“Ladies, gentlemen, and Fiendnatics, thank you all for coming,” the event organizer took the stage at the Ledmer convention hall once more. “Before anything else, let me confirm the rumors. Yes, this will be our last official meeting here at Mermaid’s Reef, at least for now.”
Unrest consumed the crowd, and the man was met with boos and cries, questions and condemnation, but he ignored it all and raised his hands to silence them. “I know, I know, it is not what I was hoping for either. But we have to accept that this is the best recourse to not further damage our standing with the resort and everyone involved.”
“So tomorrow, I will be checking-out and heading back home, and I hope the rest of you will consider doing the same. This will not be the end of the Fiendnatics, and we’ve already been told that we’re allowed to book future stays and meetings in the future, as long as we go through proper channels.”
“I know this will be hard to accept for some of you, and I personally struggled to let go, but I was eventually convinced. Sometimes you just have you hear it from the right person. So here to elaborate on the issue and motivate us going forward is a man that needs no introduction!”
The organizer waved his hands towards the curtain and it pulled away, then a spotlight shone down onto the waiting man. Drim stepped forward, taking his spot at the prepared podium. And the chaotic awe and disbelief that cracked through the crowd was practically tangible.
“Drim Drazah!” “The Fiendish King!” “The Slayer!” “The Tyrant! “God Drazah!” Practically every epithet the man had ever known was spat back in his face all at once, like someone was speed-reading his autobiography. The man couldn’t help but wince at some of the titles in particular, but at least they were said with endearment instead of disdain.
“Ehem,” Drim cleared his throat, and that was all it took to quiet the crowd. He didn’t need to ask them to settle, wave his hand, or demand their silence. The overpacked room of countless faces came to a complete standstill, all on their best behavior entirely out of pure adoration and respect, waiting to hear whatever words he’d say to bless their ears.
To his chagrin, Drim had spoken in front of quite a few crowds now, yet this one was the most intimidating. Everyone there knew who he was, had grand idolizations of him in their minds. Perhaps to them, he could do no wrong, yet at the same time, they felt the easiest to disappoint. If he turned their most loyal supporters against them, it could ruin all of their plans in the making, so he had to choose his words carefully.
“I’m sure I’m not who you were expecting to see today. Especially since I myself wasn’t planning to be here. But when the news broke, it became immediately apparent that this was a situation that we could no longer ignore.”
“First of all, I would like to offer an apology. We at the Fiends For Hire have been blessed with an overwhelming amount of support and an incredible fanbase of dedicated and passionate people around the world for many years. When we first revealed ourselves, my sister and I expected to have to wade through nothing but hatred and scrutiny for a long time.”
“But you all have made it easy. Knowing that we have the backing of so many people only fuels our motivation to do the best we can. It has also enabled us to pursue our passions without restraint, and proven it’s possible to complete the goals we’ve set out to achieve.”
“My apology comes because even though we’ve known for a long time about the communities, forums, and groups that have supported us, we have been neglectful on our end. For the most part, we’ve never done too much community outreach or given back to the fans that hold us dear. There have been small exceptions such as appearances at Fiendcon, but it’s never remotely amounted to properly matching the enthusiasm you all have put forth.”
“Our policy has always been to keep our distance, not wanting to get too involved or embedded with any groups outside of the confines of our organization. There’s a myriad of reasons for this, but the first and primary reason was fear—a fear that if we were even seen as collaborating too closely with another entity, that they would become a target for those that were against us.”
“So we’ve kept our distance, and never given all those who have been kind to us over the years due credence. For that, I am sorry, and I hope you can forgive us. I’ve come to understand that this was the wrong choice, because it has only furthered the divide between humans and Fiends. Through seclusion, along with our media practices, Fiends have achieved celebrity, almost deity status, and that was never my intention.”
“I’m not here to condemn the Fiendnatics or your beliefs, and I’m not planning to dissuade you from continuing to celebrate your passions. You may not agree with me, or believe my viewpoint out of touch, but there is one point that I would like to hammer home. Fiends aren’t really special.”
“A lot of people tend to forget that we were all just regular humans at one point, just normal people living normal lives. The only real difference is that one day we gave into our worst impulses—our hate and our anger—with some of us just unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“In that regard, I would even say humans are superior to us, because they do not bear the same sins, with their own Curses etched into their skin. For many of us, the work you praise as selfless heroics is really just penance for the crimes and wrongdoings we’ve committed.”
“I’ve never cared for how Fiends are made. While I understand the thought behind it—to reward those who have benefited the world with the power to do more—it’s the method behind it that I can’t agree with. I’ve always felt it encourages the worst behavior by giving the biggest prize. But that shouldn’t be why we choose to do good things.”
“I won’t deny that Fiends have an unfair advantage with powers previously thought impossible. But it doesn’t take a lot to help someone, to make their day better, to stand by them through their problems. Humans already have everything they need to make the world a better place. They just need the strength and the motivation to act on it.”
“That is why we have requested for the Fiendnatics to leave this place and return to your lives. We are not, however, insisting that you dissolve. Many have already labeled you a cult, but that is because they don’t understand you. What you’ve done here is nothing short of spectacular, a true show of passion and growth of humanity—and no, I don’t mean the terrorist group.”
“The money you’ve raised for charities, the plans you’ve set in motion to benefit communities around the world, all this can only be praised. But by isolating the group here, you’re only limiting yourselves and the good you can do.”
“I understand the desire not to leave. This is an amazing place, and we took a lot of care in rebuilding it for all to enjoy. Here amongst your fellow members, you may feel a sense of belonging that you’ve never felt before, and that’s an amazing thing to find. But even though you’ll be going your separate ways, that never has to end.”
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“You don’t need to merely remember the friends you’ve made. Thanks to today’s technology, you can keep in touch no matter where you are, and not only that, you can arrange Fiendnatics events all across the world. In addition, as a way to contribute to your efforts and offer our support, we will be making a brand new site and app for the Fiendnatics to help you all stay organized and see the amazing things your group is doing worldwide. It’s even based off of our own member app we use in the Fiends For Hire.”
“So take the lessons you’ve learned here, the perspectives you’ve gained, the passion you’ve built, and spread it wherever you go. Help others where you can, but it’s also enough to simply live your lives and enjoy your time on Rathe. That is how you act like a Fiend, because that’s all we do ourselves.”
“And if you want to take a more proactive approach, besides volunteering, then my best suggestion is to get involved in your local politics and government. That is the simplest way to make lasting and immediate change around you. Learn the issues, make suggestions, hold your representatives accountable. And most importantly, vote.”
“That might sound manipulative coming from me, given what’s ahead in my own personal career. But I won’t tell you who to vote for. You should make the decision that you think is right, for yourselves and those around you. That’s how you can make the world better without having to pay a single common.”
“I know to some of you that it may not feel like enough, that you’re losing too much by leaving this place, and are afraid you’ll never capture that same feeling ever again. So I’d like to offer you all an alternative that I hope will bring you a similar joy and give you a reason to both leave and return in the future.”
“As a measure of good faith, I’m going to share a secret about this place that only a very few select Fiends know about. First, though, for context, I need to mention a bit of my own history. In itself, it’s not exactly private information, but I also don’t believe it’s widespread knowledge.”
“I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Cosmic Boon: the night the Drazah War ended, and when my sister and I were flung across the world in streaks of light after we killed our parents. Well, Ledmer is where I landed, where I struggled to survive for months, where I almost died more times than I could count.”
“And I certainly would have, if not for a magical fruit that sprouted shortly after my arrival. While becoming a Fiend could be regarded as a Curse, this could only be called a miracle—truly a gift from someone or something on-high to ensure that I could survive. And now I’m going to share that gift with you all.”
“I’m sure you’ve seen it, maybe passed by it a hundred times already, since it’s right over in the Mermaid’s Reef lobby—a glowing blue fruit that looks like nothing from our world. It was purposely disguised as set dressing, to not draw too much attention to it, but now we’ll be making it available to the public.”
“So before you leave and return to your lives, I invite you to stop by and take a bite for yourselves. It basically has no taste, and I can’t promise you’ll enjoy eating it, but I hope it satiates you as it once did for me, and gives you strength as you head back out into the world.”
“The fruit grows endlessly, but it can’t be taken from this place—vanishing if it moves more than a few feet away. It’s something that you can only experience here in this wonderful land. That’s why, I would like to suggest it as a point of pilgrimage for the Fiendnatics and anyone else who wants to experience it.”
“When you’ve done something great and want to feel rewarded, or if you’re struggling in life and need to feel rejuvenated. Come to Ledmer and eat your fill, stay until you’re satisfied, ready to tackle the world once more and give it your all. I know I’ll be taking a bite before I leave to help me deal with what’s to come.”
“And again, I want to thank you all. Because of your support, the Fiends For Hire will continue to thrive. We’ll see our goals through to the very end, and we’ll make Rathe the best world we can for Fiends and humans alike. Genuinely, thank you, and we’ll see you out there, wherever someone needs help. Goodnight!”
The crowd erupted in cheers, boosted by the room's acoustics to the point that it was almost deafening. But no applause was louder than the one in Drim’s own head. A wonderful speech, my son, Eleen gave her critique. It’s good practice for when you win the election, since they’ll be expecting one like no other. But with what you have planned, I’m sure you’ll blow away their expectations.
The woman then let out a large lamenting sigh. What a waste of a perfectly good cult, though. You could have radicalized them to do whatever you wanted. Nothing beats blind loyalty. I know from experience, since I had two cults myself back during the war. However, one was a death cult, so they didn’t exactly stick around for very long.
Fiends For Hire Text Conversation 16
Date: Sextaugber 6th 2081
『Phon: Hey, does everyone remember that picture I took of Kada looking absolutely dumb-mawhged that her parents were at Ledmer? Of course you do, because it was amazing.』
『Phon: So I went ahead and made it a reaction sticker that we can use whenever we want.』
『Phon: Quick, Jaid, tell me something surprising.』
『Jaid: Erm, I sometimes chew on my pillow in my sleep and wake up with bite marks in the case.』
『Jaid: Sorry, that was all I could come up with.』
『Phon: (Reaction: Kada_dumbfounded.pic)』
『Phon: Look at it! Look how stupid and surprised she looks! You wrecked her mind, Jaid!』
『Phon: Bahahahaha. Holy zjik! Oh Cosmos! It’s so funny! This is the funniest thing I’ve ever done.』
『Drim: (Reaction: Kada_dumbfounded.pic)』
『Phon: Ahahahahaha, it’s even funnier when you do it, Drim! So stupid!』
『Kada: 🫠』
『Kada: You guys are so mean…』
『Kada: But yeah, it is a funny picture. Can’t deny that. I’m just expressive, alright?!』
『Xard: Well, I wasn’t going to say anything. But since you admitted it, yeah, you look ridiculous, Kada.』
『Phon: In that case, Xard, I have something to surprise you too!』
『Phon: (Reaction: Xard_bewildered.pic)』
『Phon: I made one for you too, and it’s just as good!』
『Phon: That is the face of a man whose whole world is crumbling! I can’t stop looking at it!』
『Kada: (Reaction: Xard_bewildered.pic)』
『Drim: (Reaction: Xard_bewildered.pic)』
『Jaid: (Reaction: Xard_bewildered.pic)』
『Xard: …』
『Xard: (Reaction: Xard_bewildered.pic)』