Munchkins at Midnight
9th of July 2006 A.D.
Your mother insists on disinfecting all the bullet wounds even though you tell her that you can't get an infection. So OK, 'can't' might be a bit of an overstatement. An infection would not inconvenience you in any material way. The way Usum puts it you are still human enough to suffer all the ailments of mankind only where others might suffer lasting harm the power within you rejects any disharmony of the flesh. Sadly 'the demon in my head said I'll be fine' is not liable to calm your mother any so you have to sit still while she works. At least the various first aid stuff doesn't sting anymore.
Now the rapid fire questions about what you did and where you went and especially the implication that Harry Dresden was somehow putting you in danger by 'dragging you into the business of the White Council' that is annoying. If you did not know her history with magic you might have snapped back that you were more likely the one endangering
him.
"Mom I didn't promise to help because I want to show off or because I want to hang out, I promised because I can help in a way no one else can. It is the same reason dad wears white to work."
She just sort of stops, hand and gauze a few inches from your skin then sighs and doesn't say anything more, as close to a victory as you are likely to get tonight
***
Once all in the house are sleeping, half past eleven by the flickering numbers on your phone you do something you haven't done in months now, you call a meeting of your own. A light in your window is easily seen by Daniel and a light in his by Leech
and Matthew, when you were younger you used to call it the bat signal. Daniel had coined the term back when you were still reading vampire books under the covers. You don't call it that anymore... but it still works.
You all meet up in Leech's room, it being the farthest from your parents' bedroom, though it is also small enough that only two can fit on the bed and one other person in the desk chair. That is OK though among your many gifts you find the ability yo sit in a lotus position on the floor comfortably. It feels strangely familiar, like something that had once been as natural as breathing, forgotten for a brief time.
"OK, spill the beans what's been going on?" Daniel asks before Matthew can get a word in edgewise. "You got kidnapped by those things and it gave you superpowers? That means you have to go out with dad now?"
"Queen Mab...." seeing the confusion on everyone's faces you kick yourself mentally.
Of course they would not know the name, you hadn't. "Think Snow Queen crossed with the Wicked Witch of the West sans melting. Anyway she holds a lot of prisoners, some are human, some are fey like her and some are stranger things, like this..." you pass your hand over your forehead letting the mark glow with uncanny light. "Think of it like..." The first thing that comes to mind if Venom's symbiote which is not likely to be comforting. "Iron Man's suit but magic but for your soul, it can do a lot of stuff and I am still learning what all the buttons do and it will grow alongside me. I don't have to go out with dad, but he could use the help you know and I
can help."
"What can you do?" Leech asks, ever the practical one.
"Well this..." With a flourish you draw your sword from your heart, brass gleaming in the light of phone lanterns, adding the eerie green glow of the pummel to theirs. "I'm really good at fighting with it and I can sheathe it in..."
all consuming balefire. "Flame. I'm also harder to lock up, I can shut down mind control, I work better in the cold and I am really hard to keep imprisoned. This is all stuff I wanted to get out of..." you almost say something like 'the faerie world', but really it's not like the proper name is going to hurt them. "The Nevernever."
"That name is so terrible in its vagueness that only a mortal sorcerer could have conceived of it," Usum gripes.
"Oh and I can summon any tool I want to make stuff," you finish.
"Any tool?" Leech asks wide eyed. "Like industrial lasers, electrical forges, microchip fabs with a clean room?"
"Yeah I think so and they always come out as something personal scale, something I can use alone in good time."
"That is
so broken..."
Mathew had enough of all of this. He rolls his eyes. "Who cares if she can make her own anvil and tongs for smithing, that's a utility power. Tell us about the fight."
Leetch looks speechless... but not for long. "Who cares? Some of us have a working imagination you know. She could make synthetic diamonds, sapphires emeralds, she could make gold from lead as long as her power will also conjure up radiation shielding. Like you can do that in a lab with radioactive decay. That isn't 'a utility power', this isn't a video game!" Her voice rises so much on the last words Daniel has to shush her.
You politely do not mention that she had called the power 'broken' just a moment ago.
"Well you are not going to help protect the world or help dad with money," Matthew points out, looking smug when Daniel nods along.
"The bad guys, the ones who work for the Devil they have goons right?" your little sister asks.
"They do," you agree, with a fair guess where this is going.
"So if you had enough money you could hire your own goons to help fight them," she proclaims triumphantly.
"If God wanted more people in the fight he would inspire them to join," Daniel points out.
Leech scoffs. "And if God wanted the world to be a better place He could just inspire more people to be better right? Guess we don't have to do
anything."
"Guys, time out," you raise your hands. "Let's no fight over theology just yet. We should wait until at least one of us goes to seminary OK?"
"That'll be me or Daniel then," Mathew points out with a laugh. "Unless one of your girls wants to convert to a denomination that takes women priests."
"Nope, Computer Science or bust for me," Leech says, in better spirits.
And that is when Usum decides to chine in with.
"A cult would be an excellent way to supplement the harvesting of essence as well as gain willing hands for your plans gracious princess." Thankfully you have been getting used to these little 'revelations' and don't show it in your face
Afterwards you get down to finally describing the fight, though
not anything about the investigation afterwards. "... turns out there is no plot armor in real life and bullets
hurt. Good reason to parry them that."
"Hear the wise words of Margret-sensei," Matthew says at his most dorky.
Wait, sensei isn't that...? "I'm not teaching you anything!"
"How come?" he asks, a definite undertone of whining to his voice.
'Because you'll die,' you are about to answer, with a helping of 'you're a normal thirteen year old kid.' which of course is when Usum interjects out again.
"There are principles and conveyances of the Wicked City that allow a mortal to reach their utmost potential and with the aid of a spirit of that realm mayhap even beyond it. While no where near the blazing pinnacle of your might they would be of some use."
What do you reply to Matthew's request for teaching?
[] Refuse that's crazy, yes even then Usum
[] Maybe you could do something for him eventually
[] Write in
OOC: Hope you guys enjoyed the family time.