《Help, It's Seven Wives For One Duchess, And That Duchess Is Me!!!》Let's Change The Genre, Goddess (??? Perspective)
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I'm lounging about right now. It's... As boring as it usually is.
Nothing challenges me anymore. Nothing even tries to challenge me anymore.
I could wipe out this whole damn kingdom, and they'd just say "It's the whim of the Demon Queen."
Nothing. Tries. And it's dull! Dull dull dull! I'm not that strong! I've counted a whole 25 heroes and another 60 who have potential, and any 8 of them together could kick my ass!
But noooooooo, I'm a "Necessary Existence", even if I haven't done anything for 200 goddess damned years!!!
Speaking of the damned and the despised...
"Oh, look what the cat dragged in. A bimbo with ultimate power. Have you come to rub how little I have to do in my face some more, Elouyn?"
She smiles radiantly. Silly bitch. I hate her so much. I hate her blonde hair, so glossy and pretty and wavy. It even goes down to her knees! I hate her breasts, those massive bloody udders on a silly cow. I hate her eyes, so blue and sparkling. And I hate that smile so much, so much. Because it's the least genuine thing about her.
Even her voice makes me want to punch her. But no, can't do that, rules, I still like existing, so on... What has she got in store for me now?
"Actually, dear, I want you to not do something." Her eyes turn cloudy, and I chuckle "Or, more accurately, I want you to stop doing something."
Ah.
Ahhhhhhh, hehehehe... I was on the money.
I smirk, because I want her to know that I've caught on. "You're talking about that sweet little thing with your stink all over her, am I right? I thought for a few minutes that she might be a hero candidate who does something, but no, she got kidnapped so easily." A smile, and her eyes narrow "Got out of it pretty well, though, considering how weak she is."
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She looks off to one side, and mumbles something. I can just baaaarely catch it.
"Makes... A better story? Oh, now I've got to know, Elouyn. And you just know that if you don't tell me, I'm going to find out... And there's nothing you can do about that."
It's one of the few things that gives me joy in life, honestly. I can't attack her directly, because that means she can attack me directly. And she can always replace me. She made that clear right in front of me, with the Demon Lord who preceded me.
But she can't directly affect me unless I try to do it to her.
And she can't directly affect the world, just appear to people, give prophecies, that sort of thing.
It's the one thing I can rub in her stupid, awful face.
Which... Is blushing? Oh, this is juicy, I can tell. Last time she did that, she arranged a steamy roma-
Romance. And she's gathering girls around this brunette moppet. Oh, I have to laugh. And I do, pretty loudly.
"Bit of girl on girl action in your future, eh, Elouyn? Or should I perhaps say... Girl on girl on girl on as many girls as you've decided to gather?"
She blushes even harder, and my eyes get a little of their gleam back.
I can play with this.
I can ruin her fantasy.
So it's petty, so what? Petty is all I can do right now, petty's the only thing that's worthwhile right now.
And she knows it. How aggravating, she's even starting to pout.
"I can make another prophecy, you know."
I shrug. "It's not like turning around and saying 'Oh, hey, that Demon Lord? No longer part of the plan' is something that's going to stick. That goes back even further than they've written."
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And then I lean right in, right up close. And unleash the clincher. "Wouldn't it make for a better story for your little 'sessions' if it had an antagonist? I haven't been able to do that in decades. You haven't given me the chance."
Ah, that caught her attention. Such a sucker. And I intend to take advantage.
"Let's make a bet, you and I. Not for anything too important. Just a little change is all."
"What kind of bet?" Mmmm, hook lowered... Let's see if you bite.
"Let's see which happens first... Her capturing my heart. Somehow." I give her my best evil expression. I've had a lot of practice. "Orrrr... Me taking her away from the rest of whatever little harem you've set up."
Mmmm... There's a satisfying sight. Yeah, I want you to make that expression a lot. I want you to get wrinkles from all the frowning I want you to do.
Over all too soon, though. There's that bright, oh so fake smile again, the twinkle in her eyes right back. And I screw up my own face in disgust.
Inside though, I'm whooping out of joy and spite. She's latched on.
The conversation lasts a little longer, sets the boundaries I can play in, and, because it's a bet, I fully intend on playing by those rules.
But I'm going to ruin this for you. Because unlike the rest of them, I'm not handpicked to fit into whatever the hell you're planning.
I'm going to make you cry and pout and stamp your little feet.
Just because I hate being stuck in this role you've set out for me.
Just because I hate you.
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Puck Mallory has devoted his life to the thrill of gambling. When a round of poker with members of a planet-dominating crime syndicate goes wrong, he finds himself forced into a new kind of game - LimeLight. Puck thought he was going to be forced to fight to the death for the viewers' sick amusement. He was wrong. Something far more sinister was lurking beneath the competition's surface. Genetic alterations and cybernetic augmentations are commonplace in the galaxy, but rumor has it LimeLight takes them to a whole new level - using failed competitors as their test subjects. Will Puck bite the dust on live broadcast for the entertainment of millions and end up a lab experiment, or score the jackpot of his life?
8 190My Dear Alice - A Dark Awakening
He’ll cross a lethal land to bring her back home. But is she willing to be found? Appalachian Wasteland, 2072. Jamie Henderson wants to forget all about his ex-girlfriend Alice. Except this nonviolent fixer has been hired to find her after she went missing in the ongoing AI-controlled war. But his quest through the hostile post-apocalyptic terrain turns deadly when a roadside raider attack sees him captured by a terrifying matriarchal clan. Stranded in dangerous territory, Jamie’s jaw drops when he discovers his ex among their numbers. But with her personality split and scattered, his own survival will depend on reaching through her fragmented mind… Can this pacifist hunter make the truth known before he’s sentenced to death? My Dear Alice is a fast-paced companion story that bridges Seasons 1 and 2 of the gripping Cyber Overture dystopian series. If you like complex character studies, gritty worlds, and shocking twists, then you’ll love D. B. Goodin’s outlander opus. Note: This should be read after Sonorous. This story has been published, but I'm adding it here for Royal Road readers to enjoy.
8 149Fei Cai's Ascension— Reverend Insanity
Being a transmigrator, somehow, my entire nature defied the heaven's will. Somehow, deep down, my spirit had already come into contact with the dao of space and time. Maybe... I am not destined to die? But then again, I am not much of a fan of the concept... no, dao with the title Fate. I remember this pull... this tug that can affect my soul. Honestly, I thought that the world itself was disgusted by me. But now, at least, I have come to understand that the world has already found its own devil. Me. *** Please Note: This is a Reverend Insanity Fanfic and I have posted this novel on other websites with a different pen name— FanHarem, hence, this is not copied work.
8 167Orphan: A Journey of the Self
Willam Strange is an orphan. It is nearly all he has ever known. The only relics of his time before being an orphan are an old scarf and a broken eyepiece. For fifteen years Willam has lived a life relegated to the background of a vibrant and turbulent world. His best friend Julia seemingly the only one that can see him for who he feels he is; but even then Willam has doubts. However, when Castoria's Orphanage experiences some strange happenings Willam and his fellow Orphans will be called to decide for themselves. He will have to decide his own destiny, because no one else will do it for him. Author's Note: Orphan is on Hiatus for re-writes and review. May be posted again at a leater date.
8 91After the End: Serenity
We all want to believe we are heroes of our own story - unless we want to be the villain, of course. At the end of everything, the Final Reaper decided he hadn’t been a hero. Driven by a desire to right the wrongs he was subjected to, he killed everyone who wronged him or his people - which turned out to be everyone that wasn’t killed by someone else first. He'd won - but it was a hollow victory. Eventually, Order’s Voice found a way out. If the only existing being would agree to give up most of his power, the Voice could reset the multiverse to an earlier time with a few minor changes. Of course, the Voice couldn't ask it that way. It could only ask if the Final Reaper was willing to start over from when Earth was first brought into Order. It was an easy decision, and yet it wasn’t. Was he willing to go through eons of pain again to not be alone? Yes. In a heartbeat. Not that his heart beat anymore. Now it would. Perhaps he could even be a hero, this time. When he landed in his old body - more or less - on Earth, the Final Reaper once again became Thomas. He was both and neither. He needed a new name for a new life. Serenity. ------------------------------------------ While this is technically a System Apocalypse story, it's a System Apocalypse that is designed to have a large percentage of the population survive and prosper. There are a lot of problems that come with the appearance of the Voice, and it's entirely possible to lose. Earth has some special opportunities, but also special challenges. The first time around, Earth won the first round and lost the second. Serenity has ten years from when the Voice arrives to prevent that from happening. It will be a group effort; Serenity can't win alone - which is difficult for someone who's been alone for as long as he has. Of course, that's only his second priority. ------------------------------------------- Updates Daily A note on the nonhuman lead tag: He isn't human, and hasn't been human for a very, very long time (or maybe not long at all, depending on how you count it). He still thinks of himself as human, either way. The content warnings are mostly to give me room to write; this fiction is not intended to be edgy, but once in a while a character will swear or someone will get seriously injured. The cover image is a Chandra/Hubble composite image of VV 340 / Arp 302 / UGC 9618. While we're not going to space itself any time soon in the story, people from elsewhere are coming to Earth and Serenity will visit other planets. Plus, I like space imagery. [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
8 505Noctoseismology
Doctor Roxanne Updyke was isekai'd earlier today. She finds herself in a world of noble heroes and wicked villains, wielding great powers against each other in the never-ending war for justice. An ordinary person would be advised to run for cover. Doctor Roxanne Updyke, however, is a mad scientist and an experienced bounty hunter, from a world of powers more subtle but no less dangerous. The greatest danger isn't the fights between heroes and villains, it's that she'll find something she's unwilling to leave behind when her job is done.
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