A Young Man's Henchmen Career (A Fanfic of GremlinJack's A Young Girl's Delinquency Record)

[Philosophysics]

I finally died.

Kind of funny. I didn't feel any sort of sadness. I lived a good life. It was a short life, but a good one. A mere 25 years. I barely got the chance to utilize my new Master's in engineering before I died. Though… It was a good death. I saved a lot of people before I accidentally went down with the ship.

In my defense, I did try to escape so I was rising above my suicidal tendencies. Full intention of making it back out alive, but uh… Life appears to have different plans, so… Yeah.

Sorry, Mother Christine. This Lamb appears to be meeting God far ahead of its time. I hope my donation comes through.

Hm… Since I'm Buddhist then that means I should be reincarnating. Wonder how that'll work. I definitely wasn't pious or disciplined enough to kill all desire, so no nirvana for me. I'm a really shitty Buddhist.

"I hope you're better than the last one," a voice snapped behind me.

Turning I faced and saw an old man who was… absurdly well built. He had an adonis like figure, a voice that sounded like Morgan Freeman, and a luscious white beard. If I didn't know better, he looked like an actor who directors often called upon to play...

"Are you God?" I asked suspiciously, bowing in respect nevertheless.

He seemed taken aback before schooling his features into a benevolent smile saying, "Why, yes my-"

"You are a dick," I smiled respectfully.

"Not again," God groaned. Scowling, he pointed accusingly at me, "Let me guess! You don't believe I'm God because of science!? That Man no longer needs Me? You willfully cling to this suffering of humanity's progression? Why is it that the likes of you and him are coming to my domain more!? Do none of you wish to seek salvation and enter Nirvana!?"

"I want to enter Nirvana," I corrected him, "I just don't want to do it now. And wait, that's a Buddhist thing. Aren't you God?"

"Then why do you disrespect me so!?" he complained, completely ignoring my second point.

"Because you deserve it?" I sighed, scratching my head in confusion, giving up on him ever giving me a proper explanation for Nirvana. I honestly don't know how to deal with God. I mean he did get the ball rolling on existence which I'm grateful for. But he's also let so many travesties happen. I mean slavery, the world wars, plagues, if he really wanted us to have Faith in him, he should've done something.

"Wait, which God even are you?"

He boomed, spreading his arms in an expansive gesture, "I am God. The one true God."

Biting my tongue, I barely managed to keep myself from laughing at his sudden T-pose. Coughing a bit, I eventually regained control of myself, dryly remarking, "Yeah. Neat. Are you the Jewish one? The Islamic one? The Christian one? That doesn't help much."

"Surely you have learnt of me! You were raised in a Church!" God pointed accusingly at me.

...He's oddly innocent. He… He honestly thought just because I was raised in a religious setting that meant I became religious instead of the firm agnostic that I am today. Well, I guess I'm no longer agnostic since I have confirmation that God exists, but I sure as hell don't have the kind of faith that's going to let me pass through the pearly gates.

Nor would I.

"Yes," I agreed before explaining slowly, "Because my parents died."

Puffing himself up, God proclaimed, "I have given you trials--"

I cut him off with a kneejerk, "Yeah, fuck you."

Trials. Fucking trials. Every bad thing in life is a trial? Was it a trial when my sister in all but blood was raped by the head priest when she was thirteen? Was it a trial when the youngest in my group died of the cold? Was it a trial when the cruise ship sank and almost killed the entirety of my reunion!? Were they all trials!? TRIALS!?

"What?"

"Fuck. You. You heard me. Or is the all powerful God hard of hearing now?"

"I am your Creator!"

"And I thank you for that!" I snapped. Getting down on my knees, I kowtowed three times, slamming my head against the ground in angered gratitude, "I thank you for creating this world! This wonderful mad world! Where I was raised by good people! Where I met smart people! Where I loved kind people! Where I was loved by great people! I thank you! Thank you for this world and all its miracles!"

"Then why…"

Standing up, I rubbed my forehead and glared silently at God. Then stepping one foot in front of another, I paused when our noses were near touching and hissed, "Because just as you created all its miracles, so too did you let horrors come and grow to life."

He opened his mouth to speak and I punched him in the face. He barely moved, but I felt better.

My fist hurt and his face grew stoney. I didn't give a hell's damn. Continuing on my rant, I shouted, "Where were you when Michelle hung herself in shame!? When the Head Priest raped her and then condemned her for having lost her purity!? Where were you when my mother died in childbirth and when my father died in a shooting!? Where were you when a storm sank the ship that carried what remained of my group!?"

"They almost died you know!" I screamed at God, backing away and pointing at him. I was shaking. It took everything I had to remain calm, but trials. Trials. Fucking trials. That word broke the dam of my control. "Justine! Marcus! Angela! We were all that remained of the fifteen of us! Fifteen kids in a small orphanage in a Church! Twenty years and that's all that was left! It was a small reunion! Just a small world trip to celebrate us making it to 25! But then a storm hit and toppled the ship!"

Breathing heavily, I coughed. I don't like screaming. Recovering slowly, I hissed softly, "Want to know who saved them?"

I waited for God's response. When he didn't answer, I smiled cruelly and walked back in to stare at his face, "You can't even answer me, can you. I'll do it then."

"It was me," I cackled, turning my back to God, "It was me who saved them. Me who carried their unconscious bodies to the lifeboats. And I didn't stop there. I went back and helped evacuate the rest of them. And you know what? What I did was small."

"Vaccines. Agriculture. Medicine. Transportation. Architecture. ALL this and more. We did it. Without your help. Mankind did it without you."

Taking a deep breath, I immediately cut off God's refutation with another laugh, "But what about the wars!? What about the slavery!? What about the sins of man!?"

Turning around to face God, I felt dizzy with the knowledge that for all of his power, God was finally fucking listening to one lost, scared, and most importantly, angry child's prayer, "What about it, God? Yes, we did them, but we also overcame them. Every 'trial' we found, we overcame and became better. You never taught us anything! Oh Ten commandments? Oh Holy Testament!? Oh Prophets!? You always used a proxy! A proxy to one proxy to another proxy! Never directly helping us. It was and still is the shittiest game of telephone ever. Who knows!? Who the fuck knows!?"

What will it take to be happy? A perfect world? God doesn't seem to have a plan and nobody has any idea. I have no idea where this conversation, this argument was going. It had and still felt good to scream, but… I saw no end to it. Where was victory? People will still suffer, people will still die, and… God will still be God. Whatever the fuck that means.

"Will we fail and fall again? Yes. Will we rise once more? Also yes. And do we need you? Did we ever need you?"

I sighed, suddenly tired. Anger… It always came in a hot flash for me. Slinking over to a pillar, I leaned against it and slid down in defeat and sighed, "Do we need you? The answer to that is no. Maybe we needed you at the start, but you abandoned us and we found the answer to that question is no. We have no use for Gods. Not when we can ask ourselves and one another for help."

There was silence. And then God proved his stupidity by completely missing the fucking point, "NEVER have I EVER been SO disrespected! You impudent chi-"

"Don't!" I raised a finger up, "Don't call me a child. You lost that right when you abandoned humanity. You may tote yourself as a Father and a Mother and a parent, but you left us to suffer. You test us without teaching. You punish us for failing those tests. And you… you… you were just never there. Maybe you had your reasons, maybe you had limitations that you put on yourself. But you are not perfect."

I felt the prickling of divine rage and sighed in mocking laughter. Even after all that, God didn't get the point. He wanted blind faith and devotion. What a fucking dick. Keeping my head down, I said, "I believe in your power, but I have no faith in you. I have more faith in myself and my fellow man. I wanted to see something good. But now that I met you? Well… I'm right. And it really fucking sucks to be right about you."

"Then you shall learn faith!" God shouted in divine anger, "You shall live a blessed life and shall find no pain and… Why are you laughing!?"

"So you resort to bribery!?" I cried as I laughed at a joke of my own creation. This fucking conversation, "One agnostic Buddhist's tantrum and you resort to bribery that quickly!?"

"What!?"

"You can make my life better. You can make it the most perfect thing and I'll still find pain? Why? Because it'll just be me. Just my perfect life while everybody else suffers. Life isn't life without pain and suffering."

"Then what do you want!? How can I cause you to have faith in me!?"

Smiling brokenly, I looked at God and answered with the utmost honesty, "I have no fucking clue, Mr. God. I have no clue.."

There was silence. I smiled. Wow, I had made God so angry that he couldn't even speak. Even as he lifted one finger crackling with divine energy, I smirked. Maybe I would be completely erased out of existence. Maybe I'm going to hell. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

What I did know was that I had said all I wanted to God and it was by GOD one of the most satisfying things ever.

Closing my eyes, I heard a soft voice command, "Enough."

Keeping my eyes closed, I waited for the painful thing to happen. When it didn't happen, I cocked one eye then another to find a monk robed in golden cloth standing protectively in front of me.

"You have no place here, false Divine," God spat at… Is that Buddha? That's Buddha! I am staring at the back of Buddha! This is awesome!

Oh my… Well, God's an asshole… Meh, I'll find something to say instead. But hot diggety DAMN! Buddha just saved my ass from eternal oblivion or something equally horrifying.

"Buddha!" I cheered. Then I panicked and bowed respectfully.

"I actually do," Buddha said serenely, "He is a follower of mine. Not yours."

God glared, snapping back, "Impossible! He was baptized."

"And renounced his faith," Buddha subtly sassed, "And with ample reason if your little showing was anything to go by."

I think I have a new favorite divine being. And his name is Buddha. My goodness, I think I just witnessed cold-blooded murder with the amount of Shade dropped on God.

"Leave now, he is mine to care for now," Buddha said. He spoke softly, but all of us knew that it was more of a command, "And we will be speaking of your… other transgression with the other pantheons later."

"...Fine," God scowled, spinning to leave, "You will fare no better in finding respect from this idiot."

So saying, he left with a dramatic crack of thunder. Further proving my theory that God is not only a dick, but a theatrical diva of one.

There was silence for a bit before Buddha turned. He had a kind face that looked down at me in concern. He smiled at me.

I smiled back and said, "Give me about five minutes, I think I'm going to go panic for a bit now."

Then I huddled into the fetal position and just kind of shook in place.

-----

Eventually, I recovered enough to have tea with Buddha. It was nice.

"That was a foolish thing you did," Buddha remarked, sipping his tea.

Sipping mine, I savored the bitter taste of Oolong before sighing, "I speak my mind."

"That you do," Buddha laughed, a light tinkling sound that felt cleansing. Guess there was something to those old myths. "That you do."

"While I am thankful that you saved me, there must be a reason for this."

"Hmm?" Buddha leaned forward, eyes crinkling as he smiled, "Could I not simply find someone to enjoy a cup of tea with? You are a very interesting person. Few are brave enough to question God in the manner you did. Fewer still are those who could remain as controlled as you."

"That's fair," I agreed before pressing my line of questioning, "But that's not all of it, right?"

"Yes," Buddha sighed, bowing his head, "To borrow a favored phrase of yours, full disclosure, I cannot bring you to Nirvana."

"Wouldn't ask you to," I shook my head and shrugged, "Nirvana is the journey that each individual must find the path to release all attachments to escape the cycle of rebirth, Samsara. Or something like that."

Scratching my chin as I remembered an oddity from earlier, I asked, "Though I must ask. Why was God talking about Nirvana?"

"He sees it as another name for Heaven and since you were Japanese he assumed that was the best way to speak of it."

"To assume is to make an ass out of you and me as they say."

Unfortunately for Buddha, he was sipping right when I said it. He almost choked as he laughed. Coughing a bit, he chuckled, "Stop! You'll make me spill my tea."

I smiled and sipped before continuing on, "Anyways, can't bring me to Nirvana. So it's Samsara for me right?"

"Yes." "You are to step onto Samsara once more. But I offer you two paths. One is the standard. Reincarnate once more into a better life. You certainly built up the karma to do so."

I blushed. I only did a few good things. Nothing that dramatic.

"Don't kid yourself, you cared for many people and even during death you saved many. You may not have kept your nose the cleanest when you were younger, but overall, you built up quite the good karma."

"Thank you."

Waving off my thanks, Buddha continued explaining, "Option two is a bit more difficult. You will be reincarnating into a harsher world with much the same position as the last."

"I'm assuming option two has benefits?" I sighed.

"You would keep your memories for--"

Yup. Definitely liking that. Seven years of university knowledge keep! Hell yeah. "Option two then."

"At least let me finish! Option two is that you will be reborn in a world similar to but not quite your own during its World War."

World War? Early 1900s? Ugh… That put a damper on my excitement."Might change my mind then. Why do you present option two?"

"Because it's…" Buddha attempted to say before sighing. Massaging a temple with a hand, he explained, "God is quite firm on, to borrow a phrase, fucking over an individual who competes with you for most infuriating on his list."

Wincing as I remembered the disastrous 'conversation' I had with God, I guessed, "And in doing so is maybe screwing up the rest of the world?"

"...Yes."

Grimacing in sympathy, I pointed out, "You really need somebody higher than him."

"Yes," Buddha sighed, "Yes, we do. I'm bringing up the topic next time we have a meeting of the Pantheons."

"Cool. Anyways, you need somebody to help make it better? Or should I try to save the individual? What?" I questioned, attempting to inject anger or passion into my voice.. I have to say Buddha's tea and company is excellent but it feels lowkey disturbing to be at peace when I'm literally discussing my next life. I feel I should be more… agitated or something.

"Nothing really," Buddha smiled, "You'd simply be sent over with your memories attached. Then live a good life."

"Nothing else?" I asked, finishing off my teacup, "No grandiose mission?"

"Nope. Just live a good life. Be kind. Make the world better," he answered, refilling both our cups, "The same life you would live in every world. Full disclosure, to borrow your phrase again, the Four Noble Truths are in full effect."

Life is pain and suffering. The cause of it is unconstrained desire. To stop pain and suffering, one has to stop or, at the very least, control desire. Eightfold path is your how to guide on that journey.

"No bonuses?" I wheedled. It was simply standard in an Isekai genre to try and grab some OP gifts.

"...Perhaps a few," Buddha sighed, "A few private lessons here and there whenever I can find the time. And maybe..."-Tapping his chin, he leaned over the table to tap my forehead, stomach, and heart, before leaning back- "Yes. A clever mind, a strong soul, and a vast heart shall serve you well."

Rubbing my heart, I felt a strange tingle in the areas he tapped and instantly knew that I had received three blessings. Me being me, I flippantly joked, "I really hope that did something more than just make me feel better."

Rolling his eyes, Buddha shook his head, "Incorrigible, aren't you? Don't worry. You have my blessing."

"In all honesty, I am thankful," I bowed, two hands clasped in prayer to Buddha. I cracked my neck as I reaffirmed my decision. "Well, since you gave me your blessing, I suppose I can't disappoint," Chugging the cup, I slammed it and grinned, "Option two then. With 21st century knowledge, let's see if I can't speedrun an entire century of development."

Matching my grin, Buddha sipped his tea,"I had a feeling you would say that."

"...So what happens now?" I looked around. It felt a bit anticlimactic to have such a powerful statement not have immediate action.

"This." Then he poked me in the forehead, sending me once more into Samsara.

And thus my new life began quietly as an orphan once more left on the snowy doorstep of yet another Church. Because, of course, it would. It went so fucking well last time.

The Divine have a truly shitty sense of ironic humor.

-----

AN:

A Big Thank you to Weirdo, PervySageChuck, and Surya Majumadar for helping edit this chapter! And praise be unto the one who gave permission for this to happen!
ever the best long-term planner.

 

[TheEldritchNight]

Yes! I am so glad that you went to write this and also loving the conversation with "God", Buddha and you. Also, can't wait for next chapter!

 

[Philosophysics]

Fic's on pause as i try to figure out whether i'm disowned or not

Sorry. I was looking forward to this too. Hopefully, I still have inspiration when I get my life back in order.

 

[Dark as Silver]

Fic's on pause as i try to figure out whether i'm disowned or not

Sorry. I was looking forward to this too. Hopefully, I still have inspiration when I get my life back in order.

Click to shrink...

Yikes... Holiday cheer doesn't last long does it.
Heres hoping you're not and life is re ordered quickly.

 

[Idolatrine]

Life re ordering is very important. Whatever happens however dont force it. You have a good idea, and I'm looking forward to it, but not at the cost of your personal health. Just... Good luck buddy!

 

[Philosophysics]

Thank you to Surya Majumdar for helping Edit this!
Thank you to Gremlin Jack for reading he draft and giving me the courage to publish!
And thank YOU all of you who support this! My family situation is still crazy and I wrote this to destress. Hopefully, it works! Have fun!

Comments replenish my will to live!

-----


December 24th, 1920

Most would say that being tossed out onto the streets on Christmas Eve is one of the most tragic things that can happen. To those, I say you have never been in a fundamentalist Christian Church.

"Out! Out! And never return until you find room in your heart for God once more!" the Priest shouted angrily before slamming the door close. Asshole didn't even give me a jacket.

Standing up, I brushed the snow off the front of my chest, thankful that I had gotten into the habit of wearing my winter wear at all times in preparation for this exact scenario Otherwise, I would have had to waste time breaking into the Church to grab my clothes.

And I didn't want to spend any more time in that Church than I absolutely had to. I shivered as I exited the courtyard, partly because of the cold, and mostly because of the nightmarish brainwashing that the Priest attempted on me.

Waking up in the morning to pray to God before breakfast? Praying to God before bedtime? Praying to God before every damn meal!? Learning how to read from the Bible? Doing math problems with sacramental bread and wine cups!? If there wasn't such a thing as oversaturation with religion, this Church invented it and then took it up to 11.

I thought growing up in a Church would prepare me for doing it again, but this one was somehow worse. Even as I walked away from that prison, I shuddered in fear of going back. God this and God that, thank God for everything and then some. God. God. God. I bet that Priest couldn't take a shit without moaning out God's name.

The Priest probably thought I would come back, all repentent, after spending a night out in the cold, but fuck him, I've been preparing for this ever since I failed the Albionese Mage Exam. I have a nice hideaway with food and water and a nice, warm stove I made out of lost piping and a large soup pot. I had everything I needed.

"So you finally got kicked out?"

And a friend.

"Yup," I smiled, turning around to face the voice, "The deal's on. Right, Tim-Tam?"

A small, but taller than me, boy dressed in a patched overcoat and pants, stared dispassionately at me. With shortcut black hair covered by an old newsboy cap, his slanty eyes gave away the fact that he had Akinese ancestry. In this time period, that was as good of an excuse for people to isolate him.

As of right now? It simply gave his judgemental stare a +3 in existential terror as he said nothing to me. Just staring at me. Judging me. Silently. Really gave my soul the shivers.

Coughing slightly, I broke the silence, "Well? Is the deal on?"

"...I suppose so," he sighed despondently, "You did help make the stove."

"Great!" I whooped, skipping towards and quickly slinging an arm around his shoulders. Waving my other hand out, I encompassed the world with the motion, saying, "You and me! Against the world!"

Ducking out of my comradely hug, Tim-Tam shook his head and monotoned, "How about no? You stay on your side, we take turns gathering food and we survive."

"Why so cold?" I punned impishly.

"Because you're being stupid," Tim-Tam monotoned angrily, completely ignoring my funny pun. You had a safe place. You could get food. Why would you abandon all that!?"

"I got kicked out."

"And we both know that it was preventable," Tim-Tam said, neatly avoiding my dodge. "You could've pretended. Just go through the motions."

"Tried it. Didn't like it," I shrugged helplessly, "You know I'm not the kind to shut up when I find something stupid. Anyways, this is the last time. I'm staying out and… Well, I hope that you don't mind the deal becoming full time."

We had a pattern. I would get kicked out, Tim-Tam would find me,we'd go to the hideout where we'd have a little sleepover. All the while, he would nag me about how stupid I was being, I'd joke about never going back and being on the lam. Eventually, I'd always return until the next time.

Today was different. Today, I asked for help. Help in becoming a full-time streetrat. Never did that before. I thought of Tim-Tam as a friend. Hard not to when one kept on pulling my stupid ass out of fights with arseholes twice the size of me. Still, this was a big commitment.

"...You're not going back this time are you." Tim-Tam stated softly.

Grinning wryly, I looked up at the smokey grey skies and sighed, "Yeah. If the good Father thought me respecting God was more important than me being inside on a cold day like this, well… Who's to say that next time I act up, and you know me, I can't shut up to save my life, it won't be something worse?""

I never felt safe in that Church to be honest. Too many rules and restrictions with punishments too harsh for breaking them. It felt stuffy and contrived. I always ditched when I could and in the past year, that was nearly every day.

I could make it myself. It'd be hard, but I think I could. Memories of another life, though not directly applicable, were a huge boost in my capability of self care. It'd be easier with a friend though.

"...Yeah. I think I get what you mean," Tim-Tam sighed. He would with the situation he and his mom were in. It wasn't so much that his mom was abusive, but more that his mother's boss would prefer that he either stayed away or inside a box during business hours.

And business hours were 24/7. And the boss showed his preference with fists.

Giving him a hug, I attempted to comfort them, useless as the gesture was to actually solving the problem. Tim-Tam froze before returning it. We stayed like that before detaching to continue trudging through the snow. As we did, I asked again, "So? Fulltime now?"

He pondered for a bit before answering with a firm nod, "Yeah, full time."

Snow crunched underfoot as we journeyed in the lonely streets of Londonium. Well, less lonely now that we were stuck together officially. Oh, we were always looking out for each other. He dragged me out of sticky situations, I snuck supplies from the Church and built little knick-knacks like the stove, but it was always unspoken.

Something about making it concrete felt good though.

"Want to visit your mom?" I asked, to fill the silence. It was a comfortable one, but I get bored easily. "It's Christmas Eve."

Sighing once more, Tim-Tam vetoed that idea, stating blandly, "She's 'working' tonight. Big gift for one of the Bosses."

...Maybe I should've kept to the silence. It was boring, but less awkward.

Tim-Tam's mum was a worker if you knew what I meant. She was safe from being under one of the gangs since she worked in the Red-Light district. It had the strange honor of being neutral ground. After all, nobody liked getting fucked over while they were fucking.

Unfortunately, that only applied to the customers and not the workers. It wasn't unheard of for a lady to… get offed for some sicko's jollies. Oh, the sicko would have to pay a hefty extra if they did that to the establishment, an unspoken fine for damages incurred with a tax on your life if you couldn't pay, but a Boss could pay it off easy and slap on a tip for funsies.

Little wonder why Tim-Tam was more detached than usual today. He was definitely worried about his mum. Patting his shoulder awkwardly, I reassured him. "I'm sure she'll be fine. None of the Bosses are too crazy right now. Do you know which one?"

Shaking his head, Tim-Tam's expression didn't change from his passively bored look. He always had a stoic face, unreadable even for people not me, ever since the day I met him. Still, if one knew him well, one could see that his shoulders relaxed. Just a tad.

Patting him again, I chirped, injecting false joy as I tried to find a new topic, "Well, I guess it's back to the hideout then."

Wincing at the blunt change of topic i had blatantly mishandled, I was grateful as Tim-Tam ignored my faux pas and agreed, "Yup."

Desperate to move past that moment, I asked, "How much food do we have left?"

"Don't you mean mine?"

I stopped and stared in confusion. "I thought I was moving in with you?"

Very carefully not looking at me, Tim-Tam muttered, "Right. Right. Yeah. Our food."

"You forgot!? Already? We were just talking about it earlier!" Narrowing my brow, I felt indignant as I realized how casually he dissed my contributions to the winter survival effort. "And what are you talking about? I helped you stock up on food for winter! And taught you how to pickle shit and make cheese!"

Faster than I could react, he flicked my forehead and ordered, "Stop whining." He then walked away for a bit before absentmindedly adding, "I'm sorry."

He didn't sound sorry. Still, I would take it. Rubbing my forehead, I muttered, "Fine. So how much do we have left?"

He hummed for a bit, thinking it over, before answering, "Enough for you and me until the end of winter and some extra."

Tim-Tam didn't sound very happy. I wond-- I sense an opportunity to Smug. Running after him, I wheedled into his ear, "And…?"

Tim-Tam sighed, no doubt rolling his eyes before admitting, "You were right. Stealing extra food and storing it in the secret hideout for winter snow was a good idea."

"Eeyup! Just like being a bear!" I channeled Big Mac with all the smugness as I pumped my fist in the air. It's so rare for Tim-Tam to acknowledge my cleverness. Riding the high, I whooped, "Yaha!! So just a month of being lazy and passing the time, eh?"

"It's going to be boring," he attempted to poke holes in my enthusiasm.

Too bad for him, I had faced worse sitting in sermons. Bouncing around him, I refuted, "Still not as bad as the Father's lecture. And it's better being bored than freezing to search for scraps."

"I suppose it is," he chuckled lightly, eyes following my bouncing.

Stopping in my bouncing, I asked, "Hey, want to try cultivating with me?"

"The breathing thing?"

"Meditation to gather the World's energy into yourself to create a Core," I corrected and clarified. Shaking with excitement, I told him my theory. "I think I figured out why you couldn't create the Core. The problem was that you never did it everyday."

Cultivation. It sounded like something out of a bad Xianxia novel, but it was a method of turning a non-mage into a mage true a strict daily routine of meditation. Buddha himself taught me the trick in a dream.

Which further cements his status in my mind as the best Divine being ever. I think he said something about strengthening and energy rich, but I was mostly paying attention on how to do it. I was kind of depressed after I failed the Mage examination I took when I was six, so being told that I could still learn how to be one was like getting a letter to Hogwarts. So enthusiasm may have overrode my higher thought processes for a bit.

I could've joined the military, but in my research, I've found that those places are a good place to die. Also I was a kid. Who in their right mind would hire a child for the army?

Anyways, becoming a mage was one of the coolest things ever and I tried getting Tim-Tam to cultivate with me whenever we met up, but unfortunately, it was an on and off thing because of the whole being Ward of the Church thingie. Always had to go back home to do penance in the chambers. Always a damper after the fun time of being free.

Until now that is! Now that I'm kicked out, we can do it everyday and enjoy connecting with the universe! And becoming magical boys! Skirts optional but transformation sequence mandatory!

"I did do it everyday," Tim-Tam killed my enthusiasm with the blandest tone possible. I feel like he assassinated me silently. But with words. "I still don't feel anything."

Grinding my teeth, I stubbornly pushed forward, "I mean you didn't do it the right way everyday. It's hard and there's a certain pattern to it.

"I still don't believe you, you know," Tim-Tam languidly denied my efforts, "I mean if you were a mage shouldn't you fly or something?"

"Buddha hasn't taught me that yet," I grumbled.

"See, that's another thing. A guy comes to you in your dream and teaches you something like that?" Tim-Tam shook his head, "I think it's more likely that you got hit in the head one too many times. You've picked enough fights to get that."

"Oh come on!" I threw my hands up in frustration, "Didn't I prove it when I dodged everything with a blindfold?"

"And yet you still get beaten. I still say there was a trick to it."

"Of course, there's a trick to it! I'm using magic!" I snapped. Fuming, I growled before stating confidently, "Here. I'm closing my eyes. Covering them with with my hands. And then I'm going to follow you all the way back and not bump into anything."

"Yeah. Yeah. You do that."

Growling, I extended my mana out to grasp the area. Instantly, the inky blackness of darkness filled with vibrant, dreamlike colors of the magical layer of the world.

As soon as I successfully unlocked magic, Buddha gave me another lesson, this one focused on the sensory capabilities of magic. The most basic application was using mana to boost the senses like sight and hearing, but the best trick in this subsection of magic was something I liked to call Manasense.

Was it a lazy name? Yes, but it was as good a summation as any. It was a sort of echolocation, but using magic to carry the information of the world. I could sense the world within a set radius perfectly, seeing the world. Though even that was flawed.The closest I can describe it was as if I gave myself synesthesia with a boosted sense, giving me a different view of that world with said sense. And this view different, almost dream-like in nature, beautiful and terrifying, lyrical and haunting, grating and soothing. It was confusion that made sense.

Even now, having practiced this form of sensing, I would get disoriented from the sheer amount of information that came through. Wobbling, I crouched low to the cool, slowshifting blue that was… yes, it felt cold. That was snow. Snow had a cool sound, a cool sound that burned the skin but lulled one to rest in its embrace.

Yes. The world was beautiful, but everything was just… too much…

"What? Can't do it?" Tim-Tam's voice tinkled softly, sounding like windchimes trilling in the cold wind. I could see his mana signature, where he stood, His silhouette, blue and silver, a regal blue sculpture of ice that flowed as it walked forward., was beautiful, chiming that trill with every movement. Though his tone was bland, his aura coiled into itself with worry. He was marred and flawed by the world, but still beautiful.

Breathing in and out, I slowly cut off the flow of mana, isolating each sense one by one until only sight was the remaining one to be mana-fied. Keeping my eyes closed and covered with my hands, I stood up, walking forward confidently until I stopped right before Tim-Tam and boasted, "See! I can do it! Watch me, I'm going to keep my eyes closed all the way. Feel free to toss shit at me! I'll dodge all of it!"

"Sure. Whatever. Let's just hurry. It's getting dark and a storm's coming." Tim-Tam sighed even as his aura uncoiled and flickered in faint amusement. He began joggingaway, leaving faint silver footsteps in the snow for me to follow

"I'm serious!" I said, running after him, keeping my eyes covered, "I'll dodge everything."

Still, I could see why he was worried. Off in the distance, I could see a swirl of ice-blue and white-snow being coiled tightly into itself, swirling into the powerful grey formation of a storm. I think if I had hearing mana-fied, I'd be hearing a song of stormy snow and chilling ice being tuned in preparation for a lullaby that'd lull any foolish enough to listen to it into a freezing final sleep…

You know what? When I'm safe and toasty at our base, I might listen to it to sleep.

"And I don't want to get caught in a storm," Tim-Tam snapped, bringing me out of my musings, "Now hurry up."

"I got it. I can..." I trailed off, slowing my pace to a standstill as I saw something hidden off the mainroad just a little behind me and to my left. A flicker of lively red hidden behind the stone-grey and under a coating of snow-blue cooling to… to dead black.

Uncovering my sight, I turned around and looked into… That was an alleyway, not a slab of grey. And that was snow. Not cool-blue but just snow, dirty white snow. I leant against the wall and closed my eyes, reorienting myself from the memory of confusing clarity of Mana-sense.

Note to self, practice using it more. Or maybe use it in conjunction with regular sight. Yeah, that sounds better. Ugh, I feel pukey.

"Why'd you stop?" Tim-Tam asked, worry lightly tinging his voice.

Brushing off the hand that he laid on me in concern, I pushed off the wall and ran towards the direction of the snow, shouting, "I saw someone!"

I didn't pause to hear his response. I just began digging through the snow frantically, searching for that flicker of red. Heaving palmful of snow after another, I was eventually rewarded with strands of red hair. Brushing lightly, I uncovered the face of a young girl, lips blue and her cheeks whiter than the snow surrounding her face, clearly suffering from hypothermia. It was a cold comfort was that she still shivered when I placed a hand on her face.

Hearing the pitter patter behind me, Tim-Tam's voice asked, a faint tinge of panic actually entering it unexpectedly, "What'd yo-"

"Help me dig her out!" I ordered, immediately regretting the heat in my voice. In my defense, a life was on the line.

Thankfully, Tim-Tam ignored it in favor of helping me dig her out. She was… small. Smaller than Tim-Tam and me, she was the picture perfect definition of a waif. And if we didn't get her somewhere warm, she'd become a wraith.

Ha! I'm so clever with wordplay! Oh hellfire, I really hope we're not too late.

"Grab her legs," I ordered even as I lifted her back off the ground so I could loop my arms underneath her armpits. "You lead. We have to get her to the base."

Nodding, Tim-Tam took the lead by grabbing her legs. Then we lifted at the same time and jogged at a quick clip to our base.

As we ran there, I noticed something drop from her flailing hands into the snow. Turning my head, I saw that it was a small box of… matchsticks. Gritting my teeth, I focused on keeping pace with Tim-Tam. Shit like this is why I don't have faith in you, God. Not if you let shitty ass jokes happen.

Fuck Hans Christian Andersen, it's a tragedy whenever somebody dies, heaven involved or not.

-----

The fire crackled softly, adding an ambient background to my attempts at nursing.


Hypothermia. The cold twin of hyperthermia, it was a reminder that God was a shitty designer when it came to the human body. Oh sure, we could adapt to a wide arrange of temperatures, but too extreme and the body would begin to fail.

And recovery from it was slow. One couldn't simply heat the body up all at once. It had to be done slowly, carefully, less the body went into shock from the abrupt change. I think there was also something about how applying heat to the arms and legs could drive cold blood into the heart, but I'm not quite sure.

I'm not quite sure about anything.

Was wrapping her in warm blankets correct? Did I put her too close to the stove? Was I supposed to wake her? I had tried to do that, but she had screamed, weakly, far too weakly, and struggled before falling back asleep.

That was how I found out that she had been hit in the head. I bandaged it, but it still added a whole different slurry of problems to her survival. Head injuries were hit or miss with how lethal they were.

Still, it gave an explanation as to why she had been buried in the snow despite it having only snowed lightly today. Somebody had knocked her out and left her there deliberately. Just thinking about it pissed me off.

Humans were assholes. Gods were useless. Truly, the one constant was life contained pain and suffering. First Noble Truth. Hate it, love it, it always played true no matter when, where, or who.

"Here," Tim-Tam whispered, giving me tonight's dinner, a piece of dry bread with some cheese melted on top with a side of pickled apples.

Nodding gratefully, I munched on the food, not really tasting it. I couldn't bare to look at the girl's body breathing far too shallowly so I looked around instead, trying to distract myself.

We were in the Belfry of an abandoned Church. Ironic, I know. I left one to go live in one. Still, it was a nice place. The Belfry was nice and compact, retaining warmth during the summer easily. The hard part was during the summer, but for those days we would move into the attic right below it which was also where we stored all of our supplies such as food.

Best of all, it was hidden, tucked behind several factories and almost falling apart at the seams with only the bell tower still standing. And even if another gang were to find it, we could withstand a siege. The wooden stairs leading up to our living quarters had long rotted away into a death trap. Still, if one were light and nimble enough, they could still be used. I thought we were going to die so many times as Tim-Tam and I worked together to carry the girl up.

Still, it could be improved. Eventually, one of the local packs would find us here and see what we have and take it. Second noble truth. Wanting shit causes pain and suffering and they would definitely beat Tim-Tam and I black and blue in exchange for shelter and supplies.

Our best defense would be secrecy, but failing that we should also prepare for a siege. Having one entry and exit point made it powerful and the fact that the belltower was made of stone meant that we didn't have to worry about fire.

Granted, if it got to the point where they were using tactics guaranteed to destroy the prize, we had bigger problems at hand. Still, it was a good reminder that we also had to think about safety. Namely, the fact that we didn't have an escape route planned.

That's something else we have to plan. Defenses, escape plans, and recovery options. Hopefully, Tim-Tam could help otherwise we were fu--

"You're biting at nothing," Tim-Tam warned, snapping me out of that downward spiral.

"Huh?" I grunted, looking down at my empty hand. Smiling wryly, I nodded, "Oh. So I am. Thanks for the food, it was good."

It was. The cheese had been a bit of a gamble, but mixing lemon juice, salt, and milk and then draining the mixture had made a dairy product that could last for about two weeks during fall. Making it right before winter, we could depend on the cold to refrigerate it, causing it to last for about a month or two. The pickled fruits were… sour, but still tasty.

The bread was a lost cause that was saved by the cheese and fruit.

...Now that there was nothing left to distract me, I looked back at the girl. I wish I could do more, but at this point, I had done everything I could, giving her warmth and… Well, I tried giving her food, but the incident where she panicked came to mind.

I felt powerless. I hate that feeling.

"We can't keep her," Tim-Tam interjected suddenly, breaking my melancholy.

"How come?'

"If we add her to our group, we'll be dangerously close to becoming a group."

"More than three, there's a fee," I recited that little saying. Shaking my head, I disagreed, We'll be fine. We'll be right underneath it."

"Do you think the bosses will care? They just care about the profit."

Bosses. McClane. Murdoch. Malkovich. Didn't matter which one you picked, it was bad news bears to get involved with them. Problem was, that to survive in the underbelly, you had to pick one.

Street-rats were an exception. They could work as independents until they grew too old or got into a group. Rule of thumb was more than three and there was a fee.

"Then we'll just have to lay low," I dismissed his concerns before bringing up the more pressing one. "Besides, she might not even make the night."

Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel the raised eyebrow nevertheless. "All that effort to save her and you're that pessimistic?"

"I'm a realist. Besides, you helped. And she could be useful. Somebody could watch base, you know, you know."

"...Fine. I'm going to sleep. But we will be talking about this in the morning."

"Don't forget to brush your teeth."

"Ha, as if we're rich enough for that."

As Tim-Tam left the room to get ready for bed, I took one last look at the girl. Her breathing had only grown more shallower as we ate and talk. Tim-Tam was being kind, pretending to get ready to kick her out in the morning. It implied that there would be someone to argue over, a future for the girl instead of...

...Her breaths were shallower than before. She had been shivering when we brought her in and it seemed to get stronger, but now it was weaker. So much weaker.

...She really might not make it to morning. Fucking God and his fucking uselessness. Fuck the arsehole. Fuck him. Fuck him. FUCK HIM!

...Nothing I could do, but prepare for something else.

Crossing my legs, I placed my hands onto my knees, breathing in and out in preparation for a Cultivation cycle. It'd take my mind off things. Closing my eyes, the familiar black provided the focus for me to enter the--

-----

Namaste.

The Time for the Third Lesson Has Come.

You have done well in creating your Core.

You have done well in Seeing all the Realms.

Now you shall learn how to Hone and Temper All Things to Perfection.

See the Realms first and foremost. Draw power from your Core and lay it on and in and throughout the Focus.

See it as it is. See it as it could be.

Lay the two together and cease the separation between the the will of the world and the will of thine.

One's body, one's self, one's world, the separation of all these things are true and false at once. WIth this knowledge, forge the best version of thouself.

Accept that Thou is the World, that the World is Thou.
See the Realms and Know that they Are One and Many and Interconnected.
Know Foundation and Picture Perfection And Merge With Will and Power.

The Third Lesson Has Been Taught.

Namaste.
-----

"--you okay!? Oliver! Are you okay!?" somebody shouted. Everything was shaking and it was making my nausea worse. Which sucked.

"Wh-. What happened?" I blinked blearily, tasting… nothing. Which is disgusting. My tongue felt numb and my head pounded and my eyes felt like they were on fire. Opening them only made it feel like lemon juice was added to the fire..

"You were on the ground!" Tim-Tam shrieked. Aw. He tossed aside his ice king persona out of worry! That's adorable. Also painful. Please go back to lower decibels that are less shrill. My ears feel like pins and needles. "And your eyes were glowing! What the actual fuck!?"

"Oh," I said, beginning to understand what had just happened. "Yeah, that'd be Buddha. He just taught me something new. Something something weird poetry, I don't understand. It's more like he downloads packets of information all at once with a nice soothing voice keeping me calm in the process."

"Downloads packets of information?" Tim-Tam repeated, sounding oddly confused before sighing. "Never mind. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"...Ice and snow for my headache?" I asked after a bit of thought. I could see now, but my hearing was still shot. Tim-Tam's voice sounded feminine for some reason. That'll probably sort itself soon. What isn't sorting itself was the pounding in my head. "I have a headache and I really need time to process everything I just learned."

"...Stay still," he commanded before pitter-pattering off to get me some snow.

Basking in the heat, I wallowed in pain as I tried to figure out what Buddha had sent me this time. Hone and temper things to perfection. That sounds similar to the Buddhist philosopy of pushing past hardship to become a better version.

In my experience, once I understand the little sermons, I unlock all the information, kind of like unzipping a .zip file. So useful for transporting large pieces of information over the interwebs. Kind of clunky though. Wish I could've made it better.

...Make it better.
Hone and temper to perfection.
Best version of thouself...

Flipping hell, slap suicidal altruism on me and a Grandfather paradox on me, I think I can copy Shirou Fucking Emiya and Reinforce things now. This is fucking awesome!

Drawing from my Core, I immediately sent power coursing to my head and immediately threw up as the pain blasted full force. I think I blacked out because the next thing I realized was that somebody had rolled me onto my side.

Why? Because apparently I had puked and would have choked on it if somebody didn't push me onto my side and scooped out the rest. Yup. Definitely fucked up that bit somehow.

"Fucking hell!" Tim-Tam swore as black spots danced in and out of my vision. I. "What did you do!?"

"I tried Reinforcing. Without going through," I puked again, aborting my answer. Forcing myself up into a sitting position, I wiped my mouth before leaning back onto my hands. Wheezing I tried again, "Without going through proper procedure. Going to try again. Don't touch me, I have to focus."

Closing my eyes, I opened my Mana-Sense, attuning it only to myself. Slowly, carefully, I drew on my Core channeling the magic throughout my body slowly. Yes. I felt it, that hot-cold sensation of mana following my channels.

I saw the imperfections in my body. The weak skin and the fragile bones and the frail muscle. Infusing them with magic, I changed it, making each part of me better. Incrementally, slowly, steadily, I poured power into my body until it thrummed and then it hurt when I passed the threshold. Sucking in pain, I drew out the excess power and let the rest sit and sink in becoming part of myself.

...Hah. Haha. HAHAHAHAHAHHA! YES!

Opening my eyes, I grinned at Tim-Tam's uncharacteristically gaping face. Pointing at the dying girl, I announced, "I think I can save her."

Then I set out to do just that.

Placing my left hand on top of the girl's forehead and then my right on top of it, I closed my eyes and concentrated, sending mana to my hands. Then I swept my right hand out enveloping the entirety of her body in a blanket of mana.

What I was doing was a gamble of the highest caliber, a life. In a very real sense, I was holding her life. If I failed, her entire body would… probably explode. Maybe. I think. Or maybe just undergo instantaneous super cancer, since I'm boosting her bodily functions which might involve encouraging rampant cell-division. It'll be fine if I don't do that.

Fine the problem. Think of a solution. Apply. Withdraw if it doesn't work and try a new one. Scientific method, guess, test, conclude, repeat as necessary.

Using mana-touch, I used it like a sonogram to detect areas that had weak energy. Her heart, too cold and pumping blood far too slowly. Her lungs, frosted on the inside, unable to take in air well. Her head, skull fractured and light bleedings. These were the the biggest problems, but there were so many others. Starvation, malnutrition, fragile bones, so many problems.

Big to small. Isolate and control. Triage the shit out of this to save her. I slowly let my mana seep in. I didn't force it in, instinctively knowing that was lethal. It was more akin to me giving her body a boost, similar to a transfusion, but with mana instead of blood I'm sure I was fucking it up somehow.

And yup. There's the blood. At least she's moving more now. Withdrawing mana from the heart, thank fuck, I didn't pop it, just overstimulated it. And damn it, veins are rupturing internally, shit shit. Can't handle the enhanced heart pumping. Strengthening veins. And now there's not enough oxygen to boost it, boosting lungs. And have to make sure she doesn't have a stroke from the sheer blood. And--

It was like this. Just one hell after another. Small breaks that led to bigger ones. I was breaking her trying to fix her. In my defense, I was basing this theory on old memories of the human body when I was an engineer and half understood theories on magic downloaded through a method that literally only the Heavens know.

She was in intense pain as I tried patch fixing each and every minute thing. I wanted to stop. It felt like I was slowly killing her. Intense pain and suffering and more than once, I thought it'd be kinder to just let her die. Still, her inner self struggled towards the aid I sent, showing her will to live.

Sol, I had to try. Try. Try. Try.

Because her body was already strengthening despite my pessimism and inability, her breathing growing stronger and her mana signature condensing into a healthier form. It was working despite or maybe because of my efforts.

It was also taxing as fuck though. It was my first time doing this and I was going over my limits. Already, tremors from fatigue shook my body and exhaustion crept through. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel inky blackness eating at my consciousness.

My technique, if you could call it that, was becoming more refined though. I was close to running out, but she was also close to getting to a point where she could do the rest on her own. I just had to give her that final push so that SHE could make that choice to live. It was just a race between my stamina and her finding that stepping point where she could save herself.

...The Gods created us to die. Age, disease, injury, extreme weather, so many, many ways for a human to die.

Medicine, surgery, civilization, all the ways of healing were just humanity's way of telling the Gods exactly what we thought of that.

It was unrefined at the start, but each step we took, we became better at defeating it. Lifespans used to be average in the thirties to forties a mere three centuries ago. A century from now, it will be more than double and half that, with people as old as ninety and a hundred.

We have no need for Gods when we save ourselves with grit and will.

Let me add this method to that list of Fuck You. So I'm going to help you, little matchstick girl. Spit on the Pearly Gates and stab St. Peter, because you're staying on this Earth. It's not over till one dies and even then you can fight.

-----

December 25th, 1920
Londonium

Jenny woke up. That was a surprise. She distinctly remembered falling asleep in the snow, if one could call having their head cracked falling asleep. She had been fighting someone who had tried forcing her into their home when she had been trying to start a small fire with some matches she had found. She knew the stories of what happened to little girls who followed people into homes.

They disappeared. Or worse… They got 'trained'.

"...I didn't expect her to make it," a raspy voice called out, echoing her thoughts on the matter.

Shifting a bit, Jenny kept the blanket on her, more out of a feeling for safety than any real need of warmth. She felt warm, almost burning, ever since she woke up. Not feverishly so, but burning as if she had limitless energy. Though the raspy voice's coldness scared her. Peeking out, she saw that the speaker was an Akinese girl dressed like a boy. Rough looking with short-cut black hair, Jenny idly wondered why she was pretending to be a boy before remembering exactly why she had been taken from her hiding spot where she had been trying to start a fire.

She shivered at the memory. Jenny thought that she'd rather die than… that, but it was terrifying even as the blackness claimed her. She had been so sure of death and so terrified of it, that it still didn't feel real that--

"Bitch please, I saved her ass with magic."

That sudden voice piping up right next to Jenny, caused her to yelp and roll away, entangling herself in the blanket. Struggling a bit, she eventually got her head in the right position to look at the second speaker.

It was a boy, lying down in a… strange position. Face first with butt up with arms splayed out, he looked as if he had gotten drunk and fell down, falling asleep and then waking up. He spoke a bit slurred, mostly because his face was mashed against the ground, face turned slightly.

...Jenny didn't know what to think.

"Ah, you're awake," the girl said, disentangling her from the bedsheets before returning to… was that a soup pot with a hole cut into the side and fire inside it? Why was there piping on it? And why was a pan sitting on top of it?

The answer to that last one quickly became apparent as the girl took it off to slide pieces of bread off it onto a relatively clean towel. Holding the sides, the girl offered Jenny some of the food, saying, "Here, have some bread Careful, it's hot."

Taking the bread covered in strange whiteness, Jenny cautiously poked the gooey mystery, wincing as it stung her finger with heat. Sucking her fingers, she waited for it to cool. As she did so, she watched the other girl, take a piece and softly blow on it. Jenny copied her motions, eavesdropping on the ensuing conversation.

"Anyways," the girl said to the boy in a cold monotone, "what you did was impossible enough to be called magic."

"Oh my goodness gracious!" the boy mumbled out in a high mocking falsetto, "Are you… Are you saying I'm right? Two days in a row! A Christmas Miracle!"

"Don't look into it," the girl said, the only sign of emotion coming from how hard she bit the bread.

"I am absolutely looking into it," the boy cackled. His stomach then grumbled. "Also can you feed me?"

"Later."

As the boy whined and protested, Jenny judged the gooiness to be cool enough. Taking a bite, she almost burst into tears at how tasty it was. It had been harder to scavenge for food in the cold, so anything filling would have tasted good. Faintly, the thought that this might be a poisoned came across her mind.

It came long after the food had disappeared so it was a bit late for that worried.

The girl was staring at her now, face impassive. It scared Jenny to be watched with such a cold gaze. Nevertheless, she steeled herself, asking with a shaking voice, "What's going on? Who are you? Where am I?" "Why is he face first in the ground!?"

That last one had been really bugging her.

"She has a point," the boy mumbled, "What am I doing face first in the ground?"

"You're facefirst in the ground, because you did something stupid and need to learn from it. Also, you told me yourself why. Something about mana deprivation. I say you deserve it for almost dying," the girl coldly stated, laying the piece of toast on cheese right in front of him. Close enough to smell, but not to bite.

"Not my fault, I have no energy left to move. I saved her!" the boy grumbled. Sticking out his tongue to lick at the cheese on the bread, lapping it in the strangest approximation of a cat, "I saved her. And what's with this? At least put it closer!"

The girl ignored his complaint in favor of giving Jenny another piece of bread with the cheese. Knowing better than to ask about the boy, she chewed on the bread, this time taking the time to enjoy the flavor as the girl answered, "You're in the Belfry where me and Oliver live. That's Oliver. I'm Tim-Tam. We're street rats, just like you. As to what happened…"

"I saved you! Which means you have to join us!" A faint tremble wracked through his body as he attempted to… move? Giving up, Oliver commanded, "I can't move! Give her a hug from me!"

"No."

"No to which part?"

"Both."

"I'm an invalid! You should be accepting my requests."

"Food? Water? Pillows? Yes. Hugs and things like taking in another rat? No."

Jenny was happy with the cheesy bread. If being taken in meant more of it, then she'd be happy to join. Though, a hug? Memories of the men who wanted to take her away for some… special hugs sent shivers down her spine.

"She's horrified by you! As am I!" Olived shouted in disbelief, "How can a hug be demeaning! You need hugs! I'll give you one!"-another full body shudder came across Oliver's body- "As soon as I can move my body."

"...Fine." Tim-Tam got up and gave her a very mechanical and quick hug, a squeeze more than anything. Not long enough to make Jenny uncomfortable. More… confused. The fact that Tim-Tam stayed next to her to begin playing with her hair only made it more awkward.

Did she move? Did she say no? What did one even do!? Nothing made sense! She was supposed to be dead! She wasn't complaining about that, but it'd be nice to have something made sense.

"You get used to him," Tim-Tam sighed even as she brushed Jenny's hair. ...At least that felt nice, even if it did nothing for her confusion. "He means well and he's actually quite clever. What's your name?"

It was hard to be scared of someone who treated her hair so softly. Speaking just as softly as before, but much more confidently, Jenny answered, "Jenny."

"That's a nice name," Tim-Tam hummed softly, patting her head, "Don't worry, you're safe here."

"You're an asshole," Oliver grumbled, interrupting the nice moment, "Flip me over already. I'm getting a crick in my neck like this."

"I promise," Tim-Tam said with the air of somebody planning murder. Jenny was back to being scared of her again. "Excuse him, he's… well not better but more restrained usually. He's just tired which means he has no filter."

"I'm still not--Ow! That was a kick!"

Retracting her foot, Tim-Tam dismissed his concern"I nudged you with my foot."

"Still a kick," Oliver cackled, now on his back. Lifting his neck, Jenny was taken back by his grin. It was so carefree. Looking at it made Jenny feel as though everything was going to come out all right.

Moving his head up and down, side to side, Oliver laughed, "I can move my neck! Yes! Anywas, what's the verdict!? I see you're being nice to her! Does this mean she's staying!?"

Biting her lip, Jenny stayed silent, hoping that she could stay. It was probably foolish of her, but in the past fifteen minutes, her life had been warmer and met with more kindness than the past six years of her life.

"...Fine. She can join," Tim-Tam sighed in defeat even as she began braiding Jenny's hair, "Only because I like playing with her hair. But this is the only time. And you can't bug me to join you in your breathing thing."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Really sure?"

"Yes."

"Really absolutely, no take backsies sure?"

"...Yes."

"Three times asked, three times confirmed," Oliver intoned before chirping, "We got a new roommate. Don't worry, if you ever want to learn magic with me and Jenny here, all you have to do is ask!

"Magic?" Jenny asked, smiling cautiously. She was a part of the group now. She thought. Was this how recruitment into a group went? She didn't want to break any unspoken rules and magic seemed like something that was a secret.

"Yes," Tim-Tam answered with yet another sigh, relieving Jenny's fears of being kicked out, "It's irritating but he is a mage and he apparently knows how to teach it. He healed you last night."

That answered Jenny's question about how she survived last night. It unfortunately brought many more to mind.

"Yes. I know. It's hard to believe," Tim-Tam laughed softly. Now that she was relaxing, Jenny realized that Tim-Tam wasn't cold in demeanor so much as… weary all the time.

"Yay. Me and Jenny are going to have SO much FUN," Oliver wheedled, "Too bad YOU'RE going to miss out on it."

Seeing…. No, being in the exhausting presence of Oliver, Jenny could see why Tim-Tam was so tired all the time.

"You know what?" Tim-Tam snapped frostily. "Fine, I'll join in on your stupid meditation sessions. You're just going to be irritatingly smug about it."

"Aw, You're not even letting me be smug about it?"

"No. You're going to badger me into submission. I can already tell by the fact that you were smiling."

Jenny didn't know if she wanted to learn under this wild boy. She'd much rather train under Tim-Tam. Hesitantly, "Don't… Don't I get a say who teaches me?"

"No. He's the only one who knows how," Tim-Tam crushed that hope of staying far away from Oliver's exuberance. "If it helps, I'll be learning right next to you."

"Oh," Jenny mumbled. "Can I just not do it?"

He almost died last night trying to save you. You are now an investment,' Tim-Tam said casually as if she didn't just talk about enslaving Jenny.

Jenny figured that this was still a pretty good deal. The food was good, the home was warm, and the people seemed kind.

"Wow! A big word!" Oliver grinned, "You have been listening to me!"

If a tad bit crazy.

"Yes," Tim-Tam sighed, slumping in resignment, "Because for some reason, heavens know why, I am your friend."

"We're going to be the best! We're all going to live and have fun and grow up and be the best!"

"This is the last one," Tim-Tam ordered coldly, crossing her arms even as Oliver twitched in excitement on the ground, "The last one. We are not picking up any others."

Jenny had the funny feeling that Oliver was definitely going to forget about that warning.

 

[Dark as Silver]

If I failed, her entire body would… probably explode.
...
Scientific method, guess, test, conclude, repeat as necessary.

Click to shrink...

How many children are you planning on pulling out of snow banks?

Lifespans used to be average in the thirties to forties a mere three centuries ago. A century from now, it will be more than double and half that, with people as old as ninety and a hundred.

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Eh, people did hit old age before the advent of modern medicine just infant mortality rates were so high it dragged the average down from the 60's where it probably belonged.
Thats why the population of the earth increased exponentially rather than just doubling like life expectancy.

Olived shouted in disbelief

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Olived is a terrible name stick to Oliver I think.

He almost died last night trying to save you. You are now an investment,'

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Missing ""'s I think