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Pocket System

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You know they sort of remind me of John's girlfriends. Sindella seems rather like Temptation. The Dad seems sort of like Grace.

Sindella is rather fun. Her daughter will be growing up to be a rather different person with her as an example.

I almost feel sorry for Constantine the next time he shows up.

You know it'd be funny when they start serving those sorts of drinks to guests. I can see various guests shrug and think it was something Shadowcrest could always do.
 
I wonder what she will say as an excuse for John?

He is labeled a Super Not nice guy. He maliciously Cured kids of the sickness they went to the hospital for!

Too many options to count.

Will [[Home]] grow a Library?

What if the young Zatanna drinks some Starlight?
 
Data mining will always be one of my favorite actions in stories. Like if you have the capabilities to scan everything in a library and can compile all of the data then DO IT! Cause, ya know, it's cool.
 
Allso will let u compare difrent authers knowlege to try and somthing better allso if they meat constantine wonder how mutch of hell is going to remaine survivebal for the deamons xd
 
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An innocent dinner with innocent topics.
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    • John grinned as he felt the most recent report from the agents come in! "That's the fourth one down!"

    Zatanna was half asleep in her chair, bored out of her mind. "Hmm?"

    He waved the returned book. "Thanks to comprehensive [[Scans]] and a lot of manual page flipping, we've decoded FOUR of the different Magical methods to extend and expand the contents of a book!"

    She blinked. "What do you mean four? There's more than one way?"

    There was indeed! "The first one had a set number of pages that altered the ink to show the contents as you read through it, the second generates new pages entirely each time using temporary magical tokens shaped like normal paper."

    That had been tricky to detect, but a few [[Scans]] over matching examples got the mess mapped out in the end. "Third method had all blank pages, but projected an illusion to the reader so they thought they could read it, and the FOURTH method which we just nailed down worked by overlapping ALL the pages dimensionally with the back and front covers as you searched through it."

    It also explained why that particular list of books felt so HEAVY, despite the weight reduction spells coating each one. "I still have a few more oddities that are being looked over, but I bet this is good enough for me to quickly [[Scan]] like 80% or more of the books around us as we move about!"

    And hopefully THEN he could get some good patterns from the books covering primer information about Magic itself and really enhance his System sensor units to properly work with Magical materials. Those things were a mess right now, and could really use a rework from the ground up to handle unusual oddities like Magic or Potential Matter and stuff.

    Thoughts for later. "Anyway, I've got enough experimental data and in depth [[Scans]] that I am MOSTLY sure I won't damage any OTHER books by scanning them now… So we can finally head deeper into the library and you can show me those beginner Magic books!"

    Zatanna slowly yawned as she struggled out of her over-pushed chair… And blinked at the note on the table. The table that hadn't been there moments ago.

    There was also a clock.

    John blinked at the alteration… Huh. "Did Shadowcrest need something, Zatanna?"

    She absently nodded, looking a bit surprised. "Yeah, I must have nodded off for a while during all your book stuff… We can come back later to show you my old lesson books, it's almost time for dinner and I need to show you where we can wash up for it."

    Huh? "But…" He gestured towards the infinite rows of knowledge behind them. "But books!"

    The young lady actually rolled her eyes at him. "We won't kick you out AFTER dinner, you'll still have time. And if you want to stay a few days, I'm sure Shadowcrest has a few hundred spare bedrooms somewhere you can borrow, it won't be an issue."

    Oh thank goodness! "Well lead on then!"

    There were still a few hundred books being examined and studied in his Pocket right now anyway, it would take time to fully go through them all.

    Goodness knows the girls and his sister were super busy going over all that stuff… "Oh, do you think your parents want me to be a specific age? Since I was so short last time I saw your mom. I can be younger or whatever if it is more appropriate, now that I'm not being twisted by time and reality."

    The smaller girl looked up at his tall muscular form and stared… "Nope, you're just fine like this. Now, come on! The wash up rooms are this way this week, I think."

    Right then, onwards!

    ~~~Pocket System~~~

    Victoria Hawthorne was beyond impatient, but tried to stay calm. "What do you MEAN, I can't see my daughter? I always visit Isabella to read her a story before visiting hours end. I won't be denied."

    Such moments were precious and to try and deny her any last moments with her baby?

    Heads were going to roll.

    The overworked nurse actually seemed sympathetic to her anger, which was really the ONLY reason Victoria wasn't going directly over her head and tearing this whole hospital apart. "The entire ward is under quarantine while the medical staff confirm that all the little ones are healthy and stable…"

    …What? "So my daughter was moved elsewhere?"

    That made the woman blink… And she seemed to awaken more and focus. "Ah, no, I mean… We had an unexpected metahuman incident, and all the children in that wing of the hospital, your daughter's ward included, were seemingly healed. We need to confirm that…"

    WHAT!? "But… My baby was…" Going to die. Despite her every effort and all her wealth. "...Very very sick. How is this…?"

    The nurse tried not to slump. "We don't know. We have our entire staff going over all our patients as fast as possible to confirm their health status and ensure that no one is at risk, but we don't DARE introduce new factors to this whole situation until AFTER we confirm it wouldn't cause further trouble for the children directly."

    Victoria brutally smashed down that desperate shard of hope. "Can I… Can I at least call her room then? Talk to her?"

    And the woman lit up! "YES! That's brilliant, I need to tell my Chief Nursing Officer, he'll get it all set up for everyone and… I'll be right back!"

    Then she was off… And Victoria felt so lost and hopeful and terrified.

    It didn't take long for her to notice other bystanding parents who clearly felt the same…

    Well, hopefully they'd ALL receive some impossibly good news soon.

    Regardless of anything else though, she had PROMISED to be there for her little girl through these darkest days, so no matter what miracles may or may not be going on she WAS going to get that phone call and she WOULD be reading her a bedtime story.

    Some promises had to be kept.

    ~~~Pocket System~~~

    John awkwardly coughed. "Ms. Zatanna's mom, this pasta is really good…"

    The man continued to GLARE at him, while his wife almost seemed giggly. "Thank you John. I'd tell you it's my grandmother's recipe, but she basically could only burn water and make soggy eggs. I'm pretty sure she only 'taught' me how to cook this because my own mother couldn't make any meal without heavy magic use herself, so I was their only hope. And I still have NO idea who they originally 'borrowed' the recipe from… I basically had to teach myself all the actual skills to make this edible on my own!"

    Zatanna ignored all of them as she ate her massive dino steak with enthusiasm, while her father… Glared even more.

    Just um… Just ignore him. "You know, I like learning how to cook stuff on my own too! I got to taste all SORTS of stuff, and my Sister would bring home fun snacks and restricted materials and stuff… I mean, sure it took me a while to learn what was edible by other people and what was strictly a 'John Only' treat, but my girlfriends can also eat deadly or impossible things with no issue so they don't mind me slipping every now and again."

    …Why did Zatanna stop eating? OH! "Not THESE dishes, not the ones I brought I mean! I had my sister check each and every one. No odd energies or chemicals or nothing… They might not be the healthiest thing to eat, considering that it is a massive slab of delicious meat and not exactly part of a balanced breakfast, but no one has to worry about suddenly turning inside out or their liver sprouting eyes and trying to run away."

    Damn it, why did that seem to make all of them look even MORE worried!?

    Um, distraction? Yeah, distraction! "By the way, Ms. Zatanna's Mom Ma'am…"

    She snorted. "You can just call me Sindella, dear."

    …That felt odd though. "If you say so, Sindella Dear."

    Zatanna started coughing while her dad suddenly looked VERY unimpressed and… KEEP THE CONVERSATION MOVING! "SO uh, I wanted to ask you for some advice about some situations I may have stumbled into on the way over here to visit Zatanna earlier, and…" Um, where should he start? "...I just need some advice, I guess."

    The woman was smirking at her husband for some reason. "Well, what sort of situations are we talking about here?"

    Hoo boy, what a list… "Well, I healed some kids in a hospital and all sorts of alarms went off, then I started asking reality where I should run to and it kept nudging me from place to place…"

    Skip the small stuff, John. Just keep it to the bigger issues. "So a LOT of it managed to fix itself along the way as I kept moving from place to place, but a few issues… Right uh, anyone know about a gruff voice dude wearing a full black rubber outfit? I don't think it was a sexual thing, and he had a cape, but he kept showing up all over the place while I was wandering about and it was starting to get concerning."

    Now Zatanna's MOM was staring at him. "Did he have any symbols on his cape? Or on his outfit? Most vigilantes tend to carry identifying marks so other heroes or villains can easily recognize them."

    Uh. "It was a sort of spiky winged thing." OH! "Like a Pterodactyl, but more bat shaped!"

    Zatanna joined her mom's staring (And yes, John was still ignoring the never ending glares from the other man at the table), and her look was worried. "John?"

    Hmm? "Yes?"

    She pointed her fork at him. "Are you being chased by Batman?"

    Uh. "I think 'chased' is a bit of a strong word, really…"

    Sindella sighed. "Oh dear."

    Well hang on now! "I'm pretty sure 'Chased' implies that I was running away or something, and I was CLEARLY teleporting, right? It doesn't count."

    Zatanna wasn't convinced. "But metaphorically, you WERE running away, yes?"

    John was going to die on this hill. "My official response is that I was walking or standing or sitting at any and all times during the events in question. No running was involved. And it might not even be ME he was looking for each time!"

    Sindella didn't seem convinced either. "Did he ever ask you to stop? Did he seem to want to ask you questions or…"

    Well now this just felt awkward? "I mean, maybe a little?"

    The mother nodded. "Despite my husband's personal opinions, and the reputation Batman has built up over the years, he IS willing to talk first. Why didn't you just explain what was going on to him?"

    Um, doi! "Because I was being stalked by a big deep voiced man in a rubber suit! I didn't want to lose my innocence!"

    After all, Temptation had told him to always keep away from big burly men in rubber unless everyone involved had a comprehensive and consenting set of conversations beforehand and… Well, she said a bunch of OTHER stuff too, but it was too hard to understand her because Grace kept trying to choke her into silence at the time.

    But he's pretty sure he learned the gist of the important bits. Stay away from men in rubber or he would lose his innocence. "I'm already in a loving relationship with two wonderful ladies and his aggressive advances were not appreciated."

    Zatanna's dad had… Shifted his glare? Now the man was staring into the darkness of his own mind. "...I now have a series of mental images I never desired nor requested."

    Sindella Dear on the other hand… "I think my own outfits like that are still boxed up in the attic…" "MOM!" "Oh, sorry honey, John? Just ignore that last bit please."

    Huh? "No problem, Sindella Dear."

    Zatanna jerked back to LOOK at him! "JOHN!"

    He blinked. "Yes?"

    Whatever she was GOING to say was cut off as Sindella Dear grinned at him. "Your awkward stalking friend aside, you mentioned more than a single topic where my advice was requested?"

    Oh right! "Yeah, um… So some of the places I stumbled upon were like, on fire or collapsing and stuff, right? And of course I got all the people and pets out, like you do, but there was all this mess everywhere, you know?"

    And honestly John likes to keep places clean when possible. "So I ended up putting a bunch of rubble and apartment buildings and factories and stuff in my [[Pocket]] from around the city and… Maybe a bit of the surrounding state too, not sure?"

    Honestly some of the jumps had been VERY unpredictable. "I extrapolated what SHOULD have been there and left newly Crafted replacements and stuff, but I still have like a few city blocks of buildings and cars and junk in my [[Pocket]] right now. Am I allowed to eat them?"

    Damn it, that awkward silence was back. "I mean, uh… Finder's keepers, right?"

    Right?
     
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    • dracklor said:
    So how long till Zatara realizes that no matter what John may look like he's still essentially a toddler? Always trying to eat anything he can put in his metaphorical mouth.
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    he's probably going to need it spelled out for him. With all the misunderstandings, it may take some explaining before he realizes that John has more in common with a really neighborly but childish Yog-Sothoth than some bad boy wizard or whatever.
     
    He was followed/ stalked aggressively by "A man in a rubber suit and a deep voice"

    I am Sure Nothing would have happened.

    :lol::p

    I am sure you will not be knocked down and gagged, to prevent Teleporting Away~!

    Alfred will get a laugh. How the Criminal Ran Away from the man in a rubber suit and a deep voice.
     
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    theaceoffire said:
    "I extrapolated what SHOULD have been there and left newly Crafted replacements and stuff, but I still have like a few city blocks of buildings and cars and stuff in my [[Pocket]] right now. Am I allowed to eat them?"
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    "You…might want to put any personal items back first?"

    *beams happily* "Oh, right; that makes perfect sense!"

    *several seconds pass in silence*

    "Uhm…"

    *with weary-yet-unsurprised exasperation* "You stuffed everything they ever owned into their rooms, didn't you?"

    "…in my defence, the meaning of 'any' was open to interpretation."
     
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    Ah, its one of those versions of DC where Bruce and Clark are dating. *nods sagely*
    Certainly explains the general fashion sense of all their variants, it echoes because John got spooped by Bruce.
     
    Will John pick up a few local Villians?

    Scarface is a Puppet, some say made of wood from Slaughter Swamp, the area Solomon Grundy came from, the one that goes against Superman.

    Is he haunted or possessed?

    Gotham has other Supernatural remnants.

    OTOH, Will Batmite get a penpal?
     
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