Raising a Monster
- Thread starter LinkOnScepter
- Start date
- Original
- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
Immortality for her dad but none for her cute future boyfriend(s)? For shame
Also just based on her life experiences so far how would an adult Ana be like? We seem to be doing pretty well as a dad to her and instilling a proper human mindset IMO
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- Location
- Nottinghamshire, England
Immortality for her dad but none for her cute future boyfriend(s)? For shame
Well, she's apparently yet to figure out Chester's crush on her and Blue hasn't shown interest yet from what I recall, so she'd have little-to-no reason to.
Not sure, but I'd like to find out.
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
So, good news: I got my laptop back!
Bad news: I didn't backup my data, so I had to factory reset.
Currently redoing my bookmarks.
Bad news: I didn't backup my data, so I had to factory reset.
Currently redoing my bookmarks.
Sena Kumo
The Tenth Wandering Cloud
- Location
- Portugal
Ugh, good luck with that.
- Location
- Nottinghamshire, England
Oh come on! *shrieks/screams/bellows inaudible + indistinguishable insults to the universe*
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Don't worry. I didn't lose any of my notes.
I made sure to keeo all that stuff in Cloud shit.
Just need to reinstall some stuff and i will be back in action.
- Location
- Nottinghamshire, England
Phew! Good thing you managed to dodge that bullet!
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while. Been working on other stuff, but just started on the next Update. The next one will focus on the Mage Association Decision, so look forward to that.
Also, here's what the results of the rolls were:
Meeting the Mages: 62 + 5 (Knowledge) - 25 (GE) + 20 (Prior Meeting) + 20 (Noteriety) = 82 High Success
Talking With Blue/Conversing with Blue: 50 + 52 + 10 (Orator) - 25 (GE) + 5 (Child Form) + 10 (Godly Heritage) = 102 Artificial Crit
Reading a Book: 1 + 10 (The Dice Are Kind) + 15 (Prodigy) + 15 (Potential) = 41 Success
Also, here's what the results of the rolls were:
Meeting the Mages: 62 + 5 (Knowledge) - 25 (GE) + 20 (Prior Meeting) + 20 (Noteriety) = 82 High Success
Talking With Blue/Conversing with Blue: 50 + 52 + 10 (Orator) - 25 (GE) + 5 (Child Form) + 10 (Godly Heritage) = 102 Artificial Crit
Reading a Book: 1 + 10 (The Dice Are Kind) + 15 (Prodigy) + 15 (Potential) = 41 Success
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Just a heads up guys, expect the next update by either Wednesday or Thursday.
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
To prove it, here's a sneak peek of what I have so far. Note this will not be Threadmarked as it is not the full update yet. I plan to get the Mage Association done for the next Update since it's a big decision:
"And here we are!" Mark holds his arms out towards a tree.
A literal tree that sits right in the middle of the park you visit with Ana.
You slowly turn your head to glare at the eccentrically dressed man. You use your experience as a teacher to project how unamused you are at this revelation. When Mark continues to hold his arms out you speak out your frustrations, "Mark. This is a tree."
"No," Mark waggles his finger in your face, "This is an entrance to one of our many offices!" The Mage was lucky the park was pretty empty this early in the morning. Otherwise, you're confident that someone would've called the police by now.
Your expression doesn't change, "Mark. This is a tree. An evergreen tree that has been in this park longer than I've been alive. There is no way this is the entrance to a Mage Association's Secret Underground Lair."
"Father," Ana squeezes your left hand to get your attention, "Can you doubt him at this point? After everything that has happened to you within such a short time, I'd imagine you'd be more skeptical of the world around you."
"Oh, I know," you reply, "But I feel like if I start behaving like that, I'll lose something important that I won't be able to get back. Also, where's Horus? Shouldn't he be here too?"
"Oh! I remember when I was like that! I was so innocent then," Mark sighs wistfully, which only worsens the chill that goes down your spine. He sees your discomfort and coughs into a hand, "While I sympathize with your plight, Mr.Craft, I must ask you to rescind any possible skepticism you still have. All sense of normalcy that you are used to, ceases to be beyond this point. As for Horus, I sent him ahead of us. He's getting some things ready. Now, shall we go?"
The Mage's eyes tell you he isn't lying which only makes you feel worse. At any other time, you would've grabbed Ana, turned right around, and booked it back home before he started pitching you a pyramid scheme, or worse.
But a combination of all the supernatural happenings around you, the fact that you're almost out of money, and that you desperately need a new job...
You sigh while nodding at Mark. The colorful man claps his hand, "Alright! Before we go in though, could Anastasia come in after us?"
"Why?" you look between Ana and Mark with confusion, "Is something wrong with her being here?"
"Sort of," he waves his hand while frowning, "it has nothing to do with who she is, I assure you. It's more because of what she is. You understand I hope."
Ana replies before you can, "Listen to him, father. He's doing this for both our sakes,"
The nod she gives you does reassure you, but you can't shake the small feeling of worry worming its way into your chest. However, there's not much you can do considering you're outnumbered right now. You kneel and hug Ana before standing up and nodding to Mark. The Mage claps his hands three times and gestures towards the trunk of the tree.
You face the plant, take a deep breath, and walk forward. You flinch just as you're about to hit the tree and...collide with something that most certainly isn't bark. You try to open your eyes but something seems to be holding them closed as you're dragged along a passageway of sorts. Your body feels like it's covered in what you imagine to be silk. The soft fabric caresses your body and gently pulls you along. You feel yourself getting sleepy in its embrace even as you put one foot in front of the other.
Eventually, you come to the end of the passage. A bright light blinds you for a moment when you open your eyes.
When the blurriness clears you can't stop your mouth from gaping open in amazement.
By God.
There are....there are so many of them.
You expected there to be a lot of them, but enough to almost fill up an entire office space?!
Because that's what's currently in front of you. A hundred different mythical beings and humans in a room straight out of a TV-Sitcom. Cubicles are filled by humans staffing glowing phone lines while floating animals watch over their backs. People stand next to water coolers alongside living suits of armor that you could mistake for statues. You even see a cloud of tiny, multicolored humanoids carrying women through the air. A few of them do notice your presence but don't do anything outside of shoot various types of looks your way. You're not sure how long you stand there with your mouth hanging open.
"Now, now, Mr.Craft," Mark appears on your right and pushes your chin up, "it's not polite to stare."
You wipe the drool that was collecting on your lips with your sleeve, eyes roaming the office room with clear surprise. Your gaze follows after a human skeleton with backward arms and legs as Mark continues, "Now, I'm sure you've got lots of questions, but I need you ready. Anastasia will be coming through in a few moments and I need you to pick her up as soon as she gets here."
You turn to ask a question, but Mark interrupts you, "Please don't ask questions, we don't have enough time." Mark's voice is...different. It sounds more grounded and serious than he's normally been. Then again, you did only meet him about two days ago.
Bereft of any reason to argue, you turn around to look at where you came in at. At first, you see nothing save a wall painted a solid dark blue that kind of hurts your eyes to look at. Then, after a few seconds, a small, swirling portal appears in the air. You instinctively hold your arms out and Ana falls into them. You pull her close, hugging her as you turn around to...everyone in the room looking in your direction.
And the looks they are giving you are not the friendly kind.
A literal tree that sits right in the middle of the park you visit with Ana.
You slowly turn your head to glare at the eccentrically dressed man. You use your experience as a teacher to project how unamused you are at this revelation. When Mark continues to hold his arms out you speak out your frustrations, "Mark. This is a tree."
"No," Mark waggles his finger in your face, "This is an entrance to one of our many offices!" The Mage was lucky the park was pretty empty this early in the morning. Otherwise, you're confident that someone would've called the police by now.
Your expression doesn't change, "Mark. This is a tree. An evergreen tree that has been in this park longer than I've been alive. There is no way this is the entrance to a Mage Association's Secret Underground Lair."
"Father," Ana squeezes your left hand to get your attention, "Can you doubt him at this point? After everything that has happened to you within such a short time, I'd imagine you'd be more skeptical of the world around you."
"Oh, I know," you reply, "But I feel like if I start behaving like that, I'll lose something important that I won't be able to get back. Also, where's Horus? Shouldn't he be here too?"
"Oh! I remember when I was like that! I was so innocent then," Mark sighs wistfully, which only worsens the chill that goes down your spine. He sees your discomfort and coughs into a hand, "While I sympathize with your plight, Mr.Craft, I must ask you to rescind any possible skepticism you still have. All sense of normalcy that you are used to, ceases to be beyond this point. As for Horus, I sent him ahead of us. He's getting some things ready. Now, shall we go?"
The Mage's eyes tell you he isn't lying which only makes you feel worse. At any other time, you would've grabbed Ana, turned right around, and booked it back home before he started pitching you a pyramid scheme, or worse.
But a combination of all the supernatural happenings around you, the fact that you're almost out of money, and that you desperately need a new job...
You sigh while nodding at Mark. The colorful man claps his hand, "Alright! Before we go in though, could Anastasia come in after us?"
"Why?" you look between Ana and Mark with confusion, "Is something wrong with her being here?"
"Sort of," he waves his hand while frowning, "it has nothing to do with who she is, I assure you. It's more because of what she is. You understand I hope."
Ana replies before you can, "Listen to him, father. He's doing this for both our sakes,"
The nod she gives you does reassure you, but you can't shake the small feeling of worry worming its way into your chest. However, there's not much you can do considering you're outnumbered right now. You kneel and hug Ana before standing up and nodding to Mark. The Mage claps his hands three times and gestures towards the trunk of the tree.
You face the plant, take a deep breath, and walk forward. You flinch just as you're about to hit the tree and...collide with something that most certainly isn't bark. You try to open your eyes but something seems to be holding them closed as you're dragged along a passageway of sorts. Your body feels like it's covered in what you imagine to be silk. The soft fabric caresses your body and gently pulls you along. You feel yourself getting sleepy in its embrace even as you put one foot in front of the other.
Eventually, you come to the end of the passage. A bright light blinds you for a moment when you open your eyes.
When the blurriness clears you can't stop your mouth from gaping open in amazement.
By God.
There are....there are so many of them.
You expected there to be a lot of them, but enough to almost fill up an entire office space?!
Because that's what's currently in front of you. A hundred different mythical beings and humans in a room straight out of a TV-Sitcom. Cubicles are filled by humans staffing glowing phone lines while floating animals watch over their backs. People stand next to water coolers alongside living suits of armor that you could mistake for statues. You even see a cloud of tiny, multicolored humanoids carrying women through the air. A few of them do notice your presence but don't do anything outside of shoot various types of looks your way. You're not sure how long you stand there with your mouth hanging open.
"Now, now, Mr.Craft," Mark appears on your right and pushes your chin up, "it's not polite to stare."
You wipe the drool that was collecting on your lips with your sleeve, eyes roaming the office room with clear surprise. Your gaze follows after a human skeleton with backward arms and legs as Mark continues, "Now, I'm sure you've got lots of questions, but I need you ready. Anastasia will be coming through in a few moments and I need you to pick her up as soon as she gets here."
You turn to ask a question, but Mark interrupts you, "Please don't ask questions, we don't have enough time." Mark's voice is...different. It sounds more grounded and serious than he's normally been. Then again, you did only meet him about two days ago.
Bereft of any reason to argue, you turn around to look at where you came in at. At first, you see nothing save a wall painted a solid dark blue that kind of hurts your eyes to look at. Then, after a few seconds, a small, swirling portal appears in the air. You instinctively hold your arms out and Ana falls into them. You pull her close, hugging her as you turn around to...everyone in the room looking in your direction.
And the looks they are giving you are not the friendly kind.
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Sena Kumo
The Tenth Wandering Cloud
- Location
- Portugal
...you poor, poor fool. I can assure you, you won't need it anymore.
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Just a heads up guys. Update might take a little longer. Gonna do a bit of a rewrite and try to get my brother to read over it before I post it.
Sena Kumo
The Tenth Wandering Cloud
- Location
- Portugal
No problem. Take your time.
Meeting the Mages/Day 31 Pt. 1
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Meeting the Mages: 62 + 5 (Knowledge) - 25 (GE) + 20 (Prior Meeting) + 20 (Noteriety) = 82 High Success
"And here we are!" Mark holds his arms out towards a tree.
A literal tree that sits right in the middle of the park you tend to visit with Ana.
You slowly turn your head to glare at the eccentrically dressed man. You use your experience as a teacher to project how unamused you are at this revelation. When Mark continues to hold his arms out you speak out your frustrations, "Mark. This is a tree."
"No," Mark waggles his finger in your face, "This is an entrance to one of our many offices!" The Mage was lucky the park was pretty empty this early in the morning. Otherwise, you're confident that someone would've called the police by now.
Your expression doesn't change, "Mark. This is a tree. An evergreen tree that has been in this park longer than I've been alive. There is no way this is the entrance to a Mage Association's Secret Underground Lair."
"Father," Ana squeezes your left hand to get your attention, "Can you doubt him at this point? After everything that has happened to you within such a short time, I'd imagine you'd be more skeptical of the world around you."
"Oh, I know," you reply, "But I feel like if I start behaving like that, I'll lose something important that I won't be able to get back. Also, where's Horus? Shouldn't he be here too?"
"Oh! I remember when I was like that! I was so innocent then," Mark sighs wistfully, which only worsens the chill that goes down your spine. He sees your discomfort and coughs into a hand, "While I empathize with your plight, Mr.Craft, I must ask you to rescind any possible skepticism you still have. All sense of normalcy that you are used to, ceases to be beyond this point. As for Horus, I sent him ahead of us. He's getting some things ready. Now, shall we go?"
The Mage's eyes tell you he isn't lying which only makes you feel worse. At any other time, you would've grabbed Ana, turned right around, and booked it back home before he started pitching you a pyramid scheme, or worse.
But a combination of all the supernatural happenings around you, the fact that you're almost out of money, and that you desperately need a new job...
You sigh while nodding at Mark. The colorful man claps his hands, "Alright! Before we go in though, could Anastasia come in after us?"
"Why?" you look between Ana and Mark with confusion, "Is something wrong with her being here?"
"Sort of," he waves his hand while frowning, "it has nothing to do with who she is, I assure you. It's more because of what she is. You understand I hope."
Ana replies before you can, "Listen to him, father. He's doing this for both our sakes,"
The nod she gives you does reassure you, but you can't shake the small feeling of worry worming its way into your chest. However, there's not much you can do considering you're outnumbered right now. You kneel and hug Ana before standing up and nodding to Mark. The Mage claps his hands three times and gestures towards the trunk of the tree.
You face the plant, take a deep breath, and walk forward. You flinch just as you're about to hit the tree and...collide with something that most certainly isn't bark. You try to open your eyes but something seems to be holding them closed as you're dragged along a passageway of sorts. Your body feels like it's covered in what you imagine to be silk. The soft fabric caresses your body and gently pulls you along. You feel yourself getting sleepy in its embrace even as you put one foot in front of the other.
Eventually, you come to the end of the passage. A bright light blinds you for a moment when you open your eyes.
When the blurriness clears you can't stop your mouth from gaping open in amazement.
By God.
There are....there are so many of them.
You expected there to be a few little goblins and such, but enough to almost fill up an entire building?!
No, you're positive that there are enough to constitute their own city.
A hundred different mythical beings running around what seems to be a room straight out of a TV-Sitcom. Cubicles are filled by humans staffing glowing phone lines while floating animals watch over their backs. People stand next to water coolers alongside living suits of armor that you could mistake for statues. You even see a cloud of tiny, multicolored humanoids carrying women through the air. A few of them do notice your presence but don't do anything outside of shoot various types of looks your way. You're not sure how long you stand there with your mouth hanging open.
"Now, now, Mr.Craft," Mark appears on your right and pushes your chin up, "it's not polite to stare."
You wipe the drool that was collecting on your lips with your sleeve, eyes roaming the office room with clear surprise. Your gaze follows after a human skeleton with backward arms and legs as Mark continues, "Now, I'm sure you've got lots of questions, but I need you ready. Anastasia will be coming through in a few moments and I need you to pick her up as soon as she gets here."
You turn to ask a question, but Mark interrupts you, "Please don't ask questions, we don't have enough time." Mark's voice is...different. It sounds more grounded and serious than he's normally been. Then again, you did only meet him about two days ago.
Bereft of any reason to argue, you turn around to look at where you came in at. At first, you see nothing save a wall painted a solid dark blue that kind of hurts your eyes to look at. Then, after a few seconds, a small, swirling portal appears in the air. You instinctively hold your arms out and Ana falls into them. You pull her close, hugging her as you turn around to...everyone in the room looking in your direction.
And the looks they are giving you are not the friendly kind.
The fairies have coalesced above your heads while their human partners look down at you behind black glasses that hide their expressions. The animals in the room are all either ready to pounce at you, growling, or simply watching you with fearful eyes. The humans with them either have their hands holding back their partners, or seem to be fighting the urge to walk up and punch you in the face. The armored men have stepped in front of their masters, weapons drawn and ready to battle.
Bottles, papers, pens, and chairs all litter the floor in every direction. Every single mythic and Mage in the room has dropped everything they were doing.
All because your daughter entered the room.
With an audible gulp, you hold Ana tighter while lifting a hand. Everyone tenses up, eyes focused on your hand as it is lifted into the air.
You put on a nervous smile and give a small wave, "H-h-he-hello, everyone. N-n-nice to meet you all."
You quickly pull your hand back while watching everyone's reactions. There weren't many. They all kept the same hostile aura. Ana squirmed in your grip until she could see the array of hostile gazes all pointed your way. Her head scanned the entire room before she shrugged, "Less than I expected. Hello, everyone." Her voice was calm. Way too calm considering you were both looking down the barrels of various figurative magical firearms!
After a few minutes of this intense standoff, Mark finally decides to act. He coughs into his hand and steps forward, drawing everyone's attention to him, "Everyone, this is Howard Craft and his daughter Anastasia Craft. I believe you all have already been informed of who they are, and why they are here. Those that don't please consult the report that was sent out two weeks ago. Now, everyone back to work. Individual introductions can come once my meeting with Mr. Craft is over."
He waves his hands dismissively, his voice the same deep, authoritative tone that he had earlier. The Mages share looks between each other, some starting to mumble and murmur among themselves. You see Mark start to frown for the first time since you've met the man just as the group finally starts to disperse. It's slow going with only about two Mages going about their day at first but, eventually, the whole office gets back to normal. Well, normal-ish. There's still an underlying feeling of uncertainty and fear but at least everyone isn't trying to bore a hole through you with their eyes.
You involuntarily sigh in relief, holding Ana out in front of you by her underarms, "You ok, sweetie?"
"Of course, father," Ana places a finger on your nose while smiling, "You must understand. They were in more danger than we were."
"Your daughter is right," Mark turns towards you with his hat in his hands, "and I must apologize for that awful welcoming. It's just that everyone is really on edge about Anastasia. Even my warning didn't do much to prepare them."
"Nothing you did could've prepared them, but you handled the situation well, Mark. I applaud you for that," Ana claps her hands as you lower her to the ground. She straightens her skirt before looking up at Mark out of the corner of her eye, "You understood how I would react if any of them took one step towards my father." You hear something behind Ana's voice. Something deeper than her wizened, logical one. Deeper than the being that was older than anyone in this room.
It was something angry, yet protective.
Something that wouldn't allow anyone or anything to hurt you.
You honestly aren't sure whether to be happy or disturbed by that.
So you'll be both.
If Mark caught what your daughter meant he didn't show it, "I am well aware. Now, if you both would please follow me."
He starts walking deeper into the building and, with little else to do, you grab Ana's hand and follow him. When you catch up to him, Mark seems to switch personalities. His deep voice is replaced by the one he was using when you first met him. He goes about clapping every Mage you see on the back, "Hudson! How's the family? Good, good. Mary, keep working on your barriers! I can still see cracks! Louis! What did I say about sleeping anywhere that isn't the break room? Hop to work!
He turns around to address you, "Please forgive us for being so disorganized. We're usually not this busy, but quite a few things have happened in this town that have made things complicated for us."
"What kind of things?" you ask as you avoid stepping on the tail of a sleeping fox creature. Most of the Mages do their best to ignore you, but you can feel their stares on your back. They're on your daughter too, but she doesn't seem to notice them. Her head moves in a circle to take in the entire room as you walk through it.
Mark doesn't answer, keeping his gaze forward as he walks. Eventually, the three of you leave the office and enter a long, white hallway. Its cylindrical shape makes your head hurt as you try to follow the contours. When you reach a certain point, Mark stops walking and turns to you both, "Before we continue, I must get your answer as to whether you'll work with us now, Mr. Craft. What I'm about to show you is confidential to anyone save our own employees."
"Well that's fine, but I feel like I could give you a better answer if you tell me what the job entails first?" you say in a matter of fact voice.
"Of course," Mark clears his throat before he begins, "We Mages are in a unique position as we represent both the Human and Mythic Worlds. We work as detectives, negotiators, peacekeepers, and researchers. Our jobs tend to involve solving disputes between humans and mythics, humans and humans, or mythics and mythics. We take a firm stance to remain outside of any major conflicts unless they threaten every single living being on the planet.
He begins to walk from side to side, hands held behind his back, "We try not to start fights. Many of our endeavors focus on stopping a fight from ever breaking out. But, if violence or conflict is inevitable, then we will step in. We are separated into different Branches scattered across the world, with each Branch being made of different Departments that focus on a specific task. Our job is dangerous, but we're the only ones who can do it."
Ana lets go of your hand to cross her arms, "You have done well telling us about your Association, but you haven't answered my father's question. What exactly is the job you're offering?"
"That's actually up to him," Mark stops walking and looks towards you with a smile, "We only ever recruit people who have had some experience with the Supernatural. Then we offer them the ability to choose where they'd like to start. The more experienced, the more positions we offer. Normally, since Craft has very little experience with mythics, we'd start him out as a simple Intern. But due to his...actions over the past few weeks, we can offer you five positions that you may choose from." He holds up five fingers and begins to count them off, "Intern, Detective, Negotiator, Peacekeeper, and...well not a position. More like a...program."
He starts to fidget at the word "program", which makes you raise an eyebrow, "What kind of program?"
"An observation program?" he gives you an innocent look you're used to getting from kids who didn't finish their homework on time.
Ana voices your thoughts before you can, "You want to watch us like we're rats in a cage. As expected." She does not sound happy.
Good. Neither are you.
You cross your arms to match your daughter, your eyes judging the young man in front of you.
Mark looks between you both then sighs while shaking his head, "I know it sounds bad, but hear me out. You and your daughter are people we need to keep an eye on. You should already know we've known about the both of you for some time now. After Ethel was sent to observe you, and again I am so sorry about that and promise she has been punished for it. It should never have happened. But when she came back and informed us of the situation and gave us your message, we were content to let you be. You didn't kill her, didn't sound like a crazed cultist, and Anastasia hadn't done anything overtly threatening. You were deemed completely safe.
He pulls his hat down to cover his eyes while lowering his voice, "That is until we looked into the town and our records. Anastasia is not the first of her kind to be reincarnated after a few centuries or so. However, in all the records we Mages have, there is a pattern to when they appear. All the other mythics in the area are either killed, forced out of their homes, or dominated by the Eldritch. The land is transformed and filled with more Abominations summoned by either the Eldritch itself, it's mere presence, or its devoted followers. The human it attaches itself to is forced to move from place to place as everywhere they stay is destroyed by the monsters that follow them. All of this happens before the Eldritch reaches it's Teen Stage.
You feel yourself go pale at his description of the past until you hear what he says next, "But that hasn't happened with Anastasia. In fact, the opposite has happened."
"What?" you say as you and Ana share a look. For the first time in a long time, she looks just as confused as you do.
Mark nods his head, "Craft, do you know how many mythics were in your town before Anastasia appeared?" When you shake your head he holds up five fingers, "Five. The Harrowmonts and Olly Rivauld. That's it. However, our observations have shown that that number has grown to ten overnight. On top of that, the mythic population in neighboring towns is also on the rise. One town tripled its population within a single day.
He takes a step forward as what he's insinuating becomes clear, "Anastasia isn't pushing mythics away. She's drawing them in. And we don't know why. Even you, Craft, are an anomaly. Most hosts of Eldritch are forced out of their homes and driven mad or forced to become despots to please their charge. Yet you've not only kept your sanity but are living with your daughter under the same roof. And you've managed to befriend mythics despite only just being introduced to the supernatural world. That's before we get into how you killed a Lesser Eldritch Abomination. The both of you could be the start of something amazing...or something terrifying. So, please, give the program some thought. We'll give you double what the standard salary is as compensation, offer you assignments that you can take at your leisure, protect you and your daughter in case anything bad happens, and give you full access to our library of information on mythics and the Supernatural. You'll even get our Healthcare Benefits, which means you'll have access to our Healers at all times. They can only repair physical harm though, not mental. Yet.
"In return," he straightens up, "all we ask is that you allow us to observe you and your daughter as you go about your everyday business. We will not do anything invasive. We're not the government. And, we also ask that you allow us to call you whenever we might need you for a job or possibly a few research test. That's all. So, what do you say?"
He holds out his right hand for a shake. You look at the outstretched arm then down at Ana, "What do you think, honey?"
"Personally, I do not appreciate the thought of having my every move observed by people who might not have my or your best interest at heart," you see Mark's expression dim at your daughter's answer.
[Trust: 10]
"However," Mark expression returns, "if you believe it to be a bad idea, I will not argue. Just be aware that there are alternatives."
You nod and look at Mark's hand and weight your options.
[] Take a Department Job (Salary: 7 Money every Three Days, Other Factors Vary Based on Department)
- [] Intern (Basic Jobs, Mostly running around the Office doing random task, Meet lots of new people, Don't get to do much until a Promotion, Cost 1 Action)
- [] Detective (Focus on investigating problems and possible crimes, Kind of Dangerous, Will Train Deductive and Observation Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
- [] Negotiator (Focus on Mediating between Mythics, Humans, and otherwise, Not Usually Dangerous, Will Train Persuasive and Social Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
- [] Peacekeeper (Focus on Pacifying troublesome Mythics, Humans, and otherwise, Very Dangerous, Will Train Offensive and Defensive Combat Skills/Perks, Cost 2 Actions)
[] Join the Program (Salary: 14 Money every Three Days, Cost No Actions, you will get a mix of Jobs to take on every two days, these Jobs can be taken for extra money, You will get called in for Important Jobs/Test that will take up 1 Action, The Mages will be observing you and Ana, you get access to just about the entire Mage Association)
[] Decline the Offer (No real change, Can still contact the Mages)
"And here we are!" Mark holds his arms out towards a tree.
A literal tree that sits right in the middle of the park you tend to visit with Ana.
You slowly turn your head to glare at the eccentrically dressed man. You use your experience as a teacher to project how unamused you are at this revelation. When Mark continues to hold his arms out you speak out your frustrations, "Mark. This is a tree."
"No," Mark waggles his finger in your face, "This is an entrance to one of our many offices!" The Mage was lucky the park was pretty empty this early in the morning. Otherwise, you're confident that someone would've called the police by now.
Your expression doesn't change, "Mark. This is a tree. An evergreen tree that has been in this park longer than I've been alive. There is no way this is the entrance to a Mage Association's Secret Underground Lair."
"Father," Ana squeezes your left hand to get your attention, "Can you doubt him at this point? After everything that has happened to you within such a short time, I'd imagine you'd be more skeptical of the world around you."
"Oh, I know," you reply, "But I feel like if I start behaving like that, I'll lose something important that I won't be able to get back. Also, where's Horus? Shouldn't he be here too?"
"Oh! I remember when I was like that! I was so innocent then," Mark sighs wistfully, which only worsens the chill that goes down your spine. He sees your discomfort and coughs into a hand, "While I empathize with your plight, Mr.Craft, I must ask you to rescind any possible skepticism you still have. All sense of normalcy that you are used to, ceases to be beyond this point. As for Horus, I sent him ahead of us. He's getting some things ready. Now, shall we go?"
The Mage's eyes tell you he isn't lying which only makes you feel worse. At any other time, you would've grabbed Ana, turned right around, and booked it back home before he started pitching you a pyramid scheme, or worse.
But a combination of all the supernatural happenings around you, the fact that you're almost out of money, and that you desperately need a new job...
You sigh while nodding at Mark. The colorful man claps his hands, "Alright! Before we go in though, could Anastasia come in after us?"
"Why?" you look between Ana and Mark with confusion, "Is something wrong with her being here?"
"Sort of," he waves his hand while frowning, "it has nothing to do with who she is, I assure you. It's more because of what she is. You understand I hope."
Ana replies before you can, "Listen to him, father. He's doing this for both our sakes,"
The nod she gives you does reassure you, but you can't shake the small feeling of worry worming its way into your chest. However, there's not much you can do considering you're outnumbered right now. You kneel and hug Ana before standing up and nodding to Mark. The Mage claps his hands three times and gestures towards the trunk of the tree.
You face the plant, take a deep breath, and walk forward. You flinch just as you're about to hit the tree and...collide with something that most certainly isn't bark. You try to open your eyes but something seems to be holding them closed as you're dragged along a passageway of sorts. Your body feels like it's covered in what you imagine to be silk. The soft fabric caresses your body and gently pulls you along. You feel yourself getting sleepy in its embrace even as you put one foot in front of the other.
Eventually, you come to the end of the passage. A bright light blinds you for a moment when you open your eyes.
When the blurriness clears you can't stop your mouth from gaping open in amazement.
By God.
There are....there are so many of them.
You expected there to be a few little goblins and such, but enough to almost fill up an entire building?!
No, you're positive that there are enough to constitute their own city.
A hundred different mythical beings running around what seems to be a room straight out of a TV-Sitcom. Cubicles are filled by humans staffing glowing phone lines while floating animals watch over their backs. People stand next to water coolers alongside living suits of armor that you could mistake for statues. You even see a cloud of tiny, multicolored humanoids carrying women through the air. A few of them do notice your presence but don't do anything outside of shoot various types of looks your way. You're not sure how long you stand there with your mouth hanging open.
"Now, now, Mr.Craft," Mark appears on your right and pushes your chin up, "it's not polite to stare."
You wipe the drool that was collecting on your lips with your sleeve, eyes roaming the office room with clear surprise. Your gaze follows after a human skeleton with backward arms and legs as Mark continues, "Now, I'm sure you've got lots of questions, but I need you ready. Anastasia will be coming through in a few moments and I need you to pick her up as soon as she gets here."
You turn to ask a question, but Mark interrupts you, "Please don't ask questions, we don't have enough time." Mark's voice is...different. It sounds more grounded and serious than he's normally been. Then again, you did only meet him about two days ago.
Bereft of any reason to argue, you turn around to look at where you came in at. At first, you see nothing save a wall painted a solid dark blue that kind of hurts your eyes to look at. Then, after a few seconds, a small, swirling portal appears in the air. You instinctively hold your arms out and Ana falls into them. You pull her close, hugging her as you turn around to...everyone in the room looking in your direction.
And the looks they are giving you are not the friendly kind.
The fairies have coalesced above your heads while their human partners look down at you behind black glasses that hide their expressions. The animals in the room are all either ready to pounce at you, growling, or simply watching you with fearful eyes. The humans with them either have their hands holding back their partners, or seem to be fighting the urge to walk up and punch you in the face. The armored men have stepped in front of their masters, weapons drawn and ready to battle.
Bottles, papers, pens, and chairs all litter the floor in every direction. Every single mythic and Mage in the room has dropped everything they were doing.
All because your daughter entered the room.
With an audible gulp, you hold Ana tighter while lifting a hand. Everyone tenses up, eyes focused on your hand as it is lifted into the air.
You put on a nervous smile and give a small wave, "H-h-he-hello, everyone. N-n-nice to meet you all."
You quickly pull your hand back while watching everyone's reactions. There weren't many. They all kept the same hostile aura. Ana squirmed in your grip until she could see the array of hostile gazes all pointed your way. Her head scanned the entire room before she shrugged, "Less than I expected. Hello, everyone." Her voice was calm. Way too calm considering you were both looking down the barrels of various figurative magical firearms!
After a few minutes of this intense standoff, Mark finally decides to act. He coughs into his hand and steps forward, drawing everyone's attention to him, "Everyone, this is Howard Craft and his daughter Anastasia Craft. I believe you all have already been informed of who they are, and why they are here. Those that don't please consult the report that was sent out two weeks ago. Now, everyone back to work. Individual introductions can come once my meeting with Mr. Craft is over."
He waves his hands dismissively, his voice the same deep, authoritative tone that he had earlier. The Mages share looks between each other, some starting to mumble and murmur among themselves. You see Mark start to frown for the first time since you've met the man just as the group finally starts to disperse. It's slow going with only about two Mages going about their day at first but, eventually, the whole office gets back to normal. Well, normal-ish. There's still an underlying feeling of uncertainty and fear but at least everyone isn't trying to bore a hole through you with their eyes.
You involuntarily sigh in relief, holding Ana out in front of you by her underarms, "You ok, sweetie?"
"Of course, father," Ana places a finger on your nose while smiling, "You must understand. They were in more danger than we were."
"Your daughter is right," Mark turns towards you with his hat in his hands, "and I must apologize for that awful welcoming. It's just that everyone is really on edge about Anastasia. Even my warning didn't do much to prepare them."
"Nothing you did could've prepared them, but you handled the situation well, Mark. I applaud you for that," Ana claps her hands as you lower her to the ground. She straightens her skirt before looking up at Mark out of the corner of her eye, "You understood how I would react if any of them took one step towards my father." You hear something behind Ana's voice. Something deeper than her wizened, logical one. Deeper than the being that was older than anyone in this room.
It was something angry, yet protective.
Something that wouldn't allow anyone or anything to hurt you.
You honestly aren't sure whether to be happy or disturbed by that.
So you'll be both.
If Mark caught what your daughter meant he didn't show it, "I am well aware. Now, if you both would please follow me."
He starts walking deeper into the building and, with little else to do, you grab Ana's hand and follow him. When you catch up to him, Mark seems to switch personalities. His deep voice is replaced by the one he was using when you first met him. He goes about clapping every Mage you see on the back, "Hudson! How's the family? Good, good. Mary, keep working on your barriers! I can still see cracks! Louis! What did I say about sleeping anywhere that isn't the break room? Hop to work!
He turns around to address you, "Please forgive us for being so disorganized. We're usually not this busy, but quite a few things have happened in this town that have made things complicated for us."
"What kind of things?" you ask as you avoid stepping on the tail of a sleeping fox creature. Most of the Mages do their best to ignore you, but you can feel their stares on your back. They're on your daughter too, but she doesn't seem to notice them. Her head moves in a circle to take in the entire room as you walk through it.
Mark doesn't answer, keeping his gaze forward as he walks. Eventually, the three of you leave the office and enter a long, white hallway. Its cylindrical shape makes your head hurt as you try to follow the contours. When you reach a certain point, Mark stops walking and turns to you both, "Before we continue, I must get your answer as to whether you'll work with us now, Mr. Craft. What I'm about to show you is confidential to anyone save our own employees."
"Well that's fine, but I feel like I could give you a better answer if you tell me what the job entails first?" you say in a matter of fact voice.
"Of course," Mark clears his throat before he begins, "We Mages are in a unique position as we represent both the Human and Mythic Worlds. We work as detectives, negotiators, peacekeepers, and researchers. Our jobs tend to involve solving disputes between humans and mythics, humans and humans, or mythics and mythics. We take a firm stance to remain outside of any major conflicts unless they threaten every single living being on the planet.
He begins to walk from side to side, hands held behind his back, "We try not to start fights. Many of our endeavors focus on stopping a fight from ever breaking out. But, if violence or conflict is inevitable, then we will step in. We are separated into different Branches scattered across the world, with each Branch being made of different Departments that focus on a specific task. Our job is dangerous, but we're the only ones who can do it."
Ana lets go of your hand to cross her arms, "You have done well telling us about your Association, but you haven't answered my father's question. What exactly is the job you're offering?"
"That's actually up to him," Mark stops walking and looks towards you with a smile, "We only ever recruit people who have had some experience with the Supernatural. Then we offer them the ability to choose where they'd like to start. The more experienced, the more positions we offer. Normally, since Craft has very little experience with mythics, we'd start him out as a simple Intern. But due to his...actions over the past few weeks, we can offer you five positions that you may choose from." He holds up five fingers and begins to count them off, "Intern, Detective, Negotiator, Peacekeeper, and...well not a position. More like a...program."
He starts to fidget at the word "program", which makes you raise an eyebrow, "What kind of program?"
"An observation program?" he gives you an innocent look you're used to getting from kids who didn't finish their homework on time.
Ana voices your thoughts before you can, "You want to watch us like we're rats in a cage. As expected." She does not sound happy.
Good. Neither are you.
You cross your arms to match your daughter, your eyes judging the young man in front of you.
Mark looks between you both then sighs while shaking his head, "I know it sounds bad, but hear me out. You and your daughter are people we need to keep an eye on. You should already know we've known about the both of you for some time now. After Ethel was sent to observe you, and again I am so sorry about that and promise she has been punished for it. It should never have happened. But when she came back and informed us of the situation and gave us your message, we were content to let you be. You didn't kill her, didn't sound like a crazed cultist, and Anastasia hadn't done anything overtly threatening. You were deemed completely safe.
He pulls his hat down to cover his eyes while lowering his voice, "That is until we looked into the town and our records. Anastasia is not the first of her kind to be reincarnated after a few centuries or so. However, in all the records we Mages have, there is a pattern to when they appear. All the other mythics in the area are either killed, forced out of their homes, or dominated by the Eldritch. The land is transformed and filled with more Abominations summoned by either the Eldritch itself, it's mere presence, or its devoted followers. The human it attaches itself to is forced to move from place to place as everywhere they stay is destroyed by the monsters that follow them. All of this happens before the Eldritch reaches it's Teen Stage.
You feel yourself go pale at his description of the past until you hear what he says next, "But that hasn't happened with Anastasia. In fact, the opposite has happened."
"What?" you say as you and Ana share a look. For the first time in a long time, she looks just as confused as you do.
Mark nods his head, "Craft, do you know how many mythics were in your town before Anastasia appeared?" When you shake your head he holds up five fingers, "Five. The Harrowmonts and Olly Rivauld. That's it. However, our observations have shown that that number has grown to ten overnight. On top of that, the mythic population in neighboring towns is also on the rise. One town tripled its population within a single day.
He takes a step forward as what he's insinuating becomes clear, "Anastasia isn't pushing mythics away. She's drawing them in. And we don't know why. Even you, Craft, are an anomaly. Most hosts of Eldritch are forced out of their homes and driven mad or forced to become despots to please their charge. Yet you've not only kept your sanity but are living with your daughter under the same roof. And you've managed to befriend mythics despite only just being introduced to the supernatural world. That's before we get into how you killed a Lesser Eldritch Abomination. The both of you could be the start of something amazing...or something terrifying. So, please, give the program some thought. We'll give you double what the standard salary is as compensation, offer you assignments that you can take at your leisure, protect you and your daughter in case anything bad happens, and give you full access to our library of information on mythics and the Supernatural. You'll even get our Healthcare Benefits, which means you'll have access to our Healers at all times. They can only repair physical harm though, not mental. Yet.
"In return," he straightens up, "all we ask is that you allow us to observe you and your daughter as you go about your everyday business. We will not do anything invasive. We're not the government. And, we also ask that you allow us to call you whenever we might need you for a job or possibly a few research test. That's all. So, what do you say?"
He holds out his right hand for a shake. You look at the outstretched arm then down at Ana, "What do you think, honey?"
"Personally, I do not appreciate the thought of having my every move observed by people who might not have my or your best interest at heart," you see Mark's expression dim at your daughter's answer.
[Trust: 10]
"However," Mark expression returns, "if you believe it to be a bad idea, I will not argue. Just be aware that there are alternatives."
You nod and look at Mark's hand and weight your options.
[] Take a Department Job (Salary: 7 Money every Three Days, Other Factors Vary Based on Department)
- [] Intern (Basic Jobs, Mostly running around the Office doing random task, Meet lots of new people, Don't get to do much until a Promotion, Cost 1 Action)
- [] Detective (Focus on investigating problems and possible crimes, Kind of Dangerous, Will Train Deductive and Observation Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
- [] Negotiator (Focus on Mediating between Mythics, Humans, and otherwise, Not Usually Dangerous, Will Train Persuasive and Social Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
- [] Peacekeeper (Focus on Pacifying troublesome Mythics, Humans, and otherwise, Very Dangerous, Will Train Offensive and Defensive Combat Skills/Perks, Cost 2 Actions)
[] Join the Program (Salary: 14 Money every Three Days, Cost No Actions, you will get a mix of Jobs to take on every two days, these Jobs can be taken for extra money, You will get called in for Important Jobs/Test that will take up 1 Action, The Mages will be observing you and Ana, you get access to just about the entire Mage Association)
[] Decline the Offer (No real change, Can still contact the Mages)
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Annatar
Lord of Gifts
- Location
- Pittsburgh
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
[X] Join the Program (Salary: 14 Money every Three Days, Cost No Actions, you will get a mix of Jobs to take on every two days, these Jobs can be taken for extra money, You will get called in for Important Jobs/Test that will take up 1 Action, The Mages will be observing you and Ana, you get access to just about the entire Mage Association)
[X] Take a Department Job (Salary: 7 Money every Three Days, Other Factors Vary Based on Department)
- [X]Detective (Focus on investigating problems and possible crimes, Kind of Dangerous, Will Train Deductive and Observation Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
Admittingly the program sounds like a much safer and beneficial job...BUT WE COULD BE A SUPERNATURAL DETECTIVE!
That sounds freaking awesome! There's so much potential there that we could make an entirely separate quest about it.
Sure it's not the safest but just imagine all the badasa adventures we could have! We could meet so many new mythics this way and gain a good reputation among the mythic community for solving crimes and keeping the community safe.
Plus we could slap a Sherlock Holmes hat on Ana and go sleuthing together, it'll be great for family bonding. Criminals beware, Detective Craft and Ana are on the case!
- [X]Detective (Focus on investigating problems and possible crimes, Kind of Dangerous, Will Train Deductive and Observation Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
Admittingly the program sounds like a much safer and beneficial job...BUT WE COULD BE A SUPERNATURAL DETECTIVE!
That sounds freaking awesome! There's so much potential there that we could make an entirely separate quest about it.
Sure it's not the safest but just imagine all the badasa adventures we could have! We could meet so many new mythics this way and gain a good reputation among the mythic community for solving crimes and keeping the community safe.
Plus we could slap a Sherlock Holmes hat on Ana and go sleuthing together, it'll be great for family bonding. Criminals beware, Detective Craft and Ana are on the case!
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- Location
- Nottinghamshire, England
[X] Join the Program (Salary: 14 Money every Three Days, Cost No Actions, you will get a mix of Jobs to take on every two days, these Jobs can be taken for extra money, You will get called in for Important Jobs/Test that will take up 1 Action, The Mages will be observing you and Ana, you get access to just about the entire Mage Association)
As distasteful as I find it, this is the best option of the lot. Maximum possible pay, minimal risk to both/either of the Crafts, full access to the MA and it doesn't cost any actions outside of any Important Jobs/Tests that'll show up sooner or later.
As distasteful as I find it, this is the best option of the lot. Maximum possible pay, minimal risk to both/either of the Crafts, full access to the MA and it doesn't cost any actions outside of any Important Jobs/Tests that'll show up sooner or later.
Sena Kumo
The Tenth Wandering Cloud
- Location
- Portugal
@LinkOnScepter, we can only choose one job?
ARSLOTHES
ARSLOTHES
- Location
- Broadlands Va
[X] Take a Department Job (Salary: 7 Money every Three Days, Other Factors Vary Based on Department)
- [X] Negotiator (Focus on Mediating between Mythics, Humans, and otherwise, Not Usually Dangerous, Will Train Persuasive and Social Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
- [X] Negotiator (Focus on Mediating between Mythics, Humans, and otherwise, Not Usually Dangerous, Will Train Persuasive and Social Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
Zeroth Jupi
Sporadic Writer and Haver of Ideas
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] Take a Department Job (Salary: 7 Money every Three Days, Other Factors Vary Based on Department)
- [X] Negotiator (Focus on Mediating between Mythics, Humans, and otherwise, Not Usually Dangerous, Will Train Persuasive and Social Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
- [X] Negotiator (Focus on Mediating between Mythics, Humans, and otherwise, Not Usually Dangerous, Will Train Persuasive and Social Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Sena Kumo
The Tenth Wandering Cloud
- Location
- Portugal
Can we change later?
[X] Take a Department Job (Salary: 7 Money every Three Days, Other Factors Vary Based on Department)
- [X]Detective (Focus on investigating problems and possible crimes, Kind of Dangerous, Will Train Deductive and Observation Skills/Perks, Cost 1 Action)