Chapter 4: Questions of Futility

No longer was the once-clear floor as tidy as it used to be, as a small, delicate boy whose beauty rivalled no other lay within the heap of miscellaneous items sprawled around the centre of the room. The boy lay there out of breath, his mind replaying the last three hours he had spent helplessly searching for any kind of clue or indication of how he had arrived here.

After Pathos had left his supposed new mother alone in the kitchen, the first thing he did was return to his room to further investigate his stage appearance within the new household.

"This can't have been some stupid email; that wouldn't make any fucking sense. It had to be something, or at least someone. I just... I just need to find who it is!" Pathos had found himself swearing far more often in his current situation than he had previously. He was no longer the rational and calculated man of power that he once was.

Pathos had first checked the bed for any sort of sign of... instant transmigration? He very much understood that looking around the room would have been a meaningless waste of time, but the very human side of him that demanded an answer for his very unusual situation forced him to at least look for clues.

Other than an unusual number of sweat marks, which he vowed to clean up before going back to bed this night, he couldn't find any indication of anything unusual.

Pathos exhaled a sigh of relief as he moved from the top of his bed to beneath his matters, as there was nothing that would land him in serious trouble beneath it. Pathos had found that it wasn't uncommon for certain celebrities that he knew to keep various illegal substances under their mattresses. The reason was that whenever they were alone or with a trusted company, it was fairly easy to access, and around them was the ability to unwind from all the built-up stress or find "inspiration" for some new songs.

Swifty proceeding forward, Pathos found himself once again being drawn towards the full-body mirror, which was positioned across from his bed. The reflection showed the same figure he had seen before, as Pathos slowly walked up to the boy.

"If I would have known I would have become like this, I would have at least made myself a lot more... manly." As it would come as no surprise to anyone, Pathos' current appearance is far more delicate than his previous one. Instead of ripply muscles, slender and more delicate pieces were placed in each centimetre of his body.

Upon looking at his appearance, Pathos couldn't help but laugh off the lack of muscle, as he had gained something far more valuable.

"Man, only if I had these looks when I first started. Shit, I would have been a modern-day Adonis." Pathos couldn't help but feel his growing nerves lesson as he tried to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. And after looking back once more at his previous, now divine-like appearance, Pathos made his way to the table in the corner of the room.

"I'm bound to find something here." Pathos quickly skimmed the other papers scattered alongside the table. Even though they were all placed in the same location, they all seemed to be talking about different things. One paper held math, another seemed to be related to some sort of English textbook, another seemed to be far more focused on religious belief, and the final one was all about geography.

"Is this...?" Pathos' face turned pale as he quickly searched through all the papers again. Although they appear to differ in terms of context, they all appear to have one thing in common: they all appear to be question-focused.

"...Shit!" piecing together that the body he had been living with had still been living with its mother, and now an odd piece of paper with various basic questions scattered across Pathos was able to verify a single point of vital information.

"It appears that I'm back in high school ... again." After waiting dramatically in silence in the quiet room, Pathos made a mad dash to the mobile device that had also been located on the desk as he quickly tried his hardest to find the button and to check something.

"10/14/20... This is worse than I thought." 16 years. Along with being in a completely new body with new faces all around him, he also appeared to be 16 years old in the past.

"Does this make any logical sense anymore? To some extent, I understand the new body, but to frighten me into the past!? Is there a fucking reason at this point!?" Pathos screamed quietly, in order not to notify his current guardian, as he pointed his finger directly into the air as if he was trying to locate whoever or whatever sent him.

Although he had been a logical man in his early 30s, there was only so much he could take before he started to lose himself in the rush of emotion. Pathos, on the other hand, was only able to focus on finding out what the hell was going on because he had spent the first 30ish years of his life living a stressful life.

 

 

 

After what felt like two hours, Pathos couldn't help but feel himself abruptly sigh as he went to sit down on the bed.

"A matriarchy, and a wild one at that." Pathos couldn't help but sigh as he drifted his hands through his incredibly long locks of illuminant silver hair.

Pathos seemed to find out that his incredibly unbelievable situation had become even more unbelievable. Pathos had a 0% chance of being found in his origin world, back in time, as a different person, because not only had he changed, but so had the world around him.

Although the roles of oestrogen and testosterone were nearly identical in his previous world, some characteristics appeared to have swapped. One of the changes was that testosterone seemed to suppress men's libidos rather than regulate them, whereas oestrogen seemed to inflate women's libidos. Although this was a very small and minuscule change, the consequences of this change were very prevalent.

Women who had previously been viewed by society as rather emotional and fragile were now the ones who fought mainly in wars, filled most labour jobs and were found mostly in positions of high-up governmental or modern-day power. Women were found to be the warriors of the household, as not only would it be their sworn duty to give birth to their children, but to train them to be ready for everyday life. As various advertisements now existed questioning various women's womanliness, food products, tools, and other various items, all of which seemed to be mainly focused on arousing the womanly gaze and promoting them to act upon some sort of carnal desire to either take charge of or take care of those they love and care for, the world seemed to hold a certain focus towards women.

Men, on the other hand, seemed to have a more delicate nature, and it wasn't uncommon to find positions such as the militia prohibiting men from joining due to their dangerous nature. Men who had lost their desire for bountiful amounts of sex found themselves much meeker, as certain tasks, such as going to the gym or creating certain grinds to impress women, no longer became things of desire for them. With men focusing on their wives and carefully selecting partners who will treat them well, it would be an understatement to say that the men of this world are quite womanly.

"In what universe do men serve as sexual gatekeepers and women as sexual pursuers?" It was rather hard not to break down when the world to which you had become accustomed completely changed within a day. Not only were the people different, but so was their history, as certain historical figures were either gone or no longer present. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that even the most basic knowledge of who the current president of the United States is becoming an unknowable question for Pathos.

"I... am in a new world." Finally confronted with an issue Pathos had been trying to deny during his whole time there, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy as the memories of his previous life seemed to fill his mind.

People he had previously met, crushes he had formed, lovers he had connected with, rivals she had yet to face, the orphan caretaker he had sworn to look after with his financial support, all his longtime fans, and even some of the closest friends he had made

It was as if they had never existed for the rest of the world.

Pathos couldn't help but emptily stare down at the ceiling of "his" room as a burning sensation built up in his eyes.

"I didn't lie when I said I had no problems with my previous life." Pathos couldn't help but laugh silently as he tried to joke with the nonexistent being that had brought him here.

 

 

 

It had taken Pathos a couple of hours before he forced himself back into reality.

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"Jesus, here I am, an old man crying as if I am a child." Pathos forced himself to look up at the ceiling, his mind racing with what was to come.

"I thought about this earlier... but what should I even do now? I can't move forward aimlessly; it would be... uncharacteristic of me to become some sort of lazy bum." Once again trying to hide the wiring seep of emotion that was bottlenecking inside of him, Pathos quickly moved on to form some sort of plan of action for the future.

"So the information I have is that I am the avatar I made during my character creation; after I fell unconscious during my time in the hospital, I woke up here with no signs of me being transported physically. With not only my appearance changing but also the history and biology of the entire world, I am no longer stranded with no task or mission to complete. That seems like the most of it anyway." Although Pathos had not always been the most intelligent or cautious person, frequently requiring his manager to go over shady contracts to ensure he wanted to sign away his human rights, he had been a person who grew with time and became more logical as a result.

"So with my previous knowledge to help me, I think it would be the best decision to try and at least get myself back into the acting and modelling industries. With all the skills I have, I'm sure that within no time I could at least reclaim a fraction of the fame I used to have." Pathos, on the other hand, was more concerned with whether or not he should return.

Don't get them wrong; Pathos was in love with the sensation of acting or singing on stage with thousands of eyes and listeners focused on him at all times. However, along with his positive experience came many, many negative ones—betrayal, sketchy people, and various crimes, with murder not even being that far away. Pathos was well aware of the tragic side of the celebrity world and how truly gruesome it could be. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to take this once-in-a-lifetime chance to start over and do something different with his life.

However, that would be another question for another time, as a certain individual had to be taken care of first.

"No matter what direction I want to move in first, due to various difficulties with my age and my financial position, it seems as if my mother will be a fairly important figure. Fuck!" Pathos memory did him no favours because it seemed to specifically recommend how simply apologising to his now-current mother brought her to tears.

"If that reaction alone wasn't enough to solidify her opinion of me, simply my eating with her appearing to be some sort of plea for an increase in allowance seems to be enough evidence. I will need her permission or consent in the first place if I do want to go back into the acting scene. Preparing our relationship seems to be the best course of action. But how?" It was a rather odd question to ask within this world: how would a son repair a broken relationship with his mother? But at the moment, it felt most appropriate for Pathos to ask.

However, as Pathos thought harder and harder, the only way he could find himself in another adult's heart would be through a very simple factor. Money. It appeared at first that the way the previous Pathos and his mother's relationship appeared to be destroyed had something to do with their money.

"So simply being able to provide for the covered expense that was lost would simply fix our relationship and make her more willing to accept my requests in the future!" The plan seemed to be completely foolproof in Pathos's eyes; however, he had yet to spot the rather large mistake.

He had been comparing his relationship with his mother to a relationship with a total stranger. It wasn't unusual for somebody to mitigate somebody's damage by paying them off or fulfilling a certain task; however, when it came to family, the idea of simply paying someone to forget about the troubles you have caused them became a lot harder.

"But how do I get this money?" Pathos, on the other hand, was oblivious to this aspect of family bonding, most likely because he had grown up without a family in the first place.

Regardless, before Pathos could answer his question, he heard the familiar sound of his door hinges being moved as the tall, silver-haired woman who had confessed herself as his mother placed a single foot within the room.

"Dinners ready." Her scratched voice and, her silver locks terribly attempted to obscure her bloodshot eyes were all but enough to confirm Pathos's previous suspicions of his mother's possible breakdown once he left. There was a palpable tension in the room as neither party said anything, but as quickly as the figure appeared, it vanished as the door slowly closed behind them.

"Shit, seeing a random stranger still scares the shit out of me." It wasn't unusual to find several random people you had never met before within your own home; it was sort of terrifying. However, add that to the fact that you have found yourself in a random house you have never remembered entering, filled with a random stranger who seems to know you better than you know yourself. It was no wonder Pathos found himself slightly startled whenever the mother would appear unannounced.

"I hardly remember the last time I lived with someone." It had been so long since Pathos had been forced to share the same acquaintance with a stranger, but it was something he believed he could quickly adapt to as he slowly pushed himself upwards and began to walk to the door.

However, as Pathos began to move, he felt a slight burning flare within his lower abdomen, but due to how subtle it had been, he had subconsciously ignored it.

"Man, I'm surprisingly hungry."

 

 

 

Dinner had been an experience, to say the least.

The table seemed to have been set identically for breakfast, as both plates seemed to have been placed one away from the other. The chair he had been sitting on before seemed to have been tucked in as if she had expected him to totally disrobe and take his plate away.

However, once again, Pathos couldn't help but feel himself becoming tired of the near-silent, but still prevalent, gasp the woman before him let out as he pulled back his chair and grabbed a hold of the spoon.

From there on, our dinner seemed to be rather awkward as silence filled the room and nothing but their chewing echoed throughout. Pathos had quickly come to realise that his mother didn't seem to have the confidence or the desire to try and establish a conversation with him, and if he wanted to try and maintain their relationship, at least being on speaking terms was a must.

"Soo, mother, what did you do today?" Although it appeared to be an odd and hurried question in the hopes of breaking the silence, it did contain a few poignant points that could have clued Pathos into his mother's character. The announcement of her being her mother would show him if that's what his previous self called her. If it wasn't, she would question the name; if it was, she wouldn't be suspicious of the rapid change in her son's behaviour. After all, he needs this to seem as natural as possible. Alongside the mother's comment, the question about her daily activity would be able to also clue him in on her hobby and what he may need to adapt to get close to her.

Overall, although it may have seemed simple, being able to pick out the characteristics, likes, and dislikes of a person was a very vital role as a model or an actor. Simply being able to get on the good side of any director would be considered an overall win over your other computations. Pathos viewed the plan as perfect.

"Nothing much." Pathos couldn't help but feel his jaw slightly agape at the seamless takedown of his strategy. Not only did he learn virtually nothing, but her lack of response seemed to silently state that all she wanted to do was eat her food in peace.

Pathos couldn't help but let out a sigh of defeat as he realised that the money scheme would most likely be his best shot at winning her over. After all, who doesn't like more money?

However, as Pathos contained himself to eat his food, he couldn't notice the growing redness on his face as his mind became more and more despondent. It was only half an hour deep when Pathos began to wonder if something was off, as he felt his very core become a scorching volcano.

Pathos's pale face had turned peach-red at the time as he felt a numbing sensation enter his mind. As he looked away from the plate he had been staring at and towards his mother, he couldn't help but notice her worried look as she stared deeply at his burning figure.

"W-Wait, where are you going? Are you sick? Should I call the ambulance?" Aspro couldn't help but wonder when she saw her son leap out of the chair he'd been sitting in, holding his lower abdomen, and stringing something up to cover something up.

"D-don't mind me. I just need to go to the... toilet?" Pathos stated, as he hastily made his way from his chair to the nearest bathroom as he began to wonder what kind of sickness he might have contracted.

"It couldn't be that right? There's no way that would be!" Pathos couldn't help but gulp the increasing saliva in his mouth as he clumsily pushed open the bathroom door before closing it behind him. However, to Pathos' dismay, his hunch seemed to be spot on as he quickly pulled down the shorts he had been wearing only to be greeted by the raging, pulsating appendage that laid itself before him.

"Shit!"

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