Summoned Beast Prologue(Arknights Fanfic)
The star of the TV tie-in show to Summoned Beast, the hottest TCG on Terra, decides to visit a fan in the hospital, only to soon find fantasy and reality colliding.
Hey everyone. After seeing this pick on Twitter(https://x.com/aoitoto393/status/167.....694639104?s=20), it got me thinking that the world of Arknights could probably support Duel Disk adjacent tech for a card game, and eventually I threw together a story for one. I would love to see what you all think and get some feedback on it; hope you enjoy!
“Excuse me, I’m here to visit a patie-“
“Ha ha ha! And there goes your final Life Crystal!”
The woman froze for a moment at the voice coming from the TV near the reception desk, then groaned a little. Of course THIS had to be on here…
After briefly considering making a hasty exit and just as quickly resigning herself for what was about to come, she sighed a little and set the large gift basket down on the counter. The receptionist at the desk seemed enraptured with the show and hadn’t noticed her yet as she stood up the small, wheeled trunk that she’d pulling along with her other hand, waiting for the young Caprinae man to pull himself away from the show.
“I’m not finished yet, vile minion of Darkness!” The protagonist spoke defiantly to her dark robed rival as she wobbled slightly from the vicious attack she’d just suffered. Her right hand reached across her body to the small box on her left arm, adding the few cards left in it to the ones in her hand. “My Life Deck still has cards in it!”
“But you’ll have only a single card left after you draw! Even if you survive my next Combat Phase, which you will not, your deck will be empty!” The Feline heroine grimaced as the truth of his words struck almost as viciously as the serpent monster that now sat obediently in front of its owner had earlier. “Then, finally you’ll fall, great heroine Saraissa!”
Saraissa responded, though judging by the tight shot on her face and the change in tone, it was clear these were her internal thoughts. Her green eyes reflected a state of worry as she reflected on her situation. It also largely cut off the incredibly stylized white hair that looked almost mane-like and the bright green streaks within it that, frankly, were kind of ridiculous.
“He’s right; so much as a poke from his Summoned Beast will end me! But I can’t fall here!” The internal monologue was paused for a moment as Saraissa took a moment to compose herself, the cards in her hand glowing slightly as she spoke the closest thing she had to a catchphrase. “Deities of the Deck, I beseech thee!”
The Caprinae man’s trance seemed to be broken as the show transitioned to a commercial break, finally noticing the presence of the woman that had been standing at the counter. He stammered slightly as she tried to compose himself.
“S-sorry! They got these shows on for the kids, and it’s kind of hard not to get hooked. I know I shouldn’t, but…oh!” The young sheep man’s eyes fell on the gift basket that sat on the desk between him and the visitor. In addition to the usual candy, toys and other kid focused gifts that typically were in such things, he noticed a pair of starter decks and some boosters for the Summoned Beast card game. “Are you familiar with the show?”
“Um…” The woman did her best to force a natural looking smile as she gently pushed the obstructing basket aside, let the reception get a clear view of her face. “That’s one of putting it, I suppose.”
“Oh? What do you…mean…” The young man’s voice trailed off as he took in the woman standing before him. His eyes darted back to the screen showing Saraissa striking a pose as the announcer let the viewer know Summoned Beast would be right back after these messages, then back to the woman in front of him, before repeating the process two more times. Her clothes were much more casual that Saraissa’s costume, but the green eyes, brown skin and white hair were all a perfect match; even her hair was stylized and streaked in the same way. “Y-You’re Sar-“
“Elysia Thorne.” The actress corrected, before adding with just a touch of resignation in her voice, “And yes, I play Saraissa on the Summoned Beast TV show.”
It’s not like she hated the role with a passion or anything, but it’d been ten years she’d been doing this kids show that was meant to sell a trading card game. It’d been the role of a lifetime when she started out, but as she got older and tried to branch out, it seemed like almost no one could see past her time as Saraissa and treat her as an actress with other talents who wanted to break out into something different. Not to mention it always felt a little weird when people way older than her(This guy was probably close to 40, while Elysia just had just turned 21 a couple of months back) starting getting all giddy about meeting her like this receptionist was.
“Oh my God; it really is you! I can’t believe it! Can I ask you some questions?! What’s it like being on the show?! How do they do all those monsters and magic?! Who’s your favorite villain of the series?!” The questions were coming and Elysia faster than a repeating crossbow, though she did her best to weather the storm.
“It’s hard work at times, but it’s really nice. We do most of the magic with Arts, though sometimes we use CGI for it and the monsters too. And…” Elysia smiled as she tried to politely hold back the flood of questions before she was overwhelmed. “Maybe we can talk more later, after I see the person I’m here to visit?”
“Oh! Right, you said that!” The receptionist blushed a little as he turned to his computer; Elysia was just thankful his excitement hadn’t caught anybody else’s attention. “What was the patient’s name you’re here to visit?”
“It was…” Elysia paused a moment to check the name she’d written on her phone. “Mari. Mari Lista.”
“Mari Lista. Mari Lista… ah! Here she is. She’s on floor 8…oh…” The receptionist’s face darkened slightly. “That’s the Oripathy wing. Poor kid; she’s barely ten years old…”
It was hard to argue with that. Considering how many products use Orundum and how it powers most Arts units, it was kind of scary to think that that the raw Originite crystals could be so dangerous to humans and cause Oripathy. Watching as your whole body starts to break out in small black crystals that slowly take over every inch of you, and knowing there’s no cure…Elysia shuddered a little at the thought of being Infected like that.
“We’re partnering with Rhodes Island in a clinical trial for treatments; I think one of their reps is up there now. It’s only supposed to be them and family for visits… oh; I see her parents have already provided consent for you on her file. May I ask how you know her?”
“It’s complicated.” Well, it actually was pretty simple, but Elysia wasn’t too comfortable sharing other’s medical information. She’d worked with FEater a few years ago on an action movie, Fearsome Fighters. When the famous panda martial artist contracted Oripathy herself during an accident, she’d gone to Rhodes Island for treatment. The two had always kept in touch however, and when FEater heard Elysia was shooting in the same city as a little girl who was both Oripathy stricken and a huge fan of Summoned Beast, she suggested a visit from the star of her favorite show would be a real treat. It’d been a while since Elysia done some charity work, and for a sick kid in the hospital, she’d suffer a couple of hours playing Saraissa outside the TV studio.
“I understand. You’re free to head up whenever you’re ready; she should be in her room now. And…” The receptionist turned a little red as he asked his next question, “Would you mind if I got an autograph? A-After word, of course!”
“Sure, Tom.” The receptionist seemed stunned that she knew his name, forgetting that he had a nametag hanging from the lanyard around his neck the whole time that informed her of it. With a well practiced smile, Elysia took her visitor tag that Tom had made(and wrote Saraissa on) and made her way to the elevator, the wheels of the trunk clacking along as she stepped in and pushed the button for the eighth floor.
Tom was still giddy about seeing Elysia over an hour later as he tried to focus on his work. It’s not everyday you get to see a real life celebrity after all; he just hoped he hadn’t embarrassed himself too much in front of her. He did kinda drop the ball greeting her, and even now he was having trouble focusing on his work. He shook his head as he heard a small group of people approaching his desk; he couldn’t be star-struck all day.
“Hi there; can I help you?...” The receptionist tilted his head a little at the group of robed, masked individuals that stood before him. They did look kind of familiar, maybe they were with Elysia? In fact, he was pretty sure tha-
Tom’s thought process was cut off with his air supply as one of the figures reached a massive hand out and seized him by the throat, lifting him up with almost no effort. Tom kicked and struggled to free himself, barely hearing the question the man was asking over his struggling gasps.
“Where is The Child?”