[Snippet] The Masks We Wear (Honkai: Star Rail): Chapter 11 (Patreon)

CC: Hey, you there?

CC: I have an important scientific question to ask you.

CC: It’s very important. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance.

Herta: Stop bothering me.

CC: :(

CC: I just wanted to ask a question.

Herta: What? Make it quick. 

Herta: And you better ask something actually intelligent. Do you have any idea how precious my time is? How many people would give up their entire lives just for the privilege of asking me a single question?

CC: I have a…let's call him a friend. I have a friend here, and we’re arguing about something.

CC: Are Heliobi ghosts?

Herta: ….

Herta: Why are you asking me this?

CC: My friend is a Heliobi, and we’ve been arguing about it for an hour.

Herta: You have a Heliobi there with you? An intelligent one that’s not hostile???

CC: Yes?

CC: Partly.

CC: Semi-hostile.

Herta: Ruan Mei would be thrilled to get her hands on a proper Heliobi with intelligence. There are still an extraordinarily large number of mysterious surrounding strange species.

CC: Oh, give her my number! I’m going to seduce her.

Herta: Absolutely not.

Herta: As if I would give you a drop into the laps of anyone with a modicum of intelligence! She has far more important things to do than have some idiot drooling over her!

CC: Like making an Emanator of Propagation in your basement?

Herta: !?

Herta: How do you know about that!?

Herta: Even she doesn’t know that I know what she’s doing!

CC: Magic

CC: ଘ(੭ ᐛ )━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

Herta: ….

Herta: You better not have been skulking around my space station or I’m going to be upset. It’s bad enough that you broke in and stole some of my things.

CC: Anyways, back on topic. The Ghost next to me wants an answer.

Herta: No, Heliobi aren’t ghosts. They exist within the same category as ghosts. Like how humans are categorized as mammals, the same as some other animals. It’s a common misconception due to their behavior and characteristics and state of existence.

CC: Thank you.

CC: <3

Herta: Stop bothering me.

CC: Wait, one more thing.

Herta: Make it quick or I’m going to block you for good.

CC: Do you have any spare Stellarons laying around that you don’t need?

Herta: ….

Herta: Go die.

CC: Wait, I have something else.

Herta: [Has blocked you]

CC: Alright, fine. I just wanted to talk with you. But as thanks, why don’t I tell you something good?

CC: Well, it’s mostly for your friend, but I think he would appreciate it. Screwllum has worked for a long time to reverse the negative perception of inorganic life and appreciates his fellow automatons who share his values. Tell him that there’s a machine on Jarilo-Vl that independently gained emotions and adopted a human girl and treats her like his daughter.

Herta: [Has Unblocked You]

Herta: ???

Herta: Why are you telling me this? A machine developing emotional capacity independently is interesting, I’ll admit that. But it’s hardly something worth the attention of a genius.

CC: The IPC is going to descend on them soon. Hundreds of years ago, they took out a big loan when the planet was attacked, then abandoned when the Stellaron iced the planet. Now that it’s been reconnected to the Star Rail, profits are to be had. There are a lot of untapped resources available for the taking. Also, the robot in question is sitting on top of a massive stockpile of IPC hardware, combat machines. 

Herta: Barely worth consideration.

Herta: What’s your angle? A fool never does anything without a reason.

CC: Getting into the good graces of Screwllum is worth it. Does he have any Stellarons for sale?

Herta: Forget I asked.

Herta: I don’t even want to know what you want Stellarons for.

CC: My own special project.

Herta: Yeah, whatever.

CC: On a more important note, what color today?

Herta: !

Herta: How dare you ask me that? Do you have no shame?

Herta: Go die.

Herta: Purple.

Herta: [Has Logged Off]

Allen put his phone away and looked up at the giant ethereal eyeball staring at him. “Sorry, Herta just confirmed it. Heliobi are ghosts."

“Do you think I can’t tell when you’re lying?"

“Yes.”

The Eyeball scoffed. “I already know that the noble and proud Heliobi aren’t mere spectres.”

“The Genius society disagrees," Allen hummed. “Anyways, let’s go inside; you have some stuff you wanted to talk about.” Allen had already retreated far away from the Garden because of the commotion they caused.

Cirrus had been getting accustomed to his new status.

He just found a secluded location where some Mara-Struck had been running wild, so there weren’t any people around. He waved his hand, and the tent to his circus appeared as he walked inside.

It was exactly as one would expect to see on the inside of a circus tent. Yet, something about it just felt wrong; there was an eerie feeling lurking under the surface even as Elation filled the air.

Propagation insects flew overhead in formation.

Various people were going about their activities.

Even Hooley was standing off to the side, looking imposing.

And Angry.

Thankfully, he couldn’t rebel. Even if there was intelligence and wisdom left behind in his eyes, Hooley was now bound to the Circus like everyone else. 

“How much power do you have now?” Allen asked Cirrus.

Cirrus paused and considered the question. “If you want to compare me to my previous form. I should have less than 70% the strength of Ignamar.” His tone carried with it a sort of disdain pointed at himself.

“70% the power of a being that fought an Emanator on equal footing. That’s already far above 99% of the universe.”

“Don’t try to offer platitudes like I’m some child. I’m well aware that even the full power of Ignamar would be insignificant compared to what you’re planning.”

Allen just hummed, not arguing with that statement. He snapped his fingers and summoned a group of his Circus members. “Alright, whoever was a scientist, scholar, or researcher, step forward.”

At his beckoning, the group of Circus Members that had gathered, about two dozen, stepped forward at his call, obeying his orders unconditionally.

There was a reason he had specifically gone to Herta’s Space Station to fetch this group of souls, not just because it was convenient.

Allen took out the Stellaron, holding it up.

“I’ve never seen one of those up close.” Cirrus eyed it curiously. “The Cancer of All Worlds. Maybe that name is going to change hands after you’re done.”

“Where there’s danger, there’s opportunity. A Stellaron is at its core, a massive ball of energy. It shapes itself by ‘wishes’ around it, fueling the process by which the Stellaron manifests its reserves of power.” He handed the Stellaron off to the group of scholars. “Get started on analyzing this; there will be more detailed plans later. Make a list of equipment you’ll need.”

While they obeyed, while they didn’t speak, they still understood; their wisdom and skills in life could still be applied.

“You’re going to need more than one.” Cirrus stated. “A lot more. One Stellaron can ruin a planet, and even a star system. But that’s still far, far from enough.”

“I know.” Allen acknowledged. “I have some ideas on how to get my hands on more. There’s one here on the Luofu for the taking! And…there just so happens to be some friends nearby who have a particular interest in snatching Stellarons themselves. I’m sure they could be convinced to hand over a few out of the good will in their hearts.”

Cirrus snorted. “I need more soldiers too. You can’t expect me to do anything with these meagre forces.”

Allen looked up, and he couldn't help but agree. “All armies start off small. I’ll be grabbing what I can where I can, and we’ll build up.”

Cirrus nodded. “And I should remind you, I’m not a…strategist. You know, I lost because of human trickery last time. I don’t know human tactics or stratagems to employ.”

“Why can’t you learn?” Allen asked.

Cirrus went quiet. “Learn?”

“You can read? I’ll get you books. You can understand; you can watch videos. You can communicate; I can find you sparring partners or people to test wits against. The important thing is, you want to win, don’t you?”

His whole core desire was to win against the General. He wanted a rematch; he wanted to show that he wasn’t defeated because he was weak and that he could overcome human trickery.

Even if the grand plan changed a bit, the underlining logic remained.

“As my general, you should learn to lead an army.” He wasn’t being facetious either. Cirrus had potential, and he had abilities that far surpassed human capabilities. Absorbing knowledge should be easy for him.

“I want books then.” Cirrus settled on. “Get me strategy books, anything that teaches me human trickery. I will learn, I will understand, and I will overcome it. I will show all those humans that their trickery is no match for me.”

Allen nodded. He knew that the way to push him into the right direction was to poke at his pride. Cirrus was very prideful; he could accept he lost, and he could accept he didn’t know something, but he couldn’t accept losing again.

Therefore, he would do what he needed to do to win.

“For now, why don’t I get you a phone and you can download some strategy games?” It sounds childish, but it's the first step to start developing the mindset for strategic thinking.

Chess wasn’t real life, but learning how to think several moves ahead and anticipate your opponent was something important to grasp.

“Hmm. Fine, this Noble one will play games with pitiful humans.” He said dismissively, but Allen could tell he was intrigued by the idea.

If nothing else, being able to stroke his own ego and ‘defeat’ humans in games of skill and strategy was just the right button to press for him.

“I have my own lessons I need to learn as well,' Allen said quietly as he looked over to the Big Bad Wolf standing silently to the side. “Hey there, big guy.” He walked over.

Hoolay didn’t react, but Allen could feel the glare hidden behind his mask. 

“Alright, don’t be such a sourpuss. You already lost long before I did a little doggy-napping. Admit it, deny it, but the facts are unchanged. You’ve been imprisoned for hundreds of years, and the only reason you haven't died yet was purely because of good fortune. It’s not your skill that you have the Crimson Moon; it was a matter of circumstance, even if you rose to the top of your species.”

Allen could tell he was unconvinced.

The soul of Hoolay was unwavering in its hatred, it seemed.

“However, at the very least, I’ll tell you this. There will be a battlefield for you; there will be an opportunity for you to rampage to your hearts' content. You will charge where my blade points, but your enemies will be everyone. The Hunt is but one of the forces that will descend upon us.”

There was a slight flicker of something in his ghastly eyes, but acceptance, forgiveness, or relentment. But rather, just the tiniest bit of what seemed like curiosity.

It was hard to tell because Hoolay was in fact dead and bound through Nihility and Elation.

“But I’ll give you another benefit.” Allen flicked his King Card, and his God-Slayer sword appeared in his hand. “I need to learn how to fight, and who else should I have teach me? So, you’re cordially invited to beat me up as much as you want.”

If he had the Wolf’s tiny bit of curiosity before, now at this moment, Allen could almost feel like the Wolf was smiling.

Ironically, Hoolay was a master swordsman. He was basically a werewolf and acted the part of a beast, but his primary weapon was also a sword that he had honed over the years.

However, Allen had no intention of becoming a swordsman or learning the art of the sword. No, what he wanted to learn was just how to fight. How to swing his blade in a way that wasn’t just flailing around. He didn’t need fancy techniques or anything like that.

If he could use his sword without falling over himself, he would consider it mission accomplished.

So, what better way than to get beaten up over and over?

@***@

Allen let out a sigh as he stumbled out of the Circus Tent, the flap of it disappearing as the entire structure dissipated from behind him.

Training was tiring.

Even if he was an Emanator, he didn’t suddenly become a master combatant. Even with his fight against Acheron, he was mostly operating on instinct and quick thinking. He had no battle sense yet; he had no real skill.

So he needed to get beaten up over and over again.

Even so, he put a mask on and traveled back into the heart of Luofu civilization to find a new friend to make.

He remembered it should be near the Scalegorge, right?

With a quick flick of his mask, he turned into the mechanical bird from back in the prison and flew over the buildings, searching across the streets for a particular colored head of hair.

He somewhat remembered the plot? Or the sequence of events? At this point in time, the name of the Stellaron Hunters should have been cleared, and they should have been told to take a hike while the Xianzhou handles the real culprits.

Allen flew over several streets, passed by several locations until he found what he was looking for.

A woman sitting along at a table, looking to be drinking a cup of coffee.

Her purple hair was rather iconic and easy to spot, especially from the sky.

He flew down and transformed without anyone noticing. The flicker of lights, a glare, and a misconception out of the corner of the eye. Even if someone noticed the oddity, they would second-guess themselves and just think they were seeing things.

He ran a hand through his air and put on his best smile.

It wasn’t every day that one got to have a coffee date with a woman of that caliber!

He swaggered over to the table intentionally and methodically so that she saw him coming. “Well, hello there.” He put on his proper sexy voice. She looked up at him, and he could tell immediately by her gaze that she was swooned.

As expected.

“Listen to me.” She spoke softly. “This seat is taken; go somewhere else.” She said dismissively and subsequently ignored him.

Allen could feel it. The special ability of her people, Spirit Words.

Contrary to her expectations, Allen pulled out the chair opposite of her and sat right down. Her vacant and distant gaze was, at that moment, snapped at him in a daze of confusion.

“You know, when someone tells me to do something, I just can’t help but do the opposite.” He smiled, propping up his chin with his hand. “Don’t be so quick to shoo me away, Miss Stellaron Hunter~”

Her expression shifted and a certain smile slowly crawled up her face. Confident and dangerous, like you’re in control of the entire situation even when you’re taken off guard.

Maybe it wasn’t even fake, because Allen could recall, her people had a particular nuance to them, and they didn’t feel fear.

“You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Mr.…"

“Call me Blade; wait, no, that name is taken.” Allen looked thoughtful. “How about Firefly? Do you think I’m cute enough to look like a Firefly?”

Her smile widened. Rather than express surprise the normal way, her response was to show this kind of ace. “I think a certain little girl might be upset that you’re stealing something precious from her when she has so little.”

“Ah, hmm.” Allen rubbed his chin. “You’re right, I can’t bully such a pitiful woman, can I? Tell me, is there anything in your script about me?” He was genuinely curious.

Kafka froze for a fraction of a second. “Hmm, so you know about the script."

“I have some knowledge about the Slave of Destiny. Speaking of, I wonder if you would be so kind as to put me in touch with Elio.”

She matched my posture, putting her hand up under her chin to prop herself up. “I’m afraid he’s rather busy. Maybe if I had a name, he might be willing to hear a message passed on~."

“You know, I have a little…let’s call it a habit. A compulsion, if you will.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhmm. You see, I just can’t help it. When I see someone plan out a meticulous story, when they arrange the actors in a certain way, when they set up all the pieces in a grand design, I just can’t stop myself from tipping the dominos over early.”

“A lot of people seem to share the same habit, Mr. No-Name. But did you know, until this point, everyone who thought they could tip over those dominos realized that they were actually just one of the many pieces on the board?" 

A threat? Not directly, just a subtle jab of her telling him that everyone who thinks they’re outside of the Slave of Destiny’s grasp already has strings on them.

“Oh really?” Allen hummed. “Have you read the scripts ahead of time, I wonder?”

“Maybe I’ve peeked at the Scripts from time to time.” She didn’t deny it, or rather, she wanted to know what he wanted. She had been subtle but specific about what she’s been saying and what she’s been holding back.

Because someone who sought her out and shrugged off her Spirit Words was not some nobody.

“Good, good. Would you believe me if I too took a little peek at the script?”

“Did you now?” The corners of her lips pulled up ever so slightly. “How strange; I don’t recall Elio showing anyone else. You know, it’s bad manners to peek at someone else’s story before it’s finished.”

“I’m sorry, I just couldn't help myself.” Allen put his hands up before pressing his finger against the table and drawing a symbol. “I’m curious; if I asked you what this meant, wouldn’t you know?”

Ever so briefly, her eyes dilated in a genuine look of shock.

Because there was an infinity sign on the table now.

And she knew exactly what it meant.

@***@

A/N

Allen plans the future and goes out to make new friends! See, it’s actually just a slice of life story when you get down to it, right?