Tea Time

The smell of orange and cinnamon wafted through the tea room, as hot water was poured carefully over a mix of tea leaves. Potted plants of all sorts lined the room, radios set to play birds’ chirps that echoed through the room. The only way it could be more serene was if there was real grass beneath one’s feet instead of a luxurious rug and if the walls imitated the skies outside, rather than covered with several paintings of the massive, horrifying form of Lord Terrorhate. Paintings Etrohus would love to rip off the wall and throw straight in the garbage.

“They’re too valuable to throw away!” his advisors cried once when he threw one particularly horrid painting into the garbage. “Oh, what your father would think if he saw you throwing away pictures of his magnificence!”

His father would have him tortured just for doing a so-called ‘shabby’ job at ruling, Etrohus figured. But he’s quite dead, so his opinion hardly mattered.

In spite of the paintings, it was the one place Etrohus could find peace. Where he could find a small bit of joy in the tedium of his life. There was nothing quite like having a cup of tea after particularly difficult negotiations with other species from other planets, or after several heroes attempting to bribe him to pretend that they killed him so they could brag to their friends, or even after his advisors constantly lavished him with food and praise so sickly sweet, he could gag. Over a cup of Earl Grey, it was easy to forget the troubles in life, the issues he wished to address, everything. Of course, tea time was not complete if he wasn’t wearing the fuzziest ferret-covered pajamas he could find, black hair braided back and swaying to and fro.

Etrohus waited patiently for the tea to steep, then raised the cup to his lips. Warmth surged through his fingers, the steam tickling against his nose as he smiled.  A sip was all it took for that warmth to spread throughout his body, the sweet, tangy, and spicy taste tingling against his tongue.

Bliss. Pure and utter bliss. Heavens above, may this moment never end-

Something crashed outside of the room, the sound of glass falling on the ground. A screech of, “GET BACK HERE!” pierced the silence, as several loud footsteps passed right by the tea room’s door. Etrohus sighed. Another intruder? Or did one of the servants decide to steal something from the advisors? Whatever the case, they were making quite a commotion. The king did his very best to ignore the yells and screams, concentrating on the birds chirping. It was much harder once he heard magic spells being thrown around willy nilly; you can’t exactly hear birds chirping when there was an explosion nearby.

This lasted for about a minute or so until the door flew wide open, a young woman with a small backpack on her back rushing in before slamming it shut and locking the door behind her. She did not seem to notice, in her effort to catch her breath and to clean her wide, round glasses, that Etrohus was there. “Oh, thank goodness, I’m safe!” she said with a sigh of relief, slumping down the door and taking a seat on the floor. “Now to wait them out and sneak past them to face the King of this castle! And hope I don’t get beat up too badly, I guess?” The woman frowned for a moment, taking a moment to adjust her glasses and fix up her braids. “Yeah, sure, not sure what I’m expecting, taking on a bet like this, but never hurts to try-“

The words died in her throat when Etrohus cleared his throat loud enough to catch her attention.

“I, uh, um,” the girl stammered, pulling a sheet of paper from her backpack and unfolding it as fast as she could. She looked up at Etrohus and smiled nervously. “Oh, hi, didn’t…. uh, notice you there! You wouldn’t, um, happen to be the king of this place, would you?”

Oh no. Another hero? He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to humor her. “I am,” he said in his most regal voice. “And what business have you with someone such as myself?”

The woman blinked. “Oh, huh, what do you know? Uhm, pardon me a moment…” She glanced down at the piece of paper, muttering something under her breath until she looked straight at Etrohus and said, “Excuse me, but my fists have an appointment… WITH YOUR FACE!” She held out a shaky fist and grinned, in spite of her whole body trembling. After a few seconds, though, the woman asked, “I-is now a good time?”

Etrohus took a long sip of tea, unsure of whether to laugh or give the woman a blank stare. She didn’t appear to have a weapon of sorts, unless she could conjure weapons from the void. In addition, she was alone, and nervous. Not the best first impression, but her one-liner was remotely entertaining.

After a few moments deliberation, he placed his cup down and said, “Apologies, but I have a different appointment with this cup of tea right now. Care to schedule for another day?”

“Oh! Oh. Oooooh.” Another blink. “Yeah, sure. Is later this afternoon okay?”

“I believe I’ll have another unscheduled appointment with Jerry later. He has a tendency of dropping by at the most inopportune moments. I would prefer if you scheduled it a week from now, if you really wish to see me.”

“Morning or afternoon?”

“Preferably afternoon.”

Etrohus raised an eyebrow as the woman wrote it down on her piece of paper. She seemed pleased enough, folding it back up and stuffing it into her backpack. “Right then, Mr. King! My fists will smash into your face in a week’s time, provided that I… um, don’t die beforehand.” She opened the door and peered outside for just a moment before hastily closing it and locking it again. “Mmmind if I stay here for a little bit? Your guards look kinda, um, pissed.”

“Not surprised, considering you tricked them and hid here,” said the king bluntly. “Since you’ve already interrupted what was supposed to be a peaceful time, I guess I wouldn’t mind your company a tad bit longer… under one condition.”

The uninvited guest stared, breaking into a nervous smile. “Oh, uh, yeah? I’ll do anything! Except, well, you know…”

Etrohus gave her a gentle smile. “Oh, it’s nothing serious. You see, usually, when one makes appointments, they give their name. If you could spare that much, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“OH! J-just my name, huh?” The woman grinned a little. “It’s a little funky, though. Family tradition, and all.”

The king couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow to that. “Oh? Well, don’t keep me waiting too long.”

“It’s… Comet Warwitch.”

Etrohus was glad that he was not sipping on tea, because he was quite sure he would have spat it out in that very moment. “W-wait, that’s a joke, right?” he asked, eyes wide as he gave her a worried look. “Surely your parents wouldn’t-“

“Everybody says that,” Comet replied with a frown, playing a little with her hair. “And I get it. I totally get it. But my dad, Claymore Tsunami, insisted on it. It’s family tradition, you wouldn’t break tradition, would you? It’s bad, but you live with it. Kinda. Maybe. Sort of.”

“Ech, that’s not a good excuse. I feel your pain, however. I’m sure you’ve heard of Dread Warlock, Deathflame, haven’t you?”

Comet perked up and nodded her head. “There’s not one person who hasn’t heard of him, yeah!” It took a moment, but the way she slumped as she connected the dots… “Oh. Ooooooh. Ouch. That’s… you, isn’t it?”

“In the flesh. But I would prefer you call me Etrohus; Deathflame is a nickname I made up when I was twelve, and yet nobody has bothered to drop it the moment I started to get embarrassed over it.” Etrohus slumped in his chair as well, staring up at the ceiling as he gave a mighty sigh. “Not even my father seemed to respect me enough to stop calling me that. Parents are strange.”

“You bet, Etrohus!” Etrohus couldn’t help the sudden jolt in his heart when she said his name, his actual name. A few moments pass them by before Comet glanced at him and said, “Well, uh, you’re a lot more, um… nice, than people say you are.”

Etrohus met her gaze, curious. “And what makes you say that?”

“First of all, I’m not dead! They said you’d slay anyone who even looks at you funny.”

“That would be more of my father’s thing, who is currently dead as dead could be. I only tend to knock people unconscious, and only if they truly wish to see a part of my power.”

“And you’re not looking down at me or anything.

“Even if your sudden intrusion was rude, you are still a person.” Etrohus smiled and added, “Besides, you’re the first person who respected my wishes enough to call me by my actual name, which is… honestly quite sad, regarding the company I keep.”

Comet smiled back for a moment before looking down at the ground. “It kind of makes me not want to keep that appointment,” she admitted, putting a hand on the back of her neck. “But you kind of, um… did bad things. And I’m a hero, so I kind of have to at least try to beat you up for what you did.”

Etrohus drained the last bit of tea from his cup before he gave Comet a sorrowful look. “I will not deny that I did terrible things, and any comeuppance that awaits may be fully deserved,” he stated, voice low but firm. “You are more than welcome to attempt it. But like so many others who have tried, I will warn you just once: there is a good reason I’m still alive, while those who faced me are incapacitated. You may very well join them if you actually challenge me. Even if,” he strained to add, “you make for good company, amongst the sycophants I deal with every day.”

The young woman laughed nervously, trying her best to smile as she wrung her hands. “Well, you know, I already took a bet with friends… said that I could at least cause you a lot of trouble before I go out. Can’t leave them like that, and, well, get called a chickenshit and all, um, ya know?”

“Hardly a friend if they’re going to call you stuff like that for deciding facing off with someone powerful enough to beat other heroes with ease is not something you want to do right away,” Etrohus growled. He noticed what he said and coughed. “I mean, I would concern yourself more with your well-being than what others would think of you.”

“Y-yeah, I guess!” Comet creeped towards the door and unlocked it, opening it just enough to peer outside and close it. “Wow, your guards are being, um, really vigilant. I might not, uh… be able to leave and stuff.”

The king stood up from his chair and lifted a finger, dragging it down through the air as if scratching a chalkboard. Where it trailed, a rift opened up, revealing a small, cozy town beyond. Comet hurried over and stared, slack jawed at the awesome sight. Etrohus looked at her and said, “Well, here is a more convenient way out. The appointment’s no good if they find you and use you for whatever sick plans they have in mind. It should lead to the nearest town.”

Comet looked at him as if he had just given her a million gold. “Wow, really? Um, ah, thanks! I appreciate it lots, Etrohus! But next time we meet, don’t get too mad if I repay you with a boot to the head and… stuff like that. Bye-bye!”

The woman hopped right in after waving at the king, the rift sealing itself behind her. Now he was alone once more, thoughts steeping like the tea he prepared.

The Dreadful King

(Just some offseason thing I got way too hype about and decided "you know what, fuck it, let's put this on my blog". I will finish up Sammy's and Carlos's fun in the mall when I return from Rhode Island. So sometime around December 8th or 9th. In the meantime, enjoy!)

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“Halt, foul king! Face us in combat! Or are you too cowardly to face true heroes?”

 Yet again, a ragtag band of men, wearing chainmail and holding swords, axes, and spears in their hands, came to deal with him. Infiltrated the white, steely walls of his castle, annoyed his servants enough to point them in the right direction, and, judging from their swollen gold bags, looted some of the treasure rooms he explicitly asked his advisors to patrol better.  “You’ll just get the money back off their corpses!” they said. “Just splatter them against the walls!” they said.

Clearly, they didn’t remember how long it took to clean the gore off the walls and carpet, as well as the utter guilt that came even before he wrote condolences to that poor group’s families.

As the heroes pointed blades towards him, the king slowly stood up from his golden throne, light reflecting off of his shining, crimson armor. He adjusted his crown helmet, making sure his long horns actually fit through the holes on top. After a moment’s worth of stretching, the mighty king said, “Fifth time I’ve heard that this week alone. All of you heroes are starting to sound like a broken record, and it’s quite disappointing. But sure, I will humor your attempts, as I have for several heroes before you. I have to be fair, at least.”

 One man spat out, “Are you making a mockery of the Yules?! You have no clue how truly powerful we are, Dread Warlock Deathflame! We have trained for this VERY MOMENT, so we can end your reign of terror!”

“As have several others like you,” Deathflame replied with a bored look. “I am at least willing to see just how powerful you are as a group, but I will warn you… There is a very good reason I’m still here, and others are recovering from the injuries I inflicted upon them. So pardon me if I don’t have much faith in you, even if I wish you the best of luck.”

The men clenched their teeth and gripped their weapons tightly as they charged towards Deathflame, who made nary an effort to avoid them. They roared in unison, their weapons clashing against the king’s armor. Swords and axes left scratches where they left, but the king did not budge, nor did he flinch as a spear struck his face. They were mere pinpricks to him, hardly the horrible pain the heroes thought they would inflict upon him.

Deathflame sighed as he pulled the spear out of his face and tossed it aside, ducking underneath the longswords and greatswords and kicking an axe out of one Yule’s hand. It flew up and lodged itself deep in the ceiling, much to the astonishment of its wielder. Deathflame backed away as the Yules regrouped, whispering things to one another as the king dusted himself off.

 “And that is the result of your training?” Deathflame asked, a tinge of worry in his voice. “If so, it would take a week for me to feel remotely sore from your blows. Do you have any sort of magic at your disposal?”

The group shook their heads as one scrawny man yelled out, “Magic’s fer witches! Real warriors let their weapons do the talkin, instead of this fancy hocus-pocus!”

“Do kindly tell that to the one man long ago who used Spellswords against me and actually stood a chance. I’m sure he will have quite the speech prepared for you.” Deathflame let out another sigh as he placed a hand on his chin. “Okay. I am afraid to say this, but… as you are now, you may be better off with more training and a more open mind towards magic. Again, one week to even make me remotely sore. That, and your armor is woefully inadequate. Usually, the cream of the crop wears Mythril to withstand physical and magical forces better.”

They didn’t take the advice too well, judging from the Yules’ growling and gritted teeth. “Is that how you look upon us?!” a Yule snapped. “Thinking that we’re not good enough for you?!? We don’t need your advice, and we don’t need any fancy-shmancy stuff to defeat you!”

“The last time someone said that, they had their ribs broken from one of my punches.”

“Oh, quit bluffin' and just show us your power already!”

Deathflame groaned as the men steeled themselves for his blows. They thought he was bluffing? That’s no good. Nobody worth their salt would underestimate their opponent. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt as he conjured an ethereal greatsword and held it in his hands. With one swing and all the restraint he could muster, Deathflame unleashed a shockwave that blew the Yules off their feet and flying in several directions. Most left dents in the wall, while a few managed to tumble down a staircase or crash right into a crowd of servants. One glance told Deathflame all he needed to know: they were out cold, and they weren’t going to wake up anytime soon.

With yet another hollow victory under his belt, the so-called Dread Warlock Deathflame looked down at his hands as if he were ready to sob.

“They didn’t stand a chance.”

Deathflame was not impressed by the gaggle of advisors that visited him hours after that poor excuse of a battle, especially when they were all crowding him at once. At least the heroes were removed from the walls and sent to the nearest hospital with haste. The last thing he needed was to see his advisors making sure they never got up again… or worse, use them as their little pets to torture.

“Fantastic work on defeating those pathetic worms who defy your rule, Your Majesty!” one advisor, a stout, fluffy eagle, said with glee. He placed a talon on his king’s shoulder as he squawked, “Honestly, I don’t know why they bother trying to dethrone you!”

“Never mind that,” said a slimy, worm-like creature, an odd fluid dripping onto the King’s armor as he spoke in his ear. “Why do you keep sparing them?! What you should be doing is a public execution! Like quartering! I love quartering, you see, your father used to do that all the time-“

Another advisor chimed, “I don’t know; burning them alive is more fun! All those useless attempts to scream and put out the fires-“

Yet another huffed, “Please. Where I am from, we used traitors as… lab rats, let’s say. It had very interesting results, seeing those so-called heroes turn into something they despised.”

 More and more advisors talked about their favorite forms of torture, Deathflame clenching a fist and growling until he finally snapped, “ENOUGH!” The entire room fell silent as he cast a glare upon them all. “I will not sink to such lows for your amusement. Honestly, I hardly understand why you relish in the misery of men.”

“We hardly understand why you felt the need to send condolences to the families of some heroes you killed!” retorted the eagle, puffing up to three times his size. “Lord Terrorhate would cringe at the thought-“

“Much like I cringe at the fact that my father actually kept that title, then. And if you must ask, it was because they wouldn’t have a body to bury, due to my lack of restraint in the face of inexperienced heroes. Some death is necessary, like in war, but those deaths? No. Restrained blows alone would have sufficed.”

If the worm had any eyes to roll, all of them would be rolled to the back of his head. “Such softheartedness will bring about the end of our era of terror! The peasants NEED to be put in their place, and shown that their heroes are NOTHING! That no one could save them now, and the sooner they accept your rule, the less they will suffer!”

As the advisors chimed in and added their opinions on Deathflame’s rule, he looked away from them and grunted.

“Alright, I have two points to address. One: you say that as if the end of an era of terror is a bad thing. You merely wish to use it as an excuse to inflict misery upon the people and show complete and utter dominance. Last I checked, dominating the world does not require you to be a tyrant to do it right. Yes, I do a few things the people dislike… Some for the better, others arguably for the worse. But a ruler does not have to be liked; they have to be competent enough to maintain everything. And not bring the entire ire of their people by slaughtering them by the dozens for absolutely no good reason. “

The advisors looked at him, dumbfounded. “Okay, since that is apparently going over your heads,” Deathflame said, “let me put this into simpler terms: A ruler doesn’t have to be nice, but they also have to have enough sense not to kill people senselessly and make a spectacle of it!” As one advisor opened his mouth, Deathflame added with a growl, “Just because my father did things like that doesn’t mean I have to, before you even try to compare me to him! With how terrible he was at ruling and how many people he slaughtered just because of, ahem, ‘stress relief’, no wonder so many people have tried to take my head because of stuff HE did!”

Still ogling. He wasn’t sure if the message got through to these idiots, but he could try it again some other time. Deathflame took a deep breath and continued, “The second point I wanted to make… Why does everyone here insist on calling me Dread Warlock Deathflame?”

The eagle advisor squawked with a smile, “Because it makes you sound absolutely vicious, Your Majesty! And it’s what your father would have wanted!”

Face, meet palm. “Forget what my father wanted! I made that title up when I was twelve! TWELVE! It’s embarrassing that you thought it was good enough to use! Now, I just wish I be called by my true name: Etrohus! King Etrohus sounds much better than King Dread Warlock Deathflame.” After a moment’s thought, he added meekly, “I don’t even remember the last time I used actual warlock skills, never mind fire spells. It’s a misnomer now, more than anything.”

“I still think it fits!” the eagle said. “You know the spells! No, you know the spells of our entire world! You know all the skills, and are the strongest on the planet! You are invincible and all-powerful, Your Majesty, and the fact that you humble yourself amongst those who would slay you is absolutely disgusting! You mustn’t hold back against your opponents, especially not traitors!”

Etrohus took off his helmet and ran a gauntleted hand through his long, black hair before he slumped in his chair and rested his cheek on his hand. “Thank you for reminding me of a third point,” he said with a frown. “With all the power I’ve acquired through intensive training and learning through others… Fights are trivial now. Boring. Nobody stands a chance. It just annoys me to no end that the thrill and excitement and utter happiness I once got from fighting people on par with me, or even stronger than me, is gone. I am the strongest there is, and quite frankly, the excitement of being able to beat everyone I know wears off pretty quickly.” He sighed, sinking into the soft velvet of his seat with a sorrowful expression on his face. “I just want that joy again, that excitement of striving for something, the thrill of a challenging fight! I want to travel the world and experience it for everything its worth! I want… I want…”

The advisors gasped in unison as the last few words escaped their kings’ lips.

“I don’t wish to follow in my father’s footsteps and crush all in my wake, nor do I want to spend the rest of my life stuck in this castle, wanting for nothing. I want to feel as vulnerable as the people who face me every day, struggle like the lower class, and lead my own path instead of pretending that the way my family ruled and gained this throne was right.” 

Quiet. Murmurs amongst the advisors. Etrohus raised an eyebrow, although he knew the question that would rise.

“But WHY?!”

“Live like the lower class?! Are you crazy?!?”

“Vulnerable, when you have all the power at your disposal?!? When you are the supreme ruler of this world?!?”

Etrohus rolled his eyes before he slammed his fist down, startling the advisors into silence. “Yes, it would be a stupid idea by your standards,” he said. “There is nothing better than ruling over people and feeling on top of the world and so on and so on. But it seems, to me at least, that those unlike us… the lower, the middle class, even some of the knights, that they enjoy life fuller. They have something to strive for, and they make the most of every moment, while we waste all the moments we have throwing luxurious parties and-“ When it was clear that the advisors were still in disbelief and hardly listening, Etrohus groaned, “Why do I even bother explaining? I don’t even enjoy the villainous aspects of ruling! I simply want a fresh, new start!”

“BUT YOUR MAJESTY!” the advisors all yelled at once, Etrohus hurrying to cover his ears lest they bleed. One advisor said, “Couldn’t you just, you know, make the heroes stronger, if there’s a challenge you seek?”

Another added, “Or you could strive to conquer another planet! And get more riches!”

“Making heroes stronger just to satisfy my need for a challenge… I feel sick just thinking about it. Especially if they lose anyway. And I have no desire to conquer another planet or become richer. It’s better if I start over at level 1 again, so to speak.”

“Turn yourself into a child aga-“

Etrohus shot his advisor a glare. “Not that. I mean weaken myself to before I became the person I am now, lose all the knowledge of powerful spells… Start from scratch, you see. I’d retain most of my memories and basic knowledge, while those pertaining to my strength, both physical and magical, are… poof. Gone.” A smile crossed his face as he added, “And then, I’d set off for a different planet, after having some hero pretend to kill me and allowing a new rule to rise. I need to get out more anyway, learn so much more about the galaxy at hand… and I’ve been gaining in pounds since I took over, anyway.” The king pointed to his bulging gut. “I need exercise more than anything, and what better way to handle that than to explore an entirely new planet?”

He grinned now, in spite of the advisors’ worried looks. The worm spoke up and asked, “You would give up all of what your father toiled to attain through several hundreds of years just to satisfy your selfish desire for a challenge?! He slew countless heroes without mercy and actually got the Genie’s Lamp to make his wish for domination come true! You would throw away your father’s legacy just because you dislike what you are given?!?”

The king looked at his advisor with a stern look.

“I would, because he’s a liar and a fraud. I want nothing to do with a legacy that involved lying to your family about how and why you did the things you did and making them stain their hands for you.”

And with his advisors left in shock, he stood up and left for his bedroom to think of just how he could get what he wanted… and not have the kingdom collapse with his disappearance.

Psychics and Fairies and Demons! (Oh my!) Part 3: Psychic and Fey

 Brian Goodman stewed in his cell, staring at the grimy grey walls as he sat in bed. He could hear the cries and moans and angry yells of other prisoners kept here, locked up far away from others. How completely embarassing it was to find himself among murderers and gang members. It didn't help that upon finding out her husband was a thief, his wife immediately started to file divorce papers. Another couple thousands of dollars of debt to worry about, wonderful! Why doesn't she take the house, too? And all HIS belongings? It's not as if he had anything ELSE to worry about!

 His hand clenched into a fist as that damned woman's laugh echoed through his mind again. Damn that Siren. Damn her for catching him in the act! Damn her for ruining his life! Damn her, damn her, damn her, damn her!

 "Yes. It's all her fault, isn't it? That fey does have quite a knack for ruining lives," a voice refurberated through the room.

 Brian stood up in a flash, shocked as he looked around for the source of the voice. None of the other prisoners seemed to react, and the last thing he wanted was to cause a scene by yelling out, "Who's there?!"

"Why, me, of course! Down here, beside you."

 He looked down and around himself before he stopped. He saw his own shadow waving at him, friendly as could be. That wasn't normal, was it? Was he waving at himself?

The shadow chuckled and folded its hands behind its back.  "So good to see you at last! The Shadow, was it not? I have heard so much of your accomplishments! Bravo, I say! But your most recent attempt fell short due to the meddling of a certain fey, correct?" Brian nodded, and the shadow laughed. "Ah, a common enemy we share, then! You see, she ruined my life, as well, and I intend to reclaim the debt she owes to me. But I cannot interact with the world directly, for I am merely a shadow of the person I once was.

  Through shadows, I speak with you, and through shadows, I move. Won't you provide the body I desire to enact my revenge? I can give you power beyond your imagination, speed to match an Olympiad, and you can truly become your namesake. I can aid you in your mission, allow you to take as many gems as you could carry, so those loans that oh-so-burden your mind will become naught but a distant memory. This Siren would be no match between us, as two minds are better than one, is it not?

Should you truly and honestly desire this power, shake the hand of your own shadow, and allow me to give you the things you truly and utterly deserve."

Brian watched as his own shadow stood up in front of him, extending a paper-thin hand. And oh so eagerly, he grabbed it, shaking it fiercely with a toothy grin. The shadow grinned, as well, before the darkness swallowed them whole.

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Brilliant lights shined down on the massive crowd of people at the Augusta Shopping Centre, the red carpet rolled out for the most extravagent people to arrive. Footsteps echoed through the two story building, as did the laughter of costumed women. Sammy could hardly believe that most people actually dressed up as royalty, with actual, feathery masks pressed against their faces. Even Diana managed to bring out her best green dress and mask, which made her roommate feel rather out of place with her casual clothing.

Sammy could see a real, live orchestra playing off to the side, as some people took to the pearly floors and began to dance. Diana bolted off to join them, finding a particularly cute woman in a blue wig to waltz with. Sammy couldn't help but feel bad, being at this rather extravagent event and yet not really enjoying it as much as everyone else. She was glad that Diana gave her some space, and wandered away from the action in search of Carlos.

It wasn't too hard to find him, really. He was one of the few people not dressed up for the occasion, casual as could be. There was a fancy, blue haired woman with a purple mask beside him, wearing a simple, yet elegant blue dress and holding up a purple, feathery fan to her face.

"Oh, how the people sing my praises!" the woman said with a laugh. "They parade in their costumes in my honor, and dearly wish to meet the hero that spared them from a world without the beauty of precious gems! And who am I to refuse their offer? Why, I should grace them with my presence as we speak!"

 Carlos shot her a glare and snapped, "You can't; the only reason the Mayor is even letting you stay at my place is because I agreed to keep you a secret from everyone! You know how most people react to fey gracing their presence, and the last time you tried to show off, you nearly drowned several guys at the community pool!"

 With a huff, the woman put her hands on her hips. "I don't understand why you humans even react as such! We are merely beauty incarnate, born to grace their presence and bless them with everlasting happiness! It is a great dishonor to hide from them for so long, and have another human masquerade as myself!"

 "You do know that the whole beauty thing was the reason you got captured by a lunatic banker, right? You know, that experience I would rather not experience again if I could help it?"

 "He was human garbage, anyhow, with how he treated all he captured. And his own son, oh... Poor child! He deserved a father much more appreciative than trash that lived amongst him!"

 Sammy swore the woman's eyes lit up, burning like a flame. Whatever it was, Carlos wasn't impressed one bit. "Point taken, but the whole reason we keep quiet about it is to stop idiots like those who would capture you, and those who would take advantage of you and blow up the city with your powers. Also to keep demons away, because you know, the last thing we need is a bunch of lycanthropes at my door trying to kill me to get to you-"

 He stopped, finally noticing that Samantha was standing there for the past few minutes. "Oh, hey, Sammy," he said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with a free hand. "D-didn't see you there. Sorry about that." A quick pause. "So, how is everyth-"

 The woman's eyes lit up with glee. Sammy blinked once, then noticed that the woman wasn't there anymore. An arm wrapped around her shoulders as the woman dramatically reappeared next to her, whirling around to get a good look at her. "Ah, so this is the little friend you spoke of, dear Carlos?" she asked with a grin. "How adorable! Perhaps it is your... paramour?" She clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily. "To know that Carlos, after several years deep within the pits of lonliness, has finally found someone to share his heart with! Ah, love! Truly the most powerful forces on this beloved planet~!"

 "Uhm," was all Sammy could manage to say, brain unable to process the other half of what this mysterious person was saying.

Her friend didn't seem too happy about it and grumbled something under his breath as he dug through his pockets and pulled out some cash. Holding it out, he said, "Please, just leave before you scare her  off. Maybe you can actually buy those gold coins you wanted."

The woman was more than happy to snatch the cash and break out into a grin. "Some alone time, to whisper sweet nothings in her ear? Of course, of course! Gold coins, you shall be mine! OHOHOHOHOHOHO!"

 Both Sammy and Carlos watched as she made a mad dash towards the nearest Dollar Store. How she could run in heels like those was beyond Sammy's imagination, but she wondered about those silvery, thin wings on her back. Figuring that it was just a part of the costume, she turned to her attention over to Carlos and said, "That was one helluva way to say hello. And I'm okay, I guess! Wondering how an orchestra got here and stuff..."

 "Only the finest for Siren Day," he responded before he let out a sigh. "Sorry about my friend; she's unusual even on the best of days. Kind of hoping she... didn't embarass you too bad. "

  "I have no idea what a paramour is, so hell if I know, bro!" Sammy walked over to Carlos's side, then gave him a gentle smile. "Guessing that's the actual Siren hero? She looks pretty cool! And you said she's fey?"

 Carlos nodded, looking down at the group of people dancing below. "Yeah, she's from the Feywilds. Beautiful, smart, and eccentric. Just like everything is out there. And if you're wondering how she got here... long story short, some banker tried capturing her, I saved her, she didn't want to go back and be alone in the Feywilds, so I petitioned to have her stay at my house, on the condition that she not make herself a giant target and flaunt herself to everybody." A groan escaped his lips. "Harder than I make it sound, believe me."

 Sparks flew from Sammy's hands again, excitement coursing through her veins. "Woah, that's awesome! How'd you save her? Like, bro, that's some Sarah Sister level shit right there!"

 "Nothing I'd want to talk about right here, but thanks." Carlos's cheeks were tinged pink for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck a little more as he turned his gaze away from his new friend.

 "Also, gold? Bro, you gave her twenty bucks! What kinda gold she buyin'?"

 "Don't tell her I said this, but the gold she was looking at? Bags of chocolate coins. You can buy plenty of those for twenty bucks. Fey are easily attracted to anything shiny, and Siren is no exception." Carlos winked and added, "Although you didn't come here to hear me talk about fey today. You wanted to hear me talk more about psychics in general, right?"

 The sparks became little lightning bolts as Sammy nodded her head furiously. "Spill the deets, bro! Everything you can!"

 "Alright, alright! Now, let's see." The elder psychic cleared his throat before he spoke in a more calm, collected voice. "The basic thing you need to know is that our powers come from the mind, and is affected by our mental state. It takes a bit of concentration to use these powers actively when you're dealing with monsters. At higher levels, though, you can activate it with hardly a thought. Psychics are usually sorted into two groups: Psychokinetics and Telepaths. The first group involves actively changing the world around you. I'm part of that first group: I can move and bend objects with my mind. You, too, are also part of that first group: you affect electricity and all. The second is more focused towards communication... or basically, mind reading and speaking.

No matter what group you might be in, the strength of those powers are designated by five greek letters: Alpha, Beta, Delta, Sigma, and Omega. Alphas are the weakest by far, mostly because they are newly awakened psychics. Omegas are the strongest, capable of using different aspects of their powers to their fullest extent. Also more prone to murdering just about anyone with just a thought, but I haven't met one myself. Otherwise, I'd probably be dead."

 "Nah, broseph, I bet you coulda handled it fine!" Sammy assured him with a pat on the back. "You told me I'm an Alpha.. what's your power level? I bet it's like, Sigma or something!"

 "Prepare to be massively disappointed in me, then," Carlos said, giving her a nervous smile. "I'm only one level above you: Beta. Good enough so that my powers doesn't actually risk killing me and that I have some sort of control, but not strong enough to be considered 'average' by any stretch of the imagination. I've only actively honed my powers for about two years, now. One of those years being when I moved in. So if you were expecting me to be strong enough to crush a man's ribcage or deadlift 700 lbs with my mind, I am so sorry. Really, truly sorry."

 "Hey, it's better than nothin', right? Least you have this cool power and can handle it good enough to kick a banker's ass. I mean, it's pretty amazing what your mind can do, aside from like a thousand SAT questions!"

 Samantha heard him laugh softly, although he didn't look too happy at all. "I guess," he replied. "It's helpful, but sometimes... I kind of wish that-"

 Screams pierced the air as both psychics were startled by  the sound of glass shattering. "The fuck was THAT?!" Sammy asked, looking down and watching the crowd disperse in a panic.

 "Nothing good, I'm sure," Carlos said with a grimace. Something buzzed in his sweater pocket, and he pulled it out: a phone, vibrating furiously as it played what Sammy recognized as Megaman X music. With a press of a button, he picked it up and asked, "Heya, what's up? Abnormal energy readings at the Shopping Centre? Well, what do you know, I'm actually there and people are freaking out! Funny how trouble seems to find me, huh?"

 The color drained out of the elder psychic's face as the conversation went on. "You're kidding, right? Brian escaped out of prison? But HOW?! You guys don't have any idea, either? Dios mio, why today of all days?! Yeah, I'll take care of it somehow. Yes, I'll pray that it's not a demon and it's just Brian snatching gems after breaking out. I can't promise anything about the chocolate, especially anything with the name 'Godiva' in it. Alright, alright, see ya."

Beep. Sammy peered over Carlos's shoulder, curious. "Yo, bro, what's the situation?"

"As you can see, someone tossed a turd right into the fan," came the grumbly reply. "And since I'm already here, I'm their best option of handling this without anybody getting hurt." He shot her an apologetic look and added, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate the hel-"

Before he could say another word, sparks burst forth from her body, Carlos's hairs standing on end from the shot. "DUDE, HELL YEAH I'M GONNA HELP! LIKE, I CAN'T TURN THIS DOWN AND I'D BE LIKE, AN ACTUAL HERO OR SOMETHING!"

 "That settles that. Just please, try to stick close to me. Even if you are excited, you're still an Alpha level psychic. I don't want you getting into deep crap if your powers fizzle out for no good reason."

 With a thumbs up and a smile, the two took off towards the source of the chaos. A place both may consider a living hell if they stayed there too long...

A Macy's.

Psychics and Fairies and Demons! (Oh my!) Part 2: Siren Masquerade

This is a continuation of an earlier post I made regarding the Psychics, made back in 2014. I'm getting the urge to finish what I started regarding these guys!

---------------------------

Balloons were soaring and crowds were roaring in Augusta Central Park today, the sun shining bright on the tall, marble fountain that stood in the center of it. Kids were squealing as several women, dressed up as fairies, gave them ice cream and hot dogs. Several of the women gathered around the fountain, wearing similar blue dresses and blue wigs. TV Newscasters  were speaking to a few of them, their OHOHOHOHOHO's loud enough to startle just about anyone.

Samantha wasn't sure why her roommate, Diana, brought her out here. She could vaguely remember Diana fangirling over some local hero before dragging her out. Least it wasn't the Feywilds again. Cool as they were, the last thing they needed was to be smacked around by another one of those kraken things and earning the eternal ire of the local barista.

As she wandered around with her Sarah Sisters shirt and some shorts, she managed to get a flyer from a very kind costumed lady. "Celebrating 1 Year of Heroism: Siren Day," she read out loud, taking a moment to adjust her glasses. "Food, drinks, and talks with the hero herself! Masquerade will occur at 7 PM at the Augusta Shopping Centre." She quirked an eyebrow as she asked, "So we're celebrating this Siren thing for some reason? Who are they, anyway?"

"Only the best hero we have next to the psychics~" came a cheery, bubbly voice. Sammy turned towards the source and saw Diana running to her side, holding up several shirts, balloons, and foam wings to her friend. "Sorry I had to leave you for a bit, but look at these! And they're dirt cheap! Ah, I am one step closer to filling out my collection!"

The chubby girl frowned. "But that doesn't answer my question."

In the next moment, Diana slung the items over her arms and dramatically wrapped her arm around Sammy's neck. "Oh yes, I almost forgot! For a long, long time, Augusta suffered from robberies and burglaries at the mall and museums! Valuable gems and jewels, stolen from right under our noses! So much white collar crime and unfavorable business practices!" Her eyes twinkled as she whirled around and gestured towards the sky. "But then, out of nowhere, a heroine appeared, catching them in their acts and putting them behind bars! Even when the police and security are of no help, she always catches the criminal! And none have seen her face, making her oh-so-mysterious!"

"How do you know it's a girl, though?" Sammy asked, glancing over at the crowd gathering towards the fountain. "If they haven't seen her face, that is."

Diana waved her off. "All the criminals testified the same thing: they heard a woman's voice speaking to them, telling them to stop their deeds." A grin broke out as she said with glee, "Isn't it incredible, though?! We have our own local hero, and she's been here for a year! Heck, just the other day, she stopped some creep named 'The Shadow' from stealing this really valuable diamond! It was on the news this morning, didn't you hear?"

Samantha couldn't bring herself to look right at Diana, unable to match the hype her friend was building up. "No, actually," came the soft, embarassed reply. "I usually don't watch that sort of stuff. I think I was watching the Super Sarah Sisters Super Show when the news was on? I dunno if using Pamela Anderson to portray Sarah was the best decision but it's super good-"

"Well then, today's your lucky day~! Oooh, let's go check out those people near the fountain! I hear they're doing a special newscast about Siren's biggest fans!"

 Before Sammy could think about protesting, Diana dragged her over to the fountain, eager to overhear the ever inspiring words of fellow fans. Sammy thought they looked stunning in those dresses and wigs, but she winced when an argument between two fans over who was truly the #1 fan broke out. As Diana stared dumbfoundedly at the scene, Sammy took that moment to escape through the crowds and into a more open area, with a lot less people screaming at each other around.

 She sat her tush on a bench and let out a loud sigh. "I just don't get the hype," Sammy said out loud, putting her hands on her chin and staring at the lush greenery below her feet. "Maybe it's because I've only been here a few days... or maybe because nobody actually knows who this Siren is. It would be cool to meet her in person..."

"Trust me, meeting her in person is probably the last thing anyone sane would want to do."

"Oh, thank you, suspiciously helpful voice out of nowhere!"

Blink. Sammy turned towards the source with a wide stare: Carlos, wearing a Galaga shirt and khakis with a green hoodie tied around hips and a coffee cup in hand. He took a seat next to her and waved at her with a free hand. "Hello again. Guessing Diana's the one who brought you along for the ride?"

Sammy nodded with a frown. "It was kind of out of nowhere, but she was so excited, I didn't really say no or anything. I think I would have felt a little guilty letting her go by herself when she wanted to show it to me? But I hardly know what it's about, nevermind the person they're celebrating." She sighed as she added, "And even after they told me about them, I still don't really feel so hype about it. And it feels weird, because everybody else hypes her up to be some sort of... of..."

Carlos closed his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee before he finished, "paragon of justice, right?" Sammy stared at him. "Yeah, I understand. I don't really get it, either, but Siren just loves bathing in all the attention and I can't really stop anyone from celebrating her accomplishments. You don't have to force yourself to get excited and happy over some hero you barely know. Just think of today as 'free food and drink and dress up like a pretty fairy' day instead."

 The chubby girl smiled and winked at him. "I don't see you dressed up as a pretty fairy though, bro."

"I think Siren would drown me in the bathtub before I even touch her wardrobe. I don't even fit in her clothes, anyway!"

 "Haaaa. You kinda talk like you actually know this chick, bro!"

 Sammy was not expecting Carlos to stare at her in disbelief.

"Um... Sammy? I do know her. I'm the only reason she's even here and acting like a hero. She lives with me."

 Thank goodness Samantha didn't have any sort of drink. She was sure to spit it out in Carlos's face if she had any. "You're kidding, right?!" she shouted, eyes wide. "You actually KNOW her and-"

Carlos hastily  grabbed her and put a finger to her lips. "Ssssh, sssh, ssssssssssssh! Only a few people know that! And I don't want the whole city to know; otherwise, I'll never actually get any sleep, between people wanting autographs and Siren gloating about all the fans she has! And she's a little, ah...  special. And not in the mental illness or psychic kind of way. Don't tell anyone else about this, please. Especially not Diana!"

After some furious nodding from Sammy, Carlos released his grip and leaned back on the bench, although he didn't break eye contact with his friend. "On a different note, how's the whole 'oh crap I can shoot lightning bolts' thing coming along? Any sign of it popping back up?"

Sammy shrugged and replied, "No go, broseph. Like, I tried giving it a whirl or two back at home but I couldn't even get a spark! Hell, even when I was gettin hype as hell about my games, all I could really manage was a few sparks that didn't do much other than cause static and shiz."

"So the normal thing for Alphas to go through, then. I wouldn't reccomend forcing it; psychic powers are finicky at first and usually take a while to actually control."

"But you said that Kenny dude was an Alpha and he had some control over it!"

"Only because he had a bit of practice. And you saw it fizz out at one point, didn't you? Alpha level psychics are just-realized psychics. Even if they do have some control over their powers, it's more likely to backfire and not work at all when you need it to." The elder psychic put a finger on his forehead and closed his eyes. "The way my mentor explained it is that in the beginning stages, it takes a lot of concentration to use one's powers... that, and a certain stimulus that varies from person to person. For one, it could be knowing that their loved ones are in danger. For others, it could be... I don't know, 'BUT THEN I'LL RUN OUT OF CHOCOLATE' or something." He looked down at the ground and sighed, "I don't know, I'm not the greatest at explaining weird things like this. In short, you just have to find that one thing that amps you up. No pun intended."

Sammy couldn't resist giggling at the pun before looking up at her friend with a grin. "Thanks, bro! I'll keep that in mind. Maybe later, you can actually tell me more about this psychic shindig thingy?"

Carlos smiled back, finishing off the last bit of coffee he had before using his powers to toss it in the proper recepticle. "Sure thing. It might be a lot to take in, and there's someone who can explain it better than I can. Don't know about tonight, though; It may be my day off, but I'm sure Diana might drag you to the Masquerade. So unless you wouldn't mind me babbling at you while everybody's all dressed up-"

"Bro. Bro. Bro. Like, BRO." Sammy could hardly resist grabbing Carlos, a spark in her eyes... and sparks coming out of her hands. "I'd definitely like to hang out and talk about all this shit! I mean, it's so weird, but so COOL, and I'm somehow involved in it! Me, with psychic powers! And I want to get up to speed and help you guys out with weird shit and all! Besides, if nothing else, we could play Last Legend V together or something!"

"Then it's settled: Meet you at the Shopping Centre at 7 PM! I mmmmmight bring Siren along; not like anybody could tell the real thing in a crowd of similar looking people. Then you can see for yourself whether or not you think she's worth the hype."

As Carlos got up and left, Sammy resisted the urge to yell out in delight. Waiting a few, long hours would be tough, but it would be worth it to hang out with someone she could at least sort of relate to in the sea of so many strange faces.