[center][hr][img]https://i.imgur.com/39h0Tk1.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/OfpTxjr.png[/img] [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019cb167-a9e2-77e8-a0a3-555f04118e32.webp[/img][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019c691d-d580-726b-b8c2-c4d4d9b6d5ce.webp[/img] [/center] [right][code]Cornell Diner[/code][/right][hr] It was 11:48 on a cloudy, wet morning. The diner in downtown Cornell was open for business, going onto the busiest hour of the day. For a city so sleepy, there were still plenty of residents going about their days. People on their way to an evening shift at work, people on their way home after morning shifts, and a whole room full of faceless ones who’d be forgotten when they walked out the door. And like any half-decent diner, it was still pretty quiet. No loud conversations that could be heard across the room, it was sleepy even as it was packed. And, thankfully, it was nearly break time for a few of the staff inside. Rain gently pattered down the windows outside. “Tuyen!” Lauren Bracken waved to get the girl’s attention. “Whatever you’re doing, do it and then take a break for a little, it’s almost noon anyway.” She’d been working here about as long as Tuyen had been alive, and managed shift schedules these days. Tuyen almost dropped the glass she was holding, someone directly addressing her snapping her out of the daze she’d been in. It was surprisingly easy to work no matter what her mood was- she put up an outer shell, smiling and acting like normal. Customers didn’t care for conversation, anyway. The surface level was always easier. It was why she was able to go to work, where she didn’t leave the house for anything else. She had been taken off shifts for a few days after the party, but quickly asked to be put back on- she needed the money. [color=9777bd]”Alright I will, thanks,”[/color] she said simply with a smile. It didn’t take her long to finish up this drink order, taking it over to young teenagers enjoying still being off school. With that done she escaped to the break room. It was quiet in here, at least. Not that the diner was noisy, but for Tuyen the place being filled made it feel louder than it was. Even if she was coping, it was nice to have a moment to herself… Even if it wasn’t really to herself. Her Shadow was always there, even if it had been silent this morning. Maybe it understood that she needed money to survive, and it couldn’t get whatever it wanted out of her if she starved to death. She sat down, the customer service smile sliding off her face and being replaced with tired neutrality. There were no new messages on her phone as she checked it, which was good. She convinced herself it was good, because it meant she wasn’t ignoring anyone. Not that anyone would text her aside from Vicky and her family… But it was good Vicky hadn’t texted her while she was at work. She was fairly certain her friend was still upset with her, and she didn’t want to make that worse. Moments later, a red two-door car pulled up in the parking lot. Tommy stuck an umbrella out the door and then stepped out. He carried a plastic container in one arm and hurried through the rain, walking around the building and to the side door. He came here a lot to bring his mom some food in the middle of the day, since she was usually in a hurry to get going when she had places to be. The college student smoking a dart against the dumpster waved him inside without much thought. He stepped inside and walked down the hallway, then turned left into the break room where he saw Tuyen. That made him stop for a moment, because he seemed to recall seeing her there when everything went wrong. [color=a79500]”…Back to normal, huh?”[/color] Tuyen looked up from her phone, shocked that someone had come in and actually talked to her. She froze for a moment when she realised it wasn’t even a coworker, but someone from school. He was real, right? It wasn’t a hallucination? It would be a strange one, since she wasn’t close to Tommy. They had a friendly but passing acquaintance. She knew his mom better than she did him. [color=9777bd]”Oh, yeah. Back to normal,”[/color] she lied with a smile that looked genuine. [color=9777bd]”Job’s don’t wait around anyway. How about you… You look like you’re coping well?”[/color] [color=a79500]”Gave me something to do, kinda makes it hard to stop and dwell on things. Pretty sure Tyler wanted to kill me when everything happened.”[/color] Tommy stepped around the table and popped the fridge open, putting the plastic container in there. [color=a79500]”I know we don’t talk much, but how’d you manage after it? You get hurt too?”[/color] He raised a hand, which had some pretty ugly gashes scabbed over. Tuyen shook her head. She’d been lucky, just a few scrapes from falling over. All of the damage done had been mental… And to herself afterwards when she tried to scrub the guilt away. But she wasn’t going to tell Tommy any of that. She especially couldn’t say she’d seen Chef die, and [i]thought[/i] she’d seen Vicky die too. [color=9777bd]”Some bruises and scrapes from being shoved around, but I avoided anything worse. I was lucky.”[/color] It was true, even if she ended up with some kind of demon attached to her. She leaned towards him to look at the gashes with a slight frown. [color=9777bd]”That looks bad… Did you get it treated properly? The warehouse wasn’t clean, so you should watch out for it getting infected.”[/color] [color=a79500]”Yeah, my dad fussed over it. A lot. While asking a million questions. What happened, who was there, how long was it until the cops came, did anyone try to arrest me, that kind of thing. I couldn’t tell him a werewolf killed everybody, who’d actually believe that if they weren’t there?”[/color] He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets. [color=ffcb00][i]”Magic.[/i] Still doesn’t sound real, and it’s been a while now.”[/color] [color=9777bd]”I didn’t really believe it until Vicky visited and showed me hers. I thought that I’d been spiked and hallucinated it all,”[/color] Tuyen said, with a slight smile. She was glad no one had been home when she got back from the party covered in blood. Her aunt probably would’ve gladly handed her over to the cops if they’d come looking. [color=9777bd]”It seems crazy even with things getting stranger every day. Why wasn’t it there before? Did something happen?”[/color] she questioned out loud. These were things she’d thought about in the brief moments of respite, her imagination running wild. She hadn’t voiced them to anyone else- not that she’d seen many people- but it seemed like Tommy might be willing to talk about it. He’d chosen to talk to her in the first place… Though she imagined he was just bored. [color=9777bd]”I find it hard to believe it was all a coincidence. That would be too horrible.”[/color] [color=a79500]”I… Y’know, I have no damn idea why any of this happened. And I’m the magic guy anyway.”[/color] The irony wasn’t lost on him. [color=a79500]”Piecing a few things together with Kari, talking to the others who got magic, it seems like there’s a pattern somewhere. You hallucinate, you see dead people up your family tree, they tell you something, and you come down from it with [i]something.[/i] They weren’t that helpful for me, but apparently everyone else’s [i]ancestors[/i] helped them out in that little window.”[/color] Tuyen hadn’t heard about any of that. Vicky had said someone showed her how to use her magic- Had it been her ancestors then? Not that it mattered… It would just explain why Tuyen [i]couldn’t[/i] do it. She hallucinated all the time, but she hadn’t seen any dead people in her family tree. That would be nice… Maybe she’d get to see her parents again. [color=9777bd]”That hasn’t happened to me yet. Vicky tried to teach me magic too, but I couldn’t do it. I guess that’s why. Just how many people have it so far? Vicky told me you and Tyler did, but I haven’t heard about anyone else.”[/color] Aside from Daniel, but she wasn’t going to mention him. It didn’t sound like the two of them had gotten magic like everyone else, but instead had been almost possessed by something. [color=a79500]”Mm, me, those two, Kari, Lexi. Lexi’s a damn necromancer, I found her puppeting rat and bird corpses. Tyler teleports, Kari and see things. I can make monsters, wanna see ‘em?”[/color] Tuyen’s eyes widened. Before, the thought of puppetted animal corpses would’ve made her feel sick, but she’d seen so much worse recently. At least being a necromancer seemed useful. It all seemed useful, unlike her. [color=9777bd]”I’d like to see… Can you do it in here?”[/color] She looked around a little nervously. What if someone walked in? [color=a79500]”Yeah, it’s no problem.”[/color] Tommy reached into his jacket and pulled out a deck of cards, which he opened and withdrew the Ten of Clubs. It flickered with an odd golden sheen as he twirled it between his fingers with practiced ease. He pointed the card at the floor, and Porter materialized. He was made of some golden material, with a wide and stout body. His head and the shape of his legs resembled that of a mustelid, but he was the size of a [i]bear.[/i] The creature tilted its head at Tuyen, before slumping down to the ground. [color=9777bd]”Oh wow,”[/color] Tuyen gasped, wide eyes shining with the closest to excitement she’d felt in a long time. It was completely different from Vicky’s magic, which was also cool- but this ‘monster’ was both cute and intimidating at the same time. She leaned towards Porter, before leaning back nervously. [color=9777bd]”That’s amazing. How did you figure out you could summon him?”[/color] Porter craned his neck forward and sniffed the air. [color=a79500]”So, during that party, when I got my magic, the ghosts told me to run. One of them had a snake around her neck, and the other tapped the cards I use for magic. Magic was literally coming off me in smoke, and this old guy in the visions I saw just said I’d know what to do.”[/color] He walked around to Porter’s side and snapped his fingers, causing a rectangular portion of the creature’s body to open up wide like a wing unfurling. Inside was a whole trove of whatnots. Tommy withdrew two bags of chips and tossed one to Tuyen. [color=a79500]”I used blood and magic to make a bird out of thin air. Then a coyote, then this guy.”[/color] Tuyen caught the bag on autopilot, holding it as she continued to stare at Porter. It only got more… magical. She didn’t know how else to describe what she was seeing. [color=9777bd]”So this isn’t the only one you have? Wow… It’s impressive you figure all of that out if your ancestors didn’t tell you anything. Do they all open up like that?”[/color] Then she thought of something, smile faltering a bit. [color=9777bd]”Are the cuts on your hand from making them?”[/color] [color=a79500]”The cuts on my hand are from when everything went to shit. Slipped on a glass bottle, it exploded under me. It was pretty convenient though. As for the rest of these guys…”[/color] Tommy held the deck flat in his hand, and an orb of gold appeared above it. It was about the size of a softball, with four red diamonds at each corner. [color=ffcb00]”The big guy, his name’s Porter, I made him specifically to hold stuff. I named this thing Balor, after some stuff I read in a book. He’s basically a wireless drone that Kari can see through, we figured out how to mix her magic with mine.”[/color] One of Balor’s diamond eyes opened for just a moment and leered at Tommy, then lazily rotated around to look at Tuyen, before closing. [color=a79500]”I’ve got four in total.”[/color] [color=9777bd]”[i]Four[/i]? In such a short time?”[/color] Tuyen was clearly amazed. She felt uncomfortable under Balor’s gaze, however. Maybe because of what it was named after… Though it didn’t look like it would be dragging her off any bridges. It was more likely because it seemed to be staring at her. She didn’t like being noticed that much. She quickly found another question to ask so she could ignore it. At least the Shadow was being quiet right now, so it was easier to handle everything. [color=9777bd]”So you can mix magic too? How does that even work?”[/color] [color=a79500]”[i]I[/i] can. I don’t know if that’s how it works for everyone, though… For me, it’s like there’s this weird energy that wells up in me, and I use that to make them.”[/color] Balor disappeared, and Tommy stuffed his deck away. Porter stood up slowly and yawned. Then he plodded over to Tuyen and sat down in front her, staring up the girl with his small, beady eyes. [color=a79500]”I use other things that help fill in the gaps, like an old backpack I used to make him. Kari’s magic counted as something I could use as a resource, and she had to add it in herself. [i]Maybe[/i] I could do that with other magic, but it doesn’t make nearly as much sense when I’m trying that.”[/color] [color=9777bd]”Have you tried it with anyone else yet? Maybe it'll make sense if you do,”[/color] Tuyen suggested. Absent-mindedly she stretched her hand out towards Porter, letting it hover in front of his face- like you would for a cat or dog to let them sniff you. [color=9777bd]”Though I don't even have magic, so maybe it only works with Kari's because it acts like a resource and anyone else's wouldn't.”[/color] She certainly couldn't picture Vicky offering hers up in the way to make a joint monster with Tommy. Much as she loved her friend, she did know what she could be like. Her gaze drifted towards Porter, and her eyes widened. She pulled back her hand. [color=9777bd]”I’m sorry, I didn't mean to treat him like a pet.”[/color] Porter leaned forward and headbutted Tuyen’s hand. [color=a79500]”…I haven’t seen him do that, yet. I think he likes you.”[/color] The strange creature stood up and nuzzled her hand like they were old friends. His club-shaped ears twitched. [color=a79500]”But no, only tried that with Kari so far. And for some reason, she can order Balor around the way I can. I think it’s because we both made him. Can you imagine if Vicky got control of one of these? We’d all be [i]fucked,”[/i][/color] He joked. [color=9777bd]”Oh, well…”[/color] Tuyen laughed awkwardly. She rubbed Porter's head now that she'd gotten his permission, staring down at him. She should defend her friend, shouldn't she? But she didn't have the guts to start a fight, and it was rare for someone to talk to her alone. In the end she was just a coward… But there were some things she could say that wouldn't be confrontational, right? [color=9777bd]”She really isn't that bad. She'd probably just use it as a ride to get to school, or to fetch her Starbucks, or carry all of her books around school for her.”[/color] Things Tuyen did for her, aside from giving her a ride to school. [color=a79500]”Probably. Drove her to school a few days ago, never seen someone put that much of anything in one cup.”[/color] Tommy popped his bag open and munched on a chip inside. Porter was strangely animated at the moment, enjoying the attention from this stranger he decided he liked the company of. He didn’t make any noises, but it was easy to imagine such a rotund creature chittering happily. [color=a79500]”That’s strange, but it’s nice that these things I make can get along with people,”[/color] Tommy observed. Was there something about his magic he wasn’t yet aware of, or was Porter just [i]growing?[/i] He didn’t know. Tuyen laughed softly, glad the topic had moved on from Vicky. It was a bit odd having a bear sized marsupial happily letting her pet it. Did that mean they didn’t normally act like this? Or maybe they did and she was misinterpreting him. [color=9777bd]”I’ve noticed animals tend to get along with me. Maybe it’s because I don’t force attention on them,”[/color] she smiled. It was one of her few good qualities. [color=9777bd]”Though he’s not really a normal animal… Maybe he’s learning from you, or something.”[/color] He considered that for a moment, rolling it around in his head as he ate his snack. Learning from him sounded interesting. Tommy didn’t understand how that worked, though. He didn’t make [i]brains[/i] in his summons. [color=a79500]”They’ve all got a piece of me in them, must be he got something good. I made this huge bird with razors for wings, first one I made, and he’s way more jumpy and menacing. I thought he’d slice up a monster if anything jumped out at me that night, but nothing did.”[/color] Tuyen nodded thoughtfully. [color=9777bd]”It makes sense that the one you made while running from a monster would be jumpy and menacing… At least to me. Maybe it’s the process of creating it that makes up their personalities, and how you’re feeling at the moment.”[/color] She was completely guessing, of course, but it was pretty interesting to think about. [color=9777bd]”I’m glad you let me meet the friendly one.”[/color] [color=a79500]”I’m glad he’s actually friendly.”[/color] Tommy watched the magical creature act like a damn dog in the presence of Tuyen. [color=a79500]”If we weren’t here, I’d bring the rest of them out. Maybe we grab a few people and talk about everything. I could-”[/color] “Tommy? Is that you?” Tommy froze. [color=a79500][sub][i]”Fuck, fuck- Where did I put those-”[/i][/sub][/color] Lauren, Tommy’s mother, appeared around the corner of the doorway. She stood there and locked eyes on both of the teenagers in the room. She smiled at the sight of her son. Porter craned his head around and stared at her. [color=a79500]”Uh- Hey, mom!”[/color] Tommy spun around and did his best to act perfectly natural. But internally, he was panicking. How the fuck did he explain this? Tuyen took in a sharp breath, chair screeching back as she pushed herself away from Porter as if that would somehow hide him. The hand that had been petting him was stuffed in her pockets, trembling. What did she say? How could they explain away a massive mustelid to someone who didn’t know about magic? It wouldn’t really affect her, but what if Tommy blamed her, what would she do then? [color=9777bd]”M-Mrs Bracken,”[/color] she stuttered out, reverting to the politer title out of nervousness. But she shouldn’t be acting nervous, not unless she’d been caught doing something wrong- how did she cover that up so it wasn’t obviously about the mustelid in the room? [color=9777bd]”Did I take too long a break? I was just about to come back, I swear.”[/color] “What? It’s not even noon yet, honey, you have time. Relax.” She grinned, looking between the two and the snacks they seemed to be sharing. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.” Lauren stepped in and walked around the table, towards a counter against the wall and sat a notepad down. She rolled her shoulders and shoved a few quarters into a vending machine for a water bottle. She didn’t seem to even realize Porter was sitting there. Tommy gave Tuyen the most [i]What in the fuck?![/i] expression his face was capable of managing. Was she fucking blind or something?! [color=a79500]”Uh- Yeah…”[/color] Okay, act natural. [color=a79500]”We go to school together.”[/color] “You go to school together?” She asked. [i]“Really?[/i] Since when?” [color=a79500]”Since a few years ago. Something like that.”[/color] “Mmhmmm.” She turned around and took a sip from her water, clearly amused. Tuyen furrowed her brow, trying not to look too confused. Did she not see Porter? Was she missing the massive monster in the middle of the room? How? And didn’t everyone in this town go to school together? There was only one high school in town. [color=9777bd]”We’re in different years but we’ve bumped into each other a few times. The school’s only so big after all,”[/color] Tuyen explained, managing to sound a bit calmer than she had a moment ago. Though she got anxious easily, she was all too good at hiding it all, which was handy in situations like this… Though the shock had been a bit too big this time. [color=9777bd]”We never really got the chance to talk before.”[/color] [color=a79500]”Yeah, exactly.”[/color] Tommy conjured up all his experience with the art of bullshitting associated with card tricks and stage performances, and put on his best impression of normalcy. But his mother was still smiling as she stared at them both. And it was at that moment he realized she was doing the thing parents did when two teenagers of the opposite genders so much as breathed in each others’ general directions. “Glad you’re making friends.” [color=a79500]”Yeah… Your food’s in the fridge, by the way.”[/color] “Oh, thank you.” She quickly walked around and nearly stumbled straight into the creature that seemed to be invisible to her. Tommy’s whole arm twitched as he grabbed his cards and made Porter vanish, at the last second before Lauren stepped where he once was and popped the break room fridge open. “Where are you going to be when you leave?” [color=a79500]”Still need to get some things for the water heater, dad won’t leave it alone.”[/color] “Well…” She withdrew the container of chicken and rice that Tommy had placed in there, popped the lid off and put it in a microwave off to the side. “Do that and don’t go anywhere else, okay? I don’t want you out any more than you have to be, right now.” After that disaster of a party. [color=a79500]”Right.”[/color] “Oh, and you too, Tuyen.” She gently stuck a finger in the girl’s direction. “I know you never cause trouble for anybody, but you know how police can be. You both be careful going anywhere, in case I don’t see either of you the rest of the day, alright? If you have to, ask Tommy to give you a ride home, I won’t even make a big deal about him being in the car with a-” [color=a79500]”Standing right here, still.”[/color] [color=9777bd]”Oh, it’s really alright, it’s not that long of a walk,”[/color] Tuyen politely rejected the offer. She really didn’t want to be more of a burden than she already was, and she was sure Tommy had plenty of other things to be doing. The walk wasn’t as short as she was making it out to be, but nothing strange had happened to her yet… And the police barely noticed her. [color=9777bd]”Thank you for being concerned, but getting home really isn’t an issue… And I won’t be going anywhere else.”[/color] Her smile was a bit awkward as she ignored what Lauren had been about to say, like there was any more danger from her being in a car with Tommy than there was with Vi- [i]No[/i], she wasn’t thinking about that. [color=535264][i]That was disgusting.[/i][/color] [color=9777bd]”I don’t think I have to worry about the police like some of the others do… They didn’t see me, and haven’t looked at me any differently. So it’s really fine.”[/color] “As long as you’re careful.” The microwave beeped and Lauren swiped a plastic fork from a bag. “I’ve got to go sort out schedules. Brenda said she’d be here by now and I’m beginning to think she meant she’d [i]leave the house[/i] by now instead. You kids be good.” [color=a79500]”Will do.”[/color] And then Lauren was out the door with her lunch. Tommy waited for her to be out of earshot and then deflated on the spot. [color=a79500]”How in the [i]hell…”[/i][/color] [color=9777bd]”Did she not see it?”[/color] Tuyen asked, voice practically a whisper. She clasped her hands together nervously, looking down at them with a slight frown. Was it like how no one else could see her hallucinations? No, that couldn't be right. Not unless Tommy and Porter were both hallucinations too… No, the interaction was too positive for that. It couldn't be that. Confused, she reached for the packet of chips Tommy had given her. Opening it up revealed a bag filled with mould and maggots, the smell almost making her throw up on the spot. She knew it wasn't really, because something as processed as chips didn't go bad like that, not when sealed, and Tommy was eating his happily. But the sight and smell was realistic enough it would be difficult to stomach. She forced herself to eat one, thankful the Shadow hadn't figured out how to mess with her taste yet, before putting the bag down. [color=9777bd]”Maybe certain people can't see things like that? Maybe that's why most people are still… Acting completely normal?”[/color] She suggested, hoping her idea wouldn't be immediately shut down as ridiculous. It probably was ridiculous. Why would things work like that? She did have a point. It seemed like the only people who really knew were the people who were [i]there.[/i] Tommy fidgeted, pondering that. [color=a79500]”I think that makes sense. And maybe… Huh. Maybe they can’t see it because they’re not really affected by it? You said you didn’t get magic, right? But you were there, so you know it’s happening. I kept it from her and dad, they’re not in the loop.”[/color] He had been wondering why people were just so unwilling to accept what happened. Kids dying was a tough thing to grapple, that much was reasonable. But everything was [i]off[/i] now. And no one was remarking on it, and school was still scheduled. It was like everyone just decided to play it off and pretend. [color=a79500]”Well, I don’t know if that’s better or worse.”[/color] Tuyen took a deep breath. She didn’t know either. But she was always one to try and put a positive spin on things, at least. She smiled at Tommy, though it was a bit shaky. [color=9777bd]”Hopefully it’s better. If most people can go about their life like normal, it has to be… As long as they can stay safe. But maybe it’s better that they can't see weird things when they don’t have magic to do anything about it… At least that’s how I feel as someone without it.”[/color] Her smile wavered. [color=9777bd]”And as long as things get worse. But there can’t be loads of that [i]monster[/i] around, right?”[/color] [i]Right?[/i] Tommy hadn’t run into any werewolves lately. And his Watcher didn’t have much to alert him to [i]yet.[/i] But what else was out there? [color=a79500]”Y’know, I have no idea. I really don’t know anything about a damn thing right now… Okay, I need to get going. She was right though, be careful going home,”[/color] He told her. [color=a79500]”One of these creatures I made can tell me if something’s around. If you ever think you’re being followed by something, Vicky’s got my number.”[/color] [color=9777bd]”Thank you,”[/color] Tuyen smiled. It was strange that he cared enough to offer to help out if she thought she was being followed… But maybe he was just a good person. He seemed it. [color=9777bd]”I appreciate it, since I have no magic myself… But I’ll be careful. You be safe on your way back too.”[/color] [color=a79500]”Yeah.”[/color] He walked out through the entrance, then out the back door. Then he was gone.