“What the hell, Max?!” Charlton screamed at the driver of the rusty red camaro. Max Heighnsworth, the man driving, was a round pudgy guy in a black jacket and a torn Led Zeppelin t-shirt. He stared at the road with dark, brown eyes hidden behind a mop of messy hair. Charlton gripped the side of the car door, while angrily staring at his supposed “friend”. Max shrugged. “I got tired of waiting. Plus there was this chick who kept making fun of the ride-” he said. He patted the steering wheel with affection. Charlton stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious right now?” He asked. “You could’ve ran someone over!” Max groaned, and slumped in his seat a little. He looked in the rearview to check on Eris and Mindy. “Well, I didn’t. And besides, we got your kids out of there, and now we’re on our way.” He said. “Where are you even taking us? Mindy said she knew a place.” Charlton asked. “Which one is Mindy, again?” Max asked, scratching his chin. “The one with the dark skin is Mindy.” The butler explained. “She is the Doctor I was telling you about.” Max nodded as if remembering suddenly. “Right. Little Miss Prodigy.” He said. Eris and Mindy slept in the backseat together, Eris lazily leaning against the door frame, and Mindy slumped up next to her. “We’re heading for the shop. It’s the one place I could think of a bunch of nuns would never step foot in.” Charlton shook his head. “I cannot believe you. I am definitely getting fired after this.” He said. Max laughed. “You mean you had hoped that after kidnapping some elites kid, that they’d let you stay on the job?” He asked. “You’re right. I was doomed from the start. I’m still blaming you, though.” Charlton said. “Of course you are.” Max said, grinning. “But for a few days it’ll at least be like old times.” Charlton smiled, fondly. “Right you are, Master Heighnsworth.” ………….. When Eris and Mindy woke up, Max had finally stopped the car at their destination. Eris groggily opened their eyes, and tried to shift themselves in a sitting position. Mindy got up sleepily from Eris’ side, and blinked slowly. “Where are we?” She asked. “I feel like we’ve been driving for hours.” “We have.” Charlton answered from the front seat. He unbuckled himself, and got out of the car. Eris yawned, and tried to blink the sleepiness from their eyes. Mindy did the same, and they both got out of the car on tired feet. Max had stopped in front of a small music shop called “Radio Central”, written at the top of the building in tacky red lettering with a tiny cartoon rocket on the side. It was a small little, brick building with rain stains and graffiti on the side. Posters for indie bands Eris had never heard of littered the sidewalk, and the windows of the storefront. Max took out a pair of keys. “Welcome to Radio Central. The shittiest music store in Atlanta.” He said, sarcastically. Eris patted the side of the building before stepping inside. [color=00FA9A]“It could use a paint job.”[/color] They said. “Woah…” Mindy breathed, as she looked around the crowded shop. The store was crammed full of old vintage CD’s and posters from the 80’s. “This place is so cool!” She squealed. Max chuckled. “Yeah...I thought so too. Until I went broke.” He said sadly. “Now it’s a burden.” He flicked on a light, and the tiny room was suddenly alive. Eris could see what made Mindy so happy, and they had to agree. Radio Central was a wonderland for music lovers. [color=00FA9A]“This place [i]is[/i] awesome.”[/color] They said. They spotted a record in one of Max’s “Classics” bin. [color=00FA9A]“Holy shit.[/color] [color=00FA9A]How did you manage to get your hands on every single Prince Album ever?[/color] [color=00FA9A]I can’t see one that’s not missing here.”[/color] “I have my ways.” Max said. “Most of ‘em were hand-me-downs from my old man. And Charlton.” Charlton cleared his throat. “Yes, I do remember now where most of my collection went.” He said. Eris picked through some of the albums, while Mindy stared at the autographed posters on the wall. [color=00FA9A]“How did you and Charlton meet anyway?[/color] [color=00FA9A]The only other person he can stand to listen to go on about Prince is me."[/color] Eris asked. “I...used to work for Max’s family awhile back.” Charlton explained. “Before I was your butler, I was his.” Eris looked over at him. [color=00FA9A]“Oh.”[/color] They said. [color=00FA9A]“How come I never-”[/color] “It’s complicated, kid.” Max came from the back of the store. In his hand he held an old record player. “My family used to be top of the line, like yours. They fell broke a couple years back, though. And that’s how I ended up here, and Charlton ended up with you.” Eris scoffed. [color=00FA9A]“Clearly you got the better end of the deal.”[/color] They said. Twirling a Prince album between their fingers, they glanced at Mindy admiring the posters on the wall. They smiled. [color=00FA9A]“You’re more of a music lover than I thought you were, huh?”[/color] They asked. Mindy smiled sheepishly, “Well...I do love a fair bit of music. Though I doubt it’s too your level.” She said. “Your whole room is covered in posters of people I’ve never even heard of.” “But I bet you’ve heard the songs before.” Max said. He set a record on, and the shop was filled with the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” “I have heard this song!” Mindy said, excitedly. “But only in really old movies.” “It’s Frank Sinatra, my dear.” Charlton said. “He was a very splendid singer.” [color=00FA9A]“Until he dropped dead.”[/color] Eris said, rudely. [color=00FA9A]“I heard he knew the mafia.”[/color] “Oh those are just rumors. I heard it was some kind of gang.” Max said. “I mean, didn’t he live in New York for a little bit?” “He lived in New York? I thought, he was from Chicago?” Charlton asked, confused. [color=00FA9A]“Frank Sinatra was an enigma even to his death.”[/color] Eris said, shaking their head. “Well, wherever he was from, the folks around him must have been really lucky to hear him.” Mindy said. “I mean, just from this one song, I can tell he must have been really talented.” Charlton nodded. “That he was, miss.” He said. “How many records do you own, Max?” Mindy asked. Max shrugged, looking around the store. “I have long since lost count, honey.” He said. “If I could hire someone else to just help me out with this place...I could probably tell you.” Eris perked up. [color=00FA9A]“You’re hiring?”[/color] They said. “Sir, If I may object-” Charlton said. But both Eris and Max ignored him. “Yeah, but only to people willing to work.” He said. [color=00FA9A]“I’m willing to work.”[/color] Eris said. “Eris, what if they find you? You won’t exactly have time to work from your bedroom.” Mindy said, concerned. “And what if the police get involved?” “Oh the police will definitely get involved.” Charlton said.”I have no doubt in my mind that at least one of us is seeing the inside of a jail cell.” Mindy looked at both of them frightfully. “Wait, seriously-?!" She began. “I am very well prepared for Prison, Miss.” Charlton explained. “Besides, we have money aside to bail us out. Or at least one of us.” “If anything happens, I’m just gonna sell the shop, and use the money to get out somehow. I’ve got a guy who’s had his eye on this place for ages, and he would do anything for it.” Max said. “I think he even offered me money at one point, but if I’m going to jail for this, then I guess I’ll use him as my get out free card.” “Then...why are we still going along with it?” Mindy asked. “To help Eris, of course. I just roped Max in to help me out.” Charlton patted Max fondly on the shoulder. “Thank you for answering the call, and I’m sorry you might end up having to sell this place to get out because of me, but it means alot Master Heighnsworth.” Max shrugged. “It’s cool, Charlton. Besides, I was gonna get rid of this place sooner or later.” He said. “It was only a matter of time.” “Still...Something doesn’t sit right with me about this. I don’t know what it is.” Mindy said, shaking her head. “I feel like there is something else we’ve been neglecting about the plan. Not that I don’t trust you Eris, it’s just...I guess you could say this is the part of the story where some unforeseen plot twist pops up at us.” She chuckled, and then stopped. “I should probably stop, or else I’ll jinx us.” ……………… Days passed before the police finally found Eris and the gang at Radio Central, but to Mindy’s shock and surprise, they were not there to arrest her, or anyone. “Ms.Goodoire isn’t pressing charges, but she did want to speak to both of you two.” One police officer pointed to Eris and Mindy. Mindy nodded solemnly. She had a horrible feeling about this. Eris nodded nonchalantly, and followed the police officers to the squad car. Charlton and Max were free to go, but were told to not return to the Goodoire household. They drove for what seemed like hours, before finally pulling into Eris’ driveway. There was caution tape around the whole of the front door, and where the steps were. Mindy and Eris had to pull it up over their heads in order to pass through it. Eris pushed open the front door, and standing in the entrance way waiting for them was Ms.Goodoire. In her hand she held official looking documents and a pen, a sight deadlier than a gun when it came to this family. “Eris!” Their mother greeted them with great warmth, which they immediately knew was forced. “I’m so glad you’ve been found, honey.” She said. Eris looked at her, suspicious. Charlice then turned her gaze towards Mindy, and gave what Eris could only know as the “True Charlice Goodoire smile.” It was evil, and sly, and held the air of someone who has won a very long game. “And Mindy. I’m so glad they have found you as well, as I have a big surprise for you both.” Her voice dropped off near the end, and it was at this point the police had left. Mindy gulped, and grabbed Eris’ arm for support. So much for not jinxing them. Charlice sighed heavily, and loudly, stretching her arms. She waved the documents around so that they could see them clearly. “I have something for you to sign, Mindy. And I think you will agree to the papers once we have our talk.” She said. “I...I’m not signing anything.” Mindy said, determinedly. Charlice chuckled, darkly. “Oh, but you will. If you don’t you can forget about ever being called ‘Dr.Diasco’. Sign them, or I will sue you for kidnapping my daughter.” Charlice said. [color=00FA9A]“She didn’t kidnap me, Charlice.[/color] [color=00FA9A]I left on my own.”[/color] Eris said, through gritted teeth. They didn’t know what game Charlice was playing at here, but by the looks of the documents, it was clearly a very dangerous game. Charlice scoffed. “Who are they gonna believe? Me, or some girl so confused she can’t even-” [color=00FA9A]“That’s enough!”[/color] Eris shouted. They stomped over to Charlice. [color=00FA9A]“I don’t know if you know this, but we haven’t exactly been the closest on the family tree.[/color] [color=00FA9A]So please, stop talking as if you’ve known me.”[/color] They said. [color=00FA9A]“I don’t know if you can even call yourself a mother, seeing how you pawned me off on the butler for half my life.[/color] [color=00FA9A]What gives you any right to call me your daughter other than some papers you signed 16 years ago?”[/color] “Well I don’t think it’s going to matter anyway, daughter or not. While you’re not going away to some school, you are being held in this house. And I can do that as your legal guardian.” Charlice threatened. “Mindy, get over here and sign these papers.” Mindy gulped. “What...what are they?” She asked, tentatively. “A patent for your new drug, of course.” Charlice answered. “I was a bit curious about you, Mindy. My daughter was never really the type to bring in the smart kind. So I did a little digging of my own, and found out you had an advert planned for this mysterious, mind changing drug called…’Soundria’. It sounded...amazing. So I called in and…” “No…” Mindy whispered horrified. “You...you were the buyer who wanted…” “Yes. I wanted to buy you’re newest batch, but you said something about it being...buggy? Not ready yet? Of course, back then I was willing to wait, but now…” Charlice shook her head. “Now I want it for my own. As you can see, my daughter needs it greatly.” Mindy looked horrified. “You’re...you’re sicker than he is! You’d give your own child untested medication as...as a punishment?” She looked close to tears. [color=00FA9A]“I don’t care if Mindy signs that piece of shit, there’s no way in hell you’re getting me to take that medicine!”[/color] Eris declared. “It doesn’t matter, Eris…” Mindy said, horror struck. “The drug...it’s not ready yet... God what have I made…?” Mindy staggered on her feet. Eris went to her, and placed on her back. “Maybe it...maybe it won’t work. Maybe it’s a fluke...maybe...maybe…” Mindy was mumbling to herself. “Well, it seems the poor girl is broken. Hopefully she’ll find company in her science lab. After she signs these pages.” Charlice walked over to both of them, and handed Mindy the pages which Mindy weakly grabbed at. Her eyes were glossed over, and all Eris could hear her saying was “Maybe” over and over again. “Sign the pages, Dr.Diasco.” Charlice said sweetly. Mindy grabbed the pen in Charlice’s hand, and looked at Eris with a lost expression. [color=00FA9A]“Mindy, I doubt whatever this is...is gonna be that bad.”[/color] They said. [color=00FA9A]“The worst it’ll do is-”[/color] “Give you a headache. Right.” Mindy said, deadpanned. She signed the papers, and then slowly backed away from the pages, as they fell to the floor from her hands. Mindy stumbled to the door, and Eris didn’t see her for quite awhile after that day. Charlice happily clapped her hands together. “Yay. Now...about your punishment.” She said to Eris. There was no one to protect Eris now. It was just them, and their deranged mother, all alone in a giant fancy mansion. ……….. The walls of Eris’ room had been stripped bare, and all that was left was the meridian hued plaster. The slight, fading green tinge looked inviting to them, and they braced themselves for whatever Charlice had planned for them next. “Now, this is much better, sweetie.” Charlice said, patronizingly. “I never understood why you wanted all those ugly posters anyway. I doubt you even actually liked any of those bands or singers. You were...what do you call it?” Charlice stood in the doorway, dressed lavishly in a velvet red plunge dress. Eris thought she looked way to old for a dress like that, especially since she had no assets to show off anymore, but instead of playing along with Charlice’s mind games, they sat on the bed. [color=00FA9A]“Get.[/color] [color=00FA9A]This.[/color] [color=00FA9A]Over with.”[/color] Eris said. [color=00FA9A]“I will take whatever lame ass punishment you have in store.[/color] [color=00FA9A]Just like I’ve taken the other ones.[/color] [color=00FA9A]There’s nothing you can do to me.”[/color] They spoke bravely. Charlice smiled sadly. “Oh but I beg to differ.” She said. She walked over to Eris’ beauty mirror where sitting on top of it was a cassette player. Charlice pressed play on the tiny machine, and the room began to fill with the smooth sounds of Kenny G’s sax. Eris had noticed what it was immediately, and became very worried for their mother’s health just then. [color=00FA9A]“You’re gonna punish me by making me listen to Kenny G for hours on end?”[/color] They asked, jokingly. Charlice shrugged. “Something like that. Music does wonders for the soul, you know.” Charlice said. She began to sway slightly on her feet, swinging to the music. “Your father and I used to listen to Kenny G when we were kids. He was new back then, and everyone was just...feeling the vibes from the music, as they used to say. We would sit and listen for hours to this man play jazz.” She shook her head fondly. “I never realized how much I hated music until after he left. Honestly, I don’t even know why I asked about your love of those posters. Clearly you got more than one undesirable trait from that man.” She sneered at Eris. [color=00FA9A]“So where’s this medicine?”[/color] Eris asked, snidely. Charlice tapped the cassette player again with one nailed finger, and then left the room. She locked the door from the outside, a newly added feature Eris guessed was put into place the minute they left with their butler and friends in tow. They sat on their bed, and stared at the walls blankly, waiting for the medicine to kick in. ……….. [b]288 hours till Surround Sound Activates[/b] ……….. On the first night, Eris could not sleep. The music was just a little too obnoxious, and it had begun to repeat itself as there were only 12 songs on the one tape. The medicine came in the form of pills, and at first Eris refused to take them. The first day, they got away with not taking any of the dreadful pills, and making it through the punishment completely fine. The second day, however, Charlice had their food drugged and laced with them. Eris soon began to feel the slight effects of Soundria. They felt calm, and oddly sleepy. The music helped soothe them to bed, rather than annoy them, and Eris felt that even with the pills they would make it through this. The third day followed, and then the sixth. And then a week went by, and they were feeling completely and utterly alone. Charlice no longer brought food up to them, she had a tiny slot built into the bedroom door for the food. ………….. [b]120 hours till Surround Sound Activates[/b] ………….. By the end of the first week, Eris was completely lost. They stared at the walls blinking rarely, but almost never falling to sleep. Through it all, they fought against the intense drowsiness, as they always had terrifying nightmares amplified by the sounds of the music. Drugged and feeling hopeless, they passed out a number of times falling into the depths of their night terrors. Charlice could hear their screams from her bedroom. ………….... [b]24 hours till Surround Sound Activates--->>>>Countdown ON: 24:59:00[/b] ……………………. On the last day, Eris no longer slept in their bed. They were curled on the floor, unblinking and extremely hungry. They had tried to eat, but gave up after a while because of how heavy their bones felt. They knew the punishment could not go on forever, that their mother could not just forget about them being up here. But another part of them urged on by the voices in their dreams told them that she had long since abandoned them. The floor was very uncomfortable, and it was hard to breath for Eris, laying on their side that way. They could do nothing about it, though. ……………. [b]Countdown ON: 00:04:12[/b] ……………. The day had sped by, but Eris could not tell at all. The sun had set, and in a few hours it would rise again. Charlice had the curtains removed, and the windows boarded, more so to ensure that Eris could not escape this hell rather than to add to the torture. …………….. [b]Countdown ON: 00:00:00 ---->>>SURROUND SOUND ON[/b] …………………….. Eris wished that the music was gone, or that at least something else replaced its noise. They tried to remember what it was like listening to anything other than the Saxophone. As they searched their memory, they came upon a song they remembered from their childhood, and began to hum it slowly. The melody was off, and they couldn’t quite remember it because of the music from the tape. And then, by a sheer miracle that not even they could comprehend in that moment, the song changed. …………….. [b]SURROUND SOUND ACTIVATED[/b][hider=NOW PLAYING...'Here Comes the Sun'][url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfMXXMH9thc[/url][/hider] …………….. Suddenly the dulcet tones of Kenny G’s sax were over taken by George Harrison and his friends. Eris sighed in relief from the torture of the music, and began to hum along happily. They closed their eyes for the first time in days, and let the music feel over them. They imagined in their mind all of the things that the music made them feel; a panorama of color and shapes filled their mind, and they were happy for the first time in days. They slowly tapped their fingers on the ground to the song, hitting the beat everytime the chorus came in. They opened their eyes, and continued to tap, only to find that everytime they tapped little pixels would pop up from the ground in the same brightly colored orange that was in their mind. They felt power come back into their body, not enough to fully escape the room, but enough to sway and dance to the beat of the song. They made the little pixels rise up from the ground, and they stared at its color happily. They danced freely then, letting their minds eye do the work, and suddenly the room was filled with Sunflowers. The room was dark, even with the bright glow of the pixel podiums and sunflowers. Eris wanted sunlight, like the song sang. [b]“...Here comes the Sun…”[/b] They raised their arm slightly, a giant purple block forming from the movement. [b]“Here comes the sun, and I’ll say…”[/b] As the bass line was struck, they felt themselves come alive again with no vigor. [b]“It’s alright!”[/b] And with the chorus line being sung, Eris blasted the walls of their room using the purple block. Instead of sunlight, they were greeted with the moons face, but they had been trapped in darkness for so long it didn’t matter to them. They wanted the music to be louder, they wanted other people to hear it, and based on the harried screams of Charlice Goodoire, they were heard. They looked behind them, the music blaring so loudly, and Charlice’s terrified face before them. They smiled at her, sweetly, and with new frightening eyes. Eyes that were once a dull grey, turned into a vibrant green. Pure Meridian. With the last few minutes of the song playing, Eris raised their arm in the air, and they shot through the roof literally on a golden sunflower, smiling wickedly as Charlice screamed. They stood on the roof with the glow of their creations below lighting their path. They walked down a stairway created by their own imagination, a stairway made of purple and orange blocks fell before their feet leading to the roof, and all the way to the front lawn. The destruction they left in their wake continued without them, however, and soon the whole house was destroyed with the power of music and dance alone. They were no longer Eris Goodoire at that moment, they had transformed to something completely insane and not all together there. That was the day they gained their abilities, and donned the short monniker E.G. ……………… [b]SURROUND SOUND OFF<<------DEACTIVATING….[/b] …………………….... [color=thistle]Okay so this is not the final post in E.G's origin story, I do plan to write another short follow up one that shows them fullfilling the rest of the Bio Origin i posted awhile ago.[/color] [color=thistle]But, while this isn't the last post, it's definitely the last in their origin story, like this is it, the whole shabang guys.[/color] [color=thistle]It's been real fun putting these together, so without further ado, I present to you a new addition to the posts![/color] [hider=Tonight's Atmosphere][url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBpG2a5neD0[/url][/hider] [color=thistle]"Tonight's Atmosphere" is a little feature I've decided to add to my posts in which you guys get to listen to a song that inspired me in writing the characters and plot featured in the story above, so i hope you enjoy it, my taste in music has been called terrible before, so click at your own risk.[/color]