(Astrid's P.O.V.)
*ring*
I groaned. "Stupid alarm clock," I muttered as I got up. I totally pulled off an all-nighter...got roughly 30 minutes of sleep. Sunlight reflected off everything. Oh yeah, Mystique the water aero phoenix made my room too clean...too sparkly...too shiny. I stared at my room. No water, no seafood. There goes our infinite amount of seafood. I decided to check my stats. My mana was full, that's good.
Time for breakfast...I wonder if the lazy couch potato, Kathrine is awake. I gotta check my bank account soon. Money is needed to pay rent! Money is not needed to get food.
"Couch potato Kathrine! You up?" I yelled at the door. "Thanks to your very much unnecessary wake-up call, I can sell my alarm clock and earn some spare cash." Kathrine replied through the door. "Come over now!!! We've got croissant for breakfast! Free food! Dunno where or how we got it though..." I told her. I diverted my gaze towards the sink. Not a morning person...too far away...don't wanna walk. Why must life be so harsh?
I sat down at the table after taking about 3 minutes to lazily wash my hands. The smell of warm croissants filled my lungs and left me in ease. I took 1 bite. Hmmm. The flaky sensation pleased my tastebuds. Delicious.
"Hey Astrid, enough fantasizing over there....so, whatcha doing today?" Kathrine , now fully conscious, asked. "I'm heading to the bank to check my balance after this...how 'bout you?" I replied before taking another bite out of the tasty breakfast on my plate. "I'll just go with ya. Got nothing better to do..." she answered. I just shrugged and continued to enjoy myself with the satisfaction of eating croissant.
~~~
"My job is much more efficient than yours!" Kathrine stated.
"I have more money!" I retorted.
"But you've been working longer!"
"And you're lazy!"
"You work too much!" Kathrine taunted.
"No, you're just-"
I was cut off. "Yes, I get it...you 2 are quite the bunch. You're excellent with your jobs, and I, the lonely, bored banker is simply a jack of all trades and a master of none," the banker person sarcastically said. "Though oftentimes better than the master of one..." I started. "Yes! I am better than most dear....so, what may I do for you?" she agreed wholeheartedly. What an ego. I think I just did a great job at inflating it even more. Yay for you Astrid!
"We'd like to check our balance miss..." Kathrine said, clearly pissed and ready to burst out in laughter with the cocky attitude of the banker (heck, she reminds me of Henrietta from Log Horizon). "Oh yes, names?" she requested sweetly with an oddly creepy smile. "Kathrine. Kathrine Kira." Kathrine replied. "Astrid Astraea." I said. "No, no my dears. Full names. First name, second name, middle name, sur-" I did myself a favor and cut her off. I've never said my full name since I arrived here, but I somehow remembered it. "Astrid Selene Mira Astraea." I stated bluntly. "Lovely name sweetheart!" she cooed. What the hell...sweetheart!? "Kathrine Maru Salem Kira." Kathrine said. The banker typed something on her computer and walked far back into the bank. She turned to us and beckoned for us to follow.
Kathrine and I wearily followed her as she lead us through a series of vaults, constantly reaching some weird-looking thing that seemed like some top secret vault that could never be unlocked. It was rusted bronze with some mini passages and tunnels going through it that looked like it could be cracked with a code. Based on what I see, the code is...2-3-1-9-4-6-7-5. How I got that? I don't know. Wait on-that's why I know the code. That's why I feel so creeped out.
The vault is unlocked.
~~~
"Emergency! Emergency! Someone has broken through and a thievery has occurred at vault 916! Bank security, please investigate immediately!" The telecom announced. I guess I was right. What was in there anyways to the point it had to be protected by some super genius code which just got cracked. Guess it wasn't genius after all. Or it was and whoever cracked the code was a genius himself. Gah! This is killing my head.
The banker looked at me and Kathrine. "It's okay. The security will take over for now, but it is my duty to accomplish what you came here for. Lately, we've theorized that an accomplice has been coming here. It seems the crime has already been committed, and we have not performed the necessary actions to prevent it. It is solely our loss. Our fault. Just ignore everything for now. We must solve our own problems. Otherwise, I'm not so sure we can even call then our problems any longer." she stated. Some wise words coming from a conceited banker. She stopped at vault 214. "Miss Astraea, shall we?"
"Your current balance is $ 11 256." she read off the charts. "11 256!?" Kathrine and I screamed in disbelief. "Wow...I must say I agree now. Great minds think alike, but fools rarely differ. Now, I simply don't know whether to call you fools or the latter." Miss So-Very-Cocky-Banker shamelessly announced to us. "Have you no shame? I'm telling you miss, watch your words. You are getting on my nerves!" Kathrine spouted threateningly, reading my thoughts. "Wow, a very short-tempered one too..." cocky the cocky banker mumbled. Yes, that is now her name. I glared at her. For once, I actually hoped looks good kill...or maybe my eyes had lasers...if so, she'd be dead.
A slightly wise, I-don't-see-a-point-in-thinking-before-I-talk person. Yay...
~~~
Okay...so, we got our money, survived the chaotic bank, did whatever and are now heading elsewhere.
We are currently walking having a good-for-nothing conversation...
"Nya!"
"What. The. Hell. Was. That." Kathrine snapped giving me her do-that-one-more-time-and-you're-dead glare.
"Meow...?" I purred with a smirk.
Heck, Kathrine is so mad. Bad idea? Nah...great one! Very very very pissed off, Kathrine, the one and only Kathrine Kira taunted "You. Are. So. DEAD. Prepare to DIE!"
"Like you will," I said with an overly-adorable smile. "Anyways...gah!"
There's this random dude. I think I've seen him before...who just snatched my bag full of money. Oh wait, it's worse...Kathrine's too. He looks familiar though. I get this odd sense of déjà vu. "Hey! Whoever you are, give us back our money ya idiotic, moronic, whatever means the same as that or possible worse thief! Have you no shame!?" Kathrine yelled at nothing.
Oh well, forget that 'good-for-nothing' conversation. It was good for a distraction. Yay! Astrid Selene M. Astraea, you're amazing! Here is your certificate of carelessness! Enjoy! Yep, yep. Sarcasm is in my nature. Don't ever take it away from me. I'm the sarcasm geek, Kathrine's the comedian. We do irony too, and together, we are the perfect example of weirdness. All we are (well sort of) is insanity. Not a single drop of sanity in us. So now, because of that incredibly stupidly careless mistake, we have been robbed.
*splash*
"Did you hear that?" I asked Kathrine.
"Hear what?"
"The splash sound."
"What splash sound?"
"Whatever...I think I heard a splash. Probably the thief person diving into water to get away-wait up...let's check it out!" I said stupidly.
"I swear Astrid...you are the dumbest dumb genius of all time."
"I ain't no genius!"
"Totally..." Kathrine rolled her eyes at my denial. "Okay then Miss Dumb Genius, it's showtime!"
She sprinted in the direction of the splashing sound and waited for me to follow. I gave her a 2 finger mini salute and said "Let's investigate!" with a smirk ion my face despite losing my money. I know, I know, we're very odd. Very, indeed.
We walked around the so-called scene of the crime (we ain't even sure it was the thief we-I mean I heard) and after around 30 minutes of searching for clues, finally decided to use some spells to search underwater here at the bay. The water glimmered a beautiful turquoise and glittered silver in the moonrise (yes, we did take that long...don't ask).
After finding pretty much nothing, we finally decided (dunno why it took so long) to use magic. I summoned Mystique then, Kathrine gave it some eyesight sharpening spell thing to enhance its senses and also some speed spell thing along with it. Then, we let it go as we followed its trail. For some reason though, it seemed like the thief wanted us to follow suit. It was weird alright...weird.
We ended up in an abandoned park. Dead trees everywhere, this eerie aura it gives off, a dark and lonely atmosphere. No doubt, we found the thief.
"You finally found me. Took you long enough." some sort of kid said while holding up the pouch with our money and simultaneously biting an apple. "Shall we have a little trade?" he asked. "What do you want?" I asked him. I was scared alright, but that didn't stop me from standing up for justice. "I'll give you your money in exchange for-oh wait nevermind," he said as his gaze saw my glare. "I think it'll be more amusing-entertaining to do this." he jumped and started sprinting away.
Damn, was he fast.
I was never a fast runner. Wait, no. I never even liked running. But heck, Kathrine always did! She sprinted past the trees and continued to keep him in sight. I chased after her making sure I don't get lost. I was distracted though...something was plaguing my mind. I just feel a connection between all these events.
I attempted to connect the dots.
Little by little, as I ran, only 2 possibilities came to mind. Either this thief was the same one who stole whatever from vault 916 for whatever reason he may have or there's no connection at all. I'm not the best with possibilities, but those were the only ones that appeared in my head. I'm really hoping for the latter. Sheesh, I'm exhausted. Yet still, I kept running.
When we stopped, I fell to my knees. Mystique disappeared already...probably because it completed its purpose of being summoned. The kid stopped and gave me and Kathrine a faux frown. "I thought you were better. Sensed a little something when you 2 arrived in this place...guess I was wrong." he took out a bag. "See this? I know what's going on in your head Miss Astrid Astraea." I was shocked. How did he know my name? "You're very much right. I stole this from vault 916. The only thing you didn't know was why." he explained. He just read my mind. That was exactly what went on in my head. Creepy.
"Inside this very bag is the Grimoire of a Hundred Souls." the very name made me shiver in fear. I could hear some voices or screams coming from it. It caused a cold shiver down my spine. "I stole this because this holds value. It has the power to reveal the secrets of this world. Everything. All the empty spaces. The missing pieces. However, I'm well aware that I have no power to control this, so I decided to bait on you. Power radiates off of you 2 when you stepped into our legendary, mystical dimension. Just like that, I knew. My eyes were in this book for a while now, but I just didn't know who to pick. I want to leave this place. Empty memories drift back and forth in my head. I know I loved someone, but who? I know I had a family, but where? I know something happened, but what? I know I got hurt, but why? It's all a mystery, and I wish to uncover its secrets. And mind me, Kathrine. Astrid. You will do this for me. No, not me only, for everyone in this world who are eager to know. We are itching to reach the real world. We know this world isn't real. To us, this place is a game."
I stared at Kathrine. She looked tempted to get the book. "Now, get the book, and your money is yours."
"Never!" I yelled, slightly hoping it would snap Kathrine back to reality. Phew...she shook her head. "We will get our money back. For the sake of justice! We wish to work under our own desire. Our own will. I refuse to be tempted by such foolishness!" Kathrine shouted. I don't know where I got courage to do this but I yelled "I know we've been told that it's best to solve our own problems, but we can always share the burden with those willing! This injustice is killing me and Kathrine too, it is each our problem, and we will solve it. Together!"
The kid gave off a smirk-like frown "Fight at your own risk."