Trickcal: Chibi Go story · Apostle stories
Naia's Story
Unable to endure Naia's continued pranks, I played a prank back. The sight of Naia panicking and bursting into tears was both heartbreaking and adorable.
6 scenes, 312 lines
1. Water and the Line, Somewhere in Between
50 linesWater and the Line, Somewhere in Between
Elemental Lake
The weather is especially nice today... I mean, it's always nice, but you know...
I blankly gaze at the lake, squinting as the sun's rays sting my eyes.
Suddenly, I hear footsteps approaching from behind.
Stop right there.
I turn around with a frown on my face to see Naia standing there.
Tch. You're way too sharp, you know that, Master?
You weren't exactly tiptoeing...
Naia sits next to me with a bored expression.
She seems different...
Wh-What's going on?
What do you mean? Does something have to be going on?
Naia tilts her head in thought, and her expression brightens.
The human body does contain a significant amount of water...
Human? Whatever, so what you're saying is that more than half of you is water, right?
I don't like where this is going...
W-Well, yes... Basically...
Half? Over 70%, to be exact!
More than half, you say? Ooo...
I see. The human body has some surprising qualities—
Hold on. What's with that look...?
I'll soak the rest of you in water, too, then!
Naia suddenly stands up and throws me straight into the lake.
Aaagh!!
I'm made of water, but I'm not water! I don't even have gills! Cough!
Naia watches with an amused look on her face.
It looks like she has no desire to help me out of here... Okay fine, then...
Huh...? Er, Master?!
Naia swiftly pulls me out of the water when she sees me floundering.
This brat...! Let's see how you like it...!
Master? Hey, wake up! Master!
Panicking, Naia attempts CPR.
Ack... Blargh... oof!
Ugh... Naia must really be well-trained in CPR... she's going to break my ribs...!
As I stay still while moaning in pain, Naia's eyes start to fill with tears.
...Okay, maybe I should stop pretending now; dragging this on would only seem heartless...
Naia... I'm oka—ack!
Before I can finish, Naia starts doing CPR again.
Seriously... why is she so good at this...?
Y-You scared me! Why are you so weak?!
You shouldn't be so weak if you're mostly made of water! Look at me! Look how healthy I am!
She says, startled, as she sees me squinting up at her.
Are... you alright? Um... I wasn't trying to do that on purpose...
S-Still... I didn't go too far, did I? You're okay, right...?
She's mentioned something like this before... I wonder... has she crossed the line with someone else before, too...?
As I keep staring at her through narrowed eyes, Naia grows increasingly flustered and becomes fidgety.
Maybe I'll let her off... Seeing Naia get so self-conscious is too adorable... Yeah, I'll give her a pass this time...
2. Why She Became the Gatekeeper
55 linesWhy She Became the Gatekeeper
Elemental Mountain
Cough, cough, sputter...
Hehe. I didn't push it too far with you today, did I?
If she's so worried about going too far with things, maybe she should stop with her pranks...
As I fix her with a steely glare, Naia flinches and glances away.
Ahh, what a nice day it is today! Great weather to dry off in...
Yeah, definitely. It would have been better if someone hadn't drenched me in water, though.
Let's just be cool about it and let bygones be bygones!
Hey! That's up to me to decide!
Not you!
I flare up in anger, and Naia decides not to push my buttons any further and tries to lighten the mood.
Aww, okay... Don't get mad. You'll just get wrinkles!
There's no such thing! Any wrinkles I get will have YOU to thank for them...
Anyway, that aside, why are you here instead of at the lake?
Huh? Well, that's because I'm the gatekeeper to Elemental Mountain, aren't I!
She puffs out her chest with pride, but it doesn't really inspire confidence...
There are other elementals... Why you, though...?
Naia glares at me.
Yikes... Did I make her angry?
I'll tell you, why me! It's because I'm the coolest!
I don't see it...
Well, at first, Gabia took the job, but she only lasted a day because she wouldn't even respond to anyone who came here.
Next was Sylla, but she blew away anyone who approached, so she was out after two days.
Wow...
Then came Ifrit.
Let me guess... Out after three days?
No...
She tried to torch everything around her and create a wall of flames, so she got dismissed before she even started.
Amazing...
So yeah, clearly there's no elemental as reliable and cool as me. Heh!
Unlike some, I don't go around sweeping visitors away with water, you know? Haha!
Give her the side eye.
Really? You seriously expect me to buy that?
...Um, well... I might've done it a few times in the beginning, but everyone got mad at me...
.........
Are... you mad right now...?
Then why am I soaking wet right now...?
I silently glare at Naia.
I didn't sweep you away! I just sprinkled you with a little water!
.........
Wh-Why're you looking at me like that?!
.........
Urgh...
You know what you did was wrong...
I-If you can't even handle this much, you have no business entering Elemental Mountain! It's a dangerous place for the weak!
Sigh, fine...
I let out a long sigh, and Naia looks at me anxiously.
The thing is... I was just messing around to become friends...
But everyone just got mad and left... I was just trying to lift the mood and be welcoming...
Naia meekly explains while fidgeting with her fingers. Okay, that's really cute...
Um... How about we try to cool it with your pranks?
Would that stop everyone from getting angry...? It did make me feel a little awkward when everyone would leave mad...
Geez, when she looks crestfallen like that, it's super cute...
If only everyone could see this side of her... no one would get angry at her. Tsk, tsk.
3. Naia in Tears
54 linesNaia in Tears
Elemental Mountain
Elemental Mountain... It's been a while! Wait... is someone crying...?
Startled by the sound of sobbing, I rush over to the sound and find Naia crying.
Naia?! Why are you crying? Wait, Elementals cry? No, never mind... Naia, what is it?
M-Master...? Hic! Waaah!
H-Hush now. Come on, no more tears... How about some candy...?
Sniff... Candy? ...hic!
Yeah. It's super sweet and melts right in your mouth. Care to have one?
It m-melts...? Sniffle... WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Suddenly, Naia bawls uncontrollably.
Wh-What? Why are you crying harder all of a sudden? I'm sorry, Naia!!! I'm sorry, okay?!
I... I... Waaaah!
Why are you crying? I need to know so that I can help! Please!
Her Majesty's... f-finger... I... I...
Erpin? What about Erpin's finger?
Waaah! I melted the Queen's finger off! WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
I try to make sense of this as Naia bawls even harder.
Naia, if you keep crying like this, you'll lose all the water in you! No more tears now!
Hic... hic... sniffle...
You good now? What did you mean by Erpin's finger?
The Sprite Queen... hic... with water... sniffle...
Water?
Yeah, I sprayed her with water a-and... her finger... disappeared... sniffle...
Suddenly, I have a flashback to a few days ago.
I remember getting grossed out by a bunch of fingers Ashur had made with sugar.
So Erpin is behind this...
Hic... sniffle... It scared me and... I... Sob...
Console Naia.
It's okay, it's okay. What you melted was probably sugar.
Sugar...? The Queen's finger is sugar...? And I melted that?! Waaah!
Seeing Naia cry this much makes me think that Erpin went too far with her practical joke.
That Erpin... I'll make sure to give her a stern talking-to when I see her next...
I do my best to console Naia as she continues bawling uncontrollably.
Give Naia a stern scolding.
What did I say? I told you to stop with your pranks, didn't I?
Sniffle... I'm so sooooorryyyyyy... WAAAAAAH!
Crying isn't going to help! If you do something wrong, you need to face the consequences!
Didn't you get into trouble last time, too?
I-I did... WAAAH!!
Then should you keep playing pranks or not?!
I shouuuuuldn't... sniffle, hic!
Waaah! What am I going to do about the Queen? I did something terrible!
Alright, stop crying. I'm pretty sure that was one of Ashur's sugar cookies made in the shape of a finger.
A sugar... cookie? Sniffle...
Yeah. Erpin was just playing a practical joke on you.
The Sprite Queen... she's okay? Hic!
Yeah. But you should go apologize to her first.
Hic... I was bad. I'm sorry.
Not to me... Come on, let's go find Erpin together.
Once you apologize, you can go back to being friends with her.
Mkay... Hiccup!
Sure, Naia tends to push things too far sometimes, but... Erpin went a bit overboard this time.
I should probably have a word with her too.
4. Dream of a Hot Spring
54 linesDream of a Hot Spring
Elemental Lake
It's so nice out today...
Yeah...
You're not playing any pranks today either, so it's really peaceful too.
Yeah...
Days like this make me want to soak myself in a nice hot spring... mmm, that'd be so nice.
A hot spring?
Yeah. Do you know if there's one around? I'd love to just relax in one and rest both body and mind...
I look at Naia with hope in my eyes.
But Naia's expression turns bittersweet as if I asked a question I should've left alone...
Hot springs... yeah, they're great. It would have been nice if we had one...
...Did there used to be one around? Did it explode or something?
If my grand plan had succeeded... maybe we'd all still be getting along.
What do you mean? Wait, was there one, or wasn't there?
It's become a distant memory...
Will you just answer me?!
It all started when I was young...
Forget it... It'll make things easier...
Sigh, why do I even bother? Fine, continue.
Oh, getting you to drop it was easier than I thought, Master!
Oh, you little...!
I never really thought your blood could actually boil until now...
I rub my temples to ease the tension.
Oh, does your head hurt, Master? What's wrong?
I am the Master. Never give in. Never surrender!
Are you even listening? What about the hot spring?
I grab Naia by the collar and give her a shake, but I can tell that her mind has already slipped into the past.
L-Looks like this is going nowhere...
You should just give up, Master. It'll make things easier for you.
I don't want to hear it from you!!!
Anyway, I had a plan to draw up the underground water with Gabia and have Ifrit heat it up.
Yeah, a hot spring...
And once you'd finish soaking in the water, Sylla would dry you off!
Is she a dryer or something...?
The perfect hot spring experience, is it not?!
So... where is it? I want my hot spring!
Oh... it doesn't exist.
I narrow my eyes and glare at Naia, who cocks her head at me shamelessly.
It's just... well, it's not like we have a lot of time on our hands. So the idea just got shelved... and then we drifted apart from each other...
Too bad... it would have been nice to have a hot spring...
Right? You know, come to think of it...
The elven mayor also went on about a hot spring not too long ago.
I look at Naia with hope in my eyes.
Wait... is it just me or does this feel like déjà vu...?
But...
I know what's coming next...
If we were to build a hot spring...
...It didn't work out, did it?
Naia looks at me, startled.
Are you clairvoyant now, Master? Amazing!
The elven mayor even wanted to sell coffee-flavored milk, but honestly... nothing beats banana-flavored milk after a nice bath, does it?
So the whole thing was scrapped. There's no fun if we're not all in it together, anyway...
Naia looks a bit crestfallen. Maybe we'll get a hot spring once everyone is on better terms with each other... It's too bad... farewell, Elias Hot Springs...
5. Spring Cleaning
52 linesSpring Cleaning
Naia's Dam
What are you up to, Naia?
I came to hang out with Naia, only to find her hard at work fishing for something.
Are you fishing? Wait, no, trash?
Oh hi, Master! Just give me a sec. I'm almost done.
Naia continues to pull trash out of the water.
Here, let me help. Move over. Why is there so much garbage here?!
It often floats down from the elf village. It's weird, though.
It doesn't dissolve in the water... nor does it burn... There must be a lot of this stuff in the elf village.
Seems very... trashy...
Sigh... Anyway, It causes issues if the trash piles up in the dam, so I have to clear it out regularly.
Naia sighs and rubs her lower back.
So, what are you going to do with all this? You can't even use it for anything...
Oh, I'll recycle all of it, of course. It'd be a waste to just leave them here like this.
Hmm... I shape them into figures of animals and stuff, setting them up all over Elemental Mountain!
So all those creepy things... were your creations...
I give Naia a sideways glance, but she's too busy cleaning to notice.
Oh well, I guess I'll help!
So, what should I make? I'll give you a hand.
Hm? Oh... let's see... just make any sort of animal.
An animal? Sure, prepare to be amazed by my crafting skills!
I'll go clear out that side then!
Give Naia some encouragement.
Oh wow, Naia! You're so talented!
Wait... huh...?
That's odd, I only decided to give Naia some encouragement, but here I am with crafting tools in my hand.
With a resigned sigh, I go to work on making a bear.
Oh, this? Well...
Wait! Let me guess! That looks like... a lion? A lion, right?!
It's a bear!
Naia blinks at me, and then a second later, she's rolling on the ground, laughing.
Ahaha! Master, you are TERRIBLE at this! Bahahaha!
How is that a bear?! You can't swim and you're bad at crafts! What a moron!
Moron?! Where'd you even learn such a word?!
You're such a moron, you're such a moron! Bahahaha!
I give Naia a noogie out of anger and Naia's eyes fill up with tears. She begins bawling on the spot.
Hic! I'm soooorryyy! WAAAAH!
Then don't say things like that, okay?!
Waaaah! I'm sorryyyyy... sniffle... waaah!
If you call me a moron or anything like that one more time, I won't be your friend anymore!
N-Noooo!
I'm serious!
I'm sorrryyy... waaah!
Okay, okay. Just don't do it again, alright?
Sniffling, Naia nods. Her expression is so cute I have to grit my teeth to keep from giving myself away.
Awww... she's so cute...! Erpin's always so shameless and never apologizes... This is such a nice change of pace!
I shouldn't tease her too much, though. I force myself to stop from going any further.
6. Turning the Tables
47 linesTurning the Tables
Naia's Dam
The weather's perfect, and I'm feeling a little restless, so I think I'll check on Naia, who seemed a bit down the other day.
Naia was seriously super cute last time...
Oh, welcome, Master!
Naia greets me with a cheerful smile. Thankfully, she seems to be feeling better.
Ah... as adorable as always.
Huh? What are you thinking about? What a moron. You can't even control your feelings, eh?
I glare at Naia, the cute image of her shattered.
Didn't I say I wouldn't be friends with you anymore if you said that—you know what? Forget it.
I continue to glare at her as I mentally grab her by the neck and shake her.
Where did you learn such a word?! Tell me this instant!
Huh? I saw it in a book that came floating into the dam from the elf village last time.
Elves... oh, I'll deal with them later...
I mutter curses at the elves for a moment before deciding to prank Naia by pretending to trip and fall into the water.
Gurgle, sputter! Ahhhh! Naia, help meeee...!
Master?! Are you alright?!
N-No, I am not... Oh, sputter, sputter!
Naia fidgets nervously by the water's edge, looking worried.
Heh, all according to plan...
Wait, why doesn't Naia seem more panicked?
Naia?
Oh no... what do I do? Master, what should I do?
Close my eyes and pretend to sink.
Wait... this isn't going as planned... maybe I should pretend to drown?
Sputter, Sputter... I can't hold on any longer... gurgle, gurgle!
I let my body go limp and I start to sink.
I can hear footsteps, but I don't hear anyone jumping into the water.
This... isn't going the way I thought it would...
I start to feel short of breath so I swim back to shore and pull myself out of the water.
Gasp! Huff... huff... whew, that was close.
I lie down to catch my breath, when I feel a sudden splash of water on my face.
Cough, cough! Ah! Wh-What the heck...?! I just got out of the water! Am I imagining this?!
Blargh! Naia, stop! Stop spraying me with that water gun!
Okay, okay... blargh! I get it, now stop that!
Naia gleefully fires her water gun at me.
This is so strange... It didn't go like this last time...
You're such a moron, you're such a moron! Bahaha! Take this! Squirt, squirt!
I told you not to call me a moron...! Ugh, whatever, I'm just glad you're in a good mood...
Well... at least Naia's back to her cheerful self. Even though it looks like I'll have to live with her pranks again for a while...
Take this! Water cannon blast!
Ahh, noooo! Not a cannon!
On second thought, I take it back. Just you wait, Naia! I'll get you next time!