[Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Archives of Occultus Magica's beginnings, ten years prior to the current story.
User avatar
Kai
Site Admin
Posts: 701
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:18 pm

[Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Kai »

After a thorough questioning and summary punishment for all those involved in the caper, the group had dinner, which mostly consisted of the girls glaring at the boys. With their pride and chastity intact, the girls definitely held an air of superiority over their few remaining male counterparts, and the smug tension made the rest of the night rather awkward for Percival and Ruarc. When the party went to bed, there wasn't much to say and nothing much went on, the night passing rather uneventfully. The only notable happening was that Ijuin Sakura had some pressing matters come up, which caused her to be taken home first thing in the morning.

Aside from all this, those remaining would wake up to two main sensations in the morning- One of the smell of a traditional Japanese breakfast wafting from the kitchens, and a second of the sound of someone exerting themselves at the back of the inn; repeated thwacking of an axe against wood as this unknown person split logs, presumably to help stoke the fires and keep the Onsen heated in the cold winter weather of January.

***********

Miyuki awoke to both the sound and the smell entering her consciousness, and stretched, looking around at the room to see who was all left. Coco had left the day prior with Duncan, and Sakura had departed in the wee dark hours of the morning. It seemed that Raiko was absent from the room as well, but her belongings were still present, meaning she was likely helping prepare breakfast for everyone else. Riley was currently sleeping still, and their remaining Chaperone Adrienne was housed in her own room, and thus naturally not present. Miyuki blinked at the light diffusing in through the rice paper screens that blocked the windows from view and drew the blanket up around her- the air had a bit of a chill, as it seemed the fire was in need of stoking.
User avatar
Kokuten
Posts: 1259
Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:06 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Kokuten »

It had been a rough night for the boys, with their pursuit of probably the dumbest plan possible in the shortest amount of time. For the rest of the evening, Percival spent his time quiet and in absolute avoidance of the gazes of all the girls. It left his stomach feeling all twisted, and worse, he had gotten an earful from the three women inside his head. Percy went to bed exhausted, sleeping on a futon next to Ruarc in a room he was sure Raiko had made ten degrees colder because of the prior day's antics.

A small hand slapping his face was what woke him up. Tegwyn, was already awake, having returned to the Elementalia to sleep the night before. She was ready to go and pull more hair.

"Bugh..." groaned Percival, turning over on his shoulder, "Begone."

The god-child disappeared instantly, banished unwittingly, and the unwitting Percival closed his eyes.

Wwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuggggh!

Then, his eyes opened back up again, a sullen groan forcing him up. Screaming tears of heaven-shattering proportions filled his mind, and he stared blankly at Ruarc, who was somehow sleeping perpendicular to him.

"Alright!" he exulted aloud, unintentionally, and then the child appeared in his lap, pleased as punch.

----

"You've become quite adept at your arm."

It was true, he wasn't sure how he had done it, but Tegwyn was strapped in on his back with his bed-sheet like a back-pack. The young man had taken one of the yukatas from the closet, along with a pair of warm slippers and went in search of caffeine. He had managed to find some near the kitchens, before shambling away to drink it in peace.

"Are you feeling a bit better?"

"Mmhmm..."

"Good, good. I know we gave you an earful last night. You went to sleep without eating or much to say."

Percival took a sip as he got out to the backyard of the inn, enjoying the brew in the morning light and relative privacy.

"Oh! Percival. I figured out what went wrong, the sacred bark..."

"Was necessary to balance the formula, yes."

"You got it! I was wondering if we could try again. Perhaps with the men's bath! You know, something a bit less morally objectionable!"

"... If you can find some silver, sure."

"Lord Caxton! Your dedication to such risky endeavors is inspiring if not worrying!"

"( `^´ )"

"Lady Modeka, you are ever the disciplinarian, she brooks no offense!"

"Its only an offense if you get caught."

"You can all stop talking now." Percival was finding it hard to find any peace, but the frosty trees and chill air was helping sooth his rattling nerves.

He finally seemed to noticed the person in the back splitting wood after a particularly loud THOK! Their axe splitting a piece with apparent ease and cleanliness. For some reason the cutter looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't place it.

So, he waved his cup.
User avatar
Straken
Posts: 1211
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 4:40 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Straken »

By the time Percy returned to the room, his companion Ruarc was awake. Odd circumstance of the previous night's endeavors and sleeping in a new location resulted in the typically early rising lad waking remarkably late; well past the rise of the sun. Lounging with his back against the wooden rail, the Irishman lounged in the early morning rays. Rousing in a manner reminiscent of a bear waking from hibernation, Ruarc wobbled from wide to side against the rail.

"I want to complain about so many things, but they are all my own fault," Ruarc said simply, his head lolling to the side of his shoulder to look at Percy.

Back on the girls' side of the lodge, Laoise sat contentedly against the wall, basking in the morning sun. She was still getting used to the level of individuality it offered, but this morning in particular she felt at ease; in an odd dichotomy to her primary's current state of being. Relaxing in parallel to her primary, the dove draped and arm over the edge of the window dramatically; enjoying the quaint winter air.

"Alas, so much to do, and none of it overly important," the familiar languished as she sensed Ruarc rousing,
User avatar
Kokuten
Posts: 1259
Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:06 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Kokuten »

"You're not all to blame, we got swept up in the moment," answered Percival, still working on waking up fully. Tegwyn, in her knapsack rider, had handfuls of the boy's hair. "I got an earful from outside and inside for the whole thing. We've learned our lesson, taken our lumps, the best we can do is try to enjoy the rest of the tri-- AUUGGGHH!"

Tegwyn leaned back, pulling back on Percy's hair, laughing.

"Damn," hissed Percival, trying not to spill his big coffee cup.

"Ha ha ha damn!" parroted Tegwyn.

Percy's blood ran cold, and he turned pale at the child's new word. Before anything could be said, a gout of magical flames exploded out of the boy's chest, as the Fire God erupted in his dark fury. He grabbed Percy's hair from the other direction, shaking him like a bag of potatoes, yelling unintelligible obscenities.

"RUARC," called Percival, struggling to keep Aurus off his front, while Tegwyn rode the back with glee, giggling madly. "I NEED A HAND!"
User avatar
Kai
Site Admin
Posts: 701
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:18 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Kai »

While the Hot Springs resort was very sparsely staffed, aside from an older woman who was apparently Raiko's great aunt, there were of course a few younger individuals that could be seen here and there, doing chores. Two of these would seem familiar, and when one decided to take a look at the pair, they would be neither surprised nor confused- A small, spunky girl and a medium-height, rather average girl could be spied doing various tasks- both the previous night and now during the morning. Sato Kiki and Hamada Ginga, Raiko's two good friends from school, seemed to be working at the hotel during this winter break. The third person, who was in the back chopping wood, had yet to be revealed.

This morning, Kiki and Ginga were hard at work in the kitchens, helping Raiko's great aunt prepare breakfast for the guests. This breakfast was of course wafting through the hallways and normally would have roused the majority of the patrons, though this weekend the whole inn was reserved for Raiko and her friends, as well as the chaperone.

Miyuki, after hearing the movement in the boys' room, decided that now was a good time to make her way to the dining room, and perhaps get some tea as she waited for breakfast. She made some small talk with Kiki, Ginga, and Raiko when she did so, before settling down in the dining room and simply relaxing with her cup of tea for the moment.
User avatar
Straken
Posts: 1211
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 4:40 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Straken »

Pushing himself up, Ruarc stalked over towards the struggling Percy, and with a careful scooped up the tiny Tegwyn and coaxed her to let go of the hair she was gleefully grasping. With some shushing and goochy gooing, the Irishman figured he would rather deal with the infant than trying the same thing with Aurus.

"Now now, lass, the'r's time an' place f'r tha' kindo speak, but it's not f'r a li'l lady such as y'urself," the Irishman cradled the child and shook one of her little hands with one of his fingers. Backing away from Percy and the minute fire god, Ruarc laughed a small laugh at the antics. "Yeah, yeah, Ah know, but the lot of us 're more responsible th'n tha'."

"Either way, new day," Ruarc chimed as he made his way towards the door of the room. "An' Ah'm starvin'. Ah'll meet'cha at breakfast, unlessin' ya think ya can get this under control real quick."
User avatar
Kokuten
Posts: 1259
Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:06 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Kokuten »

Tegwyn went limp as she was plucked from Percy's back, the boy now tussling wildly with a fire-spewing, black-armored gremlin.

She looked at Ruarc, somewhat cowed by his words; the small godling was more than aware enough to understand their meaning, just like in her ability to repeat them. However, she was mix of her parent's temperaments, and especially precocious as a result. In a moment, it seemed as though she were going to squirm out of his grasp, but then the Druid's calming air made her think twice.

Instead, she settled for a lock of Ruarc's long hair, getting a fistful and holding it like a safety line. Her big red eyes stared at him, in silent wonder, before giggling, her face red.

"Roog!" laughed the little one, "Roog!"

"URGGH!" howled Percival as he spun once, then twice, then a third time, sending his dead weight flying through the air off the balcony. It didn't seem Aurus would go far, before the boy heaved, his chest alight with an amber glow.

FWOOOSH! A jet of flames erupting from Percy's pursed lips struck the lobbed fire god before he could find purchase, and sent him far into the tree line. The pines that surrounded the property shuddered as the miniature god disappeared into the snow-glittered green.

"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME WHEEEEeeeelllllppp."

After he had taken a moment to catch his breath, the young man came back around to the Druid and put a hand on his shoulder. Despite being through a trial, he was wearing a smug sense of confidence on his face, "Little cuppa and some breakfast sounds just cheery, chum.

"But first, now that I've got the brain turning; I've got a plan that will get our girls back on our side. No more of this cold shoulder stuff, bruv. Listen here: you, me; good friends. Raiko, Miyuki; good friends. We get on one's good side, the other will follow. The two of us, if we work together..."

He made a motion with one arm, as if he had two arms, spanning a potential scene, "We'll both have girlfriends by the end of this of trip. Official status; none of this will-they-won't-they rubbish til we graduate. What do you say?"
User avatar
Mr. Blackbird Lore
Posts: 722
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 1:48 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Mr. Blackbird Lore »

THOK! Percy's question was punctuated by the chop off wood and a lingering echo that suggested his idea ought to be hewn as well. Of course, such drama was likely mere coincidence and easily brushed aside.

THOK! The physical labors persisted but were nearing completion. A few more billets and the stock would be replenished and young Jane Smith would be warm with the heat of exertion. Given the weather, she had swapped her customary duster for a buffalo wool coat, which has been discarded nearly half an hour ago as the swing of the ax put heat in her bones. Flannel and jeans over long johns were sufficient for the time being.

THOK! Jane relished moments like these to feel normal again. When she first picked up her daddy's guns, there had arisen a shameful excitement: she was thrilled by their power and relished in the excitement of combat. But that had quickly faded as the evils she confronted grew in power and darkness.
The thrill still filled her in the moment, and justice properly served was a great pleasure, but she no longer had desire to seek out trouble.

THOK! Done. She threw the final pieces on the pile where they landed neatly in line with the rest. A gust kicked up as she threw on her coat, revealing a pair of heavy, glinting things strapped inside the coat. Even someone staring might have missed it.

If she hurried, Jane might be able to fit a few minutes of onsen time in before the rest of her chores were due. Her walk was as brisk as the morning air, her eyes colder than the mountains she walked. It was too hard a look for one only fifteen years old.
User avatar
Kai
Site Admin
Posts: 701
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:18 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Kai »

Miyuki suddenly shivered, and she had no idea why pulling the Kimono provided by the inn a little tighter over her shoulders. She felt odd as if someone had something slightly disturbing that involved her. Shaking the feeling off, the Japanese girl took a sip of her tea- Perhaps it was her newfound powers flaring up a little bit, as she still wasn't used to the idea that she had a special magic within her that didn't require the Babylon Gemstones.

When the two young men whom had come to the onsen with them walked into the room (Ruarc holding the baby Tegwyn of course), she gave them a bit of a dirty look and then huffed, looking away toward the kitchens to see if breakfast was getting ready. as she did so, Miyuki caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking by out the back door of the Onsen's dining room.

"Is that..?" she muttered, trying to remember the name of the girl that had shown up and briefly helped them on some of their prior encounters.
User avatar
Straken
Posts: 1211
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 4:40 pm

Re: [Episode 5 Part 2] The Warrior and The Wolf

Post by Straken »

"Yup yup, Uncle Roog's gotcha," Ruarc laughed as Tegwyn settled down, wincing slightly but still maintaining his demeanor as the infant gripped his hair tightly. Perhaps it was about time to get a haircut. Continuing to gently rock the child side to side as he walked and listened to Percy plotting. "Mine's already official status, Perce. Or...at least it was," the Irishman got a little gloomy as he considered the prospect of having tarnished his standing with Raiko. "Regardless, Ah'm in favor of getting back into good graces. So, thoughts?"

Before long, the lads rounded the corner into into the common area. Almost immediately he spotted Miyuki who understandably treated the two new arrivals with a certain level of disdain. Bowing his head in deference Ruarc looked around to see if Raiko was nearby, and instead caught a glimpse of someone he didn't think he'd see again; or at least not at a hot spring. "Blondie?" Ruarc pondered, defaulting to a movie reference while trying to remember the American girl's name. "Wonder what she's doing here?"

It seemed that question followed her around.
Post Reply