Surrounded by weirdoes
Pablo visibly jumped at Matthew revealing himself, but tried to play it cool.
"Nice place" He said, looking around.
With the order to punch him came, Pablo just shrugged, taking the stance for a moment.
"If you are sure" He said, tossing a heavy haymaker. Questions could wait, so now, just action.
Wake me up at your own risk.
James opened the doors of the town mall. He had always found the building rather ugly, a block of dead concrete. He looked at Heather "So where do you normally go to get your nerd shit?".
Fwomph
Mall Trip
"Psh, it's not nerd shit. It's totems of power that channel immortal archetypes. Besides, there's not like one single shop for this stuff."
Heather was wearing her red scrunchie again, trying her best to affect the matching confidence and power.
"Like what I'm wearing? It's just a red scrunchie and I bought it at like a dollar shop but as a totemic focus it channels the power of the Dead Red; there's this whole tradition about how while channeling her the user is running on a clock but cannot be harmed until a doom by poison. There's at least one male counterpart, but that one's got a lot more of a firearm focus and none of us own guns..."
It was 90% bullshit and Heather knew it. But she thought that maybe if she confidently talked about a magic system and honestly believed in it, the magic would work right. After all, that's what happened with the sunglasses.
"So anyway I'm thinking this trip we could find... I'm tempted to say a crown to channel the Undying Sword but that's a little too close to my Heartsword totem already... Maybe an umbrella? For more classic sorcery access of course, the Transmutated Twin is a strong archetype for classic magic."
And of course, being able to make up thaumababble felt good.
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh. I didn't mean it in a negative way, I mean, we're pretty much all nerds here. Where do you suppose we can find a crown?"
He detected an undercurrent of doubt, but Heather seemed much more confident to him than before, like she had less to prove. That was good, they had already had to deal with Jayden's confidence issues, and he was hoping the rest of the group would prove a little more stable. He wasn't precisely sure how much of her magic system was legitimate and how much was obscure references and lies, but so long as it got results, he was willing to go along with it.
The Light That Blinds
Jayden
"Hey, Reiji!" Jayden said, giving the other redhead a cheerful wave. "Remember me? We knocked into each other a while ago, you wanted to know about burgers."
Well, obviously, Reiji remembered him. No one was that forgetful, and Jayden's appearance was quite distinctive. Probably.
I mean, few people had cherry-red hair.
"Alright, so before we start the whole initiation, I'd like to ask some questions? Personal interview, with a representative of the mysterious forces that control our town from the shadows? Capisce? Capisce."
Jayden pulled out his journal and got ready to write. "Who are you? What are you, exactly? Why me, of all the disgruntled people in Sandfield? And will I be required to sell my soul for this reversal of fortune you speak of?"
Perfectly normal questions. Normal for Jayden, anyway.
"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."
Jayden and Reiji
"Of course I do! My memory is as flawless as my spellcasting aptitude!" Reiji answered, and then looked back over his shoulder briefly. He then shrugged and looked at Jayden. And of course Jayden would like to ask some questions. Reiji would've been more disappointed if he hadn't. After all, considering who Reiji worked for...? It wasn't surprising.
He just shrugged and took in the questions. Seeming to contemplate them for a moment, Reiji answered, "Well, I'm Reiji of the Million Spells, a Scion of the Dark Gods. Specifically, I work for Vicelogia, Dark God of Knowledge and the Void. He is...mmmmerciful and succinct in his judgement." Reiji seemed to awkwardly force that little statement as to his boss' nature out.
"And why you? Well, not every disgruntled person has the family history you do. Not every unhappy person has half the potential - potential that's honestly going wasted on those sneering ignoramuses. And with the kind of stuff going on in the Umbral Horde, I figure if you, me and Dhakar put our heads together, we could emerge triumphant in what's to come." Reiji then gestured at the woods behind him.
At that, Jayden would hear something like metal sliding around as the gigantic form of Dhakar the Everliving, the very same monstrous being that Mina saw kill those policemen, lurched out of the woods. He seemed to stretch a bit, and then looked down at Jayden, "I ASSUME MY SMALL ASSOCIATE HAS EXPLAINED OUR CIRCUMSTANCE?"
An Ordinary Oddball
Mina Parker
After she said her hasty goodbyes to the rest of the club and promised to keep them updated about any new developments, Mina headed straight for her home, eyes peeled for any threats that might have chosen to assault her on the way. However, no danger seemed to approach her, and after a while, she arrived safely on her doorstep. She put a hand up to knock, and then hesitated.
It had always seemed strange, but walking up the front steps to her own home, she got the impression that she was at someone else's house instead. This place didn't belong to her at all, and she never belonged to it, either. The feeling remained like the pit of a peach as she stepped into the grand foyer.
"D-Dad?" she called out, trying to see if her father was home. "S-Something scary happened a-at school...are y-you even listening? I really...n-need you right now..." Mina trailed off as a sinking feeling made itself known. She already knew the answer to her question, deep down.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Apr 29th 2021 at 10:12:35 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Mina's Home
At first there was no indication her father had heard her enter.
He was, after all, in one of the side rooms, manning a black cauldron, into which he pitched a still screaming mandragora - any weaker man would have his soul tattered by that thing's vile wailing. After all, it was a creature from one of the perilous bogs of that outer, dark realm. He remembered how he found his current crop of Mandragora - unearthed by a bunch of idiotic skater teens in the old park outside of town.
Finding their desiccated, rootbound corpses (useful material, those!) and the crop of Mandragora, growing out of an old crypt buried deep underground. The viscous, salmon colored waters of the cauldron bubbled and boiled. The time was here. He hoped he wasn't out of practice.
When he saw the winding roots, meat, and intertwined plant matter and tissues, he knew he was not in fact out of practice.
Leaving his little "business room", Conrad finally answered his daughter's call for him, "Oh, Mina! I am so sorry, I was hard at work in the business room. I did hear about what happened with that dreadful monster at your school. I do have a means for your security in the future. Come upstairs! There's someone I'd like you to meet!"
Even as he said that, a hand, slowly drawing vines lines with thorns and small mouths inside of an opening on the palm, gripped the edge of Conrad's cauldron in his "business room".
Fwomph
"Costume shops, dollar shops. I dunno, it doesn't have to be real gold probably. As long as it's something identifiable as the right item it should work."
Heather pondered for a moment before a different thought popped into her head.
"Hey, do you wanna get into my strain of magic too? I can teach ya about stuff and we can get you your own totemic accessories to use."
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
An Ordinary Oddball
Mina Parker
"Okay, papa!" Mina chirped back, affecting a tone of levity as she climbed the flights of stairs that lead to her father's business room. She briefly thought about the events that transpired at school, and of the danger that seemed to lurk at every turn, and swallowed. What if...?
No. She would not feel unsafe in her own home. This was her birthright, damn it! And what did she have to do, other than step forward to claim it?
Clenching a fist, Mina remembered the feeling of earthen scales sprouting out of her skin, and shivered as she felt a prickling feeling all over. No time for that now. Now was the time to take action and face whatever challenges cropped up ahead. Remembering bravery, Mina put a hand on the door handle in front of her and turned it, stepping into her father's business room.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Apr 29th 2021 at 10:12:55 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Mina's Home
It might occur to Mina that it was vanishingly rare that Conrad EVER invited her into his business room. By the time she came in there was a large, conspicuous vacancy in a corner of the room - as if something once occupied that space, and was there now no longer. A highly suspicious absence indeed. But what was even more bizarre was the scene playing out in the room now.
Mina would walk in and see her father fussing over someone kneeling behind his desk.
She would be able to see a bare ankle, lower leg and foot. Hear some odd chatter and whispering, Conrad evidently leaning over and doing...something. Talking to whoever that was. She'd then hear, "Ah, it'll have to do." With that, Conrad got up and helped a young man to his feet.
Conrad beamed and introduced him, "Mina, now, this may be odd, strange even, but allow me to introduce you to your new baby brother! This is Bryce!" Conrad's smile was a little...odd. Somewhat forced.
And then there was the so called "Bryce". Bryce Parker, so he was called, was about six foot two inches tall and somewhat pale. A contrast to Mina's own height. Bryce was built like the statue of David in a very literal sense - most aspects of his physique seemed like scaled down, copied and pasted versions of the statue of David. His face was handsome in a certain statuesque way. His good looks were more like the looks of an Apollo than the natural appearance of a young man. He had the looks of someone whose appearance was calculated. His hair was curly, indeed, like that of a Roman. He stood there seeming slightly dazed and twitching, wearing only a pair of shorts. "Ha-H-aaaah...Hello, Mina." He coughed, clearing his throat.
Conrad seemed to breathe and then nodded, "Now, as odd as it is, Bryce here is going to be helping take care of you. He'll make sure you're safe! And with that dreadful case of Di Gracia just happened, we'll need all the safety we can get!"
Edited by NickTheSwing on Apr 29th 2021 at 8:37:00 AM
An Ordinary Oddball
Mina Parker
"B-Baby?" Mina repeated, gawking at the scene set before her. "H-Him? Keep me s-safe? Uh—not that I doubt th-that someone with h-his physique can't, I mean—" She trailed off into more confused babbling at the doorway, though she hadn't lost her wits completely. Indeed, she was sharp enough to have noticed the empty space something should have occupied, but chose not to react to it.
"There are b-better ways to announce th-that you've found an alien to p-pass off as my brother!" Mina huffed, marching over to Bryce and slinging her jacket over him. "Look at th-this! He's n-naked! And y-you call yourself a f-father..."
It was certainly true that there were better ways to cover up this whole debacle with a likelier explanation. Bryce could have been a cousin, visiting from far away. He could have been a new servant. He could have been nearly anyone else besides a sibling which had suddenly appeared out of thin air. And Mina said "a father," not "my father." Mina had meant it. It certainly felt that way sometimes. As for calling Bryce an alien, it was simply an alternate "truth" that her father could admit to and leave the matter alone from then on. Mina knew better than that, but she needed to throw him off the fact that he was already suspicious.
"Can I t-take a family selfie?" Mina asked shyly, angling her camera towards the big empty spot in the corner. If there were slight color differences where something used to be there, she could find out using her editing software. "Pleaaaaaaaaaase?"
Edited by JumpingFruit on Apr 29th 2021 at 10:13:51 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Mina's House
"Now, Mina!" Conrad maintained his demeanor, acting cheerfully as ever, though it seemed he was picking up on something. His eyes passed over Mina twice as he nonchalantly scanned her for...something. "Bryce may be a little odd, but he's hardly an alien! I couldn't just leave him be, not when we have so much room!" Conrad put an arm around the new son's shoulders, and said, "You have to understand. Bryce here is very passionate about skateboarding. He just came in from the outdoors not long ago. And you know how the heat here can be."
Bryce finally spoke up on his own behalf, shaking his head, "I'm...sah-sorry I didn't puh-put a shirt on. I didn't know uh, didn't k-know it was a bih-big deal. I love skating a lot, big sister. I'm sorry. It got r-really huh-hella hot."
Conrad considered it, and looked at Bryce, who shrugged and honestly seemed a little confused. Conrad spoke up, "I know how much you love pictures! Go right ahead."
Edited by NickTheSwing on Apr 29th 2021 at 9:59:04 AM
An Ordinary Oddball
Mina Parker
"Cheese!" Mina said, and then snapped a picture of their whole family. "It's o-okay. I guess. B-But you have to put some more c-clothes on or y-you'll catch a cold and g-get sick. I d-don't know how g-good your immune s-system is..."
"I can sh-show him around the h-house," she offered to her father. "And then I can t-teach him how to use my c-chemistry set and t-take pictures and s-stuff like that!" She giggled to complete the act of an enthusiastic older sister. In reality, she was worrying over how an extra set of eyes watching over her could affect her mission, but having someone with a clean slate to turn against her father didn't seem all that bad, either.
"I'll d-definitely take c-care of him and teach him e-everything he needs to know, papa!" Mina declared one last time. That his loyalty will be to me and not you, papa, is what I mean.
Edited by JumpingFruit on Apr 29th 2021 at 10:19:10 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Mina's House
Conrad cheerfully grinned as the picture was taken, though once it was done his expression changed as he looked at his desk. It almost seemed a little bittersweet. Then when Mina brought up clothing Bryce, her father nodded, "Ah yes, yes. Bryce, it's not quite so hot out now, is it? Why don't you go put on a shirt in the room I told you about?"
"Yeh-Yeah, d-dad, I'll uh, I'll go d-do that." He promptly marched off - less a walk than the kind of stride a soldier would undertake. A very peculiar walking style for a young man.
When Mina brought up the idea of showing him around, taking care of him and teaching him what he needed to know, Conrad beamed, "Ahh, that's my girl! You go ahead and do that. You've...probably noticed Bryce is a little challenged. He just needs some help and a loving family."
An Ordinary Oddball
Mina Parker
"He's n-not so bad," Mina admitted, well within earshot of Bryce. Maybe it would help their new relationship if he heard her praising him. "He's g-got a stutter, l-like me! Wonder h-how that happened. M-Maybe we're b-both aliens and w-we don't know it yet!" She giggled again and skipped frivolously towards the door after Bryce, but paused in the doorway.
"P-Papa?" she said, much quieter as she fidgeted. "I'm s-sorry, but I was too f-focused on what happened a-at school and B-Bryce to pay m-much attention to you. Are y-you okay? Is s-something making you s-sad?"
Edited by JumpingFruit on Apr 29th 2021 at 10:41:41 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Mina's House
"Yes, I suppose that he has to deal with some similar issues. But in addition to those, he has some other problems he's dealing with. Make sure and show him kindness and understanding." He chuckled when Mina mentioned them both possibly being aliens, but it was more of a knowing chuckle. As if there was something ironic about the statement.
Conrad sighed when Mina sussed out that he was not doing so well, and he supposed she was too keen to not notice these things. Shrugging his shoulders, Conrad stated, "Oh, you know. Recent incredibly unfortunate political alignings. The most likely winner not exactly being who I'd like to follow. Dealing with some...problematic and toxic people in my social circle." He wiped his forehead.
Edited by NickTheSwing on Jul 12th 2023 at 11:34:53 AM
An Ordinary Oddball
Mina Parker
"That's t-terrible," Mina admitted, patting her father's back. "I-It's not really m-my place, but you're my p-papa, so you should kn-know that it's okay to tell me a-about bad things, so I c-can support you, alright?"
"Wh-What happened with your f-fake friends and stuff?" she asked, trying to glean more information about the current situation. It seemed that there was definitely some inner strife going on in the cult, but specifics would be even more helpful. "I d-don't think I read anything in the n-news about some really s-spooky political s-stuff, though. I c-could be wrong, but...I sh-should get to know about th-these things, since, well..."
Mina chanced a glance at the doorway where Bryce had exited, a deliberate gesture meant to draw attention to it. "...Bryce sure d-doesn't seem like the s-sort of person able to m-maintain your l-legacy, unfortunately," she continued. "And if I d-don't learn the ins and outs of the r-real world, I'll be s-stuck here unable to t-take care of him or make you p-proud, and th-that's what's really s-scary here."
Edited by JumpingFruit on Apr 29th 2021 at 11:04:02 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Matthew and Pablo
Matthew didn't move much - only raising one hand in the way of the heavy haymaker coming in from Pablo. The impact seemed imminent, and Matthew didn't even look tense at all - he couldn't be exerting all that much force against the punch...! And then the impact hit, and it was like no matter how much force Pablo put into that punch, Matt didn't even move. His hand didn't even seem to register any injury.
He may as well have punched the sidewalk.
"That...is a taste of the results you can get from being good at enhancement." Matthew then flowed around Pablo's punch and, within instants, had his other arm extended, palm facing Pablo's head. Still holding back that punch with barely any effort.
Once the point was made, Matthew backed up and gestured at himself again. "Now, I want you to throw a punch at me again. But this time, remember how it felt when I gave you that tap on the back. Picture your fist, and bring your will around it. Believe in that fist being able to shatter stone."
Mina's House
"Oh, it's...really not anything I should be worrying you about. Just political issues. You know. The thing that happened this year." Conrad bitterly smiled, and then explained a bit further though it seemed in an odd sort of way. "My "friends", if you can call them that, support someone I cannot in any good conscience support, and yet I'm expected to go along in the interest of good business."
He sighed, "Yes, there is a lot that you don't know about, that I have not told you about. But in time, I will tell you everything about my business."
Turning and looking at the window, Conrad nodded, "I know it, that Bryce is not capable of inheritance with any degree of wisdom. Know that, should the worst happen, I am prepared to turn everything over to you, and only you."
Edited by NickTheSwing on Apr 29th 2021 at 11:14:04 AM
An Ordinary Oddball
Mina Parker
"O-Okay," Mina said, not knowing what to say. "I'll try to be b-brave, then. I'll t-take care of Bryce, and l-learn all that I c-can from you!"
"I'm going to g-go take care of B-Bryce now," she continued hesitatingly. "But y-you need to take c-care of yourself too, okay, p-papa? It's okay to take a b-break once in a wh-while. Just be c-careful with those f-fake friends. I d-don't like the s-sound of them."
With that, Mina hugged her father quickly and headed off to find Bryce, wherever he was.
Edited by JumpingFruit on May 1st 2021 at 11:28:19 AM
I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.
Surrounded by weirdoes
Pablo
In hindsight, the fact that the exercise involved a punch should say that something was going on, but the fact that it got stopped cold and pushed so easy was quite the shock to Pablo.
But then came the instructions and he just grinned wildly.
"Guess that's better for me" He said, his face starting to strain, as he started to find his way to push back "If it's about emotion and will, then it's made for me"
When in doubt, when things look hard, stop thinking and charge right through He found the trigger, the stinging pain, and his own simpleminded determination.
He will do this. Take the leap.
That focus started to show, as he tried to push back, taking the swing with all he has.
"Burst Knuckle!"
Edited by Blueace on May 2nd 2021 at 10:58:43 AM
Wake me up at your own risk.
The Light That Blinds
Jayden
"Vicelogia...I see, I see..." Jayden nodded, pencil dashing across the pages of his journal. "And you're their Scion? Does that mean you're their kid? Or some sort of champion, chosen to do whatever Dark Gods have their champions do? Who's Dhakar? And why does his name sound like he comes from a crossover fighting game or someth—"
And then from the woods emerged a metal monster.
For a moment, all Jayden could do was stare, eyes the size of dinner platters. He blinked. Once. Twice.
"Oh my god," he whispered.
Then, an enormous grin threatened to split his face. "OMIGOSHMONSTERSAREREAL!"
He dashed up to Dhakar, eyes shining with excitement. "Who are you what are you do you work for the Dark Gods which one areyousomekindoffamiliardoyouserveReijiorisittheotherwayaroundwhyareyoumadeofmetalIcan'tbelieveI'mactuallyinterviewingarealmonster!"
"Kept me waiting, haven’t you? Tch. No matter. Dawdle all you’d like. In the end, your defeat remains inevitable."
James chuckled. "Nah, I'm good for now, I want to see what Matthew's take on the whole wizard business is, but I appreciate the offer. Not sure how much magic is a codified field, it'll sure be interesting to find out. But yeah, let's get looking for shops I guess."
He scanned the surrounding area, looking for any place that might be selling the sort of things they were looking for.
Edited by bobbitwormhobbitwyrm on May 3rd 2021 at 9:44:45 AM
"Well," Reiji started explaining, "...Obviously you need my veritable librarium of knowledge to enlighten you..." And of course when Dhakar emerged from the woods, any chance of Reiji being listened to about anything promptly went down the toilet. He audibly let out a sigh of discontent and shuffled in place, "...Aww..."
When a mosquito flitted into view not far from him, Reiji offhandedly fried it with a bolt of electricity from a fingertip to offset his bitter disappointment.
Dhakar on the other hand seemed overwhelmed by the noise and sheer overwhelming enthusiasm Jayden had over this, visibly shifting in place, "He is...cacophonous!! Er...I am Dhakar, the Everliving, the Returned Knight of the Eight Dark Gods. In times ancient, I pledged my loyalty and formidable service to all Eight Dark Gods, and they heard my devotion from their realm. They have granted me power! ...And, Reiji and I just work together. We have common goals and motivations. As for this form? It is simply what I acquired most recently. I am capable of possessing not only human beings, but many items and vehicles!"
"Very good, dear. I look forward to when this frantic atmosphere dies down a bit." Conrad nodded, and then let Mina go.
Mina would find the statuesque Bryce in a rather awkward situation. He seemed a little baffled by the clothes he found and put on in one of the side rooms. He was wearing a t-shirt that exposed quite a bit of his midriff, and jeans that seemed almost painted on they were so tight.
"I-I uh, I fuh-found c-clothes, sister. But c-clothes ah-are tuh-tight!" He seemed to be wincing from the sensation. Whatever else he was besides this sudden addition to the family, he seemed spectacularly ill at ease in the human world.
And Pablo's punch exploded once he made contact with Matthew's defenses.
There was a literal explosion of fiery force off of Pablo's fist directed right at Matthew. For a moment it seemed like he was covered by smoke from the explosion...until it cleared and revealed he was standing there perfectly fine, just with a very slight, quickly fading bruise on his hand, where he caught the attack again.
Matthew stepped back and whistled, "Whew, that...actually kind of stung. Nice." He visibly had to adjust his posture to contain the attack.
"You're making a lot quicker progress than I expected," Matthew looked at Pablo, and explained a bit, "You and I both kind of benefit from this. Enhancement Magic bolsters and works off of what was already there. Hence why I usually advise a training regiment. A mage that only relies on Mana for strength and speed is gonna exhaust himself very fast. Having both physical aptitude and magical enhancement is key for whatever comes next."
Matthew & Pablo
"Welcome to school." And that was all the warning Pablo got before Matthew swung out of the entrance to the clubhouse. The place itself was a story tall, and looked like it had been abandoned for some time now. There were some leftover little pieces of evidence that might indicate the kind of place the clubhouse once was - small wrappings and remains of green plant matter, as well as some other things in the further off rooms.
The clubhouse was in many ways a relic of the Owen Logan days.
When there was a certain culture of permissiveness that got thrown out upon Matthew's surprise early ascent into varsity. Now it was just useful for how remote and disregarded it was.
Matthew was now wearing a white tank top, jeans, and a belt around the midsection - more outfitted for training than motorcycle riding. The bike was around the back with his gear.
"Alright, so if you're ready for some training let's get started." Matthew gestured at himself, "Punch me as hard as you can." He raised a single hand up, ready to move when Pablo did.