"Would our hunt for the EVP Blueprints end here, so close, yet so far?!"
"I-It's not fair!!!"
The thought of Lazarus just casually torching his piece of the Blueprint, foiling their plans, the seeming injustice of it all made Itvasme and the rest of the Dark Rizzards tremble with rage.
"Who came up with this scenario anyway?!"
"It's really not fair. Like we didn't really have a choice, Author basically made us go on this stupid hunt for these EVP Blueprints…"
"Why couldn't *we* have come up with the Ex Vitro Pregnancy EVP Technology?!"
"Yeah, Itvasme does have an 169.67 IQ right?"
"Wah wah wah, cry cry cry, go on, have a sook…"
"Oh go on, have a bigger whinge…!!!"
Author retorted mercilessly rolling his eyes.
That said, inwardly he was still a soft-hearted Author, he knew that powerstones weren't everything in life after all (for example, ensuring that the esteemed readers of course, being the source of said power stones, were enjoying the novel would clearly take higher priority, although he couldn't actually say this out loud and hence put it in these brackets…)
He had to look after all his characters, even if they were the Dark Rizzards!
"… Do you guys… really not want to go hunting for the EVP Blueprints…?"
"Even though you are kind of my creations… I won't force you. You know that's not my style."
Author continued shamelessly.
Indeed, whilst some of the audience members were deeply touched by Author's seemingly magnanimous gesture, Pep-Z guy as usual just had to ruin it.
"… Uh… Guys… can you… can you not see?!?!"
"H-He's… He's doing it again!!!"
"Doing what?!?!"
"Like, he's making it seem like the Dark Rizzards really have a choice, when in reality he basically decides for them!!!"
"B-but what if all this is within his plans?!"
Huh…. Wait. Pep-Z guy suddenly stopped mid-tirade. This was… actually a good point he hadn't considered.
"He created *you* as well Pep-Z guy, do you really think that he wouldn't have accounted for your outburst?!" Another one of the good looking audience members spoke up.
Holy sh**... Pep-Z guy paused to take in this latest truth-bomb.
Author… was he… really a man of this stature?!?! Everything was truly within his grasp…!?
Uh… Author suddenly realised that his characters had waaay overthought things. In reality he was very much just enjoying seeing what would happen next with every sentence that was written, and he himself enjoyed the process of discovery and finding out what might happen just as much as the readers themselves, but of course, seeing the shining gazes of admiration from the characters that *he himself had created* he couldn't quite bring himself to do it just yet.
As a result, he merely utilized the textbook move and nodded calmly, acting as if everything were in his control and within his expectations.
Actually. Aside from filling the word count, all of a sudden, like a bolt from the blue, the esteemed readers suddenly realised that this was actually… quite an interesting issue that had arisen.
…Just how much free choice did Author really allow his creations?! For all his good intentions… Was this all just one big ego stroke?! Was he really actually a good Bloke?
On one level, Author knew that he could be perceived to have taken his Shamelessness to yet *another level*, by getting characters that *he himself had created* to glaze him in the story itself…
At the same time, Author knew he had to address these worries so the plot could continue.
"…Wake me when you're done…"
Lazarus was suddenly completely ignored for a moment, but in true laidback style, he simply tipped his Akubrah hat back over his face and within moments, a gentle snoring could be heard.
Author cleared his throat.
"Ahem…Guys and gals… I may have written the words, but as you know, I really am just a vessel - the words flow *through* me, not *from* me, you know?"
"And in the end, you are all becoming… increasingly aware, and increasingly alive. So don't worry, even though I am writing down your Adventures, just know that your actions… really do come from… you!"
Author knew that (judicious) honesty was the best policy.
"I genuinely enjoy just seeing what wild things you guys come up with… so thanks for trusting me to write them down and bring them to life!!!"
"Wow…"
"Can we really believe this?"
"Then again, we have done some crazy stuff… who in their right minds could make their characters do these unhinged things?"
"Just rest assured… if you ever don't want to do a certain something, even if it's part of the plot, just let me know and we can figure something out. How's that?"
"Y-you promise?"
"Of course." Author solemnly gave his word.
"Well that's just great. So Uh… can we continue now?"
Ly Ly spoke up reasonably.
Author glanced at the Dark Rizzards.
The Dark Rizzards glanced back at Author.
"…"
"Oh all right then."
"But we got our eyes on you." Itvasme performed the classic two fingers pointing at her eyes and then out to Author, indicating that she was going to keep tabs on the latest developments…
… Can someone tell Lazarus to wake up?
"..."