章 6: 5- Empty Home, Empty Pants?

Cal entered his house for the 'first' time. A tsunami of 'false' memories springing to mind as he stepped out in the entrance. Sweeping his gaze across everything, a faint desire to puke came to him as the image of his true home and his family slammed into him unprompted at the tidy yet cold japanese style porch that greeted him.

Not cold because it was formal, but because it was utterly empty.

Discarding his shoes and making them join the other single lonely pair on the rack. He stepped further inside, bag in hand, switching up every light switch he saw in his way and exploring slowly the home that was now his. Refusing by principle to let the made up memories keep him from doing his own exploration and drawing his own conclusion.

The first floor was rather ordinary, all things said. There was a living room with a couch and a TV, that curious, he tried to turn on. It didn't work, only making a faint haze and soundless static appear on the screen. After that, there was a nondescript bathroom he didn't give a second look to as well as a bedroom with a big bed that probably belonged to his essentially nonexistent parents that he really didn't want to explore at the moment. Then finally, there was the kitchen containing the dinner table before the stairs to the second floor, the room was surprisingly big. With an oven, a microwave, shelfs and plenty of drawers. Though, upon quickly testing, only the oven even worked. While the shelfs and drawers were empty besides all the ingredients needed to make a single batch of cupcakes.

"Man, that's just weird." The world at first look didn't appear empty or abnormal, but everytime he tried to dig deeper. It seemed to lack any true substance except for a few particular objects. Thinking about it, it really wasn't that hard to make the link as to why that was so.

Only objects or places that were scripted and appeared in the game actually were 'real' everything else was just for show. The oven was used to make a batch of cupcake with Natsuki on the week-end before the festival when her route was taken. As such, those two things needed to really be there for the game to work properly. At least, that's the only reason that remotely made sense to him.

"Do I even need to eat at all?" Cal scrunched up his face as he noticed he had never felt hungry even once today. "Of course I fucking don't. Most video games character don't. And who know what the fuck I even am now." Shaking his head, he wondered if that's how Monica felt everyday, since her too, should be able to see the 'truth'.

His mood rather complicated at thinking about what the hell kinda situation he was in. He climbed up the stairs, finding a sort of corridor leading to a big study room with a desk and a computer with two door lining the side of it. One being his bedroom and the other being a rather big bathroom.

His room was well, very blue. And very boring. There was obviously a bed, a desk and a wardrobe as well as a dresser. But that's it. Oh yeah, there was also a single window giving a view over the courtyard.

Dropping his bag at the foot of his bed and resisting the desire to crash on it and call it a day. He went on to visit the room often called men holy temple and paused as he entered and caught glimpse of something in the corner of his eyes. Notably, a big mirror. But of course, that wasn't what drew his attention.

Mechanically, Cal turned his head to face the mirror and stepped toward it. If only to confirm the vision his eyes were giving him.

"No way..."

Mouth agape and eyes wide, Cal couldn't help himself as he lifted his hand and pointed an almost accusatory finger at his reflection.

"HOLY MOLLY! I'M A HENTAI PROTAGONIST!"

Not only were his hair brown and covering his eyes. But he basically had no face! His entire face was covered by a short of hazy shadow that made it impossible to see his features. Not only that, but he was pretty sure that even if they weren't hidden, they would be boring as hell.

Lowering his hand as the initial shock came to pass. Cal wondered for a split second if it would be so bad to accept his fate, then he remembered that where he was. If the world was to be converted into an hentai one. The main tags would be Masochistic, Gore, Horror, and possibly Necrophilia. Which made the concept a big nono.

And even if it wasn't, there was no way he would let himself be reduced to such a pathetic being. Not with the people involved anyway. Which was effectively one, if it was even possible anyway.

"Damn." Cal frowned, concerned as to when his thought had derailed to the notion of it was possible to fuck in this world since it wasn't coded in.

"Ah right..." Then he remembered, his gaze falling on his reflection. Hentai protagonist.

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" His lips set in a thin line, his hand reached for the mirror, not even aware if it was even possible to change it in the first place. Yet, his hand came in contact with the cold surface nonetheless. A wish to modify his appearance in his mind as he did, his thoughts instinctively flicking to the concept of character creation for a second at his situation.

At the beginning, nothing happened. But then, something in his head itched as the omnipresent pressure inside his mind warped into something more akin to a wall instead of the usual weight. Overcome with curiosity at the new development, he used his own will to do something else than lift and shrug off the weight pressing upon him. He used it to prode and poke the wall with it, extending what he would describe best as a tendril of sort in that somewhere else place he had in his head. And finding the wall creaking and giving despite seeming very solid at first glance, against his little tendril, he reared back, and shattered it like porcelain as he threw his full mental might against it.

Upon doing so, the world froze around him and the details of his bathroom fizzled out into green and black cubes. His view shifted as his will imprinted itself into reality, ascending to the side and to the back of his body a bit so he could see both himself and his reflection in the mirror.

It was a very weird experience, but somehow. He didn't feel any particular way, as if his emotions were muddled in this place. He also, somehow, someway. Knew exactly what he had done.

He didn't know how, nor why. But he had coarsed the fundamental forces of the place he was currently in, whatever they were, to accomodate him and what he wanted.

He had obvious doubts before, what with the hellish experience he went through before coming to the game this morning and the weird pressure on his mind at all time and when doing something. But now, it was obvious.

He had been changed after coming here. More than just theorical digitalisation or whatever phenomena could explain how he found himself inside a damn video game.

He wasn't a simple bot at least, that much was clear. He was much more. From what he could tell, he could shape the world around him not only by his action but also his will.

This was huge, it meant that he at least wasn't totally powerless about changing his fate. But more than that, it made his programmer blood and creative spirit fire up with possibilities.

Just as he thought that, the scene of himself and the world vanishing into a black buzzing void and his nose running down with blood flash past his mind. And the fire was doused in a bucket of cold water.

That was a dangerous train of thoughts, one that should be carefully monitored.

He knew the trend in these kinds of scenarios, after all... Even if he found himself inside of one, it didn't mean his life was a game. There were too many way things could go horribly wrong down that path.

Plus, wasn't that the state of mind kinda the one Monika held toward the end?

Getting a methophorical headache and tired of his own cautiousness making him depressed. He refocused his attention toward his body. Now having to answer two questions as important as his previous revelation about his new nature.

Firstly, should he use the opportunity to make himself ridiculously handsome? And secondly, should he gives himself a ginormous shlong?

Because let's be honest, if anyone had the option to choose, wouldn't they at least consider them?

...

Wait, he still didn't verify if he has a little bro in the first place. What if those didn't exist here? Would he have to wish it into existence too?..

Problematic.