Metafiction (BL)

7. afternoon meeting

With a whump, Dan fell face-first onto his bed. After receiving the three blessings of the Goddess, things had turned a little chaotic. Luckily, the head priest and General Merill leapt into action right after the visions faded, one teleporting Jonathon to escort him back to temple grounds while the other did crowd control.

He was only here for a brief respite; apparently the temple was hosting a banquet for their royal guests tonight that he would have to attend in his new identity as the "Saintess." The head priest was quite insistent on keeping the title intact.

"My dear child, Aleria has had nothing but a Saintess for centuries! It is a title recognized by the Goddess Herself, imbibed with holy power and faith. The people keep it in their prayers and besides, the historical records—"

And Dan had given up there, because the head priest had looked on the edge of tears at such a "blasphemous" suggestion. 

Window had disappeared too, saying he'd ruin "immersion" if he was around too often. After dismissing Jonathon, that left Dan alone in the room for the next few hours.

He slowly rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, listening to the faint sounds of twittering birds and priests and priestesses walking past his room outside. Usually the Saintess stayed in special quarters with the latter, but as it'd been Dan who fell out of the sky this time, they had to make do by giving him a temporary guest residence reserved in the male half of the temple grounds. 

It was the height of summer but the air of the room remained remarkably cool and fresh—not by magic, but the simple blessing of the Goddess who watched over them and the rest of Jokoskia like her children. Dan slowly took in the sensations of the quiet room, soft bed, and peaceful surroundings before exhaling a long breath.

"Yeah!" Abruptly, he punched a fist into the air.

It was...really nice to be alive and aware. 

I like this world.

I want to live, love, and be remembered here.

And then he thought of the dinner plans and frowned.

Meeting the royals...

Judging by the empty seats he'd seen on the central platform today, it'd be a very small dinner. The high priest and himself, then the grand duke, general, young prince, and Brog's chancellor. He could understand the Author's motivations to find a pairing for him quickly, but...

What if he just wanted to settle down with someone more ordinary? Like...a baker! They made delicious bread, something he'd never eaten before. Or a grocer, or florist, or blacksmith. Regular people with mundane lives, extras like himself in an exaggerated world, who simply worked and went about their days.

Come to think of it, couldn't he find his own true love just like that?

Dan speedily sat up in bed, eyes brimming with excitement. Theoton was the capital of Jokoskia and a bustling city with small-town charm. There was still time before the dinner, so perhaps a short walk...? Smiling, his gaze happened to pass by the mirror in the room before his expression froze.

_

"There's something wrong with my face."

[NO, THAT'S YOUR FACE, ALL RIGHT.]

Standing next to the newly summoned Window (who complained about working overtime as he materialized into view), Dan kneaded his cheeks and scowled at the reflection glaring back at him.

Short, soft blond hair, pale green eyes...those were what he expected, but the eyes looked so fierce and the eyebrows so angry! Whenever he smiled, his lips defaulted to a smirk, if not a sneer. The vibrant rosy hue of his lips, while admittedly attractive, looked as if they were actively out to seduce someone with a kiss. There was both beauty and arrogance in his mien, as if the owner disdained the very Earth he walked on and would trample any naysayers underfoot. Thinking back to the tearful head priest, Dan wondered if the old man had been actually crying because of his looks and not his suggestions.