Convictions: Prologue

“Talk? Tomorrow?” Phil closed the door to his apartment, behind him. “No, no. That’s fine I just have help Marc out, but I’ll be free around dinner time…. He’s the panda. He was with his girlfriend when you met them. Maple, phoenix girl?... Yeah. No they’re just been dating for like 7 years now.. Uhh… alright” Phil looked at his phone as they hung up (what was that about?) he thought. Before setting his phone on his nightstand, and drifting off to sleep. Deciding he’d worry about it tomorrow. 

Philip suddenly found himself standing. As he looked around, he noticed several others of varying kinds. Humans, Furrens, Feys, Even some Mystics, and giants chain wrapped around one part of each of them. Their silhouettes forms looked around, but most of them seemed to just be walking forward. “Come along. We haven’t got all night.” A mystery voice called out from nowhere before the gate swung wide open. Seeing as it was pitch black everywhere else, Philip walked forward with the rest of the group.

“H-hey, um what’s going on here” Phil asked now standing at the beginning of a long, narrow hallway.

“So you are new here, I thought so. Well listen, you better run. Make sure to plant that chain on the ground. It’ll save from death as long as you don’t take too many wrong turns!”

“Wait, what?! We can die here?!” Phil then turned around to see the first tile of the floor fall, and took off running. It wasn’t long before the path split into 3 directions. So he dropped his chain on the post in the center of the circle before taking a left. “Ah, shit a dead end? I need to go back… The chain!” Quickly Phil tugged on the chain, and was pulled back to center. Slowly he took notice of the differences just before the paths, and stopped just before the double door, panting. “D-did. Did I?” A loud groan emerged from behind him, and Phil turned around. One by one the 8 legs of a spider-girl appeared before him. Quickly he turned around, and pulled the door open before waking up.

Phil flung himself upwards in a panic. “Ah! Oh… Just a dream…” He said as he calmed down. Noting, for the 1st time sense grade school, he wet the bed.

After washing his sheet, the rest of the day was mostly uneventful. So here he was sitting down with Sophia, his girlfriend. “You okay? You seem a little out of it?”


“Huh? Yeah! Yeah, sorry… didn’t sleep well last night.” Phil answer. “And Marc had a fair amount of work to do.”

“Right… And… nothing to with Maple?” Sophia tilted her head. “No big plans?”

“Well I wouldn’t say that. Turns out it’s closer to 7 years than I thought.” Phil stated. “He and Maple are planning something for each other, but separately. So there each picking someone they really trust to meet with each other, and make sure it all works. Pretty deal, right? I mean he must trust me a lot?” Phil sat up alright a little taller looking proud until he noticed Sophia’s mind was clearly focused on something else.


“Do you… Do you think that’s… I don’t know… Reasonable?” Sophia seemed to be struggling to find the words. “To leave it like that? for 7 years?”

“To leave it like that?” Phil asked.

“Well it’s just… Would you do it? Just stay boyfriend and girlfriend for 7 years?” Sophia looked at him seriously. “I mean… no talk of marriage?” Sophia sighs as Phil stutter for a bit, and got up. “Just forget it.”

Phil looks down at table as Sophia walks out of the bar. Barely noticing clopping of hooves nearby.

“Relationship problems?” Phil looked up at the Dark Mystic. Her goat legs together as her fairly long tail sort of hooked on her left side. Just a couple of inches before the humanoid half of her started. Her very charming shade of red skin matched her glowing yellow eyes. Only the white pupils to show she was looking at him. Mystic were somewhat rare so it was strange to Phil that eyes without an iris looked just as normal as Sophia’s human green ones did.  Her white hair down passed her shoulders, just a little longer than Sophia black hair. “Phil? It is?”

“Phil!?” Phil jumped a bit as everything shifted. Sophia apparently still sitting there, glaring at him.
“Sorry. Sorry.. .I..uh.” Phil was totally lost, and unsure of what just happened.

“Dating? Without Marriage?”

Answers:
- Marc and Maple have the right idea (go to night 0-A)
- If it works for them: (go to night 0-B)
- I wouldn’t do it: (go to night 0-C)