Banes and Boons

Following Chloe's departure, Thomas apologized to Illya for his hurtful words before leaving to get some fresh air. He really was sorry, but, at the same time, he couldn't help feeling incredibly frustrated with how things had played out.

Ignoring the glowers of the Royal Guardsmen he passed, Thomas made his way to the palace library before finding a place to lie down.

Despite his efforts to appear proactive and assertive, Thomas was, at the very core of his being, an introvert. He had grand aspirations and liked to imagine himself possessing unflinching convictions, but he wouldn't have become a borderline recluse if he possessed the confidence and strength of character to improve his situation. Not without some divine, or perhaps demonic, intervention...

Instead of reading any of the books around him, Thomas manifested his logbook/journal out of thin air. It recorded most major and minor events in his life and sometimes provided insights he might have overlooked due to his mental and emotional state. Thus, rather than simply mulling over his thoughts and replaying the encounter in his mind, Thomas read what the journal had to say on the matter.

To Thomas's surprise, what awaited him when he opened the journal were the words, 'Things not going according to plan is one of the spices of life. Knowing how a story will progress and end before it reaches the epilogue isn't very interesting.'

Removing the pen from the journal's spine, Thomas threw caution to the wind as he wrote, 'I asked you to send me to the world of One Piece, not some bastardized reality made convoluted by the existence of Magic and Install Cards. I know you like fucking with people, but this isn't what we agreed to.'

Though he regretted the words as he wrote them, Thomas didn't think he was in the wrong. His agreement with Zelretch was to help the man 'after' attaining his goals. Instead, his journey was constantly being derailed by events and people that had nothing to do with the world of One Piece. All because he wasn't a 'complete' asshole.

As he wasn't expecting a response, Thomas's eyes briefly widened when a line of text began to form in the journal. However, when he saw what it had to say, his expression morphed into a deadpan with half-lidded eyes...

'No one is forcing you to assemble Install Cards or render aid to the Prism Pirates.'

"Bullshit!" shouted Thomas. "What else was I supposed to do!? Tell them to fuck off and ignore them!?"

Resisting the urge to throw the journal as far as he could, Thomas grit his teeth and awaited Zelretch's response. What he read left him equal parts exasperated and incensed, as the elderly vamp simply replied, 'That's for you to decide.'

Snapping the journal shut, Thomas tossed it aside and began massaging his forehead. He knew Zelretch was technically correct, but what kind of person would he be if he ignored world-ending stakes and pretended it had nothing to do with him?

"I should have asked to go to Pokemon or something..." groaned Thomas.

As if to call him out on his bullshit, a door-like portal opened a few meters away from Thomas. What awaited him on the opposite side was a world reminiscent of the Detective Pikachu movie in terms of graphical fidelity. The people appeared perfectly normal, but there were realistic Pokemon riding on their shoulders or following behind them in a relatively modern setting...

Furrowing his brows to their limit, Thomas muttered, "You're an asshole..." in a low, somber tone. He may have been able to leave his previous world behind without hesitation, but there were too many things binding him to the world of One Piece for him to simply abandon it. Vivi was chief among them, but she was far from the only person he had made promises to...

In response to Thomas's words, the portal promptly snapped shut. In its place, a crystal clear sphere plopped onto the carpeted floor, followed by a piece of parchment paper.

Though he was tempted to ignore them, Thomas eventually exhaled a sigh before getting up and retrieving the sphere. It was surprisingly light and warm to the touch but otherwise resembled a normal crystal sphere. As for the piece of parchment paper, it said, 'Though you may have been whining like a temperamental child, there is some merit to your claim that the present situation is a violation of our original agreement. However, as you have chosen to remain in that world, this sphere, the Cradle of Desire, is the only compensation I will provide. Its power is paltry compared to a Grail, but it can grant its user power, wisdom, or courage. But only one, so choose wisely.'

Reading Zelretch's message, Thomas honestly wasn't sure how to feel. The Cradle of Desire was undoubtedly a boon, but he felt as though he was being bribed to stop complaining. Beyond that, he was supposed to be attaining strength for himself. Should he really be accepting handouts from a man who egged him to his core...?

For the briefest of moments, Thomas considered smashing the Cradle of Desire on the ground. Instead, he plopped down on the chaise lounge he had previously been lying on, staring blankly at the crystalline sphere as he considered whether to select power, wisdom, or courage...

Adopting a wry smile, Thomas softly muttered, "So, my choices are to be Ganon, Zelda, or Link..."

With that image in his mind, Thomas held up the crystalline sphere and added, "Courage it is..." before closing his eyes as the globe lit up like a small sun. A surge of heat rushed over his body but quickly faded, leaving Thomas wondering if the sphere had actually done anything.

After giving himself a quick once-over and testing the quality of his Mana, Thomas muttered, "I don't feel any different..." in a confused tone. He felt calmer than he had been moments prior, but it wasn't like he had stopped feeling angry or exasperated.

As he had a convenient method of checking his condition, Thomas picked up the journal and opened it to the page depicting his profile. He made a habit of checking it nearly every day, so he would notice if something was different.

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[Profile]

Name: Thomas D. Jensen

Species: Human, Mana Progenitor

Gender: Male

Age: 36

Height: 213.9cm

Weight: 138kgs

Blood Type: O

Likes: Nefertari Vivi, Thick Thighs, Personal Time

Dislikes: Plot Twists, Meddlesome Vampires

Talents: Opportunistic

Natural Enemy: Himself, Mature Little Girls

[Parameters]

Strength: E(18)

Endurance: D(20)

Agility: E(15)

Mana: EX(*)

Luck: EX(*)

NP: Unknown

[Class Skills]

N/A

[Personal Skills]

Wayward Traveler(EX), Mana-Mana-no-Mi(EX), Valor(E), Monstrous Strength(C), Lesser Regeneration(C), Cooking(D), Reinforcement(C), Material Transmutation(D), Rune Magecraft(E), Elemental Magecraft(E)

Valor(E): The ability to negate mental interference such as pressure, confusion, and fascination. It also has the bonus effect of increasing melee damage depending on the user's emotional state.

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Though his Parameters hadn't changed much, Thomas noticed that the 'flavor text' of his Profile had changed a fair amount. His Likes, Dislikes, Talents, and Natural Enemies had all been updated. However, the most notable change was the absence of the Self-Doubt Personal Skill. In its place, while only E-Rank, he now had a Skill called Valor...

"Can something like self-doubt really be erased with such ease?" asked Thomas, his voice calm despite experiencing a sense of incongruency. It reminded him of the time he had been prescribed medication for anxiety, minus the dull-headedness and desire to sleep.

Interrupting Thomas's reverie, Vivi abruptly entered the library, calling out, "Thomas, are you in here?" in an audibly concerned voice. She had heard his outburst a few minutes prior and decided to come and check on him.

Though a part of him still wanted to be alone, Thomas rose to his feet and called out, "I'm over here," revealing his location. In response, Vivi hurried over to his side, a concerned look on her face as she tentatively inquired, "I take it things didn't go well with Illya and Chloe...?"

Shaking his head, Thomas surprised himself by answering, "It's fine," and actually meaning it. Now that he had calmed down, he recalled that Ruby, Chloe, and, to a lesser extent, Illya were necessary if he wanted to break free from Zelretch's influence. Attempting to pawn them off onto others and consequently antagonizing them probably wasn't the wisest decision he could have made.

Acknowledging his mistake, a wry smile developed across Thomas's face as he extended his hand to caress Vivi's head, adding, "Selfishness really does blind people to the things right in front of them..."

Though she had no idea what Thomas was talking about, Vivi returned a smile and stepped closer to him, linking her hands around his waist as she asserted, "I'm sure they'll forgive you." in a faint but certain tone.

Adopting a more relaxed smile, Thomas embraced Vivi as he replied, "If not now, then after I assemble the remaining Install Cards. I imagine it's pretty difficult to stay mad at the person who helped restore your friend's world..."

Realizing that Thomas was making a joke, a faint giggle emanated from Vivi's throat. Then, with slightly narrowed eyes, she looked up at him and said, "There's something different about you today. Did something else happen?"

Instead of going into detail about what had transpired, Thomas answered, "I received a bit of compensation..." before bending down to plant a kiss on Vivi's lips. She was a little surprised by his actions but didn't hesitate to lean into him, enjoying the moment even as Thomas's hands gradually slipped from her waist to her bottom...

...

..

.

As was often the case when Thomas returned to their shared bedroom, Caenis 'greeted' him with a curt, "You're late," while lying on her side in a way that left nothing concealed.

"You're not wrong," replied Thomas, adding, "I got a bit sidetracked after my conversation with Illya, Chloe, and Ruby."

Rising to a seated position, Caenis raised her left brow as she remarked, "What the hell happened to you? You're still making excuses, but your expression and body language are different than normal..."

Without waiting for Thomas's response, Caenis sprang from the bed and appeared before him in an instant, right hand outstretched as if she were about to flick his forehead. The only reason she stopped was because a magical barrier had appeared around his body, indicating he wasn't simply an imposter.

Retracting her hand, Caenis asked, "What happened? Did you finally teach those brats a lesson...?"

Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "Not yet," before changing the topic by asking, "Have you eaten anything today?"

Looking down at Thomas's waistline, Caenis mused, "Technically...though you couldn't exactly call it a proper meal."

As Heroic Spirits didn't need to consume food for sustenance, Caenis was more than satiated after Thomas's continuous 'Mana Transfers.' She even felt a little engorged, though she would never admit it.

Nodding his head, Thomas said, "Then let's hop in the bath. Afterward, we'll get dressed and head to the main dining hall. Tonight might be the Straw Hats' last night in Alabasta, so Vivi is inviting everyone to partake in a banquet."

Narrowing her eyes, Caenis remarked, "You're acting really bizarre this afternoon...since when do you tell people what to do rather than asking them?"

Placing his hand on Caenis's shoulder, Thomas began guiding her toward the bath as he asked, "Would you rather me get on my knees and beg...?"

Snorting through her nose, Caenis retorted, "Sure. Just don't be surprised when I kick you in the face..."

Catching the white-haired horsewoman off guard, Thomas ruffled her hair as he said, "Don't tempt me..." with a slight smile. He didn't exactly have a foot fetish, but if it were Caenis, he wouldn't mind suckling her toes.

Taken aback by Thomas's words and actions, Caenis didn't immediately elbow him in the gut. She did, hard enough to knock the wind out of him, but there was a brief moment where she looked up at him as if he were a completely different person...

...

..

.

(A/N: Valor apparently has the hidden trait of making people seek death...)