Capítulo 71: Episode 11-Sloth (4)
It was dinnertime. Everyone huddled into the cafeteria and sat down, waiting for the food bearers to appear. Sitting at our table were Aliana, Marcus, and me. Ethan wasn't here yet.
(He said he'd bring someone new. A girl.)
It made me wonder who they were.
"Hey. Do you I mind if I sit here?"
I looked up from what I was doing and saw a young boy in front of me. It was Jacob Brice, a flaxen-haired boy with a kind countenance. For a moment, I was shocked but smiled warmly.
"Sure. There's plenty of room."
"Thanks."
Jacob sat down but didn't try to engage in conversation. The silence only added to the awkward atmosphere. Aliana coughed here and there, Marcus was fiddling with a Rubik's cube, and I was doing nothing.
"Aren't you gonna sketch? I remember seeing it once."
This was the first attempt at small talk, but Jacob asked an uncomfortable question.
"Uh, when did you see my sketches?"
"Oh, just... y'know. Before the first scenario happened."
"Actually," Aliana interceded, "speaking about your sketchbook, where is it?"
Everyone was paying attention to me, and I became unnerved. I needed to shift the topic to another direction. I should just make a throw-away response.
"I've just felt out of it. Not in the mood for drawing."
"Oh, I see. I understand. I wouldn't be feeling artistic in an apocalypse," Jacob said.
Afterwards, he scratched the back of his head. God, the awkwardness was tangible. This continued for minutes until-
"Hello there."
"Gah!"
I heard a voice from behind, swiveled my head, and saw Ethan standing behind me. Why didn't I notice?
Burning sweat drifted down my neck and traveled along the spine of my back. Ethan wore the hood of his rain jacket, and the dim yellow light accentuated the shadows of his figure. I could barely see his face. From my view, it was nothing but a black, formless void. As of this moment, Ethan looked like the personification of death.
"Looks like you've seen a ghost, Alicia."
His monotone voice didn't help with his image. I felt like a deer frozen in headlights. I couldn't move but-
-!Slap!-
"Ow, what the hell?"
-Aliana freed me from my stupor. My friend rose from her seat to slap the back of Ethan's head. He made a comical, high-pitched voice.
"Stop leering at Alicia, you creep."
I expected Ethan to explode with anger, but he replied calmly. Almost sheepishly.
"I wasn't leering, and I'm not a creep. I'm a sicko. Those are two very different things."
I almost didn't catch what he said. My friend grilled him.
"Okay, sit down and explain what you mean."
From what I've seen from Ethan so far, he showed uncharacteristic obedience and sat down. When he did, I saw the person standing behind him.
(I didn't even notice them.)
They had short stature and were smaller than Ethan. I could only guess, but it seemed this person was 5'0 or 5'1 feet tall. They wore a baggy sweater and had the hoodie cinched completely, masking their face. They were almost a genderless, phantasmal figure, but the black jeans they wore indicated their slim figure. It was a girl.
"Okay, what's the difference between a creep and a sicko, Ethan?" Aliana grilled.
While my friend spoke, the silent figure sat down next to Ethan, and no one acknowledged their presence as if they were invisible. Anyone would only confirm the person's existence when they secretly glanced at them. In social interactions, there is a saying where you "break the ice." No one dared to address the mysterious person, though. If we did "break the ice," it would've made this entire situation colder.
"Okay, this is my personal definition of a creep: someone who is pervy towards women."
"Which you are," Aliana deadpanned.
"Bruh. I am not."
"Okay, what's a sicko then?"
"Do you want my honest answer, guys?"
"Yeah, that's why I asked."
Ethan was somewhat joking in his explanation, but his expression became pensive.
"I'll say it honestly. I think a sicko is someone who can stare at a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses unfazed. If someone can gander at the world's vileness without batting an eye, there's something... going on in their head. "Normal" humans can't handle that truth and ugliness. It takes a special breed to get used to that."
"And you're saying you're one of them? A sicko?"
"Yes."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one. And I don't think anyone else is different from you."
Aliana said this as she looked around the cafeteria, which was filled with countless people, survivors of the first scenario. Her words created a deeper pit in my stomach.
(In summary, everyone is sick, right? That's what she's saying.)
Aliana's words nestled deep and gnawed at my insides. I could feel the guilt eating me alive, twisting in my head, threatening to engulf me.
"Oi, snap out of it!"
The sudden snapping of Ethan's fingers shattered my stupor.
"Okay, for now, let's not depress our asses with this shit. In a little bit, we'll be able to get some food. What do you guys want to talk about it?"
(I need to steer this conversation away from our past.)
"Actually."
Before continuing, Ethan turned to look at the newest guest at the table.
"I haven't met you before."
"Oh, sorry. My name is Jacob."
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Ethan."
"Uh, same. I mean- uh."
Jacob didn't seem accustomed to social interactions, so they stumbled when they encountered Ethan's formalness, no matter how small it was.
"It's, uh, nice to meet you too."
"Thank you. Are you friends with Alicia?"
"Uh, not really. We met after the first scenario. I didn't know her before."
Ethan became pensive and said this in a knowing tone, "Of course. Interesting."
Afterwards, we talked about random things. They were nothing important: games, cars, art, music, and life in general. Just random topics any teenager would talk about. Although, the person who Ethan invited remained silent. He tried to prompt them into speaking, but they kept silent and read a book.
(I wonder how they can read under their hood. What are they reading?)
They were hunched over so that I couldn't see. This carried on for some time until an interruption was heard.
"Yoohoo! Marcus!"
I looked behind and saw two people approaching our table. I turned back around-
"Marcus, do you know those tw-"
-and saw the most murderous glare on Ethan's face.
Ignoring Ethan's apparent rage, I focused on the two people approaching. They were a pair of siblings, and both were blonde.
"Uh, yeah. Jace and Alexa," Marcus answered.
I racked my brain. If I remember correctly, they were Alexa and Jace Demin. Two people I swore I never saw before the scenarios but were supposedly long-time students of Garfield High School. The first time they appeared, I asked Aliana about it, but she claimed she never saw them. My best friend hates to admit it, but she knows a lot about student drama and social politics. If Aliana didn't know these people, they didn't exist in the first place.
Although it seems they did, every student vehemently claimed these two were once freshmen. If I'm right, Jace is a senior, while his younger sister, Alexa, is a sophomore.
They finally arrived at our table, and Alexa gave a charming smile while saying, "Mind if we sit here?"
I was going to say "sure" and act politely, but Ethan beat me to it. He wasn't as graceful as I had hoped.
"Even if we say no, you're going to anyway. Might as well."
His tone was heavy, scornful. When I looked back, his expression appeared calmer, but he radiated disappointed dad energy.
"Oh? Who are you?"
Alexa had a disarming smile, but her tone carried a condescending edge.
"Besides being a crack addict, my name is Ethan. This is Aliana and Alicia."
Alexa looked at me as she sat down next to Marcus.
"I haven't met you before! Are you a senior?"
"No, a sophomore."
"Same!"
After receiving my short answer, Alexa gave her full attention to Marcus. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned close to his face.
"Marcus, I haven't seen you in a long time! Where were you?"
(Are they dating?)
Marcus didn't appear to be, and he wasn't reciprocating Alexa's flirting.
"I've been busy with patrols and... stuff."
They began their conversation, but it was one-sided; it consisted of Alexa prodding Marcus and receiving excuses. I turned my attention to Jace Demin, who sat next to Jacob. The latter seemed uncomfortable and kept fidgeting with the glasses on their face.
"So, do you guys know why we're here?" Jace asked.
His voice was deep and carried presence as if demanding others to look at him.
"Uh, no, not really." (Marcus.)
"Buddy, it's to tell you about a party!"
"A party?"
"Yeah. Everyone feels like shit, but we want to fix that. People are going to put in the effort, and we're going to have fun. It will happen in the lower half of the school on the last day of this scenario. That should arrive in three or two days."
"So, you want us to go to this party?" I asked.
Jace flashed a disarming smile. "Yes. Anyone who wants to join the party is invited. It's an open event."
"Who's going?"
"Mainly kids our age, so don't worry about adults," Alexa added.
Her comment was meant to reassure me, but it made me feel nervous.
"Anyways, I see some new faces. How about we reintroduce ourselves? Can you tell us who you are? You're new, right?" Jace asked.
"Yeah, my name is Ethan Takahashi."
Jacob looked at Ethan and squinted his eyes.
"Who's the person next to you?"
I felt Jace wanted to ask that question first but needed to lead the conversation naturally. Maybe Ethan sensed it too. He shifted in his seat to block Jace's line of vision from the other person.
"They're shy and don't like talking."
(Why use a gender-neutral term?)
"Oh, I see. Well, if they want to join the party, they can. Just making sure. So, what's your name and your friend's? I don't think I caught it earlier."
Jace was paying attention to Aliana and me now. I felt nervous, but suddenly-
"Marcus! The food's here!!"
Ethan made a loud outburst and tugged Marcus from his seat. Like a cat owner, he grabbed Marcus from the collar and lifted him.
"I know, but I'm not hungry right now!"
"You need to eat to grow big and strong."
"I'm already 6'2."
Their conversation grew distant as Ethan continued to drag Marcus, but I could still hear it.
"Yeah, but you're like every tall person: lanky and looming. You need to eat well to become thick AF."
"O-okay then..."
As Ethan and Marcus waltzed off, I barely noticed, but I saw Alexa angrily scowling.
***
If I were to act like a typical fangirl who reads too many romance Webtoons, I'd describe Marcus as a cinnamon roll. Marcus is tall, strong, and somewhat imposing, but he doesn't mean to be. He cares about what others think about him, probably too much. In addition, Marcus is weak-willed because he's afraid his decisions will hurt others. Sadly, that's not his only problem. It isn't easy for him to say no or act pragmatic and firm. It's easy to take advantage of him.
(It happened in ASS.)
As a reader, I wanted to change that, and my first step was protecting him from Alexa Demin.
(Damn mewling quim.)
I have no qualms about insulting a woman, but I avoid words too vulgarly. That's most cases, but Alexa is the exception.
(No one noticed but me.)
While Jace distracted the others, Alexa lowered her hand towards Marcus's waist. My eyes weren't deceiving me, and if ASS was accurate, my current knowledge of Alexa was correct. I think I made it in the nick of time.
Since Marcus was a scout and combatant, he could skip the line. If I wanted food, I would have to wait, but I didn't give a damn about this school's shitty rations.
"Got my rations."
"Noice. Let's go back."
I didn't want to return to our table because of Jace and Alexa, but I couldn't leave Alicia, Aliana, or the new person I swore to protect.
(I'll bite the bullet and make myself sit next to Alexa.)
I shivered at the thought.
"Wait, you didn't get your food."
I stared Marcus in the eyes and smiled. "I'm not hungry. I mainly wanted you to get your food."
Marcus avoided eye contact and glanced at the ground.
"I convinced the inventory guys, and they gave me extra rations. Here."
Marcus held out a biscuit for me to take.
"It's bread, Marcus, not a love letter," I said while smirking.
"It's not that. Thanks... for noticing and saving me back there."
Marcus was still staring at the ground. Maybe he didn't want to see my expression. I tried to read the room and brush it off, but that's not how I operate. Besides being a deranged maniac, I was obsessed with naivete. I hate people who don't see the world's ugliness and seek to hide from it. In my sick way, I would rip the innocently coddled from their cashmere cradles.
(Basically, I'm a person who says it as it is.)
"Marcus, how many times has that happened?"
"I-"
"Tell me."
People walked around us, but no one paid attention.
"A few times, but I always made sure to get away."
"Tell me if it happens again. I'll sit next to Alexa so you won't have to. We'll talk about it later."
"A-alright."
As we walked back, I used [Character Profile] to reaffirm any assumptions I had.
+
[Character Information]
Name: Alexa Demin
Age: 16
Constellation: Seductive Ensnarer
Personal Attribute: [Popular Personage] (Rare), [Flexible Athlete] (Uncommon), [Sexual Deviant] (Common)
Personal Stats: Strength Lv. 33, Stamina Lv. 32, Agility Lv. 39, Mana Lv. 18
Stigma: [Seductive Effect]
Personal Skills: Quick Kicking Lv.10, Grabbing Lv.9, Crowd Control Lv.6, Disarming Charm Lv.8, Social
Manipulation Lv.5, Fake Smile Lv.5...
Overall Evaluation: A young woman who marketed themselves as a popular, likeable person. In reality, they are highly manipulative. They are fairly athletic and strong, partially due to their Constellation.
+
I checked her brother's profile.
+
[Character Information]
Name: Jace Demin
Age: 18
Constellation: Brawl Demon of the Battlefield
Personal Attribute: [Athletic Champion] (Rare), [Popular Personage] (Rare), [Sexual Deviant] (Common)
Personal Stats: Strength Lv. 40, Stamina Lv. 39, Agility Lv. 34, Mana Lv. 11
Stigma: Aggressive Takedown
Personal Skills: Tackle Lv.10, Intimidation Lv.8, Coercion Lv.7, Physical Boost Lv.7, Social Manipulation Lv.4, Fake Smile Lv.4...
Overall Evaluation: A former football player retained his athleticism after the scenario introduction. He is a talented Incarnation who accelerated his growth due to his supporting Constellation. Not only is he popular with humans, but he has also garnered the attention of this Livestream. Thanks to his natural gravitas, he has advanced socially. Although, he hides shadier intentions.
+
(The Demin siblings are dangerous. I can't confidently say I'd win if I were to fight 'em with my current skills. I'll have to divide them and use underhanded tactics to kill them.)
I checked my Character Assimilation skill.
[The second character slot is still pending.]
[The second character slot will become available after a certain amount of time has elapsed.]
(If I can use this ability, I'll kill them quickly. Honestly, I'd be surprised if it works.)
The ace I wished to tuck under my sleeve was a power from another world. It's so broken that I expected the probability to resist and smite me. As I walked and mused, I stopped.
(What's wrong with me?)
Due to this apocalypse, I've become a horrible person. I won't deny it, but it's frightening to reflect on. I became so engrossed in sick thoughts while casually walking amongst people.
Moments like these remind me how much of a piece of garbage I am.
(Let's go back quickly.)
I walked beside Marcus, hoping nothing else would happen. The world decided to betray my hopes. When we returned, we saw Jace Demin towering over the mysterious guest I had invited. They forcibly took down their hood, and he smirked with self-satisfaction.
"So, that's why you were hiding under your hood."
Like a predator looming over prey, Jace Demin leered at Maxine McFarland, who froze like a deer in headlights.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
EnderGolem997
EnderGolem997 Hello, author here! Before we get into anything, I'd like to thank the voters!
Thank you, voters: BigPapi, An0nimo, Winter345, MaYeetra, coolie_dudeo, Daoist6w6ggK, Gottabae_Ornah, Shin_Amakawa, James_Minh, and Innocent_Florist.
Also, I would like to address the elephant in the room. Lately, my upload schedule has been subpar. Ever since the summer, I would've written two to three chapters a week, but that has devovled into one per week, and now my readers only get one every two weeks. I've been busy with my studies, which has taken a lot of my time. Lately, I ended some classes, but three more have taken their place. (Music, digital studies, and psychology.) So, it is safe to say I'll be swamped.
It's hard to write this, but I'll sadly have to put "An Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint" on a hiatus. In other words, I need a break. Now, there are many factors that contributed to this, and I'll state them in a comment below. My reasons for taking this break will be posted there, but I will state the time of my glorious return here.
As of right now, "An Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint" will be on hiatus and will return on June 14th, 2022. Unless I feel differently, this means there will be a three month gap since here and now. In my break, I plan to write and stockpile chapters, and release them consecutively in the summer. Although, my main focus will be taking time to rest and study.
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