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Milk, Cookies, and Insomnia
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Post by Devi on Jul 19, 2013 16:30:16 GMT
Theo awoke with a splitting headache. It throbbed in his forehead and at the base of his skull, making him feel almost nauseous. His whole body felt utterly exhausted, but he already knew he would be unable to go back to sleep. Whatever he had been dreaming about must’ve been a vision, and although Theo had deal with far worse, this one must’ve been fairly intense. It was so damn difficult to control your power when you were sleeping!
Cracking an eyelid, Theo gingerly pushed himself into a sitting position, his sheets pooling in his lap. He breathed long and slow and deep, in through his nose and out through his mouth, until the worst of the stabbing pain subsided and he felt strong enough to work. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Theo slipped his feet into a pair of slippers and shuffled to the door. He was wearing pajamas- baggy navy pants and a gray t-shirt- but considering it was about 3am, he didn’t think this would be a problem.
Because Theo didn’t have a family, he didn’t live in a family unit at the skyscraper. Instead, he had a sort of private, studio-type apartment where everything was in one room, plus one small separate room for the bathroom. It was small, and someone else might’ve complained about not getting their own full unit, but Theo didn’t mind. That little “apartment” had been his bedroom since before he could remember, and it felt safe and comfortable to him. Besides, at least he no longer had to share the space with a guard 24/7.
The hallways in the residential area of the Skyscraper were dimly lit and completely empty. Theo knew that several stories down offices were in use, people were working, the computer was being accessed, and all sorts of other activity was going on, but up here, things were quiet. Families were sleeping. And because this was residential, there was no need for security to prevent people from wandering where they didn’t belong. So, it was no surprise that Theo made it to one of the communal kitchen areas without running into anyone.
Most apartments had full kitchens, but there were still communal living and eating areas placed throughout the residential floors that allowed for multiple families to come together if they so chose. These communal kitchens were much like a kitchen at an office- fully functional with gleaming appliances, and the fridge was full of leftovers and shared food. Stifling a tired yawn and trying to ignore the headache that continued to terrorize his brain, Theo rummaged through the fridge until he found a plastic Tupperware of cookies. He grabbed about five and put them on a paper towel before grabbing one of the plastic cups out of the cabinets and filling it with milk.
He brought his little snack to the table and sat down, propping an elbow up on the tabletop and resting his chin in his hand as he dunked a cookie into the glass. Theo wished he could remember his dream. It felt important (strong, overpowering visions often were), but alas, he couldn’t recall a single detail. That, of course, wouldn’t help him get back to sleep any faster, and so he took a bite of soggy cookie and chewed with a frown, still trying to recall at least who the vision might have been about.
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Post by Mystic on Jul 24, 2013 2:15:12 GMT
Mystic had contemplated that coming here may have been a mistake. He knew there was information here that may prove useful, but he was beginning to wonder if the risk was worth it. Even though he was an ESP, Mystic was viewed as a traitor since he affiliated with neither side. Not to mention his views on magic being that new and old were one in the same. Those few that were aware of him were not exactly fond of him. Mostly he figured that being in a skyscraper full of individuals who's abilities foundation was of the mind put him at a great risk. After all, mental abilities often proved to be very dangerous towards opponents. Not always of course as in the case of Mystic.
He had been in the lower levels previously, but had found himself almost compromised. His only remaining option had been to take refuge in the higher residential levels until he could recompose himself and adjust his plan accordingly. At this point his only goal now was getting out unscathed and if at all possible, unnoticed. He quietly walked through the dimly lit halls of the residential area. More than likely he wouldn't run into anyone at this time and he had hoped to keep it that way. Though he had to remain vigilant never the less. At this point his research had to be aborted. He had to find his way out and soon.
He stopped short of an entryway as he could see a brighter light from within. It was possible someone was inside the room. He wasn't sure yet what the room was or how many people were inside, but looking back he knew he needed to go forward. He closed his eyes and began to breath slowly. He tried to reach out with his own mind to try and sense the minds of others. This method wasn't always accurate as it worked better when he knew how many to search for and usually where to look. Though it was a chance he needed to take. He could feel the presence of one mind but he hated the thought that he might not have sensed others that were there. He slowly opened his eyes. There was no time. Focusing lightly on the other mind he had sensed he waved his hand in a pattern in front of himself to focus an illusion. It was an illusion aimed at the optical sensors of the brain that would cause one to see a fog begin to form and thicken. Mystic could only hope the other mind was opened up enough considering the weak link to begin with. He then proceeded to walk by the entrance, and after passing he released his illusion causing the fog that would have been seen to dissipate.
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Post by Devi on Jul 24, 2013 3:13:52 GMT
Theo was on his third cookie and had pretty much given up on remembering the dream when his headache spiked to searing proportions. If Theo had been a swearer, he might have cursed, but as it were, he just dropped the cookie and pressed the palms of his hands into his eye sockets for a second; then he released them and blinked as the pain subsided. Theo jumped, startled, as he saw what looked like a figure moving through mist in the doorway, and he nearly knocked over his glass of milk in surprise. Then, no sooner had he blinked than the whole thing was gone, mist and all.
Now, Theo wasn't one for ghost stories, considering he wasn't a medium, but that sure as hell looked like a ghost. Confused and more than a little curious (albeit cautious), Theo pushed back from the table and ambled over to the door, sticking his head out just to verify he had been imagining things, or had actually seen a ghost (which would have been a whole unexpected level of cool), but to his surprise his eyes found a figure in the dimly lit corridor, retreating from view.
"Hey!" Theo called before considering this person might not want to be disturbed. It was almost more of a natural reaction at seeing someone at this hour, especially after whatever crazy hallucination he had just had. Maybe it had something to do with the vision? Nah, that had never happened before. Maybe he was just finally going nuts, his power cracking his brain and making him see things that weren't there. That thought was amusing enough to make Theo grin; after all, it was an ongoing joke among some of the kids his age: Theo and his visions, one day he'd be as crazy as Irving. Theo didn't mind too much. He did like Irving, after all.
But back to this stranger who was passing by. Who was it? Did Theo know him? What was he doing out at this hour? Was he a ghost? So many questions, so little time.
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Post by Mystic on Jul 24, 2013 3:39:33 GMT
Mystic slowed to a stop as he heard someone call out to him from behind. He had made a mistake. He should have known better too. Making that illusion in the doorway did more harm than good, since in reality it was more of a beacon of light yelling that someone was walking by. He would have been better of causing the illusion to fill the entire room instead of the doorway. That however was tricky when he had been unaware of the size of the room. Of course it was too late to think of other options in regards to the past now. What was done was done. He turned his hooded head to the side for a moment. He couldn't hear any movement coming towards, but that didn't mean someone wasn't approaching him. It just meant that if they were they were quiet about it.
He slowly turned to face the person who had called out to him. To his surprise it was only one person, and a kid at that. Maybe his luck wasn't so bad after all tonight. He didn't appear to be aggressive, and he obviously was no guard of any sort. He continued to stare at the boy down the hall. He could see that it was most likely curiosity that brought him into the hall. Go figure. He regretted the illusion more and more now. Though as he thought about it, there may still be a way to use that to his advantage. After all, with the dim lights it was still hard to make out details, and the way Mystic was dressed revealed even less. Though it did reveal that he didn't fit in with his rather archaic clothing.
Mystic had thought for a moment that maybe this kid could provide some information. How he was going to get it he wasn't sure of. He needed to approach the kid in a manner that hid his true self. Slowly he put it his hand out in front of himself. He focused on the kid down the hall as he made a few gestures to focus his ability. The idea was rather simple, yet complex at the same time. The illusion he had cast was meant to alter both the target's visual and audible perception. Through this illusion, one could alter what their target sees and hears to varying degrees. The first part was to alter the size of the hallway in the mind of the target. By doing so it would affect the target's perception of depth and distance. The second part of Mystic's illusion would cause the target to perceive fewer movements from the user, making it appear that the user was phasing to different positions instead of walking. The third was to slow down that perception causing the image of the user to remain in a position for longer causing multiple faded images of the user. The last was to cause the users voice to come from several directions, though not echoing, but rather harmonized in one fluid voice that surrounds the target.
As complex as the illusion might seem to one individual, at times it was a simple task to Mystic. It's difficulty mostly lied in how many targets were present, and how closed off one's mind might be. This was perfect for Mystic as he could now freely move about and speak to the boy without risking himself being harmed as its hard to attack when you don't know where to strike. He moved casually around the boy while he held up his illusion. He then began to speak. "I mean you and no one here any harm. I simply wish to obtain knowledge." His first priority with the boy was to discern his behavior. He needed to know whether he was dealing with someone who had an aggressive demeanor or someone who leaned towards being peaceful.
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Post by Devi on Jul 24, 2013 13:28:59 GMT
If the smoke had taken Theo by surprise, this new hallucination totally tripped him out. He blinked several times, taking a step back as he attempted to clear his vision. Something was definitely going on, and the thought of going crazy that had been so amusing before was no longer funny. He was definitely going to have to tell somebody about this, because these illusion issues were not normal.
Illusions.
Duh. The realization hit Theo like a sack of bricks, and he felt totally stupid for not having realized it sooner. This guy's power was the ability to create illusions, though why he would be using his powers on Theo was beyond him. After all, they were in the residential area, so there was no reason to be on guard. The thought that maybe this stranger did not belong in the Skyscraper never even occurred to him.
The stranger's words- surrounding Theo from all directions at once as though some higher being was speaking to him- confused the young man even more, and he frowned, resting one hand on the door frame to the kitchen as the other hung limply by his side. Why would Theo think this guy wanted to hurt him or anybody for that matter? They were all ESP here.
"Uh, okay," Theo replied, not really knowing what else to say. He couldn't imagine anyone sneaking this deep into the Skyscraper without being caught, so it was difficult for him to imagine this guy as a threat; yet his behavior and his words were so abnormal, and the illusion was so disorienting, that Theo was beginning to feel uneasy. He considered taking a peek into the future, but his head still hurt, and stepping into the future would leave him totally vulnerable which, for whatever reason, he instinctually did not want to be.
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Post by Mystic on Jul 25, 2013 1:48:14 GMT
He could feel a slight interference in his connection with the boy he cast his illusions upon. Most likely due to a sudden realization of it being an illusion. It hadn't faltered completely and that was fine. As long as his true physical form was still hidden for the time being. Though after only a short analysis it was obvious to Mystic that the boy was of no threat to him. Being in a position like Mystic however meant never taking the chance. There were many things in this world that worked against him, and the magical side of it wasn't the only one.
He could see that the boy wavered a bit most likely due to the effects of the illusion. Even though they did not physical harm anyone, they were capable of emotional and mental distress. Such as nasuea, fear, disorientation. Those were a few of the things that illusions were capable of instilling in others. He could probably cause an illusion to make someone believe they were physically hurt, but it would be all in their head in the end. Faster than the illusion had been created it suddenly all vanished and Mystic stood a few feet in front of the kid.
He figured if the kid had meant to do anything, his posture and even tone of voice would have been different. If anything the kid was probably a bit disoriented at this time and Mystic could more than likely take his leave. It was probably for the best that he did. The longer he lingered meant the higher the chance someone else strolled through with a different intent. He hadn't spoken for a few minutes after stopping the illusion, or so he had to imagine it had been a few minutes. With a slight nod he spoken, "I apologize." Mystic never was quite socially adept.
He stood there for another short moment before he gave a second quick and slight nod. He then turned on his heels and began walking down the hall. At least he knew there was no threat for now. However, he just hoped the kid would stay where he was and not follow him. He had hoped maybe he had put him through a bit of shock so he would hesitate for awhile before doing anything at all. He didn't honestly feel his luck would be that great at this point, but he could still hope.
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Post by Devi on Jul 26, 2013 17:37:53 GMT
When the illusion abruptly ended and Theo found the stranger standing only a few feet in front of him, he jumped and took a startled step backwards. Theo was beginning to feel like there was something wrong with this guy, and he wondered if he should wake somebody up and tell them. He didn't know how this guy had gotten up here, but he was definitely beginning to get the feeling he didn't belong up here, and that was a huge red flag.
But then the stranger apologized and abruptly turned to leave. Taken aback by this sudden departure Theo stepped forward, calling out, "Hey, wait!"
Theo cringed as soon as he had spoken, knowing damn well that if this guy had broken in and was some kind of threat, a sixteen year old kid with precognition would not exactly be able to incapacitate him. But now he had the stranger's attention, and he had nothing to say and-
The vision hit him like somebody had slammed an axe directly between his eyes. With a startled cry, Theo clutched the door frame that led to the kitchen, his knees buckling out as he slid to floor, his free hand flying to press against his skull.
Images, feelings, knowledge flashed through Theo's head in a way that the ESP had yet to figure out how to record. They had tried mapping his visions since he had been having them, but nothing made sense, nothing was readable. Even Kenji, who had practically perfected a dream machine for Theo, could not figure out how to use technology to save the activity that went on in Theo's brain.
Theo was down for a total of about thirty seconds, completely unaware of anything around him. As the vision subsided, he gasped, blinking his eyes rapidly as the dim hallway came into view. This stranger, he had a name, a fake name, but a name. If only Theo could remember it. And he was important. They would cross paths again. And Theo had the strongest feeling that one day Mystic was going to save his life. Somehow.
Mystic!
"Mystic?" Even as exhausted as Theo felt, he thought it was a funny name for a full grown man.
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Post by Mystic on Jul 30, 2013 20:08:13 GMT
It didn't take long or much effort to sense the sudden distress of the kid's mind as he walked away, no doubt questioning whether or not Mystic should be there. He stopped in his tracks when the kid called out to him. There was no threat in the tone of his voice when he yelled for him either. He was about to just continue walking but for some reason decided to look back. He turned his head looking back down the hall to where the kid was standing. He stood there for a moment, waiting for him to speak again. In his face he could sense that the kid had some sort of regret to calling out to him.
Suddenly without warning the kid looked to be in pain. Mystic became a bit confused at the sudden turn of events. He knew he wasn't doing anything to him. He had no illusions cast upon him, yet he appeared to be suffering from some sort of pain. He quickly turned around and approached him once again. Mystic was by far not a bad person. He cared for people and hated to see anyone suffer. He never took a side for that reason, for he cared even for the old magic users. Upon approaching the kid again, he could tell that the pain he suffered seemed to be internal. From what however was something he hadn't figured out yet.
As his knees buckled and started to slide to the floor, Mystic reached out putting an arm around him so he would not fully collapse. It felt like a long moment that the kid suffered, but in reality it was a short instance. He could feel kid calming down and coming out of whatever took hold of him. Mystic had then lifted him up and over his shoulder. He carried him into the kitchen once again. He then heard the boy speak his name, almost as if they had met before. Like long lost friends. Mystic carefully sat the boy down in a chair. He knelt down in front of him and looked into his eyes. Whatever happened to him took a serious toll on him. It was obvious in his eyes and his posture.
He wasn't sure how he knew his name, but that explanation would have to wait. For now he needed to make sure the boy was alright. "Do not speak. Just relax." The distress from his mind seemed to have subsided. He couldn't read minds or emotions, but being of an esp background, he was at least attuned to the mind of others and could somewhat understand how they worked. He waited as the boy rested for a moment. The fact that he knew his name suddenly came back to him. He was now very curious as to who this boy was how he knew him. Very few actually knew him, and even fewer still knew his name.
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Post by Devi on Jul 31, 2013 14:35:28 GMT
For a moment, Theo was disoriented, blinking under the kitchen lights like he had just woken up. He knew the stranger- Mystic- was speaking, but it took a few seconds to process the words, and he nodded mutely in response, breathing heavily as the stabbing pain in his brain subsided to a dull ache. As he regained his composure, Theo grew embarrassed; he hated that he couldn't always control his visions, and he felt he must look extremely weak in the eyes of this man whom he did not yet know. Face flushing, Theo cleared his throat and looked over to the remainder of his midnight snack.
"Precognition," he said suddenly, looking back at Mystic awkwardly. No doubt, Kenji would have boxed his ears if he had witnessed Theo sharing this information so freely, but Theo was a trusting soul; he had never been given a reason not to trust somebody, after all. Moreover, this man was a friend, or he would be in the future; or at least he would be helpful. It was difficult to distinguish the two. "That's how I know your name...Mystic..."
It still struck him as odd, that name. But he didn't comment on it. "I'm Theo," he introduced, "And apparently we will meet again."
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Post by Mystic on Aug 2, 2013 5:33:02 GMT
Mystic stood there calmly for a moment as the boy explained things very briefly. Though brief was all that was needed. In the few words he used, Mystic had become far less confused about the situation. It honestly made sense. Mostly at least. Except the part where he mentioned that they would meet again. "Precognition..." He spoke out loud but it was more of a question of his own. He was trying to understand why they might possibly meet up in the future. Then again, those with precognition often weren't even aware of the reasons, and they weren't often far off with their future predictions.
He was now far more curious than he was previously. "You said that we will meet again." He crouched down a bit in front of the boy so they were at eye level with only his pale green eyes being somewhat visible under the hood. "What was this vision you had that you saw me?" Not only was he curious as to the comment the boy had made, but he was also wondering if this vision the boy had forseen would give him any other clues to his research. He only hoped the boy could remember it vividly, but he felt that was quite a far shot in the dark to be honest. With as much pain as the boy had been in, he could only assume that even pulling his name out of the vision had even been exhausting. Though Mystic was a patient person. He did not speak in a manner to rush the kid. He only questioned out a simple curiosity hoping for enlightenment to the current situation and his own.
Those who were blessed with the ability of precognition had always intrigued Mystic. As one could not really see the same vision the user saw, it often became questionable to whether or not it was true precognition. However, this boy seemed to be the real deal by pulling out the name Mystic which these days wasn't often heard to begin with. The thing that always made him wonder was not only how accurate the visions were, but whether or not those visions always remained the same as they originally seen. Were certain events capable of changing the outcome that one with precognition might originally forsee? Or if these visions were accurate and true, were they set in stone? This was one of the mysteries of magic that Mystic was hoping to one day unveil.
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Post by Devi on Aug 2, 2013 13:24:29 GMT
The question shouldn't have surprised Theo; it was a logical and common progression of conversation whenever Theo told someone he had seen their future. For Theo, the future was so common that he often forgot how intriguing it was to others. Unfortunately, Theo could not always answer their questions, at least not in the way they liked. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair, not meeting the strangers eyes and instead looking around at the gleaming kitchen.
"I don't know how to explain it," Theo began, his face growing hot once again. So many boys around his age were mastering their powers, and Theo could still barely understand his own. Granted, Theo had been told by Kenji (and others) that his precognition was immensely strong, stronger than anyone had seen in who knows how long. Possibly ever. Theo knew this was meant to assuage his concerns, but it only made him feel more inept. Apparently this "gift" had chosen the wrong host.
"You weren't dying," he asserted; it made have seemed a random statement, but it was the first thing most people asked. "I think you were saving my life, actually."
Theo frowned, a crease appearing in his brow as he slouched back in his chair. "It's not like TV. I don't just watch the future. I just...know things. Sometimes it's images, sometimes its noise... afterwards I just know things." He shrugged. "Anyways, what are you doing here? I've never seen you in the Skyscraper. Are you new?"
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