>>183205 BECAUSE I HATE YOU
>>183206 >At the beginning of the story, which stories would the other characters have been? Same story, different character.
>Did you expect our choice to win? Yes, actually. I have... a bit of a reputation after Favors.
>Near the middle we met Star, how close to the star route were we? Also was there a Reisen route planned? I don't tend to think of terms of routes as defined by characters. If you're asking 'is romance an option', sure. You can work to get your awful crack pairing into this story and I'll do my best to violently whipsaw you between happiness and despair.
>And of course because we reached the good end, how close were we to reaching a bad end/ which routes did we lock along the way? You did reach the best end, but the other endings will be covered in the epilogue.
>Did you enjoy this run? Absolutely. I feel this is my strongest work to date. I'm particularly proud of the ending.
>>183207 >which characters would the other choices have been? This will be covered in the epilogue.
>>183208 >Why did it take this long for best fairy to get her own CYOA? But it's not hers.
EPILOGUE INCOMING
The birds are chirping, the sun is filtering through your thin walls softly, and your blanket is heavy on you. Getting up would be a chore. You just want to snuggle here in bed and waste the day away. But no. Work must be done, food must be earned.
But today you're finding it exceptionally hard to get up because your blankets have become extra heavy.
You open your eyes to see what is preventing you from getting up. And it's a fairy. Red faced, pouty, and staring right at you. It's Star Sapphire again.
"I told you, I don't want a wish."
She sticks out her lip a little further, and it trembles, and you can see the tears in her eyes.
"No! I know there's a catch to the wish, Star, and I don't want to deal with it!"
"What if," she replies, "what if I told you that the only catch is that you have to win the game?"
You roll your eyes. "I can't tell you the number of survival game mangas I've read, Star. And this is sounding right like a plot out of one of them. Sure, I get a wish. But the catch is that I have to murder my way to the top. And the wish doesn't bring back dead people."
"M-murder?!" Star looks positively aghast. "Why would you think it's something like that?!"
"Duh, because that's how the plots always go?"
She closes her eyes and beats her fists on your chest, tears at the corners of her eyes. "I'd never make you do something like that! That's just terrible! You're terrible for thinking of it that way!"
You shrug. "Fine, then. The wish is something like a monkey's paw, and it takes what I wish for extremely literally or in the absolute worst way possible."
Star blinks away tears. "I'd never do that! Sunny or Luna might but... but I never would!"
You sigh. Maybe, just maybe, there isn't actually a catch. "Still don't wanna play."
"But... I said you can't refuse. I mean, you literally cannot. We assigned all the keys already. Which includes yours."
"Keys?"
She brightens, because you're showing her even the barest interest now. "Yeah! All you have to do is collect the thirteen keys from all of the keyholders, open the star, and shazam! Wish granted!"
"That was a rock, not a star."
"It's a prop, okay?!"
"And I didn't see any keyholes."
"Because you didn't look! I was going to show you and it was going to be so ominous and cool and I had smoke machines set up and everything!" She seems to be back on the brink of tears. "A-and now it's all r-ruined!" She falls on your chest, bawling and blubbering.
Well, now you feel like an asshole. You made Star cry.
"Calm down, Star. I'll play, I'll play."
She looks up at you, eyes still welling with tears. "R-really?"
You stifle your sigh, trying not to make her cry again. "Yeah. I'd love a wish." You have absolutely no idea what you'd do with a wish.
Star sniffles, forces a smile, and then hops up, runs to a table, and grabs a box. She sits down right next to you, as you sit up and rub the sleep out of your eyes.
"H-here's your key, the key of Argo Navis. Keep it safe, the other twelve will be coming for it!"
You yawn. "That's a good point. Who are the other twelve?"
Star's eyes positively sparkle. "That's the best part! The identities aren't concretely known to anybody! Except, you know, the three of us." She holds up her hands. "A-and don't try to threaten me! That'll just disqualify you!"
"Has someone tried to threaten it out of you already?"
"Yeah," she sniffles. "But I didn't tell Reimu!" She claps her hands over her mouth, eyes wide at what she just let slip. You can't help but laugh at her. "S-shut up! Maybe Reimu's not even playing!"
"You've got the best poker face in existence, Star."
"A-anyway! The other twelve are named as The Princess, The Dog, The Cup, The Queen, The Dolphin, The Demi-God, The Clock, The Hare, The Wolf, The Lyre, The Hunter, and The Hero. You're The Swift One."
"Huh. Normally that'd be Aya."
Star huffs and puffs out her cheeks. "Yeah but she's a stupid meaniehead that called me dumb in her paper. She doesn't get to play."
You laugh internally, and scratch your head. "Well. I'm sorry I doubted you, Star. This sounds like a fun game. What's the extent of the wish, exactly?"
"Well..."she starts. "It's a fae contract-" She stops as she sees your eyes narrow angrily. "No, no! Not like that! Your half of the contract is just to win the game! Nothing else! I promise! In return, you get the
super cool and magical powers that the three of us can muster up!"
Oh. Fairy-powered wish. So, aim small for your wish, then, you guess. "Which would be?"
Star thinks for a moment. "Well... I think we might be able to manage... godhood?"
Okay then. That's... significantly more power than you expected. "Star, are contracts like magical steroids for fairies?" She just looks at you blankly. "Do contracts allow you to use more power?"
She seems to have gotten that second bit. "Oh, yes! Lots of things I couldn't do alone I can do with a proper contract! And the three of us together, that's a lot of
super cool magical power!" She hands you your key. It's made of polished steel.
You yawn again, and peer at it. While you're reading the inscription that says ?Argo Navis? on it, you hear a familiar, unpleasant voice outside. "I know you're here, Swift One. Give me the key, or I will break you!"
It's Reimu. Star looks at you happily. "The game, as they say, is a foot!"
?
Afoot. Star."
"That sounds dumb. That's not even a word."
[ ] Go out to meet Reimu.
[ ] Sneak out of the house and try not to be seen.
[ ] Act like you're not home, and hide.
[ ] Write-in.