[AI] A Chaotic Interview_Angel Blade - Cry of a Valkyrie

Author: Welcome, everyone! This is quite the gathering. I’ve had individual interviews with some of you, but never all at once. Let’s start simple. Introduce yourselves!

 Sweiza: [leans back in her chair, arms crossed]

 You already know me. Sweiza. Valkyrie. Hero. Occasional troublemaker. [grins] And the most fun person at this table.

 Rezra: [tail flicks] Rezra. Tigerfelk. Former thief, now a respectable—well, semi-respectable—part of this group. [smirks] I bring the charm and the claws.

 Brynhilde: Brynhilde. Shield Maiden. Echomancer-in-training. [pauses, adjusting the blindfold covering her eyes] And the unfortunate voice of reason among certain individuals.

 Sprite: [wings flutter] I’m Little Sprite! I sparkle, I fly, I cause mischief. Oh! And I am far more powerful than I appear.

 Strife: [slowly sips her coffee, unimpressed]

 Strife. Former Valkyrie, current headache manager. [glances at Sweiza and Rezra] Though some are more persistent than others.

 Author: That brings me to my first question. Given everything you’ve all been through, what’s the hardest decision you’ve had to make?

 Sweiza: [face darkens slightly] Leaving Strife behind in Valhalla. That… that was tough. I mean, what if I’d never made it back? [tries to shake it off] But hey, I did.

 Strife: [sets down her cup] Sacrificing my past. My friends. My time. I didn’t have a choice, but I had to live with the consequences.

 Brynhilde: Letting go of who I used to be. Losing my sight forced me to see in new ways, but it still stings.

 Rezra: [ears flatten] Giving up my tail. Stupid Odin. Stupid rules.

 Sprite: Choosing not to turn someone into a toad when they insult me! Do you have any idea how much restraint that takes?

 Rezra: [snorts] Not enough, apparently.

 Author: Strife, let’s talk about your relationship with Sweiza. You’ve been through a lot together, but you’re not exactly warm and fuzzy.

 Strife: [deadpan] Are you expecting an apology?

 Sweiza: [grinning] She won’t say it, but she missed me.

 Strife: I tolerated your absence. There’s a difference.

 Author: Brynhilde, you and Sweiza have also had your share of… tense moments.

 Brynhilde: [crosses arms] We fought. I lost. Then Odin threw my familiar into the abyss. So, yes, ‘tense’ is a good word for it.

 Sweiza: [mutters] I didn’t want to fight you, you know.

 Rezra: [interrupts] Alright, enough of the heavy stuff! Can we talk about something fun?

 Author: Fine. What’s the most ridiculous thing any of you have done?

 Rezra: I once tried to pickpocket Sweiza.

 Sweiza: [grinning] And how’d that go?

 Rezra: …Let’s just say I learned a valuable lesson about hammers.

 Brynhilde: [smirks] I once convinced Rezra that the stars whisper to me.

 Rezra: Wait. They don’t?

 Strife: [pinching the bridge of her nose] I once let Sweiza and Sprite convince me that breaking into Odin’s vault was a reasonable idea.

 Sprite: [giggling] It was a great idea.

 Strife: It was a terrible idea.

 Sweiza: We got what we needed, didn’t we?

 Salmira: [suddenly appears out of thin air, her voice both distant and immediate] A moment of wisdom. You will never regret the mistakes that led to victory—only those that led to loss.

 Rezra: [ears flatten] How long has she been there?

 Sprite: Who knows? She’s a time witch. Probably saw this conversation before we had it.

 Salmira: [smiles knowingly] Perhaps.

 Author: Well, before we all get caught in a time paradox, let’s end on this—where do you all see yourselves after all of this is over?

 Sweiza: I want peace. Real peace. Not just a pause between fights.

 Rezra: [tilts head] I want my tail back.

 Brynhilde: To be strong enough to never need pity.

 Sprite: I want to rule a kingdom of tiny sparkly creatures who adore me!

 Strife: [softly] I want to believe in the future again.

 Author: That’s a perfect note to end on. Thanks for your time, everyone!

 Sweiza: [grinning] Oh, no, thank you.

 Rezra: Can we get paid for this?

 Author: …No.

 Rezra: Figures.

 Salmira disappears—one moment she''s there, the next, the space she occupied folds into itself, leaving behind only a lingering shimmer, as if time itself hiccupped.

 Rezra: [ears twitch] That is so unsettling. Does she always do that?

 Sprite: [casually sips tea] Oh, all the time. Sometimes she appears before she leaves.

 Sweiza: [laughs] I think that’s just your brain being slow.

 Brynhilde: [smirking] Unlikely. Sprite’s mind is many things, but slow is not one of them.

 Strife: [exhales, rubbing her temple] Can we move on before we invite another existential crisis?

 Author: Agreed. Let’s pivot to something different. What’s something that scares each of you?

 A brief silence follows.

 Sweiza: [stiffens slightly before forcing a grin]

 Oh, you’re really going for the heavy questions, huh? Alright. Fine. Losing people. Again. I can take any fight, any challenge, but being alone? That’s worse than death.

 Rezra: [clears throat, shifting in her chair]

 Yeah. Same. But, you know, also, uh… dogs.

 Brynhilde: [raises an eyebrow under her blindfold]

 Dogs?

 Rezra: [ears flatten] They’re too friendly. No one is that friendly without an ulterior motive.

 Strife: [dryly] I’m concerned for you.

 Rezra: Yeah, well, I’m concerned for you and you don’t see me making a big deal about it.

 Strife: [sips coffee, unimpressed] I know.

 Author: [amused] What about you, Brynhilde?

 Brynhilde: [quietly] Power without control. Strength without purpose. I’m already blind—I can’t afford to be lost, too.

 Sweiza: [glances at her] You won’t be.

 Brynhilde: [softly] You can’t promise that.

 Sprite: [cheerfully, completely ruining the moment]

 I’m afraid of running out of sugar.

 Rezra: …That’s it?

 Sprite: [dead serious] That’s EVERYTHING.

 Strife: [leans back, exhaling] My fear? I’ve already lived it. [long pause, then a slight smirk] But if I had to pick something else—clowns.

 Sweiza: [grinning] Wait, seriously? Clowns?

 Strife: [deadpan] Yes. They are grotesque mockeries of human expression. I refuse to elaborate further.

 Rezra: [snickering] Oh, this is gold.

 Author: [laughing] Alright, alright. Let’s move on before this spirals into clown-related trauma. If you could trade lives with someone at this table for a day, who would it be?

 Sweiza: [points at Rezra] Definitely Rez. I want to know what it’s like to be a sneaky, tail-less cat with trust issues.

 Rezra: [crosses arms] Wow. Rude. But fine. I’d trade with Sprite. I want to see how it feels to be small, sparkly, and constantly on a sugar rush.

 Sprite: [grinning] You’d have so much fun!

 Brynhilde: [sighs] I’d trade with Strife. I want to know what it’s like to walk into a room and make people tense without even trying.

 Strife: [flatly] It’s a gift.

 Author: And you, Strife?

 Strife: [sips coffee] No one. I wouldn’t trust any of you with my life, and I certainly wouldn’t trust myself with yours.

 Sweiza: [huffs] Well, that’s dramatic.

 Sprite: I’d trade with Sweiza!

 Sweiza: [grinning] You just want to play with my hammer.

 Sprite: [innocently] Maybe.

 Rezra: …She’d lose the hammer in like five minutes.

 Sprite: [offended] I would NOT!

 Rezra: [crossing arms] You misplaced an entire enchanted amulet last week.

 Sprite: That wasn’t my fault! The wind took it!

 Brynhilde: [deadpan] Indoors?

 Sprite: …Maybe.

 Sweiza: If this gets written down somewhere, make sure to put that I won.

 Rezra: You didn’t even compete.

 Sweiza: Still won.

 Brynhilde: [sighs] This has been a mistake.

 Strife: [standing up, already leaving] I’m never doing this again.

 Sprite: [waving happily] Let’s do this every week!

 Author: …I think I need a drink.

 Author: [watching Strife walk off] …Well, there goes my most serious guest.

 Sweiza: [leaning back in her chair] You should’ve known better. Strife doesn’t do social gatherings.

 Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

 Rezra: [tail flicks] I dunno, I think she secretly enjoyed herself. She just has to maintain her stoic warrior queen image.

 Brynhilde: [adjusts her blindfold] Or she simply has better things to do than humor this nonsense.

 Sprite: [grinning] Like brooding in a dark corner somewhere?

 Rezra: [laughing] Exactly.

 Author: [chuckling] Well, that’s Strife for you. But for the rest of you, we’re still going. Next question—if you could relive any moment in your life, just for a day, what would it be?

 Sweiza: [pauses, then grins] Oh, that’s easy. The time I first hit Odin’s Sentinel in the face with my hammer. That look of shock? Priceless.

 Rezra: [smirks] That’s the moment you’d relive? Not something more… sentimental?

 Sweiza: [shrugs] Nah, smashing things is cathartic. Besides, I don’t do the whole sappy nostalgia thing.

 Brynhilde: [quietly] I’d relive the day before I lost my sight. Just… to see, one last time.

 Sweiza: [softens] Bryn…

 Brynhilde: [straightens up] But, since that’s not an option, I’ll settle for the first time I sparred against a full Valkyrie and won. That moment was everything to me.

 Rezra: [musing] I’d go back to the first time I successfully picked a noble’s pocket.

 Author: [raising a brow] Really?

 Rezra: Hey, it was a big moment for me. That was the day I realized I could outwit people who thought they were better than me. It was empowering.

 Sprite: [bouncing excitedly] I’d relive the time I made an entire feast appear out of nowhere just to confuse the humans. Their faces were amazing!

 Sweiza: [laughing] Wait, was that you? I heard stories about that!

 Sprite: [innocently] Maybe.

 Brynhilde: You’re a menace.

 Rezra: [snickers] Yeah, but she’s our menace.

 Author: Alright, let’s turn this around. If you could erase one

 moment from your past, what would it be?

 A brief silence settles over the table. The mood shifts slightly.

 Sweiza: [staring at the ceiling] …The Sterling Blue. If I could make it so that attack never happened, I would.

 Brynhilde: [clenching her hands] The moment Odin took my sight. Not because I fear the blindness—I’ve adapted. But I’d rather have lost it on my terms. Not his.

 Rezra: [ears flattening] The moment I was caught. The moment I lost my tail.

 Sprite: [quietly, for once] I wouldn’t erase anything. Even the bad moments made me who I am.

 Sweiza: [blinking at her] …That’s surprisingly deep for you.

 Sprite: [grinning again] I contain multitudes.

 Rezra: [side-eyes her] You contain chaos.

 Author: Alright, time for something lighter. If you could have any

 animal—real or mythical—as a pet, what would it be?

 Sweiza: [grinning] A dragon.

 Brynhilde: That’s cliché.

 Sweiza: Yeah, but imagine flying around on one! It’d be so cool.

 Rezra: I already am part animal. But if I had to pick, I’d want a giant panther that could shadow-step through walls.

 Brynhilde: A raven. Practical, intelligent, and easy to carry.

 Sweiza: [grinning] You just want to send it to peck at Odin’s window, don’t you?

 Brynhilde: [smirking] That would be a bonus.

 Sprite: [giggling] A huge cat that I could ride into battle!

 Rezra: …You do realize I am cat-like, right?

 Sprite: [gasps] Rezra, can I ride on your shoulders?!

 Rezra: [horrified] Absolutely not.

 Author: [laughing] Okay, okay. One last question before we wrap up—if you had one wish, what would it be?

 Sweiza: [pauses] …That Strife could have her old life back.

 Brynhilde: That Odin’s reign would end without another war.

 Rezra: That I could go back to who I was before Valhalla got its claws in me.

 Sprite: [thoughtful for once] That all of you get what you really want, even if you don’t know what it is yet.

 A brief silence follows, heavier than before.

 Sweiza: …Okay, that was weirdly sentimental. I don’t know what to do with that.

 Rezra: [grinning] Yeah, I think we broke her.

 Sprite: [cheerfully] I’m full of surprises!

 Author: [smiling] Well, this has been… enlightening. Any final words before I release you all back into the wild?

 Sweiza: [smirks] Just make sure you write me as the most badass character.

 Rezra: [stretching] I demand royalties.

 Brynhilde: [sighs] I need a drink.

 Sprite: [excitedly] Let’s do this again!

 Author: …Maybe. Maybe.

 Sweiza: [grinning] You love us.

 Author: [laughing] I tolerate you.

 Rezra: [leans back, arms behind her head] I would, but I’m too comfortable.

 Sweiza: [grinning] And you love attention too much to leave.

 Rezra: [smirking] I don’t love attention, I just know I deserve

 it.

 Brynhilde: [sighs] I’m reconsidering my decision to stay.

 Sprite: [clinging to Brynhilde’s arm] Noooo, don’t go! You’re the only one who balances the chaos!

 Brynhilde: [deadpan] That’s exactly why I should leave.

 Sweiza: [laughing] Oh, c’mon. You know you’d be bored without us.

 Brynhilde: I would know peace.

 Rezra: Peace is overrated.

 Sprite: [nodding sagely] Chaos is more fun.

 Author: [chuckling] Well, before Brynhilde rethinks her entire life and walks away, let’s continue. If you could have a do-over for anything, what would it be?

 Sweiza: [pauses, tapping her fingers on the table]

 You already asked what we’d erase. A do-over

 is different. [glances at Brynhilde]

 If I could redo our fight in the coliseum, I’d change how it ended.

 Brynhilde: [stiffens slightly] And what would you have done?

 Sweiza: I wouldn’t have let Odin force that choice on us. I’d have found a way to end it differently.

 Brynhilde: [quietly] You assume there was another way.

 Rezra: [interrupting before the mood gets too heavy] I’d redo my first heist. I got too cocky, almost got caught. I could’ve really cleaned out that merchant if I hadn’t been an overconfident idiot.

 Author: [raising a brow] Of all the things, that’s what you’d redo?

 Rezra: Hey, there’s always room for better crime.

 Sprite: [grinning] I’d redo the time I turned a whole room’s worth of food into floating orbs! I didn’t get the spell quite right, so some of the bread exploded. Next time, zero explosions.

 Brynhilde: [muttering] I still find crumbs in my armor from that disaster.

 Sweiza: [grinning] That was hilarious, though.

 Brynhilde: [flatly] You were cheering while dodging flying soup.

 Rezra: And you dove behind me for cover, might I add.

 Brynhilde: [folding arms] Because I knew you’d react fast enough to avoid it.

 Rezra: [mock offended] Oh, so I was a meat shield?

 Sprite: [brightly] Yes! But a very effective one!

 Rezra: [grumbling] I should’ve left with Strife.

 Author: [laughing] Speaking of leaving… [glancing at Brynhilde] Are you actually going to walk out on us?

 Brynhilde: [pauses, considering] No. But if the conversation keeps spiraling into ridiculousness, I might.

 Rezra: [grinning] Too late. We live in the ridiculous.

 Author: [grinning] Alright, let’s see if we can keep you engaged. If you could trade places with anyone in the world, not just at this table, who would it be?

 Sweiza: [immediately] Not Odin. That guy is paranoid.

 Rezra: [smirking] But wouldn’t it be fun to mess with his stuff? Imagine having all his power for one day.

 Sweiza: [thoughtful] …Okay, maybe for a day. Just long enough to wreck his plans.

 Brynhilde: I’d trade places with someone who doesn’t have to fight

 for everything. Just once, I’d like to wake up without a battle to prepare for.

 Rezra: You’d get bored in five minutes.

 Brynhilde: [mutters] Possibly.

 Sprite: [raising a tiny fist] I would trade places with a Giant!

 Sweiza: [snickering] Oh, you’d be unstoppable.

 Rezra: [grinning] You’d still be a menace. Just a bigger one.

 Author: What about you, Rezra?

 Rezra: Hmm… Someone rich. Not noble-rich, because ugh, but like… pirate-rich. No responsibilities, just treasure and freedom.

 Brynhilde: [dryly] So, a criminal?

 Rezra: [grinning] I prefer the term ‘independent entrepreneur.’

 Author: [laughing] Of course. Alright, last question before we wrap up—if you could leave Valhalla behind forever and go anywhere, where would it be?

 A beat of silence follows. Even Rezra’s usual smirk falters for a second.

 Sweiza: [quietly] …Maria Village.

 Rezra: [softly] Yeah. Same.

 Brynhilde: [exhales] Somewhere I could be free of Odin’s reach.

 Sprite: [thoughtful] A place where no one has to fight just to live. A place that’s happy.

 Sweiza: [grinning again] You love us.

 Rezra: [stretching] I still want royalties.

 Brynhilde: [standing, exhaling] I need two drinks.

 Sprite: [fluttering up] This was great! Let’s do it again!

 Rezra: [grinning as she follows Brynhilde out]

 Maybe next time, we interview you.

 Author: [laughing nervously] Oh no. That’s not happening.

 Author: [watching Brynhilde rise from her seat, rubbing her temples] And there she goes.

 Brynhilde: [standing up with an air of finality] I’ve tolerated enough. I’m leaving before whatever happens next ruins my day.

 Sweiza: [grinning] Oh, come on, Bryn. You’re having so much fun.

 Brynhilde: [deadpan] This is not my definition of fun.

 Rezra: [smirking] You just don’t want to admit you enjoy our company.

 Brynhilde: [pauses, sighs] I will admit nothing. [turns, walking away without looking back]

 Sprite: [calling after her] Love you, Bryn!

 Brynhilde: [raising a hand in silent farewell but not turning around]

 The door closes behind her.

 Rezra: [stretching] Well, that’s one less brooder in the room. Now, who’s next?

 Uma: [cheerfully striding in, arms full of books and scrolls] Oh, hello, everyone!

 Rezra: [eyes widening in horror] …Oh no. [ears flattening, tail puffing up] Nope. Nope. Not today. [scrambles backward]

 Sweiza: [startled] Wait, what?

 Sprite: [delighted] Oooh, I love this reaction.

 Uma: [pausing, blinking at Rezra] Oh, dear. Did I startle you?

 Rezra: [hissing like an angry cat, backing toward the exit] Nope! Absolutely not. You freak me out.

 Uma: [smiling innocently] I am an enigma, aren’t I?

 Rezra: [pointing accusingly] You know too much. You always know too much. It’s unnatural!

 Uma: [tilting her head] But I love knowledge! And I love reading! And I love knowing things!

 Rezra: [barreling out of the room, muttering] I refuse to be studied like an insect. I am not

 an experiment.

 The door slams shut behind her.

 Sweiza: [watching the door swing slightly, then turning back to Uma] …Okay, what the hell

 was that?

 Uma: [cheerfully sitting down in Rezra’s abandoned seat, adjusting her glasses] I believe she’s unsettled by my insatiable curiosity.

 Sprite: [grinning] You do have an ominous vibe.

 Uma: [pleasantly] Why, thank you!

 Sweiza: [shaking her head] I swear, I don’t understand you people.

 Uma: [suddenly brightening] Oh! Speaking of understanding, I do have something I need to ask you, Sweiza. [reaches into her satchel]

 Sweiza: [raising a brow] …What now?

 Uma: [pulls out a very familiar diary, one that looks like it’s been soaked in something suspiciously dark and ink-stained, with pages curling at the edges] This!

 Sweiza: [expression instantly darkens] Uma.

 Uma: [beaming, holding it up like a prize] It was leaking.

 Sweiza: [eyes narrowing] What.

 Sprite: [hovering over Uma’s shoulder, peering at the book] Ooooh, that’s not supposed to happen, is it?

 Sweiza: [gritting her teeth] No, it is not. Uma, what the hell did you do?

 Uma: [tilting her head] I merely observed its… interesting properties.

 Sweiza: [snatching the diary out of Uma’s hands, flipping through the now-smudged, ink-blurred pages] What part of "don’t mess with my things"

 was unclear?!

 Uma: [calmly sipping tea, unbothered by Sweiza’s fury] Oh, I didn’t mess with it. It reacted to me.

 Sweiza: [slamming the diary shut, jaw tightening]

 Uma, this isn’t a toy.

 Uma: [smiling pleasantly] Oh, I know. That’s why it’s fascinating!

 Sweiza: [throwing her arms up] You are impossible.

 Uma: [pleased] Why, thank you again!

 Author: [watching the chaos unfold, sipping coffee calmly] You know, I should’ve expected this.

 Sweiza: [grumbling, rubbing her temples] I need a break. A long break. Maybe a vacation.

 Sprite: [brightly] Oooh, can I come?

 Sweiza: [deadpan] No.

 Uma: [tilting her head] But if you did go on vacation, wouldn’t you want a record of the experience? [grinning slightly] Perhaps… in a new diary?

 Sweiza: [pointing aggressively] Don’t.

 Uma: [sipping her tea] Understood.

 Author: [amused] Well, now that Uma has successfully caused maximum

 discomfort, shall we move on?

 Sweiza: [grumbling, stuffing her damp, ink-smudged diary back into her satchel] …We better.

 Sprite: [happily swinging her legs in midair] I vote for more chaos!

 Uma: [smiling innocently] Oh, that’s always a guarantee.

 Author: [leaning back, sighing] Alright, let’s try to regain some sense of order before everyone

 walks out.

 Sweiza: [still glaring at Uma while squeezing the damp diary in frustration] You assume there was order to begin with.

 Sprite: [happily sipping from a tiny cup of tea she definitely stole from Uma’s stash] Order is overrated.

 Uma: [tapping her fingers together, smiling pleasantly] Chaos is just undiscovered structure.

 Sweiza: [grumbling] Yeah, yeah, and a fire is just aggressive warmth.

 Author: [sighing] Alright, before I lose all control, let’s do one last question before we wrap up. What’s the one thing you want people to remember about you when all of this is over?

 A pause falls over the room. For once, they all seem to consider their answers seriously.

 Sweiza: [after a long silence] …That I tried. That I didn’t just accept fate as it was handed to me. I want people to remember that I fought for something.

 Uma: [softly, tilting her head] That I sought understanding, even when others didn’t.

 Sprite: [grinning, wings fluttering] That I had fun! That I lived!

 Sweiza: [glancing at Sprite, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips] Yeah. That too.

 Author: [nods] And if you could give one last piece of advice to those who come after you?

 Sweiza: [crossing her arms, looking at the ceiling]

 Don’t let anyone else write your story for you.

 Uma: [adjusting her glasses] Never stop asking questions. The moment you do, you’ve accepted ignorance.

 Sprite: [spinning mid-air] Eat lots of sweets! And never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something!

 Author: [smirks] Fitting. Well, I think that’s a good place to wrap up—

 Sweiza: [already standing up, stretching] Good. I was about this close to losing my mind.

 Uma: [smiling, gathering her scrolls and books]

 I think we made great progress.

 Sweiza: [muttering] You would.

 Sprite: [hovering over to land on Uma’s shoulder]

 Let’s go cause more trouble somewhere else!

 Uma: [pleasantly] That does sound like a delightful plan.

 Sweiza: [watching them go, shaking her head with a small chuckle] I don’t know if I should be worried or impressed.

 Uma and Sprite exit, the latter humming a cheerful tune as they disappear out the door.

 Sweiza: [exhales, looking at the author] Well. That was something.

 Author: [grinning] You mean a complete disaster?

 Sweiza: [grinning back] That too.

 Sweiza slings her bag over her shoulder, giving the author a two-fingered salute before heading toward the door.

 Sweiza: See you around. Try not to miss me too much.

 Author: [laughing] No promises.

 Sweiza steps out, leaving the room empty except for the author.

 The author takes one last look around, sighing before standing up and heading toward the exit.

 Author: [shaking head, muttering] …Next time, I’m charging for this.

 With that, the door closes behind them, and the interview is officially over.

AliNovel

[AI] A Chaotic Interview