holyshit this took ages
Obviously you don't have to pick any of these guys if you don't want, these are just the ones I rolled lovingly crafted. Also, work tomorrow so no early update. In the afternoon/evening instead.
Part 6
You wake up feeling somewhat more refreshed, despite a crick in your neck, and mana reserves filled to the brim. It's a little cold in the hou- in your AWESOME base - but through the grimy window, you can see this world's sun unhidden by clouds or other weather phenomena.
It looks like it's gonna be a beautiful day in London-land!
Getting up, you shake your limbs awake and pat your dress free of any dust from overnight. There's no problems with wrinkles of course, it being part of your actual body, after all, and you tell your hair to behave as well.
Okay! Today's plan!
You want to recruit your first team member as soon as possible, so... you should really start looking for one today, right? It shouldn't be thaaaaat hard to read the surface thoughts of people around you, and maybe you can extend the range a little with some Space magic, a thought which makes you screw your nose up. Your control over Mind and Space magics are... okay, but you should probably train them a little more. Still, they'll be good enough for this. You think.
Eh, it'll do.
All right! So the kind of person you want to look for... well, Instructor Cal spoke about that, didn't he? Something about - tailoring recruitment methods - to the situation... something... something...
It probably wasn't important. You'll just do what seems right! Yeah!
So, you should probably get ssomeone young, right? You don't want some old fuddy-duddy thinking they can tell you how to do things, that'll cause waaaay too many problems. And you gotta get started on saving Mud! Plus, younger people are more fun anyway, so you can hang together when you're not, like, being all professional and world-saving. Sure, they won't know how to fight, but that's okay. That's why they're getting magic, after all!
That in mind, you head out, making sure your Mind magic deflects any suspicion and that no-one notices you leaving the house - from what your Mind magic tells you anyway, most people are getting ready for work or leaving for it. Not everyone has a job, which is a little weird - every adult you've met before has had one - but you pay that no mind, instead reaching out with your Mind magic as you walk about, carefully brushing against people's thoughts.
It's easy to sense people from a biiig distance, but actually getting impressions from them is hard unless you're close, so you don't manage to read too many people, even when you awkwardly combine a little Space magic with it. There's a male in a brightly-coloured uniform, delivering paper-based communication through slots on house doors, but his thoughts only consist of annoyance over today's breakfast.
There's a woman opening a well-tamed car's door to get in, but she's merely thinking of all the paperwork she has to file. You sympathise. Paperwork sucks.
Up various streets, you wander, feeling the drain on your mana, but struggling on regardless. So cool! It's like you're a veteran! There's another mind inside a house, just within reach, and you peek on that one too. Another one that just won't fit.
Pursing your lips in frustration, you deflect the attention of a female walking a small dog, and move on.
After nearly three boooooring hours of wandering - your feet hurt so much! - you call a halt to your work, flopping down on a small bench. Juggling Tech, Mind and some Space was such a pain, you've even got a headache developing, but - at least you found some interesting people! And considering you were only looking for one, that's great! You feel a smile spreading across your face, and kick your feet happily. Eito is such a good scout!
-
First
It hadn't taken too long before you'd found your first possibility; passing by one of the house, you'd touched on a mind rich with ambition, smothered in a cold, sullen anger.
It was awful. You'd nearly moved straight on, but - I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. She felt like pain.
You edged closer to the house, taking a quick look around and then slipping into the tiny front garden to get into better range. There was a short ramp at the door instead of a step, and a strange, dingy white bar by the side of the door. You couldn't recall any of the other houses having one.
More sneaking brought you to the window, closer to the female, and peeking inside revealed her - somewhere in her late teens or early twenties, your information packet helpfully judged, a young adult, and seated in some kind of chair with wheels. One of her legs was... weird. Shorter than the other, and thinner under the leg-coverings. You were pretty sure human legs weren't meant to look like that.
She didn't see you, although Mind magic would have pushed her attention away quickly enough - she was focused on the drinking glass on the floor, spilling liquid, which she was half-leaning out of the chair to reach, arm outstretched and unable to touch, furious frustration etched across her face.
I fucking hate you SO MUCH!
Some decent Flesh magic, you'd thought as you edged away from the window again, tail flicking nervously, would do this world so much good.
-
Second
You'd moved out of the strictly residential area when you came across the next one - it was in front of a low-walled stretch of grass, trees and benches, a sign proclaiming it to be a park 'donated for the enjoyment of all'.
Ah! That's nice! 'All' includes you too!
Not so nice was what was happening here. There was a male, about your form's age, being held from behind by anoother, slightly bigger male. Arms pinned, he lashed out with his legs, doing nothing more than waving them uselessly in the air, while a third male, smirking, crouched on the ground in front of them, rooting through a bag, pulling out small books and tossing them away.
"What's for lunch today, Gaydrian? Mummy pack you something nice, did she?" The one holding the first boy laughed at the third's comment, the volume only increasing when the third male yanked a small box out of the bag and removed the lid. "Ooh, sandwiches! What's in 'em, quail and caviar, Gaaaaydrian? Well?"
The male - apparently named Gaydrian - screwed his reddened face up and managed to splutter out a few nonsensical syllables, which lead to him losing his breath after the male holding him tightened his grip, squeezing hard.
"Oh, my mistake - it's just ham. Not like you can afford anything better, is-"
Then a sound that made them freeze - a large vehicle nearby, coming closer. The third male dropped the food-box and meal, getting to his feet hurriedly and grabbing his own bag, already turning to leave. "Shit, let 'im go, we're gonna miss the bus!"
The first boy nodded and shoved Gaydrian to the floor, leaving him coughing and pushing himelf up as the other two ran.
You peek around the tree you're hidden behind, eyes fixed on the second boy, the victim. Throughout the whole thing, he hasn't wanted to get away; instead, all he's he's thought about is being strong enough to fight.
-
Third
You were away from the houses, among various retail buildings, when a third mind sparked your interest.
Because it was a little like you.
The female was in her mid-teens, seated in a building with a sign proclaiming it 'THE LOG-INN'. It didn't seem to be much of an inn - the massive windows showed it full of primitive computers, and a few tables and chairs. Behind the counter, a male human made hot beverages for the few patrons using the computers.
You moved closer, Mind and Tech working overtime, not only for anti-surveillance, but to study the female. Your Tech let you see what she was doing on the computer she seemed so intensely devoted to - it took a few seconds to realise this wasn't an entertainment program or training simulation but a game. She was controlling a brightly-clad human form who was running over rooftops, hurling various magical attacks at another similarly-clad human form. The game, your Tech managed to find with a brief look through the computer, was called City of Supers.
Comeoncomeoncomeone! A few rapid button-clicks later, staring hard at the screen, her computer-body rolled to narrowly dodge a lightning strike, and then launched a counter-attack. HA! And Jessie's wasting her time in History, she's gonna to be pissed she missed this! Die, you fucker, just stand still!
Just a few seconds later, the fight was interrupted by a high-pitched tune erupting from... the female's pocket? She'd frozen, getting hit by a fireball, but didn't seem to care any more. Oh shit, that'd better not be Mum. School wouldn't have rung her, would they?
The last thought you'd heard as you slipped out of range was a plaintive, Why should I have to be bored all the time?
WHAT DO?
[ ] (Write-in.)
