Exciting and interesting experiences, Melantha's ass. All the stories she'd read lied to her. If she had spent anything for the chance to participate in a new world, Mel would have demanded a refund. Hell, if it was possible, she might ask for compensation for the lackluster experience this whole “being summoned to another world” was turning out to be.

Sure there were interesting people and elements, but what was the point? She was putting in so much effort for little payoff. Like right now. 

Mel swung around the training center’s practice mace in front of her. “This one feels too clunky for my taste.” She got the sense Aillun was sighing, as she rejected yet another weapon in their search for one she should train with. She was running out of the various options that this place had training versions of for people to borrow. “Maybe we should be looking at more unconventional weapons than what they have here.”

Aillun was perched on a long sword that they'd embedded in the ground a little way away. “Remind me what your title is…?”

“Storyteller. It's not like that'll help us figure out a good weapon for me.”

“And what is it that you want to do?” They ignored Mel's side comment, as if trying to direct the conversation in a certain direction.

“Go on adventures, obviously. That's why we're going through all this, so we can defend ourselves when we do… How is this supposed to help pick out what I should train with?”

This time Aillun really did sigh. “Why do you want to go on adventures? Really. Consider it carefully, and you might understand why I asked.”

Mel did think deeply for a moment about it. The reason was quite simple. “It always sounded fun in all the stories I've read. That's just what people do when they find themselves summoned to another world, right? They go on fun adventures, making plenty of friends and experiences along the way.”

“So, you're a storyteller that wants to make your own life into a good story… How I see it, the title—and everything else we gained from being summoned—reflect two things: who we are at our core, and our deepest desires. You've been given all the tools you need to reach your goals, if you can figure out how to use them well.”

“Pretty sure all I got was that hollow title when I was summoned.”

“That's not true. Everyone received a skill unique to their title, though I imagine most haven't yet realized it. I only know about it because mine interferes weird with magic, like the guild's abilities reading tool.” Aillun used their tails to give the impression they were floating above the sword as they talked. “It's right there on the floating information screen.”

“Wait, what?” Mel nearly dropped the mace, confused.

“Yeah, you got a special skill from being summoned that matches your title. At least I assume it came from being summoned, since I don't think I had such an ability before myself.”

“No, we can get back to that later… there's floating information screens around us?”

“Yep. They're all fuzzy but I can see them over everyone that was summoned. At least, I think they're there… I suppose they could be from the insanity that I've picked up from my ability. But remember when the summoners looked above us to determine our titles that first day? The one doing the reading was staring at the same spot that I see them. Haven't been able to properly make it clear, but they -probably- exist, so it makes sense that they can be made fully visible.”

Mel thought about that information. If this was a game or story, it could be revealed with some sort of trigger phrase. Something thematic to the genre or medium. “If you're right, we should be able to do it if we use the right command…. Perhaps something like Status Window.” She held out a hand and something actually appeared. “Fuck! It worked…” Mel silently started laughing, unable to stop for a moment. “What the fuck? I did it on my first guess…”

“See? I told you it listed a unique skill related to your title. You owe me lunch.”

“We didn't bet on it…”

“We didn't?” Aillun shrugged. “Then will you treat me to lunch for giving you such helpful information instead?”

Mel sighed and rolled her eyes—but more out of principle, than actually being against it. “Fine. Just because we're friends, though.”

“Yay!” Aillun jumped off the sword hilt. “I conned someone into feeding me.”

“After we figure out a weapon for me.” She reminded them.

The feline dramatically fell backwards onto the ground. “You're a storyteller and you want to experience a good story… What weapon do you think would make for a good story if you wield it? That's the one that'll probably be best for you to try.”

It couldn't just be that easy, could it? Mel glanced at the information window that she'd figured out how to summon on her first attempt. “It would have to be something special to me and fit my vibes. But probably would be surprising for people as well… I enjoy a misdirect, where I feel smarter for picking up the hints of what's actually going on, afterall. Oh, but it also should relate to being a storyteller. Making it thematic with my job causes it to feel more tied to me as a character… I suppose I could figure out some way to turn different writing tools into weapons. But, that feels like it would require the threat to get closer than I'd feel comfortable with, and probably would be hard to incorporate into a versatile fighting style that I could use often in actual fights.” She sighed as she sat down beside Aillun. “There's got to be something that could fit.”

“A spear almost looks like a giant pen…”

“We've already eliminated any common weapons… has to be unique to me, remember?”

“Which means inventing an entirely new weapon, or at least developing a fighting style specific to you with a less common weapon…”

“Thus why I'm trying to figure out how to turn the concept of storytelling into a physical tool or weapon. Books might make a nice bludgeoning weapon, but I'd feel bad damaging them like that… Plus the risk of various liquids ruining them.”

“Can't help you much… only time I ever heard made-up stories was from the elder women who created and tended to the clan’s clothes. I would sometimes skip lessons to listen to them while they worked. One of the eldest once said they told tales so often because it was so similar to making clothes; it was just a question if it was words or threads being weaved to create the end product.” Melantha turned to Aillun suddenly at their words. 

“I could kiss you, Lun.” There was definitely a thought forming. “That's brilliant… Just enough out-of-the-box thinking that it fits with my wanting it to be unexpected.”

“Does that mean we can go get food now?”

“I don't even know if my idea is a viable weapon—outside of some select stories I've read—or what would be the best way to use them if it is…”

“Listen, Mel, I think I accidentally caused myself to levitate for a bit earlier, and now all I can smell is chicken. Which is really making me crave some badly… I'm guessing the weapon you want to try isn't going to be something we can test out here. So can we at least discuss this over some food?”

Mel stood up and held out a hand to the still laying down Aillun. “Fine… what kind of chicken do you want?”

“Fried chunks with onions and peppers mixed in, please.” Well, that was specific, but it shouldn't be hard to find somewhere selling such a dish.

“Alright, sounds good.” As she suspected, the two quickly found a sit down place that served what Aillun was wanting. They sat down and ordered. Mel found she actually liked the food even more than she'd expected… Though it didn't distract her much from the conversation she wanted to finish from before. Although she at least had the manners to not interrupt someone's meal to ‘talk shop' unless the other person brought it up first, so she waited patiently for Aillun to finish.

They were about half way done with their dish when they spoke up. “So… what was that idea you had about a unique weapon for yourself?”

“Threads! It's said that storytellers weave stories, so threads could be comparable to a physical representation of words. And, in theory, it could be dangerous enough to be used as a weapon if made of a strong yet flexible metal… At least in the stories I've seen it used in, it can be thin enough that the metal is practically sharp.”

“We can see if the blacksmith I commissioned for my props would make some thread out of Dragon's tooth, if that's the weapon you've decided on.”

“There's still some kinks I'll need to work out before committing to it. Like how to utilize them… They would be most effective wrapped around an enemy but it's not like I can just will the threads to be around my opponents. In most of the stories that I've seen them used, the characters either had some magical way to move their strings independently of logic, or already had them set up in a specific area as a trap.”

“Why don't you just have them attached to the hilts of some knives balanced for throwing? You can use the knives like daggers for close combat or throw them to disperse your threads over an area. Bonus! It negates the major downside of using throwing knives, the risk of losing them during a fight.” Aillun’s eyes lit up as they started rolling with ideas of the techniques Mel could use to fight.

“I don't know if I can properly throw daggers…”

“Then you just need to learn.”