For the Horde!
Gill blinked, looking baffled. He had no idea how to answer her, so he just stammered a moment, before he sighed.
"We can talk about this later, okay?" he asked. "Let's go and see what's going on." He got up, walking over to Coralie and the girl with a look of concern on his face.
"Hi, Coral," Gill greeted. "I heard you shouting, everything okay over here?"
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
School Roof
"...Uh...it's...it's nothing..." Val said, unintentionally parroting what the blue timeline's Blake had said. It was incredibly unconvincing and they didn't even answer Blake's question.
Val was confused. Alex was just acting like a regular dog...? They tentatively reached out and gave him a small pat.
The Beach
At first, the girl looked even more smug as it appeared she really did win the conversation, but just when Coralie's expression changed, so did hers.
"Uuuuuuhhh..." She very clearly had no idea what to say. When Gill and Mindy came over, she dropped the book and nearly fell over.
"...No, nothing's—you can go back to what you were doing, it's fine."
Suggested wine pairing: pinot noir.
THE SLORG!
Saturday, Little Haven, the school roof - Alex Palencia the werewolf heating things up.
Alex looked at Val for a moment, then turned to Blake. "What thing?" Alex asked again, a little more insistently, while folding his arms.
Saturday, Little Haven, the school roof - Alex Palencia the werewolf cooling things down.
The werewolf Alex didn't look back, probably not fully aware of Val's touch given the nature of Val. Alex did however feel it enough for his tail- did we forget to mention the tail? We probably forgot to mention the tail- started wagging a bit.
You are reading this.
Fwomph
School Rooftop, Some Say The World Will End In
"Val borrowed my calculator for maths homework, no big deal."
Blake shrugged and paced around a bit.
"Okay but that was to get into a meat fridge yeah? Like your wolf self had a very immediate reason to pop the door open."
School Rootop, Others Say In
Blake smiled a bit as Alex's wolf mode ended up following instructions and wandered over. It was like a really big puppy, which honestly was really cool! Blake tried to tamp down some thoughts brewing in his head that weren't helpful and instead crouched down to give Alex a pat on the head too.
"You're not big bad wolf at all, you're just a big puppy who gets in trouble sometimes! Your humie self is going to love knowing this!"
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
THE SLORG!
Saturday, Little Haven, the school roof - Alex Palencia the werewolf finding thorns in the roses.
Alex's eyebrow went up slightly in suspicion of Blake's answer, clearly not really buying it, but dropping it for now since Blake brought up a more pertinent thing. "Yeah, but that's still my point. Wolf me's gotta have to want to stay in the room, or it won't hold me. Maybe we can put some food in there I guess, but I don't know how long that will work for," the young werewolf noted.
Saturday, Little Haven, the school roof - Alex Palencia the werewolf sniffing the violets.
Werewolf Alex opened his mouth slightly and started panting, his tail wagging more as he seemed quite pleased with the attention and praise.
You are reading this.
Toa of Anarchy
The Beach
"The helling it is!" cried Coralie as she rounded on the stranger. Briefly glancing at her friends, she explained, "Not only does this creep go eavesdropping on you two and gaslamp me for calling her out, she already knows my name without it ever being mentioned, and I'm willing to bet it's written in that little book of hers."
Coralie went stomping right up to the stranger and glared her down. "Alright, peeping penny, what's your gimmick? Are you a spy? A psychic? A psychic spy? I'm warning you, I trained with the best in mental safeguards over on World-Five!"
School Roof
"...it's...I...it's..."
"...goodbye."
Val hesitated for several secondsnote before locking in the blue timeline.
In what was now the only timeline, Val changed their small pat into a more active petting motion. They also snuck their other hand into their hoodie sleeve and glove on the floor to give Blake a thumbs up signal; hopefully he'd see it and understand what it meant.
The Beach
Fine, you got me.
This sentence wasn't spoken aloud, yet Coralie could hear it in the girl's voice clearly, as if it had been one of her thoughts. Guess World 5 sucks at mental safeguards.
Gill and Mindy didn't hear any of this. They just saw the girl weirdly and abruptly begin staring directly at Coralie, before she turned to face them.note "You guys should probably keep having your love session or whatever. Don't want to interrupt you with our silly argument."
Suggested wine pairing: pinot noir.
Fwomph
School Roof, Time Is Wasted On The Brave
Blake was pretty sure he knew what that meant and tried to brace for the fall. Well, that could be said but really that isn't true; Blake was just a vision, an idle and collapsing dream of a possibility that could be. A simulation of the other possible path, nothing more.
Nothing more.
School Roof, The Waves Are Kind To The Cautious
Blake saw the signal and knew what it meant, the tension rushing out of him. Of course this was the right timeline he rationalized, the three of them had figured out that the entire emotional underpinning of Alex's suicidal ideation was based on not knowing that his werewolf self was just an absolute good boy.
"Heck yeah. Gonna be great to tell your human side once you turn back. We should probably get off the roof before it gets dark out though..."
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
THE SLORG!
Saturday, Little Haven, the school roof - Alex Palencia the werewolf who likes blue more than red anyway.
The werewolf Alex had been just starting to wonder why he had even transformed on the roof in the first place. There didn't seem to be any danger, and he wasn't starving, and the full moon wasn't out. In his thoughts that were still more instinctive and emotional than cohesive ideas, he figured he should perhaps just change back... If he knew how to do that. Every other time he just went to sleep and woke up as his human self; whether from falling asleep after gallivanting in the full moon night, or in the one instance with the butchery, when he took a post-meal nap.
Then Blake's comment brought him out of his thoughts. Alex let out a little, "rrr?" noise after what Blake said, then leaned forward, peering over the edge of the roof at the street below.
Alex blinked, then stood up and looked at Blake again. Slowly the werewolf raised a hand and pointed a clawed finger roughly at Blake for a moment. Then Alex moved his arm over and turned that same finger down off the edge. Then he tilted his head in an inquisitive sort of way.
Edited by FirockFinion on Jan 13th 2023 at 2:28:56 AM
You are reading this.
Toa of Anarchy
The Beach
Gah! Stupid, Sloppy- Those were the last words the stranger was able to hear in Coralie's mind when suddenly the science girl's head was filled with the mental image of a towering mountain with a fortress at the summit, and constant yodelling echoing from far above.
Coralie's expression had shifted. Before, she was irritated, but now? She was angry. The angriest Mindy or Gill had seen her up to this point. "Listen closely, girl," she said in a voice that was low, controlled and as emotionless as she could keep it. "My mind is the most precious resource I own, and you've just been rooting around in it. Kind of like going up to a baby bear without checking where the mother is first. Now, tell me exactly what knowledge you've taken, or I swear to any god that's listening, there will be a reckoning."
For the Horde!
Gill could only watch in horror as the argument got even more heated, and Coralie became the angriest he had ever seen her. She said something about stealing knowledge from her mind, which was something Gill didn't even know was possible.
Thoughts rushed through his head. Had she stolen information from Gill's mind too? Did she know that he was a merman? Did she intend to hurt them?
He couldn't answer, and instead he glanced at Mindy, looking like a deer caught in headlights. He wanted to run. But he just couldn't move.
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
What, me worry?
Mindy stood frozen, feeling shocked the stranger seemed to know Coral's name. But then something happened between the latter two. She didn't know what was going on, but she did think it was pretty cool Coralie snap back at this girl, whoever she was. And of course the "love session" comment wasn't something Mindy needed to hear at the moment. And that also got her riled up. Sure, she did harbor some feelings for Gill. She really wasn't sure herself what exactly it entailed. But it was not like anything she felt with anyone else before. It was different. But still, she didn't need to have this stranger run her mouth over what goes on between her and Gill.
"Look, I don't know who you are and what you're doin' here or how you know names and all that. But you're gonna think "silly argument" after you end up eatin' that notebook of yours when I'm done with you!", she says, threatening the stranger. And also heading walking over to Coralie in solidarity to show neither her nor Coral is about to take some crap of a girl who's running her mouth.
The Beach
All three of the beach group would hear different messages broadcast into their minds.
Coralie would hear, Jeez, chill out. It was just stuff that was on your mind when you came over here. I don't know your middle name, or your credit card number, or whatever other stuff is in there. I didn't look and I'm not going to.
Gill would hear, No, I'm not going to hurt you, that would be insane. And I'm not STEALING, I'm just...peeking. Completely harmless.
And Mindy would hear, "Running my mouth"? Come on, dude. It's pretty obvious what's going on between you two. Any random stranger could look at you and come to the exact same conclusion. Oh, and it's a diary, not a notebook.
Suggested wine pairing: pinot noir.
For the Horde!
As soon as the girl's voice beamed into his head, Gill yelped and looked around in confusion.
"Who said that? You? But you weren't talking! Were you? I didn't say anything! S-stop! Get out of my head!" he said in a panic. With that, he closed his eyes tight, trying to block out his thoughts, covering his ears in an attempt to shield himself... somehow.
Of course, trying to force yourself not to think never worked. Gill's thoughts were in a tizzy, a whirlwind of fear and confusion. He never thought humans had the capability of reading minds. It seemed like everyone would know his secret at this rate.
Edited by AllHailThrall on Jan 17th 2023 at 5:44:27 AM
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
What, me worry?
Mindy jumped a bit back when she heard the girl's voice talk in her head. At first she had thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but then she decided it was all too real. No way she's imagining this.
"H- how'd you do that?" she demands. "Just shut up! SHUT UP! And I don't care what you call your little book! I'm about to put that thing through your head if you don't... if you don't... don't..." She couldn't even finish as she was freaked out by this girl. But after a bit, she got her second wind of anger. "In five seconds, you're about to eat that diary or whatever you call it!"
Fwomph
School Rooftop, Pubby!
Blake shook his head, just kind of assuming that the werewolf was suggesting 'just jump off' as a way to get down.
"No uh. Stairs, there is stairs. Safer way down, especially for me."
He turned to locate the stairwell entrance, pointed at it and nodded.
"Let's take the stairs down."
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
THE SLORG!
Saturday, Little Haven, the school roof - Alex Palencia the werewolf who has trouble with doorknobs.
The werewolf Alex followed Blake's gesture and looked at the roof stairway access. He looked back at Blake, his head tilting again, then looked at the stairway access again, and walked over to it.
In his head, the werewolf knew that this was a traversable pathway; he could remember enough of his human half to know that this was how he had gotten up on the roof. The question was, how? The werewolf reached out and took a hold of the doorknob...
A second later there was a loud crunching and busting sound. The door, which was now removed from its frame, was held casually by the werewolf in one hand by its doorknob, swinging back and forth before resting in a horizontal position. Alex looked down at it, then turned and looked back at Blake, a seemingly confused expression on the werewolf's face.
You are reading this.
Toa of Anarchy
The Beach
Once the girl gave her defence, Coralie just leaned in and squinted with a suspicious "Hrmmmm..." Then her friends started freaking out, and she took a step back.
"Now now, Firebrand," she said to Mindy, "Let's give her a chance to apologise before we put her through the wringer, shall we?" She said this not like an open-minded pacifist trying to make peace, but in a perfunctory way, like putting this girl through the wringer was only a matter of 'when'.
She turned back to the psychic. "Simultaneous broadcasts, eh? With slight differences for each recipient from the sound of it. You're a well-practised little minx, now aren't you? Well, you've had your fun; skimmed the surface levels of our minds. Maybe you'd have dug deeper, maybe you wouldn't. Either way, you've made my friends and me very upset on what was meant to be a nice day at the beach. Still, not too late for you to make it up to us."
She held out her hand. "Let's see that diary- the last page or two you've been scribbling in. You've invaded our privacy today, after all. One bad turn deserves another. AND I'd like to make sure you haven't been jotting down anything BEYOND the surface level."
The Beach
Mindy would recieve the message, The moment I notice you thinking about attacking me, I'm going to play an earsplitting siren sound into your brain and run really far the other way while you're disoriented. Then again, you don't seem like the type to do much more than threaten. She could almost feel the girl smirking directly in her mind, even though her expression remained neutral.
Gill would recieve a much calmer message. No, no, no, don't panic! This is just a me thing. And yes, I can also talk to people without saying anything. It's fun.
Coralie would not recieve any message at all; instead the girl silently handed her her diary, open to the most recent page, which read:
If Coralie were to flip through the rest of the book, she'd find similar passages on every person who walked past this girl going back at least a year.
School Roof
"...uh, Alex...that's...not how most people open doors..."
Val hadn't put their clothes back on as they spoke. Realizing this, they tried to appear as a (clothed) human the same way they did when they removed their hoodie on the first day, hoping the sparse details would make the werewolf Alex not panic about the source of the noise.
Suggested wine pairing: pinot noir.
What, me worry?
Whoever this stranger thinks she is doesn't know Mindy too well. The same girl who will definitely give out threats isn't just doing it for show. She will easily back up her words. She's done so many a time back in Brooklyn and she's not about to cower to this person. Sure she might be able to read Mindy's thoughts, but she's bluffing, right? What else could she really do? Either way, she's not about to take anyone's crap.
"Oh really, sister? You know where I come from, you'd be lucky if you leave and not be in an ambulance! I've dealt with a lotta people back there and I'm about to show you right now I can do more than threaten!" Mindy says getting angrier and angrier by the second as she approaches closer and closer to the girl with the full intention to pick her up and knock some sense into that cocky little mind of hers. And maybe even have her walk away with a black eye or a bloody nose. Maybe even both.
THE SLORG!
Saturday, Little Haven, the school roof - Alex Palencia the werewolf who doesn't understand the Schrodinger thought experiment.
Alex's ears turned towards Val first, then the werewolf turned his head to look at the person of questionable existence. Alex's expression looked more confused, and he dropped the door then crouched down lower, putting his hands on the ground in a cautious pose, before letting out a contemplative, "rrr?"
You are reading this.
Toa of Anarchy
The Beach
Coralie took the notebook and had a gander at the first page visible. Then the page behind that, then the page behind that. "Hm. People-watcher, I see?" Coralie handed back the book.
"Fine then, fine. You're in the clear for now, Miss Psychic, or whatever your name may be. But consider this interruption to your judgemental hobby a warning: you're not the only one in this town with a special quirk, and you're not as safe and secure from consequences as you think you are. For instance..."
Behind the barrier of mental defence, an impish thought crossed Coralie's mind, and she turned to Mindy with a smirk.
"Oh, Min-dy~" she said with sing-song tones. "Why don't you show her your special talent, dearie?" Leaning a little closer to the tomboy's ear, she thumbed at the diary, and added with an ever-more evil grin, "She called Gill 'delusional'."
Fwomph
School Rooftop, A Slight Bit Of Structural Damage
"Ooooooh dear. Okay. Uh..."
Blake approaches the now deframed door and just stares at it on the ground.
"How about I open the doors while you're like this? Come along, let's get you somewhere safe for the night, yeah?"
And with that, Blake started to navigate down the stairs.
It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.
For the Horde!
Gill looked anguished, holding his hands over his ears even tighter and closed his eyes tighter.
"I said get out of my head!" he wailed. "Quit it! Quit it!" He opened his eyes, grabbing Mindy's arm instinctively. "Come on, Mindy, we're—" he started to say, intending to say that they were leaving, but he noticed the cheeky expression on Coral's face, and the downright furious expression on Mindy's.
"Mindy?" he asked, letting go of her arm and backing away slowly from the whole situation.
Edited by AllHailThrall on Jan 24th 2023 at 3:42:08 PM
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither.
"I thought you wanted to hide your cover! That's why I got on your case!" Mindy said, sounding both irritated and confused. "The way you hid, I assumed you didn't want people to know. How you wanted people to think you're just a regular old human. Do you wanna hide this from people or not? Because I don't get it!"
Mindy wasn't really sure what to do here. She had thought Gill was trying to hide this from everyone and she was just going along with what he wanted, but now with what he was saying, she wasn't really sure what to do.
"Ah forget it for now! Let's go over there!"
Mindy leads Gill over to Coralie and the stranger, unaware the stranger just said Coralie's name, which seems to have freaked the latter out.
"Corals, this girl givin' ya problems? Corals? What's the matter?"