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!
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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.
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