| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Tiresias stares, eyes wide open, as the sandal moves towards her, her mouth slightly ajar and her body tense and ready to jump away should the creature threaten her.
Did I just animate a slipper? How is that supposed to help? No… I didn’t animate it, it’s not confused or hollow and seems to know what I am. Could it be a spirit? I read about spirits such as these in Japanese folklore. Is it friendly? It could hold knowledge that could help me, but dealings with spirits are usually tricky and dangerous… still I have no better choice.
Tiresias cleared her throat and tried to assume a more dignified poise as the creature seemed to expect from her, she spoke slowly and carefully trying hard to mask her foreign accent.
「Wondrous spirit, I am honoured by your response. I have summoned you here for I require your council in matters supernatural.」
Tiresias bowed slightly towards the spirit as she continued.
「I know this request may seem trivial to one such as you but I need your considerable knowledge to assist me. For reasons beyond my control I have lost the knowledge of the incantation used by people, such as myself to return to our previous form and back to this one at any moment. I would be humbled if you could assist me in rediscovering this incantation.」
For a moment Tiresias wondered if she overdid her speech, still folklore was riddled with stories of those that suffered by being disrespectful towards spirits so better to overdo it than to underdo it.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Once Sora is finished with what research she can do (short of stalking the internet for people who didn't look like the people they would be online!), she moves to the kitchenette, starting up coffee... which she couldn't have, and cooking a quick breakfast. Something American, since she knew her room mate was probably having as bad a time as she was with all of this. So... eggs - mostly done, bacon, toast. She didn't have any butter on hand; she wasn't much of a baker. So May would just have to make do.
She piled all of the above onto a tray, and then moved to May's room. She knocked rather lightly, so as not to wake her if she was sleeping (better not to make her actually get out of bed!). If she didn't answer the door (and the door wasn't locked!) she'd let herself in.
With a suppressed gasp for breath, and a furrowed brow, he seems willing to move on to the task at hand. 「Incantations, you say? Very good. Quite an apropos request for a Seer of your level of skill. Such functional incantations are the staple of any pact holder, and I am surprised your Tsukaima has not had the chance to go over them with you. Their functionality depends somewhat on your star sign, the essence used to seal your heart pact, and the number of pacts you have sealed.」The sandal chuckles at the joke he hasn’t told yet, making his delivery stilted. 「I mean, of course, a Virgo could not assume the same glamour a Scorpio could pull off at a word.」The Bakezōri clears his non-existant throat and continues. 「With your trinket, you should return to your human form with the incantation: My watch is done. Should you need to resume your magical form, you need only grasp your trinket and say-」
Naiad steps into the room, spots the Yokai and her face twists into a mask of fury, spitting dark words in an unfamiliar, scandinavian tongue. She jumps back and flings her hand forward, and the air around her condenses and freezes into an icy harpoon that spears the Bakezōri, pinning it to the wall. Fortunately it’s an interior wall, and the harpoon does nothing more serious than punching a hole through the sheetrock. The Yokai begins to disintegrate into dust.
When your vision clears, you stand in front of a harpoon of ice which has put itself through the wall of your friend’s home. Something else the spear had hit is disintegrating into ash on the shelf under the harpoon. You don’t remember how you got to the middle of the room, but your headache seems to have cleared.
「Kiyoumi, these clothes are beautiful! Where ever did you get them? They make you look so mature…」Her fingers linger on the fabric as she adjusts the straps on Juno’s slip.「I could have a hot bath drawn if you and- or your friend would like to soak before bed. -I could help you two as well, those adorable little boxes look like hell to get out of.」Suzu’s hands jerk away from Juno and fold themselves firmly in the lap of her apron as if she had just remembered her better manners.
|
"It's... a very long story. Perhaps I will tell it some other time." There is no commitment in Kiyomi's voice; if there is anyone in the world that Kiyomi can trust with her story, it would be Suzu; she could keep a secret to her grave if Kiyomi asked her to, and she would certainly do everything in her power to help Kiyomi, as she always has and always will.
"But... Suzu is such a simple girl. Would she be able to handle knowing?" Kiyomi is confident that, even if she were to tell of what she did, of how she sought power so fiercely that it affects her even now and fills her with a bloodlust she must spend every moment to suppress, Suzu would remain by her side. But... it would break her, surely. Knowing what kind of person Kiyomi truly is... it would shatter Suzu's innocent earnestness and leave her as a shell of her former self.
Kiyomi could not let that happen. She would not let that happen.
Kiyomi puts on the most sincere smile she can manage and replies. "A bath would be lovely. Thank you, Suzu... for everything."
The two Sakuras stay behind Juno, the one person they know, but don't necessarily like. They hug themselves to her back pressing their newly acquired assets into her back. A b-bath would be n-nice they say in such unison that the only thing keeping it from seeming like something from a horror movie is their body language.
Tiresias listened as the spirit moved around her room, the little thing was growing on her for some reason and seemed to be helpful enough. She smiled and the incantation was revealed to her and then she noticed movement in the room.
She turned in time to hear Naiad speak in an unknown language and the ice spear forming. Tiresias mind raced as the spear flew through the air. What was going on? When did Naiad wake? What was she shouting?
Her mind went blank however when the spear found its target. Her mouth was set ajar and for a moment she just stood there in disbelief. She quickly shook herself out of it though and ran to the disintegrating spirit.
No! What are you doing? Are you insane?
She yelled as she approached the little thing. Without even looking at Naiad she buried her hands in the increasing pile of dust that was just a few moments ago sharing its knowledge. With a broken voice, Tiresias spoke to it.
No, no. You can’t die. I won’t allow it! Please! This can’t kill you, right? You’re a spirit! I can call you again, right? Please, tell me I can call you. Tell me how!
Naiad blinks a few times, attempting to dismiss the weapon that just suddenly appeared and whoa, scene shift as well.
"Th' heck just happened? I was in the other room trying to get rid of a headache and go back to normal and now I'm in here and something... what's going on?"
Is this the start of madness? The end of the blood-fever dream that means I'm about to be dead?
"I have no... I... What do you need from me to set things right. Something I did was clearly in the wrong here."
Juno and Sakuras: Suzu slips off into one of the spacious hallways carrying the gold dress and accessories. This leaves the three of you to finish snacking.
After a few minutes, the girl returns with fluffy white towels over her arm, and leads you both to the bath room which is only slightly smaller than what some might call an indoor pool. A thin film of steam obscures the floor and walls, which are tiled in a terracotta mosaic that is warm to the touch. There is a small corner of the room where you can lather and rinse, and the bath itself is large enough to entertain guests.
In the center of the bath is a fountain. A sculpture of a crane in flight supports a large jade sphere that spins in place due to the water being pumped up from beneath.
At the sight of the sphere, Juno's stomach grumbles audibly.
Tiresias:
The Sakuras look around nervously for a few minutes before undressing and moving towards the bathing corner.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"...I'm not going to do it. I am in control. I do not need it; besides, for all intents and purposes I already have it." Juno bobs her head in self-assurance, thinking to herself very actively and visibly.
Kiyomi slips off her undershirt, the last piece of cloth between her and a warm, relaxing bath, and screams.
Where her stomach should be lies a disgusting maw overflowing with large, jagged teeth. How the thin undershirt had managed to hide this is unclear, but that is far from the forefront of Kiyomi's mind; she drops to her knees, trying in vain to cover her new, horrifying feature with her arms.
"No... What have I done... how could this... why... why..."
You don’t know what happened? Tiresias doesn’t look back as she speaks, everyone of her words followed by a long pause. You don’t even know what you did?
She slowly swirls to face Naiad, her hands stained with the ashes of the spirit, her eyes wide open and her face flushed with anger.
You just killed a spirit! The only chance we probably had to know how to turn back and forth! She screams and shakes, all that that spirit could have shared now gone because she couldn’t control herself! Why? What even happened?
Tiresias started to breathe deeply in a last attempt to calm herself, no point in being mad they had to build from this now. She takes a piece of paper from a nearby notepad that she had set aside for her research tonight and quickly she scribbles down the phrase “My watch is done.” and gives the page to Naiad.
Take this, it should turn you back, and when you do turn back leave. I’m sure you can return to your base then.
She had to go, she killed an immortal spirit. A spirit that supposedly had served her family for generations, and without even realizing it. If it were to happen again, who could she target next?
She could even destroy me… maybe while I’m sleeping, defenceless. She can’t stay. She can’t.
"No, I have an i--" Seeing Tiresias in completely angry mode cows Naiad a bit. "..."
They take the piece of paper and reads it. "I'm sorry?" I killed a spirit? Is this going to happen more?
They would completely agree with the sage's assessment if they knew it, and with a guilty face she nods.
Hoping that Tiresias will follow through on the previous offer to keep them alive if they're bleeding out, Naiad attempts to use the words.
"My watch is done."
If that fails for whatever reason, they will attempt to use a variation of it. "I have been properly relieved."
The dogtags still at Naiad's neck begin to glow as a halo of blue light lowers over Naiad. As the halo passes over their body, they are returned to the likeness of Alex Brooke, twenty-something sailor in civvies. The only evidence of the past night's brush with death is a thin, white scar.
Alex blinks a bit as suddenly he's back to normal, and pats himself down in almost unbelief as he makes sure that yes, it is real, not some illusion, and bows to Tiresias as he backs up.
"I... I should probably get going." Wow, she's pretty... no, she's a guy, dude.... stop... "But... um... here." He takes out a pen out of his backpack and writes something in block numbers on the back of the sheet of paper.
Chell was already awake but unlike Sora hadn't left her room. "You're up early. She invited Sora into her room which was covered wall to wall, done before the transformation, with maps of varying kinds from world to tourists handouts of the local parks. "Any luck figuring out how to transform back?"
"Nope. I... hadn't really thought about changing back. Just... overwriting it." she says, realizing she was probably mentioning it, due to Sora's ability to cheat - using makeup and bulky clothing. She just had to hope it wouldn't rain.
"Breakfast is ready. Coffee is in the pot." she says, holding out the tray for her. "Not so much up early, as up late." she says, with a huff. "I just couldn't sleep. You?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Tiresias watched as the girl turned back into the man she was before, a sailor no less. She could see now why she or he wanted to return so badly. The scar caught her eye and she made a mental note that the transformation was able to heal even life threatening injuries. As the man gave her his number she blushed only slightly while taking the note.
Look, I don't know what happened. You don't seem to have done it on purpose but... She bit her lip and surveyed the room. I'm scared. This whole situation is scary and you just... You just murdered someone without warning and for no reason. If it was a fit of madness it could happen again and I'm not sure I could survive if you came after me instead.
She looked back at him and sighed.
It's late. I don't think you can use magic in that form so if you want you can stay until morning. I may not feel completely safe but if you have another meltdown out there other people have a smaller chance of survival than I do.
"That makes two of us. And you're not the only one scared, either. But at least the body is back to normal, thank goodness."
Alex lets out a bit of a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened there, one moment I was sitting there trying to figure out how to change back because I couldn't sleep and then suddenly I was in here. And maybe there was some reason, though heck if I know what it could be?"
He scratches the back of his neck a bit, thoughtfully before nodding. "Are you going to change back, too? I mean, not trying to be pushy or anything but that was really an uncomfortable experience there so I can only imagine what it must be like for you?"
"I'll ah, leave in the morning then, ma'am! Thank you for your hospitality, ma'am!"
Don’t worry too much about it. Probably something magic related, you should be able to control it for now. I won’t be turning back just yet. This form is…
Tiresias looked away, afraid that her eyes could give away more than she wanted to give.
This form is what to me? Safe? Free? This form is a blessing I believe, but… Get a hold of yourself Dedric, remember what got in trouble in the first place.
This form is powerful. Besides, before the spirit… passed away he was about to tell me about the incantations to turn back into the magical form, which makes me believe it isn’t a straightforward process. Considering we may need some magical firepower at any moment I think I should stay like this for now.
Tiresias pointed towards the hallway and motioned to Alex to follow her. She spoke slowly, blushing slightly and stumbling a bit over the words and hoping to all higher beings that Alex didn’t notice anything.
I’m glad you’ll stay the night… I mean don’t get me wrong but it’s safer for all involved. Your room is still the same as before, feel free to use it. I’ll have some breakfast ready in the morning.
Chrysanth looked herself over in the mirror. Even without the mask, now held in her hand, her appearance seemed ominous. With the hair falling over her face, it almost acted as a second mask. She quickly grabbed a hairband, leaving her mask on the dresser to pull her hair up into her iconic sidetail.
Her eyes were surrounded by what look like dark make up, and her lips were painted near black, the purple was shaded so deep. Other than striking purple eyes, the rest of the features seemed to be her. She stared for a moment before the hair band seemed to simply slough off, making her hair fall mystically around her like a darkened shroud once more.
She picked it back up, grumbling slightly as she tied the hair up again, glaring at the band in the mirror as she waited for it to fail again. It did, causing a frustrated sigh as she turned to the matter of clothes, changing out of her spider spun lace and umbral purple dress to throw on some pajamas.
Her clothes were tighter around the chest and hips, but they were always loose before, so she was far from bursting seams or anything of the like. She took another look in the mirror, holding her hair up in place rather than trying to tie it. If it weren't for the sudden and noticeable growth spurt, she could pass herself off as simply going through a goth phase. She usually slouched anyway, maybe the extra height could be explained away as standing tall?
She gave a sigh at the ridiculous thought and checked her phone and alarm clock, making sure she had other alarms set up to wake her up for the plans she'd suddenly had for the next day before rolling into bed.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The Sakuras take advantage of each others presence to wash their backs, blissfully unaware of Juno's plight.
There is a moment of tense silence.
「I am such a clutz, Kiyomi, I am so sorry.」Suzu shovels the tools back into the box with her hands and brings the shuffled mess to Juno’s side. 「Did you cut yourself? Let me see. Come on, now Kiyomi, it wasn’t that long ago my mother bathed us together. You might be hurt. Move your arm!」
The trace light of dawn filters in through the recessed skylights as possibly the longest night in either of your lives comes to a close. Going to bed now, the two of you will probably be late for school, but it’s only study hall. Sakura’s visitation with her mother is after school.
Then you start to worry that you have dementia.
You still somehow manage to get to sleep before dawn breaks, you’ll be able to get up in time, even if it won’t be exactly eight hours of sleep.
Maybe not that exactly, but she felt great, all things considered. Maybe it's just getting a good breath of fresh air, or the complete lack of bloodthirsty Russian hell-beasts. Whatever it is, you're grateful.
It is now Saturday, September 1st, and each of you can feel the warmth of your magical energies, like a distant lighthouse breaking through the fog.
|
|
Kiyomi's heart stops beating as she hears the kit hit the floor. Kiyomi has managed to ruin everything... again. What is that, the third time this night?
And then Suzu regains her composure, and Kiyomi does not know how to respond. Suzu knows; she has to know. Innocent or not she could not possibly mistake what she is seeing for a mere scrape. And yet...
"I don't understand..." Kiyomi whispers, "How are you so... so good... So kind... to me... When I am just... just..."
Kiyomi breathes deeply and opens her arms. The putrid maw in her gut is fully on display, yellow teeth visible.
"I... deserve this. I have no one to blame for this but myself. It is punishment for my hubris, my arrogance..." Tears fall as Kiyomi pounds her fist on the floor. "How can anyone be so terrible of a person as me? I'm awful, sickening, wretched, everything I do is wrong... I am not good, Suzu-chan, I'm sorry, I failed you, I failed you..."
Normally when Miyako discovered something new to worry about, it haunted her for a week. The thought of developing dementia, however, only seemed to plague her for a few hours as she lay in bed. Rather than an alarm startling her out of a frantic web search for answers, it woke her up with a start. Dread never seemed that easy to overcome before. She chalked the difference up to the magic and the can of mace clutched in her hands.
As she moves to get ready for the exam prep, she pauses to glance at the mirror again. Bedhead did little to lessen the creepiness her new look seemed to give off. She ignored it for the time being until the last thing she had to do was tie up her hair. She pulled the face concealing hair back and aside into her side and waited. Just as she thought it was going to stay and moves for the door, it slips free and shrouds her face again. With a heavy sigh, she picks the hair tie off the floor and makes her way down the stairs and out to school.
Suzu blinks for a moment, her expression inscrutable. Her eyes trace the ragged contour of the maw, and she bites her lip. Her eyes flash toward the fountain, but return to Juno.「No, no, Kiyomi, never. You're just human. Whatever mistakes you think you've made for this to happen, it's not because you're a bad person.」Her voice had taken a very serious tone for a moment, but it returns to Suzu's regular slightly nazal whine. 「Admittedly, I have no idea what this is, and I would definitely recommend keeping it under wraps until it clears up, but it's not-」 Her finger touches at the edge of the maw where a tooth meets with the skin, and she flinches, retracting her hand. 「It's not the end of the world. The Shirakawa family has buried far worse than this.」
The Sakuras after their bath sleepily make their way to a room unnoticing of anything going on around them, the two girls, still mere children who've been up too late and seen too much curl up in each others arms not to wake up for hours.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Tiresias left Alex to enter his room and sleep what little time he could. She slowly entered her own room as she sat on her desk she placed her ideas in order. The day was incredibly insane in all respects and she didn’t even know where to start. While reflecting on the last developments she remembered that there was one magical girl she could reach, Chrysanth. She turned her computer on and accessed the University website, with a few keystrokes she found the contact information of her students and there she was Miyako. She noted down her number and sent a message from her phone.
“After some research I found an incantation that may help. If you wish to return just say, My watch is done. I can’t promise it will work but you should try. If you find another girl from our group please remember to tell them too.”
That sounds nice enough I guess… I should find the others and make sure they got the incantation too. Maybe a plan after some sleep.
She laid down and tried to sleep, but the weight of her responsibility to the other girls kept weighing on her. After a couple of hours she was up again and on the large living room.
There must be some way to find them… and if there is a way to find them then there is a way to find our tsukaima too. Let’s try this then.
Tiresias took out her book and placed it in front of her, she focused her mind and placed a single question there.
Show me where the other magical girls and my tsukaima are.
Then she simply allowed her magic to flow into the book and feedback to her, that way it could be shaped by her will before being pushed into the world to enact it.
Tiresias’ book, once a Bible, now turns past pages in a blur until settling on yet another pair of blank pages in a noticeably different section of the tome. This time, rather than the precise script she had seen before, the pages filled with irregular concentric shapes, resolving with time into a surprisingly detailed map that included the current site of Obusa city, as well as a few other neighboring cities, but the bay was conspicuously missing from the map. When the topography was finished, three silver lines crossed the pages, plotting a curved triangle over where the bay should be.
Finally, in response to the specifics of the seer’s request, small zodiac symbols began to etch themselves into the vellum, some even floated above the surface of the page. Oddly, there were more than twelve zodiac symbols- multiple sets, that is, including a thirteenth symbol the local culture used. It was not so many that the map was over-crowded, but it was surprising to see so many--more than a score, at a glance.
Some symbols were so light as to be barely visible, and some seemed to be black charred brands in the fine vellum of the page, but a few were worked in gold or simply scribed in that perfect black ink. It did not take a great leap of effort to locate the shimmering gold symbol of Libra and the bold, black symbol of Pisces clustered together where Dedric’s apartment should be. A golden Torus and Gemini lay near the coast, where the high-dollar mansions were built. A golden Aquarius and Scorpio occupied another highrise, as Tiresias could guess from the space between the symbols and the page. A lone, golden Leo sat in the suburban region of the map.
There was another symbol (not any kind of zodiac sign Tiresias recognized) an upright triangle with a line through the top. This symbol made slow circles around one of the cruxes of the silver lines, roughly where the mall stood.
A thin silk ribbon materialized from the binding of the tome and lays itself between the pages, marking the place for later reference.
The magic around the map remains untied, waiting patiently to be completed. A bit of fine-tuning can be done, but the magic will unravel if it's left untied for too long.
|
|
Kiyomi sniffs softly, calmed somewhat by Suzu's words. "Th... thank you, Suzu-chan." Kiyomi grips Suzu's skirts, looking nothing like the heiress to the Shirakawa fortune and everything like a scared child.
"I... know someone. Who might know what to do about this. But... I don't know if I can trust him. If he saw, he might attack... I don't know what to do, Suzu."
Once on the roof, Tenshi digs into her meal heartily, eating like a bird (in the literal sense, rather than the figurative one), consuming far too many calories. Maybe that was why her heart was beating so quickly, or maybe it was the calories being burned that made her eat so much?
Regardless, she ignored most of the furniture on the rooftop, instead dangling her feet over the edge, which somehow felt much safer than it should; everything still felt dream-like... Right up until the sunrise, which was perhaps the most 'real' thing she had seen since the salt in the dream. Perhaps there was something to a sunrise, as both a beginning and an ending, a turning of pages, as it were. If that were the case, what would today begin, and what did yesterday end?
"What sort of appointments do you have for today? Mine's... going to be rather full. I need to travel to the local school to conduct my interview. Then I have to do whatever my producer tells me to do around lunch time. The crazy girl who tried to shove the darkness into her closet looked much too much like my producer's boss. Which will make her easier to find, I suppose. My afternoon is open, but then tonight I have a short meet and greet tonight. We can go spend time at the docks and hope to run into our sailor." she suggests.
Half way to the school, Chrysanth jumps as her phone gives off an unfamiliar jingle, almost not realizing where it came from before suddenly remembering it was the one she had set for Dedric in the now altered timeline. She stops long enough to pull her phone out, quickly continuing on her way as she brings the text up to read it.
Her pace slowed slightly as she went over the words multiple times, relieved that Tiresias had managed to find the phrase to return to normal. She stopped again as she debated whether she wanted to. She glanced at herself in the reflection of a nearby window. She was ominous, imposing almost compared to the other patrons walking the streets. She hadn't realized just how much without the contrast of a normal person.
She was impressive as Chrysanth, beautiful even, otherworldly so. She subtly watched the others on the side walk as she started walking again, curious of their reactions, conscious or otherwise of her presence. Was she scaring them, gathering interest in some way, or were they ignoring her, unknowingly avoiding her?
Chell looked at Sora with suspicion."You're just going to go about your day like nothing has happened?" She eats slowly more as a distraction than to actually eat."How are you even going to hide those?" Indicating toward Sora's wings.
"Sort of. I've actually done a lot of things differently than I normally would. I haven't slept, I put on much more makeup than I normally would, cooked a very different breakfast." Sora responds, shrugging slightly. "Not that it's something I can just blow off. But I'd rather not let it define me. I've always been different.
"Speaking of hiding them... Do you mind if I raid your closet? I could use the bigger clothes, especially a hoodie if you have one. You could use my closet, too. I have a lot of clothing from the last couple of years. Something should fit." she addsas she contiues to dangle her feet over the edge, before looking back out towards the city below.
A little softer, she continues, "It's a lot easier if I don't think about it all, and focus on other things. I'm sorry I dragged you into all of this. Free room and board isn't so lucky now, huh?"
Tiresias gasped as the map formed on her book, the symbols caught her attention and a smile formed on her face.
Finally something goes how I expect it! So this is my house and there’s the symbol for Pisces, obviously Naiad, and Libra which should be me. Leo and Gemini are in those fancy houses near the sea. So obviously the twins and Miss Shirakawa. Then there’s the other signs, they probably represent the other girls. This lonely one must be Chrysanth and those two. They must be the girl that came from the tentacle creature. And finally, this last sign circling around in the mall. It’s not a zodiac. It kind of resembles an alchemical symbol. It must be our Tsukaima, our familiar. I’m sure I can get some answers from it.
She stared at the map, and quickly took a few notes of the locations where everyone was in her little notebook. As she examined her map she felt it unfinished, maybe it could be extended or modified? Tiresias pulls at the magic a bit with her mind but is otherwise completely lost on what to do. She decides to try and tie the magic into a more stable form, maybe creating a frame around it to prevent it from destabilizing even if that would prevent further modification or expansion of the map.
She doesn’t waste too much into that however, no matter the result she takes her notebook and plans her trips for the day.
I think I’ll visit the twins and Miss Shirakawa first. Can’t let them stay unsupervised forever. Then I’ll loop back to the mall and should any of them like to join me… Well I’ll see if I should even take them with me. As I come back home, probably late in the afternoon I’ll visit the final two members of our little group. I hope they won’t need my help along the day. But before all that…
Tiresias pulls at her clothes and blinks twice in front of her window.
I can’t go out like this. I need other clothes… maybe I can do something about it.
She pulls on her magic and has it swirl around her impregnating every fibre of her clothing again and twisting them into something more fitting of a 16 year old teenager in this time of the year.
|
|
"You're right, you're right." Kiyomi wipes away her tears and manages a smile. "That is what I will do. I will take my bath and then I will rest." Kiyomi proceeds to do exactly that, soaking in silence before cleaning herself off and collapsing onto her bed, not bothering to find pajamas before falling asleep.
Alex woke up with a start after sleeping nearly the sleep of the dead, and then blinked a bit as he took in the surroundings of the place he found himself in.
...unfamiliar ceiling... where was... oh... right. So it WASN'T a dream, then.
With very quick motions he packs up and then writes a note for his host(ess)?
"Thank you very much for your hospitality and I am very sorry about the incident with whatever that was. I'd stay longer but I really need to get back to base, you know how to reach me, I suspect we'll be running into each other again at some point. Be safe, be careful, and if you can't be either one of those, don't get caught."
Note written, the seaman on leave heads back to the base, thankfully getting nothing more than an upraised eyebrow from the sentry at the gate. Alex isn't intoxicated, if anything he appears to be in better health than when he did when he left.
When the sailor gets to the berthing barge and drops his backpack, the manga that he snagged from the mall falls out onto his rack. Alex FREEZES for a few moments as he stares at the thing, mixed emotions from Did I STEAL this? to Huh, it looks very interesting, I should give it a read.
He begins to read the book thoughtfully, with a slightly new perspective gained from the previous night's experiences... though he kind of shudders a bit at how he sees the characters portrayed in it -- it's a lot more insulting to him now for some reason that he can't fathom...
Tiresias' impatience increases as she keeps trying to push her magic into her outfit and the flow keeps avoiding her.
Are my clothes somehow resistant to magic? Can’t be… or can it?
This small break in her concentration, as she ponders the nature of her failure, are enough to send her magic spiralling out of control. She realizes too late that this is the case and she feels her clothes heat up. A wave of fear spreads up her spine as the consequences of her actions dawn on her.
They’ll burn up! I have to… stop it.
Using two metaphorical hands, Tiresias gathers the flowing magic and compresses it into a charged ball forcing it then into her in an attempt to absorb the free energy. Creating the sphere is difficult enough, like trying to capture a river with her bare hands and once she does directing it to her is quite the ordeal. With intense concentration she manages to lock the magic inside immediately collapsing from the effort.
As she drags herself up she can feel the magic swirl inside, like a storm. The sound of thunder echoes in her chest as the wild power tries to expand and escape her. She heaves from the entire process and walks slowly to her room. In there she falls onto her bed and calms herself for several minutes. The next time she moves the storm inside her is calmer, somewhat subdued even. She can still feel the potential energy in there but it feels hidden, like a caged lion behind a curtain.
I have to go to all the others I can’t stay in and I can’t walk the streets like this.
Still somewhat uncertain of her actions she scours her closet for something to wear, in a few seconds she singles out an oversized hoodie and a large pair of pants that she eagerly dresses after undressing her outfit and placing it neatly over the bed. She admires herself on the closet door mirror for two seconds before taking her notebook and roaming through the house. Alex’s room door was open and she enters curiously only to find his note. With a growing smile she reads the note and then places it in one of her pockets next to her transformed book finally leaving the house.
I look homeless right now, but it will have to do. Let’s get to the seaside manor, I’ll worry about the rest later.
Chrysanth tries not to stare as the elderly pedestrians eagerly move to the other side of the road when given the chance. She didn't want to upset them more by showing them attention. She sighs to herself as the pattern continues and nearly bumps into the curious couple. She gives a polite bow of apology, starting to say, "Sumimasen," until she raised her head to notice the some what clueless expression.
"Er, Sorry...?" She asks, a bit unsure as she tries English instead. She notes the gestures to the phones and adds, "You want... my picture? Or your picture...?"
The magic within suddenly breaks the carefully laid leavy, and as the girl’s shoe hits the pavement, a ripple radiates out from the impact. The magic bends the air around it as it continues outward, and each person touched by the concentric rings of power turns to Tiresias just as recognition dawns on their face. In seconds, the entire platform has stopped, as if frozen by the burst of magic, each person boggling at a sudden realization: magic is real, and the unassuming girl before them is a manipulator of those wyrd floes.
The silence was broken a moment later when one of the businessmen near the back of the crowd curses in a disgruntled tone as though he had merely learned traffic was bad on the bridge. A handful of phones appear from pockets and purses, and flashes start blinking. Still others begin talking frantically either to their neighbors or their own phones. One young woman with colored hair chuckles as she asks in heavily accented English: “Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” It would seem none of this crowd was fearful of the prospect of magic among them. The crowd does not seem so bold as to impede Tiresias’ movement, but she’ll have a hard time getting them to leave her alone.
Chrysanth blinks in stunned silence as she realizes she doesn't even know what language the couple is speaking. The sudden lift surprises her, flailing slightly before staring at the flashing camera lens. As concealing as the curtain of inky black hair was in real life, the picture seemed even worse, casting an impenetrable shadow over her features that left her unsettling and ominous. She gives an awkward smile and murmurs an agreement before watching the two walk off.
She hefts her bag and hurries the rest of the way to the school, keeping her head down to try and avoid any more unwanted attention and forgetting the transformation phrase saved on her phone.
"I really don't think this is something we can hide but I guess there really isn't any other options, yea that's fine." She points Sora in the direction of the her closest while ignoring the charity comment.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Juno jerks up from her nightmare, clutching her chest as a cold sweat covers her naked form. She looks down to her belly and confirms that yes, the maw is still there.
"I suppose it was too much to hope that it had all been a dream," she mutters to herself as she hops out of bed and puts on some clothes. When she puts on a comfortable, loose-fitting blouse she checks her belly again, pawing over the fabric to find that she feels nothing but skin. She lifts her shirt and, sure enough, the moment it is not hidden the maw is entirely present and feels very real.
Juno flops back down on her bed, suddenly feeling exhausted again. She really needs to find the scholar if she is to do anything about her predicament, but that comes with its own list of frustrations. Juno knows Tiresias is a professor at the local university, but she also knows that Tiresias is a man; at the time Kiyomi had had no inclination to pay any attention to him and could not recall what he looked like before being Tiresias at all. Certainly, describing the magical girl version of him would not be productive.
She would have to find some way to contact him, though. It's not like he would knock on her door and ask to join her for tea.
Sora moves along with Chell, quickly going through her clothing. She's actually rather thankful that the woman is an American. It might help to sell her own sudden... adjustments. The change of wardrobe would do nicely for that.
She pulls out a zip-up hoodie - she prefers pull-overs, but ruining her makeup by dragging one over her face seems like an incredibly bad idea. Thankfully, she's spent enough time in Makeup on shoots and shows to know what is a very, very bad idea.
She double-checks herself in the mirror, before moving quickly back to her room, to exchange shorts for blue jeans. When she comes out, her phone is buzzing and she's struggling to figure out where on her body it is. "There's my last warning, time to head out. Do you want to meet somewhere today? To come with?" she asks, sounding hopeful, even as she's heading for the door, and giving up her cell phone as a lost cause. She pauses for the answer to her question, and thankfully is reminded to snatch her umbrella next to the door
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As Tiresias steps out of the bus and her feet connect to the ground she feels the thunder inside her leave. However she had little time to feel relieved since instantaneously a wave of magic propagated from her. She waited motionless for the results and soon enough they came.
She stared around again at the people taking pictures, at the commotion she caused, not really ready to deal with the consequences.
They know, they all know! But how? Was it my magic? It has to be. Instantaneous transmission of knowledge? This could be useful, if I did it by accident I'm sure I can repeat it on purpose. Should probably work on selectivity. That way I could easily send information to anyone I wished, a kind of mental link. If the transfer is effortlessly and instantaneous I might even create a hub, a network of information sharing. Interesting prospects-
Her train of thought is interrupted as the young woman, obviously foreign ask her a question. She quickly regains composure and addresses the crowd around her.
Right, I have to deal with everyone first. Should I try to hide? Maybe the effects are only temporary? But why hide? They can't link me to my true self. I could be like a masked superhero.
Citizens of Obusa. No longer will you have to fear the dark, for this city is under my protection.
She looks towards the girl and speaks in a lowered tone.
I hope this answers your question.
And now to rid myself of the crowd.
I must leave now, and attend to my struggle against the dark. Please, continue your daily lives. It is for that beauty that I exist and please, do not follow. I cannot be responsible for your safety in the battlefield.
She slowly went by the people, waving and bowing. As soon as she saw herself on the outskirts of the crowd she ran. She ran towards the Shirakawa house but she also checked if anyone followed, if that happened she would try to lose them before heading to the Shirakawa Manor.
When you arrive in the study room, there are only three other students there. Dhital is sitting at a desk, trying to read a book through hooded, tired eyes. He’s wearing his school uniform, but the jacket is unbuttoned. Tsuchi, a rail-thin young woman in loose-fitting pastel rainbow vomit punk clothes, and bleach-blond hair, is sitting at a computer that has study material up, but she is mostly checking her phone. Kusaka also came in casual clothes: a pair of dark blue jeans and a thin white dress shirt with the cuffs rolled up and the top three buttons undone. He’s pacing the far side of the room, running his hands through his wildly styled hair, and repeating English words like a maniac. None of them look up as you walk in. What do you do?
"I guess I've nothing better to do, maybe I can figure out something about whats going on with us while you're working and let you know." Chell eyes the Raven curiously but doesn't interact with it yet.