Game Developers!!!

Chapter 6

The next day, Felipe was walking around town trying to help create ideas for the story, he saw Chiara sitting at the bench and drawing in her drawing pad. So he walked towards her, this will be their first full conversation ever since the incident.

"Hello, Chiara." Felipe said as he sat down next to her. "Hello, Felipe. I am just drawing the background for a game I'm helping on." Chiara replied. "Oh? So you're commissioning arts, helping design my game as well as helping on another, and you're also working on Live, Love, Lie?" Felipe asked. "Well it's almost summer break, so I have more time to do these kinds of stuff." Chiara answered. As Felipe watched people move, he didn't know what he was thinking, saying that he would be able to get ideas for the plot of his RPG, where it focuses more on medieval fantasy. He decided to just watch Chiara draw, who was not a very big fan of it.

"What are you doing?" Chiara asked. "Just watching you." Felipe answered, "I didn't know why I thought I would get ideas for a medieval fantasy RPG here." He added. Chiara chuckled. "Game franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Pikmin were created because of Shigeru Miyamoto's adventures and wild messagings." Chiara said. "Well I'm no Shigeru Miyamoto." Felipe replied. Chiara continued drawing the park, which she said would be the setting of the game's climax. Felipe forgot to ask her about the other game she was working on.

"So, Chiara. What is the other game that you are helping on?" Felipe asked. Chiara was reluctant to share at first, but she decided to share a bit of information. "Well, art is quite important for the game." Chiara said. "So a visual novel?" Felipe asked. "No. Not a visual novel." Chiara answered. "Then what is it?" Felipe asked. "W- well..." Chiara didn't want to share the major details as it may anger Felipe. "What is it?' Felipe asked again, this time he was insistent on knowing. "It's like a tactical rpg, but the attacks are really visually heavy." Chiara answered. "Why didn't you want to share it with me? I thought we were best friends?" Felipe asked, "Sure having the same artist might make our game a bit same-y, but let's face it, with pixel art, how different can you be?" He added that he was confused as to why Chiara was reluctant to share information. "Aside from you, who's developing the game?" Felipe asked. "Sorry, Felipe. I can't share that." Chiara answered seriously, so he didn't want to push it, he then asked which game studio were backing them. "Who's the publisher?" Felipe asked. As soon as Chiara heard his question, her pencil's tip broke. "I- I- I-" Chiara couldn't find her words, "I can't share that as well!" She added. Felipe, however, was insistent again. "Come on, Chiara. It's a game studio's name." Felipe said. After a bit of back and forth between them, Chiara finally told him what game studio was backing their project. "Studio Mins." Chiara answered. Felipe stopped due to Chiara's mere mention of the name.

"Oh, St- Studio Mins?" Felipe asked as he began to shake, "I- is Steppen still there? Is he still the head?" He added. "Yeah, and to be completely honest, he still hasn't forgiven you for Project G's failure." Chiara answered. "Project G was just another school harem dating sim, why w- would he want me to waste my time with that?" Felipe asked. "He doesn't, Felipe. Although he wants to talk to you about something." Chiara said. "M- me? What does he want to talk about?" Felipe asked. "I don't know!" Chiara answered, "If I knew what it was about, I would've told you about it now wouldn't I?" She exclaimed. "Right... my bad." Felipe said as he started to think about what Steppen wanted to talk about, "Unfortunately though, he will have to wait as I have many pressing matters to deal with in my game." He added. Right now, he just wanted to finish the development phase of his game, but he wouldn't be able to do that if Chiara or Rosaline didn't know what kind of story he wanted for the RPG.

"Oh! I know!" Felipe stood up instantly, which startled Chiara and everyone in proximity, "It's not a story, but a message though." He added. "What is it?" Chiara asked as she held her chest trying to calm her heart down due to being startled. "The player must have a choice if they are going to fight or spare their enemies-" "There's already an RPG that has that mechanic." Chiara didn't even give Felipe a chance to finish. "B- but I can't think of anything unique about my RPG! It will just turn into one of those games with relationship building." Felipe said. Chiara sighed. "You do know that you don't really need completely original ideas to have a unique game." Chiara said, which gave Felipe an idea. "We can compile every single successful RPG mechanic into one game!" He exclaimed. "Are you out of your mind?!" Chiara asked, "People won't buy that sort of game!" She exclaimed. "Well then... let's try to have a better story and characters, as well as to have more memorable arts." Felipe said. "You do know that the developers of those RPGs have more than one person per job, right?" Chiara asked, "And still it takes some time for them to fully finish their development stage." She added. "What?!" Felipe exclaimed, "You want me to think of a way to make our game unique AND be faster to finish?" He asked. "Well, that's not what I meant-" "Well, what did you mean then?" Felipe interrupted Chiara. "I don't know! I just draw, not give suggestions about these!" Chiara said, "It's also my first time developing an RPG!" She then tried to compose herself. 

Felipe then remembered that Rosaline, while not exactly really experienced with these types of games, still knew more about him in terms of RPGs. "Right... Rosaline was the answer all along!" Felipe said. "ANSWER FOR WHAT?!" Chiara immediately asked. "For my life's problems!" Felipe answered instantly as he turned his phone on to call her. "Y- y- your life's problems?!" Chiara asked as she was clearly misunderstanding this. "Yes." Felipe answered before Rosaline answered his phone call. "Hello? Rosaline? Mind if you meet up?" Felipe asked as Chiara was blushing as she stared at Felipe. "Where? Uhh... probably in a cafe? Like Tissy Tassy Tat?" Felipe asked. "He just asked her out in the place where they first met!" Chiara's thoughts were straying away more and more from the truth. "What time? Uhh... at night?" Felipe asked, "Yes? We might need to eat dinner there though." He added. "It's an actual date!" Chiara told herself. "Alright, bye." Felipe said before ending the call. Once Felipe looked at Chiara, she was blushing a bit, but she had a serious expression on her face. "This... this is about the game, right?" Chiara asked. "Of course!" Felipe answered, "What else could it be about?" He asked. "Good." Chiara said as she fixed herself, "And make sure it stays that way." She said in quite an intimidating tone before packing her drawing pad in her bag and walking away.