others. “What I’m more curious about is why Sword Junkie here hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol.”
“I only drink water,” Julian replied, lightly tapping the glass of water in front of him.
“Huh…” Cyrus leaned on his elbow, staring at Julian. “You know, your genes would sell for a fortune. Ever thought about that?”
“I can’t,” Julian said, shaking his head. “I’m a Reject.”
“A Reject, you mean…” Cyrus literally felt the alcohol moving out of his veins as he realized what Julian meant.
“They sterilized me when I was young,” Julian said, his tone casual despite the weight of his words.
“Julian…” Ellie’s eyes widened as Julian just casually revealed a very… private information.
“Huh…” Cyrus, however, did not react negatively at all. “Well, now that you’re about to earn a lot of money, you can just have them undo it—and there will be little Sword Junkies running around soon.”
“That’s…” Ellie hadn’t really thought about that at all, and she didn’t really know how to respond—how could she, when she hadn’t actually met someone like Cyrus who did not have a filter at all?
“Anyway…” Cyrus then slid a card across the table, “...Talia got all of us a room here. The two of you can go and… rest.” He said with a wink.
“Oh, no. We’re going back to Clevesky.” Ellie replied, glancing between the key card and Cyrus.
“Nonsense, it’s late,” Cyrus waved dismissively. “And SwordJunkieNo.1Fan lives here on the Topside…
…We’ll meet him tomorrow, Sword Junkie.”
[LAST CHAPTER] <-----> [NEXT CHAPTER]
Genetically Non-Viable Individuals(GNVI)
Often called Rejects of Humanity, are people born with physical or mental conditions that can't be cured by any means. Due to humanity's overgrowing population, most of the time, they are sterilized at a young age to stop the passing of "undesirable" traits, as decided by Earth’s standards.
While it may be legally enforced on Earth, it has also become the center of a long, and ongoing ethical debate. Many consider it to be an infringement on basic human rights. As of now, however, Earth’s governing authorities show no signs of changing their minds.
AUTHOR NOTES
Wholesome slice of life chapters. But we learned something new again T_T. Bruh, future Earth is harsh, giving Julian a mandatory vasectomy just because of his condition.
Comments
Rommel Sabido
Imagine trying to discontinue the gigachad.
Rommel Sabido
Oh, please do more edit suggestions. lol. Sometimes with so many words you just don't notice it anymore T_T Thank you!
pigeonin
Maybe that's why there ain't much people as handsome as Julian, they be discontinuing them on purpose. So messed up..
MavTech
If you don't want edit suggestions then let me know. I suggest adding the word 'into' before "a group hug". Again i am loving your story. Thanks "If only Cyrus had the other people’s decorum, because right now, aside from almost turning Ellie and Julian’s moment a group hug, he would have definitely pulled out his camera if the two had given his consent to do so.
Rommel Sabido
True, true. The law probably wouldn't even pass in our time... or maybe it will. Some countries are... weird.
IdolTrust
Damn that is messed up. To prevent genes from being passed down. That would kill a lot of the population in the world if that was done irl.
Rommel Sabido
And thank you for reading!
Manpapper
Thanks for the chapter
