[Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Archives of Occultus Magica's beginnings, ten years prior to the current story.
CadetNewb
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by CadetNewb »

It was like watching nighttime walk past daytime.

Duncan sulked past DuMonde, not even minding her kind attempt at cheering him up, the happiness that she emanated failing to mix with him - it was like oil and water at this point, completely unshaken. The American boy just sat down in the other car, a dark cloud of gloom gathering around him. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair at all! These other kids...one of them literally stumbled across it and instantly became a powerhouse Mahou Shojou! Two of them had a formal education, but even then, one of them stumbled across ANOTHER ancient and powerful item that granted him vast and unimaginable strength! And then there was the girl that gave him an arrow in the - she learned ALL of it on her own?! Out of them, there was only one normal guy! One!

It wasn't fair at all! He had to work hard against this handicap ever since that happened, tooth and nail, and they just had all of this handed to them on a silver platter? "It's just too much..." Duncan thought to himself, his anger boiling away until there was nothing left but a soul crushing depression.

*****

Meanwhile, Coco was struggling with what Percy had asked her.

"Uh, well..." she began. Uncomfortable and unsure about how to answer, the little girl took her little engineer cap off. "It's not a really long story, but it's got lots of details. And stuff...yeah, lots of stuff..." Coco's hands started to wring the little cap at the last few words - it was obvious this wasn't something so easily talked about. At this point however, she only seemed to have just noticed DuMonde when the woman was practically beside her, having addressed the little girl directly. "DuMonde!~" Coco immediately leaped, exploding out of her discomfort to glomp into the woman before rubbing her face up against her. "Everything worked out just fine thanks to you speaking up for me!" she beamed up at the teacher with a toothy grin.

As Ruarc spoke however, she let go and smiled at him in turn, her attention jumping around like a hamster on caffeine. "Yeah, I know right? I didn't expect to see so many magical people here so soon - and I only just came to visit too! At this rate, with DuMonde here, we'll get you all powered up, and then we can go on an adventure with Duncan, just like old times again!" As she looked at him with nothing but rainbows and smiles, but that faded as she started to realize something. "Uh, hey, aren't you druids famous for having partners? Like, animals and stuff?" Coco asked him curiously - she wasn't around at the time, and therefore wasn't in the know about it all.

But that was cut short as she suddenly snapped. "Shut up you big meanie head!" the little girl shouted at Sakura, pointing a finger at the other girl with all the mean-ness she could muster. "DuMonde is nice, and kind, and, and," she briefly turned to sniff at the Frenchwoman' for a moment before going back to her tirade at Sakura. "And she smells nice! You take that back! She isn't old and there's nothing wrong with her!" she pouted loudly.
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Straken
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by Straken »

He wasn’t really sure what the young girl meant when she said “adventure,” but Ruarc still smiled a bit at Coco’s energy and excitement. Then as her expression changed to one of curiosity Ruarc’s changed back to sullen contemplation.
“Well, right ye are,” Ruarc replied to the girl with a light smile, “We Druids do keep animal partners. Ma partner is Laoise, an’ she’s a dove. Unfortunately, in the last confrontation with Caoranach Laoise was tak’n from me. That’s a large part of ma motivation for agreein’ te cooperate with yur brother.”

Upon finishing his recap he noticed that Coco had since jumped to a new conversation. Meaning he had more or less just been talking to himself. “Kids these days," Ruarc thought to himself as he let his chin rest against his chest.
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Kokuten
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by Kokuten »

Coco was met with a lightly discerning gaze as she retreated to DuMonde. The inquisitive boy followed her movements before adjusting his beret. That sort of answer, what Coco had mumbled out, that wasn't something Percival had expected. He had seen the bubbliness of the girl recede for a moment, giving to doubt, and something in his mind twisted in like a knife. Just what kind of person was Duncan, and what was the relationship between the two of them, really like. For that matter, what did Miss. DuMonde have to do with it, and why was she there for that matter? So many questions, Percival thought, deepening into his inquisitive state, before he felt the icy touch of an illusion spell stab into his side, wringing him from his thoughts.
“Watson, you traitor!”
"Traitor, am I? Unfortunate that you choose your seat next to a traitor! Hah!" spat Percival as his hairs settled back down on his neck, his arm hooking around Riley and tugging her in, almost side by side Zulan, who continued to watch the other. The young welshman put his knuckles to Riley's head and rubbed them on her thickly haired scalp, and continued to do so as he regarded the french teacher, giving Riley her noogie. "Bonsoir, Madame DuMonde, comment alle-vous?"
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Kai
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by Kai »

"Now, Now, Coco. Children often say things they do not mean in times of stress, and I think that this morning was plenty stressful for them," Adrienne chided the small, excitable girl, before placing her hands on Coco's shoulders and pushing down gently to keep her in place. "Also, did I not tell you to call me Adrienne? We are not at school, there is no need to be formal. Though, of course, we are in Japan, aren't we? Four years here and I still forget." The young teacher laughed at herself in a sort of amused way, greeting the young Welshboy in return with a simple "Merci, Percy," before addressing the others.

"Duncan, for all his faults, does seem to care about you all, at least to a certain extent. Coco was kind enough to ask me for help, concerned as she was with communications received from her dear older brother." She smiled gently at the group, but there was a glint in her eyes- something a bit less gentle, a bit more animal. "If I'm not mistaken, he believes that you all need combat training, whether or not your magic is acceptable for other purposes."

Miyuki nearly grumbled to herself, but she remembered that this was one of her teachers speaking, Not Duncan. Something about the teacher was infinitely more respectable than the American boy, anyway. Plus, Coco was rather adorable, and whatever Duncan's true intentions were, he had at the very least made his sister believe that he cared for the few mages gathered here, which had made her genuinely care for them in turn.

"When will we be starting then?" she asked the instructor, inquisitively.
Kalshion
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by Kalshion »

Sakura had backed off a bit, though it wasn't due to Coco, but more so the teacher who had spoken. The young girl did appear a bit nervous regarding the teacher, "so... why should I trust you to begin with?" she asked and nervously glanced away, though watched her through the corner of her eye. "You're an adult!"
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Gwathdraug
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by Gwathdraug »

Riley barely managed to get out a quick shouted “Gah!” before Percy had captured her and begun the most foul of tortures the young illusionist could imagine – well, besides what one could potentially do with a roll of duct tape and a pack or two of fireworks that is.

Squirming as the noogie did what it did best Riley refused to let out even one single cry of anguish – or, well, as long as you didn't count that first one, or the one a few seconds after – it was the principle of the thought that really mattered when you got down to it.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch.” Riley muttered under her breath as she failed once again to inflict some nasty spell or another on Percy due to the concentration breaking powers of his cowardly attack.

Wiggling one arm free of its imprisonment, Riley grinned wickedly – between a wince or two – as she decided now was as good time as ever to find out whether or not the good Watson was ticklish or not. Jabbing a much more substantial attack with her finger than she had earlier the illusionist returned fire as quickly as she could manage.
CadetNewb
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by CadetNewb »

"Not as stressful as getting an arrow in the butt," Coco muttered to the side after the Frenchwoman chided her.

"If you don't trust Miss Adrienne or any of us, you can just go home when the train stops," the little girl spoke with the utmost of optimism - she leaped to the opportunity, apparently hoping that Sakura would do just that. The other girl could become a Hikikomori again for all she cared, and this time, voluntarily. Whatever that meant! She was a big meanie-head for not considering the safety of others, especially for shooting arrows at people and thinking nobody would get hurt. "Besides, I don't think you want to get on with a dangerous, life threatening mission to rescue Laoise-chan!"

Before she could address everyone else though, Duncan returned.

The American boy looked rather lethargic and unenthusiastic, having just walked back in to the train car with his hands in his pockets. "We're here."

*****

'Here' turned out to be a quiet warehouse area with several large, nondescript buildings all labeled with a number in chronological order. It all felt gloomy and rather depressing. To add to that, Duncan himself wasn't exactly in his scathingly talkative mood either, nor was he in the politely talkative mood. In fact, he didn't say so much as a word, and the atmosphere he gave off seemed to only make the whole place seem even more depressing. Only Coco was unaffected, blissfully skipping alongside the ragtag group of students and circling them as she hummed. The way she did so was almost like how a German Shepard would with a flock of sheep. Only, this one happened to have been turned into a moe-moe little girl who now lived in Japan.

Regardless, the whole mood shifted as Duncan stopped in front of one warehouse building, its large sliding doors seemingly responding to his mere presence. With a bit of a rumble, the great doors slid back and revealed...a house. A nice, large, two story house inside the even larger warehouse. The American boy just strode forward as though it was just another day, and for him, it likely was. Crossing the great threshold, Duncan reached into his pocket and took his time picking out the right key from a ring of them before opening the way. "Well, get in and make yourselves at home I guess," he shrugged, ushering them into what looked to be a typical, All-American home.

"Eee!" Coco squeed with joy. "You didn'!" she declared, running in ahead of the others first. "It looks just like home!" He shrugged at that.

"It's just a replica I put together on short notice." He turned to the others. "Well? You're all standing around like morons - you coming in or not?" he asked irritably.
Kalshion
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by Kalshion »

Sakura slowly shook her head. "I don't mistrust the others here, only the adult here," she glared at the teacher out of the corner of her eye still. "Never had any luck with adults...." she muttered low enough to where only perhaps Coco and the teach might hear.

When she heard Coco mention rescuing someone though; that got her thinking, though Cocos indirect challenge, only made her grin although she still looked nervous with the teacher near them; so when the train had arrived and Coco and Duncan had walked out - she was right out after them to get out and away from the adult. While calming her nervousness down a bit, she ran the back of her wrist against her forehead to remove some sweat that had begun to form during the ride. "Interesting home..." she muttered but also looked around the warehouse before shrugging her shoulders and walking toward the home, with the first thought in her mind was to find a high up dark area.
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Kokuten
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by Kokuten »

"Ah! Get back ha ha! Hhet back here you! Ha ha! Stop!" laughed Percival, quite against his will, as he scrambled to restrain Riley.

When they stepped off the train, Percy's clothes and hair were quite tousled, though his beret was still positioned perfectly on his head. Zulan's hair was also very unkempt from the struggle she had very unwillingly participated in. Riley had been tucked under Percival's arm, finally gathered up again as they exited the train. He walked out with her, as one would walk out with baggage.

"To be honest, Duncan. Thinking about the kind of guy you are, this sort of sanctum isn't all that surprisingly different than what I imagined." said Percy, looking about with a certain haughtiness to his charm.
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Kai
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Re: [Episode Three] Going the Extra Magic Mile

Post by Kai »

"You may allow yourself to trust me, young lady." Adrienne assured Sakura. "I have nothing to gain by being false to you, nor do I have any reason or compunction to act as such. I am here on a request to help, and so help I shall" she explained, smiling genuinely at the nervous young mage.

Miyuki was more or less stunned by Duncan's house. What kind of nutcase builds a house in a warehouse? she wondered, shaking her head in disgust, or despair. One of the two. She followed along, at a loss as for what she should really be doing at this point. seeing no further course of action she could take, Miyuki decided just to follow along, glowering as if being forced against her will.

"Now, Now, Duncan. Have you forgotten your manners? Your sister is much more polite, perhaps you should follow her example more?" The french teacher chided the uncouth American boy. She waggled her finger at him in a chastising manner, before turning to the group at large, just to get a good idea of how they might react to unexpected things. "Duncan, I must defer to you for the moment, when shall we start?"
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