Rise in Revolution (Chapter Thirty-Four)
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Chapter Thirty-Four
Death’s Development
Street 18, Sector SOV. March 25, 2272. Time instance 842N.
Shawn looked at his hand once more as he walked down the street, shivering at the sickly green color his veins had turned and at the slight tinge that was slowly spreading out across his skin.
I really should have let Geek look at this before, and now I’m probably fucked. He shoved his hands into his pockets and ducked his head as he walked to avoid the odd looks from passerby. Kicking myself won’t really help though. He quietly hoped that Scara could find a way to stop or heal this...whatever it was. He sure wasn’t going to try to find and talk to Tac like this. Hi Tac, I’m all green today and probably rotting from the inside out, but let’s talk about your emotional issues involving your brother! What, no, I’m fine! Just dying.
Yeah, that would go over well.
“Hi, Shawn.”
Shawn glanced up and opened his mouth to say hi to Cap- and froze.
Three translucent figures floated around her, all with blank white eyes- although one of them wore shades similar to Kyir’s that hid them, but it wasn’t a huge stretch that his might match.
“Shawn? Are you okay? You’re…” Cap hesitated, motioning at his face. “You’re, um…”
“Cap, can we talk?” Shawn swallowed a few times. “Um. Privately?”
Cap blinked a few times and nodded, leading Shawn off the main street and into an alley. As soon as they were alone, Shawn pointed at the figures and demanded, “Who are they?”
Cap looked surprised and glanced around at them before looking back at Shawn. “They’re dead,” she said slowly.
“I can see that! But WHO ARE THEY?”
“You can see us?” one of the ghosts demanded, the one with dark hair. “You can see us? Why now? Why not before?”
“He’s undead,” the ghost with the shades mumbled. “Technically. As are we.”
Cap sighed. “Shawn, these are the ghosts that have followed me for as long as you’ve known me, Atar and Mentor.” She pointed to each ghost in turn. “They’re Fan and Kyir’s dead mentors. Then this is Seven’s dead sister, Sheva.” Sheva waved.
Shawn looked at each ghost before slowly returning his gaze to Cap. “You have ghosts following you.”
Cap nodded, crossing her arms. “Yes. I see the dead.”
“That...sounds rough.”
“It is.” Cap hesitated. “Please don’t tell anyone. I don’t want them to...wouldn’t want…”
“You don’t want them to think you’re crazy?” Shawn guessed. He could tell she was shoving down a lot of anxiety about this.
“Yes! Yes, exactly!”
Shawn nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” He looked around at the ghosts again, containing his own freakout. “I always knew there was something about you. Sometimes I could see dark shapes following you. I guess that was them.”
“I guess it was.” Cap looked him over before opening her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by Atar.
“Okay, question time. What’s up with your face?”
Shawn groaned. “Is it green, too?”
“Very,” Cap admitted. “We need to get you to see Scara. I heard you were a bit...zombified...but this is ridiculous.”
Shawn nodded in assent and followed Cap back out onto the street and towards where Scara had set up, quietly hoping that she knew what she was doing.
~~~
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Scara announced as she stepped back from Shawn. “Anyone have any ideas?”
Devan and Fall both shook their heads. Neves, on the other side of the room, looked stumped as well.
“I think we should get Geek,” Fall muttered. “She’s the one that did this to him.”
“I’ll get her,” Devan volunteered. Shawn was pretty sure this was just to get away from him- he did look pretty unnerving, after all- but he wasn’t sure. Scara nodded and Devan quickly left to find the demon in question.
“It looks to be rot,” Mentor mumbled. “There’s probably a spell out there that can stop it in its tracks. Geek would know.”
Shawn nodded, forgetting that the others couldn’t see the ghosts. Right. So this is how Cap feels all the time.
Geek showed up several minutes later and immediately began circling Shawn and poking at him, mumbling and asking questions of both him and Scara, before coming to a conclusion.
“It’s rot, all right. I can stop the progression but I can’t un-rot it.”
Shawn stared at her. “You mean I’m stuck looking like this?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Geek opened the Nethernomicon and mumbled a few words, casting a faintly glowing green aura around Shawn momentarily before it faded. She shut the book and looked up at him. “That will stop you from rotting away into nothing or from looking any worse.”
“A magical cloaking spell,” Mentor suggested. “To make it work properly you’d probably have to cut off most of his magical ability, but just bind it to an item that he can easily take on and off.”
“That could work,” Fall mumbled.
Cap and Shawn slowly turned to look at her. She looked at them oddly, confused. “What?”
“You...could hear that?” Shawn asked, dumbfounded.
“Y..yes?” Fall started to look scared. “Wh-what, was I not supposed to?”
“You can see us?” Atar demanded.
“Yes? Can’t everyone?”
“No!” Shawn looked at her like she was nuts. “Fall, they’re….they’re…”
“What the fuck is going on?” Neves demanded.
“I’d like to know that as well,” Scara muttered.
“I believe,” Geek said slowly, “that there are ghosts among us. Vrasko neg’lensk!” A pulse of blue energy filled the room momentarily, and both Neves and Scara yelped as the ghosts were abruptly visible to them.
“By the gods,” Neves whispered. Scara mumbled assent.
Fall looked very confused. “It’s not normal to see those three floating around with Cap?”
“No. Cap, why didn’t you tell us you could see ghosts?” Geek asked.
“I...I…”
“She didn’t want you guys to think she was crazy,” Shawn told her. “She didn’t want her ability paraded around.”
“Oh, Cap, no. No, we wouldn’t think you were crazy.” Geek took one of Cap’s hands in both of her own and looked her in the eyes. “Cap, we’d never think that. People are born with odd abilities or develop them over time, and being able to see the dead is just one of them. It’s not something you have to hide.”
“Please don’t tell anyone,” Cap whispered. “I’m afraid they’ll...they’ll…”
“I won’t,” Geek assured. “Who knows?”
“You guys. Seven and Nine.”
“Not Fan?”
“Not Fan. She’d hate me.”
“She wouldn’t hate you.”
“Fan seems pretty unreasonable. She might.” Fall frowned as everyone looked at her. “What?”
“Don’t say that,” Shawn growled. “That’s really...really…”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.” Cap took a shaky breath. “She very well might.”
“Cloaking spell,” Mentor repeated.
“Right. Geek, he mentioned-”
“Okay, well, you guys figure out magic and cloaking, I’m going to go see Kyir,” Neves announced.
Fall looked at him as if he had declared that he was off to eat some garbage. “Kyir? What the fuck for?”
“To get some repairs done, why else? I can feel my left leg locking up. I don’t think he did as good a job on my back as he thought.” Neves forced himself to his feet and walked stiffly out the door.
Shawn watched him go before diverting his attention back to Geek. “So what’s this about a magical cloak or something?”
“Well, I can enchant an item to change your appearance back to what it was. Essentially transform you back. It’s not just how you look, either- you are actually what you once were. Once it was removed, you would revert to your more...zombified appearance.”
“Okay. What’s the catch? There’s always a catch.” Shawn crossed his arms.
“I’d likely have to almost entirely cut off all of your access to magic while you’re wearing it, or it might interfere with the cloak and cause some..interesting side effects. Possibly including turning you into sludge, permanently.”
“Okay, that’s a good reason.” Shawn blinked a few times. “Wait, hang on. I don’t have access to magic. I’m not magical.”
Geek looked at him like he was stupid. “Shawn, did you never question why the temperature sometimes drops around you, particularly when you’re upset? Or why your shotgun sometimes gets patterns of frost along it when in battle, usually when your friends are hurt?”
“N-no…”
“You’re developing ice powers, Shawn. But you can only use them when you look like this.”
Shawn looked down at his hands. “I…”
I’m magical. The words didn’t seem to belong in his mind. I’m magical.
“I’ll need some time to devise the spell, but I can probably get it set up by tomorrow. Will that work?”
Shawn nodded slowly. “I’m…”
“It’s a bit of a shock to learn you have magical abilities, I know.” Scara put a hand on his shoulder. “I was born with my abilities, but I didn’t learn about it until I was about eight. It was pretty surprising.”
Shawn nodded and pulled his trenchcoat around him, feeling better with a shield from the outside world.
He didn’t understand it sometimes, but right now he especially didn’t understand himself.
~~~
Neves was practically limping by the time he got to Kyir’s current setup. His knee was almost entirely locked and he couldn’t move his foot at all. He swore violently with every step and screamed out an angry curse when he fell. He struggled to get up but couldn’t manage it without the use of his left leg and just lay there, breathing heavily and swearing constantly.
He heard footsteps about thirty seconds later and lifted his head, but he couldn’t see who was approaching. His prediction software informed him that it was a short, winged humanoid, and when they stopped, he was aware of them kneeling down and helping him up.
“Leg not working?” Cataclysm’s rough voice registered immediately.
“Yeah. It’s fucked.”
“Let’s get you inside, then.” Cataclysm helped him the rest of the way and through the door. “Kyir! Got a cyborg in need of repairs!”
“Okay, okay.” Kyir stepped away from a workbench and looked over at them. “Oh. Get him on the table, let me just-” He moved to get a toolbox and tripped over a piece of metal on the floor, swearing and grumbling about a stupid eye as he got back to his feet.
Cataclysm helped Neves up onto the table and then moved back to sit in a chair at the edge of the workshop, a side cast in shadow. Neves shook off the uneasy feeling that Cataclysm gave him. There was just something wrong about the man.
Kyir showed up a moment later with a toolbox, immediately instructing Neves to change positions on the table and stretch his currently-useless leg out on the surface. Neves didn’t bother to argue, ignoring Kyir mumbling to himself and the machinery as he worked. Neves disliked the man, but he’d rather not start an argument.
After a few minutes, he heard Cataclysm clear his throat and Kyir seemed to become...nervous? Neves shook his head slightly. That wasn’t quite right. Although the man did seem less aggressive than he usually did...
“Hey, um. Neves?”
“Yeah?”
“I, uh...I just…” Kyir drummed his fingers on the table. “I wanted to….I wanted to apologize. For, um. Blaming you. For everything going haywire. It’s not your fault that it doesn’t always work right, and, uh..” Kyir’s left hand moved to rub the scar across his left eyes. “It’s...hard, when things don’t always go your way, and I wasn’t making it any easier for you.”
Neves stared at him in disbelief. “You’re...sorry?”
“Yeah. I am.” Kyir’s finger drumming stopped.
“...Thanks. I...appreciate it.” Neves smiled at him and Kyir quickly nodded, looking away and getting back to work. They were silent for the next half hour, but it wasn’t tense like it had been before.
The silence was broken by the door to the workshop suddenly swinging open and a man- a very attractive man, Neves thought- burst in, carrying a small box the jingled and clanked when moved.
“Nine sent me with this. Where do you want it?”
“Oh, wherever. I’ll deal with it later,” Kyir grumbled.
“This place is a mess,” the man commented as he set down the box. “Kinda like your life. Fucking burned. I’m out.” With that, he left.
Cataclysm groaned. “He’s so lame.”
“It’s great,” Neves mumbled. He turned to Kyir. “Who was that and is he available?”
Kyir rolled his eyes behind his shades. “His name is Scott and he’s taken.”
“Damn.” Neves crossed his arms. “The attractive ones are always taken.”
“I’m not,” Cataclysm joked. “Should I be offended?"
Kyir barked with laughter as Neves sputtered an apology, only earning laughter from Cataclysm as well. The cyborg shook his head before he realized that he was smiling and enjoying himself.
Maybe these two weren’t so bad after all.
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Date: 2016-06-24 07:54 pm (UTC)Oh boy, that tagline XD
Shawn glanced up and opened his mouth to say hi to Cap- and froze.
Three translucent figures floated around her, all with blank white eyes- although one of them wore shades similar to Kyir’s that hid them, but it wasn’t a huge stretch that his might match.
Welp, now three people know Cap sees dead people....
“Very,” Cap admitted. “We need to get you to see Scara. I heard you were a bit...zombified...but this is ridiculous.”
Shawn nodded in assent and followed Cap back out onto the street and towards where Scara had set up, quietly hoping that she knew what she was doing.
~~~
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Scara announced as she stepped back from Shawn. “Anyone have any ideas?”
Me: Wait I have an idea! *covers Shawn in spray tan* See? Problem solved XD
Shawn: WTF Scara? I'm still green under this!
Me: Well....yeah....but at least you don't look like the Hulk now...^^"
Tana messaged me that transition and my response was "Welp, thanks for that XD"
“A magical cloaking spell,” Mentor suggested. “To make it work properly you’d probably have to cut off most of his magical ability, but just bind it to an item that he can easily take on and off.”
“That could work,” Fall mumbled.
Cap and Shawn slowly turned to look at her. She looked at them oddly, confused. “What?”
“You...could hear that?” Shawn asked, dumbfounded.
“Y..yes?” Fall started to look scared. “Wh-what, was I not supposed to?”
“You can see us?” Atar demanded.
“Yes? Can’t everyone?”
“No!” Shawn looked at her like she was nuts.
Welp, the group of people knowing about Cap's abilities just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Way to let the cat out of the bag there Fall XD
“Okay, well, you guys figure out magic and cloaking, I’m going to go see Kyir,” Neves announced.
Fall looked at him as if he had declared that he was off to eat some garbage. “Kyir? What the fuck for?”
“To get some repairs done, why else? I can feel my left leg locking up. I don’t think he did as good a job on my back as he thought.” Neves forced himself to his feet and walked stiffly out the door.
Fall who can't imagine anyone wanting to go see Kyir willingly XD
“Well, I can enchant an item to change your appearance back to what it was. Essentially transform you back. It’s not just how you look, either- you are actually what you once were. Once it was removed, you would revert to your more...zombified appearance.”
“Okay. What’s the catch? There’s always a catch.” Shawn crossed his arms.
“I’d likely have to almost entirely cut off all of your access to magic while you’re wearing it, or it might interfere with the cloak and cause some..interesting side effects. Possibly including turning you into sludge, permanently."
“Okay, that’s a good reason.” Shawn blinked a few times. “Wait, hang on. I don’t have access to magic. I’m not magical.”
Geek looked at him like he was stupid. “Shawn, did you never question why the temperature sometimes drops around you, particularly when you’re upset? Or why your shotgun sometimes gets patterns of frost along it when in battle, usually when your friends are hurt?”
“N-no…”
“You’re developing ice powers, Shawn. But you can only use them when you look like this.”
Shawn looked down at his hands. “I…”
I’m magical. The words didn’t seem to belong in his mind. I’m magical.
*bursts into song*
Shawn you're as cold as ice!
But are you willing to sacrifice?
Your looks?
*coughs* Ok musical interlude over XD
“It’s a bit of a shock to learn you have magical abilities, I know.” Scara put a hand on his shoulder. “I was born with my abilities, but I didn’t learn about it until I was about eight. It was pretty surprising.”
Yeah when I fell over and cut my leg open, then was crying and holding it while my mother rushed over to find that though there was blood on my hands from where the cut had bled but the cut itself has vanished; I freaked so hard and my mum had to hold me for two hours til I calmed down.
After a few minutes, he heard Cataclysm clear his throat and Kyir seemed to become...nervous? Neves shook his head slightly. That wasn’t quite right. Although the man did seem less aggressive than he usually did...
“Hey, um. Neves?”
“Yeah?”
“I, uh...I just…” Kyir drummed his fingers on the table. “I wanted to….I wanted to apologize. For, um. Blaming you. For everything going haywire. It’s not your fault that it doesn’t always work right, and, uh..” Kyir’s left hand moved to rub the scar across his left eyes. “It’s...hard, when things don’t always go your way, and I wasn’t making it any easier for you.”
Neves stared at him in disbelief. “You’re...sorry?”
“Yeah. I am.” Kyir’s finger drumming stopped.
“...Thanks. I...appreciate it.” Neves smiled at him and Kyir quickly nodded, looking away and getting back to work. They were silent for the next half hour, but it wasn’t tense like it had been before.
I take it Cataclysm had a talk with Kyir after everything calmed down and pointed out that Kyir should apologise? Gotta hand it to Kyir, no one would expect him to apologise but he has.
“This place is a mess,” the man commented as he set down the box. “Kinda like your life. Fucking burned. I’m out.” With that, he left.
Cataclysm groaned. “He’s so lame.”
“It’s great,” Neves mumbled. He turned to Kyir. “Who was that and is he available?”
Kyir rolled his eyes behind his shades. “His name is Scott and he’s taken.”
“Damn.” Neves crossed his arms. “The attractive ones are always taken.”
“I’m not,” Cataclysm joked. “Should I be offended?"
Kyir barked with laughter as Neves sputtered an apology, only earning laughter from Cataclysm as well. The cyborg shook his head before he realized that he was smiling and enjoying himself.
Maybe these two weren’t so bad after all.
OMG, I'm laughing so hard at this XD
Great chapter Tana.
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Date: 2016-06-24 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-24 09:22 pm (UTC)BTW do you like my take on how I discovered my powers? ^^
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Date: 2016-06-25 04:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-25 02:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-25 10:08 am (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-06-25 04:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-06-26 11:34 am (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-06-25 04:51 pm (UTC)