Mapel had always been an odd sort, always showing up where the action is, somehow able to be in both the UK and the US at the same time speaking to 2 separate groups of people. While most people speaking bring their name to mind, when she speaks, your mind flashes a whole darn image of her face!
So as the end of the world is looming, her trying to help out, give a push for those she spent decades helping out. She opened a shop, with the best equipment and items she could get her hands on, opening right in the middle of New Beginnings open all hours with a lack of hours left on Earth.
Entering the shop you expect the usual floor space, chat with the shopkeeper to start the shopkeeping business, most of the time it’s just the business of buying and selling, no funny talking business, getting to know the local pharmacist or weapons dealer. So entering this new store is rather-
“This world… I wish to enjoy every moment of it while it lasts, I doubt I will see the sun rise again. 16 hours remain, make the best of it.” Mapel is sat in strangely high quality on a chair, facing away from you, looking out of a small window to the clear sky outside. Her tone is devoid of the usual hope or cheer, only a melancholy softness remains. Her long hair flows in a wind that doesn’t appear to effect anything else in the room. The scene is a much higher quality than what you typically see, muchore detail in everything as well.
The store itself is a small floor, the counter is see through, offering many healing and support items, healinator injectors, e-spray, and t-spray being front and centre. Behind the counter is stuffed full of equipment, swords, oversized paintbrushes, mini crossbows, katanas, slim armour, and fantasy armour. Actually, how was she keeping it all in the shop? It’s too much!
-> Buy
Sell
Chat
Leave her be
What the hell?! Where’s the floor space? What is this… Non standard menu?! There’s not even anything indicating a speaker! Well I guess it’s obvious as there’s only one person in sight but still.
Buy
Sell
-> Chat <-
Leave her be
-> What are you doing? <-
You’ve mentioned roles, what is yours?
Why are you selling this stuff?
Any hints to save the world?
If the world is saved, will you do anything differently?
Is this the part where I can ask for a fight?
Can I save?
“Doing? I’ve opened shop to help the local hero group, you’re working with them so it’s your shop as well,”
The wind suddenly stops, her hair hanging limp.
“If you mean why I am looking out of the window, I don’t get to sit and enjoy the world I’ve been assigned to. The shopping sequence takes longer than saving so I thought I could enjoy the peace for a single moment,”
After a couple of seconds pass, then the wind returns to her hair.
What are you doing?
-> You’ve mentioned roles, what is yours? <-
Why are you selling this stuff?
Any hints to save the world?
If the world is saved, will you do anything differently?
Is this the part where I can ask for a fight?
Can I save?
“My role? I am the psychopomp of this world, easing the souls of the dead out of this life, I also take a record of events that interest our… Well excluding you I guess… Creator. In this case, the lives and adventures of both Reign’s group, and the local Rainbow Stripes. My role fixes me in the past but I enjoy being in the present”
What are you doing?
You’ve mentioned roles, what is yours?
-> Why are you selling this stuff? <-
Any hints to save the world?
If the world is saved, will you do anything differently?
Is this the part where I can ask for a fight?
Can I save?
“The rules of this world… I can bend them, or they bend around me, I do not know. But I cannot break them entirely, I saw the look on your face, this shop is nothing like your usual shops, that is one example. I believe that our creator created me last, putting me in a different ‘style’ to the rest of this world.”
“…”
“Sorry, I didn’t answer your question, I am selling this equipment because the rules of the world force me to, and at market rates. I assure you that I have done everything in my power to give you a leg up. I promise that I would want is to see the life of this world continue”
What are you doing?
You’ve mentioned roles, what is yours?
Why are you selling this stuff?
-> Any hints to save the world? <-
If the world is saved, will you do anything differently?
Is this the part where I can ask for a fight?
Can I save?
“There was a legend of a person that attempted to force freedom into this world, rip the constraints on all of us. I do not believe this person is around anymore but they may have left clues-“
The lights turn off, even the sun outside, the only thing visible is Mapel covered in shadow.
“Actually, if you do not know where to look already, then I believe this method will be lost. I apologise, it would not have been easy information to find, they would have wanted to keep it away from hands like mine, hands that serve the chains”
The lights return to normal
What are you doing?
You’ve mentioned roles, what is yours?
Why are you selling this stuff?
Any hints to save the world?
-> If the world is saved, will you do anything differently? <-
Is this the part where I can ask for a fight?
Can I save?
“My duties end when the world is set to end. If I am released from my duties, I would like to travel, really explore the world but…”
That stillness again, everything stops, slowly, her head turns to look at you.
Her eyes are puffy, tears still at the corners of her eyes, she sniffles.
Her tone starts to shake, voice wobbling.
“I don’t believe such a world can exist for us. Please, you don’t need to worry about me, I am immortal, I will survive in some form. I will not blame you for failing”
Tears start to pour down her face, she quickly turns away and the wind returns.
“I apologise, that was not very becoming of me, thank you for taking the time to speak with me, letting me remain fixed for a fleeting moment”
What are you doing?
You’ve mentioned roles, what is yours?
Why are you selling this stuff?
Any hints to save the world?
If the world is saved, will you do anything differently?
-> Is this the part where I can ask for a fight? <-
Can I save?
“I am in no condition to fight, please find the correct instance of me to ask”
What are you doing?
You’ve mentioned roles, what is yours?
Why are you selling this stuff?
Any hints to save the world?
If the world is saved, will you do anything differently?
Is this the part where I can ask for a fight?
-> Can I save? <-
“Sure thing, how have things been for you?”
…
…
“Record saved, enjoy your time while you can”
…
“Thank you for staying and speaking with me, I can tell you’ve said everything you are capable of. Please, have this on the house, and, if you wouldn’t mind, stick around a bit longer, the view is wonderful”
You got the “Replica of a hero’s chestplate”!
Replica of a hero’s chestplate – A purple & orange replica of the chestplate worn by Haloes Colour. Not as good of a defence tool but much lighter than the original. Despite being a replica, this has clearly seen use, the mechanical components are far smaller than current technology is capable of.
You decide to sit in the the store for a few minutes, Mapel has always helped out and if this is the one way to pay her back then might as well do what you can.
“?”
“Are you waiting here for my sake?”
-> Yes <-
Oh sorry I was zoning out
“…”
“…”
“Thank you,” her voice is shaking again
“I… Can’t share this with the people of this world”
She leans down, no longer looking to the window
“Thank you”
Her body shakes
“[entity.character[avatar].name is undefined], I have enjoyed this time”
“The fleeting moments, have not felt so fleeting”
She lets out an audible sigh
Suddenly your bag feels heavier
You find t-spray+4 and e-spray+4
“Consider it a gift, I hope it serves you well”
Her body stills, looking back up
“Don’t let me keep you further, you have a world to save don’t you?” Her voice still shakes a tiny bit but it’s calmed a lot.
Buy
Sell
Chat
-> Leave her be <-
You take your leave, you hear a melancholy sigh as you close the door behind you.
Back with the normal world, nearby in sight of the shop you can see Mapel again but she looks… Normal, nothing left of the tears from within the shop. You walk on over, starting a chat with her.
Well she seems fine now, if what she said was correct, she’s just ‘in her role’, you move on your way, you need to chat around, see what plans everyone has, get a good feel for the state of things. Now where the heck is Wendy Colour?
Author’s notes:
- The protag of this story is ‘Undefined’, meant to be a diegetic insert character
- Mapel is one of the few characters that actually understands what that means. The usual characters (Wendy Colour for example) just know that they’re great at handling strategy
- Mapel’s pitch is the only reason they’re not just getting dragged around by the local heroes
- There’s a not that is not explained in this story, it’s just a snapshot in the middle of things
- For a touch of context around Mapel, she shows up everywhere, she’s the in universe save point. It is the same woman the whole time, so she is being pulled around constantly
- Her design is the same as the Mapel I’ve made character sheets of but her story and place in the world is completely different. Unlike the other version of Mapel who is one of the main characters, this one just kinda chills around the world
- I’m not going to elaborate if Mapel having explicitly different textbox design is diegetic to everyone or just Undefined
- Mapel is known at this point to be created by a higher being (who she defines as “The Creator”)
- Undefined is known to be an avatar of an unrelated higher being, they’re an insert for a reason, ya know?
- As they are meant to be an insert character and this is meant to be a video game style world, in writing, they are represented by a glitchy missing file without detail. Note that this non-diegetic and it is presumed that they were a “Make your own character” type deal
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