[Episode Zero] School Daze

Archives of Occultus Magica's beginnings, ten years prior to the current story.
CadetNewb
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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The word echoed in Duncan's mind, much like how a new and expectant father would have the words "You're a dad now." bounce around in the skull. Time seemed to slow, everything coming in and out of focus. That damned word echoed in his mind. Magic. He couldn't believe it. She was a top hitter, whoever she was, and she just spilled the beans. Dropped the charades. What have you. How incredibly stupid was this little shit?! He opened his mouth to say something to shut her up, draw attention away from the current topic. Anything! The masquerade had to be concealed at all costs! "Ugh. Buh - " Something was wrong. Duncan couldn't speak! Sleepy. So sleepy...NO!

Duncan was one of the finest Spell Savants in America, not THE finest, he wasn't a complete ass of course, but still, he was one of the best! And it just so happened that his spell and curseware was also the best. Top of the shelf. Because of this, Duncan's superior and fast pace of thinking became a bane, draining him of what little power he had left. And combined with the actual lack of sleep he got when spending time to devise this spell...

Duncan pitched forward, his head hitting the table with a loud, audible *thump* . He was unconscious, and now thinking of giant mecha, girls in cute dresses and adorable critters who liked to make contracts.
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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Emilia immediately tore Percival's hand away from her mouth, gripping his wrist tight. But now she was enraged. People do not just TOUCH other people! NEVER. He had invaded her personal space and comfort, and there was a price to be paid. Her body whirled toward his and her free hand gave the Welshman a solid shove in the chest, toppling him off the bench. With grace and poise her mother had engraved in her soul, the daughter of Death swung her legs over the bench and planted one of them firmly on young Mr. Caxton's chest. She applied a slight pressure and give him a very threatening stare. "You will NOT. EVER. Touch me in such a manner AGAIN! Have I made myself clear!?" She gave his wrist a slight twist to make sure he was paying attention.

Perhaps mother had been right to teach her basic self-defense. Humans were starting to seem dangerously unpredictable.
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Kokuten
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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At one moment, Percy had a bit of relief washing over his mind, seeing how the disaster had been averted. Duncan's skull had made contact with the table rather forcefully, and while he wasn't one to relish in someone's pain, he felt it was about time something hit his head. Now, he would have to apologize to Emilia about the sudden action. The young Caxton boy was absolutely sure that someone as refined and friendly as her could understand why he had to go to such drastic measures. Of course, he had thought that until she had shoved him off the table, and then used him as a human stepping stool. Suddenly, things had gone in the very utmost opposite direction. The image of Death had returned to his mind, and fear gripped his face. He raised his hands, shielding himself from her, in a futile attempt to save his soul in abandonment of his own dignity. Why couldn't he just have a nice day? Just one day.

"B-b-but! Y-... Y- you!" he said shakily, with his body acting just as shaky. It was rather silly looking, this young first year absolutely terrified of a what could pass of as a middle-schooler who had skipped a few grades. "You c-can't jus-... Just say th-things like that! M-mentioning the un-n-natural like that! Y-you'll g-get us all in deep t-t-trouble!" The face of the kind face he had tried to greet her with earlier was gone, replaced totally with that of scared boy, wanting little to do with Death's whimsical nature.
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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Emilia relinquished her hold on Percival and formed a scowl. "Stupid boy." The scorn was impossible to miss. "If it's such a big deal, maybe you and your friends shouldn't parade about the streets flaunting it. Sure didn't seem worried about it then." Then she sighed in a fashion that was far beyond her years, and as such seemed to add a decade to her face for the slightest of moments. "That's beside the point, anyways. The point is-" and she paused just long enough to raise a finger. She dipped it slightly, emphasizing each of the following words. "You. Will. Not. Touch. Me. Again." It was almost like a parent reprimanding a misbehaving child.

"Besides, what would covering my mouth accomplish, but to draw MORE attention to the topic, hm? I swear, do you ever use your brain?" Her voice dropped, respecting everyone's wish to keep their midnight rendezvous hush-hush. "Seriously: you nearly died twice, and now here you are nearly giving away your own secrets." She sat back down. "It's a miracle you haven't given yourself away already."
CadetNewb
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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Loud. It was all loud. Too god damned loud! Who was the one making all this noise? The beast's eyes opened, the 'snickt' of the lids sweeping over the glassy surface. Duncan was groggy looking, his eyes appearing to be slightly sunken into the skull and outlined by black. The maw of the beast opened. "You know, I'm sure we'd all be considered stupid if we even mention something super-secret out in the open..." He twiddled his fingers and shrank a bit. "Just saying..."

He'd only caught the gist of it from the moments before falling asleep and when he started to awaken, but what he heard, he didn't like at all. Yes, they'd probably get away with it this time, but the fact that they did talk about IT here and in the open...it just showed how incredibly stupid they all were. Yes, this little girl was right that Percival was stupid. But she didn't realize how stupid she was either. 'I guess that's the curse of stupidity.' Duncan thought. 'Most stupid people are too stupid to know that they're stupid.' He looked about for Miyuki. A pity she was gone; the opportunity to make her look bad had upped and left with her. Next time.

"Um...I'm not sure exactly what Percival did, but if he did do something, he'd have a good reason to." He waited a little. "I think." The American exchange student scooted a little away from them, now that there was more room at their table. "I-if its something really bad, you shouldn't talk about it so loud anyways. You all kinda woke me up."

'Stuck up, noisy, pompous little brat...'

'Wasteful, overreacting dumbass...'

He risked a glance at the Druid as he spoke to Rai-hime. Duncan felt like shaking his head; even the dolt who couldn't get on with the times was doing better than these two!
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Kokuten
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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Percival curled up in fear again, trembling at one of the things that he feared more than anything in this world. Why! Why was this happening to him!? He was trying to help! He didn't want anyone getting found out this way! Why was he getting punished for trying to help!? It was all so utterly infuriating! But incredibly terrifying at the same time! It seemed like Percy was going to die right their from a heart bursting from his chest in horrified excitement. He simply curled up again, just wanting to go home, or at least have her away from him.

"Percival! What in the world are you doing!? That's some ten year old keeping you down! Man up." growled Aurus, his blazingly thunderous voice nearly shattering his mind.

"Don't be so harsh, Aurus! He's scared!" roared back Zulan in Percival's defense.

"Scared of a small being who is but a fraction of her true counterpart. That's no death, it's just a copy." returned Aurus, turning Percival's mind into the site of another argument between gods. His head began to throb, and his heart only beat faster and faster with each barking reply, along with every terrified second.

"It's something that can steal his soul! What do you expect him to do in a place like this!?" yelled the Water Goddess, escalating the exchange with further anger.

"It's something he can fight! He simply needs to call me forth and I'll turn her into little immortal filets! Come now Percy! Call me forth so I can solve all your problems for you! Again." mocked the Fire God, putting the boy down even further. Suddenly Percival wanted to go home. He wanted to go back to Wales where the Gods didn't speak all the time, or at all, where incarnations of Death didn't threaten your life, where Magic was normal and required so much less secrecy, and where he could just live a day in peace.

"He can't help it! We're taking all his magic! Don't talk down him!"

"That doesn't keep him from being a man! He's acting like a scared little girl!"

"Quit insulting him!"

"Quit coddling him!"

"Sh-S-Shut up!" snapped Percy, aloud, up at Emilia, but not at her. He had had enough of it all. He had to say something to his 'guardians' before he completely lost his mind, "Just shut. Up. Damn it! Don't act like you understand places you barely know! You're not even real. You're just some voice given awful form! You have no idea what you're talking about so shut up!" Percival's complete expression of rage hung for a moment, before he realized he had said it all aloud. Once he knew that, he paled again, curling back into his position and shaking.
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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Emilia quirked an eyebrow, the sudden anger a little surprising and the words more than a little confusing- they were entirely false. Before she could ask what it was all about, however, Percival had collapsed again. Her eyes honed in on the last person to speak that wasn't Percy: Duncan. "Should someone... help him?"
CadetNewb
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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Duncan's mouth was agape at the scene in front of him. Whatever this little girl did...she broke the Percy. He held a hand up to his mouth. "W-what did you do?" Duncan asked, fearful of what was happening. 'Stupid, stupid, stuck up little...no. Stay calm.' By now, both of the frail boy's hands were up at his mouth as as his eyes widened in shock. "E-Em, what did you do to him Em?!" Duncan quickly rose from the cafeteria table, wobbling from the sudden movement and the rush of blood to his head before shakily making his way to the fallen boy, kneeling close. 'Hm. I think I'm going to make her pay for making a scene like this.' he thought.

"O-one of my friends, he'd break down sometimes like this. Percival's in a b-bad place in his head right now. I don't know if it's as bad as it was for my fr-friend, but lets bring him to the infirmary just in case." The sickly American exchange student started to put one of Percival's arms over his shoulder before looking at the younger girl expectantly. Now, there was a crowd watching. If that didn't embarrass her, well, Duncan had something else on his mind just to be thorough.

"W-well? You're responsible! Help me carry him!"
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Mr. Blackbird Lore
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

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With a small sigh, Emilia rose to her feet again. Inwardly, she was seething, but didn't let it effect her composure. No, she turned right around and gave Duncan a slap any affronted noblewoman would be proud to deliver. "You, young sir, and all your friends are perhaps the most uncongenial association I have ever encountered. I bid you good day." Only when she emphasized the words did her icy delivery lean toward irate. She strode away from them without another word, becoming just another spiritual being once she was sure no one could see her. Then it was a simple matter of spinning one-hundred and eighty degrees and striding through her gate home. She wasn't sure how it would happen, but Emilia knew she would find a way to thwart this filthy emotion known as anger once she was free of human company.
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Re: [Episode Zero] School Daze

Post by CadetNewb »

'YES! YES!' Duncan triumphed in his mind! He drove the little snot away, and with a bruised ego to boot! Now, he could focus his attention on reviving the inept Percival. Laying him back on the ground, the American boy started to shake the other one, now curled into a fetal position. "Percival. Percival!" He started, urging the other boy to recover. "She's gone now. Are you listening still? Percival?" Duncan waited a few moments for the other to respond, before going on with his attempts to get the other to get the other back on his feet.

"Hey, listen!"
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