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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 16, 2018 4:40:39 GMT
Grizzled and grey, the old fisherman would blend into the fog if it weren’t for his banana-yellow raincoat. All was still as he cast his line and drew, over and over. He didn’t turn his head when the boards of the pier creaked. A man in even brighter clothes than the old man stepped up behind him. His pink suit was like the lighthouse, cutting through through the fog with its light. “Uh, sorry to bother you sir, but is this the Greenwater Pier? All the piers look the same here…” He rubbed the back of his head, making his ponytail twitch nervously. The old man turned up his weathered and whiskered face, pulling headphones from his ears.
“Yep, sonny. I keep saying we need to replace the sign cause nobody can read it, but nobody pays me no mind.” He turned back out to the water and put his earphones in, eyes losing focus again like he completely forgot the other man was there. The large man in pink blinked and opened his mouth, but decided against it. Do I really want to carry on the conversation anyway? He walked his way back up the pier and into town. It was little more than a single strip of road. At one end was a gas station, the other a bone-white church. In between there was an inn that served as the only restaurant in town. The seaward side was more interesting by far.
There were no real houses, only houseboats, all lashed to an extensive network of piers stretching out into the water. They were in varying states, some looking brand new, some looking like they should have sunk by now, and a few that looked like they did sink years ago and were just in denial about it. Dan shuddered. He was glad they didn’t expect their guests to get on those leaky death traps. He entered the inn, walking past the cold, grey people to the cold, grey room he had already rented. "Alright, Qiang. I checked out the spot. Daddy's going to fight on that peer right there tonight." He pointed out the window, but the pier was totally hidden.
The child who had been waiting on the bed flew up to it on feathered pink wings. "Qiang, what did I say about using your wings outside of the house?" Dan gently tucked them away, letting them fold back inside his son's body. He really wasn't sure how they fit in there, but he was glad they did. Qiang grumbled and fussed with oversized corduroy hat. "Yes, you have to keep that on too." The hat was cloaked in illusions to hide the pink rabbit ears his son actually sported, sewn courtesy of Cosmina, one of his friend's daughters. She had to make her own hats to hide the horns on her head and had made Qiang's at a steep discount. He sighed and glanced at the clock. Six more hours till the fight. He wouldn’t even have to check in until 9. At least that meant he had time for a meal and maybe a quick nap. For both of them.
Certainly a place at the shore had mussels? That alone would make the trip worth it. Dan walked back down the stairs, followed by his silent child. Nobody even gave him a passing glance as he took a seat down besides an odd man on the other end of the room. Everybody else had a grey, dour look, their cheeks loose and their eyes washed out. This man was very different. He was huge, fat, and vibrant. His nearly black cheeks were flushed with color, his eyes scanning the room. Dan looked away quickly, seeking out a waiter. Qiang's thoughts of food were getting beamed into his mind. "I know, we're getting food." Was he supposed to go to the bar to order? He was beginning to suspect that.
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Post by othus on Jul 16, 2018 7:19:51 GMT
-MUSASHI CASTLE- 2 DAYS BEFORE
It was a busy morning at the castle, at least for someone, Akane angrily strode into the main hall where Kichiemon was sharpening his blade, something in the upper floors was making a tremendous noise and it probably had no intentions of stopping anytime soon
*SNAP!*
*SNAP!*
*SNAP!*
The noises echoed in every room of the gigantic castle, the tall floors would resonate with every snapping sound, making it all the more evident, Akane looked around trying to guess where the sound actually came from, the way things were going, it would mess with her morning routine altogether, Akane was at the point of pulling her hair out of her head, while Kichiemon kept doing his own businesses as if nothing was happening, Akane knew he wasn't the stoic type, Kichiemon had always been a smartass ever since she knew him, it was clear he perfectly knew what was going on and that was the reason he wasn't complaining, Akane pulled in front of the samurai to question him.
"What the hell is that whipping sound?! isn't it bothering you? it's been 30 minutes!"
Kichiemon heavily grinned as he shook his head, he sheathed his blade as he addressed the Musashi.
"That, my lady, is the sound of your sister and Soon having make-up sex"
"AGAIN?! It's been 3 months! besides, what kind of sex even needs a whip?!"
The royal guard looked at Akane a couple of seconds more before he burst out into laughter, she walked out of the room red like a beet and even more pissed than when she arrived.
Elsewhere in the castle, Mai and Soon were having their fun, not caring whether anyone heard them or not, as far as it concerned them, they were extra quiet, and whoever managed to hear them was a fucking pervert, Soon suddenly stopped whipping Mai as she felt something.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Mai asked worried about the expression of her girlfriend "Are you having a vision?"
"Your sister is coming"
"FUCK! get changed already!" Mai dropped everything as she nervously looked around for her clothes in the massive room, needless to say, the thing was a mess
"Too late, she has already grabbed her swords, I'm out of here" Soon ran towards the window as she opened it fully
"Don't you fucking dare to leave me with her! this is also your fault!" She said as nervously looked at her, a couple of floors below Akane could be heard screaming in rage, along with the sound of her strident steps getting closer at a great speed, Mai had a good ear for her sister's steps, so she knew she was wearing the bloody armor!
"Yeah...no, I just remembered I had to do something VERY important, consider this also as part of your punishment, have fun" Hyo jumped out of the window still in lingerie as she flew away into the distance
"AT LEAST TAKE MY FUCKING CUFFS OFF!" Mai screamed as one of her sister's blades got through the door.
NOW
A girl walked through the dense fog, she was wearing a black coat which covered her from head to toe, for every step she gave the fog would seemingly avoid her, getting dispersed a foot or so before it could ever get to touch her.
It wasn't the first time Hyo-soon was sent to places like this, but she still hated it anyway, premonitions would always send her to dark or horrible places, how come she couldn't detect anything inside 5 star hotels or luxurious restaurants? Akane had a much better time than her, getting sent to bars, hotels, and trips to China, while she had to go to some godforsaken place. Still, she couldn't really come back for the next month or so for sure, and besides, she knew she couldn't be wrong, a psychic would cause grave disasters if left unchecked, and she had to do something about it, as irresponsible as she was, she would deal with espers herself.
she "walked" a mile or so until she finally saw the decrepit old sign: Greenwater... *Even the name is fucking horrible* she thought to herself as she hovered towards the pier, tired of walking like a normie.
once she finally saw wood on the floor, she stopped levitating and let the annoying fog come in contact with her, dispersing the weather and flying around was not something regular people could do, even some hidden world aware would raise a brow on that, so she decided to leave it for good, she had arrived anyway.
A couple dozen meters into it and she found an old man fishing by the pier into the barely visible waterbody, she was in a pretty bad mood so she thought it would be good to mess with him a little, she pulled the line with her powers, making it almost look as if he had caught a 20 pounder, she had originally thought about pushing him into the water altogether and drown him a little but that would surely attract unwanted attention, she decided to leave it at that as she kept walking towards the inn.
Once she looked inside the place she felt even worse than before, the entire thing was probably a tad smaller than Mai's room, although perhaps a little less messy somehow, she walked up to the bar to see if the Inn still had any rooms available.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 16, 2018 21:47:27 GMT
The old man robotically turned his reel to draw in his hook. He found nothing but an empty, dripping hook. His glassy eyes widened and his lips stretched back. He cast a glare after Soon, standing up and watching her step into the inn. He stared for a few more seconds before his eyes drifted back out to the water. He threw out his line again and sat, staring at the sea.
Inside the inn, Soon would find the bartender as odd as the old fisher. His receeding hair was like the feathers on a baby bird, thin and wet-looking. His face was the general shape and color of a tombstone, the only color on his person the red sunglasses covering his eyes. "You want a room? We have one. You want food? Take a menu." He kept fiddling with the glass in his thick fingers as he spoke, and with his glasses, Soon couldn't even tell if he was looking at her.
Behind her, Dan noted that she, much like the black man across the room, was clearly not a local. He wondered if either was his opponent here. He tried to remember what he was told about them. Didn't he watch some of their matches to prepare? Now he couldn't even remember their name. He frowned as he picked his mind, but their name was lost. Strange. "Alright, I'm going to the counter to order. What do you want?" He asked Qiang and an image of fish sticks flashed in his mind. "Come on, really? You can get those at home. This is where you get real sea food." Dan sighed and folded up the menus. "Well, alright."
He walked over to the counter, taking the opportunity to glance at Soon closer. He didn't catch any indication of excess musculature or other fighting traits, but in the Hidden World, that didn't really matter. "The mussel plate and the 4-piece fishsticks, please." He earned a slow nod from the bartender and glanced back at Soon. He might as well check. "Are you the one I'm meeting at Greenwater Pier tonight?" He asked as casually as possible, keeping an eye on Qiang, who was sitting still so far, drawing the notepad they bought on the way in.
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Post by othus on Jul 18, 2018 4:59:44 GMT
Soon looked somewhat in disgust at the bartender, but she still nodded when he showed her where to grab the menu, rushing out of Musashi Castle without preparing any luggage was insane, she barely even had any money so she was saving it for this precise moment, anything besides that, and she would have to live off sunlight, simply because Akane had blocked her credits, and as things looked around Greenwater, even sunlight was scarce. she responded to the Bartender:
"Yes, give me a room, whatever is fine... also, Fish and Chips...and whatever beer you have on tap"
Soon was getting ready to eat when the image of fish sticks was put in her mind, using mental images inside the bar without care was easy to pick for Soon, even if they weren't meant for her. Premonitions across the globe were picked by her on a daily basis, so picking a telepathic message across the room would be something she would catch unintentionally, she looked around until she noticed the boy, she wasn't ready for that, if that was the esper she needed to take down it would go against her morality. fortunately she didn't have to think longer on the matter as she was approached by Dan, She looked at the man wondering what was his deal, the pink clothing just made her raise a brow, she was there to stop espers not some guy in pink pajamas, so she was ready to tell him to fuck off...that was until she noticed the kid was his companion. Soon did not answer his question, rather, she made one of her own.
"Why did you brought a child here?"
He'd better give one heck of an explanation if he didnt want him to become her target, but more importantly, she needed to know whether he was a good guy or not.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 18, 2018 6:49:40 GMT
Dan was taken aback by her odd question. "Is there a reason I shouldn't have? I made sure these fights wouldn't traumatize him before deciding to take him, don't worry." He assumed she was talking about the fight. It seemed like a reasonable complaint, but Dan knew how to raise his son and he had decided these were okay to take him to. They could be bloody, but Dan had seen much worse in his life. The only thing he was still worried about was Qiang's reaction to him in particular getting hurt, but if Qiang truly couldn't handle it, it was best to learn early so he wouldn't take him in the future.
"Unless... that's not what you were talking about." Dan glanced at the bartender. "Would you care to discuss this at my table?" He motioned to demonstrate that it was nicely isolated in the corner, no locals nearby to listen in if she had something truly important to say. He was getting a feeling in the pit of his stomach about this woman, like she was waking him up from a pleasant dream. He was beginning to suspect his difficulty remembering any details about this fight weren't a case of tiredness or forgetfulness. He eyed the townsfolk with suspicion, but they didn't even look at him. The kept their eyes focused on their drinks, or their food, or straight ahead.
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Post by othus on Jul 18, 2018 7:47:08 GMT
"Right, the fight... let's have our food first, it's been a while since I last ate something, so yeah" while what she said was true, she knew the kid was also hungry, and that came first. now its as good time as any to mention Hyo has a soft spot for children, especially those with esper powers, largely because of the rough childhood she had herself, she could be quite cruel with adults, but never with children, after all, who could blame them?.
Soon waved at the bartender, letting him know she was gonna move to a table, she walked with Dan and gave the child a look as she sat, as much as she trusted her predictions, it was hard to believe this kid meant bad news, perhaps she was wrong after all? Espers were not as numerous as other groups of Hidden world denizens like Ki users, but it was still possible to have multiple in one place, she decided it would be better to ask the kid. A private talk would perhaps be better, so she connected mentally with him.
"Hey, how are you? my name is Hyo-Soon Park, you can speak with your mind like me, right?"
Soon also spoke with Dan as well, just looking at the kid would be too weird after all.
"Just to be clear, I don't like lying, so I am not gonna tell you I am a fighter, I am here on a completely different business"
The food finally came to the table and Soon began to dig in, maybe it was her hunger but her food was pretty damn good, she took a long drink from her beer as she finally said something else.
"So, who is the little guy?" she said as she offered him some of the fries from her plate. "Dig in, no need to be shy", she insisted with her mind and a big smile.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 18, 2018 20:46:20 GMT
The waitress, grey and tired as everybody else, barely looked at the people at the table as she placed their food down and walked off. Qiang poked at his fish sticks and found them too hot to eat. His eyes widened when he heard Soon's voice in his head and he looked up at her in awe. Apparently other psychics weren't very common in his life. He expressed as much, flickering images of other people, crossed off with an x before excitedly showing himself, Soon, and another woman. She was only projected into Soon's mind for a second, but it was long enough to tell she wasn't a regular human. Her hair was the color of grape juice mixed with blood, hanging in a massive spiky mane over her bare chest. It wasn't enough to hide the fact that green fur grew from her body like grass, strange and bestial. The image flickered for a second, showing something even more alien just for an instant before the image stopped being projected.
"You're not?" Dan sighed. It was looking more and more like he was tricked. "I'm Dan Drake. I'm a fighter for the Hidden World Battle Coalition. I got assigned my next match here, or at least so I thought. Now I can't remember who I was fighting or doing my research. Something's wrong, and you seem to know more about what than I do." I should have changed into something more combat-appropriate. I'm going to get my suit torn up again when things go south. Qiang grinned and started stuffing Soon's fries in his mouth. "Qiang! Those aren't yours! She... you're also psychic, aren't you?" Dan yanked Qiang away from the fries. "He's my son... if you were one of them... you'd know. I'm sorry, I jumped to conclusions. Sorry, Qiang." Dan straightened his son's hat and released him back into his seat. "We've had bad experiences with psychics." Qiang nodded in confirmation as Dan cracked open a mussel.
He put it up to his lips and slurped out the meaty body. His eyes were forced to the shell in shock. This was the best bivalve he had ever tasted! Qiang seemed to be having a similar situation with his fish sticks, little flashes of his delight being projected out for Soon and Dan. Dan examined his remaining mussels. They didn't seem to have been cooked in a particularly special fashion. They were just naturally perfect. He barely even noticed another person coming in. It was a young man in an oversized green coat, decorated in pins. His orange hair hung over his eyes, only exposing cheeks liberally sprinkled with freckles. Overly large headphones seemed to cover half of his head in a defensive shell, blocking him from the outside world as he sat. Nothing about his appearance would be that odd on a city street. But here, even the townsfolk seemed to take notice. Their glassy eyes all fixed on this intruder into their space, a blank, fishy stare.
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Post by othus on Jul 19, 2018 3:23:35 GMT
Soon sat frozen for a while trying to recognize the person he showed her, from his images it seemed obvious she was another Esper, perhaps she was the true target? asking him further would be a little too much for a first talk, so perhaps later.
-
"Hey, it's perfectly understandable, people like us find it hard to get along with our kind, espers can sometimes do fu...messed up things, myself included of course.
"Since you've been honest with me I guess I should also tell you why I am here"
Soon materialized a golden badge with the Musashi crest out of nowhere, she showed it to them both
"Perhaps you've heard of my clan, perhaps not, I am with the Musashi"
Soon made the badge disappear one more time as she had another bite of her fish, she then kept explaining
"We Musashi are a warrior clan, we are most known for our work as monster slayers, but we also do other types of jobs, I'm here to stop an esper, there is a strange phenomenon that usually brings people from the HW together, and I believe it is not a coincidence Quiang is also here, perhaps more espers are bound to concentrate in this area."
Soon kept eating until she was done, she gave the kid a pat on his shoulder as she finally got up from the table, Soon stretched out as she yawned.
"I need to get some rest, been flying for too long now, please let me know when your match begins, I'll be sure to keep an eye on your kid while you finish your businesses"
Soon eyed at the newcomer who entered through the bar a while ago, there was nothing to do about him for now, so she would leave it at that.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 19, 2018 6:02:30 GMT
"I'm afraid I haven't heard of you, no." Dan shrugged as he slurped up another mussel. He noticed something behind Soon when she stood. "Hold on. You're looking for an esper?" He pointed at the teenager who had sat down across from them and kid jumped to his feet, knocking the chair over. "Cause he always hung out with some espers I knew!" As the teenager took off through the door, Dan was rummaging through his wallet and threw down some bills onto the table. "We'd better hurry." He helped Qiang out of his seat and knelt. "You go to your room and lock the door. Don't let anybody in, okay?" He put a hand on Qiang's shoulder.
The child nodded, but his lip was beginning to wobble. "No, it's okay. Come on. I'll be right back." He patted Qiang on the back and pushed him towards the stairs before turning and running out into the fog. "Have you heard of the Worm With One Thousand Tongues? Or the Tongues of the Worm?" He asked Soon as he took off running. He was clearly superhuman in speed, while the young man clearly wasn't. In just a few seconds, he made up the whole head start and stopped in front of him. "Are you here with Abijah!?" He yelled out. The teenager just stewed, glaring out from under his hair. "That bitch!? I wish! She'd at least deal with this shit!" He angrily ripped off his headphones.
"Come on, come on..." He muttered. "Careful. I don't know what this guy can do." Dan asked as shapes began to appear in the fog. The kid's jacket started wiggling. Dan spotted something emerging form his sleeve and looked closer. His stomach churned when he saw what it was. A centipede was emerging, and it just kept extending as he watched. More insects poured from the young man's coat as he watched, and the centipede just kept coming. It had to be three feet long before it stopped. Dan watched an approaching cockroach for signs of being a threat, but instead he saw an eyeball open in the street. More opened in the fog and something started hovering forward, like the fog was given physicality. It waved misty tendrils for Soon and Dan. "I should note, I had no idea he could do this shit." Dan gulped as he backed away from the approaching creature, more eyes appearing on the street. |
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Post by othus on Jul 21, 2018 4:40:42 GMT
"The Worm With One Thousand Tongues? that's a mouthful, never heard of it. but I do wanna hear more from that guy" she also rushed towards the fog, albeit at a much slower speed than Dan, she couldn't really run that fast. She caught up to him just in time to hear the conversation, who was Abijah? well, she would have time to ask him plenty afterward.
The teenager began to release insects from his clothes, while the fog also began to act in a strange pattern, Soon looked at the abilities without flinching and then she looked at Dan for a second.
"Yeah...I guess This is a good time for me to tell you my powers heavily rely on sunlight, I'm not doing this, he's all yours flamingo dude, good luck" she told the man as she flew away into the air, Soon pushed the fog away trying to leave the place, she was not the hero type.
As she flew away she remembered the kid was still inside the Inn, the thought of him losing his father just made her stomach turn.
*tch, fucking hell*
Soon flew back twice as fast as she left, it was awkward, since she tried to bail on him, but she doubted he wouldn't appreciate the help.
"Never mind, I changed my mind, look, I might have a good shot or two, you will have to make an opening, just be careful with that fog"
Soon held back behind dan as she closed her eyes, she began increasing her precognition, seeing into the fight just enough to be one step ahead of Dan, with one hand in an open palm she began to amass energy, the particles of light took a spherical form the size of a golf ball
*Huh? that's it? fucking mist it's just bullshit!*
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 21, 2018 19:32:05 GMT
"What!? Come on, my powers are no good for this!" Dan threw a useless ball of energy that passed right through the fog monster. Oddly, even Soon's attack that pushed away the fog didn't seem to effect the monster in any way. Its tendrils lashed out, leaving shallow cuts across Dan's chest and arms. He sighed. He'd need this fixed up again. "Just run away like her and it'll all stop!" The kid yelled, his voice cracking. Dan just grinned. "And miss the chance to punch you in the face?" He was looking for a way around the fog monster when Soon came back.
He stared at her in annoyance for a few seconds before turning back to the enemy esper. "Don't hit him too hard. I think he's a regular human besides his powers." Dan dove into combat, but things were getting weirder. He noticed his punches doing nothing. That much was expected. But there was more than that The psychic didn't seem to be controlling his monster in any meaningful way. He just stood still, looking increasingly nervous. Things continued to change though. Dan was hearing hums and pops, seeing little balls of light dance around the battlefield. What kind of esper was this guy? It seemed totally wrong. Something more like magic than anything else. But he know this kid was a psychic, not a mage, so just what was he doing?
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Post by othus on Jul 21, 2018 20:27:22 GMT
"Now that you mention it, this thing will definitely kill, ahhh what a waste of energy" Soon replied as she looked at the light ball she made, after thinking about it for a second she made it disappear.
"Ok, change of plans, those powers of his are sort of confusing, perhaps illusions?" Soon began to do TK pushes at everything, she pushed against the kid at least with enough force to knock him 2 or 3 meters back, if that did not work then she would focus on the light balls, if they were truly light then she could very well absorb those. whatever this kid was doing, it certainly would be a trick, as strong as espers are, they are not reality warpers.
"It is only a matter of time before we get your trick, why don't you surrender now and I'll spare you the beating huh?"
Soon kept her distance, it was clear the tendrils were able to inflict some damage, but other than that she would be fine, the techniques of this kid were focused on deception and defense rather than in offense.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 22, 2018 1:08:35 GMT
The psychic yelped as he was whipped off his feet, thrown bodily back by Soon's attack. He hit the ground hard, but the strange events didn't stop. Dan, however did. "Illusions... you're right!" He held still and let the fog monster lash a whip-like tendril right at him. Its speed sent a sharp crack through the air, but the tendril didn't leave a scratch on him, passing through harmlessly. He looked at his arms, finding the cuts that had riddled them erased like they had never been there. Soon would find the lights completely useless.
"They're some incredible illusions, though! They actually hurt if you believe in them! Doesn't look like it's real damage though. Maybe he'll explain it." Dan walked over to the fallen enemy and lifted him by the front of his coat, clenching the army-green fabric in his fist. His excitement from the fight was fading. Now he was holding a teenager with the wheeze of somebody with the wind driven from their lungs and wondering how to do this. "Don't hit me!" The kid cringed, hiding his face in his hands. "Uh... right. I will if you don't tell me your name, and... right, what you're doing here, and if the Tongues are responsible for calling me here! Ahm... anything you want to know?" He turned back to Soon.
"I'm just Harold, man! Abijah didn't send me, I was trying to get away and then I ran into you and I was like fuck, it's him, and I bolted! There's no plan! I was just here cause it's a small town and I'm trying to lie low! Come on, you've got to believe me!" He whimpered until Dan unceremoniously dropped him. "It's been nice knowing you, but I'm leaving." He tipped his hat to Soon. "Please don't do anything... unseemly to this guy, okay? Murder and torture and stuff. I'm going home. I don't know what's up, but I'm not staying in this town... over... shit." He stopped when he heard the rumble of thunder. It was only a few more seconds before a torrential downpour, like a solid wall of rain, began coming down. The roads around here would be impassible in this weather.
"You aren't doing this, are you?" He turned to the defeated Harold. "I wouldn't even if I could control it. The images are just what I see all the time. Taking the headphones off makes other people see them." Harold put the headphones back on and everything he had summoned vanished. Centipedes, fog monsters, and eyeballs all became nothing in a snap. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not crazy. Crazy people don't know what they're seeing is fake." He cast a glare at Soon and Dan. "I don't care what you are, I need a way out of this town." Dan grumbled.
"I'm afraid nobody goes anywhere in weather like this. The rounds round here are bad enough when they're dry." The voice came from behind Dan and a figure walked from the fog. He was a local, Dan could tell by his pallid skin. His cheeks drooped like a basset hound's ears, giving him a froggy frown. A sherrif's uniform clung to his plump form, already soaked by the rain. "You said you're with the Musashis, right? Don't worry, the town's HW. As should have been pretty obvious to ya'll." He winked a bulging eye. "We trust the word of a Musashi. Give it and we'll keep him in the jail for the night. You can leave in the morning with him." He was addressing Soon, leaving Dan to irritably pace. He didn't want to stay here, but he wasn't getting a choice, was he?
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Post by othus on Jul 24, 2018 2:34:05 GMT
Soon looked at the teen wondering whether or not it was ok to beat the living heck out of him, perhaps he was still too young, plus Dan requested not to do anything to him, Soon simply grabbed the esper by the shoulder.
"I won't do anything to you kid, just answer me, you said you were trying to get away, from what exactly? and who the hell is Abijah?!"
It was at that moment that a storm came, Soon quickly set a TK field not to get wet, she hated bad weather, once the sheriff arrived everything felt a lot more relaxed, it was good to know he would hand over the kid to her.
"Ughh this is the fucking worst...You've heard the sheriff, kid. You will spend the night in jail and then you are coming with me, if you answer all my questions truthfully I might even treat you nice, how about it? now if you excuse me, I am in dire need of sleep, hopefully, tomorrow we will have better weather"
Soon looked at Dan, he seemed to be bothered by the situation, but at least the problems were over, Soon did not think that kid was the cause of her premonition, as it had been too easy, and in her experience, it rarely was easy.
"Let's go back and tell your kid everything is fine, he seemed worried enough, Sheriff, I leave this idiot in your care, thanks. oh and by the way, kid, if you try something funny like escaping, I will not go easy on you, trust me, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry"
Soon headed back to the Inn, just to let the kid know everything went fine, after that, she would surely fall flat on whatever even resembled a bed, as unlike the Musashi sisters, Soon was not picky at all, as long as she had a roof everything would be just fine. she'd had it worse before for sure. In her eyes, that Inn could very well be a 5-star hotel for her. still, she did wish she could take a bath, perhaps she would do that if the water was warm enough.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 24, 2018 21:02:24 GMT
"I was running away from the cult! I never wanted any of this crap! And Abijah's been doing some really weird stuff to me lately. Really weird." Harold didn't resist as he was cuffed. "Abijah is Qiang's mother. She's... she's not human. I can tell you more tomorrow over breakfast." Dan sighed and looked away. He really wasn't in the mood to talk about her right now. It was late and his son was waiting. "You think I'd run? I'd rather go with you than her!" Harold let the sheriff drag him away.
Dan didn’t bother watching him go, just walking back to the hotel. He stopped at the top of the stairs, where their paths split. “I just want to warn you in case Abijah actually shows up. She eats thoughts. Once she gets close, you won’t be able to think or strategize, and well, you’re a psychic, right? I’m sure any powers requiring thought won’t work either if she’s close. Be careful.” He waved her off and entered his room.
Qiang hopped off the bed and flapped his way over to hug Dan. “Qiang! What did I tell you about flying?” Dan hugged him back and placed him on the bed. “Lights out at 7, but we can do whatever you like until then.” Dan threw his wet coat over the bathroom door. Qiang rummaged in the suitcase and grabbed a picture book. It was one of a few picture books Dan had loaned from Arthur to teach Qiang to read. The little rabbit seemed especially partial to the fairy book he was bringing over now. Dan sat on the bed and patted the space next to him and Qiang flew up to cuddle up next to him. Dan told a story of fairies and flowers, and slowly Qiang’s eyelids lowered.
A few hours later, Qiang was asleep in his own bed while Dan read. It was a little past 9, and two forces fought in Dan’s mind. He knew he should sleep so he could get up early, but worry gnawed at him. He kept looking at Qiang like he thought the child would vanish. Abijah would snatch him away at the first opportunity if they met. But sitting up worrying wouldn’t defend his son. Dan stretched and crawled under his covers. He would sleep, but his dreams would be cloudy and dark.
If Soon checked the water, she’d find it warmed up quickly enough, although there was something odd. It had the salty smell of the sea. Soon could feel just how salty it was if she touched it. If she was willing to overlook that, it was perfectly fine for a bath, if rather odd.
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Post by othus on Jul 24, 2018 23:55:26 GMT
Soon suddenly recalled the image Quiang sent to her when they first met, that woman had to be Abijah, well, at least she now knew where the esper powers came from, inherited powers are always better than unlocked, less of a trauma in her opinion, but regarding her villainous mother who would know? Soon heard Dan's advice regarding the esper:
"Well, that's fucking great, I might as well throw myself out of the window when I see her"
Soon knew this posed a major problem, she had to think A LOT in order to use precognition and photokinesis, Tk was iffy, she had been using it all her life without thinking about it, at least for her using TK was aa natural as using her arms, if she could restrict thought at that level then she was screwed.
"Ugh, no point in thinking about that, if I see her coming I will blast her away from afar, my skills are rather well suited for long-distance encounters, so...have a good night"
Soon finally was able to get some rest, she got naked as she opened the shower, the salty feel of the water immediately made her cringe, she knew this wouldn't do.
*the fuck is this?!* she thought as she angrily kicked at the wall with her barefoot, she immediately regretted that decision as her puny finger toes got hurt from the blow
*Fuck that hurts!!!!!* she began limping on her foot when the water from the shower made her further slip headfirst into the salty shower
"FUUUUUUCCKKK!!!!" Soon said out loud as she sobbed while still on the floor, now with a bloody nose. the shower kept wetting her body and she defeatedly let it do so, she would stay there for the next 20 minutes, unable to even think about getting up, it was pathetic.
After she finally got out, she began to dry her body, naturally, it felt sticky and itchy all over, she began to remove the salt particles out of her body with TK, a slow, and slightly painful ordeal, by the time she ended it was already close to 11, any clothes on her skin would feel like sandpaper, so she decided to sleep naked, soon layed on her bed and within minutes she was out, watching Soon sleep was rather creepy, as the esper unconsciously floated over the bed, with a single sheet covering her body, It would have looked like something out of a horror movie, if not for the fact her pillow also floated with her, carrying her head as she slowly hovered across the room, Soon will soon remember that sleeping in small rooms would make her bump headfirst against a wall every 3 hours or so, it truly was a torment.
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 25, 2018 3:50:54 GMT
Dan couldn't quite remember his dream when he woke up. He recalled that Abijah was there, but not what she was doing. She was a frequent character in them, and he didn't like any of her roles. His mind scrambled to find why he had woken up. It was a noise, wasn't it? He listened closely and heard the floor creak. He had to be imagining it. Even he didn't make the floor creak that much. It had to be way bigger than him, whatever it was. It kept creaking until the noise was right next to his bed and he lunged from his sheets. He heard the sound of shattering wood and dying springs when something smashed through his bed.
Dan grabbed Qiang from his own bed and spun to face the room. Qiang's eyes fluttered open, but Dan had no time to explain. His eye twitched when he saw them. His eyes were adapting to the darkness slowly, but he recognized the dark shapes pushing into his room as the townspeople. Their skin stood out as slick and damp in the moonlight. That wasn't what he was worried about though. The thing that had smashed his bed loomed closest and even in the dim light, it churned Dan's stomach.
It stood on a mass of tentacles, spilling out under it like wretched tree roots. Two more tentacles waved from halfway up its body like fat flippers. Worst was its head, nearly scraping the ceiling. Above the mouth, it was human, but almost infantile. Fat and bald, with large eyes. They stared blankly like fish eyes, devoid of feeling and empathy. Its mouth was hard to read in the darkness, but Dan thought he saw short, tusk-like mandibles propping open loose flesh. Qiang was waking up more and his fear was flowing out into the room. Everything here was looking at the child. Dan backed up towards the window, but something stopped his steps.
Was Soon also under attack? Who cares! Protect Qiang! His parental instincts screamed. Something else took over and he lowered his stance, guarding Qiang as much as he could. "Don't worry, don't worry, I've got you. Daddy knows what he's doing." He whispered as he took off charging right towards the abomination before him. It lurched forward in response and swung at his head, but he ducked right under to go on to the wall. He turned his shoulder and rammed right through, carrying right on smashing through walls until he came through into Soon's room. Nothing was here. No grey townsfolk, no monsters. Just a floating Soon.
She wasn't in danger, but he was, and she was the only help he had. Dan grabbed her sheet and whipped it away, just in case smashing through the wall wasn't enough. "Wake up!" He yelled, realizing only a second later that she was naked. Even in the dark, that was very apparent. Red slowly trickled into his cheeks as he realized that he himself was in only his boxers. He didn't have time to grab some clothes for her as a few townsfolk were already following him in, raising firearms but hesitating. They want Qiang. Dan realized. Otherwise they'd already be shooting. |
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Post by othus on Jul 25, 2018 5:32:53 GMT
Soon was well known for being a heavy sleeper, but even she would find it impossible not wake up with all that ruckus, things were even worse when she felt Dan pulling his sheet, the situation was extremely confusing to the half-asleep esper.
"W-What the fuck?!!!" Soon looked at Dan and for a moment and she really wanted to kill him thinking he was some kind of pervert, that was until she noticed not only the kid on Dan's arms, but the townsfolk heading their way, she did not care about being naked at all, there was no time. she flew in front of Dan as she stood between them at the mob
"we need to get out of here!" she told Dan as her TK barrier began to push against the mob, they would have to be inhumanly strong just to move forward now. At the same time, she created a white light on her hand, it was dim enough for it to be seen directly, it almost had a soothing tone to it, she tossed the light towards the mob as she turned her back.
"COVER YOUR EYES!" the dim light suddenly Flashed with the strength of a flashbang, it wasn't an offensive attack, but it would blind the lot, Soon grabbed her coat that was lying on her bed as she covered herself, she pulled Dan by the arm and jumped out of the room into the window, she was barely able to lift dan mid-flight, but it would be just enough for them to land safely outside, Soon looked back into the Inn, trying to discern what the hell was going on, the way they did not shoot their weapons made her get to the same conclusion as Dan, those guys were after the kid.
"What the heck was that Dan? if you know something spit it out! those guys will be here soon!"
Soon really was out of energy, midnight was when she was at her weakest point, and that flash of light was the last she had in reserve.
"We need to get out of here and hide, I can barely fight now, do you think the kid that the sheriff took is still alive? we need to get him as well"
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Post by HungryHunter on Jul 25, 2018 7:23:39 GMT
Soon's barrier held easily against the grey folk of the town, but the monster was beginning to slowly lurch its way closer behind them. Dan wasn't sure how strong Soon's barrier was, but he had the feeling that thing was stronger. Dan covered his eyes as commanded, but the light broke through even closed eyes and his fingers. He was still blinded when Soon yanked him off the ground and through the window. He could only turn so that he high the mud first, defending Qiang. The cold of the rain and mud all mingled together so that until he got his bearings, it was like he was floating in the ocean.
Stabs of panic jabbed out from Qiang and Dan sat up to pat his head and hug him close. "Shhh, shhhhhh, it's fine, it's okay, it's okay." He looked up at the window, where the townsfolk had yet to gather. When Soon demanded they go find Harold, he just stared at her. There was a part that was demanding they did just that, but far more was demanding he get his son out of here. Dan struggled to his feet and looked to the inn parking lot, where his small pink car waited. Even from here, in the dark of night and rain, he immediately saw that the hood was open. He didn't need to look closer to tell his car wouldn't drive. "Shit... shit shit shit..." Townsfolk had begun showing up at the window, pointing rifles down. They hesitated again, but at a call, they began firing at Soon. More began walking around the side of the inn, where they were apparently in wait around Dan's window in case he tried the same maneuver.
"I apologize for not intervening earlier. I expected you would still be in your room." A voice deeper than the ocean the town sat upon rumbled from amidst the two. "I truly believed that you were here by chance, Dan Drake." Dan spun to see the massive black man from before. His skin was flaking away, leaving only pitch black darkness. "You both have noble intentions that I shall help you to fulfill. Take my hands and I shall provide a place of safety for Qiang before we work together to liberate our youthful psychic. We shall discuss his custody later. He is of immense interest to the HWIC as much as the Musashi." As he extended his arms to them, he grew two more. His head lost all semblance of humanity, with four eyes glowing like hot coals in something almost canine, with four long horns sticking out. Dan looked away and saw tentacles extending from the inn as ever more townsfolk appeared. He had no choice. He grabbed a hand, vast enough to wrap around his own bicep. "Take me." He pleaded.
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Post by othus on Jul 26, 2018 18:43:37 GMT
Perhaps Soon was all too distracted, the sleepless nights had made her reactions slow, and the low sunlight only weakened her even further, the townsfolk shot at Soon who did not manage to react in time, she got injured by a shot on her leg as well as another on her right shoulder and one more in her left arm, she rolled on the ground until she finally was able to take some cover, she fought the pain and stopped the bleeding with her powers, being half naked, and shot was not exactly a good way to go, furthermore, the creature was heading their way, with her current condition it would be impossible for her to win against it, would that really be her end?
Soon knew that if one of the five rings were to fall in combat, an extermination squad of 20 associates and the rest of the rings led by Akane would come and murder anyone related as revenge, Soon needed to survive, for the Musashi would surely try to murder Dan and his kid as well, she knew what Mai was really capable of when she was angry, if she were to restore the overlord in anger she wouldn't hesitate to deploy weapons of mass destruction. The only one that could keep Mai in check was her, so she had to survive at all costs.
Soon wondered what else she could do in that state, she was about to give up when a dark figure appeared before Dan, it was a pitch black monster, his eyes, unlike anything she had ever seen before. she listened as the creature offered to take Dan and the kid into safety, there really wasn't any other choice, so Soon spoke to the monster as she laid on the ground
"HWIC?! Take me with you as well, monster...I will not let anything happen to that kid, I have to know you are trustworthy"
The creature might have thought Soon acted out of orders from her clan, but in reality, she was honestly interested in protecting the child, she did not care about the mission anymore, hell, she did not even care about her own well being, if she could help him from not suffering as much as she did when she was a child then that would be worth risking her life.
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