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ladyseaheart1668 · 7 years ago

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Endless Summer Fan Novel (Book 3, Chapter 4)

Malatesta swears fluently under his breath. Jake edges closer to me.

“Ol' Nessie is harder to shake than mono!” he mutters ruefully. Helpless frustration bubbles up in my gut.

“Damn you, Cetus!” I scream. “Why can't you just leave us alone?!”

Dark clouds rush in overhead, following the ocean Guardian. A peal of thunder crackles through the air, and Cetus lets out an ear-splitting roar. As if answering him, the storm erupts in earnest, bright lines of lightning arcing across the angry sky as rain batters us below.

“I don't think he came to mess around this time, yo...” Craig says nervously.

“Back to the reef!” Sean shouts over the rising storm. “He can't get to us in the shallows!”

Yvonne and Malatesta struggle to turn the boats in the choppy water, but a dark shape rises to block our path back to the atoll.

“Oh, god,” Diego whispers. “That's his tail!”

“The grinning devil has us trapped!” Yvonne growls.

“Cetus!” Varyyn roars furiously. “I swear on my mother's grave, I will cut off your head and mount your skull over my throne!”

A wave swells beneath us, sending us scrambling to keep our balance. Michelle's backpack slides across the boat, wedging beneath an oar handle. The light of the Island's Heart streams through the half-zipped flap. Cetus' terrible visage turns, drawn by the brilliant light. For a moment, there is relative calm. Quinn stands on the prow of our boat, facing Cetus boldly.

“Guardian!” she shouts. “I command you to leave this place!”

Cetus turns his attention on her, but only seems to be angered by her words. He howls furiously. Sean and Michelle rush forward to protect her.

“Stop him!” Varyyn suddenly cries. “He has the Heart!”

“What?!” I whip around to see Malatesta raising the shining half-sphere toward Cetus.

“Ye want this, do ye, monster?!” he roars. “Then take it!” Before anyone can react, he lobs the Heart at Cetus. Horror floods through me as I watch it arc through the air and disappear into the serpent's cavernous maw. Cetus closes his jaws. Then, as soon as he appeared, he is gone again, disappeared beneath the raging waves.

“Did he just...eat the Heart?” Diego asks incredulously.

“Yup,” Jake confirms numbly. “That just happened.”

“Malatesta, you bastard!” I hear myself screaming as I come out of my stupor. “Do you have any idea what you just did, you selfish, double-crossing...”

“Plague-eating gut worm!” Yvonne finishes for me from the other rowboat.

“I did what none of you wallflowers were willing to do to keep us alive!” he snarls. Deafening thunderclaps explode overhead. Forked tongues of lightning strike the waves with ear-splitting pops, and a piteous cry rises from somewhere below.

“He's leaving!” Estela shouts. “But the storm's only getting worse!”

She's right. The waves are getting higher and stronger, and our rowboats are bucking and rearing, rising and falling like roller coaster cars.

“Hang on! Everyone just hang on!” I grab the oars, trying to control the boat. I row furiously against the tide, and the boat steadies slightly as we climb and descend the waves.

“Yeah! What a ride!” Craig crows. I turn frantically to look at the other rowboat, and a flash briefly illuminates a cluster of rocks directly ahead of Yvonne's boat.

“Yvonne, left! Break left!”

Yvonne pitches her weight left, turning the boat. They narrowly miss the rocks. I turn help them, but my eye catches the sight of the sea turning and falling away.

“Guys!” Craig cries. “It's a tidal wave!”

Caught in the current, the boat is drawn higher and higher by a towering wall of water. The dark sea churns beneath us, looking at least a mile off. As the wave crests, I find myself airborne, and hear screaming all around me. Some of it is probably my own. Then the dark water breaks painfully underneath me, rushing in to close over my head. Sinking figures surround me as darkness fills my vision, and even the rush of water singing against my ears starts to fade into silence...

… Light suddenly stings my eyes. My chest feels tight. There is a salty-tasting mouth pressed against mine, surrounded by scratchy stubble. Air rushes into my chest.

“Come on, Princess,” Jake pleads desperately. “Come back to me.” His mouth presses to mine again, and another rush of air sends a wave of seawater crashing up my throat. I feel my whole body seizing violently as the water in my lungs explodes out of me in a fit of coughing.

“Oh, thank goodness!” I hear Quinn breathe. I try to focus my vision. Jake is beside me, Quinn and Diego are kneeling at my other shoulder. Jake helps me sit up. He pulls me into his arms, trembling and kissing my hair.

“You're okay...you're okay, Princess...”

“I'm fine...” After taking a moment to catch my breath, I pull back to look at his face and gingerly lay a hand on his injured ribs. “Are you okay?”

He flinches at my touch, gasping sharply, but he forces a smile. “No worse off than before, I think.”

Diego smiles weakly at me. “How many near-drownings is this now, Allie?”

“Too many,” I admit. “Honestly, it's getting embarrassing.”

I glance around me. Besides Quinn and Diego, I see Sean, Michelle, Raj, Craig, Estela, and Varyyn are all gathered nearby, all soaking wet, but apparently unharmed. Jake kisses my forehead.

“There's no sign of the pirate duo,” he murmurs. “Maybe they washed up somewhere else.”

Abruptly, Quinn frowns, tipping her head to the side. “Hey...does anyone else hear that?” We all go quiet, listening. A faint melody is drifting through the trees, strains of an acoustic guitar.

“What the hell?” I murmur.

“Sounds like we ain't alone,” Jake remarks with a frown. He helps me to my feet. We all make our way into the rainforest, following the dulcet tones until we reach a ruined stone structure almost completely overgrown with clinging vines. At the center of what must have once been an impressive courtyard, an amphitheater descends toward a small stage.

“I think these are Mayan ruins,” Diego says. “I learned about them in Pre-Colonial Art History.”

“Yeah,” I murmur. I can't help pausing for a moment to admire them, to imagine them whole and filled with people living their daily lives. How many generations have walked this ground before me, unaware of what will come in the future, unconcerned about what came before them? Consumed with their own lives, their own problems, each making a thousand tiny decisions that shape the world into what it is now...

The mysterious guitar strains break into my thoughts again. I look toward the source of the music, which turns out to be a handsome young man sitting against a wall at one side of the stage. He's ruddy-skinned, with dark hair that brushes his shoulders, wearing a brown military-looking uniform and dogtags, like the kind Jake wears. Sensing our presence, he pauses.

“Hello? Someone else here?” We're still mostly concealed by the trees and the decaying building, but after scanning his surroundings, he seems to notice us. He starts to put his guitar away.

“...He's kinda cute,” Diego murmurs, with an unmistakeable grin curving his lips. “Don't you think so, Allie?”

“Down, boy!” I quip.

“He's more than cute,” Michelle replies. “He's downright dreamy.”

“No argument here,” Quinn agrees.

Jake raises an eyebrow. “You kiddin' me? That's a paratrooper kit he's wearing.”

“He's probably got some firearms on him,” Estela says flatly. “We'd better watch ourselves.”

“Definitely,” Sean agrees, he glares at Michelle and the others.

The man in the paratrooper kit walks over to a small pot perched atop a campfire and stirs its contents.

“Plenty of room here if you'd like to share my camp,” he calls.

“...Should we?” I ask uncertainly. “Call me paranoid, but I'm inclined to be suspicious of humans here who aren't...you know, us.”

“I'm with Alodia,” Craig agrees. “This guy is waaaaaaay suspicious.”

“Yeah. But we should find out what he's up to,” Sean murmurs.

Quinn rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on! Did you guys even hear that music?”

“Yes,” Varyyn says mildly. “It was very beautiful.” I can't tell if he's agreeing with Quinn or with us.

Sean shakes his head and steps warily toward the young man. The rest of us follow.

“Hey!” Sean calls.

The young man smiles warmly. “Hey, Mac. Pleased to meet you. I'm Kele.”

“You with Arachnid?” Sean demands.

“Arach-what?”

“Don't try to play dumb, bro!” Craig growls. “Lundgren give you all this gear?”

“Hey, look, don't snap your cap, pal. I don't know anything about any Arachnid or Lundgren. I'm on my own out here. Have been since the Shenandoah got brought down by U-boats.”

“You sayin' submarine torpedoes sunk your ship?” Jake asks, frowning.

“Germans really know what they're doing with those things,” Kele says ruefully. “We got hit in the zero dark hundred and we were taken totally unaware.”

“We're stranded on La Huerta, too,” Quinn admits.

“Now that's a sure shame.” Kele smiles disarmingly at her. “Pretty girl like you must have a lot of friends back home.”

Quinn blushes. “Oh, well, heh...Actually, all of my friends are here...”

Jake leans over to murmur in my ear, “Princess, his uniform is downright antique!”

“Kele,” I say, “don't take this the wrong way, but what year do you think it is?”

He shrugs. “Last I saw a calendar, 1941. But there's not much use in keeping track of time here.”

“So you are a World War II soldier!” Diego exclaims. “You were fighting Nazis before it was even cool!”

“Yeah, something like that.”

I feel Jake relax beside me. “Well, you got my respect.” He steps up to Kele and holds out a hand. “Jake McKenzie, former Navy pilot.”

Kele shakes the offered hand. “Oh, a flyboy. Pleasure.” He returns to the pot and starts stirring.

“How long have you been here?” Estela asks.

“Long enough to stop worrying about it,” he replies. “Can I interest you all in some chili or do you wanna keep beating your gums all day?”

Raj chuckles. “Dude's unflappable. I like him.”

“I saw him first,” Michelle retorts.

“No fair!” Quinn laughs.

“I guess he's all right,” Sean finally relents. “So, you really don't know anything about the Arachnid paramilitary outfit? Or Rourke?”

“Oh, you mean the machine men? Yeah, they've been around. I saw a bunch of them come out of the ruins. Looked like they were searching for somebody.” He frowns, looking up at us. “...Is it you they're trying to find?”

We all exchange glances. Finally, I take a deep breath. “Well, the short answer is...yes.”

“Huh.” He shrugs. “Well, you can hide here for as long as you like. There's a vista over a waterfall a few minutes away that's good for scouting.”

“Probably a good idea to send a couple people up there to keep lookout,” Jake remarks.

“Not you,” I say firmly, before he can volunteer himself. “You're still injured.”

“Alodia's right,” Michelle agrees. “We won't even know the real extent of the damage for a day or two. You need to rest as much as possible.”

“I'll go,” Sean volunteers.

“Not alone you're not,” I say. “I'll go with you.”

Kele arches an eyebrow at me. “Think I've figured out who your CO is.”

Jake chuckles. “That's Alodia. She may be tiny, but don't tangle with her. She's a firecracker.”

“Duly noted. I'll show you how to get there.” Kele puts down the ladle and wipes his hands.

“Need any help in the kitchen in the meantime?” Raj asks.

“Sure. More cooks means more food. There are some mangoes you could slice up in that rucksack.”

“Comin' right up!”

Kele directs me and Sean on the proper route up to the vista. We take the hill in silence for a few minutes, concentrating on keeping our footing on the steep, uneven terrain.

“It was good of you to volunteer,” I remark after a time. “I know you really haven't had much time to unwind since we found you. But if you hadn't, I know Jake would have, and in his current condition...”

“It's fine. Honestly, I kinda think I needed this.”

“Yeah?”

He sighs, flexing his fingers anxiously. “I dunno. So much has happened in the last few weeks, but there's so little that I was able to do about it. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to get a break, but...I just need to feel useful right now.”

“I feel like I ought to be telling you to chill out,” I reply ruefully. “But the truth is, I totally get it. It's just generally tough to enjoy yourself when you feel like you're not doing enough for those around you. And in a situation like ours...honestly, I feel like I'm forgetting how to relax.”

“I think it's like using any muscle. If you don't practice with it, it gets weak.”

“Well, for my money, staring at a waterfall together has to be a pretty good place to start.”

“Only one way to find out.”

I can hear the water rushing before it comes into view. When it does, my breath catches in my throat. I have found myself on the edge of the placid pond that spreads from the bottom of the waterfall. The water that flows over the cliffs above me is clear, crystal blue, and the whole scene is framed with mottled green and brown foliage. Beside me, I look out to see verdant greenery rolling below us.

“...There's worse places to be lookouts, that's for sure,” I murmur. I take a seat on a large boulder beside the waterfall and pat the spot next to me. “Sit down. Take a load off.”

Sean comes to sit beside me, casting his gaze over the valley. The gentle smile on his face starts to fall. He points somewhere in the distance.

“That's where Craig and I were held,” he says softly. “When we were captured.”

“So close?” I taste alarm at the back of my throat, but Sean quickly shakes his head.

“They moved camp awhile ago, so we're fine. ...It's just weird to see it again.”

It takes a moment for my heartbeat to return to normal, for my breath to descend from my chest into my abdomen. “...That must have been really hard...”

“It was,” he agrees. He is quiet for a long time, searching for the words. Finally, he shakes his head again. “It's hard to explain.”

“...What were they going to do with you?”

“I'm not sure. They clearly weren't there for us to begin with, which explains why we stayed in one place for so long. They would ask us questions sometimes. If we knew where the Heart was. Or what the Vaanti were planning. ...About halfway through, we overheard Aleister talking to someone about how we were the only survivors.”

I swallow hard. “...Shit...God, Sean...”

“...That was really hard, hearing that. After all that time, it seemed likely. And then after awhile, they wouldn't let me or Craig speak unless spoken to...”

“...Did they hurt you?”

“Some of them got a little rough, but nothing too bad. ...Aleister made sure they didn't treat us like garbage, so that was something.” He sighs. “I bet everyone thinks I was insane to ask him to come with us.”

“It's not insane, Sean. You saw something in him worth saving.” It's my turn to sigh. “The others...just aren't in a place to even ask that right now. They're still too raw.”

“That's fair,” he admits. “Regardless, I'm glad you had my back on the ship. It felt good to not be alone on this. ...It just hurts, Alodia. To see what he was doing. How he was doing it. I mean, I won't say Aleister was my favorite person to begin with...”

“You're not the first to feel that way,” I admit wryly.

“But while we were captured, I realized how similar our lives were. We both had to pretend to adore our fathers when they were horrible behind closed doors. We both felt this pressure to carry on a legacy, terrified of failure. Sometimes I would see him at the campsite, and all I could see was myself. Maybe I'm just scared that if I give up on Aleister...”

“...That you're giving up on yourself?” I finish for him. He nods, leaning a little closer to me, perhaps unconsciously. “...It's taken a lot of courage and strength for you to get where you are. But in the end, this is Aleister's journey to figure out. It won't matter how strong you are if he just won't move.”

“You're right. I know you're right. It just...sucks, you know? Seeing someone make the same mistakes you did?”

“I know. But you gave him more chances to do the right thing than anyone. It's not your fault he didn't take any of them.”

He regards me thoughtfully, a smile lifting one corner of his mouth. “What's it like, always knowing the right thing to say? It seems pretty great from here.”

I chuckle. “Oh, you know. I try not to let it go to my head.”

A sudden sharp breeze whips over the waterfall, sending a tepid spray over us. Sean puts himself between me and the waterfall, shielding me from the soaking blast. As the spray dies down, he smiles at me.

“Hi there.”

I grin back up at him. “Heh. Thanks.” Impulsively, I give him a light shove, enough to throw him off balance, and he topples over into the shallow pool. He lands with a splash, sputtering. Soaking wet, he emerges in the knee deep shallows.

“Oh, now you've done it.” With a wicked grin, he lunges at me, grabbing me just under my hips and throwing me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I yelp as I find myself upside down, staring at his backside.

“Sean? Sean, w-what are you doing?!”

“If I'm getting a bath, so are you!” I shriek indignantly as he turns and marches straight for the waterfall, pounding at his back with my fists.

“You put me down, Sean Gayle! Put me down this instant!”

“No way!” Taking in a deep breath, he rushes in to stand directly under the frothy falls. “It's shower time!”

I yelp with helpless laughter as the lukewarm water crashes over me. “You are a dead man! The moment you put me down, you are so dead!”

“Well, then I guess I can't ever put you down, can I? I guess you live on my shoulders now.” With a few shifts of his weight, he shifts me from sack-of-potatoes position to drape me over both shoulders like a baby lamb. “God, you're tiny, aren't you?”

“I'm not tiny, you're just a big ol' hulk!” Still under the waterfall, he starts to spin in place, making me shriek again. And then I hear another shriek answering mine from somewhere in the hills, a shrill, inhuman cry fused with a cackle. The sound sends ice trickling down my spine. Sean stops cold, quickly setting me back on my feet.

“...What was that?”

“Nothing good,” I answer grimly.

“Hey, you two!” Quinn's voice drifts up the cliffside. “Food's ready! Come and get it!”

Sean looks down at me. “...It...might have just been the wind. We can't let this place make us jump at shadows, right?”

I smile in spite of myself. “Heh. Look at you relaxing.”

“What can I say. You're a great teacher.”

We head back down the trail toward the ruins, where everyone is gathered around a roaring campfire. Craig is clumsily picking at Kele's guitar. Michelle sighs wearily.

“Okay, Craig, whatever you're trying to play, just stop.”

“Isn't it obvious? It's that song about going over rainbows.”

“It's not obvious,” Estela deadpans. “Not at all.”

“At least you're better than Jake,” Diego says with a grin.

“Hey, my rendition of Wonderwall was beautiful!” Jake snaps back.

“I'm sorry to have missed that,” I quip, coming to sit beside him. He regards my freshly soaked clothes with a smirk.

“What happened to you, Princess? You fall in?”

“Something like that. I had help.” I shoot a mock-glare at Sean.

“Hey, she started it,” he retorts. Jake chuckles.

“Somehow, that does not surprise me,” he drawls, softening his words with a kiss on my cheek. I still stick out my tongue at him.

Kele and Raj are leaning over a bubbling pot on the fire, grinning from ear to ear.

“Smells like you've been busy,” Kele remarks.

“I'd love your feedback, dude.” Kele ladles out a bit, blows on it, and takes a sip. His eyes go wide.

“This is...amazing! How did you get so much flavor in there?”

“Coconut milk! And love. Always cook with love.”

Kele gets out a few shelled-out coconut halves from his rucksack. Sean takes the ladle and starts to fill the makeshift bowls, passing them out.

“Sit down, Raj,” he says. “You've earned it.”

When we've all been served, we raise our spoons in a toast and dig in. I sigh rapturously as the flavor collapses across my tongue, savory and hearty with just the right amount of spice.

“Oh my god,” Jake mumbles appreciatively around a mouthful.

“Best chili I have ever tasted,” Estela agrees. Craig has already wolfed down his bowl and gone back for seconds. I am not far behind him.

“Buddy's still got his skills!” Craig declares enthusiastically.

“Thanks to Grandma,” Raj says with a smile. He passes a grateful look to me as I ladle out another helping. “...and Alodia.”

Any reply I might have made is cut off when a sound floats up from out of another part of the ruins, something between rustling, chattering, and shrieking that makes every hair on my body stand to attention. Ice trickles down my spine.

“...Please tell me I'm not the only one who heard that...”

“I heard it,” Sean confirms lowly. “What was that?”

“Oh, that?” Kele shrugs nonchalantly. “That's just the ghost.”

The collective look we give him suggests he has just removed his own head and set it beside him to spoon-feed.

“Just a ghost?” Michelle repeats.

“How auspicious!” Varyyn says brightly. “Has it been here long?”

“Not sure. I've not tended to stay in one place.”

“So, is this a Casper the Friendly Ghost Situation or--” Diego is cut off as the noise surges in strength. We all drop our bowls, clapping our hands over our ears until it dies down a little. “Nope. That's definitely a Dementor.”

A loud crash comes from the trees on the other side of the clearing. My heart wedges in my throat.

“Everyone hide!” I hiss. We all scramble ot flatten ourselves to the ground and huddle against a ruined wall. I dare to peek my head out, and spot a flash of Arachnid armor. Jake grabs my hand, his breath catching, but the soldiers are too busy retreating to even notice the campsite.

“Squad Beta Commander to Control,” one of them calls frantically into his comm unit, “we need backup here! Repeat, requesting backup!”

“Wait!” the other soldier cries. “Don't leave me behind here!”

They vanish into the trees again. As their voices fade, we cautiously emerge from our hiding spots.

“That is not a friendly ghost,” Raj declares.

“Actually,” Estela murmurs, “I...think it might be...”

“Katniss, you did see the soldiers running like babies, right?” Estela pulls the photo of her family out of her pocket.

“Remember the thing that approached me on the beach? What if that spirit is this spirit?”

“I hear you,” Raj agrees. “That ghost thing pulled me out of a real tight spot.”

Sean rubs his father's watch on his wrist. “Helped me, too. Whatever this spirit is, it's definitely a friend.”

“Friend or not, if the soldiers are here, it probably means Rourke's interested in it,” Quinn points out.

“You think it has to do with the Heart?” Sean wonders.

“If Rourke wants it, it's likely,” I agree.

Diego groans a little. “Guys, this isn't fair. I left my proton pack at home.”

“How do we keep a friggin' ghost out of Rourke's hands?” Jake asks.

“Forget that, how do we get it to talk to us?”

“Maybe we should offer it tribute?” I suggest.

“We could light candles and make sugar skulls,” Diego says. “Like my abuelita on Dia de los Muertos.”

“And where would we get either candles or sugar?” Michelle asks irritably.

“We could kill a small animal,” Raj offers. Sean makes a face.

“As delightful as that sounds, Arachnid could be back any moment. We don't have time for that.”

“Why not just walk in and see what we can find?” Kele suggests with a sigh.

“Stay out of this, Jason Mraz,” Jake snaps. “We don't need your help.”

“Jake, be reasonable!” Quinn chides.

“Walking in does seem like less work than killing a squirrel,” Raj concedes.

“How do we know this won't end like a horror movie?” Diego asks nervously.

“I think there's only one way to find out,” I answer grimly.

“I'm coming,” Michelle declares. “But only so I can say 'I told you so' when we get murdered.”

We all turn toward the dark doorway at the end of the courtyard. As we approach, the noise fills our ears again. I grit my teeth, trying to block it out.

“It's not too late to turn around yet, is it?” Diego mutters.

“Come on, bro,” Craig says. “We don't have time to chicken out. Let's just do this before it gets dark.”

“You mean like you did at the haunted house sophomore year?” Michelle drawls.

“I got no idea what you're talking about,” Craig replies haughtily. “The zombies led me out the emergency exit so I could see the real hardcore part of the house.”

I sigh and gather my courage, gently shouldering by Craig to start walking up the steps. I fold my arms tightly over my chest, trying to disguise the fact that I'm shaking.

“See?” I hear Michelle say. “Alodia's going! You can't not go now!”

Craig grumbles under his breath, but he follows after me. As we all walk through the shadowy doorway, the rustling noises seem to close in around us. I shiver, feeling as if I've just stuck my finger in an electric socket.

“Is it just me, or is it really cold in here?”

“Hey, Spirit Dude,” Raj calls softly. “Buddy, ol' pal, ol' friend. We're not here to hurt you. Be nice. Pleeeeeeeease...”

“It's a ghost, Raj, not a puppy!”

I make my way down a rough, uneven staircase, stumbling slightly on one loose step. I put my hand on the wall to steady myself.

“You okay there?” Quinn asks.

“Yeah, fine. I just...” I trail off as I happen to look at my hand. It's smeared with blood. I look up at the wall and find words written in thick swaths of blood: STAY AWAY

“This is friendly-ghost-speak for 'Hi, be my friend', right?” Diego deadpans.

“There's more!” Kele remarks. “Cast an eyeball at this!”

I look where he's indicating, and see more bloody messages: YOU DON'T BELONG HERE and I CAN TASTE YOUR FEAR

“What emo punk band is this ghost listening to?” Jake mutters.

“Hopefully one that's pacifist,” Raj says.

“All right, gang, we don't know when Arachnid is coming back,” Sean points out. “Let's look around and be quick about it.”

We all fan out to poke around the ruins. Sean immediately pulls himself into the branches of an overgrown tree entwined with one ruined wall.

“Think the ghost is hiding up there?” I call up with a smirk.

“No stone unturned, right?” he calls back.

“Well, if by stone you mean branch, I guess that works.”

Quinn wanders over to a crumbling stone fountain. Picking up a stick, she gingerly stirrs the algae-thick water. She recoils slightly, putting a hand over her mouth and nose.

“This is like stirring soup,” she mutters. “And it stinks!”

“Hey, Allie. Come take a look at this.” I turn my attention to Diego, crouched with Varyyn near what appears to be a makeshift shrine. I come closer and find trinkets spread around a small wooden figurine.

“What's this?”

“Do you remember the religious war my people fought?” Varyyn asks. When we both nod, he continues. “Some sects believed that praying to individual Catalysts would bring them sooner.”

I squint at the idol, trying to make out some distinctive feature, dragon wings, a wolf's head, bear paws...

“Can you tell which one of us this is for?”

Diego lifts the idol to inspect it. As he does, something drops from a hole in the side into the dust at his feet. I bend to pick it up. It's a tarnished silver pen, with an engraving along the side: Grace Tamara Hall. My heart beats faster.

“This belongs to Grace!”

“What?” Diego snatches the pen from my hand to read the engraving. “She was here?”

“Perhaps,” Varyyn says.

Diego swallows and meets my gaze, his dark eyes troubled. “Allie, this pen looks old. I mean like old. This much tarnish on silver...”

“NO!” Craig's terrified cry makes us all jump. We all rush over to where he is stooped inside a narrow alcove, cradling something in his arms. My blood turns cold as it rushes out of my head to collect at my feet. Time seems to stop.

A body, mostly decayed, rests in Craig's arms. Still attached to a flap of rotting flesh on the scalp is an unmistakeable streak of maroon hair.

“...No...”

“...Th-that can't be Zahra...” Quinn whimpers. “...Right...?”

Trembling violently, Craig slips the bracelets off the corpse's bony wrists. They're familiar. Too familiar. Raj sucks in his breath sharply, hand flying to his mouth. Michelle backs away, her face ashen.

“No...”

“Th-there's writing over here,” Raj says weakly, pointing to the wall. “It says, 'You will be next.'”

Quinn dissolves into tears beside me. Sean curses under his breath, furiously kicking at the tree. I stare numbly at the grotesque pile of sloppy flesh and brittle bones. It...it can't be. It's not possible. ...I passed the test. They were alive...they were all alive... At least...they were alive when I reached the Threshold. But now the cycle has been broken. And this may have been my last chance. ...Have we lost her for good this time? Our Zahra? Our snarky lich queen, our brilliant hacker, our strong, fearless crow? I never saw her flinch, never saw her break. In another lifetime, I watched her singlehandedly destroy Rourke's entire empire. ...How could she be the first to go now, of all of us, when I was supposed to have finally gotten it all right?

Craig straightens slowly, clutching the bracelets, his face a twisted red mask of grief and fury.

“We had only just...I was going to...” He chokes on a sob, looking uncharacteristically small and helpless. Michelle reaches out to lay a hand on his shoulder, but he pulls sharply away, whirling to slam his fist into a wall with a furious cry.

“Hey, man, hold on--” Sean steps forward to pull him away, but Craig throws all his weight into a shove that actually sends Sean sprawling to the stones. His breath starts coming out in fast, shallow gasps.

“Craig, stop!” I cry. “Craig, you need to breathe!”

He ignores me, whipping around to face the dark recesses of the ruin. “Hey! Ghost! Come out so I can kick your ass!” He beats his fists wildly on the stone walls. A loud snap echoes across the plaza. Suddenly, the floor under my feet is trembling.

“Uh, Big Guy, I think you made it angry...” The floor drops about a foot beneath us, throwing us all off balance.

“Hang onto something!” Kele shouts. The stone under our feet starts to split apart, receding towards the walls and leaving us less room to stand on by the second.

“...I told you so,” Michelle mutters.

“Grab onto the walls!” I shout. I grasp whatever handholds I can find on the uneven stone walls, looking worriedly over my shoulder at my friends. Everyone scrambles to get onto the walls or the trees. Except for Craig. He stands still as the floor recedes. His back is to me, but I don't need to see his face to guess at his thinking.

“Craig, don't be stupid!” Michelle screams. “Grab hold of something!”

Before anyone can stop him, he jumps into the gap.

“No! Craig!” There is a distant thud as he lands. Suddenly, the gap in the floor starts to close again, edges slowly creeping together.

“Dammit!” Michelle jumps off the wall and runs toward the narrowing gap.

“What are you doing?!” Sean cries.

“I'm not letting him get stuck down there alone!” she snaps, scrambling over the edge. She lets go of the ledge and disappears.

“Hold on!” Sean yells. “I'm coming too!” One by one, the others jump down into the gap. I raise my eyes to meet Diego's beside me. He smiles weakly.

“All for one and one for all, right?”

“...Here goes nothing...” I turn myself against the wall and reach out to grasp his hand. Together, we launch ourselves into the gap. As the stones snap shut over our heads, all I see is darkness. We tumble through the air and land in a pile with the others.

“Whose elbows are in my back?” Estela groans.

“My arm is goin' numb,” Jake complains.

“This is not an ideal cuddle puddle,” Raj concedes.

As we slowly untangle ourselves, my eyes start to adjust to the darkness, broken by one small shaft of light from above. It illuminates Craig as he pounds his fists against the wall.

“Come out, asshat!” he howls. “I need to punch you out of existence!”

“Dude, the ghost might not even have a corporeal form,” Raj points out.

“I don't care!”

Sean seizes Craig's shoulders and turns him around, forcing them to lock eyes.

“I know it hurts, man,” Sean says gently. “I know. I feel it too. We all do. We all cared about Zahra. But just take a second. Breathe. Just let yourself feel whatever you're feeling.”

For a long moment, Craig just stares at his friend. Then his face crumples, his lips quivering. He pulls away sharply and collapses onto the stairs. I rush to his side to put a hand on his shoulder.

“Craig. I promise, we'll avenge her.” I grip his shoulder, speaking through clenched teeth. “I swear, whoever or whatever took Zahra from us, we will make them pay.”

“Hell yeah we will, Alodia.”

“Will both of you stop and think for two seconds?” Estela snaps impatiently. Craig scowls at her.

“Of all people, I thought you'd understand!”

“I do understand. But whatever this ghost is might have information about the island.”

Craig's shoulders sag under the weight of his grief. “I'm just...I'm so tired of never being good enough. I wasn't good enough to get drafted--”

Sean looks sharply at him. “Wait, what?!”

“I wasn't good at school,” Craig continues, ignoring Sean. “I wasn't...I couldn't get to Zahra fast enough. It's just...why couldn't it have been me?!”

“Oh, Craig...” Michelle murmurs.

“She beat me at everything!” he cries. “She was smarter, cooler, always knew what to do...Why is she gone and a dumb, worthless loser like me still here?!” He dissolves into ragged sobs, tears running down his cheeks in rivers. For a long while, no one speaks. Then Diego yelps, raising a finger toward a glowing rock wall.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“There! That's it!” Estela exclaims.

Sure enough, the glowing ghostly figure is coming through the rock wall and descending the stairs toward us. Shock and disbelief momentarily halt Craig's tears as he stares at it. Then his face twists with rage.

“You! You killed my friend!” He lunges at the figure, throwing punch after wild punch, but his fist passes through it. The figure endures Craig's furious assault placidly, not moving. “I hate you! I hate you! I...why isn't it hurting me?”

“...Because it's Zahra?” Michelle suggests.

“What?!”

“Think about it. Who else's spirit would do things to try to help us?”

“Of course,” Sean murmurs. “It does make sense...”

Craig's face twists with fresh anguish. “Z-Zahra...? I'm...I'm so sorry...” He clasps his hands in what looks almost like a prayer. “I didn't find you fast enough. I wasn't there when you needed me. I was so sure that you'd be okay, and then I...I...I failed you...”

The ghost bends toward him, holding out its hand. A small, silvery ring rests in its palm. Craig looks at me, his eyes begging for guidance. I nod.

“Take it. I think you'll want to see this.”

He stretches out a trembling hand to accept the ring. “It's my class ring,” he mumbles. “My parents picked this one out a while ago. They were gonna give it to me at graduation.” I hold out my hand, silently asking permission to touch it. He passes it toward me, and I feel the familiar weightlessness as the world around me dissolves.

A football stadium, packed with spectators. “Ultra Bowl” is emblazoned on the grass beneath the players' feet. The Eagles lead the Condors by four points, with five seconds on the clock.

“We can still pull this off, Craig,” Sean says. “Can you make a hole for me?”

“All day, every day, bro,” Craig replies.

“All right, let's do this. 64, 96, Fireball...Hut hut!”

The defensive lineman barrels down toward the quarterback, but the linebacker pushes him hard to the side. The quarterback scrambles up the middle, flying past the front line. Two defenders come from the side and begin to pull him down. He laterals the ball to the linebacker before he's taken down.

“Get it!” Sean yells.

The defense goes for the linebacker, but he rolls through them, straight into the endzone.

“I don't believe it!” the announcer shrieks. “The Condors win! The Condors win the Ultra Bowl!”

“That's what I'm talking about!” Sean crows as fireworks explode over the field.

In a comfortable, cheerful office, Sean and Craig set down their controllers and high five each other. On the computer screen in front of them, animated figures are carrying out a giant trophy. The sound of a cheering crowd floats out from the speakers. Sean, dressed in his purple and black Condors uniform, grins at his friend.

“You're as good a lineman in game as you are in real life!”

Craig, dressed in jeans and a plain T-shirt, laughs. “Maybe real-life me five years ago!” he says, ruefully poking at his belly, which has grown a little bit rounder. “Not a lot of lineman training behind this desk.”

He closes the test rig on the screen, and Sean leans back, lacing his fingers behind his head. “It's good.”

Craig grins. “For real, bro, thanks for coming in for our cover photoshoot. You've become Touchdown 2021's biggest selling point.”

“Hey, anything for you man. Just gotta make sure the game only has my good plays in it.”

Craig snorts. “Dude, don't worry. We literally had to nerf your stats because you were so OP.”

Sean smiles, casting his eyes over the office. His eyes fall on a photo sitting on the desk in front of him, of him and Craig in their Hartfeld uniforms, side-by-side. Craig notices where his gaze has landed and frowns a little.

“...Hey, Sean?”

“Yeah?”

“How do you know when you're good enough at what you do?”

“Where's this coming from?”

“Okay, so you're literally one of the best athletes in the world, Raj basically owns the NomNom Network...Sometimes, I just...don't know if I can keep up, you know?”

“Aw, dude--”

“I know, it's dumb.”

“You're working on one of the biggest game franchises in the world. You found a life that makes you happy. Honestly, man, I'm really proud of you.”

“...Really?”

“Since getting this job, I gotta say I feel like you've come into your own. You stopped trying to pull people down, and found something you loved. I think that's awesome.”

“And I haven't even told you about CheeseFry-day.”

“Is that where you get cheese fries on Friday?”

“It's the best, dude.”

A photographer wanders in from the next room. “Mr. Gayle, we're ready for you. Follow me, please.”

“That's my cue.”

“Sure is,” Craig agrees. “And I got a meeting coming up. But hey. Thanks, man. I mean it. I don't know how I woulda gotten here without you.”

“Nah.” Sean claps him on the shoulder. “This is all you, Craig.”...

… I'm back in the cavern again, my hand and Craig's still on the ring. The others stare at us and the ghostly figure between us.

“Did...did you just see...?”

I smile. “Yeah. I did.”

The ghost is shining brighter now. Craig turns toward it. “I think...I know what she's trying to tell me.” He offers the spirit a watery smile. “Zahra, if it's you, I just wanna say something, before you go...”

The spirit looks down at him, apparently waiting for him to continue. He draws in a shuddering breath.

“I...I think I'm in love with you. And I don't know how to stop. I don't think I can. I just started to think that I could be your Player 2...” His voice cracks with anguish, and he covers his face. “I wish I could've stopped this from happening. But I know why you showed me the future. You want me to keep going. So...I'll do my best.”

The spirit starts to recede into the wall, but it keeps its hand stretched toward Craig. As it fades, Craig dissolves into fresh tears, crying brokenly into his hands. Sean and Michelle rush forward, wrapping their arms around him as he sags toward the floor.

“We're right here, Craig,” Sean murmurs, looking ready to cry himself. “Right here.”

“I'm such a wuss,” Craig says bitterly. “Why couldn't I tell her...?”

“...Tell me what?”

Everyone freezes at the unmistakeable voice behind us. We turn slowly, hardly daring to believe it. But it's true. Her dark hair is ragged and uneven, as if she's been stubbornly maintaining her undercut with sharpened rocks, and her signature maroon streak is faded and somewhat off-color. But there's no mistaking her. It's Zahra.

Quinn is the first to say it. “...Y-you're alive!”

Estela blinks, looking back towards where the ghost has faded. “Then what just...”

“Z...?” Craig's voice trembles. “Is that you?”

Zahra coughs awkwardly, shifting her weight. “Craig, did you, uh...mean all that stuff? About me dying?”

Craig is off like a gunshot, pulling Zahra into a crushing embrace. She yelps as the breath rushes out of her, grimacing. Craig lifts her bodily off the floor, bouncing with elation.

“It's you! You're not dead! You're really not dead!”

“To be not dead, I need to breathe!” she croaks, squirming. He sets her down, but he only pulls back slightly.

“Sorry about that. Actually, not sorry. You're alive!”

“If I do die, you are not allowed to speak at my funeral. That was cheesy as hel--” She's cut off by Craig's lips pressed firmly to hers. Quinn laughs.

“Aww!” she cooes.

“Should we turn around?” I quip, aware that I'm grinning like an idiot and not really caring. Zahra, kissing Craig back with passion, puts her middle finger up at us. After a moment or two, they reluctantly break apart. Zahra looks Craig over.

“I guess it's cool that you're not dead or whatever either.”

“So...Zahra, you're buddies with the ghost?” I ask. She looks reproachfully at me.

“No, you doofus. I am the ghost.”

“Then, the spooky noises? The floor opening up?”

She grins, clearly pleased with herself. “Speakers playing sounds based on a randomized time interval.”

“The blood?” Jake asks.

“Had to eat a few squirrels the last couple months. Figured the blood was a nice touch.”

“A couple months?!” Raj yelps.

“Yeah, let's skip past that part,” she mutters.

“What about the floor?” Michelle asks.

“You mean my masterpiece,” Zahra answers with a wicked grin. She digs a small flashlight out of her pocket and points it at the ceiling. A large series of wires and supports rest under each stone square. I whistle lowly.

“You have been busy. And you managed to fool those Arachnid troops.”

She laughs. “Did they piss their pants this time? I hope I got it on video.”

“Okay, I get pretending to be a ghost,” Quinn says. “But why fake your own death?”

Zahra shrugs. “Rourke can't kill me if he thinks I'm dead.”

“You almost convinced us,” Sean replies softly.

“Yeah, well...you're here. I'm here. It all worked out.”

“That still doesn't explain the glowy thing that's trying to give us stuff,” Raj points out.

“Glowy thing?” Zahra repeats, blinking. “I didn't have a glowy thing.”

“Okaaaaaay,” Jake drawls. “Then who the hell is Beetlejuice and why is he coming after us?”

Heavy, clunky footsteps on the staircase distract us from speculating further. We shrink into a protective huddle, turning towards the sound. I feel my blood run cold.

Oh, no...please, no...not here...not now...

The Endless stands in front of us, her aged face once more concealed behind her visor. The flame that once danced over her mechanical right hand is gone.

“I'm afraid there is something else you need to worry about.”

#pixelberry choices #play choices #choices stories you play #Diego Ricardo Ortiz Soto #Jake McKenzie #sean gayle #Craig Hsiao #raj bhandarkar #aleister rourke #estela montoya #quinn kelly #zahra namazi #michelle nguyen #grace hall

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leonajasmin-writeblr · 7 years ago

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25 Questions

Thanks for the tag @rain-likes-to-ramble ! It’s the longest tag game I’ve done, so I’ll put it under the cut. Be warned, it gets progressively more sarcastic.

1. Is there a story you’re holding off writing for some reason?

I’ve been wanting to try and rewrite some of my fanfic from when I was 13/14 for a while to make it less cringy and have a direct comparison on how my writing has changed. But the main thing I’m holding off is a novel(la) called The Scramble. It’s in the same universe as my other WIP’s (with some of its events being mentioned in The Indignant including an appearance from Chris) but it can be read standalone. I’ve got the cast and rough plot sorted out but as it was originally fanfiction, it’s taken a while to weed the fandom parts out of it.

Brief summary: Sigurd Losnedahl, being the backstabber he is, decided to get involved with the Norikan Civil War despite insisting to his two sons he wouldn’t. Now Eirik and Halldór are stuck in the epicentre of the battle and since neutrality is even more dangerous than picking sides, they’re scuppered. After being taken under the wing of enigmatic Taisto Astergaard, Eirik is entangled with the man’s adopted daughter, Christine, and the only way the polar duo will live is through them ending the decade-long war. The only problem is, his father’s so obsessive with his cause that he now will do anything to put a bullet in his head. And Halldór’s disappeared- how convenient.

2. What work of yours, if any, are you embarrassed about existing?

The fanfiction that I mentioned in Q1 that I plan on rewriting.

3. What order do you write in? Front of book to back? Chronological? Favourite scenes first? Something else?

Front to back. I tend to leave exposition and descriptions out of the first draft (unintentionally) so I’ll fill in those when I feel like it.

4. Favourite character I’ve written?

Phineas. He was originally a one-dimensional villain (I created him when I was 9) but he’s now one of the most complex characters in the series with the undoubtedly the most well-developed backstory. He’s also developed a great sense of humour over time, and his relationship with Jonathon (who I haven’t introduced on Tumblr yet but I need to. He’s a close second) is one of my favourite things to write.

5. Character you were most surprised to end up writing?

Vladislav. In my plan, he was only supposed to appear in 2/41 chapters. After his personality change, he quickly became one of the major characters. Originally, he was a vain flirt with an ego out the roof. Now he’s a sensitive but righteous boy training to be a lawyer to persecute his mass murdering uncle. Pretty big development for someone who was only created 7 months ago.

6. Something you would go back and change in your writing but it’s too late/complicated to change now.

I’d have added a District based on somewhere in South Asia and also one based on somewhere in Africa. I’m thinking about adding them at the end (since I’ve already stated in my novel that more Districts will come with time), but it’s too late to add them from the beginning.

7. When asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

I love telling people I write but hate the follow-up questions, “Tell me about your book!” *pulls out garbage which doesn’t even reflect what my novel is about*

8. Favourite genre to write.

Speculative Fiction. While making characters is my favourite part of writing, I also love world-building.

9. What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

I actually play High School Story, Hollywood U and The Sims with my characters inserted. It’s been helpful for one-shots and AU’s more than anything but has given me traits about characters to add to their dimensions for my main works, so it’s win-win.

10. Write in silence or with background music? Alone or with others

Background music and alone. The music has to be a specific genre though.

11. What aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

How I portray emotions. In my older drafts, characters recovered from the deaths of their close friends/relatives in 10 minutes and seemed callous. Now they are all crybabies to compensate.

12. Your weakness as an author?

I rely too much on dialogue and miss out a lot of description.

13. Your strength as an author?

I write a pretty mean villain (pun intended). This man was reading my work over my shoulder since I mostly write on the bus home and the first thing he said after, “Are you okay?” was “I like Rylan even though he’d scare me sh*tless from the looks of things.” I think I should put that as a review on the book’s cover once it’s (hopefully) published. A 70-year-old man I met on the bus does sound like a reputable source.

14. Do you make playlists for your work?

I have a playlist for Cyrus and that’s it which 90% is Eurobeat since he has a needo for speedo. There’s only has one chapter in his POV.

15. Why did you start writing?

I was a cocky six-year-old and thought I could write a better version of a film I’d just watched. It ended up being about two best friends in a milkshake parlour despite the original film being about a castaway girl. The connection still makes more coherent sense than the fact I got the idea for The Mastery from Mario and Sonic at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

16. Are there any characters who haunt you?

Alex in his angsty stage. He would threaten to kill people 25/8 because he found out he was adopted.

17. If you could give your fledgeling author self any advice, what would it be?

Keep writing. If you’re that dedicated to your project that you have to write it straight away, remember you can always edit in the future if it’s not up to your standards. And even people who’ve been writing decades are still improving as writing is wayyyy too subjective to be ‘perfect’ at.

18. Were there any works that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style?

George Orwell’s 1984 has affected my world-building. Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses and Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series gave me the idea to write under two characters alternating POV’s.

19. When it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, etc.?

Charahub and a timeline which I’ve drawn by hand on the back of some unused wallpaper.

20. Do you write in long sit-down sessions or little spurts?

Either 5 words or 5000, no in between. It depends on whether I feel inclined to write or have inspiration.

21. What do you think when you read over your older work?

Cringe at all the unnecessary words and repetition- one sentence in my 2012 draft of The Mastery is literally, ‘Alex got up off his bed, walked out of his bedroom door, walked down the stairs, walked into the living room before standing in the doorway of the dining room’.

22. Are there subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?

Anything to do with extreme physical or sexual assault. Or sex in general since I’ve not written much smut before.

23. Any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?

Meeting my biological father at 16 rather than knowing him from birth. Also, one of my characters has impaired vision like me so its easier since I knew all the terminology and experiences without much research.

24. Have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?

Handguns. I’ve used rifles before (I’ve gone clay pigeon shooting before) but since handguns are illegal where I live, I’ve not seen one in person nor had any idea of their usage or the terminology. Quite a few of my characters own them as a precaution so I had to learn.

25. Copy and paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you are particularly proud of.

(It’s not short but I freaking love how Chapter 36 of The Mastery panned out. Note this is the chapter 70-year-old man liked)

“Cyrus, Keung. Not the most ideal reunion. How has the family been since I was disowned?”

Keung’s jaw twitched, “I think the reason you kicked out was valid enough. You killed your own grandmother, Rylan.”

Rylan, another one of my many cousins, let out what from his mouth movement looked like was a hearty laugh but sounded like a giggle, “It sounds more impressive than getting disowned for supporting the black sheep in an argument, does it not?”

Keung’s hand had been on his spoon all this time, and he was clenching it to the point his arm shook, “I know grandfather wants nothing to do with either of us Rylan, but that doesn’t mean I want to associate myself with a murderer.”

“You stayed under the Xu thumb for long enough. There are fewer fingers in this room than the number of people Tatsuo has killed. Some are justified, I’ll give him that, but others were falsely accused with no chance at justice.”

He leaned at an angle so that he could stare at me, “It’s good to know that you’re being independent for once in your life, Cyrus. Regardless, it’s a real shame you subsequently allied yourself with another family of murderers.”

“What else could I have done?” I said, “The Ninth District needs allies, and I have genuine friends from Ivanska, Phinea and Willsborg.”

He cooed as he came to lean against my back, “Considering how we’re he half-breed scum of the family, I thought you’d have considered an alliance with me. You’re the only relative of mine I like and who hasn’t seemed to have fallen under Xu indoctrination.”

“Grandmother accepted the fact we didn’t decide to be half-breeds,” I hissed, “Out of everyone you could have killed, why her?”

He lowered his voice to a whisper, “I intended to kill Tatsuo. The fact she drunk the poison I’d slipped into the Mansion was a mistake. I don’t have many regrets but that is one of them.”

He distanced himself, “I have little in common with the man who I once saw as my dear grandfather, but one of the few things I’ll admit is that if we need to, we’ll both use blood to make a point.”

My tags are (don’t feel obliged!) @unico-rn-ffee and @alittle-writer

#25 questions tag #tag game #writing tag

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flourishingbatter · 7 years ago

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Turn 4 ; Intermission

Seeing that there were hardly any takers of his beckoning, he'd exhale a brief scoff until he noticed the veil of ink creep and cover over his screen. For a moment, he had made no sudden moves as the great eye on his shoulder darts its gaze toward Vainglory ; it's iris shrinking in the process. Did they actually think he was none the wiser?

To match the ink's efforts, vines would suddenly burst apart from where they were before darting towards Vainglory and ensnared the ink with the foliage constantly wrapping around them - the point of trapping them in a hollow ball of plant growth.

Before he could make an attempt to scratch off the remaining residue left on his screen, a resounding CLANG!! Echoes across the stadium, as Revak had crashed down and struck true with his attack.

However, not even that had made the titan flinch with how the impact never registered. The only thing it did though was infuriate Johnny even more. With the half-ling near his presence, the best course of action was to dart his right hand up and snatch Revak once again, rearing back the ensnared fist to set one more example but before that could happen...

Paul

"Wait!! Wait! Timeout, timeout!" Paul rushes forward and ahead of the group, proceeding to gesture his hands to form a 'T' while calling out. Clearly, he needed to put in the moment of sparing his friends from Johnny's out of control attitude. Though, he blinks, not sure as how to respond to the other...Giant appearing behind Johnny. Nonetheless, a quick redirection was in order!

AlphaJohnny

Johnny blinks, easing his tension as he looked down at Paul and for a moment caught sight of the shoe's imprint on his red cap. Though, with his trained and steeled gaze masked the grimace he wanted to share as he acknowledged that he had got caught up in the moment and kicked his friend. "...What?"

Paul

"U-Uh..." He quickly darts his eyes from to and fro, thinking of a quick excuse in order to sway Johnny's decision.

"H-How about I- uh, talk with 'em! Y-Yeah! Maybe they can totally see your reasoning!" Hopefully, the others would catch on to his white lie.

AlphaJohnny

For a moment, he was beginning to weigh on the decision whether he should let his best friend give them a good reasoning. Hell, so far, maybe they got scared and hid behind him thinking that was the only reasonable conclusion he'd come up with. A mental note was made, since harming Paul wasn't something he'd like to do but with the rest...He knew, KNEW that the others weren't strong enough. For all intents and purposes, if they could hardly make a dent in this body then how could they survive if they met a common enemy with that strength alone? Regardless, Johnny proceeds to lengthen his right arm back in front of him, with Revak still held and lightly tossed them forward, knowing that they could land without being damaged further. "Alright, you have your time. If you can convince them then hopefully, we could all take a moment to explore my home."

Paul

"Y-Yeah! Sure! Th-That's totally great!" It wasn't. With a hesitant nod, he looks back to the group and proceeds to jog back to the exit of the coliseum, ushering the others to follow as they needed to discuss the matter at hand and possibly work on a new tactic.

Revak

[Revak landed with a slight roll, still admittedly disoriented from being snatched out of the air, but still recovered to his feet fairly quickly, giving a quick sideglance to Johnny before hobbling over to Paul, rubbing his arms gingerly.] * ...Thanks for the save, Paul. I'm pretty sure I was about to be "example number 2" there... [

He collapsed onto his butt with a small huff, looking up at the self-proclaimed future champ.] * ...So... this isn't exactly working, huh?

Paul

"Wait...Wait not here, let's go back to the lobby." He makes sure to gesture a glance to Johnny, so as not to be within hearing distance.

Vainglory

Vainglory let out a surprised squawk as vines consumed his sight, leaving him blind and in unknown territory. He fell over and was now laying on the back of his stem in literally nature's hamster ball.

He swallowed, looking around nervously and well, to say the least, he doesn't like being alone in dark, cramped spaces. He began to panic, rolling his foliage hamster ball around in a circle.

"G-guys? Fight companions? W-where did you all go?!??" He heard Paul's muffled voice trailing off and tried rolling in the direction he heard it from, before bumping into one of the coliseum walls.

"GUYS? M-MUSHROOM ALLY??" His voice was muffled and the source of his jittery yelling was the panicking, foliage hamster ball.

Revak

[Revak, noting the screeching of a frightening ink, he quickly stood up, rushing to pick up the vine ball, carrying it back towards the group.] * ...H-hold on, we're gonna get ya out of there, Vainglory. Let's just get to safety first.

Lilith

[* Good, a timeout. Something they needed at this point to do some SERIOUS planning. Lilith would follow behind Paul as he beckoned. She wouldn't protest against the idea of moving elsewhere for the short break. THe only question on her mind now was.. How the hell were they gonna go about this now?..]

Corrupt

[Corrupt Sighs, Half Relief and Half Frustration, as He Turns to Paul's Direction. He Stood and Watched for a Moment Before Walking to the Meeting Place. At least it was a Break from the Chaos.]

Vainglory

Vainglory let out a shaky gasp when his hamster ball was lifted off the ground and he immediately lurched up off of the back of his stem, curling into a ball. "Revak? Is that you?" He was happy about not being alone but being shrouded in darkness still wasn't fun for the ink.(edited)

Happy

Happy put his viney fists down and followed the crowd. He was grumbling so loudly it wasn't hard to hear a profanity or two in his speech.

Revak

[Having carried the floral prison over to the rest of the group, Revak brought the ball of foliage over to his allies.] * Yeah, it's me... I'd get ya out myself, but my claws wouldn't cut it. * My only other skills have the unfortunate possibility of damaging you too, so I'm getting someone to help.

AlphaJohnny

As Johnny watched over the group, he'd go ahead and turn his back on them once they had left to give him his space. If he were to trust Paul, then this was the right time to do so.

Though, despite not noticing Malevolent arrive, he had not given them a hint of acknowledgement

Paul

He'd nod, taking a moment to exit on back as the group had been lead to the lobby. As Paul stopped in his tracks, he'd take a moment to groan before it was soon replaced by a low wailing, going so far as to grip and pull at his cap and hide his face under it as this situation had just become even worse then before, bringing about an immediate stress upon the mushroom. "I don't know...I don't know what to do here...I want to help him but he can't just do this...!"

Vainglory

Muffled chatter came from the hamster ball in response to Paul's tone.

"Do not fret, 'shroom pal! Vainglory and all of these friends of yours are here to assist! They all will surely talk some sense into your titan friend, whether it be through violence or serene methods." His tone was surprisingly reassuring, instead of the usual vainglory in his voice.

"Besides," he added, "Vainglory just met you and he can already tell that stress isn't a good coat of paint on you. Lighten up!"

Hollow

Hollow watched everything go on. The entry of a larger entity. The actions of Alpha and Paul...he was glad for the break, not really wanting to fight. So he followed along, keeping silent until they we're away from Johnny. "First off, I can help the trapped one... either burn the plants or cut him out with my trident. Second...if we can avoid fighting I'd prefer it, but I doubt that'll happen. Last...if we have to fight, my magic may help once I recover from my entry."November 13, 2017

Sela

"I would think that trying to show him that he's putting us in the same damn situation he was in would make him be like 'Hey maybe I am being the alpha male asshole throwing my weight around' like a boy who went to the gym a few times and thinks he's tough shit. Only problem is, he's actually physically fucking tough."

The demoness put her hand on her hip with a growl. "Hit him directly in that snotty TV face of his and it did nothing.

"He grabbed me like I was paper, and for a moment--yes I was worried about what the fuck he'd do to me."

Paul

Paul...Would begin to weep right then and there, restraining some effort to not baul out but instead destress themselves. It took a few seconds for the mushroom to acknowledge the comforting comments which did add on to his emotional breakdown.

Releasing his grip on the cap, he then straightens up before planting his wrist against his face and quickly swipes away any left over tears as his expression had immediately changed to a hardened look.

"Okay...I got that out of my system..."

Once he goes ahead to look at the group once more, he's more or less trying to boast an optimistic outlook despite this huge set back they were dealing with.

"So...Let's figure somethin' out. I'm not sure why but...Seeing how he brushed off those attacks like they were nothin'..." He scratches at his head for a moment, weighing in on the evidence from what just happened. "Do you think he's...Invincible?"

Sela

Sela felt bad that he cried, but sometimes you gotta just let it out. At his other question, she sighed. "no."

Revak

[Revak could only nod softly, a softened look in his eye, viewing Paul's destressing attempt before giving a soft smile when the mushroom man calmed himself.]

[The dragon scooted the ball of vines over to the towering other boss monster.] * ...C... Please just... use the trident.... Gently though. I wouldn't want him getting hurt.

[He turned back to Paul, listening to his question; scaled brow furrowing in concern.]

* I don't think so. Everything has at least some kind of weak point. What Johnny's might be, I have no clue... But we may need to find it.

Vainglory

Vainglory shook his head but of course, no one could tell, as he was still in a ball of vines.

An ink tendril surfaced from the cracks in the floor and shook left and right as if it was saying no.

More muffled comments came from the foliage hamster ball, "Well, there's no way he's invincible.

And if he is, then the best strategy would be keeping him locked up or something. At least until mushroom pal and company figure out a solution.

"Uhh, Alpha did mention to Vainglory that he was once a flower but now isn't, or something like that. Is there any chance you guys know what he means by that?"

Revak

* Before he becoming a hulking, 15 foot wall of a beast, Johnny was something... similar to what mighta appear to be a mix of human and plant, with a flower for a head.

[A small flame-breathed sigh escapes the dragon. He resists the urge to glance at Corrupt, admittedly curious as to potential similarities between Johnny and the other beings similar in appearance to him...]

* Apparently he only became this after absorbing human souls.

Sela

"If you look at Paul here, but imagine slightly taller and with a flower head, then you get the idea." A sigh.

"Johnny's weakness is probably emotional, but I'm sure we all know how bad it is to smack at someone when they're that emotional..."

Malevolent

Well, still quite confused, it seemed the others were going off to talk? After a moment Mal opted to take on a much smaller form to follow after the others (Now being more around 5'6" instead of the full 47 feet he once stood). Instead of the massive screen for a head, he now had a more flower-like one.

Although not too much seemed to change otherwise, aside from a few minor details. He quickly ran after the others to properly figure out what he had missed and what was happening. "Hey- So ah, if you don't mind my asking, why exactly was Johnny fighting all of you? What is going on anyways-”

Revak

[Revak's horned head whipped around to spot what was once the immense monstrosity that the dragon totally hadn't been violently ignoring the presence of for the sake of his own sanity, but relaxed a bit upon seeing they were now in a far more managable size for his mind to digest.]

* Long story short, he absorbed some souls, became that, we get called by Paul here to help, then he denies our help then tries to trap us here "for our own safety" in what can only be referred to as terrifying.

Lilith

"And even trying to literally knock sense into him hasn't worked.." [* She'd add to Revak's explanation.]

Vainglory

Vainglory wasn't exactly following along. Humanoid flora? Absorbing human souls? All this talk was making him dizzy. He remembered his host reading about human souls but he also remembered his host putting the book down after the first page, so he didn't exactly have that much to go with.

"Uh-huh.." He mumbled, before hearing a new voice.

The ink wasn't exactly thrilled about newcomers but since he was sitting in a hamsterball of vines and foliage in pitch black, this person could've been here the whole time and he just hadn't noticed. More muffled chatter came from the ball of vines that Revak was holding,

"Well, newcomer, as dragon friend Revak just said, he apparently absorbed souls! Vainglory wasn't exactly called to help by mushroom pal but he did stumble into here through that portal just like you did. Vainglory can confirm that the titan wants to force us to live here because the Underground is dangerous and, well, since you're here too now, he'll probably force you to move here too."

"But! With the wonders of rebellion, mushroom pal and company can overcome this.. people-hoarding mayhem! And put a stop to Alpha! And possibly make him un-absorb those souls!"

Malevolent

"Yeesh... Well, from my personal experience at least, things that have absorbed souls are a lot more durable than normal. I mean I figured he had some souls from when I first visited him, the altered form and screen was kinda a dead giveaway... That seems to be a reoccurring theme... ANYWAYS- From the sound of it, it seems like the power might have gotten to his head a little- that's rather common for recently absorbing souls."

Mal makes a soft hum, thinking this over and briefly wondering exactly how many souls Johnny had absorbed, he didn't really ask when he first visited, not one to pry.

So much for being impressed over Johnny's seemingly good self control for not letting power get to him, couldn't really fault him for that though. Forcing people to stay though? Definitely a flawed plan...

Revak

[...Huh. So the hybrid's hunch was correct. Either way, this still left the question of wtf the fuck they were expected to do about it?]

* ...Well... that's a start, but is there any kind of way to help him come to his senses that won't result in one or more of us becoming a dusty smear on the wall?

[...Rather morbidly put, but not inaccurate, based on what had nearly happened to him just now.]

Vainglory

"So you know about soul absorption?" Vainglory spoke up while accidentally rolling his hamsterball-made-of-vines out of Revak's hands, landing on the floor with a light thud. "Do you know if there's a way to undo the effects of absorbing souls? Or at least.. remove the souls?"

Paul

"Mmm..." Paul had been idling with trying to figure out the major powerhouse that Johnny was while trying to listen in on the group's retrospective of all this. "Can I ask...What else these uh, souls can do exactly? I dunno if it's a hunch but I kind've wanna get an idea."

Malevolent

"Know? Granted you can't see" he chuckled slightly "I happen to be an omega myself, I have seven souls to be exact. Anyways ah- At least from my expereince, if you wanna remove the souls, you gotta get them to rebel, call to them or something. If you can get them all worked up they might try and help you fight him, like make it easier to deal damage or something. How long it takes to do that and if it even would work on him are different matters entirely... And then there's the matter of do the souls want to leave. That's entirely up to them once you do some real damage. Though removing them might not be necessary in the end" he shrugs "Again, for all I know things could be entirely different so don't base all the things to try off of what I'm saying"(edited)

Hollow

"I know about soul absorption." The ex king finally spoke up after listening to the banter for so long. He was still trying to come to grips with everything, given that his prior conversations with Alpha didn't seem so bad, but the fight clearly showed where the problem was.

"Depending on how long they've been there, the host can willingly give up the souls....otherwise someone has to Save them. But, even that has a limit...." He stated, looking towards the ground briefly, before turning to the omega. "Seven? One more than myself."

Revak

[He stares curiously at the immense boss monster, similar in appearance though perhaps an alternate of the king.] * ...Either way, it's the one lead we've got. I say we should try it.

Sela

"... From what little experience I had with one human soul, they might have some level of communication with him, but if he's not listening to them and drowning them out, then they might want out just as much..."

Paul

"...I...Think we should ask him if he can talk to the souls. Maybe that'll give us a way to scope for somethin' at least?"

Sela

"I doubt he will listen, honestly."

Malevolent

"Souls sometimes don't like to talk if they don't agree with your actions anyways"

Hollow

"I have a question for you, other Omega and little mushroom guy." His attention was on them for a moment before he remembered something he was supposed to do. With a flourish, Hollow conjured his trident, almost as big as himself. "Someone hold the ball still...I need to aim true."

Revak

[Revak, with a shock, quickly dropped to his knees and braced Vainglory's prison in his hands.] * Vainglory, brace yourself, you're gonna be free in a sec.

Malevolent

"You can call me Mal by the way, but go ahead, ask whatever"

Paul

The mushroom blinked as he looked up to the goat monster, though grimaced with the sudden introduction of their weapon.

Lilith

"I would hope if we bring their voices to his attention, then perhaps they can persuade him further. Hopefully..." [* Lilith meanwhile eyes the ex king a few folks over. Careful with that buddy.]

Hollow

Hollow made his way over to the ball containing the one he heard was called Vainglory, tappng on it with a claw on one side. "Press as far away from my tapping as possible."

Corrupt

[Corrupt Quietly Listened to the Talk Around Him as He didn't have Anything to Say. The Talk of Souls Rang up a Few Personal Questions of His Own Existence and His Own Silent Souls.]

[The Summoning of the Overgrown Goat's Trident Caught His Eye Though. Oh. That's Something He would Want for His Own. A Giant, Red, Three Pronged Weapon of Power. That would have to be for Another Day.]

[But for Now He would Watch in Silent Curiosity as They Tried to Free the Ink from its Plant Prison.]

Vainglory-Yesterday at 6:52 PM

Vainglory could barely hear what they were saying through the viney walls of the vine hamster ball, but he had a good understanding of what they were saying. All he heard was "Vainglory, brace yourself" and immediately tensed up, curling into a ball against the side of the vineball furthest from the side Hollow tapped on, and began preparing for the worst.

Happy

Happy watched all the talk of the souls and Johnny rather quietly, but still grumbled every now and then about what had happened earlier with the fight. He didn't plan on making any convo himself about the souls because it would only lead up to a rather awkward convo to him about himself that he'd rather not focus on.

Heck was it already getting a bit weird for him to see a goat king right now. He stopped thinking about that rabbit hole of awkwardness when he'd notice them now trying to get the mouthy ink out.

Oh. Happy quietly wondered if this was going to get bad really quickly for them seeing what Hollow was going to do.

Hollow

After giving it a few moments, trying to ignore the others who seem a bit...distressed at what he was preparing to do, the goat monster raised his trident into the air, pointing it straight down.

Memories of certain fights crept into his mind, but he managed to cast them away as he slammed the trident down, trying to cut off the end of the ball of vines.

The ball of vines were easily torn up, releasing the small ink from their prison without damaging the hostage.

Vainglory

He gasped for air, almost falling out and onto the ground as he was released from his prison of vines.

He got up out of his curled-up-in-a-ball position and sighed with relief.

"Oh thank the stars, Vainglory is free!" He made dead eye contact with Hollow, and continued, "Vainglory would like to say th.. tha.. t..th.. th.. you.. th.." He seems to be struggling with his words, hesitating as if he doesn't know what to say.

Revak

[Revak couldn't help but smile at the ink's struggle to thank Hollow. It was clear he was impossibly grateful, even if he didn't know how to express such.] * You're free now, bud.

Hollow

The trident vanished in a puff of red magic, the king moving away to sit in a slightly isolted spot. "No need to thank me....just trying to help. Sorry for scaring everyone."

Vainglory

"Yes, it would be best to save the gratitude until the war is won." He piped up, his face scrunching up as he looked in the direction they came from.

"Now that all assets in this battle are free of shells of vines, it would be best to come up with an actual strategy, whether peaceful or not. The more time wasted stalling, the more Alpha will get impatient, and Vainglory has a feeling that Alpha isn't any better when he's grumpy." He turned to Paul. "Mushroom pal, do you have any ideas?"

Sela

Sela huffs. "It's not that he would get impatient, it's that some of us might. After all, Johnny technically has what he wants, and that's us being here."

Paul

At least that was fixing something, but the true problem awaited them and they needed to dilly dally no further then this. Straightening up, he'd take a deep breath, pumping both fists in front before smacking them down onto an open palm.

"...I know he's my best friend but bottom line is...He's become his own worst enemy. This is kinda, bigger then we expected and I'm really sorry for bringin' you into this mess."

A brief hesitant sigh, solemnly looking down for a moment. "We've always had a great connection, sticking up for him...A lot of the time, I've been helpin' him when we were growin' up and in a way, I look up to him - technically before the big guy phase - but still! We need to save him before he does somethin' a lot worse."

With a new goal in mind, motivating the mushroom to gaze back up and for a moment, a grin had crept in to show that he was determined enough to get through this. What would prompt his next action is to take a few steps forward and extend out his hand. "Let's do this, for freedom."

Hollow

"I brought myself into this mess...I wanted to fix things here, it's what I do. And now that I'm here I'll do whatever I can to help you guys. There are two of us here who haven't fought yet...perhaps with our added strength we can topple him, and knock some sense into him. If we can find an opening, I think the little mushroom can Save him."

Revak

* We can do this. And once we do, all of you get one item from my shop free of charge. [Honestly, Revak was just eager to get back to Solo.]

Sela

This situation was feeling too... anime right now. Her hand finds it's way in her pocket and she sighs. "We might as well go back with some sort of game plan."

Revak

[Revak, of course, relishing the sheer amount of anime, places his hand on top of Paul's like the weeb he is.]

* Our one chance is to try to get the souls to rebel. If they help us, we can possibly do enough to save him, whether it's by knocking him out of the power trip forcibly, or convincing him that he's gone too far.

Corrupt

[Corrupt was Slightly More Pumped to Smack Johnny in the Face. With How Great the Want of going Home was Growing and How Many People Wanted to Kick Johnny's Ass Right Now, Those Internal Battle-Enthusiasm Levels were High. Only Internally.]

[He just Stares at the Hands. What is This? What is This Ritual? What was going on? What?]

Hollow

The former king looked at the hands being put together. He didn't belong there, and didn't feel right putting his own in, so he just stood aside. "When you're all done being all cheerful and friendly...we need to talk tactics."

Malevolent

Y'all can be party crashers but Mal is gonna join this anime moment, extending his arm and placing his hand in unlike SOME people. He grinned, this could be fun, he hasn't had a proper excuse to fight in a while. "I'll help the best I can, maybe I can help y'all get a hit on him. Sometimes all it takes is a good few smacks to knock some sense into people."

Corrupt

[He just... Awkwardly Puts His Own on All the Hands. He doesn't Know What He's doing but He's doing the Thing of Touching Hands Now too.]

Vainglory

Vainglory lets out a sigh, all four of his mouths smirking. He definitely felt wholesome, getting to be apart of something. Being apart of an actual team made the ink feel alive. He finally spoke up,

"That titan, Alpha, may be a powerhouse wall who's set on hoarding visitors. He may be fixated on keeping mushroom pal and company out of the Underground, and he definitely has the strength and willpower to back that up."

"This team's chances may not be the best and they may not be the brightest.." "But Vainglory has faith in you all. He knows that mushroom pal and company can overcome the wall that is Alpha."

"So, from now on.. Vainglory can.. no, everyone here can beat that titan! Vainglory is sure of it!" He extended an ink tendril to join the group cheer.

Revak

* Well said, Vainglory.

Sela

"...." Well now she was feeling like an asshole on top of slightly awkward. Stepping to join the group, she puts her only hand down. "Whether we talk him down, or beat his ass into listening to reason... So we can all get back to where we need to be."

Happy

Happy put his vine on Corrupted's hand to join the group cheer. He look's very... eh about it but his "hand" is there. " I still vote on kicking his ass. Even after all of this."

Lilith

[* Lilith nods, having been listening to everyone else. They could do this. They'd bring him back no matter what. She places her own disembodied hand down.]

Paul

One way or the other, either tactic was welcome. Paul wasn't sure why but maybe this different approach he was having in mind may just work. Whether it be physical or mental, some would call his action stupid but that was for later. "Alright..." He would then lower his hand before raising it up, to let the others disperse. "Brea-!!"

Suddenly, a ring tone would alert Paul, causing him to immediately jump up in surprise. "A-Ah!!" The mushroom wasn't focused on saving face as he was busy fishing through his pockets before procuring Johnny's phone from his pockets. What he didn't take into account that he accidentally pressed speaker on the phone, to which, everyone could hear a rather angry person on the phone.

🌹 "Paul! I swear to- Do you know where our son is!?"

"M-Mr Rajotte!? Uh...F-Fancy talkin' to you here..."

🌹 "Oh yeah it's pretty great knowin' that our son has disappeared and you hung up on me. For cryin' out loud, if that boy is doin' somethin' illegal..." The voice would drop down in volume indicating they had stepped away, probably to vent some stress, to which Paul had began to sweat slightly.

Oh boy.

Sela

".... Is that Johnny's dad?"

Hollow

"Well this is going to cause a delay...but it sounds like we have all the more reason to Save Johnny. Perhaps we should wait until this call is over before we talk about how though."

Paul

"Ah- Ah ha...Uhm, that was his dad."

Revak

[Revak couldn't help but sweat nervously himself.] * O-oh no... Should... Should we tell 'em...? I mean... T-they'll have to know eventually...

Hollow

"They deserve to know about what he's done...but not what is about to happen."

Malevolent

"You make it sound like we're about to commit a murder"

Paul

"S-Shhh! Don't make it sound wo- I...Ahh...."

Revak

[Well... he couldn't help but snort at that.]

Sela

She sighs. "Paul if you want, I could talk to him."

Vainglory

Vainglory winced. "Wait.. is Alpha actually called Johnny??" The inkling gasped, having just now realized no one else was calling Alpha "Alpha".(edited)

Lilith

[* Lilith's .... keeping out of this part. She's no good with parents of other folks. Keepin' to the shadows so to speak.]

Corrupt

*...We're going to Kick Their Son's Ass Though, Not like That's Better... Except it is but I Don't Think You could Say That.

Malevolent

"I mean, you could although whether you should is a different matter entirely"

Corrupt

*...I Guess.

Hollow

"I could talk to them. Maybe the voice of a King can settle them. Even if I'm not anymore."

Revak

* I doubt they know who ya are.

Vainglory

Vainglory shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about what to call Alpha. He turned to Paul, narrowing his eyes. "Quick, come up with an excuse before this "mister Rajotte" guy comes back to the phone!" He whispered. "Tell them Johnny is super sick and at your house or something!"(edited)

Malevolent

"A familiar voice is probably for the better, and making up lies wont make things better"

Vainglory

"So mushroom pal should just blatantly tell them their son turned into a monster and is hoarding people so they don't leave?" He retorted with a snort in Mal's direction.

Sela

"Considerin how mad the voice sounded at Paul, wouldn't it be better for someone level headed to talk?"

Malevolent

"I mean possibly, although it could be worded better"

Revak

[His tail flicked anxiously behind him.] * We may need to answer fast. I dunno how well he might react to being kept waiting...

Paul

"No I...I'd rather them...Get settled down, don't let this be too fast. I'll try and speak in his defense at least" By then, after a few seconds have passed, a new voice comes in, though more comforting to the reciever since they were currently trying to adjust to the shocking idea of their son running off.

🌻 "Hello? Paul? Are you there?"

"...Hi Mrs. Rajotte..."

🌻 "It's okay, we're both...Stressed right now. I don't want to get mad at you, I just want to know if you've seen our son. I want to know why he's ran off."

"Y-Yeah about that..."

Sela

Sela can be a cutthroat when it comes to being direct about things, but doesn't argue.

Hollow

Hollow just listens and waits in silence. Speaking up right now could cause a problem.

Vainglory

Vainglory listens intently, preparing for the worst. How would they react? Would he hear sobs over the phone? Glass smashing? Chairs flying? He scrunched his face at the thought of it.(edited)

Paul

"Something has...Well, happened, and..." He paused, trying to figure out how to word this without freaking them out. "Okay...I can't keep this hidden for too long but Johnny's...Undergone somethin' way worse and he came to me for help but..."

🌻 "...What? What are you talking about? Is he going through something that he's kept a secret?"

"S-Somethin' like that, yeah."

"..."

"You all didn't notice the...uh, new tree right?"

🌻 "Well...Sort of? Most of the- James, gimme a moment...You'll what? Police? Just, let's try and figure out what Paul's getting at."

🌻 "I'm sorry...But, this talk of the tree, I was just thinking it was usually some of Ellinia's students being taught new lessons in magic, why?"

"...Uh...Johnny did it."

🌻 "Excuse me?"

"He's more, uh, how should I put this? Changed? in some senses?" There was a brief pause for a moment, which felt all the more nerve wracking given how Paul was beginning to sweat nervously.

🌻 "Changed? Wh- that doesn't make any sense. Did he get injured? Has he eaten somethin' foul or-"

"Johnny'stransformedintoabiggiantguyandimtryingtogethimbacktonormal!" Whoops, he just blurted that right then and there.

🌻 "...What?"

Revak

[He pinches the bridge of his snout.] * Ooooh boy...

Lilith

[* Just. Sloooow facepalm.]

Sela

"Oh my ... fucking god..." She mutters low enough so the phone wouldn't pick it up, putting her face in her hand.

Hollow

"I recommend plugging your ears for this next part..."

Vainglory

Vainglory started fidgeting with his spiked collar nervously, glancing left and right at the others around him to see their faces. "Damnit, here comes the glass breaking and the screams and sobs and the chairs crashing.." He let our a shaky sigh, looking back at Paul and the phone.(edited)

Paul

🌻 "I-...T-that doesn't make any sense."

"I know! I...Please bear with me, We-er, I! Found him and- He's...Okay! ...For the most part." Another pause, much to the inaudible argument serving as background noise before Mr. Rajotte returns to speaking.

🌹 "Paul, elaborate. Now."

The mushroom takes a moment to swallow down his fears, as he drew in a deep breath before exhaling. "Johnny's...Look, I don't know what else to say but he's...Changed, it's hard to describe real-"

Sela

The demoness straight up walks over and takes the phone from Paul with ease, who was probably not expecting anyone to do that.

Paul

"Aaa-!!" Paul immediately jumps, putting up both hands in surrender while watching her in surprise.

Revak

[Just... Blinks. Revak has no clue what's going on anymore.]

Hollow

He wasn't sure what the demoness had planned, but it was better than watching Paul stumblr through everything.

Sela

She puts the phone to her ear. "Hello, is this Mister or Misses Rajotte? You have to forgive Paul, as you can tell he's a bit flustered. My name is Sela, I'm one of Johnny and Paul's friends. Paul called us for help after Johnny ran away."

Vainglory

Vainglory muttered a quick, "Ooooh, snap!~" under his breath when Sela snatched the phone.

Paul

🌹 "Wh-...We've never heard of you before. Though...The kid did pull a reasonable thing, can't blam- Ugh, okay. Do you know WHAT happened to Johnny? Why does Paul have his phone? And what about that tree he mentioned?"

Sela

"Yeah, sorry we had to be introduced like this but that's besides the point." She shifts her weight on her feet,

"Johnny was trying to help his friends out by messing with some magic he didn't really understand and it's backfired a bit on him. I imagine he ran away because he was afraid of what you guys would think of, er... what he looks like right now. The tree is an after effect, sir. Paul has his phone because Johnny dropped it at one point."

During the whole time she's explaining, she's holding the phone up with her tails to her ear to ... check her nails while talking.

Hollow

At least someone was able to explain clearly about the whole ordeal. Though he was worried about just how much Sela would reveal if they kept asking questions.

Vainglory

Vainglory watched Sela intently, impressed by her multitasking ability.

Paul

🌹 "...Well...Never thought he was the one to get into magic. Must've been good at hiding it apparently because we've never saw him get interested into it."

🌹 "Okay uh...I'm not sure if I'm able to wrap my head around this. So the tree is his idea of testing it out? Ugh...When I get my hands on him..."

🌻 "James! Don't imagine disciplining him, that's just gonna make you more angry!"

🌹 "...Right, sorry honey. Anyways, just...Is it possible to speak to him? Paul mentioned that he found Johnny."

Sela

"We did find Johnny, but he's not really... listening to anyone right now. With the changes, honestly, he probably couldn't... hold the phone." She frowns a bit, holding the phone properly with her hand, "Other than his stubbornness getting worse and the effect of the magic, he's physically okay. We're going to try and reason with him, but it might not be a good idea to come and try to see him right now... He's all over the place emotionally. I'm sorry to say it."

Paul

🌹 "...Fine...As long as he's okay. Swear to hell if he's gettin' into some Black Mage nonsense I'm gonna flip more then just tables..."

🌹 "Thank you Sela, give Paul my thanks at least."

After stating that, there was a moment before the phone would be hung up as Mrs. Rajotte would come back on the line.

🌻 "Please be careful, I don't want my sunshine to act as if he's alone."

And with that, the conversation would cease as they had hung up, much to Paul's relief of Sela steering the situation to something they could understand. "...Dude, thank you so much...”

Lilith

[* Thank god that ended MUCH better than it started. A small 'breath' of relief.]

Hollow

"That went a lot smoother than anticipated....good work Sela. I'm glad I saved you, or else you might be unconscious right now."(edited)

Revak

[A small relieved sigh escapes the dragon, a clawed hand placed lightly on his chest.]

Sela

Sela clicked the phone with a sigh. She's not surprised it ended that way, though thankful it was a bit easier than she thought. The phone is held out to Paul, her expression casual. "They're parents, they're worried so it's understandable... I didn't tell them exactly everything but just enough that they got some ease. Just a matter of staying calm so they pick up the vibes from you." She gives Paul a pat on the cap.

Vainglory

"Yes, staying calm seems to have made that go much better than expected." The inkling smiles at Sela. "You have a way with words.. 'Sela', was it?"

Sela

Her head turns to Vainglory. "Yeah, it's Sela. And it's hard to think on the fly but even a brief moment to take a breath can help level things."

Paul

Paul only hums for a bit while appreciating her gesture, receiving the phone and placing it back into his pockets. How Johnny knew all these cool people, he'd never know.

Vainglory

Vainglory nods at Sela, before turning his gaze in the direction of the arena. He fidgeted with his collar nervously as soon as he started thinking of fighting Alpha again.

He knew that this time would be different, for he would have to trust in the others, as well as himself. It was somewhat reassuring to have other people backing Vainglory up this time, even if it's more like he's the one backing them up. A nice thought indeed.

Hollow

After a brief moment to collect himself after it was all over, Hollow decided to speak up. "Now that that's over, we need to discuss how to save Johnny, for his parents. We can't just go in there fists blazing..."

Revak

* Excuse you, sir, my fists are currently not blazing at all. [He's joking of course.]

Lilith

[* She... can't really help her flaming wrists. Just subconsciously rubs the wrist portion of her gloves.]

Hollow

He pauses for a moment before sighing, once again having to collect himself. As he looks around, there's a orange sparkle in his eyes,"Right, everyone tell me your strengths and weaknesses. If we pair the strengths up correctly we can do some damage, and we can cover for each other's weaknesses."

Malevolent

"You're making this sound like some elaborate battle plan, man, honestly all we need is the basics as far as i'm concerned. We're not playing chess"

Paul

"...I'm not sure if we want to make this complicated but I'll try again and talk to him. Maybe...Try and make myself assertive besides you guys? He'd usually trust any of you right?"

Lilith

"Assertion would be advised. After all, you are closest to him, are you not?"

Revak

* I'd assume he'd trust us...

Hollow

"I had a chance to talk to him before all this happened. We seemed to get along, so there's a chance I can still do something in that manner. He did let me leave without hassle..."

Vainglory

"Vainglory isn't so sure Alpha trusts him since he hasn't known Vainglory for very long. Plus Vainglory made him trip and tried to blind him." He lets out a sigh, before shuddering

"Also that big eye keeps looking at Vainglory funny.. as if it has a concious.."

Sela

"My right side is a bit of a gap in my defense." And that's all she'll reveal about her weaknesses. "You guys seem to be forgetting, he wants us to go at him and fight, so that it proves his point even further."

Sela said nothing when the others remarked on Johnny's trust or feelings toward them. The last time she saw Johnny... It ended pretty poorly. She frowns, wondering if he was being more aggressive because of her presence.

Paul

"We're all strong in our own ways. Just that...Whole soul thing and uh...'Bastion' entitlement isn't giving him a good way to gauge it."

Hollow

"About that soul thing....what do you know about that, Paul?"

Paul

A shrug, "Honestly, I'm just gettin' this whole info from you guys."

Revak

* Yeah, the whole "living wall" thing is kinda a hinderance... though, as far as the "souls" thing, I like Mal's idea of seeing if we can get a response from them.

Malevolent

"I mean, if you CAN get a response from them, you can usually tell at least"

Hollow

"That's why I wanted to know more, if anyone knows perhaps where the souls came from? Mal and I both have a...fair few souls ourselves. We might be able to use that to reach Johnny's."

Lilith

"We just have to either gauge a response from his or get him to listen a bit more closely to them. "

Paul

Another shrug, this time only giving a meek expression to their statement. "...I just wanna ask him a few things. I'm not gonna be scared this time."

Malevolent

"I ain’t gonna do anything that risks my souls I'll have you know, so whatever you have planned better not be something risky. But yeah, for now maybe we should start with a verbal approach"

Hollow

"If he stays calm...maybe he can tell us a bit more. And don't worry, I'll do the brunt of the work if necessary, i don't mind risking myself."

Paul

"Well...I guess we should just face the fireworks at least, eh?" Regardless, Paul would decided to trod his steps over to the entrance leading to the arena

.With that said, most of the group would follow suit with the mushroom taking the lead. Now more organized in their thoughts and perhaps a plan in mind, maybe, just maybe that the calm atmosphere now would lead to a possibly better outcome.

Only time would tell.

#ic #rp #Turn 4 #summary #intermission #TheHomecoming #event #ribbcn-bxnes #;Paul #Sela #misunderstoodkings #the-junk-sela #happyflowey

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