Posted using PostyBirb",
"writing": "“When you said next to where your brother lives,” Niel said, looking at the bales of hay and farm equipment. “I expected something like a guesthouse, not a barn.”\n\n“Vic isn’t comfortable with Thomas appearing in the house,” Roland said. “You need a recharge?”\n\n“I’m good,” Thomas replied, panting lightly. “Just don’t expect me to teleport anyone until after I’ve had sex.” The rat headed to the small door within the large double doors.\n\nOutside, Niel was surprised to find the sun close to the horizon to the east. Was it morning on Sunday or Monday? He’d never expected to need to calculate time zones in his head; this was going to leave him with multiple jets’ worth of lag.\n\nThe other surprise was the farmhouse the rat headed for, as well as the large field behind it. Niel whistled in amazement. To him, farmhouse was a two story building that could house a large family next to a farm that grew vegetables, maybe had animals.\n\nThis farmhouse was sprawling, and the field was filled with grapevines as far as he could see. A vineyard was not where he’d expected Victor to live. He caught up to the rats just as a woman exited, along with a badger.\n\n“Hey Jacques,” Niel waved to him.\n\nThe badger waved back, then grinned. “Thomas!” He ran to the rats, hugging one, then both of them.\n\nJacques had been another of the Sigma Theta Gamma frat brother at the Minneapolis chapter when Thomas joined, and because Niel had been pulled into that, the bat had given them memories of shared past, but the badger hadn’t stayed once everything was resolved, so the two of them never became more than acquaintances with some very personal memories of each other.\n\n“Niel.” Jacques shook his hand. “I’m glad to see you again, although the circumstances could be better. Your ride to Boisseuil should be in here within the hour.”\n\n“They could be worse,” the raccoon replied. “I could have half of you running around the country trying to catch me.”\n\n“I’m never living that down, am I?” Thomas said, before hugging the female rat. “How’s Victor today, Orinda?”\n\n“Today’s one of his better days. He’s letting the twins distract him from your arrival, so that’s helping.” She offered her hand. “Hello Niel. I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Orinda Hertz.”\n\nHe shook it. “Victor’s wife. We shared a few thanksgivings.”\n\n“I need you to be careful around Victor, Niel. It’s been years since he saw you last, and after what was done to him, he isn’t comfortable around men he doesn’t know well. Especially not Society men.”\n\n“I’m not—” he cut off his explanation of how he wasn’t part of the same group. What did it matter if he was or not? Whatever had happened to Victor had left him traumatized enough, it was doubtful he’d see a distinction. \n\nShe led them inside.\n\nThe door opened to a large kitchen and dining area. A living room where another rat, along with a collie, tried to round up two kids was beyond, with a hall hinting at much more.\n\n“Wow, they’ve grown,” Niel commented. “The last time I saw them, they were still crawling on all fours.”\n\nThe kids’ heads snapped up at his voice, then they ran toward them, with the collie in tow. The older rat started, but immediately slowed, becoming wary.\n\n“It’s good to see you again, Niel,” Hubert said, picking up one of the kids, and missing the other.\n\nLike Jacques, he’d been at the frat, so Niel had memories of the collie, and as with the badger, Hubert hadn’t returned.\n\n“Hi Victor,” Thomas greeted his bother cautiously.\n\nVictor startled. “Hi Thomas.”\n\n“You remember Niel,” Orinda said. “Stewart’s son.”\n\nVictor nodded, turning to the raccoon. He froze, eyes fixed on Roland. “He’s one of them.” He took a step back, hyperventilating.\n\nOrinda was next to him. “Breath, honey. Remember, slow and deep. You’re safe. Jacques and Hubert are here to protect you.”\n\nWhat the fuck had happened to Victor? Niel looked at Thomas for a clue. He didn’t recall him acting like an action hero, but he’d never looked this scared, especially now since it seemed to be Thomas and Roland who were triggering him, instead of Niel.\n\n“I—I know.” The older rat made efforts to breathe. “I’m sorry Roland. I know it was an important day for you, but…” Victor began shaking.\n\n“I get it, Vic,” Roland said. “Maybe we should take this outside and let you play with the twins.”\n\n“No.” Victor shook his head vigorously. Too vigorously, Niel thought. “You’re family. I’m not kicking you out.”\n\nOrinda took the twin from Hubert and put him down, then ushered him and the one gazing up at Niel to their father. “How about you two take daddy to the living room and play with him?”\n\nOnce the four of them had their back turned, Niel opened his mouth, but Jacques shook his head.\n\n“How are things back home?” Thomas asked the collie taking cups from the cupboard and placing them next to the coffee machine. “Things any better?”\n\nHubert rolled his eyes. “Same old song. They’re still asking why I’m not finishing my masters, seeing as I was more than halfway through it. Somehow they forgot I was never interested in going beyond a bachelor and when that bat decided the best way to keep me around as one of his playthings was for me to ‘decide’ a masters was what I now wanted, I had to fight to stay in school. I’m pretty sure the only thing that got them to finally back down is that as rebelling goes, going for working harder, instead of less is something they had a hard time arguing against. I figured at least my dad would get it, but no, he too got on my case about it, just because that curmudgeon of an elder decided that me not finishing is ‘dropping the average’. You’d think he’d have learned better after his quest to get perfection out of all of us caused his heir to walk away from him.” He paused. “No disrespect meant.”\n\nJacques smacked the back of the collie’s head. “No one here cares that you’re disrespecting your elder.”\n\n“Says the guy living here, when his family’s only a few hours away.” Hubert looked at his hand, then Jacques, as if he planned on using it on him.\n\n“No hitting Jacques through the furniture,” Orinda said, placing jug of milk and bowl of sugar cube on the table as Thomas brought the filled cups.\n\n“Roland, you’re the closest. Open the door for me, please?”\n\nNiel looked from one to the other trying to understand what was going on. Hubert was strong, he remembered that, but nothing of what he remembered about Jacques clued him in on his power.\n\nSince Roland didn’t step away from the table, Niel decided the collie wasn’t serious, and accepted the cup Orinda offered him.\n\n“Unlike you.” Jacques smirked, adding milk to his. “I’m here at my family’s request.”\n\n“You know Firmin isn’t going to show up, right?” Thomas said in a sharp tone. “Even if your family gets their hands on him. They can’t force him to keep my form.”\n\n“I know.” Jacques snapped. “And that could have been avoided, if you’d been willing to negotiate with them, Thomas.”\n\n“I don’t work with blackmailers,” the rat stated.\n\n“Mama,” one of the twins called, running in their direction. “Papa’s not well.”\n\n“If you’ll excuse me,” Orinda said, heading for the living room, where Victor stood, looking at them, eyes wide, and trembling. The other twin hugged him, but wasn’t eliciting a reaction.\n\nHe startled when she touched him, then let her guide him down the hall until they were out of sight.\n\nJacques cursed softly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up with him within earshot.”\n\n“Is it safe to ask what that was about?” Niel asked while Thomas continued to glare at the badger.\n\nJacques sighed. “When my family found out Victor was staying in France, they tried to use him to play hardball with Thomas.”\n\n“The teleportation thing,” Niel said.\n\nThe badger nodded. “My family was blinded by what Thomas represents, so they burned the goodwill they’d earned in playing a part in taking down Henry just so they could control him.”\n\n“Not all of them,” Thomas said, his tone now more pleasant.\n\n“Sure, but we didn’t exactly keep them from kidnapping Victor. The plan backfired on them. Instead of getting Thomas to heel, he went to the Dumier and offered them his services in exchange for their help in rescuing his brother.”\n\n“That’s…” Niel couldn’t find the words.\n\n“Just about the stupidest thing anyone could do after what Vic went through at the hands of the Lewistons,” Roland said, plate of cheese and cold cuts in hand. Did he ever stop heating?\n\n“I’m not going to ask about that.” After that reaction from Roland’s oldest brother, Niel didn’t want his suspicions confirmed. “I guess you’re here because they think you can convince Thomas to change his mind?”\n\nThe badger snorted. “I’m here, because I’m one of two Mercier Thomas will allow anywhere near his family, and because Victor can stand having me around, seeing how I was kind of instrumental in rescuing him.”\n\n“They’re hoping Firmin will pop in for a visit instead of Thomas,” Roland said. “Which reinforces how stupid they are. Fir wants nothing to do with them after the way they treated him all his life.”\n\nAs hard as he tried, nothing came from the memories the bat had given him regarding Firmin and his family.\n\n“I was sent along to Minneapolis to keep an eye on him,” Jacques said in a flat tone. “My instructions were to kill him if he did anything to ‘bring shame’ to our family. Henry screwed around with that enough I don’t think I’d have gone through with it, no matter what Fir did, but it gives you a sense of what my family thinks of him.”\n\n“Just because he’s a shapeshifter?” Niel asked in disbelief. “I mean, who can also copy powers?”\n\n“There’s a history of body thieves abusing their powers,” Hubert said. “It doesn’t justify how they treated Firmin, but the last one before him nearly started a war in China, so they don’t get a lot of leeway.”\n\n“That’s bullshit,” Thomas said. “They’re just a convenient scapegoat. It’s not like they can prove the guy wasn’t actually him, since he blew himself up in the attempt. The Society just wants to be able to claim they weren’t behind what happened. Or are you going to tell me,” he added as the collie opened his muzzle. “That toppling governments isn’t something the Society attempted, even back then?”\n\nNiel listened to the discussion, noting historical elements he had read about, but it quickly turned into an argument, with Jacques and Hubert defending the Society, while Thomas poked holes after holes in their explanations, claiming that unlike them, he was an impartial observer.\n\nHe looked at Roland, holding a plate that now contained crackers, ham and some creamy cheese. Was that his power? To be able to summon food? The rat shrugged, giving the impression he was used to it.\n\nRoland was the only one to notice Niel standing and leaving. He made it to the living room, before deciding not to go further in case he ran into Victor. A door at the side caught his attention, and he followed the stairs down to a wine cellar.\n\nIt made sense, he realized. They’d need a place to store the wines they made.\n\nHe wandered through the racks of wine bottles and the occasional barrel… were those called butts, or was that only for beer? He couldn’t remember the context where he’d read it. He made two turns and still couldn’t see an end to the cellar. It had to be as vast as the building, which had to include the winery, on top of the house.\n\nHe turned to head back, worried he’d get lost, and paused on noticing the front of a barrel opened, as if it was on hinges.\n\nWas there really a secret door in the safe house Roland’s brother lived at? He should probably leave it alone, he thought, as he approached it. Whoever was responsible for it wouldn’t want him looking inside.\n\nThen again, if they were serious about it being secret, they shouldn’t leave it open and unattended.\n\nAfter a short corridor, it opened onto aroom the size of his bedroom, in his dad’s house. That was all he had the time to notice before the sword, floating in the center had his attention.\n\nHe stepped to it.\n\nIt was plain, with a leather handle, iron or steel guard and blade, and just hung there. Niel’s experience with swords was limited to pictures in history books, but he was confident floating wasn’t something they did.\n\nHe passed a hand under it, under the point. Nothing there. It had to be a trick. He stepped around, trying to see fishing lines holding it. It could be thinner than that. Wasn’t carbon fiber wire a thing these days?\n\nOr maybe it was real. Magic was a thing, after all. If not that, how would it be done? He tried to see something on the blade, reached to turn it so—\n\n“I wouldn’t touch if it, if I were you.”\n\nNiel jumped, then hurried away from the sword. The kangaroo standing in the doorway looked amused, instead of angry.\n\n“Why?” Niel asked, trying to force his heart back in place.\n\n“Staves, which that is, even if it looks like a sword, can be unpredictable. But unclaimed staves have, without exceptions, been shown to violently reject physical contact with those who have been claimed by a god.” He stepped in and reached back, then stopped. “Is one of the twins in here? I swear, neither of them are initiated, and it’s like they already have the power to find their way in the places you don’t want them to get into.”\n\n“I think that’s called being a kid.” Niel looked around. The room was empty, except for the sword. The walls were packed dirt, as was the ground. Indentations in the dirt could have been left by furniture that had been taken away.\n\nThe door closed, and Niel realized he was alone with a stranger who called a sword a staff. Maybe he needed to rethink his situation.\n\n“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you. I wasn’t looking for you, but I’m glad I found you.” He offered his hand. “Grant. Grant Summer.”\n\nNiel hesitated, trying to figure out why the name sounded familiar, then shook it. “Niel Leslie. How do you know I’ve been claimed by a god?” Did he have a sign anyone who knew how this worked could see?\n\n“Thomas asked me what I knew of your situation—he’s always asking me about magical stuff like I’m some encyclopedia or something. But in this case, I do know a little, so if you have questions, I might have answers.\n\nSo that was why. “What’s a Practitioner?”\n\nThe question took the kangaroo by surprise. “Not where I thought we’d start, and I don’t think you’re ready for the in-depth answer, but here goes. For what matters to you, you can think of us as another faction. We have our magic, like you have yours. Unlike sex, ours is in part channeled through our staff. Our version of your sigils and phrases are the talisman we make.”\n\n“So, this is your staff?”\n\n“N—no” Grant stammered. “I’d never even try to claim that.” He looked at the sword. “That’s…” He chuckled. “Even if I could take it. I’m nowhere near worthy enough.”\n\n“So, where is your staff?”\n\n“It’s…” the kangaroo looked embarrassed. “I mean…”\n\n“Okay, less personal question then.” Niel felt like he’d asked the man to expose his darkest secret. “Why does a Practitioner know about a secret subfaction of His followers that only one family knew anything about until a few days ago?”\n\n“Ah.” Grant calmed down. “That is to do with the original five Survivors having some World War Two heroics before they even got their training wheels off their new powers. Where best to start?”\n\nBefore Grant worked that out, the door opened and Jacques looked in.\n\n“At least you two are dressed.” He glanced at the sword, then away as if he didn’t want to acknowledge it was there. “You’re ride’s here.” The badger smirked. “You ready to go see your daddy?”\n\nNiel glared at Jacques. “If I use my shirt as a sling to fling the sword at him, would he survive?”\n\nGrant looked aghast at the question, then paused and considered it. “His power is durability, so most likely. But—” he continued, stopping Niel from undoing his shirt. “We’d both have to deal with a ricocheting sword afterward. Go talk with Jarod; I’ll know where to start the story by the time you’re back.”",
"writing_bbcode_parsed": "“When you said next to where your brother lives,” Niel said, looking at the bales of hay and farm equipment. “I expected something like a guesthouse, not a barn.”
“Vic isn’t comfortable with Thomas appearing in the house,” Roland said. “You need a recharge?”
“I’m good,” Thomas replied, panting lightly. “Just don’t expect me to teleport anyone until after I’ve had sex.” The rat headed to the small door within the large double doors.
Outside, Niel was surprised to find the sun close to the horizon to the east. Was it morning on Sunday or Monday? He’d never expected to need to calculate time zones in his head; this was going to leave him with multiple jets’ worth of lag.
The other surprise was the farmhouse the rat headed for, as well as the large field behind it. Niel whistled in amazement. To him, farmhouse was a two story building that could house a large family next to a farm that grew vegetables, maybe had animals.
This farmhouse was sprawling, and the field was filled with grapevines as far as he could see. A vineyard was not where he’d expected Victor to live. He caught up to the rats just as a woman exited, along with a badger.
“Hey Jacques,” Niel waved to him.
The badger waved back, then grinned. “Thomas!” He ran to the rats, hugging one, then both of them.
Jacques had been another of the Sigma Theta Gamma frat brother at the Minneapolis chapter when Thomas joined, and because Niel had been pulled into that, the bat had given them memories of shared past, but the badger hadn’t stayed once everything was resolved, so the two of them never became more than acquaintances with some very personal memories of each other.
“Niel.” Jacques shook his hand. “I’m glad to see you again, although the circumstances could be better. Your ride to Boisseuil should be in here within the hour.”
“They could be worse,” the raccoon replied. “I could have half of you running around the country trying to catch me.”
“I’m never living that down, am I?” Thomas said, before hugging the female rat. “How’s Victor today, Orinda?”
“Today’s one of his better days. He’s letting the twins distract him from your arrival, so that’s helping.” She offered her hand. “Hello Niel. I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Orinda Hertz.”
He shook it. “Victor’s wife. We shared a few thanksgivings.”
“I need you to be careful around Victor, Niel. It’s been years since he saw you last, and after what was done to him, he isn’t comfortable around men he doesn’t know well. Especially not Society men.”
“I’m not—” he cut off his explanation of how he wasn’t part of the same group. What did it matter if he was or not? Whatever had happened to Victor had left him traumatized enough, it was doubtful he’d see a distinction.
She led them inside.
The door opened to a large kitchen and dining area. A living room where another rat, along with a collie, tried to round up two kids was beyond, with a hall hinting at much more.
“Wow, they’ve grown,” Niel commented. “The last time I saw them, they were still crawling on all fours.”
The kids’ heads snapped up at his voice, then they ran toward them, with the collie in tow. The older rat started, but immediately slowed, becoming wary.
“It’s good to see you again, Niel,” Hubert said, picking up one of the kids, and missing the other.
Like Jacques, he’d been at the frat, so Niel had memories of the collie, and as with the badger, Hubert hadn’t returned.
“Hi Victor,” Thomas greeted his bother cautiously.
Victor nodded, turning to the raccoon. He froze, eyes fixed on Roland. “He’s one of them.” He took a step back, hyperventilating.
Orinda was next to him. “Breath, honey. Remember, slow and deep. You’re safe. Jacques and Hubert are here to protect you.”
What the fuck had happened to Victor? Niel looked at Thomas for a clue. He didn’t recall him acting like an action hero, but he’d never looked this scared, especially now since it seemed to be Thomas and Roland who were triggering him, instead of Niel.
“I—I know.” The older rat made efforts to breathe. “I’m sorry Roland. I know it was an important day for you, but…” Victor began shaking.
“I get it, Vic,” Roland said. “Maybe we should take this outside and let you play with the twins.”
“No.” Victor shook his head vigorously. Too vigorously, Niel thought. “You’re family. I’m not kicking you out.”
Orinda took the twin from Hubert and put him down, then ushered him and the one gazing up at Niel to their father. “How about you two take daddy to the living room and play with him?”
Once the four of them had their back turned, Niel opened his mouth, but Jacques shook his head.
“How are things back home?” Thomas asked the collie taking cups from the cupboard and placing them next to the coffee machine. “Things any better?”
Hubert rolled his eyes. “Same old song. They’re still asking why I’m not finishing my masters, seeing as I was more than halfway through it. Somehow they forgot I was never interested in going beyond a bachelor and when that bat decided the best way to keep me around as one of his playthings was for me to ‘decide’ a masters was what I now wanted, I had to fight to stay in school. I’m pretty sure the only thing that got them to finally back down is that as rebelling goes, going for working harder, instead of less is something they had a hard time arguing against. I figured at least my dad would get it, but no, he too got on my case about it, just because that curmudgeon of an elder decided that me not finishing is ‘dropping the average’. You’d think he’d have learned better after his quest to get perfection out of all of us caused his heir to walk away from him.” He paused. “No disrespect meant.”
Jacques smacked the back of the collie’s head. “No one here cares that you’re disrespecting your elder.”
“Says the guy living here, when his family’s only a few hours away.” Hubert looked at his hand, then Jacques, as if he planned on using it on him.
“No hitting Jacques through the furniture,” Orinda said, placing jug of milk and bowl of sugar cube on the table as Thomas brought the filled cups.
“Roland, you’re the closest. Open the door for me, please?”
Niel looked from one to the other trying to understand what was going on. Hubert was strong, he remembered that, but nothing of what he remembered about Jacques clued him in on his power.
Since Roland didn’t step away from the table, Niel decided the collie wasn’t serious, and accepted the cup Orinda offered him.
“Unlike you.” Jacques smirked, adding milk to his. “I’m here at my family’s request.”
“You know Firmin isn’t going to show up, right?” Thomas said in a sharp tone. “Even if your family gets their hands on him. They can’t force him to keep my form.”
“I know.” Jacques snapped. “And that could have been avoided, if you’d been willing to negotiate with them, Thomas.”
“I don’t work with blackmailers,” the rat stated.
“Mama,” one of the twins called, running in their direction. “Papa’s not well.”
“If you’ll excuse me,” Orinda said, heading for the living room, where Victor stood, looking at them, eyes wide, and trembling. The other twin hugged him, but wasn’t eliciting a reaction.
He startled when she touched him, then let her guide him down the hall until they were out of sight.
Jacques cursed softly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up with him within earshot.”
“Is it safe to ask what that was about?” Niel asked while Thomas continued to glare at the badger.
Jacques sighed. “When my family found out Victor was staying in France, they tried to use him to play hardball with Thomas.”
“The teleportation thing,” Niel said.
The badger nodded. “My family was blinded by what Thomas represents, so they burned the goodwill they’d earned in playing a part in taking down Henry just so they could control him.”
“Not all of them,” Thomas said, his tone now more pleasant.
“Sure, but we didn’t exactly keep them from kidnapping Victor. The plan backfired on them. Instead of getting Thomas to heel, he went to the Dumier and offered them his services in exchange for their help in rescuing his brother.”
“That’s…” Niel couldn’t find the words.
“Just about the stupidest thing anyone could do after what Vic went through at the hands of the Lewistons,” Roland said, plate of cheese and cold cuts in hand. Did he ever stop heating?
“I’m not going to ask about that.” After that reaction from Roland’s oldest brother, Niel didn’t want his suspicions confirmed. “I guess you’re here because they think you can convince Thomas to change his mind?”
The badger snorted. “I’m here, because I’m one of two Mercier Thomas will allow anywhere near his family, and because Victor can stand having me around, seeing how I was kind of instrumental in rescuing him.”
“They’re hoping Firmin will pop in for a visit instead of Thomas,” Roland said. “Which reinforces how stupid they are. Fir wants nothing to do with them after the way they treated him all his life.”
As hard as he tried, nothing came from the memories the bat had given him regarding Firmin and his family.
“I was sent along to Minneapolis to keep an eye on him,” Jacques said in a flat tone. “My instructions were to kill him if he did anything to ‘bring shame’ to our family. Henry screwed around with that enough I don’t think I’d have gone through with it, no matter what Fir did, but it gives you a sense of what my family thinks of him.”
“Just because he’s a shapeshifter?” Niel asked in disbelief. “I mean, who can also copy powers?”
“There’s a history of body thieves abusing their powers,” Hubert said. “It doesn’t justify how they treated Firmin, but the last one before him nearly started a war in China, so they don’t get a lot of leeway.”
“That’s bullshit,” Thomas said. “They’re just a convenient scapegoat. It’s not like they can prove the guy wasn’t actually him, since he blew himself up in the attempt. The Society just wants to be able to claim they weren’t behind what happened. Or are you going to tell me,” he added as the collie opened his muzzle. “That toppling governments isn’t something the Society attempted, even back then?”
Niel listened to the discussion, noting historical elements he had read about, but it quickly turned into an argument, with Jacques and Hubert defending the Society, while Thomas poked holes after holes in their explanations, claiming that unlike them, he was an impartial observer.
He looked at Roland, holding a plate that now contained crackers, ham and some creamy cheese. Was that his power? To be able to summon food? The rat shrugged, giving the impression he was used to it.
Roland was the only one to notice Niel standing and leaving. He made it to the living room, before deciding not to go further in case he ran into Victor. A door at the side caught his attention, and he followed the stairs down to a wine cellar.
It made sense, he realized. They’d need a place to store the wines they made.
He wandered through the racks of wine bottles and the occasional barrel… were those called butts, or was that only for beer? He couldn’t remember the context where he’d read it. He made two turns and still couldn’t see an end to the cellar. It had to be as vast as the building, which had to include the winery, on top of the house.
He turned to head back, worried he’d get lost, and paused on noticing the front of a barrel opened, as if it was on hinges.
Was there really a secret door in the safe house Roland’s brother lived at? He should probably leave it alone, he thought, as he approached it. Whoever was responsible for it wouldn’t want him looking inside.
Then again, if they were serious about it being secret, they shouldn’t leave it open and unattended.
After a short corridor, it opened onto aroom the size of his bedroom, in his dad’s house. That was all he had the time to notice before the sword, floating in the center had his attention.
He stepped to it.
It was plain, with a leather handle, iron or steel guard and blade, and just hung there. Niel’s experience with swords was limited to pictures in history books, but he was confident floating wasn’t something they did.
He passed a hand under it, under the point. Nothing there. It had to be a trick. He stepped around, trying to see fishing lines holding it. It could be thinner than that. Wasn’t carbon fiber wire a thing these days?
Or maybe it was real. Magic was a thing, after all. If not that, how would it be done? He tried to see something on the blade, reached to turn it so—
“I wouldn’t touch if it, if I were you.”
Niel jumped, then hurried away from the sword. The kangaroo standing in the doorway looked amused, instead of angry.
“Why?” Niel asked, trying to force his heart back in place.
“Staves, which that is, even if it looks like a sword, can be unpredictable. But unclaimed staves have, without exceptions, been shown to violently reject physical contact with those who have been claimed by a god.” He stepped in and reached back, then stopped. “Is one of the twins in here? I swear, neither of them are initiated, and it’s like they already have the power to find their way in the places you don’t want them to get into.”
“I think that’s called being a kid.” Niel looked around. The room was empty, except for the sword. The walls were packed dirt, as was the ground. Indentations in the dirt could have been left by furniture that had been taken away.
The door closed, and Niel realized he was alone with a stranger who called a sword a staff. Maybe he needed to rethink his situation.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you. I wasn’t looking for you, but I’m glad I found you.” He offered his hand. “Grant. Grant Summer.”
Niel hesitated, trying to figure out why the name sounded familiar, then shook it. “Niel Leslie. How do you know I’ve been claimed by a god?” Did he have a sign anyone who knew how this worked could see?
“Thomas asked me what I knew of your situation—he’s always asking me about magical stuff like I’m some encyclopedia or something. But in this case, I do know a little, so if you have questions, I might have answers.
So that was why. “What’s a Practitioner?”
The question took the kangaroo by surprise. “Not where I thought we’d start, and I don’t think you’re ready for the in-depth answer, but here goes. For what matters to you, you can think of us as another faction. We have our magic, like you have yours. Unlike sex, ours is in part channeled through our staff. Our version of your sigils and phrases are the talisman we make.”
“So, this is your staff?”
“N—no” Grant stammered. “I’d never even try to claim that.” He looked at the sword. “That’s…” He chuckled. “Even if I could take it. I’m nowhere near worthy enough.”
“So, where is your staff?”
“It’s…” the kangaroo looked embarrassed. “I mean…”
“Okay, less personal question then.” Niel felt like he’d asked the man to expose his darkest secret. “Why does a Practitioner know about a secret subfaction of His followers that only one family knew anything about until a few days ago?”
“Ah.” Grant calmed down. “That is to do with the original five Survivors having some World War Two heroics before they even got their training wheels off their new powers. Where best to start?”
Before Grant worked that out, the door opened and Jacques looked in.
“At least you two are dressed.” He glanced at the sword, then away as if he didn’t want to acknowledge it was there. “You’re ride’s here.” The badger smirked. “You ready to go see your daddy?”
Niel glared at Jacques. “If I use my shirt as a sling to fling the sword at him, would he survive?”
Grant looked aghast at the question, then paused and considered it. “His power is durability, so most likely. But—” he continued, stopping Niel from undoing his shirt. “We’d both have to deal with a ricocheting sword afterward. Go talk with Jarod; I’ll know where to start the story by the time you’re back.”",
"pools_count": 0,
"title": "Hope in Coincidences, CH 16",
"deleted": "f",
"public": "t",
"mimetype": "text/plain",
"pagecount": "1",
"rating_id": "2",
"rating_name": "Adult",
"ratings": [
{
"content_tag_id": "4",
"name": "Sexual Themes",
"description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal",
"rating_id": "2"
}
],
"submission_type_id": "12",
"type_name": "Writing - Document",
"guest_block": "f",
"friends_only": "f",
"comments_count": "0",
"views": "0"
}
\n\t\t\t\t\tbenjaminmahir and