With the temperature getting warmer, walking down the road is exhausting. Especially so when she is carrying her sister’s limp body. Rakuri sees the bright sun blinding her, turning her head to the sister who almost killed her not too long ago. Brushes her cheek to the firm shoulder.
[Rakuri]: “Your armpit must’ve smell so good right about now.”
[Kurira]: “…”
[Rakuri]: “Hey, I think I’m a little… off. What did you do?”
[Kurira]: “It’s just a couple of patches since you were bleeding out. Stop asking stupid question.”
[Rakuri]: “Heheee… Like I can do anything about that, hahaha… for real though, I wanna sniff your armpit. Gimme gimmeeee.”
[Kurira]: “So, you’re better now, huh. Why didn’t you say so.”
Leaving her to walk by herself.
[Rakuri]: “W-Waoh wwheeee…”
Kurira sees a rusted old car parked behind fences. They found a hole on the other side and once they got close to the car. Kurira went topless, and uses her top as a glove.
*Crash*
Smashed window.
Rakuri blow a whistle, “Nice bod you got there.”
Ignoring her, she went and inspect the car. Attempting to hotwire, but she notices that there’s no gas in it.
[Kurira]: “Damn it! Fucking useless.”
[Rakuri]: “Should’ve expected it after just looking at it, ehehehe.”
Putting her top back on.
[Kurira]: “Well, I guess we’re walking then.”
Rakuri tiptoeing weirdly as she’s reaching out to her. Kurira rolled her eyes as she finally decided to lend her hand. Sighing deeply, the two walks towards the sun and head home.
A less than modest place. Walls that have never been repaint, a home without window. Inside, there are two gaming capsules but they’re dated. She can even see rust from it.
[Rakuri]: “Urgh, I feel like I’m about to throw up.”
Rakuri sludge herself to her capsule. The seat bed inside. Her eyes widened.
[Rakuri]: Geh?! It stinks!”
Kurira look around the place, and a flood of memories surge through her head. Memories of laughter, memories of joy, memories of sadness. She remembers gathering pennies and saved them in that jar. How happy the two of them were when they got a dollar. All to rebuild this house.
Years went by, but that jar was never full.
She had enough of it, no longer she decided to scrounge for scraps, she spend it all in these two gaming capsules. It was recent, as recent as yesterday. It was the moment where Rakuri decided to give up on everything, and Kurira had to chase her for it. It took months for that young woman to recover but now, she’s over there cleaning her capsule.
[Kurira]: “…”
Can’t help herself but to smile.
The bedroom is not empty. There’re so many things that the two have gathered throughout the years. From old mattresses, dolls, decorations. All from the landfill nearby.
A wooden doll, one she made herself.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
[Kurira]: ‘Dola…’
[Kurira]: “Heheh, I like quality metal but this is good too, I guess.”
She chuckles as tears falling. Hugging it closely to her chest.
*Sob*
Rakuri, just by the door. Leaning her back on the wall. She didn’t enter, she cannot. And so, only a clenched fish and a forced smile is let out until her strong sister stops crying.
Hours passed. After a thorough cleaning and checks, their capsules are ready, but they sit on the lid instead of entering it.
[Kurira]: “Maybe if we had saved for a couple more months, we would’ve had enough money to rebuilt this house.”
Rakuri chuckles.
[Rakuri]: “Maybe.”
[Rakuri]: “But we wouldn’t have met her.”
[Kurira]: “…”
[Rakuri]: “We probably would’ve just gone out there. Being thieves, and ended up getting shot by the MCPD. Have you seen what’s happening out there? It’s nasty!”
{*Metro City Police Department*}
Her wide grin as she looks at Kurira finally forming a smile.
[Kurira]: “Think we’ll ever meet her in there?”
[Rakuri]: “…”
[Rakuri]: “Heheh, and even if we do. What then?”
Kurira glances at her.
Rakuri with a weird gesture.
[Rakuri]: “Ooooh, we’re from the future, Siola. You’re our girlfriend, so what say we hook up together again?”
Ending that with a shrug.
[Kurira]: “Oh, I’d love to say that at least once.”
[Rakuri]: “Heheh.”
Rakuri form a smile.
[Rakuri]: “Well, it’s settled then. Let’s find her. After we fix this dump.”
Scoffed. They then enter the capsule. Unlike their past high-end setup, it’s extremely uncomfortable, but the fact that they know that they have indeed survived with it for so long, it is enough confidence for them to move forward with it. Not like they have any choice.
After creating their account, both are transferred into a white space with a few screens on them and the title above it says [Character Creation].
[Kurira]: ‘It looks more modern than what I had back then. Weird.’
[Kurira]: “Let’s go defaults for now.”
Glancing to the next screen, this time is her profile status.
[Kurira]: “Mage.”
[Kurira]: “Heheh.”
[Kurira]: ‘Back to old times.’
And just like that, she hit the finish button and skip everything that is thrown at her. And then, bright white lights. From the dirty street and musky atmosphere of desolated sector, to a beautiful grass plain in the new world that is Ekolia.
A morning breeze washes over her. She blinks to see a somewhat unfamiliar environment.
[Shopkeeper 1]: “Potions! Potions here! Just a few buck a piece!”
[Shopkeeper 2]: “Weapons, y’all! Come oonnnn you need it! I got all the common goods you want, little to no requirements here!”
Vendors, people walking about, people sparring with each other, people training with dolls and small monsters in the area. And there’s a lot of them, both the people and the monsters.
[Man 1]: “Oi, miss. Never seen you around here, need some carrying? Pretty affordable, me. Just 10 bucks an hour. I know some good resting spots too.”
Glancing and surveying around, she ignored the man and leave.
[Man 1]: “O-Oi!”
As she walks further and further away, he gives up on her.
Kurira went to a quieter place where her thoughts can run with minimal disturbance. There she opens her main menu screens and notices the new patch. Ekolia Build 4_61. It’s much lighter than the previous build where only a few improvements are added, such as learning skills and spells without the need of fulfilling the requirements.
But that’s not the one she’s interested in, but rather the patch before that.
‘Hunh, definitely never seen this.’
‘Realism Mode is no more? No wonder I didn’t see it. And spell casting?’
‘Heh, Dola would often say its cringe but almost all-powerful spells in later game including her requires casting. And no cooldown this time? My goodness.’
Looking down on her breast, the rags she’s wearing and the empty hands she has.
[Kurira]: “Now where do I get me some items?”
[Rakuri]: “Kurira, is that you?”
[Kurira]: “Ah, Rakuri, good timing. Let’s go and get—.”
Her eyes widened to the sight of magnanimous breasts. Eyes twitching when she sees her face, it is indeed her sister, but she took the liberty of appearing as her future self.
[Kurira]: “What the fuck?”
[Rakuri]: “Oh, when you said that we’ll meet Dola, I thought we’re going out like this?”
[Kurira]: “Hell no! What do you mean?! No wait, that makes sense, but gahh?!”
[Rakuri]: “You’re stressing too much about it. Anyway, should we go our separate ways? I’m thinking about approaching this in a less brutish way.”
[Kurira]: “Brutish?”
[Kurira]: “You don’t even know what I’m about to—.”
[Rakuri]: “I can guess. Banging on bosses and high-level monsters. Not very efficient if I say so myself.”
[Kurira]: “Better than to come out empty at the end of it. Please, are we seriously gonna do this now? It worked out last time.”
[Rakuri]: “Heh, it ‘worked out’ because we had Dola’s weird OP build, but no way I’m going around with you without her.”
[Kurira]: “What’s your problem? Tch, well, good luck then.”
[Rakuri]: “You’re the one who needs it.”
She said as she’s leaving.
[Kurira]: “Hey, idiot. Friend list.”
[Rakuri]: “…”
Tip toeing back as Kurira shook her head. Rakuri has left her speechless by her blunder and thus, she finally left afterwards with a red flush on her ears.
Rolling her eyes, Kurira takes a walk to the west portal while Rakuri went to the east. Their hands touching the brilliant colors of the portal. Kurira looked at her sister once more, pained by the thought of not seeing her again, even for a moment.
“Heh,” shaking her head in disbelief.
Her eyes forward, ready to face whatever is ahead of her.
